Wednesday, November 30, 2005 

The sweetest thing

This has got to be one of the sweetest, most heartwarming sights I have viewed in a very long time: CLICK THIS

It's the webcam dedicated to the new baby Panda, Tai Shan and his momma, Mei Xiang at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

Just watch it for a few minutes and see if you don't have a huge, goofy grin on your face!

4:08 PM | |

 

Oh the pain of it all

Last night, I was in bed at 6:45 with a severe case of the chills and body aches. I didn't have a fever though. I drank a dose of Airborne just to play it safe.

Today, my head feels like it's going to explode right off my neck, my chills are back and my vision is kinda blurry. Still, no fever and no major symptoms.

I wonder if it's possible to just get a little sick? Kinda like your body fights off certain germs - maybe the more powerful and destructive ones, and lets the minor little ones slide by.

10:46 AM | |

Tuesday, November 29, 2005 

It's in his kiss

That's where it is!

THIS story hit me sort of unexpectedly hard. Young girls are always dreaming of that end all be all kiss from their true loves and that poor girl got it, literally.

As a rosacea sufferer, I know what it's like to eat something that has an almost instantaneous reaction on my face. I also have allergies with certain foods. Onions for instance will cause my heart to race and leave me feeling dizzy. I had something once at a Chinese restaurant that did virtually the same thing AND made me feel like my throat was closing on me.

She MUST have known that she was allergic to peanuts if an epi-pen used to treat anaphylaxis was used on her immediately following. Couldn't she smell them on her boyfriend's breath? I realize that by the time she could taste them, she would have known it was too late.

How terribly sad for her family and especially her boyfriend. My heart goes out to them.

Ahh, in other news...I'm waddling around like most everyone else from eating too much Thanksgiving food. Maybe YOU have more self control than I do, but dang -- pumpkin pie is my oh my!

Also, I'm changing PRETEEN's pseudonym to STILTS. Why? He is now 5 feet 8.25 inches tall. And it's sorta funny because all the growth is going to his torso. He's still wearing his 29x30 jeans without any problem. Men's size small shirts are too short for him and even though the mediums look better, he likes the length in size large. Bro-ther. I just think they look sloppier.

Just more drudgery at the ol' salt mines. I'm considering taking up knitting as a hobby. My aunt knits and crochets and once upon a time, she taught me a few basic crochet steps. I really love the new yarns that have come out...so soft and airy or bold and chunky. So IF you get something knitted for Christmas, it just might have been made by me....maybe!

2:45 PM | |

Wednesday, November 09, 2005 

It's (not) raining men or anything else for that matter

Besides the 10,000 degree summers, the city in which I live is a veritable yawn fest when it comes to weather. In my nearly 40 years here, there have been 1 or 2 dust storms, 2.45 times that it accidentally snowed, numerous Winter mornings when it was surprisingly cold enough overnight to freeze the water pipes and lots of tulle fog sprinkled in for good measure.
I've been laughing at the newspaper, local weather people and of course the weather channel since Monday. They have all proclaimed that we'd be receiving rain...you know, any time now. 70% chance of showers during the morning, tapering off to 40% over night. Uh huh. Sure.

According to weather.com people, we WILL have water dripping from the sky during the evening commute!!!

Mother Nature loves to use this area as her personal science experiment, and often times she will stick our area under a big, invisible dome. Sort of like duck under glass, sort of. We've got the clouds and the warm (WARM? In November?!!) breeze, but nary the tiniest droplette has fallen from the sky.

Quack.

1:58 PM | |

Tuesday, November 01, 2005 

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Dear PRETEEN,

As I watch you changing daily, gnawing on your fingernails and cuticles, trying to figure out what's real about this world and what's fabricated, I want to jump on your ass and cram you into a box and not let you out ever again.

No really, it upsets me to see you changing all the time, doing this "I'm growing up" thing. So what if I did it to your grandparents, MY growing up didn't rip their hearts out! I can't stand to see you leave your childhood behind. You didn't trick or treat this Halloween because when you croak the phrase out, it sounds like James Earl Jones sucking on helium. You loom in the distance like a tall, willowy figure except that you hunch over with your hands thrust into your hoodie and your chin at your chest because walking upright isn't cool.

Oh sweet child of mine, one minute you're wanting to play (just for old times sake) the old peek a boo game that would cause you to emit hiccup-laced giggles as a baby and the next, you're hording the telephone talking to JV about football or girls or why that music is so sick.

You can definitely be four seasons in one day. I know you have a lot of turmoil to put up with inside your head. I know that sticking out for ANY reason is far too stressful than being one of the walking lemmings. I know that while your nearly 13 years of life haven't been the most conventional, they certainly have been hundreds of times better than most. Which is why I cannot abide by the disrespectful nature you have been adopting lately.

My son, until you are old enough to leave the house and begin your own journey through this world, you WILL abide by my rules. These rules are set by me for your own protection, safety and all around wellness. I am not trying to keep you from becoming anything but a sensible person who makes decisions based upon logic instead of flipping a coin. I would also rather see you come to despise me for making you get up and go to school only to be "BORED TO DEATH" for six and a half hours a day, than hear you asking me if I "want fries with that" six and a half years from now.

I do NOT want to run your life. I repeat: I DO NOT WANT TO RUN YOUR LIFE! However, until the day comes when you are sufficiently capable of doing it ALL on your own, I will be your superior officer with the 37 years of experience you lack. I may not know everything, but I sure do know a lot more than you! So don't you DARE take that tone with me cause I will catapult you into next week so fast, your clothes will be last year's cast offs!

I know you love me. I know you're a good person. I know you detest waking up in the morning just as much as I do. But guess what? Going to school is the EASY part! Getting an education is so much BETTER than working day after day in a dead-end job. You can be ANYTHING you want my boy. The sky is the limit, and with the space program -- it probably isn't even that! You are so smart and you're a natural at so many things, just don't sell yourself short!

And really, if you wouldn't mind...please give me a break. You know I'm your #1 fan. You do for me and I'm there for you. Take the trash out and make sure Piper gets her dinner before we find her chewing on your socks or the chair again. Please just cut out this business of being conveniently lazy! Your brain is too good to waste.

I love you my boy, my son, my darling baby.

1:31 PM | |