I had some pictures to post, but Blogger is not cooperating. Oh well. I'll do it tomorrow.

Short version of my day: I went to the Cut-a-thon. It was exciting to have so many people at our salon. It was a big success. I stayed for about 4 hours before heading home. I did some yard work, then laid on the hammock reading Pride and Prejudice. It's my next book club selection, but I don't really feel like reading it. I got the Cliff notes just in case. I made a tofu stir-fry for dinner that Emily wasn't crazy about. It's a good thing I like tofu. I've sat at the dining room table for the last few hours watching the last 3 episodes of Brothers and Sisters on my laptop. And now, it's time to watch the Season Premier on TV.

Later...

Have I mentioned how boring my life is? I don't mean that I'm bored, it's just that I do the same things over and over again. I live a routine-filled existence. Here it is, a Saturday night, and I'm alone, as usual. Alone, but not lonely. That's the key thing. It really doesn't take much to make me happy. Time spent outdoors. Time on my computer. At Border's, Panera's or some other coffee shop. Doing this or that around the house. Simple things. The thing is, though, that when I'm not at work, I'm doing it all alone. Yes, I have my daughter, but she's a teenager, and not into hanging out with me. Unless I'm taking her shopping. So I kind of have two lives...the very social one I have at work, and the solitary one away from it. At work I'm surrounded by people. And, I'm constantly talking. It's part of my job. All of my clients request my company. Well, that's one way of looking at it. Of course they're there for me to do their hair, but that's only a part of it. They could go anywhere to have their hair done, but they choose me. I try to treat each client as very special, because they really are. I depend on them not only for the income they provide me, but for the social acceptance I gain from them. I enjoy their company. They make me feel like I'm an interesting person to be around. I need that. I think one of the reasons I like Panera's so much is that I'm surrounded by people there. And, I really think that's the kind of place I'll meet someone. So, when you hear I'm at Panera's or Border's, know that it's not just for the coffee....

Espresso Art In The Morning

Friday night. Me and the bird, hanging around. Not doing much of anything. Tomorrow's coffee day and I can't wait. It's not just the caffeine. It's the atmosphere of being at Border's with my coffee that I love.

I had a slow day at work. I got my hair color done, which was a real treat. It's so nice to be on the receiving end of a salon service. I had my hair cut on Wednesday, so I'm set for a while. Working in a salon has it's advantages. I had a few cancellations today, and it was nice to have a little down time. My sister came in for her cut and color. It's when we catch up.

I'll be staying a little late tomorrow to help get the salon ready for the Cut-A-Thon we're hosting on Sunday. It's an annual event, and the proceeds go to the cancer center at the local hospital. I'll be there as a greeter, and to do anything that needs done. I've never cut hair for it--too outside my comfort zone. Emily will be there to help. Last time she walked around selling 50-50 tickets. She's not shy.

Well, that's about it for tonight. Wish I had more exciting things to write about.

The bird really likes my keyboard. This isn't going to work because I like it too and it's mine!


I placed an ad on Craigslist. Someone from a parrot rescue league saw it, and added it to their listing. Someone else e-mailed me with a lead and I'm hoping to get a call tonight. I really wanted a baby bird, to train, and to bond with us. Andrew thought I should keep the bird. I may, if I can't find the owner. I'll be curious to see how this thing plays out.

Another busy day off. This morning I met a client/friend to show her around Blogger. She read my blog, loved the idea of it, and started her own. It was a lot of fun spending time together. If you get a chance, check it out.

I took Emily out of school to go to her orthodontist. She thought she was having impressions made and then getting her braces off. No, again. Maybe at her next appointment in 6 weeks. I'll believe it when I see it. From there we went to her field hockey game. Another beautiful day to be outside. The team played hard, but they lost very badly, again. I thought Emily was a real scrapper. She had no hesitation getting in there and hacking away at the ball. Looked exhausting to me. She stayed for the Varsity game and took the team bus back to the school. She's watching a Varsity soccer game now. I just had to drive up to the school to bring money so she and her friends could get in. At least I got an I love you out of it.

Time for some TV. Season opener for Ugly Betty and Gray's Anatomy.
Later!

I have a bird on my shoulder. A co-worker's neighbor was trying to retrieve his mail when a gray cockatiel landed on his shoulder. Can you imagine? He walked his neighborhood with the bird on his shoulder, knocking on every door, trying to find the owner. No luck. He put out fliers. Some of you might remember that I had a cockatiel that I loved and lost. I thought I'd go see this bird, just in case. Of course, it wasn't my bird, but this family didn't want to keep him/her any longer, so for now, he's here. I'm going to put ads in the local papers, the Pennysaver, and Craigslist. There's got to be a family out there that's frantic to find their pet. He likes me OK, but seemed to love the man who found him. His owner must have been male. He seems to like electronics. He just hopped down to my keyboard, which I thought was cute, till he pooped on it. Fortunately bird poop is easy to clean up. Now he's walking all over the remote control. Better move him before he poops on that.


On a sadder note, Emily's hamster died yesterday. Her boyfriend called to say that something appeared to be very wrong with him. We went over to see, and I just knew he was dying. He passed away a few hours later and we buried him in the backyard.

Kind of uncanny how we lost a pet and gained one.

Time to get up and going. I'll try to post again later...

Tired. Tired but still wanting to do a little writing.

I had a really short day at work. 11:30-3:00. I took off to see Emily play field hockey for the first time. It was a gorgeous day, and my chair was in the shade. I've never seen this sport played; interesting. The girls are kind of bent over as they try to move the ball along. I thought Emily played well. They lost, 8-0. This was their third game and third loss. I hope they get better and have a winning game.

We had all of her teammates over last night for pizza and t-shirt decorating. They had a great time. I did a good job of staying out of their way.


See my LADEDA letters over the fireplace? I got them as a Christmas gift but couldn't figure out how to hang them. I thought I'd set them up on the mantle for a while.

We had about 30 minutes at home between the game and leaving for Back to School night. Whew! It was my first time seeing more than the auditorium and media center. The hallways were bright as were the classrooms. Much better than her old (50 years) middle school. I was impressed with all but her geometry teacher. He seemed to look at the ceiling as he addressed us. Emily says he's quite distracting.

And here I am. Tired. Hungry but too late to eat. Ready for a little reading. I took Jay's advice and put all the blogs I read into Google Reader. Now I have something else to be addicted to.

It's official...Fall is here.

Yes, I'm one of those people who hang flags outside. I started doing it years ago after noticing that many people in my sister's GA neighborhood did it. I'm pretty good at keeping up with the seasons, holidays, etc... Today I took down the one with bright flowers and replaced it with this Fall one. Not that I'm embracing the season fully, yet.

I went for my barium swallow test and upper GI series test this morning. Interesting. I had to get in a gown that closes in the back. I didn't think about tying it closed. How do you do that from behind anyway? Then I stood in front of a vertical X=ray machine. I had to hold a large glass of barium in my left hand. I was given a tiny cup of crystals that I had to throw to the back of my throat, followed by a tiny cup of water. I immediately had to start drinking the glass of barium without stop. It was as thick as yogurt. Yuck. The doctor took pictures the whole while. Then I put my arms on the table, and the X-ray machine carried me to a horizontal position and I was laying on it. They handed me another glass of a more liquid barium solution that I had to drink with a straw while they took pictures. Then I had to turn over and over and over so the barium could coat my stomach. That was when I realized I should have asked for help with tying the gown. I had to turn with one hand reached behind me to keep myself covered. Anyhow, that was it. The doctor mentioned something about reflux. Not that he gave me a diagnosis, but my own doctor had mentioned that too. I'll be making an appointment with an ear/nose/throat doctor, who I also hope finds nothing wrong. Then, hopefully I'll be done. I'll probably worry some while awaiting today's test results, but I think I'll be better than I was last week.

I went out for lunch after my appointment, and have spent the last few hours doing this and that around the house. Emily asked if her field hockey team could come over after practice today to decorate team t-shirts and have pizza. Anytime, as far as I'm concerned.

Update: I fixed the link to Kit's blog. Sorry about that! ...I'll be back later

Were you wondering where I've been?

I don't seem to have a lot to say on work days. I think that's it. It's now Sunday morning and I've been sitting at an outside table at Caribou Coffee with my friend Kit for the last couple of hours. Time just flew by. We spent our time talking instead of talking and looking at our computers. We both have a lot to say, and sometimes need to interrupt the other to get a word in. The routine lately has been to meet early because Kit visits her 90-year old father every Sunday at 11:30. We did go online to find a place that served steak and creme brulee, her dad's favorite. I've mentioned it before, but Kit has a blog that she writes in her father's 'voice.' He dictates letters for her to put on the blog, plus she has all the family photos and memorabilia. If you get a chance, check it out and say hello.

Well, I realize that I'm too hungry to stay here and write. It's a gorgeous day, and it's time to get home. I'll continue this later today.

It was a great day off! I was home on the computer for a while in the morning. Got the newspaper read. Didn't do a thing around the house, but there was nothing pressing to do. I thought of going to my mom's for a visit, but she's got her aide there on Thursdays, so she doesn't 'need' me. I wanted to go to my bank. I wanted to buy pansies. So, I drove by Sam's Club to see if they had any. They didn't, but I thought I might as well go in and look around. I bought stuff and put it in the back of my CRV.


Then I went to Walmart. They had pansies. I decided to go in and browse. I bought stuff and put it in my car.


After that I had something to return that's been in my car for ages:

I was feeling like a sneaky paparazzi. I worried that someone might think I was doing something illegal.

Time for lunch!

Wasn't I good? Black bean soup and an apple. Not a cinnamon crunch bagel with hazelnut cream cheese.

A few more errands:





I enjoyed all the errands. After I put all the stuff away, I went online and checked out a favorite blog, The Pioneer Woman Cooks! She had a recipe for Oatmeal Crispies that I got the urge to make. I decided to add Butterscotch chips to it. Seemed a good match for the oatmeal.

I had one cookie and it was delicious. I'm bringing the rest in to work tomorrow.

Then I made a pineapple pizza. Aren't you glad I got a new camera?


Finally, I noticed the way the setting sun was casting it's light outside. I went to look. It was the beginning of a beautiful sunset.



It was a good day

I'm not usually at Panera's in the afternoon, but why not? I'd like to have my own private cubby here, with a privacy screen in Panera's warm, harvest gold/orange/vanilla colors. Why? To do hair. My clients would come in on their lunch break. They'd all be friends with me. We'd talk while I 'worked' (if you can call it work). I'd schedule regular breaks to sit at my favorite table with my laptop. I'd have a bagel with cream cheese every day for breakfast with dark roasted coffee. For lunch I'd have a cup of soup and a half salad, with an apple. Dinner could be the same. I don't think I'd get tired of it. I'd become friendly with all the regulars. I'd feel like I was entertaining at home. I'm having a great day dream here. Too bad it couldn't work. I'd have to leave my job. I couldn't do that. I have a home to take care of. Not to mention a daughter. Well, a girl can dream, right? In the meantime, I'll come here and visit when I can. And dream.

I just finished a healthy broccoli/tofu stir-fry. Low-fat popcorn is popping away in the microwave. What I really want to eat is creamy, full-fat ice cream. Lots of it. But I'm not. I'm determined to get these few pounds off. The tendency to be heavy runs deep in my family, and I'm the only sibling who's always been slender. My father's mother was very hefty. As is my father. And my 2 sisters, till Lisa had her surgery and major weight-loss. My brother is 6'3" and built like a former linebacker. My mother was always slim, till after she had her stroke. She loves to eat; that and having a clean home are her greatest pleasures. So, I have to be very careful. I eat oatmeal every single day for breakfast. I have a salad every single day for lunch. I eat raisins and granola bars and yogurt and cooked vegetables for snacks. It isn't that I love these foods, it's just what I need to eat to maintain my weight. I love ice cream and candy and pizza. And all-you-can-eat buffets. I love to eat. Which is why I'm on a diet now.

I had no plans to write any of the above. I got a little wordy because I had coffee today. At work! I finally got up the nerve to call my doctor's office about my sonogram results. The receptionist told me that the results were negative. I was so surprised! I was happy, but perplexed. Should I just ignore my symptoms? Am I a hypochondriac? My doctor called me about an hour later. She's ordered a few more tests, but told me my symptoms are common. I hope that all these tests turn out to be an expensive waste of money and time. I do feel much better just having today's good news. I drank the coffee to celebrate.

The other good news is that the Dell technician came to my salon today and fixed my laptop. I have a new keyboard. Who said extended warranties are a waste of money? I love my laptop and I missed it greatly while it was drying off. Hello laptop. That's it's name. I'm not very original.

Well, let me go wipe the chocolate off my fingers before I get any on my keyboard. I have no clue how that mini Hershey's extra dark chocolate bar got on my table and now all I have left is an empty wrapper. Darn.

Finally home after a long day at work. The day actually flew by. I was busy with all good clients. Now I'm home and hungry, but it's too late to eat dinner, and I'll just have to be satisfied with my granola bar and dried fruit. I hardly ever eat dinner when I work late. If I had someone to cook for me I'm sure I'd be saying something different.

Someone from Dell left a message on my home phone saying that the part is in and they could set up a time to fix my laptop. I'm bringing it to work tomorrow in the hopes that they'll call and be able to do it there. I'm not anxious, am I?

Well, time to do some reading. Sorry for a boring post.

PS..
heiresschild...I have AOL and you need that to get the "You've got mail" greeting. You can even pick the voice that says it. I've got Drew Barrymore.

Continuation...
So it was an off-kilter day. I did get the basement cleaned up. For those of you who've been around for a while, you'll remember that I spent weeks cleaning it out. Over the summer, especially after vacation, I've brought things down there without putting them away in their proper places. Everything's neat and tidy again and it was a good feeling to gaze over the large expanse of open floor. I finally got outside in the late afternoon and spent some time cutting things back in the garden. Then I showered and went to Em's boyfriend's soccer game. It was pretty exciting, but they lost, 3-4. I'd really like to see a winning game sometime.

I've had a 'floating anxiety' all day about my test results. I've got to try some of that 'smile therapy.' Time to put this day to rest.

PS...
Ilene...that plate of food really did feed three of us. I only ate 2 slices of potato, and the shrimp were really big. The plate's big too.

Kyrie...You asked what crafts I did. I was a big-time rubber stamper. I never thought I'd stop. I'm only taking a break.

Andrew...I get e-mail notification when people leave comments. Since I was cleaning in the room with the computer, I was right there to hear it every time. I always check my e-mail and clean it out. Habit, ya know?

It's been a day of doing this and that. Nothing big accomplished so far, but... I've made great strides in cleaning up the room that Emily and I share. Her part is her desk and computer, my part is my crafts stuff. That I don't use. There is actually a lot of floor space that hasn't been seen in quite a while. Ditto with the closet. So, that's something. I've done the wash, read the paper, ironed clothes, vaccuumed. Like I said, this and that. The computer's been on, and every once in a while I hear, "You've got mail." That is always a welcome distraction!

Just finished a great dinner. If I must say so myself. Grilled potatoes, and shrimp. And no, that's not my plate. We divided that up by 3. I also made roasted green beans to go along with it. Simple. The potatoes and shrimp were coated with olive oil and garlic powder. The green beans with olive oil and salt. Of course, now I want ice cream, but I can't. I had a bad day yesterday, and today I saw a picture of myself that strengthened my resolve. So, it will be raisins or a smoothie for something sweet.

Earlier today:
Another morning of jumping out of bed and heading out the door. OK...I did spend about 5 minutes prettying myself up. There's something nice about just 'doing'. On work days, I'm up for 3-4 hours before I leave for work. I have my decaf (if I said coffee, it would indicate a day off--it's the only time I drink the stuff), I make my lunch, I shower, sit at my make-up table and leisurely make up my face. I have the Today show on and stop to listen to the stories that interest me. I clean a little, iron, take care of bills, or who knows what else. The time just flies. When you gt up and quickly leave, you're there. Of course, I could do that on a regular basis, but since I'm an early riser, where would I go? I guess I should say, it's great to get right out of bed and going on a day off if it means being in Panera with your laptop in front of you and a great cup of coffee. Cause, that's where I am right now.

Now:
I'm home with big laptop problems. It's as if something has taken over my computer and I'm afraid it's a Virus. I'm on the desktop computer with Dell's number in one hand a can of Trader Joe's italian style Espresso soda in the other.

To be continued...
Thank goodness for customer service. And for Dell. And for extended warranties. And, coffee smells better in a cup than in a laptop.

The Dell technician was very helpful. I told her that only 15 of the 26 letters on my keyboard were working. And that when I tried to type something into Google, that the letter r took over and multiplied. We tried a number of fixes, then she went about instructing me on how to take my keyboard out. As I gingerly lifted the panel, I was assaulted with the strong smell of coffee. And, it was wet in the space that had been occupied by my keyboard. With coffee. Now when I was at Panera, my coffee cup did spill over. But, no coffee came out. I assumed the cup had been empty, and was very relieved. Now I knew what happened. I wiped the computer inners off, and reconnected the keyboard. Now it didn't work at all, and I knew I had to fess up. I told her about the coffee puddles. She said that might be the problem. She ordered a new keyboard to be shipped to my house and the instructions that a technician would be contacting me within 2 days to install it. Because it's covered under the warranty that I extended in July!!!!! Hallelujah! I'll have to share Emily's computer till then, but that's a small price to pay.

Foremost in my mind has been the bad news that my blogging friend Jamie got today. I'm sure some of you know her. She's about the kindest person I've met here, and she's been fighting cancer for quite a while. Please say a prayer for her.

The work week is done. Emily came to my shop today before I got off of work. She wanted her hair shampooed and asked who should do it. I said, sit in a shampoo chair and pretend you're a client. Someone will come over and do it for you. One of the perks of having a mom who's a hairdresser is getting your hair washed. We went to my cousin Myra's house when I got off. She was hosting a party for her daughter Holly, who lives in CA had a baby 6 months ago. Holly is my second cousin, and I'm good friends with her sister Jill, who's husband is my dentist. Jill and I have been friends since we were really little. I love being with cousins and aunts and uncles. We saw a bunch of them (first cousins) on Thursday and will see them again next Saturday.

It's been a quiet night. Emily went to the movies and I didn't do much. I watched an old episode of Brothers and Sisters on her computer. I didn't finish the series in the spring and want to catch up before the new season starts. I picked Emily up from the movies, and she's at her boyfriend's house for a while. And here I am. Not too exciting.

I'm going to read some blogs for a while. I hope to get to Panera's in the morning. That'll make me happy.

Mother and Child

OK. Sonogram done. I had no idea that almost all parts of your body can be sonogramed. The throat was weird. I had to have my chin pointed to the ceiling while the radiologist mapped my throat with her wand. I got very nervous and was wishing for a Valium. I could feel her pressing down on exactly the area that's been bothering me. When I left she said, 'good luck with everything.' Why'd she have to say that? Of course, now my throat is bothering me from all the pressing. I'm going to try not to be too worried.

Emily and I are going to do some shopping now. We're looking for a Homecoming dress. Wish me luck with that one. We'll leave for the relative's later this afternoon.

So we're sitting at the dinner table, eating our not-great stir fry dinner. Emily picked out the mushrooms, then the yellow peppers, then just picked at it. It wasn't nearly as good as the other stir-fry meals I've made. I told her I wouldn't make another till next week. She said she didn't want any more stir-fries at all. I told her there's other ways to prepare tofu and she was glad to hear that. I asked her if she wanted to know, as I've been reading a tofu cookbook. She said no. That conversation came to an abrupt end.

I told Emily that I was going to the doctor's in the morning. There's no school (Jewish holiday), so she'll be home. All she wanted to know was what time I was leaving. I said, "don't you want to know why I'm seeing a doctor?" She said, "Mom, I read your blog. I know everything about you." Was that funny, or not??

BTW, my throat's not been bothering me at all since I went to the doctor's. I'll still go for the sonogram, but I'm not worried anymore.

I've been cooking since I got home from work. I volunteered to bring dessert to my relatives' house tomorrow. I'd seen a recipe in the new Cook's Illustrated magazine for Cheesecake Brownies, and that's what I made. It was my first time making brownies from scratch, and was much easier than I thought. I won't cut them into squares till tomorrow, so I won't know how they look inside till then. While the brownies were baking, I made up the batter for chocolate chip cookies. Emily's putting the batches of cookies in the oven now.

I'll write again tomorrow after my appointment...

Morning! A sunny and cool one. I'll try to spend at least a moment out there before I head out. I'll be stopping by Border's before work...I saw a recipe in a magazine when I was there on Saturday, and I need to write it down. I volunteered to bring dessert when we go to my relatives' tomorrow, and that's what I'll be making. All I remember is chocolate and cream cheese. Can't go wrong with that. Later!

I'm so tired this morning. It's been a while since I've had trouble sleeping and I need a shower to wake me up!

I spent a long time at Trader Joe's yesterday. I had some questions, and was paired with Katie, a vegetarian, who was happy to talk to me. Trader Joe's is the place to go! I bought lots of tofu, meatless meatballs, chicken-less nuggets, rice noodles, sausage style crumbles, stir-fry vegetables, frozen fruit, vegetable egg rolls, etc.. I'm going to bring Emily to TJs sometime when Katie is working.
Yummy stir fry from last night.


Well, as much as I'd like to stay, I do need to get ready for work. Have a great day!

I decided to get up and out. Emily's walking around the house in the morning acts as an alarm. That's OK. I like to see her in the morning even if it's just to peek in my room to say good-bye. Today's plan was to go to my Mom's early but be back home by 2:30 for Emily. Turning my laptop on in the morning usually turns into a delay for whatever I have planned. Today I thought, get ready quickly and bring your laptop to Panera's. So here I am. This location is about 5 minutes from my parent's house, so I'll be there soon. I brought my breakfast with me and will eat with my mom shortly. I just called her to say I'd be there within the hour. I didn't say where I was.

I just spent about 20 minutes talking to a woman seated nearby. She said she's a librarian in Baltimore City and that her library has a coffee shop, free wireless and is a hopping place. That sounds ideal to me! We had a great conversation. That, this place, and the caffeine has me in a lively mood. The sun is shining, I'm sitting by a window. The only thing missing is the cinnamon crunch bagel with hazelnut cream cheese that I ate last week. At least I have the memory! Time for oatmeal with Mom.

I'd rather be eating ice cream

The Orville Redenbacher 94% Fat Free popcorn isn't doing it. Neither is the fat free tapioca pudding. Nothing hits the spot like creamy, full fat ice cream. It's in the freezer, but I'm ignoring it. The fact is, all of my clothes are tight and it's time to take control. Today is day 3 of eating well and I'm craving everything in sight. My will is strong though, so I'm just dealing with it.

Talking about food, Emily and I made Pad Thai for dinner. I bought a box mix that had rice noodles and Pad Thai sauce. You added an egg, green onions, tofu, peanuts and bean sprouts. Next time I'll know to buy my own rice noodles and sauce. Who needs the box? It was our first time buying and using tofu. We were both a little afraid of it, but it really was tasteless until you added a flavor. I bought some packages of stir-fry mix and assorted vegetables, and we'll use the rest of the tofu to make a stir-fry meal. Did I mention that Emily is a new vegetarian, hence the tofu? I borrowed a tofu cookbook from the library, and was lent a copy of The Moosewood Cookbook, so we'll be doing some cooking.

I've been having trouble with the Internet connection on my laptop, so tonight I took the time to call Verizon. The tech I spoke to was perfect..what a nice surprise. Not only did she fix the problem, but she helped me fix non-Verizon issues with my computer. Myspace is no longer the homepage on Internet Explorer (sorry Emily). My taskbar is small again and minus all the icons I don't use. The time spent on the phone was time well spent.

Emily's team had their first game yesterday and lost 8-0. Ow! I'm sure that's discouraging, but they are a team with a lot of players who are new to the game. I'm amazed by the hours they spend practicing. They had practice today, then worked the Special Olympics event at their school, for which they'll get 3 hours of community service. Tonight was a party for the team at one of the girl's homes in our neighborhood. Have I said how happy I am that Emily's on this team? She's actually going out running tomorrow morning so she can get better at it. Happy me.

I'm taking a chance here...I'm on the chaise on my deck with NO bug spray.

Here's a picture of what I spent hours on after I finished my first post of the day:

If any of you work in an office and spend your days doing paperwork, I salute you. It took so long to fill out the rebate forms. Can you tell that there's 13 envelopes there? Each one needed a copy of the receipt. With certain things circled. Some needed copies of bar codes, some needed originals. Some needed model and serial numbers. Some needed them all. They all went to different addresses. Some things, like the Berlitz Premium Spanish software, had 3 individual rebate forms: $10, $10 and $20, making the product free. I bought 6 things that had rebates attached, and I had to mail in 13! Geez...I'm going to think twice before I purchase anything else that's 'free after rebate.' I mean, did I really need the highlighters just because they were free? They weren't really free after the envelope, stamp, and ink used in making copies of everything. Will somebody remind me? The forms and all the copying took up a huge chunk of my day. Then I had to register my two extended warranties. Then, somehow, in July I agreed to join a Shopper's Advantage club and some other kind of club they were hawking on the phone. You know, free 60 day membership and you can cancel before then and not have a monthly bill? I called to cancel both, though they tried to get me to stay with incentives. So, all that 'stuff' kept me busy, and before I knew it it was 5:30.

To change the subject completely, Jamie from 'Grace,too' once asked her readers for their thoughts on replying to comments. Interesting subject. When I know a writer responds to comments, I always go back to see if they responded to mine. I love when they do. Some of Jamie's readers felt it was rude for an author to respond to some, but not all. I can see that too. I don't feel like I have the time to respond to all my comments (not that there's that many), and since I usually don't reply, I don't think people check back. If they do, I don't know it. If a specific question is asked, I'll go to their blog and reply. So what to do? I think I might just address questions in a regular post and see how that goes. I know, long winded. If I were in school, I'd probably get a 'C' for this paragraph.

Happyone asked me if I'm still walking. Darn, I've been outed. I've been a total wimp and I won't say how long it's been since I've strolled.

A few people asked me about Emily and her sports. She made a decision today to drop out of softball. As much as she loves it, it was just too much with starting high school and playing field hockey. Her dad and I support that. Field hockey is kicking her butt. She's running miles, doing sprints, and who knows what else. She is so sore. She looks especially cute in her uniform. I'll have to get a picture of that. Her first game is tomorrow.

I got a call from my doctor yesterday. She's the best. Everyone in this part of the county knows her, and if she's not their doctor, they wish she was. Her practice has been closed to new patients for years. I'm never giving her up. She looks you right in the eye when she's talking to you, and gives you all the time you want. She doesn't hesitate to order any tests that she feels are necessary. Anyway, she got my lab results, and even though I was taking the wrong dose of my medication, it was the right dose, because all my levels are correct. So I'll keep on taking it. I feel better because she didn't feel any nodules on my thyroid, but I'll feel much better after my sonogram. I took my vitamins an hour ago and I still feel like they're stuck in my throat.

Well, that's the end for now. It's been a good blogging day. And only one mosquito bite.

I'm having a very scattered day. Not scatter-brained, just jumping from one thing to another without any order.

1. read entire Washington Post. I had canceled my daily subscription months ago (I kept Sundays) because I just couldn't keep up with it. They called and offered me free daily papers for 6 weeks (or months? I don't remember), so I'm getting it again. I'll go back to bringing it to work every day so everyone else can read it.
2. did 2 loads of laundry. I could write a story about my laundry system.
3. I spent a half-hour on the phone with a Verizon rep about my Fios bill. She was wonderful. The discounts the retention department promised me when I signed up for my Internet and TV service were not reflected on my bill. I.E. bait and switch? The rep made them happen without question. It just took time, and most people can't follow-through because they don't have it. Maybe they count on that?
4. I caught up on reading all my blog friends.
5. I made tuna salad, using my new Nicer Dicer. I also used it to cut up lots of summer squash.


6. Then I made this 'concoction':
-saute squash and Vidalia onions in a little olive oil till tender and caramelized. put it into a bowl.
-use the same pan to cook some Trader Joe's frozen Soycutash with some frozen TJ asparagus tips till done. Add to the bowl.
-cook some TJ frozen Biryani curried rice in microwave. Add to bowl. Mix. Eat! Bring the rest into work for snacking.


7. I just made copies of my Office Depot receipt from Monday's big purchases. I need a copy for every rebate. Filling out those rebate slips is next on my list. I know the rebate companies count on you not sending them in.

To Do:
Make a list Cheryl...you're just procrastinating! And with that, I bid you farewell. For now, that is.

It's always such a nice surprise to visit someone's blog and see your name there. Jamie bestowed this honor on me.


If you've never visited her blog, I'd encourage you to stop by. She's an incredibly warm-hearted person, dealing with life with more courage than I could ever have.

I'd like to pass this award along to all the friends I've made here. You know who you are. Thanks for being a part of my world.

I meant to write earlier about the doctor's visit. It was fine. My doctor didn't feel any nodules on my thyroid, but did write a referral for me to get a sonogram. As it turns out, I've been on the wrong dose of my thyroid medication for months. My fault. I was able to get sample packs of the medication, and I asked for the wrong dosage. My doctor thinks that might be the reason for the problem I've been having. I had blood work done today, and I'll schedule the test. I do feel better.

New day, I got a new attitude.

I woke up bright and early after a good night's sleep. Showered and got all ready so that when I brought Emily to field hockey practice I could hit the road. First stop was to Sam's Club to have some digital pictures printed and pick up bird seed. Next was to a new Panera's (Hi Rich, wish you were here). That's where I am and I'm HAPPY!! This is such a vibrant place with a feel-good atmosphere. As I look around I see: families, a father, son and grandchild, a mother wearing her baby in a sling with her mother, seniors with books, people like me with laptops, women sitting together, men sitting together. Great music emitting from the speakers. I'm sitting at a table next to a wall of windows. The sun is shining. What's not to be happy about? I had a cinnamon crunch bagel with hazelnut cream cheese. My first cup of coffee was dark and hearty, my second decaf. I have 45 minutes till I pick up Emily, and I just might stay here the whole time.

So did I sound all smarty with my technology jargon yesterday? Well, if I had Andrew around to guide me, I'd be able to do the things I want. I'm having a hard time figuring out how to use my portable hard drive, and something so easy as a flash drive just isn't working for me. I'd really like to just follow the directions and have things work for me the first time instead of turning into a big production. I'd like to be able to do things without help. Like the monitor problem last night. Emily and I just couldn't figure out how to get the stand on. My neighbor Kelly did it in about 5 seconds, as I knew she would, but we had to wait a half hour till she had the time. She was installing new wood blinds in her daughter's room. When I saw the blinds, I wanted them too. Only problem? I wouldn't have the faintest idea of how to do it, nor would I have the tools. Kelly is the one who fixed my outside air conditioner unit, put all new parts in my toilets, worked on my garage door, etc., etc. I'm thankful for every thing she's done for me. It may sound sexist, but she's 'my man'.

Well, I'm all over the place with this post. I still have more to write, but it's time to get Emily. BTW, here's a little background on her field hockey: she's never played before, and didn't want to go out for the team in August. This week she found out that there weren't enough players and if more didn't join in, they'd have to drop the sport. She got a physical on Friday, and she and her friend Morgan joined the team today. I wonder how she'll feel after a 3 hour practice? Fall rec softball started on Saturday. Up till last spring she'd never played a team sport (unless you count what she did when she was 5), now she's playing two. I think it's fantastic.

Later!

I'm not in a good mood. How's that for a starter? It's probably because I'm worried. Maybe I'll write why at the end of this post.

I spent a lot of money today. I've been on the lookout for a new computer for Emily. The one she uses is outdated and extremely slow. I've been checking the ads and reading computer magazines and just plain educating myself about what features to look for in a new computer. Last night I found the right one in the Office Depot advertisement. I bought the computer bundle, a new camera, warranties, and an external hard drive. I got lots of stuff that will be free once I mail in and receive the rebates. I got free Norton Anti-virus, free Berlitz Learning Spanish, a free 512 mb flash drive and free highlighters. Oh, and a free Canon photo printer, after the rebate. It was fun doing all that shopping. I don't think I'll be keeping the camera because I bought the wrong model. I thought I was getting the Canon that has 4X optical zoom, but it has the standard 3X. It is an excellent camera. I'll use it for a few days to see.

We had a really hard time figuring out how to attach the base to the 20" LCD monitor. Emily put it on and when I tried to take it off it scratched the screen in 3 little places. I'm still depressed about that. Emily is fine with it and really, they're little when compared with the size of the screen. Still... It reminds me of when I got my very first camcorder when I was very pregnant with Emily. I had it out of the box while I was reading the instructions. I must have gotten up and mistakenly sat on it when I got back on the couch. It broke the viewfinder. I was beside myself with anxiety over what I'd done. Fortunately it was very inexpensive to replace the broken part.

I went to the big Labor Day party at the community pool that I grew up at and that my family still belongs to. My parents and sister were there along with my friend Kit and her family, and a bunch of members of my book club. It was a picture-perfect day. I didn't go in the water, just socialized. That part of the day was great.

I'm back on a shrimp kick. I bought it for the second time this week and made the same meal. Here's how I grill potatoes: I use red potatoes and microwave them till done. Then I thickly slice them and coat them with olive oil and garlic powder. I put them on the grill on Reynold's no-stick (yeah! another hyphen) foil over high heat and cook them till they're browned and crunchy on the outside. Very delicious. Anyway, I also coated the shrimp with the oil and garlic and grilled them on the foil till done. I used wild shrimp and they had a lot more flavor than farm-raised. We had corn to round out the meal. Tasty. I had my favorite ice cream, Edy's caramel praline crunch. I'm still full.

My neck started bothering me when I was in Myrtle Beach. I'm thinking it's my thyroid, something I've been treated for for years. I had a doctor's appointment two weeks ago that I had to cancel, but I have another appointment on Tuesday. Whenever I've had something wrong with me, I've always thought the worst, and it's always turned out to be fine. This time I'm sure it's bad and I hope I'm wrong again. It leaves me with a floating feeling of anxiety. Thus, my bad mood. We all have them, sometimes.

How can it be Saturday again? It seems like the weeks just fly by. That's life, right? And why we should really live every moment. It's so fleeting. And that's my Saturday morning musings.

Anyone have plans for this Labor Day Weekend? My big one is attending a party at the pool I grew up at. My family still has their membership, and lots of family and friends will be there. The weather should be just beautiful (right now it's in the 60's with a chill in the air). That's my only plan, so far. Because I work on Saturdays and am off on Mondays, this is just a 'regular' weekend for me.

Time to go. Have a great Saturday!