50 End-of-the-Year Questions

(from an Yahoo e-list)

> What are your resolutions/good intentions for the New Year?

I have several. I will write about them in a separate entry.

> What happened in your life that you never expected to happen?

I suffered from intense depression.

> What is one thing you did that you have never done before?

Hmmmm. I did mostly the same old things all year. Perhaps that was why I was depressed!

> What were your biggest achievements?

Writing almost every day.

> What were your biggest challenges?

Writing almost every day. Getting the kid to eat without an argument.

> What is your biggest regret?

Not spending enough time with my kid because I was too drained at the end of the day.

> When were you happiest?

Happiness? What's that?

> Who was your best friend?

Don't have one.

> Who surprised you this year? In what way?

No one really. Everyone behaved the way I figured they would.

> Who did you admire most this year?

????

> Who were you in love with?

My immediate family

> What was the most important lesson you learned?

Time heals all wounds.

> What was your favorite TV show?

"Lost" and "Battlestar Galactica"

> What was your favorite film?

"Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" (only because I can't think of any other movies we saw in the theatre this year)

> What was your favorite book?

"The Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

> What was your favorite food?

We ate a lot of pizza this year.

> What was your favorite song?

"Better Days" by the Goo-Goo Dolls

> What were your favorite phrases?

???

> What did you do for your Birthday?

Nothing. I had to attend a cousin-in-law's bridal shower.

> Which was your favorite Holiday?

Christmas

> What was the best gift you gave?

Santa brought DD a Baby Bratz Doll and its horse.

> What was the best gift you received?

something quite unexpected

> What did someone say to you that surprised you?

????

> What was your hobby?

I worked quite a bit on a Lady Mime cross stitch picture, but did not get it finished yet.

> What new discoveries did you make?

That I am okay.

> What was your guilty pleasure for the year?

going to the library

> What did you do on an average day?

Gah, work.

> What was your fashion like?

Same stuff I've worn for years

> What was your career/job like?

same

> Did you make more/less/same amount than the previous year?

same

> What new skills did you learn this year?

none

> What do you think was your most valuable contribution?

I contributed to some charities.

> What lesson(s) did you learn about yourself?

There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

> What were the most significant events of the past year?

Katrina

> What were you afraid of?

You name it. I don't know where my courage went.

> What was your most memorable journey?

to St. Louis on vacation with my sister and her kids

> Which did you do more of? Smile or cry?

neither. I was angry a lot.

> Did you make any new friends?

Not really.

> Did you lose any old friends?

No.

> Did you have any births/deaths in your family?

My cousin had a baby boy in November.

> Did you fall in love/out of love?

No.

> What is your newest tech item?

???

> What was your most extravagant purchase?

getting my car fixed early in the year--$750

> What should you have done more of?

played with DD

> What should you have done less of?

feeling angry; arguing

> What made the biggest difference in your life?

nothing. My life is the same as it's always been.

> What gave you joy?

??????

> What made you sad?

You name it.

> What is your motto for the year?

2005: Glad I'm Still Alive (I think)
2006: A New Hope

Xmas Recovery

First, the gifts:

• Kodak Z740
• BG: Season 1
• LOTR: FOTR
• "The Power of Intention" by Wayne Dyer
• 2 chocolate oranges
• a hand-bound engraved journal
• a paperback book cover
• miscellaneous other little things

I am spoiled.

Artists We Lost in '05

They will be missed.

12 Days of Christmas--Procrastinator Style

Day 1: Find tree and decorations. Decorate tree. Get in argument with DH about Christmas lights. DH stomps off to hang lights outside while I stew inside and continue putting up more decorations. DD gets in the way.

Day 2: Go Christmas shopping. Fight crowds. Get hot and tired. Spend too much money, especially charges on credit cards. Drive home. Feel huge shoppers' remorse. Start wrapping. Hide gifts from DD.

Day 3: Continue wrapping.

Day 4: Make out Christmas cards. Look for stamps. Decide to go to post office later in the week to buy Christmas-themed stamps. Decide that certain friends need a letter tucked inside the card, and hold off on writing letters.

Day 5: Decide what I might want to bake for the holiday parties. Go out and buy a couple more gifts, while wondering if I bought enough stuff. Continue wrapping.

Day 6: Think about writing letters to friends.

Day 7: Argue with DH about what gifts I bought for people. DD gets out of school and drives me nutty.

Day 8: Think about writing letters to friends. Go to family holiday party. Eat way too much.

Day 9: Sit down to write letters to friends. Take cards to post office. Mail everything.

Day 10: Think about doing laundry. Get phone call from my mother saying not to bake anything because she has baked up a storm. Bring a cheeseball instead. !

Day 11: Do eight loads of laundry, 7 loads of dishes, and start baking the Xmas goodies. Finish baking around midnight.

Day 12: Wake up to hurriedly unwrap gifts from Santa. Get ready and drive a half-hour to a family holiday party. Hurry through the day to make an appearance at yet another family party. Eat way too much. Go home and have Christmas all over again while we look at the stuff we opened in the morning.

And I didn't even know I won

I just discovered I won a contest to try out an online journaling email course. I can hardly wait! I need some new ideas to enliven my journal writing.

Holiday Baking

I'll be a baking fiend this upcoming weekend!

• chocolate chip cookies
• peanut butter cookies
• oatmeal cookies
• gingerbread
• Jell-O chocolate pudding fudge
• good cheer holiday crunch (reg. required, sorry)

The last two items are my "experimental" attempts this year. I usually try out a new recipe. Last year, I made gingerbread, and I tried to make peanut butter fudge, but alas, the fudge failed. I saw the Jell-O fudge recipe in an ad in "Better Homes and Gardens" magazine and thought I would try it. The holiday crunch was also in BHG. In addition to these goodies, DH plans to make some white chocolate-covered pretzels and chocolate-covered cashews.

Our families will be the lucky recipients.

Africa's Real Problem?

The Rock Star's Burden

Please read this op-ed article by Paul Theroux. It gives an insight into the so-called "African Crisis" more powerfully than listening to the numbing celebrity rhetoric.

New journal entries posted

Several new journal entries have been posted for the Holidailies challenge. Yeah, I'm behind in writing, but I do have my ideas jotted down.

***

It snowed again this morning, a terrible mixture of freezing rain and snow. The roads were down to one lane. I was doing okay until some dumbf**k in a Toyota Tercel decided to cut me off because the passing lane was not cleared off very well. Stupid f**ker. I couldn't just slam on my brakes. I honked at the moron instead.

I hate stupid people. I especially hate stupid people who think they own the road.

***

I watched the movie "The Notebook" last night. It starts James Garner and Gena Rowlands as an elderly couple. Noah (Garner) reads to Allie (Rowlands) from a notebook. It is the story of their lives together--but mostly about how they met and ended up with one another--about how their love was strong enough to withstand the test of time and distance. The story is told in flashbacks, interspersed with the present day. Unfortunately, now that they've grown old, Allie is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. She doesn't remember Noah or their life together. For one moment, near the end of the movie, Allie has a moment of clarity and she remembers everything. The moment is poignant and bittersweet. All too soon, she "disappears" again. Noah loves her so much, but he is powerless to combat the disease stealing her away from him. (I have a lot more to say about this movie. Look for an upcoming journal entry about it.)

More Movies

Well, since I was snowed in this weekend, here are the movies we rented and watched:

"Fantastic 4": Good movie. Very action-oriented. If you like comic-book style movies, you should like this movie. I read that there will be a sequel, with all the original actors except Julian Sands (Dr. Doom) reprising their roles.

"Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy": Makes a better book series than a movie. (I checked this one out from the library. My advice is don't pay to rent it.) It's baffling.

"Kicking and Screaming": This is a predictable comedy starring Will Ferrell. He is a soccer coach for, of course, the losing team, and with Mike Ditka's help, manages to turn the team around. However, he is at odds with his dad (Robert Duvall), and of course, all turns out happy in the end. (Another library rental.)

"Stealth": I think I saw this before, only it was with Val Kilmer on Mars. Hehe. Basically, an AI plane goes haywire, learns to feel, and sacrifices itself for humans. Lots of T&A from Jessica Biel. Rent it only if you have nothing better to do.

Waiting

Four to six inches of snow are predicted to fall today. I am waiting for the blizzard to begin.

*Update: Well, yes, we received a ton of snow, just as predicted. I am leaving work a couple of hours early, but I still worry about getting home.

**Updated update: Made it home. It took an hour, when it normally takes 30 minutes. When the semi trucks passed me, I was snowblind. It was scary because I couldn't see until they were well past my car. The exits off the interstates were not very well cleared yet, and side streets weren't either. But I made it.

64 years ago

Pearl Harbor was attacked.

Speaking of WWII, I just finished reading a book by Bernhard Schlink called "The Reader." It's about this young man who has a relationship with a mysterious older woman. He is so in love with her (he's 15; she's in her 30s) that her past doesn't matter to him. At the end of the book, after many years pass, he is still trying to reconcile the woman he knew and loved with the woman she was before they knew one another, and with the woman she became. It was a quick read.

I also watched "The Aviator" this week, the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio as billionaire magnate Howard Hughes. DiCaprio was excellent in the role. The movie was interesting. I recommend it for people who love the Hollywood glamour days and for HH aficionados. A casual viewer might not like this film because it is a biopic, but I thought it was a fascinating glimpse, albeit fictionalized, into the life of a powerful--yet eccentric--American icon.

Sparkly

After Saturday night's snow/sleet/rain combination, my car was encased in a good inch of ice. I should have defrosted the thing yesterday, since I wasn't doing much else, but I didn't. So this morning, it took about fifteen minutes for DH and the heater to get enough of the ice removed so I could drive the car to work.

Glittery ice crystals that formed on the standing snow reflected the sun and I had to wear sunglasses to keep from being blinded. The temperature was 4 degrees today when I ventured out--yes, that's 4 degrees Fahrenheit. Roads were clear, but I nearly slipped and fell on the slick sidewalk outside the back door.

When I took a good look around, though, I decided that the sparkles were pretty, even if the weather was freezing.

A List

...of how I spend my time while DH is hunting...

[The first shotgun deer-hunting season was a week before Thanksgiving. DH did not get a deer, so he is back out there this weekennd (otherwise known as "second season"). Now, DH does not hunt just for a trophy. We do use the meat--mostly have it ground up into hamburger so DH can make jerky, or have it made into summer sausage. That is about the only way I can stand to eat it. He also bowhunts. Last year, he did not get a deer, and he hasn't got one this year yet, either.]

1. Read books in my to-be-read pile.
2. Go to the library with DD.
3. Do laundry.
4. Load up the dishes and run the dishwasher.
5. Play with DD. (We jumped in a pile of leaves and went on walks with the dogs.)
6. Listen to DD's incessant chattering until she drives me so nutty that I can't stand it any longer, and pray for DH to come home.
7. Watch kiddie cartoons with DD.
8. Go shopping for things I don't need.
9. Read.
10. Sleep, if I can manage to nap while DD is still talking.

Thank the gods it's only twice a year. (I should also add that I am not involved in any way, shape, or form with the process of cleaning the carcass or butchering the meat. I prefer to think that meat comes already packaged in the stores. Hehe.)

Xmas Holiday Specials

In case you missed "Rudolph" (it was on Wednesday night) and are pining for those (cheesy) holiday specials, the Family Channel will be airing classic Christmas cartoons on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 3), as well as all month. Be sure to catch "Nestor the Christmas Donkey." It's on at 2:30pm (CST).

Although this animated version of the donkey who helped Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem might be considered silly, I think it has a great message. I never saw it until last year, and it is now one of my favorites.

Gas

I noticed that gas prices jumped 22¢ overnight. I guess the dealers heard "snow" and raised prices accordingly. Yesterday, I paid $1.95 a gallon, but the town where I work had it cheaper for $1.87. Now this morning, it was still $1.95 in my hometown (it probably won't stay that way for long), but here where I work, the price was $2.09 a gallon.

WTF? Someone somewhere is making some big bucks.

First Snow

Well, Mother Nature gifted us with about two inches of the white stuff overnight. Magnus didn't quite know what to think of it. (According to his previous owner, he was born in January and they probably got him around March, so he probably didn't see much snow.) DD wanted to go out and play in it--at 6:30 am!

It was quite slick driving to work today. People get stupid when it's the first snowfall of the year. I passed by several cars that had slid off into the ditch as I drove to work on the interstate. I was sure to drive slow. It wasn't too bad until I pulled into the town where I work--the roads already had an icepack underneath. Ugh. And because of accidents on the main roads, the secondary roads had a lot more traffic, which made those routes more dangerous.

But I made it.


***Nano Update***

Well, unfortunately, November was not a good month for me. I missed the first few days of writing because my grandmother was visiting, and I was exhausted after the visits. To have a successful Nano, it's very important to get off to a good start. In the second week, I did manage to write about 15,000 words, about half of which were actually on my Nano idea. As soon as I can, I will post my ten reasons for not completing the Nano goal this year.

However, I did manage to do quite a bit of paper journaling, so shouldn't that count??? I just wish I wasn't so exhausted all the time.

______
[BTW, thanks for all the comments you readers have been sending my way lately. It makes me want to keep on keeping on, and keep on writing. Feel free to comment or email me anytime! :)]

Soon to Come

Soon, I plan on doing a total redesign of this blog.

(crickets chirp)

Yeah, I know you can hardly wait. :)

TG and Beyond

Hope everyone had a great holiday! As usual, we had to go to two family gatherings: DH's family and my family. It was exhausting.

We spent most of the day at my parents' house. While there, my dad gave me a phone number regarding "something." Someone had called there looking for me. I figured that it was a telemarketer. However, I put the slip of paper in my pocket and decided to ignore it for awhile. Unfortunately, the paper weighed as much as a ton of bricks--I called the number on Saturday morning, and was promptly informed that a loan payment I had mailed on Nov. 2 had not reached their office yet. The payment obviously got lost in the mail--which is ridiculous, considering the office and myself are located in the same state. I told them to give it another week. They said they would put a note about waiting a few more days in my file. UGH!!!

Yeah, great way to spend the rest of the holiday weekend.

This is the third time I've had problems with the post office delivering things.

First, an insurance payment was sent to a completely different city, but also to an insurance company. The company sent back my payment, saying I needed to make out a new check to them. I called them, asking what was up. Instead of checking to verify my account and stuff, they told me to send a new check. I sent the new check; they sent it back saying they had no record of our account on file. Meanwhile, I got a notice from our correct insurance company saying they were going to cut off our coverage if we didn't send in a payment. I WAS FURIOUS! I had mistakenly assumed that our insurance co. had gotten bought out by the other insurance company.

Second, I bought something off Ebay. I went to the bank, got a cashier's check, and promptly mailed it using one of those priority envelopes. However, it was not an overnight envelope. The address I needed to send it to was in North Carolina. Unfortunately, I mailed it the Saturday before Labor Day, and it was right as Hurricane Katrina hit. I was told that the envelope should arrive by Tuesday or Wednesday.

A week went by. I heard nothing. I figured my item was on its way to me. In the middle of the second week, I get an angry email from the seller, saying she hasn't received my payment. After many emails back and forth, and waiting another few days, she still didn't receive it. She didn't believe that I was telling her the truth, which pissed me off. I thought she was trying to scam me by making me send her twice the amount. However, I ended up sending her the money via Paypal, and then she was going to package up my stuff. In her mail on that last day before mailing the package to me, she gets my envelope--finally. She repackages the item with the unopened cashier's check and I get the package a few days later. I redeposited the cashier's check in the bank.

The third problem was sending a payment to my cable company. Again, the company is in the same state I am in. It took over a month for the payment to get to the company. When I got the following month's bill and saw that the payment I had sent hadn't been applied, I wondered what was up, but I figured it would get there eventually. And that is what happened. The cable company wasn't rabid about collecting on the "missed" payment.

I would set up electronic withdrawals with these companies, but I can't always guarantee that I will have money in the bank when they make the withdrawals.

I hate the post office.

Pushy Salespeople

All over malls this year seem to be the kiosks for Temptation Beauty. Their salespeople accost you as you're just ambling along, window-shopping. They ask you if you have natural nails. If you say yes, they pull you over to the kiosk and start giving you the hard pitch.

Order it off their website: the nail kits are cheaper. I paid $38, but I see that the nail kit on the website is just $29.99. Of course, if you add in S&H and whatever, it might actually cost the same.

Then again, don't get suckered into this product. It is a good product, but these kiosks prey on impulse shoppers. Wait a day, and if you still like the idea of shiny nails (which I did like the nail buffer), go back and buy it.

Routines and Reactions

I am a creature of habit. It has been hard to readjust my daily routine since we got the new dog. The new dog is not quite potty-trained, even though he is ten months old, and the previous owner had reassured me that he was potty-trained. It is taking awhile to get some new routines established.

When we just had the one dog to take care of, she has a bladder of steel and could wait until whenever to go outside. Not so with the new dog. To train him, he needs to go out every two hours or so. If I were home all day, I'm sure I could accomplish a miracle, because I would watch him constantly. But I'm not at home all day. I think the poor creature is confused.

I have been feeling very anxious lately, trying to get the dog integrated into our household. For the most part, it's been going okay, but I feel like I'm the only one trying to do anything. No one seems to take me seriously half the time. I guess I anticipated nothing more than dominance issues between the two dogs, because I assumed the new dog was potty-trained.

Which brings me to my next point: reactions. I notice I am much more anxious than I ever have been, but I realized today that I choose to react that way. I need to turn on the patience, rather than the annoyance. I have been getting majorly annoyed at all the little things lately. This morning, I found myself getting infuriated at everything. However, I managed to hold my tongue instead of lash out, and even laughed. (It was either laugh or cry.)

I know things will get easier as the new dog settles in and learns, but it has been quite an adjustment. We're all on edge. I need to dig deep to find that well of patience, because I am not a very patient person by nature.

TGIF!!!!!!!

Happy Veterans' Day!

To all you vets out there,

Thanks for making my life a little easier.

Watching "Bones"

So I've been watching the new Fox tv series, "Bones." It was on hiatus for three weeks while the baseball playoffs were going on, but now it's back.

I was interested in this show for one reason: David Boreanaz. Since "Angel" went off the air, I've been jonesing for a fix. I was not particularly interested in the subject matter of "Bones," because I don't normally watch crime shows. They tend to depress me.

However, I thought I'd give this show a shot. After the first episode, I decided I liked the writing--it had a lot of scientific (read: anthropologic and forensic) jargon mixed with witty repartee among the main characters.

Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) is a forensic anthropologist working for the Jeffersonian Institute (an obvious reference to the Smithsonian). She works with Booth (David Boreanaz), an FBI agent, whenever he finds a decomposing corpse. She has assistants who help her reconstruct the victim and the crime. Not to mention, she wrote a fictional novel based on her life, and the others are continually teasing her about it.

The characters in the series are based on characters created by the author, Kathy Reichs. You can read more about her here in this USA Today article.

In the few episodes I've seen, I tune in to watch Boreanaz more than anything else. I do like a lot of the anthropological stuff, but sometimes, the crime stuff is depressing. For instance, in last night's episode, the victim was a young child. It was painful for the characters to reconstruct his death as well as it was for me to watch the show. Temperance also seems to be one-dimensional; she is obsessed with facts, as if by concentrating on the facts, she won't have to deal with her real life, which is lonely. I'm sure, as time goes on, we'll see more of the real Temperance.

If you have nothing better to do on Tuesday nights at 7pm (CST), then watch this show. Fox picked it up for the whole season.

Movie Reviews

"Matrix: Reloaded": Hmmm... unsure about this one. We saw this movie on TBS, with commercial interruptions. It had been so long since we saw the first "Matrix" movie that we almost needed to watch it again and then view this second film. We muddled through it, though. It was interesting to see Harold Perrineau (Michael from "Lost"), Gina Torres (various roles on "Angel," "Firefly," "Hercules," and "Cleopatra 2525"), and Hugo Weaving (that guy who played Elrond in "LOTR"). I did not know they were in this film.

Unfortunately, a lot of scenes in this movie were obviously digitally animated, not to mention unbelievable. Ah well. We plan to rent the third movie ("Matrix: Revolutions") soon.

"Robots": This animated movie was a little too predictable for my taste. Basically, a bunch of misfits rescue the world. DD enjoyed it.

"Blade: Trinity": The third movie in the Blade series was nothing I hadn't seen before. Jessica Biel was hot. Wesley Snipes did even less talking than he did in the previous films. The ending seemed ambiguous, leaving room for another sequel or spinoff. There was quite a bit of scientist dumb daughter (explanation) stuff. I did not like the scene in which the original vampire captures the little girl of the blind technogeek woman. Sigh. Could have been better, could have been worse. See it if you have nothing better to do.

Week One of Nano

Alas, I was both busy and exhausted during the first week of Nanowrimo. I managed to get 2,202 words written on Thursday (Nov. 3), but the rest of the days last week were a washout.

First off, work is back to being busy. Then, Monday was Hallowe'en and we had to go over to my mom's afterward we went trick-or-treating to see my Floridian grandmother who was vacationing at my mom's house. We also drove over there on Tuesday evening for more visiting. That was a half-hour's drive each way, plus two hours of catching up. (DD was very tired both nights by the time we got home.) On Wednesday, DH & I ended up watching "Mythbusters" on the Discovery Channel after he got home from work. I think I went to bed early. On Thursday, I forced myself to get started writing on my Nano, because the hardest part sometimes is just starting--I also knew that if I didn't at least start, I probably never would. On Friday, DH was off and we took DD to McDonald's for supper. We also rented movies: "Robots" and "Blade: Trinity."

The weekend was also busy. We needed to go shopping on Saturday, which took up most of the day. In the evening, we watched "Matrix: Reloaded" on TBS. Then on Sunday, I had to meet my sister and her kids for family pics at Sears at 1:30. That whole day was basically a waste of time as far as doing anything constructive. I had to do four loads of laundry when I got home. I was so tired that I went to sleep at 9pm.

I hope this week is less exhausting. DD has Daisy Scouts tomorrow evening, but that should be all we have to do this week.

Days 2-4 with Mag

Well, it's been a good few days. The only thing is that Mag has had a few accidents in the house. Ugh. I hate cleaning up dog messes. It's helped that I've had a couple of days off from work and so I worked on the potty training. I also noticed that the dog had some bites on the inside flaps of his ears. Apparently, he'd been left outside quite a bit during the summer; otherwise, he probably wouldn't have gotten those bites. *shrugs*

Our Husky seems to have accepted him. They haven't fought. They have played together, chasing each other around the dining room table--for an hour at a time. I dragged out the old dog bed and Mag likes to lay on it in the evenings--after I noticed that he was laying on DH's dirty clothes. Hehe.

My MIL came over yesterday to pick up DD, and both dogs were outside. Mag let out a huge bark and my MIL said it stopped her in her tracks. But once we went outside, Mag was a baby. :)

I'm anxious to get him fixed and registered with the city, but that takes money. I'll have to save up. Both dogs also need to be groomed.

So far, so good. I'm glad it's working out, because I'm already in love with him. :)

The Lures of the 'Online Predator'

In this article, a Blogcritic blogger discusses signs of "online psychopaths," and how they lure their victims.

Read it and inform yourself. Stay safe out there. It is very easy to get hooked into believing in someone's online persona.

E Street Radio to Launch on Sirius

From Blogcritics.org: E Street Radio to Launch on Sirius. Kewl--The Boss, 24/7!

Only... I don't have a Sirius radio system. But I see that it is a limited-run station, going through January 2006. Hmmm...

Day 1 with Magnus the Great

It has been six years since we had a puppy. (Our Husky is going on seven years old.) Last night, we brought home Magnus, a ten-month-old brindle Boxer (he looks similar to the one at the top of the AKC breed page). A woman in a nearby town needed to find a home for him because she said she no longer had time for him (she has two other dogs and two cats). Although she got him as a puppy and hated to part with him, she was glad to see him go to a good home.

I was nervous about taking in a new dog. We picked him up last night and didn't get home until almost 9:30pm. (That was rather late for DD to stay up, and be out gallivanting.) Magnus was excited to check out the house and our other dog. I have to say that it's going to be awhile before our Husky gets used to him. She wasn't nearly as territorial as I thought she would be. There was no growling or barking, just some play. However, I think he will try to be the boss--which is not what I wanted to have happen, but apparently, the Husky has no backbone. *shrugs* Time will tell.

Here is a link to the American Boxer Club for more information on this adorable breed. This page discusses the Boxer's temperament.

Magnus needs some training--at least to sit and stay. He is crate-trained, and there were no overnight accidents. Unfortunately, he did have a small accident in the house last night before we put him to bed, and also this morning because I couldn't get him hooked up to the tie-out lead fast enough. He was unsure of the stairs, because his former owner's house didn't have stairs. I'm hopeful that he'll settle in fine once the newness wears off and he gets used to the new routine in our household. After he settles in, I will get him neutered. That should help behaviorally.

DH got home around 11:30pm, after he got off work, and when he came in the house, Magnus barked in warning. DH said it gave him pause. :) Now a Boxer's bark is not like a Husky's bark--it's much deeper and louder. Magnus will definitely let us know if anyone ever tries to break into the house.

Forever Home Seeks Ideal Boxer Dog!

I am looking for a Boxer dog who needs a forever home.

Said Boxer should be either male or female, preferably spayed/neutered, preferably house-trained/crate-trained, and friendly to women, men, and small children, as well as other dogs. Any age is acceptable; between the ages of 1 and 3 would be ideal. A mix of a Boxer and another breed would also be acceptable, except pit bull/Boxer mixes.

As for price, I would prefer to be able to have the animal for free or for less than $100, especially an older dog, or younger dog that has not been fixed. Any supplies (leash, crate, etc.) that come with it would be great, too.

The perfect candidate should enjoy living in an intimate family setting, love to take walks, and hearty playing. The Boxer's siblings will include a sweet little (human) girl, age 5, and a Siberian Husky girl, age 6. We live in a small town and have a fenced-in backyard. As long-time dog owners, we understand what kind of responsibility pet ownership is, and any dog coming into our home would be treated like one of the family. We also understand the negatives associated with different breed characteristics. Once the dog is in our home, s/he's our friend 'til the end. :) We are not the type of family who adopt a puppy and then get rid of it once it has lost its cuteness. Biting is the only unacceptable behavior that would be a deal-breaker for us, because of DD, our 5-year-old daughter.

If you know of any such dog in the East Central Illinois area, especially in the Champaign-Urbana or Mattoon-Charleston areas, please let me know. Email me at the address in the righthand sidebar. I'd be willing to drive two hours in any direction to pick up the animal.

Saturday Night at the Movies

This weekend, we rented a few more movies.

"Batman Begins": OMG, this was two hours of my life that I'll never get back! It took an hour just to show Bruce Wayne's training. BORING. I also thought it was predictable. DH liked it, though. I did not care for the movie. I liked the cartoonish style of the first four movies. The best movie is still the first "Batman," with Jack Nicholson as the Joker.

"Kingdom of Heaven": This movie takes place in 1184. Orlando Bloom, as Balian, has to defend Jerusalem from Saladin, the Muslim warrior. DH & I both liked this movie. Not once did we wonder when it was going to end, like we did while watching "Batman Begins." The costumes, scenery, and cinematography were lush and interesting. Bloom certainly beefed up for this role. I did not buy the fact that a blacksmith would know how to defend a walled city like Jerusalem; I also wondered where the Muslim forces got the wood to make siege engines. I felt like Ridley Scott copied the siege towers from the "LotR" movies. Hehe.

There was lots of spraying blood and chopping off of heads. I think this movie reflects upon today's situation in the Middle East without being overly preachy.

The last movie we watched, on Sunday morning, was "Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus." DD was enchanted by this computer-animated Barbie movie. She wanted to watch it again and again, but we had to return it. I actually enjoyed the movie also. Princess Annika (Barbie) ice skates and speed skates her way to rescue her family from being turned to stone permanently by an evil wizard. After the movie is over, there are a few "bloopers" scenes, which I thought were hilarious. Unlike other Barbie movies, this emphasized Annika's strength rather than the romantic angle between the male and female characters--thankfully! Little girls will enjoy this film.

Nano Will/Will Not List

(list idea borrowed from here)

I will...write every day, at least 1667 words per day, even if I'm depressed, premenstrual, hating the world, feeling suicidal, ready to jump out the window, or prefer to sleep 24/7.

I will not...spend too much time dwelling in self-pity instead of writing, doing dishes, doing the laundry, or sleeping instead of writing.I will...like my story and characters enough to carry me through 30 days of writing frenzy.I will not... stop after 5,000 words, feeling that it's too much to keep working on.

I will...avoid the "I hate myself and want to die" Nano forum like the plague.

I will not...spend too much time surfing the Nanowrimo forums instead of writing.

I will...remember how Jane Austen wrote in the sitting room among her family members, and despite constant interruptions.

I will not...yell at my family because I am trying to concentrate on the latest wrinkle in my story.

I will...believe in myself.

I will not...think I am the next Charlotte Brontë.

I will...love myself and my writing, no matter how bad the writing seems.

I will not...worry so much about stupid things that don't matter.

Mid-Week Reflection

The weeks are flying by. I can hardly believe that it is the second-to-the-last week in October. My DD is getting revved up for Hallowe'en. My grandmother--who is 84--will be visiting us from Florida and we are all excited that we can see her, since she rarely travels.

We are thinking about getting another dog. I really want a Boxer, so we've been perusing want ads and petfinder.com and shelters. The right dog will turn up at the right time. :)

I hope that we can go to the state park this weekend. I really really really need to reconnect with nature. The backyard just isn't cutting it for me right now. I miss living on a farm, in the wide open spaces, where time seemed to almost stand still. Perhaps I just long for that more innocent time of childhood, when the heaviest burden I had to carry was homework.

Joining Up

DD is joining the Daisy Scouts. The leader finally sent out a notice that the meetings would be starting up. The first meeting is on Tuesday, just a registration meeting, I guess. But we already registered back in August, during the first Girl Scout registration meeting. No one ever contacted us, and I was becoming annoyed at the lack of organization. Perhaps I just take things too seriously. :)

Apparently, the leader just now finished her training. The first regular meeting will be Oct. 25th. DD is excited about meeting new friends and doing crafts and stuff. She was so disappointed at that first meeting in August; she almost cried because she didn't get her uniform. I had to explain to her that it was just a sign-up meeting.

I hope she enjoys it. I was in Brownies one year, but all I remember doing is making something from a Pringles can for my mom. I don't think I ever got any badges or anything. Sigh. Hehe. My sister is all into this Girl Scouting thing. She was an assistant leader last year, and now this year, she's the Brownie leader for her daughter's troop.

Picture Day

Ah, it's that time of year again: faces are freshly scrubbed, hair is curled into ringlets or slicked back, kids are instructed not to look like loons when they smile.

DD's kindergarten picture day is tomorrow. We've had the outfit chosen for weeks. I made sure it was clean so she could wear it tomorrow. The only thing I'm a little worried about is her hair. She has long, curly hair and usually wears it in a pony tail. Tomorrow before I leave to go to work, I think I will braid it, but will it stay? She doesn't go to school until the afternoon. Four hours is a long time for her hair to stay put. We've practiced smiling normally.

I guess I worry about stupid things.

However, there are some horrifying pictures of myself from grade school. I especially remember this one photo--I think I was in fifth grade--already in an awkward phase. I had a terrible bowl haircut (thanks, Mom!), glasses, and I was wearing a pink plaid shirt, untucked. (Thankfully, you couldn't see that part.) I had my chin pointed downward for some reason, and smiled too big.

Let's just say I never handed any of those photos out to my classmates because they were so awful.

I hated picture day.

Covered Bridge Fest 2005

This past Saturday, my mom and sister and I went to the Parke Co. Covered Bridge Festival. We headed to Bridgeton, IN, where we like to buy things from the same vendors, and where it's generally less crowded. I brought $60 and spent it all. :) We had lovely weather, and the place did get crowded as the day wore on. We got there around 9:30am, and left around 3pm. It was a long day.

The sad thing to see (or not see, since all the debris was removed) was the Bridgeton covered bridge, next to the mill. Some idiot burned it down--but it's going to be rebuilt.

People travel from all over to go to this festival. We met a family from Joliet, IL, while we were eating a blackberry dumpling. The festival runs from the second Friday in October through the following weekend (Oct. 15--23 this year).

Movie Reviews

"Sahara": Is it possible for Matthew McConaughey's teeth to be much whiter? Hehe. This movie was fun to watch, but quite predictable. I had read the book by Clive Cussler years ago. Generally, I like Cussler, even if his books are pretty formulaic. I don't think they travel well to the screen, though. His characters are a little too unbelievable, almost too campy. Cussler's books are filled with tons of description and minutiae that just can't really translate into a movie.

One thing I did not like about this movie was the length--it was almost an hour too long. Again, in a book, the impossibility of each and every crazy scenario works, but not so much in a movie.

Cussler apparently campaigned against the movie:

"A battle over the film's release persists, however, with Cussler saying
that he never approved the movie script - a violation of his contract with
Paramount."

"Cussler recently remarked, 'It's no secret that I sued the producers
because they went right ahead without my approval. All I can say is I don't know
whose book they adapted, but it wasn't mine.' " (quotes from here)

"To End All Wars": This gut-wrenching movie is the story of POWs who are forced to build the Thailand-India railway during WWII. I caught this movie on Starz! and although I knew it would depress me, I watched it anyway. The movie has an uplifting ending, though. It's not just a tale of brutality--it's a tale of forgiveness and redemption, and how if we cannot forgive those who wrong us, we are destined to become just like them.

"Saw": Expecting gore? Expecting horror? Lose your expectations! This movie is really a mystery thriller, much of it told in flashback. Will the two prisoners of the psycho escape their prison, or will they turn on one another? I found this movie to raise some very interesting--and disturbing--questions about how far you would go to keep on living. There are a few freaky scary bits, but nothing that is too gross-out. (DH had been told by a coworker that it was the goriest horror film he'd ever seen--it's not, not by a long shot. I've seen ickier things on the Sci-Fi channel.)

DH & I both enjoyed it, and we plan to go see "Saw II" in the theater.

X-Stitch project

Here is a picture of the Golden Bee Lady Mime kit I'm working on currently. This is an ongoing project; I started it over ten years ago, but started working on it in earnest this year. When I picked it back up, I had only the mask and arm done.

I wish I'd kept track of how much time I've spent on it. I spent 8 hours on it Saturday, while we watched tv all afternoon and evening. I would say I'm over halfway done, but I still have all the hair and head, top border, half of the side borders and all of the backstitching left to do. I really want to get this finished so that I can start something new.

I don't start a new project until the one I'm working on is finished--otherwise, nothing would ever get done!

The Insanity has Begun!

As regular readers of my blog may recall, last year was the first year I succeeded in "winning" Nanowrimo. (You can read most of the story here.) I made it to the 50,000 words, but alas, my story wasn't finished--and I haven't touched it since. :(

I didn't burn out on writing; I had made my goal and was content with that, especially since I tried to make the goal in both 2002 and 2003, but didn't even come close. In fact, it was quite uplifting to have completed that goal. My goal for 2005 is to not only make the 50,000 word count, but to FINISH the story I start writing (which looks to be in the fantasy genre at this point). So far, I have a first line and a character and a vague idea of the society the character lives in. Before Nov. 1, I want to know the ending, so all I have to do is write to get there. We'll see. Last year, I had a title and a character and an opening scene.

After Nano, my writing slacked off. I fell into depression again, mostly because I wasn't writing. It was a vicious circle. But that's all over now--it's that time of year again! The Nano forums are open, and people are getting ready to start writing their brains out on Nov. 1. I don't know if I'll be publicly posting my writing this year. Last year, I did it as a backup more than anything.

You can read what I learned from Nano here. Wish me luck!

Earthquake Relief

Read this wikipedia article for info on the world's latest natural disaster.

Help UNICEF or another charity of your choice.

"seriously sick individuals" and freedom of expression

Do you think that people have the right to express whatever they want in their personal blog or website, no matter how "offensive" it may seem to some other people?

I think that the poster should abide by the terms and conditions of the site s/he's posting on, but other than that, I think that the person can write whatever they want.

For instance, maybe I would like to write a novel for National Novel Writing Month and post it online for people to read. Perhaps I would choose to write about a serial killer, who does especially grisly things to corpses, or children. (Now, if I *were* writing such a story, I would probably post a disclaimer, saying that the blog was fictional and written for NaNoWriMo.) But what if someone who missed the disclaimer came across the site and read the entries, and then decided to track down the author?

As readers, we can hit the back button or close the browser if we don't want to read something that we don't like or agree with.

Yes, some people might be posting blog entries because they are "psychos" with the intent of doing whatever they've said in their blog entries. Yes, there are cases of criminals who have blog entries as evidence, but there are many more cases of criminals who don't make their thoughts public. Look at BTK, John Wayne Gacy, or Ted Bundy. They were "normal" in most respects.

My personal motto is: I may not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend your right to say it.

It's easy to get addicted

Video games are fun, especially playing massively multiplayer online roleplaying games (MMORPGs), but they have a dark side, too.

Virtual reality should never take the place of real reality.

Behind

I'm behind on everything.

One good thing is that I feel my depression has really, truly lifted for the time being. I am gearing up to write for Nanowrimo, and I think that's helping. The days fly by so fast I hardly have time to think ahead, let alone dwell on past mistakes.

They know they save lives

The police officer hurt (and who subsequently died) in this accident was not wearing her seatbelt, according to an earlier tv news story. Strange--if you search for police seatbelt usage, you can find a lot of articles on how police are enforcing seatbelt laws.

But did you know that some officers ARE EXEMPT from wearing seatbelts when on duty, supposedly because of the gear they must wear? (I wish I could find a link online, but my search is failing me; I heard the statistic on the tv news story.)

The officer who died was at a complete stop, getting ready to go through a green light, when she was broadsided by someone running the red light in the opposite direction. That person died at the scene.

Additional searches on seatbelt usage show that there are exemptions for people who have medical conditions, or for other reasons as well (laws vary from state to state, I would imagine).

But seatbelts save lives. Perhaps the officer would have died anyway, but you never know.

A Survey

1. What is your occupation? Mom, writer; my day job is immaterial.
2. What color are your eyes? blue
3. What are you listening to right now? clicking of keys
4. What was the last thing you ate? Snickers bar
5. Do you wish on stars? always
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? green
7. How is the weather right now? partly sunny and humid
8. Last person you spoke to on the phone? my Mom
9. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes
10. Favorite drink? Diet Mt. Dew, water
11. Favorite sport to watch? I hate sports
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes, since I was in high school
13. Do you wear contacts or glasses? contacts
14. Pets? 1 dog
15. Favorite month? June
16. What was the last movie you watched? "Darkness" (with Anna Paquin)
17. Favorite day of the year? July 4
18. What do you do to vent anger? clean
19. What was your favorite toy as a child? a special baby doll
20. Fall or Spring? both
21. Hugs or kisses? hugs
22. Cherry or Blueberry? blueberry
23. Living arrangements? married with child
24. When was the last time you cried? Saturday
25. What is on the floor of your closet? shoes, linens
26. What did you do last night? watch TV and read
27. Favorite smell? apple
28. Who inspires you? Natalie Goldberg, Julia Cameron, Anne Frank
29. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? plain
30. Favorite car? whatever gets me where I need to go without breaking down
31. Favorite dog breed? Siberian Husky
32. Number of keys on your key ring? ???
33. How many years at your current job? day job = 10 years; mom = 5 years; writer = as long as I've been able to write
34. Favorite day of the week? Friday
35. How many states have you lived in?4
36. How many cities have you lived in? 6

Petty Annoyances

Ugh! On Friday, I was going to post, but both Blogger and diary-x were down. Blogger was down for maintenance, but I don't know what was wrong with d-x. Without access to my favorite writing outlets, I felt claustrophobic!

UGHGHGH! Browser timed out!!!

UGUGUGHHH! Nanowrimo forums are down due to heavy traffic!!!

Sigh.

Read a banned book this week

It's Banned Books Week.

Of the list on this page, I've read the following:

• The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
  
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (partially read)
  
• Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
  
• Forever by Judy Blume
  
• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
  
• My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
  
• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
  
• The Giver by Lois Lowry
  
• A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
  
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
  
• Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
  
• The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
  
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
  
• Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
  
• Blubber by Judy Blume
  
• The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (in my TBR pile)
  
• Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
  
• The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
  
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  
• Beloved by Toni Morrison
  
• The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
  
• The Pigman by Paul Zindel
  
• Deenie by Judy Blume
  
• Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
  
• A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
  
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
  
• Cujo by Stephen King
  
• Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
  
• Fade by Robert Cormier
  
• The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney (does seeing the movie count?)
  
• Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
  
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding
  
• Carrie by Stephen King
  
• Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
  
• The Dead Zone by Stephen King
  
• Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
  
• Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
  
• How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

When I was a teenager, I used to make it a point to read "banned" books. No one was going to tell me what to read. Granted, the library was rather small at my school, and most of the books I read on my own time from the town library. I can recall only one person at my school who read an alternate selection when the English teacher was reading a certain book. However, I don't recall what book it was. If I recall correctly, her parents objected to the book. *shrugs* They were conservative Baptists, and she wasn't in my class.

I remember reading "Crime and Punishment" and "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" in high school. Reading those two books awakened my love for classic literature and for Russian literature. I can't say I was too keen on the Shakespeare we read, though.

I like to think I was subversive, reading "Gone with the Wind" in sixth grade, and "The Color Purple" in eighth grade. That book of mine got passed around quite a bit. I was reading a lot on my own. I read "The Winds of War" in junior high as well. No one ever objected to the books I was reading or to the ones I was passing around to other students. My mom let me read anything and everything.

In fact, I was in college when a friend of mine told me that her parents objected to a particular book she borrowed from me. She had left the book lying on her bed and her mom saw the title. I guess the title "Hot Blood" plus the book's subject matter would bother certain types of people. ;)

Born to Run turns 30

On Nov. 15, Columbia Records is releasing a new box set of Springsteen's original "Born to Run" album, including two DVDs, and a 48-page book.

Wahoo! Something to ask for for Christmas!

More Books for Sale

Check out my shop on half.com. All the books I sell come from a smoke-free home, and are practically brand-new.

Go see if any of them strike your fancy. :)

"Justice, not Vengeance"

Simon Wiesenthal died today. According to the article, he helped bring more than 1,100 Nazi war criminals to justice. He was 96. NYT obit

Book blog update

Over at Livejournal, I've been keeping track of the books I've read this year. I just updated my blog.

I had a wisdom tooth yanked out last Wednesday, so I haven't felt like doing much of anything.

Left Behind

The human cost is high enough, but when I saw a devoted companion of nine years being left behind on a shelterless interstate, I could bear it no longer.

The dog was a poodle mix, I think. Its people got on a bus to be evacuated, but it was not allowed on the bus.

That image, more than any other, will stay with me for a long time.

Dead babies, dead old people, dead dead dead... what will the final toll eventually be? Why was no one prepared? Why did the governmental infrastructure (not highways--the actual chain of command, I mean) fail? Because of no communications abilities? I guess they thought it would never happen to them, while they were the ones on watch.

Whatever aid is raised will only be a drop in the bucket.

Who is going to stand up and take charge?

Ya think?

A daily meditation I received today:

Don't think too much about tomorrow
Otherwise you will not live today fully as you could.
--Bashir

More Charity Efforts

Thanks to this post on blogcritics.org, I found this page which is a list of blogs urging readers to donate to charities. My chosen charity is the Humane Society of the U.S. I know that people need help, but the animals have no one to voice their needs. Click the pic of the cute dog in the sidebar and it will take you to the HSUS donation webpage.

Please, do what you can, but beware of scam sites. Oh yes, they're already out there. Donate to a reputable charity.

Events as They Happen

Interdictor's firsthand Livejournal blog of events unfolding in NO. Check it out. (via metafilter)

Things are tough all over

I know that things are tough all over, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, but explain to me how gas prices jump 20¢ in one hour??? Last night, when I went to eat at a local pizza place with my mother-in-law, gas at a particular station was $2.99 a gallon. I understand that, but when I drove past that station on the way home, gas had shot up to $3.19 a gallon. Twenty cents in one hour--even after the prez said he would open up the strategic oil reserves. WTF?

....

The worst of human nature is showing in this disaster. I feel sorry for the people who need help and are unable to get it because of the "dangerous looters" and other gun-wielding idiots. But this just goes to show you how unprepared the cities/states really were for a disaster of such magnitude. The line between "civilization" and "every man for himself" is very thin. The people who were able to leave got out in time--other people who couldn't leave did not (the poor, the invalid, the sick), and they are the ones who need the most help now. I hope that other cities are able to learn from this disaster.

My heart goes out to those who are still suffering, and who will continue to suffer in the months ahead. Good luck.

This puts everything into perspective

If you're feeling depressed today, or worried, or miserable about something, remember that things could always be worse.

Online donations for the Red Cross here.

Google search for news about the hurricane.

Wikipedia entry, which has tons of other links at the bottom of the page.

Thankfully, there was some warning. Check out the Wikipedia entry for the Galveston Hurricane of 1900.

Shopping

Invested in a little retail therapy yesterday with my sister. She didn't bring her kids along so it was a calm outing.

I bought this and this. I could have spent way more on lingerie but I figured I'd spent enough.

43Things

Perhaps you noticed the 43things list I have there in the sidebar. 43things.com is a site that lists goals that you might want to complete in your lifetime. Surf around on that site to learn more about it. Writing down goals is the first step to completing them.

Boring

Man, I bore even myself! Thanks for reading--those few of you who do read this blog. :)

Drained

DD starts kindergarten this afternoon. Where has the time gone? She has been looking forward to it for a week, ever since we started telling her that school was starting back up. She had a horrible time at the dentist last week, though. She was ok until the dentist actually came into the room and then she started screaming her head off--even though he didn't do anything and even after the dental hygienist explained the instruments to her.

Yet another thing to scar her for life.

Last week was pretty busy, for the most part. I had little time to sit and brood. On the weekend, we had to get groceries, and probably overspent. The college kids swarmed Wal-Mart and I got hot and tired and cranky. DH watched the preseason football game, Bears vs. Colts, and I got annoyed at how many commercials kept coming on. On Sunday, we went to a family gathering, and I think all the energy vampires sucked me dry--as if I had much energy to begin with. Sigh.

I've been afraid to pick up the pen or type here in the blog. I am paralyzed by indecision. That paralyzation is turning into depression again.

I'm glad DD loves school and is looking forward to going. I am sure she will have a great year.

Book Vending Machines

coming to a block near youif you live in Paris, France, that is.

Sleepover

Well, I'm now recovering from my daughter's first sleepover.

I mentioned the idea to my sister while we were on vacation together two weeks ago, and she told me she was going out of town again this past weekend. It would be a perfect time to have a sleepover with my niece and nephew.

We picked them up from their grandparents' house at 2pm on Saturday. They were excited to spend the night with us. (My niece is 7 and my nephew is 5, BTW.) DD was super-excited. She was bugging us all week about it, wondering how many more days it was and stuff.

First, we went home and the kids played for awhile. I cleaned out the baby pool and set it up for them to play in, but they weren't out there very long. I think that the girls were not allowing the boy to play with them or something. It was hot and I didn't stay outside very long, either.

We took the kids to Pizza Hut for supper. They pigged out on cheese pizza and breadsticks. I overate and ended up feeling ill the rest of the night. When we got home again, they played for a little while and then we watched the movie "Shark Tales." After that, it was bedtime--at 8:30. They finally settled down around 9:30.

On Sunday, I have no idea when they woke up. I heard shrieking around 7:30, but rolled over and tried to doze off--alas, that didn't work. I got up at 8:30 and fixed them toast with peanut butter. We watched cartoons. I thought my sister was coming to pick them up at 10, but she called to say they hadn't left yet to come home--but they'd be home around 3pm. At 3, she called to say they were still two hours away. I took them out to eat at McDonald's for lunch, and was going to go to the park, but it was raining. We went home and watched "Shrek 2" and more cartoons. They played together, also. My sister finally showed up at 5:45 and took them home. I kind of hurried her out the door. The kids acted well, but I was just anxious to relax. I can't relax when I'm expecting someone to show up at any time.

I was also still feeling ill from overeating. Strangely though, after they left, and DH and I ate supper, I was wide awake. I went to bed around midnight, but read for awhile. I never did fall into a true sleep. I woke up at 2, at 3, at 4, and at 5. Ugh. I'm sure I'll be tired this evening.

DD said it was the best sleepover ever.

DH and I agreed that we wouldn't be doing it for awhile.

I decided I'm glad to have only one child. Two children tend to get each other in trouble. My niece scraped her elbow; my nephew got a splinter in his finger that DH took out; and DD had a huge scratch on her leg. *shrugs* It's not a party unless someone gets hurt, right? :)

Finally updated

Ah, sorry it took me so long to finish the post about my recent quickie vacation.

I also updated the look of this blog, and added the 43things list over there in the sidebar.

In the News Today...

Playing video games is not a usable defense in court--not when you mow down three small-town police officers in their own headquarters.

Due to a loophole in the laws of the time, one of the Arkansas school shooters is going to be freed today. I only hope that he has really realized what he did and that he will pay for it the rest of his life, incarcerated or not.

Kansas is a stupider state than I thought. I cannot honestly believe that all people who live in Kansas elect these people to sit on school boards.

The author of the book "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" died this week.

Upcoming books deal with the Iraq experience.

Where ARE all the women bloggers? CNN doesn't know

Mena Trott is interviewed by CNN about the Internet. (She's one of the founders of Six Apart, the parent company of Typepad, Movable Type and now Livejournal.)

Look at this stupid ignorant comment from CNN:

CNN: Where are the women bloggers?

TROTT: I think the women are there. I think what we see is a focus on topics that tend to be more male-dominated, so we don't get as much coverage. Men blog more about politics. Politics are more likely to get picked up by the media. Technology has always been male-dominated. So there's this sort of echo chamber.

But there's knitting, this family, these topics that have been relegated to being sub-par blogging, which I disagree with completely.

Seventy-five percent of our users on LiveJournal are female. And on Typepad and Movabletype it's almost a 50/50 split. There are women blogging, they just don't need to be so loud.

"Where are the women bloggers?" You've got to be kidding me. Almost all the blogs I read are written by women. I cannot believe the reporter asked this asinine question!!!!!!! Hello! I've been here since 2001, on and off. In fact, I think the majority of people who read blogs are women. The bias in the mainstream media is toward the political blogs written by already-known male writers/opinionists, or blogs that have become popular, which are also written by men. I see that blogs that became famous because of sex weren't necessarily on this reporter's radar, like the washingtonienne's blog or the blog of belledujour (although belledujour's blog may have been fiction). Both of those bloggers got book deals. There are others, too. (Of course, if the reporter had mentioned these people, I would then rant about how the media assumes that women can only write sex blogs. Hehe.)

I think that someone didn't do their research. The mere title of the CNN article is condescending.

Stop smoking now

Miss Ellie died of lung cancer this week, as did Peter Jennings. And Dana Reeve admitted she is suffering from it as well, even though she is a non-smoker.

I wonder why people like my sister-in-law continue to say that smoking doesn't cause cancer; that cancer has more genetic causes?

People are stupid, that's why.

So I was on a quickie vacation...

Hello! I was on vacation last Thursday and Friday, so I didn't have a chance to blog. Not to mention that I was in a terrible, terrible mood.

I started out at the beginning of the week absolutely dreading the two-day trip to St. Louis, even though it had been my idea. My two sisters, my niece and nephew, and my DD were the original group. Then my brother-in-law decided to come along, bringing his 15yro nephew who was visiting from Montana. We therefore were forced to bring three cars. (My BIL met up with us later.)

The trip down on Wednesday night was uneventful. We got to our hotel around 9:15pm, and went straight to bed.

The next day, we got up around 7:30 and got ready to go to Six Flags. We arrived right as the park opened and didn't have to wait very long in traffic or in line to get in. My sister had some discount coupons, but it still cost us $163 to get in--for seven people (three of them little kids). If you don't have a discount, tickets cost $41.99 at the gate. That is for admission to Six Flags and to Hurricane Harbor, the waterpark. DD and I spent most of our day at the waterpark. My sisters went on a couple of rides, but they said the lines were so long that it wasn't hardly worth it to stand in line. They also took my niece and nephew on a few rides, like the carousel and the go-carts.

Even though we got rained on early in the day, I enjoyed myself, DD had fun playing in the pool and sliding down a couple of waterslides. We ended up leaving the park around 4pm and went back to our rooms to change our clothes and then go out to eat.

I think we were all in bed early that night. DD was asleep as soon as she settled in under the blankets. I, however, had a headache from squinting all day and didn't get to sleep very fast. I also watched a movie starring Angelina Jolie and Ethan Hawke called "Taking Lives." It was an interesting mystery thriller.

On Friday, we went to Purina Farms, where we watched a dog agility performance, saw the famous "cat house," and my niece got to milk a cow. This farm is for city folk who have never been on a farm before. The kids enjoyed it, but having grown up on a farm, it was kind of old hat for my sisters and I. And the best part is that it's free! :) (My BIL and his nephew did not go with us; they had to return home on Friday.)

Later, in the afternoon, we went to a mall. I spent too much money and the kids enjoyed the two-story carousel. The mall has three levels and I was quite exhausted when we left to go home.

Although we left St. Louis around rush hour, traffic moved at a good pace. We got home around 7:30pm on Friday night. I immediately threw in some laundry and finally sat down to relax around 8pm.

The next day we had to go to a family reunion, and I was almost too tired to go. :)

It definitely helped to get away for a couple of days. Although I spent more money than I wanted to spend, I needed some time away from the workaday world. I almost wish I could do that every week. Heh.

Ooh, looky: a troll!

On my recent article below, "The Missing" Obsession, an anonymous troll left a comment. Apparently, the troll thinks I have rose-colored glasses on.

Things may be worse than what we see in the media. I was specifically referring to crime, not to the war in Iraq or whatever else. My point, which I guess didn't come across, was that the media hypes up things like missing people when people go missing every day, and fail to emphasize important news like the Karl Rove debacle or the new energy bill that was passed by the House of Representatives. The media can make you think that you're going to get kidnapped or attacked if you walk out your front door, instead of telling us the whole story sometimes.

I know bad things happen. They happen all the time, every day. Just get some perspective on it, that's all I'm trying to say.

Some arty stuff

Go here to see my latest round of journal prompt cards. And here is the anniversary card I made for DH.

Sweltering

We went to an outdoor wedding on Saturday.

It was 99 degrees. No shade. We sat on hot folding chairs in the blistering sun. The only good thing was that it was short and quick, with no singing or readings--but the preacher did tend to ramble on. DD was good throughout the whole ceremony, in spite of having a mild cold. Even I didn't feel too bad; usually, the heat makes me feel very ill.

The couple had no receiving line, so we didn't have to wait around. Instead, we were able to go straight to the reception hall. Thankfully, it had the a/c cranked on high, and we cooled off. We were also able to go through the buffet right away, without having to wait for the bride and groom. The food was the typical wedding fare: finger sandwiches, relish trays, hot wings, cheese dips, etc. It was mediocre, if you ask me. Some of the food must have been prepared days in advance, so it was kind of icky.

DD wanted us to dance with her, so we took turns. She had a blast.

Sunday, DH went to a fishing tournament. DD and I played in the baby pool, but again, it was so damn hot! I could only stand the heat for about an hour. We went inside and I felt awful. I had to take a short nap. DD drew some pictures. We watched the "Good Times" marathon on the TVLand network.

I felt like crap all day. I guess I'll chalk it up to hormones.

Whatever...

Despair

I am in the throes of an existential crisis.

Why am I here?

Why bother doing anything because nothing truly matters?


...



Why bother living at all?

My Pandora's box has no hope left inside of it, and I don't know where to buy more.

An Update

Actually, we ended up not going to the movies last weekend. Instead, we went out to eat at Red Lobster--a belated birthday/anniversary dinner--and then we went shopping. DH wanted to go to a sporting goods store and I wanted to go to the local Borders bookstore. I ended up buying three books, because they were buy 2 get one free ("Lolita" by Nabokov; "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien; and "The Handmaid's Tale" by Atwood). In addition, the store was have a sale on its bound journals. I bought two of the large 8½ x 11 books (similar to this, only they said "Journal" on the cover and had lined pages) for a dollar each! Apparently they hadn't sold well. After I carried them around the store for awhile, I realized why: they are heavy! I should have purchased the whole stack.

So now I'm on a journal/book fast: not allowed to buy anymore blank books or reading books until I've read/used the ones I have. :)

The week has been busy with work and such. DH got a letter this week from one of his old co-workers telling him that another of their co-workers was given 3 months to live. He was diagnosed with cancer in May. He was a groomsman in our wedding and is our age. Hearing this news certainly put things into perspective.

Life is too short to spend living in the past or the future. Now is all we have. Life is way too short.

TGIF!

More Disinformation

I just want to scream. Vaccines have been used for over a hundred years, with some adverse effects, yes. However, do you really want to take the chance of your child getting polio or diptheria? I didn't, so I got my daughter immunized. I do worry that unimmunized children pose a threat to my daughter, though.

CBS News did a (non-)news story last night about the alleged vaccines-autism link. Medical studies in the U.S. and abroad have shown no evidence of a link between vaccines and autism. But now we have a Kennedy blowhard spouting off about the issue.

Autism is a terrible affliction, and I sympathize with the families whose children suffer from it. California studies the outbreak of cases in its state, but I wonder if they study the environmental factors and the familial genetic factors as well.

This story was definitely NOT news, and that was obvious: Kennedy said that no regular newspaper or magazine would touch his op-ed article. Only Salon.com would publish the piece.

Make an informed decision about vaccines, but realize that if you choose not to vaccinate your child, you are not only putting him or her at risk, you're putting the rest of us at risk as well.

Gosh, what were they thinking?

The new cbsnews.com website is a horrible mess. The ad at the top of the page takes up a third of the browser screen. The old design was much more user-friendly. Why did they feel a need to change a useful site?

Ah, perhaps this is the reason (quote from the NYT article): "This has the potential to revolutionize news on the Internet they way CNN did for television," said Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Tom Wolzien.

Wahoo.

Mediocre Reviews for F4

USAToday says that 'Fantastic' overstates it. However, that is not going to stop me from seeing hottie Ioan Gruffudd (Mr. Fantastic). Julian McMahon as Dr. Doom should be decent, too.

Yeah, DH & I going out this weekend. Woohoo!

"The Missing" Obsession

In this opinion by Dick Meyer of cbsnews.com, he says that the rates of crime committed are lower than ever before, and that children are safer, happier, and healthier than ever before.

But the media's focus on missing kids and missing (white) women has made crime seem to be worse--much worse. The people of Aruba are sick of Natalee Holloway (as is whoever wrote this article on kuro5shin.org [via metafilter]).

We need some perspective, that's for certain. All these cases are sad and unfortunate, but people go missing every day--some by choice, some not by choice. Amber Alerts are wonderful, and every person found alive is wonderful. But we have to remember that things are not as bad as they are painted by the media.

"Braceology"

USAToday has two articles about the popularity of rubber bracelets: Braceology and Brace Yourself.

Will the madness never end?

London, my thoughts and prayers are with you.

Crafty

I made this checkbook cover tonight. I also made an anniversary card for DH, which I will scan after he opens it. It took two hours to make both items. Whew.

For the checkbook cover, I took a piece of paper with flowered designs on it, cut it to fit the cover, and then pasted vellum quotes on it from a sheet of quotes. The sticker says "Divine wisdom guides me" and the gold stars on the back (Be Creative) are also vellum stickers. The "d" in the word "dreams" on the front is highlighted with a square glass sticker. This project was simple and easy to do, probably about fifteen to thirty minutes. (If I had more things I wanted to collage onto the paper, it would have taken longer.)

I'll explain the card later, after I scan it. It took longer because it was more complex, and I had to type up something I wrote and print it out for the card.

Fireworks

On Sunday, we didn't do much of anything. DD and I played outside. She rode her bike on the sidewalk while I read "The Diary of Anaïs Nin" (vol. 1). We played Frisbee and wrote with chalk on the sidewalk. Later that night, we went to the town fireworks. It was the first fireworks for DD. Other years, she was either too little, or DH didn't have the day off from work. I hadn't been to a fireworks display since July 4, 1997, right before our wedding.

We couldn't have asked for better weather. The sky was clear and the breeze was actually almost chilly. We sat with some (old) friends, and had a great time. I think DD really enjoyed herself. I know I did.

But wouldn't you know it, DD was up at the crack of dawn on Monday morning, as if she had went to bed at her regular time. Heh.

Blah

So, I managed to leave work early on Thursday. I went home and took DD to the pool, and we had a fun time. The rest of the evening we spent relaxing in front of the idiot box. On Friday, I decided to take DD to a local scrapbooking store that was advertising heavily on tv.

Typically, my car is old and it shakes. It had been shaking for months. I never thought twice about it. I figured the tires were just old and would eventually need replacing. We went shopping without incident, but as we pulled off the interstate and stopped at a stoplight in the town where we live, I noticed that the front left side of the car seemed to be off-kilter.

I pulled into a parking lot and stopped. The whole tire was practically off the rim. Sigh. I went into Burger King and asked if they had a phone book. No one knew so they had to get the manager to unlock the office and look inside there. I'm glad it wasn't a major emergency.

Luckily, it was 3pm and the service stations were still open. I called one of the companies and they sent a wrecker. $50 later, we were towed and the tire was replaced. However, it was a used tire. On Saturday, DH went to Wal-mart and bought two new tires (for $70), then brought them back home and had the same service station put the tires on the car (for another $15).

Come to find out, the service guy said that when the car is shaking like that, it means the belt has slipped on the tire. I wish I had known that about six months ago!

Thankfully, the tire lasted until we made it back home. DD thought it was an adventure. Yet another thing she'll probably need therapy for.

Driving to work today felt strange because the drive was so smooth.

And how was your weekend?

Movie of the Week

The TVLand network has been running a Movie-of-the-Week week this week. Tonight's movie is the nuclear-holocaust classic, "The Day After," starring Jason Robards. (There will be a marathon of the movies on July 3-4, if you missed it.)

This movie scared the crap out of me when I first saw it when I was a kid. The website says it was the second-highest-rated tv movie of all time. Check it out if you get a chance!

A Run-of-the-Mill Update

This baby weighed 10 lbs more than my daughter did at birth.

I have a couple of new journal entries posted on my journal.

Glastonbury mud for sale.

As if listening to the confessions (with video even!) of the BTK killer wasn't bad enough, imagine living in one of the houses where he did his killing.

"Rescue Me" is back on tv, and is enthralling as ever. Have you seen the commercials for "Over There"? It's a new series on F/X (website isn't finished yet, but you can view a promo on the main F/X page) that looks like it's about soldiers in the Gulf, and it's from Steven Bochco. Premieres July 27.

New BG episodes premiere on July 15. I can hardly wait.

Missing and Stranger Danger

So the missing boy scout was found, miraculously and safely. According to the news article, he took a wrong turn on a trail and tried to double-back through the woods (just like what happened to the girl in the book, "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon"). Instead of staying put, he continued on, traveling some 400 feet upward on a trail. Whenever soemone was coming on the trail, he hid. Unfortunately, most of the people he encountered (and hid from) were searchers.

I understand teaching children about stranger danger. I worry about it all the time. What is the best solution in this situation? Should the parents have told him to stay put in case of getting lost? Should he have been equipped with a whistle so that he could alert others to his presence? Should the chaperones on the trip have been more vigilant?

It's hard to say what should have been done. I only hope that the next time a group goes out into the woods, people pay more attention. I think that if I take my daughter camping in the woods, I'll get her a whistle and instruct her to use it if she gets separated from us. I'll also tell her to stay put, rather than wander off to see if she can find the trail.

Thankfully, the boy was found!

Birthday Blues

Yeah, so my birthday was Saturday. My mom had sent me a card, but when I saw her on the actual day, she didn't even mention it until after someone else said something about it.

My sister didn't say anything, either. Her card came earlier in the week. My dad didn't say anything. Only one friend of mine remembered.

DH and DD greeted me with the "Happy Birthday" song at 6am (because that was when DD got up).

I spent my birthday attending a cousin-in-law's bridal shower.

After you hit a certain age, do people stop caring??? I try to remember all my friends' and family members' birthdays, sending cards or e-cards.

Whatever.

Busy Week

On Monday night, we went to the circus. Good thing we went to the early show, because the 8pm show got rained out, and they didn't refund anyone's ticket money.

My butt is still recovering from having to sit on bleachers for two hours. DD enjoyed the show, and when we got home, all she could talk about was training our dog to be a circus dog. Hehe.

On Tuesday evening, nothing much was going on, but I was tired from the day before, so I ended up doing nothing constructive except vegging in front of the idiot box. (Drugs of choice were "Deadliest Catch" and "China Beach." Yay for reruns!)

On Wednesday evening, I took DD to the health department to get her final round of vaccinations for school. She needed three of them: DTP, Polio, & MMR. She didn't cry until the MMR went in. The medication stings. So she had three band-aids and two stickers and seemed okay. It cost $18 at the health department. Thank the gods for rural health departments! I'd hate to see what the dr.'s office charges.

After we got the shots, we went to McDonald's for supper. Then we had to go to the outlet mall for a few things. I needed Father's Day cards, a birthday card, an anniversary card, and a wedding card. I spent $11 on cards. I also went to another store to get something for the bridal shower I have to go to this weekend--I bought four candles that were on sale. After that, I went to Harry & David's and got a few more things to add to the candles.

We also went to my mom's store and chatted with her for awhile. It was a long evening, and we didn't get home until almost 8pm. DD went to bed almost immediately. I ended up reading all evening. I hope that I'm not so tired tonight--I need to get some stuff done around the house.

From a survey

> IF I WERE A STONE, I WOULD BE A: granite
> IF I WERE A TREE, I WOULD BE A: oak
> IF I WERE A BIRD, I WOULD BE A: robin
> IF I WERE AN INSECT, I WOULD BE A: ant
> IF I WERE A MACHINE, I WOULD BE A: computer
> IF I WERE A TOOL, I WOULD BE A: hammer
> IF I WERE A FRUIT, IT WOULD BE A: pear
> IF I WERE A FLOWER, I WOULD BE A: tulip
> IF I WERE A KIND OF WEATHER, I WOULD BE A: sunny day
> IF I WERE A MYTHICAL CREATURE, I WOULD BE A: phoenix
> IF I WERE A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, I WOULD BE A: clarinet
> IF I WERE A KIND OF PROFESSION, I WOULD BE A: typist
> IF I WERE A LAW, I WOULD BE: against violence
> IF I WERE AN ANIMAL, I WOULD BE A: dog
> IF I WERE ANYTHING IN THE WORLD, I WOULD BE: an artist
> IF I WERE A COLOUR, I WOULD BE: green
> IF I WERE A FRAGRANCE, I WOULD BE: flowery
> IF I WERE AN EMOTION, I WOULD BE: contentedness
> IF I WERE A STATE OR FEELING, I WOULD BE: busy
> IF I WERE A VEGETABLE, I WOULD BE: a tomato
> IF I WERE A SOUND, I WOULD BE: silence
> IF I WERE AN ELEMENT, I WOULD BE: air


Loyal, much???

Guided Journals

I don't usually like to use guided journals. I prefer to freewrite in a notebook or blank book, or online. :) However, this weekend I found a new journal I hadn't seen before, and bought one of the mini sizes to use. I chose the Me book, and I plan to write in it before I go to sleep at night. Instead of just whining and complaining like I generally do in my regular paper journal, this guided journal should help me keep things in perspective. :)

100 Words

Stuck for something to write about? Well, 100words.net challenges you to write ONLY 100 words per day, and then post them to the site. The next round starts on July 1.

Self-Pimping

Check out my book blog. I'm going to read at least 50 books this year, and write a short review about each one. I've read 18 so far!

Check out my blogit blog, in which I try to write more thoughtful posts (and earn a bit of spare change while I'm at it).

Self-flagellation is a whole new art

"Hell's Kitchen," a new reality show on the Fox network is like a train wreck: you can't help but watch.

I got sucked into this show last Monday, when nothing else was on tv. I hate reality shows in general, but for some reason, I couldn't tear myself away.

Gordon Ramsay is an apparently famous chef in Britain, and now he has come to the U.S. to start a new restaurant called Hell's Kitchen. The contestants' dream is to own their own restaurant, and that is the prize of this contest.

Woe betide the customers. In the two shows, it has taken over two hours for some of them to get their main courses. On last night's show, one table ordered a pizza, and then some idiot proclaiming his doctorate in music beleaguered the poor maitre d', as if he had anything to do with the poor service. (The "doctor" was the one who looked stupid. Heh.)

I can hardly believe it is a contest. It is more for Ramsay to show off his extreme perfectionism, and colorful vocabulary, which Fox has to bleep out.

New episodes are on Monday nights at 8pm (CDT).

Garage-saling

Well, people sell mostly junk. Did you know that? What is the point of garage-saling if all you're selling is dusty stuff you pulled from the closet?

The town held its citywide garage sales this past weekend. DH and I thought it would be fun to look around, see if we could find some bargains. I mostly wanted to look for summer clothes for DD. A few years ago, we made the circuit and ended up with a portable dishwasher. Hehe. Maybe I expected too much.

Unfortunately, no one had clothes in DD's size. I did end up with a box full of books from the library sale (I'll update titles later), and a few books for DD, too. If we ever have a sale, I'll be sure to make sure everything is clean and nicely organized. All too often, I wouldn't want to bother looking through boxes because they were dusty or dirty. Maybe I'm picky, but if you want to sell your stuff, shouldn't you present it in the best light possible???

It was so hot! Ugh. Summer has arrived with a vengeance.

Candy-aholics, Unite!

June is National Candy Month. For those of you who want to send someone a virtual e-card in celebration, click here.

I love candy. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I craved Starburst Fruit Chews around Hallowe'en, and ate almost an entire bag by myself over the course of a week. My favorite candy is a plain old Hershey's Candy Bar, but I love milk chocolate anything. Second favorite would be fruity candies like Starburst or Skittles. At Eastertime, I glut myself with Cadbury Creme Eggs (although they aren't as good as they used to be when I was a kid). In fact, I like almost every type of candy, except candies with nuts.

One of my earliest memories is the smell of chocolate: we visited Hershey, Pennsylvania when I was about five years old. It rained the whole time, and I recall standing with my grandfather inside some building, a factory perhaps, and it smelled like wet chocolate.

CandyUSA is a site describing all kinds of candies. American Food Holidays are listed here. And there is even a book out, called Candyfreak by Steven Almond, which you can read a review of here.

More Movie Reviews

National Treasure: This movie with Nicolas Cage was interesting. The movie trailers that we had seen in the theater made it look more exciting than it was. Typically, it took some conspiracy theories about the founding fathers of the United States and tied them in with some action/adventure. It was an ok movie, but rather derivative.

Anna Karenina: Sigh. Tragic Russian romance. Need I say more? Anna gave up everything for Vronsky--her marriage, her son, her life--but he couldn't give up his social position for her. Sigh.

The Spongebob Squarepants Movie: This was not nearly as hilarious as I thought it would be. In fact, I was disappointed. Being a Spongebob fan from way back, I expected the movie to be as droll as the cartoon series, but it wasn't. See it if you like Spongebob.

Movie Review--Chicago

Who knew Richard Gere could sing, or dance, or act!?

Although Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones got all the accolades for this movie musical, Richard Gere deserved some kind of an award for his tap-dance routine during the trial scenes.

Last night, after the amazing 2-hour season finale of "Lost," I flipped on Starz! and caught "Chicago." Now, I don't generally like modern musicals because they don't seem to fit in this time period (for instance, "Moulin Rouge": I'm still wondering what all the fuss was about). The movie is about Roxie Hart, a chorus singer/dancer who kills her lover. (I missed the first fifteen minutes so I'm not sure if she killed him because he was attacking her or accidentally. I think she was attacked.) She tries to have her husband take the rap, but he realizes she was cheating on him, and so she goes to jail instead. Once inside the clink, Roxie meets other notorious female killers like double-murderer Velma Kelly, also a chanteuse, who protest their innocence. With the help of Momma (Queen Latifah), the prison matron, Velma has kept her name in the papers, partly to help her case, and partly for her own need to be famous.

Roxie eventually steals Velma's spotlight and lawyer Billy Flynn (Gere). She gets her day in court, but balks at the things Flynn wants her to do. But then she sees one of the female killers go to the gallows after exhausting all appeals, and she quickly agrees to appearing demure in court.

I can't say I really liked this movie. It was like watching a train wreck. What sexy costumes would the characters appear in next? How many times would we see the women's garters? Perhaps if I had seen "Chicago" in a stage production, I would feel differently. See it if you like musicals or sexy women.