Ultimate Yard Sale

If you live in or around NYC and like to shop, check out the yard sale sponsored by Real Simple magazine. The money raised will go to NYC public schools. Read more about it here.

Crap.

I had some wonderful ideas to write about but I think I copied them to my clipboard and forgot to paste them anywhere. Ah well. I think I can reconstruct them.

daily memes list

freewrite blog ring

a prompt from diarist.net: "When was your childhood over? Do you agree with the concept of adolescence, or did you go from being a child to being an adult?"

Interesting prompts from the alchera project.

and this quote from Random Acts of Journaling: "To get where you want to go you can't only do what you like." --Peter Abrahams


Too bad I've been too busy today to write on anything. Updates to come, though!

Lonely

I was way down in the dumps today.

The silence is deafening.

Not to mention it's rained for three days straight.

They tell you the benefits, but never the risks.

My mom knows people who have had gastric bypasses who end up regaining all the weight back. It is not a magic bullet, the way the news hype would lead you to believe.

My uncle recently went in for a heart checkup, and they told him he needed a triple bypass. The doctor told him how there were new techniques in which they wouldn't have to stop his heart or need a vein from his leg, and how the recovery time would be less. (He went for the checkup on a Tuesday and was in surgery on Thursday!) However, once they got in there and started the operation, they still had to do it the old-fashioned way.

Always the benefits, never the risks.

It would be so easy, except for the rain.

I subscribe to a daily tarot newsletter, and one of today's messages for my sign was:

"A visionary friend may offer compassion and support today.Your angels will manifest in the birds, the breeze, and the stars in the skies."

That sounds great, except for the fact that it's cloudy outside and sprinkling rain.

I think my mood is just one of those things. Someone else was talking about her strange urge to clean, as well as all the other signs of the impending "monthly visitor." Did I mention that the thought of having nothing to clean out and weed through was making me slightly panicky? I guess I wrote that in my paper journal.

Calgon, take me away...

In case you hadn't heard...

"Superman" died over the weekend.

Britney's officially married.

A Movie

Last night, I watched the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun," based on a book by the same name. It starred Diane Lane as Frances, a middle-aged(?) college professor who, after discovering that her husband is cheating on her, takes a trip to Italy and falls in love with a villa. She decides to buy it and renovates it with the help of an itinerant Polish family. Frances's lesbian pregnant best friend comes to stay because her girlfriend ran out on her.

There is an air of mysticalness with the Virgin Mary ever-present. Frances falls in love with Marcello, but after one night of passion, they never are able to meet up quite the same way. She learns that there is life after a lost love. No matter how deep her pain, she was able to move on.

I liked the movie. I suppose some people would find it rather draggy. I was working on writing at the same time, so maybe that's why I enjoyed it. LOL I loved the scenery, and the renovated villa was gorgeous.

Thirty Reasons for Thirty Days

(taken from the Nano forums)

Thirty Reasons for Thirty Days

Why you [yes, you!] should participate in National Novel Writing Month!

1. Completing a novel (or for some, even starting a novel) is one more thing to cross off the life goals list.
2. Camaraderie with people are suffering the same pains at the same time as you are is so wonderful.
3. Nanowrimo forums! Links to really awesome website, games, etc.
4. It's another excuse to sit in front of the computer (or notebook) and gulp mass quantities of caffeine.
5. The realization that, contrary to popular belief, you are not the busiest person in the world, even with Nanowrimo.
6. If you've never written a paper in one night (or two, or three) before, you eventually will. Nanowrimo is good practice.
7. If you're still in school, you can procrastinate writing by doing homework. The opposite procrastination technique works equally well. If you're not in school, you can procrastinate in this way by doing something that you should actually be doing, such as laundry or taking out the trash.
8. Nanowrimo t-shirts to buy so you can declare your insanity to the world.
9. If you break 50,000 words before 30 November and get it verified, you get a super-cool certificate and winner's icon.
10. Even if you don't finish, you can still brag by saying, "I'm writing a novel this month. What are you doing?"
11. Haven't you ever wanted to answer "How are you?" with a number?
12. Most people [cough...teachers] say, "Write about this topic." With Nanowrimo, any imaginable topic can be your novel, even butt-kicking pirates from Jupiter. [Hey, there's an idea...]
13. It's a chance to let your inner critic loose for thirty days. Let a typo become a part of your novel. Invent swear words for your characters to use. Watch what comes out when you don't have an inner critic to stop you.
14. It only truly costs time, sanity, and social life.
15. How long it takes for cyanide to kill someone? What kind of knives did the Greeks use? Get the answers from fellow Wrimos.
16. The number one reason that people don't pass 50,000 words is because [surprise!] they don't begin. If you write just one measly word, you're ahead of more than half the Wrimos who signed up in 2003.
17. Thousands of people around the world--different everything--participate. They share a love of writing...and their ideas with you.
18. Just because your character is stuck doesn't mean that you have to be. Use a deus ex machina or a snide reference to whatever you want. Kill your main character if you want to. Just get your novel out of that block!
19. Your participation will mock those authors who take a lot more time writing novels. Those novels are typically much better novels, but it really is possible to write a draft in a month.
20. Allow others around you to question your sanity [assuming they don't already question it, that is.]
21. You can become a hermit for thirty days...or at least while you're writing. This excuse will only work for a month at a time, though.
22. You can threaten someone with, "If you don't [annoying action], I'll write you into my novel and kill you there!"
23. It helps you to realize the value of sleep.
24. Writing a novel is an excuse not to go out with friends or to that annoying event that you just can't stand going to.
25. The adrenaline rush that comes along when you've just written 1500 words in an hour is wonderful. Nanowrimo should be a drug.
26. Nanowrimo gives you an opportunity to improve your typing or scribbling skills without those boring lessons.
27. Even though you're procrastinating on something, you're also learning the art of time management.
28. There's a story in your head that must come to life. If it doesn't, those characters will hate you forever.
29. It's fun!
30. It really is possible.Are you convinced yet? Good. Go to http://www.nanowrimo.org/ and sign up today. Actual novel-writing begins 1 November 2004, local time. Good luck!

Ah, yes. Feel free to pass this list around. Just pass around the material in its entirety. And when you do sign up, do let me know so we can cheer each other on and bug each other about word count!

Darwinism...

Duh! Even artists need a proofreader.

Double duh! Classic Darwinism at its best.

More Cleaning

Tonight it was stuff in the basement. I had two boxes of wedding miscellanea that I combined into one box--I found a card scrapbook that I had totally forgotten about, plus a ton of tourist brochures from the honeymoon trip to South Dakota.

There is one great big box of trash, plus several empty boxes that need to be tossed. I gave DD some old toys that I had kept from my childhood. I sorted through two boxes of tapes, culling that down to one box. As for giveaways, I have one large box and one small box of stuff like purses and other items that I wonder why I kept.

It took an hour to go through it all, and then we watched "Lost." (Check out this fansite for a nice gallery of photos from upcoming episodes.) I am hooked on that show! Of course, it helps that I've always liked Matthew Fox, even when he was on "Party of Five." He's outgrown that boyish look and looks like quite the yummy man now. *sigh*

However, I HATE that ABC shows about five minutes of the program, and then intercuts ten minutes of commercials. Gah!

Finding Time

Since I was still in a cleaning mode last night, I had DD help me with the three boxes of toys that had taken up residence in the computer room.

I sorted, while she put some of the bigger stuff in her bedroom. It took about forty-five minutes. Then I ended up watching tv all night. I seem to be trading one obsession for another, yet again.

Today was her first official day of preschool. After her screening last spring by the school district, they told us the district didn't have a pre-K program. I was annoyed. As much as we pay in taxes, there ought to be a program!

But a state program received its funding two weeks ago, and we got her signed up for it. It's regular preschool, not a Head Start program or anything like that. DH said that as soon as she saw the classroom turtle this morning, she never looked back. LOL He is having a hard time with his little baby going off to school.

What else have I been doing? Trying to find time for all the stuff I want to do. Maybe I should stop cleaning...

Jump on the NaNo bandwagon! If you think you can write 50,000 words in one month, sign up!

Still in a cleaning mode

This weekend, I...

• cleaned the upstairs bathroom, including mopping the nasty floor
• cleaned out my closet, finding a pair of brand-new, still -in-the box tennis shoes that I had purchased at a buy-one-get-one-free sale
• transferred my old journals to a new, larger, box
• bought a secondhand laptop at a yard sale so that I can write while DH is watching football or other tv, and we can still spend time together
• did four loads of laundry
• put away all the clothes
• did one load of dishes
• put away all the dishes
• wrote 2,500 words
• took DD to a pumpkin patch and bought some flowers and pumpkins
• took DD to visit her preschool classroom
• visited the in-laws
• divided up stationery so I can give half to my mother-in-law
• tried to post this entry and thank god Blogger didn't eat it!

Nano Forums Now Open!

Nano forums and the new website are up and running. Go check it out! Do you have what it takes to complete 50,000 words in a month?

Recent Movies

This week, I've watched several movies. Our cable company recently let us have like 20 channels of Starz! for three months free, and then $5.95/month thereafter. So we've been gorging on movies. DH has watched "Friday After Next" and "Hulk." I watched "Welcome to the Dollhouse," "Mona Lisa Smile," and "How to Deal."

"Dollhouse" was sad, heartfelt, and entertaining. It ended depressingly, though. I could easily identify with the main character, a middle child who was going through the growing pains of adolescence. Her name escapes me, but she was portrayed by Heather Matarrazzo. I recommend it as an arty kind of film--one that makes you think.

"MLS" starred Julia Roberts as Katherine Watson, an art professor at Wellesley College in the 1950s. As always, Kirsten Dunst shone as Betty, a hoity-toity miss who thought that marriage was her heart's desire. Julia Stiles was wasted as Joan, a girl who gets into Yale Law School, only to decide that she would prefer a family to a career. I say wasted because she had little screen time. Maggie Gyllenhaal (I think) was Gisele, the slut of the group, who was actually the most grounded of all the women. All I have to say is that if that was really how female colleges were run in the 1950s, then I'm glad to be a modern woman of the 80s-90s-00s. You can have marriage and career, and you do have to make some sacrifices. Just don't do one or the other or both because society tells you to.

Mandy Moore portrayed Hallie, the main character in "HtD." It was a typical teen film, very predictable, and Moore was almost too sweet as a girl who doesn't want to fall in love because love hurts. Yes, it can hurt, but the hurt is so worth it. 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. I didn't care for this film, but someone out there might like it.

Last weekend, DH & I watched "Hidalgo." Awesome scenery. Slow story. Handsome Viggo Mortensen. Handsome horse. Worth watching for the scenery alone.

Have a great weekend!

Nanowrimo is only a month away!

Nanowrimo, National Novel Writing Month, is only one month away. Registration is open and the forums will be open at 3pm Pacific time. If you think you can write 50,000 words in one month, check it out and sign up. This will be my third attempt, and the third time should be the charm.

I discovered Nano in 2002, and signed up, but did not complete my novel. In fact, I barely made 3,000 words. Last year, I attempted it again, but barely made 10,000 words. So this year, I have high hopes for completion. I wrote daily from February to June this year, so I know that I can make the 1,617 daily word count Nano will require.

I will do some brainstorming this month to figure out what I will write about. I also have a personal writing challenge to complete in October, so it will be good practice. And Nano will give me something to blog about. LOL

Wish me luck!

Baggage

Do you ever wish you could start a relationship over, without all the attached baggage?

I was rereading old journals recently and found that after the first eleven months of marriage, I was ready to call it quits. (DH & I were married in 1997.) At that time, DH was working away from home, and I was lonely. I was wondering what the hell I was doing in a relationship where I would never be put first.

Now, however, I am so glad I stuck it out. He's been a rock through good and bad times, and he puts up with all my crap. I'm lucky to have such a great guy.

But there is still some old baggage between us... I wonder if we will ever be able to get rid of it.

Purging and Saving

Also on vacation, I did some "Clean Sweep"ing, cleaning out a trashbag full of old magazines and outdated reference books. Why in the world was I keeping a year's worth of Self and Fitness? I remember doing some cleaning last spring thinking that maybe I would refer to the past issues, but I never did.

I should have felt relief at purging some of these old things that were just taking up space, but I didn't. I felt guilty and tense afterward. I still don't feel right about it. I suppose there is some guilt for having spent money on some of the outdated reference books, but I should feel free, shouldn't I? In fact, I felt overwhelmed as I faced the sheer amount of books I have kept from childhood. I long for organized shelves, and I added that to a list of projects that DH will complete--by next summer. My book room is supposed to be a sanctuary, but it is mostly filled with bags and some boxes of craft supplies and books. A lot of stuff is gone. I have pared down my books over the years, and what I have left is what I want to keep--at least for awhile longer. I value all of them equally.

But, if we faced the loss of everything in our house, there are only two things I would save: my box of journals and whatever photographs I could collect in time. Everything is just stuff. Sure, I would be upset to lose my Barbie collection and some of my other collections, but those are just things. The essence of my life boils down to my journals and photographs.

That's all. They are irreplaceable and priceless to me.

What would you save?

Vacation Daze

Time passed slowly while I was on vacation last week. That was a good thing. Normally, I perceive time passing in a blink. I thought my vacation might pass that way as well, so I was pleasantly surprised to feel myself slow down.

DD and I played outside almost every day. The weather was wonderful, with sunny skies and light breezes. I watched her ride her tricycle up and down the sidewalk, joining in to ride on the back while she pedaled madly.

I started a new journal volume, having completed no. 48 last Monday. The new volume is titled "My Garden," because my journal is the fertile soil of my creativity. Maybe this weekend, on Sunday when DH is away, I will go through some of my old volumes and write out a list of possible writing topics. I should start carrying around a small notepad and pen at all times--because my inspiration strikes when I least expect it!

Happy Anniversary to my Blog!

I began this blog on September 25, 2001. Wow, that seems like a long time ago. I quit writing in it for awhile because Blogger was having problems, and I couldn't find anything to say. Just recently, I picked up my pen again, so to speak, and changed the design of the site.

Thanks for following me through my myriad transformations.

On Vacation

As the reward for hard work well-done, I got a week off with pay. That is where I've been. DD & I have been relaxing in the sun and DH has been getting a break from DD. :)

Longer posts to resume soon. :) Thanks for reading.

Can you believe that tomorrow is the first day of Autumn?

Pithy Title Here

Journal update

I had the day off yesterday, and today, I have done nothing but catch up on emails, surf the web, and update my blogs and journal. LOL I can't complain too much, though.

Catch-Up

The boss gave me the day off yesterday so I spent it sleeping, and relaxing with DH & DD.

Back to regularly scheduled blogging!

Blogging for $

As I mentioned in previous entries, I added Google ads to this blog. Every click on an ad and I get a little kickback. :) Now, I don't feel this is begging. I would never make enough money that way to quit my day job or something. I host my blog for free here on Blogspot.com. I pay for my online journal space at diary-x.com all on my own, but d-x has free accounts with no strings attached. I also pay for my writing.com portfolio, but again, the site offers free accounts with some limitations.

This CBSNews article talks about some of the biggies in blogging and what kind of money they make from their blogs. A lot of those sites have Paypal buttons or other ways to give money to the author. I suppose a lot of them ask for money in order to keep their domain name or site hosting. But, don't they feel it is begging?

I was on one site the other day that charges access to post and read in its forum. However, you could view a certain number of messages, but you could not respond to them, and after the number was up, you couldn't get past the sign-up page. (I can't find the link, or else I'd post it here.)

I remember reading about sites like savekaren.com (or whatever that site was where that woman was begging for money to leave her husband or pay off her credit card bills) and thinking how stupid could people be to actually send money to the site owner. People did send money, though.

Maybe blogging for dollars won't make them rich, but they are getting paid for their writing--sort of. No one should write for free, but to make a blog successful, you need a theme, good writing, and that je ne sais quoi that keep readers coming back for more.

I guess I'll always be poor. LOL

Restocking

Why is it that when I desperately need a diet Mt. Dew, there are none to be had?

On my way to work this morning, I went to the gas station before leaving town so I could get $15 of gas. I was on E. So I filled up and went inside to pay and to get my daily dose of Dew.

They were out of diet. Diet is my favorite. I had to settle for regular. I guess I should be thankful that they had regular!

Why is it so hard for store clerks to restock the coolers? Do they think it's not their job? Perhaps it's not their job, but still, many empty slots stared at me as I gazed into the cooler. I hate going there on Tuesdays. I'm not sure when the Pepsi man delivers their order, but it can't come soon enough.

Which reminds me of another story: since March, DH has had Wenesdays off so he could go fishing in the evenings (he works nights). His night tournaments are now over and so he has gone back to work on Wednesdays. He is a cook, and not only does he have to make food, the cooks are responsible for cleaning certain of the prep tables in the kitchen. This one table had not been cleaned since March. He went to clean it last week and there was caked-on gunk that made him realize that no one was doing what they were supposed to be doing. I could not believe it.

"Don't they know their responsibilities?" I asked him.

"Apparently not. They'd rather dick off than see what needs to be done and do it," he replied.

"That's crazy."

"That's the caliber of employees that I work with, dear."

People are stupid--amen.

Weekend Update

A busy weekend for us included going to the Arcola Broomcorn Festival. We never stay to watch the famous parade, though. It's too crowded by that time. Plus, it was scorchingly hot and humid on Saturday.

We walked around the downtown area, checking out the vendors and the food. Of course, we spent most of our money on food: taffy and sugared pecans. DD wanted a fairy halo (a circular star crown with flowing ribbons down the back), and they were a dollar so we bought her one of those. Poor kid was tuckered out with all that walking.

Then we had to go to Wal-Mart and pick up a few things. We were home by 3:30 and MIL called to see if DD was ready to spend the night at her house. She was able to leave work earlier than she thought, so DH took DD over to her store and then came back to pick me up.

We went out for a nice dinner at our favorite restaurant, and then it was on to the movie. Luckily, we caught an early show at 5:50, rather than having to wait until 7pm and pay full price. (The movie was not worth the full price!)

When we got home, we watched the end of "LoTR: RoTK" on DVD, and then I was asleep by 10:30pm! I couldn't help it. I was just so exhausted. DH said he stayed up until 3am.

On Sunday, we attended DH's family reunion. Everyone seemed a little out of sorts. I don't know why. People tended to stay in their own family groups. When we got home, we ate dinner and then I gave DD a bath. She went to bed soon after. DH watched football games, and I read a book.

And now it's Monday again. I hope the week passes quickly.

Movie Review

Well, DH & I did go out on Saturday to see "RE: Apocalypse" and we enjoyed it. We liked the first one, though. We heard some people in the theater say that it was kind of lame, but I liked the storyline. Perhaps the characters were a little too shallow, and maybe there were some plot holes, but it was a fun popcorn movie. I have never played the videogame so I cannot compare the movie to the game.

If you liked the first movie, you will probably like this movie. The zombies and other horrific aspects didn't get much screen time, but they set it up for a third movie, so maybe that one will be really scary.

Then again, maybe I'm too old for this kind of film. I certainly enjoy watching Leeloo and the other strong female characters.

Change is Rampant

In case you were wondering, BlogSnob changed its website and ad coding. Go update your page if you have an account there.

I also added Google ads over there below the sidebar. All of that is inconspicuous so it shouldn't detract from your enjoyment of my writing. :)

*****

Ok, so there are supposed to be BlogSnob ads over there under the "Other Blogs from BlogSnob" heading, but half the time the script doesn't work, so just ignore it. Sorry. :(

Movies

The reviews are in, and it looks like the critics hate "Resident Evil II: Apocalypse."

Don't they realize that the only reason people are going to go watch it is to see Leeloo (Milla Jovovich)?

Argh!

Yesterday, I went to post here on blogger, and the silly post would not go through. There is nothing more discouraging than wanting to post and being unable to.

I have been woefully remiss in posting and in updating my journal. At least I haven't been as tired in the evenings as I was last week. However, I still sleep poorly. Last night, I dreamed about work!

The weekend is almost here, and DH and I are planning a little night out on Saturday night. We want to go see Milla Jovovich in "Resident Evil II: Apocalypse." We love Leeloo. :) ("The Fifth Element" is a very underrated movie.) But nonetheless, Friday cannot come quickly enough.

Fashion Tips

WNTW--This show on TLC is fascinating. In a way, it's mean, surprising people and telling them that they do not know how to dress, but the transformations are unbelievable. I took the fashion quiz on the website and scored 12 out of 13 correct. Even if I feel frumpy and dowdy, I guess I do know some things about fashion. :) I just wish it was easier to find ready-to-wear clothes that fit well.

Been Away, but Now I'm BAAACK!

I admire people who have time and energy to post to their blogs every day, and have something pithy and important to share.

Last week felt like the end of an era for me, in various ways. The past year has been very, um, not good, and I finally felt free of all the turmoil that has been plaguing me all summer. Staying offline and away from some things I had become obsessed with has helped immensely. It's very easy to lose sight of reality. Reality pales in comparison to an ideal or fantasy, and the ideal never lives up to the perfection of the dream.

But anyway... that is all over. All of it. Gone. Done with. Ended. Over.

Endings are difficult.

Dream

I had an intense dream about Terry Farrell, who starred in a cheesy movie ("Deep Core"; scroll down to the movie description) I watched on the Sci-Fi channel Sunday night.

Yes, it was very intense. *blushes* What can I say? She's hot!

Today, I am...

infuriated! You should be too, after reading about this incident. Proves my point that people are stupid, stupid to the nth degree.

Listening to...

Tonight I'm listening to "All That You Can't Leave Behind" by U2. I especially like the song "Walk On." It reminds me of the winter of 2000. I had not been online very long, and I used to play this CD all the time while I surfed the internet.

DH went fishing and is spending the night at his parents' house, since he has another tournament tomorrow. (It's his dad's boat and his dad is his fishing partner.) DD and I will probably goof off at home. She's in bed right now.

It's a quiet night, except for the CD. The a/c has been running almost constantly since I got home from work. It was very hot today; temperatures hit 90. It was a long day at work, and TGIF! Somehow, I slept wrong on my neck and upper back. I could hardly turn my head all day. I need a massage!

Five Things I'm Thankful For:

• Fixing my bracelet with the hematite stones
• DD went to bed with no fits or arguments
• a/c
• speaking with an old friend who I hadn't talked to in ages
• a nice hot shower before I go to bed later

Five Things I Miss:

• long conversations
• writing longer entries
• getting encouraging feedback on my writing
• writing daily the way I did from February to May
• listening

I don't know if I'll have a chance to blog later, so have a happy weekend!

Guess who turned 52 years old today?

Go on, guess.

That's right, Paul Reubens (PeeWee Herman). Scary, ain't it?

Sentimental Journey

I like the song "Dreams" by the Cranberries. Brings back some fond memories.

I just wish the memories didn't hurt so bad sometimes.

*new journal entry posted, if you feel like reading.

Okay, what happened to...

bloghop.com

Anyone know? Did it move to a new site? Did it die?

Cass's Rules for Online Journaling

Here are some "rules" for online journaling that I've come to know in my three years of keeping an OLJ:

1. Never, ever say anything about anyone that you wouldn't say to his or her face. Even if you think you are anonymous, someone you know in real life is bound to come across your online journal. If you tell people about your journal, be prepared for the fallout when you paint an unflattering picture.
2. Never, ever start a mudslinging contest (even unwittingly) by talking about another online diarist. It just gets really ugly.
3. Never, ever write anything you don't want the whole world to read. If you think a particular thing needs to stay private, then DO NOT write about it in ANY public forum!
4. If you want to link to someone else's diary (other than through a blogroll), try to tell them in advance. It's the polite thing to do.
5. If you want to steal someone's survey, link back to the person. Again, just the polite thing to do.
6. Don't steal someone's bandwidth.
7. Don't steal someone's layout or graphics, and then pretend they're yours.
8. Leave comments! People love comments.
9. Make your entry readable. Do not use 5-point white type on a black background, or any other hideous font/color combination. Do not use ALL CAPS. Do not tYpELiKeTHis. Do not use chatspeak. Do not use "gangsta" talk.
10. Do write descriptive entries about your life, other than "I went to the store; I came home; I drank beer and got laid." Quelle bore.
11. Sex sells, but it gets old fast.
12. More to come...

The Fall

It was still raining and cloudy this morning. I was on my way out the door, and to get to the door, I have to walk down about five steps. Somehow, I ended up on my butt. I have no idea. All I remember is my hub talking to me about my niece's first birthday party, and then I hit the steps. I think I was off-balance with my bag o' books and purse, and I stepped down wrong or something. Then my ankle must have given way.

My butt hurts.

It scared me more than anything, and DD was scared also. Thankfully, I did not hurt myself seriously. My ankle is fine and other than a scrape on the palm of my left hand, I feel okay.

I am such a klutz.

In better news, the kid was not up super-early. I guess she is still tired from the busy weekend.

Long Night

Not much to talk about this evening. A storm blew through here earlier, and DD was a little scared. I let her stay up later than her usual bedtime, and we cleaned up the toys from the living room and the computer room. I cannot believe how much trash three people generate on a daily basis!

Then a friend called and we talked for a long time. I hadn't talked to her in ages. She was updating me about her four-month-old baby and I blathered on like an idiot about my job. Guess I had some issues there! In fact, I think I barely let her get a word in edgewise about herself, on her nickel. Teehee.

DD fell asleep on the floor, and I had a hard time waking her up to put her to bed. I think she would have preferred just to sleep on the floor all night. *shrugs* She was rather out of it. All that toy-cleaning-up must have worn her out. Good. Maybe she won't wake up at the buttcrack of dawn.

After putting her to bed, I toddled into the computer room and wrote for awhile, while checking email. Basically, today was SSDD, but without any arguing or yelling. I decided to make a more concerted effort to be less yell-y. So far, it's working.

News Items & Links

I was reading some articles about the Olympics; John Kerry; Zane, an African-American erotica writer; stupid Americans overseas; and why Tylenol thought it needed to be minty-fresh. As if pill companies did not spend zillions of dollars trying to get people to tell their kids that medicine is not candy.

And, since I work in the textbook industry, I never want to hear another college student complain about the price of textbooks. If they can afford beer, they can afford textbooks. (Although the article deals with the UK, I'm sure it's similar here in the U.S.)

I've been watching a lot of the Olympics, but only because nothing better is on.

This quote speaks for itself: "North Korea described President Bush Monday as a tyrannical political imbecile..."

Gawd, I hate pop-up ads that hog the whole computer screen!

I should just post this, since I've been skimming articles for two hours.

Busy Busy

I had a busy weekend, visiting with family and doing household stuff. Read all about it here. I meant to update the blog late last week, but time ran away from me, as it always does.

For once, I felt really good all weekend. I didn't dwell on the past or what could have been. I stayed rooted in the present for a change.

Playtime

I finished all my work today and got to leave an hour early. That was nice. So I hurried home and ended up watching "Dr. Phil." The family on today's episode (a rerun, I think) was so messed up. I am surprised the couple is still together.

One thing I couldn't figure out, though: at the end of the show, Dr. Phil told them he was giving them an all-expense-paid five-day trip to the Carribbean. Now, that's all fine and dandy, but why not use that money to help pay their overdue bills, which were causing even more marital tension? I would like to go on a trip like that, but I'd rather have the money to pay bills.

It was definitely nice to get home an hour earlier than I usually do, and just veg out in front of the tv. DH was showering and DD was napping, so I had plenty of time to veg. I even spent some time writing in my paper journal.

Having an extra free hour at home was especially nice since I woke up in a foul mood today. The starlings were arguing with each other at 4 a.m. Stupid birds. I think I woke up every hour after that. Ugh. Stupid birds. The weather turned humid today, so I turned the a/c back on. I am not about to try to sleep without the a/c on tonight. Too hot.

Time to take some miracle drug. My shoulder hurts.

Did I mention that since I started devoting more time to writing, my tension seems to have dissipated? I guess that's what happens when I find a new obsession.

"We're Not an AOL Chatroom"

Some mp3 blogs dislike the way corporations try to push them into reviewing certain songs. Check out Fluxblog as an example of an mp3 blog. I wonder how soon it will be before the corporations force these types of sites into the legal arena for posting music without permission.

Sexy Undies

Hello readers. Did you all have a nice weekend? I did. ;)

Saturday was pretty slow. We puttered around the house, or I should say, DD played while I wrote a little bit, and DH took a nap. Then DD & I walked uptown (about ten blocks) to buy some chips and some toilet paper. The weather was beautiful, but I was definitely worn out by the time I got home. (I'm so out of shape.) DD could have walked many more miles, but I needed a nap.

We watched the Olympics in the afternoon, while DH decided to go see the movie "Alien v. Predator." More Olympic-watching followed in the evening, and I was asleep by 10:30. I never did get that nap.

On Sunday, we got up late--DD was up at 6:39 a.m. Ugh. We ended up going to the outlet mall where I bought myself some new sexy underwear.

Low-rise panties with a matching camisole (couldn't find a pic of it).

I have it on good authority that the effect is quite SEXY. ;)

New journal entries posted

Read 'em here and here.

A fun time waster.

Bon Appétit, Julia.

Julia Child has gone to that great French restaurant in the sky. Hard to believe she was almost 92 years old!

Miracle Drug

Excedrin for Tension Headache (There's a website for just about everything!)

...mmmm... yummy....

I took two of these pills last night and before I knew it, I thought to myself in surprise, "why Cass darling, you have no pain at all!" A bottle of 24 pills cost $3 at the local Dollar General store.

Stops to Make You Think, Doesn't It?

I keep a paper journal as well as my online journal. Although I am somewhat guarded in my OLJ, I write all kinds of things in my paper journal. This item is disturbing because the prosecution will use this note as evidence against the defendant.

Now, I'm not exactly saying that the note shouldn't be used as evidence, but who's to say the wife really felt that way? What if that's just how she felt that particular day? I've written terrible, probably incriminating, things in my journals over the years about my DH and my DD, and it's quite frightening to think that if, gods forbid, something ever happened, and I were to be charged with a crime, my journals would be used against me. I guess the old adage is true: never write anything down that can be used against you later (or something like that).


In other news, was this really the only reason we went to war? I like the popup subtitle: "A Con Man Pushed the U.S. into War."

Sick

Man, for the past two days I've come home from work and felt absolutely drained. We sit down to eat supper and I still feel awful after eating. Extreme tiredness plus pounding pulse must mean that my blood pressure is high again.

I guess I'm tense. :(

Meltdown

Friday ended up being a washout, as far as attending the kid's bible school thing. Apparently, she stopped going after Monday. The theme was "Lava Lava Island," and due to a (delicious) dinner at a Japanese steakhouse, the kid is afraid of volcanoes. However, the inlaws did not inform us that she wasn't going to the classes.

Instead, they spoiled her by buying her new clothes and shoes and stuff. Now, I truly appreciate the clothes, and I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth, but if we had known she was not going all week, we would have brought her home. The reward system works well with DD, and generally, if she misbehaves, we take away a privilege or whatever. So, IMHO, the inlaws should have withheld the new stuff, and maybe she would have went to school like she was supposed to. (Then again, maybe I'm just mean.)

Even DH agreed with me. On Friday afternoon, we arrived at the church to a frantically crying DD and my FIL. She was so upset that she could not speak. I was like, "wtf is going on?" Then FIL told us she had stayed away all week. I tried to calm her down, and gave her the choice of staying to watch the program or going home and going to bed. She chose the latter. I was like whatever, so we left and went back to the inlaws' house to get her overnight bag. I made her take off the new clothes and shoes and leave them there. I wrote a short note saying that when DD could behave again, then she would be allowed to have the new stuff. I don't think that sat well with MIL.

When we got home, we put DD straight to bed. MIL called later in the evening to ask what was going on, because she had arrived after we left. DH told her in no uncertain terms that if DD was not behaving, then she didn't deserve new stuff.

I called them on Saturday, and DD apologized for throwing a fit. Later in the afternoon, MIL called and asked to speak to DD. After DD said goodbye, I took the phone back, expecting MIL to talk to me, and the phone clicked dead. She hung up without even saying anything to me. I just laughed. Whatever. She can blame me all she wants.

So, Sunday, after she got off work, MIL came over with the new clothes. I was busy in the kitchen, making soap, so I did not go in the living room to talk to her. (Plus, I was not fully dressed. Teehee.) Thankfully, she did not stay long; of course, she had to make snide remarks about how DH used to be afraid of the dark and stupid shit like that. I was like, "whatever. Get over yourself." It wasn't like we had asked her to buy DD stuff.

Yes, DD is four years old, and bound to be afraid of some stuff. But, she KNOWS better than to throw such a fit, just as she knows the consequences of her actions.

Thankfully, though, this incident did not ruin the weekend, even if we didn't get to go see "The Village," like we had planned.

Weird News Items

Killing over an XBox. I swear, is prison worth that?

The Hacking case gets weirder.

Just because I think it's important... I'd love to see Springsteen, and Mellencamp. I agree that too many opposing viewpoints are either being silenced, or people are too afraid to speak up. Kudos to those who stand up for what they believe in. Even if you hate politics or think your vote doesn't make a difference, it does. VOTE!!!

Vacation is Over!

Hello dear readers. Perhaps you were wondering where I've been. Well, as I might have mentioned, my home computer is back in action. I, however, have been taking a needed break from the online world.

I also went to Cape Girardeau, MO, to visit my sister this past weekend. I took Monday off to recuperate from the four-hour drive--although it was my mom who did all the driving. :) We drove up to Sikeston to eat at Lambert's Café, and it was worth the trip, even if the tourists were crazy. And on Saturday, we visited a charming little shop in downtown Cape called Renaissance. I found a great collage-y kind of picture featuring the Eiffel Tower that I just had to have for $50.

Journal Entry

It was back to work as usual on Tuesday, and I kind of stayed offline until Wednesday, needing a break from the virutal world, as I seem to have mentioned above. :)

This weekend will be busy. We will probably go see a movie on Saturday, and tonight we'll be watching DD's first play--a bible school performance. Kids grow up fast.

Hmmm...

Well, seems that Blogger is giving me an error page when publishing, but the post still shows up. Go figure.

I am back online, but I'm still getting stuff set up. It's good to be back. However, I'll be going away for the weekend, so don't expect to hear from me until Tuesday. :)

What I Miss...

• soothing words
• a loving caress
• conversation
• everything

Gratitudes:

1. the day is passing quickly
2. going away for the weekend
3. shopping!
4. getting back online
5. real and virtual hugs

 

Well...

we got the computer yesterday. I spent three hours re-adding software and drivers &etc. Three hours... and I still have more to do. I think I got the majority of it done last night. As I was copying my lone backup directory from a floppy disk, I finally felt annoyed at losing all my old stuff. Live and learn, I guess.

Another life lesson I learned, since the computer has been in the shop, is that I was spending way too much time avoiding real life.


***

I meant to post this earlier, but time flew away from me, and I had work to do!

I'm back! Didja miss me?

DH picked up the fixed computer today, so tonight, I get to re-load all the software and files. Fun fun. I hope for everything to be back to normal by tomorrow.

I'm looking at this data loss as a positive event--it gives me a chance to start over with a clean slate.

I lost everything...

The entire hard drive is completely unrecoverable.

*sigh*

What lesson did I learn? Back up files more often than once every three years.

$250 to have the computer guy set us up with a new HD, so I can't complain too much.

Reminder: Project-Blog

Don't forget that Project-Blog is tomorrow. Go sponsor a blogger and donate to some fine charities.

See you all on Monday!

Nothing New Under the Sun

Well, my dear readers, the computer guy will be charging $35 an hour to see if he can fix the hard drive. At this point, I hope that my documents are retrievable. I have approximately an entire novel plus other stuff I didn't back up to a floppy disk. As I might have mentioned, the last time I backed up my personal files was in 2001. *sigh*

No linky-links today. The news is dull.

No blogging over the weekend, since the computer is on vacation. I think we're going to go see "King Arthur" this Saturday. The MIL deigned to watch the kid for us, so I'm looking forward to the movie.

On Sunday, the in-laws are having a family get-together. I kind of dread it, but at least I know that we'll have to be home by 8pm so we can watch "The 4400" on the USA network.

***

Busy at work, thankfully. The day is flying by. I started writing this entry at 9:22, and now it's 11:52. Guess I will post it now.

***

Okay, I was wrong. This is sad to read about. Having a daughter myself, I cannot imagine. The little girl in the pic is a cutie. (It's sad that the kids are sold, but good that the traffickers were caught and punished.)

Um, okay....

Do you think weblogs suck??? According to this categorization, I am a Reverse Voyeur and a Crossover Poster.

I'm ashamed to admit I went to the same university where that article is posted. Teehee. However, be sure to read all the way through; the person admits it was written tongue-in-cheek, and it was written way back in 2002.

Computer Problems

*sighs with twice the emphasis*

I had a brilliantly written post about my computer hard drive failing and about some collaging I did last night with sites and everything, and the STUPID browser froze!!!!!

*#$(#$*(#%&*($#%*(@!(*#@)


Okay. I will try to remember and write it down again. However, I need to get some more work done first.

...

I got home last night to find that my computer hard drive decided to go on vacation. It refused to boot up and claimed it was lost somewhere in cyberspace (translation: no hard drive detected). So, after about an hour of screwing around with it, trying various rebooting techniques, I gave up and decided to work on some craft projects.

Last week I purchased some blank postcards for collaging, and so I chose to work with those. I have a series in mind of seven cards; I worked on five of them last night, getting the backgrounds painted. Two are actually complete: "Me" has a violet background with a purple vellum butterfly and a pic of me glued on it. "Passion" is pink with lavender cutout hearts and heart stamps. The other three are: "Brilliant Hell" (red), "Psychosis" (green), and "Blues" (blue). I don't have any collage materials that are appropriate for those themes, but that gives me an excuse to be on the lookout for more stuff to hoard and collect! The two I have not created yet will be titled "No Regrets" and "Love." I don't know what color I will be painting those. Perhaps orange and teal.

I love collage, and I like to use found items, rather than the prepackaged doodads you can buy in craft stores. Sometimes the doodads are too neat to pass up, though.

A casual search on AltaVista reveals many collage websites. 

Collageart.org has links to other sites on collage, while this site has pictures of famous artists' collage works of art. Since I am somewhat art-ignorant, it is interesting to see that Picasso has some collage masterpieces.

 

Wow. More people need to do this! Check this out too.

Today I feel...

somewhat better. The only reason I got out of bed was that I had to go to work, so I can afford to pay my bills.

I need a break.

35 years ago, humans walked on the moon for the first time. Dan Rather didn't even mention that last night on the news. I guess it's not important anymore.

What is important? What is the point of existence?

I am such a whiner.

News Items & Links

Check out the diaryhistoryproject. The site contains reflections on the early days of online journaling, which apparently "officially" started in 1995.

She must feel soooo good, knowing that her fashion choices helped improve a sector of a foreign country's economy.

Yummy? Krispy Kreme becomes a drink!

Yummier?? Nacho cheese + nude man = drunk & arrested

Migraine

I felt like crap today. I did not go to work. I had a terrible headache. I woke up with it at 4 a.m. and didn't start feeling better until just now.
 
Sometimes I think the pain of just existing is unbearable.

Monday, Monday

Well, after an exciting Saturday night of laundry, we visited the lovely local Wal-Mart yesterday.
 
I hate Wal-Mart.
 
I hate having to shop at Wal-Mart because its prices are the lowest of any retailer.
 
I hate the type of people that shop at Wal-Mart--because they remind me of my own rednecked-ness.
 
I suppose I aspire to the kind of life that I can never have: shopping in upscale retail stores where the workers bend over backwards to fulfill my every demand, and where I don't have to think twice about dropping $400 on a purse.
 
Good thing there is Coach outlet store in my town.
 
Yes, nothing is happening today at work. I wish I could just go home early, but I can't. I still have another hour and a half. 

News Items

I wouldn't want to be this guy. Ew! Note that the advertiser links will take you right to some portable toilet websites. Teehee.
 
As if living in NK was a picnic for this army deserter. I feel sorry for him on the one hand, but then again, he IS a deserter from the army. I hope that the government uses common sense and lets the guy live out the rest of his life. Maybe a dishonorable discharge would be the best choice of action.

So lame.  I should have known something was up; otherwise the channel would have gotten sued, most likely.

Good Night

Adieu, mes amis. Ttyl.
 
Time to shut off this idiot box and get some sleep. I hope that I sleep better tonight than I have for the past few nights.
 
*sigh*

11:46pm and...

I'm still online. The laundry is almost done; the last load of towels is in the dryer. Wonder how late I'll be staying up???
 
I should go read. I've been reading "Ariadne's Thread," by Shekinah Mountainwater. It's interesting.
 
Woo.

Argh!

Today would have been a good day... if the dog hadn't made a mess... if the kid would have listened to me before pinching her finger in the closet door... if I wasn't spending another Saturday night alone.
 
But who cares.
 
We went to a local state park this afternoon, and I really relaxed, watching the ripples roll across the lake as the wind blew gently. It was so quiet. I could have taken a nap. I wanted to get some pictures of it up in the blog, so maybe if I get the pics developed tomorrow, I'll post something here. We'll see. Yes, we don't have a digital camera--yet. I haven't seen the need to get one, as we would end up printing out photos anyway. Just let someone else do that.  

Journal Entry

I've been reading too many depressing journal entries lately from other people. I need to find some new writers. Teehee.
 
I slept sooooooooo poorly last night. I woke up as if I had never slept at all. I almost fell asleep on the couch earlier, in fact, but I have stuff to do--which reminds me, I need to run downstairs and put the laundry in the dryer, and another load in the washer. I'm even washing the sheets.
 
When I get depressed, I clean.
 
Sometimes, I do that, anyway. Sometimes, I'd rather just jump out the window. But that is neither here nor there.
 
Back from laundry detail. I hate washing sheets. However, I will be glad when they are clean. Nothing is better than slipping between freshly laundered sheets. Mmmmm.... sheety.....
 
For some damn reason, my two popup stoppers are not stopping some popups tonight. I hate popups. Why am I even online right now?
 
I was supposed to be working on a story I'm trying to write; however, it has been hell. So instead, I'm reinventing my blog this week instead, and I am going to post a journal entry later. See above link. :)
 
Go me. Some writing is better than no writing, I guess.

Fixing, Part 2

Gah, I added the titles and comments to several years' worth of back posts, but I didn't get through all of them. The early ones, who cares? I decided to make my profile section public, so enjoy. Maybe I'll find a photo to represent myself.
 
Teehee.
 
Now to go post my blog link on my journal...
 
Oh yeah, and get some work done in between, too.

Fixing Up the Template

Wow. Look at all these pretty little formatting thingies in the posting box. Where've you been all my life? And to think, I started out blogging without knowing any html; I had to learn fast, by trial and error. Now, new bloggers truly seem to have push-button capabilities.
 
*sigh*
 
Always a day late and a dollar short. C'est la vie.
 
I miss my old doggie template, but I like the soothing greens of this template. So what if it's generic? So was my old one, but I made it my own by adapting things. The coding in it was much simpler, though. As I adapted this one, it took me awhile to figure out that the whole first part of the document is the stylesheet.
 
And Times is a much more pleasant font to read than Arial.

Truth vs. Fiction 2

Another truth is stranger than fiction article... what is up lately?

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday: 10 Things I'm Grateful for this Week

1. caring friends
2. special memories that I cannot forget
3. feeling pain, because it means I'm not numb
4. starting my blog up again
5. had a couple surprise days off work
6. writing
7. reading
8. virtual hugs
9. my kid's smile every morning
10. getting up every day, even though I'd rather sleep


Um, yeah, it was hard to find ten things.

Truth vs. Fiction 1

I cannot make these things up (both titles are my own):

Temple Hair Offerings Become Wigs for Rich Westerners

Internet Guy Changes His Name

Truth really is stranger than fiction. :)

Life sucks

Life sucks.

From a huge loss comes some small gain.

Tarot Reading

Tarot Reading for 10/31/03:
Past: The Three of Cups, reversed
Present: The Nine of Cups
Future: The Seven of Pentacles

Past: Overindulgence.
Present: Satisfaction. A wish fulfilled.
Future: The beginning of great love and contentment.

Message for the Weekend:
As we find balance in our lives, our dreams and desires become attainable. Many of us are about to enter into a time of great happiness and fulfillment. New love relationships hold great promise.


Reading for 11/03/03:
Past: The Magician, reversed
Present: The Two of Swords
Future: The Eight of Pentacles

Past: Weak will.
Present: Indecision.
Future: Skill in material affairs.

Message for Monday:
Our own lack of determination is the only thing holding us back. We are skilled and talented, now all we need is a little motivation! We are advised to make a firm choice and stick to it.

(Both readings from Dawn Stevens)


It shall come to pass. I have the motivation and the determination to succeed.

Abandoned???

LOL Yeah, I guess I've partly abandoned this site. But I still return from time to time. :)

Goddess Quiz

One of the best known Celtic goddesses is Aine, Goddess of fertility, who is exceedingly friendly to men and worshipped for her powers of bestowing fertility, abundance and prosperity. She is said to have mated with several humans, having created a magical fairy/human race. Aine once stole an Irish Earl's cloak while he swam in a river, and would not return it to him until he agreed to marry him. You like guys, and love having them around. You love the high life, and have the tendency to judge a book by its cover.

What Celtic Goddess are You? (With pictures)
brought to you by Quizilla

Friday Five

Friday Five

1. What vehicle do you drive? maroon 92 Mustang

2. How long have you had it? since 1994

3. What is the coolest feature on your vehicle? I love the comfortable seats.

4. What is the most annoying thing about your vehicle? It's getting old and the mileage is high.

5. If money were no object, what vehicle would you be driving right now? a GTO, of course.

Starting Again

Oh, and if you want to read my latest journal entry, go here.

Contact me via the guestbook, or make a comment! I got rid of my email links. Too much spam.

I really hope to post more often in here.

Anniversary

Two years of (not)posting in this blog. Time has flown.

Lots of thinking, not much doing.

Do you ever feel like you just settled, because at the time there was nothing better? Do you ever contemplate what could have been or what might be? Have you ever met someone who seems to be truly your other half? Have you ever met someone who desires you and feels passionate about you? Have you ever ached so bad to be touched that you could die from the want of it?

I'm wondering these very things.

I cannot live my life wishing for something. I have to decide what I want and achieve it, no matter what the cost. I have to be true to myself. I cannot continue to lie to myself. I am content with the choices I made, but being content doesn't mean I'm truly happy.

Happiness is relative, I guess. It is awesome to be desired--that much I do know. We all desire to be desired. Is it possible to find love the way love is found in books? I thought not, but now I think perhaps it is possible.

Then again, maybe I'm just deluding myself.

Just another Wannabe

I've been away so long. I am a whiner and a wannabe. ugh.

Ok, enough self pity!

I'm so sick of the ranting and raving in the press. I feel like I've been lied to. I know I've been lied to, and I feel helpless to do anything to change the world. Like Rodney King said, "Why can't we all just get along?"

People are still reading this blog, and for that I thank you, even though I have been away for awhile. I do update frequently at my online journal, she utters not a sound, so you can always catch up with me there.

As far as my ongoing writing struggle: ugh. I guess I don't want it bad enough. How hard that was to admit! I just feel so uncreative. As a reader said, just sit down and do it. Write 'til there's nothing left--at least for that day. That is wonderful advice. I will practice doing that this week.

I have let other obsessions overtake me. I am interested in learning Welsh, doing altered books, stamping, reading voraciously... a neverending struggle to get my butt in chair. But as I said before, maybe, secretly, I don't want it bad enough.

BUT THAT'S A LIE!!!!!! My Monkey Mind says that. I do want it bad enough. A writer writes. I've been writing a lot in my paper journal. If the only writing I do is for myself, I will be happy with that.

Crazy News Articles

Since when are drugs good for you?

If only all authors could have their unpublished novels shoot to the top of the best seller lists! JK Rowling must be so proud.

This guy is just a moron!

Yes, cochlear implants should be covered by insurance, just as birth control pills and condoms should be.

Is this flimsy excuse going to be used to invade Iraq?

Journal update notice

Good, Blogger's working today. I've been busy with work and posting to my journal. Go check it out.

Journal update

Hrm... not much going on in my life lately. I've been posting quite a bit to my journal. I just don't know what to write about here. I guess I'm going through a phase.

One Year

Hrm. I've been posting to the blog for almost a year. Wow. Time flies.

Do you hate the insta-patriots as much as I do? Why are people making a buck off of other people's misery?

Today I was talking with my mom and she and I agreed: we're both insurance-poor (meaning we'd be rich if we didn't have to pay for insurance!).

Sometimes it sucks being a grownup.

Journal update

Check out my latest journal entry. It is titled "Avid Reader Seeks (Good) Journals to Read." I mourn the decision of Judy to discontinue her blog.

Bloghop rating

Wow! 68% rating on Bloghop! Thank you for rating me!

Journal update

I just posted a new journal entry. Its title is "Summer Camp," and it's about my recollections of summer when I was growing up.

Reading OLJs

I'm addicted to online journals. My name is Cassanndra and I'm an addict. Too bad that really good ones are hard to find. I wish there was some kind of index to journals, but with one new blog or journal or diary being created every minute, that would be a superhuman task to keep up with. (I should know: I have to keep a little notebook with my passwords for my myriad email addresses and also for my journal sites.) :)

Journal update

Hello! I just posted a new journal entry. Go read it!

Stupid News Story

WTF??? The lawyers are just looking for their next big payoff. This is so ridiculous that I don't have words. (BTW, I thought suing the tobacco industry was stupid, too.)

Magical Style Quiz

Your magical style is Druidic.

What type of Magic do you work?. Take the Magical Style Quiz by Paradox

Stupid News Stories

It's apparently ok to sexually molest children.

I cannot believe that people are researching a smoking vaccine. That is just plain dumb.

Diary Bitching

If anyone wants to bitch about other people's diaries, check out this message board: Bitchfest

Annoying Blogger Problems

I'm glad that I can actually get into my blog tonight to post something. For quite awhile now, whenever I've thought about posting, the site takes forever to come up (especially since I have a dial-up connection). A few weeks ago, when i was posting the last entry, it took like an hour to post and publish—which was basically because the pages loaded soooooooo slow. Yay Blogger for fixing the problem!

Finding Forrester

Last Sunday, I watched the movie "Finding Forrester." It's about a high school student from the ghetto who discovers that a world-famous novelist lives down the street from where he plays basketball. Guess what the title of Forrester's book was? —"Avalon Landing" Can you believe it? I hadn't seen the movie before I created this blog. I have no idea if I saw a preview where the scene of the cover of the book was shown, and the title stayed in the back of my mind, or if I made the title up myself. I'd like to think that I made the title up. Anyway, I couldn't believe the title. It was strange; I felt like I had copied from the movie, but I didn't.

Dog Update/Drug Mule/Porn Star Dies

UPDATE: THE DOG HAS BEEN RESCUED!!!!!!!!! My faith in humanity has been restored.

Maybe I spoke too soon: here's a story about a 5-year-old drug mule.

Linda Lovelace, the famous "Deep Throat" porn star, is dead at the age of 53.

Dog Rescue

To attempt to rescue this dog, it cost $50,000, and the ship had sunk by the time they went to get the dog. Why didn't the rescuers allow the owner of the dog to take the dog with him when the humans were rescued?! It would have saved the dog's life---and the $50,000. It makes me sick to think of that poor dog waiting to be rescued, only no rescue ever came. Our animals depend on us for their survival. I'm so sad now. I wish I hadn't read the article.

Faery Quiz

Go Faeries!!


Take the What Faery Are You? Quiz!

This quiz was made by lia