Thanksgiving didn't meet all his pie needs...

So my husband wanted me to buy this at Wegmans today.

The Gazebo Egg

Created with dumpr.net, Happy Thanksgiving!

Rubik Rumby

Create your own Rubiks Cube

Word freaks check this out

Here's a website you should check out which will improve your vocabulary and allow you to feel like you are doing a good deed:
www.freerice.com

stuff and nonsense

What happened to this week? Its Friday again, and with not much to show for it. I've been obsessing this week with web page ideas. What do I want to se on a web page? What do we need to do to produce such a page? Do we need expensive software, or $10,000 design? I'm learning a lot (for me) about what pages are made of, but not really enough to do it, just to know what I want, and that it is possible with the right tools (and they don't have to cost megabucks). So , of course, the next obsessive thoughts revolved around the HOW. The committee at work doesn't really seem to have much focus. And certainly the bottom line decision making seems very unclear. So MY aim for the next week is to focus that. I'm putting way to much energy (and worry) into something that my not be in my hands. The alternate possibility is that it may all get dumped into my hands (possibly with a boatload of bad feelings), and I can't decide if I'm ready for the challenge. I am if I can use the tools (i.e. knowledge) available through my trusted family sources. Time will tell.

In alternate obsessiveness I've gone through 50 years or so of pictures to have the ScanVan scan and upload to Kodak Gallery. This way I can share some of the old family photos w/ the rest of the family. And I will have digital photos for some of the baby pictures that we don't have on usable negatives. Unfortunately I brought up lots of mold and dust with said boxes of photos and everyone's been stuffy or sniffy for the last few days. But it will be nice to have these taken care of. (Actually I wish I still had the old 1920's pictures from Poppop & Mommom here to scan. But I guess we can do those ourselves, someday.)
I've been pretty circumspect about the "someday" part this week, since hearing of Ellen's sudden diagnosis with brain cancer. I guess we really need to learn to not always put things off til tomorrow. I guess my other brain obsession this week has been Ellen and her family. Lots of thoughts and prayers. Included in that is many thanks for the blessings we have, cause hey, you never know...

My "baby" is in High School

Joshua starts his first full day at McQuaid today. Who'd believe I was that old, um I mean, he was that old?

Maybe a bit of Arachnaphobia will help...

I am once again finding myself addicted to Spider Solitaire. I can waste hours on it without even trying. I will not click there now. I will not click there now. I will not...Its not helping. I guess I'd better log off and go to work. Avoidance is the only way. (Oh wait, I have Spider at work too..)

Tequila Sunrise

1. An Eagles song
2. Name of an Eagles tribute band.
3. A Mel Gibson movie.
4. A cocktail featuring orange juice and grenadine (and tequila...)
5. A sure sign you are living in the past. (I mean who still drinks these things, and gets the song stuck in your head for days?)

End of Summer Ritual

We went to the State Fair on Friday. You know what that means? Summer is really over. We did the usual stuff, visiting the cows and bunnies and water fowl. And the Butter Sculpture, and all the fun homemade arts and crafts. We ate our pints of ice cream and picked up stuff in the Center of Progress. And it was a lot of fun. There were millions of people there, though, so the crowds kind of slowed us down (we will have to try to avoid Friday next year). We took Sarah with us to the Fair, and she had never been to the State Fair before. I think we should always take along someone who's never been to the Fair before. It was priceless to see her face when we told her about the butter sculpture ("butter sculpture?"). And I was happy that she squealed with joy about little baby chicks (none of the boys would have done that). I suspect she had also never seen a chainsaw sculptor in action before either. Other highlights this year were the Blue Oyster Cult concert, the crazy German juggling guy, making slime in the 4H building, and hearing the dulcimer music at the museum. I was so glad to be able to stay home yesterday and just chill and rest my weary feet.

Jamaican Journal- Wednesday Night

While packing I discovered the horrid truth. Gumby has turned into Rumby!

Jamaican Journal- Wednesday

Just sitting outside in the shade, reading, blogging, enjoying the Caribbean breezes. Today its actually quite a stiff wind, but enjoyable nonetheless. There's really not much to say about today. Just soaking up as much atmosphere as possible to take home with me. And trying to really relax, not worry about the life I'm heading home to tomorrow. We'll be leaving here right after breakfast for a 2 hour ride to the airport in Montego Bay. With luck we'll get there with no delays. But I'm not concerned. I think we did the right think coming here to Treasure Beach to be pampered, so I'm sure we'll get home just fine too.

We've tried all the Jamaican dishes we've come across, including Mackerel Rundown and Banana Porridge for breakfast today. I saw patties the other day, but not at a time or place where we were ready to eat, but I thought Josh would like to know they really make them. :) The food is terrific! They make everything from scratch, so there really is no fast food. And they give you a reasonable portion of food, which allows you to be pleasantly full, not stuffed.

We'll probably take a walk later on, and maybe a swim, but its just too hot out in the noonday sun to go out right now. So I guess I'll just keep sitting here. No problem.

Jamaican Journal- Tuesday

We awoke in the early morning to the sound of rain on our tin roof. It was just a passing shower, but welcomed by the locals nonetheless. Our planned outing for the day was a trip to YS Falls. Its a beautiful parklike area where you can swim under the falls at several of its many levels. The water was quite brisk, but it was refreshing after walking up a steep set of stairs to get there. That part of the island is like a rain forest and the vegetation was quite lush; with Jamaican Ginger, birds of paradise, palms, and more, as well as giant snails and hummingbirds and mongoose. On our way back we took a planned detour to Appleton Rum; A factory tour of the place where they make the finest Jamaican Rum. It was like a winery tour except they started us off with a glass of rum punch before we even left the main building! The whole place smelled of molasses, and, not surprisingly, was located next to a sugar cane field. After the tour we were allowed to sample as many of their products as we wanted (and purchase some too). Good thing we had our own driver. We also drove down Bamboo Ave, a section of road where bamboo grows tunnel-like over the road. And then made our way back to Treasure Beach. It was a long day. I'm glad that tomorrow we'll be sticking around here, so we can get in a final dose of relaxation.

Jamaican Journal- Monday

Another perfect day in Paradise. This morning we took an excursion to the Black River. We set out after a breakfast of pineapple pancakes to the fisherman's beach (walk along the beach and around the tree) to meet our captain, Ted. Ted and his dog Flora took us on a 40 minute ride across the sea to the Black River, the longest navigable river in Jamaica. We were in a 24 ft(?) boat powered by outboard motor. The river had such wonders as mangroves and waterlilies, a variety of birds including storks, kingfishers, and men-o-war (big birds). We saw a crocodile or two. And we stopped at Sister Lou's River Stop for some crab backs. Yum! Ted narrated our trip in a wonderful Jamaican accent, mon. (Occasionally he slowed the boat so he could take a cell phone call. Its an interesting juxtaposition of native and new technology). We saw a dolphin in the water of the cove near Black River. I'm sure I would have missed it had Ted not stopped and pointed it out. Just a brief glimpse or two, but magical nonetheless. On our way back we stopped at the famous Pelican Bar, a bar located ¾ mile out on a sand shoal. There were of course, pelicans all around, as well as a manta ray and some other small fish. The water was clear and spa-like warm as we waded nearby. The bar itself, like many buildings here, was little more than a hut, this one on stilts. Of course the only way to get there is by boat, so I expect the clientèle is mainly tourists. But we drank the local brews: Red Stripe, and Jamaican Ginger Beer (bottled by the Pepsi Cola company in Kingston).
The exchange rate here is about 60 Jamaican dollars to one American dollar, so its fun trying to figure out what we are spending. For example our drinks at the bar were 300 dollars. I considered that a reasonable price...it cost considerably more to get us there.
There were a few more rumbles of thunder this afternoon, but there is a lovely cool breeze right now. Our sunset may once again be lost in the clouds. Its hard to know what is normal, but this is considered part of the rainy season.
We missed the rum punch again yesterday at Duggies. We were too late and it was all gone, instead of being too early and missing it like on Saturday. Perhaps the rum punch is mythical. It seems like much of this is a dream....

Jamaica Journal - Sunday

We awoke to the most amazing view, the Sea and a palm tree right outside our door! It is very quiet so far, but we have had a visit or two from one of the resident dogs. We showered in what could be described as an invigorating water temperature, but it is refreshing at least. Trying to identify the flowers and birds is fun. Many of the plants we saw at the Botanical Conservatory in Ft.Wayne grow naturally here, including breadfruit trees, bananas, angel's trumpets (those hanging things), and many varieties of hibiscus. There are also lots of cacti, since this side of the island is drier than the north. Some of the plants we just don't have the experience to identify. Even the fruits are hard to do. There were goldfinches and some other small birds flying around at breakfast. Back near the shore we saw pelicans and some kind of heron as well. And I mentioned the lizards right?
We walked down the beach a ways and looked in amazement at the stuff in the tide pools. There are lots of things I don't really know much about, but the crabs were obvious. Luckily they scuttle away when people come near. We slathered on the sunscreen, but I still worried about being out during the day and burning. The sun is never lie this in Rochester. We discovered why we had an outdoor shower when we got back from the beach and needed to rinse off sand and sunscreen and sweat. The salt water feels cool, but I suspect the salt will be quite drying for the skin too. (But still, worth it...Its the Caribbean for goodness' sake).
We got a take-out jerk sausage pizza for lunch from Jack Sprats, the restaurant that's our near neighbor. After lunch we had a little afternoon nap. It seems really hot today, and the clerk at Jack Sprats told us it is unusually so. Thank God for the ocean breezes. Still working away at HP and hoping there will be no spoilers before we're through.
The time here is one hour earlier than EDT, but since there are no clocks it doesn't matter too much. Its hard to know how late it is except for when we get hungry. Actually with the heat and fatigue yesterday we just ate anyway, and then realized how hungry we had been. Looking forward to a cooler evening, another leasurely dinner at Jakes (there is no other way to have dinner at Jakes), and maybe some of Duggies famous rum punch. :)

Jamaica Journal - Saturday

By planning a trip at the very last minute I guess you miss all the weeks of being able to make people jealous by telling them you are going to Jamaica, but you also miss weeks of worry that things will work out. Happily for us, everything has worked very well.
Our flight from Philly left a little late (time spent sitting on the runway), so our arrival was also a little late. Then the airline ran out of immigration forms when it got to our row, so by the time we filled ours out on the ground we were waiting behind another planeload of passengers. So customs and immigration were the biggest frustration. Plus the air conditioning was not working in the airport, so it got a little stuffy. But all was well when we found our driver Keven waiting . He took us to Jerkey's for the most fabulous Jerk Chicken and Festivals (cornmeal fried dough things...maybe Jamaican french fries?). Steve even had a Red Stripe (the national beer). Then we had an interesting 2 hour drive to Treasure Beach. We arrived at Jakes and were taken right to our cottage, Jack Sprat. It is quaint, but has 2 bedrooms, bath, sitting room and kitchenette. The best part is the bedroom opens out to a patio and covered porch that is right on the Caribbean. We hear the waves. The sun set right outside our front door. It is warm and a little humid, but there are constant breezes.
We got a Pina Colada and Pineapple Punch from Dougies (the bar at Jakes) and came back to our cottage to watch the sun set (at 7:30). Then went back around 9 for dinner at Jakes, including an interesting mango sorbet for dessert.
There is some interesting wildlife around here. If you like lizards you can certainly get your fill, since they are clearly evident, including in the cottage. There were some huge frogs out too, but only after dark. And we do seem to have quite an ant population, but the lizards must take care of the mosquitoes, since there did not seem to be too many in evidence tonight. We had the extra entertainment of lightening and thunder over the island. I presume there was some rain in the mountains, but we felt only a few drops. (Which is good since we were sitting outside at Jakes.)
Sleep came easily after getting up at 4:30 to start our journey....

Shock and awe

Can I just say how amazing it is to see human beings I've given birth to (so I know where they came from), turn into adults? I watched my second child graduate from college this week, and it still seems a dream. I know there is reality there, after all this is the year of 25s...College graduation, moving to NY, marriage, Steve at Kodak...all celebrating that 25 year mark. So of course my kids are getting older too. But why does it seem so amazing? I think I must focus too much on the days, while the weeks, months and years are flying past. I guess I am also amazed that something so good came from me! Especially when I am not always sure of my own worth. But, wow, it sure makes me stop and think I'm doing something right!

Of course I also give credit where it is due: Congratulations, Elizabeth! You're doing a great job!

Horseradish-Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid

"Life is a turbulent journey, fraught with confusion, heartbreak, and inconvenience. This book will not help".
Lemony Snicket's latest book seems to be just what I need to see the truths in the world in the wonderful way he does, with a lot of truth and a bit of humor. Helpful, not really, but truly amusing.

"Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant, filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like".

"It is one of life's bitterest truths that bedtime so often arrives just when things are really getting interesting".

Another Birthday!

Today is Matthew's birthday (happy birthday, Matthew), and I've been cooking and baking all morning. Although I imagine he wouldn't have minded cooking his own birthday dinner (and actually he will be in charge of the grill).
I have been running like crazy as usual...at least the usual that's been the last month, and will be the next month as well. I was in Toledo for the weekend (or at least the part where we weren't driving there and back, which was almost as long). I had a lovely time at Melissa's shower. I marveled at how much "stuff" they got. But they do seem to be very happy and ready for marriage, I guess. Its hard to watch all our "babies" grow up, especially since it makes me think about growing older too. I guess I'm in kind of a melancholy mood lately anyway. I did at least manage to stop crying, since that was all I could do for a few days last week. Don't really know what's up with that. And I'm afraid to think about it because the tears are still way to close to the surface. Maybe I'm making up for the years when I couldn't cry about anything.

Reasons to clean my office today

1. It really needs it
2. The piles are taller than I am
3. Feng shui
4. I have to find Arlene's check (if its there)
5. My memory is going and I can't remember which pile is which anymore
6. Arson is illegal
7. Olivia cleaned off her desk
8. I think I'm ready to part with some old papers (really)
9. Good hygeine demands I do it at least once a year
10. It really, really needs it and I've put it off too long

Decisions, decisions

Sometimes I feel like my head is going to pop!
We've spent the evening discussing financial aid and how much to accept vs. pay up front for E's first year at UB. That decision proved easier than I expected since my hubby did all the research. The only thing that kind of worries me is the comment about driving the van a little longer...But actually I'm okay with that. I hate to see her drowning in more loans than need be, and she did save us a year at Albright, so we owe her this one, right?
The harder decisions are still to come: I have to figure out what I'm doing for summer programming at the library. And what crafts I'm doing for VBS. Do I want to go to a wedding in Toledo or stay home and help at the Fiesta? Or both? What should we do for vacation this summer? A 25th anniversary trip? Where? Graduation parties? Wedding gifts? What to wear tomorrow? Is it just PMS or am I going insane?
BOOM!

Happy 21 st Birthday Elizabeth!

We enjoyed a wonderful Amaretto cake in your honor! (Matthew thought your cake needed to be alcoholic). After all, your family needs to celebrate even if you aren't here. Hope you had a wonderful day! I can't believe its been 21 years since the Sunday you were born, but it has been lots of fun.

Parenting from afar

May I just say that long-distance parenting sucks. Its hard to be away from your kids, especially on a big occasion. But also just when big things are happening in the world and you need a little reassurance that the one you love is safe and sound. Actually, lately we've all needed a lot of assurance. In fact, when I think about it, I'm pretty bad at being a long-distance daughter, friend, aunt, or whatever too. And maybe my close-up skills need a little work as well. So I hope all of you out there know I love you. You know who you are. Stay safe out there.

What if...

I am suffering from a serious case of the "what ifs", characterized by regret, moodiness and tears. I know I need to get over it. Which would require me to be forward thinking and relaxed. But that hasn't happened yet. At least this morning I realized that I could turn the what if game around and use it to find blessings instead of regrets. I guess I'll try that this morning and see if I feel better, or at least not any worse. I think I also figured out that's why I like playing dumb computer games and reading predictable, but fun, books...I feel way more in control, and there are rarely any regrets (except about wasted time). I guess I am a control freak in some ways. What if I could turn that around and use it to keep a clean house/office? There's a what if i should pay attention to.

My solution

I've solved a little bit of the annoying seams/tags problem by wearing my underwear inside out. It sorta helps. Guess I just have to hope I don't get hit by a car. (Well, at least its clean underwear.)

More edible books

I did some too! Here are all three.

Edible books at WPL

Penny and I decided to go ahead and make an edible book or two, even though the rest of the staff thought they were too busy (I guess). Anyhow, maybe next year we can do more. Penny put me to shame with this fabulous entry.

weekend, what weekend ?

I worked on Saturday afternoon and had a travelogue today, so I'm feeling weekend deprived. I did have the day off on Friday though, and went gallivanting, so I guess that counts. We discovered in our wandering the Tadco store where you can get baking/cooking supplies you won't always find at the grocery store. We bought some fun stuff like purple sticky rice (can't wait to try it), and some cherry filling for donuts or danish, which Matthew put in some almond bread. YUM! And we finally went to the Christmas Tree store, which was like a giant dollar store. We filed away their many inexpensive items for later shopping trips. (And bought a few things too. Elizabeth couldn't resist the dryer balls, and I wanted new cookie sheets.) I'm also on the lookout for VBS craft ideas (yes, already) and inexpensive stores like that often provide great raw materials. Its in the same plaza as AC Moore, and practically next door to Tadco, so I won't mind a return trip one of these days. Next weekend
is the Youth Group sponsored Easter Egg hunt, and I've planned a craft for that event too, so I guess I just can't help myself. :)
Now, if only my creative juices would write something for the Town Times I could rest peacefully. Well, actually it won't disturb my sleep, but I still wish I had something clever to submit. Tomorrow...

I am exhausted

So why am I blogging not sleeping?
I just worked essentially a 12-hour day. (Thank goodness for a wonderful dinner prepared by my kids!) Classes this morning, showing a movie, busy reference shift, Advisory Board meeting, and even filling the gas tank. But I still feel somewhat unsettled like I've left things undone. (Am I turning into a raving psychotic? Oh no...) I'm looking forward to chilling out tomorrow. I'm off to the pool first thing, and then maybe some shopping with E. Definitely need groceries too.

okay brain is shutting down. dessert and then bed. nighty night.

Raving Psychotic

Maybe I should change the name of my blog. Then perhaps I'd post more often. It came out in conversation yesterday, and its not totally untrue, that I haven't been blogging beacuse I would look like a raving (or is it ranting?) psychotic. I know, you're thinking, so what? Aren't most bloggers ranting psychotics? That being as it were I shouldn't use it as an excuse...But really I hate coming off as if I'm always complaining, and maybe in my mind those complaints were foremost. Anyway I resolve to strive harder to find non-psychotic things to talk about.
Speaking of yesterday's lunch...I enjyed a nice time with my 2 favorite college seniors checking out UB's campus, esp. the libraries, and an apartment for next year. I like that they considered my opinion important, because I really do want to see them happy. Yes they were excited, but so am I. Also just a little bit concerned...time is going too fast and I miss my "little girl". But since I really like my adult girl too I'll manage.

Hormones

Need I say more.
Okay I will. As I sit here with tears running down my face from reading another blogger, it occurs to me that this happens far too frequently. Whether from situations at work, or with Frances, or just from reading the freaking news, the tears seem too close to the surface. And then there's the 3 am inferno (I'm not ready to admit to hot flash, but I suppose that's what it is.) It seems I've felt things more acutely lately, and I always attribute it to hormones. Don't all women? I suppose it could be drugs...As I'm back on a Sudafed and ibuprofen regimen this week, fighting off a sinus/ear infection, maybe? I know I've had the most bizarre and vivid dreams this week.
Anyhow, love me or leave me, that's where I'm at.

I've been upgraded

At least my blogger has. I wish I could upgrade me as easily. I've been feeling crappy all week. I guess its time for the annual sinus pain week (month). But its felt like a long week already. We had a nanosecond power outage last weekend that blue-screened the IBM. It took the "doc" all day Saturday to fix it, but it seems all better now. Then we've had internet connectivity issues the last 2 days, so I wasn't up to tackling this blogging thing. But now I'm here and its not so bad.
Anyway I don't know where I'm going with this post. Just thought I should prove I'm still here. To recap the week:
Saturday we saw Eragon. Okay so it wasn't fabulous, but it wasn't that bad either. The nasties really gave me the creeps, so they did something right.
Sunday was the overpriced travelogue presenter who spoke way too fast.
Monday my baby turned 14, and he decided he "looked old". But we had a delicious dinner and birthday cake, so it was easy to forget the "old" part. I shopped all afternoon to find the "perfect" gift, and I guess he was happy with his Colts tie-dye shirt, but Matthew's C++ text was also a big hit.
Tuesday I stayed home from work, hoping my headache would go away and I would feel better. Hah. I drugged it away enough to get Josh to the cathedral where he was altar server to the Bishop for the Confirmation ceremony.
Wednesday and Thursday had no redeeming qualities. Actually, I just don't remember anything of significance to speak of, but maybe no horrors either, so that's good.
Tomorrow holds the promise of hosting a Star Wars role playing afternoon for some 14 year olds, so it should be lots of fun!

Making things "new"

This is the last time Blogger says it will let me in without switching to the "new Blogger". I really like this one. I know how to use it. I don't have to think. But now they are going to force me to change. I can't handle change right now. I just recently set up a Google Reader account to try and keep me posted on new blog updates. I don't even have that set up the way I need it yet. And of course the new Mac, forcing me to think backwards (or something) when I try to close a window. Don't get me wrong, I like it, but it takes some getting used to. I have been invited to the new j blog at Wordpress, but I'm not jumping into that yet either. I don't like what I've seen of it so far, and am not prepared for the immersion method. (Obviously I'll have to deal with Blogger or Wordpress or something if I'm going to keep blogging.) (That's a whole nother issue). And just in case you thought that was all, Yahoo! keeps pushing their new version of mail. I tried it for 3 minutes once and HATED it, so I went back. But I suppose they will be forcing me to change soon too. The world should know better than to try and change me during hibernation season.

In other news, at least I finished my Adult Programs brochure yesterday at work, so I feel greatly relieved. And I finally finished putting away Christmas decorations today, so that's another relief. Whew.

Scrubs

While at the Penfield library the other day I HAD to stop and look at their DVDs. So I brought home the entire first season of Scrubs. I'd never seen an episode, but based this decision on the fact that I read they had an entire musical episode the other night. I thought that sounded fun (thanks to Buffy) and so here I am watching (and enjoying) season 1. The show is fast paced and funny, but also serious and even touching at times. The best thing I can say about making another commitment like this is that at least they are 1/2 hour episodes, so you can watch lots in one night. :)

Word Play

I've been a crossword puzzle addict for as long as I can remember (that's at least 5 minutes right?). I'm sure well before I hit college, since even then my friends gave me crossword puzzle gifts. So I had to see the movie Wordplay when it came out. The thing that happened from watching the movie was not just having to do more puzzles, but finding a need to time myself. Its actually scary since I'm nowhere near as fast as the pros. But its fun to race the clock (when I can) although I don't often do a puzzle at one sitting. (Well except those easy Monday & Tuesday puzzles that only take 10 minutes)(when I bother). Anyhow, the point is that I am now addicted to the Yahoo! Daily Crossword. It times me without me having to pay attention to the clock. I'm thrilled to say that I average about 12 minutes. The flip side is that I get bummed out when it takes me more than 15. But its fun, and relatively harmeless! Yahoo for crosswords!

Subject of much speculation

The alleged Starbucks is shrink-wrapped; to protect from the weather, or to prevent espionage? You decide.

Heaven help me...

I feel old. And tired, despite the long afternoon nap. And achy. But loved. (Egad, I'm starting to sound like the Velveteen Rabbit).

I can't decide

Is the reason I keep doing things for teens, like making gel candles with them, or creating scavenger hunts, because I hope it will keep me from getting old? Or is it just to make me feel old faster? Ask me how old I feel tomorrow.

High Anxiety

As I get ready to go to work this morning for the all staff meeting, and then ref meeting, I'm finding myself highly anxious. Don't totally know why. And I don't like it. But I like my job don't I? And my co-workers? So I'm sure things will be fine. I guess I better get a move on so there will be someplace left to park. ;)

End of an era (?)

Well its the end of the Christmas gingerbread cookies anyway. I ate the last one. A cute little penguin in a tux with a blue bow tie. Yummy! It is time to bake valentine cookies yet? Or maybe Super Bowl cookies? Or maybe to start the diet.
Oh wait! There are still biscotti! Life is good.