I took Moira up to her allergist today. Poor kid - she is so full of snot (gross, I know). Her allergist is SO cool - he gives tons of samples and hands out scripts with NO problems. I take Olivia back next week for HER visit. They will be doing a RAST test (skin prick) and re-testing her food allergies. Ugh - poor baby. I have class tonight. We are staying home this weekend and (hopefully!) opening the pool! YAY!

As promised, I am posting pictures from yesterday's beach trip...
Olivia was having so much fun collecting shells.

I managed to get a picture of the 2 of us but it was tough.

She wanted to chase the sea gulls.

This is the front and side view of the MTV beach house. As you can see, nothing going on here.


Olivia passed out on the couch around 430pm yesterday. I had the hardest time waking her up for dinner!

Overall - it was a great day. Moira was upset we didn't take her but there will be plenty of time for all of us to make it to the beach soon. I grilled hot dogs last night and the kids had watermelon for dessert. What a mess!

WOW! Harry Potter ROCKED! I want to watch it again!

Hi! Just got back from the beach! Olivia and I got down there around11am and we wandered around the beach. It was a nice day although a bit foggy down by the water. Olivia was a little freaked out by the water, giving a little scream everytime the water came up close to her. It was pretty funny. There was one wave that snuck up on us and got our feet all wet! Of course, I was wearing my sneakers! Olivia was wearing her water shoes so she was ok. I took a bunch of pictures and I will post them up later. Oh - we also saw the MTV beach house. Nothing going on there but a lot of security and cops just hanging around. Gee - and I was hoping to see P. Doody or Diddy or whatever his name is today ::snicker::

I started work on my family tree last night. HOLY crap - I have a LOT of work to do! Thank goodness I have a lot of it written dowm. I wonder how I can (IF I can) search the Iranian databases. I will have to try to get my cousins or my uncles email addresses so I can get more information.

I picked up the new Harry Potter widescreen DVD for $14.97! Yeehaa! I know what I will be watching tomorrow night! I also bought Family Tree Maker so I will be starting to work on MY family tree and I want to attach Paul's extended family (which is BIG!) to it as well. I hope I am able to do that. Anyone use this program yet? I had class tonight. Jeff, the instructor, is really a nice guy. I like him. He gets off into some serious tech jargon every once in a while but we manage to veer him back on track. Not much else new tonight. Olivia is sleeping.. thank God. Moira, on the other hand sounded gross as I was leaving for school. I hope she is ok in the morning.

Liz aka The CandleLady is on hiatus. I will miss you sweetie. Keep in touch!

There is a man who attended the same HS as I (graduated 2 1 year ahead of me) who is being charged for aggrevated sexual assault of a child. Disgusting. I know of this person. I was friends (at one time) with his sister. I want to vomit. Scumbag

Around 1245am last night, I was having a grand old chat with Erin when Olivia woke up again. I gave her a second breathing treatment (during which she fell asleep) and finally got her back into bed by 2am. I woke up again at 715am to wake up Moira for school. Paul was home this morning so he took Moira to the bus stop and I went back to bed. Olivia woke up around 915am and then my Dad called. I am so glad I managed to get a little more sleep (I am yawning as I type) because I have class tonight.

Comedian Bob Hope is 99. Happy Birthday Bob.

A friend of mine who lives in the middle of Silicone Valley, CA just emailed me regarding a huge underground explosion at a large company, Novellus.She said she lives about a block away! I hope things are ok with her and her family. I have been checking the online news sources and there is no information as of yet.

Oh my God - I will be ::gulp:: 32! Or, as I like to say "20-12" or "I will be celebrating my 12th anniversary of being 20." ::sigh::

I wonder if my comments are now updated. I had a bunch of error messages before...

Just got Olivia into bed about 20 minutes ago.. the past 4 hours were filled with crying. The sad pathetic type of crying... the kind that breaks apart your heart and makes you want to do anything to fix whatever is wrong....

We just got back from the doctor's office. I took Olivia in just to be sure. I was right - post nasal drip. Lungs clear, ears clear. Damn - this is SO frustrating. Basically, she has a cold.

I was busy all day yesterday and by the end of the day, I felt so gross. I must have caught a cold from the kidlets (the little plague carriers). My nose was all stuffy and I had a sore throat. Olivia must have had those plus she has an awful post-nasal drip that is making her cough so hard she gags. Poor baby. She had a tough night last night. She coughed for a while before we finally got her up and sat her out with us. Olivia sat and watched Trading Spaces with us and got a nebulizer treatment. She coughed so much that she was wheezing. We got her back into bed around midnight. Paul is still working on our room. It's been a difficult process because we cannot empty the room. I have nowhere to put the furniture. Plus, the walls are pretty messed up. He had a LOT of spackling and patching to do around the room. So, he would alternate between painting, priming, spackling and sanding. At one point, he painted a happy face one of the unpainted wall and the kids went NUTS! They thought that was the coolest thing!

I just finished watching the HBO special about the Twin Towers. A very well done tribute. I cried through most of it. Listening to the messages left on people's machines was just so horrible.. I couldn't even imagine the pain the family members must be feeling... I just remember how scared I was when I didn't know where my brother was or if he was safe.

I hope everyone tonight watches the HBO special at 9pm, "In Memoriam:New York City". There is another extremely moving article written about the Towers from the NY Times. Read about it here.

I cleaned Moira's room today - this kid has a LOT of stuff. It was so bad that I couldn't make her do it - she would have had no idea where to start. I carted out 1 1/2 garbage bags of little crappy bits (broken toys, junk papers, tattered books, etc). My kid is a pack rat! Her room looks SO much nicer now. She is able to actually SIT at her desk. She is playing on her computer now. I figure next year - Olivia will get Moira's computer (Pentium 166 but great for the kiddie games like Reader Rabbit, etc) and we will buy her a new monitor. Moira will get our current system and we get a new one! Wheeeee! I am already debating what to get - laptop or tower. I do have a scanner albeit 600 dpi but it works. If I get a laptop, I would have to get a docking station for it and that seems like a pain in the ass. I think I will just get a tower with a nice 17 LCD :::rubbing hands gleefully::: and I am hoping we will have high speed access in our area! Well - I have to do some more work around the house. Paul is painting in our room and it's looking really good! I am so excited that my bedroom will be SO nice! YAY!

From Susan - hints and tips from the Trading Spaces gang. Thanks Susan! ::smile::

I have been watching Trading Spaces and laughing my ass off. The last home owner, upon opening his eyes, said "Oh Sh*t", followed up with "Where is the God Damn ceiling fan?" Geez buddy, you just got your entire room redecorated for free and you have the balls to bitch about a crappy fan? Putz.

So tired.. long day Went food shopping and stopped back at Home Depot for more flowers and dirt. Paul put up my new mailbox (pics to follow later), trimmed some dead tree branches and rotated our stockade fence (per Township code regulations - the previous owner put the fence up backwards - on purpose). I planted the rest of my flowers and did a bunch of laundry. BBQ'ed some chicken and made pasta salad... I might post more later.. depends if I fall asleep or not ::grin::

For all you Hello Kitty fans out there (Suzie), I found this link off Quinn's blog. Too funny!

Ok - perhaps this is a dopey question.. but.. here goes.. If I change my blogger template, will I lose my archives from THIS blog? I have been wanting to change my template, colors, etc but have been a little too chicken to try it lest I wipe out my archives, etc..

By the way - I hope everyone has a great (and SAFE) weekend. Paul and Moira are both off on Monday so I will be trapped with the 2 of them as well as Olivia. YIKES

It's Friday night... kids are in bed, Sinatra cd playing, candles lit, dishes done... and Paul isn't here. He is driving his Mom's carpet cleaner back to her house. They need ot for this weekend and we forgot to bring it down earlier this week. Oh well.. it's certainly nice and quiet! I got some planting done today. Red geraniums and vinca vines in my planter boxes on my back deck. Tomatoes finally planted (Big Boys, for anyone interested). I also transplanted a cute little pink geranium that Moira gave me for Mother's Day. In the front, I planted pink petunias (New Wave) and red impatiens (New Guina) in planters. I still have more planting to do tomorrow. I can't wait. I love to garden. I wish I had more time to do so. Plus, my soil is pretty crappy so whenever I plant anything in the ground, I have to make sure they are pretty hardy plants. I have mums that I planted 5 years ago and they are gorgeous. A beautiful burgandy color. They bloom twice a year for me, each blooming is more lush looking than the last. I will post up some pictures when I get everything set. My Dad has a nice garden and so does my Mom. Hmm - a talent inherited perhaps?

I don't know WHY I have class tonight. I think I will skip tonight. By the time Paul gets home, I will be pretty late for class. I can get the notes from someone in the class.

Just made it back from Home Depot. Bought a bunch of plants for my garden. I will finally have the time to PLANT! YAY! Paul will finish painting this weekend (I hope). He is on call this weekend.. I hope they don't call him into work. Ugh! My poor little town will be attacked with all you Northerners! If he gets called in, it will take him some amount of time to get to work. Getting home will take forever!

Friday Five! 1. What's the last vivid dream that you remember having? It's been a while... I don't really remember. 2. Do you have any recurring dreams? I don't think so 3. What's the scariest nightmare you've ever had? I dreamed I was being stabbed in a parking lot. The attacker was making these giant sweeping motions with his arms. I couldn't run away. Scared the snot out of me AND Paul. He tried to wake me up and I was pushing him away. 4. Have you ever written your dreams down or considered it? Why or why not? I almost always forget them before I get a chance to write them down anyway 5. Have you ever had a lucid dream? What did you do in it? This goes back to my nightmare - I remember trying to fight off my attacker with my hands and arms and getting stabbed in the process. After Paul woke me up, he said I kept looking at my arms and rubbing them. Weird.

The bridging ceremony went really well. The girls were adorable. I got flowers from one girl and her family. Too sweet! ::sniffle::

There is a Girl Scout ceremony tonight. Moira will be bridging to Brownies ::smile:: For those of you not familiar with the bridging ceremony, it's like a graduation to the next level of Girl Scouts ::sniff sniff:: My baby is growing up! I will have Paul take pics.

I am back from visiting my Dad. We had a nice time although very mellow. I brought up the subject of finding out about his side of the family (in Iran) and he perked right up! I have a HUGE extended family back in Iran. Unreal! I have 5 pieces of printer paper, full of names and relationships to each other. And that's just the immediate family only going back to his parents and their siblings. There are SO many cousins!! I really had fun finding out about my family. I am going back next week for more information. I will have to dig the very few pictures I have of my cousins and bring them with me. Dad said he had some old pictures too and he would look for them. I can't wait! Plus, I want to get my Dad's story of when he first came to America. I am not even sure what year it was. I think sometime in the 60's. I will videotape that. Now - I have to kick my Mom into gear and get information from her. My StepMom wrote up a great history of her family and got it to me very quickly! It's fascinating to put it all together, like a giant puzzle.

Wheeeeeeeeeeee! Class dismissed early! This guy is COOL! Well, cool for a programmer ::giggle::

The instructor for my Basic Networking class looks at least 5 years younger than me. I'm 31.

New class starts tonight. I finally got my book ($39.99). This class runs from 6pm-9pm for 12 sessions. I am sure I will blog later!

WASHINGTON — A human skull and other bones were found Wednesday morning near the Klingle Mansion in Rock Creek Park, and investigators have told Fox News there is a strong possibility that they are the remains of missing intern. How sad.. but if that is her, I supposed there is SOME closure for her family. Do you think the worst thing would be NOT knowing what happened to your child?

It's the target of several consumer advocacy groups for its latest merchandising strategy -- selling thong underwear with sexually charged phrases for children. The skimpy undies have the words "eye candy'' and "wink wink'' printed on the front. Nice - real nice. Remind me to NEVER shop at Abercrombie & Fitch. I don't like Moira wearing a belly shirt and she is 5. The thought of a young child in thong underwear is just repulsive. Who the hell in A&F's corporation thinks that this was a good idea? Freakin perverts.

Olivia and I are going to visit my Dad tomorrow. I am sure he is going stir crazy being at home.

Moira is home today - complaining of sore throat, sniffly nose, etc.. Olivia has been a bit sniffly too. So, I kept Moira home today. Right now, the 2 girls are playing with a boxload (a BIG boxload) of Barbies and a dollhouse. It's actually cute to watch. I am playing a Sinatra CD and the kids are bobbing their heads, keeping to the beat. I still have to go to Border's Books and try to find my textbook for class. Oy - nothing like the last minute, eh?

By the way - thanks for all the get well wishes via comments and emails. You guys are so sweet! :::smooches::: Yes - my wrist is better. My pride hurt more. I fell RIGHT in front of the mailman. Talk about a DUH moment!

I have been watching another World Trade Center show on TLC. Every time they show the planes smashing into the towers, I break out in goosebumps. I cry every time they show them falling to the ground. By the time the top of the buildings reached the ground, they were traveling at 120 miles per hour. There is a special on now about the Pentagon being under attack. After the Fall is on next.

Ballparks Become Allergy Sensitive Oh my gosh - I have to check and see if our local team, the BlueClaws, would participate in this!

Well - I am back from Barnes and Noble. I am $68 poorer with NO textbook. They are out of stock. I would have bought it online but most of the online places I shop were also out of stock. So - now I have to drive to hell and gone to find this damn book!

Olivia and I are off to Barnes and Nobles to buy my book. Then, we are meeting my girlfriend at Target. She is moving back to Florida, after only 5 months in NJ. She is going back with her boyfriend of 4 months ::eyeroll:: In fact, she is leaving tomorrow. Oy. Since she has been up here (December), I have seen her a total of 2 times. I think she wants something like I have - husband, beautiful children (heehee), a home.. She doesn't have that. Well, she had the home and husband part but he was such a first class dick. He treated her like scum. It took every ounce of strength I had not to smack him in the face whenever I had seen him. He didn't like me either. Thank goodness she finally divorced him. I have known her since Freshman year in HS and she always hooked up with these guys who treated her like shit - drove me crazy every time she introduced me to one of her boyfriends. I never bothered to hide my opinion. Her MOTH (man of the moment - heeeheeee) never seemed to like me either. Oh well.. I will go today and wish her the best. I hope this guy is different and treats her well. I will miss her.

Late again this morning. Olivia was up and down all last night ::yawn:: I am so stinkin tired...

My wrist is killing me..owie ouchie!

Guess what? It's raining. Paul and Moira will be back in a few minutes.. : - )

As Paul and Moira drive off to the game, the sky is getting darker and darker... In fact, the sky has that weird "it's going to pour any moment" look.

OUCH! I fell in my driveway while going to get my mail. I have an all bluestone driveway. As I walked to the end, I slipped on a few small rocks and WHAMMO. Fell on my right knee and smacked my left hand down hard on the rocks while attempting to catch my balance. I am still limping an hour later.

Howdy hi! Just a busy day around the KateSpot house. I stayed up late (too late) last night, watching some show about Andy Kaufman wrestling Jerry Lawlor. The more I see about Kaufman, the more I really dislike the guy. I never thought he was "all that" anyway. Because I had stayed up so late, we all woke up late for school so I drove the bigger of the 2 princesses to school. She was being quite the snot last night and this morning too. UGH. I had planned to go out and buy my book for the next class but I didn't feel like it. I have errands to do tomorrow so I will take care if it then. I just received my Flash 5 grade - got an A on the final and an A in the course! Woohoo! Trust me - no one is more surprised than me! I really thought I screwed up that course. The weather here is pretty cold and it looks like it is going to rain. More rain ::groan:: Moira has soccer tonight ::groan again:: I hope it rains.. My bedroom - well, that's another story... Paul is in the process of painting our bedroom. It looks pretty good so far. I am not allowed to paint. He freaks when I do it. Yes - I adore him but he can be a SLIGHT control freak. He just stands there and watches me... tries to correct what I am doing, etc. Or, even worse, stands behind me and starts to say something, then stops. Starts to speak again.. and stops. Drives me insane - I HATE when he stands over me. So, he paints. Alone. He patched our walls. They were pretty damaged from nail pops and a really bad spackling/patch job that the previous owners had done. So, I have 1 wall painted for now. I hope it will be done by this upcoming weekend. The kids don't make it too easy to get stuff finished in a timely manner. I am sure SOME of you know what I mean!

My room is purple! YIKES! LOL! I will take a picture of it when it is done. I kinda like it. Once we get the crown molding up and the trim painted, it will really look nice. It's a lavendar kind of purply color... ::giggle::

I will be heading out to my Mom's in a little while to pick up Moira. Olivia is coming along too. I think Paul will be starting to paint today. I can't wait! My "new" bedroom! Plus, I also have some collectible plates made by Bessie Pease Gutmann.

Nana - It's been a year and I miss you so very much. I think about you every day. I know you and Pop are together and watching us. I love you.

Oooh! Trading Spaces is on!

I am so glad this day is just about over. I am barely speaking to him.. just enough to get my point across.

I am furious Huge fight with Paul. He left, grabbing MY car keys instead of his. I know that was accidental but I am still pissed. Now I am stuck here. What a crappy weekend.

"Some days, you just can't get rid of a bomb." :::FYI::: The above quote is from the original Batman movie from 1966 - there are no bombs around here!

Batman:The Movie is on AMC! Oh I had SUCH a crush on Burt Ward and Adam West. ::::swooning::::

Olivia and I are getting ready to pick up Moira at the bus stop. She is spending the weekend with my Mom. I had to pack a bag for Moira, pjs, clothes, etc.. I was under strict orders as to what stuffed creature and blanket to pack. Moira has 3 blankets that she sleeps with at night. They have to be on her bed in order... or she freaks out. Either she is OCD or just a Type A child! LOL! Will blog more later. I have to turn in my Flash final tonight ::snicker:: I hope the instructor doesn't giggle. I will describe my project. Picture this: A sun in the upper left corner, a white fluffy cloud floating across the sky, a tree on the bottom right corner, the sound of chirping birds, morphing text in the middle and a small enter button at the bottom, centered (and linked too!). Of course, it looks like a 5 year old drew it. Wait, I think 5 year olds can draw better than I can! Oh well.. I tried. Flash is not really my thing. I did see a Photoshop course that will be offered at the college this summer. Hmmm - now THAT sounds more like my cup of tea!

Hmmm - I don't know about this one - (link via Allison)
You are Thora Birch!
You acted in cool movies like: Ghost World, The Hole, Dungeons & Dragons, Now and Then and American Beauty.
Take the "Which Hollywood Princess are you?"
quiz @ planetag.de

YAY! Friday Five is back (and looking GREAT with a new redesign!) Give me a head with hair 1. What shampoo do you use? Whatever is on sale. 2. Do you use conditioner? What kind? I have to use conditioner. My hair is too long to skip it. I prefer Finesse 3. When was the last time you got your hair cut? About 2 weeks ago. A badly needed trim across the bangs with 3 inches off the back. 4. What styling products do you use? Occasionally hair spray or spray gel 5. What's your worst hair-related experience? BAHAHAH! Hmmm - the poodle perm from 8th grade? The blonde highlights that totally bleached my hair (but I still had the sexy dark brown eyebrows and dark brown roots)? The purplish reddish hair dye? Oy...

Police think they found Daniel Pearl's remains... oh man. What a fucked up situation THAT was. From the news article: "A videotape delivered to U.S. officials in Karachi on Feb. 21 had shown Pearl being beheaded." Cold hearted bastards - that is just so fucking inhumane. How in HELL can someone behead another person? I read these awful news stories and I just can't fathom how people can DO these things to each other. Christ Almighty, how SICK are these people?

Ya know - I really had a nice day today. Olivia and I had a lot of fun. Lots of snuggling and cuddles as well as outside playtime. Moira will be spending the weekend at my Mom's place (YAY!) Of course, Paul and I didn't get a sitter for Olivia so we will be home all weekend. No biggie, especially since we have a lot of work to do around the house and yard.

I found this on Dara's site. I am pretty impressed with Mr. Miller From Dennis Miller: "A brief overview of the situation is always valuable, so as a service to all Americans who still don't get it, I now offer you the story of the Middle East in just a few paragraphs, which is all you really need. Don't thank me. I'm a giver. Here we go: The Palestinians want their own country. There's just one thing about that: There are no Palestinians. It's a made up word. Israel was called Palestine for two thousand years. Like "Wiccan," "Palestinian" sounds ancient but is really a modern invention. Before the Israelis won the land in war, Gaza was owned by Egypt, and there were no "Palestinians" then, and the West Bank was owned by Jordan, and there were no "Palestinians" then. As soon as the Jews took over and started growing oranges as big as basketballs, what do you know, say hello to the "Palestinians," weeping for their deep bond with their lost "land" and "nation." So for the sake of honesty, let's not use the word "Palestinian" any more to describe these delightful folks, who dance for joy at our deaths until someone points out they're being taped. Instead, let's call them what they are: "Other Arabs Accomplish Anything In Life And Would Rather Wrap Themselves In The Seductive Melodrama Of Eternal Struggle And Death." I know that's a bit unwieldy to expect to see on CNN. How about this, then: "Adjacent Jew-Haters." Okay, so the Adjacent Jew-Haters want their own country. Oops, just one more thing. No, they don't. They could've had their own country any time in the last thirty years, especially two years ago at Camp David. But if you have your own country, you have to have traffic lights and garbage trucks and Chambers of Commerce, and, worse, you actually have to figure out some way to make a living. That's no fun. No, they want what all the other Jew-Haters in the region want: Israel. They also want a big pile of dead Jews, of course-that's where the real fun is-but mostly they want Israel. Why? For one thing, trying to destroy Israel-or "The Zionist Entity" as their textbooks call it-for the last fifty years has allowed the rulers of Arab countries to divert the attention of their own people away from the fact that they're the blue-ribbon most illiterate, poorest, and tribally backward on God's Earth, and if you've ever been around God's Earth, you know that's really saying something. It makes me roll my eyes every time one of our pundits waxes poetic about the great history and culture of the Muslim Mideast. Unless I'm missing something, the Arabs haven't given anything to the world since Algebra, and, by the way, thanks a hell of a lot for that one. Chew this around and spit it out: Five hundred million Arabs; five million Jews. Think of all the Arab countries as a football field, and Israel as a pack of matches sitting in the middle of it. And now these same folks swear that if Israel gives them half of that pack of matches, everyone will be pals. Really? Wow, what neat news. Hey, but what about the string of wars to obliterate the tiny country and the constant din of rabid blood oaths to drive every Jew into the sea? Oh, that? We were just kidding. My friend Kevin Rooney made a gorgeous point the other day: Just reverse the numbers. Imagine five hundred million Jews and five million Arabs. I was stunned at the simple brilliance of it. Can anyone picture the Jews strapping belts of razor blades and dynamite to themselves? Of course not. Or marshalling every fiber and force at their disposal for generations to drive a tiny Arab state into the sea? Nonsense. Or dancing for joy at the murder of innocents? Impossible. Or spreading and believing horrible lies about the Arabs baking their bread with the blood of children? Disgusting. No, as you know, left to themselves in a world of peace, the worst Jews would ever do to people is debate them to death. Mr. Bush, God bless him, is walking a tightrope. I understand that with vital operations coming up against Iraq and others, it's in our interest, as Americans, to try to stabilize our Arab allies as much as possible, and, after all, that can't be much harder than stabilizing a roomful of supermodels who've just had their drugs taken away. However, in any big-picture strategy, there's always a danger of losing moral weight. We've already lost some. After September 11 our president told us and the world he was going to root out all terrorists and the countries that supported them. Beautiful. Then the Israelis, after months and months of having the equivalent of an Oklahoma City every week (and then every day) start to do the same thing we did, and we tell them to show restraint. If America were being attacked with an Oklahoma City every day, we would all very shortly be screaming for the administration to just be done with it and kill everything south of the Mediterranean and east of the Jordan. (Hey, wait a minute, that's actually not such a bad id . . . uh, that is, what a horrible thought, yeah, horrible.)"

What a beautiful day! I just love this! Me and Olivia were outside for a while. I managed to weed whack most of the back yard while Olivia played. We just came inside for lunch and all she wants is a pear. Okie doke - a pear it is! I have to plan dinner.... I am thinking grilled chicken and pasta salad. Yummy!

Alton Brown is making crepes on his show, Good Eats. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Ya know, with this link from Mike, I just got re-inspired for my Flash final.

Oh - and my Ya-Ya name is "Princess Rattling Gourd" ::teehee::

Get your Ya-Ya name. I can't wait to see the movie!

Well - I managed to come up with a lame-o final for my Flash final. Geez - it's pretty pathetic but I have enough elements in it (I hope) to pass.

Grrr - I have always despised Wednesdays. Bad things have a way of happening to me on Wednesdays. Like this and this, this, and this... I can go on and on but I think my point has been made. The reason for this post? Simple. Problems with my mortgage company with include the following components: automatic electronic withdrawls and morons who work (and I do use the term WORK lightly) for the mortgage company. Nuff said.

I still have NO clue as to what I will be doing for my Flash final.

I am becoming an eBay addict - spending my Mother's money like water ::muhahahaha::

After approximately 8 weeks, my Mom started smoking again. I am so disappointed.

This or That (link via Jill) 1. Chihuahua or Great Dane? Ugh - if I HAD to pick - a Chihuahua. I hate big dogs. 2. Skyline or countryside? Skyline - but only NYC 3. Wrestle or box? Hehehe - I could go either way. Depends on my opponent ::wink wink:: 4. Monkey bars or slide? Monkey bars! 5. Stars or stripes? Stars. 6. Ashley, Wynonna, or Naomi Judd? Wynonna - she's a nut and I love her attitude. 7. "The Cosby Show" or "Growing Pains"? I liked both shows when they were on - I *really* liked Kirk Cameron. 8. Giggle or chuckle? Giggle. 9. Would you rather: walk in front of a crowd in your birthday suit, or eat worms? Oh my Gosh - I am SO self conscious.. pass the worms please. But - I would need a fifth of vodka first. 10. Charismatic or gregarious? Gregarious.

Back from the zoo. It was fun. Olivia is fascinated with the snakes, camens, turtles and iguanas :::shiver:::

I must call my Dad. I talked to him on Saturday and he is doing ok. He is still having dizzy spells due to the fact he might have diabetes. He had some doctor appointments this week... Other that that, he is in great health!

Had a great time at Bonkos last night. It has been 3 months since I played... I missed seeing the ladies there! Had a few glasses of wine too (woohoo). I didn'[t have to worry abotu driving home since my neighbor 3 houses up was hosting the game. I think a good time was had by all. Olivia and I are going to go to the Popcorn Park Zoo today. She loves going there. It's such a cute place and they really do take such great care of all the animals. The zoo thrives on donations. I think we will become sponsors - it's good for the girls to help. I am having a big problem with my Flash final. It's due Friday and all I have completed is some zooming text ::sigh:: I can certainly relate to Mary and how she was feeling yesterday. I know WHY I don't like Flash. I dislike drawing.. I mean REALLY dislike it. I have always sucked in art - hell, I can draw a stick figure and that's about it. Basically, I suck at it. Since Flash is mostly drawing (with image importing as well), I think I entered into this course with 2 strikes against me. God - I am SO looking forward to my networking and IIS course. Does this make me a geek? ::grin::

Weather-wise, there is nothing going on here.. just the occasional rumblings of thunder. There is a slightly strong wind and the sun is shining so brightly. Very odd indeed. I love this kind of storm! I am off to play Bonkos tonight - should be fun. I haven't played in a couple months and I am looking forward to a couple hours of fun and wine!

Oooh - Tornado watch!

WHY do the landscapers/lawn service people show up AFTER I put Olivia down for a nap? The house and yard next door (now for sale) was neglected by the previous tenant (don't get me started) and is now up for sale. The owner FINALLY realized that IF the lawn was mowed, weed whacked and racked, SOMEONE might actually want to buy the house. Actually, it's a great house - 3 bedroom, 2 full bath, attic, full basement, 2 car garage for $160k. That's an excellent price in my area. I know it will sell pretty quickly. I hope the new owners are decent. ::praying::

Good morning! Err - make that afternoon! I was at WalMart shopping with Olivia this morning. I found the cutest little dress for her (like she needs another one). I even picked up an adorable bathing suit for her (Awwww!). My Mom loves this pattern by Ucagco. I call them the chicken plates. My Grandmother had these plates and a lot of the pieces have been lost or very damaged. I have been shopping on eBay for her and found a bunch of them listed. They are pretty damn expensive but I am spending HER money! Wheeee!

I had a great Mother's Day! Very relaxing! I will update either later tonight or sometime tomorrow. Have a great night!

To ALL the Moms out there in cyberspace - have a very special Mother's Day! Hugs and smooches to you all! I was hoping to do some more gardening but the forecast calls for rain. Oh well!

Don'tcha hate when you are gardening and all of a sudden you feel "something" drop on your head? I do. Especially when it is bird shit. ::sigh:: Freakin' nature... ick.

I just got up a little while ago. I came home early from class and went to bed at 9pm. I had SUCH an awful headache. I think it was from the pollen in the air - there is tons of it floating around. I forgot to take my Claritin yesterday morning (for the trip) and I sure as hell paid for it last night.

Well - I made it back from StoryBookLand in 1 piece. AND - with just enough time to come home (with Moira), eat a snack, change clothes and head BACK to school for the Daisy meeting. Oy. But - all the kids had a GREAT time. It was SO worth it.

Moira has a field trip today and I am one of the chaperones. We leave at 845am and get back at 2pm. We have a Daisy meeting at 3pm. I have class tonight at 6pm. What the HELL was I thinking?!

Liz is like SuperWoman - I got her candle today! WOW - super fast! And it smells SO YUMMY! I already lit it!

Erin has another cool blog called Save the Girls. It's her training blog for when she does the 3 day 60 mile walk on October 11th to raise money for breast cancer. Click here to donate now.

Ugh - I hate cleaning... I am taking a much needed break now!

Lordy I am pooped. BUT - I must stay awake for "Kiss Me Kate" on Turner Classic Movies. I ADORE Howard Keel!

Big congratulations to Susan!. She will be a homeowner in a month!

Blogging from class again... I honestly don't know if I will make it through this Flash class.. It is driving me crazy and I pretty much suck at it. Damn ::sigh::

Moira's class had a "Muffins with Mom" program today. I had my Mom come down to watch Olivia while I attended Moira's class program. It was so sweet ::sigh:: All the Moms were sniffling, myself included. I think I cried most of my eye makeup off when the class was singing.

I thoroghly enjoyed the last episode of The Osbournes.

Alleged Pipe Bomber Arrested RENO, Nev. — Authorities arrested a 21-year-old Minnesota man outside Reno Tuesday who was wanted for questioning in a string of 18 pipe bombs planted in rural mailboxes across the Midwest, the FBI said. Luke J. Helder of Pine Island, Minn., was captured after dropping at least one gun out his car window, said Alan Davidson, spokesman for the Nevada Highway Patrol. A bomb squad was called to check the vehicle for explosives. ::sigh:: Another American brain surgeon.. what can I say - he DOES have 2 first names.

Moira brought home her progress report today! Woohoo! I am SO proud of her!

Shanley Pleads Innocent; Bail Set at $750,000 Fucking scumbag.. he makes me ill.

Cool! I just bought a grubby candle from North East Candle aka Liz! I can't wait! They LOOK yummy so I can only imagine what they smell like!

Another very informative article about peanut allergies and just how deadly they are. Click here to read about it.

Why does the morning come so damn early? :::grin:::

Moira didn't go to soccer tonight. We had such a hectic weekend. We are all pretty pooped. She didn't seem upset about missing it. After dinner, we let the monsters roam around the back yard for about an hour. When I announced it was time to come in for baths, you would have thought I was about to throw out a beloved toy. The howls.. the screams.. the tears... They didn't work, of course, because I am :::radio announcer voice::: Super Mean Mommy! Muhahahahahaha! 5 minutes later, they were both stripped down and in the tub. They got to bed a little late tonight but we had a very nice night. They passed out right away! Hell - I am pooped. Maybe I will jump in the shower and go to bed too. Nah.

(link via Erin)
Which Royalty Are You? Find out! By Nishi. Art used (c) by JonathonArt.com You are a woman of worldly wisdom and experience. You are sensitive, protective (maybe even motherly), you are highly respected and praised. Your gentility and grace always shine through. You have a very beautiful moral nature that defines who you are. You are a woman others seek to befriend and they would never want to cross you. (hehehe)

I talked to my Dad a couple hours ago - he sounds so exhausted. The poor guy. He is a fighter, I know he will be ok. It will take some time. He is out of work for a while. A long while.

This week is Food Allergy Awareness Week. Be a PAL (Protect A Life). Most people don’t fear death as a result of eating a cookie. But that’s what happened to twenty-one year old Josh Ramirez when he ate a World’s Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookie from his college dorm vending machine. While Josh had eaten these cookies a number of times, this time his peanut allergy caused a deadly reaction. The cookie’s label had never listed peanut as an ingredient before, and it did not the night he died. But as Dr. Hugh Sampson, Chief Pediatric Allergist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine discovered, the World’s Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookie had been cross-contaminated with peanut butter (click the link to read more).

Did you ever get the feeling that you don't know WHAT the hell just happened? I am feeling that way right now ::shaking head:: Whatever

Ok - I re-edited the pictures. If anyone tried to look at them before, try them now. OH - GREAT news! My Dad is HOME YAY! Paul called me while I was at the baby shower and told me. I am so happy - now he can get some REAL rest. I will call him tomorrow sometime.

I had an awesome day today. I met Rosanne and Allan! Zannie has family up here in NJ and they threw her a surprise baby shower. Allan had emailed me about 6-8 weeks ago, asking if I was able to attend. Of course, I was thrilled to be invited and was happy to be able to RSVP and say "Yes!". It took me about an hour to get to her cousin's house (approx 55 miles away from my place) Luckily, an easy ride up the Garden State Parkway. Her cousins were just so sweet. There were about 20 people there. As you can see, Zannie was totally surprised! She had NO idea there was going to be a shower.

About a minute after she walked in the door, she looked RIGHT at me and said "I know you!" Turns out she recognized me from my photo on this page.Heeehee!

She got a LOT of stuff. SO much stuff that her parents have to bring a lot of it down for them.

The food was delish! Someone (her Grandmother I think) made a yummy Eggplant parmesean and there was also tortellini salad that was SOO good!. Allan is a sweetie - really a very nice guy. Awfully TALL. He and Rosanne make a very cute couple


They have a loong ride home tonight. I left the party around 620pm. I know it takes them approximately 4.5-5 hours to get home to Virginia. Oy. Get some rest guys!

I saw Dad tonight. He looks great but is quite tired. His room is right by the nurses station and his roommate is a bit of a whack-o. Plus, he is a super light sleeper. If all goes well, he will be getting discharged tomorrow! Now he can go home and get some rest! My Step-Mom has been running nonstop and I know she must be exhausted. I wish I was able to help her more with Dad... I stopped at my Mom's too and managed to pop in right about dinner time (hehe). I had lasagne.. yummy! Did my shopping and got home by 930pm. A very productive night. And now I am going to bed.. I am pooped!

Oh man - I made it back home alive. The Girl Scout event was 4 HOURS. Frankly, in my NOT so humble opinion, it was 3 hours TOO long. Oy. I am going to visit my Dad and do some errands and even go shopping! Whee! Will blog more later! Have a great day!

Before I leave - a special link for all you Trading Spaces fans.. you know who you are (Rachel) heehee

WHY do I do this to myself? 730AM?

I am working on "Shape Hints" in my Flash class. Boy - I have a funky looking happy face!

capricious adj 1: changeable; "a capricious summer breeze"; "freakish weather" [syn: {freakish}] 2: determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason; "a capricious refusal"; "authoritarian rulers are frequently capricious"; "the victim of whimsical persecutions" [syn: {impulsive}, {whimsical}] Syn: Freakish; whimsical; fanciful; fickle; crotchety; fitful; wayward; changeable; unsteady; uncertain; inconstant; arbitrary. -- {Ca*pri"cious*ly}, adv. -- {Ca*pri"cious*ness}, n.

I talked to Dad earlier and he is doing wonderfully! Unreal. All tubes are out and he is eating food, no mushy/liquid meals for him. I will be seeing him tomorrow afternoon. I have a Girl Scout event tomorrow at 830am :::groan:::

Just got back from the Depot and got my paint.. I love it! Ralph Lauren Majolica #GH23

Going to Home Depot in a little while... after Olivia finishs eating her bagel. She is watching "Dragon Tales" Ugh Ugh Ugh! There are good lessons in the show but the SONG drives me nuts! Arrrgghhh! I prefer Zoboomafoo. Actually, I prefer Chris and Martin Kratt - hubba hubba!

For everyone who needs Him in their lives

YAY! The kids are in bed... I have a bunch of projects to work on tonight. Plus, tomorrow I am going to Home Depot to buy some paint for my bedroom. "What color?" you ask. A very light lavender/grey-ish color. Paul even likes it! YAY! I can't wait!

I visited my Dad today and he looks GREAT! The man is amazing. I want to thank everyone who sent emails, commented or just had good thoughts for my Dad. They are SO appreciated. Thank You! ::::group hug:::::

Ex-Boston Priest Arrested for Child Rape Disgusting bastard - I hope he freakin rots

It's raining, it's pouring.. and pouring...and pouring...

I had fun at class tonight. I learned a valuable lesson - I have NO artistic ability whatsoever. I did create a teeny tiny 18 frame "movie". I think the kids will enjoy it.

Dad UPDATE - Just heard from Tim. The surgery went VERY smoothly. Textbook smooth. Thank God. I will be going up there tomorrow to see him.

It's the day from hell already. (warning - VERY strong language ahead) I was all set to go to the hospital 20 minutes ago. I was all packed and Mom was going to watch Olivia for me while I was there. Apparently, I BENT my freakin car key so I can't get INTO my fucking car. I try to re-bend it (a fricking joke). It doesn't work. SHIT! So I get my purse and Olivia and go back in the house to call a locksmith. The few that I call aren't even OPEN. I finally get one moron on the phone who tells me that it will cost me $100 to come out and give me a new key. Well - I don't have a spare $100 so I am freakin stuck at home. I turn the TV on for Olivia and go back outside to get the diaper bag (down off the front porch and 5 steps to my car).I was outside a total of 10 freakin seconds. I get back to the door and find out that Olivia has LOCKED me out. She flipped the latch on my screen door. I spent 10 minutes trying to get her to open the door. She KNEW she was in such deep shit that she didn't unlock the door. Finally, when she did open it, she caught HOLY hell and one helluva spank. I put her in her room before I killed her (not really). I can't get in touch with my StepMom or my brother. They are in the hospital. They aren't expecting me until noon. Paul is at a training class and is out of touch. SO - I can't call him either. Fuck. What a shitty day.

Got the call from my StepMom... Dad will be going in around 8am. Hopefully, finished by 11am.