Just in time for Valentines Day From that romantic fellow ToeTag Some may find this trek to be a chore. With you at my side, I enjoy the journey. Even laundry is a special moment.

My Mom's gift to the girls for Valentines Day.. oh joy! Mom came down for lunch today, bringing her gifts for Valentines Day. My Mom is a gift junkie - spends way too much money on the girls. Of course, when Paul or I protest, she just brushes us off and buys - MORE stuff!! So - now the girls have a tent to play with in the living room. I also would like to add that now Moira and Olivia are sick. So am I ::sigh:: Motherhood can really suck sometimes! LOL! I am also in the process of switching pediatricians. I am keeping Moira out of school tomorrow since she is still running a fever. I will have to turn the TV on (to keep them somewhat quiet) just so I can make phone calls tomorrow morning.

Busy weekend... this is the first time I am able to sit down and write.. Moira woke up at 730am Saturday morning. Her ear was still hurting her. So, I jump in the shower, feed her, get dressed and the 2 of us headed to the ER. Her doctor's office isn't open on the weekends and I wasn't about to wait until Monday to resolve this problem. We get taken in pretty quickly.. especially since there is no one else waiting. The doc comes in.. yep.. she has fluid in her ears, my poor baby. He really had to dig in her ear. She also has a TON of wax buildup too. She's crying because it hurt when he had to poke around in her ear. He advises us to see ear, nose, throat doctor. Gives us a scrip for Cefachlor and out the door are we. Pathmark Pharmacy does not carry this antiboitic (CRAP) so we run over to Wal-Mart. They have it - but in a stronger dosage than Moira was prescribed. They call over to the ER to see if they can use this and adjust the dosage. No problem. Now - I have 30 minutes to kill while the script is being filled. We wander around WallyWorld, look at the fish, check out the toys, all that fun stuff. By now, it's noon. She was hungry so I took her over to Mickey D's in the Wal-Mart. Hey - she wanted to eat there! I was happy she was even eating. The script is finally filled! Hooray! Now - I need to go BACK to Pathmark so I can pick up some food - like bread, deli, milk.. the staples. Back home we go. After all was said and done, our little adventure took 3 hours!

Did anyone see W at the Olympics last night? He had just officially opened the games and was in the crowd of all the USA Olympic Team.. I can't remember who he was standing next to but she apparently called someone on her CELL PHONE and then handed the phone to W! The camera showed him taking the phone and saying hello. How cool!

I am watching the Olympics opening ceremony right now. When the flag from the WTC was carried and the National Anthem was played, I sat here in tears. What a beautiful and simple tribute....

Got a phone call from the school nurse. Moira has an earache, stomachache, and has been coughing since lunchtime. Poor kid.. I picked her up around 145pm. Got some meds into her and she got to rest on my bed, while watching TV. She must be feeling better since she is now bouncing around on my bed and wanting to something to eat.

Yes folks... I did it too... I upgraded to ProBlogger ::sigh:: I am such a junkie

Found this via Jennifer Very scary...

Link via Jason

Friday Five (from smattering) 1. What's the most romantic thing you've ever done for someone else? One of the very first romantic things I did for Paul was to cook him dinner where he was house sitting (for a friend). He was stunned I went through all "that trouble" for him. Silly man : - ) 2. [pardon the cosmo question] What are your erogenous zones? My neck.... and chest ::blushing:: 3. How old were you the first time you had sex? Care to expound? 16 and let's just say I have finally managed to block that memory completely. : - ) 4. What's the most unusual place you've ever had sex? Hmmm... the Manasquan Inlet ::grin:: 5. Do you have plans for Valentine's Day or is it just another Thursday? I have a dentist appointment. Wooho.

Also forgot to mention that my wrist has been killing me lately. I have been on the computer quite a bit the past 2 weeks. The weird thing about my wrist pain is that is just goes away after a week or so. Poof. Gone. It's chronic for only a short period of time. I need to find my brace - I hope that helps. It will be a bitch when I start class in 3 weeks if I have aching wrists.

I haven't posted too much today. I've actually been busy. I have some gifts that I am making for my friend who just got married. Olivia and I drove up to the craft shop and picked up a bunch of stuff. We had a great time. When Olivia went down for a nap, I got a lot of work done around the house and on my projects. Went up to my Mom's tonight. Paul and I have been slowly upgrading her Dell. We bought enough memory to max out her system and he will install that tomorrow. Her printer crapped out the other day so I picked up a Lexmark Z43 for her. Plus, I had brought a bunch of stuff back from my trip to Massachusetts for her. Tonight, I hooked up her new TV for her, ran the cable, etc.. hooked up her printer.. did a bunch of errands for her. It was nice to hang around with her. She hasn't been feeling so good lately. Her appetite is off and she is starting to lose some weight. The Chemo Diet Plan : - ( She has had some hair loss, albeit slight. She has 1 last weeklong treatment in 2 weeks. Then, she goes for the PT scan and we get to see if the chemo has had ANY effect on the lymphoma.

GREAT news!! Erin got a job! Woohoo! Read about it here! You GO girl!

Woohoo! I figured out how to upload photographs! :::happy dance::: Is it too obnoxious to post my own picture??

MAD SQUIRREL We have squirrels.. lots of squirrels. Lots of trees = lots of squirrels. They are not scared of us. Not at all. I had a patio table umbrella leaning on the side of my deck. Paul noticed a squirrel on the deck. Big deal, right? That little shit decimated that umbrella in under a minute. Shredded it completely. After that incident, you can imagine how wary I was with leaving things out on the deck. Another time, during the winter, I noticed a squirrel on my deck. At this point, I really hate the little buggers. So, I knock on my glass slider door, (which overlooks my deck), to try to scare it away. It just sits there. I bang on the slider harder now, with my fist. The squirrel just looks at me. Now I am pissed. This damn rat with a fluffy tail will NOT ignore ME! I bang even harder and I am yelling "Shoo! Scat!" This freakin squirrel turns and LEAPS at the door, landing spread eagle on the mesh sliding screen door, which is pulled closed in front of the glass slider. I screamed and ran back into my living room. Paul came running from one of the bedrooms. The damn squirrel is STILL hanging on my screen door. The thing jumped off and ran away once Paul came out. Grrr! The filthy things - I hate 'em!

I re-organized Olivia's closet.. This little girl has a LOT of clothes! Now - granted, I do try ot buy a season ahead when there are big clearance sales. Looks like I will have to stop that! She wears about a 2T right now (31" and 26lbs - a little petite for her age, which is 2). She has clothes ranging from 24mos all the way up to size . She has clothes to wear until she is 4 years old!! LOL! In my own defense, a lot of these clothes were purchased by many doting aunties and grandmothers. PLUS - I still have a lot of Moira's clothes saved for her too. I wish I had that many people buying me clothes too! ::sigh:: I live in jeans, loafers and sweaters/sweatshirts. Dressed up for me is a *nice* sweater and jeans with boots. ::grin::

Did I also mention that Moira has a temp of 99.8? ::sigh:: I just kept her home today, just in case. There were 7 children absent from her class yesterday. A wicked flu is going around and I am not taking ANY chances!

Good morning! A joke for you to start your day... Little David comes home from first grade and tells his father that they learned about the history of Valentine's Day. "Since Valentine's day is for a Christian saint and we're Jewish," he asks, "will God get mad at me for giving someone a valentine?" David's father thinks a bit, then says "No, I don't think God would get mad. Who do you want to give a valentine to?" "Osama Bin Laden," David says. "Why Osama Bin Laden?" his father asks in shock. "Well," David says, "I thought that if a little American Jewish boy could have enough love to give Osama a valentine, he might start to think that maybe we're not all bad, and maybe start loving people a little bit. And if other kids saw what I did and sent valentines to Osama, he'd love everyone a lot. And then he'd start going all over the place to tell everyone how much he loved them and how he didn't hate anyone anymore." His father's heart swells and he looks at his boy with newfound pride. "David, that's the most wonderful thing I've ever heard." "I know," David says, "and once that gets him out in the open, the Marines could blast the shit out of him." :::ba dum bum::

Evening! Got back from WallyWorld (aka Wal-Mart) a little while ago. It is the mecca of stupid employees. I try not to even make eye contact with anyone in there. I go in, get my crap, and leave. I picked up my black and color cartridges ($27 and $29, respectively). For $20 more, I could have bought a new printer. But, I do like my Z52 ::sigh:: It prints out nice looking photographs. See - it's a viscious circle. I got a new computer.. OK - well, it's 2.5 yrs old now. It's a P3/500 with 384mb, 10GB hard drive, and a 12/10/32 CD-RW. Great for me since I just fuck around with emails, shopping and surfing the net and blogging . I wanted a digital camera. So - last year I got an Olympus D-460 1.3 mega pixel camera. I love it. BUT - I had to get a new printer since I couldn't print out anything that looked decent on my old Epson 600 with 600dpi. Got my Z52 last year. Now, I want a new camera with higher mega pixels so I can take more "quality" photos. ::sigh:: Does it ever end? I used to think that Paul was the gadget person of the house. I realize that it is really me! *I* wanted the digital camera, the new puter, new printer, my PDA, my new mouse (wireless - LOVE it!). I wish I could afford to go to cable or dsl connection. I just can't justify it now, especially since I am at home. So, I will muddle through with my AOL dialup for now.

I ran out of color and black ink for my Lexmark Z52. Great. Off to Wal-Mart tonight to spend $45 on ink and another $15 on Matte photo paper. Do any of you guys have links to where I can buy regular ink (not refills or X brand) for a decent price? Sheesh! It migth be cheaper to chuck out my printer and buy a new one! I have tried eBay and I never seem to find any deals.

link via gigglechick
Which John Cusack Are You? ::sigh:: I am SO damn adorable! I have always had a "thing" for John Cusak... he's so damn cute! My all time (2) favorite movies are "Better off Dead" and "One Crazy Summer". I even dated a guy (back in HS) who looked a little like him!

Also - it was pointed out to me in an email (from ToeTag) that I haven't listed him as one of my daily reads. :::shamefaced::: So, I have updated and added him! Sorry sweetie! I really love your haikus!

Did I ever tell you guys just how wonderful you are? Really - the best audience ever... I am so lucky to have such a fabulous set of people here.. Can you tell I am trying to suck up? ::smile:: Ok - if someone can help me out.. I would *really* appreciate it..I want to be able to list all of my archive dates in my blog. Not too sure how to do so.. if anyone would like to email me some step by step help.. that would be awesome!

Massachusetts Pictures - A few are up

Dinner for this evening - Homemade Chicken Soup and fresh bread Yum!

By the way - Thanks to everyone who emailed me and wished me a safe trip! I appreciate it!

Sunday Woke up at 730am (grrrrr!) I slept badly because the morons above me made a lot of noise. No - not sexual noises you perverts! It just sounded like they were dropping bowling balls and rocks occasionally. I had packed my stuff up the night before. I loaded up my car and I checked out by 8am. Drove to the local Dunkin Doughnuts and got a REAL bagel and a GOOD cup of coffee! Hit the road and headed to Yankee Candle in South Deerfield. It was only 20 minutes north on Rt 91 so I got there by 850am. Of course, they didn't open until 930am so I drove around the town which was right by Sugarloaf. Oh my Gosh - it was just beautiful. I was speechless. I don't even know how to ski but I want to live up here. Click here and here for 2 really cool pictures of Sugarloaf. Headed back to Yankee Candle. By this time, they had just opened. I could smell all the candles before I even opened the doors. This place was enormous!! WOW! I just wandered around, looking every bit the tourist. There was so much to see. There was Santa's workshop (Mrs. Claus took a picture of me and Santa), the Nutcracker's Castle (got my picture taken in a really cool throne), a fountain, the Bavarian Christmas village (with snow falling), the Sampler Emporium - Rainbow of Scents (which featured ALL the candles - beautiful).. I had to walk through twice! Of course, I did buy some candles too. I hit the road by 1120am and made it home (via I95S to the Parkway) by 4pm. That included 1 stop in Conneticut. Not bad time at all... I had so much fun! I want to do this trip again!!

Saturday Post Wedding The ceremony was beautiful. It was held in an old Catholic church with the most gorgeous stained glass windows. After the ceremony, the guests were to immediately proceed to the Chateau Provost for the reception. The directions given by the banquet hall were COMPLETELY wrong. Thank GOD I had purchased a map of the local area. It was normally a 20 minute ride from the church which took ME almost an hour. Luckily, I made it there before the bride and groom! I was a little nervous about going alone - it's no fun to sit out all the slow songs. Jenn seated me at the greatest table. 2 older couples, and the 3 dates/escorts of the bridal party. I met Doug, who was the escort of one of the bridesmaids. He was extremely charming and I had the best time chatting with him. Turns out he is a Steelers fan too! We discussed the games from the past couple weeks. He is 34, about 6'3, a florist and is NOT gay - he even said "I am not gay!" LOL! (I found out later he was divorced) Did I mention that I also thought he was pretty good looking too? He escorted Erika (bridesmaid) but they are friends. I certainly didn't get that "just friends" vibe from Erika, who was busy shooting daggers at me with her eyes. Too bad honey.. he's mine! He bought me a drink - I reciprocated. Dinner arrived - not the best but I have eaten worse. I did cry when Jenn danced with her Dad to "Butterfly Kisses". I got teased at the table for crying . After dinner, I hit the dance floor with Jenn and a few others. Had the BEST time. What the hell - I hardly knew anyone! Doug decided he had better chat with Erika for a little while since he and I were chatting quite a bit. At one point, towards the end of the evening, I asked him to dance. I was sick of sitting out all the slow songs. He seemed quite surprised that I asked. WHY do guys get so surprised by that? Am I suposed to sit around, simpering and batting my eyes, hoping he'd get the message? It's not like I wanted to marry the guy - I just love to dance! He said, while we were dancing, that he didn't know if I would dance with him during the slow songs. That's why he didn't ask me. ::eyeroll:: Men. We looked a bit like the odd couple while dancing since he was a foot taller than I. Of course, do I even need to add that he is an excellent dancer too? Let me tell ya ladies.. he would be a VERY nice catch! I had taken a bunch of pictures (of course) and I told Jenn I would send her copies of everything. Doug also asked for a copy of a couple pictures I had taken with my digital. He gave me his address and asked me to also keep in touch with him, which I certainly will. Probably one of the nicest people I had met in a while. I realized that I didn't get to take a picture WITH him (duh) but I took a couple of him. Finally left the reception by 9pm! I was pooped! Made it back to the hotel by 940pm. Talked to Paul, took a shower, and fell asleep by midnight!

Saturday Pre Wedding I was rudely awakened at 7am by 2 giggling girls zipping by my window, no doubt on their way to the Continental breakfast. I had a difficult time falling asleep as it was. Needless to say, I was a bit pissed. I decided to just get up since I was unable to fall back asleep. Got dressed and wandered out, in a bit of a daze, to search for food. Checked out the breakfast, the usual fare - doughnuts, mini bagels, cereal, really bad and weak coffee.. I grabbed 2 coffees (hey - it's caffeine), a mini bagel, a doughnut and headed back to the room to eat. Yummy! By this time, it's 8am and the wedding was at 130pm. I decied to drive around and check out the area. Gorgeous - the mountains, trees, the snow... wow. Just stunning. I took a ton of pictures. I will post pictures soon. It was so nice to drive around... no rushing... no honking... no fingers.... I had brought a bunch of cd's with me (Bare Naked Ladies, Sting, Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Celine Dion) and blasted them! Drove to the gas station and managed to fill the tank. I hate pumping gas - thank God for full service in NJ! Ran inside the little convenience store and got a BIG ole cup of good coffee! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Got back to the hotel and called Paul and my Mom. After that, I decided to lay down and try to rest for a little while. Well, stupid me! I had finished my big ole cup of coffee (plus the 2 small ones from earlier). Now, I am wired! CRAP! I got up after laying down for about an hour. I did my makeup, my hair, got dressed and hit the road by 1230. I will post more about Saturday.. in the morning...

Friday I have to say, on the record, that Massachusetts is one of the most beautiful states that I have ever visited. I would love to move up here. Northampton is within 1 hour of Mt. Sugarloaf, Mt. Holyoke, Smith College, Basketball Hall of Fame, just to name a few... I had a wonderful time! \ The ride up did suck - very rainy. In fact, it alternated between being completely sunny to completely rainy and then back to sunny. Very weird. I took some pictures with my digital while I was driving (yes - I am pathetic but I love to take pictures). I did drive up the NY State Thruway and picked up the Mass Pike, which I took to Rt 91. Checked in at the hotel by 645pm. Called the house - everyone was fine I met Jenn and Rich around 8pm at a local Italian place..also had pool tables and a bar. They had reserved a room in the back and had the rehersal dinner there. I hadn't seen Jenn in about 4 years. She started to cry as soon as I walked in - she was so happy I made it up to her wedding ::smile:: We hugged and cried! I am such a mush - I cry at everything. She introduced me to everyone.. of course, I couldn't remember anyone's name. I was so beat. I was back at the hotel by 930pm. Watched Trading Spaces on TLC. Took a shower. Got all my stuff unpacked and set up my clothes for the wedding. I crashed out around 1am.

Well - the Rams are getting stomped - crap.

I'm hoooooooooome! Didja miss me? I had a GREAT time! SO glad I went. My friend looked SO beautiful ::sniff sniff:: I cried... I couldn't help it.. Miles: 725 miles (round trip) Hours Spent Driving: 10 Hours Slept: 14 (Friday and Saturday) Sore Ass Factor ( 1 the lowest and 10 the highest): 7.5 - will have to get massage later ; - ) Overall Trip Rating: A+++ Will write more later....

Ok - HAD to do the Friday Five! ( link via smattering) 1. Have you ever had braces? Any other teeth trauma? I had braces in HS. Had them taken off the day of my Senior Prom! But, before the braces were put on, I had to have 7 teeth pulled... 4 in one visit and 3 in another. Ouch. BIG ouch. 2. Ever broken any bones? Surprisingly no. I was in a major car accident 15 months ago and just frigged up my ankle. VERY glad to be alive. The owner of the Corvette that hit me.. well.. he wasn't so lucky.. talk about Head Wound Harry...that bastard.. 3. Ever had stitches? One time. Sliced open my ring finger on my right hand. Cut it on a piece of broken glass in the microwave. VERY painful and bled a LOT! 4. What are the stories behind some of your [physical] scars? Hmm - A small scar on my chin from falling and smashing my chin while in the bathtub when I was 2. (My Dad spazzed out. I was bleeding all over the place. My Mom told him to get some ice.. he asked her where it was! LOL) Scar on my right knee from flying over the handlebars of my 10 speed and having the handlebar scoop out some flesh when it landed on top of me. A couple other scars.. but I ain't tellin' about those! 5. How do you plan to spend your weekend? In Massachusetts, at a wedding. Alone.

Well kids - I will be heading off to Massachusetts tomorrow. I have no laptop ::sigh:: I will be bringing some of my new books with me. Like I told Mike earlier, worst case scenario, I can take a nice long bubble bath and read in peace. WOW! Still packing stuff. I have now decided to bring a 2nd outfit for the wedding.. just in case. I am one of those type of packers. Paul hates it. Example - an overnight trip to Maryland. He barely packs enough to get by and I pack like I would be gone for a week I can't help it - I have been programmed to do this. Blame my mother. I have also been baking and running laundry as well. Moira will be sleeping over her buddy's house Friday night so Paul only has to deal with Miss Olivia tomorrow night. Mo will be home Saturday morning, around 11-ish. I have no idea what he will do with them. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and he can take them outside. I will take some pics this weekend! Oh - forgot to mention that Northampton is only about 15-20 miles away from Yankee Candle'sMain Headquarters and flagship store! Now I know what I will be doing Sunday morning - SHOPPING!! Take care and I will see ya'll on Monday. Have a great weekend everyone! :::blowing kisses:::

Ick - it's cold and rainy down by me now. I have heard predictions of SNOW in Massachusetts. Lovely. I have been busy all day today. Made meatballs and sauce for tonight's dinner as well as a meatloaf for the girls and Paul to eat on Saturday. Plus, they are stocked on deli, bread, snacks.. plenty for at least 2 days!

From my awesome buddy David - Check this out!

By the way - I had a total of 22 votes! WOW - that many people READ my blog?? You guys ROCK! Thanks go out to everyone who participated!

Ok - results are in! The votes have been tallied up and :::drumroll please:::: Button #1 is the winner! Woohoo! I will edit my template and add this.

Dinner tonight - Arroz Con Pollo (yummy). I wonder how many WW points that will be?? Yes guys, I have been motivated by Erin and Mike. I am blogging and cooking. Moira is making bead necklaces - she has a zillion beads. But - she's happy and QUIET! Olivia is napping. I am also stressing... about this weekend. I will be planning meals for them.. and I will only be gone Friday - Sunday! Paul is capable of feeding the children. He is a very smart man! I have been doing laundry nonstop. I am having visions of coming back home to 50 pounds of laundry! I made plans to see my friend (from previous post) on Monday. Do I tell her what I think about Brinks Boy or do I keep my mouth shut? If she asks - I HAVE to tell her. If I don't, I'll go crazy! LOL!

WOW! 70 degress at 1pm today by my place. ** 70 ** degrees - in January. My friend reported to me yesterday that California has SNOW! What the hell is going on?!?!

Good morning all - I was at my Mom's place last night so I didn't get a chance to write.. Mom has decided that we (she and I) should learn how to crochet. My Nana could make some gorgeous baby blankets. I never learned how to do it from her ::heavy sigh:: We are learning from one of Mom's neighbors, Gail, who is a pretty nice lady. A former school teacher. Mom was pretty tired tonight. It's a chemo week.. then she has 2 weeks off. After that, it's her final treatment. Once she is completely finished, she will have to have her meniscus tear fixed. My mother in law got my Mom a name of a pretty good doctor at Monmouth Medical Center. Mom's last orthopedist completely dismissed some small dark spots shown on her knee Xrays. They are now malignant tumors. I *wish my Mom had gotten another opinion.. but she totally trusted this guy ::sigh:: Anyway.... she will getting an appointment to have the meniscus taken care of as well as getting the dye test done to check how the cancer responded to the chemo. Prayers would be helpful... A frined of mine had moved to Florida shortly after high school. Married, worked, etc.. the usual. She divorced (thank God - what an ass he was... and still is) and moved back up to Bricktown. We have been catching up on old times and have hung out a few times. I was chatting with her when I was driving up to my Mom's place. (Yes, on my CELL phone! I do have an ear piece that I use while driving - I look like I am talking to myself) She has met someone who apparently knew ME (HUH?) and where I used to live and who I was dating at the time (::screaming:: let's not go THERE! I have sucessfully blocked out a LOT of that pathetic time of my life). Needless to say, I was a TAD curious. She was meeting him at the bowling alley last night. I hate the bowling alley.... it smells, it's gross, and, frankly speaking, wearing rented shoes is just so fucking disgusting. Personally, I don't consider it a sport. Drinking beer and throwing a 10lb ball down some waxed floor at pins is not a sport. Anyhooo.. the bowling alley is about 10 minutes from my Mom's house. I made tentative plans to meet up with her and "Jeff" later on in the evening. Around 10pm, I called her on her cell.. He was done bowling (she was there watching. That's even worse) and they were in the bar. Lovely. So, I met them there. ::sigh:: He looks just like I pictured him. We (me and Jeff) had a few things/people in common. But, ya know, there was SOMETHING about him that just creeped me out. Nevermind the fact that he bowls or installs security systems (Hey, a job is a job, right? At least he has one) I just have a weird feeling about him. Maybe it was the fact he remembers this stuff that happened from over 13 years ago..or where I used to live. That *really disturbed me. He said he used to work for Lucent. "Oh," says I. "What did you do?" Him:"You name it and I did it." Me: ::thinking:: HUH? What the frig was that? Gee buddy - I guess you were the frickin CEO, right? What I really said: "Really? You weren't like the janitor or something, right? Cuz THEY worked for Lucent too. Or, the cafeteria guy either, right?" He then spews forth all this "stuff" he did for Lucent - sounded somewhat believable.. technician, running wires, digital video/data, etc...BUT - I still think this guy is full of crap. If he was/is that brilliant, why the HELL is he working for Brinks Security?

Hmmm - must have been some glitch... I was able to view my page right after I posted about it .... vedddddy interesting (spoken in my best Artie Johnson voice)

Ok - I can't *see my page but I can post... weird...

Oh my Gosh! You MUST visit Mike's site (akacooties) immediately and listen to this! I think Mike wins as Blog of the Day. Kudos to you Mike! Keep up the great work!

Link via Erin

See which Greek Goddess you are.

Had a very nice weekend.. the weather was just gorgeous on Sunday. We threw the kids outside.. Paul worked in the yard as well. And - I did laundry.. even hanging it out on the line. I had made a roast chicken (yummy) with mashed taters, gravy, and broccoli. I simmered the carcass for stock and we will have that on Superbowl Sunday. Paul can get that started while I am driving back from MA. I even got a chance to run to the store and get a few things for the trip. Even found a nice blazer (red of course) to wear. Since there is a possibility of snow (eeek!), I am wearing pants with the blazer. Also found a cute top for underneath and a sexy looking bra - which was even on sale too! Confession here - I love to buy bras.. I guess I am a bra "junkie" I will get around to posting my weird dream later..

Bahahahaha! Paul found this at one of his boards!

WOW. Check this out!

My Steelers :::sob:::

I also had another startling thought - I have a wedding next week (Saturday 2/2) in Massachusetts. I will be leaving Friday afternoon, around 1pm. I decided I will be driving up the NY State Thruway (towards Albany) and then cutting over to the MA turnpike (I-90), then picking up I-91. Kind of the long way around but I think the fastest. I hate taking I-95. By the time I get to Conn., it will be 5pm on a Friday night. I don't THINK so! PLUS - I will be driving home on SUPERBOWL SUNDAY! Arrrggghhhh!! SHIT! = : - O Oh well, I will be hauling my ass home on Sunday. Should have plenty of time to make it back home by kickoff. Pregame sucks anyway. Well - gotta go verify my reservations for hotel and car. Anyone wanna come up with me? LOL!

I had the weirdest dream last night - kinda freaked me out. I think I am going to post about it.. maybe tomorrow.

Go STEELERS! :::please win:::please win::::

My Dad brought Moira home today around 430. She was so tired. She spent the night with Dad and Millie (step-mom) and her step cousin Victoria, who is 6. The kids had a blast - Millie is still recovering . They were up until 11pm last night and woke up at the crack of dawn. So, you can imagine how charming and wonderful Miss Moira has been since she got home. I couldn't wait to stuff her into bed! Talk about cranky!!! Oy! Paul and I did a lot of cleaning and organizing today. My back room (aka laundry room aka pantry) was a disaster! Got rid of some junk and redid the shelves and it looks 100% better. Still needs more work.. but overall, looks good. Hung up some pictures, an oversized wooden fork and spoon (from my Nana's place - she'd had then for years). They sound goofy but I really like them.. makes me feel closer to her... to have her things displayed in my home. And - I have to say - what is with laundry?? Sheesh - it's like coat hangers. Constantly multiplying! I hate it! I am the official laundry person in this house. Wash, fold, and put away. Hate doing it. Paul is the garbage, mopping, vaccuuming person - so I can't really complain too much. Some of my former coworkers/friends would bitch and moan about their hubbys not doing anything around the house. They tell me how lucky I am to have Paul. HUH? He's lucky to have ME! No one MADE you marry that guy! Find someone who will treat you right - not like the resident slave! Now - don't misunderstand. I *do* appreciate everything Paul does around the house. If I ask him to do something, he does. I don't have to scream at him like a fishwife. But, the fact is, I am the one home during the day. I do a LOT more because of that. That's MY job. Well, after making sure the kids aren't burning the house down while I am blogging, of course!

Upon reading about Erin's shenanigans last night, I have found this - The Five Levels of Drinking, which might come in handy..

Good evening class! Sorry for not really posting too much today. Been busy busy busy! I picked up a bunch of books from B&N tonight and I can't wait to start reading them! I got: The Town and The City - Jack Kerouac Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte Sense and Sensibility and Emma - Jane Austin A Handful of Dust - Evelyn Waugh PLUS - Food Allergies Tips from the Nutrition Experts - The American Dietetic Association FOOD Allergies - The Complete Guide to Understanding and Relieving Your Food Allergies - William E. Walsh The Peanut Allergy Answer Book - Michael C. Young Needless to say, I will be busy reading... My Mom sent me home with a few more books too! Arrggh! I have about 15 books to read. ::sigh:: Thank goodness I *love* to read!

Friday Five - Part 2! 1. What cologne or perfume do you wear? - Gio - by Armani 2. What cologne or perfume do you like best on the opposite sex? Cool Water or Aramis 3. What one smell can you not stomach? Ok - this is gross - vomit 4. What smell do you like that others might consider weird? Gasoline 5. How do you plan to spend your weekend? Well - we went out to dinner tonight and hit Barnes and Noble! Woohoo! I have 9 new books to read - in my SPARE time of course!

Friday Five (link from smattering) 1. What do you have your browser start page set to? My online bank 2. What are your favorite news sites? Fox News Network 3. Favorite search engine? Northern Light 4. When did you first get online? Zoinks! Has to be since Gopher was around (if anyone remembers using that!). Oh, and Webcrawler too. If I had to guess, I would say since 1994 5. How do you plan to spend your weekend? Paul and I are going out to dinner. Then, off to hang out and shop in Barnes and Nobles. Moira is sleeping over my Dad and Step-Mom's place! YAY!

I hope he rots

Friday January 25 11:20 AM ET Hockey Dad Sentenced to Six to 10 Years By DENISE LAVOIE, Associated Press Writer CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - A man who beat another father to death during their sons' youth hockey practice was sentenced to six to 10 years in prison Friday for involuntary manslaughter. Thomas Junta, 44, had asked to be put on supervised probation with community service. His attorney said Friday he would appeal. Junta sat handcuffed, with his head hung low during the hearing as victim Michael Costin's three sons, sister and mother spoke. ``Please punish Thomas Junta and do not allow him to soon get out of prison and ruin another family's life,'' Costin's middle son, Michael, said. ``No matter how much of a sentence that you give to Thomas Junta, my dad got more.'' The judge followed prosecutors' recommended sentence, though he called it lenient and generous and said he considered exceeding it. During the trial and sentencing, prosecutors painted Junta, a 270-pound truck driver, as a bully who picked on a much smaller man. Supporters described him as a ``gentle giant,'' a devoted husband and father who fell victim to ``a very bad set of circumstances.'' Junta did not speak during the hearing and called no witnesses on his behalf. He sobbed as his defense attorney, Thomas Orlandi Jr., read from letters Junta had written to his two children, including 12-year-old Quinlan, had witnessed the fight. Orlandi also read part of a letter written by another 12-year-old hockey player, named Garrett, who also saw the fatal beating in July 2000 at a suburban Boston ice rink. ``Quinn needs his dad more than anything. ... Tom didn't mean for any of this to happen. ... Please don't punish Tom for something he didn't mean and didn't want to happen,'' Orlandi read. Before being led away, Junta raised his shackled hands to blow a kiss and wave to his family seated behind him. Barbara Tracy, his sister, sobbed as other siblings tried to comfort her. Junta and Costin fought at the rink after Junta objected to rough play during a pickup hockey game. Costin was supervising his three sons, Junta's son and several other boys on the ice. The jury determined that Junta didn't intend to kill Costin but that he went too far. At trial, Junta had said he tried to avoid the fight and only hit Costin in self-defense. A medical examiner testified Costin suffered severe brain injuries that could have resulted from his head being beaten into the floor. Some previous incidents in Junta's life, which were not brought up at trial, were taken into consideration for the sentencing. Junta's wife, Michelle, was granted a restraining order in 1991 when she alleged he beat her in front of their two children and another child. A court ordered Junta out of the couple's apartment and gave his wife temporary custody of the children. Orlandi dismissed the restraining order as irrelevant and stressed that the couple was still together. But the judge on Friday read from part of that order, which said Junta hit his wife at a wedding in front of children. Costin, 40, had four children, ages 11 through 14. His father, Gus, said Costin had a drinking problem and had been in and out of prison for much of his adult life. But he had quit drinking and was working steadily as a carpenter and painter, he said. Six months before he was killed, he regained custody of his children. ``Don't worry about what the judge says today, Mr. Junta,'' Gus Costin said Friday. ``Worry about what the judge upstairs is going to say. That's eternity.''

Moira is the Superstar of the Week for her class. So, the superstar gets to have a parent come in and read a book, using the letter of the week (D) and also bring in a snack that starts with D (Doughnuts). She asked Paul to come in and read to the class! I was a bit taken aback (ok - a lot) but she is so excited to have Paul come in and read, I can't be too upset about it. Besides, Paul is D - Dad

Claire Standish is the perfect teen... Pretty, popular, homecoming queen who, as she so modestly puts herself, "everybody likes sooo much." She's part of the "in" crowd and can't believe that she's spending her day with the likes of a basketcase, a brain, and a criminal. Claire makes it perfectly clear in the beginning that she just wants to get the day over with, and doesn't need to be bothered by the other people. She's a nice girl and all, but is somewhat deserving of her stereotype "princess" title. But, as the day goes on, after some laughs and some tears (and the revealment of a true talent for putting on lipstick)...Claire learns maybe she shouldn't be so quick to judge people... The role of Claire was just one of Molly Ringwald's memorable characters in the 80s. Molly Ringwald's name, in fact, is synominous (sp?) with 80s classics. Aside from The Breakfast Club, she also starred in such 80s favorites as Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles. If she was the perfect teen - how the HELL did I end up as her??? Link via Erin

WOW! Check out Erin's new look! Great job chicky! I have Bonkos tonight - will post more later tonight!

Oh - and it looks like Button #1is in the lead. I may end this contest early - not too many voters out there! C'mon guys - VOTE! Links are on the left!

Hi guys - I am still getting caught up on my blogs. One blogger in particular can use some prayers. Sandee, who has an awesome outlook and great spirit. She had surgery yesterday for a Porto-Cath. (Port: a small plastic or metal container surgically placed under the skin and attached to a central venous catheter inside the body. Blood and fluids can enter or leave the body through the port using a special needle.) My Mom also had one inserted several months ago, before she started chemo.

Off to the mall - I want a new outfit for the wedding in MA next week.. Tata for now!

Part III We make it home by 3pm. Phrewww - time to spare! We pick up Moira at the busstop and come back home. Thank goodness I had the sense to plan an easy dinner. Yes, I have to plan dinner - when you have 2 kids, your life and all activities revolve around feeding time. ESPECIALLY if you have a kid with food allergies. Dinner was burgers and pasta salad. See if you can guess the common ground between the following : red, yellow, and green peppers, broccoli, and tomatoes? Answer : All the veggies that Olivia LOVES to eat! Peppers! I hate peppers - ick! The funniest thing is to watch her stuff her face with peppers - it's really cute. After feeding time at the zoo aka dinner, it's the usual frenzy of activity to get dishes cleaned, living room organized, some playtime, then it's :::dum da dum dum:: BATH TIME. Olivia likes her bath but since she has such sensitive skin, she gets what we call "fast bath". Cleaned and zipped out of the tub. Usually done within 4 minutes. Getting Moira in for a shower usually requires dealing with 5 minutes of bitch and whine fest, 2-3 minutes of foot stomping and lots of tears. (Must be the hormones) By the time she gets in the shower, it's all I can do not to drown the kid! Joking folks, just a joke. Clean pj's, medicines for the kidlets, brush teeth, read stories, tucked it bed - now it's 8PM. WOOOHOO! Get out the noisemakers and partyhats - it's BEDTIME!! Paul was online already while I tucking Moira in bed. When I got into the living room, I kicked back on the couch and filled him in on the details of the day. I'd had a headache for a couple hours and I decided to rest for a few minutes. At 1030pm - Paul wakes me up! I staggered into the bedroom, threw on some PJ's and fell into bed. I had enough sense to set my alarm for the morning. AND - here I am!

Part II Where was I? Oh yeah... Moira on the bus.. I had forgotten a couple things so I zipped back home, grabbed them, and off we drove to Wall Township (exit 98 for all you Jerseyians out there). We pick Mom up and zip up to IKEA. We made it there right before the store even OPENED! Wooohoo! IKEA is awesome when it isn't packed. I have always been there on a weekend and it's like Christmas time in the mall - PACKED! I only spent about $28 and Mom spent around $80. Of course, while I was there, I mentally spent about $4K. It's so damn easy! While shopping, Olivia was starting to hack and cough again. We finished quickly and got out of there ASAP. Made it to Mom's place by 1230PM. I gave her another breathing treatment and then she kinda sorta ate some lunch. My Mom has stocked her place with a zillion (or maybe 2 zillion) toys, stuffed animals, you name it.. it's probably there. The kids are in heaven when they come over. Olivia and I hit the road to head back home around 215 since Moira got off the bus at 330. Of course, she FINALLY falls asleep in the car, on the way home. At this point, I am exhausted. Driving home on the parkway, with the defroster on, car all nice and warm... I was getting that white line madness. I ended up putting on a cd and singing, just so I could stay awake! So, if any of you saw a burgandy Santa Fe heading Southbound, with a chick who was singing, it was probably me! Part III coming soon.

Good morning all :::yawn::: I never got a chance to update yesterday at all! Talk about some crazy 24 hours! Olivia was waking up quite a bit on Tuesday night, coughing, hacking... sounded like a seal. She's up, down, up, down in her crib. By 130am, I pulled her out, and sat with her in the recliner. I gave her some medications with the nebulizer and she seemed to do much better. Ok - great - back to bed. Again, up and down for the next couple hours. (Take note of the fact that I hadn't gotten but maybe 2 hours sleep so far! Eeeek!) By 430AM, I said the hell with us, got her and her blankets out of the crib, sat in the recliner with her and we BOTH finally got some sleep. Of course, I have no alarm clock in the living room (Can you guess where I might be going with this story?) I wake up and squint at that damn tiny clock on my VCR and it's 730AM. 730!!!! SHIT!!! We have to be at the busstop BY 810AM. I leap up out of the recliner, almost dropping Olivia. I wake up Moira, who is complaining and whining about school, and run into the kitchen to make 2 breakfasts and lunch for Moira. All in all, we MADE it to the busstop ON TIME! Why the big hurry? Well, Olivia and I were going to IKEA after Moira caught the bus. All I can say is it was a very good idea for be to pack a diaper bag and supplies for Olivia earlier in the evening.

Ok - like a moron - I forgot to UPDATE the web address of my updated pictures. ::smacking forehead:: So, if anyone still cares, check 'em out again!

Which drink are you? Link from Jennifer aka Working Mom

Ok - I can't decide which one I like better! I will post the winning banner on my blog. View banners 1 through 6 here, then help me by voting! Pick your favorite Breast Cancer Code!

More pics for you guys to check out!

Ohmigosh! I completely forgot to mention this! I am going to be an Auntie! (again) YAY YAY YAY! :::wiping brow::: Phrew! Takes the heat offa me for a little while!

By the way - I *did* donate! Thank You for Your Donation ! Confirmation number: 315135 Name: Kate State: NJ Country: US Home Phone: n/a Work Phone: n/a E-Mail: CateNJ@aol.com Walker/Crew Member to Sponsor: Bennett, Erin Donation Level: Other: Single Payment of $30 First Payment On: 1/22/2002 Matching Company*: No Donation Type: Other Card Type: Visa Credit Card Number: haha like I would post that! Expiration Date: Holder Name: Kate Billing Address: Same as Mailing Address * If there is a matching company, the Matching Gift application should be mailed with a copy of your confirmation directly to: Avon Breast Cancer 3-Days - New York 2002, Attn:Matching Gifts 1525 Crossroads of the World, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Ok guys and gals: Time to donate. Please contribute what you can to Avon's Breast Cancer event. Erin is participating in the 3 day walk and needs to raise $1900 for this event. Click here for Erin's information.

Hey ya'll! Erin emailed me about all the problems with her site. It's up.. it's down.. it's up again... So, swing on by, check her out, and say howdy!

Personality Test I am - ESTP "The Go-Getter" "E" stands for Extroversion. Extroversion is an attitude in which interest, value and meaning are attached primarily to external objects. Inner matters are habitually not valued or are difficult for the extrovert. Extroversion is the opposite of Introversion. "S" stands for Sensation. One of Jung's four psychic functions (Thinking, Feeling, Sensation, and Intuition). According to Jung, Sensation means that the internal and external world are perceived through the five senses. Sensory types focus on the present and on concrete information gained from physical senses. "T" stands for Thinking. One of Jung's four psychic functions (Thinking, Feeling, Sensation, and Intuition). Thinking means logical and rational thought processes. It is the ability to make evaluations and judgements based on logical categories and ideas. The Thinking function is the opposite of the Feeling function, which is the ability to make evaluations and judgements based on values. "P" stands for Perception. The way in which raw data or information about the outer or inner world is made known to consciousness. Jung called it an "irrational" function in the sense that perception is unfiltered. People who have stronger Perception than Judgement are people for whom "the journey is more important than the destination." Perception is open-ended, a never-ending stream of insights, experiences, and possibilities. Perceptions come through the five senses (Sensation), and yet also through the unconscious (Intuition). Both are ways of taking in experiences about the outer and inner world.

Just watched Unbreakable tonight. Didn't like it...way too weird. Just plain out creepy. ::shiver:: I really like Bruce Willis and Sanuel Jackson is awesome. But - very weak in the movie...

You will marry JAMES BOND (most recently played by Pierce Brosnan) from the James Bond movies, live in many expensive penthouses filled with many girls and many martinis (shaken, not stirred), and spend your days driving explosive foreign cars and spying on villains with big egos and small brains.

What's YOUR M * A * S * H future?

Shouldn't be too hard for me to live with this... (link via Erin)

WOW! Just finished watching "Bridget Jones' Diary" - alone of course. GREAT movie. I think I am completely in love with Colin Firth :::swooning::: Hugh Grant is a pig but he has those fabulous eyes.. and of course that voice. I love good strong voices - I just melt when I hear them. Renee Zellweger looks marvelous. The best I have ever seen her - she looked gorgeous. I can't believe how Hollywood was calling her FAT for God's sake. Hasn't the freaking film industry figured out that there are a HELLUVA lot more women out there who don;t look like Lara Flynn Boyle or Calista Flockhart. Jesus - those 2 NEED a fucking sandwich. Just plain nasty looking. And YES, in case anyone out there in blog-land is wondering, I am NOT one of those barfing babes! How I managed to get through school without pulling a Columbine on a few of my fellow classmates is beyond me. All I can say is getting tortured in school made it a living hell for me. To this day, I can still remember all those awful things some of those assholes would say... Ya wanna know what the worst part is?? I look at my pics from high school.. and I looked pretty fucking good. One my my best photographs was my senior picture. I *wish* I had the balls then to tell those fools to go screw off when I had the chance.

"It's another Saturday night..... and I ain't got nobody..." That's right - I ain't got nobody - at least nobody HERE. The girls are asleep and Paul is STILL out! (Grrrrrr!) Well, I can't really bitch too much.. He was at my Mom's today since 930am, working on her Dell. It was crashing a lot and running really slo. He put on Norton's anti-virus, ran scan disk, defraged the drive, essentially cleaned it up for her. When I spoke to her today, she mentioned how much faster it was running. BUT - as he was leaving my Mom's place, his Dad calls. Seems he was having problems with HIS computer, trying to run LapLink. Sooooooooo, here it tis, 10pm and I am BLOGGING and folding laundry! Someone - please shoot me.

ARRGGHHHHHH! They broke up! I gotta go cry now ::sniff sniff::

I have been watching the old episodes of The Sopranos lately. I tuned in mid season last year, with Ralph beating the stripper to death - nice, huh? I am also addicted now to Sex and the City. John Corbett (Aidan) is a cutie ::sigh:: I have had a crush on this guy since "Northern Exposure". Now - Carrie is ripping his heart out and stomping on it with her Manolo Blahniks!

In the immortal words of Gary DeCarlo, Dale Frashuer and Paul Leka aka Steam "Na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye" Steelers WIN! 27 - 10 Off to play the Patriots next week for the AFC championship! I am SO HAPPY! YAY YAY YAY!

Go Pittsbugh.. Go Pittsburg.. Go Pittsburg! ::::doing Happy Dance:::: 20 to ZIP!

The snow is still here! Bleeeeech! Just put "Shrek" on now - so far, it's pretty stinkin' funny. I love Smashmouth.

Snow. Such a pain in the ass. I hate it. The girls, on the other hand, were SO excited. Paul took them out before dinner and they managed to build a snowman. Paul took a picture of them. I will post it later tonight and link to it. I am still sick. Now sounding like a cross between Kathleen Turner and Harvey Firestein. Ooooh, how sexy. I am popping Robitussin Cough and Cold capsules. We managed to get to Pathmark to pick up a few things (honestly, I was going to buy stuff - no panic shopping for me). Also stopped at Blockbuster and picked up Shrek, Bridget Jones's Diary, Unbreakable, and One Night at McCools. All of which are 5 day rentals. Woohoo! Made dinner tonight.Completely wimped out by making open face turkey sandwiches with gravy, corn and tater tots. Hell - everyone ate. They were freezing from being outside. I am freezing. I hate snow.

I thought this was a pretty cool counter. There has been some discussion regarding smoking on one of my main message boards. This link was posted and I found this online quit meter These are my results as of now - Time Passed - 320 weeks, 6 days, 9 hours, 14 minutes, 49 seconds Cigarettes Not Smoked - 44,927 (EEEK!) That's approximately 2,246 PACKS Money Saved - $ 7,525.27 Quit smoking people. Save your life.

When I came home from the Daisy meeting, I still felt really crappy. I had my headache for about 6 hours. I ended up crashing out for a almost 2 hour nap while Paul finished up the evening routine with the girls. I woke up in time to tuck them in. My headache was gone! YAY! The weather prediction for this weekend : Tonight Mostly Clear 22°F Sat Jan 19 PM Snow 33°F 23°F Sun Jan 20 Mostly Sunny 37°F 28°F ICK - I hate snow.

Ugh. I am sick. I am getting laryngitis! Arrgghh!! ::cough cough:: I cannot get laryngitis again. I have gotten it for the past 7 years, always about this time of year. Right now, I sound like Kathleen Turner with a *little* deeper tone. Lovely. I get to be all throaty and breathless sounding and I have to waste it on getting sick. Had to hit Wal-Mart today and shop with the rest of the wackos that aren't attempting to bite people. I didn't blog much yesterday. I somehow picked up an organizational bug SOMEWHERE. I painted some moppe boxes for my kitchen from IKEA. GOD - I love that store! Gonna go shopping there next week with Mom and Olivia. I have my eye on this really nice entertainment center and possibly more moppe boxes! They do come in bunch of different configurations like this. I also cleaned out my closets and tossed out 5, yes 5 bags of clothes. I drove right over to the donation bin and dumped them ASAP! I have a Daisy meeting today too - and I don't feel like going. I am feeling grumpy and I have a headache. At least I get to play hookey for the next one on 2/1 because I will be driving up to MA for a wedding. I can't wait to sit in a car for 6 hours.. joy of joys. I have to map out my route. Not too many choices - either take 95 through Conneticut or take the 87 (NY Thruway) and turn right at MA. I will probably take 87 - I hate 95, especially in CT. There is ALWAY construction.. no matter what time of the day or night. I gotta go sit and have some coffee.. later guys!

I took the IQ test I found linked on Erin's site. Looks like my IQ went down as well. I believe I tested at 147. Now, according to this test, I am 135. From the email I received: "Our test gives you a quick and fast measurement of your abilities, and that can indicate directions for you to take. Average: 85 - 115 Above average: 116 - 125 Gifted Borderline Genius: 126 - 135 Highly gifted and appearing to be a Genius to most others: 136 - 145 Genius: 146 - 165 High Genius: 166 - 180 Highest Genius: 181 - 200 Beyond being measurable Genius: Over 200 It's the girls' fault. I now have Mommy brain ::sigh:: Hopefully, when I am 70, I will still be able to feed myself!

I visited Mom tonight. She had me do a bunch of little projects that she can't quite do so easily. Climbing up on a stool to fix some wallpaper, move stuff around. I organized and color coordinated her sweaters. She has about 60 sweaters (now neatly organized) in her new storage boxes for the top of her closet. I helped her carry some stuff down to her basement. She has a great workshop set up down there for ALL her stuff. You name a craft - she has the supplies. It's like a mini craft store! It's nice to be able to hang out with her and talk. It's so hard to do when the girls are around. We chat about all kinds of stuff, usually making ourselves cry. I am really hoping and praying this course of chemo really kicks the shit out of the lymphoma. She wants to take us all to Disney World for Christmas. When I say all of us, I mean the 4 of us, my brother, Dan (her boyfriend) and herself. Talk about a huge expense! I am of 2 minds - I really want to go. But - always a but - the girls are SO young. It would probably be a little difficult with Olivia, given the age and the food allergy issue, but I know it can be managed. Paul doesn't want to go - being stubborn. He wants to spend Christmas at home, says that the girls should spend it at home because of Santa. Whatever ::eyeroll:: I told him to take it up with my Mom. Olivia has been breaking out in hives quite a bit lately. All on the backs and sides of her legs. Poor munchkin. I think it's the cat that is the root of most of her problems. Darla is about 12 yrs old and is ... well... fiesty. No one in our extended family likes her. She yowls and hisses. Attacks feet at random. Especially WHITE feet - like bare, covered in socks or white sneakers. She is fixed and declawed. Because she is such a maniac, I am pretty damn sure no one would want to adopt her if I brought her to the animal shelter. In a nutshell - unadoptable. Someone would be electing a pope with her. Kitty Cremation. I don't want to KILL my cat. I don't want Olivia to suffer.

Making a very kid friendly dinner tonight - chicken and fries. Bleeech.

From my buddy David - Look out Phil!

JUST made the bus this morning! Good thing I drove down to the bus stop! Olivia and I went to K-Mart and then Pathmark. Woooohoo. Such a wild and crazy pair are we!

Please take note that Erin Aid is still operating and can be yours for the taking ::hehe::

Good morning ya'll! Moira just stumbled out of her room a few minutes ago. Poor kid - this coughing at night business is really taking a toll on her. She is on a lot of different medications now. She is finishing a course of Zithromax for the ear infection, which has hopefully cleared up. She normally takes 2 tsp Zyrtec daily, Flovent and Flonase for her asthma and allergies. The Zyrtec doesn't seem to be helping her so I took her off it (for now) and she gets Triaminic Cough and Cold. Zyrtec was once a day. Triaminic is every 4-6 hrs. She barely clears 4 hours before the next dose. Nighttime is the worst for her. That damn post-nasal drip. Between that and the cold air, I think I will have to pull out the nebulizer for her if she coughs herself into an asthma attack. She is still coughing - hope the Triaminic kicks in soon. Besides that, the night went pretty much as planned. I even made a chocolate cake. Olivia wants candles on it so she can blow them out. She must think that every cake is a birthday cake! Silly lil booger!

Oh my gosh - it's been over 24 hours since I have blogged!!!!!!!! Actually, I have been busy. Moira has been going through some serious mood swings ::sigh:: She's only 5 fer cryin' out loud! Hell - I have my OWN mood swings to worry about! She gets SO frustrated at times that she just starts crying and freaking out. I wish I could make it better for her sometimes.. I think she has such a long day with school that she is a mess by the time she gets home. She gets up at 715am... bus by 820am, lunch at 1045am, snack by 1pm, home by 330pm. Of course, she has all her classes and activities during school. Poor kid.. I have been working on a webpage (albeit on AOL Hometown) that is dedicated to food allergies. I would be providing links for information, places that support food allergies, and recipe sites for food allergic people. I have already gotten several emails and I am not even finished on the page. I guess there's a lot more people with food allergies! I will post the link up soon. Probably won't be blogging until later tonight - Dinner tonight will be chicken cacciatore, corn, and linguine. YUMMY! Ta ta for now!

:::Sigh::: Woke up late this morning since I stayed up too late watching "Castaway". I did miss the first 20-25 minutes though (I ALWAYS do that! LOL). I tuned in when he washes up on the island. WOW - what a great movie! I bawled like a baby at the end. I cry at Disney movies. Bambi is awful and don't EVEN get me started on Dumbo. I even cried at ET (all 4 times that I have seen it) when the damn muppet died. My father in law and Paul were looking at me like I was insane.. What can I say? I am an emotional person! I had to drive Moira to school because I overslept. I have so much stuff to take care of today... phone calls, filing, car rental for the wedding next month (I am driving up), registering for my class, plus the usual cleaning around here. Oh yeah - and I have to take care of Olivia too