Last quiz for today... Are you Sexually Healthy? I am - Your score indicates that you are very healthy sexually. You know whom you are, what you want, and what is best for you. You are comfortable with yourself and those you love. A loving sexual relationship is important to you, and you are willing to work at maintaining that relationship. Safe, healthy sex is also important. You most enjoy a loving and monogamous sexual relationship. You are not afraid to express your needs to your lover during sex, nor unwilling to listen to his/her needs. You would never hurt someone you love in the name of sex. Sex is not the most important thing in your life, but it is something important that you and your partner share. Continue to maintain that open, honest relationship, stay true to yourself, and you will continue to thrive in your sexual life and health.

Optimist or Pessimist? I am --- Half-Full Glass You try to look on the bright side, and optimism is a skill you've cultivated to help you weather life's rough spots. All the same, you know it's okay to admit when you're angry or hurt. You're neither blindly positive, nor prone to dwell on slights and injuries, and your generally positive outlook helps prepare you to take risks without being held back by bitterness or a fear of failure. Believe it or not, some scientists have theorized that there is an evolutionary advantage to optimism: Human beings may be programmed to view the world as just slightly better than it actually is, in order to recognize clearly any real threats to our well-being and handle them appropriately. Your ability to rise above negative thinking while remaining realistic about temporary setbacks is a great strength.

Ok.. I am feeling a little better.. I have a couple funny links for you guys to check out - Apu Fan? Love the Kwik-E-Mart? You gotta click here Problems in Paradise? Wanna dump someone? They can do your dirty work for you. Been dumped? This is even better - get even and feel better at the same time. And.. for God's sake.. if you start dating agin.. DON'T say any of THESE!

Morning from Hell Woke up at 810 this morning. Moira is supposed to catch the bus at 815. I know this is not EVEN possible. I wake her up and tell her she has *got to get dressed ASAP. SO, she is dragging around the hosue.. moving so sloooooow. I swear, this girl has 2 speeds.. dead slow and stop. I ended up barking at her to hurry up..and she starts to cry. Great. Now I feel like an f'ing Nazi. She didn't like what I picked out for her to wear and was whining about that. I told her too bad and she cried again. :::sigh::: It got worse but I don't feel like rehashing it because I totally screwed up this morning and yelled at her. Now I feel so freakin guilty I hollered at her. Shit. I drove her to school and Olivia and I watched as she walked down the hallway to her class ::sigh:: I feel like such a turd.

This or That from Jennifer 1. January or July? July - I love the summer AND it's Moira's birthday too ::smile:: 2. Email or letters? Email - I gotta know right away! 3. Milk or orange juice? Orange Juice, as long as it's very cold. 4. Brunette or blond? Hmm - have been both.. right now I prefer red! 5. Digital or film camera? Both 6. Camping or hotel? HOTEL baby 7. Pencil or pen? Pen 8. Rollerblading or roller skating? Skating 9. Fly or drive? Drive - no air travel for me 10. White or black? Hmm - I'd have to say black

Grr! I put Miss Olivia down for a nap around 115pm and she's STILL yapping in her crib. Damn - I am not ready for her to give up her naps.. at least not yet. Oh well. SO she will be nice and grumpy for Paul tonight. I am visiting Mom tonight. She is doing her last course of chemo this week. She and Dan (her partner) will be going on a long vacation. Mostly spending time in Florida with stops in Tennessee and I believe Virginia too. They will be driving so they are in no big hurry. I hope she has a nice time - she really needs a break. She will be getting another PET scan on 3/4 to determine the effect of the chemo thus far. Momw il be seeing the oncologist when she gets back on 3/28 and he will decide on her next course of treatment, if it's necessary. He has already said it probably will be... I will probably post later tonight... talk at ya then! Bye ya'll!

Olivia had her Baby Power class today.. she had SO much fun, as always. I ended up getting the phone number and email address of one of the Dad's that attend with his daughter. We chatted for a while after class. Turns out that he grew up in Monmouth County as well. His wife lived in Spring Lake Heights. His aunt lives very close to my Mom. I like him - nice guy. His daughter is a cutie too. Hopefully, this will work out nicely and Olivia will have her very own playdate buddy! Awwwwwww!

Hi! Missed you guys today! We just cleaned and cleaned and cleaned! Paul borrowed his Mom's carpet cleaner and did the major areas around the house. Oh my God - I thought I was going to be sick when I saw what was picked up in the cleaner!!! It looks like we live like animals! Like we are filthy! I want to rip out every piece of carpet in this house. I wish we could afford to do that now.. hopefully, very very soon. Paul worked on our taxes for a while tonight and we will be getting some $$ back from Uncle Sam. Normally, we adjust our withholding so we can have our money when we earn it.. not so Uncle Sam can hold onto it for a year and make shitloads of interest on it. No thanks - I WANTS my money! Does that drive anyone else nuts too?? I hate when people get all giddy about getting money back from the government.. HELLO!! It's YOUR money to begin with! I wish we were able to have more money put aside for our retirement but we do need the money now. We managed to sock away quite a bit in Paul's 457 account, saving us some pre-tax dollars. We have tried to save some money for the girls in savings accounts but we did have to dip into it : - ( I *really* didn't want to but there was no choice at the time. But, they will get paid back ASAP. But - most of their money are in cd's (ING Direct) and Moira has her own Vanguard account. Ah well... the joys of money...

Oooh! Forgot to mention that a friend of mine from high school was featured in the Sunday paper.(Erin - you know who she is) I was so happy to read that she was doing great and is now a teacher!! She was so good with kids.. she used to teach at a dance school. I will have to call her and leave a message for her at the school. Hopefully, I will hear back from her sometime soon.

I have been messing around with some craft stuff for the past couple hours. Normally, I am craft-challenged but I have found a couple things I like to do. So, I have been "playing" and having fun. I think I will be turning in soon... I am pooped! G'nite ya'll!

The Eagle Has Landed Yes - Moira is home. It was so cute.. as soon as she walked in the front door, Olivia ran over to her yelling "Moira! Moira!" Moira bent down, gave Olivia a big hug and stood up, still hugging Olivia. She carried Olivia over to the couch, put her down and gave her a kiss. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Such a great big sister.

Paul got home last night around 1130pm. He got called BACK in around 4am.... and got home by 10am. Just in time to watch Olivia while I volunteered at Sunday School this week. Poor guy.. he is napping now. I have to wake him up at 345 so he can go meet his sister and get Moira, who is coming home tonight.

I LOVE this game... Check out the Cow.. it's almost as much fun as popping bubbles!

I am playing my Bare Naked Ladies cd in the computer right now and it sounds pretty cheesy. I think I need to get new speakers for my system. The music sounds, well, tinny.. for lack of a better word..

Hrm - I need to mess around with my blog some more... I figured out how to make the links pop up in a different window (Yay me!). I think I want to change some colors around too. Maybe new colored text... Any one have any suggestions how to do this? Remember, those suggestions need to be pretty simple to understand! I can't wait for my HTML class to start on Wednesday. Paul called me a geek... I am PROUD to be a geek! : - )

Whew! Just got a chance to actually SIT down! We never made it to the aquarium. Olivia still has a pretty nasty cough so I didn't want to chance it. Maybe we will go on Monday when Moira is home. Speaking of Moira, she is having a disgustingly wonderful time with Auntie B. I am glad about that. Moira loves spending 1 on 1 time with people. Olivia makes it a little difficult for her to do that sometimes.. Paul is on call with his job this weekend. He rotates with a few other guys at work so he is only on call 1 out of every 5-6 weeks, for a week at a time. Plus, he gets to drive the company car (2000 Blazer) when he is on call. It was GORGEOUS outside! WOW! This weather is SO weird. Olivia played in the backyard while Paul was back there raking. She had so much fun she didn't want to come in for lunch. We finally get her inside and my Mother in Law, J, calls. J speaks to Paul, who finds out that she is buying a new car and do we want to buy her old car? She sold it to us for $5K. Really a great deal. It's a blue 97 Saturn SL2 (sedan) with leather seats (zoinks!) and power EVERYTHING! It only has 47K miles! WOOHOO! Of course we can onyl do payments.. not like I have that money just hanging around. No problem says J! Even cooler! She calls back around 5pm, asking of we can pick the car up today since she wants it out of the driveway ASAP. No problem - we are ON our way. Jump in the company car and away we go. Sign some papers, write up receipts, etc.. BEEP BEEP BEEP! Paul's pager goes off. He has to go to work : - ( But - at least I have a way to get home (Saturn) and he get to make time and a half. BUH bye! Olivia and I got home about 745pm. She had a snack, took a bath, brushed her teeth, read 2 books, and BAM! In bed! The house is NICE and quiet.. again. I think I am liking this!

The Daisy meeting went well - the girls LOVED gluing those little foam pieces to paper. I picked up McD's for the kidlets tonight. I still had to pack Moira's stuff for this 2 night trip to Auntie B's house. Olivia is sacked out and I am enjoying the peace and quiet! Ahhhhhh! Blogging and watching luge... can it get any better?

The Friday Five 1. What was the first thing you ever cooked? Gosh - I remember baking with my Nana when I was pretty little (5 or 6). The first thing I made on my own was probably pancakes. 2. What's your signature dish? Roast Chicken. Paul swears I make the best chicken. 3. Ever had a cooking disaster? (tasted like crap, didn't work, etc.) Describe. Hmm - the time I made dinner for my soon to be inlaws, I burned it AND it tasted like crap. Thankfully, they were pretty nice about it. 4. If skill and money were no object, what would make for your dream meal? Wow - that's a tough one... something with a perfect cut of beef. No mushrooms. Ever. 5. What are you doing this weekend? Well, Moira will be at my sis in law's place for the next 2 days. The 3 of us might head over to the aquarium on Saturday then go out to lunch. I also have to go food shopping. On Sunday, I am in charge of Sunday School.

Moira will be spending the next couple of days out in Malvern, Pa with my Sister in Law. Woohoo! Life is good!

Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday dear Daaaavid Happy Birthday to youuuuuuuuuu!

I had ordered a bunch of craft items from Oriental Trading. My order arrived yesterday. One of the items I had ordered was 1,000 pieces of 1/4 inch foam squares. They're good for making mosaic pictures, etc... I had ordered 4 packages of foam squares (4,000 squares). When I opened the box, I saw the foam squares, neatly packaged. Each color was in a large foam sheet. Meaning - I would have to open each package and pull apart the 1/4 inch foam squares. At least they were already precut ::sigh:: 8 foam sheets per package in rows of 11x12. 132 tiny squares per sheet. Multiply that by 8. 132 foam squares in each color. Multiplied by 8 sheets per package and there is 1056. AND - I opened 3 packages. Grand total of tiny squares is 3,168. Oh, and please don't forget Olivia "helping" me by grabbing handfuls of these tiny squares and attemping to race away, giggling. Should be loads of fun when 13 5-6 year olds get a hold of these!

I have to say this - Paul did get me the prettiest roses today. I love getting flowers. I usually buy myself some at least once a month. My brother sent me a nice basket of plants and my Mom sent me a pretty arrangement of dried flowers that I have hanging up on the wall. Hope everyone had a nice time today. Hugs going out to you all!

Anyone see "The Emperor's New Groove"? I just love this movie - David Spade is so frickin funny! I have it on now while dinner is cooking... I was hoping to actually take a nap (Hahahaha) but that isn't going to happen...

Bahahahah! According to Jason, she should have seen it coming...

Oh yeah - almost forgot... Happy Valentine's Day!

Isn't she the cutest? ::smile::

:::::Yawn:::::: Olivia decided to stay awake until 530am. Actually - I don't think she actually DECIDED to stay up all night coughing.. but that's what happened. Nothing.. and I mean nothing, could stop that cough. She was coughing so hard she was gagging : - ( Paul finally chased me into bed at 3am, saying he would stay up with Olivia but he needed me to get Moira up and off to school. I passed out as soon as I lay my head on the pillow. My alarm woke me at 630am. I didn't hear anything so I go tup to check on Paul and Olivia. He was asleep in the recliner. I woke him up (poor guy) to find out what happened. He had given her some bread and butter to eat right after I went to bed. He ended up turning on the TV for a while. Olivia started to cycle down her coughing and by 530am, he put her down in the crib. She finally fell asleep. I got Moira up and dressed. She looked so cute today! She has a Valentine's Day party at school (awwww) today. She brought in her 22 Valentines with these cute little crochet hearts I was given by one of my Mom's friends. I zipped over to Wal-Mart after Moira got on the bus. I figured I should get the kidlets a card and some little things. I even got a card for whatshisname.. you know.. the guy that lives here too! LOL!

Your Daily Horoscope: February 13, 2002 Gemini: If things aren't going the way you hoped or expected them to, find a way to take control of the situation. When it comes to implementing plans and ideas, drivers do far better than navigators right now. With your hands on the wheel, no one else has to suffer from your ongoing urge to shift direction. Your time is best spent among people who share your philosophies, Gemini. You may even feel like proposing marriage to someone who is obviously on your wavelength.

SO tired... This cold is really kicking my butt. By 130 this afternoon, I had fallen asleep in the recliner in my living room. I actually slept pretty well. I woke up in time to wake up Olivia from HER nap and pick up Moira at the bus stop. I was lazy tonight, just made burgers and pasta salad for dinner. The kids were pretty happy with it. Moira is now complaining of pain in her left ear (Oy!). I guess we might be back at the doctor's office sooner than I would like. Olivia has been hacking and coughing... poor baby. We set up a warm mist humidifier in her room about 35 minutes ago. We had already given her a nebulizer treatment and Triaminic Cough and Cold to try to stop her cough. She has no chest congestion - just a damn runny nose that won't quit. So, when she lays down, a few minutes of post nasal drip, and BAM - coughing fits. She seems quiet now - I would keep my fingers crossed but it would be *really hard to type! ::insert rimshot:: Thank you... thank you very much! Can you tell it's been a loong day?

I just wanted to say hi again to Jason and thank him for linking me : - ) What can I say? The man obviously has good taste ::grin::

Here's those frames....

Great story from David - Hefty Bill with Added Insult Shocks Telecom Customer

I checked the referrals on my site meter. I saw that I am listed #1 for this Google search! What the hell is that??!!

Ugh - such a long day. Paul had the day off today - thank God. I ended up going back to bed by 1015 this morning. I was so exhausted. Woke up around noon.. still feeling like crap. At least I wasn't sleepy. Moira is feeling better so she is going to school on Wednesday. I kept Olivia out of her BabyPower class today.. she's still contagious. Trust me - I know this ::cough:::sniffle:: After dinner tonight, I had decided to work on some "crafty" stuff. I painted and decorated some picture frames. They turned out *really* cute. I am so proud of myself. I will post pictures up tomorrow so I can show off my newly developed glue gun skills! I finally saw the season finale of Sex and the City tonight. Can't believe Richard cheated on Samantha - that dick. But, I guess he *had to do it.. I mean, if Samantha had fallen in love and hooked up for good, the show would have totally Jumped the Shark. Will blog more in the morning... I am fading out quickly! Night all!

Woohoo! From Susan
Which Sex and the City Player Are You? Find out @ She's Crafty You're smart, witty, trustworthy, level-headed and industrious. You value your independance above all else. Success is very important to you. You give the impression that you may be a little jaded, but you still harbour school-girl fantasies of finding someone who'll make you giggle and blush. You can also be almost irrationally compulsive at times and are excessively cynical. Structure, order and schedual are very important to you. You have no tolerance for the majority of men these days. You find their behaviour completely unfathomable, and feel that if a man's over thirty and single, there's something wrong with him. It's Darwinian. They're being weeded out from propagating the species. Miranda quotes: "I know you're probably busy having mind-blowing sex, but I feel you need to know that your good friend, Miranda Hobbes, has just taken a piece of cake out of the garbage and eaten it. You'll probably need this information when you check me into the "Betty Crocker Clinic." "I used to masturbate to a busboy who was rude to me once. What do you think that means?" "Men are so concerned about their balls. Women don't care. We care about nice arms, great eyes, a big dick...I've never once heard a woman say: "He had such a big full scrotum."

Prayers and hugs going out to Susan and her mom. Susan's mom will be seeing the oncologist next month. {{{{Healthy Vibes}}}}

Good morning again... I am sick ::cough cough:: Crap. Got the kids in to see the new pedi (whom I *really* like). We did have to wait an hour in the waiting room but I can't really complain about that. We were brand new patients and they got us in the same day. Mighty cool of them. Anywho, the dr wants us to come back in a month so he can evaluate Moira's ear. He wanted to see how she would do after a full course of medicine and then an additional 2 weeks. He wants to see if the fluid is gone. Olivia is contagious (like I didn't know that! LOL). He wanted us to really keep an eye on her due to the dehydration possibility. She had a HUGE allergic reaction last night while I was at Bonkos. Her arm was all swollen and her hand puffed up too. Paul took a picture of her arm - so I could see it when I got home. Holy shit - her arm looked awful.. my poor baby : - ( Now, I think the cat has to go. I was chastised by the doctor yesterday about the cat too. It's so hard... I *know she will be put to sleep. I just hate the thought of her freaking out, being in a strange place, and considered unadoptable ::sigh:: Anyone out there want a 12 year old cranky black cat?

What a morning! I managed to: 1.Call the insurance company and switch pedis, request a new provider book, and let them know about Moira's trip to the ER 2 Call the new pedi and get appointments for both girls, today at 330pm. 3.Dig up paperwork on the girls' shots amd allergy information 4.Call Debbie (Daisy Scout leader for Moira's troop) and plan out the next 6 meeting, including all craft and snack activities. 5.Pick out 5 craft activities for Daisies from the Oriental Trading catalog 6.Pick out a craft activity for my next 3 Sunday School classes. 7.Wash, dry, fold, and put away laundry Kill me.. please...

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