Android Blogging

This morning as I was catching up on my swap threads, I came across instructions from April on posting via cell phone. And here I am. I won't say it is the easiest thing to do, but I am sure I will get the hang of it. Thanks April :-*

On New Years Eve, Main Squeeze and I went snowshoeing for the first time. I had given them to him for Christmas 2011, but there was never enough snow. As we were traversing the snow covered field, I told him how I had been thinking of listing '13 Things To Do in 2013' and now I could not use 'try something new' for snowshoeing. He suggested it could be grandfathered in. I am more of a stickler.

Blogging through my phone, however, can officially count as 'learn something new'. Now to decide if that is synonymous with 'try something new' ;-)

Happy New Year!!

My Million Dollar Check is Gone in the Wind

Just about an hour ago, a large black pickup truck took out our mailbox. (I do not know why I mention it was large and black; Perhaps you know him?) I heard a thump and looked out to see the box flying. The truck did not even slow down. Took another glance and realized the pole is now not even a stump.

Princess A said today was probably the day we got that letter stating we had won $1 million. (Did I mention it is terribly windy outside?).

I told her, "Now you know why I insist you wait for the bus halfway down the driveway rather than at the end." "Oh"

But as with many things there is good news:

I got a new mailbox about 6 months ago and have been waiting for Main Squeeze to install it. That is double-sided good news - good that he had not done it yet, good that it will now get done

Good that it was not Roxy out for her afternoon constitutional that got hit. (Gemini is never off leash in the front cuz she is too foolish)

Good that I was not out collecting the mail from the box at the time

Good that I am not hosting a swap right now, as the mailbox was full. I hope I collected everything, but with this wind, who knows? There certainly was not our winning Million Dollar check, so I have no idea what else was lost

RIP Dear Departed Mailbox. You were a hard worker and a good friend.

I have a line from this song stuck in my head; "I guess nothing can last forever"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFjjO_lhf9c&ob=av3n

My Craft Room Needs a Name

It has been a while since I blogged, and here with the New Year (again), it seems time to get back into it.

My stamp room needs a name. Every other room has a name. Not Susie or Joe, but exciting names like Living Room and Princess A's Bedroom. We do have an itty room with a(n unwatched) TV in it that has come to be referred to as the Den. I tried recently to rechristen it the Office, because Main Squeeze does have a desk and computer in there, but that just does not seem to be going anywhere. Since I stamp everything I make with a red wolf, Den seems appropriate, but we cannot have two Dens. How about Wolf's Den, you ask. Well, not too far away there is a casino, two of 'em actually, but this one in particular has ads for the Wolf Den. I cannot have a craft room with the same name as a smoking, drinking, gambling joint, although I did tell my doctor the other day that in my next life I was going to do all those things as well as drugs and hooking cuz refraining does not seem to have mattered health-wise, but that is another story. You can see how having that same name does not appeal... in this life at least.

I bring this plea to you, my faithful followers, as it has been more than a year now and I am stuck. What shall I name my stamping room?

Be the Dog

The other day I was outside with Roxy, throwing a tennis ball and eating a handful of M&M's. OK, more than a handful. After each return, Roxy would look at my fist hopefully, but received no candy. I told her, "M&M's aren't good for dogs. Frankly they aren't good for people either."

This got me thinking. I wonder, if dogs were the superior being (as we humans like to consider ourselves), would they destroy their bodies with the doggie equivalent of our junk-food and bad habits?

I tend to think they would do a better job of living.



(I got the title for this post from a friend's website. Be sure to tell Carolyn I sent you!)

New Year's Resolutions

It is that time of year to be thinking again about New Year's Resolutions. Well, actually it is a little bit late to just begin thinking about it, hence the need for a change...

I like resolutions that are quick and easy and then I don't have to think about them again. One year I decided my NYR would be that I would drink more, as in alcohol. This seems strange, unless of course you have the detail that I don't drink, well rarely anyway. Every once in a while I will go on a binge. A binge for me being that I might have a single drink two nights in a row! So anyway, this particular year I decided I will drink more. I don't know if it was metaphoric for have more fun or get out more or what (clearly this is a theme for me as you will see in a minute), but as I told my partner at work (yes this was a long time ago) since I did not drink anything, all I had to do was have one beer and my NYR was complete! Quick, easy, painless. And so totally not in the spirit...

This year I have several thoughts. One idea is to find a hobby that gets me out of the house. You may be thinking, but what about SONE and Tuesday nights? I do leave the house for that. But I am thinking perhaps something with more of a social basis. Although I get to see some wonderful friends there, we are not supposed to talk during rehearsal. And as all my riser mates know, I never do ... Reading is another hobby that gets me out of the house, but alas, going to the library is not exactly social. Shopping for stamping supplies probably would not count either.

Resolution #2 may actually happen. Honor my commitments in a more timely manner. No more turning in swaps at the last minute, or answering emails several days late. I am going to keep my web projects (SONE Facebook and Members Only) updated within days of the request, rather than a week or so later. And this blog, lets see, shall I aim for posting cards within one day of their assembly? (Perhaps start thinking about NYRs before the new year?) You will know as well as I how well this Resolution is working...

My final thought of a NYR is to keep my mouth shut, even when asked for an opinion. ... Yeah, I don't think that one is going to happen either. I guess I will just have to keep getting into trouble. Besides some of my favorite people would be very upset if I went quiet; and since I see them every Tuesday and the others who would like to see my mouth closed much less often... Oh wait, I just remembered we are not supposed to talk on the risers...

Facebook Status

Oftentimes I realize I am narrating my life in the third person so it will fit within my Facebook status. Today for example:

Gael is reading.

Gael is wondering if there is any more chicken soup

Gael could not find any chicken soup, so I had brownies instead. (shhh don't tell my mother)

Gael just saw the mailman on the other side of the street.

Gael feels kinda badly for the mailman having me for a customer cuz I get lots of heavy mail and it is a walking route.

Gael has calculated that it takes one song by Van Halen, another by Prince, half a song by Fine Young Cannibals, and a Beach Boys tune for the Mailman to get to my house from when I last saw him.

Gael thinks the mailman is kinda cute, but not as cute as the Fed Ex guy. I cannot remember where the UPS guy fits in; I am still kinda angry at him for leaving a package on my back step in the pouring rain and not even knocking on the door.

Gael kinda overuses the word 'kinda'

Gael is going to take a shower now

Gael is mailing lots of Birthday cards and some swap cards today

Gael is annoyed by the constant complaining of the mothers at Parent pickup regarding the traffic problems (why don't they just put their kid on the bus?!) but I am not above rolling down the window a little bit to hear them better.

Gael is waiting for Princess A to try on her new blouse and skirt

Gael has finished reading the book from Roberta, the one from Mom and is ready to start on the two from Laura Lee.


It is fortunate I do not have a Blackberry or my Facebook friends would be subject to second by second updates on what I am doing.

Fiona

My Christmas tree is named Fiona. She has always been named Fiona, from the time I was out of my parents house and had my own tree separate from theirs. I don't know why, it just always seems to fit her. How many little girls have been named Fiona, I wonder, since the release of Shrek

My good friend Cheryl says she and her husband used to leave their tree up until whenever, but now the goal is to get it down before their child's birthday. I thought this is a great time frame perhaps I would adopt it, too. After all, she is still healthy and I enjoy the lights. Of course the birthday to which Cheryl refers is Jan 12th, while Princess A's big day is not til February 18th.

Alas, Miss Fiona was put out to pasture today. And I do mean that literally. She is in the backyard next to the bird feeders in the hope that birdies will find her branches inviting and come by to visit. The sight of Christmas Trees (especially those that are still perfectly healthy) out by the side of the road always depresses me. Such a sad sight. Fiona will live with us until there is no longer green in her needles. Then, I guess she will have the traditional burial - being tossed over the hill into the woods in the backyard.

Dream Interpretation

Last night Princess A had a nightmare that Vampires were chasing her. When she got up this morning she was afraid to get in the shower cuz she did not want them to storm out of the shower head and attack. (Yes, the child has quite the imagination, which is probably why she gets such kudos from her teachers for her short stories and poetry, but I digress). I attempted to reassure her that vampires do not go out when it is daylight; that they are sleeping somewhere underground. All the while in the back of my mind is a running dialogue that in the Twilight series, Edward et al. state this is a myth. Fortunately Princess A has not read these books, so my argument held water (no pun intended. OK, yes it was, who am I kidding?) Thinking about it now, I realize there is also Interview with a Vampire, The Vampire Lestat and Dead Until Dark, which state it actually is true about sleeping through the day, so I guess we could just go with majority rule in this case. Thanks to my friend Roberta, I have read a fair amount of Vampire literature in the past few weeks.

I remember a dream I had about being on a band trip with my mom as the nurse (Not much of a stretch there as my mom always was the nurse on the band trips). For some reason the trip was starting on this dirt path next to the house in which I grew up. Also starring in my dream was a boy I knew; we used to call Chippy. (Don't know why, his parents started it, so this is how we were introduced) He was not in the band, nor did he even attend the same school til I was a senior so I have no idea why he was there, but such is the nature of dreams, I guess. So in my dream I start bleeding out the eyes shortly before Chippy vomits at the side of the driveway into his hands (this second part is not much of a stretch again, as he truly did this when we were about 10). As I start crying to my mom about bleeding out my eyeballs she ignores me and puts her arm around the newly vomited Chippy to lead him toward the house. I start screaming, "but Mom I am BLEEDING OUT MY EYEBALLS!" She tells me, "You are always complaining." Then she walks away. I wonder what a psychiatrist would make of that...

Easing in

Although this has been the longest Christmas break I think Princess A has ever had, it was much too short. (and much too warm, for that matter) This first week back to school, however could not have worked out better. So far there has been an hour delay on Monday, school was canceled on Wednesday and today was a 90-minute delay. I was wondering how she would fare with jumping right back in full throttle. I am just as happy not to have found out.