some bad news and the creative moose wanders around unsupervised

I got a letter from mom and daddy this morning stating that their ability to do any travelling this year is more than likely going to be nixed. This really kind of sucks for them because they have gotten to where they go to Indiana once a year to visit with my brother, his wife and their kids. The reason why their plans are pretty much shot is because of this:

http://www.modbee.com/local/story/564758.html

Mom's been working for them for several years. Thankfully, there should be some semblance of a severance check...but we all know that the money doesnt last all that long and she aint exactly a spring chicken. Let me rephrase that, it's going to be a trifle more difficult for her to find a job as she'll be turning 59 in August and has no more than a high school diploma (she became a housewife right after graduation). She and I are alot alike, all we know is retail.

In answer to the Grand Pooba's question in the last entry, yes, that is where the new title came from. I'd been thinking for weeks that this blog needed a different title and had been looking for something that sounded just right. I pulled up lyrics to all my favortie songs, and scoured the motivational/ inspirational quote sites, finding nothing that captured my attention. Then, while my mind was on something else entirely (namely a quote that Chicago and I saw on a t-shirt last night that I thought would just work for what I wanted), the creative moose gnawed through her lead, kicked down the stall door and commensed to singing show tunes. She wasnt singing just any show tune either...oh no. She pulled up one from my choir and theater past....that particular song from Pippin. Mind you, I hadnt thought of that musical in years.... Anyhow, it seems to match my mood lately.

Now to come up for snappy titles for the other 5 blogs on this account.....

today's ride:
Calories burned: 373.3
trip miles: 10.66
ave mph: 21.32

packages, plates and preparing for a trip

A package showed up today from my folks in California. YAY!! In it were 2 packages for each of us, one for BOTH of us and a big gold pressy with a strip of "Happy Birthday" paper across the front of it. In the emailled instructions I received a few days ago I was told that "there is one package among the shipment that you'll KNOW that you can open right away". I would gather that since all the other boxes were labelled "no peeking" and "dont open until Christmas" that the one gold box was the one I was to open right away. So, like a child, I ripped right into that package and what to my eyes should appear but a beautiful porcelain dolly dressed in blue and white. According to her tag, her name's Melissa.

I called mom and let her know the pressies arrived and we talked for a bit. We decided that since
we'll be busy tomorrow with the dr appt and travelling AND because we wont be home for Christmas Day (and we didnt want to haul all the gifts to TN and back NOR wanted to wait til we got home), that hubby and I could open the gifts tonight. He got a couple pairs of really warm lounger pants for when he steps outside to pollute his lungs and a new watch. I guess the latter will be set aside for when the one he has now (one that my mom bought him last year...) finally kills. I got a nice fleece button up jacket and a Donna Karan Cashmere Mist perfume and body lotion gift set (hmm...ummm....same exact set I got from her last year...). Also in the box was cosmetic bag (I dont wear makeup *usually*) filled with perfume samples (I dont normally wear alot of perfume and am still working on the samples from 2 years ago....), and a caddy for all our small electronics stuff (like the cell phones). The caddy is going to go upstairs on the dresser. Im sure it'll come in handy. I think next year Im gonna steer her to my Amazon wishlist. I know how some people feel about those things but it's the one way to make sure I dont end up with yet another DK Cashmere perfume set ...again. Better yet, I'll hint that I need some painting supplies....or a nice piece of jewelry...I dont have much of that. Oh wait...no not that, I'll end up with another watch...

While I was at it, I opened the package that had arrived from a dear friend in Pennsylvania. It's been sitting on my computer cart downstairs for a few days now, just waiting on an approved Christmas wrap unwrapping day. Normally, it would have waited for Christmas morning as per my usual behavior. Why? Because when I was married to The Jerkus, we never had any money to do for each other and the only presents under the Christmas tree were ones we'd gotten from family, friends and the students at the school we'd been working for. There were some really nice things in those presents. Many times, that's where our Christmas meal would end up coming from. Sad really. Anyhow, I opened the pressie from our OCHA Santa himself, iggy, and there was a small calendar (and the autographs of the people from the company he works for) and a decorative box with 2 cds of Christmas music and a dvd with a cozy fireplace! Oh lookit this! One of the songs is one I sang in choir....I dont think I've ever found that song anywhere else!!

Well I guess I better go. I have to get a shower and get packed and clean up the kitchen and and and...well you get the idea. Oh! Before I forget, I got another one of my license plates posted over at http://horriblelicenseplates.blogspot.com/2008/12/sorry-about-your-inferiority-complex.html . Thank you for the honor Mr & Ms HLP!

Oh and today's ride is the last for about a week as we'll be headed outta town tomorrow, unless the obgyn decides I MUST be sent somewhere the day after Christmas, then I wont be going anywhere. We should be back by the 28th or 29th.

Today's ride was a nice comfortable ride, not overly working it (like yesterday) but not exactly lazing off either.
Calories burned: 373.8
trip miles: 10.68
ave mph: 21.36

Everyone have a Merry Christmas, Happy Yule or whatever you're celebrating this time of year and I'll see you next week. Oh and steer clear of the inflatocrap whenever possible.

unusual letter

Calories burned: 321.4

miles travelled: 9.18

average mph: 18.36

I got an email from daddy earlier last week telling me that I had gotten some mail at their place in California and what did I want done with it? Well I took a look at the scan he sent along and saw a couple big huge glaring errors. Although the return address SAYS it's from the right school, the return address itself was totally wrong. Then, when you look where it's addressed TO me (names and addresses removed for protection) it shows where I supposedly graduated FROM. Ok, I give them points for getting the year correct but the school name is wrong. Top things off....my parents' address? Well I havent had that as a mailing address for what, about 5 years now? My dad emailled later letting me know my brother had gotten the same thing in the mail and so he'd written asking about it. My brother told him that his (my brother's) current address is on file through the school's credit union and wouldnt be contacting him through our parent's place. He went on to say that anything arriving claiming that it was from our school needs to be destroyed because it's bogus. My brother also sent along a link that may be of interest :

http://columbusin.proboards34.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=hcimemberinfo&thread=143&page=5

If you scroll down to the 4th or 5th entry on that page, you can see where this school alumni start to discuss it.

I wrote dad back and told him to RTS it....

cd,floss, a birthday on the horizon, flu shots and marbles

As you can see by the decor I have up, I'm extremely excited about a certain cd that's coming out very soon. I cant tell you how much Im anticipating this cd. If it's anything like his pre-Idol stuff, it's going to be one friggin awesome cd. The only thing that's going to manage to get me through until his release date is the fact P!nk is releasing a new album this week. I've listened to the preview of this cd several times already and I cant wait to add it to my collection.

http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/pink/2339248/album.jhtml

The first song on the album is the one getting airtime now.

A couple of weeks ago I got an ad through the mail from AC Moore's Craft store. Knowing how much my mom loves to do embroidery, I dropped her a line letting her know they had the flosses on sale at 8/$1...which is an AWESOME price for them because a normal sale price is 4/$1. The sale was for only two days though, so she'd have to hurry to get them. She wrote back to say that she doesnt have an AC Moore's nearby and was rather bummed about it because it's a ~REALLY~ good deal. A follow-up email asked if I'd mind picking some up for her if she'd send a list of colors along...she'd be happy to pay the cost of the floss and shipping. Of course I didnt mind, it gave me a real good excuse to go and pick up some for myself as well....not as though I really needed them but it's good to have on hand in case I feel like stitching. I walked out of AC Moore's with 90 some odd skeins of floss for a bit over $12. Cant argue with that.

I managed to get all but a half dozen or so that she needed. I decided the next day to go to WalMart and see about getting the rest as WalMart's always been the least expensive around. Imagine my surprise that they no longer carry embroidery flosses. Say WHAT???!!!?? So I ended up going to Michael's instead and getting the rest of the colors needed. While there, I decided on picking up a couple items to help fill the shipping box out somewhat. I decided on a set of pillowcases that has a pattern on it so you can embroider flowers on them. There were several sets, but the one set that caught my eye was one that was mostly done in the lazy-daisy stitch. I knew that was a stitch she liked to do best because the piece went fast. I also picked her up some bobbin labeling stickers for her spools of floss. Well I get them shipped off but just tell her the floss is on the way...I made no mention of the "I Love You" gifts I enclosed. I figure turn about's fair play....she always does it to me. This Friday I get an email from her and it starts out:

"Package arrived in fine shape this morning. Something funny must have been
going on during the trip out. The floss gave birth to a set of pillow cases and
bobbin labels. STRANGE!!!"

I love her sense of humor.

Got an email from my SIL in Indiana Saturday night letting me know my niece's birthday card showed up. Thank goodness. I always worry because I always enclose sometime special in the cards. Her kids love getting those little special treats because it always means a trip to Toys R Us which I guess is a rarity in that family. She also let me know that what I had planned for the Christmas presents was a great idea (personalized story books)...especially since it is so darned hard finding ANYTHING with the girl's name on it anywhere. It's as bad or worse than finding personalized stuff for myself. Oh, mine isnt so bad now a days...but when I was a kid it was considered a very rare name.

I was in reading my comics, as per usual and saw this one:

Which reminds me that we arrived into Scorpio as of Friday....which means someone's birthday is coming up in very very short order. Who knows how to bake a traffic cone shaped cake? Remember...it needs to be frosted in OCHA orange.

Has everyone got their flu shots yet? I got mine on Friday. Damn did it ever hurt. I guess it beats the alternative:

I've got something else to share but it can wait until I get up later or maybe sometime the next day. I've got more than enough photos in here as it is. However, before I sign out...I found something in Google that may be interesting. We all know that at times our darling Marmie tends to act like she's lost her marbles (kinda reminds me of Tootles the pirate) ......well here ya are dah'lin...I found them:

weight, weather, way annoying phone calls and word from home

Oh how I know that feeling! I mentioned a couple weeks back to Chicago that I was looking at getting a recumbent exercise bike. I had one all picked out at that point on the WalMart site and all I had to do is order it. After a discussion with hubby, it was decided that he'd put it on the WalMart card. So I figured he'd get right to it. Ummmhmm. I finally mentioned it once too often and he handed over the card so I could place the order. We're having it delivered to the Wally World right down the road from us. We could have had it delivered here for an extra fee but we were afraid they'd want to deliver on a Monday or Tuesday and the next 2 Mondays and Tuesdays are all tied up with doctor appointments. I can't wait to get my hands on it. I'm tired of my legs and corresponding joints giving me fits. Most of all Im tired of not being comfortable walking and standing. Like Mr Lockhorn is saying in the comic to the right "My body is in perfect balance...everything is falling apart at the same time."



The weather has been nice here. Last week was nicer than this week. This week it warmed up some and we've had to shut the windows and turn the AC back on again. I'm not overly happy with that. I was enjoying the nice fresh air we were getting. It was a very nice change of pace. I was kinda hoping the trees in the area would show us some nice bright colors this year, Texas never had it that's for sure. However, so far this year, we've had some yellows and asgoodasdead browns. There are already leaves on the ground and some of the trees are bare in less than a week's time.



Thanks to the upcoming election here in the states, my phone (and my doorbell) has been ringing seemingly nonstop. As much as I'd like to say that I'm getting it from both parties, I'm not. I do want to thank the party that's been harrassing me, it's a real good way to get me to vote for anyone other than your candidate. I got so annoyed the day before yesterday that I dug up on the Comcast website instructions on how to block certain calls and ya know? It's been a real peaceful couple of days. As for the doorbell, I'm about ready to answer it while naked. With any luck it'll scare the volunteers littering my yard with their crappy fliers as well as any potential annoying "Witnesses" away. I will be so damn glad when this election is over with. Oh, and before anyone slams me for not liking their candidate because the volunteers are harrassing me constantly, I can't stand either one of the main choices this time around (whether they're harrassing me or not)....not one bit.

Got an email the other day from home. Seems the ex wrote and has had a parole hearing earlier this month and that "things looked good" for his release. However, ALL paroles and approved releases were put on hold because an earlier parolee had killed a cop at a traffic stop. All prisoners that had been approved for work outside the prison walls were recalled from their jobs as well. Now, as much as I'd like to have them keep him locked away forever, why should those who have done their time....and made steps to rehabilitation....be punished for the one creep that couldn't keep his actions in check? The letter went on to say that all the property that had been left at the apartment that he was renting prior to his arrest had gone to a sister's house and then eventually to his folks house. From what I gather, that's where he'll be released to when he finally gets out. Here I was under the impression he'd have to stay in the state of his incarceration for a few years before he could leave and file as a sex-offender. Maybe I was mistaken? Or maybe they failed to mention this to him yet? This is, however, possible good news though as Im in hopes that he'll still have a few of the items that I'd left behind and will be nice enough to send them along to my family. Then again, knowing how he is, it's more than likely he was just saying what he thought they wanted to hear. *SHRUGZ*