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Fri - December 26, 2008
End of a Year
Well, then end of another year is here. The
death of my great-niece (to SIDS) was NOT a good way to end the year. Let's
hope next year is better.
I'm at the end of a big project at work, too.
We're switching to a new student information system and, somehow, that's mainly
MY project, so I'm pretty nervous about January. Training for the program
starts the 5th and we hope to go live with the program on the 15th. I should be
working on creating reports that we'll use with the program and such as that,
but I'm just not in the mood
today.
We're in Salt Lake for Christmas
and it's snowing and snowing and snowing. I"m not sure how much show we've
gotten in the last 24 hours, but it looked like at least a foot to me. I could
be wrong...but I'm judging by the fact that Chad shoveled 2 inches yesterday
earlier in the afternoon, then again before we left for a family visit and he
had to shovel again this morning to get us out of the driveway. Looking at the
depth of the snow by the driveway, it looks like a foot or so. It's wet and
heavy...perfect for snowman building, but we haven't had a chance to get out
there, yet. :)
Thu - November 20, 2008
Glam
I happened upon these 40's
and 50's style cards this morning and wanted to share the fun.
Reading about some of the models, how they became
models, what they did after and how they feel about these cards now was a treat.
To find that many of them gave up lucrative modeling careers to become mothers,
social worker and, for one to work on the Manhattan Project. All intelligent,
strong women who knew what they wanted and, and
blessed with beauty understood it's fleetingness and shallowness. "Susann
always believed that the accident of nature that gave her "good cheeckbones" had
little to do with a person's true
worth."The women of Anne Taintor
are definitely women to admire!
Wed - November 19, 2008
Finally...a Post!
I haven't blogged much lately, but it's been
pretty quite. Just a few things:
We had to put Max down a week ago. He had
apparently developed cancer and by the time we caught it there was nothing we
could do...he probably wouldn't have lasted the weekend. So we put him down
gently.
Yesterday, however, when I
arrived home after work, I opened my car door and a black lab puppy (6 months
old maybe) came running up, sat down and demanded to be petted. His collar had
no tag, but he's obviously well loved. We put him in the fence and called the
vet and we're hoping to find his people today. He slept upstairs with us and
that went ok, but Bernoulli is very unimpressed with him getting our attention.
There was much grrring, and not the playful kind. But once the lights were out
everyone went to sleep and the grrring ceased...only to commenced this
morning.
I've discovered twitter...I
didn't find it useful until I realized I can update my facebook status with it.
So it's the gadget app of the week. (See right column under pic)
Thu - April 24, 2008
Elliott Benjamin Weiss
I just had to share a few photos:
Tue - April 22, 2008
Happy Birthday!
 Happy
Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Biiirrrthday, dear Elliott Benjamin
Weiss!
Happy Birthday to
you!
and congratulations, Mommy and
Daddy Weiss!
Tue - April 8, 2008
The Blind Can See...sort of
 When
I was in 3rd grade, I started asking the teacher to use the white chalk instead
of the yellow chalk because I could see it better. I moved up front to take
notes and was generally irritated at her for making my life hard.
So Mom took me to the optometrist. This was the
second trip that year; the first trip proved my eyes to be just fine. But by
the second trip the E at the top of the chart looked like an 8. In just a few
months I went from fine to blind.So
began my life with glasses. I've worn, stepped on, rolled over on, and
continually lost (only because I couldnt see them...someone always found them
very close by) more pairs of glasses than I can remember. i've had wire frames,
plastic frames, green, red and turquoise frames. I went from glass lenses to
plastic fairly quickly because of the weight of them and in High School was
introduced to contacts.Oh, how I loved
my contacts! I didn't feel like I was hiding behind a wall anymore...I could
wear sunglasses...I could see in the
pool...hallelujah!Then I moved to
Gainesville, Florida, where the allergy doctors tell you everyone is allergic.
There are, actually, prehistoric plants in some areas down there and suddenly I
was itchy, irritable and stuffy all the time. After the 3rd eye infection I had
to give up the contacts. The fabulous 5 year run was over. I was back in
glasses.I tried several times over the
years to go back to contacts, but my eyes just refuse to adjust to them. I have
an astigmatism, so every blink moves the contacts around a bit causing
irritation. And, of course, my eye sight was even worse than it had been in
High School.So I gave up all attempts
at contacts and watched the Laser Surgeries get better and better. As the rate
of success climbed, so did my desire to be free of my problem. I couldn't even
see the time on the clock beside my bed...very
frustrating.So, after years of
planning and waiting, I had Laser surgery last Friday. Hurrah!
Except:OK...everyone talks about how
great Lasik is, but what if you can't have Lasik? What if your cornea is too
thin and your eye sight too bad and your astigmatism too severe? What then?
Well, they have an answer for that, too. It's called PRK.
Very similary to Lasik. Except;There
is more irritation (and pain...truly, at some point it isn't irritation, it's
pain...thank God they gave my codeine!) The healing process takes longer, which
means the irritation lasts for weeks and vision isn't stable, either. So here I
am, no glasses, no contacts and my vision is blurry. NEVERTHELESS! I am happy!
I can see the clock and I see improvement in my vision every day. My biggest
problem 10 days after surgery is that the computer screen is hard to
read.For the first several days, I
could see but not read. I took codeine every 6 hours and sometimes more often.
I slept a LOT. I missed a day of work (for healing, in addition to the day I
missed for the surgery) and wanted to miss the entire week. I've moaned and
buried my head under a blanket to sleep away the aggravation at some point
almost every day for the first week. But 10 days in, I'm really seeing
improvement. I read every sign out loud...I point out anything that catches my
attention...I show off at every opportunity. I'm able to read, for a while, at
least...my eyes need a rest every hour or so of detailed work. But every day is
better and I'm excited to find out how I will be seeing in another few
days!
Wed - February 27, 2008
THE Ring
About a year ago, remember, our family grew from
2 people and 2 dogs to 2 people and 4 dogs. Murray and Bernoulli came to
stay.
Also about a year ago, I lost the diamond in my
engagement ring. This is no coincidence. Our 'little' Murray was in a playful
mood and managed to get his teeth around just the diamond and he pulled. I
warned him that he'd become stew if he ate my diamond, so when it popped out he
didn't eat
it. I
managed to find it, only to drop it on the hardwood and lose it between 2
boards. We searched and searched, but never have found
it.So for Valentine's
Day/Anniversary/'Because He Loves Me' Chad bought me a new ring! Yes, I was bad
and kept pestering him and even found THE one as well as a couple of others and
showed them to him. He really liked this one and now it's on my finger! Our
set is two-toned with diamonds inlaid in the silver, so this matches very well.
Just had to share the
joy!
Fri - February 22, 2008
Blech
 You
know...a long time ago I stopped drinking Mountain Dew with caffeine in it. I'm
kind of addicted to the caffeine free variety, though.
There was a long while where I could drink a
Mountain Dew (with caffeine) right before going to sleep. And heaven forbid I
not have a Dew when I traveled! I took it with me because most of the people I
stay with don't drink it.
Well, I
decided that, really, there is no need for all that caffeine and I should stop.
So I bought the caffeine free (unleaded) and drank one regular in the mornings,
then stuck with unleaded the rest of the day. I didn't go through horrible
withdrawals, but my body got used to not having so much caffeine in it.
Eventually I got rid of regular completely.
But every once in a while I run out at
home and can't make it to the right store so I pick up some regular. I did this
several weeks ago, and, since I bring a couple cans with me to work I had some
of the regular in the work fridge.
This
morning I have my unleaded, as usual, but forgot that I didn't have more
unleaded at work, so after lunch I pulled out that last remaining regular
Dew.
Blech! I haven't had a regular
right after an unleaded and, wow, the taste difference is there! I don't
remember noticing it before, but...blech! It's not as bad as the aspartame
taste of diet drinks, but it's close.
Tue - February 5, 2008
Dreams
I worked with a financial company for 6 years,
both in Florida and in Utah. It was exciting, stressful, fun and exhausting. I
was happy to be done with it when I left.
At least I thought I was. Thirteen years later,
I still dream about working there. The office is usually different and many of
the people are different, but it is a financial company, I'm making loans and
taking payments and there is more to get done than can possibly ever be
accomplished...just like in real
life.
What does this mean? Do I miss
the excitement an energy? Or am I scarred for life?
Sun - January 27, 2008
Tingmissartoq!
My Rock Band - the
meme
1. Click on this
link. The title of the
page is the name of your band.
2. Click on
this
link. The last four
words of the final quotation on the page are the title of your
album.
3. Click on
this
link. The third picture
is your album cover.
4. Take the picture, add your band
name and album title and ta da! You have your first album!
Tingmissartoq was the name give to a Lockheed
Sirius flown by Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh in the 1930s. The word means
"one who flies like a big bird".
Thu - January 3, 2008
Old Things Become New
 Well,
it's been a while since I've updated here and a lot has happened. I'm sure I'll
update things as time goes on.
For
now...it's a new year and, of course, we're looking forward to new things.
Well, maybe not 'new', necessarily, but perhaps recycled, refashioned and
reused!
We're getting a bumpy start to
2008, as Chad is currently giving up caffeine cold turkey, so he's not feeling
great right now. And his bird died this morning...yes, Elvis, again, has left
the building. We'll miss our loud little lovebird and Moxie, the cockatiel will
miss him more.
Also, the church we
attend will be closing its doors in a few months and, in unrelated news, we're
experiencing a bit of a financial upturn, so we'll be closing some accounts.
Funny...we're beginning the new year,
but there are so many endings happening right now. Somehow I think it will be a
year of endings...and perhaps tentative beginnings, as well. I feel like
several things will slowly wind down and be put aside as other things are
planned and plotted, hopefully to blossom into
richness.
I hope that doesn't all sound
depressing and melancholy. Truly, some endings are good and lead us to better
things. We fully expect this to be a year of excitement and new opportunity,
lots of changes that will, in the end, be blessings.
Thu - June 21, 2007
You've Got to Be Kidding
Yes! YOU, TOO, can own a board! A cutting board! That can be used as a table
top! Set it anywhere! On table! On a counter! On the stovetop! It's pretty!
You can cut on it! It's wood!
And it's only $40.
Seriously. For less money I can go to
Home Depot (or Lowe's...I'm not free advertising...) and buy a piece of wood,
stain it any color I want and cut it to any size I like. And, unless I'm
actually cutting on it...why do I need a board on my counter? 'The
Overboard'. Exactly.OR!
Invisible ink! Write secret messages! Write
messages that are secret! It shows up when warmed and disappears when cool!
It's cool!And it's
$16.OR!...OR!...use lemon juice. It's
$1.60.I'm beginning to
feel cynical and it's only 8:30 in the morning. Could be an interesting
day.
Thu - June 7, 2007
Meet and Greet
Chad and I finally met with some friends we found on the internet! Gary, Weasel, Matilda and Gert were driving through
Georgia on their way to Disney World, so we met them in Atlanta for
dinner.
We had such a good time and did so much talking
that Gert finally started saying, "Plug it up!" so they could get to the hotel
pool! I was so nervous that we'd all get together and have nothing to say, eat
in silence, then part, wondering why we met. You know, some relationships just
shouldn't be taken off line. But no! We had a great time! Maybe next time
we'll get to know the kids a little better,
too.Let's see...there was talk of
knitting, philosophy, physics...a lot of other things thrown in, and some really
great humor. Although I think I laughed hardest at Gert...what a funny girl! I
just love kids. And..and! We finally know their names! I'm not sharing,
though...you'll have to wait until they drive through your state and meet *you*
for dinner.On the blog-friend front,
say a prayer for Magazine Man and his family. It's been a rough
year.Oh...and go buy a
weasel!
Thu - May 24, 2007
15 Things I Didn't Know About Mr. Rogers
Wed - May 23, 2007
Frustration
I discovered today that Nancy Pelosi has asked for opinions about what we would like to see
addressed by Congress in regards to legislation to reduce global warming. The
fact that she is using Yahoo! Answers to solicit the responses means (I hope)
she realizes there will be thousands of comments that she can ignore outright.
Like the one that says, "Your resignation." Now, seriously...how helpful is
that?
I think it's interesting that she's asking the
question where she does. I'm not sure how helpful it will be, as there are
plenty of people she can contact who actually know something *about* the topic
that are more than willing to give their opinion and such an open forum kind of
begs for abuse, but at least she's trying, I
guess.
Unfortunately, I decided to read
some of the answers before putting in my 2 cents worth and now I'm just
irritated. So many of the comments are obviously from people who don't know
anything about the topic and are just chiming in to get in a punch at
politicians. What annoys me further is that so many of these comments have
received 'good answer' marks, showing that they got all their friends to sign in
and join them in the abuse.
Don't get
me wrong...they have a right to say what they want and to be heard, it just
really clogs up the process when people answer with comments like, "recycle all
the hot air expelled by the government." I wonder if she'll actually find time
to read all the answers and if she'll bother to take any of it under
consideration after wading through all the ignorance and
abuse.
Personally, while I usually
don't think more legislation is helpful, in this case I do. I believe that a
great deal can be accomplished by making big business responsible for changing.
For example, there really is no good reason American car manufacturers are still
producing consumer vehicles that get under 20 miles to the gallon, they just
have no incentive. And the whole 'carbon credits' project has become a fiasco.
There is little done to insure that any given group will actually have an effect
when you send them money. There are some, and they should be applauded, but
many of the groups are pocketing most of the money rather than actually helping
the planet.
I also think this is a good
time to be pushing all environmentally sound ideas. Even if you don't agree
that there is a global warming problem, many of the changes that are being
promoted benefit the planet and its inhabitants in ways that you really can't
disagree with. Like less pollution in the air and water, better energy sources
that make us less dependent on, well, anyone else...there are just too many
problems with the way we abuse the environment for anyone to settle back and
ignore it all. BIg business needs to take their part more seriously and we as
individuals need to, as well.
I'm
getting off my soap box for a few minutes. I'm sure I'll get back on before
long. I'm kind of liking it up here. But first, one question...why would
anyone push an idea like global warming as a scam? What the hell could anyone
get out of it?
Thank you. You may have
the box.
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