tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63472403778675940052024-03-06T02:08:28.992-05:00Still M T HeadedA peek into my M T Headed mind.DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-25850366913608132772013-02-06T13:58:00.001-05:002013-02-06T13:58:35.953-05:00Win a Limited Gift Edition or First Edition of Stephen King's "Doctor Sleep".<a href="http://www.veryfinebooks.com/Articles.asp?ID=137#.URKnudN-wE8.blogger">Win a Limited Gift Edition or First Edition of Stephen King's "Doctor Sleep".</a>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-73664734979793002032012-01-09T23:48:00.001-05:002012-01-10T00:13:29.061-05:00The Road to Fatsville is Paved With Good Intentions<span style="font-size: large;">I was gonna be good, I swear. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I had spent a whopping seven(!) hours doing some major housework. I had miraculously transformed a disaster zone into a beautiful, nearly pristine bedroom all by myself. I craved a naughty fast food meal, and I deserved it! But no...I'll be good.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So, I go to the kitchen. I get out one of my "salad in a jar" specialties (hmm...I totally need to write about my experience with "salad in a jar"). I grab a cucumber, some carrots, an apple, and a jar of fat free dressing. I'm slicing and dicing my way to a healthy meal. I'm being so damn good!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But then, Heather comes upstairs. She and I have had a rough day spent trying to see who was the bigger bullhead (it's a tie). So, how can I possibly resist when she says, "wanna go with me to get some grub?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">That's how my Weight-Watchers 1-point "Good Intentions" dinner <br />
</span><br />
<br />
<div id="allsizes-photo"><img height="423" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7175/6671298333_c352bd4bc0_b.jpg" width="640" /> </div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">turned into</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div id="allsizes-photo"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7175/6671294445_cb969e1d9d_o.jpg" /> </div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">a belly-busting 24-point reality. (But at least the drink was diet, right??)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In the end, I got to spend some much-needed time laughing with Heather, so it was totally worth it...no matter what the nasty Wii Fit bitch says tomorrow morning while I weigh myself. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And I have that salad all ready for my lunch tomorrow.</span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-62649086612912541362012-01-06T23:56:00.000-05:002012-01-06T23:56:57.196-05:00Grumbellies<span style="font-size: large;">As if my unsatisfied taste buds didn't already make it clear, my belly is screaming with the borborygmi of hunger pangs.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Such is the life of a dieting computer-chair potato ('cause I never make it to the couch).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I decided to get serious regarding my efforts with Weight Watchers with the beginning of the year. Last year when I was tracking my "points," I was rarely hungry. I didn't even mind cutting way down on my fast food feasts. Oh, but last month when I went on an all-out food-fest, I must have corrupted all of my willpower. Now, every night, I'm scouting the cupboards for those elusive 0-point treats because I've already reached my quota by dinnertime. Let me tell ya, eating a can of green beans at 11 p.m. is just not what I'd call "a treat." Well, maybe if they were those amazing deep-fried green beans that T.G.I.Fridays sells, but when they come straight out of the can, they're just about as tasteless as their calorie count would indicate.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But I'm determined. I've lost 45 pounds...and gained back 8 of 'em. It's time to get that scale moving in the right direction, even if it means convincing my brain that green beans are a treat. </span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-60327658710146878212012-01-02T23:32:00.000-05:002012-01-02T23:32:42.926-05:00Checks and Balances<span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes, it's just the little things that make me smile.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Like trying to balance my checkbook at almost midnight...and it came out to the cent. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Now if only there was any money left over so I could buy myself something to celebrate the achievement.</span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-6130032459220671862012-01-01T22:52:00.001-05:002012-01-02T00:18:14.618-05:0012 Months?<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My last blog post was in January!! That was January <i>from a frickin' year ago</i>. What the heck happened? Was there some sort of time warp that made me miss the last 11 months?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">No...it was just the usual thing. Life got in the way. Or, to be more specific - teenagers, work, friends, and housework got in the way. Sheesh.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I used to love to blog. I made so many friends from keeping an online journal (yes, Andi, I'm talking about YOU!). So why would I slack off from something I enjoyed so much? Pure laziness. Just call me Queen Procrastinator. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A year ago, I was freshly starting a new Weight Watchers diet. To everyone's surprise (mostly mine), I stuck with it. I'm proud to say that I waddle just a little bit less when I walk nowadays. I lost 47 pounds...and gained back 8 of 'em. So here I am, new year, but same resolution. I'm back to tracking my points. Hopefully, I can get that Wii Fit Bitch to stop groaning and saying "That's Oh-beeese!" when she weighs me every morning. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I made some other small but surprising changes, too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For the first time in my 43 years of slovenly living, I decided to start making my bed. Like, <i>every </i>morning. Sure, when I have a pretty girl sleeping in it, I decide to wait to make the bed until she finally wakes up for the day, but once my four-legged girlfriend finally stretches, purrs, and crawls out of bed to head for the litter box, I spend a minute or so making the bed look gorgeous. I'm at 27 days in a row. There is hope for my fellow slob-sisters everywhere!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One of the highlights of my year was having my dear friends, Michelle and Jim (and their daughter, Tessa) come to visit from Philadelphia. It was a week of lots of food, a bit of sight-seeing, a few Yu-Gi-Oh/Magic card games, and lots of "I want to see Marvin the Martian!" comments from the little one. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the middle of the year, my work clientele practically exploded. I went from having two offices (8 doctors) to having six offices (21 doctors!). I've had to hire several more workers and things are going great. My mortgage company probably has a heart attack every month when I actually pay a couple of hundred bucks extra on the house payment. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Most surprising of all was that I gave up Facebook. The changes they made in September or so were just so damn annoying and I hated wasting my time trying to maneuver the site to read what my friends wrote. Try as I might to get friends to join Google+ (which seems to work just exactly the way Social Media should), very few would make the leap. The irony is that everyone said "I don't want to go to Google+ because nobody is there"...but nobody is there because nobody wants to go there until other people are there. Hmmph. I was recently coerced into coming back to Facebook...but just on a limited basis. Basically, I have time to make a quick post and glance to see if anyone has written anything interesting. But I refuse to jump hurdles to read posts, so basically, I'm becoming a "status updater" instead of a "commenter." I guess if my friends want me to read their updates, they'll have to post on Google+ where it is easy to read. It sucks, but I only have so much time to goof off and FB just makes it too hard to get to the good stuff.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anyway...we're back to a new year and that means hopefully updating this old blog more than once every 12 months. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span><br />
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</span><br />
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</span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-20634643569157385812011-01-25T21:30:00.002-05:002012-01-21T18:57:50.173-05:00Diet Dessert RecipeI found this recipe in a fantastic cookbook (the name of which will remain anonymous so that I don't catch the attention of their lawyers). It was too good not to share:<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes</span><br />
<br />
<div class="photo_img"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6738907121_472591309b_z.jpg" /></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Here's the easy-peasy recipe:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For cupcakes:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2 Cups Moist-Style Lemon Cake Mix (half of an 18.25-ounce box)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1 Cup Diet Lemon-Lime Soda (we didn't have Diet Sprite, so we used Fresca and it was just fine)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3/4 Cup Fresh Blueberries (divided)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1 Egg</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1 teaspoon Baking Powder</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For Frosting (and it was amazingly light and yummy!)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1 Cup Cool Whip Free - thawed</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1/2 Cup Skim Milk</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2 Tablespoons Lemon Sugar Free/Fat Free Dry Pudding Mix</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Optional</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">12 additional blueberries for garnish</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Directions:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Make the frosting first: combine pudding mix and skim milk in a medium mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer set to medium speed, mix for 1 to 2 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes. Mix in the Cool Whip and refrigerate until the cupcakes are ready to be frosted.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, soda, egg, and baking powder. Stir until blended and lump-free.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray. Evenly distribute cake mixture among the 12 sections.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Place half of the blueberries on top of the cake mixture in the cups (about 3 to 4 berries each). Bake in the oven for 8 minutes.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Remove pan from the oven and evenly distribute remaining blueberries among cups, pressing down slightly to keep the berries from rolling. Return pan to the oven and bake for an additional 7 minutes, or until cupcake edges are slightly browned. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Let cupcakes cool completely, then evenly distribute frosting among the tops. Add a blueberry to the top of each cupcake, if you like. Refrigerate until ready to serve.</span><br />
<br />
Makes 12 servings, each are 3 PointsPlus for Weight Watchers new program.DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-86748486824095079872011-01-01T22:24:00.000-05:002011-01-01T22:24:13.093-05:00New Year, Old Resolutions<span style="font-size: large;">It seems like every year, January rolls around and I say "this is the year!" My resolutions always involve my weight. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Sure enough, I started Weight Watchers again (though I'm too cheap to pay for the meetings). At first, I was just going to list everything I eat on my phone just so I could be cognizant of my intake. But, there are just so many wickedly cool Android apps for counting Weight Watcher points that I decided to go whole hog (so to speak).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Speaking of hog...when you weigh as much as I do, it's almost a daunting task to actually consume 31 freakin' points in a day. Yeah, 31. And that doesn't count any "weekly flex points" or "activity bonus points." Here it is, 10 p.m. and I'm munching on Ritz crackers just to try to hit my point level, and I still have 10 points left to blow. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I also decided that I could only use my excuse of "too much work to do" for so long before I had to accept that I deserve a little bit of fun time. So, I laced up my sneakers and did 30 minutes of Wii Fit. It's a lot of fun, but I seriously doubt that it has much benefit in exercise. It takes almost an hour just to get in the 30 minutes of countable exercise, but it's fun, so I'm gonna do it. Pictures will NOT be forthcoming as seeing me swinging my hips to imaginary hula hoops is not a pleasant sight. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I did have a pleasant surprise, though. I looked back to see what my weight was on January 1, 2010. On that date, I was 233.5 pounds. A month ago, I was down to 218. Woo hoo! Admittedly, the Christmas snacking hit me hard and I'm up another 5 pounds again at 223.5. But just realizing that I lost 15 pounds this year without trying at all (I certainly never had the time to exercise and I didn't diet at all) was amazing. The only change I made was that six months ago I bought those Skechers Shape-Ups shoes. I didn't think they'd help me lose weight, I bought them because they are comfortable. But I'm convinced that those missing 15 pounds are from the shoes. Now...I just need to stay away from the damn Christmas cookies so I can continue the downward slope.</span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-52162518103709663982010-10-26T20:16:00.000-04:002010-10-26T20:16:07.653-04:00Nookie Time<span style="font-size: large;">I bought my B&N Nook ereader in March. That has resulted in a couple of changes in my life:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<ol><li><span style="font-size: large;">I no longer read magazines in the bathroom.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">I no longer buy books (Nook lets me download ebooks from the library). </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">My TiVo queue has grown quite extensive as I prefer reading to watching TV.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">I don't mind standing in line at the grocery store at all...it just means I get to read a page or two in my book. </span></li>
</ol><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But being the gadget guru, I'm always looking for the newest/best gadget out there.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">After months of anticipation, Barnes and Noble finally announced the new version of their Nook ereader today.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rumors were that it was going to be everything I wanted:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-size: large;">7 inches (instead of the 6 of the original Nook)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Full color e-ink screen (instead of original black & white e-ink)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Portrait or landscape mode (instead of just portrait)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Full screen touchscreen (instead of just the 1-inch strip at the bottom)</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-size: large;">Well, it didn't matter that my Nook was functioning perfectly well. I knew I had to have it. I planned to drive to Akron to pick it up as soon as it was available.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Today, they presented the new Nook Color. What was announced was everything in the rumors...except...it is an LCD screen instead of color e-ink.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img alt="NOOKcolor screen" height="346" src="http://img1.imagesbn.com/pImages/nook/encore/overview/nookcolor/Meet_Nook_1.jpg" width="240" /><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Nobody who has ever read on an e-ink screen will ever read books on an LCD screen. First, you can't even see the screen if the sun is out. Second, LCD screens flicker hundreds of times a minute...you just don't notice it, but your eyes do. That's why computer work gives folks headaches. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> Here's a microscope view of an LCD screen versus an e-ink screen:</span><br />
<a f11b6462064ea2="true" href="http://www.bit-101.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ipad_26x.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2728" height="240" src="http://www.bit-101.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/ipad_26x.jpg" title="ipad_26x" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Here's a magnified view of an iPad LCD screen</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a f11b6462064ea2="true" href="http://www.bit-101.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/kindle_26x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="http://www.bit-101.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/kindle_26x.jpg" border="0" height="240" src="http://www.bit-101.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/kindle_26x.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> And here it is on an e-ink screen</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Plus, you can't read a book out in the sun on an LCD screen. Go ahead, look at your camera or cell phone and try reading when the son is glaring on the screen. On e-ink displays...no problem.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So, the bad news is that Nook Color is LCD.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But the good news is that since it is LCD instead of e-ink, I save $250.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So, no n</span><span style="font-size: large;">ew Nookie for me. I'd like to have color, but since I mostly read novels, black and white i</span><span style="font-size: large;">s just fine. I will miss having the landscape orientation, though. Sometimes, it's just nicer having the display wider than it is long. </span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-15772470162989594112010-10-20T20:33:00.000-04:002010-10-20T20:33:38.550-04:00Purple Power<span style="font-size: large;">Those folks on Facebook are always coming up with new ways to get a bunch of people to do something as a group.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We've had the "bra color for breast cancer" thing where you are only supposed to post what color your bra is (without any explanation other than posting the name of the color) and similarly the "purse placement" where you list the place in your house that you keep your purse (both of which I managed to be as sexual as possible by answering "nude" to the first one and "well, I don't like big ones, so I usually just go without" to the latter).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Today was "Wear Purple Against Homophobia." With all the lesbians I know, I'm surprised there weren't any "purple-people-eater" comments, but maybe I'm the only one with that sick of a mind.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">All four of my family members wore purple, but what surprised me was how many of my friends - married, single, gay, straight, young, and old - did the purple thing, too. I have amazing friends!</span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-51715142783126516972010-10-18T23:05:00.000-04:002010-10-18T23:05:51.217-04:00Twilight Dreams<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Two years ago, mom offered to make me a quilt.<span> </span>All I had to do was pick a pattern and chose some colors and she’d do the hard stuff.<span> </span>Am I lucky, or what?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">What I didn’t realize was how hard it would be to find a pattern I liked.<span> </span>I’m not a “traditional quilt” kind of girl and the concept of “scrap quilting” drives my brain bonkers.<span> </span>I like things neat and organized and orderly (and for those of you who have seen my housekeeping abilities…hush!).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I scoured mountains of quilting magazines and books, and then I found the one I wanted.<span> </span>It had the rather boring name of “Strips and Strings” or something like that.<span> </span>But I fell in love with the picture.<span> </span>It’s basically just a quilt that starts off in ivory/pale lavender and radiates darker towards the edges.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, Mom started gathering material in varying shades of purple. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is the center of the quilt. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4089/5095660878_f63eaa2cd6_z.jpg" /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">See all those strips?<span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span></span>They become the individual blocks of the quilt.<span> </span>I watched my mom make this thing from start to finish and I STILL can’t figure out how she could take a bunch of solid pieces of material and create this masterpiece.<span> </span>She’s a quilting genius, I tell ya!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5095064035_01d4f71d9b_z.jpg" /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A few more of the darker strips going on the quilt.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4113/5095066421_146d93f401_z.jpg" /></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The top is done!<span> </span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since the only place big enough to pin together a queen-size quilt is the middle of our living room floor…down Mom goes to her hands and knees.<span> </span>It’s awfully nice that Harmony and Melody are there to help. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4151/5095068655_d811d6633d_z.jpg" /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And of course, Harmony wants to help hand-sew the binding on the quilt, too.<span> </span>(Melody’s there, too, but you can’t see her because she’s our “tunneling” cat and she’s buried herself under the quilt by Mom’s feet.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4088/5095669610_8d21604aeb_z.jpg" /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And here it is…Twilight Dreams.<span> </span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4113/5095072807_d15790e10d_z.jpg" /></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gorgeous doesn’t begin to describe it.<span> </span>It’s ALMOST worth cleaning my room and making my bed occasionally just so I can admire it.<span> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-92211979336980855482010-04-02T18:49:00.002-04:002010-04-02T19:50:35.380-04:00Covering my Assets<span style="font-size: large;">Last week, I finally bought my <a be952f5ff0e57824d="true" href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/">Barnes and Noble Nook eReader</a>. I was thrilled, but it didn't take long for me to realize that without a cover of some sort, it was just not practical to take anywhere. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I searched the Internet and found a few nice covers. Then I went to <a be952f5ff0e57824d="true" href="http://www.oberondesign.com/">www.oberondesign.com</a> and my search ended. They have custom-made journals and eReader covers in about 20 different designs. The first one I saw was called "Tree of Life" and I fell in love. I balked at the price, but I just couldn't get it out of my head. I showed Mom, fully realizing that she thought the Nook was a waste of money and she'd talk me out of spending even more moolah on a cover. Nope. She took one look and said "It's gorgeous! Happy birthday!" I ordered it that night.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Since they are custom made and they wouldn't receive the order until Monday, they said to expect the cover to ship between 14 to 21 days after ordering. So...I still had the Nook that couldn't really be carried anywhere because the screens would get damaged floating around in my purse. Mom to the rescue. She's a whiz with the sewing machine, so I asked if she could make some sort of sleeve for it. As usual, she took a rough idea and made something perfect. Not only did she let me pick the fabric, but she quilted it with a cushioning layer of batting and even took the tattered cover off of an old junk book to reinforce the front of the cover so nothing could poke the screen. She rocks.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4062/4485390130_7dd7528c3b.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The day after she made the cover, I got the email saying "it's been shipped!" Yeah...a mere 4 days after ordering, the item was already in transit. I received it today.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The front cover is gorgeous. They created a custom pewter button to hold the cover closed (and even sent a matching charm for free). The leather is incredibly thick and they even say there is no problem with folding it completely back - something I'd never do for fear of it cracking if they hadn't assured me it was okay.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2797/4484738691_319e31f953.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">This is one of their "wrap-around" designs which makes it just as gorgeous on the back as the front. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4484737835_06b69c1ef1.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Nook looks like it is barely being held in place, but Oberon has a video showing their "shake test" and trust me, it's secure.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4484736571_d1a194e9ce.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I feel bad that Mom went to all of the work to make me a sleeve that I only used for one day. She's already been hired (for the price of "eternal love and back scratches") by Beth to make a netbook cover because Beth was so impressed. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-66407592370385818222010-03-27T13:42:00.001-04:002010-03-27T13:45:47.910-04:00Gonna Have Nookie in Bed Tonight!<span style="font-size: large;">Given my severe lack of anything resembling a sex life, there are only three things that give me pleasure these days (kids notwithstanding):</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1. Books.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Technology.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. Food.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So, of course, when the eBook readers came out, I started looking at them. They were ridiculously expensive, too large to slip in a pocket, and the books were overpriced (between $10 and $20 no matter how long the books were available as cheap paperbacks). </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I decided to go ahead and just use my cell phone as an eBook reader. Cool. It covers #1 (Books) and #2 (Technology) perfectly. Sit there reading a story while munching on a bag of Fritos and I hit the trifecta!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I've been happy...except for the cost of the books, of course. </span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4466913913_13e49e1435.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But then, I discovered that Ohio's public libraries offer free eBook loans. Woo hoo!! About 10% of their selection are available as .mobi books (which you can put on any smartphone). Yay!! But it didn't take me long to realize that most of the books I really wanted to read were in ePub format, which would require reading on my computer (not gonna happen) or purchasing either a Sony Reader or a Barnes and Noble Nook reader. After checking them out, the Sony Readers are really junkie. The Nook is awesome, but overpriced ($258).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So the devil on my shoulder sat there whispering in my ear. "You know, you read a book every two weeks or so. Since these books are free, that savings over buying $10 books every two weeks would pay for that Nook reader." I never gave the angel on my other shoulder time to talk sense into me.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I drove up to Akron yesterday and bought it. It's amazing!! It does the eBooks and periodicals, of course, but it also displays my pictures, plays music and best of all, plays audiobooks. It's still a little large for me, (about the height and weight of a paperback, but much thinner) but I'll get used to it. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Here's a shot of King's Under the Dome on my cell phone and as a hardcover. Since I've already read it, I pulled up a different story (James Patterson) on the Nook for comparison. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img height="510" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4467641298_5c1d93d02e_b.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Nook is perfectly viewable no matter how bright the sun is shining on it which is awesome and that's one of the problems I've had with my cell phone. It doesn't have a backlight which is a bummer, but I can always clip a light onto the Nook. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So tonight, I'm gonna enjoy some Nookie in bed!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I just found the most amazing leather cover for it online...more about that another day.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-67036650630502102872010-03-18T11:12:00.000-04:002010-03-18T11:12:11.242-04:00Grandpuppies are Priceless<span style="font-size: large;">Back in September, my dad called. I couldn't quite figure out what he was saying, because he was only able to utter a few words mixed in with gut-wrenching sobs. I finally understood what he was saying "Camshaft broke her leg and the vet says she has to be put down."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Cammie, an 8-year-old very overweight lab is my dad's life. This dog (his grandpuppy) is more important to him than anything. When the vet said they couldn't help her, he just couldn't accept that. They sedated her and the next morning we took her to a specialty animal hospital. They took better x-rays and determined that the break happened the length of her leg bone, rather than breaking it in half down the middle. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The vet agreed that with damage like this, it is definitely a case for putting her to sleep. But...with enough money, yes, they could fix her. Did I mention that Cammie is Dad's life?? They gave an estimate of $3,100 to place internal screws and rods and straps in addition to having two "external fixators" that would give extra support.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The problem was that the break was unusual (she was just standing up from a sitting position when it just snapped) in presentation and it usually happens from bone cancer, which is prevalent in her breed. They wouldn't know if she had osteosarcoma until they got the path reports back...two weeks after the surgery. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Dad readily whipped out his checkbook. She underwent surgery immediately and we went back in the next morning to pick her up. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It amazed me that she was able to walk (and was happy!) just hours after surgery. That Fentanyl patch they slapped on her was a miracle! The best news was that the surgeon saw no evidence of cancer. Woo hoo! The bad news was that the $3,100 estimate somehow went to $4,000. But oh well. When you see the picture of Cammie as she looks with adoring eyes at her Grandpa, it was worth it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4443387562_fe21109c1b.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Two weeks later, she went in for a re-check. Bad news. The path report said that it was probable osteosarcoma. We were looking at a two- to three-month lifespan. It was just devastating. Dad said "then she'll have the best three months of her life."</span><br />
<br />
<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4442610983_35347db455.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We had to keep going back to the doctor every two weeks or so for x-rays. (Which were not included in the price quote. Hmmph.) She was able to hobble around fine, but she wasn't allowed to do any stairs. So how exactly are we supposed to carry a 120-pound dog? My dad always says "Where there's a Wood, there's a way." He attached a ramp to his house and made a portable ramp to get her in and out of his van (that has the license plate "CAMSHAF" because he bought the vehicle <i>just for the dog!</i>) and even transfer her from one van to the other. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2782/4443385764_9e7b83cd66.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So, she was very happy and obviously nobody ever told Cammie that she only had three months to live. Apparently they never told her she has cancer, either. Because it's been six months, she just had her final vet visit and he said "she's a miracle. There are no signs of tumors, she doesn't have cancer. Let's get this fixator taken off of her so she can be happy." </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4443384230_cc6f9777e9.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And she is.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Oh, and final tally - nearly $6,000. Worth every penny.</span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-41933292858373841082010-03-04T18:15:00.000-05:002010-03-04T18:15:20.292-05:00She's Driving Me Crazy<span style="font-size: large;">Bugs scare me. Climbing more than 5 rungs on a ladder sends shivers down my spine. Getting a letter from the IRS could make me wet my pants. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But none of those is more terrifying than teaching my 16-year-old to drive. Wait...that's a bit of a misnomer. I'm not teaching her anything. I'm sitting beside her in a 4,000-pound lethal weapon white-knuckling my grip on the oh-shit handle while stomping on the imaginary brakes while screaming "look out! Too close!! AHHH!" while she calmly rolls her eyes and keeps muttering "you've gotta trust me sometime..."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When I say I'm terrified teaching Heather to drive, it's not an exaggeration. She's had her permit for a year and has only been driving probably 10 times in that timeframe, all because I'm too scared to take her.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I just saw that Honda has a driving simulator. You know...like they have for pilots, but this is intended for cars. Why haven't they been doing this for new drivers for years? Instead, they just let kids get behind the wheel and give their parents heart attacks. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a d78cd7c9b017726225e1="true" dba7c997="true" href="http://www.gizmag.com/new-honda-driving-simulator/14386/picture/111673/" id="hero_link"> <img alt="The all-new Honda automobile driving simulator is something all secondary schools should l..." border="0" src="http://www.gizmag.com/pictures/hero/new-honda-driving-simulator.jpg" title="The all-new Honda automobile driving simulator is something all secondary schools should l..." /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I think insurance companies should pay the $66,000 and put one of these in every town. Let kids learn to drive before they actually start driving. And save me from needing a heart transplant.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, Heather just set up her appointment to finally have her first in-car driving lesson with the instructor at Frenzel's. I hope they take their heart medication. </span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-40444056790725810722010-03-02T23:05:00.000-05:002010-03-02T23:05:55.621-05:00Another year older, another year wiser...So, yeah. It's been a whole year since I've blogged. Did ya miss me?<br />
<br />
I miss blogging. Facebook is fun, but there's only so much info I can give in a quick little update. I miss telling the <i>story</i> of my life, rather than just posting a snippet. <br />
<br />
So, I'm back. I hope you are, too. DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-69239154841564884992009-02-15T01:28:00.004-05:002009-02-15T01:54:28.013-05:00Stupid Cupid! Quit Ignoring Me!<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It's Valentine's Day, blah, blah, blah. <br /><br />Since the cute little diaper-wearing, arrow-shooting midget apparently can't see the bullseye I painted on my tush, it's yet another year where I spend my day at my desk rather than in the arms of some cutie.<br /><br />My daughters have been a tad more fortunate in love. <br /><br />Beth drove to Bolivar so she could (ahem) "watch the sunset" with Captain Hormone. Yeah, I know. When you go to the Bolivar Dam to "watch the sunset," the chances are that you'll miss the heavenly splendor of the sky because the car windows are gonna be too fogged up with teenage hormones to be able to see anything. <br /><br />Later, he made reservations to eat at <a style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);" href="http://www.georgiosgrille.com/">Georgio's Grille</a>. Since their dates usually consist of him coming to our house and sitting on the couch watching movies every Saturday, this date was a pretty big thing and Beth was just ecstatic. Unfortunately, she didn't think to hand her camera to anyone so I could have a picture of the two lovebirds together.<br /><br />I got a text message from her shortly after she finished eating and said she had the steak and salad and they shared crabcakes as an appetizer. In her words, it was "foodgasmic!" <br /><br />To which I replied "Yay!! If you had a foodgasm, that meant that there was no need for a real orgasm. That makes Mom a very happy camper!" Still...I counted the condoms to see if any were missing. He IS an 18-year-old horndog, after all.<br /><br />Heather also got to spend some time with her boyfriend. I drove her to Canton so she could meet up with him at Borders Bookstore.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3487/3280901376_849fde180e_o.jpg" /><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://www.utilikilts.com/index.php?page_id=37">Yes, that is a kilt.</a> If you knew Paul, you'd never be shocked. It's just him. </span></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />They went to see the movie Coraline in 3D. It totally messed with Heather's head...which is her way of saying it totally rocked. Dinner was McDonald's, which was exactly what Heather wanted. She wore a formal dress. No, I'm not kidding. Yes, she knew she was going to fast food. THAT's why she wanted to wear a formal gown. Only normal people wear jeans and a t-shirt to Mickey-D's. She's far from normal. <br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 363px; height: 331px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3205/3280080141_b4ceff45e9.jpg" /><br /><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The date finished with a few ankle-thrashing hours spent at an indoor ice skating rink. <br /><br />Oh, and in case you are wondering the answer to the question that goes through everyone's minds when seeing a guy in a kilt...<br /><br />Nice girls ask.<br /><br />Naughty girls find out for themselves.<br /><br /><br /></span></span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-7419600001873778092009-02-10T22:15:00.001-05:002009-02-10T22:34:16.877-05:00Spending Spree...The grand finale<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">My last of the grand purchases arrived yesterday.<br /><br />Say hello to my new best friend: Tivo.<br /><br />Wait a minute...surely I've mentioned my love affair with Tivo before, right? Oh yeah. The little guy entered my life in 2003, several years before cable companies decided to rent out their inferior generic DVR models (from what I hear, the difference between Tivo and the cable company's generic DVR is like the difference between a Prime Rib and a Big Mac. Sure, they'll both feed you, but if you want to enjoy the process, go for the good stuff).<br /><br />Well, a few months ago when I bought the spiffy new flat screen HD TV for the family room, I just knew I was gonna spring for the newest TiVo model to go along with it, because the other four (yeah, four!) TiVo boxes I have don't do High Def TV.<br /><br />My brand-spankin new Tivo HD XL arrived yesterday in all of it's Bloop-bloop-bloop glory. The fact that it records in HD is just one of the big features.<br /><br />Heather is in Heaven because now she can watch YouTube videos from the couch.<br /></span></span><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3405/3269954435_278265185f.jpg" /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />What was first on the Tivo Queue? "Candy Mountain."<br /><object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JPONTneuaF4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JPONTneuaF4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br /><br />If you're not a teenager, you just won't understand. Unicorns, dinosaurs, and kidney-stealing Sesame Street letters with legs. I recommend you empty a couple of glasses of alcohol before watching.<br /><br /></span></span><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1221/3269954153_ae2cf6e8c1.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Plus, you can download your Netflix Queue movies directly to the Tivo and play them on the TV. Yeah baby!! Start popping the corn, I know where I'm gonna be this weekend! Wii Fit be damned, I wanna turn into a couch potato!<br /><br />But the best thing about the new Tivo HD XL is the recording capactiy.<br />Here's a screen shot of the Tivo that's currently residing in my office:\<br /><br /><br /></span></span><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1431/3269954371_7efa816c45_o.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">It says at "basic quality" you can record up to 79 hours of TV. You'd think that was a lot, but considering how many days (or even weeks) go by before I get a chance to watch TV, you'd be amazed at how fast that thing fills up, especially since we do "high quality" for most recordings.<br /><br />But the new box has a <span style="font-style: italic;">slightly </span>higher capacity.<br /><br /></span></span><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1199/3270775936_db513643bc_o.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Yeah, that says it will hold 1,367 hours (compared with 79). You know what that means...Scrubs Marathon!!<br /><br />Oh crap. I've gotta work. The couch potato marathon will just have to wait for the weekend.<br /><br /><br /></span></span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-6100199727625621142009-02-10T19:00:00.003-05:002009-02-10T19:14:55.269-05:00Spending Spree...Condensed Version<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Yeah, yeah. I know. I've skipped all of the entries of my big spending spree. Here's the quick and dirty lowdown:<br /><br />Part One: Bought Stephen King's Six Stories limited edition book on eBay. I wept with joy. But not until I put the book away, 'cause you just don't wanna get tears on a $1,000 book.<br /><br />Part Two: New fancy schmantzy coffee table that lifts up and is ever so cool. I've used Pledge on it five times already. Considering my significant lack of domestic abilities (not to mention inclination), that's about a year's worth of dusting this week. <br /><br />Part Three: New bed. Since my old headboard was a "Queen/Full" size but my mattress was a "Full," that meant my nightstand would stick out about six inches from the edge of my bed. Trust me when I tell you that I'm not the kind of girl looking for an extra six inches in my bed. 'Nuff said.<br /><br />Part Four: Back to eBay for more books. I only need three more of Stephen King's books for my collection to be completely first editions. Naturally, they're the expensive ones. I find a guy who has 'Salem's Lot. He accepted my offer. Woo Hoo!! Unfortunately, the other two books that I'm missing are Night Shift (which runs about $800 for a first edition) and Carrie (King's first book, which is also in the $700 to $900 range). Way out of my league. I'll just have to be happy with my collection missing those two.<br /><br />Part Five: ...Until I check the other auctions that the guy has. There it is, "Night Shift." He wanted $488 (which is a heck of a steal) and I offer $350. He takes it. Woo hoo!!!! <br /><br />Part Six: And while I had been bidding on a beat-up copy of Carrie, someone came in and outbid me with only five minutes left. Well, I couldn't let THAT happen, so I upped my bid and emptied my wallet and now, I officially have a "Complete" collection of Stephen King first editions. Of course, I won't actually read these books. That's what paperbacks are for. Oh hush! You just have to humor me. I'm so happy!<br /><br />Part Seven: Stay tuned...(pun definitely intended!)<br /></span></span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-90421250934142564522009-02-05T20:48:00.003-05:002009-02-05T21:15:39.700-05:00Spending Spree...Part Two<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Another day, another dollar (or more).<br /><br />Today's big acquisition was some furniture I picked up from a store in Canton. After redoing the living room, we decided the coffee table belonged in there, which meant it was time to buy a new one.<br /><br />I knew exactly what I wanted. Unfortunately, "exactly what I wanted" just wasn't to be found around here. When I'd locate something I liked, they'd tell me it would take 6 to 8 weeks until it would arrive. Ummm, no. I'm part of the "I Want It NOW" generation, so that wasn't gonna happen.<br /><br />Last weekend, I took Beth and her friend, Jordanne, to Canton so they could hit Jordanne's favorite store (a health-food store called <a href="http://www.raisinrack.com/retailer/store_templates/shell_id_1.asp?storeID=13T859V47NGF9N44EB2PFAB7J308BJT1">The Raisin Rack</a>) and Beth could hit her favorite store (Border's Books, of course). Meanwhile, Mom and I trekked our butts all over town. We went to cheapie stores like Big Lots Furniture, Value City Furniture, and nice places like Arhaus. Finally, we were down to the last place we could think of. It's an east coast furniture chain called <a href="http://www.levinfurniture.com/">Levin's Furniture</a>. I'd seen their ads on TV and just presumed that they only sold junkie stuff.<br /><br />We walked in and were blown away. The selection was amazing and everything seemed like decent quality. Their prices were cheaper than most of the "cheap" stores, too!<br /><br />Within a minute of walking through the door, we had a salesman offering to help. That's always a good sign. I told him what I wanted and he smiled and said, "of course!"<br /><br />There it was. The exact table I'd been searching for was sitting in the showroom. AND it was $100 less than the others I'd seen. Best of all, he would have it within a week.<br /><br />Today was the arrival day, so Mom and I headed back to Canton. That, of course, meant we'd have to start out with lunch. Today we did the <a href="http://www.quakersteakandlube.com/food/menus/core_menu.pdf">Quaker Steak And Lube</a> restaurant. Everything was themed from a mechanic's point of view. Pretty cool.<br /><br />Then, to Levin's. While their store is absolutely awesome, their loading deck is not. We've had snow and ice and as I'm walking down to ring the service bell, one leg goes forward and one leg goes back and splat! My fat ass is cracking the cement (or at least it felt like it). My knee is still throbbing. With all the money people pay for their furniture, you'd think they could find $20 to put down some salt, wouldn't you?<br /><br />Fortunately, we had borrowed Dad's truck to bring the stuff home (did I mention that the coffee table isn't the only thing I bought? Oh, yeah, that'll be discussed in tomorrow's post) because the back of the truck was filled to the point where we had to tie stuff down so it wouldn't slide out. And the stupid salesman assured me that I'd have no trouble fitting it in my minivan. Idiot!<br /><br />Heather helped me put the coffee table together. She was a tad irritated that I insisted on explaining the difference between a locking washer and a flat washer, but hey, she needs to know these things, so she was forced to listen.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3439/3257176180_b5a15933ac_o.jpg" /><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />The table is gorgeous. It matches the cherry wainscoting (which you can't see in this picture because of the couch) and cherry woodwork. See the little drawer down at the bottom? Perfect for our abundance of remote controls.<br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">But the best part, and the thing that I REALLY wanted in the coffee table was the ability to use it as a laptop desk. The top lifts up and comes toward you as you sit on the couch.<br /><br /></span></span><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3520/3256345647_b949d31b34_o.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />How cool is that?<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3409/3256345601_c26f5bf14a_o.jpg" /><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Oh, apparently Melody and Harmony like it, too.<br /><br /></span></span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-9553586894459472202009-02-03T22:10:00.002-05:002009-02-03T22:32:24.583-05:00Finally Back Home<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">So Many Blogalicious Moments...So Little Time<br /><br />I'm behind on my blogging, thanks to work.<br /><br />I'm not, however, behind on my eBay scavenging. I've been a busy little bidder.<br /><br />It all started with the previously-mentioned redecorating of the living room. Since Heather volunteered to put back all of my Stephen King books into the bookcase, I printed out the chronological list of King titles. Yeah, I'm anal when it comes to my books. Paperbacks go in alphabetical order based on author's last name, then by title. King hardcover books (which takes up way more than one double bookcase) go in chronological order. Which isn't as easy as it sounds, thanks to the rather prolific spewing from Stevie-baby's typewriter. Some years he published two or even three books, so you can't just go by the copyright page.<br /><br />I printed the list of all of his books and Heather diligently placed them in the proper order. After placing the Green Mile on the shelf, she saw that "Six Stories" was next on the list. Beside that title, I had drawn a little frown face because this was a signed, limited edition book I bought back in 1999 for $135 (original price was $85 the previous year), but after money got really tight, I chose to sell it in order to pay some bills. I made a nice profit because it ended up being sold to some guy in Italy for $600. But still...every time I looked at that bookcase, I knew it was missing something.<br /><br />After Heather finished putting the books back in their proper home, she came to me and said that she wanted me to take all of the rest of her Christmas money (about $35, I think) and use it to bid on a copy of Six Stories that she had found on eBay. <br /><br />I smiled at her and said it just wasn't possible to get it. First of all, <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Stephen-King-SIX-STORIES-Signed-Numbered-224-1100_W0QQitemZ120350868176QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Fiction_Books?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116">the copy she found was $800</a>, and secondly, that was just the bidding price, not the final price. It could go way up. She understood.<br /><br />But, of course, that book just sat there digging at the foggy corner of my brain saying "c'mon, DiAnne! You've been working hard. You deserve this!" <br /><br />The sensible side of my brain rightfully took one look at the auction online and said emphatically, "NO!!" I'm happy to say I did not buy that book.<br /><br />I bought a different one instead. :) <br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3026/3251555203_80fed93b33_o.jpg" /><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Yeah, I kept checking auctions and all of a sudden one came up with a "Buy It Now" price of $550 with free shipping AND it had the special hard traycase that was a $200 special order after the book was published. Hell, that meant that the whole thing cost less than what I had sold it for a few years ago. Most of the time, <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/SIGNED-d-Lim-Ed-Stephen-King-SIX-STORIES-816-1100_W0QQitemZ380093659805QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAntiquarian_Collectible?hash=item380093659805&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50">the book with the traycase sells for about $1,000</a>. I had to buy it, right? Hell yeah!<br /><br />It arrived a few days ago. Every time I walk by my bookcase, I smile. It's complete, again. <br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3334/3252380328_14178a7915.jpg" /><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I've taught my kids well. If you don't blow your money on cigarettes, booze, and gambling, you can buy $1,000 books at bargain prices. Woo hoo!!<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/3252380226_28512a496a.jpg" /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3084/3252380410_1cf80c50a4.jpg" /><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Here's Beth peering ever so carefully at the signature page. <br /><br />Her boyfriend, whom I not-so-affectionately call "Captain Hormone" took one look at the book and said, "Why'd you pay that much for a book you can't even read?" And Beth questions why I say that he's totally wrong for her. Hmmph!!<br /></span></span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-27415716147447390882009-01-25T23:07:00.002-05:002009-01-25T23:27:36.948-05:00We've Got a New Room!<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sure. I <span style="font-style: italic;">could </span>have spent the weekend typing, as usual.<br /><br />I could have wiggled my hips to Wii Fit's imaginary hula hoops.<br /><br />I could have even sat on the couch munching potato chips and root beer all weekend.<br /><br />Nope. I got a burr up my butt and decided I <span style="font-weight: bold;">had </span>to spend the weekend painting the living room walls. <br /><br />Of course, the first step would be moving the huge bookcases out of the room.<br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3125/3227845738_fc2eef0696.jpg" /><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />It literally took all frickin' night on Friday just to move one of them (which found a new home in my office). Saturday morning, I tackled the other bookcase, then moved all the furniture to the foyer and dining room.<br /><br />Once I got started painting, though...<br /><br /></span></span><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3521/3227845570_85844b783b.jpg" /> <img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3346/3227845664_27b8d84af2.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />Oh, it was heaven.<br /><br />I listened to Diana Gabaldon's The Fiery Cross on audiobook while Mom and I transformed the room from a mismatched, unorganized eyesore to a gorgeous room, thanks to $25 of paint. The room started off as pale robin's egg blue and is now a deep grayish teal. I discovered that the flash on the camera seemed to distort the color in some of the pictures. <br /><br />Knowing that I was gonna get my butt kicked by Andi if I didn't blog about this, you'd think that I would have the foresight to take "before" pictures, but alas, my mind can only concentrate on one thing at a time. Where's the Ritalin when you need it?<br /><br />So, here's the "after." Feel free to "ooh" and "ahhh" to your heart's content.<br /><br />This first picture is about the most realistic one as far as what color and hue the walls look like now. The other pictures are all either too blue or too light. <br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3118/3226991381_04f60e4221_o.jpg" /><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br />This is my beloved "Stephen King bookcase." It represents years of terror and night sweats and so many goosebump-riddled memories. <br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3302/3226991455_da07baa264_o.jpg" /><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />The dining room is probably next on our painting to-do list. It's walls are the same baby blue that the living room used to have. <br /><br /><br />The couch has become Harmony's and Melody's new favorite spot to be. There's already a lovely patch of Harmony fur on the upper corner of the couch. <br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3429/3226991241_35909e11db_o.jpg" /><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />Speak of the devil, there she is!<br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3093/3226991323_08cdea7bbd.jpg" /><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />OK, so I'm dead tired and now I still have to finish a LONG file for Dr. M. AND I ran out of vanilla syrup for my coffee. Drat. <br /><br /></span></span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-37828836023956689112009-01-16T22:58:00.003-05:002009-01-16T23:05:49.409-05:00Cheapest Bikini Wax Available<div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:180%;" >What happens when you combine a big kitchen window<br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:180%;" >With a sweet fluffy kitten<br /></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:180%;" >When the temperature is 7 degrees below zero?</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3118/3202267379_4c32c42225.jpg" /><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br />When it is that cold outside, even the <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">inside</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>of the window gets little ice crystals on it, as poor little Melody found out the hard way.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3494/3202614684_ae66652b36_o.jpg" /><br /></div><span style="font-size:180%;"><br />Yes. Sweet Melody literally froze to the frost on the window. Yeeowwwsh!!</span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-49477136982293922782009-01-15T23:07:00.004-05:002009-01-16T23:06:40.865-05:00'Tis Better to Give Than to Receive<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span>DISCLAIMER:</span><br /><span>Consider yourself warned. This post represents DiAnne at her nastiest. If you want to maintain the false image of "Sweet DiAnne," you know where the "close window" button is. Oh wait...if you're reading this blog, that means you already know the "True DiAnne" and the aforementioned warning is not needed. Carry on. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Christmas is always a pretty laid back affair at our house. The kids open their gifts and we have breakfast, but that's about the extent of the plans. We take things pretty easy and that's the way we like it.<br /><br />I'd have to say there is only one thing about Christmas that consistently pisses me off. Every year, I invite my brother and my father over for the opening of the gifts. They never really have any other plans, and if they are in town, they usually show up.<br /><br />Unfortunately, Dad always feels the need to bring his girlfriend over. In the past, I always tried to be nice. Sure, I didn't like her and I'm sure the feeling was mutual, but I respected my dad's choice. As the years went on, though, "nice" turned to "cordial" which has now degenerated to "bare tolerability."<br /><br />While she has never been "invited" for Christmas morning, a few times Dad pretty much insisted that she be there by saying "if she doesn't come, I'm not coming." I know his flawed reasoning is that he's just trying to make sure that everyone is happy. In actuality, of course, he makes his girlfriend miserable and he makes his daughter miserable. The only one he makes happy is his ex-wife because my mom takes great pleasure in pointing out (albeit privately to me) some of the ridiculous things she does and says.<br /><br />It has become tradition for her to give me a small gift, as I do for her. This year, knowing that she had Dad run to Walmart on the day the new AC/DC album (okay, kids, that's what they were called when I was young. But fine, it was the new AC/DC "CD") was released, I found a hat for her which was pretty cool. It wasn't very expensive, but I felt it was something she would like.<br /><br />In return, she gave me a candle.<br /><br /></span></span></span><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3426/3200955226_35852eaf67.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />Sure, the lid was a little dusty because it probably sat around for awhile, but hey, that's nothing that a quick wipe with a tissue won't fix.<br /><br /></span></span></span><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3486/3200958512_a76d9f1523.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />In looking at this picture, I know what you're thinking...well, DiAnne must have liked the candle enough to light it. Umm, no. That's the way it was when I unwrapped it.<br /><br /></span></span></span><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3510/3200955280_bd163cac6c.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />It also c</span></span></span><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">ame with the fuzzy dead bug sitting next to the wick.<br /></span></span></span><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3319/3200955326_2d6ec6ef9c.jpg" /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />Oh, and what is the intricate design on the inside of the lid? Well, I do believe that would be dried fly feces decorating the cap.<br /><br />Yeah. Really.<br /><br />So, after having my daughters write their thank you notes to Dad and his girlfriend, I thought it might be really comical to send her one and tell her how much I absolutely adore the candle and I'd request that she tell me which store she purchased it from so I could run out and get another one.<br /><br />But alas, my snarkiness doesn't extend to <span style="font-style: italic;">that </span>degree of rudeness.<br /></span></span></span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-71001976597679645842009-01-08T10:01:00.002-05:002009-01-08T10:22:35.576-05:00Convenient Alzheimer's<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For Christmas, among the other things I bought for those I love, I ordered a new laptop for Beth. It was perfect. The color is "plum" and it has all these cool features - web cam, fingerprint reader, etc. How awesome is that?<br /><br />Since I ordered it from Dell, I was a tad concerned that I wouldn't be able to keep it a secret, especially since her school was closed for two weeks before Christmas and I wasn't sure exactly when FedEx would show up at my door. Fortunately, they have a tracking system online and after checking it repeatedly, I had it pinpointed that it was arriving the next day. Through some clever scheduling, Beth walked out of the house a mere ten minutes before FedEx showed up. Woo hoo!!<br /><br />My plan had always been to have everything loaded on the laptop so it was ready to go on Christmas. I was going to have the wallpaper say "Merry Christmas, Beth!!" and have it sitting at the table waiting for her to discover after she opened all of her other Christmas gifts. I couldn't wait to see the surprised look on her face.<br /><br />But alas, it was MY face that was surprised. <br /><br />I took the machine out of the box and plugged her in. The touchpad didn't work, but I figured that was because it hadn't really loaded up yet. I plugged in a USB mouse and was able to get the initial setup started. Five minutes later, the mouse stopped working. Do you know how hard it is to work a computer with just a keyboard? Finally I just restarted the thing, because that solves all problems.<br /><br />Nope. Same thing. No touchpad. Mouse worked for a few minutes and then croaked. Keyboard worked for a bit and then bit the dust. <br /><br />Instead of setting up her computer, I spent two hours on the Internet trying to solve the problem. Among the things they had me do was to "reinstall Windows." Unfortunately, the computer froze midway through the reinstallation. Now, all that would happen is that it would go through a vicious damn cycle of starting up, showing error message, shutting itself down, starting up..." <br /><br />At that point, I got to talk to an actual live person all the way from New Delhi. Two hours on the phone later, I finally said "STOP!! I've been messing with this piece of crap for 5 hours now. It's time to give up and send me a new one." He agreed. First, they had to send someone over to put in a new touchpad and a new hard drive. Yeah, like that's gonna fix it. <br /><br />The worst part about someone coming to the house to fix it was that I couldn't get Beth out of the house again. So, a week before Christmas, the secret was blown. </span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Surprise!!" </span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And she, of course, was blown away. <br /><br />The repairman came and left and the computer was still trashed. I called Dell and they ordered a new one right away. It shipped, ironically enough, the day AFTER Christmas. So much for her Christmas gift.<br /><br />Once it did arrive, though, it was perfect. I think her fingers have been glued to the keyboard nonstop since we opened the package. She's gonna be the first teenager on record to have carpal tunnel syndrome.<br /><br />When it came time to return the trashed computer, my devious brother suggested that I forget to return the battery. Well, I think they would notice. However, after having the Christmas surprise ruined, I decided that would be worth having an extra AC adapter, right? <br /><br />My "selective Alzheimer's" kicked in and I conveniently "forgot" to put the AC plug in the package, even though there was a convenient empty spot in the box for it. I'm hoping they don't notice. For now, she has a plug that is wired behind her desk and she has one that she can take with her when she needs it. <br /></span></span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6347240377867594005.post-46243839770383593232009-01-06T21:40:00.002-05:002009-01-06T21:52:47.953-05:00I'll Have the Pancakes With a Side of Tissues<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Yesterday, Mom and Beth accompanied me on my trek to Canton to buy a new computer monitor (so that I can return it tomorrow with Dad so he won't be wise to the fact that I can't return the original one I bought him a few months ago). <br /><br />Of course, no shopping trip is complete without going out to eat for lunch. Our favorite place lately seems to be IHOP because they have scrumptious breakfasts all day. <br /><br />As we sat down, Beth asked her grandma to explain a comment she had made earlier in the day where she said "I ran for you once." <br /><br />Mom starts off by saying, "Well, for years and years, I couldn't even talk about this without crying, but..."<br /><br />And that's as far as she got. She turned into a weeping, laughing, blubbering mess. The more she laughed about crying, the more the tears flowed. <br /><br />Meanwhile, Beth and I are laughing at Mom's apparent inability to stop crying due to the retelling of a distant memory. Then, I started to cry just watching Mom cry.<br /><br />So, what caused the sudden Weep-fest?<br /><br />Mom was trying to tell Beth the story about how when Beth was two weeks old, I had to call her at work to tell her that Beth (who was a teeny preemie at the time) had suddenly taken a turn for the worse and they were rushing her from Aultman Hospital up to Akron Children's Hospital for immediate surgery. <br /><br />Apparently, Mom answered the phone near her station at work (she was a basketmaker for Longaberger Baskets) and I could barely talk at the time because I was crying so hard. I finally explained the pertinent info and Mom hung up the phone and looked at her supervisor and said, "BYE!" and took off running. (Thus, the "I ran for you" topic of this story.) She didn't clean up her work station, she didn't say what was wrong, she just ran to the car. By the time she made it, she could barely breathe. <br /><br />Then, she had to get to the hospital. She said she made the 20-minute trip in less than 10 minutes and was actually HOPING to get stopped by a cop so she could get a police escort. God help any officer who wouldn't escort her, I think she would have run him over at that point. <br /><br />In the end, obviously everything turned out fine. But even knowing that the story had a happy ending couldn't stop the tears. <br /><br />When we left the restaurant, the waitress finally came up to me and asked if everything was okay because she couldn't tell if we were laughing or crying. That would be <span style="font-style: italic;">both</span>. <br /></span></span>DiAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02129955427526133303noreply@blogger.com3