100 Classic Novels

I got this from my friend Kelly. She says,

I found this on a friend's blog. It's supposedly a list of 100 of the greatest novels of all time. And as Erin says... "Notice I didn't say THE greatest I said 100 OF the greatest."

The purple ones are the ones that I've read. The green ones are the ones on my to-read list. Supposedly the average American has read 6 of the 100. I've got 28 - not too bad, unless I consider the fact that I have a degree in English. Although, I have read most of the actual classics on that list, just less of the more recently written stuff. There are a few on there that I'm surprised I haven't read. And, honestly, there are plenty that I can't remember for sure whether I have read them - I've read countless books! It's definitely time to update my Goodreads to-read shelf, though!

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 nineteen eighty four- george orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia- CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion- Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe- CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha- Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm- George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code- Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies- William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi- Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World- Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones- Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Natalie

I'm not sure if you could tell, but the picture of Natalie that I posted on her birthday is old. It was from June. I couldn't find any others on my computer. Well, I found one tonight that is from September. So, I thought I'd share. Here's my baby!

Another Review: The Conservative's Handbook

I got another freebie from GoodReads. This one is The Conservative's Handbook:Defining the Right Positions from A to Z by Phil Valentine. And here's my review:

I received this book as a First Reads giveaway book. I thought it would be interesting to see what all it said, and I expected it to bore me to death!

I was quite pleasantly surprised that it was interesting to see what it said, AND it was actually an enjoyable read. Valentine has a conversational writing style that I found to be very engaging. And, he shows facts to back up each point. Yes, I'm conservative, and I always have been. But I think now I'm even more so, as there were issues I wa...more I received this book as a First Reads giveaway book. I thought it would be interesting to see what all it said, and I expected it to bore me to death!

I was quite pleasantly surprised that it was interesting to see what it said, AND it was actually an enjoyable read. Valentine has a conversational writing style that I found to be very engaging. And, he shows facts to back up each point. Yes, I'm conservative, and I always have been. But I think now I'm even more so, as there were issues I wasn't as informed about that this helped me understand better.

That said, I'd love for someone on the liberal side of the spectrum to write a book like this with their takes on everything so I can fully understand their point of view. I doubt it'd make me turn liberal, but I'd like to better understand where they're coming from.

Anyway, I thought this was a wonderful book. Well-written, and very informative. I was amazed to find myself enjoying the book and reading more because I was curious about what his points were on the next issue in the book.

My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

GoodReads and a Book Review: Sarah's Key

As you can guess from my sidebar widget, I am a member of GoodReads. As a lapsed avid reader, I love that site very much! It has helped me get back into the swing of reading after years of missing it. I can't believe how much I've missed reading. That said, I've won a couple of books through their First Reads program. Their blurb on what First Reads is:

Win free copies of pre-release books. Publishers can list their upcoming books, and you can apply to receive one. Winners are picked randomly at the end of the giveaway.

I've won two so far. And LOVED it. I make sure to make the books I read a priority on my to-read list, then I write a review. Since that's really why these books are given out in the first place, I figure the least I can do is comply. After all, I'm being given a free book! ;-)

That said, I'll stop with the chit-chat and get on with my real purpose of writing today. To share my review (also posted on GoodReads) of Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay.

Wow. What a powerful book. I had no idea about the French involvement in the Holocaust prior to reading this book. I was horrified, and saddened to learn of the events of July 16, 1942. This book was amazing. Julia is a very believable character, and her experience is amazing. I hated her husband - a rude, selfish jerk. I loved her daughter, Zoe.

I felt the book started kinda slowly, but about a quarter of the way into it, I was hooked. I couldn't put it down. I read most of it in a matter o...more Wow. What a powerful book. I had no idea about the French involvement in the Holocaust prior to reading this book. I was horrified, and saddened to learn of the events of July 16, 1942. This book was amazing. Julia is a very believable character, and her experience is amazing. I hated her husband - a rude, selfish jerk. I loved her daughter, Zoe.

I felt the book started kinda slowly, but about a quarter of the way into it, I was hooked. I couldn't put it down. I read most of it in a matter of 36 hours! I'm not satisfied with the end - I have questions. What became of Julia and her daughters? What became of William? What about Julia's ex-father-in-law? What about her ex?

All that said, I would highly recommend this book. It's a very good, and thought-provoking read. Anyone who read and enjoyed "Those Who Save Us" likely will find this book worth reading, too.

My rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

Wow, that was fast!

At this point exactly 12 months ago I was getting to know my sweet new baby girl, Natalie. She was born at 1:20 a.m. on October 14, 2007. Most of my reflecting actually occurred last night, as October 13 of last year was quite the day. It was mid- to late afternoon when it occurred to me that I was contracting. After dinner I finally decided to time the contractions. We were at the hospital about 9 or so, and walking the halls about 10-10:30. At about 12:35 a.m. I was told I was 5 cm. At 12:50, I involuntarily began pushing. I was complete and Natalie was ready to make her entrance into this world. Half an hour later, my sweet Natalie was here.

I cannot believe it's been a year! Where has the time gone? How is my tiny, quite little baby now a smiley, squealing toddler? It's just amazing. I wanted to write her a letter like I did Abby, but I'm not having any success. Perhaps it's her age, or perhaps I'm just not in the right mindset. I don't know. But, it doesn't mean she's any less loved or less cherished than her big sister.

In every way she is a wonderful answer to prayer. And Dan and I both are enjoying her so much. She's got the most delightful personality, and she's just the cutest thing. It's so neat watching her and the other two as they develop a relationship. She and Grant are quickly becoming buddies. It's so heartwarming to watch. And she just ADORES Abby, who returns the feelings. I pray God help us to cultivate good, strong bonds between all three of our wonderful children.

So, where is Natalie now? She's napping! LOL No, seriously, I thought I'd try to write a quick rundown of what she's up to. She's walking all over the place - and climbing, too. She's been doing this for a few weeks now. The funniest thing is when she grabs something she knows she should have. She makes eye contact with me, then turns and "runs" - toddles as fast as her little legs will go! LOL It is so cute, and the whole time she's grinning ear to ear! After waiting as long as seemingly possible, Natalie has at least six teeth now. (I say "at least" because she doesn't like to let us look inside to see if she has more.) She's all about table food, and doesn't want the baby food anymore. It's a little bit of a problem, though, as she doesn't seem to like the texture of fruit and veggies. But she LOVES meat and cheese. So we've got to be extra careful to make sure she's getting enough fiber. Gotta love transitions! ;-) I'm anxious to see what she weighs - her appointment is on Monday. I'm hoping she's at least 20 lbs. so we can turn her around in her car seat, but I wouldn't be surprised if she's not. She's a tiny little thing - 25th percentile for everything. She "dances" when she hears music, and can say some words.

Natalie just amazes me. She's such a wonderful blessing - God is so good!

Happy birthday, my baby girl, Natalie!

Updating the house situation

We had the furnace looked at today. No repair was needed. Somehow the repair manual got sucked into the fan! Still had to pay the service fee, so the guy went ahead and looked over the whole thing. Bad news: he says we've got about a year left out of that thing. There's a crack between the heating element (put simply: the fire) and the blower, which is the beginning of the end. So, now DH and I are trying to decide if we want to just bite the bullet and do it this year (to take advantage of rebates from our gas/electric company as well as tax rebates) or next year. We definitely want to go high-efficiency. It's not that much more $$$ than the regular ones, and it'll save on heating bills. So, that's the news regarding the house. On a good note, the heat is functional again! Oh, and praise God that this happened this year so we weren't surprised by a broken furnace, or had problems with carbon monoxide!

In a Bad Mood

I guess. Or something. A ton of things are bothering the hell outta me right now.

Firstly, and most importantly, it's freezing. It's currently 45 degrees outside - the high is supposed to be about 64. As of about 30 minutes ago, it was 61 degrees here in the house. And, no, I cannot run the heat. I WANT to, but can't. We need to have it looked at. About a week ago, we noticed the house fan (at that point we were running the a/c - gotta love the Midwest) was making a weird noise. And DH wants it kept off to be safe. OK, I understand that - and I agree. But, the SOB FORGOT to call someone until TUESDAY morning - when I reminded him. (Nevermind he was off work last Friday and could've called no problem!) So, no one can come until TOMORROW morning! Poor kids and I are freezing. Oh, and DH is gone - he had to go for an overnight trip last night. Must be nice to NOT have to deal with this. Jackass! My poor babies! :-(

Secondly, with DH being gone today I had to drop Abby off at school. That's cool. No problem. We're running a tiny bit later than usual, but she was on time no problem. What pissed me off? On one side of the school is an alley. People drop off and pick up the kids over there all the time. I decided to go over there, b/c I could park quickly and I could watch her walk to her class. Or so I thought. But, apparently when dropping off one's kids all courtesy goes out the window. DO NOT BLOCK THE ALLEY SO NO ONE CAN GET BY! Seriously. It didn't happen just once - several people did it. I finally squeezed by some assholes to pull over and get Abby out and to the playground. And guess what, no one was stuck waiting behind my van while I did that! I just wanted to shout "Get the fuck out of my way people! In case you weren't aware, your child isn't the only child attending school today!" Idiots.

OK. I feel a little better! LOL Maybe having frozen toes feeds the foul mood?

And now to sound even more pathetic

This morning I posted a prayer request for the last person on her way home. I posted about 7 a.m.-ish saying she was on her way home "now" and would everyone please pray for her safety and that she handles it OK (not a fan of flying in general). A few hours later, there's a "well, that's not exactly true - at least not at the time of Heather's post ..." Apparently the flight had been delayed. But, the wording just TICKED ME OFF. Did that line even NEED to be there? Couldn't it just have been, "well, the flight was delayed, and now they are en route" or something to that effect?

So, what did I do? I abused my power, so to speak. I deleted all posts prior to hers (a total of 3 posts, I believe) and just made hers the first part, removing the line about me being so out of it. It was either that or write some snarky, bitchy line about excusing me for my ignorance or some other smartass thing.

Why does this bug me so much? Well, this is not the first time I have felt like I'm losing out on time with my friends to this particular individual. To start with, I never invited her to FROGs. She invited herself. Yes, overall, she's an asset to FROGs. But, well, stuff like this makes me regret letting her in. This is the third friend from FROGs that I have painfully watched as she monopolized their time while I am unable to be part of it. She's housed two others at her home. It's great that she's so hospitable, but why not try to include me in as much as possible? I mean, really? If it wasn't for me, she never would have even heard of these people, let alone had the opportunity to spend so much time with them. Now, I will admit that one of the times was just the timing. Natalie was just a couple of weeks old, and I wasn't ready to be taking her out, so I didn't get much time. That's really no one's fault. But, still, I get to hear over and over again about all of these things that happened, conversations, etc. And once again, I'm not a part of any of it. I got to visit with each of my friends a little, but nothing like I'd want to.

Yes, I'm whining and complaining again. I'm sorry - especially since I know some of you know who and what I'm talking about - and if you didn't get to be here at all, you're probably resenting my feelings on this. Sorry. That's why I've been posting about this here and not on the board! ;-)

Maybe not

I'm not feeling as well as I did immediately following the ice cream last night - maybe it was ice cream-induced euphoria? LOL It probably didn't help that I had to see the local and my other friend posting last night - saying how much fun they're having, etc. Thanks. Rub it in. Once again, I'm left out - the story of my life. It feels like I was just a part of the weekend as a formality - I just happen to own/run the board and live where the get-together was held. I hope that wasn't true. And here my insecurity comes to the surface - I can't confidently say that wasn't the case. Especially not yesterday. But, whatever. I'll be sad, mope about it, etc. for a little while then move on. No biggie. Of course, I'm sure my activity at FROGs, outside techie stuff, will suffer. But, oh, well. I only seem to be missed if something's wrong on the techincal side, anyway. Wow, I'm just having one big pity party today, aren't I? Sorry to be a whiny ungrateful bitch today. I'm pathetic, aren't I?

Feeling a little better ...

I did get to take the kids out for ice cream with my friends. So I'm feeling a little better about it. But, no dinner together, as I'm not invited. Fine. No biggie. Somehow, I'm feeling a TON better just from hanging out together for a couple of hours - maybe that was all I needed. I dunno. So, if you read my pity party, thanks. I think it's time to call it quits - I think. (See how I feel tomorrow! LOL)

Feeling like the proverbial odd man (or woman) out

I gotta get something off my chest. I feel bad writing this out, but I have to. For my own sanity. I'm sure some will be pissed by what they read, but too damn bad. I'm sure people will feel like I'm just a whiny idiot. Whatever.

That, said. I will get to my point. But, first, one more thing - many of you who read this will probably know who I'm talking about. I'm not stating names, b/c I feel it's unnecessary. Not b/c people know who it is anyway, but b/c I'm not generally upset with any PEOPLE. Just the situation. Oh, and I'm not posting this on FROGs, b/c I'm trying to be sensitive to those who were unable to come. Anyway ...

This past weekend was our FROGs get-together. We had been planning it for a year or two - I can't remember when we first started discussing it. Anyway, it was held here, in my area. I didn't have to go anywhere. I was so glad, because that meant I could attend no problem. And don't get me wrong - I am EXTREMELY grateful to have been able to participate and meet these wonderful women in person. But, I'm sad. Maybe it's partially the crash after all of that excitement - kinda like after a baby's born or after Christmas. All of that anticipation and excitement and everything building up. Then it's over before you know it and you're wondering where it went. I dunno.

That said, I feel like despite being local I missed out on a lot. Natalie is still breastfeeding, which meant I was "on call" the whole weekend. Friday night DH had some football refereeing, which meant I really had to be out of most of it. The kids and I got to play at the pool in the afternoon. After that we all went to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. Because I had my three kids and no DH, I got stuck on the opposide end of the table from everyone else. I was basically at the kiddie table. La Flama (the restaurant) is not a quiet place, so I was effectively cut out from EVERYTHING going on. I sat between Grant and Natalie. Next to Grant was Abby and one other child. Across from me was an empty chair, next to which was another child. I was completely oblivious to anything that was talked about on Friday. ANYTHING. Then, I had to get my kids home so they could go to bed. So, while everyone lingered at the restaurant, I had to go. Then they all went back to the hotel and hung out at the pool. Not me. I had to be home with the kids. Apparently they all met up for breakfast in the morning, but no one bothered to let me know that was going on. So, I didn't get there until close to lunch time. And, of course, I had to leave early to nurse Natalie. DH wasn't as cooperative as I'd like, either. So, I ended up spending a couple of hours away from everyone, once again missing out on what all was going on - like praying with another FROG who couldn't be here.

At least Saturday night I was able to go to the dinner and concert with everyone. Dinner was nice, and I got to sit with adults - sorta. I still couldn't hear much of the conversation and had to tend to two of my three kids. And the concert, while fun, didn't really allow for much conversation - it's hard to talk over loud music! ;-) Afterward, everyone went back to the hotel to swim. Everyone but me - I had to help DH (who, again, wasn't as helpful as I'd have liked) get the kids to bed (Natalie had to nurse one last time, too). I finally get there, and got in. Everyone's in the hot tub. By the time I've changed and gone back to the pool area, no one's there - they've all gone outside. I didn't want to go outside. I wanted to enjoy the hot tub. I knew it was my ONLY chance to be there without the kids and fully enjoy the hot tub. So, I went in the hot tub and relaxed - while feeling a little rejected and like the odd man out, so to speak. Everyone eventually came over to the hot tub, which was good. But, it was just on top of already feeling out of touch with everyone.

Yesterday was OK. I took the kids to the pool again, and had some help dealing with them. I did get to go into the hot tub a little again - with Abby, who loves it! LOL After that we went home so I could get the kids fed and lying down for a nap. DH didn't want me to leave until he was done with that, so thanks to him I missed saying good-bye to a lot of people. (And as the kids and I were leaving, some were arriving. I didn't really say much to them, b/c I stupidly assumed I'd be back sooner than I was.) That afternoon was nice - just a few of us together. But, the other local invited the remaining out-of-towner to her house to dinner. Not me, though. So, apparently now that the FROGs weekend is over, I'm no longer wanted around. And, this local is hosting said out-of-towner tonight. Which means I'm once again not involved in anything. I had told my kids we'd get some local ice cream with our guests for snack. I don't think that'll happen - but I will make sure to take my kids for ice cream as I'd promised. I was hoping we could do dinner one last time, as she leaves EARLY tomorrow morning. But, I'm sure that won't happen - just based on how everything has been (not) working out for me.

And this other local, she's definitely a close friend. But, she's relatively new to FROGs - been with us about a year and a half now. And I have known some of these people for 5+ years! I feel like she's come in and taken my friends. I don't know that I should feel that way, but I do. Should or shouldn't doesn't matter. I do.After all, she was there for breakfast Saturday morning, and after I left with the kids Friday night, and for pretty much every moment I couldn't be there - including a time on the phone with someone who couldn't be here. And she got my friend all to herself last night and will again today. How can I not feel that way?

I don't know what else to say, so I'm gonna just stop now. I might come back more later.

Watch out for that Baby Einstein stuff ...

I was just starting up a Baby Einstein DVD for Grant. He sat down to watch, and all of a sudden I hear ...








































"Penis! Look, Mom, a PENIS!"


















I looked at the screen, and see the part at the beginning where the caterpillar walks across the screen and BURST OUT LAUGHING! I can totally see what he's saying! He seemed a bit upset that I laughed, but I had to - there was no holding it in!

I searched all over the Internet and couldn't find a shot - so I'll try to remember to take a pic later today. But, for now, this one will have to suffice:

Stupid jerks on eBay

A few months ago, once my daughter got into the wonderful world of Webkinz, I bought her a couple I knew she'd LOVE off eBay. The reason for eBay is that they are retired. I bought her the unicorn and the pegasus. I gave her the unicorn right away, and she has been so happy with it. I saved the pegasus for later. Dumb move. I FINALLY opened it, and as I went to fish out the tag, I could tell it'd been tampered with. I knew that meant it had been used. Jackass. And, of course, I waited too long to attempt to use it, so I can't complain - and my feedback was already positive. Doh! I should've known better! Good news is that jackass is no longer on eBay - at least not under that name. ;-) (I'm not dumb enough to think he/she didn't come back with a different name/e-mail address.) I'm kicking myself - if I'd opened it right away and attempted to use it right away, I'd likely get my money back. Lesson learned. So, I contacted Webkinz (following the prompt to do so in their "Adoption Center"). Hopefully they'll give me the benefit of the doubt and give me a new code or just give me the pet! I'm not holding my breath, but since it's actually under my son's account, maybe they'll have pity on him - afterall, he's not quite three yet! ;-) Stay tuned for an update when I finally hear back! ;-)

Oh FFS

I'm feeling a pull to Facebook. As if I need one more thing to be unable to keep up with online! GAAAAAH! But, I have so many friends who are there and NOT MySpace. Or are on both but never go to MySpace anymore b/c they have Facebook. Sigh.

I know, this is a petty vent, but hey. What are you gonna do?

One more vent. I can't believe I haven't mentioned this here before - I'm sure the lack of power last week is to blame! ;-) Anyway, we have recently had an issue on FROGs, and I'm shaken to the core by it! I can't believe how much it's affecting me. If I think on it too much, I get sick to my stomach, my throat feels tight, and I can feel my heart racing. So not good.

What happened? How did I know you'd ask? Here goes.

We have a member who recently returned to the board after being away for a while. After her return, she sent me a private message to explain her absence. At risk of pissing her off and chasing her away from FROGs for good, here's her message:

Hey Heather. I didn't want to post this on the board and make a issue of it, but I want you to know the main reason I haven't been around and the same reason I am kinda worried about coming back. One of my last posts was about how I felt like I was having a hard time connecting here and that I felt lost sometimes. Well...I recieived a email from someone and I was hurt to say the least. Basically they said that it was God's way of letting me know that FROGS wasn't to be my home and that maybe I would feel more comfortable somewhere else.At first I was just kinbda stunned and was trying to figure out what exactly that meant. But as time went on, I just got mad and decided to stay away for awhile.

I am not telling you this for any other reason than just to let you know why I disappeared. On a different note, it looks like there have been a lot of changes here in the past few months...it looks nice and you are doing a wonderful job!

I read this and INSTANTLY was angry beyond belief and grieved more than I'd have thought possible. How DARE someone on FROGs do that to a sister in Christ? HOW DARE SHE? Despite our best efforts, we could not get the individual who contacted me to reveal the offender. That ticks me off to no end. I understand that she wants it over and done with. She wants to move on. I get that. I also get that she has extended forgiveness and wants to walk in forgiveness. OK. But, why tell us if you don't want something made out of it? Seriously. This is a HUGE deal. So far as I'm concerned - so far, at least - it's the WORST offence to have occurred on FROGs!

And, in addition to being angry and disappointed that it happened, I feel betrayed - by both the offender and the sister who shared this with me. I don't think I should feel that way, but I do. I'm also afraid we'll never find out exactly what happened, and that worries me. I want to know who so I can talk with her and make sure she understands that it is NEVER to happen again. It's not about punishment or revenge or anything like that - it's trying to make sure EVERYONE on FROGs is safe! My biggest fear is that this individual will do this again.

I have so many thoughts and feelings on this, but I'm spent. I can't think clearly or find a way to write it out. So, I'm going to end this post for now. I just had to get some things off my chest.

Apparently I was wrong

Around 9:30 p.m. our power was restored! WOOHOO! PRAISE GOD! Everything is working properly, and we're back into normal life - FINALLY! :-D DH, Abby, and I all just GRINNED real big when the lights came on, and Abby was bouncing around! LOL The other two were asleep, but they will be thrilled in the morning - well, at least Grant will! ;-) Anyway, I just wanted to say YAY! Thanks, everyone, for the prayers! It's so nice to be back in the 21st century! ;-)

Day Two

Wow. We're finishing up Day 2 with no power. Well, minimal power. I will start by saying that this is the longest I've EVER been involuntarily without power. It sucks. I'm just happy that my home and my family are all OK. I can only imagine how much worse it would be otherwise. Scary thought, actually. But, I digress...

Today started with DH getting up at 4 a.m. to turn off the generator. It runs for approximately 10 hours before needing a refill. Prior to adding more gas, however, it is highly recommended that the generator is allowed to cool for 2 hours. So, DH got up at 4 to allow us to get it back up and running before WE had to be up and running. I slept rather well - and the kids seemed to, too. Natalie woke at about 6:30 to nurse, which started our day. Grant got up then, too. DH got Abby up about 7-ish, because she had a dentist appointment this morning. (And all is well with her teeth. :) )

Most of the morning we just spent time together. Had breakfast, played, etc. DH took the day off - and would've had to anyway, because the Corps still has no power, too. Apparently they had yesterday off, too - but he was out of the office so he didn't know. And, honestly, if he wasn't in Coralville, we likely wouldn't have the generator. God knew what he was doing! ;-)

Late morning, Natalie was napping. (She's napped poorly today, which I'll blame on it being too warm in her room.) DH took the other two to the park, which was much needed. He encouraged me to lie down upstairs in the a/c while I had the chance. No sooner had I begun to relax when Natalie decided her nap was over. *sigh* We all had lunch - more peanut butter. Then the kids and I napped. We miraculously had ALL THREE kids asleep simultaneously. There was no way I was going to miss this opportunity! LOL I got a good nap in, too.

DH needed to turn off the generator about 4- 4:30 p.m., so we planned to go out to eat while the generator cooled. We ended up at Carlos O'Kelley's at Abby's request - she thought the building was pretty! LOL After we swung by a park on the way home. It's cooled off nicely and is really nice outside now. The kids enjoyed getting some time to run and play.

On our way home, we knew the power wasn't on yet b/c our neighborhood is still pretty dark and full of debris. But, we saw an encouraging site - the first crew from the power company a block away from our house! WOOT! Praise God! That means we're FINALLY getting somewhere. Afterall, they gotta clean before they can fix! ;-) No worries, I'm not expecting power in the near future. I know how bad it is by us - and not too far from us. I know that we still could wait up to three more days. I am constantly praying that's not the case, but I am prepared for it. But, it is so NICE to see a crew. I don't care if they're just loitering - they're HERE! LOL (And, no, they weren't loitering - we saw them actively working to get a downed tree off someone's home. I just had to express just HOW wonderful it is to see them! LOL)

One more positive I realized: Our power bill should be noticeably lower this month! LMAO

Oh, and Sawyer just HATES the generator - I'm guessing it's just too loud for him. He is a dog, afterall, and has much more sensitive hearing than we.

I had more I wanted to say, but it's gone. Once again, fatigue sets in. If I think of it later, I'll share in a separate post. Otherwise, hopefully my next post will be praising God for the restoration of our electrical service!

What a Day

Cue Jack's Big Music Show! LMAO

Seriously. It has been one heck of a day. Wow. I feel like it's been a week! I'll start at the beginning.

Natalie woke about 6 this morning to nurse. I got up to use the restroom while DH got her diaper changed. When I came back into the room, I noticed that it looked SUPER foggy outside. You could hardly see anything. I commented to DH about it, then went about my business nursing Natalie. About five minutes pass when the wind picks up and the storm sirens go off. So, I whisk Natalie up, and DH gets the other two and we all head down to the basement. I felt bad having to wake them up like that, but we knew we had to. Just before the sirens went off, I could FEEL the wind shaking my house as I lie in bed nursing Natalie! It was no surprise when the sirens were activated! On our way down the stairs, we were able to witness the kids' easel blow across the porch from one side of the house to the other, passing the front door. It was wild. We tried to get Sawyer to come downstairs with us, but he was too freaked, so he stayed in the kitchen. We were down there 5-10 minutes when the sirens went silent, so back upstairs we went. I finished nursing Natalie, and DH got the other two settled when the sirens went off again. Another 5-10 minutes went by before silence was heard. Then, DH got ready for work and the kids and I started our day. (Well, except that DH put Natalie down for a nap before he got ready for work.) Oh, and the power went out shortly after Natalie waking up. I don't remember exactly when - but I think it was while I was nursing her. I know for sure it was before the first siren went off.

So, we (the kids and I) spent the day trying to stay occupied. We played in the morning, and read some books. I found 8 C batteries to power a portable radio we have, so I was able to keep up on the weather and news. First estimates, around 9:30, were that most people should have power back within 72 hours of when power was lost. At first I thought that wasn't so bad, but then I did the math - that's THREE DAYS! Yikes! I was hoping we'd be on the early end of that, but so far no good.

According to the news, it was a storm that involved straight line wind. Here's text of the story from KWQC, our local NBC affiliate:

Severe storms ripped through the Quad Cities on Monday morning, leaving significant damage and nearly 180,000 homes and businesses without power in the QCA.

Meteorologists from TV-6 and the National Weather Service agree that the damage was a result of straight line winds. A 94 mph wind gust was reported at the Quad city Airport in Moline.

The National Weather Service surveyed the storm damage and confirmed the wind estimate of 90-100 mph. While the damage was not a result of tornadoes, the winds woudl be equivalent to an EF-1 tornado.

Meteorologists stress this is an example of why it is so critical to take severe thunderstorm warnings seriously. "It doesn't matter if it is a 100 mph wind from a tornado or a 100 mph wind from a straight line wind." says KWQC Chief Meteorologist Ryan Burchett. "The damage is going to be the same. If anything, the damage may be more widespread from the straight line wind event. The big difference is the structure of the storm. And that doesn't matter much to the people whose homes are struck by the storms."

The National Weather Service has posted more information about their storm survey on their website.

We are fortunate. No damage to our home or anything - just the loss of power. While an inconvenience, it's trivial as it could be so much worse. A few houses down, a tree fell on the house - can't tell if it damaged the house, but I'm sure it at least scratched it up a bit. We had a tree removed from out front last fall. Man are we glad that happened - as it was DEAD and likely would've damaged the house if it was still here! The worst news out of today was of a campsite that had trees downed, and a 4-year-old boy was killed! :-( The tree fell on the tent in which he was sleeping. Two other kids, a 9-year-old and a 9-month-old, were injured. One was sent to Peoria. Please say a prayer for the family.

There are tree limbs and power lines down EVERYWHERE here in Moline. Our mayor called a state of emergency and asked that everyone stay home as much as possible. No problems there. the garage door opener is out - I'm not going anywhere! LMAO John Deere Road, a MAIN road here in the Illinois side of the Q-C, is closed. There are several power lines down along the road, as well as the poles holding said lines. So not good. The kids and I have made do. There's not much choice - nothing nearby is open. No one has power. I did my best to avoid opening the fridge, until 1 p.m. rolled around. I decided at that point that most of what's in the fridge likely has spoiled already, so I'm having my Dr Pepper! LOL (The local Red Cross is saying 2-4 hours is the longest you should go with stuff in the fridge.) We had crappy breakfast and lunch - crackers, dry cereal, canned fruit, bananas, peanut butter, etc. But, hey, at least we have something we can eat.

So, where was DH in all of this? Coralville, Iowa, for work. He had some water sampling to do at the "lake" there. It was kinda rough not having him around, but it also ended up being a good thing. He was able to go to a Lowe's there and get a generator. (I am sure there are NONE to be found here in the Q-C!) So, now we have minimal power. We have the fridge hooked up, the chest freezer in the basement, the wireless router (of course LOL), a fan in the living room, and a window a/c unit in our bedroom. And, praise God, that flooding in Iowa last month left us with LOTS of money from the OT he put in. So, we were able to pay cash for the generator. Bad news, though, is that it's gone - all of that OT pay is gone. Oh, well. At least we can wait out the power loss somewhat more comfortably - and eat, too! LOL

The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness

You know, the biggest praise is that we hadn't spent that money yet! We can be a bit less frugal than we should - but by some amazing miracle, we had not spent it yet! Praise God! Of course, this all happens as we begin reading Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. Figures it would work out that way, huh? At least we were able to avoid going any further into debt than we had been prior to starting the book, and likely the TMM! :-) Although, I had been hoping to use the OT for Baby Step 1 - the $1,000 emergency fund. Oh, well. God will provide. And, hey, had we not had the OT, it'd be that much harder, right?

When DH got home, he got the generator going. (I have a minor vent there, but will save it for a time when I have less-limited resources!) Then we swung by McDonald's (in Iowa, as no where anywhere near us has power yet) and got some dinner, which we brought home. The kids are now in bed, and DH is out buying more gas for the generator and another power strip to allow us to have the fan running AND the laptops charging simultaneously! :-) God is always faithful.

As for the power, the last I've heard is that MidAmerican (our power company here) is still in the assessment part of things. That means they STILL have no real idea how long it'll take to get everyone's power up and running. *sigh* They are still saying that most people should have power back within 72 hours. BUT, and this is HUGE - IMO - it could be as late as Thursday or Friday! YIKES! We live in part of the hardest-hit area, so I'm nervous that maybe that'll be us waiting ALL WEEK! Eek! So, do we stay or do we go? We could head to Winfield to stay with my parents for a few days while power is nowhere near restored. Or we could just hang out with the generator for a week. I did check, and our vet could board Sawyer until Friday. So, we can leave if we want to - after Abby's dentist appointment tomorrow morning. We shall see - DH and I will discuss when he gets back, which I hope will be SOON!

Well, I've run out of brain power right now, so I'm going to go. Plus, I probably should check in at FROGs and let them know I'm OK.

I'm at a loss for words

Someone on FROGs posted this blog, and I thought I'd share it here.

ConnorWatch

An absolutely amazing journey. That poor 18-year-old child and his poor parents. If you're not familiar with the story, an 18-year-old boy had a diving accident and ended up with a spinal injury. He has made astounding strides in recovery, but still has a long way to go. The family is Christian, and are asking for as much prayer support as anyone can spare. Even if you aren't Christian, I think it's worth following this story. I have added this blog to my blogroll for easy location in the future. My heart and prayers go out to Connor and his family and friends.

Frustrated

I'm frustrated beyond belief. And burned out. And tired. And lonely. And trying desperately not to slip into depression - b/c I know that if I do I'm on my own. I know my friends will say I'm not alone and I have them - but not one of them is someone I've met IRL. (Well, almost none - and definitely none of my absolute closest friends.) It's not the same thing as having someone who can hug me, be here with me, literally help me through this. No one. And, no, DH isn't availible for me.

Where's DH? At work. Again - or is it still? I don't know. I know it's not his fault. With the MAJOR flooding in Iowa, he needs to work. His job requires it. And, generally speaking, this isn't something that happens all the time. So, generally speaking, this isn't an issue. (He's still not 100% there for me, but that's another post for another day.) This royally sucks. More than I'd ever expected it to. Much more. He's been deployed to Louisiana twice now, and those were easier. They really were. Sure, I was 100% on my own 24/7, and it was more work overall. But, this is so much worse. I don't know from one day to the next whether he's working late - and if so just how late. So, I don't know if I absolutely HAVE to do it all on my own or if he'll be around to help. And, I'll be horribly - or perhaps embarrassingly - honest here. I can be - or perhaps just AM - a bit on the lazy side. (I hate that about myself, but here's yet another post for yet another day.) I don't WANT to do it all, so I don't if I know there's a chance that he'll be able to help me. I do what I absolutely HAVE to and save the rest for later - when either he can watch the kids so I can do it without interruption or he can do it. So, things get let go - for instance, a sippy cup ended up with NASTY mold in it. And the mold didn't come out in the dishwasher, despite a HIGH TEMP wash, rinse, and dry. (I was able to scrub it all out/off this afternoon. Although I'm still unsure as to whether I should just throw it out ...) That's not counting the laundry that gets done when we run out of something - typically shorts and/or PJs for at least one of the kids. Oh, yes, and there's a TON of clean clothes, but not a chance to put it away without DH around. (Most of it's the kids' stuff.)

Add to all of this that during these extended hours, there is little to no contact EVERY day - most days NONE, except to call when he's on his way home. The days he does call during the day he usually either wants something or is responding to an e-mail I sent him - or he's returning a call after I left a message. And this, my friends, is why I'm feeling so lonely and just blah. (Well, the blah is a combination of it all, but I hope I'm being clear.) I see him for maybe 5 minutes every morning before he zips out the door. Before all of this flooding, he'd come home for lunch a couple of times per week - now he doesn't, unless there's something going on. (Example: Abby's b-day party at preschool was in the morning, after which she had a parent-teacher conference. DH came home so I could attend both without the other two kids in tow.) And NO phone calls during the day. We hardly have any time to be together, talk, or whatever during the very brief moments we're home together. I've always known I'm not much of a priority to him, and this just hammers that home a little bit more.

To complicate matters, I have been having some minor aches and pains that I've considered seeing my doctor about. But, well, I'm not about to take all three kids to the doctor's office with me. I don't feel like I can make an appointment right now b/c it would be an inconvenience to DH.

OK. I'm exhausted. It's still an hour or so before he's expected home, but I've little to no energy left to continue this. (It's amazing the expenditure of energy when dealing with emotional issues - is that the depression?)

Five years ago today

My precious baby girl was born. It's crazy. How on earth has it been FIVE years already? It seems like just yesterday she was born - and I just couldn't imagine life without her. What a wonderful blessing she is. She is so sweet, wonderful, kind, loving. I'm amazed. When I tell her I can't believe she's growing up so fast, she hugs me and says "I'll always be your baby." And I tell her that's for sure! My sweet, sweet Abigail!

Abby,

I just wanted to tell you how much I love you. Whatever happens, wherever we are, I will ALWAYS love you more than anything. ALWAYS. There is NOTHING that could EVER change that. I can promise you that because I KNOW it's a promise that won't ever be broken.

Thank you for being you. I am so blessed and grateful to get to share every day with you. God has blessed me beyond my best dreams. Daily I thank Him for you.

Your birth was one of the best moments of my life. Having you was one of the best things I've ever done with my life. I only hope that I can do right by you in all things. Please don't ever doubt how much I love you. Words just cannot express it.

As you prepare to start kindergarten in a few short months I face a flood of emotions: pride, sadness, excitement, nervousness, and many others. It's bittersweet. Bitter because it means my baby is growing up. Before I know it you'll be off to college! (Scary, scary thought!) Sweet because I'm enjoying every moment I get with you.

Pride ~ I am so proud of you. You are a wonderful, sweet, loving, intelligent, caring, beautiful girl. I look forward to seeing more of who you are destined to be.

Sad ~ Well, because as you grow, you gain independence. The more you gain, the sooner you'll leave the nest! What will I do without you?

Excitement ~ I'm excited as I see you develop new skills, learn new things, and grow into your personality. I'm excited for you because I know you have great potential and can't wait to see you realize that. May God bless you in all that you do!

Nervousness ~ Well, I'm just nervous about letting you go off into the world of school. Those were rough years for me, and I'm afraid of seeing you get hurt. I pray that God protect you from as much of the meanness and cruelty of children as is possible to be shielded from. I'm also nervous to see what kind of influence your friends will have on you. I pray God direct you to the right friends and guide you every day. I'm also nervous about being the mom you need as you move though this rite of passage.

I love you. I always will. I know I'm repeating myself, but I want to make sure you ALWAYS know and never doubt. I'm praying God guide you and lead you and bless you.

Love always and forever and ever,
Mom

Happy birthday, my sweet, sweet Abigail!

Week 3, Day 1: What is it?

This week's theme is Guess That Object. So, what is it?


I have discovered one problem with the macro setting - you can see something you'd MUCH rather not see - all that dust! I am EXTREMELY embarrassed. But, I'm also lazy - and the laziness won out. No taking a new pic! So, please pardon my dust. (And, yes, I'm cleaning it once I'm done posting here!) And, tell me if you dare - what is it?

Week 2, Day 7

Taken Saturday, my subject was a Webkinz Lil' Kinz elephant named Peanut. The first shot is a standard shot, and the others are using the macro setting. Ironically, I think the last one is probably one of my better shots all week! LOL Figures - a stuffed animal. Apparently I was looking in the wrong place when trying to do plants and flowers! LMAO

I also tried taking pics of my wedding set (rings), but my hands were too shaky. So, I'm going to spare you all the pics! ;-)

Week 2, Day 6

Taken Friday, these are some hosta leaves from out front. Again, the first shot is with our standard settings - and the auto focus sucks! I thought DH had turned it off, but apparently not. I'll have to look into that. The other two are with the macro setting. A little too blurry, unfortunately. If you look carefully on the bottom one, you can see that it was starting to rain - there are small droplets of water on the leaf!

Week 2, Day 5

FINALLY! It took me all afternoon to upload these for some strange reason! These are flowers (what I cannot remember) from our front flower garden - next to our porch. The top one is a shot with our standard camera settings. I believe both of the others were using the macro setting.

Week 2, Day 4

I attempted to use Natalie's feet for Wednesday's pics. This is the only shot that wasn't blurry! And, I think this was just the normal setting. Like I said before, I suck at this! LOL

Week 2, Day 3

Tuesday's subject was a flowery pen. The first shot is another standard shot, and the second is the macro setting (again, I think). This actually turned out OK, too.

Week 2, Day 2

These were taken Monday. The subject is one of our hydrangeas. Abby brought it in a few days before, and I decided that would be perfect. The first is just a standard shot, and the second I think is the macro setting. That turned out MUCH better than Sunday's pics. I've looked at my others, and it might be the best of my macro shots. You can judge in a bit, once I get everything uploaded.

Week 2, Day 1

This is from the first day of the second week, during which our focus was on depth of field. I'm not sure I really get what I'm doing, but it was fun trying new things. Unfortunately, the pics from last Sunday look horrible, at least in my opinion. I can't remember what setting was used for each, but I do know that I started with a normal setting, then tried the digital macro setting. Without further ado, here they are.

Sunday's subject was a feather on top of a pen.




I think the first two were using our normal setting, and the last was the macro setting. But, I'm not 100% sure. I'm not happy with how blurry it is. Unfortunately, I seem to SUCK with using the macro setting!

This week's pictures

Remember, the goal was just to work on a watermark. So, I just took pics of my kids - always attractive and VERY willing subjects - and added the watermark. So, they are below, in chronological order.


I couldn't decide on one from June 11, so I picked two. Natalie (above) and Grant (below) both hammed it up for the camera!


Here are all three of my sweeties! That's as close to all three smiling as I could get! LOL It was taken June 12.

Here is my sweet, sleepy princess, Abby - in her nightgown with her wand! I think that's a gorgeous smile! Taken June 13.

And taken this afternoon (June 14), Abby shows off part of her snack. She looks silly, so I decided it would be fun to share!

Males! Need I say more?

That sums it up perfectly! Doesn't matter what the penis is attached to. To hell with it! Anything - man, child, cat, dog, etc. - with a penis is on my shit list today! (Good thing my dentist is a woman, as I have an appointment today.)

I should've known that it wouldn't be a good morning - I got to sleep in after all! Can't have my cake and eat it, too, you know! Anyway, Grant got up shortly after 7 - it's a MIRACLE! LMAO

After DH left for work, I noticed he neglected to take the trash out - something he had promised to do LAST NIGHT. Am I surprised? Not really. While everyone else in the world seems to think he's wonderful, reliable, dependable, etc., I know better. He's rarely been any of those for me. Well, I take that back - he's good at being wonderful, if you ignore the fact that I can't depend on him for much of anything. He's NOT a man of his word - at least, not for me. I'm willing to bet that at work and elsewhere he is, but not here. Don't get me started. I'll save all of that for another time. Let's just say the trash STINKS to high heaven, and it irks me to no end that he neglected to take it out - especially when I see that he added some old food from our fridge to the mess! OK, onto the rest of my morning ...

Natalie woke about when I fed Grant, so I loaded him up with cereal, fruit, and milk and let him watch TV while eating so I could get - and nurse Natalie. And what do I come back downstairs to about 20 minutes later? Kix ALL OVER THE FLOOR. He must've dumped at least half of what I gave him over the side of his tray! This is NOT the first time this has happened, nor (I am sure) will it be the last. Thank God for the Dust Buster!

Shortly after that, I get Grant down, hands washed, etc. And I go to let the dog in. I call for him. Whistle, etc. Nothing. I step farther outside and see him two yards over! So, I slip on my flip-flops, grab the leash, and head outside. And the dog is so excited to see his leash he comes no problem! LOL Stupid dog! I bring him inside, swearing to kill his sorry ass, only to find my sweet son has made his way upstairs into my bedroom. He LOVES to play with DH's alarm-clock radio! So, I get him back downstairs (crying all the way) and finally get him dressed. Kid pooped and - of course - wants to grab himself. Throws a fit because I won't let him. YOU HAVE SHIT ON YOUR BUTT, BOY! Oh, and he gets one of his feet in it. Thanks, kid! Thankfully, it was a tiny amount, and easily cleaned up. But, now he's whining for his boo-boo (more commonly known as a pacifier).

Oh, and our two cats are male - one pukes so much it's amazing he isn't emaciated and half dead! The other whines and complains constantly, despite having a bowl full of food and fresh water. Ingrate!

This just in: DH is going to have to work late AGAIN tonight. Damn flooding in Iowa! This is the third night in a row. *sigh*

Add to all of that, it's humid as heck here. So humid, I can feel my asthma acting up, and you probably could cut the air with a knife and take a bite out of it. So, I've closed all of the windows and cranked up the a/c. I don't DO humidity.

I don't particularly like how this post came out. I thought about it for a while before having an opportunity to sit and write it out. And, of course, it went much better as I rehearsed it in my head. It was much more witty and entertaining. But, of course, duty kept me from writing it out until now.

Tweaked the Watermark

I decided that I wanted the year in my Watermark, too. So, here's the same photo with the new watermark.

First Post

Our first assignment is to make our watermark for our pics. So, here is mine:

Oh, come on!

Oh for fuck's sake! Also from the Chicago Tribune:

Hillary Clinton's campaign is denying a report that the senator from New York is ready to concede the presidential nomination to Barack Obama tonight.

Clinton will concede that Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, has the delegates needed to secure the Democratic Party's 2008 presidential nomination, two campaign officials are telling the Associated Press anonymously.

The Clinton campaign, publicly, is denying the report.

"The former first lady will stop short of formally suspending or ending her race in her speech in New York City'' tonight, the AP's Beth Fouhy reports. "She will pledge to continue to speak out on issues like health care. But for all intents and purposes, two senior officials said, the campaign is over.''

Most campaign staff will be let go and will be paid through June 15, according to the officials who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

The Clinton campaign is disputing the report about her intentions.

Terry McAuliffe, the Clinton campaign chairman, interviewed on CNN today, called the report "100 percent incorrect.''

But he did say publicly on NBC's Today show this morning that once Obama has the number of delegates needed for the nomination Clinton will indeed congratulate him and "call him the nominee.''

So perhaps the operative term here is tonight -- or manana?

Seriously? GIVE IT UP, GIRL! This is ridiculous. As much as I fear what Obama winning could mean for Illinois, I would rather have that happen then see Billary back in the White House! I mean, talk about a dynasty! Here people (mostly Dems) have bitched and moaned about the Bush Dynasty - at least GW was never in the White House before being elected! How exactly would it work to have a FORMER PRESIDENT as the first man? (Can't call Bill a gentleman, can I?) As if he could be there and not have any sway on his wife's decision. I'm not an idiot - hopefully most Americans aren't, either!

It's about damn time!

From the Chicago Tribune:

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York will concede tonight that Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois has the delegates needed to secure the Democratic Party's 2008 presidential nomination, campaign officials are telling the Associated Press.

"The former first lady will stop short of formally suspending or ending her race in her speech in New York City'' tonight, the AP's Beth Fouhy reports. "She will pledge to continue to speak out on issues like health care. But for all intents and purposes, two senior officials said, the campaign is over.''

Most campaign staff will be let go and will be paid through June 15, according to the officials who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Terry McAuliffe, the campaign chairman, interviewed on CNN today, called the report "100 percent incorrect.'' But he did say publicly on NBC's Today show this morning that once Obama has the number of delegates needed for the nomination Clinton will indeed congratulate him and "call him the nominee.''

And people made fun of Huckabee! LMAO

As much as I hate Hillary, this is a scary, scary thing for Illinois. If Obama wins, we will need to replace a Senator. And, according to the state's constitution, there is no election. Our governor gets to pick - and there's no stipulations (from what I've read) about WHO he can choose. Rod Blagojevich is a complete ass and should so NOT be in office. It scares me to think who he might appoint.

"D"H Strikes Again

Asshat. That's all I have to say. Well, no, really it's not. Where to start ...

Our son is an EARLY riser - most days is awake by 6:30. It doesn't matter what time he goes to bed. He's up EARLY. Occasionally - and this is EXTREMELY RARE - he will sleep to 7 or so. Fortunately, today was one of those rare days - both he and DD#1 woke around 7:30. On a typical day, that is HEAVEN. And it was nice today. But, I am the one getting up with DS 99% of the time. DH usually sleeps for another hour or so - EVERY SINGLE DAY, well, every week day at least PLUS at least one of the days over the weekend. So, needless to say, I'm a bit more tired than he is most of the time. He "let" me sleep in yesterday - only after I asked if he'd please get up with DS and let me sleep. DD#2, however, was up around 8. Figures. Not that 8 is bad, of course, but I was hoping it would be one of her 8:30-9 days.

This morning, as I mentioned, the older two got up around 7:30. Very nice, and I'm not complaining. DH, of course, made no move to get up. So, out of a feeling of fairness, I got up, despite being so tired I could barely muster the effort to do so. He finally saunters downstairs after #3 gets up - after 8:30. I nurse DD2 and then bring her downstairs. I told him what solids to give her for breakfast, and brought down a change of clothes for DS, who was still in his PJs. I start heading back upstairs when DH asks where I'm going. I told him back to sleep, which he says "oh, no you're not!" WTF? I could take a nap instead. OK - notice the time I'm posting this. Shortly after 2:30 in the afternoon - nap time. No, he's not sleeping. He's outside crossing one more thing off his self-written (and not at all shared with me) to-do list. SOB. So friggin' selfish - JUST LIKE HIS MOTHER. Thanks, you jackass! Anyway, I don't know why, but I listened - maybe because as a Christian I've been taught to submit. (No, he doesn't generally boss me around like that.) Or maybe it was the Holy Spirit within me or something. All I know is I'm DEAD TIRED and not really wanting to nap on the couch. So, here I sit. Knowing that the moment I lie down, one of the kids will be up and since DH is outside, I have to deal with it. (I would drop off the baby monitors outside, but he acts like I'm asking him to emasculate himself when I suggest he take sole responsibility for all three kids. SOB.)

Subscribe!

Thanks to Kelly, I now have e-mail subscriptions available. So, if you want to receive an e-mail when there's new stuff to read, sign up! :-)

(Thanks, Kelly, for posting it on your blog so I could find it! LOL Love ya!)

Life sucks sometimes

I just posted a huge long post about my childhood over on Vox. So, if you're on Vox and you have access, check it out. If not, I guess you're just SOL!

And now I've forgotten what I wanted to say here. Darn kids! ;-)

Oh, yeah. The title. For once I'm glad I have to make a title! LMAO

DH is a prick. A fucking prick. At times like these, I hate him. I know, awful - and probably indicative of how immature I am. But, hey, too damn bad. That said, he's just a know-it-all prick.

We have a Roomba (love that thing) - well, two, actually. The first one never charged properly, and we thought we got a dud. I sometimes wondered if the outlet it was plugged into had something to do with it. Sometime later, we acquired our newest Roomba. We had it plugged in elsewhere and it worked great. Recently, we plugged it into the outlet we had the first one plugged into. And now, the battery won't hold a charge - same problem as the first one. I suggested to DH that the outlet might have something to do with it, and he IMMEDIATELY shoots me down. He says no, the battery's just spent. They have a limited number of charge cycles, etc. Blah, blah, blah. OK, I don't deny that could be part of it, but what about the outlet? TWO Roombas met an untimely death after being plugged into that same outlet. Sure, we have had this Roomba for a couple of years now, but it just seems too coincidental, kwim? If this happened while it was plugged into any other outlet, I'd take what DH's explanation is and agree 100%. But, I see a pattern. Sure, we've only had two Roombas, but both were plugged into that outlet. Now, the first one we never plugged in anywhere else, so it is possible that it was a dud. But, you still can't deny the similarities here. This whole thing resulted in a HUGE fight. Funny, huh?

No, it's NOT about a stupid vacuuming robot. Not at all. It's about him ALWAYS dismissing my opinions. He does this more often than not. Won't even consider my thoughts on stuff like that. Apparently he knows EVERYTHING and I'm just a stupid idiot who knows nothing. Stupid jackass! So, I'm mad - well, mad because I'm hurt. He won't even consider my thoughts b/c I haven't tested 50 Roombas to see if it really is a pattern or whatever. Stupid fucking prick. Jackass jerk. And, of course, when I try to talk to him about this, he focuses on the Roomba, not what I'm trying to explain to him. I'm trying to tell him it's not about the Roomba. It's about him making me feel like my opinions and ideas about things are nothing worth considering - like he thinks I'm stupid or something. While it's not meant to be, it's VERY hurtful. (And, yes, I'm like an injured animal - I say all sorts of things, hence what you're reading here. Better here than hurling shit at him, right?)

Still here

I have been away just b/c I'm so dang busy. I know - I do it to myself. I'm an owner of a Web site, and a co-admin on another. Then I joined yet ANOTHER board (as if I needed it) recently and have been spending a ton of time there, too. I'm considering leaving Mommy Zone, as it's really not the same since Kelly left. I can't decide, though. Most of my friends have met up elsewhere, but there are a couple of women I still like talking to. But, it reminds me of when Mommy-Talk was taken over by Gail, and I couldn't stay. I couldn't respect the leadership, and knew that meant I couldn't remain there, either. And I had CLOSER friends - women who I'd known since I was pg with Abby - that didn't follow me anywhere! :-( Makes me so sad. And some won't even return my e-mails! :-( Oh, well. I do think that I will have to leave MZ, but I'm going to wait. They're going to be changing the name/url, etc. So, that'll be the perfect opportunity.

Well, I need to get to bed, so I'm gonna go. I'll try to be back soon.

I hate titles

I've never been good at titles - or writing headlines, for that matter. (I've written countless headlines, despite my lack of skill!) Unless I'm setting out with something specific I want to say, the titles always stump me.

So, I haven't been feeling well. I was dead tired over the weekend, and Monday started getting a sore throat. Yesterday I had a headache (which is still here), chills, etc. Surprisingly, no fever - but I'm not complaining! ;-) DH came home early so I could get some extra rest, which I REALLY appreciate. I got a short nap in, and that made a huge difference. Now, I still have an icky throat, and I can feel something in my lungs. Fun, fun!

Me again

I hadn't intended to be away this long. Sorry. Although, I don't think anyone's even reading this so perhaps I'm only letting myself down! LOL Still, this can be therapeutic, so I really should do it more. Now to explain my absence.

It's been a helluva couple of weeks. This past week I've been spending most of my time (when the kids allow, of course) helping a dear friend of mine launch a new Web site. It's phpBB based like mine is, so I've done most of the modifications and stuff. That has been fun - I like doing stuff like that. (Yes, I know, I'm a nerd! LOL) I've even taken a bit of a hiatus from my own site in my efforts to help her get things up and running. I let my Staff know, as I felt they should be aware of my whereabouts. The good thing is I have good people on my site, and me being gone (or in much less than usual) for a while isn't going to cause it to fall apart. I tried to get on a minimum of once per day. I must've done pretty well, as no one seemed to notice my absence.

I have since been made one of four Admin on my friend's site. I haven't let anyone on my site know that yet. Do I have to? I don't think it's a conflict of interests. My site is for Christian women; the new site is for moms. We aren't what some would call "competitors" or anything. Plus, I'm one of FOUR Admin there, all of which can do techie stuff. I might say something at least to my staff. But, I don't want to cause any drama. I know one of my staff members is on the new site, and so far she hasn't said anything about it to me. (If anyone DOES read this and you happen to be on my site, please comment here to let me know your thoughts.)

Well, laundry beckons. So, I must go for now.

I'm still here

Sorry to be so quiet for so long. I haven't intended to be away. I was hoping I'd actually be able to write at least once per day. But, well, I got caught up. I've installed an arcade on my site, and it's taking up my time. No, I'm not spending all of my time playing the games! LOL (Although, I do have to test each one to make sure it works and then properly submits the score.) It's time-consuming to find the games then install them. After that, it's organization and actually activating them on the site. Finally, test. I have one - Marvin's Lucky 13 Solitaire (or something like that) - that works fine, until you go to submit the score. Then I get an error - GAAH! Can't a girl get a break? Then, I took a LOOOOONG time tracking down a couple of my favorites: Sandwich Stacker and Traffic Control. Neither was formatted for this particular arcade, but I was able to get someone to do SS for me. Now to just get TC converted. I wish I knew coding better! :-( I am proud of myself, though, for what I am able to do on my site. I'm learning a little bit of html and php coding. I would love to be able to create awesome Web pages and/or forums. Maybe someday I'll look into some courses on Web design or something.

Before I forget - check out my new Meez! :-)

Well, it's late - I'm off to bed. Hopefully I'll write tomorrow! ;-)

Phew!

I saw my allergist yesterday, and he said it doesn't sound like an allergy to food! :-) PHEW! I'm relieved - I don't want food allergies, thanks anyway! ;-) Since I'd posted that last bit, I thought I'd make sure to update.