I can't believe I'm awake....

I just thought I'd put in another entry since I'm actually up this close to midnight! I am usually in bed by now....but tonight my mom found her recovery disk for her computer. I followed the instructions, and now I have a perfectly running year old computer....oops. I suppose I really didn't need to order that new Dell, eh? Well, we will just keep this little secret and not tell hubby....okay?

Betsy and her friends left for their celebration arund 7:30, and then wee one, John and I left for my mom's around 8:00. We spent an hour or so over there. We sat with dad so that wee one and my mom could go outside together and do some sparklers. We left shortly after that since John had spent the day helping a friend move. He was pretty tired....in fact, he's sawing logs in front of the tv as we speak. Wee one, however, is sitting here next to me, feeling rather nauseous. She says she thinks she's going to be sick. "Oh great mom, I'm gonna puke on New Years Eve!" is what she actually said....she drank milk before she went to bed which is always a no-no with her. She is slightly lactose intolerant, has been since she was a baby. I didn't realize that you could be "slightly" intolerant, but the doctor said that certain dairy products may trigger it. She went back to bed, and hopefully she will have a good night!

Hmmmm, what should I do now? I see none of my friends online. They are all probably at teriffic parties, enjoying themselves whilst dancing and singing. *Sigh. I've not made a resolution list because I never keep them. So, this year I resolve not to resolve anything. That should work!

Okay, it's getting late, and I'm getting tired. So, to all of my wonderful friends, I wish you great joy, health and happiness in the coming year. May God bless each and every one of you!

 

 

To all of my wonderful friends....Have a very safe and Happy New Year!

    
          Samuel Thompson wrote: I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December.  I don't agree with Darwin, but I didn't go out and hire lawyer when my high school teacher taught his theory of evolution.
Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game.

           So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there 
reading the entire book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game. "But it's a Christian prayer," some will argue. Yes, and this is the United States of America, a country founded on Christian principles and we are in the Bible Belt. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect, somebody chanting Hare Krishna? 

           If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to  hear a Jewish prayer.  If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim pray. If I went to a ping pong match in China, I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha. And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit. When in Rome...

           "But what about the atheists?" is another argument? What about  them?  Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer. Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.

           Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us just to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying. God, help us.

          And if that last sentence offends you, well..........just sue me. The silent majority has been silent too long... It's time we let that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard, that the vast majority 
don't care what they want... it is time the majority rules!

           It's time we tell them, you don't have to pray... you don't have to say the pledge of allegiance; you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right. But by golly you are no longer going to take our rights away we are fighting back... and we WILL WIN! After all, the God you have the right to denounce is on our side!

           God bless us one and all, especially those who denounce Him... 
God bless America, despite all her faults... still the greatest nation of  all....

           God bless our service men that are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God...May 2005 be the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions.Keep looking up...... In God WE Trust

Calendar day....

Today I was on a mission....a mission to find my calendars. I usually get a Far Side calendar each year for Christmas....but for some reason I didn't get one this year. I am also surrounded by calendars here at my desk. I have my desk blotter that I write things on, my "Close to Home" daily calendar (a comic a day type thing), my England calendar hanging on the wall to the right of me, and my Anne Taintor calendar to my left. Why I need four calendars....I do not know. It's kind of a "thing" with me. I already have a 2005 planner for my purse. I still have my 2004 one, which I never even used. I'm enamored with calendars. Anyone care to psychoanalyze that? But I digress....

Wee one and I went to Comp USA to return the power supply that we didn't need, and I looked there for a blotter....nothing. However wee one ended up getting the Sims "Unleashed", which allows the families to adopt pets. She was so excited. I told her she didn't need another Sims game, since she had four already, but she paid for it with her money. We then went to Office Max, where I found my kitchen calendar, which is the new Hallmark "Shoebox" funny one. It's really cute, and is taking the place of my "Far Side" this year. I feel so guilty as I think over the 17 years I've been married, only two of them were non-FS kitchen calendar years! I also got a desk blotter that is decorated with different flowers for each month on it. I couldn't find the blotter I was looking for, which was the Flavia one, and wee one liked this one so I bought it. Now, I had a bad feeling about it from the get go, because I have this "thing" about flowers. I don't like them. They remind me of funeral homes. But, I bought it anyway....$32 for two freaking calendars!

After we were finished there, we went to Borders and guess what? Their calendars were 50% off! So, I got one for above my desk, the "Lang 2005 Folk Art" edition and a daily tear off "Foxtrot" comic one. After we left borders, I couldn't stand it anymore....I went to the car, got the flower blotter and returned it. I know, I know....sounds crazy, but I would not have been happy with it....especially with the month of February which was ::gasp:: ROSES, my most hated flower of them all! I hate the look, the smell....everything about them. I suppose that gets dear hubby off the hook, as I have never asked or complained that I didn't get a dozen! LOL. Of course, I have absolutely no aversion to diamonds, and that would be an acceptable substitute....

So, sometime before the first, I need to get my new blotter. I will hit Office Depot which is where I found this one last year. I also have this ritual where I sit down on January first (not Dec. 31st) and write in/highlight all the important dates. I guess it's a little tradition I enjoy. Santa actually forgot that he hid the girls calendars under the couch in his room....and when I gave Betsy her's she said, "Awesome! I thought "Santa" forgot them this year!" I suppose I am unwittingly training my girls to have a calendar fetish as well!

Not much else went on today. Well, Betsy did go to the mall with her friend in her car today. That was a first. It was so strange seeing them drive off together. She had a blast, and the girl she went with is really nice. She came home with tons of stuff, and used most of her Christmas money. She also brought home a gallon of milk that I forgot when I was out today. It was kind of nice calling her and having her bring it home! LOL.

Well, it's late, everyone is in bed, and I should be too.....night all!

I'm so "Dell"ighted!!!!

Woohoo! Yeah baby, you know what this means....I went online today and built myself a computer!  Dude, I got a *Dell*....the "Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005" to be exact. So, in 3-5 business days, I should have my precious cargo delivered right to my door....and no, it was NOT from the "Dell outlet center", thank you very much!  Dh just walked through the room and grumbled something....from what I can discern it was "mmmph-must-be-nice-grummmmp-stay-at-home-while-I-work-mmmphmmmmumble-new- computer-grummmmble-never-lets-me-on-and-I-pay-for-it...." LMAO....

Anyhoo, I will be giving this old computer to Betsy for her room, since I'll be getting another monitor and printer. Well, actually, she will be getting the new printer since I just bought my cool one. This way she can do homework and not bother me whilst I do my oh-so-important web work (i.e. surfing, iming, journaling, etc.)....

Oh yes, the story behind the firetruck/ambulance. Well, we were all sitting at my mom's on Christmas eve, having a lovely time when the phone rang. It was my mom's next door neighbor who is a single mom with a son who is 12. She was crying hysterically and the only thing mom could understand was 'burn', so she and my aunt went over. Apparently, she had been carrying a pot of boiling water and it spilled down the front of her (navel to knees), and it actually melted her underwear to her skin. They stayed with her and called 911, and they came to the house. They immediately put cooling packs on her, and luckily stopped the burning (did you know that a burn will continue to burn for 10 minutes after the initial spill/fire what have you? You should soak the burned area for 10 minutes in cool water if you ever have this happen!). They said that had we taken her to the hospital ourselves, they would have all been third degree burns....luckily she ended up with first and second degree burns, and they let her stay at home. They showed her son how to change the dressings, and mom and my aunt took turns checking on her during the evening. Usually she and her son go to North Carolina for Christmas with her mother, but this year, he had asked that it just be the two of them at home....poor kid was so scared! About an hour later, wee one asked my mom if she could take one of her birthday cupcakes over to him....I haven't heard how she is doing, but I'm sure my mom will be back and forth between the houses....

My dad had an enjoyable Christmas I think. He actually sat with us while we opened our gifts. A bit of backround on dad....he was always the "showman". People always called him Dick Clark because of his ageless appearance (he did favor him a lot), and his character. In the late 70's through early 80's he would tape record every holiday event our family had; interviewing people and acting like a radio show host. He LOVED to do that. We have hundreds of tapes with him doing that. After the tape recorder he was Mr. Picture....you couldn't do anything at a get together without being photographed. He made picture albums, and they were all dated and captioned....this Christmas my uncle got him a really cool flashlight with halogen bulbs. The light actually looks blue. Dad seemed happy with it....although he rarely smiles, and can't see much of anything, he turned that thing on, and as each of us opened a gift, he would shine the light on them, like a spotlight. It was as if a little piece of my dad was still there....emceeing the evening. After about a half hour, he was ready for bed, and in a tired, quiet, slurred voice, he asked John to tie the flashlight to the bed so if he needed to get up at night....he could shine the light in mom's eyes so she would wake up and help him! He can still make us laugh....that evening when we got home, I said a special thank you prayer for my favorite gift....Mr. Showman making one more appearance.

Here we go again....

And so, the spirit of the holiday season is gone, and normal life sets in once again. Specifically, sometime shortly after midnight on the morning of the 26th, when my power supply went out, causing both the motherboard and processor to burn out completely. And yes, this is the freaking computer I bought in August, who's 90 day limited warranty ran out at the end of November. Remind me never again to try to save money buying refurbished. With the money I have spent on refurbished computers, I could have one heck of a new machine. My husband called me the "black widow" of computers. I called him....well....I probably shouldn't say, as I would like to keep my PG rating here in j-land....

My techno-genius brother in law who is here on vacation, came over at 11:30 today and tried to fix my computer. He spent 3 1/2 hours putting different parts in different computers....only to come to the conclusion that "it's toast". However, he is taking my old hard drive home and getting all of my pictures and movies off of it for me, and will burn me a disk of memories....how sweet. Dh and I took he and my sister out to dinner for his efforts.

So, you may be wondering what I am typing this on. Well, I dug out my old computer, did a complete system restore, and the only thing loaded on this bad boy is my AOL. I will make due until I decide what to get....I'm thinking Dell. I've been with HP for a long time, but I think it may be time for a change. I tell ya....it's amazing how much we have come to rely on our computers. It's like my window to the world....replacing good old PBS. *Sigh....

Christmas was good for us. The girls loved all of their gifts. Wee one got the electric scooter....even though "Santa" had a small breakdown at 11:00 pm on Dec. 24th, as he stood in the garage and realized it was missing a part....the part that holds the seat on! I will be calling the 800 number to request the pole, but until then, she is happy just to stand on it and ride. It actually looks like that is how it is supposed to be....I kind of like it better that way. I had draped blankets over it, and she kept looking at it as she opened her stocking....she asked a few times what it was, and finally we let her take the blankets off. When she got them off she stood there with her hands on her cheeks and yelled, "OH MY DEAR LORD!" It was the cutest/funniest thing I have ever seen. She had tears in her eyes and was laughing....she was sooooo excited. John, Betsy and I were hysterical. Needless to say, she spent the afternoon riding around the culdesac. Betsy loved her digital camera and has spent the past few days taking pictures everywhere. I have to be sure to have makeup on at all times....she's a sneaky one!

John was happy with his dvd's. We laid in bed watching them the other night. What a nut....and as for me, I got a griddle from Wee one (which was broken in on Christmas morning with sausage, eggs, and french toast), the second season of Kids in the Hall dvd's from Betsy (woohoo!), and a back massager from John....and oh boy, that thing is almost as good as sex! (There goes my PG rating). It is awesome....It has these shiatsu balls that move up and down your back and feels like someone is actually rubbing you. *Embarassing moment alert* I used it so much the first day that I haven't used it since....my back is sore from it! LOL.

I have more to write....the party at my mom's, the fire truck and ambulance....but that will have to wait till later....(not for my family, thank goodness!)

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas....I will be catching up on journals soon! I apologize for not reading, but, you know....

The true reason for the season....

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeard to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all men."  Luke 2:8-14

Following the crowd....

Okay, okay....I'm going to play along since it is the Christmas season, and it seems that everyone is writing letters to Santa....here's mine! (Apologies to Lanny's wife, as it seems he is the only "male married friend" a lot of us know!)

Dear Santa,

I have been a good girl.

It really wasn't my fault what happened at Kim's Christmas party. It was Kara who spiked the punch with too much grey goose vodka. I can't help it if I drank 4 glasses. It was so good---smelled and tasted just like lemon fresh pine sol.

I thought it was funny when I put Jules's bra on my head and danced the funky chicken on the four poster bed while singing `Super Freak'. I didn't mean to break Kim's walkie talkie and don't know why Kim would sue me for indecent exposure.

I don't remember calling Lanny's wife a foamy mongoose---even though she looked like one with mauve eye shadow and sea foam green lipstick!

And when I threw up on Lori's husband's thigh, it was only because I ate too much of that goulash.

After all that fun, I admit I was a little tired. So I fell asleep on my way home and drove my Mini Cooper through my neighbor's attic. I don't think that was any reason for my neighbor to call me a seductive gorilla and have me arrested for insider trading!

So, Santa...here I sit in my jail cell on Christmas Eve, all racy and spicy. And I'm really not to blame for any of this risque stuff. Please bring me what I want the most---bail money!

Sincerely and expeditiously yours,
Sherry (Really a nice girl!)

P.S. It's only 1,000,000 bucks

And if you would like to play along as well, go HERE!