“Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.” ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

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Every once in awhile I'll get a forwarded email that I think is worth sharing with friends and family and rather than delete it, like I do so many other pieces of electronic junk mail, I'll forward it along or maybe - if it's really interesting and I haven't been able to think of anything else to write about! - I'll post it here.

I recently received such an email from a friend entitled "What's In a Name?". There was an attached link where you could go over to a new page, type in your first and last names, and see just how many other people in this great country of ours answers to the same name as you. After finding out just how many of you there are, you then went to the bottom of the numbered list on the email, added your name and the number of people who shared it with you to the list, and forwarded it along to anyone that you thought might be interested. There were no threats that you would turn into a cockroach within six hours if you didn't forward it to fifty people within the next 9.75 minutes or that something great would happen to you at midnight the next day if you were to send it along to everyone in your address book - just add your name and send it on or not.

Being the curious sort and all, I was fairly confident that there could be not be another Linda Orlomoski living in America without my knowing about it so I went on over to the link and - sure enough - not only were there no other Linda Orlomoskis but there were no Orlomoskis period. Apparently the name doesn't exist in the database at all. Gee, what a surprise!

On the other hand, I had always thought my first name was fairly common and it turns out I was right as according to the statistics on this page:

* There are 1,552,337 people in the U.S. with the first name Linda.
* Statistically the 14th most popular first name.
* More than 99.9 percent of people with the first name Linda are female.

My mother once told me that she had originally wanted to name me Barbara but my father told her that Barbara was too common of a name so he suggested the name Linda. I am the only one of his four children whose name he picked out but it turns out that Dad was a bit off on the popularity thing as, again, according to the statistics on this page:

* There are 1,469,846 people in the U.S. with the first name Barbara.
* Statistically the 15th most popular first name.
* More than 99.9 percent of people with the first name Barbara are female.

Turns out the popularity of the name Linda to Barbara squeaks ahead just a tiny bit but isn't it nice to know that most Lindas and Barbaras are female? I've really got to wonder about the other .1 percent though!

While I was checking statistics on names, I decided to run my two former married names through the check and I've decided that I rather like the uniqueness of being Linda Orlomoski as compared to being one of the 64 Linda Doughtys and the 171 other Linda McCanns. My last name might cause people to trip over the tongue a bit but at least I know my name is just mine and no one else's!

Curious to know how many people share your name? Click on the link below:

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

"It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it." ~ General Robert E. Lee

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I was reading through some of my favorite blogs this morning and while over at sarge charlie's, I came across a link to another page under his post titled "Things That Make Me Proud" and I wanted to share it here with you.

As you might be able to guess from his blog title, "sarge charlie" spent time in the United States Army and served his country honorably. His blog has some wonderful tributes to our men and women of the Armed Forces and the pictures and music at this tribute and thank you are very moving. It takes a little while to load but stick with it - you'll be glad that you did.

It's easy to sit here in the comfort of our own homes, away from all of the fighting and violence, and protest the War in Iraq but let's not forget that our countrymen are over there giving their all in a very hostile environment. And they aren't just there but they're in Afghanistan, too.

This is not a popular war (and yes, that's probably the major understatement of the day) but what war is? Were people happy that we were fighting in Europe, in Korea, in Vietnam ... in any war? Were the wars that were fought right here on the soil of our own country popular wars? No ... wars are not popular and they shouldn't be - but sometimes they're necessary.

That said, I don't really think we should be in the Middle East, at least not in the manner that we are. I think we should let them figure it out for themselves just like I thought we should have let Vietnam and Korea figure it out for themselves but we ARE in the Middle East and until our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines come home then I'm going to support them in every way that I can.

I hope that you will, too.

"I do not fear the verdict of Gettysburg. Time sets all things right. Error lives but a day. Truth is eternal." ~ General James Longstreet

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Wordless Wednesday #3

General James Longstreet, CSA
1821 - 1904

Wordless Wednesday Participants

1. Rhea 2. delightful duchess 3. Busy 4. Rav`N 5. Letha 6. WOW 7. Coffee 2 go 8. Sunflower 9. Rose DesRochers 10. Frances 11. Ma 12. marianne 13. Miss Pink 14. The Foo 15. Janet

16. Friday\'s Child 17. Gattina 18. Skittles 19. incog 20. Palmtreefanatic 21. Beckie 22. Dragonheart 23. Chris 24. eph2810 25. Osman 26. misslionheart 27. Debbie 28. Brian 29. MAV writer 30. R\'s Musings

31. Angelo 32. Mrs Lifecruiser 33. viamarie 34. rayne 35. Jottings From Jersey 36. Missy 37. amy 38. Sonny 39. Bex 40. Another Desert Rat 41. Claire 42. Michael 43. Mike 44. JHSiess

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“Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.” ~ Edgar Allan Poe

Words are a marvelous thing. They can invoke more emotions in us than I could possibly name - anger, amusement, fear, regret, love, disgust, boredom, inspiration, sadness ... the list goes on and on. I have no idea who the first man was that stood up straight and uttered an intelligent word or what the name was of the first guy who could tell someone what those drawings all over the wall of the cave meant other than that the cave-wife was going to spend the next day scrubbing down the entire cave before company came over for roast pterodactyl. But since the first man uttered the first word we haven't stopped speaking or improving our language. Well ... most of the time that's the case. Sometimes instead we like to mutilate our words or - maybe a better way to put it is - we like to rearrange our words to make them more understandable or meaningful. As a prime example to that, I now share with you the following that was sent to me via email from a friend. I found it pretty humorous and will probably add a few of these words to my constantly expanding vocabulary. After all, I've already found use for the 2006 Word of the Year "Pluto" so these should be easy!

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are the winners: Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly. Bozone: The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating.. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid. Cashtration: The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.) Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer. Decafalon: The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you. Glibido: All talk and no action. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly. Arachnoleptic fit: The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web. Beelzebug: Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out. Caterpallor: The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating. And the pick of the literature: Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an assh@le.

I truly do love a good play on words! Any one have any favorites they'd like to share??

“Clarinet, n. An instrument of torture operated by a person with cotton in his ears." ~ Ambrose Bierce, ‘The Devil’s Dictionary’, 1906

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On the way home from her first pep band performance at the Norwich Free Academy girl's basketball game Friday night, Amanda told me that she was considering learning an instrument other than the flute as there are already a lot of flutes in the band and with next year's incoming flock of freshmen, there were bound to be more.

Apparently the flute is a very popular instrument as there are currently between 15 and 25 flutes in the band, which does seem like quite a few. We discussed various other instruments that Amanda might like to try and she mentioned the saxophone and clarinet as two possible choices. I guess it's not too hideously difficult to go from the flute to a reed instrument so it might be more of a natural transition than going to perhaps something in the brass section. I told Amanda we'd have to kick it around and see what our options were. Translated that means - let's see what we can afford!

When I went into work on Saturday I told Jen about the discussion and she said that she had a clarinet at home which she had played in high school that she could bring in for Amanda to try. Along with that she has one kick-ass Gemeinhardt flute that she played when she was in All-New England band that she also generously offered to let Amanda use as it was currently sitting in her mother's closet not doing anything and probably would be there until her daughter, Paige, was old enough to learn to play. For the record, Paige just turned two in August so let's just say that flute would have been in the closet for a very, very long time!

On Sunday Jen brought in both instruments along with a series of music books which I in turn brought home to Amanda yesterday evening. Amanda was absolutely thrilled with both instruments and has been attempting to play the clarinet ever since she took it out of its case last night. She's been playing so much that her bottom lip has gone numb on her and yet she continues to play.

I applaud Amanda's enthusiasm and am proud of her for trying something new while attempting to branch out in her musical abilities but I gotta tell ya - waking up to a squeaky, half-played version of "I Am Iron Man" at 2:00 in the morning is NOT my idea of a good time! I doubt that it would be anybody's idea of a good time! Good thing we live in a single family home and not an apartment close to anyone else!

Today it has been a half-played Kenny G tune and the first part of "My Heart Will Go On" from Titantic interspersed with the occasional scale, pep band number, and errant note that could probably break glass if given half a chance over and over and over again! But I can recognize what it is she's trying to play so I'm sure that counts towards an accomplishment and she's playing these things without benefit of music but by ear - and I think that's pretty cool because it means my kid's got talent!

Until she learns how to play a bit better, I'm just going to have to practice selective hearing and perhaps invest in some earplugs. Hey, Jen, did you have any of those at home??

"Life isn't a matter of milestones but of moments." ~ Rose F. Kennedy

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I'm not exactly sure when the moment was but I do know that a milestone was passed here at "Are We There Yet??" sometime yesterday when my stat counter rolled over 10,000.

I would like to celebrate with a very loud and joyous "WOOHOO!" and send out a big thank you to everyone who helped make that milestone possible. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I've only been blogging here since July 25th, 2006 and to have hit the 10,000 page hit mark in less than six months is something that I am just as pleased as punch about because it means that there are people out there who are taking the time to stop by and read some of my drivel. Of course, some just take one look and keep right on going but there are those who have stopped by, liked what they've seen, and become part of my "cyber family". Some leave comments - some don't - but either way I appreciate the visit and the support from all of you. I've "met" some wonderful people so far along this journey and I hope to meet many more in the days to come.

On the way to my next milestone I hope you'll still be here with me sharing the trials and tribulations of my single working Mom, 911 dispatcher life and that I can maybe make you laugh occasionally or think "yeah, I know how that is" occasionally, or maybe even remind you that it really is a small world after all and that we are all more alike than we think we are occasionally.

Alright then - let's get back on the road and see if we can get that stat counter over 20,000 before June 1st!

“Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms” ~ George Eliot, Victorian novelist, 1819 - 1880

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Banner created by Janna @ One More Raindrop In A Bloggy Ocean

Morgen from It's A Blog Eat Blog World is currently hosting the most recent Bestest Blog Carnival - the Animal Edition - and it is well worth clicking on the link to go over there to be treated to not only some really great blog entries but to see the fantastic way the carnival has been hosted!

I've only had the pleasure of stopping by Morgen's blog a time or two but I have to tell you - honest and true - that it's one that I'm going to be checking in on regularly. The writing is terrific, the page lay-out is gorgeous, and it's just an all-around marvelous page! Kudos to Morgen on the whole package!

This is the first Blog Carnival that yours truly has ever entered and I've got to tell you, I think that these things are great! Whoever thought the idea up should be crowned King or at least be made a Junior Senator with all of the job's inherent perks and privileges (whatever those might be!)

Young and old, boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen of all ages go grab yourself a frozen lemonade, fried twinkie, and a candy apple or big pink glob of cotton candy then take a stroll down the midway over at It's A Blog Eat Blog World for some fantastic reading at the Bestest Blog Carnival Animal Edition - guaranteed you'll find no smoke and mirrors but you might find a dog and pony show or two!

“Technology: No Place for Wimps!” ~ Scott Adams, American Cartoonist

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This week's theme: Technology

These are pictures of the dispatch center that I work in at American Ambulance Services in Norwich. Technologically we've got just about all of the bells & whistles that one could ever possibly want with the possible exception of a plasma TV to watch when things aren't too crazy!

From right to left in front of me at the dispatch console you can see the telephone at the lower right (a definite requirement if one is going to answer 911!); traveling up you see all of the radio buttons for our main base, back-up base, med radio, etc.; and up above that is the ITAC System which is used for Statewide emergencies and disasters (we would really rather it didn't go off!).

To the left of that is the computer screen with our current mapping system; underneath is the second monitor used for the CAD (computer-aided dispatch) system that we use (the CPU is down on the floor to my right); below that is the radio paging system and main transmit keys; and on the counter is my keyboard.

Moving further to the left is our alpha-mate paging system computer and Nextel phone and base. Directly to the left of that are our two satellite radio phones which can connect us to any hospital in the State as well as all of the dispatch centers and the Department of Public Health. Oh, and let's not forget the Easy button which - sadly - doesn't seem to work most of the time!

This is the visible technology that I deal with day in and day out as a 911 Emergency Medical Dispatcher. What you can't see behind me is the fax machine, copy machine, tape machines, shredder, and everything else in the room needed to run a dispatch center up to and including a coffee machine! The sad thing is, if this stuff goes down (which it does from time to time), I get to do everything by hand - a little something we call "manual mode" - and it can be a dispatcher's worst nightmare! Not to mention it doesn't make the IT guy real happy!

Kind of makes you wonder why I'm smiling - doesn't it?

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"Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it." ~ Albert Einstein

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I was never particularly fond of Science when I was in school. Because of that, I was never very good at it either as I could just never work up the interest and enthusiasm that I had for other subjects like History and Literature. Science, like Math, was one of those subjects that I got through because I had to and that was that.

Fortunately, Amanda not only has a knack for Science but she seems to have an actual interest in it. I can honestly and unequivocally say that I was quite proud of the fact that she was placed in Honors Science upon graduation from Junior High. Because I am so inept in Science, that made me even more proud of her but I was a little worried that it might be too tough for her - especially after I went to Parents' Night at NFA and found out what was going to be required of her. My fears have apparently been unfounded, though, as one of the better grades that she brought home last marking period was in her Science class.

With mid-terms fast approaching, she recently had two tests that were making her a little nervous as they were both pretty tough but she scored an 'A-' on both of them with the word "EXCELLENT!" emblazoned across the top of the page in bright red ink. Apparently Amanda was one of only two students in her class who managed to get a 'A' on the tests and when she showed them to me she was justifiably proud of her accomplishment.

With some of the horror stories that I hear from other parents of teenagers, I've got to say that I am quite thankful that I don't have those problems with mine. Yes, I get frustrated that she isn't the neat-nik that I would like her to be and I would love to see her take the motivation to help out around the house on her own once in awhile but I really can't complain when you get right down to it.

Tonight Amanda is at the Girls basketball game at NFA playing in the pep band for the very first time and she was a little nervous as she's the only one in pep band that wasn't in marching band this year but despite that I think she's going to do great. I'm proud of her for taking part when it would have been easier to "wait until next year" when she felt like she fit in better.

Truth be told - I'm proud of her in a lot of ways with a lot of things and I probably don't say that nearly enough. I guess it's a good thing she reads my blog!

"Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed? Late at night I toss and turn and dream of what I need." ~ Bonnie Tyler, Holding out For a Hero

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First and foremost, let me throw a disclaimer out here that the title of this post does not reflect the state of my own nights. Yes, I toss and turn on a regular basis but that's more of an effort to get comfortable rather than worrying about the fact that I am currently "man-less" in my life and scheming as to where, o' where, I might be able to find one.

Truth be told, I don't think about finding the "right" man that much these days (which brings to mind the song "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights"!) but the topic of on-line dating - specifically eHarmony.com - came up in the context of a conversation earlier today with my good friend, Cyndi, from out in the great State of "a lot colder than we have been here in Connecticut this winter" California.

Cyndi has a favorite cousin who called her this morning looking for help in writing a profile for eHarmony. Cyndi and Deanna have a lot in common but that doesn't include writing abilities so I can fully understand Deanna appealing to Cyndi for help as the woman has quite a way with a turn of a phrase. If you folks want to see someone kick some butt in the Saturday Comeback Challenge, I'll have to invite MizCyn on over!

That said, Deanna has decided that the time has come to make her third venture into the wonderful world of men. As they like to say "third time is charm" and Deanna is trying to put the failure of two past marriages firmly behind her as she boldly goes where no woman over the age of 40 wants to boldly go and that's dating. Trust me on this, I know that of which I speak!

Although recently Newsweek was forced to swallow a big mouthful of wedding cake after the 1986 article that stated that "a single woman over the age of 40 had a better chance of being killed by a terrorist" than getting married, one has to wonder what the odds are of a twice-divorced woman rapidly reaching the age of 50 are? Could the odds be better than being mauled by a white tiger while celebrating New Year's Eve in Times Square or being K.O.'d by glacial ice while sipping wine on the deck of an Alaskan cruise or might they be closer to running into Elvis at the local Burger King ordering up a Quadruple Stacker and onion rings?

No doubt eHarmony has worked for some people (my ex-husband himself being one of the success stories) and recently Consumer Reports gave it a decent review in the December 2006 issue but I have my own personal doubts because, truth be told, I've actually tried this - not once mind you - but twice. The first time was because I was curious (hey! it worked for the ex!) and the second time was because I was given a gift subscription for my birthday from my good friend in California!

Why it didn't work for me was probably based on several factors; first and foremost being the fact that I wasn't looking to move to Alaska or the wilds of Wyoming to find Mr. Right (come on now, can't he be somewhere in Connecticut or the surrounding area??) The second reason, as my good friend MizCyn likes to point out, is that I don't do well going outside of my comfort zone - and she's probably right! Stodgy New Englander that I am, I'm not all that adventurous despite my having lived in Calfornia for a good 8 years. Unlike the love of Mexican food that I acquired, I was not able to adopt a sense of the carefree abandon that so many Native Californians not only have but flaunt on a regular basis!

That said, Deanna is - in fact - a Californian and this might work for her especially if Cyndi applies the wit and wisdom that I know she possesses in regards to men - hence the success of her 35-year marriage to her third husband (like I said, third time can be charm!). Now lest you think that Cyndi's 35-year marriage is possessed by a woman who is pushing 95, think again! She's only five years older than I am as far as physical age goes but far surpasses me in the age of wisdom - at least when it comes to men. It seems I have a bad habit of choosing poorly. Who knows? Maybe I would have had better success with eHarmony if I had Cyndi writing my profile rather than doing it myself?

The problem I have with on-line dating, and not just eHarmony, is that I have always subscribed to the belief that a person can be ANYONE they want to be on the computer. A person can be the equivalent of Johnny Depp or Annette Bening when they're sitting on the opposite side of a keyboard but how do you know what they're really like until you meet them face-to-face? Matching two people on twenty-nine personality points doesn't exactly guarantee chemistry when you finally meet someone no matter how many you match on. Sure, it's a start but that's all it is - a start - just like any other blind date out there.

I guess my biggest aversion to on-line dating is that I don't need rejection on a wide-scale basis and that's the only thing it has ever seemed to offer me. It doesn't matter how witty or intelligent or sincere I come across in my profile; most guys take one look at my picture or the fact that I am past the age of bearing them an heir to carry on their family name and they skip right over me looking for a 20-year old Playmate who will look mighty-fine hanging on their arm and every word. Even if I were brave enough to try on-line dating for a third time and let MizCyn write my profile, I just get the feeling it wouldn't turn out any differently than it has in the past. Call me a chicken but I guess I'd rather save my money and my feelings.

As for Deanna, I wish her the best of luck in her search for the right guy and I hope that she is able to find someone who makes her as happy as Cyndi and her husband are together so that they can have something additional in common.

So what about you folks? Anyone else have any thoughts about on-line dating, any success stories, any advice that Cyndi can offer to Deanna to put in her profile that might increase the odds of her appearing on an eHarmony.com commercial in the future? And don't ask me to ask the ex - please!

"Is solace anywhere more comforting than in the arms of a sister?" ~ Alice Walker

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My Wordless Wednesday #2

Jamie & Amanda - June 17th, 2005

Wordless Wednesday Participants

1. Rav`N 2. Skittles 3. Janet 4. Friday\'s Child 5. amy 6. Gabrielle 7. Jenny-homeiswhere 8. Sanni 9. Chris 10. Liza 11. Sonny 12. Debs 13. delightfulduchess

14. tiggerprr 15. viamarie 16. Perky 17. Debbie 18. dawn 19. Write From Karen 20. Gattina 21. Holly Schwendiman 22. Starrlight 23. mar 24. witch dr 25. Amy 26. R\'s Musings

27. Mary (mert) 28. Osman 29. Rose DesRochers 30. Mike 31. Another Desert Rat 32. Rebecca 33. Frances 34. Lara 35. wow 36. Michelle in Mx 37. Barbara H. 38. Sandy

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“The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.” ~ Mark Twain

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In a January 5th press release, the American Dialect Society unveiled the winner of their 2006 "Word of the Year" Award. With a mental drumroll for the winner, I present to you:

to pluto/be plutoed: to demote or devalue someone or something, as happened to the former planet Pluto when the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union decided Pluto no longer met its definition of a planet.

Oh snap, son! As my daughter likes to say!

The Word of the Year winner doesn't have to be a single word but is interpreted in its broader sense as being a "vocabulary item" and not just words but phrases.

Some of the winners in other categories included:

Most Creative
lactard: a person who is lactose-intolerant

Most Unnecessary
Surikat: the supposed nickname of the baby girl of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

Most Outrageous
Cambodian accessory: Angelina Jolie's adopted child who is Cambodian

Most Likely to Succeed
YouTube: as a verb, to use the YouTube website or to have a video of oneself posted on the site

Least Likely to Succeed
grup: a GenXer who does not act his or her age

Whereas this year's winner is a'ight - I'm afraid it just doesn't hold a candle to last year's Word of the Year Winner "truthiness": what one wishes to be true regardless of the facts, a word that was originally coined by Stephen Colbert of Comedy's Central "The Colbert Report", a show that all red-blooded Americans should watch!

If you're interested in reading the full press release from the American Dialect Society click here. You, too, can be enlightened and perhaps expand your vocabulary with a few new words and phrases!

"No, on second thought, let's not go to Camelot. 'Tis a silly place." ~ King Arthur, Monty Python & The Holy Grail

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Tag - I'm it! Skittles has tagged me with the following Meme of silly questions to answer so, without further ado, here we go!

Silly Questions Meme

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? Ugh, I need to go back to bed for awhile!
2. How much cash do you have on you? Cash? What is this "cash"that you speak of??
3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR? Galore!
4. Do you label yourself? Oh yes, I'm afraid that I do.
5. Bright or Dark Room? Which do I prefer? A bright room though there's a lot to be said for a candlelit room under the right circumstances (if you know what I mean - nudge, nudge, wink, wink!)
6. Why is there always a missing question? Why do you ask?
7. What does your watch look like? It has Eeyore on the face with a cloud that substitutes for the minute hand with a silver and gold band.
8. What were you doing at midnight last night? Coughing and waking myself up when I really needed to be sleeping in order to get up and go to work in the morning!
9. Where is your nearest 7-11? There are no such stores in this part of Connecticut but there is a Cumberland Farms within walking distance.
10. What’s a word that you say a lot? "Dispatch" (I have to answer the phone a lot at work!)
11. Who told you he/she loved you last? Amanda - she tells me that all the time so I guess she really does!
12. Last furry thing you touched? I pushed Marbles (our cat) away from her food bowl while I was trying to feed her.
13. How many rolls of film do you need developed? Too many to count, they keep popping up in various and assorted drawers - there are probably at least a dozen or more!
14. Favorite age you have been so far? I am hoping that my favorite is yet to come.
15. Your worst enemy? Oh, let's not go there, shall we?? I saw her from a distance at Staples today and promptly hid behind the copy machines!
16. What is your current desktop picture? It's a fractal called "Holly Berries".
17. What was the last thing you said to someone? "Good-bye and call me tomorrow and let me know what the doctor tells you." - said to my best friend in Calfornia.
18. The last song you listened to? Van Halen - "Why Can't This Be Love?"
19. What time of day were you born? 7:20 a.m. Eastern Standard Time
20. What do you do when vending machines steal your money? Curse at the thieving piece of machinery!
21. Do you consider yourself kind? I really try to be, I like to think that I am though definitely NOT to thieving vending machines!
22. What’s your life motto? "It takes courage to be happy." - Carlos Santana
23. Name three things you have on you at all times. My hair, my skin, and my fingernails.
24. Can you change the oil on a car? Heck yeah! I used to work at a Sears Automotive Center where I did oil changes professionally!
25. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it? I wrote to Grandma Edith out in California a little before Christmas.

And now it's my turn to tag a few unsuspecting people ...

I tag -

Mimi Lennox of Mimi Writes .....
Sarge Charlie of the blog of the same name
Bud Weiser of The WTIT Radio Blog
ECR of 24/7
and last, but certainly not least! - the good Dr. Blogstein!

What to do with a Meme: Copy the questions in a post of your own and then fill in the answers. Tag some unsuspecting bloggers. Let the person who tagged you know when you're done.

"Oh tell me where in the world is ... Oh tell me where can she be?" ~ "Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?, Rockapella, 1991

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Where in the world is Rachel Lutzker???*

Anyone who has been tuning into WFSB Channel 3 News in Hartford for the past week hoping to catch Rachel Lutzker doing the Pinpoint Traffic reports has probably been quite disappointed as she just hasn't been there. Scott Haney has certainly been there in all of his full glory every morning but there's been neither hide nor hair seen of Ms. Lutzker.

I've got to wonder how on earth all of the Rachel-ites are surviving during her absence. I know that the guys at work are going through withdrawal symtpoms and getting quite grumpy in the process. It's amazing the amount of moaning and groaning going on all because no one has gotten their "Rachel fix" for the past week and a half!

Wherever she has gone, I certainly hope that Rachel comes back soon not only for the sake of all of the men in Connecticut (and specifically those at American Ambulance!) but also for all of the people who still continue to come to my blog via a search for Ms. Lutzker in one form or another!

*Photoshop picture courtesy of the "Art-Munkey" aka Amanda!

“When asked, "How do you write?" I invariably answer, "one word at a time." ~ Stephen King

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During the course of a “so, what did you get for Christmas?” conversation at work a week or so ago, one of my fellow dispatchers mentioned that his wife had gotten the latest Stephen King novel, “Lisey’s Story”. This naturally led to a discussion of the Master of Fright’s best books and our own personal favorites.

I first started reading Stephen King's stuff back in the early 1980’s when I was living in California and working as a Telecommunicator at the Stockton Police Department. Unlike my current job where you are not only the dispatcher but also the call-taker, SPD has two separate positions – dispatcher (police radio operator) and CRO (complaint receipt operator). If you were working the desk (the radio), there was NO WAY on God’s green earth that you were ever even going to think about picking up a book but if you were on CRO duty then chances were good you’d have some time to read as long as you knew enough to put the book down when 911 rang. This was especially true if you were assigned to the dreaded overnight shift.

There was a trick to reading while working the night shift and that was to make good and sure that you had a really GOOD book to read – something that would keep you awake and keep your head from slamming into the keyboard too many times when you drifted off to sleep after reading the same paragraph over and over twelve times. Stephen King always managed to fit the bill nicely so I began to haunt the library in search of his books almost as much as his ghosts and ghouls haunt various locales in Maine (a State that I will not go to anymore thanks to Mr. King!).

The first Stephen King book that I ever read was “Salem’s Lot”, a creepy tale of a vampire named Mr. Barlow and his faithful manservant Straker, new residents of the small town of Jerusalem’s Lot, Maine, and the unlikely heroes who eventually rid their town of the vicious blood-sucker. After this one, I was hooked and continued my new-found love affair with “The Dead Zone”, “Carrie”, “Christine”, and one of his short story collections “Night Shift” (the cover alone on this one would make my hand itch just looking at it!).


I’ve read so many Stephen King novels and short stories over the years that it’s hard to pick any one favorite but it’s fairly easy to pick out the ones that have creeped me out the most!

At the top of the list would have to be 1986’s “It” – the book that was the final nail in the coffin for any potential future trips to Maine! This is the first of many stories set in the fictional town of Derry, a place that is haunted by a monster that changes shape to match the fear of its victims. The creature first shows itself as Pennywise the Dancing Clown and, as someone who has always hated clowns, this book terrified me right from the get-go! I refused to watch the TV movie that was eventually made based on the book after just one look at Tim Curry’s depiction of Pennywise. To this very day I’ll still pass – thank you very much!


Other books that stand out at the top of my list are 1983’s “Pet Sematary” (my son Michael was the same age as the tragic/evil Gage at the time I read this one) and 1981’s “Cujo” because – if you think about it - a rabid dog terrorizing people trapped in a sweltering car is not that far-fetched of a horror! Additional favorites include “Gerald’s Game”, “Insomnia”, “Misery”, “The Shawshank Redemption”, and “The Green Mile”.

One of the reasons that Stephen King has always appealed to me is the fact that there are times when it seems that the man has climbed inside my head and written about the things that scare me the most – things in the closet, things under the bed, things in dark basements, things that just aren’t what they first appear to be! His characters are basic every day people in not so basic every day circumstances that act the same way that I would if put in the same unnatural predicaments. Though trust me, I'm staying far away from Maine where most of his trouble seems to start!

Now I ask you, with writing like that how can his books not be appealing and yet terrifying at the same time? So what about you , Constant Reader? Friends and neighbors? Do you have any favorite Stephen King stories, movies, and/or books? If you do, I’d be frightfully delighted to hear about them!

“Drawing is the honesty of the art. There is no possibility of cheating. It is either good or bad.” ~ Salvador Dali

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Amanda has become what she calls an "Art-Munkey" which I have come to guess means that she draws pictures for other people who can't draw pictures for themselves. Where the term came from is beyond me - I think she pulled it out of an American manga book called "Dramacon" and molded it into her own, er, identity?

Well ... whatever it means, she told me the other day that some of her friends have asked her to draw zodiac chibis (super-deformed characters) for them and that they would be willing to actually pay her for her efforts. She said that she would feel strange taking their money so wants to do them for free. Being the overly practical (read "cheap!") New Englander that I am, I told her that she should at least trade them for the necessary supplies needed to draw them as the Micron pens that she uses aren't exactly inexpensive ($2.99 a piece at the local Michaels) but I doubt that she'll even do that. Yep, my daughter has a future as a starving artist ready and waiting for her!


The nice thing about her current zodiac chibi project is that she has actually had to spend some time off of the computer drawing the things lovely works of art. This, of course, gives me some extra time to use my own computer without being nagged at every five minutes as to whether I'm done yet or not. Hmmm, now that I think about it, I wonder if maybe more of her friends need the services of an "Art-Munkey"???


Care to see more of Amanda's art? Go to her Deviant Art page by clicking here! Encourage her to draw more and be on the computer less!

“Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us” ~ Oscar Wilde

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I have decided to jump on yet another bandwagon and join the Saturday Photo Scavenge which I came across over on Skittles' blog. It seems simple enough - each week you just post a photo based on the week's theme.

The theme for this week is "Memory" and the picture above is just that - a memory of the time that I rode the rails of Amtrak from Sacramento, California to Worcester, Massachusetts all by myself. This particular picture was taken on September 23rd, 2002 as we were riding through Colorado - a State that is beautiful when you drive through it but is even more so when you ride through it via the train. This turn in the tracks is in the foothills before you start ascending into the Rockies.

Even though I did a lot of inward reflection on this trip (it wasn't one of my better trips to California and there was a lot to think about on the way home), I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the country from the window of my cabin. I've driven across country more times than I can remember and always marveled at its majesty but this trip was one of my most memorable and one that I really wouldn't mind taking again sometime if time and finances ever permitted.

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt Participants

1. sarala 2. LibertyBelle 3. Skittles 4. Mike

5. Becci-PowersTwinB 6. Crazy Working Mom 7. Rach 8. empress bee (of the high sea)

9. tnchick 10. Angelo 11. Barbara H.

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“Provided a man is not mad, he can be cured of every folly but vanity” ~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau, French philosopher & writer, 1712-1778

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One of the very first things that I noticed about the man who would become my second husband (and eventually second ex-husband) was that he had absolutely gorgeous eyelashes. They were very thick, very dark, and very much wasted on a guy - but they were gorgeous nonetheless!

Amanda and Jamie were both fortunate enough to inherit dear old Dad's eyelashes and I rather doubt that either of them will ever be forced to use fake eyelashes. I've got passable eyelashes that can be made to look quite decent when I bother to apply some mascara so I've never gone the fake route either and, frankly, don't know that I would ever want to. Heck - I can't put in eyedrops never mind glue on lashes! Truth be told, I don't think about eyelashes very often ... they just are.

However, that apparently is not the case for some women in the world as I found out while falling asleep on the couch in front of "Extra!" this evening. It was another one of those little feature stories that while you're watching it you think to yourself - "you have got to be kidding" - but I guess that anything that comes out of Hollywood these days shouldn't really be all that surprising.

It seems that a new "beauty secret" for those women who suffer from thin, pale eyelashes is now available in the form of an "eyelash transplant". Yes, ladies, that's right - for a mere $3,000 per eye you can now have some of the hair from the back of your head transplanted into your eyelids in a 2-1/2 hour operation that will give you darker, thicker eyelashes (that need to be trimmed on a regular basis or they will grow down to your chin!).

You might be asking yourself - why would anyone consider an eyelash transplant?

"Longer, thicker lashes are an ubiquitous sign of beauty. Eyelash transplantation does for the eyes what breast augmentation does for the figure," said Dr Alan Bauman, a leading proponent of eyelash transplants.

Okay, well, sure but at least with breast augmentation your breasts don't keep growing and need to be trimmed regularly like the eyelashes! Oh - ew ...

Sigh ... it seems that whoever said "Vanity, thy name is woman" knew what he/she was talking about (though apparently there are some men doing this, too!).

Here's looking at you, kid!

"Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.” ~ General George S. Patton

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I enjoy a good challenge. A good challenge keeps me on my toes and makes me think. Because of that, when I came across The Saturday Comeback Challenge, I just knew that I had to participate and see if I could "feel the exhilaration of victory".

In a nutshell, the challenge is to come up with a witty comeback to ten different headlines or snippets from dating profiles. Nothing profane or sexually explicit is allowed and something a little more creative than "I know I am but what are you?" is probably needed! Having read a dating profile or two myself in the past few years and always having some smart-aleck remark pop into my mind, this sounded like something that was right up my alley. But could I be funny enough to win?? Would I be up to the challenge??

In reading over some of the past Challenges, it looked like it was going to be pretty tough but if there's one thing that the people in my family like to think we are it's quick with a good comeback. My youngest brother has me beat hands down in the "wit" department but I can occasionally come back with a good retort or two so I thought I would put that to the test.

Lo and behold I actually managed to WIN the Challenge and now I am the proud owner of this cool "badge" to post on my website! Woo-hoo! And General Patton was right, it is quite exhilarating to be victorious - even if it's not what one might consider a "major" challenge.

Of course my win could have been a case of Beginner's Luck or maybe the judge was just being nice (you can read his post here) so I'm looking forward to this week's Saturday Comeback Challenge to see how I do this time. Care to join me??

"Please standby, we are experiencing technical difficulties!"

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Anyone stopping by my blog today might notice that there is something missing - namely my entire sidebar! I have no clue where it went - perhaps to some exotic locale for a much-needed vacation or perhaps to some sort of Blogger Sidebar Convention that I wasn't aware of ... at any rate, I certainly hope that it comes back soon or at least sends a postcard to let me know where it went!

I should have known that this was going to be a screwed-up day when I awoke at 6:52 a.m. and realized that I hadn't heard Amanda knocking around the house earlier to get ready to go to school. Thursdays are my ONE day off from work right now which means it is my ONE day off to sleep in however that obviously didn't happen this morning. Apparently she had alarm clock issues - yet again. Sigh, I may have to forego sleeping in until the end of the school year just to make sure she gets up on time!

After awaking Sleeping Beauty I had to drive her to school so that she didn't miss out on her opportunity, nay - obligation - for higher education and once I got back from dropping her off I didn't see much sense in going back to bed (though it was very, very tempting!) as there is plenty for me to do around the old hacienda on my ONE day off. First on the agenda is going to be to toss my computer out the window as it is giving me nothing but grief this morning ... perhaps it would like to go to wherever it is that my sidebar snuck off to ... and then I may toss the cat right out behind the computer as she is making some hellacious noises and smells this morning! This is no way to spend my ONE day off!

That said, I am going to go occupy myself with menial tasks to take my mind off of my computer issues. I'll be back soon - and hopefully my sidebar will be, too!

Wordless Wednesday #1 "To become a father is not difficult but to be a father is." ~ Unknown Author

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My son Mike and his son Mathew.

From now on I shall be participating in "Wordless Wednesdays", for more photos or to join in please click here.

Wordless Wednesday Participants

1. Last Minute Lyn

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"Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality." ~ Emily Dickinson

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Former First Lady Betty Ford - January 2, 2007

Former First Lady Nancy Reagan - June 11, 2004

"Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.“ ~ Abraham Lincoln

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First off I'd like to thank the Academy for their nomination ...

Oh okay, so it's not that kind of an award but I think it's really cool that I have been awarded "The Best Blog of the Day Award" by the folks over at Blog of the Day Awards and I can post a nifty little banner over on my sidebar as bragging rights. Cool beans!

As Sally Fields once gushed "you like me, you really, really like me!" and now I can say the same thing to whomever it was that took the time to nominate my humble little ole' blog for consideration.

Thank you!

"Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual." ~ Mark Twain

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A year or two back my New Year's resolution was not to make any more New Year's resolutions for the very reason that Mr. Twain spoke of and it's the only one that I've ever managed to keep! Resolutions are a grand idea in theory but how many of us really keep them much past the end of January - if we even make it that long? Besides, if something is that big of a problem that we need to make a resolution to correct it then why wait until the beginning of a new year to do it? Why not do it as soon as we realize that it's a problem?

Not making resolutions is tricky business, especially to those of us who are anally retentive nit-picky Virgos who just love to make lists! Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep from sitting down with pen and paper and start listing those things in my life that I would like to see change in one form or another? It's almost as hard as it is to keep from going into the kitchen and liberating the ice cream trapped in its box in the freezer that constantly calls my name disrupting Ugly Betty or Grey's Anatomy! Some things in life are just more difficult than others!

That said, even though I don't "consciously" make any resolutions there are some that I kick around in my head and mentally debate over each year. There's the standard "need to go on a diet and exercise more" resolution which is beat to death every single year by just about every single person out there; there's the "get my finances in some sort of acceptable order" resolution that I've attempted numerous times to (sadly) no avail; and there's the "stop procrastinating and get stuff done" resolution that I will eventually get to but not right now.

Still ... it's hard not to want to resolve a thing or two when you're standing there looking at twelve brand-new months chock-full of potential and promise. Who amongst us doesn't think about how much better this next year is going to be when we're hanging up that new calendar on the wall? Who doesn't hope for bigger and better things? For prayers answered? Wishes fulfilled? Desires brought to fruition? I'm not much of an optimist (in my mind the glass always seems to be half-empty because why wouldn't you fill it all the way up to begin with?) but even I can't help but look at the beginning of a new year without the hope that it holds some really good things. But of course those things aren't just going to come knocking on my door without a little participation on my part.

So in my attempt to make 2007 a better year than the one that just passed I'm going to attempt a few things - not resolve, mind you, but attempt! First off, I am going to attempt to a be a better friend to those people who have honored me by calling me their friend. I don't have a large circle of friends because I'm one of those people who might be considered hard to get close to but to those who have taken the time to get to know me and put up with me I thank you for friendship and I will try to be more worthy of the honor.

I will definitely attempt to keep in better touch with my former-grandmother-in-law out in California who still calls me her granddaughter even though her grandson and I divorced well over twenty years ago. Grandma Edith is one of the warmest, most genuine people there is and if I'm getting older so is she, which means I don't have all the time in the world to write her that letter I owe her or make that phone call I've been thinking about. This is an important one as time waits for no man or woman and if my life is too busy to keep in touch with the people that I love and who love me, then there's something wrong somewhere.

Finally, the last thing I'm going to attempt is to learn a little more patience. I've gotten a little better at it each year but it's a slow process and trying to have patience learning patience is not easy! Talk about your classic rock and a hard place! I need more patience with my daughter who moves at the pace of a turtle sometimes and who still insists on putting everything on the floor; I need more patience with my co-workers who work in the same "Ivory Tower of Stress" that I do and breathe the same stale air that I do; and I need more patience with myself because even though I'm getting closer and closer to 50 every day I'm still a work in progress and probably always will be.

Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? I'll try to remember to post on this again and let you know how I'm doing! In the meantime, good luck to those of you who have resolved to attempt some change in your own lives this year - hopefully we won't all end up doing a little road construction before the year is out!