The Wonder Woman Award

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My friend Maddy from Whitterer-on-Autism, whom I am in awe of and admire greatly, presented me with the lovely Wonder Woman Award seen above. I am totally flattered by this award as, coming from a woman who writes two blogs while raising two autistic sons and a daughter who seems to have taken on the role of the 'sensible one' in the household, it is quite the honor! My life seems pretty easy to handle compared to hers!

Being the ever curious type, I decided to try trace the award back to try to see where it had originated. The trail is as follows - Maddy got it from ...And Miles to Go Before We Sleep... who got it from Walking On who received it from Talk..to..Grams who was presented it by the Keiser Family who in turn were awarded it by When I In Awesome Wonder Consider All ... who was one of the original women to get the award from Chrissy's This and That where the award originated based on the post "My Wonder Wife" which was written by Chrissy's husband Jason. Whew!

Now it proudly resides on my blog and I am passing it on to the following Wonder Women:

To Jen of Mommy 911 who is probably wondering how she's going to get through this third pregnancy of hers unless her fatigue lets up while she's still juggling the two little ones at home, a husband who really, really, really likes the direct connect feature on his cell phone, and her job as an ambulance dispatcher;

To my favorite soon-to-be bestselling author Gale of Gem-osophy who is juggling a career, home-life, and her first novel that I can't wait to see in print and sitting on my bookshelf! With all that, it's a wonder she can get anything posted on her blog, too, but she does and I'm always happy to see something from Gale pop up on my Google Reader!;

To Gracie of Echoes of Grace because she has had one heck of a rough summer but with perseverance, inner strength, and faith she has overcome the obstacles that were in front of her and still stands tall. She is a true super hero in my book!

It was hard to pick just a couple people for this award as I believe that every woman is a Wonder Woman in her own right but I'm hoping that the three I chose will pass it on to others and that Jason's gift to his wife will keep on giving over and over throughout the Blogosphere.

Thank you, Maddy! You are truly a Wonder Woman to me!

And Now a Word ... Not From a Sponsor!

I just wanted to take a moment or two to apologize to my regular readers and those who carry the feed to my blog in either Google Reader or Bloglines or anywhere else you might carry it (you do carry the feed to my blog, right??) for the plethora of paid posts that you've been subjected to lately.

I had never really wanted to do paid ads and didn't even know there was such a thing when I first got into blogging but it has turned out to be a good way to earn a little extra cash for the things that I otherwise couldn't afford (like food for the kid and gas for the car!). I do my best to try to write the ads using my own style so that they might be interesting or even humorous if at all possible but sometimes when you're writing about things like camcorders, environmental causes, graduation announcements, gold jewelry, and the like it can be a little tricky!

Thank you for bearing with me and not jumping ship or abandoning the blog. I hope that in between the paid posts, you can still find something interesting or funny or thought-provoking. Once I win that darned lottery I won't have to do this anymore but in the meantime sometimes a single mom's gotta do what a single mom's gotta do. I really do appreciate all of you who read and visit! Thanks again for sticking with me!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

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You've Changed 44% in 10 Years

You've done a good job changing with the times, but deep down, you're still the same person. Your clothes, job, and friends may have changed some - but it hasn't changed you.

How Much Have You Changed in 10 Years?

I saw this little Blogthings quiz over at Patti's Late Bloomer Boomer blog and decided to give it a go myself. Whereas Patti has only changed 8% in the past ten years I have apparently made some major changes!

Granted, in the past ten years I have moved from one town to another (from Plainfield to Norwich), I have gotten divorced (for the second time - sigh), I've gained weight (grimace!), I've bought a cell phone (several of them actually), I had different taste in music (My Chemical Who?), I've gotten two tattoos (fear not they're tasteful!), I had a different celebrity crush (not sure who it was ten years ago but I'm pretty sure it wasn't John Cusack or Colin Firth), I went by a different name (Orlomoski is my maiden name), and different career aspirations (I had no thought of ever being an ambulance dispatcher at all!).

It's comforting to know that my drinking habits, political views, and friends haven't really changed except that I have added more friends since changing jobs and starting a blog. It would be nice if my dating and financial status would have changed some but I guess you can't have everything!

How about you? Take the quiz and let me know how much you have or haven't changed!

Boys Will Be Boys??

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Just to embarrass Dane a little bit more than what I did with my Wordless Wednesday post I thought I'd put up one more picture of him looking oh so cute in that pink wig! From what I hear he only got mild harassment while walking through the bay on Thursday and his girlfriend, Mal, tells me she hasn't seen all of the pictures yet either as Dane appears to be withholding them from her view.

Like Boukie said the other day in his comment, the estrogen levels are running high in dispatch and let's hope the guys at Montville Fire where Dane volunteers don't see these! Smiles, Dane, and welcome to dispatch!!

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This!

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There are just some days when this really seems like a good idea, doesn't it? Having a stressful job, having a teenager who apparently doesn't under English, and having the worst finances in the world will do that to a person but other than that, I'm trying to stay positive! Heehee!

I've Got a Question, You've Got an Answer

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Just another week and a half and Amanda and I will be on our way to Bangor, Maine to attend the latest My Chemical Romance concert with friends. I am really looking forward to it not just because of the concert but because it's a mini-vacation of sorts and because I will be facing one of my silliest of fears - the creepy, crawly Maine of so many Stephen King books! I can't really explain it - there's just something about the place that gives me the creeps even though I'm sure it's a wonderful place over all and not the haunted, vampire-filled, domain of some of the world's scariest creatures ever ...

Ah yes, "we all float down here"! Which brings us to this week's question -

What scares you the most?

It doesn't have to be something so scary that it would inspire you to wear adult diapers - though that's certainly an option! - but it could be ghosts & ghouls or other things that go bump in the night right up to not having enough money to ever comfortably retire (and trust me, that fear is right up there with Maine!) or being alone for the rest of your life (gee, am I naming all my fears here??)

So let's hear it folks - what gives you goosebumps or keeps you awake at night?

911, What's Your Emergency?

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Who says that 911 is all serious business? Not anyone who has ever worked in a dispatch center, that's for sure! The stories I could tell you about some of the phone calls I've received would sound like something made up for the movies or TV they're so ridiculous but they're what helps keep most of us sane in a job that is anything but most of the time.

One of the guys I used to work with, who now works for Quinebaug Valley Emergency Communications Services, posted the following on his MySpace page and I unashamedly stole them from him (with a note of explanation, of course!). Thanks, Boukie, and it's nice to know you haven't lost your sense of humor either!

Dispatcher : 9-1-1 What is your emergency?
Caller: I heard what sounded like gunshots coming from the brown house on the corner.
Dispatcher: Do you have an address?
Caller: No, I have on a blouse and slacks, why?

Dispatcher: 9-1-1 What is the nature of your emergency?
Caller: I'm trying to reach nine eleven but my phone doesn't have an eleven on it.
Dispatcher: This is nine eleven.
Caller: I thought you just said it was nine-one-one
Dispatcher: Yes, ma'am nine-one-one and nine-eleven are the same thing.
Caller: Honey, I may be old, but I'm not stupid.

Dispatcher: 9-1-1 What's the nature of your emergency?
Caller: My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart
Dispatcher: Is this her first child?
Caller: No, you idiot! This is her husband!

Dispatcher: 9-1-1
Caller: Yeah, I'm having trouble breathing. I'm all out of breath. Darn....I think I'm going to pass out.
Dispatcher: Sir, where are you calling from?
Caller: I'm at a pay phone. North and Foster.
Dispatcher: ! Sir, an ambulance is on the way. Are you an asthmatic?
Caller: No
Dispatcher: What were you doing before you started having trouble breathing?
Caller: Running from the Police.

Would You Buy a House From This Woman?

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Doesn't Miss Maggie Moo look like the perfect spokeswoman for Iggy's of Rhode Island? I think she does and apparently she's darned good at selling houses, too, as her house was on the market for less than 3 days, didn't even have the "for sale" sign in the front yard yet, and was sold to the very first person who looked at it!

Congrats Mags - I am so happy for you! Boston here you come!!!

Halloween Treats!

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I got a message from Hootin' Anni yesterday that she had left me a lovely little Halloween treat over on her blog and when I popped over to get it - this is what I found -

Isn't that just the cutest thing for Halloween and Fall? Over at Hootin' Annie's Spooky Hollow she's giving away between one and five cute little treats every day to various bloggers who visit during the week. For those who are awarded one of these treats, Annie says that you're more than welcome to pass it on to more bloggers who you might think are deserving. She refers to it as "paying it forward" and encourages bloggers to pass it on to not just friends but to random bloggers who have visited as a way to make new friends and spread the happiness.

What a great idea! If you receive one of these treats, Annie just asks that you link it back to her blog and let people know where the idea originated so she knows how far and wide her treats have gone. I think this sounds like a wonderful idea so I am passing this one on to a couple of new bloggers who have either visited me or who I have found otherwise and one blogger whom I've been reading for quite some time but who I think definitely deserves a treat!

First would be Sassy Lucy of The Cafe at the End of the Universe who was sweet enough to leave a comment on my post "October - The Eighth Month?"
Second goes to a new blogger who just made her debut on October 17th - Pinky of Cheese In My Shoe - welcome to the Blogosphere, Pinky!
And third goes to one of my regular reads, BEadHAPPY of Life, to make a long story short.

Enjoy your treat ladies and feel free to pass it on - just don't forget to link it back to Hootin' Annie!

In addition to that wonderful treat above, I was also presented the following one from Sandee at Comedy + who got it from Ann at A Nice Place In The Sun who got it from from her best friend Christy at Christy's Coffee Break who got it from Misty Dawn at My Dogs Keep Me Sane who got it from - you guessed it - Hootin' Annie! Isn't it fun how all this works??


Thank you Sandee! I love candied apples and you, too! And because I think they might like them, too, I'm passing this one on to a couple of friends -

Mighty Mom of My Wonderful Life because she introduced me to Pinky and she thinks I'm Such a Silly Goose!;
BankerChick of BankerChick's Scratchings because I think she's sweet, too;
And my sister separated at birth, Jamie at Durward Discussion, because it's a treat to read her blog and to get comments from her, too!

I just love treats - and I hope you all do, too! And this kind is sugar-free, too!

October - The Eighth Month?

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So ... I was sitting at work earlier today during a lull in dispatching wheel chair vans and answering 911 calls just staring at the calendar on the wall (and no, it looks nothing like the one above but I thought the 2007 Waterbury Firefighters Calendar added a nice touch to this post!) when I got to wondering about the name of this month - October.

You know how sometimes you look at a word and it just looks weird? Like a bunch of letters put together without rhyme or reason? Well, that's what I was thinking about October and I got to wondering what the name of the month actually meant because if the prefix "oct" normally means eight, how on earth did the tenth month of the year end up being something that had to do with eight?

Curiosity being the better part of valor, I decided to Google the origin of the names of the months and was somewhat surprised to find out that October really does come from the Latin octo "eight" + -ber (adj. suffix) which put together is the Latin october mensis or "eighth month". Okay ... but this is the tenth month of the year so how is it that our tenth month was originally the eighth month? What happened between the time the months were originally named and now? Further research uncovered that the original Roman calendar year had eight months and probably two unnamed months in the dead of winter when not much happened in agriculture. The year began in March (called Martius) until Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome circa 700 BC, added the two months Januarius "January" and Februarius "February".

Pompilius also moved the beginning of the year from Marius to Januarius and changed the number of days in several months to make them into an odd number which was considered to be lucky. After Februarius there was occasionally an additional month of Intercalaris, "intercalendar", which had 27 days and is the origin of the leap-year day being in February.

In 46 BC, Julius Caesar decided he wanted to reform the Roman calendar (hence the Julian calendar) and he again changed the number of days in many months while removing Intercalaris completely. In the process he also renamed July, which had been known as Quintilis, the "fifth month", to Julius in order to honor himself. When Augustus Caesar clarified and completed the calendar reform started by Julius Caesar, he renamed the month of August after himself - Augustus; previously it had been known as Sextilis or the "sixth month".

Speaking of Sextilis August, this is Elac from the 2007 Waterbury Firefighters Calendar. I'm pretty sure that if this calendar were hanging on my wall, I have the sneaky feeling it would be August all year long even though it's not really my favorite month due to the nasty heat and humidity we usually get here in New England during that month. Still, it really is a nice picture ... such a soothing body of water ... with those lovely ripples ... uhm, anyway ... it was nice to learn something new at work today. Yesterday I learned that "the Civil War was won by the United States" when Kevin decided to crack on some of us for the horrible British accents we were attempting but I think I knew that already and I can guarantee you that Kevin will never, ever forget he said that either! Give that man a D&G watch as a prize!

How was your day??

Not Something You See Very Often!

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Okay, I know I'm getting desperate for filler when I'll actually post a picture of myself in my bathrobe cuddling with the partial plushie of Ray from My Chemical Romance! Actually, I'm surprised I let Amanda take this picture to begin with but I must have been feeling particularly generous or silly or all of the above! Be kind in the comments, please!

Wordless Wednesday

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You just never know who's going to be on the other end of a 911 call, do you??
This is Dane, the newest dispatcher to join us upstairs in what's called "The Ivory Tower" at American Ambulance. Isn't he just the cutest thing ever?!?!

Creep on Over to The Mo Show Wednesday Night!

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This week on The Mo Show
stop in for a hauntingly good time
when I sit in as co-host with Morgen for
Ghosts & Hauntings.

Don't be scared to join us at
7 PM Eastern on Blog Talk Radio. It would be
boo-tiful if you can join us!

On The Mo Show this week it's - ME! - sitting in as co-host with the fabulous Morgen of Michigan! Join us as we discuss ghosts & ghouls & things that go bump in the night - if you dare, that is!! Be there or be sure to listen in on the archives! And don't forget to vote on the show and leave Mo some feedback to let him know how he's doing!

The Umbrella Academy is in Session

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I think I may have mentioned in the past that Gerard Way, lead singer of My Chemical Romance, and one of Amanda's very favorite band members out there is also an artist who has his own comic book series now in publication. If I failed to mention that somewhere along the way I am totally surprised! Gerard was actually working in the comic book industry in New York City before co-founding My Chem with his brother Mikey so having his own comic book series has always been a dream of his.

The name of the six-volume series is The Umbrella Academy and though he doesn't do his own illustrations due to the time constraints of being on the road touring pretty much all of the time, Gerard is writing the series for Dark Horse Comics with the illustrations being done by Gabriel Bá, a comic book artist who has made quite a name for himself on the Image Comics cult hit “Casanova.”

The comic series features a foster family of seven superheroes who were all adopted and brought together by a cold-hearted alien foster-father, Dr. Reginald Hargreeves, whose death has brought them all back together nine years later. Unfortunately, the family is just as dysfunctional as they are super so they run into quite a few trials and tribulations while trying to save the world. Sounds like something Amanda would just love to read, doesn't it?

That was my thought exactly so awhile back - quite awhile back! - I pre-ordered the first volume which was due to hit the stores on September 19th. The preview edition had come out on Free Comic Book Day, May 5th, and of course Amanda had a copy of that but I was pretty sure she was going to want the whole series. Call it a mother's instinct if you will!

Imagine my surprise - and delight - when I got an email from Josh Christiansen from the Online Marketing Department at Things From Another World, the online comic book shop that I had pre-ordered the first issue from, on September 19th telling me that I had won a free subscription to The Umbrella Academy. Apparently when I pre-ordered The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite #1 I was entered into a contest along with everyone else who pre-ordered and I actually won! Me - who never wins anything - won a contest I didn't even know I had entered!

Along with the six volumes of The Umbrella Academy, TFAW.com is paying for the shipping and when they become available, we also get one of The Umbrella Academy patches that were designed to go along with the comics. Now how cool is that??

Because it took me forever to write this post, Amanda received the first volume quite some time ago and is now anxiously awaiting Volume #2 which is due to be released tomorrow. Even though I'm not much of a comic book reader myself anymore (I used to love them as a kid), I think this is pretty darned cool!

Now if I could just win that darned lottery!

Three Words - Fairy Wings, Again!

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I have absolutely no idea where she gets this sort of behavior from!
Or do I??

Hmmm, I think I need to spike my hair and throw on some make-up before I've got "the look" down right!

Well, maybe for Halloween! I'll keep you posted!
Scroll down a couple of posts for more "Jimmy" & "Gerard" pics!

Laughing Over Spilt Milk!

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I recently came across another new blog that I felt was worth mentioning to my regular readers as a possible 'must add' to your own blogroll. Spilt Milk is written by Tracy, otherwise known as Tee, a stay-at-home mom of two boys who has learned along the way that it's easier to laugh over split milk than it is to cry over it. Her blog reflects that very philosophy as it's about choosing laughter over tears, about finding the silver lining in those clouds that seem to gather overhead on a regular basis, about "keeping a positive perspective and not allowing the little things to get you down." She isn't putting on blinders or ignoring the problems in the world, she's just using her blog as a way to take the time to laugh, to smile, to feel good, to get inspired.

One of the things I really like about Spilt Milk are the inspirational stories like the one Tee posted on October 9th about a Seeing Eye Cat named Libby who acts as the eyes and ears of Cashew, a 14-year old Yellow Labrador who is both deaf and blind. Who says that cats and dogs can't get along? Read this story and it will make you smile, too!

Another recent post had some really cool links to things that you can do with Google that you probably never knew about! There are games, movies, gadgets, etc. I'm sure we've all Googled ourselves from time to time but there are so many other things you can do when you get bored of that.

Tee has a lot on her blog that you're going to like so check out Spilt Milk and if you like it, add it to your reader feeds or your bookmarks and go back again and again when you need a smile, a laugh, a little inspiration, or maybe some good entertainment links when you're bored. I'm pretty sure you won't be crying over Spilt Milk either!

The Community Blog Award

Sandee from Comedy + awarded me with the The Community Blog Award which celebrates "people who reach out and make the blogger community a better one." Aw shucks, thank you ma'm! Of course, I wasn't the only one whom Sandee tagged as it takes a lot of bloggers to make up a community so I am reposting her list along with a few additions of my own. Please feel free to pass this on to the bloggers who you think make our community a better one!

..."And Miles To Go Before We Sleep..."
A Nice Place In The Sun
Asara's Mental Meanderings
Attitude, The Ultimate Power
BeccA's Buzz
Blog That Mommy
Coffee 2 Go
CrAzY Working Mom
Dixie's Heart & Soul
Echoes of Grace
Get Your Blog On!
Hunna's Happenings
Just Me...
Kids, Cats & Books - What Else Is There?
It's A Blog Eat Blog World
Lifecruiser
Life is RANTastic
Livin' Life SandyStyl
lynda's loft
Mama Pajama
Mimi Writes
More Random Than Average
Mother's home!
Ms Maggie Moo Talks 2 U
muffin 53
My Life is Murphy's Law
Necessary Skills
NoDirectOn (not: NoDirection)
Rhonda's Blog
Ryan's Calamity
Santa's Community Blog
Sarge Charlie
Scrappin...with life this New Year of 2007
The Buzz Queen
The Ice Box
The Rants From Sunnybrook Farm
The Rocky Mountain Retreat
This Eclectic Life
Trav's Thoughts
TwistedSister... totally pissed off!
Us Danes & Our Family
What? Mermaids?
Airhead 55
Bobbarama
Captain Picard's Journal
Comedy Plus
Dayngrous Discourse
Down River Drivel
Duward Discussion
Everything and Nothing
Evil Se7en
Freelance Cynic
Gem-osophy
Late Boomer Bloomer
Mimi Writes ....
Mommy 911
My Wonderful Life
Polliwog's Pond
Sgt Dub
The Curmudgeon
The Boomer Chronicles
The Erstwhile Librarian
Whitterer on Autism
WTIT Tape Radio Blog

"Jimmy" and "Gerard" Redux

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This past weekend just seemed to fly by and I'm still wondering what on earth happened to it??! How can this possibly be Monday afternoon already? I've got a lot of catching up to do as well as a pile of laundry - my bedding, the kids bedding, my uniforms, Amanda's clothes, towels, etc., etc.

It seems like a never ending chore but before I got to that and reading blog posts in between loads so I can try to catch up with my Google Reader, too, I thought I'd post a few more pictures of "Jimmy" and "Gerard" from the other night as looking at them just makes me smile. Amanda and Cate seem to be having such a great time and isn't that what being a kid is all about? Having a good time with friends and laughing - those are things that we adults probably don't do as much as we should. Oh to be 15 again ... or at least to spend time with Mo & Mags again!

Poor "Gerard" tries to play Guitar Hero with "Jimmy" being a pest!

"Gerard" concentrates intensely while "Jimmy" practices what looks like a cheer?

I'm sure her father would be so proud were he to see this picture - NOT!

I'm beginning to think I should have gotten her into football as she sure likes to tackle people! Or wait, is that "glomping"??

I'm Such a Silly Goose!

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Over at the blog My Wonderful Life, Mighty Mom likes to do a little thing she calls Thesaurus Thursday where she gives her readers two words and then asks for either a silly definition or, if you're a real know-it-all, the real meaning of the words. Recently she implemented the Silly Goose Award for the best smart-aleck answers to the words and the Smarty Pants Award for those who are smart enough to know the real definitions.

I've been playing off and on now for a couple of weeks and, me being me, I much prefer to leave a silly answer rather than a real one. Can you believe it? One of this week's words was okapi so I gave the definition of "a pie indigenous to the State of Oklahoma". Sounded good to me! And it was good enough to win me the above Silly Goose Award which I'm darned proud of!

Stop on by and play on Thursdays - maybe you can get a Silly Goose or Smarty Pants Award of your own! Tell Mighty Mom that Super Mom sent you!

Kids Will Be ... Uhm ... Kids??

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I was away from the blog all day on Saturday as Amanda's friend Cate had stayed over this weekend and we spent a good chunk of Saturday out gathering things for Halloween costumes. Despite the fact that it's still a couple weeks away, one should never ever wait until the last minute to get one's costume put together or else one ends up being something or someone he or she didn't really want to be.

Amanda wanted to dress up as Jimmy, the lead singer from Mindless Self Indulgence; while Cate decided she'd like to go as Gerard Way, lead singer of My Chemical Romance - preferably from the "Revenge era" and as he appeared in the Helena music video in particular.

A stop at the local Goodwill store found a great bargain on a dark suit for "Gerard" as well as most of the needed items for "Jimmy" and then it was off to Wal-Mart for the finishing touches for both of them. Once we got home, the girls just had to put their costumes together and then insisted on wearing them over to Jason & Amy's for Amy's birthday get-together.

Lesser parents might have said, "okay, that's it - there will be NO more sleepovers if this is the end result!" but Jason & Amy both took it in stride and rather enjoyed the company of the two "rock stars" for the evening. "Gerard" and "Jimmy" spent some time playing Guitar Hero II and also with the new Wii that Jason got Amy for her birthday. In this picture they're in the middle of an intense game of bowling:

Cate's back over for the night but is sleeping soundly while Amanda washes the spiking gel, glue, and freezing spray out of her hair. I'm ready to call it a night myself but wanted to get this post up before I went to bed as I won't be able to post again until Monday evening due to my work schedule and didn't want you to think I'd fallen off the face of the earth. Saturday was just like that Cyndi Lauper song always said "Girls just wanna have fun." I think they did, at least it seemed like it!