Montessori Writer's Thoughts

Thoughts on Joaquin Phoenix's I'm Still Here

2012-01-28T13:06:00.000-08:00

Joaquin Phoenix was one of my favorite actors. He first grabbed my attention in the movie Parenthood. Even my father spoke highly of his acting ability at that point. He was full of emotion and power. I also loved his brother River. After River died, it was like I lost both of them, because Joaquin disappeared for a while.

When he returned, it was like he returned with a vengeance. He got an Oscar nomination for Gladiator, which is the movie that caught my attention. I fell for him again in Signs and really went over the edge for him as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line. I followed the awards shows like it was my job and collected as many of his movies as I could. People made fun of me, but I held strong.

And then this mess happened.

He announced to the world that he was going to quit acting. He was going to pursue a hip-hop career. And we all started to lose respect for him.

I purposely avoided watching this so-called "documentary" that Casey Affleck made of him. I didn't want to have the last shred of my affection to be stripped away. But being at home, sick and bored, I could no longer resist the temptation of the free movie On Demand.

Holy hell this is awful. It is like a bad train wreck and you can't turn your eyes away from it, though you really want to just turn it off. I thought it would make for interesting background noise or something while I worked on blogging and what-not. But it is a total distraction because I can't believe what I am seeing.

The man has put on a ridiculous amount of weight. Okay, it happens to the best of us. But he is snorting and smoking all kinds of stuff, telling people off, and believes this shitty music is actually good. It is painful to watch him following P. Diddy all over the place, and the look on P. Diddy's face when he finally hears the crap playing. And speaking of crap, one of the worst moments is when his friend literally takes a dump on his face while he is sleeping, just because they had a big argument. Oh and him vomiting for real after an onstage performance in Miami. Seriously?

Naturally, after people ripped this film to shreds he tried to say it was just a hoax. This was a new character that he was trying on. Casey Affleck called it one of Joaquin's best performances ever - a total mockumentary of an Oscar-winning actor have a total meltdown. Some people believe it is what they say - a total fabrication. Others still believe that it is the truth. Perhaps it is a fabrication of the truth? An altered version of the truth? I can't imagine that someone would ever willingly want a piece of crap like this put out about them, true or fake. I can't believe a family member would go along with something like this.

Whether or not this was a hoax, Joaquin is going to have a hard time ever doing anything in the entertainment field again. He may be able to save face in another ten years or so. But do we really want to wait? Will we care?

Supposedly he has two movies coming out in the next couple of years. Again, will we care? Do I want to watch him again?

I just don't know.

Earn Free Stuff With iRazoo: Watch Videos

2012-01-27T23:34:00.000-08:00

You can earn more points toward your free Amazon gift cards by watching videos on iRazoo. Go to their offers page (which will already earn you an automatic 5 points every day). You can find videos hiding within the different offers pages.

For example, click on the tab that says "Gambit" and then the sub-tab that says "Videos." If there any available, you will earn points for watching them. After watching one, follow any instructions that may be given and then move on to the next video. If you are familiar with how Superpoints does videos, these are quite similar.

RadiumOne sometimes has mini-episodes from the Talent or Dating Rules from My Future Self series. You are only required to watch the first 20 seconds to earn points. I leave them running in a different tab so that the entire episode airs, just in case.

Search through Peanuts Lab, as well, as there is occasionally a video in their offers list. Matomy has a separate tab that says "Videos." Click on one of those and a pop-up screen will have a video for you to watch. After you watch it, close out the window and your points will make it into your account a little later. The Sponsor Pay tab does have a separate videos tab, but it tells me that there are no videos available in my country (USA).

Under the green dollar sign that says "Earn Points" is an option that says "Videos." But when you click on it, it says that they are coming soon. It has been that way for quite some time, from what I can gather from forums and the Facebook wall.

I can usually track down all of the videos in less than half an hour (sometimes less than 10 minutes). It's easy to do while watching the news or sipping on your morning coffee. And the points do add up.

In my second week of sort of trying to earn some points on iRazoo, I am up to 349. Come join me over there and see how fast you can rack up your points!

Interested in other sites that give you points toward free Amazon gift cards? Check out these fun and easy ways to earn more:

SwagBucks is probably one of the best and has been around the longest. I have earned about 7000 points in over a year and only recently started to try a little harder to earn my points.

ZoomBucks is quite similar to iRazoo and SwagBucks. I joined around the same time I started with iRazoo and am up to 230 ZBucks. The site was down for a day, otherwise it would be higher.

SuperPoints has been racking up the free Amazon gift cards for me much faster than any of the other sites. This invite link is good for seven days or until the first person snatches it up. Should it not work for you, please leave me a comment below and I will send you a new one.

Happy point collecting!

Thoughts on HBO's Temple Grandin

2012-01-27T11:49:00.000-08:00

When the HBO movie Temple Grandin first came out, I kept putting off watching it. I knew I was going to want to pay close attention to it and really enjoy it. But I was always too busy to give it my undivided attention. I also didn't want to fall asleep in the middle of it. Most of my movie watching tends to occur later in the evenings as I am getting ready for bed.

Today, I am sitting at home sick. Yesterday started with a migraine and turned into a possible stomach bug. As I am on the road to recovery, I am flipping through the options available on the various On Demand stations. To my joy, I saw that this movie was again available.

I sniffled all the way through it.

The movie does what I think is an amazing job of demonstrating how autistic people think in pictures and are very literal. One of my favorites is as soon as it is suggested to Temple that she study animal husbandry in college, she immediately has a vision of a cow being a groom. You see her fear as she encounters automatic doors. You see how she imagines the plight of the livestock at the slaughterhouse.

The movie is full of emotion, which is impressive with a character/person who lacks in a lot of emotion because she doesn't understand it.

I admire her mother for ignoring the experts and doing what she could to help her daughter. I admire her aunt for recognizing her needs and helping her to get things that she needed, like the squeeze box she made all by herself. I admire her teachers who took pity on her (at first) and those who believed in her ideas. And I admire her for standing up for both the rights of animals and people with autism.

I had the honor of hearing Temple Grandin speak a couple of years ago. At the time, I had a boy in my class whom I suspected of having Asperger's. The more she spoke, the more insight I gained into his behaviors and in how to help him.

Following her speech, I got in line with a copy of each of her books for sale. I thanked her for her speech and for giving me insight into one of my students. She wanted to know what specifically helped me. I had to scramble to think of one specific example, but I did. I was also somewhat amused by me asking which one book she wanted to sign, and she insisted on doing all of them.

I find Temple Grandin to be very inspirational. I find autism to be a fascinating puzzle. When I am working with a child with autism, I like to put together to pieces to find out what makes him tick, how to help him, and how to reach him on some kind of level. Listening to her speak, and reading her words, helps me to be better at what I do.

In addition to portraying one of my heroes, Temple Grandin features an amazing performance by Claire Danes. She won numerous awards for her performance. I loved watching her at the Golden Globes because Temple was actually with her. Temple was so proud of the work Danes did on this movie, and rightfully so.

Read some of Temple Grandin's books:

Earn Free Amazon Gift Cards With ZoomBucks: Watch Videos

2012-01-26T07:58:00.000-08:00

Watching videos on ZoomBucks is an easy way to add a couple of ZBucks to your account on a daily basis. Make sure you have entered at least your zip code on your profile page, so that you can receive targeted videos.

Hover over "Earn ZBucks" and click on Video Rewards. You will have to enter basic information, such as your sex and your birthdate, to further classify available videos for you. Advertisers like to target specific demographics with their ads. You will then answer a few more questions. And then you are taken to the screen with available videos.

Earn an easy 2 ZBucks by watching the short video. Pay attention, as you will see two numbers flash across a black bar on the top or the sides of the video player. As soon as the video ends, enter those two digits into the box to earn your ZBucks. If you do not enter them within a few seconds, you will have to watch the video again to see two different flashing numbers.

These videos are short, taking up less than a minute of your time. Following the video you may also be given the option of an offer or discount of some kind. You are not required to participate in the offers to receive your ZBucks. Your reward will quickly be credited to your account.

More videos can be found on some of the offer pages. Click on a title on the green bar to view all available offers from each organization. Some of them have a subsection that is specifically titled videos. On other pages, you have to skim all of the offers to find a video. Click on the video to watch in another tab. Most require a minimum of 20 seconds of viewing in order to receive your ZBucks. I like to have them playing in the background while I am working on something else.

Videos are not necessarily going to be available on a daily basis. But it will only take a minute of your time to search for them.

Join me on ZoomBucks today and start earning ZBucks toward a prize of your choice. I am saving up for free Amazon gift cards!

Interested in other sites for free Amazon gift cards? Try one of these:

SwagBucks is very similar to ZoomBucks. I have been with them for over a year now, and have cashed out several Amazon gift cards. I have earned $30 in the last several weeks alone!

iRazoo is relatively new to me, but my friends have earned several gift cards through them. It also functions similarly to SwagBucks and ZoomBucks.

Superpoints is probably the easiest site of them all. This link code is only good for seven days or until the first person uses it, as it is an invite-only site. Should the link not work for you, please leave me a comment and I will send you a new one. Emails are never published and will never again be used by me for any purpose.

Thanks for reading and happy point-gathering!

Earn Free Amazon Gift Cards With iRazoo: 5 Daily Points

2012-01-25T12:14:00.000-08:00

iRazoo is another one of those easy-to-use websites that allows you to rack up points for doing simple tasks on a regular basis. When you have enough points, you can redeem them for all kinds of prizes, such as a free Amazon gift card. It takes 3000 iRazoo points to get a $5 gift card. Each $5 increment in card value is worth an additional 3000 points.

Yes, it can take time to do this. But by using a variety of methods to collect points, you will get there before you know it. 5 points on a daily basis are easily collected in less than 30 seconds of your time. I can collect mine in the morning before I get ready for work.

Simply open up your account. At the top of the page is a green button with a dollar sign that says "Earn Points." Click on the word "Offers" to be taken to the offers page. You are guaranteed 5 points once a day, simply for visiting the offers page.

From that point on, you can visit any of the offers pages to see if something fits your situation and earn even more iRazoo points. Each tab under the "Offers" headline has a different group of available offers. Choose the ones you are comfortable filling out. Ignore the others. Check them regularly for changes.

Come join me on iRazoo! You are guaranteed 50 points just for signing up.

Interested in other sites that give you free Amazon gift cards for points? Check out some of these:

SwagBucks is probably the most popular. It works almost the same as iRazoo and has a larger reward store. I can usually cash out a $5 Amazon gift card every 1-2 weeks.

ZoomBucks is a newer site that works pretty much the same as iRazoo and SwagBucks. I started with them around the same time as iRazoo.

Superpoints is the one that adds up the most quickly for me. I earned $30 in Amazon gift cards in just over a month. This invite link is good for seven days or until the first person uses it. Should it not work, please leave me a comment and I will send you a new one. Your email address will never publish on here.

Earn Free Amazon Gift Cards With ZoomBucks: Promotional Codes

2012-01-24T10:02:00.000-08:00

ZoomBucks is a great site to help you earn free Amazon gift cards and other prizes. You can win while doing your regular searching or by performing simply daily tasks. One easy way to earn a couple of ZBucks on a regular basis is to pay attention to the promotional codes that are released on a regular basis.

On Facebook, like the ZoomBucks page to get codes in your news feed. If you are on Twitter, follow @Zoombucksonline to have them post in your timeline there. When a promotional code becomes available, it will be posted in one of these places. On occasion, you may also receive a promotional code in your email.

Once you locate the code, visit the ZoomBucks website. Hover over "Win ZBucks" and click on "Promo Codes." Enter the code into the box and then click "Claim Reward." The ZBucks are yours!

Hint: If you cut and paste the code from its location, beware of leaving a space at the beginning or the end of the code. Should you get an error message, check for spaces and try again.

Promotional codes are not necessarily revealed on a daily basis. But it is a good idea to check on a daily basis, just in case. They are also available for a limited time. So, redeem it as soon as you find it!

Join me on ZoomBucks today and start earning points toward that Amazon gift card or other prizes!

Interested in other sites that reward you with Amazon gift cards? Try one of these:

iRazoo rewards you with tasks, offers, videos and searches. I'm pretty new to this site, but so far so good!

SwagBucks is a site very similar to ZoomBucks. I have been there for over a year and cashed out $30 in Amazon gift cards within the last month.

Superpoints is one of the easiest ways to earn fast points toward gift cards. This invite link is good for seven days or until the first person claims it. Should it not work for you, please leave me a comment. I will send you a new link and never use your email address for anything else.

Thanks for reading, and happy ZBuck collecting!

iRazoo, Do You? More Free Amazon Gift Cards

2012-01-22T12:38:00.000-08:00

iRazoo is another one of those sites that rewards you for using their search engine, watching video ads and more. A writer friend recommended it to me and I just signed up two weeks ago. And then I forgot about it.

It was not intentional on my part. I just got busy with other things. But then as I had to do a lot of research for a long list of article assignments, I remembered it. Why not maximize my ability to earn points toward free Amazon gift cards by doing what I have to do anyway?

So, while commencing research for one of my articles, I decided to give iRazoo a shot. My very first search earned me 15 points. I checked the rewards catalog. It will take me 3000 points to get that first $5 gift card. 200 more searches sounds like a lot, but really isn't with the amount of research I have to do. I am willing to give this site a chance, especially as I figure out other means of earning more points. One of my friends earned 346 just by watching videos as soon as she signed up.

Join me on yet another quest to earn free Amazon gift cards. Click here to join me on iRazoo. Get 50 points just for signing up. As I learn more about how the site works, I will update you with new posts.

Interested in other methods of earning free Amazon gift cards? Check out these other websites:

Zoombucks is a site that also rewards you for doing searches and more. I just joined there earlier this month and already have almost 200 ZBucks. It takes 1000 to cash out a $10 Amazon gift card.

SwagBucks is a site very similar to ZoomBucks and iRazoo. I have been there for over a year and cashed out $30 in Amazon gift cards within the last month.

Superpoints is one of the easiest ways to earn fast points toward gift cards. This invite link is good for seven days or until the first person claims it. Should it not work for you, please leave me a comment. I will send you a new link and never use your email address for anything else.

Earn Free Amazon Gift Cards With Easy ZoomBucks: View Daily Offers

2012-01-22T08:48:00.000-08:00

ZoomBucks is a site that lets you earn points for doing simple things. Guarantee a couple of easy ZoomBucks by visiting the site on a daily basis. You can earn one guaranteed ZoomBuck every day, just for visiting the offers section of the site.

To find this, look at the bar at the top of the page. The second one says "Earn ZBucks." Hover over that and click on offers. Always check out the offers listed, because you never know if there will be one of interest to you. But even if you are not interested in the offers, you are guaranteed a daily ZBuck by scrolling all the way down to the bottom of the page.

It will say "Congratulations! You won 1 Buck!" Be sure to click on the mini video captcha underneath that dollar, though, or it will not be credited to your account! If you don't want to watch the entire short video, after a few seconds you will have the option of skipping to the end and your code will be revealed. Simply enter it and press the "Claim Reward" button to add to your points. It takes all of 30 seconds of your day.

ZoomBucks is an easy site to use. As of this posting, I have 167, again without much effort. I am saving up for that free $10 Amazon gift card. Just 833 more to go! But I have faith it won't take too long.

Please click here if you would like to check out the site and join me there. You automatically receive ZBucks for signing up.

You can also win points toward free Amazon gift cards by joining SwagBucks, which is similar to ZoomBucks.

Superpoints is another great site for rapidly earning points and gift cards. This link is good for seven days or until the first person signs up. If you try the link and it doesn't work, please leave me a comment and I will send you a link. Your email address will not publish and I will not use it for anything else.

Thanks for reading and happy ZBuck gathering!

Earn Free Stuff With Zoombucks

2012-01-20T16:16:00.000-08:00

ZoomBucks is a site that rewards its users. Do various simple tasks, such as watching videos and using their search engine, and earn points. Those points can be redeemed for a variety of prizes, including gift cards. My favorites to earn are the $5 Amazon gift cards. You can buy just about anything you want on Amazon. I am actually saving up for something special.

I joined ZoomBucks about two weeks ago. I haven't been very active on the site, but already have 120 as of this posting. I plan to spend some time with the site over the next several days to figure out how to rack up more ZoomBucks. So far, I have primarily used their search engine while working on various articles. I will share what I discover as I learn more about it.

A $5 Walmart gift card runs about 650 ZoomBucks or ZBs. So, it's a little bit more than a point per penny like on some of the other sites. The Amazon card starts at $10 for 1000 ZBs. But you seem to be able to rack up ZBs faster at times. I figure it will average out to take just as long with this site as it does with Superpoints and Swagbucks.

If you would like to also check out ZoomBucks and join me on my quest to figure out how to earn points, please click here.

If you are interested in SwagBucks (posts about which will come later), please click here

If you are interested in SuperPoints (again, more posts will come later), please click here.

The thing about Superpoints links, though, is they expire within seven days of their creation or as soon as someone accepts the invite. Should this link not work for you, please leave your email address in the comments section. All comments must be approved prior to going live. I will not publish comments that contain email addresses. Nor will I ever use your email address for anything else. I will simply send you the link so that you can check out the site and then delete it.

GBE 15-Minute Free Write

2011-12-27T15:19:00.000-08:00

15 straight minutes of meaningless drivel coming from my fingers. Typos are not to be corrected. Are you ready? I'm not, but here we go!

Ugh. Timers. Timing. Hurry hurry hurry! Can't get it all done but don't know what "it" even is. Writing, reading, laundry, purging. It's all the same. Wanna do it all but can't do it all. Don't even know where to begin.

This year is almost over. I am so thankful. 2011 has been full of all kinds of joys but tremendous loss. Christmas was beautiful yet heartwrenching. Still trying to process it all.

Process. More important than product. But such a process to process.

Hitchcock is on. I love Hitchcock. Dad loved Hitchcock. Eric loves Hitchcock. Hitchcock loved Daphne du Maurier. I love Daphne du Maurier. Rebecca was one of my favorites. Dad loved that movie. So did Grandma. So does Uncle Phil, I think?

I wanna read more du Maurier. I have a ton of her stuff. She reminds me a bit of Stephen King. I need to read more Stephen King. I am missing a bunch of his recent books. But I have gift cards from Christmas.

Gift cards. What to buy? Definitely going to get the Soda Streamer, I think, from Target. Kinda want a tablet of sorts. But to get a cheaper tablet or the Kindle Fire? I dn't really care to read on a Kindle and I have that app already on my phone. I can even read books on my computer. So that part isn't necessary. But it is supposed to be a lot like the iPad and I can't afford an iPad. I can't afford an iPhone. But I love my Droid. I got it last year from my dad, along with my computer and TV.

I need to watch more TV. I need to get caught up on football. I need to write about football. I need to write to make some more cash this break. I have forgotten how to write. I feel like any fool can string together words about football. Yet, I managed to become a Featured Contributor for YCN (on Yahoo! Sports) for NCAA football. Scary thought.

I want to write. I want to break through this wall that has been here. I want to be recognized for what I hvae to offer. I want to ideas to flow in a logical formation, not in a meaningless flood. I have millions of them and can't get them all out. I swear I am ADHD. It makes my head swim to think of everything that is floating around up there.

What to do with myself for the rest of this week? I want to test out my new hiking gear I got for Christmas, but there isn't any snow. I don't want snow because I don't want to be cold. And it isn't like I would go hiking in snow all by myself. Eric is working this week, so I can't think about going until at least his weekend.

I need to clean and oganize. Who wants to do that? I am always "making progress" as Mike likes to point out. *sigh* Another never-ending process.

I am running out of steam. What other thoughts and words do I have?

Rejection, repression, adulation, elation, desperation, United Nations.

Books, looks, crooks, Nook.

Lehane, Shutter Island, Kenize & Gennaro.

Wanna read. Don't wanna read.

I feel like Jack in that Stephen King novel. "Allw ork and no play makes Jack a dull boy." The Shining. That's right. Love that book and movie.

I want to write abook. I have two outlined already. Maybe that should be a New Year's goal?

Don't make New Year's Resolutions. I prefer the idea of making goals. I believe it was Jo Brielyn who first mentioned that on Facebook. It makes so much more sense than resolutions.

I had a resolution last year. 800,000 page ivews and 800 pieces on YCN. I made it 466 and 534,000 or something like that. Perhaps it is over 500 pieces if I throw in the Sports. I guess life got in the way or something? Maybe I can make it to millionaire this year if I keep it up.

Sports. Me a spotswriter. I still laugh over it. I am sure Dad is laughing yet proud of me up in heaven.

Clouds, angels, horns, singing. Pearly gates.

How does Grandma feel having her son follow her after only 8 months? I have always wondered that. I am sure he is having fun up there somewhere, though, with someone else. Just still blows my mind, all of it.

Just because it blows my mind doesn't mean that I am depressed or anything, right? I certainly do not think so. My closest friends do not think so. Yet I have been accused of it lately. That irritates me to no end. I think I have had the right to be a litle sad. I cried my eyes out during the Christmas Eve service, but can you blame me? Have I not been doing pretty well?

Okay, you readers wouldn't know. I just realized I haven't posted since August. Hmmmm, well if you are on my Facebook or in some of the same groups as me, you should be able to tell. I think I have done pretty well, considering.

Considering.....I talked to Mom on Christmas Eve. That sucked. She didn't know who I was. I kinda figured. But at least I tried. People seem tot hink I am a heathen for not going to visit her. Try to be in my shoes, then.

Ugh. There is the anger and frustration. Loss of memory. Loss of tangible love. Yet it is reappearing in different areas of my life.

When is that timer going to go off?

Someone is singing scales on the TV now. I can't even remember which movie it is right now and I am not going to take the moment to hit info. I just know it is a Hitchcock. Oh wait, I think it is Rear Window. We just watched that recently. I love James Stewart, so Eric kept renting his movies from the library for me. He is a good man. He takes care of me, even if it isn't the traditional way that everyone thinks it should be.

Yup, Grace Kelly's voice is there. Dad and I went to Monaco and I remember him telling me all about Princess Grace dying. And then within a few years I started watching her movies. I love Grace Kelly. I love old movies. There is just something about them.

Crap, I just realized that I never set the timer. It's only been about 18 minutes, so I guess I didn't go too far over. Happy reading of the rambling, kids!

Q is for Questions

2011-08-17T18:42:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to process my father's death over these last several weeks. I feel like I have been coming to terms with it, slowly but surely. I don't cry on a daily basis, but things will come out of the blue to make me melt into a puddle. That will vary from day to day, but it still happens. A couple of days ago, it was simply passing a hearse on the road. It was my second hearse in two days. Another day it was watching the movie "Oh God," because I remember watching that series with my family. Today it was the announcement on Facebook of my preschool best friend finally having her first baby. Dad was following her story so closely on Facebook since we found each other again. We saw each other at his visitation and bawled on each other's shoulders. It was the first time we had seen each other in almost 20 years.

Every time I have one of these random episodes I randomly start asking all kinds of questions. They are of that evil "What If" nature. I always feel like a fool, because I can't change the past. Nevertheless, they force their way into my brain. "What if I would have actually made it home that week when he fell?" "What if I would have braved the ice and snow and taken care of the paperwork for Mom myself?" "What if he would have just listened to me and gone to the doctor in the first place?" "What if I would have pushed harder for the surgery?"

Consciously I am fully aware that these questions are moot at this point. I cannot go back and change what happened. It was completely out of my hands. I do accept this on most levels, but I just can't help myself at times.

I have always been a dreamer. I like to imagine how scenarios could have been different. Part of that is also being a writer. And can you blame me for wishing that my father was still here with me? I have always been a Daddy's girl, from the moment I came into this world. I was the one with him when he left this world. We talked about everything. For the first time in my life I am having to make decisions without his counsel. I cannot call my mother, either, because she is in such a weird state with her Alzheimer's.

As I face life's decisions on my own, I am faced with new questions. "Am I doing what is right for me?" "Have I surrounded myself with the right people?" "What is next?"

These are normal questions that anyone may face. But when you are faced with answering them by yourself for the first time, they seem more pronounced.

I know I am going to be okay. Those questions will be answered in time, just like always. I *am* fine, relatively speaking. It just feels so different now.

GBE2 Week #12: The Wedding Rings

2011-08-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't felt much like blogging for the past several weeks. When I posted the story of Dad's peaceful passing, I felt purged, yet my voice was stifled. It has been quite an adjustment to get used to him not being around. We talked on the phone several times a week. I was just getting used to not talking to Mom, as she has been in the nursing home since February.

I belong to a blogging group known as the Group Blogging Experience #2 (GBE2). We have a weekly prompt and then need to tailor a post around it. This week it is a picture of two wedding rings.

I keep looking at this picture thinking that there is no way I can write about it. I am not married. I have no immediate plans to marry. What good will it do for a 30-something year-old to write about her dreams of marriage? That's so cliche.

I took my dog on a walk to clear my head. We both needed to get out of the house and the relentless rainfall had finally cleared a little. On the way we ran into a neighbor I haven't seen in almost a year. She wanted to know how my summer was going. I told her about Dad.

A couple of hours earlier, another neighbor was walking past with her dog when I got home from running errands. Same story.

I hopped back on Facebook and was confronted again with the picture. This time, I got a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.

I may not have my own wedding ring as a symbol of love from a significant other, but I have been collecting rings over the past year. My grandmother, Dad's mom, passed away in September of 2010. As we were going through the last of her jewelry, we came across her wedding band. It had been cut off of her prior to her hip surgery some years ago and she never got around to fixing it. With the cut, though, it perfectly fits my pinkie finger. (Grandma was a tiny woman.)

When Dad went into the hospital, he purposely left behind his wedding ring and a cameo ring. I wore them a lot when I was home and he was in the ICU. After he died, I brought them both home with me. Sometimes, when I feel that I need his help in something, I put them on again.

Mom still has hers and I wouldn't dream of taking it away from her. I am sure that some day I will also inherit that one.

Having the rings of my loved ones makes me feel slightly connected to them, even though they are no longer here.

P is for Peaceful Passing

2011-06-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

The clock just hit 10:30 p.m. It has now officially been two weeks since my father passed away. It still seems surreal to utter those words, even though they also seem so commonplace to say. I feel like calling Dad right now to talk to him about it, but of course I cannot.

I have been writing this "P" post (for the original April challenge) for the past two weeks, but hadn't yet felt ready to write it. Tonight, I guess I am.

My father had a very peaceful passing when it was time for him to go. He had been unconscious for the majority of the seven weeks that he had been in the hospital. On Memorial Day, I got a call saying that his eyes were actually open. We ran to the hospital, thinking this was possibly the turn-around for which we had been hoping. It was beautiful to look into those gray/blue eyes again. I could tell that he was trying to communicate with us, because as we talked to him his lips were moving. He was calmer than he had been the entire weekend that I had been home.

With smiles on our faces, we left for them to put in a new PIC line, and had lunch. Our meeting with the team was scheduled for after lunch. We walked into the meeting room with high expectations, only to hear that kidney function was at 50% and quickly failing. A living will made our decision easy. It was time to let go.

We disconnected fluids and feeding on Memorial Day. We scheduled Hospice for Thursday, as that was when his brother was finally going to be able to come to town. The nurses were kind and continued some fluids during the administration of medication, to slightly prolong his life in order to see his big brother one last time.

Dad stayed awake the remainder of the week. He seemed to be drinking in his family. He struggled to stay awake and often cried when the last one (usually me) left. For the first time that I could remember, my father repeatedly mouthed the words "I love you." We are a family that consistently demonstrates such sentiments, without having to utter the words. I said it repeatedly.

Thursday, June 2nd, we had Dad moved to Hospice. On my way to Perrysburg, I called my teaching assistant on the phone, as it was the last day of school. She put me on speakerphone so that I could say goodbye to my kids. I also asked them to send myu father happy thoughts. My gut was telling me that Dad was going that day and I wanted to send him off the right way. (When I returned to work a couple of weeks later, I was given pictures from the kids. One child made one that said, "I love you, Mr. Coventry.")

Once Dad was settled, we were allowed to go in to see him. My sister went over to him first. "Hi, Daddy." He gave her the biggest smile. I started to bawl. It was beautiful. I haven't seen him smile in months.

My aunts joined us and then all three of them left. They had to pick up my uncle from the airport and finish up some other legal obligations. I vowed to my father that I would not leave his side. I knew he was worried about us and a little scared about leaving (I refer to the tears all week). I told him that he had seen me into this world, and I would see him out of it.

A family friend came to visit. When I went to sit with her to talk, Dad decided to go to sleep and took a nap. He later awoke when another family friend from Florida called to wish him well via speakerphone. I only left the room to use the restroom.

Finally, the rest of the family arrived. They took their turns talking to him and I ran to the cafeteria for some dinner. We had a blast sharing memories of Dad throughout the years and had numerous good laughs. I even captured a beautiful picture of my sister and Dad smiling at each other as she bid him farewell.

I played music from the mp3 player on my phone as we continued to share stories. I kept nervously checking his extremeties and eyeballing the nurse as she came in. A few years ago, as my great uncle lay dying in Hospice, a friend who had once worked in Hospice told me all about the steps toward dying. My family wanted to go get dinner around 9:30. The nurse said it should be okay as Dad was still at 14 resps a minute. I knew he was going to go that night and I told them to come back if/when they needed to.

After they left, I told Dad I would let him rest, as he was starting to go to sleep again. I changed into my pajamas and found him wide awake again. I then said that I was going to play a song for him, to express how I felt. I chose a song by Eddie Vedder, called "Goodbye." It had been released a couple of years ago on the soundtrack for A Brokedown Melody, but the lyrics hadn't struck me so strongly before. Earlier in the week, Eddie Vedder had released his new CD and this song was track 5, which made me have to pull off the road after I purchased and listened to the CD on my way up to visit Dad. Click here to watch a video that contains the lyrics to this song.

I am a huge Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam fan, and have been for about 20 years now. So it was appropriate that I played this for my father as he was ready to leave. I also promised him that I was being taken care of, as was my sister. I also reassured him that we had Mom well taken care of in her new facility. I told him that it was time for him to do what he needed to do.

Around 10 the nurse came in again. Vital signs, etc., still indicated he would probably go over the night, but there didn't seem to be an immediate need to call in family to send him off. I changed into my pajamas and was settling into a chair with my laptop. The nurse came in to check on him and thought it was getting close, but possibly not close enough to call the family back. We started joking around about my Dad and his sense of humor while they set up my cot. Dad coughed up a goober and I chuckled. The nurse went over to wipe it off his face and touched his chest. "Andrea."

I grabbed my phone. "I am ready; phone is in my hand."

She got the stethoscope. She had to listen for one full minute. The other nurse held me up by my arm. After that minute she nodded. I said, "Going or gone?" She said, "Gone."

I felt my knees buckle, but more from a giant weight being lifted off of me from relief that I no longer had to worry. I called my family, who was on their way back from dinner. They came in crying, and I tried to reassure them that he had gone peacefully while none of us was paying attention. In fact, we were laughing and joking. It's the way he would have wanted to go. He needed some space and some laughter. And we were able to give it to him.

Two weeks later I can still feel the pain of him leaving. But somehow it is a little easier. I think that I had the advantage of starting to grieve a little earlier, as I knew back in April that he wasn't going to make it. I kept hoping for the best, but was being realistic. I have this damn intuition that often proves correct.

I miss my father with every fiber of my being. I am crying as I write this post tonight. But I also know that I carry his legacy with me. When I returned to NY from taking care of things, I had the best display of roses, ever. The garden that he helped me put in at the side of my house was more lush than in any other year. Granted. there had been a lot of rain and some intense temperatures in my absence, but I can't help but believe that he had a hand in it.

On behalf of my family, I thank everyone for their outpouring of support. We are all going to be fine. I can say that I am doing okay. Life still goes on. I will always celebrate the life of Richard S. Coventry.

I am going to be a mess at this concert next weekend....:-D

Lost and Found in Life

2011-06-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

This past year has been a year of major loss. I lost my grandmother in September. I lost my mother to Alzheimer's and we had to place her in a home in February. I lost my father last week. I may have lost a few friends. I was told I may have lost my ability to have children. I have lost some belongings. I have lost a couple of writing gigs. I lost a relationship. I have lost many parts of myself.

But at the same time I have found myself again. I know who I am and how I feel. I found my Montessori roots and have thrown myself into the old school philosophy. I found my grandmother again when I took her broken wedding ring and started to wear it and when she came to me in my dreams. I even found my grandfather and the man I call my step-grandfather, as she brought them to me in my dreams. I found a new level of intimacy with my father as I sat with him over seven weeks, watching him die. I have found new writing gigs and a new ability deep within to communicate with and touch others. I have found a way to redefine that relationship, that actually requires no definition, yet provides me with the love and care that I need.

My father's illness, and subsequent death, has helped me find strength in myself, in God, in the Universe, and in friends and family. I have spent 2 1/2 weeks with my aunt, getting to know her in a way that I never have before. A large share of those two weeks were also spent with other aunts and my uncle. I rekindled a relationship with the other side of the family. I have found who my true friends are and how to ask for help. My writing adventures have led me to new writing groups and new friends whom I may never meet in person, but who have walked along with me over these journeys.

I know that my new journey has just begun, and I will have to continue to find new ways to cope with my loss. Thank you for taking this journey with me.

BFF - A New Blogging Group

2011-06-10T20:27:00.001-07:00

Ahhhhh....I love to write and I love inspiration. I just came across a new blogging group tonight called BFF - Blogging for Fun. Stay tuned for more possible posts based on their topics each week, as well. :-D

O is for Options

2011-05-31T22:04:00.000-07:00

When a loved one is ill you are faced with numerous options. One set of options is in regards to the patient's care. Some people are fortunate enough to have filled out and discussed living wills. Others are forced to try to guess what the person would want.

Even within those living will options there are numerous options. With my father's health, we were faced with a bunch of those unpleasant options yesterday. Basically our options entailed how are we going to let our father die. None of them are the option we want. We want our father to live. We want him to live and be with us. We want to talk to him and touch him and love him in person. But those are no longer options for us.

We were fortunate that our parents at least had created a living will, which has been truly beneficial as we make all of our decisions. We can do what Dad would want. We can honor his wishes and his legacy, even though it hurts us. When he finally passes within the next several days, we can be at peace knowing that we did the right thing.

Other options include how we react to the situation. Everyone reacts differently, and I will only focus on myself right now. People have asked me how I can be so strong through all of these ups and downs. I keep replying that I don't have a choice. But my very wise aunt pointed out that I do have a choice. I could have chosen to abandon my family and pretended that nothing was wrong. I could have avoided spending time with my father in these last several weeks and simply remembered him the way he was before this traumatic event.

To me, though, there have been no other options than to spend as much time with him as I can. I did miss three weeks while I wrapped up some things at school, but they are a blur. Otherwise, I have gone up to spend time with my father for a couple of hours every day. I have had the chance to say "I love you," and for him to mouth it back. He has also shown it to me in many other ways, and I will cherish every single second that I have left with him. He is the most important person in my life.

My other option has been to be strong. Granted, these last few days as the end has become obvious, I have been melting into a snotty pool of tears much more frequently. But I still choose to keep on keeping on, putting one foot in front of the other. I will take each moment as it comes. I choose to not have any regrets (and truly do not feel any at this time, when people often do). And life will go on.

As my cousin said to me earlier tonight, "Life sucks at times, but you have to just plow through it."

N is for Numb

2011-05-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

These past several weeks, numb is the best way to describe how I feel. I feel like I have to be stoic to take care of the family. I keep getting complimented on how strong I am. The only way to stay strong is to put one foot in front of the other and to be numb. If I don't enter numb mode, I cannot function at all.

The problem with being numb is that eventually you are going to break. My problem starts after 8 p.m. I am a nighttime crier. Tonight, I jumped in the shower around 8, before I went to get my sister at the airport. I cried in the shower. I pulled it back together to go pick her up. The tears started again really late as I was watching Mamma Mia! My evening glass of wine probably didn't help much, but I always cry at the wedding scene. I always cry at weddings. That scene in particular gets to me because my mother will never walk me down the aisle, nor will we ever engage in that mother-daughter bonding time again. It also makes me miss my father more because he likes musicals and Meryl Streep.

And then, as quickly as the crying comes on, the numbness reappears. I don't like to not feel. I relish in feeling the intensity of my emotions. Perhaps the numbness is my self saying that these feelings are too intense, and I am protecting myself so that I can still function in life.

Please do not think that I am constantly sad. I am not. I have many happy moments and experiences as well. I think it just hits me harder when I come to town to be with my parents. But there is nowhere else that I should be, nor would I want to be anywhere else right now. They need me. This is where my life is at the moment. This too shall pass.......

Secret of My Success

2011-05-29T19:49:00.000-07:00

As soon as I saw this week's blogging prompt I had to laugh, especially as I was about to leave to pick up my sister from the airport. "Success." I had to think of the cheesy 80s movie Secret of My Success, starring Michael J. Fox.

This movie remains my sister's all-time favorite movies, and I still love it, too. I can't tell you how many times the two of us have watched it. We have it practically memorized. My father loved watching it, too.

Michael J. Fox plays Brantley Foster. He lands a job working in the mail room of his uncle's company, but he really craves executive experience. He takes over the persona of Carlton Whitfield as well as an empty office and starts to rock the boat in the company. He falls in love with the token female executive, Christy, who is having an affair with his uncle. His aunt (by marriage) has developed a big crush on him and literally chases him around the office. Brantley has to balance both of his personalities, which includes many memorable scenes of him changing clothes in the elevator.

The movie is full of all kinds of 1980s cheese and stupid chase scenes, but you can't help but laugh hysterically. It is ridiculous, yet slightly smart at the same time. I cannot help but turn to it every time it is on TV. I highly recommend it for a cheesy laugh and great 80s nostalgia.

M is for Meetings and Memories

2011-05-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

The first of three major meetings about my father's prognosis has been scheduled for Memorial Day. What a day to have to think about your father's life. It makes me almost feel like the decisions have been made before they've even been discussed.

A large chunk of the family is coming home to specifically discuss these issues and to help my sister and I make some tough decisions. As I think about the prospects and as I go sit with him to visit with him, I am overwhelmed with memories.

I type as I sit in the home to where my parents retired a few years ago. It is hard for me to believe that just a couple of months ago, they were both sitting right here with me. Even my dog is confused. Every time we walk in the door, he takes off running to check every nook and cranny, trying to find them both. I am surrounded by pictures and my father's paintings.

The facility in which my father is being treated is in the city that he and my sister and I grew up. My mother grew up just a couple of miles away on a farm. The family legacy goes way back and glimpses are still visible despite years of "development."

Sitting with my father last night, I read him a chapter of Jane Eyre and then played part of the BBC version on YouTube. The first time it aired I was in town and my dad kept me up half the night watching it. It was one of our favorite things to do.

I long to make another trek to the Toledo Art Museum. I have spent my whole life going there with my father. I know all of his favorite paintings. We even took oil painting classes together.

I am watching Golden Girls as I type. We grew up watching this as a family. When reruns became prevalent on numerous stations, my father always had it on. I can hear him laughing a certain punchlines. He never got tired of the jokes.

I still want to make memories with my father. And I am hoping that these meetings will tell me that is still possible.

Expectations

2011-05-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how your expectations of life can easily change in a single moment. Over these past six weeks as my father has been struggling with his health issues, I have found myself looking at life completely differently. I force myself to sit and do little to nothing. I have started driving in absolute silence, instead of listening to my favorite music or talk radio. I have been praying more and almost meditating more. I have less patience for shallow people and thoughts. I look more to nature for signs and for comfort.

It has been six weeks since I talked to my father. That is unbearable to someone who is used to talking to him almost every other day. When I first started to visit him in the hospital, I was expecting him to wake up and converse with me through blinking eyes and nodding his head yes or shaking it no until he got off of the ventilator. I thought that when he had his surgery he would wake up within a couple of days and all would be okay. But that isn't the case.

My last trip home, my expectations were that Dad would open his eyes when I talked to him and would respond to my commands to squeeze my fingers. This trip home, I had even more expectations, because I had heard he was starting to breathe on his own during the day. I also saw FIVE rainbows on my trip home.

I got nothing out of him today. It hurt, but then again, I have been aware that my expectations have to adjust. Now I just expect him to be calm and comfortable. I expect him to allow me to talk to him and love him. I expect friends and family to help take care of me and support me through the process, but to also allow me some quiet time. I expect people to forgive me as I get prickly, because I don't mean it. I expect to still cry in exhaustion and frustration. I expect the medical professionals to make the right decisions and to help us as we have to make ours. I expect them to care for my father to their utmost ability and to understand that we are people and not just files that cross their desks. And I expect God and the Universe to help provide for all of our needs.

The road is long and has lots of bumps along the way. But I expect to continue to be able to face this challenge head on, and to come out relatively unscathed on the other side.

GBE 2 Challenge

2011-05-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

Ha, here it is the end of May. I haven't even finished up the April challenge, let alone started the May challenge. And I am going to start up a new challenge. This one is a little different. It's the GBE challenge. Group Blogging Experience. This is version 2, started on Facebook. Apparently the original was on MySpace.

Every Sunday, a general topic is posted in our Facebook group. If you can, you write a blog post about that topic and share it by Saturday night. You're not obligated to write on every post, nor write on all your blogs. But I think I will be able to get plenty of them on this blog. Happy reading!

Z to A in May: Blogging Challenge with a Twist

2011-04-30T18:58:00.001-07:00

What? Another challenge? But you never finished this one!

No, I didn't. My father had to have brain surgery and has been in the ICU for over 2 weeks now. My extra writing time has been sucked up by trips to the hospital, conversations with the doctors, and updating family and friends. I've also been dealing with things with my mother who has Alzheimer's.

April has been a long, difficult month. But I vow to finish the blog posts for the original challenge and THEN I will try to work on this one. I think I can do it.

Join us!

L is for Love and Loss

2011-04-25T09:21:00.000-07:00

On this rainy April day, I should be writing on a topic that begins with "U." As many of you who have been reading know, though, I have been dealing with great difficulties with my parents. My father had unexpected brain surgery a week ago and my mother is moving to a new facility that specializes in Alzheimer's, so I am a little behind.

I have had a lot of loss these past few months. In addition to the difficulties with my parents, my grandmother passed away in September. It has been a rough journey, but I keep putting one foot in front of the other. The love for my family and from my family has kept me strong and persevering. The same is true for my friends. I have been reconnecting with people I haven't seen or talked to in years. Help is coming from the most unexpected of places.

Adding to my sense of loss this morning was a phone call. One of my friends and colleagues suddenly lost her husband over the weekend. They are two weeks away from their daughter's college graduation. Everything was fine and BAM their lives are forever changed. I only pray that her family will receive the same love and support that I have been fortunate enough to have over the past couple of weeks.

Hold tight to those you love. You never know what is going to happen.....

K is for Kindness and Karma

2011-04-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

The kindness of strangers never ceases to amaze me. These past several weeks, dealing with my parents, has been quite difficult. But people have been overwhelmingly supportive.

As my father went into the ICU and had to undergo brain surgery this week, I repeatedly sent out prayer requests on my Facebook status, in all of my writing groups, and via all three of my Twitter accounts. People I have never corresponded with have been adding him to their prayers lists and sending their best wishes. They are even following up on his status.

I started the How to Laugh at Alzheimer's blog as a way for me to cope with my mother being placed in a nursing home and becoming a person I do not know. Comments have flooded in from all over, sharing the experiences of others and thanking me for what I am doing. It is quite humbling.

The hospital where my father is recuperating is full of hundreds of doctors and nurses. Yet every day I am greeted with a smile. People ask how I am holding up. They are patient as I ask a hundred million questions, to satisfy my need to know everything that is going on. They have been patient as I have burst into tears over seemingly nothing.

Friends are asking how I am doing and offering prayers and support. Some of them are dealing with their own horrible family and personal issues. Yet, they are taking the time to talk to me, even if I seem a little irrational or appear to be jumping the gun. I am trying my best to keep up with what they are doing and how their situations are panning out. I don't mean to be self-centered and I am trying hard to not be. And they seem to understand that.

I love the offers of food. I would love to pretend that I am keeping track of what I am eating and when, but I know I am not. I can forget to eat because I am so wrapped up in helping both of my parents. People are making sure I am fed and getting rest.

And I am getting back in touch with members of the family from whom I have been accidentally estranged for a few years. It was never my fight or my issues that caused the separation. But as soon as they found out what was going on, they reached out to me as I had reached out to them. I am grateful. I just wish it wouldn't be such horrible experiences leading to us bonding again.

I truly feel that the positive support that we are getting regarding our parents is karma paying my parents back for being such beautiful people. They have always taken care of everyone else, while simultaneously caring for their own family. I have only one biological sister, but we grew up with numerous brothers and sisters. I like to think that my helping others in need is contributing to getting help now when I need it. And I hope that I can pay it all forward some day, when someone else is in need of a little kindness.

J is for Juggling

2011-04-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

I think it is in a woman's nature to juggle a lot of things. These past few weeks I have been juggling my full-time job as a Montessori educator, my part-time job as a writer, handling my mother's move into a facility for her Alzheimer's, and today my father had brain surgery. This has included numerous emails and meetings about my students, and numerous phone calls about my parents. I am also trying to get them settled while taking care of myself. Thank God my school is on Spring Break this week. Of course, I would have been home for the ICU and surgery, anyway.

My sister told me that I am trying to take on too much. Perhaps I am. I am grateful that I do not have young children to care for right now. It is difficult enough keeping up with my three furry kids who accompanied to my father's home.

I did manage to write one article today. This is my first blog post. I may have to write a few more to continue organizing my thoughts to calm my head so that I can finally get some sleep tonight.

A lot of other people I know have a tendency to juggle a lot. I try to just put one foot in front of the other to get through these tough situations. I am trying really hard to remember to eat and drink and to take care of myself. That is something that many of us who juggle a lot tend to neglect. I am also learning how to let some things go.

For example, this has been one of the most strenuous years of my life. So, I try to keep my school duties contained within the allotted time frame as much as possible. If I do work late, which is a necessity in the profession, I set up a cut-off time. Whether or not I am finished, I leave. I do the same thing with my writing. If I can't do it, then I don't do it. That is part of the reason that I am so far behind on this challenge. I may not catch up on all of the blogs, but I think I will be able to catch up on most of them. I have been hiking more frequently to physically relieve some of the stress. Because the juggling isn't going to stop any time soon and I need to keep on keeping on.

I Am Mine

2011-04-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

There is a song by Pearl Jam called "I Am Mine." The lyrics go "I know I was born and I know that I'll die. The in-between is mine. I am mine." I love that line, and I have made it one of my mantras. Another good one is "I only own my mind."

I am going through a horribly rough time right now. My grandmother died in September at the ripe old age of 95. My mother, who has Alzheimer's. had to go into nursing care in February. And my father went into the ICU Thursday night. This morning (Saturday) they had to intubate him. He has taken a couple of steps backwards, but this could be a good thing to help him finally recover. He has a lot of medical problems right now. We are extremely close and it is very hard for me.

My sister has also come to town to help out for a bit, but she cannot stay as long as I can. It is up to me to be the strong one who takes care of a lot of the problems. But I have a choice. I can choose to let it get me completely down and get depressed. Or, I can let out my emotions and just continue to deal with what life throws at me, one step at a time.

Do I cry? Yes. If I don't cry it makes it worse. Have I stopped doing what I love? Absolutely not. I take care of what needs to be done and try to have a little fun at the same time. I take things seriously, yet try to find ways to chuckle. I am the one who is in control of my reactions. I am mine. I can do what I need to do and not lose face.

Another great song lyric that pops into my head is "I am a rock. I am an island." That describes precisely how I am feeling right now.

Or check out this live version from Reading '06. Pearl Jam is always better live. :-D

H is for Hiking

2011-04-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

I have always enjoyed doing some moderate hiking. I always say that I could walk for hours. Of course I grew up in NW Ohio where the ground is completely flat. Long walks are pretty easy.

Before I moved, I was hitting up my favorite Metroparks in the Greater Toledo area on a regular basis. I could walk on trails in the woods, meadows, and even swampy areas. One of my favorites is a boardwalk with an observation deck at the end of it. I still go on them when I go home to visit.

When I moved to NY I found myself primarily walking along the trails that follow the Erie Canal. I also discovered the joys of hiking up and down the glacier-carved hills of Mt. Hope Cemetery, as well as the historical fascination. (People like Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass are buried there.)

A year ago, I discovered a book about hiking in the Greater Rochester area and decided I should check it out. I hit up a couple of trails, only to burst a cyst and later require minor surgery. Flash forward six months and introduce a new friend who is much more hardcore. He actually gets pleasure out of hiking in the snow and freezing cold. The steeper and more remote the hills the better. And who cares about trails? Start on one and end up on another.

Thanks to him, I now have real hiking boots and two new coats and am kicking my own ass hitting up hills and trails. I mistakenly believed that I needed to follow him along these treks, to push myself. But now I am hitting up hills like this one, all by myself.

I love the feeling of accomplishment that I get when I discover or conquer a new trail. I love the peace and quiet of the outdoors. And I love that stiffness in my body when I have gone too long without hitting another one.

G is for Grover

2011-04-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

One day in my Montessori classroom, my kids kept jumping over the rugs. I said, "You must walk AROUND the rugs, AROUND, AROUND, AROUND." I suddenly thought of this classic Sesame Street sketch by Grover:

I pulled it up on my Droid and let the kids watch. They laughed hysterically and asked to watch it again. Then I noticed it was also available in Spanish, so we watched it in Spanish.

We watched it two days at the end of the day, and then I never heard anything about it again. Suddenly the other day, they started singing it again and asked to watch it. So, after they were packed up for the day, we watched it again. We also watched it in Spanish. I was excited to see that they had already learned the words in Spanish!

See, Sesame Street is still educational! lol

F is for Fiona

2011-04-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

I am madly in love with Fiona Apple. I have been since the first time I saw the "Sleep to Dream" video. She is like my kindred spirit. I have a massive girl crush on her, her voice, her attitude, her power, her hair......I have all of her CDs, have seen her numerous times in concert, and even named my Siamese cat after her.

When I was searching for "C is for Cookie," I came across several Fiona videos. This one of her with Elvis Costello doing "I Want You" is intensely beautiful. It demonstrates her emotion and talent. I had this on my mp3 player, but am even more in love with it after watching it "live." And in my personal life lately, it is even more meaningful.

The last time I saw Fiona live was when she was touring on the Nickel Creek farewell tour. They played a small venue downtown. It occurred to me later that I could have hung out afterwards and possibly met her. I always say that I wouldn't know what to do, but if I can stand upright while meeting Eddie Vedder, I should be able to handle Fiona.

This is a clip that someone took of her doing "Extraordinary Machine." I love that song because I think of it as a sort of mantra for myself. "Be kind to me or treat me. I'll make the most of it. I'm an extraordinary machine!"

I was standing just behind the person filming this. I was so jealous that I had no way to record it myself, but at least this person recorded a bunch of it!

c

Rumor has it that a new album is due out this year. That means a new tour. Ahhhhh.....

E is for Eddie

2011-04-10T08:22:00.000-07:00

Of course E is for Eddie! What else would it be? I am a huge fan of Pearl Jam, and have been for 20 years now. Nothing helps my mood better than Eddie's voice crooning and yelling. The lyrics touch my soul. I feel a spiritual connection with his music in a way unlike any other.

I have written about Eddie and Pearl Jam time and time again. So, instead of rehashing all of them, I will instead provide you with links to my published works on Yahoo! and Associated Content/Yahoo Contributor Network.

Book Review: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (including commentary on the soundtrack by Eddie Vedder)

Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder Pens the Lyrics That Fulfill My Soul

Meeting Eddie Vedder (Yes, my friend Amy and I got to meet him twice. It was a dream come true. One of these days I will find my camera again, and can upload my pictures. I will include one from my crappy camera phone below. The one taken by my friend that appears on this article is the best, though!)

Top 5 Eddie Vedder Solo Performances with Friends (This one actually went to omg! on Yahoo!)

D is for David and Dylan

2011-04-10T05:20:00.000-07:00

I am a huge music fan. I like almost all genres. My mp3 player is full of all kinds of contradictory tastes. But I don't care. Different music fits different moods. This post reflects on my good fortune of over a year ago.....

In March of 2010, I elected to go home for an extended weekend. We had a day off to go visit any Montessori school we wanted. I chose to go to Ohio to visit the one where I was working when I got my Montessori training. My good friend still teaches there, and it is always inspiring to visit my educator roots.

I found out that David Gray was going to be performing about two hours away in Columbus, OH that weekend. I've been dying to see him for years, so I decided to get a ticket and enjoy myself. And I am glad I did.

The whole way down to Columbus, I was listening to an old CD from 1997, A Century Ends. One of my favorite songs is "Debauchery." I kept thinking how much I would love to hear that song, but wouldn't hold my breath because it was such an old one. In the middle of the show, David says, "I don't know why, but I am feeling compelled to play this song tonight. This is 'An Afternoon's Debauchery.'" I freaked out...from my lips to God's ear to David Gray's mind?

Following the show, I waited in the alley behind the theatre, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Better than that, I got to meet him, get his autograph, and have my picture taken with him.

I wish I had a better phone camera that night. And I curse the person who took the picture, for not realizing there was a bright light in the background that made it so dark. But, that's okay. I still met David Gray. You can see a slideshow of the rest of the pictures here.

Flash forward a couple of weeks and I noticed a contest on Jakob Dylan's Facebook page. You could enter to win a pair of tickets to a show of your choice. I picked the Albany show, as that was the closest one to me (despite being four hours away). I didn't think there was any possible way I could win, because I never win this stuff. Imagine my surprise when I received notification that I was the winner!

I tried in vain to find someone to go with me, but either no one else was a fan or just couldn't go. It was hard to find someone with about 24 hours' notice. I didn't let that stop me. I booked a hotel in Albany, and took off on a fun road trip by myself.

My seats were amazing - second row behind the orchestra seats, dead center. When Jakob Dylan took the stage, I could literally make eye contact with him as he sang. It was almost like he was singing to me and no one else. Neko Case was onstage with him. The two together were magical.

Alas, the way that The Egg in Albany is set up, I was unable to find a way to meet Jakob Dylan after the show. I was able to meet the opening act, though, called Mimicking Birds. They were interesting, but I have never heard anything further about them.

This is one picture of Dylan and Case onstage. I really hated the old camera phone for taking such pictures. It makes the stage look much farther away and it is difficult to see much detail. But Jakob is in the middle with the hat, looking more and more like his dad every day (except much more attractive!). Neko Case's red hair is visible to the right.

I'm so ready for more shows! I've been a big fan of concerts and trying to meet celebrities since I met another "D" act, Def Leppard. That's a fun story, too!

C is for Cookie

2011-04-04T17:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know I am not the only one to do this today, but dammit, LONG LIVE COOKIE MONSTER!!!!

Another version with Marilyn Horne

And while we're on the topic of Sesame Street, my students got the biggest kick out of watching Grover. We watched this about four times on my Droid a couple of weeks ago. This is the best!

C is for Candida

2011-04-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

Ah, candida. The bane of my eating existence. Throughout the process of dealing with another medical issue beginning with "c" (and I don't mean the "BIG C"), we discovered that I had an intolerance to yeast that often resulted in an overgrowth. An overgrowth of yeast can manifest as an external yeast infection, migraines, swollen legs, depression, fatigue, and more.

I actually discovered that my symptoms could be due to a candida overgrowth while I was reviewing a book called The Super Allergy Girl Cookbook. In it are listed many common, and not so common, food allergies and intolerances, complete with their symptoms.

So, I began to wean myself off of yeast. At first, I thought I would go cold turkey, but like quitting smoking, it isn't quite that easy. Do you how much stuff has yeast in it?

The obvious culprits are breads and beers. Two of my favorite things. I thought perhaps if I just cut back on them and upped my yogurt intake I would be okay. Not so much.

I started taking an herbal mixture called Yeast Fighters when things got bad, so that I could continue to occasionally have bread. Again, not a great idea.

I kept doing research on the proper diet for someone with candida issues. I honestly get depressed every time I do. Basically, there is very little that is left for me to eat. Technically, you have to eliminate anything that contains yeast, anything produced by yeast, and anything that feeds yeast, such as white flour and sugars. That actually leaves very little that you can eat.

So for over a year now, I have kept playing around. And now, after doing an intensive treatment for over a week, using both prescription and over-the-counter herbal remedies, I am finally doing much better. I have found that I need to maintain supplements, such as pau d'arco and acidophilus. I need to avoid as much yeast as I can. And if I am going to indulge, I had better be.prepared to deal with the.consequences!

I would love to hear from people who have had.to do the same in their.diets.

B is for....

2011-04-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

Ah, Day Two. B Day. I have had a million thoughts running through my head all day. This type of a challenge is dangerous for a brain like mine that never stops working!

B is for...babies. I love babies. And they love me. I swear they know I am a teacher an find me as soon as they walk into a room, or as soon as I walk into a room. While I don't have my own, I love taking care of everyone else's. And I think about six people I know have had a baby in the last several weeks. Auntie Andi is ready to snuggle!!

B is for...boredom. This is a comment directed at a friend of mine. I went out to lunch with a friend today. After lunch and ice cream, her seven year-old went to the salon to get her hair cut off so that she could donate it to Locks of Love. While we were waiting, I was hanging out with the teenager. We were sharing Facebook on the phone, comparing our tastes in boys. Ah, the generational differences.....anyway, after waiting for about an hour, we both started getting bored. I joked that I should make a post about boredom.....

B is for...bands. When I was in college, I was a total band groupie. Not the traditional groupie who slept with the entire band, but the one die-hard fan who went to every single show. I continue to enjoy hanging out with bands and meeting musicians.

B is for...blue. Today is actually World Autism Awareness Day. I apparently jumped the gun yesterday. To honor those with autism, you were supposed to wear blue. Because my favorite football team is the Michigan Wolverines, it was convenient that my clean shirts for weekend wear were only my Michigan ones. So, the blue today served a duel purpose. Some of my closest friends have children with autism and I am a die-hard Wolverine fan. GO BLUE!

B is for....Bananarama, Bangles, Blondie. I have no idea why those just popped into my head, but they did. I love cheesy music from the 80s. I have fond memories of doing karaoke in college, and belting out tunes with my roomies....

To end the babbling, I will now just link you to other random thoughts of the day on the other blogs.

B is for...Beauty Beauty is a core necessity in the Montessori classroom. Read about it at Montessori Writer.

B is for...Bronte. Did you realize there were three Bronte sisters? Each of them had their own novels and they all wrote poetry, as well. Read about them at Andi's Book Reviews.

B is for...Brett and Berenstain. I had two posts on Andi's Kids Books today. Jan Brett is one of my favorite children's authors. I'm also a big fan of the Berenstain Bear books.

B is for...bulbs. I love to plant bulbs. I planted several hundred last year, and they are just starting to come up. This post includes links to slideshows.

B is for...Brain, Babies, Boyfriends, and Bras. I ended up with two posts today about Alzheimers. One is about the brain, babies, and boyfriends. The other one is about bras.....

A is for.....

2011-04-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm already behind on the A to Z challenge, as today is April 2nd (B Day) and I still haven't done A. I had a long week, and got three blog posts up on other sites, so :-P

Hey, that brings me to my first random word....attitude. Yes, I have an attitude. I have known this since I was little. But I try to use my attitude for good. I get annoyed with people who act dumb or unreasonably, and then that attitude can rear its ugly head.

A is for...anger and acceptance and Alzheimers This was the topic of my first blog post for the new blog at How to Laugh at Alzheimer's. I also go through waves of anger and acceptance in other avenues, but this one seems to be the strongest right now.

A is for...apples. I love apples. I also equate apples with being a teacher. I forget how that whole idea of "an apple for the teacher" came to be. Wasn't it something like students showed appreciation for their teachers by giving them an apple, because fruits were like a specialty? Anyway, somehow, I have come to resent the teaching symbol, because I am not a fan of traditional teaching. I still remember when I was 19 and had an art project due for my final. It was an expose of myself, made up of numerous little pictures that represented who I was. One of the pictures was a pencil stabbing an apple. Public education and I do not get along. I am a full-blown Montessorian at heart. I also resented all of the coursework I had to take, just to become a teacher. Some of it came in very handy, and some of it was completely useless.

A is for...autism. Speaking of my educational background, I wish we would have done more with autism. Then again, sixteen years ago, we didn't talk about it as much. It was always just a blurb in the textbooks, even in my special ed classes. Of course, back then, I never dreamed that I would be encountering autism and Asperger's on such a regular basis. Alas, it has become a passion of sorts of mine. I am completely fascinated by the world and strive to understand it. It was the topic of my Montessori Writer blog post yesterday.

A is for...Andrea. That is me. There are so many aspects of my personality and nature. Some of that is going to come out in this challenge. Some of those facets may seem contradictory in nature. Oh well.

I think this is going to be fun. I have word lists constantly moving through my head. I feel like I am in my classroom, going over the "sound of the week" with my older kids. I read them a book that focuses on a sound. Then, I have them brainstorm words that begin with that letter. I love them, because even at the ages of four and five, they have figured out how to find the letter in a picture dictionary, and use that for brainstorming. Call me awed and impressed.

And I will end with acceptance. This blog challenge is bringing me new readers, and I have already been embraced in a couple of the blogs, in a way I had never expected. I feel tremendous responsibility, and I thank you.

Until later today, when random thoughts of "B" flow from my head.....

All About Me from A-Z

2011-03-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

There is a new blogging challenge for the month of April, and I am considering attempting it on here. It is Tossing It Out: A-Z Blogging Challenge. Basically, you assign one letter to each day of the week, except for Sundays, and write on a topic that begins with that letter.

I am definitely going to be attempting it from my Montessori Writer blog. Thinking of Montessori topics for every letter of the alphabet should be easy. But, I would also like to do random thoughts over here. I plan on keeping this as a back-up, anyway.

I am also contemplating doing this on Andi's Gardening Experiments. There are two other blogs I have attempted, Andi's Kids Books and Andi's Book Reviews

, but I don't think I can pull those off this year.

Would you like to join me? It's easy to sign up!

The Hiking Queen falls on her royal arse

2011-03-24T17:49:00.000-07:00

I have always enjoyed my version of hiking. Growing up in Northwest Ohio, that usually consisted of hoofing it on the trails of the Toledo Metroparks system. And being Northwest Ohio, they were all flat. Many were paved, or at least gravel. And I think the longest one that I remember was only about 2 miles.

Later, they started paving over old railroad beds, so that you could walk, bike, or roller blade much longer distances. I don't do wheels, so I would walk several miles when the mood swayed me.

When I moved to Rochester, I pretty much only knew about the canal trails. I tried walking some of them quite a ways, but always felt like I was missing something by not having my metroparks. Last year, I heard about the fabulous book Take a Hike Rochester by Rich and Sue Freeman, from some of my friends. They also have some other titles in the series. In answer to an ad I put out on a PR site, I heard from Sue Freeman, who was kind enough to send me copies of several of their books to review and for writing purposes. I got a copy of the second edition of the book.

Unfortunately, I had hardly started using the book to seek out new places to walk, when I was diagnosed with ovarian cysts that caused me extreme pain and discomfort. After having one rupture in June after hiking in Corbett's Glen, I stopped doing any kind of walking or hiking, other than the dogs.

A couple of months ago, I made the acquaintance of a certain male figure who loves to go hiking. Because I was interested, he started showing me some of his favorite local trails. The first day we went out was a snowy, cold day, and we climbed up a hill outside of Bushnell's Basin. When I looked through the book, I discovered it was a "four boot" hike - one of the more difficult "family hikes."

Since then, I have been keeping my eyes open for new ones that I see when driving around, trusting this person to teach me some new ones, as well as checking out a few more in my book. One of my current favorites is a place called Linear Park. There are multiple trails, but my favorite follows the Irondequoit Creek. This was the first view I ever saw:

Ok, it is the view from today's walk and the water is a little calmer, but still. It's so peaceful, listening to the sounds of rushing water. Those positive ions reach up and grab you, and you feel all of your cares start to melt away.

So, after another stressful day at work, I decided to take a hike along this path. The last time I was here, I slide on a wooden bridge because my feet were covered in mud. I hurt my pride, but that was about it. I am always worried about falling, especially when I am by myself. But today, there were plenty of people on the path, and I was doing well.

And, then it happened. About five minutes from the end of the return trip, my foot skidded in the mud as I went down a very small incline, and I landed on my arse in a puddle of mud. This time, I am sore.

My friend is always telling me to take baby steps when going down those hills. I have been. I was taking baby steps. Damn mud was four inches deep! *sigh*

Maybe next time it won't be so bad?

You can check out some of my slideshows from my hiking adventures on YCN and individual pictures on Redgage. More will be continuously added, so keep checking back!

Oh, and apparently there is an updated version of that book available now.

If you live in the area

Another test.....

2011-03-20T17:53:00.001-07:00

If this actually works, then I am also able.to blog from my phone via email. This.could get.dangerous....

Or.it.could be.fun....:-)

2011-03-20T17:41:00.001-07:00

TESTING......so in theory I am currently writing a blog post as a text message and sending it from my phone....

Hair cutting in The Bourne Identity

2011-01-29T10:49:00.000-08:00

Random thought of the day: I just flipped on The Bourne Identity for background noise. It was just at the scene where Jason is cutting Marie's hair to turn into a disguise. That was actually a really hot scene. I mean, think about how intimate your relationship is with your hairdresser. This is your hair. It is a part of you. And though I'm not a Matt Damon fan, he does look pretty good in this movie.

Granted, it leads to a bit of hanky-panky immediately following the hair cutting, so there may have been that slight preconceived notion. But still.....I wouldn't let just anyone actually cut my hair....

So, how am I doing on all those goals?

2011-01-29T10:45:00.000-08:00

In my last post, I commented on how I was trying to double my efforts over at Yahoo Contributor Network (formerly Associated Content). How is that working for me at the end of the first month of 2011?

Well, I haven't submitted nearly as many articles as I had planned. Instead, I found that I have been nearly doubling my efforts elsewhere. It is the story of my life: I can always find plenty of energy and ideas for anything that I don't have to get done, and slack off on those things that require more effort. I spent the first half of the month writing a bunch of articles for Bright Hub, instead. I usually only get about 2-5 articles posted per month over there. In January, I will have 9 articles published there. I should have had 11, but got too busy. I am also not counting the Managed Guides that I do.

As for YCN, I have 9 new articles that have published as of today, and three more submitted. I have 8 more FC pieces to try to write before Tuesday at midnight. I also published 7 slideshows. That encompasses 16 of the 400 that I want to put up. My page views continue to average between 450-650 a day. As of this morning, I am at just over 432,000 page views, not counting Yahoo!, which leaves me 368,000 more to gain in the next 11 months. As of this morning, only about 15,000 of those past 400,000 are actually from 2011. It is a relatively slow, yet average month for me.

So, how am I going to boost things? I don't want to write a bunch of fluff and crap, because that isn't going to help me out at all. One of my ideas is coming up with as many lesson plans and activities as I can, to use throughout the year. I have already missed January, and am running out of time to get much for February. I need to just buckle down and do them all.

My common complaint is that if it weren't for my full-time job as a teacher, I would have time to write all of these ideas. But, if I didn't have the full-time job, I couldn't easily get the photographs, nor some of my inspiration. I also need that crazy little thing called health insurance.

Another issue I have had this month is random social life overload. I tend to enjoy being a hermit in the winter months. It's too damn cold to go out, and I get tired of driving in snow. But so many fabulous activities have kept popping up, and new people are around with whom I can hang out, so things have changed. The problem then becomes I am too tired. I also enter into a new conundrum of needing the spending money for outings, and not having the time to earn said spending money.

Ah well. It will all come together in time, I think.

Stay tuned for some random thoughts as well as monthly updates on my goals.

New Year's Resolutions......again

2011-01-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

Wow....it has been almost 6 months since I last posted. So much for that writing a blog post once a day thing, eh? So, I'm revisiting the post where I originally laid out my resolutions for 2010, and reflecting on them here.

Building the book reviewing sites.....well, it has been almost a year since I did that, so I guess I didn't quite hit that goal. I was receiving a lot of books, but then found I didn't have a lot of extra time to read. I honestly work on writing for pay, because I need the supplemental income. I also developed a medical condition in February last year that left me somewhat exhausted, and I haven't read as much. I feel bad, because I feel like I let some people down. But I do hope to get back to reviewing and doing interviews. I love to read, and perhaps this would force me to do more of it.

As for Examiner, they changed things up so much there, that I can't tell which end is up. I have been contemplating going back there, though, to still get a simple income for easy writing. We shall see what time allows.

Querying children's books.....I just didn't do it. I have a million book ideas, and even started outlining some, but haven't yet developed enough where I can query. My brain is on constant rotation of ideas, but that makes it hard to follow through on all of them at times. Perhaps this will be the year?

Focus on Montessori....This is the one resolution that I truly carried out. Thanks to some online friends, I was inspired to start a Montessori Facebook fan page. On it, I post my own personal articles, as well as fun finds around the Internet, and Maria Montessori quotes. By doing that, I actually read The Montessori Method in its entirety for the first time in my life. Usually, I just pick out parts here and there, based on the subject matter. It has helped me to ground myself in the philosophy and reminded me why I do what I want to do. I also finally developed my own personal website, Montessori Writer. It has a lot of work to do, but it is still enjoyable. Conveniently, the same weekend that I was seriously contemplating biting the bullet and purchasing my own domain, my original Montessori blog platform was discontinued. Luckily, they sent everything to me, so I still have my posts. But now they are my own again, and I can do what I want.

I found that writing for Examiner on local Montessori was difficult, as we need to protect the privacy of our families. I kept hoping I could figure out a way to comment on philosophy and add a local twist. Again, we shall see if I return to that.

Finding a writing rhythm......I have found that my life, as uncomplicated as it supposedly is, is not conducive to a writing rhythm. Again, those health issues I was experiencing made me tired when I wanted to write. School takes up a lot more time, though I did quit the tutoring for the school year. I am tired when I get home in the evenings, and it can be difficult to actually write anything. And I have found that on a day off, or during vacation time, I am so happy to not have to work, that I can't write, despite my best intentions.

One blog post and one article a day, average.....Yeah, like I said, that didn't happen. I don't know what I was thinking there. But, I do have loftier goals, in a sense. I write regularly for several websites, and have personal goals that are either financial or otherwise goal-based. My biggest goal is to double my efforts on Associated Content, now the Yahoo! Contributor Network. At the end of 2010, I had just about 400 published pieces (articles & slideshows) on AC and a couple of partner sites. I also had over 400,000 page views. My goal for the end of 2011 is to have at least 800 published pieces (articles, slideshows, and possibly videos taken with my new Droid X?) and at least 800,000 page views (read 1 million). Many of my fellow writers have their own big goals. Check out what other YCN writers hope to accomplish this year.

Still other people claim that they do not set resolutions. I am also a fan of calling things "goals." I am always seeking to be the best person that I can be. I'm okay with not hitting those resolutions from last year, because I have new goals for this year......let's see what I have to say a year from now about all of that......lol

Friendly's isn't so friendly anymore

2010-07-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Wow, I didn't realize how long it has been since I posted anything! Sorry!

Well, inadvertently following along the previous vein of thought, I felt the need to share some comments on the local Friendly's restaurants today. They just don't live up to their name anymore. I've been at the one on Monroe Ave twice now this summer, and each experience has left me kind of blah.

In June, I was babysitting, so I took the child whom I was watching to Friendly's to share a summer sundae. She had never been there, and I have such fond memories of going as a kid. The sundae itself was fine, but the service seemed a little blah, and they didn't give her a kids menu. It was just a blank white piece of paper, with four crayons, that of course broke before she did anything.

Then, this morning, I felt like having someone else make my breakfast for me. I almost stopped at a local restaurant, but their parking lot was too full. So, I went a little further down the road to the same Friendly's. No one was really in charge of seating people at tables, so I waited for a couple of minutes while the servers watched me standing there and the manager was readjusting the ice cream display in the freezer.

I was seated, and the server came over promptly to take my drink order. I got coffee and water, then perused the menu for a while. I finally settled on the Lumberjack which came with eggs, sausage, and pancakes. I will be literally running around with a 9 year-old in a few hours, so I need some good fuel!

When she came back with my coffee, I got a filled coffee cup and a bowl of three creamers in ice. Kudos for putting the creamer on ice to keep it cold! But then there was also a carafe of coffee so that I could pour my own refills when I wanted them. Really? There were about five other tables in the restaurant. You can't take two seconds to fill a coffee cup? If they were busy, I guess I could see it, but really they weren't. In fact, the one server who was working was leaning against the counter in back, reading today's newspaper. And these are young girls.

The food came out, and really wasn't too bad. I liked how they brought out a caddy with four different options for syrup: maple, caramel, swiss chocolate, and strawberry. But, no one came over to see how my food was until my plate was about 2/3 empty, and I wasn't wolfing it down. And it wasn't my server who came over, it was the manager. I do think it is important for managers to be in touch with the consumers, but shouldn't a server be checking on me first? She didn't even stop by until I was almost finished.

They have now changed their policy to where you are supposed to pay your bill at the table, instead of going up to the register. I like that, because I can pay my bill and finish my coffee. Although, I find it odd that the bill is brought to you when your food comes out. Anyway, it came to $9.70 because apparently you have to pay $1.99 for the privilege of pouring your own coffee! All I had on me was a $20, so I stuck it in the holder. When my change came back, she gave me two $5s with the change. Ok, I never waited tables, but first rule of thumb: If you want a tip, you give back $1s, because no way in hell is someone going to tip $5 for a $10 bill! I had to ask her to break it down, and she seemed distraught over that.

I stayed to finish my coffee. After all, I had paid a lot for it, and was still trying to organize my thoughts for an article I have to do today. But I really struggled with the tip. I didn't have any coins on me, and a 15% tip should have been $1.45. I ended up leaving only $1.30, thanks to the change I had gotten. Had there actually been some service, I would have left $2. I usually overtip. Having worked in restaurants in the past, I know how important that is. But I also expect something in return.

All of that ranting having been said, I have had decent service at the Friendly's on 31F outside of East Rochester. But, usually when we go there, we are on a lunch break from work, and need to get the food to go. Even when the one guy was fumbling over himself on one trip, you could tell he was just having one of those days, and he was extremely apologetic. They were also busy and other servers were yelling at him to help them with all of their stuff as well. Perhaps I just need to quit going to this particular location?

I may also be spoiled based on the other restaurants I have been visiting lately. I hope to get back to sharing those experiences with you soon!

Rochester Restaurant Vacation Part Four

2010-02-18T15:52:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to change it up a bit, and ventured out for food for lunch, instead of dinner. I had to tutor this morning, and was eager to get back home to work on more writing. Today I headed out to the crossroads of 250 and 441, and went to a family restaurant called Duchess Restaurant.

It's a typical family-friendly restaurant, with those old school rippled plastic glasses for water, windows between booths in case you have a large party, waitresses who are lifers, and lots of down home choices on the menu.

When I came in, that classic "Hostess will seat you" sign was posted, so I wanted a few minutes for the hostess to appear. People were also waiting up at the register to check out. Finally, I was taken to a nice booth toward the back. I appreciated having some space to spread out, as I had brought in my notebook for outlining other articles.

A waitress finally came over to get me something to drink. I asked for a water. When she returned, I asked for one more minute to make up my mind. About two minutes after I set the menu to one side, a second waitress came over to take my order.

The food came out quickly, and was delivered by a third waitress.. At least, the wrap and the fries did. I didn't get my salad. I started eating, anyway, because I didn't want the food to get cold. I kept my eyes open for my waitress, or anyone else, to pass by so that I could ask for the salad.

The fries were those really good, extra crispy, kind that seem like they have been dipped in some kind of batter. Really good means really bad, I'm sure. And a Philly steak in a flour tortilla is really good! I have a sensitivity to yeast, so I try to order wraps instead of sandwiches, whenever possible.

I was almost finished eating everything, despite deliberately slowing way down, by the time a waitress walked past my table. She was yet another one, whom I had not yet seen. I told her my salad had never come, showed her my bill/slip (which was placed on the table when my food had been brought). Had I actually finished the rest of the meal, I would have just asked for it to have been taken off, but I also really wanted the salad.

Waitress #4 walked into the kitchen, hollering, and almost immediately walked back out. Something tells me it was sitting there the whole time and no one realized it. I found it almost amusing, especially as they use that archaic system of assigning each server a number, then ding a little bell and the number lights up at the kitchen when her table's food is ready. Of course, I'm not really sure who my waitress was.

The salad was interesting. It had one tomato section, lettuce that was obviously bagged, and sliced mushrooms? The croutons were very rich and buttery, and the ranch dressing ROCKED, of course.

The bill was under $10, so I had no problem leaving $1.50 for tip. I have no idea who is actually going to get it, and I really don't care. I may be willing to give the restaurant another chance, because the food was really good, but that service obviously sucked. Some people may have raised a big stink, but I'm not the type to do that. I worked in a restaurant part-time for a couple of years when I moved out here. I realize that they were just coming off of the lunch rush, and people were changing shifts. But all of those things never negate quality customer service. But I won't go further into that right now. I can save that for a different post. :-)

Rochester Restaurant Vacation Part Three

2010-02-17T15:26:00.000-08:00

This morning I had to go tutor one of my favorite kids. After hanging out for a while, I was getting ready to leave, when I asked where I should try to go eat today. His mom kept suggesting more Asian restaurants, which I would love to try, but I already had Asian once this week. Suddenly my young friend yelled out, "Quesadillas!"

Mexican always has been, and always will be, one of my favorites. But I wasn't sure where to find a restaurant close by. This family lives in the city, I didn't want to drive down to Henrietta in this yucky, rainy, slushy snow, and I've already been to the one I know in Webster. My friend recommended Moe's, but alas, I have been to the one in Victor, so that can't work. His mom finally mentioned Salina's.

I have heard of Salina's, but didn't know where it was located. And yes, it is sad that I have lived in Rochester for almost seven years and did not know where Village Gate was located. Turns out it isn't dreadfully far away, on Goodman. And I didn't realize that Village Gate is actually a mall!

Village Gate is the kind of mall that I like. Most of the stores are old, but with lots of character. I wandered through a few of them. I found a used bookstore that had Peanuts books for ridiculous prices - $1 and under. There was an antique Edgar Allen Poe for 50 cents that I put back, because I couldn't believe how cheap it was. Very tempting to go back for it now.

There is also a music store, that specializes in vinyl....oooohhhh.....luckily, I didn't have a lot of extra cash, and STILL haven't gotten a needle for my turntable. I could have gone crazy in there.

Following that, I wandered into yet another used bookstore, only this one was 99% antiques. I drooled over a first edition Louisa May Alcott book from 1877 that ran for $60. I have my eye on another one, that is significantly cheaper, but I haven't yet decided. I'll let you know later.

I wandered around the almost deserted place, that feels like it is a bunch of stores thrust into an old warehouse. I went out the wrong door and got drenched in the snow as I found my car, so that I could put my books away, then went back in to check out Salina's.

Naturally with my luck, I walked in at 4:02, and the lunch menu ends at 4 p.m. But, the restaurant was quiet, and I was seated right away. Unfortunately, I felt like it took forever for me to get greeted. I don't like it when you barely have your coat off and the server is breathing down your neck asking for a drink order, but I don't like to have already read through the menu about five times and know everything I want before she even stops by to say hi. But when I looked at my phone, I guess only about 5 minutes had passed.

I ordered a cosmorita to start, which is a cross between a cosmopolitan and margarita. It sounded intriguing and different. Then, I got a Salina combo, where I could choose two items to go with rice and beans. I went with a shredded beef and been hard taco and chicken tostada. I haven't had those exact combinations before, and usually I do not care for rice.

I guess things were extremely slow, because the server brought me my water and chips ans salsa, then not even two minutes later my drink and my dinner also arrived. And it was pretty good!

One thing I liked about their beef is that it isn't the traditional ground beef. Instead, they use shredded beef. And the refried beans are nice and chunky. The combination tasted great in a taco, that also included lettuce, cheese, and tomato.

The tostada was okay. Shredded chicken was topped with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. I felt that the chicken was slightly dry, and it would have benefited from some guacamole or sour cream. Unfortunately, it's a ridiculous amount to add one of those to the side, so I dealt with it.

The side of beans wasn't my favorite, but they were still very tasty. I like when they melt cheese right on top of the beans. And the rice was actually good! I liked it much better when I was able to scoop up some beans with the rice.

As for the cosmarita - YUM!! Definitely more potent than a traditional margarita and had flavors of both. I would definitely have another one.

To allow the drink to settle, I finished most of the basket of chips and all of the salsa. That was probably some of the best homemade salsa I have ever had. I think by the end of the bowl I had discerned that the unique taste was a lot of extra cilantro. I really need to learn how to make my own like that.....

So, all in all, yet another good experience. I think I will definitely be returning there at some point in the future. And I will definitely be frequenting those fun used bookstores some more....:-D

Rochester Restaurant Vacation Part Two

2010-02-17T07:27:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night's adventure into the Rochester Restaurant Vacation was a little different. I am so dedicated to watching the scant coverage of the Olympics on NBC that I only had about 2 hours to get down to Barnes and Noble, then find a new restaurant that piqued my interest.

I kept my eyes open on the drive down Monroe Ave, looking for something new to try. I noticed that most of the places seemed to be Asian, which I love, but didn't want two days in a row. There were a couple of little pubs, which are also fun, but not as much by yourself. Or, there are the really high-end places like Wegmans' new restaurant, Next Door. I can't afford to visit all of those if I want to keep this up all week.

I got lost in Barnes, like usual, for well over an hour. So, I figured I would try something quick and local to take home with me. I started making my way up to the Tom Wahl's on Empire. (And no, I have never tried this local hamburger chain, despite living here for the past seven years.) Fate would not allow it to be, though, as there was a major accident blocking up traffic.

I gave in and decided to check out the Boulevard Grill, also on Empire. It is located right next door to Guida's Pizzeria, which is probably my favorite place for pizza, wings, salads, and more in the area. I have seen B.G. numerous times, as I often pick up my Guida's dinner after work, but have never gone in.

It is a bar, but there are actual tables for those who prefer to eat that way. I just went straight up to the bar and requested to order food for takeout. Food is the usual bar fare, a lot of fried foods and burgers and what-not. But I noticed a lot of salads, and then one of my favorite entrees: Chicken French. Though a little more than I really wanted to spend, $13.99, I decided to go for it, anyway, because it is one of my favorites. Sides included veggie of the day (green and wax beans with baby carrots), fries, and a tossed salad (with ranch, of course). While waiting, she asked if I wanted a drink, so I decided to add to my new restaurants by trying a new beer: Saranac Irish Stout.

I sipped on my new beer, which is very close to the loveliness of Guiness, but perhaps with less bite, as I watched the TVs. Unfortunately, every single TV at the bar itself was tuned in to the MSU v. Indiana game. I wish I liked basketball more - I am trying. If I looked in the mirror, I could see the reflection of the Olympics - Men's Figure Skating Short Program, and some other sports channel. I kind of wished the TVs at the bar would have been showing different things, and probably should have asked.

The food took about 20 minutes to finally come out. I forgot that these places take a lot longer preparing the food, because they want you to sit and drink. I won't have more than one beer, because I have to then go home. But it smelled absolutely fantastic.

I tried the salad first. It was probably of the bagged variety, but I loved how they put chick peas on top. And there is something in bar restaurant ranch dressing that makes me supremely happy, wanting to go into the kitchen to steal a vat because I am yet to find a comparable version on the store shelves.

Their fries are of the steak variety, of course. They were meaty and tasty. One thing I noticed that was unique was they used a seasoned salt instead of regular salt, which really added to the flavor of the fries. I like to use that if I make homemade fries from scratch.

The veggies were good, as it is often tough to mess up beans, in my opinion. They were extra flavorful because they were in the same box as the chicken, swimming in the extra sauce.

The chicken was okay. The chicken breast half was absolutely huge, but the breading on the chicken had a telltale taste of being done on a grill with hamburgers, or something else that was greasy. I guess I should have known better than to try a fancier dish at a bar and grill for that exact purpose.

But overall, Boulevard Grill was a decent experience. Rumor has it they have a kick-ass karaoke night, which I will have to check out sometime. :-D

Rochester Restaurant Vacation Part One

2010-02-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

I declined to go anywhere for this year's February break. My goal was to finally get caught up on some of the writing and reviewing that I do. I didn't get much accomplished over Christmas break. But sitting at home doing absolutely nothing is completely boring. I thgouth about becoming a tourist in my own town, and I have elected to do so via food.

Rochester is famous for having tons of locally owned restaurants. Sure, we have our chains, and I enjoy visiting those on occasion. But there is a wealth of untapped local yumminess. I decided a while ago that I should start trying more of the local fare. So, I have been trying one new place a month. This "vacation" I am going to a new place every day.

I waited until Monday to get started, because I wanted to enjoy a lazy weekend. So, last night, I drove around the Penfield/Webster area before deciding to check out the Asian Buffet on Empire Blvd. The layout is the same as any other version of a Chinese buffet, with the same paper placemat detailing the Chinese Zodiac.The waitresses are young Chinese women who speak little to no English and are saying, "Drink?" before you have even taken off your coat. The options are always Pepsi products.

I did like their variety of choices. Most of the food seemed to be Chinese, with some Thai and Japanese thrown in. They actually had a salad bar, on which you could build a true salad, and lots of fruit choices. There was also a dessert bar with the usual tasteless, yet pretty choices.

I had a couple of my usual favorites: General Tso, pork egg roll, seafood, sushi. I tried their sushi varieties, which were all either crab or vegetable, with no raw fish as the father in line ahead of me erroneously informed his daughter. My new taste was "butter shrimp" which appeared to be fried in a butter sauce - horrible for you, I'm sure, but oh so good! And I tried a Thai chicken thing, but forget what it was called. I even decided to give the French fries a try. They were pretty gross - almost tasting freezer burned and definitely baked in the oven instead of fried. But I wasn't expecting much, as this would not be their specialty.

All in all, the food was quite satisfying. The price wasn't too bad - $9.99 - considering they had four complete bars from which to choose food. Drinks were $1.49, with free refills. I'm used to the place back home that is a couple dollars cheaper, but this is a different community.

While it won't be a regular visit for me, I will probably visit again if and when I am really feeling a craving. Let the restaurant tour begin!!

On Daphne DuMaurier

2010-01-19T12:20:00.000-08:00

@BNBookClubs on Twitter had this interesting tweet this afternoon:

Daphne Du Maurier said, “Writers should be read, but neither seen nor heard.” Do you agree? http://bit.ly/5LpXrD

Without even reading the link, I stopped to ponder for a moment. I think that times are a-changing, and that could have been true once upon a time. But there were also fewer writers being published, and they were revered more than now. These days, especially with all of the smaller independent publishers, and self-publishing, the list of books available to read is endless. Authors who wish to make some money doing what they love must get their name out there. So, without promotion, they could very well only sell a book to their closest friends and family.

Blogs and articles are ablaze with tips on how to get yourself noticed. A common way to do so is through venues like Twitter and Facebook (where I will shamelessly plug this blog post when I have completed it). They also recommend book blog tours. A good publicist can get you onto local talk shows, and the really good ones get you on national TV, if you have a buzz about your work. As for my own writing, I am getting more readers, slowly but surely, as I send out my links and network. So, I think it does help.

But perhaps what DuMaurier meant was to not blatantly throw yourself into the public eye. Today, it would be along the lines of staying off of the reality TV shows, and don't do something stupid like Tiger Woods and get caught. Keep some element of mystery about yourself, and don't share too much about why you chose to write about anything. Sometimes that mystique adds to the appeal of your written word. Reveal yourself through your stories.

DuMaurier was a fantastic storyteller. I have read Rebecca numerous times, as well as some of her smaller, lesser known works. And one of my favorite facts is that she was the true brainchild of the story that Hitchcock made famous in The Birds. But she wasn't outspoken about everything, so perhaps you didn't know that? Perhaps all writers should reflect on that thought before they send out their next tweet or Facebook link.....

My Sister's Keeper and Julie & Julia

2010-01-16T09:11:00.000-08:00

It's been a long, rough couple of weeks back at work, and now I have a quiet long weekend. So, I decided to rent a couple of movies. I went with My Sister's Keeper and Julie and Julia. And therefore, I broke my usually steadfast rule about reading the book before seeing the movie.

I started with My Sister's Keeper. That is the one starring Abigail Breslin and Cameron Diaz, where Abigail's character was born solely for the purpose of donating cells and body parts to her sister who is dying of leukemia. Abigail's character decides she wants to have control over her body, and sues her mother, played by Cameron Diaz. And the not-so-secret secret, of course, is that the older sister wants to die.

As I figured would happen, I did blubber the whole way through it, because that is what I do. The story was very moving, and I have to say I was on the side of the children. While I agree that stem cell research could be beneficial when treating cancers, I don't think it is appropriate to genetically engineer one child to save the other. You're still sacrificing one life and using that one human being as a thing, with little to no regard for her being a human. Maybe I would change my mind if I were in that situation. Maybe I don't know enough about how it would work. But it just bothers me.

I love the story, though. And watching with a more critical eye, I felt that while Cameron Diaz got out the emotion, her acting abilities fell short. Abigail Breslin did well for an 11 year-old. I think the guy who played Taylor was obviously way too old for the older sister. (And when I looked them up on IMDB, it turned out that I was right.) If he was supposed to be that much older, I guess I didn't realize that, because I haven't yet read the book.

It's a movie that I may enjoy a couple more times, and will watch when it finally hits those TBS-type stations, but don't have an interest in owning.

And then there is Julie & Julia. As I am typing, I am trying to watch it for the second time. It didn't hold my interest last night, and I fell asleep. It is not holding my interest this morning, either. I have to say that I am disappointed.

I adore Meryl Streep and Amy Adams. Meryl is simply classic, and Amy has potential to become classic in her own right. But the pace of the movie is slow, though the concept is interesting. I am learning a lot about cooking, but I can't help but think about my kitchen, which is current need of a big clean-up, and that I should really be doing that, instead. I do enjoy the scene where she tries to cook the lobster, and can't bring herself to kill it. I would never be able to kill my own meat - not even a lobster - not even a fish. And I admire the tenacity and determination of Julie, to maintain her pace through an entire year. I've already lost my battle to write one blog post and one article per day, simply because teaching and tutoring pays the real bills at this point.

It also doesn't help that Meryl does a relatively accurate portrayal of Julia Childs's voice, which makes me absolutely batty!! She made me crazy when I was a kid, too!

I have a feeling I won't get through the movie this time, either, and will just have to tune in when it hits the movie channels. I don't want to waste another dollar by keeping it another night from the Red Box, if I am not going to watch it. That's what the movie channel subscriptions are for. :-)

Breyer's Yo Crunch Yogurt

2010-01-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

Always on the lookout for a healthy alternative to traditional desserts, I was ecstatic around Halloween to discover a yogurt that had Reese's Pieces in it. Even better, it was only about 140-160 calories, which is comparable to the Stonyfield Soy Yogurt that I love so much.

I decided to try it, and it did taste almost as good as a Reese's Pieces sundae, but without that sugary coating staying behind on my teeth. So, on another shopping trip, I decided to try a few more.

I don't really care for the Nestle Crunch version, but I don't really like that candy bar, either. Butterfinger wasn't too bad, and I do like the M&Ms. Oreo Cookie tastes like eating an Oreo cookie, and has only 120 calories.

Another bonus is that as yogurt, it has acidilophilus and all of those other fabulous probiotics, which my doctor is telling me to increase in my general diet.

So, check them out, and try them as a healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Staying warm and being green

2010-01-09T11:48:00.000-08:00

My house was built back in the 1920s, so it isn't exactly the most energy-efficient. I would love to do some updates, but I can't really afford to do so. Plus, who wants to get rid of those gorgeous leaded-glass windows? They don't make them like that anymore!

I also despise paying ridiculous amounts for gas and electric, so I am always looking for ways to reduce those costs. I have been replacing bulbs with those energy efficient ones whenever the other ones burn out. I try to have those bulbs in the lights that I leave on for security, as well.

I updated my furnace and air conditioner a couple of years ago, to a newer, yet used version, which dramatically reduced my heating and cooling costs. (Word of advice - though expensive, keep up on your furnace and a/c cleaning and service calls every year - saves you lots of money down the road!)

Only one room in the whole house gets a full blast from the furnace, so the majority of time is spent in there. The rest of the rooms split on two levels, which has never made any sense to me. The advantage of this is that you can close the door and retain most of that heat.

I've also become a believer in closing the doors to any area that isn't used as often, so that the heat isn't wasted going into them, and somewhat blocking the vents. Again, because they are split amongst levels, I can't block them off in the basement, as I would like, but what are you going to do?

I also play the thermostat game. For a while, I wasn't convince that it was really working. Perhaps that is more in the summer with the air conditioner? But, over time, I have finally noticed my utilities costs going down. (With the price of cable going up, this is a good thing!)

To do this, I leave the heat down at 55 when I leave the house for any period of time (unless it's literally just leaving the house for 15 min). I bump it up a bit when I get home and am cooking, then up again a bit when I decide to do other work. When it is time to go to bed, I nudge it down a bit and make sure I sleep with all of my blankets on. I sleep with numerous blankets and a down comforter. Sleeping in the cold actually helps you sleep better. I also wear numerous layers and stay warm enough.

When it is particularly cold outside, I make sure I leave it closer to 57, to make me worry less about freezing pipes and the animals. I've even bought Snuggies for the dogs, lol, but haven't gotten to that point for myself, yet. It has been becoming a little tempting, though.....

Other ways of keeping warm have included drinking hot beverages and foods, of course. (Adding a touch of Baileys to coffee at night warms you up from the inside!) I love to cook/bake in the winter, because then the house stays a little warmer. I leave the oven door cracked open a bit for a slight bit of cheating heat afterwards. I am not sure if really does much, but it keeps the kitchen a bit warmer while I finish preparing food.

I'm curious to know what others do to keep warm........:-)

Fudging the New Years Resolutions tonight

2010-01-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I have to fudge the NY resolutions a little bit. Technically, I posted an article, because my latest article at Associated Content was published tonight. And then I had to slightly edit one for Suite 101 and repost it. I was hoping to actually write one piece per day, but maybe I wrote it as as posts? Like I've said before, I think that times when I over-write, like the one weekend that I posted 26 book reviews, more than make up for these slower days. :-)

I did do a blog entry this morning, on my Montessori blog at http://montessoriwriter.today.com.

I'm not slacking off tonight to be lazy. I had a full day of work and what-not, and a friend needed me. Out of respect for her family, I will not divulge details. But it was enough to warrant about an hour on the phone, strategizing and sharing.

Other than all of that, the fun news of the day is that I bought Snuggies for the dogs. I hope to actually try to get them on the boys soon, and then maybe I will post some pictures?

I have about 87,000 other thoughts racing through my brain right now, but my eyes are closing, so they will have to be shared at another time......

15 minutes late

2010-01-06T21:19:00.000-08:00

Argh! I told ya Wednesdays would be hard! (Didn't I?) It's officially 12:14 am on Thursday, but this is serving as the Wednesday post. I had a long school/tutoring day and what-not, and had an AC article due. The outline had been in my head for days, and I jotted it down while the child was working at tutoring. But after dinner and an author phone call, I just couldn't get the words out!

Hold it against me if you want, but I'm still going to count this posting as Wednesday's blog post for the day. I forgot to include a book review in yesterday's count, so that brought me up to 5 articles and three blog posts. So, my average was at least ahead. :-)

I have to say that having Grumpier Old Men on in the background doesn't help matters any, but how can you resist this movie? I've been trying to put my favorite quotes up on Twitter as cheap entertainment. It was my hope that laughing hysterically at some of the lines, such as Grandpa's perverted Hawaii comments would help loosen the words in my head.

So, I shall now post at 12:20 a.m., crawl into bed, and will be cursing myself when the alarm goes off in less than 6 hours.

Biggest Loser, Writing, and Resolutions

2010-01-05T18:47:00.000-08:00

The new season of The Biggest Loser premiered tonight. I am finding it amusing that my BFF and I both have namesakes on the show. I am getting a kick out of hearing Bob yell at Andrea to stop crying and to keep working. I may have to record the season, or certain clips of the show, and play them to get my a$$ in gear!

As for my personal writing challenge, I feel like I did pretty well tonight! I had to tweak part of an interview to resubmit to Associated Content, then tweaked four others to also submit. I managed to put up a piece on Montessori Examiner. This morning I did a short blog entry on my Montessori blog, and have another one that will go up in a couple of minutes when I am done with this one. My goal was to put up one blog and post one article per day. (And if I have to, then average it out for the month.)

Can I maintain without losing my mind?

Tweaking those resolutions

2010-01-04T19:08:00.000-08:00

I am a glutton for punishment, a creature of habit, and a dedicated worker. So, I am tweaking my writing resolutions for the year. I figure that I have enough time to post at least one blog entry and one article per day, even on my busy school days. Blog entries are quite easy. And with sites like Examiner, I can easily crank out one short piece, right? Then, on those lovely days off, I can work on a slew of pieces while I relax watching TV. Yes, to me, writing a bunch of book reviews all day long could actually be quite relaxing. I'm weird. :-)

So, today I managed to put up a new piece on Suite 101, and added an entry to my Montessori blog. Then, there is also this blog entry. I'm off to a good start! lol

And it just occurred to me that on Women Who Write Online, we tried a similar task once. I think we ended up agreeing that as long as you published an average of one a day for an entire month, it was okay. My goal is to not fall behind! We shall see.......

NY resolutions and #writerlbsoff

2010-01-02T07:22:00.000-08:00

I came across something interesting on Twitter yesterday. Fellow writers kept using the hashtag #writerlbsoff. Apparently, there is a movement amongst writers to band together to dedicate time to writing and to getting healthy. They sound like two great plans, and typical of New Years Resolutions. (I'll admit to having done my own writing resolutions, yesterday, following in the footsteps of @professorbeej). But actually having a plan in place is going to require more than just blinding writing out ideas on the spur of the moment. Plans such as losing weight, as well as writing more, require a great deal of thought as to how they are going to be implemented.

When I did the resolutions for yesterday, I did not blindly put those up. I have been trying to think of ways to do more writing and how to stick with it, while improving it, for quite some time now. It was just a good time to do so.

As for leading an otherwise healthier lifestyle, for right now, it's simply trying to take a daily walk with my friend. We try to head out either after AM dismissal, or after bus dismissal if we need to. I try to not eat too much crap, which is always easier said than done - especially when not at home. But both of those should be amplified, and can probably be claimed by just about everyone I know.

I wish my fellow writers the best of luck with #writerlbsoff, and will probably check in with them time to time to see how they are doing. And I will be a quiet cheerleader, on the sidelines, perhaps following along quietly.

Obligatory New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-01T14:53:00.000-08:00

I've been putting off doing this all day, but after @professorbeej tweeted about his New Year's Resolutions on his blog, I decided I should probably do the same now.

1. Build the book reviewing sites. I love to read. I have been reading since I was two years old. My mother just found my evaluation prior to kindergarten, which showed that at the tender age of 5 years and 1 month, I was already reading at a grade 5.9 level. My nose has been almost permanently stuck in a book ever since.

I started my two book reviewing blogs over the summer, Andi's Kids Books and Andi's Book Reviews. I also joined BookPleasures.com as another source for gaining books. I was just made the Children's Books Examiner for Rochester. The holidays and parent-teacher conferences at school in the middle of them have set me back, but I'm working at catching up.

I also just joined a new one today called NetGalley. I only requested the children's books, as those I can review much faster. To be a good writer, one must be a good reader.

2. Query my children's books. Yes, I actually have some children's books drafted. It's time to suck it up and start querying and submitting. It's just a little scary!

3. Focus on Montessori. I've slacked off a bit from my Montessori postings. I have needed to be away from the classroom for over a week, so that I can rediscover what it is about teaching that I like so much. I also recently became the Montessori Education Examiner for Rochester, so, I have some work to do!

4. Find a good writing rhythm. I write for a ton of websites. I like all of them, and I do tend to focus on the ones that I like the best. My goal is to find a good rhythm and balance between them all, to maximize exposure and earning opportunities.

These are my four biggies. I have more, but they are a little bit more personal.

Happy New Year!

Book excitement

2009-12-12T07:13:00.000-08:00

So, there was just someone knocking on my door, repeatedly, so I actually went down to answer it. Usually it's just someone offering to do something around the yard - at this time of year, it would be shoveling snow. I am perfectly capable of doing these things on my own, so I usually ignore the door.

Today, it was the postman, with a package I needed to sign for. Three picture books from India! Woohoo!! I had requested them a while ago, and we knew it would take a while. But nevertheless, it was exciting, and I'm glad I was actually home to receive them. Of course, now I realized that my entire shelf of books to review is once again about to overflow, and the regular post hasn't yet come, so I guess I need to get busy!!

PTC exhaustion

2009-12-11T16:23:00.000-08:00

It is amazing to me how exhausting these parent-teacher conferences can be. This year, I only have 17 students, down from the 22 I had last year. Half of the class is only 3 years old, and this is the goal-setting conference. That means that I basically provide information about what they are currently doing, the purpose of each area, and project a path for each child to follow during the remainder of the year. With all of that information, each report ends up being about a 6-page narrative report.

Usually, all of the conferences can be accomplished within one week, but this year they have gone on and on for a full month. Part of it was that the school year started late because Labor Day was later this year. Then, the Thanksgiving holiday popped up in the middle of them. But that is still an excessive amount of time for only 17 kids!

The problem is, the PTC lasting so long has completely drained me! I have no energy left to read or write much of anything, which is a problem when I now have about 100 books waiting to be officially reviewed. The month has put me so far behind! I'm trying to catch up, but can't focus for more than 2 minutes on anything! And I can't comprehend anything, either!

In addition to making me sad because of having to write and read is the mere problem of being unable to handle reading my beloved new Stephen King book. I made sure I went straight to Barnes that day to purchase it in hardcover with my nifty coupon, and I haven't even been able to crack page 400! People who bought it after me are already finishing it!

I'm hoping that I can get some much needed R&R this weekend, so that I can get back on track and feel normal again!

Cleaning off cars

2009-12-10T17:30:00.000-08:00

I haven't voiced a lot of opinions lately, because I have about 85,000 of them, and couldn't choose ,nor did I want to get myself into trouble. But today, I have to complain about driving in the snow!

People, if you have to park outside during the snow, PLEASE clean off your cars! Inevitably, I always get stuck behind the schmuck who has only cleaned off enough of his windows to barely peer through the windshield and the rear window, and all of that $h!t ends up blowing onto my windshield!! Makes me crazy!!

And this is only the first snowstorm of the year, in Upstate NY, lol.

Simple Pleasures

2009-10-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those days when you wake up and feel totally empowered? Like when you go out to face the world, you are going to find great things? Today was definitely one of those days.

It probably helped that the sun was actually shining when I woke up today. It has been cold and cloudy, if not rainy over the past several days. I'm a sun girl -- light makes me happy. I had stayed up until almost 2 am watching football last night (14 hours straight! more later) and managed to sleep in until 10 am. I took the dogs out and immediately cleaned out the veggie garden, which I've been putting off for weeks.

When I came in, I made a strong pot of coffee, wrote a piece for Examiner, and checked my email. I started getting hungry, and knew that I needed to get a few groceries to make it through the week.

Abundance has my almond milk on sale this month, so I knew I was going to go there for a few things, even though I really want to wait for my friend to go with me. But it's only about 5 min away from my house (over 1/2 hour from hers), and we get paid this week, so I can still do my big shop with her.

Anyway, it was a beautiful day downtown, and I felt this overwhelming urge to shop around. I really wanted to go to Lakeshore Records, which is a little shop I had discovered in the spring when eating at a little restaurant nearby. That's where I found Pearl Jam Live at Easystreet for $6, when every other time I had seen it, it was at least $20.

The compulsion to locate this place again was supremely overwhelming, despite the fact that I had frozen fruit in the backseat. I had to drive around for at least 15-20 minutes before I could finally find it again. But I'm glad I did.

When I go to record stores, I have a few people I search under. These include Tori Amos, Ani DiFranco, Mike Doughty, David Gray, Jack Johnson, Pearl Jam, and Toad the Wet Sprocket. I am constantly on the quest for something unique and new by these artists, as they are the ones who make me happiest. (Ok, and Fiona Apple, but dammit, she never has anything new or rare coming out that I can ever find!!)

I start digging through the stacks, looking for a prize, when I come across the new Mike Doughty CD. I've been meaning to get it since it came out a week ago (almost two weeks!) but haven't yet made it out to get a copy. I've been dealing with a copy made by a friend to hold me over.

I'm excited when I find this one, because not only is it cheaper than it would be at Barnes and Noble, but it also comes with a live Mike Doughty bonus CD. So, I take it up to the counter, and blissfully make my purchase. The bonus CD is Half Smofe, which I have wanted to purchase off of his site for ages, but haven't yet done......

So, then I decide to finally go check out National Record Archive. I've been avoiding that store like the plague for the entire 6-7 years I have lived here, because those stores are deadly for me. Cheap used cds that play like new? And with my ecclectic musical tastes?

Luckily, I don't really have a lot of extra money to spend, and I'm trying to be a bit more choosy these days. And then I spot the original Pearl Jam Alive t-shirt. Now, I already have an original, that a friend gave me back in high school. But I'm curious, so I go through the rack. And lo and behold, I find my second most favorite shirt ever.

Have you ever seen Choices? It has a picture of a little girl on the front, with a gun and a box of crayons. On the back it says, "9 out of 10 kids choose crayons instead of guns". It was my original favorite tshirt (until I found "boundless" in Myrtle Beach in 1996, and especially after the last PJ concert I went to, Eddie was also wearing the "boundless" tshirt!!!). Every time I go to a show, someone has that damn tshirt on, and I just want to knock him over and rip it off of him -- whether or not he is cute! (haha)

For $20 bucks, I couldn't resist, even though it is a reissue, and therefore not quite as cool as an original. I don't care. I will wear it with pride!

And then I go up to the register and they say that I get a free LP bag to go with it. It's the same damn bag I got at the shows a year ago, but that's okay. I found it ironic that I had just been thinking of that bag all day, then suddenly it's in my hands. And I found it appropriate that I also found a biography of The Who for $5. (If you don't get the connection, I can explain it to you later.)

I finish my grocery shopping and running around and make my way home. After unloading, I come upstairs to play on email and whatnot. I turn on the TV, which for once in its obnoxious life isn't playing static. It's the best part of Mr. Holland's Opus. When that ends, all of a sudden, Into the Wild is on. I swear I didn't check any channel listings.

And when I looked to see what was after the movie, I realized I was on Showtime, and it was being followed by 2 hours of Dexter, which is followed by an hour of Californication, then a replay of the new Dexter.

Is it sad that these things make me happy? Even if it is, I really don't care. Music makes me happy. Dexter and Californication make me happy. Reality and work is less than 12 hours away. Tonight is the new moon, which means new possibilities. And I'm game for whatever life wants to offer up. ;-)

Backspacer Review

2009-09-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

After what feels like several excruciatingly long months since the announcement, Pearl Jam's new cd, Backspacer, finally was released today!!

We had a taste of the new sound when Pearl Jam performed on Conan O'Brien's first stint as the Tonight Show host, when they performed "Get Some". Then radio stations, if you were lucky, would play "The Fixer" every once in a while. Everyone seemed to have differing release dates. First it was going to be September 22nd, then the 27th, then ...? Finally, yesterday on Facebook, it said that you could hear the album in its entirety on Myspace as of yesterday, and that the album would be available today.

Despite being sick, I got up this morning, anyway, and took a shower. I then made myself get groceries first, because I knew once I had my hands on the cd, I would be sitting inside all day listening to it.

I went to Barnes and Noble, because I have a gift card there, and taunted myself by wandering around downstairs first. Finally, I went upstairs to the music section, and was surprised to see that there were no cds. I actually inquired at the desk, and he had no record of it even being an upcoming release. Confused, I came back downstairs, and combed through the magazines.

Rolling Stone had a short little blurb giving it 4 stars, but provided no info on the release date. Spin had them on the cover, so I picked that up. (Fun read, and you can order a special copy as well, complete with Vedder flipping you off, lol.)

Sadly, I came home, relying solely on the "new" import singles I picked up last weekend, that are actually from 2002. I went online, and finally found an article that explained that Pearl Jam was only releasing the cd through their website, indie stores, and one major retailer......Target.

I flew back out to the car and headed for the nearest Target location, fully prepared to drive all over the city if necessary. As soon as I walked into the first one, I was greeted with a giant display, with hundreds of available copies. A quick perusal of the store also found me "The Fixer" on vinyl. (Now to get that stupid needle for my turntable!)

Not wanting to interrupt the initial listening to go from car to inside, and wanting to bask in the glory of surround sound in the car, I aimlessly drove throughout the suburbs, listening to Backspacer with the windows rolled down. I even got lost at one point....

The initial 4 tracks, "Gonna See My Friend", "Got Some: "The Fixer", and Johnny Guitar", as well as the later track "Supersonic" are a throw-back to the good ole punk days, when Pearl Jam was happy and rocking out for the sake of music. I can feel the intensity of the live performance already, and am salivating for the next tour encounter. No matter how the studio album sounds, you can be guaranteed of the penultimate presentation of the songs when the guys are in their element.

"Just Breathe" has echoes of Into the Wild as the chords are similar to Eddie's award-winning "Guaranteed". If I remember correctly, I believe this is the song that R.S. claims will be the PJ wedding song. Whatever. Yeah, it's a love song, but this Pearl Jam fanatic has found several other possibilities for her wedding, as well, trust me.

Also unique to this song is more of a country sound from Ed. I haven't yet heard this out of him, at least not on an original song. Mike McCready has played with a country sound in some of his live renditions of songs. There is just no denying the impact of good music.

"Amongst the Waves" is Ed's obligatory tribute to the ocean: "Riding high amongst the waves I feel like I have a soul that has been saved." While I do not surf, I can completely appreciate this, as my trips to the ocean are just as purifying and cleansing as, well, going to a Pearl Jam or Eddie Vedder show. Two summers ago I was fortunate enough to enjoy 2 Pearl Jam shows, 2 Eddie Vedder shows, and one glorious day at the ocean, all in Boston. People have told me I've never looked so happy. And then, of course, there was that infamous trip to Albany this past summer, when we actually met Eddie.....TWICE.

"Speed of Sound" and "Force of Nature" could also fit in with Riot Act and Binaural.

"The End" also is somewhat reminiscent of Into the Wild. So, the new album is a punk-meets-ITW-meets-country mix of masterful wonderfulness that gave me goosebumps on the initial listen, and will in person, as well. Go get it, already!

For more on my love affair with Eddie's lyrics, read Eddie Vedder Pens the Lyrics that Fulfill My Soul....and stay tuned for more!

[Photo taken by Amy Dillon in Albany....using hers, because I STILL haven't uploaded mine! lol]

Looks aren't everything

2009-09-16T19:07:00.000-07:00

I got home late tonight from Parent Night at school. Sitting down at the computer to check email and what-not, I turned on the TV. Automatically my TV turns on to NBC, so I managed to catch the last few minutes of the season finale of America's Got Talent. Susan Boyle was the final performer.

Watching her transition from the frumpy woman with a moustache who appeared to be a joke to the magnificent songbird with a makeover still gives me chills. And looking at tonight's winner, who first came on stage, I guess, he was a similar situation. It looks like he started with a backwards baseball cap and said he chased chickens. But he, too, has an amazing voice and talent.

It just goes to prove that looks aren't everything. Too many of today's performers are strictly judged on their looks. "Ugly" people never seem to have a chance, because no one will give them a second look. How many other people haven't been able to showcase their talents, simply because they don't look as beautiful as they sound?

Before the advent of even cameras, men were elected President based solely on their qualifications and eloquence. Would George Washington get elected today with his wooden teeth? Or how about the freakishly tall Abraham Lincoln? How many brilliant minds have been ignored because of looks?

For some reason it really bugged me tonight.......

Cash for Clunkers and Potty-Training

2009-08-17T19:20:00.000-07:00

My father and I were having an interesting conversation this evening. He has been teasing me because I have been posting so many articles about potty training on Examiner. I started talking about trying to keep myself up in ranking, and how people will write about any hot topic, then throw in some random line to make it fit their category, such as a Christian writer (who is actually very talented, and I like her a lot, don't get me wrong!) writing about Cash for Clunkers. He told me I could do the same.......

Parents give cash for clunkers when their children potty train.....

Give them money every time they clunk into the toilet.....

ROTFLMAO!!!!!

Thoughts on Lars and the Real Girl

2009-08-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

I obviously had heard of the movie Lars and the Real Girl a couple of years ago through all of my awards season coverage. Frankly, the idea of a movie about a guy who pretended that his blow-up doll was his real-life girlfriend just looked stupid to me, and I didn't want to waste my time watching it. But, Ryan Gosling was up for numerous awards for his performance, and critics liked it, so I figured at some point I should try it.

Finally, tonight it premiered on Showtime. I'll admit that in the beginning, when Lars purchases his doll and starts carting her around as if she were real, I almost didn't want to continue watching. I was also a little creeped out as Lars kind of reminded me of a guy I dated over a decade ago. As I was working on writing blog posts and articles, I just kept it on anyway.

And then I got sucked in.

To support Lars and his delusions, the entire community ends up banding together to pretend that Bianca is real. They take her to get her hair done, give her a job, talk to her and serve her food, drive her around town, and take her to events. All of this is designed to make Lars happy, and help him through whatever psychological dysfunction he is experiencing.

I found it to be surprisingly moving, and in my usual fashion, I even shed a tear or two.

It's not a movie that I would necessarily ever want to own, but I am sure I will probably want to watch it again some day.

Fulfilling my Duty

2009-08-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

So, there have been a lot of developments in the writing world since my birthday. I'm honestly too tired right now to get into all of them. But I will mention one.

I joined a writing site called Women Who Write Online. I'll have to look up the address later. It was started by one of my writing friends, and is a great networking idea.

For the month of August, we have a challenge. We must write one article and/or blog post per day. So, here I am sitting down at 11:50 p.m. to churn out a blog post before midnight arrives. I wasn't going to, because I am still coming down off a migraine, but I would feel guilty. And the fact that I still managed to put up an article yesterday with the migraine full-blown kind of negates my laziness today.

Is this cheating? Perhaps. But that's okay.

Alright, one of my fun things since my birthday is I have joined up with a website called Bookpleasures. I know, it sounds dirty, but it is a legitimate book reviewing website. I want to say I have received at least a dozen books so far from them? And Norm works with a lot of the big publishers. I've been reading a variety of books, and I'm enjoying trying to maximize any exposure and money involved. No, I do not get paid to review these books. But the free books are nice! And just the experience of writing reviews.......anyway, you can read the reviews on Bookpleasures, or on my blogs at http://andisbookreviews.blogspot.com and http://andiskidsbooks.blogspot.com. Then some of them get reviewed on my other websites. If I remember, I will try to go back and link all of my reviews from my blogs.

AND I will always provide links through which you can purchase the said books directly from Amazon. Good times.

Ok, the Tylenol PM to knock out the last remnants of this migraine hangover is really kicking in. I'm going to pass out to Beverly Hills Chihuahua now. (GREAT cheesy movie!!)

Happy 32!

2009-07-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

So, in case you didn't already know, because I broadcast it everywhere, today is my 32nd birthday. Just looking at that in print makes me feel older, even though inside I really feel much, much younger!

It was a good day.

I got to sleep in again, then a couple of my friends and I went down to 3 Brothers Winery on Seneca Lake. One of our friends is working there this summer, which is all too convenient!

It's a great place! There are three different wineries, each one with a different theme. And there is a microbrewery. For 8 bucks, you get to visit all four and try 6 things in each. Not a bad deal! And what was nicer was my class gift was from Simply Certificates, which is a set of gift certificates you can use in a variety of places. 3 Bros happened to be one of them! So, we tasted the wine for free, and I was able to buy a bunch of wine, without spending my own money.

Gotta love that!

Then I went out to dinner with one of the girls.

A great time was had by all.

And now, I am absolutely EXHAUSTED and must go back to reality in the AM and work or something. I haven't really done that since Thursday. I don't know how I will do it......hmmmmmm......

And I just have to comment that I think it is sad that I had to call my parents AGAIN on my own birthday, just to get birthday wishes from them. My sister is in South America right now and even managed to send me a msg....*sigh* Ah well. Sucks to get old! hehe

Last Day of 31

2009-07-18T16:23:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day as a 31 year-old. In a few short hours, I will be 32. If you wanted to get technical, I guess I won't really be officially 32 until 7:17 am, but whatever.

My friend texted me to ask me what I was doing to celebrate my last day as 31. I've been sitting on my arse all day long.

No, I have been somewhat productive, though! I've hooked up with a bunch of publishers to do book reviews, and I was spending the day researching more options and reading books I have already received. The wheels are spinning for more articles, too!

When I turned 30, I started a little bit of writing, to break into the field and get my feet wet. At 31, my websites and exposure increased exponentially, and I started dabbling in book reviews. 32 is going to be all about those book reviews! I mean, what could be better for the perpetual nerd who has been reading for 30 years? And getting paid to do it? The advantage of all the sites that I have is I can reuse the same book time and time again.

Tomorrow will be a day of celebrating. We are heading down to a winery where a friend of mine works, to go wine and beer tasting. Yummy.

I already had a fabulous birthday day on Thursday. I thought I was just going to lunch and hiking with my friend and favorite 6 year-old. Instead, they had presents, and a homemade birthday cake with cream cheese frosting, and we spent the afternoon at the beach swimming and hunting for fossils.

And then she and I went out for Mexican and margaritas.

Can you guess which one is mine?

I'm still tired two days later. haha

Actually, my sister's dog flipped out for a few hours last night because we had thunderstorms and he is terrified of them. Then he thought it was funny to wake me up at 8 am. God help me when I have kids!

And to end my last night of being 31, I am going to continue reading, writing a few blurbs here and there, and watching lots of movies.

Cya at 32!

Nights in Rodanthe

2009-06-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

I rented Nights in Rodanthe last night to watch during the rainstorm. I thought I had read the book, as I thought I had already read all of the Nicholas Sparks books. But apparently not, because I didn't recognize the story at all.

I don't know if I am just getting too cynical about Nicholas Sparks stories, especially as they are all so damned predictable, or what. I just didn't care for the movie at all.

Normally I like Nicholas Sparks movies and books. And I love Diane Lane and usually like Richard Gere, and the two of them usually work well together. But I felt that the love affair was forced. I didn't see how it happened and it just didn't feel real to me. And I didn't even cry at the end of it. If you know me, you know that I cry at just about everything.

Perhaps it's because I was so restless last night and just kept rambling on my blogs. Perhaps it really wasn't a great movie, like so many people liked to think.

Whatever the reason, I was kind of sorry that I spend the dollar, especially because I'm sure it will be on one of the movie channels to which I subscribe any time now.

Maybe I should try reading the book? If you have read it, please let me know how it is! I kind of want to redeem my negative feelings toward the movie......

Eddie is yummy

2009-06-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't already heard, I have a slight obsession with Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam. I have had this obsession for 18 years now, and it's not ending any time soon.

And in case you haven't already heard, when my friend and I went to Albany to see the first two nights of his solo tour a couple of weeks ago, we got to meet him.

It was the single greatest moment of my life.

I had bought a new camera before the trip, because I was determined to meet him this time (four solo shows and at least 12 full band shows.....). And wouldn't you know I was so nervous again that I couldn't operate my stupid camera??

I did get a few pics with my camera phone, and ended up with a couple of good shots with the digital outside after we met him the second night. You can see my pictures and read the stories of the two nights:

We Met Eddie Vedder!

We Met Eddie Vedder......Again!

And just as I was getting over the whole thing, tonight my friend had to post her photo album of the event. I totally stole this picture off of her page:

Because it is beautiful! The fact that I was this close to my idol, my muse, my favorite celebrity in the whole wide world whose music has kept me going for 18 straight years.......!!!

I almost flew down to Atlanta to stay with friends and family so that I could go to two more nights and try my luck again, but I couldn't make it work. In some ways I am kicking myself. In other ways, I am grateful that I didn't, because the venue probably would not have been conducive to meeting him again. And why risk ending on a less wonderful note?

Now for the new album and next tour.........

Julio as protective big brother

2009-06-28T18:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am obviously bored out of my mind. I was trying to work my gardening jobs today, but got rained out yet again, and I just cannot concentrate on writing articles! That Bright Hub one I did wore me out!

So, the saga of the battle between the canines and felines continues......I finally found Fiona hiding under my dresser in my room. (Damn, I STILL haven't found Cassie! I need to try to do that.....) Eventually the boys got bored and left my room, so she decided to come slinking out. I held her on my lap for a while. Julio came back into the room and jumped up on the bed, so I put her up there with him.

But then Jefferson came around the corner, saw Fiona, and started barking at her. So, she ran and hid under my bed now. It's kind of annoying, because I know she will probably come out while we are asleep, but then they will hear her and chase her in the middle of the night. But I don't know what else to do right now.

I got amused at the dogs' reaction to her being under the bed, though. Jeffey was trying to be all tough, barking at her, but she would hiss, so he would back away. (Apparently he once was attacked by a cat with claws, so he keeps his distance. Cassie is declawed, so he has never feared her.)

Julio, on the other hand, is trying to coax her out. He, too, tried to crawl under the bed and pull her out. She just went farther back under the bed, so he just spent the last ten minutes barking at her, tail wagging. But it wasn't the "I want to chase you" bark. It was more of a "Come out, I want to play" bark. It's like he's saying, "Come play with my brother and have fun!"

Now he has given up and has passed out, almost protectively, in between the edge of the bed and the door to my bedroom. Jeffey is out in the hallway. It's kinda cute.

Random story: The day that I brought Fiona home, she was a tiny kitten. At this point, Jefferson no longer lived here. I held Fiona on my lap, and let Julio come up and sniff her. First he licked her head, and I thought, "How cute! He's going to take care of her!" Then he smacked her in the face. I guess he wanted to establish his dominance over her?

But the two of them quickly became the best of friends. He put up with her crawling all over him and they like to snuggle together. It's like kitty and doggie calendar cute. [I'm too lazy to look on my computer for any of the pics right now, though.)

It is my hope that some day soon, they will all make peace! And then I will have to find something else to ramble on and on about.......:-)

She did it again!

2009-06-28T12:42:00.001-07:00

I came home from my gardening jobs this afternoon and was going down into the basement to work on some more laundry, and again I could hear crying coming from above my head! This time Fiona had somehow gotten up on the hot water pipe!

This time Mommy was able to get her down faster, because I already had the camera phone with me, haha. I brought her upstairs and slammed the basement door shut, because I don't want to keep doing that! At least up here she can go hide in the extra bedrooms or something, where the boys don't go.

I still haven't found my other cat......my poor girls.......yuck and now I can hear my sister's dog yakking in the other room........*sigh*

My Psychotic Siamese

2009-06-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

So, my sister's dog has come to stay with me for a while. He is also an adorable Shih-tzu. The boys together have been harassing my older cat, Cassie, ever since they were little puppies. Julio gets along with my Siamese, Fiona, as I introduced them when she was a kitten. Jeffey, on the other hand, wasn't here when Fiona arrived, so he never had the pleasure, and she is terrified of him.

I haven't seen the cats since I brought Jeffey home yesterday, and figured they may be down in the basement hiding. So, when I went down to get my laundry this morning, I fully expected to see them. But they weren't there.

But when I walked into the laundry half of the basement (also known as the "unfinished" half of the basement), I could hear Fiona crying. But I couldn't see her. Then I realized the sound was coming from above me.

Somehow, she had gotten up into the ceiling of the "finished" half of the basement, and now couldn't get herself down!

Naughty mommy that I am, instead of rescuing her immediately, I had to run back upstairs to get the camera phone. By that time, of course, she had hidden herself even further back and it took a lot of coaxing to get her to come to where I could reach her again.

I found the situation highly comical, even as I was terrified trying to balance on the archaic bar stool. She is such a little sh!t and frequently gets herself into trouble! And something tells me I won't find it as amusing if she does it again......

Celebrate Each Day

2009-06-24T05:29:00.000-07:00

There was just a beautiful story on the Today Show about a family whose baby only lived for 99 days. The fact that he was even born at all was a complete miracle. I cannot remember the name of the genetic disorder that he had, but children with that disorder often don't even make it to birth. If they do survive until birth, they usually die within 9 days. This child beat that eleven times over.

Instead of being upset and mourning the loss of their baby, his parents decided to celebrate each day of his life. They maintained a blog (I believe called "Dear Eliot") and had a birthday party for him every day. Bigger to-do's were saved for the bigger milestones of his life, as in the achievement of each month.

Eliot was forced to have tubes for oxygen and feeding, and after he turned three months old, they were taking out. Of course, just over a week later, he passed away. But the fact that he was able to have the tubes taken out was yet another miracle.

At his funeral, his family and friends let 99 balloons go -- one for each day of his life.

It was a beautiful story, that of course got this emotional Cancer going this morning. But it's just another reminder that you need to cherish each day as it comes. Each day that you wake up breathing is a gift, no matter how bad things seem at the time.

I especially try to hold onto that every day that I work this summer. On one of my Facebook status updates one day, someone commented on how lucky I was that my work was to create pots and plant for other people. I have held onto that every day. So even when I get bug bites, and my muscles get sore, and people occasionally ask for ridiculous tasks to be done, I am so grateful that I get to spend 3-plus months of the year working in the Great Outdoors. I get daily fresh air, exercise, and get to bask in the glorious sunshine as I help to maintain a beautiful Earth.

Britain Drops Spelling Rule

2009-06-21T05:54:00.000-07:00

Even if you are a horrible speller, I'm sure that you remember the rhyme "i before e except after c"....and then about 85,000 exceptions to the rule afterwards. It's the one rule that every school child learning English actually learns, remembers, and recites, even if they can never remember to follow it.

And now the British want to get rid of it.

Jack Bovill, leader of The Spelling Society, is looking to simplify the spelling of the English language, and feels that this is one way to do it. Because the rule has so many exceptions, there is just no reason to teach it and further confuse the children.

Is this a good idea? Would it help to make the spelling of the English language simpler? Do we need to take this route and people in general are dumbing down?

In some respects, I think it could be a good idea, especially as I witness the plethora of spelling errors made by my friends, former students (yikes!), and people trying to write profesionally. But would it actually help them? Or would it add to the "dumbing down" of society as people wouldn't learn the "new" rules, either?

How much of our literature from the last several years and decades would go by the wayside as the spelling would be completely different? Would reading Hemingway become as painful as trying to decipher Shakespeare and Beowulf?

Obviously English has evolved over the centuries, and perhaps this is just another step in the process.

And I am one of those people who learned spelling and grammar at such a young age, to the point where it is as much a part of me of my hair and arms. I tend to be resistant to change. But it just seems really weird to me to change the spelling rules.........

"British government spells end of "i before e' rules Yahoo!News Retrieved 6-21-09 from http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090620/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_spelling_shake_up

Newly Discovered Use for Peppermint Essential Oil

2009-06-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

I found a new use for peppermint essential oil.

The other night, I sprinkled lavender essential oil on my bed, as I have been doing since I bought it. And I started thinking about the peppermint essential oil that I have. A few people told me it was supposed to wake me up, but I remember reading on a different bottle that it was supposed to be energizing.

I was stiff and sore after working a lot on the computer and doing other stuff, and my neck was bothering me. I realized that I didn't have any Icy Hot or otherwise similar product to use on my achy muscles.

So, I grabbed the bottle of peppermint, and put a couple of drops on the sides of my neck. The peppermint sort of iced the area, and the pleasing aroma mixed nicely with the lavender to relax me further.

Today, it has been raining all freakin' day. Rain sometimes gives me a headache. Plus, I have been doing a lot of computer work, writing and researching. So, when the headache ensued, I decided to try something new. I put a few drops of peppermint essential oil on my forehead, and rubbed it around to my temples. Again, it made me feel icy and relaxed away the headache.

I don't know if it's supposed to be used in this fashion, and I know it is recommended that pregnant women not use it. But I have to tell you, I think I have found a new use for it and will continue to use it, until someone proves to me that I shouldn't!

PETA Goes After Obama

2009-06-18T04:36:00.000-07:00

The big news yesterday was that President Obama had managed to swat and kill a pesky fly during an interview with CNBC. It was all over the news stations, replayed again and again, and of course all over the Web. This morning, the news said that PETA is upset with Obama for killing a fly, because it was inhumane.

Seriously?

But, something like his voting record seems to usually be in favor of animal rights, so they aren't going to go after him too strongly. But they are going to send him some kind of a trap that allows you to humanely catch the insects to release them into the outdoors where they belong. Because he doesn't have anything better to do or worry about.

I wonder how PETA would feel about me using the attachment on the Shop-Vac to suck the little buggers directly out of the air?

In case you missed it, here is the video that I found on YouTube:

And, of course, the remix video:

Review of New Rice Dream Milks

2009-06-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

My friend and I went to our local co-op, Abundance, the other day for some tasty organic groceries. As we were perusing the aisles, my eye fell upon some new Rice Dream milk flavors. One was Hazelnut Vanilla, and the other was Chocolate Chai.

I have now tried them both, and I have to say, YUM!! The Hazelnut Vanilla is actually quite similar to the plain Vanilla flavor, but with just a touch of hazelnut flavoring. It would probably taste really good in coffee. (I was first introduced to Rice Dream by a former neighbor who always put it in his tea.) But it's also nice as a special tasty treat when one is thirsty.

The real winner, though, is definitely the Chocolate Chai. It has got a rich chocolate flavor with plenty of spices. Think of it as the cold version of the chocolate chai Yogi tea (also highly recommended!). But the flavor is even richer and more intense. This one is definitely good for an after-dinner treat. It satisfies that craving for something sweet and chocolately, and is infinitely better for you that dessert!

The price, though, left a little to be desired. It was $3.49 for one of those little boxes of milk. What are they, about 32 oz? Then again, Abundance isn't known for being cheap, so it will definitely be worth watching for sales, then stocking up!

Reflecting on The Bucket List

2009-06-16T04:18:00.000-07:00

I like to doze off to movies, and last night I watched The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. I love that movie, and have watched it a few times. I believe my father actually enjoyed that one, as well, even though he usually hates the formulaic movies of today.

Every time I watch that movie, I always have to ponder my own bucket list. What do I really want to accomplish? What is left for me to do? And perhaps I was even more moved to do so based on current events.

So, what would I put on my bucket list? Well......Change someone's life. Become a published writer. Meet Eddie Vedder and thank him for the last 18 years of musical lifeblood. Have a family. See Mt. Everest (just like the movie!) though I don't think my ankles would allow me to climb it. Go to Africa. Go to Italy. Visit France as an adult. Read every book ever written. Work as a gardener or horticulturist. Travel cross-country like Jack Kerouac or Donald Miller.

I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones that pop up again and again. And well, I can already cross a bunch off. I am a Montessori teacher, and I know that I have changed the lives of children and their parents. I write for over a dozen websites, so I am a published writer. I met Eddie Vedder, TWICE, last week (in case you hadn't heard, but if not read more here.) My family right consists of close friends, and my kids are my furry ones. If I am meant to have the other kind, it will happen, but I'm not picky. I'm working on reading, and I'm reviewing books on Associated Content, Suite 101, and Andi's Book Reviews. I am doing the gardening every summer now for myself and families from school, and just started Andi's Gardening Experiments. And the traveling is yet to come. But at 31, that isn't such a bad start!

The other thought-provoking part in the movie is when they are sitting atop the Pyramids in Egypt. Morgan Freeman is talking about the two questions that are asked before one enters Egyptian heaven. 1. Have you found joy in your life? 2. Have you given joy to others?

1. Yes, I regularly find joy in my life. It may only be glimpses here and there, or it may be an extended period. But, you need to experience some sad and frustrating times to make you truly appreciate those joyful times.

2. I like to think I have brought joy to others. I have been told that I have. I strive to do so. So, I guess I can get into Egyptian heaven?

My Random Thoughts....Essential Oils

2009-06-15T13:43:00.001-07:00

This is going to be my quirky place to put all of those weird random thoughts that frequently enter my brain, and that do not fit into any of my other blog areas. You never know what I am going to come up with and may not agree with me all of the time, and that's okay. I'm always up for productive conversation!

First random thought of the day......essential oils.

As I am sitting here working at my computer, I can see my little collection of new essential oil bottles. I have eyed these lovely things for weeks, but have never tried any of them. Finally, a sale at the local co-op encouraged me to try a couple. I was most interested in the lavender, because I can often have difficulty sleeping, especially when my brain is on overdrive. Lavender, unfortunately, is quite expensive. But the first night that I tried it, I slept really, really well! I think I used too much, though, because the next day I was still totally in a zone. But now I have used it three nights in a row, and it is quite relaxing.

Because I was so tired after the lavender, people suggested to me that I try peppermint to wake up. But the bottle of peppermint says it is calming. I did notice that I was calm, and it does wake you up a bit, depending on where you put it. When I was at the store I noticed that spearamint is supposed to wake you up.

The third one that I have tried is a lemon eucalyptus one. It was recommended to me for use as a way to ward off bugs when outside working in the garden. I noted that it also claims to be an awakening scent. I have used it a few times in the yard, and I haven't had as many bugs bothering me. I'm also using it along my windowsills, where I want to have the windows open for fresh air, but my darling cat has ripped the screens, so the bugs come in. It does, again, seem to be warding off the bugs. But the problem with using it in my bedroom is, I have to remember to use it in the morning, because the scent keeps me awake at night, thus defeating the lavender!

Any further suggestions for essential oils to try would be greatly appreciated.....especially as they are on sale through the month of June. :-)