tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379572092024-02-06T22:38:24.608-06:00Stardust's Journal of Random RamblingsThe diary is an art form just as much as the novel or the play. The diary simply requires a greater canvas.
Henry Miller (1891–1980), U.S. authorStardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.comBlogger483125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-6066398816863606602014-07-30T14:55:00.004-05:002014-07-30T14:57:20.550-05:00Meet Miss Cordelia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="color: #ead1dc;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">A lot has happened since my last real blog journal post. My father had a successful battle with cancer, and my youngest brother survived a massive, near-fatal heart attack at the young age of 48. On the upside, my daughter was married in a gorgeous outdoor wedding in Naples, Florida and the following year our middle son and his wife gave us a beautiful granddaughter to love and cherish! </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #ead1dc;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Meet Cordelia Anne, named from the book series Anne of Green Gables, where Anne wishes aloud that she had a more sophisticated name like "Cordelia". This is out daughter-in-law's all-time favorite book and from when she was just a girl had if she had a daughter she would name her Cordelia. </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #ead1dc;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">She is now 7 months old and getting teeth. I have the honor of babysitting Miss Cordelia two days a week, so she only has to go to daycare three days instead of five, and so I can form a lasting and meaningful relationship with my little grandbaby. I love her so much. </span></span></b>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-42219475619303822272014-07-30T14:37:00.003-05:002014-07-30T14:48:00.423-05:00I'm back...again...for awhile...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>After taking a little hiatus from blogging, I am back. As my previous post I wrote about getting sucked into the Facebook and social media black hole, I managed to get myself so sucked in that I accomplished nothing in the two years that I have been away from Blogger. I hadn't done any writing, drawing, painting or anything that I love to do. I just sat and scrolled, and scrolled and scrolled, clicking like and commenting short phrases and words on my friends walls in response to a photo, a funny meme, or political news commentary. I don't even want to add up the time I spent on Facebook in the past two years. It's embarrassing, and not to mention, depressing. It sucks your life, it sucks your time, it drains your brain. So, I am limiting myself to Facebook and putting more time back into the things I used to enjoy, and also someone new in my life. My new little granddaughter, Cordelia Anne.</b></span></span>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-2599325247004154042012-07-15T13:05:00.001-05:002012-07-15T13:05:08.416-05:00Back to the real world and things I love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Facebook can be like a self-imposed prison sentence if you let it. I love the fact that I found so many friends from my past that I have reconnected with and am thankful for that. However, I have become totally obsessed with FB and what's happening on the newsfeed that I have been forgetting to live life in the REAL WORLD. </b></div>
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<b style="color: #d9ead3;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">After sitting in a cube at the office for eight hours a day, I come home and sit in front of a computer for three or four more hours before bed, staring at a screen. Missing the last remaining hours of daylight and the beautiful sunsets, the sounds of the cicadas, the dancing fireflies after dark. I have finally woken up, as I had from religion, and have been rediscovering the things that I used to do. Like READING a book, and writing letters and stories. I still check out the FB statuses, but have given myself a time limit, and going to try not to get sucked back into it for so many hours a day. Life is passing me by!</span></b>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-83963764166590128682012-07-15T12:50:00.003-05:002012-07-15T12:56:26.260-05:00I got addicted to Facebook...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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But I think I am growing bored with it. I have been spending less and less time on Facebook and more time getting back to my blogs and writing, and my hobbies, and keeping up with my penfriends and actually going outdoors to enjoy the sunshine more often! It's so easy to get sucked into the Facebook thing, and it is a time thief. Stealing hours and hours of time I could be doing something else that I truly enjoy.Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-48467295955256081662011-12-27T20:33:00.000-06:002011-12-27T20:33:04.490-06:00LOL!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmwG4csfux3E_FMUR5eocJ75aztiZweEEkWUqzi6TtiUQ6P09NQqxMbjMFSc5JYWewFWuK7qd_kWRnlXmp2_H8iOU2FuBJ7jSRYKhTN306P3mpEzAmn77_gbY8COb0PXPQ57I/s1600/dinner+and+show.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnmwG4csfux3E_FMUR5eocJ75aztiZweEEkWUqzi6TtiUQ6P09NQqxMbjMFSc5JYWewFWuK7qd_kWRnlXmp2_H8iOU2FuBJ7jSRYKhTN306P3mpEzAmn77_gbY8COb0PXPQ57I/s320/dinner+and+show.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-15103834621333515382011-12-27T20:31:00.000-06:002011-12-27T20:31:03.758-06:00Christmas 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLbjrxw4ZVn0WY3VxMC3h5LKidfJD7lVD1kYUfiyupJexT5MrD690BEO2SWdd2-8n3hf_SBu6-yCKaIM5Su8zXF17ThCFsjKmpj-6A6YJIliR7_4cDQgZE607fdch2F29tM9y/s1600/ornaments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivLbjrxw4ZVn0WY3VxMC3h5LKidfJD7lVD1kYUfiyupJexT5MrD690BEO2SWdd2-8n3hf_SBu6-yCKaIM5Su8zXF17ThCFsjKmpj-6A6YJIliR7_4cDQgZE607fdch2F29tM9y/s400/ornaments.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="color: blue;"><b>It was a very quiet Christmas this year with Jeff and Mary not being here. But we had a nice visit with the Karr family (none of them have the last name Karr anymore...all girls and all married and grandparents now, their grandchildren all having different last names). There was lots of delicious foods and sweets. Watching the kids is always fun. They are all growing so fast. </b></div><div style="color: blue;"><b><br />
</b></div><b style="color: blue;">Christmas Day was spent at my parents' house and there was more food, and it was fun getting together again and seeing everyone. With everyone so busy it seems like time is getting away from us way too fast. I can't believe another year is about over and will soon be just memories like all the other years gone past. </b>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-19217651549159169792011-07-30T16:00:00.001-05:002011-07-30T16:00:49.295-05:00Honey badger don't care, honey badger don't give a $hit!LOL! Mary posted his on FB!<br />
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<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4r7wHMg5Yjg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-45270590521034119962011-07-30T15:57:00.000-05:002011-07-30T15:57:44.723-05:00Working woman<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>How time flies! I hadn't realized I hadn't posted anything here since last November! Since then a lot has changed. Hubby has a new job, I have been working full time since January and we are now landlords and owners of two houses besides the one we live in. </b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>I work for a publishing company that makes ads for Catholic Church bulletins. I never realized there was even such a thing as advertisements in church bulletins, but apparently it's big business in the Catholic world, enough of it to keep a company of 200 something people employed! </b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>What do I do there? I am a proofreader and typesetter/ad creator. We make ads for all kinds of businesses from classified list of baby sitters looking for work, to big banks, airlines, funeral homes, restaurants, retail stores of all kinds, grocery stores, and any other kind of business you would find advertised in the newspapers and magazines. </b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>I like my job. I like the people I work with. However, I don't like the drive much, especially with the rising gasoline prices. I work up near Ohare Airport, and it's a 50+ mile drive. Takes an hour and something to get there and an hour to an hour and a half to get home. LONG days. </b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></div><b style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, that's what I have been up to that is taking my time away from fun stuff, like blogging. </b>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-75748300234162207132010-11-22T15:08:00.000-06:002010-11-22T15:08:56.326-06:00Job hunting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6_QFW6_USsNuQBfJUjBV-DDaxseU3iTYJb5lE9v7YYL4LnyAKhgYEAZ08qzqH7aceHaXXO1SCFyuqBMztuA3uIm-5mOTPRTqnOegl61gW2-vz2raC-XS-LCHAWG047gTLlQa/s1600/job+hu1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6_QFW6_USsNuQBfJUjBV-DDaxseU3iTYJb5lE9v7YYL4LnyAKhgYEAZ08qzqH7aceHaXXO1SCFyuqBMztuA3uIm-5mOTPRTqnOegl61gW2-vz2raC-XS-LCHAWG047gTLlQa/s200/job+hu1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Time seems to be whizzing by, and the race to find jobs for my husband and I before the doors close on his present company is getting more intense and stressful. I miss the old days of applying for jobs where one looked through the newspaper ads, circling those of interest and then printing out a resume, addressing an envelope, and mailing the resume in an addressed and stamped envelope. I don't like this new electronic application process at all. </span></b></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I prefer to go in and shake someone's hand and introduce myself and ask to face-to-face and deliver the resume in person. This is the only way a prospective employer will really get an honest first impression of an applicant. Online applications are quite impersonal, and the questionnaires that many companies require you to spend a long time filling out tells nowhere near what an honest and open face-to-face meeting can. </span></b></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once resumes are sent online, it feels as if they are sucked into a black hole of uncertainty. I wonder if many, if not most, of my resumes are being received at all unless I get an automated response "thank you for your resume, we will get in touch with you if we are interested". Most of the time there is no response at all, and I think the "reject letter" is a thing of the past and not a thing most companies concern themselves with doing anymore. Therefore, people are left hanging and maybe even applying for a company multiple times in hopes of them being noticed and considered. </span></b></div><div style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br />
</div><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">We have no choice but to keep plodding along, emailing our attached resumes, answering sometimes hundreds of redundant questionnaires, and hoping that a human being at some point will actually read and consider our applications. </span><br />
</span></b>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-81243756367926862612010-11-22T14:56:00.000-06:002010-11-22T14:56:30.200-06:00Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil. - Jerry Garcia<b style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have made up my mind that I will no longer choose the lesser of two evils. From here on out, I will choose and follow what I believe to be right, even if it cannot win. </span></b>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-62745323807931817762010-11-04T17:53:00.000-05:002010-11-04T17:53:22.075-05:00Just as my husband predicted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2qBy0aPXwiX67G_XwQWTGTJ98oOG7EFPlpJmEi8zooOGDESzl8b24w2YL1jvR8F5IC66wTjmcbdfKl6I5ixALomU8L8uGAfSHDJ9NgrNi-z09scFmV_N0X1xmF2859_X6axY/s1600/outsource+to+china.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2qBy0aPXwiX67G_XwQWTGTJ98oOG7EFPlpJmEi8zooOGDESzl8b24w2YL1jvR8F5IC66wTjmcbdfKl6I5ixALomU8L8uGAfSHDJ9NgrNi-z09scFmV_N0X1xmF2859_X6axY/s320/outsource+to+china.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My husband told his company several years ago that if they sent their production to China the business would decline and eventually bring on it's own demise. He didn't want to be right, but apparently he has more business sense than the company owners. Sales slipped every year. Quality grew worse and worse. Lost accounts, big ones. Lay-offs. Finally, the owners are forced to sell the company to a large corporation who deals mostly where? Yep...China. They don't want the people however, just the equipment. So, hubby is being let go, all the people at his company are being let go. The regular workers Dec. 17, and the managers "up to" March 31. My husband is a manager, but he isn't holding his breath. They already gave him a wonderful severance pay of $100. Yes, you read that right. $100. That is the severance for 25-30 years of hard work and dedication. Hope he finds a job soon so he can tell them adios.</span></b>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-25270255533643957532010-11-04T17:43:00.001-05:002010-11-04T17:44:15.658-05:00Glad election's over<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaJKt9ClpwW1x2mUTJ_Ym024nCJe8LVKRzebgaGAhYKRVwB3xUXkewFQ4OUi7CuiIFBCdyVeTJKg_tPUoIjeK-xYvZSK8Tpl2xwpX7kxWRffAhyphenhyphenb9OzJz3h71BE7-E1xdQ0-T/s1600/voting+against.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaJKt9ClpwW1x2mUTJ_Ym024nCJe8LVKRzebgaGAhYKRVwB3xUXkewFQ4OUi7CuiIFBCdyVeTJKg_tPUoIjeK-xYvZSK8Tpl2xwpX7kxWRffAhyphenhyphenb9OzJz3h71BE7-E1xdQ0-T/s320/voting+against.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b style="color: #f4cccc;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am so glad that the mid-term elections are over. What a mud-slinging fiasco the ads were! None of the ads tell us what the candidate slinging the mud will do to improve the economy, create more jobs, improve health care, military overseas, etc. The candidates just tell us that their opponent is a witch, is not a true Christian, is a baby killer, eats children for breakfast and whatever else they want to dream up. And then they run videos of their opponents making them look terrible, like monsters who are going to get you in the dark. And people actually vote on this type of propaganda? They really believe it? As Sarah Palin says "you betcha" and that's what they are all counting on. American laziness to look up facts for themselves, and to believe whatever is shown on the boob tube. </span></b><br />
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<b style="color: #f4cccc;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am not so against some balance in government, but it is upsetting when working class individuals will shoot down health care reform, and other programs that help working class individuals! Makes no sense to me at all. So many Americans vote to screw themselves. And based on a couple of issues...abortion and gay marriage. They don't care if they give up the benefits they rush over to get when they get laid off, lose their insurance, etc. They do bellow loudly though when there is talk about taking their Medicare and "Socialist" security away. They don't want to vote for the handouts they cherish. Mind boggling. <br />
</span></b>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-15478084588587385062010-08-10T20:46:00.001-05:002010-08-10T20:46:24.626-05:00Pills<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ezJXX0raniQ6AMD_8TUpuoe7MIHSsqavDjrFRo4N_NdeYqBme91077ZNtyBpTbwvopI6wUPCMc2FfB3w6Av_P-8habauWSZNIiBuL18ltjNb6wLwq6edMsmKGoxb19kYs3l8/s1600/pills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ezJXX0raniQ6AMD_8TUpuoe7MIHSsqavDjrFRo4N_NdeYqBme91077ZNtyBpTbwvopI6wUPCMc2FfB3w6Av_P-8habauWSZNIiBuL18ltjNb6wLwq6edMsmKGoxb19kYs3l8/s400/pills.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-63826094640465107492010-08-10T20:37:00.000-05:002010-08-10T20:37:29.278-05:00Dog days of summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMS8JLt0bsUh0qWxkrUDzIXzfWNZ3VaLXcvd9U5ts_CWLwc4P-tkUG3b_UbZl44nyDC33_lwiq6xNydEuEMZWLTQMlmRXCWU_OjEoyPTJvy3w3MYgOj73v5OXVOWO_BNYGng4j/s1600/dog_ears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMS8JLt0bsUh0qWxkrUDzIXzfWNZ3VaLXcvd9U5ts_CWLwc4P-tkUG3b_UbZl44nyDC33_lwiq6xNydEuEMZWLTQMlmRXCWU_OjEoyPTJvy3w3MYgOj73v5OXVOWO_BNYGng4j/s200/dog_ears.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>This has got to be one of the longest, hottest, most humid summers I have experienced in my life. Fortunately, we have air conditioning (though for a couple of weeks we were without any because our old unit broke down finally after fourteen years of loyal service). It's uncomfortable to even sit outside for a few minutes. Everything is moist, and hot. Jon comes home dripping in sweat from his job. He has an air conditioned office, but isn't in it much since he is plant manager and needs to be out where the workers are. I don't know how anyone can work in this stuff in this kind of horrific heat. It's not just Chicagoland that is suffering this summer. Many areas of the country have it much worse and glad we don't live in a southern state where temps are in the triple digits, and then added to it is the heat index with the humidity factored in. </b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></div><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am ready for the coolness of autumn, when I can open our windows and let the breezes come in. </span></b>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-75127726309586252752010-08-10T20:31:00.001-05:002010-08-10T20:31:39.033-05:00Key Largo and Key West<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>We recently went on vacation to the Florida Keys and I loved it. I anticipated heat and mugginess, but the weather, while it was very warm, it was a lot worse back up here in Chicagoland when we returned. Key Largo was so romantic, just like the songs about it. We rented a room at the Stoneledge Paradise Inn, an old-style 50s-ish motel painted sunset pink with aqua trim. The Inn has its own dock and pier and swimming area in the water. Jon and I sat on a seat on the pier and watched the sun go down as it cast different shades of pastels over the darkening sea.</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Key West is excitement while at the same time there is a laid-backness about the town. The highlight of this visit was the tour of Ernest Hemingway's home and all of the six-toed cats that live there. We also had an original sloppy joe sandwich at the original Sloppy Joe's Bar. Then we took a glass-bottom boat excursion, and what a sight that was! Lots of yellow-tailed snapper, saw a couple of baracuda, lots of pretty underwater plants and seaweed, parrot fish, and the water was incredibly turquoise. Beautiful.</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Here are some photos.</b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBGdyZuJ5ABrOZRRB9Rhv-3AVbBbsaiJ_6CPlcyp6QQLrA_tm6kbDrgYw1sUTedFROzdtP7_dZq3xHazEPn8kgiSpYloFLnQDy70Qzirf-0THOMPfAyQLxPkTqop9re-YO5zI/s1600/keylargostoneledge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEBGdyZuJ5ABrOZRRB9Rhv-3AVbBbsaiJ_6CPlcyp6QQLrA_tm6kbDrgYw1sUTedFROzdtP7_dZq3xHazEPn8kgiSpYloFLnQDy70Qzirf-0THOMPfAyQLxPkTqop9re-YO5zI/s320/keylargostoneledge.jpg" /></a></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpKbNjRBzSgQVprdpGWoRHgEE6mD4KSO5msP4-gU8r7T_JPOGFDM_Xmb0xoyo6FAwN_8ZORgg7NdqKlUzlc7Upn_72Q4yiNBr4QGZmN5R9Eoud_JdSXuc2D9DtuAcRQG0yn4j/s1600/sunsetkeylargo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJpKbNjRBzSgQVprdpGWoRHgEE6mD4KSO5msP4-gU8r7T_JPOGFDM_Xmb0xoyo6FAwN_8ZORgg7NdqKlUzlc7Upn_72Q4yiNBr4QGZmN5R9Eoud_JdSXuc2D9DtuAcRQG0yn4j/s320/sunsetkeylargo.jpg" /></a></b></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><br />
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</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibN_UjKELJAt0DleBYVGCz2RfvMipPBW6znkzY02glIkOdCKxH9K08uhjIBMgNYbs_5yCw0UPza6jhcDGufBdAPqmblsf9g9qwjLpwbTg4cS3vTHar-4CFW7mVj7ZUV9DzIXnH/s1600/little+beach+key+largo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibN_UjKELJAt0DleBYVGCz2RfvMipPBW6znkzY02glIkOdCKxH9K08uhjIBMgNYbs_5yCw0UPza6jhcDGufBdAPqmblsf9g9qwjLpwbTg4cS3vTHar-4CFW7mVj7ZUV9DzIXnH/s320/little+beach+key+largo.jpg" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-qSgURrwo2WxmhtDLcLJr6yYXzqltOVSU60ayTKtjLwJb2Xgk2MbI1oYaiXYgY2jJBIGZBsfenvmTq3TB-Jb4z4J9OkGRtk_OFshDia14k4cB4clvDpsmoewOmfdwbXaUujOj/s1600/our+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-qSgURrwo2WxmhtDLcLJr6yYXzqltOVSU60ayTKtjLwJb2Xgk2MbI1oYaiXYgY2jJBIGZBsfenvmTq3TB-Jb4z4J9OkGRtk_OFshDia14k4cB4clvDpsmoewOmfdwbXaUujOj/s320/our+room.jpg" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0x5nUH1asUQe9zTW_YP2HcEDy215U3_xQ9OTGfaEz9QH0fJx-bOeOV3iaeYSkR1f0GWXkr85if-BVzZEMMyyh-YaGfToAO0Nrppqgce5A1Ay2ykMWSQrehRC6kawOZ8yPIvi/s1600/hemingwayhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx0x5nUH1asUQe9zTW_YP2HcEDy215U3_xQ9OTGfaEz9QH0fJx-bOeOV3iaeYSkR1f0GWXkr85if-BVzZEMMyyh-YaGfToAO0Nrppqgce5A1Ay2ykMWSQrehRC6kawOZ8yPIvi/s320/hemingwayhouse.jpg" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUF1AiSVbSudLHn9v2OTbcwMo4_0Ud-ocNxRBoJdSqDaAf7fmnnIwgSMEGIQB5L4fFObimCzhePHMeMQ90fD7rSwjBLWDWJO5oD8ASxP4rLbniCBi0WhQldzgmFFq4zzPDoOpV/s1600/sloppy+joes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUF1AiSVbSudLHn9v2OTbcwMo4_0Ud-ocNxRBoJdSqDaAf7fmnnIwgSMEGIQB5L4fFObimCzhePHMeMQ90fD7rSwjBLWDWJO5oD8ASxP4rLbniCBi0WhQldzgmFFq4zzPDoOpV/s320/sloppy+joes.jpg" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPH2H_JUWi-ebcfPjmR0xFNH5_P7TJL7Y3cD9eDUX8LOgPiJE7Fj1sC3Aru16hUFWKC1QfxU-BgViBtulRQPeOXq7jaoCzfW9sKOvuCFkRZhkGFjPsFbgCxvgoOxGXJD2MKH7/s1600/glassbottom+boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPH2H_JUWi-ebcfPjmR0xFNH5_P7TJL7Y3cD9eDUX8LOgPiJE7Fj1sC3Aru16hUFWKC1QfxU-BgViBtulRQPeOXq7jaoCzfW9sKOvuCFkRZhkGFjPsFbgCxvgoOxGXJD2MKH7/s320/glassbottom+boat.jpg" /></a></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygW3oAiZB0dbtkwSkosEeVgdw9lKSCLZva_AUPMpJ6zDDOqPtr8fukkxBn9X1CC6Fu2Kit7F2s7cekWccSe6fzeg5gDdGa_QFeV18zYdsyW_Xw5lwlPON5pBnfuvi36yZtAOa/s1600/sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygW3oAiZB0dbtkwSkosEeVgdw9lKSCLZva_AUPMpJ6zDDOqPtr8fukkxBn9X1CC6Fu2Kit7F2s7cekWccSe6fzeg5gDdGa_QFeV18zYdsyW_Xw5lwlPON5pBnfuvi36yZtAOa/s320/sunset.jpg" /></a></b></div>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-83384984120559239102010-08-09T20:40:00.010-05:002010-08-10T20:44:02.910-05:00Our 35th anniversary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFj9r0risjsQjo2v6uvHZ2P-KCMHeOscQXGuHjxLHkC4-bDfBuWfbS1-nVSiO96CPqOnwGPQH6tGHEMEEyoymxYGYVqusZw6UM2VxLfee6t3LjgSl-ZW1bxi0BXNx-cAXD3S_/s1600/wedding+anniversary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFj9r0risjsQjo2v6uvHZ2P-KCMHeOscQXGuHjxLHkC4-bDfBuWfbS1-nVSiO96CPqOnwGPQH6tGHEMEEyoymxYGYVqusZw6UM2VxLfee6t3LjgSl-ZW1bxi0BXNx-cAXD3S_/s200/wedding+anniversary.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b style="color: #fce5cd;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today is our 35th wedding anniversary. When I was young and looking ahead, 35 years seemed like such a long time. It doesn't seem that long at all from the perspective of looking back. We have done so much in our married life, raised three kids, lived several different places, visited so many cool places and had so many exciting experiences. I hope we have many more years ahead of us because there is so much yet that we want to do. </span></b>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-24827639240351468072010-05-13T10:17:00.004-05:002010-05-13T10:37:11.680-05:00Virginia Beach vacation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXkuEki-Z1Gcj7oUgbkSVlFsdY2Pwdp1nZle70N_-5U29z6u6UYaefDgwKebqBvyVZHCK1N94NrTm405WScWz33E2CAxMrEKpH3v8Edtrg9oA3p1WPrJ6Qdux2W9MsHhrfyKro/s1600/va+beach.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXkuEki-Z1Gcj7oUgbkSVlFsdY2Pwdp1nZle70N_-5U29z6u6UYaefDgwKebqBvyVZHCK1N94NrTm405WScWz33E2CAxMrEKpH3v8Edtrg9oA3p1WPrJ6Qdux2W9MsHhrfyKro/s200/va+beach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470774405834774514" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >Jon and I just got back from a much needed vacation at Virginia Beach. On the way we stopped overnight near Pittsburgh and met up with an old Air Force buddy of Jon's, Keith Z and we went to Primanti's for a really different kind of sandwich. This sandwich was invented for workers who didn't have time to sit and eat a full course meal. It's meat, fries, cole slaw and cheese all between two pieces of Italian bread. Here is a picture of it. </span><a style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIpqle_uxp0qhAYEARzrlGe7elr0ZyoHbuAA5PCEj3UbDQKbv7M2j3zr4VbMKVsHoRUe38U6BxSew3SYTb3tbDiNE0q0GosJ1axh7bFalNZJeP1RHdvNpaYKwM5S85m6cf8ux/s1600/primanti's.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 145px; height: 108px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIpqle_uxp0qhAYEARzrlGe7elr0ZyoHbuAA5PCEj3UbDQKbv7M2j3zr4VbMKVsHoRUe38U6BxSew3SYTb3tbDiNE0q0GosJ1axh7bFalNZJeP1RHdvNpaYKwM5S85m6cf8ux/s200/primanti's.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470775624059165394" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >Yum.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >We spent some time with Mary in Richmond and saw the production of Porgy & Bess at the Carpenter Theater. It was pretty good. A bit to "gospelly" for my taste, but good performances, great music. The sets were okay, but due to budget cuts, they had to do the best with what money they had. Mary has been performing in the orchestra for this production of Porgy & Bess in Virginia. She gets to do so many cool things with her trumpet. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >We stayed with Mary until Wednesday the 5th and then Jon and I drove to Virgnia Beach where we had reservations at the Best Western Oceanfront. Our room was fantastic with a gorgeous view of the beach and water from our balcony and front windows. We went to dinner at a seafood place called George's on Atlantic Avenue for dinner the first night and got the buffet which offered everything from stuffed flounder, crab legs, and other seafood. My favorite was the crab cakes. Delicious! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >The next day we walked along the boardwalk, taking photos. We had breakfast at the pancake house, also on Atlantic Avenue. I got the best cherry pancakes I ever had. Will post some pictures when I get them all uploaded into my computer. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >We spent a lot of time lounging in our room, sitting on the balcony watching the waves roll in and out, watching the seagulls dive down to pick up whatever scraps humans left behind for them. In the early morning hours the sun seemed to rise out of the glistening waters and then rose into the sky making golden sparkles across the waves. I took photos of those and will post those, also as soon as I can. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >We had dinner the last night at the restaurant on the main level of our hotel. It's called Angelo's and we got a plated dinner at a table by the window with a full view of the ocean and beach. I ordered the trio...scallops, flounder and shrimp with a baked potato and salad. Jon got the strip steak and baked potato. Then we went for a long walk up the boardwalk again, then over to Atlantic Ave. to do some shopping in the tourist traps. Stopped at Dairy Queen for a Buster Bar Blizzard. And then we went in for the night to relax and watch the water till it got dark and we could no longer see the waves. You could still hear them, though. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >Was sad to leave the next morning. We ate breakfast in the room. Jon went and got us Subway breakfast sandwiches and I made decaf in the room. We sat by the table at the window and ate our food. Then it was time to pack up and head back to Mary's. I could live there in Virginia Beach, in that hotel room forever. It was so peaceful there. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >Now back to reality, which reminds me I need to get off of here and get back to work. Another project started the day we got home. </span>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-58089102437534623662010-05-13T10:16:00.000-05:002010-05-13T10:17:01.617-05:00Lovin' Lady Gaga<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: arial; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">I find her videos interesting and bizarre at the same time. </span><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qrO4YZeyl0I&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qrO4YZeyl0I&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-22728121567611644652010-04-02T00:06:00.002-05:002010-04-02T00:19:28.666-05:00Diagnosing myself<a style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_atKRWnXVtg3cX7aslDoJxQ4QYAXV22gz6CDRRRC-ZXVLvtmbKtFb104cw2cLBv5fhNK1Q60-Qww1rUs32NOxMlbVTJoawCWJUbuydVdL61St8UVGVKek-eaUx0YKqAn5meDS/s1600/heartfart.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 91px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_atKRWnXVtg3cX7aslDoJxQ4QYAXV22gz6CDRRRC-ZXVLvtmbKtFb104cw2cLBv5fhNK1Q60-Qww1rUs32NOxMlbVTJoawCWJUbuydVdL61St8UVGVKek-eaUx0YKqAn5meDS/s400/heartfart.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455402497492967762" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">I started having these irregular heartbeats back in January. When they first started happening I thought oh well, palpitations again. They come and go. Well, this time they didn't go! They stayed 24/7 and were more than the usual racing beat or extra beat or skipped beat. It was near constant. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">I went to see my regular doctor and she said I had high blood pressure because every time I go in my bp reads high...never mind that every time I go in I am either in pain or sick and that can elevate bp. No, she says I need medicine or I could have a stroke or something. SO, I took the Inderal she prescribed. That's when the irregular heartbeats became a regular thing. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Went off to the cardiologist. He put me on a different beta blocker which didn't do anything except turn me into a zombie. I was butt-draggin' tired all the time. And my pulse was 45! So, he tried adjusting the dosage. All that did was make me a little less sleepy, but the irregular heartbeat never normalized. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Then I saw a gastro doctor and a lung doctor in between. The lung guy found I have a nodule in my right lung that I have to have rescanned in August. Probably a rheumatoid nodule from the RA but he wants to be sure. Then went to a gastro doc who did an endoscopy that would tell if I had ulcers again. Had that done on the 9th of this month and sure enough...ulcers are back and gastritis. He put me on ulcer meds and one of them didn't agree with me...made my throat and food pipe burn...why? The dumbasses never told me I had to DISSOLVE the tablet in water and drink it! It was getting stuck and all the medicine staying in my esophagus!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">In the meantime the cardiologist told me to stop the BP med and let things get out of my system before starting another drug. I did that and the heartbeat was still constantly irregular. SO I did some research on my own about GERD, (I also have a hiatus hernia) and heart irregularities and guess what? There IS a connection. So I called the gastro guy again and asked him and he says that he often has patients end up in ER for cardiac symptoms that are triggered by the ulcers and gastritis. There is a nerve that runs from your brain, through your neck and down to the espohagus, heart and other organs. When irritated it can cause heart irregularities. So, he gave me some different medicine and said to stay on a bland diet and guess what? I am happy to report that the irregular heartbeat seems to be settling back to some sort of normalcy...thank goodness. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">Sometimes we just have to do the detective work o</span>urselves. </span>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-46009781153540765452010-04-01T23:57:00.003-05:002010-04-02T00:06:32.802-05:00Facebookin'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ssxuJ4KKPhcxeUEkD-DQuLGSk97wnik6GjBm_1vIfQRdkcj-vtYldem9G4UEUZcvA4pqUNs0txbgbQH0XKKUig9213nxh_2BeyBXpleNsoTiZq82XAkQXMZI-aZRtraHqAr7/s1600/fb.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ssxuJ4KKPhcxeUEkD-DQuLGSk97wnik6GjBm_1vIfQRdkcj-vtYldem9G4UEUZcvA4pqUNs0txbgbQH0XKKUig9213nxh_2BeyBXpleNsoTiZq82XAkQXMZI-aZRtraHqAr7/s400/fb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455401866140499778" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" >I've been doing too much Facebooking lately and not paying enough attention to my blogs. Well, I am going to try to be better about that from now on. I have missed writing out full sentences and participating in some intelligent debate. </span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />Facebook is fun, don't get me wrong. I do enjoy keeping tabs on what everyone is doing. It's been great for staying connected. It's also been the source of drama and I have had to witness some of these dramas via my newsfeed wall that I would have been better off not knowing about. What some people write on their Facebook walls boggles the mind. I've witnessed a whole relationship of one couple break up, fall apart, the nasty exchanges, and then the whole mob action against the guy for being a cheater...and then finally, like in the movies...the whole barfy reconciliation. </span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />The games on Facebook are big time wasters. I really do enjoy Yoville, but hate the farms. This is a strange phenomenon. I hate the farms but feel compelled to click, click, click away to "harvest the fruits, vegetables and other things from cartoon fields, trees and animals. Then like I wrote about before, the cartoon cafe where I spend time preparing cartoon dishes for cartoon characters to eat. </span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;" >I recently started working again online so have to curtail these activities and hopefully this will wean me off of my current FB addiction before it sucks me in even farther. </span>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-28626693160403725772010-02-17T16:41:00.005-06:002010-02-17T16:55:48.737-06:00LOST<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkZt3n_YTSXgFWuHY7devrX_r-wlBSIIJug8X4IYDLGAOmASxBM9T4dJKIyu7rDD7kXppnizVm42yrcrpzCPEaS5fcz7FZW0f4pCr4Fr9bNTkCJQtcCAzsMPY6ndu0fy03Wjt/s1600-h/lost.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 187px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkZt3n_YTSXgFWuHY7devrX_r-wlBSIIJug8X4IYDLGAOmASxBM9T4dJKIyu7rDD7kXppnizVm42yrcrpzCPEaS5fcz7FZW0f4pCr4Fr9bNTkCJQtcCAzsMPY6ndu0fy03Wjt/s400/lost.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439346566397692130" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >Anyone else lost in this last season of LOST?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >I am becoming impatient. So far, not one question has even remotely been answered. What are the remaining main characters candidates for? What's with the side-by side two time frames flashing back and forth and when are the writers going to tie them together somehow?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:arial;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">What's with the scene of the island being underwater as if it had been sunk? Is one of the "candidates" going to be "elected" or chosen to end the life of the island itself and sink it in the end? What will happen to the characters? Will they all die? Will they all go back to where they were? Will the ending happen in the real world, just like if their lives had gone on and never went to the island?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">And what's with last night's boring episode with Locke dragging Sawyer around the island only to lead him to some hole in the cliffs where it looks as if someone had been living there...which I suspect was the dwelling place of Jacob who was killed by Benjamin in the last season. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The whole temple thing is pretty weird, too. Jack, Kate, Jin, Sahid, and Hurley are all prisoners there at the temple and Sawyer escapes...and Kate and Jin sweet talk the leader of the temple into letting them go after Sawyer. Never would happen. Sawyer would be on his own. Then the confusing flashes of Claire who seems to have taken the place of Rousseau's rustic and armed woman hiding in the jungle character. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Guess I will give it some more time to get going, but I will be really disappointed if this thing doesn't end with excitement and answering questions. I will be really mad that I watched six seasons for nothing. </span><br /></span>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-7294596281230927542010-02-17T16:21:00.002-06:002010-02-17T16:40:19.496-06:00I'm back<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWUdVdKv0VsHoicTgRIKrq0cSql8EaYqCeemIGdpYTEBqLAIdb4h-QzkHjBSsQDL5d0GGG-aklueBj3H_oMt4EZA3ih1d0ITTy8Ll0WeZ5ynqCWY1jsIMPLNKl1qV-zsLL5eZ/s1600-h/howdy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 73px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWUdVdKv0VsHoicTgRIKrq0cSql8EaYqCeemIGdpYTEBqLAIdb4h-QzkHjBSsQDL5d0GGG-aklueBj3H_oMt4EZA3ih1d0ITTy8Ll0WeZ5ynqCWY1jsIMPLNKl1qV-zsLL5eZ/s200/howdy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439345894355402962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-family:arial;" >Was away from my online journal here for awhile, but now am back and catching up with some posts. I have started the new year with more medical crap, RA and Lupus flare affecting the heart action, nodule in one lung they are keeping an eye on, and may start a round of Methotrexate in a few weeks if the Prednisone doesn't take care of things. What fun! Wonder if I can get my doctor to write me a prescription for a Caribbean Cruise???</span>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-44483678804130785352010-01-01T05:59:00.000-06:002010-01-07T18:01:17.624-06:00Happy New Year!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNc6bWB6Q6mfp-9gwkqmuVPU49Hcz8SfTct2YNSJ6i0cKIF0Q5zqEnODFR5Lg0motZGylhSIEe3nQk96_11vRNt9iNiFV-RZWp700571efvsJDftw0Xe0-Bq-2tBb2_hWq-hsp/s1600-h/New+Years+Chicago.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNc6bWB6Q6mfp-9gwkqmuVPU49Hcz8SfTct2YNSJ6i0cKIF0Q5zqEnODFR5Lg0motZGylhSIEe3nQk96_11vRNt9iNiFV-RZWp700571efvsJDftw0Xe0-Bq-2tBb2_hWq-hsp/s400/New+Years+Chicago.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424151964744530786" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-family:arial;font-size:180%;" >Sweet<br />Home<br />Chicago!</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" ><br /></span>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-64605793329587096642009-12-29T20:28:00.001-06:002010-01-07T17:52:56.763-06:00Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2009<a style="font-family: verdana;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92qqB9OIr0qVKC1cMscDp94W5lkUB06nDQcSPAUMTHNBZbVfLS5fcr6kllLJSOjuAkoboOx1Qm6oMJDk8TwxVOkyPlW1LacAi9jC7nYPkOq-VshHrXvIpwdhIdltuomZdUmTs/s1600-h/christmas+tree.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 110px; height: 111px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj92qqB9OIr0qVKC1cMscDp94W5lkUB06nDQcSPAUMTHNBZbVfLS5fcr6kllLJSOjuAkoboOx1Qm6oMJDk8TwxVOkyPlW1LacAi9jC7nYPkOq-VshHrXvIpwdhIdltuomZdUmTs/s400/christmas+tree.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424144918170580146" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana;">Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were both good times for us this year. For me and my immediate family, the holiday season is a time for tradition and family. A time for gathering together with friends and loved ones to laugh and have good food together.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana;">The holidays were even more special this year because our daughter Mary came home for a visit for the first time in several years. I really appreciated her taking time out of her busy life to spend a week with us. That week went by all too quickly, too.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana;">Christmas eve in the afternoon we all opened our gifts to each other. We usually wait till Christmas morning out of tradition, but since Mary had a morning trumpet gig the next day, we decided to do it in the afternoon on Christmas Eve. I received some really nice gifts from Jon and my kids this year. Jon and I bought a new receiver as our gift to each other, and we went to see Star Wars in Concert earlier this month. Then he bought me some sweaters, two pair of boot shoes, pajamas and a NuWave cooker. (The thing really works like the informercials show, but that is for another story.) Jason gave me a book that lists 1001 books to read before you die. And Jeff and Whitney gave me diamond stud earrings and a special computer mouse pad with Jon's, Jason, Jeff, Whitney and Mary's pictures on it. It's so neat! Mary gave me a pretty pair of earrings that I can wear with lots of things and oh so nice-smelling body cream and a hand lotion. Very nice gifts. :-) Jon also put together a computer for the livingroom that is now hooked up to our 106" screen tv! Crazy!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana;">Christmas evening we went to some good friends of ours who are like family to us. We have gone there every year since before we were married. They are Jon's "surrogate" family that took care of him when he was little and his mother worked. And grew especially close to them after Jon's parents passed away when he was a teenager. There was so much good food there, as usual. This year it was lasagna, sausage, meatballs, salad, Italian bread and butter. And lots and lots of desserts.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana;">The next day we went to my parents' house for another good meal. Ham and sweet potatoes, sausage, sauerkraut, veggies, rolls, strawberry jello, and cookies galore. My sister was over with her husband and my brother was there with his wife and one of his sons. The weather started turning nasty and my other brother and his family just went home from his in-laws since the weather was getting worse and worse and temperatures were plunging. Got some nice things from Mom and Dad. I got the blue fleece top I wanted and some real nice Bath and Body Works stuff and a cute story book about a mouse. (I love illustrated children's books.)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana;">The weather on the way home was strange. It looked like the arctic at my parents' place, then as we headed west it cleared up and was fine till we got two blocks from home and looked as though we drove through the wall of snow and into a snowglobe. Lucky we made it home before that other storm moved east.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: verdana;">Mary stayed till today and I took her to the airport earlier to go back home. It's always sad to say goodbye. I am so glad she got to come spend the holidays with us.</span>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37957209.post-83554612972731126162009-12-23T15:07:00.001-06:002009-12-23T15:16:34.838-06:00Our new village hall<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiiqhebKEiIor8HM7nIOzN1GZ7P1e0oCFx5teNxCzvpAsGK56PAmQl9e_Z70E7tNCQRDyI8xxowcvCyIPSFwIt5cTH1Wgt_YBq5Ge-9sYCTjKVG2YKChoAralK3j12ZN_LJrAb/s1600-h/village+hall.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiiqhebKEiIor8HM7nIOzN1GZ7P1e0oCFx5teNxCzvpAsGK56PAmQl9e_Z70E7tNCQRDyI8xxowcvCyIPSFwIt5cTH1Wgt_YBq5Ge-9sYCTjKVG2YKChoAralK3j12ZN_LJrAb/s400/village+hall.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418542113396218578" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Here is a photo taken by a friend of the new village hall in our town. It's built in a commons area with library, orchestra shell, and other nice things...pond with fountains, walkways, outdoor music speakers, and picnic areas, places for sledding and playgrounds. It's a nice place to live, though our taxes are outrageous!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Today we are having nasty weather. Freezing rain and sometimes snow. Sometimes mixed, sometimes separate. The weather guys say it's supposed to turn to all freezing rain later this evening which should put a nice glassy glaze on everything and hopefully won't seal our vehicles closed. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">I still am expecting two presents to be delivered and hope they make it here today. They are already several days overdue. Weird that this time next week will be the last days of 2009.</span>Stardusthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10560872454564355114noreply@blogger.com0