Mixed Emotions...

As I sit here writing this, I can't help but think about what could have been & am so thankful that it's not. But...what could've been keeps popping into my head.

Let me back up a little & explain. I've had a "lump" (for lack of a better word) in the palm of my right hand for the past 3 1/2 ~ 4 years that started out the size of a lima bean. I had an MRI done on it in October, 2004, & it was diagnosed as a ganglion cyst which is described as the following: "A ganglion cyst is a tumor or swelling on top of a joint or the covering of a tendon (tissue that connects muscle to bone). It looks like a sac of liquid (cyst). Inside the cyst is a thick, sticky, clear, colorless, jellylike material. Depending on the size, cysts may feel firm or spongy." In essence, it was nothing to worry about ~ not cancerous, etc ~ & no surgery needed to be done unless the thing grew and/or gave me pain or limited what I could do.

Well...the "cyst" has since grown to a lump nearly the size of my entire palm. It either hurts me or makes my hand & fingers numb & tingly; it has gotten to the point where it does limit what I can do with that hand (& being a righty doesn't help matters). I went to a orthopaedist near where I work on December 17th ~ he's partners with the head of the department in the local hospital & another doctor ~ & point blank, with little feeling or concern & after only feeling my hand for a couple of moments, told me that it's either a lipoma or a lipocarcoma. I asked him, "lipocarcoma, that sounds like cancer. Is that what you're telling me?" "Yes," he said. I then asked him, "well, what does that mean? What happens?" I fully expected him to say that the lipocarcoma (or tumor) would be removed & I'd have to go through chemo and/or radiation. All he said was "you'd lose your arm." It hit me like a ton of bricks...I didn't know what to say. No mention of chemo/radiation; no "you'd only lose your arm in a worst case scenario;" just plain & simple "you'd lose your arm." WTF??? He then told me that I'd need to have an MRI done & we'd go from there.

I've since had the MRI done & went back to the doctor's office, but saw the 3rd partner in this practice. He was very kind & gentle & told me happily that it wasn't cancer & was indeed either a ganglion cyst or the lipoma (which is described as "A lipoma is a common, benign tumor composed of fatty tissue. Lipomas are soft to the touch, usually moveable, and are generally painless. They grow very slowly...") & that it could be removed easily since it was all sitting on top of any tendons & arteries/veins.

Sooooo....this Friday, January 4th at 10:40 am, I check into the hospital for same day surgery on my hand. I won't be under a general anesthesia thankfully. They'll give me some medicine to make me a little drowsy & a little loopier than I normally am & then put a "block" in my shoulder to numb the entire arm. I'll have a whole bunch of stiches, starting in my wrist & travelling up into the palm of my hand & I'll have to wear some sort of brace on my hand/wrist. 7 ~ 10 days later I'll have the stiches out & start to exercise my hand. I'm so happy that the nice doctor will be doing the surgery & that he's also a plastic surgeon, so that the scars won't be too hideous. I'm so thankful to whoever was watching out for me from up above that it wasn't cancer & yet so angry at the one doctor for telling me this & in the manner he did it ~ I had to go through Christmas with these doubts & worries in the back of my head.

I haven't mentioned any of this before now because I didn't want to alarm anyone needlessly. I guess I didn't want to think about more than necessary myself either. I wanted to know exactly what I was dealing with before I wrote about it here. I also haven't wanted to make a big deal out of it & draw attention to myself ~ that isn't even the point of my posting now ~ just wanted to fill you all in. I do post this with a picture of blue skies because I feel like there is some sort of a silver lining to the cloud that has been following me for just over a week.

I'll try to post again before the surgery, but I'm not sure if I'll have the time. I will update after the surgery, but give me some time. I'm not sure how much pain I'll be in or even how well I'll be able to type.

In the meantime, I wish you all a great 2008! Hugz to you all!!!

ZZZZZzzzzzzz.....

Yes...I'm being lazy today & proud of it! I've done virtually nothing so far (it's now almost 5:00 pm), except sleep until about 1:30 or so. I haven't slept that late since I was a teenager or very sick. Guess the ol' body just needed it.

We had a great day yesterday, but very long. My family was here from 4:30 until close to midnight & I didn't unwind & go to sleep until 2:00~ish. Lots of great food, presents, company...the best way to spend Christmas.

I'll post a picture or 2...or 3...another time, but my brain just isn't functioning (still!).

Hope you all had a fabulous Christmas!

To all my friends & family out there...

Wishing you all the best this Christmas & in the new year!

A Gaggle of Questions!

My dear friend, Carly, is playing along with the whole "Ask Aunt Nub" game & has asked me a whole gaggle of questions for me to answer this Christmas Eve. As usual, I should be doing the last of my wrapping & getting ready for Christmas...but I'd rather answer these right now. Thanks for the questions, Carly!

1. If you could be any one of Santa's Reindeer, other then Rudolph, which one would you like to be? The first one that entered my mind was Vixen...always wanted to be considered a sexy thing! LOL

2. What is your favorite song? I've got a lot, don't know if I could narrow it down. I guess it depends on my mood.

3. If you could be in charge of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, what new balloon would you add? Hmmmmmm...good question. A giant, beautiful butterfly perhaps.

4. If you could have one famous person, living or dead, over for the holidays, who would it be? Lauren Bacall has always fascinated me, plus she reminds me so much of my Aunt Elaine who passed away in 1993.

5. David Duchovny or Dylan McDermott? David Duchovny...but I'd much rather choose Vincent D'Onofrio. ;)

6. Chocolate Mousse or Chocolate dipped strawberries? Mmmmmm...both good choices, but I'd pick the chocolate mousse.

7. Where oh where has my little dog gone? (Have fun with that one!) "Oh where, oh where can he beWith his ears cut short and his tail cut longOh where, oh where can he be?" Perhaps Lucy is staring at her stocking, wondering what Santa has brought her this year. Either that, or she's harassing her sister, Stella, the cat.

8. If you could have a completely different name, what would it be? Victoria Marie & I'd call myself Tory. However...Mom, if you're reading this...I do love my full name, Elizabeth Ann.

9. What is fantasy gift would you like to receive for Christmas? A fully decked out giant~sized RV, so I could travel around the country with Skip, following the good weather.

10. If you could go on any game show, which one would it be? Deal or No Deal fascinates me & I'd like to think I'd do OK on it. Plus I've always liked Howie Mandell.

11. If you could own an exotic animal, which one would it be? Two total opposites here...either a big beautiful cat, like a Jaguar, or a monkey of some sort.

Feel free to play along & answer the same questions, either here or on your own journal/blog. Consider yourself tagged! Please feel free to ask more questions, even if you've already asked one!!!!

Now I really must go & get stuff accomplished. Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

Here it is, Christmas Eve Eve already. Tomorrow night I go to my mother~in~law's house like we do every year to celebrate Christmas with Skip's family & exchange presents with her, my sister~in~law, brother~in~law, niece & nephew & what have I done in regards to wrapping? Nothing. I've got 4 or 5 presents wrapped & I don't think any of them need to go with me tomorrow night.

::::big sigh::::

We picked up the lasagne that we ordered from a local place that makes the best pasta & will have that plus chicken & prosciutto tortellini, lemon chicken, garlic bread (all from that same place) & salad for dinner on Christmas day when my family comes over to our house.

I'm prepared in just about every way...in every way but the wrapping. I'm going to have to enlist Skip to help me & some of the presents will have to go into bags with tissue paper or funky cloth bags called Wrapsacks. Tomorrow, Skip is opening the store for 1/2 a day (10:00 ~ 1:00) on his own (I'm staying home), so I'll be able to get his stuff wrapped while he's gone & also do some last minute cleaning/organizing.

Thankfully, we're closed not only on Tuesday for Christmas, but on Wednesday, too. I desperately need these next 3 days off, not only to enjoy the holiday, but for my own sanity...you know...a little relaxation, whatever the heck that is. Maybe I'll get a little time to catch up on my stuff that I TiVo'd. In the meantime....don't anyone dare tell me what's going on this season on "Project Runway" because I haven't watched a single episode....they're all sitting there on the TiVo waiting for me with a ton of other shows.

Since I do have the next 3 days off, I'll be able to post more.......so somebody, anybody, send me some questions...anything you like, doesn't only have to be holiday related...just ask away!

Insane in the membrane...

I must be insane in the brain...or something like it. I'm in need of a full frontal lobotomy tonight. "Why" you ask? Because I had a doctor's appointment this morning at 10:30, so I decided it would be today, 1 week exactly before Christmas, that I would take off & jam the remains of the Christmas shopping (which was just about ALL of it) into 1 freakin' day.

I did a few odd stops at stores along the way, but most of the shopping was done at the Palisades Center (a H-U-G-E mall about 15 minutes away from my house). Unfortunately, I think most of Westchester County & Rockland County was there, too, with the same thing in mind. I circled the parking lot like a vulture, following anybody coming out with packages, ready to swoop in & fight off anybody else trying to get into that spot. I parked so dang far away, I might as well have parked at home & hoofed it. Y'all would've laughed your butts off watching me struggle to the car at the end of the day with all of my packages & having people in cars follow me.

99.9999999% of the shopping is done (just 1 last easy present), it needs to be wrapped, & I'm exhausted. Next year I plan better...............

My Turn/Your Turn

My Turn: I am a creature of comfort, routine, structure, ritual. I sit down at my computer in a certain way. I lie on the couch in a certain way. My bathroom routine at bedtime is very specific. My "morning stuff" around the kitchen follows the same pattern every morning before I toddle back upstairs to shower & dress. I feel funny in the morning when I get to work if I don't get to sit down with my not~toasted, buttered bagel & check my e-mails & really let it sink in that I'm at work & that it's a retail store. I don't think of myself as the stereotypical O.C.D. person, but I probably have some of those tendencies. I even wonder sometimes if I've got a mild form of Asperger's, but never diagnosed. I have some of those tendencies, too. I do know that I've got B.P.D. (Borderline Personality Disorder) & a social phobia (not easy to deal with when working retail). One bedtime ritual that I must always do, just to ease my own mind because you never know, is to tell Skip that I love him "forever and a chopstick" (meaning all that plus a little bit more) & he says it back to me. I don't think I could fall asleep without telling him that.

Your Turn: Do you currently or have you ever had any routines or rituals that comfort you?

OH! OH! Mr Kotter!

Greetings & salutations on what is another yucky weather day here in the northeast. We've got some sort of n'oreaster going on here in the NYC metro area & every weather report that I've heard in the past 24 hours gives a different account of what's going to happen. We did get another inch of snow here & what sounded like some freezing rain. The winds have been crazy & will probably continue for the rest of the day. All I want to know is...how soon can we get Spring here? Not soon enough in my opinion!

On to other stuff...another question! Keep those questions coming, as I'm not starting to do my journal jar until the new year!!! Today's question comes from my buddy Martha (in warm & probably sunny Florida ~ dang you, Martha! LOL). Yet another great question!

Have you ever had any odd paranormal experiences?

In hopes that some or all of you don't think I'm more wacko than I already am, I'll admit that I've had some paranormal experiences, although I'm not sure what classifies them as odd or not.

I suppose that any paranormal experience is odd, since they're not exactly the norm. I saw my dear father~in~law standing near a coat rack across the room at the funeral parlor on the day of his funeral. He's talked to me ever since, told me all sorts of things, some of them I couldn't know, although I haven't really seen him like that again. My maternal grandmother, who passed away on January 14th of this year has spoken to me, too. Both of them have been in the car with me when I was driving home late at night from my old security guard job, holding my head & talking to me. I could feel them, hear them, smell them. I've also had the experience of smelling both my grandmothers quite vividly at different times & in different parts of my house. I've got a picture (which I'll try scanning & posting here at some point) that I took in black & white of an old country church, but upon developing it, there is a misty face in the lower left hand corner.

I could rationalize a lot of the above by saying that I really miss all of these people & wish that they were still here & therefore my mind is doing things to me, but I don't think so. So what do you think of me now? And.....have any of you had any "odd" paranormal experiences?

One...more...post.......

One last post for today...w00t...3 in 1 day...how lucky can you all get?!?! I was browsing around through I Can Has Cheezburger & couldn't resist posting this picture from there.

Gotta go now....really......no more posts for today...may be a couple of days........

PS Please send more questions my way!!! Seriously!!!!!!!!!!

Oh Christmas tree...

OK....besides curling up into bed for about an hour with my heating pad (bad cramps) & dozing, doing 250 lbs of laundry, catching up on some of my TiVo'd stuff, actually wrapping some Christmas presents ahead of time instead of in a wild frenzy in the last 36 hours before Christmas (that's the usual with me)...I actually, finally got my Christmas tree decorated!

Skip & I decided to go the artificial tree route this year. We figured that: 1) we'd be saving a tree; 2) since we're working so much now that we wouldn't enjoy a real tree as much as in the past; 3) we'd actually be saving money (instead of shelling out at least $60 around here, we'd be paying that ~ or less ~ & be able to use the same tree for several years). It's not a very big tree (not a lot of space in our living room) & has been up & lit for a few days now, but no decorations on it. I took advantage of the lousy weather & got it done. I'm still going with the "less is more" look this year, so I didn't bring out all the tree decorations & only used a few special ones. It actually looks quite nice, but I must apologize for the blurry picture above. I wanted to show off the lights, but my camera phone didn't want to cooperate. Oh well...c'est la vie!

Christmas Memes & Snow Storms

Aloha! My brain may be wishing it could blink me away to Hawaii right about now, but in reality, my body is still in the NYC metro area & in the middle of a big snow storm. People in upstate NY or Colorado or Minnesota or other similarly cold/snowy places may be laughing at us southern New Yorkers with our forecast of about 8" or so of snow, but to us this is a lot. I get nervous on days like this...like I'm trapped or something...even though it's beautiful when all is said & done. Crazy as it might sound (since I talk about it a lot), I'd rather have the depressing, gray, sunless days than too much snow. At least I can get out & do things. Anyway...I always make the best of it & catch up on stuff & be lazy with other things. Soooooo....here goes a Christmas themed meme that I found on both Phinney's & Martha's blogs. How about you 2 ladies get over here & have some hot chocolate with me? We can build snowpeople later!

1. Eggnog or Hot Chocolate? I'm really not a hot drink drinker, but I'd choose the hot chocolate.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa definitely wraps. What fun is it if the he just sits the presents under the tree?

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Colored lights on everything but the wreath outside. We lit it up for the first time this year & used white lights.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No

5. When do you put up your decorations? We usually put it all up the first week of December, but with working so damn much, we've kinda be doing a little here & there, so it has taken a little longer this year.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Anything but fruitcake.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: I remember the joy and wonder of Christmas morning. It was all just so magical to see the tons of presents & the great big giant stocking my grandmother hand sewed for me practically bursting at the seams. My parents really made sure I believed in Santa & that was special.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I have no memory of learning it, and it doesn't matter to me. (Ditto to this ~ in fact, I still like to believe:D)

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes, but only at my mother~in~law's house. We celebrate & open gifts with Skip's family Christmas Eve; Christmas morning is for Skip & I; that afternoon is with my family here at my house.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Lights on first & then some special ornaments. I make sure the non~breakable ones go around the bottom portion in case Lucy (our doggie) or Stella (our kitty) decide to investigate.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? I think I already covered this above.

12. Can you ice skate? Yeah...but I'm not that good...can only stop by crashing into the walls of the skating rink, so forget about skating on a pond. LOL

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I've had so many favorite gifts over the years. Last year, Skip got me Sirius Sattelite Radio.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Being with my family, counting my blessings.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Bananas Foster.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Probably the stockings! Not sure if Skip & I will do this year, though.

17. What tops your tree? A really pretty light up star.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving of course!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? O Holy Night ~ gets me every time.

20. Candy Canes? Sure...why not. Rather have chocolate though.

21. Do you feel Christmas is too commercialized? Or is it still magical for you? It has gotten too commercialized, but I'm trying to keep it as magical as possible.

I'm on a roll.........

Fingers don't fail me now ~ I'm on a blogging roll this weekend, trying to make up for lost time! I'm impressed with myself, being able to get 2 posts out within 24 hours on a hectic weekend!!! (patting myself on the back)

My 3rd & last question (until somebody asks some more or I think up some to ask myself) comes from the ever~cute Miss Phinney! Her blog is private or I'd post a link here. Thanks Miss Phinney!

When you were a little kid, let's say grade 5 or so...who was your best friend? Do you know where they are today?

I like this question because I'm proud to say that I know where my best friend from 5th & 6th grade is & that I'm still in touch with her ~ I don't get to see her often, maybe once every couple of years (even though she only lives in NYC) & I'm hoping to change that to a more frequent get~together.

Her name is Randi & we were basically inseperable in 5th & 6th grades. We had another best friend named Anoopa (unfortunately, I have no idea where she is anymore), but Randi & I were always together more somehow. We slept over at each other's houses, had a crush on Shaun Cassidy (this'll be the first & last time I mention that on this blog ~ LOL), taped crazy skits on her tape recorder, & had very vivid imaginations together. Randi was always the artistic type & I always admired that, especially since she was able to follow up on that & start to make a living at it. We lost touch for several years during High School (went to different schools) & college, but somehow, at somepoint, we made contact again. She was even at my wedding which was pretty cool. How many people can say that their best friend from 5th or 6th grade attended their wedding? I mean.....unless you come from a super~small town (no offense to anyone who does). LOL So.......Randi......if you're reading this.....HI! Drop me a line!

Alright y'all..........ask me some more questions either in the comment box or e-mail 'em to me!

Another question!

I've been super busy this week, all the while hoping to get a few free minutes to do another "question post" ~ but, alas, I come home, move some laundry from washer to dryer, eat something (anything), & then promptly collapse on the couch, nearing a deep & golden slumber. BUT...here I am with question #2 which comes from just down the parkway from me...Miss Becky! Thank you, Miss Becky!

"If you could go anywhere in the blink of an eye, where would you go first?"

Normally, that would be super easy for me ~ I'd have to say Montauk, NY. But, it being what time of year it is & how the Tri~State area (meaning where NY, NJ & CT all basically meet & you can drive through 3 states fairly quickly) can be during December, January & February (see the picture above & then understand how I might get Seasonal Affective Disorder & need a lightbox), I'm going to have to say something entirely diffent. My "I Dream of Jeannie" blinking powers would have to take me somewhere warm & with lots of continous days of sunshine. Florida, perhaps. Hawaii would be nice. The Bahamas will do just fine. Those are the sort of places I need for the winter. I need to be a snowbird ~ warmth (not TOO hot/humid mind you) & sunny skies all year long. Hubby & I have talked about buying an RV when we retire & following the good weather around the country. So here I go...blink...blink! Am I there yet?

I guess not & that's too bad. Anyway, I've got another question to do, but will save that for tomorrow possibly. Feel free to ask a question...or 2...or more! I like this!!!

Apologies & Questions

OK...so I forgot to add Carly in on my list of regular readers. I'm a bad, bad girl...please don't tell Santa! I'm so sorry, Carly, can you forgive me? Ummm...so I've got 3 readers out there...that I know of. Official hugs to Phinney, Becky, & Carly! YAY!

Another big YAY to the questions I've received in my comment box for my last entry! It makes my heart smile & I feel all squishy inside (in a good way...get yer mind outta da gutter!) My first question is from Carly, whom I shamefully left off the list (hanging my head in shame). It's a good one, too! Are you ready for this? "Who would you most like to see have their likeness made into a Chia Head?"

I absolutely cracked up when I saw this question! I also knew immediately who I'd like to see done as a Ch~ch~chia, Chia Pet. Actually, it's 2 people, 1 fictional & 1 real. The first would have to be Mr. Clean, because I'd love to see what he looks like with hair. The other would be Donald Trump. Not that I'm a fan of the Don, but because his real hair ~ that dang, hideous, revolting, heinous comb~over ~ is sooooooo bad, that just about anything could be better! I mean, seriously, wouldn't that be hysterical? I think so, but then again, I've got a fairly warped sense of humor.

Great question, Carly! I've got 2 more questions to answer so far, but I'm going to save them for another day. If you haven't already asked me a question, or have thought up another 1, please feel free to add to the list, either in the comment box or my montaukny e-mail address.

SNOW!

AAAACCCCCCKKKK! It fuckin' snowed while we slept last night!!!! It wasn't supposed to do that until later in the day! Skip & I have been so busy working 6 days a week & not getting home until around 7:00 pm, that we were going to put up our Christmas lights outside this morning. Now everything is covered in about an inch of snow & rain is possible later! YUCK! I really, really, REALLY wanted to get my Christmas lights up today!!!! Maybe...just maybe...we can still get them put up since the snow isn't too heavy. Keep your fingers crossed! Hooray! We were able to put up the lights in front of the house! The lights & the big inflatable Santa can wait for another day this week ~ those are the easier ones to do.

I'm just not ready for winter; not mentally at least. I love Christmas & all that, but the long winter months really get me down. I started dealing with S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder) a long time ago, but last year it was really bad ~ so bad that I got myself one of those lightboxes that simulate sunlight (but without the bad UV rays) to help combat it. I got it late in the season & it helped, but the real test will be this winter. Just need to have it near me for about 15~30 minutes in the morning on gray days.

I wish I had more to write about. I get here to my blog with a ton of things on my mind that I want to say, but then my mind goes blank or I get distracted & I forget about what I wanted to say. Just getting old, huh? I'm going to start the new year off with a journal jar, suggested by a good friend, Becky. But....in the meantime...if there's anyone out there actually reading my blog (Hi Phinney & Becky! I think you're the only 2!).....why not ask me a question...any question...& I'll answer it here. Either leave the question in the comment section or e-mail it to me at my montaukny address.

PS I mailed out all 120 Christmas cards (yes...you read right...120!) late on Friday night so that they'd be in the early mail on Saturday, December 1st! That means that if you're on my Christmas card list, you should be getting a card from little ol' me any day now!

La Famiglia

Blogging world meet Naomi & Sam, my niece & nephew. Naomi & Sam, meet the blogging world.

I took this goofy picture of them on my camera phone on Thanksgiving at my mother~in~law's house. Naomi is a senior in college, is smart as a whip, & can play the bass guitar like nobody's business. Sam is a senior in high school, is the captain of the football team, & is fabulous in art. Both are pretty dang cute if you ask me, but I'm biased. I tried to get a "normal" (what is normal anyway?) picture of them, but if one wasn't making a face, the other one was. Since Skip & I don't have kids of our own, this is about as close as you're gonna get, besides my other niece, Grace, or our dog & cat, Lucy & Stella.

Yet another reminder to those of you who read my blog (all 2 of you) to play along with the "One Word" game I posted a few entries ago. Thanks!

Gobble...Gobble..Burp!

Thanksgiving has come & gone. It was nice, unseasonably warm (but no complaints here), & I ate too much of my mother~in~law's delicious cooking. I wandered around my m.i.l.'s backyard, snapping pictures on my camera phone & came up with the 1 above ~ kinda diggin' it myself.

Skip & I have the morning basically off today...not opening the store until 1:00 (no, we're not like JC Penney's or Kohl's who opened at 4:00 am for Black Friday)...but we'll probably go in a little earlier in order to start decorating for....gasp...could it be?......Christmas & Hannukah! Garland & the like will be going up & the holiday toys & treats for the pets will be going out on the shelves today.

Speaking of the holidays, I haven't started any of my own shopping, nor have I decorated my own house yet, but I have started my Christmas cards & am about 1/3 of the way through. Planning on getting those babies out of my hands & into the hands of the postal service on December 1st.

That's all for now. Gotta go shower & get ready to do my part for Black Friday. Hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving! Don't forget to participate in my entry below called "One Word." Later........

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a quick note to wish you all a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

PS Don't forget to check out my post directly below this one & also the poll in the sidebar to the right! Thanks!

One Word!

I stole this idea & graphic from my buddy Bridgett (who's journal is unfortunately private, or I'd link it here), who stole it from someone else. Sooooooooooo.....

You've read this far &......YOU'RE IT! No turning back now!

What you need to do is to describe me in 1 word & 1 word only...then post the same rules, etc in your own journal/blog. Post your 1 word about me in the comment section. I'm so interested to see how others see me! Aren't you curious enough to play along here & at your own journal/blog?

PS Don't forget to vote in the Thanksgiving poll in my sidebar! Thanks!!!!

Blank Mind & Haiku

My Haiku

I sit here trying

I have no ideas at all

How boring am I?

Seriously, folks....I'm at a loss here. Writers' block. Brain freeze. Brain fart. Senior moment. Or, in my New Yawk accent (that Grove loves to tease me about), "whadeva ya wanna cawl it...my mind's a freakin' blank." All I ever seem to talk about anymore is work. I've done some memes & even asked for others to answer the same meme question I did that day (but no one has as far as I know). I didn't want my blog to be boring or depressing. If I had my boring/depressing moments, so be it. But I wanted variety, baby! I don't even know if anyone's out there reading my stuff anymore. So......if you are.....gimme some ideas as to what to talk about. Ask me some questions! I'll answer a new question each time I get a chance to blog.

The only 3 things I could mention for my day today would be: (1) cat show; (2) card swap get together; (3) laundry.

(1) Skip & I went to the cat show today at the Westchester County Center in White Plains. There were some bee~yoo~tee~ful cats there, as well as some interesting, more exotic breeds, like the hairless ones. Mostly we were there on "business," checking out the vendors & seeing what we might like to bring into the store. Got some good ideas & saw lots of stuff that just wouldn't fit in with our kind of store (jewelry, scarves, pet bling ~ yes, there is actually pet bling out there!). It's our first time going to something like this with a particular agenda, so it was a learning experience. Sometime at least one of us is going to have to go to one of the huge industry shows in NYC or Atlantic City or the like.

(2) My wonderful buddy, Phinney, & I were in a rubber stamping card swap this year. That means that every month there's a different theme which you then make about 4 cards & send to a particular group of people who also send you a card in that theme. It's fun & a good way to get my creative juices flowing at least once a month. Today was the year end get together where everyone's cards are displayed, we vote on the best card for that theme (not an easy thing to do ~ they were all great), & suggest possible themes for next year. None of my cards got picked ~ oh well! I'll be doing it again next year & I'm hoping my Phinney~girl (who couldn't make it to the get together) will be doing it, too.

(3) How do 2 people generate so much damn laundry? All I ever seem to do latey (especially on weekends) is play catch~up with laundry. I'm convinced that clothes are throwing themselves out of drawers & off shelves or hangers & into the laundry baskets while we're sleeping or out of the house!

Well.....for someone with nothing to say, I sure said a lot. Go figure! Anyway, in case I don't get to post again before Thursday, I hope anyone reading my humble little blog has a terrific Thanksgiving!

That's My Answer!

I like memes. I like to be tagged by others to participate. You've probably already figured that out, right? Here's another 1 that I found intriguing as I scrolled through recent questions ~ it comes from a meme called That's My Answer!

So, other than family and friends, what do you miss the most about home when you are out and on the road?

This is going to be easy. I miss the comforts of home...the couch, the TV, being able to walk around in just sweats & a t~shirt, the kitchen & the fridge with all my comfort foods/snacks, my own bed & pillow. Some of the definitions of "home" at dictionary.com are: the place in which one's domestic affections are centered; the place or region where something is native or most common; any place of residence or refuge. I truly feel most comfortable, safe & secure when I am home & I guess that's what I miss the most (besides family & friends) when I'm not there.

Now it's your turn to answer the above question ~ if you're reading this, then consider yourself tagged! Just let me know if you've decided to play along so I can see your answer.

By the way.....the picture above is from the side of the parking lot where our store is. I took the picture yesterday while walking our doggie Lucy along here. Lucy loves to go to work (what dog wouldn't like being in a pet supply store all day?) & I was fascinated by this tree & the little river while Lucy was sniffing around in the leaves, so I snapped the picture on my cell phone. I just wish the colors had come out more brilliantly because in "real life" it was a magnificent shade of yellow.

Big Yawn

OK, so I wasn't more "with it" today ~ in fact, I was a lot less with it than I was last night when I did my lists of fours. I'm just not feeling much like anything today, least of all like myself.

To start off with, I couldn't drag myself out of bed until almost 10:30 this morning. Just kept hitting the old snooze button for nearly an hour and a half. So dang tired & the left side of my throat hurts a little; my neck is kind of stiff today, too. Then, after doing my usual morning chores (empty the dishwasher, walk the dog, feed doggie & kitty, etc) & eating some breakfast, I promptly fell asleep on the couch for two & a half hours. I got very little accomplished today, besides a little laundry & putting Halloween decorations away in the attic. Huge sigh!

I suppose my body was telling me it needed the sleep today. Now here it is, almost 10:00 pm & it's telling me yet again to get to bed. I feel like I need an entire day's worth of sleep before I start to feel a little more with it. Oh well........

Have a good night y'all!

Tag ~ you're it!

My dear, sweet friend, Phinney, put this up in her journal & tagged me that way. Unfortunately, her journal is private or else I'd link to it here. She was tagged by way of Nancy, who is also pretty darn cool. Here's my participation in it this Saturday night. More stuff tomorrow when I'm a little more with it.

Four Jobs I've Had
Shipping & Receiving Manager (yup...know the ins & outs of UPS, FED EX, DHL & the USPS...w00t!)

Receptionist/file clerk for an umbrella manufacturer (thanks, Marti!)

Security Guard (desk officer/dispatcher)

Co~Owner of a pet supply store (the latest & greatest!)

4 Movies I can watch over and over
Cars

Maximum Overdrive

Mystic Pizza (YAY ~ young Vincent D'Onofrio)

The Wizard of Oz

4 Places I have lived
Studio apartment in NYC (as a baby)

Grew up in the north end of New Rochelle, NY (from 3 1/2 ~ around 22)

2 apartments across the hall from each other in Mamaroneck, NY

My condo in Tarrytown, NY

4 TV shows I love to watch
Designing Women

Alice

Who's the Boss?

Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations

(plus I've gotta admit to liking the new Bionic Woman)

4 Places I’ve been to on vacation
Montauk, NY (where else?)

Westport, MA

Bahamas

United Kingdom

(plus MANY others, but this only asks for 4)

4 Websites I visit daily
Other people's blogs

Where's George?

Engrish.com
I can has cheezburger

4 Favorite Dishes –
Just about anything Italian

Avocado sushi

Pork Fried Rice

Just about anything chocolate~y

4 Places I’d rather be right now
Montauk, NY (again....where else?)

On a warm, tropical beach, sipping a Pina Colada

In bed....sleeping

Driving around the country in an RV

4 People I’m tagging

If you're reading this (all 4 or 5 of you)......consider yourself tagged....now it's your turn! Let me know if/when you do this, so I can see your answers!

The "New" Store...

Drumroll, please! Ladies & gentlemen, children of all ages.....here it is.....the pet supply store in southern CT that Skip & I are taking over! Hope the picture comes out OK, as I took it on my cell phone from behind the counter.

It's a long & fairly narrow store, that continues on to the right (in this picture) & behind me. In front of me, obviously, there's the windows & doorway where you come in. We don't have any animals in the store, only food, supplies, toys & the like.

Skip & I work 6 days a week, with only Sundays off. We were open from 10:00 ~ 7:00, but starting tomorrow, we'll be closing at 6:00, which is good because we have about a 40 minute drive home. It was tough, leaving at 9:00 & not getting home until after 8:00 ~ all I'd want to do is eat, watch a little bit of TV, & then go to sleep, only to repeat the process again the next day. Sorry if I sound like such a wuss, but I was use to office work, not worrying about certain things because I wasn't "the boss," learning how to do retail stuff, & having certain days off during the week besides Sundays. I really think I need a weekday off every other week, in order to do other things that you just can't do on a Sunday, plus just to save my mental health. I've already discussed it with Skip, since he'd have to go to the store alone if I did something like that, & he seems pretty OK with it. All I keep thinking though is....Liz, you're a wimp...a great big wimp!.....for wanting.....no, NEEDING...to do this.

Any~who....enough of my whining! The Fall weather seems to finally be here in the NYC metro area ~ temperatures are much cooler & the trees are at their absolute peak (if not just a tad beyond) in my neck of the woods. Tomorrow is my 41st birthday & I've got no problem with it. I'm dealing pretty well with the chin hairs (& general facial hairs) that need constant tweezing; the peeing myself when I laugh, cough, sneeze (I actually looked at a box of Depends recently); the beginning to wonder if I need life insurance; the increased need for sleep; the not understanding the attraction to the music that kids listen to nowadays & hearing my favorite music on the oldies or "light" radio stations; the wondering which vitamins to take; the need for regular mamograms; the not knowing what a Bluetooth was until a 23 year old told me & other technology based stuff I just don't get or know about.....I could go on & on! BUT.....I'm much happier with turning 41 than I was with turning 30. Go figure! Skip, my parents, my aunt & I will be going out to dinner tonight to a nice steakhouse near where I live ~ should be good!

S'all for now, gang! Did you remember to turn your clocks back?

Figuring it out?

I know, I know...it's well into Fall, but I just a little look back to summer, when I was out in Montauk, NY & of the Montauk Point Lighthouse (yes, another view like the 1 by the title of my blog). I also wanted to be able to use this picture on my Blogspot profile & if I understand correctly, I needed to post it here. Soooooo....my posting this picture is two~fold.

A longer, more timely post tomorrow........it's time for bed. I hope you all remember to turn your clocks back!

"Curious as a Cat"

I was looking for something to talk about today, besides the fact that I didn't go to work this morning due to a horrible headache. I know, I know ~ "There's no crying (or headaches) in baseball (or retail)!" But I just couldn't focus, couldn't stand noise/lights ~ basic beginnings of a migraine ~ plus I've got my book club gang coming over tonight at 7:30. Excuses, excuses, right? This retail thing is a whole 'nother animal to me ~ I'm used to office work. Anyway, I digress. I came across a meme called "Curious as a Cat" & the picture caught my eye...so, here are my answers to their questions. Now it's your turn to answer them ~ just link back to me if you don't mind. As always, I appreciate your comments on anything I've said here ~ in fact...I relish them!

1) What one topic is the most painful to discuss with your parents? Why? My mom & I can discuss just about anything, except for maybe...sex. Why? Why do you think? My dad & I, unfortunately, don't discuss much at all. It's not that I don't love him or don't get along with him...we just don't communicate all that well...most of it is trivial small talk that I know I'll regret one day. I guess that money and mental health would be the 2 hardest things to talk to him about because I feel like he gets judgemental about those 2 subjects.

2) What was the happiest day of your life? Do you think you'll ever top it? My wedding day, 16 years ago, had to be the happiest day of my life because I never thought anyone would ever love me enough to marry me & I was actually marrying my best friend. I doubt I'll ever be able to top it.

3) What animal would you like to be able to communicate with? My dog, Lucy, or my cat, Stella ~ I'd love to know what they're thinking & what they do all day when I'm not around.

4) In what way do you come nearest to perfection (as you define it)? Perfection isn't an easy thing to define & I'm not sure if I'd really want to be perfect. When I looked up "perfection" on dictionary.com to see what they'd say, it read "1. the state or quality of being or becoming perfect. 2. the highest degree of proficiency, skill, or excellence, as in some art. 3. a perfect embodiment or example of something. 4. a quality, trait, or feature of the highest degree of excellence. 5. the highest or most nearly perfect degree of a quality or trait. 6. the act or fact of perfecting." The fact is, I find myself awfully far from the state of perfection, in anyone's definition. BUT, if I had to choose 1 thing that I am nearly perfect at...it's being loyal...& that's a pretty darn good thing to be nearly perfect at.

5) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or, tell a story if it reminds you of one. (See picture above) Halloween, of course ~ & it's my favorite holiday along with Christmas. Can't wait ~ scary, spooky, fun-filled Halloween is almost here!

PS Don't forget to vote in my poll for this week, found conveniently in the sidebar to the right!

"Weekend Assignment"

John Scalzi, the fearless leader over in AOL J~Land, asked everyone to amuse him this weekend. Seeing that my time has been so limited lately, I haven't been able to search the internet for the truly most amusing picture, video, joke, riddle, etc....so, I've come up with this...especially since John tends to travel a lot for various conventions & book tours. I'm not sure where the picture was taken, but the writing at the top of the banner looks like Japanese. I also get a giggle out of a lot of the stuff on the site that I found it on, which is called Engrish.com.....what can I say.....I've got a weird sense of humor ~ take it or leave it.

A punny extra credit? When I saw my first strands of grey hair, I thought I'd dye.

Hope I was able to amuse you John (& the rest of my limited readers), even for just a moment!

YAY! More Guerilla Art!

Aloha! When it rains, it pours....& I'm not just talking about the lousy weather we've had here in the NYC metro area for the past few days (although today is beautiful, albeit chilly). I'm talking about the Guerilla Art postcards I sent out. To see some pictures of how they originally started, check out earlier posts of mine.

Here's picture #1 from postcard #2, sent to me by another dear friend, Karen. Both cards have now been sent along to other people to alter. Hooray! I'm getting more & more excited by this whole project! Still waiting to see what happened to postcard #3.

Big thanks to Karen for being a part of this! Is anyone else out there interested in getting involved in this little project? I know there's gotta be some artistic people out there just yearning to do something like this, even if they don't quite know it yet! Come on....ya' know ya' wanna!

Guerilla Art Update!

Let's see if good ol' Aunt Nub can "git-r-done" ~ tried before but am having a problem.

If you'll remeber back a few entries, I've gotten into the whole guerilla art thing & sent out 3 postcards to some artsy friends of mine asking them to alter the postcard some way (whatever kind of artwork they wanted) & then to send it on anonymously to someone else to the same & so on & so on...... Hopefully I would get pictures of the postcards every once in a while to see what was happening to them.

Voila! Here is the first picture! I'm sooooooooo excited! I can't wait to see more!!!!!! Thank you to my dear friend Phinney, for being a part of this!

Funk~a~licious

Howdy again, gang! I'm grabbing the opportunity in which Blogger has the picture posting problem fixed & the 3 free moments I have before needing to stop by the store today & then do some much needed grocery shopping to post this picture.

This is from my trip into the city (which happens to be in my backyard, in case you have no idea where Tarrytown is) yesterday to meet up with Grove (still getting used to not calling him Albert, but I will honor his request). These lamp posts were scattered all over the part of the East Village that we were in & were just the coolest looking things (in my humble opinion)! They're covered in all sorts of stuff from broken plates & saucers to broken tiles. Very collage~y & mosaic~y. Reminds me of the guerilla art stuff that I'm so into right now, but somehow I think it was planned...maybe. Anyway, I thought it was very cool & wanted to share. Grove took this of me next to 1 of them (yes, I'm that short ~ only 5'0"). My only wish is that I had gotten an even more extreme closeup, but alas, I didn't. Maybe another time.

Finally.......

After many years of reading his online journal, sending various things via snail~mail & just generally feeling like I somehow knew this guy in another life......I got to meet the one & only Albert (or Grove as he prefers) in person! Those of you who have lingered around AOL J~Land long enough probably know him already. If you're not from J~Land or just plain & simple haven't come across his journal, it's worth a moment of your time to check it out!

Grove/Albert (bear with me Grove, I've got to get used to calling you that! LOL) lives in San Francisco, so when the opportunity presented itself ~ he'd be visiting NYC for a few days ~ I had to grab it. It wasn't easy to take off a tremendously busy day at the store, but when opportunity knocks...well, you know what ya' gotta do! So...we met at Grand Central this morning around 11:30 & spent a couple of hours together, wandering around the East Village, eating pizza, Grove showing me Cooper Union (where he had gone to college), me trying not to babble on incessantly in my usual NY~Mile~A~Minute way. Yes...I've actually had to learn in some of my therapy sessions to slow down & listen to what other people have to say! I took the above picture when we were finishing up lunch at a little (but busy) pizzaria in the East Village on East 14th Street ~ not only is Grove in the picture, but so is some stranger in the background about to take a big bite of pizza & some scaffolding outside the windows ~ as Grove noticed, all very urban!

After lunch, we wandered into a place called "Trash & Vaudville" ~ which was a typical East Village funky kind of clothing store ~ think punk rock meets heavy metal. I used to go down to these neighborhoods (East Village, SoHo, NoHo, Canal Street) when I was in High School, but I graduated in 1984, so it's been a few years & a few grey hairs since. I had a few favorite places, such as "Screaming Mimi's," but I don't remember what street it was on or even if they're still open. Saw a few cool things, but didn't buy them. Too much stuff had skulls on it & I'm just not into that sort of thing at this age ~ maybe when I was in High School, but not now. I did end up buying 2 pairs of funky fingerless gloves, 1 for me & 1 for Skip. Let me tell you though, Grove & I were the 2 squarest people in the place. The 18-year-old girl at the register had the same kind of haircut I had in 1983-84, shaved on the sides long-ish on the top, darker on the short part, blonde on the long-ish part. Numerous tattoos on her (the sheer # put my 5 to shame), piercings, etc. The guy in the store (I'm guessing maybe the owner?) was possibly in his late 30s, early 40s...but time, booze, drugs, whatever his story, was not kind to him. A little too much of the sex, drugs & rock & roll. A blonde, younger Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones.

I left Grove (after he had to help me with the subways ~ I only seem to either walk it or cab it in the City) back at Grand Central, window shopped there for a little while & got back on the train north. I thoroughly enjoyed my time & will be posting another picture tomorrow from our travels. Grove is a thoroughly genuine guy & a warm, caring, sensitive soul! I'm glad to have met him!

Grey skies are gonna clear up...

The weather here in the NY metro area certainly does NOT feel like mid-October. In fact...today it was so humid, it felt more like August. For the most part, it's been very warm & un~fall like around here. I do like crisp Autumn days & nights, but absolutely hate the bitter winter cold & all the bundling up it takes just to step out the front door. I also hate the dreary grey, overcast days & shudder at the thought of rain...it depresses the heck out of me (there is such a thing called S.A.D. or seasonal affective disorder). Forget it if it's going to snow...I get all panicked. Skip & I talk about getting an RV when we retire & travelling around, following the nice weather & seeing the country.

Took this picture yesterday on my camera phone & was just so thrilled with it when I saw it here on my computer that I had to share it. I'm standing outside our new store on a break around 5:00~ish & thought the clouds looked pretty cool.

Please bear with me in regards to posting here, reading & commenting on other blogs/journals, catching up with e-mails...whatever on~line stuff I used to do on a very regular basis. Skip & I don't get home until about 8:00 or 8:30 every night because we don't close until 7:00 & have a few things to do before leaving & then have a 45 minute drive home. I then trudge through the front door, walk the dog (if she hasn't gone to the store with us), eat, walk the dog again, & collapse in bed by 10:30. This is the first time since Sunday (I think) that I've gone on~line at home. While at work it's pretty quick to look something up or glance at my e-mails while I eat 1/2 a sandwich. I shouldn't even be doing that much!

S'all for now.....gotta get some sleep. Morning comes fast....