Honor Flight, Part Two

Dad and Mr. Dizzy went to Washington, DC, on one of the Central Illinois Honor Flights, on Veteran's Day, November 11, 2009.

It was a very EARLY, very LONG, BUSY day for them! The bus left Effingham at 2:30 AM and headed down to Lambert Airport in St. Louis, where they were greeted by a large crowd of people wishing them well. From there, they flew into Reagan Airport, where another large crowd waited and greeted them, and then began their tours.

Unfortunately, the weather was terrible! It was a torrential downpour ALL. DAY. LONG. Fortunately, they had ponchos and umbrellas for the guys.

Here is the group of veterans in front of the WWII Memorial:


Here is Dad in front of the Illinois section of the Memorial:

At the Lincoln Memorial, Dad was very excited to have his picture taken in front of Mr. Lincoln:

Another highlight of the day was the opportunity to meet Bob Dole and his wife, Elizabeth Dole. They make a point of greeting the Honor Flights and meeting/greeting the veterans. Dad was very happy to have his picture taken with Elizabeth Dole, and said she was a very nice, very gracious lady:

Dad and Elizabeth Dole, Take Two:

Dad also got the chance to meet and speak with Bob Dole, and said he was a very, very nice man. Mr. Dole almost didn't get to come to this event; apparently he has been not feeling well, and is scheduled to have leg surgery very soon. But, he was determined to come and meet/greet the veterans - - it's something that means a lot to him and he loves doing it! The group was told that he would only be able to stay for about 5 minutes, due to his health problems. But, he stayed quite a bit longer than that, from what I understand!

Here is Dad with Bob Dole:

There were a lot of other places the group went to on their tours - - the Korean Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial - - I don't have the pictures for them cleaned up and ready to post yet. Those will follow in another post - - there are a LOT of pictures to go through. Mr. Dizzy took well over 100 photos! So, hopefully soon I will have more to put up here!

After a long, busy day, it was time to head back towards home. They made it to Reagan, and boarded the planes for home. But, the surprises of the day weren't over yet! Unknown to the veterans, the Honor Flight group had contacted family and friends of theirs, as well as schools and legislators, who sent in cards and letters for each one of the veterans on the Flight. During the trip home, they held a service-style "Mail Call" and passed out packets of mail to each member of the Flight. They were absolutely thrilled! Dad ended up with 40 letters/cards in his packet, and was so happy!

Once they landed back at Lambert, there was another reception for them - - a large group welcoming the men back home. Then, back on the bus and headed back to Effingham, where they pulled in around 11:30 PM. But, the day STILL was not over - - there was a large group there greeting the troops as they came home!

Finally, Dad and Mr. Dizzy made it back to their hotel room about 12:30 AM, and called it a day. And what a day it had been for both of them!
Dad is still on Cloud Nine over the trip, and can't seem to wipe the smile off his face. But that's a very, very good thing.

Thank you for your service to our country, Dad. I'm proud of you!

Honor Flight

Mr. Dizzy is with my Dad today in Washington, DC, participating in an Honor Flight. These flights take WWII Veterans and a guardian for each to the WWII Memorial, the Korean, Iwo Jima, and Vietnam Memorials, and also to the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Mr. Dizzy took his camera, and is taking LOTS of pictures, so I will have some to share!

More later . . .

Hey, Better Late Than Never, Right?

YES, I KNOW. Halloween was last weekend. But, I just got the pictures!

So here you go - - Mr. Dizzy (not sure what the hell he's supposed to be) and Dizzy Ms. Witchy! Er, Lizzy! Oh, whatever . . .

Okay, What's Next?

In my last post, I explained what PART of the problems were that kept me from blogging for so long, or even wanting to write ANYTHING about ANYTHING. So, here is the next part - -

My son and his wife, after 14 years of marriage, are getting divorced.

It's rough on both of them, I know, and it's rough on Mr. Dizzy and myself, and the rest of our families. But most of all, it's terribly hard on two of the most important men in my life - - my grandsons.

God, I hate that.

Mr. Dizzy and I have been trying very hard to spend as much time as possible with them to help ease the transition somewhat, but can anything do that? When you are age 7 or 10 and suddenly your Daddy is not in the picture - - heck, not even in the same STATE - - can anything "ease" you through that? I don't think so. All they know is that Daddy is not here, and even thought he calls all the time and they get to talk to him, they don't get to see him.

How do you explain that to them? HOW?

This past weekend my son was in town to see them, and from what I understand, it was difficult at best, especially for the oldest one. My heart breaks every time I think about it, and I wish there was a way I could "fix" things and make them all better. Unfortunately, I'm not a witch (hush) with magical powers. I can't wiggle my nose like Samantha on Bewitched and make things the way I want them.

I wish I could. For those two dear boys, I wish I could. I wish I could make all the hurt and pain go away. But I can't.

And THAT is the other thing that is keeping me awake nights.

Okay, First Things First . . .

After my last post, I have had some people contacting me concerned about Mr. Dizzy and the "health scare" we had. So, the first thing is to fill you all in on what the situation was . . .

Mr. Dizzy has been told by his Allergist many times that his blood pressure was high; however, they attributed it to "white coat syndrome" and the fact that he always came in for his allergy shots right after a strenuous 10-hour work day. Well, back in late May, he had a pretty nasty cold and went to the local Express Care clinic. When they checked his blood pressure, it was high. When he mentioned "white coat syndrome" they said they were going to treat it anyway, and started him on a blood pressure Med. He was also told to check with his Family Doctor about it. We went to our Doctor's office the following week, with our home blood pressure monitor in hand, to get him checked out. The nurse took his blood pressure, and it was high. We immediately checked it with our home monitor . . . and it read extremely low. He had been basing his readings on what apparently was a faulty monitor! (That one has been pitched, and we now have one that works!)

When he went to our Doctor's office the following Thursday about possible carpal tunnel issues with his hands, he had his pressure checked, and it was EXTREMELY high, to the point that they would not allow him to go home; instead, he was sent across the street to the hospital and checked into the Cardio-Vascular ICU.

Imagine what was going through my head when he called me that afternoon:

Him: "Hey babe, when you get home this afternoon, I won't be there."

Me: "Why? What's going on?"

Him: "I'm being admitted to the hospital for my blood pressure."

Me: " . . . . . "

Him: "The numbers were (I forget the exact numbers, but he was a WALKING STROKE)."

Me: {Dropping the phone and running out of the office, headed for the hospital}

Him: "Hello? You there?"

I don't remember when I have been that scared. And, I think I made the trip to the hospital in record time.

I got there and found the CVU, and he was in a bed with wires and patches and machines and monitors all over him. My husband, the BORG Mr. Dizzy. They had him started on an IV drip to bring his pressure down, and it was starting to take effect. The Doctor came by and said he was going to keep him overnight and monitor his situation. I wanted to stay there that night, but Mr. Dizzy wanted me to go home and try to get some rest, and the Doctor concurred. (Rest? Right - - like THAT was going to happen).

Friday morning I got up early and headed back to the hospital and spent the day there with him. His pressure was doing much better, and it was mostly a matter of waiting for the Doctor to come around and release him to go home. That finally happened around 4:30 that afternoon, and we got out of there, picked up his new Meds, and went home.

That was our Wedding Anniversary weekend. We had made some tentative plans, but naturally, they got put aside. The main thing was getting him rested up and getting him on his Meds, which seem to be working out well for him. He went for a recheck this week, and the Doctor was pretty pleased with how his numbers are playing out!

But, this scare played a major part of my mental state issues - - I know he's fine, but . . . well, it's something I just need to work out in my head. I'll get there, but it's difficult. I just need to keep working at it. One day at a time.

More later.

This Blog Has Been Down . . .

. . . because I have been. Now down PHYSICALLY - - but mentally, I've been better.

There has been a lot going on in my life recently that has not been good - - a health scare with Mr. Dizzy, a pending divorce in my immediate family (NO, not Mr. Dizzy and me; he's stuck with me for life. Period.), other things in life that have just piled up and piled up and piled up . . . and well, you get the picture. It finally got the better of me, and something inside just snapped. And, since the last thing I want is for this blog to just become one big "Lizzy Pity Party", it was best to just let it go for awhile. Not that it was a difficult decision to make; I have not even had the desire to write ANYTHING. About ANYTHING. At All.

I kept hoping that I would snap out of it and start feeling better about things, but that hasn't really happened yet. So, I just keep plugging away, day after day, working on getting my head back on straight. It's not easy - -

But you know what really helped me start snapping out of this funk I've been in? Well, there is a blog that I read all the time, written by Kristabella, called "Kristabella: Full of Snark Since 1977". She wrote a post recently about what she called "The Sads". And that post really hit home with me! What she described is exactly what I went through a few years ago when my Mom passed away, and it's what I'm going through now.

Back when Mom passed away, I went to the Doctor, who put me on a med that did absolute wonders for my psyche, but unfortunately, it also did a number on my weight. That side effect is making me very hesitant to go back to the Doctor this time, and I've been really fighting to make it on my own, with the strong support of Mr. Dizzy. It's not easy, but I'm not giving up.

However, with this much stress, some things gotta give - - and unfortunately, this blog has been one of the casualties. Have there been things going on that would be good blog fodder? Oh, absolutely! Good, funny stuff, and would provide a good laugh . . . and I have had no damn desire to write about it. Not at all.

Dear Mr. Dizzy has been encouraging me to get back into writing - - he thinks it would be very therapeutic, and he's probably right. In fact, when I tell him that I've actually written THIS post, he will be very happy! But, it's going to take time, and a lot of effort, for me to get back into the swing of things. However, just the fact that I've been able to do THIS post is encouraging; I wasn't even sure if I could write anymore! But I've finally gotten my courage up and taken that First.Big.Step. Maybe the second step will be easier. Let's just see what happens. Hopefully, I'll be back soon.

And Kristabella? THANK YOU for having the courage to write about your own issues with "The Sads". Your willingness to blog about it encouraged me to find my own bravery and try writing again.

Fun Times

This was a WONDERFUL evening!

My best friend from High School, Bobbie, was in town. She has lived in San Diego for the past 35 years, and came back to Central Illinois to spend the month of May at the old homestead, and visiting family and friends. We had been in touch through sporadic e-mails and a few phone calls, but had not spent any time together for - - hmmm - - probably 20 years or more. (Well, it's not like Decatur, Illinois is next door to San Diego, ya know? So just hush.)

Tonight was my Classmate's monthly dinner, so Bobbie and I decided she should come along with me and be a "surprise guest". The double-takes and surprised looks on everyone's faces was such fun to see!

Bobbie is getting ready to head back towards Cali this weekend. It was good to see her - - hope it's not another 20 years.

Safe travels back home, Bobbie. Let's keep in touch a little better from now on, hey?

I Don't Like Country Music, But . . . **

. . . that fact has NOTHING to do with this post.

One of the blogs I read faithfully (Boobs, Injuries and Dr. Pepper) has a post, titled "The Completely True Brad Paisley Story . . . " about her sister and family who, because of Brad Paisley and his wife (actress Kimberly Williams Paisley) are out of their home of the past 10 years. Also, their non-profit group, "U-Grow", which helps disadvantaged kids from dire circumstances, is now a non-profit in name only, thanks to the Paisleys. This means everything they built up for the last decade - - climbing walls, petting zoo, etc., for the non-profit, is gone. For NO GOOD REASON.

You can read the post HERE:

And, please feel free to share with your family and friends.


** However, if I DID like country music, I would boycott ANYTHING that Brad Paisley or his wife was involved in. What JERKS!

Remodel, Stage Three - Shower Stalls (and a Bonus - Pretzel Kitty!)

The shower is all installed, and almost ready for use! The shower door will not be in for another 3 weeks, but we have a rod and curtain to use until then.

All ready to paint! I will be spending this afternoon getting everything taped off so we can paint tomorrow.

Of course, we can't expect the FURBALLS to do anything to pull their weight around here - - especially our little Squeaky-girl. She's is totally oblivious to everything going on around her . . .

HOW does she twist herself around like that? She must have made an "A" in "Pretzel 101" . . .

Well! THAT Was Exciting!

Yes, VERY exciting, indeed!

We Interrupt This Blog . . .

I was composing a blog post about Stage Three of the bathroom remodeling, but . . .

We are under a tornado warning. Heading to the basement in a few minutes - - yes, with both cats in tow. Have the weather radio batteries charged, flashlights, and cat carriers ready.

Batten down the hatches!

Remodel, Stage Two

A new exhaust fan and light - - installed a couple of days earlier than expected!
The insulation is in, and we are ready for the shower unit to be installed - - hopefully TOMMOROW!
And this may not seem important to some people, but - - to a woman with a blow dryer, curling brush, and many other implements to make all this "natural beauty" happen, this makes me SO happy . . . FOUR EXTRA PLUG-INS! And they are on 2 different circuits, so it shouldn't trip a breaker. Sweet.
It's really coming along nicely, don't you think?

Remodel, Stage One

Bathtub - gone.


Wall - torn out.

Tomorrow, the insulation gets put in, the new wall gets built, and things get ready for the walk-in shower unit.

It's coming along!

More "Remodeling" . . .

Well, the time is FINALLY here! (We have only been waiting since NOVEMBER - - what's the rush? No reason to be IMPATIENT, right?)(Right . . . )

Tomorrow the contractors start on our Master Bath - - the pink one? Remember? With the Flooring saga?? (Don't worry, the new flooring will not be inb harm's way.)(At least I hope not!)(If it is, I will NOT be going back to FlooringAmerica, that's a promise!)

ANYWAY - -

The contractors are supposed to show up tomorrow morning, remove the bathtub, build up the short wall between the tub and toilet, and get everything ready to install a walk-in shower unit. The shower is supposed to be in to the plumber's on Tuesday; they will probably install on Wednesday. Then on Thursday the electricians come in to install a couple of additional wall plug-ins, and a vent fan and switch.

We are going to be in the middle of a MESS for the next week or so . . . and stuck in the cramped little bath at the other end of the house.
But, it will be SO worth it!

And yes, there will be pictures to follow . . .

AAAGH! My Eyes!

What is that bright light coming down from the sky???


Oh - - it's the SUN!! It's been so long, I had forgotten what it looked like . . .

(Rain coming soon, I'm sure . . . )

Check, Please!

Hello, my name is Mother Nature, and I'll be your server today.

Today's special is Rack of Rain, with a light Rain sauce, served on a bed of shredded Rain. The sides are Sauteed Rain and Mixed Rain. The meal comes with Garden Rain Salad or Cup of Rain Soup. For Dessert we have Layer Rain Cake, Rain Pudding, or a variety of Rain Pies.

I'll be back in a few minutes for your order. Would you like something to drink while you decide? Maybe a nice glass of Rain - - we have many vintages. You can also order it by the bottle.

*SIGH*

I am SO TIRED of rain . . .

Light Show!

Mr. Dizzy and I had quite an interesting evening yesterday!

We were both back in our home office, working on our computers. Around 9:00 or so, Mr. D happened to glance out the window and saw a bright light down at the corner, but up quite high off the ground. He went and got his binoculars and saw what looked like a giant 4th of July sparkler on top of the power pole at the corner. A bit scary, but kind of pretty also (Hey. I've always been a sucker for fireworks. What can I say.)

Anyway - - Mr. Dizzy called the County as I went through the house shutting off TV's, computers, digging out flashlights, etc. The County Dispatch called out the Fire Dept. to come check it out. About 10 minutes later, there was a huge flash of light and a big "Boom!", and everything went dark. Mr. D called AmerenIP (the power company - - my BEST FRIENDS from the Ice Storm saga, if you recall)(bastards)(but I digress . . . )**

Anyway - - The Fire Dept. showed up and check for any down wires; there were none, thank goodness, so they finally left. Then here comes the Ameren truck. Mr. D rode with them down the road to show them which pole was affected. The guy went to work, in the rain, in the wind, in the ladder truck. (I wouldn't have his job for ANY amount of money!) - - about 15 minutes later, we had our power back! By that time it was close to 11 PM.

All told, it was quite an interesting evening!

It looks SO INNOCENT now . . .

**Just to clarify - - I do NOT hold anything against the hard-working linemen who work for AmerenIP. Not at all. They do an excellent job, despite the weather conditions. I save every damn bit of my contempt and sheer hatred for the Corporation. Just sayin' is all.

Hello, Spring!

Apple Tree in bloom . . .



This tough little guy - - the Cherry Tree that was almost totally destroyed by the Ice Storm a couple of years ago, back stronger than ever . . .



Little violets blooming in the front yard . . .



The first Lilac bloom of the season . . .


IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME!

Happy Easter

He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again."

Luke 24:6-7

Dear Mother Nature . . .

It's APRIL.


It's SPRING.

SO - - Why is it, this morning . . .


I wake up to THIS???


And THIS???


Mother Nature - - you can BITE ME.

Oh, and? Bring back the warm sunny weather, while you're at it? Kthxbai.

Coming Up For Air (Finally)

Life - - especially the work part of my life - - has been freakin' chaotic at best. The College is changing over to a completely new and different software program to run our online courses. Everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, must be redone. From the ground up. Yes, "chaotic" is a pretty good description of how things have been the past few months, with things really gearing up this past month.

I am an Online Support Specialist. I work with faculty to help them with the technical aspects of creating their courses, and I oversee the Student Help Desk, which supports our online students with their technical needs. It's busy on a "normal" day. But throw all this other stuff into the mix? Like I said - - "chaotic" describes it pretty well.

So, getting home from work and wanting to climb back on the computer and blog? Hasn't been happening (duh - obviously). Hopefully things will start slowing down a bit in the near future, and I can get back on here on a more regular basis.

Lots been happening, and lots I would LOVE to be able to blog about . . . if I just had the energy. Hopefully that will change. Soon.

I'll be back on here, really. Just give me a little bit more time to get through all this stuff going on at work. It's busy, it's hectic, it's chaotic, I'm exhausted . . . but it's also exciting as hell, and I'm loving it. Just wish I wasn't so damn tired . . . :-)

Back soon. Promise!

Hello? Is This Thing On?

I have been a very bad blogger lately. Work has been so hectic, and so has life around the Mr. & Mrs. Dizzy homestead.

But I will be getting back on track within the next day or so, and will play "catch-up".

Back soon!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Dizzy!

Today my Dear, Devoted Mr. Dizzy turns 51 years old.

This is a picture of me and Mr. Dizzy, taken in 2003 at a cousin's wedding:


Ain't he just the cutest thing?

Happy Birthday, Hon!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I Love This

Is this YOUR husband? It is definitely MINE! Heh.


more music charts

HE'S GONE!

The Senate voted UNANIMOUSLY to remove Governor Blagojevich from office. They also voted that he may NEVER AGAIN hold public office in the State of Illinois.

YES!

It is a GOOD DAY in Illinois!

Thanks a Lot, Rod

First, the arrest on corruption and bribery charges.

Next, an almost totally unanimous impeachment vote in the Illinois House, followed by a SECOND almost totally unanimous impeachment vote once new members were seated this month.

Now today, the day the Senate begins the impeachment trial to try and get this total f'ing jerk out off office - - our esteemed Governor hits New York City and the airwaves . . . Good Morning America, Today Show, The View (wehre Barbara Walters literally chewed him up and spit him out), Geraldo, and tonight Larry King's show . . .

So now the WHOLE DAMN COUNTRY gets to see what an idiot our Governor is. And the people of Illinois get to be embarrassed all over again.

What a jerk.

My hope is that the Senate does their job and gets him OUT of office before he does any more damage.

Keep your fingers crossed.

A Rude Awakening

This morning our doorbell rang at 3:30 AM. Yes, you heard me right - - 3:30. In the freakin' AM!

I got up and looked outside - - no car in the drive or on the road. I looked out the side window next to the front door, and saw a guy standing there, with a light blanket over his head and shoulders, shivering. We turned out the lights and opened the door; the guy had a black eye, and a cut on his head. He said he had a wreck, and was freezing (it was only 11 degress outside!), and could we please help him? His lips and fingers had a blue tinge to them.

We got him inside and on the couch. I got some blankets while Mr. Dizzy called 911. The poor guy could not stop shivering. He said he had lost control of the car and went through the T-Road into the field, and rolled the car. He had been out in the cold for about 30 minutes, trying to find his way back to the road, and finally made it up the road to our house.

The deputies arrived quickly. One went to the crash site, and the other came inside to take the report. Fire and ambulance arrived next, and they checked him out. He refused the offer to go the hospital, so after checking on his vitals, they left.

We then were able to get him in contact with is wife, who headed out to get him. By the time she got there, and the deputy completed his accident report, it was 5:30 by the time they all left.

The car was about 250 feet into the field, and was on its top:



They finally were able to get the car righted, and got it moved through the field to a spot right in front of our house - - it's pretty crunched up:



The tow truck got there and finally took it away around 8 AM.

By the time it was all said and done, it was almost daybreak, so we just stayed up - - I had to get up in 30 minutes anyway, and get ready to meet my workout partner. But now, it's starting to really catch up with me! So even though it's only mid-afternoon, I think it's time to go and be one with the recliner . . .

I bet that guy is really hurting by now!

Good Luck, Mr. President, and May God Watch Over You

Update on Travis Erwin's House Fire

I posted about Travis's house fire here. Travis and his family are in the process of trying to recover what items they can from the total loss of their home. (You can read about it here on his blog)

Some of Travis's fellow bloggers have started a blog called "Habitat for Travis":

This site is a fundraiser for Travis and his family, to try and help them rebuild their home and their life. If you have a moment, check out the site. I'm not asking you to donate, but seeing how many people who have in just a few short days is extremely heartwarming.

As I said in my previous post, I do not know Travis personally - - just through reading his blog, and the few comments/Twitter posts we have given each other. But, from the posts I have read, and the comments I have seen on his blog, he is a good, decent man, and he needs a bit of help at the moment. I wish I could do more than just blog about his situation, but unfortunately at the moment I cannot.

I have posted the above badge in my sidebar, so if you don't have a few minutes to check it out right now, please come back and click on it later. And, please keep Travis and his family in your thoughts and prayers. I appreciate it, and I'm sure they do as well.

Impeachment!

I absolutely LOVE the headline in this Yahoo News post:

"Ill. House impeaches governor, who vows to fight"

Yeah yeah, Rod - - fight all you want. I just want your grubby hands OFF my Pension, and your ass OUT THE DOOR.

Maybe when Gov. SonOfABitch (hey,it's easier to spell than Blagojevich!) is booted out of office, my State pension will be in better shape . . . we'll see . . .

Holiday Disaster

I read a blog by Travis Erwin, titled "One Word, One Rung, One Day". Travis is a writer, and a very good one, in my opinion. He also seems like a really nice guy.

Travis and his family had a disastrous end to their Holiday - - their house burned down to the ground over the weekend. He and his wife and sons are okay, thank goodness; no one was hurt. But, they are now homeless and have lost everything.

I'm keeping Travis and his family in my thoughts and prayers, and I encourage you to do the same.

Thanks.

All Good Things . . .

As with all good things, my (nearly) two-week Winter Break is coming to an end. I'm busily gathering things brought home from the office on Dec. 23rd to take back to work with me tomorrow.

It's going to be busy - - the boss and I will be hitting the ground running. The College will be starting the process of changing over to a different software program for online classes, and since I work in ONLINE LEARNING, well - - this means will be working my A$$ off for most of the coming year.

Here's hoping it all goes well - - I'll keep y'all posted.

"What Would Emma Do?"

Eileen Cook's new book should be released soon - - if it hasn't already (yeah, I'm STILL behind!) - - the press release for the book, as well as a link to purchase it, follows below:

What Would Emma Do?
Simon Pulse/ December 30, 2008
Thou shalt not kiss thy best friend’s boyfriend…again….

There is no greater sin than kissing you best friend’s boyfriend. So when Emma breaks that golden rule, she knows she’s messed up big-time. Especially since she lives in the smallest town ever, where everyone knows everything about everyone else….and especially because she maybe kinda wants to do it again. Now her best friend isn’t speaking to her, her best guy friend is making things totally weird, and Emma is running full speed toward certain social disaster. This is so not the way senior year was supposed to go.

Time to pray for a minor miracle. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s time for Emma to stop trying to please everyone around her, and figure out what she wants for herself.

What others are saying:

“Sassy and sly and sweet all at the same time, this book made me laugh out loud.” – Meg Cabot author of the Princess Diaries

“Not since Judy Blume’s Margaret introduced herself to God has there been such a funny, geuine, conflicted, wanna-be-sort-good-maybe-later girl as Emma. Eileen Cook’s tone as she takes on the big ones – life, love, faith and friendship is pitch perfect.” – Jacqueline Mitchard author of Deep End of the Ocean and Midnight Twins

“Smart and fun and full of heart.” – Sarah Mlynowski author of Bras and Broomsticks

About the Author:

Eileen Cook spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer. When she was unable to find any job postings for world famous author, she went to Michigan State University and became a counselor so she could at least afford her book buying habit. But real people have real problems, so she returned to writing because she liked having the ability to control the ending. Which is much harder with humans.

You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

Buy the Book HERE or at your favorite book seller.

Eileen a wonderful author - - you won't be disappointed, I promise!

Goodbye, 2008

2008 is FINALLY over and done with! And, not a moment too soon for me and my loved ones - - it's been quite a tough year in many, many ways!

• January started out with Dad having his first of 8 surgical procedures. Between all of them, he spent almost 7 months out of the year living with us while recuperating. We love having him here with us, but the poor dear missed his own home and just wanted to be back there, where he belonged. Finally, he was well enough to go back home, and is doing very well! There are still some residual effects from his last procedure, though - - still some numbness in his right hand, and trouble using two fingers on that hand - - but we are hopeful for a full recovery in the coming year.
• June saw me getting my Jeep wrecked, with myself and my nephew inside. We were rear-ended while stopped at a red light by a van going at least 35 MPH. There was over $4500 in damages to my Jeep, but fortunately no one was seriously hurt. After a couple of weeks of sore muscles and body aches, I am fine; my nephew is fine; both of the other drivers involved were not injured. And, my Jeep is all fixed up bright and shiny and looking good!
• July found me losing one of the best bosses I have ever had the privilege to work with. Due to unfortunate circumstances, he had to leave the College and go elsewhere. It was a very bad situation, and thinking about it, even now, makes me VERY angry. So, I won't.
• August found me taking MY turn with the Doctors, instead of Dad. I had a soft tissue mass removed from my right hand. It was larger than they expected, so instead of being off work 2-3 days, I was off work 10-11 days! It was a nice break, but - - I couldn't use my hand to do anything, which was so frustrating! But, the Vicodin took the edge off that! :-)
• September finally brought some very welcome GOOD news - - after 20 months on the market, we finally sold the other house - - FINALLY! Due to the poor housing market, we took a bit of a beating, but at least we are no longer stuck maintaining two places!
• December brought me a new boss, and from the looks of it, she is going to be great to work with. I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes.

Here is hoping 2009 is good for us, and also all of you as well!

Merry Christmas!

Enjoy!

BRRRR!!!!!

Today it is a whopping 4 degrees outside. FOUR WHOLE DEGREES.

The winds are gusting up to 36 MPH.

The wind chill is MINUS EIGHTEEN FREAKIN' DEGREES.

Now that's cold.

But, I'm learning a new skill that may come in handy for these cold winter months . . .

Forthe first time since I was a kid - - around 4th grade, I believe - - I am trying my darndest to learn how to knit. Why? Oh, I don't know, it just seemed like the thing to do at the time. Back then, I took knitting classes from a classmate's mom, and being an active child with the attention span of a gnat, never finished anything.

I don't know how it's going to go this time - - I still have this SERIOUS ADHD thing goin' on - - I can't seem to sit still long enough to get a lot done at one time. I hear people say they sat down one evening and knocked out a scarf in a couple of hours; well, I'll be lucky to finish one in a couple of months! After a few rows, I have to get up and DO something to keep from going a little crazy.

But, I am persistent if nothing else, so here is how I'm doing so far:



This is a scarf pattern I saw on Crazy Aunt Purl's blog, and it sounded pretty simple, so I decided to try it. My friend J (Knitter Extraordinaire) went to JoAnn's Fabrics with me, and she helped me pick out the yarn and the proper needles. This yarn is JoAnn's "Licorice" in black. It's a multi-textured yarn with a mix of black/white/gray, and the different textures give it a real funky, chunky feel.

And, it's oh-so-soft, and will feel yummy on blustery Illinois Winter days (like TODAY). It uses a straight knit stitch, which J showed me how to do, and is extra-wide, using 25 stitches across.

It's been slow going, but I'm getting there!

Finally! They Got Him!

They FINALLY got him:



At approximately 6 AM CST, FBI called Governor Rod Blagojevich's house and asked him to come to the door. He asked if they were joking; they were not.

What happened next? THIS:



He and his Chief of Staff, John Harris, have been arrested on Federal corruption charges.

Maybe the day has finally come when Gov. SON-OF-A-BITCH will get his . . .

Yup, it's been a GOOD day!

It's Holiday Bazaar Time! **UPDATE**

The Bazaar went great! In spite of the nasty weather, we had lots of business. I have more to tell, but right now we are busy clearing out the garage so we can actually PARK in it, and I won't have to scrape the windshield in the morning anymore . . . which will be a very, very good thing.

More later (and pictures, too).



My "Second Annual Holiday Bazaar" is tomorrow, and it's bigger and better than last year. We have 4 people involved in it this year, and have Holiday items galore - - baked goods, Avon, Stained Glass Ornaments, crafts . . . you name it, we probably got it!

Should be fun - - pictures will follow . . .

Wish us luck!

I. HATE. SNOW.

Very much so.

Yesterday we woke up, and the ground was covered with the first snowfall of the season. It wasn't too bad, though, because a lot of the grass was still showing through, and the driveway and roads were still clear. Hmmm - - not TOO bad, I guess. I can handle this.

BUT - -

This morning I got up, and everything was covered. COVERED. And, the wind had kick up, with gusts up to 30 MPH. Blowing and drifting everywhere. Slip-sliding into work this morning. Drifts all across the roads at lunchtime (thank goodness for 4-wheel drive!).

I am NOT ready for this! But then, I never am.

Mother Nature, you can bring Spring back any time now!

Please?

I Can't Make This Stuff Up...

Today Mr. Dizzy and I went to Rural King for their Thanksgiving Day sale. There were a couple of things he saw in the sales flyer he wanted to check out, so we got up early and got there shortly after they opened at 7 AM.

One item of interest was a Black & Decker Table Saw, with stand, on sale for about half of what they normally cost. It seemed like a good one to him, so he loaded the (very BIG) box across the top of our cart, and headed to the checkout.

Once the cashier got him all checked out, we headed to the exit with the very awkward load balanced across the top of the cart. As Mr. Dizzy headed out the door, the security alarm was set off. As you know, those things get quite a bit of attention from people - - every customer in checkout, and all the cashiers, turned to look. As he started to back the cart out of the doorway, our cashier yelled (from quite a distance, so EVERYONE heard this): "Go ahead, it's just your BIG TOOL."

Yes, she said that. I thought I was gonna die laughing.

That is, until about halfway through the parking lot, and then it hit me . . . "How does SHE know you have a big tool????"

He just smirked and didn't say a word....

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Heh.

Finally Got It Working!

I got the card reader working, thanks to one of our Tech Gurus at the College, so here are some pics of the masterpiece in progress!

Here it is from last Thursday - - steps are gone, shrubs are torn out, sidewalk is gone:


TODAY - - Concrete footing is poured, blocks are placed:


The workers won't be back now until next week. The concrete all needs a chance to set up, and with the Thanksgiving holidays, it will be Monday before they do any more. We are hoping it will be finished up by the end of next week.

I'll keep posting as things progress!
It's slow going, but it is going to be WONDERFUL when it's finished!

Progress

The porch is coming along nicely! These guys get here VERY early in the morning, though. I am off work this week, preparing for Thanksgiving, and also my 2nd Annual Holiday Bazaar next weekend (more on THAT later!), but I need to make sure I am up and showered and dressed very early, because they are here right at daybreak! I want to be "decent" in case one of them has questions.

I have taken some pictures so I can track progress on the construction, but - - *sigh* - - my card reader on my printer has decided it does not want to work! So I cannot download my pics from my camera at the moment . . . hopefully that will change soon. I may have to callthe College and ask our Tech guys some questions and see what can be done. If it's not one damn thing, it's another . . . I will try to get the pictures posted soon!

Exciting Stuff!

We are getting a front porch built on our house!

They were going to start next week, but contacted us to see if they could start earlier, and we said that would be great! I was getting ready for work this morning, and noticed the contractors were already parked in the driveway.

I will post pictures soon!

Sometimes I Hate My ISP **UPDATE**

A-HA!

SO! In spite of the fact that our ISP insisted (yes, they DID!) that the problem was NOT their equipment and was on OUR END . . .

They were WRONG!

Mr. Dizzy just called and told me their serviceman was up on our roof replacing the receiver, which had gone bad.

YES!


Our Internet connections has been down for almost a week now.

Our ISP says their system shows it's coming in to our house.

It's not reaching either one of our computers.

Our ISP says it's our router.

We unplugged our router, hooked up one of our computers directly into their box. STILL nothing.

SO - - they are coming out "sometime this afternoon" to look at it. (Yeah, thanks for the consideration of MY time and MY work schedule!)

*sigh*

Hopefully I will be back online this evening and can get the post I've been working on put up on this here blog!

Keep your fingers crossed . . .

Yes, I Did!

And I hope you did, too.

The Importance of Voting

I have been doing a lot of reading lately about Alice Paul, one of the leaders of the Women's Suffrage Movement. Alice and many of her peers worked tirelessly to win women the right to vote. Many Suffrage members were arrested, thrown in jail, and tortured. All because they wanted to be considered full citizens and have the right to vote.

Tomorrow is Election Day. Women have people like Alice Paul to thank for the right to vote. Will I be at the polls tomorrow? You bet - - bright and early before heading to work. I will wear my "I Voted" sticker proudly all day.

I don't care which party, or which candidate you are hoping wins this election.

What I DO care about is that you GET.OUT.THERE.AND.VOTE!!!