Do You Feel Lucky, Punk? Well, Do You?

Time for my super special Choose and Defend Wednesday that will involve fabulous prizes!  Okay, one prize, but still fabulous... or at least pleasant.  We played this game last year...refresh your memory HERE if you like.  I'll wait.  You can see by my side bar that it is that time again.  Dancing with the Stars!  A show that seems to get pretty high ratings, but that apparently I alone will admit to watching.   Anyway, you don't have to watch to play along with my leetle game.  All you have to do is peruse the following list of celebrity dancers and stand up for your favorite.  Base it on anything you want!  Last year, Ananda Girl won a $25 Target gift card by following her heart and going with Donny Osmond :-)  Wouldn't you like to have an extra $25 to spend?  Sure you would.   So, please play.  Choose.  If you have a reason, let's hear it!  I don't care how ridonkulous it is.  And here are this year's choices:

Soap Star Aiden Turner

Legendary Astronaut Buzz Aldrin

NFL Star Chad Ochocinco

ESPN Host Erin Andrews

Olympic Skating Champion Evan Lysachek

Bachelor Star Jake Pavelaka

                                                     

TLC Star Kate Gosselin

Pop Star Nicole Scherzinger

Comedienne and Host Niecy Nash

Actress and Model Pamela Anderson

And there you have it...ten, count them, ten choices!  Who do you Choose to win this season's DwtS?  Choose and Defend and maybe even Win!

PS - Thanks to AlienCG for making a preemptive choice :-)  You're awesome.

Bears and Other Animals

My two most recent Sebastien wear acquisitions...The Rescue and Circus Bear.  Bringing joy to the kids of APL one bear at a time...

Happy Monday!  Is that one of them there oxymoronic phrases?  Perhaps.  But I'm going to go with it, as I am feeling saucy today.  I had a really good weekend and am looking forward, with my usual wacky optimism, to a good week.

DR came over Friday evening and stayed until he had to go to work Sunday morning, so that was excellent.  We just hung out watching tv and periodically discussing what to eat.  What do you want?  I don't care, you pick.  I don't care either, you pick.  Endless fun.  haha!  We did venture out for lunch on Saturday with Girlie Girl, Kick Back Dude and Little Prince.  Pad Thai, yum.   

When I checked the mail on Saturday, I was surprised to find a refund check for my state taxes.  I guess I have paid off what I owe and am now actually entitled to money back again...it was rather exciting.  Mostly I am thinking how I will be able to pay my auto insurance this time around without the usual handwringing and sacrifices.  

On Sunday, Girlie Girl and I went to the mall (I like Churlita's spelling...maul!)  Girlie Girl loves to shop, I don't.  She really does not ask me for much though, so off we went.  She was able to find these capris she needed and we rewarded ourselves with those soft, crispy, but doughy pretzels.  For someone like me, that pretty much made my outting.   

The only dark spot on the weekend was a midnight phone call from WTG on Saturday night.  He'd had some sort of argument with Secret Agent Man (who still lives at home, but at 23 should probably really  consider the benefits of a couple of roommates and his own place).  Anyway, whenever WTG has some problem with one of the kids, he likes to make sure and call me so that I can be included in the fun and receive my share of the blame for whatever issue is being covered.  It never grows old.  (Liar!  It is totally old, but what can I do?)  I take the calls, try to be reasonable, and try not to internalize the criticisms. 

But let me not end on that damp note.  It didn't do much for me, but all in all it was a pleasant weekend, with great weather and wonderful company.  I hope you all had a good weekend as well and are moving into April with a "spring" in your step.  har har har...  I slay me, really. 

 

This Musical Message is For When the Morning Comes

Friday 5 - Sleep

Behold the Library Hamster's newest incarnation.  Joining him, please welcome the Aflac Duck.

As most of us would at least claim to be sleep deprived, I thought today's Friday 5 was a perfect end of the week exercise.   Friday 5 is fun and cool and allows you to post something with miraculous ease, so you should totally do it.  Or comment on it.  It's cool, I tells ya!  Cool!

1.How many hours’ sleep do you need in order to be at your best, and what’s the minimum you can get on a regular basis and still be functional?  I'd say that ideally I'd be getting a good seven hours of sleep each and every night.  Maybe even eight, but lets not get crazy.  I regularly get more like five or six and it is fine for a while.  Then I usually have that day where I am noticeably dazed and I pass out by 9 or 10 pm without being able to do a thing about it. 

2.What’s your favorite sleeping position?  I like to lay on my right side and spoooooon. 

3.What was the cause of your most recent difficulty sleeping? I so rarely have difficulty sleeping.  I did wake up extra early this past Monday and couldn't get back to sleep.  I think I'd just had a very vivid dream or something.  But usually even when I'm upset I can put myself to sleep.

4.When you can’t seem to drift off to sleep right away, what are some things you do to bring about sleep?  If I don't feel sleepy enough, I usually just read until I do.  Sometimes, doing something to um, physically relax myself, lets say, can help.  It is strictly theraputic.

5.When did you last doze off at an inappropriate time or in an inappropriate place?  I honestly can't think of a time I've dozed off in public or anything like that.   I often doze off on the couch when DR is over having one of his all night tv watching sessions, but I think that is appropriate!  Who can stay up past 1 or 2 am watching tv?  Not me apparently.

Thanks for participating, and have a restful weekend!

Happy Birthday, Ms. Eclectic Spaghetti!

Happy Birthday to you!  Happy Birthday to you!  Happy Birthday, dear Tara!  Happy Birthday toooo yoooouuuu!  And many more....

A cake for the hostest with the mostest!  Have a wonderful birthday, Tara T-riffic!

I'm Gonna Make You a Star!

Choose and Defend Wednesday is here and as we are all so fabulous, as evidence by the praise heaped upon us by others (see my last post), I thought we deserved fame!  Or at least to get next to fame.  You know the game, right?  Choose and then Defend your choice.  Don't be afraid to be forceful...I kind of like that :-) 

Would you rather...

Spend the Weekend with Your Favorite Celebrity

OR

Have a Memorable Speaking Role in a Big Budget Movie

Tell it like it is.  Choose and Defend.  Go!

But Wait! There's More!

The girls working their kissy faces.

I have had a busy couple of days here at work.  The beginning of the week tends to be like that lately.  But I wanted to do a quick post here, because I feel somewhat deprived when I don't!  Not that I have much to say, so this will be brief...hold your applause please...

In brief: 

Great weekend.  A day with DR and a day just cooling my jets.  The more time I spend with DR, the more I love him.  Guess it is a good thing our time is somewhat limited or I'd probably be in way over my head :-)

So far, a fine, productive work week.  I had my annual review and it was very complimentary.  It doesn't cost anyone a thing, but it is great for morale.  I really did feel appreciated as my supervisor spoke to me about the work I do.  It's a great feeling.

Tomorrow...Choose and Defend.  Be there or be ska-where!

Hey, tell me something really nice that your boss said to you recently.  If you don't have an outside the house job, tell me something nice that anyone said to you recently!  Let's all get our boast on, shall we?

Five Year Bloggiversary

 Five years!  Really?!?!?!  I know I used this super attractive picture before, but it seemed ideal for some reason.

 I just realized that I recently passed my Five Year Bloggiversary.  It was actually last Tuesday, the 16th.  Wow.  Five years here at What Fresh Hell is This?!  Of course for the first four-ish years it was My Boring Life...but it was definitely the same blog.  Here is a link to my first blog entry.  After that, I didn't post again for a couple of months...not the most auspicious start, but no one can say I don't have staying power!  I love blogging and I love all the people I've met through blogging.  Thanks for being so awesome you guys.  ♥♥♥

This Musical Message is For So Many Colors You Make a Blind Man Confused

You May Already Be a Winner

Many, many thanks to the lovely Crazy4Coens over at Raising Sunny for this awesome award!  C4C, I know you have an actual life, but I sure do look forward to the times you are able to blog and visit.  Thank you!!! 

Now I have the chance to pass this award on to some other blogging friends.  And the winners are...

Tara at Eclectic Spaghetti!  Yay!  Tara was one of the first people to ever visit my blog and comment.  Right away, I spotted a kindred spirit.  Thanks for being such a great friend, Tara.  xx

Alien CoffeeGround at Swamp Gas & Moonlit Reflections!  Woo hoo!  I met Alien through Tara too...they are both Ohioanian bloggers :-)  Alien has become a great friend to me and I am glad every day that I've gotten a chance to know him.  Thanks for everything, Alien.  OX

Sebastien at Chronically Sick, But Still Thinking (I Think)!  I am pretty sure I met Sebastien through Tara too...sensing a pattern?  (Yeah, I totally owe you, Tara!)  Sebastien is a talented artist with a dark, tormented soul.  He always makes me laugh and we both love bears.  Here's to you, Sebastien.  *bear hugs*

Now, instructions...when nominated, you are supposed to paste the award on to your post, cite the nominator - hot link, nominate others and hot link them, too.   Also, you may want to drop the winners a comment so that they can come to your blog and bask in the glory.  (Sorry, there is always a bit of work that goes along with recognition...I'm counting on you guys!  Um, no pressure.)
 
This was great!  Thanks again, C4C!  Made my day.  My week, even!

Laura Needs a Lift

I am having one of those days where I have to monitor my feelings.  I repeat to myself that what I am experiencing is more a symptom of physical and emotional tiredness than anything else.   When I get like this I feel a lot of self-loathing.  Of course, that is unpleasant and as this post proves, not only for me.  I am willing to share the angst.  On a day like today,  I think of everything I don't like about my life at the moment, then I go on to think about how, really, I deserve every one of those things.  It can become quite the pity party, I assure you. 

Anyway, sorry, but as the title says, laura needs a lift.  You can help!  Well, probably a lot of you already have, since after I finish this, I am going to go around reading your blogs...so thanks in advance for that!  But, if you can find it in your heart to tell me a joke or something in comments...well, that would be awesome.  Thanks in advance for that, too :-)  

Kiss Me, I'm Irish!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you, my little ashy Angelas and Anguseseses!  It is Choose and Defend Wednesday, as well as being St. Patrick's Day, so I thought I'd try and combine the two celebrations into one big bar brawl.   Let's have it all out here and now....What is your favorite Irish export?

Is it...

Riverdancing

OR

U2

As always, I ask you to make a choice between two things...Choose.  Next, I ask you to tell me why you'd do such a thing....Defend.  If you like, you can go on to talk about the Irish export you REALLY prefer that is NOT one of these two things....but only after you Choose and Defend.  Ready?  GO!  I mean Erin GO Braugh!

Tuesday News Day

Some office toadstools that must have sprung up during the last rain...

Here's all the news that's fit to print.

• Yesterday WTG lost his job.  It didn't wander off or anything...he was fired.  I haven't heard anything about it from him, but it has been filtered to me through the family.  I hope for his sake he has something else on the back burner.  As we all know, it is a terrible time to be out of work.
• This morning, I was rudely awakened at 4 am by a couple of nice big jolts.  I just laid there and then I heard Girlie Girl asking me if I felt that.  I went to her room to talk with her and make sure there wasn't more to come.  I heard my phone start pinging with Facebook messages...it kind of made me laugh.  It was just a little 4.4....not the big one just yet :-)
• Seems like everyone is mildly sick.  Just irritated...stuffy noses and such.  Not me though.  Yet.  Think healthy thoughts for me, please.
• Milly gave me a bottle of Guinness draught, to properly celebrate St. Patrick's Day tomorrow.  I guess I will have to get her some corned beef and cabbage or something...or maybe just more Guinness.  I love St. Patrick's Day!   

I hope all of your news is good news.  Come on, tell me something good!

Weekends Travel at the Speed of Light

DR took this very cute picture.  Like me, Little Prince carbo loaded, but did not run the next day :-)

Turned out to be a really nice weekend.  Friday night featured the Big Eat.  We had spaghetti, bread, and salad.  Some of us had no right to be carbo loading. (And given that the race was a 5k, some would say NONE of us had the right to be carbo loading.)  But it was still a good meal.  The Kick Back Dude family was there, plus DR, Girlie Girl, and Handsome Lad.  After dinner some of us viewed Without Limits, some worked on their KenKen, and some just jumped off of beds and made lots of noise.  Of course the awful man from downstairs had to come up and complain, but I was in no mood.  I called him on his very loud TV watching almost nightly and he made some sort of threat about really watching it loudly.  Yeah, right.  Anyway, I think he can put up with a little extra noise every so often.  I mean, when he came up it was only 8 pm...on a Friday night!  Um, but other than that, the night was good.

Saturday, the kids went off to their run.  I had thought I might go, but WTG decided to go.  I decided that would be a good reason for me to just stay in bed with DR.  Anyway, everyone had a great time at the run.  It was Handsome Lad's first event and he loved it.  He, Kick Back Dude, and Secret Agent Man are planning to do another run in a couple of weeks.  I love that they're doing something healthy together.  Brothers in that family tree have traditionally been close, but the older generation focused their energies on the drink...not so healthy. 

Saturday night, DR and I went to see Alice in Wonderland.  It was so cool  to see in 3D.  It was pretty amazing to look at and the actors were all very good.   I was somewhat disappointed in certain aspects of the movie.  It lost something of the cleverness of language in this telling and the situations were more like a typical action movie than an imaginative adventure.  I am probably not explaining that just right.  I do recommend it, because it was enjoyable...I guess I was just looking for something more clever between Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton.  

Sunday was a quiet day.  DR had to work, so I just used the day to catch up on my laundry and do some reading.   The time change, either direction, always makes for a weird day, and losing an hour is the worst!   I do love Daylight Savings Time, though.  It is great to still have sunlight when I get off work at 6.  But it does take some getting used to.  The kids were with their dad for most of the day.  In the evening, some of us went out and had Chinese food.  We have this one place we go to quite often and I imagine the people there just cringing when they see us coming in with the babies...they do make a mess.  But they are always very kind to us and the food is delicious and I guess that is why we keep going back.

I hope you had a good weekend too.  It certainly makes the prospect of the working week more manageable.   Here's to a great week for all of us!  Oh, and beware the Ides of March!  Darn Ides... 

This Musical Message is For a Cheap Line in Fantasy

Friday 5 - Deadlines

Time once again for the Friday 5!  Already I can tell that my weekend is going to be unpredicatable, so there is something comforting in the topic for today....deadlines.  Nothing more predictable than those, right?  As always, I invite you to play along in your blog or in comments :-)

1.When was the last time you had a serious deadline to make, and did you make it?  Like most people, my workdays tend to be made up of a series of deadlines.  This week, one of them was to create a list of goals for myself for the coming year.  My boss wanted it by tomorrow (Saturday), and I was able to get it to her yesterday (Thursday).  I emailed the list to her with the subject line: Gooooaaaalllssss!  I wanted to create a little excitment and I'm pretty sure she appreciated it.

2.Do you generally plan for deadlines, or are they more likely to sneak up on you until you’re frantic?  I generally plan for deadlines, although of course now and then I am caught out.  Even then, though, I try not to get frantic.  It is worse than useless.  Be prepared.

3.When did you last set a deadline for someone else, and did that person make it?  I don't generally have reasons to set deadlines.  Well, sort of.  I do the publicity for the dept. so I will ask to have information from people and if they don't meet the deadline for getting that to me, I just make something up.  So, they are pretty cooperative. 

4.How flexible and understanding are you when it comes to other people meeting your deadlines?  You will seldom meet anyone more flexible or understanding than me.  I think that is mostly due to the fact that I'm not paid enough to care that deeply :-)

5.What were the circumstances the last time you hung up on someone in the middle of a phone call, or the last time someone hung up on you in the middle of a phone call?  I am assuming we're speaking of purposeful hang ups.  I will say that I so, so, so rarely do that.  I mean, that tends to happen in a fighting situation and I dislike not resolving things, so I tend to hang in there doggedly arguing my point, waiting to see what will happen next.   I'm sure the last person to hang up on me would have been WTG.  He's a good one for that.  Still, it has probably been about three months or so.  Progress!

Alright!  So, I hope you all have a fun, relaxing weekend with no looming deadlines.  I don't know if you remember, but tonight was supposed to be a date night for DR and I.  Instead, we are hosting a Carb Load Dinner and Movie Night (Without Limits) to get Kick Back Dude, Princess Diva, and Handsome Lad in the right mood for their 5K tomorrow.   Luckily, it doesn't matter that much what I am doing when I get to do it with DR.  I know it will be fun.

However Far Away, I Will Always Love You

It is 311 day.  My son, Social Animal, has loved this band for years.  Right now he is in Vegas, finally seeing them on 3-11, when they always do a monster show...like 5 hours.  Every second year, since 2000, they have done a big show in New Orleans on 3-11.  This year they moved it to Las Vegas, so Social Animal saw his chance and took it! 

I like 311 too.  I mean, they are pretty 420 oriented, but they also have a lot of positive messages about unity and peace and love and stuff like that. 

So, I know Social Animal is having fun...I hope you are too, whatever you're doing today!  Now, onward to Pi Day!!!

I'll See You On the Dark Side of the Stairway to Heaven

If you don't know about Alien Coffeeground's all Pink Floyd week, you should stop in at his blog and check it out.  In honor of Pink Floyd week, I thought I'd include them in this week's Choose and Defend Wednesday!  I did my best to come up with some other band that it could be considered fair to contrast or compare them to.  See those words...I did my best.   I'm sure there may be some other band that would have been somehow a more meaningful comparison, but I don't reckon I'm no rock n' roll expert, mang!   I figured, both British, huge, same time frame-ish.  Made sense to me.  Anyway,  here you have it and you know the way it goes, right?  You can only pick one of these two things.  The choice is between these two and a rousing defense of your choice is always highly appreciated!  So...what will it be, you crazy diamonds, you fools in the rain....

Pink Floyd

OR

Led Zeppelin

Let's hear it...Choose and Defend!

If You Show, I'll Tell!

Hey, did you know that today is Show and Tell Appreciation Day?  It is, if you are a follower of the Eclectic Calendar...as, of course, all the coolest people are :-)  I'm afraid I don't have much to show you....let's see...well, here:  I will show you Handsome Lad's favorite way to train for his upcoming 5k -

Yeah, I would have to agree that reading about Steve Prefontaine is bound to improve your skills and your motivation :-)  We were over at Kick Back Dude's house and he borrowed that book.  KBD has been running since he was just a little guy.  He doesn't have as much time now to devote to it, but he is still very good.  Handsome Lad is getting into it and it is nice for the two of them to have a common interest.  This Saturday, they are supposed to do a fun run together...should be interesting. 

In other "sharing" news, I had a very quiet Sunday.  I swear, I barely moved off the couch.  It felt kind of good, but I do experience some guilt...well, not much.  Work has been so insane lately.  Being understaffed is seriously catching up with us.  Also, as much as I truly like my supervisor, she can be a bit ditzy with the scheduling and planning for things.  It can make each day a little challenging.  I am hoping that when our new person is finally on board, within the next few weeks, I can start to feel less crazed and less pulled in too many directions.  For now, I am just going to get through this week as productively as possible and look forward to the weekend.  DR is coming over Friday evening.  We are planning to go out to dinner and a movie (Alice in Wonderland).  A real little date night!  It should be a really nice weekend...so as they say, I am keeping my eyes on the prize :-)  

Anything you want to show and/or tell? 

This Musical Message is For Touching Nothing's All I Ever Do

Who Says Soccer Isn't Big in the States?

WTG sent me this picture from a soccer game he was at the other night at the Rose Bowl.  Huge crowd!  And the mariachi band made me laugh a little.  But of course the game was Mexico vs New Zealand.  I'm not sure how much support New Zealand had...

Friday 5 - Staples

Having myself a nice, relaxing Friday off work.  (This requires that I don't think about what tomorrow, a Saturday at work, will be like.)  So I'm considering my taxes, doing some laundry, and posting Friday 5!  Yeah, that's how we roll up in here.  Um-hm  So, anyway, feel free to participate on your blog or in comments.  Knowing about your staples feels important to me! 

1. Of all the hundreds of sizes and shapes bread seems to come in, what is your favorite?  This is a tough one, because I really like bread...all kinds of bread.  I think I will go with squaw bread.  It is so nice and dense and a little sweet.  I get this tuna sandwich, where the tuna is mixed with yogurt, no relish in it, on squaw bread.  It is the most delicious thing ever. 

2. What’s your favorite thing to eat with rice?  Also a tough one, because virtually everything can be eaten with rice.  Well, bread and rice is a bit much....but anyway, my choice is going to be lemon chicken.  Put the lemon chicken on top of the rice and let that lemon glaze get all in there....mmmmm.  It is the most delicious thing ever.

3.What are your feelings about milk?  I've always liked milk.  My parents never had trouble getting me to drink my milk.  I notice milk seems to engender strong feelings for some reason.  Also they type of milk you drink seems to incite strong opinions.  At home, we keep non-fat.  I worked my way down to that over the years, so don't think I entered into a compact with the watery milk lightly.  But now I like it just fine.  I like soy milk too.  But any milk, unless it is the base of a soup or hot beverage, had better be ICE cold. Then it is the most delicious thing ever.

4. What was wrapped in the tortilla you most recently ate?  I had some El Pollo Loco with my mom yesterday at lunchtime.  So, the last thing I had in a tortilla was chicken, lettuce, salsa, and cheese.  Chicken soft tacos.  It was the most delicious thing ever.  Uh-oh.  I believe I may have repeated myself a bit here.  haha!  It is insane how hungry I am getting doing this Friday 5.

5. How many staplers are there in your house and where are they?  Ah!  A non-food one, at last :-)  I have one small stapler in my house and it lives in the little desk drawer in the livingroom.  That was easy! 
Uh-oh...no wait, I just inadvertently lied.  I thought - oh, I can go take a picture of my stapler for the post - and the stapler is not there.  Hm.  So it is somewhere else...or possibly I now have zero staplers in my house.  Here is all that remains of the once proud stapler...

 

The lonely staples and the staple remover.  Where is their good friend stapler???

Thanks for participating, and may your weekend be warm and fluffy, dipped in milk, sugar, and eggs, and fried on a griddle!

For Your Viewing Pleasure

Okay, this one might be a little more for the ladies :-)  Please enjoy my photo essay of yesterday's Read Across America event featuring some of Arcadia's cutest fire fighters.  And do not be skeeved out that I am saying this even though two of them were probably young enough to be my sons...I just mean cute like, aw cute! 

Me, starting the event.  Not cute.  But cute shirt, yes?  It is a Sebastien bear...he says, "My head is on fire...and I kind of like it."

Fire Captain Tom saying hello to the lovely little children and their parents.

Fire Fighter Chen reading a Clifford book.  Did you know Clifford fought a fire once?  It's true!

Engineer Rick considering a book.  Will this be the one to hold the attention of 40 toddlers / preschoolers?

Everyone loved seeing the fire engine up close and personal. 

Fire Fighter Chen modeling their gear, Engineer Rick, just modeling.

I hope you enjoyed these special storytime photos.  It is a rough job, but someone has to do it. 

We Will, We Will Rock You!

You can tell by the title of this post that there is a sporting event going on, can't you?  Of course!  For today's Choose and Defend Wednesday, I thought we could stick with amusements, re the heated Card vs Board games debate from last week :-)  So, here we are at a big sporting event.  For the purposes of Choose and Defend, we are going to consider the three sports that are considered very popular and also somewhat uniquely American.  Hey, I have to narrow these things down somehow.  Now, your favorite sport may not appear here.  Mine does not.  However, if forced to Choose (and of course you absolutely are) which of these sports do you prefer...and why?  Let us feel that Defense!

Baseball

Basketball

OR

Football

The battle lines have been drawn.  Choose and Defend!

Listen. It Will Only Hurt for a Minute.

Here is Little Prince.  He'd been drinking water from a cup.  It is quite the ordeal :-)  I believe that he is preparing to put on some sunglasses.  Every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man.

Just wanted to do a quick post, as I am feeling rather overwhelmed at the moment...I know, what's new?  Anyway, bulletpoints instead of coherant thoughts work for you all, right?  Excellent.

• I did have a nice quiet weekend.  DR was over on Saturday. He now has a job (yay!) that includes working every Sunday.  Unfortunately, that means we can only really get together every other weekend...the ones where I don't work Saturday.  I'm sure we'll get used to working around this new schedule and I'm extremely happy for him to have found a job.
•  Due to the quiet weekend, I returned to week feeling refreshed and optimistic.  Lately, though, I have felt very stretched here.  Lots of desk hours, and this month there are so many programs going on.  It isn't like I am responsible for them all, but I am responsible for the fliers and posters to advertise them.  And several of them are actually fully my responsibility to plan and present.  I LOVE programming, but there is a LOT going on at the moment.
•   We are also feeling a lot of pressure regarding preparations for the Summer Reading Program.  My old boss gives everyone the feeling that she doesn't quite trust my new boss to be on top of things.  I am in that situation again, where I have two people telling me their side of things and I just keep mentioning that they might want to have a little sit down and work all this stuff out.  I AM NOT THE ONE YOU NEED TO BE TELLING!
• One work thing that has me excited, though, is tomorrow's program.  It is time for the Fire Fighters to come by again to read stories and show off their fire engines.  Fire Fighters.  *sigh*  Pictures to come :-)  Also tomorrow...Choose and Defend!  Make sure you come by and participate in whatever burning question is presented this week!
• Fortunately, where I am not feeling any pressure is at home.  All quiet on the home front.  There have been no crisis to manage, the kids are doing what they should be doing, everyone who needs a job has a job, no one is ill...well WTG is having issues, but I believe he is attending to them.  I am staying out of that as best I can.  Anyway, although work makes me feel a little crazed most days, at least I can go home and count on some level of peace.  I'm grateful.

There!  The blah blah is blahed.  Thanks for the indulgence.  You're awesome, don't change a thing!

Written World Blogathon

The sun was edging on the horizon, peaking through silver slits of clouds. She sat there watching, waiting for the end of days. On this day she had wished for a fresh new start. Oblivious to what was really happening to her. She couldn’t shake that feeling of being watched. She didn’t know who or why, but she felt it.*

She looked over her shoulder, but saw nobody there. The feeling stayed with her as she got up and start to walk back toward the house. A rustling in the bushes caught her attention as she nervously peered in, squinting to see who or what was there. A squirrel ran out and toward the large oak tree. She jumped, but knew that wasn’t what made the noise. She looked in again and said in a low-pitched squeak, ‘Hello?’**


There was no reply. She didn’t really think she’d get one, but it was worth a shot. The only way to really know what was back there, was to suck it up and take a second, better look. This time, she carefully separated the branches to be able to see better in the back of the bushes. At first it just looked like a large rock, but then she saw the two thin arms, bent and reaching up to cover his head. It was a young boy, curled up in the fetal position, and trying to make himself disappear.***

During such strange times, she expected to wake up and realize she was just dreaming. At this moment, however, she realized this was all too real. Her head started to get tight, her heart hammered threateningly. She couldn’t run away from this scene, not with a child lying helplessly at her feet. She carefully knelt down, took the wool scarf from around her neck and quickly wrapped up the child, sheltering him from the cold, bitter wind that had suddenly whipped through the trees. She cradled and comforted the boy in her arms and stood up. Just inches behind where she stood, a thick branch snapped. ****

She gasped and instinctively clutched at the child more tightly.  She froze, waiting.  She could feel the boy trembling in her arms, his eyes still shut tightly against whatever was happening to him.  Finally, when  no other sounds disturbed the uneasy peace of the morning , she stepped quickly onto her porch and opened her front door awkwardly.  She had been raised in a group home and had helped to care for many, many younger children over the years.  Thinking back to what had been comforting, she settled herself in the old wooden rocker she'd found set out at someone's curb and began to rock slowly and steadily, humming almost under her breath to the small boy huddled miserably against her.*****

So that is our story thus far...
* Mrs. Hairy Woman
**Alien CoffeeGround
***Churlita
****Tara
*****laura b.

No Regrets...would you like to write the next paragraph?  Thanks for considering.  :-)