How You Hear A Message

by Dianne_in_Denver

"Nana, now don't freak out (in a crying dramatic voice) but mom and dad are taking me to a doctor in Mexico because something awful happened to me in the ocean."

A month ago my daughter and family went on a vacation to Cabo and this was a message I received on my cell phone one afternoon. I will be the first to admit that I "freaked out" when I heard this sobbing scared voice of my 11 year old granddaughter. I will also admit (only to you owls) that my imagination went wild. How serious it must be for my daughter to be out combing the streets of Mexico looking for a doctor; I knew she was alive but did a shark bite her; she wasn't even crazy about the ocean..what could have happened?

Needless to say, I instantly called and thank goodness she answered and was still whimpering. In my best freak out voice I asked her what happened. She said to me, "Nana, I told you not to freak out." As the conversation continued, she told me the doctor was at the resort they were staying at (one worry gone-kind of) and that a jelly fish had stung her arm. She had stripes going into her hand and it was hurting really bad. I was relieved to know that it wasn't a shark and that her body parts were still attached and that the doctor had already ordered two prescriptions for her. She said that in that message she had ended it with the part about the jelly fish. I still don't think she did, but regardless, this Nana didn't hear it. My daughter said that when the ambulance/cart was taking them to the doctor, my granddaughter was looking for the phone and my daughter asked her what the heck she wanted the phone for right at that moment. My granddaughter said, "to call Nana." This is my first grandchild and she knows my sympathy is always on her side with mom and dad, sister, and yes...even the ocean. Oh, one more thing....she is NEVER going into the ocean again!

My five grandchildren are the heart of me and to think something had happened made my heart stop until I was able to return this phone call.

Have any of you ever received a voice message, email, note, whatever, that "freaked you out" before you knew the whole story? I would love to hear any stories or even comments.

Meanings in a Song

by Bebbi

I love this song so much! I have Regina Spektor’s cd and for some reason this song just really is uplifting. I play it on my short ride to work every morning. The second part when she sings, “Outside the cars are beeping….” Really touches my soul. What do you think it means? I would love to know everyone opinions. She has a lot of cool songs and the meanings to them intrigue me.

Thanks and I hope you enjoy this.




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Food for Thought?

by Maureen

As Thanksgiving has come to pass, all the talk of food has gotten me thinking of food and food stories! Have you ever done something disastrous...or embarrassing concerning food preparation or the serving of it?

I like to think of myself as a good cook. I like to experiment with different things. And I hate to measure! I may concoct something incredible but I never know how much of what I used to recreate it!

When I first started cooking and entertaining with dinner parties, I wasn't a smart cook. I cooked for my mom and brother growing up while my mom worked, but it was never fancy for entertaining food.

I had decided to invite my boyfriend and another couple to dinner. I wanted to make beef stroganoff. I don't know why, but that was what I decided on. The recipe said to brown the meat on all sides. In my infinite wisdom and lack of skill, I cubed the meat and then browned it...one piece at a time! I wanted each piece to be perfectly browned! Needless to say, that took FOREVER!! But, I must admit when all was said and done it was DELICIOUS!

Another time, I decided to make lasagna. I made my own sauce and then moved on to the lasagna noodles. Well, I didn't have a stock pot or pot big enough so I boiled EACH FRICKIN NOODLE...one at a time!! I told you I wasn't a smart cook! It was good and got rave reviews but it was exhausting!

As I mentioned, I don't like to waste time measuring. That could be why I don't bake. I am not a good baker, so that is why I don't do it. I suppose if I did it more I would get better at it.

I was dating this guy in California and his favorite food was brownies. Being the kind person I am ;), I decided to bake him brownies...from scratch. BIG ASS MISTAKE! Let me just cut to the chase...the brownies came out like a roofing shingle. And bitter! It was nearly impossible to get them out of the pan! My boyfriend, bless his heart, tried to eat them. He really tried! Tried dunking them...no help! I finally told him to give it up and admit it was a ginormous failure! I had to fill the pan with water and then put it back in the oven to soften them up enough to get them out of the pan to wash it!! It turns out I didn't put in enough flour, not enough sugar either!

I have more disasters, but I would rather hear yours! Put your stories on a lovely platter and add them to the blog buffet!

~ Twisted Black Friday ~

by Tina~in_ut

Black Friday is all about getting up at the butt-crack of dawn to get the best deals….for some people! For me, it usually means getting up about 12noon, leisurely showering, and maybe, just maybe, heading out at about 2pm. Hubby and I will shop some, eat, maybe see a movie, eat, and shop. The crowds aren’t as bad then and we get a lot done.

This year my mindset is different and I can’t figure out why. I have no idea what I want to get anyone, except for the hubby. On Tuesday, the Robert’s Crafts and Michael’s ads came to my house. They have turned me into a crazy person! (shut up, all of you!) Michael’s is open on Thanksgiving night from 5pm-9pm and they have Cricut cartridges on sale. Robert’s has them on sale on Friday morning from 6am-11am. Both stores have the new Gypsy on sale!!! Janice and I have been plotting our strategy. In between calls at work, we have our ads open on our desks trying to figure out what we “need” and where we’ll go first. Our “dream” scenario is for her to leave work and come to my house on Thursday (and tell her husband that she is still stuck at work!). We would need to be at Michael’s by 4:30pm. We’d bring my daughter with us cuz she’s tiny and can squeeze in between all the women jockeying for the good deals. There are two Robert’s by my house so Janice can spend the night (still telling hubby that she’s stuck at work!) and we can hit both stores in the morning!!! My hubby will just be told that Janice has left her husband and needs a place to stay….and I’m taking her to therapy! He doesn’t need to know it’s retail therapy!~

Realistically though, I’ll beg my hubby to let me out of the house on Thursday to go to Michael’s and I’ll text Janice to see if what I have found is what she wants cuz she has a long drive after work to go see her dad and can’t shop! I hate when the real world gets in the way of my fantasy life! Both of us are trying to figure out how to buy the Gypsy without our husband’s killing us.

So just when did the “can’t wait to buy stuff for my family” shopping season turn into the “to hell with everyone else, I’m buying for myself and you can all go to hell” shopping extravaganza? I used to love shopping for others or making things for family and friends. I have absolutely no desire to do so this season. I haven’t even started making my Christmas cards. I need to get into the holiday spirit. I've got to get out of my twisted Black Friday funk! Please help~

Happy Thanksgiving

All year we move about forgetting what is
around us, we don't stop to listen to the
sounds of life, we take them for granted

Our sight that allows us to see what is before us
gets cloudy and tarnished

Our mind that allows us to think, becomes
a jumble of negativity

Our body which allows us to move, gets stiff
with anguish

Our hands which allow us to feel, become
fists of anger

Yes, we forget, that around us is the gift of life
no matter what life is in your path
it is truly a gift

There is much to be thankful for
and today is a day to remember all we hold so dear
our family, our friends and so much more

Today shall be our reminder to let our body go
allow our eyes to see, let our hands feel,
and give our minds peace

Yes, today is that day

Enjoy your day of giving Thanks

♥♥♥

~ In-n-Out ~

by Tina~in_ut

Our first In-n-Out Burger opened on Thursday. I thought it would be so fun to take the kids since it's the first place we go to eat every time we go to California. A friend of mine from work has a son who works near the restaurant and called us to say that the wait was 2 hours. No way was I going to wait that long for a burger! I found out later that people slept in tents to be the first in line when they opened. Now I love their hamburgers, but not for breakfast and surely (that's for you, Carol!) not enough to sleep outside in 30 degree weather. That's just crazy!

I knew better than to try going on Friday or Saturday, but I thought that since the Mormons stay home on Sunday's and only venture out to go to church, we would be in the clear. I took the boys Sunday afternoon.......drove by and waived to the people standing outside waiting to get in, and drove on down the road to McDonald's......only because we were starving! We were disappointed, but since we were going to 7pm mass, I thought maybe, just maybe, we’d try one more time after church. Well the planets must have aligned themselves (not in the 2012 way!), because when we finally got there around 9pm, there were just a few (10) cars in the drive thru and only a couple of people in line inside. Of course, it had been snowing for 3 straight hours by then, the roads were horrible, and it was late.

Can I just tell you…..it was SO hard for me not to groan and say out loud how orgasmic that first bite of my burger was! The look on my kids’ faces said that they were thinking along the same lines……well sorta….ykwim! My youngest ordered two hamburgers, my oldest ordered three (one for lunch at school the next day!), and hubby and I ended up going back and ordering one more each…..definitely not on our diets, but so yummy!

Since then, many of my friends have tried to go, but the wait is just too long. I don’t know what it is about their hamburgers that makes people willing to hang out in line outside in the freezing cold! I just know that they are scrumptious and so are their fries~ If you find yourself in California, Nevada, Arizona, or Utah, make it a point to try them out~ …..but quite frankly, if you’re in Utah…..I’m taking you there anyway~ :D

It is clear, with time

there is a reason, but to no avail, it does not appear
it can take time, not sure how long tho
you will have to wait, patience is needed

when things happen you have to wonder
why? is it suppose to be this way
or is it something that is unexplained
can it be i did something? how would i know?

at first, there is no way to know, you have to
wait, and see if it becomes clear
you can read into all you want
but you stumble for the answer

and as time goes by, in the shadow of a normal
day, the reason is there, and you are
hit with the reality of the reason
and behold it all makes sense

the reason will come, it always does
its the patience that allows it to be free
a light gleams,
time as cleared the fog
the reason is there, you knew all along

A Twist to the Traditional Thanksgiving Meal

by Maureen

I can't believe Thanksgiving is just around the corner already. It doesn't seem possible. The weather has been unseasonably warm so it makes Thanksgiving seem like it should be later then it is.

We are having a different Thanksgiving this year. It is going to be a very small gathering...5. Elaine, who is hosting it decided that we are not going to have turkey and the fixins. We are having steak, twice baked potatoes, vegetables and two desserts...monkey bread and pumpkin pie.

When I have relayed this to some people they are horrified. Blasphemous came out of one friend's mouth! It got me thinking (shut up, TINA!) about the day. Why is it wrong NOT to have turkey? Isn't being thankful for family, friends, health, peace of mind, life enough? Isn't being thankful for whatever food you are consuming enough? Isn't spending the time with the people you love, regardless of what you are eating enough? I think so.

What are your Thanksgiving plans? Are you staying with tradition? Do you or your family have a special thing you do for the holiday?

Whatever you do...

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Chances Are.....

Me @ 13

"Chances Are"
and
"Its Not For Me To Say"


by Johnny Mathis


chosen by Just_Lin

Her bedroom is dark and the window is wide open. The night air is finally cooling off after another hot summer day in Southern California. Lying there in the dark, the young girl feels the breeze come in through the window and slowly move over her skin like cool water, bringing refreshment and relief to her sunburned skin. She reaches over and lifts the arm of her portable record player and gently sets the needle down on the spinning LP. First there is the hiss of the needle against the vinyl as it whispers into the darkened room, then the first note fills the air. The girl recognizes the song immediately by just that one note and she will just as readily know every other song that follows just by hearing the very first note of each. She has played this record so many times, on so many similar nights, that she knows all the notes and all the words by heart. It is her favorite record for romantic dreaming.

She is thirteen years old in 1960 and Johnny Mathis sings in sweet and velvety tones of a love and romance that she has yet to experience but is anxiously awaiting. Her heart rides the waves of Johnny's beautiful voice and she imagines that love will be as wonderful as his songs promise it will be. She sways slightly, dreaming that she is dancing in the arms of a lover that she hasn't yet met........but there's always tomorrow. At thirteen, all things are possible.

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No Blog.........

Incredible Friends

by DeeDee

For my birthday, my "posse" rented a stretch Hummer and took me to Marks for dinner in Houston. It was great and then we went to a karaoke bar. Three of us have a little skit that we have done for years to the song "Who's Sorry Now".....I'd explain it, but you would really have to be there...lol. We had a fantastic evening and it was a good birthday.

My gift came as a total surprise...especially with this bunch.....because they are not the best at keeping secrets and they had been planning for months to take me to see Rufus Wainwright in concert in Austin. I discovered his music a couple of years ago and am a big fan. Only these friends could have pulled this off. It wasn't until on the drive home that Lisa took these tickets out of her bag and I said, "Whatcha got there honey?" She said, "Oh...tickets for some guy named Luther Wetwipe or something..." I snatched the tickets and said "That's RUFUS WAINWRIGHT!!!! HE IS INCREDIBLE!!! You know Elton John has called Rufus the best songwriter in the world.....OMG...I would love to see him."....and Lisa said, "well here..." and the others screamed Happy Birthday! I almost messed my pants....after all that food...and to be shocked that way....

The concert was Tuesday night. We all went. We sat second row center. It was wonderful. On top of everything else, Lisa had arranged for me to meet him backstage. THAT was also a surprise at the end of the show. WHAT A NIGHT!! I am so lucky to have had this group of friends for the last 30 years.

BTW....Lisa....my friend that made the night so special, is 53 years old and was diagnosed with third stage ovarian cancer in 2002. Doctors seem to feel that this may be her last year on earth....and she is so dedicated to making everything we do special........I love you, Lisa.....and thank you.......

Questions that make you think

by Shirley

My niece Katie is going to a bible college out in BC. She recently contacted me and asked if I would help with an assignment. She assured me no one was going to try to convert me from an atheist to a christian. Lol! I told her I would help. She sent me 7 questions saying that the assignment had to be 6-8 pages so I could make my answers as long as I wanted. As I read and thought about them I wondered what the Night Owls would think...so what do you think? I love hearing what you guys think about stuff. Sometimes the opinions vary and sometimes they are almost identical.

1. What do you believe about God?
2. What do you believe about the universe?
3. What do you believe about the nature of human beings?
4. What do you believe about life and death?
5. How do we get knowledge?
6. How do you determine right from wrong?
7. What is the meaning of history?

Beauty in Pictures

The other day here on the blog, we were chatting about beautiful areas in where we all live. Sedona was mentioned, as Zona said her and Mr. Zona go there often. I have heard of its beauty and sent many clients to Sedona on their way to the Grand Canyon. Sedona is about 2 hours from Phoenix and 2 hours from Grand Canyon, so its a great in between stop. Many clients have thanked me for the suggestion as they loved it. The other day Zona sent me these pictures that Mr. Zona took on one of their visits to Sedona.

Its beauty is evident in these pictures.



Totally takes your breathe away. I love these pictures and am happy to share with all of you.

Thanks to Zona and Mr. Zona, for sending them to me and allowing me to post them as a blog.

Click here for more information about Sedona

~ This Is It! ~

by Tina~in_ut

I bugged the hubby to go see This Is It, the movie about Michael Jackson. That's the great thing about vacation.......we had the time to do that. I knew I would enjoy it, but I didn't realize how it would make me feel in the end. I originally thought, "Oh great! Another way for the Jackson family to make some money!" Maybe so, but when they started interviewing the dancers, all these young people who flew in from all over the world, for the chance of a lifetime......to dance with Michael Jackson!!!....they had me! They show footage of the dancers auditioning and Michael actively participating in the selection. Over 5000 kids showed up and only a dozen chosen. It was moving to watch how much a chance like this meant to them. It didn't seem to be about money or fame, but about the opportunity to learn from the very best.

I also enjoyed watching Michael interact with everyone. He seemed to want everyone to shine, but at the same time, knew exactly what he wanted. HE was in charge. HE ran the show. Yet he did it very quietly.....if that makes any sense.

I hope you get a chance to see the film. If you ever liked his music, I think you will.....and then some~

Say What?

by Shirley

I heard about this on the news the other day and then I saw this article on line:

Mass. principal bans students from saying 'Meep!'
　
DANVERS, Mass. – Who knew "Meep!" was a four-letter word? The utterance favored by bungling lab assistant Beaker of "The Muppet Show" has been banned at Danvers High School in Massachusetts after students said it to repeatedly interrupt school.

Principal Thomas Murray said the word was part of a disruption planned using Facebook. The Salem News reports that parents recently got an automated call about "Meep!" from Murray. He warned them that students who said or displayed the word at school could be suspended. Murray says the warning was needed because students didn't heed his "reasonable request" to stop the meeping. Danvers High sophomore Melanie Crane says it doesn't mean anything in particular.

Ok, who thinks this is absolutely ridiculous? If you don't then please explain to me why. Suspension for this is just crazy. IMHO.

~ On A Clear Day ~

by Tina~in_ut

I really don't care for Barbra Streisand. I know that's probably un-American......but I don't. I disagree with her politics and some days I just want to tell her to shut up already! .......but when I was little, I watched On A Clear Day and I just loved it. It's really the only movie she's made that I like. It's about a woman who goes to a psychiatrist to try and quit her five pack a day smoking habit at the insistence of her fiance. While under hypnosis, her Doctor discovers that she has lived previous lives and procedes to fall in love with one of her former selves. It's a silly movie, but I loved it. This is the title song. I hope you like it......and I hope you don't hate me for not being all ga-ga over Babs~

Oops!

I remember it well, it was a defining moment in my life, I was a young adult on my first trip as a Travel Agent. I was traveling with other Travel Agents that I met at the airport upon arrival in Bermuda. We were all about the same age, so the bond was immediate. For four days we went everywhere together. We had full days of site (hotel's) inspections, beaches, activities, etc. We worked our butts off learning about a Island I would soon be recommending to clients. We ate, we drank, we swam, we danced, we laughed, the work was exhausting.

On our last night there we were invited to the home of the owner of the Stonington Hotel (which has now changed names) for a cocktail reception. We all wore our "Sunday" best, and ventured out in taxi's. The taxi drops us off at the top of a hill, and tells us to walk down a path which will lead to the house. I, being the control monster I am took the reins and led the pack down the path. As we ventured further down it seemed to get darker. I had to adjust my eyes several times to see my way. Once down the path a circular glass home appeared in my view "I found it" I yelled.

I was so excited it was truly a beautiful home you could see right in and the glimpse of all the people made me nervous, as the women were in gowns and the men all in suits. I stopped in my tracks and told my fellow path travelers "Wow this is a fancy affair, someone else go first". But all were just as nervous as I and declined my invite, so it was I who was to go in first and the rest to follow me in a single line formation. The house was erected up from the ground so you had to climb several round wooden steps to approach it. Once on the top step, I thought I was entering the house thru the door, so I just went right in, right in the glass house that is. BANG! and the domino effect began, six silly young Travel Agents one banging into the other with my face pushed against the glass. All I remember seeing was the "stare" from everyone in the house, and all I kept thinking was "my makeup must be a mess".

As each person peeled themselves off each other and me, we all looked at each other and laughed uncontrollably. Until the butler with white gloves on comes out of the glass door (the glass door that I should have used) and asked "is everything ok". We followed him into the house thru the door, and proceeded to join the party with our heads low, but still laughing. The evening turned out perfect and it is surely a night I will never forget.

Yep, my defining moment. As silly as it was, it showed me for every uncomfortable situation I might get myself into, there is always laughter to justify the circumstance that was just before me.

So now, let the laughter begin!

Totally Catchy!

I adore Michael Buble and I love his new song
it is def my "at the moment favorite"
Totally Catchy, Totally Real
the video is so fun
the words ring thru

♪♪ "You come out of nowhere and into my life" ♪♪



Enjoy!

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Secrets in my Head

And so here I am again, putting my thoughts into words. At times they comfort me and give me peace. Yet there are times where they scare me. Especially when I step back and read the words, I think "do I really feel that way" "did I really write that". When you make the choice to put your feelings into words there is no denying them, as they stare at you with a fierceness. Sometimes one is so much better off just thinking the words, because you can hide your true feelings, its like having a secret with yourself. But truly are you better off keeping your feelings in, to perhaps have them stir? For me, I would rather write the words, but I know for some they would differ. I will say this tho, there have been many times that I did not want to write the words, because the validation would be to much to handle. So I keep them in my head in hopes my head does not burst. So far I have been lucky, my head is intact (unlike our Birdee). Which brings me to my first thought as I wrote this blog. Do I write a blog about my thoughts, or do I just keep it a secret between me, myself and I?

I just answered my question....

~ Does the Punishment Fit the Crime? ~

by Tina~still_not_in_ut

Elizabeth Lambert has been suspended from playing soccer indefinitely, but from all the articles I've read, she probably wouldn't have been if her actions hadn't been caught on tape. The refs never even called her on the hair pulling. It boggles my mind that she could play like she did and get away with it. What happened to good sportsmanship?

After her suspension, Lambert issued an apology, stating, "I let my emotions get the best of me in a heated situation. I take full responsibility for my actions and accept any punishment felt necessary."

Do you think the punishment fit the "crime?"

The Drive

Its a clear Fall Sunday Afternoon, and as I walk outside I get a feeling of freedom. I get in the car and drive, not really sure where I am driving to, but the weather has given me a push, and so I drive on. I can feel the air all thru me, as the sunroof is open allowing me the freedom to feel. The highway is vast with not many cars crowding it. My Garden State and all its foliage, is turning orange and brown, which is right on target for this time of year. The radio is a buzzing with all my favorite tunes, the song reaches my lips, sound emerges. As I drive this vast highway it seems I have left everything behind, I only go forward into the brown and orange trees that are before me. I know I can't let all of it go but that is ok because this special moment of breathing in the air and driving with no boundaries has renewed me. The hope presents itself and on I go.

~ Insane ~

by Tina~not_in_ut

I've always thought of myself as Mexican. I grew up spending most of my time with that side of my family. I knew I was light skinned, but that didn't matter. I don't know how old I was when I realized I'm only half Mexican. Most of my cousins are full-blooded, but my mom married a gringo. Although I love my dad, I always felt cheated! My cousins would say, "You're only half!" I was jealous. When I married a gringo (boy was my mom bummed!), I realized that my kids would only be 1/4 Mexican. It still didn't matter to me. I would make sure I raised them to know and appreciate their heritage.

My brothers, sister, sister-in-law, nephew and I took our parents to dinner on Saturday night to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary. My hubby and kids couldn't come, but everyone asked how they were all doing. I started to describe my 17 yr old's search for the right college. I told them the story about one of the meetings hubby and son had with the college counselor. Hubby asked the counselor if my son could/should put on his college applications that he is Hispanic. He explained that he is 1/4 Mexican and the counselor stated, "He has every right to declare that on his application, but that it is up to us whether he does or not." One of my son's friends just groaned, "You'll get in anywhere now!" My son just smiled.

My brother listened with interest. I told him that I assumed that he and my SIL mark down on everything they fill out for their son that he is Hispanic. Before my brother could say a word, my SIL interrupted and said, "No we don't. We write that he's a human being!!!" WTF!!! What in the hell is that supposed to mean? She went on to say that her son will earn his way into college and anything else.......as if my son isn't! I was furious. My nephew is 3/4 Mexican and looks it and apparently my SIL tells him instead that he's American. Where is her pride in her heritage? It's a slap in my mother's face, too!

I tried to ignore and keep the peace, so I moved on and told my brother that my son has applied to 9 universities and listed them all. When I got to Notre Dame, all of a sudden we heard this shreak from my SIL, "Notre Shame? Notre Shame? Why would he want to go there? Notre Shame?" I racked my brain quickly to try to figure out what she was talking about. I tried to ignore her, but she kept it up. Then it dawned on me. They let the President speak at the school and there was a big to do about it. Oh my hell! Notre Dame is my son's "reach" school. We probably can't afford to send him there, but he'd be going there to get an engineering degree.....it's not a political thing!

The entire time this was going on, I had my hand on my sister's knee squeazing it to keep me from smacking my SIL! Luckily, my hard of hearing parents did not hear any of this because they were having a conversation of their own. My SIL drives me INSANE! She has a warped way of thinking. This is the same woman who helped her son with an assignment at school last year and he failed miserably. He was supposed to do a poster of his heritage and dress up as well. She sent him to school in a baseball uniform and put the American flag and a picture of apple pie on the poster.

I don't get it. I thought most people were proud of their heritage. In any case, thank you for indulging me. I told my sister on our way home from dinner, "I see a blog in this!" (I didn't tell her how theraputic it is!)

I Won't Back Down

By Tom Petty

Chosen by Just_Lin

Sometimes we just come to a point where we have to draw a line in the sand and stand our ground.

The other day when I got in my car, this was the first song that came on the radio. I immediately thought of our Whabbear and the frustration and anger that he expressed the other day about the election results. As much as I empathize and sympathize, I cannot really understand how he feels because I have never had to face discrimination or been denied rights that other citizens enjoy. His fight continues and I support him in that struggle. I decided to submit this as a Sunday Music Video and dedicate it to Bear.

I also dedicate it to the brave men and women at Ft. Hood and especially to Police Sgt. Kimberly Munley who faced down a killer and saved countless lives.



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Non Thinking!

Its so depressing what goes on all around us. Our emotions run a mock, scared, angry, confused, these emotions all surface, and we have no idea what to do with them.

So I have decided to have a non thinking weekend. I am just going to go in my own world and block out everything else. No watching or reading the news, No confrontations, No drama. Its just going to me be with the rest just shut out.

I guess its like a cleansing, (and boy do I need that) push it all out, breath deep, and live in make believe. Monday I can then be myself again and take on the world. But for now, non thinking is the way I am going to go.

Will you join me? And just think if you do join me, we can be princess's, (even whabby), or a billionaire, or a top paid actress, or a juggler in a circus, or even Yoda. The sky is the limit in make believe land. I am so ready for it.

Let the weekend begin!

Nostalgia

There is nothing like an old song to bring memories to the surface. When I hear this song, I am flooded with memories of the days of my parents, and the stories they told me while they raised my brother and I. This song is part of their era, yet it's a song that goes on forever. Many artists have since sung this song with different twists, and each time I hear a new version, I stop and listen. It is a true classic and a joy to listen to.

Even tho, there are tragedies around us daily, we must always remember.

"What a Wonderful World" it is!

~ Fire Drill? ~

by Tina~in_ut

Wednesday morning at 9:45am, I received an email from one of the ladies in the Master Control Room (MCR) asking me to come over at 10:45am. It FREAKED.......ME.......OUT!!!! I asked my boss what he thought it was about. He said that Norm, our Call Center Director, you know....the big boss!!!, probably wanted to talk to me. I know he was just saying that to scare me, but it worked. Not five minutes later, Norm came by and said he wanted to talk to me NOW! I told him NO! (I really did!!!) Of course I went with him into the closest office and he closed the door.....NOT a good sign. I was racking my brain trying to think of what I did wrong! Then he told me that we were having a fire drill at 11am, and they usually pick one rep to pull the alarm. (I didn't know this!) My birthday was the closest to that day, so I was chosen.

Do you know that feeling you get of absolute pure relief? Your legs feel like jelly and you just want to pee? That's how I felt. I was so happy that I wasn't in trouble. Then he hit me with the rest of it! He wanted to have a little fun. (get your minds outta the gutter! ewwww!) Norm thought it would be funny if afterwards, he sent out pictures of the "culprit" who pulled the alarm and of them getting "arrested!"

Here is the first email he sent after the fire drill:

Sorry about the disruptive fire alarm which resulted in all of you being forced outside on such a blustery, wet day. We have reviewed the cameras throughout the building and found something disturbing.......

Anyone recognize this person?



The department I work in is very small. We are all very close. When that email went out to everyone, one of the girls on my team roared with laughter. She was so loud and couldn't stop. I stood up and told her to shut up because little did she know.....she was the second choice to do this! Her birthday is next week! That shut her up real quick! I was about to sit back down and looked across the way and saw two reps I didn't know staring at me as if to say, "OMG!!! THAT'S HER!!!" I just smiled and shook my head. ......btw....it was a gorgeous day and not a cloud in the sky!~

About a half hour later, Norm sent the second email:

Thanks to all 147 of you who helped me identify "your friend" Tina....



Yes it was silly, but so many people stopped by just to laugh. Friends of mine who work from home emailed me and those who don't know me, called in to find out "what in the heck was going on in the office!" With such a stressful job, it's fun to just laugh once in a while~

National Sandwich Day! (yesterday)

by Iteach

Can you believe Nov. 3rd was National Sandwich Day and we forgot to honor it? :) Geesh what is the world coming to! :)

When I read that Tues. was National Sandwich Day it had me thinking. I was thinking that I love sandwiches, but I'm really not good at making them. Mine always look lame and sad. However, I have seen people put a lot of love in their sandwiches and they look like a piece of art when they are done.

Then I started to think about sandwiches from my youth. I now know why my mom always made us PB & J , it is such a cheap meal! Unfortunately out of the four kids in our house only one likes PB & J. Two like just PB and the other kid doesn't like PB or J.

I think sandwiches have been getting a lot of heat lately. People can just about pick apart about anything you want to eat. "Watch out for the bread, it has too many carbs" or "Watch out for the deli meat, it has too much sodium". Sometimes, I just say poo to it all and eat my sandwich. I so love a grilled cheese sandwich with extra pickles on the side!

In case you were wondering it was John Montagu who invented the sandwich. He was an Englishmen from the 18th century. He was playing cards and he only wanted to eat with one hand, so he ordered his servants to put his meat between two slices of bread.

I'm so salivating at the mouth right now thinking about sandwiches, I'm off to enjoy one from Subway!

Love Your Car?

by Bonacci

Buy a new Chevy. If you don’t love it, we’ll take it back. I swear I just heard that on the telly. There were some pictures, sure. I just wasn’t paying attention. Not until those magic words. That’s it? Just buy it and you can return it? In the 80’s I bought a new Ford. It had serious fuel pump problems. I think I had possession of the car for a total of 2 weeks the first 3 months I owned it. Ford knew there was something wrong with that car, but they wouldn’t take it back.

If I don’t love it. What’s that mean? What if I am distant in relationships? What about people who don’t know how to love? Is there some sort of prequalification process to determine whether you’re able to love anything? Maybe you love it but say otherwise so you can get a newer car. Maybe you just don’t believe in developing deep, meaningful, lifetime relationships with an inanimate object. If you’ve never loved a car, are you disqualified?

I didn’t see an asterisk in the advert. We’re trained to look for those asterisks. Does the whole world not know that * is a placeholder that means, “We are lying”? I used one of those yesterday. I put it there so I can honestly say that I didn’t lie. Except I did. But I signaled I was so it’s not really lying. Is it?

So back to Chevy, the asterisk doesn’t matter because I didn’t see one. Maybe it was there but it was so small, I didn’t see it. If there was an asterisk, what does it mean? What’s the condition? What’s the codicil? What if I buy a car thinking I can return it, and then become stuck with a car I never meant to own? All because of a special character.

Let’s say there’s no *. If I don’t love the car, Chevy will take it back. How do I prove I don’t love it? Should I treat it badly and beat it regularly? Cheat on it by driving other cars? What if I misuse the car before I decide I don’t love it? Will Chevy take it back even if it has a dent or scratch? I guess that would probably be a good thing to put next to the asterisk.

My point is, I have seen so much shady advertising that I don’t believe any of it. Even the assumingly direct phrase, “If you don’t love it we’ll take it back” troubles me. It’s too direct. There’s got to be a catch. If I were in the market for a new car, this advertising campaign would turn me away from Chevy. I don’t believe their ad. How can I trust their cars?

I want a car that comes out and tells the plain truth. If I don’t like the car after I drive it off the lot, I’m screwed. Now there’s a car I can believe in.

You

There is stuff about you that drives me mad
yet you have stuff that I love about you
You can be very easy going,
yet you can be stubborn all the same

You make choices that at times I don't agree with
you are your own person, I have to let
the choice be yours
but when your choices are favorable to mine
we now have a home run

As the days go into months you are there for me
you are my touchstone, yet at times I might
not need you, I might need a another
and you understand

When I need the laughter it is you who
i seek out, as you can make me
laugh like no other
you know that spot in my heart that chuckles

And when sleep alludes me, you circle in my
head likes bees around a hive
seeing, thinking
it is you

Friends in Low Places

By Garth Brooks

Chosen by Just_Lin

A few days ago, Garth Brooks announced that he is coming out of retirement now that his children have gotten older. Until Garth came along, I had always thought that I absolutely could not stand country music. Garth Brooks and this song, in particular, changed my mind and made me realize that there are some country singers and some country music songs that I really can enjoy. I respectfully dedicate this song to all my down-to-earth friends at Owl Manor.

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