May May Be Better. Maybe.

I haven't blogged in so long I was almost afraid I'd forgotten how. To tell you the truth, I have kind of forgotten how some features work. Geez. Luckily, I'm a pretty quick study.

April's been a tough month. Tough is perhaps too mild a word. It's been like the freakin' Apocalypse. My precious puppy died on the 12th. She was a grand old dame at age 17 and I'm so glad that she lived a long, pampered, and happy life. Unfortunately, she had gotten senile and arthritic and fairly lethargic, and I know she wasn't enjoying life much any more. It comforts me -- somewhat -- to know that her sweet spirit is free and happy now over the Rainbow Bridge. Still, I miss her so, so much. My place feels so empty without her.

Six days after her death, my father died. He had recently been diagnosed with emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis. And no, he never smoked a cigarette in his life. My sister had come to Virginia and moved him to her home in North Carolina, never thinking for an instant that his time was coming so soon. He passed away on the 18th, not even two weeks after she moved him in with her. My sister and I had just met a cousin of ours on Dad's side who we never even knew existed 'til about three weeks ago -- my parents had some very peculiar tendencies, such as not telling us about Lord only knows how many relatives -- so I ended up traveling to North Carolina with him and his brother on the morning of the 19th. We all managed to get everything done that has to be done when these things happen, and we had the memorial service on Saturday evening after the cremation was done earlier Saturday.

Other personal calamities, albeit not of this magnitude, have occurred throughout the month of April, the sum total of which have led me to declare April 2013 positively Apocalyptic. And, of course, the whole country has been plagued with the horrible Boston bombing, the Midwest flooding, sinkholes, earthquakes, avalanches, ad infinitum.

The weather has been positively schizophrenic -- hot one day, cold the next. If I go to work sleeveless, it could be freezing by the time I get home. If I wear a sweater, chances are it'll be 80 by the time I get home.

April has been just crazy for practically everyone I know. Man, I hope May is better.

The Friday Thingonmyblog

I've been a total slacker about blogging lately. The new job is keeping me so busy that I come home and practically vegetate. There's a lot of work in areas I have very little experience in, so I'm learning all the time. We hired three college girls who work rotating schedules to "help" me, but they're kind of on a continuing learning curve. Oh, and we got Windows 8 last week. It's awful, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone I care about. It's taken me all week to get used to it, and I still find it awkward.

There's been a lot going on in the world, too. It went by in pretty much a blur, but I know stuff happened.

I'm off at noon today, and thank God for that. Happy belated Valentine's Day, and TGIF! 

You Are a Dollar Sign Heart

You aren't a gold digger, and you don't believe love can be bought. You simply think love is the most enriching thing ever. You could be dead broke, but as long as you had love, you'd be set. And all the money in the world couldn't make up for being loveless. Your ideal Valentine puts relationships first in life. You want a partner who sees love as a priority. You know that a good relationship takes work, and you're okay with that. You're one of the few who views that part of love as fun. Your ideal Valentine's Day is the complete romantic package, preferably with someone you've already committed to. You don't mind taking the lead and planning for something your partner will enjoy. You really love to play up the romance on this day.

What Symbol Candy Heart Are You?

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don't Talk About Blogthings

The Friday Thingonmyblog

The weather's been completely schizophrenic lately -- unseasonal warmth, heavy rain, snow flurries, and strong wind, all in the same week. It's clear and dry today, but the wind's been howling for three days now. Yesterday, it seriously nearly blew me off a sidewalk.

It's been a busy week at work and I'm ready for the weekend. I'm sure you are, too. Try your hand at the quiz and then go enjoy your weekend. TGIF!

You Are the Puppy Bowl

Football? Nah! It's not your style to watch or even care about the game on Super Bowl Sunday. But some puppies playing football? That's a big game you can get behind. You're really not one for competitive or violent sports. And football just sort of puts you to sleep. With the Puppy Bowl, you'll get nonstop cute puppy action, and no one ever gets hurt!

What Part of the Super Bowl Are You?

Blogthings: Take a Quiz. Annoy Your Friends.

The Friday Thingonmyblog

We had rain all week long, Monday through yesterday afternoon. Then, it turned to snow. Luckily, I made it home before it got too bad and traffic came to a virtual standstill. It was pretty, though, as you can see by the view from my patio.

Try the snow quiz, then have a great weekend. TGIF!

You Are a Snow Kitten

You like snow in small doses. You find snow to be comforting, and you love to snuggle up under a blanket of snow. You're not a big fan of the hassles of snow. You're happy to see it come, but you're also happy to see it go. Go ahead and venture out in the snow from time to time! Throw a snowball or make a snow angel. You have an inner snow bunny inside you, and it's time to let that bunny play.

Are You a Snow Bunny?

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don't Talk About Blogthings

Soggy, Partially Cranky

It's been raining -- without let-up -- since Monday. We needed some rain. I know. But there's such a thing as too much of a good thing. It's supposed to -- maybe -- stop sometime this afternoon. I hope so. I've just about had it with damp clothes, frizzy hair, standing water and grabby brakes, and wet, smelly dog. I am so ready to see a teensy ray of sunshine.

Meanwhile, y'all have a great Hump Day!

The Friday Thingonmyblog

It's been a relatively short week; or, at least, it's passed pretty rapidly.  Still, I'm glad it's drawing to a close.  I'm ready for the weekend.  TGIF!

It's Winter, so we must naturally try a Winter-themed Blogthing.  I thought my hat was pretty cute.  What's yours?

You Are a Newsboy

You are a quick thinking, forward looking, and even revolutionary person. You use fashion to project a powerful and chic image. You like to experiment with new ideas, looks, and even lifestyles. People may try to label you, but it's impossible. You draw inspiration from many subcultures.

What Winter Hat Are You?

Blogthings: Our Quizzes Weren't Written By Bored 12 Year Olds

It's a Good Day

The new job (with the lawyer I freelanced for over the Summer) is going well. He's something of a whirlwind, never seems to sit/stand still, so I just hope I can keep up with him. He's great to work with, though. We laugh -- and that's a good thing. I'm working Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays off, Thursdays, and half day Fridays.

I've got errands today, so I guess I should get to it.

Have a great Hump Day!

The Friday Thingonmyblog

I like my new job so far, but I'm having a heck of a time getting my inner clock acclimated to a -- shudder -- schedule. The hardest part is trying to get to sleep before 2:00 A.M. I guess it's a good thing that I almost always wake up way early anyway.

I'm not at all sure that I'll be keeping this New Years resolution. Ha! How about you? 

TGIF, and have a good weekend!

You Should Travel to China

1) Get a pet Tasmanian devil 2) Eat more Twizzlers 4) Study animal behavior 5) Get in shape with stripping classes

What Should Your New Year's Resolution Be?

Blogthings: Take a Quiz. Annoy Your Friends.

All The Best In 2013...

Happy Holidays!

The Friday Thingonmyblog

We're very wet here. I know, we needed the rain -- still do. But seriously, it's been coming down in buckets -- with high winds. It's chilly, too. So much for those balmy days of late. Just Wednesday, I saw dandelions growing in the yard. Oh, well -- it is late December. I guess it's time for a little chilly.

TGIF, and have a wonderful Weekend Before Christmas. And, um, assuming we all wake up in the morning, we should all check in just to say neener-neener.

You Are Stylish

You go all out when you give gifts. You want to give a present that will wow, even if it's a little over the top. You are spontaneous and impulsive. You tend to do things quickly, and you're quite impatient. You are somewhat organized, but you always feel like you could be doing a bit better! You have high standards for yourself. You love to dress up and take care of yourself. You get a lot of confidence from looking sharp.

The Present Wrapping Oracle

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

Shake A Leg, Santa

It's a week before Christmas ... and Santa doesn't look quite ready. Let's hope he can get his act together and get that reindeer in shape and ready to roll in time. And, um, let's hope they can outrun the Mayan Long Count calendar.

For now, Happy Hump Day!

12.14.12

Friday's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, was shocking beyond the pale. What kind of person shoots tiny, innocent babies in their first grade class? With an assault rifle, yet. Some say the murderer was mentally ill. Perhaps he was, but he wasn't so mentally ill as to be unable to plan this monstrous act. He knew exactly what he was doing, he prepared for it, and he was prepared to kill more had the police not shown up. 20 small children and 6 teachers dead. There are no words to describe such a thing. Adjectives such as monstrous, horrific, or heinous don't even come close.

This horrendous, inconceivable event may lead to renewed demands for gun control. I personally believe that decent, law abiding people should be able to protect themselves with guns if they wish. People do not, however, need assault rifles or machine guns. Nobody outside police and military should have those.

But ... I don't believe gun control would stop these waves of mindless massacres. I believe it's a mindset in the people who do these things. If they're bent on killing and they can't get guns, they'll just use knives or swords or clubs or bombs. This is a violent society we live in. We see constant violence in movies, TV, video games, etc. Isn't it possible that there are those among us -- too many of them -- who see so much of it that it doesn't even seem real and the line between fantasy and reality becomes indistinguishable? I don't know what the answer is. I don't want to live in a police state. Or a theocracy. I don't want our personal liberties eroded for the sake of trying to control the minority who want to commit these atrocities. I don't know what the answer is. All I know is that what happened at Sandy Hook on December 14th cannot be allowed to happen again.

The Friday Thingonmyblog

The weather around here is still up and down. It was chilly a couple of days and now it's warming back up again. And still no rain to alleviate the drought conditions. If you ask me, somebody in charge needs to be finding a rain dancer.

I have no weekend plans; just whatever happens to pop up. You?

Have a good weekend. TGIF! 

You are Multicolored Lights

Your holidays are a time for cheer and excitement. You love so much about the holidays, and everyone perks up a little from your happiness. You try to be grateful for what you have this time of the year. Even if things have been tough, you can't help but be joyful.

What Color Christmas Lights Are You?

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

Waiting On The Spirit

Anybody have a 12/12/12 wedding yesterday? Or a baby? Not me. I did watch some of the 12-12-12 concert for Hurricane Sandy relief last night. I've always loved Pink Floyd, and I loved their set -- especially when Eddie Vedder took the stage with them. And the Rolling Stones -- my Lord, they look so ancient! Jagger's still got the moves, though.

It's finally cooled down -- only in the 40s yesterday. I'm still not feeling in the Christmas mood, though. Stuff is done -- presents, wrapping, mailing, cards, tree -- but I ain't feeling it. Maybe it'll happen by the 25th -- assuming we don't get obliterated on the 21st. Not that I think anything will happen. I imagine that life on Earth will look much the same on the 22nd as it did on the 21st. Maybe a little crazier, since we see more and more crazy every day. I think we'll all still be here on the 22nd -- and still trying to figure out how to read Mayan calendars.

Conundrum

Last year, I didn't make any New Year's resolutions. Subsequently, I stepped in some deep doodie. Coincidence? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I might have been a dumb cluck. To be on the safe side, I'm thinking maybe I'd better make some this year. Thing is, I can't think of any. I don't have any bad habits I need to break. I have no major character flaws I need to correct; well, not that many. I'm sure there are those who think it might behoove me to stop muttering curses under my breath, but I disagree. I never mutter at the innocent. Mumbling curses has no discernible effect on the cursees, anyway. Maybe I should take up Voodoo, but I've heard that involves live chickens. I don't mind admitting that I'm slightly scared of angry, squawking chickens. It's a conundrum. I ought to think up some Resolutions. Any suggestions?

The Friday Thingonmyblog

TGIF. Have a nice weekend!

Your Christmas Sprit Level: 35%

You definitely have some Christmas spirit, and you enjoy the holidays as much as the average person. You don't go over the top celebrating, and by December 26th, you're ready to pack away your decorations. You have your own special Christmas traditions, and you tend to pick and choose what you like about Christmas. The holidays are important to you, but you don't let them take over your life.

Do You Have the Christmas Spirit?

Blogthings: Quizzes and Tests and Memes, Oh My!

Wednesday Again?

...and a Happy Slump Hump Day!

Ho-Ho Hmmm

My Christmas shopping is all done. And most of it is wrapped. I haven't put out the first decoration yet, though, except for a wreath. It's kind of hard to get into the Christmas spirit when it's 73+ degrees outside. I'm hoping to find out ASAP who's coming in for Christmas and who's not so I can beat the rush and mail whatever is going to need to be mailed.

I always splurge at Christmastime and buy myself something that I wouldn't ordinarily spend the money on. Not necessarily extravagant, or decadent; just something that I wouldn't normally indulge myself with. This year -- nada. I can't think of a thing that I need, want, or would die if I didn't have. If I don't think of anything before, there are always the after-Christmas sales, I guess. 

Happy Thanksgiving

I have company arriving today and have been busy, busy the past couple of days.  I have to run back out to the store this morning, too, because -- wouldn't you know it -- I forgot something yesterday.

Wishing you a Happy Hump Day, and