Ahhhh…

It is weekend.  Even better, it is weekend with my husband and the cats and no obligations.  We can cook and drink and attack an organization project…do we sense a theme here, each weekend has on its agenda an organization project…I am a pile person and the piles are now ripe for sorting and filing.  We have taken care of the pile of photos and have made a good start on piles of paperwork…still waiting are too many projects to name.

I was finally tagged one too many times on Facebook with the 25 Things that is currently making the rounds.  I surprised myself and completed it.  It is always really amazing to me how I answer that kind of question.  Now I am just waiting for others to fall prey to that “one too many times” and share a window into their subconscious.

I sometimes wish I were a better “real time” friend.  I am the best kind of friend to have as long as you have email.  I am supportive and there via email and even by phone (if I must).  But I am an unsociable hermit by nature.  I value my alone time; even more important to me is my time with my family, particularly with my husband.  That makes me a not very good “real” friend.  And the older I get, the more inclined I am to let myself be me.

What a dream…

I sometimes have intense dreams…I remember them for a short while after I awake.  Last night, I had a long convoluted dream that involved looking at GORGEOUS farms that were selling their contents (like yard sale-ing, but indoors – and the farms weren’t selling their contents, the owners of the farms were <G>)…I was really upset because we “lost” my young son and a friend and went on to the next farm without them.  They ended up finding us (they bought a ride <G>).  Maybe it is a sign that I need to stop worrying about my adult children…HA!  Does one ever stop worrying about one’s children…EVER?  I think not.

Because of the dream, I overslept and am starting the day a little foggily.  This may be the day to slug an espresso before I leave for work…

Withdrawals…

I always suffer from withdrawals after the end of the baseball season, the football season, rehearsal and performance of a play…right now, I’m suffering from Inauguration withdrawal.  For those few days, I was able to watch via livestream or TV wherever I went.  Now it is over.  Last night, I watched reruns until I fell asleep and I slept all night.  Hmmm…I wonder what will take its place and when?  The Super Bowl is of interest only because it is the Super Bowl.  I am not a basketball fan (although I can sometimes watch college basketball without falling asleep) and spring training hasn’t started yet, I’m not acting or directing at the moment…I guess I need to keep plowing through all the piles of “things” in this house…toss, toss, toss!  I can certainly toss while watching reruns.

New techie toy…

I am a strange combination of tech-lover and tech-klutz.  I have a group of women, real and true friends, with whom I have shared the last 15 years or more of life…we were among the original online groups back in the old days and we have kept our group alive online all this time…I had one of the earliest home computers (a T1000, I think, but couldn’t swear to) because I had babies who got sick and I had to work from home…I am good with software, as I have been an administrative assistant for a gazillion years and every work place has had its own software groupings.

That said, I’m lying here with a stomach ache, trying to figure out my new Blackberry Storm.  Yes, I finally pulled the trigger.  Last night, I spent an hour on the phone with a Verizon CS person, Kerry (sp?), trying to get the Storm activated on one number, then transferred to my number with the first number being restored to its owner’s Voyager.  Ohmygosh, what an adventure that was.  She was totally spaced out…she was fun, but sounded like she was on some really good drugs.<G>  I still haven’t heard from the owner of the Voyager that his phone is back in service.

It is now receiving email from my gmail account.  I have to figure out how to get my backed-up contacts loaded into the new phone.  I have to upload chosen applications…my truly darling daughter is going to give me her list of must-haves.  I am getting better at the touch screen, but it is becoming obvious that fingernails can be an issue.  So much to learn…I’m planning to work on it this weekend.

Happy Inauguration Day…

I am going to be catching bits and pieces of the festivities today.  I can watch the swearing in ceremony via live streaming.  I’ll miss the parade and really won’t be able to pick up coverage again until 8pm or so.  So a lot of my participation will be in hindsight, tomorrow, reading my newspapers and Google News and blogs.  What an exciting week this is.

I have become a HUGE Michelle Obama fan…I think she is going to bring a wonderful sense of the children and “real” people to the White House.  And I just LOVE the faces of Malia and Sasha during all these events.  They look genuinely happy.

I’m tingling…

I am very excited and uplifted and moved and optimistic as the celebrations continue towards tomorrow’s inauguration and the rest of the ceremony.  As I heard one of our local newscasters say this morning, I am a fan of pomp.  I am loving this.

And I think what I love almost most of all is the fact that kids growing up from hereon will see one less barrier in their paths to whatever it is they aspire to become.  Next barrier will be the election of a competent woman, although Hillary smashed and hacked at MANY layers of that particular barrier.

Uh-oh, this is turning political.  I guess what I mean to say is that I am proud to be an American.

It’s snowing paper…

After I finished the bulk of the photo scanning project (I keep finding photos in the strangest places), I vowed to start mowing through the piles of paper that are scattered throughout our house.  I got most of it sorted yesterday (filled two recycling bins with trash paper).  Today, I have to go through each sorted pile and resort, then file.  Wish me luck!

Speaking of snow, we got about 6″ yesterday and that was supposed to be that.  Uh-oh, weather-person…we got another 6″ or more last night.  SURPRISE!  DH is on his way to the Big City, so I am going to take it upon myself to shovel the front steps and walkway.  I know there is ice underneath, but I need to do something!

I’m feeling a little guilty that my projects do not involve public service (in honor of Martin Luther King Day), but they are very necessary to this family, so that wins.

P.S.  I am AWESOME!!!  So far, I have shoveled the front steps and walkway, unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, sorted and file almost all the paper piles (I’ll finish as soon as my break is over) AND I finally ordered my new Blackberry Storm!   And it is barely noon!

Couch potato…

Just finished reading my daughter’s blog, all about bike riding and running and healthy food and happy dogs.  I feel virtuous too, though, as my husband and I worked out with Wii Fit today (one of the categories, if you do really poorly on a unit, is couch potato).  Just a start, but it felt good.  I also started a yoga class (one night a week), so maybe I can get my body into a semblance of flexibility so I can increase my exercise a little.  That said, I know myself and will take any opportunity to shirk.  So, let’s see if saying it out loud makes me more accountable.

I made the most decadently rich and delicious and BUTTERY parmesan chicken recipe…called for garlic sauteed in butter, then dipping the boneless chicken pieces into the butter, then into a mix of bread crumbs and grated parmesan, with the chicken pieces then placed in a baking pan.  Cover the chicken with the leftover cheese crumbs and leftover garlicy butter, bake for 55 minutes (or less if you use smaller pieces) ’til golden brown and then put the chicken on a rack or plate.  I then tossed cooked angel hair in the leftover buttery crumby juices the chicken was cooked in and served them with the chicken.  Ohmygosh, it was divine.  Take that, Silly Tater Tot!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…

Brrrrrr…

I know I shouldn’t complain…while it is currently -4.9 degrees via our home weather station, I know that my son is suffering from MUCH colder weather up in VT right now.  Days like these, I am VERY glad to have an inside job.  I’m also glad that the wind is quiet right now or our sub-zero temps would feel MUCH lower.

What a miracle on the Hudson yesterday…all the stars aligned on that one and the worst injuries were one passenger’s two broken legs.  Although, that passenger is probably thinking “Only minor injuries?  Two broken legs?”  But it all could have been so much worse.  What do you want to bet that airline passengers pay attention to the flight attendants’ lectures for a while?  I am one of those geeks who always checks for exits and escape doors and lights on the floor when I fly…glad I do.

I’m getting excited about next week’s inauguration celebrations…big parties signaling the beginning of a potentially historic presidency.  I think we will all be asked to make changes and sacrifices.  Let’s see if we are all ready to step up and do what is necessary.

Oh, and it seems as if mortgage rates have dropped sufficiently that people are starting to refinance again…nice to see rates below 5% again, at least for those of us in the business.

And, best of all, IT IS FRIDAY!!!!!  We’re expecting snow this weekend…YES!

Photo meme…

All right, this is a first for me.  Heidi Lou at http://heidilou.wordpress.com tagged me…I’m supposed to post the fourth photo from the fourth folder in my computer.  Hmmm…let’s see what we see…

My hotel for my last stay in NYC

Well, that’s not the best photo I’ve ever taken…but I kind of liked it because the city has so much excitement and life, it has to blur in photos!

OK, I’m tagging Silly Tater Tot and Aziza Makena!  Is that how this works?