Random and Odd's 3 items:

1. Show your Support (everyone supports something right?)
2. Show me your sacrifice (everyone makes them right?)
3. Something red.

She also says, "It’s an easy one this week."

ha!

1. Show your Support:

I support Halloween!!! It's my favorite holiday, it's SO much fun, and I lurrrrve fun!

2. Show me your sacrifice:

I sacrificed my freedom to come and go as freely as I please to help take care of Dad. Don't get me wrong; he takes care of the dogs when I do go away, but more and more, I am not comfortable doing that. It's ok, tho, cause while I sacrificed some freedom, I gained some financial security (no rent or mortgage) and human companionship (ok, he drives me CRAZY, but still...it's nice to know there's someone else in the house).

3. Something red:

With a book, a beer and some sun, heaven on earth!

Courtesy of Megan:

1. I see something... on my wall right now. It's a picture of a raging ocean, a copy of a painting by Eugene Garin; there's one wave that is almost translucent. I've had this picture since the late 1970s.

2. My favorite product EVER is...coffee because...it tastes so damn good!

3. September reminds me of...many things; bright blue skies, that autumn is just around the corner, I can walk my dogs on the beaches again, my first wedding, the attack on the World Trade Center & the Pentagon are the things that pop to mind first.

4. My best summer memory is...going to Surf Drive Beach and swimming with Maribeth!

5. When I'm grumpy....I tend to be more sarcastic and impatient.

6. Hey it's Labor Day weekend! I'm going to...relax! I have no plans other than getting my hair done & meeting up with Jen to look at where I'll be taking pictures for her wedding. Anyone want to do anything? Bueller? Bueller?

A friend of mine has developed a site called A Girl Must Shop. Here's a short explanation of it: "A Girl Must Shop is a Web site devoted to serving the interests of hip, trendy gals who can appreciate the treasures that a shopping excursion can unearth, but don't have the time to discover all the riches that exist!"

I'll be contributing articles from time to time and must submit a photo of myself. Here's where I can use your help!

Which one do you like better?

This:

or

this:

And let me know what you think of the site! Thanks :-)

I woke up this morning, played with the dogs a bit, and then switched on the tv, to see what Tivo had recorded last night. The news was on, and at the bottom of the screen text was rolling across as usual. I caught a quick glimpse of "Steve Irwin: Australia's Crocodile Hunter..." and then the show went to commercial. So I waited, hoping for the best...but no.

Steve Irwin was killed Monday by a stingray; apparently it's poisonous barb punctured his chest, then his heart. A friend and colleague who was with him on the boat said "He died doing what he loved best and left this world in a happy and peaceful state of mind."

Still, it's sad...and I feel so badly for his wife and kids.

Mac Rebennack, more commonly known as Dr. John, The Night Tripper and his band, the Lower 9-11 (pronounced "nine, eleven"), features guitarist Reynard Poch, bassist David Barard, and drummer Herman "Roscoe" Ernest III and their swamp pop/blues/gospel/jazz/R & B/funk sound played at Boarding House Park in Lowell Thursday night. They were awesome, as usual! A few pictures:

The band

In this picture, he was talking about Hurricane Katrina, and the damage it did, and how New Orleans still wasn't back to its "normal" self, that in fact it was looking like a third world country.

Caught his eye...

This weekend I got to see the rest of Spike Lee's 4 part documentary, When The Levees Break. All I have to say is shame, shame on the government for trying to take the land away from those people in the 9th Ward. Shame on the insurance companies that won't reimburse them for their losses. Shame on the people who said they'd searced all the houses and they didn't, so that when folks came back home they found dead loved ones inside. Shame on folks who've lived where they wanted to live all their lives, who say, "Well, those people should be happy they were evacuated and have a nice place to stay now."

Shame.

While walking through a cemetary in Lowell yesterday, I came across this unique monument:

I'd love to have such a monument when I pass...with the book being The Hobbit, and the dogs on the arms Max & Wolf. Just beautiful!

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

This is what it was cropped from:

My cousin guessed correctly, "This is easy for me. Should I say? It's two plums on my plum tree.", although I hardly think it was fair as it is her tree LOL, as did rampantbicycle "...hanging fruit, maybe?" and Dyane "Thinking they're plums...". As for the rest of you with your guesses of armpits, Smurf butts or tits, the firm buttocks of Blue Men and Mystique's thighs, I'm SHOCKED that not a one said blue balls! I have no one particular favorite this week, they were all pretty damn funny LOL! Thanks for playing :-)

So this week...

what is it?

graphic courtesy of GoofyGirl

1. Um...I got mad spellin' skillz
2. I can proofread like no one's business
3. Cooking is fun and enjoyable for me...and thanks to Julia, I make a mean potato salad
4. Speaking my mind comes easily to me...sometimes
5. I'm willing to try new things, things that others may think are freaky weird different; in fact, I embrace the bizarre different!
6. Apparently, I smell damn good, because people are always saying so.
7. My tattoos are something I really like about myself...and want more of (next one will be a phoenix)
8. I will drop anything and everything if a loved one, friend or family, needs me. Anything.
9. Being bored is not something I'm capable of. Being boring, now that's another story!
10. Kids, dogs & cats love me.
11. My vocabulary is pretty good...uh huh, it is!
12. I'm a free spirit
13. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to take a good picture...

A few people asked to see the tattoos I have...here you go!

1. The first one is no more...it was a home made heart on my right forearm, quite small, I did it when I was 14 or 15.

I was in my very early 20s in this pic

2. Next, I was going to tattoo James Montgomery Band on my left instep. I got the J done and stopped cause it hurt like a mother. Remember that!

3. In my early 20s, I decided I wanted to get a Halloween pumpkin on my instep; old school tattoo dude said no, chicks get roses or butterflies. I said um...ok, a rose. Yeah, I was a moron. Plus, it hurt SO bad, he only ended up doing the outline.

4. In my late 30s, when I was getting ready to leave Japan, I decided I wanted a tattoo to commemmorate my time there.

It's on my back, on the left, high up (it looks like the right in the picture cause I took it in the mirror LOL)

5. I also got the rose on my instep colored in around this time...cause time erases pain, right? HOLY MOG did it hurt even more the third time around!

No.more.tats.on.my.instep!!!

6. When I got back to the states, I decided I wanted to cover the small, home made heart on my arm...something small was my original idea. I ended up with this:

I love it, it's beautiful, the cherry blossoms totally remind me of Japan, but it's really VISIBLE, you know? The kanji in this one means "Spring". Also, Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee in the LOTR trilogy) touched this tattoo and said it was pretty. I met him at a book signing at the Boston Museum of Science. I told Zoot I was going and she was all OMG I'M SO IN LOVE WITH SEAN ASTIN YOU HAVE TO GET ME HIS AUTOGRAPH!!! which I, of course, did ;-) Oooh, sorry if I outed you, Zoot!

So once I got that one, I was like...um...the hell with it, the more the merrier!

7. I really began to think about what I wanted after that; when I went to Scotland, I wanted to get a thistle and when I went to Hawaii, I wanted a sea turtle. I ended up getting the sea turtle done, altho not in Hawaii.

Isn't he cute! His name is Percy.

8. The next one I designed myself; I'm totally not happy with the lettering, and because of it, I switched tattooists. The person who did the cherry blossoms & sea turtle did the lettering & the half moon & star inside, my new guy did the mist & the rest of the stars.

Mischief Managed is a phrase from the 3rd Harry Potter book, The Prisoner of Azkaban. It's what was said to close the secret map of Hogwarts when the user was done looking at it. To open the map, you tapped it with your wand and said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." I considered that, but it was too long ;-)

9. Next up is this one:

It's a phoenix, and I'm not sure I'll have it done in this color or in flame colors. It's going to cost about $260, so I'm waiting for a bit...plus it'll be the biggest one I'll have, and it's going to be on my upper left arm. I'll keep you posted :-)

Show me yours?

Random and Odd's 3 items:

1. Your Freedom
2. Your Hope
3. Your Wish

She also says, "This week SPF is all about your world. This is a 'thinking' SPF. Yes, no kids...no dogs...no cats."

But...my world is all about my dogs LOL!

1. My freedom:

Right here, baby! My freedom is the ability to hop on an airplane and fly away. WIth not much advance notice!

2. My hope:

My hope is that I get a picture of lightning! Tried it here, didn't work, but I'm not giving up!

3. My Wish:

My wish is to go to Paris again to visit the beautiful museums, eat a crepe, stroll along the Seine, sip a cafe creme. Someday!

Courtesy of Megan:

1. What's your weirdest food combination? Probably Raisinettes & popcorn!

2. What's your strangest habit?: Oh, man, I have many!

3. Are you a morning person?: god, NO!

4. Do you sing in the shower? What song?: No. see #3

5 Wha'ts the strangest behavior you've observed from a friend or loved one? When a friend of mine burned himself really badly with hot oil and he licked the wound til it healed. Yes. LIke a dog. Pretty strange, eh? And guess what? No scar & it healed quickly. Still weird, tho.

6. Just what do you intend to do with yourself this weekend? Went to the beach with Meg tonight, which was just what I needed, then off to Maine tomorrow & Sunday, Hang with Maureen, photograph a wedding and I even took Monday off cause work's getting on MY.LAST.NERVE lately.

et tu?

Decided to take Dad out for breakfast this morning. I ordered my usual, Woburn St. w/eggbeaters (mushroom, spinach & swiss cheese omelette) and Dad had corned beef hash (eggs sunny side up on hash with home fries & toast), and decided to grab my wallet. Which wasn't in my purse.

Time to call 1-800-aloo-loo (who thankfully lives right around the corner)!

me: Hey, if you get this message in the next 5 minutes call me back

aloo-loo: *calls right back* Hey, what's up?

me: Hey, I'm at the Owl Diner and I ordered already and discovered I'd left my wallet at home, can I ask a huge favor and borrow like 5 bucks? (I had $10 in my purse just floating around & Dad had $10, but I was afraid, with tip, that wouldn't be enough).

aloo-loo: Are you alone?

me: Nope, I'm with Dad.

aloo-loo: *puts on her superwoman cape* I'll be right there.

She brought me $20 to save the day!

Thanks super aloo-loo woman!!!

It doesn't seem like that long ago and at the same time, it does. I remember where I was when I heard about what happened and I remember who told me; doesn't everyone?

Where were you?

I was at work, and a friend sent me an email; he said, "Did you hear a plane crashed into the World Trade Center?" My first thought was some poor person had a heart attack while flying a small plane and crashed, because who could conceive of someone purposefully flying a plane into a building?

Every time I walk outside and see a bright blue sky, with just the right amount of crisp coolness in the airI think of that day. Remember what a beautiful day it started out to be? I think of that day when I see fire engines, planes, skyscrapers, even large flakes of snow slowly falling from the sky.

Yesterday I was in a hotel in Portland, Maine. Got up, turned the tv on and there was Joel Meyerowitz, talking about his memories of 9/11.

I discovered the beautiful photography of Joel Meyerowitz on my honeymoon in Provincetown in 1981. An amazing artist and the things he does with light! He was in New York immediately prior to 9/11/01, taking photographs, ironically, of the World Trade Center. Here are some links that show his work, and talk about September 11th:

Joel Meyerowitz

911 exhibit

Museum of London

This link talks about coping with 9/11:

Coping

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The following are emails I collected about the events of 9/11. People's stories, where they were, what they felt, opinions...etc.

Gener, 9/11/01. He works in the Pentagon: Just wanted to let you know things are alright on our end although we are on a lock-down mode on base, facilities and elsewhere in the city between downtown DC and the Pentagon. Everyone in the office are also fine and were able to call us before they were evacuated out of the office. Gotta go for now as the phones are ringing off the hook.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Masayo, 9/11/01:
LISTEN TO YOURSELF!
BELIEVE YOURSELF!
SINCE YOU KNOW ME FOR LONG, YOU ARE IN SAFE.

BE SAFE! GO & HIDE OR CAMP IN A MOUNTAIN IN MAINE!
ANYTHING YOU NEED, LET ME KNOW!
IF YOU COULD, COME TO JAPAN ANYTIME! WITH YOUR FAMILY!

YOKOTA AND ALL AMERICAN FACILITIES ARE IN EMERGENCY CONDITION.
JAPANESE MILITARY OR POLICES ARE COORPORATIVE POSITION FOR THEM.

my reply, 9/11/01

Masayo,

What a horrible day! When I first heard about a plane hitting the
World Trade Center in NY (only 4 hours from here!) I thought it was a small plane, that maybe the pilot had had a heart attack or something. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it was a terrorist attack! Those poor people on the plane, and in the building :-(((

How could anyone do such a thing? My parents are on vacation right
now, in Virginia, not close to DC tho, thankfully! I hope the worst is
over, but unfortunately, I think now we'll probably go to war :-(

I'll write more later,

love, Janet

Masayo's reply, 9/11/01:

GREAT to hear from you, really!! Your family is fine and everything! I worried about you in shock. Mom was the one keep telling me about your safe and send a message to you. Be careful, not to control by anyone.

"Trust no one."
- X-files

-------------------------------------------------------

This is a column written by Leonard Pitts, Jr. from the Miami Herald.

Published Wednesday, September 12, 2001

We'll go forward from this moment
It's my job to have something to say.
They pay me to provide words that help make sense of that which troubles the American soul. But in this moment of airless shock when hot tears sting disbelieving eyes, the only thing I can find to say, the only words that seem to fit, must be addressed to the unknown author of this suffering.

You monster. You beast. You unspeakable bastard.

What lesson did you hope to teach us by your coward's attack on our
World Trade Center, our Pentagon, us? What was it you hoped we would learn? Whatever it was, please know that you failed.

Did you want us to respect your cause? You just damned your cause.

Did you want to make us fear? You just steeled our resolve.

Did you want to tear us apart? You just brought us together.

Let me tell you about my people. We are a vast and quarrelsome family, a family rent by racial, social, political and class division, but a
Family nonetheless. We're frivolous, yes, capable of expending tremendous emotional energy on pop cultural minutiae -- a singer's revealing dress, a ball team's misfortune, a cartoon mouse. We're wealthy, too, spoiled by the ready availability of trinkets and material goods, and maybe because of that, we walk through life with a certain sense of blithe entitlement. We are fundamentally decent, though -- peace-loving and compassionate. We struggle to know the right thing and to do it. And we are, the overwhelming majority of us, people of faith, believers in a just and loving God.

Some people -- you, perhaps -- think that any or all of this makes us weak. You're mistaken. We are not weak. Indeed, we are strong in ways that cannot be measured by arsenals.

IN PAIN

Yes, we're in pain now. We are in mourning and we are in shock. We're
Still grappling with the unreality of the awful thing you did, still working to make ourselves understand that this isn't a special effect from some Hollywood blockbuster, isn't the plot development from a Tom Clancy novel. Both in terms of the awful scope of their ambition and the probable final death toll, your attacks are likely to go down as the worst acts of terrorism in the history of the United States and, probably, the history of the world. You've bloodied us as we have never been bloodied before.

But there's a gulf of difference between making us bloody and making us fall. This is the lesson Japan was taught to its bitter sorrow the last time anyone hit us this hard, the last time anyone brought us such abrupt and monumental pain. When roused, we are righteous in our outrage, terrible in our force. When provoked by this level of barbarism, we will bear any suffering, pay any cost, go to any length, in the pursuit of justice.

I tell you this without fear of contradiction. I know my people, as you, I think, do not. What I know reassures me. It also causes me to tremble with dread of the future.

In the days to come, there will be recrimination and accusation, fingers pointing to determine whose failure allowed this to happen and what can be done to prevent it from happening again. There will be heightened security, misguided talk of revoking basic freedoms. We'll go forward from this moment sobered, chastened, sad. But determined, too. Unimaginably determined.

THE STEEL IN US

You see, the steel in us is not always readily apparent. That aspect of
Our character is seldom understood by people who don't know us well. On this day, the family's bickering is put on hold.

As Americans we will weep, as Americans we will mourn, and as Americans, we will rise in defense of all that we cherish.

So I ask again: What was it you hoped to teach us? It occurs to me that maybe you just wanted us to know the depths of your hatred. If that's the case, consider the message received. And take this message in exchange: You don't know my people. You don't know what we're capable of. You don't know what you just started.

But you're about to learn.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

9/13/01 From my friend Rod, whom I met in an airport bar, in response to the above article:

“Thanks for the article. It was pretty good. I hope that none of your
Family or friends was affected directly by the past events. If so, I'd like to extend my heart felt condolences.”

9/13/01, From my friend Dave, or Adve, as I liked to mistype his name in chat:

as i reply to this Janet, im in tears, im overwhelmed
by patriotism...
God Bless America

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Automatic email from the Food Network on 9/13:

Food Network News - Special Edition

In deference to the recent tragic events in New York City, all Emeril Live tapings for the next few weeks
have been postponed. All tickets for these tapings will be honored at a future date and ticket holders
for these tapings will be contacted by phone beginning Monday, Sept. 17, to reschedule. Any
current ticket holders who are not contacted by an Emeril Live representative by Monday, Oct. 1, should
call the phone number provided during the ticket's issuance. Thank you for your patience and
understanding.

We are thankful that all of our colleagues, including our chefs and hosts in the New York area, have been
accounted for. All are safe. That's not to say, however, that all are well. Many employees may have
lost friends or relatives or may be awaiting news of loved ones who are still missing. Our hearts and
prayers go out to all who grieve or are coping with uncertainty.

Michael Lomonaco, who used to appear on the Food Network, is safe. He was not at Windows on the World
at the time of the catastrophe. However, many of his staff did not survive. All of us here join with the
nation in mourning them and all the others who were lost in this terrible tragedy.

Food Network will resume publishing its regular newsletter next week.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9/13/01, me: Just got off the phone with Gaylen, she, Don & kids are fine, the base schools are closed, as is the commissary. How're y'all doing?

9/13/01 Lisa's, whom I met when I lived in Japan reply:

Hey Janet, thanks, we are all fine. Everything stayed open here except the bases. Only essential personnel. Have only seen a little of Ollie in the last few days. How are you doing? Pretty crazy hugh, can't believe what this world is coming to. I guess they have been in the Boston area for awhile. My mom said some were in a hotel near her house and flew from Portland to Boston that morning. Been glued to the TV! Hope all is well with you, thanks for the email. Take care Lisa

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: "AirTran Airways Net Escapes"
Subject: AirTran Airways Flights Resume
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 17:15:39 -0400

Dear AirTran Airways customer,

The FAA has today authorized air carriers to resume commercial air travel that was suspended following Tuesday's tragic events. AirTran Airways will resume flying most of its schedule beginning Thursday
afternoon.

In accordance with FAA requirements, the following new security measures are being instituted at all airports:

* Passengers only will be permitted through the security checkpoint.

* All passengers will be required to show a reservations receipt or a boarding pass, along with a valid, government-issued photo ID (e.g., driver's license or passport) at the security checkpoint in order to
proceed to the departure gate.

* If a passenger does not have a reservations receipt, the passenger must go to the airport ticket counter to check-in and get a boarding pass in order to proceed through the security checkpoint.

* Curbside baggage check-in has been suspended. Passengers must check their bags at the ticket counter.

* Please allow for extra time needed at the airport to comply with the increased security measures. We recommend you arrive at the airport 90 minutes before flight departure time.

We appreciate your patience during this difficult time. Your safety continues to be our primary concern and all of our actions are designed to provide the highest level of safe ground and air operations.

As always, thank you for traveling with us, and we look forward to serving you on your next flight.

Sincerely,
AirTran Airways

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

From: "KAREN"
Subject: WTC
Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2001 08:29:28 -0400

Dear Family & Friends,

In May, Mark & I took the boys to New York City to visit the Statue of Liberty. With the devastation that has occurred this week, we took out our photos and I couldn't believe the one taken while waiting for the Liberty Ferry. I don't know why the flag was flying at half-staff but it was. I share this photo with you in observance of our National Day of Mourning.

In Peace,
Karen

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From AA, 9/18/01:

On behalf of the entire American Airlines family, I wanted to take a moment to express our deepest sympathies to the thousands affected by last week's tragic events. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with
each and every one of you.

As we resume operations and implement heightened security measures, the travel experience has changed for all of us. While we continue to work closely with the FAA to implement the new security directives, we also
want to make sure you are aware of changes that have been put in place to ensure safe travel. Please refer to
http://info.aa.com/Key=10361.DdbA.B.FKCm5 for details of these new procedures.

While these procedures are in effect at all U.S. airports, keep in mind that individual airports may have instituted further security procedures. You may want to check with your local airport's web site or information hotline before you leave home, just to be sure you'll know what to expect.

We thank you for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. And be assured, we will do everything in our power to make your travels as smooth as possible.

Sincerely,
Don Carty
Chairman and CEO
American Airlines

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From me, 9/19/01:

Hi Sue,

I was just wondering how your friend Paul is doing and if he is ok after the horrible attack in NY.

Sue’s answer, same day:
Yes, Paul is OK, but it was scary. He works 4 blocks away from WTC. He got out before everything collapsed. I tried for hours to get in touch with him, finally talked to him that afternoon. I can't imagine what they are all feeling. I know I feel horror. For the New Yorkers, Paul says they are all still in shock. I've also wondered about Steve (FIREMANNY). Has anyone heard anything? I work with a girl whose brother was one of the firemen that got caught in the collapse of the buildings.

What's it like in Boston? I have the feeling it must feel very weird there too. We seem so far removed from everything here in Indiana, but want to do things for people. It's a helpless feeling.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An email I sent out and the replies I got back:

Me:

It feels a bit more real now that some time has passed. I'm angry, sad, shocked, horrified all at the same time. Some friends and I (MaryEllen, Julie and Don) email each other during the day and the first I'd heard of anything was when I got an email from Don saying "Did you hear a plane crashed into the World Trade Center?" My first thought was some poor person had a heart attack while flying a cessna and crashed...I couldn't have been more wrong! I, along with another woman in my company, was interviewing a receptionist candidate at 10, and so didn't hear about the Pentagon til 1045 or so, and I'll tell you...I was more shocked about that than the WTC, in part because there's a no fly zone there, and also because the WTC had been
attacked before and, in my mind, was a prime terrorist attractant, whereas I would have felt perfectly safe working at the Pentagon. As more details emerge from the plane that went down in PA, it makes me feel proud that those people onboard did what they did. A hard decision to make, and they actually voted! and did something we can only hope we never have to do.

Wendy, 9/19/01:

I too am very angry, very upset for all the human loss, the innocent human loss that occured last week. I was at work when all of this took place, I don't have a television where I am, but there is one in the
waiting room. Patients and their families started telling us about it, we would go out when we could. I almost didn't want to go out and look at the television at all the suffering that was taking place. At the same time I wanted to be there so I could help in the hospitals there.

I didn't allow myself to cry until I got home. Or perhaps it didn't all hit me until then, knowing that we as a country cannot allow "them" to get away with this. Now we have to find out who "them" is, and I also don't want any American given rights to be taken away from us. I am a
constitutionalist, while I love my country and would fight to protect it, I also believe that if you should want to, you should be able to burn the flag and make voodoo dolls of GW and stick pins in him. I haven't spoken to Don about this, I am sure he is hot. I think the men see this a little differently than women do.

They want some ass kicked, I want the correct asses kicked. I do believe that whoever did this horrible thing will be caught and brought to justice. I am not a very religious person, but I do believe in God. I wear a cross around my neck, I found myself holding it between my thumb and forefinger, closing my eyes and saying small prayers throughout the past week. When they started saying that the planes were hijacked from Boston, I thought of you and said a lil prayer to keep
my friend safe. Musta worked :)

From Masayo, 9/19/01:

I also thought about different terro group as you felt in your first impression of WTC. Don't you think, when we feel in same way it usually tells us something...

I didn't know Akebono in Yokota. [in reponse to a link I’d sent her] I can imagine you read through that long page in mega-quick in your busy-bee office, which means you are same. Thanks you're fine.

From Beth, 9/20/01. She and her family lived next door to me when I was growing up:

I was at home, it was just before 7:00 am, and my neighbor was banging on the door. I got up to let him in. He was yelling about the crashes, and like you he was terrified about the Pentagon. I turned on the TV and immediately received calls from the Beecy's asking where mom and dad were. They planned to fly out at 9:40 from Manchester to Newark, then off to John Wayne in Orange County. There were aprox 2 hours of dread till they arrived home and called me. I am better now than I was last week, but I can't help to feel a state of fear "for we are fighting an enemy we have no weapons to defeat." I hope our countrymen can learn this level of hate, terrorism, and disregard for human life that will allow us to fight this war.

From Lori, 9/20/01.

Well, I was at work and got a call from our Technical Director around 8:55a. (They have a TV in the tech room). He says "Did you hear what happend? You need to get back here right away!" I didn't know what he was talking about and figured it had to do with one of our shows or something, or a stray animal which we seem to collect around the building. So I grabbed some of the staff in the front office and went backstage. The first thing I said was "what movie are you watching??". They said it wasn't a movie and then of course I discovered what had happened. I was it total disbelief. Standing with my mouth hanging open, almost wanting to laugh it off because it was too much for my eyes or my brain to comprehend. It didn't become real for me until the evening of Sept 12. I was watching the news. Glued to my TV set like the rest of the country. And the media reporter was interviewing the families of an entire company of people that had been lost at the WTC. They were crying, holding up pictures, describing what their dads, sons, wives, sisters, etc. had been wearing, their eye color, their weight and so on. It was at that moment that I completely lost everything. The distance that seemed to seperate me from the disaster suddenly hit home inside my head. I cried for a couple of hours unable to get the images out of my head. So, I'm filled with sadness, shock, anger. Anger at those who did this to the US, but also angry with the media for continuing to show those horrendous images over and over again. The image of the space shuttle explosion in the 80's is still vivid in my head. This image of the WTC and the pentagon are burned into my memory. At times I want to turn off my television, ignore my papers, unplug my radio, but then I feel as if I'm not being supportive or not being patriotic. Is that a horrible thing to want to escape the reality of this tragedy? Those who have lost loved ones can't escape it. So, a part of me wants to retreat into the wilderness and start anew, and the other wants to stand with the firefighters and those many people as they slowly remove the rubble...

From Dave, 9/20/01

like yourself, I (and countless other thousands of Americans)am sad, and completely horrified by the actions that took place that day..
I was just walkin in from work when my mom yelled to me "David!! come quick!! a plane just hit the world trade center!!" not really thinking anything of it, i went about changing clothes etc. i happened to glance at the TV just as the second plane hit the WTC, my body went numb, i couldnt believe what i was seeing, then the Pentagon, (i myself dont see Reagan Intl. reopening, ever. (lest for a Rowland at the end of the runway, i dont think the American ppl will buy that) to be honest, i was full of rage tuesday evening, i could have really hurt any mid-easterner i saw w/o even thinking of it, looking back now, im glad i stayed home

P.S. This has affected me like no other emotion ive ever felt, the extremity of the range of emotions is overwhelming... one minute, i wanna strangle summin, the next, im damn near in tears, but the one thing that has never left me is the spirit that makes this country what it is today, to all of us...
God Bless America
Adve
"Sure I am this day we are masters of our fate, that
the task which has been set before us is not above our
strength; that its pangs and toils are not beyond our
endurance. As long as we have faith in our own cause
and an unconquerable will to win, victory will not be
denied us."
-Winston Churchill

From Karen, 9/20/01

I'm not going to sit here and describe the events...or try to get it across how terrible the whole thing is...IT IS ALL THAT AND MORE!!

I found out it was happening (about 9:30 or so) while I was at the gym.
... two woman were talking about flights and how the airport would be closed and her parents would probably not be going to Vegas on Friday.....I asked, "How come, is the hurricane going to hit us?" And she said, "Noooo, you don't know? Two planes crashed into the World Trade Towers!" Well, we went on and on about speculation and feelings and fear......and then I went home and put on the TV and joined the country in shock and tears. I've spent a week crying off and on while listening to or reading the stories of all the people being interviewed.
It is a surreal feeling to think of doing anything FUN now.....or to think of traveling....I just keep wondering what they are going to do next, and they will do something. I watched the show on Discovery last night about why they hate us and it just seems to me that they are on a mission and they are going to complete it. How can the world wipe out all terrorists? For every bin Laden there are hundreds wanting to step into his shoes......
It may be a knee jerk reaction but part of me thinks the US should close its doors, and deport all Muslims...if they hate us so much - send them home! (I know, I know...but I said it was a knee jerk reaction). I don't think we should hurt them and I'm sorry for the innocent people who are being attacked now...but the thing is, how do we know if they are really innocent...HEAVY SIGH....the terrorists seemed perfectly innocent in their communities.
Shame on our government for not being more aware of what they were doing....the old spy days are coming back....only people could've figured that out, not high-tech.
Well....that is what I is what I was doing and have been thinking about.

From Grae, 9/21/01

At the shipyard, we've always known that we were targets. Afterall, if you want to criple a military, stop the ones who build the ships. As we watched the events unfold on a tiny tv in the directors office, it seemed as if they were making their way down the cost. The fear that filled us can not be compared to anything. And then you add in the fact that most of us are transplants, many of our small group standing there watching, wondered about friends and family who were in the areas hit.

I went to NY on my honey moon, and the first thing I remember seeing was the WTC. I still find it hard to believe that they are no longer there. It's like the memories have been ripped from my head.

Still, I have held strong to the belief that whatever does not kill us makes us stronger. And yes they have taken human lives, but they can never kill the spirit and dream that is American!

From Marcus, 9/25/01

Hey J,
I feel you completely! It was and still is shocking. Definitely one I can never forget! Glad to know you're well and safe.

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From Lisa, 9/21/01 in response to an email from me giving her Gaylen’s phone number in England:

Thanks Janet!! I called last night and she said there is talk of sending the dependents back to the states. They are closing on their house today so she is trying to figure out where she will go if this happens. The base will decide next week sometime if they are going to act on it. Other than that they are all fine, she said that she is working at the commissary on base and really likes it cause she can work while the kids are in school. She was also wondering about your friend that works at the Pentagon? Is he OK? Did you know a lot of people who were in the blast? Well I better run, thanks again Lisa

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Me, 10/20/01

I was laying in bed Saturday morning and I heard this scratching sound outside (the miracle here was the dogs didn't even bark!)...looked out the window and there were 5 people raking the lawn!!! I got dressed and went out to talk to them:

Hi! Are you the raking fairies?

(laughs) why, yes we are!

They admitted they were from my parents' church, and belonged to a group called Kickin' Habits Support Group. When they were done (they raked AND bagged the leaves), they left a little sign near the tree in the front yard. It says:

This random act of kindness
has been sponsored by the
KICKIN' HABITS SUPPORT GROUP!

I thought it was sweet, and they said it was their way of dealing with September 11th. Just a thought :-) So...don't feel helpless...it's what the terrorists want...to make Americans unhappy, scared, helpless...

You've given blood, donated money, done what you could. Now you just have to get on with life and ENJOY it! That's the BEST revenge on those terrorists, you all know that!

hang in there (go raking?)

Janet, Max (I'll bark at those terrorists til they go DEAF) & Chibi (And I'll PEE on them!)

And Lori’s reply:

hahahah... RAKING fairies.... Wow, now that is random acts of kindness. Sept. 11 was a test for humanity and more and more people are showing their true colors. No matter how horrendous the attacks, we really needed something to wake us up. Ya know? Wow, I'm suddenly in the mood to chat... That's something I haven't wanted to do in a long time. Take care of yourself. I'll talk to you soon!

Diane’s reply:

Awesome story because its yours, and told so eloquently.

Sherrie’s reply:

THat is so sweet...I find random acts of kindness around me more than I ever have before...even got a free candle! People taking the time to help out, others having more patience than usual. Its heartwarming to hear that all this kindness is spreading. I miss you.. take care, hugs tight!

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Don, 9/11/02:

Yahoo has these neat memorial tiles you can make. In self-promoting fashion, here is my tile:
http://tiles.remember.yahoo.com/view/82c8743b0

Janet:

I have some stories from friends about where they were, what they were doing on the day of the attack...if any of you want to read them...

Don: I'd love to see them. :)

From Don, 9/11/02:

That gave me cold chills to read it. I, like you, thought that some Poor Cessna had hit the WTC at first and then it became all to real as more and people were saying "another one just hit the bldg.", "a plane just hit the pentagon"...etc. My boss and I grabbed our portable radios and headed to the communications center where we set up a command center. I remember that I just wanted to get my son and daughter and hold them tight because I didn't know what was coming next.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
9/13/04
Lauren: It's funny how you saved emails from that day. I was just thinking that on Sat and wished I saved my emails. It still saddens me to this day about that day.

I am so sorry if I haven't stopped by to see your Friday or Saturday photo challenges, it's been a busy weekend! I do plan on catching up tonight, tho!

I headed up to Portland, Maine Saturday afternoon to meet Mo; she kindly agreed to help me shoot a wedding Sunday afternoon over on Peake's Island.

We hit Portland running, caught our breath while a fierce storm raged outside, then walked down to the piers for dinner, where I had some delicious lobster stew, yum! Afterward, we walked around downtown Portland where we saw a gorgeous transvestite, a cute guitar player and tons o' tourists.

I also saw these cool things called Jibbitz that you can put in the holes in your Crocs to decorate them! Here's what I did with mine:

Doesn't it make you want to get a pair of Crocs?

That evening, back in the hotel, our room had a wall of windows, so we slept with the floor to ceiling curtains open, better to see the stars :-)

Sunday we got up, went to a local legend, Becky's, for breakfast, and then browsed the stores, where I bought a pair of Reef platform flip flops, which, yes, I did wear to the wedding (my dressy black pants were long enough to mostly hide the fact) and a ME sticker for ME's (MaryEllen) new car :-)

Then we caught the ferry over to Peake's Island and got ready for the wedding.

Here are some shots from the island:

Pier on Peake's Island, Maine

Wedding ceremony

Aren't the table decorations gorgeous?

That was my weekend, how was yours?

If you'd like to play, click here!

1. True love :: is amazing!
2. Age :: ain't nuthin' but a numbah, baby!
3. Stern :: idiot dude on the radio
4. Elastic :: band wars
5. Rustic :: Kitchen, a great restaurant in Cambridge...or maybe it's Somerville, LOL!
6. Enhance :: your life
7. Jackson :: Five
8. Inherit :: the wind
9. Devious :: lil bastid
10. Scapegoat :: me

Awhile back, I purchased a Kodak KLIC-5001 rechargeable digital camera battery as a gift for someone; it ended up not being needed. So if anyone would like to purchase said battery from me, they can have it for $15.00; it goes for $16.35 on amazon. Free shipping ;-)

It fits Kodak digital camera models DX6490, DX 7440, DX7590, DX7630. Leave a comment if you're interested!

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

This is what it was cropped from:

Pam got it right this week, she said: "It's one of those light bulbs you find that have a reflective surface on the bottom so's not to overglare. You find them in restaurants...like Red Robin."; in fact, I did take this picture in a restaurant, Sweet Tomatoes in West Newton. I liked Monique's answer best: "...it's clearly the reflection of a room in the eye of a vampire.", cause y'all know I have a thang for vampires ;-) Thanks for playing!

So this week...

what is it?

graphic courtesy of GoofyGirl

1. We can be very forgetful and very forgiving!
2. Understanding uptight people is tough.
3. And watching them freak out is kind of puzzling.
4. We wonder why people just can't chill out.
5. Usually, our houses are messy.
6. Our offices tend to be messy as well, but you know...most times we can find whatever we need.
7. If we run out of an ingredient while cooking, we either add another or make do...and it usually turns out fine!
8. Our dogs are mostly spoiled and happy (reflection of their owners?).
9. We're pretty calm, relaxed and laid back, usually.
10. And this is why Type As tend to gravitate towards us as friends (opposites attract, right?).
11. We pretty much go with the flow.
12. Generally, we "bloom where we are planted".
13. Speaking of planning and changes, Type Bs don't generally have set in stone plans; we might decide to do one thing and when the time comes to do it, decide on something else entirely! Adventure!!! It all works out in the end :-)

Yesterday, one of the guys at work sent around an email, asking some of us if we'd like to guess who'd place 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th.

I replied: 1-Lukas; 2-Dilana; 3-Toby, 4-Magni.

I've never seen the show...not once, never heard them sing, nothing. They all laughed at me cause I put Lukas #1, they said he'd NEVER win.

Guess who won?

me & Lukas!

I walked into work today and the two Lisas were like...um...OMG I can't believe you won, will you buy us lottery tickets NOW please?

hehehe...

I also won the prize at the Pampered Chef party the night before...now if only I were that lucky with men! Or women!

I'm going to pass on Random and Odd's 3 items this Friday, sorry!

Instead, I'm going to share some pictures I've taken lately, if that's ok with y'all!

First up, a beautiful whale and her calf, courtesy of the artist Robert Wyland. This is painted on a building across from the Ferry Terminal in Portland, ME:

Next, we have a graceful toucan (oxymoron?) balancing a couple pints of Guinness. Smart bird! I'll have one, please!

I took this shot from the hotel room I stayed at up in Portland; what I wouldn't give to be able to curl up in that window, listening to the rain fall and working my way through Carl's challenge! Sigh...

Old and young; coming and going; two cute dogs waiting for the ferry with us:

Maine sunset:

Wedding favor; I thought these were simply beautiful:

The bride & groom, mid-ceremony and smiling:

I'm going to a restaurant I've been dying to try, and if their online menu is correct, this is what I'm having :-)

speciality cocktails
Mary Provencale (Basil infused tomato juice, vodka and our secret spice mix)
OR
Nice Iced Tea (Stoli Ohranj, lavender infused Red Lillet and ginger ale)

Petits Gouters
Selection of imported French olives

First Courses
- Selection of artisan French cheeses with sourdough bread, chutney and fruit
- Assiette de charcuterie with toasted brioche, mustard, and chutney

and if there's any room left, dessert:

Espresso Martini (Espresso, Stoli Vanilla vodka, Kahlua and Bailey's)

It was a gorgeous pre-autumn day here in New England yesterday! I popped in some Zeppelin, turned it up loud (is there any other way to listen to Zeppelin?), opened the windows and roof and headed over to pick up Michelle for a trip into Boston.

As I'm driving, not far from Michelle's place (singing along [LOUDLY] to Zep, of course), I notice out of the corner of my eye a vehicle that seemed to be keeping pace with me...a BIG vehicle. So, in typical Masshole style, I ignore it...til the person starts beeping at me! I turn my head to look and I'm SURE the look on my face was...um...not polite, to say the least.

What does this person say to me?

"Are you fondofelves?"

I about keeled over LOL! She went on to say that she was "Counting Sheep" and my cultured response was something to the effect of "get the eff outa here!" (I wasn't telling her to go away, I was expressing my disbelief at the smallness of the world, New England style).

So, Jo, it was nice to finally meet you! I wish I'd had the presence of mind to invite you over to Michelle's; she and I were on our way to Sel de la Terre, but it would've been fun to sit and chat for a bit!

Next time?

The meal that I mentioned on Friday was just spectacular, and the service...well, let's just say he was divine! Oh, and the dessert, which I hadn't planned for, was far and away the best creme brulee I've ever had:

Whenever I see something strange or unusual (like the pictures above and below) I think of Krista. She and I share a very similar sense of humor, or more correctly, a sense of the absurd. I hope you have a fantastic birthday today, and I am so very glad we're friends :-)

Go wish her a happy day, k?

Oh, ME, the war is ON!

Came home from work and Dad says, there's a box for you. I look at the front, see it's from MaryEllen and wonder what could be inside; I can hear it rattle when I shake it. Huh?

It's wrapped in brown paper and taped up pretty good, so I take the scissors to it carefully, which was fortuitous because inside was a picture of Johnny Depp Captain Jack Sparrow! After staring at that piratey goodness for a bit, I pick up the remnants of the brown wrapping paper...and notice the above words, written in tiny hand (click on the picture to see what I mean).

HAHAHA!

Oh, and btw...MaryEllen's Mom lives with her...and I bet her Mom's eyes are better than my Dad's *rubs hands together evilly*

(graphic courtesy o' Heather, an amazin' lass!)

Ahoy lads and lassies, landlubbers and old salts, all manner of Brethren of the Coast! Arrrr, tis Talk Like A Pirate Day, me buckos! Shiver me timbers, tis a fine Tuesday, one day closer t' Friday and we're over t' stress o' aft t' weekend Monday.

Some scurvy sea dogs hae taken it a step further and made it "Talk and Dress Like A Pirate Day"! Matey, tis true, this saucy wench did t'ink 'bout it, but me workplace be so full of bilge-sucking deck hands (begad, more than a few I should like ta send ta Davy Jones' locker...as Cap'n Barbossa did say: "Here there be monsterrrs"), I thought it best t' wear me regular clothin', blast it!

Jes' so's yer knows it, this wench'll be busy preparin' for a privateer's inspection nie this Wednesday, so don't get your bunghole in a twist if I'm not emailin' or IMin', savvy?

Arrrr, if any of ye poxy addlepates wants ta be talkin' like a pirate, this'll be the site ye'll be lookin' for. Oh, and Laura, ye'll be responsible for titivatin' tha jollyboat, or it'll be kiss the gunner's daughter for ya, ye scurvy sprog !

Fair winds to ye, and drink up me hearties, yo ho!

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

This is what it was cropped from:

I can't believe so many of you got it right! Robin was the first, she said: "A sunflower center!"; followed quickly by 3 gazillion of you! That means this week, I need to make it a bit harder...

So this week...

what is it?

Sorry I've been scarce lately! I've not been able to keep up with the blogs I like to read, never mind emailing and IMing, due to having a tough few days at work; if I missed any posts you think I should see, please tell me about them.

Anyway, I'm happy to say that I passed all aspects of my inspection today! Many thanks to a quartet of hard working people in my office.

In other news...because I'm such a fashionista (HAHAHA!) I was intrigued with this meme over on Deb's blog; she got it from Suzanne, who also asked Deb to show a photo of herself from 10 years ago (she chose to use one from 20 years ago, as am I, but I'm just telling ya the basic rules of the meme).

Here goes!

What has been your biggest fashion indulgence?
I never spent that much money on clothing, even when I dressed up every day, definitely never spent over $100 on an outfit. However, this dress sure got me the most compliments:

I wore it to a Christmas party in this picture, as well as to work. Hmmm...that dress could tell some stories, yes it could!

What is your signature scent?

Right now, it's a potion I brewed up at a parfumerie in Newburyport. I call it Snape. It's a combo of Thierry Mugler's Angel (which I didn't discover until 2003 and absolutely LOVE) and Tunisian Opium. It's smoky and people seem to love it on me.

What was your biggest fashion mistake?

This haircut. What was I thinking???

What item(s) do you never travel without?

A book, cell phone, my iPod, moleskine & Micron pen, mints, ID and money. That's all I need :-) Oh! And my camera!

What was the last film you saw?

In the theater, I believe it was I have had it with these motherfuckin' "Snakes on this motherfuckin' a Plane" At home it was probably Pirates of the Caribbean 1.

What beauty products do you swear by?

- Caudalie Contour Cream for Eyes and Lips.
- Lancome's Imanance (a tinted facial day creme with an SPF of 15).
- Sweep Away by Paula Dorf (make up remover).
- Pureology HydrateShampoo & Conditioner. Try this if you can find some, it's THE most fantastic shampoo & conditioner, ever!
- Make Up Forever's Star Powder; it's iridescent and I love to use it on my eyes!
- Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm (in the tin)
- Bourjois Coup de Theatre mascara
- MAC bronzing powder

You'd think by that list I wear alot of makeup...lol! I hardly ever do :-)

What is on your iPod?

Tons of music, some of Charles Laquidara's radio shows from WBOS, and all the Harry Potter books :-)

What was the last item of clothing you bought?

A bunch of nice tops & pants to wear when I'm doing weddings.

See?

Where do you buy your lingerie?

hahaha lingerie? If by lingerie you mean sexy underthings, I don't. If by lingerie you mean everyday bras & panties, I buy them from wherever.

Which shop(s) couldn't you live without?

Sephora! The parfumerie up in Newburyport! TJ Maxx & Marshall's. And that's about it ;-)

graphic courtesy of GoofyGirl

1. Max LOVES to run & jump; he'd be outstanding at agility!
2. Wolf burps REALLY LOUDLY just once after he's done eating.
3. Max was abused as a puppy by a little boy and so has some issues; he's had some therapy for those issues!
4. Wolf's first year was mostly spent indoors; the pads on his paws were as soft as a baby's bottom when I first got him!
5. Max is a pretty golden color.
6. Wolf, while certainly pretty, is a lighter, more faded gold than Max.
7. Max's tail looks like a deer tail!
8. Wolf has been mistaken for a fox.
9. Max's tongue is pink with 5 big black spots!
10. Wolf's tail is very curly, except when he's frightened...then it hangs straight down.
11. Max loves to cuddle and sleep under the blanket on my bed.
12. Wolf only cuddles in the morning, and only for a few minutes. He won't sleep on the bed if I'm in it.
13. Max was an only dog for about a year and he loved it!

it would've been 25 years ago this evening.

- I've got a wedding to shoot this weekend in a building with practically no windows and the groom doesn't want me to use a flash. Wish me luck?

- Wolf's paw is bothering him; he's been licking it to the point it's bleeding...how much do you want to bet he wakes me up with a shiba scream tonight and then he gets to go to the vet tomorrow?

- Did anyone watch the new tv show Jericho? I thought it was a very interesting premise, and I really like Gerald McRaney! Damn, he's aged, tho...but haven't we all LOL!

- Today, someone I work with told me she's leaving. I knew it was coming, still I'm sad to see her go :-(

Speaking of work, when I got back from going to Trader Joe's this afternoon (licorice, cookies, raw almonds, Tofutti ice cream sandwiches, thanks to Heather & satay noodles) there was a yellow jacket in my office. One of the IT guys was walking by and I asked him to get the bee. This started a 3 Stooges routine of the funniest order!

He goes after it with...well, he's an IT guy! What do you think he went after it with?

A rolled up newspaper?

Bug spray?

A shoe?

No...air! Canned air, like you use to clean your keyboards. Can you say pissed off bee? Then he sprayed some of the air over where he thought the bee was, and it hit a dried rose I had on the wall. A petal flew off, and I SWEAR he jumped and screamed ROFLMAO! Ok...lol at least he wasn't too scared to try, which I was!

Finally the problem was solved by Super Deb and Brave Walt. In a combined show of strength, Deb lysoled it, got it to the carpet, Walt pointed out where it was on said carpet and Deb stepped on it, squishing it dead. Then she was going to pick it up with her bare fingers! GROSS!!!

I promptly asked Deb if she'd be my roommate so she should kill bugs for me. She laughed and asked me to stop kidnapping her Captain Jack Sparrow stuffed doll (from McDonald's y'all!). I like to look at it as Where In The World Is Captain Jack Sparrow?

Gotta leave you with a picture:

My friend Betsy's daughters, Nat & Aud, I call this one "Voila" (what else)

Courtesy of Megan:

1. 6 things in front of me right now... monitor, speakers, stuffed toy dog, bracelet from Paris, a kerrokerokeroppi bowl, LOTR bookmarks

2. 5 things I'm good at...: putting myself down, spelling, hearing, picking winners, procrastinating

3. 4 things I can't live without...: my cameras, water, food, air

4. 3 things I'm wearing right now...: capris, tshirt, flipflops (literally ALL I'm wearing right now LOL)

5 2 things I ate yesterday... breakfast burrito, satay noodles

6. 1 thing I'm doing this weekend. Photographing a wedding!

et tu?

1. Wolf had his shiba friends over last night, one drink led to another and another and a dozen, and he ended up with the lampshade and a woman's stocking on his head! His friends said they had a good time tho!

2. Wolf got a boo boo on his paw, up inside past the pads of his feet, whether a bug bite, a piece of glass or a sharp rock, who knows. He, like a small child scratches a bug bite, licked and licked and licked until instead of healing, it became red, raw, inflamed & infected. Now he's on a course of antibiotics and a nice gentamicin spray which must go on three times a day, and in typical shiba fashion, he's already learned to run and hide when he sees the bottle.

hmmm...which one is it?

A Geek In Beantown asked and I volunteered...to be a photo editor for Boobiethon 2006 (Laura, don't faint); and yes, I'll be submitting a picture, too:

The following is quoted directly from A Geek in Beantown:

Robyn posted a call for early photo submissions... In her own words: "A quick heads-up that we are now taking early photo submissions at the fifth annual Boobie-Thon. By making an early photo submission you help us make sure the site is already filled with content on launch-day (October 1st). You can find more information on how to submit photographs, and what kind of photographs are accepted, here."

Volunteers are still needed, especially a PR coordinator and male photo editors, so please read my last blog entry if you're interested in helping out. We'd love to have your help, your photos, etc. Also, we'd love it if you'd post about this and help spread the word!

So I've posted about it, and I expect some of you more adventurous types to submit photos! And don't email them to me, please follow the directions (and guidelines) here!

Thanks, and have fun!

Lots and lots of butterflies at the beach, feasting on goldenrod. Glad it's good for something!

Gmail's down, as is google and firefox doesn't seem to be working properly. Yes, I tried accessing gmail on IE, no go, but blogs that wouldn't open up in Firefox open up fine in IE, atho I can't comment. What the hey???

So if I have't answered any emails recently, that's why.

Here, have another picture to look at while I go back to reading The Thirteenth Tale:

Matt tried to hard to be the one to grab the garter!

Loo helped by drinking his beer...

Then Loo had an idea (you can tell by the light over her head)

Loo said yes!

Confused?

Go here!

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

This is what it was cropped from:

Laura knew this one, as she was there when I took the picture! So even tho she refrained from guessing, she was the first one to know what it was (her second guess was quite amusing: "Janet......hun,....are you taking pictures looking UP one of the Rockette's dresses again?"! Second was Pam, who said: "I'm thinking that's the head of a person suffering from male pattern balness who happens to be wearing a tiara with boa feathers.". I don't think he was suffering from baldness LOL!

So this week...

what is it?

Tonight, on 20/20 Barbara Walters talks with Terri Irwin, Steve Irwin's widow, and to his business partner John Stainton. While I want to see this, I know it's going to be a sobfest. Why do we feel so strongly about Steve Irwin? I believe it's his innate goodness. What do you think?

- Anyone want to go see the Raconteurs with me at the Orpheum this Friday at 7:30? It's only 30 bucks :-)

- Target at 10 am-ish during the week...don't go there! It's baby & toddler heaven, and if you have the least little sensitivity to sound, holy haysus! Not only do some of the moms just let the kids scream, they let them bring toys that make loud, repetitive sounds, as do some of the moms themselves. For example, one mom said to her baby/toddler (and in not a quiet voice I might mention): "oh look at the pumpkins, the pretty pumpkins, oh look there's another pumpkin" over and over and over til I just wanted to say to her OMG HE SEES THE PUMPKINS ALREADY! Can you not hear yourself? MAN! Sorry if I've offended moms, I know not ALL moms are like that...are you? LOL!

- I decorated the yard Monday in Halloween style, and finally got the dang Blingo gift card to work. Hope those merchants get their money!

- OMG! And I found the man of my dreams Monday! Would you like to see him? Sure you would! I'll post his picture soon :-)

- Colleen wrote a very interesting post on Alan Rickman, aka Snape; click on the highlighted link and go check it out, if your'e so inclined!

1. In Gina's words: "I think Steve was just the kind of person we all want to be."
2. He LOVED what he did, wouldn't we all love to be able to say that?
3. He didn't seem concerned about appearances; other, more important things were on his mind. The man was real, no doubt about it.
4. He had no problems showing his feelings!
5. HIs love of what he did and his excitement, his zest for living, was a pure joy to watch. He was happy; how many of us can say that?
6. When Barbara Walters asked his wife, Terri what she would miss most about Steve, she said: "He was fun, Steve was so much fun and I'll miss that." Steve was fun! Fun seemed to be a priority of his; I can identify with that. He was an amazing father and husband; you only have to listen to his daughter, his wife and his friends speak about him to know this. He brought great joy to those lucky enough to be in his life.
7. He was truly involved, in LOVE with animals, with rescuing them, with ensuring they had fun and were safe!
8. He loved his dog, Sui :-)
9. Things that were tough, he made seem easy. I mean, can you imagine tying up a croc?
10. In Megan's words: "I think the animals had a crush on him too. You could see how much he loved and respected them, and I believe that they knew he was on their side."
11. In a world full of complications, he was a seemingly uncomplicated, simple man.
12. There was something magical about watching him, about seeing him so filled with life and laughter and love.
13. He will be very much missed.

It's been awhile since I've written anything really personal here; time to change that!

Today, I was going through the Thursday Thirteens and saw this entry, Thirteen Things About Severus, whom we all know I'm "fond of". So many of the entries I read today and last night were either about people's kids or about people's relationship with God, neither of which I could really relate to, so when I read this one I smiled.

Also, I think the picture Amy took of the picture I sent her is nicer than the picture I took!

Fool of a took!

Ooops, sorry, slipped into Tolkienese.

Going to effing shoot myself now. Have a great night!

Random and Odd wants us to take a picture of our Muse:

1. SomeTHING (not someone) that inspires you to do what you do. (work, hobby, donate, create..whatever)
2. Something you dont like to read about on blogs. (yes, you can find a picture to describe this)
3. Something that inspires you to write on your blog (I just wrote plog...lol)

1. My inspiration to do what I do:


In my photography, my muse is nature; it's what I love to take pictures of most. To walk, to smell, see, touch, feel. I think if I sorted through my pictures on flickr, the majority would be of the ocean.

2. Something I don't like to read about on blogs :


Negativity, plain and simple. I realize it's an emotion most of us have felt from time to time, but nothing makes me click off a blog faster than that.

3. Something that inspires me to write on my blog:


Megan was the person who inspired me to start a blog; everyday life is what inspires me to keep going. Something as simple as an autumn leaf slowly fluttering to the ground can inspire me to write...about the beauty of fall, about Charlie Brown, about things I did with friends or family that revolve around this most beautiful season.

Thanks, Random and Odd, this was a challenge for me, and while I normally don't like challenges, I hope I did this one justice :-)

Courtesy of Megan:

1. When I'm sick I need...my bed, comfy pillows, a good book or two, hot tea, chicken broth.

2. I like just about anything on my pizza...even anchovies!

3. I just bought...a ton of halloween decorations!

4. If I had more time I would...finish editing the wedding pictures AND make a disc of the pictures for the other wedding.

5. If I were in charge of the world...the world would be in bad shape LOL!
[I just have to share Megan's comment here, it freakin' cracked me up and is worthy of being part of the entry LOL! "#5 - it totally would not! Dirty martinis would be the national drink, all bars would have hooks under the bar, Snape would be a national hero and they'd have parades for him, and Johnny Depp would be your personal assistant." That is EXACTLY what my world would be like, hooks under the bar ahahahahah!!!]

6. This weekend I'm gonna....hang out with transvestite bait and take pictures, besides the usual stuff of walking the dogs, cleaning (hahahah), laying about reading and catching up with Tivo.

and you?

Today, Monique took me to Lull Farm where we trapised through a beautiful field of sunflowers! Also, an apple orchard and a pumpkin frield! And we saw goats, chickens, cows, sheep & pigs. We had a great time, she even pointed out butterflies for me even though she doesn't much care for them (girl's got a GOOD eye)!

Thanks for a great time, TB :-)