I feel like a scene out of Fiddler on the Roof

It wasn't much but it was home...

I am in shock about AOL closing up our journal world.  But, why does it not surprise me that they tell us using that stupid banner!  That is just another example of how out of touch they are with their customers. 

Remember the scene from Fiddler on the Roof when the towns people were forced out of their homes so abruptly?  That is how I feel but believe me, I will not be like the mom in that scene.  When I shut the door, I am leaving the mess on the floor.  No last minute sweeping for me. 

I will get over this and hope to keep in touch with as many ofyou as possible.  I am writing down as many email addresses as possible and invite you to come over to my new home

http://dustbunnyprotector.blogspot.com/

 

Leave a link to your new home.  I will come visit.

 

Donna

Tags: this sucks, this sucks, this sucks

Introducing: Miss L

This past Friday was a red letter day for me.  My granddaughter, Miss L, actually spent the night at my house.  This was a first.  She is 14 months old and up until now, I have done all my babysitting at her place.  I had agreed to watch her while her parents went out and they were planning to pick her up before they headed home.  Logistically it was just going to be too many miles going in too many directions so I asked if we could make it a sleep over.  I picked her up and then drove her to my place.   

What fun we had!  I had placed two stuffed animals on one of my chairs and maybe it was because they were at eye-level, or maybe because she is just so smart, Miss L made a beeline for the toys.  She recognized the fun stuff right away. 

Miss L is getting to the stage where she says a lot of things but mostly jabbers and you listen for any word you can pick out.  You can tell she is telling you something because she will say the same "words" over and over and I just wish I could translate.  She will repeat most of the words you ask her to say (which has put me on my best behavior when she rides in the car with me!) and gives a good effort to multiple syllables like "butterfly."  My son in law is a big Cowboys fan and has taught Miss L to say, "Go, Romo!"  I have been working with her on "Trick or Treat" and hope to surprise her mommy and daddy by the end of October.  It is like having your own Mina bird that hugs and kisses.

Saturday morning when she finally woke up, I stood around the corner, out of view for a few seconds.  Jabber, jabber, jabber, Nana, jabber.  When she looked up and saw me she started to grin and melted my heart with a big, "Nana!"  Whata sweetie!

I have started the "anything you want" fund.  I think it will come in handy.

Tags: Miss L, sleep over, Nana

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Grateful to someone I don't know

As I mentioned in a previous entry, when I went to the air balloon festival last weekend, I thought my camera was charged enough but, just as the majority of the balloons were lifting off, my battery died and I was not able to capture some of what I thought would be the best shots.

I looked around as we were leaving and saw some folks with cameras much like mine. I pulled out something to write on and jotted down my email address. I approached two different people and told them of my situation and asked if they would mind emailing me some of the last shots that I had missed.  They agreed and one of the people came through.  Yeah!  Not sure if it was the lady by herself or the couple where both were taking pictures with their own camera.  Either way, I am very happy to get shots that I missed. 

I am sharing this entry with them and I am so glad that they were kind enough to help me out when they did not know me from Adam/Eve.  Just the simple kindness of strangers.

I love the composition of their shots. 

Tags: air balloon festival, grateful

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ABC - Air Balloons and a Camera

 

Things have been so crazy for me since I went back to work, trying to catch up with everything that must be complete before the end of the month.  I am just not getting enough sleep.  But, what do I do when I get home?  I get online, read other people's journals, leave some comments (but never enough), try to figure out my camera, fiddle around with this computer I inherited from my brother, save tags from the new tag group I have joined, organize pictures into folders, answer emails and maybe, just maybe, I add a new entry of my own. 

I stopped earlier at Walgreens and, now that I have my most recent pictures saved to a disk, I can show you some of the shots I got this past weekend at the air balloon festival.  I love my camera!!  Three years of using disposables will make you appreciate most anything but this is really user friendly and I have not even taken any of the free classes offered with the purchase - yet. I can hardly wait to learn about lighting and aperture and filters.  I am pleased that I got the zoom lens since some of my favorite shots were taken with it.

At the festival, they started with a small air show which was fun.  This is where I ended up with so many shots of the jumpers' backsides.  I will spare you the other 20 views and share my favorites.

And, then there were the balloons. 

 

I have never been this close to a launch before so it was fascinating to see how involved it all is and to watch the crew.

And, this was the last shot I got before my camera battery died. Talk about your failure to launch!!  It was still so pretty and my granddaughter, Miss L, kept pointing and saying Wow!

The perfect end to a wonderful vacation!

Tags: air balloons, camera, airshow

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Just another day at the zoo

I was on vacation and away from the office for 12 days and going back has kicked my butt!  I am having trouble getting motivated and that is just not like me.  The days usually fly by but I find myself watching the clock now.  Maybe it is because summer is officially over and the days are getting shorter - outside but not in my office.  Whatever it is, I better snap out of it soon!!

This past weekend I went with my daughter and granddaughter to an air balloon festival.  It was a blast and I got a lot of great pictures.  Too bad the battery died on my camera just as the majority of the balloons took off. Good grief.  Every time I use my new camera I learn a valuable lesson.  This time I learned that even if you think you have enough juice in the camera, recharge the battery the night before.  Better yet, buy a back-up battery.  I think where I went wrong was taking so many pictures of the air show and the sky divers as they made their descent.  With a fast shutter digital, it is so easy to take 30 - 50 pictures before you even realize it.  And, how many pictures do you really need of the same group of guys floating to earth?  I ended up with a bunch of rear-end shots, from teeny tiny to full screen!

This was a three day festival and they were expecting over 85,000 to attend over the course of the three days.  We went on Saturday and I am pretty sure we were three of at least 50,000. Long lines at every concession stand and the kids' activities were super crowded.  Walking down the main street my daughter was attacked by a life size cardboard cutout of Barack Obama. (Someone must have bumped it from behind and it fell at her, face first.)  We started to laugh and obviously offended one of the campaigners who screamed, "Hey!  There are thousands of us!  Thousands!"  I assume she meant BO supporters but regardless, it took me a minute or two to convince Tenderheart it really was not the time or place to engage in a discussion of the merits of cardboard. <smile> 

I am still trying to figure out how to manage my pictures, taking them from the camera to the computer without a trip to Walgreens first and tonight was no exception.  Maybe tomorrow.

Big thanks to Betty for helping me get rid of those pesky SPAM comments.  Funny, how you can see a button/word/action on the screen but never really see it.  Duh!  Now I know how to use "Actions" on each comment.    

Tags: air balloons, barack obama, skydivers, camera,

Patrick's Saturday Six - Episode 231

What’s in a name? Well, when it comes to your own, it’s all about whom you ask. This week’s set of questions will take a look at your name to try to find what secret meanings or hidden traits you might not even have known you have. And just to make sure you get a good picture of yourself, there are two memes to work with.

For both memes, use your real first name, but if you’re not comfortable posting your real first name, just list the traits it lists to that name. Neither quiz lists results as words that start with each letter of your name, so you should be able to disguise your name if you wish.

Here are this week’s “Saturday Six” questions. Either answer the questions in a comment here, or put the answers in an entry on your journal…but either way, leave a link to your journal so that everyone else can visit! To be counted as “first to play,” you must be the first player to either answer the questions in a comment or to provide a complete link to the specific entry in your journal in which you answer the questions. A link to your journal in general cannot count. Enjoy!

1. Take the quiz: What Is Your Name’s Hidden Meaning?

2. Which single sentence best describes your personality?

3. Of any negative traits listed in the results that you think are really true about your personality, which one do you most wish you could change?

4. Take the quiz: What Does Your Name Say About You?

5. Which of the two results describes you better, the first set or the second?

6. What single word from the second set of questions best describes your personality?

 

My answers:

 

What Donna Means

You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row. You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace. People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality. You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life. You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you. At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

 

2.  Which single sentence best describes your personality?

 

You are loyal and people can count on you.

 

3.  Of any negative traits listed in the results that you think are really true about your personality, which one do you most wish you could change?

 

You tend to put too much pressure on yourself.

 

 

 

What Your Name Says About You

Your name says that you are mostly: Shrewd but overbearing Your name also says you are: Moral but jealous Unconventional but unstable Ambitious but stubborn

What Does Your Name Say About You?

 

5.  Which of the two results describes you better, the first set or the second?

 

The first set of answers.

 

6.  What single word from the second set of questions best describes your personality?

 

Stubborn

Embarrassing Moments - Part V

Some years ago I worked in a high rise building. I happened to have an assigned parking place in the basement which had many advantages.  It gave me quick and easy access to the underground elevator. 

In the winter, the wind whipped through the parking garage with a vengeance and we found ourselves hurrying to the elevator bay to get out of the cold.  Because of the pressure of the interior of the building against the outdoor suction of the wind, the door leading to the elevators did not always close properly.  A notice was sent out to all the tenants of the building to take extra care to close the door and not allow the building's heat to escape into the garage. 

One morning I found myself rushing into the building, trying not to be late.  My arms were full of folders and pages of the current project assigned to me and my purse was hanging precariously on my shoulder. I entered the elevator bay by myself and realized I did not hear the heavy outside door close behind me.  Without turning to look, I reached back with my free hand and pulled the door handle.  No, wait!  I did not feel the metal of the door handle.  I realized I was feeling material. Kind of a wool blend  - like a suit. 

I turned back and, to my horror, I saw the stricken look on the face of a very tall, handsomely dressed black man. I had grabbed him below the belt and all I could do was blurt out "Oh, I am so sorry. I was reaching for the door handle!  I am sooo sorry."  He didn't (or, more likely, couldn't) respond.

Awkward silence followed as we stood in the elevator bay waiting for what seemed like an eternity.  I could feel my face was hot and I just prayed he would say something to break the tension.  Nothing. We got on the elevator,  just the two of us, and he no doubt moved to the furthermost part of the elevator from me. Silence. 

I prayed he would exit the elevator on one of the first floors ahead of me but instead we continued our ride together.  Oh, please, Lord.  Don't let him be a co-worker.  I eventually got off at my designated stop and he continued on, never to be seen by me again.

Naturally, I had to share my story with my girlfriends in the office and as politically incorrect as it may have been, I reinforced a stereotype that day. He had made quite an impression on me, as I am sure I did on him as well.

Tags: embarrassing moment, elevator

Doing the Daughter Thing

I barely got back from Denver, did a little laundry and found myself on the road again.  This time I headed to East Texas to spend time with my parents.  My dad, who recently turned 80, learned he needed a pacemaker. While it is a routine procedure these days, I do not consider putting lead wires into my dad's heart a casual event.  I was glad to be back from my trip in time so I could be there with him and my mom.

My dad is "Mr. Personality" and has been in sales all of my life. He doesn't meet a stranger and loves to strike up conversations when given the opportunity.  At the hospital was no different.  (I wrote a recent journal entry about Daddy turning 80.) 

I brought my camera to show my parents the recent shots I had taken of my trip and also the latest and greatest of Miss L, my granddaughter.  So naturally, I looked for a photo-op there at the hospital. And, I found one.

Daddy was given the option of whether or not he wanted to be put to sleep for the procedure and since he is "a tough old bird" he decided he would rather be awake. Everything went well and he was back in his room by 2 PM, hungry as a horse and threatening anyone who came near his chocolate pudding.   

(That's betadine all over his arm, not his natural shade of yellow!) When they got him up to go to the bathroom Daddy took that opportunity to go visit someone he knew down the hall.  Mom finally went looking for him. "Where is your dad?!"

The doctor wanted to keep Daddy overnight for observation so once he was up and about, Mom and I left him with his book and in the care of the nurses.  We enjoyed a nice visit over Bodacious Barbeque (one of my favorites!) The next morning we brought Daddy home with only a sore arm and instructions he was not, according to him, to help with dishes, set or clear the table or lift anything heavier than the remote for two weeks.  Yeah, right! 

Actually, the yard was in a mess from the remnants of Hurricane Ike that made its way to their backyard and that was on his mind.  Nothing major but lots of little broken limbs and plenty of leaves. Fortunately they hired someone else to come do the yard.

During his time in the recovery area, dressed only the hospital gown, it did not stop him from visiting! 

One last shot when I said, "Look pitiful, Daddy."  He's a hoot!

 

Tags: Daddy, pacemaker

Rocky Mountain High

What a great time I had visiting with my son and getting to see more of Colorado.  I had only been there in the winter previously and always thought it was beautiful.  Getting to see it at this time of year was wonderful since I could enjoy so much more of the contrast in the land. It was about a week too soon to see the Aspens at their peak but I caught a glimpse of what was to come. I loved it all!!

I cannot remember all the places Sport pointed out but I know we saw the follow cities/towns/communities/points of interest.

Denver, Aspen, Buena Vista, Salida, Vail, Breckenridge, Independence Pass, Continental Divide, Arkansas River, Twin Lakes, Mt Princeton, Mt Shavano, Mt Elbert,  Mt Yale, Pyramid Peak, Maroon Lake

Denver skyline - from Sport's living room

 

 

Denver's Bronco Bowl - as seen from Sport's window

Mt Princeton - on the way to Salida

Beautiful scenery at Maroon Lake

Just a hint of Aspens changing colors.

Finally found some changing aspens.

Old Monarch Pass

I think this is Mt Shavano

 

Tags: Colorado, Mt Princeton, Mt Shavano, Vail, Aspen, Salida, Denver, Buena Vista, Bronco Bowl, continental divide, Maroon Lake, Independence Pass,

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Room with a View

              

            

Even though this is actually a stock photo from the internet, it is alot like the one I took looking out my son's living room window.  Sport has got the coolest condo.  He's 17 floors up and at the end of the building so his living room has full length windows on two sides overlooking the skyline. His home office also looks out on the city and his master bedroom has a view of the mountains. No wonder we can't talk him into moving back to Dallas.

Tags: Denver skyline

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The Airport - the best laid plans

What a great time I have been having these past few days with my son in Denver. I will post entries with my pictures as soon as I figure out how to download them!  We were all over Colorado and logged over 500 miles in his 4 x 4.  Oh, my aching butt!

In spite of my procrastination the night before I was to leave, I was packed and ready to go in plenty of time.  Rather than worry with parking and transportation, I arranged for a shuttle pick-up. I was calm and relaxed ... I had made my list and checked it twice. All I needed to do was check-in and read my book.

The shuttle service sent a cab for me and as we were sailing along I decided to go ahead and get my money ready to pay since I had already been quoted the trip price. I was just sick to realize I had not put my wallet in my travel bag! 

If I had been in the regular shuttle with other passengers I would have been out of luck but since it was just me in the cab the driver turned around, drove back and I retrieved the wallet. I got to pay for that extra round-trip excursion but it could have been so much worse.  I could have been at the airport when I realized my mistake and there would never have been enough time to go back. Whew!!!

                                         

At the Denver airport I saw something very interesting.  One of those little transportation carts was coming through the terminal. I noticed the passengers were older but what caught my attention was the fact that this cart was receiving what looked like an official escort. There was a uniformed policeman walking in front and another one in back and surrounding the cart were four members of the various armed services in full uniform, all walking along with this cart.

The transportation cart I was riding stopped, the way traffic (used to) pull over for funeral possessions. I asked the driver of my cart what was happening.  I learned that Denver was hosting the The Congressional Medal of Honor Society annual convention. There are only 100 living recipients of the Medal of Honor (as of 9/10/08) and as each one arrived at the airport, they were receiving this special honor guard escort.  Very cool. My driver said she had gotten to transport two gentlemen so far and the younger members of the military chosen to be escorts were really moved to be part of the process.

I read up on the convention and learned that Carrie Underwood is singing as well as Randy Travis and Lady Antebellum.  Later this week, Clint Eastwood is being presented with a special award. A lot of this is open to the public.  Wished I had known and I might have stayed longer!

Tags: Medal of Honor, Carrie Underwood, Randy Travis, Clint Eastwood, Denver, veterans

Joining the 21st century

I am leaving on vacation in the morning and should be finishing my packing but what am I doing?  I am going up and down my alerts reading entries and watching tv but at least I am doing some laundry.  I have been soooo excited for two days now, I can hardly contain myself. 

I have purposely not had cable television for the last three years.  I had an older television that I hooked to some rabbit ears and have made myself content with four channels.  It was particularly difficult during the writer's strike but I caught up on a lot of movies during that time and I read a few more books than I would have normally. 

I go through stages like this where I just decide I am going to do without something and I dig my heels in.  I cut off my personal internet for over two years and survived.

Well, two days ago I went hog wild.  I upgraded my internet connection to top speed and had cable put in with all the channels on two televisions.  I can now record 8 shows at once!  But what am I going to do with over 20 sports channels?  Now, don't hate me 'cause I have "connections"! 

I looked around for a long time for what I really wanted and did some bargain hunting as well.  Then, when I was working my way through the maze of options on the phone with the salesperson (over an hour), we suddenly got cut off.  He was having some trouble with his computer and had me on hold while he worked with the help desk. I just sat there and looked at my phone in stunned silence.  He did not call back.  When I called back I got the recording that the office had closed for the day.  Fine!  Guess they did not want my business after all.  When they did call back the following afternoon I ignored them.  They were trying to set up my installation.  Guess again!  After five days I answered their call.  I let them know that I had since decided that maybe Iwas not getting the best deal afterall and now I was shopping around. 

When all was said and done I got another forty dollars a month knocked off.  I may never leave the house again!  Oh, yeah ... there is that trip to Denver tomorrow. 

When I return I am going to find out all about PhotoShop.  Or is it PSP?  Or are they one and the same?  I have much to learn! Help!

                

                         

Tags: cable, high speed internet, PhotoShop

Remembering ...

             

Of all the tributes I have seen on line about September 11, I still like the one a fellow JLander did in 2005 the best.  Thanks, Jimmy.

 

       

                                                  

 

Tags: America Remembers, September 11, Never Forget

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What an awesome mom!

I just read about Stephanie Nielson, a young mother, who was critically injured in a private plane crash, along with her husband.  She was a blogger and her blogging community has rallied around the family and already raised $2 million toward her medical costs and the needs of her four children. 

From just the few minutes I spent reading her blog entries, I could tell what an exceptional person she is.  So creative.  So dedicated to her family. So in love with her husband. What an inspiration!  I have loaded her website in my side bar, The NieNie Dialogues and here is the MSNBC story about her.   

Tags: Stephanie Nielson, NieNie Dialogues, inspired

Learning something new every day

 Now this is a blast from the past. 

I was actually searching online for a picture of McCain and Palin to add to my side bar.  No, I did not find this picture of Superman and Lois Lane in my search although that would have been funny.  I started searching for images of Bear Collector and this picture was one of my choices.  Go figure.

I have been actively using the internet for over 10 years and today was the very first time I used the MicroSoft "image" feature when searching the web.  I feel smart and dumb at the same time.

So now I am curious as to where these images come from and do I need to be concerned with the small print at the bottom that says "Images are scaled down and may be copyrighted."  How would I be able to tell if I am guilty of copyright infringement?  This Dust Bunny Protector does not look good in horizontal stripes.

 

 

Tags: images, Superman, McCain, Dust Bunny Protector, copyright

It's a big deal to me

I was just thrilled to be invited to be a Guest Editor at AOL's Magic Smoke and get to share some of my thoughts as well as point readers in the direction of journals I enjoy. I hope you get a chance to read that entry. 

I am looking forward to traveling to Denver soon to visit my son (Sport here online.) I already had a ticket purchased to go see him last December but my accident in November prevented my travel until now.  So, this year I am a big chicken when I even think of being there when the snow and ice are on the ground.  I will just be happy to be there to see the Aspens changing colors.   

Tags: Guest Editor, Sport, Denver, travel

Do I know how to pick 'em or what?

I want to point you in the direction of Stephen.  Stephen is what I aspire to be - a blogger who made it big!  When I first started my journal, I read a lot of other journals for inspiration and entertainment. I found Stephen's Waiter Rant and added him to my sidebar.  His old entries in 2004, 2005, et al are the basis of his recently published book by the same name.  Stephen was a waiter when I started my journal but not any more.  I was sooo excited when I saw his book featured, among other places, on page 50 of People Magazine's Aug 18 issue.  The special double issue with Brad and Angelina and the twins on the cover. How cool is that??

Just think about it. How would you feel if you wrote something that was so well received it was featured in magazines, television (he was interviewed by Matt Lauer) and on the best sellers list? Stephen's book has been on the NYTimes Best Sellers list for a month now. Hardcover Nonfiction

Do I know how to pick 'em or what?! 

I wonder who in my sidebar is next.

Tags: Waiter Rant, Best Sellers List, blogging, books

What's in the water?!

I just took a little cruise around the ol' internet and then read some of my alerts.  What is going on? Everybody seems to have a burr under their saddle today. I'm not surprised when Jon (Lone Star Concerto) is stirred about something. It wouldn't be Jon if he were calm and passive. But today, even Sonya (My Southern Home) was bent out of shape and Sonya always stays calm!  The next four entries I read were assorted grumblings about one thing or another.  The neighbor's dogs are always barking.  The critters ate the tops off my flowers.  Why are reporters in New Orleans when there was an evacuation?  What about those Democrats? What's up with those Republicans?  And, so it goes.

Don't get me wrong.  It is just a coincidence that the first few journals I read today were rants and everyone is entitled to vent.  But the rant that put the candle on the cow paddy was P Diddy's rant about having to fly commercial because he can't afford to put gas in his private jet! 

Of all the asinine examples of someone who believes his own hype!  Spoiler Alert: Diddy filmed himself as he was preparing to fly on American Airlines. He says he has been having to fly back and forth to LA pursuing his acting career twice a month and if he takes his private jet "that's like $250K round trip!"  He then gave a shout out to all his "Saudi Arabian brothers and sisters."  He wanted to name other brothers but ended up saying, "All my brothers and sisters from, umm, all the countries that have oil.  If ya'll'd send me some oil for my jet I surely would appreciate it."  "Can you believe it?!" he asks.  "This is really happenin'!!  Can you believe it? Even your boy is flying commercial.  And, I'm in coach!!

Forget helping those affected by Gustav.  Forget watching the conventions.  I feel a Diddython coming on!!

Tags: P Diddy, gas prices, rants, flying