TGIF!!!

It's Friday, It's Friday, I'm so glad it's Friday! :)

This was only a four day week for me and yet it felt like Ten. Actually, I still have to come in and do monthend Saturday morning, but for all intents and purposes I'll be pretty much on my own so I can crank the tunes at least. After I get off work Saturday, we're having a birthday party for my nephew. He's turning eleven. ELEVEN. This is the kid I practically raised as a baby. It seems near impossible that he's on the verge of being the dreaded teenager. He's a good kid though, so I'm not too worried.

I'm not sure what else my weekend holds (besides rain), but I'm sure it's better than being in a cave.

Have a super duper weekend,
A.

Catching up with Technology

I'm so excited! I finally gave in a ordered a digital camera. I know, I'm probably one of the few people left who don't own one, but I didn't want just any little camera. I wanted a good one with a high MP capacity. Anyway, I ordered it today from Overstock.com and got a great price. The Nikon Coolpix 7600 has 7.1 MP and looks like a great camera. I'm kind of partial to Nikons anyway. Now I'm on pins and needles, I can't wait to get it.

I love photography and I go through a lot of film and it's just getting so expensive. Plus, I'm tired of taking the film in and dropping it off, waiting, driving back to pick it up. With the digital I can do so much more and not have to wait. My scrapbooking might even get caught up. How did I ever wait this long to buy one?

A.

You know you've answered too many phones when...

So Friday we played hookey from work. Actually, it was a scheduled day of vacation, but hookey sounds more fun. Angel and I met up with our friends Lindz and Eric for lunch, shopping and a movie.

We started out at the Taj Mahal, an Indian cuisine restaurant that's really excellent. Eric flirted with our waitress shamelessly and had her parents on high alert. Bad Eric! After lunch we hit Best Buy for CD's.

We saw 'The Sentinel' starring Michael Douglas, Keifer Sutherland and Eva Longoria. It was good. I'm not always a huge Michael Douglas fan, but I really liked this one. He's believable and not sleazy. I don't know why, but lots of times he just seems kind of sleazy to me. I can't explain it and I'm sure he's not. Just a weird thing of mine. Anyway, go see it, it's an intriguing story.

It was so nice to have a day off. Working in a cave will give you spring fever faster than anything else I know. No windows, no fresh air... So Friday was the perfect day. I loved it.

However, to prove how much I really needed that day of vacation... . I got home around sixish and was wondering through the house, feeding Jack, opening mail, etc. I grabbed a banana and peeled it then decided to check my messages. With the banana in my right hand I dialed call notes with my left. As I lifted the phone to my ear, my right hand followed suit, completely of it's own volition, and I stuck the banana in my ear.

That's when I realized - I've answered too many phones. My right hand is my 'phone hand' at work. It's completely trained to go to the ear after dialing. Too bad I hadn't switched and put the banana in my left hand. It could have saved myself the sliming I received. Yuck!

Only 34 days until my next day of vacation...
A.

Idol Shock

Okay, I'll admit to being a little sad to see Ace go. I really kind of expected it to be Kelly Pickler since she'd struggled with this weeks selection. But seeing Chris in the bottom three made me see red. Chris? In the bottom three? Actually, what am I saying. Bottom two! And I did my part too. I voted for Chris most of the two hours that the phone lines were open. I guess I'll do it longer next week. It's just so wrong. He's the strongest contender on the show in my opinion. Katharine and Taylor are right behind him, but I still see Chris as the favored winner.

It will be interesting to see how next weeks show plays out with guest Andrea Bocelli taking on the part of guest coach. His music is amazing and he's got one of the smoothest, most romantic voices in history. Who cares if you can't understand the lyrics because their Italian? It's still the sexiest sound around. If you don't know who he is, you must be living under a rock. However, to get you up to speed so that you don't embarrass yourself, you can follow the link and hear clips of his songs. They're from his new album Amore, but check out his other tracks too. He really is amazing.

Arrivederci il mio amico ,
A.

Video of the Week

Just one more thing to fix...

Racoons gone... Check.
Car running... Check.
Internet connecting... Aww Crap!

Things had been looking up. After a month of repairs to both my house and car, I was sure I was in the clear. Then I tried to get on-line.

Dial up Error: Sorry no dial tone is detected.

Bull crap. The phone lines are fine. I run diagnostics, check all my connections. Nothing. Finally I call the internet company's helpline. She has me do it all again. Nothing.

"I'm sorry ma'am. It looks as if your modem is fried. You'll have to replace it."

Crap. More money.

So, I went and bought a $20 modem on Saturday and spent 2 hours Sunday installing it. Actually, I spent an hour and a half getting the dumb cover off my computer. It's not like any other computer I've had that has a one piece case that unscrews and lifts off. Oh no. This one slides apart like a Chinese puzzle box in at least four different pieces. The instructions that came with my new modem said to consult my computer manual for cover removal instructions. I checked... no directions. It was by sheer determination and dumb luck that I got the cover off.

Anyway, I get the modem switched out, install the software, check to make sure the computer is reading the right device and everything looks good to go. I click my internet button...

Dial up Error: Sorry no dial tone is detected.

Double Darn! (To quote a fellow writer.)

To make a long story short, (Okay, I know, too late.) I finally discovered that the phone line in my office was messed up. I took apart the phone jack and found two wires had come loose. I reconnected them and low and behold my internet worked. YA-HOO!!! ( no pun intended.)

So now I'm back on line and (at the moment) free of any break-downs, crashes, crises and calamities. Maybe it'll stay that way for a while.

Here's hoping,
A.

Feeling Fruity

Which fruit will you pick if you were handed these:

1. Orange

2. Apple

3. Banana

4. Coconut

5. Pineapple

6. Papaya

7. Mango

8. Cherry

9. Black Grapes

10. Peach

11. Custard Apple

12. Pear



What is your pick ?












ORANGE - If orange is your favorite fruit, it speaks of a person who has
enduring patience and willpower. You like to do things slowly, but very
thoroughly and are completely undaunted by hardwork. You tend to be shy,
but are reliable and trustworthy friend. You have an aesthetic bent of
mind. You select your partner with care and you love with all your
heart, and not in for just a fling. You avoid conflict at all costs .

APPLE - If apple is your favorite fruit, you are an extravagant,
impulsive and outspoken person, often with a bit of a temper. While you
may not be the best organizer yourself, you make a good team leader and
are good at taking things forward. You can take quick action in most
situations. You enjoy travel immensely. You ooze with charm when you are
with your partner. You have an enthusiasm for life, unmatched by most.


BANANA - You are a softy! Loving, gentle, warm and sympathetic by nature
is the banana lover. You often lack in self-confidence and are quite
timid by nature. People often take advantage of your sweet temperedness,
and sheer vulnerability to a situation. You adore your partner in every
which way, both for their mental and physical beauty! Because of the way
you are, your relationship is always very much in harmony!

COCONUT - The coconut lover is a serious, very thoughtful and
contemplative person. Though you enjoy socializing, you are particular
about the company you keep. You tend to be stubborn but not necessarily
foolhardy. Shrewd, quick-witted and alert, you ensure that you are right
on top of any given scenario, especially at work. You need a partner
with brains, and while passion is important it certainly isn't
everything for you.

PINEAPPLE - You are quick to decide and even quicker to act. You are
brave in asking career changes, if that is what is to your advantage.
You have exceptional organizing abilities and are undaunted by the size
of the task at hand. You tend to be self reliant, sincere and honest in
your dealings with others. Though you are not given to making friends
very quickly, but once you do, it is for life. You rarely, if ever, make
romantic overtures.Your partner is often impressed with your sterling
qualities but disappointed in your ability to show affection.

PAPAYA - You are truly fearless and take much that happens in life in
your stride. You give considerable thought to things you do. You have a
sense of humor that, along with your generous nature, keeps you in most
people's good books. You are a go-getter in your professional life, and
have a knack for being in the right place at the right time. You enjoy
meeting new people and seeing new sights whenever you can. Your sense of
humor is what attracts members of the opposite sex to you more than
anything else. It is simply charming!

MANGO - A mango lover is a personality to beckoned with; quite often,
you are a person who has quite fixed ideas, and influencing you is not
an easy task. You tend to be an extremist with strong likes and
dislikes, and at times even like to control a situation. You enjoy
getting involved in something that presents mental challenge. Strong as
you may be, you are like a kitten when you are with your partner. You
accommodate the love of your life, and make up for all the strong will
elsewhere!

CHERRY - If cherry is your favorite fruit, life isn't always as sweet
for you. You often face ups and downs, particularly professionally, and
find that you make small sums of $$$, instead of a lump sum. You have a
fertile imagination and are often involved in creative pursuits. You are
a very sincere and loyal partner, but find that expressing your feelings
is not very easy. Your home is your haven, and you love nothing more
than being surrounded by close family and your beloved partner.

BLACK GRAPES - You are a polite person in general, but do have quick
flare-ups of temper that cool down just as quickly. You enjoy beauty in
all forms, including beautiful people. You are very popular because of
your warm, gregarious nature. You have a zest for life; you enjoy
everything you do, right from the way you dress, to your style and your
day-to-day life.Your partner must share your zeal and zing for life to
enjoy all you have to offer!

PEACH - Like a peach, you enjoy the juice of life &all its lush
ripeness! You are the friendly sort, and are quite frank and outspoken,
which adds to your charm. You are quick to forgive and forget; and value
your friendships highly. You have an independent and ambitious streak in
you that make you a real go-getter. You are the ideal lover, fiery and
passionate but sincere and faithful in love. You don't, however, like to
display all that passion in public.

CUSTARD APPLE - You are a modest and conservative person who can be
quite sensitive at times. You tend to be thoughtful and contemplative,
and therefore are rarely rash in doing things. You are quite ambitious
and are good at anything that requires much detailing or working with
numbers. You are quick at finding fault with others. While looking for a
partner, you value a person's intellect far above their looks or good
old passion. You are quite shy and not very comfortable demonstrating
affection.

PEAR - If you put your mind to something you can do it successfully, but
by and large you tend to be fickle and have trouble completing a task
with the enthusiasm you started it with. You need to know the results of
your efforts almost immediately. You enjoy mental stimulation and love
to get into a good discussion! You tend to be a restless and high-strung
person, and are easily excited Being happy doesn't mean everything's
perfect! It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!

Redneck Woman

Here I go, falling behind again. The last few days have been really hectic. My car is nearly 10 years old and I've had it in and out of the garage for the last month. They've replaced my power steering pump, water pump, oil something-or-another, rack and pinion... etc. Saturday evening my car over heated and I found my anti-freeze was low. So back to the shop I go. This time for a new radiator. My credit card is now maxed out but I'm certain nothing more could go wrong with my car. I mean I've had it in five times in 4 weeks. Surely nothing more could break, right? Wrong. Wedensday during my lunch break the car overheated again and released a river of anti-freeze across the parking lot. I called the garage and they said they'd send out a tow truck for free and check it out.

I tell ya, by this point the mechanics are dreading my calls and falling all over themselves to help me. I've used this garage for years and they're really trustworthy. I know they aren't trying to screw me, I'm just having a real run of bad luck. Anyway, I got a call back this morning. Turns out when they installed the radiator, the wires to the engine fans got pinched and they weren't coming on to cool the engine. When it over heated, the coolant boiled over. So, they fixed it for free of course and I now have my car back again. Hopefully for good this time.

On the home front, I finally caught one of the racoons that have been tearing into my roof. The guy had to set kill traps this time around. Animal control guy said it should kill them in a minute or less, so they won't suffer needlessly. He set them on the roof Monday night at 7 pm and at 11 pm I heard one go snap. The trap is in the corner on the side of the house where there are no windows and right next to my bedroom. I went to check on Jack, because he was just going nuts in the back yard. He's standing there, eyes big as saucers, ears at attention barking like crazy at this coon that's hanging from my roofline. But to my surprise, the coon's not dead. Oh no. He's hissing, snarling, scratching, and banging on the side of the house like a banshee. I'm thinking, "Poor thing, he'll die soon." After fifteen minutes, I'm praying, "God, let that poor thing die soon!" Finally after thirty minutes all I hear is an occasional soft hiss. I wanted to cry for the poor critter. I heard another coon briefly on the roof that night, but he didn't get trapped and I haven't heard him since. I'm hoping he's a smarter critter that knows when to head for the hills permanently. When I left for work Tuesday morning I could see the dead coon hanging from the roof, like a bandit strung up in the old west. The thought crossed my mind briefly, that my house now resembled a Jeff Foxworthy joke. "If you've got coons hanging from your roof... You might be a redneck!" Thank goodness the animal guy came back and got him right away.

Tuesday night was another great American Idol show, but Wedensday's elimination made me sad. I was shocked by Ace and Elliott's appearance in the bottom three. I'd really hoped Paris would go home, but she just keeps surviving some how. I wanted Bucky to stick it out at least one more round. I'm really sad to see him go. I hope he nails a contract, I want to see him go somewhere big.

Farewell Bucky,
A.

Green at heart

Who'd a thunk? Animal was always my favorite. Somehow I think I'm just a Animal wanna be though. Kermit fits pretty well. Maybe somewhere inside I have a secret Animal side that longs to die my hair orange and scream nonsense while I bang wildly on drums. Sounds like fun, Huh?

You Are Kermit

Hi, ho! Lovable and friendly, you get along well with everyone you know. You're a big thinker, and sometimes you over think life's problems. Don't worry - everyone know's it's not easy being green. Just remember, time's fun when you're having flies!

The Muppet Personality Test

What Muppet are you?

A.

TGIF

Thank goodness it's Friday! I'm so ready for the weekend. I'm falling behind in my posting again. (Bad April! Smack!) Okay, wrist slapped, I'm ready to move on.

Idol is getting harder and harder to watch every week and it has nothing to do with poor song choice. We're finally getting to the point where I'm going to really have a hard time watching any of them get cut. Country night was tough on some, but I thought most of them did okay. Chris excelled, as always. So did Elliot, Bucky and Kelly. I expected Mandisa and Paris to end up in the bottom 3, but I would never have guessed Mandisa would get cut. I was hoping it would be Paris. I'm ready for her to be gone. Seeing Kenny Rodgers was totally awesome too. Every one freaked out when Stevie Wonder showed up, but if I had been a contestant, Kenny would have been my Stevie Wonder. I would have flipped seven way to Sunday to get to work with him. You know he's my first love... at four I declared him the love of my life and swore I'd marry him when I grew up. I had a scrapbook full of his pictures and everything. At four. I kind of started the boy crazy thing a little early... But back to Kenny, I don't care if he's had plastic surgery or not, he still looks great. Very distinguished and handsome. And that voice... Love It! Very sexy.

On the home front, it appears that my coons are gone. Never did catch any, but they're no longer in the attic. Now I just have to get the THREE holes in my ceiling patched and deoderize and paint the ceiling. I am so happy to have them gone.

Don't think I mentioned how well the play went last weekend. CPRS did a great job of adapting my book and I was very happy with the results. I couldn't have asked for a better cast either. Got a lot of really got comments from the audience and sold quite a few books too. Can't complain about that.

This weekend I think we'll go see the new Antonio Banderas movie, 'Take the Lead'. Maybe spend some time writing. I'm still working on rewrites for a couple of books and researching for another. Did I tell you I'm a slow writer? I am. Could be that I just get involved in too many other things, but I think it's also procrastination. I've got to crack my whip again and get busy.

Enjoy your weekend,
A.

Quiz of the Week

Hmmm, can't say that I haven't considered writing film scripts, but I think I'll stick to novels. For me, a novel runs like a movie projector in my head anyway. I have to say though, it was really cool to see my novel Missing Pieces come to life on stage the other night. Highschool play or not, they did a good job and it was very cool. It got a really great response from the crowd too. Who knows? Maybe someday I'll write something amazing enough to be adapted to the silver screen. Heck I'd settle for an adaption to the small screen.

So what kind of writer should you be?
A.

You Should Be a Film Writer

You don't just create compelling stories, you see them as clearly as a movie in your mind. You have a knack for details and dialogue. You can really make a character come to life. Chances are, you enjoy creating all types of stories. The joy is in the storytelling. And nothing would please you more than millions of people seeing your story on the big screen!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

Masked Bandits the Real Culprits

Well, I was wrong. It's not squirrels. It's raccoons. Filthy little buggers. They're making a mess in my attic and keeping me up all night. Momma Coon planted her nest in the ceiling right over my bed. Now I get to hear the babies coo and chirp all night long while she's out hunting. It's not like I volunteered to babysit for her or anything. When she is home, she's running around and leaping from the rafters. In fact, it sounded like she was bowling the other night. I finally got a professional wildlife handler to come out and set live traps for me yesterday. I came home to find that the traps were set and at some point during the day, a puddle of pee had soaked through my ceiling. Let me tell you, THAT is disgusting. Nastiest smelling stuff I've smelled in a long while. I fabreezed and opened all the windows and still couldn't make the smell go away completely. I did manage to sleep all night last night, however, my house was a chilly 52 degrees when I got up this am and the pee still stinks. I had to order a special urine deoderizer stuff on line, but it could be a week or more before I get it. I may die of pnemounia before then unless the weather warms up at night.

Part of me - a very SMALL part of me - feels bad for the babies. They're so adorable! I don't want them or the mama hurt, just relocated. But after finding the pee stain on my ceiling, my sympathies have waned some. Cute or not, I want them out! Talk about adding insult to injury!

I'm going to go home and Fabreeze my ceiling again.
A.