Insomnimusing: Allons-y!

I had work in the office today. Long day, at least compared to my usual work days in the office. The server was really slow, so everything was taking forever. After work I had to run to the store to pick up a witch hat for Munch's costume for trick-or-treat. I hurried home, so I could do Gin's makeup for her costume. It included some wholly unimpressive creepy flesh that took forever to dry. I finished her up, and she headed to the neighbor's house to go trick-or-treating with about 14 giggling fifth-grade girls. I think I'm glad I missed it. Here's Gin in her zombie mid-1980s secretary costume. :) With a scarier angle below. I took Munch to her very first swim lesson today, and she was so happy and excited she couldn't stop smiling to hold her breath. She chattered her instructor's ear off, too. She did pretty well though. Trick-or-treat started at 6 p.m. but her swim lesson didn't end until 6:10. She threw on her costume in the car for her abbreviated ...

Ok, I see on Fox News (oh aren't I just eeeeevil for actually watching the political coverage on ALL the cable and network stations) tonight that there is a Halloween display in California that includes an effigy of Sarah Palin being hanged by a noose. Apparently, this display has been up for three weeks, and this is the first I'm hearing about it. Law enforcement officials have said there is no legal recourse, and they have no legal reason to ask the homeowners to take it down. It's not a hate crime, they've decided. The media - at least the national media - haven't mentioned it until now. Hmmm....... Do you suppose that would have been the reaction if it had been an image of Obama?

My son Pooh and his buddies are doing a podcast , and I hadn't gotten around to listening to it until today. It's a comedy podcast, similar to a morning radio style. Good stuff! Check it out!

I'm not posting as much as I had been, and I think I'm feeling a little uninspired. I can also use the excuse that my mind is preoccupied with thoughts of the election next week and Halloween this week and...other things. For Halloween, I know what I want my costume to be, but I haven't gotten what I need yet. And we have makeup for the girls but haven't yet chosen the appropriate clothes (they're both going scary this year). We should probably wrap up the prep for that today. I'm slow starting this morning, too. It's nearly afternoon, and I'm not getting much accomplished at the moment. There is much I could be doing, but I'm putting it off. I already know that I'll be leaving in two hours, and that's when my busy day begins. I just don't feel adding to the list of things I have to do already. I probably should though. Nothing is getting accomplished without me, so I guess I haven't much choice. Ok. I'll get started. In a minute.

I did get my football today, but it wasn't what I'd expected. My TV directory had said the broadcast would be Chelsea - Roma, but instead it was Liverpool - Atletico Madrid. I didn't really want to watch Liverpool, but I realized that I'd never seen Atletico (I'm still a newbie, remember?). I was pleased to discover that Giourkas Seitaridis plays for them. I discovered him during the Euro Cup. And he wasn't the only one I noticed today. Oh, it is definitely worth expanding my horizons in the football world. :) I still got to watch most of the Chelsea - Roma match too. I was watching it online at the same time I was watching the broadcast. Not easy! That reminds me. I've got to find team roster photos for Roma. Some of those fellows definitely warrant closer attention.... Really! I DO love the GAME! I've just been single for a while now...... Well, that's all of my footie fixes until next Tuesday most likely, so I guess I'm back to politics tomorr...

I got to spend time in my happy place today. :) I watched TWO soccer games. The first was the Arsenal-Everton match from this past weekend. My cable service shows one Premier League game from the weekend on Tuesdays. The second was Man U-Celtic. 3-0. My boys are doing quite nicely. Hehe. I'm glad to see that my sports curse apparently cannot reach that far over water. Or something. Actually, I didn't quite get to see all of the second match. I saw the first two goals then I fell asleep. The match was anything but boring, but I was soooo tired. As an added bonus gift from my cable service this week, I see I get another Champions League match tomorrow. Chelsea-Roma. I'll have to be home by 2:30 to catch it from the beginning, but I can probably manage that. Yay! I love Italian footballers. Yummy! And Michael Ballack...double yum... I love watching the game - the skills, the strategy, the sheer artistry of it - but isn't it nice that they're just so damn good to look a...

I swear I have been so busy that I have just not been able to post as I feel I should be. Just don't corner me to tell you what I've been doing. It's all the usual, typical family thing. I mean, there's been nothing particularly outstanding or eventful, but every moment of each day seems to be fully caught up in it lately. I did get a nice little break today, though. I got to know better one who'd been a distant acquaintance for quite some time. Of course, nearly every contact we'd had up to this point centered on politics, so naturally this one was dominated by the topic as well. I can't help myself. I'm a political junkie, but I am trying so hard to stay out of the hate game going on with this campaign. So, we talked politics, but we kept it general. I suppose I don't have to apologize. Just about everybody's talking politics these days. But there's more to me. There really is. :) Talk to me after the election.

*This was supposed to go up yesterday, but encountered a computer error and didn't realize it hadn't been posted until just now...... I got a letter today. No, not a letter. I got a subpoena today, ordering me to appear next Wednesday on questions concerning my village taxes. I called the tax office and informed the lady who answered that I had zero tax liability in my village because of the credit for taxes paid to the city where I work. I asked if I could just send the form in again to show my zero liability, and she said, "That's fine. All we need is the form." My liability has been zero for the six years I've lived here. Why the sudden issue now? Anyway, at least I don't have to drive the 40 minutes to the tax office (our village taxes are administered by another city). It was resolved with just a phone call and a quick trip to the post office. I just made copies of my forms and sent them in again. But if a cop suddenly shows up at my door because that...

I love Boston Legal. I was so thrilled when the new episodes started up again. I wasn't sure if I would still enjoy it, because Boston Legal was kind of an "our thing" with P. Each week I'd watch the show while chatting with him and make various comments here and there, with a time frame for him. Then, because he was three time zones away, he'd watch it three hours later and have to watch for the moments I'd commented on. It was a little game and the next best thing to watching it together. I still think about P sometimes, but it doesn't make me sad anymore. More often than not, I find myself a little ticked off when I think back . I deserve someone who can give me more of himself, and he sort of strung me along, knowing that he'd never be there. But anyway... life goes on. And so does Boston Legal. Excellent episode tonight, by the way. Gas was $2.71 when I left work today, and Pooh told me that it dropped even further later in the afternoon. It's...

It's a quiet day at home now that I've done my morning and early afternoon Saturday running around. I've got a big enough chore to tackle today at home that I think it will succeed in filling my whole day off. Surprise, surprise. I'd like to just relax and enjoy the time off, but I'll be sorting through clothes to get rid of and figuring out what we need to buy for the winter season. The girls have both gone through growth spurts, so it seems that everything they own is suddenly too short. And of course, I need to sort through my own closet and drawers and plastic tubs filled with clothes. With my recent weight loss, I was pleased to find some clothes I've had for 20 years that fit me again. Some of them are even fashionable again. But those items that are horribly out of fashion, out of shape or just age-inappropriate now have to go, and I've got the huge task ahead of me. I'll be sorting, washing, ironing, photographing and packing items up for eBay, p...

I've done enough blog hopping to know that I'm not the only one out here still trying to find that elusive thing called love. It's nice if you have the freedom to get out and do things with your friends and put yourself in a situation that will allow you to find that special someone, but some people - like me - just don't have the time or the energy or the life situation that will allow them to "get out there." So how do we find that someone special? Well, we all know there are now a few more options available to us. We've got the Internet available to us. And some of us spend practically our whole lives there, so why not use it to find that love? If you're looking for love, try the search for free available at True.com. True has millions of members, and registration is absolutely free. It uses scientific compatibility testing to match couples, and it even has criminal screening, stating "We can't guarantee criminals won't get on the site,...

I was sitting in the office just after lunch this afternoon, and I started adding up my hours for the week. I discovered that I should have been gone 15 minutes earlier, so I jumped up, punched out and packed up for home. It was such a good feeling to just shut down and walk out and get to relax at home for a couple of hours before the kids got home. This is my weekend off, but now that I'm officially the moderator for our papers' online forums, I'll be working anyway. But at least I won't have to get up too early tomorrow morning, and I won't have to wake up to an alarm at all on Sunday. Ahh... I feel better already just thinking about it.

A lot of people are doing genealogy research these days, because it's become so much easier thanks to the internet. Still, genealogy research - even online - can be expensive, so it's nice to find a resource to lead you to the cheapest option for the information you need. If you're trying to find a death certificate , you might want to check out this site . Their database contains death certificates recovered throughout America, and they'll help lead you to the information you need in the quickest and most cost-effective manner.

I made yummies tonight! It's an original recipe, but I'm sharing it with all of you. Anyone who tries it, please give feedback! Chocolate Molasses Biscotti 1/2 cup butter, room temperature (real butter, NOT margarine) 2/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup molasses 2 large eggs 1 large egg yolk 1 tsp. vanilla 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup cocoa powder (use the best stuff you can - Hershey's works in pinch) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.  Set aside. With electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).  Add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla extract and molasses.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.  Add to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated.  Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface and divide it in half (it will b...

The plumber never showed up yesterday, and he didn't come today either. I'm thinking that he might show up tomorrow, since I mentioned that I work at home on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On a related note, my daughter informed me that the village council will be fining the company doing the road work $1200 a day if they don't finish by Friday. See? EVERYONE in town is completely sick of it. It's taking entirely too long. We're a tiny little town. They don't have that much road to do. And yet, they have left every road in town a complete mess. Not ONE road is fixed yet. The dug it all up...half-ass filled it....and didn't finish anything. In the latest road fallout, Pooh's car lost a hubcap. Divinely touched as he is though, he actually went to Goodwill and found a box of four of the EXACT hubcaps on his car - for $10. I was definitely ready to get out of the office today, as they were decorating yet another desk for a birthday. It seems that balloons and stre...

If you're shopping for home air purifiers , you might want to check out the Air Cleaners/Air Purifiers Guide at www.aircleanersguide.com. The site lists a wide variety of HEPA air cleaners, ultraviolet air cleaners, ionic air cleaners, carbon air filters, electrostatic precipitators and car air purifiers. It includes descriptions of the types of air cleaners available, along with links to purchase when you've chosen the one that best suits the needs of you and your family.

Terms I am completely sick of hearing: heartbeat away from the presidency - yes, we know...president dies, vice president takes over. We get it. Stop pointing out the obvious. change - every presidential candidate since the second one has promised change. You started it, Barrack, but did you catch on to how tired and lame a slogan it is? NO!! Instead, your opponent picks up the same damn lame tired slogan. maverick - this is just stupid. If you want to say that you went against your own party - fine. You want to say you worked with those in the other party - cool. But stop dishing up this stupid term. reach across the aisle - like the change thing. We all have heard it before. It won't ever happen, at least not anything that matters. No miracle worker in the world is going to make more than 500 people agree about anything that really matters. Wall St./Main St. - business vs. you common joes. We get you common folks out there. We feel your pain. Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I don...

Bloggers have been buzzing about it. Radio personality Clark Howard raves about it. And what really got my attention was all the great unpaid, unsolicited comments raving about Zenni Optical . This place, I kept hearing, has eyeglasses for as low as $8. I doubt they could do much for Gin, because she's going to have a very special - and I'm sure quite expensive - prescription. I'll check on that one though - imagine the fortune I could save there. But even if I can't use them for Gin - and I've already had Lasik, Pooh wears glasses (and loses them on a regular basis). My mother wears glasses. My stepdad wears glasses. Book wears glasses. How much do you want to bet Munch isn't going to get through this family with perfect vision? We've already gotten the letter from the school saying we might want to double check her vision. Yep - we go through a heck of a lot of eyeglasses in this family. Pooh's checking it out right now. He needs to replace the presc...

I worked this morning to the sounds of the school marching band playing in my living room. OK - they weren't actually in my living room, but it sounded like they were, or at the very least, that they were playing on the street in front of my house. (Which, btw, would make no sense as I live on residential cul-de-sac at the edge of the village.) It was clear and close enough, in fact, for me to go downstairs and look out the front window to see where exactly they were. I couldn't see them. We're two blocks from the school, so I expect to hear the band practicing. I actually grew up in a house a mile from my high school and I could hear the band practicing in the distance. But these guys SERIOUSLY sounded like they were right on my lawn. By the time the band stopped, the excavation work had started. All the homes along my street are having their lawns torn up this week to connect the houses to the new water lines being installed. I get the home invaders this afternoon. I'...

If you're trying to find someone in the United States or Canada, you've probably used most of the free "white pages" sites and come across a lot of sites that tease you with a number of results but then want to charge you to see them. There's another free people finder available now that you might want to give a try. It's called LookupWho.com . You enter the name, city and state - or as much as you know, with only the last name as a required field - and it provides a list of matches, up to 50. Add more information to narrow down your choices. The results bring up addresses and phone numbers. LookupWho.com also offers a reverse phone search, useful for when you get an unknown phone number on your caller ID - or when you find an unidentified number on your phone bill.

I worked at the office today, and I've got to say, I'm getting used to it again. It's pretty uneventful over on the editorial side. I never hear any good gossip, but it's quiet and mellow, with the occasional polite conversation, so it's not altogether bad. I get to work at home tomorrow, but that's not going to be a stress-free day either. They'll be coming to pull up the carpet in my hall closet to get to the crawl space underneath to install the water pipes for our new municipal water. Right now, we're on a well. All the homes in my teeny, tiny town are on wells. But we just got a water tower, and we've been driving over horrible, mangled, gnarled roads like minefields for months now. My water now is rusty and a little smelly. I only drink it filtered. And my shower's always orange. I buy CLR in multipacks. All my whites are dingy. Still, it had better be damn good water we're getting. Estimates say the muni water won't be flowing unti...

Have you ever seen all that Charleston, SC, has to offer? I've been looking around at vacation areas and stopped by the Charleston visitors bureau site, and I have to say, that place looks pretty cool. I've never been there before, but if I wanted to relocate, I'd consider it. And if I relocated, I'd need a real estate agent, wouldn't I? Well, I already know where I'd go to find Charleston Realtors . I'd visit ClickSmart and check out the listings for Realtors in Charleston . ClickSmart lists experts in not only real estate, but also contractors, florists, home and office services, massage therapists, mortgage brokers, and weddings and events. And ClickSmart experts are pre-screened and certified, so you don't have to be an expert to find an expert.

Book called Friday to tell me that he was sick and wouldn't be coming for his usual Saturday overnight visit. I miss him when we don't have our weekend together, but it did give me a lot of extra time to things that needed to be done and saved me the gas money from all the driving around. I had work this weekend, but at least I was able to finish everything all at once in the mornings. That left my afternoons open to spend time with the girls. We spent the whole weekend at home just cleaning things up and reading and playing and cooking. All in all it was a pretty uneventful weekend, but I think I needed some uneventful time. I have a feeling things will be getting hectic again pretty soon.

If you're looking to buy an air mattress, whether for a camping trip or for guests in your home, be sure to check out the air mattress ratings on the Air Mattress Guide. This site includes ratings for air mattresses, plus price lists, information on air pumps, guides for finding sheets that will fit your air mattress and lots more useful information on air mattresses. Find out before buying if the air mattress you want will suit your needs with detailed reviews.

It was pretty much an average, typical Thursday around here, with my work from home, Gin's swim lesson and pizza night ('cos I'm not even trying to cook a meal after we get back from swimming). Munch has a field trip tomorrow to the Columbus Zoo. It works out perfectly, because we were supposed to go to the zoo this summer, but my schedule and budget never allowed for it. She's a fanatic for giraffes, so she's super excited to get to go. And she gets to eat a packed lunch and ride on a bus. For her, those are special treats. I watched the vice-presidential debate tonight. I hope all of you Americans out there took the time to watch it, too. Personally, I'm not a supporter of this early voting drive that's going now. I think people should take the time and effort to learn as much as possible before making such an important decision, and frankly, we haven't learned it all yet. Get through the debates and listen to the candidates THEMSELVES - not the pundit...

I woke up with a kink in my neck this morning, and by the time I'd been at work about a half hour or so, a migraine began to set in. I managed to stick it out for a couple more hours - working at my computer wearing sunglasses. But the printer is directly behind me, and the police scanner is cranked up so we can catch the latest breaking news events. Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer and told my boss I was going home to a dark, quiet room. After taking some ibuprofen and sleeping for three hours or so, I woke up feeling much better. Gin's eye is doing well after her tumble down the stairs last night. She has a couple of nasty looking red marks around her eye and across her nose, but it didn't bruise or swell at all, thanks to a quick application of an ice pack that she kept on it for at least a couple of hours before finally dozing off last night. I asked her tonight how many times she had to tell what happened today, and she said, "about 12," and smiled...