Insomnimusing: Allons-y!

How was '08 for you? Mine started out very hopefully. I was alone on New Year's Eve but had been given the promise that it would be my last like that. This year: I got to go to Vancouver to see my love. My stepgrandparents died. My son graduated high school. My boss got fired. My love dumped me out of the blue for someone else. I lost 20 pounds because I was physically unable to eat for two months (depression diet - highly effective but NOT recommended). There's more, but I've written it all here before. I've written more than 300 posts, so it's all here if you really want to go looking for a recap. I'm starting the new year with the hope that this will be better than the last...

My Internet connection problems have been a bit of a nightmare for me lately - meaning it's down now for HOURS at a time. It's been odd though. I've picked up books to occupy my idle mind when I can't do my usual web surfing. I've read three books in their entirety, in addition to finishing one that I've been reading in bits and pieces for several weeks now. It makes me want to buy more books, but when I go through one every day or so, it really adds up. Besides, I don't have any room for any more books. I have stacks and boxes of them all over the place as it is. You see? I need the infinite resources of the Internet to keep my mind occupied. It is constantly in consumption mode and must be taking in information at all times, it seems. I have forced myself to have some quiet time each day though. I'd gotten away from my meditations for too long, and now I'm having to ease back in. I'll have to just have my quiet time for a few days before I...

As we spend the holidays with our families, it's easy to get so caught up in the hustle and bustle that we might tend to forget those who can't share this time with their families. We are all struggling, but our military heroes and their families are sacrificing even more so that we - and others around the world - can enjoy a life of freedom. This year, Sears is sponsoring the Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry, so that those of us here at home can give thanks and help fulfill the wishes of those brave souls serving in the military and their families who have sacrificed so much that their loved ones may serve for the good of others. You too can help Sears in its partnerships with various nonprofit organizations to help fulfill our heroes' holiday wishes. Donations to the Heroes at Home Wish Registry are not tax-deductible. Gifts are given to military families in the form of Sears Gift Cards, which are distributed equally among all registered military families. More than 30...

The weather's been crazy lately, hasn't it? We've had ice storms, rain storms, snow showers, bitter cold, brutal wind... Friday we had a deluge, complete with thunder - actual thunder on Dec. 26. That just seems crazy. The temp was just at freezing when it first started, cold enough to put down a glaze of ice. I know - I wiped out on it at work. Saturday, the temp went into the mid-60s. We didn't even need a jacket. Overnight, the wind kicked up, blowing the branches out of the trees and causing the temperature to plunge again. The rivers are running bank-full, and there's standing water all over the place. Just a couple more degrees' drop, and it will all be frozen again. I'm predicting 8-foot snowdrifts in February. Yeah, that would be just my luck. And in honor of the holiday season culinary indulgences..... As you're resisting those holiday treats, consider this: Are you able to appreciate a tiny, perfect moment? Consider what I got for a measly 60 c...

This week's Flashback Friday is one of my all-time favorites, and I'll never apologize for it: Tainted Love by Soft Cell.

Well, Christmas is over and done with, and even though this was a lean year, somehow it still looks as if a toy factory exploded in my living room, and we've no idea how all the new stuff will fit in a room that didn't have room for all the old stuff before. Christmas Eve the girls and I wrapped the last of Book's gifts and stashed them away before heading off to pick him up for the night. As we drove past Wal-Mart at 7:30 pm, Gin piked her sister and said, "Take a look, Munch. That's the last time you'll see that. Wal-Mart is completely empty." I looked over and she was right. The parking lot was empty, as they'd closed the store already. I was a little surprised that it had closed so early. I expected they'd want to pick up the last-minute Christmas Eve shoppers. Anyway, I pointed out to Gin that we would indeed be seeing the same sight the next morning when we brought Book home. We spent the late evening at my parents' house, opening gifts a...

We had more freezing rain tonight, so well-stocked with junk food, Munch and I spent most of the evening watching some of my old favorite cartoons. They're now her favorites too. Here's a sampler of some of the ones she liked best: Marvin's my FAVORITE!! This had her giggling. :) This one had her laughing hysterically.....and as soon as it was over, she even asked to watch it again!

The wind and cold has been brutal today. We've had a little snow, but it's come in tiny little pellets, and the fierce wind is blowing it all away. I always wonder where it's collecting. I was listening to the wind all morning before I had to go out. It sounded as if it would tear the roof off the house, it was gusting so strongly at times. I hoped that it would die down a bit before we had to go out, but no such luck. We took Book home to his dad's, as per our usual Sunday schedule. I've arranged with his dad to pick him up on Christmas Eve, so we can do our Christmas at my mother's that night. Then we'll open presents Christmas morning at my house before I take him home again. That way, he gets to be with his siblings for all of the Christmas festivities and isn't excluded from any of it. After dropping him off, the girls and I went out to my parents' house, and then we all went into town for lunch. That was a break from the routine, but we had an ...

Bonus Flashback because HEY! It's Friday!

Oh boy, have I been neglecting things around here! So I guess I should provide a little update.... Well, we've been having some nasty weather around here, and I've seen by the news that there's been some weather weirdness all over. Some friends in New Orleans sent photos of SNOW there last week. Most of the comments were along the lines of, "What the hell?!?! How do you drive in this sh*t?!" I even saw that Las Vegas - you know that city built in the middle of a DESERT - got 3.6 inches of snow yesterday. Here in my little hamlet in Ohio, we got ice. Lots and lots of ice. I went into the office Monday, as per my usual schedule. All was well then. Tuesday morning, I couldn't access the Internet from home, so I was forced to go to the office again, even thought that's my usual day to work from home. I finished up around 1 p.m. and headed home, because I've had to keep my days as short as possible these last two weeks. Use-it-or-lose-it policy for vacation...

Today I'm offering a little seasonally appropriate cheesiness for Flashback Friday - Wham's Last Christmas. Enjoy!

The live version - not the "adult" video - of Duran Duran's Girls on Film

I took the day off work today and spent the better part of the time sleeping. I woke up to get the girls off to school, then I climbed back into bed. I woke up about three hours later, but I was still feeling tired, so I lay back down, expecting that I wouldn't fall asleep again. I was wrong. The next thing I knew, it was 1 in the afternoon. I don't regret it in the slightest. I probably needed the rest. It's certainly been long enough since I've gotten much good, uninterrupted sleep. And it was wonderful just waking up on my own rather than to an alarm clock or a child knocking on the door or kids arguing in the hall outside my room. When I finally did get up and moving around, I managed to get a few things done that needed to be done. Then I got online and did a few things there, including some Entrecard dropping that I've been neglecting lately, I must admit. I also got a welcome message in my inbox on Facebook that a friend of mine in Europe is planning a trip t...

As each day passes, it seems that life is weighing more heavily upon my already overburdened shoulders. And even the little things I had to bring me a shallow and temporary moment of escape or joy are being lost to me one by one. At least I have one small thing to look forward to - or I might anyway. And even that is still months away, if I really have it to look forward to it at all. I don't know what to believe anymore. But I need something to believe in. I need something to hope for, and I need something I hope for to actually come to pass. Every day I wonder how I will manage to get through to the next. And then get through the next. Each day it gets harder, and I wonder if it will ever end. I wonder if I will ever get to a day when I won't fear the next and the next. If there will ever be a day that I can feel warm sunshine and loving arms and soft kisses and know that I am safe and loved and finally whole.

This week's Flashback Friday is Scritti Politti's Perfect Way. Enjoy!

It struck me this morning as I was adding up my hours for my timecard at work: I have almost four days of time off that I somehow have to work into my schedule over the next two weeks. The only possible way that I can do that is to take at least one WHOLE day off. A whole day off. It's almost too good to be true. I've decided that I'll be taking Monday or Wednesday of next week, depending on what works best for my backup person. That way, I'll either have a long weekend (since this is my weekend off), or I'll split up next week into two mini-weeks (although I'm working next weekend, so that "mini-week" will still be nine days long). Either way, it's one less day at the office. And I still have almost three more days' worth of hours to shave off, so I'll be keeping my work days as short as possible. I can use the break right now, and maybe I can use the opportunity to find some new revenue sources.

Life gets a little crazy and sometimes we just want to get away. What better way than to hit the open road and feel the wind blow and cleanse away all the stresses of life? But does your car have the power to make that drive really effective? If not, you might want to consider turbocharging it. Turbochargers force air into the fuel system to boost horsepower. If you're looking to boost the power in your car, take a look at turbochargerpros.com. You'll find an Acura turbocharger, Volkswagen turbocharger , and everything in between. To get that extra boost out of your car - and put that extra pep in your step - turbocharge it.

I woke up this morning to an unusually warm bedroom. What this usually means is that my son Pooh, who works early shifts at McDonald's, turned up the heat before he left the house and forgot to turn it back down. When I say turned up the heat, what I mean is that he's pushed the thermostat all the way up to the top to try to quickly warm up the house. I couldn't believe that this could have happened, as just two days ago he did it, and I made it clear - in no uncertain terms - that he was not to touch the thermostat again unless he plans to pay the heating bill. Well, I opened the door to my room, and rather than being struck by a wave of warm air, I found myself in a freezer in my hallway. It seems he'd neglected to pull the door shut all the way, and as usual, he did not lock it. The latch on my front door doesn't work properly since my ex-husband "fixed" it a couple of years ago, so it blows open rather frequently if it's not kept locked or properly...

It's holiday shopping time, and this year we're all more pressured than ever to get the most out of our holiday dollars. We're looking for practical, durable gifts that won't break the bank. Not just for law enforcement anymore, "tactical" clothing has gained popularity in the general population for its incomparable practicality and durability. Naturally, with this increase in popularity, cheap, low-quality knock-offs are showing up all over the place. It's not enough to have the look of tactical pants with a clay or khaki color and a few more pockets than ordinary pants. What makes the tactical pants used by real law enforcement personnel special is their careful design and heavy-duty construction. If you want the tactical gear used and trusted by law enforcement professionals and outdoorsmen across the country, you want the genuine 5.11 Tactical label. If you're looking for pants, they've got more than 20,000 pairs in stock. Available in a dozen...

I've become a pretty big Mac fan since I got my laptop for work about a year ago. I didn't realize how high a pedestal I'd placed Mac on, though, until today. I was home from work, surfing some blogs and all was going well. Then suddenly, when I was in the middle of typing a comment on a blog, my screen went black. The screen on my MacBook Pro...just...went...black. I was dumbstruck. I was in shock - I mean, to a degree comparable to seeing a stranger shot dead in front of me. I sat staring at the black screen, thinking, "What the hell?!?! This is a MAC! This doesn't happen!" I've worked on Windows PCs for years and years, and frankly, whenever one crashed on me, my response was something like, "Damn it! Typical! Piece of crap!" But when my Mac just went black, I was ... stunned ... bewildered ... speechless. Even now, I'm typing away just perplexed as to what happened and wondering if it will happen again. I have to laugh at my reaction even...