Insomnimusing: Allons-y!

As I sit and look at this giant bowl of candy comprising leftovers from the candy I bought to give out for trick or treat (only two kids showed up at my door) and candy my kids didn't like and thus gave to me (that includes all of their Reese's cups and Snickers bars. Score!), I realize that Halloween is the beginning of fat season. Next comes Thanksgiving, which includes a day (or two in this modern world of split families) of overeating from morning to night on turkey, ham, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, three kinds of pies, cheese balls and crackers, noodles, baked beans, cheesecake ... and anything else the family happens to put on the table. After that is the whole Christmas season. That's assorted candies and chocolates, hors d' oeuvres galore, drinks made with cream and rum, and probably another big dinner. Then there's New Year's Eve, and about 120,000 empty calories' worth of drinking. Moving on to February, we wrap up the fat season with Valentin...

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of iNetVideo . All opinions are 100% mine. I went downstairs for a cold glass of water. I don't really like the taste of our water from the tap, but I've got a great water filter pitcher that makes it taste fantastic. Oh, there's nothing wrong with our tap water. I've seen the water analysis reports, and it's perfectly safe. A lot of people aren't so lucky. Have you heard of Charity Water ? It is a favorite charity of Will and Jada Smith, and it provides wells for safe drinking water for areas of the world in need. How big is the problem? Well, 4,500 people die EVERY DAY from water-related illnesses. Is that big enough for you? iNetVideo.com is getting involved to help Charity: Water by donating $1 for every purchase of selected items on their website. Just look for the items marked with a water drop , and $1 from your purchase will go to a great cause. You can also donate directly to iNetVideo's campaign . On...

My daughter Gin (age 12) and I spent about an hour tonight just sitting and talking about the time her eye got injured and what it means for her future. It started when she sat down to tell me about a silly game they'd played in gym class today, which involved bumping a volleyball to a player, who then had to hit it and then run around the bases while the other players passed it, then one player had to throw the ball into the basketball hoop to get the runner out. Gin said she was designated to shoot into the basketball hoop, and out of 15 tries, she didn't make it once. I told her, "That's no surprise. You can't shoot into a basketball hoop if you have no depth perception." I might have told the story of her injury before, but I'll tell it again anyway. She was five years old, and it was the summer after kindergarten, shortly before her sixth birthday. She'd just gotten a new kitten early for her birthday that week. Unbeknownst to me, she'd gone ...

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PlayStation MOVE . All opinions are 100% mine. Winter's coming, which means the holiday season as well as cold weather that keeps us all cooped up inside. The kids occasionally venture outdoors. They also occasionally find quiet activities, such as reading, to occupy their time in the house. But more often - and I think all mothers know this - they get cabin fever, and need some physical activity. For two girls ages 9 and 12, that often means yelling and screaming at each other. This Christmas, I might just have found the perfect outlet for them - something that will keep them entertained and physically active even while they're cooped up indoors - the new PlayStation Move . I've been thinking about getting something like this for quite a while. It's something we can do together, have fun with and keep the kids entertained (kids this age are always "bored"). My youngest loves to play her video games, but that...

Yesterday was my usual slow Monday at work. Mondays are always the easiest day at the office because we don't publish a paper on Tuesdays, which means we don't have any pages to build. It's catch-up day for everyone, and I usually cut it short, because the rest of the week gets pretty hectic. This week is even more hectic than usual though. Today, our lifestyles editor is taking the day off, so I'll be doing her pages. The other day-shift paginator is working the evenings this week doing the front section because our news editor is working on building the annual cookbook, so I'll be doing his pages too. Yes, very busy day. The rest of the week, I won't have the lifestyles pages to do, but I'll still be picking up the rest of the inside pages. And there will be more of them, thanks to extra space needed to run election letters to the editor. Oh, then there's Election Day on Tuesday, which means working day...and that night. Ugh. I should be getting more s...

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of BH Cosmetics . All opinions are 100% mine. Most of the time I go for a pretty natural look, but sometimes I want to play with my look. I'll glam things up, or go sexy, or play rocker chick - or sometimes just play around with the make-up tricks I've seen on TV. I'm a former model, and I find myself sometimes just locked in my bathroom experimenting with different looks. But we all know how expensive cosmetics can be, and getting a great variety and huge palette can really break the bank. A lot of times I'll shy away from a new makeup color if it's something I'm not sure I'll be using a lot. But I've just discovered something that will let me play with my look all I want, without breaking the bank. You can find huge and amazing palettes of eyeshadow at BH Cosmetics for less than you ever thought possible. These shadows are blendable - so you can experiment with all the latest techniques - and highly pig...

I'm keeping so busy I've barely had time to breathe lately, but I took advantage of the "extra" day off I got by working the annual cookoff recently by taking that "comp" day and a vacation day to jet off to Las Vegas for a mini vacation. No, I'm not suddenly rolling in the cash. The trip was a treat provided by F, who generously offers to fly me to wherever he is when he comes stateside. This is our second trip to Las Vegas. We also had one to Tampa. I had the opportunity to go to New Orleans last February, but I passed it up as I was still looking for work and feared being away if something should come up. This trip was much better, though all too brief, certainly. F and I have had our tensions in the past, but it seemed to be a much smoother visit this time. I avoided being oversensitive, and he curbed his occasionally sharp tongue. Really, it's always been about misunderstanding, but I think as we've grown more accustomed to each other, we...

Do you mind terribly if this post has no particular focus? "So what else is new?" you say. Yeah, I do tend to ramble and wander sometimes, so if you're here, you're probably used to it. What's up? Well, if you recall, my daughter Gin had a trip to the emergency room a few weeks back. She slipped on the stairs and turned her ankle. There was no real injury, but I guess she was feeling particularly fragile that day, so she insisted on going to the hospital. The bills are in: $1,026 all told. How's that for ya? Pooh's getting a new car soon - new for him anyway. My mom's decided he needs one, since his 1998 Toyota Corolla has been through some few levels of hell. She's giving him her 2000 Honda CR-V. I've got a 1999 CR-V. And she's replacing hers with a 2004 CR-V. Have you noticed, we love the CR-V? Yep. We do. It's the perfect car - except for a frustrating audio system with a PITA volume control (PITA=pain in the ass). Seriously though, ...

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boost Mobile . All opinions are 100% mine. Boost Mobile . You know it's cool. You know it's fresh. You know it's what you want. And they make it easy. Did you know how easy? With Boost Mobile's Re-Boost you can add more minutes whenever you want, however you want. You can pay in person. You can pay online. Or you can even add minutes right over your phone wherever you are. If you don't even want to think about it, you can even set up automatic payments using your credit or debit card. Honestly - it just doesn't get any easier. And of course, Boost Mobile is more than just a phone. Who's willing to settle for just a phone anymore? Boost Mobile will keep you connected with your social networks. Facebook and Twitter don't need to keep you tied to your computer anymore. You can take them with you wherever you go. Got a craving for an awesome sandwich and find yourself stuck in the world's slowest driv...

It's amazing what can get accomplished in a long weekend if you actually set your mind to it. Some weeks ago, we had a pile of clothes suddenly appear at the bottom of the stairs. Miraculously, about the same time, the carpeting of my daughters' bedroom suddenly appeared as well. I started tackling the pile, then it suddenly disappeared. The carpeting in my son's room appeared about the same time. I later discovered the storage room below the stairs filled about halfway with Mt. Laundry. I informed the children, we would be scaling Mt. Laundry this weekend. First thing when I got home Friday after work, we started into a continuous cycle, and as things came out clean and dry on the other end, they got sorted to remove anything stained, damaged beyond repair or too small to wear anymore. Saturday, we got Book and went to my mom's for lunch. We decided it was time to break down her pool for the season, so in our quest to figure out how to drain it without flooding the nei...

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of USC . All opinions are 100% mine. As many of you well know, I'm in the newspaper business. I work for a community newspaper in a rural county, so naturally, the school systems are a big topic in our paper. More than once - in fact, more than a dozen times, I'm sure - I've looked at the stories and said, "I should have gone into teaching." From the standpoint of a journalist, it starts to look like a pretty good deal. Now you can get your Master of Arts in Teaching from the prestigious USC Rossier School of Education online, with the privacy and convenience of working from home - around your schedule. The program includes a highly interactive online course combined with real-life field experiences. There's also a tuition reimbursement program, and you can complete the accelerated program in as little as 12 months. Scholarships are available, and you have the opportunity to become a part of the elite USC Trojan...

Ding dong, the witch is dead! Which old witch? The one that liked to shove its broomstick up the backsides of its employees for fun and giggles. The one that continually made bad business decisions, bringing the misery upon its employees. The one that went off half-cocked and half-assed pushing through poorly thought out get-cash-quick schemes while refusing to consider ideas that would genuinely increase profits and serve customers better. The one that..... Oh never mind. They're not worth the effort of trying to itemize their acts of utter idiocy. In sum: my paper's under new ownership, and I don't think there's a broken heart to be found in the office anywhere about now. Nor would I expect to find one in any of our sister newspapers' offices either. Suffice it to say, the old company saw its ruin in unrestrained greed and selfish tyranny. I, for one, am more than happy to have been around to see it get its comeuppance. It's overdue. I welcome our new ownershi...

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NMEDA . All opinions are 100% mine. No two people with disablities are exactly alike, and they don't have the same mobility needs. The National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association understands this and can help you find an NMEDA qualified dealer to provide a safe, reliable vehicle with the modifications and enhancements you need. NMEDA doesn't sell anything. They're a non-profit trade association that will help you find a dealer you can trust to get the handicapped-accessible van or vehicle modified as you need it. NMEDA qualified dealers provide an in-person evaluation to be sure you are getting the right driving solution to meet your needs - as well as any training you might need to learn to use the modifications of your vehicle. NMEDA not only can match you with a dealer, they also have the Quality Assurance Program. This is the only nationally recognized accredited program for the adaptive mobility equipment industr...

Ok, maybe I don't really do the "fretful mom" thing. If the cat scratches Munch and she comes running to me, I don't give her, "Oh, you poor baby!" I tell her, "Go wash it with soap and water, and stop picking on the cat." I got to spend this evening in the hospital emergency room with Gin. She fell down the stairs and twisted her ankle. Personally, I thought it was an overreaction. We spent two hours there. (Surprisingly brief, I know.) She got an x-ray and an air cast and has to get crutches. Why? - because they're not going to say, "You're fine. It's a little owie. It'll go away." However, by the time we got home, she was walking around on that air cast like it was nothing. Seriously, there wasn't even any swelling. I took a much harder spill down those stairs a month or so ago, but I dealt with an achy hip for several days, watched the massive bruise change colors over the course of a week or so and moved on. Life ...

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hampton Hotels . All opinions are 100% mine. This summer, Hampton Inn is giving you the chance to win AN ENTIRE HOTEL for a weekend in the Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes ! That's right. I said, an ENTIRE HOTEL. Not one room - 100 rooms! For two nights! Imagine the possibilities. That's just the grand prize though. They're also giving away a daily prize of a weekend stay for you and three friends. It couldn't be easier to enter. Just visit the Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes page and complete the simple form. You know - all the usual stuff - name, address, phone, email - that kind of thing. Who doesn't need a little weekend getaway? If you're one of the daily winners, you get to grab your three closest friends for some much-needed rest and relaxation. And if you're the grand-prize winner of the whole hotel? Well, that's a party, isn't it? :) Where would you go? Well, Hampton Inn's got...

How strange it is that we can spend a year living in the same town, going to the same high school, even sharing some of the same friends with a person, but we never meet. Then one day, 20 years later and 2,000 miles apart, we should discover each other. Technology at work again. I suppose it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to me. Indeed, when I think on it, it doesn't strike me as much of a surprise at all. The circumstances of my life have distanced me from everyone who was a part of my life in my youth. And I've had no real opportunity to develop new relationships, outside my interactions online. Perhaps living in the isolation that I do - in this village of 600 tight-knit Catholics all intermarried, and working in a job where my single colleagues are 25 or 80 - it's not a surprise my friendships all live their lives in cyberspace. So my new friend, from my old life, might be coming to Ohio for a visit, and we'll see each other in person. We'll have t...

Well, tonight's the final performance episode of this season's So You Think You Can Dance, and here in Shelby County, Ohio - HOME OF KENT BOYD - we've been watching with great pride as our little hometown boy has overcome the perceived "disadvantages" of growing up in a small town and attending a small local dance studio as his only training. He's certainly given us reason to be proud, hasn't he? I haven't voted for the past few weeks - though when things started, I was putting in between 450 and 500 votes each week. I'll be back to dialing tonight for sure! There's a parade planned for Kent this Saturday, as he'll be returning home to Botkins - presumably not for long. The kids and I will be attending. What an exciting development for our little corner of the world! Naturally, also in my mind and boosting my adrenaline levels is the start of the Premier League season this weekend. I got to see that great 3-1 win over Chelsea in the Communi...

The fact that I haven't blogged about my trip to see Man United in Kansas City on Sunday yet just goes to show you how severely overworked I've been lately. But here goes - How do I describe something that is beyond words? At work today, I kept being asked, "How was it?" I answered, "It was a religious experience," which always got a laugh. But it wasn't funny. It wasn't an exaggeration. It wasn't even adequate. I started out with my daughter in tow at 4 a.m. on Sunday. We drove 12 hours, and for a lot of it, I didn't know if I was going to make it. I'd only managed to get about 4 hours of sleep, so I was exhausted even as we began. We made it, with little time to spare, and since I couldn't get an early check-in to my room, my Twitter friend Dee said my daughter could hang out in her room during the match. Upon arriving at the hotel, I immediately got a burst of energy. There were people in the parking lot tailgating, and everywhere ...

I am a firm believer in fantasy fulfillment. I believe that life is made up of your memories, and if you have a chance to make a memory, you should go for it! We all live our day-to-day lives, and yes, there is purpose and meaning there, but what do you sit back and recall on quiet nights? What do you tell stories about when you're with your friends? What do you tell your kids and your grandkids about when you're old? What just makes you smile when you think about it? It's not going to work every day, doing housework, etc. It's those MOMENTS. Sometimes the moment is just a minute. Sometimes it's a night or a weekend or a once-in-a-lifetime or just a first-in-a-lifetime event. But it's all about the MOMENTS. I get to make another memory this weekend. I'll be hitting the road in just about 10 hours to drive to Kansas City to see Manchester United play live for the first time. It's not Old Trafford, and it's not the way my first Man United game was su...