Zappo's Joke of the Day

Q: What did the alien say to the gardener?
A: Take me to your weeder!

It is so funny!

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Ok, who even knew Zappo's had such a thing? I called ask about the order I returned, and when listening to the phone tree, I couldn't resist listening to the "joke of the day."

HELP! I've Run Out of Windex and Can't See!

Today, at Sears Auto:
I am waiting at the counter for the nice man to finish putting my information into his computer so they can take care of my car.

A woman in a Benz drives in, parks, and tells the nice man that she has run out of washer fluid. Only she calls it "car windex." She has run out and doesn't know how to put it into her car (her words). He tells her to go inside the store area (we are in the garage area), purchase it, and he will put it in for her. When she comes back, she is waiting for him to finish with me, and is a bit impatient. I remark to her that if she pops her hood, she can probably figure out where the fluid goes.

She looks at me and with a straight face, says, "I don't know how to pop the hood either."

Are you kidding me?! You drive the frickin' car and don't know how to open the hood?! Is it just me, or does that seem insane?

Ok, maybe that's harsh, but honestly. "Helpless" women get on my nerves.

Woo-hoo!

My biopsy results are in: BENIGN!

And my sister continues to recuperate. She has her ups and downs, but is doing well medically. She enjoyed hearing me read all the well wishes.

So even though it's freezing outside and my little feet are cold, it's a good day. Celebrate!

Surgery Update

First and foremost, huge thank yous to everyone who sent comments and well wishes. I was able to read the first few to my sister before she went into surgery this morning. Late this afternoon my stepmother called and left the message that while the surgery was difficult and had taken longer than expected, my sister came through it and will be fine. She's in recovery and will be kept sedated overnight. So, I'll read her the rest of your well wishes tomorrow, when I expect I'll be able to talk to her.

Thank you!

Prayer Request

My sister has been in and out of the hospital over the last few weeks. She went back over the weekend, and is having surgery tomorrow morning. The surgery is considered "routine" but still, it's scary and the decision to actually have it was not an easy one for her to make.

So, please, think of her tomorrow morning at 9.30am EST, the surgery start time. BTW, she's in Atlanta, and has been known to identify herself on blogs as "Sheree's sister."

Send her good wishes via the comments section, and I'll read them to her tomorrow evening when I talk to her.

Thanks!

I is Educated

The other day, I bought a few things at the grocery store. My bill was $10.22. I gave the cute little cashier one ten dollar bill, one quarter and two pennies. When she tried to return the pennies to me, I replied: "I don't want the pennies. That's why I gave them to you."

She stood there for upwards of 15 seconds counting the money, then finally punched "$10.27" into the cash registered. For a moment, I thought I'd have to tell her how much it was.

She seemed surprised when "$0.05" came up as change.

Pitiful, I Know

Oh, I need new coats too. Notice the plural, as in more than one.

My coat inventory includes:
*a London Fog trench coat I bought at Good Will last year for $10
*an LL Bean field coat I bought when I moved to Boston in 1997
*an LL Bean parka I bought when I lived Western Mass and was playing in the snows of New Hampshire (circa 1995)
*a Peacoat I bought my first year of college. Yeah, in 1984.

I guess I've gotten my money's worth, but it's really time- ok past time- to buy a coat or 2.

Oh, I forgot about my current "dress coat:"
*a wool Herringbone coat that belonged to my paternal grandfather who passed away when I was in 6th grade (c.1978). And it had belonged to one of his sons before that.

And as sad as it is, that really is my coat inventory. I have 2 fleece cardigans and a fleece anorak (won at a raffle in my Western Mass days) as well as 2 or 3 cotton jackets for Spring and Summer. I know, pitiful.

But, I figured out that I can squeeze another year out of the field coat if I cut the cuffs off and reattach them because they are so frayed. And I've ordered a nice wool coat from LL Bean. It will serve as my new "dress coat" and since I'm trying to look like a grown-up these days, I'll probably wear it several times a week. I haven't had much luck looking in brick and mortar stores, so I'm doing the mail order thing.

Once I have the coat, I'll take a picture. I've ordered red!

A Sad Shoe Story

In the last few months, 3 pairs of my shoes have bitten the dust.

As in: the gf and I are walking on Bradford Street in Ptown when I feel a certain breeziness on my right foot. The sole was separating from the rest of the shoe! And by the time we walked to our friend's house, the left shoe had joined in. So, there went my brown Rockport Mary Jane's. Luckily, friend Rena had a pair of shoes to loan.

2 weeks before the Rockport separation, my beloved Dankso Professionals died. The soles split in half. In half! As for the first pair to die, they were the newest. My cute little brown Ecco mules simply gave up the ghost. The stitching became unstitched, and the leather frayed too much to have them re-sewn. And I bought those shoes in Richmond! They weren't that old.

History: I moved to Upstate NY in 2004 and lived in Richmond from 2001 until then. So the Eccos were only 5 or 6 years old- NOT LONG in Sheree's shoe life. Both the Rockports and Danskos were bought in Boston (1997-2001).

I don't get it- why don't shoes last longer?

And should I mention that the brown loafers I bought at Target my first year here are already starting to show signs of thisismylastseasonwithyou? The heel is starting to separate from the rest of the shoe. And no, I can't get them re-heeled because the sole and heel are all one single rubber piece. I know, what'd I want for $24.99?

So now I need shoes. And since I just love (can you hear the sarcasm?) to shop, Zappo's is my new favorite website. Free shipping!

I *Hate* It!

I was duped.
I bought the hype.

UGH!

My old palm pilot died, and I got a Centro SmartPhone to replace it. Good thing it has a 30 day return policy because I hate it. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it.

So much so that I bought a "regular" Palm- a Tungsten E2 instead. I'm taking the Centro back tomorrow.

My top 5 reasons for hating the Centro:
1. No graffiti ("writing" on the palm, which allows one to use sticky notes and jot notes)
2. The only way to input text is via a keyboard that's the size of my thumb. Yep, the WHOLE keyboard. Gimme a break!
3. Every time I talked on the phone, my ear touching the screen turned the damn thing off. Yeah, I disabled that feature, but what a stupid feature!
4. It lost nearly all of its charge overnight. And no, I wasn't on the phone. I charged it to 100% and the next morning, the stupid thing wouldn't turn on the charge was so low.
5. I *still* don't know what the ON button does, since the END button turns the thing off and on.


Of course, if you're really into having email and the web at your fingertips 24/7, in addition to having your address book and a phone, then the Centro may be for you. I'm more interested in the other features, like being able to make notations quickly and easily. In my world, typing on a thumb-sized keyboard is neither quick nor easy. True, I have gotten faster in the week that I've used the Centro, but graffiti/writing lets you have shortcuts so I can type in CAB for Community Accountability Board- a board I'm on that meets bimonthly, etc.

So now I'm back to having a mobile phone and palm pilot separately. Not as tiny, but infinitely more satisfying.

Dancing like White Birds

So the gf has her new computer all hooked and is she's online. She just saw my last post. Her response?

"Baby, I don't know if you're better than that."

Stop laughing!

Dance Like No One is Watching

I love to dance.

True confessions: I'm a terrible dancer. Ok, not terrible. But...
Well, I dance like, hmm....

Ok! I dance like a white girl. There I said it! I confess.


Luckily for me, some of my best friends are white girls (hehe) and the gf hasn't been too horrified while dancing with me.

Besides, at least I dance better than Snowball, although we have similar problems with rhythm. We're ok for a while, but then, we get into the music and get, well, lost.

Meghan Update

If you've been reading Grayson's blog, read it now.

Not only did Meghan get to read the new Harry Potter book, JK Rowlings herself even contacted her. So cool!

NotSoSmart Questions (even if you don't know the answers)

Who is LeBron James?
What's the Kremlin?
Why are they doing this at the Pentagon? (asked about a 9/11 commemoration being held there)

"WHO asked these questions?," you wonder.
A 10 year old? Someone from a teeny tiny island off the coast of Isle of NoWhere?

Nope. These questions were asked of my cousin, a news producer, by someone she works with.

the good news
Fortunately, that someone doesn't work with her all the time.

the bad news
That person is a journalist. Really.
An honest-to-goodness ontheTVnews journalist.

Sad, sad, sad.

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And while you may or may not know that the Moscow Kremlin is the Russian equivalent of our White House (it's where the Russian President lives), you knew it had something to do with Russian politics, right?

Right?

Replacing Your Salary

Have you ever thought about how you're going to survive financially if you get sick or disabled for an extended period of time? As in- several months? years?

Consider long term disability insurance.

I'm serious.


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Imagine:

You haven't worked in 4 months. And, you're seeing a different specialist every week, have PT twice a week and bloodwork every month, not to mention the monthly "check-in" with your PCP, who's being wonderful by keeping up with all the paperwork from the insurance folks.

the bad news:
The long-term disability insurance your company provides only kicks in if you're disabled for more than 6 months.

the good news:
No, wait. You got a better policy. It kicked in at 2 months. Yippee!

the bad news:
It only pays 50% of your salary.

the good news:
Your employer has graciously agreed to "finagle" things so that your health insurance continues uninterrupted, and without an increase in the premium because they value you and your health.

the bad news:
All those appointments are gonna cost you an extra $350 per month.

======


Can you live on half of your salary now, nevermind after increased bills?

Happy Birthday, Cass!

And yes, I do know how old you are. I was 12 when you were born. So there!

Congrats!

to Lisa K and Phiance, who get hitched in less than 8 hours.

Will Lisa K become Lisa Another Letter?

Zoo, anyone?

Last weekend was a wonder. The gf's birthday was Sunday, and to celebrate, we went to the Bronx Zoo. In any case, I hadn't been to the Bronx Zoo since I was 4 or 5; what a riot. Of course, if my back had not been bothering me it would've been even more fun.

The biggest thing I learned at the zoo is that the gf reads every (every!) sign on the displays. And looks at me like I'm a nimrod when I ask things that I could've read- like "Why is that animal sitting like that?" Hmm, clearly the sign told us that it's hind legs have evolved, blah, blah, blah. And yes, she actually reads the Sunday paper while I go straight for the comic strips and circulars...

In addition to learning that I'm a lazy reader at the zoo, I took some pictures:

Hephalumps! The gf's favorite.
(Taken while we were on the monorail. Cool, huh?)

And a sleeping polar bear. I should mention that it was 85F that day. At the end of September. In the Bronx. Poor Polar Bear.


This guy cracked me up. Just stood there, patiently (and majestically, I might add) waited while the clumsy papparazzi got what they needed.


These turtles were a riot. The middle one kept pushing the turtle in front - like it was angry at him or something. And yes, I found that funny to watch. I tried to catch it mid-push, but no luck.



In the butterfly garden


More turtles. This time, in a pond (well, running away from the pond)


Some cousins of the deer.


And last, but not least, the Okapi. I'm fascinated by these animals. I'd never seen one before. Striped legs like a zebra. Dark body like a horse or donkey. But actually related to the girrafe.


I know it's hard to see the photos. Here's a better image.

Humor, My Style

I'm a geek, I know. But tell me this isn't funny. It was in yesterday's paper.

Catching Up

For the last month, I have been, well, in a funk.

Ok, not a funk. But struggling. Emotionally. The hours at the "new" job are kicking my behind. But mostly, I've felt distant.

It has reminded me of when Mother Theresa died and an NPR commentator mentioned that she continued her good works even as she struggled in her inability to feel G*d. That even in her decades of feeling removed and untouched by G*d, she continued to do G*d's work.

Perhaps it's a sign (to me) that this very issue has come up in the last few weeks as her diaries are being published. This notion that those of us who identify as "religious" struggle in our ability to "feel" G*d. That we struggle in the "absence" of G*d.

Of course, we all know the piece "Footprints" and how G*d says that in those times of our deepest struggle is when G*d carries us, but that doesn't change how we felt in that moment.

I have hesitated to share in this forum- for all kinds of reasons. But the simple truth is that I miss the connection of having my friends (all 5 of you) read my rantings.

So there you have it.

Books about Dogs?!

Remember this?
"...I also read "wilderness/adventure" books written by a man whose name I cannot remember. It starts with a K and is likely German or Scandinavian...I think the second letter in his name is a j..."

Thanks, Bibliodiva for supplying the missing letters: Kjelgaard. As in James Arthur (Jim) Kjelgaard.

Ring any bells?

How about books like Big Red, Irish Red: Son of Big Red, Kalak of the Ice?

What's frightening is that when I read the list of his books, I don't actually remember a single one. Did I really read a bunch of adventure books (most of which were about dogs)?!

Not only didn't I have a dog, as a kid I wasn't really an "animal lover" or especially inclined toward dogs. Besides Curly, the neighborhood stray my uncle fed, I'm not even sure I knew any dogs.

No wonder my mother thought I was odd...

not in high school (or in college)

What I'm reading now: Lady Chatterley's Lover. I've never read it and It was on the bookshelf in the gf's bedroom. Besides, DH Lawrence wrote one of my favorite short stories: The Rocking-Horse Winner.

BTW, the gf is a voracious reader. Eclectic too. Oh, and have I mentioned that she thinks I'm adorable?

oh, and

this too. Take note my liBERRYan friends. It was a Blog of Note, even.

Good, Bad, Fabulous

The good news is that the long anticipated Harry Potter book is coming out at midnight tonight.

The bad news is that I was a dismal failure at getting an early copy of the manuscript for Grayson's daughter.

The fabulous news is that she's around to read it along with everyone else. Woo-Hoo!

How Many of Me?

Have you ever googled your own name, only to find someone (of several someones) besides yourself? I know this may frighten those who know and love me, but there are 18 people in the US who share my first and last name, including an (apparently) famous make-up artist.

How do I know? Click here to find out.

Of how many are you?

Montana and Idaho?

In a recent phone conversation, my sister commented that she'd never read a Pultizer-prize winning book. Once establishing that this is untrue, we began discussing books we read as children. Being avid readers, we thought we'd read many Caldecott and Newberry medal winning books.

Well, it turns out that Caldecott is an illustration award (and I certainly didn't read "picture books" past age 7). And as for the Newberry list, boy were we surprised! Sure, some of our books were there, but the list that really resonated for us was the Pacific Northwest Library Association's Young Reader's Choice Award.
According to Powells.com, this award was established "in 1940 to promote reading for enjoyment."

Good, good. We liked (ok, loved) to read.

Wanna know how these books were chosen?

"Children and young adults of Alberta, Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington select the winners from nominees submitted by librarians, teachers, students and others."

Alaska? Idaho? Montana?

Are you kidding? Me, nice little black (ok, I started out Negro, according to my birth certificate, and since 1989 I've been African-American) girl is reading a bunch of books selected by the loads of loads of readers out in Montana?

Yeah, yeah- you can talk about the universality of children and reading and all that, but really, what MUST my mother have thought? Yeah, I read Mildred Taylor and even Alice Childress, but I also read nearly every book published by Scott O'Dell, and let me tell you, there are a ton of 'em! I loved Island of the Blue Dolphins!

Montana? No disrespect, but really, how many children were even in Montana in the 1970s?

Aside: I also read "wilderness/adventure" books written by a man whose name I cannot remember. It starts with a K and is likely German or Scandinavian. My mouth keeps saying "Kierkegaard" but I know that's not right. Actually, I think the second letter in his name is a j. Anyone? Bibliodiva? Lisa K? Mellanye?

I really did look, and even went to the children's section of my local libe, but the librarians weren't very nice and seemed perturbed that I was interrupting their construction paper craft project (I'm serious). My library isn't staffed by friendly folk, but I go anyway...

Mail for Mom

Today she got 2 entry packets from Publisher's Clearinghouse, a magazine, and a couple of begging letters.

I got a renewal notice from AAA.

For the 3rd day in a row, my mother got more mail than me. And only one of us is alive.

How pitiful is that?

===

Anyone wanna tell me how to get her name off these blessed mailing lists? And no, she doesn't want to contribute to the American Diabetic Association or renew her subscription to AARP.

New Beginnings - An Update

3 months into my "new" job and I'm back at my primary site fulltime, loving that I finally have an assistant (as opposed to a string of temps) and well, settling in nicely.

Today I even reconnected with a lab technician I used to work with. I'm excited to go back to working with him (although my current lab is quite good).

Life is good.

LMNOP

Remember a million years ago when I told you I got a huge box in the mail with a tiny bit of quilt and a boatload (ok, boxload) of batting?

Also in that box was one of the funniest books I've read in a long time: Ella Minnow Pea, by Mark Dunne. Fun!

Creating Traditions

My brother came to visit over the weekend. He moved to Boston from Florida a few months ago, and made the trip to Upstate New York to hang out with his big sister. We had a lovely time; it was a nice treat as we had not seen each other in over a year.

While he was here, he asked me an interesting question about my blog. He wanted to know why it's called "G*d's Love" instead of "God's Love". Since I frequently write my creator's name as "G*d" or "G-d" in reverance, I was surprised. Funny how you assume everyone knows what you know (or how you forget that everyone doesn't how what you do).

In any case, it's from Jewish tradition. Not writing God's name is a way to honor
God and God's holiness. Kinda like Christians writing God's name with a capital G, versus when we write about one of the Hindu gods (little g) like Shiva.

Tradition is a powerful thing, and my sister has taught me a bit about creating one's own. Having more reverence with G-d is one I created for myself.

In Memoriam

It's been a year.

Dorothy Macklin Morgan

June 27, 1941 - June 20, 2006

Open wounds stop bleeding but they are often sore for a very long time.

Six Degrees To JK Rowling

Read this, then come back.

Now that you're back-
Grayson and I went to high school together in North Carolina and now she lives in the Netherlands. Her daughter, Meghan, is a teenager and has brain cancer. She cannot do chemo and has been told that she has only weeks to live. And note that Grayson indicates that Meghan will likely be unable to read the book herself on July 21. She already has double vision nearly all the time now, and well, July 21st is nearly 2 months away.

So, how can we make this happen for Meghan?

And yes, I'm serious.

I'm working on my college contacts. Surely librarians Bibliodiva and Lisa K can help with research? Is there a way to reach Ms. Rollins?

Any ideas?

And again, I couldn't be more serious.

What Kind of Cake Are You?

I, apparently, am a chocolate one. And I'm not cutting edge. A shocker, I know.

==

You Are a Chocolate Cake

Fun, comforting, and friendly. You are a true classic, and while you're not super cutting edge, you're high quality. People love your company - and have even been known to get addicted to you.

What Kind of Cake Are You?

Writer's Almanac

Yesterday my friend MHCKnitter sent me a link to this website. Read the poem "A Twice Named Family" by Traci Dant.

It starts:
I come from a family that twice names its own.
One name for the world.
One name for home.

Read it. Then come back and share your reaction.

I'll start:
I love how it ends. The ending especially, reminds me of my group of friends, and how they so easily mesh when I throw them all together. It also reminds me of my gf (who comes from a twice named family).

BTW, I tried to get permission to reprint it, it is being formally reprinted in a journal so Ms. Dant wasn't able to give permission for it to be reprinted any place else (including my little blog).

More Goodies

This is the card that accompanied today's birthday package (#3) from my super-cool, ultra-hip (ok, silly and fun and kind and thoughtful) younger sister. It made me laugh because it's funny in general, and because, hmm, it's so me.



Inside: "There's no one quite like you. Happy Birthday!"

Her written comments included this:
"...your unique perspective on the world makes you fun indeed..."

Unique perspective? Whatever could she mean?
(Did I already confess that when I was a kid,
I wanted to change my name to Jayne Dough?)


And here's what was in today's package:



And because I wanted to show how the Naughty and Nice Ducks flashed when they lit up:

It is real? Or is it Memorex?

Sometimes I like to look at what other blogspotters are up to. This one made me laugh out loud.

I can hardly talk about what other people find fascinating, but fake wood? Of course, maybe I can talk some of my friends into getting matching track jackets...

Birthday Ducks

Ok, so my sister is a nut. I love her, but she is a nut. How do I know, you ask? Because she sent me Teddy Bear pasta for my birthday. And because today I came home to find birthday package #2 from her. There were elegant little packages of bath confetti, salts, and beads.

And these:


They are called Naughty and Nice Ducks, BTW. And they light up! Actually, they flash.


Thank you, Nicole!

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Oh, today was my second day at my second office. Pretty tame stuff, except that one of my patients, apparently unhappy with my decision to not reline her denture the day I delivered it (and I didn't even make it; the previous guy did), hit me. And no, I am not joking; she hit me. More like a swat, like a spanking.

I am over 40, and today I got a spanking.

Happy B-Day!

The cutest thing: my mobile phone rings, with a number that I do not recognize.
voice: "Sheree?"
me: "yep."
voice: "Hold on"
Then, the most amazing serenade ever: 3 year old twin nieces of my buddy Paula sang Happy Birthday to me. Sooooooo fun!

Here are the birthday gifts Bibliodiva sent. As for Hello Kitty, don't ask. It started in May 2001 and has blown up to rival Sasquatch.

I can't wait to dive into the candy. How fun. I love Pez, but this is cooler. Did you notice that the dispenser is animated?





Oh, and look at the calculator and compact. Hehe.






Oh, and check out the pasta from my sister.





I know, what does it say about me that these are the gifts I get when I turn 41?

Brown Boxes

I just got home from a weekend Down State to see the gf to find 2 boxes on my doorstep. One from Bibliodiva- birthday gifts. Horray! The other from MHCKnitter, who sent me her quilt to finish. Apparently, all it needs is a backing, and, hmm, to be quilted. I haven't quilted in a while so it'll be a fun project to work on. Besides, I still owe her after loosing a hat she knit for me. Here's the one she made to replace it.





I love my friends.

Me, L, and Don Imus

Last night I received a phone call from L, a lovely lady from my church who almost always calls to remind me when it's my Sunday to usher.

It is usually a perfunctory conversation:

"Hi, Sherry? This is L. I got you down for ushers on Sunday."
"Okey dokey. Thanks, L. I'll be there."
"'k, bye."


Last night she said more:

"You wrote that article in the Envoy*? About Imus?"
"Yes Ma'am"
"Well, it was good. I liked that Imus article you wrote."
"Thank you."
"'k, bye."

*our church's newsletter


I know I'm no Spring chicken, but this woman is old. Ok, not old like my maternal grandmother, but old. Like octogenarian old. And for some reason, that makes her compliment all the more meaningful.

Maybe cuz Larry (our minister) asked me to write it, and frankly, I struggled. It's not the best thing I've ever written, but it's not as bad I'd feared.

====


Why I Care About What Don Imus Said

I am a huge fan of college basketball. NCAA Tournament time is an especially fun time for me. I get to enjoy March Madness twice as I am a fan of both the men’s and women’s games.

This year, the NCAA Women’s Basketball championship game was between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights.

The Lady Vols are coached by the winningest coach in US college history (men’s or women’s): Pat Summit. They are the stuff legends are made of, and formidable opponents. Few female basketball players would decline an invitation to play for Summit. As a result, the Lady Vols is less of a “local” team; the young women are from all over the country- the best of the best.

The Scarlet Knights, coached by C. Vivian Stringer, “flew under the radar” all season, consistently ranked in the top 20 in both the AP and Coaches polls. They are amazing basketball players- a back-to-basics team filled with players from working-class, urban New Jersey.

Shock jock Don Imus, in discussing the game, mentioned how “lady like” the Tennessee players were- they were pretty girls, with neatly coiffed hair, painted nails, etc.. This was in comparison to the Rutgers girls, who looked “rough.” They have tattoos and looked like they’d been playing basketball- mussed hair, sweaty, etc. In Imus’ words, they looked like “nappy-headed hos.”

The young women on these basketball teams are exactly that- young women- the same ages as our own Sarah** and Kelly Smith** and Freda Jones**. And no doubt, they have the same goals: to succeed. To use what resources that are available to them to do well in the world. Most are still teenagers, and only a few are at the age of majority.

And since when do we allow our young people fair game?

In my mind, this is not a matter of someone saying that the team did not play well. It was a personal assault, based on what these young women (on both teams) looked like.

Do we all judge people based on superficial attributes? Absolutely. Do we pretend it’s a good idea? Not a chance. We admit that we do it, but we also admit that it’s not a good thing.

But maybe we don’t really mean it. Maybe we actually think it’s ok to be unkind to each other. That it’s perfectly acceptable to call someone a nasty name. And if you don’t think it’s a bad thing to call someone a whore, then the next time you’re at the bank (or the grocery store or at church), say it to someone. Just walk up and say it.

Not in a million years would you do it. Not because you’re afraid of being slapped, but because it’s not appropriate. Period. It is simply not appropriate.

I could talk about the hundreds of reasons why Imus’ words are troubling- and talk about issues of race, gender, economic disparity, and the like. But I don’t think any of that really gets at the heart of the matter. The simple, sad truth is that Imus makes his living by hurling insults. And if that weren’t bad enough, he deliberately uses the most inflammatory rhetoric to achieve his goals.

What is wrong with us that we condone such behavior?
What is wrong with us that so many of us remain unmoved by what Imus said?

We allowed a 66 year old man to hurl insults at a group of teen-aged girls just trying to get an education and play a game they love. What does that say about us?

…”Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these among me, ye have done it unto me..” -Matthew 25:40

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**I changed their names cuz maybe they don't wanna be mentioned in my blog. It's bad enough that I put them in the church newsletter without asking them. I think this would probably be too much.

Good News

This evening I received a voicemail message thanking the nurse practitioner and I for our help. Nick is resting comfortably at a local hospital while his doctors run tests to determine what happened. Both he and his wife left the message.

He mentioned that when he "came to" he saw my face smiling down at him.

Geesh, can you imagine?
You come back and see my giant bowling ball head looking down at you?

I'm glad he's ok.

I am discombobulated. I slept fitfully last night.

And this morning: in a church pew, a nurse practitioner and I performed CPR on an 85 year old man who collapsed during the sermon. He "came back" but it was disquieting for us all.

Knee, or Just a Jerk?

I was asked to write an article discussing my opinion about Don Imus' remarks about the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Mind you, I wasn't asked as a result of how vocal I'd been in my opinion, but because I'm a brown grrl. Now before you get your knickers in a twist, the asker is my minister. Larry is a middle class white guy, and I think his motivation had to do with our particular congregation and how they'd receive remarks from him. He's what some might call, hmm, a "knee jerk liberal." You know, the kind of guy who understands white and male privilege; the kind of person who understands how oppression against one group feeds oppression of another.

The congregation mostly "gets" this, I think. But sometimes, hearing something from someone besides Larry is good for them- even if they say exactly what he would've said.

Fast forward, then, to me writing about Imus. Surprisingly enough, most of my thoughts were not so much about racism, but about that this guy is 66 years old, and he picked on a group of accomplished athletes, most of whom aren't even 21. Gimme a break. How pathetic is that?

Exhausted

Ok, so not only do I have a great job, I have one that I'm fitting into pretty well. Of course, adjusting to the hours isn't so easy. In fact, the hours are kicking my behind.

I nearly fell asleep driving home this evening. Yesterday too. And Last Friday I came home from work and almost immediately I dozed off. And, I wanna tell you- I honest-to-goodness slept. So much so that when I called my sister to check in with her (she wasn't feeling well), I fell asleep while talking to her.

And to those of you who are rolling your eyes and thinking "what's new?": NO, this wasn't my usual "sheree says stupid things when she nods off" but "sheree woke up to hear her voice and realized she had no idea what she'd said." How horrible is that?

So, I think I gotta get more sleep. I'm gonna have dinner in a few minutes (it's 6.20pm), and plan to be in bed at 9pm. I'd go now but I'm afraid I'll wake up at 2am and not be able to get back to sleep.

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As for the job itself: it's good! I'm settling in, finding my way. I think we might have even hired me an assistant! Woo-hoo!

Say What?!

Take a look at these.



How sad is my life?
When I was 2, I looked like Jim Belushi.
6 years ago I looked like Samuel L. Jackson. And I still do, I guess.

That's just wrong.

Of course, there is another way to look at this.
And let this serve as a warning to my friends:
I look like Mary Poppins, Laura Croft, and the Queen of Daytime TV.
Talk about superpowers!



And yeah, I'm amazed that 2 people actually showed up on both: Gabrielle Union and Rosario Dawson, although apparently I looked more like them when I was younger.

First Day, No Jitters

Today was fabulous. Ok, it was fine. The people were friendly and helpful, and they even let me have the day to "settle in." I did some hygiene exams, including a very cheerful 5 year old. Tomorrow will be a heavier load, if only because at least emergency patient is on my schedule. It'll take time to "build my practice," but I am both excited and hopeful.

Oh, and I ordered scrubs, some supplies, and a filing cabinet. My desk doesn't have any drawers and I wanted some. Some now I'm gonna have a lovely little faux woodgrain cabinet (2 drawers & 1 filing box) to match my faux woodgrain desk. All that, AND I got to start work an hour late. Wish me luck tomorrow, when I have to be there at my "regular" start time of 7am. And no, that's not a typo.

Vacation Redux

So the gf and I took our first "real" vacation together in February. The week of Valentine's Day, no less. We had a blast.

The Ship
BIG. Talk about a sea of humanity. I never got around to ice skating, although we did watch people climb the rock wall. Not my cup of tea, you understand... The pool was fun, even if all of Albany could fit into it. The "adult" pool was more to my liking: no kids, quieter grown-ups. And for some reason, no photos.




Belize City, Belize

The only place we "shopped," if you can call it that. No, we didn't shop at these places, but how fun they?


Costa Maya, Mexico

We were lazy, just went into the little touristy town. Pretty water.
Cool colors, huh? Maybe I'll convince Shirley to paint her house that color...



GeorgeTown, Grand Cayman

There is a neighborhood in GeorgeTown called Hell. You know we had to go! So now I can honestly say that I've been to Hell and back!



There are jewelry stores galore in the Caribbean. Imagine my surprise when the gf tells me that there's one store we just have to visit. Too funny! Can you see the price of those bracelets? $450?! Are they kidding me? I'll just stick to my Avon pendant!



Just for the record, we went to Cozumel, Mexico too, but we spent that day sitting on the beach. Guess who didn't take very many pictures?

Easter Sunday

printed in the church bulletin this morning:

"I believe that deep, life-changing Christian belief is based not upon arguments and reasons, but upon encounter with the risen Christ. We believe simply because he comes to us and gives us that which we cannot give ourselves- a reason to believe, a way to go on, a path out of doubt toward faith."

-The Reverend Wiliam H. Willimon

Old Home Week

Last week sure felt like it.

A boy I went to high school with called me out of the blue. And I found 2 very funny (and very sad) videos done by other classmates on YouTube. This, frankly, is remarkable. Why? Because I graduated 23 years ago, from a place called the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. It is billed as the country's first public, residential high school.

2 years (11^th and 12^th grades)
Residential ("boarding")
"bright" kids (think: the Star Trek generation)

When I was there, it was new- really new. I was in the 3rd class.

When my class arrived for our junior year, half of the girls found out that their dorm was not yet ready and that they'd be living in the Carolina Duke Motor Lodge down the street (it was a motor lodge; need I say more?). What kind of parent leaves their 16 year old kid to live at the Crusty Dusty Motor Inn for 3 months?!

The same kind who approves of this...

Renovations in the dining room were complete, but not to the kitchen. So for all of my junior year, we had cold breakfasts and lunches (cereal, sandwiches, ...). For dinner, we walked up the street to the local grammar school: EK Poe Elementary School, affectionately known as Icky Poo. That says it all, I think, but at least it put us half way up Ninth Street, a pretty cool place (esp when you're 16 and living away from home for the first time!)

Our mascot is the Unicorn. We have never had a football team, and someone thought it'd be clever to have t-shirts made that said "NCSSM Football: Undefeated since 1980." And now that's part of their alumni begging campaign. It's not funny, people. It's sad. Very, very sad.


And on another sad, sad note: my Tarheel grrls lost. I just wish the game hadn't been such an ugly one- Ivory was out most of the first half with 3 fouls. Last night, the Florida boys reclaimed the National Title; OSU fought the valiant fight, but. Tonight Rutgers will face Tennessee. After watching Rutgers run all over LSU, I can't wait to see what happens tonight. Again, I love me some Pat Summitt, but you gotta admire C. Vivian Stringer. She put 4(!) grrls on LSU's leading scorer and shut their whole system down. 4 on 1. It was amazing!

My Reality

These are the women.

These women, along with my sister, are the folks who keep my feet on the ground. Who tell me that even though near-strangers find me "delightful," I am odd. Period. End of story.

Huh. Why are they in my life again?
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the gf

Quite simply, the most amazing woman I have ever met.

the "new" friends

Both are "of" the South. One is from my hometown & even went to the same college I did, but we met in Virginia. The other one claims she "followed" me to Virginia from the Northeast, where we met.

the high school (read: "old") friends

We are from 3 different towns in the same state, and went to high school together. I graduated with one, and 1 year ahead of the other. I graduated from high school in the mid 1980s.

“There are not many things in life so beautiful as true friendship, and not many things more uncommon.”

I am lucky, lucky grrl.



Tonight Ivory and Candace will do battle at 9.30pm.
Pat Summit rocks and all but I still say:
Go Tarheels!

You're Not Going to Buhleeve This!

Yesterday morning I was up at the butt-crack of dawn (6am-ish)- had a nice breakfast, piddled around a bit, etc. Since I was a little tired, I took a nap. I woke up to my mobile phone ringing: new boss calling to answer one of my many questions. Then I realized I'd missed a call while napping. Turns out, the Op Mgr from new office called to tell me that I only needed one DEA number. And to tell me to call the Manhattan DEA office because she'd upset them trying to fix the problem.

So, I'm running around collecting all the paperwork when my home phone rings. It's the DEA! And boy, is she pissed. Let me tell you, you haven't lived until you've had to cop some serious attitude with 3 different Manhattan DEA agents, just to get them to lose some of their attitude.

I know the old ditty about catching more flies with honey than vinegar, but really, who wants flies?

I think I finally got things settled.

Definitely not an ideal way to wake up from my lovely mid-morning nap.

New Beginnings

I have a new job! Yippee! Yahoo! I'm so excited. Can't you just picture me doing the happy dance? I start on April 9th. Can you believe it?! I'm going to be a little fish in a medium-sized farm. All the other fish seem nice and found me "delightful" when I interviewed with them.

So now I'm trying to wade through stuff like getting state prescription pads, DEA numbers, etc. The nice thing about having always worked in schools or federal facilities is that one simply used internal numbers because the institution took care of the details. But now I have to do what folks in the real world do. What I really wanna know is why it just cost me $1100 to get permission from the US government to write prescriptions for narcotics. Admittedly, it's for 2 different offices (cuz you have to have a number for each office in New York State) and my employer is reimbursing me, but $1100? Are they kidding?




And speaking of new beginnings, remember when I mentioned that Extreme Makeover Home Edition was in town? Well, the "big reveal" was yesterday afternoon. Alas, I didn't go; I actually forgot all about it. But, the house looks pretty cool.

What I like most is watching everyone scream "Move that bus!" and then seeing the family's reaction. Their whole story is here, by the way.

Congratulations, Oatman Family!