| i hate holidays.... |
[Jul. 5th, 2009|12:48 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  distressed | ] |
The weekend started so well....and then I called my parents house. My Mom had another stroke on Wednesday. I only heard about it today because Dad says he didn't want to leave a voicemail. Screaming and swearing would not do any good; nor would it fix things. I think my Dad's hearing aids have difficulty picking up the beep for VM, and Dad doesn't want to admit it.
Mom's stroke wasn't as bad as the last few she had. She was only in the hospital for a few days. Now she has gone to a nursing home for some physical therapy. And Mom being Mom, doesn't want anyone to come see her.
holiday's suck |
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| I am a truly EVIL Auntie... |
[Apr. 13th, 2009|08:06 am] |
Alas, Norwescon has once more come and gone. I took my nephew with me for the first time; and he LOVED it. He sat thru panels and even enjoyed most of them. And scarily enough, he even liked FILKING of all things. So now I have been given the mission of finding copies of the songs that he liked the best. But what he really, really, really loved; even more than LazerTag, was of all things, wa The Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long. Poor kid is going to be warped as an adult. :D And it will be all my fault.
My main regret for the weekend was that I wasn't able to get the t-shirt I REALLY wanted. It's one that all Buffy fans would love: 'And then, Buffy staked Edward. the end' I almost died laughing when I saw it. Sadly, the vendor had sold out. I'll just have to keep my eye out for it. |
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| shiny pretty things! |
[Mar. 14th, 2009|04:38 am] |
I was a bad, bad, bad, girl today. Or maybe a VERY good one, depending on the POV. I bought myself a new HP laptop. 3G of ram, and 320G hard drive, what I find scary is that it was cheaper than the one that I bought last year.. It even comes with a built in numeric keypad (i'll admit that the keyboard was what REALLY sold me) The 1G ram, 160G hard drive, Sony I purchased last year got handed down to my sister.
The set up went smoothly. The only real pain was exporting my darn favorites. It would be nice if there were a drag-n-drop feature for that, but nooooo; that would make far too much sense. |
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| Where oh Where have the little books gone? |
[Mar. 13th, 2009|03:09 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  hopeful | ] |
I have the next set of Torchwood books in my possession, and am willng to loan them out. But I would like to have my other books back first. I like being able to complete the picture formed by the book spines. Silly, I know. So, please, help them find their way home. |
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| Important things to know when riding the bus... |
[Feb. 26th, 2009|09:06 am] |
When riding the public transit systems there are certain rules of etiquette that should always be followed. Pay your fare when getting on, sit down quickly, and don't bug/annoy your fellow passengers OR the driver. Especially, the driver.
Last night there was an idiot who gave a demonstration of what NOT to do on the bus. When he got on he not only refused to pay the whopping 50 cent fare he was rude and confrontational with the driver. By and large the Transit drivers are really reasonable, laid back people. If you tell them you don't have the change, or that you'll pay next time, they'll let you on with no problem. The idiot, on the other hand, in addition to being rude to the driver threatened to blow up the driver AND the bus. Well, that was that. Driver had had enough. He shut down the engine, in front of the Everett Clinic, mind you, and called his supervisor. Keep in mind the bus was full at this point. 10 minutes later, the guy is still sitting on the bus, being rude; the passengers are starting to REALLY get upset, and the Supervisor finally shows up. She gets on the bus and starts talking to the Idiot. He spends the next 3-5 minutes arguing with her. He doesn't feel he needs to pay fare or get off the bus. Finally, he gets off and starts to walk away. At which point the Supervisor tells him that he needs to stick around. In the mean time, all the passengers on the bus have moved towards the front of the bus; we don't want to miss out on the entertainment that we just KNOW is going to unfold. Idiot, instead of ignoring the Supervisor and walking away, stays and continues to argue with her for another 3-5 minutes. He finally starts to figure out his stupidity when the nice shiny police cars pull up in front of him. Idiot then spends the next 10 minutes providing the bus passengers with lots of demonstrations of what happens when you resist arrest. It was like watching a live version of COPS.
I'm just glad that I have a habit of leaving for work well before I need to. I ended up at work almost 30 minutes later than I usually do. But the entertainment made it worth it.
One thing does nag me. Why on earth did it take the Police so darn long to get from the Everett Police station to the Everett Clinic? Considering the drugs and the drug treatment programs at the Clinic, you'd think they'd have a car stationed there 24/7. |
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| Not as Bad News/Bad News.....the ongoing Soap Opera of my life |
[Feb. 14th, 2009|06:17 pm] |
The last week my family has been on pins and needles, worried about one of my Aunts in England. She had been ill for a while, and the doctors decided that she needed exploratory surgery to determine why. She had her surgery last Monday, but we only heard the results today. Sometimes being an ocean and a continent away can really, really suck.
It wasn't colon cancer as the doctors initially thought. They now think it's Crohn's disease instead. A diagnosis which I think is only SLIGHTLY better than the cancer diagnosis. They are both terrible.
So now, my Mom is going to be stressing about her little sister, in addition to her own medical issues. She is going to have a biopsy in March to determine if SHE has cancer.
If my life is a soap opera, I want some new writers. |
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| Torchwood is coming! Torchwood is coming! |
[Feb. 6th, 2009|12:01 pm] |
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I was visiting TV.com, and low an behold! They had the trailer for this years' Torchwood mini series. It looks awesome. I may even have to let go my anger over the deaths of Owen and Tosh. (granted, Owen was already dead when they blew him up, but still....It's the principle of the matter) |
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| Christmas memories. |
[Dec. 26th, 2008|04:23 pm] |
After getting off of work at 630a, I had to hike up the fjord disguised as 164th. After successfully making my way thru the treacherous mass of snow and ice, and navigating the snowy, empty parking lot at the Park and Ride, I had to wait another half hour for the bus. Standing in the falling snow, with no one else around, listening to 'Dante's Prayer' by Lorena McKennit, was positively surreal.
By the time I finally got home, I closely resembled Frosty's smaller, less round, sister. Watched little guy finish unwrapping his gifts. Then fell into bed, got up and went back to work. Next year, I am so NOT working Christmas day. Money isn't worth the lack of sleep. |
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| I am such a Cool Aunt! |
[Nov. 8th, 2008|10:56 am] |
Amazon has yet again secured my posistion as the most favorite of all relatives: The 'Cool' Aunt.
All my nephews are electronic gaming fanatics. The eldest has the gameboys, xbox, gamecube, PSP, and something called a TwinCast that plays the old NES and SuperNES game cartridges. Last month, in a terrible accident, the TwinCast was damaged beyond repair. (No one has told me exactly how it happened. Or what happened to the perpetrator. Rumor has it that dire happenings occured. 'Nuff said)
So being the considerate Auntie, I ordered another one thru Amazon. I hadn't intended to, I had already purchased a lot of clothes for the job hunt he is embarking on. The electronic confirmations were received, along with the electronic receipt for the purchase and shipping.
Today I talked to my Mom (he lives with my parents), and he was over the moon! Mom says when he opened the box, he was speechless. First words out of his mouth were "Wow! I didn't think Aunt Diana was THAT happy with me. She said she wasn't going to get me one; that I was old enough to buy it myself."
They had shipped him a Wii. |
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| The smell of cinnamon and cloves.... |
[Oct. 10th, 2008|08:40 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | cheerful | ] |
is one of the most perfect scents ever discovered by humanity.
Here it is, as promised, my famed applesauce cake recipe:
3/4 cup raisins 1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup boiling water 1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup shortening 2 eggs
1-1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1-1/2 cups thick applesauce
1/2 teaspoon salt 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons baking soda
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour 13x9x2 baking dish. Combine raisins and boiling water in small bowl, and set aside. (for best results, cover the bowl. This will ensure nice, plump, moist raisins) In large bowl, beath shortening, sugar, salt, spices, and eggs until fluffy. Blend in applesauce, then flour and soda. Blend in raisins and water. Pour into baking dish and bake 40-45 minutes until tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean.
This cake keeps well, and works great for bagged lunches. It also freezes extremely well; and tastes wonderful with ice cream or whipped cream.
Note: if you are out of allspice, simply add a little extra cinnamon and cloves.
I've been making this cake for 15 years, and the only complaint I have ever heard was that the pan was empty. |
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| I'm a cooking fool.... |
[Sep. 14th, 2008|02:42 pm] |
Watching the Food Network, and then going grocery shopping is a dangerous thing. Especially when most of the food that caught my interest was Italian.
I made a rather nice Minestrone soup on Saturday. Good flavor, smells great. Probably what I'll be taking into work on Wednesday for the potluck. One of my co-workers wants me to do ravioli, but I really don't feel up to it. The 7 cheese ravioli I normally make is expensive. And I rally don't feel like spending 4-5 hours making the things from scratch. Weather is just to warm right now.
Right now, I'm making 'Cappellini et Brodo', Italian for Cappellini in Broth. It looked really, really, really good; and didn't look too hard to make. Basically, brown chicken thighs in a little olive oil with onions, carrots, celery, and salt. Then toss some red wine into the mix, and some water, and let simmer for a few hours. After the meat has simmered, remove it from the broth, and strain out the veggies. Then strip the meat from the bones, toss back into the broth; and combine the chicken, broth, and cooked pasta. Right now, it is smelling VERY good.
I haven't decided what I'm going to make for dessert. But it will come to me. Probably something a little old fashioned. Right now the front runners are bread pudding with raisins, or rice pudding. |
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| Changing Plans and disappointed kids.... |
[Aug. 9th, 2008|01:40 am] |
Mother Nature is certainly NOT consulting with me before she makes executive decisions about the weather. I had originally planned to take my nephew and one of his buddies up to the Birch Bay waterslides this weekend. But no, there is to be rain & possible thundershowers instead. Never fun to have a couple of young kids upset with you over something not your fault.
So we are on to Plan 'B' instead. Plan 'B' consists of going to a movie and lunch afterwards. One picks the movie, the other the lunch place. Happily the movie is one I wouldn't mind seeing: The Mummy III. I know it will be slightly (ok, more than slightly) cheesy. It could have been worse: the alternate was 'Space Chimps'.
One happy note: Primeval starts on BBCA this weekend. I've seen the preview on Demand, and it looked pretty good. Here's hoping it will help fill the void left by Torchwood. |
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| It's the little things in life ..... |
[Aug. 2nd, 2008|12:16 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | chipper | ] |
| [ | music |
| | John Hiatt | ] |
Finally got an answer back from Community Transit. Only had to wait a week and a half; oh well. I qualified for the free bus pass. So, for the next few months, CT is going to mail me a nice, shiny $45 bus pass. Granted, I had to ..... edit the truth a tad on my application. CT is trying to get people who either don't, or rarely, ride the buses, by offering the free passes thru October. I said I ride the bus 1 or 2 days a week. Which is stretching the truth by 2-3 days, but hey! I get a free transportation. Plus I get my daily excercise. And boy, do I get the excercise. Going up that hill in the mornings is HARD. But, it lets me avoid the gym. : ) |
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| (no subject) |
[Jul. 27th, 2008|10:05 pm] |
As per the suggestion of Captain Slinky (not to mention, copied from his blogpage):
1. Add a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It’s actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I’ll assume you’re playing the game and I’ll come to your blog and leave one about you. |
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| For a rarity, the sequel was better than the original |
[Jul. 12th, 2008|09:42 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | happy | ] |
I went and saw Hellboy II this weekend. I am DEFINITELY planning to see it again on the big screen. And not just because of the BBCAmerica 'Primeval' preview trailers that ran before the movie. (little snippets can be seen On Demand) It looks very cool. Possibly even Torchwood cool. But we'll have to wait and see.
The Iron Man movie was excellent, one of the best comic adaptations that I have seen. And I'm not even an Iron Man comic fan. But Hellboy II beats it hands down. Easily.
I know, I know, I'm gushing. But this is the best movie I've seen this year. The scripting, acting and editing were beyond superb. And that is without throwing the visuals in. When the dvd is released, I plan on watching it without the sound. It is that beautiful. Mignola and Guillermo Del Torro have outdone themselves. Here's hoping that they come out with Hellboy III. |
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| I must be getting old |
[Jun. 30th, 2008|09:16 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  annoyed | ] |
I realize that many of todays' musical 'artists' feel so creatively challenged that they have to 'sample' older music. I wish they would stop. Immediately. If not sooner. It confuses the living daylights out of me to hear what I first think is one song & it turns out to be something completely different.
Case in point: the new Kid Rock song. When I first heard the piano melody, I thought: 'Oh, he's redone an old Bob Seger song.' Guess again....instead of KR breaking into the chorus of 'Awooooo Werewolves of London!', he starts singing about drinking some booze & smoking some grass in 1989. It's just .......wrong, wrong, wrong, disconcertingly wrong. |
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| It's a sad, sad, time.... |
[Jun. 23rd, 2008|04:15 am] |
| [ | mood |
| |  sad | ] |
George Carlin died this weekend. He was one of the few Comedians worthy of the title. He was one of the few who could make me laugh so hard I would cry. And his bit on The Seven words you cannot say on Television.....truly hysterical. |
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| Hulking thoughts. |
[Jun. 21st, 2008|10:30 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  blah | ] |
Went and saw the new Hulk movie. The writers and actors did a good job. I just don't think it was as good as Iron Man. Ed Norton as Banner and Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky were both good choices; as was William Hurt. It just seemed to be lacking ....something.
The special effects were pretty good, there was the obligatory Stan Lee cameo, as well as Lou Ferrigno appearing as a security guard, and a brief snippet of an old Bill Bixby television show (I think it was 'The Courtship of Eddy's Father'). And the writers certainly came up with an interesting reason for celibacy. Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'Safe Sex'.
Having Tony Stark show up at the end clearly a set up for the things to come.
Maybe I don't like feeling like I spent $10 to watch a set up for 'The Avengers' movie. For that they should have given us Nick Fury as well as Tony Stark. |
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| I say it proudly: I am an Elf! |
[Jun. 18th, 2008|05:57 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | good | ] |
I took the quiz on Nani-Ka's site today, and here are the cut & pasted results:
Your result for The What Middle Earth race do you belong to Test ...
Elf
You scored 0% Size & Strength, 71% Morality, 65% Aggression, and 82% Intelligence.
You're an Elf! You scored low in size, high in morality, high in aggression and high in intelligence to get here. The first and favorite race created by the Valar, the Elves have been in Middle Earth for many ages, and are currently the only race allowed to join their creators in Valinor. Blessed with eternal life, enhanced senses, great beauty, wisdom and skill, the race of Elves still has several black marks on it. (Kinslaying, anyone?) But hey, no one is perfect, right? Of course not, but the Elves are damn close to it. FYI, your polar opposite is the Troll.
Knew there was a reason I always liked Tolkein!
Plus, last night while browsing tv.com, I saw that BBCAmerica is going to be broadcasting 'Primeval' in July/August. From it's description, it sounds a bit like Torchwood, and the reviews have been good. Plus, I picked up a book adaptation from Borders this weekend as well as my Torchwood books. It was pretty good. I'll catch the first few episodes. Hopefully it will carry me thru part of the Torchwood drought. |
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| My Torchwood Fix is Here! |
[Jun. 13th, 2008|07:38 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | happy | ] |
Happy! Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy! Joy!
I was in Borders today, browsing for something to read; and they jumped out at me. The three new Torchwood books. At long last they are here! And by here, I mean in my possession. Sadly, they won't remain unread for long. And it will be at least 6 months before the next 3 hit the shelves in the U.S.
I'll probably have at least 1 available for loan on Monday. |
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