tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168191422024-03-07T04:27:15.238-05:00A Room SomewhereA cozy salon where friends can meetMercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.comBlogger286125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-73116621755106712182015-11-15T12:56:00.003-05:002015-11-15T13:05:53.365-05:00Vive La France, Vive Les Etats-Unis<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;">I care about terror attacks all over the world. Why did the attacks in Paris just two days ago touch me deeply enough to inspire me to change my facebook profile picture in support of the French? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">Because France is the USA's oldest ally; </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">Because without assistance from the French in the 18th century, the US would not exist; </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">Because so much of the philosophy that informs our highest ideals originated in France; and </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">Because we have so much of shared values and culture with the French. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">Yes, both of our countries have problems and have made political and social errors. Putting our high ideals into actual practice is often a dirty business, both maddening and saddening. But for better or for worse, we are on paths that run together at so many important points in modern history. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">France, our elder sister...so very different from us, yet so very much the same. Remember that the colors of the French flag are also the colors of ours.</span></div>
Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-14460806647624738982015-09-26T10:52:00.001-04:002015-09-26T10:52:49.756-04:00CascadeIt is just shy of a year since my mother passed away. 2 days shy, to be exact. My mother-in-law passed away last night. We lost my father-in-law just 4 months ago, in May of this year. I find myself in the midst of a cascade of memories and emotions that began on September 18th - my mother's birthday. I well up with tears several times a day. <br />
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I try to avoid memorializing specific dates, but I have been unable to stop myself this month, so here goes: my mom reached her 90th birthday on 9/18/14. She passed away 10 days later, on 9/28/14. We held her funeral services on 10/6/14. My mother-in-law's passing date of 9/26/15 adds another stepping stone into the emotional Via Dolorosa of September into October. My father passed away on 10/30/85. We held his viewing on 11/1 and his funeral services on 11/2/85.<br />
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I don't expect to grieve all of the way through October into early November, though I know there will be moments of tristesse whenever I think about Mom and Dad. I felt the need to write a little bit about this, so I dusted off my old blog. Posting about this on facebook feels a little bit too crass. I don't want thumbs-up facebook likes on a post about this. I don't want to publish this under my my name, on facebook, for all of my friends, acquaintances and co-workers to see. <br />
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Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-42273994459184871752015-08-08T09:47:00.001-04:002015-08-08T10:24:31.995-04:00Dear Donald<br /><br />Dear Donald,<br />
<br />Yes, political correctness is a cultural phenomenon that can get out of control. However, treating people with dignity and respect is not merely a facet of political correctness: it is a sign of good character. We want to see presidential candidates who have the intellectual capacity to navigate complex social and political situations with diplomacy and wisdom. <br /><br />
Fair warning: if you show that you are capable of that by engaging with others respectfully, you will then have to run on your merit as a leader and your knowledge of the world. One uzbekibekibekistanstan moment could bring you down.<br /><br />
Start studying.Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-14538450310632027462014-12-04T10:06:00.001-05:002015-11-15T13:08:34.524-05:00Just my opinion here: <br />
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1. Holiday is not a bad word, and it puzzles me that anyone would be insulted when someone wishes them a happy one. <br />
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2. There is no war on Christmas. It is still the one day in any year that most private businesses and government offices are closed. That's powerful: no other day in the US American calendar receives that much respect.<br />
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3. "Xmas" is not sacrilegious. The X represents the a Greek letter which was used a symbol for Christ. It is simple, ancient shorthand for Christ, not a way of "crossing Christ out of Christmas," as some people preach. In fact, you will see the Chi Rho (looks like an X with a P in the middle) embroidered on the altar cloths of churches and the vestments of ministers.<br />
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4. It is Christ-like to be respectful of the beliefs of others, so forcing a "Merry Christmas" on someone who does not observe Christmas seems kind of self-centered to me. I know that most people of other faiths are not offended by it, but it must get old to hear it. Showing respect for their beliefs seems like a better way to me. <br />
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It seems to me that we accomplish more by shining as a light by example, making people want to know what motivated us to give our time and efforts to them. It has become more and more prevalent for Christians to beat people with different beliefs over the head with words than it is to quietly reach out to them to meet their needs.Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-38246068857192001232014-02-20T20:02:00.002-05:002014-02-20T20:02:58.752-05:00If text falls into a long-still blog, will anyone hear?Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-54273704925186867142011-11-10T21:39:00.001-05:002011-11-10T22:42:46.885-05:00Close Call<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last few weeks have been quite a ride. My husband developed shortness of breath on October 18th. He saw his doctor on the 19th, had an EKG and a chest x-ray (negative) and was scheduled for other tests in mid-November. I kept asking him to go to the ER. The shortness of breath got worse and worse, until we finally went to the ER on 10/26. We found out that he had several large pulmonary emboli, and that the right chamber of his heart was greatly enlarged because it was working so hard to get blood into his lungs past the clots.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My husband had emergency open-heart surgery that day to remove the clots. He spent the next 8 days in the Cardiovascular Unit (CVU) at the hospital. Halloween this year is a blur to me. He came home on November 3rd, and he is recuperating. I have been fortunate to be able to take a good amount of time off to be with him.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My husband has to take Coumadin (and a big bunch of other drugs) for at least 6 months. A visiting nurse comes twice a week to check his PT/INR level, to try to keep the dose of Coumadin regulated. That's proved difficult, and he developed nosebleeds from the blood thinners. We ended up taking off for the ER on Monday night (11/7) just after 11 PM. We were there until almost 3 AM. An incompetent ER doctor (he reminded me of all of the goofball interns on the medical shows we watch) left us in a cubicle for a couple of hours because he wanted to see if he bled anymore. He did. Then the idiot used Silver Nitrate to cauterize the bleeding blood vessels without numbing the area first. My poor husband, who was less that 2 weeks out of open heart surgery, just about jumped off of the table.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next morning, the bleeding started again. We obviously were not going back to the ER. We kept an appointment at the hospital with the surgeon that afternoon. His office sent us on to an ear/nose/throat specialist, who cauterized the blood vessels WITH the benefit of local anesthesia. Unfortunately, the bleeding started AGAIN that night. We went back to the ENT the next morning (Wednesday), and he did some additional cauterization. So far, so good (knock on wood). It's Thursday night, and there has been no further bleeding of any significance. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The visiting nurse came today, and the numbers are improving. We actually got to spend the entire day at home today, and I got some cleaning done. Life is returning to a more normal pattern, although there will be many doctor's appointments, as well as visits from the nurse and the physical therapist. My husband still needs oxygen at night, and he won't be able to drive for at least a few more weeks. He has to ride in the back seat for now, away from any possible deployment of an airbag. He won't be able to lift more than five pounds for a couple of months, so I'll be busy taking care of the dogs, doing laundry, etc. (That's OK!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week has felt like a bizarre road rally/scavenger hunt. We found ourselves running to one place to pick up a clue which will send you on to the next place. All the while we were hoping to make it to the prize. Looks like we finally found it! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh...and the cause of all of this? The flight home from Italy led to a deep vein thrombosis in my husband's leg which, over the next few weeks, caused the clots in the lungs. At the time of the heart surgery, a filter was installed which will prevent clots from the legs from ever reaching my husband's lungs again.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-79020326395524419702011-10-15T15:13:00.009-04:002011-10-15T16:27:59.251-04:00Ciao ItaliaReturned home from a tour of Italy on 10/6/11. It was a marvelous trip! Here are a few pics:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LHkcKuHCl8Rsh48bjaNwzkYks4g47I2rvMb0LKoJ11wF_l6sxSPW2D5tWeyOipvJxdQKonWRwf0G0Eo_iIPCOBux7yJjkiF1_oyjVSKCo2eFCElmMBz5oity_-aCquy-7qgq/s1600/6+St.+Mark%2527s+Square.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LHkcKuHCl8Rsh48bjaNwzkYks4g47I2rvMb0LKoJ11wF_l6sxSPW2D5tWeyOipvJxdQKonWRwf0G0Eo_iIPCOBux7yJjkiF1_oyjVSKCo2eFCElmMBz5oity_-aCquy-7qgq/s400/6+St.+Mark%2527s+Square.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663801809758895986" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MmRqZEjvV-Af5rbU38m5-yetL0YG406nrCkdQnxWrlqWLK_2RER8FaxPXWtCrRft8c9pY0bfwZpk9PIHN7YlB8-Iyd4MSK4K1NPvyes3KHA9zuVSCDMJRyuJXLHhD53GwPkd/s1600/DSCF1161+%25282%2529.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0MmRqZEjvV-Af5rbU38m5-yetL0YG406nrCkdQnxWrlqWLK_2RER8FaxPXWtCrRft8c9pY0bfwZpk9PIHN7YlB8-Iyd4MSK4K1NPvyes3KHA9zuVSCDMJRyuJXLHhD53GwPkd/s400/DSCF1161+%25282%2529.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663801813268635122" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lcb6yBSrRDev5s54SktnRpIrmUz2xQf96oe5u5xjmohOAuBB6Pk611Q7nRoLHRTry1dRW27G1aiWMbxzL7zsETJ8N4zwlOjth2A17R-eNnOYJTwQP1ggeYYdJ90cgduexx_c/s1600/DSCF1187+%25282%2529.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lcb6yBSrRDev5s54SktnRpIrmUz2xQf96oe5u5xjmohOAuBB6Pk611Q7nRoLHRTry1dRW27G1aiWMbxzL7zsETJ8N4zwlOjth2A17R-eNnOYJTwQP1ggeYYdJ90cgduexx_c/s400/DSCF1187+%25282%2529.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663801827839522754" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhks6gst8lViw5APpePtLL05Xy-xHTEh2wT2Cz1FHaP1ENWwApvQsMWwTPrWrs8vOCMHasQS0tY0x_jV0j3JcuyY_hhkrciGB6P1uhLaVf_efbOUAlqS8lH97_MCSbL4kekWhfS/s1600/DSCF1218.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhks6gst8lViw5APpePtLL05Xy-xHTEh2wT2Cz1FHaP1ENWwApvQsMWwTPrWrs8vOCMHasQS0tY0x_jV0j3JcuyY_hhkrciGB6P1uhLaVf_efbOUAlqS8lH97_MCSbL4kekWhfS/s400/DSCF1218.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663801827423223554" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuX5XyccievEJGXr_mpIHacvX2rKed7cv7M3v91_ALQdp6PNgAtHxNITF2DsXZ4654Wi4EUDH32CR7zBCOHQK0EVVNOiPb3E394nqurAT8yh04s9wh4dMeiO7RbrYGbzcwhUNN/s1600/DSCF1201.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuX5XyccievEJGXr_mpIHacvX2rKed7cv7M3v91_ALQdp6PNgAtHxNITF2DsXZ4654Wi4EUDH32CR7zBCOHQK0EVVNOiPb3E394nqurAT8yh04s9wh4dMeiO7RbrYGbzcwhUNN/s400/DSCF1201.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663801846615429570" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JQYbmvBZc4VY0Z7rmWkGyUTy5wgmOIGCEyOeM0bm3mrS_sg_NfeucUkEkfxuJOIGQFQD5Lo0qAoGM4dC8M4PHUOnQCHyeVOxkGr6IY5P6cpK0YTJ0MnOiD-mfVfSqq_ECrNF/s1600/DSCF1338.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JQYbmvBZc4VY0Z7rmWkGyUTy5wgmOIGCEyOeM0bm3mrS_sg_NfeucUkEkfxuJOIGQFQD5Lo0qAoGM4dC8M4PHUOnQCHyeVOxkGr6IY5P6cpK0YTJ0MnOiD-mfVfSqq_ECrNF/s400/DSCF1338.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663805118495821026" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIhPUc3lYMw-CzVs-Mo9p_IrgDoT4WzGASDPkbDjJiDOKhgdtAILAGA6rPthtIpLLRU0IgoXvQTonQw-1l277NYmmljfehSufp2RFmIay0WuyPXjDIfMBn93hNfkkC14Mx124i/s1600/DSCF1433+%25282%2529.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIhPUc3lYMw-CzVs-Mo9p_IrgDoT4WzGASDPkbDjJiDOKhgdtAILAGA6rPthtIpLLRU0IgoXvQTonQw-1l277NYmmljfehSufp2RFmIay0WuyPXjDIfMBn93hNfkkC14Mx124i/s400/DSCF1433+%25282%2529.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663816688849270274" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><u><br /></u></span></div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocMJvkE8tmRAhIWJg3I7_mVAHmJyXJBq-kaLecCLPuS956B282kRyXKXyCn7VFud7otevFiRf8VAggGfmlkH8-i80SjCvzMB2QuJTcqVbKbBa5KhJdsCTui9tCgHvsWbi-f_b/s1600/DSCF1444+%25282%2529.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocMJvkE8tmRAhIWJg3I7_mVAHmJyXJBq-kaLecCLPuS956B282kRyXKXyCn7VFud7otevFiRf8VAggGfmlkH8-i80SjCvzMB2QuJTcqVbKbBa5KhJdsCTui9tCgHvsWbi-f_b/s400/DSCF1444+%25282%2529.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663816684195754882" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXldnWU1Dmd_XWUfOjWxmBSaDxDGkEnB3CbY7gZNP-_i18lR_v6QEabZkUsfFbktnnGkXnPDdIGEQolqkBXDOx67u_Uy7vOSJITpzIov_1ry4IkpUQjII9jEa0jk5xyx1UO37E/s1600/DSCF1466.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXldnWU1Dmd_XWUfOjWxmBSaDxDGkEnB3CbY7gZNP-_i18lR_v6QEabZkUsfFbktnnGkXnPDdIGEQolqkBXDOx67u_Uy7vOSJITpzIov_1ry4IkpUQjII9jEa0jk5xyx1UO37E/s400/DSCF1466.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663805144935215538" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9pX6euqYYYi1motDrVATrbjPurVEyv4DOiHlI9biD0Yr-6QyTyCtQRyPzzHPrrTsKgodAHrdqaR18qFx0YdAqAdGPs2i_aFiG70_aVK-G10JMhlRY98IyIaxRu9cepVHrbEm/s1600/DSCF1657.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9pX6euqYYYi1motDrVATrbjPurVEyv4DOiHlI9biD0Yr-6QyTyCtQRyPzzHPrrTsKgodAHrdqaR18qFx0YdAqAdGPs2i_aFiG70_aVK-G10JMhlRY98IyIaxRu9cepVHrbEm/s400/DSCF1657.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663805149051759170" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKK68EvAw4x22K6RjtYx5utwwvoi-_Sl0M9X2elK_-jv0QJ6MkH4F3lMz9x-rrUqE5hF53p2IVABX2LbdKak1z81NDcwjCjNrQoKC1LTYTtY0jvkBfHtX0lW6-5j1MHl4zFv_Y/s1600/DSCF1806.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKK68EvAw4x22K6RjtYx5utwwvoi-_Sl0M9X2elK_-jv0QJ6MkH4F3lMz9x-rrUqE5hF53p2IVABX2LbdKak1z81NDcwjCjNrQoKC1LTYTtY0jvkBfHtX0lW6-5j1MHl4zFv_Y/s400/DSCF1806.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663807733952221538" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgWWeG6rEEhn0rAscmH7fdYBHFetW-HcaEO-NiDHQHwaCd7CjVuuaIsqnYXJGqP8eQjHuMDVz_NRmAA2I163dBz4JnKvVavmBIbzxrPnPQ6lNzOUPDXHy0sVmXZ5onvQIY06-/s1600/DSCF1724.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCgWWeG6rEEhn0rAscmH7fdYBHFetW-HcaEO-NiDHQHwaCd7CjVuuaIsqnYXJGqP8eQjHuMDVz_NRmAA2I163dBz4JnKvVavmBIbzxrPnPQ6lNzOUPDXHy0sVmXZ5onvQIY06-/s400/DSCF1724.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663807738584568178" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLQhSjwuP1Qt6QyKXbMhLWWdykPjBulELXdyI7izcK2GrGGjotWAoF8dtIMiJHySHR8MqJURFpMSl5TpheqruaI5uKflkqiA4SjlTm8YMnfeA_yjW3AkwtnoyfdH-Om1y4kRg/s1600/DSCF1798.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJLQhSjwuP1Qt6QyKXbMhLWWdykPjBulELXdyI7izcK2GrGGjotWAoF8dtIMiJHySHR8MqJURFpMSl5TpheqruaI5uKflkqiA4SjlTm8YMnfeA_yjW3AkwtnoyfdH-Om1y4kRg/s400/DSCF1798.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663807746226647010" /></a>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-20494887923035010302011-05-28T00:24:00.005-04:002011-05-28T00:44:01.563-04:00Going...Going...<span class="Apple-style-span" >Gone. </span> <div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Serenity, I mean. I began the year striving for it. I had some success for awhile, but I haven't done so well lately.</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Work is hellish these days. Change is a daily event. No one (management most of all) knows what they are doing. There have been many unnecessary promotions ( and a very few necessary ones), leading to hordes of confused, overpaid supervisory staff. Our upper level administration is making changes merely for the sake of making changes, with no thought for outcomes. Thing is, I've been there so long and I've been through so many changes that it's making me cranky. A lot of the other veterans are feeling it, too. </span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >There are two problems with government jobs: bad supervisors and golden handcuffs. There is a consistent tendency to promote people with good job skills and good work ethics who have no business being supervisors. Then the golden handcuffs kick in (medical benefits, pension) to keep unhappy workers there in spite of the bad boss.</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >To be honest, though, it's not just the changes at work that are getting to me. Several years ago I was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor. The tumor secretes a hormone that affects my dopamine levels and can also affect estrogen levels. I have to take a medication that is a dopamine agonist to balance out the hormone levels and, hopefully, shrink the tumor. I've been taking it for 5 years now. It greatly reduces the levels of the unwanted hormone, and it has kept the tumor from growing. The tumor has not reduced in size. </span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >It's not absolutely clear whether it's the ongoing effects of the tumor or the side effects of the medication (probably both), but a lot of people with my particular type of tumor have a lot of headaches, get anxious (sometimes including palpitations), and become irritable. And a lot of our doctors brush it off. That's because the tumor, when treated, is very manageable. When not treated, it can become very serious. There are only a few medications available to treat it, and the one I take has the <i>fewest</i> side effects. Stopping the medication is not an option and would not make me feel better. This tiny tumor (only 6mm) can cause great mayhem. </span> </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >I don't mind telling people that I have a pituitary tumor, but I don't discuss the emotional impact it has. The only way that I know that the tumor is part of the problem is from online forums for people with the same issues. That's not exactly a scientific way to pin things down, it's just helpful to me personally. I don't like to blame my irritability on the tumor. Or on pending menopause. Or on the traumas of the past (we all have them). In the end, I have to acknowledge that I can't change any of those things, and I have to continue to try to find a path to serenity in spite of them. Like I said, it's not working out so well right now. But I'm not going to give up, it's a worthy pursuit. </span></div><div><br /></div>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-10402213098734131502011-04-16T20:34:00.007-04:002011-04-16T22:29:38.610-04:00Ancestry<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >My mother and I have always thought that my father's side of the family might carry a hint of Asian ancestry. I have done genetic testing with 2 different companies, and I was disappointed when both companies reported my ancestry as 100% European. Of course, these results were provided based on comparison of my genetic material to databases that continues to grow and to be refined. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" >I was pleasantly surprised when one of the companies recently updated my results to tell me that I am 95.76% Western European (Orcadian) and 4.24% South Asian (Pathan /Pashtun, Southeast Indian, North Indian). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; "><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">I still don't think this tells the whole story of my ancestry. My father's parents were both Ukrainian, so I would expect to see some Eastern European ancestry in the mix. I have reason to think that my great, great, great grandmother (maternal) was of Dutch ancestry, but I still don't know a lot about her. I'll keep searching!</span></div><div><div><br /></div></div>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-37757319465466732862011-01-30T22:49:00.002-05:002011-01-30T23:21:43.077-05:00Sunday<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Darned Hallmark Hall of Fame sucked me in and made me cry. The story was about a WWII widow who finally learns the fate of her husband. He had been declared to be MIA during the war.</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >I guess this was especially poignant to me because that was my parents' generation. World War II changed so much for that generation, even for those who didn't lose a loved one to the war. I guess our current wars will do the same for many.</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >We visited my mom today. She was admitted to the hospital last night with hip and leg pain due to a fall. So far, there does not seem to be a fracture (waiting for CT scan results). Her memory issues add another dimension to the whole thing because she keeps forgetting that she isn't supposed to get up and walk around. They're watching her closely while she's in the hospital. She currently lives (very happily) in an assisted living residence, but I suspect the time is approaching when she will need closer supervision. </span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >I suspect that arthritis is playing a role in her discomfort. I wonder if there are some circulation problems causing her to have weak spells and to lose her balance. She'll probably need a wheelchair until the pain diminishes, but I don't think she'll remember to stay in it. Mom isn't disagreeable or combative, she just doesn't remember what she's supposed to do. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">Oh well, one step at a time. For the moment, her injuries do not appear to be serious, and that is good news. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-82277831996063089172011-01-08T14:11:00.005-05:002011-01-08T17:01:39.584-05:00Democracy Took a Hit Today<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I have been watching the breaking news about the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords and several other people in Tucson today, and I am moved to tears. I am sad for the young woman (40 is young to me) and her family, and I am sad for the constant chipping away at freedom that has been going on in the US for several years now. It seems to me that the beginning of the new intolerance dovetails with the beginning of the first G.W. Bush administration.</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I now live in a state with a conservative narcissist/hedonist for governor. I live in a country where the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman and others incite violence against anyone who disagrees with their warped view of the world.</span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I know that there have always been crazy, rigid, unbalanced people in the world. The problem is that it's becoming mainstream to be one of those unhinged people. If the Republican Party really wants to be a respectable, conservative alternative in government, they have to disavow this wrathful, hateful element. There must be some sensible Republicans out there who would like to return their party to sanity. Let the crazies leave. If you can only keep your party alive by courting the unbalanced and fomenting hatred, well, there's something wrong.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 3.85802px; "> </span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">We don't yet know what inspired this shooting, but it seems likely that Representative Giffords was targeted. The shooter might not have been a tea-partier, and might never have heard Sharron Angle's comments about using "2nd amendment remedies" to take over government. It doesn't matter. The culture of violence inspired by the tea party extremists and the right wing shock jocks has to end.</span></div>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-86091931216750662782010-12-27T23:19:00.009-05:002011-01-11T22:40:46.066-05:00Ruby Slippers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kTrckJ3QQqMkOSZrPd-ZaMdSxav4ax8IaZW-JTWyXjYEMyEmzeTKzexvZlYaoyeADOPMDbFRkwOHq2vO-ojrHG_MLjOtLLNTLq36mt2FrJWsvfhYLNkamwY1hBuf2ZR_y8yC/s1600/DSCF1087.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kTrckJ3QQqMkOSZrPd-ZaMdSxav4ax8IaZW-JTWyXjYEMyEmzeTKzexvZlYaoyeADOPMDbFRkwOHq2vO-ojrHG_MLjOtLLNTLq36mt2FrJWsvfhYLNkamwY1hBuf2ZR_y8yC/s400/DSCF1087.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555584211578221714" /></a><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span">If you look very closely, you'll see a doggie in that window. Don't ask how much that doggie is...she's priceless! That's my Daisy, who was watching from the cozy bedroom as I tromped around taking pictures in the snow.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I haven't posted much lately because I've been generally miserable. It's not the holidays - I really had a nice Christmas, without too much stress leading up to it. I don't know whether it's hormones, (what with the pituitary thing and my age), or if it's work, or if it's just all of the sudden changes of the last few months (getting married, husband retiring). I guess it's some combination of all of the above.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Work has recently gone from being a place that I didn't mind, that I even liked most of the time, to being a land of the unknown. I'm like Dorothy in Oz, but without the promise of the Wizard to cling to. I really don't have much hope that things will get better anytime soon. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">I'm one of the odd men out when it comes to office relationships since I don't have a lot of close friendships within the office group, and I don't text and email my coworkers throughout the day. But then, I never passed notes in high school, either.<span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Being surrounded by networks of people who DO socialize with each other at work this way is...strange. And the atmosphere gets really toxic sometimes. I've taken the brunt of it, and I've seen it affect other people, too.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">I'd say that it's a generational problem, but there are plenty of people my age participating in the silent babel. </span><span class="Apple-style-span">Funny how social networking is turning adults back into teens. It's just odd that it has taken on such an important role in the workplace. Maybe we never really grow up, we just don't have teachers anymore to tell us to stop, so we think it's OK.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Anyway, I've seen how ugly the whole gossip thing has become, at work and in the world at large, and I'm opting out. I know I'll stumble, but I plan to work on it. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Even the craziest, most difficult person you know deserves respect. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">I've been thinking more and more about pacifism. I have known some fairly committed pacifists in the past, and I have a lot to learn from them. It is not necessary to right every wrong or rail at every perceived evil. And it is distinctly <i>wrong</i> to try to get points for witty comments at someone else's expense. Serenity and peace are undervalued today. I think I will be more serene and peaceful if I cultivate respect and compassion for other people. Meditation might help, as well. </span><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">There have been other changes at work, with retirements and hiring and the like. Government agencies are pretty haphazard in the way they handle both of those things, and it's got me tired and confused. I used to know how to do my job, or at least I thought I did, but not anymore. I'm getting absurdly mixed signals about what's wanted and what's expected. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">OK, so it looks like work is the source of most of my misery right now. At least that much is clear. I guess finding the Wizard of Oz was only a false hope for Dorothy, since he didn't do her much good in the end. Turns out, she always had the power to change her own situation. I guess I'm just at sixes and sevens when it comes to figuring out how to apply that to my own life. The pacifism/meditation route is the only step I can see right now. Where DID I put those ruby slippers? </span></div>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-20065449065303918722010-10-24T09:26:00.009-04:002010-10-24T10:44:34.616-04:00All at Once<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Zl0_Amww5cVFMH-ch8HCakQLom78pHG_0Y5qnp9_t_48O4NUgcDQT_gBoe9B9pQ9Ysa-uMloqTxigm1wh_vC_Q5wOQ3KCoh7Za__LjWQomETC2fp-e9jB2KClK4xtwMgxjZU/s1600/DSCF1004.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531623032701606386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Zl0_Amww5cVFMH-ch8HCakQLom78pHG_0Y5qnp9_t_48O4NUgcDQT_gBoe9B9pQ9Ysa-uMloqTxigm1wh_vC_Q5wOQ3KCoh7Za__LjWQomETC2fp-e9jB2KClK4xtwMgxjZU/s400/DSCF1004.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">I left work early last Wednesday because I felt lousy, like I had the flu. Felt much better Thursday and went to work. Then Thursday night it hit like a steam-roller: I had a sore throat and I felt lousy again. Stayed home Friday.</span><br /></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">That's just the beginning of my tale.</span> </div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">On Friday morning, Muttley was trying really hard to get Daisy to romp with him in the house. Daisy was a very good dog and just sat quietly next to me. This led Muttley to go in search of a new tactic. A minute later, Muttley came out to me with something in his mouth. Turns out it was the cooling gel headache pad I had used overnight on my forehead. It's infused with all sorts of substances, including eucalyptus oil (toxic) and castor oil (possibly toxic and surely laxative).</span> </div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">When Muttley brings something like this to you, he wants you to chase him to take it away. It's an attempt to get you to play. Usually it's socks. </span></div><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">I said, "Want a snacky, Muttley?" and led him to the kitchen. Muttley ran around the table and came back empty-mouthed. I gave him the snack and grabbed his collar, then I put both dogs in the bedroom so that I could go back to find the dropped gel pad.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Only I couldn't find it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I realized that Muttley had swallowed the pad and then come back for the snack. I had a moment of vertigo (partly from the cold, partly from the situation) as I envisioned a sick me hauling an uncooperative Muttley off to the vet for emergency treatment.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I calmed myself and took a moment to think. I knew that he hadn't had time to chew the pad, so he had to have swallowed it whole. That meant that he'd probably be OK if I could quickly get it out of him. I gave him a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to drink. Without going into too much detail, it worked like a charm. Cleanup was a minor detail compared to the thought of a trip to the vet.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Unfortunately, this is not the end of my tale.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Friday night, my hubby calls down the hall, "There's no water." Oh no. Immediately checked for flooding under the stairs, where the interior apparatus for the well is located. Nothing (thank goodness). Then checked the circuit breakers. All OK with the electric service. That's about as far as my knowledge base could take me, so I knew I needed outside help.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I dug out the information on the well. At 7am on Saturday, I called the guy who installed the well (house is not quite 4 years old). He said he'd "see about getting someone out here" and he'd call back.</span> </p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">The well man called back 2 hours later to say all of his guys are tied up. He told me to give the switch a couple of whacks with a stick - sometimes that's all it takes - and call him back. I gave the switch several whacks - nothing. Called him back. Got his voice mail, which was (surprise!) FULL. Got out my cell phone and called from a different number, and, magically, he answered. Told him the whacks didn't do the trick. He said he could get someone out here this afternoon and he'd call back. Waited all day, and nothing - no show, no call.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">So now we're on day 2. Called a guy who advertises emergency service, and if water runs through it, he can fix it. Got his answering service, and he called me back right away. Said he'd call "Pete" and call me back in 45 minutes. That was 2 hours ago. I haven't given up hope yet, but it's waning.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Thank goodness for bottled water. Thank goodness for Nyquil. Anybody know a reliable well man?</span> </p>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-89453684340694966502010-10-12T09:35:00.001-04:002010-10-12T09:40:55.895-04:00Flowers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_3JIyDoOVOyEVuQrdmNrXmQ3tT84pG6BxbFCuFuae621pucQAJRtUCjPRSU_GG76FsV4k90B2SZMjEF9OwT9sAkb0-X59puy4I62yWZb2Ww_xjuCJORmNBDDvB6QL5lIhjDS/s1600/DSCF1092.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527154053785928498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_3JIyDoOVOyEVuQrdmNrXmQ3tT84pG6BxbFCuFuae621pucQAJRtUCjPRSU_GG76FsV4k90B2SZMjEF9OwT9sAkb0-X59puy4I62yWZb2Ww_xjuCJORmNBDDvB6QL5lIhjDS/s400/DSCF1092.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYLNfA0e7Lj7zPS6irHFaKCtaWyO9C50eDhMYM4Wqocm1wGaNT2oC5GCTXgIpG6kPACqRl9_MRMqcD8NoyQYH7DC5vSNuAU0t8OQJtjEjpZH0X7vz2w3dSOkIjBprUHH5aGk0/s1600/DSCF1089.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527154047994740866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYLNfA0e7Lj7zPS6irHFaKCtaWyO9C50eDhMYM4Wqocm1wGaNT2oC5GCTXgIpG6kPACqRl9_MRMqcD8NoyQYH7DC5vSNuAU0t8OQJtjEjpZH0X7vz2w3dSOkIjBprUHH5aGk0/s400/DSCF1089.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTe8eDBugIGSPKQKggkXdXcNJR12O83U8N00UJbBrkNoodguvyJO4R4GUmKk_YDHEhuOKsvRPBqpzhyphenhyphenzIP9v0MAl6NlzDhsz1nJB5eyomuH4XpOp3ICYqb8bXBzoHrE6DNiz1/s1600/DSCF1088.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527154041420520818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHTe8eDBugIGSPKQKggkXdXcNJR12O83U8N00UJbBrkNoodguvyJO4R4GUmKk_YDHEhuOKsvRPBqpzhyphenhyphenzIP9v0MAl6NlzDhsz1nJB5eyomuH4XpOp3ICYqb8bXBzoHrE6DNiz1/s400/DSCF1088.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-91888630798907140422010-08-12T22:07:00.007-04:002010-08-12T22:34:30.449-04:00Early Fall<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">We've had one of the hottest summers on record in the Northeast this year, and we've had very little rainfall at my house. The result seems to be an early fall for us. There has been a bit of rain in some of the areas around us, but it seems to have missed us each time.</span> </div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">The sour gum trees are usually first to change color in our woods in the fall. They become a beautiful bright red, and they usually start to show color in August. I saw the first leaves turn on the sour gums during the last week of July this year and t</span><span style="font-family:arial;">he sweet gum trees are going yellow already. Way too soon.</span> </div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">The sweet pepperbush was in flower and covered with bees and butterflies during the last 2 weeks of July. Now the leaves are droopy and brownish-yellow.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">The understory of wild blueberry usually turns into a lovely, endless bank of red sometime in October. It's already starting to go brown.</span></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br />Some of the oaks have started to drop their leaves. That doesn't usually happen until November or December. There is sure to be a poor crop of acorns this year, which is bad news for the squirrels, chipmunks and mice.</span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Too hot. Too dry. We need rain.</span> </div>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-11924511269311667202010-07-26T19:18:00.001-04:002010-07-26T19:21:13.114-04:00Groundhog Day<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogIHYaD0_iLL1vvXJN4gueGEY_ZEo19DdAv5fm-mDBKKBOniWxKnSzaNQeO59xDXLisTX9adgfwoTpCk_or9TaD7YdglQICrEPKXyvpP8QUmS9IfyNF3-fx3sHY5kq6snX2Fl/s1600/DSCF1087.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498358852923039026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogIHYaD0_iLL1vvXJN4gueGEY_ZEo19DdAv5fm-mDBKKBOniWxKnSzaNQeO59xDXLisTX9adgfwoTpCk_or9TaD7YdglQICrEPKXyvpP8QUmS9IfyNF3-fx3sHY5kq6snX2Fl/s400/DSCF1087.JPG" /></a> <span style="font-family:arial;">Caught!<br /></span><br /></div>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-70891850261358070352010-07-24T10:33:00.005-04:002010-07-24T11:08:29.960-04:00Critter Wars<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">On Wednesday evening this week the dogs went nuts - running around, barking, jumping at the window in the living room. I looked out, didn't see anything at first. Then I said, "It's just a fat rabbit on the front lawn. No...wait...that's not a rabbit. I think it's a groundhog." He started walking, and his identity was confirmed. He walked right up to the front steps then walked around them into the bushes along the foundation. Couldn't see him anymore.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The problem: now there is a BIG HOLE behind those bushes, right next to the foundation. Time for a groundhog relocation project. Let the games begin.<br /></span><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzo013r0AZTIlnkCm1UuiTtMQSfaKWxJR1YfCLrxxft7A0uy2GB-JeRT9hzcXb1KKwzAWAUPIn0B-fcMbuAbWaPAbi68rHO_xMQKET13Y5SP0EbAxQ7Kpi3CaXrWfRVH-FVp1/s1600/DSCF1079.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497488785925739410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzo013r0AZTIlnkCm1UuiTtMQSfaKWxJR1YfCLrxxft7A0uy2GB-JeRT9hzcXb1KKwzAWAUPIn0B-fcMbuAbWaPAbi68rHO_xMQKET13Y5SP0EbAxQ7Kpi3CaXrWfRVH-FVp1/s400/DSCF1079.JPG" /></a>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-91409141641917686712010-07-21T20:42:00.004-04:002010-07-21T20:57:33.686-04:00Broken Record<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4N-GtKKzs7i3e5CrrDN78GLBS3-yxAjiwxFmmx9qNp9EmeLRaPsIG2r7ERJhhJaNEpq9aKLNjlWdgWdmiCgs0hm2jZ3rrZHAxRaYSU9NxKW0glhD_bKrkXW9alMee3iD7Bnl/s1600/HEAT_WAVE_072605.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: center; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496527782205560898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4N-GtKKzs7i3e5CrrDN78GLBS3-yxAjiwxFmmx9qNp9EmeLRaPsIG2r7ERJhhJaNEpq9aKLNjlWdgWdmiCgs0hm2jZ3rrZHAxRaYSU9NxKW0glhD_bKrkXW9alMee3iD7Bnl/s400/HEAT_WAVE_072605.jpg" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Preview for the weather forecast coming up at 11:00, "Record breaking temperatures are on the way." Same thing they say every night these days. It's like listening to a broken record.</span> </div>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-56567559092362733892010-07-07T23:22:00.004-04:002010-07-07T23:36:49.824-04:00Cool Down<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFq7s-QI7B5zcGqIbNYrPp45y57f4Se9fQQ_Xd_H3YqlGMizpnEf_ZCQrIWpzGUFyfWdpKD2DArMwS2v6QFr_YsRO8r7D_YlIh1UQeFo0ld2eTb4tuz3m5pJwkSjydORoTsozg/s1600/PC170073.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491373981052553026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFq7s-QI7B5zcGqIbNYrPp45y57f4Se9fQQ_Xd_H3YqlGMizpnEf_ZCQrIWpzGUFyfWdpKD2DArMwS2v6QFr_YsRO8r7D_YlIh1UQeFo0ld2eTb4tuz3m5pJwkSjydORoTsozg/s400/PC170073.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">After several days of temperatures in the upper 90's, culminating in temperatures of 104 and 103 the last two days, tomorrow's forecast for a high of 92 sounds like a cool-down. Seriously, the temperatures in Playa del Carmen, Mexico have been in the mid to upper 80's all week, according to the weather tool on my homepage. Anybody up for a trip to Mexico to cool off?</span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-8687819336229345312010-06-27T21:42:00.002-04:002010-06-27T21:45:56.355-04:00Soap OperaMuttley ate a bar of Dove Soap while I was at the grocery store today. R opened the gate to the upstairs hallway to put some laundry away. Muttley got into the guest bathroom. Doubt I'll get much sleep tonight...Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-6745740578614877552010-04-21T22:45:00.006-04:002010-04-21T23:40:45.179-04:00New Hope<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoRLYSN89C0IAfDNjr4B4HfugaKgfkIFUR1S6k5DagsLvpOFxe4vnEhSVoyRbbzVAC1I9hzn6FystitHmaJL9Dg4kppkI47MB6ek1Aesh4XtcsVBkzRo0ePNoTb93ZNqDSu9a/s1600/DSCF1030.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462798047593688034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHoRLYSN89C0IAfDNjr4B4HfugaKgfkIFUR1S6k5DagsLvpOFxe4vnEhSVoyRbbzVAC1I9hzn6FystitHmaJL9Dg4kppkI47MB6ek1Aesh4XtcsVBkzRo0ePNoTb93ZNqDSu9a/s400/DSCF1030.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">We took a ride to New Hope, PA on Tuesday. It was a beautiful day, and we were able to dine <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">al</span>fresco by the Delaware River for lunch.</span> </div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpi1aWOif1DIujE9NbeavLLZufyFynYgngDtg29HXaxc8rbnA6odBJP83RLdCDpCfbSCWmkZHcz6MUVROy6soKGZNqndvKXXsx7784JLwfpS6odpC37at44x3qGVXgD9TvciMJ/s1600/DSCF1039.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462797643074890418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpi1aWOif1DIujE9NbeavLLZufyFynYgngDtg29HXaxc8rbnA6odBJP83RLdCDpCfbSCWmkZHcz6MUVROy6soKGZNqndvKXXsx7784JLwfpS6odpC37at44x3qGVXgD9TvciMJ/s400/DSCF1039.JPG" /></a> </div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">New Hope is a historic town on the Delaware, just a short walk across a narrow bridge from <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Lambertville</span>, NJ. The town is sometimes described as "artsy" or "new <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">agey</span>," and there are lots of shops and restaurants. Some of the shops carry unique, handcrafted items, and some carry the usual touristy stuff. Most of the shops are located in partially restored historic buildings of the father-son-holy spirit variety (three story early American firetraps) often found in East Coast revolutionary era towns (Philly, Trenton, etc.).</span></div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><div><br /></div><div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GHxTOlYAlhKQPD47GVzsRHMl6Qa5zBC74JDXCITnEdnna4gN474iNOXv9pvh40U8-_ogm_YmKrKkysACYFF0agmD4f1sKZbWaEufuNS3xDKeDdRr95XjXWjq7XDun92WrxYP/s1600/DSCF1038.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462797637516775458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GHxTOlYAlhKQPD47GVzsRHMl6Qa5zBC74JDXCITnEdnna4gN474iNOXv9pvh40U8-_ogm_YmKrKkysACYFF0agmD4f1sKZbWaEufuNS3xDKeDdRr95XjXWjq7XDun92WrxYP/s400/DSCF1038.JPG" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">The ride up through New Jersey was nice, traveling through the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">pinelands</span>, then through Trenton and the outskirts of Princeton, and winding along the Delaware past Washington's Crossing State Park. It's nice to remember some of the good things about New Jersey. There is quite a lot of bitterness here these days, centered on politics and state and local budgets. It can sometimes be hard to see this as a nice place to live. It was nice to forget all of that for one lovely spring day.</span> </div></div>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-88249152618860589572010-04-15T21:44:00.003-04:002010-04-15T21:48:46.973-04:00Tee Hee<p><br /><object id="ep" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="400" height="300"><param name="_cx" value="10583"><param name="_cy" value="7937"><param name="FlashVars" value=""><param name="Movie" value="http://www.ireport.com/themes/custom/resources/cvplayer/ireport_embed.swf?player=embed&configPath=http://www.ireport.com&playlistId=432760&contentId=432760/0&"><param name="Src" value="http://www.ireport.com/themes/custom/resources/cvplayer/ireport_embed.swf?player=embed&configPath=http://www.ireport.com&playlistId=432760&contentId=432760/0&"><param name="WMode" value="Window"><param name="Play" value="0"><param name="Loop" value="-1"><param name="Quality" value="High"><param name="SAlign" value="LT"><param name="Menu" value="-1"><param name="Base" value=""><param name="AllowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="Scale" value="NoScale"><param name="DeviceFont" value="0"><param name="EmbedMovie" value="0"><param name="BGColor" value="FFFFFF"><param name="SWRemote" value=""><param name="MovieData" value=""><param name="SeamlessTabbing" value="1"><param name="Profile" value="0"><param name="ProfileAddress" value=""><param name="ProfilePort" value="0"><param name="AllowNetworking" value="all"><param name="AllowFullScreen" value="true"><br /><embed src="http://www.ireport.com/themes/custom/resources/cvplayer/ireport_embed.swf?player=embed&configPath=http://www.ireport.com&playlistId=432760&contentId=432760/0&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object></p><br /><p>Found this at cnn.com.</p>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-44650931117717195582010-01-03T18:27:00.011-05:002010-01-03T20:26:15.666-05:00The Piper<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBTvzFRS3dk1RfGRPUMEHSUpfngfuswjOCRWCf4nJpP5uiTlw6e9Gn7s0LTUJ7bhaGhrq9UtYk30fKJz4xM6c6w553M07zKjje7C0QFUaRVS485jv9jUF9lbcbBqNx_29C4Tl/s1600-h/DSCF1130.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422659937696535634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBTvzFRS3dk1RfGRPUMEHSUpfngfuswjOCRWCf4nJpP5uiTlw6e9Gn7s0LTUJ7bhaGhrq9UtYk30fKJz4xM6c6w553M07zKjje7C0QFUaRVS485jv9jUF9lbcbBqNx_29C4Tl/s400/DSCF1130.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This is the pyramid of Kukulcan at Chichen Itza in Mexico. I was in Mexico from December 12th-19th, and visited the pyramid on December 15th. I really enjoyed the visit to Chichen Itza, though it was quite hot there. I would change only one part of the experience. We were approached by a nonstop stream of hawkers and vendors trying to sell Mayan goods, "One dollar, almost free, cheaper than Walmart." It's OK to have vendors at the gates to the grounds and even at tables on the walkways leading to the ruins. It would be nice, however, to be able to wander the ruins without this constant interruption.</span><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Oddly enough, I kind of miss the ubiquitous hordes of vendors found all over the Mayan Riviera. Yes, they could be annoying, but they certainly were accomodating. If you were looking for something that a vendor didn't have, they'd find a vendor who had it, if they could. And the prices WERE low. I was looking at silver jewelry in Target today, and the prices seemed so very high after the prices in the markets in Playa del Carmen and Cancun. </span></div><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Shopping in Pesos is a little bit overwhelming, since the US dollar is worth so much more than the Peso. At the time of our visit, 1000 Pesos was worth something like 77 US Dollars. I can only imagine how dramatic the difference would be if the US Dollar were robust right now!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">On the way to the ruins, our tour stopped at a cenote - a sink hole fed by an underground water source. This cenote was in a cave and was well below ground level. There were roots hanging down into the cenote from several stories up. Here is a picture taken at the cenote:</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgdHFF4s29BMOCPs1N7HBRs_3PcXIDrSrZBXSWz_l6RUtUIw-FR0ApbVyBbr7Dr8TsKE75oPqSfZ7WerL33leYYiuOT2V_a2txWxFZTeKeUb7wgUwai5NXegpULFRfkZTkuQ5s/s1600-h/DSCF1061.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422668633280451570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgdHFF4s29BMOCPs1N7HBRs_3PcXIDrSrZBXSWz_l6RUtUIw-FR0ApbVyBbr7Dr8TsKE75oPqSfZ7WerL33leYYiuOT2V_a2txWxFZTeKeUb7wgUwai5NXegpULFRfkZTkuQ5s/s400/DSCF1061.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">As you can see, tourists are allowed to swim in the cenote. I did not, but my fiancee did. He reported that the water was warm, not cold as one might expect. It is asked that you rinse off in a shower before going into the cenote if you are wearing sunscreen, since it might jeopardize the fish, plants, etc. found there. I had applied gobs of waterproof sunscreen before the trip left in the morning (I'm fair - OK <em>pale</em> - and I burn without tanning), so I decided not to swim.</span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Below is my favorite part of the whole vacation: the vast pool at the resort where we stayed. You couldn't see the entire pool from any one spot. We usually camped out by this end of the pool, near one of the the swim-up bars. We spent pretty much the whole day at the pool on the16th and again on the 18th. It's hard to see in this night shot, but the palm trees, huts and umbrellas around the pool made it quite comfortable even during the hottest part of the day. The beach was nearby, as well, but my camera never made it down there. </span></div><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhrKtt5yDnNvMUREpjxruyBTML0XeTV4FxTYn_2zouG-TldRMgrc37gVcgqknbo4KGeJgP0vjSdgwfw5k-UnhJTF78IhJUEJgglidganIfJtmYZb07tgVqO6B0QK3QUYTUxyD/s1600-h/DSCF1020.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422667264977638834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUhrKtt5yDnNvMUREpjxruyBTML0XeTV4FxTYn_2zouG-TldRMgrc37gVcgqknbo4KGeJgP0vjSdgwfw5k-UnhJTF78IhJUEJgglidganIfJtmYZb07tgVqO6B0QK3QUYTUxyD/s400/DSCF1020.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> Good thing we had a nice, relaxing day on the 18th. Travel misery set in on the 19th, as we tried to return to New Jersey during an unprecedented December blizzard. We were delayed getting out of Cancun, and our flight from Ft. Lauterdale to Atlantic City was cancelled. We were scheduled onto the same flight 24 hours later (9:20 pm on the 20th). THAT flight was delayed several times, as well, and we finally flew out of Ft. Laut at 3:30 AM. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">We spent 27 hours at Motel Hell in Ft. Lauterdale. As soon as we saw our rooms, we went out. I had 2 cosmopolitans and a shot of tequila with my dinner at the outdoor Irish Bar up the block. Hey, at least we were dining al fresco while everyone back home was shoveling snow!</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">It's REALLY rare for me to drink that much, but I was hoping to soften the impact of the seedy room. After dinner, we went across the street to the CVS. We bought snug sacs and super-huge towels to put on the beds (there were two couples and two rooms) so that we wouldn't have to touch the sheets. We also bought Lysol, and we gave each of the rooms a good spray down. I bought Deep Woods Off and put some on, just in case. I sprayed the outside of my luggage, too. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">When we finally flew into AC, we had to dig the cars out of the snow. We had no gloves, mind you, and we hadn't worn our warmest coats, either. We drove out of the airport as the sun was rising at 7 AM on Monday, December 21st. We had to dig our way into the driveway when we got home. Then we had to go back out to pick the dogs up from the kennel. After that, we slept the day away. Going to work was not an option. I would have been asleep at my desk all day. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;">I was only back at work for 2 days before my next holiday began. With furlough days (unpaid leave days required of NJ employees to help balance the budget), personal days, holidays and weekends, I've been off since Christmas Eve. Tomorrow I have to go back to work, and the next few weeks (maybe the next few months) are going to be hard. Time to pay the piper.</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;">Here are a few random photos from the trip:</span><br /></p><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3PysUTQoyQhjNCGxk_SjmdB9CPsBryicdFleZq_7KDVEgd9VNdAta4OYnmD9xbSQkXe7xnaphciDlmeRgakkirJ-Zdqu2s_wKYy8oXahxhyKh0LXYBPMbqjW-iNbY8Sh_3l8/s1600-h/DSCF1086.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422685929325086498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3PysUTQoyQhjNCGxk_SjmdB9CPsBryicdFleZq_7KDVEgd9VNdAta4OYnmD9xbSQkXe7xnaphciDlmeRgakkirJ-Zdqu2s_wKYy8oXahxhyKh0LXYBPMbqjW-iNbY8Sh_3l8/s400/DSCF1086.JPG" /></a></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;">An air plant in it's natural environment, camped out on the branch of a tree.</span><br /></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUxcaL5UKFNQXH21KQUsZ68EeUObuZn1Txfs20BqKZp6aWeB658LWtYq3rO2vy6eIdQG8RIf7ayHAPZ9qs0URxZ2Zbhx2LpC8xWtvfM33aATXUxZgWm7IwuXSDwrcR50lcc1y/s1600-h/DSCF1005.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422685925834309330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUxcaL5UKFNQXH21KQUsZ68EeUObuZn1Txfs20BqKZp6aWeB658LWtYq3rO2vy6eIdQG8RIf7ayHAPZ9qs0URxZ2Zbhx2LpC8xWtvfM33aATXUxZgWm7IwuXSDwrcR50lcc1y/s400/DSCF1005.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> This tree was growing at the edge of the jungle just off of the balcony of our suite.<br /></span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGKyKJSwTWO74sWN_i1UbBAnEc7ztigWjzDVmPnoZOLd62IsbsTQkak6PvU4gjCdZFKxwaRcVuwSsNBe9M-FWWs08aMyCYMbYVomJNtcj3rJToDO2wFzLGgNRLUfPV1BZ49GZ/s1600-h/DSCF1076.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422685922597403266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGKyKJSwTWO74sWN_i1UbBAnEc7ztigWjzDVmPnoZOLd62IsbsTQkak6PvU4gjCdZFKxwaRcVuwSsNBe9M-FWWs08aMyCYMbYVomJNtcj3rJToDO2wFzLGgNRLUfPV1BZ49GZ/s400/DSCF1076.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> Mayan Muttley at Chichen Itza.<br /></span><br /><br /></div>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-31453525606200227982009-12-26T14:17:00.006-05:002009-12-26T15:14:57.102-05:00<p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzphfbvmoPPti8o5rW0tHlKgQYWpmuTGkOLdPctf_y875Tv8IqPxxh2oVNG_tOSF39Ujn1JXigrBLo' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Here's a clip of Daisy in the snow this week.</span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><br /><p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw5dwc79yTiPAG1oIDwnziOi7ZQNJobLToAyfPY_ZTqmK6eRMGWwJKr0vEez_irWj3uNmT5jsK-dEA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">And here's one of Muttley.</span></p><p>The snow is gone now, and we pretty much have a lake in the backyard. And it's still raining.</p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Quick question for my techie friends:</span> </p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Would I get better video quality here if I published to youtube or another site before adding a video clip? The quality of these clips is better than the images you're seeing here. I uploaded from my PC directly to blogger.</span></p>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16819142.post-75640580596555278652009-11-17T23:44:00.007-05:002009-11-19T21:39:13.612-05:00New Worlds<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RZGCGrYUhtzfcJLD-S-xUd_J93g_IHOqpB2mz0O8gc4ORyB49T_uEu_ENJFwsw9nBY3YP7-k7FqVWphta8WZ_vIjKEV5-ASOSQs8cTym614Qnc0caWR_5L6kFSndumTNvGdx/s1600/_42064954_gisborne203.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 203px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405308776667383010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4RZGCGrYUhtzfcJLD-S-xUd_J93g_IHOqpB2mz0O8gc4ORyB49T_uEu_ENJFwsw9nBY3YP7-k7FqVWphta8WZ_vIjKEV5-ASOSQs8cTym614Qnc0caWR_5L6kFSndumTNvGdx/s400/_42064954_gisborne203.jpg" /></a><br /><div><div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">I was never a big fan of the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genres of entertainment, but I've been drawn into them almost against my will over the last couple of years. That's because they're on the TV almost constantly at my house. I've become intrigued by <em>Dr. Who</em>, <em>Torchwood</em>, <em>Being Human</em> and <em>Robin Hood</em> - to name a few. I still can't quite buy into <em>The Seeker -</em> the storyline seems a little too much like a pointless video game to me.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I really rebelled against <em>Robin Hood</em> for the first season or two, watching only because I didn't want to sit alone on a Saturday night. The series has managed to draw me in, mostly due to the acting of Richard Armitage, who has brought real complexity to the character of Sir Guy of Gisborne. The current season has a new edge to it, complete with a cranky Robin and a haunted Sir Guy.</span> </div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>Robin Hood</em> is drawing to a close, with only a few episodes left to air. I'm glad that it's ending because there can only be so many death-defying season's end episodes involving the few main characters of the series. This is a story that calls for a complete ending, not just a Newhart-style it-was-all-a-dream finish. It should be incredibly satisfying to watch the finale. It <strong>could</strong> end in a bloodfest - they've already had the courage to kill off a main character, one who did not die in the traditional tale. The series seemed doomed at the end of last season with the demise of this particular character, but, remarkably, this season has been more intense and dramatic because of the death. </span></div><br /><div></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">In any event, watching <em>Robin Hood</em> has led me to the work of a talented actor, and I can't wait to see what he does in the future. He's sure to show up more and more, so keep an eye out for him.</span> </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Mercihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06555365459568199244noreply@blogger.com6