¡Saludos! Recepción a Cuba!

I've seen on the news recently that the CIA believes that Fidel Castro may have cancer and may not survive much longer. I do not wish any ill-will on anyone, but just think of the possibilities when he dies!!! I am hopeful that the next person in control will not be as uncooperative and we will end our silly embargo on Cuba. Here's my top three reasons to end the embargo and open Cuba to the United States:

Number 1:

Number 2: Mmmmm Mojitos!

Number 3: Yea, I know, I wouldn't eat it, but it looks DAMN good!!!

When Thanks Isn't Enough

I was reading a blog and it reminded me that today is Veterans Day. I usually associate this day with my Aunt Emily's birthday because until fairly recently I didn't know too many Veterans except both my uncles who fought in WWII; one in Normandy, one in the Pacific.
As I was thinking about what to write here, I first did a search for a picture to include here and this is the one that caught my eye, and epitomizes what I believe to be a true veteran. To me, this picture says, I love my country, I'd do it all over again if I had to, and hey, I can still fit into my uniform!

Last night as I was watching the local news. They did a story about a local man that just passed away that was a seven-year POW in Vietnam. They showed an interview they did with him a few years ago, and that was the first time he had spoken about his time in Vietnam. I was amazed at the emotional control he had while telling his story and that he doesn't consider himself a hero. The question that finally broke through the emotional barrier was what was his reaction upon seeing the American Flag for the first time upon returning. That's when the emotion finally showed. That's when he said "it was all worth it."

My uncles have passed on, but now it seems I have quite a few new veterans in my life. You can find them here, here and here. Thanks guys!

Feeding Frenzy

Over the weekend, we indulged ourselves in one of my more favorite events in the area. It was the Taste of Central Pennsylvania which benefits the Central PA Foodbank. This one day event gathers restaurants, various cooking schools, wineries and brewing companies from the area to one location where they prepare a dish and the public gets to taste it.

Needless to say we left stuffed and somewhat tipsy. My favorites were the chilled strawberry soup, brownie cheesecake, langostine bisque and Loco for coconut cake, mini crab cakes, and dish from A Passage to India. It was vegeterian, had saffron rice served with it. It was to die for!!! Another veg dish was from 2nd Street Kabob which was hummus, falafel, tabbouleh salad, and pita. This is a very new restaurant in Harrisburg and is conveniently located next door to Hookas on Second. Just in case you're in the market for one. I had so many different wines, I can't remember them all. We both had some tasty beers from Lancaster Brewing Company. We tried a Milk Stoudt, dark and creamy and a Strawberry Wheat. I love fruity beer!

Now that I'm looking over the bill of fare from this event, I see we missed a few tables with some very delicious sounding food. However, I don't think we could have fit anymore food into our bellies.

Not only did we get the general tasting, we were also entitled to a private tasting, meaning we just got first dibs on the grub. But, prior to that, we had a private wine tasting with various fruits and cheeses. They served Coppola wines including my favorite Sofia. If you've never tried this sparking wine, you absolutely MUST! They also served a Coppola red and a Fetzer Chardonnay, another favorite of mine.

There are usually news crews around during this event, but I apparently missed them this time. When I got to class on Monday morning, my professor said, "I saw you on TV this morning." (insert perplexed look here) "You were at the Taste on Sunday weren't you?" Oh geez. He assured me I didn't have any food hanging out of my mouth or anything. Next time I'll have to remember to wear a disguise!

Stuff about Me!

Usually these things come via email as this one did from my friend at Smoke and Mirrors. And, since I really, really like to talk about myself, I thought I'd give you some of these details, some of which you may already know, may have already read the last time I did something like this or simply may not even care about. But, I'm going to talk about myself anyway...read on if you dare.

WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
Like 5 seconds ago
DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Sometimes, I guess it's the mood and that determines the handwriting
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Ew!!!
IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yes, most of the time.
DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL?
I attempt paper journals but they all seem to have really huge gaps in them. I guess my best journal is this here blog
DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Oui!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Something I should never eat...like Frosted Mini Wheats or Frosted Flakes or Sugar Smacks
DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Depends if they have shoelaces or not
DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
More physically than mentally, though I've persevered through a heck of a lot over the last year and guess what? I'M STILL STANDING!!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Duh...chocolate
SHOE SIZE?
A delicate 8 1/2
RED or PINK?
Pink, and yes, I am pretty in it, thanks!
WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My weight which is considerably less lately
WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue flannel pj bottoms and big, fuzzy, black socks
LAST THING YOU ATE?
Brownies, before that, chips. Nice huh?
WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The hum of the laptop and the click of the keys and Jasmine making smacky noises
IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Cornflower
FAVORITE SMELL?
The ocean
WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My sister
THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO?
Their face
DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Yes, he's quite a groovy dude!
FAVORITE DRINK?
Wine, Whiskey, Soda
FAVORITE SPORT?
Tennis
EYE COLOR?
Blue
HAT SIZE?
Dunno
DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Nope
FAVORITE FOOD?
Anything that doesn't require the slaughter of animals
SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING?
Depends on my mood.
WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
White
WINTER OR SUMMER?
Summer!
HUGS OR KISSES?
Yes please!
FAVORITE DESSERT?
Creme Brulee or anything chocolate or Red Velvet Cake
BOOK YOU ARE READING?
Prodigal Summer
WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
No mouse pad...lap top
WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV?
Since the remote to the TV is missing...it's kinda difficult...but something on the Food Network
FAVORITE SOUNDS?
Ocean, purring kitties, the sound of a restaurant from the street outside as you pass by
ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles
THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME
Barbados
WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT?
I don't think I can mention that here....(kidding!)
WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Pennsylvania
WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Michael

Don't Get Sent to Iraq!

I never really concerned myself with politics. Though, my mother was a Republican Committee person and because of that I have been registered as a Republican my entire life. Because of the recent job I have, I am heavily involved in the upcoming elections on November 7 and have become acutely aware of other people's opinions on the war in Iraq, the job W. is doing and the state of affairs here in Pennsylvania.

Last July of 2005 proved to be a huge turning point for the state legistlature of PA. In the middle of the night, they decided to give themselves a huge payraise. Some of them were going to get like a 50% increase in their pay. It seemed like a good idea in the middle of the night, but when the constituents got wind of this, no one was smiling. Many people claim they will vote out every individual that voted for the payraise last year. There were some of the state legislators that paid the money back, some refused to pay it back, some donated it to charity, which is still the same as stealing, it's just a passive-aggressive way of doing it.

In the election taking place next week, we will be voting for a governor as well. The Republican candidate is none other than Lynn Swann from the bygone days of when the Pittsburgh Steelers were really, really good. But, I don't see Ed Rendell going anywhere, because as past mayor of Philadelphia, he has much of their vote.

The race that has me concerned is that of the United States Senate. We have former governor's son Bob Casey Jr. on the Democratic side and Rick Santorum on the Republican side. Rick scares me. He's just a little too far to the right for me. And the two of them are just ridiculous with their mudslinging advertisements. Their debates however, have been extrememly entertaining. According to a poll recently taken by Susquehanna Polling and Research, Rick is on the downslide...whew!!

I have been known from time to time to really stick my foot in my mouth. Thank goodness I'm not a politician. I hope to never say anything as stupid as Mr. Kerry did on Monday. Did the Republican's pay Kerry to say such a ridiculous thing so Bush's ratings would go up?

I happen to know two soldiers that have fought in some aspect for this war in Iraq and I think they are both about the smartest people I know!

The Final Countdown

Midterms came and went, the grades were posted and now we're on to picking our next classes. I was more than happy this past Friday to sit down and discuss my upcoming classes for the Spring 07 semester with my advisor.

These are my last four classes before I graduate!! I will be taking Intro to Experimental psychology, East Asian Art, Color and another independent study. I'm taking an independent study course this semester as well. I chose to study African art since I didn't know much about it. I've certainly learned a lot. My final paper will be on the notions of power and spirituality of the female as represented in African art. Next semesters study will be on either Renaissance or Baroque art.

Everyone, please pencil in the month of May. I will be having a huge party for graduation. Of course you are all invited!

Shakespeare in Love

Tonight is trick or treat night in my neighborhood. I already knew I wasn't going to be giving out any candy. I actually even forgot about the fact it was trick or treat until I got home from work and the cars began to line up along my street. Like from a Cheech and Chong movie, all the kids from within the overly stuffed minivan poured out onto the street with their various store purchased Halloween costumes. Then I remembered.

It was a somewhat warmish afternoon when I got home today and since the sun was still up I thought I'd leave my front door open. That wasn't going to last very long. Because at exactly 6:00.01 p.m. someone was knocking at my door. Then, 6:00.03, the doorbell rang. I ignored it. The character from Scream shuffled off my front porch to another neighbor. As soon as he left, I shut my front door and turned up the stereo. Again, the doorbell rang a few minutes later. Um, hullo....there is no porch light on. Isn't that the first rule of trick or treating???

I really love Halloween. But, I cannot stand the fact that greedy kids and/or parents have to truck their kids into my neighborhood for candy. And, did they even bother to eat dinner since the kids are knocking precisely at 6:00???

Whatever happened to creating a costume? My dad and I looked forward to making up some weird costume for me to wear. One year, way back in the 70's during the energy crisis, I dressed as a bum. My motto that I wore on my chest? "Save energy, become a bum." Yea, it won me a prize at a Halloween party! When I was older, I won another prize as part of the three headed huntsman from Monty Python and won most recently for my portrayal of Nancy Spungeon. You know, dead girl friend of Sid Vicious from the Sex Pistols? I remember what was probably the most creative costume my dad and I ever came up with. I dressed up as a hurricane. We tiedyed a dress of my mom's all brownish. I think I wore a hat too. Probably had leaves and sticks attached to it. I don't remember that part. I don't think that won me any prizes, but it was pretty clever!

I must finish up my costume for a party I am going to this weekend. The theme of the party is Shakespeare. I have no one particular character in mind, just dressing for the time period. Invariably someone will say to me "who are you supposed to be?" I hate that question. So, I'll prey on the fact they probably have no inkling about Shakespeare characters in the first place and just say I'm Desdemona. I love that name. And Jimmy Buffett wrote a song about Desdemona. Besides, she resourceful and imaginative and got to marry Othello.

One of my current classes at school has given me quite a bit of reference material for the Shakespeare time period. Well, the Shakespeare time period but only in Italy. You know those proverbial cone hats with the sheer material that hang out the point? Yea, not authentic at all.

The Corporation

As part of the colloquium series on Democracy at college, the university has been presenting movies that parallel the lectures on Democracy or the lack thereof in the United States.

I went to see the movie The Corporation this weekend. If you're in the mood for something scary for Halloween, I strongly urge you to rent the movie. This movie left me wondering now what. I'm still wondering now what.

Thanks ABWA

I had the pleasure of meeting some wonderful ladies tonight. I was invited to speak at an American Business Women's Association meeting. They invited me to talk about my photographs which is great fun for me. And they fed me, and made me feel very welcome. Actually, they made me feel like a celebrity. They all knew my name when I got there and even took out an ad in a local paper announcing that I would be giving a talk about "tombstones from all over the world." Really, I'm not worthy!!

One of the nice things about giving talks like this is that I get to relive the trips in which I took the pictures and tell some fun stories about investigating cemeteries on some of my vacations. The best part is that there are usually people there that know about cemeteries that I do not. So, I get the scoop on new places I can check out.

I gave my blog address out to the ladies, hopefully some will be stopping by the blog to see more of my pictures.

Hi ABWA ladies, thanks again for having me!

The End of an Era

I was so sad to hear that last night was the final concert to be held at CBGB's club in NYC. You may remember I wrote about the impending closing of this place several months ago. Apparently nothing was going to preserve CBGB's in the Bowery any longer.

From what I understand there will still be a store in NYC where you can get CBGB's gear etc. But, the new club will be located in LAS VEGAS. Excuse me while I hurl.

R.I.P. CBGB's

An Experiment

I was thinking that this would be a very convenient way for me to collect some much needed data for a class project I'm doing in my Sociology class.

If you wish to participate, please put your responses in the comments section, or you may email me them if you wish.

Please answer the following questions:

1. From time to time, most people discuss important matters with other people. Looking back over the last six months, who are the people with whom you discussed matters important to you? Just tell me their first names or initials. Provide me with 5 names or initials if you can.

2. Here is a list of some of the ways in which people are connected to each other. Some of the people can be connected to you in more than one way. For example, a man could be your brother and may belong to your church and be your lawyer.

Please choose from the list below and attach a description to the name you provided me in question 1.

spouse
friend
other family
parent
coworker
sibling
member of group
child
neighbor
advisor
other

Thank you so much for your participation in my experiment! When we gather the class evidence and probably do some mathematical equation (done by someone other than me), I will publish the results, probably in late November.

Have a Happy Day!

Simply because my brain is on overload lately, I'm giving you fluff, cheap laughs, nothingness.

I'm sure you've all seen by now the Happy Bunny stickers, t-shirts, etc. I find these particularly funny. They're sarcastic and somewhat mean. Pretty similar to me as a matter of fact. So, I thought I'd share two of my favorites with you, lucky you!

And, my all time favorite:




Though I know that all boys don't lie, I think pretty much all of them stink...at one time or another!

Do Not Disturb

It's already that time in the college school year for mid-terms!! I consider myself fortunate that out of my four classes, I have technically only one mid-term and that's in my Italian Renaissance class. The test is tomorrow, first thing in the a.m. Two of my classes have no tests or quizzes. And the third class has tests and quizzes just no official mid-term this week. We took our test in that class last week. Say hello to Miss 93%!!

I've taken some lessons from the other students and have learned to make up "flash cards" in order to study. That seems to work out well, but for this particular class, it's helpful to actually see the artwork aside from knowing the dates and titles of the works.

That's my agenda for the rest of the day, going through my text books and notes. The dates are gonna kill me!!

Behold the Power of Boobs!

Where I Live Part Deux

I wanted to share with you another favorite of mine in the city in which I live and ironically, this week began a 5-day celebration of the 100th anniversary of the capitol building in Harrisburg complete with a parade! The streets were blocked off which made it interesting for me to get to work yesterday morning and parking was next to non-existent. My job takes me directly in front of the capitol building on a daily basis. Some days I must walk a block or so to get to the office which usually allows me a breathtaking view of the capital building. I've seen it lit up at night, I've seen it during the day with the background of a clear blue sky and it is always beautiful.

The interior of the building was designed after the Paris Opera with its marble, sweeping double staircases. It has been undergoing some renovations lately. The dome was refurbished recently and the artwork inside the building and the sculptures outside have been cleaned and repaired over the last couple of years.

My father used to take me here as a child. And he'd take me into the Senate and House Chambers with the large murals and giant wooden desks with microphones. It was as if we were kids sneaking around in places we shouldn't have been. I loved to sit at those desks and wonder what in the heck did they talk about there anyway?

Then, when I got to high school, our choir often sang on the steps inside the capitol building during the holiday season. The high rotunda and spiraling ceilings just lifted our voices throughout the entire building. I haven't been in the capitol building in years. I think I may need a break from all my paper writing this afternoon. A field trip may be in order!!!

Interstellar Lass and her creative cast of blogger buddies have come up with a meme of sorts about where we live. Lass asked if I would post pics of the bridge I walk across to get to work which I wrote about earlier. I happen to have some pics of that very bridge from a fall walk I took last November. This particular bridge was a bridge that you could drive on until 1972 when we had a very bad flood and damaged the bridge enough that we were no longer allowed to drive on it. The span of the bridge that connects City Island (home of Senators baseball) and the West Shore no longer exists. Again, a flood in the winter of 1996 took out most of that part of the bridge.

The view of the other "camel back" bridges over the river is quite lovely as well. If you were a fan of One Life to Live back in the late 80's early 90's you may recognize these bridges from the opening scenes of that soap opera.

A Peck of Purple Peppers

Hidden Cathedrals

I have a faithful reader that has quite an interesting job. My friend Paul (who is married to my friend Vera, father of Eliot and Adrienne) is a physicist. Now, often, when people ask him what he does for a living, he's kind of apprehensive about responding because it seems that when he tells them what he does, they get that glazed look on their faces and generally have no intelligent response in return. Well, at least that was my response anyway. That is, until I read Dan Brown's book Angels and Demons. That was my book choice for my book club and we were all too happy to have Paul come to our meeting and tell us all about what he does at a facility called CERN.

As you may read on their web site, it's the world's largest particle physics laboratory located in Geneva, Switzerland, well it's partially in Geneva, partially in France. Paul is there right now. I recently got an email from him explaining what his project is at this time.

Here's a picture of Paul and an exerpt from his email, because there is just no way I could possibly paraphrase what it is he's saying.

"Enclosed is a picture of a colleague from Duke and me standing at the location where the two beams of protons will collide once the ATLAS detector and the accelerator are finished and running.Behind us is the barrel portion of the "inner detector", the outer part of which the Transition Radiation Tracker, the part I have been working on for 12 years now. The barrel will be moved towards the camera so that the center of it will be where we are standing. The two other pieces of the inner detector will slide in on either side of the barrel. We are standing the bore of a very large electromagnet that is used with the inner detector to measure the momentum of charged particles leaving the interaction point. The yellow thing we are standing on is just a platform that will be removed once the barrel is hooked up.

You can watch the webcams in the cavern at:http://atlaseye-webpub.web.cern.ch/atlaseye-webpub/web-sites/pages/UX15_webcams.htm

Eventhough I don't fully understand all this, it's still pretty cool, and is certainly a project that when completed will be quite satisfying I would imagine. Paul, we still think you're a spy. ;P

Little Pink Heinies

I saw a lot of this over the weekend....and not the usual asses....this cute little pink heinies were attached to these....





Aren't they just adorable??? We went to the York Fair over the weekend, also known as the Southern York County freak show. Why couldn't I have had a Sociology experiment to do this past weekend????

If you're not going to the York Fair for a concert like Brad Paisley, Larry the Cable Guy or some such stuff, then the only other reason you would go is for the food; deep fried twinkies, oreos, onions, potatoes and whatever else people get batter dip and put into hot oil.

Sunday was another visit to Hersheypark. However, this time, it was about 80 degrees and very sunny. I'm not complaining, but I think I have shaken baby syndrome. I think my brains got rattled around this last time. My head still feels kinda queasey.

P.S. Happy 19th birthday to my nephew Patrick!!

A Divine Purpose

I believe in Divine intervention, karma, what ever you want to call it. I think there is most often a higher power showing and teaching me things in the events in my life.

Yesterday I was not only shown something, I was the teacher in a Divine episode. I was at the vet with Lester. He was getting his weekly supply of fluids in the hopes of keeping him comfortable as he goes through this kidney disease. He has lost more weight, but still wants to eat, go outside, etc. So, in my unprofessional opinion, he is not feeling all that badly.

So, I got to talking to a woman that had an enormous cat. He was probably only about 15 pounds or so, but he was tall and long. He looked like that cat that would just kick every other cats ass in the neighborhood given the chance. He slinked around the waiting room checking out every nook and cranny. He rubbed against my leg and smelled me and let me pet him.

I got to talking to her about the issues Lester is facing and what I'm doing about them. She became very emotional as I was telling her these things. I am surprised at myself for not breaking down and bawling my head off knowing that Lester is never going to get any better, only worse.

She finally said that she believed that I was put there at that exact time so we would have that chance to talk because she's facing some of the same issues with her cat and she was scared and wasn't sure what to do about the situation. I was glad that I was able to maybe calm some of her fears. I was glad to be part of the bigger plan.

I Will Remember You

I read recently on a blog that many people cannot even remember what year the September 11 attacks actually occurred. Is that possible?? This thing that effected the entire world and changed the way we go about our daily life has been so easily forgotten? Thousands of families all over the world lost loved ones and friends, and the average person cannot remember the year?

If you ask, I'll say anyone over the age of 40 what year John Lennon was shot, or what year Kennedy was shot, I would be willing to bet they'd know the answer. So why then, has this devestating act of terrorism been so quickly forgotten? Are we as a society just so eager to move on with our lives because it's just too difficult to deal with pain and suffering so it's easier just to forget it exists?

I have said for a long time that our society so quickly and easily disposes of things we no longer want or have a need for. We throw out food, clothing, household items, sometimes our pets, spouses and even children for something that pleases us more, makes us happy, fits in with our lives.

Several days ago I decided to sign on to the 2,996 tribute to the 9/11 victims via Smoke and Mirrors. Because I can think of an even greater tragedy than 9/11. And that is to let the victims of that day simply fade away. It's easy to move on and move forward. It's the remembering that is difficult. And we should always remember so these peoples lives didn't end in vain.

I looked into the face of the victim to which I was assigned for this project. Brian Fredric Goldberg. He was 26 years old and worked in the World Trade Center. 26....at 26 years old, I had been living on my own for just one year. My father had just passed away. I had been dating, for about a year, what I consider my first "adult" relationship. When I look back at that time in my life, I knew nothing. I can only imagine Brian was somewhat the same.

Click on his name. See his face, read a letter from his mother about how precious her son was to her. And always remember, if we continue to talk about these victims and remember September 11, 2001, their memory will live on.

Let's Get Ready To Rumble!

I am very much looking forward to this game this weekend. I hope it's a really good game and not a runaway game for either team. Really, what fun is that???

I've been proudly flying my ND flag outside my house since last week. My neighbor came over and told me it was brave to have it out. Yea, I guess I am knee deep in PSU country. They'll just have to get over it!

In light of the competition this weekend, and the potential war that may break out between me and NittanyBri, (eventhough he's pretending like he doesn't really hate ND, and isn't at all worried that ND may give them a run for their money) I'm asking for you, my throngs of fans to help us with a wager. Should ND win, NittanyBri must...., should PSU win Carnealian must....

Go Irish!!!

Eyelets

This image is from an artist named Jonathan Green. His show is opening at the art gallery at school. He's from the "low country" in South Carolina, and I am in love with the colors he uses in his art work. The artist reception is tomorrow night which I plan on attending. He will be visiting my art history class on Friday morning too. I'm looking foward to hearing his lecture.


Update: Mr. K (my cat) is still hanging right in there. He ate almost an entire can of tuna this morning complete with all the smacky, yum noises a cat can make. Thanks for all the comments and emails from everyone.

Update

My buddy is still with us. I can see him getting increasingly weaker and drinking more water which are the symptoms of this disease. I consider myself fortunate that I have this time to say goodbye and continue to love him until that final moment comes.

He still wants to go outside, eat grass, chase butterflys, jump up on the bed and eat. Until those desires leave him, he's not going anywhere.

Thanks friends for all the kind words, they are really appreciated. Thanks Brian for your support and love through all this.

And on a side note....how bout those Irish?? Next week is the big match up between Penn State and Notre Dame. It's been 14 years since they've last played. Should be an interesting day at my house with two big fans on both sides of this match up.

Goodbye Old Friend

I was given some very bad news today from the vet about my very best buddy in the world. He's in full renal failure. I have the choice of putting him through intensive IV therapy or euthanasia. He's been my friend for 14 years, and I don't want him to suffer with this any longer. This is going to be a very difficult and very sad weekend.

I will miss him tremendously.

It's Hip to be Square

I am part of a book club that meets on a monthly basis. We have usually one book to read and we get together at a local establishment to have some food and discuss the book....well, we get together to drink too.

I went to the library to get What Seems Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day. But, the library didn't actually have the book, they only had the book on cassette tape. So, I figured, well, I'd be able to listen to the book on my walk to the office and back. So, I dug out my Sony Walkman...yes, the bright pink one I bought back in the 80's. Plugged my ear buds into it and off I went. Fortunatley, I could keep the Walkman itself in my purse so as not to totally give away my age to every person that passed by and was able to actually recognize what the pink thing was that I had in my hand and attached to my ears.

It wasn't until I got a present from a "special someone" that I truly became part of the hip crowd and realized eventhough I kept the Walkman in my purse the ear buds were in fact not the tell-tale white color of an iPod.

Today I moved into the 21st century. The "special someone" that got me this most wonderful and very shiney gift, downloaded some music onto the iPod and I was able to have the "official" white earphones attached to my shiney new MP3 player on my walk into work this morning. I was so very hip!

The riverfront area is gearing up for the big Kipona festival this weekend. There will be lots of artists, bands and food along the river. However, it seems Ernesto seems to be making his way up here just in time for the weekend. Sunday and Monday are still salvageable according to the weatherman. But, you know how reliable they are.

My first day of classes went well. I have lots of reading to do and a couple of papers will be required along the way as well. Thankfully I think at least two of my classes don't have any quizzes or tests! Whoo hoo!!!

As I sat there in my first class of the day which was Renaissance Art, I knew that that's where I was meant to be. I was thankful for the turn of events that had gotten to this new adventure I have before me.

Here are more pics from Assateague since Blogger seems to be cooperating this morning.

Doe a deer....

A pony taking a rest...

Every year, it's a really big deal in this area as the ponies are hearded up, they swim across the channel and are brought into town and auctioned off. The money raised supports the local firefighters.

I'm not sure that I like that whole idea of taking the animals out of the wild, but I understand the need to maintain population control. I guess it's better than shooting them.

And on that cheery note....today is my first day of full time classes! I have three classes so I'll only be in school from 9:00-1:00 three times a week. I'm a little nervous, but probably only till I get there and then I'll feel better.

I Feel Like a French Fry

Remember those Solarcaine commercials years ago where the little kid is bright red and kind of holding his arms out so they don't touch his skin while he says "I feel like a French Fry"? Yea, the two of us have a bit of sunburn.

We only really got to the beach for one full day. I'm pretty militant about using sunscreen because I used to bake in the sun as a kid and had plenty of bad sunburns to last a lifetime. I only used like a 2 or a 4 SPF on my chest...have you ever had sunburn in your cleavage?? Not fun.

Now Brian on the other hand...just doesn't listen. He's been a hurtin pup for the last couple of days. But I think he's feeling a little better. Now the peeling should set in!

The weather at the beach was good for the most part. When we first got there it was overcast and raining. And, do I mean raining! We decided for a walk on the beach. Not a good idea at that point because a torrential rain came through. We were soaked.

The weather was clear the rest of the weekend. We even spent one day at Assateague Island National Seashore. We had the bikes packed and could get around the island pretty easily. Out of my many years of going to Maryland shores for vacation and my love for horses, I had never been to Assateague before. I think my father knew better than to take me to a place where horses are roaming free. The resulting pleading would have been; "I want one! We can keep him in the back yard? I swear I'll take care of him! The neighbors won't mind!"

There are many childrens stories about the ponies of Assateague and Chincoteague Islands. I'm sure I read them all as a little girls. This is the island where the horses are wild. I've never seen a wild horse before. It's kind of odd to see a horse standing in the middle of a field with no fencing. However, when we first got to the island there were three "moochers" in the parking lot. They've obviously realized that humans bring food. You are not supposed to pet or feed the animals, but you know how that goes.

This is a national park and therefore is a seashore devoid of t-shirt shops, hotels, amusement parks, gift shops and restaurants. You can pull your camper up to the park or pitch a tent and camp that way too. I would even consider camping, in a tent, here.


Apparently there is much wildlife to be found on the island including foxes, racoons and deer. We saw a doe on our way back to the car.

Since it was very hot, we packed up our wares and went back in to Ocean City, MD. We needed a drink!

Beach Baby

Me and this guy are leaving for the beach tomorrow. It will be our last hurrah before school starts, and we plan on having a super time before all the hard work begins!! The pets will be in capable hands (my sister) who will be pulling double duty between our pets and a neighbor's pets who are also going on vacation this week. Thanks sis!!



I've posted some new pics in the Flickr box on the right. These are the pics that I took with Mr. Dorman a couple of weeks ago. Enjoy them while I'm gone!!!

Weekend Update

Were did the weekend go?? I cannot believe it's Monday morning already.

Friday was a mixed bag. Jasmine had to have some surgery and while I knew she'd be fine, it's scary anyway. Of course the surgery also requires that she now wear an Elizabethan collar. They've gotten rid of the hard plastic collars and now they're some kind of soft material that makes her look like one of these. Which I'm thinking would be a good Halloween costume for her! I also went to a friends house for a surprise birthday party for another friend. The hilarious part was that the friend we had the party for had no idea the party was for her. Actually, even after the gifts and the cake and all, I still don't think she really got the idea the party was for her. Oh well!

Saturday was yet another party. This time a Luau. I got to be the guest bartender which was pretty fun. I was only responsible for making the margaritas and the whiskey (it's a wonder there was any left), tequila, rum and vodka. Didn't have to make anything fancy. Everyone at the party was dressed tropically, the food was tropical, and the evening's weather was kind of tropical too....hot and then rainy. The karaoke didn't come out till late in the evening which resulted in "someone" who shall remain nameless telling me that I must obey him because he had the microphone and the remote control for the karaoke. I got to hear some quite unique renditions of songs including Bad Mama Jama and Jive Talking.

Sunday, well, that was just a lazy day. Till the late afternoon when we got the idea to go for a bike ride along the river. There was a wonderful breeze which worked against us on the way up the river, but helped us on the way back. The sunset was just gorgeous and there was a group of boaters that were docked along an island. There must have been some kind of party going on on that island. I think there was even a band!

And one last thing that's been bugging me. Could this situation get any weirder???

Have a good Monday everyone!

Forever Young

Tomorrow is the day. The day my nephew leaves for University. Last night we had dinner together and I knew when he left, it would be the last time I would see him as the young, naive, impressionable 18 year old that he is. Next time we're together, he'll be 19, and will have just about finished his first semester in college. He'll officially be a cadet in the United States Navy as of this Friday.

I promised myself I wouldn't cry and I didn't, until this morning on the way to work, and now, and probably tomorrow. We hugged each other and said our "I love you's."

I'm so excited for him for this great opportunity he has before him. And, it's exactly what he's wanted to do for a long time now. He'll be majoring in physics which makes both my sister and my skin crawl. He wants to serve his country and I admire him for making this decision and sticking with it. I will miss him. He won't ever been the same boy I had dinner with last night.

I know that both sets of his grandparents that are no longer with us, would be absolutely beaming. And so they should.

"And when you finally fly away

I'll be hoping that I served you well

For all the wisdom of a lifetime

No one can ever tell
But whatever road you choose

I'm right behind you, win or lose

Forever Young."

Things That Go Bump in the Night

Recently, the weather here has been down right pleasant in the north east and the evenings have been somewhat cool. I don't remember the last time I had the air conditioning on, and the windows are open at night to let the cool breeze through. I actually broke down and put the comforter back on the bed because my sleep was being interrupted by the chilly air.

So last night was a cool evening, windows open, sleep taking over my body and mind. Nothing but the crickets chirping, the soothing sound of a car passing by on their way home from an evening out. The sound of the fan in the window upstairs humming its lullaby. CRASH!!! Thump, thump, thump!

"What the hell was that?" (Or a varying form of that question.) So, I get out of bed while trying to catch my breath from whatever the heck that was. I automatically assume that it was one of the animals getting into something. This often happens when a neighborhood cat comes to visit and is within sight of my two. But, not this time. All of the animals including the dog were looking at me wondering why I'm out of bed at 2:00 a.m.

So, I get to the stairs and look up to find that in fact it was the fan in the window that had fallen out. My nephew was sleeping upstairs, but apparently the crash and burn of the fan did not rouse him from his sleep.

The window fan I had previous to this one was notorious for falling out at inappropriate times of the day or night. It finally had to go in the garbage because it's last fall actually knocked something quite important lose from the mechanism and it wobbled and clanked instead of whirring and cooling.

The unwelcomed telephone call in the middle of the night, which, thankfully I haven't had in quite some time is another one that really gets the old ticker moving out of a dead sleep. My mom's side of the family was notorious for this. Mainly because someone had died. But, wouldn't they still be dead in the morning? Would it make any difference if we found out about it 8:00 a.m. rather than 3:30 a.m.?

I've also had one other traumatizing event in the middle of the night. It's the over the door shoe rack collapse of 2004. Again, I automatically assumed it was one of the cats dive bombing into the closet, because the closet has some pretty interesting stuff in it, particularly if you are a cat!

But, again I was wrong, it was in fact, the unrelenting weight of the 30 or more pair of shoes that strain the little plastic clips that hold the rack to the door. My new one just broke the other day. But, fortunately, I have a MacGyver in my life and he was able to make some adjustments so it won't come crashing down in the middle of the night.

Fun Stuff

The weekend is starting early in my neighborhood. I was able to leave work about 2 hours early today.

Of course, when I got home I discovered that one of the cats, the one with the stripes, has decided to initiate the couch with pee. Yea, thanks. He hasn't done that in a really long time and I really have no idea what may have provoked it. But, that is how he has gotten the nickname Peebody. Soon, he's going to be called Homeless. Not really, but it's aggravating.

Anyway, the weekend plans thus far seem pretty interesting. Mr. Dorman will make his way to Harrisburg again this weekend. Hopefully we can find some good things to photograph like we did last weekend. Of course, I haven't had the time to put pics out on my Flickr account yet.

This is my nephew's last weekend at home. He leaves for Norwich University next week. He will also be at my house over the weekend. We've got some special plans in the works for that boy this weekend. Some he's sure not to soon forget.

Everyone have a super weekend!!

Mr. Roboto

I see more and more animated movies being made. Recently Ant Bully came out. I'm sure these movies are cute and funny. But, the sad thing to me is, lately all the characters look the same. The kids in Ant Bully look like the kids in The Incredibles.

Computer generated images have really done some amazing things in the world of animation. But, it has also taken the individuality and creativity out of the drawings.

I guess the same could be said for the world of music. As many countless combinations of note can be put together, the music sounds the same because the artists are using machines to make the music.

Is it possible that we rely on machinery so much that were are becoming a world of clones and actually turing off the creative portions of our brains? Will we propogate children of the future that are unable to create through music, art and the written word because of our reliance on computers to do the work for us?

A Walk in the Park

Since I've been working during the daylight hours at my job in the "big city", as opposed to working in the evenings as I had in the past, parking has become somewhat of an issue. Not really and issue but something I've never really had to consider before. Because I work right in downtown Harrisburg, on 3rd Street to be exact (that alone becomes a joke to anyone from Harrisburg. 3rd Street is synonymous with prostitution. However, I've never seen a prostitute on 3rd Street and I've lived here all my life.) Anyway, so as not to have to pay a parking meter or pay an exhorbitant amount of money to park in a parking garage, I park on an island in the middle of the river. It's the same island that has batting cages, the baseball park, miniature golf, etc.

Because I park inexpensively on this island, I then must walk across an iron walking bridge that crosses the river and up about three blocks and left about 10 or so blocks. It's kind of funny, but I usually find myself on these same streets between 9:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. on a Friday or Saturday night since many of the downtown bars I go to on occasion are en route to my office. Once I do get up to 3rd Street, the view is of the capital building which I never seem to get tired of seeing. I'm still inspired by it every day I walk by. Another fortunate thing is that I go to work later in the morning after most of the a.m. rush as gone. So, the walk is usually pretty quiet.

This morning it was especially nice taking this walk. It is always pretty nice getting a good walk in first thing in the a.m. but this morning it was breezy and sunny. The temperature was mild. There were a couple of guys fishing on the river and their boat was parked just beneath the bridge I was walking on. And, I didn't even have a skirt on!!! The water was sparkling and you could see the water currents moving swifter than the rest of the river. I could hear the radio on the boat and I thought, today would be a great day to be on the water enjoying life.

Luckily, I don't anticipate having to take this walk in the ugly winter weather months. I will be at school by then and probably only working in the evenings and will be able to park close to the office. At least, that's what I'm hoping!!

I just got back from a walk/run through the neighborhood. The air is slightly cool and it was just getting dark. And La Bella Luna is enormous tonight!!! HOooooooooooooooooowlllll!!!

Wasted Away Again in Margaritaville

Parrot Heads (which are ironically very similar to Dead Heads) are some pretty creative people. Last night was my first experience at a real Jimmy Buffett concert. Now, a few years ago, I and a couple of friends went up to see Jimmy as he performed live on the Today Show in NYC. That was a completely different animal than what I experienced last night.

The venue, The Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, VA was bombarded with all sorts of craziness. When my Buffett buddy Stacy and I got to the Pavilion, we saw a sea of cars, some with fins on the roof, some with pointy teeth painted on the windshield. There were hula skirts, coconut bras and tiki bars galore. Some folks even brought their own hibachis, sandboxs and swimming pools. Most everyone brought alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol. And yesterdays temperatures were in the upper 90's and very humid. So many of these fans baked in the sun for a good part of the day before the concert and apparently cooled themselves with some kind of frozen concoction.

After we walked about 1/2 mile from the parking area we finally got the gates where we showed our tickets and got into the pavilion. This is where the once moving line came to an abrupt halt. And it was a sea of sweaty, smelly, pushy and highly intoxicated bodies collided.

We finally got to the pavilion which is made up of a covered seating area and then a lawn. The lawn is where people brought blankets and lawn chairs and lots and lots of beach balls.

By the time we made it to our seats, the concert had already started. Which was a little disappointing to me but I got over it quick. There was still absolutely no breeze under the pavilion so the profuse sweating began and didn't stop for about an hour. Jimmy mentioned that at that exact moment it was 15 degrees cooler in Key West than it was in Bristow, VA.

Jimmy did all the favorites, Cheeseburger In Paradise, Margaritaville, Son of a Son of Sailor, etc. He also did many non-Buffett songs. He actually has a guy in the band that was an original member of Little Feat, so some Dixie Chicken was in order. Jimmy also did Southern Cross, Werewolves of London and a tribute to his creole home with City of New Orleans.

Jimmy also had with him a young man named Jake Shimabukuro who played the ukulele. I mean wailed on the ukulele. Have you ever heard a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner on the ukulele with steel drums as back up? It was amazing. This kid was so good!!!

During some of the breaks, they would show videos on the giant screens from concerts earlier in the summer and mainly of the tailgating that goes on in the parking lot prior to the show. All I can say is that some girls have been staying up late and catching the "Girls Gone Wild" advertisements on TV. Whew! Girls...put those things away!

The show was over around 11:00 p.m. We waited a bit to let some of the people get out of the seating area. This was our first glimpse at the lawn which was previously covered with dancing bodies and now looked more like a war zone. There was abandoned blankets, crushed plastic cups, plastic water bottles, and a lone flip-flop (not blown out either!) Then, we made our way back the 1/2 mile to the parking lot. Fortunately, Stacey had her thinking cap on. We had a cooler of water in the trunk and had two folding chairs there as well. We sat in the parking lot for over an hour just waiting our turn to actually leave. And that was normal from what I heard from some of the employees there. This place has only one way in and one way out. Yea, that was my least favorite part of the night. Basically, we sat around drinking water and watching this guy across the way puke his guts out. Good times!

Buffett was awesome, I think this may have been a once in a lifetime thing for me. If you go to a Buffett show, get yourself physically prepared like 6 months in advance. Buffett shows are not for the frail, weak or incompacitated. Nor are they for those that do not like to have fun. Now...where is the shaker of salt??

Down on the Knees of My Heart

Is it just me or do a lot of bad things happen all at once? Of late, I've been informed of a "friend" who took their long time pet to the animal shelter because she was attacking other dogs. I've never been in this situation, but I hope that I would have found another option besides condemning my pet to euthanization.

I've also heard of other folks breaking up with their significant others and family members passing away. I've also discovered of late, that I've been pretty selfish and self-absorbed potentially resulting in the loss of a very dear friend that has been hurt by my actions.

Today, on the way to work I see a very frail, elderly man being taken away in the ambulance, no doubt because of heat related health issues.

Then, at work today I found out about a coworker that was killed in a car accident. She was 22 years old. I don't think I ever spoke to her, but she was a recent graduate (Suma Cum Laude) from a local college, was engaged to be married next year, and was active with local women's shelters. Here is her obituary.

Sometimes the world just seems so overwhelmingly cruel and tragic. I hope everyone that reads this goes home and gives their loved ones a hug and tells them how much they are loved.

Everywhere are Signs

First, let me just say it's hot as blazes here. We were supposed to break the record set a couple of years ago and reach 100 degrees today. And I have to say, I think we just may have. Whew!!

I have been noticing lately that there have been lots of protesters around. I don't know if they've been imported from somewhere or they're just popping out of the closet to voice their opinions.

I mean, in the past I've seen the protesters at Planned Parenthood, the gay bashers, etc. They are still around. Just last weekend was Pride Fest in Harrisburg and from what I heard, the bashers were at it again. There is also the person that has been most boisterous about Planned Parenthood and abortion. This person has a sign they change almost daily depicting dead babies and all other sorts of sometimes absurd viewpoints.

Last weekend when I went to Harrisburg to the Dave Matthews cover band, there were the Bible bangers proclaiming I should "Repent Sinner" and "Mend my wicked ways."

Today I noticed a few more. They were outside the Dauphin County Courthouse. There were about 5 of them urging those driving by to "Honk if they wanted Peace" and "Peace is Patriotic too" and the one that caught my eye: "Fund healthcare not warfare." Which seems like a darned decent request.

So, I don't know if we're just getting really progressive around here or if people have really just had it with the war and all the other stuff going on in the world. But it seems some folks have something to say.

Just an Update

I can hardly believe today is the last day of July. I don't know where the days go, especially in the summer. Maybe it's because I love the summer that it just flies by.

I will start school in about one month. I think I have all the books I need. I ordered them on line through Amazon.com and saved myself about $100 or more.

I've been doing some reading on African Art over the summer. The independent study I will be doing in the fall will basically be a research paper and I needed to find a subject to write on. So, I chose African Art since I don't know much about it. So, I think I have my subject, just need to narrow it down a bit.

Friday was my last day at the sandwich shop. I'm going to be working full time at what was my evening job which will now be my day job. That's what's so convenient about this job. If I need a day off, I just don't schedule myself for that day. If I don't want to work at night, I sign up for day hours.

I'm considering riding my bike to work from now on. Then I won't have to park a mile away, won't have to pay to park and I will get some exercise. The scary thing is the traffic. I need to give the ride in town a try and see how long it takes. The hours at this job are not the usual 8-5, so I really wouldn't need to worry about rush hour traffic.

The next couple of days are forecast to be really, really hot. The heatwave from the mid-west is moving our way. So, doing anything in the afternoon is just out of the question.

Three days till Buffett!!!

All Fun-ed Out

Tonight some friends and I went to Hersheypark. I haven't been there...in well, over 10 years. They have lots of new coasters that I got to ride for the first time tonight. I got my first taste of an inverted roller coaster. That was certainly a new sensation! Let's just say my throat is sore from screaming OH GAWD! for most of the night.

At first we thought they weren't running the coasters because it was kind of stormy round about 5:00. And, it did rain a little. But after we got on some of the water rides and were soaked to the skin, it just didn't matter anymore.

The last ride we rode on was Tidal Force. Basically, there's one big hill and a really huge splash at the end resulting in becoming thoroughly soaking wet. My clothes I swear weighed about 10 pounds.

I've had enough fun for a while. My throat needs a rest. Off to bed I go!

Disappointment

I just heard some disappointing news about the Floyd Landis, the winner of the Tour de France. Now, there are allegations of him doping. They've found increased testosterone in his body. There are still some tests to be done to see if, in fact, he was using drugs to improve his performance.

What fun is there to winning if you have to cheat to do it? Here's this local guy from Lancaster County. He was raised strict Mennonite. His parents don't even have a TV and were in church while he was winning the Tour.

I hope these allegations are simply the French version of a temper tantrum.

The Final Countdown

As it has been in the past few months, my life has been running in fast-forward. And as always the summer just flies by. And most of the time I find myself going, Holy crap! I have this tomorrow, or don't forget about that the day after.

Today is one of the days that I've sort of been dreading. It has been looming out there for the last three months, now the time of reckoning has come. Because I'm going to school full time in fall, I have to get a physical. That's not the problem. The problem is that according to my medical records, I haven't had any sort of vaccinations since I've been like 2 years old.

In light of that, I'm due for about 5 shots today. Yea, go ahead, make the wincing sound. Thanks!

The other thing that has seems sort of far off but is now fast approaching is the Jimmy Buffett concert. It's next week!!! My friend Stacey and I are super excited about the show and the fact that we will get a chance to get away for an overnight visit to the Washington D.C. area. The show is at the Nissan Pavilion in Virginia. Hope the hotel has a pool!! God, what will I wear?!?

Jesus Freaks and Music in the Streets

I do like to go see live music, but don't do it very often for some reason. Well, this weekend was the exception.

Lancaster County isn't just about the Amish and Outlets. There is the Chameleon Club that is pretty cool and has some great music. So, me and this guy went down to hear his brother-in-laws band The Butchers at the Lizard Lounge at the Chameleon Club. Imagine ear piercing, hard driving music in a small venue with a really low ceiling. To get the full feeling of the experience, also imagine thick smoke that burns your eyes the minute you walk into the place.

If you click on their web site, you can get a taste of their music. It's similar to raw, unproduced Beatles, or The Who. Kind of the Sixties meet the Ramones. It was loud, it was fast, and it was fun.

And speaking of Lancaster County, congratulations to Lancaster's very own Floyd Landis for winning the Tour de France. That ought to piss off the French pretty well!

Saturday night was off to downtown Harrisburg for free music, yes FREE! There was a stage set up in the square, streets were blocked off and there were food vendors tantalizing us with delicious smells. I invited my nephew to come along to see One Sweet World, a Dave Matthews cover band. The weather was just gorgeous. There was a beautiful breeze keeping everyone cool and happy. I was kind of disappointed with the amount of people that were there. I mean it was FREE!! It was pretty interesting watching folks um, "express" themselves through dance....if that's what you'd like to call it. Oh well, they were having fun.

Besides the free music, there were other things to do there that were free as well. One of those things was the mechanical bull whose name just happened to be Jesus. I know this because it was on his behind. Without much coercion, Patrick and Brian a.k.a. "John Smith" were in line and signing the inevitable waiver and hopping on board...uh Jesus. While neither got all Urban Cowboy, Brian got extra points for form and style. Patrick was just hanging on for dear life.

Sunday was more free music at Lower Allen Community Park. I was asked to show my photography while folks came to again enjoy FREE music in the park! I was pleased to see people showing interest in my photos and hopefully I will get some sales from the contacts.

It's A Small World

I have asked for permission to blog about this but the "certain someone" never got back to me, so I'm blogging anyway.

So, I have been working the last couple of months at a local sandwich shop. This is not your everyday sandwich shop, it is THE sandwich shop in Harrisburg. We make the best subs around. The shop is not big on ambiance, but our Reubens are the best this side of NYC. I don't care what marbled rye afficionados say... There are two locations. The one I work at is conveniently located off of Interstate 81. So, if you happen to be driving north or south on I-81, stop in!!! At least before July 28. I'm not going to be at the sandwich shop after that date. So, hurry while you still can!!

Often times especially in the spring we get many snowbirds returning to New York or all points north from their winter in Florida.

The other day I thought we had some folks that were doing just that. The man was ordering his sandwich and he had a U.S. atlas on the counter. I asked "are you going somewhere fun?" To which he responded "Upstate New York." "So, you've already been somewhere fun then and now you are returning home?" "We're returning from The Caymans." "Oh, were you on vacation?" "No, we live there." "Wow! I know someone that lives there too, he works on a radio station. His name is Mark." "I know who he is, my daughter works for the same radio station. She does a morning show there."

After this conversation, I quickly ran home and emailed Mark. Now, I think he may think I'm stalking him. Which I am not. I'm stalking someone else. I only have time to stalk one person at a time.

The Devil Wears Prada

Every woman should wear Prada...deviled or not. But did you know that Poets also wear Prada? I came across this web site courtesy of my poet friend Susan Maurer. This web site promotes poetry readings all over New York City.

Another poet web site worth checking out is The Bowery Poetry Club. This place is located ironically in the Bowery of New York City. Susan will be reading there July 30. With none other than the world famous, Feminists in Low Cut Blouses!

If you get to the city be sure to check it out!

A Great Success!!

The opening last night was a great success. There were approximately 75 people there which is a pretty significant number for this small museum.

And, this was Arwen's, the person in charge of the installation, first opening. So, she was a little nervous, but all night I only heard wonderful things from the people that came.

There was lots of yummy food and drinks.











Here are some pictures of the show.

This is Buddah...there is one Buddah, there are many Buddahs.

This gallery was one of my favorites. It is just wide open space with high ceilings. This gallery with the Buddah had all mainly monochromatic images with a few splashes of red. It was my favorite thing in the entire show!

P.S. Happy Bastille Day!!!

Opening Night

During the last couple of weeks at the Susquehanna Art Museum where I'm doing an internship. The museum has been shut down for the deinstallation of the previous exhibit and the installation of the new one.

This is particularly exciting for me since I knew I would actually be working with the person in charge of the installation. And that's what she and I did last week. It was a series of trial and error...."let's move this one here and that one there. Nope, don't like it. I think there's another downstairs, let's get that one. I think there's a stand in the basement, take the cart, let's go get it." And that's how it went for a few hours.

I was particularly thrilled when the person I was working with would ask for my opinion on how something looked. And, I would make my suggestion, and a change would be made. There was one suggestion that I made that she was very pleased with. I think I may have done a cartwheel.

I just love to be inundated with art work. I love figuring out what is asthetically pleasing for display and figuring out how the flow of the entire show will be. So, I guess it's a good thing I chose the major I have chosen. I think it will work well for me. I also learned a great deal following my two mentors around the museum and simply listening to them talk about the arrangement of the art. The major lesson I learned is if/when I'm responsible for setting up an installation, do not fall in love with the arrangement. Nine chances out of ten the person that has the last word will make all sorts of changes anyway. And while that will be frustrating, it will be a learning process as well. Glad I learned that lesson now!!

This exhibit is opening tonight. I hope a lot of people show up. I think the exhibit is a really nice one. I hope to get some pics tonight, but if you'd like a sneak peek....click here.

Paybacks!

Let me take you back to the summer of 1987. A bunch of friends and I went to the beach together for a week. We must have gone in the latter half of July sometime because two of my friends that went had birthdays in July and turned 21. Of course, because my birthday isn't until November, I got stuck back at the hotel with the other chippies while my friends went to the bars.

I still managed to get my drink on pretty well thanks to the guys that were living across the hall from us. They had a fridge full of booze, we had a fridge full of food. So, it was mutually beneficial anyway.

Well, here we are in 2006 and we'll be turning 40 this year. Well, those two friends will be turning 40 sooner than I. I'm going to stay 39 as long as possible. So, while it was painful to not be able to go out when everyone else was 21, it's payback time. Booyah!!!

P.S. Happy Birthday friends!

Patriotic Pooch

Hi all, you may remember me from Random Thoughts blog. I've gottena a new "do" just in time for summer. I'm Jasmine, and yes, the cutest dog in the world. I'm extra cute today because I'm so festive. And, because it's my birthday. I'm finally a teenager!! Whoot!!!

Happy 4th O' July!

Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!

Rain Rain Go Away!

"One day it started raining, and it didn't quit for four months. We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain... and big ol' fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath."

Today is the first that I've seen a strange blue hue in the sky that is usually covered with gray. And there seems to be a large yellow, very bright object in the sky that burns my eyes when I look at it.

You may have seen on the news that there has been lots of rain here in the Northeast. I cannot complain. I live about 10 miles from the Susquehanna River which is above flood stage at this time. And I only have a small stream running through my basement. Which will dry up quickly since it finally stopped raining.

The folks in D.C. and Maryland have really gotten whacked. Even some of the government buildings are flooded. So, I cannot complain about my situation. Although we haven't been able to drink the water, and they've declared a state of emergency throughout most of the counties in my area.

Hope the sun keeps shining and drys up some of this rain!

The City of Brotherly Love?

I couldn't resist posting about this even though this situation has probably gotten more press than necessary.

Seems that one of the most famous steak sandwich places in Philadelphia, Geno's has posted a sign that tells it's customers that they must order in English. Now at Geno's or Pat's another steak sandwich joint just down the road, you have got to be able to order and order correctly. They have no patience for any silliness, and the lines are long so you better step and spit it out.

S0, I guess the owner got a little tired of out of towners coming in and attempting to order in their native language.

I say hats off to you Geno's. It's about time someone makes those that choose not to learn the language, even though they may be living here for quite some time, step up to the plate.

I wonder how this would go over at my sandwich shop? We don't have no-speaka-de-english types but come on. If your biggest decision of the day is if you want mayo or not, I'll trade lives with you! Geesh!

Ahhhhh!

It is truly the most wonderful time of the year....SUMMER!

This is a picture of Adrienne, my friend's daughter. She's playing in a fountain in Meyrin (Switzerland). Isn't that what summer is all about??

A New Eagle Scout

This weekend, I had the honor of attending yet another celebration for my nephew. As you remember last week was graduation. There we celebrated his 95% grade point average, his membership in the National Honor Society and his full ROTC scholarship to University of Norwich.

This weekend, my nephew was awarded with an Eagle Scout award by the Boy Scouts of America. Only 4% of Boy Scouts actually achieve this award.

He was given all kinds of certificates from State Representatives as well as a special visit by Congressman Todd Platts who was unable to attend the ceremony but made a special presentation to Patrick afterwards. And, can I just say that Mr. Platts has been very involved in Patrick's Boy Scout troop as well as sending a letter of recommendation to the U.S. Naval Academy for Patrick.

After the ceremony, there was food and cake...tons of it! We're very proud of Patrick...I'm sure you can't tell!

Those Darned Italians

When I saw this article, I couldn't help but chuckle. It's just so stereotypical which is what makes it so funny to me.

Most everywhere we went on Saturday in New York, the bars were packed with people watching The World Cup. Strangely, I think the only jerseys I saw were for England.

Anyone out there keeping up with The World Cup?

We Have A Winner!

Mrs. Interstellar Lass was very correct in her guess that I was in NYC over the weekend.

My travel companion had lots to see in the city, so we did the whole Rockerfeller Plaza, St. Patrick's Cathedral and walk up 5th Ave. tour. Including the highly anticipated perusal of Tiffany's. My favorite place on 5th Ave. anyway. We walked further up 5th to Trump Towers and finally F.A.O. Schwartz complete with a greeting from a fairy princess and two live soldiers.

Since the day was nice, we decided not to spend the day inside a museum but instead hopped a downtown train and did a little walking in both the East and West Village, visited Chelsea, NoHo, SoHo and some of Little Italy. This walking tour allowed us to see one of the more bizarre things I've seen in NYC. That was the Indian festival that was going on in Washington Square Park. Well, it was more or less a Hare Krishna festival. They were even giving away free vegetarian meals, which looked darned good! There was lots of music, chanting, sari's and bald heads. It was quite fascinating!

One of the final stops was to visit my poet friends Susan and Brigid. You may remember them from their trip up to Harrisburg last year when they read at a local poetry reading.

Prior to hopping the bus back to PA, we made an attempt to get some goodies at the Magnolia Bakery but the line was just too long. Better planning is needed for the next trip. Their cupcakes are sooo yummy!!

Happy Monday Guessing Game

Happy Monday everyone! Hope everyone had a great weekend. I spent the day Saturday in a very special place. Without leaving the country I visited Librarie de France, L'Occitane, Le Maison du Chocolat and many other places. Here are some pictures. Can anyone guess (besides the two of you that already know!) where I was?

The Graduate

Tonight is my nephew's graduation from high school. He has already started his first job as a lifeguard at a pool in a local apartment complex. And he has chosen to go to Norwich University in Vermont as part of their Corps of Cadets. He then plans on joining the Navy. Someone please pass the tissues.

What's This?

Now here's a photo opportunity you don't get every day. A soldier stopping to smell the flowers. Are those Honeysuckles? What's wrong with his hair anyway?

Two of America's Finest

Another pic from Devil's Den in Gettysburg.

The Fantastic Voyage

I'm here! Uninjured, and no one had to post any bail money.

I would like to summarize for you now, (a la Mary Catherine Gallagher) the entire weekend by using the most common phrases and words...well, at least the ones I can remember.

OK so I'll bring it up since we're all avoiding the subject...
Boobs
I like your hair. And I like your boobs.
What's it going to take to get you in that chair?
Oh hey, there's our IT guy! (P.S. who by the way was arrested this weekend!)
Only fags and queers work there.
If you guys are really us, what number are we thinking of?
Let's go sky diving or base jumping just to mix it up.
Which would you rather do, sky diving or get in "the chair?"
"The worst story ever told."
Can you tell us how to get to Fantasyland?
What kind of animal does Pastrami come from?
I'll have a Happy Ending.
Camp Tramps/War Whores
I understand the 69 and the 88 but what's the 63?
Should I get dressed? I forgot my pants
Period clothing
Period underwear
Hey, here's a stump, why don't you take a picture of that?
Look, honeysuckles.
You know you can eat them.

Our Sunday took us back in time to the Civil War on our trip to Gettysburg. We had a most excellent tour guy...thanks again dude.
This is a picture of the typical fencing you'll find around the battlefield.

This is an area known as Devil's Den. Very cool rock formations, fun to climb on. Brian overheard a kid who was walking through this opening say to his mom "I bet no one's ever walked here before." The same thing all other kids think when climbing around the rocks.

A Soldier Sandwich

Happy Friday everyone!

I'm gearing up for another fun-filled weekend. As some of you may know, Dean is home for a while and will be making an appearance to the 'burg over the weekend. So, there will be some partying but hopefully nothing that will result in Fred Flinstone feet, well at least not for me. Some of you may remember my "Misery" blog from back in January. Can I just mention, my ankles still ache??

We'll be out and about with our cameras with a couple of pretty cool ideas in mind. Hopefully they work out. See, we've recruited an unassuming model for the weekend. I'm sure you'll see the pics on all our blogs.

Lass, you're the only one that will appreciate my situation....me, two soldiers for the weekend....any questions? I'll put away the newly purchased Superman sheets for now!

Have a great weekend everyone!