Counting My Blessings

I'm thankful...

For the happiest kid ever, Sam-the-Man
For good health
For living indoors
For the smartest husband in the world
For gainful employment
For good friends and a loving church family
For the mountains and the blue skies
For a fenced-in back yard to keep the boy and the dog safe!
For chocolate
For my sister, my best friend of all
For my brother, who makes me laugh
For the nieces and nephews - Hannah, Erin, Jocelyn, Tucker and Robert
For a fuel-efficient car
For wildflowers that pop up in unexpected places
For indoor plumbing
For smiles from strangers
For music
For love
For electric lights and gas heat

Most of all... for Jesus, who loved me even when I wasn't lovable at all.

It's Snowing!

I love snow. (And yes, I know what a dork I sound like. But I don't care. Nyah, nyah, nyah.)

Career Move

I've had something sort of gnawing at the back of my mind, and I finally decided it's time to put it out there and let the chips fall where they may.

I am contemplating going back to school for my master's degree.

There are a few things keeping me from going ahead and signing up right now: 1) the money (DH is working on his master's so two of us doing it at the same time would be a burden), 2) our present location - no program in my field within a half-hour's drive, and 3) the possibility that I might want to branch out into something else.

Do I want to get a master's in education or communications and try to teach college? Do I want to get the master's in communications or journalism and stay put, hoping that it will eventually translate into a promotion locally? Do I want to chuck it all and try something completely different?

What's making that third option seem a little more attractive is, to be honest, Sam-the-Man. I work pretty long days, and I always have to work on holidays, not to mention the occasional weekend. Plus, even teachers make more money than journalists, believe it or not -- I actually picked a field that pays worse than education.

On the other hand, I really do like what I do, and the company I'm with now is spectacular. I know from having worked for Big Brother, at one locally-owned shop that was run by a serious tight-wad, and for public radio, that I have it really good where I am.

I suspect the answer is not going to come quickly, and I'm not sure I want it to. I'm going to be spending some time over the next weeks and months really thinking this over seriously, praying, thinking and praying some more, and maybe thinking or even praying about it.

Before and After

Now I've officially heard it all. There is apparently a huge controversy brewing over the children's book, Goodnight Moon, a personal favorite of my son's, Sam-the-Man. Why?

Because the picture of the illustrator on the back, Clement Hurd, showed him holding a cigarette. So the powers-that-be decided they needed to PhotoShop it out.

Don't get me wrong, I think smoking is a nasty, abhorrent habit and people who smoke are just asking for an early death.

But. Can. We. Just. Get. Over. Our. Political. Correctness?!?!

I thought it was bad when Steven Spielberg saw fit to edit all the guns out of E.T. Now I can't decide which is worse. Can't we just leave well enough alone? Yes, there's a man smoking on the back. You know what, I am fully capable of telling my son smoking is evil. And trust me, that guy's not making it look too cool so I'm really not worried. OK?

Caution: Genius At Work

Space: The Final Frontier

Strong Bad has answered a new e-mail... check it out!

And, uh, while you're at it, live long and prosper.

The Laptop LIVES! It LIIIIIIIIIVES!

OK, Frankenstein joking aside, I am back. Not even the Blue Screen of Death could keep me from my blog for long.

But let me back up. The laptop has been suffering from a severe bout of crashalotitis. I would be right in the middle of something important when the Blue Screen of Death would pop up, then the system would reboot itself without warning. (For those of you unfamiliar with the BSoD, there are actually two types of them... this kind is the more evil of the two.)

Turns out I had a spyware problem. Curse you, evil spyware! But now that I've upgraded my security system... it's all good and the BSoD is gone.

A Borrowed Thought for Veteran's Day

IT IS THE SOLDIER...

It is the soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
and whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag."

-Father Denis Edward O'Brien, USMC

Reunion Wrap-Up

Just to re-cap:

I was *not* the fattest or ugliest girl there.

"Dressy casual" turned out to be date-night-wear -- I picked a pair of black slacks, put on heels instead of flats, and a pink blouse and considered myself ready to go. I was neither over- nor under-dressed.

Everyone loved my hair.

People I never expected to say two words to me in a million years actually hugged me.

The first boy I ever had a crush on is gay and managing a book store.

The first boy I ever danced with, oddly enough, has a nearly parallel career to mine.

My best friend, "Scarlett"* from days of yore didn't make it to the shin-dig. *not her real name*

Sam-the-Man was by far, the cutest offspring of the class.

Most important of all, I finally got closure on a relationship that ended horribly and was able to part on friendly terms with both the guy and his adorable wife, which was really nice.

Is It Just Me?

...or when you see one of these word verification things, do you try to pronounce it in your head, too?

Dressy Casual?

So I've got this 10-year High School reunion this weekend, and the attire is "dressy casual."

What the heck does that mean? The only thing I'm gathering from that for sure is that a prom dress would be too much.

I Must Be NUTS!

Signed up for National Novel Writing Month. I am clearly out of my mind... but after the first 600 words, I'm still feeling good about the decision. Here's to the next 49,400!