Interesting Times

The Chinese have an ancient curse, May you live in interesting times. My life has been little but interesting times. And today was no exception.

It all started with a 2:30 a.m. call from a frantic morning producer, alone at the station with FOUR breaking news stories at once. I rushed in to help. Three hours later, I headed home, helped walk the dogs, then caught a nap.

I meant to get up again at 8:30 and go to the gym. I tried. Really, I did. But I didn't manage to drag my posterior out of bed until 10:30. JBP was a real jewel, letting me sleep while he watched PBS Kids and Disney channel. He never complained once.

I crawled out of bed just in time to head over to Sam's Club, buy a bunch of bottled water and canned soup and take it over to my station. We're holding a drive to collect needed goods to help the folks down on the Gulf Coast. JBP had a real blast helping load the goods into the semi tractor trailer. Too bad he couldn't keep himself from tossing the gravel and getting into trouble. =)

Then, we went BACK to Sam's Club to pick up four rolls of developed film. There are lots of new pictures of JBP and family over on Flickr. Check them out.

Anyway, I finally got to work only to be run ragged with cut-ins all afternoon and evening, updating the situation on the Gulf Coast.

Then, as it looked like things might finally be calming down after the show. A viewer calls in to complain. The reporter was upset about the allegations being made against him. A real hullaballoo. I finally got it straightened out, more or less, shortly before midnight.

So, now I head home for a glorious 6 day weekend. See you later!

Nimitz' Lady

Interesting News

Here are a couple of items I found on the Associated Press wires that I found interesting. Enjoy, Nimitz' Lady.
------------------

AP-Hurricane Katrina-Chocolate

Candy maker saves chocolate in bank vault during power outage

LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. (AP) - A pretty sweet move by a Florida bank.
Candy-maker Jan Lendi didn't know where to turn after Hurricane Katrina knocked out her power last week, threatening to ruin two-thousand pounds of truffles, nut clusters and other goodies.
She was worried she might have to declare bankruptcy and called Colonial Bank in Sea Ranch Lakes. The bank employees said they had power and invited Lendi to make a chocolate deposit.
The sweets stayed cool in the bank vault while much of South Florida sweated out the power outage.
More than 155-thousand homes and businesses are still waiting for power.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

------------------------

AP-Politics-Religion

Poll: Fewer see Democrats as friendly toward religion

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats' efforts to improve their image with religious voters after the 2004 presidential election don't seem to be working.
A new Pew Research Center poll finds only 29 percent of those surveyed view the Democrats as friendly to religion, down from 40 percent at this time last year, while 55 percent say the Republicans are religion-friendly.
But a majority of those who identify themselves as independents say they believe religious conservatives have too much control over the G-O-P.
About two-thirds of those surveyed say they favor teaching both evolution and creationism in public schools.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Hurricane Katrina

Needless to say the last couple of days have been nearly non-stop news about Hurricane Katrina. The storm, which is now just a Tropical Depression over the Ohio Valley, has killed more than 100 people so far, displaced millions along the Gulf Coast and caused more than $25 billion in damage.

While many of us are praying for Katrina's victims we would also like to do more to help out. We also need to beware of scammers who would love to prey on our generous tendencies.

So, I've put together this list of reputable charities taking donations online, via the phone and through the mail. Hope this helps.


ADRA
The American Red Cross
The Salvation Army
Mennonite Disaster Services
Catholic Charities

I'm sure there are many more good organizations out there, but these are the ones I'm familiar with. Even if all we can afford to give is 25 cents, that's more than many of Katrina's victims have right now.

Nimitz' Lady

Verse of the Day, 8-30-05

Zephaniah 3:3-4, 13-15

3 Her officials are roaring lions,
her rulers are evening wolves,
who leave nothing for the morning.

4 Her prophets are arrogant;
they are treacherous men.
Her priests profane the sanctuary
and do violence to the law.
----------------------------

13 The remnant of Israel will do no wrong;
they will speak no lies,
nor will deceit be found in their mouths.
They will eat and lie down
and no one will make them afraid."

14 Sing, O Daughter of Zion;
shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O Daughter of Jerusalem!

15 The LORD has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.

Ouch!

I can't believe I forgot to mention this yesterday. With everything going on I somehow forgot I burned myself, AGAIN! This is the second time in as many weeks.

This was much worse than the scalding I gave myself last time though. Sabbath my Husband was supposed to turn the oven on at noon so the food would be hot when we got home. He swears he did, but the oven was cold as a stone when we got home.

So, I turned it on hoping it would heat the food enough by the time I finished the frybread. It didn't. So, I was taking the dishes out to microwave individual plates.

But, while the dishes were still stone cold, the oven itself was not. And I burned my left wrist on the upper edge of the oven. It blistered so if it's not a second degree burn it's the next best thing.

Although it didn't hurt as bad as the scald did at first. It's hurt a lot longer. In fact, although I can ignore it for hours at a time, it has NOT completely stopped hurting.

Oh well. Hopefully it'll clear up in time for me to take JBP swimming this weekend as this is the last weekend the outdoor pool is open. (Don't get me started. That's another post for another day.)

Nimitz' Lady

This and That

An enjoyable, relaxing weekend for a change.

On Sabbath we had a lady from church and her son, NP, over for dinner. Her husband was originally supposed to come too, but had to go out of town for the weekend.

JBP has been looking forward to being able to really play with NP, not just saying a quick 'hello' and 'goodbye' at church. Long before they brought NP home, JBP had adopted KP and JP as his.

NP is just six months old, but he and JBP certainly had a grand old time, despite a 5 year difference in ages. JBP started doing gymnastics to entertain the little one and NP couldn't get enough.

It was great just to have some real family & friend time, no deadlines, no requirements, just sit back, talk and relax.


Sunday, we hit the road, to the westside of town that is. We had a couple of shopping type errands to run and Mom wanted to check out a recliner sale a local furniture store was having.

Due to back problems, Mom's only been able to sleep in the recliner in our basement couch for months. Problem is, she likes it cold. I'm talking FRIGID. And the coolest room in the house is her bedroom, where the couch is not. So, she was hoping she could find an affordable recliner for her bedroom.

At the furniture store we all found something we wanted. Mom got her recliner.


JBP had fun checking out all the recliners, rockers and couches.




I found a glider I want. Just $250! Yeah, right! Maybe someday I'll actually spring for the $80 version at Wal-Mart.




And my Husband found a massage chair for 50% off. Of course that sale price was still $1000, give or take a hundred or two.

But, all three of us had fun trying them out.

Nimitz' Lady

Poetry

I'm not a poet and never claimed to be. I don't even really enjoy recreational poetry, that's my Mom's purview.

Buuuuuut, every once in awhile something speaks to me in poem form. Mom's genes I guess. This one's been rattling around in my head for a few days.
-----------------

I'm Scared

10 dead, 1 survivor

Children watch their parents die

Families mourn

I'm scared

A girl on tiptoes

Unable to stop the noose

That's choking her to death

I'm scared

Struggling to catch

One

More

Breath

Struggling to live

Finally losing the fight

I'm scared

He hunted the city, county, state

Searching for one more victim

I'm scared

Some comply, hoping he'll let them go

They die

Others fight, he calls them hellcats

They die, too

I'm scared

I'm strong, healthy, confident

I'm assertive, even aggressive

I've been called a b*&*h

But, I'm scared

Could I have fought?

Could I have won?

Could I have been #11?

I'm scared

Nothing Spectacular

Today's been a mixed bag that kind of passed in a haze. Maybe that's because JBP woke me up around 2:30 am crawling into bed with us saying, "I had a nightmare."

I enjoy cuddling JBP, but it's impossible to sleep with him in the same bed. I pity his future wife. This kid is ALL over the place. When he joins us I inevitably end up with bruises up and down my legs.

After he fell back asleep I tucked him back into his own bed. Only to have him wake me up again around 5:50 am as he's running to the bathroom to throw up.

We think it may have been the watermelon, because after my Husband had some for breakfast he felt sick to his stomach too. At any rate, by the time I left for work JBP appeared completely normal. He stayed home with my Mom for the day anyway, just to be on the safe side.

Due to this early rise though, I spent the rest of the day half asleep. Did make it to the dentist to get my temporary cap re-glued in. Hopefully it'll last this time until the permanent cap is put in.

I'm still struggling to get back on the workout horse. Due to the 'Trial of the Century' last week, I've gone nearly two weeks with only about two workouts. Usually I get about 5 per week. Needless to say, I'm really starting to feel the lack.

Although I didn't make it to the gym today, due to the dentist appointment, I did get in a short Taebo videotaped workout in. Usually this only gets my heart rate up a bit. But tonight I'm feeling a little stiff in the shoulders and upper back. I REALLY need to get back to the gym more regularly.

Well, I guess I managed to say an awful lot about not much, hunh? So much for Clear, Accurate and to the Point! (my station's logo)

Here are some interesting stories I ran across on the Associated Press wires today.

Enjoy. Nimitz' Lady.

---------------
Palestinian-American upset by credit-card offer to "Palestinian Bomber"

CORONA, Calif. (AP) - A Palestinian-American man in California was sifting through his stack of mail, when he noticed a credit-card offer addressed to "Palestinian Bomber."

Sami Habbas of Corona then opened the letter, which began: "Dear Palestinian Bomber." So, he called the company that sent the letter, J-P-Morgan Chase. He provided the invitation number from the letter, and two operators then addressed him the same way, asking, "Yes, Mr.
Bomber, what can we do for you?"

Habbas, who is 54, has lived in the U-S since he was three. He served in the U-S Army. He says he was shocked by the letter.

Chase Card Services says it's investigating. It says the information on the letter was on a list that was purchased from a vendor.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
------------------

State announces wholesale price limits on gasoline

HONOLULU (AP) - Hawaii has become the first state in the U-S to set limits on wholesale gasoline prices. The state Public Utilities Commission is setting the wholesale price ceiling for gasoline in Honolulu at just under two-16 a gallon.

The caps apply as of next week, when a new law goes into effect. It lets Hawaii set a maximum wholesale price at which gasoline can be sold. The limit is based on the weekly average of spot prices in Los Angeles and New York, and on the U-S Gulf Coast.

The law doesn't put a cap on retail prices.

Gas prices in Hawaii are the highest in the country, but they could be falling dramatically as a result of the law. The statewide average of the retail price of a gallon of regular unleaded today
reached a record-high of two-dollars, 84 cents. Triple-A says that's four cents higher than in California.

If wholesalers charge the maximum allowed, and retailers keep their usual markup of 12-cents a gallon, prices for regular unleaded would fall to two-28.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
---------------

Police arrest two in California on suspicion of putting gator in city lake

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Police in suburban Los Angeles have arrested two men they accuse of putting an alligator into a small city lake, where it's been for nearly two weeks. Oficers also seized other alligators, turtles and snakes when they arrested the pair.

Despite the lake's modest size, the six-to-seven foot gator has proved nearly as elusive as the Loch Ness monster. It hasn't been seen in days and has even managed to evade professional gator wranglers.

It was first spotted August 12th. Crowds stand well back from the water, look through binoculars and lob jelly doughnuts and raw chicken into the water.

Tim Williams, arriving from Florida's Gatorland attraction, says he hopes to lure the beast by grunting out a gator call, which he says sounds like someone trying not to throw up.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Monday #2

This must be my second Monday in a row. Today started out great and quickly went downhill.

I managed to get my glutius maximus out of bed at a decent hour, had breakfast, worshipped and got off to the gym in time for a step class that went well.

Then, things changed. As I headed back to the day care to pick up JBP, the lady in charge informed me he had hurt himself.

He got a big, long scratch down his left thigh while playing on the jungle gym. A sharp edge that was supposed to be hidden had worked its way out and nabbed him.

Ok, minor injury. I can handle that. Then, as we're leaving one of the other attendants informs me she had to put JBP in time-out twice, for fighting.

Ok, I can handle that. Short discussion with JBP about how to handle fighting & aggressive kids, walk away, tell a teacher, etc. Short version: DON'T fight!

We get home, I get lunch on the table, sit down and dig in. First bite, I lose one of the temporary caps on my teeth!

Ok, I can't handle that. Then, I find out I can't get in to see the dentist and get it fixed until tomorrow! That's it! My day officially is in the dump.

But, things get worse. I get to work to find an e-mail from my boss trashing the show last night. And, another e-mail from my Husband that appears to accuse me of being greedy for giving him the birthday wishlist he's ASKED me for the last several years.

I know he was probably just joking, but by then I was in no mood for that type of joke. I refused to respond to that note.

At this point I just want to curl up in a corner and bawl my eyes out. But, oh yeah, I've got to do that work thing.

Nimitz' Lady

Weepy Weekend

Since the end of our own "Trial of the Century" I've been an emotional wreck. This guy was waaaay worse than any of use, except the cops and D.A.'s office, ever suspected.

It's one thing to know he tortured and killed 10 people over 30 years. But to learn in such excruciating details just HOW he did it was horrible. There aren't enough words to describe just how bad it was.

To top it all off, we carried the whole thing, two days worth, live. That meant we had to have a special delay set-up so we could monitor exactly what hit air to avoid FCC problems (that's a whole 'nother topic).

What that means is, I saw EVERYTHING. Not just what hit air, but everything the prosecutors would say was too graphic for the general public.

I've trained myself over the years to be able to handle awful things without falling apart, at least long enough to get the show done. So, when it comes to big events like this I always have a delayed reaction.

It started hitting Sabbath evening and hasn't let up since; crying at the weirdest and most inappropriate times, inability to handle the least little conflict, which of course just leads to more conflict, and so on.

Since it was the weekend, my Husband and son, of course, got the worst of it. At the best of times those two know how to get each other going, and once they start they can't seem to stop. Normally I try to either ignore or mediate. This time I just blew up at both of them. In the middle of a restaurant.

Needless to say, they managed to make up after that and no more histrionics, for a few hours at least. But that didn't make my behavior appropriate and though I've apologized, I still feel guilty.

So that, combined with my already emotional state, has pushed me deep into the blues.

Nimitz' Lady

Birthday Wishes

Next week I'll turn 31 years old. The age itself doesn't bother me. For some reason I've never attached any specific significance to my age, other than attaining legal voting age.

But, every year as my birthday rolls around people start asking me what I want for my birthday. They want, gasp, a LIST.

A birthday, or Christmas, wish list always seemed kind of, I don't know, greedy to me. But, after a couple of decades of badgering I've decided to give in and provide one. Here it is:

Books:

• Wide-margin Bible (for marking)
• "Even After All This Time" by Afschineh Latifi
• "Early Bird: A Memoir of Premature Retirement," by Rodney Rothman.
• "40 Ways To Raise a Nonracist Child," Barbara Mathias & Mary Ann French
• "Hate Hurts: How Children Learn and Unlearn Prejudice," by Caryl Stern- LaRosa & Ellen Hofheimer Bettmann
• "Life Principles: Feeling Good by Doing Good: by Dr. Bruce Weinstein
• "Finding God in the Evening News" by Jody Dean
• "The Lost Daughters of China" by Karin Evans
• "A Bridge for Passing" by Pearl S. Buck

Music:

• "Fireflies" , Faith Hill's latest cd
• "Time Well Wasted", Brad Paisley's latest cd
• "Diamond Rio: Platinum Collection"
• New portable cd player (for coming trip to Europe)
  

Exercise:

• 8 (or 10 or 12 or 15) lb dumbell set
• yoga mat
• "Taebo: FatBlaster Collection" Billy Blanks latest video

Clothes:

• Please, gift certificates only. I'm so hard to fit (read as "big bust, small waist, big hips"), I really need to try anything on before purchasing.
  

Other:

• Suede comforter, full, from Wal-Mart
• Travel backpack with wheels for pulling (no more than 45 linear inches, length + width + height)
  

The ironic thing is, this doesn't touch on my love of sci-fi. Mostly that's because my Husband keeps me well supplied with the latest releases by all my favorite sci-fi authors. Isn't he a sweetie?

Nimitz' Lady

It's (Almost) Over!

Yeah me! My town's own Trial of the Century is over! Well, all except for a little weeping and gnashing of teeth amongst the lawyers, which.... who cares. Anyway, as expected our little Hitler here is headed for prison, permanently.

The good news is, that's paroled me. At least as soon as my "Special" airs after the late show.

I was really worried, because they were expecting this whole thing to take 3 to 4 days. And I've been scheduled to have Friday off for months before our Annoyance here lifted his creepy eyebrows. Plus, four days would've gone into Sabbath, and I really, REALLY didn't want to work on Sabbath.

Amazing what a little prayer will do for you. All settled in just two days.

Speaking of the power of prayer, nothing big, but a financial save for my family.

Just days after I finally got my fried phone replaced, at half the price quoted by the store (prayer answered) my Husband lost his phone.

It'd been missing for several days, when he finally said he was ready to just cancel the contract. Big financial OUCH!

I'd been praying all along, but re-doubled my efforts after that. Later that afternoon he called me on my cell to tell me he was back up and running. He'd found his cell phone under the passenger seat in his car, the most unlikely place possible. I'm thinking a little divine help put it there.

So, after two days with only about 30 minutes total with my son, I plan to spend tomorrow with him. It's picture day at his day care, then off to the pool for the rest of the day!

See ya!

Verse of the Day, 8-16-05

Amos 5:14-15

14 Seek good, not evil,

that you may live.

Then the LORD God Almighty will be with you,

just as you say he is.

15 Hate evil, love good;

maintain justice in the courts.

Perhaps the LORD God Almighty will have mercy

on the remnant of Joseph.

The JBP Chronicles

This is a regular e-mail my mother writes to keep everyone updated on the apple of her eye.. no longer me, but my son, JBP!

Dear Friends and Family,
August is half over, and I haven't recorded half the cute and amazing things JBP has done. For one thing, I've been busy reading Miss Kendra's blog about their 5-month-old, Nathaniel , whom they just brought home from Korea.

Also, I've been busy finishing up paying writing assignments and working on the syllabus for my single class this semester. I hope these tidbits will brighten your day.
Hugs

Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2005
Last night when he went to bed, JBP made sure he had three pillows -- one for him, one for Dora and one for Boots (Dora's monkey friend).

Yesterday, JBP played with Am over the noon hour at her grandma's house next door. Today, Am came to our house at 9:00, and she and JBP played until he had to go to daycare. He said to her, "I was your dest (guest) yesterday, and you're my dest today." He liked that idea. They
played outside most of the time, as Am is afraid of the dogs. They had homemade juicecicles, and they played with the trains in the family room for awhile. I'm so glad JBP has someone to play with.

Wed., Aug. 3, 2005
I gather that he kept bringing her gifts yesterday -- grapes, strawberries, a soft pretzel. When we got home from work and daycare last night, he ran over to her grandmother's house and invited Am for supper. Her grandma said no.

At bedtime he thanked Jesus that he got to play with "my firend Am." Then he added that he wants "to play with her every day and every night."

Again, he made sure he had pillows in his bed for Dora and Boots -- but this time at the other end of the bed. Monday night, he slept crosswise on the bed, and he's just too long for that anymore.

I had gotten him a Dora coloring book about Best Friends Day. We read it together at suppertime, and he did one of the dot-to-dots.

Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2005
My birthday. I am 60. Can't figure how that can be, since I KNOW I'm only 25. (And here I thought she was still 16!) As soon as JBP got up this morning, he came out to the dining room,
calling, "Happy Birthday, Dwamma." He handed me a spray of artificial sunflowers. The boy has heard me wishing for some Maximilian sunflowers, so he bought me some. He also gave me an eyglass repair kit, informing me, "I paid for both fings."

The repair kit had soft foam guards to put on the nosepices of my glasses. I immediately did so. Oh, the RELIEF. I have suffered terribly with raw spots on my nose from the sharp nosepieces on these glasses.

JBP amused himself with the magnifying glass.

The weather continues unbearably hot, up to 99 on some days. A little after breakfast, JBP came into the dining room again, announcing, "Dwamma! Dere's a cold front coming today!" He might well grow up to be a weather forecaster.

Or a chiropractor. We dropped Nimitz' Lady at the dentist, then drove to the chiropractor for me. They have a playroom to keep kids occupied, but it wasn't enough for JBP. He's seen it before. First, he played with a toddling baby, and then he came into the treatment room and helped the chiropractor work on me. He tenderized my back with a rubber hammer;
then he rolled the wooden beads up and down my back muscles. The chiropractor is very patient; although, she did remark to me, "He's very energetic. I'm exhausted just watching him."

On Sabbath, there was a baptism at church. JBP watched with interest. When a girl he knows (who is considerably older than he) stepped down into the pool, JBP was jealous. "Why do THEY get to be baptized?" he demanded.

A few moments later, he began to cry and wail, "I want to be baptized -- right now. Five-year-olds can be baptized."

Rather than explain the whole accountability thing -- which he's too young to understand and would simply argue with -- we just told him that he needs to take the baptismal course first.

Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2005
JBP met baby Nathaniel at church last Sabbath. JBP stroked the baby's cheek, and Nathaniel reached out to touch JBP's cheek. It reminded me of the picture we have of JBP with one hand in his own mouth and one hand in his mamma's mouth, feeling her teeth. Comparing.

Sunday, I had to play Bee again. This time, JBP sang everything he told the bee about. Sometimes he wants to talk to the whole hive, and I have to "fly" my index finger off, bring it back and wiggle ALL the fingers on one hand to indicate the hive-full of bees. Being an imaginary friend is exhausting.

We had a guest dog again. When Nimitz' Lady's Husband walked our girls Sunday morning, he came back with a rottweiler in tow. The dog, whom we called Rottie, was sweet and friendly. Personally, I've never met a rottweiler who wasn't. We kept him in the garage, with the back door open so he could "step outside" when necessary. "He almost peed on the floor," JBP told me.

Nimitz' Lady's Husband called the Humane Society and city animal shelter to let them know we
had found the dog. On Monday morning, I called the Animal Hospital on the dog's rabies tag
and gave them his tag number. "That's Rockey!" exclaimed the receptionist.

No wonder he had responded when we called him "Rottie." It was close to his real name.
I called his mamma, and she came in a few minutes. Rocky heard her voice outside and got excited. His mamma said she had thought someone stole him.

They were both happy to be reunited.

A little later, a man called, saying he had been told we'd found a rottweiler. When I told him that we had already found it's home, he sounded so heart-broken, I wanted to cry for him. I pray he has found his dog by now.

We didn't let JBP out in the garage with Rocky without adult supervision. Friendly though he was, he was a BIG dog. And he kept trying to mount JBP in a dominance gesture. Once, he jumped up to play and knocked JBP down.

The whole thing was a good lesson for JBP in being careful around strange dogs. Until now, we've been mostly unable to restrain him from running up to any dog he sees.

JBP has done some incredibly cute things in the past week or two, but I forgot them by the time I got to the computer. If I remember in future, I will add the information.

Mysterious Ways

I found this story on the Associated Press Wires. You can't read that and tell me God doesn't exist, doesn't care, etc. He'll use any means necessary to protect us!

Family, doctor says rabbit saved Illinois woman's life

PORT BYRON, Ill. (AP) - An Illinois man says a ten-dollar pet rabbit may have saved the life of his pregnant wife.

Ed Murphy say the rabbit was unusually noisy one night, banging and jumping up and down in her cage. He tried to ignore the racket, and piled noise buffers atop the cage -- but the pet would not let him go back to sleep.

It was then that he noticed his wife, who'd seemed to be sleeping heavily. In fact, he said her eyes were wide open, staring out sightlessly. He called 9-1-1.

Darcy Murphy was quickly taken to a hospital, where she remained five days for treatment of gestational diabetes. Murphy's doctor warns that a hypoglycemic coma can be fatal. But she credits the rabbit with telling the husband "Wake up. Something is wrong with your wife."

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Baby Terrorists?

Now babies pose a terror threat to our skies! At least that's what some airline security personnel seem to think.

According to an Associated Press report, some government authorities have been keeping infants and toddlers off flights because their names are the same, or similar to, people on the anti-terror no-fly list.

The AP says the Transportation Security Administration has a policy of allowing children under 12 to board their flights, even if their names do appear on the list. But, evidently, local screeners aren't paying attention. Go Figure!

Nimitz' Lady

Bruised & Bleeding

That's me lately. I've been making nearly weekly visits to the dentists. And it HURTS!

Warning: that's what happens when you don't go to the dentist for 10 YEARS and ignore a hurting tooth!

Anyway, I had one tooth pulled and am having the two around it capped and bridge put in.
Today, they ground down the two teeth that'll be capped, so the caps can fit on them, then took the molds for the caps.

Now, I have two temporary gold teeth (gold colored aluminum temprorary caps) and a monstesr tooth ache! The temporaries will be replaced with normal tooth colored caps in September.

Plus, my arm's sore after donating blood at the Red Cross yesterday.

I've got rubbery veins that tend to runaway. So it usually takes the vampires, uh, I mean doctors/nurses, two or three attempts to get the needle in. That leaves my arm black and blue.

And, I'm still exhausted and rundown for some unknown reason.

Here's hoping I can just make it through to my coming long (4 day) weekend over Labor Day weekend.

With the expanded (read: Outrageous) hours I'll be putting in later this week, I may even extend that by a couple more days. Lord knows, at this point, I need it.

Nimitz' Lady

Fried Phone update & Canine Guests

It's been a busy weekend in our home. As I mentioned earlier, I fried my phone. It fell out of my purse and spent the night in the grass and the rain.

The cheapest replacement at the story would've cost us about $150. Needless to say, I didn't have that kind of moolah just lying around.

But, with a little prayer and persistance I was able to track down a used phone on E-bay that would fit the bill. I got the phone and paid to have it programmed for approximately $72, less than half what it would've cost me to replace with a new one.

Then, on Sunday, we had an unexpected guest, Rocky.

Rocky is an approximately 1 year old Rottweiler my Husband ran into while walking our girls. He was a giant, friendly teddy bear.

My Husband brought him home, stowed him in the garage with some food and water, then we started trying to track down Rocky's people.

He only had a rabies tag, and the vet wasn't open on Sundays. We checked with the City Shelter, the local Humane Society and PALS, but no reports of a missing hound.

Meanwhile, JBP spent the time making up to the new dog. Unfortunately, our girls pretty much let JBP get away with anything. Rocky however is still half puppy. So when JBP started rough-housing, Rocky played back. Rocky's at least 80 to 100 lbs!

He managed to knock JBP down and put his first real scare of dogs into JBP. After JBP calmed down, we all went back out with him and made him pet Rocky until he was comfortable again.
Now he knows he needs to be careful with stranger dogs.

This morning we called the vet and traced him through his rabies tag number. Boy, was Rocky's Mommy happy to get him back!

Nimitz' Lady

Sleepwalking Through Life

I have determined recently that I am just sleepwalking through life. Between working nights, getting up in the morning with an active 5 year old and trying to squeeze in some sort of exercise regimen there's little to no time for SLEEP!

I barely even remember what REAL sleep feels like.

I just shuffle through the day, hazily aware of what's going on around me, waiting until I can once again collapse in my bed and doze for a couple of hours.

When you have a baby they say expect to be sleep deprived for at least the first year. When does that year end? It hasn't for me.

Perhaps that's why comedian Jeff Foxworthy says when you're young you'll gladly forgo sleep for a little hanky-panky. But once you're a parent, you'll pick sleep and hope you dream about hanky-panky.

So, here's to some sweet dreams!

Nimitz' Lady

Verse of the Day, 8-11-05

Daniel 6:26-27

26 "I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.

"For he is the living God
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
his dominion will never end.

27 He rescues and he saves;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions."

Extra Edition

STOP THE PRESSES!

My son got to walk SE, our older dog, today! He was so excited.

My Mom, who lives with us, was at the hospital with my Aunt, who was having surgery (nothing serious). So, there was no one home to watch JBP while my Husband walked the dogs.

So, my Husband gave JBP the leash to our older, slower dog, SE. She's 14 yrs old now and has lost the will to jerk the person on the other end of the leash off their feet.

JBP has wanted to help walk the dogs since he learned to walk. I arrived home for my supper break in time to see JBP and my Husband rounding the corner to home.

JBP had the biggest smile on his face I've seen in a long time. He yelled, "Mama, I'm walking SE!"

My Husband always releases the dogs from their leashes when he gets to the end of our driveway. When he unleashed JA, the younger dog, JBP leaned over and carefully took off SE's leash.

When we all went inside he told me, "SE thinks I'm her puppy. But, I'm not really a puppy."

Oh, Happy Day!

Nimitz' Lady

P.S. In the pictures on the righthand of the page, SE is the black lab mix standing up, JA is the brindled lab mix lying down.

Heeee's Baaaaccck!

There's this violent, murderous criminal who terrorized the town I work in for decades. Finally, earlier this year police caught him and he confessed and pled guilty. Next week, we all go back to court so the judge can tell this ()*_(&^%^ exactly where to go and for how long.

Don't get me wrong, I pity this man. Obviously there's something extremely wrong inside him to let him do the thing's he's done. But at the same time we need to get him off the streets.

Forget O.J. He is SOOO last millenium. This is my town's Trial of the Century. So, needless to say, my news organization is going ALL OUT to own the story.

What all this really means for me is at least two 16 hour days next week, possibly three or even four! However long the sentencing hearing lasts. Needless to say my LRS is kicking up but good right about now and I'm perpetually exhausted.

Anyway, don't be surprised if I disappear for the second half of next week. I may have simply forgotten where I'm at!

Nimitz' Lady

Ramble of the Day

On the road this morning, I came up with two or three things to talk about today. Unfortunately, I can no longer remember what they were.

So instead I'll ramble on a bit about losing my memory.

I'm not talking about the Alzheimer's or Dementia type of lost memory.

I'm talking about the "I just walked into the living room for some reason, but can't remember what it was" type of memory loss. For short, I'll call it Lost Room Syndrome (LRS).

The onset of LRS can vary, but generally comes along with that other major syndrome, The Mid-Life Crisis!

In my personal experience stress has something to do with the beginning of LRS and definitely seems to make it worse.

For me it came with having a baby. All of a sudden my fresh young mind that was a steel trap, couldn't remember if I'd turned in my graphics request for the day. So, I started making lists.

Things improved after my son's birth. But only temporarily. They got worse again when we moved to another state.

And if there's BIG news going on at work, FUHGEDDABOUTIT! I'm completely useless. I couldn't even tell you if the sky is blue, let alone what day of the week it is or what pair of shoes I'm wearing!

With my newsroom under preps for a major news event next week, it seems my LRS is once again on the march!

Nimitz' Lady

Verse of the Day, 8-10-05

The Verse of the Day is my way of tracking my progress as I read through the Bible. Each is a verse from that day's reading that struck me in some way as being important to remember. I am currently reading the Old Testament Book of Daniel.

Daniel 3:16-18

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.

17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.

18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Fried Phone & Boiled Hand

This has been a painful week for me and my appliances.

Last Thursday, my personal cell phone fell out of my purse in the parking lot and lay in the grass and rain overnight. I had no inkling of this until the office called me the next morning to let me know they had found my phone.

Needless to say, the rainwater completely fried the circuitry. The cheapest new replacement phone available was $150. Yes, was.

I spent the first couple days of this week trying to find a way around that price tag. Eventually, I found a similar phone, used online. I got it for just $42. That's a $108 difference.

On the other hand, pun intended, this afternoon I boiled my hand.

As usual I entered work exhausted and needed a little liquid pick-me-up. Since I don't like coffee, I keep some black tea in my drawer.

After the pm story meeting, I stopped by the breakroom to pick up some hot water for my tea and promptly spilled it all over my right hand! ARRRRGGGHHH!

I'm typing this with my right hand resting on a piece of ice. And I STILL haven't gotten my caffein fix!

Nimitz Lady

Welcome!

Some of you have been invited to check out my rambling thoughts, and keep up on the events in my family. Others have just stopped to watch the wreckage along the information super highway.

In either case, I hope I've given you a few minutes of entertainment.

You'll notice that I rarely refer to specific locations, and use initials instead of names. This is all in the interests of security in this age of identity theft. No offense, but I don't know all of you!

Who am I? A hispanic, thirty something journalist, working somewhere in the midwest. A wife, mother, daughter, granddaughter, niece and cousin. I think that covers all the blood relationships. =) If it doesn't, feel free to drop me a scathing note.

Everything else is likely to change without notice, so stay tuned!

Nimitz' Lady

Verse of the Day, 8-09-05

Daniel 2:20-23

20 "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.

21 He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.

23 I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king."

Amen.

No Smoking & No Urinating sections

Recent public service announcements have equated the effectiveness of No Smoking sections at restaurants with the effectiveness of a No Urinating section at a swimming pool.

In other words, not really. Effective, that is.

The latest news about Dana Reeve seems to support that. She's Mrs. Superman. Christopher Reeve's widow.

According to the Associated Press, the 44 year old actress is "one of a growing number of non-smoking women under the age of 51 being diagnosed with lung cancer."

Her doctors say reasearchers are trying to figure out the cause of the spike. I say that means they're clueless.

But, common sense says, second-hand smoke!

My experience with actors (high school and college) as well as journalist, is that even if they don't smoke, they second-hand smoke.

In other words, during breaks they hang out with the smokers, inhaling all that toxic smoke just as deeply as if they had put the cancer stick to their own lips.

And this is coming from a former second-hand smoker who's still trying to break the habit. =)

But what do I know. I don't have the medical degree that allows me to say, "I'm trying to figure out the cause."

Nimitz' Lady

Planner extraodinaire, a.k.a. Temporary OCD

I've often said I'm selectively compulsive. Sometimes I'd swear I've got a temporary case of Obssessive Compulsive Disorder.

When it comes to work, and school work, everything MUST be perfect, or it doesn't pass my basic measure of acceptability. Needless to say this made for an extremely miserable honor student, whenever I got, oh say, an A-! (note the sarcasm here!)

This rule, of course, only applies to me. I, oh so graciously, allow others to be humanly imperfect.

But, in everything else in my life, good enough will do. e.g. I've always said my house is o.k. messy, but it's not allowed to be dirty. That's just plain unhealthy.

Occasionally however, I reach the obssessively compulsive stage, usually when planning a big event, such as a trip overseas, my wedding, etc.

My husband and I are currently planning a trip to Europe. I won't get more specific for security's sake.

Anyway, the trip isn't until November and I've already written up a packing list. I've got a perfectly good reason, we're going away for 10 days, one man, one woman and a child. I want to make sure we've got everything we need, without dragging giant, heavy suitcases along. After all, we're not going for 10 months, just 10 days.

On the other hand, the trip is still 3 and a half MONTHS away and I've ALREADY got a packing list.

Nimitz' Lady

Snap, Crackle & Pop

Note to smackers, chompers and poppers

When in public, keep your gum (and other foodstuffs) to yourself.

I'm a popper too. I understand the nearly irrestible urge to make some noise with that yummy wad of rubber in your mouth.

But, in public is not the place to do it. Although it's fun to snap, crackle and pop, it's not fun to watch and/or listen!

This last weekend I attended a showing of the musical AIDA and the teenage girl sitting next to me ruined a good portion of an incredible show with her constant snapping and smacking.

All I can say is: to my mother whom I've annoyed for years while popping my gum at home and in the car, "I'm soooo SORRY!" and I'll try not to do it again.

If I do, you have my permission to pop me one, right in the jaw!

Nimitz' Lady