Oh Nathan! Captain Tightpants himself LOL!

Hi to all my (2) readers!
Sitting and relaxing after lunch. Notice how I write a lot after and during lunch? Inspiration or spare time?? Maybe some of both.

So, I found another favorite food that I have become sensitive to. It breaks my heart, but I regretfully have to add Spagettios to the ever increasing list of foods to avoid. I dont have a gall bladder. The gall bladder helps you digest fats. Well, I lost mine at 21. Now, its a FEW ;) years later. I never used to have sensitivities, even though they warned me that I would. That all changed about 3 years ago. First food on the list, POPCORN! I had terrible nausea and stomach pain after eating popcorn. Took me a bit to figure out that the popcorn was the culprit.

Now, I have to avoid fried foods. REALLY avoid them! I stopped at a Wendys for a soda last month and the smell coming out the window about made me sick right there. Drove PAST an Arbys the other day, I had to plug my nose. Maybe the catalyst was being really sick a few years ago. Three weeks in a hospital can change a person I guess. Since then, my lungs are much more delicate. I am super sensitive to smells. Not any of that have to live in a glass room stuff, but strong perfumes, B.O., cigarette smell or smoke and of course, cooking oil - not only makes me ill but can give me trouble breathing. *Sigh* I guess the lesson is to be careful about what you eat BEFORE your body MAKES you!
What do you think? What makes you ill that you used to love?

Nice Day Today

Hi Friends
I love Sundays. They are so peaceful and quiet. I guess my not having kids does factor into the "peace" aspect... I went to a horse show yesterday which was fun. Got to go out to a friend's house out past the Tucson Mountains. She has some of the prettiest views of the desert. Its funny to me how people see the word "desert" in their minds. The word usually brings visions of sand dunes and cow skeletons. If you have never been to Tucson you dont know. The desert is beautiful, alive and GREEN! We are in a cooler season right now so we have these beautiful crisp clear days. Lows in the 40's highs in the mid 70's. The sky is so blue you could just stare at it for hours. The best part, sunsets. I know, I've talked about sunsets here before. This is another one of those things I could describe but those descriptions do no justice. I took several picts for the benefit of a new friend who has never been to Tucson and posted them on my Facebook. The sunset that I caught with my camera yesterday, simply amazing. Winter sunsets are not usually like this one. Ones like this are usually seen during monsoon in june july and august. Those are accompanied by stunning electrical storms and warm rain. The Saguaro National Monument during a monsoon sunset is one of the things that should be on that list of things to see before you die.

In any case, this one was...wow. What do you think? Let me know! It's nice to know if someone likes my blog much less is reading it! ;)
Peace and cheer!
Christine

Interesting stuff on gas prices in Tucson, AZ

So, Ive been keeping track over the last several fill ups on my car, just to see what the trending looked like for pricing. I have a 2000 Toyota RAV 4. I think this is interesting and a little scary. Here are my results...

Drumroll.......

10/25/08 2.699/gal purchased 11.76 gal for a total of $31.71
11/8/08 2.329/gal purchased 12.88 gal for a total of $30.00
11/23/08 1.89/gal purchased 12.17 gal for a total of 23.01
12/7/08 1.659/gal purchased 11.45 gal for a total of 19.00

so over the course of 45 days, the price per gallon dropped almost $1! To think 3 or 4 months ago I paid $3.97...
wow.

Lunch is Gross

FUNNY OF THE DAY
Sittin here, bored, works all done, eatin lunch. I usually like the healthy choice steaming bowls but today its kinda grossing me out. I guess you shouldnt try to eat general tao chicken and rice on a stomach that is just recovering from the flu...Yeah I know, stupid stupid stupid. Oh well, I can fish the chicken out and I will survive.

We finally turned the heater on last night. It was 64 in the house, my teeth are chattering and I said ENOUGH time to turn it on. Why is it every year when you go to turn on the furnace you can never remember how to do it? I have to read the damn instructions every time-and we've lived here 5 years! Humph! Anyway, it's now up and running and my house is a nice 73 degrees. Ive been wanting to sew but its just too darn cold in there. Now at least I don't see my breath. (God, this rice is yucky) So that means I will probably miss the christmas season shoppers on etsy.

To be honest Ive been a little burned out. I needed the mental holiday. Besides, I am now over one year free from retail hell, Im actually in the Christmas spirit! Let me tell you, working retail at Christmas will crush the very essence of the spark of the Christmas spirit right out of your soul. Typically, I wouldnt get into the spirit untill January. Say Merry Christmas to someone on Jan 5th and see all the strange looks you get LOL! Oh god, how many years did I wear a santa hat to work just to try to cheer myself into the season, only to be crushed with "but WHHYYYY cant I buy the super value special laptop!?! Your ad says that every store has at least 5!" This from the idiot that comes in at 3 in the afternoon on black friday, expecting every super sale item to be just sitting there with a big frickin bow on it just for them. Did you hear about the Walmart employee that was trampled to death by frickin black friday assholes? They broke the door down and ran him over. For what? OOHHH a 37" HDTV for $299-that Wii that is on sale?? Things people, these are things. And because of those things, that man will not spend his holiday with his family. His family will have to live through every holiday for the rest of their lives knowing that Daddy died because of greedy bargain hunting black friday shoppers. Makes me sick, can you tell? I remember my last Black Friday working at Office Depot. I took a camera and took pictures of the line that had been waiting since 9pm the night before and the crazy people rushing in and waiting in line. I remember someone cussing at me and saying "put the camera down and get me ___". I dont even remember what the creep wanted. I do remember forever the crazyness. If you are interested, here is a link to the pictures http://good-times.webshots.com/album/556012882TKDBVz

Ok, my lunch is still gross, so I have to go toss it and get back to work. Have a great day and feel free to comment so I dont feel like I'm talking to myself here!

Quiet mood tonight

Hi again
it's me...
but you knew that already

I am finally recovering from the flu. I am sitting here, in the quiet with David Lanz "Variations on a theme from Pachelbel's Canon". You can hear it too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6LnmzK2xFg&feature=related
This is such a beautiful piece of music. You can just close your eyes and feel the days stress flow out of you. I guess Im feeling introspective as well as cold. Hubby is off to get new filters for the heater so I can use my sewing room. Right now, it's an arctic zone. I have never handled cold well. Snow is something best watched on tv. My fingers just lock up and I have a terrible time warming them up again. In the words of the great Gloria Gainer I will survive.

So Im just sitting here, thinking...

Driving home tonight I finally remembered the name of the album of Piano music I bought back in 91 at the Nature Conservancy. It was Return to the Heart by David Lanz. I remember I bought it while I was in art school. I got it on cassette and listened to it in class. Might as well say back in the stone age, when we had the big personal cassette players with the headphones (no ear buds back then unless you broke the headphones and took the speaker part out and shoved THAT into your ear).

But the music was so beautiful

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Found a quote in a book at the thrift store today
"There is no chance, no desitiny, no fate
that can circumvent or hinder or control
the firm resolve of a determined mind"

Just a slip of typewritten paper, yellow with age-but still powerful.
Peace be with you all
Christine

Eva Cassidy

Have you heard of Eva Cassidy? She was a singer songwriter with an amazing crystal clear soprano voice. She died of melanoma at age 33 in 1996. I stumbled on her while looking at etsy forums. The topic was what song moves you... Many many people said her rendition of Over the Rainbow was the most beautiful and touching thing they had ever heard. I looked her up on youtube and discovered her breathtaking voice. This version of Over the Rainbow is amazing. She died so young and was virtually unheard of before her death.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUwTdqPkluY

True to form, blogger isnt letting me imbed the video, so copy paste.

Where have I been Joe DiMaggio....

Hi everyone-all what, 2 or 3 of you? Ah, its all good.

So, what has happened since last I wrote, hmm let me see. Well, we finally told the Bushies where to go and elected Mr Barack Obama as our 44 president. How wonderful and awe inspiring is that really! I have always been a proud American but this made me proud of Americans. We finally stood up and said NO MORE. Makes me smile. Im looking forward to watching Obama work.

You know, I didn't care for Clinton. I found him a bit "used car salesman-ish". All the crap with Lewinski, so stupid. He got several blow jobs in his office by an intern... How many times has that happened in offices across the nation? Hell, it probably wasnt the first time in the Oval office. Sounds like some guys idea of the ultimate naughty sexcapade-a BJ in the president's office. The rest of the world looked at us like we were insane. And then there was W. The first time I saw him on tv when he was running for president I turned to my mother and said "that guy is a criminal, you just don't know what he did yet". She said he was a good christian man. He never fooled me. I saw through to the small minded unintellegence that he embodied. Before the war when they were rattling their sabers, hubby and I said "WAIT!!" but little W wanted his war so he made up WMD to help convince the masses that we should declare war. Iraq didnt have anything to do with 9/11 then or now. And now, in the last month of his presidency, he has regrets. I have regrets too. I regret that that man represented my country. I regret that so many have died-Americans, Iraqis, Afgahnis, and all the others in a war created by lies. I regret my little brother having to spend 2 tours of duty in Iraq. I regret that the GOP has made Christian synonymous with hate and Muslim synonymous with evil and enemy.

I digress though. This is past now, not our present. We should look to our future. The big bright one just on the horizon and a month away. It gives meaning to the audacity of hope, I have hope after so long I really do have hope.

Let's see, what else.... OH, I heard about this movie called Twilight coming out. I have always loved vampire stories-Interview with the Vampire is one of my favorite books. So I decided to read the book before seeing the movie. Went to Borders and discovered there were 4 books. Hmm Harry Potter all over again??? Naaah :) So on that sunday, I bought the first book. Tuesday after work I went back to get the second book. Thursday, the third. Sunday, I went back for the last book. I finished it Tuesday (after obsessing about going home to read for days). Very interesting series and fun storytelling. Check it out!

Anyway, I went to the movie. Dispite a few cheesy bits the story was there. I didnt drag hubby, I know better than to force a "chick flick" on him (HIS description). I thought the actor that played Edward perfect great in the role. His name is Robert Pattinson. I was interested in finding out a little more about him so I googled him (what did we do before google-libraries?? ACK!) He's a Londoner, which suprised me. I didnt know he was English. I didnt realize he was the same person that played Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Saw a few interviews with him and the "English" is very evident. I have friends in England and he reminds me so much of them, especially Az, who is from London as well. Robert strikes me as shy and overwhelmed with the fandom that has attacked him. I would love to hear him talk about how something was "gorgeous" or "brilliant". The main thing is with all the fame over Edward, people (crazy fangirls camping days to see him) loose sight of the fact that he is a person. They create in their minds who they think he is and who they want him to be. That can make for a lonely guy who doesnt know who he can trust in a foreign country full of girls obsessed with him. Made me think what he could use the most was a friend. I am a married woman in love with my husband, so I dont want his body (yes, he is very handsome but please, Im old enough to be his very,very young mother LOL) but I wish him peace and serenity for dealing with the insanity.
And Robert, if you ever need a plaster or a kind words of a friend, you are welcome anytime. Yeah, I know...a little fangirl of me, but it is sincere.

Until my next novella
Christine