The Joint Is Jumpin'

The Best Pic of Today's Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T14:19:00.000-04:00

I LOVE the little girl's expression!

(Yes, I know she was covering her ears because the fly-over was LOUD. However, without that information, it looks like a combination of "loud noise + itchy/uncomfortable clothes + boredom + being 3 yrs old + oh, geez, they're kissing again".)

Congratulations & Best Wishes to the happy couple! May they forever be this happy together!

Rick Rolling the Oregon Legislature

2011-04-10T09:06:00.004-04:00

I'm a BIG fan of using humor to cut the tension in difficult situations. I'm also a BIG fan of bipartisanship. So, when I saw this, I just had to share!

The Oregon legislature was evenly split with 30 Democrats and 30 Republicans. As things got more and more heated, and more and more partisan, one lawmaker was trying to come up with a way to get people to work together. His inspired idea? To enlist some of his colleagues to surreptitiously Rick Roll the state legislature.

They each were assigned specific lyrics, with the instructions that they were to nonchalantly insert them into their speeches. This had to be done seamlessly so as to not tip off the rest of the legislature. ("I'm never gonna" would be easy. Some of the others, not so much!) The proceedings of the meetings are videotaped for the public record, so after the session, they got the footage & then edited it. Here are the results:

Best of all, tensions were released, it was clearly a bipartisan effort, and the relationships that were formed will be useful going forward. (Oh, and other colleagues have asked if they are going to do any more & if so, can they be part of it.)

Stomp & Paul Simon (and Jimmy Fallon)

2011-04-07T20:24:00.002-04:00

What an awesome exploration of rhythm!!

Springtime in Washington

2011-03-31T12:46:00.004-04:00

Most people hear "Washington" and immediately think of Congress, politics, and partisan bickering. Yes, that's all part of Washington, but it's also so much more than that. It's a city/metropolitan area filled with art. And gorgeous architecture. And amazing museums, monuments, and landmarks. Mix all of that together with Mother Nature and at certain times of the year, it is a city of breath-taking beauty. This is one of those times of year....

Help fight Breast Cancer

2011-03-16T14:55:00.004-04:00

Yes, I know I haven't posted in forever -- at some point, I'll explain the long absence. But, I'm here now & want you to watch this video. 136 former NFL cheerleaders got together and learned a dance. Every time someone watches this video, United Health Care of Pennsylvania will donate $ to the Philadelphia chapter of the Susan G. Komen foundation. They've already donated more than $100, 000. The video currently has more than 3,000,000 views & when they hit 5,000,000, UHC will donate an additional $50,000.

So, go on. Watch the video. Share it with others. And let's help donate more money for Breast Cancer prevention & research!

Support the Troops!

2009-08-08T09:42:00.010-04:00

A local organization here in MD has been formed with a simple mission: to support the troops returning from Iraq or Afghanistan & to encourage others to support those troops.

What's really neat about it is how they are doing it. We've all heard stories about personnel in uniform being thanked in airports or people buying them meals or what not, but how do you know someone has served if they aren't in uniform? This organization solves that problem by creating a sticker that they can put on their car:

Simple. Easy. Effective.....

Another great thing is this organization has no political agenda or affiliation. Their mission is to support the returning troops and anyone who wants to do that is welcome, regardless of political leanings. Considering the political climate we live in, how refreshing to find something that is truly bipartisan!!

Lastly, this is being done solely by private funds!! Stickers are free for those who served (or families of those currently serving). If you fit in that category, click on their website and request the appropriate sticker and it will be sent to you free of charge. (I know there is a volunteer "envelope stuffing party" being held in the area today where they expect to send out 200,000.)...If you are not in that category, but would like to contribute, you can donate thru the webpage/paypal. Each sticker costs only $.04 to make, so even a small donation can go a long way/help a lot of ppl.

I just donated. And while I can't make today's stuffing party, I do plan on helping out at the next one. The way I see it: if a sticker brings about even one thank you, that's $.04 very well spent!!

The Sweetest 4 words in the English language right now

2009-08-04T16:44:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned before what the worst 4 words in the English language are to me. But I just got an email that contained the sweetest 4 words:

PET Scan is clear

WOO HOO!!!

While that's good news anytime, it's especially significant this time. You see, this marks 2 years cancer free, which means my sweetie is officially considered to be in remission!!!!!!!

It's been a rough couple of years to get to this point, but the important thing is we are now here!! There's going to be a (probably noticeable) spring in my step as I head out of here tonight!!

WOO HOO!!!!

Prayers Needed

2009-07-29T05:57:00.004-04:00

My mom is having surgery today. She has a tear in her rotator cuff that needs to be repaired & a bone spur on the shoulder joint that will be removed at the same time.

This is a first for my mom as she's never had surgery before. I told her that if she wanted to take a page from my playbook, I would have preferred that she take a dance class. :-)

If you've got a moment to send up a prayer or to keep a good thought that everything goes well for her, I'd appreciate it.

How Do You Say that in English?

2009-07-26T20:31:00.003-04:00

It always surprises and amazes me when I come across something that I can express in aother language, but don't know how to say it in English.

For instance, I can't sail in English. I'm sure that sounds strange to most people, but I had never been sailing until I was an exchange student in Sweden. My host family had a 30+ foot sailboat and we spent a couple of weeks sailing on the Baltic. Never having done it before, I learned all my terminology in Swedish....A couple of years later, a friend took a group out for an afternoon sail. She had asked before hand if any of us had been sailing before & I told her I had. Thus, she was expecting me to be able to help out. Unfortunately, I discovered that I couldn't sail in English when she called for me to do something and I had no idea what she wanted.

I just ran into a similar situation. My SO needed to meet up with someone who lives approximately an hour away, so they decided to meet about 1/2 way. They wanted someplace easy to find/hard to miss, and right off the freeway to make it easy. The perfect location turned out to be an Ikea.

This is the closest Ikea to me, but since it's 35 minutes away, I don't go often. This may be a good thing as I tend to spend more than I'd like to admit there. Unlike most ppl, I don't spend it on the furniture. Nope, I could spend tons of $ in that little area outside of the cashiers that sells Swedish food. Admittedly, Swedish cuisine isn't well-known; when was the last time someone said, "let's go out for Swedish tonight"? But, for me, it takes me right back to the time I spent there & there are things I really love that one just doesn't find anywhere in this area other than Ikea.

So, I wanted to ask my SO to pick up something for me.....but I didn't know what to call it in English.

Luckily, I was able to describe the items well enough that he figured it out. (Actually, I gotta give it up to my sweetie -- not only did he get the item I wanted/asked for, he also got me 3 or 4 other things that he knows I like. )

But, yeah, it's a very odd feeling to hear oneself saying, "I don't know how to say that in English," when English is one's native language.

Ruby -- The Adventures Continue...

2009-07-04T09:43:00.004-04:00

When I first introduced you to my foster dog, Ruby, I ended the post by saying "more adventures to come". What an understatement that was!!

First, she went into heat about a week after coming here. She was scheduled to be spayed just 2 days later, but that had to be postponed until she was out of heat. We survived that and a month later, she got spayed and after recovering from that, was finally ready to find her forever home.

The first family that was interested would have been perfect for her. They'd just had to put their previous dog down, and ultimately decided they wanted another male, so it was a no-go. The next family that inquired wasn't a good fit -- Ruby is a bouncy, in-your-face, play-play-play type. This family has a dog with hip issues, so he could unintentionally end up hurt if Ruby were to bounce on him. Thus, she was still hanging around here until the right home could be found.

Then came last weekend. Sunday morning, Ruby started having grand mal seizures. They were thankfully, short-lived, but pretty dramatic -- she was out of it/unresponsive, back legs paddling, rest of the body stiff/arched, hypersalivating, shaking violently. Think of the way Hollywood portrays a seizure & this was the canine equivalent. She had 7 of them in the first 24 hrs, until the vet was able to get her stabilized and on meds to control them. The good news is she hasn't had any since. The bad news is they can't figure out what caused/is causing them.

She's been walking around like a "punch drunk sailor" as her body acclimates to the meds. She's getting better, but still is lacking somewhat in coordination. It's like her back half and front half are a 1/2 beat out of sync. A couple more days and hopefully she'll be back to her usual bouncy self. Who would have thought I would miss that?

Michael Jackson RIP

2009-07-04T08:48:00.003-04:00

I know it's been more than a week since Michael Jackson passed away, but this is the first time I've gotten the chance to sit down and put my thoughts together. Mostly, it's just sad to lose anyone that young, but most especially to lose someone with that much talent & artistry.

His songs were the soundtrack to most of the jazz classes I ever took. One of my jazz teachers actually was in the video for Beat It and again in the Weird Al parody of it, Eat It. (In Eat It, he was the "gang member" in the white leather jacket with the smiley face & "have a nice day" on the back.)...It's rare that I don't hear one of those songs and it doesn't place me immediately back to whichever dance class where we used that song.

Another one of those "burned forever in my mind" memories from high school was the time when 3 of us decided we had to go get ice cream from a place approximately 30-35 minutes away. The only one of us who had use of a car that night was a friend who could borrow his mom's car -- a small convertible. (Luckily, I'm small enough to fit in the back or it wouldn't have worked.) That friend was in the process of creating a music mix, but the only stuff he'd gotten to so far was 3 old Jackson 5 songs: ABC, I Want You Back, and one other that escapes me at the moment. For 35 minutes out there, and 35 minutes back, we heard those same 3 songs over and over again, top down, singing along...I don't hear any of those 3 songs without thinking of that night.

And who (who was around) can forget the impact of the video of Thriller?! A friend of mine managed to record it and we played it over and over until we managed to break it down, and then we knew it by heart. Yeah, I'll admit it, we were all dancers, so we kinda get a pass, but I'd bet there are tons of others who, if they were being honest, would have to fess up to the same thing & they wouldn't have the excuse that they were dancers.

He was always breaking new ground & and what he did one day would be tweaked & modified and incorporated until 10 years later, there it was at the core of whatever was hot. The "heartbeat" in today's hip hop? Take a look at this video of Dirty Diana and you'll see it developping:

And, yes, as a dancer, I know that the Moonwalk came directly from Bill Bailey:

but you gotta admit, MJ made it his own and it grew from there. And, I think that's really the saddest thing -- that we'll never know what he would have done next or when that next iconic thing would have appeared.

Happy Fourth of July!!

2009-07-04T08:43:00.003-04:00

I'm Okay

2009-06-23T09:13:00.003-04:00

Just a quick post to let anyone who might be reading this know I'm ok. Yes, I commute by Metro. Yes, I ride the Red line, even going home in the same direction the 2 trains that collided were headed. I, luckily, don't get on until a few stops beyond where the crash happened. I, also luckily, left my office about the time of the crash, so got to the subway about 10 mins after the crash had happened. My commute home was slow-going & took more than twice as long as it usually does, but was otherwise uneventful.

Depending on which station/news report/website you look at, there are at least 7 and possibly 9 fatalities; there could still be more to come. There were about 75 ppl injured. Please keep these ppl and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

The Egg Fairy

2009-06-22T10:36:00.006-04:00

Seeing how I live in the suburbs of a major metropolitan area, there really aren't many farms right around where I live. Somewhat surprisingly, however, there are some very nice farms not too far away, within an hour or so. I had reason to visit one yesterday (Legacy Manor Farm).

While I was there, the owner asked me if I could use some eggs. She explained that they had more than they could use & since their next scheduled market wasn't until Wed, they were getting overrun with eggs. In fact, she was throwing them out for the hogs to eat because she had to do something with them. I said, "Sure, I can take some" figuring she'd give me a dozen or maybe two dozen & gee, freshly laid eggs from free-ranging birds sounded pretty good to me.

HA!

She loaded a HUGE box of eggs into my car. When I got home and got them sorted out, I had more than 16 dozen eggs!!! I'm not a frequent egg-eater, so 2 dozen would have been pushing my outer limits (and would mean needing to bake something to use them up), but there is NO WAY I'd ever be able to use up almost 200 eggs before they went bad!!

So, I played "egg fairy" yesterday. I called friends and visited neighbors, bearing fresh, organic, free-range eggs. I manged to give away somewhere around 9 or 10 dozen eggs (rough estimate) so far, & will be bringing more with me to our dance classes tonight for our students and those who help us out to share the wealth. (I feel a little bit like Oprah: "you get a dozen, and you get a dozen, and you get a dozen...."

I am the egg man!! I am the walrus!! Coo coo ka
choo!!

Be the Match Marrowthon

2009-06-11T13:14:00.004-04:00

I've written before that bone marrow transplant is a subject that's near and dear to my heart. Thousands of people each year are thrust in the unfortunate position of needing a transplant due to leukemia, lymphoma, genetic disorders, etc. In about 70% of those cases, there isn't a suitable match within the family. Imagine how scary it must be to be that potential recipient, hoping that there's a match in the national database & the relief they must feel if they're lucky and one is found. Every person who joins the registry as a potential donor increases that potential recipients odds that a suitable match can be made...

Every once in a while, the National Bone Marrow Program provides the opportunity for new participants to join the registry free of charge.* The current opportunity runs until Monday, June 22nd, while funding remains. Their hope is to add 46,000 new names to the registry during this Marrowthon.

The process of joining is easy:

Confirm your eligibity -- are you between the ages of 18-60 yrs old? in good health/meet the medical guidelines? live in the US? etc.

Complete the online form & a registration kit will be sent to you.

When you receive your kit, follow the instructions to do a cheek swab & send it back to them.

That's all there is to it -- quick, easy, painless & if you do steps 1 & 2 before June 22nd, it's also free!

*A question I often get asked is why isn't it always free? Bone marrow matching is based on number of factors. Bottom line is it takes $ to type each sample that comes in, so they can determine which of the potential donors would be a match for a specific person in need of a transplant. Funding has been provided for the Marrowthon, so the cost associated with typing any new registrant has been covered, but donations would gladly be accepted from those who are able so that the funding can be stretched further.

Tragic

2009-06-11T13:07:00.002-04:00

My thoughts & prayers are with the family of Stephen Johns, the security guard who was shot & killed at the US Holocaust Museum yesterday. How sad that a place that stands in witness of the consequences of mankind's inhumanity and of the dangers of intolerance became a place of further intolerance.

Happy Mother's Day!!

2009-05-10T07:09:00.003-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, most especially to mine!!!!

Perspective

2009-05-04T15:56:00.002-04:00

It's been raining off-and-on (mostly on) for the past 5 days or so. Like most ppl in the area, I was getting pretty fed up & frustrated by the rain, or more accurately, by the lack of sunshine. Until yesterday, that is.

During a brief let up in the rain, I got to play outside with 2 of my nephews, ages 4 and 2 yrs old. After watching the 2-year old splash thru the puddles with wild abandon, I suddenly didn't mind the rain quite so much.

Thankful Thursday Friday

2009-05-01T11:52:00.004-04:00

A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.
- Ecclesiastes 3:4

This week, I'm thankful for having been blessed to know Frankie Manning for 20 years. It's not everyday you meet someone who truly changes your life. Frankie did that for me in January 1989. I wouldn't do what I do if it weren't for him.

My favorite comment about Frankie's passing was "We now have the answer to the age-old question, 'How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?' Answer: 2. Frankie & whomever he chooses as his partner. The rest of the angels will back off to give him room & watch."

This was a tribute put together by some local DC dancers. It only scratches the surface of what an incredible man he was and how much knowing him has meant to me.

Teacher, Inspiration, Friend

2009-04-27T09:26:00.003-04:00

I wrote about Frankie here. I was honored to organize his 82nd birthday party back in 1997. I am deeply humbled, extraordinarily honored, and profoundly grateful to have called him my friend for the past 20 years.

God speed, Frankie. A one, a two, you know what to do...

An Interesting Morning

2009-04-21T20:11:00.007-04:00

Unlike, say NYC or Chicago, you won't find a subway stop every couple of blocks in the Washington area; instead, DC's subway was built on a "hub and spoke" system. It's great for moving ppl into the center of the city, but not necessarily for getting from point A to point B outside of that central area.

One of the results of that design is that the Washington subway system is, on average, a bit less...um...colorful than some other big-city subway systems. For the most part, my fellow passengers during the morning rush hour are also your professional 9-5ers, all heading into their offices for the day. On average, it's pretty quiet in the subway car, as ppl tend to doze, read the paper or a book, do a crossword puzzle, etc.

Then there are days like this morning. There were delays on the line, which meant the car was much more crowded than normal. Then, a (most likely mentally-unstable) woman got on, lugging a cartload of stuff with her, which wouldn't be much appreciated on a regular rush hour, but was even less so given the overly crowded conditions. She started telling everyone w/in earshot how she had taught herself to play multiple musical instruments, never had a lesson, etc. She then decided to show us with a little performance.

Let's just say, you haven't lived until you've heard both the US Marine Corps anthem ("from the halls of Montezuma....") and the Star Spangled Banner played on the harmonica in the middle of a crowded subway car during your rush hour commute.

Let's hope tomorrow's commute goes back to being quiet & not very colorful.

By the Numbers

2009-04-18T18:18:00.006-04:00

Tiburon's "By the Numbers" post got me thinking I should do one, too. All in all, today was a pretty productive day:

# of stores visited & from which I'd already checked out before 9:00 am: 2
# of bags of lawn trim currently waiting to be set out for pickup: 8
# of additional bags it'll take to get rid of all of the trimming done: another 6-8
# of tomato seedlings planted: 5
# of sweet peppers planted: 2
# of broccoli seedlings planted: 6
# of strawberry plants planted: 2
# of feet of push-in garden "fencing" set up to prevent dogs from getting plants: 16
# of dogs currrently in residence: 5
# of dogs who are permanent residents: 3
# of dogs I'm fostering for rescue: 1
# of dogs staying with me while friends are away: 1
Combined weight of dogs currently in residence (in lbs): 262
Largest dog's weight in lbs: 82
Smallest dog's weight in lbs: 4
Weight of human in residence: yeah right! like I'm posting that!!
# of times I've almost stepped on the littlest dog today since I'm not used to having such a small creature around: way too many to count
# of dogs who like to chase bumblebees: 2
# of those dogs who have gotten stung: 0 (but I'm afraid that's going to change)
# of dogs currently asleep: 5 (yay!)
# of those dogs sleeping w/in 1 ft of me: 2
# of muscles that are going to hurt tomorrow due to all of the yard work today: all of them!!

Thankful Tuesday

2009-04-14T10:05:00.003-04:00

Some things are just too good to wait for Thursday to roll around. This is one of those things:

My SO's most recent PET scan was clean!! There is currently no evidence of cancer or cancerous activity!!!

Despite the fact that rain is actually physically falling outside, it seems like a very sunny day from where I'm sitting!

Thankful Thursday

2009-04-09T15:09:00.005-04:00

Things I'm grateful for this week:

Thursday -- only one day left until the weekend, yay!!

Pandora -- I know, I'm late to the party. I've actually known about pandora.com for a while, but until a recent upgrade to our computers/network at the office, we couldn't get to or use it. Now that we can, I've had it playing in the background nearly every day. Of course, I've been grooving to lots of old favorites, but the best thing is the new-to-me songs or artists I've discovered when it's given me things that are similar in nature to those songs I told it I like. If you aren't already using it, check it out!!

Spring flowers -- Between the cherry blossoms & the magnolia blooms, DC is pretty much busting at the seams. Add in the daffodils and tulips blooming in my front yard, and it's pretty hard not to smile or not to be in a good mood.

Getting a major vote of confidence from the higher-ups at work. Even better was being able to back up that vote of confidence by taking the ball & running with it/finishing the project within the time frame in which it was needed. Something like that is always nice, but it's especially satisfying given the current economy. Every little bit of extra job security is a good thing as far as I'm concerned!

My foster puppy FINALLY being out of heat. She was scheduled to be spayed so she could move on to her permanent home, but came into heat just before, which meant the surgery had to be postponed. She's now out of heat (and acting/feeling more like herself again), which means that a) we can reschedule the surgery, and b) I can take her out for walks again. Being able to get her adequate exercise will certainly help evenings be calmer around my household until she moves on to her forever home!!!

Good friends who have rallied around me these past couple of weeks as I've had to deal with a difficult person and the resulting drama said person likes to cause. While such things are just a part of life & we all have to deal with them from time to time, it's great to know I've got people who have my back and make such unpleasantness more bearable.

How bout you? What are you thankful for today? (Thanks to Tib for the super-fly, retro-inspired new graphic.)

April Fools II

2009-04-01T11:53:00.002-04:00

Apparently, Facebook is also having a little fun today, too. I found this amongst my notifications:

Spring in Washington

2009-04-01T11:07:00.004-04:00

Spring is one of the most beautiful times in Washington. Ppl come from all over to see the famous cherry blossoms. They are most concentrated around the Tidal Basin, near the Jefferson Memorial & that area is usually very crowded during peak bloom, but there are other areas with beautiful blooms as well.I'm still learning what my camera can do, what settings produce what shots, etc. The best way to do this is to practice, so I brought my camera to work the other day & planned to go over to the Tidal Basin to take pics after work. Unfortunately, I had to finish some stuff up & didn't get out as early as I'd hoped. Thus, I decided to skip the 2 mile walk to the Tidal Basin in favor of spending the time (and the good lighting conditions) shooting near the US Capitol, along the Mall, and near the White House instead.These are some of my favorites from the shoot. (If the weather conditions cooperate, there will be more coming, but the forecast doesn't look too good for the rest of the week.)

April Fools!!

2009-04-01T10:26:00.005-04:00

I love a good practical joke. As long it's not in any way mean-spirited and no one gets hurt, then bring it on!! And, I say that as both an occasional perpetrator of pranks & as the one being pranked.

There's a fine tradition of the British press pranking on April 1st. Probably the most well-known example is from the 1980s when they reported that Big Ben was going digital. Classic!! (and amazing to me how many ppl fell for it.)

This year's Guardian report of how the paper will cease paper publication & go entirely to Twitter feeds is pretty good. I particularly like the effort to retrofit the major historic events to the format (e.g. the start of WWII would become "OMG Hitler invades Poland, allies declare war see tinyurl.com/b5x6e for more") . Not to be outdone, the Telegraph reports on how swimming fish could be the key to generating electricity.

Except for the famous full-page ad that said that Taco Bell had bought the rights to the Liberty Bell, I can't remember the American press ever joining in on the fun (and does that really qualify since it was an ad, not an article?).... Until now, as this was in today's Washington Post.

Even the usually-stodgy Economist has gotten into the game: "As part of a strategy designed to broaden the revenue base, leverage content over new platforms and promote The Economist brand to a young and dynamic audience, The Economist Group is delighted to announce the development of a public-entertainment facility that combines the magic of a theme park with the excitement of macroeconomics..." I can't wait for Econoland to open!!

How bout you? Seen any good ones today to add to the list?

Happy Birthday, Griffin!!

2009-03-12T11:30:00.004-04:00

My littlest nephew turns 2 today. Wow, how time flies!!

Thankful Thursday

2009-03-12T11:04:00.003-04:00

It's been a little while, so I'm overdue for showing a little gratitude. Today, I'm thankful for:

My 2nd mom's finally getting to go home from the hospital. It was great to hear from her!!
Daffodils. I've got about a dozen blooming in the yard and it brightens up the day whenever I see them.
Silly puppy antics. As exhausting as it is to be fostering a young 'un, she is quite entertaining.
Fresh, red, ripe strawberries. Simply delightful!!
Starting up our dance classes again. It's kind of tough suddenly not having my Monday nights to myself anymore, but I do love teaching and we have good classes this go round, so it is kinda fun. It's always nice to see students from the fall classes come back, as well.
Getting a clear vote of confidence from the higher ups at work.
Getting to see my nephews this weekend. It's always fun to spend time with them.
My new camera. I'm LOVING it!! Only a couple more weeks til there should be some fantastic opportunity for "Spring in Washington" shots.

So, how bout you? What are you thankful for today?

March Comes In Like A ...

2009-03-02T18:28:00.004-05:00

Polar bear? ...This year, that seems more appropriate than a lion since we got hit with a classic Nor'easter. I got 6 inches of light, fluffy snow at my place. Some parts of the area got up to a foot.

I took the liberal leave that was offered by my office & stayed home to play in the snow with the dogs. With 3 sled dogs and one puppy whose origin is the Swiss Alps, you can just imagine how happy they were to have snow. The back yard became a dog track for a while as the puppy chased my 10-yr old dog around and around and around.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any pics, but there's a nice gallery of photos from throughout the area here

70+ lbs of Enthusiasm

2009-02-27T11:32:00.005-05:00

Meet Ruby. The 9 month-old Bernese Mountain Dog puppy I'm currently fostering --70+ lbs of enthusiasm, with only a modicum of self-control at this point. Exuberant doesn't even begin to cover it! Did you see the Academy Awards where the winner for Best Director bounced as he accepted the award "in the spirit of Tigger"? That's Ruby, in a nutshell.

Luckily, she's sweet & eager to please, so she's learning relatively quickly. In the 5 days she's been with me, she's learned to (mostly) bounce NEAR me, not ON me. She's also starting to realize that jumping on me won't earn her any attention, but keeping "4 on the floor" will. We're also working on the basics like "sit", "down", and "stay". She thinks she's a lap dog, but at 70+ lbs (and still growing), I'm working on disavowing her of that notion.

More adventures to come, I am quite sure!!

Things You Should Never Do #729

2009-02-22T10:28:00.001-05:00

You should never sneeze while rinsing with mouthwash....Just trust me on this one.

Thankful Thursday

2009-02-19T19:46:00.004-05:00

It's been a while, so I'm long overdue for a Thankful Thursday post. I'm going to keep it short & sweet. Right now, I'm thankful for:

Health -- it really is so precious.
Friends
Being able to be there for those friends and for the confidence/trust they put into me in allowing me the opportunity to be there for them

Prayers Needed

2009-02-19T19:34:00.003-05:00

My best friend's mother, who is like a 2nd mother to me, needs your prayers. She had a stroke yesterday and has edema on the brain. She's had a rough go healthwise -- she has lupus and has been on full disability since her mid-40's. Lupus can manifest in many ways, some of them pretty horrible. In her case, it's caused a multitude of problems, including brain tumors, broken bones caused by just standing up, and now this.

Please take a moment to offer a thought and send up a prayer for her and for her family. Thanks!

Philosophical Question

2009-02-17T21:49:00.002-05:00

Is it wrong to watch The Biggest Loser while eating a bowl of the wonderful dessert (chocolate-orange mousse pie with a brownie crust) my sweetie made for me for Valentines Day?

Just wondering.

The Accidental Expert

2009-02-17T19:13:00.003-05:00

Like everyone, I've worked hard to become an expert in my line of work. In addition, even tho I no longer use those skills in a medical environment, I used to, so I'm usually the "go to person" for health related matters in my office. Ditto for dog-training related questions in the rescue group. In all of these cases, these are things that I've studied and/or gained experience and in various other ways worked to become more knowledgeable about them.

Unfortunately, it seems I've gotten that distinction in another way, as well, and I'd give it up in a heartbeat....I've become the expert in cancer support.

We've recently learned that another friend was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, the same type of cancer my SO has been dealing with. Luckily, this friend's form is the indolent/non-aggressive form, as opposed to the highly aggressive version my SO had, but the treatment is the same, right down to the same chemo drugs, same immunotherapy, same schedule, etc. Given that, we've been providing support and information to him and his family since we've been there, done that and might have some insights that would prove helpful. I also find myself being the "go to person" for our mutual friends who want to help, but don't know how to do so.

Obviously, I'm happy to do whatever I can to make such a tough time a little easier. However, I'm not sure I like being the expert in this. I never expected to have to do this once, much less twice. I'd happily resign from the position if only I could.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2009-02-14T16:37:00.004-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!! If you haven't yet done so, go tell those that you love that you love them.

It's not you, it's me!!

2009-02-09T13:05:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not breaking up with you....Yes, I know I haven't spent any quality time with you in a while. No, it's not you, it's me.

Sorry for the radio silence. I had to hit the ground running when I got back from Florida in order to get ready for an audit here at work (ugh!). The audit is this week/happening now, so hopefully, things will calm down a little and I can tell you about the trip and other stuff going on. Be back as soon as I can.

Golly Gee!!

2009-01-29T11:59:00.008-05:00

Tiburon had a fun meme -- ask for a letter & once she assigns you one, list 10 things you like that start with that letter. I decided I'd play along and she assigned me the letter "G". So here, in random order, are 10 things I like that start with the letter G:

1. Going places -- I love to travel. It's been a while since I've gone somewhere new and I'm itching to go exploring. Ireland, Croatia and Italy are the places that are really intriguing me currently, but I'm open to lots of different places and ideas.

2. Getting organized -- something I'm working on & desperately need to do more of.

3. Griffin -- my 22-month old nephew. He's developing quite a good sense of humor and it's a lot of fun to be around him and to watch him grow/develop.

4. Cary Grant -- The characters he played in the old movies are just about my perfect man: smooth, sophisticated, intelligent, with a wicked sense of humor and a dazzling wit. He also trained as an acrobat prior to acting, so there is an extra "something" in his movements that step his performance up to a different level. See The Philadelphia Story or North by Northwest or Bringing Up Baby to see what I mean.

which brings me to

5. George Clooney -- I've already admitted to his being a guilty pleasure of mine. After this little exchange between him and his father earlier this week here in DC, I'd have to say he's about approaching my Kryptonite.

6. Games -- I'm a big time games and puzzle person.

7. Gargoyles -- especially those with a sense of humor. If you ever come to Washington, DC, I highly recommend visiting the National Cathedral. One side of the building has more traditional gargoyles & grotesques, but the other side steps out of the box, so to speak. There are alligators, elephants, cats, dogs, etc., as well as a construction worker whistling at the girls who attend the all-girls school right next to the cathedral. There's also a Darth Vader.
8. Gourmet Chocolate -- I'm not above a Reeses Peanut Butter cup or the equivalent, but when I have the opportunity to indulge in some fine Belgian or Swiss chocolate, I pretty much never turn it down.

9. Good friends -- for they make this ride worthwhile.

10. Google Reader -- the ultimate tool for keeping up on those blogs I like to read.

Anyone else want to play along? If so, just let me know in the comments and I'll assign you a letter.

Kudos to the Pilot & Crew

2009-01-15T19:12:00.003-05:00

I've been watching the coverage of the US Air flight that crashed into the Hudson River just after takeoff from LaGuardia. Spectacular job by the pilot and crew!!

As someone who is flying tomorrow, in similar conditions (frigid temperatures, flight plan over water just off a major metropolitan area, etc), I sure hope the pilot & crew on my flights are just as good. And that we will never learn if they are!!

Thankful Thursday

2009-01-15T16:06:00.003-05:00

It's Thursday, which means it's time for a little "attitude of gratitude". This week, I'm thankful for:

Getting to see my family. With my siblings and I being spread coast-to-coast, and not even all in the same country, it's rare that you get all 6 of us in one room at the same time & it takes some doing to make it happen. Last time we managed it was 4+ yrs ago, so I'm very much looking forward to it.

The fact that my family all gets along & that we have a really good time together. There are lots of ppl who dread family get-togethers; for us, we've been looking forward to this!!

That we managed to keep this a surprise for my parents. Dad wouldn't have noticed, but Mom is pretty perceptive & picks up on little things, so she was the one we had to really watch it around. She knows that 2 of us will be there (are already there actually). That was the "set up". She doesn't know that the rest of us are coming, along with more of my neices & nephews. Dinner tomorrow night when we surprise them should be wonderful.

Warmth & Sunshine & Beaches!! It's really cold here -- we aren't supposed to even hit freezing today or tomorrow, which is unseasonable for here. Temps are forecasted to be the single digits when I take off tomorrow. It's supposed to be mid-70s to low 80s and sunny all weekend in Fl. I'm sooo ready for that!

The internet -- what did we do without it? I managed to stop the mail, check in for tomorrow's flight, confirm the rental car, get directions from the airport to the hotel, and more, all online in the last 24 hrs. What a time-saver!!

My new camera!! -- It came!! And I managed to get back here about 20 mins before the FedEx guy showed up, so it was much more painless than it could have been!....So far, I've only attached the strap and charged the batteries (mostly because I know that once I start playing, I won't want to stop, so I'm not doing anything else until I've packed and gotten all of the rest of that type of stuff taken care of). I'm so glad I'll have it for my trip; since it's difficult to get us all together, I want to make the most of the opportunity while I have it.

A great dance/business partner -- we're in charge of running a dance here this weekend. When we were given our dates for 2009 (it's a RFP process & we never know what we're actually going to get from year to year), I already knew I'd be in FL this weekend, so he's got to do all of it on his own. It's doable, but it's a lot easier when there are 2 ppl to take care of all of the details & it means he pretty much only gets to work/manage things all night; no dancing for him. Thanks, Babe, for handling everything and doing so so good-naturedly.

Everyone have a great weekend. I don't know if I'll check in from FL or not, but I will report in later.

Venting!!

2009-01-14T11:21:00.005-05:00

You may have heard that there are some big to-do's happening here in DC in the next week or so. Well, unlike the millions of ppl that are flocking to DC, I'm getting the heck outta Dodge. Actually, this has nothing to do with the inauguration activities; we are surprising my mom for her birthday and flying in for a mini-family reunion. It just happens to coincide with the inaugural.

This has been in the planning for over a year. Got my plane tickets last summer, booked the hotel last May, etc. Took care of the little details like arranging for 2 of the dogs to stay with a friend & getting a ride to the airport from another friend back in about November or early December. Yep, this time, the only last-minute scrambling was going to be packing and finding a good book to read on the plane.

Yeah, right.

First, the person who was supposed to take my dogs for the weekend forgot & he's not available. Luckily, there are more ppl coming into town than leaving, so it looks like I can still get them into the boarding kennel. Not ideal, but at least it's covered.

Then the person who was going to take me to the airport is backing out. Well, not officially backing out, but talking about how long/packed a day it'll be and hinting that it'd be nice if I could at least look into other options. Usually, I'd just take Metro & the subway itself would get me there in plenty of time, but the bus that I take to get to the metro doesn't start running early enough for that to be an option. I've booked an airport shuttle instead, so again, it's covered, it's more that I hate scrambling last minute & if I'd known it was an issue even a week or so ago, I probably could have made different arrangements/found someone else who could have given me a lift.

Adding onto that is the camera I ordered online & want to have to take with me was shipped with a signature required. Usually, that means the Fed Ex guy comes by, when he findsI'm not there, he leaves a slip; I sign the slip & he leaves the package the next day. Nope. Not this time. That's not good enough. Nor would it be ok to have a neighbor sign for it. Someone must physically be in my house when the Fed Ex guy comes by & must sign for it at that moment....I know it's something that protects both the vendor and me, but why this time/this week?

I had such plans of being able to neatly wrap up all loose ends, easily & smoothly, and gently glide into a mini-vacation calmly & unflustered. Not likely to happen. *sigh*

Update: I'm better now. I just needed to get it out of my system. Sorry for whining.

Another Oprah Giveaway

2009-01-08T16:10:00.003-05:00

I'm home sick today & have Oprah on right now. Today's guest is Suze Orman & she has a new book out called Suze Orman's Action Plan for 2009: Keeping your money safe & sound. For one week, Oprah viewers can download it for free by going to http://www.oprah.com/download.

Given the economic environment, I don't know about you, but I can use all the information and advice I can get.

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-01T09:27:00.003-05:00

Wishing you & yours a healthy, happy, peaceful and prosperous 2009!

Quote of the Weekend

2008-12-28T13:14:00.005-05:00

Back in the summertime, we taught/performed at a charity event. This was a small, grass-roots cause, but one we believe in, so we donated our time & talents, as did the band, the homeowner who hosted, etc. We all bonded over the experience & so, we were excited to get an invitation to the homeowner's Christmas party for last night.

My dance partner wasn't going to be able to come for the evening as his family Christmas get-together was last night, but since his cousin's house is only a mile or so away, he stopped in for a little while to say hello. When the band broke into a fun song, he and I decided to dance to it. For us, this was very low-key, nothing special about it dancing, but since most ppl in attendance didn't know us & most ppl don't actually dance with a partner (as opposed to in the same general area as another person), it was noticed.

I was highly amused when one woman came up to me later in the evening and told me:

It was like watching Dancing with the Stars...except you were wearing clothes.

2008-12-25T07:32:00.002-05:00

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas!

A Winter Wonderland

2008-12-24T16:40:00.006-05:00

We were let off of work at 2:00 pm today. While quite nice, it presented a small logistical problem since the bus I take to get from the metro station to home doesn't start running in the evenings until 4:00 pm. Not wanting to just sit around waiting, I decided to take advantage of having my office near the National Mall and catch the holiday display at the US Botanical Gardens.

It was phenomenal!! The main atrium is filled with pointsettias in bloom. Nestled in among them are replicas of the major DC landmarks like the Supreme Court bldg, the US Capitol, the Lincoln & Jefferson Memorials, the White House etc., all crafted from natural botanic materials. After my recent photo shoot of the Capitol and the Supreme Court bldgs, I can say they did a great job recreating these landmarks!! Unfortunately, I didn't know I would be doing this today, so I didn't have a camera with me. The pictures above are courtesy of the US Botanical Gardens website.

Off the main atrium is the "Winter Wonderland" display which is an amazing area filled with different tableaux and 4 or 5 toy trains that crisscross thru them. There was "Castle Mountain" and "Fairytale Forest" just to name a few areas. By design, this display is viewable both from inside and thru the large picture windows, so it was fun to see little kids with their faces pressed up against the windows trying to get a peek.

It was the perfect way to start the long holiday weekend!!

Now, I'm off to wrap a few final presents and then head off for our traditional Christmas Eve activities. Merry Christmas Eve to one and all!

How to Beat a Speed Camera at Its Own Game

2008-12-23T19:54:00.001-05:00

We Clean Up OK

2008-12-23T10:49:00.004-05:00

This was taken at our dance gig a week ago.
That marble floor was a killer on the feet/joints, but the atmosphere was stunning!

Dancin' Granny

2008-12-22T20:12:00.002-05:00

A friend sent me this video. She's my type of dame!! I hope to have her spunk when I'm 50, much less at 90+.

Enjoy.

As long as we're on the subject...

2008-12-19T11:23:00.004-05:00

...of charitable giving, I wanted to make mention of iGive. For those who aren't familiar with it, iGive is another way to donate to charity, but this time, it won't cost you a single dime!!

iGive has partnered with more than 700 (and counting) online sites. When you make a purchase at one of these partners' sites, a percentage of that purchase is donated to your designated charity. You don't spend anything extra, you don't have to buy anything you weren't already going to buy, and yet, your favorite cause gets a little bit of much-needed funds. Not only that, iGive will keep track of it & provide you with a year-end summary for tax purposes. How cool is that?!

The participating online retailers run the gamut from high end (Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstroms) to lower (Kohls, Target) and everything inbetween. There are clothes (Ann Taylor, Aeropostale, Old Navy, the Gap), books (Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon),electronics (Best Buy, Abes of Maine, Dell, Apple), hotels (Wyndham, Hilton, hotels.com), gifts (iTunes, 1-800-flowers),etc. The list is really quite impressive!!

To have your purchases recognized, you can sign in at the iGive website & then click on the link to the vendor's regular website or you can download the iGive toolbar. If you choose the toolbar, it will recognize when you are on a participating site & will automatically register your purchase amount & direct the correct donation amount to your chosen charity. That means that you don't have to do anything different at all and yet you donate money. Again, I say, how cool is that?!

To see the list of participating sites and perhaps to sign up, click here.

(In the interest of full disclosure, the dog rescue group I volunteer with is my chosen charity and they will get a bonus for anyone who signs up via this link. It won't cost you anything and you don't have to keep that organization as your chosen charity, so I hope no one minds helping us out while heading on their way to helping their chosen charity. thanks!)

Charitable Gift Cards

2008-12-19T10:53:00.007-05:00

Tiburon's post about receiving a goat for Xmas reminded me that I was going to post about an organization called Network for Good. Have you ever wanted to make a donation as a gift for someone or in someone's honor, but not known what charity they would most like it to go to? Network for Good allows you to make a donation and get a "Good Card" (aka a gift card) that allows the recipient to decide which charity or charities s/he wants that donation to go to.

Regular readers to this blog (all 3 of you!) know that my SO has been battling lymphoma. Even before he got sick, he hated clutter and having too much schtuff around bugged him. It's gotten even worse since getting sick and having to contemplate possibly figuring out what to do with his things should he get a bad outcome. In support of that, I decided that this year, all of the "little things" I gave him would be consumable or something that he could pass on when he finished with it & his big gift would be a charitable donation.

He has multiple charities to which he regularly donates. At first, I decided to find some new ones for him. He and I both like finding smaller, little-known charities that support causes we believe in/do good work, and where even small amounts can really matter. I did some research and found some new ones that I thought he'd like, but then started second guessing the whole thing. Afterall, it seems kinda presumptuous to just assume he'd like these new (to us) ones I found, or even if he did like them, perhaps he'd still prefer to donate more to some of the ones with which he's already associated.

Network for Good makes either option possible. I've done the research, so he'll get information on the new-to-us charities I discovered & perhaps he'll choose to donate the funds or part of the funds to them. Or maybe he'll send it to one or more of his already-favorite causes. Or maybe he'll find something else entirely....No matter which option(s) he chooses, he'll get to send the funds to where it means the most to him & afterall, what I really want is for him to be able to give to something that makes his heart sing!

Thankful Thursday

2008-12-18T13:27:00.007-05:00

It's that time again -- time to take a moment to focus on gratitude and the things for which I'm thankful. This week, I'm thankful for:

Getting the chance to get out with the camera and get creative for a bit. It felt good to rekindle my joy in photography and I'm very happy with some of the shots I took. Thanks, too, go to Will, a professional photographer from Colorado who I met as we were both shooting pics near the Capitol. He was kind enough to offer suggestions and pass on bits of his knowledge.

Getting to see my nephews this upcoming weekend. The older of the 2 boys is 4 years old, so Christmas is pretty magical to him this year. I love getting to be part of that.

Getting to spread a little holiday joy. Each year, we take a group of dancers to the Armed Forces Retirement Home's holiday party. It's a chance to dance with and for the veterans, spend some time talking to them, and in general, just spreading a little goodwill. It's one of my favorite holiday traditions & will take place tomorrow evening.

The wonderful massage I got last weekend. As a dancer, I beat my body up on a pretty consistent basis. Last weekend was no exception since our gig on Sat night was 7 hrs long and we were dancing on a marble floor. I was most definitely sore after that!! But, since this wasn't the first time we'd done this event, I knew to expect being sore & scheduled a massage for Sunday. My last 3 massages really didn't do much to help; they were nice, but my muscles fight back/require a bit of convincing that they need to release & the past couple of massages I had never reached that point. This time, however, was different -- I went to a new place & this new massage therapist was fantastic!! I'm still feeling the benefits!! And, since this place was considerably less expensive than the other places I'd tried, not to mention more conveniently located, you can bet I'll be going back!!
The adorable ornaments I got from Mindi. There's a music clef that represents my dancing and a beautiful bird that can either be hung conventionally or can be clipped onto a tree branch as if it's perching. Pics will be coming as soon as I change the batteries in my camera. Thanks, Mindi -- They are perfect!!
Hearing that the package I shipped for my neices and nephews in Vancouver, BC arrived yesterday. Last year, it didn't get there until the 2nd week of January, even tho I shipped it around the same time. There's a strike going on in some of the Canadian postal system, so I was worried this year would be the same, despite being told 5-10 days when I shipped it. Glad to know it made it!!

So, that's my list today. What's on yours?

How Do You Gift Wrap a Bicycle?

2008-12-18T12:51:00.004-05:00

That's actually a serious question. I'm giving my nephew a bike for Christmas and have NO idea how to present it. "Tradition" seems to be leaving the bike unwrapped, maybe with a big red bow on it, but not bringing it out until Christmas morning. If I lived in the same house as my nephew, I could do that, but that's not the case and I've got to bring it up to his house this Sunday when I go up there to spend the afternoon with my brother, sis-in-law, and nephews so we can "do" Christmas together. When he knows that I'm coming over, he is usually waiting, watching out the door for me to get there, so leaving it unwrapped would mean he'd immediately see it.

An internet search said to leave the bike in it's big flat shipping box & wrap that, but since the bike is second-hand, it's already assembled. (A charitable organization that my SO supports was selling an absolutely mint-condition kid's bike for $10 at their yard sale, so I jumped on it!! It even came with a helmet, so I couldn't resist.) I don't think I have a box big enough to put an already assembled bike in, so I don't think that's an option.

H.E.L.P!!!!!! All ideas are welcome!!

Playing Tourist in my own backyard

2008-12-16T16:28:00.004-05:00

I'm updating our website and my boss suggested using some pics to jazz it up a bit. He was willing to buy some stock photos from a couple of professional websites, but since we're so close to some of the famous landmarks, I suggested just giving me an hour sometime with the good work camera & letting me go play a bit. When I got brain-fried yesterday, I decided that was just what would perk me up, so I grabbed the camera & headed out.

It was a perfect day for it!! It was 60-ish degrees & we had a storm front on its way here, so there were some interesting cloud formations, as you can see. (I *much* prefer shooting on cloudy days to shooting in bright sun -- the results are always much more interesting!) In addition, I decided to do this a little before 4:00 pm & since it gets dark here just before 5:00 pm nowadays, that meant I had the "golden hour" of twilight to play with. I love how the colors change so much, from one shot to the next, in such a short time frame.

The ones I'll use for work are more "standard", but I also took some more artistic shots for myself. The ones on this post are some of my favorites from around the US Capitol and the Supreme Court bldg.

Enjoy!!

He Must Be a Master at Wii Fit

2008-12-15T09:40:00.003-05:00

I have Wii Fit. On it, there's a game where you are supposed to head soccer balls thrown at you, while dodging other things thrown at you. One of those other things are shoes. I always wondered where the game developers got that idea.

After Pres. Bush's encounter with an Iraqi journalist, now I know.

The Worst 4 Words in the English Language

2008-12-14T22:39:00.004-05:00

I think you could ask pretty much anyone over the age of about 10 or so what are the best words in the English language & they'd pretty much agree on those. (Well, except for a former dance partner of mine who postulated that the answer is gender specific. He said that for women, it's "I love you" but for guys it'd be "you're the best", but that's a comedy routine for another day.) But, I'm not sure there'd be consensus on the worst.

For me, there's no doubt: the worst 4 words in the English language are "Are you sitting down?"

2 years ago today, I heard those words and in an instant, my world changed. My significant other had had a cough that he hadn't been able to shake. There was the standard "winter crud" going around, so at first he thought nothing of it. But then it didn't go away, and then he started getting winded when he was working out. Anyone who knows him, knows that that's not normal for him -- I was the one with severe anemia at the time, so I was used to that happening, but not him.

At first, it was dismissed as being pneumonia, but he didn't buy it. He's an M.D., so he was able to press his case & get them to look further. They ordered an MRI just to appease him. It was a good thing they did because it turned out he had a baseball-sized tumor....at the time, they thought it was in the lung, which would have been VERY bad news. Luckily, it wasn't lung cancer, but lymphoma, sitting on top of the lung/between the lung and the chest wall. It had been compressing the lung, which is why he had had trouble breathing.

It took almost 3 weeks to get the diagnosis. Those were some of the longest days I've ever experienced -- I was lucky to get 1.5-2 hrs of sleep a night and the stress definitely took a toll; I started going to the gym in order to physically exhaust myself, hoping that that would force my body to sleep at least a bit more. In many ways, the uncertainty and the not-knowing were the most difficult part; at least once we knew what he was dealing with, we knew what treatment protocol should be followed and more importantly, he could get started with that treatment. Patience has never been my strong suit & it was tough to have to sit around, waiting, not being able to do anything & not being able to do anything to hurry it along.

Unfortunately, we are back in that same uncertainty. He had another PET scan a few weeks ago & it wasn't clear. He has 2 small spots that showed up. The good news is they aren't lighting up (which would indicate definite cancerous activity). The bad news is they are there. They could possibly be the tumor returning, but not yet reaching the threshold to be detected by the scan. Or, the better option is that it could be indication of tissue damage from the intense chemo & radiation treatment. (Who would have ever thought we'd be wishing for tissue damage!) We won't know anything until the next PET scan in 3 or 4 months. All we can do is wait & hope... No one ever tells you that might be a possibility -- it should be like being 'a little bit pregnant', y'know: either you have a tumor or you don't. This uncertainty totally sucks!!

If anyone out there reading this can light a candle, send a prayer, or otherwise keep a good thought for the next PET scan to be clean and for him to continue being cancer-free, we would both greatly appreciate it.

Thankful Thursday

2008-12-11T13:11:00.004-05:00

It's been a while since I've gotten one of these written and it's long overdue. This week, I'm thankful for:

Holiday goodies. They are starting to appear around my office & since I haven't gotten around to making any myself, that's a good thing!!

Finally kicking the sinus infection that sidelined me for a bit. Good riddance!

Cyber Monday. I was home sick that day & managed to pick up most of the remaining items on my Christmas list. Got some good deals on 'em too!!

My job. It's rough out there. I know lots of people are out of work or facing potential layoffs. So far, things are stable here & I am profoundly grateful for that!

The holiday specials. I admit it; I'm just a big ol' little kid when it comes to holiday specials. Charlie Brown, the Grinch, Heat Meiser/Cold Meiser, etc. all make me smile.

Getting a break from teaching weekly dance classes. The place we teach isn't heated, so we take the winter off from our classes. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy teaching or I wouldn't do it, and especially with the last group of students we had as they were a lot of fun. However, I do also enjoy getting a break from it sometimes. We've still got events to perform at and other non-weekly-classes to do, but due to the economy, those are also lighter than usual this year, so it's the first real break we've gotten in quite a while and I'm greatly enjoying it.

How bout you? What are you thankful for today? Thanks to Tiburon for the new graphic.

Christmas Cactus

2008-12-11T13:06:00.002-05:00

This has been brightening up my office. It started blooming back around Veteran's Day and is still going strong.

Late to the Party

2008-12-08T14:37:00.012-05:00

I've got a confession to make. Up until a couple of months ago, I didn't have cable tv. (Yes, it is possible to live without it in this day and age.) I wasn't home enough to justify the cost (& it had gotten pretty darn expensive). But then, I switched internet carriers & got a bundled package back in the summertime & thus, I've slowly been catching up on all of those things I missed.

Like this:

Saturday night was the perfect storm -- my SO was in class all weekend (so I was on my own); we didn't have any dance gigs to do; and it was snowing (so who wants to go out in that). Sounded like a good night for a movie. I was about to pop a dvd into the player when I discovered that Disney was running not only HSM, but also HSM2 back-to-back. To top it off, these were the "What's What" versions, meaning they had little pop-up bubbles that contained fun facts, pointed out continuity mistakes or other movie quirks, etc throughout the movies. (The running tally of "who wore more hats" contest between Ryan and Kelsi for HSM2 was my personal favorite.)

Well, get me a plate of crackers & bring on the cheese!!!

And cheesy it was!!! However, I've already confessed to having been in musicals and occasionally rockin' a show tune or 2, so I can't pretend that I didn't enjoy the movies. I will just say that it's a good thing that I'm not lactose intolerant or it would have been a rough night!!

The Modern Christmas Card

2008-11-29T16:59:00.001-05:00

This made me laugh.

See more here

Gobble Gobble

2008-11-27T08:25:00.002-05:00

Happy Turkey Day!

Free Holiday Music...

2008-11-26T16:39:00.002-05:00

Courtesy of Oprah...For 48 hrs, you can download any or all of the following tracks:

Faith Hill, "Joy to the World" from the album Joy to the World

Tony Bennett, "I'll be Home for Christmas" from the album A Swingin' Christmas

Il Divo, "O Holy Night" from the album The Christmas

Josh Groban, "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" from the album Noel

Brian McKnight, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" from the album I'll Be Home for Christmas

Amy Grant, "O Come All Ye Faithful" from the album The Christms

Harry Connick Jr., "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" from the album What a Night! A Christmas Album

Aretha Franklin, "Silent Night" from the album This Christmas

Go to http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20081118_tows_holiday/2 and follow the instructions written there. You can preview any track before downloading to decide if you want it or not.

Gettin' Ready

2008-11-26T14:13:00.004-05:00

Like most places, DC is getting ready for the holidays. The Capitol Christmas tree arrived earlier this week and as I walked across the Mall yesterday, workers were busy getting it strung with lights and such. It will be lit next week. In addition, the US Botanical Gardens had their wreaths and lights up. One of the Metro stations I was in yesterday also had garland and ribbons and wreaths up. It'll soon be quite festive around here.

Unlike other cities, DC is also getting ready for the innaugural on January 20th. As I walked across the Capitol grounds, the scaffolding out on the steps of the Capitol was already being built.

I'll try to remember to bring my camera with me on Friday and get some pictures of everything. (Should be a quiet/slow day at the office.) I'll try to get some pictures. If I do, I'll post them then.

100 Things

2008-11-26T13:53:00.005-05:00

I've seen this popping up on quite a few blogs lately. The rules are simple: copy the following list and highlight the ones you've done.

Here's mine:

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Totally copied a post from someone else's blog to your own

53 out of 100 - I guess that's acceptable. Many more I'd mark as "not yet, but I will"...

I'm Ba-ack

2008-11-26T13:50:00.002-05:00

Work is still keeping me hopping, but it's the day before a holiday and they've already announced we're getting out early today, so I doubt much, if any, work is getting done anywhere in the office this afternoon. Given that, I decided it was time to break radio-silence and pop back in. Expect a few catch-up posts this afternoon.

M.I.A.

2008-11-13T11:27:00.002-05:00

I've got a gazillion posts running around in my brain, but have been crazy-busy lately, so haven't gotten the chance to make any of them coherent, much less type them out and post them. I'll be back soon.

Thankful Thursday Friday

2008-11-07T16:51:00.005-05:00

Traveling this week has left me scrambling to catch up, so I'm a little late, but thankful none the less. This week I'm thankful for:

Being home -- I like traveling, but I'm always glad to come home.
Those things Washington DC has to offer like great museums, wonderful theatre & arts, etc. I'm reminded every time I go away how many nice things this city/area offers.
My dogs --it's so nice to see how much they've missed me whenever I go away. Makes me feel special. :-)
A great cadre of volunteers --without their help, we couldn't run the dances we offer. This is especially noticeable this week since I was gone for much of it and couldn't have managed the details even if I'd wanted to.
My dance partner -- who did keep things running while I was gone. Teaching classes or filming a partner-based dance show is not easy to do solo and he had to do both this week. Thanks, darlin', you're a gem!
Making 2 new friends at work -- this trip, I was paired up with 2 ppl I'd neither met nor worked with before. Given the nature of the trip, one spends long hours (14-16 hr days, or even longer) as a team, most of the time in one car, so there's no getting away from one another if personalities clash or you just aren't a good fit. I was paired with 2 wonderful people with great senses of humor. Within a very short time, we were laughing and joking with each other as if we were old friends. It made the very long work days a lot nicer than if we hadn't really clicked.
Being healthy -- Last time I had to do this type of work assignment was a couple of years ago. I was not well, so those 16-hour days really were trying. This time around was a MUCH better experience.
Our veterans. And the troops currently serving our country. They deserve our thanks & more! Take a moment or 2 this upcoming Tuesday to at least honor them, if not doing something to actively thank them.

Props to Tiburon for the great new autumnal graphic & the original idea for the Thankful Thursday posts. Feel free to take the idea and the graphic and play along.

A Chicken Krispy Kreme in every pot

2008-11-04T05:18:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't heard, there's an election taking place today. If you haven't yet done so, don't forget to go vote. Even if you don't do it because you care about the election or doing your civic duty or for any of those good reasons, go do it because if you go to Krispy Kreme today with an "I voted" sticker, you'll get a free donut.

On the Road Again

2008-11-02T20:13:00.002-05:00

I'm outta here bright and early tomorrow. Or, actually, dark and early tomorrow since I'll be up and out before sunrise, even with the time change.

I'm supposed to have internet access at the hotel. If it works, I'll hopefully be able to pop in & say hi from Texas, but in case either it doesn't work or the 16-hour days I'm expecting leave me too tired to remind you:

Go vote on Tuesday if you haven't already!!!

Boo!

2008-10-31T10:51:00.002-04:00

Thankful Thursday

2008-10-30T20:29:00.004-04:00

This week, I'm thankful for:

The upcoming time change. It's so hard to get up for work when the sun's not even up yet. I also have a way-too-early flight next week, so I have to be out of here at o-dark-thirty. At least it will seem not quite so unbelievably early thanks to the time change.

A working keyboard. I sorta knocked mine off my desk last week & broke it. It's very hard to check email, surf the web, or even do work-stuff when you don't have a functional keyboard.

Running water. Another one of those things we take for granted. While I get to go to San Antonio (ish) for work next week, a co-worker is being sent to a *really* remote area where he may not have access to running water for part of the day. I'd say I got the better deal on this one!!

French fries. I know they aren't good for me, but they're soooo good!! I think someone should come up with a study showing that French fries are actually good for you, the way they've shown that about chocolate, coffee, red wine, etc. Just sayin'.

Kind & caring neighbors. We had some really fierce winds the other day. I didn't realize it, but they blew the gate open in my yard. One of my dogs discovered it & unbeknownst to me, he decided to go off exploring on a little walkabout. I found out this had occured when I got a call from someone a couple of blocks away telling me they had my dog. They'd gotten my number off the tag on his collar. How wonderful of them to make the effort/take the time!!

So, how bout you? What are you thankful for this week?

Vote

2008-10-30T09:51:00.002-04:00

In case you didn't realize it, there's a little, wee, small election happening next Tuesday, Nov 4th. I've said it before, I don't care who you are voting for, I care that you go vote.

Only in DC!

2008-10-28T16:02:00.003-04:00

You may have to enlarge the image to get all of the funny details -- my personal favorite part is the small print about how if no one is declared the winner by Nov 5th, contact them and they'll tell you which location is hosting which group.

Thankful Thursday

2008-10-23T09:31:00.004-04:00

This week I'm thankful for:

Having a few minutes before my next meeting where I can actually make this post. It's been rare lately to find those few minutes.
A friend's new baby. Megan Rose is currently 2 days old and she and her momma are doing great!
My crock pot. Dinner ready when I get home? Yeah, I'm down with that!
Halloween candy. Who doesn't like chocolate on sale?!
Going out to dinner with a friend tonight just to catch up.
Finally figuring out my Halloween costume.
Getting to spend time with my nephews this past weekend. Even better was hearing how excited the 4-year old had gotten when they told him that morning that I'd be coming over. I just love having my own personal groupie!
Finding out I'll be going to the San Antonio, TX area for work in a couple of weeks. (If anyone has any suggestions of fun things to do or don't-miss-places, please leave the info in the comments. I won't have much free time, but might be able to carve out a dinner somewhere or book my flight back for late enough in the day that I can find an hour or 2.)
The Christmas cactus in my office is starting to bud. If it's anything like last year, it'll bloom early, so it'll have flowers from around Veteran's Day to Thanksgiving. It's so pretty when it's in bloom.

There's plenty more, but time is up so I'll stop here and run off to my meeting. Feel free to take the banner and the idea and make your own Thankful Thursday post.

Hide & Seek

2008-10-16T07:07:00.002-04:00

Work is kicking my butt at the moment & will continue to do so for the next couple of weeks. My extra-curricular schedule is just as crazy. It's all good, but it's keeping me away from the blog for now. I'll be back soon.

Thankful Thursday

2008-10-09T16:34:00.002-04:00

Wow, I'm even going to get the chance to get this written & posted on Thursday this week....

In no particular order, I'm thankful for:

Having session #2 of the training class I set up (and to which my boss came) go off smoothly.
Eating lunch at a favorite restaurant in Chinatown before that training session since it was held right around the corner from the restaurant.
The first signs of color in the trees.
Watching the gentleman who hands out newspapers at my subway stop become more comfortable & confident in his English. When he first started, it was a small, shy nod. The nod became a 'hi'. Hi turned into 'Good morning', said with a smile. Now, it's a smile and a 'Good morning' oftentimes coupled with 'Have a good day' or 'Have a nice weekend' if it's Friday.
Good, supportive co-workers.
3-day weekend coming up.
Really fun students in the series of dance classes we just started.

What makes you thankful this week?

Win a Free Handbag

2008-10-09T16:23:00.002-04:00

Ladies, Handbag Planet is giving away 24 handbags in 24 hrs. Click here to enter. I picked this one:

Mad props to Tiburon for the 411.

Four and Four

2008-10-07T19:46:00.005-04:00

I saw this on Tiburon's blog and thought I'd play along. The rules are: Go to your picture folder, open the 4th folder, select the 4th picture, post it & talk about it.

In my case, the 4th folder is my "Blog" folder & the 4th picture is my blog header:

The photo in the header was from a spread in Life magazine in 1943. The gentleman in the picture is one of my teachers. His name is Frank (Frankie) Manning. He will turn 95 years old this coming May. He was one of, and arguably the most important of, the originators of the Lindy Hop. Lindy is considered the grandfather of all the swing dances. He was the first person to do an air step in swing dancing: if you've seen anyone pick up/throw their partner, you can trace that back to Frankie.

He was one of the original Whitey's Lindy Hoppers who made their home at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem in the 1930's. He was the lead dancer and principal choreographer for the group. You can see their work in the Marx Brothers' film A Day at the Races or in what is probably the greatest Lindy Hop performance ever put on film in the movie Hellzapoppin'. Another personal favorite is the troupe doing the Big Apple from Keep Punchin'.

He has been featured on 20/20, ABC's World News Tonight, National Geographic Explorer's episode on Jitterbug (I'm also in that one), among others. He is a Tony-award winner (for Black & Blue), an author, a dancer, an ambassador of American culture & most importantly, one of the greatest, most-humble, most-genuine people you'd ever want to meet. I'm very honored to be able to call him my friend.

Tag, I'm It

2008-10-05T16:00:00.019-04:00

Saw this on Mindi's blog & since she tagged anyone who was reading and wanted to play along, I decided to give it a go.

Seven Random Facts about Me:

I collect polar bears. One of my guest rooms is designated as "The Polar Bear Room".

I'm only 5' 1" tall. (And at that, I'm the tallest female in my immediate family. Scary, huh?)

I love chocolate and orange together. Preferably dark chocolate.

I've been dog sledding. With my own dogs.

Even tho I'm a native Washingtonian, I've never been in the US Capitol or the White House. I'd graduated from high school before I ever made it up the Washington Monument.

I've been underneath the Lincoln Memorial.

I love ethnic food. If I'm the one picking a restaurant, I'll choose a Thai, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Afghan, Ethiopian, Greek, etc. place over a steak house every time!

I'm supposed to tag 7 people, but I'm going to play this the same way Mindi did: if you are reading this and want to play along, please do so. :-)

Thankful Thursday

2008-10-05T15:19:00.004-04:00

Yeah, I know it's not Thursday, or even Friday anymore. It's just been that type of week, but as the old saying goes, 'Better Late than Never'. So, in no particular order, this week I'm thankful for:

Gorgeous weather. It's really been spectacular around here lately.

NOT being named Employee of the Month....wait a minute, first you were & now you're not? And you're happy about that? Yup! Turns out the award I'm getting is much bigger than that. It's part of the annual awards for my division, so it's a much bigger deal than I originally thought.

Having a big training class for work that I helped plan, organize, and execute come off without a hitch.

Acupuncture. I have a great practicioner who helped me delay that surgery for at least a couple of years. I hadn't seen for a little over a year (just before my surgery) but went back this past week. 2 sessions and I already feel better/less run down/feel like things are more balanced or clicking on all cylinders. I have no clue how it works, but it's definitely given me great health benefits and I now swear by it!

So, how bout you? What are you thankful for today?

Don't Vote

2008-10-03T11:57:00.001-04:00

I don't care who you are voting for. I just care that you vote. And if you haven't registered, what are you waiting for?

Squidoo

2008-10-01T16:02:00.003-04:00

Squidoo is an online organization that helps raise tons of money for various charities. They are having an $80,000 giveaway. All you have to do is click here, choose a charity from their list of partners & submit your vote. You don't have to register with them or even give them your email address & it won't cost you a single dime. They'll give $2/vote for every vote submitted by October 15th, up to the first 40,000 votes. You can only vote once, so go on over & vote and then tell a bunch of friends and family about this so they can go vote too. Believe me, the charities you select will be most appreciative; afterall, it's free money!

Squidoo has partnered with a lot of different charities. Whether you want to support health research, children's services, animal welfare or anything in between, there's probably a charity that will match with your passion. I personally voted for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society since my SO has been battling Lymphoma. Feel free to choose them or to pick another organization that you feel is a better fit for you, but either way, please go click & then tell others how they too can get in on the action.

Wanna Win an iPod?

2008-10-01T13:22:00.004-04:00

Tiburon from Shark Bait is approaching her 1,000th post. To celebrate, she's giving away an iPod shuffle. Yeah, you read that right -- an 100% gen-u-ine iPod shuffle!! To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on her blog. In fact, the more comments you leave in the month of October, the more chances you have to win. (Comments must be on different posts. Don't even try to cheat by submitting each word of your comment in a seperate entry. Ain't gonna work!)

If you aren't reading her blog, you really should be. She's got a wicked sense of humor and is pretty much guaranteed to at least leave you smiling, if not downright laughing out loud. Go on over & show her a little love and you could just end up the proud owner of a new iPod. How cool is that?!

Riddle Me This...

2008-09-30T16:47:00.003-04:00

Why do days where we have to film our tv show and really bad hair days always coincide? *sigh*

Wordle

2008-09-30T14:44:00.002-04:00

Make your own here.

Loss of a Legend

2008-09-29T20:06:00.003-04:00

I've said before that I've always been a sucker for an intelligent man with a good sense of humor and a set of piercing blue eyes. Obviously, that description perfectly sums up Paul Newman. Good grief, you can't miss the intensity of those eyes even in the black & white photo!!

Not only was he a great actor -- from Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof or Cool Hand Luke to Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid or The Sting -- add in the fact that he was such a humanitarian, giving more than $200M to charity via his Newman's Own foods, and there really isn't anything not to like.

Robert Redford, a co-star and long-time friend said of Newman that "this country is better for his being in it". With the legacy that he leaves behind, I'd have to say I agree.

God speed, Paul Newman!

Woo Hoo Part Two!!

2008-09-29T14:21:00.006-04:00

I've mentioned a couple of times in my Thankful Thursday posts that I've got a great boss & a job I really like with some interesting projects I've been working on lately. My boss just pulled me aside & told me I'm being recognized as the "Employee of the Month" for October for the work I've been doing on some of those projects.

This comes as a TOTAL surprise to me. I really hadn't ever even thought about it or thought that what I was doing was that spectacular. I do sometimes have to finesse my way through it all since some of my clients can be a bit "prickly" at times & my boss wanted to recognize the efforts it takes to successfully navigate through the potential minefields and the fact that I successfully do so to make everything happen.

It feels really good to be recognized. I've worked at different jobs where things like this NEVER happened. You hoped NOT to be recognized because it was never a good thing: you could never be right, you could only be wrong & anyone who did anything well was considered a threat to the Powers that Be and had to be beaten down. It's great to work for someone who WANTS his people to shine and who realizes that the more we all do, the better we ALL look.

Doesn't hurt any to know that there's a cash award that comes with it!! Gotta love that!

First the Redskins beat Dallas & now this -- I haven't smiled this much on a Monday in a long time!!

The Birk Economic Recovery Plan

2008-09-28T20:14:00.003-04:00

NOTE: I don't know if the original author of the following was serious or not, but I have posted the following as a joke. If you do the math, the numbers don't actually add up......

Hi Pals,

I'm against the $85,000,000, 000.00 bailout of AIG. Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000, 000 to America in a We Deserve It Dividend. To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+. Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up.

So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billion that equals $425,000.00.

My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a We Deserve It Dividend. Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let's assume a tax rate of 30%. Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25,500,000, 000 right back to Uncle Sam . But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket.

A husband and wife has $595,000.00. What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?

Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved.

Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads

Put away money for college - it'll be there

Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.

Buy a new car - create jobs

Invest in the market - capital drives growth

Pay for your parent's medical insurance - health care improves

Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean - or else

Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.

If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( "vote buy" ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.

If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+!

As for AIG - liquidate it. Sell off its parts. Let American General go back to being American General. Sell off the real estate. Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up. Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't. Sure it's a crazy idea that can "never work."

But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party! How do you spell Economic Boom? I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC .

And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam . Ahhh...I feel so much better getting that off my chest.

Kindest personal regards,

T. J. Birkenmeier, A Creative Guy & Citizen of the Republic

PS: Feel free to pass this along to your pals as it's either good for a laugh or a tear or a very sobering thought on how to best use $85 Billion!!

Woo Hoo!!

2008-09-28T19:27:00.011-04:00

When you grow up in Washington, DC, you root for 2 teams: the Redskins & whoever's playing Dallas. When those 2 are one in the same, it takes on even bigger meaning. "Dallas Week" is always a big deal around these parts -- even if you aren't a Redskins fan or even a football fan, you can't miss the fact that it's Dallas week. Pretty much every local newscast has at least one mention of it, oftentimes not even as part of the sports report. I saw quite a few "man on the street" type of spots this past week w/ the upcoming football game as the focus...For those of you who aren't from around here, it's sort of like the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry on steroids.

Going into the game today, expectations around here weren't so hot. Washington was an 11-point underdog. However, anyone who lives in either of the 2 cities knows that that doesn't mean much. Even in years where one team or the other was downright awful, the one game they'd win all year would be against the other.

Shows you what the so-called "experts" know. Final score: Washington 26 - Dallas 24.

It's gonna be a fun week around the office. All of the 'Skins fans will be in a good mood and the couple of (normally obnoxious) Cowboy fans will do their best to be invisible. Hee hee

Thou Shall Not Covet

2008-09-27T18:07:00.004-04:00

Got home from my nephew's bday party & caught "A League of Their Own" showing on tv.....I *want* Geena Davis's wardrobe from that movie!!! They don't make suits like that anymore!!

Thankful Thursday

2008-09-25T16:44:00.007-04:00

It's that time again. Wow -- I even got it written & posted on Thursday. That's 2 weeks in a row. It might even be a trend! :-)

This week I'm thankful for:

Veterans -- I meant to include this last week b/c the big dance performance included a salute to the veterans. The association whose annual meeting was the reason for the event invited some of the residents from the Armed Forces Retirement Home here in DC to be their special guests, so we were able to thank the ones who attended personally. For all the rest who weren't in attendance, a heartfelt thanks!

Fall -- It appears to finally be making an appearance around here. The weather has that little tang in the air & the first crop of locally grown apples is appearing. Won't be long before there's color in the trees.

Getting to attend my nephew's 4th birthday party -- Even tho they live nearby, I haven't seen him (or my brother, sister-in-law, and my other nephew) in a little while, so this gives me a good excuse to hang out with him for the day. My nephew was really disappointed that Grandma & Grandpa weren't coming to his birthday party -- he doesn't understand that they live in Florida & it's too far to drive for the party -- but he got over it immediately when he was told that I was coming. That kid sure knows how to get to me!!

Being able to help someone -- I got a plea for help via the dog rescue organization I volunteer with. A woman was having issues with her dog & was thinking about giving him up. None of the issues were surprising given his age (adolescent) nor that difficult to manage if one had the right tools or skill set; since training is one of my specialties, this was right up my alley. Luckily, the woman was very receptive to what I had to offer her/what suggestions I made and has started implementing them. So far, so good, leaving us with one happier (and more hopeful) owner and one happier dog who is that much more likely to stay in his home/not need rescue's help. That's what I call a win-win!!

So, how bout you? What are you thankful for today?

Free Admission to Museums this Saturday

2008-09-23T22:49:00.007-04:00

There are lots of great things about living in the Washington DC area. One of those things is the Smithsonian Museums. It's great having an institution of that caliber in my backyard! It's even better that they are FREE!! Growing up here, I had NO idea that most people pay to go to museums.

Well, this Saturday, Sept 27th, you too can go to a museum for free. Thanks to the Smithsonian and some other sponsors, many museums around the country will be celebrating Museum Day. The participating museums are quite varied: from the J. Paul Getty Museum in L.A. -- a favorite of mine when I lived in SoCal & it was still in Malibu. I haven't been since it moved to its new digs in L.A. itself -- to the MN zoo to the Wonderscope Childrens Museum of Kansas City, just to name a few.

To get more information or to download the free admission card, visit the Museum Day website. There's a state-by-state listing of participating museums so you can find something in your neck of the woods that interests you.

Call your friends, round up the kids (if applicable) and spend a day soaking in some 'cul-cha' (as Noo Yawkahs would say) on the house.

Retail Geography Lesson

2008-09-18T15:20:00.009-04:00

Dear Target,

You know I love you. You're one of my guilty pleasures. Like a teenage girl who can charm her father into just about anything, you have ways of extracting more money from my wallet than I care to admit sometimes.

However, I'm afraid we need to have a little chat about geography. Ya see, Target, I live in the Washington DC area. Baltimore, MD is roughly an hour's drive north of here. Blacksburg, VA is approximately 4-1/2 or 5 hours southwest of here. New York is about 4-1/2 or 5 hours north of here. None of these is considered part of DC (although a lot of Baltimorons I know try to claim that they are, but notice, they are claiming to be part of DC & not the other way around).

So please explain to me why when I came to visit you the other day looking for a Washington Redskins jersey to give to my nephew for his 4th birthday present, you not only didn't have any, you didn't even have an empty space on the rack telling me that you had had some, but they were sold out. Instead, I found racks & racks of Baltimore Raven jerseys and Virginia Tech jerseys. Thinking perhaps that this was just a "toddler sizes" problem, I even went and looked in the boys & then in the men's sections, just to reassure myself that you really couldn't have NO home team merchandise in the store. Sadly, I got the same results there and then had insult added to injury to also discover a leftover NY Yankees jersey in the boy's section. You carry the Yankees but not our local teams?!?!

Now, don't get me wrong; each of those teams have their place. Judging from how many were still on the rack, I'm doubtful that that place is here, or at least not in the numbers your buyers seemed to think. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) C'mon now, is it too much to ask to have the chance to buy Washington teams' merchandise when I'm in the middle of the Washington metropolitan area?

I would have gladly given you more money, but you seriously let me down this time.

Signed,

Disappointed

Thankful Thursday

2008-09-18T15:20:00.004-04:00

This week I'm thankful for:

Getting my Thankful Thursday post actually written and posted on Thursday. :-)
The dance team performance going okay and the whole gig in its entirety going off without a hitch. All of my dancers arrived on time, had no problem getting thru security & onto the base, had the appropriate wardrobe with them, and performed their job admirably. Our client was happy and we are likely to get called again the next time they need someone, so really, how much more could I ask for?
Sleep. After all the rehearsals & extra stuff, not to mention my usually crazy schedule, to say I was wiped out last night was an understatement. A good night's sleep and I feel soooo much better and more functional today.
Salon Pas. This is similar to Ben Gay, but on a transdermal patch which allows you to slap one (or more) right on the aching muscle & get a slow, constant release of the good stuff right where you need it. They also don't have the tell-tale smell that Ben Gay has, so I could wear them under my outfit at the dance event & no one could tell.
Random compliments. Being complimented anytime is nice, but when it comes totally out of the blue & from someone you didn't expect to say something, it's really nice!

So how about you? What are you thankful for this week?

Drive By Posting

2008-09-17T13:51:00.003-04:00

I'm alive. Tired & sore, not to mention sunburned, but alive. The dance event went well, as did my presentation to my boss's boss this morning. I'll post more details re: the dance stuff once I'm coherent enough to put something together.

Meanwhile, I'm off to catch up on the stuff I need to do here at the office & tonight, I shall crash. I'll catch you on the flip side.

Beware the Ides of September

2008-09-15T21:45:00.004-04:00

I swear today was trying to kill me!!

Late Friday afternoon, my boss told me that he, his boss and I would be meeting early on Wed morning. This meeting is about something that my boss & I proposed a couple of months ago, after working on developing a new process for 6-9 months. Unfortunately, at that time, his boss shot it down -- not because he didn't agree with what we wanted to do or even with the need to do it; he just didn't want to fight the people who wouldn't have been too happy about the changes our proposed new way of doing things would create....Fast forward to last week & apparently my boss's boss has realized that there is good reason to implement our plan, or at least make some of the changes we recommended. Thus, the meeting on Wednesday.

My boss asked me to redo the presentation from before, simplifying it compared to the old presentation we'd given, incorporating the changes that had been suggested/discussed when we pitched it to his boss a couple of months ago, etc. Usually, I would have a couple of days to do this, but since I'm off work tomorrow because of the big dance gig, I only had today to get it done. Ack!!

The only thing I had on my schedule when I got into work today was something that should only take an hour or so, so I had hopes that I'd have plenty of time to get the presentation done. Ha! Best laid plans and all that good stuff...like a huge percentage of ppl here in DC, my job is connected to the US Govt. The ppl I work for/with hold a periodic training that they like to make a big deal out of, including taking pictures of the participants selected for the class. Because I've done some photography before/know my way around a camera, I've been named the backup to the person who's usually responsible for taking these photos. (That's why I had a camera with me when I took the photos for this post.)

A couple of weeks ago they let me know that they'd need me to help them out at this training by taking photos this time around. Ok, no problem; I could spare an hour to go do so. My section's camera was already spoken for, so I arranged to borrow one from another group, guessing I'd be able to figure out how to use it enough to make do for what is needed for these events. For the record, I'm a Nikon person & the camera we were borrowing was a Canon, but a camera's a camera, right & they can't be that different, right? Well, luckily, I gave myself some extra time & got there early because someone had turned the timer feature on & the camera was waiting 8 seconds between when I'd press the button and the shutter would release. Ack!! After frantically pushing buttons & going thru every menu I could find, I finally got that to turn off & got the camera working correctly. Because of that, I didn't have much time to play with the various settings or the external flash unit or otherwise learn the camera's bells & whistles, so I turned the setting to "auto" and prayed the camera was decent enough to handle it...oh yeah, it helps to know that the 2nd bombshell they dropped on me when I got there was to tell me that the head of our govt agency was coming to this event today. As in a member of the President's cabinet/one of those people you see on the national news. Oh great! Now they tell me!! So, with only approximately 10 mins to get comfortable/familiar with the camera, I'm taking photos not only of the group like I was expecting, but also individual photos of each participant meeting/shaking hands with the Cabinet Member -- you know, those photos that you see framed & hanging on people's office walls. No, no pressure there!!

Of course, that also meant more work once I got back to my office because those photos will all need to be printed & put into presentation folders. The group photos will get signed by all & distributed and of course, they want them ready to hand out at the end of the training on Friday. So, I had to get them downloaded, sorted, touched up, burned to CD & off to the people who will handle such things as soon as I got back from the office; again, with my being out tomorrow, it couldn't wait til Wednesday or there wouldn't be enough time to make it happen. What I planned on taking about an hour ended up eating a LOT more out of my day. I didn't even get STARTED on that presentation until about 3:00 pm, so I had to stay late to get it done & sent to my boss before I left. He'll look it over tomorrow & let me know how many changes he wants with it. Once he's had a chance to review it, he's going to email me at home to let me know if I need to come in early on Wed (lots of changes) or if there are just some minor tweaks so I can come in at my regular time. I'll find out when I get home from the dance event & check my email.

Oh yeah, then there was the dance gig to manage. Most peple never know the amount of time it takes "behind the scenes" to make something like this come off without a hitch. I have 3 different groups of dancers coming tomorrow. Each group arrives at different times, has their own instructions about what to wear & what their assigned jobs are. Add on to that that the event is being held on a military installation, so there are security protocols to deal with. For example, people arriving before 5:00 pm need to go through a specific gate to get on the base. Anyone arriving after 5:00 pm need to go through a different gate....Given all the different permutations & combinations, I couldn't send a blanket email or other communication out to people and had to make sure everyone got the correct information, answer the inevitable last minute questions, deal with wardrobe issues from 3 different people, etc. Not a big deal/typical of these type of events, but not something I had time to deal with today of all days.

I don't think I need to tell you that I didn't make it to the 2 dance classes I was supposed to help teach tonight or to the final rehearsal for tomorrow's gig. It's about 11:00 pm now & sometime between now & when I leave tomorrow at about 10:00 am, I'll need to do hair & makeup (1940s style), polish my nails, sew 6 buttons on the outfit for the performance, possibly hem the pants I'll be wearing for the team performance, organize a bunch of stuff & be sure I've got not only my own outfits, but also shirts for 3 other dancers. There's probably more things on that list too, but I'm too tired to even think of them at the moment.

As I said, Beware the Ides of September!!

3 Minutes to Dinner

2008-09-13T19:16:00.004-04:00

Today has been a long day. I left for the Kennedy Center about 9:30 this morning & didn't get home until 6:30 ish. I had a blast at the KC Open House & it's always an honor to be asked to teach or perform there, but it's a long & tiring day. Thus, I was wiped out, not to mention hungry as I headed home.

A quick stop at the local grocery store for a bag of lettuce (on sale!), some extra fixin's from the salad bar, a multi-grain baguette, a minute or 2 to cube up some cheese and turkey I already had and voila. Dinner's ready. Yay for the 3-minute healthy dinner!!

I'm off to stretch, followed by a (sorely-needed) shower & then I'm taking it easy for the rest of the evening since I've got a 2-hour aerials workshop to teach tomorrow plus 2 rehearsals to run since we're only 72 hrs away from that big performance I've been mentioning.

Bone Marrow Donor Drive

2008-09-12T12:08:00.004-04:00

Back in May, I posted about the National Bone Marrow Donor program's waiving their usual registration fee as part of their Mother's Day event. Well, they are doing it again. Now through Sept 22nd, you have another chance to potentially save a life and it won't cost you a dime!!

No one randomly or whimsically decides, "Hey! I want to get a bone marrow transplant." These patients and their loved ones have been through other treatments and procedures with no luck or they wouldn't even be looking. For every person who becomes part of the National Bone Marrow Registry, the chance that those persons who need to can find a match becomes just a little bit more likely to happen.

I'm in the registry. Please consider joining me. Click here to get more information and/or sign up online.

Thankful Thursday Friday

2008-09-12T11:50:00.003-04:00

Yeah, I know. I'm late again. Story of my life lately it seems, but that doesn't make me any less appreciative. This week I'm thankful for:

My dogs -- work has been crazy, and kinda frustrating this week. Nothing melts away a bad day like being greeted by 3 fuzzy monsters who are so happy to see me. Add in a squeaky toy and some other silly antics and it's an instant attitude adjustment. I've also had a couple of friends who have lost their dogs in the past few weeks, so it makes me realize even more how precious they are.
My boss -- as I mentioned, work's been frustrating, but it's not because of my boss. He's had my back all week and I know I've got his support when I run up against the stuff that's going on.
Sleep -- it's really a nice thing. And after rehearsals & such, MUCH needed!!
The Kennedy Center's Open House -- this annual event is another favorite of mine. A full day of interesting and varied art workshops & performances. Music. Dance. Theatre. We're teaching for some of it, which is always fun, plus before & after, I can go check out other offerings. (If you're in the area tomorrow, you should come down and check it out.)
Firefighters, Police, Rescue workers, etc. -- we get reminded every Sept 11th, but these fine men & women are out there doing the same sorts of things every day. Thanks!

So what makes it onto your thankful list this week?