Let Us Pray?

Our church service this past week didn't get off to a good start. Our bell choir was to ring during the prelude which was inadvertently skipped over by the liturgist. We were to ring when the liturgist said "Let us worship God;" however, she said, "Let's us pray," so instead we prayed. Thus began a rather comedic service that went from bad to worse.

Sunday church service usually provides me with some time of reflection & spiritual renewal. Often an insightful or inspiring sermon will stay in my mind during the upcoming week. This past Sunday was totally different. Our church is now looking to replace our minister of eight years--one whose presence in the pulpit was both inspiring and a source of comfort for me. We now have the revolving door of ministers while the search is on. Some are good; some are not. Yesterday's minister, however, was beyond terrible causing many of us to wonder, what, if anything, she was trying to convey to us. Her sermon was peppered with long pauses . . . at first, I thought this was perhaps for dramatic effect. As it unfolded though, it seemed these pauses were more that she had either lost her place in her notes or lost her train of thought. They became increasingly frequent as she continued. At some point after she had told an extremely long antedote, she put her hands up to her face & stated, "I don't know why I told that story!" (Duh, neither do we!) I struggled to stay awake & could not tell you anything about her sermon topic. It all became quite laughable as one of my friends noted that the Zundell boys (yes, they are great with the witty comments) would have had a heyday! When mercifully she finally concluded her sermon, she moved on to communion, & I believe we collectively thought that at least we would have this spiritual experience to take from the service. But this was not to be as she "winged" through the Eucharist, not just changing words or phrases, but changing entire paragraphs making it nearly impossible to follow along. The communion was served, but she neglected to serve the elders who had been at the various stations with the bread & wine. Church begins at 10:45 & generally concludes a hour or so later. Sunday I glanced at my watch as I was leaving what felt like a marathon service to find that it was nearly 12:30! When we were on the sidewalk after church & the jokes were flying as if we had just left a comedy club, we were joined by a member who looked absolutely worn out from the nearly two hour ordeal--I guess it could have been worse; he had been volunteering in the nursery!

The Workplace

Ahhhh, the workplace, where I spend so many of my waking hours each day. The place where I'm becoming worn out by busy work heaped on me by one of our companies, stupid questions from customers, & a workspace that is in need of a make-over. In addition, there have been problems with the fax machine, printer, scanner, & computers this week. Frustration? Oh, yeah! Fortunately, we have so many strange/stupid interactions with customers that we always have something to laugh about.

This week, the first of the month, has brought forth the usual cast of characters (those who refuse to mail in their payments or go on automatic debit). We have had the man who is so loud we often have a headache when he leaves . . . when he's not talking in his "outside" voice, he's giggling like a hyena. The short (almost can't see her over the counter) woman who has entralled us with details of beating up her female lover & being arrested for battery. The part-Cherokee man who is not licensed to drive--his wife drives him around in a big purple pickup truck--who always is getting ready for a pow wow somewhere & who always has some inside information about gas prices.

We have often thought of secretly compiling a top ten list of the dumbest customers . . . It would be a hot contest! I recently asked a customer (who was reporting a claim) what the circumstances of the accident were. "Huh?" she said. So I rephrased, "how did the accident happen?" She replied, "I don't know." I responded, "Were the police called?" thinking that the details could be found in the police report. "Huh?" she said. She cannot top, however, the guy who let a girl he met in a bar test drive the car he was hoping to sell . . . he never saw the girl or the car again!

So I guess it's good that the crazy, the unusual, the downright stupid daily interactions provide us with something to laugh about. . . at least it is never boring.

Food for thought

It is not in my nature to eat a lot of red meat, and heaven help me, never bacon; however, this week I have embarked on phase one of the "Cheat to Lose" diet. Week 1 is low carb, so hello steak! Since I'm probably addicted to carbs, the first two days were a little rough, but day 3 has been much better. During the first couple of days, I found myself staring longingly at a can of toddler veggie "puffs." How desperate was I! My great treat has been my chocolate calcium chewable which is twice daily. Things begin to look up after the first week as some new foods can be added. After 3 weeks we get into a routine of a "cheater" day on Saturday when anything goes. I guess the prospect of that will sustain me for now.

Ok. Week 2, 5 pounds of ugly fat GONE! It's become increasingly easier as I adjust to the portions & the protein since I get to add in a few more foods. I can now actually eat a restaurant meal & not feel deprived. I have discovered a delicious sugar free ice cream & have to keep reminding myself that a serving is 1/2 cup. Suddenly I realize that if I had been more vigilant about portion size, I probably wouldn't have any weight to lose. I am an adult still wanting to eat like the teenager I once was . . . the one who could literally stuff herself without ever reaching a three digit weight. Ah, if only I could bring back the days of a quick metabolism!!

Surprise

Last Sunday night a group of my close friends surprised me with a dinner get-together in honor of my birthday. The food, wine, & laughter certainly took the edge off my feeling of impending gloom regarding my upcoming birthday. Known for being rather obtuse & unobservant, I was there for at least a half hour (several of us were engrossed in watching Roger Federer play his championship match in the US Open) before I realized that this gathering was for me! Several glasses of wine later, this birthday thing didn't seem quite so bad. It has been said that friends are the family you choose, & indeed I have chosen well!

Drew

What could be better than watching WVU play football on a Saturday afternoon? Spending the day with Drew! While others were lamenting the sluggish first half of WVU vs. Marshall, Drew & I were playing. The simple joys for a 16 month old . . . petting a cat, laughing along as I sang silly songs, pouring a bucket of water over his head in the pool . . . are life affirming. Occasionally I would receive a surprise kiss or hug. . . a true bonus! Drew quite considerately napped during most of the second half, & as it turned out, the only part of the game worth watching. But I would gladly have skipped the whole thing for a day with this precious little boy!

Minnie Mouse

As a sophomore in high school we had our yearbook photos taken in one shot. No time to pose or smile or get ready in any way, just a quick flash. The selection of poses was reserved for upperclassmen. Needless to say, I had an unforgetable yearbook photo my sophomore year. In fact one of my close friends (a really cute guy) told me that I looked like Minnie Mouse in my picture . . . which was unfortunately quite true! He proceeded to call me "Minnie" for the rest of the school year.

Well, I always remember this when getting a new picture taken for my driver's license. Through the years I have always taken time to prepare for this photo since I will have to live with the results for five years. I like to go before work with shining clean hair & make-up intact. I have even gone so far as to practice a sort of half-smile in the mirror. So far, however, this has not worked well for me, & the results have been an increasingly older version of Minnie Mouse. No matter how much preparation & preening I would do, my license photo was always a disaster!

One afternoon last week when I was at work, I suddenly realized that I had not renewed my driver's license, & it would expire the following day. I leapt from my desk, raced home to get the form, & raced to the DMV to get there before it closed at 4:30. I ran in rather breathless at 4:20 & realized I had not completed the form. I did some speed reading & whipped through the questions in record time. At 4:25 I needed only to be fingerprinted & photographed. It dawned on me that I probably couldn't look much worse after a full day of work plus racing to the DMV, but I knew I had no time to do anything about it. Five minutes later I walked to my car & braced myself for what I feared might be a photo even worse than my prior ones. Amazingly, this photo was completely normal . . . not that I would care to enter it in a photo contest, but I looked just like a regular person. Goodbye, Minnie Mouse, at least for the next five years!

Disturbing Ads

Recently I have noticed a cell phone ad for "back to school" for a phone that plays music, has a camera, etc. It doesn't seem to be targeted to college students who logically may be in the market for a phone if they are going away. I find it amusing that a "back to school" need for teens & preteens is not notebooks, clothes, or even a computer but instead an phone!

Something called RLS (restless leg syndrome) has also caught my attention due to the ad. First, is this a new malady . . . I've never heard of it. However, in my opinion, the syndrome seems to be less troublesome than the potential side effects of the medication which include, but are not limited to, unusual gambling or sexual urges!

Since the potential side effects of all medication is required to be included in all advertising, it seems very scary to have anything prescribed! With the exception of the most dire conditions, it seems to me that the risks may often outweigh the benefits.

Ads have been running fairly often on MTV for safe sex. They show a couple about to hook up when the girl abruptly turns down the guy & lectures him on what he's missing out on for not planning to wear a condom. Well, I'm all for safe sex & getting the message out to kids, but this couple seems to have just met. There is no committed relationship which is perhaps going to the next level, but instead a couple of relative strangers . . . I'm not sure that is the message that should be delivered!

The car salesmen (yes, those in the ads are all men) seem to believe that the best way to get the viewer's attention is to yell. Personally, I can't get to the mute button fast enough! There is one local car dealer whose ego seems to be way beyond a normal state of self-confidence. His name is Larry. He wishes viewers a "Larry Christmas" in the winter. He refers to the interstate exit for his dealership as the "Larry Exit." Ironically, at the end of his most recent commercial he urges potential customers to come to his place of business where "IT"S ALL ABOUT you." Yes, the "you" is almost inaudible in this commercial. It actually seems difficult for him to say. I'm not buying it, Larry. . . you haven't fooled me . . . because it's really all about you!

Nina needs a nap!

I am becoming increasingly aware that a 50 something woman cannot come near matching the energy level of an exuberant just-turned-four year old boy. This past weekend I picked up my grandson, Owen, somewhere halfway between Marietta, OH & Fairmont, WV. On the way home we stopped at a John Deere tractor lot. There must have been several hundred tractors on the lot, and I believe Owen sat on nearly every one. Always the negotiator he told me that if I would buy him one he could mow my grass. Relying on his love of pizza, I finally convinced him to leave John Deere for lunch with Uncle Adam, Aunt Kelly, and cousin Drew at Pizza Hut.

After lunch we went home to play cats, dogs, race cars, & trains. Owen is at the age where he really can get by without a nap if he gets to bed early; however, his mother suggested that he take a nap at least one of the two days he was visiting me. Around 1:30 I said, "Owen, let's go take a nap." "I don't NEED a nap!" he replied. I attempted to convince him with "Owen, Nina will take a nap with you." His response again was "I don't NEED a nap!" "Well, Owen, you may be right," I answered, "but NINA needs a nap." He feel asleep first, but I slept the longest. Upon waking up we played once more, visited his greatgrandfather where he drove a golf cart & feed a pond full of fish, then went to "Valley Worlds of Fun" amusement park where we rode rides, played mini golf, & had a picnic supper. We ended the day with ice cream on the deck before bed. Both of us were in bed a little after 8 pm.

Saturday morning we were up early playing with the cats as well as racing cars. We left for lunch with Uncle Trent & Aunt Rachael & a visit with their pets. After lunch Rachael suggested that Owen might like the Exotic Jungle pet store, & she was so right! Owen capped off his visit with holding two baby corn snakes . . . Yes, both Nina & Uncle Trent were afraid of the snakes! We retured home & have pretty much the same conversation regarding a nap. Undaunted, I again explain that Nina needs a nap. Owen appeases me once more, & we sleep. After dinner we have visitors. Fortunately, my nephew, Brooks, had plenty of energy to chase Owen around so they had a great time! We go for Frostys on the deck before bath & bed.

Sunday we drive back to the halfway place to return him to his parents. We chat about convertibles & semis as well as the activities of the weekend. He is munching goldfish & talking non-stop in my rearview mirror. My ride back to Fairmont is very quiet . . . I miss that little bundle of energy already!

Insomniac

Sleep has always come easily for me. Just ask any of my family or friends who will tell you that I often cannot control the urge to sleep . . . I believe I'm a little narcoleptic. It has always seemed strange to me that there are actually people who have trouble sleeping. Before the past few months, this was quite a foreign concept.

Recently, though, I have had trouble sleeping. Not falling asleep . . . nothing has changed there . . . just STAYING asleep. I wake up after a couple of hours & cannot get back to sleep. Sometimes I prowl around & clean up the kitchen or throw in a load of laundry. Other times I have gone out to sit on my deck with a glass of wine in the middle of the night. I've now decided that I should stay in bed so I have become somewhat of an expert on late night (or overnight) tv. I can find Oprah at 1 am & Ellen at 3 am. "Larry King" is rerun at midnight. Did you know that there are late-late talk shows on after Conan O'Brien & Craig Ferguson? I can tell you how to make a killing in real estate or lose weight 100 different ways. I know all about acne, make-up, hair stylers & vacuum cleaners. I've seen more "Cosby" & "Cheers" than I imagined possible. I've seen "Bridzillas" & "Platinum Weddings" over & over again. As intriguing as this graveyard shift tv is, I just want a whole night's sleep!

Happy Birthday, Owen Mark!

Just four short years ago we spent what seemed like an eternity in the hospital waiting for your arrival. You are the first of what I hope will be many grandchildren to love and enjoy. We have already had so many good times together . . . it is so much fun to sometimes have you one-on-one at my house or yours. You continue to amaze & delight me with each new phase of your development & growth. Have a great birthday, Owen!
Love,
Nina

Oak Island

Reflections on the beach . . .
1) I successfully avoided my night to cook by taking everyone out for a seafood buffet.
2) Although I got a hint of this over the holidays, my daughter-in-law, Rachael, has emerged as quite a game player.
3) Who needs an alarm clock with a 1 year old & 3 1/2 year old? Both boys were awake around 6am!
4) A little boy will imitate a bigger little boy doing just about anything.
5) My grandson Owen's best comment on vacation, "Let's make some friends!"
6) My son Trent's best comment on vacation in response to Owen's constant questions about turning on a microphone for him. "Owen, if anyone ever DID NOT need a microphone, it's you!"
7) Little Drew will come right to anyone who's eating anything hoping for a bite.
8) We all really enjoyed the cooking of my daughters-in-law, Kelly & Rachael, & son, Ryan, who provided several delicious meals. The rest of us were happy to do KP.
9) Grandson learning curve--Owen learned to swim & Drew learned to catch a ball.
10) Who knew I'd love pineapple vodka?
11) There are more ice cream shops on Oak Island than any other business.
12) It was interesting to see the line-up of 7 cell phones in various stages of charging.
13) The ocean is always an awesome & peaceful place for me. It was easy to close my eyes at night knowing I had my children & grandchildren with me.

Mom

It doesn't seem right to blog about the mundane while my heart is still breaking. My mom passed away on June 30 at the age of 85. She was a wonderful woman who lived well and was loved by many. This does give me some comfort, but she left a void in my life and my heart that may never be filled. I will miss her every day! Rest in peace, Mom. Your love lives on in us.

Summer so far

While flipping through my tv channels this evening, I found a show "Honey, We're Killing the Kids," which for some reason I thought was a Disney movie. Upon closer examination I found a couple with 2 young sons whose eating habits were atrocious! The host did a computer projection that showed how the boys would look at 40 if they continued to eat the way they did. Oddly enough, the parents (both of whom were large) were actually shocked!

I have returned this week from a relaxing girlfriends week in St. Augustine, Florida. Everyone should have a week like this . . . totally without responsibilities! Yes, at the beach it was always 5 o'clock somewhere as we enjoyed our wine, beer, & margaritas! I ate too much, drank too much, & spent a ridiculous amount of money on a great pair of shoes. . . but it was all worth it!
Fortunately, I have another vacation to look forward to--a week at the beach in July with my family.

Before leaving for Florida I got to spend two days watching my adorable one year old grandson, Drew. He is learning something new every day & quickly outgrowing the "baby" things, i.e. bottles, binkies, jars of baby food. Yes, I fed him a ham sandwich as well as regular fruit & veggies. He was sooooo much fun!!! This Friday I will go to Ohio to babysit my 3 1/2 year old, equally adorable grandson, Owen. He is always just a bundle of energy & makes some of the most interesting remarks. It should be a lively weekend filled with fun & activity!!!

Chillin'

As I sat in my pajamas on my deck at 6:30 a.m. drinking my coffee & enjoying the sunshine, I wondered what it would be like to just stay put & relax. A day to just chill . . . hmm . . . those days just rarely come along as there is always something that needs my attention. It would be nice just to take a day off to do nothing & not feel the guilt of being non-productive. I need to get ready for work, however, especially since there is a sales contest going on involving money. Of course I'm all over that being both competitive & money-loving. I'm onboard for the "mental health" days some companies actually require employees to take regularly . . . I can't imagine anything more rejuvenating!

Catching Up

Although I thought it was an exaggeration, many people told me that DVR would change my life. My son, Trent echoed this same sentiment in his blog. Actually, it is true! I usually watch very little tv during the warm weather months, but in the winter, I am addicted. No more hurrying home to catch a show! No more thinking & remembering to record! My DVR is smarter than me & after programming my favorites to record all new episodes, I can just relax & forget about it. It's great to whip through the shows commercial-free especially American Idol & Dancing with the Stars when all I really want to see are the competitors & the judges comments. It may have been my smartest tactical move when I traded my $65/month Verizon phone service for the $25/month Time-Warner so that I could afford DVR & HD!!!

When I see something I really want, I am like a dog with a bone. I had been looking for deck furniture for about two years now & could not find anything I really liked that I could afford. Last Sunday while buying some flowers at Wal-Mart, I found a sectional with two ottomans/tables that I loved. After some looking, thinking, & sitting on the furniture, I decided to buy it. When I asked the clerk about delivery, I was told they did not have a delivery service. I checked out the enormous box the furniture came in & decided I would have to keep looking. I did think about the furniture all night & again the next day; then I discussed it with Trent & Rachael. They thought I might be able to have the guys at Wal-Mart put it into a pickup in the box; then I could unload it piece by piece. Trent was leaving for Texas the next day but offered to help anyway. Knowing he had lots of things to do to get ready, I decided to get it myself. Yes, I could have waited & asked my son, Adam, or my nephews to help, but I was determined to have the furniture immediately. I borrowed my dad's pickup & drove to the store to buy the furniture. When it was going to take three guys plus a fork lift to get the box into the pickup, I talked the guys into opening the box & loading the pieces individually. When I got the furniture home, I unloaded it easily by myself until I got to the last piece--the ottoman/table. The ottoman makes a table when the cushion is removed & a large metal tray covers the slats. Unfortunately for me I did not realize this tray was not attached to the ottoman. It fell on my foot as I was lifting the ottoman from the truck. I fear I have broken a bone in my foot as it is quite painful as well as swollen & purple. Right now I can only wear Birkenstocks or running shoes. The furniture looks great on the deck though!

Babies no more . . . My one year old grandson, Drew got a haircut & stopped drinking a bottle. I received some pictures of
3 1/2 year old grandson, Owen, riding a two-wheel bike.

Random topics

Escape . . .
One of my favorite songs right now is Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape." I had this experience myself last Saturday as I called the hospital & checked in with my mom then ditched my weekend cleaning/laundry chores & headed to Morgantown to visit my son, Adam, & grandson, Drew. Seeing life through the eyes of a one year old is an awesome experience as we went for a "walk" (Drew stopped every few feet to investigate something or just took off running) on the trail. The most mundane things were quite a source of fascination for Drew . . . rocks, weeds, flowers. We encountered a dog & his owner much to Drew's delight as he pointed & said "dog" over & over. Nothing much compares to reading to & rocking a freshly bathed, sweet smelling baby at day's end, but the steaks Adam grilled for us & his dessert coffee were a very close second!

My father's daughter?
I have taken alot of chiding from my family for always wanting to order last at a restaurant. Upon really thinking about it, I guess I always want to know what everyone else is ordering just in case something sounds better that what I had planned to order. My dad does this too or orders first & then either changes his order or spends time lamenting about what he didn't order & someone else did.
This week I have been dealing with hiring someone to help out at my parents' house. First, I asked my dad if he wanted to interview people with me. He said "no, she doesn't have to please me, you should take her to meet your mother at the hospital." Okay, I find someone & offer to take her to the hospital; however, my dad has now decided that I should just interview her on my own. I'm fine with that, but about five minutes before I am to leave & meet her at a coffee shop, my dad calls & says, "why don't you just meet her here at the house?" I explain to him that it's too late to change the plans & that I'll call him afterwards. I ask the caregiver if she can start the following day, & she agrees. The next day my mom has health complications & cannot be released. I call the caregiver to cancel & explain that hopefully she'll be released tomorrow. We agree that I will call her as soon as I know something. In the meantime, my mom does get the green light for release the following day, & my dad has a plan that the caregiver should come with him to help get my mom home. After two phone calls from my dad, we decide on a time, & I call the caregiver on my way home from work. When I arrive home I already have a message from my dad who has decided it would not be a good idea to have the caregiver go the the hospital. He wants me to call & arrange for her to come later--not a specific time later--but to kind of be "on call." I balk at that fearing that she would soon lose interest in a bunch of loonies who couldn't seem to make a simple decision. I told him I would come meet her at the house at the arranged time (10 am) & we could just stay there while he picked mom up. Additionally, I had told him I would pick up some basic groceries on my way there. At 9 am Dad calls "what are you doing?" I tell him I was just leaving for the grocery store & would be at his house in about 45 minutes to meet the caregiver. He agrees that this is fine, & we hang up. While I'm in the grocery store, he calls again while I am on the line with the caregiver going over directions to the house. I call him back while checking out to find that he thinks my sister should go the the grocery store. I then told him the shopping was finished, & I would be there in 10 minutes. I know he's not being difficult, he's just being himself--there's always a better plan running through his mind at the last minute!

Baby Idol . . .
Well, WVAQ, you really missed the boat on this one. Not only did you miss out of the adorable Drew for the top ten, but you also missed a fantastic opportunites for hits on your website from the friends & families of the over 1000 entrants! What were you thinking!!!

Tongue tied . . .
There is a guy, Bob Dick, who sells ads to the "Big Book" (an oversized phone book) & contacts our office frequently. Try as I might I can't keep from getting these things confused & calling the man "Big Dick!"

One more car . . .
Finally, add this car to the list of ones the owners can't pronounce. This week a woman called to delete her Dodge "Decrepit." (Intrepid)

Memories

Not for the faint of heart is this stroll down memory lane. I have been picking through family photos for a potential gift & was able to enjoy & laugh until tonight. Suddenly, while I am also choosing music, I have become sad & teary. It is so true . . . time is fleeting!

BK

I am so over Burger King. After getting my "order" (unsweetened iced tea only) wrong twice last week, I realized there's no real reason to go there anymore. After all I just went there for the potential refills. I have now moved on. There's a McDonald's down the street that has tea for the same price although the do not have self-serve drinks. They do, however, seem to know the difference between unsweetened tea & sweetened tea. I am now a patron of the golden arches!

Happy Birthday

Happy first birthday, Drew! It has been a year of love & laughter . . . wishing you a world filled with happiness today & always!
I love you,
Nina

Weekend Woes

Ground Hog's Day . . .
Yesterday while mowing my back yard I spotted a HUGE ground hog standing beside my storage shed. I assumed my mower running at full speed would be my protection as I attempted to point it at him while staring him down. Unperturbed, he stared back. I began to get rather skittish when he stuffed his large body under the shed. Fortunately I had already mowed in that area because I became afraid to go near the shed. When I finished mowing I was too scared to put the mower back into the shed & instead put it in my garage. It has occurred to me, however, that both my gas & my oil for the mower are still in the shed. Hopefully one of my sons will come check it out for me before I need to mow again.

Crisis Averted . . .
While Ryan, Renea, Owen, & Rachael were visiting this weekend, we were discussing our beach vacation. I pulled out the beach info only to find that my contract had the wrong week on it!!! Of course I had already made a deposit of 50% so I was rather undone. I called the rental office which, naturally, was closed but would reopen Sunday at 8 am. I couldn't get to the phone fast enough on Sunday & was told that I was probably stuck since the my deposit had already been sent to the owner. I expressed that it was good that I had purhased trip insurance & was told that this circumstance would not be covered. It was suggested that I call on Monday & speak to the manager. So today I did call & was pleasantly surprised to find that the agent who had booked the condo admitted that it was her mistake & was willing to help me work something else out. She emailed me 5 other places to check out & was very accomodating. I did find another place in the same complex . . . ocean view, not ocean front . . . but otherwise nice & clean with the same ammenities. I can only imagine the snafu we might have had if we hadn't had a conversation about vacation Saturday evening & had instead just shown up on the wrong date!

Disconnected

Earlier this week I read my son Trent's blog about the problems he was having getting a satellite dish installed. All those phone calls & so much frustration made me really feel his pain!

Well, I may not be able to top Trent's story, but I certainly can add my own tale of woe. Several weeks ago I placed a call to Time Warner to see what it would cost to have phone service. I pay an average of $60 a month to Verizon so I was thrilled when I was told that Time Warner phone service was only $25 a month with unlimited long distance. Sensing immediately that I would be saving $35 per month, I then inquired about adding DVR & high def to my current "bundle." All together my monthly bill would be $129 for all these services. Since I currently pay $103 for cable in addition to my $60 phone bill, I jumped on this with both feet. I was told, however, that I would have to wait 3 weeks for a service call to install. I scheduled an appointment for April 11. The gave me a "window" of 10-12 for installation.

The day before my scheduled installation I called Time Warner to confirm the appointment & to be sure they had my office & cell phone numbers. I explained that I worked 10-15 minutes from my home & asked if the technician would call when he was starting for my house. The CSR I spoke with told me we were all set. On the day of the appointment no one had called me by 11:20 so I decided to go home to wait for the technician. When I got home I found a phone message from the man who was to do the installation stating that he was on my front porch, & no one was home. I then called the company & was told that they do not call ahead & that I must be home for the entire 2 hour window to let the technician in. I explained that I had called the day before to give my phone numbers & was not told that calling would not be an option. Although the CSR apologized he explained that he was in Denver & could do nothing but reschedule. I got an appointment for 2 days later (Friday) with a window of 8-10.

Thursday morning my brother asked me if I could take my dad to the doctor for a 9 am appointment. I told him I would call Time Warner & see if I could change my installation time. Upon calling the company I was told that they need 72 hours notice to change to another time on the same day. The best they could do was to cancel & reschedule for the following week. Of course my dad's appointment took precedence over my cable/phone installation, so I cancelled & rescheduled for Monday.

Later on Thursday I was driving home from work & stuck in a large line of traffic. I decided to call my house & retrieve my messages. I got a message that my phone had been disconnected! I then called my brother to confirm my dad's appointment time & to tell him that if he needed to reach me he would have to call my cell phone. He did call my cell later to tell me that Dad had been confused & his appointment was actually for 12:30--I could actually have kept my cable appointment! So, I am disconnected for the weekend. Hopefully, my service can & will resume on Monday.

Quick Update

Ok, I admit it. I have been shamelessly lurking on both the Rivals & Scout message boards for news on Coach Beilein for the past few days. Yes, it had become an addiction. I could hardly tear myself away for fear of missing late-breaking news. I have my favorite sources on the Scout boards--Mexman & Eerhole. They seem to be spot on with inside information--none of which during the past few days has been positive. I realized that I had become rather obsessed when I began quoting them to the Progressive rep who was in our office today. Although the Beilein drama is now over, I now find myself enmeshed in the questions/theories on the coaching search, potential loss of players & recruits, etc. I really do have too much going on to be so involved, but it's irresistible to me right now.

I know my son, Adam, does not care for Joakim Noah of Florida basketball fame; however, I always kind of liked him for staying in school out of loyalty to his teammates. I loved him, however, on Monday night when Florida won the national championship, & he went climbing up through the crowd to hug his mom & share the moment with her.

The Burger King near my office now has 2 large new signs with their refill policy for drinks. I'll just call them the Starrett/Zundell memorial posters & let it go at that. The new manager there is reminiscent of the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfield.

Miscellaneous

Is it me or do you need to be an interpreter to work with the public? In our insurance agency, we could compile a hilarious list of mispronunciations of car names. For example, a customer called to delete his "Tota" & add a Mercury "Stable." He was indeed the second customer to call this car a "Stable" rather than a "Sable;" however, the "Tota" for "Toyota" was a definite first. Another customer called about her Ford "Expire" which is certainly an unflatering version of "Aspire." One of our insureds had several conversations about her Mercury "Mesquite" (Mystique) which was also called "Mystic" by another customer. We have had a number of versions of Hyundai with my favorite being hy-YOOON-die. References to having an insurance policy "shut off" as if it were a utility is also amusing. Then, of course, there is the ever popular plural reference to a driver's license, i.e., "I have to get 'them' renewed or 'they've' expired." And I always enjoy someone calling for a "quota" (quote) for insurance.

Iced Tea Recap: Well, I am going to write or call corporate headquarters at BK about our iced tea. Really, if drive-thru customers may not refill, shouldn't the price be lower? Are we expected to subsidize all the dine-in patrons with their multiple refills?

Bring on Nancy & Jill--At the NIT quarterfinals Nancy & I got caught inadvertently behind he Mountaineer basketball team huddle. When the rifle was fired, the band struck up the fight song, & the team was announced . . . "Let's bring on the Mountaineers" . . . Nancy & I were practically on the court behind the players & coaching staff! A WVU staffer was working diligently to roll out the carpet stopping & starting between us as we tried to find the aisle on the floor to get back to our seats.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Sometimes it's hard to be good or do good. I seldom spend a whole day trying to be good or do good things, so when I do try I guess I expect the universe to recognize this attempt & support me. This Sunday after braving the ice & snow to go to choir & church, I delivered some homemade cookies & brownies to my nephew Jay who was driving back to school. Since I had offered to drive another nephew, Brooks, to the airport in Pittsburgh, I hurriedly went to fill my car up with gas. I stepped right out of my car into a huge mud puddle that totally covered both of my suede (& only) boots. Frustrated I proceeded to pump my gas & accidentally touched my car with my cream colored corduroy pants & got a huge black mark on them. I went home to change my pants & hopefully dry my boots. I threw my boots in the clothes dryer & my pants in the washer, then got a quick bite to eat. I did manage to get my boots fairly dry & put them on & prepared to leave. I was going to visit my parents & write checks for their bills before we needed to leave for Pittsburgh. Grabbing my coat I (fortunately) noticed that one of the cats had thrown up on it. GEEZ! So I quickly throw my coat in the washer, my pants in the dryer, grab another coat & leave for my parents house to pay their bills before picking up Brooks.

Brooks & I leave a little early for Pittsburgh due to weather concerns & have a nice chance to visit during our trip. On the way I find that I have exhausted my windshield wiper fluid so we stop near the airport so that I can buy some. Brooks puts it in for me & fills it to the gills: however, it won't come out to wash my windshield. After dropping him off at the airport I decide to run my windshield defrost hoping that my frozen fluid will begin working, but that doesn't help. I have to stop several times to wash off my windshield. It is now dark, snowy, icy, & it would be difficult to see even with a clean windshield.

Finally I arrived home safe & relatively sound but feeling I deserved an easier time in a day I was just trying to be helpful!

Real Life

The recent news is giving credibility to the shows of both Jerry Springer & Maury Povich. There was a time when their guests & topics seemed absurd; however, our news is currently filled with such absurdity.

Anna Nicole Smith's recent death has brought forth at least three additional men who claim they are/could be the father of her baby. I have to believe that if her companion, Howard K. Stern, were actually the father, he would have already taken a DNA test. Not only are there several claiming paternity, but also, there is a fight over her burial.

Last week we had the astronaut who drove cross country in Depends to confront & possibly kill her rival. This seemed to captivate the attention of many since it is believed that astronauts are among the best & brightest in this country.

Of course the antics of Brittney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan are always front & center news. Understandably, Paris needs this kind of press since she is famous only for these types of activities. Brittney & Lindsey, however, did have careers which, in my opinion, are not served well by this kind of publicity.

Today we have the father who assaulted his son's wrestling opponent on the mat after his son was pinned. Whoa! He is making the soccer moms look really good.

Jerry, Maury, you have only to turn on CNN to line up your next guests!

Car Escapades

Yesterday I decided it had finally become warm enough to rinse my filthy car off. I had applied Windex to all my windows in an effort to be able to see while driving, but my car has had to be parked on the street at work several times lately & became disgustingly dirty. Well, I went to the touchless automatic car wash & paid for the basic wash. After fighting to get each of my dollars inserted & accepted, at long last I received the message to drive into the carwash. The door was down so I assumed someone else was in there. After waiting several minutes I realized that no one was inside & the door was not going to open. So I pushed the "refund" button; however no refund came out of the machine. I pushed this button several times to no avail. Amazingly, the door suddenly came up, & I started to drive in. It dawned on me while I was driving forward that no instructional lights were on, such as "DRIVE FORWARD." I became rather panicked at the thought of driving in & having the door close permantly behind me--a claustrophobic's worst nightmare! So I left after taking down a phone number on the building to call & attempt to get my money back.

On my way to work this morning I went to the drive-thru at my bank. After exiting & before I could get my window up, a huge truck zipped by me splashing water in through my window. No only did I have mud spattered on my car & my jacket, but also I had several huge spots of mud on my face. I continue driving to work trying to dab at the mud on my face with my gloves. By the time I got to work I had only succeeded in spreading the mud out & looking like I had just returned from a round in the mud wrestling pit. Before I went into my office, I sat in the back parking lot with tissues & hand sanitizer & removed the mud from my face. What a way to start the day!

The Green Eyed Monster

Most of my friends are teachers, & I am sooooo jealous of them as they spend weeks on end in the summer enjoying travel & fun. However, I have never been more jealous than I am today as I prepare to go to work in 4 degree weather. In the past two weeks we have had school cancelled for a dusting of snow, for water problems, and now due to extremely cold weather. Oh, I know teachers work hard when they have school, but having so much time off certainly would make the hard work worth it for me! I'll think of my teacher friends as I don my longjohns & brave the elements to get to my job.

Partners in Crime

My son, Trent, was informed by the man who rents his townhouse that two trees had been damaged in a storm & needed to be removed. He offered to cut the trees down himself if Trent could get someone to remove them. Since Trent lives in Baltimore & the townhouse is in Morgantown, he called me to see if I could arrange for the trees to be hauled away. I in turn asked my son, Adam, who lives in Morgantown, to drive by to assess the scope of the job. After driving to the townhouse & emailing me a picture, we both agreed that we could handle the job ourselves. So a couple of Saturdays ago in 19 degree weather, Adam & I borrowed a pickup from my dad, bundled up, & drove to the townhouse.

We had planned to fill the truck with the trees & drive to Fairmont to dump it all on my dad's compost pile or in the woods on my property. Somehow the small pile of trees loomed much larger when we actually got up close. We realized that it would be at least two full loads of the pickup. Not wanting to make two round trips to Fairmont, we filled the truck & began to scout around for a place to unload the chopped down trees. Fortunately, we did not have to look far; there was a wooded area in Trent's development that appeared to already contain a couple of discarded Christmas trees. Adam parked the truck, & we quickly unloaded while glancing around to be sure no one would see us. (We did remember the dumpster incident from a few years ago when Trent was nearly arrested for illegally dumping trash in a dumpster . . . who knew putting trash in a trash container was illegal!)

Adam suggested that we scout out another location to dump the second load. This time we feared we might be pushing our luck to stay in the neighborhood to get rid of the trees. After driving through Suncrest we decided that the woods around a college apartment complex would be a suitable spot. (We had seen "no dumping" signs in Suncrest & rationalized that we could then dump where these signs were not posted.) Our assumption was that college students would be sleeping at 9 am on a Saturday & that we could go unobserved, just in case. We returned to the townhouse & loaded the truck back up. We drove back to the apartment complex & moving with lightning speed, we were stealth in getting rid of the remaining tree branches. Mission accomplished!

ground hog day

I've always found ground hog day confusing. Yes, I know that if a certain ground hog in PA ("Phil") sees his shadow on February 2, it means six more weeks of winter. What I don't know is which scenario do we hope for. Is six weeeks a good thing, as in we ONLY have six weeks of winter left. Or is it a bad thing? I wish someone who enlighten me.

Son of a Bich

A man came into my office last week to get a quote for insurance. He handed me his current policy, & I told him I would quote it while he waited. I went to my desk & began to put the information into my rating system. Suddenly, my eyes were riveted to the name of the man's wife "BICH!" Nervously, I wondered if it could be a typo or if her name really is BICH? How, I wondered, do I ask? Assuming the pronunciation of bich would be the same as rich with a "B," I speculated about asking the birthdate & social security number for what seemed to be "bitch." Tactfully, I asked the man if his wife's name was spelled "B-I-C-H." He assured me that it was. Then, I proceeded to ask for "his wife's" information without using her name. He never did say her name, nor did I, but I still wonder if she really is referred to as "Bitch." I can only imagine the scenarios that would result from this name . . . "I need to get home now or "Bitch" will be furious" or "I would like you to meet my wife, "Bitch" or their son, who could actually be a "son of a bitch!"

Phone Rage

I work in an insurance office with two other agents. We all answer the phone, and at least 25% of our calls are stupid!

Our number is similar to a local car dealership, Urse Dodge, & we get a number of calls for them. However, it's odd that by answering the phone "Smith-Carpenter Agency," one would think it would be clue that they have the wrong number.

Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "Is this Urse Dodge?"
Me: "No, it's Smith-Carpenter Agency."
Caller: "Is this 366-9200?"
Me: "No, this is 363-9200."
Caller: "I'm calling Urse Dodge." (Duh!)

Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "Service Department, please."
Me: "Did you mean to call Urse Dodge?"

Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "Is my car ready?"

Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "Could I speak to someone in parts?"

The ever popular conversation starters from callers who do not identify themselves:

Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "You called me."
Me: "May I have your name?"
Caller: "John Watson"
Me: "I'm afraid I did not call you today, Mr. Watson. Did you receive a message to call me?"
Caller: "No, your number was on my caller ID."

Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "You sent me some papers.
Me: "May I have your name?"
Caller: "Marlene Jackson"

Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "How much is my bill?"
Me: "May I have your name?"

Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "How much would it cost to add a 2003 Honda to my policy?"
Me: "May I have your name . . .

What's in a name:
Me: "Smith-Carpenter Agency"
Caller: "Could I speak with Mary?
Me: "No one with that name works in this office."
Caller: "Is there a Cathy?"
Me: "No, we don't have a Cathy either."
Caller: "Nancy?"
Me: "Yes, we do have a Nancy."
Caller: "Ok. I'll talk to her."

And those who are seeking information of any kind:
"Could you tell me the name of the store next door?"
"Could you tell me the number of the store next door?"
"Could you give me the number for State Farm (a competitor)?"
"How much does it cost to license a vehicle?"
"Do you have the number for Urse Dodge?"

And so it goes . . . .

Who Knew?

I have never believed I was sexist. In fact I had always believed I had no gender bias at all. Until recently, that is.

Several days ago my daughter-in-law, Renea, called me with some suggestions for my three year old grandson, Owen, for Christmas. Most were the typical things I know he likes . . . books, trains, racecars. However she did mention he would like a "Dora the Explorer" kitchen. "It's rather pink," Renea said.

Well, I have no problem with a boy playing with a kitchen, (if fact, there's nothing much better than a guy who can cook!) but when I checked out this particular kitchen set, it was definitely "girly." I couldn't bring myself to buy something so feminine for Owen. I did an exhaustive search on the internet to see if I could find something in red, blue, yellow, or anything non-pink. I did find a couple, but they were extremely expensive. I decided that Owen didn't really need a kitchen, and even convinced myself that my son & daughter-in-law didn't have the space for such a large item.

Well today I came upon a kitchen set while walking through Target. It is red & blue & even has a photo of both a boy & a girl playing on the box. It is more expensive than the Dora one, but it's not embarrassingly girly. I bought it and have to admit I would rather pay a higher price than to get the pink one. So I guess I am sexist after all.

That's Entertainment--Part II

How do you spend the day after Thanksgiving . . . relaxing, watching football, eating leftovers? Well, in my house my son, Trent, who has spent the past several months moving, dismantling, & assembling furniture for his brother and sister-in-law, and I spent most of the day on my new entertainment center. Yes, the one I primed and painted several weeks before.

I had brought all the pieces to the entertainment center into the house after thoroughly drying them in the garage. When I was having weekend company I stacked the pieces up against the wall to get them out of the way. On the Friday after Thanksgiving Trent & I were ready to assemble it. When I went to hand him the support boards, they stuck to each other causing a big chuck of paint to come off one of the boards. With my usual impatience I pulled a large strip of paint off and told my son that I was done with the eggplant paint . . . we would just pull off the paint and take the entertainment center back to silver. He had no choice but to agree (I was already peeling!) and began to help me remove the paint. It all went pretty well until we came to the two base pieces and the paint would not come off. We were attempting to scrape it with our fingernails to no avail. Trent suggested a razor scraper, so I made a quick trip to Big Lots to purchase one. After several hours, we had FINALLY removed the paint, but not without putting a few scratches and scrapes on the pieces. Another hour and the easy-to-assemble center was good to go. Although it actually looks pretty good, I do lament the waste of time and energy that went into the project!

Take a Bite

Biting off more than I can chew . . . .

This week I purchased an entertainment center for my new tv. The one I wanted cost $275 so I kept looking. I finally found one that was perfect for $99 except that it was painted a garish silver. No problem, I thought. I'll just paint it.

It took two guys at Rex plus a dolly to load it into my car. "Are you sure I'll be able to get it out by myself?" I asked. "Oh, it will be a piece of cake," they responded. They also told me it was very easy to assemble.

Yesterday I purchased paint & thought I would quickly paint the wood before assembling; then put it together later in the day. When I got home from buying the paint, I attempted to get the entertainment unit out of my car . . . the box would not budge as it was wedged into my backseat. Eventually I was able to pry open the box & get the pieces out one by one. I spread a drop cloth on my deck & carried all the pieces outside. Suddenly the beautiful sunny day became very dark & windy. Undaunted, I opened the paint & proceeded to paint a piece of wood only to discover that it would not adhere. Perservering, I remembered that I had a can of primer left over from painting my hearth & mantle. I located the primer & began to prime all the wood. After applying several coats of primer, the rains came.

I backed my car out of the garage & spread out another drop cloth on the garage floor. Then I moved the pieces to the garage to finish the priming. Every couple of hours I would go the the garage to apply another coat as most of the pieces needed to be primed front & back, & each side needed at least two & sometimes three coats of primer. As of this morning I have yet to finish the priming & am beginning to wonder exactly how many days this project might take. Hopefully when the painting is finished, it will be as easy to assemble as the salesmen said it would be, but from the looks of all the pieces & bags of screws, I doubt it!

Reality bites . . . .

Oddly enough my sons encouraged me to play in their fantasy football league. I was uncertain since I had never played before, but they convinced me that I could do it.

After the first two weeks, I was sitting pretty atop the league undefeated. At that point I would say "I know my football," but I'm sure my sons were thinking "dumb luck." Since that time I have lost every game even though I have scored a lot of points each week. This week I dumped my so-called premier receiver, Randy Moss, since he had done absolutely nothing so far this season with the hapless Raiders. Unfortunately for me I happened to mention this to my son, Adam, who quickly snatched him up. Yesterday, the Raiders won & Randy had a great day. My fantasy is quickly becoming a nightmare!

Tea for Two

Ever since I blogged about our smooth little system of daily drive-thru iced teas plus free refills later, I have had nothing but trouble getting the tea.

First, Nancy announced that she no longer liked sweetener & now wanted sweetened tea. I drove up to the BK drive-thru . . . voice: "Can I have your order? me: "One medium unsweetened iced & one sweetened iced tea." voice: "That will be $2.42 at the next window." me: "I said MEDIUM teas." voice: "That's what I'm charging you for." me: "Has the price gone up since yesterday?" voice: "No. Drive thru please." So I discovered that Nancy's medium tea with sugar cost an extra 11 cents. So when I went to refill later, I of course got the two cups mixed up & had to pitch them & order new drinks. Then when I got back to the office, I got them mixed up again & put my sweetener in Nancy's already sweetened tea making it disgustingly sweet.

Undaunted, however, I went the following day to the BK drive thru & was told they were unable to make tea due to a broken part on the machine. I then was trapped in the drive-thru while those ahead of me reeived their orders. I proceeded to McDonalds next to get tea. me: "One medium sweetened tea & I medium unsweetened tea please." voice: "We don't sell sweetened tea. It doesn't make sense to sell sweetened tea when we have sugar." me: "Two medium unsweetened teas, please, plus sugar packets." Okay, so I get the teas & can immediately tell it's not going to be good since there is virtually no ice in either one of them. Additionally, I discovered Nancy doesn't like to put sugar into unsweetened tea since she thinks it does not disolve well. Not to mention all this took me at least 20 minutes . . . I think it's time to switch to coffee.

Fill Er Up

My friend Nancy & I get a daily iced tea from the Burger King drive-thru for $1.15 each. Later in the day one of us returns to Burger King to refill our cups. We have been questioned about getting our free refills hours later; however, we feel that since we pay the same price in the drive-thru as we would if we ate inside, we are entitled to a refill. If restaurants don't want drive-thru customers to participate in the free refill policy, then the price for a drive-thru drink should be less than one purchased inside.

I have been a perpetual loser at gauging whether gas prices will go up or down. When gas prices are exceedingly high, I will get a partial tank of gas hoping to fill up later when the price comes down. Unfortunately for me, the price inevitably then gets higher. Conversely, when the prices are relatively low, I will fill my car to the gills only to find the price will drop another 5 cents on the gallon the next day.

Owenisms . . . out of the mouth my three year old grandson who was my houseguest for the weekend:

"Nina, you smell really good." "Do I, Owen?" "Yes, you smell just like Rachel Ray!"

When he found a stray piece of mushroom on his piece of pizza, he exclaimed, "That's just disgusting!"

Upon discovering that his great grandparents (ages 86 & 84) had a golf cart at their house, he asked "Do Timer & Jack wear helmets when the ride on their golf cart?"

After attending our church Sunday, he was meeting & greeting outside & felt the need to introduce not himself, but his uncle. He told people, "Hi. This is Uncle Adam."

Living in a fantasy world

Last weekend I make my first foray into the realm of fantasy football. I had really never intended to get involved with this since it just seemed way too complicated. Also, I have my hands full with my college & pro football pools. However, at the urging of my sons, I became a player or should I say team. Of course I have now set myself up for abuse as everything from my team name (Dirty Dancing) to my selections (ok, so I didn't know Deion Branch was holding out) is being mocked by the family. The draft was fun though, & I'm still picking my way through the rules. I did dump Deion for a personal fav of mine, Jerry Porter. Now I guess I will just have to wait & see how it goes. Apparently I can trade & pick starters every week. Yes, it is as complicated as I imagined, but a new experience can also be challenging. Unfortunately, my competitive nature has kicked in, &, of course, I now want to WIN!!! Speaking of competitive, Kelly, my daughter-in-law who usually could care less about football, calls during the Steeler/Miami game last night all excited about the points she is accumulating during the game. I believe she is in it to win it as well. At best it will be fun & exciting . . . at worst I have given my sons another venue for laughs at my expense. Only time will tell.

Quick Hits

How did Maurice Clarett & Marcus Vick become such egomaniacs that they feel they can continuously break the law without consequences? It's bad enough that some professional athletes have adopted this behavior, but at least they've "made it," & we have some idea why they think they're so great that they're above the law.

My new ATM machine gives you an option of two languages. Not so unusual, as we often must choose between English & Spanish; however, my options are now ENGLISH or FRENCH! I know not a single person in Fairmont, WV, for whom French is their language of origin.

Is there any better way to start the day than by receiving a smile from three month old Drew?

I wonder why it was necessary for Lance Bass to "announce" that he is gay? (To no one's surprise, I might add.)

Just when I think my television viewing couldn't get much worse, I discover a show called "Bridzillas!" Need I say more . . .

Who knew my sons' new hobby, a podcast, would become so popular? The Brothers in 3-Z is now nominated for a national people's choice award. It certainly is fun seeing them get all of this attention! I have done my part encouraging friends & family to vote as well as voting myself.

Where has the summer gone? We had no summer weather in June, July became a scorcher, & now we are one week into August. My favorite season has just flown by!

Mindless

Summer tv viewing can usually not be more boring. I seldom have the tv on in the summer preferring to spend my evenings & weekends doing something outside at least until dark. This summer, however, I have been riveted by some real reality tv. First we have the infamous Britney Spears interview with Matt Lauer. Where do I start with this? She looked like white trash. I know she's pregnant, but she's also fat in places that have nothing to do with pregnancy & chose to show as much chubby skin as possible. In addition, most of her remarks were inane & certainly did nothing to enhance her image. Secondly, the feud between Barbara Walters & Star Jones has made must-see tv for me. It's hard to predict what either will say or do next! I found myself watching Star for an entire hour on "Larry King Live." You just can't conjure up more drama than has unfolded with the two of them.

My son & daughter-in-law (Adam & Kelly) introduced me to two shows on MTV that I have found hilarious . . . "My Sweet Sixteen" & "Tiara Girls." These shows follow the ultra spoiled teens & their parents as they either prepare for a 16th birthday party (that usually costs more that an elegant wedding reception) or the pageant circuit (no amount of money is too much when attempting to win a beauty contest). I did hear Anderson Cooper say (seriously) that these two shows were his favorites. In addition I will add two MTV shows that I have found on my own . . . "Parental Consent" & "Next." I won't try to explain these shows but will only say they are also so ridiculous, they are addictive.

Needless to say, a little mindless tv viewing never hurt anybody. Bring on "Making the Band!"

Pay attention

During a recent trip to the beach with my friends two of us decided to purchase some flip flops. One night on our way to dinner we went into a store that specialized in beach shoes. We perused the flip flops & found that they were $25. After a lengthy deliberation on whether to spend that much as well as trying on numerous pairs, both my friend, Penny, & I each decided on a pair to buy. We were laughing & talking as I handed my credit card to the clerk. Obviously I was not paying much attention because as we were leaving the store, I noticed that my flip flops were $42! I checked with Penny, & hers were $42 also. I then asked the clerk who told me MOST of the flip flops were $25, however, we had each selected a pair that was $40 plus tax. So now I am wearing my flip flops everywhere--even to work occasionally! They are now more expensive than the fancy heels I bought on sale for my son's wedding last year.

Before going on vacation I returned a movie "Antz" that I had rented for Owen. This morning I found that movie in my family room. I wondered what I could possibly have returned to the video store in its place. After work I walked into the store & straight to the movie. Upon opening it I found Owen's "Neighborhood Animals" video that I keep for him at my house. He absolutely loves that video & would have been distraught if I had lost it. I can only imagine how much time we would have spent turning the house upside down trying to find it!

Momma in 3Z

It seems that every time I have a little faux pas, my sons seem to quickly to share this with one another. Often I find myself being an unwitting source of entertainment for the three of them. Nothing escapes their scrutiny; nothing goes unnoticed. I don't know if it's a generational thing or a mom thing, but they seem to think I'm a simpleton much of the time. At times I think they may set me up to look stupid. Well, I'm now finding an occasional reference to something dumb I have said or done in the 3Z podcasts. Unfortunately, I will probably be unable to go through life without making some glaring errors--At least I may be able to maintain my sense of humor if not my dignity!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my dad . . . one of the world's greatest! And what makes him a great dad? Well, I believe his unconditional love & respect for my mother set the tone for the family. They spent a lot of years successfully tag-teaming the comings & goings of four children. He has raised us to have a faith in God that sustains us during difficult times. He has inspired us to have a moral compass & to be caring & giving through the way he lives his life. He has always been my hero--the man who could fix any problem, heal any wound. He is both strong & tender. On some level I am still daddy's little girl.

Falling in love with Drew

I have loved him from the beginning when he was just a blip on a sonogram. With each passing month of Kelly's pregnancy, he became more & more real. Seeing him in person, however, was absolutely incredible! To me he looks a great deal like Adam, but I'm sure Kelly's parents see a great resemblence to the Maiden family as well. Suffice it to say he is a nice combination of both parents right now. With each passing day I am more enthralled by him. Nothing much compares to holding a new little one. I have fallen in love with this adorable baby boy . . . & this love grows stronger every day.

He came . . . He saw . . . He conquered

Owen arrived Sunday morning . . . a two year old bundle of energy. He stayed with me until Wednesday. I love his visits & (no offense to his parents) really enjoy having him all to myself for a few days.

His imagination runs wild as his bike becomes a race car careening down the grassy slope in my backyard. My plant spritzer becomes a car wash; my yardstick when leaning against the sofa becomes a great car ramp. While swimming in my pool, he pretended it was a fish tank, & we were fish. Yes, I have two boxes full of toys for him, but most often he prefers to create his own scenario. Watching & participating in his make-believe world is always a fascinating experience.

Although I won't tolerate bad behavior, I will admit to spoiling this little charmer by doing some special activities & buying a new book or toy. The best thing though is spending time with him & being a part of his world. Although it's very flattering for him to say, "I love you, Nina," with no prompting, I have also heard him say the same thing to Trevor the cat!

Owen is a very talkative little guy . . . no surprise here . . . perhaps a genetic link. I took him out for a gelatto (Italian ice cream) one night & explained that it was called "gelatto." Later I asked him "do you remember what we call the ice cream we had tonight?" His answer, "Delicious!"

Yes, he ran my life & my house for four days, & I loved every minute of it!

Full House

Over the weekend Ryan arrived with 2 1/2 year old Owen, & Adam & Kelly brought almost 4 week old Drew to meet the family. Adding to the household chaos were, of course, the three cats including Adam & Kelly's cat Sammy. It sometimes took the logistics of a field general to keep the cats away from Drew & his things & simultaneously keep Owen occupied & out of harm's way. But at the end of the day there's nothing like sleeping in a full house & spending time with these delightful little boys!

Humbling Experiences

Recently I purchased an electric weedeater & learned how to use it. I have been very proud that I can now both mow the lawn & do the trimming. Last night I stopped weedeating to chat with some neighbors who were outside. In addition there were two men from Mon Power working on a pole a few feet from me. When I resumed my trimming on a rather steep bank, I tripped & feel backwards on my rear in full view of the neighbors & the Mon Power men. I could sell tickets!

No matter what the scales tell me or what size I wear it is always depressing to try on swimsuits!

The day after my nephew Jay's graduation my mom was recalling that she has now seen six grandchildren graduate from high school & would have a grandchild graduating both next year & the year after. My niece Kerry who is five looked at her & said "you'll be in a nursing home by the time I graduate." Humorous, but humbling for my mom.

America Voted

I am admittedly a fan of American Idol. This week when America voted & Taylor Hicks was crowned the new idol, I believe America got it wrong. To me he seems a one trick pony. Katharine, on the other hand, seemed tailor-made for the title reminiscent of Kelly Clarkson & Carrie Underwood with both a great deal of talent, beauty, & poise. I also would have been fine with Chris winning; however, he was given the boot a couple of weeks earlier. He too is both talented & charismatic. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Katharine/Chris surpass Taylor & become the true stars emerging from the season. I think both these singers have more staying power than Taylor.

Of Cats & Kids

With the arrival of Adam & Kelly's cat in April, I installed some barriers to keep him (Sammy) from my relatively new family room furniture as well as the relatively new mattress & down comforter in my bedroom . . . baby gates have prohibited his entry into these areas. This past weekend I had the pleasure of keeping my 2 1/2 year old grandson, Owen, an irrepressible cat lover. Unfortunately Sammy has hissed at Owen in the past so I planned to keep them separated just to play it safe. I explained to Owen that Sam wasn't used to new people, & that he can must not try to pet him unless I was there with him. The cats eat upstairs and go down to the basement to their litter boxes. So I kept Owen gated in the family room when Sam was upstairs & put Sam in the basement when Owen was out of the gated area. When it was bedtime for Owen I promised him I would leave his door open, so I had to put all cats in the basement . . . any of them would love to hop up on the bed & wake him. Before I would go sleep in his room, I would let the cats up & shut the door close Owen & me in. I became quite proficient in the logistics of all of this. Owen, however, was still intensely curious about Sammy so I let him gradually cultivate Sammy's trust by giving him a treat or gently petting him. . . ultimately, they were getting along just fine. Who knew that both Owen & Sammy would understand the need to be gentle?

Welcome to the World, Drew Jacob Zundell!

My son, Adam, (Drew's dad) expressed surprise that I had not yet blogged about him. How do I express my joy of the birth of this precious little boy without sounding cliche? There are not enough superlatives to adequately describe holding this sweet baby in my arms or watching the totally loving expressions on his parents' faces as they held him. Yes, it was love at first sight! Baby Drew is amazing and just watching him sleep is mesmorizing. He is a miracle, an answered prayer, a reaffirmation of faith. Welcome to the world, Drew Jacob Zundell!

Consumer Wars

Round One . . .
A couple of weeks ago I purchased two different baby gates at Toys-R-Us and kept the receipt since I wasn't sure if either would work. One was $20 and the other $67. Adam helped me with the gate, and we both decided the $20 one was not only fine, but a lot less difficult to install. So I took the $67 gate back to the store only to be told that my receipt was incomplete . . . for some reason only the date, a survey, & the total sale were printed on it. I told the clerk that it was all I had been given. She informed me that the rest of the receipt should have been attached . . . I agreed with this, but I attempted to convince her that it was all I had been given. She then said I could only have store credit instead of a refund since I did not have the receipt. I asked nicely to see the manager who did believe me and agreed to refund my money.

Round two . . .
Last Saturday I went to Grease Monkey for an oil change. I was asked if I wanted some deluxe service package, & I responded that I just wanted an oil change. I took a seat inside as instructed & in about two minutes I was informed that I needed new windshield wipers. I agreed to have them put on. A couple of minutes later I was asked if I wanted my transmission fluid cleaned or replaced or something like that. I repeated that I just wanted an oil change and now new wiper blades. It wasn't long before a mechanic came out to see if I wanted my tires rotated. I said no. Shortly someone brings me two filters from my car, shows me they are dirty, & tells me I really need to replace at least one of them. I agree to that & inform him that I cannot afford anything further. So my simple oil change cost me around $100. It might have been cheaper to just agree to the deluxe package in the first place!

Round three . . .
At the end of the summer two years ago I bought a power washer at Walmart for $88 so that I could wash & seal my deck. I have used this washer about three times, & yesterday the machine smoked and burned. I loaded it in the box and trotted out to Walmart customer service. Of course I did not have the receipt since the machine was nearly two years old; however, I do believe it should have lasted for more that three uses. Anyway, I was told this is an item Walmart no longer carries, & that they best they could do was to give me the toll free number for Black & Decker. People began lining up at customer service, & I wasn't budging. I told the clerk I did not want to wait weeks or months to get a replacement from Black & Decker since I was currently in the process of cleaning & sealing my deck. I calmly asked to see the manager. A guy behind me was giving me encouragement by telling me that his family had the same problem with the exact same washer. They had contacted Black & Decker & waited for months for it to be replaced. After some time the manager arrives & reiterates the store policy. I explain to him that I needed a replacement power washer, a refund, or store credit. He then agreed to let me replace it with $88 credit & explains that if I chose a replacement that exceeds $88 I will have to pay the difference. I tell him that I understand & thank him. I finally find a power washer for under $150 . . . it is $84 . . .& take it back to customer service. The clerk there then tells me that it has to exceed $88 to be exchanged. I tell her that I do not want to pay an addition $60+ to exchange it & that it's fine with me to do an even exchange . . . I will forfeit the $4. She is convinced that she cannot do this, but while she is giving me a hard time about it, the manager approaches. He tells her it is fine for me to exchange the $84 washer for the $88 washer & instructs her to refund the difference to me. So I come home a little happier with a new power washer & $4 to boot!

Down from the Ledge

My son, Adam, often tells me he needs to talk me down from the ledge. Sons Trent & Ryan usually just tell me to calm down. I was, however, in a state over Beilein Watch yesterday. Going to tennis straight from work I realized at some point my cell phone was dead. If it hadn't been I would have spared myself a hour or so of anxiety as Ryan called me immediately when he heard on "Statewide Sportsline" the statement released by WVU that Coach B is staying. I probably have enough drama in my real life not to get so stressed by WVU basketball.

Something new has been creeping into my life over the past few years, and I finally have to acknowledge it. Yes, when Renea & Kelly became my daughters-in-law, they brought their love for country music into my life. Although I would continue to say I hated country music, I began to add "but I do like Faith Hill." Soon I was also adding a few songs by Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, & Keith Urban. Now with my nephew, Brooks, in college in Nashville, he has me listening to even more country songs. I still abhor the real twangy, whiny stuff, but I guess I can now add country as a category of music that I can rather enjoy.

Being outside the city I have a private garbage service. Oddly enough, the one thing this service will never take is yard clippings (the only thing that really would present no problem & could be dumped anywhere). I have had to be creative to find a way around this & will fill a bag approximately 2/3 of the way with clippings, then add other garbage on top to create the illusion of a regular bag of trash. I have recently found that many of my neighbors do the same thing. If the service finds a bag of clippings (& believe me, they look), they will just leave the bag. It's just frustrating that bagging garbage now requires so much ingenuity.

Beilein Watch

WVU's coach, John Beilein, seems to be a candidate for every single D1 opening this year. For me it is reminiscent of a time during high school when I dated a really gorgeous guy. It was hard to enjoy my time in the relationship since every girl in the school was always flirting with him. For me it was not "if," but "when," he would move on.

Although it is rather flattering to have Coach Beilein considered to be one of the best basketball coaches in the country, this constant speculation about his leaving is wearing me out. I have no idea if he is actively pursuing all these jobs; he may just have an agent who believes he should be a candidate for everything. He may just be so highly regarded he is automatically considered. However, there are other coaches who are held in high esteem & are not automatically mentioned every time there is an open position.

I would imagine all this speculation is quite a source of anxiety for our players as well as the seven new recruits. In addition, if he stays this time will it harm recruiting next year? It seems that it would be difficult for a player to commit to a program whose coach seems to always be seeking greener pastures.

Coach B has elevated WVU's basketball program to a new level and has done this with class & character. At the same time WVU has provided him an opportunity to receive national attention. He is admired here not only for his coaching abilities but also for his values. I hope he stays & that he will say something definitive to put the rumors to rest. . . if not, we will probably have a new Beilein watch every few weeks.

Transition

This weekend the arrival of Sammy the cat precipitated the transition from "unofficial" baby watch to the "official" baby watch. The plan is for Sam to stay here until Adam & Kelly have a larger place to live. Since he did live here for three years, we all hoped the adjustment wouldn't be too difficult. Sam arrived with his dad/owner, my son Adam, on Saturday. He climbed out of his carrier & was immediately filled with anger & anxiety. He began to both hiss & growl & was greeted with return hisses from my cats, Tigger & Trevor. He then headed for the basement to get away from all of us. Adam's efforts to coax him out were rebuffed.

Later Sammy did venture back to the top of the basement stairs where he lay hissing & growling at all passersby, human or feline. Both Tigger & Trevor were also hissing. At this point I began to wonder if Sammy would be returning to Maryland the next day instead of boarding with us. I was beginning to feel some anxiety myself.

Eventually he did come upstairs although he did continue to hiss. The growling stopped & was replaced by a somewhat pathetic meow.

At bedtime he went with Adam & only had one minor altercation with Trevor during the night. In the morning I found him napping in the living room & agreeable. I think he's beginning to adjust. Hopefully he will even come to enjoy being here. Tigger & Trevor are still a little skittish. None of them are eating much yet. So far there has been no actual cat fight, which was my biggest fear. So maybe it will be okay for all of us. Let the official watch begin . . .

Unofficial Baby Watch

Unofficial Baby Watch

The unofficial baby watch has now begun for the new grandbaby, "BZ." Tasks to be completed during this period include, but are not limited to, getting directions to the hospital, getting a few essentials packed, & knitting like crazy to finish BZ's blanket.
I also am beginning to keep my cell phone on most of the time when I'm not at home or work. . . trying to be accessible 24/7.

Speaking of babies, how ironic is it that Tom Cruise & Brooke Shields both had baby girls yesterday in the same hospital?

Official baby watch begins next week. (April 23rd)

This & That

Spring, sun, daylight savings time . . . BRING IT ON!
------------------------------------------------

For years I believed that viewing golf on TV was about as exciting as watching grass grow. That all changed one spring when my youngest son, an avid golfer, & I went to Florida for Easter break. Since he didn't have his brothers, I was a candidate for watching the Masters with him. He coaxed me with talk of azaleas & patiently gave the back story on many of the players. Yesterday I found myself riveted to the Masters (as I have been during the past few years)as I watched my son's favorite player win, & of course, enjoyed the azaleas!
------------------------------------------------

They will never make a drug that provides as much exhilaration as spending a weekend with my exuberant two year old grandson. Is there a greater high anywhere that receiving an enthusiastic hug & kiss from this child? After hours of reading books, playing trains & trucks, & pretending to be animals, I am totally rejuvenated!
------------------------------------------------

After four weekends on the road it was back to reality this past weekend. Much of my time was spent in running errands & cleaning the house . . . Ugh! All necessities but certainly a lot less interesting!

The month of madness

For some reason I often seem to be traveling during "March Madness." I can remember watching games in San Francisco, Phoenix, Orlando, & in at Stonewall Jackson resort in recent years. This past weekend I watched some games in Laurel, MD, with Adam & Kelly. This weekend I will watch with my friends at our Deep Creek girl retreat . . . fortunately, a couple of my friends are avid sports fans like me! I guess there is something about the prospect of spring that brings out my urge to travel as I am in the midst of my "March Tour" (four straight weekends of travel).

It's hard to believe that spring has arrived, however, since it has snowed every day. I will be one happy girl when this cold weather finally ends. At least the daylight hours are increasing significantly, and it is now possible to go to the track after work.

Feel good story of the day for this cat lover . . . the cat that fell 80 feet from a tree & survived! All she needed was a little kitty ibuprophen.

Question of the day . . . Can the Georgia Dome be as magical for the Mountaineer basketball team as it was for the football team last January?

Every year I have good intentions of having everything ready for both my parents taxes & my own to go to the accountant in February. As in past years, it is mid-March, & I'm still compiling data. Hopefully, the task will be complete before the end of the month. If I were anticipating a refund, it would have been done long before now!

What I'd like to tell TV Execs

It is frustrating to settle in to watch your favorite show only to find it's a) a rerun or b) not on. In the winter I do often spend my weeknight evenings in front of the television. I have a few suggestions for the powers-that-be for improving television schedules:

1) Episodic shows do not rerun well especially when random past shows are thrown into the middle of the current new season. Please show the full new season; then rerun it in order. "Lost," for example, has me totally lost with the frequent old shows interspersed among the new ones. "24" gets it right!
2) Give new shows a chance to find an audience. After the money has been spent to hire cast & crew, prepare a set, promote the show, give it a chance. I have heard that this or that new show is good or funny only to find that I couldn't watch because it was cancelled after 2 or 3 episodes. Some shows are instant hits; others take time to develop viewers. Along the same lines moving shows to different nights & time slots in the middle of the season is also confusing!
3) Don't give us too much of a good thing. When the "Millionaire" first debuted, it was a huge success so the network decided to air it a million times. Over saturation killed it fairly quickly. It appears that "Deal or No Deal" may suffer the same fate.
4) Taking HUGE breaks(aka hiatus)causes viewers to either forget about the show or to change their viewing habits so that they no longer care about the show. Would it be so terrible to run a show totally through all it's episodes; then begin a different show? Right now, some shows are interrupted for months with a new show, then the old one returns.

Once daylight savings time arrives, I will no longer care since being outside will trump anything on TV for me. In the meantime bring on March Madness!!!

This & That

The Oscars . . .
In my opinion this year's show was rather lackluster. The most interesting part was the winning "Pimp" song, & its recipients. I'm no music prude ("My Humps" is one of my workout songs), but it's hard to imagine that song in a list of prior winners, i.e. "Moon River" & "Chariots of Fire" There was also an interesting moment when Jennifer Garner nearly fell while walking to the podium. She did cover nicely with a witty remark! I loved the joke about Bjork & Dick Cheney too. Otherwise, a very predictable show with too many montages!

The NFL . . .
I don't know any of the particulars about the union vs. the owners, but I do know that the current setup allows my small market team (Pittsburgh) compete successfully with the large market teams. I hope whatever the outcome is, they maintain the parity that makes it all work so well.

Podcasts . . .
My sons had some fun at my expense during a recent podcast just because in my haste to blog about some recent Olympic events, I neglected to look up the names of the competitors. This is so like me in daily conversation but is NOT typical of something I write.

Bonus . . .
Today my lunch, side salad from Burger King, had a bonus . . . 2 bags of croutons!!

I have a "tip" for you

Last night we went to our customary dinner after playing tennis. The restaurant was not unusually crowded, & we were seated right away. Our waitress, however, seemed a little surly from the beginning . . . Actually acting as if she were doing us a huge favor by bringing bread when we asked for it.

Although we're not typically in a hurry, our service was extremely slow. Our waitress was nowhere to be seen & did not even stop by to check on us. I'll admit I was really hungry since I had skipped lunch but waiting an hour & fifteen minutes for four salads is excessive under any circumstances.

We finally did get our meals with no apology or explanation from the waitress. At the conclusion of our meal, the conversation turned to tipping. Everyone but me felt that we should not leave much of a tip since the service was so poor. I honestly felt there was no need to tip at all believing that a tip should be for average or better service. We ended up leaving a 10% tip.

Here's my real tip for this waitress. . . I realize you can't always control the kitchen, but you can control your behavior. You could have stopped by our table, apologized for the slowness of our service, offered to replenish our bread, etc. Had you been personable & even slightly interested in letting us know you were aware that our meals were taking an extraordinary amount of time, we would probably have tipped at least the standard 15%. Tipping has now become an expected practice not reserved for good service but for any service whatsoever. I do object to feeling compelled to tip when the server is not available or interested in my service. Perhaps if tipping were reserved for good service, the servers might be more interested in providing it.

Chicken or Tuna?

I heard on the radio yesterday that Jessica Simpson is furious with the MTV execs for portraying her as a "dumb blonde" on her reality tv show, "Newlyweds." Ironically she states the reality show was kind of scripted.

In response to this, here are some questions I would like to ask Jessica?
1) Wasn't your father (who should know you better that just about anyone) executive producer of your MTV show?
2) Did someone hold a gun to your head & make you do a Pizza Hut commercial for buffalo wings?
3) Did you read the script before shooting the scenes?
4) Why is this suddenly an issue?

Having parlayed "dumb blonde" into a multi-million dollar empire, Jessica is now miffed that this image of her is unflattering. Cry me a river!

The Parking Game

Perhaps it is a sickness or a game, but I always seek the best/most convenient parking place anywhere I go. I guess it is especially unusual since I willingly walk or run for exercise every day.

I recently went to Walmart & discovered that my favorite "make a space" parking area had been fenced off due to construction. This area always had drivers making a space at the end of the rows making it possible to actually park near the entrance without being in a tow-away zone. My brother has been doing this in the Coliseum Blue lot for years which allows him to practically be the first car out at the end of a game.

Although I will pull into a loading zone to run into the grocery store and park in 10 minute parking at the hospital for longer than 10 minutes, I do have my limits. I will not block a fire hydrant or park in a handicapped space.

I do park in meter spaces without putting money in & will just pay the occasional ticket instead feeling that financially I am coming out ahead.

Actually, I assess parking areas & have my favorite "unofficial" spots at a number of locations.

I don't know if I'm lazy or crazy, but I always seem to have a good parking place.

Shawni Speaks

Last night I heard Shawni Davis in a sit down interview & must admit I was impressed. After his gold medal win he came off as rather selfish & surly; however, I now think he's a stand-up guy who has just been unwittingly caught up in a controversy that has been overblown by the media. It unfortunate that the USA speedskating team could not have managed this internally & not allowed the situation between Davis & Heldreth to escalate. And, by the way, why couldn't the relay event be last?

Great Expectations

In prior years Mountaineer fans spent much of February hoping & praying to make the Big East tournament, i.e. not be one of the bottom two teams. These fans would hope against hope to win a game at the NCAAs as well. Bids for the Big Dance were few and far between . . . as were Top 20 rankings.

This year's team has lost three out of four games in the last three weeks during a grueling stretch in the schedule. It's rather amazing how lofty our expectations have become . . . We are no longer satisfied with making the BE tournament--we want one of the top four spots for a first round bye. We are a virtual lock for an NCAA bid, but we now want a high seed. I am glad to see our expectations rise in both basketball & football and am thrilled that we are no longer content with mediocrity; however, let's not set our goals so high that anything short of a national championship is a failure.

More Olympics

As the Olympics continue the gold, silver, & bronze winners are only part of the story. Here are some other awards I would present . . .

Most Courageous
Lindsey Kildow

Best Female Impersonator
Johnny Weis

Cutest Couple
Tanith & Ben

Best Drama
Men's speed skating team (Davis/Heldreth feud)
Runner-up--Italian ice dancing pair

Biggest Disappointment
Bodie Miller
Runner-up--USA hockey teams

Most Gracious Winner
Joey Cheek
Runner-up--Seth Westcott

Most Gracious Loser
Apollo Ono

Worst Loser
Johnny Weis

Most Difficult Interview
Shawnee Davis

Best Interviews
Kimmie & Emily, USA figure skaters

Most Embarrassing Moment (Biggest Idiots)
(Tie)Lindsey Jacobellis' losing gold by showing off
Austrian team's drug paraphenalia in the Olympic village

Worst Hair Color
Bob Costas

Most Humorous
Ice dancing pairs falling one after another

Worst Costumes
(Tie) Ice dancing pairs--too many to count
Men's figure skaters--too many to count

Best Moment in Today Show Coverage
Matt & Al on a luge run

Olympic fever?

I'm am usually all about the Olympics . . . this time around though, I'm getting rather disenchanted. Here are a few reasons why:

Why in the world are many of the men's figure skaters now dressing like women? Spare me the sequins, chiffon, & purple pants! What's next, eye shadow & lip gloss?

Athletes suspended or having medals stripped for doping . . . duh, perhaps they also need an IQ test since the OIC ALWAYS tests for drugs. I would think an Olympic athlete would take no chances here since the probability of being caught seems to be almost 100%.

Bode Miller who bragged about skiing wasted prior to the Olympics is running his mouth again. He says winning an Olympic medal means nothing to him . . . which is fortunate for him since he hasn't won any this time around. He may think he's coming off as a renegade; I personally think he's just a poor loser!

There are always a few games which seem to be just that, games. Where is the athleticism in curling or rhythmic gymnastics? These so-called sports could not be more boring!

Although I usually am riveted by two weeks of Olympic coverage, this year for me it's bring on "American Idol" & "Dancing with the Stars."

Spooked

A few nights before Christmas a man called out to me in Walmart. He told me his name & said he went to high school with me. Although I didn't remember him, I didn't acknowledge this & foolishly conversed with him for a few minutes. He kept asking me about former classmates . . . where they were . . . what were they doing, etc. in addition to wanting to know what was going on with me. Of course, being the talkative person that I am, I provided him with all kinds of information. I excused myself, completed my shopping, & didn't really think about it again until I was heading to the checkout. The man stepped out in front of me & asked me if I would be back there the next night. *RED FLAG" (Who really would just hang out at Walmart for fun? I answered no & left just slightly unnerved.

I pretty much forgot about the whole thing until a couple weeks ago when he appeared at my office when I was alone during lunch. I kept the conversation as brief as possible, & he eventually left. Then I decided to look him up in my yearbook . . . he was not in my class on any of the classes 2 years before or after me. Now I am getting a little more concerned & share this with my friend, Nancy. She looks him up in the city directory, & we deduce he lives with his mother. "RED FLAG" We google him to no avail.

Next he calls the office for me. Fortunately I was on another line, but he got rather huffy with Nancy when she told him this.

Yesterday he came in again while I was with a customer. He lurked around until I was finished then attempted to start a conversation. I gave him a short, but polite response, then continued working & he left. By now we are also deducing that he does not have a job. "RED FLAG" Today Nancy saw him walking by the office before I came in.

Well, I am now getting spooked! I don't know what really constitutes a stalker, but this does cause me to wonder when/where he will appear next. I do know that I will try to be more discerning in the future as to what information I give out & to whom. Lesson learned.

Steeler Nation

Steeler Nation was out in full force at all of the away playoff games . . . terrible towels were waving throughout the hostile stadiums. TV viewing for this year's Super Bowl was up 5% . . . the most watched game since, ahem, the Steelers were last in the Super Bowl in 1995. Why does this team have such a huge fan base? I believe it's because the Steelers have a "face." Cowher, Bettis, Ward, Porter, & company provide consistency in the world of professional sports where players & coaches typically come & go as if they were in a revolving door. Steeler ownership has proven loyal to its personnel. It's easy to get behind a team that typically returns most of its key players while incorporating a few new ones. Fans feel as if they "know" this team. Ninety eight coaches have come & gone from other NFL teams during Bill Cowher's tenure with Pittsburgh. The Steeler organization has allowed the coach & players to flourish within the system, & with time & patience the result is a Super Bowl Championship!

Attitude Adjustment

My friend, Penny, says we have too much testosterone . . . We both love sports & follow them intently. Well, for this sports fan, it has been quite a year!!!

Typically, the teams I love & follow fall just short even in a successful year . . . It's similar to the actor's "it's a honor just to have been nominated," statement upon losing at the Oscars. Often, I have made remarks such as, "At least we didn't embarrass ourselves" or "I'm glad we were competitive." Steeling myself against a loss, I have on some level come to hope for the best but expect the worst. I believe the time has come for an attitude adjustment. . . My teams are not only winning but reaching the upper echelon in their respective sports.

Our course, a real highlight was the incredible run of the Mountaineer basketball team in the Big East tournament & to the Elite 8 of the NCAA's--oh so close to the Final 4. No, we didn't reach win the National Championship, but we won so many tournament games & played so well that we attained national prominence. What a ride! Already this season we have beaten some top 10 teams & have a top 20 national ranking.

Adam's team, the UMD Terps (all right it's not HIS team, but he is the media relations contact!) won the NCAA Men's College Cup 1-0. It was so exciting! I wear my National Championship t-shirt proudly.

In football the Mountaineers capped an amazing season with a Sugar Bowl victory! I will always remember how intense we were as we watched the team come back against Louisville which was the beginning of this team's refuse to lose attitude. The team has also received a top 10 national ranking & predictions are that next year will be even better!

Now to the Steelers . . . Big Ben, the Bus, & Co. are going to the AFC Championship game when nearly all the football experts didn't give them a chance . . . It is sweet indeed! Bring on the Super Bowl!

So I am raising the bar for my teams. I am having an attitude adjustment. I have lofty expectations. If success breeds success, then I now believe the sky's the limit!

It's a great year to be a MOUNTAINEER!

The following is the blog I sent to the Mountaineers via msnsportsnet:

Who knew when we experienced the euphoria last March of the basketball team's improbable run in the NCAA tournament that the same feeling would be matched less than a year later by the football team's Sugar Bowl victory! Yes, it's a great time to be a Mountaineer fan! My observation is that both teams exemplify the qualities of heart, hustle, and hard work. Both coaching staffs seem to know how to develop talent and team chemisty.

Our football team seemed to take a great deal of pride in being one of the best conditioned teams in the nation. When our players received individual accolades, they always credited their teammates & the coaching staff for their success. It is so gratifying to see our coaches & players complimented by the national media. This team has certainly exemplified all that is right with college athletics. Congratulations, Mountaineers, and thank you for a thrilling season! Good luck to the seniors with all your future endeavors . . . you have certainly gone out in style!