Nothing like waiting almost a month to finish blogging my May 16 B-Day, eh? *blush* Granted, I already wrote about celebrating in early May w/ my folks, aunt Janie & cousins Julie & Brandon. I also wrote about celebrating almost right-on w/ my girls @ our May Bingo Belles game. BUT I haven't yet written about the late-May (Memorial Day weekend) B-Day celebration in Redwood City w/ my awesome boyfriend Shawn (rangereeyore here on LiveJournal). And so, without further ado, here's a photographic look at the weekend I was made to feel like a queen! :D :"> Thank you Shawn! <3

( A happy start to my 37th year! )

P.S. Thanks again to EVERYONE (especially rangereeyore, soojaebi, beckerbuns, savvyelfpirate, dragonkiri & sabbathunter, all of whom are also on Facebook, plus FB friends not on LJ, including Freddi H. & Julie C.). I'm grateful for so many people's good thoughts/energies for my rat Jellybean, whose stubborn abscess finally opened & drained last Wednesday. :) Please continue. *hugs* Each day the wound heals a little more, and my mom & I have been vigilant about keeping it clean & disinfected w/ gentle antiseptic rinsings. Jelly's also still on oral antibiotics. My sweet boy is such a good sport! He's also been good about carefully tending to the wound himself; I've seen him. :) And his big brother Blueberry has been respectful and doesn't try to touch or lick his brother's wound. I have SUCH GOOD BOYS!! Mommy <3s you Berrykins & JellyBelly!!

Don't faint -- the prodigal blogger (& Facebook junkie) is Live Journalling again! *cheer*

I used my Blueberry & Jellybean icon b/c the biggest news is rat-related! :D Jelly's abscess finally opened Wednesday! *cheer* I'm so glad, b/c I didn't want to take him to the vet to have it lanced, for 3 reasons. ONE: The boys don't like car rides & definitely don't like going to the vet. Stress is not good for any animal, esp. one already dealing w/ an injury like Jelly is. TWO: I was scared of Jelly being anesthetized w/ isofluorane (sp?) gas. Dr. Lawrence would obviously be super-careful, but too much of it can kill!! And THREE: the vet visit would be expensive, and seeing as I've been laid off since April and my unemployment checks have STILL not started coming, I'm trying to watch my wallet. Of course, price is not the main reason. Even if the visit was 100% FREE, I'd still want to avoid it, due to reasons #1 & #2. Anyhoo, mom & I have been tending Jelly's wound faithfully -- I hold him w/ both hands on my lap like a little Buddha (how about Squddhas, purplesquirrel? *giggle*), & she rinses the wound by squeezing cotton balls soaked w/ either salt water, or a dilute Betadine solution. (We alternate). Both of these antiseptics were recommended by Dr. L. And of course Jelly's still on broad-spectrum oral antibiotics (Baytril twice a day. Jelly has been (and is) SUCH a good & tolerant boy thru all this -- I'm VERY proud of him! :D I'd be grateful if anyone reading this could please think good thoughts for him, as his wound still has a lot of healing to do.

Another good thing this week involved a trip to Kohl's, one of my FAVE department stores! My mom wanted to look for some clothes, & I came along b/c I still haven't used either of the $15 giftcards I got from my aunt Janie & cousin Julie last month, as part of my B-Day gifts. Well, I made some great finds! I got a kick-ass T-shirt in the Junior Girls department that was marked 80% off -- normally $20, now only $4! I was sure it was a mismark, but when the cashier rang it up, it was indeed only $4! I also found two small items to go along w/ what I'm going to give my friends Jenny K. & beckerbuns for their B-Days. But I can't say anything else about THAT! ;D Instead, I'll share a pic (from my cellphone, hence the poor quality) of the shirt I got. Those Juniors clothes run sooooo tiny!! Would you believe I had to get an EXTRA-LARGE?

As usual, you can CLICK THE PIC to view it larger. (then scroll down for more text)


Another good thing this week was an email I got yesterday (or Weds?) from Starbucks. In May, when my friend clarachien sent me a generous Starbucks giftcard for my B-Day, I decided to register it on the website. That way if I lost the card, the balance would be protected. Well, apparently there are some nice (albeit random) PERKS associated w/ being a member of the Starbucks website w/ at least one giftcard registered. Their email notified me that they'd just loaded 10 DOLLARS onto my registered card. Woo-hoo! :D That's a very nice windfall! The email said it was to thank me for being a member of Starbucks, or words to that effect. Well, YOU'RE WELCOME!! *gleeful skip* That's an additional $10 of Java Chip Frappuccinos I can now buy!

Fresh flowers were another nice surprise this week, thanks to our awesome neighbor/friend Farida, who lives two doors down (on the other side of Lisa M., my Bingo Belles & Game Day friend). She knocked on the door this morning with a hand-cut bouquet of 5 lovely roses -- of 3 different types, including what I think is a Double Delight? Here's a pic I took of one of the roses with morning dew still on the petals. My mom and I often exchange food w/ Farida and her family, but this is the first time she brought over flowers! :) I also love visiting w/ their loveable doggies Krypto & Zoe, which I got to do later today when I went there to return the container of water Farida had used to bring the roses over. Both dogs were, as usual, ecstatic to see me. :">

Here's the rose macro; feel free to CLICK to see it up close. (then scroll down for a LITTLE more text! hee)


OH!! And speaking of flowers, the other day my mom & I spent a good, healthy amount of time working outdoors, transplanting some stuff she'd bought at SummerWinds Nursery. To whit: the herbs basil, thyme and chives (the cilantro didn't look good, she said), and a 6-pack of mixed dianthus (a.k.a. "pinks"). Their color variety is something like the ones seen here. She wanted to also buy some lantana, preferrable this type w/ gorgeous, festive mixed colors, but it was too expensive at the time. Now she found a Home Depot ad that advertises lantana on sale, so we might check there this weekend. :)

I think there were some other good things to mention too, but it's getting late (now after 11 p.m.) and I don't want to tax my already overtaxed brain (LOL) so I'll quit while I'm ahead! I hope everyone had a great week and will have/is having a great weekend too!

I can't believe this is only the 3rd or 4th blog update I've written in May! :"< I used to write that many updates on LiveJournal each WEEK! *sigh* Well, I'll try to make up for lost time and play some ketchup now. Err... I mean catch-up! ;D

( THE BOYS )

( THE BIRTHDAYS )

( BINGO! )

And I mean that in 2 ways. First: I hope everyone reading this had a happy Mother's Day, whether you're a mom, stepmom, grandma, aunt, daughter, son, stepchild, grandchild, etc.! And second: I had a good Mother's Day with my mom today, and here is a brief (yes, I actually said that word!) recap.

I woke up a half hour before my alarm was set to ring, which is rare for me on mornings when my alarm is set (heh), but this was a good morning for it to happen. :) There was lots going on today, so I'm glad I got a head start. I did a load of laundry for my mom, helped her make Sunday brunch (which she loves doing), and drove her on errands. Well, sort of errands. First we went to Los Gatos Memorial Park, the "final resting place" (that sounds weirdly poetic) of both of her parents, my maternal grandparents. Not only did she want to go b/c it was Mother's Day, but today (May 10) also happens to be the anniversary of the day that my grandpa passed away, back in the 1980s. So today was bittersweet for my mom. :/

Then we were going to stop at the Los Gatos post office so I could check my P.O. Box (long story about why I have one there) but the Farmers' Market was still in full swing, and we couldn't find parking. That's too bad, not only b/c I wanted to check my Box but also it would've been cool to check out the market as it was winding down -- sometimes a good time to get deals! ;) So instead we stopped at Starbucks so my mom could use a restroom and so I could "break in" (haha) the generous giftcard clarachien mailed me for my B-Day! *blush* Then a quick stop at Lunardi's (in San Jose, not LG) to buy a few things they had on ad, then home!

Afterwards, I did some Facebooking, spent some time with the rattums, and made the whole dinner! Not gonna let mom cook on Mother's Day! :) I made a festive salad w/ red butter lettuce, spinach, carrots, olives, tomatoes, garlic-ginger won ton strips and Salad Toppins, plus one of my few "specialty dishes" -- as I'm not a very good cook. :\ The dish was a creamy chicken, biscuits and veggies casserole from a free promo recipe card set I got YEARS ago from Grandma's Kitchen Recipes, which doesn't seem to be in biz under that name anymore. When I have more time, I'll have to post the recipes; it's easy & always delicious!! :D

Another very cool part of Mother's Day was my mom and I watching a major "chick flick" while my dad watched the Sci Fi Channel upstairs (heehee). My mom had been given the DVD of the Sex & the City movie back in December from two of her close friends, and watched it within days. I kept meaning to watch it some time with her, but somehow it never happened until NOW, 5 months later! *blush* Sorry mom! But she was tickled pink to watch it again, and I really enjoyed it too. I even started to get idealistically choked up toward the end! :') I've seen various episodes of Sex & the City on TV, but didn't watch it with the utter devotion my mom did. I know, I know, some of you who know my mom might find this hilarious, but it's true! She's a true aficionado of that show! *giggle*

Oh, getting back to the rats for a moment, THANK YOU to everyone who thought good thoughts for Jellybean, when I was worried about his abscess being lanced at the vet clinic. It turns out the vet did NOT lance the abscess, b/c it wasn't close enough to the skin's surface yet to successfully do the procedure. i.e. It probably wouldn't drain well enough. So I'm still giving Jelly antibiotics (Baytril) twice a day, which he takes wonderfully mixed w/ a tiny bit of vanilla Ensure. The vet said I can try putting warm compresses on the abscess to try to get it to open on its own (kind of like getting a big zit to come to a head). It appears to be coming to a head on its own, which would be great b/c then I could save Jelly (and his brother Blueberry) the stress and upset of another trip to the vet, plus it would save me the money of another visit. I would simply keep the little wound religiously clean, keep the cage bedding religiously fresh, and keep Jelly on the antibiotics, and from what I hear, these things heal very FAST! So, please continue with your good thoughts for my sweet boy! :) Thanks!!

And now that it's almost 11:30 p.m., I'm going to wrap up for the night. I hope everyone has a good Monday -- if such a thing can be said about Mondaze! *grin* Just be glad you have a job, if indeed you have one, because I'm still dutifully searching for work. I just hope my first unemployment check (which will be retroactively larger than the future ones) comes this week, now that my severance pay from work has ended.

Time for another "updatey thingie"! I saw this term in one of beckerbuns's journal entries & liked it so much I made it mine! :) Anyway, as usual I feel I should apologize for another long absense from LiveJournal, tho 2 weeks probably isn't "long" at all for some bloggers. heh So, here's a short update on recent happenings in my life.

FIRST THINGS FIRST: Some of you already know about this from my posts on Facebook. Please think good thoughts for my rat Jellybean; that's his pic in today's icon. He's feeling fine, but will probably have a small abscess lanced (drained) tomorrow (Wednesday) morning by the vet, Dr. L. I took him to the vet last week b/c I saw what looked like a small lipoma or cyst on his lower left abdominal area. Dr. L. did a biopsy and it was an abscess w/ a slight infection. Dr. L. gave me oral antiobotics (Baytril) to give Jelly twice a day to see if the abscess would shrink. Jelly definitely enjoys the sweetener the vet added to the Baytril to make it palatable! LOL! It's now a week and the abscess is not bigger, but I'm not sure if it's smaller. Dr. L. wants to take another look, and will probably lance it. The reasoning is b/c abscesses are easier to lance when they're smaller and less infected, vs. being allowed to get big and red and angry. It's considered a MINOR procedure, but of course being a "mom", I can't help but worry about my boy! So, good thoughts are welcome! *hugs* Thanks! Blueberry (Jelly's brother) also says thank you!!

NOW ABOUT TODAY: It was very busy but very good and productive! It began with lunch @ 12:30 p.m. at Sushi Boat Town in S. San Jose. It was arranged by some of the "old gang" left at my office (Gannett Healthcare Group) after the round of layoffs in early April. All of us who were laid off were invited, although only 4 of us (me + 3 others) could make it. But that's better than NONE of the laid off peeps coming! And it was still a big group, b/c 6 or 7 of the folks still in the office came, plus one of our most prolific freelancers (who works from home). It was SO GREAT to see everyone!! :) :) It was also bittersweet b/c they're all such cool people and I miss them. I also miss my copy editing job, as I loved it very much. Anyhoo, I don't eat any sushi w/ raw fish or meat, and vegetarian sushi doesn't have enough protein, but they also have many other good things, including good lunch specials. I got broiled teriyaki salmon (FANTASTIC sauce!), which was accompanied by salad, miso soup and rice.

Unfortunately I had to leave early, b/c I had a 1:30 p.m. appointment with an allergy doctor at Kaiser. At least it's just down the street from the restaurant (in the Santa Teresa area of town), so it took me literally just 5 minutes to get there! I really liked the doctor I had the consultation with (Dr. K.) and we had a good meeting. :) She checked my ears, nose & throat and listened to all I had to say. I got a referral to this department b/c my nasal allergies have gotten much worse this year, and are lasting way longer than normal, so I'd like to see what's up. :( Because I'd used antihistimines within the last 5 days, I couldn't have the scratch test, but since I was already at Kaiser, Dr. K. wrote a lab slip for me to have the RAST test (a blood test). It's not quite as sensitive as the skin test, but it's a good start and if it shows clear allergies to certain things that I suspect I have issues with, then obviously the skin test won't be needed. I may or may not opt for allergy shots (immunotherapy).

After my Kaiser appointment, I went to Starbucks for a guilty Java Chip Frappuccino! :"> Then I went to the bank (Chase, former Washington Mutual) because I'd received my second and final severance pay check. *sigh* Although on the flip side, I finally had my phone interview last Saturday from an EDD/unemployment counselor, and my unemployment checks will now start flowing, including some retroactive! Oh, and speaking of that stuff, I've been searching for work (on-site as well as telecommuting/freelance) but don't have anything yet. *sigh again* So all leads are appreciated!! Anyhoo, after going to the bank, I went to my local AAA (CSAA in California) office to pay my insurance bill. I tried to pay it online but I had technical issues w/ the website and got frustrated.

I went to Long's, my fave drugstore that's going to become CVS some time this year. :( I went there b/c I wanted to see if they had the CRV3 battery rangereeyore (Shawn) recommended I try in my digital camera as a replacement for all the AA batteries I go thru. They had the CRV3 in alkaline and lithium, so of course I got lithium! And it even had an "instant coupon' on the packaging -- I peeled it off and saved $2! :D I also wanted to buy a B-Day card for my mom, whose B-Day is tomorrow (May 6) and while I was at it, bought her a Mother's Day card too. FINALLY I came home!!

THIS PAST WEEKEND was great!! :D Saturday was the annual family "May B-Day Fest", when we celebrate my mom's B-Day (May 6) and my B-Day (May 16) with my Aunt Janie, cousin Julie and Julie's son Brandon. It was at our house this year. Julie's husband is also a May baby, but he doesn't like to participate in any events that aren't at his house (long aggro story; don't ask) so obviously he didn't come to this. We had a wonderful lunch of salad accented w/ mandarin oranges, strawberries & grapes; a strata casserole made w/ chix-apple sausage, 2 cheeses & Bays English muffin chunks; and a delicious "chocolate tuxedo cake" for dessert! Janie and Julie each gave Kohl's giftcards to both my mom and me as our gifts. (That's our fave department store!) Additionally, Janie gave my mom and me a gift to share of chocolate truffles (yum!), and Brandon gave my mom a separate gift of a beautiful metal butterfly garden ornament, and he gave me a separate gift of slipper socks in a shade of purple (my fave color)! This is VERY SPECIAL because Brandon is autistic (albeit high-functioning) so it rocks that he now enjoys shopping for, and picking out, gifts that he knows we will like! :) Brandon and I also got to spend some time watching SpongeBob SquarePants DVDs together -- he has all the seasons on DVD and we have a tradition of always watching a few episodes at every family gathering. This is because he LOVES SpongeBob and thinks it's extremely cool that I love SpongeBob too!

Then Sunday I drove up to Redwood City to see Shawn. I wanted to go up Saturday afternoon after the family left, but my mom didn't want to be left alone w/ the rats overnight, due to her being too nervous to give Jellybean his antibiotics, even though he takes it very willingly. So, I left very early Sunday morning to have the whole day to spend w/ Shawn. :) It was awesome! Among other things, we had a delicious brunch at Franklin Street Caffe; I copy edited a big paper he wrote for one of his night classes (he's pursuing an MPA); we took a long and scenic walk; we hung out at Starbucks; we picked up a delicious dinner @ Whole Foods and ate it at his place while watching TV. Alas, then I went home b/c he had to be up bright and early for work on Monday. I know I've told Shawn this but I'll say it again just for the record -- I admire you SOOO much for working full-time and attending class part-time! <3 You rock! xxoo

And now I leave you with a photo from the family fest this weekend! :D I'm at the top. Below me, from left to right, are my mom (Lorie), my aunt (Janie), Brandon and Julie. My dad took the pic, which is why he's not in it. The googlie eyes peeking from Brandon's T-shirt are none other than SpongeBob! *giggle* You can CLICK Othe pic for a larger/better view!!


P.S. Please excuse any grammar, spelling or punctuation boo-boos in this entry; I don't have time to check it tonight.

Today was VERY productive! Despite it being the third day of an unseasonable Bay Area heat wave (I get more & more heat-intolerant each year!), I got a surprising amount of stuff done! So especially since I'm sometimes hampered by my ADD tendences, I just want to brag on myself a little. :) :">

I accomplished the following. They're not necessarily in order, although many of them are.

- Water plants, inside and outside
- Renew my Oakmeade domain name online (it expires April 29)
- Look for work online
- Pay @ least one bill online
- Go to the Post Office (to send some unemployment documents via Certified Mail) OH! And I got a Where's George dollar as change! :D
- Go to the bank (I got the first of my two severance pay checks in the mail today)
- Go to OfficeMax (we're almost out of black & white and color ink for the printer)
- Proofread a newsletter a friend is putting together (no pay, but still makes me feel good)
- Prepare a week's worth of food dishes for the rats (I don't use those all-purpose rodent food mixes; I put together my own highly nutritious, low-fat & nicely varied mix for my boys!)
- Clean the kitchen sink, counter & windows (kitch windows, that is -- not ALL the house windows!)

P.S. I know it won't be summer until mid-June. But with temperatures in the 90s in many parts of the Bay Area today and the past two days, I had to pull out my aggro ice cream cone icon. :((( Fortunately all the weather reports say the heat wave is OVER, and I can tell just from the temperature tonight that things are cooling off. *cheer* :D Would you believe we even caved in and turned on the air conditioner yesterday & today?? Not only can I not stand the heat, but Blueberry & Jellybean hate it! After all, they're plump rodents wearing fur coats! ~~~((()))8:>X squeek!! X<:8((()))~~~

As the title suggests, this blog post is a mix of gratitude to friends, reviewing some stuff going on in my life, & previewing some other stuff. First things first: big hugs & thanks to everyone who had such kind & encouraging words when I was numb & depressed last week about being laid off from my dream job. :( I was happy & humbled, both here & at Facebook, at all the comments! :) *blush* On LJ, I want to give call outs (haha, that term sounds so juvenile!) to breakon87, groblek, afranjes, bdot, savvyelfpirate, poopik, daydee, julessmiley, memoryanddream, littlelion, sabbathunter, hollow_truth, amethyst_hunter, elaynne, wingedwhale, rodluvan, purplesquirrel and an anonymous commentor who I haven't emailed yet but definitely will! (These names are in the order in which they left comments, not in order of my preference!)

The Facebook friends know who they are (and most aren't on LJ) so I will just give another big HUG & THANKS to them for their supportive comments on my Wall! :) I have now filed for unemployment; I'm searching for work; and I already have a few leads to be hopeful about, but I don't want to say anything else yet at this premature stage. However, good thoughts for my work quest are always welcome! :) I'll certainly return the favor for anyone who needs good thoughts, whether related to work or anything else!

Last weekend was disappointing yet fun. Saturday, April 4 was the first-ever Bingo Night in the clubhouse of my townhouse complex. Lisa M. (my neighbor & fellow Bingo Belle) and I were mostly in charge of this, with some help from our neighbor Mark. The three of us are the main members of the complex's Community Relations Committee. I created a fun & festive flyer that ran in TWO issues of the complex's monthly newsletter, plus there were sandwich signs out for at least a WEEK preceeding the Bingo Night to let residents know it was happening. Desite all of this, we had 12 or less people show up. :( I can't believe the apathy! However, something very GOOD came out of it! I won a $10 gift card to Starbucks, which was good timing because now that I'm laid off, I'll feel guilty if I drink Java Chip Frappuccinos as much as I used to! heh

Sunday, April 5 also involved the clubhouse, but it was better. :) It was the return of the monthly Game Day, which the committee decided to put on hiatus for a few months during the winter. We had a pretty good turnout too: 12 to 14 people, both kids and adults. That included rangereeyore, who came to the last Game Day several months ago and really enjoyed himself. I think he enjoyed himself even more this time! ;) beckerbuns and her kids have come to some past Game Days and loved it, but Becky's son Ricky is hospitalized with CF-related complications, so they couldn't make it this time. :( We missed you, Becky, and hope to see you ALL next month! *hugs* As for the games played, we got to enjoy Apples to Apples, Fluxx and Pictionary -- three of my FAVES!

The so-called "preview" is a meme. :"> Being a word nerd, I got so carried away with the rhyming in the title of this post that I had to continue it! However, this particular meme truly *IS* a preview, because it portends the crazy events of the "virtual Easter Egg hunt" I'm holding tomorrow! ;D And some of YOU are involved in it -- whether you want to or not! muahahaha! Click below to check out the festivities (for those of you familiar with the way-cool MemeGen, it's from there). In a few days I'll post the pix from the very funny and fun egg hunt Shawn and I went on today, plus some other cool pix. But not tonight, because I don't have Photoshop on my laptop.

( Hippity hop-hopping down the bunny trail! )

Hi all! As some of you know from my recent update on Facebook, I was laid off from my "dream job" this past Friday, April 3. :( :( That position, as copy editor/proofreader and occasional writer for three of the Gannett Healthcare Group's magazines (NurseWeek, Today in PT and Today in OT), was the BEST job I've ever had in my entire working LIFE!!! :D Everything about it was wonderful: the work itself, the co-workers, the office ambiance, the pay, the short commute, the flexible hours, etc. It was a fantastic 2 1/2 years of work. When will I see its likes again? *sigh*

Since there's no way to know who might have a connection somewhere, I figure there's no shame in posting this in my journal, just as I did on my Wall at Facebook. I have 14+ years of combined experience in copy editing, proofreading and also writing. I prefer editing/proofing but I'd certainly take freelance writing work too, within certain parameters I won't bore you with now. :"> I've written a wide array of things (articles, features, columns, advertorials) for newspapers, magazines and websites, and would be glad to provide work samples.

I hope NO ONE reading this has been laid off, because none of you deserve to feel this unpleasant mix of anxiety and depression. :( One of my close friends at work was among the group of us laid off Friday, plus in recent weeks several of my non-work friends have been laid off -- around the U.S. and even in Canada! So, here's to a brighter economic future and better job security for us ALL! *hugs*

The keywords at the bottom of this entry give a hint at what's been going on the past few days, as do the LJ cuts. Most of the stuff has been very good. :) A little bit wasn't good, even tho it didn't harm me personally. I'll try to keep everything brief, because ever since beckerbuns and rangereeyore got me addicted encouraged me to join (*smirk*!) the crack-like Facebook, I seem to have strikingly less time for some of my other online ventures, including blogging, I'm ashamed to admit. *blush* But I plan to remedy that, ADHD or not! :I And this update is one step in the right direction! It feels soooooo good to be writing a "real" entry again!

( Friday night w/ the Bingo Belles! )

( Saturday in Redwood City: flowers, dirigibles, rabbits, movies & more! )

( Sunday: search & rescue call, more pix, backbreaking in the yard )

( Monday earthquake!! )

A "real" blog update is in the works (GOOD stuff!) but for now my LJ will have to make do w/ a funny, festive St. Patrick's Day meme. It stars none other than a handful of lucky (speaking of fortunate 4-leaf clovers, heehee) folks from my friends list! And speaking of friends, sorry I've been such a crappy one to some of you lately. :"<

Better late than never, eh? :"> On Feb. 20, we had our February game, hosted by beckerbuns (Becky S.) and her rockin' mom Gayle @ Gayle's home. It was a v. big turnout, complete w/ 3 special guests, who'll be revealed under the cut (along with the photos, hee!) Even tho not everyone won something, I think it's safe to say a good time was had by all! I certainly hope so! *hugs*

And now, without further ado -- especially since I'm quite behind in blogging and DREADFULLY behind in reading my LJ friends' blogs -- I will commence with the funny & fun fotos!

( Gladys, will you be my Valentine? )

Even when I'm aggravated, I try to keep a sense of humour. So, despite being aggro at myself for falling SO BEHIND in my journalling, I made a rhyme, which in turn made me smile. :) And now, without any rambling prelude, here are some photo essays that serve as a game of catch-up on my life and recent happy events.

( 3-D scariness, kabocha squash, flowers & bunnies )

( Spring blooms & birds and fun on the playground )

( Bowling & Valentine's weekend )

P.S. For what it's worth, I'm soooo sorry for how long it’s been since I’ve made comments on friends' journals. *BLUSH* As usual, I feel the need to apologize, and to make sure that no one takes it personally. I value all of my LJ friends, and I’m interested in what everyone has to write. :) I’ve just been extra-busy with “real life” preoccupations – including the good (my blossoming relationship), the bad (the deterioration of my dad’s physical & cognitive health), and the neutral (work-related stuff). And of course my ADHD tendencies make everything more challenging. *sigh* So, again, I hope you won’t take it personally that I’ve been an “absent friend” for a while, and I hope you’ll forgive me. :) :”> Thanks and hugs!

For the last week or two, this meme was spreading like wildfire over at Crackbook... I mean Facebook! ;) I guess I must be pretty popular (heehee), because I kept getting tagged by more and more people as each day passed. So, finally, I caved in and did the meme myself! The original directions state that you're supposed to tag 25 other people to participate, but I'm not going to tag anyone. However, I hope that some of you will participate, because I'd love to learn more about y'all! And even if you don't participate, you can always comment! *grin*

( It wasn't hard thinking of 25 random things about me; it was hard LIMITING it to 25! LOL! )

Where to start?!? Again I'm soooo behind in my journaling! D: The main reason this frustrates/upsets me is because I love the ability to "record" the events going on in my life, just as I did as a teenager when I kept a paper journal/diary. And the longer I go without writing an entry in here, the more I forget what I wanted to write. *sigh*

So, I will start with this week and then work into last week. I *will* catch up! Please excuse any places where I seem disjointed or overly brief -- it's a miracle I'm updating at all! heh Some of the below also have pix. Also, please forgive me for going thru another phase of being a bad LJ friend. *blush* Along with not blogging as much, I also haven't been commenting as much in my friends' blogs, and as usual I feel like a big FAIL because of that. :\ I just don't want anyone to think I'm no longer interested in them, because I AM still interested!

( The Starbucks bad luck turns to good luck incident this past Wednesday )

( Semi-impromptu dinner & a movie date this past Tuesday )

( My first-ever gun show last Saturday, plus an Irish pub visit & other stuff )

( The BINGO Belles game last Friday )

( One rat pic! )

HELP! D: I'm addicted to Crackbook... err... Facebook! And it's all the fault of two folks who "recruited" (haha) me the other month -- beckerbuns and rangereeyore! Actually, many LJ folks are on FB and have been for quite a while, and I think some even recommended it to me (justjesi and savvyelfpirate, did you? heehee) However, it was Becky S. and Shawn who sent me actual INVITES and cracked my weakened defenses. And so, I point my purple pen at their perfidous plural plans! "GRRRR!!" >:P

All in good fun -- I'm not aggro. :D In fact, Facebook isn't JUST an addictive time-eater w/ prittee sparkly applications, status update walls, games, memes, photo albums, etc.! ;D It's also a way for me to reconnect -- sometimes after 10+ years -- w/ old classmates and/or friends from middle school, high school and college, and also some co-workers from past jobs. For that I'm VERY glad, because even Classmates.com and Reunion.com didn't give me this degree of success! :) Plus those sites charge yearly membership if you want to contact people, whereas Facebook is free. So, I'm truly thankful for being able to get back in touch with so many cool folks! :)

So... onward to the reason for my gleefully flailing Kermit! I have updates! And with photos! *cheer* It's been a looooong time coming, which I feel so lame about. :[ But better late than never, as the timeworn cliche' goes. One event was the 10th annual Fantasy of Lights holiday spectacular in Los Gatos; the other event was ringing in 2009 in a very cool way!!

( Christmas & New Year's celebrations... in mid-January? LOL! )

It's already time for bed tonight, but I wanted to record a dream I had LAST night. I was in a small auditorium or event hall. I was among an audience sitting in foldable/portable chairs. I knew some of the other audience members in the dream, but now I don't recall who they were. Suddenly on stage I saw the late Stuart Adamson (lead singer & songwriter of one of my fave bands of ALL TIME, Big Country) and Bruce Watson (still alive, lead guitarist of Big Country). For those who don't know, Big Country emerged from Dunfermline, Scotland in the early 1980s as a New Wave/Celtic rock band, but were known for MUCH more than just their self-titled hit, "In a Big Country"; they released many albums too. So please don't call them a one-hit wonder, or I just might hit YOU! *chuckle*

( Anyhoo, on with the dream. It's not too long! )

Hi all, and happy new year! :D I hope that 2009 is off to a good start for everyone. It's started out well for me. :) Unfortunately, I'm still backed up with way too many things, so I don't have any event photos that are ready yet to share and blog. Sorry. *sigh* Actually, I do have a few highlights from my New Year's Eve posted on Facebook, so if you're on that site, please look for my New Year's album.

In the meantime, here is a poll I've been meaning to make for a long time. It's a very silly and inane topic -- but hey, I'm curious, so please humor me! *giggle* Thanks!!

Poll #1325484 How do you pronounce COUPON?
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

How do you pronounce the word coupon?

Where are you from? (U.S. state or non-U.S. country)

About a week or two ago, during a particularly cold spell in the Bay Area, Mt. Hamilton (4,200+ feet) had snow for several days, clearly visible from the Valley. Shawn and I decided to take a "snow day" one of the days I didn't work, and drive up the mountain to play in the snow. :) The last time I did that was in December 2004, with Tony, for those who remember his name. (If not, no big loss. heh)

Anyhoo, even though Shawn and I didn't make it to the summit (due to a strict road closure), we still had a good time! As Robert Louis Stevenson optimistically put it -- and this is just a paraphrase, since I've no time to look up the quote -- sometimes the most beautiful adventures are not those we go to seek. :)

( Snowy Mt. Ham: can't get there from here, but fun anyway! )

Also last week (or the week before?), my most awesome bingo group the Bingo Belles held our December game. Jenny, joined by her two sweet and alliteratively named dogs Jasmine and Jake, hosted the game. There was a good turnout, and a good time was definitely had by all! :) And behind the cut below are the pix to prove it! BTW, Jenny invited beckerbuns to bring her two sons if she wanted to; hence, the "boys" reference below. OH, and the reason there's mistletoe sprigs around the table is because I brought some to share with everyone from the mistletoe Shawn and I found in Grant County Park.

( The festive December Bingo Belles! (and boys! heh) )

P.S. And before I forget!!! Since I'm typing this on the night of Dec. 31, I just wanted to wish EVERYONE reading this a very happy and SAFE New Year's Eve, and a wonderfully happy, healthy and peaceful 2009! You all deserve it! :) :D And I am very grateful to know you all! (Can you tell I'm not only in a festive mood tonight, but also a bit of a sentimental and sappy one? So *BIG HUGS* from Redwood City, where Shawn & I ringing in the New Year!)

The annual holiday potluck party and gift exchange in my townhouse complex was about TWO WEEKS ago, but I'm only just now blogging and sharing photos about it. (I'm on the complex's community relations committee, so I also helped plan/run the party, along with some other cool peeps.)

The same "lateness apology" goes for the annual Dickens Fair in Daly City (near San Francisco), which I attended two days after the holiday party. So, in one fell swoop, I'm going to play ketchup by posting pix of BOTH events in the same entry! :D Go me! *cheer* However, I'll put them under separate cuts, since I don't know which event which readers might be interested in. heh

( Food, folks & festivity in the clubhouse! )

( The splendid revels of the Dickens Fair! )

Today, Dec. 21, was the Winter Solstice/Yule -- or yesterday, depending upon the calendar. Tonight was also the first of 8 nights of Hanukkah. In a few days it's Christmas, and the day after Christmas is the first of 7 nights of Kwanzaa. So happy holiday wishes are definitely in order, no matter which holiday (or how many holidays) you celebrate! *HUGS* :)

Now the apology. As I've lamented recently, I've been sooooo frustrated at my inability to catch up with things I want to do. :( I'm VERY behind in posting photos in my blog, even though I badly want to post the pix because they depict some VERY festive and fun events I've attended. It seems like a strange "time warp" takes over the month of December. *sigh* Anyway, I also want to apologize if I've seemed like a bad LJ friend to anyone. Among many other things I'm behind in, I haven't been keeping up with a lot of people's journals, and I regret that. (Most of you know how I enjoy commenting on your updates!) I'm just overwhelmed this time of year. Despite the fact that almost everything I'm overwhelmed with is good stuff, I still don't LIKE being overwhelmed. So, I truly am sorry. *blush*

And now, to end on a positive note (like the optimist I am), I'm re-running this "squeeful" little widget, due to popular request. :) I posted this about a week ago, but here it is again. The whole thing is FREE; the gifts are only for pretend. :) You can choose among a bunch of ZANY things to leave under my tree, and don't forget to visit Pyzam and get this widget for your OWN journal or Facebook page or MySpace or whatever. It's very funny and fun! (If you do, please let me know, so I can visit your tree and leave you a giftie! *grin*)


Christmas Gift Toy & MySpace Layouts at pYzam.com