Got the cast

Today I went to the doc and got the cast put on. It's so much nicer than the splint. In two weeks I can start putting weight on the ankle, so I still have two weeks on the crutches. But I think I'm getting used to them now, so it's not quite as bad. The cast is blue, almost matches my car. And if you know me, you know that's important, lol.

I also managed to get my tag transferred today, which is something I've needed to do for two weeks. Glad I got that done.

So overall, it was a productive day off. When I finally got home in the afternoon, I just decided to relax the rest of the day, and that's what I did. It was great. Sometimes you just have to take time off to take care of things.

Deep Thoughts... by Anita

I had a thought this afternoon, based on several things I read today and conversations I had with people, and I thought I would share it with everyone.

On the buffet of life, don't settle for the Jello salad. (unless that's what you really, really want)

Another one... I frequent a message board where, in the general discussion section, there were quite a few people bowing down to the Flying Spaghetti Monster. If you don't know what that is, just google it and you'll get lots of info. I promise. Well, being a Christian and being the kind of person who likes to find humor in everything, I decided to counter the rising popularity of the FSM by designing a couple of products on cafepress.com. I'm not sure when I'll be able to do this, but one day I will. The first product will say "My God ate your Flying Spaghetti Monster" and will include a picture with the FSM on a fork. The other will say "And on the 8th day, God created the Flying Spaghetti Monster. And He saw that it was good. So He ate it." Again, with the FSM on a fork. Hey, if they can make fun of my faith, I can make fun of their joke, right? What kind of world would it be if we didn't laugh at ourselves (and others) sometimes? Anyway, I'm certain nobody but me will buy the products, but I want to make them just for fun. Of course, nobody down here would get it and they would just think I'm crazy, but that's okay too.

Or maybe that's just the Lortab talking... (maybe this entire post is just the Lortab talking... I've got to get better so I can stop taking those things... they make me loopy)

Another blogging lunch break

So today I'm having Arby's and blogging in between bites of curly cheese fries. Yummm....

Things are going really, really well with the fundraiser. It's all starting to come together. I'm really glad, because it was really starting to stress me out. Other than that, nothing really huge is going on.

Yesterday evening I watched a video clip of the solar eclipse. It was really cool. I wonder when we will have another one here. I read somewhere that the next total solar eclipse would be in 2008 but it didn't say where the path of totality would be, so I'm curious. If anyone knows, tell me!!! I remember seeing one when I was in 3rd grade. It was pretty exciting. I'm such a nerd, but I'm really fascinated by stuff like that.

Anyway, things are getting better after my little outburst last night about needing peace. I think everything is going to be okay. Chris called me this afternoon, and hearing a friendly voice was really helpful. It was great. We talked while we were both on lunch break. I'm telling you, lunch break is the best thing ever!

Well, it's about time to wrap this up. I'll probably write more tonight.

no. more. stress.

I want to be here. On a boat in the middle of the water with no way for anyone to get in touch with me. I want to be away from ringing phones and demands from everyone. I want a break from life, just for a moment.

For just a moment, I want calm, silence, and peace. I wonder if that will be possible anytime in the near future. If it is not, I may just lose it. And I really don't want that to happen.

Lunch breaks are cool

I'm sitting at my desk, scarfing down a grilled chicken sandwich and blogging. What could be better? I woke up this morning not really feeling well, but I decided to go to work anyway. The fundraiser is coming closer and closer and I don't have time to be sick. I'm actually very glad I did come on in, though, because I got a great volunteer today who has been working the phones like you wouldn't believe! It's great to have someone working on making those calls so that I can be free to do the grants I've been trying to get to. It's a little sad when your "to do" list is over two pages long and you don't even know where to begin. However, it doesn't change how I feel about my job. I absolutely love working here and wouldn't trade my experiences here for the world. We're planning some very interesting things in the future, to hopefully help with disaster relief if we get any hurricanes this year. I'm looking forward to seeing how these plans work out, even if we don't have to implement them this year (which I'm hoping will be the case because we don't need a hurricane this year, we're still recovering from Katrina)

I'm going to the doctor on Friday. Did I mention that before? Hopefully he'll give me a walking cast. When I'm finished with the doctor I'm going to get my car tag transferred. I'm looking forward to getting that taken care of so I don't have to worry about it anymore.

Anyway, that's about all I can write on my lunch break. Perhaps I'll come back soon and write some more. Before I go, I'll give you a few links I think are cool. They are the sites for the artists whose CDs I just purchased. (I know that was some really interesting sentence structure, but oh well, lol)

ZOEgirl
Relient K
SuperChic[k]
TobyMac

Schadenfreude and the Sudanese Guy

Okay, so I got my pics working and here is the update on the sudanese guy. First, some random, but surpisingly relevant thoughts on Germans.Only the Germans could come up with a word like "schadenfreude". For those of you who don't sprechen sie any deutchse, schadenfreude is the joy you get from seeing something bad happen to someone you dislike. You know, when they get their comeupppance.

Buffy season 7

I havent watched the episodes of season 7 since they aired. So when I bought the DVD set and watched the episodes this weekend, it was almost like watching new episodes. I had forgotten how incredible the last few episodes of Buffy were. This isn't going to be a detailed review, but I just have to say, watching Buffy from start to finish is an experience like no other. Watching the overall arc of the show, seeing how they bring it back full circle is just amazing. It makes the writer in me very jealous of the talent and creativity involved in making this show. And it makes the fan in me wish for more. Joss Whedon says there may be a Spike TV movie at some point, and I'm hoping for that, because I want to check back in with these characters sometime soon.

So check out Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the show, not the movie) on DVD if you want to see what the fuss is about. You will not regret it.

Life in the extremely slow lane

It is soooo hard to get around when you have only one working leg. The crutches are impossible and even using a wheelchair is inconvenient and miserable. I went to Wal-Mart today with my parents and was completely exhausted when it was over. On the bright side, I bought several great new CDs.

My leg hurts worse today than it has since the day I hurt it. It feels like it's on fire or something. I'm not sure if that means it's healing or if I've somehow damaged it further. I really hope it's the first one. I've been so careful not to hurt it more. Of course, Hannah sat on it this afternoon by accident. Ouch. Seriously, the thing I want to do more than anything in the world is to go to sleep and not wake up until my ankle is healed and I can walk again. But I'd probably wake up to no job if I did that. And that would be bad. So I continue on with my life, doing things very, very slowly.

I'm going to close with the lyrics to a song from one of my new CDs. It's called "Scream" and it's by ZOEgirl. What an awesome group. And this is an awesome song.

Does anybody know how I feel?
Sometimes I'm numb, sometimes I'm overcome
Does anybody care what's going on?
Do I have to wear my scars like a badge on my arm
For you to see me, I need release

Do I have to scream for you to hear me?
Do I have to bleed for you to see me?
‘Cause I grieve, you're not listening to me
Do I need to scream?

Has anybody seen what's been done?
Where was my defense? No one heard my protest
The eyes of God were watching me
It's time to make my peace, let it go and be released
So I can breathe again
I'm on my knees

Do I have to scream for you to hear me?
Do I have to bleed for you to see me?
‘Cause I grieve, you're not listening to me
Do I have to scream?

I've been marked, set apart
But I'm cut so deep and afraid of the dark
One drop of blood from the hole in Your hand
Is enough to heal me and make me stand
‘Cause I'm clean, He is listening to me

I don't have to scream for Him to hear me
Don't have to bleed for Him to see me
‘Cause I'm clean, He is listening to me
I don't have to scream
I don't have to bleed
‘Cause I'm clean, He is listening
And I don't have to scream

It's a small world...

So I had lunch the other day with Easy Rider and Rebel Yell. For those keeping score, we ate at Kopitiam, I had the malaysian beef chow fun and an unsweetened Iced Tea, 'cuz that's how I roll, baby. But that's not the point of this story. Easy Rider and Rebel Yell both know about my blog. I lent Easy Rider my miter saw a few weeks ago so he wouldn't have to buy one and he loaned me his circular

So here it is...

I know I said I would post this a few days ago, but I didn't manage to take the picture until today. I wish I had been able to get the pic in the sunlight rather than the shadow of my house. It's even prettier in the sunlight. But anyway, here it is...

Isn't it cute? I'm pretty sure Gonzo is the correct name. Although a coworker said she thought Smurfette would be cute too.

Okay, enough car talk. I'm sure everyone is sick to death of hearing about my new car.

So things at work are getting crazy. Lots of grants to write and Chef Challenge is looming in the distance. Actually, not in the distance at all. The event is May 2, which means it's coming up really quickly! We got a lot done on it today, along with several other things I had to take care of. I'm really glad tomorrow is Friday, though. I plan to spend the entire weekend resting and not trying to use the crutches. I have a system inside my house. I can get around using rolling desk chairs, so that when I get inside the house I don't have to use the crutches until I leave the house again. I look really silly doing it, but at least I don't have to use the hated crutches.

Well, it looks like the Lortab is kicking in, so I'm going to close this before I start talking nonsense. If there are spelling errors in this post, please forgive them. Chalk it up to the drug-induced haze...

Put Yo' Money Where Yo' Mouth is.

I may be buying another house soon. For those of you keeping track, that's the ninja fortress, plus one I co-own with fat ninja and my dad, plus another one that fat ninja and dad want to buy. Despite my opinions about what may or may not happen to the real estate market in south florida, the house seems like a good deal and I trust my brother's judgment. It's on a double lot and he thinks we

Happy Belated St. Pat's

Well, I still can't get iPhoto working on my iMac, but I'll play around with it this weekend. I still owe my imaginary friends a WTF update on the Sudanese guy. If I can't get it working this weekend I'll just tell you what happened (and you won't believe it).I did some electrical work this weekend (and I actually turned off the power first). But there's no pics to show you. For some reason,

Good News/Bad News

I'm always the "bad news first" kind of person, so I'll jump right into it. Well, maybe that was a bad expression to use.

I broke my ankle yesterday. Falling down stairs is never fun. It's extra not-fun when you hear and feel the snap of your bone as you come down on it with all your weight. So here I am, 29 years old and using crutches to hobble around. It's really hard to maneuver with these things. I hope I get better at it soon. So yesterday I spent a good deal of my time in the emergency room waiting room, and today I spent several hours at the doc's office, waiting for him to tell me to come back in ten days for a cast. Luckily, it'll be a walking cast so I can get rid of the stupid crutches. They really are difficult to deal with. So now I have to deal with the pain and suffering of the ankle, the crutches, and the very large bump on my head from hitting either the wall or the floor (I'm really not sure because I was tumbling down so quickly I can't remember which thing my head actually hit)

But the good news? You want that now? I bought a new car. Yes, I traded in Kermit the Car for a shiny new muppet. I named him Gonzo because he's a beautiful bright blue, just like the muppet... and plus I have to keep with the theme. He's a Honda Civic with all the fun features that I like to play with (like a sunroof!!!) So now when I go to Rhea's house, the two Civics (Grover and Gonzo) can sit beside each other and be pretty together. (her Grover is a darker blue than my Gonzo) Anyway, I'll post a pic soon. I haven't taken one yet, but I plan to hobble out tomorrow morning and take one before I go to work. It will experience its first Interstate trip tomorrow when I take it to work. It'll be fun to see what it can do. So anyway, Kermit is now owned by the car dealership, and I feel a little sad about getting rid of the first car I ever purchased by myself. There are a lot of memories in that car. My favorite? Driving to Disney World with my parents and Noah on the day he graduated from Kindergarten. He was so proud and happy! We sat in the back and watched DVDs on my laptop half the way, and he fell asleep with his head in my lap. Then when we stopped to switch drivers and I took the wheel, he slept on my mom's lap the rest of the way. It was so sweet. But anyway, even though I feel a little sad about letting Kermit go, it was time to do it and I'm really happy about Gonzo. It was a great purchase and it will be a great car, with many new memories (taking Hannah and Kohl to Disney World in a couple of years...) and many years to enjoy it. And enjoy it I will!

So anyway, it's been sort of a strange couple of days. Good news/bad news... that's the way life goes, isn't it? ;)

One reason I love Alabama

So it may have its drawbacks, but look at how pretty this is. I took this out the window of a van, somewhere around Coffeeville, coming back from my disaster volunteers meeting in Butler, Alabama this week. Although there may be buildings, subdivisions, and other development around it, there is still some natural beauty to be seen in Alabama. It's something I hope we never lose completely. Alabama really is a pretty place. I used to hate living here, but as I've gotten older, I've come to really appreciate the Southern lifestyle. We're a lot more advanced and progressive than people think, and we really do have a lot to offer. My hometown is having its annual Arts and Crafts festival this weekend and I can't wait to go. I'll take some pics and post them, I'm sure. It's my favorite Springtime event, and every year it just gets better. Who knows, this year I may even buy something! :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I hope everyone thought to wear green today. I did... even my blog decided to wear green for this very special post! I'll write more later, but I wanted to wish everyone a happy day. It's another beautiful day in South Alabama. I'll post some pictures later.

But for now... Happy St. Patrick's Day! Even if you're not Irish, you can still celebrate.

Mo' Music Mo' Problems

I have an update on the Sudanese guy, but I can't get my iPhoto working right and I have to post a picture about it because you wouldn't believe me if I told you. You would be like "shut yo' mouth, ninja, you're makin' that up." I don't know why you would talk like that, but in my mind that's how everyone on the internet talks.I'm still having some minor issues with my computer, but when I was

Lots of stuff...

I was just watching Law and Order: SVU and they previewed next week's new episode. It appears that the victim took a picture of her killer with her camera phone. So that makes me really glad I just bought a camera phone, lol. Of course, I don't know that I would have the presence of mind to actually take a picture while being murdered. Let's hope we never have to find out.

I went to a disaster response meeting today, in preparation for this year's hurricane season. It starts June 1, which is only 2 months and 17 days away. Yes, I'm counting. Down here, you can see how afraid everyone is. There's this sort of fear in their eyes that I've never really seen before. People who were once easy going are tense. Like me, for example. I've always been very casual about hurricane season, but this year I'm terrified. I guess because now I've seen what storms can really do and I don't ever want to see it again. Here's hoping, anyway.

I was going to go to an audition this evening, for a local community theater's spring musical. But I developed a migraine this afternoon and it hadn't gone away by the time I needed to leave for the auditions, so I passed. It was the last day of the auditions, so I'm just going to have to wait until next year. I hate that, though, because I really miss being on stage, especially singing on stage. (what I wouldn't give to play Elphaba in Wicked!)

There's an extremely important decision in my future, and I'm trying to figure out what to do about it. Luckily, I've been blessed with great friends who have given me lots of advice. I think I've decided what to do for now, but in the future there may be an even bigger decision. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it, though. For now, I've made a preliminary choice and I'm going to go with it. For now.

Still haven't purchased a new car, but the research is almost over. I had a nice time this evening customizing some cars on the various Web sites, some I could afford and some just for fun. I think I've narrowed it down to a few models, and the top of the list so far is the Honda Civic sedan. I'd really like the two-door sporty version, but I think the sedan makes more sense. I can't get the blue one because that's what Rhea has, and they don't have a good green one (which is sort of my signature color now) so I'm thinking black (even though it gets really hot down here) or maybe silver. I'm afraid silver will be like white, though, and will show dirt really easily. Considering the time I don't have to wash my car, I need something that will sort of blend with the dust from the road, lol. I'd really like to go with the red one. It's not candy-apple red, but more of a dark red.. very classy.. but I've heard that makes your insurance higher. Which is stupid, in my opinion. Has anyone noticed that I seem to have a lot of opinions? That's just me... lol...

That's all I can think of for now, except for the fact that there is still no place to live in Mobile and my commute is really becoming a pain. I think half the motorists in the morning are still half asleep when they drive across the Bayway. I know I am... lol... (not really)

Well, time for bed. Thanks for reading my completely random rants/thoughts.

Crime Doesn't Pay

Well. my computer is up and running again. Luckily, the Apple people were able to get it working again for free. It turns out that something I downloaded off the internet was messing up my computer. And no, it wasn't p0rn, get your mind out of the gutter. It was Limewire, the thing that people use to steal....errr, borrow music from the interweb. I'll try to describe what happened, but I know so

pretty...

I promised some pictures of the pretty spring that we are having, so here's one now! It's from my front lawn, which is currently an explosion of pink and white flowers. Eventually I'm going to go out and take some pictures of the lovely wisteria, which is actually my favorite. We only have a little of wisteria in my yard, so I'll have to find a place with lots! Of course, during this time of year, it's not difficult to find. Oh, and the sweet olive tree outside my window is blooming. It smells so good! I honestly believe it is the most wonderful scent in the world. I must find it in a bottle... maybe someone made it into perfume. If anyone knows, please tell me!! I love this time of year...

Ninja News: Episode 4

Since it's been long enough since the last episodes of Ninja News here, here, and here, I figured it was time for an update.It appears that Ninjas dabble in other things besides home improvement. Here is a great online comic book about a Ninja who practices medicine...when he's not kickin' butt. The guy's name? Dr. McNinja, of course.Here's a cute animated cartoon about a ninja, who may or may

Puttin' the Hood in Neighborhood

This Old House is probably my least favorite show. However, they recently did a show in DC, so I figured I would watch it. They say you learn something new everyday, so when I actually learned two things, I exceeded my quota. Things I learned from watching This Old House DC:Somebody finally wised up and told Bob Villa to get his shinebox and go shine shoes someplace else;how to match old

Dorkapalooza

Well, part of the reason that I got little accomplished this weekend was that I had to go to a conference on Friday and Saturday. In case you were wondering, it wasn't a Derivatives Conference. It was a confernce for Securities Dorks. If you don't parctice law and are wondering what the difference is between Derivatives and Securities Lawyers, I'll explain it. Derivatives lawyers are like

More Bubble Talk.

Well, since I can't upload pics until I get a new computer, or fix my old one, it would be pointless to describe the work I did recently. (I can't pat myself on the back properly without picks that confirm how awesome my mighty plumbing skiilz are). But I must say that I am very happy with Lowe's recently. They didn't have every piece in brass that I needed, but they did have most of them and the

iMac = R.I.P.

Well, it finally happened. My iMac up and died on me. I mean it's been acting up more and more lately, requiring me to re-boot at shorter and shorter intervals, but now it's totally gone. I tried it about a dozen times, but it gets to the screen with the silver Apple Logo and just stays there forever. I guess it's technically not dead then, it's in a coma. Should I try to keep her alive or pull a