BlogFriday: New December 31, 2007

It is 12:17pm CST on Monday, December 31, 2007.

In about 12 hours, it will be 2008.

Wipe the slate clean.

Whatever it is that you did, or didn’t do, in 2007 has no bearing on what happens beginning at midnight tonight.

Whatever it is you did, or didn’t do 20 years ago has no bearing on what happens beginning at midnight tonight. Quit living in the past, will you?

Rip off the well written on page on your notebook (the one with real paper in it, not an electronic gadget with the same name) that represents the year about to pass. The one underneath is clean, unblemished, and perfect. That will be 2008.

Begin at midnight and write your name.

Throughout the year, jot down things that you want to remember: the first time you kissed that special someone (the kiss at midnight doesn’t count); a short note from a friend; the first time that your teenager says “okay, Mom/Dad, I was wrong”;

By this time next year, you will have a page full of memories. Ones that you can’t get back.

That’s why I signed up for a photography class again for the spring semester. Okay, besides the fact that I need it for my degree… In addition to writing, I love to take pictures, and while the camera phone has taken some good ones (as evidenced by the fact that I have over 100 of them on my computer since I bought it in March), I want to document my life in pictures this year. This is not a resolution. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Write and take pictures.

Everything in the coming year will be new, shiny, different… just waiting for you to come along and make memories.

So quit reading this and go out and make memories already!

Happy New Year! May it be blessed with life, love and the pursuit of memories, dreams and goals.

It is now 12:34pm CST on Monday, December 31, 2007.

That’s all from where I sit.

–MorelaterZ–

Resolution Free Zone December 31, 2007

Some time between now and midnight, this will get to see the light of day.

I have a lot of catching up to do. I spent most of Christmas week in Edmond at my mom’s house, where she does not have internet access. I’ve also been less than 100% as far as my health goes. I’ve been trying to catch something for about two months, and I did catch something, though I have no idea what. Worse yet, everyone at Mom’s has it.

So, after Daniel dropped me and my junk and my Christmas gifts (microwave!) off about 1am Sunday, I went and got the accumulated crap out of my mail box. Ads, bills, and other stuff from people who want me to give them money. Since money will be in short supply until January 10, those folks will just have to stand in line behind my landlord, my OG&E bill and my phone/internet service bill.

And about that microwave… it works rather nicely, thank you. It’s smaller than I’m used to, so there are some adjustments that need to be make when using it. But, it will work out all right, and the toaster oven can either sit in the bottom shelf of the pantry, or just be used to make toast. I just may go out and buy a toaster, since it will save on the limited counterspace I have in my kitchen. But at least I can buy those things that have microwave directions on them and don’t say things like “do not use in toaster oven”.

I hope you all enjoyed the holidays, whatever you celebrate. Happy 2008! Forty more days until my birthday! LOL

That’s all from where I sit.

–MorelaterZ–

On Location: in Edmond, somewhere December 27, 2007

I know where I am, I’m just too bleh to say exactly where.

How was your Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, Solstice, Eid, etc.? Mine was okay, I finally got something I needed (no not a car or a real bed). Jeff bought me a microwave! Yay! I can finally demote the toaster oven to just making toast!

I  got some other interesting things: a Ralphie May DVD, some funky punctuation marks to put on my wall (they’re these: ?, !, @, and &), an oil diffuser, and some money from Mom.

And we got snow yesterday and more is expected late tonight. It will all melt as soon as the temps get above freezing. So it doesn’t stick around long enough to do anything with. I mean, dammit, if it’s gonna snow, then friggin SNOW ALREADY and stick around a while! Geez!

(Or as Jeff reminds me– “Mom, you’re not in Massachusetts anymore.”)

And, I feel like I’m trying to come down with the flu or something. I’ve been achy and crabby, and generally feeling like death warmed over… with special sauce.  I’m trying to get back to my apartment without depriving my mother of her van, because if I’m going to be sick, then I want to be at my house.

I confess, I want to hook up the microwave. And sleep all day and all night if I want to. Not go out and run errands if I don’t want to. At least I got my laundry done. Not that I’m going to be wearing any of it for a while. School doesn’t start for over two more weeks.

I got my books though. So that’s done.

Okay, I’m rambling on a little too much. I tend to do that when I’m not feeling well. I better get back to Mom’s and see if my white load is finally dry.

That’s all from where I sit.

–MorelaterZ–

Merry Christmas December 25, 2007

I posted this three Christmases ago on my old blog, and since the war is STILL going on and there are servicepeople away from their families, I thought I’d repost this. This always makes me tear up.  

Written by James M. Schmidt, Lance Corporal, Marine Corps in 1987

Merry Christmas, My Friend

Twas the night before Christmas, he lived all alone,
In a one bedroom house made of plaster & stone.

I had come down the chimney, with presents to give
and to see just who in this home did live

As I looked all about, a strange sight I did see,
no tinsel, no presents, not even a tree.
No stocking by the fire, just boots filled with sand.
On the wall hung pictures of a far distant land. With medals and badges, awards of all kind,
a sobering thought soon came to my mind.
For this house was different, unlike any I’d seen.
This was the home of a U.S. Marine.

I’d heard stories about them, I had to see more,
so I walked down the hall and pushed open the door.
And there he lay sleeping, silent, alone,
Curled up on the floor in his one-bedroom home.

He seemed so gentle, his face so serene,
Not how I pictured a U.S. Marine.
Was this the hero, of whom I’d just read?
Curled up in his poncho, a floor for his bed?

His head was clean-shaven, his weathered face tan.
I soon understood, this was more than a man.
For I realized the families that I saw that night,
owed their lives to these men, who were willing to fight.

Soon around the Nation, the children would play,
And grown-ups would celebrate on a bright Christmas day.
They all enjoyed freedom, each month and all year,
because of Marines like this one lying here.

I couldn’t help wonder how many lay alone,
on a cold Christmas Eve, in a land far from home.
Just the very thought brought a tear to my eye.
I dropped to my knees and I started to cry.

He must have awoken, for I heard a rough voice,
“Santa, don’t cry, this life is my choice
I fight for freedom, I don’t ask for more.
My life is my God, my country, my Corps.”

With that he rolled over, drifted off into sleep,
I couldn’t control it, I continued to weep.

I watched him for hours, so silent and still.
I noticed he shivered from the cold night’s chill.
So I took off my jacket, the one made of red,
and covered this Marine from his toes to his head.
Then I put on his T-shirt of scarlet and gold,
with an eagle, globe and anchor emblazoned so bold.
And although it barely fit me, I began to swell with pride,
and for one shining moment, I was Marine Corps deep inside.

I didn’t want to leave him so quiet in the night,
this guardian of honor so willing to fight.
But half asleep he rolled over, and in a voice clean and pure,
said “Carry on, Santa, it’s Christmas Day, all secure.”
One look at my watch and I knew he was right,
Merry Christmas my friend, Semper Fi and goodnight.

To all of you, whatever you celebrate, Happy Holidays to you and yours.

That’s all from where I sit.

–MorelaterZ–

BlogFriday: Year December 22, 2007

or…

STEF’S YEAR IN REVIEW:

January– Started back to college for the first time in over 20 years; and someone made their first visit to Casa de Stef (aka 600 sq ft of Peradise)

February– I celebrated my 43rd birthday; my niece turned 8; Once in school, there was no looking back.

March– Jeff turned 21, Joey, 4 , and I bought the laptop before spring break. Best $700 I’ve ever spent.

April– Got the Big Blue couch; and the apartment next door had a kitchen fire.

May– I made it thru my first semester of college, and I’m classified as a sophomore. Scott turned 16; I made the Honor Roll!

June– went to summer school to get some core classes out of the way.

July– finished up summer school; Got 2 A’s and a B, and made the Honor Roll again. Had two weeks off before the fall semester began. Also, the best Friday the 13th ever happened this month. And it rained for 16 straight days!

August– Back to school… and soon realize this semester is going to be tough! Went to Apostol’s garage sale, but didn’t get to meet her, though I did get to meet her son. Got the workstudy job in the Language Lab (the coldest place on earth!)

September– It was still hot out, still raining, and slowly get frustrated with the local cab company because their service leaves a lot to be desired, but they’re the only game in town.

October– Studying my ass off trying to maintain the grades required for financial aid. Take pictures and make videos. Learn more about plate techtonics than I ever knew before (which was nothing). Had a big stink with my bank, which still isn’t completely resolved.

November– Finally get to meet Apostol, and she’s just as cool in person as she is on her blog. I do a story about her “sick little house” for my ENG class. The house is making remarkable and miraculous progress since I shot that piece. Should do a follow up. Made it thru NaBloPoMo (go me!)

December– Marc is 14, Daniel is 24; finals, frustrations and exhaustion rule my little world. But I make it through the year in one piece. Barely.

Thank you all for putting up with me this year. I try to make this blog as entertaining as possible with all the craziness going on in my life. More of the same for ‘08, I think. But, you never know. It’s a whole new year to screw up in LOL…

That’s all from where I sit.

–MorelaterZ–

On Location: the Del City Library December 21, 2007

I’m not doing anything constructive at home except sleeping, so I thought I’d come down to the library with the laptop and hang out here for a bit.

I can see more storm damaged trees here, and it’s still a disheartening sight. There were three willow trees as you drive into the parking lot, and one of them will probably have to be removed or cut down to a stump. It’s that damaged.

I heard on the news last night that it may take up to two months to clean up all the damage from that ice storm, and there’s snow expected for tomorrow. There probably won’t be that much snow. I’ve yet to be kept homebound by a snowstorm in Oklahoma. If that were to happen, I think that I might question where I really was.

I did get to see my friend Cynthia on Wednesday night. Her husband is really nice, and her boys were adorable, even if the older one was showing off. They stayed at the La Quinta near my apartment, after Cynthia emailed me to ask for recommendations.

We spent about 2 hours together (not nearly enough time for not having seen each other in 22 years!), and it got late. They dropped me off at my apartment shortly before midnight. They’re supposed to be coming thru OKC on the way back to Dallas, where they live, so maybe I’ll get to see her again before the new year.

That would be nice.

Right now, though, I’m watching the leaves outside the library getting blown by the wind, and talking to someone via Yahoo Mess-up-enger. Or, I was, as he has seemed to have disappeared.

That’s all from where I sit.

–MorelaterZ–

Uh-oh, what did I say? December 20, 2007

I was checking my stats here on wordpress, and was floored by the number of people who have visited here today because of a comment I left on another blog.

That blog is 38 Pitches.

Yesterday, the owner of that blog, Boston Red Sox reliever Curt Schilling, made a lengthy post about what he thinks of the Mitchell Report that was released a week ago about players who took/are taking performance enhancing drugs (steroids and HGH). My comment, which was the first of over 600 comments, seems to have generated a lot of traffic over here.

To reiterate what I said over on 38 Pitches, I am JUST a fan. I have no inside knowledge about anything in regards to the current controversy about PED’s, who used them, who’s currently using them, who lied, who fessed up. Anyone who is a fan has just as much knowledge about this as I do. I know there are some people who keep track of stats for fun, but even they probably don’t have any more knowledge about this than I do.

I have been a baseball fan most of my life. I’ve been a Red Sox fan since 1999. In 2000, I saw my first and only game at Fenway.

Curt Schilling has a unique perspective on this because of his association with Major League Baseball. He is entitled to his own opinion, and on the post in question, he gave that opinion. He speaks his mind, and I admire that. He does a lot of good for his community and the several charities that he supports. Bet A-Rod can’t say that (and if he can, then mea culpa on my part).

So if you have come here from the link on my post, feel free to leave a comment.

After all, I’m just a Red Sox fan in Soonerland.

That’s all from where I sit.

–MorelaterZ–

Why is it that… December 20, 2007

There are all these questions on site such as Facebook, My Space, Bebo, etc. that ask about your “crush”, or “are you crushing on someone”.

I.E. “Does your crush like you back?”

“Who’s your secret crush?” (if you tell, not only will the person you have a crush on know, but so will the whole freakin’ internet, DUH!)

And on and on…

I usually answer these as, “that’d be telling” or “that’s my business”. I’m a grown woman, I don’t have “crushes”… and anything else would be telling. Contrary to popular belief, I DO know when to keep my mouth shut.

There are even ads on these sites that say “find out who your crush is” or “who will you marry?”. How stupid are those? All they want is to suck you in, then ask you to pay for something, usually a ringtone for a cell phone, or a subscription to a site that asks more stupid questions. The ads must work, because they keep running them.

That’s my daily gripe for today. Carry on.

That’s all from where I sit.

–MorelaterZ–

Here I am… bundled like an eskimo, and some guy is wearing shorts! December 19, 2007

I just went to my friendly neighborhood WalMart to get some milk, and as I’m walking into the store, there is this guy wearing shorts and a sweatshirt, and I’m dressed like Nanook of the North. Five years in Oklahoma has thinned out my blood (or something) from when I lived in Massachusetts. Though I don’t understand why it’s colder when it’s 40 degrees out than it is when it’s 21 degrees. The wind, maybe.

Damn Oklahoma wind! LOL

In other news… if things fall into place this evening, I might be seeing one of my oldest friends from childhood. Cynthia and her family (husband and two sons) live outside of Dallas and are heading to Colorado for Christmas, and they’re coming through OKC to spend the night. It’ll be the first time in over 20 years since I’ve seen her (Daniel was real little at the time). I hope it works out that our schedules mesh. Her kids are 5 and 1, so their needs are going to dictate how things go. Little kids are just that way… says she who once travelled from Georgia to South Carolina and back with a screaming 2 year old.

I had my last final today, and there for a while, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it. I called for a cab to pick me up at 9am… and it finally showed up at 9:40am after two phone calls to check on the status.

The final itself was nothing. Write an essay about something you believe in. No problem.

And, because the cab was late, I’ll just have to pick up my final photography project tomorrow.

Now I’m in the Language Lab, and I’ll be here until about 7. Just remember to turn off the computers before you leave tonight.

That’s all from where I sit.

–MorelaterZ–

The lights go out… again December 18, 2007

Last night  about 10pm or so (I was wathcing the news), the lights went out. The whole area went dark; even the Braum’s billboard on I-40, which I can see from my front door, was dark.

My plan last night was to have dinner, watch the news and Leno, then go to bed. Since the lights went out after I fixed dinner and during the news, I just wrapped up in my comforter and went to sleep. The power came back on some time over night, because I heard the heater go on in my sleep.

I don’t know what happened to make the area go dark. Something in the power grid messed up I guess. Couldn’t even call OG&E, because my phones don’t work when there’s no power, and my cell phone is extremely low on minutes.

Not much happening at Casa de Stef these days.

That’s all from where I sit.

–MorelaterZ–