In The News

Two stories that caught my eye:

--California is now going to have vending machines dispense medical marijuana. Excuse me? Just WHO decided this was a good idea? Can't wait for the first time some pot heads decide to steal one of these machines--and you KNOW it will happen. Read the story here.

--Highway workers in Pennsylvania have found six bags containing body parts on Interstate 380 in the Poconos. They found a severed head, but many parts of the victim were not found. In December a fisherman found bags containing body parts along a Florida beach. If we were all completely honest, there probably has been at least one moment in our lives when we could POSSIBLY understand how a person could murder another. (Think of someone doing something horrible to your child, or another loved one. Then imagine what you might want to do to that person.) But, what kind of demented individual cuts up a body and puts it in plastic bags and tosses them? You can read the story here.

Detroit Over Phoenix, 3-2

If it wasn't for Ozzie, the Wings would have lost big time tonight. Ozzie kept the Coyotes from running away with the game in the first half and allowed the Wings to finally get up to speed. Yup, they managed to pull the win out of their asses--the break certainly didn't do anything for the guys except let them get a bit rusty!

I missed seeing Baby Boy for these many days--unfortunately, he was pretty much MIA during this game! Again, very rusty, but he did improve as the game wore on. Lidstrom and Ozzie redeemed themselves tonight after their poor showing in the All-Star game--something that wasn't surprising, by the way. :) Z came back after missing the last two games before the break and scored the first goal--hopefully he can stay healthy through the rest of the year. And--I CAN'T believe these words are being said once again--Kronwall left the game tonight with an injury. He got checked during the third and hurt his shoulder. I thought this would be his year to play without an injury--I thought wrong. He has the worst luck.

The Wings play back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday--hopefully they will be in top form.

A Short Post

All went well with K's colonoscopy today. I really am surprised that I had to make the suggestion for this to happen--unless K never mentioned to the doctor that his mother had polyps. Well, now he has had it done and the doctor will put him on the rotation.

The wind outside is gusting to 46 mph--it is a bit on the chilly side. :) Right now the wind chill is -15 and it is supposed to just get colder tomorrow. While it snowed very heavily for a bit today, it has slowed down considerably. However, it doesn't matter how much snow is coming down if we get wind gusts of 50 mph--it will drift and cause near zero visibility! I'm sure a lot of schools will be canceled for the day.

Thank you to all who commented on my 'dilemma' about the first responder. I am weighing my options and considering what I will do. While I understand what Janet had to say, I must make it clear that the responder HAS talked some details that were very confidential. Also, while everyone will find out most things because it is a small area, I guess I feel as if the details should never come from a professional--whether he/she is a volunteer or not. One other thing that bothers me about these particular people: it seems as if the main reason they are first responders is so they can be privy to the gossip and not have to hear it second hand. THEY like to be able to TELL the stories and not have to be the ones to HEAR them. This is so wrong on so many levels! People who have big mouths should never be in situations where confidentiality is a necessity.

What Do You Think?

Today we got the word that a friend's brother passed. He was only a few years older than K and me, so it was a bit of a shock, even though he had had heart problems. It is just too hard to have people close to your own age die. It reminds too much of one's own mortality--and it isn't a pleasant thought.

Anyway, C called this evening and 'berated' me for not calling and telling her of his death. (She was joking.) I really didn't think of calling as he lived in the same town as The Parents, so I figured she would know about it before me, and told her so. As it turned out, she found out just before she called.

Here is the problem. C was told of his death by one of the first responders that had attended to him. This person not only told C that he had died, ****** said how he had been fine in the ambulance and they were sure he was going to be okay only to have him die at the hospital. Now, I'm not sure just exactly HOW much this person told C--or anyone else, for that matter--but I felt just a bit funny that this person said anything at all. This is the third time that I am aware of this person giving a bit of a detailed account of a first-response situation and I am not at all sure these are the kinds of things that should be told to anyone and everyone who would listen. Am I being a bit paranoid, or is this just not right? Should someone be told about this, or should it just be ignored? This person has been a first responder for a number of years--as has his/her spouse--and I just can't imagine how many stories are told. AND none of these stories are told in an anonymous way AND everyone in that area knows everyone else. What would you do in this situation? All opinions will be appreciated.

So I Am Back

Just because the NHL was on break, that didn't mean I had to be on break also! And I never meant to be away this long, but I have been going through a funky time of it. Nothing that I can put my finger on, just one of those periods that I go through at times. Oh, well, such is my life. And life goes on.

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Today we had temps in the forties. I'm not sure if we broke any records, but it still was nice to have the January thaw. But, of course, this is not lasting very long. Tomorrow should still be on the warm side with temps in the mid to upper 30s, but then we are getting an arctic cold front coming through and temps should drop 30 degrees for Wednesday. Such fun. Looks like we will be getting snow, also. Not surprising--this is winter after all.

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K is prepping himself for his colonoscopy tomorrow. While this doesn't inconvenience me at all--well, except for the fact I have to bring him to the hospital and spend the day there--I do find it very difficult to eat meals while he can't. I hate to make anything that he might want because he has been on liquids all day and can't eat anything but clear liquids for the rest of the night. I know how hard it is whenever I have to do fasting for lab work and I don't want to make it any harder for him than it is. I have to figure out something for tomorrow night--hopefully he will be able to eat dinner.

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We did our road trip on Friday and came home Saturday. We mainly went to help our friend celebrate her Saturday birthday, so the visit was nice. There wasn't all that much shopping that needed to be done, so we didn't even go to many of our usual stores. That was all well and good--I just needed a bit of a break and this was a nice one. The only thing that really tainted our trip was K's phone call from work. He was forced to get back into town early as he had to work overtime on Saturday. He was scheduled to work 6AM to 6PM on Sunday, but he was forced to go in at midnight on Saturday--an 18 hour shift after having to drive home from out of town. The only way he could have avoided the overtime is if I wouldn't have answered the phone--but I just answered without looking at the caller ID. I really was mad at myself for that one. He's done 18s before, but I felt bad that this one was because of my mistake.

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I watched the All-Star activities on Saturday and Sunday and wasn't overly impressed. In a way I could see what they were trying to do, but the execution of it wasn't quite as great as the concept. Maybe with a little tweaking, things could become better. As for the All-Star game, it didn't do much for me. It was very hard for me to keep the players sorted out and the announcers didn't help all that much--and I watched CBC and NOT Versus! Maybe it was just me, I don't know. I don't really enjoy the way the All-Star game is played--it is just end-to-end skating and a lot of scoring. I enjoy the subtleties of a real game and the hits--something that wasn't allowed in Sunday's game. While I understand WHY there is no hitting in the game, it just isn't REAL hockey to me. The high-scoring game is what the league wants in order to try to get non-fans interested, but it doesn't appeal to me--I would rather see a well-played game that ends in a 2-1 score.

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Even though half of the season's games were played a week before the All-Star break, this was the unofficial end of the first half. Things will really start to heat up now through April--and, of course, REALLY get going once the play-offs start. Rumors are really beginning as to the trades that might be made--and it will only be getting worse till 26 February when the trade deadline is. Will really be interesting to see who goes where and how this will impact the play-offs. And to add to things, Selanne has just announced he is going to make his come-back with the Ducks for the last half of the season. I guess the Ducks just MIGHT come close to what they were last year. I REALLY don't need to see Detroit and Anaheim meet in the play-offs again!

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And Jimmy Page says that Led Zepplin just might go on tour later this year. While there isn't anything officially in the works, the tour might happen some time after September when all the band members will be free from other obligations. Might be interesting to see, except for the fact that the years haven't been too kind to Robert Plant. He is kind of scary these days.

Robert Plant: early years



Robert Plant: today

Celebrate

I know I'm late in posting these, but enjoy anyway.

28 January
National Blueberry Pancake Day
National Kazoo Day
Bubblewrap Appreciation Day
AND
ERNIE'S BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!

29 January
National Puzzle Day
Carnation Day
Corn Chip Day

30 January
Inane Answering Message Day
National Write To Congress Day
National Croissant Day

31 January
Inspire Your Heart With Art Day

1 February
National Baked Alaska Day
Bubble Gum Day
Spunky Old Broads Day
Wear Red Day
Womens Heart Health Day
(while this isn't amusing, it DOES show support for women's heart health, as does the 'wearing of the red')

2 February
Groundhog Day
Hedgehog Day
Teach Your Daughter To Volunteer Day

And Now For A Rest

The Wings won back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday and now will have a much needed rest over the All-Star break. Wednesday's win was all the sweeter because they beat Anaheim AND it was without Z! Plus, they played two nights in a row and the Ducks were supposedly fresh, so... A nice sweep of the California teams.

Z won't be in the All-Star game, again. His back is acting up and he'll use the time to rest it. Hopefully he will be able to address the problem at some time or he'll wind up having a very short career. Anyway, it is real nice to see the Wings stepping up their level of play again with Z out. Baby Boy scored the winning goal against the Ducks and was named the NHL player of the night. This makes 15 goals for him--NOT out of the realm of possibilities for him to get 30 on the year.

As it stands now, I don't even know that I will be all that excited to watch the All-Star game. The players who were SUPPOSED to play are dropping like flies--both goalies for the West that were voted in have bowed out. Z is out with an injury as is someone named Sid for the East. (Crosby, for those who don't follow--as it is, he is probably out for 6-8 weeks with that ankle injury.) There are at least six players who have had to drop out for one reason or another--and most are being replaced with players I don't feel the need to watch. (Don't need to see two MORE Ducks playing in the game--saw enough of them on Wednesday. :))

The All-Star break is the unofficial beginning of the second half of the season. For the near future--till the end of February and the trade deadline--all that will be talked about are the trades. Until all of the trading is done, I will be chewing on my fingernails--there will be VERY few players who are safe once the trading begins, including Baby Boy. I HATE that teams are able to do these trades--most of the players that are traded are just 'rentals' through the play-offs and then they move on to a bigger and better paycheck during the off-season. I figure the teams should just play with what they have and let the chips fall where they may.

Once the trade deadline is passed, then all talk moves on to the play-offs. That isn't all that surprising considering the end of the season comes only about six weeks later. It is all moving along quite quickly and before you know it, the new Stanley Cup champions will be crowned and I will be counting the days till the 2008-09 season begins. Hopefully I will be smiling during those days--smiling because the Wings will bring the Cup home for the 11th time. I can only dream. :)

Oh, My Gosh!

In my post the other day, I mentioned two actors who had passed and 'wondered' who the third one would be. It just was announced that actor Heath Ledger was found dead in his apartment. My goodness.

And I Cry...Yeah, RIGHT

The Packers lost. They will not go to the Super Bowl. I am so sad...NOT!!!!! I think what makes me the happiest is knowing how terrible The Brother feels right now. I'm sure he is pouting worse than any three year old child--AND I LAUGH!!! (I really wonder if he managed not to throw something through his TV.)

To help you understand how I acted when I heard about the loss, I give you a link to the Happy Happy Joy Joy song--I danced along to the music.

Sorry for that little bit of gloating. You can now forgive me and go on with the rest of your day.

Celebrate

To help you in your party planning, here are the celebrations for the next week:

21 January
Granola Bar Day
Hugging Day
Squirrel Appreciation Day

22 January
National Blond Brownie Day
Answer Your Cat's Questions Day
Rid The World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks Day

23 January
National Pie Day
Measure Your Feet Day
Snowplow Mailbox Hockey Day (?)

24 January
National Peanut Butter Day
Belly Laugh Day

25 January
A Room of One's Own Day
Fun At Work Day

26 January
National Peanut Brittle Day
National Seed Swap Day

27 January
National Chocolate Cake Day
Thomas Crapper Day

Sunday Afternoon

We are in the middle of our cold spell, but things should be improving slowly. Right now the temp is +4, which is warm compared to what it has been the last few days. I'm not sure the temp got above zero yesterday, so ANY number that has a plus sign in front of it is good. With the wind chill, we are at -16. BRRRRRR. The only good thing about the cold: we don't get much snow when the temps are so low. Not sure which is better, too much snow or too low temps.

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Speaking of the cold, a college ski tournament had to be moved here this weekend because the temps were too cold to hold it in Minnesota where it originally was supposed to be. Ski tournaments can't be held if the temp is less than -4 and it was forecast that the temps would be much colder than that.

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A couple of celebrities have passed. Allan Melvin, who played Sam the Butcher on the Brady Bunch, was 84. Suzanne Pleshette, who played Emily Hartley on The Bob Newhart Show was 70. As it seems that these deaths come in groups of three, a third might be announced within a couple of days. (How gruesome can I be, hey?)

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NBC has begun showing The (Hockey) Game of The Week as of today. I still have so much trouble watching--the announcers make the most asinine comments, as if EVERY person watching is a total idiot. I realize they are trying to explain the game to people who aren't hockey fanatics as I am, but do you HAVE to explain that the game is played on ice? (An exaggeration, but you get my drift.) But then, I have a bit of a problem watching Canadian announcers because THEY act as if NO ONE but Canadians are worthwhile when it comes playing or watching the game. I guess I just can't get used to anyone but Ken, Mickey, and Larry in Detroit! :) (Not TOO much of a 'homer,' am I?)

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The Wings began their road trip with a 6-3 win over the Sharks. I got a little scared when the Wings blew their two goal lead in the second, but they came back with two more of their own and finally wiped the ice with the Sharks. It turned out to be a very good game. Two more on the road before the break--if they can continue playing the way they did last night, it should be a successful trip.

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K has been working overtime again. Thursday will be his first day off for a couple of weeks, so we will take advantage and do a road trip. The overtime schedule is such that he will work most of the month, so when he actually has a day or two off we will have to get any traveling done that is needed. This will continue through the month of May it looks like. But then again, things can change, so I make NO plans.

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Just got off of the phone with C and both she and the baby are doing fine. She just got the baby sling that I ordered for her and is so pleased with it--the baby loves it and C is delighted that she can actually hold the baby close AND have her hands free to do what is needed. A good purchase all around. I got her the New Native sling:




(This is NOT a picture of C or the baby. :)) C said the thing is great, but there is NO reason I couldn't make them myself. I will look to see if I can find a pattern and make her another--one to wear and one to wash, I figure.

My Breast Day

I have NEVER identified myself by my body parts. I AM NOT my breasts and I was never any of my other 'lady bits.' A lot of women couldn't understand how easy it was for me to 'give up' my ovaries and uterus to hysterectomy. There are quite a few women who feel as if a hysterectomy is a 'mutilation,' but I DEFINITELY don't feel that way. So, my breast scare had EVERYTHING to do with the Big 'C' and NOT with the possibility of losing a breast.

As I went through everything at the hospital today, several things became clear to me. It seems as if everything was managed so that I WOULD have answers before returning home. From my calling for an appointment all the way through my visit, all things were done in a timely manner. After all, they are aware of how scary a situation this is, so they want to resolve it all quickly. Of course, they don't want you to think that THEY are that worried or that there is anything going on that NEEDS to be taken care of IMMEDIATELY, so they give excuses. For example, when I called to make my appointment, they just 'happened' to have a cancellation for the next day, so they got me in right away.

The first thing that happened today was more mammograms. Of course, the two she did weren't good enough, so she had to retake them. I got to see the area that the doctor was concerned about and I don't know why something hadn't been done before this. (I'm not the doctor, so I certainly don't know what IS a concern--that is why we trust the professionals.) I definitely saw a pea-sized, tear drop shaped SOMETHING on the x-ray. Come to find out, it has been there since 2004. HELLO!?!? When I asked why I never was told about this, the reply was, "It was within normal parameters."

After the x-rays were taken, I had my first wait. The doctor had to be consulted, but it didn't seem to be because he had to decide on whether I would have an ultrasound or not--from the beginning it seemed as if that was a done deal. When the nurse had called to tell me that I needed a follow-up, she said IF the doctor thought I needed an ultrasound... This also made me think less was told to me so that I wouldn't worry as much.

I was then taken to the ultrasound room where another very lovely lady played with my boob. (I thought the year I had two breast exams was the highlight of my life--but today I got felt up more than I did when I was dating in high school!) I have had ultrasounds done before--just recently for the carotid--and it is a fairly straight forward procedure. But, today was a first. After being scanned for about 15 minutes, she then asked me to hum--as in "I'm sorry but I don't know the words to that song." I really didn't think enough to ask WHY, but there I was humming in a dark room with a woman touching my bare breast. Surreal. When she was done with the scan, she had to go and print off the pictures and talk to the doctor. Another wait for me.

Finally, the doctor came in to the room and sat down. While I thought we were to have a consultation--which we DID have--he proceeded to scan the boob. Very early on he let me know that he wasn't concerned about what he was seeing. He didn't let me worry needlessly, which, in his line of work, is a good thing. He and his wife are imaging specialists who work exclusively with breast patients. All I can say is this: if I EVER have anything go wrong, I want him to be my doctor. I don't think I have ever felt such an aura of calm around a doctor as I felt from him. He was just wonderful and very nice. The bottom line is this: there are two cysts in my breast, but because there seemed to be some growth, they wanted to take a closer look. The doctor thinks the growth was a lymph node and nothing more. Thus, I need to have a six month follow-up mammogram.

All in all, not the way I wanted to spend my day, but at least the results were great!

Good Day

My day just got better: the Wings broke their winless streak and beat the Canucks 3-2. Granted, it would have been nice if they had won in regulation--I HATE shoot-outs, as I have said numerous times--and it REALLY would have been great if they wouldn't have given up a two goal lead, but...THEY WON!

My Baby Boy got an assist tonight and this gives him 25 points on the year so far. He is doing very well--could do better, but he's doing well. While I don't really think this is his breakout year--I could be wrong, there still is a lot of season left--he IS beginning to get noticed by the rest of the league. His goal against the Wild was number one on last week's best goals video! The boy has got some pretty moves, for sure.

The Wings will play three games out on the west coast and then have the All-Star break. The games will be difficult, but, hopefully, with the dads along for the trip, they will be able to pull off some good wins. (The annual dads/mentors trip is coinciding with this west coast road trip. The players always like to make their dads proud.)



--Brian Rafalski #28 of the Detroit Red Wings heads up ice with Henrik Sedin #33 in tow in a game on January 17, 2008 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)--

Celebration!!!

I just got back from the hospital and the doctor is quite sure there is nothing to be concerned about. I will need a follow-up mammogram in six months, but he thinks what is showing up is a lymph node. While I am sooooooooo relieved, I have the stress headache from hell and will need to go for a nap. BUT, as soon as I think I can get away with it, I will be indulging in WAY too many adult beverages. Celebrate away!!

A Bit Of This, A Bit Of That

After the game last night--more about that later--I just couldn't get myself together enough to post today's celebrations, so here they are:

National Fig Newton Day
Appreciate A Dragon Day
Nothing Day

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And, in case I don't get around to it later, here are the celebrations for 17 January:

Pig Day
Customer Service Day
Judgment Day
Get To Know Your Customers Day

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The game last night--what can I say. They lost, again. And it isn't so much that they lost, it is the way they played! It was very, very painful to watch--NOTHING was going right. Too short and too long passes, give-aways, you name it--Ozzie was replaced by Hasek in the second after giving up four goals in 17 shots! You know it HAS to be bad if they bring Dom in without warming up--he DOES have a very sensitive groin, after all. (Can you believe discussing someone's groin in public? :D) Anyway, the third loss in a row--even though they don't count the shoot-out as a loss, it WAS a loss nonetheless. Maybe they need the All-Star break to get their shit together and get back to the way they were playing the first half. Not something to be THAT concerned about, but WHY are they playing WORSE after EVERYONE has come back from injuries? Doesn't make any sense at all. Oh, well, on to Thursday and the Canucks.

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C and the baby are doing well. The girl amazes me and puts me to shame. Not only does she have six kids and a household, but she has started taking classes again. She also is the treasurer/secretary for their church AND the go-to person for setting up pot lucks, etc. She and her husband ARE the mission committee and, I'm sure, have their fingers in a couple of other things there. She is on the parents' council for their pre-school and sets up fund raisers, etc, for their elementary school. I KNOW I am forgetting some more things, but that is enough to make me tired just hearing about it! I REALLY don't know when she has time to sleep.

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We have an arctic blast coming at us and by the weekend our HIGHS should be in the single digits. Add to that the high winds and we will be looking at wind chills in the -20s, I'm sure. It will be a real good time to stay indoors.

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I didn't want this to be an 'oh, woe is me' post, so I left this till the last. I just want to ask for everyone's good thoughts/prayers for tomorrow morning. I got a call from my GYN's office and I have to have more views of my right breast. I guess there is a dense mass and they need to look at it closer, so that is why I need to go in. It seems as if this was there already last year--something I was NEVER told, by the way--and it is a bit bigger this year, so... Of course, the nurse gave me the whole 'it probably is nothing, we just need to be sure' speech and while I KNOW that probably is the case, it's still a scary situation. I will know a bit more right away tomorrow, so that is good. Anyway, good thoughts will be much appreciated and I will have more to say about this tomorrow.

Celebrate

Celebrations for 15 January:

Hat Day
National Strawberry Ice Cream Day

Celebrate

A number of things to celebrate for 14 January:

National Dress Up Your Pet Day
Bald Eagle Day
National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day
National Clean Off Your Desk Day
Organize Your Home Day

I would try the 'dress up your pet' bit, but I DO want to live a bit longer. My cat WOULD go after my carotid if I tried dressing her in ANYTHING! :D

A Couple of Videos

A few days ago I posted some pictures of that very beautiful boy, Paolo Nutini, and happened to mention he also sings. I DID go out and get his CD as soon as I could and I am loving every minute of it! While I don't think there is one song on it that I don't like, here are a couple that are on the top of my favorites list. Enjoy!








He has got an absolutely amazing voice--can't wait till he comes out with a new CD.

Book Game--Again

Almost one year to the day, I posted the rules for the Book Game. It went over quite well, so I thought I would revive it again. A very fun and easy meme, I hope everyone gets into this. If you decide to play, let me know in the comments.

Here are the rules to the Book Game:

1. Grab the nearest book
2. Open the book to page 123
3. Find the fifth sentence
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences (#5,6,7) on your blog, along with these instructions.
5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it. Just grab what is closest!

If you decide to play, copy and paste the rules into your blog. Then, follow the rules and put your book passage following. Easy and fun!

--This selection is from Grave Peril, Book Three of The Dresden Files

--"I have your permission to come out?"

"Yep," I said, "for the purposes of this mission only. And don't waste time prowling around in women's locker rooms again."--

(Full disclosure: The nearest book I had was Hockey For Dummies--I thought that was a little TOO much, so I moved a foot over and came up with Grave Peril, instead. I just didn't think I could get away with ANOTHER hockey reference. :))

Celebrate

13 January is:

RUBBER DUCKIE'S BIRTHDAY!!

Ottawa 3, Detroit 2

Watching last night's game, I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. After seeing that game, Detroit has to get it together or they WON'T win the Cup this year. I'm afraid we got to see a preview of the Cup finals and it wasn't a pretty sight. Despite the end score, the game was not a close match--the Wings played very poorly the first two periods. Hell, they were down 2-0 going into the third and THEN scored their two goals. It could have gone into a shoot-out--which I despise, but still...--but they allowed ANOTHER power play goal right at the end. Oh, well.

That first power play goal that Ottawa got in the first few minutes of the game REALLY seemed to disorient the Wings. They let the Sens dictate the play and play DETROIT'S game, for crying out loud! It just was quite disappointing. They better put on their big boy panties and get it together for the next game--maybe they are in for one long winning streak. I can only hope. Two games at home and then a three-game road trip before the All-Star game--a good win streak if they can pull it off.

Celebrate

Holidays/observances for 12 January:

National Marzipan Day
Penguin Awareness day

I Think I Know

It finally dawned on me, I think I am having a reaction to my blood pressure medication. This happened to me the last medication I was on--my doctor increased my dosage and I felt like I was walking through Jell-o for a month. (It takes me a while to figure some things out. :)) The side effects don't seem to hit me right away, but they rather creep up slowly--this is why I don't realize what is going on at first. Well, I have been so tired lately and I couldn't understand why--now I know it probably is my medication. The doctor increased my dosage when I saw him the end of November and I have been taking the higher dosage for about a month. My numbers have been great--just like they were the LAST time my meds were messed with--but I am so damn tired that I can barely push myself around the house. I will continue my meds through the weekend, at least, and re-evaluate next week. I see my doctor the beginning of February, but I don't think I'll be able to make it till then, though. :D

Celebrate

Holidays and Observances for 11 January:

National Step In A Puddle and Splash Your Friend Day
International Thank You Day

OZZIE!!! We Hardly Knew Ya!!

Okay, so it isn't Ozzie's fault completely for the loss tonight, but gee whiz! He gave up 5 goals and let in two shoot-out goals--the Wings lost 6-5. Definitely, the pucks were making some very strange bounces tonight--for BOTH teams. This is only Ozzie's second loss in 11 games, so it's not as if he is doing a horrid job of it, but it is sad that he had to lose tonight after having such wonderful days lately.

Everything wasn't bad, though. Z got his 27th goal tonight and had an assist. Filppula got his 14th of the year--way to go Baby Boy! Drake got his second, an unassisted short-handed goal. It was nice to see. Cleary got a goal and two assists and Datsyuk got an assist, so all in all, a job well done. They just have to do a bit better on Saturday when they play Ottawa.

YES!!!!!!!

It has been announced that Ozzie WILL replace Luongo on the All-Star team! After the way he has been playing this year, it is so nice to see him getting rewarded. Even though he is 'technically' the back-up goalie, he definitely hasn't played like one. Hell, he is at the top of, or near the top of, every one of the stat lists--well, except for shut-outs--so he SHOULD be getting the praise. This means that four out of six of the starters on the Western All-Star team are Red Wings. If they can't win the Cup this year, they never will be able to do it.

Go Ozzie?

Roberto Luongo has pulled out of the All-Star game--his wife is pregnant and he wants to spend the All-Star break with her. This just might be the opening needed for Ozzie to be picked as his replacement. YAY!

Celebrate!

Have a wonderful 10 January! Today is:

Volunteer Fireman's Day
National Cut Your Energy Costs Day

(I found a couple of websites that list ALL of the weird and wonderful celebrations by day. Don't know if I will do this EVERY day, but just often enough to be fun.)

Funky Days

I have been feeling a bit funky for the last few days--I'm hoping things are straightening out. Don't know what's going on with me. Oh, well.

On Monday, K had his yearly physical and I had my mammograms. Be still my heart--another time I got felt up! While I would REALLY like to be at one of K's appointments, he doesn't want me there. I do totally understand him not wanting me there WHILE the exam is being done, but it would be nice if we both could sit with the doctor and discuss what is going on. All in all, things are going fine for him--one of his numbers is slightly elevated, but nothing to be concerned about. K asked for a referral to a nutritionist--about time--and told the doctor I think he needs a colonoscopy--which he DOES need. I should get a referral fee if I have to continue making suggestions about his health. :) I'm still waiting for the doctor's office to call and set up the appointments--can't figure out why they didn't do them while he was there.

For some reason or other, I was so tired on Monday night that I was in bed before 9:30. That was all well and good, except for the fact that I got up at 4:30 AM on Tuesday and couldn't get back to sleep. I was able to get my grocery shopping, etc, done before noon yesterday--could actually be a first for me! :) Then for some reason or other, I couldn't get tired enough to go to sleep last night! My sleep cycle is SO screwed up I don't think there is anything that can be done about it.

While in the grocery store yesterday, I managed to attract one of my little old men. When I say this guy was old, I mean OLD--one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel old. Yup, he decided I was ripe for the pickin' and had to try and flirt with me. ICK! It took me a little while to get away from him--he insisted on having a conversation with me--he was a bit spry for his age. Old men and drunks: my fans.

C and the baby are doing fine--they were sent home on SUNDAY morning! Before having my hysterectomy, I always thought women who had C-sections were taking the easy way out. HA!!! I cannot imagine WHY they would send a woman home to a houseful of kids--AND with a new-born--so soon after having surgery like that. Although, she ASKS to be let out as soon as possible. Knowing her, if there was a way to do it, she would get right off of the operating table and go straight home. Quite something, she is.

The weather probably has something to do with my funky feeling. We have had record high temps in the last few days and the snow is melting like crazy. Of course, it couldn't last and we are expecting snow and colder temperatures through the weekend.

Wings Overload

Today there is a shitload of news about the Wings, so here goes.

I know it sounds like a broken record, but the Wings won last night. They beat Colorado 1-0. Hasek had the 79th shut-out of his career. Datsyuk scored the goal with Holmstrom assisting--surprise. While he wasn't COMPLETELY back to normal, Homer was looking okay his first night back. Maltby is definitely going to need a few games before he's back to form.

With his first shift of the night, Chris Chelios became the second oldest to ever play the game, at 45 years, 348 days old. Only Gordie Howe was older at 52 years, 2 days old. And they BOTH were Red Wings! WHAT do they have in the water? Anyway, Cheli claims he will NOT try to beat Howe's record, but the man is phenomenal, so I will believe it when I see it. And to top it all off, he even got into it with McCormick for cross-checking Lidstrom. Unbelievable. He's out there night after night playing against guys who are only a couple of years older than his oldest kid AND he is doing a good job! Again, unbelievable. Goes to show, a person can do just about anything s/he puts his/her mind to--just work hard enough and good things will come to you.

The Wings signed Osgood to a three-year extension today. Way to go Ozzie! He is just such a sweetheart--not nearly as strange as most goalies are. :) When his contract is up, he will be 38 years old--NOT as old as Hasek, but getting up there, for sure. I don't really see Ozzie sticking around longer than the next three years--I doubt if if the knees could last any longer. Hopefully, he will be named to the reserve list for the All-Star game. He deserves all the praise for playing such an amazing year.

And Darren McCarty is trying to make a comeback. Hmmm.

The next game is on Thursday with the Wild.

Just Not Fair

The starting line-ups for the All-Star game have been announced and Detroit dominates the West. Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Lidstrom are all playing and Babcock will be coaching. It sucks big time to be a fan of another team, doesn't it? I don't think I could have a bigger smile on my face if I tried! :)



--The Red Wings All-Stars: Coach Mike Babcock, forwards Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, and defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom. (MANDI WRIGHT/Detroit Free Press)--

Another Picture

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FINALLY!!!!!!

If I still chewed my fingernails, I would have had them chewed down to the nub tonight. Detroit played at Chicago for the fifth time and they were trying to get their FIRST win of the season. And, FINALLY, they did it, beating Chicago 3-1. Granted, Chicago had seven of their regulars out with injuries, but still...

Z got a goal tonight, Hudler got two assists, but Baby Boy didn't get any points. :( There were only four penalties in the whole game--surprise! I couldn't believe it when Khabibulin speared Kopecky like he did. (Yeah, they called it a slash, but it was a spear if ever there was one.) Khabibulin took the end of his stick and rammed it into Kopecky's groin--almost brought him to his knees. I thought he should have gotten more than two minutes for that, but... I would imagine the league will be taking a closer look at what happened. Thankfully, Kopecky was able to finish the game--hope there aren't any side effects later on.

Now they're off until Tuesday when they play Colorado. The season is going by fast.

This and That...Again

I have mentioned how I am really enjoying the music channels I am able to listen to on the new computer room TV. Well, I have come to one conclusion after listening for a while: The 70s had some VERY BAD music! And I'm not just talking about disco. {shudder} A very bad decade for music, indeed.

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I haven't talked to C since Thursday evening. Does this make me a bad mother/grandmother? To defend myself, I feel as if she can use every moment possible to rest before she has to go home and take care of her household, so I will leave her alone for now. We really don't feel the need to run there immediately to see the new baby--again, they need their rest. Also, we'll see the baby soon enough, either in pictures or in person. I know what it is like there when a person is in the hospital and I don't want to be part of it. The last time The Mother was in the hospital, we were still speaking and I went up there to take care of The Father and her when she came home. She almost died because of a superbug--my internist said she was VERY lucky to be alive--and her hospital room was packed with visitors constantly! The Brother and his family wouldn't leave her alone for one minute--just what a very sick person needs while fighting for their life in the hospital! I just couldn't take being around that, so we will wait for a while to go there.

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Of course, there is another reason why we haven't made the trip: K is working overtime. He is supposed to be on his week off, but is working instead. He worked 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Saturday and went in at 3:00 AM Sunday and will be home around 4:00 PM. I'll be lucky if he manages to eat dinner without falling asleep in his food! He will be off on Monday--doctor appointment--and will work on Tuesday and Wednesday and get back to his normal work schedule on Thursday. Whatever works for him, I guess.

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I saw my GYN on Wednesday and all is well. Everything is staying the same, which means I will continue the HRT. He said the last study he read shows that women in my situation are REALLY benefiting from the hormones, so I will continue taking them. Women who have had hysterectomies at an early age AND started on estrogens immediately are living an average of 2-3 years longer, so that is a good thing. Also, the estrogens seem to be helping the arteries stay 'clean'--another good thing in my case.

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So, we are halfway through the hockey season and the Wings have their best record in franchise history! Of the first 41 games, they won 30--and they added another win today. They continue to be way ahead of any other team in the league and there are a lot of people--even some who NEVER give the Wings any love--who are saying they will probably win the Cup this year. We will just have to wait and see.

Z is still putting up points in every game--it is almost as if he wasn't off. Datsyuk still makes it look easy to do what he does and Baby Boy is still getting HIS points every game, so things are really good. Homer and Maltby will be back on Tuesday, so all is coming together. If they can beat Chicago on Sunday, then we will KNOW that all is right with the world.

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By now, most everyone knows that Britney had a breakdown and was taken to the hospital. What you may NOT know is that Dr. Phil--that idiot--went to the hospital to talk to her. And she DIDN'T ask him to be there! The stories are a bit conflicted, but it certainly seems as if he did this just for the publicity for himself. It would have been one thing if he went in and out without trying to attract any attention, but he made a statement to the press! This is what he said:

"My meeting with Britney and some of her family members this morning in her room at Cedars leaves me convinced more than ever that she is in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention. I am very concerned for her," McGraw said in a statement to "Entertainment Tonight."

Now, am I wrong in thinking that he violated her privacy? I certainly know I would be pissed if someone went public with a statement like that about ME! The New York Daily News story is here and the TMZ story is here. That is, if you feel the need...

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I am starting to expand my musical tastes just a little bit here with the digital music channels I have. One evening I was listening to the channel called 'Adult Alternative' and heard a song that wasn't bad. This, of course caused me to track down info on the singer and what CDs are available, etc. His name is Paolo Nutini--he is a Scottish singer, 19, and he absolutely blows me away! I can't WAIT to get the CD. And it really doesn't hurt that he is so absolutely BEAUTIFUL! (I know, I'm going straight to hell! :)) See if you don't agree.





My stars, a LOT of girls--women, too, probably--will be having VERY inappropriate dreams starring him!

Funny Picture :D

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It's A Girl! (which we already knew)

I'm pleased to announce--not as pleased as C, I'm sure :)--that Joy Carolyn was born at 7:28 this morning. She was 7 lb. and 18 1/2 in long. Mother and baby are doing fine. Hopefully, I won't have to have a baby watch again for a long, long time--unless it happens to A, of course. :D

First Thoughts

C saw her doctor yesterday and she is 'closed up tight.' :) The only way that baby is going to be born is for them to go in and get her on Thursday, so... Poor girl. But, the end of the road is in sight now, so she should be feeling better. (This info is from my youngest--haven't talked to C for a couple of days.)

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I get to go for my annual poke and prod with my GYN tomorrow. I am so excited I could just spit. (HEAVY sarcasm there.) I REALLY love having to pay someone to feel me up. (MORE sarcasm.) If I didn't love the doctor as much as I do, this would be absolute torture. Oh, well, I know I will have a good geeky conversation at least once a year when I see him.

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I'm getting so many weather alerts that it is hard to do anything on this damn machine. We are under a heavy lake effect snow and blowing snow advisory. That's fine, except it isn't supposed to be affecting us here next to the lake. About 5 miles up the road from us, 6-9 inches are supposed to fall. That's okay, as long as we are fine here!

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The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Buffalo Sabres are playing today. Now that isn't too big of a deal except for the fact they are playing outside, on an outdoor rink, in the middle of a football field. Kind of crazy, especially considering the weather. So far today they have had rain/sleet and it now is snowing so hard that it looks like a late-season football game!

I keep trying to watch the game, but every time I put it on the announcers say "Sidney Crosby," so I have to go to another channel. I am SO DAMN SICK of hearing his name. It is as if he is the second coming of Christ. Actually, I am waiting for them to say he can walk on water--after all, he can do everything else! Don't you know, he can help the Penguins score goals even when he ISN'T on the ice! (I've actually heard an announcer say that.) Now, I don't mind the kid--and I guess he has talent, even though he doesn't impress me. I just really hate having him shoved in my face ALL. OF. THE. TIME. I would feel badly for him (he is only 20, after all) with all of the pressure that is on him (he IS being called the 'new face of the NHL'), except for the fact that he is making more money than God and wouldn't have to worry about working a day in his life if his career ended today. So, it works both ways: the NHL is exploiting him and he is laughing all the way to the bank.

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The Wings had their road trip hangover and lost 2-0 to St. Louis last night. (That first game at home after a road trip is really hard on the players.) The score doesn't REALLY explain the game, though. The first goal didn't come until the third period and the second was an empty-netter a couple of minutes before the end, so... Oh, well, they can redeem themselves on Wednesday when Dallas comes to town.

All three injured players skated yesterday, so it's looking good. Maltby won't be in the lineup for a while--he has to get back into shape cause he's been out so long. Homer still won't be back for a couple of weeks--considering this is the second injury to his knee this year, it is for the best. Z MIGHT be back on Wednesday already. An MRI of his back didn't show the same problem he had with the disc last year--THANK GOODNESS--so he doesn't need as much time off. It'll be VERY good to see him back on the ice. The only problem is, Baby Boy will probably lose some ice time and probably won't be playing with Datsyuk for a while. Damn.

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An Announcement: I have NOT taken my Christmas decorations down.

I think I waited long enough for those who know me to pick themselves up off of the floor after reading that. :) I really have no idea WHY I haven't gotten the house back in order--I'm still trying to figure it out. I should start on things today, but if it doesn't get done for a few more days, oh well. (My goodness, am I ACTUALLY starting to MELLOW?!?!?!?!?!)

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I am really loving having the TV in the computer room. And it ISN'T because there is so much for me to watch! Somehow or another, I am getting a bunch of digital channels on this set--most of them are the digital music channels from our cable company. I find myself LISTENING to the TV much more than WATCHING it. EVERY genre is represented on these channels. I like the solid gold oldies--very easy to sing along to, even though a lot of the songs were before my time. (I DO hate the fact that so much of what I listened to growing up is considered 'solid gold oldies.' :)) Right now I'm enjoying the blues channel--nice and mellow. I just may expand my musical taste--who knows.

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Again with the Winter Classic hockey game. The Wings' coach was asked his opinion about the game and said he would LOVE to have the Wings' participate in a similar game. Today's game is only the second outdoor game in NHL history--the first was in 2003 in Edmonton. 73,000 fans were expected at the game today (just a couple of thousand less than the 74,544 best-attended hockey game ever at Spartan Stadium, here in Michigan)--it is being called more of an 'event' than a game. It might happen here in Michigan--after all, if you want to play in crappy weather, you can't find a better place! :)