And It Continues

I never have wanted to be a fair weather/bandwagon fan, but it is getting so hard to keep watching what is happening with the Wings. Not only is their timing still off, but the reffing is stabbing them in the back again. The game winning goal tonight was illegal and there was nothing to be done--it wasn't even reviewable in Toronto. Something like that goal probably doesn't happen even once a year, but with the luck (or lack of) the Wings have been experiencing lately, it had to happen during one of their games.

Too many times during the game, the desperation of the team could be seen. Desperate moves combined with the lack of timing/regular players combined for some very sloppy play. Only at infrequent times could the 'fantastic Wings' be seen. If something good doesn't happen to them soon, the lack of confidence they all have right now is going to be detrimental, big time. Then, we will be able to lament 'the year that could have been with the team that was.'

$#@%*&^(&^$@! Interwebs and Other Stuff

It seems as if the whole internet has been having a meltdown the past week or so. At times I haven't been able to load a site AT ALL and at other times it has been soooooooo sllloooowwwww that I would get things done faster if I had a dialup service! What's going on?

--Blogger has been bad for me off and on lately. Not only haven't I been able to load the main site, but some of my favorite blogs are on Blogger and they haven't loaded, either. I haven't had problems today, but...

--SiteMeter has been having problems lately. From not being able to load to loading so slowly that I just have given up, I have been frustrated beyond words. I know the site has been undergoing mayor changes over the last several months, so that may still be part of the problems.

--Lately Meleah's blogs haven't been working smoothly. Yesterday I had big trouble off and on--at one point I couldn't get to her sites at all--then a couple hours later all was fine. Then later I had trouble... Every time I go to her sites I cross my fingers--I NEED my dose of Meleah every day! After all, she is one of my favorite people on the interweb!

--Stuff On My Cat has been bogged down for the last few days. They are well aware of the problems, but it is overly frustrating as they post new pictures every hour. AAACCCKKK!!!

--The other day mental_floss had problems. Things seem to be going smoothly again, but I wonder if it is just a matter of time.

--I realize WHAT the problem was on Tuesday (trade deadline) but that didn't make it any better for me--I was SO upset at not being able to get to NHL sites for trade news. Granted, I was able to overdose on stories after the buzz died down, but still--I wanted to know what the news was NOW!

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At different times, I have left notes around the house for family members. Usually, I will leave notes to K asking him to put mail out in the mailbox--very rarely will I leave notes other than that. I understand that notes ARE a way for some people to communicate with their co-workers and roommates. Of course, there now is a site dedicated to these notes--and some of them are a little disturbing. Check out passiveaggressivenotes.com--and be happy you don't live/work with some of these people!

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Some people are just SO damn creative! I never would have thought of making bacon bowls in which to put salad or breadless BLTs! Really a cool idea--however, I don't know if I would spend the time doing it. Check out the instructions here.

Getting To Know Me--A Meme

Meleah tagged me for this--here goes.

1. What is your occupation?
Homemaker--and before that, homemaker and mommy. I have always been a stay-at-home.

2. What color are your socks right now?
I am not wearing socks--I rarely wear socks in the house. However, I don't walk through the house barefooted--I am terrified of stepping into a hacked-up hairball! I usually have a pair of Birkenstocks on my feet--I don't wear shoes in the house.

3. What are you listening to right now?
I have 'Law & Order' on the television.

4. What was the last thing that you ate?
A banana--I haven't figured out what I want for dinner yet.

5. Can you drive a stick shift?
I think my husband would say I'm lucky I actually can drive an automatic, so NO! I wish I could--then I would be able to FINALLY try and drive a real sportscar.

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
I suppose my favorite color, blue.

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
My oldest--and this time SHE called me! :)

8. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Of course, she's a sweetie!

9. Favorite drink?
Probably Coke.

10. What is your favorite sport to watch?
I am NOT going to say it! (I promised Mel I wasn't going to use the 'h' word. :)) My second favorite sport to watch used to be boxing. I haven't followed it for some time as there aren't any fighters that excite me right now.

11. Have you ever dyed your hair?
I never dyed my hair till I was well in my 20s--and then it was only highlights. Once I started dying it regularly, I usually go and have it done every four weeks. (Right now I'm blond--just the way I was born.)

12. Pets?
We are owned by a 15 lb, domestic long-haired, tuxedo kitteh. She is going to be 15 years old in April.

13. Favorite food?
WAY too many to mention--I am a food addict/compulsive overeater. I also am a 'meat and potatoes' kind of gal, so I don't eat too many exciting foods.

14. Last movie you watched?
It's been too long, I can't remember. However, it must have been something on TV.

15. Favorite Day of the year?
I don't really have any favorite day.

16. What do you do to vent anger?
I yell and call the person I'm mad at names--this usually involves people who should never have been given driver's licenses.

17. What was your favorite toy as a child?
The toy that I remember best was my Baby Thumbelina doll. She was lost when we moved from one town to the house The Parents live in still. It really broke my heart to lose her.

18. What is your favorite, fall or spring?
I love fall--especially after the first frost. NO BUGS!!

19. Hugs or kisses?
Hugs are better than kisses.

20. What kind of pie?
I love cherry pie--but it doesn't always agree with me. Maybe I inherited a sensitivity to cherries from The Mother--she is highly allergic to them.

21. Do you want your friends to email you back?
I think what I would like even more is to know my friends have received the emails I send. I do love hearing from my friends, of course.

22. Who is most likely to respond?
If this is in reference to this meme, I don't know as I am not tagging anyone.

23. Who is least likely to respond?
Same answer as the last one.

24. Living arrangements?
Hubby, me, and the kitteh.

25. When was the last time you cried?
I really don’t remember.

26. What is on the floor of your closet?
Dust, cat fur, and shoes. (I really need to clean my closet.)

27. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are tagging?
Not tagging anyone.

28. The friend you have known the shortest amount of time that you are tagging?
Same answer as last one.

29. Favorite smell?
Hmmm. It’s hard to say. I will say that my favorite perfume at this time is Donna Karan’s Cashmere Mist. Nummy.

30. What inspires you?
Now THAT’S a hard question—I would have to think long and hard about it.

31. What are you afraid of?
Off the top of my head: water, spiders, stinging insects, needles, dentists, heights, closed spaces, snakes…you get the idea.

32. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers?
I think I like plain hamburgers best.

33. Favorite car?
Right now it would have to be my Jimmy. They no longer make them, so I will have to find another SUV to have as a favorite when we replace my baby.

34. Favorite cat breed?
I don’t think I have a favorite. I am NOT fond of Siamese cats and I am actually kind of frightened by those hairless cats! They are creepy.

35. Number of keys on your key ring?
3—plus TWO Red Wings key rings, the remote for the Jimmy locks, etc, and the remote starter for the Jimmy.

36. How many years at your current job?
Going on 35.

37. Favorite day of the week?
Considering I rarely even KNOW what day it is, I guess none are my favorite. With K working shifts like he does, it is very hard to remember what day of the week it is.

38. How many provinces have you lived in?
PROVINCES? I would guess this meme was written by someone in Canada. Now, as for how many STATES: I’ve lived in two, Michigan and South Carolina.

39. How many countries have you been to?
I have been to Canada a couple of times, so the answer is 2.

I am not tagging anyone for this, but I hope many of my readers decide to do it. I always enjoy reading everyone’s answers.

Bookshelves

I really love books and own a lot. This means I have a real problem when it comes to storage. Here is a post with pictures of unique bookshelves. While I LOVE most of them for their innovation and design, they are too modern for me to own. (Besides, I have the feeling they cost WAY more than I would want to spend.) Go and enjoy the pics. (I really, really love the first shelf--but then, I AM a math geek. :))

Now THIS I could actually see in my house--of course NOT for me but for the girls when they were little. Really a neat idea.

Some Interesting Links

Recently, I found a few sites/articles that I thought were interesting. Here they are:

--While I have never participated in a science fair, I have a general idea what one is like. Science teachers have a hard job. If you don't believe it, go here and see the pictures. Some of these are hysterical, some are frightening.

--A VERY interesting article on medical conditions that are best left alone to heal on their own. Who would have thought? Here is the article.

--We've all heard that buttered toast always lands buttered-side down. There is the saying "nailing jelly to the wall." Some people hear these things and decide to test them. (Think of this as a science fair for adults.) To read about these and other food experiments, go here.

--Everyone loves to get free stuff and the internet makes it easier than ever to get samples, etc. Free Stuff Times is a site that gathers info on things you can get for no cost--FUN!!

--I have been a huge promoter of PostSecret for years. The site is STILL as fascinating as ever. Now, there is a new site that is just starting up and it could become just as addicting as PostSecret. The site is all about found cameras and orphan pictures. If you lose a camera, what can you do to get it back? Not much, unless someone finds it. But, how can the person get in touch with you? That is the problem, but now there is a solution. If someone finds the camera, he/she can post pics at this site in the hope that you will see them and be reunited with your memories/pictures. Very interesting.

Family Secrets

As far as I know, my family doesn't have any earth-shattering secrets. But, then, isn't that what keeping secrets is all about--not passing them on? The secrets that I DO know, however, are of the 'huh?' variety--not worth a damn after a few years. Examples follow.

--The Mother's parents 'had' to get married. She didn't find out until I was an adult and married. Somehow, she was given her parents' marriage license and was able to count the months. I guess it WAS a very different time back then, but in this day and age the 'secret' definitely is of the 'meh' kind.

--Again with The Mother: Her mother died shortly after giving birth. The Mother was told it was due to heart problems and that my grandmother should never have gotten pregnant in the first place. (Quite a load of guilt to be saddled with your whole life, hey?) Years later--probably about the same time as the marriage reveal--The Mother saw g-mother's death certificate. The g-mother died of tuberculosis, NOT heart problems. What????? Again, considering the period of history, I guess I understand the secret, but still.

--The Father had an uncle who was gay. DON'T EVER mention his gayness to anyone in The Father's family!!! It is totally denied! His 'roommate' was only a friend--even though they lived together FOREVER, the uncle never married, and the uncle left his roommate most everything he had in his will. WHY keep this a secret? Doesn't EVERY family have a gay member?

Not great enough secrets to make my family interesting, are they? As I said, we have no earth-shattering secrets THAT I KNOW OF. The secrets I don't know the answers to ARE interesting, however. They follow.

--After The Mother's mother died, her father went a little bit crazy. He up and left--his newborn daughter, his family, everyone and everything. And he was gone for at least a year or two. The most anyone knows about his 'lost time' is that he was out west and was in Oregon for a period of time. We know nothing more about what he did. The Mother always has thought someone will knock on her door one day and introduce himself/herself as her sibling. (I guess this might be the desire of an only child, but still...)

--My great-grandfather came here to the US from Finland. When he left Finland, he REALLY left it--he wouldn't talk about his homeland at all. And he NEVER talked about the reason he left home. We have always thought he LEFT Finland rather than CAME to America--there just seems to be some big reason for his leaving. We think his leaving had something to do with the military. Maybe he left so that he wouldn't be 'drafted'--either into the Finnish army OR the Russian. (He was born and raised right on the Finnish/Russian border.) Or maybe he did something terrible. We'll never know. What we DO know is this: He changed his life at some time while here in the US--he became an EXTREMELY devout Christian and devoted his life to spiritual matters. Was this in response to a guilty conscience? Hmmm.

--While not as great of a mystery--at least I don't think so--as some others might be, I really know nothing about my paternal grandfather. He died before I was born--and might have even died before The Mother married into the family. I believe he was a drinker. That is ALL I know about the man. The Father never talked about him or referenced him in any way--but, then, The Father doesn't say more than a few words at a time anyhow, so... But The Mother has NEVER heard a secret that she didn't want to pass on, so if there was any dirt to be dished, she would have told me. I still think there may be some secrets regarding him, but I'll never hear them.

--And then we have The Mother's uncle who was a hobo. Now, his life wasn't so much a secret as it was a mystery--after all he WAS a hobo! I guess he 'rode the rails' and went all over the country. I'm not even sure as to when or where he died. He might have been a very interesting person to talk to.

Finns as a people are very closed-mouthed--at least the ones I know. So I don't know if it is that fact or family 'pride' that keeps some things from being talked about, but I grew up with keeping 'secrets.' My being molested by an uncle was NEVER mentioned--even though The Parents knew all about it. The Mother was molested by the same uncle and I didn't find out about it until I was married and had my kids--it was the same time I found out one of The Mother's cousins was ALSO molested by the man. A great secret to keep, hey?

It always seemed as if secrets had to be kept if the story would put The Family in a bad light--an "Oh, no, NOT in OUR family" sort of thing. When we were in the midst of all of our problems with C, The Mother ORDERED me not to tell my best friend what was going on--mainly because she might tell someone who would tell someone and the story would go around the town where The Parents live. How HORRIBLE that The Parents might be known as having an incorrigible grandchild! It did become a moot point when they took C into their house to live, so...

I learned that keeping secrets aren't worth it. The Mother kept me from getting wonderful support and sympathy by making me be afraid to tell some of my 'secrets.' She also kept me tied to her far too long by having me keep those secrets. When I finally decided to be open and honest about things, she lost her hold over me. My life is pretty much an open book these days--and it is pretty liberating. Unfortunately, I think I may be TOO forthcoming about some things--I mean really, do people NEED to know about ALL of my health issues? :)--but I don't hesitate to give honest answers to honest questions. You want to know about Child Services coming to my house? Just ask, I'll tell the story. You want details about A leaving home when she was in 11th grade? I won't think twice about telling the story. Most of my life isn't worth keeping as a secret.

WHEN Will It End?

Tonight is about the closest I have come to actually crying at the end of a hockey game. Come on already--the Wings came back from a 2-0 score in the second, Baby Boy scored the WINNING goal a little more than two minutes before the end of the game, and then Lilja got called for delay of game with less than two minutes left in the game. (While I understand the reasoning behind the automatic penalties, this particular one sucked--AND he didn't do it intentionally.) Of course, Edmonton pulled their goalie and had six attackers against the four Wings--and Ozzie couldn't keep the puck out of the net. Edmonton tied the game with 28 seconds left to the game. The game went through the overtime period and on to the shootout. Which Edmonton won.

As a fan, I usually feel awful because MY team loses. "How DARE they do that to ME?" However, I don't feel bad for myself tonight--I feel so bad for the players. Things just are going so terribly for them--I can just about understand what they are feeling. It is so sad. Things can only get better.

It's Over

The trade deadline has come and gone and the Wings are fine. They only made one trade--for a defenseman (DUH!)--and didn't have to give up anything but a couple of draft picks. They could have given away the franchise, but Holland is very good at his job and did well. My only concern is the rest of the league's trades--some of the other teams added quite a bit of strength to their rosters. Hopefully, this won't be bad news for Detroit. Now that all of the foolishness is over, the season can continue and we can look forward to the playoffs. Time to bring the Cup home to Detroit where it belongs!

Feeling Relieved, But...

There are only 15 hours before the trade deadline and the Wings haven't made a move. I don't think they want to spend a lot of money for a rental player--besides, when everyone is healthy, NO ONE can beat them. I'm sure they will get SOMEONE, but probably not a real big name. I still have suspicions that they will get Federov back. Might be a good move--he shouldn't cost TOO much!

I was chewing my nails all day because ALL of the rumors surrounding ANY players that might go to Detroit had Filppula being part of the trade. I'm so worried that Baby Boy will not be a Wing for life. However, Babcock was quoted as saying he will not be going anywhere. This made me feel a bit better, but... You know damn well if Lecavalier, Crosby, Ovechkin, etc, etc became available, Baby Boy would be gone in a heart beat! Not that any of the real biggies will be moving this year, but I will be much happier--I hope--when 3:00 PM rolls around.

Learning To Communicate or "Come Again?"

The 'family home' was the house where my great-grandparents lived. As far as I know, they moved in shortly after they married and stayed there throughout their 60+ years of married life. It hasn't been all that long since the house finally was sold to someone outside of the family.

Next door to the family home lived a widow. As long as I knew, the woman's family had lived in the house. She was from Croatia and didn't speak a word of English. My g-grandmother didn't speak a word of English. Yet, these two women would meet in the back yard and have 'conversations' over the fence almost every day. As a matter of fact, the neighbor woman was the only friend my g-grandmother had that was close to her own age--that I was aware of. While the two women came from different parts of the world and spoke different languages, they had more in common than differences. To look at them together, you could imagine they were related. Both were quite short and quite plump. They each wore floor-length dresses with bibbed aprons. Both had their hair in buns and wore babushkas at all times. Both women came here to America from their homelands and made new lives for themselves. They raised their families through good times and bad. They lived into old age and had fairly comfortable lives in the end. The biggest difference was the fact that my g-grandmother had her husband around into old age and the neighbor woman didn't. (I'm not sure when her husband died or what age he was when he did.) Somehow, the fact that these two COULDN'T speak the same language still allowed them to be friends for so many years--but the 'language' they COULD share was probably the biggest factor in their friendship. Sometimes SPEAKING gets us into more trouble than it is worth. :)

They Coulda Been A Contenda!

Okay, so that is an exaggeration. NO ONE is predicting the end of the Red Wings, but...

It certainly has been painful to watch what has happened to the team. And it isn't their fault--that's what makes it so hard to accept! The hit on Lidstrom shouldn't have happened--at least the elbow to the jaw shouldn't have! Chelios was just doing his job and blocked a shot--so he is day-to-day with no idea when he will be back. And Cleary: Getting hit in the jaw with a puck isn't something you TRY to do. Rafalski has the old groin injury--an injury that just PLAGUES hockey players. And what can you say about Kronwall? I wonder if hockey is what he should be doing with his life? He hasn't played an entire season without getting a strange injury. Too bad, too, as he is quite good but he may never be able to play to his optimum potential. As for Hasek, I am really wondering if he should just retire at the end of this year--for GOOD this time. Come on Dom, you ARE 43! There can only be one Chelios. {sigh}

I guess the absolute hardest thing is to see how different the second half of the season has been compared to the first. The Wings were on the way to a record breaking season. Every record and every individual trophy (almost) could have gone to Detroit--the whole ball of wax, the whole enchilada, EVERYTHING! Now, they might not even win the Western Conference. ARRRGGGHHH!!!

However, they are far from out of the run for the Cup. In the past it has seemed as if the years they did very well during the regular season, they didn't do well in the play-offs. So, they are facing adversity and injuries. They are learning what it is to struggle AND are doing a decent job of working through it all. As the saying goes, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Here's to the Wings just getting stronger and stronger.

(Oh, yeah, they lost to the Canucks 4-1 tonight. Not too bad considering how many of the regulars were not playing--and how many called-up players WERE there. Again: {sigh})

Celebrate

We don't have a lot of holidays to choose from this week, but here goes:

24 February
Academy Award's

25 February
Six-Shooter Revolver First Patented

26 February
National Pistachio Day
For Pete's Sake Day

27 February
International Polar Bear Day
Inconvenience Yourself Day

28 February
Smokey Bear's Birthday
National Chili Day
Floral Design Day
National Tooth Fairy Day

29 February
Leap Year Day

1 March
Beer Day
Be Positive--Do Something Day
Pig Day
Plan A Solo Vacation Day

My Computer's Back Home!

My computer was ready for pick-up today. First, if ANY of the people I 'met' at the place I brought it had even the slightest of personalities, they might be mistaken for actual human beings. I don't think I have EVER seen such unfriendly people in a business setting as these people were. Obviously I needed to read minds, because I wasn't told a damn thing. I pointed out which computer I was picking up, I figured out I needed to write a check once the bill was placed in front of me, and I decided it was time to go when the check was taken out of my hand and then was stared at. I know who the receptionist was, as she was sitting behind the counter talking on the phone--and I HAD seen her when I brought the machine in. Once she put the bill in front of me, she went back to her phone call. Then a young guy materialized--I didn't see where he came from--and waited till I had finished writing the check. He took it from me. I hope he worked there. I still don't know who he was. The work done cost me $50--I didn't think that was a good sign, because what I WANTED done would have cost MUCH more than that.

The first indication that things weren't done right was when we looked at the back--and saw all of the dust still stuck to the fan. I figured, at the least, they would have vacuumed out the inside of the case! Nope.

After vacuuming, I set the system up and turned it on...and waited...for it to boot completely. Then I waited...and waited...and waited...and waited for my profile to completely load. ARRRGGGHHH!!! The firewall was turned off and the anti-virus was turned off. And I waited...till I could turn my security on.

The mouse isn't working the way it used to, it took FOREVER for Thunderbird to get my mail, and things JUST AREN'T RIGHT!! Settings are changed and things are turned off and I'm not happy. I HATE having to try and remember all of my personalized settings and have to go back and restore them.

On the other hand, K is DELIGHTED because his email is working better than it ever has. (He uses Outlook.) He isn't finding as many things changed. Bully for him.

I can tell that none of the other things I wanted done were accomplished, either. I left notes saying how I wanted the registry cleaned up and any phantom files deleted. I wanted the start-up looked at and wanted anything done to speed up the boot time. Not done. I would have paid much, much more if the work I wanted done had been done. Not happy. I expected the technician to call me, at least, and ask me to explain my notes. Didn't happen. I expected to explain what I wanted to have done. Didn't happen. NOT HAPPY!!

I do have to admit that the computer seems to be 'learning' how to act better. The speed is picking up a bit and things aren't quite as funky as they first were. I'll give it the weekend and see if all is better.

All in all, I won't be going back to this place. So, I have two options: I either have to plunge in and start doing registry hacks, or find another place for computer repairs. Oh, damn. Computers are fun.

Blogging The Game

Okay, so this isn't EXACTLY blogging the game, as I have only updated after every period. However, with my temperament, there is NO WAY I could do a minute-by-minute account. :)

The Wings are playing in Calgary--or, at least the Wings that aren't injured! The defense is so depleted that I don't know how they are managing. The senior D-man--Chris Chelios--is VERY experienced at 1600 games played. The next most experienced D-man has only played 300+ games. The youngest five defensemen have less games played, TOTAL, than Chelios has played. And to top it all off, it was just announced that Chelios is hurting with an injury to his leg and won't be back for the rest of the game. I didn't have much faith in what the outcome of the game would be tonight and now I feel as if it would be a MAJOR miracle if they don't get blown out of the water.

A young Swedish defenseman is making his NHL debut in this game. So far, he has done nicely. But, an about-to-be 24-year-old can only do so much against the veterans he's playing against. He is, I'm sure, the future of Detroit's defense at 6'5", 220 lbs. While I love to see the young players get their chances to play, I sure wish his debut was under better circumstances.

So, at the end of the first period, the score is 1-0 in favor of Calgary. They scored when the puck bounced off of two Red Wings and went past Osgood before he even saw it. I hope it doesn't go too badly for the rest of the game.


Here we are after 40 minutes of play and the score is the same. And the Wings are dropping like flies!

Calgary is pretty much as dirty of a team as Anaheim is and tonight they are doing their best to take out as many of the opposing players as possible. Drake got rattled, Downey limped off, Osgood is fighting the hurt, and Kopecky got his head slammed (illegally) into the boards. I'm really pissed off at the officiating again--I don't know WHY the slashing and dirty hits just aren't being called! Pretty soon the coaches will have to lace up the skates and play if there are any more injuries. This is just not the way to play the game.

The young guys are really staying in the game. They are doing their best--and are doing VERY well with keeping the score 1-0. This says a lot for Detroit's drafting and all around system. Twenty more to go and this one will be in the books.


So Detroit lost--at least it is a loss in the record book. As far as a PSYCHOLOGICAL win, this was HUGE! Calgary only scored that flukey goal in the first and Detroit only was kept off of the scoreboard by a combination of Kiprusoff and the goalposts. With so many of the veterans not playing, the young 'uns certainly showed what they are made of. This game showed what a great organization the Wings have in place.

It will be interesting to see who actually will be playing tomorrow night at Vancouver. There is a chance Chelios will play, but I have my doubts. So, that means ANOTHER Grand Rapids player will have his debut. Whoa. Howard starts in goal, so whatever Ozzie was feeling, he'll have a few days off in order to rest. Kronwall MIGHT come back in time for Tuesday's game, but that is SO far in the future that it isn't even something to think about! Definitely interesting times.

Finally!

At last I can get a good night's sleep--Jennifer Lopez gave birth to her twins early this morning. And I was SOOOOO concerned! I don't know WHICH story is getting more air time, this one or the Hep A/Ashton Kutcher one. Give me a break.

Computer Update

After two days without my desktop, I finally called to see what is going on. I guess it STILL is going through scans--the tech called me back and said he is tracking down one last virus to kill. It seems as if the computer had MULTIPLE viruses and malware! When I asked what I should be doing to keep them away, the answer was pretty much, "Can't be done." He suggested Norton, but I refuse to buy another security suite--I've had problems in the past with BOTH Norton and McAfee. Besides, they are so damn bloated and they slow down my machine SOOOOOO much! I refuse to buy anti-virus or anti-spyware--and he agreed that Norton is only SLIGHTLY better than AVG! So, the best I can do is keep doing what I have till now--besides, I wasn't even aware there was anything more than the one bit of spyware on the machine! I guess what was there hasn't been ALL that bad--at least that's what I hope.

Wednesday Evening

Just talked to A--NOTHING about the non-pregnancy, of course--and she seemed to be in good spirits. I try not to pry, but make myself available to listen whenever my girls need to talk. I think it is working well.

The worst thing about the insemination not working is that with each attempt, the likelihood of her ever getting pregnant without in vitro, grows. EACH attempt at getting pregnant via in vitro is $10,000-15,000--not a drop in the bucket. And every attempt ONLY happens during one cycle! What a money-making racket! And to top it all off, only an extremely few insurance companies cover in vitro--or most infertility treatments, for that matter. I wish I had answers--or at the very least, a mirror into the future so that I could let her know that all will work out well.

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C called for a short moment as she was on her way to a meeting and said they have been approved for some in-home therapy for their son. He has been going to the hospital--which he will continue--for some treatments for his autism, but this will help them in their attempts to do for him at home. As autism therapy seems to involve a lot of repetition, having things they can do at home will only help the entire process.

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K starts three days off tomorrow--hopefully--and said we should take a trip up north to FINALLY see the baby. Yes, the baby was born on 3 January and we STILL haven't seen her. I guess we're terrible grandparents. :|

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NOT good news out of Detroit. Today it was announced that Lidstrom will be gone for at least three weeks. How will they survive? He is the best player on the team--best D-man in the league, best European to ever play the game--and the captain. Their number 2 and 3 D-men are out--Rafalski has just been put on injured reserve, so there is no telling when HE will be back. Hasek has been put on IR, also. The team is falling apart at the seams! They called up two more from Grand Rapids--should be an interesting game on Friday.

Of course, with all of the injuries happening, things might get heated now during the trades going on. The next few days will be very nerve-wracking! I have to stop reading the rumors, however--the last one I read said that Baby Boy has been traded to Atlanta! Oh, please, don't let it be true!

Trojans, Babies, Amy, and Hockey

A small amount of excitement here. (Now, that is a relative term, I know!) A couple of days ago the desktop started with some strange pop-ups and through a LOT of research, I came to the conclusion that it is infected with a backdoor Trojan. I spent HOURS yesterday trying to get rid of the problem, but I ended up taking it in to be fixed. See, I know enough about computers to be dangerous. I ALSO know enough to NOT do anything I am not absolutely sure about, hence the passing of the repairs on to someone else. From what I could find out, it seems as if the spyware took up residence in the registry, and I will NOT touch the registry--too much can go very, very wrong. I'm hoping the repairs won't take longer than a day or two--if I have my druthers, I will be picking it up tomorrow. I won't hold my breath. THEN I will have to have someone come over to look at my network--I don't believe it is secure. If I learned one thing from this whole deal, it is this: I need to be able to do EVERYTHING, including banking, on my laptop. Right now, I don't dare.

**********

A sent me a text message on my phone yesterday to let me know her pregnancy test came out negative. Once again, she shut down and didn't want to talk--her prerogative, I know. She DID text me this afternoon--just small 'talk'--so I am hoping she is taking this as well as can be expected. I can't be sure what her state of mind is until I actually talk to her, so...

**********

I am really impressed by Amy Winehouse--I got her CD 'Back to Black' and am absolutely amazed by her voice. It is just too bad that she is such a train wreck! Hopefully she will get her life back in order--her talent is too big to go to waste.

**********

I calmed down about the Wings by the game on Sunday. While they didn't win, at least they played a whole lot better than they had been. Then last night, they were back to form--they beat Colorado 4-0! It certainly was a joy to watch. Baby Boy FINALLY got a goal--Z got two goals and Datsyuk got three assists! Hallelujah! The bad part is what REALLY got the spark going: Lidstrom got bashed into the boards and had to leave the game. They say he hurt his knee, but by the way he had to be helped off of the ice, I wouldn't be surprised if it is much worse. Maybe this time they are telling the actual truth and not trying to make things sound better than they are. Now they are down three D-men--not a good situation at all. But, there still is plenty of time till the playoffs, so...

Celebrate

Holidays for the week:

17 February
Championship Crab Races Day
My Way Day

18 February
National Crab Stuffed Flounder Day

19 February
Chocolate Mint Day

20 February
National Cherry Pie Day
Northern Hemisphere Hoodie Hoo Day

21 February
National Sticky Bun Day
Introduce A Girl To Engineering Day

22 February
Pebble Flintstone's Birthday

23 February
National Banana Bread Day
National Dog Biscuit Day
Clam Chowder Day
Curling Is Cool Day*
Open That Bottle Night

*I'll have to try and remember to see if Canadian TV broadcasts more curling than usual on this day! :)

Guys, I Hardly Know Ya!

The Wings lost their fifth in a row. They certainly are not the same team that played before the All-Star break. Watching them against Columbus was not only painful, it was bordering on disgusting! Something is broken and needs to be fixed--FAST!!!

Not an excuse, by any means, but the Wings DO have four players injured at the moment. Four rather key players--among them TWO of their best D-men. Very discouraging to watch them skate around with no rhyme or reason behind what they are doing. Passing has been bad, give-aways are rampant, and they can't score no matter how many shots on goal they have. Such a difference from the first half of the season.

Again, not an excuse, but the officiating has been HORRIBLE lately. The amount of penalties NOT called on BOTH teams was unbelievable. And the rotten penalties that WERE called, well... I'm not sure if it is the frustration the Wings are feeling, or just plain horrid reffing, but Lidstrom has been getting more than normal penalties AND Datsyuk has been getting sent to the 'sin bin!' Absolutely unheard of.

I certainly hope someone lights fires under the guys (or rips them new ones, for sure) before Sunday. The Wings will play Dallas as NBC's Game-of-the-Week and they don't need to humiliate themselves on national TV! Won't SOMEONE save them from themselves already?!

The Best Valentine

K gave me the best card--had me rolling on the floor!

One the outside:

"Valentine, I love you more today than yesterday."

Inside:

"Yesterday you really got on my nerves."


He picks the GREATEST cards!! :D

Happy Valentine's Day, everybody.

Valentine's Day

So tomorrow we celebrate Valentine's Day. The day where women get/expect(?) candy, flowers, or jewelry as a gift. The day where men give candy, flowers, jewelry as a gift in order to get sex.

K and I didn't wait till tomorrow to give each other gifts. He gave me TWO heart necklaces*--he is such a sweetheart! I gave him flowers. Which one of us is expecting sex? :D

My new necklaces--he DOES have very good taste!





*I really am wondering if he can't make up his mind between two pieces of jewelry OR is he just trying to make sure the girls don't have to fight over each piece after I die?! :|

Worried? You Bet!

The Wings now have a four game winless streak going. (According to the NHL, they haven't LOST four in a row because of the overtime loss to Toronto. Big whoop.) The last time they had a four game losing streak was last year in March. I think it is time to worry. Yes, they STILL are WAY ahead of everyone else in the league, but if they keep playing the way they started tonight's game, they won't be ahead for very long. Someone has to figure out what the problem is and fix it. Fast!!!

Anyone?

Has anyone had LASIK or LASEK surgery? Do you know anyone who has had it? I'm seeing my ophthalmologist in about a month and am going to ask him if I am a candidate for the surgery--and I want to find out how others feel about it. Surgery on my eyes is a very scary thought--but I think I am ready to make the move away from glasses.

I have been wearing glasses since I was in fourth grade. My eyesight is so bad that I can barely see the big 'E' on the eyechart without my glasses. Add to that my astigmatism AND the fact I have needed bifocals YEARS earlier than the normal person and you get what I deal with. The first thing I do when I wake up is put on my glasses--I can't imagine even going to the bathroom without them. Being without my glasses for a few minutes gives me a RAGING headache. While my vision has stabilized, I do need to get stronger bifocals all of the time. I suffer from eyestrain--probably due to the fact that I cannot get glasses fitted to give me perfect sight. To see perfectly, I need to look through the 'sweet spot' on my glasses--something that is easier said than done, as the 'sweet spot' is not very large. Wearing contacts would be another option for me, but with my allergies I think I would have even MORE eye irritation if I wore contacts. I realize that if I have the surgery I would STILL need to wear reading glasses, but I would gladly do that if I could see better and give up my glasses full-time.

This would be such a big step for me. The thought of losing my sight--or making it worse--just scares the hell out of me. I am such a big-time reader that I don't know WHAT I would if I couldn't read! I realize there are some risks with the surgery--as with ANY surgery--so I have a lot of thinking to do.

Good Grief

It's too late in the season for the injuries to start! Kronwall has been put on injured reserve--doesn't sound like they know WHEN he will be back with the clavicle injury. Hasek is out till whenever with a hip flexor problem. Cleary is out for about two months with the broken jaw. Great.

THANKFULLY nothing like what happened to Zednik of the Panthers is going on with the Wings. During yesterday's game, one of Zednik's teammates caught him in the side of the neck with a skate--hit his carotid artery and he needed surgery to repair it. I can't imagine how frightening it must have been to see that!

A Fan

I am extremely passionate about hockey. I love the sport--the speed, the beauty, the physicalness, etc. There are so many things to like. This is one reason why I was so upset over today's game. With the NHL needing to expand its fan base, it was an absolute embarrassment to watch what went on in the game. This definitely is NOT the way to win fans.

Of course, I am even MORE passionate about the Red Wings. Most sport fans have a favorite team and I am no exception. I love to talk to other fans--even non-fans--about the players, about the game, about the organization. My favorite subjects, of course, are the Red Wings, but I will talk hockey to just about anyone at just about any time. My love of the Red Wings is the other reason why I was so upset over the game.

In many ways, I am a typical fan. If you looked up 'hockey fan' in the dictionary, my picture would be there. I live for the season and go into withdrawal during the off-season. I guess I really need a life.

As a fan, I will berate the Wings whenever they give a game away. Too many times I've seen it happen and it really hurts. On the other hand, I never let go of a loss that was handed to the other team. (One of the reasons I am such a non-fan of the Ducks.) And, I remember the ones stolen from them a lot longer than the ones they gave away. Today's loss will be one I remember.

Another way I am a typical fan is in the merchandise department. I have a jersey (or 'sweater,' as hockey jerseys are called) with my favorite player's name and number on it. (I have vowed not to wear it until I can see him play in person--something that may never happen.) I have Red Wing t-shirts that I only wear on game day. I have four different 'winged-wheel' necklaces that have become my jewelry of choice. My Jimmy is pretty much a 'Wingmobile'--a Wing antenna topper, the logo on the back window, a Wing license plate on the front and a plate frame on the back, and a winged-wheel in the side window. My laptop has a Red Wing Skin-It on the top . The background picture on my cellphone is the winged-wheel and a picture of Filppula is on both of my computer desktops. So, a typical fan.

I watch every Red Wing game I can. We are lucky to live where we do, as our cable system DOES carry the Detroit station that broadcasts almost all of the games. We also have Versus, so whatever the one station doesn't carry, we can find on Versus or NBC. This keeps me from having to put out the cost of NHL Center Ice. I have been able to watch at least a portion of every game they have played already this year. Not many people are as lucky.

As a fan of the game, I also am lucky to have Canada so close. Our cable company also carries a Canadian station, so whenever the Wings aren't playing I can usually find a game that is being broadcast from Canada. This gives me a good chance to see teams from the east that we don't see at other times.

I have many internet sites that I visit every day to see what is going on with the Wings and the league as a whole. I subscribe to two hockey magazines so that I can be as knowledgeable as possible about what goes on. I get email from at least three different sites daily. My cellphone has the Red Wings' website bookmarked.

One thing that separates me from a lot of fans is this: I don't feel as if I am a part of the team. You will NOT hear me say "We're No. 1!!!!" You will NOT hear me say "We won the game." I don't, in any way, think that I have a hand in the Wings' wins or losses. I do NOTHING to help the team or hurt them. I watch them do what they do best, that's all. And I appreciate every minute of entertainment they give me.

Not Surprising

Once again the Asshole Ducks got great gifts from the refs and won. That last goal being called off was the most bullshitty call I have ever seen, but the refs have to kiss the Ducks asses at every turn. NOT calling anything that the most dirty player in the NHL does--meaning Pronger, of course--and not calling penalties against the Ducks, calling penalties against the Wings, I could go on and on, but I won't. I have to go and calm down or I will have a stroke.

Sorry for this rant, but...

Not Too Bad--Yet

We are under a whole lot of weather warnings here. High winds, wind chill advisories, coastal flooding, high waves off of the lake, etc, etc. It hasn't hit us yet. Right now the temp is -1 and the winds are gusting to 38mph--this gives us a wind chill of -24. Here in the city we haven't had a lot of snow come down, so the wind isn't causing a lot of visibility problems.

However, they are saying the worst is coming. We are looking at 60mph wind gusts causing 25 foot high waves along the shoreline--which means icing of the roadways. Winds are supposed to be sustained at 30-40mph with gusts of 60mph--this will cause blowing and drifting snow and visibilities of less than half a mile. Wind chills are supposed to go into the very dangerous area. Such fun.

Celebrate

'Holidays' for the week:

10 February
Umbrella Day

11 February
Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day
Pro-Sports Wives Day
Satisfied Staying Single Day
White Shirt Day

12 February
National Plum Pudding Day
Safety Pup Day

13 February
National Tortini Day
Get A Different Name Day

14 February
Read To Your Child Day
Ferris Wheel Day
National Call-In Single Day
Quirky Alone Day

and (ready for this?)

National Condom Day

15 February
National Gumdrop Day
Do A Grouch A Favor Day

16 February
National Almond Day

Hockey Day in Canada

Today was Canada's annual celebration/overdose of hockey. Why this is any different than any other day in Canada, I'll never know, but...:) All of the Canadian teams in the NHL had games today and each team was trying to do well for the hometown crowd. Detroit played in Toronto. Enough said.

Actually, the Wings played better today than they did the other night, but it would have been hard for them to NOT play better. They played to a 2-2 tie, but Toronto won it in overtime. Another disappointment. At least they got one point out of the deal.

A REAL bad turn of events today: Dan Cleary took a puck to the jaw and it looks as if it is broken in two places. After he is seen by the Detroit doctors, the word will come down as to how he is doing and how long he will be out of the lineup. Wonder if this is going to change any trade deadline decisions? Babcock sat Hudler out today--a wake-up call to get his ass in gear! He only has one assist in the last eight games and one goal in the last ten--time for him to step it up. Baby Boy just might be the next one to get shaken up--but, he HAS been playing better lately. Trouble is, he isn't getting any points, either.

I don't have much hope for tomorrow's game. Anaheim has Selanne and Niedermayer back in their lineup AND they didn't play today, so they will come in fresh, whereas the Wings will be playing twice in 24 hours. I'm afraid tomorrow will end up being the third in a row they don't win.

SUCH A Pessimist

Every time the Wings lose, the thought "Oh, my gosh, they will NEVER win again!" goes through my mind. I guess you can't call me a 'glass half full' kind of gal. ;)

Oh, Boy

If hockey players cried, there would have been a wailing and weeping like no one has seen in quite awhile. In a VERY rare occurrence, the Wings gave up four unanswered goals and allowed LA--the WORST team in the league--to win the game 5-3. The Wing players that were interviewed after the game had the same look of a deer caught in headlights: PURE SHOCK! The good thing about tonight's game? This just may be a wake-up call for the Wings. They now KNOW that they have to WORK to win games and not count on the flukey wins like they got in St Paul the other night. Hopefully they will put this one behind them quickly and get back into the groove before the weekend--they play Toronto on Saturday and Anaheim (in NBC's Game of the Week) on Sunday. Tough.

Illness

K had to call in to work tonight because he is sick. I don't know what it is about him being sick that really gets me. I suppose it is my old fashioned notion of the man being the strong one, the provider. What ever the reason, him being sick just messes up my entire day. I am so 'off' right now, it isn't even funny.

I don't think there is anything that seriously wrong--he has a stomach upset, low-grade fever, and chills. While it isn't influenza--something he has to get inoculated for because of his other health problems--it DOES sound like he has the stomach 'flu.' I figure he should be much better by tomorrow. Of course, I told him he SHOULD be seen BECAUSE of his kidney problems, but he has decided to wait. WHY do men have to be men when it comes to seeing doctors? On the other hand, they ARE the biggest babies when they are sick. I will never understand them.

Nothing Much

Saw my MD today and he is so happy with my numbers--I actually thought I was going to see him do cartwheels down the hall! My cholesterol is in the 'amazing' range and my blood pressure is very close to what he wants it to be. A very good visit--and what makes it even better is the fact that I don't have to go back until November!!!! For crying out loud, I see the damn orthodontist every THREE months and THAT is just to make sure the teeth aren't moving out of alignment. This just is good news.

**********

For some stupid reason, K has really been getting on my last raw nerve lately. Last night I think I was about as mad at him as I ever have been--I didn't DARE take my BP because I know it would have been through the roof. Anyway, he is getting ready to turn in his paperwork to the company he used to work for in order to receive his pension from them. He knew this day was coming a year ago and he told me what papers I needed to find/copy that had to be turned in with the rest of the paperwork. So, I had a year to copy a few documents and guess what? I did the copies! I put these in a folder and gave them to him. K asked me for the copies last night and I told him I had given them to him months ago and I didn't know where he had put them. He said it never happened. I said it did. We went a few rounds like this and then I said he probably put them on the roll top desk. Of course, he said again, that it never happened, but he condescendingly agreed to look. Well, lo and behold, he found the papers. And he had the NERVE to show me he found them in a very matter-of-fact manner--NO 'I'm sorry to doubt you,' NO 'I was wrong you were right', he didn't even have the good manners to have a sheepish look on his face!!! I told him he had to go into the other room because I had murder in my heart. MEN!!!!!!! (I actually didn't like him very much earlier today, either, but that is another story...)

**********

I'm trying to begin planning C's 'First Anniversary of Her 29th Birthday' party. I actually was hoping to rent space at the local university up there and have the whole thing catered by them, but I don't know if I want to spend the money. I got a very preliminary estimate today and I could be looking at $1000+ to put this thing on! I have to decide if this is well worth it just so I don't have to deal with The Mother or the rest of The Family!

**********

Don't know if you have heard the news about the embryo created from three parents. While I understand what the scientists are trying to do, I still wonder if it is a good idea. First, this will lead to designer babies and rich people having the 'cream of the crop'--just another thing for them to lord over us huddle masses. The other thing that bothers me is the parentage. Anyone who has had to call the house of a child's friend knows this scenario.


"Hello."
"Hi, Mrs. Jones. This is Sue Doe, Jane's mother. My daughter is a good friend of your daughter Maggie."
"Oh. I'm not Mrs. Jones. Sam Jones is Maggie's dad, but I'm now married to John Johnson. However, after I divorced Sam, I went back to using my maiden name and now I am Cindy Mason."
"So sorry! I was told Maggie's mother's name was Mary."
"That's okay. Mary is Sam's new wife. Maggie calls her 'Mom,' too."

I have ACTUALLY had conversations like that. Can you imagine how confusing it is for the children? So, add another biological parent into the mix and things REALLY start getting interesting. Here is the whole story.

**********

Looks like A and her husband have gone through the artificial insemination bit again. She so much has her hopes up--and she won't learn until the 18th (at the latest) if she's pregnant. It hurts me so much to see her so desperate to get pregnant. I wish there was something I could do for her, but there is nothing. She doesn't even want to talk whenever she finds out that she isn't pregnant--she just shuts down. I DO worry about her--she has my tendencies in the depression department.

**********

C and her husband had to bring their son in to be tested the other week. The findings came back that he is a very high functioning autistic. While she wasn't really surprised, it is a hard thing to go through. At least they found out early enough and he should lead a fairly normal life with the proper treatment. He will need help throughout school, but many with learning disabilities of one kind or another need help. Just one more thing she has to add to her plate of things to do!

**********

I think I'm ready to go on another vacation. K keeps on saying he wants to go back to Vegas in March or April. I want to go to Disney World. Trouble is, we probably won't get to either place. At this point in time, I would be happy to just go to St Paul or Milwaukee! And don't get me started about wanting to go to Detroit for a game. I don't see that happening this season, at all.

**********

Political correctness has come to just about every group except those who are overweight. I seems as if it is okay to say just about anything about a fat individual--from saying how gross they are, or how disgusting, etc. People will comment about the way a fat individual looks, what he/she eats, the AMOUNT the person eats and not think there is anything wrong with that. I don't get it.

I sympathize and understand when thin people say they go through the same thing--comments about being anorexic or when someone tells them to 'eat a sandwich, already,' etc. Yes, I'm sure it hurts. BUT, the big difference is this: Whenever someone makes a disparaging remark to a thin person, it is--at least 99.9% of the time--said out of pure jealousy. It might be mean, but the person saying it WANTS to be in the same position as the thin one. However, any time something is said to/about a fat individual, it is ALWAYS said in disgust. Just because someone might be clothed in a blanket of fat, that doesn't mean they are insulated against meanness.

**********

Michigan Technological University's annual winter carnival is this weekend. While this doesn't mean a whole lot to a lot of people, the snow statues DO cause quite a commotion. It is unbelievable what these students can do in the way of construction. Here is the link to where you can see pictures of the snow statues being built. Tonight is the all-nighter, so the statues have to be completed in time for the judging tomorrow. The site will be updated with new pictures as they become available. Do go and check out the pictures--you will be amazed.

**********

Not sure HOW they did it, but the Wings managed to steal a win from the Wild last night. They played HORRIDLY through the first two periods and were down 2-1 late in the third. With less than two minutes to play, they tied--in overtime they scored the game-winner. I guess that is what makes them so good--they manage to win even when they shouldn't! Through the rest of the month, they will play 7 games on the road--this should prove just how good they actually are.




--The Wild's Branko Radivojevic up-ends the Red Wings' Tomas Kopecky during the first period. (AP photo)--

Trivia

Haven't done one of these for a while. Again, I thank mental_floss.

--Alfred Hitchcock gave six-year-old Melanie Griffith an unusual present when her mother (Tippi Hedren) was working in his film The Birds: a Barbie-sized wax replica of her mom presented in a tiny coffin. Griffith believes that Hitchcock thought he was making a nice gesture, but admitted that the incident definitely freaked her out. She says she threw the gift away long ago.

--Queen Elizabeth II is one of the world’s wealthiest women, but that doesn’t mean she squanders her money on lavish gifts. In fact, she leans towards the practical side. Some of the Christmas presents she has given to her staff include a bag of clothespins for her personal laundress and a large horseshoe-shaped magnet for her seamstress (to make it easier to retrieve dropped pins, of course). How thoughtful!

--Elizabeth Taylor has been the recipient of some very lavish gifts in her lifetime, including a 69.4-carat Cartier diamond from her former husband Richard Burton. But surely nothing can compare to the highly personal present she once received from her pal Michael Jackson – a life-size doll of himself. Hmmm…

--What do you give the woman who has everything for her 40th birthday? If the woman in question is Sophia Loren and you’re her husband, film producer Carlo Ponti, the answer is a custom-made 14-karat gold toilet seat.

--When Stephen Douglas accused Abraham Lincoln of being two-faced during an 1858 debate, Lincoln's famously wry response was: "I leave it to my audience - if I had another face to wear, do you think I would wear this one?"


--The governor of the Wyoming Territory signed a women's suffrage bill into law in 1869, and on September 6 of the following year, a 70-year-old housewife named Louisa Ann Swain became the first female to legally cast a ballot in a United States public election. An article that appeared later in the Ladies Home Journal assured the nation that Mrs. Swain had not "lost" her femininity by voting.


--When Betty White first appeared on the game show Password in 1961, host Allen Ludden, a widower with three children, was immediately smitten. The pair became friendly, but White was leery of becoming romantically involved, having been divorced twice already. Nevertheless, Allen bought an engagement ring and wore it on a chain around his neck until Betty finally accepted his proposal in 1963.


--Joanne Woodward often attributes the success of her 50-year marriage to having a good sense of humor. She regularly fretted over husband Paul Newman's safety once he took up racecar driving. But when Joanne fell out of bed and managed to break her collarbone, Paul couldn't resist the opportunity to needle her a little. While they waited for the paramedics, he told her "I'm not going to listen to any more complaining about my racing!"


--Comedian Jack Benny and Mary Livingstone had been married for 48 years when Jack passed away in 1974. The day after Benny's death, his wife, Mary, received one long-stemmed red rose from a florist. The next day, another came. When Mary called to ask about the deliveries, she learned that Benny had stipulated in his will, "one perfect red rose daily for the rest of Mary's life."

Saturday: Wings 3, Bruins 1

On Saturday night the Wings won their 40th game--they have played 54 of the 82 games in the regular season. With the win they pulled ahead of the next team in the league by 16 points. This means that the Wings would have to lose 8 straight games and Ottawa (no. 2) would have to win 8 straight for them to catch up. Not a bad place for Detroit to be. They keep on figuring out how to win--hopefully they keep it up.

In basically all of the statistical lists, at least one Wing is in the top 10. In about 50% of the lists there is more than one Detroit player in the top 10. On the =/- list, 6 of the top 10 are Wings. Crazy! If things keep on the way they are, a lot of the Wings should win the end-of-the-season awards. Lidstrom should win the Norris again and Datsyuk should be the winner of the Lady Byng--again. Things are looking up for a lot more to show up in Detroit. Jack Adams? Conn Smythe? Selke? Hart? President's Trophy? Clarence S. Campbell Bowl? Stanley Cup? All are very, very possible.

Super Bowl

Who won?
Answer: I don't know!

Who played?
Answer: I don't know and I DON'T CARE!

Thus concludes my remarks about the Super Bowl.

Celebrate

Here are the celebrations for the next week:

3 February
National Carrot Day
Wedding Ring Day


4 February
National Stuffed Mushroom Day
Gumby's Birthday
Dump Your Significant Jerk Day
Liberace Day

5 February
National Weatherperson's Day
International Pancake Day
Paczki Day

6 February
National Frozen Yogurt Day
National Girls & Women In Sports Day

7 February
National Fettuccine Alfredo Day
Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbors Day

8 February
Laugh And get Rich Day

9 February
Hershey's Chocolate Founded
Toothache Day
National Bagels and Lox Day
Corvette Day

12 Month Meme

A bit ago, Meleah did this meme and I had plans to do it, too. I forgot until I saw it on Annie's blog, so I FINALLY got around to it.

Here are the rules: Go to Climate of Our Change which is where you’ll find the traits for all 12 months. Find the month you were born and copy the traits. Put them into a post and either agree or disagree with each trait.

NOVEMBER:

Has a lot of ideas.

I used to have more when I was younger, but this does describe me.

Difficult to fathom.

Don’t think K has EVER really understood me. Maybe no one ever has. :)

Thinks forward.

????

Unique and brilliant.

Of course I am! No doubt. :)

Extraordinary ideas.

Not sure my ideas are extraordinary, but…

Sharp thinking.

Again, when I was younger my thinking was sharper, but age is setting in.

Fine and strong clairvoyance.

Quite. I always know when I meet someone for the first time whether I will like them or not—and I am NEVER wrong when I take an instant dislike to someone.

Can become good doctors.

I had hoped to become a doctor when I was younger—I just wasn’t ready to put in the work.

Dynamic in personality.

Not so much a description of me.

Secretive.

Probably not. I tend to tell too many things about myself—just can’t keep my mouth shut.

Inquisitive.

If this means ‘nosey,’ then YES!!!

Knows how to dig secrets.

I have never been comfortable with trying to get someone to talk about ANYTHING—secrets or otherwise. Now, The Mother is the champ when it comes to getting people to spill secrets!

Always thinking.

I guess.

Less talkative but amiable.

If I know someone, I talk too much. I try to be amiable—not sure if I succeed.

Brave and generous.

Brave? HAH!!! I am SUCH a wuss. Generous? I try.

Patient.

This is the most laughable of all. I am the most impatient person on the face of the Earth!

Stubborn and hard-hearted.

I’m a Finn, so stubbornness is a given. For quite a while I have considered myself a cold-hearted bitch, so…

If there is a will, there is a way.

Sure.

Determined.

Again with the stubbornness.

Never give up.

And again.

Hardly becomes angry unless provoked.

Maybe. The trouble is, too many things can provoke me. :)

Loves to be alone.

SOOOOO me! Being alone is great—just so long as it isn’t for great lengths of time.

Thinks differently from others.

In many ways.

Sharp-minded.

Again with the thinking.

Motivates oneself.

Yup. Who better to motivate me than me?

Does not appreciate praises.

I like compliments, but have never known how to accept them graciously, so I guess I don’t really appreciate praise.

High-spirited.

Probably not.

Well-built and tough.

I get tougher as the years go on.

Deep love and emotions.

Not nearly as emotional as I used to be—hence the designation of ‘cold-hearted bitch.’

Romantic.

To a certain extent—just not as easy after so many years of marriage.

Uncertain in relationships.

Hmmmmm.

Homely.

Okay, if this is a dig at my looks, then I am insulted! If it means ‘characteristic of the home or home life,’ then it’s fine. I definitely am a ‘homebody’ and enjoy being at home.

Hardworking.

I sure try.

High abilities.

For certain things.

Trustworthy.

Again, I try.

Honest and keeps secrets.

For the most part—at least I TRY to keep secrets.

Not able to control emotions.

Being able to control my emotions has become easier with age. Sometimes I control them TOO much.

Unpredictable.

I certainly hope so—keep ‘em guessing!

Red Wings 2, Avalanche 0

With less than three minutes left in the game, it looked as if the game would end in a 0-0 tie and be decided by a shoot-out! (Surprisingly, the Ducks/Blues game WAS decided just like that.) Then, Z made a wrap-around goal and it was 1-0. Now, Z is good, but this goal had quite a bit of luck attached to it--still it was pretty. Draper put it out of range with an empty net goal and the Wings won.

This was another one of those games where Detroit out-played the other team and still couldn't run away with it--and most of the rest of the season's games will probably be like this. Teams will be playing hard to get into the play-offs, so Detroit will be playing a lot of desperation games. I have a feeling their second-half record may not be as good as the first. Still, it was a win. Tomorrow night, Boston.