Daily Ponderings

About 2 weeks ago almost, I asked my fellow PHriends whether anyone would like an afternoon chat. We have chat practically every night during the week, except for Saturdays. So I posted the question on the PH boards. And it looked like it was going to be a grand idea!! So last Tuesday (the 24th), I hosted the first afternoon chat. And it was a success! In the hour and a half that I could be there, I saw at least 14 different people come and go. It was so good to see so many of us come together to chat. Many were people who can never make it to the night time chats for various reasons. So I was pleased! Today chat was very busy again! So I'm so glad that I asked everyone whether it was a good idea. And I plan on continuing it for as long as I can!

I read an article earlier today about some people who were missing pages out of the new Harry Potter book. They were either completely missing, or they were just in the wrong section of the book, causing some problems in reading it coherently!! Some people are keeping the book as a collector's item, and some are trading them in for a new version. Tonight I was reading my copy, and I got up to chapter 15. I like to skim and see how long the chapters are, so I was trying to figure out when chapter 15 ended, and chapter 16 started. I soon realized that I had 33 missing pages!! I couldn't believe it, just my luck!! I called one of my sisters to tell her (she finished the book in 2 days, so she said I could borrow hers to finish reading!), and then one of my friends. After getting off the phone, I looked at my book again, and discovered that I really wasn't missing the pages after all. They were just in a completely different section. Soooo, I can continue reading the book! On E...

A dear friend named Judi, whose journal I've been reading for years, has brought back her ARTSY ESSAY CONTEST ! I'm very excited about this, and hope that others will read the wonderful essays already posted in Judi's blog! Here is the topic for this month's new installment: What is your favorite and most inspiring possession? Tell us about it, and if you want an extra creative challenge... tell us about it without naming it until the very last sentence of your essay:):):) I own alot of possessions. When I first moved out of my parents' house, almost 9 years ago, I took this possession with me. It was mine, I had bought it, but I did allow the other members of my family to use it from time to time while I was at home. This possession has been a tremendous outlet for me to do a wide variety of things. I was able to record the barking of our first family dog, something that was cherished when she sadly died way too early for her doggy lifespan. I also was able to save...

The final installment of the Harry Potter series came out today. My sister, Joan, and I went out to hunt for it. We were successful at our first store....Walmart! Not that I thought it wasn't going to be available, but you never know! I've started reading it already, but only a few pages. Very intriguing already. And that's all I will say about it, since I have several Potter fans reading my blog, and I will be shot at if I divulge anything about the book. lol Does Harry live or die?? That is the big question on everyone's minds!!

Today was the first of 4 days that I'll be babysitting my niece, Sydney. She is one of my best friend's daughter. Sydney is 2 1/2 years old, and she was just as excited about coming over to see her Aunt Colleen as I was to having her here! They got here around 7:30am, and Erin left a bunch of things I would need, and some just-in-case items, and left for work. Sydney and I had breakfast together, watched some tv, read books, played with cars, colored, put stickers on paper, tried to find the cat, and tried to find all the fish in the house. She got overly excited every time she found one (I have 6)! Sydney also asked several times why I wore "that in my nose." She was referring to the oxygen. I just kept telling her that it helps me to breathe. She also kept trying to help bring my tubing with me whenever I walked around. Sometimes almost ripping it out of my face, but still, she was trying to assist! Around 11ish, my mom came over with Hailey. Sydney was extremely sh...

I was robbed this morning. Twice in fact. Within approximately 30 minutes. It was so scary, seeing my items stolen. The first thief had the audacity to bury my item under the tree in front of my house. Right in front of me! I caught the second thief outside my window. He had his back turned to me, and when I yelled "You blankety-blank!", he turned around and proceeded to eat my item while staring me down. The nerve!! The boldness!! I'll get those darn squirrels for stealing my grape tomatoes!!!! The first one took a nice almost-red one. The second one took one that was green!! Grrrrrrrr!! I had to pick all the rest of them before they could take those, too!!

I'm so glad I don't have to share the bed with him at night! He has it during the day, and I have it when I go to bed. A nice trade-off, I think!

I'm sooooo excited! Today, my mom and I went area rug shopping at Kmart. Kmart was having a sale! So we figured, why not look? I'm very glad we did! I now have 3 rugs for my two rooms that just became carpet-less ! One of my aunts was very kind to give us some money for something I needed, and we were able to use it for all 3 rugs, which I thought was awesome!!

*Editor's Note: This is written by Mittens. He wanted to tell his own version of what happened today!* I woke up this morning when I heard Mommy get up, as usual. I greeted her immediately, and as usual she said her good mornings and asked how my night was. Why can't she just skip all that and get right to feeding me breakfast?? I don't care that she has to put in her eyes and everything. Geesh. This particular morning, she kept saying something about going to the vet. She had been saying that for days now, like I was supposed to understand who or where the vet is. All I wanted was food! Mommy finally fed me, and she began her morning ritual of eating breakfast and reading news on the computer. She's always on that darn machine, can't she give it a rest?? Anyway, I went about my business, checking up on her every once in awhile. She kept mentioning that vet. She was starting to make me nervous. Mommy went to lay down for awhile, she had said something about not feel...

YAAAAAAAAAAAY!!! The ugly gross orange carpet from the 70s gets to disappear next month when my friends come back to the Falls again to visit!! How did I win this battle, you may wonder?? Well, my best friend told me that, since I will be babysitting her daughter for a week, she will buy me an area rug for my living room! I was like what???? And she said, "Well, would you rather have cash or an area rug for the room??" Seriously, I want the crappy orange rug out of there!!! Did I mention that it's ORANGE?? Here, don't believe me?? I took pictures!! lol Trust me, I'll be taking new ones when all the ugliness is gone, and there is a nice new area rug underneath!! Whoooo hooooo!!!

Mittens is my baby. He is strictly an indoor cat, and for this reason, I've only taken him to the vet three times since I received him as a Christmas gift back in 2000. So he hasn't gone since 2003. He has been fine. No major issues, no loss of appetite (obviously, he is a big kitty!), no illnesses, nothing. Until this spring/summer. I do believe my poor little man has allergies suddenly. His right eye watered for a few weeks when spring started, which has been cleared up for awhile now. But for the past few weeks, all he keeps doing is licking! And licking, and licking....on and on. I've found several "hot spots," pinkish red areas of skin beneath his thick fur where he's licked himself to death. Unfortunately, when I called the vet's office today, the only thing I can do is bring him in to get a checkup and most likely a cortizone shot. I don't want to for 2 reasons: 1) It's gonna be a huge effort trying to get him in his carrier! I bought one th...

I've been fiddling around with the html in my blog the past couple days, and today I changed it again. I feel like I should be seeing a beautiful tropical fish or a dolphin swimming by at any moment! hehe I love it though! I think I might actually stick with it for awhile. And since I'm in the mood for changing things (and not in the mood to wash my dishes), maybe I'll change my Myspace page!!

I live for the summer weather, because I just love the warmth and comfortableness of not having to deal with harsh cold, and wearing layers. I hate the very hot and humid days when there's really no choice but to turn on the a/c. And I think today I realized why I despise it so much: I feel so claustrophobic!! I can't stand it when I can't open my windows, and feel the nice warm air, and hear all the sounds of summer. I finally reopened my windows tonight after having the a/c on all day, and I felt relief! It still is muggy outside, but not as bad as the daytime heat. I'm glad it won't be so terribly hot for the next several days, because all I want is to have my windows open!

MY FLOORS ARE AWESOME!!!! I know I don't have any before pictures of the rugs (of course, I thought of taking them AFTER they were pulled up, duh!), but I just had to post some pics of the hardwood floors!! My friends worked so hard, and they were even excited for me when they saw how the great condition the floors were in! The only trouble spot was in the bedroom, where a rather worn-out area of the floor was found on one side of the bed. I think that is because of the steamer I run every winter, and the fact that I spilled a tremendous amount of water one night right in that spot. They tried to moisten it up as best they could, but really, eventually there will be a runner on the side of my bed right on top of it, so it's ok! Anyway, I had an emotional moment after my friends left, because I was just so happy they were willing to help me out with this. I have awesome friends, who help me in so many ways, and I just love them all so much!!

On Saturday, a few of my good friends are coming over to help rip out the carpet in my bedroom. It's old, it's gross, and it just needs to go! I'm excited to see how the hardwood floors have held up, since the first owners of this house buffed them every year until the elderly mother couldn't do it anymore (although she kept trying!), and they put down carpeting. I will not be replacing the rug with anything other than a runner alongside the bed, and a smaller piece in front of the bed. Hopefully, it will look nice!! My bedroom has totally been my comfort zone since repainting in September, and decorating with red accents. I had a little chat with my mom this morning, and asked if it was alright it we also rip up the carpet (if you could call it that, it's flat as a pancake!) in the computer room. My mom said she wouldn't object, but to leave it up to them if they want to. I know they said they would do it, too, but considering I don't know how long the bedr...