Saturday, August 30, 2008

The Testament

Hi All!

I was thinking and thinking about what to blog about today when it struck me - I had finished a book earlier this week and hadn't blogged about it yet! Score!

This is The Testament by John Grisham. While I don't normally read much of Grisham's work, I have read one or two in my time (doesn't that sound like I am ancient?). This one I happened to pick up at Half Price Books a while back because it was on sale and I can't pass up books on sale!

Well, I finished reading this and was struck by a myriad of emotions. But, I will get to that in a bit. The book is centered around the last will and testament of a very, very rich man. He is worth something like eleven billion (yes, billion with a B) dollars when he decides to throw himself out of the window of his penthouse. The man's six children from three different marriages are all chomping at the bit to get their inheritance which they (and their lawyers) anticipate to be in the millions.

The deceased, however, has left his entire fortune to a previously unknown, illegitimate daughter who is currently a missionary in the middle of nowhere. Until she is located, the contents of the will are to be kept from the family. This is quite a task considering the lawyers are trying to get the settlement so they can get their quite substantial cut!

Enter a lawyer fresh out of rehab. He is sent to the jungles of Bolivia to locate the heir and has quite an adventure on the way. I wouldn't want to ruin it for you but rest assured it is interesting.

Well, back to those feelings. First of all, the book was a pleasant, and quick, read which was nice. Next, the adventure of the now sober (or maybe not) lawyer are interesting and well written. Then, the descriptions of the six children and their lawyers is very interesting and certainly makes them seem to come alive - for better or worse. The main lawyer for the deceased (the guy who sends the out-of-rehab lawyer on his quest) is very interesting and there seems to be a bigger story behind what you see. Then, I must admit, I felt a bit . . . let down. Grisham's books are usually very suspenseful and, while there was some suspense in this book, it just didn't get my heart pumping like some of his other books. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more "meat" to this book.

Overall, it was a good, fun read but it didn't have enough to it to really engage my mind too much. Sorry, Grisham fans!

The absolute best part of the book was this . . .


How in the world could you pass that up?

Trisha

Voice Update: Self congratulations are going on at my house. I have been a very good girl and have been doing my exercises faithfully AND my massage! The "thumper" massager still hasn't made the scene - I just can't bring myself to use it yet while my muscles are not quite recovered from Susan's ministrations!

Friday, August 29, 2008

Visitor

Hi All!

The other morning Hubby was eating breakfast and saw this visitor at our bird feeder.

(Okay - I will admit that this picture is from a different day but it is the same bird.)

I was in the bedroom and heard a bit "thunk" which was the hawk landing on the gutter. Then, he apparently took a sparrow down to the ground right in front of the window Hubby was sitting in front of. Hubby didn't like that too much and really didn't want to see the hawk have breakfast while he was eating his own. He banged on the window, distracted the hawk, and the sparrow got away!

While I know that the circle of life must continue I agree with Hubby that it isn't the most appetizing to see it while you are eating breakfast!

By the way - this is a sharp shinned hawk according to my bird book. It looks just like a Coopers Hawk but is smaller.

I had sign language class last night. We are still reviewing information from ASL I and getting up to speed so that we can begin learning more advanced stuff. Having a different teacher is interesting because there are several signs for the same word (in many cases) and different people use different signs so I have to get used to this teacher. I went to the ASL lab yesterday before class and got caught up with a lab assistant I had last semester and also reviewed the lesson we were assigned. It was fun. I will admit that some things I totally forgot and then felt silly when I learned what they were because . . . I knew the sign! Brain freeze from not using sign language over the summer, I guess.

During class we were "talking" about how Deaf people are often considered "stupid" because they are unable to speak - does that sound familiar? I have faced that same issue when my voice was bad! It really makes you think more about your assumptions, doesn't it? Maybe the world would be a kinder place if everyone took a minute to think before making assumptions about a person due to the way the look or act or due to a disability!

Learning about a different culture (or even a disability) can really help you broaden your view of the world. I think everyone should have to do it!

Trisha

Voice Update: Well, pat me on the back, I did my exercises yesterday (thanks, Mr. Timer!) and my massage. I didn't do the "thumper" because my neck was just too sore. Maybe I will do it today . . . maybe! I also did a lot of inhale "e's" while driving to and from class. I even sang along to the radio on the inhale for a bit.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Finally!

Hi All!

The cable is FINALLY working again (I think - I haven't checked it this morning yet!). The third set of installers came yesterday and replaced our DVR box. It was that simple! YEAH!

Mental P Mama keeps reminding me that they had ATT and didn't like it. Yes, I hear you and I appreciate your advice. If only Hubby read my blog! He is the one in charge of all tv related stuff in our house. We will just have to see what happens. Our neighbors have ATT and love it - so far. I will keep you posted!

Let's see - I had speech yesterday. While my voice is pretty good my neck was really tight. Of course I haven't been doing enough massage (bad, bad girl!) and then I was a bit stressed out due to things like the cable and starting a new class, etc. I carry all of my stress right in my neck. Susan, my speech therapist, really worked on my neck and finally it loosened up. Last night and today I can tell it was worked on - it is sore!!!

I am going to do my massage no matter what. Oops - hold on a second while I go find my timer and get right on that!

Okay - it is counting down now so I can continue life!

Sign language class. A new semester started for me on Tuesday. I am taking ASL beginning II - not to be confused with ASL intermediate II which is a TOTALLY different class! I really enjoy sign language and class in general so this is something I am really enthusiastic about. My friend from ASL I, Ryan, is in this class also so I have someone I already know to "chat" with!

I have class again tonight and am really looking forward to that. The only bad thing about class is that is if from 6:30 until 8:20 at night. Not too bad yet - until you add a 40 minute drive (one way)! Needless to say, I get home LATE and miss dinner with Hubby. (A quick aside - Hubby was so sweet last night. He came home and told me that he missed me that day because he didn't get to see me too much on Tuesday due to class! He is such a sweetie!) I think that we will both adjust and things will smooth out.

For those of you who don't know - I began taking sign language when my voice was worse. I was just beginning to be able to speak normally again and was a bit worried about getting my voice back at all. I had been working with my speech therapist on an alternative voicing technique, inhalation voicing, because neither of us thought I would speak normally again. However, I was beginning to speak a few words "normally" so things were looking up. Hubby and I had learned a few signs to be able to communicate in noisy situations (more water please!)and the class would teach me some more. Luckily, during that semester my voice steadily improved (and is continuing to improve - knock on the pressed wood top of my desk) and I didn't need to use signs in my personal life. However, I was hooked! It is fun and interesting - and it gives me something to focus on while I am not working!

Okay - enough rambling! Ohhh - I forgot! I went to the eye doctor yesterday and she said that part of my problem with headaches and tired eyes is that I have allergies which are really affecting my eyes. She gave me several options for treating them and I am starting with the cheapest. We will see how things work out. I don't need glasses yet but she did tell me that I will probably need reading glasses in the next year or so. Always fun to hear! I am getting old, folks!

Trisha

Voice update: Well - I already told you about speech. My voice is still good. I have my timer going on the desk next to me and have already done one set of my exercises AND massage (even though my throat is sore!). I will get back on track! I promise! Of course, I think I have been saying that for a few days, haven't I?? This time I am serious! I don't want to have to go through the same neck massage at my next speech session! I am also getting out my percussion massager to work on my neck. I AM going to be a good girl!



Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The Saga Continues and Sign Language

Hi All!

Well, remember how yesterday I told you that the cable and computer and everything was up and running fine? Well . . . there has been a complication.

After posting yesterday (and finishing my conversation with Mom via IM) I went grocery shopping - which should be illegal when it is over 90 degrees because it is just ridiculous! Anyway - I was on the phone with Mom (yes, I am a Momma's girl, I admit it!) and I remembered that I was supposed to set up the DVR to record Big Brother 10. Out to the living room I trotted and I took the remote and pressed "power."

Nothing happened.

I pushed the little button again. Zilch. Thinking I must have done something wrong, I very carefully pushed the little ATT button and then power once more. Still nada! Hmmmmm. I went to the DVR and manually pushed the power button once. I think you might have a good idea what happened. That is right - nothing!

One the front of the box it tells you to push and hold the power button for five seconds to reset the box. Super! I push and hold the button. It begins blinking away and the little "working" screen shows up on the tv. Great! I am cooking with gas now!

Knowing it will take a while, I go to check that the computer is working because they are all tied together, you know. The computer works fine. I skim a few new emails - still talking to Mom on the phone - we have marathon conversations (thank goodness for unlimited long distance!). Then I got off the phone and decided to review some sign language for my class which began last night.

The DVR had frozen so I decided to try to restart it again. After a while I had to admit that NOTHING was happening. I unplugged the darn thing. I know that is how you reset most electronics these days. Wait a minute or two or three then plug the box back in - nothing.

I decided to leave the "mess" for Hubby and reviewed my info for class and then high-tailed it out of there to class. Later I learned that Hubby was on the phone with the support people for over 45 minutes and they decided - at the end - that we needed a new box. Apparently, they have been having problems with the DVR boxes lately. Hmmmmmm.

So - I get to deal with another cable guy. Fun, fun!

I was going to tell you about my sign language class but it looks like I have rambled on a lot already so I think I will save that for another day - perhaps tomorrow. I will tell you that it was good and I think it will be a lot of fun.

Trisha

Voice Update: My friend Ryan, whom I met in ASL I in the Spring, is in this class also and he told me that my voice was a LOT better than it was! YEAH! I have speech today and I am sure I will get in trouble because I haven't been too good about massage lately. Oops!

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

The Rest of the Story

Hi All!

Isn't it funny how quickly and totally we get attached to the Internet? Just have it go down for a day (or two or three) and you soon find out that you are indeed an addict.

This past weekend proved a couple of things to me. First, that I am indeed a computer addict. Second, that my husband is a television addict (which I already knew). Third, that not having a phone which works is a real bummer!

It all started innocently enough. Hubby decided that he wanted to try out the new cable service available in our area - ATT Uverse. He talked about it with me first - as if I really had a choice - or an opinion. He called and set up an appointment to have the service installed and was supposed to get a confirmation email.

No email showed up. The first sign that something was not quite right.

Hubby called and found out that our order had been "lost." While I am not too sure how a company looses an order, I understand that these things happen. Hubby rearranged everything and got a new installation appointment for last Saturday between 8 and 10. Cool! Hubby wouldn't have to take off work or leave me in charge of the installation - which he hates to do because I apparently don't ask the right questions!

Saturday comes and the installer arrives. Everything is looking good! I tried to catch a quick nap while he is here and do a pretty good job by camping out in the guest room - the only room in the place which has a place to get horizontal and which doesn't have a television. When I emerge from the guest room I notice that Hubby isn't looking too happy and the installer is sort of puttering around.

What is wrong? Well, there is no signal and the installer has to wait for a phone guy to come out and fix the problem. However, the phone guy doesn't show up and the installer leaves for his next appointment. Without telling Hubby he is leaving. Without hooking anything up so it works (including our phone!). Without telling Hubby when he will be back. Not so cool!

So - Hubby waits around the house for the rest of the day - afraid to go anywhere because he might miss the installer coming back. (I, by the way, spend a big chunk of the afternoon at a SD support group meeting that my friend Lori and I have organized - I will tell you about that later.).

By the time I get home Hubby is a bit perturbed and I can understand why. At about 6 P.M. Hubby digs out our pre-paid cell phone and calls ATT to find out what is going on. ATT tells him that their records show that the installation is complete! WRONG!

After going through a huge long production to make ATT understand what has happened, Hubby is told that someone will be out on Sunday to fix everything. Really? You mean that they make these poor installers work seven days a week? We were both a bit sceptical.

Hubby, frustrated and in TV withdrawal, goes up the attic and hooks the satellite back up so he can watch some television. This helps calm him down a bit and we spend the evening on the bed watching television (okay - I was reading but I was still there).

Sunday dawns with Hubby anxiously turning on the cell phone and waiting for it to ring. Nothing. He takes the phone with him to the breakfast table. Nothing. He makes me promise to "watch" the phone while he takes a shower. Nothing. We wait until about 2:00 when our regular phone rings and scares us both to death (remember it wasn't working!). However, it is only our neighbor, Mrs. N, checking to see if I wanted to go to a Southern Living party with her. Rats!

Now Hubby takes a walk out to the box on the side of our house. On Saturday it had all kinds of wires hanging out. On Sunday - all closed up. Interesting.

Hubby calls ATT. Then they call him back in half an hour. And they call back again in another half an hour. And they call back in another half an hour. This goes on for several hours until they finally figure out that installation ISN'T complete, that yes, the phone guy had been there, and yes, we deserved something for our trouble (this one was prompted by Hubby). They swear to us that the installer will be at our house between 8 and 10 on Monday.

This means I am in charge since Hubby has to work to support me in the style to which I have become accustomed. Of course Hubby doesn't tell me anything that he and the previous installer have discussed so I am flying blind.

The installer and a guy who is being trained to be an installer show up at 10:10 and work until 1:30 getting everything up and running. There are several problems which they have to fix and several parts which are not working correctly. Sounds about par for the course.

Anyway - they finally have the whole shebang up and it all works. YEAH!

Now all I have to do is figure out the darn remote!

Trisha

Voice Update: My voice is doing well. I talked quite a bit at the support group meeting on Saturday and did notice that my voice got tired after a bit and I started "missing" some words. I didn't do many exercises on Saturday because, frankly, my voice was tired. I did do some reading out loud on Sunday and exercises on Monday. Not as much as I should, of course!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Don't Give Up On Me!

Hi All!

This is only going to be a short post to let you know what happened to me. Well - Hubby decided to change our cable and internet service and - there ya go!

What was supposed to be an easy four hour installation turned into a three day marathon of problems (including two days where we had no phone service, no internet and no cable!).

Finally, it is fixed today. I am still trying to figure everything out so I am not doing a regular post - I will be "back in the saddle" so to speak tomorrow!

In the meantime, don't give up on me!

Trisha

Friday, August 22, 2008

Reading Round-up

Hi All!

Today I am going to tell you about what I have been reading lately. I read the first book and then fell into a weird funk where I didn't want to read anything, which is very odd. I read the next items during that funk and it was good because they didn't require extended concentration.

I am happy to say that I am back to reading and just started a new book last night. You will hear about it in the near future, I am sure.

Till We Meet Again by Judith Krantz. I have read a couple other Judith Krantz books in the past and while I am not making her my favorite all time author - she writes books which I enjoy.

This book takes readers on a retrospective journey which covers several decades from before World War I to after World War II. During this journey we meet the women of the Lancel family, a wealthy, titled family from France. First up is the matriarch of the family, Eve. She is a free spirit in a time when women were anything but free. Eve rebels against her future of a "suitable" marriage and runs away from home to live with a man who, of all things, preforms in a music hall. Music Halls were not considered "appropriate" for young ladies of a genteel upbringing.

After following Eve's life for several decades, the story jumps to the lives of her two daughters, Delphine and Freddy. Delphine is an astonishing beauty who drifts in life until finding the magic of French cinema. Freddy is as wild as her mother was and is drawn to the man dominated world of flight.

In the midst of World Wars, this family grows and the woman learn about themselves, their family, and about the world through their missteps and achievements.

I found myself very drawn to all of the woman and their stories while reading this book. The trip along memory lane, such as it is, is in turns enlightening and concerning and the woman face happiness and tragedy. By the last page I felt as if these characters were people whom I have known for a long time.

A delightful read.

Next on the "hit parade" is a magazine. Oprah Magazine to be specific. Now, I know what some of you may be thinking - really, Oprah Magazine? Yes, I myself was a sceptic at first - I mean, the magazine NEVER has anyone but Oprah on the cover! It seems a little self-serving and I thought it might just be preaching about Oprah.

Was I ever wrong! Yes, Oprah is on every single cover but the articles and information in the magazine are well worth the read.



Normally, I am finished reading magazines in a matter of hours but this one is a bit different. I find that the articles are clearly written and are in depth about topics which really make sense in a women's magazine. However, you don't feel the same sense of doom and gloom that some women's magazines give out. Oprah articles actually make you feel uplifted even while telling you to move your lazy butt and exercise.

There are book reviews and music review in every issue which satisfies the bookie in me who is always yearning to hear about what is new in the field of literature. The beauty and fashion sections are tastefully done and written and photographed to appeal to the normal American woman - not just the model-thin ones.

Kudos to Oprah for this magazine which, in my opinion, always has something useful in it as well as something to make you think.

Finally, I read this anthology about the Beatles (I am ashamed to admit that until I read the book I honestly thought you spelled it BEETLES. Oops!).

I bought this book for Hubby - the Beatles nut, several years back when all of the Beatles Anthology CDs and stuff was coming out. It was on sale and I thought Hubby would enjoy it. It contains a ton of pictures spanning the entire career of the Beatles.

Hubby has never even opened the darn thing! *sigh* When will I learn that he is just NOT a book person?

After seeing the Beatles tribute band, Rain, as part of our musical package, I was curious about the Beatles (I was born as their career as a group was winding down. By the time I was listening to music, they were pretty much gone.). I decided that reading this book, which is mostly pictures, might fill in the gaps and answer the questions.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the amount of information in this book. For each year there is a written introduction and then a chronology listing the main events for the year. This is all followed by pictures illustrating the events. Very interesting.

I learned more about the Beatles than I expected to (I still didn't find out if they really let Pete Best go because he was too good looking though!) and also enjoyed the photos which were a real trip back in time.

The Beatles' story is slightly tragic in the way that real life tends to be and also reflects the difficulties of fame and money.

If you are a Beatles fan, or even if you only live with a Beatles fan, this is a good read.

Whew! That was a log in one blog so . . . I am out of here!

Trisha

Voice Update: Still rockin' and rollin'! I am being a good girl and doing exercises. I do need to hit the massage more though. If only I could be PERFECT!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Just One of Those Days

Hi All!

Today is just one of those days. I went to bed last night with a slightly upset stomach which was making a valiant effort to discuss its symptoms with me. It was grumbling and rumbling around and I swear that I could almost make out words!

I woke up today after an amazingly good sleep (yeah!!!!) just in time to get dressed for my walk with C. My stomach was still slightly drowsy but had already started up its conversation again. This time it was a bit louder and sounded slightly threatening. Hey, just who is in charge here anyway?

Well, it turns out that C had to walk earlier so I missed her and just as I took a step outside to walk on my own (I was TRYING to be good!) my stomach started negotiations about how quickly I would make it to the bathroom. Fun.

So - I didn't walk but spent some quality time in the restroom. NOT my favorite topic. Afterwards I jumped back in bed for another hour until it was time to IM with Mom.

Up I got when the alarm rang, shrugged on my robe (after detaching Miss Cleo from the belt), and shuffled into the computer room. I turned on the computer and found that Mom wasn't there. She was getting a perm and wouldn't be back for at least an our or so. Hmmmmm. What to do, what to do?

I went back to bed.

This time I didn't get up again until about noon. Then I called Mom to tell her why I wasn't online and then tried to reach a treaty with my stomach about eating some toast. Let's just say it was a draw!

Today isn't my best day. Even though I slept until noon and it is only 3:30 now, I really, really, really (really), want to go back to sleep. My eyes keep sliding closed and that darn stomach is through chewing on the puny Imodium I gave it and is back to making slightly threatening noises. The noises ARE a bit less understandable - thanks Imodium!

To go to bed or to not go to bed. That is the question.

I guess I will go check on the mail and see how I feel after that. Getting the mail is always so darn thrilling, I am sure it will knock me right out of this funk!

Trisha

Voice Update: Well, I am not talking too much and have been asleep for most of the day so I am a bit off on my exercises. I have done two sets and will probably squeeze in another while getting the mail. Then it will all depend on if I am awake or not.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

What Do You Think?

Hi All!


Can you figure out what this is from this not-too-great picture? Yeah! You got it right! It is a calendar. The top strip has all the days of the week. The middle strip is for the month and the bottom is for the date. Neat, huh?

Well, I think it is neat anyway. Hubby on the otherhand doesn't like it at all. Obviously I won the debate over if it would be hung up in our house but. . . I just have to ask - what do you think about it?

On a different topic - I just got back from walking (yeah, I know - what else is new?) with C. Mrs. N has stopped walking due to going back to work (she is a teacher) which leaves just me and C.

I was a bit nervous about walking with C on my own. When Mrs. N walked she sort of served as a buffer so I didn't have to talk too much. Without Mrs. N I would be the direct focus of C's talking. And let me tell you - she can talk up a storm!

Luckily, things are going well so far. With just the two of us C is a bit better at listening and she seems very interested in getting to know me. While I don't know that she will ever be my best, best friend, she is okay. Thank goodness!

Trisha

Voice Update: I was a good girl and did exercises before meeting C to walk. My voice is doing well but I did notice that a few words were giving me problems. Drats! I guess that is just part of the "dance" that I will always have to deal with. Yesterday I met with Lori - who also has ABSD and we had a nice chat about all kinds of thing. True, we were supposed to talk about the support group meeting but, we ended up talking about exercises and massage and stuff like that. I am going to be good today too since I have already started off on the right foot!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

My First Food Blog

Hi All!

Welcome to my first ever blog about food. There are so many people out there who regularly blog about food (Noble Pig is one of my personal favorites) and they make things look so yummy.

However, I must admit that I am a bit intimidated by them. They are such good cooks and make everything from scratch and make such sophisticated dishes. Never mind that many of the ingredients have never even been inside my home!

Well, I decided to make some fruit compote this past weekend. I had a ton of fresh berries hanging out in the fridge and knew that Hubby and I were not going to eat them all very quickly. So - I got busy and made this.


Doesn't it look good? Maybe not as good as some of the "professional" food bloggers but I just had to take a picture!

Right after I took the picture I devoured the whole thing in record time. It was FABULOUS! The fruit I used included strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and peaches. I just cooked them up and added a bit of sugar to satisfy my sweet tooth and - there you have it!

I was pleased with how it turned out and how easy it was to make. I just might make it again in the future. Of course, I wouldn't want to over-extend myself!

Trisha

Voice Update: My voice is good. I did several sets of exercises on my way to meet C to walk this morning (Mrs. N has gone back to school - as a teacher - so she isn't walking with us anymore). I even threw in a massage. Now I have the timer set and am getting on with business. Finally.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Airports and Traffic

Hi All!

I am a bit late today because I had to take Hubby to the airport. He is jetting off to Lubbock, Texas on his way to Roswell, New Mexico for work. Doesn't that sound fabulous? I must admit that I thought Roswell sounded neat until Hubby told me that it wasn't all that exciting (sorry about that to anyone who lives in Roswell - maybe you can prove Hubby wrong!).

While

(Sorry - I had to take a break to answer the phone and now I have lost my train of thought. I will tell you about my phone call while I recover my thoughts.

A lovely woman was on the phone telling me that she is going to attend a support group meeting this Saturday which my friend Lori and I are arranging - if you are in the Dallas area and want more information, let me know. This woman has had SD since 1996 and was never diagnosed until 2007. She still doesn't know what SD is and hasn't been directed towards any support groups or information. She lives alone and told me that she has really struggled with depression about her voice for the past eleven or so years.

I am so glad that she is finally getting to our support group so that we can give her more information and help her with emotional support as well. It is so sad that people out there are still having problems getting diagnosed and when they are diagnosed are not also given information about support from the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association.

This woman also told me that she had faced a lot of rude people because of her voice. People who made fun of her voice and who made her want to just stay in her house. People who treated her like she was intellectually challenged simply because of her voice.

We need to end this kind of ignorance people! If you don't know about SD, please explore the National Spasmodic Dysphonia Association's site to find out more. If you see people treating others ignorantly because of their voice - step in!

Okay - minor rant over! Back to the regularly scheduled blog.)

As I was saying - while taking Hubby to the airport I was amazed by the amount of traffic on the tollway. We were on the road at about 7:30 and I assume most people start work around 8:30 or 9:00 or so. If that is so then why in the world were they out on the roads so early! They were just clogging up the road for me - the person who had to get to the airport!

The road on the way back was much clearer - I guess going OUT of the city is easier at that time of the day.

Okay - my mind is not going back to the original topic so I am going to end it. I am sure you are all breathing a big sigh of relief!

Trisha

Voice Update: My voice is good today. I am going to start my voice exercises right now. Okay - when I am done talking on the phone with my mom I will start!

Upcoming Show on ABC

Is you want to know more about Spasmodic Dysphonia, watch "Medical Mysteries" Tuesday, August 19th at 10 pm (Eastern Time) on ABC. Here is a link to read more about the program.

(Thanks to Coffee Bean for this post - I sort of copied it from her!)

Trisha

Sunday, August 17, 2008

What a Wonderful World!

Hi All!

Don't tell anyone but, Hubby and I have Louis Armstrong trapped in our house so he can sing whenever we want. Honest! It is great! The only thing is, dear old Louis will only sing one song and won't even finish the song at that. Of course, it is good that Hubby and I love, love, love the song.

Okay - so maybe, just maybe, Hubby doesn't LOVE the song as much as I do but . . . he certainly enjoys hearing it from time to time.

He especially loves the part where Louis sort of laughs "heh, heh, heh . . ." and is VERY good at imitating it. At that point, both of us normally crack up.

Well, we might actually start cracking up before that because we have dear Louis trapped in this.

Yes folks, that is a frog wearing a hat and a bow tie. If you push the little red dot on the frog's hand Louis starts belting out "It's a Wonderful World." The frog's head starts to move and its mouth moves in a valiant effort to sync with the words (of course it isn't synced at all but . . .hey, it tries!).

Right now, the frog is sitting on our bar and happens to be in one of our direct routes from the computer room to the living room which means that we HAVE to hear Louis whenever we pass by - which is often!

For those of you who were wondering just how such a frog made it into our household (those of you not wondering . . . just skip this paragraph!), here is the story. My dad's side of the family has had Christmas gift exchanges for quite a while now. It cuts down on the budget when you only have one gift to buy and wrap. We have been doing the pick a gift or steal a gift thing for a while with fun results. The frog was one of the gifts in the gift exchange. I think he may have come with a gift card or something else - I can't remember. Anyway, I wanted the frog to take with me to school (frogs were the mascot of the program I taught in). So, I got the frog.

Unfortunately, the frog wouldn't fit in our luggage for the trip home so he got left at my parents' house. He sat above their stove and got played with whenever one of my parents felt like it. From what I hear, he was quite a conversation piece as different people visited my parents. Finally, the day came when Hubby and I drove to my parents and that meant that we had room for the frog on the return trip. So - he came home. He has been sitting on our bar ever since and we enjoy making him sing whenever we pass.

I like him because he is funny and silly and . . . well, because he does remind me that it is a "Wonderful World" that we live in!

Trisha

Voice Update: Get out the wet noodles! I need to be flogged for not doing my exercises. I can't help it! I am busy being lazy! Even Hubby has noticed that I haven't done them and offered to help me out yesterday by reminding me what they sound like. Thanks a lot, Hubby! It isn't really something you ever forget! I promise, I promise, I promise to get to those things today. Tomorrow at the latest! Just in case, keep those wet noodles ready!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

What is The World Coming To?

Hi All!

Now, I must admit that Hubby and I watch Big Brother. Somehow we got addicted to it in season three (or so) and have been watching ever since. To be perfectly honest, I can take it or leave it but Hubby really likes it and it gives us something to talk about.

(I apologize for my pictures today - for some reason they just didn't do what I wanted them to do!)

Big Brother is the ONLY reality show that I watch. I do draw the line at that! Reality shows are getting really old really fast for me!

Normally I don't get too excited about things that happen on the show. Sure, I discuss them with Hubby and his buddies from work who also watch but, I don't dwell on it for any great length of time. However, something happened this week that is just stuck in my craw and so I thought I would work it out of my mind by blogging about it.

To catch those of you who DON'T watch the show up - the show locks thirteen people from different backgrounds into a house (a really nice house) and then they have to vote one person out each week. The last two people standing face a "jury" of their past housemates and one of them wins half a million dollars. So - the show is basically about keeping yourself in the house while getting everyone else out. There is a lot of plotting and planning, promises and lying.

This season there is also a lot (and I do mean a LOT) of fights between house guests (as they are called). Nothing physical but, there sure have been a lot of yelling and screaming. There are always flare ups during the season - I mean, how could there not when people are locked in with each other all day, everyday? This season is particularly nasty for some reason. Even Hubby has commented on it.

A week or so ago the house became divided on who to vote out of the house. One man, Dan

got in the middle of both sides. Dan is a teacher at a Catholic school and is a Catholic (well, duh!). Each side wanted his vote and thought he had promised it to them. To further complicate issues, he was "America's Player" for that particular week. That means that he had to do whatever the viewers voted for him to do in order to win $20,000. Not a bad deal, huh?

So - America wanted him to vote Jessie out (personally, I did too - Jessie was a young body builder who just had too much ego for my taste). So - he did. That put him in a bad position with half of the house including the 75 year old, retired Marine Colonel, Jerry. Jerry took Dan's vote EXTREMELY personally saying that Dan had promised him to vote to keep Jessie in the house. Now, from what I saw (which I admit is heavily edited), I saw no such promise. Jerry also says that Dan was "hiding behind his cross," "hiding behind his religion." Again - I saw no evidence of such in the tape they showed.

Jerry started yelling at Dan and even went as far as calling him "Judas." He tried to get other members of the house to call Dan Judas also but, from what I saw, they declined. Dan reacted to each of Jerry's attacks very mildly saying he understood Jerry's feelings and that he was sorry.

Jerry was majorly gunning to get Dan out of the house and was in the position to veto one of the nominations to put Dan on. He declined to do so but did take the opportunity to make a little speech about how evil Dan was in front of all of the house guests (and the tv audience). He said the in his house Dan will forever be known as Judas.

This ticked me off major time. Jerry kept going on about being disrespected by Dan, etc., etc. WHAT??? Has he never seen the show? It is all about switching sides and doing what is best for you personally and above all - IT IS A GAME!

AND - Jerry keeps talking about Dan breaking his word which - as a former Marine is very, very important to Jerry. WHAT???? In the very first week, Jerry promised Brian that he wouldn't vote him out and then did just that because "the house wanted it." Isn't THAT breaking his word? How can Jerry rant and rave and call Dan Judas when he did the EXACT SAME THING himself??????

Hello? Doesn't Jerry have any memory?

And just why is JERRY so darn upset? He wasn't best buddies with Jessie. There are other people in the house who were much closer to Jessie and could be more upset but there is Jerry swearing and flipping the camera off about Dan. Yes, this retired Colonel is swearing and making obscene gestures! Talk about disrespectful!

How respectful is Jerry being? And then he has the NERVE to demand respect from Dan? Heck - I don't respect Jerry at all and I am not in the house with him! He needs to get off his high horse and start behaving like a human instead of a jerk!

Of course this leads right into my rant about older people who demand respect from the younger generations but then don't give respect back. But - I will save that for another day.

All I can say is "Jerry - SHUT UP! It is a game!"

Trisha

Voice Update: Walked near a lot of traffic today so I stayed quiet a bunch but my voice is doing well. I was bad and didn't do exercises yesterday but . . . hopefully I will get back on track today.



Friday, August 15, 2008

Something is "Wrong" at My House Today

Hi All!

Can you tell what is "wrong" with this picture? It is something subtle. Look closely.

Do you think you know? Hmmmm. I'll give you another hint.

Okay - what do you think?
What?
YES!
It is RAINING in Texas!

This is not just some little sprinkle either! It started raining in the middle of the night - so hard that the noise woke even Hubby up! By the time it was light enough outside for us to read our rain gauge, it had rained almost one whole inch! (Excuse me while I do a happy, rain dance here!)


The grass is sighing with happiness and taking a shower for the first time in many, many weeks (it is about time too - that grass was getting pretty rank!). The flowerbed is getting water from the skies and not from my garden hose. I think there might even be some free fertilizer coming from the lightening too! Lucky plants!

The reason this picture is sort of fuzzy is that I was trying to catch the rain. I didn't quite make it but, I don't care! It is raining!!!



I even like the "ugly shrubs" when they are wet from rain water! I'll go back to hating them when they sprout from all of this moisture!

I love rain. It makes me happy - almost giddy. Of course, this always helps me giggle when it rains - my neighbor's sprinklers going off even though it is pouring rain! Tee-hee!

Wait! There is one more thing I want you to figure out. What is "wrong" with THIS picture?

I LOVE rain!

Trisha

Voice Update: Due to the aforementioned precipitation, we didn't walk. Okay - C didn't walk because of a meeting and Mrs. N and I walked around the block in light sprinkles before she gave up and went home. I kept walking for about another thirty minutes and ended in a drenching downpour. Fun, fun! Needless to say, I didn't talk too much this morning. My voice is still doing well though. I will jump on those exercises just as soon as my hair dries.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Aches, Spikes, and SD

Hi All!

Well, I worked yesterday for a total of five hours (ooooh . . . aaaaah!). L, the "real" secretary was there for a while. She is going to try to start working her way back to full time. She is still really tired and looked totally wiped out after working for about three hours. Luckily, her mother lives nearby and was making dinner that night!

The bad news is . . . I managed to come home with a headache again! Darn it! I had even taken a nap before going into work and had my headache meds with me. I took them before heading home. I am sure that the traffic didn't help but I did take deep breathes to try to relax and listened to 'old time radio' to keep my mind off the idiots driving around me.

Anyway - I had a headache when I got home and it is still lingering behind my left eye. No - wait a minute - it is moving to behind my right eye as I type. I HATE HEADACHES! Oh well. I guess I will take another nap and see if that gets rid of it.

(Yes, I know I should probably go and see the doctor about all the headaches but I think I will get my eyes checked first in a couple of weeks to rule that out.)

Next topic.

I promised a picture of my cactus. The one my mother sent me in the mail. Isn't she a thoughtful person? Here it is!

As you can see, it is really two pieces of cactus. I think I managed to get them situated pretty well in the pot considering I never used my hands. Now if only they will grow. Don't these things usually grow pretty slowly? MUD was kind enough to give me some good cactus advice which I plan on taking.

I will have to keep an eye on the things and maybe I will have a picture for you when I notice any growth (or death, if it comes to that!)

Lately, several people have stopped by the blog who haven't heard of SD or ABSD before. I am always happy to fill people in on this disorder (my main mission is to spread the word about SD anyway!). If you have questions, let me know and I will answer them on my blog. I haven't been saying a whole lot about it lately because (knock on my fake wood desk) things have been going very well for me.

The struggle for me when my voice is good is to keep up with my exercises - which helped my voice get to this point - and to remember that SD will always be a part of my life no matter what my voice sounds like at any given moment. It is so easy to "forget" and think everything is back to normal.

Of course, if I get too over confident, SD lets me know that it is still around by giving me a horrible voice day! I can't forget that there are two of us in this little dance that is going on in my life - me and SD!

Trisha

Voice Update: My voice is doing pretty well. I did two sets of exercises before walking today (patting myself on the back) and it did help a little. I think most of my issues are due to the fact that I am trying to talk too loudly. Mrs. N understands my voice - she has heard me in all stages of my voice "dance" and sometimes translates for C who seems to have a slight hearing problem. I am thankful!



Wednesday, August 13, 2008

An Ode to the Lonely Tomato

There you are in all your isolated glory.
Alone where it was once crowded.
Budding, growing,
Swelling with life.
First a tiny green ball
Then tinged with orange.
Finally you are reaching
The red of your destiny.

Even while all around you
Finished their journey
And left.
Even while the lush greenery
Turned crisp and brown
In the hot, hot sun.
You persisted.

Is it hard to be the last?
To know that there will be no more?
Do you remember the ones who
Went before you into
The great unknown beyond the door?

Are you lonely?
Do you worry about what will come?
Or are you thankful
That at last your time
In the heat and sun
Is almost over?

I wish you luck in your journey.
I admire your tenacity,
Your struggle to survive.
Your wonderful redness
Your fresh taste on my salad.

Trisha

Voice Update: Well, I finally did some warm ups before walking. Not as much as I should have - of course. It seemed to help out. I still had more "breaks" than I do later in the day. I did realize that it is probably also due, in part, to the fact that I am talking to two people who are usually behind me and when we are surrounded by street noise. Hmmmmm.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Hi Ho, Hi Ho . . .

Hi All!

. . . it's off to work I go! Well, I am working two days this week and today is a working day. Hopefully L will have gotten good news and will be coming back to work soon. That will mean I will be out of work again but - it will be worth it if L is healthy!

I am a bit worried about work. I have been getting these annoying little headaches each evening/afternoon right behind my eyes. No idea why. They are the kind of headaches I had last week when I was sick. That makes me nervous - am I getting sick again?

Last week I was sick when I got home from working. I hope that this week is not a repeat. Especially because I have (okay - I don't HAVE to) work tomorrow also!

I guess I will keep some Tylenol in my purse just in case!

Trisha

Voice Update: Darn it! I just can't get a warm up worked into my "routine" before walking. It might be because I don't have an actual "routine" for before walking to work a warm up into! My voice is still starting off a bit weak and then gaining strength during the walk/talk. It is pretty darn good during the day. Thank God! I am still doing exercises like a good girl but am slacking a bit on my massage. That isn't good!

Monday, August 11, 2008

Shrubs, Cactus, and Rain

Hi All!

Do you remember my "fun" time trimming shrubs earlier this spring? Well, I got to relive that experience in 90+ degree heat last night!

Lucky me!

Yes, the "ugly shrubs" have this really nice way of shooting up long branches about every two to three months no matter the weather (okay - they don't do that in the winter) which means I have to TRIM in all kinds of weather. If I don't trim, I face getting a letter from the "lawn patrol" from the home owners' association.

I might get a letter despite the fact that both of my neighbors refuse to trim their shrubs more than once a year and their yards certainly look a bit shabby. THEY don't get letters but I do - me - the one who trims shrubs multiple times a year! Go figure!

Did I tell you that my mother mailed me a cactus? Yes, I got a package and when I opened it - there was a cactus.

Mom and I had been talking about a cactus that my parents have at their farm. It was blooming and I said that I had always wanted an outside cactus - which I have. Well, now I have an outside cactus! I actually planted it yesterday in a pot out in the middle of the front flowerbed. (Don't worry Mom - there is a lot of room around the cactus for when we trim the shrubs and we can move the pot if we need to.)

That was quite a trick considering I wasn't supposed to actually touch the cactus at all. I did manage with my trusty trowel. Now we just have to see if it will grow! Pictures will come soon!

Rain. It tried to rain this morning. It really did. There was actual drops coming from the sky. However, they didn't last too long - I would say less than five minutes. Rats!

This is the only place I know where people are excited when a hurricane blows into the Gulf of Mexico en route to someplace on the coast of Texas. That way we might get some of the residual rain.

Does that make us bad people?

Trisha

Voice Update: I had good intentions of doing some exercises to warm up my voice before walking this morning. It didn't happen but I meant well! My voice did pretty well though. A bit shaky in the beginning but not as bad as it has been. If only I could figure out how to speak without any unvoiced consonants! Wouldn't that be interesting? I am still working with my buddy the timer to do my exercises and massage. I am being a good girl!

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Sunday Starin'

Hi All!

It is Sunday and, I don't know about you, but Sunday is a good day for me to get some serious staring done. It is a weird day where, if you don't have a zillion things planned, you can just sort of zone out and stare.

Hubby isn't much of a starer. In fact, he is busy right now sweeping the entire house. He is a sweeping machine. This isn't something I realized before we built this house and had light carpet installed on which kitty hair is very, very visible.

Anyway. I like staring on Sundays. I normally stare out the kitchen window and look at my "flourishing" new flowerbed. I was going to show you a picture of the flowerbed but it was just too darn hot to go back outside to take the picture! Not to mention the fact that things are not really flourishing unless you count the moon flower vine which is attempting to take over the entire area.

Please note that staring doesn't mean that I really "zone out" in the true sense of the word. My mind never rests - poor thing - and I tend to think of all kinds of weird things (like why the birds like to land on the vines which in no way will support their weight).

Apparently, I am not the only Sunday starer around this house.

Miss Cleo joined me this morning to stare. Of course she was staring at the grackles eating on the lawn. Isn't she cute?

What are you staring at this Sunday?

Trisha

Voice Update: My voice is doing well. I need to jump into my exercises this afternoon after taking the morning off. Does it seem like my life revolves around voice exercises? Yes? It seems that way to me too!

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Jersey Boys

Hi All!


Hubby and I are back from the show! Wow! It was quite a show. Even Hubby, a staunch anti-musical man, was on his feet applauding with gusto by the end! Yes, he was actually applauding like he meant it! AND after the show he said that Jersey Boys was his third favorite musical so far after Brooklyn (first only because it was the shortest so far) and Rain (a Beatles tribute). Not bad!

For me, I thought that this was a very, very good musical experience. While I have heard of Frankie Valli (I mean, who hasn't??) and the 4 Seasons, I am not of the correct generation to be a "real" fan. After this musical, however, I am a fan!

While I have seen several other musicals which are considered "jukebox" musicals - musicals showcasing a body of work by a musician or a group of musicians (Ring of Fire, Movin' Out, Mama Mia) - this is my favorite by far. The music of the group seems to effortlessly weave in and out of the story. And the story - it is a REAL story. It tells the history of the group but in a way that lets you in on the emotions of the time not just the facts.

A minimal set design and props enhance the story of the group and the music rather than taking away from it. The musicians who accompany the music are sometimes seen onstage and sometimes play off stage. I wasn't able to determine if the four main characters were actually playing or not but, they did a credible job (usually I can spot a fake a mile away!).

All four main characters - Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi, and Bob Gaudio - take turns giving their version of events leading to the group's stardom and the eventual dissolving of the original group. Each narrator brings a different slant on the story and in turn they each become fleshed out characters who bring you along for their trip down memory lane. I particularly liked Nick Massi's turn as narrator since his character seems to always be discounted by the group.

In all, I think this production was very artfully done. The story and the music share top billing for this "jukebox" musical and the staging is masterful. The ending is especially well done as the group makes an appearance together for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

If you happen to see ads for this musical, I say RUN to the phone or computer and snatch up tickets as fast as you can. I don't think you will be disappointed!

Trisha

Saturday Stuff

Hi All!

Thank you for your get well soon wishes - they seem to have worked. Well, they worked on everything except the headache. So - if you could now focus your good wishes on me getting rid of my headache, I would appreciate it. And if you could do it soon - I have a showing of Jersey Boys to go to this afternoon and a headache wouldn't be too much fun! (I will let you know how the musical was when I get back!). Thanks!

I must say that this illness is sort of freaking me out. My mother had pneumonia a couple of months ago and one of my friends we in the hospital earlier this week with pneumonia. Now I think I have pneumonia. I guess if things are still horrible next week I will have to break down and see Doc Feely. Of course I don't think I would have been able to walk for a hour this morning in the heat if I had pneumonia.

I did get goosebumps and chills while walking though (and it was already 80 something when I left the house). Hmmmmmm.

Anyway . . .

A quick "work" update. L should have found out the results of her full body scans on Thursday. I am working two days next week - even if she is coming back - to make sure she is caught up and not overwhelmed with everything. I won't know how things went with her until I go back to work and hear all of the news but I am keeping my fingers crossed. I am positive it will be good news!

Hey! Did you know the Olympics started last night? I watched most of the opening ceremony (I had a headache and spent a lot of time with my eyes closed listening but I did open my eyes to catch a bit of everything they did) and even Tivoed it so I could see what I missed when Hubby and I went to Wal Mart.

Just for the record - going to Wal Mart on a Friday night when you have a headache - not a good idea! Luckily, Hubby got me a Sonic Blast to make up for it. Fried Ice Cream flavor. Interesting.

The opening ceremony was really neat. I was amazed that they got all those performers to do everything so in "sync" with each other. However, did anyone else notice that they all had ear pieces in? I don't know if they were ear plugs or little speakers but they all had them! Imagine the cost to get everyone an ear piece! Yikes!

I wish all of the athletes good luck and would like to remind them that even though McDonald's is an Olympic sponsor - they probably shouldn't eat there right before their competitions. Maybe when they are all done . . .

Trisha

Voice Update: Well, I did exercises yesterday (when I woke up for the day) and they went rather well. This morning I walked and found my voice had some issues again. Of course, I didn't warm up like my mother suggested (and, by the way, my speech therapist agreed with!) so I will have to get that into my schedule and see if it makes a difference. I am massaging more trying to keep my throat loose.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Finally Friday

Hi All!

I am still not back to my normal self. I slept pretty much all day yesterday (how exciting) and will probably sleep a large portion of today away as well. I don't know what is up with this funk I have! Hubby only had it for one day and now I have it and it won't go away!

Actually, I do feel a bit better today than yesterday. If only I could quit this whole, get hot and then get cold cycle!

I promise to be back in blogging form soon so please be patient. And don't leave me!

Trisha

Voice Update: Okay - I haven't been doing my exercises while I have been sleeping. I did have a dream in which I only talked in inhale "e's" but I don't think that counts. Today I am exercising (my voice) while I am awake. Such fun. At the same time, I am not really using my voice much so . . . it is getting a rest (????).

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Headache and Nausea and Fatigue. . . Oh My!

Hi All!

Well, yesterday I worked at my therapist's office (and got PAID!!!) again. It was a good time. L, the real secretary came in for about an hour and a half to help me figure out a few things and she looked good even though she was horribly nervous. She finds out the results of her most recent scans (for cancer) today. I am hoping for the best.

When I got home from "work," I had a headache and no matter how many aspirin I took, it just didn't seem to go away. Luckily, it wasn't a migraine! Hubby was a sweetheart and made dinner (it was only a frozen pizza but still . . . the thought was there!) so that I could lie down for a bit. The headache just stayed around. After I ate I started feeling nauseous. What fun.

The whole fatigue - well, that has been going on for a couple of days now so that is "normal operating procedure" right now. However, add the headache which won't stop and the nausea and you have quite a combo.

I slept in this morning and didn't walk. I got up to IM with my mom and to jot a quick blog. I think I am heading back to bed. I am supposed to have lunch with a friend but I just don't think I am up to it!

Hubby had this kind of thing on Monday and slept the whole day and then was much better. I hope I have the same thing and that it will be gone soon!

Trisha

Voice Update: In between working yesterday I had a speech session. My voice is still good but I am doing this weird thing where I let out too much air before initiating the sound. I don't even know I do that! Okay - I know NOW! I guess I do it when I get tense about something. I am working on that. I also got in trouble for not doing my massage enough. She could tell because everything was a bit tighter than last week. I will have to step up my exercises (maybe after sleeping today to get better)!

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Testing, Testing . . .

Hi All!

Last night as I once again tossed and turned searching for the ever elusive sleep, I started thinking about all of the testing I have done in my life. Spelling tests, math tests, government tests, midterms, finals, ACTs, Miller's Analogy Test, teacher certification tests, personality tests, aptitude tests. The list just goes on.

What is up with all of these tests? Are they really a vital part of our society? Do they actually do any good?

For example, in the course of my fifteen years in the classroom I have taken about fifteen different personality/learning style tests in the course of all of my staff trainings. On each of those different tests my personality came out different depending on how I was feeling that day. Was I feeling all warm and fuzzy? Did I want to be left alone? Had I just finished reading something that made me feel intellectual? I also learned very quickly that I could skew the tests to make my results come out the way I wanted them.

If I can do that - how accurate are the darn tests?

I remember one test in particular early in my Texas education days. I was working for a principal who really though I was pretty anti-social and - I guess I was if you consider not wanting to chat about the latest celebrity gossip over lunch anti-social. Anyway, we had an in-service training day and it started out with - you guessed it - a personality test. Surprisingly, I came out as a "blue" personality which meant that I was creative and warm and basically, "fuzzy." I thought my principal was going to flip out when he saw my results!

I walked over to that group of "fuzzy" people thinking "Oh great! Now I get to be with these people all day!" How "fuzzy" was that? I looked longingly over to the group of "green" people who were "loners" and really wanted to join their group. But, that was what the principal would expect so . . . off I went with the "fuzzies."

(Going off on a tangent, I wonder if that had anything to do with the fact that I was in a sorority in college whose nickname was "The Fuzzies!" And if you are anti-sorority, just remember that I went to a very, very small college where basically all social activity was fraternity/sorority related. AND it wasn't one of those air-headed, blond sororities either. We were the smart, ugly ones! Just kidding! Well, sort of!)

Another memorable test was the Miller's Analogy test that I had to take to enroll in graduate school. It was a test where they gave you one hundred incomplete analogies (apple is to tree as grape is to ______) which you got to complete - from the list of choices given. I was a little nervous going into the test. I went to the testing center with one of my friends who was also interesting in going to grad school. We went in and sat down and finished all of the normal pre-test junk. Then, the real fun began.

And I do mean fun! Well, it was fun for ME!

The people who had created this test must have had a good sense of humor because it was full of funny things. Things like the question for number eight had to do with the suffix octo - which means eight. The tenth question had to do with decades - which are groups of ten years. I was having a blast finding all of these little "hidden" connections!

I finished the test and went outside to wait for my friend. I was still chuckling from all of the clever little touches in the test. When my friend came out - she was NOT chuckling and though I was absolutely insane for thinking the test was funny!

I guess I am just weird that way!

Trisha

Voice Update: Okay - frustrating! My voice is still giving me trouble in the morning when I walk. I am being good and doing my exercises and massage and all of that good stuff but . . . I still find myself having a lot of breaks and hesitations in the morning. I wonder if my voice just hasn't woken up yet. I will continue my exercises and massage and see what my therapist thinks today at my appointment.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Harry Potter and Dr. Horrible

Hi All!

Well, I finally finished reading all seven of the Harry Potter books. I must say that I am a bit sad that they are finished. I really enjoyed reading the books and became very involved in the story line and the lives of the characters. It is a well written series.

Kudos to J.K. Rowling!

My only real trouble is that now that I am finished reading the entire series, I don't want to go back to reading my other books. They all seem . . .well . . . a bit boring. They (and by they I mean the stock of books I am working through from my Grandmother's house. They are older books and lean heavily towards the Victorian era. Okay - the one I am reading now is set during the Revolutionary War but still. . . ) don't have wizards or flying cars or giants or things like that. *sigh*

I suppose I will just have to get used to the "real" world and keep reading on!

In related news, I just found J.K. Rowling's official website and, while I have just briefly examined it, it looks really neat. I will be exploring more after I finish this blog. The first page you enter looks like the top of her desk and has all kinds of things to click on for the different pages. My favorite is the eraser which leads to a room. I don't know what is behind the door yet but I will find out soon!

A couple of days ago I was perusing the blog In The Gutter and came across Dr. Horrible. This is a video podcast like no other. It is a mini-movie/musical and is very well done and hysterical! I highly suggest going and checking it out. You can watch it free or you can purchase it from iTunes for something like $4.00. I was cheap and just watched it online for free.

Click on the poster to be taken to Dr. Horrible's site!

Do you see a familiar face in there? Yes? It is Doogie Howser all grown up and he can sing!

Trisha

Voice Update: I did my exercises yesterday like a good girl. This morning my voice still started out a bit breathy but did work itself out pretty quickly. I will continue to do my exercises and massage - yes, I did that yesterday too! - and see if the improvement keeps coming. Of course, I don't know why I am complaining - my voice is still a hundred billion times better than it was even four months ago.