Hi All!

I had planned to show you some more photos from my new camera but . . . blogger isn't cooperating so . . . maybe tomorrow!

Yesterday was a good day. Trying to get back into a routine after classes and my killer cold - which, happily, is almost gone from my life. The morning walk is back on the schedule and going well. So far this week the mornings have been cool which makes it really nice to walk. So far, the weights and Wii are waiting to be put back into the morning line-up but, they will!


Happily, I managed to read a lot (sooo much better than plunking myself in front of the tv - this way my brain has to work!) and play the piano. The piano is something I have been neglecting for a while since I had classwork to do. Now I am getting back into it. Skor - who you may remember likes to climb IN the piano- has taken to sitting either on the bench next to me or right under the bench while I play. Last night he even got on the piano and tried to get in it while I was playing. I am pretty sure that he got his paw smacked with one of the hammers.


I don't think he will try that again!


Hey! I got a picture! No - I got two. Hold on . . . I am going to try for a few more . . . Okay. I got three pictures and I am not going to press my luck for going with more. Here are the selections for today.

Hubby and I walked on the golf course and I got some interesting sun-set pictures.

It was bit dark so . . .not the best but I like it. Also, if I had Photoshop I am sure I could work with this a bit.

Next up is a picture of the Heron we saw strolling along the little creek. I tried to get closer but . . . when I got too close (just right for a good picture) the Heron flew away. Can you blame it?

Final shot of the day - another sunset. I like the orange sky in this shot.

Those are today's pictures from my birthday camera! Hope you enjoyed!

Trisha

Voice Update: Doing okay. I really need to step up my program though. Getting into a new routine and including my old ones is a bit tough.

My Birthday Present

Hi All!

Thank you for all of the birthday wishes. It was nice to hear from so many of my blogging friends! My birthday was very nice. I didn't do too much but had time to relax, read, play the piano, and make some bookmarks.

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Hubby gave me a nice present.

My very own "purse camera!" AND it is pink - my favorite color! I am so excited.

Isn't it pretty? I like the reflection in the desk (!!) too!

It has a nice big screen to view things through and a handy strap to keep me from dropping it into weird places.

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The camera has all kinds of fun settings to explore - which I promptly did much to Hubby's amusement. I skipped all over the house and took all kinds of weird pictures to test things out.
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This photo is using the "up close" setting. I think it worked pretty well.

This is another close up of a paperweight .

I moved on to odd "still life" scenes. Like this . . .

Of course my kitties were fair game during the testing process.

Skor was being so cute peeking through the rungs on his favorite place to nap - one of our bar stools - but I just couldn't get a good picture. This one is close!


I caught Miss Cleo in a rather awkward pose but . . . I think it works for her!

There are many, many other pictures just waiting to "thrill you" on my blog but . . . I think that is enough for now. Blogger and I are not playing nice when it comes to moving pictures today!

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Happy Monday!

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Trisha

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Voice Update: I still have a surprising amount of "gunk" in my throat which makes my voice sound a bit hoarse once in a while but . . . my voice isn't doing too badly. I was having problems with words starting with "c" yesterday for some reason. It is always something!

It's My Birthday . . .

Hi All!

Well, it is my birthday! I turn the quite impressive 4-0 today and you know what? I don't mind in the slightest!

Many people have problems with growing older. They feel like they are missing something with the number of candles on their cake. They think that since they are not young and "hip" anymore, their life is becoming meaningless.

Well, I don't know if I was ever "hip" even when I was young. I also think my life is becoming more and more meaningful as I age. Let's face it - when we are young we don't know the important things that we discover as we live. We don't know that the important things in life aren't the things that we pay for but rather, the things which happen along the way. We don't know that material things, while wonderful, don't make the difference, relationships make the difference. We don't know that grey hair is a mark of wisdom, not just age.

I am glad it is my birthday. I am also glad that I am getting older. Are there things that I thought I would have accomplished by now which I haven't? Of course. But, there are so many more things that I never imagined doing which I have done and done well.

My life is a good one!

Trisha

Voice Update: Still struggling with "gunk" in my throat but still doing pretty well. I think most of the hoarseness is behind me and most of the coughing is as well.

Let There Be Flashes of Light?

Hi All!

Sometimes I start thinking about the many things in this world and this life that we take for granted. We have many things our ancestors lived without. Dishwashers, garbage disposals, microwaves. Things we take for granted until . . .

Until the microwave suddenly decides to act up like mine did.

While my parents and my uncle were here, I was preparing dinner and decided to "nuke" some leftover corn. About three seconds into the heating cycle the microwave lit up with a bright white light and made some seriously scary sounds. I stopped it right away.

What in the world was going on? Did I put something metal in the microwave? I took the corn out and checked even though I knew there was no metal in the corn. I tried to heat the corn again and everything was fine. Weird.

Two days ago I decided to make myself some microwave caramel corn. If you haven't tried this stuff, it is wonderful! It is difficult to find but worth the hunt, in my opinion. While it isn't as good as the "real" caramel corn my Aunt Donna makes, it is good for those times you want a quick fix!

Anyway, I was bopping around (well, bopping as much as a person with a head cold can bop!) and put the bag of popcorn in the microwave and hit the "popcorn" button. Then I headed out to the living room to catch some of the show I was watching. My kitchen and living room are open to each other so I had a good view of the microwave from the couch.

Not more than ten seconds had passed before the microwave lit up like the fourth of July. I hustled back to the kitchen and opened the door stopping the cooking. Smoke trailed out the open door and there was a distinct odor of burned something in the air.

It wasn't the popcorn - it was barely warm and nothing had popped.

I checked out the inside of the microwave and found the source of the smoke and the smell. There is a little circle of what looks like cardboard in the top panel of the microwave. There are two little metal clips which come through the bottom of the cardboard circle and one of them is obviously a trouble maker since the cardboard around it is scorched and black.

How could metal which is designed as part of the darn microwave cause a problem?

I guess it doesn't matter since I am now without the use of the microwave until Hubby either figures out how to replace that part of until we get a new microwave.

Doing without a microwave, which I didn't think I used that much, is certainly making me appreciate all of the modern conveniences I have left!

Trisha

Voice Update: I am still a bit froggy and scratchy from the cold but my neck is surprisingly loose. Must be because I am done with finals! I am now finding that my throat is really, really dry all the time. I think it is because I am sleeping with my mouth open since I can't breathe through my nose!

It Cures What Ails You

Hi All!

Well, my folks and my uncle are safely back in Ohio after their visit, Hubby is off to work, the thunder is rumbling outside, and I am feeling a teeny, tiny bit better.

Yesterday, I used that wonder of wonders that seems to cure just about everything . . . sleep. I decided to take a nap right after my parents and uncle left and ended up sleeping for about 5 hours. I woke up feeling much better. Thirsty but much better!

When I got up I watched a Nora Roberts movie which I had recorded from Lifetime - Northern Lights (I think). It was fun. I then realized that there are at least four other Nora Roberts movies that I can watch. I see my plans for the rest of the week! Of course, that will have to be after I am done with my LONG naps.

I am bound and determined that this darn cold will be out of here as soon as possible and sleep seems to be the best medicine right now. Skor doesn't like for me to take long naps and wakes me up about every hour - I like to think he does it to make sure I am still alive but . . . who knows what is going on in his little head!

Speaking of Skor - his neck is still not better. Well, let me clarify. The growth seems to be smaller but it is not going away. I suppose that means I will be calling the vet soon and taking Skor back in for another "look see!" Pets can be such fun!

Ah! The thunder is rumbling and crackling away outside. I love that sound! My mom thought I was nuts a while ago when we were at a dollar store and I bought a CD of thunderstorms. She didn't understand why I would want to hear a thunderstorm. They are my relaxation tapes. Much, much better than almost anything else I have found.

Well, I guess that is about it for my boring post of the day. I think/hope things will pick up when I am finally rid of this cold.

Trisha

Voice Update: I didn't end up going to speech yesterday because I wasn't feeling well. I decided that if I was falling asleep while talking to my parents it might not be a good idea for me to drive 30 minutes on Texas highways to go to speech. Besides . . . I was in dire need of sleep! My voice is sounding hoarse and deeper due to the cold. I am doing my massage and things are remarkably loose for the moment. Weird.

I'm Done, I'm Done, I'm Done!

Hi All!

I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday because . . . well, a number of things.

First of all, I had finals! Yikes! Add to that the fact that I had (and still have) a "nice" cold. Then stir in a healthy helping of house guests and a dash of doctor's appointment and . .. you have my day!

Chronologically, I started the day off by waking up with a doozy of a cold - you know the kind that clogs up your nose, stuffs up your head, and oozes constantly down your throat causing a cough that just won't go away? Doesn't that sound like fun? Let's just say it didn't put me in the best of moods. Then again, the source of my "less than pleasant" mood could have been that I wasn't able to sleep much the night before. I think the total was about 3 1/2 hours.

So . . . I wasn't too happy. It was nice to talk to my parents and my uncle though as I waited to leave for my doctor's appointment which I thought was a noon.

WRONG!

My appointment was for eleven! I showed up at noon! Oops! The cold obviously wasn't letting me think too clearly (perfect for Finals day, right?). The doctor agreed to see me anyway (she is SOOOO wonderful!) and I got out of there at about 1:15. Because I was having blood work done, I was fasting (another possible reason I was grumpy!) and so I needed to get some lunch before my final - at 2:00!

Luckily, my doctor's office is only about 20 minutes from the college so, I whipped through Wendy's drive-thru (Why do they insist on spelling things wrong? No wonder kids can't spell!) to pick up a burger and a Frosty (as a reward for the doctor and because I have a cold!). Then I got to school, prayed that I would find a close parking spot, thanked God that I found a spot in the front row, rushed into the building, and scarfed down my lunch.

Sound like fun yet?

Anyway, I am done with my finals. I didn't do as well as I should have because, let's be honest, the cold wasn't doing me any favors in the thinking department. I do know that I passed everything though!

My traditional saying for this time of the school semester is "I'm done, I'm done, I'm done!"

Today, my cold is still here and still making my life oh so much fun. I have speech today which will be interesting with my cold. I am thinking of canceling and going back to sleep after my parents and uncle leave. We will see how it goes.

Last night I had just fallen asleep when I woke up feeling like I was drowning from everything draining down my throat. I put on a spectacular coughing exhibition which my audience of two cats seemed to really enjoy. Hubby . . . he just kept sleeping! Once I was done, I went back to sleep. About an hour later, I woke up and coughed once. Not too loudly. And Hubby . . . woke up worried that I wasn't doing okay. Go figure!

This morning I got up and walked with Mom even though I got really out of breath. Darn it! Normally I can walk forever but this darn cold!

Oh well!

Trisha

Voice Update: Doing as well as can be expected with this darn cold!

Weekend Happenings

Hi All!

Sorry I didn't get any posts up this weekend. I was busy studying for my finals which are on Tuesday. I also did a few other things.

On Saturday, Hubby and I went to see the musical Rent.

Apparently, Hubby and I have been living under a rock for the past million years because we seemed to be the only two people in the audience who hadn't seen Rent before. We also seemed to be the only people who hadn't memorized all of the songs as well as all of the entrances for the actors.

Hubby and I had no clue why people were literally screaming seconds before certain actors walked onto the stage for the first time. We also didn't know which lyrics were being covered up by wild applause and cheering during certain songs in the show.

Is it just us? Do you all know Rent by heart?

Anyway, the musical was enjoyable. The sound was a little too loud at times, especially when two people were singing a duet, and it made it nearly impossible to actually hear what was being sung. The actors all had amazing voices which made the solos particularly enjoyable. The ensemble work blended well but it seemed like the women were out sung and they were a bit hard to hear when everyone got going.

The setting was simple - one set with movable tables and chairs to depict different places. This really let you focus on the story and the actors. The costumes were nice even though they were pretty pedestrian. The character of Angel, a drag queen, certainly brightened up the place with his/her bright costumes which included a Santa outfit with zebra striped tights and high heels.

Over all, this was a good show to see. Three of the cast were originators of their roles on Broadway (which might be why people were so darn excited to see them walk on stage) and one was an American Idol contestant who dropped out of AI to perform on this tour.

Definitely worth seeing if it shows up in your city.

My only real gripe - the soundtrack was selling for $36 and that was a bit out of my price range. I am looking on eBay and found one for just over $11. Maybe when I get it I will have a chance to listen to the songs a bit more closely to figure out just what was said during the cheering.

Next, I spent an evening making these.


I scanned these so the picture quality isn't too hot but . . . they are book thongs. You know, bookmarks! I plan on giving some to my ASL class buddies tomorrow. I think they turned out really well and . . . as an added bonus, I got to make them while watching Grey's Anatomy! Yeah!

I hope you had a fabulous weekend and a great Monday. It is raining here! Lovely!

Trisha

Voice Update: Well . . . it is a bit rocky right now. Why? Well, I had a very, very annoying "tickle" in my throat starting on Friday which is slowly turning into a nice, full blown cold (just in time for finals!). Anyway, the tickle REALLY made me want to cough to get rid of it. Coughing, in case you don't know, isn't very good for your vocal cords. So - I resisted as much as possible but . . . eventually, the tickle won out and I started coughing. And coughing. And coughing. Fun. Today my voice is very deep and hoarse from the coughing and the "gunk" which is draining down the back of my throat. Darn cold!