tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77063082011-10-05T12:11:05.634-05:00"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... it's about learning to dance in the rain."Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.comBlogger8661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-82468057393241655212011-10-05T11:52:00.003-05:002011-10-05T12:08:09.069-05:00

Yes, even when we think the ghosts in our pasts have been completely exorcised and are officially at peace, up rises a particularly troublesome individual that makes you shake your head wondering "what the hell was she thinking???". The UPO is a bit of a famous character in my past blog posts. A former staff member whose manner was extremely unprofessional and whose abuse of the absence policies

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-63925700612834959802009-03-09T08:30:00.002-05:002009-03-09T08:37:56.122-05:00

I can't help but giggle from this one. A kangaroo jumps through a house window, wrecking rooms and etc. Man wrestles it down and pulls it from the house. I can't decide which are my favorite quotes in the article:1) "At first he thought it was a lunatic ninja..." (this guy has experience with ninjas??)2) "It leaped through the window, this martial-arts kind of figure. It was very Jackie Chan.

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-76168454003028445542009-01-13T08:23:00.002-06:002009-01-13T08:28:26.315-06:00

So the CNN digest this morning has a story about the pirates that hijacked the oil supertanker off the coast of Somalia. Apparently after receiving a ranson of $3.5 million, they released the tanker to go ashore in a small boat, only to be fired upon by rival pirates wanting the ransom money. It forced the small boat to attempt a return to the tanker, but resulted in the boat capsizing and five

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-65161009584756517382009-01-01T14:23:00.002-06:002009-01-01T15:18:01.350-06:00

On Sunday we were heading back to Orlando to catch the a Blue Man show, stay overnight and then do SeaWorld on Monday. Because Shayna had some car trouble, we were forced to take her boyfriend's BMW SUV instead, which I ended up driving because she's not on his insurance yet (due to her losing her license at one point several years ago -- teenage follies, sheesh!). Intimidated by the three and

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-37378218530103139672008-12-27T19:24:00.002-06:002008-12-27T19:48:03.877-06:00

Some of Shayna's friends came over last night to play cards and games. We started with Battle of the Sexes but it quickly became tedious since none of us knew the answers. We switched to Imaginiff, which ended up pretty funny! Aside from not knowing everyone well enough to be able to accurately guess an answer for the question, I felt sure enough of my judgement of character to make an effort.

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-17688610737809129482008-12-26T17:22:00.003-06:002008-12-26T17:51:36.142-06:00

We went to the movies last night to catch the new movie "Marley and Me". It was hysterically funny for most of the movie but, if you've read the book, you know the ending is sad. I think the whole movie theater was in tears by the time the credits rolled. It was a great movie though and I'd like to read the book now, since the book always has more to the story than Hollywood's version.I was up

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-50352257578658629742008-12-25T14:30:00.003-06:002008-12-25T14:52:20.166-06:00

My brother and I are visiting our younger sister in Florida for Christmas, leaving our parents in the frozen tundra of Iowa. They okayed the plan before we purchased our tickets and now here we relax in mild, humid temps while the midwest struggles to clear the ice and snow off the roads.It's odd seeing Christmas lights and nativity scenes among the palm trees. It almost doesn't feel like

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-91697071836544993762008-11-03T12:35:00.004-06:002008-11-03T12:42:04.863-06:00

It's been over 20 years since I last had to suffer from poison ivy. I had hoped to have a longer record of avoidance but, alas, the universe saw fit to curse me with the tiny, itcy blisters....at the end of summer....after one rummage through the leaves in my small garden to harvest a few green onions...leaves that were stored from last year in a sheltered area...and no evidence of any poison

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-75295777952526929222008-11-03T09:34:00.003-06:002008-11-03T12:33:18.406-06:00

I had a conversation with my sister over the weekend about the election. We had had several political discussions over the summer and I thought we were on the same page but she went rogue on me. *sigh* I asked her why she voted the way she did (on an absentee ballot) and she replied that it was based on one aspect of a candidate's economic plan...an extreme aspect of the plan, I might add. I was

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-36362348020099703902008-10-07T12:28:00.004-05:002008-10-07T12:59:13.072-05:00

Over the past six months I've found myself with increasing periods of free time at work. This has been annoying and I had started interviewing for other positions because of it. I didn't find a position that is better or as interesting as my current one, and now find myself almost relieved about that. My employer has gone on a bit of a "we're-not-calling-it-a-hiring-freeze" because of

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-470011534837388322008-10-07T11:38:00.002-05:002008-10-07T11:48:22.519-05:00

Iowans often joke about the Midwestern weather and know that on any given day in the autumn or spring, it's just better to dress in layers so you can add or remove as needed to be comfortable. This is why I haven't yet removed my window air conditioning unit from my bedroom and yesterday's heat wave certainly made me consider turning the central air back on!! I was thinking about that in the

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-60315490329369178152008-09-18T12:55:00.003-05:002008-09-18T13:05:28.903-05:00

I was watching Barbara Walter's special on the British monarchy last night when I suddenly became confused about the music played during several ceremonies. Why on earth would the Queen walk down a carpeted aisle to the American patriotic tune of "My Country Tis' of Thee"?? Every time I heard it, I started singing...well, the few lines of lyrics that I could remember anyway. By the end of the

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-47671331637484868252008-09-10T16:48:00.003-05:002008-09-10T16:57:12.428-05:00

So one of our office students told me she has concerns about a class she's taking this semester -- Human Sexuality. Normally I wouldn't blink at some of the things that would come up as curriculum for this kind of course but I have to agree with her that her teacher seems to be a complete perv!She showed me the article she has to read tonight, something along the lines of "how to make love" with

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-75892075071848584622008-08-30T09:03:00.002-05:002008-08-30T09:13:27.076-05:00

I'm still working at catching up on my magazines' past issues and am currently reading a past issue of Archaeology. In it is an article on the analysis of medieval DNA in relation to disease resistance. To my great surprise there is a modern population of people with a mutation in their DNA that gives them a level of immunity to diseases such as AIDS. Who knew?? So, in studying medieval DNA,

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-51409862483136690542008-08-04T22:28:00.004-05:002008-08-04T22:31:46.303-05:00

I haven't had much free time lately which is why my blogging is rather slow. Between canning and freezing produce for winter and trying to finish up baby shower projects (for a cousin) or etc, I've got events going on at work that require extra hours and a lot of concentration. I'm also starting to meet up with friends for lunches, which is a good and bad thing. Good because I get out of the

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-42825931197263140672008-08-04T22:06:00.002-05:002008-08-04T22:28:18.393-05:00

Sometime in early July I was "given" the opportunity to join a focus group at work that dealt specifically with the group of employees described as "merit staff". We merit staff are one of many classification of employees in the State of Iowa and fall under the protection of the state bargaining agreement. Because of this legal minefield, my place of employment rarely attempts to learn of

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-3929470302710246382008-07-05T18:27:00.003-05:002008-07-05T18:46:28.894-05:00

This year's 4th of July celebration was out of the norm for me. Generally my family gets together every year as a sort of mini-reunion type of event. We eat, give each other a hard time, watch fireworks and then join the many other families creeping through late night traffic on the one road going north out of town to get home. However, this year my grandparents had made other plans, my aunt,

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-71394949144483332952008-06-20T16:14:00.002-05:002008-06-20T16:24:48.742-05:00

So at the same time as Becky was dealing with the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids and I was being told to NOT report to work due to the Iowa River in Iowa City, my parents had already evacuated their home along the Des Moines River near Keosauqua. They're currently bumming at my brother's place while waiting for the water to recede. They drive by and check the level from the end of the elevated

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-89765604111605468362008-06-20T13:33:00.004-05:002008-06-20T15:47:46.059-05:00

I stood along the curb in the Time Clock area of Cedar Rapids, watching as the second of Becky's trash piles was loaded into the garbage truck, and listened to one of the garbage collector guys talk about the flood debris clean-up. All day city dumptrucks had been passing by, filled with the remains of appliances, carpet, furniture and other items homeowners had discarded from flood-damaged

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-36205630932491694222008-06-10T11:40:00.004-05:002008-12-08T20:19:51.843-06:00

The slogan in my hometown area during the 1993 flood was "911 Noah". It's been 15 years since the last major flood and now we're revisiting that adventure with The Flood of 2008. Where is Noah and his ark when you need him?So, I was browsing some photos on the Iowa City Press Citizen website and found one that had me cracking up with laughter. Even when you're faced with the destructive elements

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-70091417579027129852008-06-05T16:51:00.004-05:002008-06-06T12:03:30.819-05:00

So, my University is under attack by flood waters... They're sandbagging, closing streets, and now, if I heard correctly, student dorms are being evacuated.The local reservoir is only 8 feet from the flood levels of 1993 and they expect it to keep rising toward that level. Output of water is increasing steadily, from 8,000 cfs (cubic foot per second) to 16,000 cfs, in an ongoing effort to keep

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-38107454852742250122008-05-29T11:55:00.002-05:002008-05-29T12:28:39.020-05:00

The roadtrip to Lincoln was initially planned to be a quiet affair. It would be me, my mother, and my grandmother traveling in my mother's car. Then the news came... another great uncle, who makes a living transporting Amish long distances, offered to take all of us in one of his vans. Now, the Amish are a fascinating group who live very simply, but...living simply without a lot of the

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-66817512098518434702008-05-26T09:38:00.003-05:002008-05-26T10:03:30.251-05:00

I do intend to finish those posts about Uncle Dean's passing but I've been slightly distracted by other projects/drama going on in life. When will it end?Work is tense and I've been surfing the job sites looking for something different. There isn't a great selection so it may take awhile to find something that I actually WANT to do, not just what I'm capable of doing. We keep hoping things

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-85173981693323382872008-05-13T14:23:00.003-05:002008-12-08T20:19:51.962-06:00

Compliments of Lee's fabulous photography....

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-66117065806690805262008-05-09T12:40:00.003-05:002008-05-09T13:11:51.319-05:00

Last week I attended funeral services for a great-uncle that had passed away. I've never been very close to Uncle Dean so when word of his death reached me, I reacted in a rather bizarre way -- profanity. It's not that I'm unsympathetic about his death and the family's grief...the profanity erupted for a purely selfish reason. I was planning to send that uncle a request for information about

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-61050806946604621682008-04-16T21:40:00.002-05:002008-04-16T21:46:08.225-05:00

I've been on a mission for the past month to edit the content of my blog. While the blog was personal and private (to a limited degree), it didn't matter if I vented about something that occurred during the workday, but that has changed. Given the current environment in the work place, it just seems better to keep it out of the blog entirely. Additionally, I've been asked to share my blog

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-37947609067342075262008-04-06T18:19:00.005-05:002008-12-08T20:19:52.313-06:00

Eco-tidbits: I found it interesting to learn while reading my September/October 2007 issue of E Magazine that the scam marketing trends you often find in grocery stores (organic, etc) is also present in the clothing industry. While society cries foul about sweatshop-produced clothing and ecologically concious citizens start promoting eco-friendly lines of fashion, the great secret behind it all

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-76123405065016110162008-04-06T16:50:00.007-05:002008-04-06T17:55:14.874-05:00

In reading a recent copy of Archaeology, I came across a small information box regarding proposed changes to the landmark statute known as NAGPRA, or Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990. There wasn't enough information in the magazine for me to form an opinion on it, so it joined the stack of "deal with later" articles that grew on my desk. Today I've decided to deal

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-10197299038695525262008-03-30T13:28:00.004-05:002008-12-08T20:19:52.435-06:00

So, now that I'm feeling better, I finally decided to tackle the pile of articles that have been awaiting review on my overburdened desk. Several of them were references to growing plants or ideas for container gardening that ended up being scanned and filed for future reference, especially since it's the wrong time of year or is still too cold to tackle those projects. (If I left the pages

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-39245279259439813242008-03-23T15:19:00.003-05:002008-03-23T15:39:29.794-05:00

So the past few weeks have been filled with miserable spells of coughing, sneezing, etc etc. as I fight a cold and bronchitis. I've never had bronchitis before and I can definitely say I don't want it ever again!! It sucks when you feel relatively okay, but constantly run out of breath and even a few inhales of chilled or moist outdoor air sends you into a coughing fit. Ugh! Anyhow, I've been

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-588409430668560642008-03-01T08:17:00.002-06:002008-03-01T08:31:31.259-06:00

It's always a crapshoot when you order a used item from the internet -- a book, something from ebay... Generally I only buy from vendors whose feedback rating is 98% or better, or from those booksellers who actually provide a description of the book versus their "company guarantee". I'd rather read that a book I'm considering has a few dog eared pages than a guarantee on a refund if I'm

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-80879960416478416492008-02-17T21:12:00.004-06:002008-02-17T21:58:14.793-06:00

I've always had an easy time making friendly acquaintances, but find it difficult to make friendships with people to go hang out with or do things with. In the past it hasn't bothered me much because I've had my family and a few friends to do the occasional thing with, but over the past few years, as those friends have married, had children, or moved to other places, the lack of finding company

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-84539474152185403902008-01-12T23:50:00.000-06:002008-01-13T00:02:45.539-06:00

Chappage (noun) Most often occurs in winter due to excessive dehydration of the skin. Frequently is seen around the mouth. (Source: Gidget's Dictionary)Yes, I made it up (obviously). I haven't had a problem with chapped lips in a very long time, but apparently the universe felt it was my time and I woke up one day with chappage and splitting of the skin on my lips. My general solution is

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-90632932440958006752008-01-12T23:38:00.000-06:002008-01-12T23:50:33.068-06:00

I was channel surfing last night and happened upon some new shows that were very interesting.The first was How to Love Your Body Naked with Carson from the "Fab Five". In the same theme as Extreme Makeover, Carson helps women with their body images and finding their beauty. The difference is that Carson does so without a surgical component. It has it's funny moments, but the most appealing

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-20082858019382192082008-01-12T23:27:00.000-06:002008-01-12T23:37:58.150-06:00

I finally got around to watching The Painted Veil tonight. I've had the movie for a month and was avoiding the unending drama that I assumed it would contain. You could ask why I had it on my movie list if I wanted to avoid the drama and the reason is because I was interested in the story but dramatic movies can be exhausting to watch due to how invested you become in the characters.

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-38344978555286512742007-12-26T23:04:00.000-06:002007-12-27T00:02:06.271-06:00

Sometimes you read a book that is so profound that you have to sit back and say "whoa, that makes a whole lot of sense!" For some those books may be self-help, adventure, historical, autobiographical, whatever trips your trigger. But as for me...I tend to find the most interesting statements in fiction literature. I read a lot of fiction, mainly to escape reality for a bit and live in another

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-30609854715660613102007-12-12T12:37:00.000-06:002007-12-12T12:49:59.040-06:00

Yet another doozy of an ice storm passed through Monday evening and Tuesday. Having experienced one last year, I knew what to expect and knew to keep an eye on my lines running from the back of the house to the utility pole. I had trimmed my trees over the summer in order to eliminate the most dangerous branches for line interference but my diligent efforts weren't enough to stop the inevitable

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-29928866458135618022007-12-07T09:18:00.000-06:002007-12-07T09:27:29.694-06:00

Apparently another side effect of global warming is the increase in the tropical belt. Over the past 25 years, the tropics have expanded by 300 miles north and south of the existing tropical belt. It's almost a relief knowing that this occurs because ,as the average global temperature increases, the greatest concern was increasing desert-like conditions -- which will still occur in some

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-68797092493040896452007-12-03T16:43:00.000-06:002008-12-08T20:19:52.841-06:00

I work in an area that is almost exclusively Coca-Cola products. Fortunately for my Pepsi cravings, the nearby hospital complex sells both Coke and Pepsi products so I'm never without some of my fave fizzy beverage. Also, because I'm not real fond of the metal flavor of canned soda, I tend to go with the bottles at $1.25 each. Ouch. Let me tell ya, it adds up when you're having at least one per

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-22098715383110151722007-12-03T12:52:00.001-06:002007-12-03T13:07:35.862-06:00

Well, as I'm sure most CNN readers are aware, the Midwest was socked with ice storms over the weekend. AND as is normal for the first bad storm of winter, drivers were being idiots on the roads. People...ICE + driving fast = ditch. Seriously, stay home...the road crews will be out to salt the roads but you gotta be patient! Where does one really need to go on a weekend anyway?So, yes, my plans

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-2020945452522938762007-11-19T12:23:00.000-06:002008-12-08T20:19:52.997-06:00

So I've become very addicted to Coffee-mate creamers lately. As any good addiction has proven though, the ability to indulge in the addiction is at the whim of the manufacturer. Nestle is on my shit list. :) Over the summer I was quite a fan of the Coconut Creme flavor, but it was either only a limited edition or a summer flavor. Not realizing this, I only bought canisters as needed until I

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-64695999249733744712007-11-15T07:52:00.000-06:002007-11-15T08:12:29.422-06:00

For awhile now I've considered shutting down my blog. The enthusiasm and verbal diahhrea that I used to have for sharing stories and thoughts has dried up. Most days when I look at my blog and think "I should blog something", I find that my mind is blank for topics or I'm no longer interested. Or..that interest is a small spark that lasts only as long as logging into blogger.The same could be

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-43425005054799768792007-11-15T07:24:00.000-06:002007-11-15T07:30:10.612-06:00

At least monkeys are closer to humans on the evolutionary chain than sheep were... but not by much!

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-40482027468634066762007-11-12T11:02:00.001-06:002008-12-08T20:19:53.145-06:00

Not much really going on lately. My "to do before winter" list is down to two items: spraying expandable foam in the few crevices where birds/bats can get in for winter housing (to be officially repaired in the spring) and getting wire cages/mulch around my vulnerable plants so the rabbits can't nibble them to the ground.My brother surprised me one day at the end of October by sneaking up to my

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-17017416062582041792007-10-22T12:12:00.000-05:002008-12-08T20:19:53.242-06:00

House Projects: So I finally reached Level I of my compromise list on the house projects. Despite a developing cold, I spent most of the weekend outside on a mission to finish the scraping and priming of the north wall of my house. Done! I finished the last 3 feet of wall by the soft glow of the street lamp. I was determined that I wasn't going inside until I was done! Sunday I got my last few

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-20450466132810601352007-10-08T11:43:00.000-05:002007-10-08T12:03:09.722-05:00

I probably won't be blogging much until winter hits. Life has been pretty busy lately and my spare time is generally devoted to cooking and cleaning while watching favorite TV shows. I'm so glad I put the spare television in the kitchen!!So what's been going on? Well....1. I've been spending some time with Becky & Zander, helping them out a bit and watching him grow like mad. He's such a joy

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-27895543125640990382007-09-18T12:22:00.000-05:002007-09-18T12:44:26.519-05:00

There's something about fall that enthralls me. I was driving home yesterday and, as I passed by cornfields near my town, my gaze was captured by the setting sun lighting the rows of recently harvested corn. I wanted to pull onto the shoulder to sit and soak it all in, but I didn't. I needed to get home. It didn't stop me from slowing down and enjoying it while I could. Fall is my favorite time

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-53714854542975947702007-08-27T12:28:00.000-05:002007-08-27T13:21:09.142-05:00

Zander update: He has finally started saying "mama", although it actually comes out as "ma!ma!ma!" (especially when he's wanting mom's attention). He's been walking while holding onto hands for some time now but the doctors have said he should be practicing to walk while only holding onto one of his hands. This will help him learn to balance and hopefully he'll be walking on his own within the

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-91019800137814790962007-08-27T12:20:00.000-05:002007-08-27T12:28:13.934-05:00

So, after all the excitement on Friday, residents along the Des Moines River were relieved as the water levels continued to fall, the highest peak being at 7:00 a.m. on Friday morning. With the river back in place, business owners began moving their inventory back into stores, my parents moved their evacuated possessions back into the house and life returned to normal. We even decided to hold

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-22069951573239039882007-08-27T00:07:00.000-05:002008-12-08T20:19:53.612-06:00

How often do you see monarch butterflies anymore? Other than on your car grill or entangled in your car's windshield wipers? If you're like me, the answer is NOT OFTEN.In their April/May 2007 issue, Mother Earth News published an article on Monarch butterfly sanctuaries. A migratory butterfly, Monarchs will cover 1500 miles each year, traveling from central Mexico to the United States to lay eggs

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-85641372841846661882007-08-24T12:15:00.000-05:002007-08-24T12:43:04.904-05:00

Just last weekend Dad was giving me a hard time about the humidity in town (we were shingling another part of my house) and how it was cooler along the river by my parents' home. I responded with saying that at least I didn't have to worry about flash floods. He then said that it hadn't flooded at their place since 1993. Of course, you know what happened in the Midwest not only last night but

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-37544897743033080312007-08-21T21:06:00.000-05:002007-08-21T21:26:47.712-05:00

Years ago I purchased a book by the title of Man is Wolf to Man: Surviving the Gulag. I purchased it because I happened to meet the author before I knew what he had written and was sufficiently impressed to seek out the book afterwards. The author was Janusz Bardach and co-authored by Kathleen Gleeson. Dr. Bardach was a physician at the University of Iowa College of Medicine. Dr. Bardach hadn't

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-67666235530758063102007-08-21T20:53:00.000-05:002007-08-21T21:06:33.920-05:00

Every now and then, between watching whole seasons of various television shows on DVD, I'll place a highly-rated old movie on my Netflix list. The most recent movie to arrive was The Killing Fields filmed in 1984. It tells the story of a New York Times reporter who, with his native guide, thumbs his nose at the evacuation of American troops from Cambodia in 1975 and remains behind to document the

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-37380912557237100892007-08-14T11:56:00.000-05:002007-08-14T12:15:52.918-05:00

It seems inevitable the way my summer has gone. I start to work on the house, progess a bit with plans to continue and then I check the forecast... Rain, rain, rain... Now, given that the back of my house has exposed wood, I've really been wanting to finish scraping and then prime it before moving onto the next side of the house. BUT, every time it rains, I have to allow for several days of

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-84870177865508580652007-08-06T12:08:00.000-05:002007-08-14T12:16:34.572-05:00

It's been a hectice July this year. Our office is hiring a new administrator and I was put in charge of doing the travel arrangements, meeting schedule and playing hostess during the visit. It's something I've done before but not in awhile and I had forgotten how time consuming it can be! I also was preparing for our bi-annual orientation event for new staff at the same time so...needless to say

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-29486702637682518052007-07-22T09:51:00.000-05:002007-08-14T12:18:15.563-05:00

Well, the Muggle world was all abuzz this past week by the release of the final Harry Potter book - The Deathly Hallows. I can only imagine the backaches of postal staff everywhere as they handled the extra weight of millions of pre-ordered books, packing them carefully into their postal delivery bags. At 759 pages, a collection of books in a bag would add considerable weight compared to normal

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-5211393219614943242007-07-17T13:32:00.001-05:002008-12-08T20:19:53.844-06:00

The first funnel cloud that was gone before we reached the area. A rider on another van took this picture at about 5:15 p.m. I'm rather hoping that this individual used the camera's zoom function because this seems awfully close!!

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-27165426355826544602007-07-16T21:54:00.000-05:002008-12-08T20:19:54.153-06:00

So, we had some weather surprises today. I was at a seminar at the end of the workday when someone came in to say that we were in a tornado warning and needed to go to the basement. I had to laugh because the basement level is actually nothing but glass walls and thus offers no protection from the elements. Fortunately the building we were in has a sub-basement and groups of people headed to

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-8707744192954647852007-07-04T21:29:00.000-05:002007-08-14T12:17:34.080-05:00

So I just finished watching The Magdalene Sisters. This movie is about the Catholic church in Ireland in the 1940s-1960s and their institutions for fallen girls/women called The Magdalene Laundries. Young ladies who had relations with men out of wedlock and consequently became pregnant would be sent to these laundries to work as penance for their "sins". At least, this was the original purpose of

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-90864044848631602212007-07-01T20:47:00.000-05:002008-12-08T20:19:54.716-06:00

It's been another busy couple of weeks. Work has been overwhelmingly busy with numerous visits of consultants and recruitments for a new dean position to prepare for. I find myself mentally exhausted by the time I get home and am hoping that all will settle down by the end of this week so I can get back to routine business.One thing that has also gotten back on track is work on the house. My

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-14245521225982443642007-06-19T22:45:00.000-05:002007-06-19T23:14:56.864-05:00

If it's not one thing it's another. My maternal grandfather had a stroke a few weeks ago. It's been a dramatic affair with family members accusing other family members of causing the stroke (which my mother has stayed out of and which I've avoided like the plague). However, it seemed he was going to be just fine, with only some speaking difficulties that would be taken care of by physical

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-28890612131012029482007-06-19T19:48:00.001-05:002007-06-19T22:45:31.247-05:00

My friend's marriage has ended. Despite all hopes, her spouse just couldn't hack it and headed for the hills. I could elaborate but she's specifically requested that I not blog about it since all and sundry don't need to know what's going on. So, I'll just say these brief words and end it by saying that I can't be worried about her future because she's a woman who knows what she wants for herself

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-60117540074455669582007-06-17T17:55:00.001-05:002008-12-08T20:19:55.371-06:00

I've finally moved on to the last roofing project. It's a doozy but will be well worth the investment. We're still in the midst of shingling but here is what we've got for now. BEFORE - shingles in various stages of breaking off. No, I still haven't taken down the Christmas garland but it's time is coming very soon.DURING - We discovered that two walls had three layers of shingles/cedar shakes

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-13263314087783558292007-06-17T17:39:00.001-05:002008-12-08T20:19:55.629-06:00

So I finally got around to downloading the pictures from the digital camera. Here are the results:The cross stitch project that will likely take several years to complete. It's real size is 16"x20" and is broken into 16 sections. The finished portion shown above is equal to 2 sections. I had to buy the box sitting above it just to hold the colors used in this project...no kidding. There are about

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-65499268746277852212007-06-12T10:16:00.001-05:002007-06-12T10:46:43.193-05:00

It's been a few weeks since I posted but they've been busy weeks...full of home repairs (shingling, painting, yadda yadda). I've also taken a step back from the crisis my friends are going through so that I can look at it from a fresh perspective and try to approach the situation as I would want to be approached if I was wobbling on that thin edge of hitting bottom. I've been in the position of

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-44446639355818773062007-05-30T22:05:00.001-05:002007-05-30T22:12:08.670-05:00

Archaeologists have discovered a rather intact Curse Tablet from a Roman-era household in Britain. Apparently if someone had a reason to curse another person (such as a thief), they could pay for a curse tablet to be made against a person for a crime or action against the wronged. Generally these scribed thin sheets of lead were rolled and then tacked to the wall of a temple or shrine as an

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-65358092066901598312007-05-30T21:56:00.000-05:002008-12-08T20:19:55.879-06:00

I just had to comment about this. Apparently archaeologists have uncovered evidence of an artificial eyeball from the Bronze Age. It's even carved with a pupil and capillaries.My first thought was "cool!" My second was "That's so unsanitary!"You have to wonder if this was placed in the skull after death as part of some ceremony or if they actually inserted a fake eyeball into a live person's

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-66147491024991886092007-05-29T11:57:00.000-05:002007-05-29T12:36:11.736-05:00

So Barack Obama was in town today. I had heard last week that there was an event planned and had hoped to be able to attend but was told late Friday afternoon that it was a "by invitation only" event. *sigh* So no Obama for me.I was really disappointed. How often does a gal have to see a presidential candidate without having to drive anywhere to do it? Oh well.I asked a coworker who did attend

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-73398603410586029172007-05-28T21:11:00.000-05:002007-05-30T21:35:52.247-05:00

Another blogger, Single Life in the City, once wrote that she believed her mason jars were reproducing on their own in the cupboards. I sympathized with her statement because I swear my own possessions reproduce without my noticing. Sometimes possessions don't seem like they're beyond management until you begin to dig into organizing or thinning them out.One of my projects for the summer is to

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-25611484932269405782007-05-28T21:04:00.001-05:002007-05-30T21:35:24.048-05:00

I don't understand what makes dogs head for the smelliest spot in the yard and roll in it with such enthusiasm. You think they'd figure out the bad association of roll in stinkiness with get a bath!Over the past two days, my Jack Russell Terriers have had numerous sponge baths (aka washcloth with shampoo on it) and a full bath when the sponge bath wasn't good enough. Despite careful monitoring of

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-85115818049546191172007-05-25T12:39:00.000-05:002007-05-28T21:03:58.936-05:00

It's troubling when a friend is having marital problems and there's nothing that I can do to help. I can only be here to listen when she needs to talk, to offer supportive comments when she begins to doubt her decisions, to boost her up when she cries and says she's a failure. I know this is what she needs but it still makes me feel helpless because I want to do more, to take away some of the

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-81193578783436818172007-05-16T14:25:00.000-05:002007-05-16T12:25:53.261-05:00

Some time ago I had written that I'd subscribed to E - The Environmental Magazine (and Mother Earth News). Initially I wasn't real impressed with E but I think it was that particular first issue received that was initially unimpressive. The second issue was very interesting and I have dogeared several pages as well as circled pertinent facts in many articles. Overall, I've learned quite a bit

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-7123097566164002012007-05-15T17:15:00.000-05:002007-05-16T12:28:45.304-05:00

So this past weekend saw me working hard in the yard. I had several trees whose branches were beginning to interfere with power lines - both mine and my neighbors' - so they had to go! Given my propensity to injure myself to the point of requiring stitches in local emergency rooms, I've never actually purchased a chain saw. I saw it as a an act that would be begging for trouble! In fact, all of

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-44086536635546541162007-05-15T12:23:00.000-05:002007-05-15T17:12:21.793-05:00

It's been awhile since I've done any kind of extensive roadtrip, but the first weekend of May found me perusing mapquest directions while navigating the way through the St. Louis metropolitan area. Becky was a quivering ball of nerves as she drove us, at 9:30 p.m., through the yellow-tinted lighting of Interstates 70 and 64 while semi's rushed past us on either side. Our destination was

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-84623820170795209252007-05-09T15:42:00.000-05:002008-12-08T20:19:56.278-06:00

Another image compliments of cousin Lee (taken by a friend of his).

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-41833576734278632002007-05-07T12:37:00.000-05:002007-05-07T12:58:25.169-05:00

I watched Alexander yesterday. I was fascinated enough to barely notice time passing until, before I knew it, it was time to insert the 2nd DVD to finish the movie. It wasn't a stellar piece of work but I enjoyed the entertainment. I admit to being distracted by Colin Farrel's mullet-look in the 2nd half of the movie, when he depicts Alexander the Great several years into his position as King.

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-24039164633384711852007-04-30T09:27:00.000-05:002007-04-30T07:08:18.486-05:00

It's nice to see that the government is finally acknowledging the Wiccan religion. In college, I wrote some papers on Wicca and sympathized with the struggle for recognition.

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-56734859689424071612007-04-30T06:36:00.000-05:002007-04-30T22:33:07.057-05:00

Okay, this is probably going to become a routine rant of mine but I can't help it. I'm going to call it the VT-syndrome.CNN reports: A high schooler in Illinois is being punished for a creative writing assignment that depicted violence and sexual perversion. The creative writing class was told to write whatever they wanted, without censoring their thoughts. Yes, it probably wasn't the best

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-90357197078378101452007-04-27T12:20:00.000-05:002007-04-30T07:05:07.645-05:00

Okay, so everyone in the world knows about the tragedy at Virginia Tech. The wave of copycat bomb threats and lockdowns that has followed those events are considered to be normal and expected. I think it's wonderful that schools are paying more attention to student safety but there comes a point where the actions to protect students in general violates the rights of a single student.Yesterday

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-45585837990339235092007-04-27T08:07:00.000-05:002007-04-27T08:08:27.698-05:00

Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything. ~Charles Kuralt

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-39036296753891444772007-04-26T10:38:00.000-05:002007-04-26T11:01:04.621-05:00

I took yesterday off of work to spend some time with my mother and sister. Shayna is visiting from Florida for the week and it just seemed like a great opportunity to do "girl" things. When I had told my coworkers that was the plan, I actually meant the term "girl" things rather loosely, not knowing what we would be doing, but we did end up at the nail salon so Shayna could get her acrylic

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-4903092748769274552007-04-21T20:41:00.000-05:002007-04-21T21:06:36.429-05:00

Not too much has been going on lately. I've become a little more familiar than I'd like with the medical profession, especially in regards to tests. Several years ago both my mother and sister had a problem with keeping food down. The doctors couldn't figure out what was causing them to feel so ill but eventually the symptoms went away and both are fine. Now it seems to be my turn and I've

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-74119703373072323612007-04-11T13:12:00.000-05:002007-04-11T13:18:16.858-05:00

Okay, so this movie kinda sucked too. There was all this action, drama and build-up and then it fizzled into nothingness. What kind of action movie has the enemy dying from mother nature, and not even orchestrated by man (as in man figures out they are vulnerable to organisms that exist in nature and thus coordinates attacks using those organisms)?? Cry Freedom is next and at least it provided

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-90552958084569242792007-04-09T12:28:00.000-05:002007-04-09T12:36:19.890-05:00

Yet another cousin called me this weekend to inform me that she's expecting a baby boy in a few months. Apparently she had told one of our aunts a month ago and that aunt had offered to inform the rest of the family via her siblings (including my mother). However that message never got to us and I laughingly reminded my cousin that my aunts and mother need to write things down in order to

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-7623164594006593182007-04-09T12:11:00.000-05:002007-04-09T12:28:42.310-05:00

I finally managed to catch the movie The Brothers Grimm on cable. Previously when I tried to catch it I always managed to see it listed after it had already started. So I would find something else to watch until I could catch the movie at the start point. Sadly it wasn't worth the effort. I can hardly credit saying this, but even Eragon was better than this movie in my humble opinion. The

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-28634741555460806452007-04-06T13:05:00.000-05:002007-04-06T13:11:53.539-05:00

Well, I watched Eragon last night and, despite not having read the book (I'm only on page 18 or something), I could immediately tell that it was a poorly written script. The events, while spectacularly created and certainly attention holding for children, did not flow smoothly from one part of the story to the next, resulting in a rather chopped up story....similar to reading exercises in

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-47430053866769442942007-03-29T11:36:00.000-05:002007-03-29T11:51:20.044-05:00

A few months ago I blogged about my crappy birthday when turning 32. You know, I sometimes wonder if all medical science is nothing by theories and guesswork. I had mentioned that I already ate pretty well. I really didn't think I was close to developing full diabetes but hey, what do I know, I'm just the patient. So, I got the glucometer and somewhat faithfully tested my glucose levels for

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-69865938795701910372007-03-21T08:13:00.000-05:002007-03-21T08:20:00.814-05:00

Well, apparently the architect drawing of how far the skywalk would jut over the edge of the cliff was rather exaggerated. The "U" end is only 70 feet from the cliff face which looks to be a much safer construction than what I thought it would be. However, I've discovered that National Geographic was incorrect in its reporting of the admission fee to the skywalk. It's not $25. It's $75 per person

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-15731077394209479562007-03-20T10:36:00.000-05:002007-03-20T10:37:08.226-05:00

"If you look like your passport photo, in all probability you need the journey." ~Earl Wilson

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-20584790247790477022007-03-19T12:48:00.000-05:002007-03-19T13:10:37.683-05:00

I've probably said this before...the neighborhood kids drive me batty. I understand the need for kids to play and release the energy that builds throughout the week. I really do, but I wish they understand my need for something just as precious to me as play is to them -- PEACE AND QUIET. Having spent Saturday on the go, all I really wanted to do on Sunday (yesterday) was relax. When spring

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-24248482571863346852007-03-19T12:32:00.000-05:002007-03-19T12:48:39.923-05:00

I had to make a trip to my parents home this past weekend. In the past year I've purchased two DVD players from Wally World and both have conked out on me. Now, I admit they weren't the best of brands but they worked, which was what counted in my opinion. However, the second one only worked for about four months. It's frustrating to be watching a show or movie on DVD only to have it freeze

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-17639970074493005492007-03-19T12:20:00.000-05:002007-03-19T12:32:37.033-05:00

I've spent some time visiting friends with babies this month (with several more to schedule in next month). A friend from high school, Sheri, had a little boy last August. I had seen him last September but then not again until a few weeks ago. That little stinker sure had grown!! Only six months and he's up to 22 pounds! Yikes! He's such a happy guy though and has amazing body strength for

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-27601703072269439632007-03-15T16:16:00.000-05:002007-03-16T08:30:00.450-05:00

"Whenever I dwell for any length of time on my own shortcomings, they gradually begin to seem mild, harmless, rather engaging little things, not at all like the staring defects in other people's characters."~Margaret Halsey"I'll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there's evidence of any thinking going on inside it."~Terry Pratchett

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-90894542049017105642007-03-15T16:15:00.000-05:002008-12-08T20:19:56.578-06:00

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-10521022028411913042007-03-15T13:02:00.000-05:002008-12-08T20:19:56.660-06:00

Grand Canyon gets new tourist feature.... a 70-foot walkway that projects over a 4,000-foot drop to the Colorado River. The walkway has a glass floor for tourist interest. Other than the two locations of welding (the ends of the U's) to steel poles in the limestone, there are no supports for this thing. Tourists must pay $25 to use it after having paid $20 just to get into Grand Canyon park

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-14447635216462048852007-03-14T11:39:00.000-05:002007-03-14T11:58:35.184-05:00

Okay, I haven't done a soapbox post in quite awhile and I'm annoyed enough at the moment to go another.I live in small town Iowa. Every spring and fall the city has a "clean-up" day where you can set all kinds of crap on the curb without the appropriate stickers and the city will pick it up free of charge. Correspondingly, every spring and fall I'm trying to figure out the date so I can prepare

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-23241755300418090432007-03-05T08:28:00.000-06:002007-03-05T13:16:12.983-06:00

"The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues." ~ Elizabeth Taylor

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-58571159288973907842007-03-01T16:41:00.000-06:002007-03-01T16:48:47.917-06:00

I agree that LOST is losing its audience. 1.) I think the diversion into warfare with the "others" is partially to blame but I know that the characters can't sit around twiddling their thumbs for multiple seasons, praying for a rescue without taking some kind of action to break up the monotany. 2.) I also think that the long breaks between the "fall" and "spring" seasons are frustrating and many

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-63602359332212422622007-02-28T09:11:00.000-06:002007-02-28T09:13:09.328-06:00

If at first you don't succed, try again. Then quit: no use being a damn fool about it.~ W.C. Fields

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706308.post-5224544335026306232007-02-27T16:14:00.000-06:002008-12-08T20:19:57.289-06:00

Gidgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506541511533351646noreply@blogger.com0