Sunday, July 29, 2007

She's Fine

Emily's first ER trip due to a sports injury was Friday, in Orlando, right before a game in the Fastpitch World Series. Did I mention that Emily's softball team is in the TOP 10 in the nation? Yeah, they didn't need their catcher missing a game during the tournament, but she had to make a detour to the emergency room for a CT scan! It seems that she got hit in the head, right on her pretty forehead, by a not-so-soft softball and it immediately swelled to the size of an orange, so Dawn and Dave rushed her to the ER to have it checked it. She is okay now, just swollen and has a persistent headache, but was able to return and play a game later that day. Right now her team has won all but one game, and we're hoping they get to play in the finals later today. SO GLAD YOU'RE ALRIGHT, EMILY!!

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Softball and Harry Potter

So, I talked to Emily last night, she's still in Florida, and her softball team has won two games (out of two) and I was able to watch one of the games online. That was really cool - technology at its best. For my family members who are interested, you can find info on this tournament, the Fastpitch World Series, HERE. Click on the softball link and you can see the results. Emily's team is "Mr. Trophy Rage" and their next game is tomorrow.

Mom and Auntie Linda are coming up for the weekend to help me celebrate my birthday. Not sure what we're going to do, but I'm sure cake will be involved. Maybe some gambling. Definitely some shopping. Might even buy a car.

Started reading the final Harry Potter last night and read about 150 pages. The dern thing is over 750 pages, and I'm going to be busy the rest of the week, so I won't finish it until next week sometime. Emily made me promise her I'd call her the minute I have read the last word so that we can talk about it. She finished it already.

That's it for now. Stay in touch and I'll keep you posted on Emily's softball tournament. Might even have a b'day pic or two after the weekend.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

What's not to love about these two?


Two gorgeous kids 7-2007
Originally uploaded by Aunt Vanessa
In case you've been needing to see an updated photo of two kids who are growing up way, way, WAY to quickly, here it is. The boy is nine and the girl is thirteen. Going on eighteen. More pics to the right in my Flickr>>>>>>>>>

They're flying to Florida today. Emily's softball team is playing in a tournament in Orlando. How fun is that? Reece is looking forward to lots of skateboarding and swimming.

Back to my housecleaning. I'll check in with you in a couple of days.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Kicking Back and Enjoying Myself

Ohmigosh, THIS BOOK is wonderful. I just finished it and immediately looked up the writer, so that I could read everything she's ever written. The book is the chosen one for the "One Read" program in Columbia and surrounding central Missouri towns, and I've been seeing it promoted at the library, and my friend, Sandy, said it was a great read, so I finally got it a few days ago and haven't been able to put it down. Add it to your must-read list.

I watched "A Room With a View" last night. I haven't seen it in several years and had forgotten how much I loved Edwardian stifled passion. I also have "Gosford Park" and "Venus" at home now and will try to watch them this week. I watched "Gosford" several years ago and loved it and can't wait to see it again. Not sure how I'll react to the other one, but I've always liked Peter O'Toole.

I'm baking cookies and they are a pain, but they look really good. They're sugar cookies with chocolate sprinkles on top and I hope they taste good, since they're for a party at work tomorrow. Actually "work party" is an oxymoron, I know, but we're having a going-away-dessert-bar-drop-in-function-thing for someone tomorrow and I thought if I wrote party it would be enough but then I felt compelled to explain. Enough about that already.

I really need to do some housework before I begin this book, because I know I'll just ignore the house once I begin the book. All my summer projects have gone ignored because I've been reading up a storm, making up for lost time over the last two semesters when I was agonizing over Library Management and Cataloging. Doubt I'll get to even one of my intended projects now, and you know what? I don't really care.

Monday, July 09, 2007

A Tribute

Today is Larry Brown's birthday. Click here for a tribute from Garrison Keillor:

http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/

(It's the second piece on the page.)

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Stop! In the Name of Good Writing

Have you ever had a week in which absolutely nothing blog-worthy happened? That's why I haven't posted an entry this week.

Still reading the Al Gore book. I only read a chapter a day and that's slow reading, but this isn't fiction that one can zoom through with entertainment being the only purpose. I can't stress strongly enough how important this book is. Of course, Gore's message right now is crucial to the survival of our planet, I know. Did anyone watch any of the Live Earth concerts yesterday? It was on the Bravo Channel all day and I watched it off and on throughout the day. I question the sincerity of many of the performers and I cannot tolerate Hip Hop, nor Madonna, so much of the time I didn't watch it. The PSAs were informative and very positive, however, so overall I think it was a positive event.

THIS was my latest Netflix choice. It was a cute, happy film that made me laugh and I recommend it. It's not a chick flick in spite of its title.

There is a huge, black cat who has taken part-time residence outside my front door. S/he is twice Abby's size and has a pair of glorious green eyes and Abby can't stand it when we go out and s/he's lounging by my door. Abby barks and the cat hisses and they have this standoff every single time we go for a walk. It really stresses my old dog and I'm going to have to run off the cat somehow.

I owe you guys about a thousand apologies for this boring post. And the cheesy attempt to make it look more appealing by changing fonts. Did I fool anyone with that useless ploy? I think not.




Sunday, July 01, 2007

"Shelby's right, my hair does look like a helmet."

If I can get off the sofa today, I'm going to the gym. It opens at 11:00. I reeeeeeally overdid it yesterday. I had all the time in the world and so I stayed on the treadmill a long time, listening to THIS CD that I downloaded to my iPod. Such good music. Then, I tried all the upper-body weights and machines that exist in the entire world and now I can hardly pick up the spoon with which to stir my coffee. Today, it's lower body and abs I'm targeting and tomorrow I'll be so sore I won't be able to walk and I'm going to get up and go anyway and I swear this is the last time I'm going to mention the gym because it really bores me to read about anyone else's workouts, so I'm sure you're bored by this.

I ordered the upcoming Harry Potter and can't wait to read it. There is a good article about it on msn.com today: here ya go. I started THIS ONE yesterday. (I'll never finish the Faulkner, Mary, even though you say it's one you loved in high school. When I was in high school I loved this one to pieces and still do and actually read it about every year and love it even more each time. I've read plenty of Faulkner and loved many of them, particularly As I Lay Dying, but The Sound and the Fury will have to wait until I have more patience. I'm not a huge fan of Modernism, but more on that another time.) Anyway, back to the Gore book - I've only gotten through about 30 pages and I'm as angry as a hornet already. I'll rant more when I finish the book. Oh, and then I'll go see "SICKO" and get steamed about that issue. Perhaps after all that I'll read some Jane Austin just to take the edge off my rage and fury.

On a lighter note, I'm going to bake some chocolate chip cookies today. I bought a new Pampered Chef baking stone (I lost my stones when I moved) and I can't wait to do some baking. The chocolate is semi-sweet, which brings me to my chocolate survey. I heard from several coworkers who read my blog and they all said they preferred dark chocolate. I think I prefer dark when I'm really craving chocolate, but milk chocolate if it's just sweets in general that I want.

I watched this movie last night. {sigh} I'm surprised I didn't like it. I always like the Coen Brothers' stuff, but not this one. It was supposed to be smart, funny, intriguing. It wasn't. In order to be a good satire, it should be more subtle than this movie was. Not that some of the acting wasn't very good (John Goodman) but some good acting doesn't make it worth one's time. Don't waste your Netflix choice on it.

Independence Day is funky this year, since it's on a Wednesday and I don't have any days off other than that day. I have no plans for that day, other than maybe sleeping in. I've seen fireworks a hundred times and until they come up with something new in the category, I have no desire to sit outside in the heat and watch any more of them. I am truly sounding like an old person.