I've been having this sinus pain in my face. I bought some sinus headache medicine last Friday and when I took it I got tired. On Saturday I don't remember...I think I did take it and got tired. Then, Sunday and Monday I didn't, I just took an tylenol or excedrine and it was fine. Well, this morning I decided to tough it out and took nothing. Then at 10.30 it hurt and showed signs of turning into a big headache...so I took the sinus headache stuff cos it was in my bag. The pain went away I got tired. Oh so tired.

As Sarah was driving me home I commented "It just makes me SO tired. It's worse than benedry." Then as i was in bed 10 minutes later and dozing off, I realized -- wait! it has antihistimines in it...and I took two...so that is like TWICE the benedryl (which is something I use sometimes as a mild sleep aide). Gah! I ended up sleeping from 12-2. I got up and to be honest STILL feel groggy and out of it. I just spend an hour deciding if I should go back to sleep or tough it out and try to get something done. Of course toughing out = looking at the internet.

Now I am making tea and was thinking about forcing myself to do the dishes. But I thought I would post first. Lets see, family ....

Nephew - peed on me this morning. I thought something like that might happen too because he weiner looked a little strange moments before the pee came hurling out.

Mom - called me last Friday to talk. She's battling some tough eye problems where she sees double vision. There is a growth behind one of the eyes that is causing the pressure (hence double vision). First the doctor tried predinosone and that worked for a little while, but eventually stopped. Plus the side effects were wretched to my Mom, and her blood sugar has been over 500 consistently now. Poor Mom. She has one affliction after another. I know Tim says I am always sick too -- but I don't think so. I mean, I only tell him and mainly write it down. But if I write it down it's because it's the excuse for something, or it has a role. I think. Maybe I am justifying myself right now because I don't want to think of myself like my Mom who only calls me to complain about her various ailments.

But who else is she going to talk to? I mean...well there IS Shane, Frank, Josh and Carla...but a dutiful daughter should listen more right? I do. I do. But...I suppose. I mean I bet the rest of my family gets their fill of it every day.

Andrew - I still haven't sent him a birthday card or money. I was going to send him 20 bucks to put for his savings of a xbox 360 -- but I suppose since it's going to take him awhile to save that much, then it's okay if the 20 is a little late, right? And birthday's shouldn't be held to just one day. I mean, the whole year could be celebrated really. Well, it's my opinion that you can celebrate any holiday for two months -- one month before the date and one month after.

It's really cold out side. I forgot to wear a hat today because I got rides to everywhere I needed to be except for the ride home. Well, that isn't exactly true because I did ride the bus, so really my work gave me a ride home, but still. COLD! I was even considering wrapping my head in the awesome Zoey scarf, but it's more narrow and long (great for neck wrapping) but not so much for head wrapping. I let vanity get the better of me and just walked faster. At one point though I had to put my gloved hand to my left ear and hold it to prevent it from falling off.

Even Pluto didn't want to be outside for long. Who can blame him? Gah. I hear that it supposed to be almost 50 one day this week. I can't wait for that day to erase the snow and just be warm. Plus, unlike last time it was warm I was sick...this time I won't be. Because you know, I fired sick. No more of it for me (at least for this year).

I guess I have been rather slack in updating. I don't know what my problem is. I should make another mini resolution to update more often...at least for awhile until I have assauged my guilt. Yeah. Good idea.

Today I babysat Nephew. You can tell he had a weekend with the grandparents because he didn't want to be put down. No, instead he just wanted to be held (facing out) and feel asleep. Luckily I was able to devise a sitting solution where I was able to write and hold him comfortably. After that I went to work and actually stayed pretty busy until it was time to go home. I am glad, because today felt like a Monday. Normally I don't think of Monday's as anything special. Just another day, and possibly the most forgotten day of the week (next to Tuesday). However today I work up with sinus pain and a headache and over all tiredness and blah. My feeling was more like "just put your head down, one foot after another and get through it." As opposed to my usual approach which is "Another week has begun."

When I feel like that about a day I feel kind of bad for it. I mean, it can't help it was like that and that everyone was like that (running late, tired and not up to par). I bet if was everyone's last day on earth they wouldn't think of it as just being a Monday. No it would be special. Possibly one of the most special days ever.

Alas that wasn't today. Although it was a day that I posted something. :D

The weekend was good. I went rollerskating on Friday with Tim at Fast Forward and got only one blister after skating around in circles 100 times. Saturday I was invited over to Sarah's to visit. She made tea, little flower shaped sandwiches, tarts AND a huge cake. I had the biggest slice of cake since I was 13 and it took me all afternoon to eat it. Sarah sent me home with cake where it was devoured the next day. Ahh. Cake. I took advantage of Sarah and Dave's hospitality and accompaniend them to the Inferno where I only intended on staying an hour. Of course whenever that happens I end up having a great time, so ended up closing the joint with them. I like those Inferno times, they seem so rare these days. I actually danced a lot too! I am sure glad that all my random dancing around the house whenever I am inspired has kept my dancing skills as sharp as ever.

I wonder what it would be like when I am in the afterlife and reviewing my life. I am looking forward to putting a montage together of my dancing styles from little to old. I'm sure I'll laugh way more than I'll cringe.

Sunday I watched movies all day -- Clockwatchers, Merril Peirce (and old movie with Joan Crawford and her spoiled daugther), Spanglish (pretty good) and then Friday night's episode of Battlestar Gallatica with Tim. I also caught the ending of Grizzly man (talk about crazy!). Then it was an early bed to with us and that started this day.

I even got lots of letters done -- three. That's awesome! I feel like I have been so behind lately on those letters. I still have a bunch more to catch up with, but since I have readopted my own letter writing advice of -- just write something...I have been able to get more out. I got caught up in wanting to write novels, and letters that would win academic essays -- those letters aren't fun. Well, I suppose they COULD be, but really a letter in itself is extraordinary because it's a letter.

I think the flea situation is under control -- so of course as soon as that thought enters my head I think we might be conned into taking care of some more fosters. This is more of an emergency really, so I don't feel bad about it. I'll just try to remember and let Tim do all the work. ;) Actually, I am thinking I might be able to swing this in my favor and say he can do it if he cleans the bed room. Yeah...what an awesome idea! I am gonna tell him that now.

I'll write everyday this week. I have some pictures to put up too -- but that may or may not happen. It depends. IT always depends, doesn't it?

Okay to give myself a little guidance -- tomorrow I will talk about my family. Yeah...good idea.

We did jack sqaut all weekend -- well, except for the whole driving to the border of Illnois (missed our stop) on the way to Lake Geneva to pick up a pair of greyhounds to transfer to La Crosse. It was too cold to walk dogs, so we didn't. However, our services as a courier service are invaluable. ;)

The rest of the weekend was spent: reading, napping, sleeping, eating, watching some tv, a little bit of video games and more reading. I am not finally digging into A Feast for Crows -- a christmas present from my dear husband. After finishing a Storm of Swords this afternoon, I contemplated going right on to the book...but instead forced myself to slow down. So I watched a movie -- Five People You Meet in Heaven and knitted. Then I got hungry and made sketti with ground turkey, onions and garlic. The next movie was the Sixth Sense (the extended version) After a while I got bored and decided to cut apples to dehydrate. Since I had the apples out, I figured I should do something with them (not all were needed to be cut up and put in the dehydrator), so I thought I'd made Apple Dumplings.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have outdone myself. Every week I try to bake something delicious -- recent items have been: pumpkin pie, banana bread, sugarfree cherry pie/tarts ... I think there was something else...no wait, I bought that...a cake. It was good.

These apple dumplings are amazing! I am going to bring two to Sarah and Luke, one is for Hilary and I thought Laima would like the other. Then one more for the DH and I.

Okay. That's all I wanted to say. Good night.

First and foremost -- go here and click some buttons Johari's Window

Oh man, there are so many thoughts buzzing around in my head today. It's a snow day! Sister in law Sarah called this morning and cancelled babysitting. Apparently when the public schools are cancelled then the gym is closed (she works for a gymnastics gym). Anyway...so waking up this morning was nice. I could have slept in more, but the DH wouldn't have it. I was commanded to get up and "eat a proper bowl of cereal."

I did. I had some Marshmallow matey's and watched the Today show. I counted ... that Kildore? The woman who had the accident during the prelim's? Well today they showed the accident -- for when I started counting 19 times. Several of those was three times in a row. Sheesh. I bet if I had watched the whole show it would have been higher.

Scrabble is cancelled tonight. Last night I had made two pumpkin pies -- so this morning there are two delicious pumpkin pies in the fridge. I just decided to have a piece, and it's awesome. But...what am I going to do with two pumpkin pies? I don't think they freeze well....damnit. While I would the challenge of eating two pies, I don't think that is wise. I need to get rid of one of them. Who want's a pumpkin pie?

Last night I went with the Rings TKD people to the Madison Area Ho Chunk meeting (where I learned, meets once a month on the second full Wednesday of the month). God what a unorganized bunch of people. Sometimes it infuriates me to think that we settle for anything less than .... I don't know. There were people that showed up for the sake of getting paid to attend, and those people were playing video games on their phones or listening to their IPODS. Out of about 16-18 people that attended only 9 voted. The rest didn't even raise their hands for abstaining because they were too involved in their technology games. Just because we got our asses handed to us a hundred years ago does not mean that we should still act like it. It's time like this that my own people really baffle me. Fight! Don't do what they expect you do. Wallowing in self pity and congratulating ourselves for not knowing the white man's way is just the recipe for extinguishing ourselves for good. I had half a mind to never go back (now that I know when and where the meetings are) because .... do I really want to be part of that? Then again, I gladly take the money they offer me, the interest I get from people when they learn I am Native, and the pride when one of us does make it. Is that fair to just take the good and leave the empty? No. I think I'll go back. I don't care what they think of me, I am going to ask questions and vote on every thing I can. At least then I get to keep my self righteous opinions.

I am drinking a half caff coffee that I made myself this morning. It's decaf maxwell house/highland grog. It's awesome is what it really is.

Happy Birthday to Pluto -- he's six today. He is now exactly middle aged for a greyhound. I think we'll give him a bully stick and go schlep in the snow a bit later. He's a snow dog, and as long as it isn't too cold, he likes to go out in it. We can at least go for a little walk around the block. I do have snow boots after all. Today would be an awesome day to go sledding. I wish there were wee kids to go sledding with in my area.

I was thinking of doing taxes today. I have all the stuff. All I need to do is download the software, clean off the desk and get to it. I think my mood is good enough for it. My cold feels like it ended last night around 7ish. I immediately started to feel better by the hour. It' was crazy! I know that you can feel better that dramatically when recovering from a hangover, but I didn't expect it to happen with a head cold.

My nose is filled with that heavy snot right now. I took a little bit of robitussin without any letters to try and break it up. I might have to do something else...something drastic...like...I don't know. Exercise? Take a shower..oh that might work.

Boy I had a TON of things to say earlier...and now they have filtered away. I suppose. I should get to updating the photos. That always take a little time. I also need to figure out how to save tceku posts since I am getting rid of the current format. I give up -- the spam wins. I need to switch to a system that doesn't have such problems with spam.

Oh, and gmail chat rocks!

OMG - I just realized NOW that I forgot to plug in the crock pot.

Crap. At least the beans got a good 2 hour soaking.

I am feeling under the weather. I got another cold Sunday night -- yesterday and today are pretty much me being tired and very much a homebody. I am cooking a soup in the crock pot -- I just threw stuff in there, ingrediants are: black beans, chicken, chicken broth, water, salt, pepper, green onions, garlic, sweet potato and a can of tomato sauce. I hope it turns out. I wish I could smell if it was turning out...I guess I'll know in six more hours when DH tastes it.

Chicago weekend was good, ate out too much -- but it's a special occasion...so it's okay. Pompeii was cool. Nice to see old friends -- I have photo's so I'll save more details about the trip for those captions.

I started working out again yesterday (real slow cos I = sick) and today I am sore. I almost convinced myself that I have the flu, but that isn't the case. Just a head cold. Still.

I am feeling pretty hermity.

Drama bit for today: I have realized the empty phone calls that I had been getting in the afternoons have ceased. Two weeks ago I called out the person I think it was. Good. I hope it stays that way. What is that phrase? Let sleeping dogs lie.

I have double standards. I expect everyone to update at least every other day and then don't do it myself. But I really make an effort to do it -- just looking at some of my friends links -- there are some who haven't updated since the beginning of last month or worse! I guess I need to turn my attention elsewhere to find things to read in these rare moments when I have free time.

Tonight we are going to Chicago to visit with old friends and go to the Field Museum. Last night we dropped off Pluto -- or as the dog sitters call him: Black Jack. If you see in the first week of January photos, there is a spotted cow dog -- that's Jack. Pluto and Jack are very much alike in temperament. They are virtually the same dog, just different colors. Maybe when we get back and Pluto is home he won't take me granted, and actually get off his ass to greet me at the door. All last week, when I came home he barely lifted his head from the futon to look at me. Once he didn't even do that!

At least Migo loves me. She does one of those cute cat "merps" at me and blinks sleepily from the scarf/hat/glove bin that she's sleeping in.

I had a margarita as big as my head at the West Side Pedro's last night. It's the hot spot for all the worker bee's because of the 1/2 price drink specials. They had a DJ and the place was brimful of 20 somethings. I even saw a few singles out on the dance floor shaking it MTV style (which is to say badly). I also saw that they had a headed tent for the smokers -- apparently that is the new rage around here. It was a nice time -- the occasion was Tim meeting up with old colleagues from his last place of employment. One of them, Jeremy - whom Tim skated with after work for awhile, and once joined us to ice skate was there. Actually I think it was him that invited Tim (and subsequently me). He asked how the TKD thing was going and that got us talking about it. He's a black belt who hasn't practiced in quite sometime -- and yet I was able to convince him to come over and spar with in the next month. How cool would that be?! In return, I said that Tim and I would go rock/wall climbing with him at the Boulder's Gym at a late date. I think it's only fair to exchange activities like that, don't you?

Next Wednesday I am not going to spar because I will be going with Ma'am to the HoChunk local office and see if we can't get the Ring's some money -- and me some extra funds to cover lessons. I didn't go this past Wednesday because of the killer two week headache.

I've cut out caffeine and splenda right now to see if that won't help it. I have also started meditating to try and get rid of it. I have only done that meditating thing yesterday and today -- but something is working .... the headache is gone. GONE, I tell you. It's such a sweet feeling to not have it weighing down on my brain.

Tim's parent's got another dog. I can't tell you how ... speechless I was when I found that out. These are the same irresponsible people who acquired 7 dogs in the course of 1-2 years and then when they got tired of them tried to pawn them off on their kids. There was:

Ludo who went to Phil.
Amos who went to Sarah.
Broshi who went to Rebekah.
Hoggle - who now at Ben's girlfriend's place.
Tigger - who went to our neighbors.
Toby who went one of Sarah's coworker's families.
Schnitzel - an over bred mini dachund that died from genetic failings
Casi - a miniature Chihuahua
Carmelita - another miniature chihuahua they got to replace schnitzel -- and I might add got RIGHT before they were to be evicted and was subsequently homeless for two months....the dogs stayed at the elementary school his mother teaches at.

And now.....they just got another miniature chihuahua, for a total of three small dogs.

Luckily they got a temporary job up north for 1.5 years....but what are they gonna do afterwards when they have to move? Shunt the dogs off again? How many want to take bets on how many MORE dogs they are going to acquire while they are living there? It's absolutely sickening.

Anyway. After work, I am going to go home, finish doing the laundry. Pack and ... I don't know. To be honest, I really wouldn't mind being gone right now.

I need a new Bio -- suggestions welcome. OH hell, why don't you just write it. Yeah, what a great idea!

I watched Word Wars last night -- and while the documentary wasn't that stellar -- I was strangely attracted to GI Joel Sherman. I wonder if he's found a woman with all the scrabble success he has enjoyed.

Speaking of which, I might weasel my way out of hosting the next scrabble (although it IS my turn) because one of the other word nerds might have drunkily said he would host it. That would be awesome! Since a few of the scrabble people are allergic to pets - I feel it is my duty as a hostess to dust, swift, vacuum and mop the place to bits. Which I don't mind doing, because...uh...as you all know it's like that ALL the time. ;)

Headaches still plague me. I wonder if I need to stop drinking caffeine...I've cut down to once cup a day starting today. I am going to try and keep it that way. It's hard though when your main activity is going out for coffee. Although yes, all the coffee houses DO have decaf. I have to go back to that habit.

I got some awesome mail yesterday -- my Mom sent a fingerwoven purse lined with red. It's neat, but it smelled so strongly of cigarette smoke that I had to gener-breeze it. I think the stuff is called RenuZit -- and it's better than frebreez if you ask me. Smells better at least. I also got a letter from my longest/oldest penpal Gale, and a handmade valentines card from Jessie with a bookmark that I am now using to read - Storm of Swords. I can't believe I am already well into book three...this is going to go by quickly (and these aren't small books -- average 600-800 pages) before I can dig into my Feast of Crows christmas present.

Yesterday afternoon brought an impromptu coffee with an old friend Amy who just moved back to Madison this weekend. We went to the Hippy Joint with her two kids (I do love that room they have) to drink a decaf and chat for an hour. Then I went to TKD and the headache stayed off until I got home, in which case I told Tim he was making dinner. In turn, he called domino's and we had pizza. I love two for tuesdays coupons -- they never even ask for the coupon either. Of course knowing that, we still don't call on Tuesdays for pizza if we don't have an updated coupon. Because you never know when they might ask.

What a boring post (and yet you still read it).

Hey what's up?

I guess if you get here from wazika, then you have noticed there are few changes. The biggest one (aside from that photo being gone) is that the photo's link now takes you to the gallery. I took Eric's advice and put all the old photos into that..it's much easier to move around and organize. Since I only did it this weekend, I am still in the process of organizing the old photos and arranging everything just so.

In any case, I haven noticed that some folks found them regardless of me having to announce it. If you see something you really want taken down, let me know and I'll remove it. In fact there are some photos on there that I want to remove that weren't on the orginal pages I had made for them. That's what you get with a lazy weblady.

End of January Week in Photos



Hm. That said, it was a busy weekend. I had dinner at the Majarada (totally sp'd!) -- an indian food resturant....I've had better, followed by the breaking of another fake vow -- not to go to leather and lace again. I did go again, but you know what? With the new redecoration of the Inferno, it wasn't that bad. I could still probably do without the smoking, but that is just because I hate washing my hair. My friend Laima and I even stayed until 1:00 dancing. Then when I was leaving...rather looking for Laima to leave -- Paul found me! Man, I haven't seen HIM in ages. He is still the cad he ever was, but I still can't help from liking the guy. I met him on the internet back when I was looking for friends while living in Chicago. It's interesting to think about how many people I have met and known because of the internet. Hilary is one of them. My first boyfriend was too, and all the folks I met in the Czech. I am sure if I really thought about it, I could think of a lot of people.

Sunday was full of house. I didn't leave it. It was too cold out -- and I would daresay it's too cold out now. I am so not into walking the Pludes and the time I could have used to take a quick cat nap has been sqaundered by posting here.

But consider this -- now you have PICTURES to look at. Doesn't that take the sting away, a little?

I'll post again tomorrow. Promise! But not until the afternoon.

See what happens when I feel like I am expected to update photos every week (yes, most of that expectation is from myself) -- I end up not posting at all. It's a classic conundrum that folks get themselves into, and layer up on procrastinating layer -- it eventually gets worse. I mean, isn't that why friends drift apart? People get divorced? People go bankrupt? It's that ... guilt. That feeling of "Oh I should probably see/do/pay blank --- but, I'm already a little late, and being a little later won't hurt anything." Then it becomes "Oh, man, I am so far behind/out of touch/lazy -- that if I do something it has to be really good...so yeah, I do something *really* good, and that'll make up for it." But then...it eventually ends up as "Oh crap, it's now too late."

What a vicious cycle that is. I get mired it weekly. I think everyone does -- that's why we admire achievers so much.

I am going to let myself post photos whenever I want to. I mean, it's what I do anyway...why not just accept it and quite fighting it? I think tomorrow -- I still need to get a picture of DH with his new hair cut. I did get some pictures of Nephew this morning -- he's a cute baby. :D

I've started to get my ideas back. Each day the sun is out a little longer, and each day new ideas creep into my head. Ideas like: revamp Tceku, renew wazika, create a community, clean the guest room, sew something, reach out and touch someone, exercise on my own, write a penpal ad for my mom, catch up on all my letters, organize my desk, make cool cards, make really neat stationary, host the next scrabble, figure out what the bottom drawer to the stove is for -- am I supposed to put pans in there? Man, that would be cool. Other things include: hanging up pictures, moving the two pieces of furniture in the kitchen around, take more photos, read more .... aha!

I HAVE been reading more. George RR Martin has completely suckered me back in. I think about it every moment, I tell myself -- take some time and read..you can clean later. Don't watch TV, go read instead...read read read. I have two more books to go too. I know I have all the time in the world to read these books, and I have read them before -- but that' s all I can think about.

Oh, but I have been social too. Monday I went out with Hilary where I watched her drink WAY too much coffee. It was weird to realize that she was shaking herself out of the wooden chair at Michelangelo's. I went to TKD on Tuesday, and sparred on Wednesday. I went to work on Monday and Wednesday, baby sat this morning. I have been keep up with the house work. I have written a letter or two. Made some stationary. Oh...I've been watching movies too!

I saw 2046 -- the sequel to "in the mood for love' and didn't like it much. I saw "March of Penguins" and it was okay. I saw "Paycheck" and ... eh.

So yeah. As I was saying the ideas -- I am getting them back. Creative impulses...but what hasn't accompanied those wonderful ideas -- is the ambition and gump to do them. I only do one out of every 5 ideas right now. I just hope that when it gets warmer, the sun shines longer -- then I will do more. I will nail 3 or even 4 out of every five ideas.