Long time...again

Wow, I didn't realize just how long it'd been since I visited here last.

My younger son has graduated from high school (valedictorian, thank you very much!), and has almost completed a summer program at ASU already.

I got sick of being so fat (again!) and am currently doing a balanced weight loss program through Anne Collins' online forums. While I've felt a bit obsessed with the process, I always feel that way when embarking on something new that requires behavior change. All I can say is, I've been at it since June 4th, and I've lost 16 lbs., so something's working.

I've rescued a little kitten that was only about 5 days old when I realized it's mom wasn't coming back for it...right now, a friend's family is fostering it until it can go without food and hands-on care long enough for me to go to work. I so look forward to that day!

Baby's name is Skootch, and we're still not sure if it's male or female.

I'm going to ditch for tonight. Sounds like a t-storm is rumbling in, and I'd just as soon not be typing away when the computer blows up.

Note to self: post to blog more often.

Thanks a Lot...

Thanksgiving recap:

Food: very good, if I do say so myself. Managed to do comparatively low-fat, yet traditional-tasting, dishes. Of course, when you over-consume, there are caloric consequences.

Company: Eh. The friend I had invited and thought would attend backed out at the last minute. It was me and the boys and Beloved. Older son got weird on us, too...right at dinner time. I wanted to throw the mashed potato spoon at his head. But didn't. Yay, me. Stellar self control.

Black Friday Shopping: Ouch! Was at the local Wal-Mart by 5:10 a.m. What a frickin' NIGHTmare! The crowds were like jackals around the only carcass at the water hole. The store employees looked unhappy to be there, and certainly did nothing to improve the atmosphere. Abandoned my cart within 5 minutes and struggled to get out with my dignity, if nothing else. Headed over to the K-Mart, which opened at 6 a.m. People in line were friendly, and the store staff polite and friendly. I guess the lack of spectacular electronics sales could account for part of that. Anyway, I picked up some gift items there in a more enjoyable environment.

After the Big K, it was breakfast at Village Inn, and taking a look at the newspaper. Noticed some items I could use on sale at Fry's Electronics, so headed over there. Pretty crowded, but it seemed the early crush was over by the time I got there (and the 1 gb MP3 players on sale were gone ). Got good buys on a new car stereo and printer, neither of which is installed yet. Ugh.

On my return home, YS and Beloved wanted to go see Harry Potter and the...etc... I'd already seen it earlier in the week, so while they watched the Tri Wizard Tournament, I saw Rent. Homophobes, be warned. You will hate this movie. Anyone else who enjoys well-done musicals will probably enjoy it. Good music, story with joy and pain. Didn't expect it to impact me all that much, but was left sobbing through the final credits. Completely caught me off guard.

Stayed home Friday night, and went to bed early.

More on the rest of the weekend later.

Long time again...

Wow! Last night was SO cool...

I felt like stopping for a beer on the way home from work yesterday. Since I get off work between 4 and 4:30, it's usually a good bet 1) that I will find happy hour specials if any are offered, and 2) I will be sitting in a bar with a lot of barflies who don't have regular jobs to go to.

So, I had resigned myself to a cheap pitcher of beer ($2.75) at Skippers with some of the local toothless wonders. I'd heard they had karaoke early there, but remembered after I sat down that it was only Monday through Thursday, or something like that.

Never mind, it looked like a band was setting up, and this place billed itself as a "House of Blues". Yeah, sure. I've heard that before in Phoenix.

I called Kat to tell her where I was, and she stopped by to talk for a half hour before picking up her daughter and heading to the nail salon.

The beer was beginning to hit me, so I walked a block over to the Chinese Buffet to grab a cheap dinner. 45 minutes later, back to Skippers to see what was going on. Lo and behold, MORE band-type people setting up! How many people are in that band, anyway? There had to be 9 or 10 people setting up mikes and saxophones and guitars...

NYM made his evening call, and I told him where I was and what I was doing (must've been almost 6 by now), and he asked if I wanted company. With no return by Kat, I said yes, and settled in to watch and wait.

It turned out that the Phoenix Blues Society was meeting at Skipper's, and there were TWO really good bands set to play: Groove Defenders and Lynwood Flyers. Of the two, I liked Groove Defenders better, but they were both excellent. NYM and I had a wonderful time. Cheap beer, great music and enthusiastic, happy people made for one of the most enjoyable evenings I've had in a long time.

Perhaps I should join the Phoenix Blues Society...they definitely seemed to have a good time.

I found Millie!

Got a lead to a blog by an 80-year-old lady named Millie. You can find it here: http://mymomsblog.blogspot.com/

I love it...it's like reading something my mother would write. If I hadn't lost her 15 years ago, that is.

Zippity Doo Dah

Laundry's done, hair's re-colored, and I'm headed to the nail salon for fills after work this afternoon. Nothing like artificial enhancement of one's person to lift the spirits!

Karaoke last night at MOM's was fun..just me, Kat and NYM. Got to sing three songs I'm working on for the music group. It was flattering that people got up to dance. Of course, they were mostly pretty drunk, but still...

Speaking of the music group, we didn't have a drummer at the last meeting. We seem to have finally settled on about 25 songs we're really going to work on. I loaded them on a cheap little MP3 player I can listen to at work and plug into my car stereo system, and listen to them over and over. I'm not sure, but I think I ran a red light last night while belting "Walking In Memphis" at the top of my lungs down 51st Avenue. Gotta watch that.