WHo has a dream - and a business - if you can - help her make her dream come true!
http://www.reconstructinghistory.com/blog/golden-age-of-travel-dream-birthday.html

So - when one is feeling very much not well and that leads one to ponder if they are sick enough for a hospital stay and the first thing they think is "Wow. That would be a like a vacation!", do you suppose that means one has WAY too much on their plate? ;) I am 1 week away from the end of this semester, for which I am grateful. I still have to finish my Excel project, do my extra credit for Law and take 4 finals. But then - 4 weeks of no school. Of course, then I dive into my semester from HELL with 6 classes, but I think I can do it. Well - I have to do it, don't I?

I am 3ish months into being gluten free. I made a mistake Sunday and ate pizza. In some ways, it was good because it showed me that I really do have an intolerance to it. I was rather sick to my stomach all night Sunday and spent Monday in an exhausted haze. But maybe that was because it was pizza. I don't know. Whatever. I am living just fine GFree, so I am going to continue it.

So - I have made it through my first 4 days gluten free - and I KNOW you were all worried about me.  ;)  I went grocery shopping yesterday.  Ugh.  It took me almost 2 hours and cost 50 bucks more than it usually does.  However, - I found gluten free soy sauce, Lea& Perrins, salad dressing, BBQ suace to make pulled pork BBQ, and discovered that my local store no longer carries corn tortillas.  *sigh*  Their gluten free section is a whole whopping 30 items, but I am going to try a different store next time and see if they have more.  I really feel like I should be writing more down, so that I can look back and see how I felt.  So - I am feeling fine.  My stomach hasn't hurt once for the last 4 days, which is actually unusual for me.  I'm liking this.  Other parts of my digestive tract aren't functioning on their normal schedule, but I figure it will all regulate as it gets used to this diet.

  In other news - I bought a wedding dress from a friend who needed to sell it to use as the base gown for one of my FaerieCon dresses and finally got an appointment to have it bustled by a professional seamstress.  It has a 2 foot train that I am NOT dragging around all night at the con.  Everyone steps on trains.  I had trailing wings last year and they got stepped on SO many times.  And I can't decide what kind of wings I should wear with my flower faerie costume - should I go with white?  Irridescent?  Or flower something?  That may be an overabundance of "flower" if I do the wings too.  Hrmmmm.

Was one of those perfect days.  Everything went just enough according to plan to make it fabulous, but there were just enough possible hiccups to remind us we are humand and can not expect everything to go perfectly.

Kendra and I had made plans to go to NYC to see the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Met.  So I left my house at 7 to make the (about) 1 hour drive to Kendra's, where-in we went to her local train station to get the train into Philadelphia, to catch the Bolt Bus to NYC.  Now - Bolt is the least organized group I have ever had to deal with.  You would think, with the number of bus trips they run, they would have SOMETHING set up to organize stuff, but they don't.  We were the 3rd or 4th people in live, but we ended up getting shoved to the back before we got onand got the seats by the bathroom.  They were just as comfortable as any other seat on the bus but - why do people think the person sitting next to the potty knows how the light goes on?  Or how to lock the door?  Oy. Andyway - nice drive in - no traffic, no accidents, no probs. 

Got off the bus at 34th St, next to the Tick Tock Diner, which I have always wanted to eat at.  Took the subway ( my first time on the NYC subway!  ) to Central Park and wandered across the park to the Met.  Did I mention the weather was PERFECT yesterday?  Warm, sunny, a breeze - it was lovely.  Enjoyed Central Park, loads, it is SO gorgeous there.  Buskers playing their instruments, children laughing, teens laying out, young couples snuggling, dogs, joggers, strollers - all quietly going about their business.  Happily.  Calmly.  With joy and purpose of life. 

So - we got to the Met, but decided some lunch was in order, so I got a knisch from a cart - oh yummy, yummy knisch, I love them SO!  We noshed (honestly?  Best knisch I have ever had!), then got in line.  THis would be the line to go INTO the museum.  Which took us about 45 minutes.  And about 30 minutes into it, an official looking museum guy comes along the line and says "the McQueen Exhibit is closed.  Even if it does re-open, you will have a 5 hour wait."  We decided to risk it and go in anyway.  Finally got into the museum, heard someone else asking about the McQueen exhibit, heard the wait was only 3 hours AND they were still letting people get in line so we DID.  And it only took us an hour and 45 minutes to actually get into the exhibit.  Woot!

The exhibit.  Wow.  His garments are SO amazing.  that man was the Tim Burton of fashion - he knew exactly how to fit garments just so, but still gave them that dark edge that makes his work cause a true gut reaction when you look at it.  They had some of my favorite dresses of his in the exhibit, including most of his Widows of Culloden line and the stunning flower dress.  there were videos of his shows running in several of the rooms, fabulous quotes from him throughout, loads of accessories - shoes - OMG his shoes!!!!!! - And easily 75% of his stuff was silk.  Gorgeous, fabulous silk.  I am SO glad we went.  It moved me to be in the same room with those amazing, one of a kind creations.  So beautiful.

Then we walked around, looked at Van Goghs, Manets, Monets, Degas - to bus surrounded by such beauty can do nothing be re-set your soul from all the filth one absorbs in their day to day life.  So, we headed out, back across Central Park - still gorgeous, still lovely, now with a breeze, and stopped at a fanTAStic cart that was selling waffles and ice cream and they have a spread that is made from crushed graham crackers.  Holy HANNAH was it good!  Walked the rest of the way back, took the subway back, looked in a few stores, ate at the Tick Tock (nom nom nom), made the bus home, even tho I had to be uncharacteristically rude to ensure we would NOT be stuck by the potty again, made the train, and made it home safe and sound.

Thank you, Kendra, for making that fantastic day possible!  Is this train going to West Trenton?  ;)

I should be sewing.  Or doing homework. But I am blowing idle time sitting at the PC.  Why do I do this to myself?  I dunno.  I suck.  ;)  N did science camp this week and LOVED it.  It was his first full day (9-3 anyway) camp and it really seemed to be well organized and well run. They did loads of projects and learned things they hadn't known before.  I'm glad we sent him.

  Tonight is the last Harry Potter movie.  Tomorrow is a trip to MD to visit my Godson Tre. Sunday we are going to see Comedy of Errors at the PA Shakespeare Festival (SO looking forward to that!) Monday is - QUIET!  Woohoo!  Pick up the kids and then sew and do homework.  I hope I have all of my homework finished by then - but just in case - sew and do homework! 
  In other news - I worked last night for the first time in over a month and I realized just how much I like my job.  I like the customers and the space and the work.  Sure, there are things I would do differently than Shelly does, but she certainly seems to be getting the job done, so to speak.

Ok - finished wasting time.  Homework now.

School - I am in school.  Two, online, summer courses.  It's a LOT of work - because they are only 6 week classes instead of the regular 14, but you have the same amount to learn.  And my CIS teacher (Computer Information Systems - not that you didn't know that) thinks that we should be devoting 24-40 hours per week to her class alone. HAHAHAHA  Who has that kind of time?  But she certainly does give us a lot of work to do.  I just hope I can keep up with it AND get the sewing I am doing accomplished AND be a mom/wife/housemother.  It's kinda crazy around here right now.   And did I mention I have a 13 year old?  And all the trappings that go with him?

  In other news - I went to New York City for the Romance Writer's of America conference 2 weeks ago and it was fantastic!  I met SO many fantastic authors, sat in on many informative panels, found some new authors that I adore (Molly Harper.  Go read her.  Seriously.) While I was there, I went to see How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying with Daniel Radcliffe and John Laroquette.  It was FANTASTIC!  they have fabulous chemisrty, the cast really seems to enjoy themselves, the show is fabulously staged and it was a really good choice for me!

May 21st - it has been touted at the day of the rapture - or, as we have always called it, the great snatch.  I am Christian, but I have never believed in the rapture.  I still don't.  But I am not going to run around and make fun of the people who do.  I don't mind the occasional joke - ie - Luna's tweet quoting Ghostbusters - made me laugh, yes indeedy.  But some of the people I am friends (albeit, very distant) with are being downright nasty about it.  And I don't like the looting thing either, because I don't like looting as a general idea.  Why do people have to be so mean to beople who have different beliefs than they do?  Why do most of my posts contain a statement to that effect?  ;)

Just letting you know.  And if all of you DO - then I know you are following Neil Gaimen, and you already know that Diana Wynne Jones died yesterday.  But I just found out and that makes me sad because I love her books.  Boo hoo.  :(

And - also in books - you should ALL read of Bees and Mist.  It's fantastic.

Date:	2011-01-19 10:29
Subject:
Security:	Public
Mood:	rejected

THings I hate about Facebook -


You feel oh so VERY uninvited.  People feel the need to make public plans - or make their plans public - and you don't want to be the annoying hanger on going - oh oh - me toooooo!  Or they go on and on about all the things they are doing - which - again - you are uninvited to.  It's so stupidly highschool that it bugs me, but it freakin does.  A lot.  And it annoys me that it bugs me.  I want to say - HEY - what about me?  But - like highschool - I figure if they actually wanted me around - they would have asked in teh first place - right? 

A poke is now a friendship.  Apparently - if you poke someone once a week - you are best buds.  It means they know all about you and get to call you a good friend.  Never mind that you never actually TALK to each other.  You never see each other.  You are never invited to their house and they quite rarely come to yours.  You are as close as close can be.

The universal bitch line.  So - I know I rant in here often - but it's my journal and I have a very limited readership - if anyone still reads this at all.  And I usually feel guilty about being negative and bitchy - but on facebook?  Apparently it is where you complain about EVERYTHING.  Weather, spouses, jobs, lives, parents, kids, cars, friends.  I try to be as positive as possible on there to try and counter all the negative I see.

The universal LOOK WHAT I GOT line.  If you aren't bitching about what is wrong, you are bragging about what people got you.  Or you got yourself.  I got a new car/boat/tv/radio/phone/whatever the hell other commercial item we spent money you don't have on ....


I know not everyone is like this.  And I know we all post something that falls under each of these peeves of mine.  Even I do it sometimes.  And I am not pointing fingers at anyone - tho I am sure someone will take what I wrote personally.  These are just trends I have noticed that irritate me. 

because I can't post to FB on this one -

Today is Spencer's 13th birthday party.  We're having it at a place called Jungle Wonder.  9 children.  All boys between the ages of 8 and 17 - ok - aside from Myles 8 and 13 - and not one parent is coming.  I am lucky enough that Ben can come home early today and help me - but really?  I NEVER just dump my kids and go for birthday parties - am I out of the norm for that?  I realize, I am asking the wrong group of poeple because I don't think any of you have kids old enough to leave somewhere unsupervised - but I would never do that to the parents!  It just sur[rises me is all.  Yeay for my fantast5ic husband!

see me - but if you could - you would see I have my pouty face on.  And for no particularly good reason, to boot.  I am just feeling very ho-hum today.  And prone to tears.  And bleah.  And the world can go away, I just want to stay home and bake stuff and eat stuff and cover myself with blankets.  *SIGH*

If you like Muppets - or Star Wars - or good pop art - or have an ironic sense of humour - you really should check out this guy - http://www.jameshance.com/paintings-and-prints.html

His stuff makes me smile and cry - in a good way!  Chelli - I really think you would get a kick out of his art!  :)

SHOES!

http://www.dmusastore.com/p-3320-hello-kitty-mary-jane.aspx

why some people get divorced.  I understand why, sometimes, a couple that has been together for years and years suddenly realizes they don't know each other any more.  You wake up one day (figuratively, not literally) and realize that the person he is now is not the man you married - or, if he is, he hid it completely.  While you never agreed on everything, you agreed on enough of the major points to be able to have pleasant conversations.  And now?  Nothing.  You agree about nothing any more.  Not even the stuff that should have melded over the years together.  And it's not even that you don't agree - it's that he hates what you are.  It's like being a black woman married to a man you find out is part of the KKK.  It's a moment when I understand.

I have new perfume - and it makes me SO happy!  I smell nommy - woohoo!  I haven't purchased "real" perfume (read - not a knock off or a body spray) in over 15 years - and when I was out Sunday I smelled DKNY - Be Delicious - Fresh Blossom - and it has grapefruit and jasmine - it was MADE for me!  :)  Happy happy me!

 In other news - the sellers of that house that I really liked?  Pulled their house off the market.  *sigh*  I am getting QUITE frustrated with this whole thing.  That's our 3rd offer in 3 months that has gone south.  So now we are looking in Souderton school district.  I had wanted to avoid them beause their taxes are kinda high, but they aren't as high as some other places I have been looking at lately and if , in the end, we get a house I like and Ben's commute is shorter - woohoo!  Plus - Souderton is closer to Kendra!  lololol  ;)  I was quite frustrated yesterday - I am feeling a little more positive today.  Something is out there - we will find it.

I think we may be buying the house we went to look at today. It's my second time there.  I really like it - it has 2 plus lovely acres - fully fenced yard, woods, a stream, gorgeous gardens.  Kitchen, living room, dining room, family room, 4 bedrooms (3 up one down), 2 full baths, 1 car garage with a room above it and a gorgeous breezeway, plus a deck.  It has a very good feel to it, it's out in the country and it's in our price range.  We're going to look at the victorian again tomorrow, but I just like the country feel to the house we were at today.  I like hearing nothing but rain outside (glorious rain.  delicious rain.  Delightful rain)

  Harumph.  ;)

So - I went to my 20 year Class Reunion last night.  It was - interesting?  Odd?  Not what I expected?  Yes - all of those things.  First off - it made me realize that most of my really good friends were not in my class.  I realized about 15 minutes after I got there and decided there were only 4 people coming that I really wanted to catch up with - that my friends - my really good friends - in high school were Heather, Liz, Tara, Andy, Josh, Jen Blair, Wexler, preppies, and peope from my old school - ok - Shannon - but you know what I mean.  And only two of those people actually graduated with me.  So it was kind of sad seeing people I didn't remember at ALL and realizing I missed the people I did remember - not the people I was in the same grade as.  In fact, I spent more time talking to Barb Decker, who was from the year behind me, (but is married to someone I graduated with) than anyone else. 

I mean - it was nice to see some people - but in some ways it was depressing - What do you do?  I'm a mom - where do you live?  2 doors down from where I lived when I graduated - oooh.  Exciting.  I've gone REALLY far, haven't I?  I'm glad I went.  I got to see Claire Carberry - who was always one of my favorite people - and Jess Torres - oh - and Cher Carl is FAT - which gives me massive satisfaction.  And no - Brad Rozanski wasn't there.  For which I was glad.  But Chris Black?  Turned out just as hot as I figured he would.  lol

Hello???

Is there anyone out there?  Not one of my friends has posted in 24 hours!  It's bizarre.  Unless - you ARE posting and I am just not in the loop of who can see and who can't.  *sigh*  ;)

Question - Could you live in the house of a deceased friend?