New Discovery

AAAAGGGG!!  I just found a fat pad on my foot.  I didn't know you could get fat there.  That is the final straw.  I am starting a real diet tomorrow.  Not one of those fake diets where you just pretend you aren't eating junk, but sneak it when no one is looking.  A real diet where I don't eat crap all day long.  No more crap!!! No more fat pad on my feet!!!

Disappear

The blessings of blogging is one can just disappear into it and completely ignore their own life.  As I resurface three hours later I am much better able to face my own challenges.  Thank you for your funny, insightful, inspiring words. 

Stolen days

Yesterday I was supposed to work, but it was so slow that I was able to leave after only 4hours. My husband didn't have school so we were able to have a free day together. We went to lunch, then shopping for my birthday present(new boots), free makeup, and some new clothes. After a nap, we still had time to study and went to bed early. We have been trying to have a "date day" FOREVER, and to have this stolen day was wonderful. And I was paid for it.

Note To Self #1

Why oh why do I do this to myself?  I made Tres Leches Cake (translation Three Milks) yesterday knowing that I am lactose intolerant.  I also know that I love this cake.  I cannot say no when it is around.  So what did I do?  My husband and I ate almost half of it yesterday.  I hurt all the way up to my ribs.  Every breath reminds me why I should NEVER eat that cake and yet I do.  Even now, I know it is in the fridge and I want just one bite.  Dare I go down that road again?  Can I have just one bite?

New Years Resolution in November

I think regularly about all the writer blogs that I follow, an am occasionally jealous that I am  not more of a writer.  The only creative writing I have ever done is haiku poems in grade school.  I wrote haiku because they were only three lines and had no story.  Fit the requirements without too much work.  I don't even have a journal, because every time I start one it just becomes a place to whine and complain.  Then I realize that if I blogged two or three times a week, this could be a journal.  I can't spend all my time being miserable or complaining because "people" will be reading it.  True, I don't have many followers, but those of you that read and comment make a difference to me.  So we are going to pretend that the last month didn't happen and I will set a goal to blog more.  Now I have an electric recording of my thoughts and days.  When someone feels like writing a story about my life (as I am sure they will) there will be something to follow.

Free Surgery

How often would you get surgery if it was free?  I got my eyes lasered last year and it comes with a lifetime guarantee.  That means that I can go in for a "touch-up" if my eyes change at all.  After one year, my astigmatism has return in my right eye.  That means that sometimes, when I am really tired, I feel like I need to strain to get perfect focus.  Should I go in for another eye surgery?  Will I need to go in every year to get my cornea resurfaced again and again?  How many times can I have surgery on my eyes before things start to go really wrong?  Or, should I just get a really cute pair of glasses that I only wear when I feel like it.  What do you think?

Who Stole My Cats?

For the past six years I have thought that I owned two cats.  This week I have realized that they are actually dogs.  Amos has turned into a lap dog, that whines and complains unless he is sitting on my lap, sprawled over whatever book or project I am working on.  Annie is a watchdog.  She stands at attention with her front paws on the windowsill watching for any intruders into our backyard.  If she sees anything, she runs from window to window growling.  Did I say she runs?  I meant she lumbers.   Thump thump thump thump thump thump.  No stealth at all.  Where did my cats go?  Will they return the animals I used to know that slept on the bed all day, or moved from sunbeam to sunbeam chasing the endless nap?

Working Conditions

Of all the nerve.  The hospital calls me in and offers me double-time for an extra shift so I can't say no.  Then they actually expect me to work.  Unacceptable.  Don't they know that I am almost done with a really good book?  I must see how it ends but it is too busy for me to even crack it open.  My Kindle lies there on the counter calling to me every time I run by on my way to the next patient.  Please please please just give me a few minutes to reconnect with the characters and READ THE ENDING!!!

Problem Solved...I hope.

I think I have finally solved my computer problem.  I can’t believe it took me this long.  I write my blogs on a word document and then paste it.  My poor computer gets tired having to do two things at once, so this way I hopefully will be able to post AND visit blogs before it gives up exhausted.  Hopefully I can even fit a comment or two in. 

What is it with Twilight???

I just finished reading The Scarlet Letter and the entire time I was amazed by the characterization.  It was so refreshing to read a book that had more substance and depth than I what I usually read (middle-grade fantasy).  I savored that book.  Every paragraph was beautiful.  But now it is over.  Now I can give in to the ridiculous urges I have been having lately.  For some reason I feel the need to reread Twilight.  “Oh, look.  It is cloudy out.  I should read Twilight.”  “Man, that guy looks greasy, I should read Twilight.”  "That girl has brown hair, I should read Twilight."  Ugh.  I don’t even like the story that much.  What is wrong with me? 

Joshua Tree In All Its Glory

Over Labor Day weekend my husband and I went to Joshua Tree National Park. We both enjoy the outdoors and love to hike  There is a 3.7 mile trail (one way) that my husband wanted to try.  Sure.  Right.  It was 113 degrees out.  We had already run 4 miles early that morning and I was on my period so I didn't want to go that far, but I really don't like being a wimp. 
We got to the beginning of the hike and I started getting the water together.  What did my husband say?  "We don't need that.  I am not going to carry it."  Good thing I didn't listen to him.  What I actually said was, "OK.  I will carry it but I won't share."  Five minutes into the hike he offered to carry the water.  What he wanted was a drink.  It was REALLY hot. 
We got about two miles in and I was exhausted.  Did I mention I was on my period?  That we had already run four miles?  I was plugging along getting hot and cranky when I saw a deer bound across the path.  My husband said it was a goose.  What? A goose?  It was NOT a goose.  That was the final straw and I refused to go any further.  
On the way back I stopped under the shade of a bush to relax for a minute.  Did I see all the stickers on the ground?  Of course I did but I sat down anyway.  Those stickers don't come out and they don't brush off.  My husband spent the night pulling all the little thorns out of my bum with a pair of tweezers.

I'm Back and Better Than Ever

It has been quite a summer.  I have been out of the blogging habit since moving and am using a different computer.  My husband has claimed the better one for school (like that is important or something) so I am stuck with the one that keeps freezing.  But KarenG's blog about creative cooking inspired me to return to my blog.  I am neither a creative cook (I always follow the recipe) nor a creative writer.  But school is back in session and my computer looks out the window at a flowering magnolia tree and with Diet Coke in hand I return to the computer. 

Well, looks like I have nothing to say so I will see you on your blogs!!  Happy Autumn Everyone!

For Someone Who Hates Mushrooms...and Chicken

I have never liked mushrooms.  I couldn't even eat pizza if there had been mushrooms on it, their flavor would taint everything around it and cream of mushroom soup made me gag.  Then there is chicken, the most boring meat on the planet.  It is what you eat when there is nothing else around (and of course there is a bag of it in my freezer).  That said, I was watching the food network and the lady was making this Pan-Seared Chicken with Porcini-Chestnut Sauce...in other words Mushroom Chicken.  For some reason I went to the store, purchased the ingredients, and made the recipe that night.   Oh. My. Gosh.  I think I died and went to heaven.  It is so good that I have made it twice (with rice instead of orzo and pecans instead of chestnuts).

Eat Pray Love

For some reason I had not finished this book.  It was my "read while running on the treadmill" story but I quit going to the gym for a while and forgot about this book.  Yesterday I picked it up again (at the gym) after seeing a preview for the movie.  I was immediately sucked back in.  I feel like I am reading her journal, seeing into her soul.  It reminds me of all the blessings in my life.  Seeing the broken pieces of someone else's life really puts things in perspective.  I wonder if the movie will be able to capture the spirit of the story, or will it just become fluff.

The Trouble with Reading

I have a problem.  I read and read and read and then when I sleep I am reading in my sleep.  I spent all last night chasing after the characters in my current addiction.  I woke up exhausted.  How am I supposed to work?  I keep trying to limit the amount of hours I spend with my face in my Kindle, but I continually give in to my addiction.  I read at red lights, when I am stopped in traffic, while I am waiting three minutes to clock in at work.  Now that we are in our perfect new place, I curl up in the front room and read instead of unpacking all our clothes.  I think I have a problem.

The End of Reality Dysfunction

I finally finished reading all six books in the Reality Dysfunction series.  There was so much story packed into those books, I actually want to reread them.  Unfortunately I think he ruined the ending.  Perhaps I am the only person who thinks so, but still.  What a letdown.  He had all this build up with about six or seven different plotlines reaching a breaking point and then pfffttt.  It is all magically fixed, there is no residual effects, alls well that ends well.  How lame.  He put such detail into every aspect of the story how could he just overlook the ending like that.  I am sure he has the creativity to fix it, but maybe he was tired of the story by then and just wanted it over. I was hoping for more...but I will read it again.

What $2 Will Buy You

Other that one night spent walking for hours, we spent our vacation in a variety of hotels (using that word loosely).  I won't bore you with a list of places, their prices, pros and cons, but I will mention one.  We had spent all day on a bus and arrived in town about 9pm.  Using the trusty Lonely Planet Guide we selected a hospedaje only a few blocks from the bus stop.  Supposedly it had comfortable beds.  For $2 we got a room. 

Perhaps it had changed owners since the publishing of the Lonely Planet because I would not label these beds "comfortable".  I would have said, "Beware of the pillows."  The pillows were full of bugs, small termitey looking things.  Maybe flying ants, I don't know.  We brushed the bugs off the bed, threw the pillows into the corner, used our own blanket and generous amounts of bug repellent.  I actually slept really well.

Apartment Hunting

I am looking for an new apartment as our lease is up in eight days.  I have found the perfect place.  It has a gormet kitchen, separate dining room, laundry room complete with washer and dryer, a front AND back door, and a garage.   Unfortunatly, they seem to have a problem with cats....how can you have a home without cats? 

So instead we are going to have to move somewhere else.

Although small, they have no problem with bringing along your pets.  The entire place can be lit up with one light bulb so the electric bill will be manageable, there is no indoor plumbing so the water bill will be nonexistant.  I can't wait to show my husband our new home.

Broken Blogger

So I made it safely back from vacation only to be thwarted by blogger. I can't figure out how to get my new picture the right size for my blog. I actually haven't even decided which one to use but as I was playing with my edits I must have broken something. I can't even get my old picture of Flores up there to be the right size. Next I tried to insert some pictures into this blog but could only get them to show up at the top of the text. Surely somewhere there is a tutorial for how to use this site without resorting to trial and error, calling family, or begging your blogger friends. Having failed trial and error, been brushed off by my family, I am asking fellow bloggers, "How do I get pictures into the text, and how do I adjust the size of the picture at the top of the blog?" Better yet, where is a tutorial? That way I can solve my future problems. I guess this is what I deserve after dropping out of society for three weeks......

Paqueta

I am officially an idiot. Surfing all day with no sunblock...what was I thinking? Once I figure out how to add pictures using a foreign computer you will see. I am the one that looks like a sundried tomato. Even my fingers are burnt.
Our Good Deed. We adopted a kitty named Paqueta. She looks about 3-4 weeks old, fits in the palm of my hand, and was abandoned at a ferry port (pictures forthcoming). There is no town there, no people, no other animals and she just appeared there the day we arrived. She adopted us and we could not leave her behind....she would have died. Our plan was to get her to a vet, get her papers so we could fly home with her. Unfortunately, this is not the states. There aren't vets where we were. There are no PetSmarts, Walgreens, or anywhere we could get her supplies. We were able to feed her milk from a soda lid, but taking buses was tricky. Where can she go to the bathroom? On my sweater is where. Yesterday we took her with us on the beach as we searched for the surf classes we wanted. Once we got there, the kitty didn't want to leave. She kept running back up to the little house. Luckily the people there loved her too and said they would take care of her. We spent last night with her and took her back there today. I am sad. We only got to keep her four days. She was the sweetest little thing with the biggest personality. She scared all the stray dogs.
Tomorrow we leave Samara and head up to Nicaragua. We are all anxious to reach Guatemala and settle in there. I am glad we visited Costa Rica, but Guatemala is home (sort of). Once there I will figure out this picture thing.

What day is it, anyway?

So much to say, but the sun is calling my name. It finally stopped raining today, but it is too late for our clothes. They are all moldy. After our beach walk we will be doing our laundry. I can't get away from it even on vacation. But here are a few hints about our travels...mango tree, tiny kitty, wasps nest, midnight hike. Perhaps tomorrow or the next day will come a story. What day is it, anyway?

Costa Rica Day Two

What happened to day one, you ask. Well, I will tell you. Day one began on an airplane over Nevada. Our seats didn´t recline, they charged us for water, and although it was 2am we couldn´t sleep. Our flight connected through Fort Lauderdale where we had a three hour layover. My husband and I were planning on walking around the airport to get the circulation back in our legs, but we couldn´t leave the terminal without passing through security. At least there were lots of people watching to do.

We reached Costa Rica at 11:30 am. After a bus ride, wandering around San Jose for several hours, another bus ride, a ferry, a taxi, and another hour of walking we finally got to a motel. It was 10:30 pm. Did I mention that it was pouring down rain? And yes, we were walking. It didn´t bother me because I have traveled with my husband before and I knew what to expect. We go from one motel to the other trying to talk them down to a cheaper rate. Our buddy who is travelling with us was not prepared for all the effort so by the time we finally got settled he was cranky. Too bad for him. Cranky doesn´t help.

This morning after a great night sleep I was able to see where we landed. Free internet!!! And the most delicious breakfast ever. And it is still pouring down rain. Today we will try to make it to our final destination, but with the roads in such bad condition from the rain I don´t think it will happen. Well, that is part of the fun. You never know what you are getting when you travel with my husband.

Computer Vacation

I have been so glad that school is out for the summer that I haven't even touched a computer. I have spent my last week at the gym, visiting my family, and working (not very hard). Although I have missed my blogging buddies, I haven't missed sitting at this desk helping my husband study. Tonight we leave for Costa Rica for three weeks. I will probably be more consistant blogging there than I have been lately because it will be my connection to reality. See you there!!!

I LOVE SUMMER

Thank goodness today it is all over. My husband took his final this morning and already has his grade for the class. We now have 6 weeks of stress-free living before it starts up again, but they will be the best six weeks of the year. Three of then will be spent in Costa Rica and three at the gym, enjoying the sun, and beach. I LOVE SUMMER!!!

The Dangers of Chocolate Withdrawl

Captains Log stardate 2010, day three of the chocolate boycott. Thus far the experience has been uneventful but I sense a change on the horizon. My throat is sour and a cough is developing. As I never get a cold, I can only surmise that the lack of chocolate is at fault. I will try to muscle through this, but if I succumb to the call of the chocolate to cure the cold then I know that chocolate will be a part of my life forever. I only hope others will learn from me and not tempt the Gods of Chocolate.

Alarm clock

There is a window right by my bed that is covered with a thick blanket to keep out the bright lights of the street. The window is never opened. But, every morning when the cats decide that we have slept long enough they pull back that blanket and shine the street lights right across my face. It never fails to get me out of bed, no matter how late I fell asleep.

Fat and Happy

Not really. Fat and no clothes fit is more like it. But will I do anything about it? Probably not. Maybe just buy more clothes. Maybe start a fad diet that will end up increasing my weight by ten pounds. What I will do is hide the scale. That should help. Of course I could swear off chocolate for one month and see what that does. I will start tomorrow.....

The Too Long Story

Ok, back to the Reality Dysfunction. The book that started out awkward, then became fascinating is now drudgery. I am almost finished with the second book and the thought of this story continuing for four more books is more than I can bear. Usually I just read the last couple of chapters when I am bored with a story so I can get "closure" but with a story that lasts 6 books doesn't give me that capability. How will I know the ending unless I plow through all those pages? Is it worth it? I will probably finish it and then sleep for a week to recover from the strain.

I have been tagged by Niki. Since I am secretly jealous of her life I must do as she says and answer these five questions five times.

Where were you five years ago?
1. Living in Koreatown at the heart of gangland paying 1/3 of the rent I pay now.
2. Working at California Hospital learning to be a labor and delivery nurse, also at the heart of gangland.
3. Newly married to my Latin lover who had rules about me not going outside the apartment when he wasn't with me. I guess he forgot I lived there without him for three years and never got myself killed.
4. New parents to Amos and Annie (my kitties). Latin lover saw a mouse and finally agreed to a cat. I managed to convince him to get two.
5. Drowning in debt after two years of all school and no job.

Where would you like to be five years from now?
1. Living in my own place with no roommates, perhaps in Arizona where it is always warm.
2. Thinner. Even a little bit would be nice.
3. Back in school (again).
4. Latin lover out of school and bringing home the bacon.
5. Did I say I wanted to be living in my own place with no roommates? If I say it twice will it come true?

What is on your to-do list today?
1. Go to gym so I can be thinner.
2. Shop at Costco.
3. Read books (I am reading four right now. They all demand my attention.)
4. Put away laundry. The roommates clean the apartment. They even clean the kitchen so I don't have to usually have to do that, thank goodness.
5. Study Pediatric nursing with my Latin lover. That will take all day.

What five snacks do you enjoy?
1. Popcorn.
2. Oatmeal cookie dough.
3. Diet Coke.
4. Dried apples.
5. Chocolate chips.

What would you do if you were a Billionaire?
1. Take my entire extended family on a vacation around the world to see famous historical sites.
2. Pay off my student loans.
3. Buy a computer with a "u" that works every time.
4. Provide housing for my entire family.
5. Live on a wildlife preserve for big cats, preferably the size of Wyoming.

Enough about me, how about learning about these five bloggers?
Ann Best
Ann
Jayne
Faith
KarenG

Ruins of Tikal

I love the picture at the top of my blog. It is of Flores, a small town in Guatemala. If you could pan the picture a little more to the right, you could see the place we stayed. Flores is a small island town accessable by a brige, about 30 minutes away from the Mayan ruins of Tikal. Tical is an amazing place. There are over 2000 ruins that have been unearthed with many more to resore.

If I was a writer, I would love a story set in this village. I always imagined the person in this photo was doing that very thing as he worked on his laptop.



I know nothing about the history of this place. Why is there an opening in the staircase? Inside there were just a couple of rooms...perhaps for guards.
I loved visiting Tikal. Unfortunately we spent only one day there. Perhaps with this next trip there will be time for a longer visit.

Oh The Sweet Agony

How could I forget that I am lactose intolerant? Why would I think that I could eat so much tres leches cake and not feel the after effects? But I just can't stop myself. So, so delicious. Velva of Tomatoes on the Vine (I couldn't get the likn button to work) posted the recipie and although mine wasn't as pretty, the taste was perfect. My husband who lived in Guatemala for three years took one bite and said, "Now THAT is good Tres Leches."

Working For A Living

Today I am feeling very grateful that I have a job. I work only three days a week, live 10 min from my job, and enjoy the other nurses. I always get the assignment that I want and basically enjoy myself. When I return home, my husband will make dinner, massage my feet, and feed me Diet Coke. I have a good life. Soon it will be even better.

"The Reality Dysfunction" by Peter F Hamilton

I have been tearing through that sci-fi book faster than I ever imagined I would considering the rocky beginning. Once I started ignoring the technology passages the story was fascinating. He uses multiple points of view which is distracting to some, but I had no problem keeping everyone straight. The story is six books, each one over 500 pages so I am anticipating a nice long time before I have to worry about what to read next. Actually, I am trying to slow down. I have started to dream about the characters. Sometimes their stories intrude on my brain while I am supposed to be working and I have to bring myself back to reality. It is my own Reality Dysfunction.

Kitchen Dancing

Why Jane Finchwood, what are you doing dancing around your kitchen floor? Haven't you been up since 4am? Yes, I have been awake for quite some time but I feel wonderful today. I just bought airline tickets for Costa Rica. I am getting a three week vacation from studying, work, and roommates. I also drank a ZippFizz, that magical elixir that fills me with joy and energy. Today I am taking on the world!!! Right after the grocery store trip for tres leches cake ingredients.

Bad Mood Blog

I don't want to be a complainer but...this is my forum. I will complain if I want. This is my problem with today. My roommate puked outside the apartment because he drank too much, his brother is visiting and smells like cigarettes, somebody made bacon and left the grease sitting in the pan so the whole place smells like a fast food restaurant (not in a good way). Even though it is the end of April it is freezing outside so I can't open a window and air out the place. The cats keep fighting with each other, my stomach hurts from too much Diet Coke, and I need a shower. On second thought, I will just go back to bed. After my nap all will be well.

I Take It Back

Ok, I jumped to conclusions. Chapter 1 was techy hell, chapter 2 was biology heaven. He chronicled a planet from its inception through evolution to the creation of sentient beings. Much more my speed. Now I can't wait to see where he is leading with all this.

Grownup Books

I have been reading YA exclusively for a while. Not by any plan, but that is just what happened. Saturday I started a Sci-Fi book. After reading the first paragraph I realized my brain had become atrophied. I understood none of it. "The pseudofabric structure of the wormholes was a photonic dead zone." Am I supposed to know what that means? Do regular people understand that? Will I figure it out by the end of the book? Is it even important? Do I care? I want to care because my coworker is waiting anxiously for me to tell her how much I love the book. But it is work for my lazy brain. "Captain Kyle Prager was shocked out of a simple astrogration review by a datavised proximity alert from the flight computer." Sigh...Only 580 pages to go.

Cookbooks

Is it sad that I get just as much joy out of reading a cookbook as I do after reading a novel? I don't cook the recipies, just dream about them. Perhaps after I have my perfect kitchen I will actually make them....Chocolate-Dipped Brownies....Berry Cream Muffins....Super Strawberry Shortcake. I am not fixated on dessert, just reading a dessert cookbook. Maybe this weekend I will read my Slow Cooker Bible.

A Little Bit of Nothing

I have one hour. Both of my roommates have left for work and my husband is at the gym. For one hour the apartment is all mine. I will pet my kitty's and drink Diet Coke. Maybe I will bake brownies since someone cleaned the kitchen. Only one precious hour, and it is ticking away.

Laundry As An Avoidance Technique

I have something I am supposed to be doing. I am supposed to be studying. I love to study. I love to learn new things. I like staying up late because I am focused on gaining knowledge. I like stretching my brain and learning something outside the area of Labor and Delivery nursing. But I hate ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support). I have a 4 hour refresher course tomorrow. I have to take this class every two years, and it never gets easier. I don't use it (ever) and the information never seems to stick to my brain.

So instead of learning all about heart problems and the medication, symptoms, and treatments that go with it, I am catching up on all the blogs I have missed lately. I am also doing laundry. I always get so much laundry done when I am avoiding something. I can say, "Look what I did," even though I don't like laundry either.
I am now down to eleven hours till go time. I still know nothing. Of course there is always more laundry......I could go to the gym......or the grocery store......make bread.....

Seven Interesting Thing....

Thanks Niki for the beautiful blogger award. This means I have to write seven interesting things about myself. Now if only I could figure out how to get the award over here....

1. I read Lost Boys by Orson Scott Card two times in a row without putting it down, and I had to work the next day.

2. My scrubs never match....and neither do my socks. Nobody can see socks, so who cares?

3. I have been to six different universities and still don't have a bachelors degree.

4. I swear I was abducted by aliens in the seventh grade...I lost an entire hour.

5. Two houses I lived in as a child had secret chambers.

6. Sometimes I am too tired to go to bed. My husband has to send me like a little child. I will just continue staring at the computer or television as I slump lower and lower in my seat.

7. I have never held a job down longer that 18 months.

Enough about me, now onto the blogs that actually deserve this award....
A New Kind of Medicine
Running on Dirt Roads
Mental Maytag
Emjay

Kindle Heaven

Ok, this post is entirely inspired by KarenG at Coming Down the Mountain and her post on e-publishing. Although I did comment, there is so much more I want to say about my Kindle. I am writing this from the point of view of a reader, not a writer seeking publication.

My favorite thing about it is that I can lie in bed under the covers and read without the book being too awkward. My kindle was broken for a short time and the return to regular books was frustrating. My arms would get cold, my finger tired of propping up the book. It also takes up much less space on my bedside table, one thin item instead of three or four books.

Wireless delivery is amazing. As soon as I remember a book that I want to read, two minutes later I have it. Even as I am writing this post I am ordering books (The Giver). It does take more self control because I don't see the money leaving my wallet like it does in a regular bookstore. I am prepared to be tempted in Borders, but having a bookstore at my fingertips is tricky.

My husband loves my Kindle because there are boxes of books he will never have to move again. They can stay at my parents house forever. He doesn't have to hear how I miss them, or find I have managed to sneak a few more into the solitary bookcase in our cramped apartment. If only Harry Potter was available.

When the Kindle goes into sleep mode a picture of an author appears on the screen, Jules Verne today. As I look at different authors, I am reminded of all the quality books, classics, and childhood favorites that I once read and am encouraged to seek books that stretch my mind.

The screen is very easy on my eyes. Unlike computers that shoot light at you, the kindle uses different technology so it is not at all like reading a monitor. It is more like reading an old paperback with faded pages. The ink is still easy to read but the paper is a little darker. Because I can make the font different sizes, there is no eye strain. I prefer tiny print because it is more like a book, but the large font is nice for when I am jogging. Some books have a text-to-speech option so I can listen to the story. Unfortunately, it isn't a nice soothing voice but a male or female computer voice. I have only used it for the Old Testament.

Using it for textbooks is less useful. Although I can highlight and make notes, it is to0 hard to search easily. The large pages of a textbook allow for easier skim reading. Front to back reading is fine but looking for something if you aren't exactly sure where is very frustrating.

The days of record players and the large artwork that covered the albums are gone. When smaller cassettes appeared people missed the ease of finding the song, having a stack of records drop automatically into place, the artwork. Ipods have changed everything again. The volume of music that can be stored and the quality of the sound outweigh any of the nostalgia over the loss of records. Records have their own feel, smell, sound, and memories, but cannot compare to the current technology. I think that books will eventually go the same way as this technology continues to improve.

Stability is over rated

My entire life I have been looking forward to the time when things settle down. I have been busy about my life jumping from one university to another, one job to another, one apartment to another, always thinking that soon I could settle down in a little house with a little job and a little family. I have been at my current hospital for one full year, and although I really like it I have discovered something about myself I never knew. I do not want stability, I do not want dependability. I want to go back to travel nursing where I am looking for a new job every three months, in a new apartment every six. I didn't see the world as most of my jobs were in the LA area, but the change was something I looked forward to. I am now faced with the thought that I will be here for another 1 1/2 years. No more travel nursing, no more moving. The gypsy part of my blood that I never new existed is crying.

Slacker City

My husband does all the laundry in our home. He collects, sorts, washes and dries it all. He does not, however, put it away. He doesn't think it is important because it just gets worn again, whether it is in a pile on the couch or in the closet where it belongs. He even likes laying on it like a pillow. (So do our cats.) I don't like it in big piles on our only couch but I hate folding clothes so much that I usually just let it sit there.....forever. Yesterday I finally started putting all the clothes away and noticed that there were a lot of dryer sheets. One dryer sheet for every load of laundry that was never put away. How many were there? Fourteen. Fourteen loads of laundry that never got put away. I feel like such a slacker. I always thought I would be such a super housekeeper when I finally grew up, but apparently the chores you hated as a child you still hate as an adult. Who new?

Fake Book Review

What a fun read! I just finished Ghost Waves by W. Everett Prusso and it was a delight. The last several books I have read were decent enough, but Ghost Waves was great from beginning to end. How refreshing to read a good story well told. I took the book to work today and every spare minute was filled with Captain Scrimshaw, Lady Reid, and the four heroes. Even though work was horrible and busy, these characters kept me sane. If only the book were three times as long and I could continue the story....but I will wait. I have no choice. This book has made my list of books to be re-read over and over.

And no, you can't borrow it. I might want it. You will have to get your own.

Blog Awards

Blog awards freak me out. I received an Over the Top award from Coming Down the Mountain and I couldn't handle the pressure. Answer questions? Only one word? People reading my innermost thoughts? Although I have been secretly jealous of blog awards ever since entering the blogging world, receiving my first one was scary. So scary in fact that I didn't even say thank you. I regressed back to fourth grade where I was too shy to say "Sorry" if I bumped into someone. I would just stare at them and hope they wouldn't talk to me. Of course now I never stop talking, but every now and then that old me pops up in weird places.

Then, again today, another award comes my way. Old Kitty surprises me with a Prolific Blogger award. This time I was able to unfreeze enough to at least say thank you. Perhaps someday I will have the courage to pick it up and pass it along. For now, I will just know it is there waiting patiently for me.

Yuck, allergies

Ugh, I am a mess. I have been looking forward to this afternoon of alone time filled with reading and music, but I have decided to be allergic to something instead. Some kind of rash is on my arm, my eye is swollen, and my allergy medicine isn't working. What a ruined day. At least I still have music as I scratch myself to death.

Calling all cat lovers

My cat is a freak. Well, one of them at least. "Amos" has decided that he never wants to be off my lap. This becomes a problem when he curls up in my lap and places his upper body on my book, keyboard, plate of food, whatever. When I shove him off he whines, circles my chair, and is back on my lap in 2 seconds. I think that I will get one of those baby carriers that mom's strap to their chest and put him in that. It will either make him very happy or he will decide that perhaps hiding under the Christmas tree is the best place for him. What do you think? Will this work? Will it at least get the cat hair out of my dinner plate?

On being Kathleen Kelly

Do you ever have days where you crave different life? Today I want to be Kathleen Kelly from You've Got Mail. In the morning she wakes up to an apartment with built-in bookcases. Kathleen wears modest yet stylish clothing as she walks to work every morning, in every season. She owns a tiny store and has a tiny circle of friends. Kathleen leads a simple life, even in New York City. Oh, the lessons I could learn.

I am Jane

This is my journal. Not The Ladies Home Journal or The Diary of Anne Frank, but something in between. Not that I'm stuck in an attic with people trying to kill me, but you know, personal. To start, I love to cook. Unfortunately, for someone who has been baking for the last 30 year I make a lot of mistakes. Today I made fudge. This fudge was boiling merrily away on the stove approaching soft ball stage when I realized I had doubled the butter. Oh well, butter only makes things better. After sopping all the excess off the top of the fudge (it only took 7 paper towels) it was quite edible. Yum, fudge.