Blibber Blabber

No rhyme, no reason

 

Who...Me?

I have to clean the house.
I have to get rid of stuff (exorcise my pack rat).
I might write.
I might design something for my shop.
I might do this.
I have to do that.

I do a great job holding myself back.

I've done a lot of soul-searching over the past few days.  There's a lot I've hidden from my family and friends; I've been miserable for the past six to nine months, and while I've known some of the reasons, it's been hard to pin down the root of the whole problem.  Thirty-five has been a hard year for me-- I'm still young, and yet I can't shake the feeling that my life's half over, that most of the things I've tried to accomplish have been failures.  My children are older, and don't need me like they used to; now that Mr. Calm has his mid-life crisis car (more on that later), OD will be able to drive his old car and isn't that terrifying enough???  More than anything, I'm very lonely here. I left a ton of friends and valuable pepole back in MA, and kick myself sometimes.  I will not live the rest of my life in Hermitville.

First and foremost, although I know I have a husband to lean on, I know that I have to work it all out myself: what I'm to do with myself, try to feel better about my life and its direction.  I've wanted to do a lot of things, study some of them even, but I've come to the conclusion that if I ever got a full-time career doing one of them-- cake decorating, editing, drawing, crafts--I would come to hate them.  They're hobbies, and I'm starting to be happy with that.  I've already come to peace about perhaps never having a book published.  I've been published over 20 times, and although there's a lot of crap out there that never should have been published by people who have no business writing (I sound bitter, but I'm really not, heh), that's quite a testament to my talent.

I want to do this: clean out all the clutter in my house.  Stop clinging to things that really have no value and start anew.  Take it easy with the hobbies and my shop: it does not have to be done now, and work until I feel sick because I've forgotten to eat and have smoked and drank too much coffee.  Set aside a day every week or two to get out by myself and explore; take pictures like I like to.  Taste and see new things without fear.

Realize that 35 more years is a long friggin' time.  It took a long friggin' time to get here, didn't it?

And this morning, I signed up for online classes to get my travel agent's certificate.  I haven't told anyone but Mr. Calm about that desire, and if I want a career, if I want to make money for myself, I'd rather do something I enjoy.  There are NO classes around here for me to take, so online's the way to go.  It's very strange, but I was a good student and will be again.

I want to be a phoenix.

***

Carmax gives you a five-day, money-back guarantee.  Mr. Calm's had the new (used, but pretty new) car for two days now: a 2003 red Saab.  Personally, it's not my cup of tea, but it's his car.  He desperately wanted our approval, but YD and I both told him: your money, you'll be driving it, think of it as your reward.  I think he's thisclose to keeping it. 

Men and their toys.

posted by: athenawj at 07:55 | link | comments (7) |
family, studies

Is it warm in here?

Wow.

I just told YD to go do something productive, and she did.

What's more, she's reading a book off her required summer reading list.

Has hell risen up to merge with this plane?

Are pigs flying?

Am I really in a brightly-colored room in a sanitarium?

posted by: athenawj at 16:51 | link | comments (4) |
kids

She Who May Sing for God

Word count: 3,722.

Pretty good for two days' work; two days after six months of planning!  And when I'm done putting it through the old final draft wringer, it's off to the ChiZine contest.  Let's see how I do on the third go-round.  Dunno; the judges are toughies.

Give me a "yay" that I finally friggin' wrote a story; throw in another one that it flowed so well, and wasn't like pulling teeth.

posted by: athenawj at 09:39 | link | comments (2) |
writing

Double Chocolate Cherry Pie

The pie was SO tasty.  Unbelievably good.  I'm so proud of myself!  So, that's the one that's going in the big contest at the fair, and I'll put the other one in the Refrigerated Pie category. 

Might have writing news tomorrow.  Might.

Don't jinx it!

posted by: athenawj at 13:24 | link | comments |
state fair, cooking & baking

Prepping

I made a variation of conchas yesterday, which is a type of Mexican sweet roll, except my filling was on the inside, not on top, and instead of one cinnamon filling and one vanilla, I did chocolate and vanilla.  Good-- a bit dense for my tastes, and there was something off-- a bit metallic-- about the chocolate roll's aftertaste, so I'm not going to enter it in the Fleischmann's contest at the fair, no matter how pretty it looked baked in my heart-shaped cake pan.

Someday in the next couple of weeks, I'm going to do herb rolls with a cheese filling baked in a Bundt pan.  If they turn out well, I'll enter those.  This year's going to be especially hectic: ALL of the baking entries are dropped off on the same day.  I'm going to have to figure out my sleep schedule for those two days.  Argh, and I have to go back later that day for the judging.  Ah, well... at least it's not on my birthday this time, which it's been for the last two or three years.

Luckily, I can do almost all the prep work for my cake well ahead of time.  Sorry I don't have the sketch scanned so I can show it off, but it'll be a sheet cake with a little cottage in one corner and a veggie garden in the other.  Scattered around the yard will be bushes, baskets, a little path, a chicken coop, chickens and cats (who live in harmony in my cake's yard), and some trees.  Besides the gingerbread house, the rest will be made with pastillage, fondant, and royal icing.  It's a job, for sure, but I've done the veggie garden before and won Best in Show, so I've got confidence, although any ribbon would be nice. :D

Doing the second of two pies tonight.  Making my final decision on which one I'll enter after I taste it.  Let you know when I know.

Still trying to decide if I'm entering some artwork.  Nice that they have the new computer artwork category... might enter Hippie Without a Cause.

posted by: athenawj at 20:06 | link | comments (2) |
state fair

Not Ready to Make Nice

Sitting here listening to "Not Ready to Make Nice", the latest Dixie Chicks' song.  I've had it for a few weeks, but kept forgetting to comment on it; how powerfully moved I was the first time I listened to it all the way through.

Everyone who knows me knows I'm not a huge country music fan; living here, you generally get it shoved down your throat, but living here has also introduced me to some good alt country that I wouldn't have ever heard before.  I also doubt that I'd have ever gotten into the Dixie Chicks if I hadn't been living near my middle sis.

I commented a couple of years ago how horrible it was what they had to go through simply because of Natalie Maines' (the lead singer) comment about how she was ashamed Bush was from Texas.  Listening to this song reminds you of all the hoo-ha, and that's putting it mildly.  If certain people sat down and listened to the lyrics of this song, they might be reminded that the barbs, the record burnings, the death threats were directed toward real people with real feelings.  And, oh yeah-- real Americans who have just as much right to speak their mind as those who agree with the government.  I just can't imagine being the victim of such hatred.

Made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don't mind saying
That it's a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they'd write me a letter
Sayin' that I'd better
Shut up and sing or my life will be over

There're still country radio stations that won't play them (although Sirius does), some concert dates have been postponed because of slow ticket sales, but I can't wait to get the entire album.  And, as they sing in the chorus of "Not Ready to Make Nice", they're still mad as hell, and they should be.  Hell, a lot more of us who're mad as hell should be just as vocal.

posted by: athenawj at 20:29 | link | comments (2) |
music

The Tree Lady

Sorry if that's not her official title, but that's what I'm calling her (or, Plant Lady).  Last visit, I didn't get to see her, but when YD and Mr. Calm went on our first trip (2003), she freaked YD out when YD spotted her in the bushes.  This trip, she was out and walking.  I tell you, it's never been harder to get a shot: people walking all around her, not caring if others are trying to take a friggin' picture.  It made it incredibly hard to focus, but I totally lucked out with the close-up.  She's totally gorgeous.

And, since I'm having trouble posting both pix to the blog, you can see the full-length picture of her in my media blog.  I'm thinking of cropping this one, fixing it a bit and entering it in the fair.  Thoughts?  Good enough?

 

posted by: athenawj at 09:42 | link | comments (6) |
photography, disney, state fair

Home again...

So, we're home.  We got back about 7:30 and the boys were so happy to see us.  Actually, Salem came to greet us; Ollie was found in the storage room, blinking and looking a little bewildered.  That's... actually not too uncommon a look for him, heh.  Checked the garden this morning, and found that something's been chewing on my black elephant ear, some of my caladium, and one of my hostas.  Damn... things!

Going to do the unpacking today.  Have to get a corkboard for my pins, and move some pictures around in our bedroom so I can hang the poster I got: a huge retro poster of the Haunted Mansion ride.  It's very cool, and I'll take a picture once I get it hung.  We also need to get matted a couple of name pictures we had made for the girls.  The woman who did them at Downtown Disney didn't know the name of it, but it's a Korean form of drawn folk art letters, and they're gorgeous.  I've told YD NOT to tape it onto her wall.  Argh.

Started going through the multitude of pix we took also, and it'll take a little while to get them up at Flickr.  Rest assured, no one will have to wait a year to see them this time, heh.

Lastly, I arrived home to a rejection email.  Enclosed was the most helpful editorial hint: "Not right for us".  Um, Editors?  That's not a helpful editorial hint.  A little secret revealed here: that's what I wrote when I couldn't think of anything nice to say.  Regardless of what this editor meant, I just rolled my eyes, smiled, and closed the email.  Gettin' better there. ;)

I'll probably post daily blogs of what we did each day.  Til then, have a good one.

posted by: athenawj at 11:06 | link | comments (2) |
gardening, writing, disney

Greetings from Disney, Part Deux

This will be my last entry from WDW, since we're leaving tomorrow morning and driving straight home.  Had a bit of a scare yesterday, as apparently our cat feeder thought we were coming home yesterday, and went to spend a couple of days at Six Flags. But YD had another friend tell her, and he's feeding our cats for the last two days.  Of course, being fourteen, we had to promise him twenty bucks, heh, but hey, it's our kitties.

Our "off day" was yesterday, and we took a horse and carriage ride to the sister resort (Port Orleans French Quarter) last evening.  The horse was a gorgeous Belgian Draft named Luke that only works three hours a day, seven rides max, and gets a thirty minute break.  The driver, Steve, only gets a fifteen minute break.  "Better union for the horse", he joked.  It was very relaxing.

Later, we went outside to feed the ducks, and saw a family of otters across the river, lying in the grass.  YD, Track Girl that she is, made it over there in no time flat.  The mama was eating a fish and not sharing, and the babies--almost grown-- were sliding in and out of the water.  Very cute, but they remind me a bit of wet ferrets.

One reason I love staying at an onsite resort is all the animals.  In addition to the friendly ducks, there are the cranes, the bunnies (that you can get really close to), and I saw an armadillo for the first time in, oh, twenty years or so.  Poor thing was limping, and he crossed the path I was on from about five feet away.  Too bad I didn't have my camera.

Oh, and there's the anoles, too, which we used to have as pets when the girls were little.  Mr. Calm is convinced he's going to catch one before we leave.  Uh, nope. ;)

Today we're off to ride Soarin' again at EPCOT, since the other day we got the top row of the 'hang glider' and I couldn't fully enjoy myself (on the top row, you're 40 feet in the air), so today we're requesting the bottom row (10 feet up).  Then it's finally off to World Showcase, where I'll get my favorite yogurt candy from Japan and try to find my parents souvenirs.  And take plenty of breaks so my feet don't swell up again.

posted by: athenawj at 07:02 | link | comments (2) |
disney

Greetings from Disney World

It's the sixth day of our trip-- thought I'd pop on quickly and say hello.  We've had a few cranky-from-the-heat arguments, and last evening my ankles swelled up from all the walking and standing in line, but otherwise the trip's going well. I've gotten a ton of pix, including one of the gorgeous Plant Lady in Animal Kingdom; the resort's lovely, and last night at dinner Prince Charming pulled out my chair for me.  Charming, he was. ;)

I can say with a certainty that I'm never doing this again in summer. Maybe I'm just too unused to the heat, maybe I'm older, but at Animal Kingdom yesterday, after riding Kali River Rapids and getting the lucky "you're gonna get drenched seat", having to walk around in 95 degree humidity with my scooter on, which made me feel like I was wearing 2 pairs of denim shorts, I thought, "This isn't for me".  I told a guy later at a smoking area that I had no idea how I ever lived here.

Anyway, the only other bad part of the trip was that I lost my ticket yesterday morning.  Yes, lost it.  I had a bunch of papers in my hand while I was holding it, went to inquire about getting a free certificate for a ride photo, got back in line... and my ticket was gone.  We searched the area where I'd walked, and of course, it was gone.  Luckily, within all those papers was the photocopy of our tickets, so I went to guest services and they replaced my ticket. I imagine the miserable look on my face helped, but man was I glad we had the photocopy.  Now Mr. Calm's carrying the tickets.

Little notes: I chickened out of Expedition Everest, but YD said it was "lame"; Mr. Calm actually shut his eyes and relaxed on Kali River Rapids; we rode Winnie the Pooh at Magic Kingdom and both thought the dream room was pretty trippy; It's a Small World failed to claim a hold on my brain; we managed to make some funny poses in our Splash Mountain photo; I've found that YD, whenever she can, likes to insert her hand or face into my pictures; the lions were asleep and barely seen AGAIN on the safari ride; we've met interesting people in the smoking areas at WDW; and the Southern Belle is an incredibly tasty libation.

Today we're off to EPCOT (Every Person Comes Out Tired).  Tomorrow, with the exception of a breakfast at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, is an off day, for which I'm very grateful. My tootsies need a break.

Lastly, we got to talk to OD yesterday!!! :D  You can imagine how happy I was. She was a little bewildered as to how we were in Disney when she called the house.  Call forwarding, thank you.  She's still in Bergerac, about to head back to Gradignan for a few days, then they're off to the Pyrenees for the rest of June.  Then it's off to Bretagne for July, then she'll be home. She's seen castles, markets and caves so far.  At market, she bought a necklace or bracelet made of bubble gum wrappers, and a Chinese shirt for 5 Euros (she was happy for the steal).  She's using her French, and her relatives know some basic English, so they're managing to get their points across.  Most of all, she sounded really happy, and like she's having a good time.  I'm just happy that we were able to get the call.

All right, I'm going to drag YD out of bed.  Everyone have a nice weekend. :)

posted by: athenawj at 06:58 | link | comments (4) |
kids, disney

Hippies and departure

Lots of stuff piled in the kitchen.  Time to pack it up and hit the road!  Lots of rain and cloudiness predicted for our trip.  Do I care?  Nuh-uh.  I have our ponchos tightly rolled up and ready to carry should we need them while we're in the parks, and cloudiness always helps to alleviate the heat.  Hell-- we paid enough for this vacation; there's no way I'd leave the parks because of some rain.  Ha!  I laugh in the face of rain! ;)

In the meantime, everyone have a great week, and I leave you with this: Hippie Without a Cause.  Surprised me, but I was able to finish it yesterday morning.  Let me know what you think.  I like it a lot myself.

posted by: athenawj at 07:14 | link | comments (2) |
art , disney

Rules of Photography

Okay, I'm trying to get this all straight in my head.  I've actually been taking random pix around my house today, and sort of agonizing over some of the results.  If anyone has any tips, I'm certainly all ears.

* For macros, don't use the flash.  Right?

* In low-light situations, how far away should the subject be to avoid a glare (the dreaded "pale face syndrome"?)?  What's the minimum distance?

* Do not use the flash for fireworks...?

* In a room with good lighting, is the flash needed at all? (from practice, I think the answer's no.  Plus, PhotoShop seems to clear up any lighting/color problems that arise from that).

* Any tips to keep my hands from shaking?  Mr. Calm seems to think that it's the camera, and not me, that's making the shake warning come up every friggin' time I use the camera.  Really, it's getting ridiculous, especially since it comes on every time I take a pix.  I hold my breath, tuck in my elbows, brace myself against something- a combo that could include all three sometimes occurs.

Ugh.  I need to take a community class so I can figure out how to manually operate a camera once and for all. I'll tell you, I'll be mightily pissed if yet again I can't understand it, especially after paying to learn.  I absolutely love taking pix; just can't get the results I want.  And funnyshoes' posted picture today completely wowed and inspired me.

(((Hopes someone has an answer...)))

posted by: athenawj at 16:58 | link | comments (3) |
photography

OD and Hippies

OD has been in France for close to two weeks and hasn't called yet, so we looked up Mr. Calm's uncle's number, and stayed up until 2 this morning (well, I passed out on the couch til 1:45... don't have the stamina I used to).  Beforehand, we were cracking up because Mr. Calm kept practicing his phrasing for "Hello, may I speak to OD, please?", except he couldn't get the hang of "may", so he switched to "Hello, OD, please".  Also: "I am OD's father".

2 o'clock rolls around (9 o'clock there), he calls his aunt and uncle's house, and his aunt answers.  He stumbles through his greeting, she's laughing (aawww, but, heh), then she asks, "Jean? Jean?"  Very excitedly, because she hasn't talked to him since he was nine or so.  Awww again.

Anyway, she managed to say in English that OD wasn't there, and he figured out from her French that they're in the caravan now for a little while, visiting Bergerac.  She kept asking him if he understood ("compile", right?...??), and that she'd tell OD we called.

Well, what can I expect? OD's a teenager-- most wouldn't think that their parents were really looking forward to a phone call.  But at least now we know everything's okay with her. I imagine, too, that her French is better even now.

 

I thought I'd post a preview of my next piece of artwork.  I have to add a lot of background details like a road, sky and buildings, so I'll never finish it before I leave.  This guy is real.  I saw him walking down the street while we were driving to dinner one evening about three weeks ago, and sketched him on a piece of scrap paper-- just too damn memorable with his bouncy walk and hair flying.  I added the ciggie, though.

posted by: athenawj at 07:28 | link | comments (2) |
art , kids

Disney time!

Two entries within an hour.  I guess it's the thrill of a new blog... and that I have nothing else to do (want to do) til Mr. Calm wakes up.

I've found that the best teacher for me as a person who loves to take pix but isn't as good as she'd like to be is Flickr.  Most of the photos also have info about what settings the camera was on when the picture was taken.  This has helped me immensely; now I know how to take certain pix on our trip.

You'd think at 35 I would've figured it out by now, but nope.  Must be in the nonexistent math part of my brain.  I'm an Auto Settings kind of gal.

While I'm remaining calm and aloof so the days don't drag on even slower than they already are, I'm revved up for our trip to Disney.  Partly because I know we won't be going back for awhile (although Mr. Calm said we could go for our 20th anniversary... in five years), but I'm looking forward to so much.

Main Street, USA right after opening.  The pin stands where I can browse and buy the ones I've already picked up.  Splash Mountain.  Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  Peter Pan's Flight, on which I'll finally open my eyes and look around.  Liberty Tree Tavern.  Fireworks.  Little kids enjoying the wonders of the park. Doombuggies.  Staring in amused horror as folks chomp on those enormous turkey legs Disney's famous for.

Not Space Mountain.  I did it once for the sake of my kids... never again.

Riding Test Track for the first time.  Avoiding Mission: Space like the plague.  World Showcase, especially England, France, Germany and Japan.  Soarin', where I will request the last row, only ten feet off the ground, so I won't feel like I'm going to plummet to my death.

Wow, I just realized how much I have to confront my acrophobia while at Disney.

Going to Typhoon Lagoon for the first time.  Winding my way around the park on a lazy inner tube.  Laughing if Mr. Calm gets his glasses wet.  I dunno; I'm a mean wifey who thinks that's hilarious. 

Riding Expedition Everest and getting our free ride photo (I played the Yeti game online and got a certificate!). Walking through the 'marketplaces' and marveling at the architecture and signs.  Seeing the tigers and walking through the bat area.  Wishing Kali River Rapids was longer.  Finding secluded, gorgeous smoking areas.

Relaxing at the resort and maybe taking a mouse boat out on the river.  Napping in the middle of the day-- unavoidable.  Taking a dip in the quiet pool.  Going to downtown Disney and searching for Nightmare before Christmas and Maleficent stuff.  Eating.  Eating!  The foodie in me rejoices, and we're going back to Boma's, the African/American restaurant at the Animal Kingdom Lodge; and Bongo's.  Funny, how the kid who grew up in FL would actually want Cuban food again (bleh, flan).  Finding friendly ducks, cranes and bunny rabbits.  Using my own money (my own!) to get some treasures.

Used to be that I'd have to choose my pictures carefully.  This time, we've got a digital camera and a laptop.  The possibilities are endless!  I'm thinking about doing a series.  I always get a kick out of those who take a small stuffy and take its pictures in interesting places.  I'm thinking about taking along my little big-headed Jack Skellington.  The perfect picture? Him next to one of the gravestones outside the Haunted Mansion.

The other great thing is that Mr. Calm celebrates his birthday and Father's Day on vacation.  I've already secretly noted this on all our reservations, and yes, I know where all the birthday buttons are.  I don't expect anything but "Happy Birthdays" for the man who worked his butt off to get us here.  I've also got his presents wrapped up and ready to go, and also a surprise that'll definitely satisfy the man who's friggin' hard to shop for. 

Hilarious that this horror writer gets so excited about Disney.

Wow, this was long enough.  Just imagine what it'll be like when I get back, heh.

 

posted by: athenawj at 08:11 | link | comments (3) |
photography, disney

Today we'll take my car in to make sure all its fluids are in order, and we'll also try out the Chocolate Banana Cream Pie I made last night.  If it's good, I mean, goooood, it'll be a fair entry.  And yep, I'm working out.  There's not going to be another year where I test a bunch of food without exercising.

Still waking up with a numb hand.  Last night my entire arm was asleep, and it seemed like it took ten minutes to shake it out completely.  I know it's from my tendonitis.  I need to find a brace that's comfortable to sleep in, but until then, I've got to use my old, too-stiff one.

Don't know why, but I haven't posted that my mom is working again.  She's been in an office job for almost two weeks now.  She was getting disheartened-- even the fast food places weren't calling her back, bleh-- and then she got a job getting volunteers to raise money for the Red Cross and the United Way.  And although she's still a big intimidated by the computer she has to use (and one of my sisters and I keep telling her she'll definitely get the hang of it), she's already gotten a bonus, and is one of the top "volunteer-getters".  I think I know part of the reason why.  Back when I was little, she went to school for a little while, studying criminal justice, wanting to be a probation officer.  She quit, but she went on to volunteer a lot with kids, tutoring them, being a teacher's assistant.  She has a voice that doesn't talk down to kids, and in turn, people, and knows exactly how to speak to them.  In that, she and my husband are the same.  Just something in her tone.

I'm very proud of my Mommy, and so happy that she's doing well, and really enjoying the job*, the people she works with.

(*Being hung up on doesn't bother her, but she has remarked that many of the people in NJ and the Northeast are particularly rude.  I laughed at that, because I knew exactly what she was talking about.  The infamous attitude-with-a-capital-A was never endearing while I was living up there.  And while there's a lot to miss, that I sure as hell don't.  I much prefer receiving smiles when I give them.)

posted by: athenawj at 07:34 | link | comments |
disney, family

Fair time!

Well, not yet.  But I got my premium book the other day.

The most disappointing thing is that this year, there are no floral or plant categories, which used to be a huge section.  Like most things except when it comes to defense or football, I guess they lost funding for it. So, no caladium, zinnia, hosta, or cacti entries for me.

No Pork Board contest, either, in the Bakery section, nor is there a Hobbies category, which I always entered and did well in.  There's a new national contest sponsored by Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk.  You have to make creative cookie bars.  Umm... I don't think that's going to happen here.

So, I'm going to try my usual baked goods, the Pillsbury Pie Crust contest, the Hidden Valley Ranch, the Breadworld, and on the Arts side, maybe a picture.  They have two new categories over there: Computer and Cartoon Art.  They're finally catching up to the 21st Century!

***

5 Days til Disney!  I have everyone's addresses now so I can send off postcards, got our bank statement and ressie paper so there's no chance of a screwup at check-in (not that it's ever happened, but I've heard stories), got someone to feed the cats, and am going to the post office today to put a hold on our mail.  Just need to get a few things for the trip, including a tiny hand-held fan so I don't melt in the FL heat.

posted by: athenawj at 08:01 | link | comments |
state fair

Mokume

So, has anyone heard of mokume?  Mr. Calm got me this necklace yesterday (negotiated the creation of some web pages for the necklace with his jeweler client)-- a very nice surprise.  In this case, the metals are brass and silver, and they're blended together to create the effect.  The pendant's about an inch-and-a-half long.

I love it.

***

In other news, we got a call from Mr. Calm's ex-stepdad today.  Three years ago, he got nearly a million dollars as an inheritance.  He was calling to ask for a loan for another of his get-rich-quick schemes.  Um... hello?  Where the hell did all that money go?  Anyway, after he asked, he started talking about his boat, and how if he didn't get this loan, he might have to "start working again". 

Boo. Hoo. And yeah, right.  I really don't believe he's hurting.

Mr. Calm went into his patented "needs and wants" speech, (such as "You don't need a boat, and you'd have the money if you sold it"), but didn't have the heart to give him an outright no.  But we're not.  Not because we didn't get a dime, which we didn't ask for anyway (although Mr. Calm had the right, because when the stepdad and his mom divorced, he cleared out Mr. Calm and his brother's savings accounts without permission), but because this is a guy who always has a get-rich-quick scheme.

Sigh.  Looking at what I wrote, it seems heartless, but when we have people in our lives who are truly in need of money, we're not going to give it to someone who may be wanting to get involved in a pyramid scheme.

posted by: athenawj at 01:40 | link | comments (2) |
family

This is the way it should be.  Start a new blog less than a week before I leave on vacation for nine days.  Yeah!

posted by: athenawj at 22:24 | link | comments |