Went to Fuddruckers for lunch. Very hard to pee with John Lennon watching you.

This afternoon I'm finally cleaning out my purse - yup, it's the day before a vacation!  And I got busted by the building Director who just laughed (she understands, apparently).  Here's the tally:

1 wallet, overstuffed with receipts and understuffed with money
1 checkbook, sadly in need of balancing
1 cellphone, my chain to the office
1 PDA, my "little black book"   ;)
1 wallet-inset full of pics of Katie
1 hairbrush w/mirror
3 black ballpoint pens
1 blue ballpoint pen - but the barrel glows, it's so COOL
1 red ballpoint pen
1 blue sharpie
1 tube of mascara
3 tubes of ChapStick-like lip balm
7 tubes of lipstick - fascinating, since I rarely wear any
1 magnet from my fave restaurant
2 crayons, 1 blue and 1 green
5 hairclips for Katie
1 earpiece thingy for the cell phone so I can drive hands-free
1 neckace confiscated from the girl who wasn't supposed to wear it out of the house
2 bottles of meds: pain relievers and Pepto Bismol (much needed yesterday)
2 unidentified keys on a Pooh bear keychain
1 placemat from the Chinese restaurant (for the fortunes)
2 bills I keep forgetting to pay
2 bills I keep postponing paying  ;) (Come and get me, coppers!)
9 receipts I have since thrown away
6 business cards I should store at home
7 Curves bucks which I dropped out of months ago
my backup key to the car
7 coughdrops so old I proclaim them "dead"
1 Saturn mint, so old I proclaimed it "dead" as well
1 smashed fortune cookie
1 Tootsie Roll
1 lollipop
5 nasty tissues
1 usable tissue
1 wing from a McDonald's Kids Meal toy
8 different loose tablets for cold/sinus/allergy
1 pack of Juicy Fruit
1 expired coupon from Burger King that I never intended to use, anyway
1 bottle opener that was a giveaway from work
3 tubes of eye medicine
1 wet nap
1/2 a roll of antacid (I AM in IT, you know)
1 part of an earring that I'm pretty sure the mate to is at home
2 sticky gumballs (I am NOT saying anything rude.. )
1 paperclip (only ONE?)
1 button that goes to... :?: I have no idea
1 dollar exactly in change (not on purpose, of course)
numerous crumbs from pulverized aspirin, chips and gum - UGH
1 rock - not crack, a real rock - doesn't everyone carry rocks in their purse? (Moms, raise your hands!)

No wonder my shoulder hurts and the straps on my purse always break. 

The newstories today have really freaked me out:

The hunter that got po'd over being asked to leave a deer stand freaked out and shot 8 - 6 have now died.

A woman in Texas cut the arms off her 11 month old baby girl.

Libraries in Orlando are now barring adults from browsing in the kid's section

Someone paid $28,000 for a sandwich that someone else believes looks like the Virgin Mary

And that stupid JFK Assassination "game" that was announced recently...

Good grief, Charlie Brown.  What on Earth is going on lately?!

Katie and I both feel much better, thanks everybody :)  Man what a nasty stomach bug that was.  I'll spare you all the details!

So, besides bitching about tblog, not much new to report.  Just glad to be here :)

Thanks to a well-needed reminder from my friends I’ve been listening to the Queen CD  “Made in Heaven” today.  I have loved Queen deeply ever since I first heard “Killer Queen” back in – well, I was young (wink).   The hours I spent with a hairbrush in my hand, dancing and singing along with their first 6 or so albums… good fun!  My parents had very little money so I’d skip lunches for a week to save up enough money for an LP – which means that every record I had was carefully chosen and cherished (except the Bay City Rollers – I’m not sure how they got in there)  :roll: 

I was thrilled when Queen released “Innuendo” in 1991.  It was like welcoming home an old friend after years of absence.  I played it again and again, poring over the booklet (I miss album covers and record sleeves, I do!), drinking it in.  I’d stuck with them even through the dreadful Hot Space album.  Miracle was nice but Innuendo blew me away.  My boys were back!  I was completely elated. It affected me so strongly – I love these guys passionately, all their foibles and faults and strengths and genius and talent and … I love them.

November 23, 1991 -  I heard that Freddie was sick with AIDS.  And the next day he was gone.  Gone?  They couldn’t be serious.   It did not compute that he was dead.  Stunned, I listened to Innuendo again - this time I heard how he was saying goodbye.  "These are the Days of Our Lives" and "The Show Must Go On", in particular.  I was devastated for weeks and that’s no exaggeration.  Queen had been my solace and strength for years.  To think he’d suffered all that time and had chosen to keep it private.  But this was 13 years ago and people didn’t talk about homosexuality much less AIDS very much at all.  It would have created a frenzy had he gone public sooner - and that saddened me even more.

Most of Made in Heaven was recorded in the last months of his life.  It is a wonderful, lovely album full of reflection, longing, acceptance, farewell, love and hope.  It’s uplifting, masking the heart wrenching efforts Freddie had gone through to do his last recordings.  His soaring strength and spirit shine brightly through. 

Freddie, you’ve been gone nearly 13 years.  My heart still aches for you and I also rejoice that the world got to share your outrageous talent and humor.  I hope you knew how much you were loved - and still are. Rest in Peace.

Farrokh Bulsara   1946 -1991

I blogged earlier about my spur-of-the-moment vacation in California with my pal Gary.   Gary had been a great internet-friend (I call it ‘i-friend’) for years.  We’d spoken on the phone many times and his accent is so thick I had a very difficult time understanding him, but it sounded gorgeous so who cared.  He’s from Newcastle in northern England, close to the Scottish border. I understand that he is easy to understand compared to his father, which frankly, scares me. As for myself - I grew up in Mississippi, lived in West Virginia for 15 years and have been in the Midwest for 20 years, so my accent is a weird blend of southern-hillbilly-midwes tern.  

We’re in the rental car and we vaguely decided to drive around in the mountains outside of Los Angeles.  I’m driving (bloody Brit, never drove a car and now wasn’t the time to start)  ;) and he had the map.  Here’s the conversation. 
“Where do I turn?”
”Highway eigh-ee”
“What?”
“Eigh-ee”.
Ok, so now I’m looking for highway 80.  Doesn’t that seem appropriate?  We’re cruising along, listening to tunes and babbling about things when he yells
“You missed it!”
“I did not!”
“Yes you did, that was eigh-ee!” 
“It was not, it was 18!”
“THAT’S WHAT I SAID!” 

At the time, it was frustrating but now I think it’s hilarious.  We made some other turn and happened across a steak house.  It was at the foot of the mountains and it was the BEST steak we’d ever had.  By the way, for a skinny guy, Gaz can eat more than any human I’d seen before or since.  From there, here are the directions:  we drove west, turned right, drove awhile.. and then cut right again.  It was the most beautiful scenery I’d ever seen.  We stopped and took pictures and just stood in the desert sun for awhile.  Glorious.  (Turns out we were quite close to Joshua Tree National Park)   

Anyhoo, it was great fun and when we talked later, he said that of all the touristy things we did that week, his favorite day was the day we just wandered around.  See, if I’d turned on 18 we would’ve missed out  J 

1: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, find line 4. Write down what it says:
”The spirits of people will rise above
swaying like women while men dance,
swaying with dandelion puffs in their hands”
-- Native American Songs and Poems

close second would be:
“Custom JSPs also support the use of other technologies, such as Sapphire Custom Tags, services/APIs/protocols defined by the J2EE platorm specifications, and classes in the sapphire.* package” (Sapphire Training manual – thrilling, eh)

2: Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What do you touch first?: phone

3: What is the last thing you watched on TV?:
Peep and the Big Wide World – and awesome children’s show on Discovery channel

4: WITHOUT LOOKING, guess what the time is: 11 a.m.

5: Now look at the clock, what is the actual time?: 11:05 a.m.

6: With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?: ventilation system, gal across the hall telling a story

7: When did you last step outside? What were you doing?: 9 a.m., arriving at work

8: before you came to this website, what did you look at?: antal’s blog I think he's really cute :)

9: what are you wearing?: khaki slacks, light blue long sleeve top, “kitty” socks, brown mary-jane shoes, and my silver celtic jewelry.

10: Did you dream last night?: yes. Not telling.

11: When did you last laugh?: This morning, hearing of my daughter exclaiming “Jack is going to LOVE my pretty dress – I can’t WAIT until we’re married!” (she’s 3 ½)

12: What is on the walls of the room you are in?: map of Europe, pics of my daughter and 2 favorite European guys, calendar, project plan that is months out of date

13. Seen anything weird lately?: a concrete pig dressed as a turkey – is that weird?

14: What do you think of this quiz?: s’ok so far

15: What is the last film you saw?:
on tv – Monty Python and the Holy Grail
in the theater – Shrek 2? I can’t recall

16: If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy first?: I’d pay off my debts, then hire a cleaning crew to purge my house of all the clutter. Then I’d travel to Europe for a few months, come back and start the women’s shelter I’ve always dreamed of.

17: Tell me something about you that I don't know: I’m wearing purple panties today. Now, aren’t you glad you asked?

18: If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?:
I like Tal’s answer – make people love each other. Once we have that, the other things fall nicely into place. No more wars, starvation, homelessness…

19: Do you like to dance?: slow dancing, yes J

20: George Bush: is he a power-crazy nut case or some one who is finally doing something that has needed to be done for years?: I assume they mean “W”. Yes and no. I do think he is abusing his powers and while some action was necessary, I believe he choose poorly.

21(a): Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?/21(b): Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?:
My first was a girl, Kathryn for my mom.
For a boy I like David, Steven, or Michael (my Dad).

22: Would you ever consider living abroad?: yep. If my daughter and parents could come, too.

From the same site as the blog below... this one hit me pretty closely, I think!

You Are From Neptune

You are dreamy and mystical, with a natural psychic ability. You love music, poetry, dance, and (most of all) the open sea. Your soul is filled with possibilities, and your heart overflows with compassion. You can be in a room full of friendly people and feel all alone. If you don't get carried away with one idea, your spiritual nature will see you through anything.

I love you when you're happy, I love you when you're sad
I love you when you're good to me, I love you when you're bad.
I love you when the moon shines, and glistens off your toes
but most of all I love you when you aren't wearing clothes.
:lol:

My name is Sheryl.  Whenever I go somewhere I have to spell it.  “It’s Sheryl with an “S””.  That freaks them out – like they know how to spell Cheryl but Sheryl throws them for some reason…  

When I was a kid, I was REALLY particular.  My family nickname comes from our years in Mississippi.  The boy next door couldn’t say “Sheryl Lynn”, it came out Shey Lee.  I was 3 and don’t remember but Mom says I would argue loudly with him that my name was SHERYL LYNN  NOT SHEY LEE.   It used to make my parents laugh and it stuck.  

In high school, there was also a Shirley and our last names were very similar.  We sat next to each other in study hall and one day they paged Shirley but with my last name.  Shirl and I looked at each other, not sure which one of us was in trouble but neither wanted to admit it, so we didn’t say anything.  Teacher checked, saw no name match and sent the page back to the front office.  They later came back and asked for me.  They were really upset that I’d made them go up and down all the steps twice and asked why I didn’t answer.  “Because that wasn’t my name” I stubbornly replied.  

Somewhere along the line I guess I figured out that the label isn’t what defines me and that it’s ok to be different.  Now I’ll answer to most anything that is “clean”  Sher, Shey, Alms, Hvn, whatever – doesn’t really matter. But I will warn you - if you’re a friend of mine and spell it “Cheryl”, there will be trouble and you know how stubborn hillbillies can be ;)  

   "S"'s Rock with the Tangy Flavor of Cheddar! 

It took me awhile, but I found them – literally, in a church newsletter.  You see, I feel my reactions but I'm not very good at finding the right words to respond.  The hate flying around since the election disturbed me greatly.  I’m a person of faith and feel I made my choice with great thought and reflection.  The idea that the moral people won and the people that lost aren’t has been upsetting.  Then I found this poem, author unknown.  I feel it speaks for me and with a few word substitutions, I think it adapts and fits most everyone. 

I Am A Christian

When I say, “I am a Christian”  I'm not shouting, “I’m clean living.”
I’m whispering, “I was lost"  now I'm found and forgiven.

When I say, “I am a Christian”  I don’t speak of this with pride
I’m confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide. 

When I say, “I am a Christian” I’m not trying to be strong.
I’m professing that I’m weak And need His strength to carry on.

When I say, “I am a Christian” I'm not bragging of success.
I’m admitting I have failed and need God to clean the mess.

When I say, “I am a Christian” I’m not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible But God believes I’m worth it. 

When I say, “I am a Christian” I still feel the sting of pain;
I have my share of heartaches So I call upon His name.

When I say, “I am a Christian” I’m not “holier than thou.”
I’m just a simple sinner who’s received God’s grace somehow.

Prayers going every which away today...

Elizabeth Edwards, hope your tests give you good news and that all goes well.

Citizens of the Middle East, I fear even more troubling times are ahead of us.  I pray for all our safety.

Citizens of the World, I pray we the human race survives the next 100 years.  We can find ways to agree to disagree on some issues and ways to agree on others - can't we?  Even squabbling siblings sharing a bedroom find ways to coexist without shedding (much) blood.   

My fellow Americans - for goodness sakes, the election was Tuesday. Stop the name-calling and if you want to see change, MAKE it happen.  Don't wait for someone else to do it for you. You can affect the big picture by tackling the smaller issues.  Volunteer somewhere - put your muscle where your mouth is (and stop hogging tblurt, we have serious flirting to do in there!)

Mostly, I pray that my internet access is working from home again.  It was down all day yesterday and when I left for work this morning.  If there's a god let my connection complete!  Set my pinger free!  (giggle)

Got loads to be bummed-stressed about today :shock: but decided to take a different tack. This is sort of a pre-Thanksgiving "What I'm Thankful For" post.  Besides the usuals like family, shelter, etc.... in no particular order:

I live in a country that's full of crazy people - some in a good way, some in a bad way, but somehow it sticks together.  On travels, 99% of the people I meet are awesome, so I need to remember that when I watch the news.  :?

I have some incredible friends around the world --> see Music slideshow at right!  Aren't they adorable?  Dutch, Welsh, Finnish, German, an American or two.. ooo la la!  And so nice. Not to mention talent out the wazoo.  Nothing brightens the day like a note out of the blue from a handsome man. (wiggles eyebrows up and down).  Or a comment from a tblog reader :wink: Nudge Nudge!

I'm thankful that agoraphobia / anxiety-attacks no longer rules my life.  It had me so wrapped up in my head for a few years I could rarely leave the house.  I may have a "pang" once in awhile but overall I am free from it.  Thank GOD. 

I'm glad I have cable tv so I could avoid most of the hateful political ads that have poisoned the air waves these past weeks.  Yay!

I'm thankful for meds - woke up this morning to a river flowing from my eyes and nose.  Of course, now my brain is full of fuzzy cotton but I can breathe!  :)

Health - let's all give ScubaDiva and 14u2nv some good healing vibes from their surgeries/procedures, mkay?

I think I can face the day now :)  Hope this helped you stop for a sec and think on something you're thankful for, too.  Cheers! :D

I found this on a LiveJournal blog and thought it looked fun - the red states are those I've visited. Nearly half! Some visits have been on business (Texas) some have been purely for fun (California), others as a kid (camping in Arkansas), places I've lived (Virginia, W.Va., Ohio, Mississippi), even a quick drive into Maine just to say I'd been there :) 

This is NOT AN ELECTION MAP, DAMMIT!   ;) and if I could've chosen a color besides red, I would, believe me!
create your own visited states map or check out these Google Hacks.

Just think - Lynne will be adding Hawaii soon!  Lucky girl!

Before I forget - I added a new slideshow over to the right.
The older one of my daughter remains a collection of cuteness.
The newer one of my musical pals ... well.. some of them are cute ;)

And the accents?  Oy vey!  (Hey, Tal, call me, dude!)

Holy frijoles.  I've gotten so many calls, cards and letters about the election tomorrow that it isn't even funny.  That's why the phone call I got yesterday was so much fun...

"May I speak to Sheryl please?"
"This is me."
"Yes, I'm ____ from Americans Coming Together and I'm calling today to remind you get out and vote in the upcoming election, Tuesday is just around the corner."
"You're kidding - it's THIS Tuesday? I'd forgotten all about it."
{Silence ... then ... } "Are you serious?"
"No.  I've been saturated with cards, letters and calls lately and I thought I'd enjoy this one."

At least he had a sense of humor :)

What a lovely night.  The weather was gorgeous (she says as it's overcast and rainy today).  Katie was in her purple ballerina outfit and princess hat, Bailey was dressed as Sleeping Beauty.  They're not quite a year apart but are the same size.  Katie is very fair, Bailey is very dark.  They look so cute together, our Miss Salt and Miss Pepper (ooh, that would be cute for next year!). 

They drug their feet between houses - played with the flashlight, checked out decorations, petted dogs or cats, etc. then would ZOOM up the driveway with their bags.  "Twick oh Tweat!  Tank You!" and then off to the next house.  They wore out after about an hour so we went back to our house to pass out candy.

In our neighborhood, most people sit out in the front yards to pass out candy.  It's so much nicer that way - lots of visiting, friendly heckling "HEY, NICE MASK!" (when none is on, of course) and so on.  Some even have portable fireplaces and a few beverages on ice (the pros?)  The people that show movies in the summer had a helium tank and were giving out balloons along with treats.  It started getting chilly so I brought out some blankets but Katie didn't want to go inside.  She laughed at the scariest masks, which I thought was funny.  People across the street were playing scary music like the soundtrack to "Nightmare Before Christmas". At 8 o'clock, we all packed up and went inside to warm up, check out the loot, and wait for the sugar buzzes to ebb.  We had a great time, hope you all did too!!!