One of Each

I got some pretty exciting news tonight.  I'm going to have a niece come April.  SO HAPPY!  Now I can buy both girly and boy-ish things!  : D Just think of all the cute things this girl's aunties are going to do to her.  She is going to be so spoiled.  Hmm...I wonder if you can take out a bank account in some one's name even if they don't technically "exist" yet.  I already have one for my nephew, time to break one out for the niece.  I'll have to split that $5 every other week between the two of them now.  I'm kinda hoping they stop at one each now, because when all is said and done, five bank accounts for nephews and nieces is going to be a lot!  I'll still love them tons and tons.  Maybe I'll get them a lottery ticket someday.  Wonder who won the Mega big bucks tonight.  It wasn't me, so I don't really care all that much.  Well, I need to get back to that depressing book so I can be finished with it by tomorrow.

A Lobby for a Hobby

Well, tonight was interesting.  I didn't get out of work in time for yoga (sad face).  That was okay.  I did a morning flow when I woke up this morning.  I was feeling much better and it was so energizing to put my body and mind to the challenge right away. I just weaved the sequence below into a sun series and voila - morning started off right.  I was a little lazy and I didn't want to get my mat from the car - ouch, did my rug burned hands feel it! It was very interesting to hear a lot of the DWTS contestants and pro-dancers talking about this seasons dancing giving them so much confidence in themselves.  For me, yoga and Zumba gave me loads of confidence.  After a really tough and grueling session of yoga, it is nice to meditate on what your body just did.  It is amazing what you really can do when you put your mind to it and don't listen to the dissenting voice in your head.  Zumba just makes me feel good about letting loose.  It's a party that is whittling a pretty amazing body while building loads of confidence. I'm so glad I found to things that really get me excited about discovering all the possible things I can do!  Before Zumba, I'd claim 2 left feet.  Now, I know I can do some complicated (for me) footwork with practice, of course.  About a year ago, I couldn't tell you a single hobby/activity other than reading that I truly enjoyed.  Now, I just listed two that have enriched my life by not only helping me get healthier in body, but in mind as well.  I still don't have infallible confidence, but it is definitely better than the girl more comfortable in the corner with her nose in a book. If you don't have a hobby, I dare you to try and find one.  I had no idea where to start looking for a hobby, I just had to go out and start trying the different things my city had to offer.  Wow.  I'm so happy to see how much my life has changed in a year with the addition of a hobby/hobbies.

Wringer

Sometimes, unplugging is just fantastic.  With the holiday weekend being long, I was running around.  I spent Saturday and Sunday at my grandparent's place.  We decorated everything for Christmas and got the house all cleaned up.  I spent some of my down time reading my favorite book from 5th grade.  I was a really weird child.  Not surprising.  My favorite book involves death and animals.  Hmmm.  The cover alone looks scary.  I ended up loving it.  As I'm re-reading this book for book club, I'm wondering why I loved this book so much.  I'll probably remember it while I'm blubbering over the ending.  Yay!  Jerry Spinelli wrote Wringer, my childhood favorite.  It is about a 9 year old boy, Palmer, desperate to be accepted, but dreading the rather strange tradition his town plays host to every year.  Palmer's town hosts a festival around the end of summer and the grand finale of the festival is the shooting of imported pigeons.  Thousands upon thousands of birds are shot or have their necks wrung after being shot.  The book follows Palmer's journey as he tries to find out why people enjoy this so much and how his fitting in with the local boys, even pleasing his father, is tangled up in the tradition of wringing.

Ugh - I just realized I still haven't switched my calendar from October to November and it is December by the end of this week.  Depressing.  Well, I guess I have a good book to accompany me

Wicked County Zombies

I finally finished up a few books this last week.  I can finally work towards finishing a few of the many others I have floating about my room.  I finished London: The Wicked City, The Sand County Almanac, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. 

I've talked about London: The Wicked City before.  It is such an interesting book.  Who would've thought that prostitution could be so entertaining.  Some of it was down right nasty and some of it was really very interesting.  The shifting views of prostitution and the way women viewed the selling of their bodies as a way of supporting themselves.  Some were just plain horny and some saw it as the only way to support themselves.  There was even a feminist leader, that despite her desire to eradicate prostitution, she didn't think that women should be the sole recipient of forced physical exams and legal punishment when it obviously takes two to make the transaction.  I was also amazed at the way other countries viewed London and its teaming hordes of night walkers.  I really liked the section about how shifting views of prostitution led to the perfect situation for Jack the Ripper to commit his murders and never be found out. 


The Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold was a book I started back in like 2009.  I keep coming back to this book and I have finally finished it.  I had to read sections of it for school and I was really interested in finishing the book.  Life just seemed to get in the way of ever finishing it.  I do enjoy reading the month sections on the turning of the months.  You can see the changes of the season in your own.  The book is very thought provoking and really makes you think about the impact you have on the world.  I never really thought about how we begin to destroy the "wilderness" in our attempts to connect to it.  The demand to connect to "wilderness" often leads to the development of the area for recreation.  I found this very interesting and I was quite happy to find Silent Spring at Vinnies recently.


Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is hilarious.  I couldn't stop laughing at some of the ridiculous parts.  You still fall in love with Darcy and Bingly despite the head lopping.  I was very impressed with this work and I fully enjoyed it.  The book is literally Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice with a zombie theme weaved into the mix.  It is truly impressive.  I am starting Dawn of the Dreadfuls and I'm a little displeased.  Some of the things from this book don't line up with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  There was talk of the girls doing certain things at a much younger age in P&P&Z and the girls in DotD have the same characteristics as there older counterparts.  Lydia acts like a 15/16 year old; however, she is supposed to be younger than 10  (? - I can't quite tell).   I'll say that at least Pride and Prejudice and Zombies  was worth the read.  I'll have to keep on with Dawn of the Dreadfuls and hopefully it will get a bit better.  Maybe the majority of that novel being Jane Austen's writing made it better than Dawn of the Dreadfuls which seems to be all his own writing.  There was a part of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies that got a bit "man attempting to write a romance novel."  The line was something about Darcy shouting pistols from his mount while the pistol smoke swirled through his chestnut hair.  Then, his horse reared, and he stayed seated on his horse while never flinching.  It was gag worthy. 

Smile

Today, my time has been taken up in a large part with Inspector Lewis.  Or should I say, Sergeant Hathaway.  Sigh - British man that is well read and solves crime.  I think I sound like a broken record.  But I shall heave a sigh yet again.  Why, oh why, are you only in books (and a BBC drama)?  I do have to say, I even though Laurence Fox a bit adorable as that awkward fellow in Becoming Jane.  Of course, he had no chance against a Scot - beautiful James McAvoy.  My day hasn't been completely wasted.  It was so lovely outside today.  I had a nice walk about town.  I saw our newly reborn Santa...on a stick, or in this case, a giant green pole.  I also had the chance to sit down by the beach and watch all the ducks for a while.  I also got down to starting in on a list of 100 Things.  This 100 Things list is about careers that interest you.  Here is my list so far.
Tour Guide, Travel Agent, Baker, Yoga Teacher, Zumba Instructor, Nutritionist, Dog Walker/Doggie Day Care, Run an Animal Shelter, House Mom in an Orphanage, Host of a Travel Show, Comedian, Half-Priced Books Clerk/Owner, Writer, Book Editor, Counselor, Organic Farmer, Shepherdess, House Mom for an Exchange Program, Historic Re-enactor, Investigator, Movie/TV Film Editor, PBS (enough said), Idea Generator, Wedding Planner, French Enthusiast (not quite sure what that is, but I'll make it into something), Idea Tester, Library Founder on Indian Reservations, Script Writer, Blogger, Personal Trainer, Candle/Soap/Crafty Creator, Explorer, Furniture Designer, Interior Decorator, Landlord, B&B Owner, Hostess of a Musical Festival...and that is all I've gotten so far.  I think it is a step in the right direction.  I'm getting myself geared up for the potential that comes with change.  All I know is, that what I want to do with my life is bring a smile/laugh, a sense of "I can," and an appreciation for the life that is breathed in to all those that I meet.  To all the possibilities - an endless world of smiles.

Zen It Out

I am so tired today.  I honest was worried about my eyes just closing the whole last hour of work.  It has been one long, crazy day.  Why does everything seem to go to crap all at once?  This week, on top of everything else going on in my family, I've been sick and apparently my klutz gear went from low to high.  I can't seem to touch anything without breaking or spilling it.  A bottle of wine shattered, my almond milk spilled (after being left out all day), the bag of my favorite granola ripped and it spilled everywhere.  Not to mention, I'm facing quite a big decision and my comfort zone adoring self really is balking.  Some days/weeks, I just feel like pulling the covers over my head.  I will get through this week, and oddly, I've been rather zen the whole week (even with shattering and ripping and other various forms of destruction occurring around me). 

Also, still confused about all of our "America loving citizens" that obviously don't care enough to want to actually see her through her toughest times.  So glad you are an American.  Instead of seceding and potentially leading to another civil war, why don't you just move to Mexico.  Or heck, I hear there are more jobs in China.  Have at it.

Web MD Me Please

I tell you, winter has a way of sucking.  Thank you cold, I appreciate you blowing into my ear and causing a very painful earache.  I solved this with a little bit of warm olive oil.  I heated it up and let it cool down before brushing it into my ear with a q-tip.  I really did help.  It felt better than the hot pad I'd had on my head since I got home.  This little ear pain has followed what I presume to be an infect salivary gland.  Two or three years ago, I had a very painful swelling of my throat.  It happened several times.  All times it hurt to even swallow my own spit.  I went to my primary care physician and they said: "I don't know, I'll take some blood.  Call on Monday if it hasn't gone away."  Really?  Wait four days with intense pain and HALF YOUR THROAT SWOLLEN SHUT!?!?  Did you just pay for and print that pretty piece of paper on the wall two seconds ago?!?  I had to go in again the next day because I was in so much pain.  They still said "I don't know," but this time they gave me a prescription for some pain medication. The next time it happened, it came and went within a day.  Of course, this wasn't enough time to get in to see the ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) as I had been advised to do.  He just thought I was crazy, stuck a camera down my nose and into my throat to appease me, and said I was fine.  Well, this last week, I had a bit of a tickle in my throat.  I just figured it was a minor cold and I could beat it with lots of hot tea and upping my intake of Vitamin D.  Well, in the middle of rock climbing this weekend, the pain got worse.  By the middle of our mall extravaganza, I was in so much pain!  When I finally got home and looked in the mirror, I discovered the reason for my extreme pain was not an earache, like I had presumed, but a swelling of my throat.  By the next morning, swallowing was very painful.  Advil every couple of hours and throat numbing lozenges really helped.  Today, I happened to be glancing at our practice's website and I noticed on our 3-D spine a gland that happened to be in the spot where I had felt the hard lump (on the outside) and that corresponded with the swelling on the inside of my throat.  Now, I did what every good physician fears their patients do:  I Googled said gland, the parotid (it's a salivary gland).  Pop.  Up comes WebMD with this little tid bit of information: "Bacterial infections generally cause one-sided salivary gland swelling. Other symptoms such as fever and pain will accompany the swelling. The bacteria are typically those found normally in the mouth, as well as staph bacteria. These infections most often affect the parotid gland."  The fact that it took me literally about 5 minutes to find something that matched my symptoms and the "look" of my ailment really has me perturbed.  I don't think the parotid on me is the one that is swelling, but a swollen gland in my throat due to bacterial infection makes more sense than anything else. Not one, but several physicians have sent me home without so much as a "I'll keep looking into this to see if I can help you more than by simply giving you a pain pill."  My mom even threatened to send me home with one of the doctor's if they didn't help me out.  She had spent from 3 in the morning to about 8 trying to keep me semi-comfortable by giving me some of the old pain pills from my wisdom teeth extraction.  Lucky for that doctor, that episode didn't last 5 days like it did the first time.  It barely lasted 24hours. Let me just say, if you have something that the doctors say "I don't know" too, feel free to google, come up with a list of possibilities, and then take it back to them with the challenge to prove your self-diagnosis wrong.  If they refuse to come up with one, you do it and have them start checking it off.  Did these people not take a Hippocratic oath?  Or did they just sign on the dotted line and are only considered an insurance monkey for filling quotas?

22 Britania Road

I'm almost finished with 22 Britannia Road. I like when my boss takes half a day or a whole day off.  It is especially nice when my other coworkers ditch too.  I get to spend the morning doing work in peace and listening to a book or some good music.  I'm more and more interested in this book the more and more I read/listen. I've been working on this book for awhile.  It's almost like the history book of the Civil War, Part 1.  I've been working on that thing since February 2010.  Yup, you read that right.  2010!  It is so hard to listen to it.  I get easily confused about what battle is happening and which side is being talked about.  I swear, Part 1 of that series is longer than the actual Civil War.  I'm going to head to bed before it gets too late and continue on with my Polish refuges. 

Timered

Sleep.  Between my aching arms and my partially swollen shut throat, this will be short.  I had a lot of fun yesterday, despite the nasty cyst that was growing in my throat.  I tried yoga for about 2 hours.  One of the classes being a demonstration of aerial yoga (you hang from silk hammocks).  It was AMAZING.  Then, I went rock climbing and shopping and pigging out at Red Robin.  I'm really happy my last truly solid meal before having to resort to easy to swallow liquids was a Banzai Burger.  They are my FAV!  The other girls I went climbing with were complaining of arm and shoulder fatigue.  I couldn't tell, I've been popping Advil every few hours so swallowing my own saliva doesn't make me want to die.  I did take a bit of an nap this after noon and missed taking some, only to wake with rather achy triceps.  We did climb for about an hour and a half...until our arms were so tired we couldn't hold on to they grips anymore.  That, and extremely sweaty hands was beginning to get in the way.  It was a very lovely day. 

At the end, we backed shoe box gifts and watched Timer.  It was a really cutesy movie with the girl who played Anya in Buffy.  The premise of the movie is that, in the future, it will be possible to know the exact moment you meet your soul mate by the beeping of a timer.  The timer is an optional purchase, and if your soul mate doesn't have one, your soul mate doesn't have a timer yet ( I began to ponder about all the old maids and people who just don't feel like getting married - do the people who don't have soul mates just have a blank timer forever?).  After yet another guy failed to set Oona's timer off by the implantation of his own timer, she gets a little fed up.  This is nothing compared to her sister whose timer reads some awful number in the THOUSANDS of day.  They both get a little fed up with their timers and begin to let relationships happen as if the timer weren't there.  Real romance and chemistry happens without a timer telling them "this is your soul mate."  One day, Oona's goes from blank to a rather short count down.  She finds out that the "moment" isn't all that she thought it would be. It was a very good movie and I think my favorite line was: "You broke my heart and I'm trying really hard to be a man about it, so cut me some slack."  The movie for sure made my friend and I ponder whether or not we'd get timered. 

Let It Grow

Relationships:  I love Eric Clapton.  Sigh.  However, I don't feel I can take his advice and "plant your love and let it grow."  As I've come to examine my feelings more lately, I've realized that the idea of romantic love gives me the creeps.  More like anxiety and panic.  I got told that I need to let love in - ha - maybe I'll work very slowly at it.  That will keep me from having a massive panic attack.  Maybe it is because I've been used before, treated like crap, and seen others I love treated like crap in romantic love situations.  Take it, family can treat you like hell, but you love them because those idiots are still your family.  I am not sure why I seem to break out into cold sweats at the thought of Eros, but I feel content with the love for my family, friends, animals, and books (movies too)!  So to everyone thinking I'd be all to excited to show off a hickey, better think again. 

Health: My abs still hurt from the other night.  Yoga walks are evilly delicious.  Dana takes big, giant steps while Renee, has dainty, tiny, walking steps.  Between my early run, Zumba, and yoga, my body has been mad these last couple days.  I'm not complaining that I wouldn't do it again, but I can tell I have not run in a while.  I was quite pleased that I was able to detour my run to work so I could take out the overflowing trash.  I made it there and back to my house in less than 20 minutes.  Go me!

Work:  Choices, choices.  Watching PBS tonight made me feel how fermented my brain has been feeling lately.  I miss the challenge of the mind.  What shall I do?

Pull Up Your Big Girl Bobby Socks

hahaha - I now know the origin of the word bobby socks.  I learned it from the cool new book my sister got me for my birthday.  Boy, does my family know me well.  I like odd fact books and the English language.  This book has both in it.  The book is pretty much a dictionary of words, phrases, and cliches.  My brain is smiling.  The book is called: Why Do We Say It.  I am in love.
 

Anyways, I'm going to talk about what I think we should pull our bobby socks up over.  This election is ridiculous.  I am so glad that there will be about another day of pissing and moaning and bragging and gloating.  Everyone needs to shut up, pick ourselves up, and for the GOD DAMN GOOD OF OUR NATION work together for a solution.  No more "My way or the highway."  That mentality has gotten us  no where.  I'll say that I voted much differently than I did four years ago.  I think a lot of my views have changed as I have explored the greater world.  The day after is always the worst.  All there seems to be are a bunch of "Na na na nas" and "boo hoo hoos."  I can't tell you how annoyed I was to listen to everyone piss and moan.  Apparently the second Obama was re-elected as President, the whole world is automatically spinning into large amounts of debt and recession - oh wait, the world is ending December 21. Ok, we are all good.

Word of warning:  I am not capable of solving our political or economic problems.  What I put forth here isn't a solution.  I do not pretend to be smart enough to solve our problems.  Sometimes, I feel all of us are just stumbling around in the dark hoping that we latch onto something good that will work...at least for a while.

Really people?  Threatening to move to Europe or any other country for that matter...you are better of staying here.  Most European countries have universal healthcare.  I saw it both in France and Scotland.  It isn't the greatest, but for someone who really needs help, it'll do.  I like how all those "Proud to be American" republicans are the ones so willing to jump ship the second something doesn't go their way (aka: their canidate didn't win).  Learn to deal with the fact that not everyone thinks like you, then learn to come up with a compromise that will fix the problem, not just people please.

As if everything leading up to the election wasn't bad enough, my grandparents' church had a whole sermon, complete with the singing of the Star Spangled Banner, about voting.  Several times I was tempted to get up and leave or correct the preacher; however, I was dutiful and I bit my tongue.  It was really hard when one lady gave a children's discussion about her favorite president, Lincoln, the 14th, no 16th, President of the U.S.   I can list all of the presidents in order, thank you 7th grade song, you made me a little smarter. The thing that really got me was the preacher talking about the evils that face our nation all while talking about Lady Liberty and her standing for all the freedoms of America.  It kills me when people limit the freedoms of everyone in the US because they don't agree with it.  Some of the preacher's points were political correctness, violence, and the continued separation of Church and State. 

She said that the founding father's believed that God was behind the forming of this great nation.  God was, the people came to American to have a nation where Church and State were separate so the same religious persecution that was happening in the UK wouldn't be allowed to happen here in America.  People in the UK dealt with many switches back and forth between Catholicism and Protestantism.  Bloody Mary got her nickname for how ruthless she was in converting the British back to Catholicism.  Shortly after, everyone switched back to Protestantism when Elizabeth I took the throne.  People in other countries had faced inquisitions and excommunication (pretty solid rejection from just about everything)  for their beliefs.  Now, there are people in our nation that want to limit our freedoms to only those that they think the Bible backs.   This sort of ties in with political correctness acting as a gag on the truth (God's truths?).  Trust me, I have heard people from that church say some pretty racist, backwoods, ignorant things.  Screw political correctness!  Let's just call everyone rag heads, fags, and retards.  Jesus would have been completely ok with it. Let gay people get married.  They are living together "in sin" anyways.  Much like many young Americans who are "living in sin" while in a heterosexual relationship.  I like that you want to defend marriage; however, the heterosexual community isn't doing it any good either.  Kate Hudson doesn't even believe in monogamy, yet she continues to get married. 

The preacher also talked of violence in the media.  Violence in the media has always been around since the beginning of media.  Violence also existed BEFORE media.  Have you looked at ancient history?  It was all wars!  I was really getting sick of people talking about Obama's weak foreign policy when there were those riots and killings of ambassadors.  I think it took great strength not to react in haste and hate.  As I stated in a previous blog - that is what those extremists wanted, a reaction.  When we didn't go straight to the war button, things died down.  It took a while, but what is going on now?  Nothing.  I am all for supporting our soldiers.  What they do is amazing and I am SO thankful for the sacrifices they make for me.  War costs money.  Giving our soldiers the best protection and fighting equipment costs money.  Sure, let's start another pointless war with some terrorists and sink further into debt.  Not to mention, we are pretty much fighting the people we handed weapons to.  Yeah, those American companies that care more about money than anything else.  What I do like about the current foreign policy, is the effort to include women in politics everywhere.  I read about this in the Heifer International magazine.  It was amazing to see this article since I had no idea that was part of the current administrations efforts.  I agree, places that oppress women and limit them are limiting themselves.  Women tend to compromise, even across political divides.  So it makes sense to try to include the other half of the populations in the government.


I haven't looked into the debt crisis.  I see it, I know it is there.  I am not sure how a president is supposed to fix it all by himself.  Greedy companies, corporations, and banks have caused many an economic problem.  They don't want to fix their mistakes. They want the government, better yet, the president, to fix what it is they have messed up.  Oh, but excuse me, don't force any regulations on them.  Greece's economy pretty much tanked because a bank was helping them speculate and basically "cook the books."  I can't find the article to back it up, but I remember hearing about two Econ students that collapsed an entire small countries economy as an experiment.  Donald Trump can piss and moan all he wants, but I seem to remember him getting some help when he declared bankruptcy (four times).  I think we could probably pay off our debt over night if we had a tv tax. Yearly, you have to pay a set amount for the number of tvs in your home.  From someone with 3 tvs (2 sit unplugged on the floor since I can't seem to GIVE them away), we could kick debt in the butt quickly. 

I have spoken before about women's issues.  I'm not for abortions but education is HUGE.  Republicans, you want to cut spending, support education.  It is better to stop an issue before it starts: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." - Ben Franklin.  Therefore, stopping an unwanted, unable to afford pregnancy from occurring in the first place is better than paying 18 years of food stamps and medicaid costs.  I know my parents never talked to me about sex.  Thank God I'm pretty smart and can figure out the birds and the bees from a book because when I was little I thought French kissing caused pregnancy.  How many other young girls out there are struggling with hormonal changes and no one explaining to them what is going on and how everything works.  I'm sick of the rich people around me talking about education being the parent's responsibility and the pregnant person's responsibility.  Sarah Palin's daughter even got pregnant at a young age; however, mama Palin stepped in and helped out with her deep pockets.  Not every person who can't afford a baby has people around them with deep pockets.  Have you seen the girls on 16 and Pregnant?  What a little bit of education could've done for them.  It just seems logical to preach safe sex.  Less STDs to treat and less unwanted pregnancies to pay for later on down the road.

I guess my mind is slightly baffled when I think of what each party really stands for.  Republicans want less government control.  With less control on business, how do you stop them from taking jobs abroad?  Oh wait, you don't want to control business per se, just every one else's lives.  Got it.  Democrats want more government control.  This also scares the crap out of me.  I see the necessity of it in certain situations but I don't like the government all up in my business.  If we could all put our "I'm right"s away in a corner for awhile and focus on getting America back, we could have a great nation again.  I'm not concerned about having to be number one. We just need to not be so divided that we can't see what a great nation we do have before us. 

Artists Den Flop

So I didn't write last night because I was busy working on a video for a contest with Artists Den.  The premise was to create a 60 second (or less) video demonstrating your fandom of the Artists Den.  The girl that won, fellow Wisconsinite, I congratulate you; however, your video was all about your superfandom of Mumford and Sons.  If that had been my objective, I could've come up with a way better video.  I doubt that girl ever purchased a ticket to see them in a foreign country.  Heck, my first piece of mail, which arrived before me, in France was my Mumford and Sons tickets.  I have seen them in concerts with less than 200 people in the crowd to several hundred to  several THOUSAND!  I love these guys.  They have seen me through my senior year of college, learning my grandmother had stage 4 cancer in several organs, moving to France without knowing a single word of French, terrible family drama, and many, many more happy memories.  My life could be a Mumford and Sons soundtrack.  Recently, they accompanied me to Puerto Rico.  That was one of the coldest and most zen plane rides...EVER.  They have a way of pepping me up and relaxing me into a meditative state.  Ok, enough about those crazy boys.  I'm glad they produce such beautiful music that touches my life in so many ways.


It'll be very exciting to see who wins the election race tomorrow.  For now, I bid you adieu!

More is ALWAYS Better

I am so loving this extra hour in the day.  I am NOT enjoying the sun setting by 5:30.  Really?!?  This means I have to sit at my desk for the next several months and watch every day light hour slip by from my desk.  I like change - I hate change.  Life seems to be sending me a lot of change and a lot of chances for change.  I know I am stagnating in multiple ways where I am; on the other hand, I'm just starting to get to know a great group of people in my area.  Making decisions are hard work!  That is why I chose to watch Inspector Lewis and eat lots of Thin Mints.  Sergeant Hathaway is just divine.  A well read cop. It's practically an oxymoron, but he makes it so lovely.  I love the duo of Inspector Lewis and Sergeant Hathaway - they made staying in of Friday nights worth it.  Oi, am I sad.  Now, however, it is on Netflix and I can get my fix anytime I please.  Now my extra hour has dwindled away and I must get off to bed.