I found my passport today. I thought I had lost it because of all the times we moved. I do have to update or get a new one, because it has my maiden name on it. I got the passport for a silly reason. I was friends with my nephew's first fiance, Niki. (My sister is older than I am, and therefore, my nephew Chris is ony a few years younger than me). Chris was in the Navy, was actually a SEAL. (Niki didn't believe Chris was a SEAL, because someone, who was jealous of Chris, told her he wasn't. She spent a whole day phoning various Naval bases looking for someone who would verify that he was, in fact, a SEAL. Chris's word wasn't enough. I knew that relationship was doomed from the start!). Chris was away at sea for 6 months. Niki got the idea that we'd go to Spain, to whatever port he would be at this certain time, and would visit him. I nearly went along with it, until I found out how expensive it would be. Apparently, this port was in an obsure part of Spain... far, far away from any tourist attractions. Niki got a break on airfare and lodging because of being a fiance of Navy personel, but that only applied to her... I got no monetary breaks what-so-ever. In the end, neither of us went to Spain (I had a feeling that Chris really didn't want us to go, anyway). Chris did marry Niki, but divorced her a few years later. Something about lack of trust. Hmmmm.

My Friday Five:
1. What is your current occupation? Is this what you chose to be doing at this point in your life? Why or why not? Right now, I am not gainfully employed. Every once in a while I help my brother at his restaurant, but that is it. I am an artist, and I draw all the time. I also do stained glass, and have a little workshop in my basement. At this point in my life, I like what I am doing. I have the opportunity to do what I wish, and right now, being creative is what I want to do.

2. If time/talent/money were no object, what would your dream occupation be? I'm already an artist, and that has always been my dream job, but I would like to combine being an artist with owning a successful horse farm. I'd have my studio there, and work on my art, and whenever I felt like it, I'd go out and care for the horses. It would be the best of both world for me!

3. What did/do your parents do for a living? Has this had any influence on your career choices? My late father owned a restaurant that was passed down to him from his father, and is now owned by my brother. I think everyone in my family has worked there at one time in their lives. It allowed us to save money for school or what have you. It's also working with the public, so it has given me the ability to talk to just about anyone comfortably. My past jobs, (retail sales clerk, bridal consultant, veterinary assistant), have all had me dealing with the public one way or another, and I thank my years working in the restaurant for the confidence I need to do so.

4. Have you ever had to choose between having a career and having a family? Not yet.

5. In your opinion, what is the easiest job in the world? What is the hardest? Why? I think every job is easy at some times and hard at others. If I had to use my job history, I would say that retail is difficult because the customer holds you personally responsible for whatever goes on in the store (if something is out of stock, of there is a problem with pricing, etc.). Waitressing is difficult because you are on your feet all day, you rely on tips from customers who are not generous, and you are blamed for the slowness of the cook. I loved all my jobs, but there were definitely days where I could have taken it and shoved it!

Today would have been my Mom's 72nd birthday. There is an empty space in my heart now that she is gone. I will never stop missing her. There was still so much more in my life that I wanted her to be a part of.

My Summer ABC's
A-The Atlantic City Boardwalk after a few hours of playing the nickel slots: hot, crowded, salt water taffy, tacky shops, push cabs, many different accents, and a beautiful ocean.
B-Bar-b-que dinners on the deck as often as we can!
C-Fresh Sweet Corn straight from the stalk to the road-side stand.
D-Dog walking in the parks with L.
E-Everyday is hot and sunny!
F-Ice Cream From King Cone!
G-All of the Grass yellow and dry from lack of water.
H-Happy to sit on the deck at night and look at the stars.
I-A day at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore with Bill and Dora.
J-My nephew John graduated from North Pocono High School in June.
K-A day at the Kutztown Folk Festival, watching craftsmen weave rugs, blow glass, smith metal, dip candles, make soap and more! A great day!
L-Loud firecrackers at the neighbor's house for the 4th of July.
M-Wanting to see movies at the drive-in, but being shut out for lack of room!
N-Neighborhood kids riding their bikes and scooters, and shouting for joy while cooling off in the pool!
O-Out to play miniature golf with Dora and Kelly, melting from the heat!
P-Being a kid again by spending the day at the Philadelphia Zoo.
Q-Buying a quilt pattern book to make stained glass quilt squares.
R-"Steel Force" Roller coaster at Dorneypark... first hill is 205 ft.! I rode it twice!
S-Moved to SSchimmel Court in June.
T-Tons of hornets trying to build a nest on my front porch!
U-Upset when I thought the seal was dead at the Camden Aquarium! (It was just resting on the bottom of the tank!)
V-Cirque du Soleil's Varekai started touring, and I MUST see it!
W-Wonderful day at the Teddy Bear Picnic with Bill... he bought me a polar bear and a rainbow colored teddy bear!
X-Didn't take my xylophone lessons this summer! Oh darn!
Y-Yellow goldfinches visiting my backyard everyday!
Z-Fresh Zucchini, squash, peppers cooked on the grill! Yum!

test

I think, if I had to, I could live in a Barnes and Nobles bookstore. (Bill and I just spent 1 1/2 hours browsing). Just set up a cot in front of the art book section, keep the espresso machine on so I can make myself a cafe mocha, and I'd be a happy little duck!

I just got back from a huge long walk with the dogs. The reason it was so huge and long was that I got lost. All the streets in the neighborhood are named after Egyptian cities and explorers who found tombs in Egypt. So I got a few of the names confused. All four of us got a good work-out (especially the instance when we happened upon a family of wild rabbits... Fredo and Shallie were pulling one way while Benji, ignoring the rabbits, kept going the other way!), and I also got some good landscaping tips from the thousand houses we walked by, so it wasn't for nothing!

The plumber was here at 1:30, and fixed the leaky pipe. It was a very simple job, really, but now I'm thinking of having him come back and put in a jacuzzi tub! (I'm so impressionable! HA!).

I've been sitting here all morning waiting for the plumber to show up. We have a leak. It's in the main shower, in the wall behind the faucet. It must have just started leaking... at least we haven't noticed it before. The house is only three years old, and we've been living in it only since June. It's good that the realtors bought us the home warrenty as part of the closing deal. So far, I only have to pay $50 to the plumber (if he ever gets here!). I wish they could have given me a window of time as to when he would show up. I've been up since 7:30 am... waiting. I'm very bored, and feel like going for a drive.

This afternoon I went to see a movie by myself. It was the first time I ever went to a movie alone. I thought it would be a big deal, but it really wasn't. Bill was at work, and it was a movie that I knew he wouldn't want to see anyway! The only thing I didn't do because he wasn't there was buy popcorn... we usually share, so it didn't feel right buying it! Guess I'm just weird.

On to the movie! I saw "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", and I absolutely loved it! Besides the fact that I have Greek blood in me, it's the kind of movie that made you smile. I will make sure Bill gets the DVD when it comes out.

It made me think of my family. My late grandfather came from Greece in the early part of the last century. He came to escape poverty, and left behind, as far as I know, spinster sisters. He didn't contact them after he arrived here. At Ellis Island, they butchered our name... my Dad said my Grandpa's accent was so thick they didn't know what he was saying. We went from being "Karambelas" to "Karampilas". I don't think his family could have contacted him if they wanted to... they wouldn't have known of the name change. I wish I knew if I had any family in Greece... to kind of have that large extended loving family that they have in the movie. My Grandpa died when I was 5, so I really never got to know him, and I regret that. We were more of an American family than a Greek family. We were still part of the Greek Orthodox church, but because my Mom wasn't Greek, I didn't look Greek, and the kids in the Greek language classes didn't accept my brother and I, so we stopped going to class. Now I wish I spoke Greek. My Grandmother used to make all the delicious Greek foods and pasties (I love baklava!). She made the special breads at Easter, and the yummy cookies for Christmas. In the movie, the family was so extended, you would need to rent a hall just to have a small get-together. I'd love to have that. I have cousins I barely know. The movie made me very nostalgic for something I'll never have!

August 20, 2002
This-or-That: August 20, 2002

It's a really tough This or That this week!

1. CandyLand or Chutes and Ladders? I loved Candyland!

2. Barbie or GI Joe? I didn't really play with dolls... but I did have the requisite Barbie hanging around.

3. Play-Doh or Silly Putty? I love both! I had the Play-Doh Factory, and also used the Silly Putty to copy comics from the newspaper!

4. Lincoln Logs or Tinkertoys? Lincoln Logs, definitely.

5. The Game of Life or Monopoly? I've been a Monopoly fan my whole life!

6. Etch-a-Sketch or Lite-Brite? Here's another where I loved both, but the Etch-A-Sketch wins by a nose!

7. The Slinky: metal or plastic? Metal, definitely... nothing beats that sound!

8. Easy-Bake Oven or Sno-Cone Machine? The Sno-Cone Machine! Were they all shaped like a Snowman, or did I have a different one?

9. Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars? I have to say Hot Wheels.

10. Spirograph or Paint-by-Numbers? I can't choose one over the other here. They were both my favorites! I was just looking for Spirograph sets on Ebay! You can still get originals!

cool i am messing with my wife's blog.....

I just baked what looks like a very delicious cake! I used my Mom's old bundt cake pan. It's white cake with vanilla frosting, and red sprinkles! I'm not allowed to say why I made a cake... a certain blog censorship going on here... just that I made a cake. For no reason. At all. Ahem....

What a wonderful surprise I had this morning! The phone rang, and it was Elfie... an online friend. We are on an email group together, and have never talked on the phone. For all the emails the list generates, I felt as if I knew her! I could have talked to her for hours! You can tell she is a nice person, just from how she talks... she has a good heart! She is from Quebec, and has a slight French "twinge" to her voice... I love the way she says her husband's name, Alain. Sounds so exotic! Great news is that she is driving to Disneyworld at Christmas time, and she is planning on stopping on her way through, for a short visit (coffee and chit-chat!). I look forward to seeing her!

take the cher test.


and go to mewing.net. because laura isn't cher.

I have three sets of eyes watching me. If I get up to get a drink, they follow me. They sit in the bathroom as I take my shower in the morning. When I go to the bathroom, all three sit outside the door, whining and scratching to get in. All three are thrilled to see me when I come in the house, even though I've been outside for less than a minute! Of course I am talking about my dogs... Fredo the Dalmatian (he's growing more spots everyday!), Shallie the Westie (needs a haircut), and Benji (on loan from my friend L. while she is on vacation).

The Best Part About Owning A Dog...

... is the way he will come over to see me, for no reason,
just to let me know I'm important to him...
... is the way he is always ready to lick the jelly off my nose...
... is the way he looks into my eyes and finds contentment in
simply being near me...
... is the way he will run all over the yard, fetch a soggy tennis
ball and bring it back to me as if to say "look mom, it's all
I have, but it's yours...
... is the way he wakes me up in the morning by pushing his
cold wet nose in my ear and snuffing loudly...
... is the way he shreds toilet paper all over the house, because
it's fun even though he knows he shouldn't...
... is the way he's sure he can catch the ducks in the lake today...
... is the way he comes over to me when he is sad...
... is the way he wedges himself near me when I am sad and push
all others away, to console me with his love...
... is the way he pounces on crickets in the backyard...
... is the way he looks perplexed when they escape...
... is the way he is terrified of the evil pink hula hoop...
... is the way he doesn't mind how much of that horrid
perfume I'm wearing just because it was a gift from my
relative who's visiting...
... is the way he doesn't care about bad hair day or overdue bills...
... is the way he loves you, even when you are impatient with him
and have no time this morning for a game of tug-a-war...
... is the way his coat feels like liquid silk under my fingers...
... is the way he finds wisdom beyond words

Unknown

What made me happy today?

1. Buying bagels with Bill
   
2. My sister visiting
   
3. Watching my Westie, "Shallie" with Mike... she was happy herself as he held her on his lap like she was a little baby
   
4. Setting up things on my sister's blog
   
5. Being able to put on the dog's harnesses without too much trouble
   
6. Finding this website while remembering some of my favorite tv shows as a child...

I think I have figured out how to walk three dogs at one time. It's kind of funny, really. So far, no squirrels have jumped out in front of us, as we walk, that caused my two dogs to frantically try to catch the squirrel (and, in turn, dislocate my shoulder). Benji has something in for a certain yard. As soon as he gets there, he does his business. He has done this everyday he has been here so far! Dogs aren't dumb. I think that, in a past life, the owner of that house must have done something bad to Benji, and in this life, he remembers it! (Though I do clean up after him!). So far, neither of my dogs have left little yard gifts while we walk... and I am thankful for that! I'd be carrying around 5 pounds of poop if they did! LOL! (Sorry for the potty topic of this posting!).

We had a very pleasant surprise today. In the morning, my sister Kathy phoned us and said she needed me to send her directions to my house; she was coming for a visit. I had to email her directions as this would be the first time she would see the new house. Bill and I went to Panera Bread to buy some yummy bagels (asiago cheese - the best!!!) and pastries for our guests. We returned home, and Kathy, her husband Sandro, and my best-buddy nephew Mike arrived soon after. It was so good to see them... all the times of her standing me up really hurt... but this made up for it! We gave them the grand tour of the house (they loved it! - especially the central air in this high heat!) and then used our dining room for the first time by breaking out the grub! I hope it's not vain to say this, but Bill and I agreed, after they left, that this was the first home where we felt proud to entertain. We didn't have to hide anything, or pray that an ant didn't crawl across the counter. This house feels good, and we love living here. I think Kathy sensed that, because when we were sitting together, she said she can tell that we really like it here. I would love it if Mike could come visit for a few days before he goes back to school. We shall see.