spooky poems

Thursday steps: 8253

The poem that I linked in yesterday's entry is one I wrote a couple of years ago. Daughter challenged me to write something spooky - something different than I usually wrote at the time. It was selected for the Writers Night readings the following spring.

This morning I received a phone call from a newsman from the local radio station asking my permission so he could read that poem live on the air - he had already read it on their sister station and wanted to read it on the am station. He also wanted to make sure I heard him do it. ;-) He didn't do too badly - rushed it a bit, so that the pacing was off, but boyohboy, can he do a spooky old granny voice! lol

And, of course, now I am wondering how I could have forgotten to take that poem to the reading at the college last night. It would have fit right in with the whole spooky theme. Ah, well.

The open mic night was interesting. There was no emcee, which turned out to be a mistake. The first "act" was a singer/guitarist/floutist which went way over the alloted time slot which put everything else way behind. After they finally got him to stop, things moved along at a bit more steady pace.

Enjoyed the pieces that were read by many - and even enjoyed some of the music, but some of the music was a bit much for my poor old granny psyche, I'm afraid. I left around 9:30 and they were still going strong.

Today was my last Friday at work - next week I will be back at my 30 hour pace, and 30 hour pay, and that's okay with me. I have been able to save up a little bit of the extra pay over the past couple of months - my Hawaii fund is growing a bit. Ali, I am leaning toward May for my visit. We will be celebrating our 35th anniversary May 10th and I think we both deserve Hawaii for lasting that long. Everyone in favor, say "Aye". Those opposed . . . too bad. Heh.

Have been looking over some B&B establishments near Hilo - may have a list for you, Ali, if you would give me your opinion. ;-))

Well, that's about it for tonight - we didn't have many trick-or-treaters tonight - we never do. The grands all came by, all except D who was with his birth mom. There was one other group of about 7 little kids and then 3 bigger boys came by - I still have chocolates if anyone wants some.

Have a great weekend - we are playing tomorrow - swimming with the grands and then a party at their house. Fun.

mu-wa-ha-ha

Wednesday steps: 8660

Happy Halloween!

getting late - lots to say - no time to say it - must sleep. Enjoy your Hallowe'en guests, and don't eat all of the chocolates! (leave some for me) Heh!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Friday - 7:15 a.m.
10,000 step udate - we were asked to send in our weights Thursday - so I dutifully checked mine at work to discover that my 7 pound loss is no more -

it is now 11 pounds! happy, happy joy, joy moose dancing around the room. Very cool - many, many, MANY more to go.

hoo-ha (title in honor of batty)

Monday steps: 9318 Tuesday steps: 8067

I understand that our friends are recovering quite well from the surgeries. The recipient is improving in leaps and bounds - talked for quite awhile today to our pastor - and he has not been up to long conversations for quite awhile. The donor is feeling a mite poorly, but nothing unexpected. Your prayers for continued healing are appreciated.

Took lunch hour early today so that I could go to Dezi's school and watch the halloween parade - it is always such fun. The principal goes into a room and takes a student by the hand, leads them down the hall to the next classroom where they parade through so that class can see their costumes - then the students from that class tag on to the end of the first class and on to the next classroom, and so forth until each room has been visited by every student in the school and each class has gotten to parade. Phew! That is SOME run-on sentence. It is always fun to see the costumes each year - some store bought, some hand made, some scraps and ingenuity inspired others.

Miss Kinzie came along in her Tinkerbell costume mama made - and without a look back took a teacher's hand and paraded along with her brother. She had a wonderful time. She had just been to a party at her physical therapist's office. One of the treats that was given was for the parents. It was a bag of candies with the following inscription: (what a great idea, btw)

Parents Emergency Coping Kit
LIfe Saver - to help when you feel like going under
Smarties - to help you on those days you don't feel smart
Chocolate Kiss - to remind you that you are loved
Tootsie Roll - to remind you not to bite off more than you can chew
Starburst - to give you a burst of energy on days you don't have any
Snickers - to remind you to take time to laugh, even at yourself
Treasure - to remind you to take time to enjoy life's treasures
(birthday) Candle - to keep your fire going when you feel burnt out
Bag - to help keep it all together.

Isn't that cute? I am going to suggest that our CCAP office do something like this for the upcoming Health Fair in March. We take tables and lots of agency information to hand out, and this would be a neat thing for Child Care Assistance Program, don't you think?

Had to adjust my hours today - left work at 3 p.m., came home and walked 45 minutes on the treadmill, then showered and went back on the clock to attend the annual membership meeting. All of the supervisors were to be there to answer any questions the board of directors might have about our programs. We had submitted information for the packets, but each had to give a synopsis of the info, hitting on any highlights.

And, then my program was under review by the board - they review two each year. I was pleasantly (relieved) surprised when there were no questions or concerns raised with the program - in fact one of the board members praised the volunteer program. That is very nice to hear.

Anyway, the meeting adjourned just after 7, so I was able to rush out and still make Wednesday services without being too late.

The board and the membership okayed an agency name change so a lot of things that have been on hold can now proceed - it's a good thing, too, because we are entirely out of letterhead and only have about 30 envelopes left. One of the first things we will need to do is order stationery.

And, my special projects have all been on hold waiting for the name change, too. So, they can now proceed. Yay!

Well, guess I should get off here - you all have a wonderful Thursday.

Order of business

Sunday steps: 7147

First of all, I'd like to say my heart and my prayers go out to batty and Jon and everyone who is in CA and in the path of destruction. I haven't been online today, so know very little of what is going on with you all - stay safe.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Under the next order of business . . .

thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for my friends who underwent kidney surgery today - one to give and one to receive. I heard early this afternoon that the recipient was doing quite well - he had his new kidney and it was producing urine in the OR before they could even get him sewn back up. That is a great answer to prayer.

The donor is also doing well and I understand that her kidney was able to be taken by arthroscopic method, which is a whole lot less invasive than the surgery her husband underwent in the 80s to give his kidney to his brother. She may be able to be released tomorrow or the next day. How is THAT for modern science and miracles?

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last order of business - more phone tales.

time: 5:00 a.m.
BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM!!!
snork, wha', huh?

BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM!!!
stagger stagger stagger out to the front door (which we never use, choosing to enter the house through the garage)
who is it? ::clearing throat:: WHO IS IT? (no way I'm going to open the door unless I know)

KPD, Ma'am
wha? huh? (opening door a crack) what's wrong?

KPD - we have a report of a 9-1-1 hang-up and an open line at this residence - may we come in?
erm - let me go get a robe on, okay?

(open door upon return to allow male and female from Kenai's finest to enter domain)
Ma'am, we have a 9-1-1 hang-up and open line here - is everything okay?
(rubbing eyes against the bright living room lights) yeah, we were sleeping - we had trouble with the phones last night and he (hubby) went out and tightened wires - the phone was fine when we went to bed

Mind if I look around? (he strolls from room to room with flashlight into every room and even the linen closet) while female officer stands in the front room and reassures me when I apologize for the rat's nest my house is in (my mother would be mortified) I'm sorry, please don't mind the messy house - we've been going 24x7 lately.that's all right, ma'am, we woke you up

male officer returns to living room, and calls in an all clear to the dispatcher - then pulls out notebook to ask my name as I continue to rub my eyes and weave sleepily in place. Purple Moose (not my real name)
You were my pre-school teacher.
Huh? no, I wasn't - wait, who ARE you?
dashing young officer (not his real name)
OMG! I WAS your pre-school teacher.

absolute mortification - tempered by gentle reassurance - then hubby went back to bed after disconnecting the phone line completely so there would be no more phantom 9-1-1 calls. He commenced to snore as I sat in my chair knowing full well that I dare not go back to bed as I needed to be up in half an hour anyway.

So, I sat and began to rock, and suddenly I began to chuckle . . . Oh, Lord, you have a wonderful sense of humor, don't you? You knew I wanted to be up early to pray for my friends' surgeries and you just made sure I would be fully awake.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
so, how was YOUR day?

Recap of the week's end

Thurssday steps: 9275 Friday steps: 5965
Saturday steps: 4000 Week's total: 55414

Hi there -
I'm back in the saddle - and it wasn't easy. Got home from evening services to find that our phone line was gone, gone, gone. Hubby even asked if I had paid the bill - well, duh! yes! So he spent about an hour walking around the house and tightening up wires to the various rooms and we are all connected again - except in the bedroom. And, that suits me just fine. The wiring is old and probably needs to be replaced anyway - the house is 25 years old and we've had phone service for probably 23 or 24 of that.

The nice thing is, that this is the best dial-up connection that I have had in about 3 weeks. Yay!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The workshop is finished - now I just have to get into my office to complete paperwork, make final arrangements for the police ride-alongs and such. I will be training the new receptionist this week - she was hired just before the workshop and attended it all last week. I think she will do just fine and doubt she will need me to be over her shoulder the entire week.

The following week I will be back in my office - on my schedule. Bye, bye extra pay - hello Fridays off. I am looking forward to that again - this house is ready to walk away with itself. My first Friday off will likely be spent sleeping in until 7 (oh, my!) and then cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, and washing clothes, too.

I'll be taking all of Thanksgiving week off and am looking forward to that. With the holiday and my Friday off, I will only need to take two days of annual leave to do so. Should be able to do the same thing for Christmas.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Monday is the day for my friends' surgeries. This is the man who needs the kidney transplant and who will be receiving his sister-in-law's kidney. Her husband gave him a kidney about 15 years ago. What a miracle worker our God is - to not only have arranged for a brother to have the exact match needed, but to have provided him a wife who is also an exact match. (they did not even know each other at the time of the first transplant)

Should you have a moment or two around 7 a.m. Seattle time Monday morning, would you pause and say a prayer for Jim and Cherri? They are in His hands and He answers prayer. Thank you.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The poetry class was great. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would have taken it whether or not there was a credit attached to it - I'm not planning to attend college any time soon, so that lone credit will bounce around in the system for awhile.

The teacher was fun to be around - and, as it happens, I was around her a lot. She is not used to the Kenai area, especially in the dark and in the rain when driving our roads can be the pits. She wasn't sure she could make it to her hotel, so I led her over to it from the college.

Then on Saturday morning I drove to the hotel to check and see if she needed a guide back to the campus. She told me you are the best thing to happen to me all day. Awww.

Turns out they put her in a room right next to the parking lot - on a Friday night - and EVERY rowdy who could, WAS there outside her window. The window wouldn't stay open (or closed) properly so she had to jury-rig it - the rowdies were out there until after 1 - and at 6 or so some cretin decided to warm up his diesel truck right outside of her window, despite very warm temperatures. Oh - and the "non smoking" room smelled strongly of every brand known.

Needless to say, she was tired, grumpy and I got to hear a lot of it. ;-)) She had arranged for a different room for that night and I hauled her luggage up to it for her while she finished getting ready to go.

And, then - I attempted to use my auto start for my car and set off the alarm - and got locked out of the security system. It takes 20 minutes for it to reset and we were 15 minutes away from the start of the class. So, she drove me over to the campus and then to and from lunch and back to the hotel for my car afterwards. It was hilarious - really - and we felt like sisters afterwards, or at least with the beginnings of a friendship.

Funny thing about that darned auto start - I tried to use it again this morning and set it off again. Grrrrrr!

So - I am going to get off here and get ready for bed. Hope your week is a good one.

Moon-struck

Wednesday steps: 9750

Crescent Moon - 8 a.m.

As I drove over to the training, the sky lightened and the clouds began to obscure the moon, so I'm glad I caught it when I did.

Tomorrow is the last day of training. I will go over first thing to make sure the coffee is ready and to check on other supplies. Then back to the office until about 3 p.m. Back to the training to pack things up - I am off the clock at 4 p.m. so it has to be done by then.

After that, I am going to the poetry class. I am nervously excited. You can probably tell, since I wrote about it yesterday also. Printed off some of my poetry to take along - the catalog had said something about closely looking at the students' work, so thought I'd better take some. Of course, we will probably be writing something in class, too.

This is where all of my self-doubt begins creeping in - do I have one more poem locked up in my heart, in my brain, in my psyche? But, the words will come - they always come. Sometimes they are sloppy and disjointed and hard to read - sometimes they flow like a peaceful river, at others a raging torrent. It may take a few tries, but eventually they get here. At least that is my dream.

Another 40 minutes on the treadmill tonight. The first twenty are great now, as are the last 10 or so. It's those other 10 that are a real pain. Wall pushers!! Keep on, keeping on.

Have a lovely Friday - and a great weekend, just in case I don't make it on here the next couple of days.

Mystery solved?

Tuesday steps: 10201

Okay, maybe it isn't solved so much as the problem is resolved. I checked my account again today - a couple more checks had cleared - added the outstanding checks, subtracted them from the bank's balance and came up a WHOLE lot closer than before - only off $3 now - and it is in MY favor this time. Good grief. Can we say the moose's brain is fried?

We are closing in on the end of the training. The director will be in the office most of tomorrow as the shelter manager will be taking care of the bulk of the sessions. She is our legal advocate and tomorrow focuses on the legalities of domestic violence and sexual assault.

I will go out to take ice in the cooler for the water and juice, and take fresh muffins and another box of trail mix packets. Then I need to stop by another agency to pick up a letter of endorsement for a grant the director is submitting. After that I will be pretty much rushing all day to complete whatever tasks she sets for me. We have our annual meeting next week and there are packets to prepare. I have the bulk of the copying done already, but there are always those last minute things - like the director's report and the board president's report.

I am looking forward to Friday, though. Not only is it the last day of the training, but I will be taking a poetry class at the college - it starts Friday and then all day Saturday. It is being taught by Linda McCarriston, a professor from the Anchorage campus. She is a feisty, no nonsense Irish lady (dual citizenship) whom I admire greatly. It will be a tough class, but I am looking forward to it.

Remember last week I said that there were so many things I could be doing on Saturday? Well, that is the way it is this Friday. The Ladybug is flying to Anchorage for a special ultrasound and I can't go because I have to work (usually have Fridays off), then I have the class, then there is the Friends of the Kenai Library annual dinner/raffle (which I won last year). So, I am attending the class, and my sister and niece are going to the dinner on my ticket. And, yes, I told her I would share with her if I won the big money again. Hey - stranger things could happen, I guess. Either way it is a good cause for a donation.

Oh, I have a "new" moose. This one came to me by way of work - Chocolate sports a Halloweenish orange rack. He is settling in among the rest of the moose critters. So far they are getting along nicely.

Forty minutes on the treadmill tonight. It just felt good and I stayed on for the extra five minutes. Looks like Lisa is running on hers - go, Lisa! And, Jilly swims laps. We are the wall pushers, we are! Woo-hoo!

okay, night all.

Monday steps: 8650 sigh

Monday steps: 8650

sigh - that's the saddest sight to a biker . . . the rides are getting tucked away into a nice warm storage unit for the winter. ;-( No more rides until April or May. Well, maybe March if the winter is a mild one like last year. We will see. But, for now, they are all tucked up safe and sound. And - if we ever get the garage cleaned out, I could park the Saturn inside. ;-))

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Watched Dezi play basketball tonight. He is catching on - at least to the defensive part. Still working on offense. He made a couple of baskets while practicing. That's pretty big stuff to a little guy.
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Have you ever hit the wall? What do you do then - do you keep on or do you stop, shake your head and turn back?

When I'm walking on the treadmill I can go at a pretty good clip (about 2.3 mph) for around 8 minutes, then I level out to a steady 1.8 - 2 mph until I reach about 20 minutes. Suddenly I am at the wall - it is a choice, sometimes a struggle, to continue or to quit.

As my stamina increases and my legs get stronger I have been able to continue on - I now walk for 35 minutes. What I have found is that if I will just continue on steadily I can get over the wall and to the other side. At about 30 minutes I am feeling like I could continue on for quite awhile. Tonight I forced myself to stop at 35 even though I considered adding another 5 minutes.

Back in September when I began this I was only able to walk for 15 minutes, so I have come a little way. Steady increases, steady improvement.

There are walls to be conquered every day - you have some, I have some. Sometimes they can be as little as avoiding a fattening dessert or piece of chocolate. Sometimes they are major walls - decisions about what to do with one's life, personal or business.

The trick I have been trying to learn is to keep on - moving steadily forward - until the wall has been mounted and overcome. Those steady victories are all the sweeter when viewed from the other side of the wall.

it's a mystery

Sunday steps: 7573

I've been doing my banking online - oh, I know that for some of you, that is a big yawn. But, it took me awhile to make the move. For the most part it has been a good experience. I do dislike that the online statements don't show the checks in numerical order, as they did on the paper statements. But that is a minor complaint.

Generally I reconcile each month and the amounts balance. Generally. Tonight, however, there is a $92 error. That's a pretty big chunk of change - and makes me wonder why checks weren't bouncing left and right if I truly do not have that money in the account like I thought I did.

I have added and subtracted the figures in the checkbook several times tonight. I even went so far as to add and subtract the figures online. It still comes up with a pretty big $92 error. Sigh!

So, I did what any normal moose would do. I subtracted that amount from my ledger and put as an explanation: ESP (error someplace). It'll all work out in the end. And, maybe, just maybe . . . once I am used to NOT having that amount, it just might show back up somehow. Maybe it is being borrowed by the great blue ether bankers, or something like that.

Whatever - it is better safe than sorry. Right?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
First day of training went well. As the self-proclaimed queen of the 2 minute presentation, I am pleased to say that this morning I kept the attention of the attendees for a whole 15 minutes. Yay! Asked questions of the class and answered some of theirs.

The power point projector was giving the director fits. I finally left and went to one of our components and got theirs, then brought it back to her for her use. Then I finally went in to work - just in time to sign out for lunch. ;-)

I will be going back out in the morning to make sure coffee is made and there is enough juice and water, and add ice to the cooler. Then it is off to work to do whatever the director is placing in my box tonight. Yup, she went in to work after the last session today and told me that there would be some things for me to get done for her tomorrow.

Oh - I was interviewed today - by a college student whose class is compiling figures on local agencies who use volunteers. They will be developing a brochure and I asked to see one when they are finished. I am also interested in the results of a survey the class took last month.

After that the day was a blur and I am more than ready for bed. Hope your Tuesday is a great one.
>..<

mish-mash, Anchorage, snow, blah, blah, blah

Thursday steps: 8497
Friday steps: 3503 Saturday Steps 5867 Week Total: 50192

Okay - so there's a reason for the lower steps on Friday and Saturday. I sat on my bum for most of the day - Friday, driving up to Anchorage, and Saturday driving back. But it was worth it. I got to visit with my friend. Not only did I get to visit with her, but her twin was visiting her as well. What a riot! They did their own little twin speak thing and all I could do was sit on the sofa and giggle at them. They told me they were going to charge me for the entertainment value.

My friend and I had dinner at the Glacier Brewhouse which was, as usual, excellent. It was all the moreso because it was on the house. She had received a letter from the managment which included a free meal. V had pork chops and I had roasted chicken. Yum. And, bread pudding split between us for dessert. I'm telling you, I ate more this weekend than I have since I have been doing the 10000 steps program! (but it was sooooooo good)

Did a bit of shopping on Friday - found some nice things a size smaller than I am currently wearing. Not many, though. Penney's had plenty of my former size and lots of the next one down, but not so many of mine. That's okay - I hope to sail past it in quick time anyway.

Saturday while the car was being serviced (we took it over Friday night) we slept in until 9:30! I was in shock when I finally got up - my normal wake-up time, even on weekends, is 6:00. Oh, but it felt good. We had breakfast at the Snow City Cafe and then went over to get the car and said our good-byes. ;-( I always miss her like crazy when we are not together. She is a good friend - she listens, sets me straight (all too often) and gives great hugs. I need all three of those and feel blessed to get them.

Had heard from down home that it had snowed overnight, and was still snowing, so I decided that I would not do much shopping on Saturday. Went to Toys R Us and got the crib and mattress and some newborn diapers for the Ladybug family. Did a quick walk-about at Wally's and got some socks and my exchange gift for the office party - and, then I hit the road.

Didn't run into any weather until just past Girdwood, when it began to spit snain at me. What's snain, you ask? Well, it's snow and rain mixed, of course. I didn't really see flakes until Cooper Landing. And, none of them were sticking on the road, just melting on contact. I was finally able to see the snow when I got closer to Kenai (Soldotna had a bit, too).

It has all melted off today - and it looks like it might get warmer later this week. That's good - we have a storage unit rented and paid for, but haven't had the chance to get the bikes over there yet. First sunny day with clear roads - well, it doesn't even have to be sunny, just no ice and snow on the roads - and the bikes go into storage. ;-(

Everything happens on the same night - at least this Saturday it was like that. (next Friday will be the same way) I had to pick and choose between a Writers Night performance in Soldotna, an adult toy party in Soldotna (and, after talking with the hostess today I will never be able to think or say or read "hoo-ha" again and not blush) and the Ladybug's scrapbooking party. For many reasons the scrapbooking party won out - but I didn't stay longer than it took to drop the crib and mattress, and drop $100 on supplies. I was road weary and saddle sore. I needed to get onto the treadmill in a bad way.

So, I think you are all caught up now.

Tomorrow is the first day of our semi-annual community awareness workshop on domestic violence & sexual assault. I help facilitate it - that is, I reserve the room (we'll be so happy when our conference room is completed), send out the announcements, accept the registrations, arrange for the continuing education credit, arrange for the police ride-alongs, purchase food stuffs for the participants, set up the room, OH, and do the opening spiel on the first day, and clean up duties on the last day. Woo-hoo. So, I need to get off here and get myself to bed.

And that reminds me - Linda asked if we were really three hours time difference. I'm not sure, Linda, because of the daylight saving time and all. I know that AZ doesn't recognize that, but you are in NV. We are one hour different than CA, if that helps. I think that we may have the time zones set up weird here at the purplemoose site. It seems to me that the times are off, too. (I physically changed it on this entry - so it reads Alaska current time - looks like it was 2 hours off!)

Okay, peeps. Have a great Monday - and an even better week. Type atcha later.
>..<

Seven of many to come

Wednesday steps: 8630

Seven is the scrupturally perfect number. And, I kinda like it tonight, myself.

Seven - 7 - seven . . . that's how many pounds I have lost since I started the 10000 steps program!! Yes, I am excited. I did a happy, happy, joy, joy dance at work after climbing onto the scales. Now, I just need to keep on keeping on.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Got to work with the new receptionist a bit this afternoon - after she had her visit with the director, and then read our Policies and Procedures manuals. Poor lady - I sent her home on informational overload, I'm afraid.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Had a nice visit with the fair Princess Kinzie this morning, who, along with her brother the T-man, came to see me in between older brother's bus and the T-man's bus. They had some toast and some cuddles before they left.

Then, the fair Princes Kinzie and her mama came to visit me at work for a few minutes. I have had a day of Princess Kinzie joy. Yay, me!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Tomorrow is Alaska Day and I will have the day off. So, shortly after breakfast I will be leaving for Anchorage to visit a friend. I may not be back here until Sunday. So, don't worry 'bout me, okay?

but for now I need to head for bed - I am tired. You all have a wonderful Friday.

one - one thousand, two-

Tuesday steps: 9322

There was an article in today's paper about the 10000 step program. The coordinators spoke before the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce yesterday. Interesting stats.

At the time of registration, 29 percent of the people were in their normal weight range, 29 percent were overweight and 42 percent were considered obese. Yup, I'm in there somewhere, and not the 29 percent either.

But, the walking is helping, I'm sure. I know that I feel better already.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Today's luncheon went well - Not only did we receive the proclamation from the mayor of Kenai, but the Executive Director was called upon to make a statement later as part of the United Way presentation. A baptism by fire so to speak for her first public speech as ED. She did just fine.

And, the best part of today . . . ta-dah! A receptionist was hired. Yay! She will come in tomorrow to do some paperwork. We have Friday off for Alaska Day, and then all next week she will be taking part in the community awareness workshop. So, I will not be training her on desk duties until the last week of October. By the first week of November I should be back to my 4 day schedule and full time in my office. Hurrah! I'll sort of miss that extra day's pay each week, but it will be good to be able to get in and get my own work caught up and back to snuff.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The skies this morning were glorious - pinks and rosy yellow tints. If the pics turn out, I'll come back and put one in here.

the skies were gorgeous!

and, look at it reflected in the house windows!

ahhhhhhhhhhhhh

Have a wonderful Thursday, everyone.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
amended Thursday 7:00 a.m. Alaska time

Pithy - absolutely Pithy regarding the recent CA election.

Carry on.

purple ribbons, blue moon, panting purple moose

Monday steps: 7868

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Part of my duties at work is to raise awareness in the community. Tonight, our President of the Board of Directors, the Executive Director and I went to the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly meeting to accept a proclamation from the mayor. He is a great supporter of the work that we do and we appreciate this proclamation.

One of the things we decided to do this year is ask community members what they could do to raise awareness. We sent letters to area libraries, senior centers, and businesses that have "reader boards", asking them to set up a display for the month of October. The Kenai and Soldotna libraries both set up a display, one of information about the agency, and the other a bulletin board with information about DVAM. A bank in Soldotna has a message on their reader board: October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, then the name of our center and the phone number.

The support has been great.

Tomorrow the director and I will attend the Kenai Chamber of Commerce luncheon where the mayor of Kenai will present a proclamation. And, next week we will attend the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce luncheon for a presentation by the mayor of Soldotna. At the end of the month the director will speak in front of the Nikiski Chamber of Commerce.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Friday 8 a.m. moonset through the clouds.

I couldn't help but stop to get a shot of the moon last Friday. Was unsure how it would turn out. This is the little league field where I spent so much of my summer watching the grandkiddos playing ball. You can see the baseball topped flagpole to the left of the photo.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
3.5 weeks ago (at the beginning of the 10000 steps program) I went for a walk at lunchtime. I could only make it as far as the little league fields you see in the above photo. Today I decided to try it again. This time I did twice that distance, walking all the way to the highway before turning back. Only had to stop once and that was because a teeny stone was lodged in my instep.

Just got off the treadmill . . . want to know how batgrl is helping me in my walk towards fitness? Well, I found out the first week that my pedometer did not count all of my steps when I was on the treadmill. So, I began to think how I could keep track of my steps - don't want to lose any, you see.

Aha!! The Mardi Gras beads that batgrl sent me last year!!! Yup, that's just the ticket. I have 20 strands hanging around the electrical readout of the treadmill. I count to 100, place a strand around my neck, continuing until they are all gone (I have now worked up to that many steps . . . yay). When I have reached the end, but still have time left to walk, I begin to toss a strand from around my neck to the floor for each 100. At the end of my exercise period, the ones left around my neck count for 100 and the ones on the floor count for 200. Tonight there were 7 on the floor! Yay, moosie. Thank you, batty!

That's about all there is from the moose tonight. Have a grand Wednesday, everyone.

Breast Cancer Awareness

Sunday steps: 6505

October recognizes Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The link will take you to the breast cancer site where you can click to help fund mammograms. During October your click will be counted as two, so this is a good time to click. Watch the ribbon fill with pink.

The Regional Hospital in Anchorage is giving certificates for a free pedicure to every woman who has a mammogram this month. There are resources in Anchorage and in my own area to help women who cannot afford to have a mammogram. They are funded in part by such agencies as the above linked spot.

My mom's sister died of breast cancer in 1972. I have friends who are survivors. And, there are two ladies in my church family who are undegoing different stages of treatment for breast cancer. This is a cause that is near to my heart, literally.

My next mammogram will be in June, 2004. When is yours? Do you do monthly breast self exams? (bse) Do you know how? If not, check with your doctor and s/he will either show you how and what to look for, or they will give you materials on the method or show you a video. If they do NONE of the above - go to one who will. It's too important not to.

Oh, and gentlemen . . . you should be checking also - men can develop breast cancer too. So, once a month when you are checking for testicular abnormalities (you are, aren't you?) check for any lumps or thicknesses in your chest-al regions, including your armpits. Report any troublesome findings to your doctor.

This public service announcement brought to you by the moose - who cares for you.

meat people - pfd??

Saturday steps: 6915
Week's steps: 55745

So, I just might have the answer to the meat madness I saw yesterday - well, at least a reason the people were there . . . Alaskans have just received their Permanent Fund Difidends (PFDs). This year it was $1107.56 that arrived in my direct deposit account.

It is quite possible that everyone was there to fill their freezers with packaged meats. Why they were standing around dumbly . . . well, still no real clue to that. Maybe they were scoping out the prices.

We did not purchase meat - or groceries for that matter - with the checks hubby and I received. Instead we used the bulk of them to pay our real property and personal property taxes for the year. We didn't have a lot left after that.

I bought a new vacuum cleaner (on sale - Dirt Devil bagless) and ink for the printer. Hubby bought a boxed set of Star Trek cds which he is viewing out in the other room.

Just like that - Two checks written and, bye bye pfds. All gone gone.

and now I'm nodding at the desk. Time to get some sweats on and to climb up on the treadmill. Maybe it will wake me up enough to be ready to get on to bed. See you all later.

I see Meat People!

Friday steps: 9497

Spent today doing little things - some laundry, reconciling the business checking account, stopping by the new Gottschalk's location, and watching grandson's basketball game. If you have never been to a BB game fought out by first and second graders . . . well, you are missing a treat. Too much fun.

Daughter and her family weren't there when I arrived, so I walked around the school building and got a few steps. Saturdays are still my low day, though. I plan to get on the treadmill here shortly and get a half hour in.

Stopped at the store after Dezi's game today. And, discovered a mystery. It is as yet unsolved and may remain so. Very strange - very weird - just v.e.r.y.

I had stopped to get something for dinner so wandered back to the meat cases . . . where I found about 15 people just standing or milling around quietly. They all looked like they were waiting for something that only they knew about. I felt quite the outsider looking in.

WHAT? What could be holding their attention in front of rows upon rows of packages of beef and pork and chicken???? WHY? Why did they just stand there and stare.

I ask you

No, really, I'm asking you. Because I have no clue. I sort of darted in and picked up a package of something and scooted out and walked off looking over my shoulder every once in awhile . . . only to find . . .

they were still there. HELP, I'm seeing meat people!!!!

When I got to the checkout line it was mercifully empty. I asked the cashier about the meat watchers. Was there something that only they knew? Was there a special appearance of the giant meat king about to happen and my invitation had been lost in the mail? What? Pray tell, dear cashier, WHAT is going on?

Oh, are they still there? she asked innocently. I have no clue either, and it's weird, isn't it? They are just standing there.

hmmm, well no help there. Apparently it is a scene from the Stepford Meat Gazers or something.

Whatever, I was able to get out of the store with all of my mental faculties firmly in place. And I even got a container of their famous jalapeno cheese dip. Yay, Moosie!

waterlogged

Thursday steps: 7478

Friday night - family swim night. The Ladybug family, my sis (1st keychain) and niece (crueskimo), hubby and I all load up into vehicles and head for the Nikiski pool. Hubby and mama ladybug play with the littles in the kiddie pool, while sis and niece and I racewalk in a lap lane.

Tonight I walked 31 laps, and it was time to get out for a shower and the drive back into Kenai for a late dinner. Hubby and I are both a bit tired and I hope to get to bed earlier tonight.

It's been a long week - very busy at work. I sure miss my Friday's off. I get next Friday off, actually everyone in the agency does. It is Alaska Day. I hope to drive to Anchorage to visit with my buddy. We'll have a grand time chatting and eating and just being together.

I am going to do some shopping. Daughter needs a new crib for the expected bug. And the moose needs some clothes that fit - these pants I'm wearing today, for instance, are beginning to be embarrassingly baggy. It's not so much that I have lost weight (only 4 pounds so far), but that I am apparently losing inches. Hard for me to see - but the clothes aren't lying. Just like they don't lie when I gain, they aren't lying now.

Need to get off here and send the other family bloggers some html code they were asking about at the pool. But before I go . . . .

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Happy Birthday, Bonnie!

May your day bring you special joy and much laughter. May your balloons be many and brightly colored.

Moose Tales/Bear Tales

Wednesday steps: 9113

First of all - yup, still plain jane - anybody out there got some ideas for me to play with? ;-)) Looks like Lessa may have an idea or two. However, if any of you come up with something that the moose falls in love with . . . well, then . . .

Yup, you could own your very own purplemoose clone and a bookmark to boot. Woo-hoo!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Now to the question on everyone's mind - at least on batgrl's mind . . . do we hear about the bear incident up here? Yup, big time news, sadly. You can read today's Anchorage Daily News article here. And, there are several others in their archives.

It was only a matter of time, I'm afraid, that this would happen. Treadwell is quoted as saying that he would be "honored" to end this way - to be found in a bear's scat. And, if they had not killed two of the bears, he would have been part of the scat in a day or so. As it was, parts were found inside the bears.

Sorry to be graphic. But, here's the thing. . . . more and more people have been going out and trying to make friends with the poor, "misunderstood" (his words) bears and there have been an increasing number of maulings and/or deaths related to such shenanigans.

These are NOT teddy bears, folks! These animals can decapitate a person with one swipe of their dinner plate sized paws. Their claws are 3-6 inches long at least. Standing on their hind quarters they tower over the tallest man.

You know what I think is the saddest thing about all of this? He took his girlfriend down with him. She is shown on their videotape (camera found in their belongings) as being very frightened of the bears at their camp - they were camping, btw, right ON a game trail juncture where several bears passed by daily. The video camera (mercifully with lens cap on) caught on audio 3 minutes worth of the killing. The tape is owned by the company he worked for, and they (again, mercifully) are not releasing it to the news. They have told some of the things that were said. And, one man said he is having nightmares because of what he heard.

Is this a sad thing? Yes! Was it unexpected? No. Will it stop the next Treadwell? Probably not. He was likened to Diana Fosi in how close he came to the bears, and so will likely be made an icon.

I have never seen a grizzly outside of the Columbus (OH) and Anchorage zoos. I have lived in Alaska for 25 years and have only seen a blackie from a distance one time. And, I'm just as happy about that. Black bears are spotted every spring in our neighborhood (we live pretty much right in town) - either they, or their footprints, or their scat. That is when I worry about the grandkiddos. But, both daughters have dogs which give a warning whenever something wicked this way comes. That, and the parents' vigilance takes care of that.

So, there ya have it - probably more than you wanted, batty.
>..<

A special wish

Tuesday steps: 7581

Tonight as I did my 30 on the treadmill, I was thinking of a friend who will shortly undergo kidney surgery. Actually I have two friends who will be going into surgery at the same time. One to give and the other to receive a kidney. They are brother-in-law and sister-in-law. I wrote about them recently on the other journal. The woman is married to the man who gave his brother a kidney awhile ago. Now she will become an even closer part of the family.

Hubby and I flew to Seattle the first time to give some support to our friends throughout and after the surgery. We stayed at a small motel within walking distance of UW and the University hospital. (this next surgery will be at Swedish Hospital)

Each time we walked to or from the hospital we were alongside or on the university's paths which were littered with "helicopters." I gathered up several to bring home to my daughters. We don't have them in AK, but I grew up with them in Ohio. We had a wonderful time in our Alaskan front yard tossing them up into the air and watching them spiral down.

oooh, here is the Journal of Maple Seed Science. Very cool. And, there is a picture there just in case you have no idea what I mean by helicopters.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Looks like Lolo had a good birthday - check out Zulu when you visit her site and wish her a happy birthday.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Happy Birthday, Lori!!

May your every wish come true - may your day be extra special.
>..<

voting and learning

Click to see the Voter Moose

Today was the day - no, sillies, not caleefornya . . . we vote in Alaska, too. Yup, local elections today. The Moose was one of the first to sign in at my precinct. Listening to the news and it would seem that not one of my candidates won - ah, well. Now it will be to hold their feet to the fire and make sure they do what they said they would do. At least I voted.

The learning from the title? Well, still learning - and bugging Lessa - how to run this MT stuff. Oh my, the questions I ask her. And she ever so patiently leads me to find the answers on my own. All the better for me to remember them, right? Right.

Latest accomplishment - beginning to add my links. They are really in no particular order - sort of the order in which I read them every day. But I get to them all eventually. Still to be added (and urls changed at their pages) are the collaborative efforts and rings in which I'm involved. That is for another night. It is getting late.

Now if I could just figure out what I want this page to look like.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone.

Kitty is the Greatest

I have been a fan of Miz Kitty for a long time - practically since my first foray into the great blue ether back in 1997. I have used her graphics, I have purchased a set, I have gotten to speak to her on the phone, she is GOOD people.

Kitty has hosted me at fullmoonwebs for quite some time now - I think my first post was in January 2001. Here we are heading quickly towards 2004 and it is time for me to become a grown up and do this on my own.

It took some time for me to get up the gumption/courage to buy my first domain (ooohhhh, ahhhhhh). It then took some time for me to worry myself silly over how Kitty would react to my leaving her well-feathered nest. And, when I finally made myself write the note, she was so understanding and kind in her reply. She is GOOD people.

I thank you, Kitty. I hope that we can someday finally get together and have a motorcycle ride together. ;-)

Testing

Testing, one two three.