Week 81

Lots of things happened this month. I have just over 8 months left, so this is crunch time to get things done.

#3 Wrote tons of thank-you cards for Christmas and Birthday presents and niceties. They went out slightly later than I would have liked, but they went out all the same. The best part of sending thank-you notes is getting back the thank-you-for-sending-me-a-thank-you-note Thank you note. Nana is the queen of this, but I do have other people that are jumping on the bandwagon. Priceless!!

#8 Read 3 more books:
1. White Mountain--A superior race has taken over earth and is using "caps" to control human's minds makeing them docile and essentially slaves. A young boy who has not yet been capped is found by a member of a rebel force of uncapped humans and told to travel to their base in the white mountains. This book is his journey to the White Mountains.

2. Fahrenheit 451--Classic book that tackles the subject of censorship and government control. Guy Montag, a fireman, start fires by burning books instead of putting them out. He likes it. The people in this society do not read books, enjoy nature, spend time by themselves, think independently, or have meaningful conversations. Instead, they drive very fast, watch excessive amounts of television on wall-size sets, and listen to the radio on “Seashell Radio” sets attached to their ears. Guy eventually learns that the books are not the root of all evil and goes rogue seeking a different way of life. He meets a group of men, scholars, that memorize text to continue learning. Unfortunately, this is not too far from reality. Read more books people.

3. Little Rules of Thumb--Collaboration of rules of thumb to live by. Lots of great information that I have already used since reading the collection. My good friends gave this to me on my birthday and the things that I have learned are astounding. Need to outrun a bear? I know how. Need to figure out how much alcohol you can have based on your weight and height? I know how to. Want to know how to design your billboard to get the most attention. I know. Read this book and you will as well.

#11 Hosted poker night with food. A big pot of jambalaya was provided. Not my best to my standards, but everyone seemed to enjoy it.

#29 Had lunch with some of my good friends on my birthday. Went for a quick bite and a glass of wine....okay two glasses. It was my birthday and I was not driving.

#36 Wrote 3 luv notes to my man: 1. While he was constructing our new fancy pants poker table, I wrote on the underside with the pencil when he was not looking. Of course, he saw it and accused me of ruining the mojo. I explained that my love will bring all the money to our house. We lost all of our money at our first poker night, so not sure how that worked out for me. But if you come over and play poker, and if you look under the table for the love note, some chips may be missing when you come back up.
2. Wrote a detailed love note and put it in M's lunch bag. He read it over a turkey sandwich and pretzels. I will not disclose what I wrote because it is private. I will tell you I got the best smooch when he got home from work. Mission completed.
3. Slipped a note under the bathroom door as M was otherwise occupied. What can I say? I love my man even when he is stinky!!

#36 Gave M two more foot rubs. One as we watched our guilty pleasure, Merlin. The other was fresh from work. His toes were hurting, sweaty and stinky. I persevered and all was right with the world.

#40 Movies, movies, movies--4 more off the list:
1. A Night at the Opera--A sly business manager and two wacky friends of two opera singers help them achieve success while humiliating their stuffy and snobbish enemies. Just as Duck Soup, this will bust a belly when you watch it. Hilarious!! The best scene is the 20 people and one over-sized steamer trunk in a 5x5x5 room. My diaphragm was aching at the end of this flick.

2. Vertigo--A retired detective investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her. But, as in all Hitchcock films, things are not always as they seem. There is intrigue, lies, manipulation and suspense as James Stewart weaves in and out of Hitchcock's plot twists. You have to see this movie. It is one of the best thrillers ever made, EVER!

3. Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid--
Butch and Sundance are the two leaders of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang. Butch is all ideas, Sundance is all action and skill. The west is becoming civilized and when Butch and Sundance rob a train once too often, a special posse begins trailing them no matter where they run. Over rock, through towns, across rivers, the group is always just behind them. When they finally escape through sheer luck, Butch has another idea, "Let's go to Bolivia". So they do and that is when the fun really begins. They hook up with longtime friend, Etta Place, and slip back into their old ways. With one final shoot-out inevitable, they decide that Bolivia is not their bag and they want to go to Australia. Did they make it? Have to catch the flick.

4. It's a Wonderful Life--George Bailey has spent his entire life giving of himself to the people of Bedford Falls. He has always longed to travel but never had the opportunity in order to prevent rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town. All that prevents him from doing so is George's modest building and loan company, which was founded by his generous father. As fate would have it, events transpire on Christmas Eve that end with George on a bridge ready to end it all. Instead of jumping, he meets Clarence, a wingless angel. Clarence grants his wish of seeing what life would have been like without him. George sees everyone that he touched in his life in a state of poverty, oppression and disarray. In the end, George decides that he wants to have his old life back. The townspeople rally around him and save his business in a scene that would make Ebeneezer Scrooge start bawling. Traditionally, I am a White Christmas kind of girl, but this flick might make my holiday rotation.

#49 Donated blood. You know, if you are physically able to donate blood, you should. Saving a life is one of the most fulfilling things that a human can do.

#55 Went Ice Skating over the holiday. It was bitty rink, but there was ice none the less. I totally stayed upright the whole time. Vast improvement over the last time we went skating. M, however, took the fall for the team. Another skater went down in front of him and he could not veer in time. Fortunately, he landed on his thigh. Unfortunately, he also landed on his keys. Didn't walk right for three days after that. At least it was not me!!

#63 Took a CPR and First Aid class and I am now certified to do both. I can work on adults, children and the wee ones. I hope I do not have to use the things I learned, but if the situation arises I can lend a lung. Just as donating blood--if you can physically do this, there is no reason why you do not learn to give CPR and first aid. Saving a life is the most fulfilling thing a human can do.

#72 Gave $5.00 to the Salvation Army at the Hobby Lobby. I did this over Christmas, but forgot to take credit for it on my last posting.

#74 Listened to the following CD's
1. Eric Johnson--Ah Via Musicon
2. Elton John--Greatest Hits
3. Journey--Greatest Hits
4. Jethro Tull--Songs From the Wood
5. I Love You--I Love You
6. I Love You--All of Us
7. House of Lords--Sahara
8. Kings X--Faith Hope Love
9. King Crimson--Disclipine
10. Kiss My Ass--Compilation of Various Artists performing KISS covers

Cheese and Rice, I need to either do less every month or write more often. These posts are wicked long.