House Hunting
Mood:  not sure
I decided to switch Realtors after the first one kept trying to sell me a run down piece of crap. I am not very "handy" so I need a house that is in pretty good shape. I can handle things like painting and installing light fixtures but that is the extent of my knowledge. I am lucky to have a guy in my life who is rather good at repairs but the independent girl in me doesn't want to have to rely on him to get my house in shape.

The first Realtor sent me an email one day and said that I was running out of options in my price range. I have told him over and over again that I am in no hurry to buy a house. My lease doesn't expire till December, so if there isn't something on the market now, I could wait. But I guess with the decline in the housing market he was anxious to make a sale. The one things about me is, if I am not comfortable with someone, whether it is in a personal or business relationship, I will run away as fast as my legs will carry me. So I decided to contact a women who walks her dog here at the park. I see her everyday and have come to know her and her dog, Sophie very well. I trust her and know that she will take good care of me. I don't know why I didn't go with her in the first place. Amazingly she came up with about 20 houses that the first agent never bothered to show me. Funny how that works isn't it? She said there were tons of houses in my price range but that some she knew were in bad neighborhoods and wouldn't feel safe with me living there. How sweet is that?

Out of the 20 or so homes she sent me, I have selected 7 to view this Saturday. We are going to start in Youngsville and work our way down to Raleigh. There is one home in particular that I am anxious to see. There aren't any pictures online of the inside which worries me a little. I always figure that if they don't post pictures then they have something to hide. But if this house is as cute on the inside as it is on the outside...then I plan on putting in an offer. *keeps fingers crossed*

My new Realtor also put me in touch with a great mortgage broker. He is SOOOO nice and we talked for about an hour, going over my finances and discussing how much I would feel comfortable spending. This was a big change from the bank who kept trying to get me to go with a higher mortgage. This agent said he would make sure that I wouldn't get into trouble financially. That the last thing he wants is for me to have to foreclose on my house. I don't want that either. He is also willing, at no cost, to look up tax records and deeds for me on any property I am interested in. The bank didn't offer that service to me. :)

Everything seems to be falling into place. I keep waiting for something to go wrong.

Wish me luck!

The Assassin
Mood:  mischievious

With Election Day looming on the horizon, President David Brenneman is rapidly losing ground in the polls. The mounting death toll in Iraq has tried the patience of the American people for too long, and the escalating situation in Iran seems to promise more bloodshed. Just when it seems the situation can't get worse, a bombing in Baghdad leaves 19 American civilians dead. Although the Iraqi prime minister – the apparent target – narrowly escapes with his life, the effects of the bombing reverberate around the world as the country continues its slide into full-fledged civil war.

At first glance, the attack seems too sophisticated to be the work of the Iraqi insurgency. As the hunt for the true culprit begins, the president turns to the CIA and Ryan Kealey, a troubled young operative who, nearly a year after preventing a terrorist strike in Washington, D.C., is still working through his own tragic loss. Shortly thereafter, an unexpected break in the case takes place. In London, British-born analyst Naomi Kharmai stumbles onto an audio recording that brings shocking evidence to light: a ghost from their shared past has resurfaced in Baghdad, and he's intent on finishing the work he started in Washington one year earlier.

Spurred on by the revelations contained in the tape, Kealey and Kharmai continue to dig deeper. As strange new connections emerge, the identities and motives of those behind the bombing begin to blur. When the pair learns that members of the Shiite-dominated United Iraqi Alliance have been invited to speak before the Security Council in New York, they instantly fear that the worst is yet to come. But even the halls of the CIA are no longer safe from espionage and treason. There is someone inside who wants the next attack to go forward, and as the opening session of the General Assembly draws ever closer, Kealey and Kharmai must discover who is with them and who is against them – before it's too late.

This is the second book by Author Andrew Britton set to be released in March. I hear, from a very reliable source, that it is even more thrilling than the first book in the series, The American. Haven't heard of Andrew Britton? What?!? Have you been living in a hole? Run out right now and buy The American so that you will be caught up in time for the release of The Assassin. It is finally available in paperback so you have no more excuses.

For my readers in the UK who have said they can't find the book. According to Andrew's site the book will be on shelves Feb 22 and will have the title, Heart of Betrayal.

Also check out Andrew's webpage for tour dates

Happy Reading!!!!

Okay....YOU WIN!!!!
Mood:  blue
Diana Peterfreund wrote a great letter to her health today and I ditto everything she said. I don't know if my health has actually packed up and left home or if it just got to the point where it had enough and is now forcing me to listen.

I have been fighting off a cold since Saturday and I think the cold has finally won. I went to the dermatologist yesterday to figure out why my face has erupted (more on that later) and noticed that everyone in the waiting room was coughing or sneezing. I didn't stand a chance. Last night when I finally got home I could feel my skin start to ache...bad sign. I immediately went to bed and slept until 7:30. I got up, watched HEROES, then went right back to bed. This morning I got up and felt like I was in a fog. My head feels like it is going to explode and my body feels like someone has beaten the crap out of me. As I pulled into the control tower this morning to get the morning report I realized that I had no clue how I got to work. I know that I did because I was sitting there in my car but I don't remember anything about the drive. I then tried to get out of my car with my seat belt still on. Thank God no one was around to witness. Although it is probably on the security camera footage. That is why medications come with warnings about operating heavy equipment.

Whatever the hell is going on with my body has also taken a toll on my face. You might remember the cold sore entry from last week. That has finally started to heal but now my chin has erupted with acne. Occasionally I will get a few pimples now and again but it has never been this bad. So I made an appointment with the dermatologist yesterday to figure out what the hell is going on. Turns out it is all my fault. I was so self conscience about the cold sore that I washed my face too much causing the skin to dry out. The dryness coupled with the hormones from the impending period, inflamed my oil glands which has resulted in this acne explosion. I was hoping for some magic pill I could take to make it all go away but alas all I got was "take some Advil, use a cold compress, and buy a really good moisturizer." She said it should all clear up by the weekend. Let's hope so.

So last night as I lay there on the couch I started to think about what my body is trying to tell me. One of my problems is that I get so fixated on something that I will go full steam ahead until I finally hit a wall. I have been so focused on buying a house that I have been working 7 days straight at both the park and the pub. I haven't had any time to relax or to get myself centered. Another problem is I don't think I am allowed to be 100% happy. Whenever I am happy I will find some reason to screw it up. I have been so happy lately. Tired but happy. I have been earning good money at the pub which will help me out with buying a house. I have finally gotten a great real estate agent and mortgage broker who have been fantastic with my house hunting fears. I have met a guy who I really enjoy being around and spending time with. My friends and family all seem to be doing well. I should be on top of the world....right? There is this little voice though in the back of my mind saying that everything can't be great...something is going to go horribly wrong.

Maybe I just need some Nyquil and a good night's sleep.

Jade and the Eskimos
Mood:  mischievious
My boss at the pub just got back from visiting her family in Ireland and told me that the whole of the country is addicted to the British version of the show "Big Brother". There is a girl on the show named Jade, who has apparently caused some problems because she blurted out a racial slur directed at the Indian girl in the house. That would be bad enough but what gets me is the scene where they put her in a room and ask her, "If you could ask any question in the world, what would it be?" The following video is her response.




LMAO!!! Isn't that great? And here I thought Americans were the only ones capable of coming up with such profound questions. Where on Earth do they find these people? What does this say about our culture? These are the people who become celebrities. I think it shows young kids that you don't need to go to school. Just get yourself on TV and act like an idiot and you will make lots of money. It is very sad.

Onto a different subject? I went back out to the site of the flooded eagle nest. The water has receded a bit but there were still some deep spots. At one point I was walking along and my knee froze up. I tilted my leg a bit so I could pick it up not realizing that the water was really close to the top of my boot. By tilting my leg I submersed the top of my boot below the water line, allowing about and inch of water to seep in. All I felt was the shock of coldness. Now my boot was filled with water and my socks and feet were now cold and wet. YUK! We finally found the nest but there were no eagles in site. *sigh* All that for nothing. We are in desperate need of chest waders to make it much easier.

Stupid is as stupid does....
Mood:  hungry
I meant to post this yesterday but the entry about meeting "The Fray" was already way too long and didn't want to torture you all with more reading. LOL

One of the Rangers came into the office yesterday laughing and said that I just missed it. Apparently a guy decided to drive his car down the hiking trail. The Ranger luckily stopped him before he got too far. When asked what he thought he was doing, he responded that he just wanted to see if his car would fit on the trail. He also pointed out that there wasn't a sign that said no vehicles allowed. The Ranger tried to explain that the trail was marked for hiking only and if it excluded bikes then it would probably be safe to assume that cars wouldn't be allowed either.

If we put up signs for everything you wouldn't have a place to recreate. Every open space would be occupied with a sign. Come on people...just because there isn't a sign posted doesn't mean you can ignore common sense.

We just can't predict what stupid people will do. It just ends up making my job twice as hard.

I have to go back out to the flooded eagle nest tomorrow. I am hoping the water has receded enough that I won't have to wear chest waders. I am going to see how close we can get to the birds and maybe next time I will take my camera.

I could have more weekends like that
Mood:  happy
Except for the crappy, cold weather this weekend wasn't half bad.

Friday night I had to work at the pub. We were pretty busy but it wasn't anything unmanageable. We had a slight wait (only about 30 minutes) and I was able to get everyone seated except for one group. They came in and said they had 5 people and they would like to sit on the stage side. I told them it would be a bit of a wait and I wasn't even sure if anything on that side would open up. Most people who sit on that side end up staying there all night to hear the music. They said they would wait. 15 minutes later they came to check where they were on the list and said they needed to add two more people to their group. I told them that it was unlikely I would be able to seat 7 people on the stage side. Both large tables were already taken. They said they would wait. About an hour has passed and they came back over to me and said they needed to add 4 more people. At this point it was 9PM (we stop serving food at 10:30) I pleaded with the woman to let me put her on the mural side because I wouldn't be able to seat them near the stage. She said they would wait. And wait they did till 10:30 when the kitchen finally closed. Oh well. Moral to that story is...1) If you know you want a certain area of the restaurant, make a reservation. 2) If you are on a wait list don't call all your friends and tell them to come down to join you. Adding people to your party will only increase your wait and really ends up pissing me off. IDIOTS!

I worked the day shift on Saturday and it was pretty boring except for the arrival of the new foosball tablel that arrived. We played a couple of games in between customers. I SUCKED at foosball but had a good laugh anyway. That night I took Lennie to Firebirds which is one of my favorite places to eat. I called ahead and put our name on the list and when we got there she said it would be 15 to 30 minutes. She gave us a pager and we headed over to the bar. We grabbed a couple of drinks and chatted a bit then I looked down at my watch and 45 minutes had passed. I walked back over to the hostess stand to see where we were on the list. The girl said, "We called you all a while back." I explained that we were sitting at the bar and no one had come into call us plus our pager never went off. I showed her the pager and she said, "Either we forgot to activate it or it is defective." So they gave us a table another couple was waiting on and the guy got a little pissy. Oh well! The food was great as always but I didn't have any plans to be eating at 8PM. *sigh* We got back to my place and watched The Devil Wears Prada which was cute bought I was kind of upset that Andrea sold out. By the time the movie was over it was 1:30 AM. WAY past my bedtime.

Sunday I got up and just piddled around the apt. I didn't get anything accomplished. LOL My laundry is really starting to pile up. Must do that tonight. I went into work at the pub about 3PM and I was surprised with the crappy weather that we were actually busy. Around 7:00 I got a call from a guy saying that he had 15 people and they were on their way in to eat at the pub. He said he was with the band called, The Fray. This group has a hit song out now that has been associated the show Grey's Anatomy, called How to Save a Life. He said they would be performing at the Auditorium that night and were starved. At first I thought it was a joke but decided to play along. A good thing I did. About an hour later in walked THE FRAY!!!! Well actually only 2 Fray and a bunch of family and friends. They were so nice, quiet and polite. Not what I pictured rock stars to be. They were supposed to be at the auditorium at 8PM but didn't leave the pub at 8:20. Whoops!

I am feeling a little exhausted so I am looking forward to getting home and crashing on the couch. The cold sore seems to be slowly going away. It is painful, embarrassing, and just all around no fun. I can't wait for it to all clear up. *sigh*

Friday Morning
Mood:  lazy
I am far to lazy this morning to try to come up with some sort of catchy title. So you will just have to deal with a generic one.

I am back to work today although in all honesty I would rather be home. Yesterday was so nice. I stayed in my PJ's, curled up on the couch with Fenwick and just vegged. I think I was in need of that. I didn't have anywhere to be and no one to entertain. The toll of working two jobs has started to stress me out a bit. The stress wouldn't be so bad if it didn't decided to place a nasty cold sore on my lower lip. It has caused my lip to swell, making it look like someone punched me in the face. Attractive huh? I have tried everything to make it go away or cover it up but nothing is working very well. I guess I just have to wait for it to go away on its own. I just keep trying to remind myself that all this stress is so I can buy a house.

Tanya and Andy came over last night and brought me dinner. They didn't seem too bothered by the fact that I refused to get out of my PJ's. :) I love friends who allow me to be myself. Anyway...After dinner we decided to play Trivia Pursuit. We had to cheat a little. See none of us know a damn thing about sports so when we landed on a sports question we had the option of either trying to answer the sports question or having the person pick another question off the card. Trust me if we didn't do this we would still be playing. In the end I won. It doesn't hurt that I have played the game so many times that I have heard a lot of the questions before. I suggested that we play Disney Trivia but they both know I would kick there ass. At least with the regular trivia game they had a shot.

I am working at the pub this weekend. I am too lazy to look and see which bands are playing this weekend but I am sure they are good, So if you get bored...come on out. I am working Friday night, Saturday morning, and Sunday night.

Have a great weekend everyone!!!!!!

If you didn't hate me before...you will hate me now
Mood:  happy
My boss just called me to tell me that he was calling off work today. He had discussed it with the other project managers and they were afraid the temperatures would drop later this evening and the roads would freeze and with all the accident out there he didn't want us to get into that mess. It is great to have a boss that cares about our safety.

WOO-HOO!!!! Time to light a fire in the fireplace, make a huge pot of hot chocolate and curl up on the couch and read a good book.

I LOVE SNOW DAYS!!!!!!!!

I feel like such a little kid
Mood:  celebratory
We knew that we would have some type of winter weather today. The initial report was that we would have some freezing rain and/or sleet then it would turn to rain at noon. Well this morning I got up and looked out the window to see if the sleet had started and what do I see....SNOW!!!! I immediately turned on the TV to see what the hell happened and saw that there were school closings scrolling across the screen. All the sudden I felt like I was back in grade school waiting to see the words "Wake County Schools Closed". See if Wake County Schools close then according to our snow plan at work, I don't have to go in till noon. But as of 6:30 am WC schools were still open. So I started to get ready to head into work. All the sudden the phone rang and it was my boss. He had just got the call that schools were closed. *CHEER* So now I can curl up on the couch and enjoy another cup of coffee *sigh*

We only have about 1/4 inch of snow but I think a lot of people are spooked now when they see snow because of what happened two years ago tomorrow. For those of you who don't remember...The Triangle area was suppose to get some flurries one afternoon. I was at work when I saw the first flake fall. I didn't think much about it because we weren't suppose to get anything. About 11:30 am I looked out again and saw that it was coming down harder and starting to stick to the roads. Our boss decided to let us leave at 1:00pm to avoid any problems. Well apparently everyone else had the same idea because everyone in Raleigh left work at the same time. You would think that all those cars out on the road would melt the snow but the air temps were so low that the melted snow turned to ice. Traffic got so jammed up that most people ended up spending the night sleeping in their cars. I live 7 miles from work and it took me 2 hours to get home. What a mess. Hopefully we won't have an event like that again.

On a to a different subject...I checked my horoscope this morning and this is what it said.
Get out your darkest pair of designer shades, because you are about to enter a bright, sunshiny period in your life. Positive energy is all over you, like bees on honey. Life is about to be very sweet. Get ready for unexpected flirtation and generous acts meant to turn your head and get your attention. If you are in the mood for romance, the stars are orchestrating an 'accidental' meeting for you and a very unique person.

Wow now wouldn't it be great if that were true? What would make it even better would be if it said "You will also win the lottery." :)

Hope everyone has a great day and if you have to drive in this mess, please be careful.

Are you sure there wasn't a full moon this weekend?
Mood:  not sure
What a weekend! The crazy people came out of the woodwork to make my life more exciting. LOL

On Saturday I drove downtown to work at the pub. I normally park in the parking garage because it saves time having to find a spot on the street. As I approached a saw a cop car sitting with the nose of his vehicle just barely in the access lane. So I just whipped around him and pulled into the garage. He came running in after me. He informed me I would have to leave the area immediately. I looked over to see a man standing on the ledge of the parking deck just 60 feet or so from where I had parked my car. He apparently was threatening to jump. The cop agreed that I could leave my car there but that I had to leave for fear I might spoke the guy. I tried to make my way to the pub through the sea of people who had assembled to see if this guy would actually jump. He didn't. The cops finally talked him down about 2 hours later.

Later that afternoon a man came into the pub drunk and spelling very badly. He sat at the bar and the bartender sold him a beer. The man soon got very loud and very belligerent. The bartender gave him his money back, took his beer and threw him out of the bar. The man continue to yell and scream and then crossed the street to the park. Lennie, who had come into the pub for a quick beer, watched the man out the door and then turned to me with this look on his face and said, "Have Colin grab the bat...they guy has a knife." I had them grab the bat then I immediately called 911. The man was standing across the street yelling and waving this knife around. It wasn't until later that we learned that it wasn't a knife...it was a paint scrapper. Still it was sharp and shiny and the man was obviously making threats. I went back in to call the cops again. When I went back outside Lennie, the bar tender and an off duty cop had the man down on the ground. The police finally arrived and the man was taken into custody. Apparently the guy came over and bumped into Lennie and that is when Lennie tackled him to the ground. GO LENNIE! If he hadn't been there and the guy had made his way back into the bar...it could have turned out badly. Luckily no one was injured. Well except of Lennie who ended up pulling something in his back and scraping his hand.

Sunday at the pub wasn't too bad. We had one drunk guy who fell off his chair and was asked to leave but he didn't cause any problems. The rest of the night was slow and uneventful. I enjoy working shifts with Ryan and Kat. They make it fun. Kat likes to dance around and for some reason keeps calling me "momma". LOL Maybe it is a San Diego thing? I even chatted a bit with Chris the bartender who I normally avoid because he always looks pissed off and I don't think he likes me all the much. But he made conversation with me anyway.

I was looking forward to a nice quiet day off on Monday. I knew I would have to do a gate change at 1PM but that wasn't a big deal. I got up in the morning and went for a hike then scooted over to the dam to do the change. I then went to the store and came home to relax. No such luck. I had a message on my answering machine from some debt collector saying I owed my doctor $286. I immediately called him back and told him that I thought he had the wrong person. Here is our conversation.

ME: Yes I received a message stating I owed money to Dr. Naccouzi. I think you may have the wrong person.
Collector: Is this Rebecca?
ME: Yes?
Collector: Is your number 919-555-1212 (not my real number)?
ME: Yes?
Collector: Do you live at...(address left out for security reasons)
ME: Yes?
Collector: According to our records you owe a bill in the amount of $286.00 from back in Oct.
ME: I couldn't be me. I went to the Dr. back in June but my insurance company paid all but $18 and I already paid that.
Collector: Well that is something you will have to discuss with them. Now we should talk about your payment options. Would you like to pay a lump sum or maybe we can split it up into a few payments.
ME: I am not paying this!
Collector: Ma'am you should take this seriously. Debts like this gave have a negative effect on your credit. It can keep you from getting a job or buying a house...
At that point I hung up and called the Dr.'s office. Of course the woman I needed to speak with was out till this morning. So this morning I called work and told them I would be late and drove over to the the Dr.'s to get this straightened out. Apparently there is another person with my exact same name who sees the exact same Dr. What are the odds? The lady said they have a new girl working and she must have pulled the first Rebecca that she came to which happened to be me and didn't bother to verify. I scolded her about being more responsible with this sort of thing that I had spent a year getting my credit straightened out and she almost ruined all that work. She called the debt collector while I stood there so hopefully things are all worked out.

I have to work at the pub tonight. I am so exhausted. I just want to go home and crawl into bed. *sigh* Hopefully I wont have to work too late.

Why can't eagles build their nests close to the road?
Mood:  lazy
Okay so we went out on Wednesday to try to find this eagle nest. It is located near the power line which normally would be a nicely mowed grassy strip. Easy access!!! Just walk straight up the line and look up. Well with the recent rainfall and a beaver dam that we discovered, the power line is now flooded. Our hip waders in the shop all have holes in them so we opted to just wear our muck boots which come up to our knees. We start walking in from the road and at first it wasn't too bad. The water was just past our ankles. We walked slowly...testing our footing as we went along. When in this type of environment you should always have someone with you. One person takes the lead and tests the ground below and you just step where they step. If this is done correctly...neither of you will get wet. As we got closer to the nest Jennifer (who was in the lead) steps and the water comes to the top of her boot. Our next step would have put the water mid-thigh. None of us were looking forward to spending the rest of the day in wet clothes. We looked around and decided to try another approach. Once again we ended up in knee deep water. We stood there and contemplated our next moved. Should we try walking through the woods? The woods are marshy and would have thicker mud to deal with. Which would mean a possibility of getting stuck and having to have someone pull you out with the wench. It happens...trust me. What if we take the boat in? The water is too shallow in that area. We could damage the boat and tear up the motor. What if we walk down the opposite end of the power line? That is a two mile walk. If we try to drive in...we would have to get permissions from the electric company and the private landowners. In the end the best solution we could come up with was just to buy new waders. At that point I looked down and saw a line of bubbles moving towards us. TIME TO GO!!!! It is amazing how quickly you walk when there is a line of bubbles following you. LOL I don't know what it was but I didn't want to stick around to find out.

The remainder of the week has been calm. I am exhausted for some reason and my muscles are sore. The reason for the sore muscles is not something I can post here. ;) LOL All I want to do is is crawl into a hot bath then snuggle in bed with Fenwick. Instead I have to find the energy to work at the pub tonight. It is kilt night and Annie (my boss) let me borrow this cute little skirt but I think I have opted for pants and some comfortable shoes. I know I am a party pooper. The evening doesn't kick off till 10:30 which is when my shift ends so depending on how tired I am...I might not stay long. I will probably have a beer and head home. Oh if you all are looking for something to do Sat. night...my friend David's band Jonny Dollar will be performing at the Hudson Oyster Bar on Glenwood. They are a soul/funk band. Check them out if you get a chance. They don't play many shows in Raleigh.

Well that is it for me. Have a great weekend!!!!

Just barely making it over the hump
Mood:  hungry
For some reason I am STARVING this morning. It is probably because I haven't had anything to eat since yesterday at lunch. I know....bas me. I had to work at the pub last night so I didn't have time to grab dinner before I went in and when I got off work all I wanted to do was crawl into bed. So now I am paying for it with a very grumbling tummy. Anyone want to bring me a Bojangles biscuit?

We are currently without heat in half of our building. Luckily this time it isn't MY half. My cubicle is nice and toasty. *sigh with pleasure* I feel sorry for those in the back. They have to keep coming up front to get warm. I have called the electrician but it doesn't look like he will make it out today. We did manage to get the emergency heat working so hopefully it will warm up soon.

I am suppose to go out this afternoon with Dana and Jennifer to look for one of the new eagle nests. According to the State Park ranger, the tree is right at the water's edge at normal lake level. Well we are in flood stage now which means that the tree is IN the water and my hip waders have holes in them. GREAT! This should be fun and very cold.

For those of you who live in or close to Raleigh we are having a Kilt Night at Tir Na Nog on Friday, January 12, 2007 starting at 10:30 PM. The band "Enter The Haggis" will be performing. If you wear your kilt you will get in free!!! If not you pay a $5 cover. Hope to see you all there!!!!

PICTURES!!!
Mood:  energetic
Okay I finally got the pictures loaded from Sunday. Sorry I didn't get pictures of any eagles but I think the sunrise was quite beautiful. Enjoy!

Are you kidding me? Do I honestly look like a terrorist!!!!
Mood:  caffeinated
So yesterday morning was our annual mid-winter bald eagle count. I had to get up at the crack of dawn to drive to my station, which ended up being a little bridge over Beaver Dam (not "a" beaver dam...it is just what that area of the lake is called.) I got to my site a little early so I pulled my car off the road close to the bridge, grabbed my coffee and a donut and walked onto the bridge. It was so quiet and peaceful. It was at that point in the morning, just before dawn, when the moon is still shining bright and the sun is starting to rise somewhere low in the east. There was just enough light to be able to see where I was going without a flashlight. I have to say I like this location much better than the one they sent me to last year. I didn't have to step over any trash or broken glass.

I stood there on the bridge and just listened. I heard a Great Horned Owl calling in the distance. I love the sound they make. It, for some reason, always makes me smile. I then heard a sound I had only heard on TV. A coyote called somewhere close to the water's edge. I searched the shoreline but it was too dark to see anything. I finished my donut and headed back over to the car to start filling out my paperwork.

As the sun started to come up, I scanned the sky in search of my beloved eagles but only saw some Canada geese, seagulls (okay Mark...they were Laughing Gulls...see I am doing better), a Great Blue Heron, and some ducks) I am pretty sure I heard a Cooper's Hawk but was unable to find it perched anywhere to verify it.

As I sat there traffic started to pick up on this little road. I saw surprised at the amount of cars that passed by me. I was also a little annoyed because the sound of the cars took away my ability to concentrate on the bird calls. *sigh* At one point a red corvette passed by me. He would drive a little ways and stop, turn around, drive a little ways and stop, He did this about 5 times apparently checking me out and trying to see what I was up too. Ten minutes later a State Trooper pulls up behind me. Now before I replay what he said to me, keep in mind that I am wearing my Park Ranger Parka with my Corps of Engineers patch on the sleeve.

Trooper: Ma'am is everything alright?
ME: Yes!
Trooper: Can I ask what you are doing out here this morning?
ME: Looking for Eagles.
Trooper: Is this a normal occurrence for you?
ME: Nope, I just do this once a year. (The trooper then looks at me perplexed) We are conducting our Mid-winter Eagle count today. (I show him my paper)
Trooper: I see. (hands me back my paper and then just stands there looking at me)
ME: Is there a problem with me being here?
Trooper: I suppose not. We just got a few calls about a strange person just sitting in their car on the bridge with a pair of binoculars.
ME: (laughing) I know I look bad first thing in the morning but I wouldn't say that I am strange.
Trooper: (smiles) I think they just thought you were up to no good.
ME: Yeah I guess I can see how they would got that. Here I am sitting in my little silver Scion with my ranger jacket on, drinking coffee and watching the sky with some binoculars. I SOOO look like a terrorist.
Trooper: These days you have to suspect everyone. (He then just stands there staring at me in uncomfortable silence before he finally speaks again) So how did you get roped into doing this bird count thing?
ME: It is part of my job.
Trooper: Job?
ME: I am a park ranger (God this guy is observant...I am in a ranger jacket with the word RANGER displayed on my name tag)
Trooper: Are those donuts? (glancing at the passenger seat)
ME: Yes, would you like one?
Trooper: Thanks! (he grabs 3...WTF I said he could have ONE) You have a nice morning ma'am. Hope you get to see an eagle. I will make sure I tell people that you will be gone soon. (He then walks back to his vehicle and leaves.)

Note to self: Next time do hair and put on makeup so I don't look so threatening to people and hide valuable donuts from the police.

I didn't see a single eagle but I did take a few pictures of the lake just as the sun came up. When I get some time I will post them. I hope everyone had a great weekend. Till next time...

Sex shouldn't be comfy!!!!
Did that get your attention? LOL No this isn't going to be an ex-rated entry. It just happens to be a line from the movie Kinky Boots which I watched 3 times this weekend. I love that movie and thanks to my sister who got me the DVD for Christmas, I can now watch it anytime I want. My favorite part of the movie is when Charlie shows Lola (the transvestite) the new boots he has made for her/him.


Charlie: What do you think?
Lola: Burgundy? Please, God, tell me
I've not inspired something burgundy...Red....Red...RED Charlie boy!!! Rule one. Red...is the color of sex. Burgundy is the color of hot water bottles.Red is the color
of sex and fear and danger and signs that say, "Do Not Enter." All of my favorite things in life.
Charlie: But they're comfy.
Lola: Comfy!?! Sex shouldn't be comfy!!!! I don't know what you're used to makin',but now you're making sex. Two-and-a-half feet of irresistible tubular sex. I mean, that heel. For God's sake.
Charlie: It won't break.That's what you wanted.
Lola: Not if it means looking like
a Ukrainian peasant.

Most of my day yesterday was spent relaxing. I didn't manage to take a hike in the morning although it wasn't at my beloved Hanging Rock. That will have to wait for a day when I am not on call.

In the evening I started a book I had picked up at Starbucks during one of my many runs to grab a peppermint mocha. It is called For One More Day by author Mitch Albom (also wrote The Five People You Meet in Heaven and Tuesday's with Morrie). It is really good so far and I only have a few chapters left. This is the story of Charley, a child of divorce who is always forced to choose between his mother and his father. He grows into a man and starts a family of his own. But one fateful weekend, he leaves his mother to secretly be with his father - and she dies while he is gone. This haunts him for years. It unravels his own young family. It leads him to depression and drunkenness. One night, he decides to take his life. But somewhere between this world and the next, he encounters his mother again, in their hometown, and gets to spend one last day with her - the day he missed and always wished he'd had. He asks the questions many of us yearn to ask, the questions we never ask while our parents are alive. By the end of this magical day, Charley discovers how little he really knew about his mother, the secret of how her love saved their family, and how deeply he wants the second chance to save his own. (taken from Amazon.com) Check it out if you see it. It is a quick read and has made me tear up twice already.

I have two other books I got for Christmas that I need to start reading. Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen and Cross by James Patterson.

Well I am off to lunch. Later!!!!

Happy New Year!
Mood:  happy
Some of you emailed me to ask me why you got a message from me at 8:30AM. The truth is...I didn't go out last night. I stayed in and I LOVED it. I know...how lame it that? LOL I worked at the pub Saturday afternoon then came home to a sick cat. So I was up all night with him. I then worked Sunday morning at the pub and when I got home I was exhausted. I popped open a bottle of Asti and tried to stay up but sleep finally won out at about 11:30.

For those of you who asked...Fenwick is doing fine. The vet pumped what was left in his stomach, which wasn't much because he puked it all up the night before. The damn thing has learned to open cabinets. This morning I found what made him sick. He found an air freshener thingy that smells like apples and cinnamon. He thought it was something to eat. I must say I have a great vet. I went in yesterday to pick him up thinking I was going to have to use all the money I have been saving for my house, when she showed me the bill. $60 was all she charged me. How awesome is that? Fenwick slept on my bed through the night and never moved. I kept getting up to check to see if he was still alive. This morning he was back to his same antics. He will never learn. LOL

Today was spent taking down the tree and getting everything back to normal. My boss finally got back to me about the closure decision I made for Tuesday and gave me kudos for agreeing to be the call back person. Not that I do my job for the kudos but they are still nice to get. I do regret my decision somewhat...I really wanted to go to Danbury.

I am stealing this MEME from my sister and Nicole then I am off to bed. Enjoy!

.What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
Flew in a Helicopter
Learned to swing dance

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make one last year. But this year I resolve to take better care of myself.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Not that I know of.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope...I was lucky

5. What countries did you visit?
*sigh* none...Unless you count Alabama as a country?

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
A house of my own.

7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The trip to Nags head with my sister and her friend Kate
The night Marie took me swing dancing

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Making the decision to buy a house. I am a commitment phobic so yeah that was big.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Losing contact with a couple of friends.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Thanks to Fenwick...I managed to break my toe.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A new crock pot

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My mom and my sister for always being supportive.
Justin for always making me laugh.
Keith for finally deciding that marriage might be a good thing.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Too many to mention.

14. Where did most of your money go?
RENT!!!!!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Seeing Anne in Nags head.
Seeing Justin at Christmas
Finishing my dress

16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
Better Days - Goo Goo Dolls

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
I. happier or sadder? Happier
ii. thinner or fatter? About the same
iii. richer or poorer? About the same

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Hike

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Watching TV

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I spent it in WV with my family

22. Did you fall in love in 2006?
Maybe

23. How many one-night stands?
None

24. What was your favorite TV program?
LOST and HEROS

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
NAh...hate doesn't hurt anyone but yourself.

26. What was the best book you read?
Secret Society Girl and The American

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Frou Frou and Albannach

28. What did you want and get?
To spend time with my family and friends

29. What did you want and not get?
A house to call my own.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Kinky Boots

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I spent it with family and friend. I turned 32.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Buying a house.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
Comfy!!!

34. What kept you sane?
My pets and my late night calls to Mike in MD. Who, like me, has no life. LOL Thanks for making me laugh.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
GERARD BUTLER!!!!!!!

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Too drepressing...next subject.

37. Who did you miss?
-My Mom, my sister, and Justin.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Annie

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you (re)learned in 2006.
Life doesn't alway turn out the way you expect it to.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

so let go...jump in... oh well whatcha waiting for
it's alright cause there's beauty in the breakdown
so let go...just get in... oh it's so amazing here
it's alright cause there's beauty in the breakdown

A 4 day weekend? Whatever will I do with myself?
Mood:  mischievious
This weekend was suppose to be a 3 day weekend for me because the holiday falls on a Monday. Well Bush declared Tuesday a National Day of Mourning in honor of President Ford. Which means my office will be closed. I got all excited thinking I could travel up to Danbury to go hiking but quickly realized I would be the one on call so I have to stay close to home. Oh well....4 DAYS OFF!!!!! Whoo Hoo. I know I should be mourning the loss of Ford and not thinking about going hiking but as we established in the last entry...I am already going to hell. I will be sliding into the grave sideways with a chocolate bar in one hand and a martini in the other yelling 'WooHoo! What a ride!'"

When I die. I don't want a big somber funeral. i want to be cremated, bag pipes playing "Caoineadh Cu Chulainnat" at some point, and a HUGE kiss ass party. I then want my family and friends to decide on the perfect place to dump my ashes and be done with it. I want people to remember me and laugh. Like the time I sucked a dress up into the vacuum cleaner or the time I came out of the bathroom with the back of my skirt tucked up in my underwear, exposing my white granny panties to the world. Life should be celebrated not mourned.

Okay off the death kick now...LOL

I hope everyone has a great weekend. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I should have paid more attention in creative writing class.
Mood:  caffeinated
I know I have been MIA for awhile. Even though I had internet access at Mom's I just didn't have time to update. Christmas is finally over with. I really enjoyed my time home in WV. Santa was VERY good to me. I got everything on my list plus some. *cheer* I even managed to spend time with my best friend Justin who I haven't seen since Oct '05. We met for lunch in Hagerstown and exchanged gifts. We then headed over to the mall to see the movie Eragon. After the movie we walked around a bit while we tried to figure out what Justin could get his dad for Christmas. We passed by this stand of hand carved religious figures. I picked up a figure of the baby Jesus laying on a heart-shaped cushion to show Justin, not realizing that baby wasn't attached to cushion. Down went the baby Jesus on to the floor where his right arm immediately broke off. I picked it up and placed it on the shelf and Justin and I ran away as quickly as possible. I know I am going to hell now but what else is new. It just felt good to be able to laugh until you cried. I can always do that with Justin.

I got home back to NC late yesterday afternoon. Only 2 accidents to deal with. All in all the traffic wasn't too bad. I love going home to visit. I just hate the drive. I am glad to be home and in my own bed again. Fenwick was happy to have me home as well. He has been so lovable. I just wish it would last. LOL

I don't have any plans yet for New Year's Eve. There has been a lot of talk but no one has made any definite decisions. Honestly all I really want to do is have a quiet dinner somewhere and then come back, pop open a bottle of Asti and watch a movie. Maybe watch Kinky Boots again which my sister gave me for xmas. I love that movie.

I came into work today to a pile of crap on my desk. I started making some headway on it when I got a call from two other admin Rangers stating that we needed to have our performance objectives submitted by the 29th. *sigh* I hadn't even started on mine. Luckily we decided to work together. We split up the tasks and I only ended up having to come up with 2 of the 5. It is hard for me to be broad when writing my objectives. I want to encompass everything I do so I end up listing everything which is not what they want. I hope what I came up with will satisfy the higher ups.

Well I better get back to the pile-o-crap on my desk. Oh by the way..if you left me a comment on here and I didn't respond...i am not ignoring you. Angelfire for some reason stopped sending me a message when people comment. I have reported it so hopefully it will be fixed soon.

Later!!!!!

Santa Tracker
Mood:  happy
For those of you with small children or know someone with small children the NORAD Santa Tracker website is a great place to visit on Christmas Eve. The kids can log on and see just where Santa is and how close he is to their house. It is a great way to teach your children about geography. Check out the website below. The tracker wont be available till Xmas eve but there are some cool games and coloring books for the kids.

NORAD Santa Tracker

Holiday Eating Tips
Mood:  hungry
1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.



2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of the year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an "eggnog-aholic" or something. It;s a treat. Enjoy it!!! Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!



3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.



4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.



5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello!!!



6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.



7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.



8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?



9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.



10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention.



Reread tips: start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:



"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO-HOO what a ride!"



Happy Holidays!!!!