TIBER SWIM CLASS OF 2004

Saturday, 02 January 2010

  • IT'S ALL OVER

    Well, I ended up working 65 hours each week the last two weeks.  130 hours total.  I will be able to pay off my credit card debt! Yay!

    Happy New Year & Happy New Decade to everyone.  I watched the fireworks after my 16 hours working on New Year's Eve, then went to bed.  I did a double the next day, and finally--off this weekend.  It turned out that I ended up getting up early because my legs were cramping.  I dozed on the couch in early afternoon & now it's nearly 11 pm & I can't sleep.  Funny.

    It's bitter cold & very windy but somehow it seems so peaceful.  Something about being nice & warm inside & not having to go anywhere made this a really nice day off.  Tomorrow I have about a ton and a half of ironing to do, but hey--it's nice to be home.

    I hope everyone had a nice Christmas vacation.  Emily & Bill came to our house on the 29th on their way to Atlantic City.  It was their second wedding anniversary & I felt bad that I forgot about it.  I didn't remember much the past two weeks.  I'm so thankful that they were able to finally enjoy their first holiday season in their new house.  Jason finished his semester in college with an A in math and an B in English.  Good job, Jay!

    My iPod died and Harry surprised me with a new one.  The click wheel is easier to navigate & the cover flow is so cool.  The display is a higher quality so my photos and videos look really nice.  Harry is so good to me.

    Our dog (Peaches) continues her slide into old age.  She is blind as a bat, her hearing seems to be going away, and she is coughing so much more than she used to.  She is missing the rigid rings in her trachea & she tended to have occasional coughing jags-- now they are pretty frequent.  The cold weather isn't really agreeing with her, but she loves the snow.  I have to drag her inside--it's really not safe for her to be romping around in the cold.

    And so 2010 has begun.  I love the look of 2010 so much better than 2009.  I pray that our leaders come to their senses and stop spending money we don't have, and that our battles for the protection of innocent unborn life see success.  I really fear for the future of our nation due to the runaway spending which is taking place.  Even as I pay off my own debt, my country goes deeper into the hole.  May God grant some sanity to those who hold the purse strings.

    Thanks to all of our military, our police, and our firefighters, who are putting their lives on the line for our safety and security.  May our Lord keep you all safe in 2010, and may we see peace on Earth.

Friday, 01 January 2010

Tuesday, 29 December 2009

  • ALMOST HOME

    I finished my 65 hour work week on Saturday.  This week I actually have a day off--TODAY!--and this week will "only" be 56 hours.  Then I am done with overtime, at least for now.  I'll never sign up for shifts like this again.  Never.  I got played.

    I hope everyone had a nice Christmas.  Mine will be today, when Emily & Bill arrive later.  Yay!

Wednesday, 23 December 2009

  • MERRY CHRISTMAS

    Starting tomorrow I am working 40 hours over three days, so this is my last chance to wish all of you who stop by this little ditty a Merry Christmas.

     

Monday, 21 December 2009

  • TRYING TO LEAVE THE DRIVEWAY

    Harry & Jason are outside working on getting me enough dug out space to make it into my street, which was not plowed at all for two days.  If I had been on day shift, I would have missed work today, too.  The snow is higher than my tires, so unless I can get to the tracks of the vehicles who have been going up & down my street already, I can't get anywhere.  It's unbelievable what snow can do!

Sunday, 20 December 2009

  • SNOW!

    A few photos of the snow taken the following day.  Even after a few inches melted, we have at least 18" of snow on the ground. My street is still unplowed as of Sunday the 20th, at 2 pm.



    The bottom two photos tell the story the best. The squared off edge of snow is where my driveway meets our street.  There is a wall of snow between my car & my street, which has yet to be plowed.  The bottom photo shows how high the snow still remained even the next day--it was almost as high as the hood of my Subaru.

Saturday, 19 December 2009

  • SNOWSTORM




    I remember enjoying large blizzards when I was a kid.  Even when my own two were little it was nice to be inside & watch the beauty of the snow unfold.  Then my life changed & now I am the one who has to brave the roads to get to work.  As a nurse, I can't stay home.

    Except for this one!  It's so exciting that this is my weekend off and I can stay put while the snow piles on.  I wish we didn't have a major storm.  I feel badly for those who have no choice but to work in spite of the snow.  But I am so thankful to God that He planned this one on my off time.  I suppose He peeked at next week's nightmare schedule & felt sorry for me.

    The thing about snow that I do like is the quiet.  It's amazing to me how the snow muffles the ordinary sounds of life.  A blizzard like this is a big Sssshhhhhh from God.

    For those who have to be out and about in this storm, I will send up a little prayer for you.  May St Christopher be your patron as you navigate the roads.  If you get stuck at your job, I know how you feel.  I've had to spend the night at work due to significant snows & I know how frustrating it is not to be able to make it back to home & hearth.

    For those of us who get to stay home, let the quiet permeate your soul, and listen for the coming of our Lord.  His birthday is just around the corner.  Thanks be to God who gave us this season during the time when it is cold & dark.  It makes the coming of Jesus so much more joyous.  God bless you all.



Saturday, 12 December 2009

  • NJ & TIGER WOODS

    The members of NJ's legislature are considering a bill which would allow gay couples to marry.  I can tell you that this issue has inflamed passionate responses on both sides of this issue.  My local newspaper has online forums where people can communicate what they think about any issue at any given time.  The rhetoric has been, how shall I say it, less than polite.  The usual slurs on both sides of the issue are being flung about all over the place.

    The irony of the timing of the Tiger Woods scandal is not lost on me. Very sincere supporters of traditional marriage believe that gay marriage puts the institution of marriage itself in jeopardy.  I still contend that marriage came under fire because of the actions of those who, like Tiger Woods, ignored their vows & betrayed their spouses.

    For those of us who take marriage seriously, we believe that marriage is a lifelong & monogamous union of one man & one woman.  Seeing marriages destroyed via betrayal, with the collateral damage which is inflicted on the children involved, is sickening.  Every marriage which fails weakens our society.  If family is the bedrock of society, it follows that when it is under attack, society itself is under attack.

    Why is it when the issue of gay marriage arises, we see supporters of traditional marriage out on the streets with protest signs, but when yet another public person stands up & admits to being unfaithful, there is no one in sight?  Is it because it is easy to publicly protest a group of people with inflammatory rhetoric, as opposed to confronting an individual?  I've seen signs which state flat out that gays are bound for Hell, but I've never seen a sign which says: "Newt" or "Sanford" or "Edwards" or "Tiger" or [fill in the blank] is bound for Hell.  I wonder how many divorced people are protesting gay marriage.

    Supporters of traditional marriage had better get their own house in order before they go out and trash gays.  Maybe then marriage will be stronger, and safer from attacks. 



Friday, 04 December 2009

  • SCHEDULE WOES

    I have to work a double on Christmas Eve day and then first shift on Christmas Day. This will be the second straight year I don't make it to a single Christmas Mass.

    I've been so discouraged since my shift was changed. I didn't get my Advent wreath out of storage & I won't bother to get a tree because I am working so many extra shifts beginning December 22 that I won't have time to enjoy it.

    So, maybe next year I'll have a decent Christmas.

Sunday, 29 November 2009

  • ADVENT

    Happy Advent, everyone. Of course, work means I missed this first Sunday. I can't find a purple theme I like, but I have to dash off to work soon & of course, time is running short. I don't know how much I like this theme. Too bad no devout Catholic makes themes. I don't know how to create a theme, so I will likely be stuck with this one until Christmas.

    Sigh. Good-bye to the Gloria until Christmas. It was the Gloria which captured my heart and allowed me to fall in love with the Mass.

    Well, Jesus warns us today of being distracted by carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life.  Those anxieties are where my head is, and has been, since this company took over & my schedule was turned upside down. It still feels like my life was turned with it.

    I hope you all have a good day and that this season of Advent is a blessing for you, your family, and everyone you love.

Amythist_Malaise

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