Josette

I know I haven't posted forever...

2008-04-16T21:55:38Z

Hey there,

I know I haven't posted forever... but they won't let me see the LJ at work anymore, and I haven't been motivated to check it at home very often. Too many other things to do, I suppose.

Someone nudged and nudged, and poof, I'm posting. (hiya my nudging friend!)

I'm sitting in a lovely Panera, waiting for a friend while I check email with the WiFi. I know it's a personal thing that bugs me, but seriously, was there a rash of people raised in a barn or something? So many people eat with their mouths wide open. So many people eat chips with a loud CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH that is SO loud that you can hear it from across the room. It's not a random sighting... and it's not just kids. It's mostly adults - adult professionals at that.

Color me irritated or whatever, but I'm stumped. Wow... really? Yikes...

OTHER than that, things are going wonderfully. Wedding planning has accelerated to warp speed, and we're at t-minus 31 days until the big event. Friends and family from all over are coming, and we couldn't be more excited.

We think we've finally settled on a honeymoon location (yay!)

Hope your day is going well, too, my LJ pals. Hugs!

Searching for an "Adult toy" party host (co-ed)

2006-10-03T14:59:31Z

Hi there,

I'm searching for an "Adult toy" party host (co-ed). This is for my cousin and her friends, and yes, they are vanilla.

Vanilla with more toys than me... lol

Anyway, if you could message me back with any leads you and yours may have, I'd appreciate it. Thanks much!!

~ J ~

(2) Tickets to a baseball game tonight - any takers?

2006-09-29T13:16:40Z

Hey there!

It's me, Josette, looking for someone in my circle of pals that might want to go to a baseball game tonight at RFK stadium. They're not great seats, but the tickets are free... thought maybe you guys might like to go.

TWO TICKETS

WASHINGTON NATIONALS

vs.

NEW YORK METS

Friday, Sept. 29, 2006 7:05pm

Section 529

Row 8

Seats 6 & 7

Please let me know either way... before I put them on CRAIGSLIST or FREECYCLE for free...

Cheers,

~ Josette ~

Birthday Wishes

2006-09-29T13:12:54Z

Happy Birthday wildbill781 :o)

violetsub @ 2006-07-28T21:05:00

2006-07-29T01:08:54Z

Happy Friday, my friends...

I'm chilling with xt_hoc in lovely McLean, and there are people in the pool... but wearing clothes. It's weird, man, weird!

Well, I dragged her onto LJ, so please make her feel welcome! She couldn't drag me to the DO happy hour last night, I was toooooo tired. Next time!

Have a great Saturday... off to more adventure ;-)

~ me ~

Happy Friday

2006-07-28T12:36:40Z

Engineers are amusing...

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington engineering mid-term. The answer was so "profound" that the Professor shared it with colleagues, and the sharing obviously hasn't ceased...

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or Endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote Proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law, (gas cools off when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant. One student, however, wrote the following:

"First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate that souls are moving into Hell and the rate they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let us look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Some of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there are more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially.

Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand as souls are added. This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

2. Of course, if Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa Banyan during my Freshman year, "...that it will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you.", and take into account the fact that I still have not succeeded in having sexual relations with her, then, #2 cannot be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and will not freeze."

This student received the only A.

- Unknown
</div>

A fun international quiz... how many do you know?

2006-03-16T19:08:38Z

Inquiring minds want to know... I scored a 10 out of 11 :-)

http://www.fekids.com/img/kln/flash/DontGrossOutTheWorld.swf

Buy an iPod now... or wait for the newest upgrade??

2006-03-03T18:55:10Z

Stolen from MYSPACE (thanks T.M.I.U.A.R.P.!)

As you know we have all seen the video IPOD, the IPOD Mini, the IPOD Nano, and the IPOD Shuffle. As you know technology is changing and these have all become obsolite.

I'd like to introduce:

The IPOD Micro. This sleek little player is the smallest yet. It holds over 50 thousand songs. You can watch videos on it and it holds 10 thousand pictures. Unfortunately by Thanksgiving, it will be obsolete.

That's why I'm very excited to introduce:

The IPOD PequeÃ±a. It just came out five minutes ago. This little guy hold a million songs... A MILLION SONGS... A MILLION SONGS. It also holds 500 thousand photos and you can watch videos on it. But by the time you're done reading this, it too will be obsolete.

I probably shouldn't tell you this, but I'm just so thrilled about this:

It's the IPOD Invisa. This just came out right now. It holds 8 Million songs, every picture every taken, and you even watch videos on it. If you drop it..."where di it go?"... It's floating!

</div>

Humor - "Why God made Moms"

2006-03-03T18:23:48Z

************
"Why God made moms" answers given by elementary school age children to the following questions......

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other Mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your Mom?
1. My Mom has always been my Mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did Mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?

3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work &work at home, &dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your Mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your Mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on her back.
==============================
THE MOMMY TEST
I was out walking with my 4 year old daughter. She picked up something off the ground and started to put it in her mouth. I took the item away from her and I asked her not to do that.
"Why?" my daughter asked.
"Because it's been laying outside, you don't know where it's been, it's
dirty and probably has germs" I replied.
At this point, my daughter looked at me with total admiration and asked, "Wow! How do you know all this stuff?"
"Uh," ..I was thinking quickly,"All moms know this stuff. It's on the Mommy Test. You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Mommy."
We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidently
pondering this new information.
"OH...I get it!" she beamed, "So if you don't pass the test you have to be
the daddy."
"Exactly" I replied back with a big smile on my face and joy in my heart.
When you're finished laughing, send this to a Mom.
--------------
Due to a power outage, only one paramedic responded to a call from a
mother in labor. The house was very, very dark, so the paramedic asked
Kathleen, a 3-year-old girl, to hold a flashlight high over her mommy so
he could see while he helped deliver the baby. Very diligently Kathleen
did as she was asked. Her mother pushed and pushed, and after a little
while, baby boy Connor was born.
The paramedic lifted him by his little feet and spanked him on his
bottom. Connor began to cry. The paramedic then thanked Kathleen for
her help and asked the wide-eyed 3-year-old what she thought about what
she had just witnessed.
Kathleen quickly responded, "He shouldn't have crawled in there in the
first place. Smack his ass again."</div>

violetsub @ 2006-02-21T14:38:00

2006-02-21T19:41:11Z

I love this show/movie :)

You scored as Zoe Alleyne Washburne. The Soldier. You are the second in command, and that is fine. You like a chain of command, but only when the one in charge has earnt your respect. Those who earn your love or loyalty will find no one better to guard their back.

</td>

Zoe Alleyne Washburne

75%

The Operative

75%

River Tam

69%

Shepherd Derrial Book

69%

Capt. Mal Reynolds

56%

Hoban 'Wash' Washburne

56%

Inara Serra

50%

Kaylee (Kaywinnet Lee) Frye

44%

Simon Tam

44%

Jayne Cobb

38%

Which Serenity character are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Exercise

2006-02-16T13:59:36Z

Ya know, I just feel better when I exercise. It may stink getting dressed for it, getting myself there, and working through the uncomfortable stages along the way in my routine, but it does get easier. And I do love the way I feel afterwards as I'm heading for a shower.

I find it easier to exercise in the afternoon or evening than before work. Maybe it's the darkness at O-dark-AM, or the chill in the air. We'll see what the summertime brings, when it's actually nicer to exercise outdoors before it turns into a humid oven.

Any tips on "pushing through the pain" (albeit not the type of pain you'd see a doctor for) during exercise/training would be appreciated :)

My sleepiness this morning, however, is due to staying up too late with my friend TiVO... where IS my coffee mug?!?

All work and no play...

2006-02-15T22:54:52Z

Hey there buddies!

Sorry to be out of the loop, but I've been a tad busy with that thing they call life. My home computer situation is still pretty weak, so most of my time spent checking LJ has been at work, and even then sporadically. But I’ll try to be a better girl ;-)

I’ve been working this “new” job since September of last year. It’s better in a whole lot of ways, but the pay isn’t the best. Made more dough at the last job b/e I worked so much overtime. But I’m not sad to be rid of the 60+ hour weeks where I was working on my feet all day on a cement floor, that’s for certain.

I’m so close to the Potomac that I should probably just cross it and work in DC at this point… the money would be better. But I really like the people here, and the position. However, even my boss doesn’t think I’ll be here in a year! He’d like it if I was, but he doesn’t expect people to stay here long at this salary level.

Yes, I’m still working for the Federal-es, but that’s cool. At least I know the rules ;-)

At this precise moment I’m taking a break from doing my payroll entry duties. So many things that need to be entered post-haste, as a Holiday is fast approaching on Monday. Since it’s the last Holiday we’ll see until May (i.e. – the beginning of Summer), many people take time off around the day in question. Is anyone out there doing something fun over the Holiday?

Last Friday I got to volunteer at Frazier’s place with some pals that were on-duty (M and K). It was a good time, lots of great conversation, and even W was there to keep me company. Hadn’t seen him in a while… also have not had massages with him in a while. His hands are pure magic.

Saturday, the day of the big snow storm here on the East Coast, I actually had to come into work. It wasn’t so bad, because I beat the storm system into work just as it started around 3pm. I worked until 5am the next day (Sunday), and was pretty pooped.

The snow had really started to fall and accumulate at such a fast rate of speed between midnight and 5am that the plows and salt trucks couldn’t keep up with it. Heavy, wet snow weighed down the tree tops causing breakage of limbs, downed trees, and even uprooted ones along the short mile between my worksite and the hotel room my company had provided.

If I had stayed 30 additional minutes, they would have asked me to stay until noon. Next time…

In a few hours, after a brief Siesta, I woke up to a beautiful sunny day! The roads were clear, the air was crisp, and I was happy to be heading home. There was much more fun in store for my weekend :::grin:::

We’ve really been quite lucky in the DC area. This is only our 5th snow event this year, and the winter has been unseasonably warm. It’s like I’m waiting for the other boot to drop and the big storms that the Boston area is receiving to come our way. Who knows, the winter isn’t over yet. Besides, snow is fun! It’s the windy cold that I don’t enjoy quite so much. :-(

Monday was a whirlwind of errands and hanging out with friends. Tuesday was Valentine’s Day, and it sure was sweeeeeeet in my neck of the woods.

Speaking of hanging out with friends, I’m doing it more so than ever – virtually. My best friends got me addicted to a little online roleplaying game that you might have heard of… WOW? World of Warcraft? Or, as they say, War-crack. And how…

So now the desire to get a working computer pieced together is a pretty strong one. I’d like to purchase a new one, but at this time it’s not a wise choice for my budget. Maybe this fall, who knows.

If this job I’ve been hoping for DOES get advertised, finally, and I get an interview, I know I’ll land it. I’m great in an interview! I’m hoping for Summer, but at this point, I’m guessing it won’t happen until Fall 2006. When that happens, bamm, new computer… guaranteed.

Until then, my friends, I enjoy reading your posts. Sorry to have lurked so heavily lately. Looking forward to seeing you around the LJ pool, the DC area, perhaps a happy hour or two, and maybe even some of you at Fraizer’s place on Saturday night. That’s going to be a blast!

Ooops, break time is over, back to work! TTFN and cheers!

violetsub @ 2006-02-15T16:38:00

2006-02-15T21:50:58Z

:-)

2006-02-07T14:37:16Z

Thanksgiving is approaching - time to pre-order pies!

2005-11-13T17:54:03Z

Hey there, If you're a busy gal (like me) that may not have a heck of a lot of time for baking goodies for upcoming parties and dinners, and happen to live in the DC/VA area, you're in luck! There are some really great bakeries that cater to your requests - but you need to order in advance. If you're seriously thinking of placing orders, I'd say this is your last week to do so - but check the websites or call to verify.

From the Washington Post...
Local Tastes
A Sweet Search for Pies That Produce Sighs
Thursday, November 18, 2004; Page PG14
There were no apple pies at the first Thanksgiving.
There might have been some pumpkins -- more likely as stew rather than as today's custard pie -- at that first harvest celebration. But unlike pumpkins, apples are not native to the United States. Plymouth settlers brought apple seeds with them, and by 1632, apple trees were growing in what is now New Jersey. Cooked apples were soon a staple of Colonial-era meals.

Apple pies, similar to those made in England since the 1300s, probably were first concocted here in the mid-17th century. They have been a mainstay of Thanksgiving ever since. But not in my family. We are more the sweet potato pie set. My paternal grandmother cooked on a wood-burning stove until at least the late 1950s, but I don't remember her making an apple pie.

So when I set out to find great apple pies worthy of a Thanksgiving feast, I didn't have a lot of preconceived notions. I just wanted a wonderful pie that tasted great, and if it evoked something of that over-the-river-and-through-the-woods feeling, all the better.

For the past six weeks -- aided by my ravenous colleagues and my husband, who ate a lot of apple pies growing up in Pennsylvania -- I have been sampling pies gathered from bakeries, orchards and farm markets from Alexandria to Baltimore and Galesville to Front Royal, exploring many new places at readers' suggestions.

Together, we consumed more than two dozen apple pies. A few seemed little better than mushy supermarket specials. There was a handful of absolutely wonderful pies. And there were a lot of very good pies, with tasty apples and flaky crusts like I wish my grandmother had made.

My sentimental favorite is the pie from West River Market & Deli in Galesville. The market has been in Galesville, a small waterside community in southern Anne Arundel County, for 150 years.

The pie maker is Susan Ulrich, a former corporate sales manager for Citicorp Diners Club who bought the place in 1998, after her life seemed to fall apart. She and her fiancé had planned to buy and run a bed and breakfast in the Shenandoah Valley. Then he "fell over and died" before her eyes, she said. Friends invited her to spend the Fourth of July with them in Galesville, the store was for sale and "nobody could tell me not to buy it."

Ulrich's apple pie is country-store good, with a sprinkling of sugar atop a melt-in-your mouth crust and not-too-sweet apple filling nicely accented with cinnamon and other spices.

She wouldn't divulge her recipe, except to say the apples are Granny Smiths and her secret weapon in keeping the bottom crust crisp is a pizza oven.

The crust is also the star of the spectacular apple pie from Vienna's Pie Gourmet. Bits of pastry are cut into leaf shapes, which are overlapped atop the heaping apple filling to form the top crust. Owner Joe Merenda called it the bakery's "cookie cutter crust" and said the pie is the favorite among the 65 varieties offered by the 15-year-old shop.

The pie is at least three inches high and yields at least eight servings, even considering Thanksgiving-size appetites. The Pie Gourmet beauty tastes as good as it looks. It has a rich apple flavor that is nicely complemented, not overpowered, by cinnamon and other spices.

The Pie Gourmet will open Thanksgiving morning for last-minute purchases.

The apple pie from Wagshal's Bakery and Catering in the District is nearly as deep and makes a stunning presentation when cut, revealing layers and layers of thinly sliced apples. This pie evoked the widest range of comments: Most tasters either loved it or hated it. It wasn't as sweet as other pies, and the apples seemed a bit undercooked to me. But others raved about how the great apple taste wasn't masked by too much sweetness.

The bakery is just behind Wagshal's Butcher Shop and Wagshal's Delicatessen, where the pies are sold. Sylvia Alexander, manager of the six-year-old bakery, said the Granny Smith apples for the pies are peeled and prepared right there.

Mom's Apple Pie, based in Sterling, is one of the largest specialty pie operations in the area, with four retail locations -- in Sterling, Leesburg, Occoquan and Herndon -- and sales outlets across the District and close-in Maryland suburbs. Family-owned, Mom's was established in 1981 and employs four generations.

The pies are baked at the Sterling bakery and delivered daily -- or, if needed, several times a day -- to the stores.

All the apples for Mom's pies come from the Shenandoah Valley, and right now the company is using York apples, a hardy variety, grown in Winchester. The apple pie has a flaky crust, baked to a deeper golden brown than most, and the filling has pleasantly firm apple slices that retain their shape during baking. It's a good pie that could pass for homemade.

Dangerously Delicious Pies is a small storefront operation near downtown Baltimore whose pies are also sold by Dean & DeLuca in Washington. Dangerously delicious is a good description of these creations of owner Rodney "Pie Man" Henry, who also is the front man for a rock band.

The apple pie looks and tastes as if your grandmother made it. The crust isn't quite perfect; it is lumpy, just like the perfectly cooked and seasoned filling inside. But it is oh-so goodMy helpers and I tasted apple pies from all of these places in Virginia, and any of them will make you proud on Thanksgiving Day.

Amphora Bakery, 403 Maple Ave. W., Vienna, 703-281-5631; 1151 Elden St., Herndon, 703-925-0505; 294 Sunset Park Dr., Herndon, 703-964-0500. www.amphorabakery.com. Place orders for Thanksgiving by tomorrow. The apple pie is $10.95.

Virginia
Apple House, 4675 John Marshall Hwy., Linden, 540-636-6329. Thanksgiving orders must be placed by Monday. The apple pie is $7.99.

Brenner's Bakery, 1512 Belle View Blvd. (at Fort Hunt Road), Alexandria, 703-765-4688. Place orders by Sunday. The apple walnut pie is $13.95.

Eclectic Gourmet, 1 Royal St. SW, Leesburg, 703-777-5985. Also sells at the Manassas farmers market. Place orders for Thanksgiving by Tuesday afternoon. There is no classic apple pie, but there's a very good French-style apple tart with sliced apples for $14.

Gold Crust Baking Co., 501 E. Monroe Ave. ( just off Route 1), Alexandria, 703-549-0420. www.goldcrust.com. Place Thanksgiving orders by Monday. All pies are $10.

Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe, 2150 N. Culpeper St. (at Lee Highway), Arlington, 703-527-8394. www.heidelbergbakery.com. Place Thanksgiving orders by Tuesday. All pies are $9.95.

Hill High Orchards, 35248 Harry Byrd Hwy. (Route 7), Round Hill, 540-338-7173. Hill High bakes 38 varieties of pies. Place Thanksgiving orders by Saturday. The apple pie is $7.99; caramel apple walnut pie is $9.19.

Market Salamander, 200 W. Washington St., Middleburg, 540-687-8011. www.market-salamander.com. Thanksgiving orders must be placed by today. We tasted a French apple tart, $20. There are no apple pies on the Thanksgiving menu, but pumpkin and pecan pies are available.

Mom's Apple Pie Co., 22510 S. Sterling Blvd., Sterling, 703-471-6266; 317 Spring St., Herndon, 703-481-5959; 126-A Commerce St., Occoquan, 703-497-7437; 220 Loudoun St. SE, Leesburg, 703-771-8590. www.momsapplepieco.com. Place Thanksgiving orders by tomorrow. Pies are also sold at the Takoma Park Co-op, Silver Spring Co-op, Bethesda Co-op, Chevy Chase Safeway, Chevy Chase Supermarket, South Royal Street Safeway in Alexandria and Sam's Farm Market in Falls Church. The apple pie is $10.99.

Pie Gourmet, 507 Maple Ave. W., Vienna, 703-281-7437 or 800-387-9319. www.piegourmet.com. No more orders are being accepted for pies to be picked up Wednesday, but check with the bakery for pies that can be picked up Monday, Tuesday and Thanksgiving Day. The apple pie is $21.95.

The District
Wagshal's Bakery and Catering, sold through Wagshal's Butcher Shop, 4845 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, 202-363-0777, and Wagshal's Delicatessen, 4855 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, 202-363-5698. Order by Monday. The apple pie is $14.99.

The apple pie is both pretty and tasty: Pie Gourmet, 507 Maple Ave. W., Vienna, 703-281-7437 or 800-387-9319. www.piegourmet.com.

Try their Blackberry Pie - it is the bomb! Hill High Orchards, 35248 Harry Byrd Hwy. (Route 7), Round Hill, 540-338-7173. Hill High bakes 38 varieties of pies.

And if you're looking for amazing cakes made with real ingredients, try the following shop. My favorite (for many years) is their Black Forrest Cake: Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe, 2150 N. Culpeper St. (at Lee Highway), Arlington, 703-527-8394. www.heidelbergbakery.com.

Gotta make those plans....

2005-11-08T20:04:41Z

Where the heck is my cook book anyway?

I went shopping earlier, and all the Christmas stuff is already either out or going up. We haven't even had Thanskgiving yet... what gives???

And by the way - slowing down an old classic song (for example "Let It Snow") does NOT make it a new song. It's the same song... the same OLD song. Doesn't matter who sings it, the style of the groove, the instrument variety, it does not matter. The original is still better, so get with the writing of new songs already.

TTFN

Low Iron Count giving me the grumbles

2005-11-08T19:19:01Z

I've been trying to donate platelets (white blood cells) now for a few weeks. Because they require a higher iron and red blood cell count than if I were just donating blood (red blood cells), this has always been an issue with me.

My Mother has the low blood pressure and low iron count, and my Father has the high blood pressure cornered for the entire family. In a way, I'm lucky to have similar traits as my Mom. Low blood pressure can be good... but it can lead to fainting spells. I've not experienced this but once in my life. My Mom, on the other hand, used to faint a lot in her young adult years!

Anyway, through research, I've discovered that there are things I can do to bring the iron count up. Eat certain foods, bind iron supplements with Vitamin C so that it's absorbed into the system faster. More spinach, more instant oatmeal, more meat.

Meat? Lately, on my most recent "diet", I've been practically a vegetarian. There is very little meat, if any, in my diet. More on that in another post...

So I went in on Friday to have the iron count checked... and I was right on target! However, over the weekend, it went back down again. Tried to donate on Monday, and thus, was deferred. :::many grumbles:::

If anyone out there in LJ land has any tips for increasing iron intake and absorption, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm scheduled to donate again on Friday morning.

Cheers!
~ Josette ~
PS - if you live in Virginia, PLEASE get out there and vote!!!

violetsub @ 2005-10-22T09:15:00

2005-10-22T13:19:55Z

Messing with ye' ol' iPod today...

Top 100 Songs of 1987

1. Walk Like An Egyptian, Bangles
2. Alone, Heart
3. Shake You Down, Gregory Abbott
4. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), Whitney Houston
5. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, Starship
6. C'est La Vie, Robbie Nevil
7. Here I Go Again, Whitesnake
8. The Way It Is, Bruce Hornsby and the Range
9. Shakedown, Bob Seger
10. Livin' On A Prayer, Bon Jovi
11. La Bamba, Los Lobos
12. Everybody Have Fun Tonight, Wang Chung
13. Don't Dream It's Over, Crowded House
14. Always, Atlantic Starr
15. With Or Without You, U2
16. Looking For A New Love, Jody Watley
17. Head To Toe, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
18. I Think We're Alone Now, Tiffany
19. Mony Mony, Billy Idol
20. At This Moment, Billy Vera and The Beaters
21. Lady In Red, Chris De Burgh
22. Didn't We Almost Have It All, Whitney Houston
23. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, U2
24. I Want Your Sex, George Michael
25. Notorious, Duran Duran
26. Only In My Dreams, Debbie Gibson
27. (I've Had) The Time Of My Life, Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
28. The Next Time I Fall, Peter Cetera and Amy Grant
29. Lean On Me, Club Nouveau
30. Open Your Heart, Madonna
31. Lost In Emotion, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
32. (I Just) Died In Your Arms, Cutting Crew
33. Heart And Soul, T'pau
34. You Keep Me Hangin' On, Kim Wilde
35. Keep Your Hands To Yourself, Georgia Satellites
36. I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me), Aretha Franklin and George Michael
37. Control, Janet Jackson
38. Somewhere Out There, Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram
39. U Got The Look, Prince
40. Land Of Confusion, Genesis
41. Jacob's Ladder, Huey Lewis and The News
42. Who's That Girl, Madonna
43. You Got It All, Jets
44. Touch Me (I Want Your Body), Samantha Fox
45. I Just Can't Stop Loving You, Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett
46. Causing A Commotion, Madonna
47. In Too Deep, Genesis
48. Let's Wait Awhile, Janet Jackson
49. Hip To Be Square, Huey Lewis and the News
50. Will You Still Love Me?, Chicago
51. Little Lies, Fleetwood Mac
52. Luka, Suzanne Vega
53. I Heard A Rumour, Bananarama
54. Don't Mean Nothing, Richard Marx
55. Songbird, Kenny G
56. Carrie, Europe
57. Don't Disturb This Groove, System
58. La Isla Bonita, Madonna
59. Bad, Michael Jackson
60. Sign 'O' The Times, Prince
61. Change Of Heart, Cyndi Lauper
62. Come Go With Me, Expose
63. Can't We Try, Dan Hill
64. To Be A Lover, Billy Idol
65. Mandolin Rain, Bruce Hornsby and the Range
66. Breakout, Swing Out Sister
67. Stand By Me, Ben E. King
68. Tonight, Tonight, Tonight, Genesis
69. Someday, Glass Tiger
70. When Smokey Sings, ABC
71. Casanova, Levert
72. Rhythm Is Gonna Get You, Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine
73. Rock Steady, Whispers
74. Wanted Dead Or Alive, Bon Jovi
75. Big Time, Peter Gabriel
76. The Finer Things, Steve Winwood
77. Let Me Be The One, Expose
78. Is This Love, Survivor
79. Diamonds, Herb Alpert
80. Point Of No Return, Expose
81. Big Love, Fleetwood Mac
82. Midnight Blue, Lou Gramm
83. Something So Strong, Crowded House
84. Heat Of The Night, Bryan Adams
85. Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You, Glenn Medeiros
86. Brilliant Disguise, Bruce Springsteen
87. Just To See Her, Smokey Robinson
88. Who Will You Run Too, Heart
89. Respect Yourself, Bruce Willis
90. Cross My Broken Heart, Jets
91. Victory, Kool and The Gang
92. Don't Get Me Wrong, Pretenders
93. Doing It All For My Baby, Huey Lewis and The News
94. Right On Track, Breakfast Club
95. Ballerina Girl, Lionel Richie
96. Meet Me Half Way, Kenny Loggins
97. I've Been In Love Before, Cutting Crew
98. (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right To Party, Beastie Boys
99. Funkytown, Pseudo Echo
100. Love You Down, Ready For The World

Don't know if it's a good thing or a sad thing, but I have most of these songs. Although there are a few that don't ring any bells... gotta check that out.

Doing the freecycle thing today as well... gotta love that list!

Cheers for now, and hugs to all of my Florida friends! Thinking about ya...

FYI - Free Pizza at Ledo's Pizza on Monday (10/17)

2005-10-16T21:45:54Z

In case anyone lives in the MD area.... here's a news update from some tasty pizza folks.

From the website: http://www.ledopizza.com/

ON MONDAY OCTOBER 17TH, 2005
FROM 11 AM - 10 PM
LEDO PIZZA - BETHESDA, MD AT WESTLAKE DRIVE
WILL BE THE BUSIEST PIZZA RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD
WHY?
BECAUSE LEDO PIZZA WILL BE GIVING AWAY
A FREE SMALL CHEESE PIZZA FOR ALL CUSTOMERS
TO CELEBRATE OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY

EVERYONE GETS A FREE PIZZA!!

THANK YOU FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS!!

Fun with Google

2005-09-05T22:57:53Z

Hiya,

If you have any interesting or fun things to do with the Google search engine, be a sweetheart and point me in that direction. In the meantime, have fun with this!

1) Visit www.google.com

2) Click on "Language Tools"

3) Type "Britney's mom is very nice" in the Translate Text box.

4) Select "English to Spanish" in the combo below.

5) Press Translate and wait for the translation.

6) Now copy the translated text from the above text and paste it in the Translate text box below.

7) Select "Spanish to English" in the combo below.

You've got to find what you love

2005-08-05T19:10:03Z

Just wanted to share with the class this great commencement address by Steve Jobs:

"You've got to find what you love"

Hope you enjoy it :-)

Fun-Filled Tickle SIG Pool Party BBQ

2005-07-11T01:08:39Z

Hey there, Yesterday was yet another installment of why having a pool in your back yard in the summertime is so very cool. My roommates sponsor the local BLACK ROSE Tickle SIG (Special Interest Group). I'm not so much into the level of tickle play as they are, but I am interested in exploring erotic tickling (thanks, Chris M!) It's been on the BR calendar for two months, and the RSVP's dribbled in at a sloooooow rate. I'd rather just have a Tickle/BDSM party, but you really can't sponsor it that way. So... whatever works.

People came over - hooray - and we had much splashing in ye' ol' swimming hole. I was hustling around the house after a delayed salon appointment and shopping lines caused me to arrive a little later than I had hoped. I'm chopping onions, slicing tomatoes, and putting together some of my tasty dishes to contribute to the community table. I made a really tasty grilled veggie salad of sorts. Put three types of peppers, onions, and drizzeled my own special low-cal/high flavor seasoning mix over it. Threw it into a shaker basket and put it on the gas grill outside on low. Slow cooking in the flavor... mmm.

Someone from the party asked if they could help, and I asked him to please turn over the shaker basket at one point. He mentioned later that he had put the basket further inside the grill. I should have listened or processed that information more, because he put the handle a little too-far inside the grill. It absorbed major heat.

Yeah... you can see this train coming, can't you?

So I go to grab it, and blammo - instant blister burn on my right hand. My massaging hand. Owwie. I'm putting one of those ice packs on it, and alternating it with a fresh one. Lack of ice = really bad pain.

So I just looked a bit goofy in the pool, ice pack in hand. But it's all good... I dunked Mr. Helper several times, and we laughed it off. He's taking me to see an ABBA tribute band on Wednesday night, so I must not have water-logged him too much.

Later that evening, I got to do a lovely bondage scene with Mr. ABBA himself in my ugly orange swivel/rocking chair. My fabulous triple chocolate brownines were just coming out of the oven (topped with Edy's Vanilla Ice cream, of course), and people were converging on the kitchen in droves as the oven beeped that they were done. Throughout the house you could hear giggling, laughing, a flogger or two, and conversation. But for some reason, people stop just about anything for chocolate. Guess you have to have priorities, right?

Luckily, I remained tied neatly into my ugly orange chair and making interesting noises, even though people would parade by and jokingly say "I guess they'll be none left for you, Josie". Darn... a great bondage scene or a brownie... can you guess which one I'd pick? Talk about a fabulous new weight loss program!

The funky, ugly orange chair is not quite so ugly now, as I found it has some lovely uses to it. Mr. ABBA said to me one day "How could you throw away such a wonderful chair with so many sturdy tie-off points?" I said prove it... he did... and I guess CRAIGSLIST will have to go without one more used piece of furniture for sale.

I'd show you a picture of the funky colored chair, but I haven't quite figured out how to use that function on LJ yet. ;-)

Any-who, it was a lovely party. There's another one coming up in August, if you're a local BR person. Check the calendar for more information, and by all means, please RSVP if you're interested in coming. Swimsuits are optional after dark.

Oh wait... that's every night. ;-)

:::: Grumble Grumble ::::

2005-07-06T23:40:23Z

I swear, if I type up one more long winded journal entry, and some freak act of nature (lightning/power outage) or environment (ferret running across the keyboard) closes the window, making me lose my entry.... :::grrrrr:::

Here, let me try this again…

I’m sitting at home contemplating naptime. It’s that time of the day when I know I should, but there are so many other things to occupy my fancy. To be frank, I haven’t quite figured out my sleep schedule since my work hours changed on June 12^th.

For those that don’t know, I work odd hours, and generally I have liked it. On my old schedule, I worked from 8ish-PM until 5ish-AM or later. This gave me time to shop, run errands, and have some quiet time at home before having to lay down to rest for the day. Granted, if I wanted to have dinner with friends, it would have to be an early dinner before work or on the weekends. But dates and life were progressing nicely, so I didn’t mind.

With the promise of the new schedule (working midnight to 8ish-AM), I could have much better date and dinner nights with friends and the like. Heck, I’m even going to get to come to more local Happy Hours and Meetings, which is always nice. Next week’s BR meeting in particular looks like a really interesting topic. And besides, I haven’t been to a meeting in so long, I’ve yet to go to the new hotel. Yikes… that’s a long time folks.

Usually I work about 15 – 25 hours of OT a week. However, with the new schedule, I’ve found it hard to get back into the groove. I need to do it soon, because I have a myriad of vacations and fun weekend getaways lined up between now and my birthday. There was LR (a blast, to be sure), and now I’m looking forward to Beach Week in NC, my roommate’s wedding in FL, various weekend getaways, the Boston Flea, and a trip to visit one of my brother’s in NYC.

Yep, got to get crackin….

My recent (and thankfully brief) neck injury is recovered, and I’m getting back into the exercise groove. That, coupled with the new schedule and the summer heat, and I’m not really pushing up to capacity working OT.

Gawd, the injury was so stupid!   Here’s what I pieced together as the probable cause of the incident. So I’m doing this new-to-me exercise routine, and I’m starting to get confident. You know how that feeling goes when all the moves stop feeling awkward and start flowing. So… I don’t want to exercise to the video with my resistance bands and such, I want to watch CNN or something instead. Maybe Comedy Central… I forget. ;-)
I get to one particular part, and I’m confused. Which way do I stretch my legs vs. my neck? I’m stretching, I’m stretching, and I’m not feeling it in my outer thigh. Okie, I need more stretch. I’m stretching, I’m stretching… still, nada. So I push and push till I start to feel something, and chalk up the soreness in my neck to a wonderful muscle increasing soreness like I’m feeling in my thighs. Yea me.
Yes, rocket scientists, I was stretching the wrong way. Looking over the wrong shoulder, and pulling my neck way too hard in the wrong direction.
The next day I wake up with 2 or 3 hours of sleep in me, excited to go white water rafting with some friends. I’m feeling sore, and a bit stiff in my neck, but no biggie, right?
As the day goes on, the stiffness is growing. The guide is barking orders at us to stroke FORWARD, FORWARD WAIT… NOW BACK, OKIE, ONE STROKE, NOW FORWARD. I’m giddy, giggling, but have trouble looking behind me to him when the need arises or there’s a lovely piece of scenery that everyone is oooh-ing and aahh-ing over.
The drive home was terrible. The pain was developing, but the neck was so stiff that I couldn’t turn it left or right. Up and down head movements, no problem. Trying to look around the corner to make a turn into traffic? Problem.
We get to one of my friend’s houses for a shower and a fabulous dinner. It’s ethnic, so a lot of time and effort are being expended to make us all happy. I’m exhausted and feeling the pain grow, so I get sent to a bedroom for a long hot soak and a nap before dinner. They play cards, watch TiVO, and talk about the day’s adventure below me as I melt into the warm waters of the mega-tub.
The hot bath was a really good idea, as it started to relax me. As I lay my head on the pillow (on my side, as always), I feel the pain grow. My body drifts asleep for what seemed like a minute when someone from downstairs pounces upon the bed to announce “…it’s dinnertime!”
The meal is wonderful, but I am miserable. I want to go home, fall asleep, fall away from this non-consensual pain and into some long overdue sleep. Dinner was delicious, as expected, and my hunger (wow, I guess I was hungry!) was reminded how much I loved my friends cooking. With hugs and kisses, I made the drive home.
My roommates were up and cheery to hear about my day. I gave a brief run down, but excused myself to get into my PJ’s and finally into bed. At last, sweet sleep, I was totally psyched.
After preparations, I sit stiffly on my bed and take some Motrin strength ibuprofen. My second dosing of the day, still not feeling any relief. I lay down and gasp, frozen in this wave of ache and pain. I couldn’t move. My neck hit the pillow and screamed at me, frozen in a spasm that would not stop. Tears jumped from my eyes as I tried to roll over, to get up, to do anything. I was stuck.
Anger and fear pushed me out of the bed and back into my clothes. I was still wet faced, in that steamy, frustrated cry that comes in like a storm and sets across your stinging eyes. You can feel the heat rising from your every facial orifice, and you can’t really shake it off till it comes out. It’s got no where else to go.
I pop into some jeans and a button up shirt (read – not over the head) and find my roommies again. One of them is kind enough to drive me to the emergency room as my neck throbs in the rhythm of my heartbeat, and I somehow had the clear mindset to grab the purse with the insurance card inside.
You know, luckily for me, I haven’t had to make many trips to the emergency room. However, whether the patient or the attending family member/friend, there is almost always a long, LONG wait to get seen. They want your history, your id, your insurance card, and your patience as you wait through the masses that are there before you. Not oozing blood everywhere? Take a number and a seat, we’ll call you soon… maybe… sit by the TV, it’ll be a while.
We’re there long enough for me to sign my name and tell my condition, and to sit down for a minute and point my roommie in the direction of the closest coffee machine. Then, miracle of miracles, a nurse calls me into the back. Not the mini-offices out front for form filling out and question time. The back. This is a new experience.
I’m brought into a triage nurse’s office where I briefly describe my symptoms and what I think happened. At that point in time, I didn’t think it was the exercise so much as maybe some strained movement, or sleeping wrong. She didn’t even ask for much info before she got me on a gurney in a room. I’m asking for my roommie, and she’s introducing me to the doctor.
The nice lady doctor talks to me, and tries to stretch my neck briefly. More water literally jumps from my eyes. It was the weirdest reaction, I swear. She smiled in sympathy “…yeah, that hurts, sorry about that.” But she reaches a conclusion and prescribes me 3 sets of pills. Valium, Vicodin, and Ibuprofen. There’s a nice male nurse there with an injection of Valium – it’s going to relax my spasm. They’re going to call my roommie in there.
Oh yeah, doc, would you like my ID and Insurance card?
They give me the iv on my left hand. It’s ouchie to get it in, especially since I’m not to fond of needles. I’m making small talk, looking at ANYTHING but the needle as he pokes and swishes it around in my hand. Thank God this is a temporary inconvenience… I’d hate to have one of these in my bod for any length of time.
Suddenly I feel warm, like he said I would. The injection is supposed to make me relax so maybe I can sleep better later tonight. It’s already late – what is it anyway? 1, 2 am? I have no idea anymore. In fact, at the moment, I don’t really care.
So now the medicine is kicking in… I’m in pain still, but I don’t care. I’ve heard people say that before and I always thought they were a bit nutty in the description. How can you not CARE if you’re in a great deal of pain? That makes no sense. Well, I can tell you first hand that I’ve been there, I’ve felt that, and I truly didn’t give a darn that my neck was still in a painful spasm. Oooh, a TV remote… cool.
My roomie, R, comes in at some point. I remember one thing, and he remembers something else. From my prospective, he came in and looked at my IV for a moment and asked how I was feeling. “I’m still in pain, man, but I don’t care. Geez, I’m tired. Did you see the IV? Yuck.” Then he said he had to go to the bathroom, and I didn’t see him again.
Well, apparently he was sitting by me for a little over an hour. I would wake up, say something, then doze off. Then I’d wake up again, repeat myself exactly, then fall asleep again. “Hey R, did you get your coffee? When are they going to put the IV in? (it’s in, see Josie?) Oh, yeah… when will it work, cause zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz”. This went on 6 or 7 times before he told the orderly that he needed to make a plan as he was working in the AM, how long would I be in this state? Could he take me home? When?
Well, they wanted to observe me more and such, so he asked if it would it be OK if I caught a cab home (we had planned for this little scenario on the ride over). They consented, and he left.
When I twitched in my sleep and awoke again (it was always the pain that woke me up), I noticed he was gone. I wanted my sweater, cause I was getting cold, and noticed they had put those baby gates around the bed. When did that happen? Hmm… weird.
Eventually they released me, and I went home via cab. The driver didn’t have but $5 change for my $20 (what a scam!), but I didn’t have change. He got an enormous tip, and he can spend it in hell I guess ;-)
I got very little sleep once I got home due to the IV wearing off. I had asked my roommies via note to please drop off the prescriptions at the store on the way into work. When I finally got them at 10am, I was still not feeling any difference.
You know what a bummer it is when VICODIN won’t make the pain subside long enough for you to sleep? I was a very, very grumpy girl. Sleep would come in spurts. First me trying to relax enough to fall asleep on my spiking pain of a neck, then my twitching and re-awakening the pain in my sleep, thus waking me up. :::grumble:::
This went on for days. I was miserable, exhausted, and the meds weren’t working. The emergency room doctor had told me that if in 3-days the pain was the same or worse – as it was – that I needed to see a doctor immediately. So I scheduled an appointment and went in as soon as they would see me.
I got a new doctor in a practice recommended to me by a friend (as my doc was not available that day). He is some nice old guy that also practices at NIH, so I said what the heck. He tried the neck stretching thingy, and again, jumping tears.
He tells me that a neck x-ray would probably tell me that it’s just a frozen muscle spasm from over taxing the X muscles (I forget the names), and that this could go on for a while longer or just vanish if I could only get the muscle to relax. I show him the meds I’m taking and he shakes his head. I’m not taking enough.
So he prescribes more, and tells me that I’m a big girl (duh). I figured that one out on my own, doc, thanks for the pep talk. He laughs and says that if I double my dosage on the Vicodin and take what he’s prescribing me, I should be fine. I make an appointment to see him in two weeks, no worries.
Oh, and one more thing… he tells me to go buy Benadryl. Over the counter, non-addictive, and wonderful for sleep. Take two, I’ll feel like sleeping for the whole night.
So I follow the doc’s orders, and instant success! Sleep is mine, at last… delicious sleep!
The next day I’m sore, indeed, but the incredible pain is gone! Why did I suffer needlessly? Yay Benadryl-Vicodin-Valium-Ibuprofen cocktail! Yay me!

Soreness went away, camp (LR) soon followed, and life was good again. LR… well that’s another story.

Anyway, I’ll figure out my social life vs. work life vs. OT vs. sleep schedule any day now. Just takes more planning I suppose. Extra summer daylight and pretty people passing by doesn’t help my concentration level any, though.

Thankfully :-)

Much to do, got to run. Talk to you later!

Hugs, ~ me ~

Another fun filled quiz

2005-07-06T21:30:49Z

Here we go... let's try again...

Huzzah, another quiz!

You scored as Albus Dumbledore. Strong and powerful you admirably defend your world and your charges against those who would seek to harm them. However sometimes you can fail to do what you must because you care too much to cause suffering.

</td>

Harry Potter

70%

Albus Dumbledore

70%

Hermione Granger

65%

Sirius Black

65%

Remus Lupin

65%

Draco Malfoy

65%

Ron Weasley

60%

Ginny Weasley

55%

Severus Snape

50%

Lord Voldemort

30%

Your Harry Potter Alter Ego Is...?
created with QuizFarm.com

So THIS is LJ...

2005-06-30T20:45:38Z

I was curious, so I joined. Very interesting... a girl could read and read and read on here for hours. Looks like it's bedtime for me, however - nite nite!