Happy 8th Birthday to my Vixie! Hopefully the weather will hold out for Friday so we can go to Petco.

Remember, if you do not think one of your neighbors is odd that means you are the neighborhood wacko. I am safe once again as I noticed a Christmas tree in a large white bag in front of a neighbor's house this morning (February 26). Maybe they leave it up until lent?

I am a tired girl today. We were trapped in Wheeling rather late thanks to what appears to be over-zealous fans that decided to shank the tire on our bus. Sleeping on the way back didn't turn out as well so I have a bit of a headache and a stiff neck today now too. This is going to be a long week.

"Better to be hated for who you are than loved for who you're not -Phlogiston Verdigris"

At least I'm attentive. So I am sitting here watching a little TV before Wheeling and I could swear I hear dripping. Time to investigate further. Turns out the inside of my one bedroom window had ice that is now melting, rolling down, and dripping off the ledge down the wall and onto the floor. Ugh!

I wanted to replace these two windows and the one upstairs above it last year as they are the oldest ones in the house but it got put off. I guess this tells me it will be done in the spring come hell or high water. It would be nice to have slidingn windows there instead of the ones that angle out anyhow. Maybe for those days when my AC isn't on I'll enjoy a nice breeze through the screen instead.

There always is something, isn't there. Sadly, when I have everything done I won't WANT to sell this place. Did I mention that I have a hell of a game plan for the living room redo that is in the works?

Federal and state taxes complete! If the township would actually send me the forms they'd be complete too. I guess it's time to make a telephone call. I decided to celebrate my day off and the chunk of change I should be getting in my return by doing a little bit of shopping. On what do I splurge? A new set of silverware. How lame is that? I guess it's better than thinking about my return as a curb.

The sun is out at long last today and melting off some of the snow although I'm sure it will take several warm days to see a change in the landscape of my front yard and parking area. I filled up on gas for the blower while the weather is reasonably nice so hopefully that will keep the flakes away. Speaking of flakes - didn't get the bling you wanted, eh? If I've learned one thing from my past, wake up, he doesn't want to marry you.

My topic is set for my individual assignment this semester and we have a week to finalize on our group topic. Fingers crossed. Just a few more months. I've also decided it's time to become little Miss Scare All again... close to the end of the March it shall be.

The township definitely hates me. The significant snow fall has long since ceased, but yet I keep getting huge piles of snow that prevent me from parking in my driveway. Yesterday I parked part way out in the street long enough to shovel everything out and today I'm aching from it. I can't bare the thought of going out there to start all over again, and the pile is even higher today than it was yesterday, but I suppose I have little choice. When I can't walk tomorrow you will all know why.

My tickets are in my hot little hand. How can that Icelandic raven-haired god possibly be 45 years old. I might have to re-dye my hair for the occasion.

"Not long ago, but far away. A rainy witches day. -Type O Negative"

A shining light of despair comes streaming into my life... Type O Negative. Rex Theatre Pittsburgh April 5. Are ya'll bitches with me?

Wanted: Portable cross. Must support weight of human body. Needed for at-whim crucifixions.

5 games in a row... what a sweet streak. I guess today we'll learn more about our fate here in Johnstown. I don't see how any reasonably run organization/county/entity can scoff at the offer on the table given the consequences, but somehow I'd imagine obstinance and arrogance of the mindset of big steel have a chance to prevail. It would be a truly sad day... and all the more motivation to get off the pot.

It was nice to get out for a little while last evening. Thanks to the crew who invited me for dinner and even moreso for a few drinks and the chat. It was nice to be reminded not all are selfish asses with little regard for anyone but themselves. Learning things like this rejuvenate my motivation to cheer.

But for now, coffee, sweet coffee. Take away my headache and droopy eyes.

Simply because it must be done, but also because I wanna be like Stephen Colbert - here is my workplace on notice list.

1). Rational RequisitePro. How dare you change my settings in M$ word and then sit there all smug not letting me import my files and raping my non-requirement docs that were never even opened in you.
2). Adobe Acrobat updates. Love of God. How is it possible that there is a new update EVERY time I reboot? And when I install one there is suddenly 4 more the next time the machine comes back up?
3). My printer - yea pr-stfjst-c4790 I'm talking to you. Your love affair with the repairman is going to end at the end of my doc martens and your private boot party.

I'm sure there will be more to come.

Regarding this whole thing with the astronaut who went on a bit of a drive to go after the third in a bit of a love triangle. I know how easily I could have choked the last gasp of air from the throat of someone in a similar situation years ago, so I can understand the rage and the trip she was on... minus the diapers. Everyone judges her thinking she's nuts, everyone that has their happy little marriages that is.

I know that if half the pacific ocean hadn't separated me on that morning I could have easily lost my mind. Shoot, I still almost lost my mind at a later date with the other party, when it took everything I had to resist the temptation to test the tensile strength of my butcher knife. Even for months after my mind tried to wrap itself around things by allowing me the release of beating her and smearing her face on asphalt within an inch of her life in my dreams.

Aww, my one fish died today after fighting for a good while. He was the third of the three I bought way back in April of 2005 and the only one I got at the evil Walmart. I'll stick w/ Gittler's for the demonstrated life expectancy.

It is so cold my scraper wouldn't work. I'm serious, scrape scrape scrape - produced zero results on the windshield. -5 today at the bank near my house. Remind me again why I am getting out of bed every day?

Sugar daddy - where are you?

Oh not cool. The latest version of Turbo Tax bawked at my poor old computer that was reserved strictly for the purposes of taxes ... and because I'm too lazy to clean my goodies off of it and sell it off. I guess it's time is drawing to a close. Windows 98. God, I'm old.

So, I've installed TurboTax on the laptop, let's see how easily it grabs the info from the old filings if I just bring over the .tax files, hopefully it will let me point it to them instead of needing to install TT2005 to pull in a history. Of course this means I am sure I'll have a hard time finding a cable to connect the laptop to the printer for the PA taxes.

While I hate tax time due to the amount of time it takes to deal with the nuances of homeownership and rental taxes it's worth it, I usually get a decent check back. Keep your fingers crossed all - mama needs a remodeled living room.

Despite the lack of company I had anticipated having last evening I still rolled up meatballs and started simmering sauce today. I can always freeze the leftovers. My meatballs aren't as yummy as my mothers, I guess I need to make another batch with her to try and pick up more of the nuances of the process, but they're pretty decent. I've also renewed my efforts brewing up coffee on the weekends, partly because of the addiction headaches that result when I don't but also partially because of the excitement of ordering more grogg and sumatra from CoffeeAM which should be arriving in the next couple of days.

The weather had called for an excessively frigid weekend, instead the sun is out today and while it is still winter cold some of the snow is melting away. We're far from spring in my opinion but Punxy Phil made some friends for his recent opinions. In the mean time nice hot coffee will help me get through. I've also found that the humidifier has made my much more comfortable all day. I didn't realize how poorly the old humidifier was treating the air until I purchased the one with a percentage readout. It's tough to keep the humidity in the 40-50% range as is recommended for best health.

Vixen woke me twice this morning, the first time to go outside, amusingly right at the time I would normally get up during the week and the second time a few hours later with the sounds of her chucking. No clue what upset her tummy but she seems okay now.

While I have not gotten a follow up call on the issue that got me thinking last week I have nubbed around a bit to see how well houses around me are selling right now. That truly is the part that scares me the most. I guess everything will happen in the right time. It's a bit odd to think that I've owned this house for near eight years now.