We get some interesting search engine referals, but this one had me rolling. Maybe it's something only a parent of a preschooler could really appreciate. :) Especially a parent who has on loan a copy of the DVD of the original Many Adventures of Winnie (Whiney?) the Pooh at the moment. But, hey, at least that whole Pooh ride at Disney World makes a lot more sense now than when we visited! It's not the ride's designers on drugs (though I can't necessarily say the same for the movie makers...).

Another Random Acts of Journaling inspired post. :) The prompted bit is the part in italics... the rest of the drivel is all mine! I wish that everyone could... share a Coke and a smile. I wish everyone could agree on letting others live their lives as they wish, assuming they're not hurting others. I wish everyone could stop smoking when they wanted to, because the air would be a lot nicer outside doorways to hospitals, restaurants, and stores! I wish that everyone could be whatever they wanted to be - if only that were really possible. I wish that everyone could do everything they set out to, even if they then discovered they no longer wanted it. I want to believe that... the hopes I have for the future are realistic or even vaguely possible. I want to believe that the world will still be around for me to have grandchildren and great grandchildren, and that some idiotic little dictator doesn't get into a war with another idiotic little dictator and blow us all to bits (leaving those behind even worse off). I want to believe that people will get a grip and understand that patriotism doesn't mean beating down those that disagree with something "as American as apple pie." I want to believe that someday I will figure out exactly where I want to live, and it won't be Worcester! I would like to go to...Australia. England, Scotland, and Ireland. Every state in the U.S. (well, maybe except Alabama. Is there a point to Alabama?). The olympics (as a spectator... or parent of an athlete!). Dinner tonight (*sigh* nope, no money for that, darn budget). 1993 (guaranteed a return trip to 2002 at will). More than anything, I wish I knew what direction to take right now in life. I've got several roads open ahead of me and I'm not sure which one to take. I wish I knew the answers. *sigh*

Have I mentioned how much I hate Microsoft programs lately. Well, I do. You'd think the idea of an upgrade would be to fix old problems, not to leave in old problems and create whole bunches of new ones. Of course, I also am perplexed why Gary keeps insisting each time he gets me to upgrade something it'll *really* be better this time. Maybe I'm dumb for believing him (and I think I've believed for the last time), but he's so very earnest about it. Grr. I had a perfectly functioning version (such as it ever is perfect) of IE that I used as aback-up to Opera for sites (like this damn blogger one) that won't work with Opera. But I was getting daily "you must upgrade or the world will end with gerbils taking over and putting you in great big plastic balls" messages so I did the "upgrade." Now one of the three sites (did I mention it includes this darn site) I frequent with IE crashes me, thus far Blogger works okay (that's why I'm testing it now), and I'm off to check the @#*$($*( third. Grr.

All is returning to normal around here. Gary had last week off (and only worked 3 days the week before between Independence Day and the vacation day to go to the amusement park mentioned below), so it's been a little off routine for us. Yesterday I was up and out of the house by 6:30am (not normal by a long shot!) to babysit for a friend, so even though that was when Gary returned to work, and presumably things would return to normal, that's not how it worked out. Today is gymnastics camp, so I'm finally enjoying some time entirely to myself. Ahhhh. We did the camping thing this past weekend. It was nice, but the ground is a helluva lot harder than it was 15 years ago. ;) We've decided next time - definitely bring the air matress! And I'm so tired of being bitten by bugs - I practically bathed in bug repellant the whole weekend, kept Rowan somewhat covered, and watched Gary refuse it every time I offered. So we come home and I'm covered in bites, Rowan has none, and Gary has none! How is this fair? I saw mosquitoes land on him then fly away without a bite! Hello? And you know what's odd... that just reminds me how much it sucked growing up - I've always had this bug-friendly-scent/taste/whatever - because people would always say things about how you taste good to the mosquitoes, and somehow in my head that translated to "you're a fat kid, if you were skinnier, you wouldn't have pure sugar in your blood and you wouldn't be bit!" I have to wonder if that was actually implied, or I just heard it that way. I'm considering going TV-free during Rowan's waking hours around here (that would include videos, DVDs, etc.). Generally, she watches about 1 hour of kids' TV (PBS kids or a video) a day.. but in the past year, Gary and I have taken to watching TV in the evening, so while she may not be watching as intently as she does, say, Clifford, she's seeing more TV (and she does stop and watch sometimes). And now when I turn off the TV after her show or two, she gets all pouty and whiney about wanting to watch more. I sat and thought about it, and I really don't watch anything while she's awake that would make a big difference if I didn't watch - it's like a mindless background noise, and I always swore I wouldn't do that. It's not as if we're watching things that will scar her for life - I'm talking "The World's Funniest Animals" (home videos thing) type shows - but we're also really not getting anything out of them besides a few moments of not having to talk to each other. As if that's a good thing. Anyhow, I have to run this by Gary. Could be interesting. But I have to say, I really do miss the days when I watched at most 2 or 3 hours of TV a week for some reason. It just hit me that we have so little time in our lives when you stop and think about it, why fill it with something only minimally entertaining just to pass that time? Will I still watch some stuff, sure. But I think I'll go back to taping the things I really want to watch and watching them later so I can fast forward through the commercials (and if I've more than 6 hours of stuff waiting to be watched, it gets erased :)).

It's siesta time around here - Rowan, in the midst of playing dress-up lay down on the couch and promptly fell asleep (she even stayed asleep when I pried the glasses off her face so she wouldn't wake up with that annoying nose dent thing). Gabriel (the big fluff cat) has been sprawled across the floor dozing all day (he moves regularly, I guess to find a cool spot. Even with the A/C on, when it's 90+ degrees out and humid (and we only have one window A/C), I imagine being covered in LOTS (and lots and lots) of fur sucks. Claudia (the fat short-haired cat) is curled up on a kitty hamock. Pandora (the tiny, much beaten upon cat) is watching birds out the window and enjoying a blissful afternoon of NOT being attacked by the other two. Anyhow, I debated my own siesta, but I'd have to do it in the bedroom, and it's hot as hell in there. Well, not as bad as it could be, as I had the sense to close the windows this morning, but still - it's damn hot. I slept on the couch last night and may well do so again tonight. Gary, meanwhile, was sleeping happily when I went to bed around 10:30 in the bedroom with a comforter over him. He's one sick man. Or maybe it's that having like 2% body fat thing. I totally flaked on something for my MOMS Club yesterday (actually, what's funny is what I flaked on is handing over the stuff so I can totally be DONE with the executive board!). I kept thinking it was Monday (Gary had Monday off and we went to an amusement park - it totally FELT like a weekend!), and was about to call the people to firm up the plans for meeting Tuesday when it dawned on me it *was* Tuesday. Eek. Of course, I did what any reasonable embarassed at my dumbhood would do - I didn't make the call at all. ;) Yeah, I suck. It's not the heat; it's the stupidity...