My Really Weird Day

Last Saturday my coworkers had a baby shower for me and another coworker who just had a son. It was a great time... lots of food and gifts! However... on my way to the party, I was waiting to turn right onto Allisonville Road from 82nd Street. As soon as I turned there was a cop flagging me down. I didn't know what I did wrong... turns out I turned right on red during the time when you are not supposed to. I have turned there a million times and I always thought that the no turn on red applied to weekdays only. Anyway, he gave me a 150 DOLLAR ticket. UGH. Pregnancy hormones are at their all time high right now, so as I drive away I start to cry. Great, now I look wonderful for the party.

After the party, I'm driving down Eller Road towards Allisonville. I go through a four way stop and guess what? Sirens! I am pulled over AGAIN. The cop asks me if I've ever been pulled over before. Uhm, yes, about 3 hours ago. Apparently this time I rolled through a stop sign. My emotions went overboard, and by the time she got back to my car I was crying again. I think she took pity on me. She asked me when I was due. She told me to be more careful and let me go, but I continued crying until I got home. Gees, what is up with that?

I have never been pulled over twice in one day. When I got home, I had just calmed myself down when I spilled a full glass of orange soda down my front and all over the floor. It even went in my shoes. Tears welled up in my eyes again, but I didn't have a full on cry this time.

Between the back pain, the medication I'm taking (which makes me want to pass out all the time), and my awkward clumsiness from being so hugely pregnant, I think I might go insane before this baby is out.

SNL - Livin' on a Prayer

Last weekend's SNL was hosted by Jon Bon Jovi, and the musical guest was Foo Fighters. I was really annoyed that Bon Jovi played twice during the show (during the monologue and at the end), and the Foo Fighters only played one song. WTF? I'd rather hear the Foo Fighters any day over Bon Jovi's mediocre folk-rock. If they had done a GOOD song, it might have been OK. I admit I was a Bon Jovi fan back in the day, but the crap they put out now is just plain bad. A couple of the skits made me laugh... the one where Jon was being criticized by the band for wanting to name it Bon Jovi was pretty good. It was kind of strange that they went out on the band playing rather than the usual closing where everyone is on stage hugging and waving goodbye. Weird. They really need to get Tina Fey back. The show has sucked since she left.

Another Year Older

I turned 34 yesterday... I'm almost out of that 18-34 age group that people market things to. I guess time marches on, no matter what!

Last week James and I went to Washington DC for "Pheochromocytoma 2007", a conference all about my condition. It was awesome! Not only did I get to talk to doctors and top researchers in the field, but I got to swap war stories with people who have the same condition I do. WOW. Up until then I had only met one person who gets these tumors too. There was a whole room of them! We also managed to site see a little. I know there are bad parts around DC, but I never saw any. Many of the houses were Colonial style, and I loved them. Driving down George Washington Parkway was just gorgeous. The leaves were just barely starting to change. I'd love to see it two to three weeks from now.

It was a challenge walking around DC while 7 months pregnant. I had no problems flying, which was something that worried James. Walking a lot wears me out though. I did my best!

My blogs always include something about music. I guess that's because I'm always listening to music... at my desk, in the car, at home. James got two CD's for me for my birthday (and a Zelda game for the DS)... "Born Into This" by The Cult, and "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" by the Foo Fighters. I really like both of them. I'm excited that The Cult is BACK! They are coming to the Murat Theatre in November, and I'm going... I don't care if I have to give birth on the floor of the Egyptian Room. I can't miss it!

More Life Updates

The weather is finally cooling down... yay! I have been so HOT this summer with my baby furnace. Twenty-eight weeks now. He will be born in 11 short weeks! Which also means that Christmas is right around the corner. I need to start shopping before I get too whale-like.

James and I are getting ready to go to DC next week for a conference all about my tumors. I hope to find out about the latest research and meet other people with my condition. It's so rare... I know one other person in Indiana who has the same tumors I do, but her genetic mutation is different than mine. Still, we stay in touch. I can't imagine being in the same room with so many other "rarities". I'm also looking forward to site seeing a little. I want to see the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument since this will be my first trip to DC.

I've been slowly getting ready for the baby. We got new furniture for Tess and relocated her crib to the baby's room, which is still full of "stuff" that I have to shove somewhere in the house. We really, really need a basement in our next house. I managed to find some cute baby boy items (girl clothes are SO much cuter). We are still not certain on his name, and I still don't know what I want to hang on the walls in his room. For Tess, I painted picture frames (with Beatrix Potter prints in them) and wooden letters that spell her name, so I would like to do something equally special for this baby. Any ideas, anyone? I don't care for the matching bedding and all that junk. Especially since babies can't use blankets or comforters in their crib, and those bumpers they sell are not at all necessary.

My laptop's hard drive decided to die last week, so that has really set me back at work. I have a ton of stuff to do to prepare for maternity leave. Just figures.

Oh yeah, Michelle W., my mom, and I met Crowded House last month in Ann Arbor! It was an excellent concert... definitely worth the drive. Neil Finn came out, as well as Nick, Marcus, and Matt (their "new" drummer). Why are musicians always so short? My mom was funny... she has a habit of constantly making lists in a little notebook she carries around. She handed it to Neil along with her ticket stub, and he signed them both. Made me laugh that he signed her little notepad.

I was recently on the radio... yeah, WKLU played my Ultimate Top Ten! It was weird hearing myself on the radio, especially with my voice the way it is. They are sending me a CD of it, so I'll try to put it online for those who missed it.

Speaking of my voice, hopefully it will be much improved soon. My ENT doctor can do a procedure where he moves the paralyzed vocal cord over towards the good side. I will be awake for the whole thing even though it involves making an incision in my neck. I don't really care if the end result means I can talk in restaurants again.

That's all for now... hope to see all of you this fall sometime!

Stuff, Updates, Whatever

I haven't posted a blog in quite awhile. So, what's new with me? Well, 2007 is turning out to be a big year for concerts. James and I went to the Rocco DeLuca & The Burden show at The Vogue, which was awesome. As we were leaving, Rocco and some band members were standing out back. I have met a lot of musicians, and I have never seen a band come out that fast to greet fans! I seemed to be the only one at first, though. The two percussionists greeted me first, and they grabbed Rocco for me. He was VERY nice. I told him that the baby enjoyed the show too (it's now obvious by looking at me that I'm pregnant).

I also saw Cowboy Junkies with Michele S. They were good, but I only recognized one song out of two hours worth. I wished they had done "Miles From Our Home".

Last weekend, Michelle W. and I saw Live and Collective Soul at Victory Field. We agreed that Counting Crows blows, so we left before they took the stage. Live was excellent (they always are), but we wished they could have played longer... especially given the price we paid for tickets.

Next up, Crowded House in Michigan. I'm looking forward to that because not only is it a road trip, but it's two days off from work. Woo hoo!

I tried to get VIP tickets to Tori Amos, but the %*$& things sold out within one minute! So much for that. Now I'll have to wait for the general on-sale and have crappy seats like the last two times I saw her. Oh well.

I am sad that the Harry Potter series is over now. I just love the books. I will miss reading new ones, but I look forward to reading them with my daughter when she's older.

I'm now 22 weeks pregnant. The baby will be born December 3, so I have just over 3.5 months left. And did I mention it's a boy? I'm very excited about it, but it's pretty certain that I have another tumor somewhere, so after I have him it's going to be a very stressful time. I'll have to have scans and possibly surgery again. With a newborn baby, that's going to be difficult. Plus I'm adament about breastfeeding, so I'm going to have to pump when I'm full of pain meds or radiation from scans. That will be frustrating.

Speaking of pain... I try not to worry about every little pain I have, but some of the pain is persistent. My left leg is especially bad. I can't take anything but Tylenol, which doesn't do much. I just try to grin and bear it... which is harder than it sounds. But, like Maya Angelou said "I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one." So, I'm counting the days until I can get this stuff resolved and get on with my life.

Oh yeah, and I've been playing a lot of video games... probably to take my mind off of pain. Guitar Hero 80's, Harry Potter, and NY Times Crossword are my games of choice lately.

Other than that, it's business as usual... working and taking care of Tess, who is so tall now... I cannot believe it! No one believes she is only 2 1/2. She's an awesome kid. I hope the next one is too!

I Met Loreena!

Last week my best bud Leslie and I took a road trip to Michigan to attend two Loreena McKennitt concerts. The concerts were absolutely awesome! Loreena sounds so good live... it was better than I expected. The first show was in Ann Arbor, which was a pleasant college town. Lots of coffee shops and bookstores were around the theatre. We were in the 4th row... excellent seats. The weather was perfect, so after the show we waited by the bus. We talked to some of the musicians who played with Loreena, and then she came out. She was very nice and gracious when we told her how great the show was. She signed our CD's, shook our hands, and gave us hugs. I was really excited because her music has truly helped me get through tough times (besides the fact that I just love it), like dealing with metastatic disease and the death of my beloved pet.

We stayed at the Vitosha Guest Haus in Ann Arbor, which was a very cool old place with a very kooky lady running it. She was quite eccentric. The bathroom had a clawfoot tub, so I HAD to take a bath in it. Then we were off to IKEA for heavy duty shopping. After that, we drove about an hour and 45 minutes to Kalamazoo, a place I will never visit again if I can help it.

Kalamazoo was dirty, dark (not in a good way), and deserted. The theatre where Loreena played was very ornate, and we were in the FRONT ROW (!!!), but we couldn't find any coffee in the downtown, and the whole area just wasn't happening. The show was excellent, of course, and Loreena talked a lot more than the night before. She also changed two of the songs from the previous night's lineup, so we didn't have to hear two identical concerts (not that I would have minded). After the show we drove and drove and drove looking for somewhere to eat. The town was practically shut down... stuff was too far from the exits to see, and when you finally got to it, it was closed. We finally found an IHOP. Turns out there was a Perkins less than 1/4 mile away from our hotel, but what can you do.

The next day we were eating breakfast at the hotel and a guy walked in who looked kind of familiar... turns out he was sitting right next to me in the front row the night before. He drove from Ohio and was by himself. It was pretty funny that he happened to be in the same hotel.

I'm so glad we went to both shows... I was afraid that if I sold the tickets to one of them that the other would end up cancelled and I wouldn't see her at all. It was totally worth it!

An Ancient Muse Live!

I love Loreena McKennitt's music, and today I got an email from her mailing list with presale passwords for all of her upcoming tour dates! Woo hoo! I immediately chose a city that was close (but not Chicago - too much traffic) and grabbed some tickets. I got 4th row right in the center! I have to drive to Ann Arbor, Michigan, but I don't care. I was willing to fly to see her in concert if I had to.

I am such a huge fan that now I am contemplating getting tickets for the following night in Kalamazoo. Two nights of live Loreena... wow, that would be awesome! I have wanted to see her live for a long time. I'm so excited!!!

Give Me A Break

Sometimes you just get fed up with stuff and have to vent. This is one of those times. Over the past 3 months, I've been recovering from two surgeries... first the partial hip replacement on 11/3/06. Yeah, it hurt like hell (still does), but I dealt with it. Then came the neck surgery on 12/12/06... much worse! Recovery from that was absolute hell, and I'm left with permanent effects from it. Right after I got home from the hospital, I came down with some kind of upper respiratory virus, so I was coughing and hacking constantly with my swollen neck and sore incision. Since my nerves were damaged during surgery, I couldn't swallow very well, so I couldn't take pills or drink liquids. I was pretty much screwed. Finally I went to the doctor and got some antibiotics, which I had to break into tiny pieces in order to swallow. I got over that crud after about three weeks.

Shortly after that, I went back to work, and on my very first day back, I came down with the flu. I didn't fully recover from that until about two weeks later, when my nagging cough finally seemed to stop. Less than a week later? I woke up with my sinuses packed to capacity and my throat sore AGAIN. My throat has been sore and bumpy pretty much non-stop over the last six weeks. My voice sounds terrible... like I have laryngitis. It has been weak since my surgery. It really makes me want to scream, but I can't!

I also have continued, sharp pain in my left leg and sometimes in my right too. Who knows what that is from? If I count all the symptoms I had prior to my surgeries, I've pretty much been in pain constantly for the last two years.

I don't think I've ever been this sick in my life... my body is trying to recover from two surgeries, but it can't get the chance for all the bacterial and viral infections. I like winter, but I really want it to be spring so I can get out of the "sick" season!

I just want to be well. I don't think it's too much to ask. I want to live my life normally... Please, all I ask is GIVE ME A BREAK!

I'm a Guitar Hero

So we were at Best Buy the other night, and they had a display with Guitar Hero 2 setup. Some people were trying to play a song, and it was making me laugh because they were missing notes like crazy and were kicked out of the song. So, I picked up the "guitar", set the level to HARD and started up "War Pigs". Now, we had just left a Mexican restaurant where I drank this HUGE and STRONG margarita, so I was tipsy, and I had not played Guitar Hero in several weeks. I wasn't even playing at my best, but due to the alcohol, I was in the zone. I finished the song, and when I turned around I was shocked to see a huge group of people that had been standing there watching me! I set the guitar down, and a guy picked it up and said "That was the hottest thing I've ever seen" and winked at me. Hahaha... I love that game.

Happy New Year

2006 is history, and I say good riddance! It was a hard year. I went through two surgeries for tumors that were discovered during the summer. Now I'm left with a little nerve damage and a persistently aching hip. I'm still in the recovery period, so hopefully these things will resolve.

I hope in 2007 that I can stay healthy. So far, it's questionable. My blood pressure is fluctuating again, and that is not good news. We'll see what happens.

On the brighter side of life, Tess is growing up, and she's a great child. She's smart, cute, and funny. I'm sure this year will be an exciting period of growth for her. She's turning two very soon, and she's learning more each day.

Work is just work but right now I'm not thinking about it. I'm off for awhile longer while I recover from surgery.

I plan to do more work on our house this year, if I'm healthy enough to do so. We want to put down hardwood flooring. We also have some plumbing issues to fix, and maybe I'll finally get around to painting the master bedroom. We'd also like to take a vacation because we haven't been anywhere in a long while. My vacation time at work has been consumed by maternity and medical leaves over the last two years. Perhaps this year I will finally be able to use it to travel somewhere.

Happy New Year to all my friends and family! May it be a healthy one for you as well!

The Santa Claus Conspiracy

Warning... Spoiler ahead! If you still believe in Santa, stop reading.

After much discussion on the topic, James and I have agreed not to perpetuate the Santa Claus myth with Tess. It was a hard decision for me, because I have fond memories of setting out cookies and milk for Santa, and reading the note that "he" left in the morning. It was always fun to wonder if I would wake up and catch him, and the anticipation of his arrival was always exciting. However, I remember when I found out that he wasn't real. I think I was around 5 when my cousin found all her gifts in my grandma's house and showed them to me. I questioned my mom, and she explained that indeed, Santa is not real, but there used to be a man (Saint Nick) who delivered presents to children, and Santa is based on that man. I felt really silly for believing in a man who supposedly lives at the North Pole with elves, came down our chimney every Christmas, and somehow made it around the world to every kid in one night... Hmmmmm.

I believe the magic of Christmas and the spirit of giving that Santa represents can still be celebrated and experienced even if a child knows the truth about Santa. Right now Tess doesn't have a clue about Santa or Christmas. She just knows that there is a tree in the house with many shiny things to grab. When she is old enough to understand, I will explain to her that long ago in Europe there was a man named Saint Nick, and he delivered presents to less fortunate children. He represents the spirit of giving, so mommy and daddy buy presents for you in his honor. And don't tell your friends because mommy doesn't want phone calls from angry parents!

Ten Things I'm Thankful For

Every Thanksgiving I try to take time to think about the many blessings in my life.

1. First and foremost, I am here and able to write this! Given my recent surgery (see prior posts) and another surgery that I will be having soon, I am thankful for the doctors who are taking care of me, and I'm thankful for having at least MOST of my health!

2. Of course, I'm thankful for my husband and daughter. James always makes me laugh, and Tess brings more joy to my life than I ever expected.

3. I'm thankful for my friends and family. They have helped me get through this year by lending an ear, sending cards and flowers, bringing food, helping me clean, watching Tess, and just being there if I need them! Thank you Leslie, Ji, Michelle, Kim, and everyone! There are too many of you to list! My mom stayed at my house for 5 days after my surgery, and that was a huge help. Thank you, mom!

4. I am thankful for my house, car, and all the "necessities" that so many people do without.

5. Music and my car stereo that plays MP3's. I can't imagine my life without music!

6. Starbucks! Coffee gets me through the day... whatever did I do before grande vanilla non-fat lattes?

7. Nature. I'm thankful for the moon, stars, trees, grass, flowers, rain, and the crunch of leaves when you step outside. Glittering snow at midnight when everything is silent. Squirrels running across my fence. The stray black cat that peers in my back door at night.

8. Good food, beer, and wine. Enough said.

9. I'm thankful to have a boss that lets me show up to work when I want, lets me work from home, and trusts me to do my work. It's so much easier to do your job when you have a good boss.

10. The Internet. It helps keep me connected to my friends, provides hours of entertainment, and it even pays my bills (sort of)!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Trick or Treat

I wish I could be more in the spooky spirit this year, but I haven't even carved my pumpkin yet, and it's Halloween today! Tomorrow I'm going to be checked into the hospital, and on Friday I will undergo a partial hip replacement to take care of the tumor in my hip bone (femoral head). I don't feel particulary nervous about this procedure. It is very routine. It is a bit riskier for me than for other people who have the same procedure since my tumor is "special". It releases a lot of junk into my body that causes high blood pressure (among other things). So, when they remove the tumor, my blood pressure could plummet. I've been taking medication over the last couple of weeks that has lowered my blood pressure sufficiently, so hopefully that will help avoid a blood pressure crisis.

Sometime soon, when I'm recovered from the hip ordeal, I will have surgery to remove the tumor in my neck. They still do not know what this tumor is. I had a painful procedure a few weeks ago called an arteriogram where they inserted a camera into my femoral artery (near the groin) and ran it up to my neck in order to get a better look at the tumor. They injected dye while they took pictures, which made my face and neck feel hot. They gave me versed during the procedure (a local anesthetic), but it didn't work very well. It hurt when they numbed the area, punctured the artery, and when they put pressure on it afterwards. I remember every detail even though they said I would be fuzzy. I don't think I had enough versed! Unfortunately, I have to have the procedure done again before I have surgery so that they can embolize the tumor, which means they will insert plugs into the arteries that surround the tumor. That will cut off blood supply to the tumor and help with blood loss during surgery. I'm more nervous about this one because, let's face it, the thought of having surgery on the main artery that supplies blood to your brain is a little less than pleasant.

Fortunately, I have excellent doctors. Starting with the cardiologist who found the tumors, I have had a fairly quick turnaround in comparison to other experiences I've heard about (even though at times it felt like an eternity to me). I also have a great group of friends, co-workers, and family who have all been supporting me. Thank you all! Have a great Halloween... I'm going to do surgery on my pumpkin now!

Old Docs

I was going through some old documents today, and I found this passage. I don't remember when I wrote it.

...So she waved to her friends. "Have a great time!" she shouted, as they handed their boarding passes to the attendant. She turned and spotted a coffee bar, where she could drown her sadness in a cup of foamy paradise.
"It's ok", she thought, "I would love to ride the tube, and stop by a corner pub for a cider after a day at the British Museum. I'd love to walk by the Thames at twilight and see the beautiful stained glass at St. Paul's. The mums should be in full bloom at Hyde Park... but I'll get to see all their pictures."
"Tall vanilla latte!" said the barista, "Ma'am... Ma'am, did you order a latte?"
"Oh, yes... thanks."
She picked up her drink, wiped a tear from her eye, and smiled as the plane silently moved past the terminal window.

Updates

Well, another birthday has rolled around, but it doesn't feel like my birthday. I'm 33 today, and I'm facing major surgery soon. The type of tumor that I had removed when I was 18 has returned. It's called pheochromocytoma, and this time it's in the top of my femur (yeah, actually inside the bone). They found this tumor by doing an MIBG scan, which involved injecting me with radioactive iodine, and that caused the tumor to light up. I also had a CT scan, and they found a near golf ball sized tumor on the carotid artery in my neck. Pretty scary stuff.

I've already seen an orthopaedic surgeon about my hip, and he suggested a partial hip replacement. They will replace the ball in the ball and socket joint with a metal implant (We are Borg. Resistance is futile.). That will take care of the tumor, but in 20 years or so I'll have to get it done again because the replacement will wear out. I guess that's OK as long as the tumor can be removed. I couldn't believe it when he said the procedure only takes 45 minutes!

Today I'll be seeing a vascular surgeon about my neck. After that I will hopefully have a better idea about when my surgery (or surgeries) will be. They are not sure what type of mass this one is. It may or may not be the same type of tumor as the one in my bone. Since it didn't light up on the MIBG scan, it could be just a benign mass. We'll see. Physically, I feel OK other than throbbing pain in my hip and leg.

When life presents you with unexpected illness, you really put things into perspective. I'm trying to stay busy so that I don't have to dwell on things. I have painted the kitchen/living room ceiling, spray painted our light post, installed a new mailbox, and baked cupcakes. I'm making every effort to stay positive and enjoy spending time with family and friends.

This morning my laptop decided to break. So, I'm borrowing a co-worker's laptop. It's hard to work without all my files and programs, but I have a lot on my mind anyway. Plus, it's my birthday, so I should take it easy, right?

On a happier note, Tess is talking more and more. She is 20 months old now. She counts to 10, knows at least some of her colors (yellow, green, and red), and says hello and bye-bye regularly. Last night she said kitty. I'm so excited! It'll be fun to communicate with her as she grows her vocabulary!

Excursion to Ancient Egypt

Ok, I really went to Chicago to see the "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharoahs" exhibit at the Field Museum with my friends Leslie and Michelle. It was very cool! Aside from the many people crowded around the artifacts, we had a great time. The Field Museum has an impressive collection of mummies and artifacts outside of the Tut exhibit. We also checked out the largest T-rex skeleton to be discovered (aka "Sue"), an exhibit on Africa, a full-scale Pawnee earth lodge, and the Nature Walk, where we managed to get lost right before we were due to enter the Tut exhibit. The Nature Walk included every animal you can imagine, stuffed and preserved for your viewing pleasure.

After the museum we drove to IKEA in Bolingbrook. Surprisingly, the choice of sit-down eateries in that area was slim. We ended up at Cheddars, which turned out to have pretty good food for the money.

IKEA is so much fun. Low, low prices for cool stuff! We were shopping for nearly two hours, and we filled our cart to the brim. I wish IKEA would build closer to Indy.

At 3am I was finally in bed, while visions of mummies danced in my head. I think next time I will plan to stay all night in Chicago. It was a fun day trip, but if we had stayed all night we might have been able to eat somewhere really unique, visit downtown, or spend more time by the water around the museum area.

Music Mania

For some reason, I've been on a CD buying binge in the last couple of months. I guess I just needed some new (and old) stuff to listen to. It's certainly an interesting mix of stuff:

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) - Best Of
Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Best Of
School of Fish - self-titled
Sisters of Mercy - Vision Thing
Lightning Seeds - Best Of
Midnight Oil - Best Of
Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend
Toad the Wet Sprocket - Fear
Live - Songs From Black Mountain

I could have sworn that I had the Toad CD, but perhaps I was thinking of the cassette because I couldn't find the CD. I am really excited because I just learned that Loreena McKennitt is going to have a new album out this fall! It's been nine years since her last one, and I've been waiting!

Life Goes On... Maybe for Ghosts Too

So I haven't had a lot to blog about lately. I've just been going about my life... working, taking care of Tess. She recently started a new daycare, which has been mildly stressful because she has to get used to going to a new place all over again. She takes her anger out on me. The first couple of days she hit me and pulled my hair when I picked her up. I found another in-home daycare (by referral), and it's a good place. I'm sure she'll get used to it. I do feel a little guilty because she stays longer now. I've been picking her up somewhere around 3:30.

Last weekend I stayed all night in a haunted house. It's an old house (built in 1858) called the Hannah House. There are a few stories about the house that involve people burning to death in the basement (and being buried under the basement floor), a stillborn baby, and an old woman dying in one of the bedrooms. So a group of us went there for the night to check out the house and do a bit of ghost hunting.

The first few hours were the scariest. I had some very creepy sensations in the basement and in the attic. The curators of the house had turned out all the lights, so the only light in the house was from flashlights, bathroom lights, and faint outdoor lights. The darkness alone was enough to elicit creepy feelings. I mean, I would probably get creeped out sitting in the dark in my own house after awhile.

In the dining room, someone had set up a monitor connected to four cameras in the house. It was very interesting to watch what they were picking up. I saw several fuzzy spheres drift by the camera lense, especially in the upstairs stairwell. Someone said they were dust particles, but they seemed to move too fast to be dust. Plus, I never saw more than one at a time. They moved almost as if they had a destination in mind.

A guy who may have had some psychic abilities showed up around midnight, and the night took on a different tone from there. He took groups of us around the house. This time, I didn't feel any creepiness at all in the attic. He took it upon himself to "read" some of us in the group, and for some reason he liked picking on me. It was OK. Some of the stuff he said made sense to me and other stuff didn't. So be it. I really just wanted some ghostly experiences.

In the very early AM hours, some of us were sitting in the basement, again in the dark. The psychic was using a pendulum to communicate with spirits. I had brought a Ouija board, but some people didn't want to use it without the "proper methods", which I guess involves six candles, a Bible, and a blessing (?). Whatever... I didn't argue and took it back to the car. One of the first comments the psychic made when he arrived was "What I wanna know is who had a Ouija board in here." He warned us about using it in this house... not a good idea. So, I don't understand what the difference is between communicating with spirits with a board manufactured by Parker Brothers (those evil Parker Brothers!) and a pendulum. Oh well, I didn't ask.

In the basement there were shelves along one wall that were lined with many jars of century old fruits and vegetables. These jars had been canned sometime around the turn of the century (1900), and trust me, they looked like it (gross!). Apparently, anytime someone attempts to move the jars, ghostly activity increases in the house, and one person was even physically pushed back from the jars. As we were sitting there in the basement, asking questions of a spirit and watching the pendulum answer yes or no by swinging in a circle or back and forth, someone asked a question and POP! One of jars' lids popped as if it had been opened. That was rather bizarre... everyone jumped, and I have to admit it was odd timing that a jar sitting there for 100 years would suddenly pop open.

After that, it started to get light outside, and we left the house. Overall, it was a great time. The event could have been a little more organized. More ghost hunting and less psychic readings perhaps. Oh yeah, and it was hotter than hell because they didn't have the air conditioning on. Other than that, it was fun, and a bit creepy too. I would do it again in the flutter of a heartbeat.

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Orange Barrel Blues

Road construction is a bane to my existence these days. Everywhere I need to go, there are barrels. 116th street is being widened to four lanes right in front of Telamon, and it is a total mess there. The road is closed when you're coming in from the east, so I have to take a detour down Westfield to 111th to College...basically going around the closure and approaching from the west. Only employees can get in there, and we're basically off roading on a dirt trail that winds around various huge stone things and construction equipment. 69 North is also under construction between 96th street and 37 North, and traffic just crawls along in the morning. It now takes me an hour to drop Tess off at daycare and get to work. I'm only in the office for a whopping four hours (sometimes less), and then I spend another hour and 15 minutes getting back to the daycare and then going home. With the lunch rush and the detour around the road closure, it is impossible to get out of Carmel in a timely manner.

The worst part is that summer hasn't even started yet... we'll be seeing those barrels for a long freaking time.

Slippin', Slidin', Bellydancing, and Cat Herding: What a Weekend!

James and I went to an indoor water park this past weekend (at the Holiday Inn in front of the Pyramids in Indy) for our anniversary, which is June 21. They had three water slides that were so much fun! One of them required an inner tube, and the other two were just crazy fast.

For dinner, we went to El Morocco (86th & Ditch). We sat on cushions at a low table, and the atmosphere was very cool. The food was delicious, and while we ate, we were entertained by bellydancers. That place is awesome! I can't wait to go back. After we were loaded up on sangria and food, we got back into the water and went down the slides several more times. I think the slides are less scary and more fun in general when you're a little tipsy.

Sunday was Father's Day, so I went to see my dad in Rush-tucky. We spent part of the evening trying to capture 4 feral kittens. I managed to grab one of them, but the other three are still on the loose. The one we nabbed was very cute... and it now has a home with my step-sister. The whole experience reminded me of that commercial from a few years ago where cowboys were herding cats. Meeeeeow!