The Wedding and Other Stuff

      

Shizammmm....I actually have the time to do an entry; a normal entry for that matter.  Terry Ann  a girlnexdoor creation made this tag for me.  What artistic style she has for just beginning PSP.  Dang, I wish I looked the the girl in that tag.

Now, I feel like a warrior lately but at least the war in JLand seems to have ceased.  Thanks to Jackie, who is a total lady, a scrappy lady for sure, but a lady.

I've been at work everyday for two weeks straight.  Someone once said that a habit is formed after three weeks so I figure after next week, this five day thingie will be resolved.  Truthfully, it is getting much, much better.  Of course, my journal and visits are suffering but I'm doing my best to visit everybody this weekend.

Now, on to my ex SIL's wedding last weekend that I wasn't invited to and now am glad I didn't.  My ex has fallen totally off the wagon and almost ruined the darned thing.  My two daughters had to put up with his ugliness plus Joey had a little bit.  I'm so proud of all three of my children for bearing the brunt of his ugly behavior and not calling attention to it so it wasn't noticed by others.  At least not the bride and groom. 

I have some pictures.  The were taken on Joey's Canon digital camera by others so didn't come out as well as if he had taken them.

            

        Left to right....Becky, 25; Joey 23; Megan 20.

           

 My kids and Baba, my ex MIL, who just adores them.

          

The wedding party.  The groom's son was best man.  I think he's cute but the pic is so out of focus...oh well....

          

Megan and her date, Ortego.  He's from Puerto Rico and is a soccer player at her university.  LOL...of course, he is "in love" with Megan but she is one smart cookie who plays it "safe" with the guys for the most part and doesn't get romantically involved.  Although, Ortego and Megan have been best friends since day one of her college experience.  He is a doll baby, though.

So, not much whining from me today.  Oh, and my BF doesn't have shingles again.  He is an anal clean freak.  He took the curtains out of my sunporch home to wash after my fly fiasco.  The foolish man soaked them in Clorox in his sink and kept swishing them with his hand and arm up to his elbow.  He had chemical burns.  They did come out clean but I swear he never learns.  He almost asphyxiated himself a couple of months ago mixing cleaning products.

I have some cleaning to do...some?  Tons.  Plus grocery shopping.  We've had two of the loveliest days in western Pa.  Sunny and close to 70.  Wish it would stay this way.

Have a good weekend!  If I miss visiting, send me snail mail and let me know because many links are in my favorites which is a total, total mess.

CHRIS

The VIVI's

                                    

Ok, not the entry I intended today but I have seen so much discord and ruckus over the "awards" that I feel I must say a few words or, in my case, a few more.

I'm looking around here for someone popular as I have heard that "all" the committee members are popular.  ROFL...surely, I wasn't being referred to.

Please read the ideology of the awards above.  That was the intention of the awards.  Not a Pullitzer Prize or a free trip to Disney World.  It's called fun if you want to participate.  If you don't want to, that's fine also.  I have journal friends who don't like these awards and journal friends that do.  I love them all and have no problem with their own expressions of opinions.  I will still love them when the awards are all said and done.

J-Land is a community.  It's like any community; some who like to participate in some things; some who don't.  Since I've started my journal, there was "Trick or Treat" through J-Land and Christmas Caroling.  Some loved it and participated.  Some thought it was stupid and didn't, and some who were totally unaware that it was even going on.  There were many who departed over the ads and then returned.  Welcome back is what I say.

The VIVI Awards are no different.  As far as the name...yes, they were named after Vivian but VIVI also means "life."  I tend to think that people who hate the awards would hate them no matter what they are called.

The awards are going to continue.  Some may love the fact; some may hate the fact.  That's one's own personal prerogative; as it is also one's prerogative to state that fact.  It is also an option to ignore and continue on with your journal and your life. 

And now to address cheating and the polling.  There will be no cheating.  As far as the polling, we will try our very best but polling is polling.  For heaven's sake, if our nation had controversy over a Presidential election and polling, how in the world does anyone expect that the polling will be 100% effective on free websites?  Nonetheless, we will give it our very best shot to make it as accurate as can be expected.  What do I expect...honestly, I have no clue but have been doing tons of homework on the polling sites.

The polling for the nominations will be put up in a week or two.  No one is forcing anyone to vote or accept a nomination.

Jackie and I have both decided that we will not be in the running for any of the final awards although we appreciate all of those who have cared enough to take the time to enter our journals in various categories.  Actually, we decided this from the get go.

To those that are cynical and angry, I'm sorry you feel that way but that is your right.  To those that simply don't like this kind of thing, I am still going to continue on with it because I tend to look at it as a fun thing.  Yep, I'll be one of the silly ones shopping online "buying" my Vera Wang, Jimmy Choo and lots of bling.  In actuality, I couldn't even afford one Jimmy Choo shoe, let alone a pair but a girl can dream and have fun pretending.  Life is not serious all the time.

When it's all said and done, both my journals will still be where they are right now.  I'm going no where as long as I'm still alive and kicking.  Maybe I'm just an old bat who's learned from the school of hard knocks but this old broad ain't crumbling; at least not over something as simple as "awards" for AOL journals.  If some hate me afterwards, then I'll know who my true friends are....so be it.

Keep your candidates for nominations coming because there are still many who are having fun with this.  For those that would like a better award system, JLand is all yours also...go for it. 

CHEERS......CHRIS....one of the most popular persons in JLand...lol...NOT

 

(Of course, you get stuck looking at one of my tags...mwuah!)

I'm Back

Not that I ever left but it was an exhausting week but I did make it to work every day.  The 911 entries really did affect me also.  It took a day or two to absorb it all.

I'm still fussing with my time management.  It is so difficult to do all my errands after work when I was so accustomed to doing most of them on Wednesdays.  This old dog is having a hard time learning new tricks.

Anyway, Joey had an appt. with the psychiatrist on Wed.  He picked me up after work, and we went.  I hadn't mentioned in my journal because I don't like to compromise him, and I know he reads this, but he has been pretty severely depressed this summer.  He hit me with a bombshell in the car on the way....a good bombshell, nonetheless.  He forgot to take his anti-depressant with him when he went to Ocean City in July for his vacation.  Well, that would explain why he was depressed.  No anti-depressants for a week.  The second bombshell...he hadn't started taking it again because he was afraid to tell the doctor and didn't know what dosage he should start again at.  The great news for now is that the doctor is keeping him off of it, at least for the time being.  Joey's mood has been so much better the past two weeks.  The funny thing is we were at the docs in August.  The doctor was totally perplexed and was thinking of sending Joe for a consult with a colleague of his.  The little stinker still didn't say a word. And he was so scared his doctor would be mad at him.  Actually, the doc was ecstatic.

Today is my ex SIL's wedding.  I'm a little bit bummed that I wasn't invited but can understand that my ex is far too unpredictable when I'm around.  The kids are calling me non-stop.  I can't wait to get some pictures to share.  Megan and Becky's dresses are absolutely gorgeous.  Joey and my ex MIL are walking my SIL down the aisle.  The ex....lol....what can I say?  He's not very popular with his own family.

I'm also getting some sort of cold or flu-like bug.  It hit yesterday but today I feel like crap so I'm just going to lay myself down.

I'm way behind in my journal reading and plan to try and catch up today.  I'm thinking the bug is probably what was making me sooooo tired this week.  I was sort of afraid I was getting something because I usually am exhausted for a week or so before it hits...grrrrrr

Thanks for those who e-mailed me out of concern.  I love you all!  Don't forget about me....I'm still here....and do apologize that I haven't been visiting much.

    CHRIS

2996 Project

Karen Lynn Seymour-Dietrich, age 40, Wall Street Technology Specialist, ETC Division, Garban Intercapital, World Trade Center, New York City. 

How in the world does one capture the essence of a person they never knew?  From all the reading I've done, it appears that Karen Seymour-Dietrich was a woman most would consider to have it all together; young, beautiful, energetic, intelligent, a loving wife and mother.  She was an award winning member of a profesionnal cycling team and continued cycling after her retirement from competition. She met her future husband, William Dietrich, a bicycle racer, while pedaling in Millington, N.J. and passionately entered the competitve circle.

Ms. Seymour earned her bachelor's degree in business information systems at the University of Baltimore in 1981, and completed a master's in business administration in finance at Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1992. Her career included work in the design and management of trading-floor systems at Salomon Brothers and Deutsche Bank.

She developed a passion for the culinary arts and cooking.  She attended the French Culinary Institute in New York, graduating first in her class. She went on to work at La Grenouille in New York and the Stage House Inn in Scotch Plains. A culinary career, however, was shelved with the birth of the twins, William and Sarah, in 1997.

On September 11, 2001, she was working for the ETC division of Garban Intercapital in the World Trade Center as a Wall Street technology specialist on the 25th floor.  She would soon become a victim of the worst act of terrorism to hit our world.  That day she was attending a financial technology seminar which placed her on the 106th floor of the World Trade Center.  That day, she, along with 2,995 others would become statistics.  Behind those numbers are faces, families and loved ones deprived and robbed of the existence of their family members.  Dreams shattered and torn from them.

Karen's husband, William Dietrich, made a huge decision to keep his wife's memory alive.  He founded The Karen  L. Seymour Fund at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City. Quoting William Dietrich "This will encourage greater global harmony by educating children and families of all backgrounds in the peaceful use of science and technology in the hope that future generations will be spared the pain and horror of this tragedy."  His wish is that his children or no other children ever have to experience or witness the violence which occurred on September 11, 2001.

Besides her husband and children, Karen Seymour-Dietrich is survived by her parents, David Seymour and Catherine Seymour; a brother, Glen; and a sister, Debra.  I would like to extend my heartfelt prayers and sympathy to the Dietrich and Seymour families who still must carry a huge hole in their hearts at the loss of such a lovely, vibrant lady. 

I felt a huge honor in taking part in this project.  I would like all the families to know that we have not forgotten this day or the horrific events which stole your loved ones and shattered a nation; if not the world. 

Remembering 9/11

Author: Unknown

As the soot and dirt and ash rained down,
We became one color.

As we carried each other down the stairs of the burning building,
We became one class.

As we lit candles of waiting and hoping,
We became one generation.

As the firefighters and police officers fought their way into the inferno,
We became one gender.

As we fell to our knees in prayer for strength,
We became one faith.

As we whispered or shouted words of encouragement,
We spoke one language.

As we gave our blood in lines a mile long,
We became one body.

As we mourned together the great loss,
We became one family.

As we cried tears of grief and loss,
We became one soul.

As we retell with pride the sacrifice of heroes,
We become one people.

 

Dedicated to the life and memory of Karen Lynn Seymour-Dietrich

Karen, may your light shine forever.........

Ramblings of a Sane/Insane Lady

         Today could and should have been one of those days that totally pushed this sane lady into the abyss of insanity.  My cell phone alarm didn't wake me up.  I was totally whooped.  For the second time last night, one of the guys had to wake me up when we reached the bus stop after work.  I have no idea how I'm going to deal with the exhaustion of my five day weeks I'm working.

My sinuses were throbbing when I got up so I took a vacation day.  My first hassle was when I tried to sign on to AOL and my account was suspended because of a TOS violation on one of my SN's.  After countless calls and transfers, someone hacked into Becky's SN which she rarely uses and visited hundreds of porn chatrooms via AIM at 3 am.  This isn't the first time a SN has been compromised this way.  I ran a full scan; nothing.  I ran my Norton and Microsoft full scans; nothing.  Becky has Ft. Knox on her lap top; nothing.  I'm quite unsettled that hackers are able to compromise accounts.  Once again, we changed all our passwords to ones that I need to write down to even begin to remember.

Anyway, I decided to clean.  I have mini power blips that shut my power off on half of my house for a second or two.  They've been happening very frequently lately.  I called the power company.  This is not the first time this has been repaired.  He reinstalled a whole new line, box, etc. into the house and said one side was almost falling off.  If this doesn't work, they will install a device to record the electric coming into my house for two weeks.  Next step...the electrician again because it could be another faulty outlet.  I also have a breaker on a circuit that we never use that's tripping.  Next problem, my siding tore away from the house a little bit above the family room during a huge storm this summer.  There is water entering between it and the house and probably damaged the outlets and God knows what else.  So, the insurance adjuster and contracter are coming out tomorrow to check the damage while I'm at work.  LOL...can I say enough already?

Not quite.....I have a massive fly infestation which was bad off and on all summer.  They returned in masses today.  Of course, when the power guy was here, my sunporch had hundreds (no exaggeration).  Talk about wanting to crawl in a hole. 

My sunporch is just loaded to the max with Megan's things from college that are laying dormant.  My BF came over.  We loaded his truck with just about everything in there for his dumpster.  One huge problem was her refrigerator which she hadn't cleaned properly and was full of mold and noxious odors....GONE to the dumpster.  Another huge problem was my son had left his deer hunting clothes stuck way back in there....loaded with larvae and GONE.  I couldn't spray because of Grizzly and Mocha but made a mixture of bleach and water and washed the walls and shampooed the ugly carpet.  LOL..the carpet will be gone soon anyway.

Some of you probably don't know but my BF suffered for a year from shingles and was clean since January.  Well, it looks like they are back, and he's got flu like symptoms.  Dang, I feel bad for him.  He's had tons of blood work done to make sure his immune system isn't comrpomised.  He looked half dead when he left with his truck loaded with my crap.

I did spray my Ortho around the pond.  My pump had been off for two weeks.  I hadn't realized it so it was infested with insects.  In fact, I played Orkin lady all around the outside of the house.  Lord, flies are so yucky.

So that was another day in the life of Chris.  It seems like there is no rest for the weary ever.  Three months have gone by, and I'm still not adjusting my home schedule to working five days a week.  Boy, do I grieve for my Wednesdays off, even if it meant working a 10 hr day.  I keep praying that my body and mind will kick into gear with this.  This has, by far, been the biggest hurdle with my new job.  I'm praying about this and looking for some sort of answer.

Looking back to this summer when my gas tank was leaking in my car, I'm thinking I should have tossed that cigarette (actually I should really, really quit smoking) when I was lounging by the pool.  Nah, and miss all this fun of being a happy homeowner.  I think I'm getting slap happy or else my mind is totally gone.

Hope everybody has had a more peaceful day than mine and YEAH, I see the alerts are back, although most of mine were never gone.

 

              

 

Talking to Myself and Vivi Awards Update

Ok, I swore, absolutely and positively that I would make no entries until the alerts were back in order because I simply did not feel like talking to myself.  Quite a change from when I first started my journal with 0 comments and didn't mind a bit.  Ya know, a girl gets used to having more than a couple of comments.  I can hold out no longer because I just love to jabber.

I have been getting alerts for comments (lol..what comments but no alerts for entries.)  I hear the UK is up and running again.  I don't think the US is yet.  So, some have had to take it to snail mail to let us know that they have posted.  And that is quite all right with me...keep the snail mail coming.

Now, if this isn't a wonderful impression to make on this community while pushing the VIVI awards.  As a matter of fact, I'm going to toot my own horn because I am on the committee for the VIVI awards...whoo hoo!  Jackie is the chairwoman/person and asked me.  I jumped on the chance so if you have any suggestions or comments/ideas, whatever, you can let me know and I'll pass it on.  Under consideration and serious consideration is the private journals.  So, if you have concerns, now is the time to voice them.  I would love to see awards happen that everyone, or most everyone, consider fair.  The committe is listed below so if you have any brainstorms, let any one of us know.  We have a meeting coming up shortly

Vivian :      Nwanyioma's Journal (whom theVivi's are named after) 

 

Chris:        A Day in the Life

 

Nelishia:    WISHING AND HOPING, PRAYING AND BELIEVING

 

Stevie:       ~The life of Stevie~

 

Donna:       This and that, and hockey!

 

Jackie        HOPE FLOATS

 

I'm off to try and get some journals read.  It is so time consuming because I can't fit them all in my sidebar and then have to trudge through my favorites which is total chaos.  I know I'm missing some.

 

Boy, it has been quiet around this place with Joey on vacation.  Grizzly is super whacko by the time I get home from work and mauls me for at least 5 minutes.  But quiet is nice and...yeah...no grocery shopping.

 

Ooops, and...I bought my magnet to send in the magnet thingie!  Of course, I blew the postcard game.  Pittsburgh is a sad town.  No stores in the downtown area anymore, and Hallmarks are vanishing daily.  Now, funny thing is, when I was looking for magnets, all I could find was postcards...go figure.  Well, there is one lone Hallmark left by our Walmart here in the sticks and voila....I found the magnet that just jumped out at me.  So, my magnet buddy will be getting their magnet.  Of course, I have the worst time keeping a secret....grrrr....but I'm really excited.

I'm off to drag my trash to the curb.  Should have done it when I got home from work.  Now, it's dark already and wet since it rained again.  LOL..send me the 12 step program for the computer addict.....

 

CHRIS

Labor Day Memories

I have zilch Labor Day graphics, imagine that?  Labor Day is a very important day in my life, though not what most would expect.  23 years ago on Labor Day, September 5, 1983, I had just given birth to my son, Joey.  I don't have a scanner.  Lisa Jo sent me this tag which amazingly looks much like my son did as a baby.

to my my one and only son a day early.

I am going to post two links to entries that I made in the past 11 months dedicated to Joey.  Forgive me as I know it's time consuming to read the links and also because some have read these entries previously.  The first is my all time favorite entry.  I have read it many times over and still burst into tears each time.    A Christmas Story

The second link was an entry I did for Joey when I first started my journal.  I did an entry for each of my three children at that time.  They constantly argue over who they think is my favorite.  I did entries so they could read and understand that all three hold special; yet different places in my heart.     Joe

HAPPY 23, Joe!!!!  Have fun camping this week; you deserve to be happy.  Don't give up...life is just opening up for you.  Love, Mom