tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43922406047580135432012-01-29T22:51:27.399-05:00My thoughts, my photographs, my life. Oh, and I hate everybody.~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.comBlogger2361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-24855492873604162492012-01-29T10:18:00.000-05:002012-01-29T10:18:43.398-05:00

I've been thinking more about making nude art, with a goal of submitting for Nude Nite 2013.   It's oddly difficult to imagine taking naked photos of someone.  I have a profile on Model Mayhem and there are plenty of models who are available to do nude shoots in exchange for photos for their portfolio.  Still, it's a pretty weird thought.  I've never actually worked with a model before, although

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-54294202797451712792012-01-21T10:06:00.000-05:002012-01-21T10:06:58.146-05:00

Work is wearing me down.  There was always a certain amount of stress just caused by deadlines and things changing at the last minute and those miscommunications that are inevitable but still infuriating when working in any office situation, but now things are just so tense every day, all day.  I feel like I'm in a tiny cage in a big noisy room.  I try to step back to have perspective.  Things

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-88178827910442625442012-01-01T15:12:00.000-05:002012-01-01T15:12:20.881-05:00

Halfway through the year I started to feel like posting about movies I'd seen was getting boring, as I am not a movie reviewer.  I compiled a (hopefully complete) list of all the movies I watched in 2011 and put it here, on its own page.   My goal for last year was not specific, just to watch more movies, which I definitely did.  For some reason I had just gotten out of the habit of watching

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-56583950871219058002012-01-01T10:17:00.000-05:002012-01-01T10:17:54.881-05:00

Here we are in the first hours of the new year.  I can understand the people who tell themselves that it's just another day, making resolutions should happen anytime and not be saved for a new year, but truly, turning over the calendar to a whole new year seems momentous and, to me, something that should be marked. I'm sitting here in our office room, the windows to my right looking out on a

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-82591856134345198872011-12-14T17:35:00.002-05:002011-12-14T17:36:05.377-05:00

Boy, Christmas can really get on top of you and hold you down like you're its bitch, can't it?  A bunch of people at work have out been dealing with various injuries/illnesses/family drama, and the dentist told me that stress-related tooth injuries make this is their busiest time of the year by far.  So far I am holding my own.  My shopping is finished, although I haven't wrapped anything, and

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-26515532189433707382011-12-10T14:50:00.001-05:002011-12-10T14:52:56.604-05:00

When I look back at that post a few weeks ago about how bad things were going to be at work, I just LAUGH.  I was worried about not knowing how to use the new systems!  I hadn't been trained enough, I feared!  OH NO!  Well, the sad reality is that many things with the new systems that went live mid-October are still not even working completely.  Lack of training has certainly taken a back seat in

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-54562279389650297442011-12-06T18:56:00.000-05:002011-12-06T18:56:23.599-05:00

Ten years ago today... I was looking forward to going on a date with this guy.  I knew him because we were in the same circle of friends, and the week before we'd ended up spending a while talking at a friend's birthday party, and we'd kind of hit it off.  I came home and IMed a friend, asking if he was still dating this scary chick I'd heard about, she said:  No, he's not.  Hmmm, I thought. 

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-46031871967173363882011-12-04T12:28:00.001-05:002011-12-04T12:42:38.635-05:00

Gemma Correll I love this.  One of my friends posted it on Facebook, and boy, is this ever ME. On Thanksgiving day, Greg and I took my homemade pumpkin pie (and Cool Whip) to his Dad's house for lunch, and we hung out with his father, his stepmother and her siblings, his sisters and their various husbands and children.  We ate ham and turkey and stuffing and all the typical Thanksgiving stuff.

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-59195598738400236062011-12-01T17:13:00.000-05:002011-12-01T17:13:33.338-05:00

They caught no fish, since the wind was too strong it wasn't safe to go out on the bay.  Bummer for Judas Priest.  They still kept their word about the tickets, but when we got to the venue they turned out to be VIP tickets, which meant tickets in the VIP section.  Which was right by all the other non-VIP sections, although more centrally located.  So we got to see Thin Lizzy (best known for

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-80904531761413157992011-11-27T14:29:00.000-05:002011-11-27T14:29:54.011-05:00

Greg's father lives in the Tampa Bay area and is an expert fisherman.  Recently he started operating a charter fishing service. Greg's dad called Greg and said, "Hey, do you know who Rob Halford is?  He just booked a fishing trip with me." Greg said, "Rob Halford?  You mean the lead singer of Judas Priest?  Going fishing with you?  THE Rob Halford?" It is, in fact, the Rob Halford, lead singer

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-46050822987002594432011-11-13T13:54:00.000-05:002011-11-13T13:54:30.617-05:00

Good things, part 3. I've mentioned my enduring love for Adam Ant and his music a couple of times before on this blog:  HERE, when I talk about how my 14-year old self first discovered his music, and HERE, when I briefly mention seeing Adam in concert with my friend Hellione.  I felt compelled to at least try to write about how I love Adam Ant and his music, but truly, it didn't even begin to

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-20337778286422987112011-11-09T08:55:00.000-05:002011-11-09T08:55:13.043-05:00

We finally had enough money saved up and we bought a 13" Macbook Air. I have never had a laptop before, and being able to carry around this awesome tiny machine seems like magic to me.  How did we ever get along without this?  It's so light, I think it really is made mostly of air. Being me, I am doing obsessive research about what kind of case to get to carry it around.  After looking at skins

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-75841241720762106922011-11-05T17:20:00.000-04:002011-11-05T17:20:44.095-04:00

... in between the stress and sadness that is my job now. Like so many other people, I don't get any exercise, yadda yadda yadda, my muscles are congealing into an ever-expanding Jabba the Hutt style mound of goo, blah blah blah.  Virtually everybody, other than, I assume, actual professional athletes who have negative four percent body fat and work out for 12 hours per day, bitches and moans

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-79000699888496152732011-10-20T15:04:00.000-04:002011-10-20T15:04:34.023-04:00

I have never before been so stressed about work stuff that I just couldn't stop myself from thinking about it all the time, while at work and at home in those moments where my mind is not occupied by something immediate.  When I'm driving, when I'm taking a shower, when I'm doing the dishes, despite my best efforts to calm down and stop thinking about it I find my mind turns to work issues. I

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-74017119629611036992011-10-09T16:15:00.000-04:002011-10-09T16:15:10.590-04:00

On Friday 9/23 I posted this status update to Facebook:  On Friday, September 30, one week from today, my wonderful mother will celebrate her 90th birthday. She absolutely loves to get mail, and would be delighted to get birthday cards. Anyone interested in pleasing a sweet 90 year old woman, please PM me for her address. :)    I was surprised to get more than a dozen messages from people who

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-51958276157349781982011-09-25T16:28:00.000-04:002011-09-25T16:28:23.723-04:00

As I get older and get to know myself a little better, I am beginning to understand one thing about myself:  I  don't like change. I would really like to be the kind of person who thrives on new experiences, finding new ways of doing things and being adventurous.  But no, I am a stick in the mud old fuddy duddy who really enjoys a nice, comfortable, boring rut. Things are busy, lately.  Both

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-51829816206230326222011-09-18T19:11:00.000-04:002011-09-18T19:11:18.121-04:00

My mom got some bad news:  Her hearing loss is being made much worse by a problem within her inner ear, which is distorting the sounds she hears.  The doctor said her ability to understand sounds went from 90% two years ago to 20% now.  There's nothing that can be done about it.  Her hearing has gotten noticeably worse in the past few months, even with her hearing aid, but we were all hoping that

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-50444687345393135252011-09-03T09:54:00.001-04:002011-09-03T09:55:26.667-04:00

A group called Improv Everywhere put a lectern with a megaphone and a sign that said "Say Something Nice" in New York City, allowing passersby to say whatever they wanted, and videotaped the results.  The whole story with photos is here:  Improv Everywhere. Some people just walked by and looked, some took a photo of the lectern, one guy said literally "something nice", but a lot of people said "

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-21635424825483503042011-08-27T17:24:00.001-04:002011-08-27T17:25:19.124-04:00

This is where I am from.  How beautiful is this? I was looking around online, and it always amazes me when I can find something on the world wide web that originates in little Newport Virginia (that is NOT Newport News, thankyouverymuch), because the whole area seems to be straight out of the 1800's. I found this website:  Windrush Farm.  This is literally less than a mile from where I grew up.

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-4538749946641267782011-08-22T18:26:00.000-04:002011-08-22T18:26:05.380-04:00

I love Etsy and can spend hours pooting around on the site, looking at handmade soaps and jewelry and wall hangings and clothes, and daydreaming about spending thousands of dollars.  Unfortunately, I don't happen to have thousands of dollars to spare, so I've never actually bought anything. Until I saw this store!  This artist hand paints lovely little portraits onto actual pages from vintage

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-86973456749718964072011-08-15T18:01:00.002-04:002011-08-15T18:04:02.005-04:00

Those of you who still haven't stopped cringing from my last favorite website post can relax, this one is safe for work.  Hot Guys Reading Books It's a Tumblr site, a collection of submitted photos of guys who are reading books.  Photos taken of strangers on a bus or in a park, photos taken of boyfriends or husbands or brothers in bed or on the porch or lying on the couch.  There's even one

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-11393650455073158332011-08-13T17:26:00.002-04:002011-08-13T17:26:00.669-04:00

A real live Death Eater!  My goodness, they are everywhere.   Other than the obvious negative attributes one has to assume of all Death Eaters (being evil, serving the Dark Lord, disliking the super awesome Neville Longbottom, being mean to Harry Potter, etc.) this particular Death Eater seemed quite nice.  She sold me my Coke Zero and my sunflower seeds quickly and efficiently, and if any

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-39830870675854871432011-08-11T14:48:00.005-04:002011-08-11T14:57:01.881-04:00

A few days ago I got a comment on a blog entry that I wrote last June about Vali Myers (here) from the Vali Myers Art Gallery Trust. How wonderful!  I didn't know this organization existed.  They even have a Facebook page, here.   There are a lot of interesting photos on their FB page, including a photo of the little house in Australia where she was born, photos of Vali herself, and some images

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-83452809308049561382011-08-09T19:14:00.000-04:002011-08-09T19:14:54.468-04:00

Maybe I am kind of a voyeur, but this site just positively fascinates me.  I want to say immediately, this site is exceedingly Not Safe For Work.  The site is a collection of unfortunate and usually hilarious photos taken from gay male hookup websites where people post photos of themselves, typically at home, typically naked.  The often funny part is their surroundings.  It's just odd to see a

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-36184720742798097242011-08-03T19:33:00.001-04:002011-08-03T19:33:00.677-04:00

I got the full report back from my blood test yesterday, and I do not have either thyroid problems or arthritis.  I still wonder what's up with the occasional pain in my joints, but since it is not bad I won't worry about it. Apparently I have somewhat high cholesterol levels, so I need to work on that.  I know everybody says this all the time and it's just boring old empty words, but I need to

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-45932146550982305442011-07-29T17:18:00.000-04:002011-07-29T17:18:15.575-04:00

Well, my test results were supposed to be in yesterday, so I called the office only to find my doctor is on vacation!  For heaven's sake, who approved that, when I am waiting for my results? Anyway, the nurse could tell I was kind of anxious, and basically told me without telling me that my blood test showed that I do not have a thyroid problem.  That's kind of a relief, but that means I still

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-9054666298035691872011-07-26T19:00:00.001-04:002011-07-26T19:11:36.386-04:00

I use three main computer programs at my job every day.  All day, every day.  All three of them are being replaced within the next two months.  The only thing not being changed is that we will still use Microsoft Windows, so emails will still be Outlook, etc.  But that's probably 10% of my day, most of what I do is using specialized, fairly complicated software that has taken years to fully learn

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-11986148435260856652011-07-21T16:31:00.001-04:002011-07-21T16:32:02.953-04:00

I went to the doctor for a check-up today. I know everyone hates (or at least somewhat dislikes) going to the doctor.  Sometimes being an adult and taking care of myself maturely is no fun at all.  I would much rather eat fried chicken and lay on the couch all day than go to a doctor's office. The earliest appointment I could get was 11am, which was later than I'd have liked because I had to

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-11526453355056026272011-07-19T18:17:00.002-04:002011-07-19T18:19:20.773-04:00

"Bucket list" is a term I've been hearing a lot for the past few years. I like the idea of identifying the things that are important to do before kicking the ol' metaphorical bucket, but for some reason that I can't really put my finger on, I'm annoyed by the recent trendiness of it. Maybe because a good number of these bucket bloggers seem to be in their 20's and have lists titled 30 Things To

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-30197081240132487592011-07-17T18:04:00.000-04:002011-07-17T18:04:05.603-04:00

The tickets were for the 12:20am show, so we got to the theatre a little after 11pm, expecting to wait in a long line.  Walking up to the theatre we saw very long lines of people waiting outside, and when we went in we saw people sitting along every wall in the lobby and in the hallways, waiting.  We walked up to the ticket taker guy and gave him our printouts, and he said our theatre was already

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-42356212871962208822011-07-14T15:59:00.000-04:002011-07-14T15:59:32.044-04:00

Another migraine!  Gads.  When I was younger I'd get migraines more frequently, but they only lasted one day.  I get them less often now -- it's been about seven months since my last one -- but they seem to take forever to go away. This one started last Saturday, and was held at bay somewhat through use of pain pills/frozen washcloths/sleeping in a cool dark quiet room/massage.   It never

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-43332266606531328962011-07-06T21:45:00.004-04:002011-07-07T10:15:13.375-04:00

Such a tremendous amount of emotion and publicity over the whole Casey Anthony trial. It feels a tiny bit more personal to me because of the proximity, this has all taken place within just a few miles of my home.  Cindy and George Anthony's house is in the same general part of Orlando as we are, and back in the early days when Caylee was missing, Greg stopped and talked to George at his roadside

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-68670020824252724412011-07-01T17:43:00.000-04:002011-07-01T17:43:19.674-04:00

Today marks one month since I started on Novel #2, and it is my 30th consecutive day of writing. Of course, when I say "writing" that can mean anything from sitting at my computer working steadily for two hours to grabbing a quick five minutes at the end of a long busy day.  I've just been determined to write EVERY DAY, even if it's just for a few minutes.  The good news is that it seems to be

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-76476362891514545502011-06-29T17:29:00.016-04:002011-06-29T17:29:00.404-04:00

Mom has had various troubles with her tv in the past few years.  The old tv set that she and Dad bought back when they lived in Virginia, then moved with them to Florida, then moved with them to Georgia, was glitchy and then finally quit working early last year.  My brother had been thinking about getting a new tv for himself, so he gave his perfectly good old one to Mom, and it worked fine.  It

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-36755202682196581852011-06-24T20:51:00.000-04:002011-06-24T20:51:53.407-04:00

Believe it or not -- and at this point so much time has passed it is probably slightly hard to believe -- I finally called Donna!  I whined about her previously here and here. It was last Tuesday, June 14, Flag Day, and Casey's birthday.  I figured the absolute worst case scenario would be for me to call Donna, find out that Casey was dead, and that I had upset Donna by calling and asking about

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-13252072432947825602011-06-19T13:29:00.001-04:002011-06-19T13:30:14.927-04:00

I wrote here about my neighbor from back home in Virginia sending me her recipe for homemade bread. I wrote here about how I tried it, and I screwed it up. I briefly mentioned here about how I tried it again, and screwed it up again. The third time was the charm!  It still wasn't quite as good as hers, but it was close, and it was delicious.   The initial little lump of dough, all set to cover

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-920398478389607012011-06-14T17:32:00.000-04:002011-06-14T17:32:52.946-04:00

On May 31 I started writing my new novel, the young adult novel about the 17 year old lesbian.  I made a vow to write every single day, even if I didn't have time to write more than a few sentences.  I will say this for myself:  I have kept that vow and written at least a teensy bit every single day, so far.  I'm trying to develop a habit, which is a little difficult since I work varying hours

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-9405462994806319182011-05-29T17:31:00.001-04:002011-05-30T07:55:51.508-04:00

This blog entry was inspired by my dear friend Angella's recent blog entry about her discovery of the amazing world of photo-editing programs. I used to be a digital artist. Funnily, the self-hating voice in my head didn't want to let me type that, it wanted me to type "I used to consider myself a digital artist."  Be quiet, stupid voice.  I really was an artist. Back in the early 90's my

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-36647773152163281692011-05-26T13:37:00.001-04:002011-05-26T14:17:58.440-04:00

I took today as a random vacation day, so I am home from work. This morning I got up early and opened the window in the bedroom so I could hear the birds singing and the splashy fountain in the little pond behind our condo.  We are not very far from a busy street so traffic noise could be heard occasionally, but it was relaxing; and I finally slogged to the end of The Land Of Painted Caves, the

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-51982173839180621962011-05-07T17:31:00.005-04:002011-05-07T17:31:00.783-04:00

Yeah, that didn't work.  On my journey to discover who I am as a writer, I can just go ahead and eliminate writing-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, without having any idea what's next.  After writing the littlest bit, I was so lost and directionless that I had to stop to at least try to figure out who my main character was.  I did have an idea that seemed pretty good, possibly.  I thought about it for

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-66088774882739428082011-04-26T17:30:00.005-04:002011-04-26T17:30:00.397-04:00

Writing is hard, and when it isn't bliss, it sucks a lot. And the bliss is a depressingly low percentage. So, I wrote the main chunk of my novel (the first 50,000 words) during NaNoWriMo, then took a break, then finished it (total of approx 75,000 words).  Since then I've been working on revising/editing, and halfway through I basically just got sick of it.  Two other ideas for new stories

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-48242954627120233402011-04-21T07:54:00.000-04:002011-04-21T07:54:09.213-04:00

I took this pic with my cell phone out of my car window.  I was on my way to work and had to sit motionless for what seemed to be an extraordinarily long time because of road construction, which obviously needs to be done during rush hour.  This was early in the morning, just as the sun was coming up, and it was beautifully foggy. This pic with the farm-style fence really reminds me of

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-49160462113465394012011-04-16T10:40:00.000-04:002011-04-16T10:40:55.851-04:00

My period (it's okay, you can stop reading right here) was due while I was in Georgia visiting Mom.  Of course, because of the traveling and the stress and the being away from home, it didn't.  Typical! I was sure it would start on the long drive home and took pre-emptive measures expectantly, but no. No, my uterus was waiting for Tuesday; my first day back at work and the day of our

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-35318118186521308712011-04-14T18:36:00.000-04:002011-04-14T18:36:11.669-04:00

I left at around 7:30am on Thursday, took the 408 across Orlando to the FL Turnpike north to 75 up into Georgia to 475 around Macon then back to 75 then the 675 to the bypass around Atlanta to 85 north to 985 which took me to Gainesville, GA.  509 miles and almost 8 hours later, I was at Mom's.  We always go to IHOP to have breakfast for dinner the night I get there, we always get bacon and eggs

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-79992045205961775492011-04-06T21:51:00.002-04:002011-04-06T22:14:42.995-04:00

I finally finished scanning two giant old photo albums/scrapbooks that I borrowed at Christmas and need to return to my mom tomorrow.  Why did I wait until today to do it? Well, it's just so much more dramatic fun to be able to beat myself up over not having done it sooner. Today Greg took my car to be serviced, got two new tires and an oil change and several miscellaneous repairs that I don't

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-31981792830569216292011-04-05T12:08:00.001-04:002011-04-05T12:11:05.863-04:00

It's my husband's birthday.  We took a few days off work to celebrate, just like we did last month for my birthday. Saturday we went to Costco and ran errands and got things done. Sunday morning we went with two good friends to the drag queen gospel brunch at a local restaurant: Bananas, and it was a lot of fun.  Sunday night Greg made pizza with fresh mozzarella cheese, spinach, rotisserie

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-74606247169146220372011-04-03T15:32:00.003-04:002011-04-03T15:35:36.726-04:00

The Shining (Netflix dvd) - This is the 1997 miniseries, written by Stephen King and directed by Mick Gannis.  I heard that Stephen King was unhappy with the changes that Stanley Kubrick made in his film, and wanted to make his own version that was more true to the book.  We didn't like this one at all, we felt like the pacing was weird because of the miniseries format, the direction seemed

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-89503252414692273562011-03-24T19:50:00.000-04:002011-03-24T19:50:54.288-04:00

I really didn't want to get up too terribly early on my birthday, but I knew that Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios would be crowded with spring breakers, so to be kind of in-betweeny we ended up getting to the park at around 10am.  (This time I listened carefully to make sure Greg locked the car.) It was an absolutely gorgeous day, bright yellow sun and blue cloudless sky, with a high

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-80223622418935905252011-03-22T19:25:00.001-04:002011-03-23T07:48:06.348-04:00

Bread making day!  Having purchased such foreign items as packets of dry yeast, Crisco and whole milk, I was ready to go.  I read over the recipe several times in advance to make sure I was familiar with all the steps, and gathered up all my ingredients. I scalded the milk (after figuring out what the heck "scalded" meant), added the yeast to warm water, stirred in sugar and salt and vegetable

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-7476788444311773242011-03-08T19:34:00.002-05:002011-03-08T19:38:49.401-05:00

In 1990 (I think?) I went to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and I got the prized Zulu coconut.  And I did not show my boobs to get it.  (Although, I have to say, my boobs were and still are pretty cute, and would certainly have deserved a Zulu coconut.) We were right by the parade route, way out in a suburb where the parade started (much bigger crowds later in the afternoon in actual New Orleans).

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-58534185444790103462011-02-24T18:23:00.000-05:002011-02-24T18:23:39.422-05:00

And now here I am, with BIFOCALS. My eye doctor recommended I go ahead and get bifocals even though my need for them is relatively slight, because she thought this would be a better way to get used to them.  My sad, special eyes are terrible, I have a -10 prescription, which is pitifully strong.  I have a limited choice in eyeglass frames because of the thickness of my lenses, even if I get the

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-50075448430890854882011-02-23T19:02:00.003-05:002011-02-23T19:02:00.285-05:00

Greg and I went last Saturday.  It was a beautiful day in the Sunshine state!  We went early in the morning, but I think the high that day was over 80. I am stretching in the sunshine. Greg took this one: Here's Greg looking up at a giant flock of vultures (there's one on the trail ahead of him). Hey, look, we're in Florida! It was a lovely day.

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-14673262049778124952011-02-22T17:36:00.017-05:002011-02-22T18:01:43.202-05:00

I have several friends who are counting the movies they watch this year, and they tweet updates to their total almost every day.  My measly one or two movies a week look pitiful next to their already extensive lists, but I just don't want to make movie-watching a bigger priority than I already have.  I like relaxing at home after work; reading a magazine or poking around on Facebook or reading

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-26818928355263944782011-02-09T19:16:00.000-05:002011-02-09T19:16:56.478-05:00

We got to the Hard Rock Live right around the time the doors opened, at 7:00pm.       I had my 1989 copy of Cruel Tricks for Dear Friends tucked safely away in my super cool big canvas purse from The Strand bookstore, along with the Nikon point-n-shoot camera.  We found our seats, which were near the front of the balcony.    We went back down to the lobby to check out the merch: They were selling

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-33611388976602197552011-02-03T09:16:00.000-05:002011-02-03T09:16:38.460-05:00

As I've mentioned several times before, I love Penn Jillette.  LOVE.  And tonight (!) Penn and Teller are performing at the Hard Rock Live here in Orlando.  (!!)  I am so excited I almost can't stand it.  I have never seen them perform, and from what I can tell they pretty much always hang out after their shows signing autographs.  I am going to try to smuggle in a camera so Greg can get a pic of

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-6094941753551954722011-01-31T19:08:00.001-05:002011-01-31T19:08:48.523-05:00

This past Saturday Greg and I went to Leu Gardens with our friends, and it was a gorgeous day.  Clear blue sky, yellow sunshine, and we got there early enough to still catch the dew on the flowers. Greg in his hoodie, contemplating the lake Dewy camellia I swear the color wasn't altered in Photoshop, it was just that pretty If I could write poems, this is what would inspire me Bee

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-64154938731631283892011-01-28T19:45:00.001-05:002011-01-28T19:45:00.337-05:00

And the Watch More Movies initiative for 2011 continues... 1/14 = Inception (Netflix Blu-ray) I love that this movie is complicated, but without being tricky.  It all makes sense, and it's fascinating.  The special effects were especially eye-twisting on Blu-ray.  It's nominated for a bunch of Oscars, and I hope it wins best original screenplay. I heard Christopher Nolan spent eight years working

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-89691880757233548602011-01-27T19:46:00.000-05:002011-01-27T19:46:16.367-05:00

When I was wee, back in the olden days, I lived in the country.  On a one-lane, unmarked road that literally started as a cow path, winding along a creek in between two mountains.  With a next-door neighbor that had only an outhouse and no indoor bathrooms, until I was in high school.  Surrounded on all sides by fields of cows.  Go straight past The Waltons and picture Little House On The Praire,

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-10017965977367425582011-01-18T17:00:00.000-05:002011-01-18T17:00:33.362-05:00

And the Watch More Movies initiative continued with going to see True Grit in the theatre this past weekend.  I was really looking forward to seeing this, it's getting great reviews and several friends saw it and loved it.  The original, which I've never seen, was one of my father's favorite movies.  When I was in my early twenties and had just moved to Florida by myself and was trying to make a

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-69636149853817528432011-01-14T19:10:00.000-05:002011-01-14T19:10:32.052-05:00

A few days ago I woke up in the middle of the night and felt a little sick.  After lying still in the dark and worrying for several minutes, I got up and went to the bathroom, and felt better.  I shivered back to the bed and got under the covers, all chillbumpy and cold.  I worried about my stomach.  Could I be getting sick?  I was out of work recently for the flu and then for the migraine, I

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-84795812395261086162011-01-12T18:25:00.004-05:002011-01-14T09:15:49.397-05:00

So far this year I am doing pretty well with my new Watch More Movies initiative. Why the movie focus?Our new 50" Samsung plasma tv.  Mere words cannot adequately describe the gorgeousness.  It is a giant, high-definition, immersive experience unlike our last tv (which was also HD, though smaller and with a much lower refresh rate.) The new Blu-ray player.  Now we can watch streaming Netflix

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-970520664347598032011-01-07T15:42:00.002-05:002011-01-07T15:43:12.110-05:00

From whatever evil monster had taken it away to migraine-land.  That ended up lasting more than a week, which is way, way too long.  Oh, the giddiness when my poor head was finally pain-free! Update on Donna:  I still haven't called.  I know, I'm a big wuss.  I did, however, compose a script to read, just in case I get her voicemail.  "Hi Donna!  This is Ellen... remember me?  I was just hoping

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-61141257765158273742011-01-01T18:16:00.001-05:002011-01-01T18:50:04.542-05:00

I've had migraines since I was 12, but I have learned to manage them.  I've discovered that I am sensitive to caffeine, so I try to drink very little.  They can be triggered by an ooky muscle in my right shoulder that sends electrical pain currents directly into the center of my head, so I lift hand weights to keep those muscles loose and happy.  I know that my menstrual hormones trigger the

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-43602670950389259032010-12-22T12:25:00.001-05:002010-12-22T12:26:34.541-05:00

I have no memory of this photo being taken, but I look adorable!  And Santa looks tired and cranky. Tomorrow early in the morning Greg and I will set off for north Georgia to stay in the guest room at mom's retirement home for three nights and spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with mom.  I probably won't see any other family members while I'm there, which is too bad.  My sister goes every

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-31996347110230219972010-12-18T16:03:00.001-05:002010-12-18T16:05:02.934-05:00

I've always kind of been drawn to the easy promise of self-help books, as if trading some cash for a pretty book with an empty promise would automatically fix something in my life.  A few years ago I found this book, which, miraculously, did exactly that on a scale so grand it changed the way I look at myself and my place in this world:  The Introvert Advantage. Also, I pretty much stopped

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-2640072495534133232010-12-12T14:16:00.002-05:002010-12-12T14:19:22.712-05:00

All right, here it is, just in time for Christmas:  I am an atheist. Reasons why I ought to be a Christian:I was raised in a Christian household, and though he died when I was small and I never really knew him, my maternal grandfather was a minister I grew up attending a small rural church that perfectly embodied what most people would think of as the churchy ideal -- it was basically a cross

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-49085412620056533622010-12-09T09:43:00.003-05:002010-12-09T10:30:31.338-05:00

Happy Anniversary to my blog! Here is my very first blog post, on December 9, 2005:  MY HUSBAND ALMOST DIED TODAY!!.  How's that for a catchy title?  Spoiler:  He didn't, really. Even though I have imported this entry here onto Blogger, it was originally written on MySpace.  Remember MySpace?  One of the things I liked about it (compared to Facebook) was the option to write and share a blog.  I

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-16137395449233942492010-12-07T21:47:00.004-05:002010-12-07T22:30:47.243-05:00

I have a new favorite word: Slacktivist.  Behold the wonder of the awesome word!  A combination of slacker and activist, isn't it lovely? The definition from Wikipedia: The word is considered a pejorative term that describes "feel-good" measures, in support of an issue or social cause, that have little or no practical effect other than to make the person doing it feel satisfaction. The acts also

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-67992956817527710162010-12-05T15:17:00.002-05:002010-12-05T16:38:10.191-05:00

We went to Gatorland again a couple of weeks ago, and I just love it there.  We went with great friends, the weather was beautiful, and we all had a great time. It's actually a bird sanctuary, so I always take a lot of photos of pretty birds. I always take this exact same picture when I go to Gatorland.  I just love the way the white bird's reflection looks in the muddy water. The white

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-59789854445684033542010-11-27T18:20:00.004-05:002010-11-27T18:20:00.494-05:00

Several times this year I have mentioned finding old friends on Facebook, and how there is one particular friend, Casey, to whom I was especially close in high school and college, that I can't find.  She was such an interesting person back then, so smart and funny.  She was tall, with slender legs and arms, and my short little self was so envious of her effortless elegance.  She rooted for

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-88924063449789636662010-11-24T18:06:00.001-05:002010-11-24T18:07:47.226-05:00

For... The internet.  I love reconnecting with old friends and staying connected with new friends on Facebook, I love the ease and convenience of this blog and the friends I've made though it.  I love watching tv shows on Hulu and movies on Netflix and videos of kittens on YouTube.  I love wasting time playing stupid games, and shopping for things I'll never buy, and doing research, and reading

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-52277661573546199972010-11-22T08:13:00.001-05:002010-11-22T13:13:20.453-05:00

Since I've been working in my current department, holidays are always a challenge.  There are only five of us (well, five and a half, really) to cover all of our operating hours: 8am-9pm Monday through Friday, and 9am-5pm on Saturday and Sunday. We need to have a minimum of three people working each day during the week, and one each weekend day. During Thanksgiving and Christmas a lot of us want

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-4075754156396414132010-11-15T18:30:00.000-05:002010-11-15T18:30:00.340-05:00

Does that sound negative?  Gosh, I hope not.  As a little girl growing up in the south, the very most important thing was to be A Sweet Girl.  For all of my almost 45 years I have been unable to exorcise the directive from my brain, so I do still find myself unconsciously striving to be A Sweet Girl, even now. I just get so impatient and frustrated with people who misuse language.  Words are so

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-32565507136756187992010-11-13T09:54:00.000-05:002010-11-13T09:54:57.552-05:00

Lately, a lot of people have been talking about bullying, in particular about the gay high school/college kids who have committed suicide.  I, being an indescribably passionate fan of the intelligent, hilarious, fearless and occasionally slightly vulgar Dan Savage, was excited by his It Gets Better project from the day he first announced it on his podcast (called Savage Love, his super awesome 

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-5580728245111117802010-11-06T15:50:00.000-04:002010-11-06T15:50:52.920-04:00

You know what's NOT a Halloween tradition?  Me getting the flu. At least I hope it's not, we'll see what happens next year, I guess. I did watch The Exorcist with my husband, and I have to admit, I had forgotten what a truly brilliant movie it is.  Which, of course, is why it's so terrifying.  It's haunting, days later snippets would pop back up in my head at random times. I had forgotten the

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-8896809689573336052010-10-30T15:39:00.004-04:002010-11-08T14:27:26.576-05:00

My husband, who likes horror and horrifying movies (see his website here, and it is occasionally NSFW), and I started our own little Halloween tradition a few years ago; on Halloween night we watch a horror movie. The year before last we watched the original Halloween, which was very good, and very scary, and though I closed my eyes during a few extra scary parts, it didn't bother me too much.  

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-78591910792334299542010-10-26T13:20:00.000-04:002010-10-26T13:20:39.663-04:00

My mother had three brothers, two older and one younger.  They grew up in Southwestern Virginia. Her oldest brother joined the military, returned to SWVA, stayed with his family, never married, was very active in his church, and died two years ago. Her other older brother George went to college and majored in German.  He spent a couple of years living in Germany, and during WWII he worked with

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-74176270784582437382010-10-23T19:29:00.001-04:002010-10-23T19:35:23.639-04:00

Well, like I told you here, I started my marigold project with love and hope, and unfortunately it didn't turn out as well as it might have.  By which I mean, nothing happened. Time for a new beginning!  Meet my tiny baby marigold plants: Aren't they cute?  Hopefully they will fare better than my poor too-old seeds planted out of season.

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-9278853197536849212010-10-14T19:46:00.002-04:002010-10-14T22:14:17.526-04:00

I finished my novel! I started thinking about it seriously last May (2009), making notes and character sketches and a vague plot outline.  I intended to start writing right away, but couldn't find the internal fortitude to take that intimidating first step.  Then I decided Nanowrimo would provide the butt-kicking that I required, and I started actually writing on November 1.  By November 30, I

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-50067510035588993602010-10-13T20:31:00.001-04:002010-10-13T20:31:44.567-04:00

The thing that really got me about the WWoHP was the lack of characters.  I mean, you expect to see characters in a theme park, right?  Either actual people wearing suits and walking around like Mickey and Minne Mouse do at Disney, or at the very least lots of merchandise with the character's images. There is nothing like that at the WWoHP, which might be why it's called the Wizarding World,

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-25139238350627395532010-10-10T15:55:00.002-04:002010-10-13T20:34:30.829-04:00

Halfway across the bridge, I can see the gates of Islands of Adventure in front of me, and I am thrilled!  From that moment on, I completely forget to worry about the car.  Being me, I had done the research and looked at the maps on Universal's website, and had plotted the quickest way to get to WWoHP, so we turned right, walked through the Dr. Suess area, and as we walked through the Lost

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-13411720775223677382010-10-09T13:01:00.004-04:002010-10-13T20:33:38.377-04:00

It's no secret that I LOVE the Harry Potter books (and the movies, too, but mostly the books).  The Wizarding World of Harry Potter officially opened mid-July, and I have been dying to go, and have been waiting impatiently since then.  Living in Orlando, it's relatively easy for me, since Universal Studios/IOA is only about a half-hour from my house.  A 1-day 1-park pass is $82 per adult, but as

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-68530679286532734732010-10-05T18:41:00.003-04:002010-10-05T20:03:51.321-04:00

I will not burden you with yet another visual of my dirt-filled planter, but the latest update is that the teensy little green thing that may or may not have been a weed has disappeared.  I have definitely given Mr. Marigold plenty of time to show up, but he has apparently missed the bus; new arrangements must be made. One day soon I'll go to the store and buy a few baby marigold plants, and

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-12032627296352981602010-09-20T15:58:00.001-04:002010-09-20T15:58:58.643-04:00

I took a few days off work last week to drive to north Georgia to visit my Mom. Mom lives almost at the very end of a long hallway, and next door to her is an empty apartment.  A few years ago, The Barefoot Lady lived there, infamous in our family for using the retirement home's laundry room barefoot (we all agreed that was a little gross).  She was a larger lady, she was boisterous and

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-2159179167482962132010-08-24T19:25:00.002-04:002010-08-24T19:25:00.396-04:00

The good news:  I am almost finished with the first draft of my novel!  I'm not there quite yet, but the end is is in sight. The bad news:  The further along I get the more I realize I'll need to change when I revise.  Draft number two will look pretty different than draft number one, I think. The good news:  I love the thought of revising and editing and proofreading and cleaning up and

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-54115408579862315082010-08-23T22:02:00.001-04:002010-08-24T16:56:28.785-04:00

* I am getting new glasses soon, and I think I'm going to need bifocalsFirst I can't wear contacts anymore, then my eyes are too messed up to get Lasik surgery, now this.  Just shoot me :( * I own pants with an elastic waistI remember going shopping when I was 20 years old and wore a size 3, and if I took a pair of pants off the rack and saw an elastic waistband, I'd quickly put them back in

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-71546962025530495292010-08-13T17:26:00.000-04:002010-08-13T17:26:04.296-04:00

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-82531001024695047882010-08-09T18:26:00.000-04:002010-08-09T18:26:51.719-04:00

I planted the old marigold seeds on Sunday, July 25, so it was two weeks yesterday. Today I spotted this: Now, this little dude is extremely tiny (literally the size of the head of a pin), so tiny that it's really impossible to tell at this point whether he's a marigold or a weed. Stay tuned!

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-35318025680522844742010-08-05T15:12:00.002-04:002010-08-05T16:29:38.208-04:00

I had my first mammogram in March 2006, and my second one today.  Yes, I should be getting them every year.  Yes, it's one of the things I worry about and beat myself up over in the middle of the night when I can't sleep. So, things basically went exactly the same today as they did four years ago.  I waited in the first waiting room, a large room with chairs lining all four walls, most of them

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-87684111909212938552010-07-25T16:59:00.003-04:002010-08-22T09:52:42.193-04:00

One of my mother's very favorite Ellen As A Small Child stories happened when I was three.  My father grew up on a farm and always spent a lot of time planting flowers and tending his huge gardens (yes, that's plural).  I grew up surrounded by peach trees, strawberry patches, potato plants, rows of tall corn plants, vines full of watermelon and squash, and many many types of beautiful flowers.

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-15867953174449237282010-07-20T14:09:00.002-04:002010-07-20T14:17:05.725-04:00

Well, someone has stolen our debit card number.  The good news is, we should be able to get all the money back.  I went to the bank today to fill out paperwork requesting the fraudulent charges be removed from our account, and we should have a refund within a week or so. Still!  It's a scary thought to know that someone stole something from us, and we don't even know for sure how they did it.  

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-15690501614449960252010-07-13T15:51:00.002-04:002010-07-13T16:22:23.586-04:00

As George Constanza said on Seinfeld:  I'm bustin', baby! Whatever was preventing me from writing (writer's block? going through a natural process?  bad karma coming back to bite me in the butt?) is gone, and I am now back at work on my novel. All I can say is:  WHEW.  What a relief! To celebrate, here is my favorite photo of me, ever.  I am the wee baby and my sister is holding me.  As you

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-3371415811353329302010-06-24T12:49:00.001-04:002010-06-24T13:14:02.626-04:00

Since hearing Anne Rice speak about surrounding herself with things that inspire her (I mentioned it here), I've been more conscious about what inspires me.  What tv shows/movies/books/music do I just kill time with, and which ones really spark creativity? One artist that I've been thinking about a lot lately is Vali Myers.  In many ways, I think she must have been the exact opposite of me; she

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-66916245085091524622010-06-14T13:44:00.002-04:002010-06-14T13:45:42.045-04:00

Here's another photo that I took in 1985? 1986? and never bothered to print, since it's blurry and obviously a mistake.  But looking at it now, I think it looks dreamy, and I kind of like it. This is my friend's sister, the one I found on Facebook a few months ago, but I still can't get her to answer me when I ask about where/how my friend is.  I also still haven't ruled out her being too

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-1098771741332942892010-06-12T17:46:00.001-04:002010-06-12T17:47:14.814-04:00

I don't know, I started off with a perfectly lovely cell phone pic I took of a rainy night and some lights on a street, and decided to try to make it "arty" in Photoshop, and this is where I ended up. I kind of like it, but it sure is a departure from my sweet kitty header.  I am not depressed, or about to throw myself in front of a truck, or anything... I swear. I am just "arty".  :D

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-78479693309917528232010-06-11T21:34:00.006-04:002010-06-12T12:19:51.163-04:00

Holy crapmuffins, those two little words make me so happy. :) I am lost, though. Since I wrote the first 50,000+ words in November, I haven't been able to write more, and I haven't been able to write anything else, either. I've even had trouble writing this blog. And I LOVE writing this blog! Also, since November, I haven't enjoyed reading, which for me is extremely unusual. I've started a

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-56382620985986126462010-05-31T16:53:00.001-04:002010-05-31T16:55:05.314-04:00

My friend's daughter invited me to help celebrate her birthday by taking photos of her and her friends from dance class on the beach this past Saturday.  Being me, I worried about all the things I couldn't control: the light, the weather, the crowds of people going to the beach on a holiday weekend... not to even mention a big pile of girls, who are given to having their own minds.  :)  But it

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-15297109632292007982010-05-07T10:30:00.000-04:002010-05-07T10:30:42.488-04:00

One of the photos that I scanned recently.  I took this in 1985, when I went to see Adam Ant perform on his Vive Le Rock tour, and met up with with my fellow Antfan and pen-pal from California, Hellione, in the bus station in Virginia Beach, VA. At the time, I didn't think I liked the look of this negative, and never bothered to go to the trouble or expense of printing it (I did all my printing

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-38489886741901460802010-04-20T18:38:00.000-04:002010-04-20T18:38:13.902-04:00

Last night, in the middle of the night, I dreamed about this weird music. Slowly I started to wake up, but I was still hearing it. Once I was finally mostly awake, I realized that what I was hearing was my own nose whistle. Well, what can I say, it is allergy season. :)

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4392240604758013543.post-12200827493382556492010-04-13T19:36:00.003-04:002010-04-14T08:05:01.182-04:00

3/17 = My 44th birthday (I'm referring to this year as "The Obama").  My husband and I drove up to north Georgia to visit Mom.  I got to see my brother for a quick visit, and have lunch with my sister and my neice.   I took a couple of old photo albums and Mom and I had a wonderful time looking through them and reminiscing.  Staying in a retirement home doesn't sound like much of a party, but

~ellen~http://www.blogger.com/profile/00315658592077559215noreply@blogger.com4