Rave: An announcement came yesterday that a 55 million gal. per year ethanol plant will be built near our town. The ethanol will be produced from local corn crops and help wean America from foreign oil and oil wars. It is called E-85 at gas stations and much cheaper than regular gas.

Rave: Temps way above normal for the past three weeks. Highs is the mid 30's is very unusual.

Rant: Law(less)makers who take bribes, vacations, and perks in exchange for legislation.

Rave: The cat who stood up to my dog. ((&))

jorr, is everything ok with the mail man situation?

Rave:
Temps in Portland are in the 50s. Who cares if it rains a little?
Today we went on a shopping spree in an Asian antique gallery. Got a couple of very pretty ,very old things
( this is good if you are a couple of very old things too LOL )
Jorrs cat that stood up to a dog. This is a lesson we all need to learn lol..((&))


Rant:
The loss of the miners
Loss anywhere, too much loss in the world these days.
The carriage horse accident in NYC. Please, do they need Horse Drawn Carriages in NYC ??

Rant: The coal miners who lost their lives this week in West Virginia. Such a tragic turn of events for their families and the community.

Rant: A touch of vertigo this week as a result of a virus that has settled in my head.

Rave: I have an interview in two weeks.

Rave: My husband gave me Il Divo tickets for New Years Eve.

Rave: The Allman Brothers perform in NYC in March!

Lord, I was born a ramblin' man Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can
And when it's time for leavin' I hope you'll understand ... I hope my dear husband will indulge me...

Rave: "Dancing With the Stars" -- I hope George Hamilton makes it to the next round, lol.

Rave: I had a great time with my sons. The oldest is such a wise man; the youngest, well, he's still young and my sunshine

So Jorr, what exactly did the cat do?

Have a safe and happy weekend everyone

forgot a Rant: that "Gil's Malta & Sicily Trip Report" has been advertised for a month ! How about something new.

Greetings to all my fellow midnight FFR&R's and greetings to all of you that I will 'see' tomorrow.

I haven't been around for a couple weeks due to the blessings of holiday guests and festivities. I feel like I have been 'gone' for two years, not two weeks, LOL.

WHAT'S goin' on!?!

Have to share with all of you a funny story that happened just before my holiday sabbatical... (STW, darlin you may appreciate this one and BTW, good luck on your interview!)

…I was telling my DH how impressed I was that a dear Fodorite friend remembered that he was an avid golfer (you know who you are!). In the process of my rambling on I actually said those words to him, "DH". When I was all done, he looked at me and said, "DH? You mean Deadhead?"
Needless to say his cuteness warranted an immediate kiss on the cheek and I explained the true meaning of "DH". Indeed he is precious… And yes, grew up during that Grateful Dead era. Ahhh, God bless him.

Rave ~ All the little things.

Rave ~ People who smile at others. Oh the gift you give, do you even realize it?

Rave ~ Tree Ornament Gift Givers. I can't even remember what I had to eat yesterday, but I somehow manage to remember each person that gave me an ornament, and with each time I hang it, and each time I take if down, I think of them and it warms my heart.

Rant ~ Those without their loved ones tonight. May they continue to live in your memory.

Tiff

Rave: STW's rave about her sons. So sweet!

Vertigo's a nasty feeling isn't it, stw? Hope it goes away soon.

Rave: Spent Saturday evening through Tuesday morning at my MIL's. She's doing very well. After 54 years of marriage and 8 kids, being alone is a tremendous change for her. Not to mention the fact that my FIL had always taken care of all things financial. It's a real adjustment for her. But she's handling it well. She's an incredibly strong woman. And even more gentle than she is strong. A real inspiration.

Rave: This weekend we celebrate a belated Christmas with my family. And we get to start seriously planning the itinerary for our trip. I found out yesterday that one of my brothers' friends (who grew up in our home town and whose younger sister is a good friend of one of my SIL's (S'sIL?). As our daughter says, in a small town everyone is connected to everyone else!) is going too. This is gonna be like no vacation we've ever taken before! I think it's going to be great fun to be part of a group. But I'm glad we're also splitting for part of the time!

Hope you get to go to that concert, STW!

Happy Friday and great weekend, everyone!

Can't believe I forgot to wish you luck on your interview, STW! Crossing those fingers again!

I promise this is the last time! But it took me a long time to post (my dryer stopped mid-post!) and Tiff posted while I was writing.

Cute DH story, Tiff! And I had to agree with your rave about ornament givers. I feel the same way every time we put up and take down our tree.

Rave -- Jorr's new "neighbor." Great for the environment as well as the local economy. Can't beat that.

Rant -- Hmmm...A bit too many sweets over the holiday season have left their mark. Guess I need to actually break a sweat at the gym...

Rave -- My rant is very minor (I left out the one about the run in the hose that I just put on - rough life).

Rave -- Planning an upcoming vacation to California.

STW - Good luck on the interview.

Happy weekend to all!

Good luck with your interview, STW!

Rant: Still trying to get over a cold that I started to develop New Years Eve. Had to spend my two days off thereafter in bed.

Rant: The miners and their families loss.

Rant: Just found out that after I return from Rome, I have four days at home and then have to turn around and go to NYC for a week on business. That's sure going to be a tiring couple of weeks.

Rave: I have a fabulous husband who is so good to me. (sigh)

Rave: Ten more weeks until my mom's dream trip to Rome. Gosh, it's sneaking up fast!

Rave: 2006 - A year of many possibilities for all of us.

Have a fabulous weekend my Fodorite friends!

Hi everyone. I, too, have been away for a few weeks and feel like I've probably missed a lot.

Rant: We've finally moved into the house and are starting to get settled.

Rant/Rave: Moving at Christmas-time stinks. My fiance and I didn't even have a Christmas together. No tree, no decorations, nothing. However, we did purchase BB King tickets as a gift to each other and will be going to that on 1/28. That'll be our Christmas.

Rant: The house we just moved into required a week of painting and cleaning just to get it liveable. Trying to do that on top of work and juggling different family oriented holiday activities, and being sick, was way too much!

Rant: I hope I don't get ripped on for this but...cigarettes!!! I've spent a week cleaning and painting, and still cleaning, because of people who smoked in this house, heavily, for at least 20 yrs. The buildup after 20 yrs. of cigarette smoke is just disgusting. I used to smoke and if I hadn't quit already, just seeing what I keep wiping off the walls would be enough to quite smoking. Surfaces that should be white were brown. The screens that should be gray were brown. The smell that has permeated the bedroom walls is proving to be a b$%ch to get rid of. I've scrubbed them 3 times and it's still there!!! Thermostat and outlet covers were sticky and covered in the brown film. Door casings are brown when they should be white. There were a few times I wanted to give up and not move, but am now glad we didn't because we need this space. Unfortunately, it's only a rental--for now.

Phew---see what happens when I "go away" for a few weeks. Just had to get a few things off my chest.

I hope everyone has a great holiday and Happy New Year to you all!

Rant: The Buffalo Bills.

Rave: Marv Levy is returning to the Bills as general manager. He's on of the greatest coaches....EVER....and a great guy, too.

Rant: The miners. How awful!

Rave: The Buffalo Sabres! 1st place!

Rant: The idiot who hit my car last week is telling whopper lies to the insurance companies. I need to get rid of this guy.

Rave: My 14 year old son is attending his first date dance tomorrow night. He's gonna look good in the suit coat I bought him. The girl he's going with is a good friend. 14 is too damned young for a real girl friend.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Rave: I had three Ibis march across my yard doing their funky gate!

Rave: Spending the weekend in Asheville! May get to see snow!

Rave: Getting to spend the weekend with my stepkids.

Rave: My silly husband. He's so funny!

Rant: The coal miners. So tragic.

Rave: Running last night as the sun was setting over the marsh, these magnificent Pelicans from up north (I know my native flock) were soaring majestically above me heading towards the wild bird sanctuary.

Rave: The glass is half full and I'm counting my blessings.

Last little rave: I've got 7 of my 20 pounds off. Not too bad considering I did it over the holidays!

Caph, you're such a night owl, doing your laundry -- you put me to shame, lol. Your family is going to have such a wonderful vacation together

Tiff, nice to "see" you! I thought I read somewhere that your husband took a new job and you are going on a trip -- best wishes! I agree with the ornaments! That's why it takes me such a long time to put the tree up and take the tree down. It's really nice to think about the people who gave the ornament or the special place we visited when we bought the ornament.

Buffalogirl's little boy going to his first dance...and so it begins!!! You'll say the same thing when he's 15, 16, 17, 18....trust me

Thanks for the good interview wishes. Now I have two weeks to prepare - 13 days too many (if you ask me) as I am ready NOW, lol.

Vertigo is a pain, fortunately it "peaked" Wednesday and since then, I am feeling more myself -- watch out!

Rant: Getting back on an exercise routine. HELP! Anyone want to loose some weight together? I want to drop 10 pounds but need some motivating. I challenge anyone who is interested to join my effort

Rave: Good for you GoTravel! Seven pounds over the holidays is a huge accomplishment! Are you still running?

Hi gang, I am joining the wanting to lose the weight crowd. I started dieting a few days ago.... I haven't seen any results yet. I need to get into an exercise routine. As I get older, the weight doesn't fall off anymore. I need to work at it.
Rave: It's Friday.
RAnt: I have a toothache this morning and this is a tooth I have had trouble with before. I am hoping if I ignore it, it will go away???? Please.... I hate going to the dentist!!
Rant: The WV coal miner situation. I am so sorry for the families. I hope this young guy pulls through okay.
Rave:Just had a great week visiting family. Everyone got along so well and we all stayed in the same house together..amazing. We visited NY together and saw the Rockettes. I rode my old train to NY and felt like I was going to work all over again... It is more fun knowing that I won't have to do it every day for the rest of my life. I got to see some old faces from my old job. I worried that they would all think I am older and fatter. I haven't seen them in 10 years. Funny enough, they were all about 10 years older then me back then, so they are older and fatter than me now too...LOL Silly huh?
Anyway back to the real world. Jorr: What ever happened to the crazy postman?
Good luck STW on your job interview. I hope you get it.
Congrats Go Travel on your weight loss.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Yes I am still running. It was quite discouraging to actually GAIN weight training for a marathon but looking back at our pictures of Mexico right before I started training, I was a little on the skinny side.

I just decided to run every single day (2-8 miles) and eat only whole grains, lean protein, and fresh fruit and veggies. I'm eliminating white flour, enriched flour, processed sugar and animal fat from my diet.

I'm also watching my calories.

My big downfall is beer and wine. One of life's simple pleasures is a big ole ice cold beer. Or a glass of sharp crisp white wine. Sigh.

Ethel, you are putting in such effort to make your home special. You must have such a great sense of accomplishment, but must also be exhausted! I hate scrubbing, lol. To do it once is enough -- three times, well...

GoTravel, I've been on whole grains, veggies, and lean meat forever. But I will admit to not watching my sugar lately and over the last year I have become sedentary because of my academic goals. I will also have to get back to eating more fruits. Beer and wine is not so hard for me to give up.

I have a gym membership and in the past I would get there at least 4 times per week for a cardio workout and weights. I know this will be key to losing pounds (and regaining my energy).

ethel, I know what you are talking about. Several years ago I bought a house that had brand new carpet in every room and all the walls were freshly painted. Later I ran across the contractor who did this. He said the realtor couldn't move the house because the carpets stunk from smoke and the walls were yellow from smoke.