Sorry I haven't been around.....

Good Morning,

I haven't been here much, because I've been on Facebook trying to figure out HOW and WHY I'm accepting all the gifts and things people sent, what does it all mean?.... I opened one and it asked me if I wanted to use PayPal????!!! Others want me to share my info but I don't know who I'm sharing it with. Can anyone out there help clear this up for me?

AND I've been watching American Idol (THREE days this week!!).

Anyway, I will be reading blogs this weekend, so sorry I haven't been visiting, I do miss you all!!

Our 'interim' CBO is leaving today, we have a new CBO and she's wonderful too!! We're SO blessed with management there, recently!!! So anyway, we're having a breakfast for him this morning, but I'll be careful not to overdue it, I HAVE been walking... just starting again, so gotta ease into it. LOL!!! The weather here has been good for walking, a little warm yesterday, but still do-able.

Well, take care, and I'll look for you this weekend, but if I don't see you, ENJOY SUPERBOWL!!!!!!!! I will!!!

Joann

FACEBOOOOOK!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, I'm on Facebook now.... but don't know anybody's real names... so if I haven't accepted you as a friend yet, I'm sorry.... send me an e-mail or something. I'm just learning Facebook, Beth and Ken have been kind in showing me the ropes, like who my friends are.... LOL!!! I can't find my 'wall' that everyone's writing on, but I'm sure I will soon enough.

You all know by now, I'm sure, how SLOW I am at NEW stuff, but I'll keep at it!

Tonight, My son and I are going to see Phantom of the Opera in Hollywood!!! Can't wait, that's one I have NOT seen yet!! And one that Chris has always wanted to see, so I bought him a ticket for Christmas (and myself one too... LOL!!!) Wish I could have taken a pic of his face when he opened the box containing the tix at Christmas!!

I made a shadow box out of a shirt box, and pasted (internet) pics of the play, with the tix right in the middle, and put a t-shirt on top. So he opened it and thought it was just a t-shirt, but when he took the t-shirt out, he saw the ticket on the bottom of the box!! His eyes and his mouth just got wider and wider as he realized what the ticket was for!!!

Anyway, we'll go have dinner locally, then head out to the Pantages in Hollywood.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, too!!

Joann

My latest find

My dad was a mail carrier all my life... well, until he retired when I was in my late 20's.

Today, I was browsing through an antique shop near my home, when I saw something that took my breath away for a split second.... I saw the post office uniform patch that my dad wore when I was little. I had to have it. It was an emblem of happiness to me, it made me smile... it almost made me laugh out loud. It reminded me of running out the front door to greet my dad when he came home from work every day... he'd scoop me up and give me kisses and say "How's my girl?".

On February 1, 1965, they started wearing this new patch (when I was 2, so it's the only patch I really remember well), the direction of the horse and rider on the sleeve patch was flipped to face forward (left), and the center background of the patch changed to blue.




This one is pre-1965. I remember it, but only vaguely, because my dad had a few of the old uniforms left over.



This patch is VERY RARE.... I only found ONE on e-Bay and it was $50.... I'll have to pass for now!!

Funny, how silly things like a uniform patch can have such an impact, huh?!?! I NEVER thought about it until I saw it in that antique shop, today!! But when I did, it was almost like seeing my dad again!!

J~

DB posed a Winter Quiz question

Above is a link to his journal.

He asked

What one person, living or not, would you most like to have dinner with?
What is the first question you would ask them?

I'm assuming he means someone famous, not someone like my dad or grandmother who have passed on but would still be my first choice! = )

I guess the famous ones for me would be either Princess Diana or Gene Kelly!! I don't know WHAT I'd ask them, but they just seemed like such NICE people. They're both gone, but hey I've got just about the same chance to have dinner with them as I would my living choices, like Kenny Chesney or Derek Jeter, right!?!?

But I could think of ALOT of famous people I'd like to talk with over dinner... people that I could have real conversations with and not just google over and stare at during the entire dinner (although, I COULD stare at Kenny and Derek for HOURS without complaint!!!)

I understand (from a friend who knows first hand) that Cher is a very attentive dinner partner, she's real, and very intelligent. I'd probably ask her specifically about her days with Sonny.

Charles Stanley would be an interesting conversationalist, I think. I'd have ALOT to ask him, he seems to be able to answer ANY question based on biblical principles and he always makes sense.

Then there are some people from the history books... like King Solomon, Abe Lincoln, and the guys who were in the battlefield when the famous Christmas Truce took place.

I guess there are alot of others I could think of .... but I have to get up in the morning!!

OH, BTW, I'm sorry that I've fallen behind on blog reading, my computer was down for a couple of days, but I'll be catching up this weekend.

Good Night!

Joann

Meme

Picked up this one from Linda's blog (Linda in WA) and Atlantic Lines (Guido).

Just boldface the items that you HAVE done, and leave the rest normal… (I had to do mine in italics, it wouldn't bold for some reason.)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33 Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

WOW!!! I've done alot!! Most of this was B.C. (Before Christopher).... a lifetime ago. I better start living again!!!

Joann

Conversations AWAY from Technology

OK, So we're sitting at Starbucks, having a great conversation, away from video games, away from the computer, and the tv.... just my boy and me talking about school projects and classes, people, friends, and FEELINGS, when the PHONE rings (can't leave ALL the technology at home!)

My son's buddy calls him to say, "Hey I'm leaving to Texas for a few weeks, came by to say bye, but you're not home, where are you?"

My son says "I'm at Starbucks with my mom, I can't believe you're just leaving like that..... well, I'll see you when you get back!"

There was more conversation, but he didn't tell his friend to come to Starbucks or say to me "Let's go home."... Nothing. Just told his friend, "See you when you get back."

I STILL RATE!!!!!!

I think we'll do this once a week... it's SO WORTH it!!

Oh, BTW, that earthquake was only a 4.5 magnitude, not the 5.0 I stated in my last entry.

Joann

I've been ROBBED!!

BY TECHNOLOGY!!! Technology has robbed me of my FAMILY!!!

My son plays video games all evening, as I sit here and blog or bid on e-bay!!

My fault I know, we're both addicted to these things, and there's not much I can do about it, anymore... he's not a kid that I can just make turn the TV off, and say, "Let's get out of here!"... unless I bribe him with a Starbucks!!! Hmmmm!!!

Hey, I just asked him if he wants to go have some coffee, he said YES!!! I told him that we're going to have it THERE, he said "That's cool!"

BUT FIRST.... I just felt an EARTHQUAKE!!! We just had a 5.0 Magnitude earthquake, in San Bernadino county somewhere, I think!!

Later,
Joann

Rose Parade Floats

We went to view the floats on Friday and I did get some pics as promised, but they aren't the best, it was very crowded and I couldn't get around the people to get close up pics (you'll see all their little heads)!! I don't even remember which floats these are, but I hope you'll enjoy them anyway... I don't know how to do slideshows, so pics will have to suffice. We finally got tired of fighting the crowds and left after seeing only half the floats.



This first one is of "The Miracle Worker". A photo of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan.



This one shows pics of living transplant recipients, but I'm not sure what organization this float belongs to. Remember all the pics are made with seeds, or other natural materials.



This one (City of Anaheim) is for Betty, who asked me to get some pics of the city floats, but I couldn't get many.... it was just so crowded, I couldn't get close enough.



This is also for Betty.... it was a church with pews, organs pipes, and all... wish I'd gotten a better one of this, it was so pretty.




Well, I won't narrate the rest of them... Just enjoy....


















And this one's for Lisa.

I need your expertise!!!

I have a favorite sweater that I splattered grease on, and I can't get it out!!

Usually baby powder works well for me, I pat on the baby powder immediately, it soaks up the grease, and washes right out.... but it didn't work this time.

I've tried dishwashing detergent, and Shout.... nothing's working.

Does anyone have any other suggestions... I dry the sweater flat, so it hasn't been through the dryer.

HELP!! Do you know any special tricks???

Thanks,
Joann

My Birthday Celebration!!

My birthday celebration dinner on Saturday the 27th, at a Japanese Teppanyaki Grill & Sushi Bar... we had a great time.... (my birthday was actually on the 29th)



I was the only ASIAN in the group....




Then Roseann and I took off for Vegas on the 29th, for a couple of days, (her son lives there, Air Force ~ off base), where I won $37.50 in an exclusive and highly secured, underground poker tournament!! (otherwise known as a cheap slot machine).

We couldn't take any pics there, but we took one on the way home in Baker (home of the 'world's biggest thermometer'... behind us).... I took this pic myself, can you tell?? LOL!!


As for New Year's Eve... a few of us, girls, just had dinner together and watched some movies.... quiet, but nice. Today, my mom made menudo, so of course, I went and had some.... see EVERYTHING revolves around food.

Well, the last few days, I've eaten at least one salad and one serving of veggies every day... I know it really should be more, but I was only eating comfort food, so that is a small step in the right direction.

Tomorrow, I'm taking my mom to go see the Rose Parade Floats... if there are any that you'd like a close up pic of, let me know, and I'll do my very best to get you one... I'll check my comments and e-mail in the morning before I leave (remember I'm most likely way behind you in time zone).

Well, Happy New Year to you all, I hope you enjoyed your holidays and will be returning to work fresh and revived!!! I know I will!!

Joann