Oh how I wish I could breathe

The inside of my nose feels as though it is filled with marshmellows dripping with chocolate sauce. Ah and the outside is as red as a cherry on top. I cannot breathe. I woke up in the middle of the night last night unable to breathe. The benadryl worked for a little while this morning, but fell short by the afternoon. I took the sedative dose that is supposed to knock you out within 20-30 minutes an hour ago. Still can't breathe and only slightly drowsy. Sigh.....

So I thought I would tell you about the March of Dimes Walk. We had left at 7am this morning to go to my sister's house. There everyone else was waiting. We then drove downtown to register. Found that eventhough the WalkAmerica website promised every walker a t-shirt, the actual event promised them only to those who earned a 100 dollars or more. We did however receive nice tote backpacks from Cigna, carnations, snacks, and water. There was food offered after the walk also but it was so crowded we decided to eat elsewhere. Tower City wasn't just filled with walkers. The bikers were there in full force. I guess their Freedom ride was today. Not sure why that brought them to Tower City.

The weather was kind to us. No rain. It was on the cool side which made it perfect for a 5 mile walk. We walked past the Jake, Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, through Browns Stadium (Where Brady Quinn will soon be-Yippie), and back to the tower.

I enjoyed the walk. Devin didn't complain once. I was very proud of him for participating in such an important cause.

And that was my day. I hope you had a good one.

NFL Draft - Browns - Brady Quinn - Roger Goodell

Well, today didn't go quite like I thought. Watching the NFL draft was absolute torture. I was genuinely surprised when Detroit, then the Browns, and especially when the Dolphins all passed on Brady Quinn. The Dolphins have some serious explaining to do. Ted Ginn Jr? Really. Very expensive punt returner.

Anyway, there was no relief until the Browns traded with Dallas to get Quinn. The house shook as I jumped up and down so hard. At first I was afraid that if he went here the franchise would not spend the money to keep him protected, but with Joe Thomas on the line I have hope he will be okay. David immediately tried to get tickets. The Brown's website was so busy he couldn't even get on the main page.

Jason can't wait to have Brady sign his University of Notre Dame book. A teacher at his school made it for him out of pictures she took of Brady at Notre Dame while visiting her nephew.

I am very impressed with the new NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. I like that he is commited to making players accountable for their actions. That he wants the NFL players to have character; to behave like professionals not criminals. I thought it was a classy move to have Brady go to a private room to avoid the constant media attention. So they wouldn't keep showing his disappointment and asking him, "How does it feel to not be picked" which in media talk means don't you feel like a loser.

Brady Quinn is a great guy. He is intelligent, poised, focused, hardworking, and talented. He is the kind of player that kids can look up to and aspire to be.

He is the poster child for everything Mr. Goodell wants the NFL to be.

potatoes growing in my basement

I have had potatoes in my basement since Christmas. Every time I go down there to do laundry I remind myself to throw them away and yet they are still there. The darn things are sprouting like crazy. I can see how they kept the Irish alive for so long.

I thought about planting them. After all, plants generally do better in my care if they are outside. Will see. I might just throw them in the backyard and see what happens.

I don't usually buy potatoes. I love them too much. I would eat them everyday if I could. No, this was a special bag of potatoes. They were used to fill my boys stockings this Christmas. You see, they were misbehaving quite a bit before the holiday and so I threatened to put potatoes in the stockings instead of presents. I know you are supposed to use coal. Too messy. Potatoes are dry, hearty, and fit perfectly in the toe of a stocking. My boys were surprised to find them there that morning. What can I say...I am a woman of my word.

Tacos....Breakfast of Champions

There were tacos leftover from yesterday that I have in the oven now (8:31 am). I not too keen on the conventional breakfast foods. I like french toast, pancakes, waffles, and bacon....oh how I love bacon....I would much rather have them for lunch or dinner. My cravings in the morning are usually for pizza, tacos, and popcorn. Did you hear that? Oh yes, it is the subtle clinking of platelets banging into each other as they coagulate into enormous clots racing to my brain as my arteries become as stiff and solid as Medusa's focal point.

It reminds me of that now defunct tv show Becker. He played a doctor who drank, smoked, ate the worst food every day, and never exercised on purpose. That's the kind of doctor I want.

Mini vans

Driving home today I was reminded of an observation I made some time ago but haven't shared yet. Almost every mini van I see has a dent in the rear to the right of the license plate. I have to wonder if this is due to a blind spot or who is driving. Or maybe it is some design flaw. Keep an eye out for it. You will be surprised.

Babble on....

One thing that happens when I have to speak infront of people is I babble. The babbling is like a runaway train. You see it happening and yet there is nothing you can do to stop it.

I had to give two presentations this week. The first didn't go as well as I would have liked. I have presented twice before to the same class so there is no rational explanation for my reaction and yet I got so nervous I completely forgot what I was going to say. I read off the paper for the most part. One of my topics(Pain)included a number of medications that I had not planned on reading other than their classifications, but they were on the paper so I read them. Had I planned to do so I would have used phonetic spelling to prevent such embarrassment as I experienced trying to educate my fellow classmates.

The second was my clinical presentation on Ethics and Legal issues in long-term care. I was last. The instructor offered to allow me to hold off until tomorrow because there wasn't much time left, but I respectfully declined. Presentations make me crazy. I have barely slept in anticipation of the two this week. One more day would have left me even more exhausted and less focused. So I promised to do my speech in two minutes flat. I believe I succeeded because had I not, the group would have lynched me for making them stay late. The time constraint cut my babble time by 4/5ths. Maybe that was the key to my success.

I completed my procedure requirements today as well. I have a paper due tomorrow and med pass. We are done with lecture which leaves three days of clinicals and the final exam.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

nursing school 3rd semester

Waiting for the lottery for 4th semester, we gathered in the hallway to catch up. We have only seen those in our rotation (1/3 of the 3rd semester nursing class) this semester; Which feels strange to me because for the first 2 semesters we all had lecture together regardless of where we had clinicals.

The subject of language barriers arose. This presents a problem for us because a large part of what we do involves gaining information and relaying information in the form of teaching.

I love football

Growing up I liked football, but I didn't love it. I rooted for the Browns back then; the good old days when we had a shot every year. I didn't come to love it until college. A friend of mine taught me to throw a spiral. From that moment I was hooked. I remember playing with the guys Dec. 9, 1990 in the mud. They were good sports. No one hit the girl, but they let me tackle. Swank was my only victory. Take 'em down at the knees. It is your best bet.

I taught both my boys how to throw when they were old enough to hold the ball. David admits I throw a better spiral than he does. Both boys play football. Devin will be playing for the school next year. Jason is still in midget league. I will have to take some video and post it on Youtube. I have already saved a bunch of Notre Dame videos and one Ohio State. Devin requested the latter.

I am excited because the NFL draft is next weekend. I have the March of Dimes walk on Sunday, but thankfully that is a day after Brady Quinn's round.

Today the boys had their friends over to play ball with us. I tried to teach them too. By the end of the summer they should have it down. Football is as essential to life as the air we breathe. That is how I feel today.

Spring is here...maybe

In Ohio, mother nature's moody. We can have several seasons in one day. The last couple of days have been lovely. Yesterday Devin's coach cancelled his practice so I took him and Jason up to the tennis courts to play. I never played tennis really. We used to go up to hit tennis balls off the backboard at the park, but I didn't know how to play. We played three games by the rules. Inbetween games we just hit the ball for fun so Jason would have a chance to hit the ball. I like the game more now that I know how it supposed to be played.

After an hour we headed home. Shot some baskets in the front yard while David cleaned the boat. It goes in this week. Yeah!

Today was even more beautiful. More basketball, but mostly tackle football. Jason hits so hard he can take down Devin and his friends. It's funny to watch.

Tore David away from the boat for a bit and went to the store. I bought another Dierks Bentley cd Modern Day Drifter. Devin thinks the picture of Dierks on the CD cover looks like David Bowie in that picture hanging at the Home Town Buffet. I strongly disagree. Listening to it now. It's a good one. I also bought some of those execise bands. Physical therapy uses them. I thought I would give them a try.

Responsible Journalism

Journalism is important. Without it, people would not be better off. However, with the power to educate comes the responsibility to do so honestly and without sensationalizing the story at the expense of it's audience.

I am speaking of the Virginia Tech shootings. As I'm sure everyone is aware of, the murderer sent a tape to the media on his way to shoot more people on the other side of campus. The media has since played the clip over and over again as if it were 9/11 footage. Let's set aside the fact that it is disrespectful to the families involved. I want to talk about the fact that now there are schools dealing with kids trying to emulate what they have seen. My high school had a scare this week and the majority of parents kept their children home. You cannot tell me it wasn't a direct result of the media coverage. It happens every time the media makes a school shooting the top story.

Sadly, school shootings are a reality. Now our kids will have fire drills, tornado drills, Nuclear Power Plant drills, and crazy murdering psychopath drills. The middle school I went to had a shooting back in November of 1994. Five people were shot (no children). The only casualty was Mr. Christopher (my father-in-laws cousin). He had been the custodian there for as long as I could remember. He was killed when he confronted the gunman. My old shop teacher, Mr. Grimm, was shot and critically wounded. The vice principal and a police officer were also shot as well as the gunman. This happened in my home town, in the halls my husband and I walked down as kids.

I don't know how this trend came to be, but I do know that the media has helped promote it. They use it for ratings and claim it is for the greater good.

I am both angry and frustrated.

My favorite sports movies

1.Rudy
2. Rocky
3. Cinderella Man
4. The Legend of Bagger Vance
5. 61*
6. Major League
7. The Bad News Bears
8. The Replacements
9. Jerry Maguire
10. A League of Their Own

Match Point

Devin lost his first match today. He was so serious. The coach had to remind him to breathe. He did fine. I explained to him that it takes time and practice to improve. He has never played before this year;considering I thought he did well.

Still haven't gotten their shirts yet. Hopefully they will come in soon. He is excited because they have their nicknames on them.

Msn's Top 50 Sports Movies

http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/6684882

David was telling me about a list of the top 50 sports movies of all time, so I went to check it out. I couldn't believe some of the movies on this list.

The top 10 are as follows:

1. Bull Durham
2. Murderball
3. Raging Bull
4. When We Were Kings
5. Hoop Dreams
6. Offside
7. The Hustler
8. Lagaa
9. The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg
10. The Bad News Bears

I am currently working on a list of my own. Will post soon.

Pepsi

Jason has been collecting number one recyclable containers for school. The class that collects the most gets a prize. About 90% of the bag contained Pepsi two liters. I started drinking Pepsi when I lived in Missouri. On away tournaments for the debate team we used to hit Taco Bell a lot. They only served Pepsi and so I quickly became addicted. My family didn't have much money which meant we didn't have pop in the house much. I was allowed one 2 liter a week. I swear the only reason I got a job was to pay for Pepsi and gas.

I do not drink coffee. Pepsi is my coffee. I admit it is my biggest vice.

Coffee is much worse for you than Pepsi. I know you're thinking, "what about the 10 tsp of sugar in the Pepsi?". Well, I've seen how most people drink their coffee or coffee like substance and it is right up there with the sugar.

For years people told me you'll like coffee when you get older. I'm already middle aged and it hasn't happened yet.

Second Serve

Devin had tennis practice today. It was very cold and windy. Most of the practices have been cancelled due to bad weather so they really needed to brave the cold rather than cancel again. At first only 4 people showed up. Then a few more. Since they were practicing doubles and didn't have an even number, I offered to play. I really don't know anything about tennis other than you have to hit the ball over the net. The coach told me how to serve and where to stand as well as calling the score. I don't know how much I will remember tomorrow. What I will remember is that my partner looked very much like my sister Casey, pretty girl. Unfortunately we lost both sets. In our defense, the wind kept taking the ball when she served. We had them beat twice but then lost on the final serve both times. I know. I was playing children.

Anyway, Devin's match for tomorrow was cancelled. He will be playing doubles at the match on Thursday. Keep your fingers crossed that the weather holds up and that he has a good day.

I hope that no matter what the outcome he has fun.

So far, he's having a great time.

There is such a thing as a stupid question

I rarely watch the news. We were watching Blue's Clues when the Twin Towers fell. I might not have known for some time had my husband not called to tell me. I get most of my information from the internet, radio, my husband, and Foxnewslive. The difference for me is being able to learn about what I want to know verses what someone else wants me to know. Granted, I am still getting my information second hand, but at least I get to choose my sources.

When I walked in the door this afternoon, David immediately told me about the Virginia Tech shooting. I flipped on one of the cable news shows live to get a quick scoop. I love when they ask people who have been though a traumatic experience and who still don't know if their friends or loved ones are okay, "Are you scared?" or "How do you feel right now." Ethics people. Common sense tells you not to say it. I'm surprised they haven't been decked for asking ridiculously insensitive (obvious) questions.

For all you reporters out there: There is such a thing as a stupid question.

The Bad News Bears

A friend of mine suggested that the New Bad News Bears was remade to fit the times and in doing so managed to keep the movie's orginal charm. I was not open to seeing the remake. Today, David put it on so I watched it. I admit I was wrong for not thinking it could be good.

I liked it. The changes were appropriate. The characters remained the same. Except for Kelly. I thought this Kelly was a much better choice. Granted, the original Kelly (Jackie Earle Haley) was scuzzier. Yes, it is a word. This Kelly, played by Jeffrey Davies, was a skateboarder and kinda pretty. Still had attitude, but not in a greaser kind of way.

I like that they didn't change the ending. I know you are surprised to hear me say that, but it is a great ending.

Celebrity Couples that Fit

1. Tom and Rita Hanks

They look like someone who would live next door to you. A nice loving couple.

2. Keith Urban and Nichole Kidman

She is beautiful and he is cool as hell and not bad to look at.

3. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward

They have amazing chemistry. I loved them in The Long Hot Summer.

4. Clint Black and Lisa Hartman-Black

They look like they were carved out of cream cheese.

5. Faith Hill and Tim McGraw ( My husband disagrees with me on this one. He thinks she is too good for him.)

6. John Travolta and Kelly Preston
They live by my husband's uncle. He jokingly curses Mr. Travolta every time he hears him flying over for not taking him to Vegas with him. lol

7. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner

I thought Daredevil proved they were a good fit. They evidently thought so too. You can tell when people genuinely like each other.

"Gold" fish

Jason likes to play Go Fish. Every time he asks me to play he says, "Mom do you want to play Gold Fish?". I just smile and say, "Yes baby."

We remind him every so often that it is go not gold but he seems to like gold better; that's okay with me.

Sweatin with the Oldies

This morning I had my exercise class for Geriontology. I stayed for two sessions. Not intentionally. I was told the first class would last an hour but it only lasted 30 min. So when the instructor said well she can stay for the next class I thought that too would be 30 min. giving me the hour I originally expected. The second class lasted an hour. I was supposed to be home at 11:15 because we had plans but didn't get there until almost 12.

low blood sugar, no time to shower, running late unexpectedly, irritated, no caffeine

It wasn't pretty.

I started the day thinking I was late. I set my alarm for 8 am. Then when it went off I decided to reset it for 9. What I didn't realize at the time is that instead of changing the alarm, I reset the clock. My internal clock woke me up just before 9 but the clock said it was 9:40. I was supposed to be at the senior center by 10. As I was rushing around like a crazy person it occurred to me that the alarm didn't go off the second time. It's a good thing we have more than one clock.

To get back to the exercise class, I had fun. Some of the moves reminded me of Sweatin to the Oldies and line dancing. The seniors were better at it than I was. The people I met were very active and sharp. One of the ladies told me there is a 95 year old man who just wrote a book. I thought how wonderful. I guess there was an article in the paper about it. I will have to check it out.

What most people don't realize is that the majority of our elderly are healthy, independent, and intellectually intact. Geri has taught me well.

The Prestige and Batman

My brother-in-law has an inordinate amount of movies as we discovered on our last visit. We borrowed The Prestige (2006). The cast includes Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, and Scarlet Johansson. Even David Bowie has a small part. Not that he is a great actor but I thought his part was worth mentioning.

The story is about two magicians who start out friends but soon become rivals. It is twisted and mysterious. It reminded me of how well The Sixth Sense and The Usual Suspects kept me in suspense.

This move leaves so many clues you will kick yourself for not catching on sooner. Clues mean nothing if you don't know what you are looking for I guess.

Christopher Nolan, who shares my birthday by the way only two years older ;), both directed and wrote the screen play for this film, Batman Begins and the not yet released (2008) sequel The Dark Night starring Christian Bale. I like his style. His writing is intelligent. His characters are complex. His story lines flow seemlessly.

I am now officially a fan.

Notes from the Underbelly

I don't know when this show first aired but I am watching it for the first time tonight. It cracks me up. One of the couples finds out the wife is pregnant two seconds after they decide to try. I became pregnant with Devin two weeks after we told everyone we were trying. I will never forget the look on David's face as he looked at the plus sign. All he kept saying was "I thought we had more time." Everyone had told us it could take months or even a year to get pregnant. As thrilled as I was, once the reality of the pregnancy hit me, I felt sheer panic. I didn't know anything about babies other than I wanted one.

I am giving this show a tentative 3 star rating because I have only seen 2 episodes and that does not prove it is a hit.

Nap anyone?

Clinicals have worn me out. I don't usually nap during the day, but this week I took two two hour naps. Sign...either I am working that hard or I am getting that old. Tomorrow for school I am participating in an aerobics class at the local Senior Center. I wonder how long of a nap I will need after that.

Friday Night Lights

I have been waiting for Kyle Chandler to find another quality show to star in and finally he is there. I became a fan back in 1991 when he played Jeff Metcalf in the series Homefront. It was a show about a family living in Ohio post WWII. It was different from anything else on television at that time or any show since. Millions of people signed petitions to keep it on the air for the third season, but it wasn't enough for ABC to renew it for a fourth. His next series Early Edition lasted a year longer (1996-2000). This time he played a regular guy who happened to get tomorrow's newspaper today. A paper that came with a cat. His character was Gary Dobson and he was a reluctant crouchy hero. I loved it.

Now the 2006-2007 Must See TV includes Friday Night Lights. His character is coach Eric Taylor. He is a family man with a touch of the old Gary. This character seems "Taylor" made for him. I know. I had to do it. Anyway, a show about football is unique. Now if they could find a way to include Brady Quinn, well,that would be a dream come true. Just kidding. Like Homefront, there is nothing else on television like it.

I was irritated when I learned that they may not renew the show for a second season. As it is, there are few quality shows out there. I can only hope the network appreciates that they are one of the lucky ones.

One in each of these couples is an overachiever

1. Antonio Bandaras and Melanie Griffith

2. Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher

3. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes

4. Hugh Heffner and any/all of his girlfriends

5. Courtney Cox and David Arquette

6. Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn

7. Shania Twain and Mutt

Rant about Mean Girls vs. Legend of Bagger Vance

I was flipping through the channels like I always do when I saw Mean Girls. I wondered what the cable guide star rating was so I hit the info key which was a mistake. They gave it a 3 star rating, which is ridiculous. It is a silly teen movie. While I have nothing against the genre, I do not see how any of them are worthy of 3 stars. The Legend of Bagger Vance is one of my favorite movies and it only receives 2. The writing is far superior, not to mention the actors performances. Matt Damon and Charlize Theron are sizzling. The chemistry between the characters coupled with the dialog is a treat to watch. I have seen Mean Girls and can say it is nothing special. Funny at times, but the writing is simple formula writing. There isn't one point in the movie that is laugh out loud funny. The dialog is predictable. I like Rachel McAdams, but you could have put anyone in that movie and it would be the same.

Cleary the rating system is subjective. I just don't get it.

The Good Sheperd

The Good Shepard moves slowly. The beginning is interesting and led me to believe it would continue to be so until the end. It was not. The characters were flat. I didn't care about any of them except the little boy and even then his involvment in the movie was so limited it hardly kept my attention. With quality actors such as Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Alec Baldwin, and Robert DeNiro, one would expect better. That being said, the writers must take full responsibility for the films shortcomings.

Easter

Woke up this morning to the sound of scraping. There was a foot of new snow on the ground and the neighbors were trying to get their driveway cleared before the guests arrived. I wanted to pull the covers over my head and spend the rest of the day in bed, but that was not to be.

No really, it's Spring. My daffodils told me so when the blossomed last week. I thought when Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow we were in for an early Spring. The snow prevented us from having the annual Easter egg hut which was not so bad since we could never find all the eggs anyway. Maybe we should have an egg map like on the Gilmore Girls.

The kids spent most of the day eating their weight in chocolate. The Easter Bunny brought my nieces the game 20 questions. That was a big hit. The little hand held computer game doesn't know the person asking the questions, see the items in the room, or see the expression on the person's face who chose the word with each question. What makes 20 questions fun is the interaction between those playing the game. So while one person played the computer, the rest of us played it the old fashioned way. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the game until today.


Happy Easter everyone. I hope you had a wonderful day.

Icee

I can't believe Icees are still around. I looked forward to getting them as a child at the mall or Gold Circle. Gold Circle used to have collectible glasses too. I had Ziggy, Strawberry Shortcake, and Star Wars I think. Glasses have a short lifespan in my care. None survived my childhood. I have even broken those mason jar glasses that people claim are indestructible.

My kids love Icees too. Today I sprung for larges for all of us. They have different flavors now. Me, I'm partial to cherry. They took out the food coloring because people complained that it stained their childrens' clothes, so it is white instead of red. Smart really. The straws are different though. The old ones had a little spoon like tip to scoop the Icee if you didn't want to drink it through the straw. I'm not complaining. The Icee could easily have gone the way of Tab, leg warmers, and Monchichis.

Twister Monkey Cookie Jar

Last year at this time we were at my niece's birthday party playing volleyball and assorted outdoor games. This year...snow. White out condition snow. We still had fun. We played Twister; which thankfully cake time interrupted just as my right shin was about to splint. Who invented that crazy game anyway? We watched old home movies and part of Happy Feet. Miranda received lots of wonderful things, but her favorite I believe was the hula skirt and lei from her sister.

Before the party I convinced the boys to go to Target with me. I needed some odds and ends for Easter and they had money from their grandmother for Easter burning holes in their pockets. I had already picked out the newest Weird Al cd for Dev, so I needed J to pick out something of equal value and then for them both to pick a main gift. I invested in some of that new paper grass so the cats won't vomit the plastic grass in every room of the house. Oh...my precious precious monkey scrub sponge. I am proof there is a buyer for everything. I know in my previous post I scoffed at the chimp head and Lost action figures, but it was so cute. Target has a summer product line out called Tiki. Items in the line include cookie jars, mats, kitchen wear, etc...It took everything in my power not to buy the monkey cookie jar. I had a Pooh cookie jar that I was constantly forgetting had cookies in it. A cookie is a terrible thing to waste. Devin used to steal cookies from the cookie jar.

Who me?
Yeah you.
Couldn't be.
Then who?
Jason stole a cookie from the cookie jar.

Anyway, it would be a waste of money. So instead I allowed myself to buy the 99 cent monkey head scrub sponge. I cannot guarentee that if the Tiki line is still there a month from now that I will be able to resist. But for now, he will remain in the Target jungle patiently waiting to come home.

My favorite quote from Shall We Dance?

Or, put another way, and 'borrowed' from Pittman:
Why is it that people get married?
Because we need a witness to our lives.
There’s a billion people on the planet.
What does any one life really mean?
But in a marriage, you’re promising to care about everything…
The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things,
All of it… all the time, every day.
You’re saying “Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it.
Your life will not go unwitnessed - because I will be your witness.”

6 great movie kisses

1. Green Card (1990)

Andie MacDowell and Gerard Depardieu just before he is deported.

2. The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)

Matt Damon and Charlize Theron while she is out to dinner double date and he is not her escort.

3. Bend it Like Beckam (2002)

Parminder Nagra and Jonathan Rhys Meyers at the airport.

4. Parent Trap (1998)

Natasha Richardson and Dennis Quaid when he surprises her by taking the Concord to London.

5. The Wedding Singer (1998)

Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler when he returned her jacket.

6. Never Been Kissed (1999)

Drew Barrymore and Michael Vartan at the baseball game.

The Pursuit of Happyness

Finally watched The Pursuit of Happyness tonight. I realize now I misspelled the title in my previous post. Sorry about that. This was a sad movie. Will Smith's performance was moving. His real life son plays his son in the movie and it shows.

I admit most of the movie broke my heart. My husband handed me the tissue box before the movie started in anticipation of this. While the story isn't 100% accurate, I believe it kept the most important parts real. Mr. Gardner and his son were homeless for a year. Not one person he worked with knew. He worked harder than anyone I have ever met to keep his dignity and family intact.

I give it 2 1/2 stars. As much as I would like to, I cannot give it 3. Serious movies need comic relief. The Pursuit of Happyness does have moments to ease the tension, however, a precious few. Steel Magnolias is a good example of a movie that mixes it up just right. I know it's a chick flick, but it is the gold standard in my opinion. For some of you it may be Forrest Gump. That works too.

Orientation for clinicals

Third semester of nursing school includes three five week classes: OB, PEDS, and Geriontology. I am in Geri for my final 5. Working with the elderly is something I have experience in from the two previous semesters of Med-Surg. The main difference with this rotation is there are a multitude of procedures to be done and drug classes to memorize. It is going to be a lot of hard work, but I think I'm going to like the pace.

Name Tag Marco Polo

I was running late this morning because I couldn't find my name tag. An organized person would account for all necessary items the night before so the next morning would be worry free. I'm thinking organization is not a bad idea. If only it were in my genes.

I found my other name tag attached to my lab coat and off I went. I managed to make it to school on time, however I did so without a coat. For those of you not in Northeast Ohio let me just say it is in the 40's today with intermittent hail. It is colder now than it was this morning. So now my chest hurts. Can't afford to get sick. It is all linked.

Had I been organized I would not have been stressed this morning. I would have put on a coat. I would not feel under the weather. I would not be stressed about getting sick.

My husband is the most organized person I know. He has spent years trying to convince me that organization is essential for daily living.

I hate it when he is right.

Tennis anyone?

Today we went out to Target just to get out of the house. We ended up buying David a tennis racket and tennis balls. It seems I am always buying balls. I am not quite sure what the boys do with them. I imagine they are stuck in the neighbors' gutters, trees, and bushes. This time along with the regular yellow balls I purchase the pink ones to support cancer research. Here I killed two birds with one stone. I support cancer research when I can, but this time it benefited me because the boys would never take a pink ball to play with. Upon returning home it looked like rain so we decided to use the garage door as a backboard instead of going up to the park. It was so much fun we continued to play during the down pour. Fifteen minutes after getting drenched we headed indoors until the rain subsided. After we all got warm, dry, and comfortable David got antsy and made us all go to the park to play again. Honestly I didn't want to go, but I'm glad I did. It had to be funny to watch as we are not very good.

One lesson I have tried to teach my boys is that you don't have to be good at something to enjoy it. I am proud of them for learning this lesson well. Some of my favorite moments are when we are laughing at ourselves and each other.

It was a good day.

John Krasinski and The Holiday

I can't believe I forgot to mention John Krasinski's role in The Holiday. He is as adorable on the big screen as he is on The Office. His amazing smile lights up the screen. Just had to acknowledge that.

It was a pleasant surprise to see him in the movie. I had no idea. I hope it is a sign of things to come.

One Smart Cookie - Edna Ferber

One Smart Cookie - Edna Ferber


"I think I ought to tell you," she began, "that I never was a minister's daughter, and I don't remember ever havin' been deserted by my sweetheart when I was young and trusting. If I was to draw a picture of my life it would look like one of those charts that the weather bureau gets out-one of those high and low barometer things, all uphill and downhill like a chain of mountains in a kid's geography." -from "Pink Tights and Ginghams" The critics of her day called her the greatest American woman novelist, and one, in 1918, called her character Emma McChesney "one of the cheeriest, truest, and most helpful characters given to American readers in recent years." Edna Ferber rose to fame, in fact, on her short stories about the adventures of Emma, a sophisticated traveling underwear saleswoman about whom the phrase "one smart cookie" might have been coined. This 1913 collection of some of those tales is an excellent introduction to Emma, and to Ferber, whose vivid prose and sharply realized characters continue to make her work among the most enjoyable in American literature. Ferber's piercing perspective offers a keen insight on the foibles of American society, and finds the undercurrents of hypocrisy and frivolity with intelligence and humor. American novelist EDNA FERBER (1885-1968) was a member of the Algonquin Round Table, the unofficial society of New York City literary wits. She won the Pulitzer Prize in 1924 for her novel So Big; among her other works are Showboat (1926), Cimarron (1929), Giant (1952), and Ice Palace (1958).

www.alibris.com