I Wish...

I bought myself a birthday present in early December. I enjoyed Despicable Me and really wanted to see DM2 in the theatre, but never got there. All the good words I read and heard from others who saw this as well as the thoroughly silly promos done for the movie told me I would enjoy this as much as I like the original.

Truthfully, I have laughed and chortled and giggled and guffawed through this movie. I watched it again last night and turned on the director's comments. I have to watch it again because they pointed out the action going on in the background of some scenes. They gave a great deal of thought to what one could see behind the main action and, after pointing that out, there is quite a bit of hilarity behind Gru and Lucy or the girls. Computer animation being what it is now, the depth of vision in animated movies is huge. So much can be added from textures to creatures that it's going to take me awhile to see everything. I didn't know the rocket ships at the end have city names painted on them and one of those names is Hoboken, New Jersey because director Chris Renaud lived there for awhile. Now, I have to pause the movie at that point and read the rocket ship names.

When I got the movie in the mail, I had to watch everything, all the trailers for upcoming films (a Barbie film? Seriously? It's awful.) and then there was this flashed on the screen.

Whoa. Sadly, it's to advertise their iPhone, iPad and Android phone free games. I wouldn't use my phone to play games. The screen is too small. Maybe if I had an iPhone but this is not a reason to get one.

Then, there came an advertisement for the "ultimate" in minion experience. Universal Studios has teamed up with the creators of Despicable Me to create a 3D ride opening, according to the DvD, in spring of 2014. But, if you go to the ride at Universal Studios Florida, it sort of seems as if it's open now.

Oh dear me. I've never been to Universal Studios in Florida. I've been to Walt Disney World several times, but there was never enough time to take in both. Looking at the map of Universal, it's probably a 3 day adventure for me as I wouldn't be able to handle all the walking and standing in a couple days. Some things, as with Disney World, I'm not that interested in, but Minion Mayhem? Wow.

This is a long-term goal. The first year we went to Disney World, we made a chart, one of those thermometer-type charts, that showed how we were saving for the experience. I could do the same thing. A visual graphic makes the event seem much more real when the saving has to be done over a long period of time. I'd get an all-inclusive package with airfare. I have a friend in Orlando, but I would never presuppose to have her put me up. That's way too cheeky, so I'd look into hotels too.

I did a very good job of figuring out costs to go to Virginia last year. I could do this. It's at least a year out because there are other things that have to be fixed before I can look at dedicating funds toward a trip like this...unless...you're going soon. Can I go in your luggage?

Beverage:  English Breakfast Tea

Deb

It Broke

You know how there are some things that you keep around because you just like them. Everyone else gives you that one eye half-closed, head cocked, "Hmmm" look but you happily keep that item because you want to. The cup to the left is one of those things.

We got it at Walt Disney World's Epcot Center Imagination Pavilion. This was back in 1990 and was our very first visit to the the "mouse house". At the time, Michael Jackson's Captain EO was there (It still is.) and there was a ride that featured a professor and this little dragon named "Figment". It appears this is still a part of the attraction. I remember nothing of the ride but I adored the dragon and the idea that he was a "figment of imagination". I guess, as a long-time Dungeons and Dragons gamer, a dragon representing imagination struck a cord with me.

As with every attraction at WDW, you get dumped out into a gift shop. I really hadn't seen anything up to this point that I wanted to take home with me. Suddenly, to be surrounded by little purple dragon everything, I wanted things. One of the things I got was this plastic glass.

You know these. They have liquid sandwiched between two layers. In the liquid, float these plastic items, in this case, Figment's head. You can make the heads move around the glass by rotating it. I have one with Marvin Martian.

This glass has served me in good stead. The water between the two layers has long been evaporated although I could still, if I so wanted to, make the heads move around the glass by rotating it. I think it's a squat 8 ounces which made it a go to glass for beverages. I noticed in the last couple of months, however, that dishwater and soap bubbles would seep into that inner cavity when I washed it. I couldn't find a broken seam and the water and bubbles would drip out of the unknown breach so I really didn't give it much thought. On Sunday, however, that changed.

I'd used it Saturday night, filled with Dr Pepper, so it  needed a washing on Sunday. Drop it into the dishwater and let it soak. When I picked it up, the two pieces separated and there was an obvious vertical crack on the interior liner. I fished out the heads that had fallen into the dishwater and looked at the pieces in my hands. I could "fix" this. I could just glue the two pieces back together and stick the glass in my secretary, where I keep mementos. But I hesitated.

What did this represent to me? It represented a time when a big vacation like this was something we spent two years saving for. We had a wonderful time, yes, to use their advertising, a magical time. Carole and I have gone twice since this trip. I enjoyed myself both those times, as well, although I didn't come back with the same amount of souvenirs. But was it necessary to save a plastic cup which really only meant something to me? No, not really. I tossed it.

It's not like I don't have other things to remind me of Figment. I have this stuffed animal in my home office. It reminds me to harness that figment of imagination, that spark, which I have and which brings me pleasure to use. I dust off the dragon every so often and smile at the memory of bringing him home.

Lastly, remember the blog post with Carole and I at Coco Beach and that neon shirt I was wearing? That shirt has Figment's face on it. In addition to it being loud in color, it has dragon heads on it, stylized dragon heads, but dragon heads nonetheless.

So the cup has finally broken beyond repair. I've still got my dragon.

Beverage:  Edinburgh's Finest tea

Deb

At what point should I worry?

Carole called last night.

"Please don't be worried mom, but, if the hurricane is going to hit us, we're going to David's parents' in Virginia."

This is where Earl was at 9 a.m. this morning. I heard that hurricane watches have been posted for Massachusetts. Well, Connecticut is right below Massachusetts. If Earl goes straight north, the northeast will have a wee bit o' weather.

I have friends in Florida and in 2004, when Charly and Ivan and Jeanne wracked the state, I worried about them. I have worried about my daughter when December 2008 was one of the snowiest on record for the Seattle area. They don't know how to handle the amount of snow they got. I never thought I'd worry about a hurricane.

She knows I'm going to worry. She knows I'm going to watch this storm with more interest now and wonder how she's doing. No amount of "Please don't worry" stops a mother from worry. I have friends in North Carolina, in Virginia, in Maryland, in New Jersey and in Pennsylvania. I am concerned about them, but there is something different when it's your child.

Beverage: Huckleberry Tea

Deb

What If I offer $75 and a couple dozen cookies?

$75M mansion near Orlando selling 'as is'

WINDERMERE, Fla. – The brochure promises a "monument to unparalleled success."

The 90,000-square-foot home for sale outside Orlando has 23 bathrooms, 13 bedrooms, 10 kitchens and three pools. All that and more for $75 million "as is."

The catch? It's not finished.

Nicknamed "Versailles" by owner and timeshare tycoon David Siegel, the mansion hit the market recently as the largest home for sale in the United States. Construction was halted last year to save money in a recession that proved particularly hard on Siegel's industry.

The home also has a 20-car garage, a bowling alley, an indoor-roller rink, a movie theater, a video arcade, a fitness center, a baseball field and two tennis courts.

But the mansion's interior has no carpet, tile or interior walls. (Seen on Yahoo News feed.)

I'm not sure I'd want to live in Orlando and the property taxes on this monstrosity are probably more than my yearly income, but let's play "what if". I am now in possession of this beast of a building and have the wherewithal to pay the property taxes. Of course this also assumes I have some income to make the place livable. What to do?

This room is intriguing. No dimensions are available but let's make this the library. I've always wanted to have a library. I'd like a plaster (dry wall/sheet rock nowdays I think unless there are competent plasterers out there) ceiling painted a sky blue and then clouds, birds and a rainbow in the corner are painted on it. I'm also assuming opposite these windows are walls where floor to ceiling bookcases would be installed. And then I can get one of those "library ladders"! You know what I'm talking about; the one anchored to a track at the top and you just roll it around to climb to the top of the bookcases to get your book. I've always wanted to actually use those. They get reserved for "trained" library personnel. Mine would have 'no-slip' treads so all of you could come over and try it. It would lock in place but be easily rolled. Yes, we would hop on and another would push us around the library walls. Don't tell me you haven't wanted to do that after seeing it done in a movie.

Because I am allergic to formaldehyde and it's found in most building materials, insulation is going to be more expensive because I can't have any that will leech formaldehyde into the air. Fortunately, sheet rock and US made drywall don't leech that chemical. Neither do wood floors. I'd be looking into bamboo floors. From a "Green Building Materials" web site, "The best manufacturers now use formaldehyde-free adhesives and finishes that exceed European standards for safety and can prove it. These are water-based, solvent-free and do not off-gass toxic chemicals. They may cost slightly more but they are better for your health. This may not be easy to determine by smelling a sample of bamboo, even if it is freshly sawn. You have to know your sources." Or I'd be interested in recycling wood flooring from homes being demolished. Often the flooring is still good and, once sanded and sealed, is perfect.

I think, don't you, that a library looks better with wood floors and area rugs, overstuffed chairs and a couple of writing desks, ottomans and side tables with lamps, a couple of floor lamps and sconces. Oh! I must have adjustable sconces in my library.

To the left is an unfinished roller rink. I don't roller skate. I was never very good at it; couldn't get the hang of it. My mother was a very good skater. I remember watching her with envy when she chaperoned church roller skating events. She could skate backwards and in small circles. I could barely stand up. Hence, this part of the "house" is going to remain unfinished until I figure out what to do with it.

I'll need a kitchen and a bath and 3 bedrooms. I need a home office where the computer sits and that room should have a system for up to a dozen computers at once. That way, I can have a lot of my friends from my WOW guild come stay with me. They can camp in the unfinished part and use the bathroom in the finished part. Given how big this house is, we could conduct hiking expeditions to the far side.

But, back to reality. Who NEEDS 90,000 square feet to live in? No one. Some of the comments to the piece involved carving the place up and using it for people who had lost their homes. That sounds like a marvelous idea.

Beverage: Scottish Blend tea

Deb

Put me on your 'Do Not Call' List.

This is a head's up message.

Do not call me on Tuesday evening, January 5th. I am unavailable ALL evening. I won't be answering the phone so don't bother even trying.

Unless it's an emergency, well, then, yes call, but you'll have to call my cell phone too. That I'll at least check. Otherwise, I won't check messages until half-time and then again at the end of the game.

Iowa-Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

Beverage: Scottish Blend tea

Deb

Finances According to Luck

The bank has done all that they will do.

They feel they are being more than generous when, clearly, I screwed up. Because I have no proof that they mishandled my deposit, they are refunding only a small portion of the overdraft fees charged to my account.

I spent part of Monday evening looking at other banks in the area. The one bank that seemed to have a perfect fit for me has no branches within a 30 minute drive of me. They are more a Chicago bank and not a suburban bank.

I called a couple banks who were next on the list but it would take at least a week to get new accounts up and running because, you know, they have to put a hold on your money to make sure any checks clear. I can see if it's from "John Doe", but when it's from "XYZ Financial Institution", that 5 day clear thing is male bovine excrement. I can't wait 5 days to have access to my money. I have to pay bills now. I can only pay a very small portion of them, too. It's just how it is. Some places are understanding. Others are not and tell me whatever account I'm calling about is "on hold" until I make it right. Fine.

I keep waiting for the proverbial "other shoe to drop".

I have a wee bit of cash on which I can live for the rest of the month. I got cat food yesterday, a new brand that they are eating. It's too far for me to go to Meijer and get the brand Val had for them. I'm not a fan of those gigantic stores anyway. If they continue to eat this as well as they currently are, I'll see if I can get a bigger bag, which is more cost effective.

And, I'm feeding my Lucky Cat.

This is a traditional Japanese good luck charm. You'll see ceramic or porcelain statues at the entrance to all shops in Japan. This is a small bank. We got it in the Japanese section of World Showcase at Epcot Center at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida many years ago.

The tradition is that the white cat brings in wealth. There are other colors representing other places where luck is wished, such as health, family and love. The "rule" is you feed the Lucky Cat your spare change once a week, not counting how much you put in the bank. The cat then multiplies the coinage over the next week. When the bank is full, you empty 75% of it, always leaving some as "seed" money.

The only problem with this bank is that the bottom hole from which you remove the coins, is too small to accommodate quarters. So, I have a separate bank that Carole and I made when times were tough. The quarters go into that along with the 75% of the bank when it's full. You are never to count the coins because that supposedly chased the luck away. I don't count them until the separate bank is almost too heavy to carry. I've turned in $150 and $110 in change and bills in the over 15 years we've had the lucky cat. Yes, I had change and I fed it last night.

I know it seems ridiculously silly to put any faith in a superstition. I would like my luck to change. Instead of me always having to throw money at something to fix it, why can't the money come to me so I don't feel like the next sound I hear is a major appliance breaking down? That's where the stress is, the feeling totally and completely helpless to change anything about my situation. I wrote my letters to the Better Business Bureau and to the Illinois Attorney General. I know nothing will come of these. The only thing I'm doing is filing a notice that I feel deceived.

I'm out of bread so I have to run to the store tomorrow. I also need garbage stickers. There will be chances for change to feed the cat. Life is what it is. I can only go forward from this point and hope that my luck changes.

Beverage: Scottish Blend Tea

Deb

Only a couple more hours

and the sun will be up. The above photo was taken in 2007 in Columbus, Indiana where I was attending a Highland Games for my clan.

It's just after 2 a.m. and I'm finally feeling tired enough to sleep. I didn't get up until 8:30 but I've been going all day without feeling tired enough to take the body to sleep. I don't have to go anywhere when I finally do get up except the cats will want me to feed them in roughly 4 hours.

I love sunrises and sunsets. I knew this guy from Florida, Bradenton, to be exact. As part of the pseudo-romantic talk some guys indulge in, he promised that "some day", we'd start our morning with croissants, juice and strawberries on the beach watching the sun come up and then drive across the state to have hamburgers, french fries and beer while watching the sun set. Nope, never happened.

My dad was an early riser. He would wake me up in the summer to go for walks into the fields. I remember following him as he plowed through the alfalfa drenched with morning dew. Spittle bugs made their homes in the alfalfa and dad would catch them and the dew, getting his pants soaked but making it sort of easy for me to walk.

Often times, we'd stumble into a deer rut, where the deer were either just leaving or had just left. The deer would come into the alfalfa field at night to sleep instead of sleeping in the woods. It would smash down the alfalfa but the stuff would spring back fairly quickly in a summer day.

What I remember most is the intense musky smell of deer. That is definately an animal smell which could be compounded by dew-laden grass. If we had a ground fog, that would trap the smell. It's not like anything I can describe for you. You know it if you've smelled it.

So what am I doing up blogging at now 2:20 a.m. I don't really know other than I wasn't tired earlier. I miss having someone to wake up with and go to watch the sun rise or set. It's quiet outside tonight and I know I will sleep soundly. I also know, there are days when I'd give my eye teeth to have someone poke me and whisper, "Come on. The sun isn't going to wait for you to get there to watch."

Beverage: Coca-Cola

Deb