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December 2004
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Date:31 December, 2004
Time:1:45pm
Subject:The End of 2004!
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On December 31, 2003 I had a very very stressful day. Not only did I have to worry about my husband being blown up (as I do every major holiday I send him to work in a potential terror target), but then I got to work and had a major situation to deal with. Multiple injuries from an "incident" and then a riot at the end of the night with people trying to go home. Today feels a little easier. I got (I believe) my last two bills from my surgery. $195 to the hospital, and $36 to the anesthesiologist. I already paid the bills for the doctor and for pathology. Considering I was expecting to pay $700+ I'm actually happy to write these last two checks...and start planning my cruise! So with that out of the way, why don't we take a little trip down memory lane with a
2004 Year in Review
January was before I started the Xanga, but I'll try my best to remember. I was dispatching, still trying to settle into married life, unpack, and get past the feud with Maggie at work. I also started babysitting 5 days a week.
Me with the munchkins.
February found me applying, interviewing for, and accepting my current job. I pulled out my soapbox in response to losing Howard Stern on 104.1 because of the jack-@$$es at Clearchannel. And it was a leap-year. Happy February 29!!
Me at the comm center
March...my birth month...the anniversary of our first date...and a change in work location. JR Simmons came for a visit. And that's about it!
Have a Magical Day!
In April, I finally got my drivers license changed. I voted for the first time in American Idol. Yeah...not very exciting.
May was exciting. Dawn got married. Scott got on an airplane and a rollercoaster. We got to spend the day with the Sullivans at Hershey Park. I got new glasses. Matthew got a new job at RCFD. And Fantasia won American Idol.
 
Dawn and Mark's wedding; Scott's Rollercoaster "hero shot"
June brought Laura and Richard to Florida for a visit. Scott and I celebrated 6 months togehter in our little "love nest."
Laura and Richard in the Magic Kingdom
July...fireworks...and my first reprimand. grr
In August, Scott's car got dinged by a moron in the middle of the night, Hurricane Charley blew through, Scott turned 28, and the epic story of Jamie's cervix started with the month-long period!
Hurricane Charley was the quickest of our three hurricanes...only 13 hours at work.
September was the month of Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne (and Ivan, which didn't hit us here). I got new tires for Frances. And a haircut for me. I also dyed my hair red, which as usual lasted about a week. I went to Dr. Ponytail for the first time after my primary doctor cancelled my appointment without bothering to call me.
 
Gotta love that hurricane humor!
October brought those bad PAP test results, an actual nervous breakdown, carved pumpkins, Scott doing traffic for the MNSSHPs and my obsession with Toontown.com. And the Wal Mart across the street opened, forever changing the traffic pattern and our shopping habits!
  
Pumpkins and Toontown
November 2 broke my heart, when I realized that not only is Florida a blue state, but that the majority of the country was also blue. For the record, I still think that G.W.B. is a bad president. And I'm disappointed that enough of this country is muddled in moral majority issues to see that he's driving the country into financial ruin. At least I voted. I was so proud of myself I almost cried. My surgery was on the 18th (and I lived through it). I applied for two management positions. We had Thanksgiving at my in-law's, which led to the decision that Christmas would be at our house. And we went to Dave's for poker night, which looks to become a bi-monthly tradition.
The t-shirt I don't really own but should!
...and then there was December. Our first anniversary (eww...bad cake...), a clean bill of health from the doctor, lots of on-line holiday shopping, lots of Wal Mart holiday shopping, 500 lights on the Charlie Brown tree, two bed-ridden days after a pinched nerve in my back, and an actual happy holiday (except the weather on Christmas day)!
O Tannenbaum...
Maybe 2005 will finally be a drama-free year for me. I'm not holding my breath though!
JLM, 12.31.04, 3:05pm
Date:30 December, 2004
Time:1:33pm
Subject:The Self-Help Quiz
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I took a self-help quiz this morning. I know - tragic! I guess it was brought about by the ill-timed life crisis I decided to have last night. Apparently this is my last week babysitting 5 days. The kids are going into daycare three days a week, and I'll only be over there on the weekends. All of a sudden, faced with the concept of two whole days off with nothing to do but sit around and do nothing, I wigged. So I started looking into volunteer opportunities. I think Scott and I may try to do a shift for a local SPCA or some other animal shelter one day a week...just to do something to contribute.
So back to the quiz. If you'd like to take it for yourself, you can simply click here. My results, I think, were pretty accurate:
Your Life
Your quiz responses suggest that you are interested in adding more passion, fulfillment and organization to your life. Embracing life’s journey and being more effective could be great areas for you to focus on. Want more inspiration, motivation, simplicity, creativity or happiness in life? Set some goals and make it happen! What you discover with this new point of view might surprise you.
Your Health
Your quiz responses suggest that fitness and nutrition are areas you would like to improve. Regular exercise and a better diet will lead to a healthier you — now and in the future. Changing your diet or exercise regimen begins with moderation. No need to overdo it. Just take small, incremental steps in the right direction. Don’t worry about a misstep here or there. Just keep moving towards your goal and the results will happen. You’ll be happier — and healthier — with the New You!
Sounds just about right. Although they want me to set goals, and goals scare me because as soon as you set them, you set yourself up to fail. I know - I have the biggest loser attitude ever. Give me a few days to warm up to the idea, and maybe I'll set some goals. Here's one: less ground beef. Unfortunately, getting Scott to go along is the hard part of that one!
Speaking of the Ground Beef King, he's working much OT tonight and tomorrow. He's starting at 3 and working 'til after 2am. Hopefully he doesn't get himself in the middle of any drunken bru-ha-ha's!
Here's another goal: take down the Christmas tree on Monday or Tuesday. I'm sure the cats would agree with that decision - and rejoice that the squirt bottle won't be used nearly as much!
JLM, 12.30.04, 1:43pm
Date:29 December, 2004
Time:12:37pm
Subject:Jerry Orbach...and 76,000 other people
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I just read that Jerry Orbach has died. I'm pretty sad about that. He was a great actor, and I will always remember him as the voice of Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast and of course as Baby's father in Dirty Dancing. I'll clap for him when they do the "people who died this year" montage at the Oscars...and the Emmys...and I'd do it for the Tony's as well, but I don't watch that one.
In other news, the tsunami death toll in the east is up to 76,000 this morning. It was 50,000 when we went to bed. Now I'm just wondering how high the number will get before this is all over. They keep saying 'the diseases will kill even more.' I'm having a lot of trouble dealing with the reality of the situation. After all, my life is going on as usual. None of my regularly scheduled TV programming has been interrupted. If this same tragedy had happened here in the US, we'd still be watching 24/7 news coverage. Sometimes I think that we as Americans are ridiculously geo-centric. If it doesn't happen from our sea to shining sea, then it doesn't matter. We'll write you a check, but just don't make us think about it for more than 30 seconds at a time. We are sending 4 times more aid money to the affected area than the entire European Union...but I bet their media is covering the situation a lot more thoroughly than ours. Weird, isn't it?
JLM, 12.29.04, 12:49pm
Date:28 December, 2004
Time:8:02pm
Subject:The Phantom of the Opera
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Scott and I just returned from seeing Phantom, and I am still nearly speechless. But I'll try my best to muddle through all of my feelings and be somewhat coherent with what I have to say.
 
images courtesy of imdb.com
First: The cast was, in a word, magnificent! They found a beautiful ingenue in Emmy Rossum to bring Christine to life. Gerard Butler, who played the Phantom, was amazing. Their voices were magnificent, as were those of the rest of the cast, and they told the story so well I felt like I was really in the theater watching them on stage. Even Minnie Driver suprised me with a kick-@$$ performance as the diva Carlotta (below left).
 
images courtesy of imdb.com
Second: The music. For the most part, they brought Andrew Lloyd Webber's songs to life like they haven't sounded since Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. I was enraptured! Captivated! My only complaint, having listened to the original Broadway soundtrack for nearly half of my life, is that these performers just didn't enunciate some of their words properly. NO opera singer would ever sing "tah" instead of "to." I guess that's what I get for studying voice under a former opera conductor - a love of the sound of the English language pronounced properly!! After that debacle with the new "trendy" touring production of Starlight Express, complete with hip hop and rap, I was worried that Webber was out to destroy his own musical legacy. I'm happy to report that the film version of Phantom did not suffer the same "train wreck" of fate!
 
images courtesy of imdb.com
Third: The story. I was so glad that Joel Schumacher and crew didn't stray too far from the original musical. Les Miserables, while based on the novel and not the musical, was a travesty. They changed the ending so that Val Jean lived. He just walked happily off into the sunset. Ugh...the bitter taste is still in my mouth. On the other hand, a literal translation from stage to film can sometimes be...awkward at best (Cinderella, starring Leslie Ann Warren, anyone?). This film just added depth and realism to the original stage musical. It was breathtaking, and I was spellbound.
I give Phantom ***** out of 5. Bravo! And this film better get its props come Oscar time.
JLM, 12.28.04, 8:43pm
Date:27 December, 2004
Time:11:09pm
Subject:Photo Entry!!
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Tonight we had Christmas dinner with our moms and Janette. Lots of pictures were taken, and I have decided to log them here, along with my own "special" color commentary. We shall start with my angelic darlings:
 
Kilo and Milo got some great presents from their extended family today. Kitty toys, kitty breath mints, and a new laser pointer! Of course, they were MOST excited about the other stuff in the room.
 
The Mobley lemon-face. In her defense though, I told Janette to do it!
Minutes after this picture was taken, Milo went on some crazy feline acid-trip (catnip, anyone?) and started growling and hissing at Shirley. You can see by his "crazy eyes" that he was already feeling frisky. And poor Shirley was just modeling the lemon-face!
"Bow-tox"
Mom saw this picture and wanted me to do something about her wrinkled neck...so we cut & pasted the bow from her sweater...and added one to her hair for continuity!
Scott reads The Ultimate Muffin Book.
mmm...muffins...
...and then there was me. It's a wonder I'm not a pajama model -- I'm just so dead sexy! These are my new PJ's from my mom, which say Bad Kitty. Speaking of bad kitties, you can see the @$$ of Kilo next to me on the couch!
Some day I shall write a poem entitled 'Ode to a Lava Lamp.' I shall use this photo -- and the many lava lamps we have in the house -- as inspiration!
Good night. It's been a long day and I think it's time for sleep (even if it isn't yet 2am!)
JLM, 12.27.04, 11:28pm
Date:27 December, 2004
Time:1:44am
Subject:The Great Beyond
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I have moved to the great beyond...well, at least to a somewhat greater beyond with no pre-fab pages and ads with giant roaches skittering across the top of my sight line (eww!), with no one telling me I'm tragic, and without the "you like me...you really like me" pressure of e-props and comments.
So here I am...now what? How about some pictures? Everybody loves a photo!
The Charlie Brown Christmas Tree incarnate
12.25.04
Flashback to the 2002 Security Gala...
'Why Jamie, what a red dress you're wearing!'
So, I guess that's as good a start as any. Every journey begins with a single trip to the travel agent, right?
JLM, 12.27.04, 1:58am
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