Thursday, November 30, 2006

This thing is painful!

Monday I was vomiting and feeling like I had the flu. Tuesday my back started hurting. Not to be undone, my chest began hurting. Badly. It was SO bad I could barely breathe. Just to be on the safe side, especially since this was a pain I could not handle or kick in the head to help ease my misery of it, I called Hubby and we went to the Emergency Room at Central Baptist Hospital here in Lexington. We arrived there at around seven o'clock in the evening and didn't leave there until four o'clock in the morning. The conclusion by the doctor is that my gall bladder is not being nice and I have pericarditis, which is inflammation of the chest wall. I have never had gall bladder problems before and never had pericarditis. Both of those suckers hurt. I mean they really, really hurt.

Quite honestly, according to the CAT scan and ultra-sound, my gall bladder is (was) dilated and there is a sluge thing in it. However, when it comes to pain, there is nothing that can match the pericarditis. I mean, it is horrible. While in the emergency room I was given three shots of morphine, and finally a shot of demerol to get the pain under some type of control. By the time Hubby and I left the hospital I was already hurting again.

Yesterday Hubby and I went to our family doctor and he gave me nice pain pills and some antibiotics for a possibly infected gall bladder. I could have kissed the man for the pain pills. My chest is sore to the touch and it hurts, badly. Right now I am waiting for said pain meds to kick in. When they do, I will be far happier than what I currently am.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Just to make myself smile....

I feel bad. My back is not happy with me and my head and stomach feel as if they have been in bad independent car wrecks. So, just to make myself smile I have The Llama Song.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

The Dooce Seems to Understand

Have you ever read something that made you just sit there and giggle or smile ear to ear because there seemed to be someone somewhere who understood something very private and personal about life? You might not understand everything this person is referring to, but you understand, feel a lot of connection with the most of it. For instance, I don't have kids, so don't understand everything the article is speaking of, but I have pets who are my children and this tickled me purple. I mean, I so know about how the dogs and cat can knock themselves wide awake. Go, read. See if you don't understand part of it, even the parts about relatives and gatherings for Thanksgiving or any other holiday.

Friday, November 17, 2006

Sleepy Hollow Inn, Part V

The Sleepy Hollow Inn, Part V
By M. Davenport

When I found out about Veronica's death it was too late for me to inspect the body and see what type of bite it had been, or sense any lingering presence in the room. What was even more disturbing to me was the fact I had not sensed the presence of death's arrival at any point in the night because, after Veronica retired for the night, I had passed by Edward James getting fully inibriated at the bar with Mickey over-seeing. I bade him good night and went to my own quarters for the remainder of the dark where I caught up on some over due paperwork, checked emails, and even wrote a letter for the post the next day. It was quite an oridnary evening for me, yet I did not sense when Veronica passed through the veil, and I should have. Even more disturbing was the worried look Mickey gave me in my chambers upon rising the next evening he had come to rouse me and had been unable to do so. Unlike in the movies, when the coffin lid is raised, we vampires are aware and if we do not move (especially when a wooden steak is heading towards our heart) it is by our own choice. Before Mickey told me the sad news I felt something was wrong in the house, I just could not touch upon what it was, and to make matters worse, Mickey had to tell the police I would be home come seven o'clock.

That was all I needed: the police asking me questions.

Usually I can avoid being querried about where I work or what I do beyond owning the inn and entertaining my guests. Still, there are moments when my absence must be explained during the day. This time I used the excuse I was out looking for some period antiques for the inn. Luckily I had a contact in Louisville who would back up my story. (Mickey had already emailed Frovey of the need for a cover.)

The detective who arrived prompty at 8:45 in the evening (he was supposed to have been there by 7:30) was a square fellow by the name of John Needers. According to the local papers he was a hometown boy who had done good. The only problem was he couldn't detect his way out of a paper bag and had probably gotten his appointment by knowing someone who knew someone (or knowing something on someone in power). Richmond, Kentucky was indeed a small town and had small town politics. Lucky for me Needers' mind wasn't complicated and easy to read and - sadly - manipulate. John Needers was bull headed but not strong willed, and privy to all kinds of restricted, official information, such as the wounds on Veronica's neck were just pin pricks and were made in a rosette.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

A Gray Day, Outside and In

It is gray outside. Rain drips and sometimes there is a very wet mist that falls from the sky. There just isn't any way to get around the gray. It is over every inch of outside and is creeping its cold fingers into my joints and making me feel as if I was in a car wreck yesterday, which means I am suffering from it today. Things could be better, yes; but things could be horribly worse as far as my physical state goes. This means, long and short of it, I will take today for what it is and let the possibility of things being worse go somewhere else. No use putting negative energy into my body and brain. I will take the day's pains and I will find something good from it, although writing, for today, is out. It is quite difficult to type and I am making tons of mistakes, which means I will just take my meds and let the day progress and tomorrow things will be better, or, at least no worse than today. Today is a gray day, outside and in.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

An Interesting Writing Prompt

In wandering through my email today I came across the Writer's Digest writing prompt. It made me stop, re-read it a couple of times, and get this big goofy grin on my face. Although I haven't done it yet, I believe I will. In the meantime, here it is for your inspection. If you write something on this I would love to see it, and post it here.


You’re out with some old friends and they’re all rehashing amusing holiday stories. You tell them that you have one to top them all. In telling your story, there are two rules: Your story must begin with, “I remember that Thanksgiving like it was yesterday” and must end with, “And that’s how (fill in the blank) got stuck inside the turkey.”

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Cell, by Stephen King

I just looove zombies. Can you tell there is a lot of sarcasm here? Yes, there is if you were in doubt. Zombies give me the creeps. I don't watch zombie movies, I don't listen to Rob Zombie, and if I have my druthers you can all go watch the zombie movie and I will stay home and knit or crochet or play video games. AND I do not play zombie killing video games either (unless it is in Champions of Norath or something of that nature). Despite detesting zombies (*shudder*) I dearly love Stephen King and, because Stephen King wrote it I will read it. And, last night, I finished reading Cell. Cell is Stephen King's zombie story.

There wasn't any doubt from the very beginning this was a zombie novel. Mr. King is quite a polite soul and lets you know right away it is about zombies because he dedicates his book "For Richard Matheson and George Romero." If you ever see the name "George Romero" in something you can just bet it is about zombies.

The premise in the novel is that someone from somewhere sends a pulse out via satellite and everyone who has a cell phone and is on it at that time, or after, well, they become zombies. Our hero, Clay Riddell, is a comic artist on his way back from the most wondrous of meetings. It was a meeting where he sold his first graphic novel. All is right with his world. Then it isn't. This point was most poignant for me because, well, I could see this being me. My first novel being sold! I am officially an established writer (almost). My career has begun, and then zombies have to screw it all up.

Even though we never know who the someone was who sent out the pulse, it doesn't matter by the end of the first day. People, normal, happy, kind people are ripping ears off of dogs, killing people, and just angry beyond belief and killing. They are killing everyone that is not like them. Soon the world becomes boiled down to Phoners (the zombies) and "normies", those not zombies.

The characters are alive and vivid. I know these people, these "normies." I can spot these people on the street even if don't know them. It is every day real life that gets turned upside down. In many of King's novels, there is always a small group of people who must fight the bad things that go bump in the night, and except for The Stand I can't remember a Stephen King novel where the world was brought to its knees. This isn't The Stand. This is something that frightened me on a deep level, that level I don't want to think about because...I have a cell phone and I use it daily. It frightened me because I don't want to see my neighbors turning on their children and knowing that if the children can't run away they are going to die. It frightened me because, even though it is far fetched, it is possible. Or, at least my brain says it is possible.

Clay Riddell and his friends are just surviving. They are making it through one day at a time. They are alive. They are normal, and they decide to fight back. Fighting back gets them in trouble because you then see the zombies aren't like the zombies of the novels and movies. They are scary, telepathic and, crazy.

I don't want to give away too much about this book, but if there is a Stephen King fan on your Christmas list, you can't go wrong by getting them this book for Christmas.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Integrity

Living in this day and age you sometimes wonder if integrity still exists. Recently I was shown it does, and it does in wonderful ways. A dear Driver for Wheels returned a check to me he had not placed in the till and wanted to make sure I had it in order to void it. I was sick as a dog when he came by, but he was a wonderfully honest. Integrity is not dead. It is quite strong in some people. I needed to know that.

Integrity

Living in this day and age you sometimes wonder if integrity still exists. Recently I was shown it does, and it does in wonderful ways. A dear Driver for Wheels returned a check to me he had not placed in the till and wanted to make sure I had it in order to void it. I was sick as a dog when he came by, but he was a wonderfully honest. Integrity is not dead. It is quite strong in some people. I needed to know that.

This is just a test

Strange things are happening on Blogger. Can't post. Confused. Did this work?

Saturday, November 11, 2006

I just want to say....

GOD BLESS ALL THE SOLDIERS. PAST. PRESENT. FUTURE. GOD BLESS YOU!

Friday, November 10, 2006

Fridays and Mondays

Click on the title above to see the full difference between Fridays and Mondays. I think it sums everything up quite nicely. In case that doesn't work just CLICK HERE and see for yourself.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Let's Start Today Off with Music

This kid can play!

Pink's new video - don't know why I really like this one but I do.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Have you ever noticed...

...when you really need to be healthy and clear-headed you end up getting sick? Usually it isn't one of those "little" sicknesses either, like, oh a two hour something or you just kind of don't feel well, but those "O my goodness golly I am sick!" feelings. Yeah, I have that right now. It started yesterday and has continued straight through today. It is my hope, wish, and prayer that tomorrow I will feel more normal and can get back working well on Project I which is progressing nicely so far. At least I took the weekend off and it has done quite well to be off. So now I am hoping with Monday, I can work in peace and get everything moving the way it needs to move, or rather, keep it moving the way it is.

One good thing about today has been that I have slept a lot so hopefully my body will have enough energy to get over this last little step of the illness. Tomorrow my dear, sick hubby is going back to work, and so should I, no matter how much the bed tempts me with its warmth and cozy dogs to snuggle with.

For now, I go back to bed and hope for a healthier day tomorrow.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Heard This the Other Day and Enjoyed It

This really made me smile the other day.

And who says Justin Timberlake can't do something?

Friday, November 03, 2006

I'm Back, Baby!

It has been forever since I have been able to update The News or do anything majorly creative with the internet. Now I am no longer from the internet and The News will be updated regularly again.

First things first: I have not forgotten "The Sleepy Hollow Inn" and it will be the first thing posted on Monday or Tuesday at the very latest.

Other things next: Since everything is still jumbled there isn't going to be an actually day for anything to be set on. So, just just have to keep checking to see when things are going to be up and what they are.

I have missed you all!