September Begins

Change is in the air with the start of a new month and the beginning of the new school year next week. For some, resolutions begin in January, but for me, it's usually September. When the kids return to a routine, so do I - and I find myself newly energized and ready to conquer the world. I've etched out a draft of a daily schedule I plan to follow in an effort to better use my time, and accomplish my goals. Symphony practice will start soon, and before you know it, the holiday season will be here. This year I'm selling my handmade jewelry at my best friend Dana's salon, so I've been working frantically to get a variety of pieces worthy of resale in plenty of time for holiday shopping. Trust me - blink, and your tree will be up. Just click on the "Christmas Countown" link to the right and see for yourself just how close it is!
In addition, I just received word that an article I'd been shopping around has been purchased for publication in a consumer magazine out of Long Island, NY, and though it will be months before the article appears with my byline, the contract has renewed my resolve to finish my novel and shop it around.

Engagement Picture?

Sure.....I can do that.....I'll even wear my best shirt.......

Pass the Pigskin!

Football season has begun, and the kids have gotten their pads and helmets for their first try with tackle football. They're so excited........and they look so grown up I can hardly stand it!
 

Friday Night Fever

Thanks to an infection in my jaw, I've been moping around all week with a low grade fever, just enough to make me mental. For me, when I'm on any kind of pain killers or in the middle of a lupus flareup, it's like I'm in another world. I've been dreaming crazy dreams and thinking a great deal about life and the big picture. The second of two 20 year reunions is coming in October, and since I'm on the planning committe, I have been receiving all the RSVP's. Seeing those names again after all these years has edged me into a vortex of memories. Twenty years ago I was in love with the boy who would become my first husband, and my best friend Amy died in a car crash. Even after all this time I think of those two often. Some of the memories have faded, but the feelings I have for both of them are still so real that at times it's shocking.
On another note, School begins in ten days, and I am not one of those parents who counts the days until the end of summer vacation. I'm so lucky to have a job that I can do from home so that I can spend so much time with my sons. I know it won't be long before they don't think I'm cool anymore.....but at this moment in our lives, we are enjoying each other's company immensely. Of course, the start of school will mean that I'll have more time to myself, which I do enjoy.....but the house will certainly be empty without them!

Sounds Like a Plan.....

Lupus Information

The Lupus has been out of whack since the wisdom teeth extraction - I should have known this was going to happen. I'm sleeping 10 hours a day. Good thing the kids aren't yet back in school, and I hope to have it under control by the time they go back.
Public awareness of lupus will get a giant boost on Thursday, August 31 when representatives of the Lupus Foundation of America appear on ABC's Good Morning America between 8:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Dr. Susan Manzi, a member of the LFA Medical-Scientific Advisory Council, will present an overview of the medical aspects of lupus. Kelly Drury, a member of the LFA, Illinois Chapter Board of Directors and a national spokesperson for the LFA, will discuss her personal case of lupus and explain to GMA's nearly six million viewers the serious impact lupus can have on individuals and families. This is an excellent opportunity to bring urgently needed national attention to lupus. Please share this message with others and encourage them to watch Good Morning America next Thursday, August 31 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern.

De-Crapify Your PC

yorkspace.com � The PC De-Crapifier

We'll Kick Your......

The Kern County, California, Sheriff's Department orders plain white patrol units and has the graphics applied locally. In this case, what they ordered was not quite what they got. This car was driven for one week before an officer noticed what the graphics company employee did on the passenger side of the car. Oh, my!

The Perils of Parenthood

After taking my 10 year old son Rowan to the Orthodontist for his first visit today, I have come away with a fresh appreciation for the sacrifices my own parents made for us as children. Since Rowan has 10 baby teeth remaining in his mouth, he can't yet get the braces he needs, but for a mere $2,500.00 they will be fitting him with headgear and a retainer to help his jaw grow correctly - until the time we will be forking over another 3 grand for braces. Thankfully, I have orthodontic benefits with my dental insurance (Thanks, ClearChannel!) that will pick up half the tab, but even so, it's painfully obvious how hard my own parents had to work to give all four of us the perfect teeth we have today. I will be forever grateful.

The 9

Great place to waste a little down time:
http://9.yahoo.com/

Speedtest.net

Speedtest.net
Check your bandwith with this cool page.....

I Love My Vino

In an effort to combat rising fuel prices, especially with carting around kids, friends, snowboards and skis in my Honda SUV, I wanted to mention how much I love my new Yamaha scooter moped, the 50 cc Yamaha Vino Classic. A screaming good deal, and I can fit SO much in the under seat storage area, I can do all my grocery shopping and other solo riding for a song - especially with 100 mpg fuel efficiency. Thanks Bobby at Donahue Supersports for taking such great care of me! Now, if I can just get the snow to hold off until.....say........February? I'll be good to go!

EEK!

HEY LADY......LOOK OUT!!!!

Okay, on to more serious subjects. For the past several weeks, I've been having a problem with email. I have a Charter emal account that worked with both Incredimail and Outlook for years - but suddenly, I can't send any outgoing mail using either program to anything but OTHER Charter addresses. I can log in to my account online and use that to send email, but I hate that, and with the volume of attachments for business purposes that I send daily this is way too slow.
I spent an hour on the phone with Charter verifying I had the proper settings. They had no clue. (Go figure.)
I tried disabling outgoing antivirus email scanning temporarily to no avail. I have checked the firewall settings to be sure Port 25 was allowed, and finally turned off the firewall temporarily to try that....no luck.
The exact error I'm getting on Outlook when sending is this:

The message could not be sent because one of the recipients was rejected by the server. The rejected e-mail address was 'stptproduction@nrgbroadcast.com'. Subject 'test', Account: 'mail.charter.net', Server: 'mail.charter.net', Protocol: SMTP, Server Response: '550 #5.1.0 Address rejected.', Port: 25, Secure(SSL): No, Server Error: 550, Error Number: 0x800CCC79

If anyone knows how to fix this before I throw the laptop out the window, I'd be much obliged.

Wisdom Teeth, Part Two

The wisdom teeth extraction went fine. Pain is under control so far and I don't have any bruising, at least yet. One tooth was horizontal, and resting on the nerve that controls sensation to the lip and chin. This was cause for some concern, as one wrong move would have resulted in permanent numbness. I told Dr. Kline, "I just got into the Wausau Symphony, so please don't screw it up!" I really wasn't too concerned, he has a great reputation and it all went smoothly.
Last night, unable to sleep, I stayed up late chatting online with an old friend, swapping terrible high school memories. It was interesting to compare notes and see that we both felt rather picked on for different reasons. My problems virtually disappeared when I changed schools to Rhinelander late in our junior year, though there are, of course, jerks wherever you go. I was so surprised to learn of how these experiences affected my friend, beause I never would have guessed that someone so seemingly self assured and well liked would have been hurt by the careless words of others. With my own children growing older, I hope that I have the means to teach them the kindness that I expect them to show to other kids, even when it's difficult. What creates the bully? Where do they learn such cruelty? And why is it tolerated in the schools? So many parents I talk to say that it can't be avoided. I was highly criticized for removing my children from public school last year after a long, painful year for Devon, who had been on the receiving end from endless taunting and physical abuse at John Marshall. I hear "boys will be boys".....and "you can't solve all their problems". But if I am not an advocate for my children, who will be? And if I find out their friends are bullies, those friendships will be quietly discouraged. My neighbor Mari says you can't pick your child's friends. I say, watch me.

Wisdom Teeth

Tomorrow morning I'm having all four of my wisdom teeth extracted. I know, 38 years old and I haven't done it yet, for Pete's sake. Ridiculous! It all comes from the Fear Of The Dentist instilled in my brain since I was little. I still get chills when I hear a drill. zzzzzzzzzzt! Why do they call them wisdom teeth, anyway? Does anybody know? At any rate, now that I've resigned myself to it I'm not nervous at all. Just not looking forward to the down time. Maybe I can use it to clean my pit of a house - I have really been slacking on the housework and can't seem to get with the program. I think with the Dog Days of summer, I just want to enjoy every last minute with the kids before the rat race of fall begins......and before you know it it'll be time to plan Thanksgiving dinner. Eghad.

This little piggy went to market......

.....and this little piggy chilled......all day long.

Football, Anyone?

On Friday, NBCSports.com will launch Sunday Night Fantasy Football; a game played online that draws as its entire universe the players who compete on NBC's Sunday Night Football during the season. Every week, participants can visit NBCSports.com to pick players who will compete on the upcoming Sunday night game. Winners can become eligible for prizes that include an all-expenses-paid trip to NBC's Football Night in America set in New York or a high-definition television. www.nbcsports.com

Mission Accomplished

After blowing the first piece of the audition, I'm pleased to report that the rest of the nightmare went much better, and I nailed the sightreading.......and I'm IN! I can't explain how great it feels to have reached that goal of once again being a performer in the Wausau Symphony. I can't wait until the first rehearsal!
The kids are at Chinese Language Immersion camp all week at the School Forest, at least during the day. The house is always so empty when they're gone, and yet it's always nice to have a bit of a breather as well.
Busy days ahead, so tomorrow I intend to do nothing but sit in the pool and read my book all day. Thursday it's D-day......getting all four wisdom teeth pulled. My good friend Angela tells me that I'm a big baby for having waited so long (and of course, she's right!)
I have decided to take a yoga class - my first one is next week Thursday. I figure if that chubby guy on Rescue Me can do it, so can I.

Down to the Wire

After months of practice, my audition with the Wausau Symphony is less than 48 hours away. I'm feeling great about my progress, but not confident that it will have been enough. I never audition well, but I hope this will be an exception. I'm preparing myself mentally for failure, yet hoping for the best. I am finding potential ways to keep motivated if I do not get the chair. I think I will have to sign up for a municipal group or a flute choir if I don't make it - otherwise, it will be too easy to set it aside when life becomes busy in the fall, as it inevitably does. In Chicago, I strolled past the Chicago Symphony Hall and browsed in the Symphony Store, purchasing a tote bag for my flute and music that I'll use on Monday for good luck. In the past, I loved the Thursday night rehearsals, the music community, and the charged up feeling when the conductor raised his baton on performance night - the release at the after party, and the sense of belonging I once knew. I am almost afraid to admit how much I crave having it all again.

Tales from the Windy City

We have just arrived home after a long but fantastic trip to Chicago. Devon, Rowan, and I visited many places and saw a great many things. My good friend Kathy Russell, with whom I have been pals since junior year in high school, joined us for one of the days, and we enjoyed every minute. We took the Amtrak from Portage to Chicago, which I highly recommend with the cost of gas and parking these days (not to mention the hideous driving one finds in the city) and relied on public transportation for the most part to get around. Our first night there, we visited Navy Pier and a fun cajun jazz restaurant called the Be-Bop Cafe. The Tall Ships festival was happening as well, so we were treated to an unusual view of boats off the pier. Kathy joined us for Day Two, when we visited the Field Museum (and saw the INCREDIBLE King Tut exhibit) and spent the evening at Soldier Field masquerading as Bears fans for the Chicago Sun Times Friends & Family Night. It was a treat to see the players from spectacular seats as they scrimmaged and prepared to kick off the preseason. Back at the hotel, it was martinis and ghost stories, thanks to a book called "Weird Wisconsin" that Kathy so graciously brought for the kids.
The next day was jammed - we visited Millenium Park (which was spectacular!) as well as the Museum of Science and Industry, the Art Institue of Chicago and the Shedd Aquarium.
Vacations are wonderful - they provide a terrific way to unwind, and a new appreciation for the home you return to at the end. Thanks, Kathy, for making our trip so memorable - I can't wait to visit again!
(But the seven dollar beers I can surely do without!)


 

VACATION

Tomorrow I'm taking the kids to Chicago for a cultural exploration trip. I know, it sounds boring, but it won't be. We'll be seeing the King Tut exhibit at the Field Museum, seeing the Chicago Bears scrimmage, and visiting the Art Institute as well as several other museums. Taking the Amtrak from Portage, will be posting photos from the trip!
Ciao!

Wausau East 20 Year Reunion

Photos are of me with old friends Beth Rypstadt and Mike Immel. Tonight was night two of my 20 year class reunion with my former Wausau East classmates. What a terrific weekend of fun and memories. I especially was happy to reconnect with Beth, who came to the dinner tonight bearing plenty of old photos, an old letter I'd written her at camp, and many, many memories. It's a shame our paths diverged for so long, as the two of us helped each other through some devastating times in our lives. I'm so happy that she has found such happiness with her husband and son, and I am looking forward to many future conversations with my old friend. What fun!
While I so enjoyed reconnecting with old friends, it was a night of sadness as well. I think of friends that are no longer with us, and wonder about the choices I've made in my life. While I am not usually one for regrets, I have found myself immersed in melancholy since the reunion planning began, thinking of what once was, and what could have been - and yet, I know I wouldn't really change a thing. Cheers, class of '86! 

Little River Band at the WVF 2006

David and I went to see the Little River Band at the Wisconsin Valley Fair. I had forgotten how many great songs they had in the 70's and early 80's. Most bands at the fair have such a crummy sound system it isn't fun to listen to, but this band was a rare exception. They sounded fantastic, and we really enjoyed it. Great stuff!
 

Wednesday

At last I have met my beautiful new niece. She looks exactly like David's baby pictures. And WOW, what a set of lungs on her! :)
I have been thinking about forks in the road and how every time we come to one, the fork we choose changes our lives. When I was small, living in Milwaukee, my parents chose to move to Wausau. They chose the neighborhood we lived in, and chose to send us to public school. One different choice, and our lives would be radically changed. I could have grown up in Milwaukee, or on the west side of town, or at another school, and every single thing about my life would be different than it is today. Every accident, every problem, every victory could have changed with a simple misstep. The possibilities are mind boggling.

Mom & Devon at the fair, 2006

Bill Holland & Shereen at the fair

Now see, this is what I love about the fair. A chance to see people I haven't seen in years - like Bill Holland, former WSAW anchor and friend from many years ago.

George Thorogood at the Wisconsin Valley Fair

 

Shereen & David at the Wisconsin Valley Fair

 

Aidyn Evangeline and Auntie Shereen

 

Tuesday night

Ahhhhh......Tuesday. Best day of the week. It's my day off, of course, so it's always great! We thought we were going to be able to meet the new baby today, but it didn't work out that way. Hoping for a chance tomorrow. I am so excited!
David and I went to the fair and saw George Thorogood - surprised at how young he still looks. I'm guessing to 20 year old he looks like the crypt keeper, but to me he looked great. I don't know what it is about the fair, but I love it. A great people watching event, and a chance to see people I never see anywhere else.
David is having a hard time adjusting to the fact that he is, at 46, a father for the first time. I can only say that I believe that fatherhood will change him in ways he can only imagine right now. For so many years he has been single, on his own, with nothing and no one to answer to, and no responsibilities other than his own care. I'm glad he will finally learn that there really is more to life.
Congratulations, my big brother.