Sports psychology

Why do "elite" athletes get treated so differently from us regular folks? Julie and I wondered last night at the Ranger game how our (so-called) closer, Coco Cordero, was treated by his teammates after the scrape-by win last night. Did they yell at him? Did they ignore him? Or did they pat him on the back and say "there's always next time."

Apparently if you have an actual "closer" in the big leagues, it is imperative that they continually be pumped up and have their egos stroked, or they could have some kind of mental breakdown. Well, isn't that what's already happening? If it's not a physical reason, and the Rangers say he's healthy there, then doesn't some kind of mental block exist to make him keep blowing saves?

And why does he get free pass after free pass? If I were to screw up at work continually and was not doing the job I was getting paid to do, I don't think anyone would try to keep pumping me up. I think they would fire me after three, maybe four times tops.

I think that along with the market dictating that teams overpay players these days, they also seem to be creating weak, mentally affected whiny babies. I say either make this guy earn his keep, or replace him!

Where the heck have I been?

I can't believe it's been two months since I posted anything. You see, it's become a little more difficult to write in my blog as of late. I started this as one of several creative outlets since I feel I have none at my job. The last month or so of posts were actually done AT work. There are two things I hate to do once I get home from work: 1) Talk on the telephone and 2) Turn on my computer. So I started posting, at very brief intervals, of course, at work. Well, just about the time of my last post, we had a rain gutter back up during a weekend of nonstop downpours, and our entire offices were flooded. I was temporarily moved to our conference room, where I shared an office with our Human Resources director. Not a very good place to think about posts. THEN we were ALL moved out to the warehouse floor, where we will remain until the renovations are complete. That's where I sit right now, with 14 other desks and 14 other people watching every move I make. Can you tell I've sunk to an all time low in the morale department, sitting here not really caring that anyone could walk up at any moment and see what I'm doing?

So, seeing as we'll be in this situation until at least the first of June, my posts will be short but sweet. But I'm determined to keep them going! This is an open account of what's going on in my life, at least the parts I'm comfortable sharing about. And now I've gone and lost two months! But to borrow from June Carter Cash (and Christi's favorite quote), it's time to hunker down and press on.

These are role models?

The behavior of two American speed skaters over the past week really has me angry. Chad Hedrick of Houston was hoping to tie Eric Heiden's record of 5 gold medals. Shani Davis was at his first Olympics, and figuring heavy in the human drama story since he is from an inner-city background where basketball is king and speed skating is unheard of.

To hear them talk about one another is despicable. I guess the whole thing started when Hedrick asked Davis to help out his teammates in a new group event, and Davis pretty much ignored his request. Hedrick apparently blames Davis for the US team's loss. Maybe Davis was wrong in refusing to help out his teammates in the group effort, but he claims he was afraid it would take his attention away from his best race, and that speed skating has always been an individual event up to this point.

So instead of blowing off any hard feelings in the true nature of Olympic sportsmanship, these two have been taking potshots at each other ever since. Davis barely speaks when the NBC sideline reporter tries to talk to him after races. Hedrick managed to say that Davis "skated really fast" when he won a gold medal. Come on, guys. This is the Olympics. Not a Little League game coached by Walter Matthau. Take the high road! Wish each other good luck before and congratulate each other on a great race afterwards. Think of how many inner-city kids could look up to Davis as a true role model, if only he would act like one. And even if Hedrick hasn't won the number of gold medals he came into these Olympics wanting, his attitude has already proved he is no Eric Heiden.

My vote for a true Olympian is Joey Cheek, a teammate of these two who has donated all the prize money from his silver and bronze medals to charity. Win or lose, that's my idea of a role model.

I've got Olympic Fever

And it feels good. I turn on the TV when I get home from work, and it stays on until coverage ends for local news at 10:30, or I fall asleep, whichever comes first. I LOVE the Olympics. So far this year I haven't found a sport that's annoying to me, except for snowboarding tricks in "the pipe". I'm having a little trouble with the X-Games stuff, so I guess I'm officially old. I saw previews for the Snowboard Cross (like Motorcross but on snowboards) that airs tonight, which I'm curious about, but seems too much like a Nascar race to be too terribly interesting.

I like the more traditional stuff - downhill skiing, long track speed skating, luge. I even got into a curling match yesterday. What the heck is that all about? I think it's like shuffleboard, but with ice and geekier players. The thing I can't believe is how much I'm getting into the figure skating this year. I stopped watching it about a decade ago, thinking it wasn't a real sport. But this year I'm feeding into all the human interest stories like crazy.

Fascinating TV - much better than a random night of normal TV.

NEXT DAY: OK, I loved the Snowboard Cross. It's not like Nascar-there's no loud, polluting cars involved. Just a person on a snowboard going faster than all get out trying to get in front of everyone else to avoid crashes. I'd like to try it someday, although this is a lofty goal considering the only time I've ever been skiing I never made it off the bunny slope.

Me, agree with an Evangelist?

As shocking as it may seem, you're darn right on this topic. Well, at least with some of them. I heard this story on NPR a few mornings ago. I'm glad that some of our country's religious-right leaders are trying to urge the Bush administration to take a stance against global warming, even though according to the article it's none of the really powerful ones. But it's a start.

The paragraph that really sparked my interest was the quote from the letter that James Dobson and other powerful swayers of White House opinion wrote in response, saying, "Human beings come first in God's created order ... and that primacy must be given to human beings and for human betterment."

I don't get this statement at all. Don't get me wrong - I value human life, and how incredibly precious it is. But I don't think that our species is any more important in the big scope of our planet than others. What I do think is that more should be expected from human beings than from other species, that we should be held to a higher standard of caring. You would think that humans, having the most brainpower and the biggest capacity for love, (supposedly), would care more about taking care of Mother Earth and all the plants and animals who enjoy her miraculous climate and geographic beauty. But yet "human betterment", which to me translates to owning a car, and driving to and from your job without carpooling or investigating public transportation, and trying to have a bigger car or truck or SUV than your neighbor, and trying to have a bigger home than your neighbor, and trying to have so much more stuff than your neighbor that you wrecklessly throw out your old stuff without any thought of recycling ... this mentality has contributed more to the deterioration of Mother Earth than anything else. And now billions of people in India and China are beginning to crave this "human betterment".

I really can't believe that more people aren't concerned with this issue. How many species do we have to lose before it becomes important enough to fight for? How much diversification must be lost as we humans continue to try to make ourselves bigger, faster and richer, no matter what the cost to our planet? I don't care what your political, religious, ethnic or economic persuasion is - if you come around to my way of thinking and see the urgency of the situation, I'm glad to have you aboard.

Silence! The Great and Powerful Oz has Conducted!

Is it just me or does Arturo Toscanini look like the Wizard of Oz on the the cover of this CD? I found this reissue of 1950 recordings of Toscanini leading the NBC orchestra after attending the Fort Worth Symphony's production of Brahms Symphony Number 4. I think what we have here is a clear case of someone who thought they were a might bit more important than they actually were.

Movies, movies, movies

We've been trying to catch up on some of the movies we missed recently. We watched Crash. What a movie! There is a scene that will remain with me as one of the best scenes ever in a movie. I'm glad it's getting recognized. It's weird because while we were watching it, I kept thinking it was a little over the top, but I'm still thinking about it almost a month later, if that tells you anything. And the actors are all great. (Well, except Brendan Fraser).

We'll have The Constant Gardener to watch this weekend. I'd like to try to cram in three or four more before the Academy Awards ceremony. Walk the Line, Brokeback Mountain, and Good Night and Good Luck are the top three on my list, with Capote a runner up. I have no desire to see Munich after hearing about it.

I'm in the middle of watching Adam's Rib at home. I think the best performance in the movie is Judy Holliday - who I don't really know anything about. But I'm always fascinated by Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn movies. I can't tell if they were just superb actors or if they couldn't hide how much in love they were, but their relationships on screen are more real and more believable than any others I've seen. If you ever get a chance - watch this one, State of the Union, and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. They just don't make 'em like that anymore.

ADDENDUM TO ORIGINAL POST:
Amazingly enough, Born Yesterday with Judy Holliday was on TCM last night. She was great in this one-and won the Academy Award for her performance as a woman who never really stopped to use her brain until William Holden opens up the grand doors of history and learning to her. I think she would have gone on to become one of the greatest actresses of her day if she had not died from breast cancer at the early age of 43.

Magical Book

I read Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking during the holidays. I had heard her interviewed and decided I had to read this book. It chronicles the year after the unexpected death of her husband, and during which their only daughter is in and out of a coma. Since the book came out her daughter passed away also. You would think it would be one of the most depressing books ever, but it's not. It is written so honestly and with a matter-of-fact style, and it rings so true about what your mind and body go through while coping with grief. But I only got really teary-eyed a couple of times. I found myself agreeing with and sympathizing with her so often, I feel like I know her personally now. I have never read her work before this book, but I am ready to get started on some of her fiction works. I think the best thing about reading it during the holidays was how appreciative it made me of my family, and how I didn't want to take them or anything about my life for granted. I highly recommend it.

Welcome back Harry

I know I'm a little slow in getting to it, but I finally started the latest Harry Potter last week. We get the audio books and listen while in the car, and it's so great to have a story read to me. Especially when the person reading the story (Jim Dale) has won so many awards it's ridiculous, and is considered the best in his field. He's kept the voices constant for every character throughout six books now. But back to Harry. I keep driving Jav crazy, coming up with all of these crazy theories about what's happening. It's not my fault he read it first! I will think of nothing else until I finish.

Wonder Dog

We are trying to take the dogs to River Legacy Park every other weekend. What a great place - a veritable doggy paradise with tons of trails that seemingly go on forever. Yesterday, my almost 12-year-old Stanley kicked my butt. He just goes and goes, and doesn't ever seem to get tired. After an hour of hiking he didn't want to get in the car to go home. I, on the other hand, was completely worn out and ready for a nap. We've decided after watching the Animal Planet Dog Show the last couple of nights that he has Golden Retriever in him, along with Chow. I still think he has Husky in him too, because of his tail. Whatever he is, he's the best dog I ever could have asked for.

The process is messed up

The Senate Confirmation hearings for Judge Samuel Alito are progressing nicely. Problem is, the democrats use the forum to make lengthy political diatribes instead of asking really good questions, the republicans fawn over the nominee and tell him to ignore those mean democrats, the nominee doesn't really answer any of the supposedly important questions, and the taxpayers' money gets wasted with each moment that goes by. The process seems to have become ridiculous and circus-like. Shouldn't the American public have more of a say-so in this decision? After all, if confirmed, the man will be making decisions that affect the freedoms of (or lack of freedoms of) all Americans, not just our representatives in Congress. (Come to think of it, are these people supposed to really represent me? - Yikes!)

I want to know more about how this man stands. He's young and has the possibility of being on the court for a really long time. Shouldn't these proceedings be more serious and meaningful?

Perfect Weekend

I think we all get so used to frantically running around before and during the holidays that January comes as a breath of fresh air. We didn't have anything we HAD to do all weekend. I had time for yoga on Saturday and walking the dogs on Sunday. I worked in the yard a couple of hours each day, and did some cleaning inside here and there. We went to Mass. We cooked healthy dinners together! each night. We ate breakfast out Sunday and browsed Barnes and Noble afterwards. I took a nap on Sunday afternoon. We watched The Commitments and laughed our way through the whole thing again. Jav fixed the sprinkler system. The whole weekend was absolute heaven, and I look forward to having many more like it.

Favorite Christmas memory, 2005

The neatest thing that happened this Christmas occurred at my brother and sister-in-law's house on Christmas afternoon. Their new house looked absolutely beautiful, there was a Chris Isaac Christmas CD on in the background, and my entire family was gathered around. One of us called someone a Scrooge, and Cade, my 4-year-old nephew, wanted to know what that meant. I started telling him the story of A Christmas Carol. Watching his little excited, interested face, and realizing that everyone got quiet and started listening to me - I tried to make it as magical and memorable as the first time I remember watching the movie as a kid. The scary parts were good and scary, I played down the Tiny Tim part a little, but really played up the end when Ebeneezer is transformed into a better person. Since I don't have kids yet, I didn't realize I could tell a story like that without the help of a book. And when I finished, Cade said, "Read it again, read it again!", which I thought was the ultimate complement, coming from someone I love so much. One day we'll read the book together.

Great movie, great music

While doing some last minute shopping at Target on Christmas Eve, I suddenly found the soundtrack from Garden State in my buggy. That Santa - he really knows his stuff. I had wanted that CD for months! The entire CD is very cool, very mellow songs. Perfect for driving, or for background music if a few friends are over for dinner. If you haven't seen the movie yet, you need to. My favorite scene is the party scene - which happens to correspond with my favorite song on the CD (In the Waiting Line by Zero 7). I'm not sure if the song makes the scene great or vice versa, but it really doesn't matter. Hollywood needs more of what Zach Braff has to offer.

Are we all on the same page?

I hate cliches. They drive me insane. Especially those related to the work place. If you can't say something even slightly original, just don't talk. I found this that sums up a lot of what I'm talking about. They left a couple off. The one the owner of my company says that makes me gnaw my teeth together: "The squeaky wheel gets the grease". Being an animal lover, I also can't stand the ones like, "kill two birds with one stone", and "beating a dead horse".

On the other hand, I don't mind some of the ones I've heard in old movies. Ones that have more to do with people, instead of corporate mumbo jumbo. Maybe I should start a trend to try to bring these back.

For instance, if you meet someone who obviously remembers you but you have no idea who they are, instead of trying to slickly act like you remember them, say "Sir (or Ma'am), it seems you have me at a disadvantage.' Then stick out your hand. I saw John Wayne do this in one of his movies, and although it was a Western, I still think it would impress in a business environment.

Another one that isn't used near enough anymore is to say to a new young coworker or temp, "I can see you going places. You've got a real fire in your belly." Can't you just picture Spencer Tracy saying that to someone?

If you're determined to speak in cliches, why not have a little class about it?

Favorite Christmas Music

Because of the fact that we all start hearing Christmas music just after Halloween the last couple of years, I have a tendency to shy away from anything even resembling a Fa La La La La until the week before Christmas. Then I listen to my favorites non-stop for a week. It's just so much more special to only hear it for that one week. I hate the fact that I'm burned out on hearing Bing Crosby's White Christmas, but I am. So here's my list of favorite CD's/tapes that provide hours of enjoyment while last-minute errand-running, wrapping, cooking, or passing out on the couch from holiday exhaustion.

The Brothers Four Christmas Album
Ok-yes it's folk music and very A Mighty Wind-ish, but I grew up hearing this record every Christmas at my grandparents. When I found it online a few years ago, I snatched it up and now listen with nostalgic enjoyment. It takes me back to being a little kid - my brother and I pinching packages under the tree, the smell of our traditional German Christmas dinner of potatoes and chopped bacon wafting through their house, my grandmother panicking because she forgot to put tags on about half the gifts. I still have their Christmas tree with the homemade ornaments my grandfather made - which completes my sensory journey back in time. It makes me remember how blessed I was growing up, and how blessed I still am today.

Alternative Rock Christmas Compilation
This was a CD put together by my friend Brian. He gave it to me about 5 Christmases ago, and it's become one I can't live without. Many gems on here, including the Hoodoo Gurus surfer-music version of Little Drummer Boy and Happy Christmas (War is Over) by the Alarm . But my favorite is The First Noel by Crash Test Dummies, which I think is one of the most beautiful arrangements of a Christmas carol that I have heard. I don't see Brian much anymore, but I very much appreciate this gift he gave me years ago, and wish him well every time I listen.

A Charlie Brown Christmas - The Vince Guaradi Trio
I originally bought this one for the nostalgic factor, but the mellow jazz that accompanies the best cartoon special of the Christmas season just can't be beat. I've played it in the background at my own home and at work Christmas parties, and someone always comments on how cool it is.

There's a tie for my favorite:
-IT'S CHRISTMAS MAN! - BRAVE COMBO
-CHRISTMAS AT CARNEGIE HALL FEATURING KATHLEEN BATTLE, FREDERICA VON STADE and THE WYNTON MARSALIS SEPTET
There probably couldn't be two more varied Christmas albums on the planet than these two.

The first is from our treasured local (Denton) nuclear-polka band. They also dabble in Ska, Salsa, Blues, Cha-Cha-Cha, and anything else you can think of. And they do it all very well. They offer Little Drummer Boy in Ska (very cool), It's Santa's Polka - their original composition (very fun), and even a version of Ave Maria (very beautiful). I have this as a bootleg tape, and every Christmas I tell myself I need to order the CD. It's so different from ANYTHING you'll hear on the radio or in the malls. It always brings a smile to my face.

The Carnegie Hall recording was from a KERA special that aired on Christmas Eve about 10 years ago. This one is so personal for me. Not only was it the first time I remember hearing jazz and liking it, but it actually had alot to do with deciding that I was absolutely miserable at that time of my life and needed to make some drastic changes. I was spending another Christmas trying to be cheery, stuck in a marriage with someone who just wanted to drink his way through the holidays and who didn't like to be around family. As I watched this visually beautiful special around midnight, with The American Boychoir, full orchestra and adult chorus, I started to want something more out of my life - something with more joy and less misery. The music lifted me up to heights I had forgotten existed in life. My two favorite songs are the septet performing We Three Kings, and the two featured sopranos performing Gesu Bambino. It still lifts me up, and proves that music can be a very powerful force in your life.

Every year I try to purchase a new holiday music CD. This year it was music from The Nutcracker. I encourage everyone to break out of the Jingle Bell Rock rut and find something that warms your heart and brightens your outlook this Christmas season.

A little dose of culture never hurt anyone

We decided to get a subscription to the Ft. Worth opera when we got the brochure in the mail and saw how affordable it was. The deal was clinched when we read that we get a discount with our KERA card. We get to attend three operas. Our seats are the the first row of the upper balcony, a little to the side. I have always wanted to go to an opera, but was a little nervous that I would get bored and maybe even fall asleep. To make things worse, our first opera occurred at the end of our move-in week. We spent all day that Friday moving the last bits of stuff from the old house, which turned out to take four trips in two cars, and moving furniture around, and unpacking yet more boxes of kitchen stuff (were they multiplying?). We were tired and punchy, and sitting at Bass Hall for three or so hours was really the last thing I wanted to do. I begged Jav to just let us go out to dinner somewhere and back home for some relaxation and/or sleep. But he kept coaxing. We somehow managed to find our dress-up clothes, and ended up looking smashing when we walked out the door, me in a blue velvet dress with a turquoise shawl, and he in a purple shirt with gray and purple striped tie. All cool colors. We sat down to watch Verdi's La Traviatta. Here's the rather lengthy story.

Well, it was amazing. The lead playing Violetta had the smoothest most beautiful voice. The sets were amazing, the dancing was perfect and the music itself was so enjoyable. There's an intermission between each Act, so the action never really drags. And everyone is dressed up in their opera finery. I felt like I'd gone back in time, to the days my grandparents would get dressed to the nines to go anywhere - dinner, a movie. It was such a special and romantic event.

It's wonderful to know that for a small amount of money, we are not only getting a wonderful evening, but we are contributing to the advancement of culture in our little Fort Worth community. I can't wait until the next one in January!

A fond farewell

My home for the past seven years has been a lovely little white house on a wonderful piece of wooded property. This spot became a part of me - so much so that the thought of leaving it one day filled me with despair. We have now moved to our new house, which I love in a whole new way. But I wanted to write a few things about the old one, as a tribute, before I can truly enjoy the next one.

Here are some random thoughts about some of my favorite things about living there.

- My wonderful landlords, Mike and Susan, who I knew were always there, one lot away, to help me with anything that might come up. Not just house problems, but with anything. I miss having them next door already.

- Before all the housing developments moved in, it was wonderful taking my dogs for a walk. We never knew what wild life we would see, especially if we walked closed to dusk. Squirrels, rabbits, an occaisional possum, horses and cows, random dogs from time to time. We would watch the emu couple staring back at us tentatively, and once got to see their chicks running in a line behind them. I don't know what happened to them - one day they just weren't there anymore.

- There was a horse-boarding barn that gave riding lessons a couple of times a week. I loved watching the students learning to jump the barriers on those beautiful strong creatures. Sometimes the horses would wander up to the fence and I'd try to pet them through the electric fence. Once one of them took a bite out my sweater, which luckily was very thick and old.

- The bird population was amazing throughout the years I lived there. Some birds were around all year- blue jays, cardinals, wrens, grackels. Some only made an appearance while migrating. Woodpeckers covered both catagories. There was one day when what must have been a gigantic woodpecker was squawking his trills from the top of a tree. I never got a good look at him, and only heard him that one morning. My husband became infatuated with the hawk couple that would always circle as he took the dogs for a walk Saturday mornings. One late morning we laid in our hammock between the grand oak trees and watched them soaring and determined they were having fun.

- The trees themselves hold an especially fond place in my heart. The majestic oaks in the back of the yard were overgrown with huge grapevines, and to spend time back there, looking up through the trees, was heaven to me. That's where most of the birds would spend their time. Several nights I saw possums quickly making their way back up the vines to the other side of the fence.

- One day Jav and I heard the dogs going crazy and went out to see three armadillos, (we think adolescents) rummaging around looking for grubs in the dirt.

- Again, the dogs led us to discover a big turtle who had come from under the house. He was scared to death, having made it to the fenceline, but was now trapped by the dogs. We decided to drive him to Randol Mill Park, thinking he needed water nearby. (This was before researching and finding that there are water turtles and land turtles.) The turtle came out of his shell after driving a few minutes, and was very agitated to be in a moving car. When we were about three minutes away from the park he started peeing on me, which Jav found hysterical. We deposited him on a sunny rock and wished him well in his new home.

The things I will miss most about the house are

the toads that come out in late spring-there deep bellowing mating calls all night long

the ladybugs who invaded our house every November or so, and stayed up the corners of our ten foot ceilings all winter, and all tried to find their way back outside at the first hint of warm weather

the insect population - everything from wasps and praying mantisis to cicada and katydid to the dragonflies that would take care of the mosquitos-I am no longer fearful of bugs but realize how much they are a necessary part of everything

the cardinal couples, one in the front of the house and one in the back, insistently chirping at me to refill the bird feeders

the first whipporwills in the spring

the sound of owls, calling to each other from the tops of trees

the rose bushes in front, one blooming only once in early spring, and the other with it's delicate pink full flowers blooming about four times a year - but always just before Christmas and in April around my grandmother's birthday

going out in the middle of the night and not hearing anything but natural sounds

and finally the donkey that could be heard braying all over the neighborhood. He didn't really seem to have a set pattern, but it would always make me smile when I heard him. When I walked the dogs for the last time, saying goodbye to the neighborhood, we heard him braying goodbye.

The house and the land changed me into a person I never thought I would become. Living there has made me a stronger person, has taught me to appreciate quiet, and has left in me a respect for nature that I would never have had living in suburbia.

Goodbye dear little house, and all the trees, birds and wildlife that surrounds you. I hope the next tenants will take care of you and learn to appreciate you like I did.

Ordinary World

I'm sitting at work listening to Ordinary World by Duran Duran, a song I've always liked. But the line, "Where is my friend when I need you most - gone away", really hit me hard today. My best of lunchtime friends, Glenn Mitchell, passed away Sunday unexpectedly. Glenn was the best host of the best radio talk show in this market, and possibly beyond. One of his many, many fans wrote in her online tribute, "he was like a ray of warm sunshine on a cold day." I agree. He was the high point of my work day. No matter how crappy or stressful of a day I was having, my mood would always brighten to listen to him during my lunch hour. I started leaving to go home everyday because of him. His "Everything You Always Wanted to Know" Friday show left me with so many interesting new things in my head that I would write them down to tell my husband later over dinner.

Some of the shows I have been remembering over the last couple of days: The Grace Slick interview - what an ability to laugh at herself. The former Vanity Fair movie review writer (his name escapes me at the moment). He was English and incredibly funny, so funny that I ordered his book that day. ANY Kinky Friedman interview. Every year when he had a band featured in the Irish Festival. The fantastic Art Prostitute introduction. I even looked forward to pledge drive weeks, because his shows would somehow rise even higher. I loved hearing Glenn and Brian Garner talk about the English language. The Brain Trust shows that I never wanted to end filled with therpeutic laughter.

I've learned about places to eat in this area and the wines to order. I heard great Texas music. I learned more about US presidents and politics, ancient history and culture, and broadened my horizons about current issues. I was fascinated with subjects I'd never heard of before - and hung on Glenn's every question to continue finding out more and more and more. I loved hearing his laugh with it's oh-so-human goofy snort. Glenn had such great questions to ask. He was always professional, prepared, kind, gracious and funny.

I came late to the Christmas Blockbuster. I've only listened for the last three years. But last year will always be truly special for me. My husband and I listened while I finished up some Christmas cooking, we wrapped presents until late at night, and went to sleep listening to the Dylan Thomas "A Child's Christmas in Wales", which I had never heard before Glenn's show. Something about that piece makes me feel like I am six years old again, watching for reindeer in the sky. I will make a point to find a print or recorded version of it, so that I will be reminded of Glenn each Christmas and what he brought to my life. He brought so very much - how can I possibly forget? My world suddenly seems much more ordinary.

I am wondering where my friend is - and will miss him every day.

Dream home

We have been moving over the past two weeks. Haven't slept much, have only been eating really bad food - but are finally all in the house. We love our house. Even though we're only just getting to know it, it feels like we've already lived there a long time. It just feels right when we walk in the front door. Now I'm so glad we took all of the long, hot summer to find just the right one. The pets are digging it too. The dogs love their backyard, and are already protecting it with lots of barking (so much for having happy neighbors.) The cats are amazed at how much more room they all have. They love running across the floors and are exploring every corner of the house. So far everyone seems pretty happy, but that may change since we're having to keep Bones indoors for the next couple of weeks. But Jav and I are the happiest. Even as we discover the little problems that can drive you crazy, or discover things that need repairing, we still think it's full of character and everything we've ever hoped for.