BMW Z4 convertible vs Toyota Prius Hybrid

OK - I am not talking about the two of them racing against each other... I am talking about which is the best car for me. I have only had the Beamer for a couple months but I am seriously considering selling it and getting a Toyota Prius. People seem to think I am nuts for wanting to go from the BMW to the Prius.... It was even said that the Prius was a "geek" car. Is geek a bad thing? We actually get really good gas mileage - about 26 mpg - not bad since we rarely drive on the hwy. But I just think the new Toyota Prius' are adorable. I have wanted a Prius since 2004 - but Chris got his way and we got the Honda instead. This time, I wanted either a Smart Car or Prius - but Chris talked me in to wanting the Z4 instead. Was not hard to convince me -- after all, I am having my midlife crisis..... Yeah - it is a cool car.... HOWEVER - it is really hard NOT to speed in that car. You do not even realize you are going so fast. I am thinking that we will save money on insurance and future speeding tickets if we go for the Prius. I thought I would take a poll and see what everyone else thought - BMW vs Prius... which one?

Does Everyone Know Me or What?

Seriously, does everyone know me better than I know myself or what? Back when Chris and I were just friends, people swore we were more and that I would marry him. I thought they were nuts... But they were right. When I came back from Iraq and said I was never going to work again, people laughed and said "yeah right". I am thinking that some people may have even had a little "pool" going on to see who could guess how long it would be before I got bored and went to work. Well, I have been home for a year now and guess what. I am thinking about going back to work. Yep. I was wrong - my friends and family were right. And yes, Chris dear, you were right. Do you know how much I hate admitting that I was wrong? Although I am still just in the "thinking about it stage", I did apply for a couple of jobs. Neither are hiring right away - so I would have time to decide if I really want to go back to work. Today, I was talking to some people about these "missions" that are about a week long. I was most interested in the missions where you work in orphanages. They cost about $1500 - $2000. I think it would be a neat experience. There is one going to Uganda in September. I would love to go on that one. I love the Ugandans that I met in Iraq. It is kind of a catch 22... for me to go on one, I need to earn the money.... but to earn the money I would need a job... if I get a job, I would not be able to up and leave to go on the week long missions.... And there is always the Elephant School I wanted to go to.... Not sure what I will end up doing -I just know I am bored with doing nothing :(

Psycho Kitty

OK - for those of you who do not know the story of how TaiChi got her name.... Chris named her CheeSigh - which means "tiny" in some language - mandrin I think. Anyway - I kept getting confused and calling her Taichi. Finally, she started responding to Taichi - thus, choosing her own name (or did I choose it? I am not really sure). Now... our new little kitty was named by my sweet husband who chose one of the suggestions of my sister in law (Dana). I do love the name Duchess. However, once again, I have accidently given her a new name - "Psycho Kitty". It is not what I intend to call her - but when she acts like a psycho kitty, then I call her a psycho kitty. Is it my fault that she is so OFTEN psychotic? I can't help it if she earns the title Psycho Kitty so often that she thinks its her name. Geesh...

Yesterday, we had a house full of guests. I had closed the door to the guest room to keep her and the dog out after I cleaned the room. Then, I closed the door to our bedroom. Well, she usually hides under our bed when people visit - sometimes she goes to the guest room and hides under the bed there. Last night - she freaked out at the noise level in the house and did not have a bed to go under. So, being the psycho kitty she is, she ran into our fireplace and UP the chimney! People had been running in and out of the house - so I just locked them all out for the time it took me to coax her down (about a half hour). The poor little thing was so scared - but so was I! I was beginning to think I would have to call the fire department or something to get her out.... I kept calling her name (Duchess) and she did not respond. However, when I called her Psycho Kitty - she meowed in her soft little voice. Anyway - she is out of the chimney and I have pulled the fire place screen shut so hopefully that will keep her out! See... and people wonder why I call her a psycho kitty ;-)

Sometimes you need to smile...

There are times when nothing seems to go your way and life seems as if it is just crumbling down around you. These are times you just have to take a breath and smile. Or better yet - laugh.....

Whenever this happens to me, I watch this. I have seen it over and over and over- I laugh everytime I see it.

Here is a link to the guys website that made it:

http://www.navone.org/

The Desk....

I can not remember the last time I went to a yard sale. I used to be a HUGE yard sale junky and I used to love to "dumpster dive". But over the years, I guess my tastes have become a little more pricey. But Saturday, we drove by a yard sale and I decided I wanted to go take a look. So Chris, being the patient, loving husband he is, turned the car around and we went back to the yard sale. We pulled up onto the little hill and parked. Almost as soon as I got out of the car I saw it! There it was! The desk! Now, this was not just any ordinary desk. This was a little antique rolltop kids desk. Now, let me just add, that after selling our historic home in Suffolk, I had no desire to ever again own anything old and antique. We own only one antique - a dining room table of which I am none to fond of. But the desk... I just had to have it. Why, you may wonder, did I have this obsession to own this little antique kids desk? Well, I will explain.... When I was a little girl (many years ago), my grandfather Diamond gave my sister and I a little desk. It was old back then and in much need of repair. My grandfather fixed it up for us. I have lots of memories of that desk. I remember playing "Bank" and "School" with that desk. I loved that desk. But so did my sister. When we were both grown and out on our own - we BOTH wanted that desk. My mother maintained custody of the desk and finally decided that to keep us from fighting over it, it would go to the first grandchild. Now, I wanted that desk bad - but not enough to go out and get pregnant just to get custody of it. One year, at Christmas time, I had very little money for gifts. So I decided that for my gift to my sister, I would relinquish custody of the desk and give it to her. I wrote a little poem telling her that money was tight, but the gift I gave her came from my heart. I wrapped that poem up and gave it to her for Christmas that year. Giving up all hopes of ever owning that desk - but knowing, that she wanted it as much as I did. She still has that desk. She has it in her entryway. I have looked at it longingly each time I have visited her - not wanting to take it back, but just cherishing the memories I have of it. I know it is not the SAME desk. I know that it is not the desk my Papa repaired and gave to us as children. But when I look at it, I have those same feelings as the memories come flooding back to my mind. I don't think Chris will ever love the desk, but he knows that I love it and that I will cherish it, so he tolerates it. As soon as I brought it home, I cleaned it up and put it in my entry way. There is nothing inside the desk yet. I am thinking that I need to put some monopoly money it it (in memory of the times we played bank) and maybe some crayons, paper and pencils (in memory of the times we played school). I no longer have my Barbie dolls, my Lite Brite or my Matchbox cars - but I now have a little piece of my childhood memories sitting in my entry way. It may not really be the actual desk of my memories - but it was the desk of some other child's memories and I can look at it and recall my childhood memories. I love that desk!