Okay, so with the help of my travel agent, my work, and my brother, the Christmas surprise is on! I'm so stoked. I'll actually be home longer than I had originally thought, I'll fly in on the 21st, and back on the 28th - so a whole week!

I was originally going to ask my grandma to help out with the cost of the plane ticket, but decided against it as she's getting a little senile and might let the secret out. Besides anyone who reads this, the only people back home that know I'm coming are my brother and his wife.

My travel agent was able to find a pretty cheap flight (relatively, then again, what isn't relative?). Anyways, so close to Christmas, I figured I'd get major-screwed, but I was able to get a flight for $580. Not bad!

It's gonna be a-fucking-awesome!

I hope I get to see (and meet) a bunch of you while I'm in town...

Although I did realize I have just about no winter clothes, so I'm probably going to spend as much on new sweaters and pants as on the plane ticket - oh gosh, and boots!

The coolest thing is this: I get a pretty fat bonus check each christmas from work, but it won't be here until next week. Well, I really didn't want to wait until then to get the tickets, it would be like impossible. So they're letting the travel agent invoice them, and then I can pay them back when I get the bonus. How fucking cool is that.... as much as I bitch about work sometimes, they really are super accommodating...Also, I just took a week off for Thanksgiving, and have like no personal time left, but they're still letting me take off (actually my boss said "HELL YEAH, JUST GO") and have found someone to cover.....

NICE!

See y'all in a couple of weeks!

So, a little background.....

My son's dad and I trade holidays in the whole happy custody schedule...This year Elijah will be with his Dad & Family in Hawaii - expenses all paid, by the way, for the whole family to fly out and stay, by Elijah's grandparents (not my parents, clearly).... kind of makes me think maybe I should've stuck around another couple of years - not really - the last five years of growth and learning are worth way more than a trip to Hawaii - I'll get there on my own one day.....

So usually when Elijah's with his dad for Christmas, I spend the day with Bob, Tracy and Jill. Bob is my old neighbor, who is a super pain in the ass, but one of those that you just can't help being his friend. Tracy is his son, who I dated for about 2 years, and broke up with about 6 or more months ago. Jill is Bob's daughter, Tracy's sister, who I am also very good friends with.

Well, Tracy has been in a super bad way since we broke up, particularly the last few months. If I'm around and he's sober (rare) he can barely even look at me. When he's drunk he says a bunch of jack-ass things. So they know that Elijah will be with his dad, and I know I'll be invited to Christmas, but for Tracy's sake, I've already decided I will for sure not go there.

So, I've been looking forward to spending Christmas alone at my little cold apartment (yes, it does get cold, relatively, in San Diego).

Cut Scene, flash to my dad....

My dad had colon cancer - was diagnosed a guess a little over a month ago - and had surgery to remove it. He is doing well, and starts chemo tomorrow at Roswell, where, coincidentally or not, Paul works, and also my sister-in-law as an oncology nurse. I've been trying to figure out something special to get my Dad this year for Christmas... kind of racking my brain (I'm a total daddy's girl, by the way)....

Cut scene, merge two together...

So I've decided that, with a little help from my brother and my grandma, to give my daddy me for Christmas.... I just decided like an hour ago, so nothing is set in stone yet, but I plan on flying home and surprising him. I can just picture his face, and I realize there's no other choice to be made!

I'm super stoked.... Paul, do I hear EStrippers' Party?

anyways, I'm planning right now on being home from the Thursday before Christmas, and probably flying back the Tuesday afterward....

Wish me luck! That way no one will have to send me any snow, which I desperately miss, if you can believe that....

Just to let everyone know, Charlie Brown Christmas is on tonight - gosh it's 8 in NY - it might be on right now. I'm listening to Vince Guaraldi getting ready for it....

Send me some snow!

I just wanted to let you all know that my left pinky toe nail is .2253 cm longer than my right pinky toe nail!

Although, switch the words "bite" with "decapitate with a hachet"...

Good thing the Kenmore cops weren't patrolling Wilbur that fatefull night....we'd a been cuffed and stuffed!


PORT JERVIS, N.Y. -- Would you bite the head off a gecko for $10?

Police in Port Jervis, N.Y., said a 19-year-old man did, and now he's behind bars after being charged with animal cruelty.

Officials said Derrick Ford was at a friend's home Sunday when someone bet him $10 that he wouldn't bite the head off a gecko, a small lizard.

Though Ford won the bet, it wasn't long before police showed up and placed him under arrest.


He's being held in the Orange County Jail.






Also, I've started reading some of Oscar Wilde's short stories. I think they're pretty funny; it's interesting to see his view on human nature. Oh, sorry Ajay, should I have checked with Snopes before thinking something is interesting...? My bad. It's not like I said "muy factual". I think it's a little bit nuts to have an "end all, be all" source for anything. Kind of defeats the purpose of free thought, interpretation and opinion, don't you think? I'll post whatever the fuck I want....

In fact, I think I may start posting non-sensical random things just to demonstrate that....

Later!

Just got this in an email. Found it interesting enough to share...

>I just received this, and it certainly is interesting.
>
>
> Many years ago in Seattle, two wonderful neighbors,
> Elliott and Patty Roosevelt came to my home to swim on
> a regular basis. They were a great couple full of
> laughter and stories that today I continue to marvel
> at. Both are now deceased, but their stories remain.
> During the years of our friendship we had many, many
> discussions about his parents (President Franklin D.
> and Eleanor Roosevelt) and how his father and
> mother never intended for the Social Security and
> Welfare programs to turn out the way they are today.
> Elliott used to say that if his mother returned to
> earth and saw what the politicians had done to their
> programs she would have burned all of them in hell.
>
> Here is a story I received today regarding the
> Social Security Program and I immediately thought of
> Elliott's comments. Hope you will read this and
> think about it. (Margaret)
>
> Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the
> Social Security (FICA) Program. He promised:
>
> 1.) That participation in the Program would be
> completely voluntary,
>
> 2.) That the participants would only have to pay
> 1% of the first $1,400 of their annual incomes into
> the Program,
>
> 3.) That the money the participants elected to
> put into the Program would be deductible from their
> income for tax purposes each year,
>
> 4.) That the money the participants put into the
> independent "Trust Fund" rather than into the General
> operating fund, and therefore, would only be used to
> fund the Social Security Retirement Program, and no
> other Government program, and,
>
> 5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees
> would never be taxed as income.
>
> Since many of us have paid into FICA for years
> and are now receiving a Social Security check every
> month -- and then finding that we are getting taxed on
> 85% of the money we paid to the Federal government to
> "put away," you may be interested in the following:
>

---

>
> Q: Which Political Party took Social Security
> from the independent "Trust" fund and put it into
> the General fund so that Congress could spend it?
>
> A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the democratically
> controlled House and Senate.
>

---

>
> Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income
> tax deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?
>
> A: The Democratic Party.
>

---

>
> Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social
> Security annuities?
>
> A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting
> the "tie-breaking" deciding vote as President of the
> Senate, while he was Vice President of the U.S.
>

---

> AND MY FAVORITE:
>
> Q: Which Political Party decided to start giving
> annuity payments to immigrants?
>
> A: That's right! Jimmy Carter and the
> Democratic Party. Immigrants moved into this
> country, and at age 65, began to receive Social
> Security payments! The Democratic Party gave these
> payments to them, even though they never paid a dime
> into it!
>

---

>
> Then, after doing all this lying and thieving and
> violation of the original contract (FICA), the
> Democrats turn around and tell you that the
> Republicans want to take your Social Security away!


One thing's for sure - republican or democrat, fuckers are fuckers!

I was first introduced to this horoscope many years ago in the Artvoice (Free Will Astrology), actually. I wonder if they still publish it. Anyway, I thought this was interesting...

Leo Horoscope for this week:
Psychotherapists talk about how each of us has a false self and an authentic self. When we're in the grip of the false one, we don't love ourselves unless other people love us. We're addicted to status and other superficial standards of success, and we chase after all sorts of meaningless desires that can't possibly bring any lasting gratification. When we're anchored in our authentic self, on the other hand, our motivations are rooted in a love of life. We pursue our dreams because they're interesting and exciting, not in order to impress anyone. The coming weeks will bring a showdown between your false self and authentic self, Leo. If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on the authentic one.

So today my dad's going in for surgery to have his tumor removed at 4. I wanted to thank Joshua and leetee for their well-wishes. Any positive thoughts around that time would be truly appreciated.
Also, Jason, believe me, if I could get the good stuff, you'd be welcome to come out here to share! I'm a little sketchy about that plane-smuggling method....
Anyway, it should be quite the party, actually, at the hospital. When my grandpa was dying last year it got a little roudy, so it should be interesting for just a surgery. My family is really good at making their own fun. So between 1 grandma, 3 aunts, 1 brother, my mom, sister-in-law, niece and friends, it'll be a little nuts. I know how grateful my parents (and myself) are for having so many people around to care and be supportive. It doesn't surprise me, my dad's like the best guy in the world....

Paul, super good luck to you on that interview. It would be great to find something that fulfills you without entirely consuming you....

love to all!

later

15 miles on the Erie Canal....

It's amazing to me that no one knows this song on the West Coast - although I don't know why they would.

Anyways, got this from my This Day in History email:

ERIE CANAL OPENS:
October 26, 1825

The Erie Canal opens, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean via the Hudson River. Governor DeWitt Clinton of New York, the driving force behind the project, led the opening ceremonies and rode the canal boat Seneca Chief from Buffalo to New York City.New York legislators became interested in the possibility of building a canal across New York in the first decade of the 19th century. Shipping goods west from Albany was a costly and tedious affair; there was no railroad yet, and to cover the distance from Buffalo to New York City by stagecoach took two weeks. Governor Clinton enthusiastically took up the proposal to build a canal from Buffalo, on the eastern point of Lake Erie, to Albany, on the upper Hudson, passing through the gap in the mountains in the Mohawk Valley region. By 1817, he had convinced the legislature to authorize the expenditure of $7 million for the construction of a canal that he proposed would be 363 miles long, 40 feet wide, and four feet deep.Work began on "Clinton's Ditch" in August 1823.

Teams of oxen plowed the ground, but for the most part the work was done by Irish diggers who had to rely on primitive tools. They were paid $10 a month, and barrels of whisky were placed along the canal route as encouragement. West of Troy, 83 canal locks were built to accommodate the 500-foot rise in elevation. After more than two years of digging, the 425-mile Erie Canal was opened on October 26, 1825, by Governor Clinton.As Clinton left Buffalo in the Seneca Chief, an ingenious method of communication was used to inform New York City of the historic occasion.

Cannons were arranged along the length of the canal and the river, each within hearing distance of the next cannon. As the governor began his trip, the first cannon was fired, signaling the next to fire. Within 81 minutes, the word was relayed to New York--it was the fastest communication the world had ever known. After arriving in New York on September 4, Clinton ceremoniously emptied a barrel of Lake Erie water in the Atlantic Ocean, consummating the "Marriage of the Waters" of the Great Lakes and the Atlantic.The effect of the canal was immediate and dramatic. Settlers poured into western New York, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Goods were transported at one-tenth the previous fee in less than half the previous time.

Barge loads of farm produce and raw materials traveled east as manufactured goods and supplies flowed west. In nine years, tolls had paid back the cost of construction. Later enlarged and deepened, the canal survived competition from the railroads in the latter part of the 19th century. Today, the Erie Canal is used mostly by pleasure boaters, but it is still capable of accommodating heavy barges.

So just the other day my dad was diagnosed with colon cancer. Very few of you know my dad, but if you did, you would know that he is just one of the best guys in the world, and for sure the best daddy for this daddy's girl. So naturally this news struck me very heavily.

He was diagnosed on Tuesday, and he will have removal surgery on Wednesday, perhaps followed by radiation/chemo. A little bit nuts. Last time I was home I realized how nice it was to live far away from my family - cause, you know, there all crazy and all.... but it's times like this I really hate being far away; I would love to be there for my dad on wednesday, but the plane ticket isn't in my budget at all.

It's weird too because something like this makes you think about .... hm, kind of peripheral things that you wouldn't think you'd think about.... like I'm just worrying even more so, kind of, about my mom, because I think my dad's the only thing that's kept her together at different times throughout their 35 of being married, and I just don't know how she would manage if my dad wasn't around.

Now, I'm totally feeling super optimistic about everything, and colon cancer's the most recoverable, and I'm really not too concerned that he's not going to be around (at least not yet, I guess) but it's just odd the things that come into your head. I worry if they have enough money, if his insurance is good to cover everything, all that stuff - mom type of stuff to worry about. Well, I guess that makes sense.

So, anyways, guys, especially those that are ripening nicely in age, go get checked out, it's super important!