Just clearing my head a little bit. No details.. just a general overview.

I'm sad when my friends are down, really really down. I wish to be able to do-say something that really helps. I know they can only figure out things on their own. I know that they know that I am around (and other friends/family).. and they do talk. So at the minimum, my ears are wide open.

One has a really full plate- the primary thing that he ("T") is dealing with is a challenge for me to wrap my mind around. Then there are many issues spiraling off of that main one. A lot of change and decisions are necessary and its anxiety provoking for him. Right now he sees a lot of it as a crisis. I gently point out the excitement and opportunity that can come from these situations; which over time may be possible for him to see and experience as well. Right now, its the transition process taking a toll. As one to need structure, security, and logical progression, it will be a challenge for him, but one that I feel positive that he will be fine about. I think. There is just so much going on! Anyway, I think he is in a good position to step back, reframe the situation and systematically form an action plan; something that will appeal to the structured side of him. Its just getting there..

Another friend has his ("B") immediate life-future up in the air and its killing him inside. This really makes my stomach turn in empathy and helplessness. As opposed to my first friend, he doesn't have as many resources at his side or any sense of security or foundation to stand on. I think he has good coping mechanisms and can be resourceful.. but its going to be a scary ride. Honestly, I don't know if this will plummet him further down the depression abyss. I think he's not in a good position to figure things out, since he has little to work with, which is a warning flag of some sort especially considering the immediacy. Despite his ability to usually take care of himself, his current experience must be weighing him down. I'll attempt to track him down later, what the plan is, if there is one.

so my thoughts are with them. Sometimes we have life moments that leave us feeling weak, exasperated and lost. Often its very temporary but its scary in the moment. Having friends, family and other resources to turn to can ease the burden a bit by sharing the weight. The hard part is choosing/allowing to do that. I think these two are open to that. And so I offer my strong shoulder to them..

still wish I could just twitch my nose, ya know?

On a side yet kind of related note-- has anyone noticed the increase in depression medication ads on tv very recently? As though its extra marketing doled out for the season..

My friend/date/activity partner, "T" and I have decided to take on as many Halloween activities as we can find and afford. As much as I love Halloween, I haven't really done anything fun in relation to it in years. I gobble lots of candy though :)

We went to Fright World tonight, located on Union. It was an after thought to go, seeing as our original plans to go on a ghost walk out in Springville turned out to be a dud. This would have been called, "terror in the trees", I think. It sounded super cool, and I was looking forward to it. It was a nice long drive out anyways, complete with pretty decent conversation.

So we still want to check that place out, but it appears to either be closed or not exist this year. We had seen info on it online, but the website dates quite possibly may have been from last year. We couldn't find anything along the route, even after stopping at a little convenient store, where the cashier said that many people had been in inquiring of the location of the place. So, yeh, hopefully this place still exists and we can head out another time. I enjoyed the evening ride, so it wasn't for naught.

Fright World wasn't as amazing at House of Horrors, but it still had its worthy components. There is so much to see and do for Halloween, that we are breaking it down to one or two things a week. Its my favorite time of year, so its nice that the activities have begun.

Is apple season over or still in progress? I want to pick apples.


I found this a short while ago..






oh, (e:janelle)....

My mind has drawn a blank. I don't use Google all that often (still hanging onto Yahoo), but I remember that the Google banner changes on occasion to depict a holiday or something significant. I don't recall how to check out what it is. Something drastically simple, I'm sure. So what brings me to post today is that I noticed that the Google banner has a pinata today.

what is it for? does anyone know? I feel like I should..?

Google adds flare to their banner for various holidays. Some have left me stumped upon initial glance leading me to figure it out one way or another. With a little bit of poking around, I determined, or at least, figured that it might be that it is the Jewish holiday, Sukkot? I was thrown off by the pinata, as that doesn't seem to have anything to do with it, but some sites have "sukkot pinatas" (help me on this)- some of literature I have read doesn't explicitly mention a pinata, it appears that people use it as part of the celebration, according to one site I found. Again, why? and..well, why not? pinatas are fun! So I gather that Sukkot begins this evening and proceeds for the next seven days? Or did it start late last night?
and again, does the banner have anything to do with it?
If not, then this post will be a provide a little education on it that you may not have otherwise known about.
(WIKIPEDIA - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkot)



From the University of Kansas: Valuing our Differences, Celebrating Diversity website:     

[box]Sukkot, also known as Feast of Booths or Feast of Tabernacles, begins at sunset the day before the 15th day of Tishri in the Hebrew calendar and lasts for seven days. Only the first two days are celebrated as full holidays. The word Sukkot means 'booth' and recalls the time that Israelites wandered in the desert during their journey to the promised land and lived in the sukkots.

Sukkot is the third Pilgrimage festival mentioned in the Old Testament and is a holiday of joy and happiness. It is observed by the building of a temporary dwelling (Vayikra 23: 42-43: "In booths you are to dwell for seven days ...so that your generations will know that I caused the children of Israel to dwell in booths when I took them from the land of Egypt....") and by the gathering of four plants (Vayikra 23:40: "And you shall take for yourself on the first day the fruit of a goodly tree, branches of palm trees, the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before Hashem...for seven days."). On the seventh day, the four plants are paraded around the synagogue in a celebration called Hoshana Rabba, or Great Hosanna.

Sukkot also signifies a thanksgiving for the harvest. In keeping with this, the temporary dwellings are decorated with fruits of the land.[/box]

So now I know just a tiny bit more than I did upon waking.

but I still want to know what the banner is about!

Last night my friend/date and I went to The Maize on Niagara Falls Blvd. It was dark, hot and fun. In previous times, I had only gone as part of a "field trip" with the consumers I worked with, therefore not having the opportunity to enjoy the Maize for myself (many behavioral challenges). Also, I never went at night; the ideal time to go get lost in a maze among the cornstalks. The light of the almost full moon added to the effect.

Its open until 9pm S-Th, until 11pm Fri and Sat. Cost is $7 Bring a flashlight and a couple of hours to spare. We arrived around 7:45 and finished around 9:30.



On Sunday, we had gone out to the House of Horrors and Haunted Catacombs located on George Urban Blvd (near Dick Rd). We pretty much had the place to ourselves. I loved it!!

[box]General Admission $20
Includes Admission To All Monstrous Attractions:The House Of Horrors, Haunted Catacombs, and The all New Psycho Therapy and City Of the Dead In 3-D.

$3 Off Coupons Available at: Burger King, FYE, Mighty Taco, Best Buy, Blockbuster Video, Delta Sonic, Subway, Dunn Tire, Cold Stone Creamery, Verizon Wireless, Fantastic Sam's, and Tanning Bed Locations[/box]

This was insanely cool and not for the faint of heart. I mean you, (e:mike)! It will make you cry, lol. (e:ladycroft)- you would LOVE it. Why did we never venture out and explore all the halloween activities before? ok, it really does all add up. This one is $20 but TOTALLY worth it. I would do it all over again. Get your $3 discount at the above locations or print one out on the website.

Anyway, very sensory oriented- not for the claustrophobic! Some stinky stuff, some very unexpected things to have to do, fun actors, great props, awesome atmosphere. Honestly it was a turn on.

I can't get into it, because you just have to go an experience it and not know what to expect before hand. The hours run late-- seem to close the earliest at 10pm.. and some nights 1am. FUN!!

There are a lot more things going on-- I want to hit up as many as possible. It may seem a bit early, but some things I want to experience without a mass of people around me; which is sure to occur the closer to Halloween it gets.

On to the b-day photo dump. A LOT of pics ahead. Bonfire was fun- good food, drink and friends. Didnt keep track fully, but--I was very tickled to see (e:libertad), (e:mike), (e:paul), (e:terry), (e:jim), (e:james), (e:metalpeter), (e:zobar), (e:dragonlady7), (e:pyrcedgrrl), (e:vincent) also all my buds, Lynn, Damian, Shawn, AJ, Solomon, Shawn(girl), Rainy, Katie, Steve, (e:soma) was missed! Lishy, Barry, Rhonny, and others will get a kick in the ass!). I snagged a bunch of (e:metalpeter,41296) to add to my picture folder, so I hope not to accidentally add any of his here. Also a few pcitures from a b-day night out at Diablo are included.














































































































JIGGLY FACE montage:
this was really entertaining- it was hard for me to keep from laughing, as you will see..

damn tequila.

I vaguely recall some ass shaking.

...more when I get some quality sleep.