Thanksgiving 2012

This Thanksgiving season is already off to a great start. Last night we had dinner with one side of Charles's family: a fabulous meal and wonderful company! A+!! Tomorrow we'll spend time with the other side of Charles's family-- it's always nice to see such a close family and to get to enjoy great food. Then tomorrow for supper, my Dad and one of my sisters will come over for lasagna, garlic bread, and salad. This will be the second year that Charles and I will host them for Thanksgiving. Sometimes I wish I were more domestic and could get into (and enjoy) cooking for a bunch of people. However, that's just not me, and I am glad people don't pressure me to conform in that way.
There is so much to be thankful for that I can't even really begin to start listing things, as I'd feel the need to keep going and going and going. Maybe I can just limit myself to 3 things. Or maybe 5 things...

1. God (and Jesus, and the Holy Spirit......)
2. Family (especially Charles!)
3. Friends
4. My job (love, love, love my job, and so grateful to have it!)
5. My health

These things are all very important to me, but on the other hand, they are a bit cliche. What else am I thankful for that is a little less like something from a lifetime movie?

1. I am glad I get to try different shampoos. Life would be a little less interesting if I had to use the same shampoo every time.
2. I am thankful that Charles and I 'discovered' Mexico Lindo restaurant on Cedar Bluff. It makes our Saturdays so much brighter.
3. I really appreciate Netflix. It brings us hours and hours of entertainment. Right now we are watching the Highlander TV series. Which reminds me that I am thankful for Adrian Paul. It brought us Battlestar Galactica, Mad Men, Psych, Breaking Bad...
4. I am so thankful that Frodo hasn't hurt himself lately. He is still having some problems but there hasn't been any blood for awhile, and that is so huge to us.
5. I appreciate my car. My dad and Charles have both been so generous in the past about letting me drive their cars, but it is so great to have a car that is mine, that is reliable, paid off, and moderately clean.

Yes, I feel much better now. :) Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Tybee Island, Georgia 2012

Last week my hubby was on fall break from his Internship and his lecture duties, so we got out of Knoxville for a few days and hit up our faithful vacation spot, Tybee Island, Georgia. I think this might be the 5th time we've been, and it was glorious! 2nd week of October was a great time to go. Off-season price on hotel, but weather in the upper 70's to mid 80's. The water was slightly too chilly to swim in, in my opinion, but since I am not much for swimming where I can't see my feet, I didn't miss out too much. I think next time we go, we might try for last week of September or first week of October to get just a little more warmth, but it was wonderful. :) I got less sunburn than usual. We splurged and got a slightly more expensive room so we could have an ocean-facing balcony, and that was really a highlight of the trip. The room was not luxurious, but it was clean, and that is the #1 thing I look for in a hotel. We slept with the curtains open so the sunrise woke us up every day. Charles spent a couple hours each day just enjoying the view and breeze and sounds from the balcony. We had wonderful food. I am not into seafood at all, but Charles was able to get some seafood he enjoyed, and there was plenty of other delicious stuff to be had. We had breakfast everyday at the Breakfast Club (yum!), and ate 2 lunches at Lighthouse Pizza- a little pizza place with delicious food and nice service. Also had icecream at a couple different places, but Seaside Sweets was the best-- delicious 'ice cream gelato' and pralines. One of my favorite places to eat was called Coco's. You can watch the sunset over the river from atop their restaurant. We didn't survive the sunset, though, because there were pesky gnats outside. The food there was great, though-- I had amazing nachos. Yum!
It was one of the most restful vacations I've ever had, I guess because we've been there before so we could take it easy. It was so comfortable, and all the locals were super laid back because the tourist season was pretty much over. I hope we can make it back next year!

Random Updates

1. All the political posts on Facebook are making me question why I am friends with some people. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I have friends on both sides of the political spectrum. Personally I am a moderate, and I can see both sides of many issues. What bothers me, though, is the vitriolic garbage that people tend to spew. If you disagree with Obama or Romney, that's fine, but there's no need to be ugly about it. Ugh. Can't wait til the election is over. :/

2. Recovering quite well from the wisdom tooth extraction. Today I go for a follow-up and will probably get my disolvable stitches removed since they aren't doing a great job of dissolving. The only 'complication' I have had is some mega nausea from the antibiotics, but today is my last day of those, so yay! I actually had to go home early on Tuesday because my stomach was so unhappy. I hate having to leave work early. Then yesterday when I was back at work someone asked me if I was pregnant (I am not, by the way). WHY WOULD YOU ASK ME THAT? "Because you were out sick, and you are never out sick!" Yes clearly the logical conclusion is that I am pregnant. Wut? I wasn't offended but I was amused by the huge assumption. I hope I don't *look* pregnant since I'm actually trying to lose weight. That would be a huge fail. Anyways, I'm looking forward to moving on and getting the stitches out. I totally recommend Dr. Daniel Read in Knoxville if you ever need tooth extraction. I think he is a wizard.

3. I'm really getting into Breaking Bad. Some people have told me it's a great show, and of course it gets a lot of acclaim. However, close friends that usually advise me on what to watch were only able to make it through 2 seasons because it is "so dark." Well, I gave it a shot anyways, and WOW I am hooked. It is dark, to be sure. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to watch, because I usually try to watch things that make me happy, but it's so mesmerizing. The last episode I watch started with a commercial for Los Pollos Hermanos. Man, I wish that was a real restaurant. I was totally craving chicken after that commercial. Anyways if you have a strong stomach for violence, I suggest you give the show a try.

And that's all, folks!

Wisdom Tooth Extraction

On Friday I will be having my wisdom tooth removed. I thought the picture above summed things up nicely. :) I am kind of nervous and excited. I've enjoyed hearing about other peoples' experiences with their wisdom teeth. Luckily I only have one wisdom tooth, and it's on the top, so that is good. I am going to try to guy buy some yummy soft stuff to eat. I wonder if ice cream would be ok, or if the coldness would be too much. Hm. The only complaint I have so far is that the doc gave me a sheet of paper telling me what I need to know for before the surgery, but I don't know anything about after the surgery so it's kind of hard to plan in advance. I'm looking forward to having the day off, though. And Monday is a holiday, so I'll get some extra bonus recovery time. Wheee!

In other news, Friday is also my hubby's birthday. I felt bad scheduling surgery for that day, but it really made the most sense. Hopefully I will be well enough that we can go celebrate over the weekend. And recovering will not prevent me from bestowing gifts on him. :) Then Monday is my bff's birthday, so she and I will be celebrating then for sure. Life is good, generally speaking. I've been counting calories in an attempt to lose weight, and I've lost approximately 5 pounds over the last 5 weeks (it's so hard to tell because my weight fluctuates so much day to day. I weigh myself at the same time and everything! bah!). The progress is slower than I would like, but they say that the slower you lose it, the more likely you are to keep it off, so I'll take it! It took me a long time to put the weight on, so I guess it should take at least that long to take it back off! Maybe losing slowly will reduce stretch marks, too. A girl can dream, can't she?

Work is great; I got caught up on some work that had been nagging at me for awhile. Now it's time for our annual reviews. I had to write a self assessment which is always a chore. Balancing on the fine line between humility and self-promotion is difficult. No one likes a braggart, but there is no sense in throwing yourself under the bus either.

I want to say a special shoutout to Bridget Wilson, a friend of mine from library school, that has shown herself to be possibly one of the world's kindest people. I won't go into details but I just want to say how much I appreciate her kindness.

OK, peace out!

Adventures in Puppy Sitting

Last night my hubby and I pup-sat for my Mother-in-Law. She has a 1 year old Staffordshire mix named Lily. Lily is quite the ball of energy! I was really looking forward to the chance to dog sit cause she is such a cute dog and I always thought Frodo might like to have a little sister. Even though Lily is adorable, and not at all a bad dog, the experience was totally exhausting! She just wanted to be in Frodo's face all the time. She didn't really know how to play with another dog, and kept trying to be dominant. She was continually trying to get the high ground, and take all of the chew toys for herself. Poor Frodo was off to a great, playful start, but at 9 years old and under the influence of Prozac, he just couldn't keep up. Hubby and I had to split duties to keep them under control, and in the end I slept in our bedroom with Lily, while he slept on the couch with Frodo. Not a restful night's sleep, either, with Lily continually whining at the door because she wasn't done playing yet. Not to mention that Kenobi couldn't be included. He slept in the office with his litterbox. Poor little kitten. :) It was fun letting Frodo play with another dog, and I was very proud of him for doing such a good job with her. He shares his toys and plays gently. The experience taught me that I am not in the right place to have a puppy right now (I am not patient enough), and that despite Frodo's anxiety, he is a great dog. I'll enjoy visiting Lily again in the future, but for much shorter periods of time. :)

Ouch.

I think I pulled a calf muscle in my sleep last night. I feel like I have a charlie horse, and the feeling won't go away. I'm trying to stretch it out but to no avail. Walking on it hurts at first, but then it warms up and feels a bit better. Karate should be fun tonight! Oh, brother.
In other news, kudos to my friend, Chrissy Clark. Her Gotcha items are now being sold in Toys R Us stores! There are currently 4 designs of folders/spiral-bound notebooks available: Dance, Geek, Pirate, and Ninja. I bought a few items for my nieces but haven't mailed them yet. It will probably take me awhile to get to the post office. It is really cool to be able to go into a store and see something that a friend made. :)
OK, back to work. Have a nice day!

Family Time!

My brother came into town late, late Sunday night and will be here for about a week. Today, my sister is coming in from Alabama. It is always a treat to have all 4 of the Reed kids together so I'm hopeful that hubby and I can get Frodo properly sedated, which will allow us to go out to dinner with my family. Fingers are crossed!

Frodo has been doing a little bit better, but he still isn't quite comfortable with being left at home alone. Last night I wanted to see my family some, so I took Frodo with me to my Dad's house. We had a nice time and Frodo didn't really cause any trouble, which was nice. I always wanted to have a dog that I could take with me places, but this wasn't really how I envisioned it working out. I wish it was under better circumstances.

Anyways, I just wanted to share the news that I am excited to get to see my siblings. For now, though, I'd better get back to work!

Puppy Prozac

Yesterday my hubby and I were supposed to meet with the Animal Behaviorist that our vet recommended. We agonized over it because it is expensive, and because even though Charles's experiences with behaviorism are more geared towards children than animals, we felt we were already doing the right things with Frodo behaviorally. We just weren't convinced that we would get $250 worth of advice out of the appointment. So we postponed the appointment indefinitely and instead made an appointment (again) with our vet to get some medication. We might still see the behaviorist after trying medication, but the anxiety problems seem to be getting worse, and have even started manifesting in small ways when we're home. So yesterday we went to the vet and got a prescription for fluoxetine, aka, Puppy Prozac. He's only had one dose so we haven't seen a change yet but I'm optimistic that the medicine will get him to a place where the behavior modification techniques will be more effective. Frodo has been a great dog for so long, and we're hoping he'll remember how to be a great dog and will go back to the way he used to be. We're also hopeful that the medicine won't be a permanent fixture in his life. We'll just have to see. We got a 30 day supply so we're going to see how he's doing after being on it for a month. Maybe just the fact that we're doing something will calm us, and in turn calm him. Here's hoping!

The Avengers

Last week I went with my hubby and some friends to see The Avengers, but I am only just now getting to sit and write about it. I don't want to give away too much, so I will keep it short. The movie was very good, highly entertaining, action-packed, and fun. Many people told me how funny it was, and so in my mind I was expecting it to be a comedy with some action thrown in. In reality it was more of an action movie with some comedy thrown in. That's not to say it wasn't funny, I am just trying to prepare anyone that hasn't seen it yet to anticipate the appropriate amount of funniness. After I saw the movie, I spent the next 24 hours basically trying to decide which Avenger was my favorite. I *think* I have it narrowed down to Thor and Captain America, though others are also awesome. Also, I was never really a fan of the Hulk, but after this movie I like him better. So, go see it if you haven't already! :)

*edit: I included this great Captain America picture for Lola. :)

Separation Anxiety

Charles and I took Frodo to the vet yesterday to inquire about his separation anxiety and how to best handle it. I was a little bit disappointed that there was no magical cure. They asked if we wanted to medicate him, and we said we would prefer not to, but will if that is our only option. They gave us a sheet of paper with 3 licensed behaviorsists' names on it. Luckily we went ahead and got his shots done while he was there, so the $100 vet bill actually felt like it had paid for something. One piece of insight they did offer was that dogs usually get MORE anxious as they age, not less. So at least we learned we have an uphill battle ahead of us. I guess Charles will try to call a behaviorist and hopefully it won't be too crazy expensive. The anxiety has been very stressful on all of us, especially Charles. We try to always have at least one of us at home whenever it is possible, which means we haven't been going out much at all. Good for the budget but a little stifling socially.
On the plus side, Frodo got a lot of compliments at the vet's office for being so handsome. One person thought he was a puppy and was surprised when we told her he was 9 years old! That's our boy.

I'm hoping to go see The Avengers this week, but Frodo's behavior will likely determine that. I've giving a speech in Toastmaster's tonight (about Frodo and his problem, actually), and between that, karate, some reading I need to do for my mentorship program, and some other obligations, things are looking rather hectic. If I don't get to post again before that, I want to wish all you mothers a Happy Mother's Day. :)

JDRF and the Rossini Festival

Well it's Monday morning and I'm recovering from a busy, but good, weekend. On Saturday, my sister Rebecca and I went to the World's Fair Site to walk in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation 5K walk. My employer, UT-Battelle, had a team of walkers, so it seemed like a good opportunity to support JDRF and meet some colleagues at the same time. I did get to meet a couple new people, which was really nice, and Rebecca and I enjoyed a nice walk. After the walk, we went up to Market Square and Gay Street for the Farmer's Market and Rossini Festival. My friend, Chrissy, was dancing with her bellydance troupe at the festival. The street vendor food at the festival was super delicious, and we had a good time looking at the vendor booths, listening to opera, eating, and watching the dancing. I got a sunburn on my face from being outside so much, but we had a good time.
In other news, Mister Frodo has been causing more trouble, breaking out of his kennel and just being stressed out. I bought him a ThunderShirt yesterday, but we haven't left him alone with it yet. I am optimistic that it will help since I've heard so many good things about them. The peeing in the kennel and the destroying of blankets is annoying, but the real problem is that Frodo is so clearly distressed, and he scratches his face in these escape attempts. Charles was able to track down the offending pieces of kennel by following the tiny blood trail, so we now know which part of the kennel he is scratching himself on, but we don't have much at our disposal to stop it. So hopefully the ThunderShirt will help.
Well, Happy Monday, everyone. Let's get this party started.

Sherlock

So people that know me know that I love British stuff, and Scifi, and nerd culture and all that jazz. I'm a big fan of Doctor Who-- not a "I know everything about DW" kind of fan, but a fan that gets excited and loves DW stuff. Well... I feel like I am cheating on Doctor Who because I am falling in love with the BBC Sherlock series. Sherlock is so fantastic. Last night I was watching an episode and it mentioned Liberty, Indiana. I got a little giddy. My grandparents lived in Liberty, Indiana! It was neat hearing a town of <3,000 people (thank you, Wikipedia) get mentioned like that.
I change favorites a lot... favorite actors, songs, shows, movies, foods... but right now, Sherlock is my favorite. I'm devouring Sherlock pins on Pinterest like a crazy person. If you like British stuff, or just good TV, or cheekbones, or scarves, or mysteries, you should check this show out. Season 1 is streaming on Netflix. 3 episodes per season, but they are about 80 minutes each. You will love Dr. Watson. What a guy.

Ott's BBQ

I am sure I must've eaten at Ott's sometime in my life, since it was on the road between my family's house and the small horse farm we had in Lenoir City growing up. But I don't remember it. I recall in recent years driving past it and not feeling too compelled to go in. However, Ott's recently moved from Lenoir City/Dixie Lee to Bearden, and a coworker told me that she and her family really enjoy going there, so I thought I'd give it a try. This is a very like-minded coworker; we have a lot of similar tastes, so I figured that if she liked it, I would like it. "What do you normally get there?" I asked, and she said she likes the pulled pork sandwich but that her husband and son like the quesadilla. o_O   You get a quesadilla at a BBQ place? She said it was good.
So last night I asked hubby if I could treat him to dinner at Ott's and he agreed. He got the pulled pork sandwich with fries (fat potato wedge style) and a drink. I got the quesadilla (which had pulled pork and chopped chicken, which I thought was strange, but hey, whatever) and a drink. The total came to almost $20 which was steep, but I brough half the quesadilla home (it was huge!) along with a mound of fries (big portion), so I guess when you consider that we got an extra meal out of it, it wasn't that bad. The food was very tasty. The atmosphere was meh, but I am totally OK with that. I don't go out to eat so I can look at artsy prints. I go to EAT, and the food was good. I will definitely go back.

SLA Spring Board Meeting

Getting ready for a mini-trip to Nashville for the spring board meeting of my SLA chapter (Special Libraries Association). My hubby is going to go with me this time and we'll leave a day early so we can stop by Murfreesboro to see our advisor from our MTSU days. I'm really looking forward to spending time with the hubby, visiting our old stomping grounds, seeing Tom (Dr. B!), and just getting away. The SLA board meetings are always somewhat fun and very fruitful, so I'm looking forward to that. I am currently serving as the Membership Chair for our chapter, and the numbers aren't looking great. I love being part of SLA and I definitely feel like I get my money's worth out of the membership. However, times are hard, and I can completely understand when someone can't justify the high cost of membership. It puts me in a tricky spot because I want to encourage people to join, but I don't feel comfortable pushing people. I guess what I can do is think of the things that I get out of SLA and share those with people, then they can make their own choice.

In tangentially related news, my Frodo has been a wild puppy. This week he escaped from his kennel while my hubby and I were out. He didn't do any harm to our place, but he scratched himself up a little in the escape. He managed to undo a carabiner in order to get out, which was pretty impressive. After that incident he has made some other escape attempts, scratched himself up in the process, peed in his kennel a couple of times, and was just generally stressed. Last night when hubby and I got home, he had shredded his blanket in the kennel and peed and pushed on the door. I don't know what to do, really. With our upcoming trip to Nashville, I worry that he'll be even more stressed out. I might have to try anti-anxiety meds with him. Poor puppy. Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing??

Fatty

I can't be certain, but I think I bruised some of my fingers because I'm overweight. :( I went for a long-ish, fast-ish walk this morning. I was wearing my regular jewelry because I didn't feel I would be doing anything TOO strenuous, or anything that would damage my rings. I walked pretty quickly for about an hour, and when I was done, both of my ring fingers were red and splotchy. My guess is that my hands swelled when I was walking, and my rings were too tight so the circulation must've been bad. It's been a few hours now, and I can move my fingers just fine; they are a little tender and slightly purplish. I took my rings off when I got home and they were still more snug than normal. :( I think my fingers are bruised; I must've burst some capillaries or something. I guess I need to get serious about getting my weight under control. I know what I have to do; I actually know a fair amount about diet and exercise, I am just lazy. Guess I need to get serious about it. Right now I am about 170.5. I am going to see if I can lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks. I know that should be achievable, especially given that water weight is usually the first thing you lose. ;) I hope my fingers turn back to their normal color soon so that I don't have to explain to anyone my fat kid story. :/

Blar

I can't really go into too much detail here but lately things have been a little rough. It is very hard to watch someone you love go through something unpleasant. In this case, someone is going through a perceived failure that will have a very big impact on the next few years of life. In the grand scheme of things, on a galactic level, it will not matter much. But in our personal lives, in the scope of other worries, it is fairly monumental. It's hard to think of things to say to comfort someone, and people prefer to handle hardships in different ways. A friend told me that my loved one might just need some time to lick their wounds. Some people like unconditional support, others want to commisserate. Some people really want advice on how to fix a problems, and others just want to be distracted from the troubles. We all want to be treated differently, and this is one case where treating someone as you would want to be treated might not be the best course of action. And when someone is hurting, they might not have the presence of mind to be able to tell you what they want or need. It's a tough time and I wish I could help my friend more effectively. I guess all we can really do is weather the storm to the best of our ability.

The Ides of March

Last night the hubs and I went out to eat, and stopped at Dunkin Donuts on the way home. I thought we might each get a donut for dessert, but somehow we ended up with a half dozen. I had one last night as we were watching a movie on Netflix (School Ties!), and then completely forgot about them until I was on my way to work this morning. I could've had a delicious donut for breakfast, but Nooooooo, I had to forget that we had delicious donuts. What a tale of woe. It's the Ides of March. Be careful out there! :)

Hobbies

Is there a hobby you would like to try, but you don't have the time (or money) to devote to it? I've been thinking about this a lot lately. There are so many things I want to do, and I just don't know if I'll ever get to do them. I want to learn to quilt (I've had a few lessons from my oldest sister, but I am a slow learner!), I want to run (I am so out of shape, though! It's part of the problem!), I want to write a book (so many ideas! so little time!). Lately I have really wanted to learn archery. As a kid I had a little toy bow that I loved to play with, and I've always wanted to take lessons as an adult. I found out that there is someone at the lab that's interested in archery, and maybe I will reach out to her for more information. I really love doing karate stuff, but the time commitment is hard to keep. Isn't it foolish, then, to try to add another hobby to the mix? Maybe I should take up playing the lottery so I can get rich and then have the time and money to do all these things I want to do. ;)

Downton Abbey

Facebook and Pinterest have been abuzz over Downton Abbey, a PBS series about life in a fancy schmancy house in Edwardian England. So I decided to give it a chance and started watching the first season on Netflix (streaming). Holy smokes, I was addicted after the first episode. The second season has been viewable on pbs.org up through yesterday, but now it's been taken down. I have watched all but the last episode of season 2. I feel like there is a hole in my heart that only the last episode can fill. I have to know what happens to Mister Bates. So many characters that I like and care about, and I just have to know what happens! Luckily, I have an Anglophile friend at work that has the discs, and he's going to hook me up so I can find out what happens. If you like British TV, swooning dramas, or Masterpiece Theater, you should watch this show. It's so dreamy! I give it an A+. :)

The Person I Admire Most

I was thinking today about my husband and how much I admire him. He has loads of good qualities that I lack. One of the things I love the most about him is that he likes to challenge himself, and he perseveres. I, for one, really dislike hassle, and I dislike that I dislike hassle. There is much to be gained by trudging through inconveniences. I'm really impressed with how he has taught himself to play piano, and taught himself so much about computers, video game design, and all kinds of other things. He's really done a great job in his doctoral program in school psych. He's got publications coming out, he's presented at conferences, he won an award at school... I am just so proud of him! I wish he could see himself as I see him. He is such a good person, with a kind heart and generous spirit. He always tries to help people. I'm so grateful. ♥

Sad

Tonight I had dinner with some friends/former coworkers, and found out that someone I knew killed himself. I won't say his name because it's not my place to go around telling someone else's business, but it really bothers me. He was a very nice man, and gave me good advice about becoming a librarian while I was still in library school. Apparently he wanted to avoid being a burden on his wife. This makes me so sad for him and for his wife. I don't really know what to think, I just wish I could have told him that I really thought he was nice, and cool, and worth knowing, but now it's too late. God bless him, and God bless his wife.

Excuse my French...

It's been a crappy couple of days. I actually had a very productive and restful weekend but things in general have been hard lately. I've been trying to stretch myself and step out of my comfort zone and it just really takes a lot of energy to try to make a change. My ego has really been put to task, too. It's very humbling to try to make a change and make it stick. I'm not handling it very gracefully. I guess I just need to buck up and deal with change head-on. I've also been reminded this week that everyone is going through something; we all have our problems, and you can't always tell just by looking at someone what their problems might be. I need to be patient. Patience seems to be a recurring theme this week. I always like to end on a good note, so I just want to say I had a great time watching the Super Bowl with friends this past Sunday. I was hoping the Giants would win, although I confess I don't feel very strongly about the Giants or the Patriots. I happen to not be a Tom Brady fan, so that was why I was cheered the way I did. The company for the game was great, though. Where would we be without friends, eh? :)

True Grit

The other night, the hubby and I watched the 2010 version of "True Grit" on Netflix. WOW. I've never seen the original film, and didn't know much about the story. I'm actually not big on Western-themed stuff, but I knew this was a Coen Brothers movie, and I'd heard it was amazing, so we gave it a shot. I *loved* the movie! The main actress, Hailee Steinfeld, was totally charming. I didn't realize Matt Damon was gonna be in the movie, so that was a pleasant surprise. It was very funny at times, but could also be serious. It was very, very enjoyable. If you haven't seen it, I'd recommend it. I've also been watching the 1979 series "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy." A friend at work loaned it to me-- 6 episodes at 1 hr each. I only have one episode left to watch. This series is very good but I honestly found it a little difficult to follow. I really enjoy watching British stuff and have seen a lot of it, so I don't think it's the accents or speech that confused me, but for some reason I found it difficult to understand what's going on. So I did what I always do-- I read a synopsis on Wikipedia. So now I know the resolution of the mystery, but it doesn't deter me from wanting (needing!) to finish the series. I've just got to see how it all plays out. This is a mystery about a mole in the British secret service. Alec Guiness is in it, and I could just listen to him talk all day. This was recently made into a movie, too, starring Gary Oldman (love him!), so I expect that a viewing of the film is in my future. Worth checking out if you like British spy stuff. Bonus points for Obi-wan Kenobi and Jean-Luc Picard in the same scene. :)

Snow

The weather folks are calling for snow; I really hope it doesn't snow while I'm at work. Actually, to be more specific, I hope snow doesn't interfere with my ability to leave work or come to work. Snow is beautiful and it can be fun, but I really don't want to get into a car accident or miss work. So hopefully any snow will just rest on the grass and melt on the road. Fingers are crossed! :)