MEMORIAL DAY

America
by Rev. Samuel F. Smith

My country, 'tis of Thee,
Sweet Land of Liberty
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From every mountain side
Let Freedom ring.

My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills,
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
Sweet Freedom's song;
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.

Our fathers' God to Thee,
Author of Liberty,
To thee we sing,
Long may our land be bright
With Freedom's holy light,
Protect us by thy might
Great God, our King.

Beneath Heaven's gracious will
The stars of progress still
Our course do sway;
In unity sublime
To broader heights we climb,
Triumphant over Time,
God speeds our way!

Grand birthright of our sires,
Our altars and our fires
Keep we still pure!
Our starry flag unfurled,
The hope of all the world,
In peace and light impearled,
God hold secure!

DEDICATION OF THE WWII MEMORIAL

I hope many Americans, and indeed, people worldwide, saw the coverage this afternoon of the Dedication of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.. It was very moving and joyous and, of course, long overdue. Once again I am reminded that freedom and the American way of life comes at a high price, and I am humbled by those who have given so much.

My dad, who was wounded in WWII, has declined rapidly in health this year. I called him up to make sure he was aware of this ceremony today; I don't know if he was well enough to watch, but I am very thankful that he has lived to see this day.

God bless all who have served, and who serve today.

LAPPY HAPPY DANCE

Lappy came to work with me for the first time. My manager/office-mate took the afternoon off, so I had, ahem, latitude. In the Spirit of Impending Holiday Weekend I blithly installed the internet hub (provided by the manager who handles our company network), installed my security cable, booted her up and tested some important important functionality. All a-ok.

Traditionally, the workload is much lighter during the summer months, so light that even after the special projects are worked there is time to fill. My guilty pleasure begins in July and lappy will have full access although due to my new location, I must keep that indulgence for the lunch hour. My higher intentions for the idle time has me learning Photoshop Elements and HTML this summer.

BLOG SELF-INSPECTION

GreenTuna posed some questions that I thought I'd answer:

Why do we blog?
What little I do is a small exercise in communication and creativity. Over the past several years the computer has become my 'home base' and it seems natural to blog with it too.

Is it a worthwhile endeavor or a waste of time and bandwidth?
Bandwidth is cheap, and yeah, it's worth it. I'm not very prolific, but I like having a place to share the bits and pieces of my life.

Is blogging the latest form of corporate goofing-off?
Absolutely!!!!  The creative mind needs some distraction from the mind-numbing work we do each day. I always get my work done, and done well. My company has never been concerned when I've had to work through lunches or stay late due to the workload, so they shouldn't be concerned that sometimes my internet playtime runs a little long.

Does it build community, or is it merely a false friendship?
It builds a certain level of community that is often hard to find in the real world. It eliminates the barriers of time, space, and to some degree social differences that tend to be isolating. It is easier and quicker to meet people of similar interests through the use of message boards, chat, and blogs. I consider the internet element of my social life to be very important and cherished.

Do you feel pressured to post to your blog?
At times I feel I am not holding up my end either in quantity or quality, but then each person has different gifts. I try to make a few entries a week, but I'm uneaven. I'm better at pressuring others to blog. <smile>

Would you keep writing if nobody was reading?
Yes, and do!

MY BLOG WORLD IS FALLING APART!

GreenTuna, where ARE you, and what happened to The Tuna News?  Ever since last night I've been getting 'NOT FOUND' when I click on your blog link. Yet other blogs on blogspot come out fine.

Chefgracegeorge, The Friday Chef has suddenly become WIDE, so wide I have to scroll left and right on each line to read your content from my work computer. Perhaps it's all that delicious food on your site, but a bit of a diet is in order.

I'd put links, italics and CAPS LEANED OVER on the above, but I'm writing this in desperation from my work MAC which barely passes as a computer.

THE CHAPEL OF LIFE

Tonight I'm announcing a new specialized blog, Chapel of Life.

My Catholic Christian life is important to me although often neglected and seldom referenced in the blog world. Since faith is usually considered a private thing, being so personal and part of our inner core of beliefs, it does not easily segue into conversations about kitties, reality TV, and the little trials and tribulations of modern life.

I'm inspired to create a little blog chapel, called the Chapel of Life, not after my moniker but after Jesus Christ, The Way, The Truth, and The Life (although as 'littlelife', I am a disciple).

The Chapel of Life is a little place of peace, meditation, prayer and inspiration for the glory of God and the good of the chapel visitor. As a Catholic, the devotional content will reflect this religious flavor.

The first entries, beginning Friday, will be a daily Novena to the Holy Spirit to lead up to Pentacost. The chapel is still being decorated as this gets underway.

A link is available in the Favorite Sites section of Message In A Bottle sidebar. I hope you will drop in from time to time.

Peace of Jesus,

lifeonhold
-- Feast of the Ascension of Jesus, Thursday, May 20, 2004

WELCOME, LAPPY

I've been quiet here at Message In A Bottle. This entire week I've been burning the midnight oil bringing my new Dell laptop up to speed while keeping a sharp watchful eye (the kind a parent might give to a troublesome child) on American Idol after the LaToya London debacle.

The laptop is a major splurge of the I'll Pay For It Somehow kind; certain personal factors made 'now' seem to be the right time for the purchase, and so it sits on my table and demands to be fed. 

First, Lappy [no relation to Rappy or even Tappy] wanted to be Connected, so out came the new Wireless Router. This is my 4th computer that has the ability to connect to the internet so it's the fourth time I've had to struggle through a maze of badly written and not quite correct modem, network, and communications instructions. Is it too much to ask for a comprehensive 'walk through' for this procedure? Better yet, why can't communication hardware providers create a Smart Wizard that can diagnose all the protocol issues involved. This stuff is greek (or perhaps I should say geek) to me.

After about an hour I got the basic router set up so both computers are working with the interned. It should have taken a few minutes, but I misread a simple step and spent the next 50 minutes 'troubleshooting' until I walked through the procedure correctly. This was the easy part.

Now I'm trying to set up a Home Network that will allow me to file and printer share. Here is where the instructions and Set-Up Wizard let me down big time. Parts of the instructions seemed to match my system, but they were incomplete or confusing. I spent several hours on it last night without success and now it must wait for the weekend.

In the meantime, I fed Lappy most of the software I want on the system. I'll be using a new screen name [littlelife12] on AOL and AIM as a requirement for AOL's use on a network; RealPlayer 10 and Rhapsody were downloaded and installed; Microsoft Works with Word 2002was finally installed despite some annoying difficulties with the software disks, another crummy partly inoperable Wizard.   It still needs Photoshop Elements and a mouse I can actually use because I hate the touch pad control for daily home use. Both of these items are en route thanks to my boyfriend, Amazon.

Soooooo, these technical things just have to be accomplished before the play can begin. I can't wait to move from my home computer chair to the comforts of my recliner for TV/chat nights and this summer's Big Brother 5 Live Feeds.   I also have another project that I hope to reveal by Thursday night, but much work needs to be done.

SO WRONG

So, who else is creeped out by the overly spry old Six Flags dancing man? (((shudder)))

TURTLE

I ran across Mr. Speedy while searching for free web graphics and web tools. He and his ancient Indian clipart friends can be found at GRsites.com, the place to go for all your free web graphic needs; although Amazon is my boyfriend, I think it's time for a web affair with this site for a while.

In order to express myself with my new obsession, I've revived the panic-blog I created last Fall when AOL Journals went haywire on me. Always Under Construction is my Blogger blog that I'm trying to understand how to customize; I've already made some progress.

At this time I'm thinking of using it only as a little blog design workshop, the place where I can play with the template to my heart's content without distressing any innocent visitors with the horrors of misplaced and just plain wrong code. If I like Blogger's versatility, Message in a Bottle may make the move to Blogger where I can cut and paste in the best of Always Under Construction's design formatting. I might also try out other free blog sites before making a final move choice.

Here are some web tools links. The first one is my recent discovery (see above), the others are re-published from Highwaygirl's blog links:

GRsites.com - free web graphics

Color Schemes - web colors

ColorMatch Remix - web colors

Java(TM) Boutique Color Picker - web colors

Many thanks to Highwaygirl for these links; now I'm one step up from totally clueless.

A REAL ATROCITY

The abuses of Iraqi prisoners by American military personnel need to be investigated and those responsible must be accountable and appropriately punished.

That said, the evil terrorists and milia who savagely decapitated civilian hostage Nick Berg alive while videotaping it, and all others doing similar evils need to be removed from the face of the earth as soon as possible.

I hope the world, and particularly the people of Iraq, will compare and contrast not only the actions of these groups but also the reactions of their leaders. Nick Berg certainly wishes he had the opportunity to be in a naked pyramid and that was the extent of his treatment.

People of Iraq, who do you want in your leadership? Those who are working for democracy for all, or those who are trying to impose their rule by torture and gruesome death. It's your choice which side you support and which you get.

As for us, I hope we'll get over the national hand-wringing over the prison abuses (leaving that to their own investigations and justice proceedings), remember that we're up against a truely brutal and evil enemy, and be unified with new resolve to finish the job in Iraq to the right end.

I BE BITTER <smile>

Tribe:  =FistyRocks  
Rank    Team Name    Score
 1     GreenTuna     3221
 2     buffs4vol     3178
 3     VivaLaFisty     3105
 4     Honeylife     3080
 5     copssister     2965
 6     Amazingrace     2846
 7     The Sketch Factor     2724
 8     Snappie     2623

Congratulations to GreenTuna for rising to the top!  

Had I selected Catches a Fish for my Bonus points I would have ended in 3rd place, nut I thought my team would want to wash before facing the jury [Gets naked] but not. I fared better in the public tribe, finishing 9th out of 100, but probably 80 of these people stopped updating their team.

Thanks to everyone for playing. It made the season more interesting to play along with a full Tribe of people I know.

Ok, what's next?

NOT MY PICKS

They are not my desired Final Four, but that's just me. Well, ok, Rupert can stay.

Lex and Kathy committed murder-suicide after playing a credible game until Madness of the First Order overtook them. Lex, I love ya, but you've got a thing for doe-eyed vulnerable guys [Brandon, Boston Rob] that has affected your Survivor play. You got away with it in Africa, but you should have seen the cutthroat pirate heart in the Robfather. You played with your heart and it took your entire team out of the game.

Jenna, you may be dismissed. Only a Jenna win tonight will make me seethe. You ARE annoying.

Rob and Amber, I hope getting rid of Tom comes back to destroy you. Dumb, self-centered move. Perhaps you thought he was too likable to keep, but isn't everyone compared to you? I hope you face the Purple Rock of Doom and one of you loses. Teach you a lesson. If one of you win then I'll begrudgingly give you your props. You've played the game and if my players had not been such idiots you wouldn't be anywhere near Final Four.

Rupert! I want you to win because I loved you in Pearl Island. You forgot to pack your pirate playfulness this time around and you were a bit controlling and dumb concerning the shelter, but otherwise you found your strategy for this game.

So, let the game conclude. I have only one request, please everyone, get naked, multiple times, if possible tonight. Bathing for the finale must be involved. Whatever you do, don't sleep away from the tribe, say the tribe's name, sing a song, or wear an eyepatch. My Survivior Fantasy League standing depends on your nakedness tonight! Channel Winner # 1, Richard BareAss Hatch tonight!

WELCOME, AT LAST

Well, it's about time!

As Honey and I near our 5-month anniversary she takes a new step into new territory by joining me in our living area.

Of course she has ruled this territory by night from her early days in the house but only after I've swapped spaces with her by going to bed. If I dilly-dally too far into the night she always gives me a 'last call' cry to inform me that I'm holding her up from her nightly routine. Dutifully I usually heed her cry and retire.

Now, finally, it is woman and cat, together, sort of. She strides quickly past me on the computer, looking straight ahead so as to 'not see' any forbidding look that might restrict her access. I keep silent, not even giving her encouraging tones. She jumps up on the cat saddle and then for a short time up on the carpeted window seat then back down to the cat saddle. I see the little white nose pointed in my direction as she keeps a vigilant eye on me across the room on the computer.

For many minutes I remain hushed and moving slowly so as not to alarm her. We give each other little guarded glances. Things seem to be a-ok. This is good. Finally I can't resist and get this photo from across the room. The date: Swiffer Saturday, May 8, 2004.

TRIP REPORT

Honey is in her bedroom cat bed watching the birds at the feeder. I've finished another Swiffer Saturday and made a quick trip to the grocery store for a rotissarie chicken and Powerball ticket (280 million). It's the first weekend home after my trip and I finally feel fine.  

The workweek was the typical post-vacation killer but I managed to make it through by shifting into overdrive for a few maxed-out days. The wise just got out of my way and left me alone; the stupid got the death stare as I blasted past their spinning bodies on another run to the copier. Although not totally caught up, by Friday I was able to feel and act more human.  

How was Arizona?  The State was very accomodating with beautiful dry 90s days and 60s nights and I was only slightly irritated by the pollen-de-jour. For the first time while visiting my family I chose to stay in a nearby hotel; it was the right choice, greatly appreciated for it's solitude and comforts. Each morning I had breakfast at IHOP to start the day with a nice breakfast, John Steinbeck's East of Eden and a few me-minutes before heading to my dad and sister's house for the day.  

My dad, who is 82, suffers from conjestive heart problems and diabetes and has been in the hospital three times this spring. A week before I visited he had an auto accident which totalled his car. No one was hurt in the accident, but he is naturally depressed about the loss and the possibility that he may never drive again. It may indeed be time to hang up the car keys.  

He is frail and tires very easily. The week was spent giving him light-duty care....making frequent small meals for him, getting him ice water, going on short trips to stores, and helping him around the house. I made calls to inquire about various services that he might need down the line and left the information for my sister. At this time he is only agreeing to sign up for the Meals on Wheels program.  

My sister has an unusual work schedule, leaving about 9:30 am and getting home about 7:30 or later. This alone makes it difficult for her to provide meals and do many of the errands that need to be done. She is very stressed with the unending caregiver role she has had to assume these past 3 years. It's not that she needs to give a lot of care, but it is unrelenting and she does not get the little breaks that could help her have the 'me-time' she needs to recharge her strength. I wanted him to accept some support from an elderly companion service for such things as rides to the store, but he said, "Not yet." In the end I told my sister that she might have to insist upon it.  

At the end of the week he went to the doctor and was prescribed to be on oxygen so the medical technician arrived and set him up for that. This should help with some of his confusion and energy problems. Even after a short time of use I thought he was doing better.  

Most nights the 3 of us played poker, had dinner, and conversed. My dad seemed to gain strength and be less depressed as the week went on, and the oxygen and some new medications he began at the end of the week seem promising. Of course the good-byes were weighed by his obviously poor health. Perhaps it is the last visit. It was sad at times, but I felt at peace with our time togther and the visit.