Just An Observation
My Mom is a bit hard of hearing, so when she knows I'm taking a nap, she turns the volume on the television down really low and turns on the closed captioning. (Very considerate and sweet, don't you think?) Well, today I came downstairs after my nap and was sitting in the living room looking at the tv. I noticed on the closed captioning that when there's kissing or sniffling in a commercial, it says "kissing sound throughout" or "sniffling sound." Uh, excuse me, but isn't closed captioning (primarily) for deaf people? Do they know what a kissing sound or sniffling sound is?
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Saturday, October 29, 2005
A Scary Nightmare ... With a Purpose
One of the reasons I've been posting my weird dreams here is that I'm trying to figure out what they mean. Most dreams have a purpose, if only to ease your mind about something. One of the purposes of dreams is to think about things that your conscious mind doesn't want to think about. The nightmare I had a few hours ago did just that.
First, the nightmare:
I had bruises covering my legs & they just seemed to get worse and worse every few hours. Eventually, I asked my mother (a retired nurse) what she thought about the bruises, and if I should go to the doctor right away. She told me the light in the house wasn't good enough for her to see my legs well enough, so we'd have to go someplace else. She and my sister told me to get in the car; my sister would help my mother get ready. My mother drove around the block to the street above ours. Our street is a steep hill. She told me to open my door and stick my leg out; she'd come around and look at them. As she started to come to my side of the car, I noticed she was wearing roller skates. She was having a hard time on them and, with every step or two, would stumble and start rolling backward down the hill. I asked my sister what she was thinking when she let Mom wear the skates. My sister got out of the car and told my mom to try to walk with her hands and feet, on all fours, instead of trying to skate. Before my sister could get to Mom, she lost her balance and went careening down the hill. She crashed into the house at the bottom of the hill, banging her head. Then she went into convulsions. I ran down the street screaming "Oh my God!" over and over.
Now, here's what I think it means:
Over the summer, when I wasn't working full-time, I spent a lot more time at home and got to see how fast, and how badly, my mother's health is failing. She can't even open jars or medicine bottles anymore by herself. So, I was apprehensive about going back to work full-time because she really should have someone with her most of the day. My old job was 3 to midnight, which meant I wasn't there when she went to bed, and I couldn't really get up with her in the morning and be of much help. If I did, I wouldn't be of any use to anyone for the rest of the day because I didn't get enough sleep. The new job is noon to 8, so I can be with her in the morning and at night. But, subconsciously, I'm still worried about not being there if/when she needs me. The part with my sister, I think, has a double meaning ... and it's not all bad. Number one, I think it shows that my sister wants to help, but doesn't know exactly what she should do. Even if she did, she wouldn't be able to because of her family responsibilites. Number two, I think my sister wasn't just representing herself in the dream. I think she was representing everyone else in my mom's life. I think it was meant to tell me that, although other people want to help, I know my mother, and her needs, better than anyone. Furthermore, I think it was telling me that, because I know her needs, it's OK that I took this job and I should stop worrying.
Now, the part about bruises on my legs:
Ever since I started taking the medication, I've noticed bruises all over my body ... especially on my legs. I've always bruised easily but now, all I have to do is brush up against something too hard and I get a bruise. Sometimes they just appear for no reason at all. It's been worrying me, and I've been wondering if I should ask the doctor about it. I don't want to, though, because the medication has been working so well. I'm afraid if he changes it, the new thing wouldn't work as well. So, I think what the dream was telling me is that I should tell him about the bruises and trust him if he feels he should prescribe something else. He's a great doctor and has never done me wrong before, so there's no reason not to trust him.
That's it. Thanks for reading this whole thing. :) Sorry if I bored you, but I had to get it all out.
One of the reasons I've been posting my weird dreams here is that I'm trying to figure out what they mean. Most dreams have a purpose, if only to ease your mind about something. One of the purposes of dreams is to think about things that your conscious mind doesn't want to think about. The nightmare I had a few hours ago did just that.
First, the nightmare:
I had bruises covering my legs & they just seemed to get worse and worse every few hours. Eventually, I asked my mother (a retired nurse) what she thought about the bruises, and if I should go to the doctor right away. She told me the light in the house wasn't good enough for her to see my legs well enough, so we'd have to go someplace else. She and my sister told me to get in the car; my sister would help my mother get ready. My mother drove around the block to the street above ours. Our street is a steep hill. She told me to open my door and stick my leg out; she'd come around and look at them. As she started to come to my side of the car, I noticed she was wearing roller skates. She was having a hard time on them and, with every step or two, would stumble and start rolling backward down the hill. I asked my sister what she was thinking when she let Mom wear the skates. My sister got out of the car and told my mom to try to walk with her hands and feet, on all fours, instead of trying to skate. Before my sister could get to Mom, she lost her balance and went careening down the hill. She crashed into the house at the bottom of the hill, banging her head. Then she went into convulsions. I ran down the street screaming "Oh my God!" over and over.
Now, here's what I think it means:
Over the summer, when I wasn't working full-time, I spent a lot more time at home and got to see how fast, and how badly, my mother's health is failing. She can't even open jars or medicine bottles anymore by herself. So, I was apprehensive about going back to work full-time because she really should have someone with her most of the day. My old job was 3 to midnight, which meant I wasn't there when she went to bed, and I couldn't really get up with her in the morning and be of much help. If I did, I wouldn't be of any use to anyone for the rest of the day because I didn't get enough sleep. The new job is noon to 8, so I can be with her in the morning and at night. But, subconsciously, I'm still worried about not being there if/when she needs me. The part with my sister, I think, has a double meaning ... and it's not all bad. Number one, I think it shows that my sister wants to help, but doesn't know exactly what she should do. Even if she did, she wouldn't be able to because of her family responsibilites. Number two, I think my sister wasn't just representing herself in the dream. I think she was representing everyone else in my mom's life. I think it was meant to tell me that, although other people want to help, I know my mother, and her needs, better than anyone. Furthermore, I think it was telling me that, because I know her needs, it's OK that I took this job and I should stop worrying.
Now, the part about bruises on my legs:
Ever since I started taking the medication, I've noticed bruises all over my body ... especially on my legs. I've always bruised easily but now, all I have to do is brush up against something too hard and I get a bruise. Sometimes they just appear for no reason at all. It's been worrying me, and I've been wondering if I should ask the doctor about it. I don't want to, though, because the medication has been working so well. I'm afraid if he changes it, the new thing wouldn't work as well. So, I think what the dream was telling me is that I should tell him about the bruises and trust him if he feels he should prescribe something else. He's a great doctor and has never done me wrong before, so there's no reason not to trust him.
That's it. Thanks for reading this whole thing. :) Sorry if I bored you, but I had to get it all out.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Soon
I really don't want to turn this into the "I Love My Job" blog so, soon, I'll start writing about something else. Next week I'll be on a regular schedule, so we'll see what happens then. Of course NaNo starts next Tuesday, so all bets may be off.
But, for now, let's just say ... I love my job!
I really don't want to turn this into the "I Love My Job" blog so, soon, I'll start writing about something else. Next week I'll be on a regular schedule, so we'll see what happens then. Of course NaNo starts next Tuesday, so all bets may be off.
But, for now, let's just say ... I love my job!
Saturday, October 22, 2005
I'm Lovin' It
No, not McDonald's. I'm lovin' my job! In fact, I can't believe how much I love it. I was on the air a few times this week and, in my opinion, I'm getting better every time. I'm still not totally happy with the way I've been doing, but they tell me I'm doing well. Because I'm still training, there's no reason to tell me I'm doing well if I'm not. So, I guess I should believe that I am, and just try to get better. Well, more comfortable would probably explain it better.
I worked the board today for almost all the afternoon newscasts. We do them every half hour from 3 to 6. I didn't think I'd catch on so fast but, I pretty much had it by the second time.
Sshhh. Don't tell anyone but, I think ... I think ... I'm going to tell them on Monday that I'm ready to do the 3 o'clock live, by myself. Amazingly enough, I didn't even get nervous when I typed that. Must mean I am ready. We'll see on Monday, I guess.
No, not McDonald's. I'm lovin' my job! In fact, I can't believe how much I love it. I was on the air a few times this week and, in my opinion, I'm getting better every time. I'm still not totally happy with the way I've been doing, but they tell me I'm doing well. Because I'm still training, there's no reason to tell me I'm doing well if I'm not. So, I guess I should believe that I am, and just try to get better. Well, more comfortable would probably explain it better.
I worked the board today for almost all the afternoon newscasts. We do them every half hour from 3 to 6. I didn't think I'd catch on so fast but, I pretty much had it by the second time.
Sshhh. Don't tell anyone but, I think ... I think ... I'm going to tell them on Monday that I'm ready to do the 3 o'clock live, by myself. Amazingly enough, I didn't even get nervous when I typed that. Must mean I am ready. We'll see on Monday, I guess.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Talk About Weird Dreams!
This was more of a movie than a dream. It was so vivid ... and weird. But because I'm writing this 12 hours after I woke up, and after a busy news day, I can't remember the details as well as I did this morning.
Anyway, at one point, I was running away from people, one man in particular, who I knew were going to hurt me. I made my way to this building where my dad used to work. I felt safe there for a few minutes, and even started to relax and try to figure out where I could hide. I decided I'd go down a flight of stairs to the women's restrooom. As I was halfway down the stairs, the restroom door opened and the guy who was chasing me came out. I turned and ran the other way.
Somehow, I made my way to this place that looked safe. It was kind of an indoor garden with all kinds of plants and flowers all over the place. But when I got inside I found out it was some kind of cult headquarters. The women were all dressed in something like "I Dream of Jeannie" outfits, except not as revealing. And, women and children were not allowed to urinate. At one point, a little girl "went" on the floor and the women were trying to hide it before the men saw it and punished her. But they didn't hide it in time and the men came and dragged the girl away while yelling about punishment for breaking the rules.
I got out of there fast, and somehow found myself backstage during a performance of some kind of play. I was familiar with the play, so I helped out with stage managing.
Next thing I knew, I was in church.
That's where everything gets fuzzy. I really don't remember anymore.
This was more of a movie than a dream. It was so vivid ... and weird. But because I'm writing this 12 hours after I woke up, and after a busy news day, I can't remember the details as well as I did this morning.
Anyway, at one point, I was running away from people, one man in particular, who I knew were going to hurt me. I made my way to this building where my dad used to work. I felt safe there for a few minutes, and even started to relax and try to figure out where I could hide. I decided I'd go down a flight of stairs to the women's restrooom. As I was halfway down the stairs, the restroom door opened and the guy who was chasing me came out. I turned and ran the other way.
Somehow, I made my way to this place that looked safe. It was kind of an indoor garden with all kinds of plants and flowers all over the place. But when I got inside I found out it was some kind of cult headquarters. The women were all dressed in something like "I Dream of Jeannie" outfits, except not as revealing. And, women and children were not allowed to urinate. At one point, a little girl "went" on the floor and the women were trying to hide it before the men saw it and punished her. But they didn't hide it in time and the men came and dragged the girl away while yelling about punishment for breaking the rules.
I got out of there fast, and somehow found myself backstage during a performance of some kind of play. I was familiar with the play, so I helped out with stage managing.
Next thing I knew, I was in church.
That's where everything gets fuzzy. I really don't remember anymore.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Who knew?
Not me, that's for sure. I never thought I would or could miss writing news. But, I'm tellin' ya, I got a little bit of a rush today after writing my first-ever radio news story. It's only been one day. I haven't been on the air yet. I don't know how to do any of the technical stuff yet. Despite all that, I love it already.
This is probably a very strange thing to be excited about, however, I was very happy to learn that we have weekly staff meetings. It's nice to know that some people in the communications business still communicate with each other for the betterment of the company.
My first day on the air isn't supposed to be until Oct. 31, but I'm hoping it will be sooner. I'm so excited about this!
OK. I'll admit there was one thing that bothered me but that's only because of one of my (many) quirks. I may have mentioned before that I have an irrational fear of being late so I'm very compulsive about making sure I'm on time or early for everything. So, it really freaked me out when the news director, with like a minute to go before he went on the air, said he had to go to his office to get something. I was thinking "But, but, but ... What if you don't get back in time? I can't do this. Can I? Maybe I can. Is this a test to see if I'll do it on my own? I could try but I'd probably screw it up. Yikes!" Of course he got back in time. I'll just have to learn that they know what they're doing. I don't yet. I need to trust them.
Not me, that's for sure. I never thought I would or could miss writing news. But, I'm tellin' ya, I got a little bit of a rush today after writing my first-ever radio news story. It's only been one day. I haven't been on the air yet. I don't know how to do any of the technical stuff yet. Despite all that, I love it already.
This is probably a very strange thing to be excited about, however, I was very happy to learn that we have weekly staff meetings. It's nice to know that some people in the communications business still communicate with each other for the betterment of the company.
My first day on the air isn't supposed to be until Oct. 31, but I'm hoping it will be sooner. I'm so excited about this!
OK. I'll admit there was one thing that bothered me but that's only because of one of my (many) quirks. I may have mentioned before that I have an irrational fear of being late so I'm very compulsive about making sure I'm on time or early for everything. So, it really freaked me out when the news director, with like a minute to go before he went on the air, said he had to go to his office to get something. I was thinking "But, but, but ... What if you don't get back in time? I can't do this. Can I? Maybe I can. Is this a test to see if I'll do it on my own? I could try but I'd probably screw it up. Yikes!" Of course he got back in time. I'll just have to learn that they know what they're doing. I don't yet. I need to trust them.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Odd & Ends
I'm not a NASCAR fan, although I do know many of the drivers' names and I do have a favorite. (Kevin Harvick, because he's from Bakersfield) Last night there was a race on TNT. Following that was The Shawshank Redemption, which I have never seen from beginning to end. I was looking forward to watching it, and figured I could watch 20 minutes or so of NASCAR until the movie came on, especially since, at the time I turned it on, Harvick was leading. Wouldn't you know it? They set a track record for cautions. By the time the race ended, I was asleep so I still haven't seen all of The Shawshank Redemption.
~*~
Speaking of movies, What's Up Doc? was on tv the other night. I love that movie! I don't know how many times I've seen it but I laugh every time.
~*~
I had another weird dream last night. It had something to do with me covering some kind of big important trial. The courtroom was packed. The defendant, who was not sitting at the defense table, and his family were harassing me. During a recess, the defendant started looking through my purse (I don't even carry a purse *shrug*). I got angry and started yelling at him. A baliff pulled us away from each other but I managed to kick the defendant in the head. As soon as I did it, I knew I'd be found in contempt and kicked out of the courtroom, so I told people to call my lawyer and fix the problem.
~*~
Sometime when I was in California, one of the intersections here went from a traffic light to stop signs. I still have trouble remembering that ... but only at one of the stops. It seems every day on my way to work I sit there for a couple seconds waiting for the light to change. Duh! Luckily, no one has ever been behind me during those brain farts.
Speaking of changes and driving, on Monday there will be some big changes here and, because of the ignorant drivers, I'm scared to death. You see, one street, which has been one-way for years, will now be two-way. Another one-way street will now be going east to west instead of west to east. You'd better believe I'm going to avoid that part of town as much as possible for the next couple of weeks. Thank God my new job is on the other side of town.
~*~
Speaking of the new job, my first day on the air by myself is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 31, the day before NaNo starts. This may be the first time in five years I won't be finishing. I'll give it my best shot, though.
A plus with the new job is that I don't have to worry about spelling. I used to be a champion speller but spell checking has made me lazy. But, on the radio, no one will know if I spelled something right. I just have to pronounce correctly. The word that I think will give me the most trouble is "meteorologist." I wonder if I could get away with saying "weather guy."
I'm not a NASCAR fan, although I do know many of the drivers' names and I do have a favorite. (Kevin Harvick, because he's from Bakersfield) Last night there was a race on TNT. Following that was The Shawshank Redemption, which I have never seen from beginning to end. I was looking forward to watching it, and figured I could watch 20 minutes or so of NASCAR until the movie came on, especially since, at the time I turned it on, Harvick was leading. Wouldn't you know it? They set a track record for cautions. By the time the race ended, I was asleep so I still haven't seen all of The Shawshank Redemption.
Speaking of movies, What's Up Doc? was on tv the other night. I love that movie! I don't know how many times I've seen it but I laugh every time.
I had another weird dream last night. It had something to do with me covering some kind of big important trial. The courtroom was packed. The defendant, who was not sitting at the defense table, and his family were harassing me. During a recess, the defendant started looking through my purse (I don't even carry a purse *shrug*). I got angry and started yelling at him. A baliff pulled us away from each other but I managed to kick the defendant in the head. As soon as I did it, I knew I'd be found in contempt and kicked out of the courtroom, so I told people to call my lawyer and fix the problem.
Sometime when I was in California, one of the intersections here went from a traffic light to stop signs. I still have trouble remembering that ... but only at one of the stops. It seems every day on my way to work I sit there for a couple seconds waiting for the light to change. Duh! Luckily, no one has ever been behind me during those brain farts.
Speaking of changes and driving, on Monday there will be some big changes here and, because of the ignorant drivers, I'm scared to death. You see, one street, which has been one-way for years, will now be two-way. Another one-way street will now be going east to west instead of west to east. You'd better believe I'm going to avoid that part of town as much as possible for the next couple of weeks. Thank God my new job is on the other side of town.
Speaking of the new job, my first day on the air by myself is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 31, the day before NaNo starts. This may be the first time in five years I won't be finishing. I'll give it my best shot, though.
A plus with the new job is that I don't have to worry about spelling. I used to be a champion speller but spell checking has made me lazy. But, on the radio, no one will know if I spelled something right. I just have to pronounce correctly. The word that I think will give me the most trouble is "meteorologist." I wonder if I could get away with saying "weather guy."
Thursday, October 13, 2005
I'm a Sick, Sick Woman
So, I went the convenience store this morning to get a pumpkin spice cappuccino. When I left, got in my car and started pulling out of the parking lot, I noticed that if I made my usual left turn, there would be school busses in front me. Not that I was in a hurry or anything, but I didn't want the busses in front of me, so I turned right. As I was stopped at the red light, I noticed a familiar-looking SVU driving toward the intersection. Apparently, he noticed my car, too, because he did a double-take toward me as he drove by. But, as is usually the case with me, I thought it was wishful thinking, or my imagination that he would give me a second look. I've been thinking about him more than usual lately, so I thought maybe it wasn't him after all and I just wanted it to be him. So, I did a quick drive by his office to see if it was really him. Sure enough, there was GSG unlocking his office door.
Why does that make me a sick woman? Well, one of the reasons is that, obviously, I'm still obsessed with this man and I'm driving myself nuts with it. But the main reason is that I decided to post about that before I posted about this ...
I got the job!
I filled out the paperwork yesterday and I start here Monday. I'm so excited!
So, I went the convenience store this morning to get a pumpkin spice cappuccino. When I left, got in my car and started pulling out of the parking lot, I noticed that if I made my usual left turn, there would be school busses in front me. Not that I was in a hurry or anything, but I didn't want the busses in front of me, so I turned right. As I was stopped at the red light, I noticed a familiar-looking SVU driving toward the intersection. Apparently, he noticed my car, too, because he did a double-take toward me as he drove by. But, as is usually the case with me, I thought it was wishful thinking, or my imagination that he would give me a second look. I've been thinking about him more than usual lately, so I thought maybe it wasn't him after all and I just wanted it to be him. So, I did a quick drive by his office to see if it was really him. Sure enough, there was GSG unlocking his office door.
Why does that make me a sick woman? Well, one of the reasons is that, obviously, I'm still obsessed with this man and I'm driving myself nuts with it. But the main reason is that I decided to post about that before I posted about this ...
I got the job!
I filled out the paperwork yesterday and I start here Monday. I'm so excited!
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
How Much is Too Much?
I never really know how much television is too much. All the expert studies seem to change every couple of years ... kind of like diet stuff and which foods are good for you.
So, here are the shows I currently watch: Medium, Law & Order: SVU, Lost, CSI, ER, Desperate Housewives. Also, Jeopardy 5 days a week, if I'm home, and either reruns of Roseanne or That 70s Show, if I'm awake and still feel like watching something at 11 p.m. That's 12 hours a week of actually watching television. There are other shows I have on while I'm doing other things. Let's see ... Dick VanDyke, I Love Lucy, The Real World, The Abrams Report, Countdown, The Surreal Life. That's 5 hours, which adds up to 17 hours. Even if you add the fact that I sometimes have MSNBC or The Food Network on for background noise when I'm on the computer, that's only about 20 hours. Is that too much?
I never really know how much television is too much. All the expert studies seem to change every couple of years ... kind of like diet stuff and which foods are good for you.
So, here are the shows I currently watch: Medium, Law & Order: SVU, Lost, CSI, ER, Desperate Housewives. Also, Jeopardy 5 days a week, if I'm home, and either reruns of Roseanne or That 70s Show, if I'm awake and still feel like watching something at 11 p.m. That's 12 hours a week of actually watching television. There are other shows I have on while I'm doing other things. Let's see ... Dick VanDyke, I Love Lucy, The Real World, The Abrams Report, Countdown, The Surreal Life. That's 5 hours, which adds up to 17 hours. Even if you add the fact that I sometimes have MSNBC or The Food Network on for background noise when I'm on the computer, that's only about 20 hours. Is that too much?
Monday, October 10, 2005
People are Strange
There's this person I went to junior high and high school with. We were pretty good friends back then but, as is often the case, we lost touch with each other. Now, I see her three or four times a month and she never, ever recognizes me. Or, if she does, she doesn't say hello to me. There are two reasons I believe she doesn't recognize me. This person also dated The Best Friend for a while. He told me that a few years ago he saw her, said hello then talked to her for a few minutes before he realized she had no idea who he was. He hasn't changed that much since high school. In fact, the first time we saw each other after 15 years we recognized each other instantly. Anyway, when this woman sees my mother, she always talks to her and ... Now, this is weird ... always says "Tell Anne I said hello." Uh, you could tell me yourself, ya know?
Yesterday, I took my Mom to Mass. This woman sat a few rows ahead of us. After Mass, I went to a convenience store to get a pumpkin spice cappuccino. The woman was there. I said hello to her. She turned her head and walked away. That wasn't surprising, of course. But just 30 minutes earlier the priest's sermon was something along the lines of "All God really asks of us is to be good people and to be nice." So, even if she didn't recognize me, wouldn't you think she'd do what the priest said and acknowledge my greeting just to be nice?
Apparently, she's one of the those people who goes through the motions of being Catholic but doesn't know anything about being Christian. And, I'm not judging her, or anyone concerning how they live their lives as a Catholic/Christian. I'm just making an observation.
There's this person I went to junior high and high school with. We were pretty good friends back then but, as is often the case, we lost touch with each other. Now, I see her three or four times a month and she never, ever recognizes me. Or, if she does, she doesn't say hello to me. There are two reasons I believe she doesn't recognize me. This person also dated The Best Friend for a while. He told me that a few years ago he saw her, said hello then talked to her for a few minutes before he realized she had no idea who he was. He hasn't changed that much since high school. In fact, the first time we saw each other after 15 years we recognized each other instantly. Anyway, when this woman sees my mother, she always talks to her and ... Now, this is weird ... always says "Tell Anne I said hello." Uh, you could tell me yourself, ya know?
Yesterday, I took my Mom to Mass. This woman sat a few rows ahead of us. After Mass, I went to a convenience store to get a pumpkin spice cappuccino. The woman was there. I said hello to her. She turned her head and walked away. That wasn't surprising, of course. But just 30 minutes earlier the priest's sermon was something along the lines of "All God really asks of us is to be good people and to be nice." So, even if she didn't recognize me, wouldn't you think she'd do what the priest said and acknowledge my greeting just to be nice?
Apparently, she's one of the those people who goes through the motions of being Catholic but doesn't know anything about being Christian. And, I'm not judging her, or anyone concerning how they live their lives as a Catholic/Christian. I'm just making an observation.