Ghost Hunters

I have a fascination with ghosts.  I've watched many ghost hunting shows but the only one that holds my attention is Ghost Hunters.  I've watched it practically from the start.  The cast is serious, when it comes to proving or disproving that a site is haunted.
I love the way the cast interacts with each other.  They have fun but get the job done.  The only thing I wish is that they would spend more than a few hours at a site.
 I've often thought it would be fun to go with them on location, but I'm not really sure if I could make it through an investigation without something truly humiliating happening to me and I'm not talking about screaming.  I would probably need a Depends.
I don't know where this ghost fascination came from because I'm one of the biggest chickens around.  I scare myself all of the time just thinking of scary scenarios.  I don't actually know if I want to see a ghost myself or just see some definite proof of one.  Would I even believe it if I did see one myself or think it was just a flash of light reflecting off of my glasses?
Getting back to the show Ghost Hunters, I think they've shown some proof of it in several of their episodes.  Spine tingling video footage or creepy voices or worse yet the screams or moans.  I shiver just thinking of them.  That episode at the lighthouse where the apparition looks down on them over the railing!  Or the one where a shadow figure seemed to dart back and forth behind a pool table...there's something about those fast moving shadows that really scares the heck outta me!  YIKES!!!
Yes, there are doubters who think that they fake those things to keep people interested in the show, BUT if they are faking why are there some really dull episodes where they don't even have many experiences at all?

I like the show because everyone works together.  There are no grand standers like Zak on Ghost Adventures.  I really like Nick and Aaron but Zak is a camera hog and I've stopped watching the show because of him.  That's too bad because I did get some laughs out of some of their antics, especially Aaron, but I can only stand so much of Zak and I think I've reached my limit.

That brings me to the show that started my love of ghost hunting.  Most Haunted was a British ghost hunting show.   I must say I looked forward to all of the episodes for a while but the repetition made me weary. Yvette Fielding would be screaming about something whispering in her ear.  Derek, one of the psychics they used, was always becoming possessed, complete with creepy or weird voices.  They had lots of seances with everyone getting chills or touched and the women sometimes getting hysterical.  So when Ghost Hunters started I eagerly latched onto it and have never been disappointed.
Even when they don't really find anything, that I would call substantial, the show is still entertaining.  The pairing up of Steve and Tango always makes me laugh!  When Grant left the show I was seriously worried that it wouldn't be the same, but it is just as good if not better, although I do miss Grant!  I like the format they have now and they seem to have more episodes and less downtime.

So, if I want to do some ghost hunting you'll find me in my comfy recliner watching an episode of Ghost Hunters.  I still get the chills and thrills without the humiliation.

 New episodes start Wednesday October 9th!  Yay!

http://www.syfy.com/ghosthunters/

My Buddy Zeke

In the fall of 2005 my daughter and I started visiting the Humane Society regularly in search of the perfect  dog.  My large retriever mix, Sugar had died several months before and we were ready for a new dog in our lives.  This time we decided we would try to find a small lap type dog.  We spent several weeks looking at all of the homeless dogs.  It was kind of heartbreaking but none of them really seemed like the dog I wanted.   Finally one afternoon, after searching through the small dog room without any success, we decided to go into the large dog kennel just to look.  My daughter immediately called me over to a cage where two small dogs were housed together.  One was a cute pug looking dog, that said it wasn't available and the other was a cute little rust colored guy that was labeled as a Pomeranian.  The minute we set eyes on this guy we knew he was the one.  I immediately grabbed his slip, before the other family lurking nearby could and took it to the desk.  Several dollars later, he was not a cheap pound puppy, he was officially ours.  We weren't able to take him home for a couple days because he needed to be neutered.

This adorable little approximately 6 month old guy became known as Zeke.  My husband named him that.  I'm not quite sure why the name he chose was Zeke but we went with it.

 Here's a picture of Zeke shortly after we got him home.  He's in his new bed and chewing on a nummy treat, one of many, many treats he now insists on multiple times a day.
Zeke soon became a beloved member of our family and Mommy's little buddy.  He got along with our cats and was friendly towards everyone!
 He is very smart and quickly learned multiple tricks, that my daughters taught him.  Sit, lie down, roll over, dance, shake, high-five, speak and how to wrap everyone, especially Dad, around his little claw.
Zeke also learned to do a move that we call squiggle.  He'll lie on his tummy with his back paws straight out behind him and then he'll kind of do pushups with his front paws.  This means that he wants to play with whomever he's squiggling at.  Unfortunately, most animals, that he squiggles at, do not like it.  They either run away in terror or look at him wondering what the heck he's doing.

A couple things Zeke does not like are car rides and me leaving the house.  The minute I get my going out of the house shoes on and grab my purse he's whining and barking.  Sometimes he'll pick up toys or his bed and whip my legs with them.  Sometimes another animal gets in the way and gets whipped with said bed or toy.  When I come home, whether I've been gone for hours or just a couple minutes, he'll be so excited you'd think he'd hadn't seen me for days.  It does make me feel good that he misses me.

As I've said before, Zeke loves treats!  When we walk through the house, him usually leading the way, he'll stop in front of the treat drawer and look longingly at it.  If I make homemade soup and have  ham bones in it I'll give him a little one and as soon as he's done with it he'll run back to the kitchen and drop it on the floor hoping he can trade the old one for a brand new one.

He is not perfect.  He begs at the table, only from my husband because he can't say no.  *sigh*  He jumps on visitors legs when they come and go and of course he barks as only a small dog can.

I can easily overlook any imperfections he has because he's my sweetie.  He's always there for me.  I don't want to think of him getting older or worse, so I try my best not to.  I will enjoy every minute I have with him, even when he goes into a barking fit while I'm trying to watch my favorite show, or talk on the phone or take a recliner nap.  Or when he runs in soaking wet from his walk with Dad and jumps up onto my lap to show me how wet he is.  Those are the things that make me smile and love him all the more.

Zeke loves lying in the sun!

Taking a rest with his kitty friend, Weasley.

Looking sharp after a trip to the groomer!

I Love Netflix!

Several years ago, when my oldest daughter was in college, she joined Netflix.  Well, she joined and we footed the bill, as with most things while my kids were in college.  She really enjoyed it and it served it's purpose in keeping her entertained, as well as providing her with some hard to find movies she needed to view for a class.

When she came home for the summer her subscription came with her and we all enjoyed the benefits of Netflix, so much so that I joined in the fall when she went back to school.  Since that time my whole family has taken advantage of the many wonders of Netflix and I've saved a lot of money.

Now when a movie comes out in the theater, we think "Is that something I can't wait to see or can it wait until it comes out on Netflix?"  More and more we wait.  That saves me a lot of money in the long run, since a family trip to the theater anymore can cost me at least $40 -$50 between admission and snacks and that's during matinee pricing.  When we watch that movie at home and it's a dud, we end up saying "I'm glad I didn't pay to go to the theater for that!"  I feel even happier.

I don't buy nearly as many DVD's as I used to, saving space in my home and money.

I've watched many TV series that I didn't think I'd like when they were on TV and ended up watching every episode, in order and loved every minute of it!  Shows like Monk and Numbers  or a British detective series called New Tricks.

I've caught up on series that are still currently on TV that I didn't start watching, when they first came out for one reason or another.  Shows like Rizzoli and Isles, Hawaii 5-0, NCIS, The Mentalist and the list goes on.  I actually get a little obsessed with catching up on those series.  Sometimes watching 2 or 3 or 4 episodes in a day.  No wonder I could hardly get out of my recliner!

My husband direct streams his favorite TV episodes and watches strange movies that don't look very good to me but he enjoys, on his computer.

I enjoy sharing my favorite shows and movies with my Netflix watching friends and hearing what they've enjoyed, so I can add that to my queue for future entertainment.

Overall I think that the years I've invested in Netflix, have really paid off.  Even when the price raised, I'm still saving money.  I receive, watch and return multiple DVD's during a week.  So for a little more than the price of one DVD my family and I have hours of entertainment each month.  I consider that a very good deal!

End of Vacation Funk.

Most of us know what it's like to feel that dread when our vacation/staycation is coming to an end and it's time to get back to work.  I find it's getting worse as I get older.  The funk used to start about the last 2 days of my time off.  Now sometimes it starts that last week or even earlier!

It's not that I don't like my job.  I'm just tired of it.  I've been working the same job for over 34 years.  I do work with a great bunch of people that I actually miss when I'm away from work. Thank God for facebook, so I can keep up on all of the happenings!

I'm tired of getting up to an alarm and trudging in through pouring rain, ice, snow, sun and so on.  No I don't deliver mail. lol  I'm tired of having to leave 30 minutes earlier than usual so I can find a decent parking space!  I'm tired of the tedious tasks and some of the things I deal with on a daily basis.  I'm tired of feeling stressed on those crazy days.

This is why I take a quarterly vacation.  One very nice thing about working there for so long is I do build up vacation hours quickly and believe me I use them quickly too!
 I also work for a place that helps others.  That is a true benefit.  We get to see how our jobs make a difference in someone's life.
 Like I said, I like my coworkers.  They make me laugh, even on the worst of days.  They always have my back and I theirs.

I know I should be grateful that I have a good job in this day and age.  I should be happy that I get the vacation time I do.  I should be happy and I am, that I work with such great people.   But is it wrong to want my vacation to last forever?  Is it wrong to not want to do anything on my last day of vacation so maybe the hours will go very slowly?  Is it wrong to hope I win the lotto so I can afford to vacation forever?

I guess I'll stop whining now and just go back to work grudgingly.  I'll continue to daydream about staying home and getting paid for it, winning the lotto, retirement and other fun things like that.  Meanwhile I'll have fun with my coworkers and know that I'm doing the best job I can and be happy that I only work part time.  Most of all, I'll look forward to that winter vacation that is only a couple months away!  :o)

Going to the Veterinarian's office.

I've had multiple cats and dogs over the years.  I've been a good pet owner making sure they're always up to date on all of their vaccinations and spayed or neutered.  Some of my pets have been easy to take to the Vet's and some of them not so easy.  Here's a run down on some of the little guys and how they do on that dreaded Vet visit.

Zeke is one of my pound puppies.  He's always a good boy at the Vet's and usually endures what they do to him rather well.  He really doesn't like the temperature taking but I can't say as I blame him there!  The one thing he does do is bark.  He's a small, barky dog and once we're in the office he barks at the women behind the desk and any dogs that come in.  Once we're taken back into the exam room he barks at any shadows he sees pass on the other side of the door.  Kind of an embarrassing headache but at least he doesn't bite.

On the other hand there's Beans.  He's another small dog pound puppy.  He's a loveable little guy unless you mess with him when he doesn't want to be messed with, like at the Vet's office.  He's my only pet that has ever drawn blood and it was the Vet's.  The problem with Beans is he doesn't give any warning.  He's just standing there looking cute and innocent while the Dr. examines his mouth, ears and so on and then all of the sudden there's a growl and a whomp at once!  They usually take him to the back room and muzzle him.  He also has the tendency to want to take on any animal in the waiting room, especially the really big dogs.
Bean's has just about outdone any other animal in the cost department because he had to have a whole lot of teeth extracted.  That is not cheap!!!  I'm sure the Vet was laughing to himself as he pulled all of those teeth and  thought "You won't be biting me anymore!"  I was not laughing when I heard how much it was going to cost.  *sigh*

Most of my cats are pretty good because we put them in their little cardboard carriers and we're on our way.  We might hear a little mournful howling and meowing all of the way but at least they're not trying to attack other animals.

I've had a couple cats that some how seem to know, days in advance, that it's shot time.  Little Skooter would disappear and not show up until after I'd cancelled her appointment because she was a "No Show".  I think I cancelled her appointments more than any other pet.  I don't know how she knew it but she just did.

Now my big red cat Weasley has turned into a Skooter.  He is our only current indoor/outdoor cat.  He shows up when he's hungry or decides he wants to nap inside on a rainy day.  You can never really know what time of day that will happen, especially on a sunny day.  Unfortunately his last appointment was a sunny day.  We planned carefully and decided that if he came in in the morning for his food we'd just keep him inside until his afternoon appointment and ignore his persistent and increasingly louder meows and howls to go outside.  So we did, only to have the Vet's office call and cancel his appointment 20 minutes before we left the house!!!  I did remain civil, but it was hard!

Another reason I cringe, when we take our pets to the Vet is I never know what I might get a lecture about.  I take that back.  I do know what it will be about.  It will be about an overweight cat.  Our adorable little Bella kitty was a little overweight and my daughter and I had to listen to a lengthy lecture about it.  It didn't help that we are both overweight as well and thought we were being judged because of it.  Now I'm not saying that we were, but sometimes those that are overweight have that mentality.
So today when we had to take our little, well not so little, 1 year old cat Monkey in, we were shaking in our shoes.  Monkey is very overweight.  He is a food bully.  If any other cat wants food Monkey is there watching.  I can glance away for a minute and look back and he's eating the food and the other cat is no where to be found.  Our little chubby cat, Bella disappeared and never returned a few months ago.  My husband thinks Monkey may have eaten her.  I really don't think so, but he is large.  My sister calls him beach ball.  So today we waited to hear the overweight cat lecture...and we didn't get it!  Phew!  Yes, the Dr. did give us a couple helpful hints on weight loss, which we are implementing but Monkey is such a love that they couldn't help but laugh at how cute he is.  Phew, again!!!

So anyways, Vet day is always a surprise one way or another.  When we have to take some of them I feel my anxiety level go up a few notches because I have no clue what's going to happen.  I don't know what I'm going to see because I've seen some yucky stuff coming out of my pets at the Vet's that  I won't go into because I'm trying to erase that from my memory.   I can't always blame my anxiety on the pet.  Sometimes it's the office and the price of what needs to be done to my little four legged friends.  That price is enough to send some into a coma.  I've been close a couple of times.

But overall I thank God for Vets!  They keep my little furbabies happy and healthy.  Well, maybe not so happy in Monkey's case as he searches the house for his food bowl that's safely stored until feeding time.

This is a picture of our sweet,chunky Monkey a year ago when he was a baby.

I love the Sims!

My love for the Sims began a little over 13 years ago.  My daughter's birthday was in March and a few weeks before that we were at Costco.  As we perused the book and movie aisle she saw a game she was interested in called The Sims.  She asked for it for her birthday.  Little did I know, when I purchased that game, what changes it would bring to our household.

Shortly after she opened that gift, we gathered around our only computer and watched as the teeny world of the Sims appeared before us.  My daughters and myself were instantly captivated.  Within hours we were fighting over the game.  I would set aside 2 hour blocks of time for each of us to play.  Of course, I could play all day long on my days off, while they were at school. Muhahahahahaha!  Before long, those blocks of time weren't enough and we purchased another computer and another Sims game.  Soon that 2nd computer turned into three and yet another Sims game.  And so, an obsession was born!

Since that time the original Sims game had multiple expansions, that I bought in triplicate.  Then there was The Sims 2.  That included multiple expansions and stuff packs.  For a while I could buy only one stuff pack and we could put it on all of our computers, but then Maxis/EA became money obsessed and we had to each play off our own copy of the stuff packs, so three of those were purchased as well.  Then came The Sims 3 with their expansions, stuff packs and so on.  Oh and don't forget all of those items you could buy from the online Sims store to add to your wonderful game!  

Needless to say the Sims has cost me thousands of dollars over those 13 years, but I don't regret a single dollar!  It has provided, my daughters and myself hours of entertainment and a great bonding experience too.  No matter what's going on in our life, we always have the common interest in the Sims.

 Most people that know me have heard about the Sims.  There are those that ignored me. Then there are those that thought "what the hell is Sims?" and then ignored me.  Lastly there are the very few people that I know that know what I'm talking about and like them too. Mainly my daughters and one coworker who plays occasionally.  You know who you are!  So imagine my delight when I found a whole online community of Sims enthusiasts!  And believe me it is a very large, world wide community!  

I had been playing the original Sims game for a short while when I found the online Sims community.  There were a few forums out there that would share their Sims experiences or links to great sites that had Custom Created items that I could download and put into my Sims game.  There are so many creative people in the Sims world!  I became addicted to downloading new items or houses for my game.  I would spend more hours doing that and then organizing those downloads, than I would spend playing.  I had to have that refridgerator or sofa or chair and so on in 40 different colors!  Or I would download beautiful houses that I was never patient or talented enough to dream up and build myself. This was all back when I had dial up.  Those downloads would take forever, but that didn't stop me!

After a few months of lurking at the Sims forum Neighborhood 99 or N99 as we call it, I got up enough nerve to actually comment.  It's a great place, full of wonderful, giving and creative people.  I feel like many of them are my friends.  I also joined another forum called CIS Clubhouse.  I made friends there too.  Over the years there has been lots of drama in the Sims community, especially during the Sims 1 days.  Now it's pretty mellow and we just have a good time sharing Sims stories,  ideas and  the excitement when a new expansion has been announced, counting down the days together and sharing all of the tidbits we can find about said new expansion.

Now a new Sims game has been announced.  Sims 4.  We knew it was coming and I'm actually dreading it.  After all I've invested over the years, I hate starting over, yet again!  But I know that by the time it comes out I'll be anxiously awaiting it and the very day it's released I will be buying it, installing it and starting a whole new adventure!

There's a little something for everyone in the Sims games.  You can play a premade sim or make your own.  You give them the personality traits you want.  If you're a control freak, like me, you can pretty much control every little aspect of their lives.  If you would rather watch  life happen you can just sit back and let their free will take over, sometimes with chaotic results and a visit from the grim reaper!  Here are some screenshots from The Sims 3.

There's plenty of gardening opportunities for those gardening enthusiasts!

Playing in the ocean with your toddler.

If you want to fly you can play as a fairy or ride a broomstick as a witch!

You can fight fires or just stand and scream at them.  In this unfortunate fire 3 sims met the grim reaper.

You can even have a meteorite hit  your neighborhood or your home.  Sometimes your Sim won't make it out alive.

Birthdays

I just had my birthday.  It was a wonderful day.  I try to schedule one of my quarterly vacations over my birthday, so I don't have to work around it.  That makes it an even better day.

I've never been one of those people that gets all depressed or wants to ignore their birthday.  I know I'm getting older and it doesn't bother me.

I have one of those late birthdays.  Back in the old days, when I was little, the deadline for starting kindergarten was October 15th.  Since my birthday was September 30th, I made if before the deadline, but I was usually younger than all of the other kids.  I started kindergarten at age 4.  So everyones birthday seemed to come long before mine did.  All my friends were turning 6 when I was turning 5 or 16 and driving when I just had turned 15 and so on down the line.  I always felt like I was catching up to them.

I married a man 6 years older than me, so that makes me feel young.  Good planning, if you ask me.

I always feel sorry for someone when I hear them say that their family didn't do anything for their birthday.  How can you forget or not celebrate a birthday?
I figure if you let someone forget your birthday, then you shouldn't complain.  My husband and daughters get a wishlist from me a few weeks in advance.  I kindly let them know where the best deals are on the items I like.  In return I expect to get wishlists from them before their birthdays.

My family always has and still does make a big thing of birthdays.  When we were kids we had parties with our friends over as well as  big family get togethers with cake and gifts.  Even now we have family parties with my Mom and siblings, niece and nephew, most of the time.  It's always something to look forward to.
A time to get together and chat.
 I loved planning my daughters birthdays.  We would have fun choosing the birthday theme and buying all of the party goods in that theme.   I would order their favorite cake and we'd usually have pizza or some other meal they loved.  They usually got a dinner at a favorite restaurant too, on a night of their choosing.

So birthdays have always been a special time for me.  As long as family and of course cake and gifts are involved, I don't mind turning another year older. (Especially if it's a pink champagne cake from McGavin's bakery. MMMmmm)