A good day...

...is one that is fulfilling, productive, and relaxing...

At least, that is the formula when you're a teacher on summer vacation. Yesterday I was home way too much and I was getting "cabin fever."

Today was good-- a perfect blend of busy and relaxing. I got to watch my nephew, Alexander, for about 2 hours. We played and went for a 25-minute walk around the neighborhood. When my brother picked him up I took some curtains to the dry-cleaners. They price by the pound--is that new? I don't know. I so rarely go to a dry cleaners...

After lunch I did some marketing and replaced some of the dead or dying flowers/plants around the house. It is an inexpensive way to make the house look clean and fresh if you don't overdo it.

Then I went to the cemetery. There was someone very special I needed to visit who passed away 2 years ago today. For anyone reading this who knows who I'm talking about, I know--can you believe it has already been 2 years? I've missed him a lot these last couple of days.

When I came home Bailey and I went for a nice long walk while I listened to the last half of last week's Mugglecast. Great show! I was laughing while I was listening and walking. People must've thought I was nuts. When I got home I sat in the backyard and listened to the last few minutes where I could laugh without being judged. :-)

The day has flown! Lots of places to go and people to see! My kind of day.

Disneyland: 6 fun-filled hours...

After about 10 years of having a Disneyland Premium Annual pass, I decided not to renew it when it expires on July 3rd. So, in an attempt to squeeze one last usage out of it, my friend, Bobby, and I went to the Magic Kingdom this morning.

He needed to leave the park at 2pm, but getting there really early actually worked in our favor. We were in the park and ready to go on rides at about 8:15am. The weather was overcast and a little chilly, but the park was close to empty. In 6 hours this is what we accomplished....

• Indiana Jones ride (walked right on)
• Pirates of the Caribbean (walked on)
• Haunted Mansion (walked on)
• Big Thunder Mountain (walked on)
• Matterhorn roller coaster (maybe a 10-minute wait)
  
• watched the Jedi Training Academy show in Tomorrowland (very cool!)
  
• Space Mountain (always awesome--used a Fast Pass)
• Lunch at the Blue Bayou (restaurant that opens into Pirates of the Caribbean)
• The Jungle Cruise (5 minute wait--worst tour guide ever!)
• Billy Hill and the Hillbillies show at the Golden Horseshoe Saloon (go Billy!)
  
• Finished up with a Dole Pineapple Whip next to the Tiki Room (best dessert in the park IMHO...)
  

On a hot crowded day I don't think we could've achieved that much in twice the time! I would've liked to go on the Finding Nemo ride, which is a great attraction, but it is still so new that the lines are ridiculously long. Another time.

So here it is 4pm and I'm home from a great Disneyland trip. A great "swan song" for my pass! (hmm...should I renew it???)

Favorite ride of the day? It changes all the time. Usually I stick with the Haunted Mansion, which is always great, but today I think I enjoyed Space Mountain the best. And, in commemoration, I found this great virtual video of the experience:

REVIEW: Lars and the Real Girl

Today I had the wonderful opportunity to baby-sit my little 4-month-old nephew for about 9 hours. It was a quiet day at home full of baby squeals, a good 2-hour nap (the baby, not me,) and a lot of drool. (baby again)

Somewhere in the middle of that, I popped in my latest Netflix delivery, Lars and the Real Girl, starring Ryan Gosling and...."Bianca."

Lars Lindstrom is a 20-something young man in a small town. He's extremely introverted, much to the concern of his well-meaning brother and sister-in-law, and very lonely. After seeing a co-worker looking at a site advertising life-sized sex dolls, "Bianca" arrives at Lars's house 6 weeks later.

Despite Bianca's original purpose, that is not why Lars brings her home. His reasons can be interpreted in many ways because, unlike what usually happens with a main character, we never know what Lars is thinking or what his motivations are. Instead, the audience becomes one of the townspeople in the film--baffled at first, then slowly accepting of Bianca until you almost forget that...you know...(no one wants to say it...)

This is a movie that I would've chosen to write a paper about in college. It is interesting and layered with no clear genre or theme because different viewers will take away different things. The trailer makes it look like a comedy, but I never found anything comedic about it. It is a lovely film, though--one of those rarities whose strength is in the subtlety of its script and the acting. At the very least, it is about love, communication, family, showing compassion for someone with a mental illness, and what it really means to be human.

I don't want to give away too much, but I highly recommended it. A very strong cast.

The trailer:

Interview Link...

Borders Book Club Interview w/ Stephenie Meyer

Good, long interview...

Last update on the dog drama...

I am SO ready to move on from this. It feels like it has been consuming my week. But I did get a chance to talk with the Akita's owner this afternoon to tell her what my vet said.

The dog's owner said that the 2 ladies who run the local humane society had discussed the dog's personality and record with her and agreed that, based on those things, they didn't feel comfortable adopting him out to someone else. My family has dealt with these animal control officers before and they are very sensible and really care about each animal they take in, so I have confidence that they didn't make this decision hastily...

...but...the dog was put down earlier today.

I'm conflicted, because 2 nights ago I seriously wished this fate on the dog, but now I hate that it had to come to this.

It is just a sad situation all around.

An Interesting Morning...

I've been in a writing mood, that's for sure. Maybe it is because I've been doing so much reading that I've been thinking "if they can do it, so can I..." Yeah, I can write, but I've never been inspired by any stories or characters...

This morning I took Bailey to the vet to see that everything really was OK after Monday night's dog incident. My vet is great, a very compassionate older man who has a great way of looking at the big picture. What he said was this:

• #1--Bailey is fine (my top priority)
  
• He is 99% certain that the other dog did not intend to kill Bailey, it was all about dominance. Male Akitas have a reputation for being aggressive with other male dogs, but if he wanted to kill Bailey, he could have and had the time to do it.
• He agrees that the Akita's owner should've surrendered him but does not think the dog should be put down if he's never been vicious towards humans. He thinks that somewhere out there is a good owner for that dog (if he can withstand the overcrowding at the humane society.)
• The fact that the Akita has routinely killed skunks and opossums is unrelated to what happened with Bailey. Many dogs do kill small wild animals.
  
• Dogs should never, ever (as in the case of the Akita and his owner) be given as a gift. As he stated, "It isn't like getting a bad tie that you can stash in the closet..."

So those are the basics. I asked him what he thinks would've happened if the neighbor hadn't turned the hose on the Akita. He thinks that eventually (!) he would've been satisfied with the fact that he had won the dominance battle over Bailey and would've walked away.

I'm torn. My logic tells me that everything the vet said is probably true, because we've taken our pets to him for 20+ years and I have a lot of faith in his experience. My heart tells me that the fear I felt during the incident was very much based in reality because of what I was witnessing. Whether the Akita's intent was to kill Bailey or not, I know that for myself I've never been so scared or seen Bailey so helpless and at another dog's mercy like that.

Regardless, I called the Akita's owner when I got home so that she would know that putting the dog down was not the only option. There was no one home and I left a message. Then I made a copy of the vet's bill and mailed it to her. Bailey needed some shots updated, but I paid for that just let her pay for the vet visit. She had offered, which was nice, and I didn't want to take advantage, and I know she'll feel better having made it up to me and Bailey in some small way.

Interestingly enough, when I was done putting things together in the envelope to mail to her, I checked the mail to see if my note to her would go out today. I hadn't missed the mailman yet, but inside the mailbox was one small envelope with the words "Thank You" on them. Inside was a $20 gift card to Trader Joe's from a lady whose cell phone I had found while walking Bailey about 2 weeks ago. Funny. It left me feeling incredulous--I remember when walking the dog just meant that you walk the dog...boy, I miss those days!

And now Bailey is back to doing what he does best...

*Update* on the dog incident...

I called the owner of the dog who attacked Bailey and informed her that I was taking him to the vet tomorrow to be checked out. She told me that she surrendered her dog last night. He is being held at the local human society and the animal control officers were not informed at all by the police as why this dog was being given to them. They were treating him like a stray who would eventually be adopted out. That's scary...

The owner said that she is going to sign a consent to have him euthanized. Last night's episode was too severe to ignore. I feel bad that it has come to this, but relieved that that dog will not be able to hurt anything or anyone else. I'm grateful that she is being responsible about this (despite the fact that the dog has hurt and killed other animals and had no tags or license...)

Anyway, it seems to be over. I'll mail her the vet bill, which I hope will be small, after tomorrow's appointment. Bailey seems to be on the mend, which is all I care about now.

The Morning After...

I slept deeply last night, worn out by what happened with Bailey and that other dog. I hope that the dog is being humanely treated (if my assessment is correct and he was taken away by the police.) If they take him to the local human society I know he will be, even if they decide to put him down, because that is where I adopted Bailey, and the two animal control officers who run it are very nice and caring towards the dogs and cats there.

Mainly I thought about everything that happened because I wanted to go over my reaction and make sure I wasn't over dramatizing. I don't want to wish, gulp, death, to another animal unless it is really deserved. I've never wished for another dog to be put down before. And the weird thing is that the other dog was never vicious in behavior. He never growled or bared his teeth. One second he was calm and the next he was on top of Bailey with his teeth on his throat. It was the first image that came into my head this morning when I woke up, which helped me rationalize that, yes, that dog does need to be put down. Still, I feel guilty thinking that.

Bailey seems to be doing OK. His eyes are not nearly as bloodshot as last night, but I notice that he is very stiff when he stands up. He may have a few bruises from being thrashed around on the cement sidewalk for what seemed like an eternity, but what was probably 2-3 minutes.

I still can't believe what happened.

A truly terrifying experience....

Less than 3 hours ago, around 7:30pm, I was taking my big black dog, Bailey, on our nightly walk. We turned down a street we've walked on hundreds of times before when a black/gray Akita came across the street towards us. At first I didn't think much of it, but then the Akita attacked Bailey and had him on the ground in seconds with his teeth clamped onto Bailey's throat.

Bailey weighs about 80lbs, so I'm not used to seeing him in a helpless position, but he was 100% at this dog's mercy. I tried to pull him away with the leash and it was impossible. I started screaming and trying to kick the other dog away but he would not let go. Bailey's tongue was turning gray before my eyes and I was sure that he was going to be killed. My screams turned from trying to frighten the attacking dog to screams of terror and helplessness.

A man across the street came running and started yelling at the attacking dog and hitting him with a backpack. I got one good kick into the dog's face and he would still not let go. A lady came out of her house and turned her hose on the dog and the man took the hose, which startled the dog enough to let go of Bailey. The man yelled at me to get behind him with Bailey, which I did. The dog still did not leave, and stayed only at the tip of where the water from the hose reached him.

Another lady came out and asked if I was OK and offered to let me take Bailey into her dog-free backyard to see if he was OK and to calm down a little. The first lady with the hose called the police and the man who had helped left. A black Mercedes SUV pulled up across the street and the attacking dog stood next to it, like he recognized the driver.

After seeing the Bailey didn't have any broken skin (miracle) just a lot of saliva around his neck, I left him in the "borrowed" backyard and went to talk to the lady in the SUV. The gray dog was hers, and had gotten out while she was buckling her 18 month daughter into her car seat and the little girl was holding the clicker to their gate. They live 2 streets away and the dog got out and walked 2 blocks. The lady was extremely apologetic and asked if Bailey was OK and then, surprisingly, admitted that she was willing to surrender her dog. I asked her how long she had had the dog (whose name I never learned) and she said 7 years. She seemed pretty willing considering how long she'd had him.

She said that she was nervous about having him around her daughter and that every time Animal Control came out to her house she had discussed re-homing the dog with her husband. (Every time Animal Control had been over? This is not normal.) I learned that SHE is the one who would call Animal Control because the dog would kill skunks and opossums and she would call them to clean up the carcasses. No, this is definitely not normal.

I lost track of time, but somewhere in there a police car arrived and the officers put her dog into their cruiser. I stood with the other ladies across the street while the police talked to the dog's owner for a long time. Bailey waited patiently for me in the neighbor's yard, looking OK but a little confused.

While the policeman got statements from the two neighbor ladies, I went and talked with the dog's owner. She apologized profusely again and offered to pay any vet bills. I didn't think that would be necessary, but I asked for her contact information just in case. I'm going to see if he's in any pain tomorrow and maybe take him to the vet just to be sure there are no internal problems.

Then it was my turn to give a statement to the officer. I didn't have any ID on me--this was supposed to be a quick 10 minute walk, not an hour-long drama--but gave him what information I could. My heart was still racing.

45 minutes after the attack I got Bailey home and had dinner with my mom at her house across the street. I had to recount the entire tale again and that was when the tears came. Things had been so intense I couldn't even cry before, but now as I relived it and thought about how Bailey looked with that dog's teeth on his throat, the thought of losing him like that was horrible.

Three hours later, Bailey seems to be OK. He kept panting for a long time after we got home and his eyes were very bloodshot. I could hardly eat any dinner. All I wanted to do was hug him. Right now he's sleeping peacefully at my feet.

To the best of my knowledge, the police took the attacking dog with them. And, as much as I love dogs, that particular dog is dangerous. I love my sweet Bailey. He's my constant companion and protector. I know that he will not be around forever, but I'm not ready to give him up yet, especially in a way like what happened tonight. It was awful.

Prayers for Russell...

This morning I plugged in my Zune player to listen to something while getting dressed. I decided to listen to the Russell Watson playlist I made several months ago.

There are 5 singers who are, in my opinion, the best--Russell Watson, Josh Groban, Michael Ball, Michael Buble', and Linda Eder. I've been able to see 3 out of 5 of them in concert and I'm very protective of them all because I want them to have long, healthy careers. So it has pained me to know that Russell Watson has been suffering for the past 2 years from aggressive brain tumors.

As I listened to the first song on my playlist, Always There, which is a tearjerker anyway, I wondered if there were any updates on how he is doing and went to his website. Happily, he is still recovering well, despite the fact that the tumors had to be removed by making incisions in his mouth. Ouch.

I'm thrilled he's doing better, even touring in the UK and putting out a new album in November. His voice is heavenly and I wish him the very best. Whether he sings or not, I just want him to be well.

This song brings tears to my eyes almost every time, it is so beautiful...

New Moon--what a wild ride!

Twilight: started June 19/finished June 21
New Moon: started June 21/finished June 22

I cannot remember the last time I devoured 2 books in a row so quickly. Even the 6th and 7th Harry Potters took me about 4 days each.

It seems amazing that I only heard about Twilight 5 days ago and now I'm halfway through the series. I loved the 2nd book: new mythical monsters, new relationships, new dangers, and even a quick international jaunt. I remember the rush I felt while reading The DaVinci Code, and the rush I feel after finishing New Moon is very similar. I think I read even faster because I was longing for a reunion of our 2 main characters...although the story during their separation was incredibly engrossing...

On to Book 3--Eclipse... (luckily, it has been so hot outside lately that I don't feel guilty about staying in and just reading, reading, reading. I love it!)

I L-O-V-E to sing!!

Online karaoke is so much fun! It's been ages since I've recorded a song. Here's a fun oldie where I can express my giddiness about finally being on summer vacation!

Nat King Cole's L-O-V-E sung by Kristie

(Blogger won't let me include the HTML code for some reason...)

Twilight--wow!

All done. Wow. Loved it! I started on Thursday night and finished early this morning.

I don't like romance novels, but I'm a sucker for a well-written tragic love story, which TWILIGHT is. Throw in a lot of suspense and adventure--even better. Toss in a few vampires--I'm hooked.

This is not Buffy the Vampire Slayer Pt. 2, and I'm so relieved, because that is one of my favorite shows and the tragic romances Buffy had with Angel and Spike are legendary to and protected by Buffy fans. I was very worried that Twilight would be a feeble copy.

Happily, the love story of Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen stands on its own, with noticeable and welcome differences between the "cold ones" (Cullens) and the "lonely ones" (Angel, Spike, Dru, etc.)

The reading in Twilight is very fast, the character development is great, the teenage angst pretty realistic. There are just enough descriptions of the surroundings to give you a clear picture, but the real focus is on the characters and their dialogue (internal and external,) which is the kind of story I'm attracted to.

Edward Cullen could make a woman of any age swoon, because, although he looks 17, he's really 117 and carries the pain and experience of someone much older. Bella is chronologically young, but intelligent, mature, and self-sufficient, until she meets her match in Edward. The many supporting characters are well-written, and I'm anxious to see what happens in the next book, New Moon. When I was down to 150 pages left, I zipped to Borders and bought the next 2 books in the series, New Moon and Eclipse, and even reserved Breaking Dawn, the 4th book, coming out August 2.

It is certainly the kind of book where you have to give in to the world being created by the author. Writing about vampires is always sticky, because there are so many interpretations of what they are like. Fortunately, their mysterious history also gives an author a lot to pick and choose from. Like Bella Swan, I found myself wondering about some of the Cullens' traits and comparing them to the Buffy vampire world that I know so well. The Cullens live among humans, they go to school, they are out and about during the day--these are not vampires that I'm used to. When Bella brings these questions to Edward, his answers were very satisfying to the reader, and when he dispels the myth about vampires and the sun and demonstrates what really happens to a vampire when exposed to direct sunlight, a truly beautiful scene emerges-- probably my favorite in the entire book.

So, although I agree with others that Twilight's target audience is probably older teens and up, I, personally, loved it. I hope that the movie coming out in December is as satisfying. I think casting Robert Pattinson (Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) as Edward is brilliant. When I discovered that he was playing the character, I realized that he fit my mental picture of Edward almost 100%. But, like Harry Potter, the real treat is the books, not the movies (although I love every one of the HP films.)

After all, it is in the books that the characters really have life breathed into them. Or in Edward's case, breathing isn't necessary, just a habit. The bottom line? I'm officially "dazzled."

Blessings--Count them.

Tonight I accompanied my mom while she brought dinner to a family from church. The lady is probably in her early 60's and is suffering from terminal lung disease.

4 huge tanks (barrel-size) of oxygen line the side of their living room, each with cords trailing behind this poor woman as she makes her way from room to room.

I left quietly but affected; grateful for my health, my freedom to come and go from the house as I please, and my job that I complain about so freely. If that doesn't make you count your blessings, nothing will.

Dumbledore Out and About...

In my effort to make use of all things available on the Zune player, I've been shopping around on the Zune software site for other podcasts to listen to. Enter--Mugglecast--a weekly 75-90 minute discussion by a group of young 20-somethings on all things Harry Potter.

Like most Harry Potter fans, I finished the series last year after Deathly Hallows was released, but also like most avid fans, I am always interested in what others have to say about the series. That is one of the best things about it, that the characters and their respective backstories are all so rich that the speculations and possibilities are endless.

The small group of "mugglecasters" are very knowledgeable about each book and have intelligent and witty discussions that are both entertaining and informative. I learned that they are related to one of the premier Harry Potter sites that I have visited often-- Mugglenet.com.

After listening to 3 of their most recent episodes (and you do not have to have a Zune or an iPod to do so, just go to the site and download an episode onto your computer or read a transcript) I decided to email them a question. It was a lame one that I knew that had probably been covered when the news was new, but I was curious about their take on the whole "Dumbledore is gay" revelation that J.K. Rowling announced back on October 2007. Mugglecaster Andrew Sims quickly responded back to me and gave me the link to Episode #117 when that topic was discussed on the show.

For anyone who is a Harry Potter fan--of the books, films or both--this is a great episode. Some of the content is PG-13, but it is very interesting. Listeners wrote in with their own opinions about the news and the mugglecasters responded with their ideas. And, since it is such a hot topic associated with religion, about which Harry Potter is often scrutinized, they talk about that too.

Want to listen? Click below...

Mugglecast Episode #117: Another Keg of Butterbeer

P.S. My new copy of Twilight arrived in the mail today. Let's see what all the noise is about this series. I hope being a Buffy fan doesn't skew my opinion...

Hi ho the merry-o, a reading we will go...

Once in a while this strange thing happens to me where a topic will come at me from completely different and random directions. This happened today.

This morning I was visiting the blog of my former college roommate, Gail, and she was talking about the book, Twilight, of which I had never heard. An hour later I was in the car on the way to work listening to the podcast, Mugglecast, and the young people on that show brought up the Twilight series. Weird....

Clearly I was meant to give this series a looksie. Although it sounds suspiciously like the Buffy/Angel relationship on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the author insists in an interview I just watched on amazon.com that the idea came to her and she has never seen an episode of Buffy. The Mugglecasters seem to agree that Harry Potter fans either have a love-or-hate relationship with the Twilight series. I'm sure that Harry Potter fans everywhere are searching (with a discerning eye) for a new series to latch onto and call their own.

Could Twilight be the one? I'm going to give it a try. My copy of the book should arrive in the mail on Thursday. Good way to start the summer, with a new book...

Of course I'm also simultaneously reading:



Atonement, by Ian McEwan
(Excellent writing so far, even though I saw the film twice and know what happens...)

Home, by Julie Andrews

(Love her! Got to meet her! A fascinating read.)











The Umbrella Man, by Roald Dahl
(It's very simple. I will not leave this earth until I know I've read every word he has written. My favorite author since I was 9.)










And, even though I devoured this book 2 years ago in a couple of days, listening to Mugglecast inspired me to revisit...













And now I want to throw this one in the mix? I must be crazy! But, hey, it is summer, and that is the big reading time of the year for me. During the school year I'm just too exhausted to commit to a novel. I hope I'm not disappointed!

Another legend gone...

Another cast member of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, my favorite movie, has passed away. Cyd Charisse died today at the age of 86. She starred in numerous musicals, always as a dark-haired beauty who danced on legs that went on for days. She is survived by her 2 sons.

See Cyd and Gene dance in Singin' in the Rain's dream sequence:


We'll miss you Cyd!

TWO more days...

I'm having trouble dragging myself to the shower this morning before I drag myself off to work. We're down to 2 more days with the kids. I'm exhausted. The cumulative tiredness of this year has caught up with me. Yesterday I was in pajamas by 5:30pm. The majority of the work is done and the classroom is stripped.

Today a parent is bringing cupcakes for her daughter whose birthday is on June 30. Tomorrow we're having a massive pizza party. I ordered pizza online for the first time--very strange, but cool.

The end of the year is so close I can taste it!!

Summer vacation is almost here! I can't wait...

It's a twister! It's a twister!

Look at this unbelievable picture! I found it while looking at Yahoo's weekly photos. It is amazing how many natural disasters have been happening around the country and the world--tornadoes, floods, earthquakes. This is a tornado that touched down in Orchard, Iowa. I'd be screaming in terror, not taking a picture!

Look Ma! No Wires!

I've been on a technology rampage lately. Since my internet had been horribly slow for almost 2 weeks (all fixed now) I've learned more and more about the best ways to keep your connections fast and secure. After 3 phone calls to AT&T, my phone and ISP, 1 visit by a maintenance person, 1 visit-1 call-numerous emails from a knowledgeable family friend, I feel like I have a new college degree.

Yesterday's hour-long phone call to AT&T taught me about the many stresses that can be put on a phone line when several things are competing, in my case it is my alarm system and my DSL. I learned about the importance of filters on every phone jack being used--including the one in the control box for the alarm system.

I also learned more about routers and decided to finally to and get one. After some online research, I headed to Best Buy. I was also curious about notebook cards and wireless adaptors, but I learned from the salesperson that my computer has those things built-in to search for nearby wireless networks. Fortunately, I know how to do a network search on my new laptop.

One thing that still confused me was that different routers have different letters. Some have N, or G, or B. I discovered that the "N" is for the fastest connection on the very newest computers. And, although my laptop is new to me, the model has been out for about 3 months. Mine is a "G" configured laptop, therefore I needed a "G" router.

I ended up with a Linksys WRT54G2, which I mainly wanted because it was small and sleek and did not have those unsightly antennas sticking out of it. The antennas are internal.

Setting it up was breeze. The instructions were basically fool-proof. The CD had a big sticker that said "RUN CD FIRST BEFORE CONNECTING CABLES." With pictures and animation it took me through the set-up process. It was pretty cool when I tested my laptop on my own wireless network for the first time and it worked perfectly. I carried the laptop around the house and the signal was very strong. Mission accomplished.

The next step, which I did this morning, was try the "wireless sync" feature on the Zune player. VERY cool. In the Settings section, you just select wireless and on the Zune site it searches for your network. Once it finds it, you're ready to go. The steps are very easy. Here's a video (not made by me):


So now I have a repaired internet connection that is working great, a wireless network on the property, and wireless syncing. 3 technological hurdles conquered in less than 12 hours. Yay! What's next......?