A Secret Revealed and a Giveaway!

I've mentioned here several times before, that one of my BFF's in High School was Stefanie Wilder-Taylor. I still consider her a friend today, even though it's been several years since I've seen her. When we have had a chance to talk on the phone in the past couple years, we still manage to talk for hours. I guess sometimes the important, meaningful bonds people make in their lives don't just go away.

I met Stef one afternoon in High School, when we were both serving after school detention. I was sitting behind her and she turned around and asked me something funny like "What ya in for?" I was taken by surprise that this really pretty girl was talking to me. I was going through one of those periods when all my "friends" had turned their backs on me for something silly/stupid (kissed a boy at a keg party,and this boy, unbeknownst to me, was supposedly going to ask out someone better than me from my clique) (little bitches!)and wasn't very trusting of anyone at school. But Stef seemed sincere, so I laughed and answered her.

She saved me from being friendless and we had many fun times over the next several years. After Stef graduated High School and after I dropped out, we moved to California together. She had always planned on returning there and I just wanted to get away from my dysfunctional home life.

Stef has had three books published and a fourth not yet released. The secret I'm sharing today is that I am in her third book It's Not Me, It's You... ! In fact, I'm in the first four chapters! In the book she openly shares stories from her life and I'm in the parts of the book about when we moved to L.A. together. I think I'm one of the "It's You" she's referring to. Heh, heh. I loved all of her books, especially the parts I'm in of course, and I laughed out loud over and over again.

In the book she calls me Beth Moskowitz. She originally wanted to call me "Wendy" but since I always wanted the name Beth, she changed it for me. I'm even mentioned in the NY Times review of the book as "the roommate". If you click on the title link above, it will bring you to Amazon where you can read excerpts from the book. Just search 'Beth' and there I'll be!

Now for the contest. Stef has offered to send one of my readers a signed copy of her third book. All you have to do, if you want a chance to win a copy, (and learn some dish about me and Stef) is leave a comment for this post. I'll leave it open until April 2nd and then I'll have the kids pick a name randomly out of a hat or something, and I'll post who the winner is.

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Stef on our road trip to California. We drove in style!

Me on the way to Cali!
Okay, not really her car.

Me after living in Hollyweird a while. I took rebellious to the max, while Stef tried to actually do something with her life. We both did a good job. I actually shaved the sides of my head every Friday night before going out to see local punk bands play. In this photo, my hair has been growing out for over a week.

Here we are a few years after I had moved back to Mass from Cali. I came to visit her in LA and we took a road trip to Las Vegas. Don't you love our big hair.

Good luck!

Kiss Me, I Might Be Irish

Well, it's now been over a year since I hired the private investigator's to find my biological family and still nothing. I emailed the PI every few months over the last year and each time she emailed me back not to give up. That they had leads but nothing concrete, yet. I emailed them last week and asked if it was time for me to give up and I haven't gotten a response back yet.

I don't think about it everyday but I know it's always lurking somewhere in my subconscious mind. I felt it creep to the surface yesterday when I was at the ear doctors office filling out forms, and of course the section was there which asked for my family history. For a second I thought perhaps I could just tell them Hus's history, I mean, he is my closest family. I paused when I came to that part, and tried to to ignore the heaviness that crept into my chest. It's not like I would cry at the doctors office, but I could have. Obviously that means it still bothers me.

Recently I've been working with my doctor to find reasons why I've been so tired and unmotivated for the last year or so. Bad work and sleep schedule? Seasonal Affective Depressive Disorder? Peri menopause? Depression? She also brought up my adoption search and that it's around the time I hired them that my mood and energy started to decline. She thinks that because hiring them was a last resort and having them fail to find any answers, I've lost hope.

I've always had hope. But is it realistic, should I just accept that I won't ever know? If I had the energy, I would take myself to see a shrink, I still might. Maybe then I could just get on with my life. There really aren't that many options left for me. I will try writing letters to TV shows, but long shot's there I'm sure. I did apply to The Locator and never heard anything.

Anyways, Irish or not, here are this years Leprechaun trap's. T, my 6yo and I each made one. E, my 11yo was too old or too cool. Of course tonight when we set them out, she asked if she was still going to get something from the leprechaun, ya know, candy. HA! Not too cool for candy I guess.

T's Trap, complete with spun gold to entice the little Leprechauns.

My trap, sure to attract female Leprechauns with the idea of getting a spun gold make-over.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Miscellaneous Manure 11

1. Bad Boy, Bad Boy, What Ya Gonna Do, What Ya Gonna Do When Mama Comes For You?

Our boy Summer has turned into a little bit of a bad boy. He disappears for entire nights, coming home dirty, dusty and sometimes scratched up a bit too. The first time he was gone over night, Hus and I thought he was a goner. There are Coyotes, Foxes and Bobcats around who would find him quite yummy.

After Summer was gone for over 18 hours, Hus looked at me with watery eyes and said,
"I hope he didn't suffer."
Summer came home around an hour later. Now we don't worry anymore.

A few times when I was driving home from work at around 1AM, I caught him more than a half mile away, hanging around with some hoodlum barn cats. Another time he was about a quarter mile from home and when I saw him, I called to him through an open car window; He ran alongside my car all the way home.

Summer also decided to make his own cat door for himself. Now, he can get in between the screen door and wood door and wait for someone to find him!



I don't know how he fits into the small space between doors. He is not a little thing.

2. Houses For Rent; Move In Ready!

Each year Hus adds more bird houses to our collection. Some of them we made, others he finds here or there.

Old Favorites

New Additions

Yes, that is a roasting pan. I did ask him if it was my grandmothers, but he says this one he found at the dump and changed it to a house.

I wonder who will move in?

Saturday Sounds 22 or Wop Wop Wop

I was planning on writing a little bit about how much I love '50's and '60's music, and how whenever I hear a song like this one, I can't help but dance, but I'm too tired. That's really all I wanted to say anyway. Oh, and this song has been in my head all day! So, go on and dance...

Sleep Study

I'm spending the night, tonight, at the hospital for a sleep study. Not the hospital where I work. I have a personal policy that co-workers are not allowed to see any part of my naked body. I think that for the sleep study I can wear my own jammies, but the tech will have to attach some leads to my chest which may reveal some boobage.

Some preparations I've done for my overnight stay.

>Showered.
>Shaved.
>Trimmed my toenails and polished them- I think a wire needs to be attached to my ankle to check for restless leg syndrome. I wouldn't want to scare the tech with my 'winter toes'.
>Washed my new jammies.
>Typed a list of my meds.
>Checked for extra new facial hairs-leads need to be attached to my head and chin.
>Changed my pillow case-I don't have to use the hospital plastic pillows.
>Packed my extras along with usual overnight stuff, for example: Left hand carpal tunnel brace, tissues, can of Fresca, couple fig newtons (can't not have my bed time snacks!) two books, paper and pencil. I'll pack my laptop later so I can Tweet.

If you're thinking what a weirdo I am, imagine what my Hus thinks living with me. He's already had a good laugh about the extras I've packed.

"Are you going to pack your wrist splints?" He asked, waving his hands around like a monkey.
"Bite me!"
"Are you going to tuck tissues under your pillow?"
"Bite me!"
"The back scratcher?"
"Bite me!"
" Why don't you bring the cats too."
"Maybe I should, oh, and BITE ME!" Of course, I was laughing at myself by now. If you can't laugh at yourself, everyone else will anyways.

I'm going to try and stay away from caffeine after noon and gassy foods. I mean, snoring and drooling will be bad enough, I don't want to fart all night. I hope the recording is shut off when I am in the bathroom.

The reason I'm having this sleep study is because of fatigue. All you have to do to qualify, according to my insurance company, is to snore and be tired. If there is something wrong with my sleeping, hopefully I can be treated for it. And with more sleep, I'll have more energy and be able to exercise and maybe even lose a few pounds.

I'm afraid I'll sleep well at the hospital, even with all the wires attached to me because I won't have all the usual things to keep me awake. Maybe I should bring the cats-Cokee always has to sleep with me under the covers, the kids-when they talk in their sleep, I wake up. Oh and Hus because when he rolls over or breaths too loudly, I wake up. I wake up even with ear plugs and Lunesta!

As a side note: I put two new links on my side bar. One is to the short story I have in Reflections on Doctors. That link will take you to Amazon where you can read some of my story. I don't get paid if you buy the book, but there are some interesting nursing stories in it.My story is Laughing Too Hard To Care.
The second new link is at the top, for a new free E Book where one of my previous posts is included. It's free to download and has links to several funny blogs.