Stratcat Online

This & That

stratcat43 — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 18:59:37 GMT

I forgot to mention that hubby turned 50 last week on the 6th. Hard to believe huh?

I just came back from bringing <drum roll>.....Mickey home again!! Yep, he was back at the old house. I did get a peek at the Kitchen there and boy, does it ever look nice!!! New counter tops, new floor, new applicances (including a dishwasher) - very, very nice.

Chris and I spent the day in Chambersburg doing some shopping then a movie. We went to see "Blindness", which I liked and she didn't. If you haven't seen this yet, don't expect a thriller/horror type movie....it's just basically how society deals with a blindness epidemic.

It Was A Long Day

stratcat43 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 06:55:00 GMT

Yesterday, it was back down the road again to John Hopkins for hubby to have more tests. They did a CT Scan and another MRI. I sat and read a book. We're still waiting for the surgeon to return a phone call that was made to return their phone call (it's getting old really fast). What we do know is that surgery will be done which will probably mean almost a full week hospital stay. It would just be nice to know more than that....

On the way back home we stopped in Emmitsburg, MD to eat at The Ott House. We've always liked this restaurant and haven't been there in a long time. We ordered drinks and the crab dip with chips for an appetizer. I've always raved about this crab dip...but today it wasn't really the right temperature. The waitress was rather slow and we found ourselves waiting allot. I think the crab dip may have sat on the counter a little too long and cooled off. Dinner wasn't any better......I ordered my steak well-done and it wasn't even close. Course the waitress doesn't come to check, so hubby had to get up and walk it to the bar. The solution for that was to pop it in a microwave......course that ruined the taste and made it unedible. Hubby's steak, he claimed, just didn't taste right...he flagged another waitress down and asked her to just take it away, he didn't want it. They, of course, didn't make us pay for the meals (for some reason they blamed everything on their computers???)...but I was more disappointed that the service was so bad.

The Kreativ Blogger Award

stratcat43 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:49:04 GMT

Kim at Knitten Kittens has passed the above award on to me. The Kreative Blogger Award requires that you list 6 things that make you happy and pass it on to 6 other bloggers.

Six Things That Make Me Happy (in no particular order):

1.    My husband, family & friends. I couldn't ask for any better.
2.    God. No matter how bad things get, He's there to pick up the pieces.
3.    All my pets. All shapes and sizes and they give me so much joy.
4.    The Beach. I absolutely love the ocean. It's the trip I look forward to all year long.
5.    Hmmmm....some guy named Kevin Spacey!! I enjoy his movies, his 2004 concert
       tour, his plays and just about anything I can get my hands on related to him!!
       I enjoy his fans as well.
6.    Reading. So glad I got this habit from my Dad!!

And now I pass this award onto the following (I read all of these, but don't always post comments):
(and Kim, I'd give it to you but you've already had it)

1.   Polt's Palace   (note: this blog belongs to a very good friend of mine, but isn't "child" appropriate)

2.    Roni's Weigh (if you're into weight loss - this gal has some fabulous ideas and recipes)

3.    Mind Of A Mad Woman (just some random thoughts from a mother of 2)

4.    Now Don't Get Me Started    (a running dialogue of life)

5.    5 Cats Shy (not quite a crazy cat lady)

6.    A Blog By Thy Dog (gotta love dogs!)

Best Friends Forever

stratcat43 — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:15:12 GMT

Have you ever been flipping through the tv channels and just come across something so entirely stupid that it mesmerizes you and you have to watch? That happened to me today.

First off, I like reality tv...or at least the original reality tv - you know, when it first hit the air waves, it was different, it was fun. Over the years it became more stupid and you discovered that it really wasn't "reality" at all.

Anyway, I'm flipping channels and end up stopping at MTV (the music channel that shows no music). There is now a reality show for Paris Hilton to find a new "Best Friend Forever".

Yeah, I know - I questioned it too. Is it really necessary for an heiress to have a competition to find a friend? Surely, there are many in her social class to choose from, surely there is a social climber somewhere willing to be her friend.......and, well yes there is!! 12+ to be exact - male & female all vying to be Paris Hilton's BFF.

So I was hooked and continued to watch. First I discover why Paris needs to go this route. She seems really demanding and there are all kinds of rules that go with this job. Mostly though, you need to "trust" her opinion of everything - in other words, she's always right and you need to just say "yes". So naturally this group of wannabes wasn't up to "par" in regards to their looks and dress. So we needed to do makeovers. What happened to friends just accepting each other for whom they are? I mean, if you like someone....then don't you like the "real" them? Shouldn't trust be from both sides?

I could really care less if Paris' finds her BFF or not - nor do I think any of the wannabes really will ever be her BFF. But it made me think of friendship.

I did a post back at the beginning of the year that involved what the Bible says about friends - it basically tells you that you are asking for trouble if you choose the wrong friends. It told you to ask yourself these questions:

Do your friends keep you from living a hundred percent for God?
Do they tear you down, or do they build you up?
Do you find yourself having to conform to things you don't like to do?

At the time I wrote that post, I was having an issue with a group of friends, and the last question really hit home to me. It told me everything I needed to know about those friends. It told me they really weren't my friends.

True friendship is based on honesty, trust, mutual understanding and like for each other. It expands past more than a common interest, it's not spiteful and through the bad times there eventually comes forgiving.

Kim of Knitten-Kittens Blog (see sidebar) is a friend of mine from high school. We met through a mutual church friend and became fast friends. Our Dads worked together, she and I worked together at Burger King. And though sometimes years may have past without our seeing each other, whenever we do - it's like the time has never past. I consider Kim a BFF.

Gwyn is a person I started writing as a penpal way back when....we had a common interest in the band Rosetta Stone ( spin-off Bay City Roller band). A few years past without writing, but one day we were back in touch and both huge Loverboy fans. Then many years past and we discovered the internet and found each other again. We don't email regularly, however, when we do, we never have to reacquaint ourselves with each other - it just continues. I consider Gwyn a BFF. (and in case you are wondering, no we've never met face to face).

Through my Kevin Spacey network, I met many friends (too many of you to mention here ladies); allot of those friendships have gone past the common interest of Kevin Spacey. Those friendships I know will be long lasting.

So my advice to Paris Hilton, if she truly wants a BFF - you need to be a friend first - which sometimes means you don't get to make all the rules. You need to find the common bond and grow from there. And it's not going to happen on a reality show where the competition involves seeing if the wannabe can live "your" life style. Accept people for who they are, and why ONE BF? Have many... life's too short to live in a box with one person...live outside that box...you'll be much happier.

Finally, at last - a post!!!

stratcat43 — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:22:23 GMT

Yes, I know, I've been lacking in my posts.....

Last night hubby and I took the 2 dogs for a walk. We run into a neighbor who's dog had run off. While we're walking up the street, here comes his dog "Oliver". Anyway, Strat walks with us when we walk the dogs and Oliver is afraid of cats, so....... naturally Strat had to aggrevate him, but then Oliver got brave and Strat ran under a car. Now Oliver is barking at him and Toby was going nuts thinking Oliver was going to get Strat. But that didn't happen.....as we were heading back home, the neighbor was still trying to catch Oliver. Dogs are funny.

Baby is doing great!! We were over Thursday evening and it's a happy little family. He, of course, is the *cutest* grandbaby ever!!!

I'm a Grandma!!

stratcat43 — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 20:43:59 GMT

Well it finally happened....Colton Michael arrived today at 2:50 p.m. weight 8 lbs. 3 oz. at 21 inches long.

I Have Turtles

stratcat43 — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 07:21:16 GMT

I forgot to mention that while on vacation I got 2 turtles. You know, the little ones. They sell them at the beach now like they do hermit crabs.

I remember having these little turtles as a kid...boy has time changed from then. The little plastic container with the little island and plastic tree are no longer the suitable container for them (no wonder they always died). Even though the woman at the store sold them to us saying you could keep them in that and therefore talking us into the largest plastic container...... the truth is you need an aquarium and a large one at that as those turtles get big!

When we moved a year ago I had two 20 gallon aquariums that we trashed....figures doesn't it? Anyway, another county employee gave me a 10 gallon aquarium and we've set it up with gravel, a filter, a water heater and big basking rock (with a basking light of course). They are very interesting to watch.

I'll try to get pictures soon....

Some Updates

stratcat43 — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 07:55:00 GMT

First off Mickey is still gone and we're hoping he's back in the old neighborhood. Just waiting on the phone call.

Hubby finally heard back from John Hopkins. They want to do another test and then another MRI. They've told him that there is the problem in the neck, but that there is also a problem in the mid-back. Once the tests are complete (still waiting on the call for when they are), they'll do the neck surgery first which results in a 3 day hospital stay, after those 3 days they will do the mid-back surgery. We're figuring he'll be in the hospital for a week. We're unsure what the rehab time is with this or how much time he'll be off work.

Grandson is due the 26th of this month.

And Some Beach Photos

stratcat43 — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 07:44:00 GMT

From The Air

stratcat43 — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:42:41 GMT

As promised (finally), here are the photos from the helicopter ride:

The last picture hubby took with his cell phone. The little building with the blue roof, sitting in between all the larger ones, is our hotel.