20 on the 30th ... uh ... on the 3rd

1. I've grown accustomed to plain oatmeal with a dash of cinnamon for breakfast. I call it "my morning gruel." I had a regular packet of oatmeal (flavored and with sugar) the other day when I was out of the plain, and it was almost impossible to eat. Too sweet. Yeah, I couldn't imagine me saying that, either.

2. Mentioned this earlier in the week, but I want to go back to it: I paid off a stinkin' credit card! Wahoo! Leaves me with just one card. That card has a huge balance, but hey, I'm down to one. Very exciting.

3. Frenzied Feline has been beating me or coming close to it on Lexulous (Scrabble clone on Facebook). She IS a Lexshark. Beware! Don't bet on the games with her. She has no mercy.

4. Jean is also a Lexshark. If you play with her, you deserve what happens to you.

5. Other than Chuck and Jay Leno's monologue, I'm not watching much TV. Not much to watch. I wish Stargate Universe wasn't so bad. The writers had the characters make really stupid decisions in the first season. Quite annoying and not much fun to watch. Supposedly the writers and producers have "fixed" many of those problems for the second season. We'll see.

6. I forgot to mention I also watch Bones. Which had a new episode this week. Wahoo! And Sweets asked Daisy to marry him in a very moving moment. I thought the writers did an excellent job.

7. My life is complicated now. I'm tired of it. I want simplicity. Gotta make changes, but figuring out those changes ... there's the problem. How do I get myself out of this financial, spiritual, and mental morass? Don't know, but have to figure it out. And soon.

8. Floozy is over 90 pages now. Another 60 or so, and it will be ready for the proofers. Really just two months away from when I wanted to publish it. Wow. Seems terribly close.

9. Remember in the 60s and 70s when we rebelled against The Man? Well, we have met The Man now, and he is us. My friend Gail has implied we are too young to have rebelled against The Man. Maybe. Although I think any rebellion against an established routine or procedure counts. Except the other day I found myself telling a fellow employee of my company something along the lines us: "We've always done it that way. Why isn't important. Just follow the rules."

10. We reached the 80s this week. Wahoo! I love heat. Love the sun. Maybe finally I will shake off these winter chills. It seems like winter dragged on forever and a day.

11. The healthcare plan passed. Yes, it's a complete disaster. But truthfully, what has our government done in the past 30 years that hasn't been one? We lurch from one mistake to the next, and it doesn't matter which political party is in power. It seems to me that the best thing that can happen is for our President, Senate, and House not do a thing. Ever. There's a reason some people retreat to the hills.

12. We still have the best government on earth. We are fortunate that our Constitution keeps our government in line. I always worry whenever anyone talks about changing it in any way. I think that's dangerous.

13. Frenzied Feline's son is about to leave on his mission for the LDS church. He will be gone two years. There have been a lot of studies on the missionaries and the effects of their trips. Even ones not sponsored by the church -- not that the church would falsify results, but they do have a stake in the outcome -- have found that the mission trips produce a more mature, well-rounded person. Not always, of course, but it most often is the result. I think travel and staying a new place for an extended period of time does that to most folks.

14. Cinnamon is good for controlling your blood sugar as long as you consume it with a meal, Prevention Magazine says. I have a teaspoon every morning on my morning gruel just for that reason.

15. I intended to write this post on Tuesday, March 30th. Didn't happen because of one thing or another. I've been weaning myself off Facebook and trying to post here more, although I couldn't prove it by the postings of this week.

16. My desktop computer is having memory problems. The joys of Windows which always increases its need for memory with every update and upgrade. I have another gig ordered from Amazon.com. Once it's installed, I should see some improvements since I'm doubling my RAM. Yes, it's an old computer, but I'm hoping it will keep going for a couple of more years.

17. My washing machine is having major problems, too. Pouring water out on the floor instead of down the drain. So my roomie and I went out to Sears Saturday afternoon and purchased a new one. They had a sale going on. It should arrive Monday.

18. So I'm very broke. Whee. Well, what is new about that? I seem to go from one state of brokeness to another state of brokeness. I think most of us live our lives that way. Despite Dave Ramsey and Suzie Orman. I think what those two do more than anything else is sell us the dream of doing better. Oh, I know people can make it. And after all, I'm done to one (huge) credit card now. But it's quite hard to live within your means when it feels like the whole world is working against that.

19. I went to the book party for Jen Nipps Friday afternoon. Her book Devoted to Crafting has just been published. I've read it and think she did a wonderful job with it. I recommend you add it to your library soon.

20. Have any plans for Easter? Just church for me. Or maybe I should more rightly say that I have the joy of going to church on Easter! But other than that, I have no plans. Family is too busy and too scattered for any reunions.

And I think that will be all tonight. Have a wondrous, blessed Easter. Talk to you later.

Buy Murder by Dewey Decimal at Amazon.com
Buy Murder by Dewey Decimal at Barnes&Noble.com
Buy Murder by Dewey Decimal at BooksAMillion.com
Buy Murder by Dewey Decimal at Lulu.com

Buy Murder by the Acre at Amazon.com.
Buy Murder by the Acre at Barnes & Noble.com
Buy Murder by the Acre at BooksAMillion.com
Buy Murder by the Acre at Lulu.com
Buy Murder by the Acre in HARDCOVER at Lulu.com.

Buy MBTA & MBDD items and more at Oakleaf Harbor