"Happy Holidays (?)"


Okay, "Happy Holidays", "Merry Christmas", "Happy Hanukkah", "Happy Kwanzaa" and all that!

How about "Happy Everything" just to get it out of the way. It's incredible how this is all coming to be. Politics! (rolls eyes) Gosh sakes!

For what it's worth, be glad you can celebrate any holiday at all! We're blessed with that freedom!

Mary

Sometimes...


...Under pressure we say the stupidest things! And I've done that alot lately. I think it's time I take a break and have a nice examination of reality! Especially after what was said in a recent post.

I suppose I was hurting for some really stupid reasons that some may or may not understand. I guess it's a "Girl Thing". This kind of feeling was, for the most part, totally ridiculous, uncalled for and I should have inserted foot in to mouth before proceeding to click on the *post* button. It's time I grew up!

Mary

Been A While!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. It's been incredibly busy here!

Work has been crazy with all of the holiday shoppers. But, I can't complain. Time goes by fast. Then again, so fast that I really need to put things in order and get my cards out, shopping done, party's to go to (which reminds me, I need to get a skirt and a nice top to wear), and cookies to finish. More on that later!

Daughter's school's football team had a State Championship game almost three hours out of town last Friday that we went to. It was awesome!

Although the temperature was 21 degrees with a wind chill of -10 it was still great! Why? Well, ofcourse WE WON! These boys played thier hearts out and for the first time in 42 years took the Division II State Championship with a score of 31 to 29! What a game!!!!!!! GO IRISH!

We took pleanty of warm clothing, layers mind you, and a sleeping bag to keep warm in the stands. But, I seemed to have a problem with my eyes once the game was finished. We were heading back home and I noticed that my eyes, even when taking my glasses off, were fogged up and tingled a little. I wondered if the wind and wind chill combined managed to freeze my cornias a little. I closed my eyes for a while hoping that warming them up would take away the effect but when I opened them I still had a fogged and starred effect when looking in to any lights. After about an hour or so it seemed to dissipate but I still had a burning feeling. The next day it all seemed okay and I was good to go.

That next day daughter had her second S.A.T. test at 7:45am. This after finally hitting the bed at approximatly 2:05am. Such is the saying that goes,'No Rest For The Wicked!' She seemed to do okay. Then she had to work from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. Ater that she had 'Broom Ball' practice (a simplified version of hockey but with brooms instead of hockey sticks, special ice shoes as opposed to skates), at 12:30am which wound up being 1:00am because the team before them had a delay in thier practice time. Once again, we didn't get to bed until 2:00am. ********THUD********

I worked Sunday and Monday. Today I decided I'd make my Christmas Cookie Cut-Outs. I went all out and tripled the recipe but forgot that I only had a bag and a quarter of powered sugar for the frosting so I'll have to go to the store again to get more powdered sugar to finish up the rest of the cookies.

I also need to get my 'Christmas Wreath' (a version of Rice Krispie treats only made out of Corn Flakes), cookies made before I return to work Thursday. My-my how time fly's.

C'ya soon!

M

HOCKEY!


Yes, I'm a RABID hockey fan and am I ever glad that there's a season this year.

But, with my work schedule it's been next to impossible to watch a game when it's happening. I'm lucky if I get the chance to listen to the highlights when I'm on the way home from work.

My poor animals, both cats and dogs, have finally managed to experience me watching a game last week when I had the chance to watch Calgagary play Vancouver on CBC Hockey Night in Canada. The poor things are going to need tranqualizers when I do managed to have a night off to watch. I guess I got a little excited when Vancouver scored over Calgary and both the dogs and cats hair stood on end, they looked all over for what was causing the excitement and ran out of the room barking and meowing!

Hopefully I'll be able to go to a 'Wings' game this season and break my NHL virginity by actually experincing a game in person.

Speaking of the 'Wings', I had to see the highlights of a game a few days ago of a game that was cancelled after the start of the first period when 'Wings' player Jiri Fischer colapsed with a seziure and heart failure while playing.

What a shock that was. But then again, not. After finding out that after an exam for the NHL a few years ago he had a heart defect. No suprise that this heart failure would happen but a sad reality that this condition may end his professional career. I haven't had the chance to check up on his status as far as the NHL is concerned but know that he was very lucky to have a training coach and team psychian available with a defribrilator on the ready to revive him when he collapsed.

Very lucky to even have the chance to be talking to his team mates that evening given the possablity that he could have lost his life. He's here for a reason!

Well, off I go! It's going to be a busy few days ahead for all of us.

Cheers,

M

Happy Thanksgiving!


Sorry it's been a few days since I've had the chance to visit here. Life is life after all and well, it's as usual here, busy!

I've been working odd hours and having two consecutive days off at a time is a rarity any more. We're getting ready for Thanksgiving here and the our contribution is the potato's. Both sweet and mashed.

Although I've tried to get my parent's to come here they're doing the dinner at thier place again. Poor mum. She try's so hard some times and well, she's tired. After taking care of Great Aunt Verlin and everything else the poor thing has managed to mess up the first two pumpkin pies by not adding the cream and nearly had a fit. Then when trying to do the next two pies she spilled them putting them in the oven thus catching the spilled mess on fire. Well, that taken care of she managed to finally get them cooked.

I'll probably get up fairly early to get the potatos going and then head over to help her with the turkey and the rest of the food we tend to gorge our selves with.

Then it's going to be an early day. I have to be at work by 5:45am Friday for all of the LOVELY holiday shoppers in a hurry to get the best deal. -shrug- go figure! There's always a sale! I never understood the need to bust open store doors that early for things that will be on sale through out the holiday season but hey, it pays the bills.

Anyhoo, off to talk about more topics.

Cheers,

M

All In Good Fun!


Here are some candids that were taken by an attendee at the auction last month of actor Dean McDermott, Garett Maggart and yours truly during my 'Birthday Suprise' that a friend got for me. A neck message by Garett and a reading from the yellow pages by Dean McDermott.

It got a bit crazy after a few minutes and it all ended up with everyone being good sports!


Dean McDermott reads me the phone book while Garett rubs my ever so tense shoulders.


I'm motioning a friend to bring up a dollar bill. This is for the 'Smut Bucket' that had overflowed many times during the course of the weekend.


Like I said, all in good fun. Here's where the 'Smut Bucket' started filling again.


All done! After all of that Dean decided I needed a little more rubbing down to ease the tension! :^)

Mary

Work!

Yep! Work! I'm glad I have it but I'm making half of what I was at my former job. I can't tell you how much I miss the travel industry, especially now!

I'm working as a cashier making less than half of what I was at my former job but I have to do what I have to to try and make ends meet. It's very hard right now and almost humilitating to the point of 'Pimping' credit cards (as much as I despise them), just so I can keep the job I currently have to pay the bills. If I don't do so then my hours are cut and my earings are even less!

I need to keep this job as long as I can so I can pay the bills, put my kids through school and hope that when it comes to tax time, I can deduct enough to catch up!

M

Aaaaarrrrrggggghhhh!
Mood:  hug me


Lately I'm on auto-pilot. Just getting up, dealing with what I have to and then go to bed and deal with it again the next day hoping that things will take a turn for the better.

Last month I went to L.A. for the auction. A wonderful, temporary escape from reality, but tiring week at that! I chose to do that and at the same time it gave me the chance to go back to where I was born and raised (more on that in another post).

I admit! I miss L.A. and the area where I was born and raised. What I don't miss? Is what it's turned out to be. A web of dissillusinment to which traps so many who had such great lives before going there and turning them upside-down.

I can't tell you how much I'm screaming inside to tell these folks who head that way hoping for a much better future in the industry, that you are the catalist for your own future...be cautious! For the dissiloution of fame and fortune can be your ultimate dimise! It's not what you think! Please, PLEASE take a moment of your precious time to re-consider the steps you are taking to 'Better' your life? It's not what you think. And before you know it you'll be thrown back in to reality far worse than what you were when you arrived!

M!

Caption Me!
Mood:  d'oh


Okay! Here's a picture of one of my favourite actor's Dean McDermott after the paparazzi caught him and his new flame (?)while leaving a restaurant, a favourite of mine until I saw this, in L.A. last month.


I can't comment but perhaps you might want to yourself. This is what happens when you fall 'madly'.

My feelings? I can't say! But, I can hint around 'dissapointed'.

Mary

Great!
Mood:  surprised


I have a stalker!

Over the past two days I've had a guy come and go just buying parka's. In fact, he checked out twice with me on Wednesday buying three, two on the first trip and one more for the day. He was there today when I came in to work buying yet another one. Yes, they're great parkas but to single me out for four parka's in less than a 24 hour period and to find me to get them is a little creepy.

Security has a picture of him already and is keeping an eye out for him. This is a little scary!

Glad to know I can count on co-workers to gaurantee my security!

Mary

Auction Report


As most of you know, I'm an official volunteer for the Motion Picture Industry Charitable Alliance and
I usually have a report on the auction each year I go to it. This year I'm a little behind as I've had alot of personal issues I've been dealing with along with work and now fighting a nasty cold/flu.

I hope everyone can forgive me for not posting one sooner! I'll have a report up as soon as I'm feeling a little better.

Otherwise, Dean showed up looking nice and with an added accessory of an eye patch over his left eye due to recent eye surgery.

I'll have more later!

Thanks everyone for understanding!

Special Announcement!
Mood:  celebratory


MPICA? is pleased to announce that the charity auction raised $50,000 for Westside Children's Center Los Angeles and Ronald McDonald House British Columbia.

That is an amazing amount considering the finacial toll that several natural disasters have placed on people and their ability to give to charity.

We extend our most sincere thanks to our celebrity guests for donating their time, and to the wonderful fans who brought their enthusiasm and spirit to help make this auction a rousing success. We couldn't have done it without you!!

Auction photos have been posted to the web site. We hope you enjoy them. :-)

Regards,

MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY CHARITABLE ALLIANCE?
501c Non-Profit Organization 31-1588233
http://www.mpica.org
Lights, Camera, Auction, Take 8!
http://www.mpica.org/LCA8/main.htm

Much Sadness
Mood:  sad


It's with much sadness that I must update everyone on my parent's little kitty Maggie 'Magpie' passed on sometime between midnight and 8:00am today. It's been a very long hard two weeks for all of us and even harder, the past few days when it looked like she was going to come home today. But, appearantly her purpose for us in this short life of four years was finished and she's now again comfortable and happy.

I was very fortunate that yesterday I could go to the animal hospital to be with, feed her and hold her for an hour and a half yesterday before I had to go to work. Bless her little soul, she tried bust just couldn't hang on.

Please keep a little white candle lit for her little spirit so it may go knowing she filled our lives with much happiness that will be missed.

Thanks!

Mary

It's Been Crazy!
Mood:  rushed


I'm so sorry I haven't had the chance to really update since my return from the auction. It's been VERY hectic here with family, work and other issues that have taken up much of my time. While I'm at it, please keep your candles lit for little kitty. She's still very ill but the vet seems to think she'll be able to come home tomorrow.

Before I went in to work today I went to the hospital to visit with and care for her for about an hour and a half. I got to hold her, pet her, comfort her and give her some food through a syringe for the first time in over a week and half. She's still very weak, anemic and lethargic but she seems to be coming uphill little by little. Once she gets some more nourishment in her system she should regain her strength. In the meantime she still needs the support of some towels on either side to keep her up. I'll let you know how that goes a little more later.

Regarding the auction: It was one of our BEST in years. There were so many new people attending as well as so many wonderful guests in attendance.

Unfortunatly, because I'm a volunteer and all of the work we do to make the auction go off without a hitch and so everyone can enjoy themselves I didn't have the chance to get any pictures myself. But, look forward to some really good ones to be posted to the official website shortly.

But! Once they are posted there will be alot of excellent pictures posted once the organizers have the chance to go through the thousands that were taken during the event. And I do mean thousands of very good pictures.

There will be quite a few of them with myself and actors Garett Maggart and Dean McDermott during the auction including some of yours truly getting a very nice shoulder massage from Garett while another actor Dean McDermott read me the phone book! I wish I could hire Garett to do it for me on a daily basis! Goodness knows he hit the right spots. I was very tense from all of the work we did. And he even said "My GOD she's tight!" Once the message was over he said "Thanks for being such a great sport!" He's such a sweet guy! :^)

Dean looked great himself despite the fact that he had a patch over his left eye due to recent eye surgery. Yes, he auctined off the patch! :^)

More of an auction report later. I'm off I go to get some shut-eye before a full day of work ahead tomorrow! I'll let you know when the pictures are posted to the site!

Again, thank you for all of your wonderful support! The auction was one of THE BEST!!!!!!!

Cheers,

Mary

Little Update


Hi Everyone,

Hope all are coming around and recovering after yet another successful weekend! I'm still a little tired myself but coming around to being back in Toledo. I already miss all of you and the fun we had. Boy howdie! :^)

After Rae and Jill left for the airport I went on my mission Tuesday morning/afternoon to see the house I was born and raised in and even managed to get pictures not only of the outside but the owners, after getting permission first, asked me if I'd like to get some shots of the inside of the house. I was thrilled! The house, as I remember it, seemed bigger when I was younger. Now as an adult for the life of me I can't figure out how my parents raised five of us kids and a dog in that tiny little place.

The owners are the third to own the place and have managed to renovate most of it to what it was while I lived there. It's in fantastic shape and they've done such a fantastic job. Just walking through the doors took me back in time and yes, I was home again. There's so much more to tell you about it but I fear I would bore you with any more. Needless to say, I felt very comfortable yet missed it very much.

After that mission was finished it was time to take in a quick site seeing of the 'rocks' (name escapes me at the moment), where they shot that episode of classic Star Trek as well as many westerns and other SciFi shows. How magical a place. Even saw four ravens in directional formation. INCREDIBLE! :^)

Pretty soon it was time to head back to the valley and grab a bite to eat. Ate, then drove around Burbank to see Warner Studios, Disney Studios and NBC Studios before heading back to the hotel.

Got back to the hotel and felt, well...bored, tired and anxious to get back home so I called Northwest to see if there was any room left on the last red-eye back home that night. I couldn't figure staying another night with all I was feeling. So, I went ahead and changed my return for the 12:15am flight back home and arriving back in Toledo by 10:00am. Figured this would also give me an extra day to recover before heading back to work. Glad I did!

There was anxiety upon my return. Mom and dad's small kitty 'Maggie' who's four years old. She had gone missing a few weeks back, returned a few days after going missing and was out on the front porch when they discovered she was throwing up blood. It was light in colour but still, it was cause for great concern.

They took her to the vet that day and they couldn't see much of anything on the x-ray that they considred a possible blockage or puncture in any vital organs. Well, after a week of anti biotic therapy she still didn't show any signs of improvement and was weakening rather quickly. They took her back and was admitted for pre-surgical prep. They went in and discovered that the sewing thread that she ingested a few weeks back (cause of this), was intertwined and perforated through her intestine up to five inches of it. She had just over five inches removed and reattatched but she was very VERY sick as of last night with septicemia to which they've been giving her more antibiotics and other meds to help beat the severity of the infection.

I saw her yesterday. As they opened her cage for me I approached her, cupped her little head in my hands and started with a flow of prayer by touching her little forehead and gently spoke to her more. She was very listless and pale in the gums. I honestly didn't think she'd respond to me. When I lifted her little head up to have a better look at her her pupils started to react and she meowed very quietly. After talking with her a little more, purring for her and stroking her head she started to move a little more and started following objects with her eyes and reacting to sounds. Then, the hard part, it was time to leave her be, come home, light a candle for her and pray a little more hoping for a miracle.

Before heading in for work today I stopped in for a quick visit. They told me that when they returned in the morning they found that she had moved from one side of her cage to another and uncovered herself. Appearantly because of being a little warm from the heating pad. I spoke to her and she opened her eyes right away, her ears followed my sound and she started to move around more. They said she really likes getting the little drops of water put in to her mouth to keep it wet until she can eat again. She's licking things and reacts to things that are being used to stimulate her more. It was again time to leave. She still needs ooodles of care and will be on careful watch. Each day is another tiny step as we wait with bated breath for her recovery. If all of you could, please light a little white candle for her for her recovery! My parents, brother and I would all greatly appreciate it. She means so much to them and my mom especially needs her companionship right now! Thanks!

Other than that, It's been already a very hectic week around the household with kids, school, work and much more.

I hope everyone else had a great homecoming and are resting up good!

I have to work tomorrow and hope to have a 'Lights, Camera, Auction - Take 8!' update very, very soon!

Love you all,

Mary