I am still alive. I've been spending time on the Avatar Refuge site. There's a fun contest going on over there to get us in the mood for the grand finale.

Other than that, life is okay. Since I last posted here, I found out I have Lyme Disease. That explains why I was feeling so bad this past winter. I've been taking antibiotics for two months now and I'm starting IV antibiotics tomorrow. Lyme is really hard to get rid of once it's in your system for a long time.

My grandma's house in WV - the house I grew up in - got flooded several weeks ago. I spent some time up there helping them clean up. She didn't have insurance, but FEMA helped her out with some of the expense.

My garden is doing pretty good. I'm disappointed in my zuccinis. They are not nearly as productive as last year. I planted tomatos this year and they are growing like crazy.

Thats all for now. If anyone is interested in the Avatar Refuge site, let me know and I'll hook you up with the right info.

Take care!

I kept thinking earlier... "Why does April 24th ring a bell? Was I supposed to do something today?" And then all of a sudden... DING DONG! It's the date in my little box over here -->

No wonder it seemed familiar.

So here's my attempt at throwing a blog party....

Entertainment courtesy of Haruhi and the SOS Brigade:

Snacks: (All organic of course )

Music:

Fluorescent Adolescent by Arctic Monkeys

Let Me Think About It by Ida Corr

Paper Planes by M.I.A.

Drinks: (Sorry to disappoint, but all drinks are virgin in this blog)

Good news!!
I am happy to report that my team lead has moved to another project! She was a good programmer and self-motivated, but her and I didn't click very well as a team. We had the opposite of synergy - I'll call it drainergy just because I feel like it.

Not so Good News..
The folks I work for (in a round about way) had nearly forgotten about the project we've been working on, but when they heard she was leaving it sparked their memories. Now they have moved the completion date waaay forward. So basically the amount of work that used to be distributed between her and I that was to be completed by December is now all on me and must be done months earlier. I haven't heard a solid date or plan just yet, but I can tell it's not gonna be pretty. Oh well, I guess it's all a matter of motivation anyways.

Other news...
I've been submitting stuff. Yeah, weird, I know. But it's kind of fun once you get started.

I'm almost finished with Kodocha. I think I'm on episode 90 out of 102. Only a few more to go. I think the major story line is already pretty much wrapped up at this point though. I am actually getting used to watching with subtitles. I'm able to catch some of the really common phrases in Japanese now, and I'm not even trying to learn it. I do think it's a nice sounding language though.

Anyone have any recommendations for what anime to watch next?

My van is a magnet for other vehicles. I have had it for less than two years. Bought it brand new after driving a clunker for years just waiting for the chance to buy 'the car' I really, really wanted. Less than a month after driving off the lot, I got rear ended. I was sitting still at a red light and a guy just rammed into the back of me. He claimed that someone hit him and pushed him into me and then ran away. Consequently, I ended up paying for some of the damage out of my own pocket because it had to be turned in under the 'uninsured motorist'clause on my insurance policy so I got stuck with a deductible.

Two months ago while I was in WV for my grandfather's funeral, my van was parked in my grandma's driveway and my uncle backed into the front quarter panel. At least that time I didn't have to pay anything out of pocket since his insurance covered it, but still it is a huge inconvenience having to leave work several times to take care of the repairs.

Finally, just yesterday, I was at the local recycling center trying to do something good for the environment, and this guy cut too sharp going around me (while I was parked) and swiped the front corner. He wants to pay out of pocket, which is fine with me, but now I have to go though the trouble of taking it to get it repaired again.

This makes three times my van has been hit. All three while it was standing still. I have frequent flyer miles at the local body shop. Has anyone else had their car damaged this many times or is it just me? Is my van cursed? I waited for so long to take the plunge on a new car. Am I doing something to attract this type of 'attention'?

Anyway, happy monday to you all. Now I'm off to the repair shop for my lunch break - trying my best to keep a positive attitude.