It is New Years Eve, my husband is cooking up a storm, we have a couple of friends over, and he is worried we will not have enough food, believe me we do. We have Foundue Appetizer, Deviled egges, escargot, and now cresnuts wrapped in bacon an for dinner, Caesar Salad, Leg of Lamb and Foundue dessert. (3) bottles of red wine, reisling for the Hors D'oeuvres hour an of course, champagne. We are planning on eating, drinking and playing board games to ring in the new year. We are in a new city, new friends in our new house getting ready for the New Year. It is amazing to me that it is 2007, 25 years after I have graduated from High School, which just seems sometimes that it was just yesterday. I know it is a time to reflect on the past, but I am really looking toward what the new year will bring. Will it bring me the new career path, I am so longing for, or will I still be in the same job not working toward anything next year at this time?

What (10) things would you like to accomplish in the next year? Losing weight is always on the list stretch your imagination an think of fun things that you never thought possible. Always fun to dream, my biggest dream for 2007 is to travel to London with my husband, an experience it with him, he was there in 1998 and myself in 1987, so together seeing it through each others eyes would be heaven to me. We love to explore new cities together, but seeing one we both have seen at other times in our lives will be quite interesting.

I hope everyone has a safe an fun New Years Eve. Don't forget to watch the ball drop with Dick Clark because really is there anyone else than can count down from 10 more eloquently.

Well, we got back about 2am on December 26 from our jaunt up North. No snow, I did not have a white christmas except about 4pm in Pennsylvania somewhere it started to snow and did for the next 200 miles then turned to rain, so I did get a little of white christmas. We had a wonderful trip, full with family, friends, guilt, move back and basic family stuff. My oldest sister hosted Christmas Eve this year, for our family on my mom's side, it was packed everyone showed up this year, the first time in many years. We suspect it is because my Aunt is very sick and we are not so sure how much longer she will last.

It was wonderful seeing all of the family, there was about 60 people there, and it is funny to look around an see all the little children, and remember when we were all that small an loved these Christmas Eve gatherings. My cousins in my generation are as follows:

Me No children as of yet
Cousin Tommy - 3 children, 2 boys and a girl
Cousin Paul - No Children
Cousin Debbie- 2 boys
Cousin Dawn - No Children as of yet
Cousin Nancy- 3 Children, 2 boys and a girl ( sister of Tommy)
Cousin Greg- 4 children, 2 boys, and 2 girls
Cousin Susan- No children
Brother Jon- 2 girls
Add in Older sisters with 2 children each, it was quite the full household.

My cousins and I used to hang out in another room, we were way too cool, it was Tommy, Paul and Debbie and I everyone else was younger and not as cool. We would sit in a dark room an tell stories it was so much fun. Paul is a college professor of history now so he always had the best stories to tell. We are now in our 40's, but it seems to me sometimes that is was just a little bit ago when it was actually about 25 years ago. It was a wonderful Christmas, I saw my friends and family.

We did have a bit of an accident in our Sonata car:

" Our Sonata got run over by a Reindeer, going to Thomas's house on Christmas Eve"
" Left the windshield damaged and the front end, we did get some reindeer skin in the hood",
Our poor Sonata got runover by a Reindeer"..

Not busy today, so I thought I would post again. Rosie O'Donnell has been very busy lately bashing everyone and now Donald Trump is coming back at her, for her remarks yesterday on "The View". The fact is nothing Rosie said was untrue was it Donald? I am not saying she has any right, but she has a microphone in her face and people actually listen so what are you upset about? Rosie O'Donnell is a big mouth, who thinks she represents the "Common Folk", well when I speak people don't listen around the world. I was a big fan of Rosie when she did VH1 an her stand up routines, even her show was great, then she lost me when she invited Tom Selleck on the show and she ambushed him, after that I realized she is a huge liberal who thinks people want to hear what she says. Donald Trump is correct in saying, " The View, will go down hill from now because of her, do not forget Joy Behr, she is not great either but at least she is funny about it.

I have never liked the VIEW because of Starr Jones, I think Barbara Walters is not sure who to fill that seat with, who do you think is worse Rosie or Starr? I was planning my wedding at the same time Starr was planning her DIVA wedding, being in the business yes I got a few deals but nothing like hers, why would sponsors do that? She is not a huge star even though she thinks so and she has so much money why be so cheap? My husband and I had to pay for it ourselves on a very limited budget, she on the other hand, has so much money you know being a Lawyer and on TV, what does she make a year 1 million dollars oh my call the poor house, poor Starr can't afford to have a wedding of $3 million dollars, at least Donald Trump on his 3rd marriage paid for his estravagants he did not ask for hand outs, who does Starr Jones think she is?

Neither Rosie or Starr represents the real people in the world who have to work for what we have.

We leave today to go back to Connecticut for the holidays, I was hoping for a "White Christmas", but according to the weather it is going to be in the 50's up there so not this year. My husband thinks it is funny, I want snow when we lived there I hated snow. Yes and no, I love a good Christmas Snow, but not the January/February snow when you are digging out your car every day before work. I want a Christmas movie christmas, I know that will not happen, but one can always dream.

My Christmas Movie, would start with us leaving home, and singing christmas carols an through the ride, as we go farther north, it will start to snow and be just beautiful and we will laugh and think how wonderful this time of year is, the reality Stephen will sleep for the first few hours, we will stop at a truck stop an eat crappy an then he will begin driving and I will sleep then around 3am, we will both be so giddy and stupid from lack of sleep we will either start fighting or have tension in the car until we get into CT. Don't you just love long road trips? One of our long trips we made up a song to the theme of Frosty the Snowman an it was not Christmas time, by the time we got to the hotel at 5am, we were so exhausted everything was funny to us, not to the hotel staff.

Movie: We would arrive take a nap and be up an ready to go visiting. Reality, I will be moody as hell and try to be cheery meeting an seeing everyone. Movies are nice because you can cut and rest, in reality it will be world wind of activities for the next 4 days. To be honest I would not have it any other way.

Merry Christmas, have a safe time wherever you may travel.

This article is from The New London Day, in regards to an emminent domain case that went all the way to the US Supreme Court. This woman wanted to stay in her little pink house for the rest of her life and was told "NO". We as the government can take your house to better the economy. The unfortunate thing is nothing has been done to develop that area as of yet. What do you think?


New London — Fort Trumbull diehard Susette Kelo has sent out a heartfelt holiday greeting card to some 30 or so current and former members of the City Council and New London Development Corp., among others, wishing them, in essence, hell on Earth for the rest of their lives.
The text, accompanying a sparkling, snowy image of Kelo's iconic pink house in the Fort Trumbull neighborhood, reads, in its entirety:
Here is my house that you did takeFrom me to you, this spell I makeYour houses, your homesYour family, your friendsMay they live in miseryThat never ends.I curse you allMay you rot in hellTo each of youI send this spellFor the rest of your livesI wish you illI send this nowBy the power of will
The cards — conceived and produced by Kathleen Mitchell, a friend of Kelo and city gadfly, and bearing Kelo's name — were received Tuesday by NLDC members David Goebel (the agency's former executive director), George Milne and Reid Burdick, and by Alan Mayer and his wife, Gail Schwenker-Mayer, supporters of the Fort Trumbull development project and one-time assistants to Claire Gaudiani, former president of both the NLDC and Connecticut College. State Sen. Andrea Stillman, D-Waterford, also got one.
Kelo said this week that she mailed two cards to Gaudiani.
Kelo confirmed others on her list for the Christmas curse, including Mayor Peg Curtin and Beth Sabilia, Ernie Hewitt, Ron Nossek, Jane Glover, Kevin Cavanaugh, Rob Pero, Tim West, all current or former city councilors involved with Fort Trumbull. NLDC President Michael Joplin and members John Johnson, Carl Stoner, Steve Percy, Karl Sternlof, John Brooks and Pam Akins also are to receive the cards.
Kelo said she was considering sending the cards to the five U.S. Supreme Court justices who, in 2005, sided, as a majority, with the city and NLDC against the Fort Trumbull homeowners who fought the city's right to take the properties by eminent domain.
Kelo, among six Fort Trumbull property owners who contested the city's and agency's right to seize their homes and businesses, was the lead plaintiff in the case. She ultimately accepted a settlement offer from the city totaling $442,155 for her house at 8 East St., more than $319,000 above the appraised value in 2000.
“It's amazing anyone could be so vindictive when they've made so much money,” said Schwenker-Mayer on Tuesday, after receiving her card.
Milne, a former top executive at Pfizer Inc. here, called the card “immensely childish.”
“It's sort of sad she elected to do this,” said Milne. “We were trying to do things for the city. It was nothing personal.”
Burdick said he put the card on his mantel with all his other Christmas greetings. “I think the poor woman has gone around the bend,” he said. “I haven't gotten any mail from her in years. I still feel bad for Susette. The sorry part of this is that the things she's angry about were not done to be mean-spirited toward her personally.”
To Glover, a former mayor, the card's rendering of the Kelo house was cute. But the curse didn't cut it. “Being a Christian, I don't believe in curses,” she said. “It was really childish. I didn't think Susette Kelo believed in curses and black magic. If she did, she would have tried it on the Supreme Court.”
Goebel, the former NLDC executive director, said, “Children will be children.” But Goebel was the only recipient, thus far, to suggest that the card might not be from Kelo.
“You shouldn't take the signature at the bottom as that of the one who sent it,” Goebel said. “It's not something Susette would have done, in my view. It's unfortunate children have to do this.”
He did not speculate on who else might have been behind the mailing.
Kelo said the card was her idea. “I'm very upset with what these people did to me,” said Kelo, who works for the City of New London as a nurse dealing with lead paint and lead poisoning cases.
“This all could have been solved and ended many years ago,” she said. “They didn't have to do what they did to us, and I will never forget. These people can think what they want of me. I will never, ever forget what they did.”

I was very upset when I read this today in my hometown paper, how could any person go to a funeral and protest their beliefs during such an awful time for a family? I find it disrespectful, and mean spirited. I am all for free speach, but there is something a common courtesy, and understanding when someone is hurting where was that?

The New London Day Article:
The memorial service Saturday in East Lyme for Army Capt. Jason Hamill was remarkable in many ways, not the least of which was the love and respect shown the fallen soldier and his family by drama students from Waterford High School and from a parade of motorcyclists. Both groups were there to shield the Hamill family and friends from the vituperative and sick attitude expressed by a protest group from Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas. Its message was full of hate for human beings. God, they said, is killing American soldiers as a punishment for the tolerance of homosexuals in the United States.
There were at least three remarkable parts to this sad, solemn day. First was the respect demonstrated by many people who did not know Capt. Hamill. Among them were the high school drama students who just a week earlier had performed “The Laramie Project.” This play depicts the murder in 1998 of Matthew Shepard, a gay man. One character in the play is Fred Phelps, leader of the Westboro Church.
The second remarkable event was the fact that Westboro church members would be so mean-spirited as to travel across the country to a funeral for a soldier and spread their hostile theories about gay people. We ask ourselves: How could people be so unkind as to invade the family's privacy and to speak with no understanding or sympathy?
The difficult part in the face of such outrageous action is to acknowledge vulgarity and rancor are as much protected in our laws as the right to assemble to praise others for their goodness. The defense of liberty is not simple in nature. It requires great patience. It even makes necessary the suffering of indignities that may cut deeply into the human spirit.
The third and most striking part about this extraordinary day was the affirmation of the right to free speech. Americans have a remarkable tolerance for allowing others to speak their beliefs, no matter how distorted, hateful and distasteful their ideas may be. It was this respect for free speech, terrible though the words were, that created this dramatic scene in East Lyme.
Yet on noting this painful occasion, Americans can feel good about the values that protect this form of freedom. It's easy to listen to arguments with which one agrees. Permitting others to speak with most venomous statements requires great character. Such discipline and dedication to constitutional freedom in all its forms has made the United States a respected nation among the countries of the world. In a dramatic way, the character of Americans showed in the funeral on Saturday.
Democracy and freedom get tested every day in this country. The memorial Saturday gave a graphic and even grim display of how this nation endures even the most vile of individuals in order to defend the liberties of all. Capt. Hamill died trying to help give access to freedom for the Iraqis. His memorial service, with protesters and supporters on hand, reminded this region of the many kinds of sacrifices required to keep a nation free.

We leave about 8pm on Thursday night to start back to Connecticut for the Holiday Season. I am so excited to see my family and friends. I know I am building it up more so then it will actually be, the most important to me is to spend time with my family. We are so close so this last 15 months being away from them has been so hard. I have two new nieces one born in Feb 2006, and I didn't actually see her until July and now she has grown so much. When we left Lizzie was just coming up on her 1st birthday in November 2005, she has grown so big. I hate not being able to see them all the time. My neice Sarah who is 10 is now taller than me, and will be taller than her mother soon enough (she also just got her 1st period). They grow up so fast, I know when we have children, it will be a challenge to see where we will live.

I really am leaning toward Maine, because my mom is there and I do love Maine on the coast. It will be at least another 2 years before we move again.

Looking toward seeing my family this holiday season, my heart goes out to the hikers families on MT. HOOD, I know they found (1) body and area hoping the other (2) have survived. I want to wish them the best and will keep praying for the safe return of the other 2 and am so sorry for the loss of Kelly James. It is terrible to lose a family memeber and at the holidays it seems even more profound. I am praying for Brian Hall and Jerry "Nikko" Cooke, I hope they are found soon. Everyone please remember life is so quick, tell the people you care about how much everyday because you really never know what will happen.

Do you read your horoscope everyday? I do, for no reason except I always have. This week has been all negative about my family and problems etc... I asked my husband this morning if we were ok, his response was, "don't read your horoscope, if it is negative it could be self prophesy?" What do you think?

Why do we read them? I even fooled myself into believing I would read them at the end of the day and see if it was correct, and if it was a bit off the mark, I would skew it to be what I wanted it to be, so it was right.

This morning I received an email from my 2nd oldest sister, and she was so excited she had called into a radio show and won 4 ski passes. The question was, "On the show Family Affair, what was the little girls' dolls name?" She was so excited because she remembered when we were little and I wanted the doll, her an my mom searched stores for weeks to find it. Back then it was like the Cabbage Patch dolls were in the 80's. It was a "MRS. BEASLEY" doll, I loved that doll, I do remember opening my present that Christmas morning and screaming I was so happy. Mrs. Beasley went everywhere with me, she just was the best. I had a buffy doll too, much smaller and did not really play with that.

Do you remember those old shows? Family affair twins Jody an Buffy and older sister Cissy, Mr. French the butler and Uncle Bill the bachleor? or Courtship of Eddies Father? Or my other personal favorite, " The Brady Bunch or The Partidge Family?" There was no divorce only death, you were either a widow or widower or like Family Affair both parents are killed and now an Uncle they do not really know is their guardian. It made it even more special to watch things unfold with not having to deal with ex's.

My parents were divorced when I was 6 years old, and it felt we were the only ones. Then another family moved across the street when I was "8" and it was a single mom with 3 kids, and her and my mom had gone to High School together. They had a little girl Melissa who was 7 and we became best friends. We learned how to ride bikes together, when it rained in the summer we would be out there jumping in the puddles, in the fall into the leaves, riding our bikes around the neighborhood, dressing up on Halloween, sleepovers and of course our 1st ciggarettes, which we both got grounded for a week, which to a child of 12 seemed forever. We would stand at the edge of our yards and talk because no phone and could not leave the yard. On Friday, nights we would sit down in whoever house was sleepover night and watch the Brady Bunch and pretend we were the sisters (short one) and sing and dance an be silly..

I loved those times, I spent so much time at her house and her at mine. When I got married in 2005, I did invite Melissa even though I had only seen her twice in about 15 years, she did not come but she will always been in my heart. My family moved when I was 14, we went to different schools so we drifted apart, quite sad. I love to think of those times.

As Christmas is approaching and I look at all the commericalism in the world, I like to remember the simpler times. I am only "42" but so much has changed in my life time, can you just image what your parents and grandparents have seen change in their life time?

Let us start with TV, growing up we had (1) and the whole family had to agree what to watch, our only choices were ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS. The remote was worthless because you only had 4 channels and to get 1 in completely you had to use the box to move the antennea around and it took a good 5 minutes to get it right. Sunday evenings I can tell you for my family was 60 minutes and the Wonderful World of Disney, if I stayed at my grandparents it was Lawrence Welk hour and then Disney. Do you remember when Walt Disney would come on and introduce the movie?

Video Games - Atari the tennis game two sticks going up an down and lobbing a ball? Not the games of today, which seem so real it is freaky..

No one had a computer in their home and the ones in the office were huge and you would have 1 for the whole office not one on each person's desk. Today the computer programs went down at work, and email oh my what will we do to survive?

Christmas when I was growing up was all about family, on Christmas Eve my whole family cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents on my mom's side get together and celebrate. We had so much fun an bad pictures in front of the Christmas Tree, each family would take a turn to host the annual event. We still do this but over the last few years, my sisters and one cousin have stepped up to host the event. I now live in North Carolina and when in CT did not have a house, I have always wanted to host this event, someday.. Now though there are in-laws to deal with so not all my cousins come and our grandparents are gone, and a few Uncles and Aunts are no longer. Family was so part of it Christmas for me, and I wish I could get that feeling back that I had as a little girl.

This year, my husband and I are traveling to CT to celebrate with my family, last year we surprised his mom, it was our first Christmas as a married couple and thought she would like that, but it was so hard for me not to be with my family. Including last year, I had only missed 3 christmas's with my family, 1987 when I was in London England, 1991 when I was stupid in my 20's and thought I could do without my family and be selfish.

I do think back on growing up and how much has changed over the years, and I can't wait to see what the next 42 years bring. I am still old enough to remember the summer of Watergate, watching President Nixon leave the white house, President Ford pardoning him soon afterwards. The Hostage Crisis, a few of the Vietman vets coming back in body bags, the news coverage of the whole thing, the first time a war was in our living rooms to better keep us informed. Jim McKay talking about the killed Olympians in 1972 Munich, 1972 Mexico Olympics when Mark Spitz took 7 metals ( making me want to reach that level of swimming). Watching the Olympics was amazing who can forget Nadia getting the first "10" in Olympic history? Or my favorite 1980 USA Hockey team winning, they were the under dogs !! Watch the movie miracle if you want to relive that time.

We will never forget 9/11/2001, ask anyone where were they? It is like for the generation before us asking where were you when Kennedy was shot? Things you will never forget.

This Christmas try to remember what made it so special for youself.

I only have a minute, but for all who read my blog, please go to this webpage and contact anyone who can help these employees

www.madatfoxwoods.com, It is a group of employees who are disgruntled and have every reason to be, especially since Foxwoods rakes in the money. I have had (3) relatives who have been treatly extremely poorly, and one is my mentally challenged cousin who cleaned bathrooms.

This weekend, ever time I left work I felt like skipping down the hill, have you ever felt that way? I had a great week at work productive and I actually am beginning to understand what my job is and what the expectations are, finally after almost 3 months in this new position. My home life is in a good upswing, Stephen and I have finally agreed to start excerising (which to be honest, he never had a problem with, it was me dragging), I have seen way too many pictures of myself fat to not realize I need to lose weight. Especially, after my mom thinking she was helping told me I need gastric bypass surgery, I may be heavy but not ready for that, but if I keep at my rate I am going oh yeah!!

So, when I was thinking of skipping this weekend, I tried to think what people would think when they drove by and saw me, oh look at that fat woman does she think she is exercising? Or that old woman should really act her age.. I did skip and I didn't care, my mood hard to describe was up to skipping. I hope everyone has a day, they feel like skipping, throw caution to the wind and do it. You will feel like you were little all over again, I laughed so hard at myself and enjoyed it throughly.. So, if you feel skip, or yell, or whatever makes you happy, who cares what the world thinks because in my heart and mind I will always be that little girl who loves to skip....

This Christmas Season with so much turmoil in the world, too bad we can't all go back to when we were a child an remember it as such a special time of year, where all we cared about is family, sledding, and the big guy himself Santa Claus, writing our letters an getting our picture taken and trying so hard to be good, so we don't get coal in our stockings. I want everyone to think back to your life at that time, when you were 6 or 7 and thought Christmas was the greatest time of year.

When I was 6 years old my brother was born Dec. 9 of that year, and it snowed for a week, I would not let anyone walk on our front lawn, I wanted my baby brother to see his first Christmas snow perfect. It worked, when he came home from the hospital in our Station Wagon my mom held him up to see the snow. Even to this day my brother is a winter freak the colder the better. I woke up that Christmas at 5am, and picked up my brother (almost dropped him), and he an I sat under the Tree watching the lights waiting for my sisters and mom and dad get up and open presents. About what seemed an hour, most likely 5 minutes I started yelling for everyone to get up "SANTA HAD BEEN HERE!!" It was the last Christmas my parents were married, but I clearly remember everyone getting up and stumbling from their beds, because Jon and I needed to open presents. Granted Jon had no muscle control at that time, but in my memory he was as excited as I was that 1st Christmas.

In my family we open our stockings first and to me then and now it is so important to me, and usually the most special. I held Jon and opened our stockings together, to me it was magically, I got a baby brother and Christmas all at once, for a 6 year old it is amazing how Santa works. My sisters are a year apart and very close, now I had someone for me to be close to and guide. The years have changed us but my brother and I have always had a connection and I believe it was because Santa brought him right before Christmas, he was a month over due, so I believe Santa had a plan. I have found this wonderful editorial , please read it an remember your Christmas when nothing in the world could go wrong.

This is a letter to the editor of the The New York Sun in 1897.


Dear Editor—
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O’Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

As I turned on the Fox News this morning, I saw that a Tornado has hit North London, how is that possible there are no trailer parks there. Oh, it must be President Bush and Karl Rove's miracle weather machine the same one that brought Hurricane Katrina to New Orleans.

These are sad natural instances but the Democrats will turn it around somehow and blame President Bush. It must be nice to own a Weather Machine what do you think?


A tornado has hit a North London street, injuring six people and severely damaging houses, cars and street furniture.
One man was taken to hospital with a head injury and five people were treated at the scene for minor injuries and shock.
Eyewitnesses said the tornado lasted only a few seconds, but it ripped off entire roofs and tore down the walls of houses.
Emergency services were sent to the scene at Chamberlayne Road in Kensal Rise after reports came in at 11am.
Resident James Miles told Sky News the experience had been "very, very frightening".
"I was talking outside with a friend when all of a sudden there was a flash of lightning and a huge big bang, then two minutes later this horrendous tornado shot right across," he said.
Tornado struck in seconds
"Slates were flying everywhere onto people's houses and cars.
"It's really nasty. A lot of people are shaken up. It's not the sort of thing that happens in central London."
Sky News weather forecaster Francis Wilson explained that tornadoes were caused by storm clouds, and could generate winds in excess of 100mph.
"Warm air at the bottom and cold at the top is a recipe for unstable weather, which is what's happened here," he said.
Hail and thunderstorms were reported elsewhere across London.
If you've been caught up in an extreme weather event and have taken pictures on your mobile you can send them to us by dialling 07738 501501. Alternatively, if you've used a camera, email the pictures to us at newsonline@bskyb.com.

My new job is so boring, and sometimes I wonder what is next for me career wise? I have done so much in hospitality and wonder what is my next step and when should I start thinking about it? Yesterday, I took a seminar on Time Management, and while sitting there listening I realized now is the time to think what I want to do in the next 5 years, 10 years.

Do you remember when you first start interviewing for a position that question usually comes up? I myself usually answer with what I think the interviewer is looking for that I am going to stay with this company and just keep moving up. When usually in my head I am going, I have no idea I just need a job.

Well, I realized this week that I am 42 years old not 20 and if I am going to make a change I need to do it NOW. Otherwise, I will be sitting at a desk detailing events for the next 20 years of my life and do I really want to do that? I realized about a year ago that after 15 years of helping brides do their weddings, I did not want to do that anymore but felt I needed to stay in a hotel enviroment, so I moved to the corporate end of things. A little better than brides in the detail portion but day of, brides are usually so happy and bursting with love. On the corporate end which I refer to as "MZ (meetingzillas) the people who plan the event and if (1) little thing is wrong that you can not control the meeting is ruined and you are stuck with them for the next 2 days kissing butt.

I really just want to shake them and say, is it that important that Mr. so and so forgot his laptop and we do not have one on sight to rent to him? Is it our fault Mrs. so and so forgot her presentation and all her print outs, can we just use your computer for the next 4 hours to fix that it is only 11pm? I realize it is important but if it is nothing I can control do not blame me. I will fix what I can. I can fix room set up, tempature, food choices, Audio Visual and evening parking if need be. I am not a miracle worker if a participant forgets his presentation in Milwaukee unless you want to buy me a plane ticket pretty much I can't fix that. We are there to service your group, even we have our limatations.

I am sorry for my venting but I am amazed that at 42 years old, I still do not know what I want to be when I grow up, when do you think that will be?

I saw this today in the New London Day. I think Mr. Russell should keep his mouth shut... This is a little town, who takes pride in its traditions and it is not just Christmas music other things bother him too, does a church in the town bother him too, or just the fact they are promoting themselves? You may be an Atheists but the rest of us love the music and the home town feel of the town.

State your opinion.


by Sean Elliot
• The Jewett City Baptist Church on Main Street is the target of a complaint by American Atheists Inc. that contends the music broadcast from the church's belfry is a violation of the separation of church and state. Borough Warden Cynthia Kata, however, says the music will not be stopped, setting the stage for a possible legal confrontation
Griswold — About this time each year, a town employee unlocks the closet in the front hall of the Jewett City Baptist Church.
With the push of a button, the music that's heard from a large speaker hidden inside the church's steeple changes each hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., from selections that range from “America the Beautiful” to “Away in a Manger.”
It's been a tradition in the borough for more than a decade.
The Connecticut chapter of American Atheists Inc. thinks it's time that the tradition either ends or is altered.
The organization has filed a complaint with the town and the borough governments claiming the music is too loud. After contacting the resident state trooper, the organization was “shocked” to learn that the borough owns the system that is housed at the church.
“This is clearly a violation of the separation of church and state,” said Dennis Paul Himes, director of the state chapter.
Borough Warden Cynthia Kata doesn't see it that way.
“If there is one of the songs that they find offensive, I'll take it off,” Kata said. “But I'm not going to get rid of 'Jingle Bells' or 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' because some nut doesn't like it.”
•••••Unsure what to do with some grant money a decade ago, the warden and burgesses at the time decided it would be nice to have church bells ringing along Main Street. They bought a sound system to play recordings of church bells.
They asked the Jewett City Baptist Church if they could install a large speaker in the church's belfry and a CD player in a downstairs closet. The church is centrally located and the steeple is the highest point in the borough.
The congregation agreed, with conditions. The church would not be responsible for the equipment, any complaints or the music selection. Secular music could be played, but “no Elvis.”
Bells are supposed to chime at 15, 30 and 45 minutes past the hour, although the timing is about 10 minutes off. On the hour, a selected song plays.
More than 400 tunes, most of which are not religious, are available for selection. During the spring and summer, the repertoire includes “Danny Boy,” “Over the Rainbow” and “God Bless America.” In the fall and winter, in honor of Christmas, it includes “Ave Maria,” “Joy to the World” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”
At 9 each morning during the non-holiday season, “Onward, Christian Soldiers” plays. It's a special request of borough Treasurer and former Selectwoman Virginia Hoddy. That's when she makes the quarter-mile walk from her Ashland Street house to her office at Town Hall.
Norwich resident William Russell, an atheist who alerted the state organization to the chimes, visits the borough a couple times a month to see a relative and help her with her banking. The first notes of “Onward, Christian Soldiers” make him cringe.
“It's against the Constitution,” he said. “It needs to be silenced.”
•••••On Friday, Russell said he can hear the bells when he drives by in his car despite having the windows rolled up and rock music blaring. But to Himes, the director of the state chapter of the atheists organization, the sound level is not the biggest problem.
“The town operating the equipment in the church is a more serious issue than the volume,” he said. “It's offensive. The town is allowing the church to benefit from the music — free advertising.”
American Atheists Inc. has formally asked the borough to divest itself of the chimes by selling the equipment to the church for a fair-market price. Then, Himes said, the borough must monitor the volume.
Pastor David Honeychurch said he was not surprised that someone would complain, but was surprised to hear that the complainant was from out of town.
Honeychurch said he sympathizes if the people who live around the church are disturbed by the chimes, but added that no one has come to the church to complain.
He said the church is not interested in purchasing the equipment or assuming the responsibilities associated with it. “We're satisfied with remaining in the middle,” he said.
Himes has notified the national atheists organization of the situation and will report once the borough responds to his letter.
Kata, the borough warden, said she and the burgesses will consider the letter at their next meeting, possibly this month.
“It's not a church thing. We don't pay them and they don't ask for money,” she said.
Kata said she understood that the volume of the music and chimes could be annoying to neighbors but that she's never before received a formal complaint. She also said she would remove any songs that people find offensive.
While Russell said that would help, he wants the borough to give up its equipment. He also wants the system turned down to the point that, if he drives by the church with his car windows rolled up, he cannot hear the chimes.
“If I played rap, rock and heavy metal, the music I listen to, from a speaker on top of a roof, I'd be told to turn it down or off,” he said. “Why should the church be able to do it?”
If the issue is not resolved, Russell said, it will most likely end up in court.
m.bard@theday.com

Today, I was reading my home paper the New London Day, and was amazed that there was no mention of the fact PFIZER's has decided not to continue with one of their drugs? It was all over the Fox News and CNN channel why then is the hometown paper of where the Pfizer plant is not mentioning this fact? Just a thought... Oh, as I look back on the paper at 430pm, it did pop up about Pfizer but not the morning paper..WHY??

On the other hand there was this:

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A sailor accused of stealing a Navy laptop and peddling its classified contents to an undisclosed foreign government pleaded guilty today to espionage, desertion and other charges.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Ariel J. Weinmann, 22, of Salem, Ore., faces a sentence of life in prison without parole, a dishonorable discharge from the Navy and forfeiture of all pay.
Under a plea agreement, Weinmann pleaded guilty to one count each of espionage, desertion, failing to properly safeguard and store classified information, copying classified information, communicating classified information to a person not entitled to receive it, and stealing and destroying a government computer.
The fire control technician was stationed aboard the Groton-based submarine USS Albuquerque.

Can you believe after 9/11 someone from our own country is so greedy they would sell our secrets? Can you explain to me why he joined the navy in the first place? Was this his plan all along? I am so appalled by this, I can't think straight or keep writing at this time.

Well, today is my husbands birthday, I gave him a card this morning and will be picking up his gift during work. Do you ever notice that when you are dating or engaged your gifts during a birthday/Christmas are very extravangant? Then when you are settled and married they are not as lavish, and more practical. Why? It is not as if they are not still very important dates it just seems that life has gotten in the way..

To me birthdays are a bigger celebration than Christmas because it is so personnel. I have taken different people places for their birthday. My friend Thomas on his 30th I took him to Savannah Georgia, for an ex, who's birthday is in February, I took him to Florida and New Yorkand gave him a surprise 25th birthday blow out ! For myself, on my 38th I took myself to Chicago, I love to travel and I love to celebrate, so it is a great combination. If I can't go away, then I make that day as special as possible, sending gifts throughout the day, doing a scavenger hunt, everyone should be made to feel very special on the day God introduced you to the world.

This year, we are celebrating his birthday with friends at a Sushi restaurant tomorrow night, but tonight is just us, and I have something special up my sleeve for my husband. I will post about it later, I do not want him to know just yet. So if anyone else has a birthday today HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!