courtney will euch updaten

Hello dahlings,

Well, it is currently 06:27 a.m. here in unexpectedly mild-weathered Oklahoma. As many of you already know, Ed and I arrived here Tuesday night with no problems. Oh sure, there was a delay in Chicago, and as far as Pippin was concerned, the trip was the worst thing that has ever occurred in the history of the universe, but other than minor frustrations and the quite vocal protestations of the feline persuasion, we arrived here safe and sound.

There was only one minor, teensy-weensy negative aspect to the whole thing.

On the long flight from Frankfurt to Chicago, I had an aisle seat.

Across the aisle from me was an older man.

Who sneezed.

A lot.

A LOT.

In my direction.

I couldn't escape.

I turned my head away.

Apparently to no avail.

Guess what I have now?

"Hi Courtney! Welcome to the new chapter in your life! Wouldn't you like your usual sinus infection to go along with it?"

I do not have to tell you how I feel about this.

So far, at least, it's not too bad. I'm not sure yet if I'll need to go to a doctor. In the meantime, I got up at 6 a.m. because I had this terrific sensation of drowning while I was lying in bed. I didn't enjoy that very much. So I got up. Problem Solving For The Internationally Rootless. ;o) I am so glad I have my nose shower.

I hope that by my sarcasm, you can tell that I'm acutally in a fairly good mood. ;o)

Here's a brief recap of what's been going on so far:

--About 20 people met us at the airport. That was really neat and gave me warm fuzzies. We didn't get to talk to everyone extensively, of course, but it was nice to see faces we haven't seen in a long time and to know that we're of interest. :o)

--From the airport, we went with both sets of parents to my parents' house, where we had Mexican food for dinner. That alone would have been amazing, of course, but what really topped the cake was knowing that this was only the second time the 6 of us have ever had dinner together. It was really neat to look around the table and to know that if life goes as we hope it will, we'll be able to do this more often now. We also sat around and drank coffee and talked all morning. It was cozy and nice and exciting to tell each other stories of our lives.

--Yesterday was our first Wal-Mart adventure. It was scary and overwhelming. I didn't like it. But the first person we talked to in the store had lived in Germany before and was really nice. So that was comforting. But then other people started talking to us, too, and I suddenly felt weirded out that so many strangers chat with each other over cat food and shelves of aspirin. I *really* had to remind myself that this isn't weird, just different.

--Last night, we went to Bible class at Britton Road, our sponsoring congregation. Saw a lot of people we haven't seen in a long time. Got a lot of hugs. Heard a lot of "welcome home"s. I didn't like that part. Heard a lot of "we know you're not coming home, but we're still glad to see you here." I liked that part. One of the elders, Charlie, said he was looking forward to sitting down with us and hearing us talk about Jim, because he's been interested in everything we've said about Jim in various emails. I was really impressed and felt sehr gut aufgehoben when Charlie expressed that personal, specific interest in our thoughts.

I felt out of place because of the size of everything: enormous building, big crowd of people, umpteen different classes to choose from. I felt out of place because of the cultural references made in the Bible class we ended up in. I felt out of place because a lot of people greeted me by name, and I couldn't remember theirs.

But I didn't feel as out of place as I expected to. I think it was good that our first visit there was on a Wednesday night instead of a Sunday morning. I feel like I was able to stick my foot in the water and see what's what before going swimming. Nothing nibbled on my toes, so I guess I'm okay so far. ;o)

So that's the new chapter so far. Today, if I'm not deathly ill, I need to go buy some black boots; Ed wants to stop by Oklahoma Christian Academy to talk to someone about talking to someone about talking to someone about a possible job ;o) and tonight, we're going with my parents to see the musical "West Side Story" at OC.

And at some point, I'm going to take a nap.

Maybe after breakfast. ;o)

today is Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Ahoy, mateys! Just wanted to point out briefly that today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day (TLAPD)! Follow the link if you wanna know more.

In the meantime, this sinus infection is keepn' me shivers timbered....or me timbers shivered.....or somesuch. But it's not too bad this time--I'm on antibiotics, and I still feel human. Arrrrrr!

I hope you scurvy bilge rats are haulin' your bunts well up today!

joggers are happy people

This is the conclusion I have come to over the last month. Recently, I took up running. Sort of. I do a fast walk from our house to the park, which takes about 8 minutes. Then, I run around the pond and back home the long way around, which takes about 15 minutes. I haven't done this during the last twelve days, simply because our schedule was so full while the campaign was underway. But for about 3 weeks, I was in a really good rhythm of running at least 5 days a week. I plan to get back into it over the next few days (provided I don't get another sinus infection, which currently seems to be coming on) and start working my body up to running longer.

'Cause yeah, I know that 15 minutes of running doesn't sound like a lot. But for a former heart patient who has never EVER been a runner in any shape or form, 15 minutes is a major breakthrough.

Anyway, about the happy joggers. I have noticed, on my morning runs, that the 'other' athletic people (I put 'other' in quotation marks because, while these people are actually what one might call 'athletic,' I am not.) always make eye contact with me as we pass each other. And not only do they make eye contact, they actually smile.

Why is this significant? Well, it's significant because these are Germans. At least, I assume that they're Germans and that it's not only we foreigners who get out early in the morning and go do something exercisey. ;o) But one thing about German culture: In general in Germany, strangers who meet each other on the street rarely make eye contact with each other, and even more rarely do they smile. This is not a right or wrong thing, and it doesn't mean that they're unfriendly. It doesn't even mean that they're unhappy, which the flippant title of this post seems to imply. Eye contact and smiling simply aren't ways that Germans connect with strangers on the street. Which is why I was surprised to find it happening with my 'fellow' intrepid exercisers on my morning runs.

And there are several that I see on a regular basis. And we even say "guten Morgen" to each other. I cannot describe how this just makes my day.

I figure that maybe worldwide, people who exercise are just happy. It's probably adrenaline, endorphins, and sweat. Who'dathunk? I never knew that working out could feel so good. Outside and in. :o)

happy holidays

From a day in the life of Ed and me...

Today was The First Official Day of Spring. I say "was" because over here, it's almost over. But I'm tempted to say "wasn't"....because over here, it also snowed.

I shall refrain from commenting, other than to say that I'm on antibiotics for another sinus infection. So you can imagine my overwhelming joy when I got up this morning and saw the white stuff all over the outside.

To top it off, Ed got a package in the mail today: the Mac he won on E-bay. (Yes, we're gradually learning to be a Mac family.) The postman brought it early this morning. Ed was so excited he could barely contain himself.

So here's the scenario: A strange man in an unusual outfit brought a package that required opening and in which was concealed a treasure to awaken glee and rejoicing in the heart. And it was snowing.

And what do we deduce from this?

The only possible conclusion, of course: Today was Christmas.

Funny, though, that Santa was dressed in blue and yellow. Those must be his spring colors. Too bad they weren't pastels.

it's official

Hi all,

Just thought I'd give a non-complaining health update. ;o) Yesterday, I got the bill for my visit to the ear-nose-throat specialist. She didn't tell me this in person, but still it wasn't a big surprise to read on the bill that she has officially diagnosed me with chronic pansinusitis. Meaning, chronic inflammation of all the sinus cavities.

I have appointments on the 21st to have my sinuses X-rayed and to have allergy tests done. We already did X-rays and allergy tests three years ago, but this is a different ENT, so she wants to see current results. After that, I'm expecting her to tell me that I need surgery.

Three years ago, the other ENT said that as long as I could keep the sinusitis from becoming chronic, I wouldn't need surgery. So I guess three years was my grace period! ;o)

As for my current condition....I'm feeling pretty good now. Almost back to normal...or what's normal for me, anyway. ;o) My head feels almost gunk-free, and I cough less each day. I'm still using the one-a-way "miracle" nosedrops the ENT prescribed (for those in the know, they contain: dexamethasone, diphenhydramine hydrochl., naphazoline hydrochl., hydroxyaethylcell.-sch. [whatever that is], propylene glycol, and sterilized water). (And apparently, one of these compounds is a glucocorticoid, which I assume is a steroid.)

These nosedrops seem to be working really well, as I actually only need them once a day. I feel better at this point than I usually feel at this point after a round of antibiotics. So I'm extremely glad about that! Yesterday, I was even able to sing again, for which I was very grateful.

So, there you have it. I'll let you know the latest on my health after I get the results of the appointments on the 21st.

parental and personal health update

 
When I talked to my mom Wednesday night, she had an interesting tale to tell about her visit to the doctor that morning. The doctor did remove her appendix, and he did remove a cyst......but, strangely enough, the cyst was nowhere near her appendix. Instead, it was in the left side of her abdomen. This was exploratory surgery, otherwise they wouldn't even have known that the cyst was there. The pain around her appendix had nothing to do wih a cyst or with her appendix (which he removed as a precaution); instead, that pain was being caused by adhesions (stringy tissue that formed as the result of a past infection nobody knew about). So he removed the adhesions, too.

Mama is at home recovering, still in some pain but at least able to get up and move around a little. Barring possibility of infection, it looks like she's going to be fine. I am relieved, to say the least. The cyst and adhesions are going to be biopsied, but the doctor doesn't seem to think that there will be anything malignant to deal with.

I am continually amazed at God: his creativity in designing the human body, and his constant care for us as we navigate these fragile bodies through all the physical dangers this world has to offer. I'm convinced that it's really only by God's providence that any of us survive at all.

And since our bodies are part of this fallen creation, we do have to deal with these frailties on a daily basis. I refer you to the following schematic, the original of which was drawn yesterday by the ear-nose-throat specialist who was illustrating to me one of the particular frailties of my particular body: 

 

Though the fact of my deviated septum was not new to me, I did appreciate the doctor's efforts to show me just what's going on in my nose up there. For further illumnation on the subject (no pun intended), she wants me to get my sinuses X-rayed and take allergy tests again. I don't know what this is supposed to prove, since we already did the X-raying and the allergy testing three years ago, but.....I am meekly submitting, as I frankly no longer have the willpower to think for myself on the matter. I think it's due to lack of oxygen, since I can't breathe properly at all. There must be millions of my brain cells dying as I type/you read. (I can't use the phrase "as we speak," because, technically, we're not speaking.) 

I am frustrated, irritated, mad at the world for no good reason at all, and working really really hard on the inside not to start throwing myself a pity party. I'm well aware that there are those in this world who suffer a great deal more than I am suffering, and that I should be grateful for and content with the blessed state in which I currently exist. 

But it's awfully hard, sometimes, to be grateful and content when you can't even breathe right. *sigh* 

This will be my last post of this nature. I'm tired of complaining and hoping for sympathy from various corners. If I vent anymore, I will vent to myself and have done with it.

my mama's health, my health, and other odds 'n' ends

 
I talked to my dad a few minutes ago, and everything with Mama's surgery went fine. Thanks to God! After surgery, they had to give her a bit more pain medication than expected, but that's not outside the realm of normal. She's home now and sleeping. Tomorrow morning, she and Daddy will go back to the doctor, and he'll hopefully be able to tell them more about the cyst. My hearfelt thanks to those of you who prayed for my parents and for the doctors. God has it all in his hands, and that's a great comfort and encouragement to me. We would all be so worried if not for him! Anyway, thanks to those of you who've been supporting my parents in prayer. 

Over the weekend, I'd considered heading over to my parents' place yesterday, in order to be there for the surgery today. Now I'm glad I didn't do it. The last thing my recovering mother needs is a sick person in the house. Yep, that'd be me. 

Gunk in my head, my throat feels like I've been gargling gravel, and my body aches with exhaustion of the kind you get from running a marathon. It always amazes me that there are people who can get a sinus infection and yet still manage to go to work (even though they *should* be in bed). If I weren't in what is basically a self-employment job, I would've gotten fired a long time ago. I was up and around for three hours yesterday, taking the bus to the doctor and pharmacy, then back home again. I barely have the words to describe the misery. Even sitting in the doctor's waiting room, I started getting dizzy. Sit at a desk or stand up and teach all day? Forget it. 

No antibiotics this time, though. The doctor said it's too soon since the last time. I tend to agree.....but I have my doubts about getting rid of this any other way. She's also sending me to an ear-nose-throat specialist tomorrow, for an ultrasound on my sinuses. Yippee. 

This is so annoying. And so uninteresting to read about, I'm sure. Sorry I can't offer anything more fascinating. I *could* write about the news article I read this morning. It described how the Mormons will probably "baptize" the current Roman Catholic pope after his death, because the Mormons "baptize" dead people into Mormonism by proxy. They "baptized" John Paul II by proxy a year after his death. They did the same with Hitler, Stalin, and Genghis Khan. I could write a long article about how silly I think this is. I just don't have the mental energy for it!

something for my Faithful Reader(s?) to do

 
When a girl spends half her week working on a Teacher's Guide to a series of simple English Bible lessons she's written, her brain tends to be filled with language exercises--even during moments when she's not crafting away at the aforementioned Teacher's Guide. 

That said, I give you the following linguistic practice text. Take your time on it; try not to get frustrated; and, above all, remember to have fun! 

Fill in the blanks in the text below, using the following words in the correct order: 

husband......again......fun......friends......aardvark mating rituals 
sinuses......interested......under......fellowship......voodoo doll 
frustrated......was......Superbowl......sigh......looking 

One evening, Courtney _______ sitting at home _________ self-quarantine. Courtney was ______________, because her stupid ___________ seemed to be getting infected _________. She was also sad, since several of her ___________, as well as her ______________ Ed, were getting together to watch the _______________. Although Courtney wasn't any more ____________ in football than she was in the minutiae of ____________ _____________ _____________, she had still been _________ forward to the evening of _______ and ____________. Frankly, she was beginning to wonder if someone, somewhere, was in possession of a little Courtney-shaped __________ _____ and was constantly jabbing the area of the doll's sinus cavities with especially sharp ___________. *________* 

Answers available upon request. ;o)

news and factual fun

News: Though I still have a little bit of congestion, I am over the sinus infection, a fact about which I am stupendously excited! ;o) Also exciting is the fact that I did find my camera. True to Courtney-form, I'd overlooked it where it was hiding in the wrong pocket of my purse. Go figure. ;o)

The rest of this post is something I did awhile back but never posted. I kept it as a draft against the day when I wanted to post something but didn't really have time to do anything about it. The day has arrived. So here ya go:

I know I can always count on Patricia to post something fun that I decide I want to do, too! Thanks, Patricia! :o)

Go to Wikipedia and look up your birthday (excluding the year). List three neat facts, two births and one death in your journal, including the year.

February 26th

NEAT FACTS:

747 BC - Epoch (origin) of Ptolemy's Nabonassar Era
1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte escapes from Elba
1991 - Tim Berners-Lee introduces WorldWideWeb, the first web browser

BIRTHS:

1564 - Christopher Marlowe, English dramatist (d. 1593)
1829 - Levi Strauss, German-born clothing designer (d. 1902)

DEATH:

1360 - Roger de Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March, English military leader (b. 1328)

a meeting of cultures at war

Well, I’m still sick, but am feeling better. Monday, I finally broke down and went to the doctor. When I told her that I’d wanted to try getting rid of this without antibiotics, she looked at me and said, “Considering your sinuses, I wouldn’t recommend that.” So I’m meekly taking my medicine (clarithromycin) as the doctor ordered.

Something else I want to write about, though. This is something I’ve wanting to write about for a long time, but I always forget. Well, this time, I told myself that I was going to follow through and not let these thoughts just fade from my mind!

Today (Tuesday), Ed and I had to go downtown to the Ausländerbehörde (Foreigners’ Office) so that I could get my new visa stuck in my passport, since my old one expired today. Nothing like last-minute, right? ;o) Anyway, on the way home, we stopped at Galerie Roter Turm (“Red Tower Gallery”), which is a downtown shopping mall. There, we ate lunch at Kervansaray (I think that’s how it’s spelled, anyway), our favorite Turkish place.

We’ve been going to this place fairly regularly for quite awhile, long enough for the guy who works there to know what we want before we order it. We always have great conversation with him. He’s really friendly, outgoing; and if there isn’t a horde of other customers, he’s always happy to take a few minutes to chat with us. He told us to call him “Joe,” saying that his real name is too long and complicated.

Shortly after we started eating regularly at Kervansaray, we found out that Joe isn’t actually Turkish. He’s Iraqi.

Joe always has something interesting to share with us. I’m not sure how long he has lived in Germany, but it’s long enough that he can communicate effortlessly in German. He has family all over the world: an uncle in Australia, another relative (I think) in Canada, and his mother and one of his sisters still live in Iraq. He hasn’t been back to Iraq in two years because travel there has become too dangerous.

His news about his homeland always interests me a lot. He calls his mother about once a week. He always worries about his mother and sister because their city, Kirkuk, is plagued by terrorist activities. Car bombs are a particular danger. His mother’s house has no more windows because bomb concussion has broken all of them. They can’t go out at night because there’s an after-dark curfew.

Joe talks about how the last time he was in Iraq, he passed through a checkpoint guarded by American soldiers. He wanted to try talking with them, but his English isn’t good enough. And this is the crux of the matter, the reason I am writing about this: Joe likes Americans. He thinks it’s past time for American troops to be out of Iraq…but he likes Americans. He likes us.

As their countries remain locked in war, two Americans and an Iraqi have peaceful, pleasant, open conversation, making friends with each other…in German. ;o) Not only that, but the two Americans are Christians, the Iraqi is Muslim, and on occasion they even mention religion and are able to find a few plots of common ground.

This is one of those situations I take as proof that in spite of all the evil things happening in this world, there are still some things that are good and right.

I’m thankful that God crossed our path with Joe’s. He’s a good reminder that no matter where you go, no matter the apparent evidence to the contrary, there are still open, friendly, warm people who try to brighten the corner of the world where they are.
Ed and I want to try inviting Joe and his wife over for dinner. I have no idea if they will accept…but we want to get to know them better. Who knows what God might do? :o)

difficult announcement

 
Well, we've told the church in Chemnitz, and we included the news in our update letter yesterday, so I guess I might as well share it here, too. Although, I think most people who read this blog are either in the Chemnitz church or recipients of the update letter! Oh well, please forgive me for repeating myself. 

Anyway, the item of news is this: Ed and I have decided that if God makes it possible, we're going to move back to Oklahoma in October 2007. There are several reasons, of course--there always are for such things--but one of the main ones is his dad's health. If God wills it, Ed would just really like to be able to spend time with his dad before that isn't possible anymore. It's strange to think that we're old enough now that we've begun to think of our parents' mortality as a reality. But it's a fact, and one that we can deny only to our own detriment. So we choose to face it for what it is and react accordingly. Burying our heads in the sand and pretending......that just isn't an option. 

Making this decision was so difficult. Honestly, it just tears my heart out. I feel terribly wounded, even though I know that this is the right decision at this time. Telling our Chemnitz family that we're leaving.....it's one of the hardest things Ed and I have ever had to do. We both hated to do it. Because the Chemnitz church and our friends here....these relationships go beyond friendship. These people are our family. This is home. And I don't want to leave. 

I'm going to stop writing now, because if I don't, I'm going to start crying, and that won't help the sinus infection. 

Here's what helps me, though, and it's something we tell everyone when we announce that we're moving: Just because we're leaving Chemnitz now doesn't mean we won't be back! Life with God is a neverending adventure, and we'll always go where he leads us. Who knows where that might be in the future!

a health update, wheeeeee

 
Well, I'm still toiling on, toiling on, fighting with my stupid-kinupid sinuses. The infection doesn't seem to be getting any worse, but I don't seem to be improving much, either. I'm still taking all sorts of decongestants--herbal and medicated. So those, combined with the gunk in my head, have me totally wired so I can't rest, as well as feeling like there are about a gajillion insects running around the inside of my skull with their tiny little insect feet. And underneath my cheekbones. Gah. 

Really, I'm thinking I probably should've gone to the doctor today. However, she can't do anything for me that I'm not already doing for myself......except prescribe antibiotics. And I am SO TIRED OF THOSE. It can't be healthy to spend 5 to 7 weeks out of the year on antibiotics. After a week's dose, it takes me a month to recover. And I'm just tired of that. 

I am just so tired. 

Kendra flies back to the States tomorrow, so I asked her to come over this afternoon. I'm glad she chose to do so, in spite of the attendant risks of bacterial contamination and contagion and such. This was really the first time we got to sit down and chat. (I did my best to ignore aforesaid insects in skull.) We had a really good time together, in spite of the fact that I poured her coffee into the mug that already contained two packets of my elderberry-and-honey-Vitamin-C powder. Fortunately, I realized my mistake before she downed a gulp. We both tasted it and determined that the concoction probably wouldn't sell in stores. 

In other news, I can't find my camera. I had it with me at the church building on New Year's, and I can't recall seeing it since. (Of course, with all the gunk in my head, it's a wonder I can recall anything at all; see previous paragraph on coffee mishaps.) Ed looked at the building today and couldn't find it; asked around, but nobody has seen it. I've decided that in spite of our thorough apartment searches, the elusive camera must be somewhere in the apartment. I'm really antsy about it (pun intended!), since it has a bunch of pictures on it. Not to mention that said pics are saved on my brand-new 1 gig memory stick. 

*sigh* If the camera goes the way of the many earrings, scarves, and umbrellas I've misplaced over the years, I'm gonna be seriously ticked.

new look!

 
So, here I am, experimenting with a new template! For the first time since the birth of my blog! I'm not sure yet that I like it; I might go back to the old look if I can't make friends with this one. BUT! I am willing to give it a chance and try to be flexible. ;o)

At this point, the only real problem is my picture, which currently seems a bit stretched out of shape. Plus, my links list seems to have disappeared. However, since I'm sick at home, I have plenty of time to remedy these errors, right? Right. ;o)

So what do you think about this????

Happy New Year and all that!

Hi all, Happy New Year!!! and so forth. Guess I'm a few days behind, so does it still count? I have no idea. At any rate.....as most of you know, 2006 was a particularly difficult year for me, so I'm looking forward to a hopefully better 2007.

It all depends, of course, on which blessings God gives and which challenges he chooses to send. And the challenges, of course, are blessings in and of themselves. I am slowly beginning to learn what it means to thank God for the trials I endure, instead of feeling frustrated and sad over them. I know that my Lord loves me and that everything he does in my life is toward a greater good for me. Even if it's a long, long time before I actually recognize that good.

And these ruminations, of course, remind me that "Happy New Year" is totally a human construct. Years, months, days, minutes, seconds, all are devices that we humans have created in order to make our lives more manageable. That said, there's no reason for me to expect any "year" to be better or worse than any other "year." The only "time" I have is now. That's all any of us ever have.

So what am I doing with my now? I am fighting another sinus infection, that's what! But I'm well-armed with sleep, Vitamin C, essential oils, and Mucinex D. Most importantly, I can tell that God is working to get me healthy again, as I really feel better today than I did when I woke up drowning in gunk in the middle of last night. But that's more detail than any of you wanted to hear, right? ;o)

Anyway....since my head is full of said gunk and I'm wired on medicine, I'm not managing to think very clearly right now. Everything I come up to write about here is pretty random. Please forgive. ;o)

Now, I can say that I haven't painted since September of last "year," which is somewhat frustrating, because I miss my paints and canvases. Plus, ideas for new paintings keep piling up, and at the rate I'm turning them into actuality, I won't be finished before I'm 150 years old. Gah.

Pippin is getting increasingly cuter all the time. She now curls up in my lap every morning at breakfast and purrs and stretches and doesn't even try to get into my food. And anytime she sees Ed or me coming, she flops on the floor and begs to be petted. I don't care what anyone says: I love cats. They have the best personalities in the animal world.

I recently bought several new albums that I'm very much enjoying: KT Tunstall's "Eye to the Telescope" and Sting's "Songs from the Labyrinth." The Sting album is a collaboration between him and Edin Karamazov, and it's a recordning of songs by John Dowland (1563-1626). Gorgeous lyrics, beautiful music. I love it.

Speaking of songs and the like, meaning poetry: In the "year" 2006, I wrote 23 poems, more than I've ever written in one year. This brings me to a total of 109 poems since I started seriously working on my poetry ten years ago. And a grand total of 137 poems penned by Yours Truly. Considering the amount of poetry writing that I have done to date, I am seriously considering looking into getting published. I've always been focused on novel-publishing, so I know nothing about the poetry business....but I think I am finally ready to learn. I am open to helpful hints, suggestions, and caveats!

I've been spending too much time on Myspace. I'm finding that it's even more addictive than Blogger here, which irritates me no end. I don't want to get hooked on yet another (potentially shallow) Internet community! I have enough to do as it is, and already not enough "time" (there's that construct again!) in which to do it! Sometimes, I really do toy with the idea of boycotting all things Internet and going back to handwritten (or at least typed and printed) letters every few months. Does anyone else remember remember with fond nostalgia that restful, simpler time in life before email?!?

That said, I'm laughing at myself for my hypocrisy, because I'm planning to start playing poker online. Yes, I'm getting into the poker craze. There are several friends around here who play frequently, and I've now played twice. It's fun. And no, we never use money, so no worries. I don't approve of gambling. But card-playing is harmless fun. Actually, there's a poker night in progress as I write, but I couldn't go 'cause I'm sick. Gah again.

Well, I think that's enough for now. I'm afraid to write more, for fear of overloading the brains of the one or two people who still read my blog. Ah well, this post will go into my private journal as well, so at least *I* know I'm not writing in vain! ;o)

Confetti to all,
Courtney