My Dear Visitors and Friends:

There are times in my life when the demands on me are great and I must turn inward, towards my spiritual reserve, in order to deal with all my challenges. One of the things that help during those times is freeing myself of unnessary obligations before they feel like or become burdens. To that end, I'm going to take a little time off from blogging while I deal with my son's impending surgery and recovery, deal with the peak busy period at work, and some other projects I have committed to. I really expect to have them all completed and be free once again to write and enjoy the rest of my summer by the end of July, so it will only be a small break.

I don't know how much time that'a all going to take, but rest assured that while my energies will be focused on my son and I, I will be visiting you and commenting when I can. I do so enjoy the entertainment and company you provide. And I want to say thank you for the friendship you've extended.

During this time I'll be closing comments, so I don't have to deal w/the scum of the earth that are spammers. May you all have a wonderful and blessed summer. I leave you with a breathtaking piece of music that I simply haven't been able to get out of my soul since I first heard it a few days ago.

To my male readers and the non-romantics, I'm sorry: simply listen to the music while browsing elsewhere. Update: The composer of this beautiful piece and for the entire North & South mini-series is Martin Phipps.

Thank you so much for visiting.

Posted by: Michele at 06:04 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
~ Jeremiah 29:11

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that an exciting new world is born."
--Anais Nin

Posted by: Michele at 03:07 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I'm too busy to post so here are snippets from 2 of my favorite movies paired with one of my favorite goo goo dolls songs. Care to guess which movies they are or the song title?

Update: Macklin is correct on movie and song title. It's North and South, Pride and Prejudice and Iris.

Posted by: Michele at 12:49 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Work was so stressful that I decided to take a walk through Central Park before getting on the train to go home. It was well worth it because I came upon this lovely scene. Not having a walkman inspired me to turn my thoughts into stories and suddenly the words to a poem began to take shape. Words of a living poem that has yet to be concluded makes it harder to capture.

So the words, phrases, & thoughts were being churned and turned, like butter in the making, as I worked the poem in my head. The downside to listening to music all the time is that snippets of lyrics tend to sneak in to the poem, sending me back to the drawing board. Which means I need to have another chat with my muse.

Crossposted at Postcards from NYC

Posted by: Michele at 08:39 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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To help you ease into your Monday and take your mind off of work, I'm posting one of my old favorite songs entitled You and Me by Lifehouse off their 3rd self-titled album. In the extended entry is my new favorite, First Time, which is a wonderful upbeat song about falling love. It's their new lead single off their yet to be released 4th album - We are one. Enjoy!

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1 I know you like them, Sweetie. But this is just one more band that reminds me of Make Me Fries.

Posted by: Tuning Spork at June 18, 2007 06:51 PM (UMDgz)

2 Dang. Link hyperlinky no worky. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLd22ha_-VU

Posted by: Tuning Spork at June 18, 2007 06:52 PM (UMDgz)

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Dear Erica, Here's your reply meme post. Don't ever do that again or I'll have a few guys with crooked noses from up the block, named Vito and Vinnie pay you a viist.

WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? What, so you can use it against me?
DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes, I've been told I have pretty cursive, but then again all the soldiers I write to are so hard-up for something soft and round, they just might be saying that out of desperation.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? IÂ’m a vegetarian.
DO YOU HAVE KIDS? One.

IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes! I love me. Well, I love most of me. There are parts of me that are absolutely fabulousÂ… when working right. Like my brain. Uhhm, I definitely like my personality. And I've been told I have a GREAT personality. What? What're you smiling at?

DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Yes. I often make a passing commentary on the silly things other people say in order to help them reflect on the absurdity of the information which they unsolicitously impose upon me. Like when someone’s annoying me and they ask “am I bothering you”, or “is there something I can do to help?” I just can’t help but say with a sweet face “Sometimes I need only that which your absence can provide.”

DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? I have all my genuine parts, plus a few extra springs, rods, & pins.
WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Why defy or test the odds?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Kashi Go Lean, it beats up Tony the Tiger every time!

DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No.
DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Right now not necessarily. But my sneakiness makes up for it every time.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? I don't like ice cream.
WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their aura.
RED OR PINK? Black!
WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? IÂ’d tell you, but then IÂ’d have to kill you. IÂ’m a NYer after all.
WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My 7 in heaven.
WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? IÂ’m not wearing any.
WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Jasmine rice with Swordfish Teriyaki and crispy edamame leftovers.
WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? ChopinÂ’s Nocturne
IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Black!
FAVORITE SMELLS? Newsly cut christmas trees, a dewy-moist earth early in the morning, the beach at low tide, a sun-dried white cotton t-shirt, and the smell of humidity in the air from rain thatÂ’s only a few miles away.

WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? A wonderful friend.
FAVORITE SPORTS? All
HAIR COLOR? Dark Brown w/a few grays
EYE COLOR? Brown
DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No, they interfere with my x-ray vision.
FAVORITE FOOD? All except meat!
SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Yes.
LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? 300 - three times and counting.
WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Black!
SUMMER OR WINTER? Fall
HUGS OR KISSES? Show me someone who doesnÂ’t like one and IÂ’ll convince them!
FAVORITE DESSERT? MY Tiramisu
MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Everyone already has except for _Jon.
LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? The old _Jon
WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? The Unpublished Selections of Ayn Rand.
WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? My laptop doesnÂ’t need one.
WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? I donÂ’t watch tv.
FAVORITE SOUND? Silence or the sounds of birds or rain.
ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Both
WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Heaven
DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Talent, super powerÂ… whatÂ’s the difference?
WHERE WERE YOU BORN? On a cruise heading back to NYC.
WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK? IÂ’m a NYer, you think we care?

Posted by: Michele at 12:05 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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I think IÂ’m going to start a new segment to this blog. You all know how part of my job is to review, analyze and track legislation. Well, I think IÂ’m going to start a category exclusively for off the wall legislation. For our first installment we have a piece of legislation that I became aware of a few months back, while reading the Sacramento Bee. It was so bizarre I thought it wouldnÂ’t have any legs (thatÂ’s political lingo for it wonÂ’t stand for too long and if it does, it won't have the strength to move through to a vote). Well, for the first time this year I was wrong.

Essentially, Assembly Bill 1634 “would prohibit any person from owning or possessing any [mixed-breed] cat or dog over the age of 4 months that has not been spayed or neutered… The bill would make a violation of these provisions punishable by a prescribed civil penalty.”

Yes, you read that correctly: only pure-bred cats and dogs would be allowed to reproduce. Which brings up the next question: Who decides which breeds are able to escape castration and which donÂ’t? Oh, they took care of that too!

A pure-bred cat or dog “is a valid breed when it is recognized by an approved registry or association, and complies with at least one of the following:
(A) His or her cat or dog is used to show or competeÂ…
(B) The cat or dog has earned, or is in the process of earning, a…title from an approved purebred registry or association.”

So if you're little Fido or Fifi is a mutt, you're both screwed! IÂ’ll stop here because thatÂ’s the crux of the bill right there. So now in America we have a caste system for animals and forced sterilization, regardless of the ownerÂ’s wish and ability to assume financial and social responsibility. Hmmm, I wonder what these legislators will try legislating next?

Posted by: Michele at 09:56 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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For the past 8 weeks IÂ’ve been working hard on several projects and dealing with lots of stresses:
- working on the splitting up of our dept., and the transition that will require us to re-allocate: work, assets, resources and personnel
- not knowing until the end of last week, that my employment would continue
- organizing high level business meetings with a Gov., several Commissioners, some senators and Reps along with business leaders for that state
- reading, digesting and analyzing pressing time-sensitive legislation and forwarding important items to people within my firm explaining why itÂ’s important they review it
- dealing with prima donna staffers at work & elsewhere
- dealing with first, my sonÂ’s ear infection, then his throat infection, which is now a mild chest congestion
- dealing with the abnormal growth of my sonÂ’s incisor tooth which is bothering him
- answering my accountants questions so he can finish the taxes I started (but was unable to finish filing due to my additional work
- dealing with the shortcomings of my babysitter which led me to fire her
- getting my wallet pick pocketed on the train and having to deal with reporting all my cards as stolen
- dealing with almost daily changes in my sonÂ’s school schedule and class routine
- taking him to swim class, baseball clinics, birthday parties, etc.
- maintaining a clean home, cooking 3 nutritious and delicious meals a day, while my soon to be ex-in laws were visiting for 4 of those weeks.

Well, in the last 48 hrs life reached a level of stress that made me fray at the seams and finally act out in passive-aggressive ways, some of which involved playfully transferring my frustration onto 2 very patient and kind individuals. Along the way God showed me that he still loves and cares about me and that he’s still \taking care of me. “How do I know?” you may ask.

Two days ago, while riding in a fellow parentÂ’s car, I began to get an eerie feeling of desperation that I needed to leave the car right away. So I begged the driver to pull over because I had forgotten that I needed to take the train in order to be on time for a mtg. Mind you, I had already been riding in the car over 20 min. But something inside kept nagging at me during those 20 min., and my increasingly queezy stomach convinced me to change my plans.

Five minutes later, while I was comfortably sitting on the train reading TammiÂ’s blog, a car rear-ended my friendÂ’s car at 70mph, sending it into an active intersection, where a 2nd car smashed into the passenger side (where I had been sitting) making her car jump onto the sidewalk, injuring 5 pedestrians, 2 almost fatally. After I visited the driver in the hospital and saw her extensive bruising, I decided to go see the car. What I found at the police parking lot was a smashed up and flattened sardine can. I could not help but break down and cry and thank God for keeping me here on earth for a little while longer.

Somehow, the sudden unravelling of all my projects doesnÂ’t seem all that important. What is important is that I was able to have a wonderful dinner with my son tonight, I was able to sit on the floor beside his bathtub, while reading to him the recap on last nightÂ’s Yankees and Mets game; and most importantly, I was able to hug him, kiss him goodnight and sit on his bed holding his little hand telling him all about the very first time I went to a baseball game. Those 3 hours were parenting magic. He not only said please and thank youÂ… he asked if he could be excused from the dinner table.

IÂ’m so very grateful that I not only get to spend more time with this incredible little guy thatÂ’s my son; I get to have the pleasure to be around and enjoy his company.

DazÂ’d, I believe this definitely qualifies as one of those pre-cognitive experiences youÂ’ve asked readers to share about.

Posted by: Michele at 11:32 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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While a few bloggers may rejoice on my virtual demise, another blogger took the time out last night to include me in his joyous re-birth. Please go and send your hisses or congratulations to the appropriate parties!

Posted by: Michele at 08:39 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Nay, taken once a day for a week, he can give you a permanent attitude adjustment. I just have to keep counting down the days till all legislatures go on recess for July 4. Anyway, to brighten up your day, here's Robin Williams doing a bit of his stand up show: Live on Broadway - Nov. 2006

For more where that came from, double-click on the object.

Posted by: Michele at 12:06 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Updated entry to explain a little more of what's going on with me.

It's my first bout with a stomach problem this summer. As a vegetarian, who has not eaten any meat for over 20 yrs., cross-contamination is usually the cause of my stomach ailments each summer. For most vegetarians its usually not a problem. For me however, that's not the case because my body has an inability to break down meat or its by products and as a result I get very sick to my stomach. In other words, if someone uses a knife or a cutting board to cut raw meat and then without cleaning it properly uses the same knife or cutting board to cut veggies, for lets say a salad, then as a vegetarian I'm screwed, becuase I'll definitely get sick. That's one of the reasons I eat mostly Kosher foods or very nice restaurants. Kosher laws forbid cross-contamination and usually Kosher restaurants have 2 separate kitchens for cooking this very reason.

In this case, the culprit were beautifully designed, very expensive cupcakes from a 4 star, Martha Stewart sanctioned place. Hell, my cupcakes taste better! A dozen cupcakes meant that 12 of us got sick.

I haven't been this sick since this time last year. 48 hrs and counting. Music is helping me get through this. Will resurface when I feel my old self again.

Posted by: Michele at 05:11 PM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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If D-Day were to taken place today, this is how the mainstream media would have reported it. BTW, the images at the bottom of the video are interactive.

Hat tip to Barcepundit

Posted by: Michele at 09:11 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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UPDATE:
Mrs. Who, Cappy & Teresa all guessed correctly. Double-kudos go to AWTM. Although she is correct about the movie quote, (it also is a line in Dangerous Liaisons), and the keywords shown can also apply to her movie choice, the actual movie I was referring to is The Bourne Identity. Below are the movie titles to the meme and as you can see, the first 5 titles are film adaptations by european production teams of books by european authors.

1. Pride & Prejudice (starring Colin Firth)
2. Bride & Prejudice (starring Martin Henderson, Aishwarya Rai & Marsha Mason)
3. Mansfield Park (starring Harold Pinter, Sheila Gish & Frances OÂ’Connor)
4. Sense & Sensibility (starring Emma Thompson, Kate Winslett and Hugh Grant)
5. Impromptu (starring Judy Davis, Hugh Grant, Mandy Patinkin, & Emma Thompson)
6. Little Women (starring Wynona Ryder, Susan Sarandon, Gabriel Byrne, etc.)
7. His Girl Friday (starring: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell & Ralph Bellamy)
8. Charade (starring Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Mathau, etc.)
9. Philadelphia Story (starring Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, & Jimmy Stewart)
10. The Bourne Identity (starring Matt Damon, Franka Potente & Chris Cooper)
11. Monty Python & The Holy Grail (starring Chapman, Cleese, Gilliam, Idle & Jones)

I've been in a pissy mood today. Bad day at the office. My knee is killing me due to the extreme changes of weather and all the walking and going up & down stairs.

So it's a perfect day to just be brain dead and watch a little tv. I watch it so seldom that I don't even know what's on. So, you just might see me back here in a bit. But before I go, I promised Daz'd I'd do the movie meme when I had a moment and so here it is. But I did the meme my way. Meaning I included a famous quote from each movie. Why? When my friends were alive I used to go around throwing out movie lines in answer to questions all the time and I miss doing that. This is my one chance to say "I fart in your general direction." And because I have a very quirky taste in movies I thought you guys wouldn't get more than 2 (only 2 of the movies were made in the last 10 years). Plus, I didn't want to frustrate any of you and I wantd to make you smile in the process. So good luck and enjoy!

1. Bachelor / Sculpture / Historical / Snobbery / Parental Relationship “your arrogance and conceit, your selfish disdain for the feelings of others made me realize that you were the last man in the world I could ever be prevailed upon to marry.”

2. Courtship / Interracial Romance / Class Differences / Goa / Male Female Relationship “There's nothing wrong with having standards, is there?”

3. 1800s / Adultery / Portsmouth / Poverty / Scandal “Run mad as often as you choose but do not faint.”

4. Intimacy / Secret Engagement / 19th Century / East Indies / Marriage Ceremony “She's heading an expedition to China shortly. I'm to go as her servant. But only on the understanding that I am to be very badly treated.”

5. Classical Music / Composer / 1830s / Chopin / Duel “it's an act of love! It's the divine mystery itself!”

6. Dancing / Party / Play / Emotional Depression / Broken Heart “You must write from the depths of your soul!”

7. Murder / Satirical / Poker Game / Handcuffs / Police “you're wonderful, in a loathsome sort of way”

8. Match / American Abroad / Older Man Younger Woman / Hidden Treasure “you won't be able to lie on your back for a while, but then you can lie from any position, can't you?”

9. Philadelphia / Champagne / Boat / Adultery / Changing Room “I would sell my grandmother for a drink - and you know how I love my grandmother.”

10. Facade / European Women / Man Hunt / No Opening Credits “Nobody does the right thing.”

And for bonus points:
11. Anachronistic / British / Eccentric / No Ending / Corporeal Mortification “I fart in your general direction.”

I won't tag anyone because I think almost everyone has done this meme.

Posted by: Michele at 08:55 PM | Comments (11) | Add Comment
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My physical therapist suggested that I take certain types of dance to strengthen my glutes, quads, etc., in both legs as they are not as strong as they can and should be since the accident. His suggestion: supplement PT by taking either Belly Dancing or Flamenco once a week.

Truthfully, I'm torn. I've taken begginers workshops in both in the past, I enjoyed both immensely. So, I'll leave it up to you guys to decide. Whatever gets the most votes wins and that's what I'll be taking once a week through the fall. To give you an idea of what I'll be doing here's a video on each style. Please give it at least a minute as it's slow during the intro. BTW, picking out these 2 videos, along with watching this guy [ladies: wait for the money shot], made me feel a whole lot better.

First we have a Flamenco adaptation to Bizet's Carmen.

Next we have a mediterranean style of belly dancing

Posted by: Michele at 10:54 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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1 I tried to link you to a YouTube video I saw a few months ago of a sassy redhead belly dancing to KISS's "Heaven's On Fire". I couldn't find it. If that means that she'd taken it down because she had too many stalkers, that oughta make up yer mind. Seriously, the flamenco had me with the music, but the dance was too slow. (I'm sure that it's just the video.) But the belly dancing vid? Woah!!! Now there's some serious inspiration. If ye wanna get into shape somehow, try the belly dancing. Not only will it tone every central muscle in yer body, you'll look perty darn sexy doin' it! And that's what's all about, ain't it? Lookin' sexy while doing the Hokey Pokey?

Posted by: Tuning Spork at June 05, 2007 02:11 AM (3PTbq)

2 Aaah. Here she is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLW87ZADsH8 uh huh. (html doesn't seem to work in yer comments...)

Posted by: Tuning Spork at June 05, 2007 03:47 AM (3PTbq)

3 I've got to agree with Spork - the belly dancing looks like a better work-out. And yeah - sexy.

Posted by: Stephen Macklin at June 05, 2007 07:30 AM (Z3kjO)

4 I'd go for the bellydancing, since I am partial to it.

Posted by: Quality Weenie at June 05, 2007 11:38 AM (R6yie)

5 Wow. No thoughts either way. I just think it is cool either one you take. Will you teach me?

Posted by: vw bug at June 05, 2007 01:26 PM (FPOeI)

6 Bellydancing is pretty hawt, yeah. Flamenco is also good exercise, or what about Salsa dancing? That's wickedly good exercise and it's awesome music

Posted by: Oorgo at June 05, 2007 05:05 PM (ZUQGo)

7 Oh yeah. Definitely the belly dancing! Wish they had classes around here.

Posted by: Lemon Stand at June 05, 2007 06:02 PM (uVoBa)

8 I much prefer the flamenco music, but from the little I know and what I saw on the video, you're more dependent on a partner for it, no?

Posted by: Ted at June 05, 2007 06:13 PM (+OVgL)

9 I vote for Flamenco because I think it is more graceful.

Posted by: _Jon at June 05, 2007 09:33 PM (cPJtC)

10 Flamenco looks like the footwork might be a bit hard on the knees. I don't know if that's something to consider.

Posted by: Harvey at June 07, 2007 11:10 PM (L7a63)

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I had a horrible nightmare that lasted practically all night long; its effect lingering still this morning. Each time I awoke, I'd bolt upright in my bed about to scream, sweaty, my heart pounding wildly while still wrestling against imaginary captors that were stopping me from saving my son. Once I was sufficiently calm and aware of my surroundings it took me 45 min or so before I'd go back to sleep. Each time the dreaming continued, only to have the same end result.

The dream was a melding of a story by Orianna Fallaci, I read a few years ago, and a ritual killing I witnessed as a child while visiting Morroco. The brutal scene from when I was 8 years old, comes back to haunt me from time to time. In the extended entry IÂ’ve posted the excerpt from FallaciÂ’s book that haunts me subconsciously and which I woke up recalling this morning. It pretty much sums up my nightmare with the exception that my son was the little boy at the end of the story. I suggest only those with a strong spirit click through and read on.
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Because of a localized power failure I have nothing interesting to post. Well, except for my horoscope.

So lets see what this month has instore for me:

Gemini, its going to be an exciting month. In fact, this could be a pivotal month in many ways. To begin, you're excited about an association you either are about to make or just forged in the last weeks of May. You usually like to fly solo, but this month you see clearly all the reasons why you shouldn't. The person standing close to you has apparently gained your trust and shown you a vision of a better future. If you feel ready to promise your love this would be one of the best times in the year to do so. (You will get another wonderful chance in December.) If, on the other hand, you'd rather collaborate in a business partnership or association, it would be also the right moment to create that collaboration.

Your friends will play a major role this month, too. Lately, you've been so caught up at work that your pals have complained that they hardly see you. They have had to wait patiently for you to come 'round. Happily, you've now come to a point where you can sit back and enjoy all that you've accomplished. It's time to exhale, relax, and schedule some fun dates for lunch, drinks, or dinner with those you've been meaning to see. One particularly exciting day will be June 8th, when Jupiter will combine forces with Mars to create all sorts of fun.

You'll be thinking about others at the start of June, but come the second half of June, you'll focus on your own needs. The new moon in Gemini will appear on June 14, a key point in the year. In the days and weeks that follow, you'll have an opportunity to go back to personal goals and dreams that have languished because responsibilities have gotten in the way. Choose the one dream that means the most to you and find a way to give it a big push forward.

Mercury will turn retrograde on June 15 for a three-week period, making the second half of June a good time to review past successes and disappointments and analyze what worked and what has not. Refine your direction and reset your compass in midmonth. Build elasticity into your plan to allow for a few surprises that will inevitably come up. If you had a dream you tried to launch that for whatever reason didn't lift off, Mercury retrograde may give you a second chance to do so now.

If you need to take a business trip, do so on June 19, when meetings are likely to lead you to lucrative situations. If you work in twosome teams or have an agent, the person you are partnering with will be quite helpful in reeling in a big deal.

The month ends with an emphasis on money. You might decide to make a sizable contribution to your retirement account, or set up a fund that you can gradually contribute to as you go along. Or you may be paid a substantial sum for a commission, insurance payout, or bonus. One way or anther, your fortunes should increase at this full moon, June 30.

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Sorry, we lost power for several hours last night, due to a fire at a power plant not far away, and with it went my post. I'm too busy to reconstruct the post and since I was uploading pics from my digital camera, I lost those too. Soooo, here's a few pics I found courtesy of the navy.

At this site you can find a list of all the equipment aboard the USS Wasp. And here you can peruse the pictures taken by someone else who visited the ship, The irony, from the pics I recognize that they were they guys who were standing in line behind me. It is a small world.

Below are a few of my own. First up are the BLUE ANGELS IN FORMATION. This is what they looked like to me as they passed overhead during that day's memorial ceremony.

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Fleet week is always made exciting first by the incredible technological power displayed by the Navy. Next comes its impressive naval crew. The men and women that serve us are absolutely amazing and the time I spent on the USS Wasp was made memorable by the conversations I had with these incredible individuals. Today I'm posting general pics I took (or swiped) to share with you. Tomorrow I'll have a few quotes and pics with some of these individuals. On Sunday I'm posting some of the Navy toys I was able to play with : )

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