my weird and wacky, sometimes funny journal: (absolutely no minors allowed!)

6:21pm: Blind Trades
Okay, last post of the day. I'm gonna leave this one uncut since it's short and simple. I actually made a really nice post on Facebook so am choosing this version. Yep, it's another work-related post.

"As I said the last time, I enjoy working with my hands and have heard that there are jobs traditionally classified as "blind trades". These include things like basket weaving, broom/brush/mat making and chair caning. Have any of you worked in such fields? If so, where did you llearn your trade? Do you know if any of these are still taught to the blind in America? Did I leave anything similar out or perhaps there's one not classified as such but that might work for me? Since the ones that I've mentioned all involve weaving, can I learn one and then another or is it really best to stick with one? Which will bring in the most money given today's economy? I know many people buy baskets and chairs but I really don't know of many people who use brooms, brushes or mats that aren't artificial. I know that there are basketry guilds in the U.S. and that some offer classes but, as with the other crafts, I'm not sure if there's a special way to teach the blind. Also, are there certain techniques or styles that would be easier for a totally blind individual to do? Btw, I haven't forgotten piano tuning or massage therapy but those usually require extensive training and licensure etc. As a sidenote, is it just me or have teaching, telemarketing and call centre work become the new blind trades? I've done phone work, as I said, and have decided to avoid anything involving cold calling and outbound calling. Unfortunately, that and sales is pretty much what I see advertised these days."

6:14pm: Two More Video Questions
Oops. I forgot one post and wanted to put the other separately, since it really is an important one that I want answered. But since they're related, I'll put them together. The first is the most important. Don't worry, I'll only be making one more post today and it's a very short and easy one. Thanks for all your patience guys. I promise this won't become a habbit.

( Need Help with Youtube )

( Talking VCR or Talking Remote? )

5:13pm: A Few Computer Questions
So here are some computer-related questions for my really geeky friends. Maybe someone here knows the answers cause I'm all confused.
( Need Help with Partitioning Drive. )

These next topics, hopefully, will be alot easier to answer and to understand. I'll just condense them since they're about the same machine.

( Upgrading My OS )

( Desqview )

( Embossing in Grade II and Computer Braille Symultaniously )

I'm also still looking for Type II compact flash cards, the kinds used in laptops and in the Braille Note. If anyone knows where I can get them, please let me know. Thanks for all your help.

4:38pm: Phones and Cameras and More Techy Goodness
So now that I've eaten and am drinking my amazing coffee, we'll continue with the tech. I'm looking for a few things here and am wondering if any of you guys can help me. These are all separate topics on The Zone, but I'm grouping them together. The first is about two models of mobile phones but also has some general question in it, so even if you're not familiar with the models, maybe you can help me out.

( Doro Handle Easy 326GSM )

Now Onto cameras and camcorders.

( Looking for a Camcorder )

And speaking of cameras, here's a very interesting one.
( Minolta Talker )

Well, that about wraps it up for this post. Oh, and one other quick question that I didn't post to The zone. I've got a really nice answering machine that uses two full-sized tapes. If I ever need to replace them, should I get standard tapes or do I need to get the actual ones made for that machine?

3:34pm: Why I'm So Antidigital
So while I wait for the egg noodles to boil, here are a few posts I've made to The Zone. This first one is about digital versus analogue and will explain why I've chosen some of the tech in the next few.

Why I'm So Antidigital
"yesterday 15:48:14
Several people on here have asked me why I'm so antidigital, so I figured I'd write this little explanation. Digital is fine for certain things, like computers. , which use binary code, regardless of their media formats. And I think we could all agree that despite it's down sides, the internet is a truly wonderful invention. I could also understand the need and the advantages of digital products in the medical and film industries and in science. I also love the idea of the credit and id cards that use finger prints to match the identity of the user. There are also several assistive technologies that have made life easier for all of us. But some things have gotten absolutely ridiculous. There's no need to digitalise stoves, microwaves, washers, driers, cars, clocks, radios/walkmans (not mp3 players as they're different), televisions and mobile phones (though now it's a requirement), regular telephones, answering machines, regular vacuum cleaners (not like the Rumba) etc. For me, if someone with automotive knowledge buys a car and can't fix it on his/her own it's a piece of junk. Today, Joanie had to get a new key for her car and the whole thing had to go in to be programmed. So something that should've taken a few minuts took well over an hour. That's ridiculous! Mom's stoves, washer and deep frier are all digital and use flat touch screens. What's the point of all that? My stove, toaster oven, microwave and electric fry pan all use dials and they work just as well and cost alot less. What is it with people today that they throw away perfectly good technology whenever something newer and supposedly better comes along? My blender is at least 30-years-old and in mint condition. It has many functions so it's not like it only mixes or crushes stuff. Mom got a new one and wanted to throw mine out. Why? There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. It's just old. In contrast, when you buy something new today, in most cases, it stops working after a few years at best or it's so brittle that one drop on the ground will crack or ruin it. Nothing is made to last. Digitalization has also made people lazy. No one knows how to remember phone numbers, look in a dictionary, calculate simple math problems, spell etc. because they all use machines to do it. Granted, some of these things, like talking dictionaries, are a huge help to those of us who can't read print, and I'm guilty of alot of the above things, with the exception of remembering phone numbers. But it's honestly scarey to me what my generation is becoming. We rely so much on machinery that we can't think for ourselves. But this is off the topic. I've always been into analogue stuff, ever since I was a child, so I suppose part of it is habbit and comfort with me. But alot of this new tech is inaccessible, where previously, I could use it just fine. Why should I buy something mainstream if I can't use all of it's features, if I have to totally go out of my way to modify it or to remember how to use it? Seems silly to me. So I stick with what works and with what makes me happy."

The next one is from later in the same thread. I won't post all but I think this will help to further clarify the first.

"yesterday 17:03:08
I don't distrust this kind of science but I do feel it's a technology take-over. They've taken over alot of things. Things that could've been improvements on previously existing technology were either never made or only made in limited quantities because someone with more money or a huge monopoly on a given market got most of the customers. Things have become faster and more visual. As much as I love things like having knowledge at my fingertips, I hate how people have to embellish and make everything so fancy and graphical that it boggles my mind. Windows itself is a big ugly stain of pointlessness. You can just as easily create an os with either a command line or even a clean and simple menu system which wouldn't bother me at all. But no, it turned into a giant mess of nonsense. Even phones aren't just phones today. They've gotta be cameras, mp3 players, web browsers, calendars, personal organizers, gps systems and who knows what else. Nothing is simple anymore, nothing is normal. gods forbid someone wait an extra minute or two. It's gotta be done right now this momement!

People can't control tech as easily as we used to, especially the blind. I'll take something simple, television. When I was little, we had tvs with numberpads and remote controls. So you could either get up and change the channel right on the tv or use the remote. Then, we got tvs that had remotes and no numbers on them, just channel up and channel down. So now, if I lost the remote or if the battery died, I was screwed. There was no way for me to tell what channel the tv was on sometimes, so finding the right one was a chore. There were several channels but I could easily learn them and pick and choose what I wanted if I had the remote. Then, Joanie bought a Tivo. This machine was great for her. It allowed her to watch a film while recording, skip commercials, check what was on and record things, sometimes programmed months in advance, without her even being there. But for me, it was useless, because it didn't talk, just like her dvd player. That, and now I had to use more than one control. But I still had my usual tv and vcr so I was happy and ignored it. then, we switched to digital and got a converter box. Now we had tons and tons of channels that I couldn't remember (and the ones I did know changed) and guides and menus that I couldn't read. The reporters even started flashing potentially life-saving information, like tornado warnings etc, on the screens instead of saying it. So if I didn't check the weather that day, I could theoretically go out and die because I was unaware of what was going on. And of course, I couldn't use my usual remote but had to switch to one with a thousand needless buttons and functions on it. and let's add insult to injury by including a Spanish translate button. So I pretty much stopped watching tv and became a youtube watcher.

So it's not that I hate tech. I hate foolishness, inaccessibility and unnecessary complexity."

Also, here's a little bit of a later post.
"I stick to what works and avoid life's headaches. There are enough people who use the new tech so that some, maybe most, of it will eventually become accessible. If I truly love something though, I'll learn it. Take netbooks. They're modern but fantastic cause they're so small. Granted, they strip away all of the amazing periferals that I love so much but when I've gotta carry around a machine, I'd much rather have something that's light weight and that measures 7 inches as opposed to a 13 inch one that weighs several lbs. I also adore my Zenstone. Even though this particular one holds only 2 gb of songs and the battery life isn't as long as on my walkman, it's certainly smaller and more light weight and yes, very simple to operate"

The posts before and after have all been very civil, with insight gained on both sides of the debate. We also went a little into the Windows versus DOS argument, which turned out to be quite interesting. So I'm curious as to what my lj friends think on all of this.

3:21pm: General Stuff
So today, I'm outside enjoying the absolutely beautiful weather. It's 68 degrees F. Tomorrow's supposed to be 70 and so is the next day. Can we say November heat wave and I'm having a blast! Joanie's also cooking up some oat meal cookies, from scratch, which is almost unheard of in this family, except when I cook. Spiros couldn't make it today but he told me he'd be here next week. I'd rather him get his sleep after coming home at 6 AM this morning from work. Poor baby. lol He's 64 and I still call him baby. Ah well, he's mine so. *smile* I've still got the wonderful makaronada and sauce that he made in the freezer so I might just pop some in tonight.

I've been really overdoing it on The Twilight Zone and the Outer Limits. I've seen the old episodes of The Twilight Zone so often that I practically know them by heart but every year, when the marathon comes on, I'm glued to the tv. But now I found me some on youtube, so it's really bad. haha Plus, they have the new ones and the movie. And then, there's The Outer Limits, another absolute favourite. I never really got to see too many of the old or new ones so most are all exciting and fresh to me. I donno what it is about that genre, but I can never get enough of it. I saw they have The zone on dvd and vhs and now I'm confused as to which I should add to the birthday list. I'd say vhs but they don't have a collection with tons of episodes, only a few in each. The dvd has all 156 of them. So maybe, I'll get that and then convert them to tape, since Dad knows where to get all the studio-quality tapes for a discount.

I've been posting like crazy on
http://www.zonebbs.com
and will share some of those with you guys today. Hopefully, it won't be an overload. I'll try to put multiple posts in a single entry if they're related and if it calls for it.

Yesterday, Mom made this incredibly amazing coffee called Mellow Coffee. Usually, I like mine strong, but for some reason, this one really hit the spot. It's the pods that she uses in her machine. Normally, this is made by adding a cocoa bean, but we didn't have those so just made the coffee. Well, Mom had one today and liked it so much that she made another cup. I think I'll go grab something to eat in a bit and do the same. I told her how wonderful the bakery is at the local Shopright, so she went there with Joanie and picked up some eclairs and carrot cake. I didn't try the eclairs yet but the cake was fabulous.

The other night, I was gonna make fish in the toaster oven but it made what seemed to me to be a weird noise so I unplugged it immediately. Yesterday, when Mom checked it, she said it was fine, but that I'd made the right decision. I just hadn't used it in months and forgot that it's supposed to have a little buzzing sound when it's on. Ah well, better safe than sorry. Anyway, time to post. lol

8:25pm: Weekend Update
So here's the second part of my update! As usual, I didn't have anywhere to go on Halloween that would require a costume, and again, as usual, I didn't have a costume to wear. I seriously thought of dressing as Giorgos Batis, but didn't have the clothing. Sad too, cause I've got the baglama and the hight for it. Ah well. At least we got to go out. That was the start of my wonderful Saturday. Mom, Joanie and I went to Perkins, a local diner, where I had the best pancakes I've ever had in my life. They were soft and fluffy and just sooo good. And then, the coffee!!! For several years now, whenever I go to a diner or restaurant for the first time, I try to make it a point to try their coffee. There's one that some places have that is absolutely incredible. Wel, this was it. The waitress was a ball of laughs. She knows Mom and Joanie very well and so wasn't afraid to talk like a truck driver. I got a huge kick out of her. And her name's Annie, same as Mom's. Anyway, we asked her about the coffee and she gave us the empty bag from the kitchen. It's called Ellis and is 100% Columbian. But it's not the usual heavy strong Columbian that I love. This one's a smokey, light roast with a taste that makes you wanna drink one cup after another.

After that, we went to get our hair cuts. Well, Mom and I did. lol Joanie just stayed in the car. I'm so so happy now that I don't have to deal with my hair not staying in place and getting stupid. When it grows even the slightest bit long, my cowlic acts up and it's a pain in the fucking ares. But it's all good and I got to speak with my hair cutter about how she learned English. She's Albanian (don't worry, she's civilised and a sweetheart) and I've been going to her for a few years now but never really got into that with her. Her English is so good that she actually sounds like a completely native speaker and she's only been here for ten years and came as an adult rather than a child. as a future ESL instructor, I can learn alot from her experience. She said that she'd gone to only a few classes cause even then, she was too advanced for them and she felt she could learn what they were teaching at home. She used the television, newspapers etc to help her. I was impressed and asked if I could do an interview with her for my personal notes and she agreed.

Once we looked human again, we went shopping at the local dollar store and I had a blast. We didn't get much. I got some sponges for the kitchen and maybe one or two other things,, like my lightly salted potato chips (crisps) and two bowls with twist-on covers for spiros cause he loves those. but it felt really nice to be out of the house for awhile. The store was nice and big so it wasn't like we were in there for five minutes and then left.

When we got home, I decided to look for a film that I remember from my childhood. Actually, my elementary school teacher read it to us with amazing theatrics in her voice and then I saw the film. It's called The Witches, and sure enough, they've got it on youtube. I clicked on the trailer and on that page, I saw the actual videos. So I watched that and then my honey came to see me.
When he arrived, he was hungry and I wasn't. So I said he could go to Steward's (a local fast food place where we usually go) by himself and I'd go and have Mom put that natural highlighting stuff in my hair and take a shower. So that's exactly what we did. When he got back, we relaxed and chatted for a few hours and then went to Astoria for a belated Oxi Day celebration. He told me that our mutual friend Vangelis was now working with his son at a new place and we were gonna meet him there. Well, first, we got lost, or at least, we thought we did. We found this bar and then called Vangelis to ask about the location of the place. Turns out that was it. It wasn't a Greek place at all, but an American bar. Still, we decided to stay since we were gona meet our friend. His son happened to be there and so he called up Vangelis to let him know we'd arrived and then we ordered food and waited. The food, btw, was excellent. Sometimes, I go to a place and order appetisers and nothing else, but I hadn't really done that in ages, so did this time and boy oh boy was I glad. They had muzzarella medalians (like sticks but flat and round) that were so fresh that even the next day, when I put them in the microwave, they were good. Then, I got some potato skins with cheese and bacon in them and finaly, some huge chicken fingers. I topped it off with a bottle of Pelagrino mineral water that was fabulous. Vangelis came right after the food was served. It turns out he was on holiday, not working with his son, and the latter doesn't own the place but is working there. At any rate, we talked about all sorts of stuff, from sports (he likes Olympiakos too), to politics (PASOK and the amazing things that Prime Minister Papandreou is doing) to rebetika and mangiko. He even teased me about my electronic cigarette that I was smoking while he went out for a regular one. He even talked in mangiko and drove me crazy. While we were eating, we asked for a cork screw and opened my bottle of dealcoholized Inglenook Cabernet and we all toasted to Oxi Day and Ellada, though I was the only one drinking that wine. Still, it was wonderful. Spiros went out for a few minutes and Vangelis and I talkd about how much I love Ellada and how I want to move there etc. He said it's very hard but wished me luck. I told him how some people say I'm not Greek cause I don't have the blood and he got very angry at that. I swear, if he wasn't married, I'd definitely take him for a night or two. I can't remember his age but I think he's a bit older than Spiros. Then, it was time for him to go and Spiros and I bid him good-bye and headed out ourselves.

On the way home, we stopped and picked up a pack of American Spirits for me, since I only have three Greek cigs left and wanna save those for special occasions. I almost had a heart attack when I heard the price. Usually, they're more expensive than the Winston Lights but $7.63 for one pack? I asked the woman about the Winstons, just out of curiosity, and she said $6 something plus tax, so close to $7. I think I'm either gonna order my Karelias online, get the Native American ones or just stick with my electronic one until I can get my hands on good loose tobacco and tubes.

Anyway, we stayed up for a little while longer and had some fun then went to bed. Yesterday morning, we woke up and right away started on the fun for a morning treat. Then, we had breakfast. Well, I had some leftovers and he had tsai tou vounou and some cookies. lol Then, we hit the town for a day of shopping. We didn't really go to many stores, only one, Michael's, but it was still fun. He got a wire cutter that he needed and a really nice cherry-scent candle for a romantic dinner that night. I couldn't believe it, but we actually found two little candle holders that were ideal for vendouzes! Those are the cups put on the back to eliminate flu, heavy colds etc, and I've been looking for them for about a year. Even the Greek stores don't have them! So you could imagine our surprise and delight when we found these little replacements that look almost identical, even if a tiny bit shorter. After that, we went to this Tropical Chicken Grill place cause we were both curious about it. I thought they meant Hawaiian, which is absolutely amazing and which I haven't had in forever, but no. It was Carribbean. The food was okay, but we probably won't go back. He got a quarter chicken with beans and rice and I got pork (in some kind of sauce) with corn and mashed potatoes. I liked his better than mine but the corn was absolutely amazing, sweet and yellow and mmmmm! And I adored the sweet bread with raisons and the Chineese guava cheesecake at the end. I even had an Arizona iced tea which I haven't had in years.

When we finished eating, we went to Barnes and Noble for some coffee. They had Star Bucks right there but neither of us are crazy about it. He got a coffee and I got holiday tea, which I won't be getting again. It was okay but nothing like the Republic of Tea sampler they used to sell. The guy was really nice too, and told me to try it before I bought the tin. I'll never forget that cause you know how people in stores are always trying to push stuff. It was funny too, cause their coffee was from Star Bucks and when I tried a bit, I loved it. The only thing is that Spiros made it really weak with alot of cream so for me, it was like water. We drank it in the car cause all the tables were full. Spiros was really tired by that point, so we just sat there for maybe an hour and talked and talked. Strange but pretty cool at the same time.

We got home and he crashed on the bed. My plan was to go and do a lesson but Mom and Joanie were here so I just stayed with him, content in the knowledge that I was beside the man I love. Even after they left, I stayed out of laziness and relaxation. When Spiros got up, he made us his famous makaronada with the wonderful sauce, only this time, it was plainer so didn't have the garlic, meat or cinnamon. He put some of the latter in the remaining sauce that I put in the freezer. I also stashed away two more bowls of the makaronada with sauce and had one today and it was mmmmmm! After we ate, he suggested we play dominoes, but I could find them, so we did something alot more productive and labeled all my cans of food (which is good cause the nonGreeks in this house can't read them to me lol), the tv dinners and the teas. So now I can grab some food and tea and not have to play a guessing game as to what's what. That really made me happy.

After that, we stayed up a bit and I had my diktamo tea
http://dittany-of-crete.com/diktamo.aspx

then went to bed.

This morning, I got up really early to see Spiros off and then stayed online. I've been online pretty much ever since, mostly working on revising my resume (yet again), sending off that letter and going on Facebook. I think I'm gonna relax now and then work on my lesson (two days behind now) and get those dishes done.

7:48pm: Job Update
Geia sas oloi, especially to my new lj friend chickwith_stick. Welcome to my world. haha I'm gonna break this up into two entries, since there's alot of happy ground to cover here. So let's start with the work, since I was going on about jobs last week and some of you were offering suggestions and really cared. My wonderful friend pawpower4me suggested I try
http://www.nib.org
they're an organisation that helps blind and visually impaired people find employment. I heard they have several programs. I'd actually knew of one of their branches, Bestwork Industries for the Blind Inc. They deal with manufacturing and packaging, something I wouldn't mind doing, since I like working with my hands and they're used to dealing with the blind so it's not like I'd be taking a regular job like that where no one would hire me. I think they have other much higher level positions as well. So I guess it really all depends on what's available. but it's about an hour and a half away from me. So on Friday, I looked again on at the NJ section of the site and saw that there were two other places. The one is for the deafblind but the other simply said Cambridge Industries for the Visually Impaired and I'm assuming that it's for totally blind and low vision as is Bestwork Industries. But Cambridge doesn't have a website. So I figured I'd type their name in Google just to see what came up. I found a man on Linkedin who's on the board of directors for that branch. His name is Howard Rothbein and he's apparently got his own packaging company in New York. So I asked him about and also if there are any positions open in his company. I most likely won't be able to get to New York and stuff every day but maybe, I can do phone work for them at home. As an update before I leave this subject, I went back to the main site today and read this under the employment section.
"Benefits
In addition to a competitive compensation package, NIB offers a full benefits package to our employees, which includes:
Choice of medical insurance plans
Employee pension plan with full vesting in three years
Flexible work hours
11 paid holidays
Paid time off
Disability Insurance
Life insurance
Discounted parking
Tuition reimbursement
Business casual attire
Access to public transportation
Friendly working environment"
That sounds really really good. If I can work for them for a few years and save up I'll be set. And if I really am stuck staying here, at least my job will be safe. But then I'll hear "so you're taking from America again" and "if it wasn't for the U.S. government, you wouldn't have this job" and all that bullshit. Whatever. I'm doing what I must for now and would still be working. Greece has something similar for the blind and I'm sure other places do too so.... Anyway, I'm wondering what they mean by acces to public transportation? I guess they mean that their locations are near busses/trains/close enough to a bus stop that Access Link would bring me there? And will I be able to take off on at least 25 March if I can't squeeze in 28 October? I've made a life-long promise to never work on Independence Day, unless we were at war or something and I was helping the country. My friends said that most places would probably let me, but I'm not sure about here, since it's a federal one. In any case, In any case, I e-mailed Ann Walling, the woman who deals with employment for the NIB and told her that I'm a college graduate seeking employment and gave her some info on my work experience thus far. I also asked her about the opportunities at Cambridge and asked if there were any other NIB-related jobs available closer to my location. So we'll see how it goes. Hopefully, something will work out, cause I really need money right about now. i also think it'll be a good idea to get out of the house if I can. I hope they don't make me do phone work cause I'm really not into that, even though it's one of the few areas where I actually have experience.

8:45pm: Oxi Day
Well, yesterday was an, um, interesting day to say the least. I woke up early cause Grandma got me up for a phone call and decided to stay awake cause of the holiday, thinking I'd do some lessons and stuff. Well, as usual, I got hooked on Facebook and in between that, I took some time to listen to some World War II songs. Then, I went in the screened-in-porch to have a smoke cause the weather was horrible and I listen to some general patriotic music. I thought that Spiros might come over, so I spoke with him to see and he said he'd call me at three to let me know. We'd already decided to cancel Astoria and go sometime this weekend. In the meantime, I went back on Facebook and saw a message that angered me. I responded to it and put it up on FB for all to see and will do the same here in the next post cause it turned into a huge drama fest that lasted several hours.

Anyway, in between all that, I did some research on the flag, since I was taking a test on FB and they asked a visual question that I honestly should know but didn't. How many lines does it have? Answer? Nine. The reason I looked it up was cause I knew I'd always remember it afterword, so it wasn't really cheating. Then, they asked how many we have and I was, and still am, confused on that one cause we're supposed to only have one for most things but the navy apparently has their own? Here's the history, and if this doesn't confuse you, I'll be amazed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Greece
I found out about two new holidays this month, bringing my total up to five. The new ones are Athens liberation day (not it's actual name) on 12 October, which I celebrated for the first time this year and Flag Day on 27 October. I already celebrated Independence Day on 27 March and Oxi Day on 28 October and will do the same for the islands independence again when in May I think (forget actual date/oops). Anyway, I wanted my flag after all of that and the only one I had available was my desk flag. So I went all the way upstairs, in the rain, to get it and was happy when I did. lol I put it on the cabinet here and will put it on my desk again once I really move up there.

I managed to get about 20 minutes of my lesson done. It was funny (or not as the case may be for poor Grandma) cause I was down here and then heard a long beep. It sounded like it does when Mom resets the circuit breakers or whatever they're called. Stupid digital things for electricity. Anyway, I yelled up to Grandma, asking her what it was and if everything was okay and of course, she didn't hear me, so I went on my way. A little while later, I couldn't get on the net so I went upstairs to ask her how things were and noticed the television wasn't on. I asked how long it had been like that and she said about ten minutes. She doesn't know how to fix it and doesn't touch any of that stuff, so I called Mom and she said she'd be here after she ate. So that left me with some nice free time off the net to go do my lesson. So after the 20 minutes or so, they came in and Mom went down to fix things. Stupid me, I didn't save my work and off went the computer. I didn't realise it would go off and when I said that, Joanie treated me as if it were common knowledge and as if I were stupid. Mom came up and they left and I returned to the drama. Spiros called to say that he wasn't coming cause he was tired and I told him by all means to stay home and relax and that I'd see him this Saturday or Sunday. It's totally not worth it to have my honey get sick like that.

Later that night, I returned upstairs to finish my lesson, adding another 20 or 30 minutes to my daily total. I'm now done with 71 and need to do 72 tomorrow. When it was about 11 something, I got the bright idea to hurry on the Rebetika group to wish everyone a Happy Oxi Day so I did that and it came out like this.

( Post to Rebetika Group )
Then, I put up something similar but with a more religious tone to Hercules Invictus, Hellenic Pagan and Hellenic recons that Went like this. Needless to say, it was far more patriotic than the one to the Rebetika group.
Geia sas,

I know for those in Ellada, it's been the 29th of October for several hours now and for those on the East coast of the U.S. that time is quickly approaching.  But I wanted to wish everyone a belated happy, healthy and safe Oxi Day for the 28th as well as Flag Day for the 27th which, of course, has already passed.  Oxi Day is a time of
reflection, of rememberance and of patriotism.  So let us not forget those who've fought and died, and those who continue to fight in their own ways, for freedom in the most sacred, beautiful and glorius nation of all, Hellas.  Let us also not forget those outside her boarders who keep the Hellenic dream alive and who hold her in their hearts always, no matter where they may be.

Zito Ellada!
Eleni
I then put a little something on greekgirlsrule and hellas and tried to respond to an Oxi Day post on
http://www.greekrealm.com
but the computer was being stupid with that site so I went off to talk to Grandma. We talked until 2 something! Oh man. She was making me laugh like crazy. We talked about everything from how we both hated digital garbage in common household items like televisions and stoves, to Mom and her other children when they were babies and in Kindergarden, to her old dog King and cat Mitchco, to the way they're really getting stingy with their toiletries in Atlantic City. By the time we were done, it was 2 something and both of us were smiling. We hugged and I went downstairs where I had a glass of that delicious Inglenook dealcoholized Cabernet, posted one last time on FB and then crashed like a log.

I woke up today at 12 something and almost had a heart attack when I saw the time. Well, Grandma got me up at 8 something to let me know she'd left the grilled cheese and Teeccino for me on the table and then I slept like I'd been up for a week. I don't even think Stelios Vamvakaris could've woken me up that's how deep it was. So I got up and have been on the net ever since, except for a brief time outside cause the weather was beautiful for this time of year. Speaking of out, we went to Wallmart the other day and I had a blast. It wasn't even so much the shopping that I enjoyed as much as getting out of the house. Mom got me some food stuff and we bought a silly little plastic cap gun that uses 8 shot ring caps. It's awesome. And she got my chips and some marshmellow cookies and we grabbed pretzels on the way out too, so that was neat.

today, Mom came in with KFC and tried to convince me that it was a new place that was like KFC but wasn't. She said they didn't have the sign up. She knows I'm against them cause of how they treat their chickens but the food was really good. I hadn't had any in several years. Along with my usual request for a blessing and thanks to Hestia, I asked Artemis to bless the chickens and expressed my appreciation for their sacrifice. It made me feel better and I thought it was appropriate given the circumstances. lol But I let Mom know I knew what was up by pointing out to her that the maccaroni and cheese cover said KFC in big raised letters right on it. Oh boy. Gotta love my crazy mama.

8:27pm: Really Funny Parody
Every year, I write a Christmas story and a parody of a song. I just do it for fun. Yeah, it's early, but this one cracked me up so I had to post it now. Besides, I don't know any songs/poems for Halloween. lol Of course, this is a pardy of "I'm Getting Nothin for christmas"

I'm Gettin Nothin For christmas, Mangas Style
I stole my brother's arghile
somebody snitched on me
I lost a game but didn't pay
Somebody snitched on me
I smoked up all the mavraki
replaced it with toumbeki
broke my father's bouzouki
Somebody snitched on me
So I'm gettin nothin for Christmas
My tsiribashi is mad
I'm gettin nothin for Christmas
Cause I ain't ben nothin but bad
I went into the bordelo
Somebody snitched on me
I passed out in the kapilio
Somebody snitched on me
I couldn't do zebekiko
told them that my leg was broke
they found out it was a joke
Somebody snitched on me
So, I'm gettin nothin for Christmas
My tsiribashi is mad
I'm gettin nothin for Christmas
Cause I ain't ben nothin but bad
I told my boss to go eat wood
Somebody snitched on me
I said that Hiotis sounded good
Somebody snitched on me
I tore the poster off the wall
hit the window with a ball
got drunk last night and had a brawl
somebody snitched on me
So, I'm gettin nothin for Christmas
My tsiribashi is mad
I'm gettin nothin for Christmas
Cause I ain't ben nothin but bad
So you better be good and listen to me
or you'll wind up here in fylaki
and you won't get nothin for Christmas.

4:01pm: Ranty Rant rant
Well, as promised, the last few days. Warning! This contains unusual amounts of drama and frustration. But I really had to get it out in the open cause it's bothering me! As with all my entries, feel free to comment.

( My Big Fat Rant )

Yesterday, I decided to forget jobs and enjoy myself or I was gonna go nuts. I was still kind of bla, and didn't know what to do, but I did get to work on my lesson for an hour and 20 minutes and I had a very interesting conversation in Greek. My language skills are really improving and this, if nothing else, is making me very happy.
http://www.kypros.org
is finally working again so I saved up to 105, the last lesson, like I said I would. Now I never have to deal with that shit again. I'm already on 71, so opa for that. There are still many things that I don't know, but I've been getting involved alot more with my friends, who either strictly speak Greek or who speak it to me to help me out, and it's very rewarding. I think I'm gonna write a little story or something again just to play with the new words I've learned. I also played with some toys and had alot of fun the other night, which decreased my stress level. Now if only I could see my Spyraki this weekend.

For now though, I'm gonna maybe read your entries and hope that my head feels better. I took Advil and still feel weird.

1:27pm: True Democracy Returns
I read this via Google this morning and was absolutely amazed.

http://www.schizas.com/site3/el/diktyo-periklis-dimopsifismata.html

Here's the English translation. Google actually does a very nice job here.

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=el&tl=en&u=http://www.schizas.com/site3/el/diktyo-periklis-dimopsifismata.html&rurl=translate.google.com&usg=ALkJrhguc1jnPlyz9q_eJ8HfpSnw64YkvA

I never thought that democracy in it's truest essense could be revived. I always thought there were far too many people. We're no longer city states. But doing it electronically never even occurred to me. If this happens, it'll be one of the best things to hit Hellas since ancient times. It'll revolutionise everything. We'll be able to keep an eye on what's going on and I'm sure more people will get involved in the political system when they know that they really have a say. f I understood correctly, even noncitizens can take part. And it's accessible to the disabled, so I'm guessing it'll talk, meaning that even I could take part once I get home to ellada. I couldn't imagine America adopting something like this, but given our history and how Hellas was the birth place of deocracy, it's perfect for us. I haven't felt this optimistic in years. I can only hope this actually comes to pass. Okay, lesson time now. *smile* I'll update you guys on the last few days later.

5:11pm: Honest Confession, Why I Want a Job
Today, I really began job seeking again. Mom's been bugging me about it but I've got my own reasons for wanting one too. Okay, so why do I want a job, aAside from the very obvious fact that I'm totally broke and need money and am totally bored and need socialisation? This will seem rambly but it'll make sense in a moment. My ultimate dream in life is to become a citizen of the Hellenic Republic (Greece) and to serve my country in some way. But in order to do that I need to move there and in order to move there I need to find a sponsor and obtain a working visa. Needless to say, both of those require a job. It's a bitch and a half to get a working visa if you've only got U.S. citizenship. As a sidenote, Greeks coming here have the same problem. I can apply for Italian (or EU or whatever it is) citizenship because Mom was born in Italy. It would certainly make my life easier. But my goal, once I've attained Hellenic citizenship, is to renounce my American one. Even if I don't, I don't need an extra one, an allegiance (even if on paper) to yet another country. If something should go wrong in either of those, and if I qualify in any capacity, they could drag me back to said country and make me serve or whatever. I have nothing against Italy like I do America, but I don't love them like Ellada either. So I donno what to do. It could take years otherwise. I'm also really worried about 21 December 2012. If everyone's right, something drastic will happen then. Whether it's shifting poles, the world ending, the aliens coming out of the sky, time travel being discovered or something else, I don't wanna be here for it. I want to have at least made it home by then.

My mobility is horrible. That's no secret. I've never really gone anywhere completely on my own, except from the carbus to high school (where my aid was waiting for me), to the Diamond Spring Lodge (where other people were waiting once I got in the door a few feet away) or to a friend's house. Other than The Lodge, I've never had to walk around in a building on my own. I've never gotten lost without a mobility instructor nearby, never stood in the rain to wait for transportation (though Mom and I did wait for over an hour in literally freezing conditions once), never took public transport that wasn't paratransit. I need to do these things. I need to experience life before I go home and am really on my own. And I need a job so I can put something substantial under my belt when it's time to apply for the important one. Who's gonna sponsor someone who only worked as a telemarketer or appointment setter from home? Even business developer doesn't mean much the way I did it, since it was just posting to Craigslist.

Time is passing me by very quickly. It's already been three years since I graduated. Not only will they be able to choose a sighted European over a blind American-born woman but one who's fresh out of school with new ideas versus one who's been out to lunch so to speak for the last how many years. I'm afraid that by the time I'm really ready for Ellada, she won't have anymore use for me. So now, I wanna see what I can find, even temporarily. I can always change if I don't like it and I'm not sticking around for decades anyway. Btw, if anyone's got a job for me right now in Hellas and a willing sponsor, let me know pleeeease. Love you.

3:36pm: My Birthday/Giftmas List
I know it's a bit early for this, since my birthday is on 1 December and Giftmas is on the 25th of that same month but I've never done this before and I think it'll help me not forget things. For now, this is a rough draught, so I might delete as I get things (maybe for myself or whatever) or add on as I think of things. I know I want some Hellenic cultural, entertaining and historical books. This isn't meant to say you guys have to get me stuff. It's a mental note and whoever wants to help, even with store recommendations, can with my sincerest gratitude.

My Birthday/Giftmas List

The nylon 3.5 ft. flag with pole/kit from
http://www.unflags.com/greece2.html

a cake like aunt dawn Dawn had

a good talking watch (male voice. Must have alarm and calendar. Maxiaids.com or cobolt.co.uk might have them. Essential, since my good one broke again and I can't keep paying for them to fix it.)

One of those sweat machines. (Either the one from http://www.Drionic.com or http://www.rafischer.com since I'm not sure which is the better one.)

PMS Tea from Traditional Medicinals (I really need that by the case not box.

natural sleeping pills (or recommendations for them. I really need one.)

arnica pain relief tablets (drugstore.com usually sells them but is out of stock for now.)

Modern Greek Writing: an Anthology in English Translations (Some places sell it very cheap. If used, please make sure it dosn't have handwriting in it.)

The Memoirs of General Makriyannis Translated by Rick Μ. Newton: The Charioteer 28/1986 (Full version please. I can't find it anywhere.)

the Zenstone player with higher capacity (Not sure if it's 2 or 4 gb but, like mine, it doesn't have a screen. Also, with speaker would be great but not necessary. I adore mine but want the extra one incase.)

Enhanced DR-DOS put on my computers and all ready-to-go (If not, then at least the actual cd to it, which is still sold as DR-DOS 7.01 or 02 for $35, so I can install it.)

a good book on numerology

Cooking for The Gods by Eva Zane (Difficult to find.)

a picture of Prime Minister George Papandreou (as PM for my desk (can be taken from net)

the braille Rider Weight tarot deck from US Games (I can't find a site that has it.)

A cd of patriotic music, bought or burned. (I know greekshops.com sells some.)

high-quality vhs tapes (At least two hours per tape.)

a flip spatula (sold probably at Maxaids.com) or a larger flip pan

a wire cheese slicer

a really high quality electric shaver (Must use the foil not blades.)

a good DOS ocr scanning program that's screenreader accessible (Last version of Recognita, Omnipage I think 5 or 6/whichever was for DOS, maybe Textbridge, not sure what others exist.)

a full size vhs movie camera

35 mm film for regular camera or Polaroid film (What's the other company that still makes instant picture cameras?)

a decently-sized and weighted metal cap gun that uses ring caps or those balls with the stuff inside that you knock together and they go bang

a talking gps for walking (if one exists that's totally accessible)

a really large, really basic mobile phone with easy-to-feel buttons (I know they remade the brick but it has a bunch of modern features that I don't want/need.)

====
Total Dream Stuff (not really expected)

a cyclades costume with shoes, scarf and jewellery or at least some authentic clothing from anywhere in the country. (http://www.foresia.com, http://www.greekshops.com and http://www.greektownimports.com all sell them but they're very expensive.)

a Keynote Gold SA synthesizer (extremely difficult to find and no longer made.)

a phone that works with the KNFB Reader and said reader, either cracked or bought (Modern but very expensive.)

a laser cane or similar device (while we work on new one)

an opticon (No longer made.)

11:40pm: Religion and Politics
I got this from my daily news bulletin at
http://www.hri.org
the other day. I think it's an interesting topic of debate for several reasons.
( Article Under Cut )
I was surprised that they provided other religions (at least one) with their relevant document and that mps could actually choose not to attend the ceremony. I do think that being sworn in is very important but can certainly understand their refusal to go. After all, it's not like they'd grant a Hellenic Polytheist the right to swear on the works of Homer and Hesiod, much less a blank card or something for atheists. Even more I think they should remove all religion from this ceremony. While it's certainly important, in my opinion, to have faith in something, it really has no place in politics. If you wanna do some kind of ritual on your own with your fellow mps, that's your business, but nothing official. However, I highly doubt that this will ever be done, so at least let's be understanding of different faiths. Still, I'd much rather everyone swear to the people. After all, it's us they're serving and us to whom they're accountable. So on the country, on the people, on the flag etc is fine. For if you're serving your country and don't love it, what the hell are you doing in that place?

So what about you? What are your views on religion in politics?

4:21pm: Two Surveys
Okay, here are two surveys. Warning, this is very long. Also, I completed them this morning so they're slightly out of date. haha

( Two Surveys )

2:53pm: What to Write
geia sas pali. I figured it was time for me to drive you guys crazy. All day today, Facebook hasn't been working. Yesterday, it wouldn't let me log in, so I created a new password. Today, it won't let me log in or reset my password. I never did that security question thing. Maybe, I should have? But Dad said that he had the same problem, so I donno what the hell is going on. Does anyone here have a clue?

Anyway, I've been watching alot of The Outer Limits and other interesting stuff on youtube lately. Yesterday, I found an excellent summary of videos about 2012. I also discovered a few days ago that Jonathan Frid is not only still living, but that he also attended the Dark Shaddows convention this year. Wow has his voice changed. But he's still funny, witty, and despite his age-related partial hearing loss, still on the ball.

All of that aside, most of you know that I'm interested in studying the so-called pseudosciences outside of fiction. Most also probably know, or at least have an idea, that being stuck in the house all day, particularly in the winter, gives me really bad cabin fever and makes me depressed. So I've decided to make my own learning schedule so that I can explore all of my academic interests. I've put together a directory called Sciences in the computer and included the following subdirectories within it: numerology, Astrology, tarot, Parapsychology, Dreams and cryptozoology. I intend on studying these, gathering information and adding it to my collection. I'm not sure if I'll add anymore sciences, cause I also wanna study Hellenic history, culture etc. I'll need a whole new directory there and then need to figure out how to break it up. I think I'll use Wikipedia and historyofgreece.com to help with that one. I also need to start getting more into my religion, so I have to do some more basic reading and then look for obscure stuff. Right now, I'm interested in the myths as opposed to the scholarly works, but I'll read those too eventually. Finally, I need to actually create a schedule and figure what I want to study on what days. I can't do this all at once, and of course, Greek lessons will take precidence over everything else. That is, whenever
http://www.kypros.org
decides to work again. Don't ask why, but I saved all lessons up to 75 (not 105 like I should have) and for some stupid reason, I skipped 68 and need it now. It's been two days! If it continues tomorrow, I'll be forced to start on 69 and just do 68 when it comes back. gods, I pray that it comes back today or tomorrow please. Anyway, I think I'll be very happy with things to do. I didn't follow the old schedule at all and think I'd be better off learning stuff and reading things for pleasure.

Speaking of pleasure, I found the perfect flag for outside! It's heavy duty nylon, is 3 by 5 feet and even comes with the pole and stuff to mount it.
http://www.unflags.com/greece2.html
The only problem is that it's expensive. Certainly, it's worth it, but I really don't have the money right now. Still, I'd love to have this by Oxi Day. Assuming I'm finally upstairs by then, I wanna put it out on the balcony then and have it stay there the rest of the year. This one they said is very strong, so I don't have to worry about it getting messed up like the other one that I have. Mine's probably like their indoor-outdoor one.

Today, Grandma really made me laugh. She was drying her underwear and came down to get it. Well, she went back upstairs without it and then started looking for the dryer! lol She came down and told me and we both cracked up laughing. I donno. Maybe, it's the weather or something, but I think we're all losing our minds here. That, and it's been really cold, in the 40's and below! I hate anything below 60. Sorry, but I don't know celcius yet. I guess metric system is another thing I've gotta add to that list and The Hadley School for the Blind gives a free corespondence course on it.

Last night, I had a debate with Dad and his mostly Republican friends, starting from a note that Aunt Dawn Dawn wrote. It's very rare that I get involved in American politics but I found this one interesting and so I thought I'd join in. I was reminded of why I don't. It was mostly civil though we did wind up throwing some mud at each other and I got to give my "well, give me the tickets and a visa" routine, though worded slightly differently. No one's ever taken me up on it. Then, I went into the kitchen to make some tsai tou vounou. I put the teaball (with tea lol) in the cup, then added the cold water. But it was at the top. So I tried to funnel it back into the big Loutraki bottle. Well, that didn't go so well. Then, I stuck the cup in the microwave and it was only then that I realised that the teaball was medal! So, of course, I grabbed it out of there, laughed, and felt like a total vlaka. I'm just so glad one of those Americans wasn't there to see that. In any case, I'm gonna finish this delicious Teeccino and get caught up on my oen news and politics. I bet there are some interesting things going on... like a nice hot pretzel going into the microwave! lol

9:44pm: Self-Esteem Survey
Ooh! Now that's what I love. Surveys! Unfortunately, this is one of those stupid bold/italicise things and I can't read either one so if something is bolded/italicised, it's not from me. I'm just putting 1 or .5 next to the ones that reflect my answers. Sighties, feel free to make these plain when you post them.

( The Self-Esteem Survey )

2:31pm: Wow!
Wow.... I just looked it up and I'm sure I spelled it right. Guys, it doesn't exist! It really doesn't exist. Whatever it was or is, I think it's something truly special and magical. I don't think anyone would go all out of their way to do that. I'm so amazed right now. It's like I'm a child again. Maybe, The Gods don't want me to know. Maybe, this year, the truck will come and ask me for a present or maybe, I'll never see it again. Whatever the case, I feel like I just took a very pleasant and invigorating trip through The Twilight Zone.

2:21pm: A Heartfelt Decision
I know it's a bit early, but I'm about to make one of the biggest decisions of my life. To anyone else, it would seem foolish, trivial or maybe even silly. Ever since I was about five, I've been receiving gifts from a mysterious person named Santa every Christmas. They'd always be hand delivered in a truck that said Champaign Express on it. Sometimes, they'd come with little notes signed by him and sometimes not. As I grew older, I asked my family about it and Mom swore on Joanie and the family that it wasn't her. Joanie and Grandma did the same. When I was little, they'd always come in a burlap sack. I'll never forget their smell. I'd walk in and I'd instantly know that Santa had been there. Then, when I was 18, the gifts stopped. Part of me was sad, cause I thought that he'd left me. Then, xa few years ago, I decided to watch all these Santa films. I watched them and I prayed that he'd come. Well, it was Christmas and after noon, if memory serves me right, and we were heading out the door to Atlantic City. I'd given up hope but just as we were about to leave, we saw the familiar truck pulled up in front of the house. When I opened the package it contained batteries and a walkman. Now, I'll admit that I told Mom that I needed batteries, but only the previous night, and no one knew that I wanted a walkman. Mom was shaking she ws so awed and even Joanie was touched. Of course, Grandma felt likewise. I cried and thanked Santa for remembering me one last time.

Our theory, though I've never investigated it, was that it was our old friend Mr. Earl whom we hadn't seen in years but who met me when I was about five-years-old. That man had a heart of gold, may The Gods bless his spirit. He died a few years ago. I could never bring myself to look up The Champaign Express, and even as I write this, I find myself crying. It's the one last thing from my childhood that's magical, innocent, mysterious and beautiful. But there's one person I feel I must share it with, my nephew Alex. He's only 2 now, but I deeply want to do this for him. Few people know the joys of really truly believing in Santa even into adulthood and fewer still know the joys of being Santa. Part of me says, if I wait till five, it'll be too late. Part says I should tell Cheryl of my plans and make her swear an oath of secrecy to keep the magic alive and part says I should be totally mysterious like mine was and just send over a package this year.

Either way, I'm gonna do that search. I think Mr. Earl, wherever he is, will be proud of me.

1:21pm: Remembering Our Heroes
Today, we celebrate the liberation of Athens from the Nazies in 1944. Let us never forget those who sacrificed their lives for Hellas and those who continue to serve her, whether at home, in the military or abroad. Ζήτω Ελλάδα!

I love this quote from Prime Minister George Papandreou. "the national memory teaches us that when the Greeks are united in struggle, they attain their goals..." "today, too like then, we can create a better Greece of justice, equality, security and rule of law, and win the future we deserve."

I certainly hope so. We need change for the better. I just wish that those of us in the diaspora could do something to help. I guess keeping the dream alive and loving our country is worth something. I'm hoping, that if I'm finally upstairs by the 28th, I can put out my 3 by 5 foot flag for Oxi Day and then leave it out there, barring extremely harsh weather of course. Few things make me happier than to have the Hellenic flag flying over my place. I think I'll get a tougher one for the winter and use my indoor-outdoor one in the summer. In the meantime, here's one of my favourite patriotic songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jy6XTKivuY

1:11pm: Male Contraception
This one's so important that I'm giving it it's own entry. I've always been interested in male contraception and finally made some discoveries that, had I known them, might've made my life very different, at least, healthwise. But what's done is done so... Hopefully, it's not too late. I finally! got ahold of my gynaechologist and she said that everything came out okay in the tests. I do have a small pollip, xbut she told me it shouldn't cause any problems. I'm considering possibly going on a low dose pill but am not sure. I've had bad experiences with hormonal crap in the past and don't need any more. Still, if I can find one that's safe and won't cause extra breakthrough bleeding, I might go for it. In the meantime, I found these methods and am really looking into them. The first is called wet heat and was first studied by a Swiss doctor working in India from the 30's through the 50's. She came up with a system that seems to work, though it takes alot of time and devotion on the male partner's end. Using her original method, he'd need to sit in a sitz-bath for up to 45 minutes three weeks streaight in water between 107 and 116 degrees F. Other people have slightly modified the method to make it more tolderable.
http://www.newmalecontraception.org/heat.htm
http://malecontraceptives.org/methods/simple_heat.php
Another male contraceptive method that caught my eye is suspensories. These are basically specially-designed briefs that hold the testicals closer to the body. Since they normally need to stay slightly below body tempreature, it's thought that this extra increase in temperature will disrupt the ability of sperm to swim and may lower sperm count. The best ones have a ring that holds the testicals but I haven't been able to find these, so they could've just been part of a study. Unlike wet heat, this must be done daily or the sperm return to normal, sometimes temporarily higher than normal, levels.
http://malecontraceptives.org/methods/suspensories.php
http://www.newmalecontraception.org/heat.htm
The final method that I can only dream about for now is called resug. It's the answer to everyone's prayers. It's a gel that's injected into a man's penis and, like a vasectamy, it blocks the vasdeference. But unlike the former, there's no opperation, it's completely reversable and there are no side effects. It lasts up to ten years. The only way to get it out is to flush it out with another chemical. Gods how I wish we had that here.
http://malecontraceptives.org/methods/risug.php
http://www.newmalecontraception.org/vas.htm

Of course, I'd only do these things with someone whom I absolutely trust, namely Spiros. I also plan on using the contraceptive sponge
http://www.todaysponge.com
if we try any of them until we can be sure that there's no chance, or at least an extremely low chance (less than 10%), of me becoming pregnant. But with anyone else, it's condoms all the way, both for disease prevention and to avoide pregnancy. Still, it's worth noting that these options do exist, and in the case of Resug, will exist, for men.

Well, that's it for now. I've probably talked your ear off, sorry. Gonna have some chicken maybe and then relax. Btw, if anyone of you wanna add me to Facebook, look me up at magkisa 83 @ gmail . com or Eleni Vamvakari. I've been posting alot there recently and hate missing out on what's happening with my friends cause I'm too lazy or preoccupied with things to read your ljs. Also, on OkCupid I'm
http://www.okcupid.com/profile/therebetisa/
for anyone who wants to add me there.

12:57pm: Catching UP, Part II
So continuing my update, Sunday, as you guys know, Spiros came over, and it was amazing. It tured out that the final exit poles were 160 PASOK, 93 New Democracy. Never in the history of these two parties has this ever happened. So we celebrated with nonalcoholic sparkling wine (truly nonalcoholic not dealcoholized as I like but it was okay) and fantastic makaronada that Spiros made. And of course, there was just being with him, in and out of bed, that made the whole day marvelous. I did as I said I would and held him really tight and thanked The Gods we were together again. I don't ever want to be apart from him that long again, though no one knows what life will bring.

One thing I wish it didn't bring is Mom and Joanie getting sick. First, Joanie got bronkitis that almost turned into pneumonia and now Mom's getting something but we don't know what. I'm sneezing, feel chilly and am generally not myself so, despite my dislike of synthetic medicines and largely cause I don't have any natural ones on hand, I've been taking Nightquill and Dayquill. The good thing is that I've been getting more and heavier sleep than usual, so that should help me recover more quickly. I doubt Spiros will be coming tomorrow, even if he wants to. There's no reason to wrisk him getting sick again, especially now that he's doing so well. But this is really annoying me cause I want to get my lessons done and either I'm cold or I wanna sneeze. My ears are also slightly on the blink, but very slightfully. I'm also getting headaches every now and then and I can't stand feeling like this.

The other day, Grandma made me the most delicious grilled cheese sandwitch that I've ever had in my life. Crispy on the outside and cheesy on the inside. I had it for three days in a row it was so good. Then, Mom bought this Hilshyre Farm kilbasa and mmmmm! Grandma and I both went totally nuts over it, so it's quickly becoming a staple in the house, both up and down. I think that perhaps, I might be moving up to my apartment next week. I'm happy but trying not to get my hopes up. But it looks promising.

Yesterday, I went and spent money that I didn't have, but Dad said he'd help me. *wink* Seriously, I can't afford these things but I need them. So it was off to
http://www.drugstore.com
for:
1 Pepto-BismolChewable Tablets, Original - 48 ea $6.49
1 BoironColdcalm, Cold Relief Quick Dissolving Tablets - 60 ea $7.99
1 AZOYeast, Natural Symptom Prevention & Relief, 400mg, Tablets - 60 ea $8.79
1 RicolaSwiss Herb Throat Drops, Sugar Free Mountain Herbs - 19 ea $1.95
1 BabyGanicsThe Germinator Alcohol-Free Foaming Hand Sanitizer, Fragrance Free - 1.69 oz $3.99
1 EcoverEcological Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Pine Fresh - 25 fl oz $4.89
2 EcoverEcological Dishwashing Liquid with Lemon and Aloe Vera - 32 fl oz $11.58
2 at $5.79
Subtotal: $45.68
drugstore.com Shipping: $
5.99
Tax: $1.62
Total: $53.29

My original reason for going there was the dish detergent and the toilet bowl cleaner, but I figured I'm running out of hand sanitizer, and though they didn't have the small one from EO that I like, I got this new one. The Ricola and Coldcalm I need now, since I'm sick and the yeast stuff is awesome and a preventative, so I can always take it. The Pepto Bizmol was a last minute thing cause they didn't have my Arnica tablets like I wanted for back and other pain. Grrr. So I remembered that I only have liquid Pepto and am running out and liquid is a pain in the ass for me in any case. So I figured let's get the chewables.

I also found this totally incredible condom site
http://www.undercovercondoms.com
that offers free shipping and ridiculously cheap pricing, particularly on the Lifestyles brand, so yeah. Definitely need to keep that in mind.

For now though, I'm just trying to get better. I feel lightheaded and think I'll take a nap before trying to work on my lesson. I'm already two days behind and December is just around the corner! To top it all, Spiros told me that a friend of his is working with Domenikos Vamvakaris (brother of Stelios) and that we might get to talk with him. Then, we're calling Stelios back in December and maybe, just maybe, I could talk with Vangelio, the wife of Markos. So yes, dear Hermes, I need to study my Greek and I can't let this stop me!

12:18pm: Catching Up, Part I
Geia sas. I know I haven't written in awhile. As promised, here's a little recap both of the last trip with Dad and of the last few days. Tuesday was an interesting day, to say the least. In the morning, Aunt Dawn Dawn fell on the stairs and hurt her knee. I was really scared cause she was crying and I thought she was severely hurt. She took some pain medication and then insisted on going with us to the Turtleback zoo, even though we both agreed we'd stay home with her incase she needed us. But eventually, we all went and had a good time. Adam, Alex and Aunt Dawn Dawn formed one group and Dad and I formed another, but for the most part, we stayed close to each other. Dad narrated everything for me, telling me what we were passing and a bit about the animals themselves. Amazingly enough, he showed me two huge bolders that were made out of the exact materials as my stones from Syra. I even pulled them out to compare them and smiled when I saw that they were so similar. There were two guides we ran into on the trip. The first was in the area for the bears and we talked a little about how she was advocating for more tactile exhibits at the zoo and how they had bad fortune there and now things are looking a bit better. She was really nice. Dad also showed me how the Native Americans track bears by letting me touch some footprint moulds that were placed on the ground. The second guide we found was near the Bysan and she showed me actual horns and antlers. They were really interesting to touch. I learned that horns stay on an animal for life, while antlers fall off and regrow themselves. I then thought of how some hunters kills deer etc just for them and don't eat them etc so that made me sad, but on the whole, it was wonderful. She was extremely informative and turned out to be a retired fourth grade teacher who loved sharing knowledge. Then, we went into the snake house and Dad showed me models of the cobras and stuff that they had there. I never knew that some snakes have a hood that comes out only when they're angry. He even stopped to explain some things about snakes to another family that was passing by. The gift shop turned out to be a huge disappointment. They had almost nothing there, except school supplies and stuffed animals that didn't even really represent the animals after which they were modeled.

After that, we all went to dinner and I had a delicious steak, a baked potatoe with butter and a virgin strawberry dackery. Dad kept complaining about how expensive it was and how they'd bought food, but he never really said anything to them before hand and he was the one who suggested we go out, so whatever. I enjoyed my food emensely and haven't gone out in ages, so it was a wonderful treat.

Adam, Cheryl and Alex had to get going. So they left for New York while we left for the house. I stayed with them for about two more days, during which we caught a marathon of First Wave. I never knew just how good that show was until I started watching it. We also watched Ghost Hunters, where Meatloaf was a guest star. I tell you, those people are not professionals. They were using cheap cameras and equipment. The next show (I forget it's name) also dealt with spirits and they used much better stuff. But one woman on their drove me totally nuts. She's a winer and a screamer and I don't even know why she's in this field. On that show, they were exploring Chernobyl, and, after reading about it, that place truly scared me. It's a ghost town brought on by a horrible nuclear disaster. Usually, I love those kinds of places, but not something like that. And those guys were in there and doing paranormal investigations with radiation suits and everything. Of course, they found spirits. How could you not? Then, they went to another country (I forget which) to investigate this animal that was killing children and maybe livestock. I didn't get to see all of that one cause I was in the kitchen eating but it sounded interesting and they eventually caught the animal I think.

The next day, Wednesday, was pretty quiet. I'm also pretty sure that this is when I went home. Aunt Dawn Dawn wasn't feeling well and she had to go for a knee brace. So there wasn't much we could do and I figured it would be best if I went home, so she could relax and I could do whatever. Over the next few days, I met some people on OkCupid. All are gonna be strictly friends, either cause they're too far, not white or too young. But all are interesting and, once we get to know each other, I'll probably go out for coffee or something with the local ones. I'm gonna cut this entry, since it's pretty long already and continue in tnext one to give you guys breathing room.

1:10pm: Geia sas PASOK!
I know. I didn't update you guys on the last few days and I haven't read your entries in quite awhile. I promise to do all of that soon but first, the big stuff. As most of you probably know by now, early elections were called in Greece, scheduled for the 4th of October. Well, I've been going nuts and getting all excited, waiting for the big day. And finally, it came. This morning, I wasn't exactly full of happiness, but that was only cause I just got up and Grandma kept pestering me. But once I had some Teeccino and could relax, I was a bundle of energy. The excitement mounted as 12 o'clock EST (7 PM Greek time) approached. I wrote tons of shit on Facebook drove Grandma nuts with talking, kept wondering what time it was and was actually figity. I finally went outside to listen to some patriotic music and enjoy the day. Then, when I couldn't take it anymore, I came in to try and find the results. It was about 12:06. I got on Skype, incase Spiros wanted to call me, and then it happened. A friend of mine told me that PASOK won. He said it in Greek, so I wanted to make sure. I asked and it was confirmed! The exit poles showed 44 PASOK 37 New Democracy. Pandimonium errupted in a good way as I rushed upstairs to find something green to wear and then asked Mom to help me find our dealcoholised champaign. Turns out that it's sparkling wine but that's okay. I just hope it's the real stuff and not the grape juice. But anyway, I hurried up to take a shower and then came back and it was on the table with the glasses. They had papers in them. When I asked Mom why, she said it's a celebrating thing. I talked to my friend for a few minutes. Now, about an hour later, here I am, writing to you and waiting for the best man in the world to come here after a month of not seeing him. I haven't been this happy in ages! First, my party wins and now my bf is spending the night. Bravo! See you guys on the flip side. Good luck PASOK. Please, for the love of Hellas, don't let us down! I know it won't be perfect. No one is, and there are some things whith which I disagree. But they've gotta be better than New Democracy at most things.

But tomorrow we can get back to big philosophical questions. Today, we party party party! Geia sas!