Phew, I'm glad that's over.

2010.

It's been a really interesting year, some very tough experiences as well as some delightful and exciting times. Being the last day of 2009 it's time to take stock again and see where I want the next year to go.

Photography: Aperture is no longer a mystery and is my main mode of shooting. Lighting is also not the horror it used to be. Learning greenscreen was one of my goals for last year and it proved to be loads of fun. I will soon be posting some wild shots done with the Eris clan last month. Oh what the heck, I'll put one here just for grins. I'm hoping to do some more of this stuff so if I can get any volunteers... Goal: shoot more and more and more.

Health: Didn't lose ten but am down five from where I was last year. Hoping for another seven in the next few months. One of my best Christmas gifts was having to exchange clothing for smaller sizes. Oh yeah, oh yeah, I'm bragging! And while we're on that subject, Zeus was able to come out of his spring treatments with a clean bill of health. There were a couple of rough months but he is doing great. Hats off to modern medicine. Goal: more running, less ralking.

Quilting: Not much accomplished last year, just a few baby quilts and tops. Probably about 20 neonatal blankets were delivered. I really need to get that machine humming again. Goal: one sewing finish per month, not necessarily a quilt.

Travel: We made a couple of very nice trips this year although tropical islands weren't in the itinerary. I'm still hanging on to my Puerto Rico scrapbook paper. This next year will probably find us back in Arizona a few times as well as CA. Goal: take that trip with Jan.

Running/ralking: Just a reminder to all those who signed on for the 5k. You have approximately 18 weeks to get in shape. Click here. Goal: Just do it.

Family/babies: We were expecting four or five babies when 2009 began. As it turned out we happily welcomed six new little ones, most of whom call us Grandpa Zeus and Grandma Numi. And surprise, so far we know of two more on the way for next year! Goal: spend lots of time with each of them.

Along with the happy times often comes the sad. We lost a dear brother this year and he will always be missed.

And one more thing, if you look back at last year's New Year's post you will see that Littlest accurately predicted the arrival of another English baby. The gender was a little off but the prediction was correct. Maybe I should chat with her about the coming year...

$1.48

(I love the sign, Jodi!)

Post-holiday Peace on Earth

Thirty minutes ago I sent the last gift out the door. I know, they are a day late, but those two little girl's dresses had to be tried on before the final stitches were put in. They didn't need them until tomorrow anyway. The fabric was gold and red crushed velour and all I could think about while sewing them was a couch from the 70's. The girls love them because they are swingy and ruffly. Eris loves them because they can be wadded up in a ball with nary a wrinkle.

The holiday season was great at the Numi house. The big log cabin party on Wednesday night was as much fun as always (photos in two posts at the Shooting blog). A big thanks to all friends and family who came to share in the good times and eat all of the tasty food. Christmas Eve and morning was as expected, chaotic and noisy. Pajamas were handed out, a new Christmas story was read and the kids went to bed. The problem every year is that Eris and Athena want to stay up all night talking and giggling. All the beds in the house were filled. Couches and floors were also littered with quilts and sleeping family members.

The morning festivities started at 6:30 and by 9:30 all presents had been opened, Zeus' breakfast casserole had been devoured and cars were pulling out of the driveway. Ahhh, time for our relaxing day to begin. No cooking, no kids, no phone, just quiet. Leftovers for dinner, new electronic gadgets to conquer and way too much chocolate to eat.

It's been a busy month. As usual, I look forward to enjoying a slower pace. I know that isn't going to happen for at a few months. Three short trips are scheduled (so far) and the calendar is being updated constantly.

Life is good.

$?.?? (I did go out yesterday afternoon but haven't counted.)

Fa la la la la

Last evening Zeus, Mom and I attended the annual holiday concert of Sound Choice, a mixed double quartet that has been performing locally since 1982. For sixteen years I was a founding member of that group where I played the piano and keyboards. My exit came in 1998 when going on a stage and my right peddling foot became incompatible. I remember well sitting at the keyboards during a performance and suddenly realizing that my KathrynHepburn-esqueness had finally taken over and it was time to turn in the sheet music.

Planning and rehearsing for the holiday program began every August. After sixteen years of this routine and by the time I "retired" the melodies had become monotonous to me. The joy that others felt at hearing them was like fingernails on a chalkboard to my ears. It took months to get used to being home on Wednesday evenings instead of at rehearsal. The first December was also strange in not rushing from work to a performance. And it was especially difficult the first time I sat in the audience watching someone else play my songs at my keyboards.

It's been eleven years. This year I can finally listen to a few songs without breaking into a sweat. The concert last night was basically the same as it was back when I was a part of it with the exception of a couple of new numbers. Even the choreography hadn't changed much. Two new men really added depth to the group. The two original guys blushed when I told them after the show that they should consider ditching the women!

Eris and Athena are the two on the front right. They also performed with us for the first few years and were adorable on the stage.

Fa la la la la.....

$.47

Your contribution is welcomed

IT'S FESTIVUS!!

It's finally here! Get out your aluminum poles!

And don't forget to send your contributions to the Human Fund!

(feel free to send them directly to me and I'll try to remember to forward them on.)

HAPPY FESTIVUS TO THE REST OF US!

Note: If you are unfamiliar with this tradition click here and here.

No panic

Finally, it's a little warmer. Today it got warm enough to dump snow. Only about four or five inches at our house, but then we are in the valley. Benches got about double that amount. It is beautiful. And quiet. And light.

Tomorrow I will get a good start on my shopping. For weeks I've listened as others have bragged (yes, that would be you, Athena) that their gifts have all been dutifully purchased. For some reason I haven't been phased at all by the approaching holidays, almost like I'm denying that they are coming. There is a stack of flannel waiting for transformation into the beloved pajama pants and the day has been set aside for this to happen. A few gift certificates have been purchased but that's about it.

Perhaps the fact that I'm not worried should in itself cause panic.

$000.000

(No, that is not our house on the left, or the right.)

Terror in Red

It's that time of year again when we have the opportunity to terrorize our toddlers.

Whose brilliant idea was it to try to get innocent little two- and three-year-olds to not only accept candy from a weirdly dressed old man but then to go sit on his lap?

We were all prepared yesterday afternoon to watch the Princess and Little Man screech in horror at their first encounter with St. Nick. The Princess did not disappoint. She hung onto her daddy for dear life and couldn't escape fast enough. Little Man walked right up to him and gladly took the green candy cane, then even sat on his lap... for about two seconds. But the brave little soldier didn't whimper, just said "Bye Santa" and headed for the cookies.

Unlike last year when Littlest Ms. treated us to hysterical screaming, this year she was hesitant but compliant. Little Ms., skeptical at age seven was I think checking out his beard to see if it was real. Mr. Eris, Jr. was simply a good sport to get the candy cane.

$ .62 (it was 2 degrees on our front porch at 7 am with icy roads. ugh.)

True Colors

It's that time of the year when the days all begin to run together. The calendar that Zeus and I share is carefully tracked so that we don't miss anything. (Still regretting that forgotten soccer game last week Mr. Eris, Jr.)

Last Saturday was one of those days. Seven appointments were carefully lined up beginning at 8 am. Breakfast with friends, an open house at the Nature Center, two soccer games, a church dinner and a bunch of family portrait sessions. It all went surprisingly well with no hitches. Our great room/kitchen had been converted to a studio the night before and the kids were a blast to work with. Some little ones are naturals when they get in front of the camera and do all that is asked effortlessly. They make this hobby of mine worth it and I always look forward to playing with them again and again.

Those kids come in all sizes. While firing some test shots these "kids" showed their true colors.

Culling through the raw images it has become clear that personalities can be accurately captured when I ask for "the goofiest faces". The photo below wordlessly describes each individual.

Right now it is 16 degrees outside with a nasty, wicked wind taking the chill factor down to 6. The roads are icy and the snow is drifting. A good day to stay in and edit.

$.48

Move over Ansel Adams!

Early in October Little Ms. informed me that in her first-grade classroom all the students were required to enter the Reflections Contest. She chose photography and asked if I would help her. Whoo hoo!!!!

I strapped my heavy DSLR around her neck, set it to AUTO and showed her how to zoom the big lens. We were busy for about 90 minutes in four different locations while she shot 145 images. Back home we looked at the images. She chose the milkweed as the one she wanted to enter. It was hard because they were all pretty good!

The only post-processing done to her image was cropping (required) and she did it herself after I showed her the steps.

Tonight we proudly watched as she accepted an Award of Excellence for her photograph. It was also chosen to advance to the next round of competition at the district level.

Oh yes, this is one proud Grandma!

Advent calendar

You know those cute little advent calendars? You open one little compartment each day of December as a countdown to when Santa arrives with his sleigh full of toys for good little girls and boys. Being the chocolate lover that I am those foil-wrapped waxy bits of nasty chocolate probably didn't make it longer than a week or two.

This year I'm doing a different kind of advent calendar. There are nineteen kisses in this letter K. I will eat one per day. Kara and Chris will be back home in Utah for good in time for the holidays after wayyyy too long in cold, icy Michigan. The countdown widget has been on her blog for nearly a year and today she hit the teens!

Good luck on your finals and drive safely!

$1.29.5

Immigration

Organ Pipe National Monument is located between the town of Why, AZ and the Mexican-American border. For a number of years it was the only thing that separated our back door from the imaginary dividing line between two countries. It was not unusual for us to cross that line to shop for groceries, medications, furniture or simply to go for a good plate of Chiles Rellenos.

Yesterday that crossing was impossible. Our passports sit in a file back home. They are now required to get lunch. Border patrol agents are everywhere spreading their sometimes overbearing attitude which often leaves much to be desired. And that fence, that awful fence.

Twenty feet away from the imposing eyesore while I was grabbing a few photos I came across a large brittlebush. Due to the very low rainfall here it was the only thing around in bloom. Hundreds of bees were buzzing around it. Monarch butterflies were everywhere. They didn't need passports or permission from armed, uniformed officers for the annual migration south to their winter homes. They simply filled up on pollen and flew over the top of the metal barrier and rifles.


We are also within miles of many different Indian Reservations. Mexican and Native American culture is everywhere. In many ways we are the outsiders.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Today I am reminded that we are all immigrants.

Missions accomplished

No matter where our travels take us I am always looking for old churches or missions. They are plentiful in the southwestern states and Mexico and I've been fortunate to visit many. Mission San Xavier del Bac on the Tohono O'odam Indian Reservation was on our list of stops this morning. I've visited this historic mission many times in the past fifteen years but this time was exciting and different. It has been undergoing renovations for as long as I can remember, always fronted with layers of scaffolding and partially completed exterior improvements. What a thrill it was to go up the beautiful drive and see the historical mission like it must have been three hundred years ago (except for the large gravel parking lot, of course).


Entering these old religious structures always has an unexpected effect. My non-religious self is always struck by the beauty and serenity found inside. This morning was no exception. The usual routine is to sit in a rear pew and take in the smells of the old wood, the aging statues and light coming from the windows at the top of high ceilings. There are usually candles burning at altars. Today there were hundreds of carefully placed glass jars with flames casting golden shadows all around. We spent about 45 quiet minutes at San Xavier del Bac.

Yesterday afternoon we also took a short detour to find a small out-of-the-way shrine in Tucson. An internet acquaintance had blogged about El Tiradito a few weeks ago and Zeus went along with my request to find it. (He is extremely good about that sort of thing.) It turned out to be a very small but interesting shrine, also complete with burning candles and other offerings placed at the altar. The small figurines that G and her son placed there a few weeks ago were still hanging on the candelabra.


There are two small churches on the Ajo Plaza that I have never once explored in the countless times that I've been here. They are on my to-do list for tomorrow.

Forecast: Sunny and Warm

It has been nearly two years since I've travelled the roads of southern Utah and northern Arizona. We used to make this trip four or five times a year, usually fourteen hours of driving in one day to get from one front door to the other.

This afternoon while driving through the canyons of red rocks and strange formations it was as if I was seeing them again for the first time. I have missed it.

Tonight while those back home in northern Utah are enjoying a fresh blanket of snow we are looking forward to warm sunshine and mid-70s.

$.75

Chaos!!!

How can it possibly be Friday already? This week has flown by and although a lot has been accomplished there is still much to be done. Seems like I have twelve projects going at one time. Wait, I guess I do.

Wednesday was the busiest day for me. I knew it was coming and had prepared for it the best I could. First order of business was making the hand mold of the new Prince. Athena loves to make babies cry (she is very good at it) and she eagerly came to participate. We really don't hurt the babies, just make them very angry by plunging a little hand into a cold, slimy goo and holding it still for a few minutes. (Mommies or daddies are not allowed to watch.) The prince was actually a pretty good sport and Eris was standing by to comfort him when the process was complete. He quickly fell asleep.

After attending a school program for Mr. Eris, Jr. it was time to get back home for three separate family photo sessions. It occurred to me a few weeks ago that my great room was more than adequate for doing this and that turned out to be true. The shutter on my camera has clicked over 750 times so far this week. Ahh, so much fun! The camera-computer tether worked beautifully. My house is nearly put back in order, just don't go downstairs. Now comes the time-consuming part, editing. Working with the greenscreen was so much fun. The Eris clan were good sports and just did as I asked, including using some strange props. I even got Jubie and Bubba over for some photos! Jubie's images have presented quite a dilemma because every one of them is a keeper.

(True story: There were so many cars coming and going from our house all day on Wednesday that our neighbor stopped Mr. Eris in the driveway to make sure we were okay and that no one had died. I finally got a chance to call her at 9 PM to thank her for the concern and to reassure her that we were just experiencing a little more chaos than usual over here. )

Title: My grandkid can beat up your grandkid.

A very busy week that's not over yet. sigh.

$2.61

No turning back now. It's here.

It's officially here. Yesterday morning the snowstorm hit fast and hard. It only left a couple of inches on the ground in the valleys but the mountains got socked. Ski resorts are open and I noticed holiday lights on houses tonight. Ugh.

When I left for my Sunday morning ralk the outdoor thermometer said 16 degrees. Brrrrrr. An extra shirt, leggings and double gloves took care of it. Love those layers. Oh, switching to the heavy wool/Thinsulate hat helped a lot.

The ralking clothes are laid out on the dresser ready for tomorrow morning. I haven't gone swimming for months, always telling the swimming ladies that I'll be back in the pool when the weather gets bad. That hot pool is looking mighty inviting right now but as long as there is no ice on the road or freezing wind I'll probably stay outdoors.

$1.86 plus a wallet. The wallet was in a Park and Ride partially covered with snow. The green bills hanging on a money clip caught my eye after I nearly passed it by. Turned it over to the local Sheriff who happened to be at Wendy's for a cuppa. Richard L. can relax now and not have to spend all day tomorrow cancelling that huge stack of credit cards!

Problem solved.

Camera->Computer->Monitor. Seems fairly simple, right?


I knew that Nikon software needed to be installed on the computer but the new program messed with my editing software. Tried connecting various ways then gave up and uninstalled Nikon software. Tried new HDMI cords directly from camera to monitor. Nope. Gotta have the computer to navigate the image to the monitor. Reinstalled only part of the software and just like magic, it worked!

There really is a reason for this madness but I won't bore you with it.

My brain hurts.

$2.76

Dreaming of brown

I miss it. Sometimes the urge is almost more than I can stand. Occasionally I give in to temptation and have one little piece. It's been two months since I severely restricted my intake of the sweet, brown, melt-in-your-mouth substance. Usually I can work my way through the cravings with a banana or rice cake. Checkout lines at the grocery stores are pure hell. I'm forced to stand there while the little old lady in front of me searches her patent leather purse for a checkbook and then takes ten minutes to fill it out. Meanwhile I'm surrounded by candy bars that beg to be devoured. (I can finish off a Milky Way in three bites without breathing.) I've learned to pick one up, turn it over, check out the calorie count and then put it back. Most of the time.

The little Prince came over this morning for a short visit. As he gnawed on his pacifier and drifted into sleep his expression was one of pure bliss. For some reason it reminded me of Ghirardelli chocolate, Milky Ways, Hershey Bars and of course, chocolate covered jelly rings.

Now if you will excuse me, the rice cakes await. I can dream, can't I?

$2.03

The Landing Pad

They go by many names. My mother called hers The Junk Drawer. It was in a corner by the telephone and everything under the sun was there. Except for a pen that worked, a telephone book, the right kind or size of screwdriver that you needed right now or a paper clip. I'm sure you have one in your kitchen as well.

In my house I call it the Landing Pad. Everything just kind of lands there. It is in the corner of the kitchen island, the first place to set things down when coming in the house. My keys and cell phone are stored there. The rubber bands off of the newspaper are corralled in a dish to be recycled to the carrier. Reading glasses, pens and pencils are there.

Unfortunately, over time lots of other items find their way into the drawer, sometimes because the doorbell rang and I want to clear the junk off the island. But more often than that, I just plain don't know what to do with an item so I shove it in there, out of sight and soon forgotten. Until the drawer won't close anymore.

Today I cleaned out the Landing Pad. Here are a few things that were hiding in there:

Eight (yes, 8) eyeglass cases plus five reading glasses.
Three old cell phones (the girls will be delighted!).
A mass of jumbled up ear buds, probably three sets.
Various road finds (2 golf balls, man's watch, jewelry bits, car wash tokens, etc).
Six road find tools that went in my tool box.
Unidentifiable single keys (I think I know what the #48 fits).
Motel room key from a Fairfield Inn somewhere.
Stack of Great Harvest cards, probably enough for three loaves of bread.
A strange piece to my camera. Binged it and found that it is a filter holder for the flash unit.
Cough drops to last a year and five tubes of lip gloss.
A torn dollar bill that Zeus offered to take to the bank. No, it goes in with the rest of the pieces. Lots of bits of paper that went into the recycling bin.

Now it looks like this. It won't stay that way for long.

$4.06 plus a Sony Memory Stick.

It's all good.

It's been a good day. A very sunny, warm, good day.

Here's my list of good things that happened.

1. Went to the big SLC to attend photography workshops on lighting. Learned some new techniques from both classes and also realized that I knew more than I though I did. Unlike a few years ago, the mere mention of f-stops and apertures does not faze me anymore.

2. Picked up the new brown backdrop that I've been trying to find for over a month. I'm ready to go!

3. Listened to Rod Stewart and Bette Midler croon the oldies at top volume.

4. Got good news from both Athena and Eris tonight! Being a very proud mother is one of my FAVORITE THINGS!

5. Someone peed on a stick and it came up positive! Yippee!!! (Not related to #4.)

6. Wore jeans that I haven't worn for two years.

Yes. Life is very good.

$.93

(I know the picture doesn't have anything to do with the subject. On the other hand, they make me smile, too!)

Seeing green

In the past I have played around a little with chroma key photography, sometimes called greenscreen. If you ever watch the weather reports on television or have been to ChuckECheese you have seen this technology. The subject stands in front of a bright green background and through the magic of computers that green is replaced with weather maps. Any color will work as long as it is bright, solid and the color doesn't appear in the main subject.

Keeping our overabundance of cooties confined to our house has been a real challenge lately so today I stayed home and played with my camera and computer. Littlest and Little were here so I had some good models to shoot. Here's the process:

Start with two cute little girls in front of the screen. Pose them to look like they never fight or argue.
Through the magic wand of Photoshop remove all of the green pixels in the image.

Through some more Photoshop layers magic insert the subjects into another photo, this time an image I took last spring at Thanksgiving Point. I've been struggling with layers for a long time. All of the work today just might have been a breakthrough.

I'm nowhere near mastering the complexities of Photoshop but at least this is one more challenge well on the way. A few more images are posted on the Shooting Blog.

$1.82 plus a 20 Mexican centavo coin and a Canadian nickel. I did manage to get out yesterday but will probably take another few days off. It's not easy to run with a box of tissues in one hand while sucking on cough drops. Damn these bugs!

Ghosts of Halloweens Past

Happy Halloween to all of you!

This year I was smarter than last. All candy to be given out to the little goblins was specifically chosen because it's NOT chocolate and can be resisted. The kids will like it.

The menu for supper tonight is Pumpkin Soup. No kidding. After that we will be welcoming our favorite little trick or treaters for brief visits.

If you would like to see other scary photos click and click.

Note to self: cropping photos with decorative scissors, stupid idea.

$0.00 (hopefully back out on Monday)

Buddhizing Numismatizing

Yesterday morning I attended a lecture given by Zeus on Buddhist Ethics. He only had a few hours notice because the scheduled speaker was unable to make it due to a snowstorm up north. Of course, Zeus did a masterful job. His subject matter, along with the MoneyWalker's (bleason) comments on my last post have prompted this subject matter.

I often joke about picking up coins while ralking. But seriously, I do realize that there is a fine line between what I do and pocketing money that doesn't belong to me. Bleason and I seem to be travelling the same paths many time zones apart and he has touched on the ethics of our strange hobby.

About five years ago I started daily walking, at first finding random coins in gutters that I thought were quirks. As my walking continued and I ventured out onto other streets I began to realize that there was coinage all over the place, a person just had to know how and where to look for it. For a while I didn't talk much about it to others but then my finds became common knowledge to those around me. Oh yes, I have taken a fair amount of teasing, mostly good-natured and always deserved.

Along the way I have developed my own "rules" for numismatizing, most of which are similar to Bleason's. I will share a few of these with you.

1. Walk early and fast. Most of the fast food establishments have not even opened when I go under the windows. Coinage that has been left outside all night is fair game, right??? Regarding "window wardens", I've seen all kinds of them, from the fun woman at a McDs who called me back to tell me that I missed a quarter to the guy who threatened to call the cops. That was in a different city and I never went back. Oh wait, there was one really rude guy who I told to catch me if he wanted his nickel back. He didn't. Also, I won't interfere with business. Coinage in the street, all mine, baby!
2. Safety. I've been on a morning ralking hiatus this week partly due to the pitch black darkness that lasts until seven. Of the three places I frequent one is scary in the dark and the other two are unsafe due to traffic. I wear ID and reflective clothing and have learned to never trust drivers making right turns. This weekend the time changes. Hallelujah!
3. Never miss an opportunity. Vending machines, telephone booths, parking lots, car washes, they all are ripe and ready for picking. Learn to laugh when others look at me quizzically.
4. Smile and say good morning to everyone I pass. It's a challenge to see who will reply.
5. Relish the sunny days and enjoy the rain. Endure the bone-chilling cold with more layers and thinsulate. Sleep in on the windy or icy days or hit the pool.
6. Realize that numismatizing provides needed motivation to get outdoors and enjoy the solitude. Who could have guessed that I would love mornings?

7. Mostly, be grateful that in my senior years (ouch!!) I can still ralk and that the circumstances of my life allow the time and luxury to do it. Also, the support of Zeus is priceless.

$.93

My miracle children

For the last few years I have looked at Athena and Eris and marveled at how they turned out so well. They are intelligent and both excel in their chosen fields. They each revel in new challenges, especially big ones, and are fiercely independent yet at the same time dedicated to families and life goals.

During their formative years the cutting edge technology in our home consisted of books, paper, crayons and scissors. Imagination was also a necessity. Television was four channels, one of which was PBS and included Sesame Street and the Electric Company. When we traveled they read, slept or sang along with whatever AM radio station was available. No multiple video players, Ipods or Gameboys. We kept track of state license plates, drew with an etch-a-sketch or played Fish. Or slept some more.


Circumstances in our home during their early school years didn't allow for the latest technological marvels. We were thrilled when we were given a secondhand BETA video player and later a Texas Instruments Computer that even had MUNCHMAN installed on it. (The old TI got me through college in the late 80's!)

Today I feel vindicated. It has been announced that Disney will issue refunds for those who purchased the Baby Einstein products. Apparently there is no proof that exposure to these videos will make a baby smarter. Who would have guessed that books, paper, crayons, scissors and a healthy dose of imagination would work just as well?

$1.26

Felines

I know before I even type one word that this is a very risky post. Some of you may be offended and for that I am deeply sorry. Gonna do it anyway.

Cats are not my favorite animal. They are temperamental, moody, aloof and hairy. If they are indoor cats they can often be found in many places that they don't belong. If they are outdoor cats they are chasing birds or pooping in the neighbor's garden. OH YES, THEY ARE!!!

Last night as I left Ms. Dub's house "Kitten" was nice and comfy on the hood of my car. Obviously, no one had warned this cat about who he was dealing with because he refused to budge, even after multiple camera flashes and the engine starting. Nope, he taunted me by sauntering right up the windshield and perching his hairy kitty butt on top of the car. No physical harm came to the cat as he was removed and placed behind the rear tire... ummm, I mean on the sidewalk.

Cat lovers, commence flaming.

$3.62

How did you play?

The photo has been sitting on my desk for quite a while. This was the team that taught me to ask "How did you play" instead of "Did your team win?".

Can you spot her? I'm laughing because she just entered another game. For a long time she has sworn that she would never join Facebook. Oh yes, after one week she is all over FB!

$2.65

Bumping Elbows

Wiping noses and changing gross diapers of sick children. Eating apples on the way home from the grocery store before washing them. Dog kisses. Picking up dirty coins off the street. Sharing delicious desserts with anyone who will let me. Plus many other things that I am not willing to admit on a public blog.

Germophobic? That word would previously never been used to describe me. But now, things might be changing just a bit. It started about two weeks ago when Littlest spent her birthday on my couch running a fever and unable to eat. No, maybe it actually started two days before that when I saw the Duke looking like someone had beat him mercilessly with his own lacrosse stick.

Last week for the first time I refused a handshake by explaining to the kind person with the outstretched hand that she probably didn't want to risk catching my cooties. She didn't and then thanked me. Later that day as I boarded a germ-infested airplane I also did the same thing to a seat-mate who offered his hand. He seemed surprised but also nodded approval.

My right elbow has in the past caused me great pain with a nice scar to prove it. Hopefully it will become more useful now as I learn to offer it in greeting instead of my hand. Don't be offended, be grateful I'm keeping my cooties to myself. And by the way, yours cooties probably aren't any better than mine.

And no, I'm not germophobic. I just ate an unwashed apple. After I coughed on it.

$4.23