On blogging and death threats; texting while driving

Here's one in the "no-brainer" department... the State of New Jersey may make it illegal to text while driving (You know, typing a text message on your cell phone while driving). Now, it seems to me that this should be done, and I thought it was already illegal to "drive while distracted" anywhere in the country. I guess not. Ironic that they don't want to add food or drinking coffee, since those would never pass the legislature.

Onto a more serious topic, it seems that blogging may sometimes be hazardous to your health, at least psychologically. A female blogger (not me) has received death threats on her blog, which are being deemed serious enough for police involvement. Although not new, it seems that this is happening at an increasing rate. People are using blogs to perpetrate a new type of terrorism: Anonymously online. While I have received some rude and demeaning comments (none of which get posted, by the way), none has come close to what this other blogger has received. If you want to read about her story, go to this site: http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2007/03/as_i_type_this_.html

My newest niece

On Thursday, my brother Danny got a wonderful birthday present: He got to really see his unborn daughter. This picture was taken during their OB appointment "4-D" ultrasound. You can see her smiling! (I have a bunch of other shots Danny sent me, but I thought this one really showed her face).

She is soooo cute!

Danny & Jacquelyn, have you picked out her name yet? I hope you don't mind my sharing.

Pics from Nashville

Here are some pics from my trip to Nashville. I didn't get to go out much, so all of these are in the hotel, the Gaylord Opryland. This place is absolutely HUGE!

How would you like this view from your room? I had it! This was actually my second room. The first had a problem with the bed (It was very old, and very noisy... I didn't get much sleep my first night there.). They have been renovating the hotel since 2005, and the first room was due to be renovated soon. They moved me to another section of the hotel, and when I saw the view from the balcony, I was sold! This room had been renovated already.






My room. That bed was wonderfully comfortable. :-)












Each of the room areas has an atrium. This hotel is environmentally controlled (68 degrees, humidity controlled). More than once, I went outside briefly, and was reminded that I was still a part of the Earth (30 degree temps at night for the first few nights.). There are 2880 rooms at this hotel, and it is bigger than many of the mega-resorts in Las Vegas.

My room was as far as you could get from the convention facilities and still be in the hotel. It would take me over 7 minutes to get to my room, walking full-speed.

I took this picture. Isn't this orchid absolutely gorgeous?

By the way, ALL the plants at this hotel are real!

I am definitely coming back to this hotel and to Nashville as a tourist! Now, if I only could afford it.

Nashville

I have been on a little blogging break for the past 10 days.

Nashville is where I have been since last Friday evening, attending the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) Conference. This conference, held yearly in different cities, offers all members of NDMS the chance to get together from all over the U.S., see friends from previous deployments, to listen to our government tell us of upcoming items of interest, and most importantly, to learn many, many new things in a brief period of time. Last year, I took a class that blew me away, called Advanced Radiation Life Support. This year, it was Teaching Emergency Response Personnel. The original instructor, a gentleman I have taken courses from before, was unable to make it due to the snowstorm that hit New England last week. The replacement was someone who has a lot of "off-the-cuff" knowledge, that he imparted on all of us. I have pages and pages of notes, and feel that I got 150% of what I expected previously of the course. There have been other courses I took, but this one course really was the "whiz-bang winner"!

So, I have been staying at an incredible hotel, the Gaylord Opryland, located next door to the Grand 'Ole Opry. This hotel is, for lack of a better word, MASSIVE. It has 2880 rooms, three totally enclose atriums, live plants everywhere, and some wonderfully renovated rooms. My first room wasn't renovated, but I was moved to another room due to a problem in the first room. The difference is like night and day. Imagine a step above a Motel 6 for the first room, and a 4 star hotel room for the next.

I even took in a show Saturday night at the Grand 'Ole Opry with a good friend of mine, Barbara, from NJ-1 DMAT. We got to see Loretta Lynn, along with many other artists. For those who don't know, the Grand 'Ole Opry is done as a radio show, but the stars are really there. Loretta Lynn still has that incredible voice! It was a lot of fun!

I am still here tonight, but getting ready to leave tomorrow after the conference ends. Time flies so fast when you are learning and having fun! I will post some pics as soon as I can.

Under 250, FINALLY!

As of today, my weigh-in at Weight Watchers shows my weight at 249.8 pounds. I am so stoked, you would not believe it! I haven't weighed under 250 pounds since my daughter Diana was a year old! That was 18 years ago, folks!

Yippee!!!!!!!

Sentinel Dome Webcam

I look at a few Webcams, and have some that come up automatically in my Google Desktop. As the title of this entry states, this is the webcam looking out at Sentinel Dome in Yosemite National Park.

Somebody built a snowman up there!

Of Cookies, Jonny, Tendonitis, and more...

First, here are a few pictures of Jonny!





































Now, many of you know that I am a Girl Scout Leader. And yep, it is that time of year again... GIRL SCOUT COOKIE TIME! If you are looking for cookies, get in touch with me! We still have plenty of all varieties, including the new Sugar Free Little Brownie cookie! (It really tastes yummy!). The other varieties are: Thin Mint, Samoas, All Abouts, Cafe Cookies, Tagalongs, Do-Si-Dos, and Trefoils. Price: $3.50 a box + Shipping to get it to you.

I am battling tendonitis in my right wrist again, and am sitting here splinted to try and alleviate the pain (That and NSAIDs). Ugh. It has got to get better quick. I don't want to go to Nashville splinted later this month. If it isn't better soon, I guess I will get it seen.

I am back on Weight Watchers again, and seem to finally be losing weight again. Maybe my body needed a "diet break". :-)