Amnesia

HATE HIM.

The only drawback to buying this small house back in December is that about a mile and a half away from my lovely 4 bedroom abode rests a small cemetery. I don’t consider myself a very superstitious person, yet every time my little CR-V drives by the rusted, black iron fence, chills crawl against my skin. As a kid, I was told that you had to hold your breath when you passed by the tombstones, so that the ghosts buried beneath the earth couldn’t steal it away.

It was the police sirens that woke me this morning at 3 a.m. Thinking it was another vehicular accident on a nearby intersection, I closed my eyes and tried to drift back to sleep. I relaxed and cozied back up to my pillow with heavy and tired eyes.

That’s when I heard it.

Three sounds hit my ears in rapid succession; a low and eerie moaning, a scream from what sounded like a female and the first of many gun shots.

I’ve been awake ever since.

Please tell me that this is a dream.

Tell me that I’m lost in some subconscious imagery taken directly from too many hours of playing scary video games.

It’s now 6 a.m.

Although muffled through the thick concrete walls of the basement, I have heard intermittent screams throughout the last three hours, usually followed by the popping sound of a discharging weapon. Guys, for the first time in my life, I am deathly afraid. I don’t know how long we will be stranded here. I’ve had to make numerous trips upstairs to gather food and other supplies, and from what I can tell from each hurried pass by a window, we are surrounded.

I will do my best to update this blog as the slow moments pass, but I can’t guess as to how much time we’ll be stuck here, or how long the electricity will last. I’ve moved my father and girls downstairs and barricaded the doors with every piece of available furniture, but the only thing that worries me is the entrance to the garage. Given the weak point of the sliding glass upstairs near the deck and this particular vulnerability beneath, I hope I’ve chosen correctly. I’ve backed the Honda against the door, but I don’t know how well it will hold if overwhelmed.

I don’t know how many of them are out there.

I never thought it would end like this. I thought it would be some sort of biological or nuclear strike. Perhaps another terrorist attack that spiraled our country into a final death spiral.  These  are the kind of stories you hear in church that are supposed to guilt you into throwing a few extra dollars in the collection basket.

The dead aren’t supposed to rise from the grave.

If you can send help, please do. I don’t want to die here. I will protect my family until my last breath, but I don’t know if we’ll be able to do this alone. From the sounds of it, the neighbors have already been attacked. From the moaning that is growing louder with each moment, I am certain we are next. I was able to snap this picture of what we’re facing here, but as I listen, it sounds like this isn’t an isolated incident.

Help us, please.

Pete has the second part of his interview with S.M. Stirling over at his site this morning. Ironically enough, I think this is the Q&A in which Stirling gives some advice to newer writers. Maybe I’ll go read it again…

In any case, you should read it too!

Just one of three reasons why I love being a mom. I hope you called yours and wished her a very happy day, because the world wouldn’t be graced with your presence if she weren’t around.

In honor of the special day, we waded through the throngs of people at Home Depot and bought some flowers to plant on the retaining walls that lead into our garage. Here are the pictures!

This is the whole little flower garden layout.

My flight was supposed to leave at 11:00 a.m. It was delayed which meant that I was going to miss my connecting flight in Detroit. Instead, Northwest offered to pay for me to fly directly to Cleveland on Continental.

I’m not complaining, it’s just that my flight now leaves at 1:40 p.m. and I had to go through special TSA screening because of the airline change. I’ve done that once before, after being upgraded to first class. They pat ya down, swab your luggage for explosives and then let you go.

This was a bit different. You go into this little x-ray chamber and you hear a robotic voice announce that air is going to be dispensed. Think the Marilyn Monroe air vent scene, except a lot less sexy. This poor woman in her late 60’s was so terrified. She complained at how horrible she was being treated, and I truly felt for her, but alas our apathy in giving up our basic freedoms for security is to blame.

So here I sit, with about 40 minutes to go until liftoff. Hopefully there won’t be any other delays. I packed my Red Sox jersey and I don’t want to miss this game!

It looks like I will be going from Cleveland to Cincinnati this week as well, as I am hoping the cleanout of our old Westlake office goes quickly.

1.) I have lost all respect for Meatloaf after the AT&T Go Phone commercial. Not that I had really any respect to begin with after he yelled at me at an appearance, but just in case I did harbor any sort good feeling toward him, it’s now gone.

2.) Everyone is a fraking cylon. There are 12 human models.

3.) Roslin is a cylon. Hera is her incarnate.

4.) When Katee Sackoff doesn’t try to act, she’s more believable.

5.) I really like Tricia Helfer. She’s got a ton of depth.

6.) I was waiting for that Adama/Thrace kiss again. I hope to see more.

7.) It’s moments like the one where they send off Lee, that makes BSG.

8.) If Baltar can guarantee me a cry-gasm, I’d do him.

I didn’t want you guys over at LJ to think I forgot about you! If you’re on a friend’s list, it will update the post every day!

Hope this works!

Update: SUCCESS! 

In light of the white fluffy stuff that we’re supposed to get tomorrow, here is some mood music. In case it doesn’t happen to snow where you are, this is just nice and relaxing.

Just a light and pretty piano.

 

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Did you miss me? I certainly missed you!

We moved into the house this weekend, and Cox Communications came today and installed phone and internet. For those of you who read this and showed up to help move, thank you soo much. You saved the day.