I heard on the news a bit ago that Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, IL will become the college in the United States to directly ask prospective students on admission forms if they consider themselves members of the LGBT community. The question is optional and doesn't affect acceptance. Answering yes might qualify them for up to a 30% scholarship against tuition.

So, the last two weeks the respiratory junk has slowly been overtaking me. The sum of it is, I have a bad cold on top of a dry hacking cough, and I'm pretty miserable.

As a result, my mate and I stayed inside yesterday, concentrating of making Christmas presents (quilts, decorative pillows, etc). She sews, I cut, and I do the machine embroidery. All day long I'd been smelling something hot but I just thought it was the steam iron, or the adhesive spray I use when doing embroidery.

The weeks from Thanksgiving through the end of the year gave me problems for years.

It is at this time we tend to spotlight our lives and examine how we truly relate to familiy and friends. It is one of the reasons many suffer Holiday Depression; we simply cannot live up to the Hollywood and Madison Avenue's stereotypes. Oft times, "It's a Wonderful Life" we ain't.

Lately many icons of my youth have passed on. I did not know of this man but because of his characters I spent many hours giggling at the TV in my youth.

Alexander Anderson, Jr.

I heard this one on the news while driving to work today.

Can laptops really do this?

Well, I've known for a while that sitting for hours with the laptop in my lap was uncomfortable, now I'm wondering if my increased knee freckles have anything to do with it?

Just so you all know,

You may have missed Tiffany's blog entry a few days announcing book 3, Dreaming of Cheers. As fast as entries come in now, I'm sure the message won't be seen by many now.

Basically, she should have the first two or three chapters up here tonight with weekly additions, or you can purchase the ebook in PDF form now at lulu.com

I'm not sure whose idea the "random solos" was or who implemented it, but I imagine if it wasn't you, then you at least had a big hand in it.

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading stories I haven't seen for a long time, and I know it's the only explanation why my own meager three stories keep accumulating a few hits per week.

No one could convince me that I'm on any par with the best story writers here, but I did post them hoping that others might enjoy or otherwise find something of value in them. Evidently others are still at least opening the links.

This morning driving to work I was listening to the local community college's radio station. At the top of the hour, Headline News from NPR came on. Something was said about the economy, and someone's sound bite was played. He was talking about disparities between economic and unemployment recovery, saying employers have been finding ways to get by with fewer resources. What he said hit one of my exposed nerve endings. His sentence ended with "making do with less employees."

I am such a living oxymoron.

I am a girl inside but not on the outside. Heck, I'm not even sure I'm really a girl, maybe a girl wannabe. Being TG but not TS might sound like an oxymoron to some here, but it's probably true in my case. I'm reminded of The Man Without a Country. I'm a person without a gender, since I find myself firmly rooted in between.

For those who have been following the November story challenge, I would like to remind everyone of the story "That's Enough", by Jan S., written in 2007.

I think this story fits the story challenge criteria beautifully. It's not a long story, and well worth reading.

Another thank you, Jan for creating it.

Hugs
Carla Ann

A big thank you to Sephrena for reposting Tiffany's book. I think Sephrena must feel pretty much as I do, that it is simply a must read! If, when you finish the first book, you don't just continue on to the second one, I would be very surprised.

Congratulations again, Tiffany for such a great piece!

Hugs,
Carla Ann

Just in case anybody sees this.

Terminology seems to be sorely lacking when trying to relate to people like me.

For those who have not just gone ahead and purchased the download, Tiffany has posted part three of her wonderful book.