Amy 9/8/08 Amy 9/8/08

New Category

For those of you interested in only reading about my time in India, or about my other travels, please note the new category that I have added for those posts only: Imported Chocolate. I thought about just calling it "India" but figured that would not encompass any traveling to other countries that we do and does not fit in with my chocolate theme. I thought about "foreign", to refer to chocolate from other countries, and that led me to "imported". Look for new posts under that tag in the next couple weeks. Unfortunately, our internet is quite spotty right now, but I am keeping track of everything for posting at a later date.

Amy 8/16/08 Amy 8/16/08

The Sum of all Impressions

We have just returned from our trip to India during which Ryan and I met some of his colleagues and searched for an apartment. We were only there 4 days, but it was quite the roller-coaster of emotions and impressions: #1: I am moving to murderville. Upon our arrival to the airport, we were hot, tired, overwhelmed, and just wanted to get to the hotel. Unfortunately, the driver that we pre-arranged to pick us up never showed. We stood around for a long time not able to make a phone call and with no idea what to do. Finally, we gave in to this persistent little fellow who kept offering to take us to our hotel. Now, this goes against all my better instincts and it only got worse. We got to his little run-down car, which was obviously not a commercial taxi and I started praying we would get out of this alive! We had no idea where we were going or if this man was trustworthy enough to take us to our hotel. We were completely at his mercy! And the roads we were taking! They seemed like these little, tiny back roads and all we could see were piles of dirt and rubble along the sides (with wild dogs climbing all over them and random groups of people milling around). Finally, I decided I better do something to prepare for the worst. With only the slightest of movements, I shifted my passport out of my purse and into my bra. The logic here being that if we were mugged, I would not have my identity stolen too! I took off my rings and slipped them into my pockets, you know, so I could pawn them for rupees when we were robbed. Shortly after making these precautions, however, we arrived safely at our hotel. (I should also mention that by the light of day, the city does not look like murderville at all!)

#2: Fear My first bomb check. (Renee, you're never visiting us, are you?)

#3: Sick to the stomach, literally Was it something I ate? Too many spices? Did I let some water into my mouth during my shower? Stayed in hotel all day.

#4: Depression We spent the entire next day searching for apartments and with each one we saw, I became sadder and sadder. I simply could not see myself living in any of them! Most were dark and dreary, some came with the saddest furniture you have ever seen. I thought regretfully of our decision to move here.

#5: Elation We found it, the most beautiful apartment! It had lovely grounds, a lot of amentities, was in a good area with lots of shopping, and was just cheerful to be in.

#6: Depression, again That night we had dinner with several of Ryan's new colleagues and based on much of the conversation, we had to re-evaluate the decision to go with the afforementioned apartment. All my elation left me and that night all I could do was cry. The one apartment that I could actually see myself living in did not have the one thing we thought we couldn't do without: full power back-up. Apparently the power goes out a lot and you want full power back up so you can still have electricity when this happens (A/C is important!). We would have to spend the next day looking at more apartments.

#7: Fear, again "9-11 could happen anywhere," our relocation expert told us when we asked about site-seeing on Friday, India's Independence Day. Apparently, it isn't safe for ex-pats to go to crowded places on national holidays.

#8: Elation, again After seeing more apartments, none of which could top the one apartment that we had fallen in love with the day before, and much discussion, we decided to go for it! It doens't have full power-back up, but it does have partial back up, which would include fans and lights. For our electronics, we will have to buy UPSs (uninterrupted power supply), so those won't be affected. Moving to this apartment makes me feel so much better about living in India. It is so lovely, and I can see myself being happy there when Ryan is at work. I also think Hugo will be happy there, because on cooler days, we can just leave the French doors open to the balcony and he can be free to roam around out there. I was able to leave India with my mind much more at ease. (click the picture for more)

Post script: I'll leave the impressions there so the story has a happy ending. I won't mention our last day when the spa lost our reservations for massages, we couldn't go anywhere because it wasn't safe for us to be out, my continuing stomach sickness, and our taxi ride back to the airport. I mean driving is scary there anyway, what the the dogs, cows, masses of people, motorbikes, auto-rickshaws, and cars all on the road apparently without knowledge of the concept of "right-of-way", but then imagine doing all that at 110 km/hr (too lazy to calculate it right now) then you'll realize what a harrowing experience it must have been.

Amy 8/8/08 Amy 8/8/08

An Unusual Poetry-holder

My grandfather, of whom I have written about before, sent his entire family the following email this evening: I went in the hospital at 7 AM and it's now 11:30.... Dr. Valentine did the procedure, so I put a folded red heart where he entered*. lt said:

Come on in, I'm all cleaned up So please wear gloves and don't corrupt Examine carefully all 24 feet And nip all polyps from my fat seat. You may never again see this place So enjoy your stay, then retire my case.

The nurses and doctors said they liked the poetry.

*"Where he entered" refers to where the sun don't shine, if you get my drift... and the funny thing is, this isn't his first time putting poetry there under the same circumstances...

Amy 8/8/08 Amy 8/8/08

Movie Review: Mamma Mia

I actually enjoyed it! I mean, I was expecting to enjoy it, but after hearing the reviews I was nervous. The girl was fabulous, Meryl Streep was not bad, but Pierce Brosnan, though sexy, was laughable! He should never, ever have tried singing! I went with five other women, all of whom were familiar with the Abba songs, so we had a great time singing along in the theater. I'm sure the people behind us enjoyed us too. I mean, we were good. Much better than Pierce and Meryl, so really we were doing them a favor. And who can hear "Mamma Mia" and "Dancing Queen" and not sing along?

Amy 7/8/08 Amy 7/8/08

Grandparent Movie Review: Wall-E

My grandparents, I call them Bumma and Bumpa, went to see Wall-E last night. Today I had the following conversation with them (it's paraphrased a bit). Bumpa: You know we went to see Wall-E last night, and we walked out half way through! Me: You did? Why? Bumma (in background): Don't tell her that! She'll think she has two duds for grandparents! Bumpa (to me): Oh, we just thought there were too many explosions. Me: Explosions? Are you sure you were in the right theater? I don't remember any explosions! Bumpa: And we heard people laughing so I laughed the loudest among them, but I didn't know why.

Well, Bumma, don't ever worry about me thinking you two are duds. In fact, I think this conversation has made you both even more endearing!

Related: Movie Review: Wall-E

Amy 7/8/08 Amy 7/8/08

Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

I've written a lot of movie reviews today and both quality and quantity have dwindled with each one. Well, this is the last one I am going to write today, and as you will see, I've hit bottom. I liked it.

If you would like more details, feel free to comment and I will respond. That is all.

Amy 7/8/08 Amy 7/8/08

Movie Review: Sex and The City

I am almost a little embarrassed to admit that I enjoyed this movie. Honestly, its massive promotion had made me sick of it before even having seen it! And the internet rumors had me convinced I would not like the plot or the ending at all! Yes, it had a lot of sex scenes and language. Yes, it was much too long. But it actually had a sweet story, and I will admit to loving the fashion! I came out of it wanting to dress up and put on high heels and do my hair all pretty. (Fortunately, that soon wore off and I found myself in my sweats, hair tied up in a messy bun, sitting barefoot on my couch.)

I would not recommend this movie for most of the people in my circles, and normally I would not have even recommended it for me. But once again it shows that I cannot simply go by what critics have to say and to never put any stock in those internet rumors.

Amy 7/8/08 Amy 7/8/08

Movie Review: Get Smart

I have seen this movie twice already! I have seen it with a person who never once saw the show (many people don't even realize it used to be a show!) and with a person who was a fan of the show. They both loved it. Steve Carell reminds me of the old Max (Don Adams) and pulls off all the old lines perfectly: "Missed it by that much" and "The old phone in the shoe trick". I wasn't as thrilled with Anne Hathaway as Agent 99, but by the end, her "Oh Max"s had convinced me. All in all, very good casting and a fun movie for everyone, fan of the show or not.

And as someone who used to play Agent 99 in her backyard with her friend, Agent 86, I thought I would be much harder to please.

Amy 7/8/08 Amy 7/8/08

Movie Review: Wall-E

I will admit that, even after reading all the amazing reviews of Wall-E, I went in still expecting not to like it. In every review I read, the words "subtle green message" kept appearing. Now don't get me wrong, I am all for taking care of our planet, but my mind kept returning to the Happy Feet disaster-of-a-movie* and I did not want to repeat that experience. However, after listening to my husband gushing over his Wall-e experience (and hearing his endless imitations of the robot), I consented to see the movie.

I am not going to say I was wrong in my initial thoughts. Not because I wasn't, but because I do not like to admit being wrong! But it was a wonderful movie. Wall-e himself was extremely likeable, even though he could not speak. And that's part of the magic right there: giving robots without speech a definite personality, that you either like or don't.

As my dad said, after seeing the movie, "It's basically just a love story." And he was right.

*I don't think I ever wrote a review on Happy Feet, but it's worth a separate post. Look for one in the days ahead.

Amy 7/2/08 Amy 7/2/08

"Ah, How Sweet It Is!"

"No matter the price, millions need their daily chocolate fix." And so begins an article from Time magazine, dated July 12, 1982. I was nearly six months old.

My parents have been doing massive spring cleaning, and yesterday while visiting their house, my dad brought this article to me. For some reason, he had saved it for 26 years. He says there's no explanation other than he somehow knew that his daughter would have a blog someday named after her love of chocolate.

The article has some very interesting little tid-bits. I hope it provides some good blog fodder. More to come!

Amy 6/30/08 Amy 6/30/08

My life in India?

I have been thinking a lot about what my life will be like in India. Aside from the culture shock and the initial touristy excursions, I am expecting I will face a good amount of down-time. Ryan's working hours will be 2pm to 11pm. We will have mornings together, but after that, I will be alone. I hope to make friends with other ex-pat spouses and maybe even some people from church, but in the beginning, what will I do with my time? Ryan's company offers some options (which, honestly, I find laughable):

Hyderabad has many clubs. The Secunderabad Club is one of the best private clubs in the city and provides many facilities. It is possible to get temporary membership.
Many spouses have taken up hobbies such as gardening, pets, aquariums etc.
Part-time employment opportunities for expat spouses

WOW! I think I found my answer, guys! I will take up aquariums!!!*

But in all seriousness, here are some of my ideas (that's right, it's a list. I love my projects and I love lists. And this combines the two: a list of projects.):

I may look in to taking a yoga class with other ex-pats. I figure this could be a good way to get to know them, as well as get my needed exercise.
I am going to work on my Summer Reading List. Yes, by that time, it will be autumn. That is irrelevant!
Of course, I want to keep up with my friends and family, so I intend to be writing a lot of emails, updating my family site with new pictures, keeping this blog up to date with my comings and goings, scheduling video chats (when available), and chatting via Skype as much as possible!
I may even pick up my LOTR project again!
I want to continue practicing writing as much as possible, from this blog and my serialized story, to finishing my novel that I started several years ago.
And finally, I am going to devote myself to the marketing of my mom's business: Jean Elton. Her pottery is just beautiful and she really just needs to get her name out there! And hopefully, that's where I come in.

As with most of my projects, these will probably go unfinished. However, in the interest of being prepared for the inevitable boredom and lonliness, these are some of my ideas. Please feel free to leave any of your own in the comments section! I love hearing what you have to think.

*Please note: that was sarcasm.

Amy 6/19/08 Amy 6/19/08

NEWS, part 2

Hot off the presses! Seriously, by reading this blog, you are one of the very first to know! Ryan has just heard that he will be made a formal job offer (to go to India) by the end of this week (which probably means next week).

This is rather shocking after hearing only yesterday that we probably wouldn't find out anything for another month. My mind is in turmoil (do I really want to do this? I'm scared!) and my palms are sweaty!

Amy 6/19/08 Amy 6/19/08

Noisy Neighbors, an update

Some of you will remember my previous post about our upstairs neighbors, in which I try very hard to see the situation from another perspective. I had many complimentary comments about how good I was to be able to step into another person's shoes and try to see things as they do, how sweet it was of me, how kind. Well guess what. That's all over. Because as much as I want to be good and sweet and kind, when you are constantly woken up at 5:30 in the morning by screaming and stomping, and when you are constantly having to pause your favorite TV shows at night to wait until yet another tantrum is over, all that good and sweet and kind stuff flies right out the window.

A couple weeks ago, we had an interesting development. We were awakened, as usual, by screaming and stomping, but this time, it was worse than usual. Our whole apartment was literally shaking. Our dog, Hugo, was cowering beside us in bed, and we wouldn't have let him down anyway for fear of something falling off the walls from the earthquake-like shaking! We heard the dishes in our cupboards rattling and the pictures on the walls slid to the side.* There was no going back to sleep. We lay there listening, shocked and scared. Suddenly, though, we heard a man's voice, and the screaming and stomping subsided a bit. He was saying they had received 15 or 20 complaints that morning about the noise from both the daughter and the dog (oh yes, they have a dog too, and it likes to bark, a lot). The man was asking how old the children were and if they were in school, etc. etc. We could not hear the mother's voice, as she must have been speaking softly. Ryan and I assumed it was the apartment superintendent, but in peering out the window as the man left (yes, we are a little bit nosy. OK, a lot nosy), it turned out to be 3 policemen! Someone in the complex had called the police on them!

Nowadays, I can see how calling the police when you hear a child screaming like that is a good thing, as you never know what is going on. However, in talking with this mother through the years (and being privy to all their conversations), I knew there was no abuse going on.

Just a good, old-fashioned, American devil-child!**

*I will freely admit that I have sometimes exaggerated for the benefit of a story. This, however, is no exaggeration.

**There is still a part of me that feels badly for the child, because I truly believe that she is in dire need of some counselling (or perhaps a new counsellor?). But com'on, think of the neighbors and keep the noise to a minimum!

Amy 6/12/08 Amy 6/12/08

Chocoholic: A Serial Story, You Keep Coming Back for More

It has come to my attention that my serialized story is "confusing". Interestingly enough, the people who have told me this are very unfamiliar with the mystery/thriller genre, so it could be they just don't know what to expect out of this type of story. However, it could also be because of the way the story is segmented and read in chapters several weeks apart. So, for your reading pleasure, please find the serialized story below, in its entirity. I will try to do this every few chapters for the ease of my readers. Also, please feel free to leave comments here, because in order to continue the story, I need your input! Chapter 1

They were in a small, damp place, as far as they could tell. It was so dark, they couldn’t be sure. But their hands were within the reach of the walls on every side. They wanted to speak, to reassure one another that they would get out in time, but they already felt their lungs constricting in the effort to breathe. The darkness was so complete, she didn’t notice he had fainted. But then she felt him slump next to her and she knew there was no time left

But there was. Minutes, hours, days, she couldn’t be sure. Time became something only for people with enough air to breathe. It was only for those with purpose. To her, time had no measure. Sometimes she felt sick, like the motion was upsetting her stomach. She wanted to sit, to lie down, to sleep, but there was only room to lean. And she was supporting him, trying to make him comfortable, aching for him. Or was the ache just there from the effort to breathe? But she knew it ran deeper than a physical need. Her thoughts drifted to him, as they had done so often in the past. But now it was different. It was urgent. Not just a longing, it was desperation. She was crying, for him, for all she’d lost. Her tongue felt for the tears on her cheek. She just needed to taste, to wet her dry, cracked lips. And then she felt it. The dull thud, and then falling. The movement had stopped

Chapter 2

When she awoke, she was on something so soft that she didn’t want to open her eyes and get up. She was enveloped in comfort and so at ease. But suddenly it all came back as she realized her eyes were already open. It was just dark, so dark, and lonely. She reached out, feeling around for him, but instead she felt the edge of the bed, then the hard, dark, and cool floor of the cave. Then she remembered the falling, and him, and how he had slumped over, how he had died. The weeping did not begin as she had expected it to; she was too numb.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she impulsively jabbed her elbow backwards, into her attacker’s stomach. She felt him double over and knew he was not expecting her to have any strength left in her. She must fight, because he would kill her anyway. Before the man could reach for her again, she had stumbled off the bed and crawled across the floor of the cave. In the short time she had been aware but not able to see, her other senses had awoken and she heard the slightest trickle of water. This could mean one of two things: either it was raining out and the area could soon be flooded, or there was a small stream somewhere relatively close, that she could follow and possibly find a way out. She prayed for the latter, gathered all her strength, and stood, ready to feel her way towards the sound

"Chloe.”

The whispered name made her freeze in terror. “Chloe, don’t run from me. I will find you.” He was still whispering, but he could have been screaming for the way it made her heart race. “Chloe, don’t you know me? You loved me once, come to me, my clover.” The whispered words, the pet name… her terror rose as she recognized her attacker. “Aha. I see you know me now. I see that you remember our last visit together. Come back, help me. Let’s work together."

She felt her strength melt away. The fear was too much, the memories clouded her mind, and she could no longer hear the water.

"Chloe. Did you know I’ve always loved your name?” he had whispered in her ear. She could not believe he was this close, as she lay there, pouring out her heart. “I thought of you today after I had mowed my lawn and found this four-leafed clover in my hair. What good luck! I thought. I must take some chances today because luck is on my side. And now, here I am with you. What could be luckier than that?”

She had stared at him in disbelief. What was he saying? Why was he still so close, even after she had jumped up and moved away?

"You know he doesn’t deserve you, this boy you talk about. He doesn’t realize what a gem you are. Hahaha,” his laugh had sounded maniacal. “Gem,” he had repeated.

She had known it was time to go, to get away from him. Looking into his eyes, she had realized he was mad. He was looking at her with desire, but she knew it was not for her body. She had made a move towards the door, but he had grabbed her arm, and forced her to the floor. With her arm pinned behind her back and she on her stomach, she struggled against him, but he was on top of her, grabbing for her other arm to tie them up.

“First them. Then him. Then it. Do you understand me, my clover?” he had whispered in her ear.

No, not them, please not them, she had thought. But then she had known no more.

Now she felt her wrists and realized why they were so sore and swollen. She wondered in terror if he had gotten to her parents, too, since he had already killed him. And now, he was after it, and she alone held the key.

Chapter 3

“Frankly, I am amazed you two made it out alive, ma’am,” the police officer told her, as she lay in the hospital bed. Her husband lay next to her, still with his oxygen mask covering his face. But she saw his eys, and they mirrored the fear she felt.

“You have to understand. This wasn’t an accident. There’s someone out there, he’s after us, he’s after,” her voice cracked with the depth of her emotion. “He’s after our daughter,” she finally managed. Her eyes were filled with tears, and she felt helpless.

“Yes, so you’ve said. We have made some preliminary inquiries, but your daughter cannot be assumed a missing person until at least 24 hours have passed with no word of her. And you said yourself that you saw her this morning.”

“But that was before the fire!” She was yelling at him now, trying to convey her fear, trying to make him understand it was a matter of life and death. And yet, how much could she tell him without putting more lives in danger?

“I realize that, but there is no evidence that the fire was due to arson. At this point, it appears to have started as a simple kitchen fire."

“But we were upstairs, unpacking from our vacation! Why would we have put any of the appliances on just after getting home?"

“You’re upset. Nurse!” he called to the station outside their door. “This woman needs a sedative.” He turned back to look at her. “I will get back to you as soon as I have more details. In the meantime, get some rest. You have some pretty nasty burns there. Don’t do anything that will inhibit your body’s healing processes."

She would have followed, despite the burns and the pain in her chest. She needed him to understand that Chloe was in danger. And she knew why. That doctor of Chloe’s had been too interested in their family’s history, too interested for his own good. And now, because of Chloe’s own interest in the history, as well as her knowledge of speleology, would make her a prime target. She would have followed, but her legs had not worked for years.

It had only been a week since she’d shared the whole story with her husband. She had been afraid of the greed she had seen in his eyes. But he needed to know, especially after that man came poking around. And now he understood the gravity of the situation. She looked at him and was shocked to see him out of bed, dressed.

"I’m going to look for her. We know where she is and I’m the only one who can help her.”

She saw the intensity in his eyes, and for a brief moment, she wondered if it was for fear of his daughter, or something else. As she grew sleepy, she saw Chloe, shrouded in darkness. And she knew if anyone was going to have to help her daughter, it would have to be Chloe herself.

Amy 6/12/08 Amy 6/12/08

Summer Reading List

I have decided to use the upcoming season as a perfect opportunity to continue with the grand tradition of summer reading lists. In looking at my "books I've read" spreadsheet, I was very saddened to see the lack of books I've read, as well as the lack of diverse genres. Therefore, I am going to try to read from the following list, taken from this article*: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The Bible The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by JRR Tolkien 1984 by George Orwell A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen All Quite on the Western Front by E M Remarque His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck The Lord of the Flies by William Golding The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon Tess of the D'urbevilles by Thomas Hardy Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell Great Expectations by Charles Dickens The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold The Prophet by Khalil Gibran David Copperfield by Charles Dickens The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov Life of Pi by Yann Martel Middlemarch by George Eliot The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzenhitsyn Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L'Engle

OK, so that last one isn't actually on the list, but I promised a friend I would read it this summer. The ones in bold/italic I have already read, and therefore will not be re-reading. Honestly, this is a rather daunting task (and one that will take much longer than one summer) considering my love of the mystery!**

*I also enjoyed this article, which is another blogger's opinion of the above referenced list.

**This is probably one of the worst posts I've ever written. OK, not really, but what can I say? This is the earliest I've ever posted before and I'm not fully awake yet! Yeah, it's 10:30 AM. So what?

Amy 6/11/08 Amy 6/11/08

Chapter 3

Does anyone else remember those “Choose Your Own Adventure” books? Well, that’s what I’ve decided to mimic here. This is the third chapter of a serialized story, and you will help me with the plot. Just leave your comments about anything (what you want to happen next, who the characters will be, etc.) and I will pick one to work into the story. If you haven’t yet, make sure to read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 before continuing.

"Frankly, I am amazed you two made it out alive, ma'am," the police officer told her, as she lay in the hospital bed. Her husband lay next to her, still with his oxygen mask covering his face. But she saw his eys, and they mirrored the fear she felt.

"You have to understand. This wasn't an accident. There's someone out there, he's after us, he's after," her voice cracked with the depth of her emotion. "He's after our daughter," she finally managed. Her eyes were filled with tears, and she felt helpless.

"Yes, so you've said. We have made some preliminary inquiries, but you're daughter cannot be assumed a missing person until at least 24 hours have passed with no word of her. And you said yourself that you saw her this morning."

"But that was before the fire!" She was yelling at him now, trying to convey her fear, trying to make him understand it was a matter of life and death. And yet, how much could she tell him without putting more lives in danger?

"I realize that, but there is no evidence that the fire was due to arson. At this point, it appears to have started as a simple kitchen fire."

"But we were upstairs, unpacking from our vacation! Why would we have put any of the appliances on just after getting home?"

"You're upset. Nurse!" he called to the station outside their door. "This woman needs a sedative." He turned back to look at her. "I will get back to you as soon as I have more details. In the meantime, get some rest. You have some pretty nasty burns there. Don't do anything that will inhibit your body's healing processes."

She would have followed, despite the burns and the pain in her chest. She needed him to understand that Chloe was in danger. And she knew why. That doctor of Chloe's had been too interested in their family's history, too interested for his own good. And now, because of Chloe's own interest in the history, as well as her knowledge of speleology, would make her a prime target. She would have followed, but her legs had not worked for years.

It had only been a week since she'd shared the whole story with her husband. She had been afraid of the greed she had seen in his eyes. But he needed to know, especially after that man came poking around. And now he understood the gravity of the situation. She looked at him and was shocked to see him out of bed, dressed.

"I'm going to look for her. We know where she is and I'm the only one who can help her."

Amy 6/6/08 Amy 6/6/08

Google-head

I am a Google fan. A Googler? A Googlite? A Google-head? Not sure if there's a word for us yet, but I'm sure there will be at some point. My favorites of their applications include Google Docs (which includes an online word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation software), Google Groups, and obviously Gmail. I enjoy reading the Google blogs to see what all they are coming up with, and have even submitted in an idea myself!*

But recently, they have introduced Google Sites, and I have found a new toy. I immediately snagged a couple (ok, 5) names that I thought I might, someday, maybe, have a need for. Yes, it is true that I sometimes have trouble coming up for enough content for one site (that would be this one), so you may wonder how I plan to fill 5. Well, I don't. They are for possible future use, and just for me to have fun with right now. For any of you interested in your own website, I'd get going on this right away! Snag your site's name before it's taken! And, if interested, feel free to peruse one of mine so far. They are a work in progress, and a highly entertaining diversion (am I turning into my husband?).

Need Chocolate Here

*My idea was for a Google family tree application: something that could be integrated with Gmail, where the tree was emailed around to other family members, and filled out so that it became fuller and fuller. It could even gather contact information, so you are always in touch. Also, for larger families, it would help explain how you were related to certain people, perhaps by dragging your mouse across different names. I really do have a vision for this. Honestly, they should just hire me.

Amy 5/29/08 Amy 5/29/08

Chapter 2

Does anyone else remember those “Choose Your Own Adventure” books? Well, that’s what I’ve decided to mimic here. This is the second chapter of a serialized story, and you will help me with the plot. Just leave your comments about anything (what you want to happen next, who the characters will be, etc.) and I will pick one to work into the story. If you haven't yet, make sure to read Chapter 1 before continuing.

When she awoke, she was on something so soft that she didn't want to open her eyes and get up. She was enveloped in comfort and so at ease. But suddenly it all came back as she realized her eyes were already open. It was just dark, so dark, and lonely. She reached out, feeling around for him, but instead she felt the edge of the bed, then the hard, dark, and cool floor of the cave. Then she remembered the falling, and him, and how he had slumped over, how he had died. The weeping did not begin as she had expected it to; she was too numb.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she impulsively jabbed her elbow backwards, into her attacker's stomach. She felt him double over and knew he was not expecting her to have any strength left in her. She must fight, because he would kill her anyway. Before the man could reach for her again, she had stumbled off the bed and crawled across the floor of the cave. In the short time she had been aware but not able to see, her other senses had awoken and she heard the slightest trickle of water. This could mean one of two things: either it was raining out and the area could soon be flooded, or there was a small stream somewhere relatively close, that she could follow and possibly find a way out. She prayed for the latter, gathered all her strength, and stood, ready to feel her way towards the sound.

"Chloe."

The whispered name made her freeze in terror. "Chloe, don't run from me. I will find you." He was still whispering, but he could have been screaming for the way it made her heart race. "Chloe, don't you know me? You loved me once, come to me, my clover." The whispered words, the pet name... her terror rose as she recognized her attacker. "Aha. I see you know me now. I see that you remember our last visit together. Come back, help me. Let's work together."

She felt her strength melt away. The fear was too much, the memories clouded her mind, and she could no longer hear the water.

"Chloe. Did you know I've always loved your name?" he had whispered in her ear. She could not believe he was this close, as she lay there, pouring out her heart. "I thought of you today after I had mowed my lawn and found this four-leafed clover in my hair. What good luck! I thought. I must take some chances today because luck is on my side. And now, here I am with you. What could be luckier than that?"

She had stared at him in disbelief. What was he saying? Why was he still so close, even after she had jumped up and moved away?

"You know he doesn't deserve you, this boy you talk about. He doesn't realize what a gem you are. Hahaha," his laugh had sounded maniacal. "Gem," he had repeated.

"First them. Then him. Then it. Do you understand me, my clover?" he had whispered in her ear.

No, not them, please not them, she had thought. But then she had known no more.