My friend Brent

Excuse the interruption. I haven't told all the CPConnect story, but sometimes life take an unexpected turn.

There have been many things I have wanted to do, in my life. Besides being a mother, a writer, and an artist, I wanted to be a teacher. Although I never had my own classroom at nearby Franklin Elementary, where I could have walked to school on pleasant days if I chose, I was still a teacher. I did substitute teaching for many grade levels in several school systems. I taught art, English, math, chemistry, health, guidance, physical education, and computer science.

My favorite teaching experience was from 1988 to 1994, when I taught Head Start, pre-school, school-age, and infants/toddlers at my college alma mater's daycare center. I conducted circle time, read Dr. Seuss and Richard Scarry, sang "Willoughby Wallaby" on field trips, drove a university van full of kids to Berheim Forrest and Mammoth Cave Park, and met many remarkable people under 48" high.

There were many children I will think of with fondness the rest of my life. One of them was Brent. When I first met him, Brent was two years old, and in another teacher's group. I had a two-year-old in my own group named Jeremy, a fiesty, out-going little squirt who easily won people's hearts. By comparison, Brent moved more awkwardly and responded more slowly to things, rarely speaking more than a word at a time. Brent surprised me one day during nap time when he pointed to a drawing another child had done of a large bird. He pronounced a single word -- "Eagle." Not just a bird, but a bird of prey. Not just a species, but a subspecies.

As time passed, I learned he had developmental delay. He was not like other children in some respects, though very like them in others. He learned the names of other children in the center, but he was more interested in social contact with their parents or grandparents. He would buttonhole unsuspecting guardians coming to pick up children. Although he was large, somewhat unwieldy, and impulsive, he was sweet and loving. I was often amused by the way he would single-mindedly concentrate on things he was interested in, not to be distracted by trifling obstacles. He had a great sense of humor and would laugh until he cried at things he found absurd.

As time passed, Brent acquired a baby sister. Then he started regular school, although he came to school-age daycare in the summer and afternoons. One year, between our sessions, while his mother was working, I babysat Brent and his sister. While his sister was at kindergarten for the afternoon, I took Brent to the Sidewalk Chalking Drawing event in Franklin. He was very pleased to see my house and meet my mom ("Gran").

Years passed. I saw his mom and sister in Bowling Green when Eve and I went to a movie. I wouldn't have recognized his sister, who had just started high school. We discussed Brent. His mother said he hadn't come along that time, and he'd be disappointed to have missed me.

I saw her in Wal-Mart this afternoon. I couldn't think of her name at first, though I knew she was Brent's mom. I said hello, smiled, and went on my way to pick up things for supper. When I was checking out, I saw her again.

"I didn't know it was you at first," she said.

"How are the kids doing? Though they aren't kids anymore," I commented, realizing Brent had turned 20 this fall. A look passed over her face like a shadow, and I saw the sparkle in her eyes that foretold unshed tears. We walked away from the check-out line.

"Brent's -- gone home," she said, and the tears spilled from her eyes. "It happened last year."

I realized, with some shock, what she meant, and I gave her a hug.

"I had no idea. What happened?" I asked.

There had been a car accident. There was a missing stop sign someone had knocked down where his sister was driving, and an oncoming car struck the door where Brent was sitting. His little sister was having trouble dealing with her grief. I told their mother I'd lost my dad and my sister in a similar way. It can be hard to forgive yourself for surviving something like that, when someone you love has died.

We spoke for a few more minutes, both of us crying. His sister had graduated high school, but she was taking some time before starting college. I told her mother to give her my love.

"I'm thankful I know where he is, and he's safe and happy," his mother said. "Someday, when we're on the other side, this will all seem unimportant. -- I'm usually all right, except when I meet someone else I knew loved him."

Sometimes I wonder about Jordan and Chrissy and Brandon, and other children who were Rocking Horses, Androids, or other fanciful group members nearly 20 years ago. Today, I thought maybe it was better I don't try to track them. I could keep them in my heart forever as the children they were.
Maybe that isn't right. My own kids are adults now, and I love the adult-to-adult relationships I share with them just as much as I loved their growing-up years.

Then I thought of a comment I had made at the CafePress board earlier today, concerning the conference.
"I've decided that when you leave your heart in SF, you're really just taking SF along with you to keep in your heart."

That's the way it is with people you love, whether they're alive or "gone home." You leave your heart behind with them, and yet you take them with you forever. The rest of my life, I'll remember the summer afternoon when I drew Brent's picture while he colored on paper at the table. And I'll remember how he laughed when we played "abierto - cerrado!" I'll remember how he surprised adults by looking at their keys and telling them what kind of car they drove. He's in a better place, along with my little sister and other people I have loved, but he'll always be here in my heart.

The Incredible Journey - Part I - CafePress Connect 2006

Once upon a time, in the year 2000, there was a woman who wanted to be a writer and an artist. She loved her computer. She liked searching for things, visiting websites, lurking, and making contact with other beings. The inhabitants of cyberspace were, at once, both remote and intimate. This woman stumbled across a shop in a Yahoo club. The products offered by the club were amusing, but she was more intrigued by the shop itself.
So began the adventures of Lorilei in CafePressland.

Lorilei never thought that, just less than six years later, she would be flying across the country to San Francisco because of CafePress.

What can I say? I wish I'd taken a camera. I wish I had been able to spend a week there. I wish we'd all had more time. But that Friday through Monday adventure was a great experience I'll never forget.

In order to relate this story, I think I should first give you a little of the background story. When I started out at CafePress, I had a personal website. Actually, two -- or three. I forget. They were scattered all over AOL, Homestead, and Geocities. On my sites were examples of my personal experiences, photos, art, stories of my life, even my teaching resumé. I promoted my shops a little, but I didn't expect anyone to buy anything of mine. I was interested in making t-shirts or sweatshirts with my own art of them to give as gifts.

In 2001, I was one of many people who felt a need to reach out, after the shock of September 11. I saw other CafePress shopkeepers creating designs to promote patriotic spirit and support organizations like the American Red Cross. So I was inspired to create more designs and shops and take a more active role.

I joined the CafePress messageboard, which I had not really expected to meet my needs. I decided that something was better than nothing. The board was a great place to learn. I lurked and read and asked questions. I began to teach myself rudimentary HTML, using it in my basic stores. (Yes, they supported HTML back then.) I loved the CafePress community.

But the list of stores was something of a joke. You would submit to get on the list, but no updates were made. Then it was scrapped altogether. (Not a tragic event, trust me.) There was the promise of a new one. No one knew when that would be.

By early 2002, I knew there should be a directory. I also knew that the community members I'd been getting to know from the CP Ezboard should be able to talk somewhere that was a little less businesslike. Though I was mostly interested in CafePress, it would be a place where shopkeepers could discuss things not deemed on topic on the board. The Ezboard had reached a point where all new posts were moderated before going live. Sometimes it was as much as three weeks before new comments went public. Even though I discovered how to read them before they were approved (don't ask me how I did it -- heehee), I always felt impatient. I wanted more.

In February, 2002, I opened a Yahoo group and named it GreatGear. I invited a few people, and I put a link to it in my sig on the Ezboard. I planned that the group would be public, and that our links area would become a store directory.

GreatGear started growing. I eventually demolished the rule about staying on topic, at least as far as business went. We needed to be a support and friendship group for each other more than we needed to be a shopping directory. Incidentally, there have been about three different versions of the CP directory since then, and it's still a work in progress. But CafePress.com is becoming a well-known shopping destination on the web.
I started seeing names turn up in the member list like Maheesh Jain (one of the co-founders of CafePress), as well as people like Rodney Blackwell (of I Hate Clowns and T-Shirtcountdown.com), Adam O'Connor (BuyTees.com), and Fricka/Eileen (the T-Shirt Nexus).

Then one day in July, I posted a semi-rant in GreatGear about someone who was promoting her cause on the CP board. Her cause was the acceptance of Anorexia as a normal way of life. She wasn't trying to recruit people to save the environment or become Mennonites, she wanted girls to join her in starving themselves to death. I was so completely disgusted, I had to let off some steam. And I named it, "It's a good thing I don't moderate the Forum...."
Within an hour, I received an email from Heather, a CP employee who took care of the Ezboard.
"Would you like to moderate the Forum? Drop me a line if you're interested."

I replied,
"Hi, Heather.
Wow! Be careful what you wish for ... I'm not sure how qualified I am, but I'd like to give it a try."

So Heather asked if anyone else was interested in being a mod. Several GreatGearians replied, and the Mod Squad was born.

* * *

The years have come and gone. The moderators have, too, to some extent. We moved from Ezboard to Webboard (ugh), and then to Eve/Groupee, where we are now. Heather got married and finally moved away from California, though she still works for CP. The Mod Squad got a new Den Mother, Angela.

I had attended the Louisville Meet & Greet last year, so when I heard about the CP-Connect plans, I really wanted to attend. On top of everything else, I would get to meet Jean (rotemgear) and several other close friends I had never met before.

The stories of my difficulties along the way will have to wait for my memoirs to come out in book form. I had my plane reservations, my luggage, my plastic bags (for the 3 ounce or less containers of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothpaste, etc.), and my CP t-shirts and stuff. Yes, of course I took CafePress t-shirts!


I wore the first shirt on the plane, naturally. Flight attendants noticed and complimented it as I was getting off the plane. But my hands were full, so although I thanked them, I didn't give them business cards.

I found the Marin Airporter and rode to Larkspur Landing, where I met Teddy (breast cancer survivor). She is a terrific and funny little lady with red hair and a Greek attitude. She looks like she wears a size 2 on a bad day, whereas I look like I went to college on a football scholarship. (Well, not really, because I'm short. But I digress.) I decided she wouldn't break, so I gave her a hug.

Back over the Golden Gate Bridge. I didn't have as good a view on the way back because of the mesh along the sides of the bridge. When I was riding the shuttle, I had a fantastic view. On the right was the bay, and on the left was the ocean. Clouds that had threatened but not actually rained on us were reaching down to the water's edge in the distance. A break in the clouds spilled a stream of golden light on the surface of the ocean in a ring like a spotlight.

Teddy and I talked like we knew one another, because we do. We had fun locating the Marina Inn, which is on Octavia at Lombard. (Official site at marinainn.com) We had to park her car in a garage a few blocks away. Adam (cp coupon) commandeered our luggage to take upstairs for us. (What a sweetie!)

The GreatGear bunch went to an Italian place a few blocks away known as Caffe Sport. It smelled wonderful, and it was charming -- but I couldn't eat the food. Things like tomato, cheese, basil, peppers, and a number of other goodies make me extremely ill when I eat them. So I slipped across the street to the Cafe Verde for a wonderful roast beef and lettuce on whole wheat sandwich and a 7Up. I rejoined my party when I had finished.

Back inside the restaurant, the "Papa" of the family chided me for not eating. (My plate was bare.) So Jean and I painted the plate with pasta, sauce, and crumbs from a roll. I didn't want them to feel insulted just because I have a wimpy stomach.

Saturday morning. It was beautiful, but we were still tired from the night before. We met in the breakfast/social room on the second floor, then walked to Fort Mason. I wore the second black t-shirt, my Leaving My Heart in San Francisco/GreatGearians at the CafePress Conference shirt. (Repeat that three times, real fast.)

After a speech by co-founders Fred Durham and Maheesh Jain (who secretly do a stand-up routine in their spare time), the sessions commenced. We heard Ryan talk about merchandise (and we saw the famous List). We learned more about implementing the affiliate program. We created descriptions, learned to market, created graphics, brainstormed holidays, and "pimped" our shops. (Don't ask.) For the next two days, it was grueling trying to decide which session to attend, since there were often four going on at once. I asked if I could borrow a Time-Turner, but there were none available.

There was a Happy Hour starting at 6:30 that night, and I felt reluctant to attend. It sounded like a cross between a high school dance and a class reunion. (I hate my class reunions, where most people seem to be racing to see who can get drunk fastest.) I slipped off to walk around and found a KFC at Lombard and Fillmore. **hangs head in embarrassment**
I confess, I was in San Francisco, and I went to KFC for extra crispy fried chicken. It was wonderful.

Happy Hour was happy. And we went to Barney's Gourmet Burgers (also here, I think) later. It was crowded, but Jen (lil goodies) got us in. I think she used a Confundus charm. We sat on a lovely deck in their back yard area. It was fun, but we were pretty chilly by the time we had eaten. Teddy laughingly said the waiters looked horrified when they saw our party being led through.

Sunday was more of the same. We exchanged mini buttons with other shopkeepers and CP folks (who were wearing their spiffy green t-shirts). I pinned mine on the lime green CafePress lanyard I wore around my neck.
After the sessions were finished, I won a prize for getting the Instant Winner mini-button from CP. Kristen Fox (art of foxvox) won a prize for getting the most votes for her mini button.


My button can be seen above.
Next to it is the Team GreatGear hoodie I wore, as well. I will be sleeping in my hoodie quite a bit in chilly weather. It is so nice!

Ah, there is more to tell, young grasshoppers, but I won't be telling it tonight. I'm too tired. Maybe in the morning.

Name Change

I changed the name of this blog. Its purpose had changed since I first started it. And every time I would look at my blogs and other projects, the name would throw me, since Lorilei's Artist at Work was also the name of my primary CafePress store.

The blog that focuses on my shops is Lorilei's Tees & other artistic endeavors , or Lorilei-Tees for short. But this blog (the one you are currently reading) deals with not only my shop and art stuff, but with -- well, life in general.

Yes, I am a Harry Potter freak. Both books and movies, but books first and foremost.
I am not all work and no play. I love movies and TV. I love classic rock, 60s pop music, classic jazz, and some contemporary music (John Williams is king!). I love animals, especially cats, dogs, bunnies, horses, ducks, geese .... and it would probably be easier for me to list some I do not like. I'm not crazy about mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, chiggers, cockroaches, piranha, and a long list of microscopic organisms. (Since the microbes are neither vegetable nor mineral, I'm lumping them in here.)

I'm not a kid, although sometimes I still feel like one. I think that's why P.L. exists. Sometimes people on the internet think I'm younger than I am, because of some of my interests. Back when I was an AOL subscriber, my profile said: "Marital status - saving myself for Dr. Beckett." The TV show Quantum Leap was one of my all-time favorites. (I kind of had a crush on Sam Beckett, for lack of a better phrase.) It was unbelievable how many guys contacted me because of that line in my profile! It appears that women were not the only big QL fans. I don't think I once had another female contact me because of Sam....

Ah. The old days.

Anyway, I feel out of the loop. I had a computer crash on Thursday. Just my C drive. My son Paul reinstalled Windows XP on my D drive, and I'm back. But my bookmarks and a lot of other things crashed. Gone was the Bejeweled 2 Deluxe game on which I had a high score of over 930,000 points (timed version) , plus a rank of Legendary Engraver (I think?), the Hyperspeed game version, and 151 rounds of the Endless game mode. So although it is fun filling up my top ten scores again, I miss the other stuff. And I've only gotten back up to around 700,000 points again, so far.

My sound is missing. The computer says everything internal is working, but I believe the problem is my ancient speakers, which I've had since 1998. I have a headset, too, but I think Dusty decided it was a chew toy and loved on it a bit too hard. He's an adorable little fella, but I hate when he eats my belongings.

I have tried to upload images to Blogger, but it isn't taking them. Odd -- it worked Saturday night/Sunday morning for a while, but then quit. I thought it was just my computer needing a rest. Maybe I'll see if it still works on Firefox.

Life goes on....


Yay! It worked on Firefox.

Ron and Hermione's Ideas

I cannot help myself. I am a junkie. I found this HP video on YouTube, and it was love!
What can I say? I've been a R/Hr Shipper since before I even knew what that was.
I love the way the music and lyrics fit into the collage of footage from the first four Harry Potter films.
So now I feel compelled to see "The Swan Princess" as well, to see if it is as charming as this song.

Ire? - ack

Excuse the terrible pun. But that's the way I feel about it.

Cathie was supposed to be at Fort Bragg for a while. Then she found out she was being sent to Iraq. Cathie is a medic, BTW, not infantry.

I was upset. It's a mom thing. No, it isn't. It's just a -- thing. Human, animal, mother, brother, sister, cousin -- it doesn't matter.

Then we found out she wasn't going. There was a fluke of some kind, where the orders didn't go through and she wouldn't be going. We spent the weekend at a family reunion in the piedmont area of North Carolina. It broke up yesterday, and Mom and I returned to Kentucky while Cathie drove back to Fort Bragg.

I got this today:

"Alright here is the deal. I got orders. This time they are in my hand.
I am going to deploy to Iraq between Oct to Apr 07. I will be going with a special operations unit, so you know that I will be in the very best hands in the Army. .... I also have to get a passport, so mom, dad, or sugar [stepmother], I need to know who I can call to get one sent here asap. I will be taking leave some time in Sep to come and spend time with everyone.

I want you all to know, I am coming back. Lets not look at this as a bad thing. I was in Kosovo before, and I know how to handle myself. There is a possiblility that I can carry my own hand gun with me just in case. I really don't think that it will be a problem. I will have to report to ... TX at some point and deploy from there, so Eve I will be able to visit you too. I don't know what I am doing with any of my stuff, my truck, or Chewy [her cocker spaniel]. So feel free to volunteer any ideas. I will let you know more when I know more.
I love you all!

Love Cathie"
(content slightly edited for privacy/security purposes)

I love her, too. And I know she wants to go.
This just so very much stinks.

KYD merchandise

Yay! **happy dance**
Even though the UPS tracking online was confusing, at best, I finally received my order of Kentucky Downs merchandise yesterday. I love it!

I ran the t-shirts through the washer and dryer first, so I could take Bobby his to work. I gave away all the magnets and several of the pins. A fellow teller, Dennis, wants a black tee as soon as possible, if not before, and a customer has requested a t-shirt with a chest pocket. Hmm. I don't have the pocket tees, currently, but it's definitely something worth looking into.

Now I get to figure out how best to order these in advance for people I know, and figure out what and how many I'll need to order for Live Racing. Although the event isn't until September, I know I'll need these next 15 weeks or so to plan, design, calculate, and order. There are a lot of variables I haven't even taken into account yet.

I wish I could run the booth, but I'm working as a teller that day. I hope Cathie (my daughter) will be able to work in the booth. She's a great salesperson, anyway.

Happy holiday weekend ~ Memorial Day

I should be grilling, or swimming. Or back in bed! It's just now 10:00 AM, and I've been up since 6:45! And it's Saturday... but Saturday is kinda like my own personal Thursday. Except for this week, when it's my Wednesday, since I work on Monday. (Are you confused yet?)

Is it as hot out there as it is here? I want to go soak my feet in some cool water. But I don't have a creek at my computer desk, and I work at 5 today, so the cool water thing isn't likely to happen. (But I can at least imagine the sound of water trickling over the craggy face of a waterfall. Ahhhh.)

I feel so out of the loop with things lately. The only person I have chatted with (besides Angela at CP) has been my brother. I have been working on my stores, but I'm still way behind. I can't even "see" where I should be, I'm so far behind.

But I'm getting some Kentucky Downs/Horses-Around stuff some time next week. Yippee! I got the email that it had shipped from Louisville. So, next Tuesday, after they send it north to Ohio, or 78 miles in another direction to Lexington, maybe UPS will ship it the 100 or so mile trip to Bowling Green from its origin in Louisville. Then it will mysteriously cruise around Warren and Simpson counties, looking for my house. But I imagine I'll have it by Friday.

What's in this highly anticipated package? Let's see.
The KYD 2006 ash grey shirt, size XL, for my brother Bobby to wear. It's made to his specifications, somewhat. It has the three race horses and "Kentucky Downs" on the front "pocket" position, and the large logo on the center back.

Then there's a 10-pack each of 2" magnets and buttons (or badges) with the round logo, as well. If these are as good as the ones I have given away at Christmas in the past, I hope to purchase more bulk packages (like 100s) to sell as souvenirs during Live Races in September. I'll also be planning to have t-shirts on hand, of course. I wish I were going to have computer access and a notebook at the booth... but perhaps another time. I will have business cards and flyers.

For myself, I have ordered a KYD 2006 canvas tote bag, which will get lots of use, and a KYD 2006 black tee (ditto!)

I really think these will trigger people's interest. Other employees are already admiring the print-outs on the bulletin board in the mutuels' office. I had brought them for our manager, Ryan, to approve before I could get actual permission to print them.

Even now, I'm wondering if I should have the horses a bit higher, under the "Franklin, Kentucky," because of the space taken by the racing dates text. I'll experiment with that option.
An artist's work is never done.

Lorilei

Whew! What a tiring "day off"

Work, work, work -- it's never done.

Well, I was "off" today. Which meant I was running errands, looking things up, and not getting nearly enough done. I found out that the Gallery On the Square will be open from 10 AM to 4 PM tomorrow, so I can take Mom to see Lauren Miliken's photography exhibit. Lauren's father and my mother went to high school together, so Mom was very interested in seeing Lauren's work.

Meanwhile, I've been reading and working on a design I'm helping a young man on the CP boards do for "a girl" (in other words, a special girl). I also posted about my "I'd Sooner Kiss the Blarney Stone" design over at the GreatGear News blog, complete with a picture of Cathie wearing the shirt. I need to add another post to my new blog, too.

However, "Medium" comes on in less than half an hour, and I'm definitely watching it. It's a new episode tonight, but I love even the reruns. -- When is this show coming out on DVD?

When I get home tomorrow, I'm taking Mom to the gallery. But for now, I need to get more work done online....

Lorilei

New!

I've started a new blog for my CafePress stores and designs. This blog (Lorilei's Artist at Work) will still be for my personal stuff, though I'll probably mention the other blog from time to time.

I've also added a link to the GreatGear News Blog, which Kristen (Foxvox) is managing. -- Welcome, affiliates! Come see our work.
:)

More later. Time for work!

Lorilei

First A@W post of 2006

I'm still here, I promise. I've just been really busy.

We made it to Texas and back. A word of advice -- don't try to sleep in the back "seat" of an extended cab pickup truck. It's hard enough just trying to sit there!

Cathie brought along her new "baby," a pretty chocolate-colored cocker spaniel called Chewie. And she is named aptly. You can ask Eve, who was not happy when Chewie found her toothbrush.

Paul's birthday was the 29th of this month. I can't believe he was that impatient little munchkin who was born in the back seat of a car. Well, maybe I can ... he's still impatient.

Since last time I posted here, I've started a new store for black t-shirts. It's called (drum roll, please) ... "Black T-Shirts by Lorilei. " -- Eh, okay, so you aren't very impressed. But I'll bet you'll like the domain name I got especially for it. It's black-t-shirts.com . Catchy, is it not? I was amazed it was available.

I think the printing for the black t-shirts at CafePress is improving by leaps and bounds. I have 7 black tees now (I think), and I can't wait till we get more black garments.



Here's one of my new black tees, though I haven't ordered it myself, yet. It's called "The Lane Along the Creek." I did the colored ink pointillism drawing of a favorite spot near the East Cedar Street bridge over Drake's Creek. The design also has a mosaic-style enhancement rendered by my computer art program. I'm just having too much fun creating designs.



And here's another one, simply called "Daffodils." I did this specially to use on CafePress, though its inspiration was originally the sunny yellow t-shirt. I drew them from the beautiful golden daffodils in our yard, which were originally started by my great-grandmother long before I was born. I don't know how long the bulbs live, but they have reproduced beautiful offspring for generations by now.

Oh, news, too. My GreatGear friend Kristen has started a blog for us here, GreatGear News, and GreatGearians will be showing off new designs there. "The Lane Along the Creek" is already there, along with designs from Jean, Malcolm, Steve, Diane, John, and others.

Is that the time? I have to get up in just a few hours.
Till later~

Lorilei

Road Trip

Keeping my fingers crossed... I should be travelling to Dallas with Cathie to pick up Eve by Friday. At least, I hope so. I think I'm in the mood for a little break, and some time with Cathie. I haven't told much about my children, so bear with me while I take a quick tour down Memory Lane. It'll be necessary, in order to relate this piece of history to my life now.

Cathie is my youngest offspring. She has been a trip, herself! Youngest of three children, too young to remember her parent's divorce. She found out very early how powerful a winsome smile and twinkling eyes were, then tried very hard to keep people from figuring out how smart she really was. Admittedly, Eve was a tough act to follow -- she's one of the smartest people I know. So Cathie chose a different path. She's been a real challenge, but like her brother and sister, she has always known she has my heart at all times.

So now Cathie is a sergeant in the US army, a medic, but not yet a doctor or a nurse. She enlisted during her senior year of high school, intent on becoming a doctor, and wanting to join the army. Although her stepmother was against it and hoped I would put a stop to it (her dad mysteriously stepped back and let the women sort things out -- smarter than I thought!), I gave Cathie my support. I had seen her pursue whims and have brief infatuations with ideas before, but this wasn't one of them.

Cathie left for basic training before her eighteenth birthday. She's 25, now. Cathie has been stationed in Germany, Kosovo, and South Korea. She is not in an infantry division, but she's a sharpshooter. She can administer an IV or deliver a baby. She can drive or work on the engine of a Hummer. And she saved someone's life in a tragic situation, although she has never been in battle.

In February of 2003, Cathie was stationed at Fort Campbell, the army base nearest to our home. Her brother was in Fort Hood, Texas, awaiting his tour of duty in South Korea. As is common for deploying military, he was selling, giving away, or storing several belongings, amongst which as a very nice sofa. Cathie decided to drive down and get it, using the trip as an excuse to see him before he left. Her friend Tina offered to accompany her. Cathie didn't tell me, she she knew I couldn't go, and since she didn't plan to be gone long.

In the early hours of Saturday, February 1, Cathie was following an 18-wheel tractor-trailer truck on a highway in Texas, not far from Texarkana. Only an hour or so before the descent and crash of the space shuttle Columbia, there was another tragic crash and loss of life. The truck ran into a bridge over a creek. It veered and then stopped, hanging part-way off the edge of the bridge. Its load, a 5-ton industrial lathe, flew off the truck and struck Cathie's Dodge pick-up truck.

The driver of the large truck was dead, wedged behind the steering wheel, dangling above the creekbed. Cathie remembers hearing the screams of his passenger, a woman who was thrown when the truck went off the road. The woman was taken to the Texarkana hospital, where she laspsed into a coma. She never awoke.

Cathie had tried to respond to the screams, but she couldn't move her leg. Instead, she tended to her friend Tina, who had turned very white and seemed to pass out. Tina had suffered from a mini-stroke and stopped breathing. Cathie kept breathing for her, keeping her alive, while two men in another pick-up truck found them and contacted help.

I can only imagine how Cathie felt, waiting in the hospital for news about Tina. I know the television sets and people were certainly abuzz with the news of the space shuttle. Cathie said she knew Tina's chances didn't look good. When she called me from the hospital, her voice was shaking.

It's been two years and ten months. Cathie found out her ankle was broken, but not till she got back to Fort Campbell and was still in excruciating pain.
Tina had extensive surgery and then surprized everyone by waking up able to speak. She had suffered some brain damage that affected her eyesight and several other functions. She could not read, or name attributes like colors, at that time. I am not sure how she is doing with those abilities now. In addtion to requiring heart surgery, Tina had to have a tear in her liver repaired from the airbag inflation. She is still raising her two little boys, but she will need help and medical attention for the rest of her life.

In 2003, Cathie said that she never wanted to drive again. I understood, but I knew she would. It would be something she'd have to do in order to heal.
She now drives another Dodge pick-up truck. She has driven on that same road again more than once. For the most part, she seems to have faced her demons from that day. Her retelling of the event usually makes her feel stronger, whereas it makes me feel a little shaky.

This trip to pick up Eve in Dallas and come home for Christmas is going to be a pleasant trip, though, where we can talk at our leisure, play CDs on her stereo, and sing Christmas songs. (Yes, we do silly things like that on road trips.)

Maybe soon I can face my demons again, too, and revisit the place where I lost my sister Cathy. I hope to do them both proud.

Lorilei

...and I knew it was going to be...

Oh, you know the story. In the course of a day, something happens to you. It's kind of bad, but not earth-shaking. Certainly nothing that anyone else wouldn't just shake off so they can get on with life. Yeah. But that event begins to attract more little problems, more disappointments. Suddenly it's like a snowball running down the hill. What happened? How did the situation get out of hand?

One of my favorite books to read with kids, aside from some of Dr. Seuss's classics, is Judith Viorst's Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Yes, I must confess. I think I was Alexander in another lifetime. Only now my past has caught up to me. The chewing gum of life has stuck itself in my hair, and my double-decker strawberry ice cream cone has hit the floor. It has probably left gooey pink splashes all over my new plain white sneakers, too.

It just seems that one thing after another keeps happening. Not in a day, but cumulatively. It just keeps building. You really wonder when this is going to end.

I don't even want to discuss the CafePress boards. If you've ever been a moderator in a public forum of culturally diverse people with varied opinions, you know it can be a challenge. That's probably enough said.

I own several name domains, mostly in conjunction with my CafePress stores. I know some folks with over 100 of them, but I'm not competing for the honor of domain-name princess. These are just very handy tools for getting around the world wide web.
One of my domains was born of an idea triggered by my annoyance at the neverending supply of unsolicited emails. And what do you call it? What the US government, Monty Python, and the rest of the cyberworld calls it -- spam.

On my site, the subject of this annoyance became not only a proud but fictitious foreign country, where everyone was deposed royalty trying to regain their rightful fortune, but also home of a camp for the underprivilged children. These children, of course, have the time of their young lives, while being trained to love life's greatest pleasures -- composing sad sob-stories in email, and revering credit card information and small greenish pictures of dead presidents. This very tongue-in-cheek site was called Camp Spam. Products bore phrases such as "I already gave all my money to budding scam artists at campspam.com" and "We {heart} George" (Washington). It seemed obvious it was all about unsolicited emails, many of which are specifically targeted to online shopkeepers.

Unfortunately, the people who sent me one email were not amused. They did not think the connection was obvious enough. They were a law firm. They did not contact CafePress, but came straight after me. I received a PDF and certified snail mail (with my name misspelled). This prestigious law firm said their client wanted me to cease and desist. Who was this client? Hormel, makers of SPAM.

I made changes. First, I changed the graphics to camp sp@m. This did not make them happy. I put in disclaimers. These have finally evolved into the following statement: "This store is NOT, never has been, and never will be affiliated with Hormel® or any of its products. "

They are still not happy. The legal department at CafePress has tried to intervene on my behalf, but the H. lawyers can't be bothered long enough to look at my site and see what changes have been made. It sounds like they want the happy, smiling faces of the Sp@manian campers to be against the thing that is their own livelihood. Ah, the irony of people who do not get irony.

All my campers are now hidden online (though I have a Camp shirt I still wear with pride). I even hid the "We {heart} George" shirts for now, though I'm thinking of bringing those back. I could add "We {heart} Abe," " We {heart} Andy," " We {heart} Ulysses," and "We {heart} Benjy" to them for an interesting section.

An example of my old designs:

I have just one design there now. The store section (and its parent basic store) now contain a lot of informational text and that design. I am adding the white tee as well, to give variation. Choice is good. Oh, I'll just make it six shirts. That's a nice number.

The new t-shirt design makes it clear what my designs are about: the CAN-SPAM ACT of 2003. I know this is really what Hormel wanted all along, so people would know what it is for which it stands. Oh -- I mean the US government act, not the little can of meat.
http://www.campspam.com

Ain't freedom wonderful?

Time for me to get ready for work. I'll have to tell about the other weird things another time.

Lorilei

Sneaking back in...

*gulp*
You caught me. Just when I thought no one would notice... okay, so six months is a bit long to be absent without leave. But I have an alibi, your honor....

Where to begin? This summer and fall (or autumn, for those of you who might think I fell) were crazy. My computer has crashed -- twice, I think? The last time required disc formatting. Several art files bit the dust. I could blame this on my tech support guy Paul, but -- well, why not? He'll never read this. He's my son. My blog would have to be the most boring thing on the face of the earth, to him.

Yes, it's Paul's fault. Because the airport security when he returned to the US from South Korea (US Army) damaged the video card when they dropped it on the floor. And he gave the video card to me. And it damaged my motherboard so it eventually blew up. And Paul hadn't hooked up my Drive A (Ron, my floppy drive) or helped me get a program for Drive E (my CD burner) so I could back up my work. I do have all the diskettes from older work, but practically nothing from the last year or so. But I will survive. I've managed to salvage a few things here and there. Some things I have recreated. And I will make new things, too.

But I spent literally hours working on a row of adorable little people for my Teachers Pets business cards, and they are gone.

I bought two packages of the goofy things, which were on special, but they looked terrible. I thought it was my own fault, and I haven't given them out at all. But in looking at the template online, I see it was not my fault. I wish I could get a reprint of them -- or at least get a copy of my artwork so I could get them done else where. I think what makes me the maddest is that I meant to upload the high resolution version of my little people to CafePress for t-shirts, but it got fried when the motherboard died.
(... so, bye-bye, Miss American Pie....)

T-shirts and Horcruxes and horses -- oh, my

I have been "away" a remarkably long time. Sorry about that. -- So much going on!

I finally made myself read the last five chapters of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I am still sniffling. But I'm not telling anything about the plot. Except it is both funny and grim, and full of magic, like all of J.K. Rowling's work. Otherwise, no spoilers from me.
I want Book 7! No, maybe I don't. I need to reread this one a few times -- to let it "sink in."

Generally speaking, I am normally a shy, retiring person who would just as soon hole up in my room reading, drawing, and/or computer-ing. If I'm outside the house, it's generally to hang out with animals somewhere, or because it's necessary. After all, the groceries won't get here without help. And for some reason, I don't get a paycheck if I don't go to work. Go figure.

Yet I went to the Grand Opening of the CafePress-Louisville facility the day after Independence Day (July 4), unaccompanied, knowing people there only by association through the computer. We had emailed and sent message board messages, but we had never met in person or even spoken on the phone. What would they be like? Would I be what they were expecting? I doubted it.

I had worked at Kentucky Downs on the Fourth. We closed much later than I thought we would, but the tips were good. When I arrived home, Mom was anxious for me to get on the road. Even though I'd been excited about the trip, I found myself lagging, faltering a bit ... It would be so nice to just stay home. Medium is on tonight.... But I finally grabbed all my stuff, including my trusty AAA Trip Tik, and got on Interstate-65.
I spent the night at a motel near the fairgrounds area. After a good night's sleep, I began my search for the Grand Opening site.

I found the road names and numbers on my map. I made a mental note of the way to return to Churchill Downs, since I hoped to visit it as well. There are so many places I would like to see in Louisville, but first things first. I found Cane Run Road and turned left, heading south, only a short distance from the twisting banks of the Ohio River, Indiana on the other side. I found the Riverport area. Lots of shipping and distribution areas for various companies. I looked for a big CafePress.com sign with the shooting star on it. I traveled the entire length of the road (probably almost a mile), then looped back around to try again.
There was a driveway leading to a large building on my right. No permanent sign, but a banner with the address. Hmmm. I turned in at the driveway. The doorway's trim was CafePress green -- this had to be the place.

Inside, I met Tony and a couple of other CP employees. When I introduced myself, I was surprised by the response.
"You're Lorilei? You're famous!"
Okay, I'm not really famous, but it was good to hear, anyway. It seemed like everyone recognized my name.

I had a tour of the facility before the Grand Opening ceremony. There were speeches by local dignitaries as well as Fred, Maheesh, and Angela from CP. Fred's little boy helped him cut the ribbon.

P.L. and my other kids

Well, after much instant-messaging and file-sharing, I have gotten P.L. started on her own blog. I'll even get to help contribute to it. Yippee! It's going to be fun.

Meanwhile, daughter Cathie is preparing to head out to Fort Bragg in her new Dodge pick-up. Her half-brother Chris put a trailer hitch on it Monday. She'll be back next weekend, and she'll take more of her belongings over. I'm looking forward to going to visit, once she has an apartment.

And I am still excited about the CafePress Meet & Greet in Louisville. I have a shirt I'm going to wear. P.L. loves it, especially since she is featured on it.



I'll be posting later to let you know how it goes.

Lorilei

Updates ~

I have gotten so far behind on things. But a lot has been happening recently.

My daughter Cathie is back from South Korea. Unfortunately, she's off to North Carolina and her new post on Tuesday. We have done some interesting things, but not everything I had planned.
I really wanted to take her to the Frist Center for the Visual Arts while she's here. (I'd go just to see Monet.)
If Cathie can't accompany me, I'll go myself. It won't be the first time.

Additionally, I am starting three new online stores, none of which is "live" yet. One is a collaborative site with someone else, but the other two are the offspring of my main store, Lorilei's Artist at Work.
My fulfillment company, CafePress, is also opening a new facility in Louisville, Kentucky -- yay!
**happy dance**
The July 5 grand opening ceremony is also going to be a Meet & Greet, complete with a barbeque cook-out. (I hope there's more than barbeque -- it doesn't get along with my digestive system.)
I have created a t-shirt for the occasion, and I'm hoping to take some stuff along for fun.

Speaking of fun, I also hope I can visit Churchill Downs while I'm in Louisville. I know they are dark on July 5-6, but maybe the museum will be open, at least. Too bad they won't be running that day. I'd love to take some fellow CP-ers to Churchill to see the horses, especially some of the Californians who've never been to Kentucky.

Got to go soon. My nephew is on my computer, and I'm catching up on my mother's at the moment. But I work an earlier shift at Kentucky Downs tomorrow, so I can't stay online all night, even for Bejeweled 2.

Lorilei

M.I.A

Here I am! The reports of my being missing have been greatly exaggerated.
I did not hire someone to kidnap me. And I'm not getting married.
What with the Preakness over the weekend, and our computers going offline, I have been away for a bit. I'm still playing catch-up.

I think we need to have a little talk with the Linksys tech folks. Paul's and Mom's computers still won't get online.
Paul has had very few problems with this so far, since he's been hanging out with Danny ever since Sunday. (Sorry about that random link, but I am proud that I personally know three people on IMDB. Danny is one of them.)

Paul has taken Danny to house-sit for a friend. When Paul returns, he's going to want his computer online -- or to use mine.
Urgh! I need mine to update my CafePress store, work on the new premium store, moderate my boards, and ... play Bejeweled 2.
Yes, I am addicted to Bejeweled 2. I have the downloaded version on my computer, so I don't even have to be online. I have over 11 million points in the endless game. My top score in the timed game is 600,000+.

Duty calls -- time to plant some roses in the yard. Those shiny little gems will have to wait a little longer.

Lorilei

Little Honda

It isn't a little motorbike from the 60s, but it is exciting and fun.

Darn, I forgot about the chat. There was a CafePress chat Thursday night. I really did mean to attend. but I simply forgot.
At 7:00 (central time)/5:00 (pacific time), I was driving around in Portland, Tennessee, with my son Paul, in my newly acquired Honda Accord. Needless to say, I have been pretty excited .

First, when I got off work last night, I went to Nashville with Paul and a friend to see the 12:04 AM showing of "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith." I loved it.
We drove through Portland on our way home to see if the Accord I had taken on a test drive was still parked at the car lot.
So today I went to talk to my credit union about a loan for the car. *gulp*
Not only did the woman at the credit union arrange for me to get the loan, but she even talked to the car salesman and got him to lower the price. Wow -- talk about customer service and satisfaction!

So Paul drove me to Portland to pick up my car. It isn't brand new, but it's really nice. I love driving it. Paul said he thinks it's the nicest car I have ever owned.

Tomorrow I go to my insurance agent, then to the court clerk's office. Then I'll take the paperwork back to my credit union.
Then I go to work at my "other" job, as a parimutuels teller. I punch or key tickets (on a Tote machine) for Thoroughbred horse racing.
The Preakness is this Saturday, too. I have no idea what I'm going to wear. I have been too wrapped up in getting my car to think about that. I'll try to find something suitable while I'm in Bowling Green.

I wonder how Giacomo will do in the Preakness. It was purely luck that Polly and I had a win and show ticket on him in the Kentucky Derby. I so wish I'd had the superfecta (first 4 horses to finish). After all, we had the 10, 12, and 17 -- we just left out 18. How silly of us. :Þ

Well, I'd better get some sleep. Friday will be a long day.
I'm thinking of naming my car. Rhonda the Honda.
Help me, Honda, help, help me Honda....

Okay, time for bed.

Lorilei
<\__~
_// \\

Tuesday Afternoon

Okay, so it's really evening, now. I just thought some Moody Blues sounded good.

It's been a hectic day. I'm still waiting to hear about the car I have my eye on. It's a champagne-colored Honda sedan. And this didn't really affect my decision, but -- it has a sunroof. Oooooh!

I'm really sharp today, though. I took a nap earlier so I could be on time for a scheduled chat. I arrived in the chat room and made the discovery that I was early. -- By 48 hours. The chat is on Thursday, not Tuesday!

A GreatGear friend has helped me with a design I'm going to try out on the Spreadshirt site. A young lady had emailed me a few days ago to request a personalized black hoodie, so I decided to see what I could do with flocked merchandise. I hope she doesn't mind that it's going to be a pullover hoodie. Next I'll have to learn to create vector images.
*sigh*
Maybe CafePress will get similar products -- using flocking and/or embroidery -- in the near future. I'm really excited that the newest CafePress facility will be located in Kentucky.

Time to go check email and moderate message boards....

Lorilei

New weblog

Testing, one two three... is this thing on?
I'm new to this, as you can tell. It is an experiment, a companion to my online store.
Here goes the first post, so I can see how it looks.

Lorilei