First, I need to say that I finally finished. . .

. . .the penultimate chapter of TISHA AND THE GIANT.  One chapter to go.  Then I have to read the whole book again, do final fixing, and put in the page numbers.  At that point, I'll go looking for an agent.

               Having gotten the writing part of this blog taken care of, I need to make an admission.

I have developed an addiction, and it has only taken a week.  Yes, I am addicted to the Home and Garden TV Network.

               I can't believe this addiction has occurred, and it has captured Linda, too.  It all started when we visited Jan and Chris.  They introduced us to HGTV and to programs like "House Hunters" and "First Time Buyers."  Because there was little to do at Linda's mom's house, we watched the shows there, too.  I can't believe how involved I got watching two young career women, one looking for a condo somewhere down South, I think, (with her mom helping), and the other searching for a house in Denver.  Then I got very concerned that this nice gay Canadian man would find the right condo overlooking the city of Vancouver.  I have to admit we had no patience for the Seattle couple who purchased this million dollar +, ostentatious, 45oo square foot, 5 bedroom, 3 story house, and tried to make the viewers believe their conspicuous consumption wasn't ludicrous because they tried to do everything "green."  Then last night, I was dumbfounded that I watched an entire "International" episode about a Korean-American guy who lived and worked in Argentina and was buying a vacation home in Uruguay.

Linda contended that the guy's girlfriend was just in the relationship for the monetary perks.

Tonight we watched again.  The best one was about this 7th grade teacher from Detroit, who bought a fantastic foreclosure for $77,000. She had really beautiful hair, but she got so excited by the freedom of owning her own home, that she cut almost all of it off, and bought a dog that seemed comatose.  I am fearful that we will continue watch HGTV everyday.  Even now as I sit blogging, I want to reach over and turn the TV on.  I wonder if the Betty Ford Clinic offers rehab for this cable abuse.  Does anyone else suffer so?

               Personal to Scott Rezsnyak.  I haven't blogged Scott any specific messages since the grammar and punctuation stuff.  Tonight, I went to Lions Club, and the Lions who saw ARTHUR REDUX were saying how much they enjoyed it.  One guy said, "I thought everyone was great, but the guy that really "stole the show" was that Merlin!  When he said that line about 'Bit of a coward, eh what,' I almost fell out of my chair laughing."  So there, Scott!  No more reason for dramatic doubt, eh what!  How's Steph?