I Ain't Afraid of No Daleks

...to make fun of Christmas!

Here's the latest trailer from the BBC, for the Christmas special...and, here's the latest rumour which I've seen on the fan forums...that the lady in the video is really The Rani. Okaay, then. The Rani rumour, as I call it, has been around for ages...oh, and the other, far more ridiculous rumour, is that the woman is really the Master.

There's been also more hats tossed into the ring, as to who shall be taking the key to the Tardis from the departing David Tennnat. I don't even want to think about that yet, I just want to enjoy what time Tennant has left, and let be what is to be. I've lost so much in my life, I'm in no rush to see something else that I love, die (10th Doctor's character, not Tennant, of course). It's too bad Tennant is so anal about his career.

I would have adored seeing Tennant under the reins of Moffatt's production...not that RTD and company weren't wonderful, as well--but, unlike RTD, who likes Dr Who but isn't a "fan,' Moffatt is truly one of US...a true Whovian--he's an anorak and not affaid to admit it...or to humour us by going to conventions. Still, Tennant is a grown man with a life of his own outside of Dr Who, a workaholic devoted to his career, and he has to do what he thinks is best for himself--after all, in the end, isn't that what we all do? That's just the way the biscuit crumbles, I guess.

Besides Bush and his republicanite's saying no to using a small part (25 billion) of the 700 billion dollars earmarked for bailing out the financial industry, for helping out the auto industry, now union workers (including my sister's partner, who makes transmissions for Toyota) for foreign car makers are urging lawmakers to not bail out the ailing American car maker's. Wow, that's a real shocker, ey?

Alabama is leading the opposition against helping US owned car makers...because Alabama is home to two foreign-owned car manufacturing plants. Nice to see how much Americans are united and patriotic for their country, the minute MONEY is involved, ey?

I'm telling you, extreme capitalism and democracy can never be bedfellows. It's like going to bed with a sheep...you can have your moment of gratuitous sex, but you can't reproduce and make a family.

Our neighbour across the hills, the state of Vemont--aka, "the Green Mountain State"--harbours the most helathy city in all the US....Burlington, Vermont, in the state's "northeast kingdom," located on the northern shores of Lake Champlain, has a population that is a staggeringly 92 % healthy.

According to various news reports, "It's also among the best in exercise and among the lowest in obesity, diabetes and other measures of ill health, according to a recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

This New England city of 40,000, on the shores of Lake Champlain, is in some ways similar to the unhealthiest city — Huntington, W.Va. Both are out-of-the-way college towns with populations that are overwhelmingly white people of English, German or Irish ancestry".
Burlington is younger, with an average age of 37, compared to 40 in Huntington, according to the Census Bureau.

_Burlington is better off financially, with 8 percent living at the federal poverty level, compared to 19 percent in Huntington.

_It's much more educated, with nearly 40 percent of area residents having at least a college bachelor's degree. Only 15 percent in the Huntington area do.

The cultures are significantly different, too. Bicycling, hiking, skiing and other exercises are common in Burlington. Neighborhood groups commonly focus on improving parks, working in community gardens and repairing and improving sidewalks.

"There's this norm of a lot of activity," said Chris Finley, Vermont's deputy health commissioner, who works in Burlington.

Grass-fed beef is offered in finer restaurants, vegan options are plentiful, and the lone downtown supermarket is run by a co-op successful in selling bulk rice and other healthy choices to low-income residents.

A dreary and wintry morning here on my side of the world...few snowflakes drifting through the air, now and then. It's 40 F (5 C) at the moment--which is supposedly is to be our warmest temperature this week, with highs from 34 to 36 F ( 1 to 2 C), and lows from 18 to 20 F (-7 to -8 C) with intermittent snow flurries for a few days, as well.

Those lovely 55 and 61 F temps this past weekend, were the last hoo-ra, I'm thinking.

I woke with an even worse sore throat today, than yesterday. THANK GOD I don't have to be back to work until Tuesday night..maybe by then it will be better. I can tell you, that four hours of steady talking with a sore throat can be quite hellish.

So, I'm sitting here at half-past noon, althernating between blogging and playing online cribbage, eating a ham sandwich and some honey-mustard flavour Pringles and a Coke, and wondering what I should do first, this afternoon: dust or vacuum? Oh, what an exciting life I lead!

I don't talk about it much, on here, but my mum passed away from complications resulting from end-stage kidney failure. It's a disease that took my grandmother's life, and may posslibly someday, take mine.

I won't go into all the details of kidney failure, other than to say that it's a difficult diseases, usually at some stage requiring patients to be hooked up to a dialysis machine--which pumps out the bad stuff from their bodies, recycles it through a machine, and pumps it back in again--several times a week, often for about 3 hours, spent keeping still in a reclining position. Afterwards, the patient may feel weak and listless. Patients also can lose bodily functions, have damage to internal organs and other complications, get sick to their stomachs and often lose their will to eat, because they have no appetite.

People with kidney disease also have a very restrictive diet. Besides avoiding salt--which is common with many diseases--kidney failure victims must also postassium and other things, as well.

Cooking for a kidney patient, I can tell you from long-term experience, is often difficult--not only does th patient's appetite change daily, but also his or her tastes and cravings. What a kidney patient may want on Saturday, may me an abbohorance to them, on Sunday.

Here are some recipes for holiday meals, that I pulled from the National Kidney Foundation's website. I support the National Kidney Foundation, who was so incredibly helpful to us, during mum's illness.

If you or someone you know, has kidney failure, I hope that you will also consider supporting the foundation--who does so much to help those patients in need, most especially patients with limited means.

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HEALTHY HOLIDAY MENU, SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION www.kidney.org

Roast Turkey with Fresh Sage
1 teaspoon canola oil
1-12 pound fresh turkey
½ yellow onion diced
1 bunch fresh sage (.75 oz)
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

Remove giblets and turkey neck from the cavity. Wash the turkey inside and out; pat dry. Remove any pinfeathers from the skin. Sprinkle the cavity with poultry seasoning and place the diced onion and fresh sage in the cavity. Oil the bottom of the roasting pan and place the turkey inside. Bake in a pre-heated 350 oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours; the juices should run clear when you stick your fork between the drumstick and thigh bone. Remove from the heat, cover with foil and let rest 20 minutes before serving.

Analysis
3 oz serving of white meat without the skin , calories 134, total fat 2.8 g, saturated fat 0.9 g, monounsaturated fat 0.5 g, polyunsaturated fat 0.7 g, cholesterol 59 mg, calcium 16 mg, sodium 54 mg, phosphorus 186 mg, potassium 259 mg, total carbohydrates 0.0 g, dietary fiber 0.0 g, sugar 0.0 g, protein 25 g

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Poultry Gravy
½ teaspoon canola oil
1 ¼ cups (4 oz) ¾ inch diced onion
1 cups (4 oz) ¾ inch diced celery
1½ # chicken wings
4 cups water
¾ teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
¼ cup Cornstarch
½ cup Water

In a heavy bottom pot, add vegetable oil, onions and celery and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add chicken wings, water, poultry seasoning and sage. Simmer for 1 ½ hours. Strain and save the liquid. Refrigerate over night. Remove from the refrigerator, scrape any solidified fat off the top and heat the liquid to a boil. Add white pepper and bouillon. Mix cornstarch and water into a slurry. Slowly whisk the slurry into the simmering liquid. It will thicken very quickly and keep stirring until you have reached your desired thickness. Remove from the heat and serve.

Analysis (subjective to the amount of fat in actual gravy)
8 - ½ cup servings , calories 113, total fat 6 g, saturated fat 1 g, monounsaturated fat 2 g, polyunsaturated fat 3 g, cholesterol 72 mg, calcium 26 mg, sodium 199 mg, phosphorus 138 mg, potassium 221 mg, total carbohydrates 6 g, dietary fiber 0.5 g, sugar 0.8 g, protein 5g

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Braised Red Cabbage
½ teaspoon canola oil
6 ½ cups (1 #) Red cabbage, washed, cored and shredded
½ (1/5 oz) Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/3 cup Cider vinegar
1/3 cup Splenda (sugar substitute)
White pepper to taste

In a non-stick fry pan; add oil, cabbage, diced apple and vinegar. Cover and cook over medium heat until cabbage is wilted. Add Splenda and white pepper to taste before serving.

Analysis
4 - 1 cup, servings per recipe, , calories 51, total fat 0.8 g, saturated fat 0.1 g, monounsaturated fat 0.4 g, polyunsaturated fat 0.3 g, cholesterol 0.0 mg, calcium 53.5 mg, sodium 31 mg, phosphorus 37.3 mg, potassium 309 mg, total carbohydrates 13.7 g, dietary fiber 2.3 g, sugar 6.1 g, protein 1.7 g

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I also pulled these from the Divita website, which is a website devoted to renal-friendly recipes:

SLOW COOKER TURKEY BREAST WITH CARROTS AND CRANBERRY GRAVY

Ingredients
18 ounces boneless, skinless turkey breast
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules or powder
1 cup cranberry sauce
1/3 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 cups carrot pieces

Preparation
Place turkey breast in slow cooker and sprinkle with poultry seasoning and bouillon granules.
Spoon cranberry sauce on top; add celery, onion and carrots.
Cover with lid, turn heat to high and slow cook for 4 hours.

Nutrients per serving
Calories: 216
Protein: 18 g
Carbohydrate: 25 g
Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 36 mg
Sodium: 183 mg
Potassium: 373 mg
Phosphorus: 187 mg
Calcium: 43 mg
Fiber: 2.4 g

ALMOST MASHED POTATOES (MASHED CAULIFLOWER)

6 cups cauliflower (1 medium head
4 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation
Cut cauliflower into pieces and rinse with water.
Place cauliflower pieces in a microwave safe dish, cover and cook on high for 8 to 10 minutes or until soft.
Drain off moisture from cooked cauliflower.
Carefully place hot cauliflower in a blender and blend until smooth.
Add cream cheese, garlic, and pepper. Blend to combine ingredients.
Remove from blender and serve hot.

Nutrients per serving
Calories: 94
Protein: 3 g
Carbohydrate: 6 g
Fat: 7 g
Cholesterol: 19 mg
Sodium: 76 mg
Potassium: 198 mg
Phosphorus: 54 mg
Calcium: 22 mg
Fiber: 3.4 g

CARROT CASSEROLE

cups carrots, peeled & sliced into 1/4” rounds
12 Ritz® low-sodium crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350˚ F.
Place carrots in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and boil until soft enough to mash. Drain and reserve 1/3-cup liquid.
Mash carrots until they are smooth.
Stir in crushed crackers, onion, butter, salt, pepper and reserved liquid.
Place in a greased small casserole dish. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Nutrients per serving
Calories: 94
Protein: 2 g
Carbohydrate: 9 g
Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 13 mg
Sodium: 174 mg
Potassium: 153 mg
Phosphorus: 47 mg
Calcium: 66 mg
Fiber: 1.8 g

RED WINE VINEGARETTE ASPARAGUS (posted here in honour of my mum, who adored asparagus)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 pounds fresh asparagus, cut into 2" pieces
1/4 cup red wine vinaigrette dressing
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation
Heat oil in a skillet, add garlic and sauté 1 minute.
Add asparagus pieces; stir to mix.
Add red wine vinaigrette dressing and pepper. Stir and heat an additional minute.
Remove from heat and serve.

Nutrients per serving
Calories: 58
Protein: 2 g
Carbohydrate: 6 g
Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 70 mg
Potassium: 154 mg
Phosphorus: 51 mg
Calcium: 19 mg
Fiber: 1.9 g

EASY PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

Ingredients one 9-inch Nabisco® ‘Nilla® wafer crumb pie crust
1 egg white
two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
8 tablespoons Cool Whip® frozen nondairy topping

Preparation
Preheat over to 375º F. Brush pie crust with egg white and bake for 5 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 350º F.
Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with mixer at high speed until smooth.
Beat in egg substitute. Add pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice and blend until smooth.
Pour pumpkin mixture into pie shell and bake 40 to 50 minutes until center is set. Cool pie, then refrigerate.
Cut into 8 slices. Serve each slice with 1 tablespoon Cool Whip®.

Nutrients per serving Calories: 365
Protein: 6 g
Carbohydrate: 29 g
Fat: 25 g
Cholesterol: 58 mg
Sodium: 245 mg
Potassium: 126 mg
Phosphorus: 66 mg
Calcium: 11 mg
Fiber: .7 g

APPLE CRISP

Ingredients
5 cups of sliced apples
1 cup white sugar
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons white all-purpose flour (divided use)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (divided use)
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Spray a 9" x 9" pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Peel, core and slice apples.
Combine 1 cup white sugar, 3 tablespoons flour and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Add sliced apples and toss to coat.
Pour apple mixture into prepared pan.
Mix oatmeal, remaining 1 cup white flour, brown sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder. Cut butter and vegetable shortening into this mixture with a pastry blender or a fork.
Pour topping over apples.
Bake for 1 hour.

Nutrients per serving
Calories: 308
Protein: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 54 g
Fat: 9 g
Cholesterol: 11 mg
Sodium: 45 mg
Potassium: 155 mg
Phosphorus: 56 mg
Calcium: 32 mg
Fiber: 2.0 g

Well, it's half-past one in the morning. I should be in bed...but every time I lay down I start coughing, so, might as well stay up and blog and work on my story some more. This is a really crap story, but meh...it's something to do, isn't it? I've got some Jim Brickman on playing on the internet, among other artists. My eyesight is very bad today, so I hope you will forgive any typos. It's my eye disease playing up, methinks, nothing to be done about it--I'm not blind much, just around the edges of one eye, but some days the night-blindness is worse than others, it seems...this is one of them. Dunno' why. I'm not worried or anything, I'm extremely used to it, no big deal...but sometimes it can be more bothersome than others...tonight being one of those times...dim light really is tough on me, and one of my lights here in the living room has blown.

Anyway, I'm posting what I've written...tho' I understand if no one reads it...it's perfectly okay. At least no one's writing comments like "this story blows." "your writing is too simplistic." "Are you in primary school?" (loved that one), "boring story," "Dr Who sucks" "You're not supposed to begin a paragraph with a person speaking." (I did it ONCE, bite me, ms. critic), oh, and the ever-popular, "this paragraph is too lonng" whinge.

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TWO NEW CHAPTERS OF "DARK HOLIDAY"

CHAPTER FIVE

Donna's prone body lay slumped on the settee, and the young couple watched as the Doctor's eyes fluttered, then closed. Mr. and Mrs. Williams smiled at each other. Mrs. Williams held out her hand, and her husband slipped what appeared to be a drinks straw into it. Smiling with eagerness, she leaned over the Doctor and rolled his head to one side, exposing his neck.

Mr. Williams, who was dressed in country attire, trying to blend in with the locals, casually looked out the window. He spied the distant figure of the local constable, pedaling up the dirt track leading to the cottage. "Blast! That's all we need." He muttered. His young wife turned and gave him a questioning look. "What is it, dear?" He gestured towards the window. "Constable James is paying us a visit, it seems, my dear." Rather than seeming worried, she merely smirked and shrugged, "Well, what's one more for supper? You did say you were hungry, dear."

Mr. Williams frowned. "But, he's local dear, not some ne'er do well or a stranger, that no one will ever miss." She frowned, "We're here on our honeymoon, dear. That nice young couple down at the cottage, that's how everyone sees us. We're above suspicion. Trust me, they'll think some wandering gypsy or escaped convict got him." Pausing, she smiled sweetly at him, and said blithely, "Don't worry, my sweet. We can tell them that we saw some suspicious stranger lurking around our back garden, and who's to say we didn't? Now relax, we've nothing to fear." So saying, she leaned over the Doctor, adjusted his neck angle again, and bore down on him with the tube she held in her hand.

The Doctor's finger came up, and pressed against the end of the straw. Opening his eyes, he looked up into her shocked face and smiled genially...but with a coldness behind his gaze. "I think one bite from a plasmavore is enough for ten lifetimes, thanks." Mr. Williams gave a startled gasp, and his wife backed away from the Doctor, alarmed. The Doctor quickly stood, cold and irresolute. Sparring a quick glance at Donna, his features changed for just a second, a flicker of worry and guilt flittering breifly across his face, before the steely veil of a Time Lord's anger returned to his eyes.

Mrs. Williams quickly tried to re-gain her composure. "We can still have our little tea-time snack, there's two of us, and only one of you." The Doctor merely raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I can count, thanks. Very good at numbers, me. For instance, I know that It would take exactly three-hundred and seventy-eight miligrams of powdered gloschstock weed, to put me into even a light snooze. And, if my tatste buds were right...and they always are, because, well, I'm...me. Anyway," he lurched on, "there were only twenty-four miligrams in that tea, which wouldn't even cause me to crack a yawn, I'm afraid...mind you, I don't half mind the taste. I used to put it in my tea all the time, back home on Galifrey...better than sugar, that. However," He ceased his levity as anger tightened his features once more, "my friend Donna is susceptible to its effects. And that, makes me very, very angry. A whole lorry load of angry. And trust me, you reaallly don't want a ticked off Time Lord on your hands."

The young man gasped. "A Time Lord!" The couple exchanged fearful glances. The Doctor merely nodded. "Yes, and I'm giving you one warning, it's all your going to get. You've already taken one life--that I know of. Get out, leave this planet and go somewhere else, preferably," he said as he eyed them with unconceiled disgust, "somewhere where I'll never see you again, and where you can't harm any more humans." Mr. Williams nodded as if he suddenly understood. He looked at his wife. "Oh, dear. I believe we've harmed his pet, you know how attached some people can get to their pets." The Doctor's eyes flashed indignantly, "She not my 'pet,'" he growled, "she's my FRIEND. A brilliant friend, one of the best I've ever had, and..." he stopped, looking down at the floor and clenching his fists, his chest heaving.

Wthout warning, the woman grabbed a nearby heavy vase and swung it at the Doctor's head. "We're not going anywhere, you are...to wherever it is Time Lord's go when they die!"

CHAPTER SIX

The young woman missed, because just then, Donna's leg shot out and tripped her. The vase dropped with a heavy thud to the floor. The Doctor looked at Donna and gave her an affectionate and relieved grin. "Thanks for that." He said, before stepping back, away from the newlywed alien couple.

The Doctor gave Donna a concerned frown. "Are you alright?" He asked softly. Dona nodded sleepliy and yawned. "Yeah. I'm fine. They drugged us, didn't they?" The Doctor nodded grimly and then his face grew somber. He faced two aliens and withdrew two darts and his sonic screwdriver from his pocket. They looked at him. "You can't stop us, you don't have any weapons." The Doctor was silent for a moment, then he said with quiet menace, "Oh yes, I do. I have my mind, and I have this..." he held up the sonic screwdriver. "...and these." He gestured to the darts. Holding the darts in one hand, he sonicked the tips. Then the Doctor looked at the pair. "Last chance. What do you say, hmm? You'll never get another, not ever." Though he said it softly, for some reason, his tone held more menace in it, than if he had shouted a command.

The woman shook her head, "You can do nothing. a couple of pub darts won't even slow us down, you're a dead man, Doctor. Get him..." With that command, the young man pulled a small laser pistol from his pocket, intent on killing the Doctor. The Doctor heard Donna call out his name, but without hesitation, he flung the two darts, one after the other, right at the hearts of the two aliens. First the young man, than the young woman, cried out, and then collasped to the floor.

Feeling Wobbly, Donna stood. Reaching behind him, not taking his eyes off the two bodies on the floor, the Doctor held Donna against him, to steady her. His eyes suddenly appeared old and sad. "Are they dead?" She asked. "Yeah." He replied bitterly. Donna looked up at him inquiringly. "Who--or rather what, were they? And, what did you do to stop them?" He shrugged. "They were plasmavores--they're a humanoid off-shoot of the vampriac genus family. They live on blood. That's why they needed so much salt, their bodies use it up rather quickly. Fortunately though, unlike vampires, plasmavoores aren't immortal. Oh, they have a higher reisitance to death than a normal human would. A regular pub dart through the heart, wouldn't have been more to them, than a flea bite to a dog. But, they have one flaw."

Donna looked at the bodies curiously. "What's that, Doctor?" The Doctor held up his sonic screwdriver. "To a human, magnetic fields are relatively harmless--even to a plasmavore, the are---usaully harmless. But, inside some of their internal organs--particularly their hears, plasmavores have a particularly rare mineral--a mineral you are quite familiar with." He paused for effect and Donna looked at him askance. "So, come on, out with the rest of it, what's so special about their hearts? The Doctor grinned. "They have trace amounts of a mineral which has much the same properties of gold."

Donna looked at him disbelivingly. "Get out! You're saying these..things, these plasma-what's it's, have golden hearts? No way!" The Doctor smiled, "Not actual gold Donna, but very close to it. And, with this," he wiggled his sonic screwdriver, "I could change the electorstatic discharge in the metal of those darts, thereby raising the transient peak to errode that special mineral inside their bodies, which once it penetrates the chest, instantly weakens their heart muscle. Basically, I made their hearts more human. Dart to the heart would kill a human." "And, so," Donna internjected. " the newlywed aliens are dead," she paused and asked, "doesn't that sort of make you some kind of cupid in reverse?" The Doctor only raised an eyebrow, frowned and sniffed.

Just then, there was a heavy knock upon the front door. Donna visibly jumped. "Who's that?" The Doctor sighed with resignation. "That, would be the village constable." She looked at him. "That's not good, is it? How're we going to explain being in here with two dead people with darts sticking out of their hearts?" Scratching his chin, the Doctor nodded, "Erm--yeah. That would be a bit awkward wouldn't it? I mean, if there were a dart board in the room, we could always pretend to be blind, and say we were asked to play a little game of darts, and whoops officer, I was wondering why those two had suddenly grown so quiet." Donna shook her head, "Noo-nice try, but somehow I don't think even a village constable would buy that." Sighing, the Doctor agreed, "Yeah, plasmavores are rather rubbish at darts."

The Doctor and Donna were about to beat a hasty retreat through the kitchen, when they heard the front door open. "Hullo, Mrs. Williams, is everything alright? A deep voice boomed out. The constable spied the pair and gave them a wary look "Who're you?" The Doctor immediately put on his most friendly smile. "Hello! I'm the Doctor and this is Donna. Mrs. Williams invited us to tea. Lovely day, isn't it?" The constable looked outside. It was overcast and starting to drizzle rain, with the promise of a heavier downpour later. "Aye, if you're a sheep or a duck, I supose." He rumbled wryly.

The policeman was a beefy fellow of middle years, his face florid from the bike ride. "I'd not be minding a spot of tea, myself. I'm a bit parched from riding out all the way from the village." The Doctor looked at the policeman with some skeptiscism. The cottage was less than three miles from the village, hardly a marathon ride for anyone. No doubt the constable's wife was a good cook, judging by the man's stomach. "Right, yes, sorry." The Doctor said hurriedly, "Did I forget to mention? Mrs. Williams and her husband just popped out for a bit of a ramble before teatime. We'd missed them, so we'd decided to just leave them a note and come back later." He started to usher the constable out the door with. "So, why don't I just jot down that you were here as well, and we can all come back tomorrow and have tea together, what da'ya say, ey?"

The constable eyed the Doctor suspiciously. "Who did you say you two were?" Donna came forward and put on a posh air, "I'm Dona Noble, of the Chiswick Nobles, I'm sure you've heard of us. No? Well, anyway, like the Doctor here was saying, we've only come 'round for a spot of tea, on our way to..." She realized just then, that she had no idea where in England she was. "To the Lake District." The Doctor interjected. The policeman harrumphed. "I see, Mr. and Mrs. Noble---" "Oh, we're not married!" The two them said, simultainiously. The policeman raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you're brother and sister, then?" Again, the two started to shake their heads, looked at each other, and shrugged. "Yeah, sure, why not? I'm the one with the brains, he's just there to look pretty and scream a lot."Donna said, earning herself an indignant but good-natured jab in the ribs from the Doctor.

The constable pulled out his notebook. "Well, I'd like to take some information from you, if you don't mind, that is. We'll just have a seat in the other room here, and you can give me your details while we wait for Mr. and Mrs. Williams to return." Donna and the Doctor both looked panicky, when without further ado, the constable strode into the room where the two bodies were lying. "Coming?" he called out to them. "I'll start a fire, and then we can all sit here and have a nice chat." The pair gave each other puzzled looks--mainly because they'd left the bodies of the young aliens lying in front of the fire guard. Curious, they walked into the room--only to see that the two bodies had completely vanished!

...I'm modding my comments for the time being. You all may stil comment, but now I'll have the dull duty of having to approve all comments first, before they can be shown.

That scum bucket with the "write me and I'll take you off my spam list." I am on the verge of reporting him to my state's attorney general...who is quite tough on spammers. Basically, what this guy is doing, by my state's laws (read up on this) may quite well be considered a form of extortion. I'm sure the attorney general would have no qualms about going after this berk.

If you can spare it at all, please remember to drop your change--and even bills, into the Salvation Army's red kettles, this year. And, if you can spare the time, how 'bout taking a few hours out of your day, weekend or night, to ring the kettle bell? I have, how 'bout you?

The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign is about to begin, and the group is in need of volunteers to ring those familiar bells.

Money raised during The Red Kettle Campaign is used throughout the year to provide services to families, individuals, children and senior citizens.

In my area, Warren, Washington and Saratoga counties--programmes include emergency assistance--for victims of fires and people..families and the elderly... facing evictions or utility shut offs, Christmas assistance: food, warm clothing and blankets, toys, personal care products and other gifts for poor families, the disabled, working poor, homeless and elderly--people whom might not get anything for Christmas, at all, normally. It helps to feed the hungry and give comfort to those who most need it at this time of year.

It also supports other local organizations:, the Learning Center, men’s and women’s clubs, the Kidz Club, the League of Mercy, Backstretch Worker Assistance (Saratoga horse racing tracks), the Book Worm Club and the Boy Scouts of America (sponsored by The Salvation Army).

And let's face it, how would YOU feel, if your child or niece or grandchild, had to wake up to no presents on Christmas morning, or if your gran, or disabled cousin went cold and hungry on Christmas, or if if you found out someone you knew well spent Christmas alone and unremembered?

Please, don't turn away. Find the courage and compassion to give this year...your money or time, or both. If you think it can't happen to you---you are either very naive, blissfully ignroant, or stupidly arrogant...because, I have to tell you a cold hard fact: so did all of the above people I've just referred to. No person in the western world--except perhaps those already born into poverty--ever expects to ever need charity assistance..including myself, when I was younger.

In the US, call--free of charge-- the Red Kettle Center for more information: (877) 764-7259

THANK YOU.

Am I the only one whom has notice that David Tennant has a really wrinkly forehead???

"Nancy's says I'm a raisin head...well, I won't invite her to my next party..."

Well, didn't get as much done as I'd planned, 'cos my cold is back: raging sore throat, fever and chills...seven weeks of this...god, I'l love to be healthy again.

I'd spent part of the evening doing research and mentally gathering my notes/ideas for my Dr Who story, and am typing a chapter...in-between blogging, that is. In the last 35 minutes or so I've managed to type 3,986 words so far...not that it matters, mind you.

Now I'm sitting here, sipping tea (drat, if I didn't forget to buy the honey and lemon) having some sugar-free chocolate biscuits...blood sugar's a bit high today, thought I'd better lay off the sugar...well, except with my tea...tea without sugar...bleh. Strangely, though, I hate sugar in my coffee...go figure that one out.

Anyway, speaking of chills, I'm chillin' out to some tunes tonight, a mix of tunes I like today, as an adult, and favourite tunes that were radio hits from my early to late teens:

TITLE------------ARTIST

Deep Inside You...Third Eye Blind
Jane....Barenaked Ladies
Run around...Blues Traveler
Hold My Hand...Hootie and the Blowfish
Sailing...Christopher Cross
Desperado.....Eagles
Baby Come Back...Player
Sail On...The Commodores
Gypsy....Fleetwood Mac
Night Fever...Bee Gees
All For Spinning You Around...The New Pornographers
Wolftrap and Fireflies...Carbon Leaf
Dreaming in Red...The Calling
Echo...Vertical Horizon
All For You...Cardinal Trait
The Scientist....Coldplay
Stop and Stare...Onerepublic
Listen to the Music...Doobie Brothers
Joy to the World...Three Dog Night
Stuck in the Middle with You...Steelers Wheel
Jet Airliner....Steve Miller Band
After Midnight...Eric Clapton
American Woman....Guess Who
An Old Fashioned Love Song...Three Dog Night
I Get Around....The Beach Boys
Every Woman in the World...Air Supply
Hold Your Head Up....Argent
We're An American Band...Grand Funk Railroad
DJ Culture....Pet Shop Boys
Come In Come Out...The La's
Strawberries Are Growning in My Garden...the Dentists
Yeah Yeah Yeah....The Minders
Learnt My Lesson Well...The Kaiser Cheifs
Like Eating Glass....Bloc Party
There She Goes....The La's
I'm On My Way....The Proclaimers
Give a Little Bit...The Goo Goo Dolls
Picture Book....The Kinks
Won't Give In....The Finn Brothers
The Ship....Runrig
Arms of Mary....The Sutherlands
Nashville....Heartsfield
Radioman....Feeder
Rendezvous...Greg Kihn
Flowers in the Window...Travis
We Can Run Away Now They're All Dead and Gone...Snow Patrol