Roadrunner Users, Beware!

This really isn't what I wanted to post after a nice long Easter weekend, but I felt it important to pass the word along. I received the following email yesterday (thankfully in my junk mail box) and after some follow-up with Roadrunner, found it to be a false email. Check this out:


"Dear valued customer,

We are currently performing maintenance for our
Digital Webmail Customers. We intend upgrading
our Digital Webmail Security Server for better online
services.

In order to ensure you do not experience service
interruption, Please you must reply to this email
immediately and enter your password here (********)
and Check out your new  features and enhancements with
your new and improved roadrunner account,to enable
us upgrade your Account for better online services
please reply to this email.

Thank You for Using RoadRunner. "


The first thing that clued me in that something strange was afoot
at the Circle K (a "Bill & Ted" reference, in case you're wondering)
is the fact that they asked for my password.  The next thing that
caused me concern was the way it was written.  I'm a grammar/
spelling nut so the capitalizations in the middle of a sentence
--one big, long, run-on sentence at that!!!-- as well as "to enable
us upgrade" said to me that this was probably not sent out by
Roadrunner.

I called and spoke with Mike with Roadrunner Tech Support
about the email, and it struck him as odd that the email
service was referred to as "digital webmail".  Email is indeed
digital, but it's never referred to as such.  He also reminded
me that Roadrunner will NEVER ask for my password.
Finally, he asked about some things in the email header
(which, being a techno moron, took me a minute to find),
and we found that even though this was "sent" from
"support@roadrunner.com", the reply-to email address
was a Yahoo address.  So I copied and pasted the email
and sent it to the abuse centers at both Roadrunner and
Yahoo.  I have not heard back from Yahoo, but here is
what Roadrunner had to say:

"This message did not originate from RoadRunner
and is actively being dealt with by the Security
team. Please do not provide your account
information to these sites. If you have, contact
your local office to reset your account information. 
 
For additional general security information, please
visit Help and Member Services, Security and Abuse Help. 
 
RoadRunner also has a security software package
available called CA Internet Security Suite, which
\contains an Antivirus, Firewall with pop-up blocker,
Anti-Spam, and Anti-Spyware. This can be accessed
on the RoadRunner homepage, by selecting the RR
Benefits link on the menu at the left-hand side.
You can then follow the steps for downloading and
installing the software. 
 
Note: If your credit card information is
compromised while using the Internet, contact
your credit card company immediately. Each
company has specific policies regarding online
theft and fraud. Please contact them directly
for more information. 
 
 
Thank you for taking the time to contact
Road Runner. 
 
- Road Runner Abuse [CL]"


So there you have it, sports fans.  If you have Roadrunner and
get this email (or one similar), don't answer it.  Get in touch
with the abuse center (security@rr.com) so they can put a
stop to the deviants who do this kind of thing.

**************************************************

On a lighter note, I just finished book #3 from Sharlene MacLaren's
Little Hickman Creek series.  FABULOUS!!!!!!  It was so good it
inspired me to write a little bit of poetry for Shar.  I will share
it with you now:

An Ode for Shar
(with apologies to Clement C. Moore)

'Twas the weekend of Easter
And all through our home,
Only our cat stirred,
Being left all alone
(but in the good care of a neighbor!).

We had packed our car full
And headed four hours south
To Port Aransas, Texas
To hook something with a large mouth.

Our friends Dan and Cheryl
Had come in from Big D.
We fished, we sunned,
And we laughed heartily.

Upon our return,
On my porch what I saw
Was a package delivered
And meant just for MOI!

OH GOODIE! I thought
As I picked up the box.
It’s the books that I ordered,
And all were in stock!

With scissors I carefully
Cut open the tape.
I slowly opened the box,
My mouth all agape.

A light from inside
Of the box did glow.
Angels from heaven sang “AAAHHHH!”
As they looked on below.

IT’S THE BOOK I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!
I thought with delight.
“Courting Emma”, its name,
And I started that night.

A few days and interruptions later
I finished with a sigh.
Another happy ending!
Oh my my my my!!!!

She’s done it again,
I thought about Shar.
Yet another fabulous story,
Her best one so far.

And at the end another teaser!
“Hannah Grace” is its title.
A very busy author,
Hardly ever idle.

But another long wait?
2009????
Back to “Emma”, I guess,
It was, after all, SO DIVINE! 

I plan to give more details about the whole Little Hickman
series later, but if you get the chance to read these books, jump
at it!!! Sharlene gets better and better with each book she writes.
Great romance and ALWAYS a happy ending!

More soon! Hope you all are doing well.

Early Easter Greetings

Hi everyone! This has been a really busy week, and I can't wait to tell you about helping out with the Seder Feast my daughter's third grade class (actually, the entire grade) participated in. It was beautiful. Alas, I must leave you all behind for a few days--and EVEN CHESTER!!! WAAAAAH!!!--to head down to the Texas coast to spend Easter with a high school buddy of mine. So here's my wishes for a blessed Easter for you all. As we say when Christmas comes around, remember that Jesus is the Reason for the season. Seems to fit with Easter as well. :-)

New Baby Picture

Thanks, everyone, for indulging me in my continuous baby conversation. I hope to give you a bit of a break soon and talk about some books I've been reading since Christmas, but first I have to show you a new baby picture.







Isn't he an absolute LOVE?????

The HOFFER and Little Bit have been begging to get a dog for months, but I have had some pretty strong reservations. First, I'm allergic to dogs; on a scale of 1-4, I'm a 3. It's usually a delayed reaction, but nevertheless, I am allergic to dogs. Second, most of the dogs we have previously owned weren't a good match for me. Bunker was awesome...he was an older white lab that was just about as sweet as they come. Sandy was a jealous mixed-breed that was so strong, had she been human, could've played in the NFL. She was always butting in between us and Bunker, and poor Bunker rarely got any attention. Eddie was a hoot. He was a toy fox terrier with a personality that wouldn't quit. He was so fast and spastic that he could out-run Emmitt Smith. (Not that Emmitt Smith is spastic...just fast.) But he was a bit much for me. Buddy was a stray that ate everything--and I mean EVERYTHING--in our garage. The other dogs didn't like him, so we didn't keep him long. All that to say that dogs and I haven't had the greatest history. I'm actually a cat person, but The HOFFER is SEVERELY allergic to cats, so no cats. And finally, with the baby coming in September, I had to figure out the right time to get a dog.

That was when The HOFFER found Arthur.

He's a Cavalier King Charles spaniel. He's hypoallergenic, doesn't shed much, is very low-key, very sweet, and will be no bigger than about 12 pounds. How perfect can a dog get???? Arthur is the name the breeder gave him, but we are probably going to change that.

So we went to pick him up today, and he has made himself right at home in our laps and our hearts. I knew God would bring us just the right dog. Didn't He do a fabulous job???

HOLY COW, I'M PREGNANT!!!

You might be wondering, at this point, exactly where I've been these past 12ish weeks. Yes, I know I'm pregnant. I was the first one to know and spread the big news. And yet, in spite of the fact that I took four pregnancy tests, have seen two sonograms, have all the symptoms, and am quickly outgrowing my normal clothes, there was still something a little surreal about me being pregnant. There was just something that didn't click for me, and for The HOFFER as well. I don't know that I can explain it any other way, or explain why we felt that way, but we did.

All that changed yesterday.

We went in for a nuchal translucency screening yesterday, which is medical-speak for some genetic testing. This particular test is a sonogram that checks for the possibility of Downs Syndrome. There is a tiny little sac of fluid right behind the baby's neck. It should measure no more than 1-2 mm; 3 or higher doesn't guarantee the baby has DS, but it is cause for concern. Conversely, a normal measurement isn't a guarantee either, but is a good sign.

We got a good sign.

As a matter of fact, we got more than just a good measurement (1mm), we saw our baby again, but this time, however, we got action!

When I was pregnant with Little Bit, we went for a sonogram at about 5 months to find out gender and whatever else they check for at that time. She was so funny...lying back, hands behind her head, ankles crossed, just chillin'. I am not kidding. She still hangs out that way. Baby Bit, on the other hand, well, let's just say I expect to get pretty skinny chasing after this little one. He (and that's a generic he...he's not developed enough at this stage to find out gender) was wiggling, squirming, playing, kicking his feet up over his head...and that's what did it. He became very real and very alive to us at that point. That is when we realized that we are really going to have a baby. That so ROCKS!!!

The HOFFER said that he would imagine his mother is probably laughing her tail off up in heaven right now, knowing that he's probably going to get exactly what he dished out to her. My worry is that I don't think I did anything to deserve THAT!!!! We'll just have to wait and see how this Baby Bit turns out.

Maybe I'll get a baseball player after all.

I Think It's A...

I have been asked if I'm going to find out the sex of my child. I can't believe this is even a question, but some people don't want to know. Some people want that "IT'S A BOY!" or "IT'S A GIRL!" moment. I've known others that have found out what but keep the name a secret so there will still be some element of surprise. Okay, that's fine. NUTS, in my opinion, but fine. I don't need surprises. I want certainty. I want to know what it is so I can concentrate on how to decorate, what kind of clothes to buy, and what kind of names to focus on. It's so easy to find girl names that we love. but good boy names, for some reason, are hard for us to find. We're still looking. For a girl we like Sarah Grace. The HOFFER loves the name Grace, probably because we have been given so very much of it; and Sarah, because Sarah in the Bible was 90 when she had her first child. And I thought I was old.

A side note, speaking of being an older mom: one of the boys in Little Bit's class told me recently that I am past child-bearing years. (His mom is an ER doctor, so I guess he should know.) Isn't that a hoot, especially coming from a 3rd grader????

I am happy with whatever God has decided to give us. It is a blessing beyond my wildest dreams. But I think this one will be a boy. Based on my family's reproductive history, this one is surely going to be a boy. Check this out:

Grandmother: girl first, boy second
Mom: girl first, boy second
Sister: girl first, boy second
Niece: girl first, boy second
Me: girl first, ? second

Are you seeing a pattern here? Here's more:

Mom: 7 kids; girl, 3 boys, girl, boy, girl
Sister: 5 kids; girl, 3 boys, girl

I'm thinking this one will be a boy. We find out for sure in April.