Last night, after laughing at my up close & personal encounter with fish guts, my mom was her usual loving self, and my sister backed her up on this. According to my loving mother and supportive sister, I need to start walking more because all those years at the gym made my butt too big and I really could stand to lose some more weight.
Now, while I admit that I agree I need to lose at least 10, preferably 20 lbs, hearing that was NOT something I appreciated. Especially since I have already lost 20 lbs. over the past 4 months! And they never even noticed! Sheez! Granted, the weight was lost because I stopped lifting weights and hurting myself at the gym. Cracked bones are not something I enjoyed enough to recommend. Then once I could walk again, I started walking with sprints mixed in and devoted more time to yoga, but that's a small comfort.
Oh well. At least I know that I am on track because my legs are no longer "so lumpy looking." And the tape measure has recorded a nice 1 inch drop in my hips and 2 inches of my waist so I guess I can't complain too much. Besides, my butt is too big.
So I guess now I need to pre-apologize to everyone who has to live with me because I am now going to be even more fanatical about dropping the next 10-20 lbs. and holidays are coming up. So please forgive me for being a food nazi! I will try and remember to eat occasionally. Maybe.
All right, who am I trying to kid? I will end up having to hire someone to make sure I eat at least 1 meal a day that resembles food and not a slimfast shake. I really have to start writing if only to make sure I eat. Cause I hate cooking and the food part of my grocery list is rather short & definitely repetitive. It consists of soy chocolate milk, slim fast fudge chocolate shake mix, cranberry juice, lemon juice, sunflower seeds, sugar, tea, turkey and/or veggie burgers, bagged spinach salad, ginger salad dressing, & anything that looks good veggie wise. Total extent of my food shopping.
Yup. I need a personal chef. Either that or move some place where I can get something I like to eat already made.
Ugh. I just finished a gossip session with 1 of our regular patrons. Gas prices are $3.00 even for the cheap stuff. A motorcycle is sounding better & better. Though I would probably be road pizza in less than a week. Oh, and the other bit of happy news - there will be a gas shortage soon!
According to what I have been told by the local NPR news listeners, fuel is going to be shipped to the hurricane ravaged areas from the east coast. Guess where I live? This is going to really suck. I can not think of any level of society beyond the truly wealthy that this will not have a negative impact on, and even with the truly wealthy, they will find it harder & harder to indulge themselves quite so shamelessly because people will be seriously jacking the prices up to cover the shortfall in other areas. This is going to hurt.
Right now I am smiling my way through a description of 1 man's trip to a Promise Keeper revival. 1st off, let me say that I do not care what a person's choices are 1 way or the other. They are exactly that - another person's choice. But in this case, this man has made a special trip to tell me all about how God helped him, and how God reached him, and how grateful he was that God was able to let him connect to other men whom share his feeling of closeness with God.
I have just finished reading the CNN articles of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The people there, residents, rescue workers, everyone, have my sympathy and prayers. The pictures I have seen are of absolute devastation. I am so glad that I am here with my life and problems because 1 option is to be there and know that everything is gone. I could not cope. Rebuilding is going to be horrible there and I have no idea how they are going to manage everything. I am praying for them, but this is not going to be a good experience for anyone in this country, especially the people of Louisiana.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Today Is VASTLY Improved
It has been a much better day today. Once I got home last night, I took a shower, had a MASSIVE bowl of Breyer's chocolate fudge brownie ice cream, took another shower, and went to bed. Life is improved after yesterdays debacle. Now I just need to get a massage because my back is killing me. Could be because I landed hard on a bunch of fish guts yesterday, but who knows? At least I can now see the humor in yesterdays events.
EXMI has recently posted about his pond. Here is my point of view. Having land, with or without a pond, sucks. I know that many many people feel that owning a chunk of land and having privacy is wonderful. I can agree with the perspective. However, my ideal would be a two-story townhouse with a small enclosed patio I can have a container garden on and that is it. Having land means real work. Cut the grass. Weed the flower beds. Worry about the roof during storms. Fuss with repairmen and delivery men when anything breaks. I do not want to do any of that. I want to pick up the phone, report that the toilet is leaking or my door knob is stuck, and then go to the movies. When I get back, it is fixed! That is my personal ideal.
I have developed a serious hatred of living in locations where there are more dead frogs and possums than there is asphalt. I want to live some day in a place with seasons. I do not want 9 month summers or winters. I want 6 months of summer, 6 months of winter, 3 months of spring, and 3 months of fall. I want a location where I can buy meals already made up that cater to my allergies and tastes. I am NOT a fan of bar-b-que, pork rinds, grits, or deep fried anything. My tastes lean more towards fruits and veggies, with international cooking (mandarin chinese, mongolian, indonesian, brazilian, etc.) all favorites of mine because they do rely heavily on fruits and veggies. I know that I am dreaming, but I am definitely tired of the great southern experience. Time to move on.
Oh well. Time for something more positive. Like this is a short week! I have this Friday through Monday off, and then I only work 3 days next week! Yippie!
The downside (mostly so no one hates me) is that starting Saturday the 10th, I work every day that week, including Sunday. I will be a wee bit fried. Fortunately, I don't do a thing here at work. I spend time using the computer to complete inventory, and Thursday afternoon I will be doing the monthly reports, but that is my entire agenda for the next month. Stressful life I have. No wonder so many bizarre things happen to me. Nothing else does.
September will be another month that speeds by. In my personal life, I will be running errands, dealing with lawyers, packing, and generally going insane. Why? Because Christmas is coming up and that is a holiday that takes forever to plan for. I look forward to the day I do not have to ever worry about getting gifts, choosing items appropriate for my staff and supervisors, getting themed material picked out and placed, and generally wondering how I am going to avoid the blood bath that comes from competing mothers on the eternal quest to have everything perfect for their little ones.
Right now I am looking out the window and feeling grateful that I am inside. Thanks to the location, we are getting several really bad storms and tornadoes. Currently, it is pouring rain and windy enough that the rain is coming down sideways. Driving in this is not going to be fun. but it is neat to watch. Last night, I drove home in a similar storm. It was rather neat because the lightening was beyond beautiful. The wind was another matter, but can't have everything.
If I ever do get a different job, it is going to be a massive shock to my system. Most days I play a lot and mix in a little bit of work for variety. If I change jobs, I am going to actually have to work! Actually check my professional email, keep a real appointment calendar and actually be prepared for meetings and to participate intelligently. Now, my only meeting is held every 3 months and all I have to do is show up with my name tag on. It has a certain level of lazy appeal, but it has bypassed the level of boredom. I am just dreading the day I actually have to perform and actually produce something.
I think it is time to start writing those romance novels. Otherwise I will need to get a real job and actually have to be on time and other horrors. I do not need a lot of money to pay my bills after all. I just have to figure out that health insurance bit. Now all I have to do is actually start writing. Sigh.
Changing subjects, but this weather and all the storms are going to be causing some serious havoc for the near future. I drove home in 1 yesterday. There was an "almost" tornado down the road from work I just found out. And Katrina is not exactly disappearing from the weather maps I have seen.
Oh well. It is 5:20 and I am bailing out early-ish. Till tomorrow's posting!
EXMI has recently posted about his pond. Here is my point of view. Having land, with or without a pond, sucks. I know that many many people feel that owning a chunk of land and having privacy is wonderful. I can agree with the perspective. However, my ideal would be a two-story townhouse with a small enclosed patio I can have a container garden on and that is it. Having land means real work. Cut the grass. Weed the flower beds. Worry about the roof during storms. Fuss with repairmen and delivery men when anything breaks. I do not want to do any of that. I want to pick up the phone, report that the toilet is leaking or my door knob is stuck, and then go to the movies. When I get back, it is fixed! That is my personal ideal.
I have developed a serious hatred of living in locations where there are more dead frogs and possums than there is asphalt. I want to live some day in a place with seasons. I do not want 9 month summers or winters. I want 6 months of summer, 6 months of winter, 3 months of spring, and 3 months of fall. I want a location where I can buy meals already made up that cater to my allergies and tastes. I am NOT a fan of bar-b-que, pork rinds, grits, or deep fried anything. My tastes lean more towards fruits and veggies, with international cooking (mandarin chinese, mongolian, indonesian, brazilian, etc.) all favorites of mine because they do rely heavily on fruits and veggies. I know that I am dreaming, but I am definitely tired of the great southern experience. Time to move on.
Oh well. Time for something more positive. Like this is a short week! I have this Friday through Monday off, and then I only work 3 days next week! Yippie!
The downside (mostly so no one hates me) is that starting Saturday the 10th, I work every day that week, including Sunday. I will be a wee bit fried. Fortunately, I don't do a thing here at work. I spend time using the computer to complete inventory, and Thursday afternoon I will be doing the monthly reports, but that is my entire agenda for the next month. Stressful life I have. No wonder so many bizarre things happen to me. Nothing else does.
September will be another month that speeds by. In my personal life, I will be running errands, dealing with lawyers, packing, and generally going insane. Why? Because Christmas is coming up and that is a holiday that takes forever to plan for. I look forward to the day I do not have to ever worry about getting gifts, choosing items appropriate for my staff and supervisors, getting themed material picked out and placed, and generally wondering how I am going to avoid the blood bath that comes from competing mothers on the eternal quest to have everything perfect for their little ones.
Right now I am looking out the window and feeling grateful that I am inside. Thanks to the location, we are getting several really bad storms and tornadoes. Currently, it is pouring rain and windy enough that the rain is coming down sideways. Driving in this is not going to be fun. but it is neat to watch. Last night, I drove home in a similar storm. It was rather neat because the lightening was beyond beautiful. The wind was another matter, but can't have everything.
If I ever do get a different job, it is going to be a massive shock to my system. Most days I play a lot and mix in a little bit of work for variety. If I change jobs, I am going to actually have to work! Actually check my professional email, keep a real appointment calendar and actually be prepared for meetings and to participate intelligently. Now, my only meeting is held every 3 months and all I have to do is show up with my name tag on. It has a certain level of lazy appeal, but it has bypassed the level of boredom. I am just dreading the day I actually have to perform and actually produce something.
I think it is time to start writing those romance novels. Otherwise I will need to get a real job and actually have to be on time and other horrors. I do not need a lot of money to pay my bills after all. I just have to figure out that health insurance bit. Now all I have to do is actually start writing. Sigh.
Changing subjects, but this weather and all the storms are going to be causing some serious havoc for the near future. I drove home in 1 yesterday. There was an "almost" tornado down the road from work I just found out. And Katrina is not exactly disappearing from the weather maps I have seen.
Oh well. It is 5:20 and I am bailing out early-ish. Till tomorrow's posting!
Monday, August 29, 2005
Today Sucks
I did have other topics I wanted to write about today, but well . . . Today officially sucks. I might write about the other stuff later today, but not now.
I was walking this morning and mixing it up with some sprints when a truck came by. This is nothing unusual. However, the spot the truck and I intersected was a creek that had washed away the road. The county had dumped a bunch of red clay to fill it in. Last night it rained.
Can you guess where I am going with this? And you want to know the real kicker?
This is where someone fishes and leaves the remnant's in a pile. Guess what happened when the truck drove by and I stepped to the side to give him room to pass. You're right! I slipped and fell flat on my back in the stinking mess. I had fish guts and Georgia clay in my hair. My day took a sudden nose dive at that point.
The poor guy felt awful and offered to drive me home, but I was a bit pissed so I thanked him and sent him off. I walked home, stinking and slimey. And lets not forget, I had fish guts and Georgia clay in my hair.
I took a shower and cleaned the shower immediately after getting home. I then managed to get some breakfast, but my slim fast lunch ended up all over the kitchen cupboards, wall, floor, microwave, stove, fridge, toaster oven, and oh, yeah, me. I took another shower and cried.
I figure that by tomorrow I will see the humor in this. Right now, my jaw is clenched, neck is tight, and I am ready to cry buckets - preferably while taking a 3rd shower.
I need to apply for jobs but I think I will wait until tomorrow when today is funny. Today is complete sucky. Can I go home yet?
I was walking this morning and mixing it up with some sprints when a truck came by. This is nothing unusual. However, the spot the truck and I intersected was a creek that had washed away the road. The county had dumped a bunch of red clay to fill it in. Last night it rained.
Can you guess where I am going with this? And you want to know the real kicker?
This is where someone fishes and leaves the remnant's in a pile. Guess what happened when the truck drove by and I stepped to the side to give him room to pass. You're right! I slipped and fell flat on my back in the stinking mess. I had fish guts and Georgia clay in my hair. My day took a sudden nose dive at that point.
The poor guy felt awful and offered to drive me home, but I was a bit pissed so I thanked him and sent him off. I walked home, stinking and slimey. And lets not forget, I had fish guts and Georgia clay in my hair.
I took a shower and cleaned the shower immediately after getting home. I then managed to get some breakfast, but my slim fast lunch ended up all over the kitchen cupboards, wall, floor, microwave, stove, fridge, toaster oven, and oh, yeah, me. I took another shower and cried.
I figure that by tomorrow I will see the humor in this. Right now, my jaw is clenched, neck is tight, and I am ready to cry buckets - preferably while taking a 3rd shower.
I need to apply for jobs but I think I will wait until tomorrow when today is funny. Today is complete sucky. Can I go home yet?
Hey, I was tagged!
Hey, I was tagged and didn't even know it. I feel loved!! I love these! I welcome them in fact! ;-)
7 things I plan to do before I die:
1. Move to my dream condo some place around TN
2.Go to New Zealand
3. Get to my goal weight
4. Get my finances in order
5. Finish my novel
6. Go on an African Safari
7. Find a job that will allow me the time to have a dog
7 things I can do:
1. Answer almost any question about fiction books
2. Organize anything into submission
3. Write
4. Clean just about anything from an engine to a cat
5. type with 3 fingers
6. hold conversations in my sleep
7. read a 400 page book in 3 hours or less
7 things I can't do:
1. Sing
2. Speak a foreign language
3. Play sports
4. Stop being so emotional
5. Not care about animals
6. Cope with stupidity
7. Jog
7 things I'm attracted to in the opposite sex:
1. Sense of humor
2. Love of animals
3. Deep, husky voice
4. Intelligent
5. Likes to cuddle
6. Doesn't want to grow up, but still knows when to be an adult
7. Emotionally grounded
7 things I say most often:
1. "Hello"
2. "Can I help you?"
3. "What's up?"
4. "I don't understand?!?!?!"
5. "Uh huh."
6. "Sh*t"
7. "OWW! FUCK!!!"
7 celebrity crushes:
1. Viggo Mortenson
2. Patrick Stewart
3. Jason Statham
4. Harison Ford
5. Rutger Hauer
6. Brad Pitt
7. ????????
7 people to take this quiz:
1. exmi
2. kls1221
3. mental meanderings
4. must be tuesday
5. to read or die
6. zombie slayer
7.zombie lama
7 things I plan to do before I die:
1. Move to my dream condo some place around TN
2.Go to New Zealand
3. Get to my goal weight
4. Get my finances in order
5. Finish my novel
6. Go on an African Safari
7. Find a job that will allow me the time to have a dog
7 things I can do:
1. Answer almost any question about fiction books
2. Organize anything into submission
3. Write
4. Clean just about anything from an engine to a cat
5. type with 3 fingers
6. hold conversations in my sleep
7. read a 400 page book in 3 hours or less
7 things I can't do:
1. Sing
2. Speak a foreign language
3. Play sports
4. Stop being so emotional
5. Not care about animals
6. Cope with stupidity
7. Jog
7 things I'm attracted to in the opposite sex:
1. Sense of humor
2. Love of animals
3. Deep, husky voice
4. Intelligent
5. Likes to cuddle
6. Doesn't want to grow up, but still knows when to be an adult
7. Emotionally grounded
7 things I say most often:
1. "Hello"
2. "Can I help you?"
3. "What's up?"
4. "I don't understand?!?!?!"
5. "Uh huh."
6. "Sh*t"
7. "OWW! FUCK!!!"
7 celebrity crushes:
1. Viggo Mortenson
2. Patrick Stewart
3. Jason Statham
4. Harison Ford
5. Rutger Hauer
6. Brad Pitt
7. ????????
7 people to take this quiz:
1. exmi
2. kls1221
3. mental meanderings
4. must be tuesday
5. to read or die
6. zombie slayer
7.zombie lama
Saturday, August 27, 2005
This Is What Happens When I Think & Drive
Yesterday I had my rotating Friday off so I ran errands. Probably the biggest being grocery shopping since I have managed to eat everything in the house and have nothing but empty, dusty cupboards.
But while driving around my brain was unusually active and came up with an interesting train of thought. This all makes a weird sort of sense, but as I review it, I can tell where I had to stop for a red light and when I was waiting at "X."
I started of my driving by remembering all the reasons I am supposed to like this town and ended up reviewing memorable moments. One is an evil moment in my life. The day started off in its normal way. Class and work, and generally being grateful it was the weekend. My beloved roommate and I had been invited to a BYOB party. We were among the select who would be given alcohol because I had been an idiot and agreed to be the model for our hosts latest artistic effort. It is was a rather unusual moment in my life. Being smeared from the neck down in vaseline, covered in a granny gown, bending backwards, latching onto the bottom of a box spring mattress, and then staying that way as cold, wet, dripping pieces of cloth soaked in plaster of paris are draped over me in a nice hot sunny room - and then staying that way until the plaster set - is a memory I will feel for the next few decades.
At the party, we indulged in a delightful mix involving watermelons. I honestly have no memory what else was thrown in that blender, but my true appreciation for watermelon stems from this night. Anyway, we drank way too much and there was no way either of us was going to walk, let alone drive, any where. So my roommate poured me in to bed after my normal 3 drinks and then sat down for a long conversation with our host. Eventually, they both joined me.
Keep your minds out of the gutter. We were all fully clothed and I at least was completely wasted. I never have had a tolerance for alcohol and I had definitely had way too much that night. My usual limit is a glass of wine and THAT makes me tipsy, all right? And besides, it was our hosts bed that I was past out in & I was doing my best drooling log impression in the center. They used me as a divider and went to sleep themselves.
The evilness began several hours later when our hosts girlfriend walks in to find the 3 of us all snuggled together under the covers. I can still remember the wide eyed, tight lipped look on her face and how she asked if she could speak to him in the living room. Since I was currently at the bottom of this pile of puppies, I can only imagine how it looked to her, but it sure wasn't good. Especially since there was an industrial size container of vaseline sitting open - and obviously well used - on the bedside table.
So, after some fumbling around, he left to calm her down. My roommie & I came out from under the covers, got freshened up, and followed. Since she was gone by the time we ambled downstairs, the 3 of us went to Waffle House for a late brunch. We were teasing the poor guy unmercifully, digging for the juicy gossip, when SHE walks in the door. Well, my roommie has a wonderful flair for acting and she decided to feed the poor girls worst impressions. I, being the willing participant that I can be, caught on remarkably quickly considering how hung over I was, and joined in.
The most beautiful moment was when my roommie kept fidgeting in the seat and remarked how she kept sliding because the vaseline was smeared all over her ass. My follow up was a snicker and something about how it was going to be impossible to get out of our hair. Soon after that, the poor soon-to-be-ex girlfriend left and never came back. Our host just kept eating and never even bothered to shrug. I always wondered what happened between them, but he soon graduated and went to Atlanta for a job.
From there, I went to an even older memory about how my undergraduate fiance became my ex. I'm not sure how my train of thought went on this, but I guess its the relationship between humorous pains in the ass moments. The poor guy was just being himself when I realized there was no way in hell I would marry him. I know that I was doing an excellent impression of an emotional ostrich through the entirety of our relationship, but I had not realized how far into the ground I had buried myself.
We were at his parents, discussing our upcoming nuptials when I found out that my parents would have no role in my wedding. For some reason I was a bit taken aback by this statement and I know his mother was as well. It was about a month after that conversation that I finally had enough and said goodbye. It took another 2 years for him to realize I was serious. I take responsibility for that. I never sat down with him and just told him the flat out, ugly truth. I hate doing that under any circumstances and after 5 years of sleeping through sex, I realized that I could not keep ignoring the issues. So I ignored him instead and never responded to most of his attempts to communicate, beyond whining to anyone and everyone about his cards and how they were really over the top. Eventually he did find someone and married her. My life has been vastly improved since then.
Then I went to the idea that my allergies really make it impossible for me to keep living here, or to move to a large city. I am by nature not the sort to go bed hopping, but thanks to the fact that I am allergic to latex, - and a rash "down there" is not a good thing, ya know? - the number of reasons to avoid bars and be anything but 1 of those ridiculous born again virgins keeps increasing. It is bad enough that I live in a college town and have been there and done the college experience, but I am not after my Mrs. degree either. I keep trying to think of how to find someone who will be little more than a fuck buddy, but since it is not a thought that I devote a lot of time and attention to, my ideas are fairly limited.
I am not going to start bed hopping. Mostly because I am not the type, but also because 1) I am not going to demand 3 separate physical exams from anyone just so I can get laid; 2) my allergies require that I do ask for physician clearance cause a rash is not on any of my preferred lists; 3) I have read too many true crime/horror/thriller novels and my luck tends towards freaks so between my imagination and luck, I have trust issues; and 4) my tastes are a bit on the perverse side and that falls under the trust issues again.
I kind of envy those who are willing to trust to luck that whomever they end up in bed with that night is not only going to be good, but is going to be sane and physically healthy. My luck has been strange enough that, mixed with what I have read, I am not sure what it would take for me to be receptive. And there are days like the past 2 when a night of mindless fucking sounds really appealing.
Days like yesterday while driving around when all I really wanted to think about was the feel of a man's shoulders under my hands, and the sensation of being kissed and the list goes on. Thinking about sex while driving is really the only way I keep myself entertained when I forget my CD's, a book on CD, or even worse, there is nothing on the radio. And it really does not help that I am bored here at work and have nothing to do till next Wednesday. Oh well. I will keep this posting as close to PG as I can. Not as if I am going to actually say yes to anyone. Though I have to wonder if a trip to 1 of the local bars in Savannah were the military hangs out would be worth the effort. ;-)
This is the point when I had the blindingly obvious revelation that it is fear that drives so many to marry during their high school and college years. Fear of being alone and never getting laid. I have never understood this fear because I like being alone. I like not having to worry about morning breath or any of the like. I can't even understand why the fear of never getting laid is so looming because while I have had some absolutely incredible sex, I have also had a sex were I literally slept through it.
And what is the deal with having children? That is another subject that I can't understand. I have heard all the reasons given forth about caring on a heritage/name/tradition, wanting to know that there is a new person that you created who makes up you and your spouse, wanting a child desperately, etc. But I do not understand bankrupting yourself or making yourself look like a fool over marriage or kids. But in my blinding moment of revealing the obvious, part of it seems to be some form of fear of being alone. Why it has taken me so long to reach this obvious revelation is beyond me, but there you have it.
And then, I got home and had to put groceries away, feed the animals, gripe about how I need to really clean, and finally get something to eat.
That is when I started watching movies and reading. I watched The Transporter first. I love that movie, mainly because that is a man I can watch over and over again. The fact that it is a fun flick is the other reason I appreciate the flick. Because I have seen the movie a few dozen times, I read a romance novel by Jayne Ann Krentz - Shield's Lady. Typical romance and if you like the genre, she is 1 of my favorite light reading authors.
I then put in The Wedding Date. Do not waste your time. It was a cute movie but I am so glad that I got it from work for free. There were several cute moments, but I read The Never War, Book 3 of the Pendragon Series by D. J. MacHale. That is a series for those who appreciate Zelany's onion theory of reality. It is not as complex as Zelany's Amber series by any means, and there is a definite right from wrong theme, but the stories are fun and the situations are hard to determine what the right choice is. From this 1, the main character has the chance to alter history and either make WWII worse than it was or never happen. All it takes is 1 simple decision.
In his shoes, I don't know if I could have even made the decision.
Once I finished the movie, rather than listen to the music play over and over again, I decided to put in the Bollywood version of Pride and Prejudice - Bride and Prejudice. I had no idea I would love this movie as much as I do. The music, the general level of fun, the costumes, all added up to a movie I will end up eventually adding to my personal collection because it really was a fun, clean movie based on 1 of my favorite novels. The fact that it was kept clean actually added to the appeal for me. Cripes, the closest they came to kissing is when 1 of the men kissed a woman's hand or forehead. As sweet as the kisses on the forehead are, a kiss on the palm of the hand is incredibly romantic and erotic if done right.
About half way through this, exmi showed up with Chinese for dinner. We watched the rest of the movie and he laughed at my girlie girl gushing.
Then we had a complete change. We popped in Sin City. Does "WHOA!" mean anything to anyone? Do not get me wrong. I like the movie. Tarantino is 1 of my favorite's. There was not a moment of the movie that did not have me on the edge of my seat. My eyes frequently went buggy. But wowsers! Some of the scenes went beyond disturbing and straight into Lovecraft-type horror. Zombie Slayer has a review that gives more credit details, and he had a vastly different appreciation for some of the actresses than I did. What I found truly fascinating though was the lighting/special effects. The way the eyes were dramatized was incredible. If you will pardon the pun, the eye for detail was impressive.
By this point it was after 11 and since I need sleep if I am to get through work, he went home and I crashed. My dreams were rather screwy but I can't remember them at all. Thank God.
The last bit of trivia for today's post comes from this mornings drive to work. I listen to NPR in the morning. This morning they had a piece on a kids book I am putting in to Acquisitions here at work, and suggesting to several teachers and home school parents for young kids. My Body Works story on NPR is the link if anyone is interested. The bit I heard sounded like a good resource for parents and teachers, and makes me wish there was a way to have them come to local schools here.
But while driving around my brain was unusually active and came up with an interesting train of thought. This all makes a weird sort of sense, but as I review it, I can tell where I had to stop for a red light and when I was waiting at "X."
I started of my driving by remembering all the reasons I am supposed to like this town and ended up reviewing memorable moments. One is an evil moment in my life. The day started off in its normal way. Class and work, and generally being grateful it was the weekend. My beloved roommate and I had been invited to a BYOB party. We were among the select who would be given alcohol because I had been an idiot and agreed to be the model for our hosts latest artistic effort. It is was a rather unusual moment in my life. Being smeared from the neck down in vaseline, covered in a granny gown, bending backwards, latching onto the bottom of a box spring mattress, and then staying that way as cold, wet, dripping pieces of cloth soaked in plaster of paris are draped over me in a nice hot sunny room - and then staying that way until the plaster set - is a memory I will feel for the next few decades.
At the party, we indulged in a delightful mix involving watermelons. I honestly have no memory what else was thrown in that blender, but my true appreciation for watermelon stems from this night. Anyway, we drank way too much and there was no way either of us was going to walk, let alone drive, any where. So my roommate poured me in to bed after my normal 3 drinks and then sat down for a long conversation with our host. Eventually, they both joined me.
Keep your minds out of the gutter. We were all fully clothed and I at least was completely wasted. I never have had a tolerance for alcohol and I had definitely had way too much that night. My usual limit is a glass of wine and THAT makes me tipsy, all right? And besides, it was our hosts bed that I was past out in & I was doing my best drooling log impression in the center. They used me as a divider and went to sleep themselves.
The evilness began several hours later when our hosts girlfriend walks in to find the 3 of us all snuggled together under the covers. I can still remember the wide eyed, tight lipped look on her face and how she asked if she could speak to him in the living room. Since I was currently at the bottom of this pile of puppies, I can only imagine how it looked to her, but it sure wasn't good. Especially since there was an industrial size container of vaseline sitting open - and obviously well used - on the bedside table.
So, after some fumbling around, he left to calm her down. My roommie & I came out from under the covers, got freshened up, and followed. Since she was gone by the time we ambled downstairs, the 3 of us went to Waffle House for a late brunch. We were teasing the poor guy unmercifully, digging for the juicy gossip, when SHE walks in the door. Well, my roommie has a wonderful flair for acting and she decided to feed the poor girls worst impressions. I, being the willing participant that I can be, caught on remarkably quickly considering how hung over I was, and joined in.
The most beautiful moment was when my roommie kept fidgeting in the seat and remarked how she kept sliding because the vaseline was smeared all over her ass. My follow up was a snicker and something about how it was going to be impossible to get out of our hair. Soon after that, the poor soon-to-be-ex girlfriend left and never came back. Our host just kept eating and never even bothered to shrug. I always wondered what happened between them, but he soon graduated and went to Atlanta for a job.
From there, I went to an even older memory about how my undergraduate fiance became my ex. I'm not sure how my train of thought went on this, but I guess its the relationship between humorous pains in the ass moments. The poor guy was just being himself when I realized there was no way in hell I would marry him. I know that I was doing an excellent impression of an emotional ostrich through the entirety of our relationship, but I had not realized how far into the ground I had buried myself.
We were at his parents, discussing our upcoming nuptials when I found out that my parents would have no role in my wedding. For some reason I was a bit taken aback by this statement and I know his mother was as well. It was about a month after that conversation that I finally had enough and said goodbye. It took another 2 years for him to realize I was serious. I take responsibility for that. I never sat down with him and just told him the flat out, ugly truth. I hate doing that under any circumstances and after 5 years of sleeping through sex, I realized that I could not keep ignoring the issues. So I ignored him instead and never responded to most of his attempts to communicate, beyond whining to anyone and everyone about his cards and how they were really over the top. Eventually he did find someone and married her. My life has been vastly improved since then.
Then I went to the idea that my allergies really make it impossible for me to keep living here, or to move to a large city. I am by nature not the sort to go bed hopping, but thanks to the fact that I am allergic to latex, - and a rash "down there" is not a good thing, ya know? - the number of reasons to avoid bars and be anything but 1 of those ridiculous born again virgins keeps increasing. It is bad enough that I live in a college town and have been there and done the college experience, but I am not after my Mrs. degree either. I keep trying to think of how to find someone who will be little more than a fuck buddy, but since it is not a thought that I devote a lot of time and attention to, my ideas are fairly limited.
I am not going to start bed hopping. Mostly because I am not the type, but also because 1) I am not going to demand 3 separate physical exams from anyone just so I can get laid; 2) my allergies require that I do ask for physician clearance cause a rash is not on any of my preferred lists; 3) I have read too many true crime/horror/thriller novels and my luck tends towards freaks so between my imagination and luck, I have trust issues; and 4) my tastes are a bit on the perverse side and that falls under the trust issues again.
I kind of envy those who are willing to trust to luck that whomever they end up in bed with that night is not only going to be good, but is going to be sane and physically healthy. My luck has been strange enough that, mixed with what I have read, I am not sure what it would take for me to be receptive. And there are days like the past 2 when a night of mindless fucking sounds really appealing.
Days like yesterday while driving around when all I really wanted to think about was the feel of a man's shoulders under my hands, and the sensation of being kissed and the list goes on. Thinking about sex while driving is really the only way I keep myself entertained when I forget my CD's, a book on CD, or even worse, there is nothing on the radio. And it really does not help that I am bored here at work and have nothing to do till next Wednesday. Oh well. I will keep this posting as close to PG as I can. Not as if I am going to actually say yes to anyone. Though I have to wonder if a trip to 1 of the local bars in Savannah were the military hangs out would be worth the effort. ;-)
This is the point when I had the blindingly obvious revelation that it is fear that drives so many to marry during their high school and college years. Fear of being alone and never getting laid. I have never understood this fear because I like being alone. I like not having to worry about morning breath or any of the like. I can't even understand why the fear of never getting laid is so looming because while I have had some absolutely incredible sex, I have also had a sex were I literally slept through it.
And what is the deal with having children? That is another subject that I can't understand. I have heard all the reasons given forth about caring on a heritage/name/tradition, wanting to know that there is a new person that you created who makes up you and your spouse, wanting a child desperately, etc. But I do not understand bankrupting yourself or making yourself look like a fool over marriage or kids. But in my blinding moment of revealing the obvious, part of it seems to be some form of fear of being alone. Why it has taken me so long to reach this obvious revelation is beyond me, but there you have it.
And then, I got home and had to put groceries away, feed the animals, gripe about how I need to really clean, and finally get something to eat.
That is when I started watching movies and reading. I watched The Transporter first. I love that movie, mainly because that is a man I can watch over and over again. The fact that it is a fun flick is the other reason I appreciate the flick. Because I have seen the movie a few dozen times, I read a romance novel by Jayne Ann Krentz - Shield's Lady. Typical romance and if you like the genre, she is 1 of my favorite light reading authors.
I then put in The Wedding Date. Do not waste your time. It was a cute movie but I am so glad that I got it from work for free. There were several cute moments, but I read The Never War, Book 3 of the Pendragon Series by D. J. MacHale. That is a series for those who appreciate Zelany's onion theory of reality. It is not as complex as Zelany's Amber series by any means, and there is a definite right from wrong theme, but the stories are fun and the situations are hard to determine what the right choice is. From this 1, the main character has the chance to alter history and either make WWII worse than it was or never happen. All it takes is 1 simple decision.
In his shoes, I don't know if I could have even made the decision.
Once I finished the movie, rather than listen to the music play over and over again, I decided to put in the Bollywood version of Pride and Prejudice - Bride and Prejudice. I had no idea I would love this movie as much as I do. The music, the general level of fun, the costumes, all added up to a movie I will end up eventually adding to my personal collection because it really was a fun, clean movie based on 1 of my favorite novels. The fact that it was kept clean actually added to the appeal for me. Cripes, the closest they came to kissing is when 1 of the men kissed a woman's hand or forehead. As sweet as the kisses on the forehead are, a kiss on the palm of the hand is incredibly romantic and erotic if done right.
About half way through this, exmi showed up with Chinese for dinner. We watched the rest of the movie and he laughed at my girlie girl gushing.
Then we had a complete change. We popped in Sin City. Does "WHOA!" mean anything to anyone? Do not get me wrong. I like the movie. Tarantino is 1 of my favorite's. There was not a moment of the movie that did not have me on the edge of my seat. My eyes frequently went buggy. But wowsers! Some of the scenes went beyond disturbing and straight into Lovecraft-type horror. Zombie Slayer has a review that gives more credit details, and he had a vastly different appreciation for some of the actresses than I did. What I found truly fascinating though was the lighting/special effects. The way the eyes were dramatized was incredible. If you will pardon the pun, the eye for detail was impressive.
By this point it was after 11 and since I need sleep if I am to get through work, he went home and I crashed. My dreams were rather screwy but I can't remember them at all. Thank God.
The last bit of trivia for today's post comes from this mornings drive to work. I listen to NPR in the morning. This morning they had a piece on a kids book I am putting in to Acquisitions here at work, and suggesting to several teachers and home school parents for young kids. My Body Works story on NPR is the link if anyone is interested. The bit I heard sounded like a good resource for parents and teachers, and makes me wish there was a way to have them come to local schools here.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
2 points
Please, when you call a place like, oh, a library, do not ask the person who answers, "do you have any books?" It is incredibly annoying and makes it really easy NOT to take the extra few steps to answer your question because obviously, the caller is a clueless idiot. If you call some place, line a library, ask, "I am looking for a particular book and was wondering if you could get it for me." Trust me, the courtesy and help you will get from the person on the other end will be much me to your liking.
And even more importantly, I got the anti-spammer comment thingy to work! Yahoo! Yippie! I did it!
And even more importantly, I got the anti-spammer comment thingy to work! Yahoo! Yippie! I did it!
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Bleck
Beyond my personal long standing gripe about humanity and how stupid and needy humanity as a whole can be, life is plodding along. I am incredibly tired though, and really amazingly cold.
One of the major downsides to working in a library in the South is that to prevent moisture, the temperature has to be kept around frigid. Otherwise, nasty things like mold and rot develop in the books. This is a BAD THING. So, as a card carrying member of the freeze at the drop of a hat society, I wear multiple layers year round. Like now, I'm wearing slacks & a knit top (summer weight sweater), & a sweater jacket.
I have received the paperwork demanding my appearance at bankruptcy court and that is going to be a nerve wracking day. One that I will fortunately be able to forget all about by this time next year. I am, for probably the first time ever, looking forward to "next year." By then, I will have moved in with my mother, thus solving multiple problems while simultaneously creating a few dozen new ones. My chapter 13 bankruptcy case will be well underway and all I need to do is keep making my monthly payments while saving up the money to declare chapter 7. I will be able to devote more time to search for a better position. And life will have progressed to a new set of experiences, woes, joys, worries, and laughs. That is what I am really looking forward to.
Explanation point for those lucky souls who have never paid attention to bankruptcy - I am declaring chapter 13 bankruptcy which lets me reorganize my debts and pay $.10 on the dollar for 60 months. Chapter 7 completely wipes out all debts. The biggest difference, and the most telling in my situation, is that I can not come up with the necessary $800 to pay for a chapter 7 to be filed right now. A chapter 13 will only cost me $58/month, plus the $50-$100 I intend to save up until I can walk in to the lawyers office and plunk down that delightful cold cash.
I just read exmi's posting and, as usual, I agree with the man. I have been listening to NPR's talkshows and reading the news articles online, and here is my worthless opinion.
1. Recalling the troops from Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. will do nothing more than allow the already stained reputation of the U.S. to wallow even further in the mud. I have yet to see any explanation or scenario where recalling the troops home will accomplish anything beyond letting the already unstable situation devolve even further into genocide and religious intolerance at its finest.
2. Sheehan just pisses me off. There are several articles and "Letters to the Editor" and other such that gives finely tunes, reasoned discourse on the validity of her stance and the reasons she is a total flake.
I agree that losing her child in a war that is little more than an excuse to make money is not something anyone ever wants to go through and no one deserves to go through that particular version of hell. But if your child, no matter how old (or young) they are signs up for the military, then they at least knew what they were getting in to. The reality is that there are gazillions of ways to die and there is nothing different about how her son died vs how millions of others have died. The only reason that does make sense is old age or when some horrible disease is killing you in stages like cancer and it is a relief to finally die.
But the way Sheehan has placed her son over all the others who have died, made herself the spokesperson for all the parents of children who died, THAT pisses me off.
3. The gas price rise is getting old. I know that in a year or so it will be a matter of course to shell out $30 plus at the gas station, but it still freaking hurts. I'd rather spend that cash on other necessities - like food. Or if I was feeling really adventurous, maybe I would use the extra cash on things like the power bill.
4. exmi, I am sorry to say this, but I will not miss the trailer. It is pretty cool to live out there and the berry bushes have been divine, but I hate living that far out of town. I want a condo! Give me Wal-Mart! I want to be 10 minutes away from every restaurant! Screw having to drive 25 minutes just to get to the outskirts of town. I like being 2 minutes from Wal-Mart at my Mom's. I like being 10 minutes from their library. I vastly prefer driving the highways rather than the back roads. The lunatic drivers are easier for me to cope with on the highway and the number of deer attacking me drops dramatically.
Not to mention the number of pack hounds I have to save the dogs from drops from 5+ to zero. I really did not appreciate having those same hounds look at me like I was dinner. I have some serious objections, you know? Dogs are supposed to look up at you with big brown eyes and look soulful and adoring, NOT like crazed Cujo's from Hell.
Though in all fairness, I like how quiet it is, and how dark it gets at night. Being able to watch the lightening during thunder storms is beyond cool. Sitting in the living room and knowing that there is a fire going is really cool on a cold winter night. (Though I suppose nearly burning the place down is something I need to work on preventing. I failed fire safety, what can I say? The place is still standing after all.) Getting to paint all the walls and dramatically brighten the place up was seriously cool. Know that when I do move out, you are going to have to suffer through me unpacking for you makes for a fit of maniacal glee. Though I won't go too overboard there. The fact that I will be 2 hours away gives you all sorts of relieve there.
5. Moving in with my mother, sister, nephew, dog, and sister's 3 cats with all my stuff and my own 3 cats is going to be an experience, definitely a learning experience. I am not sure how we will emerge from this period in our lives. What I can predict is that my sister and I are going to have some serious fights. My mother is going to be annoyed and annoying.
My nephew will be wired for far too long.
The dog & I will lose weight.
The cats will try and kill each other on a daily basis.
The house will undergo various mini-facelifts while I am there.
I will be able to pare down my belongings to just what I want and need, and yet I am willing to bet I am still going to need more book shelves by December 2005.
My clothes are all going to develop a fine layer of cat and dog hair unless I am seriously vigilant because my closet will be a jury-rigged affair. (I am placing 4 sets of shelves a few feet from the 1 wall and placing those free standing clothes bars behind them. That's my closet!)
A lot of money will be saved.
I will have cable and DSL again.
I will further develop my hatred of yard work.
Anytime I get sick I will be in a special category of hell because according to my family, the only time I am really sick is if there is blood involved. Otherwise, I have no excuse for not going to work, getting the cat boxes cleaned, running my sister to class, getting the grocery shopping done, etc. Just because I have a temp. of 102 degrees, throwing up every time I turn around, and have passed out twice in the past hour, is no excuse.
Well, it is not that bad. It just always feels that bad when I get the flu or have 1 of my migraines, and there is no sympathy. I love sympathy when I get sick. I want lots of coddling when I am sick. Problem is that I can't stand anyone around me when I am sick. Makes for an interesting problem.
6. The spammers who post comments are really rather annoying. I am trying to remember who posted a way to block spammers on a blog while still allowing readers to post. Once I do that, life will be less annoying.
7. I also wish that some of the people I regularly read would post me. It gives me something to do on days like today when all the items on my "To Do" list were accomplished by 10am and I still have to be at work until 6pm. It is not so bad when there are a lot of patrons coming in and out, or if I have something to do, but I don't! And most of today's list of things to do fell under the category of "search for jobs," "read favorite blogs," and "send out resume." Well, I am done and while I intend to do more job searching, that only gets me so far. Especially since I have to look friendly and welcoming. That is so annoying. Why can't I be grimacing and frightening? I think it would speed up the patrons here at the library and maybe get the dumb ones out.
One of the major downsides to working in a library in the South is that to prevent moisture, the temperature has to be kept around frigid. Otherwise, nasty things like mold and rot develop in the books. This is a BAD THING. So, as a card carrying member of the freeze at the drop of a hat society, I wear multiple layers year round. Like now, I'm wearing slacks & a knit top (summer weight sweater), & a sweater jacket.
I have received the paperwork demanding my appearance at bankruptcy court and that is going to be a nerve wracking day. One that I will fortunately be able to forget all about by this time next year. I am, for probably the first time ever, looking forward to "next year." By then, I will have moved in with my mother, thus solving multiple problems while simultaneously creating a few dozen new ones. My chapter 13 bankruptcy case will be well underway and all I need to do is keep making my monthly payments while saving up the money to declare chapter 7. I will be able to devote more time to search for a better position. And life will have progressed to a new set of experiences, woes, joys, worries, and laughs. That is what I am really looking forward to.
Explanation point for those lucky souls who have never paid attention to bankruptcy - I am declaring chapter 13 bankruptcy which lets me reorganize my debts and pay $.10 on the dollar for 60 months. Chapter 7 completely wipes out all debts. The biggest difference, and the most telling in my situation, is that I can not come up with the necessary $800 to pay for a chapter 7 to be filed right now. A chapter 13 will only cost me $58/month, plus the $50-$100 I intend to save up until I can walk in to the lawyers office and plunk down that delightful cold cash.
I just read exmi's posting and, as usual, I agree with the man. I have been listening to NPR's talkshows and reading the news articles online, and here is my worthless opinion.
1. Recalling the troops from Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. will do nothing more than allow the already stained reputation of the U.S. to wallow even further in the mud. I have yet to see any explanation or scenario where recalling the troops home will accomplish anything beyond letting the already unstable situation devolve even further into genocide and religious intolerance at its finest.
2. Sheehan just pisses me off. There are several articles and "Letters to the Editor" and other such that gives finely tunes, reasoned discourse on the validity of her stance and the reasons she is a total flake.
I agree that losing her child in a war that is little more than an excuse to make money is not something anyone ever wants to go through and no one deserves to go through that particular version of hell. But if your child, no matter how old (or young) they are signs up for the military, then they at least knew what they were getting in to. The reality is that there are gazillions of ways to die and there is nothing different about how her son died vs how millions of others have died. The only reason that does make sense is old age or when some horrible disease is killing you in stages like cancer and it is a relief to finally die.
But the way Sheehan has placed her son over all the others who have died, made herself the spokesperson for all the parents of children who died, THAT pisses me off.
3. The gas price rise is getting old. I know that in a year or so it will be a matter of course to shell out $30 plus at the gas station, but it still freaking hurts. I'd rather spend that cash on other necessities - like food. Or if I was feeling really adventurous, maybe I would use the extra cash on things like the power bill.
4. exmi, I am sorry to say this, but I will not miss the trailer. It is pretty cool to live out there and the berry bushes have been divine, but I hate living that far out of town. I want a condo! Give me Wal-Mart! I want to be 10 minutes away from every restaurant! Screw having to drive 25 minutes just to get to the outskirts of town. I like being 2 minutes from Wal-Mart at my Mom's. I like being 10 minutes from their library. I vastly prefer driving the highways rather than the back roads. The lunatic drivers are easier for me to cope with on the highway and the number of deer attacking me drops dramatically.
Not to mention the number of pack hounds I have to save the dogs from drops from 5+ to zero. I really did not appreciate having those same hounds look at me like I was dinner. I have some serious objections, you know? Dogs are supposed to look up at you with big brown eyes and look soulful and adoring, NOT like crazed Cujo's from Hell.
Though in all fairness, I like how quiet it is, and how dark it gets at night. Being able to watch the lightening during thunder storms is beyond cool. Sitting in the living room and knowing that there is a fire going is really cool on a cold winter night. (Though I suppose nearly burning the place down is something I need to work on preventing. I failed fire safety, what can I say? The place is still standing after all.) Getting to paint all the walls and dramatically brighten the place up was seriously cool. Know that when I do move out, you are going to have to suffer through me unpacking for you makes for a fit of maniacal glee. Though I won't go too overboard there. The fact that I will be 2 hours away gives you all sorts of relieve there.
5. Moving in with my mother, sister, nephew, dog, and sister's 3 cats with all my stuff and my own 3 cats is going to be an experience, definitely a learning experience. I am not sure how we will emerge from this period in our lives. What I can predict is that my sister and I are going to have some serious fights. My mother is going to be annoyed and annoying.
My nephew will be wired for far too long.
The dog & I will lose weight.
The cats will try and kill each other on a daily basis.
The house will undergo various mini-facelifts while I am there.
I will be able to pare down my belongings to just what I want and need, and yet I am willing to bet I am still going to need more book shelves by December 2005.
My clothes are all going to develop a fine layer of cat and dog hair unless I am seriously vigilant because my closet will be a jury-rigged affair. (I am placing 4 sets of shelves a few feet from the 1 wall and placing those free standing clothes bars behind them. That's my closet!)
A lot of money will be saved.
I will have cable and DSL again.
I will further develop my hatred of yard work.
Anytime I get sick I will be in a special category of hell because according to my family, the only time I am really sick is if there is blood involved. Otherwise, I have no excuse for not going to work, getting the cat boxes cleaned, running my sister to class, getting the grocery shopping done, etc. Just because I have a temp. of 102 degrees, throwing up every time I turn around, and have passed out twice in the past hour, is no excuse.
Well, it is not that bad. It just always feels that bad when I get the flu or have 1 of my migraines, and there is no sympathy. I love sympathy when I get sick. I want lots of coddling when I am sick. Problem is that I can't stand anyone around me when I am sick. Makes for an interesting problem.
6. The spammers who post comments are really rather annoying. I am trying to remember who posted a way to block spammers on a blog while still allowing readers to post. Once I do that, life will be less annoying.
7. I also wish that some of the people I regularly read would post me. It gives me something to do on days like today when all the items on my "To Do" list were accomplished by 10am and I still have to be at work until 6pm. It is not so bad when there are a lot of patrons coming in and out, or if I have something to do, but I don't! And most of today's list of things to do fell under the category of "search for jobs," "read favorite blogs," and "send out resume." Well, I am done and while I intend to do more job searching, that only gets me so far. Especially since I have to look friendly and welcoming. That is so annoying. Why can't I be grimacing and frightening? I think it would speed up the patrons here at the library and maybe get the dumb ones out.
Friday, August 19, 2005
I'm Bored
Ha! 
Here is the picture they managed to get of me here at work. It took a lot of sneaking around because I kept closing my eyes, turning my head, that sort of nonsense. It honestly was not deliberate. Closing my eyes is just instinctive and the turning away was because they tried to take these pictures on a Monday evening. That is our guaranteed busy day and after 3 pm it is a madhouse in here.
I am bored out of my ever loving mind right now. There are no projects I can work on. Reports are all done until the 30th. Not that I have many because I am not trusted enough as a lowly branch manager without an American Library Association degree to actually understand things like statistics and the importance of customer satisfaction, let alone how to manipulate data. Just because I have been doing that in every other job I have had since I started college is a small detail, and the fact that I have more degrees and experience than most of my "superiors" here is a small teeny tiny detail.
No, I am not bitter. Not a bit!
I know that I could write some fictional tales, but when I do start, I tend to fall into the cliched "zone" and am not that pleasant to those tax payers who pay my salary so that is a really bad idea. I do not have anything good to relay to friends. My head is pounding which makes life all that much less exciting. And there are far too many people who can't think for themselves. I am getting very tired of blatant stupidity. I mean, really, am I asking too much when I expect people to understand the word "Restroom"?
I suppose I could play an online game but that just does not appeal right now. I do not want to start reading a book because my head is really pounding and I am seeing streamers as my eyes shift. This is just annoying and so I am sharing my low level annoyance with the web world. Everyone reading this, feel honored.
And if anyone can, I am open to IM through my hotmail email. I am routinely bored enough that I am always willing to IM. I will have to disappear for random moments as I help a patron, but on Thursday from 12 noon until closing, we are lucky to have to do anything but putter around. Same goes for alternating Fridays and Saturdays. Monday through Wednesday depends on whether school is in session and if the kids have reports due. But for anyone as bored as me, PLEASE! IM ME! Help keep me awake if nothing else! And that goes for the new mommy, and my UK friend, T.N., exmi, and anyone & everyone who looks at this. I do appreciate the time you guys spend online with me. If you guys did not help out, I'd never make it through the day.
BECAUSE I HATE BEING BORED!
Going off on my favorite job related rant - I know the main reason I hate this job as much as I do is not because it is so stressful, demanding, or just plain hard to do. No. It is because I am bored out of my skull. I have 1 meeting to go to every 3 months. 1 monthly report to write up and that is more like fill in the blanks. Monthly faxes to send but those are on demand from higher ups. And that is it. I do nothing else and it drives me bonkers.
I know that I can create projects to do, but I end up turning most of those over to my staff to keep them occupied during their shifts. And if I have volunteers it is even worse because there really is not all that much to do at any given time. Pretty dang depressing. On days I am not seeing migraine streamers as I shift my eyes I am going to have to start writing fiction. It is going to be pure self-defense because I can not stand to do this little and just sit all day to no purpose. I know there many people who would kill for this job but I am just bored! And I hate when my head attempts to implode.
Here is the picture they managed to get of me here at work. It took a lot of sneaking around because I kept closing my eyes, turning my head, that sort of nonsense. It honestly was not deliberate. Closing my eyes is just instinctive and the turning away was because they tried to take these pictures on a Monday evening. That is our guaranteed busy day and after 3 pm it is a madhouse in here.
I am bored out of my ever loving mind right now. There are no projects I can work on. Reports are all done until the 30th. Not that I have many because I am not trusted enough as a lowly branch manager without an American Library Association degree to actually understand things like statistics and the importance of customer satisfaction, let alone how to manipulate data. Just because I have been doing that in every other job I have had since I started college is a small detail, and the fact that I have more degrees and experience than most of my "superiors" here is a small teeny tiny detail.
No, I am not bitter. Not a bit!
I know that I could write some fictional tales, but when I do start, I tend to fall into the cliched "zone" and am not that pleasant to those tax payers who pay my salary so that is a really bad idea. I do not have anything good to relay to friends. My head is pounding which makes life all that much less exciting. And there are far too many people who can't think for themselves. I am getting very tired of blatant stupidity. I mean, really, am I asking too much when I expect people to understand the word "Restroom"?
I suppose I could play an online game but that just does not appeal right now. I do not want to start reading a book because my head is really pounding and I am seeing streamers as my eyes shift. This is just annoying and so I am sharing my low level annoyance with the web world. Everyone reading this, feel honored.
And if anyone can, I am open to IM through my hotmail email. I am routinely bored enough that I am always willing to IM. I will have to disappear for random moments as I help a patron, but on Thursday from 12 noon until closing, we are lucky to have to do anything but putter around. Same goes for alternating Fridays and Saturdays. Monday through Wednesday depends on whether school is in session and if the kids have reports due. But for anyone as bored as me, PLEASE! IM ME! Help keep me awake if nothing else! And that goes for the new mommy, and my UK friend, T.N., exmi, and anyone & everyone who looks at this. I do appreciate the time you guys spend online with me. If you guys did not help out, I'd never make it through the day.
BECAUSE I HATE BEING BORED!
Going off on my favorite job related rant - I know the main reason I hate this job as much as I do is not because it is so stressful, demanding, or just plain hard to do. No. It is because I am bored out of my skull. I have 1 meeting to go to every 3 months. 1 monthly report to write up and that is more like fill in the blanks. Monthly faxes to send but those are on demand from higher ups. And that is it. I do nothing else and it drives me bonkers.
I know that I can create projects to do, but I end up turning most of those over to my staff to keep them occupied during their shifts. And if I have volunteers it is even worse because there really is not all that much to do at any given time. Pretty dang depressing. On days I am not seeing migraine streamers as I shift my eyes I am going to have to start writing fiction. It is going to be pure self-defense because I can not stand to do this little and just sit all day to no purpose. I know there many people who would kill for this job but I am just bored! And I hate when my head attempts to implode.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
I Almost Wish
This is enough to make me almost wish I was in an affair just so I could send one.
MSNBC.com
When you care enough to risk everything ... With the Secret Lover Collection, now adulterers can say it with a card
By Alex Johnson
Reporter
MSNBC
Updated: 5:15 p.m. ET Aug. 17, 2005
It is a sentiment guaranteed to melt the coldest heart:
“Just when I thought I would never find my true love — you came along ...”
It is a greeting card, decorated with a depiction of purple flowers. Inside:
“My soul has been searching for you since I came into this world.
“All my life I have had this emptiness inside, like a part of me was missing and I was incomplete ...
“And now I can’t imagine my life without you ... Even if I have to share you.”
Even if I have to share you?
This is not a card for the wife — not the sender’s wife, at least.
Pssst: I love you. Don’t tell anyoneIn fact, it is specifically for anyone but the wife. Called “My Lover,” the card is one of 24 in the Secret Lover Collection, published by a former advertising executive in Bethesda, Md., named Cathy Gallagher. If you are having an extramarital affair, Secret Lover cards can make it an affair to remember.
Gallagher hit upon the idea a couple of years ago. Like most couples, she and her husband had friends whose marriages had been affected by extramarital affairs, with all their attendant “conflict and emotional intensity,” she said in an interview.
“I’m thinking, ‘So how do these people communicate? It’s a secret love affair,’” Gallagher said. “So I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, what better can you do than give someone your sentiments in a greeting card? How special is that?’”
After two years of market research revealed an unfilled need, she said, the cards debuted to enormous curiosity this year at the annual National Stationery Show in New York.
Barbara Miller, a spokeswoman for the Greeting Card Association, a national trade group, confirmed that the collection was, indeed, unique.
“Ms. Gallagher thought she saw a specific niche there, and she’s going after that particular niche,” Miller said. “Whether or not it proves successful I guess we’ll all have to wait and see. ... It’s obviously a business decision on her end.”
How big a market?Secret Lover claims on its Web site that its research shows that 60 percent of American men and 40 percent of women “are involved in or have been involved in an affair.”
The most recent surveys, by the National Opinion Research Center at Chicago University in 2002 and the Kinsey Institute in 1994, indicate that slightly less than a quarter of men and about 12 percent of women have strayed from their marriages. But public opinion experts caution that respondents have a strong incentive to lie, so Gallagher’s numbers could well be close to the truth.
Either way, that’s millions of ring-doffing would-be customers for Secret Lover. “It was unbelievable in terms of the numbers of people,” Gallagher said.
But it remains an open question whether Secret Lover can indeed profit from sin. While Gallagher is negotiating with retailers and says prospects are bright, some retailers have said they would avoid the line for fear of alienating their customers, while others have said their customers probably wouldn’t want to buy the cards in a public store.
The company’s e-commerce site did not open until this week, so sales figures there aren’t yet available, but Gallagher said that more than a million unique visitors had stopped by the home page since May and that e-mail sales were strong.
“The question for me then becomes does the promotion of such a Web site make adultery more acceptable,” said Dr. Trina E. Read, a Canadian sexologist and columnist. “I would guess not because even though a lot of people are doing it, there is still a huge negative societal connotation.”
Celebrating adultery?Gallagher says she doesn’t talk about the social implications: “I’m neither a crusader nor an advocate for this lifestyle. I’m a businesswoman.” As for her critics, she says, “People are entitled to their opinions.”
But specialists in family and marital relations have their doubts, noting that the divorce rate has risen above 50 percent in recent years.
“It seems to me really crude to use a greeting card to celebrate what, in the 16th century, was an offense by which you would be publicly hanged in the town square,” said John Mayoue (pronounced May-you), a divorce and family lawyer in Atlanta.
Dr. Robert R. Butterworth, a psychologist in Los Angeles who specializes in reactions to traumatic stress, could only laugh when told about the Secret Lover Collection.
“I can see trouble ahead,” he said. “This will be a boon for marriage therapists all across the nation, because [the cards] are going to wind up in the wrong hands. They’re going to go to the wrong address, and they’re not going to self-destruct.”
When is a secret not a secret?For the Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway, an interfaith minister in New York, the point of sending your secret lover a Secret Lover card is hard to grasp.
“It’s not cute. It’s sad,” said Brockway, author of “Wedding Goddess: A Divine Guide to Transforming Wedding Stress Into Wedding Bliss.” “I thought the idea of having a secret lover was just that — it is secret. These cards negate the idea of sneaking around. They leave a paper trail.”
And that, said Mayoue, the divorce lawyer, is not a smart thing for an adulterer to do.
With cell-phone records, Mayoue said, he can “circumstantially prove the adultery.” But with greeting cards, “I’m not just going to prove it circumstantially; it’ll be graphic. I would ask them which card this person chose and what the sentiments were, and then I’ll have it in their own words.
“If I’m the company, I’m probably going to have a full-time lawyer on staff just to respond to subpoenas,” he said. (Gallagher said she’d already thought of that and did have lawyers on call.)
Butterworth, meanwhile, said the unforeseen consequences of sending a card to your lover could go much deeper than just an expensive divorce settlement or public embarrassment, especially because “the recipient may not welcome it.”
“What those cards are saying is: ‘Oh, my God, they’re getting romantically involved. I’m getting really scared now,’” Butterworth said. “... Women are sometimes afraid to break it off because they are afraid of what [the other party] will do.”
His solution? “I’d feel a little better if they also had a division of ‘breaking it off’ cards. ... Maybe they should have a couple [of cards] that say, ‘We had a great time, but I realize that we need to move on.’”
Secret Lover has it covered: For $3.99, you can tell your paramour: I can’t go on like this ...
© 2005 MSNBC Interactive
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8973962/
http://www.secretlovercollection.com/ Here is the website for those curious
MSNBC.com
When you care enough to risk everything ... With the Secret Lover Collection, now adulterers can say it with a card
By Alex Johnson
Reporter
MSNBC
Updated: 5:15 p.m. ET Aug. 17, 2005
It is a sentiment guaranteed to melt the coldest heart:
“Just when I thought I would never find my true love — you came along ...”
It is a greeting card, decorated with a depiction of purple flowers. Inside:
“My soul has been searching for you since I came into this world.
“All my life I have had this emptiness inside, like a part of me was missing and I was incomplete ...
“And now I can’t imagine my life without you ... Even if I have to share you.”
Even if I have to share you?
This is not a card for the wife — not the sender’s wife, at least.
Pssst: I love you. Don’t tell anyoneIn fact, it is specifically for anyone but the wife. Called “My Lover,” the card is one of 24 in the Secret Lover Collection, published by a former advertising executive in Bethesda, Md., named Cathy Gallagher. If you are having an extramarital affair, Secret Lover cards can make it an affair to remember.
Gallagher hit upon the idea a couple of years ago. Like most couples, she and her husband had friends whose marriages had been affected by extramarital affairs, with all their attendant “conflict and emotional intensity,” she said in an interview.
“I’m thinking, ‘So how do these people communicate? It’s a secret love affair,’” Gallagher said. “So I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, what better can you do than give someone your sentiments in a greeting card? How special is that?’”
After two years of market research revealed an unfilled need, she said, the cards debuted to enormous curiosity this year at the annual National Stationery Show in New York.
Barbara Miller, a spokeswoman for the Greeting Card Association, a national trade group, confirmed that the collection was, indeed, unique.
“Ms. Gallagher thought she saw a specific niche there, and she’s going after that particular niche,” Miller said. “Whether or not it proves successful I guess we’ll all have to wait and see. ... It’s obviously a business decision on her end.”
How big a market?Secret Lover claims on its Web site that its research shows that 60 percent of American men and 40 percent of women “are involved in or have been involved in an affair.”
The most recent surveys, by the National Opinion Research Center at Chicago University in 2002 and the Kinsey Institute in 1994, indicate that slightly less than a quarter of men and about 12 percent of women have strayed from their marriages. But public opinion experts caution that respondents have a strong incentive to lie, so Gallagher’s numbers could well be close to the truth.
Either way, that’s millions of ring-doffing would-be customers for Secret Lover. “It was unbelievable in terms of the numbers of people,” Gallagher said.
But it remains an open question whether Secret Lover can indeed profit from sin. While Gallagher is negotiating with retailers and says prospects are bright, some retailers have said they would avoid the line for fear of alienating their customers, while others have said their customers probably wouldn’t want to buy the cards in a public store.
The company’s e-commerce site did not open until this week, so sales figures there aren’t yet available, but Gallagher said that more than a million unique visitors had stopped by the home page since May and that e-mail sales were strong.
“The question for me then becomes does the promotion of such a Web site make adultery more acceptable,” said Dr. Trina E. Read, a Canadian sexologist and columnist. “I would guess not because even though a lot of people are doing it, there is still a huge negative societal connotation.”
Celebrating adultery?Gallagher says she doesn’t talk about the social implications: “I’m neither a crusader nor an advocate for this lifestyle. I’m a businesswoman.” As for her critics, she says, “People are entitled to their opinions.”
But specialists in family and marital relations have their doubts, noting that the divorce rate has risen above 50 percent in recent years.
“It seems to me really crude to use a greeting card to celebrate what, in the 16th century, was an offense by which you would be publicly hanged in the town square,” said John Mayoue (pronounced May-you), a divorce and family lawyer in Atlanta.
Dr. Robert R. Butterworth, a psychologist in Los Angeles who specializes in reactions to traumatic stress, could only laugh when told about the Secret Lover Collection.
“I can see trouble ahead,” he said. “This will be a boon for marriage therapists all across the nation, because [the cards] are going to wind up in the wrong hands. They’re going to go to the wrong address, and they’re not going to self-destruct.”
When is a secret not a secret?For the Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway, an interfaith minister in New York, the point of sending your secret lover a Secret Lover card is hard to grasp.
“It’s not cute. It’s sad,” said Brockway, author of “Wedding Goddess: A Divine Guide to Transforming Wedding Stress Into Wedding Bliss.” “I thought the idea of having a secret lover was just that — it is secret. These cards negate the idea of sneaking around. They leave a paper trail.”
And that, said Mayoue, the divorce lawyer, is not a smart thing for an adulterer to do.
With cell-phone records, Mayoue said, he can “circumstantially prove the adultery.” But with greeting cards, “I’m not just going to prove it circumstantially; it’ll be graphic. I would ask them which card this person chose and what the sentiments were, and then I’ll have it in their own words.
“If I’m the company, I’m probably going to have a full-time lawyer on staff just to respond to subpoenas,” he said. (Gallagher said she’d already thought of that and did have lawyers on call.)
Butterworth, meanwhile, said the unforeseen consequences of sending a card to your lover could go much deeper than just an expensive divorce settlement or public embarrassment, especially because “the recipient may not welcome it.”
“What those cards are saying is: ‘Oh, my God, they’re getting romantically involved. I’m getting really scared now,’” Butterworth said. “... Women are sometimes afraid to break it off because they are afraid of what [the other party] will do.”
His solution? “I’d feel a little better if they also had a division of ‘breaking it off’ cards. ... Maybe they should have a couple [of cards] that say, ‘We had a great time, but I realize that we need to move on.’”
Secret Lover has it covered: For $3.99, you can tell your paramour: I can’t go on like this ...
© 2005 MSNBC Interactive
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8973962/
http://www.secretlovercollection.com/ Here is the website for those curious
Today's Ramblings
Yesterday was my birthday and it was rather anti-climatic. I did nothing but drive my sister around town and shop (repeatedly) at Wal-Mart. Once everyone was home, we had veggie plates for dinner, watched a bit of TV, and went to bed. I loved every second of it. I was not at work and I was able to relax. It was great!
Today, unfortunately, I came back to work to find an adorable card from my staff and a king sized package of Reeses peanut butter cups. My favorites! Once the children's hour was over, and all the rug rats and their parents left, I was able to kill a large chunk of time checking my email and catching up on the news.
Normally, I will avoid commenting on current events because there are several million sites that are managed by individuals who are better informed and able to put forth their opinions in far more clarity and coherency than I can ever dream of achieving. But these 2 stories just get my dander up.
The first in the Btk case. I find the entire media circus almost as horrifying as the court case itself. Why must the media tell us how he did his research and find out all the best ways to kill? Why must we know that this sick fuck killed a child and then maturbated over her dead body? I could have cared less that he dressed up in their clothes and then took pictures. I want to know more details about why this sick fuck will not get the death sentence. I want to know more about the chain of events and evidence that led the police to him. I want to know about the detectives chain of thoughts. What I do not want to know is how this lunatic looks in the dress of 1 of his victims. I do not want my over active imagination to be able to picture how he looked as he masturbated over a dead girls body. Yet now I can and I do not appreciate it.
The other annoyance is Cindy Sheehan. If you follow this link, you will end up at an article about the vigil held last night by the anti-war protestors. I want to make clear that I disagree strongly with this war in Iraq and Afghanistan. I think it is all a crock of shit that wastes resources and has been mismanaged by the bureaucrats from the beginning. However, I find this bimbo absolutely disgusting. What she has turned herself into is an absolute farce and it is enough to make me want to hit the reporters for encouraging her to make an idiot of herself. Her son was killed in a war that is a waste of resources and the stated reasons have proven to be invalid. That is horrible. But guess what? Several others have lost their children in wars they disagreed with and that is just in the past 2 years!
It is a historical fact that people die when they go in to armed combat. Her child knew this, as did her husband. Obviously, this woman has managed to avoid that particular fact of life. How is beyond me, but being oblivious no longer gets you killed. While I would be among the 1st to die in an older era, I almost wish some great catastrophe would occur just to improve the gene pool. Too many people like Sheehan are missing the minor facts that war is hell. It is not a clean game you play by pushing buttons. It involves people sweating, swearing, and generally being the toughest bad ass you can be to survive. No where in the description is the phrase, "clean shaven, deoderized, sanitary conditions" to be found. It would not be war if it was all clean and sanitary.
When I hear or read people who feel like Sheehan I can admire their view point. It would be wonderful if the world was filled with individuals who are all open minded, accepting and caring. It would be heavenly if all problems could be solved in a peaceful nonviolent manner. However, those history classes and text books that these idealist obviously missed are chock full of how it ain't going to happen any time soon.
Just look at BTK killer, dead beat parents, the educational system and how it is fighting a losing battle to educate the nest generation because of these idealist who feel that self esteem matters more than actually learning anything. It does not freaking matter. I am a generally calm, passive soul with a lazy streak 20 miles wide and incredibly anti-social. Despite these basic personality facts, I want to stomp in to the ground the morons who find dog fights to be entertaining, parents who do not grasp the fact that a child requires taking on responsibility beyond demanding a welfare check, and am incredibly infuriated by how society is just stupid.
Side note on societal stupidity: Earlier I read Zombie Lama's blog about how society is willing to accept the commercial industry without a qualm about body image and what is beautiful, yet we argue over politics and are willing to get into bloody fights over the right to put up a beer sign. I agree with his comments, plus those which were posted in response. I know that I personally have serious body image issues. At 5'7", 145 lbs., wear a size 8, I should not feel like I am overweight blimp with an ass that rivals the Good Year Blimps'. I am constantly watching my diet and exercise despite my doctor's orders. Arthritis, fibromyalgia, a compressed spine, and diabetes make things like sprints a BAD idea. Guess what I do? Though I also do yoga to make sure my joints do not hate me too terribly much and it does wonders for muscle toning.
Today, unfortunately, I came back to work to find an adorable card from my staff and a king sized package of Reeses peanut butter cups. My favorites! Once the children's hour was over, and all the rug rats and their parents left, I was able to kill a large chunk of time checking my email and catching up on the news.
Normally, I will avoid commenting on current events because there are several million sites that are managed by individuals who are better informed and able to put forth their opinions in far more clarity and coherency than I can ever dream of achieving. But these 2 stories just get my dander up.
The first in the Btk case. I find the entire media circus almost as horrifying as the court case itself. Why must the media tell us how he did his research and find out all the best ways to kill? Why must we know that this sick fuck killed a child and then maturbated over her dead body? I could have cared less that he dressed up in their clothes and then took pictures. I want to know more details about why this sick fuck will not get the death sentence. I want to know more about the chain of events and evidence that led the police to him. I want to know about the detectives chain of thoughts. What I do not want to know is how this lunatic looks in the dress of 1 of his victims. I do not want my over active imagination to be able to picture how he looked as he masturbated over a dead girls body. Yet now I can and I do not appreciate it.
The other annoyance is Cindy Sheehan. If you follow this link, you will end up at an article about the vigil held last night by the anti-war protestors. I want to make clear that I disagree strongly with this war in Iraq and Afghanistan. I think it is all a crock of shit that wastes resources and has been mismanaged by the bureaucrats from the beginning. However, I find this bimbo absolutely disgusting. What she has turned herself into is an absolute farce and it is enough to make me want to hit the reporters for encouraging her to make an idiot of herself. Her son was killed in a war that is a waste of resources and the stated reasons have proven to be invalid. That is horrible. But guess what? Several others have lost their children in wars they disagreed with and that is just in the past 2 years!
It is a historical fact that people die when they go in to armed combat. Her child knew this, as did her husband. Obviously, this woman has managed to avoid that particular fact of life. How is beyond me, but being oblivious no longer gets you killed. While I would be among the 1st to die in an older era, I almost wish some great catastrophe would occur just to improve the gene pool. Too many people like Sheehan are missing the minor facts that war is hell. It is not a clean game you play by pushing buttons. It involves people sweating, swearing, and generally being the toughest bad ass you can be to survive. No where in the description is the phrase, "clean shaven, deoderized, sanitary conditions" to be found. It would not be war if it was all clean and sanitary.
When I hear or read people who feel like Sheehan I can admire their view point. It would be wonderful if the world was filled with individuals who are all open minded, accepting and caring. It would be heavenly if all problems could be solved in a peaceful nonviolent manner. However, those history classes and text books that these idealist obviously missed are chock full of how it ain't going to happen any time soon.
Just look at BTK killer, dead beat parents, the educational system and how it is fighting a losing battle to educate the nest generation because of these idealist who feel that self esteem matters more than actually learning anything. It does not freaking matter. I am a generally calm, passive soul with a lazy streak 20 miles wide and incredibly anti-social. Despite these basic personality facts, I want to stomp in to the ground the morons who find dog fights to be entertaining, parents who do not grasp the fact that a child requires taking on responsibility beyond demanding a welfare check, and am incredibly infuriated by how society is just stupid.
Side note on societal stupidity: Earlier I read Zombie Lama's blog about how society is willing to accept the commercial industry without a qualm about body image and what is beautiful, yet we argue over politics and are willing to get into bloody fights over the right to put up a beer sign. I agree with his comments, plus those which were posted in response. I know that I personally have serious body image issues. At 5'7", 145 lbs., wear a size 8, I should not feel like I am overweight blimp with an ass that rivals the Good Year Blimps'. I am constantly watching my diet and exercise despite my doctor's orders. Arthritis, fibromyalgia, a compressed spine, and diabetes make things like sprints a BAD idea. Guess what I do? Though I also do yoga to make sure my joints do not hate me too terribly much and it does wonders for muscle toning.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Stalking and other traumatic memories
Zombie Lama has left a "request" for some of my life stories. There are many, mostly because I live in a college town and have the remarkable ability to attract soap operas. It's part of the reason I hide from people in fact. All too often, I get swept into someone's life and I end up dealing with police reports and 911. I am now incredibly paranoid and fanatically possessive of my limited free time. exmi can testify to that. It takes a crow bar to get me out any more.
Anyway, stalkers was the topic and I have dealt several. Since I am bored out of my skull with boredom here at work and the memories are percolating, I'm going to reminisce.
There are the 4 legged ones which I not only prefer, but actually encourage. That is how I got some of my cats over the years and managed to save several dogs from starvation. The 4 leggers are vastly cuter anyway, even covered in fleas and missing most of their fur.
The 2 legged variety range from the annoying but harmless type to the delightful "tried to run me off the road because I was driving the object of his obsession home." The harmless types everyone knows all about. That idiot who can't take the hint that you are not interested, and keeps coming around despite the heavy handed hints. When you tell someone that you need to clip your cats nails and can't join them for dinner followed by an evening at the theater, the hint should be pretty obvious. Or am I wrong?
The more serious examples range from the neighbor who took it into his psychotic head that I needed to die to the ex-boyfriend of a roommate who would not take the hint he was history. Probably the hardest to deal with was the neighbor. I can still remember the conversations my roommates and I had trying to figure out why he felt the need to try and electrocute me, drown me, run me over, threaten to shoot me, and the list goes on. About the only thing he did not do was try and stab me. It was not until he crossed a serious line by poisoning me and his roommate with tainted alcohol and really went too far with his "experiments" that the police finally took us "silly college freshmen girls" seriously.
My contempt for the local law officials stems from this point.
I've had the great joy of dealing with peeping toms, sobbing men who just can't understand "why doesn't she love me?", girls cowering in my closet as their soon to be ex rants outside. I've driven the neighbors to the hospital because they had an argument and managed to slice each other up rather impressively. (I drove mostly because there was no one else and they could not afford the ambulance.) There have been the 3 a.m. break-ins that left me a cowering wreck for the next week.
What is astonishing though is how none of this was as awful as the day I had to tell my boyfriend of 5 years that I would not marry him. That was a serious not fun moment in my life. It was better than waiting until before the wedding, but it was still horrible.
For those who know all involved and are reading this, remember, he was the best thing for me at the time. I was a wee bit fucked up at the time and having no one believe me but my roommates when I said the neighbor was trying to kill me - INCLUDING my family - was a major blow. Everyone, me especially, just needs to be grateful that I did wake up and realize that the world was an OK place and I would be utterly miserable if I married him.
By then, the soap opera was well on its way to consuming me and I realized enough was enough. No one was worth all the drama going on. So I moved away from everyone and met up with some really wonderful people, kept some of the previous bunch, and moved on.
Most of those I still know are those with some sense and rather strong personalities. Wonder what that says about me & them?
Anyway, stalkers was the topic and I have dealt several. Since I am bored out of my skull with boredom here at work and the memories are percolating, I'm going to reminisce.
There are the 4 legged ones which I not only prefer, but actually encourage. That is how I got some of my cats over the years and managed to save several dogs from starvation. The 4 leggers are vastly cuter anyway, even covered in fleas and missing most of their fur.
The 2 legged variety range from the annoying but harmless type to the delightful "tried to run me off the road because I was driving the object of his obsession home." The harmless types everyone knows all about. That idiot who can't take the hint that you are not interested, and keeps coming around despite the heavy handed hints. When you tell someone that you need to clip your cats nails and can't join them for dinner followed by an evening at the theater, the hint should be pretty obvious. Or am I wrong?
The more serious examples range from the neighbor who took it into his psychotic head that I needed to die to the ex-boyfriend of a roommate who would not take the hint he was history. Probably the hardest to deal with was the neighbor. I can still remember the conversations my roommates and I had trying to figure out why he felt the need to try and electrocute me, drown me, run me over, threaten to shoot me, and the list goes on. About the only thing he did not do was try and stab me. It was not until he crossed a serious line by poisoning me and his roommate with tainted alcohol and really went too far with his "experiments" that the police finally took us "silly college freshmen girls" seriously.
My contempt for the local law officials stems from this point.
I've had the great joy of dealing with peeping toms, sobbing men who just can't understand "why doesn't she love me?", girls cowering in my closet as their soon to be ex rants outside. I've driven the neighbors to the hospital because they had an argument and managed to slice each other up rather impressively. (I drove mostly because there was no one else and they could not afford the ambulance.) There have been the 3 a.m. break-ins that left me a cowering wreck for the next week.
What is astonishing though is how none of this was as awful as the day I had to tell my boyfriend of 5 years that I would not marry him. That was a serious not fun moment in my life. It was better than waiting until before the wedding, but it was still horrible.
For those who know all involved and are reading this, remember, he was the best thing for me at the time. I was a wee bit fucked up at the time and having no one believe me but my roommates when I said the neighbor was trying to kill me - INCLUDING my family - was a major blow. Everyone, me especially, just needs to be grateful that I did wake up and realize that the world was an OK place and I would be utterly miserable if I married him.
By then, the soap opera was well on its way to consuming me and I realized enough was enough. No one was worth all the drama going on. So I moved away from everyone and met up with some really wonderful people, kept some of the previous bunch, and moved on.
Most of those I still know are those with some sense and rather strong personalities. Wonder what that says about me & them?
Strange News
Thanks to AP News!
Pa. Couple to Wed at McDonald's Drive-Thru
Do you want fries with those vows? Ken Sinchar and Lori Sherbondy have heard that and every other fast-food joke since they announced plans to marry at a McDonald's drive-thru, where they fell in love four years earlier.
On Monday night, Sinchar rolled through the drive-thru in his white minivan, just as he had done day after day, hoping to chat with "that blue-eyed brunette named Lori."
But on this night, Sinchar rolled down his window, Sherbondy slid open hers and the couple grabbed hands as a district judge pronounced them husband and wife.
Sinchar was expecting to pick up a Big Mac, not a date, the first time he pulled through the Norwin Towne Shopping Center McDonald's.
"I didn't used to go for fast food, but I looked at that woman in the window, and wow! I came back every lunchtime after that," said Sinchar, a 38-year-old floor installer.
Sherbondy, 42, who's worked at the restaurant for eight years, said Sinchar made an impression, too.
"He's the only man I ever flirted with," Sherbondy said. "It got to where everyone in the store knew when it was 12:15, when my Hamburger Happy Meal Man was coming through."
Lions stalk little Smart cars in English big game park
Lions at a safari park in the north of England are prowling after Smart cars, in the apparent belief that the boxy little two-seat European city cars are worthy prey.
Visitors to Knowsley Safari Park, outside Liverpool, have long been able to drive their vehicles within metres (yards) of the big cats -- but those in Smart cars have discovered that the lions are paying them particular interest.
"The lions are used to seeing saloons (sedans) and family cars on a daily basis, but they had never seen a Smart before," park manager David Ross said Tuesday.
"Because of the cars' small size and unusual looks, the lions were immediately interested and went to take a closer look."
"We won't be excluding Smarts from the park but we will monitor their progress and ensure that the lions don't take anything more than a passing interest."
Knowsley Safari Park is home to a variety of exotic animals including tigers, buffalo, baboons, camels, rhinos, elephants and giraffes.
A spokesman for Smart, a Mercedes-Benz brand, said the animal attraction was "very unusual".
Pa. Couple to Wed at McDonald's Drive-Thru
Do you want fries with those vows? Ken Sinchar and Lori Sherbondy have heard that and every other fast-food joke since they announced plans to marry at a McDonald's drive-thru, where they fell in love four years earlier.
On Monday night, Sinchar rolled through the drive-thru in his white minivan, just as he had done day after day, hoping to chat with "that blue-eyed brunette named Lori."
But on this night, Sinchar rolled down his window, Sherbondy slid open hers and the couple grabbed hands as a district judge pronounced them husband and wife.
Sinchar was expecting to pick up a Big Mac, not a date, the first time he pulled through the Norwin Towne Shopping Center McDonald's.
"I didn't used to go for fast food, but I looked at that woman in the window, and wow! I came back every lunchtime after that," said Sinchar, a 38-year-old floor installer.
Sherbondy, 42, who's worked at the restaurant for eight years, said Sinchar made an impression, too.
"He's the only man I ever flirted with," Sherbondy said. "It got to where everyone in the store knew when it was 12:15, when my Hamburger Happy Meal Man was coming through."
Lions stalk little Smart cars in English big game park
Lions at a safari park in the north of England are prowling after Smart cars, in the apparent belief that the boxy little two-seat European city cars are worthy prey.
Visitors to Knowsley Safari Park, outside Liverpool, have long been able to drive their vehicles within metres (yards) of the big cats -- but those in Smart cars have discovered that the lions are paying them particular interest.
"The lions are used to seeing saloons (sedans) and family cars on a daily basis, but they had never seen a Smart before," park manager David Ross said Tuesday.
"Because of the cars' small size and unusual looks, the lions were immediately interested and went to take a closer look."
"We won't be excluding Smarts from the park but we will monitor their progress and ensure that the lions don't take anything more than a passing interest."
Knowsley Safari Park is home to a variety of exotic animals including tigers, buffalo, baboons, camels, rhinos, elephants and giraffes.
A spokesman for Smart, a Mercedes-Benz brand, said the animal attraction was "very unusual".
Monday, August 15, 2005
Could you answer these?
A co-worker just emailed this to me. . . .
All this to accomplish and no computer to help find the answers? What it took to get an 8th grade education in 1895...
-Remember when grandparents and great-grandparents stated that they only had an 8th grade education? Well, check this out. Could any of us have passed the 8th grade in 1895? This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina, Kansas, USA. Itwas taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, KS, and reprinted by the Salina Journal.
8th Grade Final Exam:
Salina, KS -1895 Grammar (Time, one hour)
1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications.
3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph
4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal partsof"lie,""play," and "run."
5. Define case; Illustrate each case.
6 What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation.
7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that youunderstand the practical use of the rules of grammar.
Arithmetic (Time, 125 hours)
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushelsof wheat will it hold?3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel,deducting 1050 lbs. for tare?
4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy tocarry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 forincidentals?
5. Find the cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 permetre?
8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of whichis 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a! Promissory Note, and a Receipt.
U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)
1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus.
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States.
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, andHowe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849,1865.
Orthography (Time, one hour) Do we even know what this is?? (I only know what this is because I took a class in this for my 1st Masters degree. It is the study of language and how it evolves. The class kicked my butt and helped drive home just how tone deaf I am.)
1. What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic, orthography,etymology, syllabication
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, subvocals,diphthong, cognate letters, linguals
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u.' (HUH?)
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final ! 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis,mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup.
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name thesign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise,blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain,feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation byuse of diacritical marks and by syllabication.
Geography (Time, one hour)
1 What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba,Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco.
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
7. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.
Notice that the exam took FIVE HOURS to complete. Gives the saying "he only had an 8th grade education" a whole new meaning, doesn't it?! Also shows you how poor our education system has become... and, NO! I don't have theanswers, and I failed the 8th grade test!
All this to accomplish and no computer to help find the answers? What it took to get an 8th grade education in 1895...
-Remember when grandparents and great-grandparents stated that they only had an 8th grade education? Well, check this out. Could any of us have passed the 8th grade in 1895? This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina, Kansas, USA. Itwas taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, KS, and reprinted by the Salina Journal.
8th Grade Final Exam:
Salina, KS -1895 Grammar (Time, one hour)
1. Give nine rules for the use of capital letters.
2. Name the parts of speech and define those that have no modifications.
3. Define verse, stanza and paragraph
4. What are the principal parts of a verb? Give principal partsof"lie,""play," and "run."
5. Define case; Illustrate each case.
6 What is punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of punctuation.
7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that youunderstand the practical use of the rules of grammar.
Arithmetic (Time, 125 hours)
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushelsof wheat will it hold?3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel,deducting 1050 lbs. for tare?
4. District No 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy tocarry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 forincidentals?
5. Find the cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 permetre?
8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance of whichis 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a! Promissory Note, and a Receipt.
U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)
1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus.
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States.
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, andHowe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849,1865.
Orthography (Time, one hour) Do we even know what this is?? (I only know what this is because I took a class in this for my 1st Masters degree. It is the study of language and how it evolves. The class kicked my butt and helped drive home just how tone deaf I am.)
1. What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic, orthography,etymology, syllabication
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, subvocals,diphthong, cognate letters, linguals
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u.' (HUH?)
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final ! 'e.' Name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis,mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup.
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name thesign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise,blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain,feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation byuse of diacritical marks and by syllabication.
Geography (Time, one hour)
1 What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba,Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco.
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
7. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.
Notice that the exam took FIVE HOURS to complete. Gives the saying "he only had an 8th grade education" a whole new meaning, doesn't it?! Also shows you how poor our education system has become... and, NO! I don't have theanswers, and I failed the 8th grade test!
"Stuff"
Found this on cnn.com
Man kills wife, self at Atlanta hospital
Monday, August 15, 2005; Posted: 1:53 p.m. EDT (17:53 GMT)
ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- A 71-year-old man fatally shot his ailing wife in her hospital room and then killed himself Monday morning, authorities said.
Donald Shields walked into St. Joseph's Hospital at about 6 a.m. and shot his wife, Beverly, in her intensive care room before turning the gun on himself, said Fulton County Police spokesman Cpl. Gary Syblis.
The shootings were confined to one room and no other injuries were reported, police said.
Beverly Shields, 70, had suffered from a heart-related illness, Syblis said. He did not say what sort of treatment she had undergone, but said she had been in the hospital for several weeks and that her recovery was not going well.
Syblis would not speculate about a motive and declined to say how the man got a gun into his wife's hospital room.
A hospital spokeswoman declined to comment on the shooting, saying hospital officials were preparing a statement.
St. Joseph's, founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1880, is Atlanta's oldest hospital. The 360-bed facility in north Atlanta specializes in cardiac care.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
I think what bothers me the most about this is I can guess at some rather depressing reasons why this man killed his wife and then himself. Most of them revolve around money and quality of life. If she had been in the hospital and was not doing well by any stretch of the imagination, then I would hope someone would shot me if I were in the same position. Then there is the entire issue of how the hell did he get a gun in the hospital? THAT is just scary!
Am I the only person who is having problems staying awake? Today just seems to be the sort of day when caffeine is a must, a necessity, forget an indulgence.
This weekend I was able to watch several movies and 1/2 of them were great, the other 1/2 were anything but. The 1st set I watched were actually not movies but 3 episodes of my favorite BBC show, Brother Cadfael. I have a sneaking fascination with all things British, and I adore Ellis Peter's (the author of the Cadfael books) as an author.
I also watched Dragons: Fire and Ice. That was a cute animated flick that had no real value beyond yet another moral lesson in communication and how ultimate power corrupts. I liked it but then again, I like almost anything involving dragons. After that, watched Boogeyman. Do not waste your time. I can't say it was awful because the 1st half was really spooky, but it flopped about half way through. I then watched Pirates of the Caribbean - again. I love that movie! After that, watched Cirque du Soleil's Dralion. I enjoy those just because the people involved are flexible beyond belief and the choreography is fascinating.
This weekend was a rather interesting one. On Saturday at work we had some of our problem children. There are 2 brothers who come in to my library practically every day. I have no problem with that, but what annoys me to no end is how they feel this public facility is their personal living room. They frequently get angry because they are told that their shoes MUST remain on their feet. The chairs are just that, the word "rocking" is not attached anywhere to any chair in this building. Food and drinks are not allowed in the building because, duh, there are computers, electronics, books, and other easily damaged items all through this building. Computer usage is strictly first come, first serve. You do not get to harass other patrons to the point they get off the computers. Yet these concepts seem to escape these 2 juvenile delinquents.
(FYI-Lollipops are seriously frowned upon in the library. Along with using slices of bacon or sandwich meat in general as bookmark. As a civic kindness, please remember that food is not a good bookmark.)
I also had some company this weekend. I must say it was rather fun to have someone new to talk with a do things with. I definitely appreciate that aspect of company. It was down right strange having someone in the other bedroom who walks on 2 legs and not 4, but that is a commentary on my life I am not delving too deeply in to.
This week I will be posting comments on the wisdom of moving back home. There are numerous financial reasons to do this, but the biggest is sheer laziness. I spend 95% of my free time at my mothers as it is. If I am going to be spending my nights there, then I want my own bed so I can get some sleep. The floor is not the most comfortable place to sleep, esp. when your bones scream at you all the next week.
I am going to spend most of this next week up at my mother's and it is going to be a rather trying experiment. I am going up straight from work Tuesday, spending Wednesday running my sister around, and then praying for a decent nights sleep the rest of the week. I will keep everyone posted as the week goes by.
Man kills wife, self at Atlanta hospital
Monday, August 15, 2005; Posted: 1:53 p.m. EDT (17:53 GMT)
ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- A 71-year-old man fatally shot his ailing wife in her hospital room and then killed himself Monday morning, authorities said.
Donald Shields walked into St. Joseph's Hospital at about 6 a.m. and shot his wife, Beverly, in her intensive care room before turning the gun on himself, said Fulton County Police spokesman Cpl. Gary Syblis.
The shootings were confined to one room and no other injuries were reported, police said.
Beverly Shields, 70, had suffered from a heart-related illness, Syblis said. He did not say what sort of treatment she had undergone, but said she had been in the hospital for several weeks and that her recovery was not going well.
Syblis would not speculate about a motive and declined to say how the man got a gun into his wife's hospital room.
A hospital spokeswoman declined to comment on the shooting, saying hospital officials were preparing a statement.
St. Joseph's, founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1880, is Atlanta's oldest hospital. The 360-bed facility in north Atlanta specializes in cardiac care.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
I think what bothers me the most about this is I can guess at some rather depressing reasons why this man killed his wife and then himself. Most of them revolve around money and quality of life. If she had been in the hospital and was not doing well by any stretch of the imagination, then I would hope someone would shot me if I were in the same position. Then there is the entire issue of how the hell did he get a gun in the hospital? THAT is just scary!
Am I the only person who is having problems staying awake? Today just seems to be the sort of day when caffeine is a must, a necessity, forget an indulgence.
This weekend I was able to watch several movies and 1/2 of them were great, the other 1/2 were anything but. The 1st set I watched were actually not movies but 3 episodes of my favorite BBC show, Brother Cadfael. I have a sneaking fascination with all things British, and I adore Ellis Peter's (the author of the Cadfael books) as an author.
I also watched Dragons: Fire and Ice. That was a cute animated flick that had no real value beyond yet another moral lesson in communication and how ultimate power corrupts. I liked it but then again, I like almost anything involving dragons. After that, watched Boogeyman. Do not waste your time. I can't say it was awful because the 1st half was really spooky, but it flopped about half way through. I then watched Pirates of the Caribbean - again. I love that movie! After that, watched Cirque du Soleil's Dralion. I enjoy those just because the people involved are flexible beyond belief and the choreography is fascinating.
This weekend was a rather interesting one. On Saturday at work we had some of our problem children. There are 2 brothers who come in to my library practically every day. I have no problem with that, but what annoys me to no end is how they feel this public facility is their personal living room. They frequently get angry because they are told that their shoes MUST remain on their feet. The chairs are just that, the word "rocking" is not attached anywhere to any chair in this building. Food and drinks are not allowed in the building because, duh, there are computers, electronics, books, and other easily damaged items all through this building. Computer usage is strictly first come, first serve. You do not get to harass other patrons to the point they get off the computers. Yet these concepts seem to escape these 2 juvenile delinquents.
(FYI-Lollipops are seriously frowned upon in the library. Along with using slices of bacon or sandwich meat in general as bookmark. As a civic kindness, please remember that food is not a good bookmark.)
I also had some company this weekend. I must say it was rather fun to have someone new to talk with a do things with. I definitely appreciate that aspect of company. It was down right strange having someone in the other bedroom who walks on 2 legs and not 4, but that is a commentary on my life I am not delving too deeply in to.
This week I will be posting comments on the wisdom of moving back home. There are numerous financial reasons to do this, but the biggest is sheer laziness. I spend 95% of my free time at my mothers as it is. If I am going to be spending my nights there, then I want my own bed so I can get some sleep. The floor is not the most comfortable place to sleep, esp. when your bones scream at you all the next week.
I am going to spend most of this next week up at my mother's and it is going to be a rather trying experiment. I am going up straight from work Tuesday, spending Wednesday running my sister around, and then praying for a decent nights sleep the rest of the week. I will keep everyone posted as the week goes by.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
This is just a sign of how accurate today's reporter's are.
By DANIEL COONEY, Associated Press Writer Sat Aug 13, 1:06 PM ET
KANDAGAL, Afghanistan - The U.S. military has gone low-tech. Frustrated with the limitations of using its fleet of modern Humvee four-wheel-drives in rugged mountains with few roads, a battalion of Marines has enlisted the help of transport vehicles that Afghan villagers have been using for centuries — donkeys.
About 30 of the animals have been rented from local farmers to haul food and bottled water to hundreds of Afghan and U.S. troops on a major two-week operation to battle militants deep in remote mountains in eastern Afghanistan's Kunar province.
"With all the smart bombs and the modern stuff in war nowadays, this is the best way for us to resupply our troops there," said Lt. Col. Jim Donnellan, commander of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, which is based in Hawaii. "It's also much cheaper for the U.S. taxpayer for us to rent the donkeys than for everything to be air-dropped."
Using aircraft to resupply the forces is also dangerous.
In late June, militants in the area shot down a special forces Chinook helicopter, killing all 16 troops on board, as it tried to land in one of the many steep-sided, wooded valleys that snake their way through the mountains.
The operation, which began Friday, is aimed at flushing those fighters out of the valley and U.S. commanders are nervous about risking other choppers in the process.
From a temporary resupply base in a corn field near Kandagal, a tiny village, at one end of Korengal Valley, where the militants are suspected of hiding, squads of Marines with heavy packs on their backs led out lines of donkeys, each laden with two boxes of water, a box of food rations and a sack of grain.
While each Marine carried enough food and water for themselves for two days, the donkeys gave each squad supplies for an extra 48 hours. Once finished, the animals would be led back to the resupply base to load up again and then return to the mountains.
Before coming to Afghanistan, some of the troops received training in handling donkeys at the Marines' Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, Nevada, said Capt. John Moshane.
"Marines have used donkeys since the American revolution," he said, as each animal was being spray painted with a number for identification.
Still, the donkeys' stubbornness to cooperate and their determination to try to mate with each other whenever they were untied persistently frustrated their handlers. When one Marine slapped one of the animals on the rump in exasperation, the donkey promptly gave him a sharp kick with one of its hind legs.
Donkeys have long been used by armies in Afghanistan, including by mujahedeen independence fighters against Soviet troops in the 1980s. They have also been popular with smugglers who use them to sneak loads of opium, illegally mined gems and timber across the country's mountainous borders.
By DANIEL COONEY, Associated Press Writer Sat Aug 13, 1:06 PM ET
KANDAGAL, Afghanistan - The U.S. military has gone low-tech. Frustrated with the limitations of using its fleet of modern Humvee four-wheel-drives in rugged mountains with few roads, a battalion of Marines has enlisted the help of transport vehicles that Afghan villagers have been using for centuries — donkeys.
About 30 of the animals have been rented from local farmers to haul food and bottled water to hundreds of Afghan and U.S. troops on a major two-week operation to battle militants deep in remote mountains in eastern Afghanistan's Kunar province.
"With all the smart bombs and the modern stuff in war nowadays, this is the best way for us to resupply our troops there," said Lt. Col. Jim Donnellan, commander of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, which is based in Hawaii. "It's also much cheaper for the U.S. taxpayer for us to rent the donkeys than for everything to be air-dropped."
Using aircraft to resupply the forces is also dangerous.
In late June, militants in the area shot down a special forces Chinook helicopter, killing all 16 troops on board, as it tried to land in one of the many steep-sided, wooded valleys that snake their way through the mountains.
The operation, which began Friday, is aimed at flushing those fighters out of the valley and U.S. commanders are nervous about risking other choppers in the process.
From a temporary resupply base in a corn field near Kandagal, a tiny village, at one end of Korengal Valley, where the militants are suspected of hiding, squads of Marines with heavy packs on their backs led out lines of donkeys, each laden with two boxes of water, a box of food rations and a sack of grain.
While each Marine carried enough food and water for themselves for two days, the donkeys gave each squad supplies for an extra 48 hours. Once finished, the animals would be led back to the resupply base to load up again and then return to the mountains.
Before coming to Afghanistan, some of the troops received training in handling donkeys at the Marines' Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, Nevada, said Capt. John Moshane.
"Marines have used donkeys since the American revolution," he said, as each animal was being spray painted with a number for identification.
Still, the donkeys' stubbornness to cooperate and their determination to try to mate with each other whenever they were untied persistently frustrated their handlers. When one Marine slapped one of the animals on the rump in exasperation, the donkey promptly gave him a sharp kick with one of its hind legs.
Donkeys have long been used by armies in Afghanistan, including by mujahedeen independence fighters against Soviet troops in the 1980s. They have also been popular with smugglers who use them to sneak loads of opium, illegally mined gems and timber across the country's mountainous borders.
Some Camp
I watched a really campy Japanese flick that I have to recommend. If you go to Amazon (& I hope this works), you can see the write up for the movie called Kibakichi. It is amazingly awful & laughed all the way through it. For those who like Bruce Campbell and movies like Army of Darkness, then you have got to try this movie. It is hilarious!
This summary gives the best description of what happens. I stole it off Amazon and was written up by D. Allen "Wolfman" -
"In the early 1700's, men and monsters lived in peace with each other and nature. It wasn't long before men lost their fear of mosters, and soon turned on them, determined to wipe the monsters from Japan. Though largely successful, small bands of monsters survived, hiding out deep within the mountains. Enter Kibakichi, a ronin from a slaughtered band of werewolves. Kibakichi happens upon one of the last surviving towns populated by monsters. The head of the clan has a dream that once more, men and monsters can live together, though the town feeds off of gamblers who come to the local casino. Though Kibakichi warns them against this corse of action (Kibakichi once trusted humans, but his trust lead to the massacre of his clan of werewolves, who, interestingly enough, are a clan of Japanese dressed up like Native Americans!), the clan leader persists, putting his trust in a band of humans (what's the clue that the humans will betray the monsters? How about the fact that the humans are all dressed in "Hellraiser" / cenobite style outfits, and their leader wears a Ku Klux Klan style hood!) The humans decide to betray the gullible monsters (gee, we didn't see this coming!), and with Gatling Guns bought from England (and dispite it being the 1700's, a batch of billet aluminum cased hand grenades, as well as WWII German "Patato Masher" Grenades), the humans begin to decimate the township of monsters. This pisses off Kibakitchi so much, he turns into a werewolf, and there begins a classic monster bash, straight out of "The Guiver"! "
What makes it so funny for me is the dubbing. It is absolutely awful. You have to wonder just what was really being said because there are so many scenes when the dialogue and action do not match that you do not notice until later that the lip movement is off even more. For those who have "cheesy" movie nights this is one I definitely have to recommend.
This summary gives the best description of what happens. I stole it off Amazon and was written up by D. Allen "Wolfman" -
"In the early 1700's, men and monsters lived in peace with each other and nature. It wasn't long before men lost their fear of mosters, and soon turned on them, determined to wipe the monsters from Japan. Though largely successful, small bands of monsters survived, hiding out deep within the mountains. Enter Kibakichi, a ronin from a slaughtered band of werewolves. Kibakichi happens upon one of the last surviving towns populated by monsters. The head of the clan has a dream that once more, men and monsters can live together, though the town feeds off of gamblers who come to the local casino. Though Kibakichi warns them against this corse of action (Kibakichi once trusted humans, but his trust lead to the massacre of his clan of werewolves, who, interestingly enough, are a clan of Japanese dressed up like Native Americans!), the clan leader persists, putting his trust in a band of humans (what's the clue that the humans will betray the monsters? How about the fact that the humans are all dressed in "Hellraiser" / cenobite style outfits, and their leader wears a Ku Klux Klan style hood!) The humans decide to betray the gullible monsters (gee, we didn't see this coming!), and with Gatling Guns bought from England (and dispite it being the 1700's, a batch of billet aluminum cased hand grenades, as well as WWII German "Patato Masher" Grenades), the humans begin to decimate the township of monsters. This pisses off Kibakitchi so much, he turns into a werewolf, and there begins a classic monster bash, straight out of "The Guiver"! "
What makes it so funny for me is the dubbing. It is absolutely awful. You have to wonder just what was really being said because there are so many scenes when the dialogue and action do not match that you do not notice until later that the lip movement is off even more. For those who have "cheesy" movie nights this is one I definitely have to recommend.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Some humor
COWS
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that our government can track a cow born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she sleeps in the state of Washington And they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give them all a cow.
THEY CAN TRACK A COW, BUT CAN'T TRACK A KIDNAPPED CHILD.
CONSTITUTIONThey keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it's worked for over 200 years and we're not using it anymore. TEN COMMANDMENTSThe real reason that at we can't have the Ten Commandments in a courthouse?You cannot post "Thou Shalt Not Steal," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery" and "Thou Shall Not Lie" in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians! It creates a hostile work environment! And Last but not least..... George Carlin said it best about Martha Stewart:"Boy, I feel a lot safer now that she's behind bars. O.J. Simpson and Kobe Bryant are still walking around; Osama Bin Laden too, but they take the one woman in America willing to cook, clean, and work in the yard, and haul her ass off to jail."
HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out non-essential numbers. This includes age, weight and height.
Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. (Keep this In mind if you are one of those grouches!)
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with HIM/HER.
6. The tears happen so endure, grieve, and move on.
The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourself. LIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health:
If it is good, preserve it.
If it is unstable, improve it.
If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county or to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
How to pass an immigration test in the United States...
Mujibar was trying to get into the USA legally through Immigration. The Officer said, "Mujibar, you have passed all the tests, except there is one more test. Unless you pass it you cannot enter the United States of America.
Mujibar said, "I am ready."
The officer said, "Make a sentence using the words Yellow, Pink and Green."
Mujibar thought for a few minutes and said, "Mister Officer, I am ready."
The Officer said, "Go ahead."
Mujibar said, "The telephone goes green, green, green, and I pink it up, and say, 'Yellow, this is Mujibar.'"
....Mujibar now lives in a neighborhood near you and works for Verizon in their Customer Service Department
WINDOW SIGN:"WE WOULD RATHER DO BUSINESS WITH 1000 AL-QAEDA TERRORISTS THAN WITH A SINGLE AMERICAN" Doesn't that just make you see red???This sign was prominently displayed in the window of a business in Philadelphia. You are probably outraged at the thought of such an inflammatory statement. One would think that anti-hate groups from all across the country would be marching on this business . .. and that the National Guard might have to be called to keep the angry crowds back.But, perhaps in these stressful times one might be tempted to let the proprietors simply make their statement . . We are a society which holds Freedom of Speech as perhaps our greatest liberty And after all, it is just a sign. You may ask what kind of business would dare post such a sign? Answer: A Funeral Home (Who said morticians had no sense of humor?)
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it amazing that our government can track a cow born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she sleeps in the state of Washington And they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give them all a cow.
THEY CAN TRACK A COW, BUT CAN'T TRACK A KIDNAPPED CHILD.
CONSTITUTIONThey keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it's worked for over 200 years and we're not using it anymore. TEN COMMANDMENTSThe real reason that at we can't have the Ten Commandments in a courthouse?You cannot post "Thou Shalt Not Steal," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery" and "Thou Shall Not Lie" in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians! It creates a hostile work environment! And Last but not least..... George Carlin said it best about Martha Stewart:"Boy, I feel a lot safer now that she's behind bars. O.J. Simpson and Kobe Bryant are still walking around; Osama Bin Laden too, but they take the one woman in America willing to cook, clean, and work in the yard, and haul her ass off to jail."
HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out non-essential numbers. This includes age, weight and height.
Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. (Keep this In mind if you are one of those grouches!)
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with HIM/HER.
6. The tears happen so endure, grieve, and move on.
The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourself. LIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health:
If it is good, preserve it.
If it is unstable, improve it.
If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county or to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
How to pass an immigration test in the United States...
Mujibar was trying to get into the USA legally through Immigration. The Officer said, "Mujibar, you have passed all the tests, except there is one more test. Unless you pass it you cannot enter the United States of America.
Mujibar said, "I am ready."
The officer said, "Make a sentence using the words Yellow, Pink and Green."
Mujibar thought for a few minutes and said, "Mister Officer, I am ready."
The Officer said, "Go ahead."
Mujibar said, "The telephone goes green, green, green, and I pink it up, and say, 'Yellow, this is Mujibar.'"
....Mujibar now lives in a neighborhood near you and works for Verizon in their Customer Service Department
WINDOW SIGN:"WE WOULD RATHER DO BUSINESS WITH 1000 AL-QAEDA TERRORISTS THAN WITH A SINGLE AMERICAN" Doesn't that just make you see red???This sign was prominently displayed in the window of a business in Philadelphia. You are probably outraged at the thought of such an inflammatory statement. One would think that anti-hate groups from all across the country would be marching on this business . .. and that the National Guard might have to be called to keep the angry crowds back.But, perhaps in these stressful times one might be tempted to let the proprietors simply make their statement . . We are a society which holds Freedom of Speech as perhaps our greatest liberty And after all, it is just a sign. You may ask what kind of business would dare post such a sign? Answer: A Funeral Home (Who said morticians had no sense of humor?)
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
An Idea I Want To Run With
Several of the people who regularly post on my blog (or just know me) had the idea of my professionally reviewing books. I like the idea but have no real idea how to enter that particular field. As a superstitious soul, I believe when an idea is presented multiple times, then you should take the hint and grab it with both hands and run as far and fast as you can with the idea. exmi had the idea of adding ads to my blog for the books I review and seeing how long it takes to get noticed. The 2nd idea put forth was to check with the local papers and seeing if they would be interested in hiring me as a book reviewer. The 3rd idea mentioned was to email/contact other book reviewers and see how they got in the field.
If anyone has any additional comments and suggestions, then I am more than willing to entertain them and I'll keep everyone updated on how this goes. My first, biggest, question is - how do I add those ads to my blog? I know that I'm tired but those directions had me REALLY confused!
If anyone has any additional comments and suggestions, then I am more than willing to entertain them and I'll keep everyone updated on how this goes. My first, biggest, question is - how do I add those ads to my blog? I know that I'm tired but those directions had me REALLY confused!
Yesterday was an ADVENTURE!
I am going to put this chronological order, so bear with me. But as of 3:00 p.m. yesterday, I am officially filing chapter 13 bankruptcy. It was far less painful to file compared to finding an affordable lawyer. I am not sure what that says.
First off, I had the exquisite pleasure of calling my boss up and telling him I would not be in to work because of various financial difficulties that needed to be dealt with immediately. Once that was accomplished, I headed off to meet the 2nd bankruptcy lawyer. Let me interject a bit of back ground here. The 1st lawyer I met with was incredibly nice in a down home, good old boy manner. However, they did not discuss any options with me and informed me that I would be filling Chapter 7 and that would be $1300 due immediately. Well, if I had $1300, I would not be talking to the lawyers! Sheez! So I decided to follow my shopping mantra of "Price EVERYTHING!" So I made yesterday's appointments.
Anyway, so after making the call, I went to meet the lawyer. I was already feeling a bit iffy about this entire experience, was terrified of how much this would cost, and uneasy because the add had a really weird looking fellow running around, poking his head around corners and just being strange. I could not get the humor in the character. When I walked in there, the staff was incredibly professional, answered all sorts of questions, told me about the options, and gave me their suggestions. After answering my questions, I agreed that a chapter 13 would be my best option, and in a year or so I would convert to a chapter 7 & my life would improve dramatically. The problem was they not only wanted $200/month, but the lawyer himself. He kept striding in to his paralegals office like God Himself, asking if she was done, how much longer she would take, and never once actually looked at me. I left there feeling slightly more optimistic about my situation, but leery of hiring him as my lawyer.
I then took the time between appointments to run errands, run in to an old college friend who was shocked by the length of my hair, and then got a magnificent phone call. Old of my closest friends has had her baby and I am beyond thrilled for her and her husband. I hope they realize how lucky they are and know how happy I am for them because this is perfect for them. I m so thrilled!
Enough gushing and on to my 3rd lawyer appointment. He is proof that the old cliche of "third time is the charm" is a cliche for a reason. I walked in to his office and felt relaxed by the ambiance immediately. Compared to the 1st to, who were in hole in the wall, crowded, dark, dirty locations, this man had renovated an older home in to his office and it was surprisingly welcoming. I admit that I did not appreciate having to wait 45 minutes, but when the couple left who had been taking up my appointment, I felt guilty for being impatient.
It was an elderly couple who, from what I had blatantly eaves dropped on, were having problems with the insurance company of the man who put her on a walker and him in multiple casts. She was obviously upset and I know my new lawyer spent a lot of time calming her down and was incredibly nice.
So, it was my turn. He looked everything over and not only gave me the same information lawyer #2 had given me, but explained which way I could go for all the options open to me and their consequences. He then gave me his recommendation and all the reasons he felt that was my best option. Following that, he explained to me why he would not do a few things because, in his opinion, I am "barely making enough to eat after I take my fees out. I'm not going to do that to you." Any guesses as to why I made the decision to have him represent me?
So, I filled out some additional forms, we reviewed time lines, and that was it. He then laughed at me because I was stunned at how painless he had made the experience, and he escorted me out of the building, just as he had with the couple before me. I definitely appreciated that level of common courtesy. Mostly because it is so rare!
I then drove home and talked to the new mom and heard all about the new baby and its so thrilling to know that 2 such wonderful people are now parents. I am just proud as can be because they are going to be excellent parents and that child is going to have a great life. Am I being too cheerleader-ish?
I then spent the next few hours watching TV & reading. Out of that short list, I read The Icon by Neil Olson, Bedlam's Edge edited by Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Edgehill, and started Ghosts by Noel Hynd. The Icon was decent, but rather dull. The thrill was definitely absent. It was one of those painful books were the author tries soo hard to be grammatically correct, but fails and it comes across as remarkably stilted and fake. There was no real emotion to the writing. If it was a textbook, I would recommend it. It is a thriller though so something went seriously awry, which is a shame because the premise is a good one. The author just could not carry through with it.
Next was Bedlam's Edge. I like Lackey any which way, so this was a fun read. There is nothing complicated about this collection of short stories dealing with elves from Lackey's world. In fact, most were so simple that even if the authors wanted too, I doubt there was any way to stretch the tales into a longer book. But they were fun and the editor's notes at the end clarifies all sorts of strangeness about the other elven series and gives those fascinating details that just make an author more fun.
Ghosts was probably a mistake given what happened later on. I will post a more detailed review later, but suffice to say that the story is amazingly well done without any of the gore of King or just strangeness of Koontz. I am enjoying it immensely.
The problem lies in what happened from 8:00 p.m. until midnight last night. Starting at 8:00 p.m. all 3 of the dogs started barking like lunatics. This is not unusual by any means. I mean really, 1 is a fox hound used to hunt deer and possum and who knows what else; the other is a beagle also used to hunt deer, possum and raccoons among other things; and then there is the pit bull/lab mix who can take it in to her head that something is debating an invasion on go on a barking frenzy just because.
I ignored them because they routinely go on barking frenzies because something is in the trees that they feel must be barked at. Around 10:00 p.m., I started paying attention because my 3 indoor cats all scrambled away from the 1 door, the 2 cats I keep in the laundry room at night so they can eat started acting up, and the 3 dogs came tearing around to the pen, hackles raised, teeth bared, growling, and acting like they wanted to tear something to bloody bits. At the same time, the ladder out front fell down and something tried the FORTUNATELY locked door. The one closest to my bedroom. For some reason, I called the police. They arrived and by the time everything was said and done, it was midnight before the nice police officer left. Since I get up at 5:00 a.m., I am seriously dragging today. I did not feel too bad or like too much of an idiot because while the nice officer could not tell me what had come scratching at the door, it was something and the dogs were good doggies and chased whatever/whomever away. They got treats this morning.
It is now Wednesday and I am soooo looking forward to going home and relaxing. Just a few errands and then I can crash out in my bed. I just have to get through the next few hours. WAAAH!
First off, I had the exquisite pleasure of calling my boss up and telling him I would not be in to work because of various financial difficulties that needed to be dealt with immediately. Once that was accomplished, I headed off to meet the 2nd bankruptcy lawyer. Let me interject a bit of back ground here. The 1st lawyer I met with was incredibly nice in a down home, good old boy manner. However, they did not discuss any options with me and informed me that I would be filling Chapter 7 and that would be $1300 due immediately. Well, if I had $1300, I would not be talking to the lawyers! Sheez! So I decided to follow my shopping mantra of "Price EVERYTHING!" So I made yesterday's appointments.
Anyway, so after making the call, I went to meet the lawyer. I was already feeling a bit iffy about this entire experience, was terrified of how much this would cost, and uneasy because the add had a really weird looking fellow running around, poking his head around corners and just being strange. I could not get the humor in the character. When I walked in there, the staff was incredibly professional, answered all sorts of questions, told me about the options, and gave me their suggestions. After answering my questions, I agreed that a chapter 13 would be my best option, and in a year or so I would convert to a chapter 7 & my life would improve dramatically. The problem was they not only wanted $200/month, but the lawyer himself. He kept striding in to his paralegals office like God Himself, asking if she was done, how much longer she would take, and never once actually looked at me. I left there feeling slightly more optimistic about my situation, but leery of hiring him as my lawyer.
I then took the time between appointments to run errands, run in to an old college friend who was shocked by the length of my hair, and then got a magnificent phone call. Old of my closest friends has had her baby and I am beyond thrilled for her and her husband. I hope they realize how lucky they are and know how happy I am for them because this is perfect for them. I m so thrilled!
Enough gushing and on to my 3rd lawyer appointment. He is proof that the old cliche of "third time is the charm" is a cliche for a reason. I walked in to his office and felt relaxed by the ambiance immediately. Compared to the 1st to, who were in hole in the wall, crowded, dark, dirty locations, this man had renovated an older home in to his office and it was surprisingly welcoming. I admit that I did not appreciate having to wait 45 minutes, but when the couple left who had been taking up my appointment, I felt guilty for being impatient.
It was an elderly couple who, from what I had blatantly eaves dropped on, were having problems with the insurance company of the man who put her on a walker and him in multiple casts. She was obviously upset and I know my new lawyer spent a lot of time calming her down and was incredibly nice.
So, it was my turn. He looked everything over and not only gave me the same information lawyer #2 had given me, but explained which way I could go for all the options open to me and their consequences. He then gave me his recommendation and all the reasons he felt that was my best option. Following that, he explained to me why he would not do a few things because, in his opinion, I am "barely making enough to eat after I take my fees out. I'm not going to do that to you." Any guesses as to why I made the decision to have him represent me?
So, I filled out some additional forms, we reviewed time lines, and that was it. He then laughed at me because I was stunned at how painless he had made the experience, and he escorted me out of the building, just as he had with the couple before me. I definitely appreciated that level of common courtesy. Mostly because it is so rare!
I then drove home and talked to the new mom and heard all about the new baby and its so thrilling to know that 2 such wonderful people are now parents. I am just proud as can be because they are going to be excellent parents and that child is going to have a great life. Am I being too cheerleader-ish?
I then spent the next few hours watching TV & reading. Out of that short list, I read The Icon by Neil Olson, Bedlam's Edge edited by Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Edgehill, and started Ghosts by Noel Hynd. The Icon was decent, but rather dull. The thrill was definitely absent. It was one of those painful books were the author tries soo hard to be grammatically correct, but fails and it comes across as remarkably stilted and fake. There was no real emotion to the writing. If it was a textbook, I would recommend it. It is a thriller though so something went seriously awry, which is a shame because the premise is a good one. The author just could not carry through with it.
Next was Bedlam's Edge. I like Lackey any which way, so this was a fun read. There is nothing complicated about this collection of short stories dealing with elves from Lackey's world. In fact, most were so simple that even if the authors wanted too, I doubt there was any way to stretch the tales into a longer book. But they were fun and the editor's notes at the end clarifies all sorts of strangeness about the other elven series and gives those fascinating details that just make an author more fun.
Ghosts was probably a mistake given what happened later on. I will post a more detailed review later, but suffice to say that the story is amazingly well done without any of the gore of King or just strangeness of Koontz. I am enjoying it immensely.
The problem lies in what happened from 8:00 p.m. until midnight last night. Starting at 8:00 p.m. all 3 of the dogs started barking like lunatics. This is not unusual by any means. I mean really, 1 is a fox hound used to hunt deer and possum and who knows what else; the other is a beagle also used to hunt deer, possum and raccoons among other things; and then there is the pit bull/lab mix who can take it in to her head that something is debating an invasion on go on a barking frenzy just because.
I ignored them because they routinely go on barking frenzies because something is in the trees that they feel must be barked at. Around 10:00 p.m., I started paying attention because my 3 indoor cats all scrambled away from the 1 door, the 2 cats I keep in the laundry room at night so they can eat started acting up, and the 3 dogs came tearing around to the pen, hackles raised, teeth bared, growling, and acting like they wanted to tear something to bloody bits. At the same time, the ladder out front fell down and something tried the FORTUNATELY locked door. The one closest to my bedroom. For some reason, I called the police. They arrived and by the time everything was said and done, it was midnight before the nice police officer left. Since I get up at 5:00 a.m., I am seriously dragging today. I did not feel too bad or like too much of an idiot because while the nice officer could not tell me what had come scratching at the door, it was something and the dogs were good doggies and chased whatever/whomever away. They got treats this morning.
It is now Wednesday and I am soooo looking forward to going home and relaxing. Just a few errands and then I can crash out in my bed. I just have to get through the next few hours. WAAAH!
Monday, August 08, 2005
I Did Some More Reading
This weekend I basically hid myself between the covers of several books. I had no desire to even pretend that I was capable of functioning after last week. Since a large chunk of Friday was spent working, whimpering about the 2 checks I got to write so that I could have my car back, and then watching"Constantine" and "Steam Boy" with exMI, that day was as close as I got to being functional. Since I ended up regretting that wonderful tasting Brunswick stew I had from Vandy's, Saturday was especially appalling.
BUT! I did manage to ignore my woes by reading. What did I read you ask? Well, 1st I read Jim Butcher's Academ's Fury. If you have not read anything by him, get your local library to find it for you and make your own decision. The link to his website with far better write ups than I can give is on the side bar. I love his stuff. It is blatantly obvious what is happening but the development of the characters is why I enjoy the books.
I admit that I really have no problem with formula writing. What I can not stand is when the characters are stagnant and only go from 1 scene to the other & repeat themselves endlessly. To go back to my favorite example, Laurell Hamilton's books were interesting because the characters were growing up and realizing that the world is not all black & white, along with that hard truth to not only swallow but remember that your truth is not the other person's truth. But then Hamilton discovered the wonderful world of soft porn and has gone down that road with increasing glee ever since.
Next, I read Laurence Yep's The Tiger's Apprentice. The write up at work reads like this, "A tiger, a monkey, a dragon, and a twelve-year-old Chinese American boy fight to keep a magic talisman out of the hands of an enemy who would use its power to destroy the world." I enjoyed it because not only is Yep an excellent writer, but I enjoy reading about world myths and the different interpretations and emphasizes each culture gives the myths.
I then read Isabel Allende's City of Beasts and Kingdom of the Gold Dragon. These are Isabel Allende's 1st children's books. I picked them up because I adore her other books. The House of Spirits being just one of them, but probably the one most Anglo's would recognize thanks to the movie version with Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons. These were fascinating reads just because of the sheer research that was done by the author and then the translator just to get every detail right. I wish that I read Spanish because I know that the originals are vastly better than these translations, yet these were great reads.
The details about these is that the main character is your typical California small town kid whose mother has been diagnosed with cancer. She has to go in for treatments so he ends up with his rather eccentric (not to mention difficult) grandmother, Kate, who is a photographer for National Geographic. He ends up going on assignment with her and each book is devoted to the adventures, friends, lessons, and experiences they have while they travel. The first book they end up in the Amazon and the other they end up in a small kingdom in the Himalayas'. The details were absolutely incredible and I can't say enough good things about them.
I also read the mysteries by Pat McIntosh - Harper's Quine and The Nichoalus Feast. Those were good but because my knowledge of medieval Scottish life is only so deep, there were nuances that I just did not get, especially were language was concerned. I know what a bannock and haggis is, but some of the local color in the form of language had me puzzled. If you are a fan of mysteries based in medieval times and like Scottish history, then I can recommend these. If not, then do not touch them. I liked them, but then again, I like Ellis Peters and Brother Cadfael.
I changed cultures and went to a mystery set in Montana dealing with Native American Indians and dinosaurs. That one, well, skip it. Carnasaur Crimes by Christine Gentry is not worth it. I was bored to the point I skipped chapters and barely read the last paragraph.
I went back to YA literature and read the Lion Boy books by Zizou Corder. Those were another series that I enjoyed not only because they dealt with a boy who could talk with cats, but because a lot of African myths were mixed in and it was a wonderful combination of futuristic worlds with science and fantasy, all mixed in to an adventure where the hero is a lot smarter than anyone gives him credit for. The only big problem was the heavy handed political messages slathered in to the story. If you can ignore those, then it was a good story. The political stance taken was way too heavy handed, even for me in desperate need of a place to mentally hide. I still enjoyed the books & intend to read the conclusion, but I would never buy them and I'd warn anyone reading them for the 1st time that there are some serious political opinions being put forth.
Other than some mental hiding in fantasy land, I did nothing exciting. I turned my cell phone off, picked blue berries, cleaned my home really well, cleaned a few closets out, took lots of naps, and generally did nothing but turn in to a vegetable. I seriously recommend the practice when life throws one too many curve balls your way.
BUT! I did manage to ignore my woes by reading. What did I read you ask? Well, 1st I read Jim Butcher's Academ's Fury. If you have not read anything by him, get your local library to find it for you and make your own decision. The link to his website with far better write ups than I can give is on the side bar. I love his stuff. It is blatantly obvious what is happening but the development of the characters is why I enjoy the books.
I admit that I really have no problem with formula writing. What I can not stand is when the characters are stagnant and only go from 1 scene to the other & repeat themselves endlessly. To go back to my favorite example, Laurell Hamilton's books were interesting because the characters were growing up and realizing that the world is not all black & white, along with that hard truth to not only swallow but remember that your truth is not the other person's truth. But then Hamilton discovered the wonderful world of soft porn and has gone down that road with increasing glee ever since.
Next, I read Laurence Yep's The Tiger's Apprentice. The write up at work reads like this, "A tiger, a monkey, a dragon, and a twelve-year-old Chinese American boy fight to keep a magic talisman out of the hands of an enemy who would use its power to destroy the world." I enjoyed it because not only is Yep an excellent writer, but I enjoy reading about world myths and the different interpretations and emphasizes each culture gives the myths.
I then read Isabel Allende's City of Beasts and Kingdom of the Gold Dragon. These are Isabel Allende's 1st children's books. I picked them up because I adore her other books. The House of Spirits being just one of them, but probably the one most Anglo's would recognize thanks to the movie version with Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons. These were fascinating reads just because of the sheer research that was done by the author and then the translator just to get every detail right. I wish that I read Spanish because I know that the originals are vastly better than these translations, yet these were great reads.
The details about these is that the main character is your typical California small town kid whose mother has been diagnosed with cancer. She has to go in for treatments so he ends up with his rather eccentric (not to mention difficult) grandmother, Kate, who is a photographer for National Geographic. He ends up going on assignment with her and each book is devoted to the adventures, friends, lessons, and experiences they have while they travel. The first book they end up in the Amazon and the other they end up in a small kingdom in the Himalayas'. The details were absolutely incredible and I can't say enough good things about them.
I also read the mysteries by Pat McIntosh - Harper's Quine and The Nichoalus Feast. Those were good but because my knowledge of medieval Scottish life is only so deep, there were nuances that I just did not get, especially were language was concerned. I know what a bannock and haggis is, but some of the local color in the form of language had me puzzled. If you are a fan of mysteries based in medieval times and like Scottish history, then I can recommend these. If not, then do not touch them. I liked them, but then again, I like Ellis Peters and Brother Cadfael.
I changed cultures and went to a mystery set in Montana dealing with Native American Indians and dinosaurs. That one, well, skip it. Carnasaur Crimes by Christine Gentry is not worth it. I was bored to the point I skipped chapters and barely read the last paragraph.
I went back to YA literature and read the Lion Boy books by Zizou Corder. Those were another series that I enjoyed not only because they dealt with a boy who could talk with cats, but because a lot of African myths were mixed in and it was a wonderful combination of futuristic worlds with science and fantasy, all mixed in to an adventure where the hero is a lot smarter than anyone gives him credit for. The only big problem was the heavy handed political messages slathered in to the story. If you can ignore those, then it was a good story. The political stance taken was way too heavy handed, even for me in desperate need of a place to mentally hide. I still enjoyed the books & intend to read the conclusion, but I would never buy them and I'd warn anyone reading them for the 1st time that there are some serious political opinions being put forth.
Other than some mental hiding in fantasy land, I did nothing exciting. I turned my cell phone off, picked blue berries, cleaned my home really well, cleaned a few closets out, took lots of naps, and generally did nothing but turn in to a vegetable. I seriously recommend the practice when life throws one too many curve balls your way.
Friday, August 05, 2005
Want to join a new country?
A friend from the UK just emailed this to me.
"This is an interesting story. (My friend) started watching a new six-part series on BBC2 this week. It's called"How to Start Your Own Country." Danny Wallace is a Londoner with ambition - he's attempting to start his own country in his flat (after failing in his invasion of Eel Pie Island, and being unable to purchase an island for his own use). This week, he delivered notice to Tony Blair that his flat is seceding from the UK. He is recruiting citizens on the internet. (When [she] checked, he had just over 3700.) If you'd like to read about his inspiration for this, and follow his quest to establish his own country (even join and be a citizen), here's the website:http://www.citizensrequired.comNot too sure how serious this guy is, but it's an interesting story, and very funny."
"This is an interesting story. (My friend) started watching a new six-part series on BBC2 this week. It's called"How to Start Your Own Country." Danny Wallace is a Londoner with ambition - he's attempting to start his own country in his flat (after failing in his invasion of Eel Pie Island, and being unable to purchase an island for his own use). This week, he delivered notice to Tony Blair that his flat is seceding from the UK. He is recruiting citizens on the internet. (When [she] checked, he had just over 3700.) If you'd like to read about his inspiration for this, and follow his quest to establish his own country (even join and be a citizen), here's the website:http://www.citizensrequired.comNot too sure how serious this guy is, but it's an interesting story, and very funny."
Ramblings
Here are some links that I will add to the side bar, but were sent to me by exMi.
http://offmyblog.blogspot.com/
http://zombie-slayer.blogspot.com/
http://zombielama.blogspot.com/
http://underachieverscorner.blogspot.com/
http://www.wayofsamurai.blogspot.com/
http://mustbetuesday.blogspot.com/
This one is an author I have really been impressed with.
http://victorialaurie.com/
Zombie Slayer & Zombie Lama are definitely entertaining and have rants that spark some rather interesting conversations. I would suggest checking them out.
Beyond that bit of extra light reading for your pleasure, not much else is going on. I managed to sleep last night, got my car back (for a mere $75). Sent off for my pseudo rebate from my car insurance since they could not find me a tow truck. Applied for another 3 jobs today. Set up 2 more appointments with lawyers to discuss bankruptcy options. Planning to treat my grumbling landlord exMi to take out from Vandy's B-B-Que tonight & maybe rent a few action/adventure flicks as well. I think The Transporter, Man of the House, are 2 definite renters, though no idea what else I might get. If I get anything. Life is bumbling along.
About the only really exciting conversation going on now is the ongoing debate over sex in chick lit, romances, and the multi-genre romances like Laurell Hamilton & L.A. Banks.
Let me start off by saying that I am all for a good sex scene. They are a great supplement seeing as how my love life is best compared to a nun's. That really has never bothered me because I find the monastic life deeply intriguing. I just refuse to give up my bed or my cats, let alone my personal library. If I could find an order that would let me haul those 3 loves with me, then I'd join today. Since that is a true dream (and we all know how well those work out), I figure I will wait and not replace my cats until after I have joined an Augustine or Franciscan order and then figure out how to get my book fetish met and keep my nest. Who knows. None of this might ever happen and I might actually make something approaching a commitment to someone. I doubt it, but who knows?
And NO - no where in my future is anything close to reproduction in my future. Do you understand that exMI? And remember, I have the house keys. I am not above blackmail, tears, threats, or extreme hysteria to get my way. Under no circumstances will any I have children. If the hound DH has puppies, then we will call it even and have further evidence that tarot cards are accurate in screwy ways.
But getting back to the original point of this rambling, a lot of the books I have been reading from the chick lit area have lead female characters I just do NOT understand. I am including the Laurell Hamilton books and several of the supernatural/horror women authors out as well. I love the plots of these stories, but there is something about the concept of going out to a party, meeting a guy, barely getting their name, then going home with them and fucking that justs leaves me cold. It does not matter how well written a book is if that's is the level of stupidity the lead characters demonstrate. I don't care if that solves all sort of plot twist issues. There are better ways around it. All it does, for me at least, is make me pity the character and wonder how they could be so stupid. After all, there is no way anyone can tell what they are getting involved in by jumping in & out of the sack that easily. Then there is the safety question. How on earth can you trust someone after only maybe an hours question not to be an absolute lunatic who stalks small animals while singing nursery rhymes? Or someone who is in to needles or blood letting during sex? If that is what you are in to, great, but how can you know beyond that is the type of bar you met at?
For the books like Hamilton has been putting out, why not just market them as soft porn and start directly competing with Anne Rice instead of trying to hype the stories as mysteries. The only mystery I have found in the latest by Hamilton are how they can get cleaned up after all the sex. Last time I checked, the variety described tends to involve lots of sweat and grinding each other into the ground. Fun, but there is a marked tendency to get sweatstreaks, saliva, cum, and other bits and pieces all over the place. I do not care if you have spells of illusion that allow you to hide the effects. You still need to get cleaned up sooner or later. I mean really, who wants grass in their hair any longer than necessary? And considering how often Hamilton's leading ladies end up in broken glass, splintered furniture and various muddy locations, you would think showers would play a larger role in their lives.
http://offmyblog.blogspot.com/
http://zombie-slayer.blogspot.com/
http://zombielama.blogspot.com/
http://underachieverscorner.blogspot.com/
http://www.wayofsamurai.blogspot.com/
http://mustbetuesday.blogspot.com/
This one is an author I have really been impressed with.
http://victorialaurie.com/
Zombie Slayer & Zombie Lama are definitely entertaining and have rants that spark some rather interesting conversations. I would suggest checking them out.
Beyond that bit of extra light reading for your pleasure, not much else is going on. I managed to sleep last night, got my car back (for a mere $75). Sent off for my pseudo rebate from my car insurance since they could not find me a tow truck. Applied for another 3 jobs today. Set up 2 more appointments with lawyers to discuss bankruptcy options. Planning to treat my grumbling landlord exMi to take out from Vandy's B-B-Que tonight & maybe rent a few action/adventure flicks as well. I think The Transporter, Man of the House, are 2 definite renters, though no idea what else I might get. If I get anything. Life is bumbling along.
About the only really exciting conversation going on now is the ongoing debate over sex in chick lit, romances, and the multi-genre romances like Laurell Hamilton & L.A. Banks.
Let me start off by saying that I am all for a good sex scene. They are a great supplement seeing as how my love life is best compared to a nun's. That really has never bothered me because I find the monastic life deeply intriguing. I just refuse to give up my bed or my cats, let alone my personal library. If I could find an order that would let me haul those 3 loves with me, then I'd join today. Since that is a true dream (and we all know how well those work out), I figure I will wait and not replace my cats until after I have joined an Augustine or Franciscan order and then figure out how to get my book fetish met and keep my nest. Who knows. None of this might ever happen and I might actually make something approaching a commitment to someone. I doubt it, but who knows?
And NO - no where in my future is anything close to reproduction in my future. Do you understand that exMI? And remember, I have the house keys. I am not above blackmail, tears, threats, or extreme hysteria to get my way. Under no circumstances will any I have children. If the hound DH has puppies, then we will call it even and have further evidence that tarot cards are accurate in screwy ways.
But getting back to the original point of this rambling, a lot of the books I have been reading from the chick lit area have lead female characters I just do NOT understand. I am including the Laurell Hamilton books and several of the supernatural/horror women authors out as well. I love the plots of these stories, but there is something about the concept of going out to a party, meeting a guy, barely getting their name, then going home with them and fucking that justs leaves me cold. It does not matter how well written a book is if that's is the level of stupidity the lead characters demonstrate. I don't care if that solves all sort of plot twist issues. There are better ways around it. All it does, for me at least, is make me pity the character and wonder how they could be so stupid. After all, there is no way anyone can tell what they are getting involved in by jumping in & out of the sack that easily. Then there is the safety question. How on earth can you trust someone after only maybe an hours question not to be an absolute lunatic who stalks small animals while singing nursery rhymes? Or someone who is in to needles or blood letting during sex? If that is what you are in to, great, but how can you know beyond that is the type of bar you met at?
For the books like Hamilton has been putting out, why not just market them as soft porn and start directly competing with Anne Rice instead of trying to hype the stories as mysteries. The only mystery I have found in the latest by Hamilton are how they can get cleaned up after all the sex. Last time I checked, the variety described tends to involve lots of sweat and grinding each other into the ground. Fun, but there is a marked tendency to get sweatstreaks, saliva, cum, and other bits and pieces all over the place. I do not care if you have spells of illusion that allow you to hide the effects. You still need to get cleaned up sooner or later. I mean really, who wants grass in their hair any longer than necessary? And considering how often Hamilton's leading ladies end up in broken glass, splintered furniture and various muddy locations, you would think showers would play a larger role in their lives.
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