Oh good grief! You have GOT to see this!
http://www.jamespiatt.com/tinkerbellblack.html
.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
1647 Weekend
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Yesterday was bad a bad electricity day. The power dropped at least four times. No idea why. Very annoying. And then today, I read this:
http://youngmammy.blogspot.com/2008/01/they-were-not-experts.html,
and I was ashamed of my annoyance.
I'm going to a "Games Night" party in Poughkeepsie tonight, and a hafla in Florida, NY, tomorrow. Tomorrow's hafla features some of my favorite dancers, and the cost is only $10 - free if you bring food. Very strange. The organizer has to rent a hall, and if everybody brings food, I wonder how she will pay for the space.
.
Yesterday was bad a bad electricity day. The power dropped at least four times. No idea why. Very annoying. And then today, I read this:
http://youngmammy.blogspot.com/2008/01/they-were-not-experts.html,
and I was ashamed of my annoyance.
I'm going to a "Games Night" party in Poughkeepsie tonight, and a hafla in Florida, NY, tomorrow. Tomorrow's hafla features some of my favorite dancers, and the cost is only $10 - free if you bring food. Very strange. The organizer has to rent a hall, and if everybody brings food, I wonder how she will pay for the space.
.
Friday, January 18, 2008
1646 Smile
Friday, January 18, 2008
I've seen this a dozen times, and it always makes me smile. Have a smile on me:
moar funny pictures
It's not just the dog, it's the expression on the dog.
.
I've seen this a dozen times, and it always makes me smile. Have a smile on me:
moar funny pictures
It's not just the dog, it's the expression on the dog.
.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
1645 Adding On
Thursday, January 17, 2008
At lunch with Piper yesterday, he rhapsodized about another of his clients. "Our age." Lives in the village. Widower, five years. Big beard. Just a little bit overweight. Financially secure. Really nice guy. "Just your type!"
He wants me to meet him. Thinks this guy and I should "get together", that we'd really hit it off.
I laughed at Piper - "...all the things you're telling me don't matter that much to me. It's the mind I want."
Confusion. I know that Piper has occasional romantic thoughts about me. We've actually discussed it. I've explained that with the fiduciary relationship, it's not an option. (I really like Piper, but I don't feel that kind of chemistry.) Piper is very jealous and suspicious of my current relationship, and would like to see it disappear.
So, why is he trying to hook me up with this new guy? Very strange.
I said no thank you, "One man at a time, remember? Maybe someday, but right now I'm just not interested in starting up something else."
------------------------------
What's weird is that Piper's push has reminded me of one of my pet peeves. I'll renew a magazine or whatever subscription for three or five years, and the very next year, on the anniversary of that multi-year renewal, they send me an offer of a special discounted price on a renewal.
Like they hope I won't remember that I've got several years already, and I'll renew for three or five MORE!
Another scam : I subscribe to "Harper's" magazine. NOT "Harper's Bazaar", that's an entirely different magazine. I have never subscribed to "Harper's Bazaar". ** And yet, about every three months, I get a "renewal reminder" from "Harper's Bazaar".
Do they really hope I won't notice the difference, and think I'm renewing "Harper's"? Are they using the "Harper's" subscriber lists? Who should I be more annoyed with, "Harper's" for giving out my address, or "Harper's Bazaar" for the subterfuge (same publisher)?
Or Piper, for trying to throw another man under my wheels to distract me from the current one?
-----------------
** (I mean sheesh! Go to the links and read the descriptions of the magazines! They couldn't BE more different. I am a Harper's type, but the Bazaar might well make me vomit.)
.
At lunch with Piper yesterday, he rhapsodized about another of his clients. "Our age." Lives in the village. Widower, five years. Big beard. Just a little bit overweight. Financially secure. Really nice guy. "Just your type!"
He wants me to meet him. Thinks this guy and I should "get together", that we'd really hit it off.
I laughed at Piper - "...all the things you're telling me don't matter that much to me. It's the mind I want."
Confusion. I know that Piper has occasional romantic thoughts about me. We've actually discussed it. I've explained that with the fiduciary relationship, it's not an option. (I really like Piper, but I don't feel that kind of chemistry.) Piper is very jealous and suspicious of my current relationship, and would like to see it disappear.
So, why is he trying to hook me up with this new guy? Very strange.
I said no thank you, "One man at a time, remember? Maybe someday, but right now I'm just not interested in starting up something else."
------------------------------
What's weird is that Piper's push has reminded me of one of my pet peeves. I'll renew a magazine or whatever subscription for three or five years, and the very next year, on the anniversary of that multi-year renewal, they send me an offer of a special discounted price on a renewal.
Like they hope I won't remember that I've got several years already, and I'll renew for three or five MORE!
Another scam : I subscribe to "Harper's" magazine. NOT "Harper's Bazaar", that's an entirely different magazine. I have never subscribed to "Harper's Bazaar". ** And yet, about every three months, I get a "renewal reminder" from "Harper's Bazaar".
Do they really hope I won't notice the difference, and think I'm renewing "Harper's"? Are they using the "Harper's" subscriber lists? Who should I be more annoyed with, "Harper's" for giving out my address, or "Harper's Bazaar" for the subterfuge (same publisher)?
Or Piper, for trying to throw another man under my wheels to distract me from the current one?
-----------------
** (I mean sheesh! Go to the links and read the descriptions of the magazines! They couldn't BE more different. I am a Harper's type, but the Bazaar might well make me vomit.)
.
1644 Attitude
Check this out.
HEMA is a Dutch department store. The first store opened on November 4, 1926, in Amsterdam. Now there are 150 stores all over the Netherlands. HEMA also has stores in Belgium, Luxemburg, and Germany. In June of this year, HEMA was sold to British investment company Lion Capital.
Take a look at HEMA's product page, at http://producten.hema.nl/. You can't order anything and it's in Dutch, but let it load then wait a couple of seconds and watch what happens.
.
HEMA is a Dutch department store. The first store opened on November 4, 1926, in Amsterdam. Now there are 150 stores all over the Netherlands. HEMA also has stores in Belgium, Luxemburg, and Germany. In June of this year, HEMA was sold to British investment company Lion Capital.
Take a look at HEMA's product page, at http://producten.hema.nl/. You can't order anything and it's in Dutch, but let it load then wait a couple of seconds and watch what happens.
.
1643 Something Changed
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Every so often, for one reason or another, I go back into the archives and read old posts. There's some interesting stuff back there. I used to have "deep thoughts". I used to have opinions.
I don't anymore. Something has changed. No passion.
It's not like I have thoughts or opinions but I'm not writing about them, in the same way that I've decided not to write about other people. I just plain don't HAVE deep thoughts or strong opinions any more.
Maybe I'm depressed? I don't think so.
Maybe the economic and political and social climate have me shell-shocked, and I just gave up? Like there's no point in thinking about any of it? Possible, I guess.
Once upon a time I read 90-100 books a year. I kept a notebook where I reviewed every book read, where I wrote and wrote about what "deep thoughts" I got from the book. That was when I was married to Ex#2, and I thought I was going to die if my life didn't change, if something didn't happen. I retreated into books until I was strong enough to leave him.
I've started reading again. About one book a week. I don't know if that means anything. I'm not getting any "deep thoughts" from them.
The feeling is like my life is on hold, like I'm waiting for something. I'm listening. Breathing shallowly. Waiting for a shoe to drop. A signal.
.
Every so often, for one reason or another, I go back into the archives and read old posts. There's some interesting stuff back there. I used to have "deep thoughts". I used to have opinions.
I don't anymore. Something has changed. No passion.
It's not like I have thoughts or opinions but I'm not writing about them, in the same way that I've decided not to write about other people. I just plain don't HAVE deep thoughts or strong opinions any more.
Maybe I'm depressed? I don't think so.
Maybe the economic and political and social climate have me shell-shocked, and I just gave up? Like there's no point in thinking about any of it? Possible, I guess.
Once upon a time I read 90-100 books a year. I kept a notebook where I reviewed every book read, where I wrote and wrote about what "deep thoughts" I got from the book. That was when I was married to Ex#2, and I thought I was going to die if my life didn't change, if something didn't happen. I retreated into books until I was strong enough to leave him.
I've started reading again. About one book a week. I don't know if that means anything. I'm not getting any "deep thoughts" from them.
The feeling is like my life is on hold, like I'm waiting for something. I'm listening. Breathing shallowly. Waiting for a shoe to drop. A signal.
.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
1642 The Market Is/Isn't There?
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
I met with Piper this morning to go over the investments. He thinks the market will rebound, that there will not be a true recession, and that now is the time to increase the proportion of equities in my portfolio. I hope to Hell he's right. We're going 60-40.
Then this afternoon, I heard the price of crude had dropped. Interesting.
-------------------------------
After losing 40 pounds (at 4'10", that's a lot) and replacing almost my entire wardrobe, I've got a lot of unwearable clothes in size PM, PL and size P12 and P14 that are almost new (some actually still have tags). I'm now into size PS and P6 or P8 (P10 in jeans).
I buy the majority of my clothes from one particular store. Their stuff is frankly overpriced, but I never pay more than 50% retail for anything, anyway, especially now that they consider me a special customer and keep sending me special offers and coupons, and I'm hitting 70% or more off. I got a great idea this evening - maybe I can sell the old stuff on eBay! Even better, maybe somebody gained some weight, and has some small stuff I can pick up cheap.
So I went to eBay, and ran a search for that label. I got 4,020 hits. I looked through the first three pages - and almost every item out there was XL, 1X, 2X, 3X, 16, 18, and up! I think I saw two Mediums. No smaller sizes. Nothing for me to buy.
On the good side, bidding is brisk, and a lot of the stuff is actually selling for more than I had paid for the same items (in a smaller size)!
What does this mean? Does it mean there'd be a healthy market for my old sizes? Or none at all? Is it only large people who wear this label?
I think it's weird.
Maybe I should ask Piper.
.
I met with Piper this morning to go over the investments. He thinks the market will rebound, that there will not be a true recession, and that now is the time to increase the proportion of equities in my portfolio. I hope to Hell he's right. We're going 60-40.
Then this afternoon, I heard the price of crude had dropped. Interesting.
-------------------------------
After losing 40 pounds (at 4'10", that's a lot) and replacing almost my entire wardrobe, I've got a lot of unwearable clothes in size PM, PL and size P12 and P14 that are almost new (some actually still have tags). I'm now into size PS and P6 or P8 (P10 in jeans).
I buy the majority of my clothes from one particular store. Their stuff is frankly overpriced, but I never pay more than 50% retail for anything, anyway, especially now that they consider me a special customer and keep sending me special offers and coupons, and I'm hitting 70% or more off. I got a great idea this evening - maybe I can sell the old stuff on eBay! Even better, maybe somebody gained some weight, and has some small stuff I can pick up cheap.
So I went to eBay, and ran a search for that label. I got 4,020 hits. I looked through the first three pages - and almost every item out there was XL, 1X, 2X, 3X, 16, 18, and up! I think I saw two Mediums. No smaller sizes. Nothing for me to buy.
On the good side, bidding is brisk, and a lot of the stuff is actually selling for more than I had paid for the same items (in a smaller size)!
What does this mean? Does it mean there'd be a healthy market for my old sizes? Or none at all? Is it only large people who wear this label?
I think it's weird.
Maybe I should ask Piper.
.
1641 Distance
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Ivillage.com has an advice "columnist" (she does videos) named Tracy Cox, who gives some pretty good snippets of "advice for singles". I watched a video on long distance relationships yesterday. I tried to embed it here, but it kept coming up just a black square. Doesn't matter. I can synopsize it.
A. Some things to consider:
I'm getting very frustrated.
.
Ivillage.com has an advice "columnist" (she does videos) named Tracy Cox, who gives some pretty good snippets of "advice for singles". I watched a video on long distance relationships yesterday. I tried to embed it here, but it kept coming up just a black square. Doesn't matter. I can synopsize it.
A. Some things to consider:
- Accept that it's going to be hard. Maintaining a relationship by email or phone will be frustrating. It's a little easier if you had established a relationship before being separated, so you already knew each other well, because then there's less second-guessing and misunderstanding, more trust.
- Be sure you can afford it. There will be times when a quick trip will feel necessary. If you can afford it (both time and dollars), fine. If not, frustration.
- Accept that you will be lonely. Your friends will be going everywhere in pairs, and you will be going solo. You'll be lying alone in bed, wondering if the other is curled up with someone else.
- Disagreements will be harder to resolve. The lack of touch makes making up more difficult.
- Be sure that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Can you see it? Is it really possible that one or the other or both of you will be willing to move to be together?
- Ideally you should contact each other at least once a day, even if only a text message. Let each other know you're thinking about each other.
- Don't make time together too romantic. Don't try to schedule your time so everything is perfect. When you are together, try to be together as if you were living together. Use the time to find out if you would be compatible long term.
- If you find you get along better when you're apart than when you're together, you may be more in love with the idea of this person than with the person.
I'm getting very frustrated.
.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
1640 Getting Old?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
I had logged off and turned off, and was about to shut down when I realized I wanted to post about something. So I brought the browser back up, and here I am, and I can't remember what I wanted to say. Sorta like walking into a room and forgetting why you're there.
Duh.
.
I had logged off and turned off, and was about to shut down when I realized I wanted to post about something. So I brought the browser back up, and here I am, and I can't remember what I wanted to say. Sorta like walking into a room and forgetting why you're there.
Duh.
.
Monday, January 14, 2008
1639 Religion Match
Monday, January 14, 2008
I took the test at Belief-O-Matic [http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html]. I thought the questions were pretty good. In at least two cases, it was the first time I had seen my beliefs expressed in words, as something others might believe. Unfortunately, even though several belief systems scored pretty high (100%???) as a match, when I read about them, I'm not sure they're really all that close.
My Results:
The top score on the list below represents the faith that Belief-O-Matic, in its less than infinite wisdom, thinks most closely matches your beliefs. However, even a score of 100% does not mean that your views are all shared by this faith, or vice versa. Belief-O-Matic then lists another 26 faiths in order of how much they have in common with your professed beliefs. The higher a faith appears on this list, the more closely it aligns with your thinking.
1. Neo-Pagan (100%)
2. New Age (93%)
3. Unitarian Universalism (93%)
4. New Thought (85%)
5. Liberal Quakers (84%)
6. Scientology (81%)
7. Mahayana Buddhism (77%)
8. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (76%)
9. Theravada Buddhism (72%)
10. Reform Judaism (68%)
11. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (67%)
12. Hinduism (67%)
13. Orthodox Quaker (65%)
14. Sikhism (61%)
15. Secular Humanism (58%)
16. Taoism (55%)
17. Jainism (55%)
18. Orthodox Judaism (50%)
19. Bahá'í Faith (49%)
20. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (43%)
21. Islam (36%)
22. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (34%)
23. Jehovah's Witness (31%)
24. Nontheist (31%)
25. Eastern Orthodox (29%)
26. Roman Catholic (29%)
27. Seventh Day Adventist (28%)
.
I took the test at Belief-O-Matic [http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html]. I thought the questions were pretty good. In at least two cases, it was the first time I had seen my beliefs expressed in words, as something others might believe. Unfortunately, even though several belief systems scored pretty high (100%???) as a match, when I read about them, I'm not sure they're really all that close.
My Results:
The top score on the list below represents the faith that Belief-O-Matic, in its less than infinite wisdom, thinks most closely matches your beliefs. However, even a score of 100% does not mean that your views are all shared by this faith, or vice versa. Belief-O-Matic then lists another 26 faiths in order of how much they have in common with your professed beliefs. The higher a faith appears on this list, the more closely it aligns with your thinking.
1. Neo-Pagan (100%)
2. New Age (93%)
3. Unitarian Universalism (93%)
4. New Thought (85%)
5. Liberal Quakers (84%)
6. Scientology (81%)
7. Mahayana Buddhism (77%)
8. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (76%)
9. Theravada Buddhism (72%)
10. Reform Judaism (68%)
11. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (67%)
12. Hinduism (67%)
13. Orthodox Quaker (65%)
14. Sikhism (61%)
15. Secular Humanism (58%)
16. Taoism (55%)
17. Jainism (55%)
18. Orthodox Judaism (50%)
19. Bahá'í Faith (49%)
20. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (43%)
21. Islam (36%)
22. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (34%)
23. Jehovah's Witness (31%)
24. Nontheist (31%)
25. Eastern Orthodox (29%)
26. Roman Catholic (29%)
27. Seventh Day Adventist (28%)
.
1638 Fireplaces I Have Known
In the previous post, it sounds like we watched movies in a fireplace.
That reminded me of a guy I knew in Washington Mensa, in the early '80s. He liked me, and at a party one evening he was trying to talk me into leaving with him and going to his apartment. "We can sit in front of a fire with a glass of wine and you can tell me about (whatever it was we'd been talking about, I forget)."
I had been to a party at his place a few weeks previously, and I frowned and said, "Your apartment doesn't have a fireplace."
He responded, perfectly seriously, "No, but there's a corner of the dining room I'm not using."
We didn't get together that evening, but ... eventually. How could anyone resist that line? I was ready to laugh every time I saw him after that, and that always works, sooner or later.
.
That reminded me of a guy I knew in Washington Mensa, in the early '80s. He liked me, and at a party one evening he was trying to talk me into leaving with him and going to his apartment. "We can sit in front of a fire with a glass of wine and you can tell me about (whatever it was we'd been talking about, I forget)."
I had been to a party at his place a few weeks previously, and I frowned and said, "Your apartment doesn't have a fireplace."
He responded, perfectly seriously, "No, but there's a corner of the dining room I'm not using."
We didn't get together that evening, but ... eventually. How could anyone resist that line? I was ready to laugh every time I saw him after that, and that always works, sooner or later.
.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
1637 Relaxed
Sunday, January 13, 2008
I had a very nice weekend. DVD movies in front of a fire in a fireplace.
It didn't start out looking good at all. Thursday night, overnight, we had freezing rain, and I woke Friday to no electricity. Out here in the boonies, that means no phone, no heat, no water (comes from a well, you know). So no shower, no toilet. Yeah, you can get one flush from each john, and a little bit of water from the well holding tank, but if you actually try it, you get air in the pipes when the water runs out, and that's no good at all.
I wanted to leave here by 2:30 pm. I fiddled around for an hour hoping the power would come back on, but when it didn't, I started with stuff I could do. I selected clothing from the very dark closet, and packed, hoping that I remembered what color that top is, and those slacks.
Now what? I hated to open the refrigerator, but that was about all I could do next. So I put together meal ingredients and packed them.
Still no power. If it wasn't back on by 1 pm, I figured I'd just have to travel dirty, get to the hotel earlier than my friend, and shower and pretty up there. Considering that my hair was filthy and messy, a day past time-to-wash-it (I had let it go specifically so I could wash it that morning) I wasn't excited about that idea.
The electricity came back on exactly at 1. I cleaned and prettied me up, verified that the clothes I'd packed were the right ones, and then I gave the cats 2.5 days worth of dry food.
Jasper was going to have to be shut in the laundry room so he wouldn't terrorize Miss Thunderfoot for fun, and eat all her food.
How did he know that was my intent? He was lured into the laundry room with canned food, but when I moved the dangly toy out of the way so I could close the door - note that I hadn't even touched the door yet - he bolted past me, tore through the house, and hid under the bed. This time, with ALL his body under there. How did he know?
I was forced to leave with him still loose.
Gack.
Well, the rest of the weekend went much better. I'm in love again.
When I got home this afternoon, Miss Thunderfoot had some food left (although Jasper's was all gone), and Jasper is still suspicious. He won't come close enough to me that I can catch him (I don't want to catch him now, but he won't believe me), and although his food dishes in the laundry room have been refreshed, he won't go in there if I'm in that end of the house. I may have to tame him all over again. He's a smart little monster.
.
I had a very nice weekend. DVD movies in front of a fire in a fireplace.
It didn't start out looking good at all. Thursday night, overnight, we had freezing rain, and I woke Friday to no electricity. Out here in the boonies, that means no phone, no heat, no water (comes from a well, you know). So no shower, no toilet. Yeah, you can get one flush from each john, and a little bit of water from the well holding tank, but if you actually try it, you get air in the pipes when the water runs out, and that's no good at all.
I wanted to leave here by 2:30 pm. I fiddled around for an hour hoping the power would come back on, but when it didn't, I started with stuff I could do. I selected clothing from the very dark closet, and packed, hoping that I remembered what color that top is, and those slacks.
Now what? I hated to open the refrigerator, but that was about all I could do next. So I put together meal ingredients and packed them.
Still no power. If it wasn't back on by 1 pm, I figured I'd just have to travel dirty, get to the hotel earlier than my friend, and shower and pretty up there. Considering that my hair was filthy and messy, a day past time-to-wash-it (I had let it go specifically so I could wash it that morning) I wasn't excited about that idea.
The electricity came back on exactly at 1. I cleaned and prettied me up, verified that the clothes I'd packed were the right ones, and then I gave the cats 2.5 days worth of dry food.
Jasper was going to have to be shut in the laundry room so he wouldn't terrorize Miss Thunderfoot for fun, and eat all her food.
How did he know that was my intent? He was lured into the laundry room with canned food, but when I moved the dangly toy out of the way so I could close the door - note that I hadn't even touched the door yet - he bolted past me, tore through the house, and hid under the bed. This time, with ALL his body under there. How did he know?
I was forced to leave with him still loose.
Gack.
Well, the rest of the weekend went much better. I'm in love again.
When I got home this afternoon, Miss Thunderfoot had some food left (although Jasper's was all gone), and Jasper is still suspicious. He won't come close enough to me that I can catch him (I don't want to catch him now, but he won't believe me), and although his food dishes in the laundry room have been refreshed, he won't go in there if I'm in that end of the house. I may have to tame him all over again. He's a smart little monster.
.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
1636 Bleck
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Things are not going well today. I got me all washed and dressed to go to the store, and decided to take care of the litter box. It was pretty bad.
I use a pelleted pine sawdust kitty litter because it lasts a good long time (before it will suddenly get overwhelmed), and it's easy to dispose of. I can just dump it in the woods, which I can't do with the white stuff, or with clay.
So I picked up the (huge) pan, and carried it to the woods. In the dark.
I swung it out to spread the litter, and stepped in a hole, I guess. Off balance because of swinging the litter box, I fell - into the litter I'd dumped, and then I poured the rest of the litter over myself, filling my shoes and down inside the v-neck of my sweater.
Back to the shower, and the closet.
.
Things are not going well today. I got me all washed and dressed to go to the store, and decided to take care of the litter box. It was pretty bad.
I use a pelleted pine sawdust kitty litter because it lasts a good long time (before it will suddenly get overwhelmed), and it's easy to dispose of. I can just dump it in the woods, which I can't do with the white stuff, or with clay.
So I picked up the (huge) pan, and carried it to the woods. In the dark.
I swung it out to spread the litter, and stepped in a hole, I guess. Off balance because of swinging the litter box, I fell - into the litter I'd dumped, and then I poured the rest of the litter over myself, filling my shoes and down inside the v-neck of my sweater.
Back to the shower, and the closet.
.
1635 Four pounds!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Lots to do today - some major grocery shopping, clean out the car, etc. I'm taking the weekend off to laze a bit and watch some movies, and do some cooking for a real live man - something I have carefully and successfully avoided (not the man part, the cooking part) for years now.
Late last week I bought two lunches from the chinese take-out, and except for a sandwich on the drive on Sunday and a buffet at D's mother's house on Monday, that's all I've been nibbling on for the past week. And yet, I've gained four pounds!
I don't understand.
Those four pounds are just enough that I can't zip my sexy new leather jacket. With the unseasonable warmth we've had lately, I was looking forward to wearing that (sexy, new, butter-soft, black, silk-lined, stand-up collar, still smells of leather) jacket this weekend. I'm very annoyed.
And you can imagine how sexy it is when four pounds makes a difference!
.
Lots to do today - some major grocery shopping, clean out the car, etc. I'm taking the weekend off to laze a bit and watch some movies, and do some cooking for a real live man - something I have carefully and successfully avoided (not the man part, the cooking part) for years now.
Late last week I bought two lunches from the chinese take-out, and except for a sandwich on the drive on Sunday and a buffet at D's mother's house on Monday, that's all I've been nibbling on for the past week. And yet, I've gained four pounds!
I don't understand.
Those four pounds are just enough that I can't zip my sexy new leather jacket. With the unseasonable warmth we've had lately, I was looking forward to wearing that (sexy, new, butter-soft, black, silk-lined, stand-up collar, still smells of leather) jacket this weekend. I'm very annoyed.
And you can imagine how sexy it is when four pounds makes a difference!
.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
1634 Candidate Quiz
About what I figured.....
77% Hillary Clinton
77% Barack Obama
76% Chris Dodd
75% John Edwards
72% Joe Biden
65% Bill Richardson
63% Mike Gravel
61% Dennis Kucinich
53% Rudy Giuliani
43% Mitt Romney
40% John McCain
39% Tom Tancredo
31% Fred Thompson
29% Mike Huckabee
21% Ron Paul
2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz
77% Hillary Clinton
77% Barack Obama
76% Chris Dodd
75% John Edwards
72% Joe Biden
65% Bill Richardson
63% Mike Gravel
61% Dennis Kucinich
53% Rudy Giuliani
43% Mitt Romney
40% John McCain
39% Tom Tancredo
31% Fred Thompson
29% Mike Huckabee
21% Ron Paul
2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz
1633 Recommending a blog from Iraq
I have just discovered Michael J. Totten's Middle East Journal.
He's a journalist with marines in Iraq. He writes so well, so easy to read, draws you in. And he asks all the right questions, the ones *I* want to ask. Great photos.
Even if you don't plan to subscribe to the feeds, and don't have time to read everything written, you really should read the January 2 post, A Plan to Kill Everyone.
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He's a journalist with marines in Iraq. He writes so well, so easy to read, draws you in. And he asks all the right questions, the ones *I* want to ask. Great photos.
Even if you don't plan to subscribe to the feeds, and don't have time to read everything written, you really should read the January 2 post, A Plan to Kill Everyone.
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Tuesday, January 08, 2008
1631 My friend's father
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
I need to write about my friend's father. I posted a photo several months ago, and I'll post it again, because I love it:
This photo was taken by D. when D.'s mother was visiting with D.'s father at the nursing home early in 2007. D.'s father (hereinafter "DF") had several serious medical problems, including an on-again off-again dementia. D.'s mother (hereinafter "DM") is frail.
DF died early New Year's Day. He'd been on life support for a few weeks.
I've known D. for twenty-five years. He was a college co-op in our department at The Company in the early 80s, for two summers. He's a real sweetheart. I attended his wedding, and we've kept in touch by snail mail and email since. I was aware that he came from a large family, and judging from how he turned out, it was a good family, but that's pretty much all I knew.
I went to DF's memorial service yesterday, and I was completely blown away by DF's story, and by D.'s family dynamics.
DF was born in North Carolina in 1922, the eldest of his father's six children, although there were three older siblings from his mother's earlier marriage. His father supported the family of nine children through farming, fishing, and making and selling wooden farming tools. When DF was 13, his father died suddenly of a heart attack, and DF left school to support the family, pursuing his father's crafts.
During his later teens, he moved north for better employment. By 18, he was driving an 18-wheeler for a chemical company in Baltimore, sending money home, and eventually found a job up north for a younger brother, too.
He met and married DM in 1945, was drafted, and served in the Navy through WWII as a petty officer and drill instructor. After the war, he worked as a barber, mortician, business owner, cab driver, cobbler, and craftsman, sometimes holding two and three jobs at once. He also obtained his high school diploma from a Baltimore high school, studying at night while supporting his family, which now consisted of three children and a fourth on the way.
In the early 1950s, the couple bought a home in northwest Baltimore, and DF enrolled at Morgan State, majoring in English and Humanities. He pledged to DM that all their children would go to college.
DF wanted five children. DM wanted four. They had nine. My friend D. and his twin sister are the youngest. By then, DF was employed by the US Postal Service, the career from which he retired. And during that employment, he usually held down a second full-time job.
All nine children did go to college. The nine of them have earned a total of more than twenty undergraduate and graduate degrees in fields including fine arts, music, psychology (two of D.'s brothers are psychologists), business, and computer science (D.).
The grandchildren are continuing the tradition.
Now, what makes all this most amazing is that DF accomplished so much in the 1940s to '60s, in Baltimore. Think about the social climate of the time. The barriers to be overcome.
He just went out there and DID it.
.
I need to write about my friend's father. I posted a photo several months ago, and I'll post it again, because I love it:
This photo was taken by D. when D.'s mother was visiting with D.'s father at the nursing home early in 2007. D.'s father (hereinafter "DF") had several serious medical problems, including an on-again off-again dementia. D.'s mother (hereinafter "DM") is frail.
DF died early New Year's Day. He'd been on life support for a few weeks.
I've known D. for twenty-five years. He was a college co-op in our department at The Company in the early 80s, for two summers. He's a real sweetheart. I attended his wedding, and we've kept in touch by snail mail and email since. I was aware that he came from a large family, and judging from how he turned out, it was a good family, but that's pretty much all I knew.
I went to DF's memorial service yesterday, and I was completely blown away by DF's story, and by D.'s family dynamics.
DF was born in North Carolina in 1922, the eldest of his father's six children, although there were three older siblings from his mother's earlier marriage. His father supported the family of nine children through farming, fishing, and making and selling wooden farming tools. When DF was 13, his father died suddenly of a heart attack, and DF left school to support the family, pursuing his father's crafts.
During his later teens, he moved north for better employment. By 18, he was driving an 18-wheeler for a chemical company in Baltimore, sending money home, and eventually found a job up north for a younger brother, too.
He met and married DM in 1945, was drafted, and served in the Navy through WWII as a petty officer and drill instructor. After the war, he worked as a barber, mortician, business owner, cab driver, cobbler, and craftsman, sometimes holding two and three jobs at once. He also obtained his high school diploma from a Baltimore high school, studying at night while supporting his family, which now consisted of three children and a fourth on the way.
In the early 1950s, the couple bought a home in northwest Baltimore, and DF enrolled at Morgan State, majoring in English and Humanities. He pledged to DM that all their children would go to college.
DF wanted five children. DM wanted four. They had nine. My friend D. and his twin sister are the youngest. By then, DF was employed by the US Postal Service, the career from which he retired. And during that employment, he usually held down a second full-time job.
All nine children did go to college. The nine of them have earned a total of more than twenty undergraduate and graduate degrees in fields including fine arts, music, psychology (two of D.'s brothers are psychologists), business, and computer science (D.).
The grandchildren are continuing the tradition.
Now, what makes all this most amazing is that DF accomplished so much in the 1940s to '60s, in Baltimore. Think about the social climate of the time. The barriers to be overcome.
He just went out there and DID it.
.
1630 Commitment papers
Wednesday, January 8, 2008
A thought on last night's radio discussion topic - young couples who don't bother to get married even when they have children like to say that they don't need a piece of paper to prove love or commitment.
My opinion is that they aren't defining proof of commitment correctly. Commitment isn't a "past" thing. Commitment has to do with the future. If you've been together for ten years without the paper, fine, that just means nothing went wrong for ten years. It doesn't mean you were commited. Perhaps you were not particularly commited, and just lazy. The piece of paper makes it more difficult to cut and run, and shows that you're sure enough to take that on, so the piece of paper shows commitment to a future, to making it work when things get rough.
.
A thought on last night's radio discussion topic - young couples who don't bother to get married even when they have children like to say that they don't need a piece of paper to prove love or commitment.
My opinion is that they aren't defining proof of commitment correctly. Commitment isn't a "past" thing. Commitment has to do with the future. If you've been together for ten years without the paper, fine, that just means nothing went wrong for ten years. It doesn't mean you were commited. Perhaps you were not particularly commited, and just lazy. The piece of paper makes it more difficult to cut and run, and shows that you're sure enough to take that on, so the piece of paper shows commitment to a future, to making it work when things get rough.
.
1629 Civil litigation in NJ
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Driving home last night I was listening to a NJ talk radio station, and heard something startling.
They said that 95% of New Jersey businesses had been hit with civil suits within the past x years (I missed the number, but it was like 5). That it was fairly easy to win a civil suit in NJ, because of lenient judges who allow what amounts to nuisance cases, which actually draws people to sue. They went on to say that 25% of companies based in NJ were seriously considering moving out of the state as a direct result. Many of those who plan to stay in NJ plan to raise prices for their products and services to cover the cost of litigation.
Interesting.
The next item of news, and I'm not sure whether anyone at the radio station realized the irony, was that NJ judges were going to get a 10% raise in salary.
.
Driving home last night I was listening to a NJ talk radio station, and heard something startling.
They said that 95% of New Jersey businesses had been hit with civil suits within the past x years (I missed the number, but it was like 5). That it was fairly easy to win a civil suit in NJ, because of lenient judges who allow what amounts to nuisance cases, which actually draws people to sue. They went on to say that 25% of companies based in NJ were seriously considering moving out of the state as a direct result. Many of those who plan to stay in NJ plan to raise prices for their products and services to cover the cost of litigation.
Interesting.
The next item of news, and I'm not sure whether anyone at the radio station realized the irony, was that NJ judges were going to get a 10% raise in salary.
.
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