Saturday, October 21, 2006
Jay's eldest sister called this evening. I haven't talked with her in ages. Haven't seen her in more than a year. There seems to be a problem with one of Jay's father's caregivers, so she's going to be in Rochester next week to find out what's going on, and asked if I'd like to join her there. The problem? Strange charges showing up on the credit cards, the doctor called her and said he suspects emotional if not physical abuse, the vet called her and said the dog is losing weight, etc. Dad's got 24-hour care, there are several caretakers, so it may be a problem in more than one area.
I have to work at the museum on Monday, but I can drive to Rochester on Tuesday (a 6-hour drive) and return on Thursday. It will be nice to see both of them.
I just hope nothing critical happens in Orlando while I'm gone.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
939 I'm Tired of Looking Tired
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Every time I leave the house with no makeup on, and not just lately, it's been since my early thirties, people tell me I look tired. Or sick. I don't wear that much makeup - spot coverup on my scars, eyebrow pencil and brown eyeliner and mascara, and that's about it. Sometimes lipstick, sometimes powder, depending on how fancy I feel. Never base or rouge.
My main problem, I guess, is that my eyes are light, my eyebrows are scanty and blonde, almost not there, and my eyelashes, although long enough, are also blonde. So without makeup I look pale and washed out.
Two of the four recessed floodlights in the kitchen burned out today, so I went to the grocery store this evening to buy some. They didn't have any of the type I need, so I just got yogurt and bread. The checkout lady, one of my favorites, ask me what was wrong. I said "Nothing, why?", and she said I looked tired. I said no, that I just wasn't wearing any makeup. She proceded to tell me that I was even moving more slowly, like I was tired. I said no, I'm really ok. She said I even said that in a tired way.
I had been just fine when I went in. By the time I left, I did feel tired. She convinced me.
Sigh.
I'm half tempted to get eyebrows and eyeliner tattooed on, but I'm afraid they'd screw it up and I'd be stuck with a mess. Plus as I get older I might want the eyebrows lighter, and I don't know how that would work. Sister has tattooed eyeliner. I'll have to check hers out better next time I see her.
Sheesh. Wouldn't that hurt? What do you look like until it heals?
Every time I leave the house with no makeup on, and not just lately, it's been since my early thirties, people tell me I look tired. Or sick. I don't wear that much makeup - spot coverup on my scars, eyebrow pencil and brown eyeliner and mascara, and that's about it. Sometimes lipstick, sometimes powder, depending on how fancy I feel. Never base or rouge.
My main problem, I guess, is that my eyes are light, my eyebrows are scanty and blonde, almost not there, and my eyelashes, although long enough, are also blonde. So without makeup I look pale and washed out.
Two of the four recessed floodlights in the kitchen burned out today, so I went to the grocery store this evening to buy some. They didn't have any of the type I need, so I just got yogurt and bread. The checkout lady, one of my favorites, ask me what was wrong. I said "Nothing, why?", and she said I looked tired. I said no, that I just wasn't wearing any makeup. She proceded to tell me that I was even moving more slowly, like I was tired. I said no, I'm really ok. She said I even said that in a tired way.
I had been just fine when I went in. By the time I left, I did feel tired. She convinced me.
Sigh.
I'm half tempted to get eyebrows and eyeliner tattooed on, but I'm afraid they'd screw it up and I'd be stuck with a mess. Plus as I get older I might want the eyebrows lighter, and I don't know how that would work. Sister has tattooed eyeliner. I'll have to check hers out better next time I see her.
Sheesh. Wouldn't that hurt? What do you look like until it heals?
938 The Warden's Dilemma
Saturday, October 21, 2006
This week's book is The Warden Wore Pink, Tekla Dennison Miller's experiences as the first female warden of a Michigan male prison. I am enjoying her stories, like the incident of the car bombs.
There was reason to believe that one of five cars belonging to the warden and her staff had been rigged to blow up. The police sent a bomb squad. The owners of the cars were given a choice:
All five opted for choice #2.
The comic relief in her rendition of the story is provided by the media.
I've been thinking about it for four days now, and I still don't know what I would have chosen. If there was a bomb, they had an idea who would have been responsible for planting it. I might have let the car sit there indefinitely, until the culprit had been apprehended.
These five, after the police search, one by one, started their cars.
Eek! I don't know if I would have had that much faith or courage.
What would you have done?
This week's book is The Warden Wore Pink, Tekla Dennison Miller's experiences as the first female warden of a Michigan male prison. I am enjoying her stories, like the incident of the car bombs.
There was reason to believe that one of five cars belonging to the warden and her staff had been rigged to blow up. The police sent a bomb squad. The owners of the cars were given a choice:
- The police could absolutely guarantee that there was no bomb by stripping the cars down to the bare metal. "But we won't put them back together again."
- They could be reasonably sure there's no bomb by searching without stripping the cars completely, but "you'll have to start the cars yourself when we are finished." (This was 1977 - no remote starters)
- They would simply explode the cars.
All five opted for choice #2.
The comic relief in her rendition of the story is provided by the media.
I've been thinking about it for four days now, and I still don't know what I would have chosen. If there was a bomb, they had an idea who would have been responsible for planting it. I might have let the car sit there indefinitely, until the culprit had been apprehended.
These five, after the police search, one by one, started their cars.
Eek! I don't know if I would have had that much faith or courage.
What would you have done?
Friday, October 20, 2006
937 End of the Week
Friday, October 20, 2006
Catching up. Wednesday I went to the maritime museum and visited the Amistad. One of the crew members made a pretty strong pass. I deflected it. Last evening was the Third Thursday dinner. There were four of us - me, Roman, First Woman, and Super-Ditz. It was very enjoyable, some good and funny conversation.
After Super-Ditz left I'm afraid the three of us remaining made fun of her - not something I like to do, but , oh, she's SUCH a ditz it's irresistible. First Woman speculated that maybe she "puts on" the ditziness, but after considering that a while, we decided no, the woman is, well, I'm being nice calling her ditzy. She actually seems more just plain stupid.
She says things and holds opinions that when you hear them, you laugh, thinking she's making a joke. Then you realize she's serious. For example, she doesn't understand why we haven't nuked Iraq, and it's useless to attempt to explain to her why that's a very bad idea , because she hasn't the vaguest idea what's going on there or why. Her thinking is linear: war - nuke - end of war - what's the problem? She votes. That's scary. And yes, she's a Mensan. That's scarier.
After dinner Roman and I wandered around the mall a bit. At the cars we hugged, and I really didn't want to let go (I think he was holding on, too, he was stroking my hair), and he was about to kiss me, when I decided it was more than time to define the bounds of a friendship. I told him how I felt about him, BUT that there would be no more physical intimacy because I refuse to put myself into that position again. I just can't do that any more. Of course, there were a lot more words wrapped around it. We need to get past being uncomfortable. We need rules. Boundaries.
And I felt ok driving home.
Today I had lunch with Piper. He has embarked on a major weight loss and body building program. He's starting to look a lot better. I hope it has nothing to do with me. That way lies disappointment. I really don't see him that way at all. But he's starting to imply again that his relationship with the woman he lives with is platonic. Today he even said that he's free. I'll bet you a few hundred thousand that she doesn't see it that way, and from what I've heard of her, I wouldn't want to attract her anger.
May called this evening. I haven't heard from her since Moonlight Madness, Last June 11th. I had been worried about her that evening, and I followed her most of the way home to make sure she made it ok, and then the next day she called NJ, the hostess of Moonlight Madness, and furiously "tore her a new one", told her that she was never going to any more of her parties ever again. She was angry that I had followed her home, and blamed NJ. The whole thing was completely unreasonable. She and NJ have been good friends for at least twenty years.
NJ called me to warn me that May was angry and might call me to chew me out, but she never did. I figured she was even madder at me than at NJ and that's why she didn't call.
This is the woman whom I was so worried about back in June. It's very difficult to help her because she denies any problems and refuses all invitations (except for the twice-yearly parties at NJ's).
So I haven't called her, because I'd figured she wouldn't want to talk with me, and I'd given up on her anyway. There's only so much you can do.
So, she called this evening. She even called at a decent hour (she's been known to call people at 3 am). She sounded sober, sensible, and in good spirits. One problem is that she wants to stay on the phone forever, and she starts telling the same stories over and over, but I had a good excuse to cut the conversation short after 45 minutes - I hadn't heard from my sister about our nephew today, and I wanted to call her before 10 pm. So, anyway, that was good, knowing that she seems ok.
Then I tried to call Sister. We have either talked or I'd gotten email from her every day since Nephew's accident. Her last email was yesterday, and then she said he had developed pneumonia. Nothing today. So I called her cell phone just before 10 pm, and it went directly to voice mail. I didn't leave a message.
Things aren't good at all, so it's not a good sign that I've heard nothing today. Nephew's intracranial pressure, with the shunt, has been in the low 20s. That's not too bad. Adults can be conscious in the low 20s. When it goes over 30, the blood supply can be cut off and brain cells die. He's been at or just above 30 for brief periods. When it goes over 40, major damage is guaranteed. At some point in the past two days, they tried taking him off the paralytic meds, and he started thrashing around, and the pressure went over 60. Sister didn't know how long it was so high, but it doesn't take more than a few minutes to turn his brain to mush. Another ominous sign is that his blood pressure has remained pretty steady. When the intracranial pressure goes up, the blood pressure should also go up, in an attempt to force blood through the brain. Sister thinks it's a good sign that it didn't. I haven't corrected her. The pneumonia may be a blessing.
Sister gave me Nephew's mother's address (ex-sister-in-law) and suggested I send her a note. I haven't because for one thing, I don't know what to say - this is one area in which I am a major klutz, I never know what to say about any sensitive thing, I tend to giggle at funerals - and second, I'm afraid that by the time a snail-mail note got to her, the situation may have changed so much that whatever I say would be the wrong thing. I don't know what I should do. I've seen her exactly once in 37 years (at my mother's funeral, when she and Nephew were the cause of my giggles) so it's not like she's wondering why she hasn't heard from me.
Sigh. I gotta remember to pick up some duct tape. I've got too many warts, and they don't seem to be going away themselves.
Catching up. Wednesday I went to the maritime museum and visited the Amistad. One of the crew members made a pretty strong pass. I deflected it. Last evening was the Third Thursday dinner. There were four of us - me, Roman, First Woman, and Super-Ditz. It was very enjoyable, some good and funny conversation.
After Super-Ditz left I'm afraid the three of us remaining made fun of her - not something I like to do, but , oh, she's SUCH a ditz it's irresistible. First Woman speculated that maybe she "puts on" the ditziness, but after considering that a while, we decided no, the woman is, well, I'm being nice calling her ditzy. She actually seems more just plain stupid.
She says things and holds opinions that when you hear them, you laugh, thinking she's making a joke. Then you realize she's serious. For example, she doesn't understand why we haven't nuked Iraq, and it's useless to attempt to explain to her why that's a very bad idea , because she hasn't the vaguest idea what's going on there or why. Her thinking is linear: war - nuke - end of war - what's the problem? She votes. That's scary. And yes, she's a Mensan. That's scarier.
After dinner Roman and I wandered around the mall a bit. At the cars we hugged, and I really didn't want to let go (I think he was holding on, too, he was stroking my hair), and he was about to kiss me, when I decided it was more than time to define the bounds of a friendship. I told him how I felt about him, BUT that there would be no more physical intimacy because I refuse to put myself into that position again. I just can't do that any more. Of course, there were a lot more words wrapped around it. We need to get past being uncomfortable. We need rules. Boundaries.
And I felt ok driving home.
Today I had lunch with Piper. He has embarked on a major weight loss and body building program. He's starting to look a lot better. I hope it has nothing to do with me. That way lies disappointment. I really don't see him that way at all. But he's starting to imply again that his relationship with the woman he lives with is platonic. Today he even said that he's free. I'll bet you a few hundred thousand that she doesn't see it that way, and from what I've heard of her, I wouldn't want to attract her anger.
May called this evening. I haven't heard from her since Moonlight Madness, Last June 11th. I had been worried about her that evening, and I followed her most of the way home to make sure she made it ok, and then the next day she called NJ, the hostess of Moonlight Madness, and furiously "tore her a new one", told her that she was never going to any more of her parties ever again. She was angry that I had followed her home, and blamed NJ. The whole thing was completely unreasonable. She and NJ have been good friends for at least twenty years.
NJ called me to warn me that May was angry and might call me to chew me out, but she never did. I figured she was even madder at me than at NJ and that's why she didn't call.
This is the woman whom I was so worried about back in June. It's very difficult to help her because she denies any problems and refuses all invitations (except for the twice-yearly parties at NJ's).
So I haven't called her, because I'd figured she wouldn't want to talk with me, and I'd given up on her anyway. There's only so much you can do.
So, she called this evening. She even called at a decent hour (she's been known to call people at 3 am). She sounded sober, sensible, and in good spirits. One problem is that she wants to stay on the phone forever, and she starts telling the same stories over and over, but I had a good excuse to cut the conversation short after 45 minutes - I hadn't heard from my sister about our nephew today, and I wanted to call her before 10 pm. So, anyway, that was good, knowing that she seems ok.
Then I tried to call Sister. We have either talked or I'd gotten email from her every day since Nephew's accident. Her last email was yesterday, and then she said he had developed pneumonia. Nothing today. So I called her cell phone just before 10 pm, and it went directly to voice mail. I didn't leave a message.
Things aren't good at all, so it's not a good sign that I've heard nothing today. Nephew's intracranial pressure, with the shunt, has been in the low 20s. That's not too bad. Adults can be conscious in the low 20s. When it goes over 30, the blood supply can be cut off and brain cells die. He's been at or just above 30 for brief periods. When it goes over 40, major damage is guaranteed. At some point in the past two days, they tried taking him off the paralytic meds, and he started thrashing around, and the pressure went over 60. Sister didn't know how long it was so high, but it doesn't take more than a few minutes to turn his brain to mush. Another ominous sign is that his blood pressure has remained pretty steady. When the intracranial pressure goes up, the blood pressure should also go up, in an attempt to force blood through the brain. Sister thinks it's a good sign that it didn't. I haven't corrected her. The pneumonia may be a blessing.
Sister gave me Nephew's mother's address (ex-sister-in-law) and suggested I send her a note. I haven't because for one thing, I don't know what to say - this is one area in which I am a major klutz, I never know what to say about any sensitive thing, I tend to giggle at funerals - and second, I'm afraid that by the time a snail-mail note got to her, the situation may have changed so much that whatever I say would be the wrong thing. I don't know what I should do. I've seen her exactly once in 37 years (at my mother's funeral, when she and Nephew were the cause of my giggles) so it's not like she's wondering why she hasn't heard from me.
Sigh. I gotta remember to pick up some duct tape. I've got too many warts, and they don't seem to be going away themselves.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
936 Halloween "Decoration"?
Looking for something to do for Halloween, guaranteed to freak out your guests? Check out Triggur's idea.
935 Hafla, November 11
As a service to local (within 100 miles) aficionados, I am reproducing here the entire text of the invitation to the biggest, bestest, friendliest Hafla in the Mid-Hudson Valley.
Greetings Bellydance Lovers!
Our Hudson Valley Hafla will be happening on November 11, 2006 in Kingston, NY. Be sure to register soon to reserve your seat! And we have to know how much food to make. ;)
Here's all the information you need to know to come to this awesome event!
Crimson Gypsy Dance Productions Presents
Hudson Valley Hafla
Saturday, November 11, 2006
7:00 - 10:00 p.m. - doors open at 6:30 p.m.
White Eagle's Benevolent Society
487 Delaware Avenue - Kingston, NY 12401
The Evening Hafla will feature:
Prices:
General Admission - $20 in advance, $25 at the door.
Children 12 and under free.
Performers - $10, advance registration required.
Teachers who are performing get in for FREE! Advance registration required.
Hafla Information Webpage
www.crimsongypsy.com/dance/hafla.htm
Printable Registration Form
www.crimsongypsy.com/dance/haflaregistration.htm
[Edit - Willow's phone number and email address were here, but I have removed them for this post. If you need further information, contact me, Silk, through a comment, and I'll help.]
Website: www.crimsongypsy.com/dance
If you are looking for a local Hudson Valley Bellydance Teacher, look no further. The Hudson Valley has it all, Egyptian, Cabaret, American Tribal, Tribal Fusion, Sacred Goddess Temple Dance - so many styles are represented in the Hudson Valley! If you've been curious about trying a different style of bellydance or didn't know where to find classes, you can find local teacher contact information on Willow's Bellydance Class page - www.crimsongypsy.com/dance/classes.htm
All local teachers are listed there with the style of bellydance they teach and their contact information and websites! Check it out. There are bellydance classes EVERY night of the week, and with the lineup of amazing teachers in our area, you can't go wrong with any one of them! There is a bellydance style and teacher for everyone here.
That's it for now. But you can be sure there will be more exciting events coming up down the road. I'll be here to keep you posted on the bellydance events and happenings around the Hudson Valley. For more information and to be part of the network, join the Hudson Valley Bellydance Tribe at tribes.tribe.net/hvbellydance
Until next time, happy shimmies!
Peace, Love and Blessings,
Willow
-----------------------------------------
Greetings Bellydance Lovers!
Our Hudson Valley Hafla will be happening on November 11, 2006 in Kingston, NY. Be sure to register soon to reserve your seat! And we have to know how much food to make. ;)
Here's all the information you need to know to come to this awesome event!
Crimson Gypsy Dance Productions Presents
Hudson Valley Hafla
Saturday, November 11, 2006
7:00 - 10:00 p.m. - doors open at 6:30 p.m.
White Eagle's Benevolent Society
487 Delaware Avenue - Kingston, NY 12401
The Evening Hafla will feature:
- A LIVE DJ with plenty of OPEN DANCING for everyone.
- Performances by local teachers, dancers and students.
- Refreshments, Middle Eastern Appetizers and a light buffet will be served.
- Vendors selling sumptuous Middle Eastern Treasures!
- A cash bar will be available downstairs.
- Students and Teachers, Soloists and Troupes - All Styles - are welcome to perform!
- Middle Eastern Drummers and Musicians are welcome!
- Guests are welcome to come enjoy the Hafla. Bring your family and friends - whoever will enjoy an evening of bellydancing and fun!
Prices:
General Admission - $20 in advance, $25 at the door.
Children 12 and under free.
Performers - $10, advance registration required.
Teachers who are performing get in for FREE! Advance registration required.
Hafla Information Webpage
www.crimsongypsy.com/dance/hafla.htm
Printable Registration Form
www.crimsongypsy.com/dance/haflaregistration.htm
[Edit - Willow's phone number and email address were here, but I have removed them for this post. If you need further information, contact me, Silk, through a comment, and I'll help.]
Website: www.crimsongypsy.com/dance
******************************
If you are looking for a local Hudson Valley Bellydance Teacher, look no further. The Hudson Valley has it all, Egyptian, Cabaret, American Tribal, Tribal Fusion, Sacred Goddess Temple Dance - so many styles are represented in the Hudson Valley! If you've been curious about trying a different style of bellydance or didn't know where to find classes, you can find local teacher contact information on Willow's Bellydance Class page - www.crimsongypsy.com/dance/classes.htm
All local teachers are listed there with the style of bellydance they teach and their contact information and websites! Check it out. There are bellydance classes EVERY night of the week, and with the lineup of amazing teachers in our area, you can't go wrong with any one of them! There is a bellydance style and teacher for everyone here.
That's it for now. But you can be sure there will be more exciting events coming up down the road. I'll be here to keep you posted on the bellydance events and happenings around the Hudson Valley. For more information and to be part of the network, join the Hudson Valley Bellydance Tribe at tribes.tribe.net/hvbellydance
Until next time, happy shimmies!
Peace, Love and Blessings,
Willow
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
934 What Kind of Brain....
(Yeah, ok, I'm bored.)
You scored 45 Right-Brain, 45 Left-Brain, and 36 Dual-Thinking! |
Which category did you score highest in? That's your dominant brain hemisphere. Only about 2% of the population are "whole brain" thinkers. Most people have a strong preference for either left brain or right brain thinking. If you scored highest in: Left brain: You're more likely to use logic when making decisions. You enjoy analyzing situations, and don't mind paying attention to detail. You're effective at recognizing patterns and developing strategies, and tend to be cautious about taking risks. You may not have confidence in your ability to draw pictures well. Right brain: You're an intuitive thinker, and can see the "big picture." You're more likely to be artistic and creative. You are also more likely to understand and enjoy symbolism, spirituality, and philosophy. You enjoy drawing pictures. Dual-brain: Your brain hemispheres communicate with each other effectively, making you highly adaptable to many situations. Read the other two descriptions and evaluate how the ability to think of both the literal and the figurative have helped you make difficult decisions and to learn tough topics in your past. |
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| Link: The What Kind of Brain Are You Test written by MsTerious1 on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test |
933 Jack and the Cow
One day, when Daughter was about two and a half years old, she sauntered into the kitchen pulling her wheeled riding horsey.
Daughter: "Hi Man. My name Jack. This my cow."
Me: "Oh, my. What a nice cow."
Daughter: "You give me magic beans for cow?"
Me: "Why yes. That's such a nice looking cow, I'll give you six magic beans for her."
Daughter: "Ok."
Me: (Counting six pretend beans into her palm.)
Daughter: (Holding the palm with the beans under the cow's mouth) "Look cow. Man give me beans for you."
Cow: "(munch munch munch) Mmmmmm. Goooooood beans."
And then Daughter and Cow wandered out of the kitchen.
I figured next time I told her a story, I'd better be more specific.
Daughter: "Hi Man. My name Jack. This my cow."
Me: "Oh, my. What a nice cow."
Daughter: "You give me magic beans for cow?"
Me: "Why yes. That's such a nice looking cow, I'll give you six magic beans for her."
Daughter: "Ok."
Me: (Counting six pretend beans into her palm.)
Daughter: (Holding the palm with the beans under the cow's mouth) "Look cow. Man give me beans for you."
Cow: "(munch munch munch) Mmmmmm. Goooooood beans."
And then Daughter and Cow wandered out of the kitchen.
I figured next time I told her a story, I'd better be more specific.
932 Emotional IQ Test
| Expressive You scored 80% on validity, 54% on Maturity, 33% on Sublimation, and 100% on Wisdom! |
| You were straight foward and open in responding to the test therefore results are valid. You are a genuinely open person who has a great deal of awareness of the complexity involved in emotional situations and in being close with others. You tend to be dominated by whatever you feel at the time and you are a very expressive person. The key is that you do not allow your emotions to dominate you and you make decisions that are mature and well thought out. As a result, others know the way you feel and your relationships tend to be close, deep and satisfying. Folks always know where they stand with you and that is a real source of strength for you in your life. |
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| Link: The Emotional IQ Test written by serenity737 on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test |
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
931 Amistad
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
It's raining today. Blah day. I don't "do" rain well.
The recreation of the 19th century schooner La Amistad has been at the Maritime Museum for a few days. I worked yesterday at the museum from noon to six, but Monday is the crew's day off, so I didn't get to go on board. Many of the crew members visited the museum, so I talked with a few of them. Tomorrow they'll have a special time for volunteers to visit, after the school groups and before the general public, so I'll go then.
The following images are scans from the brochure. For more information, see the Amistad website.
(Visit sponsored by The Bruderhof Foundation, Rondout Savings Bank, and Ulster Federal Savings Union. Donors: Central Husdon Gas and Electric, and River Radiology.)
It's raining today. Blah day. I don't "do" rain well.
The recreation of the 19th century schooner La Amistad has been at the Maritime Museum for a few days. I worked yesterday at the museum from noon to six, but Monday is the crew's day off, so I didn't get to go on board. Many of the crew members visited the museum, so I talked with a few of them. Tomorrow they'll have a special time for volunteers to visit, after the school groups and before the general public, so I'll go then.
The following images are scans from the brochure. For more information, see the Amistad website.
(Visit sponsored by The Bruderhof Foundation, Rondout Savings Bank, and Ulster Federal Savings Union. Donors: Central Husdon Gas and Electric, and River Radiology.)
Monday, October 16, 2006
930 Nephew
Monday, October 16, 2006
Nephew, earlier this year. He's 37 years old. He has "our" family nose and cheeks, and his mother's eyes.
When he was a child, starting at about age 3, whenever anyone asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he always answered, "I want to be a fireman!"
And everyone smiled and patted him on the head.
When he was a teenager, and people asked him what he wanted to do, he always said "I want to be a fireman!" And people nodded, and figuratively patted him on the head. "No, really. What do you really want to do?" Eventually he just said "I don't know."
Then he started college, on some business track that he had been guided into, like with a lot of accounting. He was living with my mother (his grandmother). He obviously wasn't happy. So my mother sat him down one night and asked him what was wrong. He said he hated the classes he was taking, and saw no future in any of it. She asked him "What do you really want to do?"
She said he looked up with tears in his eyes, and wailed "I want to be a fireman." Mom helped him to change academic track. And it was good.
He is an Orlando fire fighter.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
929 Fashion and Glasses
Sunday, October 15, 2006
I currently have two pairs of glasses. I always have two, because I'm so blind I can't chance being without. These two are very similar, same style, just slightly different color.
It's time for new. They're looking a little battered, but I refuse to buy new frames right now. The fashionistas have declared that we must all wear straight-across narrow frames, regardless of our facial shape or visual needs. I HATE the shape! I've visited every shop in the area, and that's ALL they have.
Why do they think we all want the same thing?
That straight narrow shape is not good for my face. They just emphasize the width of my nose. But worse, I like a deep lens because my neck is a bit delicate. With a deep lens (I have bifocals) I can look up (distance) or down (near) without moving my head, just my eyes. With a narrow lens, I am forced to tilt my head to (for example) see the keyboard, or the dinner plate, and that will almost guarantee a krick in my neck.
If you need glasses to see, a narrow lens reduces your visual field. That's never good.
I hate those skinny frames! I think they look stupid. But they've been out long enough now that almost everyone has them, and my deep lenses now look sadly old-fashioned.
On the other hand, they've been out long enough that almost everyone has had to buy them, so we're ripe for the manufacturers to change the style, so all the herd-followers will have to buy new ones. Money, money.
Daughter has new glasses, and she got the "frameless" kind. I hadn't been able to find frameless or half-frame in like 15 years, and I love that style, so maybe (I hope!) that's the direction they're moving. You can have almost any shape lens with frameless. I just hope I can hold out one more year (or however long it takes for a new style to show up in this backward area).
Why do we allow designers to dictate what we wear? Arise! Revolt! Glasses are not a fashion accessory and should not be treated as such. For some of us they are a necessity, and our needs and preferences should be considered.
I currently have two pairs of glasses. I always have two, because I'm so blind I can't chance being without. These two are very similar, same style, just slightly different color.
It's time for new. They're looking a little battered, but I refuse to buy new frames right now. The fashionistas have declared that we must all wear straight-across narrow frames, regardless of our facial shape or visual needs. I HATE the shape! I've visited every shop in the area, and that's ALL they have.
Why do they think we all want the same thing?
That straight narrow shape is not good for my face. They just emphasize the width of my nose. But worse, I like a deep lens because my neck is a bit delicate. With a deep lens (I have bifocals) I can look up (distance) or down (near) without moving my head, just my eyes. With a narrow lens, I am forced to tilt my head to (for example) see the keyboard, or the dinner plate, and that will almost guarantee a krick in my neck.
If you need glasses to see, a narrow lens reduces your visual field. That's never good.
I hate those skinny frames! I think they look stupid. But they've been out long enough now that almost everyone has them, and my deep lenses now look sadly old-fashioned.
On the other hand, they've been out long enough that almost everyone has had to buy them, so we're ripe for the manufacturers to change the style, so all the herd-followers will have to buy new ones. Money, money.
Daughter has new glasses, and she got the "frameless" kind. I hadn't been able to find frameless or half-frame in like 15 years, and I love that style, so maybe (I hope!) that's the direction they're moving. You can have almost any shape lens with frameless. I just hope I can hold out one more year (or however long it takes for a new style to show up in this backward area).
Why do we allow designers to dictate what we wear? Arise! Revolt! Glasses are not a fashion accessory and should not be treated as such. For some of us they are a necessity, and our needs and preferences should be considered.
928 Nephew
Sunday, October 15, 2006
The nephew isn't better, but he's not worse, either. He has a shunt to release pressure. With the shunt open, the intracranial pressure remains in the low 20s. When they close the shunt, it rapidly shoots over 30. I have to wonder why they'd experiment with closing it. Sheesh. It's sort of like testing whether water is boiling by sticking your finger in it.
He's still described as in a coma, but a nurse asked him to give her a "thumbs up", and he did. The hospital has restricted his visitation, and have asked people to not touch him or talk at all, even to each other, when they are in his room. I sort of do and sort of don't understand that. With the fire department folks sitting vigil, he was getting a lot of visitors, and maybe they were thinking that if he is aware, it's tiring him.
So, we wait.
The nephew isn't better, but he's not worse, either. He has a shunt to release pressure. With the shunt open, the intracranial pressure remains in the low 20s. When they close the shunt, it rapidly shoots over 30. I have to wonder why they'd experiment with closing it. Sheesh. It's sort of like testing whether water is boiling by sticking your finger in it.
He's still described as in a coma, but a nurse asked him to give her a "thumbs up", and he did. The hospital has restricted his visitation, and have asked people to not touch him or talk at all, even to each other, when they are in his room. I sort of do and sort of don't understand that. With the fire department folks sitting vigil, he was getting a lot of visitors, and maybe they were thinking that if he is aware, it's tiring him.
So, we wait.
927 Sunday
Sunday, October 15, 2006
I went to Rakkasah yesterday, mainly to see Willow dance. She was, as usual, terrific. The audience response was extremely positive, especially considering that it was improvisation to a live band, as opposed to a rehearsed routine to recorded music.
I didn't get there until after 6 pm, but it seemed like all the best dancers were from 6 to 11, so even though I was there for such a short time, I was satisfied. Others who were there were staying through today, but when I was about to put my makeup on in the hotel room this morning, I suddenly decided I didn't want to, and I wanted to go home. I don't know why. I just felt tired, drained. My feet hurt because I had worn the wrong shoes Saturday, and I hadn't brought any others.
I almost fell asleep on the 2.5 hour drive home. I wore my bedroom slippers to drive home. And no makeup.
I got home about 1:30, lay across the bed to read a bit, and fell asleep. I didn't wake up until after 5 pm. This is highly unusual for me.
When I got to the hotel room last night, according to the thermostat it was 70 degrees F in the room, and it felt cold to me. I boosted it to 75, and still felt cold all night. When I got home, the thermostat said it was 75 in my house, and I felt cold. I've boosted it to 77, and I still feel cold. I had about convinced myself that there was something wrong with my home thermostat, that it was registering high, but now I wonder. It's not likely that the hotel thermostat was also registering high. I think I'm just feeling cold. My hands, feet, arms, legs, face - sometimes it feels like my nose is about to fall off. I get shivers. I don't think it's a circulation problem, 'cause everything's still pink.
A few days ago I felt like I had a fever, you know, that "loggy" feeling?, so I took my temperature. It was 96.2 oral. I thought maybe there was something wrong with the thermometer, so I tried again with a different one. Same result. I have always run a bit low - 97.7 to 98.2 is normal for me - but this is unusually low.
Thyroid? Insulin? I guess I should do a little research. My internal thermostat might have gotten reset this summer when the A/C was screwed up and it got into the 90s in the house.
Right now I'm too tired to think about it. (Hmmm. That sounds thyroid, too. Could also explain why I haven't been able to lose any more weight.) Funniest thing is that when I kick myself into gear, I'm fine as long as I keep moving. It's only when I stop that I feel so tired.
Whatever.
I went to Rakkasah yesterday, mainly to see Willow dance. She was, as usual, terrific. The audience response was extremely positive, especially considering that it was improvisation to a live band, as opposed to a rehearsed routine to recorded music.
I didn't get there until after 6 pm, but it seemed like all the best dancers were from 6 to 11, so even though I was there for such a short time, I was satisfied. Others who were there were staying through today, but when I was about to put my makeup on in the hotel room this morning, I suddenly decided I didn't want to, and I wanted to go home. I don't know why. I just felt tired, drained. My feet hurt because I had worn the wrong shoes Saturday, and I hadn't brought any others.
I almost fell asleep on the 2.5 hour drive home. I wore my bedroom slippers to drive home. And no makeup.
I got home about 1:30, lay across the bed to read a bit, and fell asleep. I didn't wake up until after 5 pm. This is highly unusual for me.
When I got to the hotel room last night, according to the thermostat it was 70 degrees F in the room, and it felt cold to me. I boosted it to 75, and still felt cold all night. When I got home, the thermostat said it was 75 in my house, and I felt cold. I've boosted it to 77, and I still feel cold. I had about convinced myself that there was something wrong with my home thermostat, that it was registering high, but now I wonder. It's not likely that the hotel thermostat was also registering high. I think I'm just feeling cold. My hands, feet, arms, legs, face - sometimes it feels like my nose is about to fall off. I get shivers. I don't think it's a circulation problem, 'cause everything's still pink.
A few days ago I felt like I had a fever, you know, that "loggy" feeling?, so I took my temperature. It was 96.2 oral. I thought maybe there was something wrong with the thermometer, so I tried again with a different one. Same result. I have always run a bit low - 97.7 to 98.2 is normal for me - but this is unusually low.
Thyroid? Insulin? I guess I should do a little research. My internal thermostat might have gotten reset this summer when the A/C was screwed up and it got into the 90s in the house.
Right now I'm too tired to think about it. (Hmmm. That sounds thyroid, too. Could also explain why I haven't been able to lose any more weight.) Funniest thing is that when I kick myself into gear, I'm fine as long as I keep moving. It's only when I stop that I feel so tired.
Whatever.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
926 Nephew
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Update on my nephew in Orlando: He "popped a wheelie" on his motorcycle (whether it was on purpose or not is unknown), and went over backward, striking the back of his head on the pavement. Then apparently the front of the motorcycle hit his face. His girlfriend was following him in a car, so he got 911 assistance immediately. His skull is fractured, and his brain is swelling. He apparently wasn't moving too fast at the time, so he has no other injuries. The doctors are not encouraging, but that may just be preparing the family for the worst.
Naturally, being me, I asked my sister whether they had opened his skull to relieve pressure, what medications he was on, and so on. Naturally, being her, my sister didn't know.
On a different front, I have changed the comment processing so that I have to approve comments before they are posted, so if you leave a comment, you won't see it for a while. Don't worry - it will eventually appear. I did this because someone from my past has contacted me through a comment on an archived entry, and she's not sure I am who she thinks I am (I am!), so she didn't leave contact information. Naturally, I don't want to leave specifics as to my name or other identifying info in a comment either. So - If I have to approve comments before they are posted, she can give me her email address in a comment, I won't post the comment, and then we can get more specific outside the public eye.
Update on my nephew in Orlando: He "popped a wheelie" on his motorcycle (whether it was on purpose or not is unknown), and went over backward, striking the back of his head on the pavement. Then apparently the front of the motorcycle hit his face. His girlfriend was following him in a car, so he got 911 assistance immediately. His skull is fractured, and his brain is swelling. He apparently wasn't moving too fast at the time, so he has no other injuries. The doctors are not encouraging, but that may just be preparing the family for the worst.
Naturally, being me, I asked my sister whether they had opened his skull to relieve pressure, what medications he was on, and so on. Naturally, being her, my sister didn't know.
On a different front, I have changed the comment processing so that I have to approve comments before they are posted, so if you leave a comment, you won't see it for a while. Don't worry - it will eventually appear. I did this because someone from my past has contacted me through a comment on an archived entry, and she's not sure I am who she thinks I am (I am!), so she didn't leave contact information. Naturally, I don't want to leave specifics as to my name or other identifying info in a comment either. So - If I have to approve comments before they are posted, she can give me her email address in a comment, I won't post the comment, and then we can get more specific outside the public eye.
Friday, October 13, 2006
925 Positive Vibes Requested
Friday, October 13, 2006
Please send positive thoughts in the direction of Orlando, Florida. My brother's son, the fireman, had a motorcycle accident last night and is in a coma. I have no other details at this time.
Please send positive thoughts in the direction of Orlando, Florida. My brother's son, the fireman, had a motorcycle accident last night and is in a coma. I have no other details at this time.
924 Things I've done...
Yeah, these things are silly, but I feel like I have to do them anyway just to "see what I get". Sorta like opening the prize package in the cracker jacks box - you know it's junk, but you have to see it anyway. And then compare it to what your buddy got.
Meme lifted from True. Items in bold are things that I've done. I took it a step farther by "explaining" some.
Meme lifted from True. Items in bold are things that I've done. I took it a step farther by "explaining" some.
- Bought everyone in the bar a drink.
- Swam with wild dolphins
- Climbed a mountain. I think climbing Red Rock before there was a trail should count.
- Took a Ferrari for a test drive
- Rode in an airplane.
- Been inside the Great Pyramid.
- Held a tarantula.
- Took a candlelit bath with someone. I suspect the questions means a romantic episode. But I'm counting the time our electricity was out for almost two weeks, and we had to heat snow on a camp stove to bathe. You bet Jay and I shared a candlelit bath!
- Said “I love you’ and meant it.
- Hugged a tree.
- Bungee jumped.
- Visited Paris.
- Watched a lightning storm at sea.
- Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise.
- Saw the Northern Lights.
- Went to a huge sports game.
- Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa. Nope. But I've been to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and I've climbed to the top of the Washington Monument.
- Grew and ate your own vegetables.
- Touched an iceberg. ...But I've touched a glacier. That's the mother of icebergs....
- Slept under the stars.
- Changed a baby’s diaper.
- Took a trip in a hot air balloon.
- Watched a meteor shower.
- Got drunk on champagne.
- Gave more than you can afford to charity.
- Looked up at the night sky through a telescope.
- Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment.
- Had a food fight.
- Bet on a winning horse.
- Asked out a stranger.
- Had a snowball fight.
- Screamed as loudly as you possibly could.
- Held a lamb.
- Saw a total eclipse.
- Rode a roller coaster.
- Hit a home run.
- Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking.
- Adopted an accent for an entire day.
- Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment.
- Had two hard drives for your computer.
- Visited all 50 states.
- Took care of someone who was drunk.
- Had amazing friends.
- Danced with a stranger in a foreign country.
- Watched wild whales.
- Stole a sign.
- Backpacked in Europe.
- Took a roadtrip.
- Went rock climbing. Not the kind with the ropes and stuff.
- Midnight walk on the beach. ... and the sand fleas ate us alive!
- Went sky diving.
- Visited Ireland. Wales, but not Ireland. Tsk. I guess Ireland just has a better tourist board.
- Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love.
- In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them.
- Had a stranger ask you to dance.
- Visited Japan. This is a sore point. I was promised a trip to Japan if I accepted the last internal transfer. They renegued.
- Milked a cow.
- Alphabetized your CDs.
- Pretended to be a superhero.
- Sang karaoke.
- Lounged around in bed all day.
- Went scuba diving.
- Kissed in the rain.
- Kissed on a first date. Not if I considered it a "first date".
- Played in the mud.
- Played in the rain. When I was teaching high school math my students used to laugh at my sailing paper boats in the gutters during summer showers.
- Went to a drive-in theater.
- Visited the Great Wall of China.
- Started a business.
- Fell in love and not had your heart broken.
- Toured ancient sites.
- Took a martial arts class.
- Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight.
- Got married.
- Been in a movie.
- Crashed a party.
- Got divorced.
- Went without food for 5 days.
- Made cookies from scratch.
- Won first prize in a costume contest.
- Won first prize in a limbo contest.
- Rode a gondola in Venice.
- Got a tattoo.
- Rafted the Snake River.
- Was on television news programs as an “expert”.
- Got flowers for no reason.
- Performed on stage. Amateur.
- Have been to Las Vegas.
- Recorded music.
- Ate alligator.
- Had a one-night stand.
- Bought a house.
- Have been in a combat zone.
- Buried one/both of your parents.
- Looked out onto the Atlantic Ocean.
- Looked out onto the Pacific Ocean.
- Have been on a cruise ship.
- Spoke more than one language fluently.
- Performed in Rocky Horror.
- Raised children.
- Followed your favorite band/singer on tour.
- Picked up and moved to another city to just start over.
- Walked the Golden Gate Bridge.
- Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking. Doesn't everyone sing along with Miss American Pie? People in the next car recognize it even if they can't hear it, and they join in!
- Had plastic surgery. Removal of a wen on my nose, and reduction of hooded eyelids. It must have been plastic surgery, 'cause insurance wouldn't pay for it.
- Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived.
- Thanked God that He got you home safely.
- Lost over 100 pounds. Not all at once. Does it count if I lost the same ten pounds ten times?
- Held someone while they were having a flashback.
- Piloted an airplane.
- Petted a stingray.
- Broke someone’s heart.
- Helped an animal give birth.
- Won money on a T.V. game show.
- Broke a bone. My own, and someone else's.
- Went on an African photo safari.
- Bailed a friend out of jail.
- Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced. They pierced four holes on my belly when they removed my gall bladder. Does that count?
- Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol.
- Ate mushrooms that were gathered in the wild.
- Rode a horse.
- Had major surgery.
- Had a snake as a pet.
- Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours.
- Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states.
- Rode a mechanical bull
- Visited all 7 continents.
- Took a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days.
- Had a specific prayer answered.
- Ate kangaroo meat.
- Ate sushi.
- Had your picture in the newspaper.
- Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about.
- Went back to school.
- Parasailed.
- Ate fried green tomatoes. I missed them this summer, because unless you grow them yourself, it's almost impossible to find green tomatoes.
- Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey.
- Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
- Skipped all your school reunions.
- Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language.
- Was elected to public office.
- Wrote your own computer language. Not quite. I wrote a compiler.
- Had a true spiritual experience.
- Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream.
- Had to put someone you love into hospice care.
- Built your own PC from parts.
- Changed a tire.
- Skinny dipped.
- Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you.
- Have been friends with someone longer than 30 years.
- Dyed your hair.
- Have been a DJ.
- Shaved your head.
- Traveled to a tropical island.
- Caused a car accident.
- Faced a fear.
- Saved someone’s life.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
923 Ah, Youth
Thursday, October 12, 2006
I found this photo today. It's me in 1994. I was 50 years old. I'm surprised at how much I've aged in only twelve years. Now I'm starting to think "facelift" again. (No, that's thinking about again. Not having again. I've never had a facelift, although I did have excess eyelid tissue removed in about 1991 or so.)
I'm annoyed with the Blogger technical folks. There's a "search" field up there in the header. If you put "Daughter" in that field, and click on "Search This Blog", you get only the latest three posts! Even if I use advanced search and specify a wide range of dates, I get only the latest three.
Considering that I use this blog as my external memory, this is a big problem. I want to be able to look for the history of complaints about the van, for example. Or the days I put in volunteer time. Or whatever. (Luckily, I copy entries to a script file, and I can search there, but it's still annoying.)
"Help" natters about feeds. It will return results only since you've been providing feeds. I do provide an RSS feed (otherwise Bloglines wouldn't find me), and have since the beginning, so that's not the problem. Also, it used to work! It used to return a full list of hits, all the way to the beginning.
I sent an email to blogsearch-support@google.com, and got back canned responses (two, to my one email) advising me to read the "Help". Apparently they didn't even read my email, wherein I said I am doing everything Help says I should, and have since the beginning.
So - anyone reading this who also uses Blogger - does search work for you on your blog? I've tried it on several, and I consistently get only three hits (well, except once when I searched one blog for the word "not", and got four hits. You KNOW there were more than that!) Maybe the magic number is not three entries, but one month? But then if it is a time limit, why do they offer an unlimited time span in the advanced search, and then ignore it?
Any suggestions?
Anyone willing to pick up the gauntlet and fight it out with the Google/Blogger folks?
I found this photo today. It's me in 1994. I was 50 years old. I'm surprised at how much I've aged in only twelve years. Now I'm starting to think "facelift" again. (No, that's thinking about again. Not having again. I've never had a facelift, although I did have excess eyelid tissue removed in about 1991 or so.)
I'm annoyed with the Blogger technical folks. There's a "search" field up there in the header. If you put "Daughter" in that field, and click on "Search This Blog", you get only the latest three posts! Even if I use advanced search and specify a wide range of dates, I get only the latest three.
Considering that I use this blog as my external memory, this is a big problem. I want to be able to look for the history of complaints about the van, for example. Or the days I put in volunteer time. Or whatever. (Luckily, I copy entries to a script file, and I can search there, but it's still annoying.)
"Help" natters about feeds. It will return results only since you've been providing feeds. I do provide an RSS feed (otherwise Bloglines wouldn't find me), and have since the beginning, so that's not the problem. Also, it used to work! It used to return a full list of hits, all the way to the beginning.
I sent an email to blogsearch-support@google.com, and got back canned responses (two, to my one email) advising me to read the "Help". Apparently they didn't even read my email, wherein I said I am doing everything Help says I should, and have since the beginning.
So - anyone reading this who also uses Blogger - does search work for you on your blog? I've tried it on several, and I consistently get only three hits (well, except once when I searched one blog for the word "not", and got four hits. You KNOW there were more than that!) Maybe the magic number is not three entries, but one month? But then if it is a time limit, why do they offer an unlimited time span in the advanced search, and then ignore it?
Any suggestions?
Anyone willing to pick up the gauntlet and fight it out with the Google/Blogger folks?
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
922 Where Are the Snakes?
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
I saw a road-killed snake yesterday, curled up in the center of my lane. It looked like a large blacksnake. That's when I realized that's the first wild snake I've seen in years.
Where are all the snakes?
It occurs to me that I haven't seen a snake in my front yard in three or four years. Used to be that there were always garter snakes around. I'd see them in the flower bed near the front door when I went out to the car, or in the back yard when I went to the basement door. Always slithering away from the mower when I cut the grass. Of course, I haven't done the mowing myself in five years, but I DO still walk around on the grass....
I'd often see a snake in the woods when I walked (having grown up on a mountain with rattlesnakes and copperheads galore, I tend to be very conscious of the places snakes like, movements in the leaves, the smell of them (copperheads smell like cucumbers, a large rattler has a musky tangy smell, possibly the urine, or the musk they lay for marking trails...)). I'd usually see at least one or two snakes, large or small, run over somewhere on the roads every month, spring through fall. In the spring, there'd be shed snakeskins under the bushes, and I'd drape them over tree branches. Birds collected them to weave into their nests.
Not lately.
Turtles are missing, too.
I used to often see turtles crossing the roads in the spring, when they'd be looking for mates and for places to lay eggs. It used to be so common that I carried a snowshovel in my car so I could help big snappers across before they got hit. You'd see a lot of squashed turtles on the road.
One time, a few years ago, right out here where my street meets the highway, I saw a turtle crossing in the middle of my lane. A big female box turtle. I pulled over, and was running back down the road to move her across, when a car came from the other direction, and the S.O.B. actually crossed the center line to hit her. I was furious. When I realized he was trying to hit her on purpose, I actually wished she'd have a very hard shell and flip his car. Then I wished I had a gun. Then I cried. I intensely dislike people like that. Someone should run THEM down.
Anyway, I haven't seen a turtle on the road, live or dead, in a long time. I've been to ponds where painted turtles live, and they're still there, but they seem to be fewer. And smaller.
Where have they all gone?
Secondary question - if the snakes are scarce, why aren't there more crickets and mice? Ten years ago we fought a constant battle in this house against mice and crickets, and in the yard against moles. We appreciated the assistance of the garter snakes and the blacksnakes in our war. (Jay had seriously suggested catching a blacksnake and setting it loose in the basement, but dropped the idea when I pointed out that the snake would knock down all the insulation in the basement ceiling. Otherwise I sorta liked the idea, too.)
We've got fewer mice and crickets. I had only one cricket in the house this year.
So which disappeared first - the prey or the hunter?
I saw a road-killed snake yesterday, curled up in the center of my lane. It looked like a large blacksnake. That's when I realized that's the first wild snake I've seen in years.
Where are all the snakes?
It occurs to me that I haven't seen a snake in my front yard in three or four years. Used to be that there were always garter snakes around. I'd see them in the flower bed near the front door when I went out to the car, or in the back yard when I went to the basement door. Always slithering away from the mower when I cut the grass. Of course, I haven't done the mowing myself in five years, but I DO still walk around on the grass....
I'd often see a snake in the woods when I walked (having grown up on a mountain with rattlesnakes and copperheads galore, I tend to be very conscious of the places snakes like, movements in the leaves, the smell of them (copperheads smell like cucumbers, a large rattler has a musky tangy smell, possibly the urine, or the musk they lay for marking trails...)). I'd usually see at least one or two snakes, large or small, run over somewhere on the roads every month, spring through fall. In the spring, there'd be shed snakeskins under the bushes, and I'd drape them over tree branches. Birds collected them to weave into their nests.
Not lately.
Turtles are missing, too.
I used to often see turtles crossing the roads in the spring, when they'd be looking for mates and for places to lay eggs. It used to be so common that I carried a snowshovel in my car so I could help big snappers across before they got hit. You'd see a lot of squashed turtles on the road.
One time, a few years ago, right out here where my street meets the highway, I saw a turtle crossing in the middle of my lane. A big female box turtle. I pulled over, and was running back down the road to move her across, when a car came from the other direction, and the S.O.B. actually crossed the center line to hit her. I was furious. When I realized he was trying to hit her on purpose, I actually wished she'd have a very hard shell and flip his car. Then I wished I had a gun. Then I cried. I intensely dislike people like that. Someone should run THEM down.
Anyway, I haven't seen a turtle on the road, live or dead, in a long time. I've been to ponds where painted turtles live, and they're still there, but they seem to be fewer. And smaller.
Where have they all gone?
Secondary question - if the snakes are scarce, why aren't there more crickets and mice? Ten years ago we fought a constant battle in this house against mice and crickets, and in the yard against moles. We appreciated the assistance of the garter snakes and the blacksnakes in our war. (Jay had seriously suggested catching a blacksnake and setting it loose in the basement, but dropped the idea when I pointed out that the snake would knock down all the insulation in the basement ceiling. Otherwise I sorta liked the idea, too.)
We've got fewer mice and crickets. I had only one cricket in the house this year.
So which disappeared first - the prey or the hunter?
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
921 First Week
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Every year I am grateful when the first week of October passes with no personal disasters. Jay's back gave out completely in the first week of October. His head-on automobile accident was in the first week of October. Notice that he was being sued for that accident (three million!) came in the first week of the next October. His first seizure. The MRI that showed his first relapse. The first signs of loss of his left side. The start of the final infection. Every year, the first week of October, something awful happened. Yeah, awful things happened other times, too, but there was always something really bad the first week in October.
Since he's been gone, there have been five more Octobers. A few of them have had minor disasters (like last October, the beginning of the end with Roman, I just didn't know it at the time), but nothing I couldn't recover from. No total disasters.
That's good. Sigh of relief.
I don't know how long it will be before I can consider the first week of October as just another week.
Every year I am grateful when the first week of October passes with no personal disasters. Jay's back gave out completely in the first week of October. His head-on automobile accident was in the first week of October. Notice that he was being sued for that accident (three million!) came in the first week of the next October. His first seizure. The MRI that showed his first relapse. The first signs of loss of his left side. The start of the final infection. Every year, the first week of October, something awful happened. Yeah, awful things happened other times, too, but there was always something really bad the first week in October.
Since he's been gone, there have been five more Octobers. A few of them have had minor disasters (like last October, the beginning of the end with Roman, I just didn't know it at the time), but nothing I couldn't recover from. No total disasters.
That's good. Sigh of relief.
I don't know how long it will be before I can consider the first week of October as just another week.
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