Friday, May 11, 2007
I am so sick. Miserable. We're in the "coughing so hard I wet my pants" stage now. Last night Miss Thunderfoot was so worried about me she kept patting my hand every time I managed to fall asleep. (Thank you for your concern sweet kitty, but sleep is a GOOD thing....) I can't believe I have to drive to Rochester, a six-hour trip, tomorrow.
Calling Jay's eldest sister and telling her I have to cancel because I'm sick is simply NOT an option. Two of Jay's three sisters don't like me, I don't know why, and the third, the eldest, does at least think I was very good for Jay, but she has the kind of management personality that will not accept "no" as an answer for anything she wants, and she can get bitchy. She can be maddening.
So telling them I'm sick won't fly. I'll have to go and show them that I shouldn't be there but cared enough to make the effort.
A nice neat package of virus. Perfect gift for the father-in-law's 90th birthday. I'll stick a bow on my nose.
I'll go to the party at the church, and a backyard picnic, but I probably shouldn't go into his house.
I haven't been out of my house all week, so I haven't got a card or gift, either. I'll have to do that this evening, which means going across the river to the mall. Most of today has been spent waiting for the yearly visit from the furnace cleaning guy, and I'm already tired. I have NO ideas for a gift. What do you get a 90-year-old who has everything, can't see well, can't hear well, has no interests, no short-term memory, and flakes out by 4 pm every day anyway? He won't notice if I get him nothing, but the sisters will.
I want to "call in sick", and not just because of the cold.
.
Friday, May 11, 2007
1241 Four non-PC Jokes to Offend Everyone
Friday, May 11, 2007
Three minute management lesson:
Lesson One:
An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing. A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing?" The eagle answered: "Sure, why not." So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested.
All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Management Lesson: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.
Lesson Two:
A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy." Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings? replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients. "
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.
He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.
Management Lesson: Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.
Lesson Three:
A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold, the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field. While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.
A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.
Management Lesson:
1. Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.
2. Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
3. And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!
__________________________________________________
Jokes to offend everyone
What do you call two Mexicans playing basketball?
Juan on Juan .
What is a Yankee?
The same as a quickie, but a guy can do it alone.
What is the difference between a Harley and a Hoover ?
The position of the dirt bag.
Why is divorce so expensive?
Because it's worth it.
Why is air a lot like sex?
Because it's no big deal unless you're not getting any.
What do you call a smart blonde?
A golden retriever.
What do attorneys use for birth control?
Their personalities.
What's the difference between a girlfriend and wife?
10 years and 45 lbs.
What's the difference between a boyfriend and husband?
45 minutes.
What's the fastest way to a man's heart?
Through his chest with a sharp knife.
Why do men want to marry virgins?
They can't stand criticism.
Why is it so hard for women to find men that are sensitive, caring, and good-looking?
Because those men already have boyfriends.
What's the difference between a new husband and a new dog?
After a year, the dog is still excited to see you.
Why do men chase women they have no intention of marrying?
The same urge that makes dogs chase cars they have no intention of driving.
What did the blonde say when she found out she was pregnant?
"Are you sure it's mine?"
Why does Mike Tyson cry during sex?
Mace will do that to you.
Why did OJ Simpson want to move to West Virginia ?
Everyone has the same DNA.
Why do men find it difficult to make eye contact?
Breasts don't have eyes.
Why do drivers' education classes in Redneck schools use the car only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays?
Because on Tuesday and Thursday, the Sex Ed class uses it.
Where does an Irish family go on vacation?
A different bar.
What would you call it when an Italian has one arm shorter than the other?
A speech impediment.
What's the difference between a southern zoo and a northern zoo?
A southern zoo has a description of the animal on the front of the cage along with a recipe.
How do you get a sweet 80-year-old lady to say the F word?
Get another sweet little 80-year-old lady to yell *BINGO*!
What's the difference between a northern fairytale and a southern fairytale?
A northern fairytale begins "Once upon a time ..." A southern fairytale begins "Y'all ain't gonna believe this s**t...."
Why is there no Disneyland in Japan ?
No one's tall enough to go on the good rides.
_________________________________________________
A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."
The woman below replied, "You're in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You're between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude."
"You must be in IT," said the balloonist.
"I am," replied the woman, "How did you know?"
"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I've no idea what to make of your information and the fact is I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help at all. If anything, you've delayed my trip."
The woman below responded, "You must be in Management."
"I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?"
"Well," said the woman, "you don't know where you are or where you're going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise, which you've no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my fault."
_______________________________________________________
The Top 17 Ways to Tell Someone Their Fly Is Unzipped:
You've got Windows on your laptop.
Sailor Ned's trying to take a little shore leave.
Your dork is ajar.
Quasimodo needs to go back in the tower and tend to his bells.
I can see your Gap dancers.
Paging Mr. Johnson... Paging Mr. Johnson...
Your pod bay door is open, Hal.
Elvis Junior has left the building!
Mini Me is making a break for the escape pod.
Ensign Hanes is reporting a hull breach on the lower deck, sir.
Captain, sensors detect a wormhole in the forward quadrant!
Lil' Shaq's at the free show line.
You've got your fly set for "Monica" instead of "Hillary."
Your closet door is open and Donato's peeking out.
You've got a security breach at Los Pantalones.
I see you have an opening in senior management.
and the Number 1 Way to Tell Someone Their Fly Is Unzipped...
Our next guest is someone who needs no introduction.
.
Three minute management lesson:
Lesson One:
An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing. A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing?" The eagle answered: "Sure, why not." So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested.
All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.
Management Lesson: To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.
Lesson Two:
A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy." Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings? replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients. "
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.
He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.
Management Lesson: Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.
Lesson Three:
A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold, the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field. While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.
A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.
Management Lesson:
1. Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.
2. Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
3. And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!
__________________________________________________
Jokes to offend everyone
What do you call two Mexicans playing basketball?
Juan on Juan .
What is a Yankee?
The same as a quickie, but a guy can do it alone.
What is the difference between a Harley and a Hoover ?
The position of the dirt bag.
Why is divorce so expensive?
Because it's worth it.
Why is air a lot like sex?
Because it's no big deal unless you're not getting any.
What do you call a smart blonde?
A golden retriever.
What do attorneys use for birth control?
Their personalities.
What's the difference between a girlfriend and wife?
10 years and 45 lbs.
What's the difference between a boyfriend and husband?
45 minutes.
What's the fastest way to a man's heart?
Through his chest with a sharp knife.
Why do men want to marry virgins?
They can't stand criticism.
Why is it so hard for women to find men that are sensitive, caring, and good-looking?
Because those men already have boyfriends.
What's the difference between a new husband and a new dog?
After a year, the dog is still excited to see you.
Why do men chase women they have no intention of marrying?
The same urge that makes dogs chase cars they have no intention of driving.
What did the blonde say when she found out she was pregnant?
"Are you sure it's mine?"
Why does Mike Tyson cry during sex?
Mace will do that to you.
Why did OJ Simpson want to move to West Virginia ?
Everyone has the same DNA.
Why do men find it difficult to make eye contact?
Breasts don't have eyes.
Why do drivers' education classes in Redneck schools use the car only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays?
Because on Tuesday and Thursday, the Sex Ed class uses it.
Where does an Irish family go on vacation?
A different bar.
What would you call it when an Italian has one arm shorter than the other?
A speech impediment.
What's the difference between a southern zoo and a northern zoo?
A southern zoo has a description of the animal on the front of the cage along with a recipe.
How do you get a sweet 80-year-old lady to say the F word?
Get another sweet little 80-year-old lady to yell *BINGO*!
What's the difference between a northern fairytale and a southern fairytale?
A northern fairytale begins "Once upon a time ..." A southern fairytale begins "Y'all ain't gonna believe this s**t...."
Why is there no Disneyland in Japan ?
No one's tall enough to go on the good rides.
_________________________________________________
A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."
The woman below replied, "You're in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You're between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude."
"You must be in IT," said the balloonist.
"I am," replied the woman, "How did you know?"
"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I've no idea what to make of your information and the fact is I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help at all. If anything, you've delayed my trip."
The woman below responded, "You must be in Management."
"I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?"
"Well," said the woman, "you don't know where you are or where you're going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise, which you've no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my fault."
_______________________________________________________
The Top 17 Ways to Tell Someone Their Fly Is Unzipped:
You've got Windows on your laptop.
Sailor Ned's trying to take a little shore leave.
Your dork is ajar.
Quasimodo needs to go back in the tower and tend to his bells.
I can see your Gap dancers.
Paging Mr. Johnson... Paging Mr. Johnson...
Your pod bay door is open, Hal.
Elvis Junior has left the building!
Mini Me is making a break for the escape pod.
Ensign Hanes is reporting a hull breach on the lower deck, sir.
Captain, sensors detect a wormhole in the forward quadrant!
Lil' Shaq's at the free show line.
You've got your fly set for "Monica" instead of "Hillary."
Your closet door is open and Donato's peeking out.
You've got a security breach at Los Pantalones.
I see you have an opening in senior management.
and the Number 1 Way to Tell Someone Their Fly Is Unzipped...
Our next guest is someone who needs no introduction.
.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
1240 Cold Progress
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Cold has gone from "wet" to "dry" phase. Dry throat, dry burning nose, heavy cough with nastiness.
Time to move from decongestant to expectorant? This is another time I miss Jay. He always told me what to take, and he was always right.
I just hope it doesn't go into my sinuses. That hurts, and lasts so long.
.
Cold has gone from "wet" to "dry" phase. Dry throat, dry burning nose, heavy cough with nastiness.
Time to move from decongestant to expectorant? This is another time I miss Jay. He always told me what to take, and he was always right.
I just hope it doesn't go into my sinuses. That hurts, and lasts so long.
.
1239 Shout Out
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Hey Lady! Yeah, you. The one who turned comments off. You got awfully cryptic there, so I don't know exactly what's going on, but it's so very different from your optimism and pride of only a short time ago.
You got stomped? From one direction, or more than one?
Since I know none of the details, any comment I'd make is probably worthless. But One Thing I have learned is that when something goes wrong, especially in a work or social relationship, it is seldom the sole fault of only one of the parties. Almost always, the other person has problems, too, that make it difficult or impossible for them to ... whatever ... regardless of what you are or say or do, even if you were perfect. Everyone has limitations.
So please don't beat yourself up. You are intelligent, capable, strong, pretty, gentle, appreciative of beauty, honest .... fill in the blanks. And when there's a problem with another person, you MUST NOT ACCEPT ALL THE BLAME!! They have some fault, too.
Get mad, and get even by finding happiness without them.
(Yeah! Take that, Roman!)
.
Hey Lady! Yeah, you. The one who turned comments off. You got awfully cryptic there, so I don't know exactly what's going on, but it's so very different from your optimism and pride of only a short time ago.
You got stomped? From one direction, or more than one?
Since I know none of the details, any comment I'd make is probably worthless. But One Thing I have learned is that when something goes wrong, especially in a work or social relationship, it is seldom the sole fault of only one of the parties. Almost always, the other person has problems, too, that make it difficult or impossible for them to ... whatever ... regardless of what you are or say or do, even if you were perfect. Everyone has limitations.
So please don't beat yourself up. You are intelligent, capable, strong, pretty, gentle, appreciative of beauty, honest .... fill in the blanks. And when there's a problem with another person, you MUST NOT ACCEPT ALL THE BLAME!! They have some fault, too.
Get mad, and get even by finding happiness without them.
(Yeah! Take that, Roman!)
.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
1238 Sick
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Sick. Cotton chest, fire throat, pounding head, torrent nose, knotted muscles. Misery. No museum today. Long hot bubble bath.
Sick. Cotton chest, fire throat, pounding head, torrent nose, knotted muscles. Misery. No museum today. Long hot bubble bath.
1237 Thank You
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
This is an open letter of thanks to The Queen.
If you hadn't written the post about the BNL cruise, I would not have had an excuse to contact The Man after the NJ Mensa gathering where I met him, and where he casually mentioned having been on that cruise. The opportunity would have been lost.
Except for his amazing mind, he's completely 180 degrees in every way from what I thought I was looking for in a man, but I'm discovering that, just as in programming, your requirements document doesn't always describe what you really want or need.
Even if this doesn't work out in the long run (I'm being cautious) I've enjoyed the past two months enormously,
so,
thank you sincerely for the introduction, and for restoring confidence and hope.
~~Silk
This is an open letter of thanks to The Queen.
If you hadn't written the post about the BNL cruise, I would not have had an excuse to contact The Man after the NJ Mensa gathering where I met him, and where he casually mentioned having been on that cruise. The opportunity would have been lost.
Except for his amazing mind, he's completely 180 degrees in every way from what I thought I was looking for in a man, but I'm discovering that, just as in programming, your requirements document doesn't always describe what you really want or need.
Even if this doesn't work out in the long run (I'm being cautious) I've enjoyed the past two months enormously,
so,
thank you sincerely for the introduction, and for restoring confidence and hope.
~~Silk
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
1236 Not a Museum Day
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
I planned to go in to the museum today to attempt to beat the membership data base into submission, but the Hairless Hunk arrived to work the side yard some more, so I used that as an excuse to stay home. I'll take any excuse.
Besides, I developed a hot spot in my throat last night, and today it's a full-blown sore throat. Bleck.
It really hurts now, because I spent the last 2 1/2 hours on the phone. The Man, then Daughter, then Roman.
At least I remembered to hit the "record" button for Boston Legal.
I can watch it tomorrow while I'm lying in bed choking on strep.
.
I planned to go in to the museum today to attempt to beat the membership data base into submission, but the Hairless Hunk arrived to work the side yard some more, so I used that as an excuse to stay home. I'll take any excuse.
Besides, I developed a hot spot in my throat last night, and today it's a full-blown sore throat. Bleck.
It really hurts now, because I spent the last 2 1/2 hours on the phone. The Man, then Daughter, then Roman.
At least I remembered to hit the "record" button for Boston Legal.
I can watch it tomorrow while I'm lying in bed choking on strep.
.
1235 Language Skills
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Carl Sagan once said, "It is of interest to note that while some dolphins are reported to have learned English -- up to fifty words used in correct context -- no human being has been reported to have learned dolphinese."
Perhaps because dolphins didn't insist, or are rotten teachers.
I know dozens of words in "cat". I don't speak it well, but I understand it.
Sometimes I think my life depends on getting it right.
.
Carl Sagan once said, "It is of interest to note that while some dolphins are reported to have learned English -- up to fifty words used in correct context -- no human being has been reported to have learned dolphinese."
Perhaps because dolphins didn't insist, or are rotten teachers.
I know dozens of words in "cat". I don't speak it well, but I understand it.
Sometimes I think my life depends on getting it right.
.
Monday, May 07, 2007
1234 Home Again
Monday, May 7, 2007
Tired. Three days behind on everything. Rochester next weekend, for Jay's father's 90th birthday. Laundry to do before then. Sigh.
I left a hotel in Edison, NJ, this morning, drove all the way to Suffern, NY, stopped at the first rest stop on the Thruway for ladies' room and tea, and realized I'd left my robe in the hotel room. I WANT that robe. I knew if I didn't get it back before the cleaning crew left, I'd never see it again.
The robe was a gift, and I took it with me specifically as a kind of exorcism. Which point would be lost if I then lost the robe. I couldn't allow it to escape.
Frantic phone calls (I didn't know exactly what exit to take off 287 to find the hotel, and I didn't have the phone number for the hotel). Had to go all the way to Harriman before I could get turned around on the Thruway, back to Edison. They still had my robe, although I had to argue to get it. The woman at the desk insisted I had been in a room on the first floor, and I insisted it was the second floor. I distinctly remember the flippin' elevator! She made me actually take her to the room. Then she finally found the robe in a bag with the room number on it, in the lost-n-found basket. The Man had made three calls to the hotel, asking about the robe, before I even got there - you'd think she'd have looked before arguing with me.
Briefly considered going south to visit Daughter, but it was 2 pm ish then, and I'd have to wait for her to get off work. Gave it up. Turned around again and headed back home. Stopped in Suffern again, finally got my tea. It was so hot and the "medium" was so large, it took me almost an hour to drink it. Got home at 5 pm.
Tired.
The driving wasn't the problem. Driving is not tiring. Not sleeping well three nights in a row is tiring.
Habitat called this evening. I've committed to insulation and drywall on Tuesdays in May, starting on the 15th. I wonder if I'd have committed to that if I weren't tired.
.
Tired. Three days behind on everything. Rochester next weekend, for Jay's father's 90th birthday. Laundry to do before then. Sigh.
I left a hotel in Edison, NJ, this morning, drove all the way to Suffern, NY, stopped at the first rest stop on the Thruway for ladies' room and tea, and realized I'd left my robe in the hotel room. I WANT that robe. I knew if I didn't get it back before the cleaning crew left, I'd never see it again.
The robe was a gift, and I took it with me specifically as a kind of exorcism. Which point would be lost if I then lost the robe. I couldn't allow it to escape.
Frantic phone calls (I didn't know exactly what exit to take off 287 to find the hotel, and I didn't have the phone number for the hotel). Had to go all the way to Harriman before I could get turned around on the Thruway, back to Edison. They still had my robe, although I had to argue to get it. The woman at the desk insisted I had been in a room on the first floor, and I insisted it was the second floor. I distinctly remember the flippin' elevator! She made me actually take her to the room. Then she finally found the robe in a bag with the room number on it, in the lost-n-found basket. The Man had made three calls to the hotel, asking about the robe, before I even got there - you'd think she'd have looked before arguing with me.
Briefly considered going south to visit Daughter, but it was 2 pm ish then, and I'd have to wait for her to get off work. Gave it up. Turned around again and headed back home. Stopped in Suffern again, finally got my tea. It was so hot and the "medium" was so large, it took me almost an hour to drink it. Got home at 5 pm.
Tired.
The driving wasn't the problem. Driving is not tiring. Not sleeping well three nights in a row is tiring.
Habitat called this evening. I've committed to insulation and drywall on Tuesdays in May, starting on the 15th. I wonder if I'd have committed to that if I weren't tired.
.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
1233 Spring Caravan
Saturday, May 5, 2007
It's a hair after midnight, but I'm still considering it Saturday. Posting from the host hotel for the Rakkasah Spring Caravan.
I got about 2 hours sleep last night (Friday night). I wanted to get to Somerset, NJ, by 2:00 pm, Willow was dancing at 2:37 pm, so I'd have to leave the house by a little before noon at the latest, so I'd have to get up by 10 am to take care of everything I'd have to do before leaving. Shouldn't have been a problem, except that at 3:30 am I decided I really needed the underskirt for the Assuit dress I want to wear Sunday, and it needed hemming. When I finally got to bed I was so worried about oversleeping that I couldn't fall asleep. Finally got to sleep about 8 am, and then - of course - slept through the alarm.
I flew around the house, and got out at 12:15 pm, and stopped by the bank ATM for money. The guy in line ahead of me took forever and didn't seem to do anything. When I was my turn, the ATM took my card, asked all the correct questions, then said thank you and gave me my card back. No money. So I had to go into the bank. Turns out the guy ahead of me had the same problem.
Now, I figure the cashier has to do two things: 1) find out if the ATM debited my account, and if so, cancel that transaction, and 2) gimme the money.
Instead, the cashier decided to find out what was wrong with the ATM and try to fix it. Agh! I don't have time for this! Gimme the money!
I didn't leave the village until 1 pm ish. This gave me 1.5 hours for a 2 hour trip. (Mapquest says 2 hrs 12 minutes, 135 miles.)
Now, I don't much speed. If the sign says 55, I do 55. Maybe 57 if I'm in a hurry, and I feel guilty about that. Today I did 80 in a 55 zone on an interstate limited-access highway (and if anyone in law enforcement is reading this, uh, I made that part up for the sake of the story). I made it in time to see Willow dance, with literally 2 minutes to spare. (So Mapquest must be wrong, because using their figures, I had to AVERAGE 90 mph.)
Spring Caravan is a bit different from the fall Rakkasah East, because this one is billed as Tribal Fusion. It's a different crowd, and a different style on the stage. I like it better.
As usual, I spent a bunch of money. I bought a beaded purse, some sheer beledi dresses, a dress similar to my purple SCA dress that looks so good on me, but in black and a smaller size, and some silver and stone (lapis, carnelian) necklace pendants. I can't feel guilty, because the prices are much much lower here than you'd find anywhere else. $40 for a caftan you'd pay $70 for online. $20 for beaded shawls you'd pay $50 for elsewhere. Last year I bought a cut velvet beaded and fringed opera coat for $50, and saw the exact same coat in an uptown Kingston store for $120. I would come to Rakkasah just to shop.
Sixteen of us went out for dinner, overwhelmed a Ruby Tuesday, "Do you have reservations?', "Uh, no, but it's only 4:30, you can't be that busy...." Back for more performances after dinner. Something funny - as Willow was getting up from the table, her fingers got pinched between two chairs. The general reaction was, "Oh well, it's ok, who cares, you've already danced."
Party in the hotel bar after the show paused for the night. Dance floor full of belly dancers. Djinn played. Every male who had a drum joined in. One group of women started up an ATS group on the lower floor, group improv via hand signals, and that was fun to watch. Usual Rakkasah prices did not apply - my one Amaretto on the rocks was $10.43.
Thence to bed.
.
It's a hair after midnight, but I'm still considering it Saturday. Posting from the host hotel for the Rakkasah Spring Caravan.
I got about 2 hours sleep last night (Friday night). I wanted to get to Somerset, NJ, by 2:00 pm, Willow was dancing at 2:37 pm, so I'd have to leave the house by a little before noon at the latest, so I'd have to get up by 10 am to take care of everything I'd have to do before leaving. Shouldn't have been a problem, except that at 3:30 am I decided I really needed the underskirt for the Assuit dress I want to wear Sunday, and it needed hemming. When I finally got to bed I was so worried about oversleeping that I couldn't fall asleep. Finally got to sleep about 8 am, and then - of course - slept through the alarm.
I flew around the house, and got out at 12:15 pm, and stopped by the bank ATM for money. The guy in line ahead of me took forever and didn't seem to do anything. When I was my turn, the ATM took my card, asked all the correct questions, then said thank you and gave me my card back. No money. So I had to go into the bank. Turns out the guy ahead of me had the same problem.
Now, I figure the cashier has to do two things: 1) find out if the ATM debited my account, and if so, cancel that transaction, and 2) gimme the money.
Instead, the cashier decided to find out what was wrong with the ATM and try to fix it. Agh! I don't have time for this! Gimme the money!
I didn't leave the village until 1 pm ish. This gave me 1.5 hours for a 2 hour trip. (Mapquest says 2 hrs 12 minutes, 135 miles.)
Now, I don't much speed. If the sign says 55, I do 55. Maybe 57 if I'm in a hurry, and I feel guilty about that. Today I did 80 in a 55 zone on an interstate limited-access highway (and if anyone in law enforcement is reading this, uh, I made that part up for the sake of the story). I made it in time to see Willow dance, with literally 2 minutes to spare. (So Mapquest must be wrong, because using their figures, I had to AVERAGE 90 mph.)
Spring Caravan is a bit different from the fall Rakkasah East, because this one is billed as Tribal Fusion. It's a different crowd, and a different style on the stage. I like it better.
As usual, I spent a bunch of money. I bought a beaded purse, some sheer beledi dresses, a dress similar to my purple SCA dress that looks so good on me, but in black and a smaller size, and some silver and stone (lapis, carnelian) necklace pendants. I can't feel guilty, because the prices are much much lower here than you'd find anywhere else. $40 for a caftan you'd pay $70 for online. $20 for beaded shawls you'd pay $50 for elsewhere. Last year I bought a cut velvet beaded and fringed opera coat for $50, and saw the exact same coat in an uptown Kingston store for $120. I would come to Rakkasah just to shop.
Sixteen of us went out for dinner, overwhelmed a Ruby Tuesday, "Do you have reservations?', "Uh, no, but it's only 4:30, you can't be that busy...." Back for more performances after dinner. Something funny - as Willow was getting up from the table, her fingers got pinched between two chairs. The general reaction was, "Oh well, it's ok, who cares, you've already danced."
Party in the hotel bar after the show paused for the night. Dance floor full of belly dancers. Djinn played. Every male who had a drum joined in. One group of women started up an ATS group on the lower floor, group improv via hand signals, and that was fun to watch. Usual Rakkasah prices did not apply - my one Amaretto on the rocks was $10.43.
Thence to bed.
.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
1232 Moroccan
Friday, May 5, 2007
[Later edit - corrected spelling, added dancer's links.]
Lots of calls and paperwork today. Was forced to tell BOA that Jay was no longer living. Didn't tell them exactly how long I've been using credit cards still in his name. Heck, I'm making the payments, aren't I?
Moroccan dinner and belly dancers at Rive Gauche in uptown Kingston. FirstWoman and me. Dancers were Ayleeza and Barushka, both of whom I like. Julian on drums.
Got home late. Still have to hem a dress, and pack for tomorrow's trip to Rakkasah Spring Caravan tomorrow. Spending Sunday with The Man.
G'night.
[Later edit - corrected spelling, added dancer's links.]
Lots of calls and paperwork today. Was forced to tell BOA that Jay was no longer living. Didn't tell them exactly how long I've been using credit cards still in his name. Heck, I'm making the payments, aren't I?
Moroccan dinner and belly dancers at Rive Gauche in uptown Kingston. FirstWoman and me. Dancers were Ayleeza and Barushka, both of whom I like. Julian on drums.
Got home late. Still have to hem a dress, and pack for tomorrow's trip to Rakkasah Spring Caravan tomorrow. Spending Sunday with The Man.
G'night.
Friday, May 04, 2007
1231 Books
Friday, May 4, 2007
Got this off Roba's blog, who got it from Forsoothsayer’s blog, who got it from CairoGal.
Instructions: Look at the list of books below.
*Bold the ones you’ve read
*Italicize the ones you want to read
*Leave the ones that you aren’t interested in alone.
1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie(Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (George Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True(Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible (well, most of it)
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolsoy)
64. Interview With A Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Helen Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth(Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)
Hey! You left out Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance!
Just because a book is in bold doesn't mean I remember anything about it. It does mean there's probably a copy of the book in the house somewhere.
.
Got this off Roba's blog, who got it from Forsoothsayer’s blog, who got it from CairoGal.
Instructions: Look at the list of books below.
*Bold the ones you’ve read
*Italicize the ones you want to read
*Leave the ones that you aren’t interested in alone.
1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie(Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (George Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True(Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible (well, most of it)
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolsoy)
64. Interview With A Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Helen Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth(Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)
Hey! You left out Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance!
Just because a book is in bold doesn't mean I remember anything about it. It does mean there's probably a copy of the book in the house somewhere.
.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
1230 What Am I?
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Every once in a while someone will ask what religion I am.
I guess I'm technically not Christian, although a Puritan rearing tends to stick with you a while. Roman, when asked, would answer, "Well, I'm Jewish. She's ... uh ... something else." When I have to fill out a form in, say, a hospital or something, I check "none", because I don't want anyone in a collar visiting me. (They do anyway.) Or I'll write in "Pagan" just for the reaction it gets.
It's not that I have no beliefs - I do, and they are very strong. They just don't seem to fit any organized school. It's all mine, born of personal experience and revelation, and I believe it's as close to truth as I can get. It doesn't have a name. It's simple. Any other system of belief out there that does have a name seems to attempt to get too detailed, tries to explain everything, tries to make people feel good, tries to make it easy, and ends up too human.
Some things from named systems do fit into my system, such as
I suppose I've written about this topic before. I didn't go back and look. It might be different from what I've said before, but that's not evidence of conflict, only growth. And that's ok. That's me. That's what's supposed to happen.
.
Every once in a while someone will ask what religion I am.
I guess I'm technically not Christian, although a Puritan rearing tends to stick with you a while. Roman, when asked, would answer, "Well, I'm Jewish. She's ... uh ... something else." When I have to fill out a form in, say, a hospital or something, I check "none", because I don't want anyone in a collar visiting me. (They do anyway.) Or I'll write in "Pagan" just for the reaction it gets.
It's not that I have no beliefs - I do, and they are very strong. They just don't seem to fit any organized school. It's all mine, born of personal experience and revelation, and I believe it's as close to truth as I can get. It doesn't have a name. It's simple. Any other system of belief out there that does have a name seems to attempt to get too detailed, tries to explain everything, tries to make people feel good, tries to make it easy, and ends up too human.
Some things from named systems do fit into my system, such as
- The integration of Naturalistic Pantheism
- The philosophy of Spinoza
- The ethics of Taoism
- The cycles and striving for enlightenment of Buddhism
- The reverence and care of Zoroastrianism
- The belief in the power of belief in Wicca
- The "God within", or "Inner Light", of the Quakers
I suppose I've written about this topic before. I didn't go back and look. It might be different from what I've said before, but that's not evidence of conflict, only growth. And that's ok. That's me. That's what's supposed to happen.
.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
1229 The Three Mensaketeers
Walking:
I'm never happy with photos of me. "They" say that you should thrust your head forward at the camera, to thin your face and make your neck look longer and smoother. Point a camera at me, and I pull my head back and tuck my chin. Bleck.
.
I'm never happy with photos of me. "They" say that you should thrust your head forward at the camera, to thin your face and make your neck look longer and smoother. Point a camera at me, and I pull my head back and tuck my chin. Bleck.
.
1228 Misery at the Museum
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
I went to the museum today. I'm getting busier, so I wanted to get as much done with membership today as I possibly could, so maybe I wouldn't have to go in again next week.
No such luck.
Thirty-three renewals had come in in April, so I had to send out thirty-three membership packets (and each of the eight-ish different levels get different packet contents). Also, I'd need to send out the reminders to those who need to renew in May. I figured it would take about four hours to do both, if nothing went wrong.
The data base went wrong. I could "find" last month's renewals, the count came to 33, but when I tried to print the address labels, the count shot to 133. That list was full of duplicates and bogus records. I spent an hour trying various combinations of requests, and gave up.
So then I decided to just do the reminders for May. That count came to 52! Fifty-two address labels to print and stick on envelopes, 52 copies of the "time to renew" letter, 52 copies of the membership form, 52 labels to print and stick on forms, 52 envelopes to stuff, 52 stamps to stick on, 52 flaps to lick and seal. Ack! Three hours!
So, I still have to do the renewals from last month, and now it looks like I'm going to have 50+ renewal checks and new members to process in June!
When I accepted this job and did the processing for February and March with the prior volunteer, we had all of 18 memberships in February, and 20 in March. It didn't look like that big a job.
Mother is not happy. Now I know why the previous volunteer wanted to get the job turned over to me before spring.
Russ is going to look at the data base and see if he can figure out what's wrong.
And I'm going to have to go in before the middle of next week to try again. The folks who sent in their checks in April will be very unhappy if they don't have their membership cards before the Shad Festival, but, well, I tried.
.
I went to the museum today. I'm getting busier, so I wanted to get as much done with membership today as I possibly could, so maybe I wouldn't have to go in again next week.
No such luck.
Thirty-three renewals had come in in April, so I had to send out thirty-three membership packets (and each of the eight-ish different levels get different packet contents). Also, I'd need to send out the reminders to those who need to renew in May. I figured it would take about four hours to do both, if nothing went wrong.
The data base went wrong. I could "find" last month's renewals, the count came to 33, but when I tried to print the address labels, the count shot to 133. That list was full of duplicates and bogus records. I spent an hour trying various combinations of requests, and gave up.
So then I decided to just do the reminders for May. That count came to 52! Fifty-two address labels to print and stick on envelopes, 52 copies of the "time to renew" letter, 52 copies of the membership form, 52 labels to print and stick on forms, 52 envelopes to stuff, 52 stamps to stick on, 52 flaps to lick and seal. Ack! Three hours!
So, I still have to do the renewals from last month, and now it looks like I'm going to have 50+ renewal checks and new members to process in June!
When I accepted this job and did the processing for February and March with the prior volunteer, we had all of 18 memberships in February, and 20 in March. It didn't look like that big a job.
Mother is not happy. Now I know why the previous volunteer wanted to get the job turned over to me before spring.
Russ is going to look at the data base and see if he can figure out what's wrong.
And I'm going to have to go in before the middle of next week to try again. The folks who sent in their checks in April will be very unhappy if they don't have their membership cards before the Shad Festival, but, well, I tried.
.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
1227 WiFi Witchery
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Somehow I ended up still potting around the house at 5 am "last night". No problem. An advantage of retirement is that you can sleep in any time you want.
...Unless RSVP (Retired and Seniors' Volunteer Program) has your phone number.
They called at 10 am, need people to work at a children's day at the library in June. I said ok.
Then, on my way back to bed, that overnighted check arrived.
By then I was wide awake. Sigh.
I met Roman for an early dinner before his class, at a restaurant across the street from Ulster CCC. He suggested that I bring my laptop, because the classrooms have WiFi, and we could transfer the photos quickly (we both have dialup at home). I told him my WiFi hasn't worked for the past few weeks, but he said bring it anyway, maybe he could figure it out.
After dinner we went to his classroom, and the danged thing connected right up. No problem. It didn't work in the village up the road that has village-wide free WiFI, it didn't work in Piper's office, and it didn't work in Office Max, but it worked tonight at UCCC, when there was someone available to help me?
I don't understand.
When his class started I moved to the lounge and watched all the online videos I can't watch at home and downloaded some heavy-duty stuff. He visited during the mid-evening class break to make sure everything was still working, and then I left.
Ok, now I have to test this. On the way home, I went to that village with the free WiFi. Hardware found the signal, but "cannot establish a connection to the internet". Same problem as before.
Sigh.
I'll take it with me to NJ this weekend. If it doesn't work in the hotel, I'll scream.
.
Somehow I ended up still potting around the house at 5 am "last night". No problem. An advantage of retirement is that you can sleep in any time you want.
...Unless RSVP (Retired and Seniors' Volunteer Program) has your phone number.
They called at 10 am, need people to work at a children's day at the library in June. I said ok.
Then, on my way back to bed, that overnighted check arrived.
By then I was wide awake. Sigh.
I met Roman for an early dinner before his class, at a restaurant across the street from Ulster CCC. He suggested that I bring my laptop, because the classrooms have WiFi, and we could transfer the photos quickly (we both have dialup at home). I told him my WiFi hasn't worked for the past few weeks, but he said bring it anyway, maybe he could figure it out.
After dinner we went to his classroom, and the danged thing connected right up. No problem. It didn't work in the village up the road that has village-wide free WiFI, it didn't work in Piper's office, and it didn't work in Office Max, but it worked tonight at UCCC, when there was someone available to help me?
I don't understand.
When his class started I moved to the lounge and watched all the online videos I can't watch at home and downloaded some heavy-duty stuff. He visited during the mid-evening class break to make sure everything was still working, and then I left.
Ok, now I have to test this. On the way home, I went to that village with the free WiFi. Hardware found the signal, but "cannot establish a connection to the internet". Same problem as before.
Sigh.
I'll take it with me to NJ this weekend. If it doesn't work in the hotel, I'll scream.
.
1226 Wean the Brat!
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Montel is on (I like him - he's a nice guy - not bad to look at, either) and the topic is different theories of child raising.
There's a woman on who is a breast feeding bigot. "We're mammals, like cows and cats, that's what we're designed to do" etc. Fine. I agree. However, she breastfeeds until the child decides to stop, like four years or more. That's where she and I part ways.
Even a cow or a cat is smart enough to wean the babies as soon as they can handle adult food. I remember Suzy and her kittens. The five kittens, almost as big as she was by then, would gang up on her, chase her down, and hold her down to nurse. So Suzy started jumping up on the kitchen counter where the kittens couldn't get to her. I felt sorry for her, and let her stay there.
Baby mammals will nurse forever if you let them. It's an adult responsibility to wean them to adult food when it's appropriate.
That woman isn't as smart as my cat.
(I nursed Daughter for 10 months. She fought weaning tooth and nail, but I did my duty and switched her to carrots.)
.
Montel is on (I like him - he's a nice guy - not bad to look at, either) and the topic is different theories of child raising.
There's a woman on who is a breast feeding bigot. "We're mammals, like cows and cats, that's what we're designed to do" etc. Fine. I agree. However, she breastfeeds until the child decides to stop, like four years or more. That's where she and I part ways.
Even a cow or a cat is smart enough to wean the babies as soon as they can handle adult food. I remember Suzy and her kittens. The five kittens, almost as big as she was by then, would gang up on her, chase her down, and hold her down to nurse. So Suzy started jumping up on the kitchen counter where the kittens couldn't get to her. I felt sorry for her, and let her stay there.
Baby mammals will nurse forever if you let them. It's an adult responsibility to wean them to adult food when it's appropriate.
That woman isn't as smart as my cat.
(I nursed Daughter for 10 months. She fought weaning tooth and nail, but I did my duty and switched her to carrots.)
.
1225 Up and Down Monday
Monday, April 30, 2007
Yeah, ok, it's after 2 am on Tuesday, but I'm reporting Monday.
I was awakened by a call from Piper this morning. He (get this!) wanted to know how the date went last Wednesday. Duh? Well, he's been through the whole Roman mess and the online dating fiasco with me, so the idea of someone I actually want to see again must be fascinating to him. I have to be careful not to give him the guy's name, or he'll have him investigated. (He did that once before, and I could have killed him.)
We didn't talk business, so later I remembered that he had called to have a check cut for me, and I haven't received it yet, ten days later, so I stopped in his office to ask him to put a stop on it and have another issued. It will be overnighted to me. We talked for a while, then I went to the bank to deposit some checks, and found that my balance had dropped dangerously low. Thank goodness for overnight delivery!
Some minor shopping, and then a search for a ph balancer. Male readers, please skip the next paragraph.
Because I eat a lot of yogurt, and because my estrogen is low, my ph is off. Normally it isn't a problem, in fact it's good. I haven't had so much as a yeast infection in more than 20 years. But close proximity to testosterone wreaks havoc. A year ago I found a balancing cream that works wonders. Today I went to three pharmacies, and nobody had it. I couldn't even find a space on the shelf where it should have been. I was afraid they'd stopped making it. The pharmacists didn't know what I was talking about. I freaked. Sorta like Seinfeld's Elaine when they stopped making the sponge. Made for a bad mood.
Then I went to dinner with Angie, Zig, and Roman at a new Indian restaurant, Kismat, near Vassar, in Poughkeepsie. Today was Roman's last day at his day job. He has retired. (He'll still teach some evening classes.) I gave him a sentimental card and a gift.
Anyway, driving to Pok, I had got caught in a traffic jam caused by an accident, and had to use a route that took me through the city. Then, walking down the street looking for the restaurant, I twisted my right ankle - the one with the messed up nerves. I worry about injuring that ankle because I can't feel the real pain, the pain where an injury is, so I can keep walking on it and really mess it up. All during dinner I had periodic bolts of lightening shooting up my leg.
That didn't help the mood.
Roman was parked right outside the restaurant, and I was parked on a side street, so I walked him to his car, then set off for my own. He passed me and then stopped at the corner to offer me a ride to my car. There were people, Vassar students, standing on the corner waiting to cross. When I got to Roman's car, I opened the passenger door and said "Fifty dollars. A thousand for 'round the world."
I refused his offer of a ride, waved vaguely, "My car's just there", and he left. Actually, it was a block and a half down, and I'd forgotten about my ankle. The one I have to use on the accelerator.
That didn't help the mood, either.
Going through East Park on the way home, I noticed a huge new pharmacy, and on a hunch, I stopped in. They had it! I'd have liked to pull an Elaine, but I got smacked by short expiration dates, so I bought only two boxes.
Mood went up a jot.
When I got home, I remembered that I had forgotten to remind Roman that I wanted copies of the pictures he took Saturday, so I called him. We had a nice chat, during which I mentioned that I'd received the "Mommy Letter" for the Washington gathering, and the file was in a format I couldn't open, so he said to send it to him and he'd translate it. Which he did, within minutes. We also decided to meet for dinner before his class tomorrow.
Mood went up a bit more.
Then The Man called. He was driving to Virginia, for a meeting tomorrow. We talked for more than an hour. He's going to meet me at Rakkasah Spring Caravan next Sunday.
Mood shot up.
No more pain in the leg - there's only slight swelling below the ankle bone.
I'm happy.
.
Yeah, ok, it's after 2 am on Tuesday, but I'm reporting Monday.
I was awakened by a call from Piper this morning. He (get this!) wanted to know how the date went last Wednesday. Duh? Well, he's been through the whole Roman mess and the online dating fiasco with me, so the idea of someone I actually want to see again must be fascinating to him. I have to be careful not to give him the guy's name, or he'll have him investigated. (He did that once before, and I could have killed him.)
We didn't talk business, so later I remembered that he had called to have a check cut for me, and I haven't received it yet, ten days later, so I stopped in his office to ask him to put a stop on it and have another issued. It will be overnighted to me. We talked for a while, then I went to the bank to deposit some checks, and found that my balance had dropped dangerously low. Thank goodness for overnight delivery!
Some minor shopping, and then a search for a ph balancer. Male readers, please skip the next paragraph.
Because I eat a lot of yogurt, and because my estrogen is low, my ph is off. Normally it isn't a problem, in fact it's good. I haven't had so much as a yeast infection in more than 20 years. But close proximity to testosterone wreaks havoc. A year ago I found a balancing cream that works wonders. Today I went to three pharmacies, and nobody had it. I couldn't even find a space on the shelf where it should have been. I was afraid they'd stopped making it. The pharmacists didn't know what I was talking about. I freaked. Sorta like Seinfeld's Elaine when they stopped making the sponge. Made for a bad mood.
Then I went to dinner with Angie, Zig, and Roman at a new Indian restaurant, Kismat, near Vassar, in Poughkeepsie. Today was Roman's last day at his day job. He has retired. (He'll still teach some evening classes.) I gave him a sentimental card and a gift.
Anyway, driving to Pok, I had got caught in a traffic jam caused by an accident, and had to use a route that took me through the city. Then, walking down the street looking for the restaurant, I twisted my right ankle - the one with the messed up nerves. I worry about injuring that ankle because I can't feel the real pain, the pain where an injury is, so I can keep walking on it and really mess it up. All during dinner I had periodic bolts of lightening shooting up my leg.
That didn't help the mood.
Roman was parked right outside the restaurant, and I was parked on a side street, so I walked him to his car, then set off for my own. He passed me and then stopped at the corner to offer me a ride to my car. There were people, Vassar students, standing on the corner waiting to cross. When I got to Roman's car, I opened the passenger door and said "Fifty dollars. A thousand for 'round the world."
I refused his offer of a ride, waved vaguely, "My car's just there", and he left. Actually, it was a block and a half down, and I'd forgotten about my ankle. The one I have to use on the accelerator.
That didn't help the mood, either.
Going through East Park on the way home, I noticed a huge new pharmacy, and on a hunch, I stopped in. They had it! I'd have liked to pull an Elaine, but I got smacked by short expiration dates, so I bought only two boxes.
Mood went up a jot.
When I got home, I remembered that I had forgotten to remind Roman that I wanted copies of the pictures he took Saturday, so I called him. We had a nice chat, during which I mentioned that I'd received the "Mommy Letter" for the Washington gathering, and the file was in a format I couldn't open, so he said to send it to him and he'd translate it. Which he did, within minutes. We also decided to meet for dinner before his class tomorrow.
Mood went up a bit more.
Then The Man called. He was driving to Virginia, for a meeting tomorrow. We talked for more than an hour. He's going to meet me at Rakkasah Spring Caravan next Sunday.
Mood shot up.
No more pain in the leg - there's only slight swelling below the ankle bone.
I'm happy.
.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
1224 Blink?
Sunday, April 29, 2007
At Spring Plowing.
I was walking toward the barns, and two rather nice-looking gray-haired men were walking away from the barns. As we approached on the road, the one on the left was looking at me, straight into my eyes. As we neared, he gave me a big smile. I smiled back. What the heck. He was pretty. And then I gave him a slow blink just as we passed.
Overheard from behind me:
"Did you see that?"
"See what?"
"She blinked at me."
"She winked at you?"
"No, she blinked at me!"
"She blinked? What does that mean?"
"I'm not sure...."
They had stopped. I kept walking.
Yeah, ok, I flirt. I just ain't got no followthrough.
Giggle.
.
At Spring Plowing.
I was walking toward the barns, and two rather nice-looking gray-haired men were walking away from the barns. As we approached on the road, the one on the left was looking at me, straight into my eyes. As we neared, he gave me a big smile. I smiled back. What the heck. He was pretty. And then I gave him a slow blink just as we passed.
Overheard from behind me:
"Did you see that?"
"See what?"
"She blinked at me."
"She winked at you?"
"No, she blinked at me!"
"She blinked? What does that mean?"
"I'm not sure...."
They had stopped. I kept walking.
Yeah, ok, I flirt. I just ain't got no followthrough.
Giggle.
.
1223 Yeah, Nature Recovers
Sunday, April 29, 2007
I've been reading and hearing a lot lately about bees disappearing. I was reminded again when I walked out the door this morning and passed the rhododendron. At this time of year the bush usually sounds like a woodworking factory, all the buzzing of bees in the blossoms. It was buzzing this morning, but at low volume. I counted. Only seven bees. There should be fifty times that.
So, yeah, there's something going on.
I'd been hearing for a long time about a parasite that was killing off hives, but there's a new theory, a complication, that's worse. Some are blaming people who grow genetically modified or patented crops, who don't want "wild" bees spreading random pollen through their crops, so they are using pesticide to specifically target bees. They don't feel guilty about it because they are merely protecting their crops.
No one raindrop ever feels responsible for the flood.
At one extreme are the doom-and-gloom people who say that if the bees die, we die. No more fruits and vegetables. In the middle are the people who shrug and say, oh, well, there's still grains. This morning on NPR I heard the other extreme, the cycle theory, that bee populations naturally fall periodically, that records from the 19th century show that farmers were worried about bees disappearing. They called it "the disappearing disease". And therefore there's nothing to worry about.
The "natural cycle" theory is also used by people who want to shrug off global warming. "Nature will correct. Nature will recover. She always has and she always will."
Uh, yeah. But do they forget that Nature doesn't much care about us as a species? That sometimes, even left on her own, her recoveries are cataclysmic? She'll go on, the Earth will go on, but possibly in a quite different mix. We are not that important to Nature. Given the almost overwhelming success of pathogens, I'm not sure we're all that important to God, either. Don't forget they're His creations, too. Maybe His favored pets. Maybe we're pet food, and we don't realize it. Gotta keep the "herd" (us) contented.
Well, that's not where I was headed. Where was I - oh, yeah, Nature recovering from cycles that disturb us.
We have to remember that in the past, human influence on Nature didn't tip any balances. She did her thing without interference. That's the way she was set up. Things got to a certain point, and swoop! they came around again to balance. Nothing in the past several thousand years (when was that last ice age?) has gone beyond a tipping point.
Human influence and interference can quite possibly push Nature past a tipping point too quickly for her to react, to recover naturally.
And THEN we die.
.
I've been reading and hearing a lot lately about bees disappearing. I was reminded again when I walked out the door this morning and passed the rhododendron. At this time of year the bush usually sounds like a woodworking factory, all the buzzing of bees in the blossoms. It was buzzing this morning, but at low volume. I counted. Only seven bees. There should be fifty times that.
So, yeah, there's something going on.
I'd been hearing for a long time about a parasite that was killing off hives, but there's a new theory, a complication, that's worse. Some are blaming people who grow genetically modified or patented crops, who don't want "wild" bees spreading random pollen through their crops, so they are using pesticide to specifically target bees. They don't feel guilty about it because they are merely protecting their crops.
No one raindrop ever feels responsible for the flood.
At one extreme are the doom-and-gloom people who say that if the bees die, we die. No more fruits and vegetables. In the middle are the people who shrug and say, oh, well, there's still grains. This morning on NPR I heard the other extreme, the cycle theory, that bee populations naturally fall periodically, that records from the 19th century show that farmers were worried about bees disappearing. They called it "the disappearing disease". And therefore there's nothing to worry about.
The "natural cycle" theory is also used by people who want to shrug off global warming. "Nature will correct. Nature will recover. She always has and she always will."
Uh, yeah. But do they forget that Nature doesn't much care about us as a species? That sometimes, even left on her own, her recoveries are cataclysmic? She'll go on, the Earth will go on, but possibly in a quite different mix. We are not that important to Nature. Given the almost overwhelming success of pathogens, I'm not sure we're all that important to God, either. Don't forget they're His creations, too. Maybe His favored pets. Maybe we're pet food, and we don't realize it. Gotta keep the "herd" (us) contented.
Well, that's not where I was headed. Where was I - oh, yeah, Nature recovering from cycles that disturb us.
We have to remember that in the past, human influence on Nature didn't tip any balances. She did her thing without interference. That's the way she was set up. Things got to a certain point, and swoop! they came around again to balance. Nothing in the past several thousand years (when was that last ice age?) has gone beyond a tipping point.
Human influence and interference can quite possibly push Nature past a tipping point too quickly for her to react, to recover naturally.
And THEN we die.
.
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