Well, I knew if I were patient enough, something would pop up to cheer me... I was just doing my early morning Web surfing, and found the following item on the BBC page [http://news.bbc.co.uk/] . . .
The title of the item is: "Thriller zombies cut some shapes" -- Here's the URL, if you want to just click to it and read it there... < http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/nottinghamshire/7701359.stm >
The article reads as follows:
"The organisers want to attract more than 1,124 would-be zombies
"Willing and able zombies have been called upon to perform Michael Jackson's Thriller dance in an attempt to break a world record.
"Organisers of Nottingham's annual games festival GameCity, want to teach more than 1,000 people the pop star's moves.
To break the record for the largest zombie gathering set at the Monroeville Mall, Pittsburgh, US in November 2007, more than 1,124 zombies must take part. Costumes, make-up and choreography will be provided at the Old Market Square. GameCity's festival director Iain Simons said people needed to turn up by 1400 GMT on Friday to be transformed into a zombie.
"We can provide you with a zombie kit, we can train you to walk like a zombie, talk like a zombie, shuffle like a zombie.
"We'll train you to do the Thriller dance," said Mr Simons. "As any self-respecting zombie knows, it's very important that they come together and dance the Michael Jackson Thriller dance because that's what zombies do when they congregate."
"The actual record attempt will take place at 1700 GMT."
It's just a pity I can't just jump on a plane and take part. For some reason, this just tickles me no end!!!
Ah, well... Whatever all of you are doing to celebrate Samhain, be safe.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Well, Shoot...
Really, I have nothing of import to say tonight. I feel so . . . boring . . . The news is all bad, pretty much, I'm SO DONE with the pre-election BS, the weather is indifferent, I couldn't whip it up to cook anything but spaghetti for dinner (accompanied by the last two pieces of Texas Toast in the freezer), and don't even have the energy to go sew on the latest project I've cut out.
I am, I'm afraid, a boring old fart. I shall endeavor to become wittier, more enchanting and more engaging by tomorrow.
I am, I'm afraid, a boring old fart. I shall endeavor to become wittier, more enchanting and more engaging by tomorrow.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
And, speaking of reality...
I'm sorry I had not read this story before I finished my last post -- it's a doozy!!!
It seems that, somewhere in Japan, a woman was arrested in connection with her "killing" the avatar of her on-line "husband", after the husband's avatar laid an unexpected on-line divorce on the woman's on-line avatar. (Very Kurosawa-like -- here's the URL to the story, where I saw it, on cnn.com: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/ptech/10/23/avatar.murder.japan.ap/index.html
Talk about the convergence of reality and real-life. (Of course, she wasn't arrested on a murder rap, but still...) The game is called "Maple Story". I'm sorry, but this is really too creepy. I mean, seriously creepy.
As Dave Barry says, I'm not making this up.
I need a glass of wine, and to sit and contemplate this. A lot.
It seems that, somewhere in Japan, a woman was arrested in connection with her "killing" the avatar of her on-line "husband", after the husband's avatar laid an unexpected on-line divorce on the woman's on-line avatar. (Very Kurosawa-like -- here's the URL to the story, where I saw it, on cnn.com: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/ptech/10/23/avatar.murder.japan.ap/index.html
Talk about the convergence of reality and real-life. (Of course, she wasn't arrested on a murder rap, but still...) The game is called "Maple Story". I'm sorry, but this is really too creepy. I mean, seriously creepy.
As Dave Barry says, I'm not making this up.
I need a glass of wine, and to sit and contemplate this. A lot.
The Lingering Effect of Dreams...
So, I was just driving home, after running a couple of errands, and I was listening to "Fresh Air" on NPR. Terry Gross is interviewing some screenwriter, and he was off on a riff about how sometimes the "aftertaste" of dreams can linger a whole day (or more), and sometimes just freak you out.
Wow, I says. Yes, that has certainly happened to me. It's often the case that my dreams are so real, that when I wake up, I really am not sure what is real and what is dream (and whether there's any difference anyway, truly, if reality is all in the mind). A "bad" dream can totally flip me out for a day or two, and a good dream can buffer me against whatever BS happens to fly my way all day. Weird.
I once read a book, can't remember when or by who, which posited that, when we're asleep, and "dreaming", our astral bodies or spirits or whatever you want to call them, are actually out, in some second dimension, doing whatever it is that we're dreaming. Now THAT is one weird concept. Particularly when one has, ahem, "delicate encounters" with others in dreams that, in real life, one would NEVER EVEN THINK ABOUT!!! Whew... And, are those people who we meet in dreams, also out gallivanting in their astral selves? I mean, this is the kind of thinking that can wrack your brain. It's like when I was young, and I used to think about where the universe ends. I mean, it has to end somewhere, doesn't it? Or does it? Hmmmm.... More extreme brain damage.
Anyway, the dream thing really has got me going. I know that, sometimes, I'll act in a way that is totally reflective of my dream, and not at all connected to the "real" world. That has led to some interesting things, from time to time. It has also disconcerted friends and family no end, I fear. Sorry, friends and family, I really am.
Last evening, had a total emotional meltdown. Again. I don't think I can blame a dream for that. But, I do point to my "gut" feelings, or intuition, as setting the stage. Over the decades, I have learned to really trust and rely on my intuition to tell me when something is afoot. I've disregarded it (the feeling, the intuition) often, and sometimes I was wrong, but more often than not, I've lived to regret not listening to the little man who lives in the gut. So, I have a feeling something is brewing, and it could be bad, or not, but it's a change. Like in the original "Mary Poppins" book... she can tell when the wind is going to change, and that change will bring changes to everyone's lives. (You know, that really was not a children's book, I don't care; and I'm still wildly irritated at the Disney-ization of that story... They treacled it out of all recognition...) I sense a change in the wind coming, and I don't know what to do about it. The thing is, when the wind changes, you can't "do" anything at all about it. The wind blows as it blows. The ancients knew that, and knew to respect it. Me, I'm a modern girl, and every once in a while, I forget about the ancient wisdom and set my sails in a way that the boat she is going to capsize.
Oooh, I am getting all woo-woo. No, not really. I ought not make fun of my feelings and intuitions. They are there for a reason. I didn't used to be all flipped out about change. But then, I grew up and became a control freak. There you have it. I need to step back and just let the wind blow. I'm flexible and bendable, and I'll survive and live to see another day.
Make sure you-all have your shutters fastened. It's going to be a bumpy ride.
Wow, I says. Yes, that has certainly happened to me. It's often the case that my dreams are so real, that when I wake up, I really am not sure what is real and what is dream (and whether there's any difference anyway, truly, if reality is all in the mind). A "bad" dream can totally flip me out for a day or two, and a good dream can buffer me against whatever BS happens to fly my way all day. Weird.
I once read a book, can't remember when or by who, which posited that, when we're asleep, and "dreaming", our astral bodies or spirits or whatever you want to call them, are actually out, in some second dimension, doing whatever it is that we're dreaming. Now THAT is one weird concept. Particularly when one has, ahem, "delicate encounters" with others in dreams that, in real life, one would NEVER EVEN THINK ABOUT!!! Whew... And, are those people who we meet in dreams, also out gallivanting in their astral selves? I mean, this is the kind of thinking that can wrack your brain. It's like when I was young, and I used to think about where the universe ends. I mean, it has to end somewhere, doesn't it? Or does it? Hmmmm.... More extreme brain damage.
Anyway, the dream thing really has got me going. I know that, sometimes, I'll act in a way that is totally reflective of my dream, and not at all connected to the "real" world. That has led to some interesting things, from time to time. It has also disconcerted friends and family no end, I fear. Sorry, friends and family, I really am.
Last evening, had a total emotional meltdown. Again. I don't think I can blame a dream for that. But, I do point to my "gut" feelings, or intuition, as setting the stage. Over the decades, I have learned to really trust and rely on my intuition to tell me when something is afoot. I've disregarded it (the feeling, the intuition) often, and sometimes I was wrong, but more often than not, I've lived to regret not listening to the little man who lives in the gut. So, I have a feeling something is brewing, and it could be bad, or not, but it's a change. Like in the original "Mary Poppins" book... she can tell when the wind is going to change, and that change will bring changes to everyone's lives. (You know, that really was not a children's book, I don't care; and I'm still wildly irritated at the Disney-ization of that story... They treacled it out of all recognition...) I sense a change in the wind coming, and I don't know what to do about it. The thing is, when the wind changes, you can't "do" anything at all about it. The wind blows as it blows. The ancients knew that, and knew to respect it. Me, I'm a modern girl, and every once in a while, I forget about the ancient wisdom and set my sails in a way that the boat she is going to capsize.
Oooh, I am getting all woo-woo. No, not really. I ought not make fun of my feelings and intuitions. They are there for a reason. I didn't used to be all flipped out about change. But then, I grew up and became a control freak. There you have it. I need to step back and just let the wind blow. I'm flexible and bendable, and I'll survive and live to see another day.
Make sure you-all have your shutters fastened. It's going to be a bumpy ride.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Learnings
I have discovered that, when one has facial surgery, it is most definitely NOT a good idea to eat anything that is going to require you to floss your teeth, because generally you can't open your mouth very wide for some period of time following the surgery. Don't ask me how I found this out.
I've also discovered that my skin, when it bruises, goes through one amazing set of color transitions. I really do look alarmingly like one of those papayas that are languishing on my counter in the kitchen. I only hope I have enough of a really good quality cover-up cosmetic product to do the job next Saturday night, when I have a community "do" to attend.
And, Election Day is only two weeks away. Thank the lord. I am so DONE with the campaigning and the mud-slinging and the nit-picking and the general BS. I really don't think that anyone's mind is going to be changed by anything that either side says about the other, at this point. And, how many truly undecided voters are out there, anyway? Cynical me, I think that everyone's mind is already made up, consciously or unconsciously... And everyone out there better get their sorry selves off to their polling places or drop that absentee or mail-in ballot in the mail, and VOTE! Yes, sigh, even if you vote the "wrong" way, it's just important to vote. I do not buy any excuse whatsoever for not voting if one is eligible to do so. Period.
And, I'm all whipped up, again, about the economy and the real estate market and the burgeoning foreclosures. What, pray tell, does it profit the lender to have an empty house sitting there? I'm particularly whipped up about houses which are occupied by renters but the owners blew their loans, and then the renters get kicked out. It's not like the lenders in general do a great job of taking care of these foreclosed properties, including ensuring that they get a continuing stream of revenue from occupying renters! I mean, guys, this is just common sense. I know, I know, I just don't understand. Right.
I'm actually pretty irritated at myself for not getting much done today. You'd think that, since I'm not working outside the house at a full-time (or even a part-time) job, I'd be more efficient at getting stuff done during the day. But, oh no -- just fiddled around today. Shame on me! (Well, OK, I did run three errands, big whoop.) On the up side, I'm not as tired as I was for the past few years. I'm actually reading three books at once, which is a luxury, and having the time to sit and look at the sky and ponder the meaning of life.
OK, I can see I am just plain ornery tonight. I'd better sign off, and go meditate about my attitude.
I've also discovered that my skin, when it bruises, goes through one amazing set of color transitions. I really do look alarmingly like one of those papayas that are languishing on my counter in the kitchen. I only hope I have enough of a really good quality cover-up cosmetic product to do the job next Saturday night, when I have a community "do" to attend.
And, Election Day is only two weeks away. Thank the lord. I am so DONE with the campaigning and the mud-slinging and the nit-picking and the general BS. I really don't think that anyone's mind is going to be changed by anything that either side says about the other, at this point. And, how many truly undecided voters are out there, anyway? Cynical me, I think that everyone's mind is already made up, consciously or unconsciously... And everyone out there better get their sorry selves off to their polling places or drop that absentee or mail-in ballot in the mail, and VOTE! Yes, sigh, even if you vote the "wrong" way, it's just important to vote. I do not buy any excuse whatsoever for not voting if one is eligible to do so. Period.
And, I'm all whipped up, again, about the economy and the real estate market and the burgeoning foreclosures. What, pray tell, does it profit the lender to have an empty house sitting there? I'm particularly whipped up about houses which are occupied by renters but the owners blew their loans, and then the renters get kicked out. It's not like the lenders in general do a great job of taking care of these foreclosed properties, including ensuring that they get a continuing stream of revenue from occupying renters! I mean, guys, this is just common sense. I know, I know, I just don't understand. Right.
I'm actually pretty irritated at myself for not getting much done today. You'd think that, since I'm not working outside the house at a full-time (or even a part-time) job, I'd be more efficient at getting stuff done during the day. But, oh no -- just fiddled around today. Shame on me! (Well, OK, I did run three errands, big whoop.) On the up side, I'm not as tired as I was for the past few years. I'm actually reading three books at once, which is a luxury, and having the time to sit and look at the sky and ponder the meaning of life.
OK, I can see I am just plain ornery tonight. I'd better sign off, and go meditate about my attitude.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Addendum
Sorry, but I didn't read this until after I had finished today's post...
Police say a Michigan man has been arrested after "receiving sexual favors from a vacuum" at a car wash.
You know, there are some things better not reported, and be damned to the public's right to know.
Really.
Police say a Michigan man has been arrested after "receiving sexual favors from a vacuum" at a car wash.
You know, there are some things better not reported, and be damned to the public's right to know.
Really.
Strange Days, Indeed
So, it's Monday (although I'm taking that on faith, since now that I'm no longer working at The Company I really have no idea what the heck day is which), and I'm thinking back on this past weekend. Well, brooding about the fragmentation of society is more like it.
Every day, more astonishing crap crawls out of the woodwork. I sometimes think I'm living in some weird StarTrek-ish parallel universe, and on the other side of the time-space continuum, things are just fine.
The election: I know that Gov. Palin's appearance on this weekend's SNL drew the largest audience that show has had in a decade or so, but WTF was she thinking? It was funny and amusing and all that, but this is the person who could, if things shake out in a way that would lead me to thinking seriously of decamping to Australia, be a heartbeat away from the presidency of the US. (Of course, the way things are going in this country, maybe that's exactly what we -- as a country -- deserve.) The descent of John McCain, who at one time was an endearing and curmudgeonly politico, into a nasty old man, spewing vituperation and tired old political barbs at Obama. What a bloody shame. The bizarre measures on the ballot here in California, and the shivers I feel about the fact that they're even on the ballot at all. There is a country out there that I just don't understand, don't like, and which scares the bajeezuz out of me.
The economy: Every day, I just shake my head at the latest BS to spew forth out of the imploding of our economy. Like, duh, is anyone really surprised, when we have, for longer than anyone cares to remember, created, believed in and worshipped an economy that is built on non-sustainable principles (e.g., continuous growth, focus on annual consumer spending, the worship of the almighty [and slightly manipulated] quarterly bottom line, the off-shoring and outsourcing of vast portions of our corporate infrastructures, the dumbing-down of popular culture). Greed... One of the seven deadly sins, and for good reason. You may not believe in the infallibility of the Bible, but there are a lot of things in there that surely make absolutely the best sense. I spent enough hours in enough conference rooms over the years I was an actively-practicing attorney with investment bankers, insurance execs, and their ilk, to understand that this was just a disaster waiting to happen. These folks were the supreme no-value-add elements in any deal. And, yes, I do understand -- very damn well -- the economics of deals and who's getting what. (I recall that, occasionally, when I could no longer contain myself, and would make muttered comments about taking those investment bankers out into the parking lot and shoving them under the wheels of an oncoming BMW, that the "boys" would get that look on their faces . . . you know the one . . . "oh, she's just a girl, what does she possibly know about the fabulous deal we're all doing" . . . oh, puhleeze...)
But, on the other hand, there are wonderful people out there. People who are doing their best every day in the face of stressful conditions. Who are exercising personal responsibility (a quaint notion that is one I hold dear), and worrying about the impact of their actions (or failures to act) on society as a whole, who actually care about the greater society, and who do not believe that taxes are just the "gummint" taking their money and giving it away to no-good rotters. There are thoughtful journalists and public servants and financiers and just regular folks, all of whom tell it like it is. One of my favorite folks is Maureen Dowd (OK, all you right-wingers -- not that any would be reading this blog, most likely -- can start rolling your eyes.) Go on www.nytimes.com (today's edition), and read her op/ed piece, "After W., Le Deluge" -- very well written. A very good piece of writing.
On the up side, I went to the doctor today, for my one-week post-surgery check-up, and he pronounced himself thrilled with the progress of my recovery. And, even better, he gave me the green light to resume drinking caffeinated beverages (oh, yeah, mama -- bring me my latte!) and alcohol (and, Jeeves, bring me that Cosmo now, if you would)... I thought I was on the wagon for another week, at least. However, my body (god love it) was in good shape, and supported rapid healing of all the incisions and nasty business. Of course, now that I've been pure as the driven slush for two (well, almost three) weeks, I'm not feeling any huge driving urge to indulge. In fact, after the doctor's appointment, the spousal unit and I went to Peet's for an afternoon pick-me-up, and I just had a jasmine lime green tea cooler (and, of course, some carrot bread, to count as one of my veggies for the day). I've also been drinking smaller cups of coffee, and I've come to enjoy them a lot more. There just might be something to this clean living thing...
OK, now that I read this, am I really becoming a crotchety old fartette? Possibly. The nice thing is that, at this age, I really don't care all that much. Freedom! Yessss!!! I refuse to let The Man keep me down!!! (By the way, The Man is now all those 20-somethings...) I love the irony of history.
Well, time to pay attention to dinner, and get ready to watch Monday Night Football on our new Shining Symbol of Consumerism: we broke down and purchased a mega-LCD flat-screen TV. Yep, we gave in to Mammon. You know, if you show up at one of these chain electronics stores with cash, you can pretty much negotiate any deal that you want (within some reasonable bounds). I was actually astonished at the deal we got. We selected a size and brand and level of quality that we liked, and then found one that was a floor sample, got the store to give us a very good deal and then, in a burst of negotiating ballsiness that I honed on many business trips to China, asked for yet more off. And we got it. A good deal all around. I feel so guilty watching this beast. I really do. But, it's really really nice. We actually watched "La Vie en Rose" (on DVD) on it over the weekend, and the experience was fabulous.
May all your teams win tonight. Or not. Cheers!
Every day, more astonishing crap crawls out of the woodwork. I sometimes think I'm living in some weird StarTrek-ish parallel universe, and on the other side of the time-space continuum, things are just fine.
The election: I know that Gov. Palin's appearance on this weekend's SNL drew the largest audience that show has had in a decade or so, but WTF was she thinking? It was funny and amusing and all that, but this is the person who could, if things shake out in a way that would lead me to thinking seriously of decamping to Australia, be a heartbeat away from the presidency of the US. (Of course, the way things are going in this country, maybe that's exactly what we -- as a country -- deserve.) The descent of John McCain, who at one time was an endearing and curmudgeonly politico, into a nasty old man, spewing vituperation and tired old political barbs at Obama. What a bloody shame. The bizarre measures on the ballot here in California, and the shivers I feel about the fact that they're even on the ballot at all. There is a country out there that I just don't understand, don't like, and which scares the bajeezuz out of me.
The economy: Every day, I just shake my head at the latest BS to spew forth out of the imploding of our economy. Like, duh, is anyone really surprised, when we have, for longer than anyone cares to remember, created, believed in and worshipped an economy that is built on non-sustainable principles (e.g., continuous growth, focus on annual consumer spending, the worship of the almighty [and slightly manipulated] quarterly bottom line, the off-shoring and outsourcing of vast portions of our corporate infrastructures, the dumbing-down of popular culture). Greed... One of the seven deadly sins, and for good reason. You may not believe in the infallibility of the Bible, but there are a lot of things in there that surely make absolutely the best sense. I spent enough hours in enough conference rooms over the years I was an actively-practicing attorney with investment bankers, insurance execs, and their ilk, to understand that this was just a disaster waiting to happen. These folks were the supreme no-value-add elements in any deal. And, yes, I do understand -- very damn well -- the economics of deals and who's getting what. (I recall that, occasionally, when I could no longer contain myself, and would make muttered comments about taking those investment bankers out into the parking lot and shoving them under the wheels of an oncoming BMW, that the "boys" would get that look on their faces . . . you know the one . . . "oh, she's just a girl, what does she possibly know about the fabulous deal we're all doing" . . . oh, puhleeze...)
But, on the other hand, there are wonderful people out there. People who are doing their best every day in the face of stressful conditions. Who are exercising personal responsibility (a quaint notion that is one I hold dear), and worrying about the impact of their actions (or failures to act) on society as a whole, who actually care about the greater society, and who do not believe that taxes are just the "gummint" taking their money and giving it away to no-good rotters. There are thoughtful journalists and public servants and financiers and just regular folks, all of whom tell it like it is. One of my favorite folks is Maureen Dowd (OK, all you right-wingers -- not that any would be reading this blog, most likely -- can start rolling your eyes.) Go on www.nytimes.com (today's edition), and read her op/ed piece, "After W., Le Deluge" -- very well written. A very good piece of writing.
On the up side, I went to the doctor today, for my one-week post-surgery check-up, and he pronounced himself thrilled with the progress of my recovery. And, even better, he gave me the green light to resume drinking caffeinated beverages (oh, yeah, mama -- bring me my latte!) and alcohol (and, Jeeves, bring me that Cosmo now, if you would)... I thought I was on the wagon for another week, at least. However, my body (god love it) was in good shape, and supported rapid healing of all the incisions and nasty business. Of course, now that I've been pure as the driven slush for two (well, almost three) weeks, I'm not feeling any huge driving urge to indulge. In fact, after the doctor's appointment, the spousal unit and I went to Peet's for an afternoon pick-me-up, and I just had a jasmine lime green tea cooler (and, of course, some carrot bread, to count as one of my veggies for the day). I've also been drinking smaller cups of coffee, and I've come to enjoy them a lot more. There just might be something to this clean living thing...
OK, now that I read this, am I really becoming a crotchety old fartette? Possibly. The nice thing is that, at this age, I really don't care all that much. Freedom! Yessss!!! I refuse to let The Man keep me down!!! (By the way, The Man is now all those 20-somethings...) I love the irony of history.
Well, time to pay attention to dinner, and get ready to watch Monday Night Football on our new Shining Symbol of Consumerism: we broke down and purchased a mega-LCD flat-screen TV. Yep, we gave in to Mammon. You know, if you show up at one of these chain electronics stores with cash, you can pretty much negotiate any deal that you want (within some reasonable bounds). I was actually astonished at the deal we got. We selected a size and brand and level of quality that we liked, and then found one that was a floor sample, got the store to give us a very good deal and then, in a burst of negotiating ballsiness that I honed on many business trips to China, asked for yet more off. And we got it. A good deal all around. I feel so guilty watching this beast. I really do. But, it's really really nice. We actually watched "La Vie en Rose" (on DVD) on it over the weekend, and the experience was fabulous.
May all your teams win tonight. Or not. Cheers!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Astonishing
And I wonder why I get in a funk sometimes. The world is clearly an f'd up place, as evidenced not only by the results of all the unmitigated greed on the part of all those weeny Masters of the Universe, but also by incidents like this. [For those of you who haven't seen it, it's the video of a fight between two 12-year-olds -- and who, I might add, what shooting this video? -- and the mother of one of the two girls drove her daughter to the park for the smack-down... WTF????]
Just had to comment on this...
Just had to comment on this...
Oh, and...
... thoughts on religion versus faith versus belief. Can you have rituals without faith, or vice versa? If you do, is it right, is it real? And what is the nature of comfort in religious rituals? And what about partial faith? Can you be a "cafeteria" believer?
This is the kind of stuff that bounces around in my brain as I'm driving. Jeez.
This is the kind of stuff that bounces around in my brain as I'm driving. Jeez.
Sigh...
Saturday, and I am in a major funk. Really. Just pissy and morose. No real reason. Just humpf. So, I'm not going to go on and on, whining and moaning. Instead, I'll tell you all that I'm brooding about a post on the Dissolution, the King's Great Matter, the peace I find in the ruins of the abbeys in England, and other who-the-heck-knows-where-that's-coming-from musings.
I just had to share.
Ignore this whinging. Really.
I just had to share.
Ignore this whinging. Really.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Day Three...
... after surgery, and if I do say so myself (knock wood), the healing appears to be going quite well. My face is less swollen (particularly around the eyes), although the color is not to be believed. I think I look a lot like a very ripe papaya -- quite yellow, with tinges of purple/green... Lovely, quite a tropical look... I actually ran a few errands today, and no one screamed or fainted or made any untoward remarks, so I guess all is fine. (Either that or folks were shocked silly, which I truly doubt.)
And, no pain pills at all today! Hoo-hah! Really, the physical side-effects of those narcotics are not all that pleasant. Even being a child of the Sixties, and not having any moral issues (well, not too many, anyway) regarding drugs, I still prefer, all things considered, not to have too many of them floating around in my body. Particularly over the past year or so, when I've made a very concerted effort to eat healthily (less processed foods, more fruits and veggies, and lots of liquid)(water), I think it's made a big difference, now that I'm healing from what could have been quite a traumatic physical assault on my body. I was chatting with a buddy today, and she said she remembered when her aunt had her face lift, she stayed overnight in the hospital, and then stayed in bed for a week, whining and moaning. Well, obviously techniques have improved over the years, and I'm not even factoring in the aunt's possible predeliction for drama-queen antics, but still I think I'm doing quite well.
And, no, I won't be posting any photos to back up my claims. Just use your imagination. Or ask one of the two buddies who visited me yesterday. If you're a close friend, you'll know who they are!
Anyway, I've been watching/listening to all the post-debate punditry that's going on, and I'm not detecting that there's been a huge groundswell of anyone out there in the electorate changing their minds about who to vote for as a result of the campaigning and/or the debates. I personally find it very distressing that this country seems to be so very divided, and that the degree of bitterness and rancor (and general bad behavior) is getting higher and higher. It seems to me that the ideas of sacrifice, and sharing the burden, and civic duty, and a general lack of selfishness seem to be sorely lacking across this country. Or, maybe I'm just cynical and jaundiced. (Well, yes, jaundiced but that's because of the bruising... No, silly, that's not the context. Sorry, bad joke. Couldn't help myself.) But, seriously, I think this country is going to heck in a handbasket, driven by an excess of "me first" attitude that I just do not understand. Or, could it be that I'm just getting to be old(er) and (more) crochety?
Well, regardless, all in all, life is good. The weather is lovely, the house is relatively clean, there's food in the cupboard, there are comfy pillows on the bed, and it's foot-rubbing night. So, how can I complain?
I wish all of you the very best of everything, and may you each sleep well tonight.
And, no pain pills at all today! Hoo-hah! Really, the physical side-effects of those narcotics are not all that pleasant. Even being a child of the Sixties, and not having any moral issues (well, not too many, anyway) regarding drugs, I still prefer, all things considered, not to have too many of them floating around in my body. Particularly over the past year or so, when I've made a very concerted effort to eat healthily (less processed foods, more fruits and veggies, and lots of liquid)(water), I think it's made a big difference, now that I'm healing from what could have been quite a traumatic physical assault on my body. I was chatting with a buddy today, and she said she remembered when her aunt had her face lift, she stayed overnight in the hospital, and then stayed in bed for a week, whining and moaning. Well, obviously techniques have improved over the years, and I'm not even factoring in the aunt's possible predeliction for drama-queen antics, but still I think I'm doing quite well.
And, no, I won't be posting any photos to back up my claims. Just use your imagination. Or ask one of the two buddies who visited me yesterday. If you're a close friend, you'll know who they are!
Anyway, I've been watching/listening to all the post-debate punditry that's going on, and I'm not detecting that there's been a huge groundswell of anyone out there in the electorate changing their minds about who to vote for as a result of the campaigning and/or the debates. I personally find it very distressing that this country seems to be so very divided, and that the degree of bitterness and rancor (and general bad behavior) is getting higher and higher. It seems to me that the ideas of sacrifice, and sharing the burden, and civic duty, and a general lack of selfishness seem to be sorely lacking across this country. Or, maybe I'm just cynical and jaundiced. (Well, yes, jaundiced but that's because of the bruising... No, silly, that's not the context. Sorry, bad joke. Couldn't help myself.) But, seriously, I think this country is going to heck in a handbasket, driven by an excess of "me first" attitude that I just do not understand. Or, could it be that I'm just getting to be old(er) and (more) crochety?
Well, regardless, all in all, life is good. The weather is lovely, the house is relatively clean, there's food in the cupboard, there are comfy pillows on the bed, and it's foot-rubbing night. So, how can I complain?
I wish all of you the very best of everything, and may you each sleep well tonight.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Day Two...
... post-surgery, and I'm getting antsy. Today, I only took one mega-pain pill, and only took one nap. I still look fairly hideous, but better than yesterday. Theoretically, today is the day on which the swelling is worst, and it gets better from now on. However, I think the swelling is better, although odd parts of my face are pooching out. My doctor says that's all normal, as the swelling "migrates" downward. (Oh, great, I'll have a poochy tummy by the time this is all over...) And, the healing is going along fine, apparently, as I'm starting to itch a bit. And my energy level is coming back. Now, apparently, is the critical time when I need to be conscious of taking it easy, and NOT jumping back into my normal level of business. (Kind of like when I had my babies -- after hauling around that load for nine months, you at first feel wonderful, like Super Woman, and you do too much, and then -- wham! -- it hits you between the eyes and you're laid flat out!
Anyway, two buddies from work dropped by today -- no doubt they could not wait to see what I look like -- and they didn't flinch too much. So, I guess I don't look too bad. Got caught up on all the gossip from The Company (nothing truly juicy), etc., etc. We will be scheduling the official "unveiling" of my new look for a few weeks out, complete with alcohol, I hope. (I'm still on the no-caffeine, no-alcohol regimen...) And, believe me, I am truly looking forward to my first Cosmo! I had to watch yet another Presidential debate sans wine tonight. That is truly painful. I am so done with all this election hoo-hah, I can't tell you. I really admire systems in other countries where the campaigning is limited to like five or six weeks. Yep, very civilized... This race has gone on for a year, or more, as far as I can tell. I am so done...
Tomorrow, perhaps I shall get back to some sewing. Maybe some reading (real books). Maybe some house cleaning. Maybe some laundry. Oh, boy, sit back and kick it, girlfriend! Wooohoooo!!! Yeah, so I'm just a tad snarky tonight. Just a bit. If I hear one more person promise, on their word of honor, that they will create thousands, no, millions, of jobs... I'll puke. How? and, of course, the favorite mantra of "no new taxes"... Who, pray tell, will pay for all the infrastructure repair and replacement? the bills generated by the day-to-day operation of the government? the stupid bloody war(s) we keep getting involved in? The bloody Easter Bunny? For the love of pete...
I am really getting crabby. Yep, time for another codeine pill. Well, no, not tonight. I think I'm done with those. Maybe some graham crackers and warm milk? Yum! (Oh, god, I really wish I could have a nice glass of chilled white wine...)
Well, I hope you all watched the debate, and are ready to vote on November 4th. It can't come any too soon, IMHO...
Anyway, two buddies from work dropped by today -- no doubt they could not wait to see what I look like -- and they didn't flinch too much. So, I guess I don't look too bad. Got caught up on all the gossip from The Company (nothing truly juicy), etc., etc. We will be scheduling the official "unveiling" of my new look for a few weeks out, complete with alcohol, I hope. (I'm still on the no-caffeine, no-alcohol regimen...) And, believe me, I am truly looking forward to my first Cosmo! I had to watch yet another Presidential debate sans wine tonight. That is truly painful. I am so done with all this election hoo-hah, I can't tell you. I really admire systems in other countries where the campaigning is limited to like five or six weeks. Yep, very civilized... This race has gone on for a year, or more, as far as I can tell. I am so done...
Tomorrow, perhaps I shall get back to some sewing. Maybe some reading (real books). Maybe some house cleaning. Maybe some laundry. Oh, boy, sit back and kick it, girlfriend! Wooohoooo!!! Yeah, so I'm just a tad snarky tonight. Just a bit. If I hear one more person promise, on their word of honor, that they will create thousands, no, millions, of jobs... I'll puke. How? and, of course, the favorite mantra of "no new taxes"... Who, pray tell, will pay for all the infrastructure repair and replacement? the bills generated by the day-to-day operation of the government? the stupid bloody war(s) we keep getting involved in? The bloody Easter Bunny? For the love of pete...
I am really getting crabby. Yep, time for another codeine pill. Well, no, not tonight. I think I'm done with those. Maybe some graham crackers and warm milk? Yum! (Oh, god, I really wish I could have a nice glass of chilled white wine...)
Well, I hope you all watched the debate, and are ready to vote on November 4th. It can't come any too soon, IMHO...
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
No one told me...
... that, after the surgery, I'd have an uncanny resemblance to a washed-up prize fighter! Well, okay, it's not really that bad, but whew! looking at myself in the mirror this morning took my breath away! I feel far better than I look, is all I'm saying. Actually, my jaw is rather swollen, so I think I'm doing a fabulous job of imitating Marlon Brando, playing the Godfather! (If I do say so myself...) I'm told the swelling should go down in a few more days. However, right now, it's pretty astonishing! And, combined with the bruising, I am quite a sight!
I was awake during the surgery (just local painkillers -- Lidocaine?), and that was a bloody weird experience, let me tell you. I felt pressure and heard things going on, but felt nothing. And, thank goodness the doctor didn't offer me a mirror so I could see what was going on. Even I would have been grossed out by that! (And it takes a lot to get me grossed out...)
Anyway, I am still kind of woozy, due to the lovely pain meds, and keep falling sleep here on the sofa. I guess my body needs it, so what the heck... I am ambulatory, and with it enough to make myself tea, and eat oatmeal, so it's all good.
Nothing much to report from here at the moment. I feel myself drifting away again... More later!
I was awake during the surgery (just local painkillers -- Lidocaine?), and that was a bloody weird experience, let me tell you. I felt pressure and heard things going on, but felt nothing. And, thank goodness the doctor didn't offer me a mirror so I could see what was going on. Even I would have been grossed out by that! (And it takes a lot to get me grossed out...)
Anyway, I am still kind of woozy, due to the lovely pain meds, and keep falling sleep here on the sofa. I guess my body needs it, so what the heck... I am ambulatory, and with it enough to make myself tea, and eat oatmeal, so it's all good.
Nothing much to report from here at the moment. I feel myself drifting away again... More later!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Random Musings
Nothing special going on, but I am practicing discipline, and writing something for this blog as often as I can. Right now [Note: written Saturday night], I’m sitting in a hotel room in Marin County, cooling my heels, having forgotten to bring a book or a magazine to read, while my husband surfs the Net and the TV is blah-blah’ing away. (Those who know me well will find this -- not having a book handy -- pretty ironic, given the sheer deluge of reading material strewn through my house...) I blame it on our usual last-minute packing. Both the spousal unit and I are absolutely awful about packing ahead of time for any trip -- be it overnight or three weeks. We wait until the very last minute. We apparently think we get extra points if we leave it until within the hour before we absolutely positively need to leave the house! This, of course, often leads to astonishing lapses in terms of what we did not pack. (There was one business trip where I totally forgot to pack outer clothes -- I did remember pajamas and underwear, but that was it... Thank goodness there was a shopping center across the road from the hotel, and they had a Target store there...) (Don’t ask...)
I will say, however, that this time we DID remember to pack our swim suits, as I had the foresight to actually check out the on-site amenities for this hotel when I made the reservation. (We had not stayed here previously -- the hotel we usually stay at when we’re up this way was fully booked tonight.) Lo and behold, they have a jacuzzi/whirlpool. We love to get in a hot jacuzzi, and just soak... (Our favorite is in Hawaii, where all the jacuzzis are outdoors, and you can lay in the water and look up at the stars... I’m feeling the aloha spirit just writing about it!) Anyway, the jacuzzi at this hotel is indoors, thanks be, as it’s really quite nippy out tonight. It was nice, and very relaxing. There were a couple of pre-teen girls hopping about, cute as buttons, with a very much long-suffering older sister who was roped into watching them, and a lady who was there by herself, attempting to read in peace. (What? Read in a jacuzzi? Hmmm...)
There is cable TV in the room (of course), but the choices appear to be either NASCAR or Fox News. I kid you not. The remote is on the fritz, to add insult to injury. So, I’m taking the opportunity to write. I’d surf the Net, but there’s no wireless access in the room, just hard-line access, and the spouse is on the computer (we, of course, each brought our own laptop) (we are SO VERY SiliValley...), checking out eBay, seeing if there is some fabulous deal on car bits or god-only-knows-what. Oops, he just finished, and let me check my email and CNN and the New York Times. Same stuff, different day... All is disaster...
Now, it’s not as though I didn’t have books to bring with me, of course. I actually picked up three used books in one of the charity shops in the UK; they are from the series written by Alexander McCall Smith, about Precious Ramotswe, the proprietor of Botswana's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. (The first book was “The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency”, which I absolutely loved.) I started one of the books yesterday, started to get quite into it, had planned on bringing it with me, and of course it is sitting on my bed at home, waiting for me.
However, I’m quite pleasantly sleepy now, after the jacuzzi, and a very nice dinner. (Note, please, that I was good and did not have any wine or alcohol either last night -- during our usual “Friday night out at the Elephant Bar” -- or this evening... It really is making me irritable, by the way...)
Tomorrow, we’re off to Infineon Raceway (formerly known as Sears Point Raceway), to attend a race, put on by a vintage and classic car racing group that the husband used to be active in. It should be fun. We brought one of our many picnic baskets, folding chairs, and a little folding table. We also remembered to bring our hats, heavy jackets and sunscreen. Yep, I’m pretty sure we have all that. We certainly packed enough crap... [Note: Day at the raceway was wonderful; the weather was gorgeous, the cars were fast -- and noisy! -- we ran into some friends, and generally just kicked back and hung out.]
This afternoon [Note: on Saturday], we attended a play in San Francisco. It was “Rock and Roll” by Tom Stoppard. The spousal unit LOVES, absolutely LOVES, Tom Stoppard’s work. This was in return for his agreeing to go see “Spamalot” when we were in London. (In retrospect, we should have tried to get tickets to “Ivanov” when we were in London -- Richard Branagh was doing it -- but, oh well...) Anyway, the play was OK. I’m not a huge Tom Stoppard fan -- I think he’s a tad too precious, and it kind of puts my teeth on edge. But the performances were excellent, and the play kept my interest. The music they played during the scene transitions was, however, far too loud. (What is it with theatres and movie houses, blasting music? Do they think we’ve all gone deaf from too many rock concerts in our misspent youths?) The play is all about the Prague Spring and the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, and Vaclev Havel, and the role of the Plastic People of the Underground in the whole dissident movement. I cannot imagine how folks who have no background whatsoever in terms of knowing something about those events would understand the play. (Oh, you could follow the action, I guess, but you wouldn’t “get it”, I think.) Luckily, we had some time in our seats before the play started to read the program, which was excellent by the way, and it helped me immensely to understand what was going on. I, of course, would have edited the script (!), to include a little more background on one of the main characters, and delete one of the (to my mind) ancillary plot lines... But, unfortunately, Mr. Stoppard has not asked for my help!
I also have some other books I want to read; three about Marie Antoinette (I’m not sure why that particular theme presented itself), one about the nature of marriage and spousal relationships (written by an Indian woman), a mystery novel by Ellis Peters (one of the Cadfael novels) (I don’t think I’ve read this one), and one or two more that I can’t remember off the top of my head. There’s also the latest Oprah magazine (one of my guilty pleasures), and a couple of other magazines that hit the door recently.
Unfortunately, part of the surgery that I’m having on Monday is on my eyelids, and I’m told that I really won’t be able to read much (if at all) for a few (or more than a few) days. Oh, goodie. What the heck am I supposed to do, then, pray tell? Zone out on painkillers and listen to CNN? the Food Channel? BBC America? Daytime TV is pretty dismal. And, right now, one can either listen to all the ranting and raving on the upcoming election (and I am sick to death of all the negative BS that’s going on) or the doom-and-gloom talking heads blabbering away about the economic crisis. It’s enough to turn me to MTV, for goodness sakes! (Well, no, not really, but close.) I can, I suppose, turn on NPR and listen to that for hours at a time.
I really hope that my recovery time is relatively short. I don’t “do” just sitting around very well, unless I’m really really sick or really really sedated... Or both... It is possible, I gather, to be up and about and relatively healed up in 10 days, which would be lovely. But one never knows. I’ve been really quite good about following all the pre-op guidelines, so I hope it all pays off. I read a bunch of online comments about the procedure last night, and some of them sounded pretty scary; however, for the most part, the women who had the procedure were quite happy with their decision, and felt it was worth the money. Let’s hope I can write a positive comment at the end of my recovery!
Well, I think that’s about it. I could go on and on, but I don’t want everyone’s eyes to roll back in their heads as they plow through my rambling. I’ll pull out the play program, and re-read it... Might make a bit more sense, now that I’ve seen the play. Or not.
I hope all of you are doing well out there, and enjoying the lovely autumn weather. (Of course October in California can be fire and/or earthquake season, for reasons that are unknown... But it’s still lovely...)
Cheers!
I will say, however, that this time we DID remember to pack our swim suits, as I had the foresight to actually check out the on-site amenities for this hotel when I made the reservation. (We had not stayed here previously -- the hotel we usually stay at when we’re up this way was fully booked tonight.) Lo and behold, they have a jacuzzi/whirlpool. We love to get in a hot jacuzzi, and just soak... (Our favorite is in Hawaii, where all the jacuzzis are outdoors, and you can lay in the water and look up at the stars... I’m feeling the aloha spirit just writing about it!) Anyway, the jacuzzi at this hotel is indoors, thanks be, as it’s really quite nippy out tonight. It was nice, and very relaxing. There were a couple of pre-teen girls hopping about, cute as buttons, with a very much long-suffering older sister who was roped into watching them, and a lady who was there by herself, attempting to read in peace. (What? Read in a jacuzzi? Hmmm...)
There is cable TV in the room (of course), but the choices appear to be either NASCAR or Fox News. I kid you not. The remote is on the fritz, to add insult to injury. So, I’m taking the opportunity to write. I’d surf the Net, but there’s no wireless access in the room, just hard-line access, and the spouse is on the computer (we, of course, each brought our own laptop) (we are SO VERY SiliValley...), checking out eBay, seeing if there is some fabulous deal on car bits or god-only-knows-what. Oops, he just finished, and let me check my email and CNN and the New York Times. Same stuff, different day... All is disaster...
Now, it’s not as though I didn’t have books to bring with me, of course. I actually picked up three used books in one of the charity shops in the UK; they are from the series written by Alexander McCall Smith, about Precious Ramotswe, the proprietor of Botswana's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. (The first book was “The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency”, which I absolutely loved.) I started one of the books yesterday, started to get quite into it, had planned on bringing it with me, and of course it is sitting on my bed at home, waiting for me.
However, I’m quite pleasantly sleepy now, after the jacuzzi, and a very nice dinner. (Note, please, that I was good and did not have any wine or alcohol either last night -- during our usual “Friday night out at the Elephant Bar” -- or this evening... It really is making me irritable, by the way...)
Tomorrow, we’re off to Infineon Raceway (formerly known as Sears Point Raceway), to attend a race, put on by a vintage and classic car racing group that the husband used to be active in. It should be fun. We brought one of our many picnic baskets, folding chairs, and a little folding table. We also remembered to bring our hats, heavy jackets and sunscreen. Yep, I’m pretty sure we have all that. We certainly packed enough crap... [Note: Day at the raceway was wonderful; the weather was gorgeous, the cars were fast -- and noisy! -- we ran into some friends, and generally just kicked back and hung out.]
This afternoon [Note: on Saturday], we attended a play in San Francisco. It was “Rock and Roll” by Tom Stoppard. The spousal unit LOVES, absolutely LOVES, Tom Stoppard’s work. This was in return for his agreeing to go see “Spamalot” when we were in London. (In retrospect, we should have tried to get tickets to “Ivanov” when we were in London -- Richard Branagh was doing it -- but, oh well...) Anyway, the play was OK. I’m not a huge Tom Stoppard fan -- I think he’s a tad too precious, and it kind of puts my teeth on edge. But the performances were excellent, and the play kept my interest. The music they played during the scene transitions was, however, far too loud. (What is it with theatres and movie houses, blasting music? Do they think we’ve all gone deaf from too many rock concerts in our misspent youths?) The play is all about the Prague Spring and the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, and Vaclev Havel, and the role of the Plastic People of the Underground in the whole dissident movement. I cannot imagine how folks who have no background whatsoever in terms of knowing something about those events would understand the play. (Oh, you could follow the action, I guess, but you wouldn’t “get it”, I think.) Luckily, we had some time in our seats before the play started to read the program, which was excellent by the way, and it helped me immensely to understand what was going on. I, of course, would have edited the script (!), to include a little more background on one of the main characters, and delete one of the (to my mind) ancillary plot lines... But, unfortunately, Mr. Stoppard has not asked for my help!
I also have some other books I want to read; three about Marie Antoinette (I’m not sure why that particular theme presented itself), one about the nature of marriage and spousal relationships (written by an Indian woman), a mystery novel by Ellis Peters (one of the Cadfael novels) (I don’t think I’ve read this one), and one or two more that I can’t remember off the top of my head. There’s also the latest Oprah magazine (one of my guilty pleasures), and a couple of other magazines that hit the door recently.
Unfortunately, part of the surgery that I’m having on Monday is on my eyelids, and I’m told that I really won’t be able to read much (if at all) for a few (or more than a few) days. Oh, goodie. What the heck am I supposed to do, then, pray tell? Zone out on painkillers and listen to CNN? the Food Channel? BBC America? Daytime TV is pretty dismal. And, right now, one can either listen to all the ranting and raving on the upcoming election (and I am sick to death of all the negative BS that’s going on) or the doom-and-gloom talking heads blabbering away about the economic crisis. It’s enough to turn me to MTV, for goodness sakes! (Well, no, not really, but close.) I can, I suppose, turn on NPR and listen to that for hours at a time.
I really hope that my recovery time is relatively short. I don’t “do” just sitting around very well, unless I’m really really sick or really really sedated... Or both... It is possible, I gather, to be up and about and relatively healed up in 10 days, which would be lovely. But one never knows. I’ve been really quite good about following all the pre-op guidelines, so I hope it all pays off. I read a bunch of online comments about the procedure last night, and some of them sounded pretty scary; however, for the most part, the women who had the procedure were quite happy with their decision, and felt it was worth the money. Let’s hope I can write a positive comment at the end of my recovery!
Well, I think that’s about it. I could go on and on, but I don’t want everyone’s eyes to roll back in their heads as they plow through my rambling. I’ll pull out the play program, and re-read it... Might make a bit more sense, now that I’ve seen the play. Or not.
I hope all of you are doing well out there, and enjoying the lovely autumn weather. (Of course October in California can be fire and/or earthquake season, for reasons that are unknown... But it’s still lovely...)
Cheers!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Okay, Okay...
So, I have not been as diligent as I might have been about blogging, it's true... And I can't say why, or point to anything or any incident in particular... I know I have been terribly tired lately (no doubt a side effect of being sans caffeine and alcohol...), and spend way too much time just sitting around, staring aimlessly into space! And, well, doing a bit of sewing. I am working on my table runner project (and yes I swear I will post a photo of it at some point), and actually finished (!!) a dress yesterday. (I'm not wild about the way it looks on me, but I think it's fixable.)
But, one of the things I still do is cruise all my favorite blogs from other contributors to the blogsphere. One of my favorites is Ann Steeves' blog, Gorgeous Things (http://gorgeousthings.blogspot.com/). Last week, she had a link to a cute quiz (http://www.tomorrowland.us/tlm/). I took it, and the test results pronounced that I am a "mandarin". This means:
"You're an intellectual, and you've worked hard to get where you are now. You're a strong believer in education, and you think many of the world's problems could be solved if people were more informed and more rational. You have no tolerance for sloppy or lazy thinking. It frustrates you when people who are ignorant or dishonest rise to positions of power. You believe that people can make a difference in the world, and you're determined to try."
Hmmm... I am really a sucker for these online quizzes... Time-wasters, often, but amusing. Luckily I am not currently working at a full-time job, so I am not diddling around on the company's time... NOT that I ever did that when I was working at The Company, no, nope, never. Really.
On other fronts, I must say that this is just about my favorite time of year. There's still nice warmth during the day, but the evenings are cool, and there is a hint of change in the air. I think the "change" part is what I like, since I also adore the Spring weather. The promise of something new is exhilarating. Growing up Back East, at this time of year we were looking forward to Halloween. Many years, it was bitterly cold at the end of October, and often rainy (I don't recall snow on any Halloween). In fact, I do recall one year when the weather was so ugly, we just trick-or-treated inside our apartment building. For all of you suburb-dwellers, I have to tell you that it was a very weird experience. That was the year, as I recall, that I had a gypsy costume, which I dearly loved. In our neighborhood, where we live now, we simply don't get too many children coming by. It could be due, in part, to cultural issues (many folks in our neighborhood come from other countries, where Halloween simply isn't part of their experience), or maybe there simply aren't too many kids left -- I know the contemporaries of my children (who are now 24 and 21, respectively) have all left the area, and not too many of them had younger siblings (who would in any event probably be too old by now to get into trick-or-treating). However, I do know that the elementary schools in our area are filled to bursting, so who knows. I think one of my favorite trick-or-treat experiences was about five years ago, when a teenager came to our door, and announced his costume was a hairball (as in, yes, that thing the cat chokes up, usually on the carpet)... Cracked me up!
Well, this turned into a ramble... Sorry about that! Time to go and get ready to go smack the tennis ball with the husband. It really is good exercise, despite my very very sorry performance the past few times we've gone. I think it's because I didn't sign up for lessons this session (missed the deadline as we were out of the country on our travels, and when we got back, I found the class was full -- rats!). Those lessons really do help. Ah, well, next session. And I'm actually contemplating signing up for private lessons, but not willing at this point to lay out the money. Particularly now, if you get my drift.
Hope you all are enjoying yourselves, whatever it is you're doing. Cheers!
But, one of the things I still do is cruise all my favorite blogs from other contributors to the blogsphere. One of my favorites is Ann Steeves' blog, Gorgeous Things (http://gorgeousthings.blogspot.com/). Last week, she had a link to a cute quiz (http://www.tomorrowland.us/tlm/). I took it, and the test results pronounced that I am a "mandarin". This means:
"You're an intellectual, and you've worked hard to get where you are now. You're a strong believer in education, and you think many of the world's problems could be solved if people were more informed and more rational. You have no tolerance for sloppy or lazy thinking. It frustrates you when people who are ignorant or dishonest rise to positions of power. You believe that people can make a difference in the world, and you're determined to try."
Hmmm... I am really a sucker for these online quizzes... Time-wasters, often, but amusing. Luckily I am not currently working at a full-time job, so I am not diddling around on the company's time... NOT that I ever did that when I was working at The Company, no, nope, never. Really.
On other fronts, I must say that this is just about my favorite time of year. There's still nice warmth during the day, but the evenings are cool, and there is a hint of change in the air. I think the "change" part is what I like, since I also adore the Spring weather. The promise of something new is exhilarating. Growing up Back East, at this time of year we were looking forward to Halloween. Many years, it was bitterly cold at the end of October, and often rainy (I don't recall snow on any Halloween). In fact, I do recall one year when the weather was so ugly, we just trick-or-treated inside our apartment building. For all of you suburb-dwellers, I have to tell you that it was a very weird experience. That was the year, as I recall, that I had a gypsy costume, which I dearly loved. In our neighborhood, where we live now, we simply don't get too many children coming by. It could be due, in part, to cultural issues (many folks in our neighborhood come from other countries, where Halloween simply isn't part of their experience), or maybe there simply aren't too many kids left -- I know the contemporaries of my children (who are now 24 and 21, respectively) have all left the area, and not too many of them had younger siblings (who would in any event probably be too old by now to get into trick-or-treating). However, I do know that the elementary schools in our area are filled to bursting, so who knows. I think one of my favorite trick-or-treat experiences was about five years ago, when a teenager came to our door, and announced his costume was a hairball (as in, yes, that thing the cat chokes up, usually on the carpet)... Cracked me up!
Well, this turned into a ramble... Sorry about that! Time to go and get ready to go smack the tennis ball with the husband. It really is good exercise, despite my very very sorry performance the past few times we've gone. I think it's because I didn't sign up for lessons this session (missed the deadline as we were out of the country on our travels, and when we got back, I found the class was full -- rats!). Those lessons really do help. Ah, well, next session. And I'm actually contemplating signing up for private lessons, but not willing at this point to lay out the money. Particularly now, if you get my drift.
Hope you all are enjoying yourselves, whatever it is you're doing. Cheers!
Friday, October 3, 2008
Well, Shoot...
So, I'm having some elective surgery on the 13th (a little over a week from now), and I love my doctor. However, he has some very strict views on what a patient needs to do, pre- and post-surgery, to be a true "partner" in the process... Including (god help me) abstaining from caffeine and alcohol for two weeks before and two weeks after surgery. I never thought of myself as an addict, but going cold turkey this past week -- no morning tea, decaf/nonfat lattes ("why bothers"), and no wine or Cosmos -- yikes! This has been eye opening!
I mean, I had to watch the Vice President Debate last night sans wine! I had the sip-and-sew ladies over to the house for the event, and the three of them (one was absent) finished off a bottle and a half (well, maybe a bottle and two-thirds) of wine -- I drank fizzy water with a shot of bitters in it (a "mocktail")... Just not the same...
And, not having my bracing cuppa in the morning is even more irritating. Who knew I was so . . . attached . . . to my lovely Scottish high-octane tea bags? Hmmm.... I am drinking, instead, some lovely verbena herbal tea that I bought in Paris on a trip there a couple of years ago... with a bit of clover honey in it... Doesn't compare at all to my witches' brew, but it's not bad. I've also taken to "doing coffee" with the spouse in the early afternoons, having a small "why bother" at Peet's... (For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, in some circles a nonfat, decaf coffee drink is called a "why bother"... Hey, I think it's funny...)
I'm taking extra Vitamin C, extra multi-vitamin pills, and being more religious about taking my calcium supplements. I am eschewing fats (for the most part), and trying to eat raw when I can. (Lenore, thanks so much for the very yummy tomatoes last night... I could live on those!) However, tonight, my husband called from work, let me know he'd be done far earlier than he originally thought, and said, hey, let's meet at the Elephant Bar for our "usual" Friday night drink-and-munchies episode. (He has a foo-foo tropical drink, I have a Cosmo, we both have an appetizer, and finish up by splitting a chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream.) I totally blame him for the fact that I fell off the wagon, and had a Cosmo... Shoot... I could kick myself... Should have had a lemonade... Oh, well, back on the straight and narrow tomorrow. I swear. And, if it takes me a bit longer than it ought to, to recover from the surgery, I will at least know that the Cosmo tonight was way good...
(Well, hey, at least I posted tonight...)
Hope you all have wonderful things planned for the weekend!
I mean, I had to watch the Vice President Debate last night sans wine! I had the sip-and-sew ladies over to the house for the event, and the three of them (one was absent) finished off a bottle and a half (well, maybe a bottle and two-thirds) of wine -- I drank fizzy water with a shot of bitters in it (a "mocktail")... Just not the same...
And, not having my bracing cuppa in the morning is even more irritating. Who knew I was so . . . attached . . . to my lovely Scottish high-octane tea bags? Hmmm.... I am drinking, instead, some lovely verbena herbal tea that I bought in Paris on a trip there a couple of years ago... with a bit of clover honey in it... Doesn't compare at all to my witches' brew, but it's not bad. I've also taken to "doing coffee" with the spouse in the early afternoons, having a small "why bother" at Peet's... (For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, in some circles a nonfat, decaf coffee drink is called a "why bother"... Hey, I think it's funny...)
I'm taking extra Vitamin C, extra multi-vitamin pills, and being more religious about taking my calcium supplements. I am eschewing fats (for the most part), and trying to eat raw when I can. (Lenore, thanks so much for the very yummy tomatoes last night... I could live on those!) However, tonight, my husband called from work, let me know he'd be done far earlier than he originally thought, and said, hey, let's meet at the Elephant Bar for our "usual" Friday night drink-and-munchies episode. (He has a foo-foo tropical drink, I have a Cosmo, we both have an appetizer, and finish up by splitting a chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream.) I totally blame him for the fact that I fell off the wagon, and had a Cosmo... Shoot... I could kick myself... Should have had a lemonade... Oh, well, back on the straight and narrow tomorrow. I swear. And, if it takes me a bit longer than it ought to, to recover from the surgery, I will at least know that the Cosmo tonight was way good...
(Well, hey, at least I posted tonight...)
Hope you all have wonderful things planned for the weekend!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
As Requested
And, I really have been having annoying issues with trying to upload photos to this blog. So, I have now officially thrown up my hands, and posted them on flickr.com... Here's the URL for my photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elinorina/
Please take a look and let me know what you think. The photos from our vacation in England are in the folder cleverly titled "Travel"... I'm working on a longer post with some reflections on the trip, which I'll try and get up in the next day or so.
And, yes, I know I haven't been good about blogging every day (as I was advised to do), but I plead sheer lethargy... er, no, that's not what I meant to say... I'm really busy, I swear! Really! I know I'm busy...
Please take a look and let me know what you think. The photos from our vacation in England are in the folder cleverly titled "Travel"... I'm working on a longer post with some reflections on the trip, which I'll try and get up in the next day or so.
And, yes, I know I haven't been good about blogging every day (as I was advised to do), but I plead sheer lethargy... er, no, that's not what I meant to say... I'm really busy, I swear! Really! I know I'm busy...
Nooooooo!!!!!
Really, nooooo!!! I walked into Long's Drugs on Tuesday -- yes, September 30th -- and . . . Christmas crap!!! Already!!! Give me a break!!! What happened to Halloween? Thanksgiving? The High Holidays? (Well, okay, there's probably not a lot of call for Rosh Hashana stuff in this community, but hey...)
I mean, just seeing the Christmas crapola already up and displayed whipped me up but good! I know that the herd mentality is alive and well, and everyone is running around screeching that the American consumer might not spend deliriously this Holiday season and life as we know it will just suck. I have, for many years, been highly irritated with the fixation and focus on Christmas spending as the driver for contemporary American economy. It just bugs me no end. I mean, this is NOT a sustainable economic model, people. Plus, it really puts an unsavory twist on the holiday, at least for me. Please bear with me while I descend into a rant...
Growing up, my family didn't have a lot of money, but I never, ever felt short-changed at Christmas. But, we didn't go hog-wild nutso crazy, either. In fact, we didn't even put up our Christmas tree until Christmas Eve! I remember when I first moved to California, and saw people putting up Christmas trees on Thanksgiving... It was as odd to me as the Christmas I spent in India -- and THAT was odd! I mean, where's the mystery if your tree is lurking around for a whole month before Christmas morning! I cannot tell you the thrill it was to wake up on Christmas morning, and poof! magically, gifts had appeared under the tree. We'd usually put up the tree early in the day on Christmas Eve, but no decorations were put on until the evening, after dinner. (Sometimes, we'd cheat and put the lights on early, but that was being extraordinarily daring...) I recall some years, my friends from school would come over (they were all Jewish), and help decorate the tree. It was magic. And, the tree only stayed up until Epiphany (January 6th), and then it was all taken down and the decorations put away until the following year. And, by the way, we had REAL trees! The smell was heavenly... The tree would often be bought a week or more ahead of time, and would be put out on the fire escape to stay fresh. Sometimes, if I was feeling wild and crazy, I'd open the window and touch the tree, as it lay in wait... sometimes covered with snow!
I have to tell you that Christmas these days just doesn't have the same . . . pop . . . as it did when I was little. And, I'm sorry, but starting to flog Christmas tchochkas before October is just ridiculous.
OK, sorry for the rant... But it really did whip me up.
I mean, just seeing the Christmas crapola already up and displayed whipped me up but good! I know that the herd mentality is alive and well, and everyone is running around screeching that the American consumer might not spend deliriously this Holiday season and life as we know it will just suck. I have, for many years, been highly irritated with the fixation and focus on Christmas spending as the driver for contemporary American economy. It just bugs me no end. I mean, this is NOT a sustainable economic model, people. Plus, it really puts an unsavory twist on the holiday, at least for me. Please bear with me while I descend into a rant...
Growing up, my family didn't have a lot of money, but I never, ever felt short-changed at Christmas. But, we didn't go hog-wild nutso crazy, either. In fact, we didn't even put up our Christmas tree until Christmas Eve! I remember when I first moved to California, and saw people putting up Christmas trees on Thanksgiving... It was as odd to me as the Christmas I spent in India -- and THAT was odd! I mean, where's the mystery if your tree is lurking around for a whole month before Christmas morning! I cannot tell you the thrill it was to wake up on Christmas morning, and poof! magically, gifts had appeared under the tree. We'd usually put up the tree early in the day on Christmas Eve, but no decorations were put on until the evening, after dinner. (Sometimes, we'd cheat and put the lights on early, but that was being extraordinarily daring...) I recall some years, my friends from school would come over (they were all Jewish), and help decorate the tree. It was magic. And, the tree only stayed up until Epiphany (January 6th), and then it was all taken down and the decorations put away until the following year. And, by the way, we had REAL trees! The smell was heavenly... The tree would often be bought a week or more ahead of time, and would be put out on the fire escape to stay fresh. Sometimes, if I was feeling wild and crazy, I'd open the window and touch the tree, as it lay in wait... sometimes covered with snow!
I have to tell you that Christmas these days just doesn't have the same . . . pop . . . as it did when I was little. And, I'm sorry, but starting to flog Christmas tchochkas before October is just ridiculous.
OK, sorry for the rant... But it really did whip me up.
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