Mussitation

Question of the Day

2007-05-11T12:30:00.001-04:00

If Allstate Insurance is no longer providing policies in California or some other states, can it still be realistically called 'Allstate'?

Yes, I want to move to Arkansas...

2007-02-21T09:03:00.000-05:00

All state legislatures have their absurdities. This one wins for today however.

Rep. Pam Adcock, D-Little Rock, has proposed that bright pink plates be issued to those convicted of drunken driving. This may sound like a good idea- let's inform the public and the police that the driver of the car in front of you has a history of less than ideal thinking.

Then comes the kicker- these plates would be issued to those with 3- OR MORE- convictions.

There are a few issues I have with this bill.

Does Arkansas have that many DWI drivers that this would be necessary?
Why are there drivers with 3+ DWI convictions even allowed licenses in the state of Arkansas?
(And admittedly of much lower importance) Is the choice of color determined by the sex of the DWI driver? Pink because those convicted are primarily men? Why not construction orange? Wouldn't that be more 'gender neutral'? Or is the Arkansas Democratic Party not in tune with its compatriots in California?

These questions I put to you... they are far beyond my poor little brain.

Happy V-Day

2007-02-14T11:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentines to everyone who has a cat. Everyone else can go chitter at the squirrels.

Been a while. Been busy. Holidays, finals, house hunting. Still doing the latter.. seems like there is always something to get in the way. The latest is my sister crashing her car. She's fine, no worries there, but the car is totalled. So now we have to get her a new car, while trying to find one that she likes and can realistically afford. She can really handle a lot of things, but everyone has a 'this will set me off' button, and talking to her about finances is hers. Especially if Dad gets involved.

Job is ok, but still sort of dull. I am hoping that when things really get moving in April, things will pick up for me as well. I feel sort of like an afterthought at the moment, filling in for really dull things for people who are more important. I dislike this intensely.

My classes are on hold until March 26. I foolishly registered and didn't follow up- thus not realizing my online course selection was for one starting at that time rather than the end of January. Works out well though with the househunting etc., but I still feel like I am wasting time. Funny how that is, since I took nearly 8 years off and didn't consider it time wasting!! I just want to get it done so I can find a more interesting job, but it is several years down the line.

Just trying to get back in the blogging habit, so those of you who still bother to check, encourage me!

Black Friday, Gray Foxes

2006-11-27T09:35:00.000-05:00

So I did the Black Friday thing. Got up at 1 am to check out Best Buy (absolutely insane, and I have it on good authority that people were lining up at 1PM on THURSDAY). Given the sheer number of people already in line, I turned around and headed out to Scott Annex in Portsmouth. No one there. Supposedly they have the same TVs and they price match. I figure I can catch up on school reading and stake out the line for a 6 am opening.
Works pretty good, no one there but the circling police and, at about 4 am, two gray foxes. Wish I had a camera, because they were no more than 2 feet away from the car at some points. Very interesting creatures- about the size of my bigger cat, so probably about 20 lbs, long bushy tail, teeny feet, and a very narrow snout. I mean like pike narrow. Oddly enough, they were less spooky than the feral cats in the parking lot- probably ate the cats is why. And boy can they run!! A nifty morning adventure, which was much better than the rest of the morning. The exchange didn't have 'the right model numbers' for the TVs so the whole thing was a waste.

Better luck next year.

Tarot Craziness

2006-11-16T08:08:00.000-05:00

Yeah I've been scarce lately. School and work getting a bit crazy. Plus someone's nerves are all over the place as well. Anyways, this post is thanks to C. See what you get me into?

The Tower

Ambition, fighting, war, courage. Destruction, danger, fall, ruin.
The Tower represents war, destruction, but also spiritual renewal. Plans are disrupted. Your views and ideas will change as a result.
The Tower is a card about war, a war between the structures of lies and the lightning flash of truth. The Tower stands for "false concepts and institutions that we take for real." You have been shaken up; blinded by a shocking revelation. It sometimes takes that to see a truth that one refuses to see. Or to bring down beliefs that are so well constructed. What's most important to remember is that the tearing down of this structure, however painful, makes room for something new to be built.

Yes?

or No?

Coffee and Oatmeal is BAD

2006-10-25T12:34:00.000-04:00

Ok so I had friends over for dinner Monday night, ran the coffee maker a few times for both coffee and tea, and forgot about it. It's a one shot coffee maker, which I got at a ridiculously cheap price and have thoroughly enjoyed.

Only I recently discovered, it also does a great job of making oatmeal water. You know what I mean, the hot water, yet not too hot, that you always strive to make just the right temperature for the oatmeal gods. Stick the bowl of oatmeal under the faucet, hit the one cup button and **BAM** perfect temperature and amount of water for the oatmeal.

Unfortunately, if you forget about the pod of coffee in the Senseo, you get coffee-oatmeal.

...and even worse, it was decaf.

Quote of the Day

2006-10-18T12:11:00.000-04:00

"Accuracy has nothing to do with fact"

-TR

Ahem... Ahem... OK, YOU, LISTEN UP

2006-10-17T09:40:00.000-04:00

Courtesy of Kristopher Reisz and his new author fervor, I received a copy of his new book, Tripping to Somewhere. Contingent on a review of course=)

So, without further ado, here it is! (Not deliberately done in a book report style, though I was terribly tempted.)

Young adult, huh? Took me a while to really agree with this. Tripping to Somewhere follows a teenager (older variety) and her best friend through chaos. Self induced to some extent, but chaos none the less. The type of chaos that isn't totally outre for that age. The two girls run away from home for their various reasons, but they aren't just running away. They are running towards something. And then they find it.

What they are looking for is the Witches' Carnival- a sort of mythical group that travels from place to place, finding moments in time that will stand out forever. And the girls want to join it- I suppose it is a new level of the old theme of running away to join the circus.

The double and triple thinking I had to do about the whole 'young adult' category ended up making me feel old. Thanks Kris. The main character is gay, the girls fake passports to get out of the country, and drugs and alcohol are a continual presence. I kept thinking, "This is too adult for YA." But then I started to remember what I had read at that age, and it wasn't really sunshine and roses either. So I really don't have a beef with the label, though it suits for older adults as well. I quite enjoyed it.

Some of the mythological themes in the book were well hidden- I didn't peg Meek until the bit at the end, though my brain was tingling from the first mention of his companion. And usually a first book feels a bit bare, as though the author and editor were trying to keep things from getting too complex or ornate. This one didn't feel that way though. Well crafted Kris!

All in all, good book. And the odd shape of it, more square than rectangular, certainly catches the eye. And, shockingly, the cover really does suit the story. That is always a big plus to me, as though the effort was actually made at the publishing house.

So anyone with YA readers, or anyone wanting a mental return to that age without all the personal angst, pick up a copy!

(/end shameless plug)

Dreams Dreams

2006-10-17T07:33:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I wonder if this blog isn't turning into my dream journal. Other than one addition and one subtraction from my life not enough has really changed to be triggering these things. And yet I am remembering more, and more vividly, than at any other time that I can recall.

There are high and low sides to this.

Dream last Saturday:
Very high fantasy. Green forests, sparkling rivers, perfect sunsets. Raids into neighboring kingdoms, just to be sure they really aren't massing an army on the border. Rescuing small children who have been beaten by the religious group there for having 'odd tendencies'. Magic of course.
Scene shift to a battle at a castle. Trying to defend against the attack of the enemy- probably the same one that the kids were rescued from. Apparently years later. Inside the main hall the magickers are chanting/singing, trying to light the big bombs. Failing, enemy closing in, almost inside the castle. As the doors open, (I?) realize that the reason it isn't working is one of the girls is a plant! She is counter chanting, and i bash her on the head, knocking her out, and all the bombs light up. And then I wake up.

Dream last Sunday:
Dark. Dark everywhere, with lots of reds and blacks and browns. Some woman is holding this dog by the collar, waiting for me to do the ritual. Slice the head in half, slice the back end in half, more of a saw really.. and then the feet have to come off. The dog just waits there, quiet and unmoving, but I can see in it's eyes that there is something not right... something waiting. Not sure exactly what it was, but it was B-A-D. I leave the bits for the owner to take care of, and continue to the next. I never have to hunt them down, they are just there, being held by the collar by their owners, waiting for the cuts with a calm patience. The same cuts every time. But I know that if I don't do it, they will turn. Into what I don't know but again I know it is like Armaggedon bad. Suddenly, one is actively snuggling into my hip, the head cut finished, the others waiting to be done. It is a merle of some sort of breed, short haired. I drag myself out of the dream, and find the cat is curled into my hip, sleeping. 1:30 in the morning. I didn't feel scared- it wasn't a frightening dream. Just very disturbing.

Fall Leaves

2006-10-16T07:58:00.000-04:00

Something about fall. October is my favorite month of course; the combination of color changing, cool mornings, foggy breath, pumpkins, and gorgeous not-too-hot sun all combine to make me a happy camper. But one thing I just realized this weekend was that the sudden proliferation of fall festivals, under whatever name, is another big draw for autumn.

Art festivals, crafts, food, fish, you name it, there is one out there. And this last weekend seemed to be big on the art. Paintings, pottery, sculpture, photographs, watercolors, jewelry, they were all there in crazy colors and sizes, and bizarre styles and shapes.

Two festivals this weekend. One was the traditional 'tents in a street' type, with some interesting stuff. One photographer in particular, whose name I can't remember (shame on him for not having a card or website!!) had some gorgeous photos of old graveyards and statues and gargoyles. If the new house wasn't looming on the horizon I could easily have come away with four or five of his photos. Very different from the rest of the stuff there.

The second was right outside my door- and very high brow. When there is a VIP tent, you know there is money involved. Quite a few artists crammed into the square, with very similar stuff to the first festival on Saturday. But then there was the Beetlejuice wooden furniture, with women's legs in shoes holding up tables, and fantastic creatures shaped into 6 foot tall chairs. And the white Southern man with the large black female fieldhand paintings. And the fantastically priced sculpture. Again, only one really caught my eye, though again there was a proliferation of charcoal ravens. They seem to be everywhere lately.

And next weekend is the Poquoson Seafood Festival in Poquoson, VA. One of my annual favorites, with good food, local bands, and crafters hiding in the park, among the fall leaves. Not as fancy or pricey as some of what I saw this weekend, but interesting nonetheless. I still remember the man who had totally reproduced the Witch King's armor two years ago.

Absolutely fanTAbulous!!

The Claw!! The Claw!!

2006-10-03T13:54:00.000-04:00

So to recap my weekend, I went out to my house (the rented one, as that is the only one I have at this point) to do some minor scraping, sanding, and painting of windows and doors in preparation for the full paint job towards the end of the month.

I arrived about 10:30 in the a.m. (that's when the sun is up, Mark) and got started taking down the storm windows. Minor pain to do alone, as those suckers are darned heavy. Scraped up my arm a bit doing that, but no major damage to either the windows or myself. During this fun interlude, I found that one of the window panes was literally falling out once the storm window was down. Now, the pane belong to the regular window so that was not good. I make a mental note, warn the tenants NOT to let the cat in that room until I fixed it, and go on.

Upon arrival in the side yard, I realize that I cannot get to the remaining 2 windows. The bushes are in the way. Now, I have little complaint about my tenants. They are nice ladies, who keep the yard beaten back enough that I have yet to receive a complaint from the city about it. However, "gardeners" is not a term I would use in regards to their ability.

The gardenia bush was taller than I was. And considering they only get to 6 feet (unless they are mutants) mine was on the verge of eating the house. So I had to beat it back with the big clippers. You know the ones, they are like giant scissors... and can snip through a 4 inch branch or tree trunk with hot-knife-through-cream-cheese-ease.

That and the Bush of Mystery. Hacked to half their size so I could reach the windows. Then the second round of the house commences... scraping and sanding.

I scraped.. I sanded.. and I realized all the glazing putty was coming off the window. No big, I will replace after I am done scraping and sanding. Next window. I scraped.. I sanded.. and I realized all the glazing putty was coming off the window. Hmmm... a pattern is emerging.

Nearly all the windows needed reglazing. All frames, all panels, everything.

Time for a break! Off to HD for lunch and glazing putty!

45 minutes later, back at work. You'd think they would have something like a caulking gun for putty, but apparently, not for the windows I have. Scrape and slather, scrape and slather. The first 2 windows have 12 panes each. T-w-e-l-v-e panes. Scrape and slather.

Glazing putty sticks to hands more than to windows.

Glazing putty doesn't want to stick to windows at all.

Glazing putty sucks.

The bastard who sold me this glazing putty said the bucket would last for 15 windows.

It lasts 4.5.

I give up for the day at 5:45 p.m., though I have to admit my skill level rapidly improves. Hey, tomorrow is supposed to be sunny, I will come back and finish then.

It isn't. I wake up about 8 am. Rainy. Rainy rainy. I decide to wait, since I can't glaze in rain. Bad for the miserable scum sucking putty. Of which I need another bucket.

Rain rain until 10. This is when I notice my hands have cramped up into claws, and I am carrying them in front of me like a demented squirrel. Ow ow ow. I decide to wait until Jackass and his dad arrive to take some stuff before I head out to Phoebus and the house.

2 p.m.: They are gone, but my hands are still squirrel like. Hot water, cold water, I decide to be discrete rather than valorous, and retire to play computer games and watch Supernatural until Monday.

Monday: Got out to the house after work (@4p.m.) and attack with a fresh pot of glaze. I got the windows done in another 3.5 hours, and so far today my hands aren't killing me. The windows look better too.. especially the glazing. 7-14 days, and then it is time for the Paint Assault!!

Now There's a Contradiction in Terms

2006-10-03T13:47:00.000-04:00

From this CNN.com post:

"Many Muslims were angered by the pope's speech at a German university last month, saying it was an attempt to portray their religion as innately violent."

So two Turkish Muslims decide to protest by hijacking a plane.

Way to make your point guys.

10/4/2006: UPDATE: According to this, he wasn't really protesting. Interesting.

Gilbert and Sullivan Live!!

2006-09-26T09:45:00.000-04:00

From our friends at Two Lumps.

Gilbert and Sullivan!! Rock on!!

Calling all Space Orbs, Calling all Space Orbs

2006-09-14T14:22:00.000-04:00

You have to love it when you receive a broadcast email like this:

"Folks, Tuesday we were using a Space-Orb tracker ball in TBxxx to prepare yyy for an event. Today the ball is missing. If you have any ideas about the location of this device, please contact zzz at x0000 ASAP. It is needed this afternoon to support aaaa. Thank you."

drama

2006-09-11T12:20:00.000-04:00

As you know, I declared myself in a Drama Free Zone this year.

Someone needs to plug the leak. It seems to be getting worse.

Despite my best intentions, it is coming from everywhere, and I am rethinking the whole 'cabin in WVA' concept. I will become the Unabomber.. without the domestic terrorism angle. Maybe it will be more like a biblical hermit. I will hide out, away from civilization. Just not far enough away that the USPS can't find me to deliver my online orders:p

Where's that Danish kid when you need him?

Terrible Travel and Tropical Storms

2006-09-04T22:13:00.000-04:00

Part I of "It began with.."

It started with Kolchak, and ended with ice cream.

Well, more accurately it started with a Tropical Storm, and the denoument has yet to be enjoyed. It was to begin with a Friday flight at 3:45, cancelled at noon, leaving two desperate travelers waiting anxiously for news on their trip’s misty future. That first, simple, important step was viciously axed into panic as the news came from the unfeeling airline phone operator that “The next available flight is the same one tomorrow- 3:45 p.m.” Pleading and bemoaning their wretched state got some success- or else it was the pitiful mention of an alternate airport- success!! A 5:25 flight that evening out of Richmond.

(insert really awful description of a 2 hr drive on the highway in a tropical storm here.)

Now the Richmond airport, hereafter known as the roach motel airport. Mind you, this was not due to bugs or any health issues of that nature. It has more to do with the advertisement slogan of the roach motel, the passengers check in, they don’t check out. After arriving at 3:30, already weary of the road, our intrepid travelers are told the flight is “just a little late.” 30 minutes to be precise. Time passes slowly, as the airport shops are scoured for a measly deck of cards or two, to no avail. Finally, the plane boards. This is a full hour and change after the original departure time. The flight is fairly full, and finally pushed back about 20 minutes after finalizing boarding. The plane approaches the runway….. and nothing. Waiting, waiting, palms sweating, waiting. Annoying child kicking the seat behind already- a poor portent for the ride to come. And then, over the loudspeaker… “I’m sorry folks we seem to have a computer issue, and we are going to have to go back to the gate. We will make a decision about disembarking you at that point.”

Yes, they disembarked, poor lost souls. They disembarked and waited around for another hour and a half, before being informed that they would, in fact, be taking off that eon. Again they board, again they push back, again they wait. Why can’t the FAA paperwork be done BEFORE the passengers are sitting on the aircraft?? And then, finally, the freedom of the air, and the sweaty grasp of the hand, followed by the kick in the small of the back.

An hour and forty later, they escape, one relieved that the plane has landed safely, and the next flight is several days in the future, the other about to strangle a 5 year old.

Luggage arrives safely, the public transportation is found, life is good until they realize that it is 1 in the frikken morning, and crash in the hotel. Crash Crash Crash Bang Boom.

End Part I. Part II can be found here.

Dream a Little Dream..

2006-08-30T08:23:00.000-04:00

Ok so I had a wierd dream last night.

I dreamt I was back at my high school, helping out my old section for band camp. Since this is the time of year for band camp, that is all good. What I didn't realize at the time is the section was about 1/8 the size of the ones I had, and that they were familiar faces. I don't remember if they were actually IN my sections, or other people thrown randomly into the dream.

Anyways, it was really hot, so we weren't doing any marching drill outside, but were practicing some 'movements' for when we DID march. I had this whole rippling thing going I thought was really nifty. And then camp is over for the day, and they send us home.

I was supposed to get a ride with a friend, but her car was full so I decided to walk home.. back to my parents' house. It is only a mile or so from the school, and on a not-lonely road. I used to do this occasionally, so it isn't too off yet. Only about halfway home I look over the fence into someone's back yard and there is a coyote. I shuck a branch at him and he takes off.

I turn back to the road and immediately see a coyote pup snuffling his way towards me. And right behind him is papa coyote. I back away slowly, crossing the road (which is suddenly much narrower and dirt) and he follows. Once I hit the (nonexistant) sidewalk, he trots off the other way, scooping up the pup in his mouth and then disappears.

A man is walking up the sidewalk towards me and shakes his head in sympathy. He speaks to me in a foreign language (which I am assuming was French, though I am not sure why) and offers me a sip of wine from a dark red bottle he is carrying. He indicates it is just a SMALL sip, and I take a taste, barely more than wetting my lips. It is strong but sweet- none of the overly dry flavor a lot of red wines have. I hold it up.. it has an odd shape. The neck of the bottle is more octagonal than round, and the label has a wierd name on it. Carielle or something like that. Gold lettering, rather cursive. I hand it back to him, and he smiles. We go our seperate ways, but I am very interested in the wine. Where can I get my own bottle?

As I get home (which isn't really home, its like something out of a Bronte novel), I am still thinking about the wine. And am dressed in some long dress, and everything seems to be shades of red and brown; the dress, the leather on the furniture, the book bindings. The room is like a library, with a small table and several straight backed chairs. There is a woman at the table, nibbling on the food it holds, who I know is a close friend. We discuss the problems with the coyotes (definitely not wolves) and I mention the man with the bottle.

We do some research and come up with the name of the vintner, and she says there is a book by him somewhere here, I just know it. So we do an online library lookup for books and come up with the title "Hex Hen". And there it is on the top shelf. I climb up a ladder (difficult in a long dress!) and find it next to a bunch of other books that start with 'Hex'. I take the book down (again, red leather with gold lettering) and begin to go over it at the table.

At which point the ceiling disappears and a large reddish-green demon leans in and growls...

And then I wake up.

Does anyone have any Prozac?

Headcolds in August

2006-08-16T08:01:00.000-04:00

... well they suck. That feeling, when waking mid-slumber, that something is going to come out of your mouth while sucking in the air that won't go down your nose is definitively "not fun".

But there is no time for self pity. I have to go through my household stuff. I have to get my car warranty reinstated from Europe (which I did last fall, but the company has no record of it). I have to find a new house (joy!). I have to do some minor maintenance to the old house. I have to tend an ailing and hallucinating writer (don't worry, I will take away all his pens first). I have to... *gasp* go to my grandmother's birthday.

Yes, my grandmother is having another birthday today. I think this makes her eighty-mumble. Not really sure. At any rate, shopping for her is like getting a tiny splinter out of the finger of an eight year old. Time consuming, difficult, and you think you will go blind looking.

I hope she likes what we got her.

Yeah Yeah I Know...

2006-08-15T09:40:00.000-04:00

2 weeks without blogging. So sue me.

I have a great one from CNN today.

The relevant portion:

"But after 34 days of fighting, a cease-fire brought a fragile truce, with Hezbollah surviving and Israeli forces unable to score a decisive victory. Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah has declared "strategic, historic victory" against Israel.
"We tell them (Israelis) that after tasting humiliation in the latest battles, your weapons are not going to protect you -- not your planes, or missiles or even your nuclear bombs ... The future generations in the Arab world will find a way to defeat Israel," Al-Assad said."

All I have to say is, what drugs are they taking, because I want some.

Israel tasting humiliation? When every push forward they made was like a hot knife through butter? When it was because Israel decided to acceed to the cease fire that one was allowed to be put into place?

Frankly, I think Israel should have put their fingers in their ears and just kept on going. Get rid of the delusional dogs once and for all. Let Lebanon make their own destiny without the influence of Hezbollah and that group's masters- Iran and Syria.

Is This Thing On?

2006-08-02T07:57:00.000-04:00

"Dammit, C! Stop twisting my arm!"

"Confess! Confess!"

"Al-RIGHT already!...... oh wait... this thing is on?"

*multiple sounds of desk being straightened*

And here we are with our LibertyCon AAR.

I arrived safely in Hburg Thursday night, bummed with C and M, went to bed. Apparently, my subconscious is dashed cunning- C was chased out of bed at 3 a.m. by my snoozing snuggling self. What a wuss! So, I slept well, M worked all night, and C got about 2 hours of sleep. Sounds like a personal problem to me!

I start out driving, make about 5.5-6 hrs, hand off to M because C is scared of semis. Yet again, I cry 'Wuss!'. Great time down, lots of ridiculous chatter, and comments about taking pictures of Buicks on the way back to prove the old fart factor involved. C gets punchy, (well, we all were but she was the worst) eventually she falls asleep. We arrive in East Ridge at about 3:45.

Party party party... I went to a reading by Sarah Hoyt, very cool lady. Also ate food in Consuite and Barfly Suite, pestered people a bit, camped out on a couch and chatted with a bunch of people. Good peach mead too. Nummy.

Got to bed at Oh Dark Thirty, slept until about 10:30. Hotel still had the breakfast spread out, though much reduced, ate, went to a Pete Abrams panel.. another cool guy, though not much to say. Got out, went hunting for lunch. Nothing is open in East Ridge on Saturday afternoon- ended up at Hardees. PT Cruiser convertible is an interesting car.

Was feeling sort of blah, took a nap, went to another panel, Mike Z. Williamson, very entertaining lemur king. All hail! Dinner at Japanese place- not very good. Quick return, and naptime again. Then down to the party! (I know, not enough details. Too bad, suckers!) Tequila, really awful commentary by a band singer, vending ice cream, much discussion on swords and different types of fighting, the sheer shock of meeting a child named after the Celtic goddess of war and death (what a name to live up to!), and an early demise myself.

Sunday, earlier up, breakfast with M (fun Spite and Malice player), the introduction of Eddie Izzard to N, then more cards while C bounces off the walls like Kiki on pixie sticks. We eventually herd her into the car and take off about 2:30, arriving back in Hburg that evening after a much more subdued car ride. Still some ridiculousness, and we failed to capture the Buick scene, but that bus driver totally deserved the new Name of Shame.

Glad to be home, need the rest!

Get This Man Some Therapy!!

2006-07-26T07:32:00.000-04:00

I have recently been converted to the religion of the Roomba, as you all may remember. I am still an advocate. Who wouldn't be, to have your house (partially at least) vacuumed when you aren't even home? But this guy is taking it too far.

Yesterday he made arrangements for his 4th roomba and 5th irobot. I make the distinction, as otherwise I might get hurt. So this will bring the grand total to 1 Roomba Sage, 2 Roomba Discoveries, and 1 Roomba Scheduler.

Most of these have been through the lovely medium of E-Bay. There are protestations from the addict that the one purchased yesterday was 'an accident' and that 'E-Bay doesn't like renegers'. But what was it Shakespeare said? I think you know what I mean.

I was tempted last week to get my second, as Woot had the same deal as my original Roomba, only if your order number ended in the same number as the day's Dow Jones index, you got an additional one for free. I managed to realize that, while the Roomba was cool, the real draw for me was the tantalizing possibility of a free one. Two for one! What a deal! This was enough to make me resist the siren's call.

So, soon the addict's house will double its component of Roombas, with nearly one per room. There have been discussions of Roomba Derbies, or of getting the fun skins and making letters to allow random words to form. It makes me quite concerned for his sanity, while coincidentally making me concerned for the water quality in Suffolk.

He also reported that a few days ago he saw his current two robots stuck in one corner, banging into each other.

Accident? .....or mating ritual?

New and Nifty

2006-07-19T11:31:00.000-04:00

Ok I am hooked.

LibraryThing is too cool. I don't even dare start on my actual library, but I think I will start tracking what I am reading here. Even the uncool stuff:)

Buttons Buttons Who's Got the Buttons?

2006-07-12T10:08:00.000-04:00

After 10 minutes of puttering through the nightstand for the sewing needle, my pants do.

After 10 minutes sewing it back on, the wrong side of the waistband does.

DoH!

Demon Duck of Doom...

2006-07-12T09:33:00.000-04:00

... or New Nightmares for Children

'Killer Kangaroo' Evidence Found

The "killer kangaroos" were not like the creatures we know today. Palaeontologists digging in northern Australia have found fossil evidence of several new species - including a "killer kangaroo".

The flesh-eating marsupial would have lived between 10 and 20 million years ago, scientists say.

The research team has also unearthed evidence of a large carnivorous bird dubbed the "demon duck of doom". The dig site in Queensland has yielded remains of at least 20 previously unknown creatures. The team from the University of New South Wales made the discoveries in the Riversleigh fossil fields in the north-west of the state.

Professor Mike Archer said the dig had turned up "truly extraordinary material". He said the killer kangaroos would not have been like the creatures of today. "There were meat-eating kangaroos with long fangs, and galloping kangaroos with long forearms, which could not hop," he told The Australian newspaper. Palaeontologist Sue Hand, who also participated in the dig, told Australian radio that other potentially frightening creatures were unearthed. "Very big birds... More like ducks, earned the name demon ducks of doom, some at least may have been carnivorous," she said.

The team now plans to study the fossils in detail, to see what more they can learn about the species and what effect changing climate had on their development.

Further information at this link.

Addendum

2006-07-10T14:48:00.000-04:00

I have to add, the previous post was not directed at anyone.. so please don't think that it is. Just an internal monologue gone awry.

Nothing to see here folks, move along.

Try to act as if you aren't scary and damaged.

2006-07-10T13:17:00.000-04:00

The blog title is shamelessly stolen from Grey's Anatomy

I imagine blogging can be good therapy. You write up whatever is bothering you, and send it off into nowhere, imagining that few people will read what you have written, if any do, and that your need to express yourself in however ridiculous a fashion has been successful without fear of embarassment, or overwrought emotion, or worry about how the recipient of such largesse might react to your personal damage.

My mother told me last Thursday that she thought I ought to see someone for therapy, at least to discuss my impending divorce. I told her I had been thinking about it, but hadn't decided one way or the other yet. I have been thinking about it, but I really only see it going that far. Thinking. I hate talking about emotional or personal issues with a stranger. I don't even like to do it with people I care about. It sort of dribbles out like the last bits of water from a hose. Almost in spite of myself at times. Unhealthy, I expect, but I much prefer to internalize things.

So back to the blog- here's to hoping that among the ridiculous news items and the snarkiness, I can let some of that inner fog out sometimes. A friend recently encouraged me to not be quite so vague. All I can say is, I will try.

Bye Bye Dentists

2006-06-29T09:47:00.000-04:00

Or at least, the painful part of dentistry. Some Canadian researchers have developed a tool to stimulate bone growth, allowing teeth to be regrown. There are some other possible uses, including allowing people to grow taller, but the teeth thing is WAY COOL.

Now I know...

2006-06-28T08:05:00.000-04:00

So last week was interesting on a number of scales, but the one I want to discuss is the 'Unlucky Friends List'.

Otherwise known as .. why do all the lightbulbs burn out at the same time?

It can be argued that the reason lightbulbs all burn out at once is that they were all put in at once. This is fallacious reasoning. I back my dismissal with one word. Lamps. *

Along the same lines, last week several of my long time friends had family issues. H's brother needed some assistance in packing up.. he was in a bad fall about a year ago and his memory is not what it ought to be. Unfortunately, I wasn't aware that a) he needed help or b) that he was even back in the area until 2 days before he flew out. Still, a friend in need etc.

L is a bit more complicated. Her waste of oxygen husband, who I will hereafter refer to as Trash, has mental issues. Of the sort that usually require, at the very least, Prozac. Or maybe frontal lobotomies. He has threatened to commit suicide several times in the past. And last Thursday he did it again. This time L called his bluff. And the police.

2.5 hours later, the armed standoff was finished and Trash was in the Psych ward for evaluation.
He got court ordered there for 3 days.

So, based on the mental issues statement, this is not a big surprise. The big surprise is, she is letting him back in.

I love L very much. I attempted to talk her out of it, to get her to change the locks and file a restraining order. But I think one can only push so hard before your friend starts looking at you as an enemy. I really didn't want to cross that line. The only positive sides to this incident are a) no more guns in the house and b) L talked to her therapist. They discussed the fact that L's insecurities are what makes her need Trash, and L agreed that was the case. So at least she is now aware of why she is with him.

And with that, I leave you with the line GI Joe made famous.

..and knowing things is half the battle.

* When you move, you take the lamps with you.. and those bulbs were not installed at the same time as the ones in the new house!

Peach Milkshakes

2006-06-26T12:35:00.000-04:00

Thanks go out to the incomparable CP for a lovely weekend of nothingness. I haven't just 'hung out' with a girlfriend for a long time. Very enjoyable, even if the weather and the foot limited us in activity.

Although the foot limits less than it used to. I am now gimping about without a crutch at all! At least, on flat surfaces. Walking about town still brings a single prop with it, just in case of muck, marbles, or tangled mats. Housework is now back within the realm of possibility (note: not probability) and my clothes are all clean for the first time in over a month. The Scary Study is about half exorcised, so my sense of house-propriety is being satisfied.

Next on the agenda: Cooking green things. I need more green things!

I Have a Hand

2006-06-22T10:38:00.000-04:00

Ah Joy. I am booted. And I have a temporary guestroom in the apartment. Life is good.

Yes, the 5 hour excavation of the Den of the Dark Dragon is complete, and the room is ready to be used by anyone who needs one. At least until Monday morning, when the Dragon returns. Thankfully, medicated.

And I have the use of a hand while moving about. And had a lovely bath and scrub. Although the tub needs some work now....

It is always something.

Freedom!

2006-06-21T08:03:00.000-04:00

A brief note to start: A glorious thank you to the FedEx driver on Jefferson Avenue yesterday. Takes true talent to have a minivan smash into your back end at a stoplight, scattering glass everywhere!

The day of freedom arrives. I have a silly smirk on my face. The cast comes off, 1330 EST.

At least, that is The Plan. The Plan is a complicated piece of mental engineering, involving the hospital, the world-famous 5 Minute Doctor, a cast saw, a walking boot, the X-Ray machine, tagging and releasing.

The Plan will not be sidetracked by Mr Pessimist's negative vibes. I will be free! The contingency plan is simple by comparison.

5 MD will satisfy the following requirements:
1) informing me how the foot is healing
2) detailing how long I will need the boot and how often/when to wear it
3) what can I do with the foot now?
4) when will I be able to resume workouts?
5) any other warnings/cautions

If he should be unable/unwilling to give me answers to these basic questions, it will come down to one simple question:

Do you have a crutch?*

So my apologies to everyone who had to deal with me yesterday, I know my very limited patience was nonexistant, but today it is all over... rejoice!

* Apologies to Eddie Izzard

Weekend a la Sister

2006-06-19T10:47:00.000-04:00

Let me say one thing before I get started. I love my sister. Really.

Now to the dark side: I love my sister when she isn't off her meds.

K without Adderoll is ebullient. She is chatty. She is bouncy.

She is flighty. She is annoying. She is wriggly. She is easily distracted. She cannot complete one sentence without going off in five different directions.

This can be very entertaining, when one does not have to live with her. When one is forced to, and forced to sit and take it due to a cast, it might result in fratricide. Nearly did, several times this weekend. It was either.. she is asleep yay! or she's awake.. hide! And yet the spasms of activity she went through involved absolutely nothing that might have been viewed as productive.

I can't wait until Wednesday.

Just for CP... and the Robotic Overlords

2006-06-15T10:32:00.000-04:00

This week in the life of M...

My sister (a desperate devotee of Sean Bean) has prevailed upon me to add BBC America to our TV lineup. Now, Sean is a hot man to be sure, but truly, it was done in hope of newer Dr Who episodes than the SciFi channel shows (and what is up with ECW on SciFi anyways?!?). Dr Who, despite the loss of Christopher Eccleston, is a cool show.

Then last Thursday I discovered Hex. For anyone without knowledge of this nifty program, Hex is a show about a teenage girl who finds a voodoo pot and gets witch powers. Along with a really scary fallen angel to suck the life out of her and her friend. I say 'friend', because last week was just the premiere. So, so far, 1 death per show! Very cool, and much darker than most channels would go for here in the USA. And how much fun is it to listen to British phrasing?!?

Now to the dark side. FedEx.

They have lost my Roomba. The Roomba that had the perfect timing to dazzle me on Woot 3 weeks ago. The Roomba which was to have taken over the daily fuzz-busting demanded by the damn floor as a result of the 2 medium haired felines that rule the roost. The Roomba that would have saved my sanity while I am stuck in this cast.

Somehow, despite the fact their truck delivers to my area daily, they had an 'incorrect address'.

And then, the box disappears from their warehouse.

5 days and 4 calls later, the national representative tells me to file a claim.

I have already passed through several of the stages of grief... anger, denial, bargaining... and am still stuck in depression.

Damn them! Damn them and their desire for the robotic overlords!!

Leprechauns in Ireland

2006-06-07T12:07:00.000-04:00

A group of leprechauns were in Ireland (surprise surprise) and had gotten into an intense debate among themselves. After much arguing, one of them waved his fist in the air, and declared "I'll prove it to ye!"

So off the group went, until they came up to a nunnery.

The small group followed the leader up to the door, where he knocked and asked the gatekeeper if he could speak with the Mother Superior.

They were let in, and escorted to the room outside her office to wait for her. When she opened the door, she motioned the group in. "What brings you to St. Agatha's?", she asked politely.

"Well, muther, I had a few wee questions for ya", the leader replied, his hat in his hand.

"Go on." she responded.

"Well, I was wonderin'... do ye have any miniature nuns in this convent?" he asked, fingers twiddling on the brim of the hat.

"No, we don't have any 'miniature' nuns in this convent", she replied, a bit puzzled.

"What about in the county?" he asked, a bit more urgency in his voice.

"No, no I don't recall any in the county."

"Well, what about in Ireland? Surely there is a midget nun in Ireland?!" he urged her.

"Indeed, I am certain there is not, not in all of Ireland."

In desperation, the leprechaun blurted out, "What about the whole world, Mother? The whole entire world?"

"I don't believe we have any midget nuns in all the world, no." she stated, watching him become more and more agitated.

The leprechaun seemed to slump, and thanked the woman, before leading his pack back out into the road.

A few steps further down one of his companions slapped him on the back and declared in a carrying voice, "See? I told ya, ya were screwin' a penguin!"

Banana Rustling??

2006-06-07T09:43:00.000-04:00

Yeah I know. 2 weeks. Thank goodness for Darvocet. But now that the brain is functioning again, and the ankle is just slightly achy, the blog must continue!

Today's item of interest: Banana Rustlers (as you probably were aware from the title)
(for those who want the hot scoop direct from the horse's patootie).

Apparently, thanks to a cyclone, Australia's banana crop is high demand/low supply. However, what worm in the brainpan could come up with banana rustling?? It isn't even evil sounding. It is more like something Bozo the Clown would have come up with. I mean, how does one herd bananas into a blind canyon? Or cover the brands? Wouldn't that damage the fruit?

Alas, there is no glamour in crime today. Let's get our posse together, pardner, and go after them with hot steel.

On another note, this is just frikken hysterical.

Excuse me while I deal...

2006-05-26T10:43:00.000-04:00

.. with the stupid ostrich that kicked me and broke my ankle.

Bearing in mind...

2006-05-23T08:39:00.000-04:00

Ok. Sometimes the news is wierd. And sometimes, Darwin's theory of evolution enters the picture, but it turns out to be the negative.

From CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/23/bear.attack.ap/index.html.

To sum up: 500 lb bear escapes from breeder, sees a 15 year old girl next door, follows her into the house and mauls her mom. Bear is then lured outside the house and shot by breeder. Total time: 20 minutes.

Let's examine this in relation to Darwin. 'Survival of the fittest' is how his theory is summed up.

We have this bear, born and bred in captivity. Used to people, used to people feeding it. So when the cage gets opened, bear decides its time to take a walk, rather than stay for dinner. Must not have been very hungry.

Bear wanders off, moving at a good clip for a bear I suppose, since he didn't want to go back into the cage. Sees an open garage.. thinks either a) "Hey, cave! I didn't know these things still existed!" or b) "Wonder what kind of car I can hijack in here?"

Bear sees 15 year old girl. Again, bear either thinks, "Ohh gurrrrl!" or "Oh yeah, what about my dinner, wench?"

Girl does the stupid horror movie thing: she runs, and fails to shut and lock the door behind her.

Bear whines, "Hey, wait a minute. I was talking here!" and follows her in.

Girl undoubtedly hides at this point, or is screaming her head off. Mom to the rescue! Arms waving, attempting to seem bigger than she is and intimidate the bear, the bear laughs and whaps her a few times, thinking this is a fun new game.

Breeder tracks bear down, and lures the bear out for a real dinner. Bear is all, "Ooh a show and dinner... how much better than this does it get?"

Bear goes outside the house.. BAM. No more bear.

So, the stupid and ineffective kill the smart enough to get out and enjoy life.

Darwin must be rolling in his grave.

Benefits or Challenge?

2006-05-22T14:25:00.000-04:00

My job rocks. At least, most of the time it rocks. I set my own hours (within reason of course), and have to put in 80/2 weeks. No weekends unless preauthorized though. I get a ridiculous amount of money for the actual job requirements. Sometimes I even get to travel. But I think I have become spoiled.

I have to stay until 5:30 2 days a week now!!! And I am whining about it. I love the ability to come in at 7, stay until 3, take no lunch and GO HOME. Right now, I feel like I ought to be almost done, not have 3 more hours left. My whole evening is shot!! How can one do anything with that little amount of time left before lights out?

And the travel has disappeared. My job has 2 intense weeks every 4 months. So I thought in the off time, I would get to travel for other contracts. No No No. How Wrong I Was. And we all know how I hate to be wrong.

Apparently I am 'critical personnel' and cannot be gone from my desk for 7-10 days (including weekends) to go to nifty places and support other people. Very Disappointing. If this doesn't clear up by the end of the summer, I will have to go to the boss and tell him I need another billet. I don't think he will care, but even if it means a paycut I will take it. I don't know how much longer I can take this desk.....

Wrong!! BZZZZT!!

2006-05-19T09:26:00.000-04:00

I swore to myself, and to anyone who would listen, I would never get a divorce. For years, I waited to 'meet the right person', to make sure that I was making the right choice. A good part of that was the issue I had (and still do!) with being wrong. I hate being wrong, especially on a major issue.

Well, I was wrong. And the sad part about it, is I ought to have known that before I got married.

In retrospect, I can see every point along the way where a little green man should have stood with a big sign warning me. There, where he wanted his mother to go shopping for my dress with me. And behind that tree, where he never like to 'play' much. And under the bench, where he insisted on a Catholic wedding.... despite the fact he hadn't been to church in years. And waaaaay off over there.. where he was always complaining about work, and never could quite manage to take time off.

But no, I couldn't be wrong. After all, I had made up my mind.

Maybe the problem is I didn't know what I wanted. Maybe I still don't. But at least now, I know more of what I don't want. And, while the learning curve was steep, there aren't any sudden sharp corners. The whole thing seems to be fizzling out, with no fireworks anywhere to be seen. I feel relieved... and yet oddly disappointed.

The CDC wants my dog!

2006-05-18T07:44:00.000-04:00

Yes, the Center for Disease Control is after my dog. The luckiest dog in Sicily is a wanted basset. Fortunately, her defense is being planned as we speak.

Little Girl has leishmaniasis, a common complaint among canids in the Mediterranean region, which means she develops subcutaneous lesions, which then swell and burst, and get infected etc.. Also, she looks like a binge and purge teenybopper when the protozoa are on the rise. Massive weight loss, and so forth. Took them over 18 months to figure this out... although I have to grant that they have tested her a few times with no luck.

She's a small basset... only about 26 lbs when on the upswing, and very personable, but I hadn't realized bassets are such drama queens before acquiring this one. Long, silly stories on that, I might relate later. Right now though, the CDC is hounding us.

Turns out, they think she is the only dog in the US with this disease. To which I snicker... I know at least one other person with a dog shipped back from Sicily that has it. I believe he is out in CA, but apparently, the US Navy failed to report this vital information on a communicable disease to the proper authorities. Not that the vector for it exists in the US- it can be transmitted directly from dog to dog, or dog to human, but the likelihood of that is on the low end. Like, aliens taking her for testing low end.

So she got tested for the 4th time 2 weeks ago... and came back positive. So now the CDC wants her for testing, because she is such a novelty. It isn't to the "Give us your dog now!" stage, but they have been inquiring politely so far.... oh and so has Auburn, who ran the test in the first place. I think maybe we should just sell blood samples, might pay for the treatment:)