It's just a phase, I'm sure! Apparently I was more hilarious prior to The Move. I think I'm still working through the Tauren abhorrence of upheaval and the loss of my ruts. Once I settle in here and find my place I'll return to my formerly jovial and amusing self!
I think I still am feeling that limbo sort of thing where I don't really belong here. Having a job helps; I'm talking to real live human beings again and a kid who listed "mt. biking and hiking" among his interests applied the other day. Maybe he'll get hired and I can bug him to show me some trails. Then I'll meet other bikers and get back that part of my life and feel even MORE settled.
At any rate, thanks to Shannon and David for their wonderful comments. To David, I must say that the "sad and sorry" comment applied to the quantity, NOT the quality of my posters. :) I know that my folks and my best friend read the Blog, but they never comment. Russell reads and comments from time to time, but NOT ENOUGH! My fellow Larp-er Chris in Dallas reads--or used to--but hasn't commented in some time. I think fellow WoW-er Brian might take a peek now that he knows I'm here, but so far has not said hello. So here's a message to all you lurkers: I KNOW YOU ARE OUT THERE! For the love of pete, just say "Hi" once in a while. It's not that difficult and it will do wonders for my ego--cos you all know how fragile and insecure I am! LOL!
In other news:
I have been given the task of making devliled eggs and perhaps a "jello salad" for Thanksgiving Dinner at my sister's. I had previously informed her that I love to bake and do some really good deserts--that I'd even do a veggie or fruit tray if needed. And the email I get today informs me that I've been given deviled eggs and/or jello salad. WTF? I think I can manage the eggs. Jello salad? Not only does it sound gross; I have no idea what it involves. I'm pretty sure it's the POLAR OPPOSITE of baking.
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Friday, November 19, 2004
Roto-Blog
My fellow internet denizen, David, has a blog here, and while I've always thought it a clever title and apropo to the vehicle, this morning it really dawned on me.
Journals and Blogs should clean things out a bit more perhaps than I've allowed. I do censor myself here because I know it's being read. Read by a sad sorry few, to judge by the comments or, rather, lack thereof, but read nonetheless. I wonder how healthy that is? It's enough that we go through our everydays censoring our thoughts and actions for fear what someone else might think, but to do it here, in a place that should serve as some sort of catharsis is just wrong.
That said, I'm not going to suddenly launch into a cursing rant about my deepest darkest fears and desires, but I will promise to (try) to be a little more forthcoming about stuff and not just tell you about cleaning the kitchen or getting my bank stuff sorted out. I'm still going to talk about the dogs and Russell, and I may even mention work from time to time. But I think I'm going to unleash a bit more. I owe it to myself. And you're all adults. I don't have to protect you from anything.
But we'll start on that for the next session. For now I have to go to work. :)
Journals and Blogs should clean things out a bit more perhaps than I've allowed. I do censor myself here because I know it's being read. Read by a sad sorry few, to judge by the comments or, rather, lack thereof, but read nonetheless. I wonder how healthy that is? It's enough that we go through our everydays censoring our thoughts and actions for fear what someone else might think, but to do it here, in a place that should serve as some sort of catharsis is just wrong.
That said, I'm not going to suddenly launch into a cursing rant about my deepest darkest fears and desires, but I will promise to (try) to be a little more forthcoming about stuff and not just tell you about cleaning the kitchen or getting my bank stuff sorted out. I'm still going to talk about the dogs and Russell, and I may even mention work from time to time. But I think I'm going to unleash a bit more. I owe it to myself. And you're all adults. I don't have to protect you from anything.
But we'll start on that for the next session. For now I have to go to work. :)
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Observations
1) Living in Phoenix is kind of like being on vacation everyday, at least from the scenery standpoint. There are mountains and palm trees and it feels a little like any movie about Hollywood I've ever scene. Or Miami Vice. Either way, neither places are ones I'd ever hoped to inhabit.
2) The weather has been nice, I gotta say. Cool and sunny during the day and downright chilly at night. It's a shame I spend every waking moment indoors. Gotta do something about that.
3) The birds at the Arizona Bread Company 'round the bend from where I work are downright shameless beggars, but they gave me a hearty laugh today as they swooped en masse to pick up my tossed calzone bits.
4) I need one of those voice-recorder things so I can remember little bits of wisdom I think during the day, cos I sure as hell can't remember them on my own. HINT HINT
5) The job has been tolerable this week, owing mostly to the fact that I've not been there on my own as much. And I'm getting to know the store a little better. And I've started to just pretend like I know a lot more than I do.
6) The more I look at the computer the more my eyes hurt and, did you hear? They are finding that prolonged computer usage seems to result in an increase in glaucoma cases--particularly in nearsighted folks. *sigh*
7) Yeah. So. Tomorrow is my day off. I'll let you know how my jaunt to the Bank goes--they made a deposit to my savings that should have been to my checking, and now I'm overdrawn. They've admitted it was their mistake, for the most part. Now I just gotta make them own up and fix it. War, I say, WAR!
and, goodnight.
2) The weather has been nice, I gotta say. Cool and sunny during the day and downright chilly at night. It's a shame I spend every waking moment indoors. Gotta do something about that.
3) The birds at the Arizona Bread Company 'round the bend from where I work are downright shameless beggars, but they gave me a hearty laugh today as they swooped en masse to pick up my tossed calzone bits.
4) I need one of those voice-recorder things so I can remember little bits of wisdom I think during the day, cos I sure as hell can't remember them on my own. HINT HINT
5) The job has been tolerable this week, owing mostly to the fact that I've not been there on my own as much. And I'm getting to know the store a little better. And I've started to just pretend like I know a lot more than I do.
6) The more I look at the computer the more my eyes hurt and, did you hear? They are finding that prolonged computer usage seems to result in an increase in glaucoma cases--particularly in nearsighted folks. *sigh*
7) Yeah. So. Tomorrow is my day off. I'll let you know how my jaunt to the Bank goes--they made a deposit to my savings that should have been to my checking, and now I'm overdrawn. They've admitted it was their mistake, for the most part. Now I just gotta make them own up and fix it. War, I say, WAR!
and, goodnight.
Monday, November 15, 2004
Fog
I'm never sure what day it is anymore, since I have such a whacked out work schedule. Today is Monday, because the dog calendar on the tv says so, but it feels like a Thursday or something. I guess it's my Wednesday, because my ONLY day off this week is Thursday...three days from now. "Overtime. Overtime. Overtime." That is my mantra and it shall keep me plugging along. The bills aren't giving up; how can I?
It's raining again. This is the wettest desert I've ever been in. Sure, sure, it's the only desert, but it's still the wettest. People keep saying we need it, but for what? Are the rocks around here some sort of life form that has been conspiratorialy(!!??!) kept from the rest of the world?
Anyway. I went to let the dogs out, and there was the rain. Damn.
And I have to leave for work in about an hour, so I'm going to go bathe and eat and other mundane things.
It's raining again. This is the wettest desert I've ever been in. Sure, sure, it's the only desert, but it's still the wettest. People keep saying we need it, but for what? Are the rocks around here some sort of life form that has been conspiratorialy(!!??!) kept from the rest of the world?
Anyway. I went to let the dogs out, and there was the rain. Damn.
And I have to leave for work in about an hour, so I'm going to go bathe and eat and other mundane things.
Saturday, November 13, 2004
Poo Patrol
It's a brighter day! Spicy ginger and garlic chicken in the oven, flip flops on my feet. Headed into the backyard to de-poopify it. Delilah is a poo-prude, we've decided. She has issues with poopin while on walks; she always saves it for the yard. Bucket, in typical man-style, will poop anywhere, anytime--including the yard in prolific quantities.
In other news:
I have to work every day except Thursday next week. But OH! the overtime! Right? Right. And I'm only "alone" (aka, the sole supervisor) in the store for two hours on Tuesday night. That makes a huge difference in my "I hate this f*$&ing job" mantra. This week it will simply be "I hate these f**#ing hours".
Poo awaits.
In other news:
I have to work every day except Thursday next week. But OH! the overtime! Right? Right. And I'm only "alone" (aka, the sole supervisor) in the store for two hours on Tuesday night. That makes a huge difference in my "I hate this f*$&ing job" mantra. This week it will simply be "I hate these f**#ing hours".
Poo awaits.
Friday, November 12, 2004
Some Stuff
Um. I just wrote a lot of words about my psycho freak out yesterday, but it's probably not something you want to hear about and mostly I just needed to put some things into words to try to work it out.
Suffice it to say:
1) I'm going through a phase where it seems like everything I do is messed up. In the past month I've been rear-ended, backed into someone, cut and bruised myself in amazingly imaginative ways, dropped and broken things, burnt things, lost things, etc, etc, etc.... The planets are mis-aligned, surely.
2) The dogs are frustrating me beyond reason and after talking to Russell about it we are going to make a concerted effort to spend more active time with them in hopes of alleviating that frustration. If that doesn't work, we may look into rehoming them. We got up at the ass-crack of dawn this morning to take them for a walk, and that actually was really nice. It was great for us to be able to spend more time together and talk, too. I miss that.
3) My dream job is turning into a nightmare (I'm actually a little sick to my stomach right now thinking of going back in, and yesterday I very nearly threw up thinking of it...long story), but I've decided to stick it out for a bit longer to see if things get better. I think I can last through the Holiday Rush at least, and not let them down and keep some $$ rolling in so we can take care of some bills and have Holidays ourselves.
4) Russell is the most amazing person ever in the whole world to just listen to my ranting and raving and not flee screaming from the house in a fit of terror. I was appallingly weepy, needy, bitchy, and hurtful last night, and he stuck by me through it all, just listening and letting me know that he wants to help in any way he can. I'm not sure I would have done the same in his position (I was that horrible). I'm so lucky to have a friend/partner like him.
5) I'm feeling much better right now, but still dreading work. I have to leave here in about an hour. Middle shift, and I'm going to do my damndest to get out of there ON TIME tonight. I still don't know my schedule for tomorrow or next week, which puts the Tauren in me right up against the precipice of insanity, but I'll find out today AND get paid, so perhaps it will all turn out okay.
So there you go. A more concise rant than the original one. Fewer sordid details. Trust me when I tell you, you don't want to know.
Suffice it to say:
1) I'm going through a phase where it seems like everything I do is messed up. In the past month I've been rear-ended, backed into someone, cut and bruised myself in amazingly imaginative ways, dropped and broken things, burnt things, lost things, etc, etc, etc.... The planets are mis-aligned, surely.
2) The dogs are frustrating me beyond reason and after talking to Russell about it we are going to make a concerted effort to spend more active time with them in hopes of alleviating that frustration. If that doesn't work, we may look into rehoming them. We got up at the ass-crack of dawn this morning to take them for a walk, and that actually was really nice. It was great for us to be able to spend more time together and talk, too. I miss that.
3) My dream job is turning into a nightmare (I'm actually a little sick to my stomach right now thinking of going back in, and yesterday I very nearly threw up thinking of it...long story), but I've decided to stick it out for a bit longer to see if things get better. I think I can last through the Holiday Rush at least, and not let them down and keep some $$ rolling in so we can take care of some bills and have Holidays ourselves.
4) Russell is the most amazing person ever in the whole world to just listen to my ranting and raving and not flee screaming from the house in a fit of terror. I was appallingly weepy, needy, bitchy, and hurtful last night, and he stuck by me through it all, just listening and letting me know that he wants to help in any way he can. I'm not sure I would have done the same in his position (I was that horrible). I'm so lucky to have a friend/partner like him.
5) I'm feeling much better right now, but still dreading work. I have to leave here in about an hour. Middle shift, and I'm going to do my damndest to get out of there ON TIME tonight. I still don't know my schedule for tomorrow or next week, which puts the Tauren in me right up against the precipice of insanity, but I'll find out today AND get paid, so perhaps it will all turn out okay.
So there you go. A more concise rant than the original one. Fewer sordid details. Trust me when I tell you, you don't want to know.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Oh yeah...
By the way, a college friend of mine sent me an article and this link. We went to school with Laura. She's now going to be on Trading Spaces.
I'm so freaking proud to be working a shitty retail job at this moment.
*sigh*
I'm so freaking proud to be working a shitty retail job at this moment.
*sigh*
Exhaustion
I am tired. Yesterday was the worst day ever (so far) at the store. I had to take my lunch before I'd even been there for two hours and didn't get another break the entire evening (and I was there until nearly midnight). I was the only person with a set of keys or a badge, and there were 2 or three major furniture load-outs which necessitated someone going to the trailers--with keys. I could go on. And on. I left quite a lengthy little "journal" for the opener this morning. In retrospect it may have been a little more whining than constructive information, but I really needed to vent.
Thank goodness I work 10-7 today (nearly guaranteed to be a regular-length shift instead of having to worry about customers coming in late for huge furniture sales and then jamming up the computers with icko credit cards and tieing up the front two registers until nearly a quarter to 10.) and I'm off tomorrow. Not sure when my next day off will be, but I haven't yet had two days off in a row. Wouldn't be so bad, but after yesterday, I need a full-length vacation. And then Russell needed to wake up at 4am to work a bit from home (guess whose side of the bed the alarm is on...), and then of course he popped in to say goodbye before he left a little before 7. I'm NOT complaining; I love that he does that. I'm just a little more tired than usual for being jolted from sleep several times over the course of my already stunted naptime.
So I'm exhausted. Mentally, physically, and in every other way exhausted. I really hate sleeping through my day off, particularly since Ikea opens today and I'd hoped to go down tomorrow, but I'll wager I spend a goodly portion of Thursday sleeping or at least lounging as lazily as possible.
Anyway.
Thank goodness I work 10-7 today (nearly guaranteed to be a regular-length shift instead of having to worry about customers coming in late for huge furniture sales and then jamming up the computers with icko credit cards and tieing up the front two registers until nearly a quarter to 10.) and I'm off tomorrow. Not sure when my next day off will be, but I haven't yet had two days off in a row. Wouldn't be so bad, but after yesterday, I need a full-length vacation. And then Russell needed to wake up at 4am to work a bit from home (guess whose side of the bed the alarm is on...), and then of course he popped in to say goodbye before he left a little before 7. I'm NOT complaining; I love that he does that. I'm just a little more tired than usual for being jolted from sleep several times over the course of my already stunted naptime.
So I'm exhausted. Mentally, physically, and in every other way exhausted. I really hate sleeping through my day off, particularly since Ikea opens today and I'd hoped to go down tomorrow, but I'll wager I spend a goodly portion of Thursday sleeping or at least lounging as lazily as possible.
Anyway.
Sunday, November 07, 2004
I want to know....
What kind of job (or sick mind) a person has to have to enable them to spend >$550.00 on Christmas ornaments!
Lady came into the store last night and did just that. Three baskets of glitter-encrusted glass ornaments. She didn't even bat an eye when I gave her the total. I might not have thought much of it except that she admitted to having one 10 foot tree that was already filled to capacity and a garagefull of yet more decorations. To the point where she's embarrassed to open her garage door while townhouse neighbours are nearby (you learn a lot about a person while you're taking 20 minutes to personally handle and ring up their $500 worth of glass and glitter.).
Anyway.
We went to see The Incredibles today, and it was a great flick. That should come as no surprise, as Pixar has never disappointed. We were going to go for a hike, but it rained today (not sure if anyone else besides me understands the irony of all the damn rain here in the desert!!!), so post Cine-Capri we went for food and grocery and then came home to watch Calendar Girls, throughout which my eyes leaked profusely. Major chick flick, and props to my honey for suffering through it with me and not making nasty comments about old nekkid boobies.
Dooce!
Lady came into the store last night and did just that. Three baskets of glitter-encrusted glass ornaments. She didn't even bat an eye when I gave her the total. I might not have thought much of it except that she admitted to having one 10 foot tree that was already filled to capacity and a garagefull of yet more decorations. To the point where she's embarrassed to open her garage door while townhouse neighbours are nearby (you learn a lot about a person while you're taking 20 minutes to personally handle and ring up their $500 worth of glass and glitter.).
Anyway.
We went to see The Incredibles today, and it was a great flick. That should come as no surprise, as Pixar has never disappointed. We were going to go for a hike, but it rained today (not sure if anyone else besides me understands the irony of all the damn rain here in the desert!!!), so post Cine-Capri we went for food and grocery and then came home to watch Calendar Girls, throughout which my eyes leaked profusely. Major chick flick, and props to my honey for suffering through it with me and not making nasty comments about old nekkid boobies.
Dooce!
Friday, November 05, 2004
Kimbra
She's my best best best friend, and she called me last night to say hello and get the skinny--cos I don't update my blog enough (or, probably more to the point, with enough juicy life details). Hm. So.
It's 10:30 on Friday morning, and I can hear the trash truck roaming around the neighbourhood and I'm cringing with the realisation that there is quite a lot of nastiness in the fridge that needed to be thrown out and taken to the curb last night. Things are starting to get stinky. I didn't do it yesterday morning, and didn't get home until nearly midnight last night (this new job is fun and all, but my GOD the hours suck ass!) and well, it just didn't get done.
I have to work 1-10 tonight and tomorrow night, but I'm off on Sunday. We have no plans that I know of, but I suspect we may try to go see a movie. Or maybe we'll just sit around all day and play WoW. I'm trying to convince myself to quit cold turkey so I can have my life back, but Russell's very excited about the prospect of us getting to play together at release. That would actually be a cool thing, except for the fact that I now work the shittiest hours on the planet and am never home at the same time as him. Anyway.
Maybe we can go for a hike on Sunday, like we briefly did last weekend after working on his new office space. There is a trail just on the way to the new (temporary) location of BlueSquare Studios, so we stopped off and walked a bit. It was really cool, and a nice workout. Yeah, maybe I'll lobby for that.
This split weekend/weekdays off thing is for the birds. I'm not giving up on the job yet, because I *do* enjoy it, but the hours are not going to get any better--and in fact are guaranteed to get worse over the holidays. I'm going to stick it out a bit more and see if I can hack it. At least until the 13th when I get my first paycheck which will have substantial overtime. Perhaps that will cushion the absentee-honey blows a bit.
Anyway. Other than working and gaming and reorganising the garage and playing with the new washing machine, there really isn't that much to report. I don't have a life here yet outside of all that. I miss my biking buddies in OKC. I miss having an indoor soccer team. I miss being bored at work and having big conversations about *stuff* with co-workers. I miss Russell!!
I think, on that note, that I will go play with the pups a bit and take a shower a bit later go to work a bit later still. Maybe, just maybe, I'll get home closer to 10pm tonight like I'm supposed to.
It's 10:30 on Friday morning, and I can hear the trash truck roaming around the neighbourhood and I'm cringing with the realisation that there is quite a lot of nastiness in the fridge that needed to be thrown out and taken to the curb last night. Things are starting to get stinky. I didn't do it yesterday morning, and didn't get home until nearly midnight last night (this new job is fun and all, but my GOD the hours suck ass!) and well, it just didn't get done.
I have to work 1-10 tonight and tomorrow night, but I'm off on Sunday. We have no plans that I know of, but I suspect we may try to go see a movie. Or maybe we'll just sit around all day and play WoW. I'm trying to convince myself to quit cold turkey so I can have my life back, but Russell's very excited about the prospect of us getting to play together at release. That would actually be a cool thing, except for the fact that I now work the shittiest hours on the planet and am never home at the same time as him. Anyway.
Maybe we can go for a hike on Sunday, like we briefly did last weekend after working on his new office space. There is a trail just on the way to the new (temporary) location of BlueSquare Studios, so we stopped off and walked a bit. It was really cool, and a nice workout. Yeah, maybe I'll lobby for that.
This split weekend/weekdays off thing is for the birds. I'm not giving up on the job yet, because I *do* enjoy it, but the hours are not going to get any better--and in fact are guaranteed to get worse over the holidays. I'm going to stick it out a bit more and see if I can hack it. At least until the 13th when I get my first paycheck which will have substantial overtime. Perhaps that will cushion the absentee-honey blows a bit.
Anyway. Other than working and gaming and reorganising the garage and playing with the new washing machine, there really isn't that much to report. I don't have a life here yet outside of all that. I miss my biking buddies in OKC. I miss having an indoor soccer team. I miss being bored at work and having big conversations about *stuff* with co-workers. I miss Russell!!
I think, on that note, that I will go play with the pups a bit and take a shower a bit later go to work a bit later still. Maybe, just maybe, I'll get home closer to 10pm tonight like I'm supposed to.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Hypocrite!
Yeah, that's me. Because I am going to bitch about the ignorance of the American public and their choice of President. I say "their" and "hypocrite" because, you guessed it, I didn't vote. I am registered in Oklahoma (no time to get registered here before the election) and completely forgot I could get an absentee ballot for OK right up until sometime last week. I totally dropped the ball, but somehow I'm fairly confident with the fact that my one lousy vote would not have tipped the scales in Bible-thumping-let's-kill-everyone-different-from-us-and-if-we-can't-kill-them-we-can-at-least-take-over-their-lives-militia-style Oklahoma.
*sigh*
So we will continue to live the lie of the Iraqi war--no, wait, the war is officially over (although more servicemen have died since the end of the war than during the whole of the actual war)...so we'll just continue to pay billions of dollars into an effort to rebuild a country that was mostly just fine until we stuck our noses into it. Yeah, Saddam was an asshole. So is Bush, by my standards. Good thing the USA is the only country with enough arrogance to insist that everyone does things our way, or we might be faced with Canada or France barging in to oust him!! But I digress.
We will continue to live in a so-called "Advanced" society where discrimination over folks who love differently than a select few in power is not only okay, but promoted. We will most likely see the appointment of one, possibly two or more Supreme Court Justices that subscribe to the same belief system as Dubya. Scary times, scary times.
I need to do some more research, I suppose, but all in all, I'm pretty disappointed. But hey, we got a new washing machine (after a month and a half without), so I shouldn't complain. I should shut up and go launder.
*sigh*
So we will continue to live the lie of the Iraqi war--no, wait, the war is officially over (although more servicemen have died since the end of the war than during the whole of the actual war)...so we'll just continue to pay billions of dollars into an effort to rebuild a country that was mostly just fine until we stuck our noses into it. Yeah, Saddam was an asshole. So is Bush, by my standards. Good thing the USA is the only country with enough arrogance to insist that everyone does things our way, or we might be faced with Canada or France barging in to oust him!! But I digress.
We will continue to live in a so-called "Advanced" society where discrimination over folks who love differently than a select few in power is not only okay, but promoted. We will most likely see the appointment of one, possibly two or more Supreme Court Justices that subscribe to the same belief system as Dubya. Scary times, scary times.
I need to do some more research, I suppose, but all in all, I'm pretty disappointed. But hey, we got a new washing machine (after a month and a half without), so I shouldn't complain. I should shut up and go launder.
Monday, November 01, 2004
technoburp
sometimes the computer just has the hiccups. blogger gets them more than I'd prefer. I just typed out a lovely little diatribe on my new job and the tasks at hand for this, my day off, and I got a "NOPE" message. So maybe this nonsese will post.
hmph.
hmph.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
It's Hard
To remember all the good things about our life when we are awakened by a car alarm indicating that Russell's truck has been broken into and the DVD/TV is missing (along with sundry other items).
The cops aren't even going to try to find out who did it. They merely took a report for insurance purposes. We'll be parking in the garage from now on. And here I thought it was because people wanted their cars to stay cool.
The dogs? Not a peep until I leaped up and ran to the door. Nice.
The cops aren't even going to try to find out who did it. They merely took a report for insurance purposes. We'll be parking in the garage from now on. And here I thought it was because people wanted their cars to stay cool.
The dogs? Not a peep until I leaped up and ran to the door. Nice.
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Slack-be-gone
I start my new job on Monday. Here. I'm pretty stinkin' excited and more than a little nervous. I'm starting out as a supervisor, and I don't know the people or the stores! I'm very happy about being back around people again, and not sitting behind a computer all day. And just look at the place. One of my favourite shops. They don't sell music, but I'll get to listen to canned jazz and world music all day long. How happy am I? Of course even with a slight raise over my salary in OKC, I'll be bringing home less money, as I will get 25% off store goods (excepting food/wine)! Oh, and there is a Pier One on one side of us, and a Nordstrom Rack on the other! We'll never be able to afford a Mini. *sigh*
And the odd and surprising fact that now that I will have less free time, I'll get a lot more done. It's a strange fact of life for me that my productivity is in direct dis-proportion to the amount of free time I have. i.e: The more I have to do, the more I get done. I will bitch about not having free time anymore, and I'll mourn the lost days of slackdom, but deep inside I'll be thriving on the constant running and exhaustion of being a honey, a momma, a breadwinner, a housekeeper, a cook, and a chick (and whatever other roles are presented!).
So. This is my last weekend of real freedom before retail holiday hell ensues. I want to play some WoW and then we're going to rent Van Helsing. It's quite nice out; perhaps I'll get motivated and take Bucket for a bike ride!
And the odd and surprising fact that now that I will have less free time, I'll get a lot more done. It's a strange fact of life for me that my productivity is in direct dis-proportion to the amount of free time I have. i.e: The more I have to do, the more I get done. I will bitch about not having free time anymore, and I'll mourn the lost days of slackdom, but deep inside I'll be thriving on the constant running and exhaustion of being a honey, a momma, a breadwinner, a housekeeper, a cook, and a chick (and whatever other roles are presented!).
So. This is my last weekend of real freedom before retail holiday hell ensues. I want to play some WoW and then we're going to rent Van Helsing. It's quite nice out; perhaps I'll get motivated and take Bucket for a bike ride!
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Nostalgia
It's windy today and slightly cool, and I was waxing nostalgic for Oklahoma. Yes, that's right. Wind in the desert, however, is slightly different. It has the consistency of sandpaper. So while it is tousling your hair and wreaking havoc with the lawn ornaments, it is also abrading the very skin from your bones.
It hasn't rained yet, although it's supposed to. I should tarp the rocking lawn bench we looted from the neighbour's trash. I'm sanding it down with high hopes. Probably oughtn't let it get wet.
It hasn't rained yet, although it's supposed to. I should tarp the rocking lawn bench we looted from the neighbour's trash. I'm sanding it down with high hopes. Probably oughtn't let it get wet.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Levity
Try this recipe. Sounds atrocious. Isn't. Sounds super easy. Is. These cookies are so good!
I've made them twice. They never come out as pretty as the picture, but they sure are tasty. I use vanilla extract instead of almond. You can use whatever tickles your fancy.
Oh, and Bucket is learning to run alongside my bicycle. He's only nearly killed me twice. Good boy.
I've made them twice. They never come out as pretty as the picture, but they sure are tasty. I use vanilla extract instead of almond. You can use whatever tickles your fancy.
Oh, and Bucket is learning to run alongside my bicycle. He's only nearly killed me twice. Good boy.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
I like Dan Brown
Here are some things I really dug from Angels & Demons:
"Faith is universal. Our specific methods for understanding it are arbitrary. Some of us pray to Jesus, some of us go to Mecca, some of us study subatomic particles. in the end we are all just searching for the truth, that which is greater than ourselves."
Regarding the ongoing battle between Science and Religion (the camerlengo speaking to scientists):
"You have won. But you have not won fairly. You have not won by providing answers. You have won by so radically reorienting our society that the truths we once saw as signposts now seem inapplicable. Religion cannot keep up. Scientific growth is exponential. It feeds on itself like a virus. Every new breakthrough opesn doors for new breakthroughs. Mankind took thousands of years to progress from the wheel to the car. Yet only decades from the car into space. Now we measure scientific progress in weeks. We are spinning out of control. The rift between us grows deeper and deeper, and as religion is left behind, people find themselves in a spiritual void. We cry out for meaning...we see UFOs, engage in channelling, spirit contact, out-of-body experiences, mindquests--all these eccentric ideas have a scientific veneer, but they are unashamedly irrational. The are the desperate cry of the modern soul, lonely and tormented, crippled by it's own enlightenment and its inability to accept meaning in anything removed from technology.
...
"Science, you say, will sve us. Science, I say, has destroyed us. Since the days of Galileo, the church has tried to slow the relentless march of science, sometimes with misguided means, but always with benevolent intention. Even so, the temptations are too great for man to resist. I warn you, look around yourselves. The promises of science have not been kept. Promises of efficiency and simplicity have bred nothing but pollution and chaos. We are a fractured and frantic species moving down the path of destruction.
...
"Who is this God science? Who is the God who offers his people power but no moral framework to tell you how to use that power? What kind of God gives a child fire but does not warn the child of its dangers? The language of science comes with no signposts about good and bad. Science textbooks tell us how to create a nuclear reaction, and yet they contain no chapter asking us if it is a good or a bad idea.
"To science, I say this. The church is tired. We are exhausted from trying to be your signposts. Our resources are drying up from our campaign to be the voice of balance as you plow blindly on in your quest for smaller chips and larger profits. We ask not why you will not govern yourselves, but how can you? Your world moves so fast that if you stop even for an instant to consider the implications of your actions, someone more efficient will whip past you in a blur. So you move on. You proliferate weapons of mass destruction, but it is the Pope who travels the world beseeching leaders to use restraint. You clong living creatures, but it is the church reminding us to consider the moral implications of our actions. You encourage people to interact on phones, video screens, and computers, but it is the church who opens its doors and reminds us to commune in person as we were meant to do.
...
"Show me proof there is a God, you say. I say use your telescopes and look to the heavens, and tell me now there could not be a God!...You ask what does God look like. I say, where did that question come from? The answers are one and the same. Do you not see God in your science? How can you miss Him! You proclaim that even the slightest change in the force of gravity or the weight of an atom would have rendered our universe a lifeless mist rather than our magnificent sea of heavenly bodies, and yet you fail to see God's hand in this? Is it really so much easier to believe that we chose the right card from a deck of billions? Have we become so spiritually bankrupt that we would rather believe in mathematical impossibility than in a power greater than us?
"Whether or not you believe in God, you must believe this. When we as a species abandon our trust in the power greater than us, we abandon our sense of accountability. Faith...all faiths...are admonitions that there is something we cannot understand, something to which we are accountable...With faith we are accountable to each other, to ourselves, and to a higher truth."
If you know me, you know that I am NOT a church goer. I have serious issues with organised religion...primarily Christianity and its need to force everyone to believe that there is only one God and every other religion is crap. However, I do have to believe that there is something greater than me out there. Dunno what it is. Not sure if I want to know. It's enough for me to have someone to talk to.
At any rate, I really like what is being said about science here. They are thoughts I've often had, but have difficulty expressing. There is another book by Daniel Quinn called Ishmael that puts forward the same notions...that science, despite all of the wonderful things that come of it, is progressing too quickly and errantly. He likens our path to that of a bicycle being peddaled off a cliff. At first we feel like we are flying, because in those few seconds before gravity really catches hold, we certainly are...but then the inevitable downfall commences, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop or even slow it. Our civilisation, Quinn says, has just left the cliff's edge on our little bicycle. We are thrilled with the gifts technology has given us and feel as though we can do anything and go anywhere. The universe is our oyster! Science proceeds with little thought to the implications. The whole X Prize thing scares the hell out of me. Just what we need--a bunch of rich tourists zooming around in space. Who knows what kind of pollution that will generate. What will it do to our atmosphere?
Gravity.
Anyway. Just thought I'd give you something to chew on since I'm usually spouting drivel. (And yes, I'm well aware of the irony of me writing this treatise against technology on a shiny new laptop while sitting in my airconditioned hom and broadcasting my thoughts to a world of strangers over the World Wide Web!)
"Faith is universal. Our specific methods for understanding it are arbitrary. Some of us pray to Jesus, some of us go to Mecca, some of us study subatomic particles. in the end we are all just searching for the truth, that which is greater than ourselves."
Regarding the ongoing battle between Science and Religion (the camerlengo speaking to scientists):
"You have won. But you have not won fairly. You have not won by providing answers. You have won by so radically reorienting our society that the truths we once saw as signposts now seem inapplicable. Religion cannot keep up. Scientific growth is exponential. It feeds on itself like a virus. Every new breakthrough opesn doors for new breakthroughs. Mankind took thousands of years to progress from the wheel to the car. Yet only decades from the car into space. Now we measure scientific progress in weeks. We are spinning out of control. The rift between us grows deeper and deeper, and as religion is left behind, people find themselves in a spiritual void. We cry out for meaning...we see UFOs, engage in channelling, spirit contact, out-of-body experiences, mindquests--all these eccentric ideas have a scientific veneer, but they are unashamedly irrational. The are the desperate cry of the modern soul, lonely and tormented, crippled by it's own enlightenment and its inability to accept meaning in anything removed from technology.
...
"Science, you say, will sve us. Science, I say, has destroyed us. Since the days of Galileo, the church has tried to slow the relentless march of science, sometimes with misguided means, but always with benevolent intention. Even so, the temptations are too great for man to resist. I warn you, look around yourselves. The promises of science have not been kept. Promises of efficiency and simplicity have bred nothing but pollution and chaos. We are a fractured and frantic species moving down the path of destruction.
...
"Who is this God science? Who is the God who offers his people power but no moral framework to tell you how to use that power? What kind of God gives a child fire but does not warn the child of its dangers? The language of science comes with no signposts about good and bad. Science textbooks tell us how to create a nuclear reaction, and yet they contain no chapter asking us if it is a good or a bad idea.
"To science, I say this. The church is tired. We are exhausted from trying to be your signposts. Our resources are drying up from our campaign to be the voice of balance as you plow blindly on in your quest for smaller chips and larger profits. We ask not why you will not govern yourselves, but how can you? Your world moves so fast that if you stop even for an instant to consider the implications of your actions, someone more efficient will whip past you in a blur. So you move on. You proliferate weapons of mass destruction, but it is the Pope who travels the world beseeching leaders to use restraint. You clong living creatures, but it is the church reminding us to consider the moral implications of our actions. You encourage people to interact on phones, video screens, and computers, but it is the church who opens its doors and reminds us to commune in person as we were meant to do.
...
"Show me proof there is a God, you say. I say use your telescopes and look to the heavens, and tell me now there could not be a God!...You ask what does God look like. I say, where did that question come from? The answers are one and the same. Do you not see God in your science? How can you miss Him! You proclaim that even the slightest change in the force of gravity or the weight of an atom would have rendered our universe a lifeless mist rather than our magnificent sea of heavenly bodies, and yet you fail to see God's hand in this? Is it really so much easier to believe that we chose the right card from a deck of billions? Have we become so spiritually bankrupt that we would rather believe in mathematical impossibility than in a power greater than us?
"Whether or not you believe in God, you must believe this. When we as a species abandon our trust in the power greater than us, we abandon our sense of accountability. Faith...all faiths...are admonitions that there is something we cannot understand, something to which we are accountable...With faith we are accountable to each other, to ourselves, and to a higher truth."
If you know me, you know that I am NOT a church goer. I have serious issues with organised religion...primarily Christianity and its need to force everyone to believe that there is only one God and every other religion is crap. However, I do have to believe that there is something greater than me out there. Dunno what it is. Not sure if I want to know. It's enough for me to have someone to talk to.
At any rate, I really like what is being said about science here. They are thoughts I've often had, but have difficulty expressing. There is another book by Daniel Quinn called Ishmael that puts forward the same notions...that science, despite all of the wonderful things that come of it, is progressing too quickly and errantly. He likens our path to that of a bicycle being peddaled off a cliff. At first we feel like we are flying, because in those few seconds before gravity really catches hold, we certainly are...but then the inevitable downfall commences, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop or even slow it. Our civilisation, Quinn says, has just left the cliff's edge on our little bicycle. We are thrilled with the gifts technology has given us and feel as though we can do anything and go anywhere. The universe is our oyster! Science proceeds with little thought to the implications. The whole X Prize thing scares the hell out of me. Just what we need--a bunch of rich tourists zooming around in space. Who knows what kind of pollution that will generate. What will it do to our atmosphere?
Gravity.
Anyway. Just thought I'd give you something to chew on since I'm usually spouting drivel. (And yes, I'm well aware of the irony of me writing this treatise against technology on a shiny new laptop while sitting in my airconditioned hom and broadcasting my thoughts to a world of strangers over the World Wide Web!)
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Still
Love this blog.
Though not as much as I love my honey Russell who is nothing but a bright shining bit of my life right now. I've been so depressed and glum and he just keeps cheering me on and telling me how everything will be fine. I honestly don't know how he does it.
We took a Mini Cooper S Convertible on a test drive yesterday and I'm more in love with them than ever (although still not as much as I love Russell). The S has quite a bit of pep, and handles very well--I got to test out the great response when we were nearly broadsided by a guy turning through his light. Apparently they are hard to come by--there is a "call list" (NOT a "waiting list", and don't you forget it) for when they come in. We want specifics, though so we're toying with ordering one. Hell, by they time it comes in I might actually have a job, hey?
Really, though, Russell's boss hooked us up with a friend of theirs who runs a Nissan dealership, so we might check that out for some inexpensive wheels.
Arizona ate my truck battery! We bought a new one yesterday and it seems to be working fine now. Sigh of relief that it wasn't the alternator, which was the big fear. But still. It's time to turn in the Sonoma. He's served me well and I'm sure we'll find a nice pasture for him.
Next on the dog and pony show: Excepts from the great book I just finished.
Though not as much as I love my honey Russell who is nothing but a bright shining bit of my life right now. I've been so depressed and glum and he just keeps cheering me on and telling me how everything will be fine. I honestly don't know how he does it.
We took a Mini Cooper S Convertible on a test drive yesterday and I'm more in love with them than ever (although still not as much as I love Russell). The S has quite a bit of pep, and handles very well--I got to test out the great response when we were nearly broadsided by a guy turning through his light. Apparently they are hard to come by--there is a "call list" (NOT a "waiting list", and don't you forget it) for when they come in. We want specifics, though so we're toying with ordering one. Hell, by they time it comes in I might actually have a job, hey?
Really, though, Russell's boss hooked us up with a friend of theirs who runs a Nissan dealership, so we might check that out for some inexpensive wheels.
Arizona ate my truck battery! We bought a new one yesterday and it seems to be working fine now. Sigh of relief that it wasn't the alternator, which was the big fear. But still. It's time to turn in the Sonoma. He's served me well and I'm sure we'll find a nice pasture for him.
Next on the dog and pony show: Excepts from the great book I just finished.
Friday, October 15, 2004
Toys
Todd McFarlane is opening up a shop in Tempe. It's more of a showroom, so he says, but it is open to the public, and purchases are allowed and probably encouraged. The grand opening is tomorrow, so put that on the To Do list alongside of 1) Test driving the Mini 2) Getting the alternator of my truck checked and replaced OR buying a new battery 3) Going to the Laundromat even though we are SUPPOSED to have a functioning washer here at the house (long story) 4) Accompanying Russell to work for a bit 5) Seeing "Team America".
I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
I'm in trouble
Some days are better than others, and this is definitely one of the more down-trodden. I need to check my charts, because I'm pretty sure there is some sort of Mercurial mis-alignment going on. It started a couple days ago with me dropping everything I touched. The big thing was dumping nearly an entire pot of pasta in the sink as I tried to drain it. I've spilled two cups of tea in the last two days, tossed a few bags of groceries around, and fumbled more than my usual share of random household items.
Today it all came to a head as I got in my truck to begin the final leg of of my trip home. I've been working a temp job for the past couple of days, and I had stopped on my way home tonight for some grocery shopping. I managed to get all three of my bags (laden with frozen and refrigerated goods, of course) into the cab without any spillage, and put the key in the ignition. Instant death. Nothing going on in this engine. No spark. No rumbling. Nothing. Russell is in a business meeting and really can't get away. I call sister Kristy who, unbeknownst to me, is in Washington DC for a week. bzzt. Sister Cindy is home but volunteers the services of her honey Roger, who is on his way home. He'll need to stop for some cables, but he'll be by to save the day. He did. At least temporarily. The truck started with a jump, but when I turned the lights on, instant death again. Another jump, this time including the lights, and I'm back in business. I actually made it all the way home at least, but as soon as I turned the key off I knew I was doomed. We are told that Arizona eats car batteries, and we're hoping that's all it is. In the mean time, we are going to have to carpool in the morning, and don't ask me how excited I am about trying to wake Russell up in time for that! :P
Anyway. I got home all KINDS of pissed off and frustrated and after rescuing the muttleys from the horror of 11+ hours in their crates all I wanted to do was play WoW for a bit and have a little escapism. Wasn't it just the icing on the cake to find out that the servers are down until tomorrow evening?? Jeesus.
I have a good book to read (Dan Brown's Angels & Demons), and Russell surprised me with Chubby Hubby ice cream and an appointment to test drive a Mini on Saturday, so all is not lost.
Today it all came to a head as I got in my truck to begin the final leg of of my trip home. I've been working a temp job for the past couple of days, and I had stopped on my way home tonight for some grocery shopping. I managed to get all three of my bags (laden with frozen and refrigerated goods, of course) into the cab without any spillage, and put the key in the ignition. Instant death. Nothing going on in this engine. No spark. No rumbling. Nothing. Russell is in a business meeting and really can't get away. I call sister Kristy who, unbeknownst to me, is in Washington DC for a week. bzzt. Sister Cindy is home but volunteers the services of her honey Roger, who is on his way home. He'll need to stop for some cables, but he'll be by to save the day. He did. At least temporarily. The truck started with a jump, but when I turned the lights on, instant death again. Another jump, this time including the lights, and I'm back in business. I actually made it all the way home at least, but as soon as I turned the key off I knew I was doomed. We are told that Arizona eats car batteries, and we're hoping that's all it is. In the mean time, we are going to have to carpool in the morning, and don't ask me how excited I am about trying to wake Russell up in time for that! :P
Anyway. I got home all KINDS of pissed off and frustrated and after rescuing the muttleys from the horror of 11+ hours in their crates all I wanted to do was play WoW for a bit and have a little escapism. Wasn't it just the icing on the cake to find out that the servers are down until tomorrow evening?? Jeesus.
I have a good book to read (Dan Brown's Angels & Demons), and Russell surprised me with Chubby Hubby ice cream and an appointment to test drive a Mini on Saturday, so all is not lost.
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