Today, a bonus birthday day, we went to Sedona. I've been wanting to get up there for ages, but our schedules just never seemed to give us the opportunity. Going forward, we will *make* time to get back, because DAMN. The pictures don't really do justice to the event of driving from the relatively bleak and rolling desert to the south into the gloriously huge formations of red rock--surrounded by trees, no less! It was breathtaking, and not a little overwhelming.
We didn't really have a plan, so we asked for a quick, easy day hike. We were directed to Bell Rock, which is one of the places I'd read about and wanted to visit at some point anyway. Supposedly, Bell Rock is the site of one of the major Votices in Sedona, but I have to tell you that I didn't feel particularly inspired or charged up in any way. Mostly I just felt a little dizzy. Especially after we hiked to the base of the rock and then decided to "go up a bit". We probably went about halfway up, and I would show you the photos to prove this, but dork that I am, I forgot to charge the digi-cam battery, and it went *poof* after I took the first photo from the parking lot (Just Google search "Bell Rock Sedona" and click "Images" and you'll get an eyefull). Anyway, we found a nice sitting rock at our half-way point and just sat and enjoyed the amazing views for a while before heading back down.
We were home by 2pm, and napping on the couch by 3:30. I think the heat and the climb just sucked the energy right out of us, vortices be damned. It's just a bit past 6pm now, and my splendid birthday weekend is nearly over. I love busy weekends like this--they leave me exhausted, but they seem to last so much longer than a weekend spent sleeping in and sitting around the house. It feels like I've had a week off from work. More cramming should be done!
Sadly, for the rest of the evening, the only cramming that will be done will be laundry into the machine! : D But there will be more days off, and more hikes, and more mini-adventures and exploring. Yes.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Saturday, April 29, 2006
It's mah birthday! It's mah birthday!
So today I'm 36. I gave myself a couple of really nice new scrapes on my right forearm and right shin, after taking a bad line on my bike ride this morning. I took the middle line in a gully full of sand, slid off to the side and caught my pedal, which threw me far and long into the rocks. Good Times! (the worst part of it all, truthfully, was when I got home and Russell demanded that he clean me up...the hydrogen peroxide stung a bazillion times worse than the original scrapes!)
I rode for about 3 hours this morning, with some complete strangers I hooked up with via a yahoo email list. I've just spent a fair amount of time trying to find some online photos of the trails we rode, to no avail. Suffice it to say that there was a lot of loose gravel, a boatload of nasty cholla, and more mini-whoop-de-dos (aka MOGULS!) than I ever care to ride again in my entire life. However, there was also miles of amazing scenery, a huge rock outcropping shaped exactly (from a distance) like a Gorilla, a teensy little horny toad (so cute!), and an amazing sense of "I DID IT" at the end of the ride. More, please!
This afternoon, Russell and I went out for lunch and then to a little specialty chocolate shop I had heard about. We then came home and took a nap on the couch. I think that was my favourite part of the day so far! I played some Tomb Raider and ate some Ice Cream Cake, and tomorrow we're going up to Sedona. What a fine birthday weekend!
(As far as the previous dreaming post goes, I wish I could say that the day following the dreams was filled with a sense of resolution and contentment, but alas, after marathon snoozes like that, I'm always more groggy than usual from having slept too much, and full of brain fog. I guess I have a lot to work out!)
I rode for about 3 hours this morning, with some complete strangers I hooked up with via a yahoo email list. I've just spent a fair amount of time trying to find some online photos of the trails we rode, to no avail. Suffice it to say that there was a lot of loose gravel, a boatload of nasty cholla, and more mini-whoop-de-dos (aka MOGULS!) than I ever care to ride again in my entire life. However, there was also miles of amazing scenery, a huge rock outcropping shaped exactly (from a distance) like a Gorilla, a teensy little horny toad (so cute!), and an amazing sense of "I DID IT" at the end of the ride. More, please!
This afternoon, Russell and I went out for lunch and then to a little specialty chocolate shop I had heard about. We then came home and took a nap on the couch. I think that was my favourite part of the day so far! I played some Tomb Raider and ate some Ice Cream Cake, and tomorrow we're going up to Sedona. What a fine birthday weekend!
(As far as the previous dreaming post goes, I wish I could say that the day following the dreams was filled with a sense of resolution and contentment, but alas, after marathon snoozes like that, I'm always more groggy than usual from having slept too much, and full of brain fog. I guess I have a lot to work out!)
Friday, April 28, 2006
The Problem with Sleeping, and other Complaints
Sometimes I wish I could just avoid dreaming. Last night I went to be early, thinking I'd wake up super refreshed and have hours and hours to get stuff done before I have to go into work this afternoon. Well apparently my subconcious had other ideas, because I was dreaming fervently all night long. When Russell's alarm clock went off, I hit snooze and went back to the dreaming. 3 times. When he got up, I got up to use the ladies room and promptly went back to my dreams. When he left for work I mumbled goodbye and collapsed back into bed. The dogs whined in protest, but still I dreamed on. Finally, at 10am, I forced myself up and out of the man-eating, dream inducing comfort of a big empty bed. 12 hours, I think?
What were these dreams about? I can't really say. Not that they are super secret or anything...just that it's all a foggy blur of odd snippets. Superhero-lasering giant "prison boxes" off the walls and ceiling of some hangar type place, releasing other super heroes and the odd bad guy or two. Finding some tiny glowing treasure chest filled with gelatinous goo. Showing that treasure to Angelina Jolie (she was one of the super-heroes I rescued, you see), and having her gasp in horror and throw it back to me, shrieking "Why are you showing that to me? I don't want it! Hide it!" I still don't know what it was.
In another part of the dream, Bucket was a shape-shifting hound, and apparently when he is disguised as a Daschund, he can't perform the "stand" stunt quite as well. Although it was much easier for him to become entangled in my knitting (which I don't do).
There are more and more odd snippets to all this, and for some reason I wanted to continue watching this bizaare montage more than I wanted to get up and face the day. It's gloomy and cloudy, after all. And I have to work tonight, closing with just 3 other people.
And it puts me one day closer to 36.
What were these dreams about? I can't really say. Not that they are super secret or anything...just that it's all a foggy blur of odd snippets. Superhero-lasering giant "prison boxes" off the walls and ceiling of some hangar type place, releasing other super heroes and the odd bad guy or two. Finding some tiny glowing treasure chest filled with gelatinous goo. Showing that treasure to Angelina Jolie (she was one of the super-heroes I rescued, you see), and having her gasp in horror and throw it back to me, shrieking "Why are you showing that to me? I don't want it! Hide it!" I still don't know what it was.
In another part of the dream, Bucket was a shape-shifting hound, and apparently when he is disguised as a Daschund, he can't perform the "stand" stunt quite as well. Although it was much easier for him to become entangled in my knitting (which I don't do).
There are more and more odd snippets to all this, and for some reason I wanted to continue watching this bizaare montage more than I wanted to get up and face the day. It's gloomy and cloudy, after all. And I have to work tonight, closing with just 3 other people.
And it puts me one day closer to 36.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Points of interest
1) Despite taking about 20 hours to defrost, I'm chalking up Monday's adventure in Refrigerator Defrostation as a Good Thing. Beverages are actually cold now, not just vaguely cool. It's a wonder we didn't suffer constant food poisoning. Our immune systems are probably nigh invulnerable at this point.
2) V for Vendetta is a damn good movie. However, Natalie Portman should NEVER, EVER again take a role which requires her to fake an English accent. *shudder*
3) I've discovered a positive side to those silly little nearly-invisible cell-phone ear/mic things: I can now talk to myself as much as I want (and that's a lot) and hardly anyone looks at me askance! They all just assume I'm chatting away to someone on the phone!
2) V for Vendetta is a damn good movie. However, Natalie Portman should NEVER, EVER again take a role which requires her to fake an English accent. *shudder*
3) I've discovered a positive side to those silly little nearly-invisible cell-phone ear/mic things: I can now talk to myself as much as I want (and that's a lot) and hardly anyone looks at me askance! They all just assume I'm chatting away to someone on the phone!
Monday, April 03, 2006
DIY Lies!
So I probably haven't mentioned it here, due to the utter mundanity, but our fridge hasn't really been, well, *cold* recently. And when I say "recently", I mean for about the past year. When my folks were here a couple weeks ago, my dad suggested that the several inches of ice that had accumulated in the freezer--and that were threatening to take over the fridge--might be a source of our non-cooling woes and that a defrost might be in order.
So.
I went online and read a couple of pages of info on defrosting the fridge. Pretty straightforward stuff. Empty all yer goods into coolers, unplug and/or turn off the fridge, open up the doors, and let The Thaw begin. They did mention having towels ready. They did mention that it could take up to 8 hours. They did NOT mention that water might actually flow from *under* the fridge and flood the floor of the kitchen. They did NOT mention that this might go on for NEARLY TWELVE HOURS. Small wonder the cooling mechanism was out of whack--it was apparently gummed up with an iceberg along the lines of that which sunk the Titanic.
Anyway. I haven't done much all day aside from babysit that fiasco. Good times.
So.
I went online and read a couple of pages of info on defrosting the fridge. Pretty straightforward stuff. Empty all yer goods into coolers, unplug and/or turn off the fridge, open up the doors, and let The Thaw begin. They did mention having towels ready. They did mention that it could take up to 8 hours. They did NOT mention that water might actually flow from *under* the fridge and flood the floor of the kitchen. They did NOT mention that this might go on for NEARLY TWELVE HOURS. Small wonder the cooling mechanism was out of whack--it was apparently gummed up with an iceberg along the lines of that which sunk the Titanic.
Anyway. I haven't done much all day aside from babysit that fiasco. Good times.
Out of the mouths of babes...
So over the weekend I was working the register when an older couple (grandparents?) with a young (4-5 years old) boy came through my line. The little boy handed me his Pez dispenser, part of the Disney Princesses series--Cinderella, which I thought was mildly peculiar, but hey, whatever, right? I played with Tonka trucks and Lincoln Logs when I was little. I take Cinderella, ring her up and hand her back to him.
At this point, things get a little...surreal. He lovingly cradles this Pez dispenser one little hand, tracing her "body" with his fingertips and says loudly "Just look at her beautiful breasts! They are so beautiful! And look at her lovely necklace..." It was all I could do to continue ringing the rest of their purchase without doubling over with laughter. I think I was as surprised by what he said as by the manner in which he said it--like he was a 40 year old wanna-be art connoisseur. To their credit, the adults with him did not make a big deal of it. They neither reprimanded him nor laughed or acted embarrassed. We exchanged that smile reserved for those special occasions when no words will suffice, they paid, and they were on their way.
I told a co-worker of mine--who happens to be gay--about it later in the day. His response? "That kid is TOTALLY batting for my team."
At this point, things get a little...surreal. He lovingly cradles this Pez dispenser one little hand, tracing her "body" with his fingertips and says loudly "Just look at her beautiful breasts! They are so beautiful! And look at her lovely necklace..." It was all I could do to continue ringing the rest of their purchase without doubling over with laughter. I think I was as surprised by what he said as by the manner in which he said it--like he was a 40 year old wanna-be art connoisseur. To their credit, the adults with him did not make a big deal of it. They neither reprimanded him nor laughed or acted embarrassed. We exchanged that smile reserved for those special occasions when no words will suffice, they paid, and they were on their way.
I told a co-worker of mine--who happens to be gay--about it later in the day. His response? "That kid is TOTALLY batting for my team."
Friday, March 31, 2006
Lemming!
I am a lemming. I turned on the television this morning so I could occupy my eyes and ears while I did some ironing. It was early and all of my "regular" channels were still broadcasting infomercials, so I had to resort to the "left hand of the dial," so to speak.
The first show I happened upon was on National Geographic, and it was called The Dog Whisperer. Now, I've seen this guy before and been pretty impressed with what I saw, so I put the clicker down and watched two episodes of the show. Good stuff. Mostly stuff that I knew from reading countless training guides and dog psychology books and going to training classes and what have you, but it was enough of a refresher to inspire me to spend about 2 hours this afternoon working and playing with Bucket and Delilah. Heaven knows they need it!
The next couple of shows I watched were on the LOGO network, which is apparently a new Gay and Lesbian channel, courtesy of MTV. Great. Can't wait to see stupid game shows and reality shows pitting this population--already under fire from "the outside"--against each other. Anyway, the shows were about cycling--Lifecycle, to be specific. It profiled some of the riders, showed the ride, and talked about the origins of the 7 day ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise money to fight and cure Aids. Now I'm all fired up to ride more, and do some kind of epic ride, complete with overnight camping, huge backpacks and support crews along the way. I would have even gone for a ride today if I hadn't been spending all that time with the dogs. :)
The third show I watched (hey, I had a lot of ironing!) was some sort of gardening rescue show. How to make your ugly duckling yard into a thing of beauty kind of thing. I pulled a few weeds in the yard after I walked the dogs, and I planned on which bushes I need to trim. See how tv affects me? I am playdough in the hands of network execs.
Insert witty closing comment here. I gotta go get ready for work and don't have time to come up with one of my own....
The first show I happened upon was on National Geographic, and it was called The Dog Whisperer. Now, I've seen this guy before and been pretty impressed with what I saw, so I put the clicker down and watched two episodes of the show. Good stuff. Mostly stuff that I knew from reading countless training guides and dog psychology books and going to training classes and what have you, but it was enough of a refresher to inspire me to spend about 2 hours this afternoon working and playing with Bucket and Delilah. Heaven knows they need it!
The next couple of shows I watched were on the LOGO network, which is apparently a new Gay and Lesbian channel, courtesy of MTV. Great. Can't wait to see stupid game shows and reality shows pitting this population--already under fire from "the outside"--against each other. Anyway, the shows were about cycling--Lifecycle, to be specific. It profiled some of the riders, showed the ride, and talked about the origins of the 7 day ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise money to fight and cure Aids. Now I'm all fired up to ride more, and do some kind of epic ride, complete with overnight camping, huge backpacks and support crews along the way. I would have even gone for a ride today if I hadn't been spending all that time with the dogs. :)
The third show I watched (hey, I had a lot of ironing!) was some sort of gardening rescue show. How to make your ugly duckling yard into a thing of beauty kind of thing. I pulled a few weeds in the yard after I walked the dogs, and I planned on which bushes I need to trim. See how tv affects me? I am playdough in the hands of network execs.
Insert witty closing comment here. I gotta go get ready for work and don't have time to come up with one of my own....
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Fatty on my mind
I discovered the Fat Cyclist through my ofttimes misguided loyalty to MSN.com. Well there is now a voting competition for Best Blog of the Week, or somesuch, and Fatty is giving away phat loot to anyone who will vote for him. One of his competitors was so entertained by his blog that she is throwing her two incontinent cats into the prize pot. Don't you owe it to yourself to vote?
Fat Cyclists and phat loot aside, I had a pretty cool day today. I was able to resist the Krispy Kreme donuts (including the chocolate covered, creme filled minions of satan) that the Bossman brought to work...AND I saw some of the Corteo folks in the store.
I was up front and espied a rather familiar looking young guy at one of the registers. I stared him down for awhile, not sure if my brain was making up stories so that my body and mouth would make a fool of me. As he turned to walk out the door, however, I noticed a badge/lanyard hanging down his back. It very definately had the Cirque du Soleil sun imprinted on it so, caution to the wind...I walked casually (ran) over to the door and greeted him eloquently (mumbled "something something CORTEO!"). He nodded and smiled (looked terrified and visibly shuddered), I complemented the show and thanked him for a wonderful performance (stuttered and drooled a little), and he walked away (tried very gallantly to disguise his dire urge to FLEE). Ahhh...a brush with fame. Yeah. It was a good day.
Fat Cyclists and phat loot aside, I had a pretty cool day today. I was able to resist the Krispy Kreme donuts (including the chocolate covered, creme filled minions of satan) that the Bossman brought to work...AND I saw some of the Corteo folks in the store.
I was up front and espied a rather familiar looking young guy at one of the registers. I stared him down for awhile, not sure if my brain was making up stories so that my body and mouth would make a fool of me. As he turned to walk out the door, however, I noticed a badge/lanyard hanging down his back. It very definately had the Cirque du Soleil sun imprinted on it so, caution to the wind...I walked casually (ran) over to the door and greeted him eloquently (mumbled "something something CORTEO!"). He nodded and smiled (looked terrified and visibly shuddered), I complemented the show and thanked him for a wonderful performance (stuttered and drooled a little), and he walked away (tried very gallantly to disguise his dire urge to FLEE). Ahhh...a brush with fame. Yeah. It was a good day.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Breaking All the Rules
In a recent post, one of my favourite co-denizens of the web, Fat Cyclist (yes, I've mentioned him before on numerous occasions, but I think he's entertaining enough to warrant multiple plugs) wrote up his three main rules of Blogging:
Don’t blog about blogging. Writing about the consternation you are experiencing because you have nothing to say is an excellent exercise, which you should then immediately delete without showing to anyone, ever.
Be about something. If your blog is about your entire life, it will probably be interesting to your family and closest friends (I’m being generous by including your closest friends in this list), and nobody else.
Write often. Don’t make people come back and read the same thing over and over. I mean, really.
I'm pretty sure I've never followed any of them with any real dedication.
I got a little intimidated about all the professed changes I'd be making--and embarrased that I hadn't figured any of them out (the first clue to my failure might have been NoviDavid's comment in the last post...pointing out my true incomprehension of all things HTML or otherwise web-coding related!). So I put off posting. Now I'm not even sure where my book is. I think it's buried under the mounds of papers, game manuals, and recyclable water bottles currently cluttering the top of the desk.
So. No new changes for this post. But here are a few exciting things we've done in the past week.
Shopping! I went last Monday for the first time in ages. I shouldn't really be allowed out of the house when the shopping mood strikes. I don't go often, but when I do, I end up spending money on silly things like new underwear, the DVD box set of Keen Eddie (hey, Suncoast was going out of business, so it was 40% off!), and a headlamp that I'm keen to attach to my bike helmet for summer night rides. I also picked up a gourmet carob brownie and some sweet little heart shaped cookies...for the dogs! I found a nice little shirt on clearance at Dillards, and oogled some shoes that I just couldn't justify.
Corteo! We went to see the show on Wednesday night. I think I purchased our tickets last November or something, so I got 2nd row seats. It was amazing, as all Cirque shows are. I smiled and laughed so much that my face hurt, and we both left feeling a little more inspired to get into shape (not that we'll be swinging from chandeliers anytime soon, but still...). If you've never seen a Cirque Du Soleil show.... do it.
Oblivion. It finally, finally came out. We picked it up for the PC, as Microsoft is being stingy with the XBox 360's, and who needs another console anyway for the one game that looks to be any good. Oh, and it is! Elder Scrolls was probably the first game that I got hooked on as an adult, and this just carries on in that vein, but in much better, and more beautiful ways. If anything can break my addiction to WoW, it will be this game. That said, the only thing that would currently make it better would be if it was online so I could chat with my friends. :D
Finally, yesterday we went to the Arizona Renaissance Faire. It's certainly not the same as going to our "home" faire in Kansas City, but it was still lovely to walk around holding hands and shop at all the goofy little craft shops. We caught bits and pieces of a few shows, and then watched the final joust, which was an abomination. I think the blood packs they used were the most impressive bit in the entire show. It wasn't painful for us to watch, however, as we were laughing our heads off through the entire thing. I mean, when you completely miss a pass, and have to swing your lance around behind your head to unhorse a guy (AND IT WORKS)...well it's pretty much a farce at that point.
Pooped as we were from walking around in the hot sun all day, we came home and watched a couple of episodes of Lost (only two remain of the first season DVD set. Oh noes!) and retired to the loft to lose ourselves in video games.
It's been a good week.
Don’t blog about blogging. Writing about the consternation you are experiencing because you have nothing to say is an excellent exercise, which you should then immediately delete without showing to anyone, ever.
Be about something. If your blog is about your entire life, it will probably be interesting to your family and closest friends (I’m being generous by including your closest friends in this list), and nobody else.
Write often. Don’t make people come back and read the same thing over and over. I mean, really.
I'm pretty sure I've never followed any of them with any real dedication.
I got a little intimidated about all the professed changes I'd be making--and embarrased that I hadn't figured any of them out (the first clue to my failure might have been NoviDavid's comment in the last post...pointing out my true incomprehension of all things HTML or otherwise web-coding related!). So I put off posting. Now I'm not even sure where my book is. I think it's buried under the mounds of papers, game manuals, and recyclable water bottles currently cluttering the top of the desk.
So. No new changes for this post. But here are a few exciting things we've done in the past week.
Shopping! I went last Monday for the first time in ages. I shouldn't really be allowed out of the house when the shopping mood strikes. I don't go often, but when I do, I end up spending money on silly things like new underwear, the DVD box set of Keen Eddie (hey, Suncoast was going out of business, so it was 40% off!), and a headlamp that I'm keen to attach to my bike helmet for summer night rides. I also picked up a gourmet carob brownie and some sweet little heart shaped cookies...for the dogs! I found a nice little shirt on clearance at Dillards, and oogled some shoes that I just couldn't justify.
Corteo! We went to see the show on Wednesday night. I think I purchased our tickets last November or something, so I got 2nd row seats. It was amazing, as all Cirque shows are. I smiled and laughed so much that my face hurt, and we both left feeling a little more inspired to get into shape (not that we'll be swinging from chandeliers anytime soon, but still...). If you've never seen a Cirque Du Soleil show.... do it.
Oblivion. It finally, finally came out. We picked it up for the PC, as Microsoft is being stingy with the XBox 360's, and who needs another console anyway for the one game that looks to be any good. Oh, and it is! Elder Scrolls was probably the first game that I got hooked on as an adult, and this just carries on in that vein, but in much better, and more beautiful ways. If anything can break my addiction to WoW, it will be this game. That said, the only thing that would currently make it better would be if it was online so I could chat with my friends. :D
Finally, yesterday we went to the Arizona Renaissance Faire. It's certainly not the same as going to our "home" faire in Kansas City, but it was still lovely to walk around holding hands and shop at all the goofy little craft shops. We caught bits and pieces of a few shows, and then watched the final joust, which was an abomination. I think the blood packs they used were the most impressive bit in the entire show. It wasn't painful for us to watch, however, as we were laughing our heads off through the entire thing. I mean, when you completely miss a pass, and have to swing your lance around behind your head to unhorse a guy (AND IT WORKS)...well it's pretty much a farce at that point.
Pooped as we were from walking around in the hot sun all day, we came home and watched a couple of episodes of Lost (only two remain of the first season DVD set. Oh noes!) and retired to the loft to lose ourselves in video games.
It's been a good week.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
My Brain isn't Big Enough
I try to wrap it around stuff like this, but it just won't go. I think perhaps it may have to do with the fact that I'm currently wasting valuable brainspace thinking about things like:
1) The fact that Delilah is in a yapping match with the dog behind us and may someday soon manage to climb the sheer block wall, with all the carnage that entails.
2) The fact that Bucket is very likely to vomit in the next 30 minutes or so due to the huge quantity of grass he's been grazing.
and,
3) What exactly is the deal with John Locke? (yes, we've been sucked into this extravaganza of suspense and mystery--we got the first season on DVD and are now panicking as to how we will cope when we are finished with this set, since we can't watch the show on telly and the second season won't be out for months.)
Friday is another day off for me, so perhaps I can clear out some time and meditate some brainspace free for some self-inflicted code torture.
1) The fact that Delilah is in a yapping match with the dog behind us and may someday soon manage to climb the sheer block wall, with all the carnage that entails.
2) The fact that Bucket is very likely to vomit in the next 30 minutes or so due to the huge quantity of grass he's been grazing.
and,
3) What exactly is the deal with John Locke? (yes, we've been sucked into this extravaganza of suspense and mystery--we got the first season on DVD and are now panicking as to how we will cope when we are finished with this set, since we can't watch the show on telly and the second season won't be out for months.)
Friday is another day off for me, so perhaps I can clear out some time and meditate some brainspace free for some self-inflicted code torture.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Small Victories
So I've changed the template completely so that I can follow along with some of the stuff the book shows as examples. I'm pretty sure my site will be ugly as hell for some time, while I figure all this out. I have figured out how to change the colour of the main header, the font style and colour, and how to add my favourite links to the sidebar (FINALLY!). I will fiddle with it more and more in the days to come, but right now I feel like my eyeballs are the size of grapefruits--and they are covered in sandpaper. Now I know why coders are nuts.
In other news, I nearly drove off the side of the road (not really mom, calm down!) yesterday on my way to work. There was SNOW in the mountains. The tips of the McDowell Mountains to the east were dusted with the white stuff, but to the north they were completely blanketed. It was such a beautiful sight! Snow! Within my field of range, and without using special 500x zoom optics! Fantastic.
And now, since it is my day off, I must go attend to that Stuff To Do list I created. I'll have to add "Fiddle with my Blog" to it now, since I've just spent about an hour doing just that. :D
In other news, I nearly drove off the side of the road (not really mom, calm down!) yesterday on my way to work. There was SNOW in the mountains. The tips of the McDowell Mountains to the east were dusted with the white stuff, but to the north they were completely blanketed. It was such a beautiful sight! Snow! Within my field of range, and without using special 500x zoom optics! Fantastic.
And now, since it is my day off, I must go attend to that Stuff To Do list I created. I'll have to add "Fiddle with my Blog" to it now, since I've just spent about an hour doing just that. :D
Sunday, March 12, 2006
10 Days and a New Impetus
It rained yesterday. My first Saturday off with Russell in...oh....a lifetime. We were going to go out to the Arizona Renaissance Faire, but decided against paying $40 to go shopping in the mud and muck. "The Show Must Go On" they say, and it does, but having as much experience as we both do with faires, we knew that we'd have to sort of have an "in" to see the best stuff. Without that inside edge, we would have just been wandering from dry booth to dry booth looking at hand woven jumpers and odd leather accoutrements. Another time perhaps.
We used our day off instead to shop in more comfortable conditions. My very best friend gave us a B&N gift card for Christmas, and we had yet to spend any of it, so away we went to the nearby shopper's paradise. We were quickly seduced by the thought of California Pizza Kitchen (which just happens to be across the way from B&N), so didn't spend the requisite 3 hours in the bookstore. I did, however, pick up a book that I'd seen a few months ago. This book is going to help me overcome my blogging blahs. It's going to make my blog bigger and better and more fun to write and much more fun to visit. But not today. Today I have to work.
But thanks, Kimbra!
We used our day off instead to shop in more comfortable conditions. My very best friend gave us a B&N gift card for Christmas, and we had yet to spend any of it, so away we went to the nearby shopper's paradise. We were quickly seduced by the thought of California Pizza Kitchen (which just happens to be across the way from B&N), so didn't spend the requisite 3 hours in the bookstore. I did, however, pick up a book that I'd seen a few months ago. This book is going to help me overcome my blogging blahs. It's going to make my blog bigger and better and more fun to write and much more fun to visit. But not today. Today I have to work.
But thanks, Kimbra!
Thursday, March 02, 2006
TechnoHate and Stoopid Pet Tricks
More and more recently I see people with those wierd little ear things hooked on their heads. They yammer away on their cell phones, but you don't really know it until you see the wierd little ear thing. Usually I just think they are nuts and talking really loudly to themselves (what is wrong with technology that we can create an mp3 player the size of a stick of gum that will hold 40 hours of music, but we can't make a microphone substantial enough to rid the world of cell phone shouters?).
From time to time I think maybe I should get myself an ear thing. I mean, the lady that works janitorial maintenance for our business complex was chatting away happily (and not, as I originally thought, to herself) as I left work today. Everyone seems to have them; why not me?
Here's why, and I'm glad you asked: I hate cell phones. I've ranted about them enough before in regards to other people's use of them, but here's this. I also hate MY cell phone. Despite all claims to its being so handy and portable, it never seems to be in the same room with me. If it IS in the same room with me and it happens to ring, it's a wrong number or work. OR the room I happen to be in is a room with very poor reception, so I find myself pacing around the house looking for that perfect spot. It's just a poorly functioning pita. While it serves its purpose and tends to make me feel a little more secure when I'm on a long road trip or mt. bike ride, it definitely doesn't warrant its own accessories.
And on another entirely different note, I taught the dogs to jump in a carboard box today. They'll do anything for a treat. After our "training" session, I worked in the yard for a bit and would periodically look up to see Bucket staring me down from inside the box, clearly waiting to be rewarded. He's clever in his own ridiculous way.
From time to time I think maybe I should get myself an ear thing. I mean, the lady that works janitorial maintenance for our business complex was chatting away happily (and not, as I originally thought, to herself) as I left work today. Everyone seems to have them; why not me?
Here's why, and I'm glad you asked: I hate cell phones. I've ranted about them enough before in regards to other people's use of them, but here's this. I also hate MY cell phone. Despite all claims to its being so handy and portable, it never seems to be in the same room with me. If it IS in the same room with me and it happens to ring, it's a wrong number or work. OR the room I happen to be in is a room with very poor reception, so I find myself pacing around the house looking for that perfect spot. It's just a poorly functioning pita. While it serves its purpose and tends to make me feel a little more secure when I'm on a long road trip or mt. bike ride, it definitely doesn't warrant its own accessories.
And on another entirely different note, I taught the dogs to jump in a carboard box today. They'll do anything for a treat. After our "training" session, I worked in the yard for a bit and would periodically look up to see Bucket staring me down from inside the box, clearly waiting to be rewarded. He's clever in his own ridiculous way.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Good Reason
I've been gone for a while, yes, but my Very Good Reason is that my parents were in town for a week! I was far too busy chillin' on the couch watching the olympics and shopping in wondrous new places to sit down and write anything. So here I am, playing catchup like the procrastinator I am.
We did watch a lot of the olympics--who didn't? (be honest--you watched some of it!) Ice dancing mostly, with a few Giant Slalom and Super G events tossed in. Some bobsledding, Snowboard Cross...it just made me miss winter that much more. And, by the way, it wasn't even super nice for the week my folks were here. It was barely 70 degrees most days; we had to wear long sleeves and/or JACKETS! Of course for them that was just fine; when they left home it was about 20 degrees and snowing/icing. I guess it's all relative.
Anyway, aside from Olympic marathons, we did our fair share of endurance shopping. Found some great bargains in some shops and paid more than is reasonable for .salsa at other shops. I got to see a lot of stuff that I've never even seen, even though it's right down street from where I work. Hopefully it was entertaining for the 'rents as well.
On of the "things" we did was go to Fountain Hills for the Great Fair--an arts and crafts fair of epic proportions. Fountain Hills is a hoity toity commununity just east of Phoenix, and I only knew where it was because the McDowell mt. Park has its main trail head there. I'd heard tails of a giant fountain downtown, and I imagined something like the fountains I'd seen in Kansas City--big ornate productions with more spouts and statues than height. However, people claimed to be able to see this fountain from various points on the bike trail (which is several several miles away), and I even overheard folks talking about seeing it from the air as they flew into Phoenix. Hmmm...So we pulled into the downtown area and come across this huge lake (my dad scoffed at it being referred to as a lake--remember that he lives by one that covers 25,000 square acres--but he forgets we're in the desert here, and a puddle of water might be considered a pond if it lasts more than a week). This lake was, oddly, bordered by several Saguaro cacti. It was also home to a wierdly retro-mod orifice of sorts:
I'm clever enough to have understood that this must be the fountain everyone was talking about, but where was the water? I was disappointed that we wouldn't be able to see it, but whatever. It's just a fountain, right? A while later someone looked up and Lo! WATER!
I'm not sure of the validity of the statement, but we heard someone say that it's about 300 feet tall. Who says the desert is dry!?
We did watch a lot of the olympics--who didn't? (be honest--you watched some of it!) Ice dancing mostly, with a few Giant Slalom and Super G events tossed in. Some bobsledding, Snowboard Cross...it just made me miss winter that much more. And, by the way, it wasn't even super nice for the week my folks were here. It was barely 70 degrees most days; we had to wear long sleeves and/or JACKETS! Of course for them that was just fine; when they left home it was about 20 degrees and snowing/icing. I guess it's all relative.
Anyway, aside from Olympic marathons, we did our fair share of endurance shopping. Found some great bargains in some shops and paid more than is reasonable for .salsa at other shops. I got to see a lot of stuff that I've never even seen, even though it's right down street from where I work. Hopefully it was entertaining for the 'rents as well.
On of the "things" we did was go to Fountain Hills for the Great Fair--an arts and crafts fair of epic proportions. Fountain Hills is a hoity toity commununity just east of Phoenix, and I only knew where it was because the McDowell mt. Park has its main trail head there. I'd heard tails of a giant fountain downtown, and I imagined something like the fountains I'd seen in Kansas City--big ornate productions with more spouts and statues than height. However, people claimed to be able to see this fountain from various points on the bike trail (which is several several miles away), and I even overheard folks talking about seeing it from the air as they flew into Phoenix. Hmmm...So we pulled into the downtown area and come across this huge lake (my dad scoffed at it being referred to as a lake--remember that he lives by one that covers 25,000 square acres--but he forgets we're in the desert here, and a puddle of water might be considered a pond if it lasts more than a week). This lake was, oddly, bordered by several Saguaro cacti. It was also home to a wierdly retro-mod orifice of sorts:
I'm clever enough to have understood that this must be the fountain everyone was talking about, but where was the water? I was disappointed that we wouldn't be able to see it, but whatever. It's just a fountain, right? A while later someone looked up and Lo! WATER!
I'm not sure of the validity of the statement, but we heard someone say that it's about 300 feet tall. Who says the desert is dry!?
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Beware of Strange (non-mechanic) Men in Red Bathrobes! And other strange tales...
So tonight at work a woman approached me as I attempted to clean up a mess of Budaberg Ginger Beer. It was a sticky, treacherous place to be, and why she chose to talk to me instead of one of the numerous other employees will forever remain a mystery. Her car had died, and did I, or anyone there have a set of jumper cables? If you know me, you know I am a sucker and a softie to boot, so you will nod your head when I say that although I didn't have jumper cables myself, I took it upon myself to find her some. I asked three other people until I found a set, and then somehow finagled myself into giving her the jump. Or attempting to.
I got my car situated and we hooked up the cables and....not much happened. She got some dashlights and little else. We thought maybe we'd just give it a few moments to juice up, and as we stood there chatting, up walks Red Terrycloth Bathrobe man. In the middle of our parking lot (this is a huge, very public lot, mind you--we're basically in an outdoor mall) is walking a middle-aged man, wearing nothing but the aforementioned bathrobe and some flip-flops. I kid you not. He approached us saying "I'm no mechanic, but I trained in diesel school...." Wait, what? So diesel engines aren't considered mechanical? But I digress. He proceeds then to tell us that I shouldn't have my car on to give her a jump, and that if he only had a pen light he could open up either of our batteries to look inside and tell us whether they are any good. Now it may be that I'm mistaken, and correct me if I am, but didn't they stop making the sort of battery that requires water (and therefore that you could check in this fashiong) about 10 or 15 years ago? After the "if only I had a penlight" lament, we got a little lecture on the best types of batteries to buy and how once he had to take his battery out and swap it with his buddies car to get 'em to work. It was very surreal. And I'm sorry I missed it, but apparently when he *finally* walked away, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a big-ole bottle of (presumeably) prescription pills. It was just odd. Bathrobe Man.
And the follow-up to that is that I never got her going...almost 30 minutes of jacking with it, and...nothing. I had to go back to work. However, a nice (and presumably sane--he was at least wearing "public" clothes!) young man came by and offered to take up where I left off. She returned the cables less than 5 minutes after I came back in, which leads me to wonder where the hell we went wrong, and if I should be concerned about my own battery.
So yeah. That was the big strangeness of the evening. And then I came home and captured these images for posterity:
Wherein Bucket shows his complete and utter disdain for the freaky amoeba ball. Could have something to do with the fact that we'd just put it on his face.
And then there is the other, happier, side of Bucket:
He was actually yawning, but it's more fun to think of it as a guffaw. :)
I got my car situated and we hooked up the cables and....not much happened. She got some dashlights and little else. We thought maybe we'd just give it a few moments to juice up, and as we stood there chatting, up walks Red Terrycloth Bathrobe man. In the middle of our parking lot (this is a huge, very public lot, mind you--we're basically in an outdoor mall) is walking a middle-aged man, wearing nothing but the aforementioned bathrobe and some flip-flops. I kid you not. He approached us saying "I'm no mechanic, but I trained in diesel school...." Wait, what? So diesel engines aren't considered mechanical? But I digress. He proceeds then to tell us that I shouldn't have my car on to give her a jump, and that if he only had a pen light he could open up either of our batteries to look inside and tell us whether they are any good. Now it may be that I'm mistaken, and correct me if I am, but didn't they stop making the sort of battery that requires water (and therefore that you could check in this fashiong) about 10 or 15 years ago? After the "if only I had a penlight" lament, we got a little lecture on the best types of batteries to buy and how once he had to take his battery out and swap it with his buddies car to get 'em to work. It was very surreal. And I'm sorry I missed it, but apparently when he *finally* walked away, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a big-ole bottle of (presumeably) prescription pills. It was just odd. Bathrobe Man.
And the follow-up to that is that I never got her going...almost 30 minutes of jacking with it, and...nothing. I had to go back to work. However, a nice (and presumably sane--he was at least wearing "public" clothes!) young man came by and offered to take up where I left off. She returned the cables less than 5 minutes after I came back in, which leads me to wonder where the hell we went wrong, and if I should be concerned about my own battery.
So yeah. That was the big strangeness of the evening. And then I came home and captured these images for posterity:
Wherein Bucket shows his complete and utter disdain for the freaky amoeba ball. Could have something to do with the fact that we'd just put it on his face.
And then there is the other, happier, side of Bucket:
He was actually yawning, but it's more fun to think of it as a guffaw. :)
Friday, February 10, 2006
waiting...
for something big to happen so I can post about it here. We bought a bedframe, you see. A lovely Indian sej-style bed (4 posts/canopy/lots of dark, heavy wood). It's sitting in the spare room now, taking up just about every inch of available space. It's waiting for its mattress, which we bought yesterday and which should be delivered...oh, any minute now. They have another hour and a half to get it here. Oh, how I hate 3-hour delivery windows!
I will most certainly take photos of the bed when it is all put together and lovely.
For now...oh never mind. I can't find the camera cable to d/l (or would that be "upload"?) photos of the Bowflex Ultimate 2 which is lying in pieces on the floor of our front room. When you order these things, I don't think it ever really occurs to you that it they will not come fully assembled and ready to go out of the box. Or that you might possibly have to rearrange your entire living space to accomodate them. But at some point soon we will have our own little home gym and we will be sexy muthas. Soon.
I will most certainly take photos of the bed when it is all put together and lovely.
For now...oh never mind. I can't find the camera cable to d/l (or would that be "upload"?) photos of the Bowflex Ultimate 2 which is lying in pieces on the floor of our front room. When you order these things, I don't think it ever really occurs to you that it they will not come fully assembled and ready to go out of the box. Or that you might possibly have to rearrange your entire living space to accomodate them. But at some point soon we will have our own little home gym and we will be sexy muthas. Soon.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
A note!
The page I linked to is someone else's photos--I have nothing to do with that site except that I rode that trail this morning. I'm just stealing her intellectual property for my own purposes, since I forgot to take our camera. :D
Humbling
So this morning I got up at 6am to head out for a bike ride at Pemberton Trail. The main trail is about a 15 mile loop, and while not technical, has its fair share of deceptively easy climbs. I was feeling all mighty and good about myself being all pro-active and fit and all, until we pulled up to the checkin station and saw the sign: "Pemberton 50k Run Today". A few seconds after my jaw dropped, Scott (my tourguide) managed to calculate that 50k is about 30 miles. TWO LAPS around the trail. Running. Shortly after we started out, we started seeing the runners coming our way. They were just finishing up their first lap and most of them looked like they were just warming up. They all greeted us cheerfully; some of them were chatting casually with each other. I mentally took a step or three down from my high horse. I knew I'd be pooped after one lap--on my bike. These folks were slogging up and down the hills and through the sand strictly by their own propulsion (is that a correct usage of that word?)... I was humbled.
When I wasn't busy pulling over to get out of the runners' way, I was enjoying the views and the sounds of the crazy coyote chorus. The sky was blue and clear, the air was brisk, and yummy breakfast bagels awaited us at the end of the trail. It was a good morning. And it's only noon! I've got the whole day ahead of me.
We're going to play a bit, shop for a bit, and go watch the Ultimate Fighter Championships with some friends of Russell's. Wahoo!
When I wasn't busy pulling over to get out of the runners' way, I was enjoying the views and the sounds of the crazy coyote chorus. The sky was blue and clear, the air was brisk, and yummy breakfast bagels awaited us at the end of the trail. It was a good morning. And it's only noon! I've got the whole day ahead of me.
We're going to play a bit, shop for a bit, and go watch the Ultimate Fighter Championships with some friends of Russell's. Wahoo!
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