Usually Friday the 13th is a Good luck day for me. I've never had a problem with it before.

That ended today.

I rushed through my morning work so my desk would be clean before I left for work; I ended up working a little later than I'd planned, so I didn't get home until noon. That was okay, still had plenty of time...

NOT. I pulled into the driveway and noticed the back gate was open. Uh oh, I thought, Sam has escaped. No. He was inside sleeping on the bed, having allowed someone to KICK IN our back door and take our 32-inch flat screen television. Fortunately, apparently nothing else has been taken (including this laptop, which would have caused me Great Tearing Of Hair, since a) not paid for yet, and b) MY NANO IS ON IT!!!) However, only the television was taken, so there is that; we still have an old console TV in the back room which can be hooked up when I get home (cable, so no worries about the lack of HD), and I have to hope, pray, and trust that since the Tivo was apparently untouched (praise the Lord!), it will be recording my shows while I'm gone. I hope.

The TV was only three years old. We got it for our Christmas present the year before we had the house remodeled. *sigh*

I had to race around calling the police and TRYING to get hold of my insurance agent; fortunately the officer arrived to make a police report very quickly(and he was very nice), but I could only leave a message for my agent before Barb had to take me to catch my plane to Orlando.

So now I'm in the airport. I knew there would be a fee for a third bag, and I figured I'd suck it up, because, hey, I needed three bags coming home last time. I didn't realize said fee was FIFTY BUCKS. Yikes. So much for having any money to spend while I'm there. Fortunately, the ship basically gathers all your on-board charges and then charges at disembarkation, at which time my paycheck will be there so I'm not worried about that, and Mom usually picks up the tab for most everything else, and I'll have to be a leech this time out, because I'm so, so broke. Insurance will cover the broken back door and the TV, of course, minus deductible, but DAMN. Now I HAVE to stop putting it on the "eventually" list and get those security doors for the front and, apparently, the back as well.

I'll admit I know that Sam is a friendly, completely non-aggressive dog who would, of course, let anyone at all ransack our house, but I'd always depended on the simple presence of a dog to keep people out of our back yard. Bad idea.

(Seeing Jonathan in the bright daylight of the airport terminal tells me how dirty he gets sitting around the house... and my, I have greasy fingers.)

I didn't have a chance to eat before coming to the airport, as I planned, and I stopped being hungry anyway, after getting home and seeing everything; so I got here and was forced to pay for greasy airport food (speaking of greasy fingers).

Plus, while in the first week of NaNo I made impressive strides, this week I've done diddly squat, and my current word count is only 24,668. I also didn't finish my Writer's Group (or even start it, really) -- bad timing, having the deadline come in the middle of NaNo -- AND they just announced that the flight is completely full, and are asking for people to give up their seat. Why will airlines overbook like this? Sadly, I also didn't remember to check in online last night, so I'm in Group C, position 19 (and those who have flown Southwest know what THAT means).

So now I have to leave Barb to handle the insurance (I left a message for my agent and her the policy information), and I realized when I was standing in line at Security that in the midst of all the wackiness, I FORGOT MY iPOD at home. No music for me this trip (I have a few things on the computer here, but most of my music is on the external drive, at home). And thanks to the idiots who ruined liberty for all, my hands are all dry from being washed and my lotion is all in my checked baggage.

Whine, whine, whine.

At least the wi-fi at Sky Harbor is free.

( Picture of television )

I can't get Firefox to open.

Grrrrr.

I don't like IE.

And now I have to dash off, dash it all. Why must computers confound me when I'm in a hurry?

Word count: 22,461

Am too tired to write more tonight, although I want to.

Am also too busy and too feeling insane in preparation for vacation to focus on either NaNo or my writer's group, which technically is due this weekend, but I really, really doubt i'll be able to finish it before I leave. Oops.

I have one suitcase packed with all my fancy duds; I have to go buy See's for Mom and decide on all of the casual duds I need to bring (this, that, the kitchen sink, etc., etc.).

* * * *

I was tagged by nutmeg3, so I meme...

The rules (copied verbatim!):
FIRST: If you've been tagged, you must write your answers in your own LJ and replace any question that you dislike with a new, original question.
SECOND: Tag eight sexy people. Don't refuse to do that like a pansy.
I tag (not in alphabetical order, and some because I know they, like me, are doing NaNo and have this much time to waste): cornerofmadness, sillymagpie, evil_little_dog, framefolly, tiirz (and anyone else who feels like doing it. No pressure).

( The Sexy Meme )

Word Count so far today: 13,672

Yesterday there was a lot of excitement at my office, as this fellow was spotted on campus:



Most everyone had never seen a Great Horned Owl in the wild, much less during the day, so everyone was coming out to see it -- I don't know when he came, or why he decided to spend the day in one of our palm trees, but there he was. Fortunately, my supervisor had a real camera, because the ones we were trying to take with our cell phones sucked.

This morning we were up bright and early (much earlier, really, than we'd meant to, because for some reason, neither of us could sleep much past 3 am) and headed out to Tempe for the Breast Cancer Walk. Pink was in abundance, and a lot of awesome guys defied tradition and wore pink, as well. It's not a strenuous walk, but I was glad when it ended. I stiffened up in the car on the way home, though, mostly I think because we spent 20 minutes in the car trying to get out of the parking garage. (Seriously, if you are EVER in a parking garage in downtown Tempe, always try to exit on ANY street but Mill. Every time we've tried to get out an exit that feeds onto Mill, it's hell. Fortunately, we managed to get out of that line and headed out the Ash Street exit, which took two minutes, and we were back in Phoenix in a shorter amount of time than we'd moved four feet inside the garage waiting to exit onto Mill.)

Then I went to get my hair done. I was going to stop at Bed, Bath & Beyond on the way home, but the parking lot was ABSOLUTELY FULL (all the way out to Camelback), with a dozen or more parking sharks circling, so I gave up and came home. A while later, after hanging the laundry, I went over to Target, which was much easier to get into, and found what I needed there. Every time I hear something dire about the economy, I go to a store and it's packed to the rafters with people buying things. To this I say WTF?

I forgot until just now I was going to go to Trader Joe's and get more Greek yogurt. Well, perhaps tomorrow.

Despite the too-high temperatures in Phoenix this last two weeks, I'm starting to feel the holiday love. I adore buying gifts (even when I don't like the bills!). *happy smile*

One week until the cruise! I'm starting to obsess about what I need to bring, what I want to bring, and what I really don't need. I will need to bring computer, a book or two (will be writing more than reading, but still, some places one is more practical than the other), and then the usual run of clothes, casual to elegant, etc. I'm going to bring my sparkly red gown, because I haven't had a chance to wear that one yet and I'm dying to, and I'm not sure which other one. Maybe the silver one again.

I have Mexican Wedding cookies in the oven, and dinner will be pasta with sausage.

This morning we said goodbye to Cuervo. In the last few days he took a serious turn for the worse and last night he was just barely able to walk, hardly able to eat, and just so draggy and sick we made the hard choice. *is sad*

It colored my day, and all little annoyances turned into big ones, and I had to take a time out for myself and go cry in the bathroom.

This morning they were talking to us about how FMLA (medical leave) works, and while the nurse was there, a brief mention was made of whether or not same-sex partners were covered; she "thought they were." Then we get a "clarification email" which contained this line:

“Immediate family members” (for Category A absences) include the employee's:

· Spouse - a husband or wife as defined or recognized under State law for purposes of marriage in the State where the employee resides, including common law marriage in States where it is recognized

Sounds like, for all my company's touting "diversity and inclusion," when it comes to brass tacks it's all bullshit. This also made me very unhappy.

Word Count: 12,115

I liked the first episode of V. Still loving FlashForward. (Ooo! Ooo!!! OOOOOO!!!!) Am filled with a certain amount of satisfaction that, apparently, the only team who can prevent the Yankees from taking the World Series are the Arizona Diamondbacks (at least, our 2001 team could).

Tomorrow is Friday. Saturday I walk the Cancer Walk with Barb and then I'm getting my hair cut because I want it to look nice for the cruise. Only one week away, and I have lost no more weight. At least I think I look pretty good, anyway; and I have a whole week!

Word Count: 8,212.

Random thoughts:

On October 24, 1940, the forty-hour work week was begun as a provision of the Fair Labor Standard Act, which also established a minimum wage of twenty-five cents per hour. A steady decrease in time spent on the job was recorded over the preceding century. The rise of labor unions caused an acceleration of this trend, resulting in a 35-percent reduction of manufacturing work hours between 1900 and 1940, and many economists and politicios assumed this trend would continue. In 1933 Congress even considered the Thirty-Hour Work Week Bill, which was derailed by business interested after it was okayed by the Senate. But expectations persisted. In 1956, for example, conservative vice president Richard Nixon confidently predicted that Americans would work a four-day week in the “not so distant future.” Three years later Edmund Ziegler agreed, writing in The Nation, “The extra day of leisure for Americans will have an effect as profound as that produced by the automobile.”

I feel this one keenly:

On October 28, 1853, six years after leaving the solace of Walden Pond, Henry David Thoreau wrote in his journal: “My publisher has been writing from time to time to ask what disposition should be made of the copies of A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers still on hand, and at last suggesting that he had use for the room they occupied in his cellar. So I had them all sent to me here, and they have arrived to-day by express, filling the man’s wagon – 706 copies out of an edition of 1000. . . I have now a library of nearly nine hundred volumes, over seven hundred of which I wrote myself.” Looking on the bright side, the reclusive philosopher added: “Sitting beside the inert mass of my works, I take up my pen to-night to record what thought or experience I have had, with as much satisfaction as ever. Indeed, I believe that this result is more inspiring and better for me than if a thousand had bought my wares. It affect my privacy less and leaves me freer.”

And now to bed.

Words so far: 5,392

Did not have as much time to write as I'd hoped. When I got home I found Cairo outside and only Silhouette inside. I couldn't find Cuervo anywhere. I fed Silly, searched for Cuervo, brought in the laundry, folded, put things away, watered the garden, then looked out the window and there he was, just sitting there. So I brought him in, washed his face (he doesn't seem to be doing it on his own anymore, although I did see Cairo wash it for him earlier today), and fed him. Darned cat.

Back to writing.

Let the wordage begin! I actually spent the morning cleaning the house a little and doing laundry, then finally sat down to write some; then we had to do the shopping for Barb's mom, finish the laundry, and some other miscellany.

Word count for today: 2,887. I doubt I can keep up that speed every day when I'm not just sitting around watching television. We shall see. *knock wood*

Buenos Dios de los Muertos!

Back to my diet tomorrow. I'll weigh in and see what kind of damage I've done with my laziness last week...

BBC has finally announced an air date for the next Doctor Ten special. November 15. I started to squee then realized I will be on a ship at sea and will have to wait a week!!!

I realized I still don't have Season Three and Four. Maybe when I have money again, perhaps after Christmas. I don't like falling too far behind because then it costs so much to catch up!

( Work smarter, not harder. )

We had to run out to Costco and get cat food, lest we be mobbed by a pack of angry felines. Whilst there had the usual run of freebies -- that's usually a weekend lunch but tonight it was appetizers. There was pancetta (yum), little pizzas, Chai tea, sesame dressing, chips and salsa -- seriously, you can get a good meal at Costco if you hit it at the right time. We bought some popcorn, lovely flavored stuff, because I agitated for it and my wife is too good to me.

Today was running around in costume, eating candy, eating a large lunch with cake (retirement party), then more food. I need to be VERY GOOD next week if I want to proceed to my goal, which seems to be receding rather than coming closer (oops).

I'm finally getting caught up on a rather large backlog of Craig Ferguson episodes, and I was quite concerned to find out that using green ink is a sign of weirdness. Or perhaps I simply am weird. *grin* (I may have to watch that episode again. It was amusing.)

I still have a slight sore throat--it's never turned into anything, so I am left assuming that it's just bad allergies. I've bounced between feeling crappy and feeling okay all week; this has left me too groggy most mornings to get up and work out, and then add a strong desire to suck down the Snickers that someone brought to the office and left on the community snack table (I deliberately bought Halloween candy I didn't like for my own desk, but Snickers are a weakness), so I'm stalled. However, I (so far, knock wood) haven't gained anything back. I have two weeks before the cruise. I probably won't make it entirely to my goal, but if I can get a little further in the next two weeks, I'll feel good about myself. But I still baked cookies this evening because, well, I wanted to.

My massage therapist says I am awesomely better. I fell asleep on the table this evening and didn't even feel my foot massage (this is good and bad).

I hope I have a little money come the new year for actual yoga classes, because I'm certain this was very good for me. It's just SO EXPENSIVE!!!

( Chapter Sixteen )

I should get this done here this week, since NaNoWriMo starts on Sunday.

I also have to remember to order my free download of Windows 7, which came with Jonathan here. (Not, to be honest, that I've actually been upset with Vista...)

* * *

Didn't sleep well last night. Kept waking up. Then when I decided to skip the gym and sleep, some moron across the street decided that 5 in the morning was a good time to move heavy furniture, and parked a very loud truck right outside our window and spent half an hour with the engine running, chains clanking, and the ramp making noise. GAH. I hope they were moving OUT, because that is not a way to endear oneself to one's new neighbors.

I have to go to yoga tonight and I'm decidedly not in the right frame of mind. I've felt seriously freezing all day and while, yes, the weather has suddenly turned cold and everyone else in the office was complaining about it being freaking cold, this doesn't feel RIGHT. And now my throat is hurting, too. Will not be sick. Will not.

We will find out about Cuervo's blood test results on Thursday. Fingers crossed. Apparently he demonstrated his pooping and barfing skills to the vet, but the entire staff just LURVES him because he's such a darling.

Hopefully the crapiness is just lack of sleep and if I can get some rest tonight, I will feel better tomorrow. Blah.

Cuervo (points to icon) had his checkup today. I took him in fully expecting to say goodbye to him -- he is down to five pounds and is basically a walking, eating, pooping skeleton... but the vet wants to run some tests and see if there is anything we can do that won't break the bank, so she's keeping him tonight (fasting) and tomorrow he gets a full run of blood work and a poop scan, especially since she said he was still bright-eyed and not lethargic at all (despite the watery eyes and sneezing, which, considering Phoenix air, isn't that unusual), and he's eating and drinking well, SO... there may actually be hope. Plus, he was being his usual adorable self, rubbing his head and nose and self against the vet and the tech, so... he's spending the night there so he can fast for the blood work (and fasting here, with the other two bottomless food machines, would not be easy).

I did seem to regain a pound over the weekend, but overall prognosis is good. I was in the gym first thing this morning and had a good workout, but I was feeling snacky/deserty this evening so had some chocolate. Sometimes you just gotta have a little chocolate. Otherwise, not bad. Had some leftover chicken with rice & gravy and a salad, much the same as we had on Caturday with the gang -- I make a danged good roast chicken, I do.

Wha'd'do, Everybody! (No, I don't know what it means, but it's what Wavey says, and I love Wavey.)

Very little exciting happened today for a Caturday; we went out to the Goodwill 50% off sales to see if I could find me something for a passable banana costume (our intrepid team at work are being "Monkey and Bananas" on Friday), and I found bright yellow shorts, a bright yellow hoodie, and a bottle holder which, stuffed and sewn to the hoodie, will make a reasonable stem. And, with the stem removed, these will actually be used as real clothes -- which means I got a multipurpose costume for quite a bit less than it would have cost me to buy a "real" banana costume at the Spirit Halloween store. I also found some nice new tops, a couple of nifty bottles (one of the full-sized Wheaton reproduction bitters bottles I actually collect and a nifty green glass one from Amsterdam, two for a buck, where either one would have probably been at least $4 in an antique shop). Then we went to Costco to get a few necessities, and now I am completely broke because of Homeowners Insurance, but hopefully that means we've reached the end of Hideous Expenses Involved With Homeownership for the year (termite treatment, property taxes, insurance) and now I can focus on the upcoming cruise and, then, OMG, CHRISTMAS!

( The first and only Doctor Who fanfic I will ever write )

This morning at the gym I was watching CNN, during a story where they were talking about the negative impact that being on a reality show has on children (another Balloon Boy story). I watched for a few minutes thinking, "DUH, just ask 95% of the children who grew up on SCRIPTED shows!" Heck, you can count the Show Kids who turned out "normal" on one hand. Why would a "reality" show be any different when it comes to the stress on children growing up in front of the camera? If anything, I'd think it'd be worse.

More exciting entries from my Forgotten English Calendar:

How things change… not!

The Great Disappointment

As morning dawned on this date (October 23) in 1844, many early Seventh Day Adventists were bewildered and distraught because the second scheduled Second Coming, as predicted by their leader William Miller, had fizzled. Many of these followers had, in preparation for the first Judgment Day on March 21, 1844, settled their earthly accounts, said good-bye to their friends, sold or given away their possessions, donned their white muslin “ascension robes,” and listened eagerly for the sound of Gabriel’s trumpet. According to John farmer’s Americanisms Old and New (1889), “The highways and byways were thronged with anxious crowds of men and women, while the trees in the orchards and the roofs of houses were filled with the more impatient Millerites, who thus hoped to be nearer to their new home in Heaven.” A few years later, Mark Twain lampooned this non-event in his Innocents Abroad, saying, “A multitude of people in America put on their ascension robes and made ready to fly up to heaven.”

Think Frank Sinatra and Elvis were the first to make the ladies swoon?

Birthday of Franz Liszt (October 22, 1811 – 1886)

Hungarian-born composer who followed the example set several decades earlier by dynamic soloist Niccolo Paganini. Liszt, whose performance histrionics included the tossing of his gloves to ecstatic female fans, possessed a pianistic virtuosity and unique personal charisma that inspired fainting spells.

The French in particular seem to have responded to Liszt, perhaps due to a tradition that is explained by the etymology of the verb “to faint” in William Matthew’s Words: Their Use and Abuse (1884): “Faint is from the French se feindre, to pretend, so that originally fainting was a pretended weakness or inability. We have an example of the thing originally indicated by the word in the French theaters, where professional fainters are employed, whose business it is to be overcome and to sink to the floor under the powerful acting of the tragedians.”

Think we have frivolous lawsuits NOW?

The Defense Rests

On October 17, 1521, French lawyer Barthelemy Chassanee honed his legal skills by defending his most unusual clients—rats that had ravaged a barley crop earlier that year. In Autun, France, the farmers were out for revenge, but not surprisingly the “defendants” failed to appear, prompting Chassenee to argue that the summons was invalid because it failed to have been served on ALL the rats. After another summons was issued, Chassenee pleaded cleverly that “evilly-disposed cats” owned by the prosecutors had kept his clients from appearing through intimidation, for which he demanded a bone guaranteeing the rats safe passage to court. When prosecutors refused to provide such an assurance the judge had no choice but to dismiss the absurd charges. The first recorded animal trial—that of a hive of bees that had severely stung a man—took place in 864. These cases continued for more than a thousand years, involving pigs, horses, dogs, and even chickens, caterpillars, and gnats.

*

I meme:

Your result for The What is Your Spirit Animal Test...

The Otter

Here's your results! Your spirit animal has a Nobility ranking of 11 out of 18.

Take The What is Your Spirit Animal Test at OkCupid

Hmmm. I don't like their interpretation of the Hyena, who was the totem who chose me; and they don't even have the Great Sturgeon, which is the one I usually get.

I am very full. I ate too much this evening. I made no progress this week, but that's not why I went a little nuts tonight, I was just hungry today, and I was good most of the day. Now after a good dinner I am not hungry, but I want dessert anyway. Of course, it's coming to the hardest time of year to actually lose weight... 25 days, 7 pounds to go. Hmmm, again.

Barb's succinct pre-review of the upcoming "Disney's A Christmas Carol": "Christmas Carol meets Football in the Groin."

I stole this meme from the lovely Alpha mustangsally78:

Your result for The Social Persona Test (Version 2.5)...

The Ice Queen (NLAF)

Normal Liberal Alpha Female

Take The Social Persona Test (Version 2.5) at HelloQuizzy

Somehow, not sure that's me. I really don't picture myself as Jadis (although she totally rocks). The quiz author apparently knows there are typos (wrong there, wrong yours, "weird" spelled i-before-e, etc.), but I wonder why one of the world's largest religions isn't mentioned in the "religion" section, I assume it's just lumped under "eastern religions" (Hindu). Oh, well.


I still can't remember what I actually wanted to post in my previous post, so there it is.

We'd get Major Violations if my kitchen got inspected and held to restaurant rules. I can see a ton of cleaning supplies up by the food on our kitchen island from here.

Finished a quickie review of Pete Anderson's new album, "Even Things Up." Hot blues guitar, awesome.

Okay, first I didn't get to bed early enough because I slept late yesterday, but I still woke up all right in time to get to the gym (and discover that spreading newspapers around the cat boxes seems to help with the "accidents." And I far prefer picking it up and throwing it away than continually scrubbing the grout).

Got in a good workout. Got to work on time. Got most things done, but seemed to behind all the way until the end of the day -- and left a lot of stuff undone. Feeling unaccomplished.

Am actually liking New Supervisor. Maybe folks were right when they said she's changed. *knock wood*

Stopped to change my card at Massage Envy and found out they already tried to run my membership. Oops. Got that fixed.

Jonathan re-booted himself overnight and closed all my programs, then wouldn't come up. I had to pop his battery out so got the "Windows didn't close properly! Doom! DOOM!" message; but he's working fine now (talk about panic, I've only made ONE payment!)

When all things listed out, it seems better than it feels. For some reason I feel just slightly off -- not QUITE grumpy and out-of-sorts, but just not right... (And these CATS won't leave me be!)

The Cricket Wireless store just down the block was apparently robbed last night. Yeek. (And is also apparently merely the latest in a long string of cell phone store robberies, which are getting increasingly violent and daring.)

Damn, and another shooting a mile or so west of that, where the freeway exit is. Gad.

It was 100 degrees again today.

Tomorrow I get to go back and get an ultrasound, because apparently the mammogram wasn't as clean as they told me it was when I was there waiting for an ultrasound when I WAS THERE that they told me I didn't need.

I can't access our wireless printer from this computer for some reason.

I was pleased to step on the scale this morning and see that yesterday's excess did not make me backslide any. (Getting through the weekend without REGAINING anything has long been a problem!)

I've spent part of the day cleaning, part of the day doing laundry, and part of it just sitting in front of the TV catching up on Tivo, several episodes of Craig Ferguson, two episodes of Fringe, and now Criminal Minds. We just started watching Fringe; I should have started it sooner, but I wasn't grabbed by the first episode and never came back until recently. Last night I managed to clear a lot of stuff off, but I'm still backed up some.

I've been poking at my computer on battery out here for hours and still have 37% battery power left. I love Jonathan. <3

Finally realized I actually wanted to know what happened in the final season of Passions (sue me, I was hooked until it moved to Dish Network), so I've been watching the odd video they have on the website featuring "highlights" from the final season; I need to find a summary page.

There's still a bunch of stuff I need to do around here, but all in all, a pretty good weekend.

Have not really done any writing this weekend.

Oh, for serious (and possibly not-so-serious) Doctor Who Fans, this is (so far!) a great read, and shows an amazingly dedicated fan. And he's a good artist and writer, too. The Ten Doctors -- this is someone who KNOWS his Doctors!

A year ago today marriage for same-sex couples was legal in California, and on a bright, clear, beautiful October morning, I said "I Do" in front of a justice in the old Orange County Courthouse to my partner of 20+ years. Less than a month later this right was changed for others who hadn't jumped to the altar as we did; new lawsuits are being brought against Prop 8, and someday all the laws may change and, perhaps, "equality" will mean something. In the meantime, I have a marriage license from the State of California.

And now, I also have a stomach full of really nommy sushi, a killer Mai Tai, and am waiting until I have a little space to have some of the pumpkin bread pudding we got today at CostCo. Mmmmmmm.

I finally got around to looking at my flist manager, and noticed several folks have friended me lately -- thanks, and welcome! I have friended you back.

We're making some progress on making the office into a real room. Also cleaned the living room. Did some little shopping, got some stuff at Costco, a new tablecloth at Tuesday Morning, and made a quick trip to Trader Joe's. And yes, a cozy romantic evening for me and my lovely wife is lazing around on the sofa in our jammies with our computers. (Well, it HAS been 20+ years.)

We broke down and turned the air conditioner back on. It's been 100 degrees the last two days. While it's snowing in other places. Yeeg.

A goodly part of the day has been spent also cleaning up after a sad, sick, incontinent cat. Poor Cuervo. Poor us. Then the toilet backed up, too. But on the whole, a pretty good day.

* * * * *

Pumpkin bread pudding + homemade hard sauce = YUM.