Time is Only Linear for Engineers and Referees

Happy Birthdays!!!

2008-07-05T18:29:08Z

Happy Birthday to edgedancer, who never ever posts or probably reads LJ at all!!! We'll be taking him out to dinner later.

We went to the game last night. There was no action for six innings and then we lost spectacularly 5-1. They only sell Pepsi. The Cold Stone Creamery closed after the 7th-inning stretch. We were in a bad place for the fireworks. AND I HAD THE BEST TIME EVER!!! It was just fun! I was bouncy as we left the ball park.

Yesterday of course I watched 1776, but for the first time it kinda depressed me because, Dude, who stole my country? Then I watched most of Stripes, grilled up a steak and some corn (burned that a little, oops), and had watermelon.

A very good Fourth.

Hope everyone else had a good day, too!

Lead, and I follow

2008-07-04T00:06:24Z

Another meme stolen freely from canarynoir, just for fun...

Instructions:
Bold the things you've done.

I've been to a drive-in movie theater. I miss those... There's still one in Tempe, on the Reservation, I think (it was there the last time I drove by that way, anyway).
I saw the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. (I have it on tape, but not live - I was born that year)
I voted for (or could have) Ronald Reagan. (I voted for Mondale, of course.)
I was in a Christmas pageant in public school.
I remember what I was doing when John Kennedy died.
I used to watch "Star Trek" during its original run.
I know what 45 and 33-1/3 describes.
I've ridden in cars that didn't have seat belts.
I used to watch "Romper Room".
I belonged to Future Homemakers of America.
I've gone (or could have) to an Elvis Presley concert. Mom told me I was too young to go to his final concert in Tucson. He died two months later. She apologized.
I own/used to own an 8-track player.
I used to wear a hat, doilie, or handkerchief on my head in church.
I've bought a McDonald's cheeseburger for 18 cents.
I would go to sleep while or just after watching Johnny Carson.
I have watched a black and white television.
I have/used to have a leisure suit.
I attended Woodstock.
I've been to a state fair and looked at the animal barns. Heck, we still do that NOW.
I could spin a hula-hoop around my middle.
I've been spanked at school by a teacher/principal.
I've been to a Cher concert.
I watched "The Sonny and Cher Show" during its original run.
I looked forward to hearing Guy Lombardo play "Auld Lang Syne".
I called adults "Sir" or "Ma'am." Around my dad? Hell, yes.
I've had a smallpox vaccination.
I used to watch Dick Clark on American Bandstand.
I've been to a rodeo.
I've competed in a rodeo.
I scheduled my evenings around Dynasty.
I've sold Girl Scout cookies.
I am/was in a fraternity/sorority.
I've eaten breakfast at a Sambo's Restaurant.
I had a poster of Farrah Fawcett on my wall/door.
I had a crush on Ricky Nelson.
I watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. I remember only being incredibly bored. I was four.
I had an aluminum Christmas tree and a color-wheel lamp.
I have/had a fondue pot and use/used it.
I've used a rotary phone. We still have one, although we finally disconnected it last year.
I remember when African-Americans were called "colored people" in polite company.
I've been to West Berlin before German reunification.
I had a paper credit card.
I played with a Water Wiggle.
I danced all night to Donna Summer and Whitney Houston.
I've driven/ridden in a Pacer.
I've stayed up all night playing Risk.
I saw the original Star Wars movie in a theater. And I mean in 1977, not just all the times Dan Harkins shows it here in Phoenix at the Cine Capri.
I've taken group showers with members of my junior/senior high school class.
I remember when HIV was called HTLV-IV.
I watched "The Simpsons" when it was a short on "The Tracy Ullman Show".
I had to install MS-DOS on my computer before I installed Windows.
I have/had a Sony Walkman.
I modeled my hair and clothes on people in Beverly Hills 90210.
I've played Pac-Man.
I (used to) put on a suit and tie/dress to go shop at the downtown department store.
I saw Top Gun in the theater more than six times. (I still haven't seen it.)
I've read Rushdie's The Satanic Verses. Actually, I only TRIED to read it. It was DEEPLY boring.
I've used a Jane Fonda workout video.
I remember when Michael Jackson was black.
I know who shot J.R. But I can't remember off the top of my head.
I owned a pet rock.
I have/had a Betamax VCR.
I had "all the way" sex before I was married and had to keep it secret.
I burned a bra and/or draft card.
I've ridden in a double-decker bus.
I've ridden in the back window of my parents' car. Back WINDOW??? Back seat, certainly.
I've edged the grass in a yard with hand clippers.
I had a television aerial outside my house. Still do, although it's not hooked up to anything.
Watched "Captain Kangaroo"
Watched the "Howdy Doody Show"
Remember "Rin Tin Tin"
Watched "Sky King"
Wanted to be Penny
Wanted/had rainbow colored suspenders because of "Mork and Mindy"
Had/wanted a pair of L.A. Gear High Tops
Rode in the back of the station wagon on a family trip. Not a FAMILY trip, we never owned a station wagon, but on many other trips.

I love having experience in something...

Today found out that one of my co-workers is retiring in September, and another is moving to Alabama because his wife was promoted. ARGH. More training. I haven't finished training the last batch. And I am a TERRIBLE trainer - I have no patience. I just know the job better than most, so they come to me... I must breathe...

Suddenly I'm starving.

I want something...

2008-07-03T01:14:14Z

But I'm not sure what.

I took this quiz and am shamed to have missed two of them. Bad me. I still get to stay in the USA, though. *g*

Read in the paper today that as gas prices rise, more Americans are willing to go for more drilling rather than further conservation. *headdesk* I mean, seriously, how stupid ARE Americans?!?

I think the reason I hardly ever finish reading new books is because I like to re-read old ones so much. Just finished a re-read of Craig Ferguson's Between the Bridge and the River. Good story, that. I now want to re-read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. The only new books I'm reading are Dr. Who novels, which aren't exactly great literature (gym reading, usually; they don't require a lot of deep thought and the print is nice and clear for holding on the elliptical machine).

Now we've actually started a Wedding Fund. This is fun. I shall squee if we can pull this off. I've only been waiting twenty years. The only tough part is my mother has commandeered most of my vacation time this year; I only have a few days and we have to make our plans very carefully!

I made some icons

2008-06-30T04:07:25Z

And I managed to read all the fiction in my LJ writer's group.

Did I accomplish much else? House a little cleaner, laundry done, chose several cookbooks to clear out the shelves a little (ones I have literally NEVER used). Did some grocery shopping, helped my mom-in-law, seriously discussed how much money it will cost to get to California to get married and have a little honeymoon...

Not too bad a weekend.

How does one do indented paragraphs in LJ? (I tried the Rich Text editor, but since then you can't use an LJ cut, it won't work.)

Cuervo seems sick, poor kitty. We're keeping an eye on him; he's been lethargic all day and threw up several times, as well as unauthorized peeing. His appetite seems okay, though, and he responds to petting and loves. If he's still dragging around tomorrow, though, he's off to the vet.

Still no writing done. Also did not pick up sketchbook, as I planned. Why are weekends so short?

Sleepy now.

I need new icons

2008-06-28T04:33:45Z

New favorite personalized plate, seen on the highway yesterday: OMGWHEE

I can't think of a freakin' opening line for a possible short story (I think I may have a plot, if it stays short). As with other "short stories" I've done in my 'verse, it was part of the larger whole, but not important to the main story, so pulled out to stand by itself. I hope.

The cat who lives in our yard but never lets anyone near him (I call him "Smudge," because he's grey and just a little smudge of a thing) has gotten to where he doesn't run away when I walk by, but just watches me warily. I felt compelled to put out a small bowl of water for him and his companions, since it's so hot outside. He hissed at me, but stayed in the garden in his shady spot, glaring at me for daring to enter his space. Ho. Cats.

Haven't had a review to do in months, now suddenly have a bunch coming up. Finished Roger Wallace's "It's About Time" today (and it is - five years since his last disc), will be doing the Boxmasters and Bellamy Brothers next week, then Ricky Skaggs and Billy Bob Thornton's most recent release (it's been out a few months, but I just discovered it). Famine to feast. Whew.

I meant to do many things today and didn't do a single one of them (other than finish that review).

Back to staring at a blank screen waiting for inspiration to strike.

Spammy Meme

2008-06-26T03:49:16Z

Again, from the lovely and talented canarynoir...

When you see this post, quote from Doctor Who on your LJ.

From The Face of Evil:
The Doctor: You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the facts, they alter the facts to fit their views, which can be uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that needs altering.

From The Doctor Dances:
Jack: Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks, hmm, nice, but could be a bit more sonic?
The Doctor: What, you've never been bored? Never had a long night? Never had a lot of cabinets to put up??

From The Five Doctors:
The Master: The cosmos without the Doctor scarcely bears thinking about.

Book meme

2008-06-26T01:52:38Z

Although I've done some like this before, I think some of it has changed. Stolen freely from canarynoir...

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them ;-)

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible [not the whole thing]
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (not quite ALL of them, but most)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens (about half finished)
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis [this is part of #33...]
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville [ALMOST finished!)
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare (see No. 14 – the Complete Works of Shakespeare)
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

[ Please post comments only below -- I want to see your list on YOUR blog :) ]

Boy, am I glad "Les Mis" is on there - that was one of the most exhausting reads of all time. They should also list Hugo's Hunchback of Notre Dame, Thomas Berger's Little Big Man, and Alex Haley's Roots (I think so, anyway) - because obviously, if you've read The Chronicles of Narnia you've read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe...

Would I have more time...

2008-06-25T03:49:59Z

If all things went according to plan? I somehow doubt it, but I can at least pretend to blame things like two Mondays in a row with flat tires. (Seriously, it happened again -- only this time, since I was already on the spare, I had to have the truck towed. And take money out of my Christmas club fund to buy tires. But now there's new tires.)

On Sunday night I was out in the yard moving the sprinkler and stepped on a branch or something else sharp enough to pierce through my clog into my foot. It hurts still, although the callus on my foot appears to have closed around it all right.

Monday morning I got up, puttered around the house, saw a raven, went to the gym, got to work without incident, then got the call from security about the tire. Ravens are usually GOOD omens for me. (And why, if these tires were ready to go, they couldn't go at home? No, they carry me all the way to work and then go flat on the second floor of the parking garage. Apparently, the fact that I bought them back in 2001 is really impressive; everyone freaked when they found out my tires were seven years old. I guess I got some good use out of 'em.)

Today I came home and made bacon-cheese-apple pie. This is not a dish for anyone counting calories (which I claim to be doing again), being as it has a lot of bacon, cheese, eggs, and cream in it. But it's good.

I haven't written a word in ages. Ring of Fire is in the hands of another publisher (knock wood). I'm trying to read all my writers' groups stories and get critiquing done. I'm watching the week's worth of Craig Ferguson (The Boxmasters RULE!!!), waiting for a few discs from Amazon to review (no contacts on these guys, so I had to buy 'em - but the Boxmasters impressed me so much I ordered it as soon as I saw them). Otherwise, I seem to just be sitting around goofing on LJ and reading the massive number of posts on the Doctor Who list. Am re-reading Craig's book Between the Bridge and the River, which is getting pretty high up on my "all-time favorite" books list, and what else? Not a whole heck of a lot.

For some reason I got to reading the paper again, which is just depressing these days. Will the horrible reign of Bush never end? (Actually, not even come January - I have a feeling his, um, "legacy" will be with us for a long, long time...) Between that, the money sitch (stupid tires), when I'm not writing, hole in my foot, blah blah blah, I'm just not my usual chipper self. (Ha ha ha) I feel flat.

And George Carlin died. Hopefully where'ere he's gone, he's got a place for his stuff. Rest well, George!

I did make it!

2008-06-19T13:18:46Z

In time to again say HAPPY BIRTHDAY! to fenchurche!

I love it when I can actually remember these things on the right days! Hope it's a great day!

Thoughts for the day

2008-06-18T13:37:51Z

Yesterday I was an environmentally conscious good dooby and took the bus to work (also because I don't really like driving without a spare tire). Meant to do the same today, but turned off the alarm and went back to sleep. I could have made the bus if I had thrown on my clothes and raced out the door, but decided oh, well... I'll risk driving today and get on the bus tomorrow. Two days a week will help a little. I want to get to where I'm doing that more, but I waver between the saving money/saving gas/environment aspect and the fact that I like convenience AND I can't work out if I don't drive (I also can't work out if I sleep late, but I was up later than usual last night, too--a side effect of getting home about two hours later than normal).

ETA: By "work out" I mean "go to the gym." I CAN exercise at home, the trouble is, I don't. I figured it out where I could get to the gym, work out, and THEN catch the bus, but I don't think they like having people leave their cars in the gym parking lot all day... and I'd have to get there right at 5, when they open, to finish and catch the 6:15 bus (to get me to work by 7:45 -- yeah).

ANYWAY, since I missed LJ time yesterday, I have to toss out a belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY to cornerofmadness and, just in case, an early HAPPY BIRTHDAY to fenchurche!!!

I almost forgot I was making yogurt cheese in the other fridge (we kept our old fridge after the remodel and put it out on the back porch); I popped out to put some sodas in there and found my cheese, completely dried of whey, so I brought it in and mixed it up with herbs to make dip (it's an Alton Brown rip - scoop about a cup of yogurt into cheesecloth on a strainer and let drain for a few hours--not necessarily the 48 I left it there for--then mix in herbs. In this case, I went with garlic, dried onion, salt, pepper, and dill--not measured, just to taste. It makes some of the Best Dip Ever).

It's that lovely time of year when the cherries and blueberries are cheap, plentiful, and delicious; my two favorite fruits, I think, really. Yum! But it is oppressively hot in Phoenix right now; it was 109 coming home, although they said the hot point yesterday was 113. I believe it -- either the 44 bus didn't have air at all or it just couldn't keep things cool yesterday. I stopped at Costco to pick up my prescription and Barb met me there, so we shopped a little and she gave me a ride home. She made guacamole last night, but it's for her office, so I doubt I'll get any.

We're having a "Heritage Food Day" on Friday -- the only thing I could think of was Irish Soda Bread (I'm aware there's more to Irish cooking, but I'm also thinking of ease of bringing to work and my essential laziness). We're almost out of flour, though.

I has flat tire

2008-06-17T04:11:46Z

Not that I wanted one. Going back to work this morning, I stopped for gas ($25 bought me SIX gallons) and noticed that my right rear tire was a little low. It's had a slow leak for a while, so I thought nothing more of it and just filled it, then bopped to work.

About 10 or so, Security called me to let me know my tire was flat -- as in FLAT, totally, pancake, empty of air, it was a non-tire now. So come the end of the day, after an hour overtime, I struggled to get out my spare only to find that when I bought my new tires, lo these many years ago now, apparently when they chose the best of the PREVIOUS bunch of tires to be the spare, they must have neglected to put my jack back. So I am jackless. Fortunately, a nice guy from claims volunteered both his strength and his own truck's jack, and he got the truck up and the spare put on in about twenty minutes or so (I know his face, of course, after all these years I know most everyone by sight, but I'm not sure of his name; he wasn't wearing his badge anymore). I drove up the garage ramp to fill the spare the rest of the way (we have an air pump on the roof of the garage for the fleet cars), and got home just around six.

Now, my OWN UNIT, my so-called "teammates," all asked me what I was going to do, but none volunteered to help. One fellow, my cube-mate, even, said he'd do it, if he were only wearing jeans. (The claims guy was in slacks.) I saw karma work, however, as his son called to say HE was stranded--with a flat tire. Heh. At least my cube-mate got the irony of that one.

But the tire, now... a few weeks ago when I had them checked and rotated, I was told I could probably make it until July. Not to much. There's a LOT of tread showing. I may take the bus for a while until I can afford tires, 'cause I'm willing to bet all of them are getting that bad. I'm just glad it happened at work and not on the freeway -- it was 112 degrees today, and will be 113 tomorrow. That does mean curtailing my plan to get back to the gym, though. *sigh*

The folks on my writer's list all seemed to like this:

Della Kelley has always taken her duty as a vampire hunter very seriously. Still, sometimes she just wants to get away and dance. She never imagined she’d choose a bar owned by a notorious “missing” vampire, Sean Patrick O’Connor, sired by the notorious Amanda. It certainly never crossed her mind that he’d take her hostage, determined to show her he is not the monster she believes him to be. From the rowdy honky-tonk in Burbank to the noise and lights of Las Vegas, Sean Patrick shows her a life she never had and never dreamed of, shaking the foundations of her structured upbringing and breaking down well-taught prejudices. Together they must battle both vampires and vampire hunters to discover everything they have in common, beginning an impossible friendship—and possibly, something far more. But Della just isn’t prepared for a vampire who stirs her deepest desires, and sends her tumbling headlong into a burning Ring of Fire.

I don't know how

2008-06-15T19:02:37Z

to write a blurb for my own writing...

200 words. I know I've read book blurbs a million times, but I never wrote one before...

Oh, by the way

2008-06-14T02:36:57Z

Happy Friday the 13th!!!

Home, home again

2008-06-14T02:34:56Z

Vegas week, again.

My mother is a deeply exhausting person to be around. But we had a good time. She won almost $5,000 - just some awesome winning (Treasure Island, for those who like to know the good-paying casinos). We spent a few days hanging out at the pool, did some walking, some shopping, all the usual jazz. Never really logged in, just 'cause the hotels charge for wireless use PER LAPTOP, and since Barb was with me, we didn't want to pay that much. It was only five days, after all. Does mean I'm a bit behind on friends, but I'll see if I can catch up with folks.

I came home to find it's "Blog Like It's The End Of The World" day, so I figured I'd best post something, even useless gobblygook; I haven't anything really exciting to talk about - I know everyone's heard me ramble on about Las Vegas (I don't think Barb really enjoyed herself, but it was nice to have her along!). I figured out I do a LOT better if I drink more water and remember to stretch - after Vegas Fatigue set in, the second day (!), I realized that every time I go, I walk everywhere, miles & miles, and I drink a LOT of alcohol. Duh. So I did some stretching routines daily and drank water, and viola! I feel pretty good. And we have the weekend to relax, hooray.

Is it just me, or it is suspicious that just when the TSA determines we can't carry liquid through security many airlines decide to stop serving complimentary beverages? Fortunately our flight was short AND it was Southwest, who will still give you soda and peanuts, even when the flight is only 40 minutes.

Came home, found all was well (blessings upon sillymagpie!), but Cuervo indicated his displeasure in our absence by checking the litterbox I just cleaned and then pooping on the bed. *SIGH*

The other cats seem happy we're back, especially Cairo, who is very insecure and needs constant reassurance.

Thoughts and memes

2008-06-06T02:34:44Z

Today they were running a retrospective on the assassination of Robert Kennedy, and because I love "what if?" scenarios, I started to ponder on whether it's possible that this action was one of the most important, and pivotal, in my lifetime. Think on it - it was a fair bet that Kennedy was going to be the Democratic nominee; it's a pretty good bet that he would have gone on to be President. This would have changed the history of the 70's in one major way: No Nixon. No Nixon, no Watergate, no Ford, no Carter; Kennedy likely could have served two terms and then left the White House to his VP (whoever that might have been), who may or may not have served one or two terms. Would then have Reagan come into the WH in 1982, or...? Now, I'll admit that foreign policy probably wouldn't have changed much, or world problems. The rise of Muslim extremists would have happened, and it's probable that Iran would have seized the embassy anyway. And Kennedy very likely wouldn't have gone to China. Vietnam would have probably ended just as badly. I know it changes nothing, but I love thinking about things like this. I once tried to work up an alternate world history based on Jack Kennedy surviving back in November '63... (I ended up sticking more or less closer to this world history just 'cause it's easier and then I don't have to do a lot of exposition.)

Icon Sqee Meme

1. Reply to this post, and I will pick five of your userpics.
2. Make a post and talk about the icons I chose.
3. Other people can then comment to you and make their own posts.
4. This will create a never-ending cycle of icon squee.

The ones that typographer asked me to explain are behind the cut.

This is Barb, in our old kitchen, being assisted in making minced pork lettuce wraps by Cuervo, the shoulder cat. He is happiest when being held, and he'll contentedly sit on a shoulder like any respectable pirate parrot-cat. Plus, letting him ride on one's shoulder keeps him out from under foot (and quiet).

This is a panel from the comic "Two Lumps"; Snooch is pretty darned close to being Cuervo (or vice-versa--there are a number of strips where Snooch is most definitely Cuervo; there was one a few days ago), plus, it's a cat wearing a hat. I don't remember the exact joke around this particular strip--something about Paris, I believe--but I just liked the image so I saved it.

This is Cairo, showing his good taste by lounging on my library books, in particular, several titles by the late, great Molly Ivins. Cairo is the complete boss of me (I am so very pwned), plus he's photogenic, so I have several icons with him. This icon combines cats and books. What's not to like?

I love Diet Coke with Lime. I can come close to drinking more than a six pack a day (today I believe it was two cans and two 20-oz bottles). Not sure if there's anything else I need to say here. *g*

This is Michael Nesmith, pulled from a clip in the rare and bizarre special, "33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee," which was broadcast opposite the Oscars in, I think, 1967 (may have been '68). I don't think it's ever been released on DVD (although it's on one of the old series VHS releases, at the end of Season Two) because I still don't have the complete seasons on DVD. ANYWAY, the scene shows Mike in split-screen, on one side in his cowboy outfit and the other in suit-and-tie. He sings a song called "Naked Persimmon (The Only Thing I Believe Is True)" (never issued, to my knowledge), and at one point, his cowboy self gives his suited self this look. It makes a very appropriate WTF icon.

Speaking of cats, they need to shut up. Either Cairo or Cuervo (they tag-team) think that 3:30 am is the time for us to be up and feeding/petting them. One night it might be Cuervo, the next night Cairo. It curtails my sleep... and has for three days. First it was Cuervo, then Cairo, and last night it was both of them.

Dull, boring, same-as-usual, no wonder I haven't posted

2008-06-03T01:13:15Z

The most exciting thing that's happened in my life is the arrival of my own 4-port USB hub shaped like the TARDIS from England (part of that questioned order I mentioned a while back; with luck the rest will trickle in eventually, too). Now, while any ol' hub would be fine, this one has a glowing light on top and makes the TARDIS engine noises when you plug things in. What's not to love?

And so goes my exciting life. I has a TARDIS, and I've been keeping up with most of my friends' journals. This is an accomplishment!

I went (or am going through) another crisis of "why the hell do I even bother?" in regard to my writing, but I dutifully have hunkered down and critiqued the others in my writers' groups (or at least, I got many of them done, I have a few more to go) and will post more. At least beta readers are readers! One of them helpfully informed me that he worked with a friend on a self-published release, and even with all their friends spreading the word they still only managed to sell 500 copies. And I thought, "Well, that's 500 more people reading than I have currently." I really don't want (or expect, really) to make money as an author. I know I'd have to be John Grisham or Stephen King to do that. I just would like people to read my work and say, "I enjoyed that." (Without the added "you need to fix X, X, and Y." I like criticism, I do, but...) I think that's why I hung around RSI as long as I did, despite the lack of real money and the real lack of any respect (or gratitude) from my employers.

Dang, Bo Diddley passed away. :'( Now, I understand why he (and other great black artists of the 50's) get a little uptight about Elvis being mistakenly credited with the "invention" of rock-n-roll. But Elvis himself never said that, and I believe never would have; what Elvis DID was allow black music to be played in white households, which was absolutely unheard of in those days, and he broke the black/white barrier in music. It's a shame Elvis gets painted with a negative brush that wide when all he wanted to do was bring music he loved to everyone... There isn't anyone who wouldn't admit that Bo Diddley's beat was/is the backbone of rock music.

My arm is really hurting again (or still); I was doing a lot of reading about rotator cuff injuries and it doesn't seem like it's severe, despite my pain, because I have full range of motion and it doesn't hurt when I stretch it up (in fact, that feels really good). What DOES hurt is lifting, pushing, pulling, and twisting. So anyway, I downloaded some exercises, and I've gone back to low weights, etc.

A brief moment to meme, snicked from canarynoir:

What were you doing five years ago?
Actually, pretty much what I'm doing today, although Ring of Fire was just getting started. I had a few scenes (oddly, none of which actually made it to the final book) and a main character. The rest trickled in over the next few months after a trip to Las Vegas and the death of Johnny Cash in September, 2003. I was still working the same job, but since then I've gotten out of credit card debt, gone into homeowners' debt (the good kind, with equity), and am I think around twenty pounds lighter now. But on the whole, not a lot of changes.

What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order)?
Go to work (done)
Clean out the research queues (I at least got through today's research done)
Clean cat box (morning done, evening later)
Make dinner (doing)
Work on critiques for Nanowhingemo (not started yet, bad me)

What are five snacks you enjoy?
Chocolate, just about any kind, but some of my favorites are chocolate-covered almonds
Chips of various kinds, depending on what I'm in the mood for
Dubliner cheese on rosemary crackers
Crackers, various kinds
Cheetos

What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?
Suddenly? Oh, easy -
Pay for my mom's condo and then get her any car she wants - or any other thing she wants, including paying HER for our trips.
Get Barb and I a nicer house (or finish up all the stuff we want to do with this one; really, I love living here now).
New cars for both of us.
Probably buy a lot of stuff -- lasik, I think, for sure!

What are five of your bad habits?
I'm a terrible spendthrift (see above)
I procrastinate about nearly everything
I'm this close to being a hoarder - I can't just throw anything away
I can't stick to anything I start
I seem incapable of developing any GOOD habits

What are five places where you have lived?
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Zuni, New Mexico
My parents' home in Tucson, Arizona
A great rental house with friends in Tucson
My current home in Phoenix

What are five jobs you've had?
Telemarketer (I was young!)
Fast-food worker
7-Eleven clerk
Typist/writer for a gaming company
Word Processor

Non-PC thought of the day: Obama is winning because, even these days, America is still more likely to vote for a guy than a gal, even a black guy.

Best thing about the TV season ending: I'm finally watching some of the DVDs I bought.

Memeing away the Memorial Day

2008-05-26T21:15:45Z

The bread machine leaped off the counter and committed suicide. The bread was saved by some old-fashioned kneading and is now rising in a plain bread pan. There are no bread machines for sale in either Sears or Target. It's like they went out of style when I wasn't looking, for in the areas where bread machines usually are, there were a lot of different deep-fat fryers and rice steamers (interesting juxtaposition, eh?).

We did get a new lawn trimmer, since the old one walked off the porch sometime during the last few weeks. I kept telling myself I should put it away. Oh, well. It was broken, anyway.

My father and great-uncle Albert both fought in WWII (Dad in Italy, mostly, as an Army Air Corps pilot; Albert was killed in Belgium). My great-great uncle Robert fought in WWI. I have his Purple Heart. I have the letters that were sent to my family telling them about Albert. I spent two years in the ROTC. I used to enjoy wearing my flag pin on my lapel.

Today I haven't even hung out the flag. There's only one person I blame for me losing the patriotism I grew up with. I still love my country, but oh, my... I'm so very ashamed of her these days. It's astounding how swiftly an empire can fall. It's going to take some serious building to make us what we once were in the world; I don't know if it can be done. But I really don't want to dwell on it. I am too complacent, I know that - but sometimes...

Catalog crazy

2008-05-25T17:55:49Z

A week or so ago, maybe a little longer, I saw a cute cat quilt in a catalog. Now I can't find that catalog, don't remember which of the numerous ones I get that it was in, and can't seem to find it on the web, either. *sigh* It was SO CUTE, and I was hoping to replace our "summer quilt" (which is quite faded and threadbare now) with it, but I can't find it!

Yesterday I made a Paula Deen cake. I love making these things, but now we have an absolutely ENORMOUS thick rich cake full of mousse. I need to have more parties. I did something wrong with the frosting, though; been a while since I made boiled frosting and it came out rather thick and heavy rather than light and fluffy. I think my weak right arm was incapable of whipping it properly, perhaps. Should have done it with the mixer.

It takes a tornado...

2008-05-24T02:36:23Z

to ruin a perfectly good three-day weekend... the first of the year, even.

Seems the tornado that touched down 50 miles northeast of Denver touched down pretty much right exactly on our Greeley office, tearing a lot of property to pieces (although no injuries, thank goodness!), shutting down much of the main building, including our sister-unit, so that means work for the weekend, as we try to get a jump on their work for next week as well as our own. Fortunately, offices all over the country are pitching in to help, so it shouldn't be too bad... it just means I have to work tomorrow. WAH!

It's not like we really had anything planned, which is why I volunteered - most everyone else has family coming in or stuff like that. All Barb and I are gonna do is make some barbeque on Monday and I might bake a cake. Otherwise... we had our Thursday off.

The weirdness of the weather

2008-05-22T23:49:27Z

So, here it is late May in Arizona. We had both our first 100-degree day AND the first 110-degree day this week. About right, maybe a little early, but not horribly so (as it was last year, when we hit 100 in MARCH). Okay. Definitely summer. Winter clothes packed away, air conditioner on.

So today it's freezing outside (okay, 65 - that's freezing), raining, and there's snow on the Rim. Snow and rain in May? Memorial Day weekend? WTF? (Well, it's going to be in the 80's by then, but that's a REALLY cool Memorial Day!)

Barb and I stayed home today and went to the first (well, this morning's first) showing of Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I thought it was mucho cool, and a lot of fun. Happy-making movie. And Harrison Ford still looks awesome. And now I MUST get all the collections of The Young Indiana Jones Adventures, a show I absolutely adored and just saw it's available on DVD (it may have been before, but I hadn't seen the sets like this). Even at CostCo they're almost $70 a set. *sad face* Especially since there are only 29 total episodes, split up between the three sets... and by all accounts, poorly edited, as well... damn Lucas... I liked that show so much I actually joined the Lucasfilm fan club for a couple of years... and the name "Sean Patrick" came from somewhere. *whistles* I wish I'd recorded them back in the 90's, at least I could watch 'em again, uncut...

ANYWAY, I liked the movie. Now I want to go to Disneyland and ride the Indiana Jones Adventure again. I told Barb we should go to California, get married, and have a honeymoon.

I'm not totally used to my new glasses yet. They're my first progressives, but I'm still used to reading over the tops instead of through the bottom, and I have a slight headache now.

And now the news

2008-05-18T04:22:07Z

Not that there really is much.

Let's see, the week in review...

Barb stayed home all week and I had to go to work. Phoenix drivers remain frustrating. I finally forced myself back into the gym, and because I have been such a slug for so long, an average workout left me feeling like someone has been hammering on all my muscles. Yet I have been trying to be really easy on my shoulder - not that this has helped, it hurts more now than it did back when I first hurt it. SO not fair. Barb can hardly hobble around (see rahirah's journal for details) and I can't lift anything with my right arm, leaving my usually weaker left arm trying to be dominant when it is not. This makes grocery shopping interesting.

So today. We went to CostCo, but Barb couldn't handle it after a while and we got away with mostly exactly what we came for (cool). I went over to Fry's on my own to check on the cherries, but it's still too early and they're way too pink.

Last Saturday I got my hair cut short. I'd been dithering between short and long for the cruise, but I like the way it's come out. It's sort of a different style for me, more of an all-one-length bob with bangs rather than the usual layered "cap o' curls" I'd done with short hair before. I think I'll keep it a while.

Moonlight was cancelled. Of course. Because I'd started liking it, of course. Why did I give it a second chance, anyway? Same reason I did Jericho. Well, one less show I have to keep track of next season, where almost everything I like is scheduled on Monday. At least Chuck, Dirty Sexy Money, and all the rest of the usual suspects are coming back. Boston Legal is scheduled for only 13 more episodes, one half-season more - I'm actually glad of that, because I don't think they could sustain it too much longer, and from what I read about Shatner during the strike (how he didn't miss the show at all), I am guessing that he agreed to 13 more, and then they're calling it quits. That show really isn't much beyond the Shatner-and-Spader Comedy Hour (with some much-appreciated - at least by me - left-wing radicalisms thrown in for good measure).

Have started watching Carnivale on DVD - fascinating and creepy show. Also the uncut Dexter, also somewhat creepy, both very good. Still not worth paying for Showtime or HBO, though, especially since I CAN rent the DVDs after the fact.

Donna Noble = Second Best Companion Ever. Am loving Season Four of Doctor Who so far. Only one even slightly weak link in the whole season so far, and it's not that it was BAD, it was just weak. Could have been better.

We haven't gone to see Prince Caspian yet - soon, although I'm rather worried about the apparent appearance of teenage infatuation between Susan and Caspian, which disturbs me. I guess since they went with the slightly older version of Caspian they felt they HAD to have a love interest, but it bothers me not only because it's not in the book, but also because if they go on to Dawn Treader, of course Caspian will meet his future wife; even more importantly, Susan never comes back to Narnia. It's doomed even before it's begun (and if nothing else, these days, viewers are unrepentant shippers).

Barb and I took May 22 off to go see the earliest showing of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull as possible. Yes, we ARE that geeky. We just haven't decided if we want to go for the 12:01 showing or wait until the next day.

I got my entry done and sent to the Molly Contest, a regional (Denver) contest for Romance writers of every genre - and they turned out to be VERY nice folks, who let me re-submit when the conversion between WordPerfect and Word ONCE AGAIN ruined my formatting (even in .rtf format). I talk them up because they are nice folks, whether I win or lose.

So, back to today. Laundry done, then chocolate chip cookies made, wings fried and tossed in wing sauce, overall good stuff. Now watching the very silly and, yes, I'm laughing my ass off, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.

Another good weekend. So many things I still need to do...

Microsoft Word is FRUSTTRATING ME

2008-05-12T03:32:07Z

Okay, I know there's an easy way to suppress page numbers on page one (start on page 2), but I can't figure it out. When I set it to "start on page two" it sets page 1 AS page 2 and "starts" there.

Errrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think my "final" version of the novel is on my jump drive. Yes, I'm entering another contest. Why the hell not? I can't get any AGENTS to like it...

Enough of the feeling sorry for myself.

Quick weekly television rundown:
I'm glad I stuck with Moonlight. Looking forward to the finale next week.
Lost is delightful and filled with OMG WTF mystery.
Doctor Who was a good concept that sort of fell flat.
Ugly Betty remains good, but I'm saddened by the current turn of events.
I MISSED THE SCRUBS FINALE!!!!! I have to check iTunes and see when it's available for download. On the other hand, hooray, ABC picked it up for an eighth season. I be happy. Of course, they'll probably put it on Monday night.

Today is the eleventh. I have to figure out Word's peccadilloes by the 15th to enter this contest. On the other hand, since they want entries in .rtf format, maybe I can work on these things in WordPerfect, which would make me very happy...

I need to make more icons

2008-05-11T04:15:29Z

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there!

Yesterday was Awesome IRONMAN. Totally awesome!!!

Today Forbidden Kingdom. Also very awesome, and lots of fun. It's nice to spend money on movies that are actually worth it!!!

Once again I cannot remember what it was I was going to post, and I have no time to think about it since sillymagpie wants to take this meme:

Your Score: Midsummer Night's...

You scored 18% = Tragic, 52% = Comic, 46% = Romantic, 38% = Historic

You are A Midsummer Night's Dream. Blending elements of comedy and romance, A Midsummer Night's Dream tells the story of mischievous fairies who conspire to make everyone fall in love with everyone else, often with disastrous, yet humorous consequences. You are most likely haphazard in love, but good natured and friendly. While you may also have a mischievous side to you, it is most likely all in good fun. We have no doubt that you are an outgoing person, who may also be a bit of a klutz. And while you may not always get it right, you always try to do the right thing. We applaud you!

Link: The Which Shakespeare Play Are You? Test written by macbee on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test
View My Profile(macbee)

So I hand over my computer.

Used Cat for Sale

2008-05-07T00:13:33Z

Skinny, finicky, sheds long hair everywhere except where it gets barfed up as hairballs, but very loving with large eyes.

So, since I started using the laptop most of the time, I haven't sat down at my desk in a few days. But once in a while I need the desktop for something, so I went in to boot up and sat down. The keyboard felt funny. Scratchy. Dry.

As though a cat had hacked up a hairball on it.

*SIGH*

Who knows how to clean cat barf out of a keyboard (short of immersing it or getting rid of it - it's a fairly expensive cordless)?

I guess I need to remember to throw the cover over it before I leave it for any length of time... of course, that won't help all the REST of my desk, the stereo, the stereo remote, the printer stand... Yes, I know I should discourage him from sleeping on my desk, but honestly, unless I stay here and keep an eye on him 24/7, that ain't happenin'. Silhouette is nothing if not persistent - if you take him off something he's not supposed to be on, he will jump right back up - and he will keep that up until you are tired and give up.

I also (ew) need a new address book.

Anyway...

GAH! He's barfing again! (At least on the tile...)

Remind me again why I like cats...

So, I realize this morning that Mother's Day is actually THIS coming Sunday, and not the following one, as I had been laboring under the impression it was. So I raced home to make sure I had a present delivered to Mom by the weekend (it will be delivered Friday), rather than meandering around shopping, as I had planned.

I'd been toying with letting my hair grow long for the cruise, but it's hot and heavy and rather scraggly looking. I think I'll chop it off. (Or rather, have Rick chop it off.)

Naturally, I forget

2008-05-04T03:40:16Z

I don't post every day because my life is not that exciting; however, because I DO put it off until the weekend, or something pressing comes up, I always forget what I wanted to commemorate in glorious print.

I went through a week where I also didn't post because I am trying to avoid posting when I'm feeling sorry for myself, and I was going through a period of feeling sorry for myself most of the past week. Since it had nothing to do with anything, I decided against recording it for posterity. On the other hand, I did have some good ideas and now I can't remember any of them.

I've been working heavily on Book Two (which still doesn't have a title), although there's still no interest in Book One. No, I don't think I can make a living at this - I read the blog of an author whom I think is one of the best writers living and I see the trouble HE has - but like I said, I just want readers who like my work. That's all. (One of the things, of course, causing the aforementioned "I hate myself" phase.) ANYWAY, the work continues apace. I've been getting some pretty good feedback, at least.

: Lost okay; I'm not on the "I hate Jack and Kate" bandwagon, but they aren't my favorites, either. It was just information, which I like, and unlike a lot of people, I don't feel hopelessly "Lost," just more and more intrigued. Since this is one show I'm actually watching for the story rather than the characters, I'm not utterly destroyed by the thought that Jack & Kate might someday get married. The main one I pull for is Hurley, and I know he's at least alive (and Desmond, but since he wasn't ON Oceanic 815, he could survive without being one of the "Oceanic 6"). Besides, if Hurley is correct and they're already dead, then what does it matter who lives and who dies?

Haven't watched Moonlight yet.

Ugly Betty was loads of fun, although they resolved the Renee storyline a LOT faster than I thought they would.

House was full of delightful House/Wilson goodness, and I barely remember the week's mystery or how it was resolved, but my, I loved the House and Chase bowling scene.

Doctor Who was good, much better than I was dreading from Helen Raynor, who gave me that appalling Evolution of the Daleks last year. I grow to like Donna more and more, who instead of hugging the Doctor after the crisis, instead smacked him. And Ten needs to be smacked sometimes, which makes Donna a perfect companion. So, was the brief clip of Rose on the screen before Donna tuned in the Doctor a shot from the past, or the now? Rose calling out for the Doctor?

I haven't watched a lot of other things yet. I'll try and catch up with Tivo tomorrow.

The Diamondbacks won, 10-4, today, making up for yesterday's loss. Go D-backs! We have the best record in the league, 21-9 for the season.

I blame fenchurche for sitting here eating dates filled with cheese and pecans. Yum yum yum! (They also go REALLY well with little chocolate wafer cookies...)

We went to Trader Joe's this morning for our main shopping, then went to run errands and take care of things for Barb's mom. Got most of the laundry done. Don't really know where the day went to - was woken up fairly early, yet somehow suddenly it was past three. In trying to fix the vacuum cleaner (clogged hose, nothing seriously), I pinched my fingertips and now there's a slight bruise under my fingernail and it hurts. I had a hard time sleeping last night, not really sure why.

I made spicy pulled pork for Tres de Mayo, which we ate on tortillas with cheeses and the usual, Barb made guacamole, there's nice Trader Joe's salsa, and we're watching uncut Dexter. It's a good evening.

Your Career as a Deadly Assassin (LJ) by maxgallagher
Username
Gender
You first killed at age	10
Your victim was	A celebrity
Reason	On a whim
Your trademark weapon	Switchblade
Your reputation	Reckless and head-strong
You work with	drujan
You kill for	Revenge
In the end, you are defeated by	dinpik
Your death	Suffocated in your sleep
Your career body-count	847