Did a lot of yard work yesterday and today. I'm tired, but happy with what I accomplished. Still more to do, but it's looking great. Am in the process of preparing "Ladies Day" invitations. A mostly annual event where I take the last Friday of June off and just hang with my girlfriends. It started out seven years ago when I was still married and with boat. We just went out on the lake and hung out. Didn't get rained on once. By some strange twist of fate, we ran into a boatload of guys who were doing a similar boys day thing. As luck would have it, we ran into them the next year ... and the next. Now we just send them an invite too to make sure we have our days straight. Most of them are married, but it's just one day of harmless flirting.
Is it just me, or does your cursor sometimes skip around with this new interface?
Bad news from home. A good friend of my parents passed away on Sat. Died in his sleep. Mom was upset - I think it scared her because she's afraid of that happening to her. Waking up and finding that my dad has passed away. Reminded me that I need to be sure to pass out emergency numbers to everyone. My friend Susan has agreed to be my emergency contact. If something happens at home, I want them to call Susan and have her tell me or be with me when the call comes. I'm four hours away from my family and I don't want to get a call and be alone. Similarly, if something happens to me, I want the authorities or whoever to contact Susan first, and then she'll contact my family.
Okay, the invites have finished printing - time to embellish with stickers!
Monday, May 31, 2004
Sunday, May 30, 2004
Bouncing Back
Took a handful (okay, 3 or 4) of ibuprofen, fixed myself a cup of tea and pretty soon all was right in the world. Actually stayed up until 11:00 p.m. watching a made for TV movie with Craig T. Wilson and John Corbett. Good night's sleep and a slow morning. Read the paper, fixed myself some eggs over easy (loving wiping up the yolk with my toast) and watched a few eps of "90210" When I could procrastinate no longer I went outside where I proceeded to do yard work non-stop for the next four hours!
Cleaned up and headed downtown with the unemployed boy next door. Wandered the streets and then settled into the outdoor cafe where we had a late lunch of salsa & chips along with a lobster roll. When we came back we polished off a bottle of cheap red wine and got acquainted with the couple that just moved in below the UBND (unemployed boy next door). Now just checking my mail and messages and deciding not to send my resume in for any of the jobs that have been sent to me courtesy of monster.com and careerbuilder.com.
Maybe I'll go read a book. Or watch TV. I'm guessing I'll be asleep by 9:00.
Cleaned up and headed downtown with the unemployed boy next door. Wandered the streets and then settled into the outdoor cafe where we had a late lunch of salsa & chips along with a lobster roll. When we came back we polished off a bottle of cheap red wine and got acquainted with the couple that just moved in below the UBND (unemployed boy next door). Now just checking my mail and messages and deciding not to send my resume in for any of the jobs that have been sent to me courtesy of monster.com and careerbuilder.com.
Maybe I'll go read a book. Or watch TV. I'm guessing I'll be asleep by 9:00.
Saturday, May 29, 2004
I Have A Headache
Or maybe it's just a delayed hangover. Eitherw ay, it hurts. Someone put on the kettle, please.
Friday, May 28, 2004
Stumblin' In
Not ever sure how I stumbled across this page, but ladies, if you ever wanted to know what's on your man's mind, check it out:
askmen.com
Is it just me or does that sound an awful lot like assmen.com?
askmen.com
Is it just me or does that sound an awful lot like assmen.com?
"employers don't hire people without degrees, buy yours today"
Oh yeah, just the type of thing that a person working at an ACCREDITED, RESPECTED institution of higher learning wants to see in her inbox.
In Other News ...
... I stopped at the grocery store last night on my way home from the gym. There was ONE box of Kashi Crunch on the shelf and I grabbed it.
The Meaning of Memorial Day
What is the purpose of Memorial Day? Is it supposed to be a day to remember those who served in the armed forces, or is it a larger and broader day of remembrance? Either way, it's never held much meaning for me.
I was born in 1965, in the midst of the Vietnam war. My parents were born in 1944 and 1945, at the tail end of World War II. No one in my family has ever served in the military. But I do remember my parents fearing war. My mom, it seemed to me at the time, was very spooked by the Iran hostage crisis. What was that - 1979/1980? And the launch of the Gulf war in 1990 - my parents were glued to the television in what may have been the first time that there was live, on-the-spot coverage as troops went in. And they were worried that my younger brothers would be drafted (which, of course, did not happen).
When I was in high school in the early 1980s, kids did one of three things:
1) you went on to college
2) you stuck around, got a job and maybe started a family
3) you joined the military
It was pretty much in that order (okay, maybe 1 and 2 were reversed or evenly split). Joining the military was seen as a last resort. Someone who didn't have any goals or ambition in life joined the armed forces - it was a last resort to becoming a drug dealer or similar menace to society.
So I think it's interesting that some of my high school classmates are now making a big fuss about "Joe." Joe was in the reserves, I believe, and he has been in Iraq for at least the last 10 months. Joe was a police officer or sheriff deputy in his home town. He returned in late April/early May, and there is a move afoot to rally round him and his family this weekend. Those who are on the email list have all been invited to return to ye olde home town and take Joe and his family out to dinner.
Yes, I remember Joe and he seemed like a nice guy. But no one ever made a big deal about him in high school. Why the fuss now? Don't get me wrong - I am not knocking Joe or the military and I'm not anti-American or anything like that. I just don't get it. I don't get people my age, the kids I grew up with, suddenly becoming raving patriots. Because they just weren't that way 20 years ago.
I was born in 1965, in the midst of the Vietnam war. My parents were born in 1944 and 1945, at the tail end of World War II. No one in my family has ever served in the military. But I do remember my parents fearing war. My mom, it seemed to me at the time, was very spooked by the Iran hostage crisis. What was that - 1979/1980? And the launch of the Gulf war in 1990 - my parents were glued to the television in what may have been the first time that there was live, on-the-spot coverage as troops went in. And they were worried that my younger brothers would be drafted (which, of course, did not happen).
When I was in high school in the early 1980s, kids did one of three things:
1) you went on to college
2) you stuck around, got a job and maybe started a family
3) you joined the military
It was pretty much in that order (okay, maybe 1 and 2 were reversed or evenly split). Joining the military was seen as a last resort. Someone who didn't have any goals or ambition in life joined the armed forces - it was a last resort to becoming a drug dealer or similar menace to society.
So I think it's interesting that some of my high school classmates are now making a big fuss about "Joe." Joe was in the reserves, I believe, and he has been in Iraq for at least the last 10 months. Joe was a police officer or sheriff deputy in his home town. He returned in late April/early May, and there is a move afoot to rally round him and his family this weekend. Those who are on the email list have all been invited to return to ye olde home town and take Joe and his family out to dinner.
Yes, I remember Joe and he seemed like a nice guy. But no one ever made a big deal about him in high school. Why the fuss now? Don't get me wrong - I am not knocking Joe or the military and I'm not anti-American or anything like that. I just don't get it. I don't get people my age, the kids I grew up with, suddenly becoming raving patriots. Because they just weren't that way 20 years ago.
Thursday, May 27, 2004
Stupid News
(Wow, two of these in one week...)
Capitol Hill Sex Blogger Issues Warning
Jessica Cutler, a.k.a. Washingtonienne," the 24-year-old staff assistant for Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) who was fired last week from her $25,000/year job on Capitol Hill because she used Senate computers to post an explicit Web blog about her sexual escapades, has issued an ominous warning to the men with whom she was involved. The petite brunette told Washington Post "Reliable Source" columnist Richard Leiby that it would be prudent for those guys to get HIV tests. Cutler says she augmented her salary with lunch hour trysts with high-level federal employees that netted her as much as $400.
"I was practicing safe sex, as much as that is possible," she confessed to The Washington Post. She said she was tested for HIV on Monday. "I get tested at least once a year. I'm fine as far as I know. It's not like I'm in a panic or anything." Still, she added, "These people, these relationships, have been going on for various lengths of time. There are situations that are very questionable. You never know. With AIDS, who's not afraid of that?"
On her blog, Cutler identified her partners by their initials only. That has some inside-the-Beltway folks scrambling to figure out their identities, including one alleged partner whom Cutler described as a Bush-appointed "chief of staff" at a federal agency. Meanwhile, Cutler's phone has been ringing a lot. A literary agent with New York City's Carlisle & Co. is interested in securing a book contract about sex on Capitol Hill. And The New York Post reports that Playboy has offered her six figures to pose nude.
Source: What's New @ http://home.netscape.com/
Capitol Hill Sex Blogger Issues Warning
Jessica Cutler, a.k.a. Washingtonienne," the 24-year-old staff assistant for Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) who was fired last week from her $25,000/year job on Capitol Hill because she used Senate computers to post an explicit Web blog about her sexual escapades, has issued an ominous warning to the men with whom she was involved. The petite brunette told Washington Post "Reliable Source" columnist Richard Leiby that it would be prudent for those guys to get HIV tests. Cutler says she augmented her salary with lunch hour trysts with high-level federal employees that netted her as much as $400.
"I was practicing safe sex, as much as that is possible," she confessed to The Washington Post. She said she was tested for HIV on Monday. "I get tested at least once a year. I'm fine as far as I know. It's not like I'm in a panic or anything." Still, she added, "These people, these relationships, have been going on for various lengths of time. There are situations that are very questionable. You never know. With AIDS, who's not afraid of that?"
On her blog, Cutler identified her partners by their initials only. That has some inside-the-Beltway folks scrambling to figure out their identities, including one alleged partner whom Cutler described as a Bush-appointed "chief of staff" at a federal agency. Meanwhile, Cutler's phone has been ringing a lot. A literary agent with New York City's Carlisle & Co. is interested in securing a book contract about sex on Capitol Hill. And The New York Post reports that Playboy has offered her six figures to pose nude.
Source: What's New @ http://home.netscape.com/
Sweet!
Finally, an unexpected day brightener. I have a 1:00-3:00 meeting which curtails my normal late (and long) lunch habit. I thought I would try to squeeze by with just my Creme Savers yogurt (brought in but not consumed yesterday; still in the fridge). Just went to the kitchen and guess what? I have some leftover chicken salad from Monday in there! I just knew that the yogurt would not carry me through the afternoon.
Of course, now that I think about it, all I had for dinner last night was yogurt. And two cups of snack mix which really wasn't TOO bad - only 520 calories for what amounted to four servings. I really should have fixed myself a salad, but I found a web site that listed the top 100 songs of the last 40 years and realized that the CD I burned earlier in the week was severely lacking. Am going to have to redo that AND I'm going to make a special mix of the Best of 1964. Some good ones there - enough to warrant its own CD. And I managed to find and download most of those songs too. (Well, not all the ones in the list, just enough of the ones that I instantly recognized and wanted to include in my compilation).
Of course, now that I think about it, all I had for dinner last night was yogurt. And two cups of snack mix which really wasn't TOO bad - only 520 calories for what amounted to four servings. I really should have fixed myself a salad, but I found a web site that listed the top 100 songs of the last 40 years and realized that the CD I burned earlier in the week was severely lacking. Am going to have to redo that AND I'm going to make a special mix of the Best of 1964. Some good ones there - enough to warrant its own CD. And I managed to find and download most of those songs too. (Well, not all the ones in the list, just enough of the ones that I instantly recognized and wanted to include in my compilation).
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Various
... two hour nap yesterday afternoon. Can't say that I was 'refreshed' afterwards, but I did drag myself to the gym and had significantly more energy afterwards. Slept pretty well last night, but it's another grey gloomy day here in Upstate NY, so the mood is not significantly enhanced.
... after telling John that he could just keep the two sofas he's been storing for me for the last two years, he's now decided that they won't "go" with his new decor. And he's moving TOMMORROW. At least he offered to drop them off for me. Trying to see if my friend J can store them in her basement; if not, then they will be on the porch temporarily until I can sell them. Because if J can't store them for me, I have no room at my house and there is no sense in keeping them.
... my mother says that the guy at the gas station told my father that gas would be close to $3/gallon by July. Ouch.
... the Ex called last night. A mutual friend is throwing a surprise 40th birthday party for his wife this weekend, and it looks like we'll both be there. Shouldn't be a problem - there will be over 100 people there. It's not like I'll be there with a date - and even though I didn't ask and he didn't tell, I know he won't have a date either. Just kind of an unspoken agreement, I guess. The woman that he has "sort of" been seeing must be used to it by now.
... after telling John that he could just keep the two sofas he's been storing for me for the last two years, he's now decided that they won't "go" with his new decor. And he's moving TOMMORROW. At least he offered to drop them off for me. Trying to see if my friend J can store them in her basement; if not, then they will be on the porch temporarily until I can sell them. Because if J can't store them for me, I have no room at my house and there is no sense in keeping them.
... my mother says that the guy at the gas station told my father that gas would be close to $3/gallon by July. Ouch.
... the Ex called last night. A mutual friend is throwing a surprise 40th birthday party for his wife this weekend, and it looks like we'll both be there. Shouldn't be a problem - there will be over 100 people there. It's not like I'll be there with a date - and even though I didn't ask and he didn't tell, I know he won't have a date either. Just kind of an unspoken agreement, I guess. The woman that he has "sort of" been seeing must be used to it by now.
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
I Want My Kashi
I want my Kashi Crunch. I've been to the grocery store three times in the last week and each time the shelf has been bare. I complained to customer service tonight and they told me they don't even place orders anymore - it's all computerized and they get what they get based on models and patterns. I asked them to please tell the computer that they are and have been out of Kashi crunch.
If it's not there the next time I go to the store, I'm going to order directly from the manufacturer. I don't know where I'll store 12 boxes of cereal, but I'll think of something.
Stupid News
I don't have anything against families, but I don't think any child should be saddled with a name like Jinger. Especially if your dad is Jim Bob. Say it with me, folks ... only in Arkansas.
Woman Gives Birth to Her 15th Child!
Michelle Duggar, 37, of Fayetteville, Ark., gave birth on Sunday to Jackson Levi Duggar, her 15th child. Her husband, and father of the brood whose names all begin with the letter "J," is former Arkansas state legislator Jim Bob Duggar.
See a photo of the very large Duggar family taken in April when Michelle was named Arkansas Young Mother of the Year.
The Associated Press reports that mother and baby are doing well after the Caesarean section. Jackson weighed in at 7 pounds, 8 ounces. "She's a trouper. She's just all smiles," grandmother Mary Duggar told AP. She gets the job of taking care of the 14 kids while Mom is in the hospital for three or four days. The Duggers are even considering having more children. Jim Bob told AP that he leaves that decision to his wife. "I have always left it up to Michelle because she's actually the one that carries them and does all the labor," he said. "But we both love children. Even yesterday, she said she would like to have some more."
Michelle is a busy woman. In addition to caring and cooking for a family of 17, she also home schools the children and is helping to build the family's new home from the ground up. In addition to Jackson, the family includes: Joshua, 16; twins Jana and John-David, 14; Jill, 13; Jessa, 11; Jinger, 10; Joseph, 9; Josiah, 7; Joy-Anna, 6; twins Jeremiah and Jedidiah, 5; Jason, 4; James, 2; and Justin, 1.
Woman Gives Birth to Her 15th Child!
Michelle Duggar, 37, of Fayetteville, Ark., gave birth on Sunday to Jackson Levi Duggar, her 15th child. Her husband, and father of the brood whose names all begin with the letter "J," is former Arkansas state legislator Jim Bob Duggar.
See a photo of the very large Duggar family taken in April when Michelle was named Arkansas Young Mother of the Year.
The Associated Press reports that mother and baby are doing well after the Caesarean section. Jackson weighed in at 7 pounds, 8 ounces. "She's a trouper. She's just all smiles," grandmother Mary Duggar told AP. She gets the job of taking care of the 14 kids while Mom is in the hospital for three or four days. The Duggers are even considering having more children. Jim Bob told AP that he leaves that decision to his wife. "I have always left it up to Michelle because she's actually the one that carries them and does all the labor," he said. "But we both love children. Even yesterday, she said she would like to have some more."
Michelle is a busy woman. In addition to caring and cooking for a family of 17, she also home schools the children and is helping to build the family's new home from the ground up. In addition to Jackson, the family includes: Joshua, 16; twins Jana and John-David, 14; Jill, 13; Jessa, 11; Jinger, 10; Joseph, 9; Josiah, 7; Joy-Anna, 6; twins Jeremiah and Jedidiah, 5; Jason, 4; James, 2; and Justin, 1.
I Heart Phil
My message to Phil:
Haven't slept well the last two nights and am thinking of taking sick time this afternoon. But I still have enough energy (and an appetite) for lunch - if you're willing to come get me and/or meet me downtown. I walked this morning. If today doesn't work for you I'll take a raincheck.
Phil's reply:
Sure, I can do lunch. Call me?
===============================
I heart Phil and I always will.
Haven't slept well the last two nights and am thinking of taking sick time this afternoon. But I still have enough energy (and an appetite) for lunch - if you're willing to come get me and/or meet me downtown. I walked this morning. If today doesn't work for you I'll take a raincheck.
Phil's reply:
Sure, I can do lunch. Call me?
===============================
I heart Phil and I always will.
Rain Will Fall
If I had a weather pixie she'd be doing a little happy dance in her bikini.
And three hours later she would have been thoroughly soaked again. It POURED again. The drains on the corner of my street get backed up, and there was nearly a foot of water in the street. When it stopped, I went out and tried to pull the debris off the drains, but the pipes were so full it still took half an hour to drain.
The unemployed boy next door took pity on me and we went to a sports bar for dinner. He's an odd duck, that one. Very direct and matter of fact. He doesn't ask if he can come back to my place, he announces "Now, the perfect way to end this dinner is to go back to your place for a cup of tea and perhaps some ice cream." Yeah, okay, I think there's some sorbet in there, but I don't know how old it is. It was unopened, and I didn't tell him that it had been there since last summer.
It felt like I didn't sleep at all last night. I swear my heart was racing. Don't know why. Got up and came to work with the intention of going home sick later on. If the weather clears, I'm definitely taking half a day.
And three hours later she would have been thoroughly soaked again. It POURED again. The drains on the corner of my street get backed up, and there was nearly a foot of water in the street. When it stopped, I went out and tried to pull the debris off the drains, but the pipes were so full it still took half an hour to drain.
The unemployed boy next door took pity on me and we went to a sports bar for dinner. He's an odd duck, that one. Very direct and matter of fact. He doesn't ask if he can come back to my place, he announces "Now, the perfect way to end this dinner is to go back to your place for a cup of tea and perhaps some ice cream." Yeah, okay, I think there's some sorbet in there, but I don't know how old it is. It was unopened, and I didn't tell him that it had been there since last summer.
It felt like I didn't sleep at all last night. I swear my heart was racing. Don't know why. Got up and came to work with the intention of going home sick later on. If the weather clears, I'm definitely taking half a day.
Monday, May 24, 2004
Piece of Cake
What was I so afraid of? Not blogging didn't hurt. (That's a double negative, isn't it?) But it did underscore what I already knew - I don't accomplish very much in a given day. Even when I'm specifically focusing on cranking through my to-do list, the number of items I am able to check off is embarrassingly few. Part of the problem is that I'm easily distracted.
What, the local business journal? Haven't seen that in a while - let's take a look see.
Yes, I see that the open house is coming up on June 17 - let me put that on my calendar. Oh - what's this? It's JB's birthday on the 15th; I'd better schedule an e-card now before I forget.
I don't have the work number for that woman in Buffalo; let me look on the internet. Oh, that page is out of date, I'd better tell someone.
What's this prospect report? Oh, I meant to send her a follow up letter. Better do that before I forget and then file the report so I don't lose track of it...
So while I do get things done, often it's not what I had planned to do. And if there is a deadline, I usually manage to meet it. I know I'm supposed to be self-motivated here, but it really does help if someone tells me when and how it's needed, otherwise I'll allow myself to get distracted.
Can you believe it? The sun is out and there isn't a cloud in the sky. That's a 180 degree change from this morning. If I had a weather pixie she'd be doing a little happy dance in her bikini.
What, the local business journal? Haven't seen that in a while - let's take a look see.
Yes, I see that the open house is coming up on June 17 - let me put that on my calendar. Oh - what's this? It's JB's birthday on the 15th; I'd better schedule an e-card now before I forget.
I don't have the work number for that woman in Buffalo; let me look on the internet. Oh, that page is out of date, I'd better tell someone.
What's this prospect report? Oh, I meant to send her a follow up letter. Better do that before I forget and then file the report so I don't lose track of it...
So while I do get things done, often it's not what I had planned to do. And if there is a deadline, I usually manage to meet it. I know I'm supposed to be self-motivated here, but it really does help if someone tells me when and how it's needed, otherwise I'll allow myself to get distracted.
Can you believe it? The sun is out and there isn't a cloud in the sky. That's a 180 degree change from this morning. If I had a weather pixie she'd be doing a little happy dance in her bikini.
It's Noon!
Here's how my morning went:
* set up a networking lunch
* completed two outstanding reports including follow-up letter for one; follow-up on the second one will be done this afternoon.
* exchanged several messages with Richard and Susan re: party I'm planning for June 26
* made entries on fitday.com; looked at caloriescount.com but it appears to be subscription based service and I try not to pay for anything that I can get for free elsewhere (i.e. at fitday.com)
* made notations throughout the morning to share now:
11:00 a.m. Torrential downpour. So glad I drove to work today.
11:10 a.m. “Shut. Up.” Uttered by the young woman who doesn’t know enough not to wear open toed shoes in a professional office. And to think I’m the one who insisted on hiring her.
Forgot to bring in snacks. Am trying to fill up on water instead. Want to try to drink this 20 oz. bottle before noon. She just said it again – it’s like, so totally “Mean Girls.” Rumble of thunder in the distance.
11:30 I’m hungry. Despite having already consumed nearly 900 calories for breakfast. Hard to believe there are that many calories in 2 slices of whole wheat toast (with butter), a banana and a glass of 1% milk, but there are.
11:39 Continued rumbles in the distance; save now or risk losing your data!
11:54 Is it noon yet? Have consumed ¾ of that 20 oz. bottle of water. I’m still hungry. What shall I do for lunch – go home and fix myself a salad? Go to the mall and buy a salad and shop on my lunch hour? Decisions, decisions.
* set up a networking lunch
* completed two outstanding reports including follow-up letter for one; follow-up on the second one will be done this afternoon.
* exchanged several messages with Richard and Susan re: party I'm planning for June 26
* made entries on fitday.com; looked at caloriescount.com but it appears to be subscription based service and I try not to pay for anything that I can get for free elsewhere (i.e. at fitday.com)
* made notations throughout the morning to share now:
11:00 a.m. Torrential downpour. So glad I drove to work today.
11:10 a.m. “Shut. Up.” Uttered by the young woman who doesn’t know enough not to wear open toed shoes in a professional office. And to think I’m the one who insisted on hiring her.
Forgot to bring in snacks. Am trying to fill up on water instead. Want to try to drink this 20 oz. bottle before noon. She just said it again – it’s like, so totally “Mean Girls.” Rumble of thunder in the distance.
11:30 I’m hungry. Despite having already consumed nearly 900 calories for breakfast. Hard to believe there are that many calories in 2 slices of whole wheat toast (with butter), a banana and a glass of 1% milk, but there are.
11:39 Continued rumbles in the distance; save now or risk losing your data!
11:54 Is it noon yet? Have consumed ¾ of that 20 oz. bottle of water. I’m still hungry. What shall I do for lunch – go home and fix myself a salad? Go to the mall and buy a salad and shop on my lunch hour? Decisions, decisions.
Blog Free Day
I've got a shitload of work to do today, so I'm going to attempt to make it a blog free day. Well, not totally. No blogging between 9:00 - noon and 1:00 - 4:00. Imagine that - spending six hours of work actually working. We'll see how it goes. I couldn't deny myself entirely, because we all know that cold turkey deprivation just doesn't work. As soon as you tell yourself you can't do something, another voice pops up inside your head telling you "it's okay, it won't hurt, you can start fresh tomorrow." Well, today is my tomorrow. See you at noon.
Sunday, May 23, 2004
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Just about every 90s compilation list includes it, but I wasn't even sure I'd heard it. I'm listening to it now, and no, it will not be on the custom CD I'm creating. I'm just not much of a hard rock girl.
Got a lot done today - the porch is clean, I vacuumed the cobwebs in the basement, pulled a garbage can full of weeds from out back, drove up to the lake and walked around with the unemployed boy next door, finished downloading songs and put them into some semblance of a playlist. And no, I'm not going to share it because I don't want to get into it with all you music freaks out there. Don't feel like explaining my song choices to anyone. Ultimately it came down to this - the one before didn't clash with the one after and all together they total less than 80 minutes. So there.
Got a lot done today - the porch is clean, I vacuumed the cobwebs in the basement, pulled a garbage can full of weeds from out back, drove up to the lake and walked around with the unemployed boy next door, finished downloading songs and put them into some semblance of a playlist. And no, I'm not going to share it because I don't want to get into it with all you music freaks out there. Don't feel like explaining my song choices to anyone. Ultimately it came down to this - the one before didn't clash with the one after and all together they total less than 80 minutes. So there.
Saturday, May 22, 2004
Ugh.
Didn't accomplish much today. Mostly just spent some time catching up with myself. Have been downloading songs to create a CD for a friend's upcoming 40th birthday. Nibbling all day. Fixed some pasta and it was unsatisfying. Dropped another $60 at the nursery. Picked up some on the porch. Trying to watch a couple shows I videotaped last week. Hoping the weather is a bit nicer tomorrow and I'll do some yard work - maybe start planting the annuals.
Friday, May 21, 2004
Various
... feels like it's going to be a slow day; overcast and somewhat dreary but warm enough to walk to work without a jacket
... cinnamon plum tea wasn't too bad, but I liked the raspberry better
... not only can't I find that $196 check sent to me by friend Mike to reimburse me for the Sting tickets I purchased for him, but I just realized that I forgot to record an $8,000 deposit made on behalf of professional association for which I am treasurer. Oops. Maybe I should be taking that Gingko Biloba after all.
... more later, I'm sure ...
... according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, eleven states are still being monitored because they have not fully met requirements for desegregation (50 years after Brown v. Board of Education, mind you). Why am I not surprised that Texas and Florida are two of those eleven states?
... why are teenagers overrunning my favorite corner deli? I purposely went to lunch late hoping that the place would be empty and instead - teenagers everywhere!
... I like seeing new growth on shrubs. The new growth is bright green and it gives the whole bush this glow in the dark kind of look.
... and to top it all off ...
... my afternoon snack (Kashi cereal eaten dry like granola)is stale, but I ate it anyway. I really should just leave now and go to happy hour ...
... cinnamon plum tea wasn't too bad, but I liked the raspberry better
... not only can't I find that $196 check sent to me by friend Mike to reimburse me for the Sting tickets I purchased for him, but I just realized that I forgot to record an $8,000 deposit made on behalf of professional association for which I am treasurer. Oops. Maybe I should be taking that Gingko Biloba after all.
... more later, I'm sure ...
... according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, eleven states are still being monitored because they have not fully met requirements for desegregation (50 years after Brown v. Board of Education, mind you). Why am I not surprised that Texas and Florida are two of those eleven states?
... why are teenagers overrunning my favorite corner deli? I purposely went to lunch late hoping that the place would be empty and instead - teenagers everywhere!
... I like seeing new growth on shrubs. The new growth is bright green and it gives the whole bush this glow in the dark kind of look.
... and to top it all off ...
... my afternoon snack (Kashi cereal eaten dry like granola)is stale, but I ate it anyway. I really should just leave now and go to happy hour ...
Thursday, May 20, 2004
Giving Up The Ghost
In recent weeks I've been toying the idea of auditioning for one of my favorite shows, Survivor. I downloaded the application form and have been thinking about what I would do for my 3 minute video.
If ever there was a perfect time in my life to do something like this, it's now. I'm single, no kids and am unhappy with my job. I've got nothing to lose. If I were selected I'd ask for a leave of absence from work. If they refused, I'd just quit. Hell, they're going to let me go next June anyway. But really, they would be smart to give me the leave.
I'm in fairly decent shape, physically. But when it comes down to it, this isn't survival of the fittest. It's survival of the smartest and with my relationship skills, I'm pretty sure I could convince 15 strangers to give me that $1,000,000.
I had the video sketched out in my head:
- a quick welcome/intro
"Hi, my name is Kenna, I'm 39 years old and divorced. I don't have any kids and I hate my job so I want to be a survivor because I've got nothing to lose."
- cutaway to me in the car, pulling up in front of the Ex's house
"This is where my Ex lives. I used to live here too, but I walked out four years ago. I left everything - my marriage, the house, the boat and the cat. [slight pause and wry smile] I miss the cat."
- cutaway to me in front of my office
"This is where I work. It's a great location - I can walk downtown for lunch or to go to the bank or the post office. I've got a sweet deal here. I make good money and I don't really work all that hard. But if I have to visit one more 86 year old lady with a broken hip, I'll scream."
- cutaway to me going into my rented house; I join my friends on the sofa
"So guys, tell me what you think? Can I make it on Survivor?"
Friend 1 asks, "It's a long 39 days. What are you doing to prepare yourself?"
"I've been going to the gym for several months now [video fades to show me pressing 180 pounds with my legs and working on the bicep machine - the biceps, by the way, are visible but only slightly larger than golf balls] and I'm getting stronger every day. If I make it to the next phase in the interview process, I'm going to stop showering on weekends and not use deodorant. I might even try sleeping out in the yard."
Friend 2 asks, "What about the house? Who's going to take care of things while you're gone?"
"Glad you asked because I was hoping you could help me out there. I'll ask the unemployed boy next door to keep an eye on the house and trucklet, but I'd like you to take care of my finances. I'll leave you my checkbook with several signed, blank checks and have my mail forwarded to you. If you could pay my bills, that would be great."
"And believe it or not, applying to be a contestant on Survivor is forcing me to do a few things that I've been meaning to do anyway, like renew my passport. I'm also going to finally create a will. Not that I think anything will happen to me, but you never know."
Friend 1 says "Well, I think you're ready Kenna. Go for it."
I look in the camera and say "Yes, I think I am ready. I think I have what it takes to be the ultimate survivor. I've got everything to gain and nothing to lose. Except about 20 pounds. And if that happens, then I can fit into the red dress again [I hold up photo of me in slinky red dress taken three years ago when stress from my separation caused me to lose 30 pounds in three months - I was high school skinny!] and I'll really be happy!"
Fade to credits/bloopers - the bloopers by the way, will be a mix of real and staged. I'm sure in the process of filming I'll flub my lines more than once, but I planned on filming a couple of goofy things like me tripping over my own feet or getting the hiccups while I'm trying to talk etc. The credits would give thanks to my cameraman and editor, would include a shout out to my Survivor buddy Mary and special thanks to Phil for being the "E" in my PIE (I throw that in there so the producers have something to ask me about in the face to face interview) as well as to my boss, for not renewing my contract and forcing me to seek new challenges.
Yes, I think that with an audition tape like that, there is no doubt that they would call me in for a face-to-face meeting.
But it's not going to happen. Because it's only a dream and I'm giving up the ghost. I've just got too many other things going on to pull this all together in the next three weeks.
But it was fun while it lasted, if only in my dreams.
If ever there was a perfect time in my life to do something like this, it's now. I'm single, no kids and am unhappy with my job. I've got nothing to lose. If I were selected I'd ask for a leave of absence from work. If they refused, I'd just quit. Hell, they're going to let me go next June anyway. But really, they would be smart to give me the leave.
I'm in fairly decent shape, physically. But when it comes down to it, this isn't survival of the fittest. It's survival of the smartest and with my relationship skills, I'm pretty sure I could convince 15 strangers to give me that $1,000,000.
I had the video sketched out in my head:
- a quick welcome/intro
"Hi, my name is Kenna, I'm 39 years old and divorced. I don't have any kids and I hate my job so I want to be a survivor because I've got nothing to lose."
- cutaway to me in the car, pulling up in front of the Ex's house
"This is where my Ex lives. I used to live here too, but I walked out four years ago. I left everything - my marriage, the house, the boat and the cat. [slight pause and wry smile] I miss the cat."
- cutaway to me in front of my office
"This is where I work. It's a great location - I can walk downtown for lunch or to go to the bank or the post office. I've got a sweet deal here. I make good money and I don't really work all that hard. But if I have to visit one more 86 year old lady with a broken hip, I'll scream."
- cutaway to me going into my rented house; I join my friends on the sofa
"So guys, tell me what you think? Can I make it on Survivor?"
Friend 1 asks, "It's a long 39 days. What are you doing to prepare yourself?"
"I've been going to the gym for several months now [video fades to show me pressing 180 pounds with my legs and working on the bicep machine - the biceps, by the way, are visible but only slightly larger than golf balls] and I'm getting stronger every day. If I make it to the next phase in the interview process, I'm going to stop showering on weekends and not use deodorant. I might even try sleeping out in the yard."
Friend 2 asks, "What about the house? Who's going to take care of things while you're gone?"
"Glad you asked because I was hoping you could help me out there. I'll ask the unemployed boy next door to keep an eye on the house and trucklet, but I'd like you to take care of my finances. I'll leave you my checkbook with several signed, blank checks and have my mail forwarded to you. If you could pay my bills, that would be great."
"And believe it or not, applying to be a contestant on Survivor is forcing me to do a few things that I've been meaning to do anyway, like renew my passport. I'm also going to finally create a will. Not that I think anything will happen to me, but you never know."
Friend 1 says "Well, I think you're ready Kenna. Go for it."
I look in the camera and say "Yes, I think I am ready. I think I have what it takes to be the ultimate survivor. I've got everything to gain and nothing to lose. Except about 20 pounds. And if that happens, then I can fit into the red dress again [I hold up photo of me in slinky red dress taken three years ago when stress from my separation caused me to lose 30 pounds in three months - I was high school skinny!] and I'll really be happy!"
Fade to credits/bloopers - the bloopers by the way, will be a mix of real and staged. I'm sure in the process of filming I'll flub my lines more than once, but I planned on filming a couple of goofy things like me tripping over my own feet or getting the hiccups while I'm trying to talk etc. The credits would give thanks to my cameraman and editor, would include a shout out to my Survivor buddy Mary and special thanks to Phil for being the "E" in my PIE (I throw that in there so the producers have something to ask me about in the face to face interview) as well as to my boss, for not renewing my contract and forcing me to seek new challenges.
Yes, I think that with an audition tape like that, there is no doubt that they would call me in for a face-to-face meeting.
But it's not going to happen. Because it's only a dream and I'm giving up the ghost. I've just got too many other things going on to pull this all together in the next three weeks.
But it was fun while it lasted, if only in my dreams.
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
So I'm happy that I'm not going to have to go on blood pressure medication (yet) and I'm trying to do everything I can to avoid it for a long time. Still, the doctor is a little stumped as to why my blood pressure is elevated. I don't smoke, and even though I am a solid 160 pounds, at 5' 8" I'm not overweight. My diet doesn't include a lot of processed meat or other sodium laden foods, so why the elevated blood pressure?
The only thing that rang a bell for me was cheese. I do like my extra sharp cheese as well as my pepper jack. Almost always have it on my salad. And I just bought a tub of feta the other night. I'll try to cut back on the cheese and continue the exercise. And maybe get back in the habit of using fitday.com to keep track of my eating, exercise and moods.
I'm doing okay today. Avoided the leftover birthday cupcakes this morning (one step forward) but succumbed to the meal deal at Subway and ate that entire bag (2.5 servings and probably loaded with sodium) of Fritos with my six inch BMT (one step back). The cupcakes are still out there, calling to me:
"Kenna, you know you want me. Come on, lick me, eat me - love me!"
Have avoided their siren song. Another step forward.
The only thing that rang a bell for me was cheese. I do like my extra sharp cheese as well as my pepper jack. Almost always have it on my salad. And I just bought a tub of feta the other night. I'll try to cut back on the cheese and continue the exercise. And maybe get back in the habit of using fitday.com to keep track of my eating, exercise and moods.
I'm doing okay today. Avoided the leftover birthday cupcakes this morning (one step forward) but succumbed to the meal deal at Subway and ate that entire bag (2.5 servings and probably loaded with sodium) of Fritos with my six inch BMT (one step back). The cupcakes are still out there, calling to me:
"Kenna, you know you want me. Come on, lick me, eat me - love me!"
Have avoided their siren song. Another step forward.
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
For Me?
The florist was delivering a huge bouquet of flowers, and for a split second I wondered "Flowers? For me?" and then I woke up.
In response to Amanda's tanning reports:
My left arm is tan from driving over 1,000 miles in the past week. It's a car tan. Legs are totally white, except for that big ole bruise on my right thigh. I've tried to take a picture, but I just can't seem to get the right angle/light so you can truly appreciate the deep black, purple, pink and yellowish hues. How did I get such a bruise, you ask? Use your imagination, it's bound to be more exciting that the truth.
In response to Amanda's tanning reports:
My left arm is tan from driving over 1,000 miles in the past week. It's a car tan. Legs are totally white, except for that big ole bruise on my right thigh. I've tried to take a picture, but I just can't seem to get the right angle/light so you can truly appreciate the deep black, purple, pink and yellowish hues. How did I get such a bruise, you ask? Use your imagination, it's bound to be more exciting that the truth.
Dodging Bullets
Whew. I'm off the hook for the time being. Doctor doesn't want to commit to a diagnosis of hypertension just yet, so he wants me to keep exercising and in a few weeks he's going to fit me with an ambulatory blood pressure monitor that will take a reading every 20 minutes. That way he'll have a clear and accurate view of my pressure throughout the day. Other than a family history (thanks again, mom and dad!)I don't have any other indicators, and since it's elevated but not through the roof, the good doctor is willing to take a "wait and see" attitude. I really did not want to commit to taking medication for the rest of my life...
In other news, there is no other news. We'll interrupt your regularly scheduled programming should something occur.
In other news, there is no other news. We'll interrupt your regularly scheduled programming should something occur.
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
It's Catching Up With Me
The driving.
The yard work.
The bad eating habits.
The migraine hangover.
The computer/RoadRunner snafus.
The stagnant personal life.
I'm fading fast.
The yard work.
The bad eating habits.
The migraine hangover.
The computer/RoadRunner snafus.
The stagnant personal life.
I'm fading fast.
Country Roads
You know you're driving on a country road if ...
... you see snowmobile crossing signs
... you have to straddle manure for a mile or more
... you have to pull over and use your scraper to remove the dead bugs from your windshield
... you can't see in inch in front of you without your headlights
... you have to dodge road kill
... you see snowmobile crossing signs
... you have to straddle manure for a mile or more
... you have to pull over and use your scraper to remove the dead bugs from your windshield
... you can't see in inch in front of you without your headlights
... you have to dodge road kill
Monday, May 17, 2004
101 Great Books
Swiped this from Scott Aaron Pepper who swiped it from the College Board. Books I've read are in italics; looks like I've got to make up for lost time.
Beowulf
Achebe, Chinua - Things Fall Apart
Agee, James - A Death in the Family
Austen, Jane - Pride and Prejudice
Baldwin, James - Go Tell It on the Mountain
Beckett, Samuel - Waiting for Godot
Bellow, Saul - The Adventures of Augie March
Bronte, Charlotte - Jane Eyre
Bronte, Emily - Wuthering Heights
Camus, Albert - The Stranger
Cather, Willa - Death Comes for the Archbishop
Cervantes, Miguel de - Don Quixote
Chaucer, Geoffrey - The Canterbury Tales
Chekhov, Anton - The Cherry Orchard
Chopin, Kate - The Awakening
Conrad, Joseph - Heart of Darkness
Cooper, James Fenimore - The Last of the Mohicans
Crane, Stephen - The Red Badge of Courage
Dante - Inferno
Defoe, Daniel - Robinson Crusoe
Dickens, Charles - A Tale of Two Cities
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor - Crime and Punishment
Douglass, Frederick - Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Dreiser, Theodore - An American Tragedy
Dumas, Alexandre - The Three Musketeers
Eliot, George - The Mill on the Floss
Ellison, Ralph - Invisible Man
Emerson, Ralph Waldo - Selected Essays
Faulkner, William - As I Lay Dying
Faulkner, William - The Sound and the Fury
Fielding, Henry - Tom Jones
Fitzgerald, F. Scott - The Great Gatsby
Flaubert, Gustave - Madame Bovary
Ford, Ford Madox - The Good Soldier
Goethe, Johann - Wolfgang von Faust
Golding, William - Lord of the Flies
Hardy, Thomas - Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Hawthorne, Nathaniel - The Scarlet Letter
Heller, Joseph - Catch 22
Hemingway, Ernest - A Farewell to Arms
Homer - The Iliad
Homer - The Odyssey
Hugo, Victor - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Hurston, Zora Neale - Their Eyes Were Watching God
Huxley, Aldous - Brave New World
Ibsen, Henrik - A Doll's House
James, Henry - The Portrait of a Lady
James, Henry - The Turn of the Screw
Joyce, James - A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Kafka, Franz - The Metamorphosis
Kingston, Maxine Hong - The Woman Warrior
Lee, Harper - To Kill a Mockingbird
Lewis, Sinclair - Babbitt
London, Jack - The Call of the Wild
Mann, Thomas - The Magic Mountain
Marquez, Gabriel Garcia - One Hundred Years of Solitude
Melville, Herman - Bartleby the Scrivener
Melville, Herman - Moby Dick
Miller, Arthur - The Crucible
Morrison, Toni - Beloved
O'Connor, Flannery - A Good Man is Hard to Find
O'Neill, Eugene - Long Day's Journey into Night
Orwell, George - Animal Farm
Pasternak, Boris - Doctor Zhivago
Plath, Sylvia - The Bell Jar
Poe, Edgar Allen - Selected Tales
Proust, Marcel - Swann's Way
Pynchon, Thomas - The Crying of Lot 49
Remarque, Erich Maria - All Quiet on the Western Front
Rostand, Edmond - Cyrano de Bergerac
Roth, Henry - Call It Sleep
Salinger, J.D. - The Catcher in the Rye
Shakespeare, William - Hamlet
Shakespeare, William - Macbeth
Shakespeare, William - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare, William - Romeo and Juliet
Shaw, George Bernard - Pygmalion
Shelley, Mary - Frankenstein
Silko, Leslie Marmon - Ceremony
Solzhenitsyn, Alexander - One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Sophocles - Antigone
Sophocles - Oedipus Rex
Steinbeck, John - The Grapes of Wrath
Stevenson, Robert Louis - Treasure Island
Stowe, Harriet Beecher - Uncle Tom's Cabin
Swift, Jonathan - Gulliver's Travels
Thackeray, William - Vanity Fair
Thoreau, Henry David - Walden
Tolstoy, Leo - War and Peace
Turgenev, Ivan - Fathers and Sons
Twain, Mark - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Voltaire - Candide
Vonnegut, Kurt Jr. - Slaughterhouse-Five
Walker, Alice - The Color Purple
Warton, Edith - The House of Mirth
Welty, Eudora - Collected Stories
Whitman, Walt - Leaves of Grass
Wilde, Oscar - The Picture of Dorian Gray
Williams, Tennessee - The Glass Menagerie
Woolf, Virginia - To the Lighthouse
Wright, Richard - Native Son
Beowulf
Achebe, Chinua - Things Fall Apart
Agee, James - A Death in the Family
Austen, Jane - Pride and Prejudice
Baldwin, James - Go Tell It on the Mountain
Beckett, Samuel - Waiting for Godot
Bellow, Saul - The Adventures of Augie March
Bronte, Charlotte - Jane Eyre
Bronte, Emily - Wuthering Heights
Camus, Albert - The Stranger
Cather, Willa - Death Comes for the Archbishop
Cervantes, Miguel de - Don Quixote
Chaucer, Geoffrey - The Canterbury Tales
Chekhov, Anton - The Cherry Orchard
Chopin, Kate - The Awakening
Conrad, Joseph - Heart of Darkness
Cooper, James Fenimore - The Last of the Mohicans
Crane, Stephen - The Red Badge of Courage
Dante - Inferno
Defoe, Daniel - Robinson Crusoe
Dickens, Charles - A Tale of Two Cities
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor - Crime and Punishment
Douglass, Frederick - Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Dreiser, Theodore - An American Tragedy
Dumas, Alexandre - The Three Musketeers
Eliot, George - The Mill on the Floss
Ellison, Ralph - Invisible Man
Emerson, Ralph Waldo - Selected Essays
Faulkner, William - As I Lay Dying
Faulkner, William - The Sound and the Fury
Fielding, Henry - Tom Jones
Fitzgerald, F. Scott - The Great Gatsby
Flaubert, Gustave - Madame Bovary
Ford, Ford Madox - The Good Soldier
Goethe, Johann - Wolfgang von Faust
Golding, William - Lord of the Flies
Hardy, Thomas - Tess of the d'Urbervilles
Hawthorne, Nathaniel - The Scarlet Letter
Heller, Joseph - Catch 22
Hemingway, Ernest - A Farewell to Arms
Homer - The Iliad
Homer - The Odyssey
Hugo, Victor - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Hurston, Zora Neale - Their Eyes Were Watching God
Huxley, Aldous - Brave New World
Ibsen, Henrik - A Doll's House
James, Henry - The Portrait of a Lady
James, Henry - The Turn of the Screw
Joyce, James - A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Kafka, Franz - The Metamorphosis
Kingston, Maxine Hong - The Woman Warrior
Lee, Harper - To Kill a Mockingbird
Lewis, Sinclair - Babbitt
London, Jack - The Call of the Wild
Mann, Thomas - The Magic Mountain
Marquez, Gabriel Garcia - One Hundred Years of Solitude
Melville, Herman - Bartleby the Scrivener
Melville, Herman - Moby Dick
Miller, Arthur - The Crucible
Morrison, Toni - Beloved
O'Connor, Flannery - A Good Man is Hard to Find
O'Neill, Eugene - Long Day's Journey into Night
Orwell, George - Animal Farm
Pasternak, Boris - Doctor Zhivago
Plath, Sylvia - The Bell Jar
Poe, Edgar Allen - Selected Tales
Proust, Marcel - Swann's Way
Pynchon, Thomas - The Crying of Lot 49
Remarque, Erich Maria - All Quiet on the Western Front
Rostand, Edmond - Cyrano de Bergerac
Roth, Henry - Call It Sleep
Salinger, J.D. - The Catcher in the Rye
Shakespeare, William - Hamlet
Shakespeare, William - Macbeth
Shakespeare, William - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare, William - Romeo and Juliet
Shaw, George Bernard - Pygmalion
Shelley, Mary - Frankenstein
Silko, Leslie Marmon - Ceremony
Solzhenitsyn, Alexander - One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Sophocles - Antigone
Sophocles - Oedipus Rex
Steinbeck, John - The Grapes of Wrath
Stevenson, Robert Louis - Treasure Island
Stowe, Harriet Beecher - Uncle Tom's Cabin
Swift, Jonathan - Gulliver's Travels
Thackeray, William - Vanity Fair
Thoreau, Henry David - Walden
Tolstoy, Leo - War and Peace
Turgenev, Ivan - Fathers and Sons
Twain, Mark - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Voltaire - Candide
Vonnegut, Kurt Jr. - Slaughterhouse-Five
Walker, Alice - The Color Purple
Warton, Edith - The House of Mirth
Welty, Eudora - Collected Stories
Whitman, Walt - Leaves of Grass
Wilde, Oscar - The Picture of Dorian Gray
Williams, Tennessee - The Glass Menagerie
Woolf, Virginia - To the Lighthouse
Wright, Richard - Native Son
Silver Lining
After I created that post yesterday I continued my stroll, got some lunch and went to the bank. As I walked back on the other side of the street I contemplated treating myself to some ice cream, but walked into the bookstore instead. I came out and as I crossed the street who should pull up to the intersection but Phil - in his convertible. I hopped in and off we went for ice cream - in a small town 20 miles away. My hair was totally knotted, but it was worth it. The drive, the conversation, the ice cream. Perfect way to complete my recovery.
Came home and found a message from the unemployed boy next door - he was hoping I could accompany him for a burger and a brew, but he had already left. So I pulled out the lawnmower and fired it up to plow down my 6-8" of growth. Boy, there is nothing like a freshly cut lawn to cheer you up. It was almost 8:00 by the time I went in the house. Slept fairly well but woke up a couple times during the night.
Much to do in the next five hours before I'm off on a 300 mile round trip for dinner. Hey, at least I get a free dinner, right?
Came home and found a message from the unemployed boy next door - he was hoping I could accompany him for a burger and a brew, but he had already left. So I pulled out the lawnmower and fired it up to plow down my 6-8" of growth. Boy, there is nothing like a freshly cut lawn to cheer you up. It was almost 8:00 by the time I went in the house. Slept fairly well but woke up a couple times during the night.
Much to do in the next five hours before I'm off on a 300 mile round trip for dinner. Hey, at least I get a free dinner, right?
Sunday, May 16, 2004
Worst Migraine EVER
Oh. My. God. I cannot believe how bad it was. Was up most of the night and then I finally remembered that I do have some Imitrex and took that around 8:30. Slowly recovering. Trying to figure out if there was something that brought it on - something I ate? Too much work yesterday? I mean, I went to the gym in the morning, took a two hour break and then spent four hours rebuilding a brick wall. That included moving all the bricks, putting in 120 pounds of topsoil and putting the bricks back. Maybe I just exerted myself too much.
And to top it all off, my RoadRunner connection is out and I had to come to the library and wait in line for a computer to even create this post. When I'm done, I'm going to walk around downtown and soak up the sun. Let's hope I can get a good night's sleep tonight because I have to make a 300 mile trip for dinner tomorrow ...
And to top it all off, my RoadRunner connection is out and I had to come to the library and wait in line for a computer to even create this post. When I'm done, I'm going to walk around downtown and soak up the sun. Let's hope I can get a good night's sleep tonight because I have to make a 300 mile trip for dinner tomorrow ...
Saturday, May 15, 2004
I Ache All Over
Didn't sleep well and I was awake early so I went to the gym. Stopped at McDonald's on the way home and indulged in an Egg McMuffin. Went to Wal-Mart and got topsoil, mulch and pea gravel. Went through the car wash, came home, made some wraps and cooked some chicken while watching old eps of Beverly Hills 90210. Went out around noon and slaved away rebuilding my brick wall for four hours. Finished just in time - it started raining (figures, after I washed the car). Took a bath, shaved my legs and that brings you up to date.
Friday, May 14, 2004
The Doctor Will See You Now
I sent my doctor a memo and my blood pressure charts since I had my check-up in February. His office called when I was out of town and asked me to call and make an appointment. I'm afraid that means he wants to put me on medication.
Interestingly enough, more than one person has suggested that I would make a good pharmaceutical salesperson. Not sure why - when Peter suggested it this afternoon and I asked why, he said that he thought I project a good professional image and that I could converse easily with doctors. Hmm.
Interestingly enough, more than one person has suggested that I would make a good pharmaceutical salesperson. Not sure why - when Peter suggested it this afternoon and I asked why, he said that he thought I project a good professional image and that I could converse easily with doctors. Hmm.
Thursday, May 13, 2004
Misc.
... still getting a shitload of hits based on the Olsen twin break-up. I can't even keep straight who broke up with who. Was it Mary Kate breaking up with Matt Olsen? And Ashley is now dating David Katzenberg? Whatever. If I cared I would add some links to other pages that actually have information on this, but I don't so ...
... woke up early as I often do when needing to get up at a specific time. Car is all packed. Remembered my sunglasses. Got some comfy clothes to relax and drive home in.
... the Ex has been in contact. We still share a BJs membership and I was just going to cancel his card and cut him off but I decided to take the higher road and asked if he wanted to continue to share the membership. He actually said he has a discounted membership at his new employer and did I want to share that with him. Go figure. Maybe it actually pays to be nice.
... woke up early as I often do when needing to get up at a specific time. Car is all packed. Remembered my sunglasses. Got some comfy clothes to relax and drive home in.
... the Ex has been in contact. We still share a BJs membership and I was just going to cancel his card and cut him off but I decided to take the higher road and asked if he wanted to continue to share the membership. He actually said he has a discounted membership at his new employer and did I want to share that with him. Go figure. Maybe it actually pays to be nice.
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Debating With Myself
Should I? Or shouldn't I? I'm debating about whether or not to take my laptop with me when I go out of town tomorrow. I'll only be gone one night, and given my full schedule, I won't have much time to use it. I just hate not taking advantage of the free internet connection in the hotel ... you don't often get such perks and you feel like you should take advantage of them.
I'm not going to take it. Just one more thing to schlep around. See you Friday or Saturday.
I'm not going to take it. Just one more thing to schlep around. See you Friday or Saturday.
Phylip Divine
Just got an email message on a listserv from this person. Honestly folks, would you saddle your child with a name like this? Looks and sounds like a porn star. If this were my given name, I'd change it. No way would I go out in public and introduce myself as Phylip Divine.
I Could Use A Nap
Not sure why, but I am really tired right now. I'm fairly certain that if I put my head down on my desk I could fall asleep ...
It's Too Early for AC, But I'll Take It
We have an HVAC system here at work that is unifunctional. Either you can get heat, or you can get air conditioning. And there's some magical switch that a repair man has to manually flip in order to change from one to the other. Luckily, he made that switch yesterday. It's warming up fast, and even though I think it's too early to have the air conditioning on, I am taking full advantage of it. I turned off the heat at home last night, and it was still 67 degrees in the house when I got up this morning. I don't think I turned on the central air at home until July last year.
Of course, when I really need central air in July and August, I don't have it. I live in a furnished, rented house in a resort town, and the folks who own the house only use it during July and August. So in early-mid July, I pack up my personal possessions and move to a furnished efficiency apartment in the attic of a local B&B. Where I have a window unit air conditioner, NOT central air. But I can't complain too much - I also have use of the pool and am excused from yard work for the rest of the summer. Except that the owners don't do so much by way of yard work either, which means the lawn is trashed by the time I move back in and I have to work my ass off to repair it. I think I've convinced them that a sprinkler system is necessary and if so, then things won't look so bad come September.
Of course, when I really need central air in July and August, I don't have it. I live in a furnished, rented house in a resort town, and the folks who own the house only use it during July and August. So in early-mid July, I pack up my personal possessions and move to a furnished efficiency apartment in the attic of a local B&B. Where I have a window unit air conditioner, NOT central air. But I can't complain too much - I also have use of the pool and am excused from yard work for the rest of the summer. Except that the owners don't do so much by way of yard work either, which means the lawn is trashed by the time I move back in and I have to work my ass off to repair it. I think I've convinced them that a sprinkler system is necessary and if so, then things won't look so bad come September.
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
Was I Supposed To Be A Librarian?
I've been trolling through profiles on Blogger and based on the very few items I've posted on my profile, I keep finding that bloggers like me are librarians. But I can't be a librarian - my sister is a librarian. And if I were to become a librarian and somehow achieve more success than she has enjoyed, her fragile ego couldn't take it.
My sister is 18 months older than I am, but in many ways, I think she looks up to me. I've always been the bolder and more brash of the two of us. I've just always been stronger and smarter. My parents even made me the executor of their will because they knew I could handle it better than she could.
I pity my sister sometimes. She just doesn't stand up for herself, and I think life constantly disappoints her as a result. She's never been married, and I think she really wants to have children, but she refuses to have a baby with her significant other of 20 years (!) because they aren't married. He tells her - if you get pregnant, I'll marry you. Well, he's an alcoholic so it's probably better that she not marry him. Although for all intents and purposes, they have a common law marriage.
Sometimes she forgets herself and she'll talk and talk and stumble over her words she's trying to talk so fast. I think it's because her significant other never talks to her. They co-exist. Much like my husband and I were doing. But I had the guts to leave.
My sister is 18 months older than I am, but in many ways, I think she looks up to me. I've always been the bolder and more brash of the two of us. I've just always been stronger and smarter. My parents even made me the executor of their will because they knew I could handle it better than she could.
I pity my sister sometimes. She just doesn't stand up for herself, and I think life constantly disappoints her as a result. She's never been married, and I think she really wants to have children, but she refuses to have a baby with her significant other of 20 years (!) because they aren't married. He tells her - if you get pregnant, I'll marry you. Well, he's an alcoholic so it's probably better that she not marry him. Although for all intents and purposes, they have a common law marriage.
Sometimes she forgets herself and she'll talk and talk and stumble over her words she's trying to talk so fast. I think it's because her significant other never talks to her. They co-exist. Much like my husband and I were doing. But I had the guts to leave.
Various
... am churning through my "to-do" list today (one of the reasons for this uncharacteristically late-in-the-day post, but don't let that fool you - I've been logging in and commenting elsewhere)
... one hell of a kick-ass work trip planned for Thurs-Fri. I've got five quality appointments AND I'm going to have dinner with a college friend AND I'm going to be able to squeeze in a trip to the Lilac Festival AND I'm going to have a beer with a former colleague on the way home
... sent a memo to my doctor charting my blood pressure readings for the last three months; will need to follow up with him next week unless he goes through the roof when he sees my numbers and calls me first
... still haven't lost an ounce of weight, in fact, I think I've gained a pound. Blame it on monthly bloat - yeah, that's the ticket. Going to the gym after work today.
... sent my nephew his birthday gift today - four brightly colored t-shirts to wear at his party (the theme is "The Wiggles" and, you guessed it - they each wear a different color t-shirt)
... after trying to switch templates last night, decided that maybe I was too hasty in saying that change was a good thing
... one hell of a kick-ass work trip planned for Thurs-Fri. I've got five quality appointments AND I'm going to have dinner with a college friend AND I'm going to be able to squeeze in a trip to the Lilac Festival AND I'm going to have a beer with a former colleague on the way home
... sent a memo to my doctor charting my blood pressure readings for the last three months; will need to follow up with him next week unless he goes through the roof when he sees my numbers and calls me first
... still haven't lost an ounce of weight, in fact, I think I've gained a pound. Blame it on monthly bloat - yeah, that's the ticket. Going to the gym after work today.
... sent my nephew his birthday gift today - four brightly colored t-shirts to wear at his party (the theme is "The Wiggles" and, you guessed it - they each wear a different color t-shirt)
... after trying to switch templates last night, decided that maybe I was too hasty in saying that change was a good thing
Monday, May 10, 2004
She's Got Legs
Check out my 39 year old legs. And my new red shoes:
Can you tell that I finally figured out how to download and resize my digital photos? Refreshed my FTP skills too.
Can you tell that I finally figured out how to download and resize my digital photos? Refreshed my FTP skills too.
Welcome To The Family
Beginning this Thursday, May 13, I will be in a position of power. I now have in my possession the official Nielsen diary in which I shall record my television viewing habits:
And $5 to boot. Yes, they did actually send me cash.
And $5 to boot. Yes, they did actually send me cash.
That Was Harder Than I Expected
I've developed lots of bad habits over the years. One of them is eating dinner whilst slumped on the couch watching television. I told myself that I was going to start eating dinner at the table, without the television on. It was harder than I thought. I suffered through three minutes and then turned on the radio. I just needed the background noise. And I didn't actually sit down at the table, but I did stand at the counter rather than slouching on the sofa.
Mercedes-Benz G500
One of these bad boys was in the parking lot when I left my yoga class. It's an over-sized (5.0L 24-valve V-8 engine) over-priced (MSRP of $77,620) Honda Element.
Okay...
...email server just threw 17 new "out of the office" messages in my inbox. Not sure if it was in response to a message I sent on April 15 or if it's just a general hiccup. But I opened one to find out and here's what it said:
"I will be out of the office starting Fri 04/02/2004 and will not return until Fri 09/02/2005. I will not be able to respond to email."
Did you check out the dates? I want that job!
"I will be out of the office starting Fri 04/02/2004 and will not return until Fri 09/02/2005. I will not be able to respond to email."
Did you check out the dates? I want that job!
Why Did I Even Bother?
Got an email alert from my alma mater saying the cheerleading squad was one of five finalists in some competition, and they needed us to vote for them online. So I tried downloading the video clip so I could actually watch before I blindly voted for them.
QuickTime took forever to download and then didn't seem to recognize the file. So I downloaded RealPlayer (surprised it wasn't already on my machine) and viewed it that way. Except I have no sound on my computer. And the video window was about an inch square. And the video was dark. So I just uninstalled both programs and did what I should have done in the first place - submitted an uninformed vote.
P.s. I have four appointments for my work trip later this week so I am rewarding myself with 'extra' blogging time.
QuickTime took forever to download and then didn't seem to recognize the file. So I downloaded RealPlayer (surprised it wasn't already on my machine) and viewed it that way. Except I have no sound on my computer. And the video window was about an inch square. And the video was dark. So I just uninstalled both programs and did what I should have done in the first place - submitted an uninformed vote.
P.s. I have four appointments for my work trip later this week so I am rewarding myself with 'extra' blogging time.
Not All Car Salesmen Are Bad
My salesman, LK, just called to wish me a happy birthday.
LK first sold me a car back in 1989. I traded that Accord hatchback in for a new Civic in 1993, and then traded that for another used Accord barely six months later (long story - had to do with the Ex getting a company car so we traded his used Accord and my new Civic in for a newer Accord that only had 6,000 miles on it).
I drove that Accord for almost ten years, and when I finally decided to get a new car last summer, I went back to the Honda dealership where LK greeted me and remembered the exact make, model and color of the car he had sold me nearly 10 years ago. There was no doubt in my mind that I would buy a new car, and that I would buy it from him.
And so today he called just to follow up and see if there was anything he could do for me. He is one hell of a car salesman.
LK first sold me a car back in 1989. I traded that Accord hatchback in for a new Civic in 1993, and then traded that for another used Accord barely six months later (long story - had to do with the Ex getting a company car so we traded his used Accord and my new Civic in for a newer Accord that only had 6,000 miles on it).
I drove that Accord for almost ten years, and when I finally decided to get a new car last summer, I went back to the Honda dealership where LK greeted me and remembered the exact make, model and color of the car he had sold me nearly 10 years ago. There was no doubt in my mind that I would buy a new car, and that I would buy it from him.
And so today he called just to follow up and see if there was anything he could do for me. He is one hell of a car salesman.
Olsen Twins
Thank you to the Olsen twins for bringing me all this traffic. It's really amazing how many people out there care about the state of your love lives. Because I repeated the text of the Netscape News post, my blog is now one of the top sites referenced when doing a search on:
ashley olsen breaks up with boyfriend
David Katzenberg
Columbia University quarterback
David Katzenberg mary kate
matt kaplan olsen twin breakup
Ashley Olsen Matt Kaplan breakup
David Katzenberg Boston University
Folks - that was last week's news. This week's topic is: Who should we vote for to receive the second $1 million prize from Survivor All-Stars? Amanda and I want to know. Hurry - voting ends on Weds May 12.
ashley olsen breaks up with boyfriend
David Katzenberg
Columbia University quarterback
David Katzenberg mary kate
matt kaplan olsen twin breakup
Ashley Olsen Matt Kaplan breakup
David Katzenberg Boston University
Folks - that was last week's news. This week's topic is: Who should we vote for to receive the second $1 million prize from Survivor All-Stars? Amanda and I want to know. Hurry - voting ends on Weds May 12.
Too Many Choices
Wow. I was so busy outside yesterday afternoon and then getting ready for dinner and Survivor that I didn't see the new Blogger until this morning. And I really was going to settle in and get down to work, but my boss just postponed our morning meeting so here I am being overwhelmed by all the new features. Built-in comments and tracking features? Wow. New templates? I just figured out how to change the color of my comment box and now I may not even need dear old Haloscan anymore.
Change. It's a good thing.
Change. It's a good thing.
Sunday, May 09, 2004
Dreary Day
So much for replanting the ferns and gladiolus today - it's raining. Speaking of raining, do you remember that fabulous 80s song by the Weather Girls, "It's Raining Men"? Believe it or not, it didn't make Blender magazine's list of the top ten worst songs of all time:
Blender's top 10 worst songs ever:
1. "We Built This City" by Jefferson Starship
2. "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus
3. "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" by Wang Chung
4. "Rollin'" by Limp Bizkit
5. "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice
6. "The Heart of Rock-and-Roll" by Huey Lewis and the News
7. "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin
8. "Party All the Time" by Eddie Murphy
9. "American Life" by Madonna
10. "Ebony and Ivory" by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
UPDATE: Things cleared up so I did get the ferns transplanted. Also split some hosta, moved some lilies and planted the gladiolus. Off to dinner with Mary and then the season finale of Survivor.
Blender's top 10 worst songs ever:
1. "We Built This City" by Jefferson Starship
2. "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus
3. "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" by Wang Chung
4. "Rollin'" by Limp Bizkit
5. "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice
6. "The Heart of Rock-and-Roll" by Huey Lewis and the News
7. "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin
8. "Party All the Time" by Eddie Murphy
9. "American Life" by Madonna
10. "Ebony and Ivory" by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
UPDATE: Things cleared up so I did get the ferns transplanted. Also split some hosta, moved some lilies and planted the gladiolus. Off to dinner with Mary and then the season finale of Survivor.
Saturday, May 08, 2004
Focusing On My Accomplishments
Got up early, went to the gym and then hit Wal-Mart before the hordes. Picked up some brick patterned pavers and then went to the nursery and got a dozen New Guinea impatiens, two Morning Glories and two mini bleeding hearts. Toyed around on the computer for awhile and then went out to repair my brick wall. Following that I filled a garbage can with weeds. I wanted to transplant some ferns and replant my gladiolus, but you know what? I was tired and hungry.
Came in, flipped through the channels and landed on Lifetime which is playing a movie with Kristy McNichol and Rue McClanahan. Plus some hunky guy with longish hair who plays a carpenter/handyman.
Brian - it's you, isn't it?
Came in, flipped through the channels and landed on Lifetime which is playing a movie with Kristy McNichol and Rue McClanahan. Plus some hunky guy with longish hair who plays a carpenter/handyman.
Brian - it's you, isn't it?
I'm Stumped
So the laptop is working - mostly. Strange thing happening with IE. It won't open links when I click on them. What up with that? Tried downloading most recent version, but still have a problem. Guess it's time to delve into the annals of user forums to see if there is some solution. Or maybe it's because I tried turning on the built-in firewall within XP instead of using ZoneAlarm which was causing my system to take forever to boot? This system was supposedly cleaned up (yeah - they totally removed my music downloading software!) so I really didn't expect to be having a problem like this. And of course all my bookmarks (er, favorites) are in IE since I started using it almost exclusively since I couldn't load Google toolbar into Netscape which actually is my preferred browser.
I really shoulda never let go of my Mac .....
UPDATE: Problem solved thanks to Annoyances.org.
I really shoulda never let go of my Mac .....
UPDATE: Problem solved thanks to Annoyances.org.
Friday, May 07, 2004
Greetings From The Couch
My laptop's fixed and I'm happier than ever, hey la, hey la, my laptop's back!
What Happened?
Yesterday I noticed that gas prices had spiked to $2 gallon. I swear I only paid $1.85 over the weekend, and as I was driving to the gym (yeah, I know the irony but my gym is seven miles away) I saw that prices at the Mobil station were $2.01. Yet when I crossed the city line, it was only $1.91 at the local quick-mart and $1.93 at the Mobil station in the next town over. By the time I left the gym, the Mobil station's prices had jumped to $1.99.
What's the deal? I know they've been warning us for the longest time to expect higher prices this summer, but why? I don't believe that the supply has been diminished. It's just greed. The oil and gas companies know that demand will be up during the summer months, and so they are just gouging us because they can. Grrrrrr.
What's the deal? I know they've been warning us for the longest time to expect higher prices this summer, but why? I don't believe that the supply has been diminished. It's just greed. The oil and gas companies know that demand will be up during the summer months, and so they are just gouging us because they can. Grrrrrr.
Thursday, May 06, 2004
Oh, Please!
Snippet found in 'What's New' section of Netscape Network but I'm reproducing the whole thing here:
=====================================
Heartbreaking News for Ashley Olsen
Ashley Olsen--she of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen fame in case you don't recognize her name without her twin's attached to it--has broken up with her longtime boyfriend, 20-year-old Columbia University quarterback Matt Kaplan, a representative for the Olsens tells PEOPLE.com.
Oops! Look at the expression on the twins' faces when the wind catches their skirts.
Although she's only 17, Ashley has been dating Kaplan for three years. And although she's only 17, she has a spokesperson, Michael Pagnotta, who issues reports to the media about the breakup of a teenage love affair. The separation was "amicable." They "parted on good terms." They "wish each other the best." What teenage couple breaks up like that? Where's the angst and tears?
Advice to teen girls: Why you should ditch the boyfriend. Check out this startling new research.
We're relieved to hear from Pagnotta that no third party was involved. It seems it was just too hard to maintain a long-distance relationship. She is in Los Angeles, and he's in New York City. But good news for Ashley's twin, Mary-Kate. She recently began dating David Katzenberg, 21, a Boston University student and the son of DreamWorks studio co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg. "Mary-Kate and David are said to be carrying on just fine," reports PEOPLE.com. Whew! The twins will enter New York University in the fall.
Watch the trailer to the Olsens' new movie, "New York Minute."
====================================
This is so not news. And it doesn't even come close to journalism. Well, yellow journalism, maybe. So Ashley Olsen broke up with her boyfriend. Big whoop. The headline is so over the top. When I hear "heartbreaking news" I think - "oh my god, Mary Kate is sick" or "uh-oh, NYU messed up and Ashley is not going to be allowed to enroll." That's heartbreaking news. Not her first break-up.
And maybe I'm getting old, but what was she doing going out with a 17 year old when she was only 14? She's too young to have a serious boyfriend. And Mary Kate now dating a 21 year old? She's still jail-bait! But I suppose kids grow up faster in Hollywood.
Don't get me wrong - I actually like Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. I think their family and managers did a hell of a job making them into their own cottage industry. Who cares if they ever put out a serious movie - they are freakin' multi-millionaires who actually seem to have good heads on their shoulders.
But having your love life in the headlines - I guess that's the price you pay for fame and fortune.
=====================================
Heartbreaking News for Ashley Olsen
Ashley Olsen--she of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen fame in case you don't recognize her name without her twin's attached to it--has broken up with her longtime boyfriend, 20-year-old Columbia University quarterback Matt Kaplan, a representative for the Olsens tells PEOPLE.com.
Oops! Look at the expression on the twins' faces when the wind catches their skirts.
Although she's only 17, Ashley has been dating Kaplan for three years. And although she's only 17, she has a spokesperson, Michael Pagnotta, who issues reports to the media about the breakup of a teenage love affair. The separation was "amicable." They "parted on good terms." They "wish each other the best." What teenage couple breaks up like that? Where's the angst and tears?
Advice to teen girls: Why you should ditch the boyfriend. Check out this startling new research.
We're relieved to hear from Pagnotta that no third party was involved. It seems it was just too hard to maintain a long-distance relationship. She is in Los Angeles, and he's in New York City. But good news for Ashley's twin, Mary-Kate. She recently began dating David Katzenberg, 21, a Boston University student and the son of DreamWorks studio co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg. "Mary-Kate and David are said to be carrying on just fine," reports PEOPLE.com. Whew! The twins will enter New York University in the fall.
Watch the trailer to the Olsens' new movie, "New York Minute."
====================================
This is so not news. And it doesn't even come close to journalism. Well, yellow journalism, maybe. So Ashley Olsen broke up with her boyfriend. Big whoop. The headline is so over the top. When I hear "heartbreaking news" I think - "oh my god, Mary Kate is sick" or "uh-oh, NYU messed up and Ashley is not going to be allowed to enroll." That's heartbreaking news. Not her first break-up.
And maybe I'm getting old, but what was she doing going out with a 17 year old when she was only 14? She's too young to have a serious boyfriend. And Mary Kate now dating a 21 year old? She's still jail-bait! But I suppose kids grow up faster in Hollywood.
Don't get me wrong - I actually like Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. I think their family and managers did a hell of a job making them into their own cottage industry. Who cares if they ever put out a serious movie - they are freakin' multi-millionaires who actually seem to have good heads on their shoulders.
But having your love life in the headlines - I guess that's the price you pay for fame and fortune.
Free Lunch
Just had one at Boston Chicken (er, Market). They have this frequency card and everytime I buy a lunch, they stamp my card. Seven or eight lunches later, I get a free quarter dark with two sides. Because that's my regular order and Michelle knows it. Michelle is the woman who works there; she might even be the manager or the assistant manager. I've been going there once a week for about four years, and she knows that I always get the quarter dark with two sides. I don't even have to order any more. She sees me come in and calls out "quarter dark for Kenna!" I like small town life.
Is This How I'm Going To Be Remembered?
As the girl with the sweaty feet who keeps a journal?
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22my+feet+are+sweating%22+and+journal
People, it was just that one time, honest! I hardly ever sweat.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22my+feet+are+sweating%22+and+journal
People, it was just that one time, honest! I hardly ever sweat.
More on Jingoism
I thought I'd follow up on yesterday's word of the day. Given the current political landscape, you might think that this was a recent reference. Believe it or not, I found the word in an article about the scouting handbook, written early in the 20th century. Here is an excerpt - I'd link you to the actual article but it's from one of those subscription only services and well, I doubt you have a subscription:
http://chronicle.com
Section: Research & Publishing
Volume 50, Issue 34, Page A14
From the issue dated April 30, 2004
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v50/i34/34a01402.htm
VERBATIM
Original Scouting Handbook Told Boys to Be Prepared to Protect the British Empire, Scholar Says
By PETER MONAGHAN
In his best-selling guide for the Boy Scouts, Robert Baden-Powell, a former military scout who founded the organization, provided guidance on tying knots, tracking animals and humans, and recognizing criminals. But the book was also a guide on how to preserve the British Empire, explains Elleke Boehmer, a professor of colonial and postcolonial literature at Nottingham Trent University, in her introduction to a new edition of Baden-Powell's text, Scouting for Boys: A Handbook for Instruction in Good Citizenship (The Original 1908 Edition) (Oxford University Press).
Q. Baden-Powell's book is not so innocent, in your reading?
A. It's by no means an innocent text politically. It's full of unreconstructed jingoism and save-the-Empire derring-do. The 1908 text is the Scout manual in raw form, and there are -- to us, now -- unpleasant racist passages. Baden-Powell also plagiarized quite unscrupulously from all sorts of sources. He made no claims to being an originator. He was a good popularizer.
Just in case you think our generation created jingoism...
http://chronicle.com
Section: Research & Publishing
Volume 50, Issue 34, Page A14
From the issue dated April 30, 2004
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v50/i34/34a01402.htm
VERBATIM
Original Scouting Handbook Told Boys to Be Prepared to Protect the British Empire, Scholar Says
By PETER MONAGHAN
In his best-selling guide for the Boy Scouts, Robert Baden-Powell, a former military scout who founded the organization, provided guidance on tying knots, tracking animals and humans, and recognizing criminals. But the book was also a guide on how to preserve the British Empire, explains Elleke Boehmer, a professor of colonial and postcolonial literature at Nottingham Trent University, in her introduction to a new edition of Baden-Powell's text, Scouting for Boys: A Handbook for Instruction in Good Citizenship (The Original 1908 Edition) (Oxford University Press).
Q. Baden-Powell's book is not so innocent, in your reading?
A. It's by no means an innocent text politically. It's full of unreconstructed jingoism and save-the-Empire derring-do. The 1908 text is the Scout manual in raw form, and there are -- to us, now -- unpleasant racist passages. Baden-Powell also plagiarized quite unscrupulously from all sorts of sources. He made no claims to being an originator. He was a good popularizer.
Just in case you think our generation created jingoism...
Looking for Something
Other than being a song on Vonda Shepard's debut album (a good disk, you can buy it here), I've found myself in that position lately. Looking for something on someone else's blog. I'll read a reference to someone or something and I can tell by the context that this has been mentioned before, but perhaps I'm a Kenna-come-lately and I've only been around for the last month or two.
Wouldn't it be nice if Blogger offered a search feature so you could search current posts and the archives for other similar references? If that were the case, I wouldn't have to email you individually to ask the question. Just a thought.
Wouldn't it be nice if Blogger offered a search feature so you could search current posts and the archives for other similar references? If that were the case, I wouldn't have to email you individually to ask the question. Just a thought.
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
Yeah, It's A Word
Now use it in a sentence:
jin·go·ism ( P ) Pronunciation Key (jngg-zm)
n.
Extreme nationalism characterized especially by a belligerent foreign policy; chauvinistic patriotism.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
jingo·ist n.
jingo·istic adj.
jingo·isti·cal·ly adv.
jin·go·ism ( P ) Pronunciation Key (jngg-zm)
n.
Extreme nationalism characterized especially by a belligerent foreign policy; chauvinistic patriotism.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
jingo·ist n.
jingo·istic adj.
jingo·isti·cal·ly adv.
10 Worst Album Covers of All Time
http://porktornado.diaryland.com/albumcover.html
Brought to my attention by my friend Richard.
Brought to my attention by my friend Richard.
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
Lucky # 13
I have managed to whittle down the number of email messages in my inbox to 13. Either I'm
a) incredibly efficient
b) procrastinating
c) throwing out valuable information
d) filing messages in folders where I'll never find it again
e) all of the above
Think it has anything to do with tonight's full moon? Here's a question - is it a full moon everywhere, or just here in North America?
a) incredibly efficient
b) procrastinating
c) throwing out valuable information
d) filing messages in folders where I'll never find it again
e) all of the above
Think it has anything to do with tonight's full moon? Here's a question - is it a full moon everywhere, or just here in North America?
Strange But True
Walked downtown with Phil so I could mail that Swiffer to Mom and he told me that he has hired an attorney to represent him in his impending divorce proceedings. My attorney. Yes, he hired the same person who represented me in my divorce! He never asked me who I used, and so I never mentioned the name, but apparently his couples counselor recommended this person. And she told him exactly what I had told him - don't you dare leave the house.
Phil's wife claims she doesn't want the house, but she wanted him to move out ("to ease the tension and stress") while she figured out what she was going to do. He had initially agreed to consider it, but I asked him, what if you move out and she suddenly decides she wants the house? Good thing he got an attorney. And can you believe his wife was pissed? She hired an attorney over a month ago and now she's pissed because he has someone representing his interests.
Sucks when a marriage falls apart.
Phil's wife claims she doesn't want the house, but she wanted him to move out ("to ease the tension and stress") while she figured out what she was going to do. He had initially agreed to consider it, but I asked him, what if you move out and she suddenly decides she wants the house? Good thing he got an attorney. And can you believe his wife was pissed? She hired an attorney over a month ago and now she's pissed because he has someone representing his interests.
Sucks when a marriage falls apart.
It's Here! It's Here!
My repaired laptop was returned today. Not bad considering I only shipped it out on Friday. It would have been even better had I realized the stinking thing was still under warrenty when the problem appeared three weeks ago ... heavy sigh. Repair shop that removed my hard drive is closed today, so I can't even get it to them until tomorrow. And chances are that they won't turn it around in oh, say an hour, so I won't be able to pick it up and use it again until the weekend. But that's okay - I've got better things to do. Like laundry. And weeding. And going to the fund raising dinner tomorrow night. And watching Survivor with Mary on Thursday.
Pleasant Surprise
Got home from yoga last night and found a message on my answering machine. My friend Sammy was unexpectedly in town for the night and he was meeting another couple at the local pizza joint for beers and pie. I immediately got in the car and went to meet them. Got to catch up with folks I don't see that often. Sure beats sitting home alone and watching TV.
No staff meeting this morning so I'm rushing to process some paperwork and package up a Swiffer to mail to Mom - she couldn't find one in her local Wal-Mart so I picked one up at my local Price Chopper instead.
No staff meeting this morning so I'm rushing to process some paperwork and package up a Swiffer to mail to Mom - she couldn't find one in her local Wal-Mart so I picked one up at my local Price Chopper instead.
Monday, May 03, 2004
Two Afternoon Snacks
I was starving so I had two afternoon snacks - Kashi cereal (normally my morning snack) and creme savers yogurt. Let's hope that holds me over until after yoga. Tonight I'm going to ask everyone to send some positive energy to my friend Martha who is having a mastectomy today.
Long, Strange Trip
Wow, I've been on the road for like, forever. Was in NYC on Thursday, drove to western NY on Friday, spent Friday night and weekend in the Southern Tier, and eventually wound my way back here last night around 8:00.
In the three days that I was gone, my tulips bloomed and blew out - I didn't even get to see them! The yellow season has started - maple trees dropping these little yellow buds everywhere. My lawn is filled with maple seedlings from the winged seeds that were sent flying last fall. I raked several times, but they still managed to burrow in and implant themselves.
I have one pair of clean underwear left in the drawer - looks like I need to do laundry tonight! Or maybe I did some laundry and just never pulled the clothes out of the dryer? Much like I ran the dishwasher but haven't emptied it yet?
Talked with several trusted advisors over the weekend, and realized that I don't need to rush into 'hiring' a career consultant just yet. I have a job for the next year, and I can take that time to do my own self-examination and analysis. I don't need to panic yet - if it gets to be this time next year and I still don't have a new job, then maybe I'll hire a consultant to market me. In the meantime, I can do it myself.
In the three days that I was gone, my tulips bloomed and blew out - I didn't even get to see them! The yellow season has started - maple trees dropping these little yellow buds everywhere. My lawn is filled with maple seedlings from the winged seeds that were sent flying last fall. I raked several times, but they still managed to burrow in and implant themselves.
I have one pair of clean underwear left in the drawer - looks like I need to do laundry tonight! Or maybe I did some laundry and just never pulled the clothes out of the dryer? Much like I ran the dishwasher but haven't emptied it yet?
Talked with several trusted advisors over the weekend, and realized that I don't need to rush into 'hiring' a career consultant just yet. I have a job for the next year, and I can take that time to do my own self-examination and analysis. I don't need to panic yet - if it gets to be this time next year and I still don't have a new job, then maybe I'll hire a consultant to market me. In the meantime, I can do it myself.
Sunday, May 02, 2004
Saturday, May 01, 2004
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