a movie

generally the husband and i have pretty good luck with movies we get either from the library or from netflix. today, however, we watched Syriana. we thought it was terrible. to save you time from having to search and try and find my review on netflix, let me reprint our impression of this wretched flick:

Who needs films that make Americans look bad? We do that enough by ourselves. (spoiler alert) In this movie we support the bad guy and kill the good guy as well as his family. Sheesh. And why the death of the 6-year old? The plot was disjointed, confusing, convoluted, and bleak, and much of it never made sense. The denouement was sickening -- is this what our government comes down to? I was left with hatred for Americans and hatred for Muslims. What's the point of that? This movie isn't healthy, it fights good world interaction, it (hopefully) is nowhere near accurate, and isn’t even entertaining. Too many characters, no morals, very depressing, and plenty of so-so acting, with the sole exception of Alexander Siddig (the Prince) and his sadly futile efforts to make his country a better place. What a waste of time!

and there you have it. if you have any thoughts as to the movie's redeeming value, please comment. and if you didn't like it either, that comment is welcome, too.

gaming. again.

oooooo ... new games!

if you like to do tangrams, go here -- http://www.novelgames.com/flashgames/game.php?id=46

if you like mahjongg, go here -- http://www.novelgames.com/flashgames/game.php?id=14

or if you like easy maze games, go here -- http://www.novelgames.com/flashgames/game.php?id=17

there were others, but they were too hard, i mean, didn't interest me.

gaming 4

okay, this is the last time i'm going to post on this game: i just got 17,550.

makes no sense to me ... i seem to be better the first time of the day, then deteriorate rapidly after that. regardless, mum's the word from now on.

but hey, you try it (some more) and tell me if you get better --

http://www.arcadebin.com/game/1074/Easter-Eggs.html

gaming 3

oh my goodness -- i got 13,650 on that silly game. i wouldn't even mention it, except that it's so hard to do!

(six minutes later) no wait ... i got 14, 350!!! yay for me!

showtime

we like watching movies and i prefer to be entertained (comedy, action, chick flick) rather than elucidated (documentary), frightened (horror), or bored (historical).

we have discovered the library has a treasure trove of movies, and have gobbled them down the last few months.

my favorites have been the Firefly and Serenity shows, and all of the Poirot series starring the delightful David Suchet.

today we discovered Computer Animation Showcase (by Sony Music Entertainment, Odyssey Productions). in the 60's and early 70's i saw several claymation and animated shorts, and enjoyed them immensely. this collection is computer graphics, however since it was produced in 1997 it certainly isn't indicative of cutting edge artwork.

regardless, several of the shorts were excellent, a couple were funny, three were interesting, two were cute, and the others were either okay, strange, confusing, stupid, beyond dumb, or icky.

if you get a chance to watch the video, let me know what you think of Luxo Jr. In "Light & Heavy" (excellent), Walking Around (interesting), Tosio (funny), Fan-tasy (cute), Stomach Pump (funny), JuJu Shampoo (interesting), A Time For Love (cute), and Beyond The Walls (excellent).

gaming 2

oooo -- i just got 12,550 on that silly easter egg game.

a matter of "try, try again"?

nah ... luck.

outta here

we're off to the place for four or five days -- going to spiff it up a bit.

gaming

i found a new game to play -- it's at http://www.arcadebin.com/game/1074/Easter-Eggs.html . it's challenging but interesting and i don't ever get a very high score. my last game was 7900 or something like that. i once got 11,xxx but that was definitely an anomaly. it takes quick thinking/responding, the ability to mentally shift quickly around color patterns, and a bit of spatial thinking. enjoy!

universal learning

“So that’s how I’m doing. How are you?” Soulle 103-1610 was happy and rested, and looking forward to getting caught up with her friend again.

Soulle 103-1611 was still dealing with the effects of her last class. “It was difficult. I accomplished my Self-Purpose and my Other Purposes, but my Challenges ended up being so challenging that I almost put my Gain/Fall Ratio in the negative. It worked out, but I wouldn’t want to repeat that exact assignment.”

Soulle 103-1610 sent soothing, supportive thoughts to her friend. “Have you worked out another class or has Spirgui indicated Restaway?”

“Actually, we had Deep Talk on that recently. It is felt that I should Immediately Immerse myself with a new task. It’s exciting to think about because there are some real pluses, but I’m going to have Challenges similar to what I just experienced, so I know ahead of time that it will be hard.”

“Wow, ImmeImmer. Either you did really well or really badly to get that quick turn-around.”

“I know. I still have some Resting Time, but I’m actually looking forward to jumping right back in. Maybe I can handle my Cs better this way ..... still fresh and all that.”

“Has your Place and Length been worked out?”

“Yes, it’s MW2-64 and 200 years before my last time. I’m still deciding, but I think Male with 65 years.”

“Back to Earth?! I always get very nervous about those Earth classes -- they can be very stressful.”

“Yes, but you learn so much. I will have three OPs and only one SP. I usually do really well on my OPs and my G/F ratio on my SPs is always plus. The Cs are going to definitely be that -- challenging -- but ImmeImmer should help with recovery on those issues.”

“Oh!” said Soulle 103-1610, “I feel The Pull so I must go to the place. I wish you energy and starlight on your assignment, and will see you at the next Resting Time.”

“Good-bye. Love and starlight to you, friend.”

med news

"Overdoses of acetaminophen are the leading cause of acute liver failure." (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13702968/) yes, that's what they say now -- and don't take more than 4 grams a day (2 if you're a heavy drinker).

personally i never gave up aspirin when they came out with tylenol, and never even looked at ibuprofen (and doesn't it mess with kidneys anyhow?).

maybe it's just like the old folks say ... "use/do *whatever* in moderation" and "just because it's new doesn't mean it's better".

our little corner

the area on the corner that we've been re-landscaping is finished. we're pleased with how it turned out and i'm wondering how it will look after a season or two. i'll guess i'll find out.

original ...


step 1, front and back ...



step 2, front and back ...

step 3, front and back ...

romantic storms?

if a thunderstorm is about to happen or is in progress, you should not only hang up your cell phone, you should throw it far away from you.

"... usually when someone is struck by lightning, the high resistance of the skin conducts the flash over the body in what is known as a flashover. But if a metal object, such as a phone, is in contact with the skin it disrupts the flashover and increases the odds of internal injuries and death ... 'The Australian Lightning Protection Standard recommends that metallic objects, including cordless or mobile phones, should not be used (or carried) outdoors during a thunderstorm' ... " (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13491467/)

did i know that? do you? regardless, lightning is really dangerous -- we just don't hear about its adverse effects very often.

for example, if you are indoors during a storm don't touch electrical equipment (lightning can follow a wire) and stay away from bathtubs, faucets, and sinks (metal pipes transmit electricity). there are additional rules plus more for if you're outside, but here's one you need to remember: never lie down flat on the ground during a storm. (http://www.ci.ann-arbor.mi.us/oem/emd/thunder.html)

if lightning strikes 20 million times a year, that's about 38 times a minute. and the air near a lightning strike is 50,000 degrees. whoa. dude. seek safe shelter.

landscaping

we've been busy the last couple of days putting a new spin on our street corner. our builder thought the corner (which has the street sign implanted there) needed to be a mulched area with plantings. we never really liked it, although it was okay, and couldn't figure out how to add stuff to make it look good. finally the husband decided what he wanted to do with the space and when some small boulders unexpectedly came into his possession at an excellent price, the project got started.

on tuesday he (i was out-of-town) took out the old plants, laid down some more fabric, and told the rock guy where to place the boulders. on wednesday hubby got a bunch of melon-sized rocks and we both worked on placing those, then we purchased some plants more to our liking and placed them around the rocks. yesterday he planted plants while i dug weeds out of the lawn, then joined him on the project by placing pebble-size rocks around the plant/rock groupings. we worked hard all day (lunch was at 3pm, supper at 8) and both of us got sunburned. today we are kind-of sore, but mostly just bushed. i took a 3-hour nap this afternoon.

i'll try to get some pictures taken and online tomorrow so you can see what we've done. i love working in the yard. too bad it makes my arm swell up so much since it can take weeks for it to go back to normal size.

i've also been working on sewing a present for a friend and, strangely, the sewing aggravates my arm so even thought her birthday is tomorrow, i have to take it slow and it will be lated. right now i'm listening to my favorite station (overxposure.fm) and sitting down to read a murder mystery.

all is well here.

small town crime

June 13: Two truckers engaged in a pushing contest after becoming frustrated over a perceived incident of queue jumping in the northbound commercial truck traffic line-up. Police calmed the men, who declined to have the matter pursued criminally.

June 12: Officers mediated an argument between sisters who had become tired of living together. Apparently the younger juvenile sister was upset over being "bossed" around. The mother arrived home in the middle of the argument and took control of the situation. When everything had calmed down, officers cleared without further incident.

June 7: Police received a report of a traffic cone pattern in a construction zone which was causing south and northbound traffic to converge head-on. Officers found that construction workers had forgotten to move the cones back after moving equipment in the area. No collisions occurred and the problem was fixed.

June 7: An apartment complex resident reported that a neighbor was playing music extremely loudly. An officer responded and could hear the music from one to two city blocks away because the stereo owner had placed her speakers in an upstairs window facing the outside common area of the apartment complex. The officer gained the music lover's compliance in turning down the stereo at the time.

wow!

it is with great delight that i share the news from My Older Son -- he has a new job! at $25,000 more a year and THREE weeks vacation! his title is project engineering manager and he and the wife are as pumped as we are! of course, with costs in seattle being what they are, the young couple still may not be able to afford to buy a house, but we shall see. all in good time, as they say.

CONGRATULATIONS, JEFLA !!!11!11111!!1!!! w00t!

prices change over the years

we’ve been needing to get a new mattress for a long time now. we’ve been so unsure about what we should get that will work for both of us, however, and with the cost of the things you hate to make a mistake. one of us has jumpy legs and several of us snore a bit and one of us occasionally has bad dreams and makes noises. at any rate, we’ve tried twin beds, a full-size, a queen-size, two twin beds pushed together to make a king-size, a couch, and the floor. the twin beds pushed together actually works the best, but since one of the twins is an air mattress that needs to be replaced yearly and pumped up occasionally, it seems that we really should just get a king-size set and go from there.

so when we got a macy’s sale flyer in the mail last week, hubby sent me to look things over and see if anything would work, figuring we could find something for about $1200. one of the gals who works there is an absolute favorite of ours (she came over one day and gave us two hours worth of excellent asked-for advice about arranging the furniture, picture-placement, colors, etc), so i spoke at length with her about our concerns. she was totally helpful and we will go back next week to make our final choice -- hopefully we’ll soon have a new king-size stearns and foster mattress.

but the point of this whole thing is that when she and i were talking, she had me lay down on a whole bunch of mattresses without looking at the price. it was pretty easy to make some eliminations (i prefer firm but on a second trip we found that hubby prefers pillow-top), and two of the mattresses that i eliminated were fairly pricey. she made an off-hand comment about them being $10,000 and i about croaked, but she said she was just kidding. i looked at the price tags -- one of them was $7,000 and the other was $8,000. and i’m not kidding. thank goodness i didn’t like them.

exploration chronicles

Exploration of Planet 4B-163, Day 5

We lost Jimmy today. We left base camp at 0800 and proceeded outward along the 150 radius. Just after four kilometers, the terrain flattened out and vegetation quit growing. The ground surface became soft and spongy but well able to support our weight.

We continued along our direction for another two kims, with Jimmy at Lead. The surface gradually became softer. We debated continuing since the terrain was the same as far as we could see forward and if it were to continue to lose integrity, we could expect to become mired at some point.

The decision was made for Jimmy to continue alone for a bit more to see if the surface changed. He set out and had gone no further than approximately 300 meters when he stopped. He was observed looking at the surface, then appeared to be trying to extricate his right foot from the surface. Since we were fully suited with pos-radio trans, he was able to explain the occurrence as it was happening. The following is a complete transcription until he disappeared from sight:

Jimmy: Captain, the surface has just gotten markedly softer and I am starting to sink.
Mark: You’re starting to sink? Is there suction? Can you retreat?
J: I can’t lift my foot -- it’s really weird. The surface feels soft and swishy-like, but I can’t lift either foot at all.
M: Retreat, Jimmy. Back up and retreat.
J: Yes sir, I would if I could, but it’s like there’s something holding onto my boots -- I can’t move them and if I fight it, I think I’ll just fall.
M: We’re on our way. Jeb, Slim, and Bertie are on it.
J: Yes sir, but I don’t think they should come out here. I am not going to be able to move and they’ll just get sucked in. You better move them back. I’m already up to my knees and there’s no way I’m getting out of this.
M: Hold on, Jimmy, they’re halfway there.
J: Captain, unless you want to lose more men, you better move them back.

Captain Claney ordered the men to halt and within a few seconds Jimmy had completely sunk, the whole downward movement seeming to increase in speed from start to disappearance. Jimmy was still alert and able to speak to us for another two minutes after the surface smoothed back in place. He reported that rather than darkness as you would expect, he was able to see the material around him fully lighted, just as it had looked on the surface. Then he stated that something had grasped his hand, and his legs regained mobility. He was able to move forward, as if being towed. Rather than feeling afraid of what was happening, he reported a sense of calm. There were no further trans.

The three men who had advanced were ordered to mark the area from three meters back, then they successfully returned to the group. The decision was made to retreat to base and continue the exploration as scheduled tomorrow. Mems were held at 1700.

We lost a good man.

can't go home

well, here it is late at night and i should either be reading or sleeping, but what i'm doing is ... playing games. actually i've been trying out some new ones and the one i just lost was 'uncle sam'.

it was very basic, with me being on the ground and having a gun and shooting at ufo's. but then i got a bigger gun and a space ship of my own and went up in the big blue sky and fought the bad guys. and then i got a bigger gun and fought some really big bad guys. and then i was captured and taken off into the sky. and a message came floating down which said, "probably you can not go home." hahahaha! yeah, probably.

it's "know HOW to fold 'em," kenny...

i ran across some interesting information yesterday concerning origami:

ever heard of Satoshi Kamiya? apparently he's an origami genius. he started folding when he was two and was designing his own sculptures at ten. the designs below are his creations, with the last one being one he made in 2004, when he was twenty.

origami, you remember, is made from one square sheet of paper.







go to http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~qr7s-kmy/g/index.html if you'd like to see more of his work.

happy news

ah! The Hubby is due back today. he's been gone a looooooong time! well ... since tuesday anyway. but it SEEMS like a long time. i've missed him!

a different world

the latest information about my dad, from my bro:

"Our father continues to thrive. Every time I see him now he seems to know who I am, sometimes he even says I'm his son. He had another episode of that accute sleep apnea, or what ever it is. They didn't panic, he recovered, and they called to inform me. About seven or
eight years ago a Dr told Dad he needed an operation on his heart. Dad told the guy to take a hike. Now tell me, if Dad has a bad heart would it be able to stop and start on its own with no detectable damage being done? It would appear he has attained some kind of Zin state. He has lost more weight, which has made him more agile, and a little faster. We have also had to make some wardrobe adjustments."

alzheimer's is such a curious disease. thanks for the update, b ...

small town crime

May 25: An officer contacted an intoxicated driver, who was passed out behind the wheel stopped on a main thoroughfare in a traffic lane with the engine running. The driver failed standardized field sobriety tests and was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

May 24: A business person in the 200 block of G Street contacted the police department to report that an unauthorized person filled the trash container with items not belonging to the business. The business had not given anyone else permission to utilize the trash container and has to pay to have it emptied, so the unauthorized use constitutes a criminal theft of service. The suspect was identified and appropriate action will be taken.

May 24: An anonymous complainant requested an officer check a shopping center parking lot for a group of juveniles practicing their filmmaking skills. One of the "stunt" actors was wearing a large helmet, and being towed in a wheelchair by a vehicle circling the parking lot. An area check was conducted; however, the production "took five" and were no longer in the area.

May 19: A resident heard possible gunshots as a car passed his house and called police. Officers stopped the car and its five occupants. They found that the vehicle was backfiring and there were no weapons in the car. The resident was advised of the officer's findings.

word to the wise -- even though you may not have any more room in your trash can, do not take the trash to an apartment's trash bins -- it's illegal. hmmm, who knew? i thought it was just something you weren't supposed to do.

alone, again, naturally

oh, the time she is awastin' -- hmmm, is that the right phrase? something doesn't seem right, but then, what i mean is that time doesn't waste any time flying on by. My Younger Son is safely back at his place *teary sigh* and life is pretty much back to normal; normal being relative, of course.

i very much enjoyed all the time i had with MYS. we drove My Older Son's new car down to him (very strange run-in with police on the way), then came back and walked around fairhaven, looking at interesting things. of which there were several ...






MYS spent a couple of days up at the place and enjoyed his solo time in the middle of nature, including two hours worth of mowing the grass and an unknown amount of time chopping wood.

one of the best parts of his trip though was getting to listen to him strum his new banjo! i even was able to do a duet -- he'd play a tune while i stood behind him and reached around tapping rhythm on the outer edges of the round, parchment-looking piece with the pads of my fingers. it was very fun!!


and then there is the great news that MYS now has his master's degree of arts in science ... plasma astro physics to be specific. we can't quite figure out why the university chose to make it an arts degree rather than science, but hey. there are a lot of things about that school we can't figure out. such as why they retain poor instructors. but back to MYS -- CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! YOU are THE MAN!!!!!

and now, alone once more, we have just about finished the excellent bbc series of hercule poirot. i am so sad to see the end of it -- david suchet was entirely too excellent, mon ami, as was philip jackson (chief insp. japp), hugh fraser (capt. hastings), and pauline moran (miss lemon). i've never read any of the books, so i can't compare, but suchet is definitely uncomparable in the very best sense.

just like MYS!

let's get on it

the other day i heard about Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth. has it been talked about for awhile? today i saw a preview -- http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2718950 -- and i encourage you to check it out. it's full of information about global warming. someone (greedy republicans?) has tried to keep america from having to face facts and start reining in.

i want to see this movie. i probably won't like everything it says. i probably will come away worried about my children's future. well ... the truth can be tough.

up with family

whew! husband's sis & husband stayed until friday, then headed toward their home. we had a good-bye lunch at YEA'S WOK in newcastle. this restaurant is THE ONLY chinese restaurant on the planet that is really good. i wish it were located in my town.

at any rate, the visit with s&h was so fine! i wish they lived closer -- like in the same town -- so we could do things together more often. but, oh well. they want to be where it's hot and i want to be where it's not.

after s&h left, husband and i did some shopping then met with My Younger Son and his travel pal (new york to seattle via chicago, ann arbor-to-pack-the-honda-and-move-all-of-e's-worldly-belongings, north dakota, and glacier in about a week). we had supper at YEA'S WOK, then enjoyed a leisurely conversation at starbucks before MYS came with us and we said good-bye to e before splitting up to head home. just as we got on the interstate, however, My Older Son called us and we all decided to get together before we left town. so MYS and MOS-and-wife got to see each other for the first time in awhile -- we had a nice but short discourse then hit the road (husband's back was giving him many pains). so, yeah -- whew! -- it was a long-but-full-of-variety day.

so great to see family!!!

a bad man

He was waiting between the houses, angry and tired of fighting with her about it. He was done with the bitch. She was just too unreasonable and it was too difficult trying to work things out with her. And there was always the chance she might talk to the police ... she’d said she wouldn’t, but there was always the chance.

He’d been waiting for her, even though a misty rain had been falling the last hour. He knew she’d be walking by here -- it was part of her damn therapy. “It helps me relax and get my thoughts straight,” she’d said. Ha! Get her thoughts straight. As if she’d know when they were straight without him to tell her about it. What was she doing, trying to think without him anyway.

It was almost dark when the sound of raindrops all around turned into the sound of shoes walking in raindrops down the block. He tensed, checking to see if anyone else was out, to see if she was alone. He let her walk past, then quietly stepped across the grass to come up behind her.

“Hello, Donna,” he said. “How are ya?”

“Chet,” she gasped, startled. “I didn’t hear you.”

“You’re getting wet walking home like this; let me give you a ride. The car is just down the block.” He reached out to take her arm.

She took a step sideways and said, “N-no, thanks, I like walking home. It helps me relax.”

“Sure, but you’re getting wet. Why don’t you just get in and I’ll drop you off.” He moved in closer to her as she continued stepping to the side.

“No. Really, I like to walk.” She started walking again and picked up her pace.

“Donna, I insist,” he said forcefully, moving in, claiming her arm, shoving it under his, and bustling her off across the grass toward the car. He covered her hand with his, taking hold of several fingers. “Don’t yell. You know what I can do if you yell. Don’t make me hurt you.”

She was terrified and angry at the same time. She’d told herself she wasn’t going to get in this kind of fix again. He just kept angling them toward the car. She couldn’t get in the car, she just couldn’t. If she did, she knew she might never see her way out again.

Then, before she could think of anything to do, he was opening the driver’s door and pushing her inside. She clumbsily crawled over to the passenger side, wondering if she could get out her door before he caught her, but he must have read her mind. “Don’t try anything stupid,” he said as he started the car and pulled into the street.

ohhhhhh what a lovely day...

the husband's sister and her husband arrived yesterday, late afternoon. we had stew for supper, then talked the evening away with a nightcap of hercule poirot.

today we headed north to vancouver and spent the day absorbing the sun and seeing beautiful views -- water to the west, and mountains to the north and east. what more is there? we stopped and looked around granville island (artist colony both working and retail) where we had a really excellent lunch at the railroad avenue cafe, i believe it was called.

then we headed up to have a look-see at stanley park, then headed farther up to horseshoe bay which is a really really pretty piece of real estate northwest of vancouver. there are soothing views in every direction and we took a couple of pictures. when i have the time i'll try to put them on flickr.

we headed back home right around rush hour and the delay at the border was fine until a dark-haired b1tch with a snotty-looking boyfriend came rushing up in her big black truck and tried to push into the line ahead of us. said she meant to go to the duty-free shop, haha -- didn't want to have to wait like the rest of us peons. if i'd had a gun i would have shot out her tires -- i am simply fed up with people getting away with stuff when the rest of us have to follow the rules. and she was from the states so that sent a typical ugly-americans message. we finally got through the gate and before we left we mentioned the gal (who was right behind us) -- the guard just kind of laughed it off, but the least he could have done was to have her truck searched and cost her some time.

when we got back we had spaghetti then watched Mrs. Henderson Presents with judi dench and bob hoskins. a very very nice day all around!

midnight ride

“But Sammy, how can we escape if we don’t know where we’re going?” Trixie stumbled over her long gown and nearly knocked Sammy into the river.

“Dammit! That’s the third time you’ve tripped and nearly wiped me out Doll-face,” hissed Sammy exasperatedly. “Hold up that skirt and walk like a normal person so we can actually get where we’re going.”

Trixie grabbed both sides of her dress bringing the hem up to mid-calf as she continued walking rapidly down the dark pathway. “Okay. It’s taken care of. Now, how are we going to get out of this m---”

Sammy had stuck out his arm and Trixie ran right into it, unintentionally getting the wind knocked out of her, which stopped her from talking as well as walking. “Shhh,” he whispered, “I think someone’s on the river.” They both pressed back into the stygian shadows, listening intently for signs of pursuit. After a few minutes, Sammy relaxed. “Let’s get going,” he muttered. “We ought to find a boat right around here.”

“A boat?” squeaked Trixie looking down at her high heels and elegant gown. “If I’d known we were going to have to get in a boat, I’d have worn different shoes,” she lamented. “What good does it do me to get dressed up if I'm going to get messed up?”

“I’ll make it up to you, just keep your voice down.” Sammy stopped again, then as the moon played hide-and-seek with some wispy clouds he bent down and searched through the bushes. “Here it is. Come on, get in carefully and go sit on the other end.”

Trixie stepped closer as she said, “I can’t see a thing when the moon disappears. How do you know anything’s there?”

“Step forward and lift your leg so you can g---” Sammy felt Trixie’s heel innocently stomp his big toe and bit back a yell. She teetered off-balance, frantically trying to stay upright.

“Sammy, Sammy,” she exclaimed softly, just as she felt his hands reach out and steady her. “I’m not sure this is going to work. I can’t see a blamed thing!”

“It’ll work,” he sighed. “It has to work. Just get in and sit down right away. We’ve got to get out of here.”

Trixie stumbled forward then sank onto the seat, feeling something knock against her leg. She reached down and picked up a thick stick as Sammy was getting in. “Here,” she said, “You might need this.”

She held the stick up toward Sammy, accidentally hitting him between the legs whereupon he collapsed with a groan, the action gently plunging him backwards off the boat. He ended up in the fetal position half-in and half-out of the water as the boat absent-mindedly moved away from the shore and into the steady downstream movement of the water.

“Sammy? What happened! Where are you?!” Trixie gasped. Then she simultaneously realized the boat was moving, and that she was alone. “Uh, oh,” she said in a very small voice.

unbelievable

even though it's a gorgeous, special day, i must tell you about a most gruesome disease i read about last night. it's called Morgellons and you can read the astounding details here -- http://www.schmoo.co.uk/morgellons.htm .

this disease is being ignored by most doctors as well as the cdc, and patients are left feeling embarrassed, humiliated, and suicidal. a brief recap of symptoms: itchy skin (like bugs are crawling around underneath the skin), little blue fibers, black specks, and white threads coming out of lesions in the skin, hair loss, lymphedema, and extreme fatigue.

most doctors think the patients are delusional since no infectious agent is readily apparent, and the disdain from the medical community has patients looking for answers on their own. one patient told his doctor he had a gun in his glove compartment and the next doctor who told him it was all in his head, he was going to shoot the doctor. another patient, a teenager, killed himself. desperate people do desperate things.

so far, most of the patients are located in texas, florida, and california. one texas doctor has been looking into the problem and thinks there may be a connection with lyme disease. the oklahoma state department of health is seriously studying the disease and other groups have contacted this department to share their own findings.

the whole thing sounds like an alien horror flick, but it is definitely real. as Mark Twain said, "Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't."

a special day

happy mother's day to me, happy mother's day to-- oh! hello there! yes it's mother's day once again and it's a beautiful day here with lots of sunshine and blue skies and i opened a most lovely card from My Older Son which has tender sentiments that any mother would be deeply touched to receive and My Younger Son is hitting the road in new york and should be arriving here for a long-awaited visit in five days and the husband is happy and healthy and all is right in my world!

i am sooooooooooooo blessed!

small-town crime wave continues

May 8: Officers stopped a car in the 1600 block of Hughes Avenue after learning the registered owner's privilege to drive was suspended, and found that the registered owner's brother was driving. Unfortunately, his license was also suspended and so he was arrested.

May 8: Officers responded to a report of two juveniles throwing something off the overpass on H Street. An officer contacted the offending youths, ages eight and nine. They admitted to throwing berries over the railing. The youngsters were sent home and their parent was notified of the berry berry bad incident.

May 7: A complaint was received concerning the theft of service after a landlord in the 700 block of F street discovered trash in the apartment trash bins that was not associated with any of the tenants in the building. Papers inside the trash bags indicated all the trash had come from one address. Officers returned the trash to that address along with a warning letter.

May 4: A concerned neighbor reported that unknown people in a small white pickup entered a vacant house in the 900 block of Cedar Street by using a key. It was determined the people were moving in.

future, here we come...

well, this is totally cool -- stackable cars! go to http://cities.media.mit.edu/ and then click on Concept Car Project, then on City Car concept. the image that comes up is intriguing and i'd love to have one of those! (the wheels can go 'round 360*!)

the cars are meant to be like the carts you use at the airports -- you pay for them, use them to drive to a drop-off place near your location, and then leave the car stacked into whatever others are there. neat concept -- would love to see it happen sooner rather than later.

p.s. there's another car (Concept Car Project, Transology) that appears to be set up to be hung like a hanger. hmmm.....

geography

oh, this is fun -- i just took a geography quiz on msnbc -- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12594142/ -- here are the questions:

1. what state east of the mississippi river has the greatest amount of land: pennsylvania, georgia, florida, massachusetts.
2. in which continent is angola located: asia, antarctica, europe, africa.
3. what is the state capital of kentucky: louisville, frankfort, lexington, richmond.
4. in which continent is the world's highest mountain located: asia, antarctica, africa, europe.
5. what is the world's largest river by volume: amazon, nile, mississippi, danube.
6. the deadly dec. 26, 2004 tsunami that killed more than 180,000 people originated in what body of water: atlantic ocean, pacific ocean, indian ocean, red sea.
7. in which ocean are the solomon islands located: indian, arctic, south pacific, south atlantic.
8. where does the mississippi river begin: mississippi, minnesota, colorado, wisconsin.
9. java, a term used for 'coffee', is also an island in which of the following: indonesia, indiana, seattle, madagascar.
10. the gold rush that began in 1848 occurred in what state: colorado, alaska, california, washington.

go ahead and try it! i missed two -- 1 and 3 -- the answers are in the comments.

caution: check your source

my fitnet guy mentioned that adelle davis put out an awful lot of erroneous information, which led to at least one child's death.

her books Let's Have Healthy Children and Let's Eat Right To Keep Fit were both filled with incorrect information. certainly, i think it's important for people to try to eat healthily, but the assertions of an off-the-shelf book need to be backed up from other sources.

there are numerous web sites which detail the damage caused by her books, but one of the best is Quackwatch -- http://www.quackwatch.org/04ConsumerEducation/davis.html . the following illustrates some of the damage she caused:

In 1971, a 4-year-old victim of Davis's advice was hospitalized at the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco. The child appeared pale and chronically ill. She was having diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and loss of hair. Her liver and spleen were enlarged, and other signs suggested she had a brain tumor. Her mother, "a food faddist who read Adelle Davis religiously," had been giving her large doses of vitamins A and D plus calcium lactate.

Little Eliza Young was not so fortunate. During her first year of life she was given "generous amounts" of vitamin A as recommended in Let's Have Healthy Children. As a result, according to the suit filed in 1971 against Davis and her publisher, Eliza's growth was permanently stunted.

Two-month-old Ryan Pitzer was even less fortunate. According to the suit filed by his parents, Ryan was killed in 1978 by the administration of potassium chloride for colic as suggested in the same book.

In 1982, pediatricians at the University of California School of Medicine in Los Angeles reported a case of near-fatal overdose in a 3-week-old boy who had been given potassium for colic. In this case, the potassium was contained in a salt-substitute added to an acidophilus solution as recommended in another paragraph of the colic discussion. After four days, the infant became lethargic and irritable and had an episode of gagging after which he became limp and stopped breathing. The parents began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and immediately took him to an emergency room, where he was able to breath spontaneously. His potassium levels were extremely high but responded promptly to treatment.

In 2005, an 11-month-old boy who was raised on barley water and goats milk as recommended in Let's Have Healthy Children wound up with severe anemia due to vitamin deficiency. The treating physicians said he was lucky to escape brain damage.

when it comes to your children's health, check and double-check your information.

memorable comments

i get such a kick out of Tim Lane's monday-through-friday physical fitness postings. the first comments below are essay answers by students, and the second are classic songs from "The Hospital Hit Parade!" he also says, "Winter wheat is planted in the fall, a ten-gallon hat hold much less, Greenland isn't, and you are supposed to slow down in speed zones! Yes, things are not always what they are cracked up to be."

> Her date was pleasant enough, but she knew that if her life was a movie this guy would be buried in the credits as something like "Second Tall Man."
> The red brick wall was the color of a brick-red Crayola crayon.
> The politician was gone but unnoticed, like the period after the Dr. on a Dr Pepper can.
> Her eyes were like two brown circles with big black dots in the center.

"Old Man's Liver."
"I've Grown Accustomed to Her Brace"
"I'll be Sewing You (In All the Old Familiar Places)"
"Red Cells in the Sunset"
"It's Spleen a Long, Long Time"
"It Had to Be Flu"
"Gonna Take a Sentimental Gurney"
"The Girl From Emphysema"
"The Staphs and Streps Forever"
"MRI Blue?"
"My Melancolicky Baby"
"From Here to Maternity." (I don't know how this movie got in, maybe it had a sound track.)

have a great day!!!

adult whiners

people sometimes get a skewed sense of themselves. take the following quote about allen iverson (the 76er point guard):

"...A jury will sort out the facts. In the meantime, Iverson was asked to come to D.C. to give a deposition to the plaintiff’s lawyers.

Washington and Philadelphia are just a couple of hours apart. You can get there by air shuttle, by train or by car. But Iverson asked the judge to allow him to give the deposition in Philadelphia because, he argued, if he has to go to Washington – his hometown and one that he visits frequently – he’d have to get up early in the morning and pay a limo for the trip.

He couldn’t take a train, because people would recognize him, his lawyers said, and if that happened, then his crew might have to beat somebody up for the crime of saying hello. So he has to drive, and, given that he’s such an important person, he apparently can’t possibly drive himself.

The judge, U.S. Magistrate Deborah A. Robinson, read the request, rejected it, and told him to get his all-important and spoiled butt down to Washington and give the deposition.

It renewed our hope that perhaps there is justice in this world after all." (from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3298669/ )

the bumbled escape

I was in a meadow. There were flowers all around and lots of colors and the sun was shining and there were pine trees and mountains in the background. It was beautiful and I was so happy.

“Wake up, wake up! Soesin, wake up!” I opened my eyes and woke up to a nightmare.

“Leave me alone and let me go back to sleep!” I mumbled. I hurt pretty much everywhere and was sure I was going to throw up.

“Soesin, wake up and listen to me,” said the insistent voice. “We have to get out of here as soon as you can walk. They bombed the camp about 10 minutes ago, so they’ll be here any second.”

“I can’t. I hurt. Go away.” It would have been better to go back to the meadow, but I didn’t think I was going to be allowed to do that.

“Here. Drink this if you can,” a male voice said gently to me. “We’ve got to get her out of here before they close the tunnel,” he said to someone else.

“We may have to carry her,” said Insistent Voice. “She’s awful close to dying.”

“Yeees...Dying is gooood...Let me lay here...and diiiiee,” I moaned. “Go away...and I can go baaack...to the meadoooow.”

“What in heaven’s name is she saying,” said Male Voice. “Tie-goot...go hay...ba...med-ho. Christ! Now she’s delirious! We’re out of time. I’ll take her and unless you can get my gear, all the pass-codes and food locations will be left behind.” He picked me up but the pain made me pass out.

When I came to, I was sure that Insistent Voice and Male Voice were playing volleyball with my body as they hurriedly cut through the debris, across a couple of trees, and around a mound of bodies. But I contributed to the Cause by keeping my moans low -- I don’t think it helped much though since we stopped eventually and Male Voice said, “Shit! Look at that! The bombs destroyed the tunnel and I heard them landing a few blocks back. We’re on our own.”

“My meadow,” I groaned. “Put me in my meadow.”

“Right! That’s it,” said Male Voice. “We’ll put her on the sleep pad and we’ll float down the river. They’ll never see us in this weather, and if we can get out before we hit the rapids, we’ll be close to another tunnel and we can get out that way.”

“Another tunnel?” said Insistent Voice sounding like Scaredy Cat. “I’ve never heard of another tunnel. What tunnel? Why do you think there’s another tunnel down there?”

“Well, whether a tunnel’s there or not, we don’t have any choice,” said Male Voice as he inflated the sleep pad. “Besides, my granny told me about that tunnel and she said no one else knew about it.”

“Your granny?!” said Suddenly Incredulous Voice. “Your granny’s nuts! Everybody knows your granny’s nuts! Oh god, this isn’t going to work. I knew this wasn’t going to work.”

gtif

do you need a good laugh? i laughed so much i got tears in my eyes ... http://www.hedonistica.com/media.php?path=/videos/baseball-catch-prank.wmv -- i'd be down there on the ground, too! hahahaha...

flickr pictur

okay -- i've got the last of the arizona pictures up on flickr. some of them are 'stitched together' although i've labeled them as 'panned' for some reason. at any rate -- have a look see ...

little bit of news

topics that caught my attention this am:

1. a university of virginia hospital begins implanting micro-chips in the navels of newborn humans this month,

2. a 4-year old boy from india runs 40 miles and loves doing it,

3. a woman who is said to be 128 years old lives in el salvador,

4. 63 year old woman from england is 7 months pregnant,

5. post office wants increase in stamp prices,

6. 40-year old mexican man weighs 1200 pounds in spite of normal cholesterol and blood sugar levels,

7. britney spears is getting divorced.

one of the items was from 1999 (the rest from today) and one of the items is false. can you guess which?

wait, wait...

Hey Baby. Can I have your phone number? I seem to have lost mine. Aw, just kiddin' Baby. Seriously, is your Dad a mechanic? 'cause you got all the right parts. No, seriously, seriously. I may not be Fred Flintstone, but I bet I can make your Bed Rock! (tail chompage)



http://cuteoverload.com just cracks me up! 

more pictures

flickr drives me crazy -- you tell them how you want your pictures arranged and they may end up that way and they may not.

i uploaded some of the pictures from jerome and will try to get the ones from sedona up tomorrow. if you click on the main page -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/kphiker/ -- you will see the jerome pictures out-of-order. but if you go over to the left side and click on the jerome/sedona set, the page that comes up shows them in the correct order.

more later. hopefully.

a frontier

It is day two of my journey. Yesterday I stopped in the 1200s. Since I can only move back in time, not forward or to a different location, the surrounding area is extremely similar to what I said good-bye to yesterday morning. There are shallow, rolling hills, fewer trees, but quite a bit more grass, bushes, and colorful weeds. I haven’t spotted any people, but I saw a coyote, a number of birds, and some rabbits earlier today. I have no intention of removing myself from this protected vehicle, which works out well since I am able to see, hear, and smell the surrounding area from inside. I look forward to the sunset.

It is day four of my journey. I stopped today in 210 A.D. There is a large stream nearby, but all of the vegetation has been destroyed by fire. It must have been quite a storm. There has been no recovery yet, no animals or birds. It is not a pleasant sight.

It is day six of my journey and today I am in about 1127 B.C. There is quite a forest all around me and I can see a group of what must be people on the top of a small hill. They appear to be resting and socializing, but there are no huts or living units that I can see.

It is day eight of this journey. The recall mechanism will click into place tomorrow and it will take me just about five minutes to arrive at the facility. I will have quite a bit to share, much more than this skeletal diary would suggest. Today finds me in about 1945 B.C. This is grassland once again, with several streams running through the area, along with numerous animals, birds, and people. The people appear to be coming and going from an opening in a hill, however from this distance I cannot tell if the hill is man-made or if the place underground was excavated. Fascinating.

It is day ten of my journey. For some reason, the recall mechanism did not perform as anticipated and I have yet to return to my time. As I am sure they are working on solving the problem, I am continuing with my research. It appears to be about 3385 B.C. and the area is overrun with large animals. In the last hour, I have seen six wolves, seven cougars, four grizzly bears, and numerous vultures, eagles, and ravens. This area seems much more savage than previously observed, and I am glad for my vehicle’s protection. No sign of people, and no wonder.

It is day twenty-five of my journey. This will be my last entry as I simply don’t care to record anymore. Apparently they are not able to bring me home. I am unable to keep the vehicle from progressing back in time and do not wish to continue this way. When I conclude this entry, I will attempt to break the seal and emerge from the vehicle. I estimate it be to around 14,300 B.C. There are many more hills than in my day, although only a few trees, with a number of streams in sight as well as bushes and grasses. There appears to be a cliff of some sort off in the distance, but I see nothing that indicates people might be about. I cannot imagine how this is going to turn out, but wish me luck. --Theodore Summerstone

cluck, cluck...

wow -- that grabs your attention, doesn't it?! i never even knew stuff like this took place. intentionally took place, that is. but 'active 4-wheeling' seems to be a new and exciting thing to do. actually, i think i would have enjoyed it when i was 25, but not now. somehow, in my old age, i've turned into a chicken. would you like doing that???

you, too, can become a gamer!

they say that you need to keep your mind active as you get older so there will be less chance you will lose some of your faculties. i've discovered several little games i can play while i'm online -- they're pretty silly but you really do have to think while you play, so maybe there is some value in spending time with these activities. here they are:

Sobics -- http://www.arcadebin.com/index.php?action=play&id=295 a game where you line up blocks of the same color; very basic; written in chinese so i have no idea if there is more to it than what i do.

Blox Forever -- http://www.arcadebin.com/index.php?action=play&id=56 a game where you move blocks together to get them to disappear; can be very challenging.

Zelda Puzzle -- http://www.arcadebin.com/index.php?action=play&id=234 a memory game that gets progressively harder; fun ... until it gets too hard.

and my old favorite, Bear and Cat -- http://www.zeronews-fr.com/flash/bearandcat.php a game where you dissolve the dots before they get you; can be stimulating; goes from easy to very difficult; i stick with the levels i can play (why not?); again, it's written in japanese or chinese so there may be tips i can't know about. if you play this game and you want to quit (e.g. you play to level 4 and don't want to do 5 but to just start over instead), go to the left side and click on 'pause' then click on the third button from the top, then click on the right-side button and it will take you back to the beginning.

there you have it. [)0 teh zerg rush @/\/[) pwn I+! w00t!!1!111!1!

and now, these weirds from our sponsor...

the FitNet guy, who i like so much, had a funny thing going this week -- i've reprinted it for your viewing pleasure:

"This week I am going to share entries from a contest sponsored by The Washington Post. In this event they partnered with Mensa and asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition."

Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.

Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

To subscribe, send a blank email to join-fitnet@lists.ia.gov .

Paparazzi struggle as Pitt-Jolie birth nears

man, ya gotta feel sorry for those picture-takers, right?

"Not only must the paparazzi contend with cloth screens surrounding the luxury resort. The police have joined private security guards to protect Jolie, 30, and Pitt, 42, from prying lenses, and one guard has used pepper spray to keep a photographer at bay."

"Namibia has already expelled several photographers from the seaside resort, and the government warned other journalists it would take all measures to ensure the couple continue to enjoy their stay."

"Paparazzi on the ground are clearly finding life tough...'This has really gotten out of hand. There is a no-fly zone over the hotel, it is an unprecedented display of police power. It is really ominous.'"

ominous -- oooooooh, the boogie-man.

excuse me *little snerk: heh* while i *bubbly mirth: hahahaha* go hide *raucous, uncontrolled, rotfl: *.

man + woman + two little girls

one of the blogs that i (try to) read faithfully every day is Slimbolala -- he has a great wit, is always optimistic, and is a gentle person. plus he regularly posts pictures and draws like a demon. here is one of his recent posts that simply cracked me up. http://slimbolala.blogspot.com/2006/04/challaballies.html

i just love stuffonmycat

Gingercat joins the witness protection program

-------------------------------------------
Bunch of lazy bones
 

crime wave continues...

April 16: A young man quit his job in Florida to travel to Alaska to seek his fortune. He drove 8,000 miles while touring the country in his Volkswagen camper van. While in line at the border his vehicle broke down. He managed to get the vehicle into a business parking lot. He left the vehicle (which contained all his worldly possessions) locked up and took his dog for a walk to find help in repairing the vehicle. During the 45 minutes he was gone a thief broke into the vehicle and stole his computer and GPS system. Although the vehicle was parked in a public place, there were no witnesses to the crime. The value of the items stolen was approximately $3,000.

April 15: A resident in the 1100 block of Adelia Street reported that her neighbor may have squirted ketchup on her car because he believed she called the police to check on his welfare. The neighbor left the area and went to a friend's house before police arrived. The ketchup was washed off the resident's car and there was no damage. The resident requested no further police action be taken.

April 11: An officer was dispatched to a residence where a child had placed a toilet seat over his head and could not get it off. The officer was able to get the seat off the boy's head. There were no injuries.

oh, know ...

i was surfing the other day and came across this site: http://www.spellingsociety.org/index.php . these people think *gasp* the english language is hard to spell. they say, "Why don't comb, tomb, bomb rime? Why do they, say, weigh rime?" even though i would probably agree with a lot of the word changes, they are, obviously (rime=rhyme), from england. that in itself is enough to make me take a step back. i love and/or enjoy people from scotland, ireland, and wales, but england ..... they have an attitude. regardless ... if you're interested in joining the cause, go to the above link and jump in.

update

well, it looks like i may be stuck with flickr. i've looked around a bit and don't see another program out there to dump photos into without much hassle. so ..... i'll stick with flickr until something else comes along. i also made a web-address-name-change so you can access my photos by going to http://www.flickr.com/photos/kphiker/ from now on.

i still have to upload the pictures from our sojourn to jerome and sedona, plus all those fabulous cliff dwelling pictures. i'll get them up as soon as i can.

happy friday!!!

p.s. i numbered the pictures with 1=first pix taken, so you can get an idea of the sequence that way. also, if you go to the page listed above, then click on Your Sets (right-side of page), then click on either set of pictures, the thumbnails on the right side are the correct sequence and if you click on 'View as slideshow' then you'll get them big-sized and correctly sequenced. however, if you click on 'View your latest photos as a slideshow' on the main page listed above, you will not get the correct sequence. sequence matters to me, but if it doesn't to you then there's not a problem.

the az wedding

i finally got the wedding pictures up. go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/97063157@N00/ and you will find them NOT in the order i uploaded them. very irritating. i am going to be looking around for another site like flickr that might be better at picture arranging.

regardless, unless i find something else, you can peruse these pictures to your heart's content. enjoy!

world traveler

did you see the story about the ice motel? i've completely forgotten the story now, but this is a real picture of a room in the place. must be in iceland or somewhere north, huh?! sorry, but i just can't believe that 'bed' would be warm. 

whoa, mama

i know what Thumper said, but gees, they are just soooo .....

agent cat

Shh! No time for questions...you must trust me.

nothin' but trouble

“Who’s watching the brat?” said Big George.

“Mikey’s turn,” I said. “I watched her this mornin’.” It was noon-thirty and already it was hot. Only supposed to get up to 70, but it was headed up to 80 plus. “She’s gonna be trouble again. I’m gettin’ tired of taking care of nothin’ but trouble.”

“Maybe if you called her by her name, Joey, and talked real nice, she wouldn’t give you a bad time,” said Mikey -- mister smartmouth.

“Yeah, that’s real likely,” I said. “She don’t wanna be waitin’ for the boss and you know it, Mikey, so shuddup. Cryssakes, I’m gonna get me a real job one o’ these days. Make lotsa money and have nice-lookin’ dames hangin’ offa my arms.”

“Oh, that’s real funny, Joey. You not smart enuf to have a real job, so shuddup about it already. I’m sicka you gonna get a real job.”

“Shove it, Mikey, or I’ll shove it for ya. Then I’ll take your cut and we’ll see who’s smilin’.”

“Knock it off, you two,” growled Big George, “and go check on the dame.”

I look at Mikey. He knows it’s gonna be him since Wally’s out gettin’ lunch. “Aw shit, I’ll go,” he says and heads for the bedroom.

And explodes right back. “Shit! The brat’s gone! Went right out the window and we’s on the third floor.”

“Goddammit, goddammit,” rumbled Big George, “the boss ain’t gonna like that. Come on -- we gotta go find her again, and this time we tie her up.”

ahhh -- the 50's

maresie doates and doesie doates and little lamsie divey .....

jesus loves me, this i know .....

i scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream .....

red rover, red rover, send johnnie right over .....

put your right foot in, put your right foot out, put your right foot in and shake it all about ....

bobbie and molly sittin' in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes bobbie with the baby carriage .....

metal skates and skate keys .....

white gloves and easter hats .....

pinafores .....

poodle skirts and spit curls .....

business advice

the following are some quotes from people who were really high up in the last company i worked for (3 years ago):

advice to others:
>> "It's important to listen to people you work with and don't assume you have all the answers." (president of the company)
>> "I would encourage people to develop others, value character and competence, and support team accomplishments in order to be successful in business." (VP)
>> "We have to take responsibility for our development and growth. Look for opportunities and mentors to help us be successful. We need to take charge and promote ourselves, not wait for others." (VP)
>> "Have a goal." (VP)
>> "Be authentic. Don't try to be someone else; seek out mentors; and don't be afraid to ask questions." (department head)

the sky was the limit

i used to be an air traffic controller. that was back in the days when there were no female controllers. most of the guys who worked there had been against women being brought into the ranks, figuring any female who tried to get in was either (1) really ugly, (2) a slut going to a lot of trouble looking for a good time, or (3) one o' them radical feminists looking to cause trouble. their theories did not leave room for the idea of a pretty, pleasant, and intelligent woman who wanted a challenging job and thought she was capable of handling the responsibility.

yes, i had to listen to a lot of rough jokes; yes, i had tricks played on me; yes, i had to do things better than a guy just starting out; yes, i was up against guys who tried to get me washed out; yes, i had to ignore sexual harrassment. but i liked the job and did pretty well at it.

eventually i could call most of the guys my friends, although in the loosest possible sense. they didn't want their wives to think they talked to me, and none of us became pals.

my future husband and i didn't work on the same side of the schedule and i really didn't even know who he was until he asked me out after he and his wife had split up and were working out divorce details.

yes, guys do gossip; yes, some guys go out on their wives without ever getting caught; yes, some guys talk big until their wives are present. some guys are extremely crude; some guys are very sensitive; some guys physically abuse their wives; some guys are hen-pecked; some guys are gentle.

it was an interesting period of my life and i will share stories as i think of them.

crime wave continues...

April 8: During patrol, an officer recognized a driver who they had arrested in previous weeks for driving on a suspended license. A DOL check confirmed the driver as still suspended and he was placed under arrest.

April 8: Officers responded to a verbal domestic dispute. A husband was reportedly caught cheating on his wife via the internet. The husband apologized for his actions and said he would do anything to make it right. The husband left the residence and sought alternative housing for the evening to let things cool down.

April 5: A resident called to report that someone was parked on his property. When the property owner asked the person to leave, the person told him he would leave in a minute. This was not acceptable to the property owner so he called the police. Both parties spoke with one another and worked out the problem in a civil manner.

April 5: A 12-year-old boy reported two older boys approached him on foot and demanded he give them his bicycle. When he refused, one of the boys strong-armed the bicycle away and began riding it. An adult reportedly observed this and yelled at the boys to give the bicycle back. They complied and gave the victim his bicycle back.

Moments later, the two boys re-approached the victim where one of the boys handed a knife to the other boy who opened it, stood near the victim, and allegedly threatened to cause bodily harm if he didn't give up the bicycle. The victim initially gave his bike to the brandisher, but was able to grab it back and flee to his residence to call the police.

Both suspects, ages 13 and 14, were identified through investigation and arrested within an hour of the incident. They were booked on robbery charges.

a-reading we will go...

i love blogging. and reading other people's blogs. even when i have no idea who they are, the process can be satisfying and adventursome. if you've ever wondered about france and england, go to this gal's blog -- she's taking a trip and has some really fabulous images! http://jenngemini.blogspot.com/

catching up on sleep

vacations can be hard on a person. every morning while we were gone, i awoke between 6 am and 7 am (sunshine in the window). that doesn't sound like a trial, but it was. i usually stay up until midnight, 1 am, 2 am, or 3 am creating stuff on the computer or reading. the next morning i arise at 8 am, or 9 am and proceed with my day. it works well for me, a night person, and having the right amount of sleep at my right times keeps me pretty happy.

i knew the vacation was going to be a stretch for me and gave it my best. but pretty quickly i could tell that my body wanted to sit down with me and discuss this new paradigm. since it was a necessary but short-lived routine, i simply soldiered on.

but last night it caught up with me. i worked on cropping some of the pictures i'm going to mount on the walls, and finally shut down the computer at 12:50, brushed my teeth, and was in bed at 1 am. i awoke at 7:10 am (cockaleakie), went back to sleep, dreamed various and delightful dreams, and re-woke at 1:20 pm just as hubby stuck his head in the bedroom door and said, "i was just coming to see if you were okay." wow. more than twelve hours. haven't done that in a long, long time.

the moral of this story -- don't listen to scientists or do-gooders who profess to know what you should do about sleep. listen to your body and do what YOU think you need to do, even if it doesn't fit with anyone else. and be patient with the masses, who sleep differently than you do, when you go on vacation.

i love ...

FrostByte Groove Lounge



'nuff said ... 

dangerous to our health?

"Nanotechnology involves the manufacture and manipulation of materials at the molecular or atomic level. At that scale, materials are measured in nanometers or billionths of a meter. Nanoscale materials are generally less than 100 nanometers in diameter. A sheet of paper, in comparison, is 100,000 nanometers thick."

this new product paradigm sounds interesting, but it could introduce a totally new type of problem to consumers. although the technology is in its infancy, the FDA is trying to stay on top of the new technology.

"German counterparts struggle to understand why nearly 100 people suffered respiratory problems after using a novel cleaning product made with the submicroscopic particles ... continue to probe 97 cases of intoxication, some of them severe, in people who had used a recently introduced aerosol cleaning product called "Magic Nano."

to discover some of the products already on the market, go here -- http://www.nanotechproject.org/index.php?id=44&action=view -- the list is certainly not comprehensive, but a person might as well try to become familiar with or have a grasp of something that could have health implications.

admittedly there are already enough things to worry about, but trying to be aware of what's out there is surely advisable. especially if it becomes ubiquitous. (quotes found at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12304550/)

the cliffs are home

The turtle doves cooed, woke her up, and interrupted her dream. She waited a moment, wondering if she could just go back and finish the dream, but it was gone. She sat up, stretched, then got up, took the water jug, and climbed out the hole into the morning.

The cliff homes were all she had ever known and she loved them. They were warm in cool weather, and cool in warm weather. The birds made mud nests overhead, food was gathered and kept in caves in the back wall, and it gave much pleasure to be able to look out and see far from so high. Sometimes she thought it would be good to have wings and fly above while the sun was born.

Several of the others were already up, getting water and starting fires, so she made her way quietly down the ladder to the first floor, then climbed down to the ground. It was lighter now and she could see as well as hear the ravens and wrens as they chirped and called to each other. The wind shushed gently through the trees, and the water in the stream tumbled down and around the rocks as it moved along its way.

Taking a moment first to wash her face and hands, she filled the water jug and made her way back to her room. Soon rice was sizzling and after she added an egg, her meager breakfast was ready. She had picked a few berries yesterday and enjoyed them with her egg-rice patty today. Then, after a minute of clean-up, she sat before her loom and reviewed her work. The blanket was turning out nicely and would look good with a flower added to the side.

She worked steadily for a number of hours, then went back down the ladders and to the stream to fill her water jug again. The men were working the corn and cotton, and a couple of women were gathering stems for baskets and clay for pots.

“Hello, Maiya,” she said. “How is your baby?”

“She is very happy, Ruoto. How is your weaving coming?”

“It is good and will please the chief,” she said. “Maybe he will decide to give me a husband.”

“Yes, Ruoto, it is time. I don’t know why he hasn’t taken care of you yet,” said Maiya. “I wonder if he will look toward Huoleyo or Nikulu. Do you have a preference?”

“Oh Maiya, it is not for me to think of such things. I will be happy with whichever decision he makes. Both are good men and I think would be good to live with.” Ruoto smiled and turned away, heading back for the ladder.

She would come down again, after weaving for several hours, to look for berries and roots to add to her evening meal. After her meal, she would talk with some of the other women until it began to get dark, then she would return to her room, think quiet thoughts, and go to bed.

hello again

well, we're back! as soon as i get the energy i am going to post all the trip pictures on flickr and i'll let you know when they're there.

we had a lovely time, the wedding went off just fine, everyone seems to be happy, phoenix is pretty, prescott is wonderfully old-fashioned, jerome is perched, sedona is snotty but beautiful, the ruins are thought-provoking. every day was packed with things to do and good food was available at every stop.

the ONLY down-side to the whole trip was the ordeal of flying: the lines at the ticket counter, the lines at the security check-in, the ridiculous strip-down that we have to go through because of those dvmbfvck middle eastern terrorists, the waiting, the flagrant abusers who get in the boarding line first rather than politely waiting until their 'zone' number is called, the gutless ticket agents who let the flagrant abusers get by with it, the packed-in-like-sardines seating, and the masses of it's-all-about-me humanity (most usually the people with kids in tow). i mean, puh-leeze. it's just so dispiriting. gentility and breeding seem to be absent in the common people.

well, wait. the motel room and continental breakfast were absolutely terrible, too.

regardless, we're home now and will be seeing waylin in may when they drive over after going to heather's wedding.

in other wonderful news My Younger Son is planning on coming home on may 19. details as they become available.

ta ta ...

up, up, and away...

well, we're here. the flight seemed long *do those seats have to be so narrow so that the guy next to me sticks his elbow in my ribs?* but except for the people and the abrupt changes in altitude due to turbulence around phoenix, it went fine.

our people picked us up and we drove to mimi's for lunch. WOW! what a nice experience! i had a cobb salad with totally yummy dressing and a lovely blueberry muffin and some great french onion soup. hubby had some kind of sandwich and the others also had sandwiches. i'm sure my meal was the best!

then we headed out for prescott and arrived in time for sunset except that it was raining then sleeted briefly. cloud cover = no sunset. tomorrow we'll be out-and-about, friday is the rehearsel dinner, saturday is the wedding and reception, and sunday we'll be heading back up here unless there's a birthday party for the grandaughter. no word on that yet. then out-and-about on monday, and to the airport for home on tuesday. so we have a full couple of days ahead.

more when we get back ...

donde esta la biblioteca? *

well, we're outta here ... heading to phoenix for the wedding of husband's oldest son. the girl is a sweetie and they will be so good together. i hope to have pictures for you when we get back.

hasta luego ...

* = the only thing i remember from my two years of high school spanish.

which are you ...

elton cat?



or party dude?

 

quiz time

oh this is hilarious ... if you'd like to do one of those 'which one are you' things (this one from star trek), go to http://www.seabreezecomputers.com/startrek/ .

you'll never guess which character i am. (results, later...)