Shurl hadn’t know her partner long. Well, she’d heard of him, his reputation anyway, for several years, but hadn’t met him until this assignment. So far he seemed to be an okay, hard-working guy. She supposed it was only a matter of time before his hard-ass side came out, but so far so good.
They were posted in the unexplored sector this year and, thank god, the tour was about over. She was tired of being around the same 12 team members, several of whom were extremely hard to work with. But being partnered with Dak had kept her out of the worst of the infighting, and she would have enough saved after this tour that she could ground down and take a home job. She never in her wildest dreams would have chosen a home job, but yeah, now the time was right.
Things were quiet today. The small planet they were charting was pretty and interesting, a good combination. The team had scattered in the double-shot formation which took a little longer, but was always a good choice .... fewer chances of being caught off-guard or having to deal with a problem by yourself.
Dak was using the scanner while she took notes. She preferred taking notes, actually, since it gave her time to really look around at things. A pale blue sky, breatheable atmosphere, land, water, vegetation, animals -- this little planet had it all. Which wasn’t that unusual, really. When men finally left Earth and spread out through the universe, they discovered a large number of liveable planets, most of which were so similar to Earth as to be siblings. It was a happy surprise, especially since things on Earth had gotten so rotten there at the end.
History lessons wandered through her mind along with her observations about this planet. It was so new, so peaceful, so happy. “Dreaming about possibilities?” asked Dak quietly.
Shurl took a deep breath and sighed, “Yes. It just seems so .... so clean, so untouched by evil. I like it here.”
Dak studied her a moment longer, then shifted his attention back to the scanner. She was okay .... smarter than the other females he knew and pretty good about keeping her mouth shut. He couldn’t stand being around women who yakked and yakked and yakked -- drove him crazy. But out of all the partner choices, she was the best -- even better than the guys. God they had some dumb ones along on this tour. He couldn’t wait to report back to headquarters then take a long-overdue 3-month vacation .... all by himself.
It was another couple of minutes before he noticed the solid red light on his display. That wasn’t good. He checked the levels, scrolled through the read-outs, looked at the possibilites, figured the odds, micro-grieved his missed vacation, then turned to Shurl and calmly said, “We’re stuck in this place. The ship has mysteriously disappeared, 8 of the others are dead, 2 are missing. We are alone, unable to call for help, and unaware of what, specifically, happened to the others. We’re going to have to stay alert and cover each other’s back.” He watched as it moved across her face -- surprise, alarm, curiosity, humor, resignation, somber readiness. He continued, “Come on kid, let’s find a place to secure a camp. Your untouched place has some kind of evil after all.”
Sunday, October 15, 2006
true crime -- small town beat
October 10: A person asked officers to check on the safety of some kids after observing a man near them was acting strangely. Officers found the man: he had grown expressively frustrated while working on his car, but his kids appeared unfazed by the passing storm and did not appear to be in danger. Officers cleared without incident.
October 9: Dispatch advised they received a complaint of people loudly arguing in a vehicle parked at a gas station. Officers arrived and found three siblings arguing over music while their parents were away from the car. The family was reunited for a pleasant evening drive back across the border.
October 8: Police responded to a report of a large group of unsupervised teenagers drinking alcohol at a party. Officers investigated and contacted 15 area juveniles. Several who had been drinking were arrested. The parents of all the kids were contacted. A report of the incident was forwarded to the Juvenile Prosecutor for charging.
October 6: A resident reported hearing screams and the sound of someone stomping around in heavy woods near the border. A border patrol agent and police officer tracked the disturbance down to a pair of pranksters. Profiling indicates it was probably the screech owl's idea, but their deer friend did the legwork.
October 5: Officers responded to a home on a reported domestic dispute in progress. When police arrived, the male half of the incident locked himself in the bathroom and refused to come out, probably because he was wanted on a Superior Court felony warrant and two Municipal Court warrants. Officers flushed the suspect from his hidey hole in the cabinet under the bathroom sink and booked him into the county jail.
October 4: Police were dispatched to a residence regarding a family member who was violating his probation. The officer contacted the parties involved, investigated, and advised the family it appeared the son's use of profanity was not an explicit violation of his court order.
October 9: Dispatch advised they received a complaint of people loudly arguing in a vehicle parked at a gas station. Officers arrived and found three siblings arguing over music while their parents were away from the car. The family was reunited for a pleasant evening drive back across the border.
October 8: Police responded to a report of a large group of unsupervised teenagers drinking alcohol at a party. Officers investigated and contacted 15 area juveniles. Several who had been drinking were arrested. The parents of all the kids were contacted. A report of the incident was forwarded to the Juvenile Prosecutor for charging.
October 6: A resident reported hearing screams and the sound of someone stomping around in heavy woods near the border. A border patrol agent and police officer tracked the disturbance down to a pair of pranksters. Profiling indicates it was probably the screech owl's idea, but their deer friend did the legwork.
October 5: Officers responded to a home on a reported domestic dispute in progress. When police arrived, the male half of the incident locked himself in the bathroom and refused to come out, probably because he was wanted on a Superior Court felony warrant and two Municipal Court warrants. Officers flushed the suspect from his hidey hole in the cabinet under the bathroom sink and booked him into the county jail.
October 4: Police were dispatched to a residence regarding a family member who was violating his probation. The officer contacted the parties involved, investigated, and advised the family it appeared the son's use of profanity was not an explicit violation of his court order.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
a little bit
i haven't had time lately to put up the info about my trip to the black hills 'cause we've been helping our neighbor get her new place ready to move into -- she has a small restaurant and there's quite a bit of work that needs doin' before she can move into the new, excellent location.
but here are some pictures to pique your interest.....
one of the views from the poet's cabin --
a woodpecker cafe --
lovely sylvan lake --
but here are some pictures to pique your interest.....
one of the views from the poet's cabin --
a woodpecker cafe --
lovely sylvan lake --
Friday, October 13, 2006
a word
husband and i got our flu shots yesterday. we were heading into the drug store when i noticed their sign, so ... $25 later i am once again protected from that dastardly scourge of evil. at least from that particular strain.
i encourage you to get your shot. especially those of you with asthma or other lung conditions. better safe than sorry, it helps to be prepared, early to bed, an apple a day, and, after all, why not.
i encourage you to get your shot. especially those of you with asthma or other lung conditions. better safe than sorry, it helps to be prepared, early to bed, an apple a day, and, after all, why not.
a sign
ooooOOOOOOOooooohhh -- it's foggy outside .....
i just love weather like this 'cause it means it's getting cooler and soon i'll have to wear my flannels and my polartec and snuggle up under blankies .....
heaven!!!
i just love weather like this 'cause it means it's getting cooler and soon i'll have to wear my flannels and my polartec and snuggle up under blankies .....
heaven!!!
Monday, October 09, 2006
eschew your dentist? come to mine!
i love my dentist! she's very adept and is a total sweetheart! if you are in the bellingham area and want a great dentist, call Dr. Kelsey Ullsmith's office at 360.647.1715 and Courtney can make an appointment for you. Beth and Lorie are Dr. K's excellent assistants, and Debbie is the excellent hygienist.
Dr. K doesn't lay any guilt on you and is not pushy (although she does get in your face *grin*) and she's one of only a handful of professionals i've come across who sincerely and honestly deals with you and delicately deals with your gums and teeth. she plays different kinds of music, there are live flower arrangements scattered around, and candles burn soothingly in the waiting room. it's a gentle, quietly competent place, which is certainly what i want when i go to a dentist.
i highly recommend Dr. Ullsmith and her dream team!
Dr. K doesn't lay any guilt on you and is not pushy (although she does get in your face *grin*) and she's one of only a handful of professionals i've come across who sincerely and honestly deals with you and delicately deals with your gums and teeth. she plays different kinds of music, there are live flower arrangements scattered around, and candles burn soothingly in the waiting room. it's a gentle, quietly competent place, which is certainly what i want when i go to a dentist.
i highly recommend Dr. Ullsmith and her dream team!
vignette
“... so now let’s talk a little bit about what you want from this next life.”
“Hmmm. Well, there are a number of things that would be fun to try, but I guess the things that I think are most important are to have long thick beautiful dark hair and to have a lovely singing voice.”
“And the hair is important because ...”
“In my previous life my hair was the bane of my existence. It was thin and fine so it would never stay the way it was styled, and I had this natural part a little ways down from the top of my head so it always looked funny. So if my hair is pretty, maybe I’ll feel pretty and I won’t be so intimidated by the other girls and I can really enjoy myself when I’m flirting with all the boys.”
“I see ... pretty hair. Okay, and the singing ...”
“In my last life I was sort of an alto. I mean, I had a limited range, not much talent, and my voice seemed to break a lot, sort of like a yodel, and it was horrible so even though I enjoyed singing I couldn’t really sing in public since it sounded so bad. It was an awful thing to deal with. So in this life I would love to be able to sing soprano anytime anywhere and to sound like Barbra Streisand.”
“A wonderful voice ... and is that all? Special talent? Special skill?”
“No. Well, I guess I’d like to be pretty, too. Or at least attractive so I’ll have lots of boyfriends.”
“Okay. Have you given any thought to the main thing you’d like to work on in this next life?”
“Weeeell, I guess I need to be more patient and to stop being so bossy and to be nicer to the boys. But honestly, guys can be so stupid! And they never get jokes and they think slow and they take longer to grow up and it’s just frustrating. So like I said, maybe I need more patience.”
“All right. We’ve had a good discussion and now you will be moving on to the retreat where you will rest and quietly prepare yourself for your next journey. Remember that your gifts and challenges will be presented in a unique way so that your learning experience can be explored to the fullest.”
Some time later in rural west Texas, a young redneck and his spunky wife welcomed their first child into the world -- a beautiful, dark-haired baby boy.
“Hmmm. Well, there are a number of things that would be fun to try, but I guess the things that I think are most important are to have long thick beautiful dark hair and to have a lovely singing voice.”
“And the hair is important because ...”
“In my previous life my hair was the bane of my existence. It was thin and fine so it would never stay the way it was styled, and I had this natural part a little ways down from the top of my head so it always looked funny. So if my hair is pretty, maybe I’ll feel pretty and I won’t be so intimidated by the other girls and I can really enjoy myself when I’m flirting with all the boys.”
“I see ... pretty hair. Okay, and the singing ...”
“In my last life I was sort of an alto. I mean, I had a limited range, not much talent, and my voice seemed to break a lot, sort of like a yodel, and it was horrible so even though I enjoyed singing I couldn’t really sing in public since it sounded so bad. It was an awful thing to deal with. So in this life I would love to be able to sing soprano anytime anywhere and to sound like Barbra Streisand.”
“A wonderful voice ... and is that all? Special talent? Special skill?”
“No. Well, I guess I’d like to be pretty, too. Or at least attractive so I’ll have lots of boyfriends.”
“Okay. Have you given any thought to the main thing you’d like to work on in this next life?”
“Weeeell, I guess I need to be more patient and to stop being so bossy and to be nicer to the boys. But honestly, guys can be so stupid! And they never get jokes and they think slow and they take longer to grow up and it’s just frustrating. So like I said, maybe I need more patience.”
“All right. We’ve had a good discussion and now you will be moving on to the retreat where you will rest and quietly prepare yourself for your next journey. Remember that your gifts and challenges will be presented in a unique way so that your learning experience can be explored to the fullest.”
Some time later in rural west Texas, a young redneck and his spunky wife welcomed their first child into the world -- a beautiful, dark-haired baby boy.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
true crime -- small town beat
October 2: A resident reported vandalism to the exterior of their home. Cretins spray-painted graffiti on a garage door and placed nails on the driveway.
October 2: A person reported a man possibly trapping/killing ducks near the shore of the bay. An officer contacted the suspect and found he was a uniformed Fish and Wildlife officer, who was conducting a bona fide government health study of waterfowl which did not involve harm to the animals.
September 30: Officer was contacted by a mother who said her son refused to get into her car at the school. An officer met the parent at the school and talked to the eight-year-old, who ultimately agreed to accept transportation from his parent.
September 26: An officer responded to an emergency hang-up call and discovered the homeowner had been cleaning the phone and accidentally dialed 911. The housekeeping was under control.
September 24: An officer on routine patrol noticed a man acting suspiciously near a vehicle parked in the corner of a parking lot late at night. On contact the officer observed two marijuana joints in the vehicle. The driver said he had stopped to recover the marijuana, which he had hidden there earlier before crossing the border. Officer arrested the driver.
September 24: A family reported that someone entered their carport and took four bicycles valued at $305. Officers investigated, recovered the bicycles, and arrested the teenagers who had stolen them.
September 24: Police officers spent several hours tending to a herd of northbound motorists who were stranded on the truck route and interstate by a sudden lack of Canadian Customs inspectors. State patrol troopers and state DOT personnel assisted our officers in commiserating with motorists who were stacked two lanes deep for three miles down the freeway. Customs Canada supervisors kept as many lanes as possible open until their staffing returned to normal late in the evening.
September 24: Residents reported a housemate behaving strangely. Officers met with a gentleman who was very irritated and very demonstrative about his share of the housekeeping burden. Officers calmed him down and determined no crime was committed.
October 2: A person reported a man possibly trapping/killing ducks near the shore of the bay. An officer contacted the suspect and found he was a uniformed Fish and Wildlife officer, who was conducting a bona fide government health study of waterfowl which did not involve harm to the animals.
September 30: Officer was contacted by a mother who said her son refused to get into her car at the school. An officer met the parent at the school and talked to the eight-year-old, who ultimately agreed to accept transportation from his parent.
September 26: An officer responded to an emergency hang-up call and discovered the homeowner had been cleaning the phone and accidentally dialed 911. The housekeeping was under control.
September 24: An officer on routine patrol noticed a man acting suspiciously near a vehicle parked in the corner of a parking lot late at night. On contact the officer observed two marijuana joints in the vehicle. The driver said he had stopped to recover the marijuana, which he had hidden there earlier before crossing the border. Officer arrested the driver.
September 24: A family reported that someone entered their carport and took four bicycles valued at $305. Officers investigated, recovered the bicycles, and arrested the teenagers who had stolen them.
September 24: Police officers spent several hours tending to a herd of northbound motorists who were stranded on the truck route and interstate by a sudden lack of Canadian Customs inspectors. State patrol troopers and state DOT personnel assisted our officers in commiserating with motorists who were stacked two lanes deep for three miles down the freeway. Customs Canada supervisors kept as many lanes as possible open until their staffing returned to normal late in the evening.
September 24: Residents reported a housemate behaving strangely. Officers met with a gentleman who was very irritated and very demonstrative about his share of the housekeeping burden. Officers calmed him down and determined no crime was committed.
busted
well. it happened. the kid next door who kept playing his drums too loudly and drives a brightly-(hand)painted yellow van with rude slogans painted on it was taken away in handcuffs in the middle of the night last night.
the dad moved out last year, the mother was gone for the weekend (not for the first time and what is she thinking?!) and the kid, not for the first time in the last few months, had 'adult' beverages on hand and an open door. i noticed cars coming and going, kids in groups outside, and later a kid weaving his way to a waiting car before i went to bed at 10:30 pm.
this time, however, cops showed up around midnight (our neighbor called us to see if we were sick or had a problem, thank you jean) and after parents drove up to collect kids, coulton was lead to a waiting police car (which for some reason was parked blocking our driveway), cuffed, and at about 2 am was taken away into the night.
the mother will instantly blame us, although my thought is that the parents of the weaving kid called the cops. coulton is either being a stupid kid, crying out for help, needing a good spanking, or headed on a life of crime. yeah, he's still just a kid, but he's a high school senior and should be at least starting to make good decisions.
i like to see happy endings but sometimes it doesn't turn out that way. i wonder what's down the road for coulton...
the dad moved out last year, the mother was gone for the weekend (not for the first time and what is she thinking?!) and the kid, not for the first time in the last few months, had 'adult' beverages on hand and an open door. i noticed cars coming and going, kids in groups outside, and later a kid weaving his way to a waiting car before i went to bed at 10:30 pm.
this time, however, cops showed up around midnight (our neighbor called us to see if we were sick or had a problem, thank you jean) and after parents drove up to collect kids, coulton was lead to a waiting police car (which for some reason was parked blocking our driveway), cuffed, and at about 2 am was taken away into the night.
the mother will instantly blame us, although my thought is that the parents of the weaving kid called the cops. coulton is either being a stupid kid, crying out for help, needing a good spanking, or headed on a life of crime. yeah, he's still just a kid, but he's a high school senior and should be at least starting to make good decisions.
i like to see happy endings but sometimes it doesn't turn out that way. i wonder what's down the road for coulton...
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Sunday, September 17, 2006
i'm outta here
well, i'm fixin' to go for my annual play-week with my girlfriend. this year we are heading to the black hills of south dakota. she's never been there (her loss) and i haven't been back for a number of years. the husband and i spent a lot of time there during a 13-year period. well, lot of time as in at least once-a-year; after all, it was 10 hours away from where we lived.
i'm looking forward to seeing old places and reaquainting myself with all of the black hills' delights. if there's a wifi anywhere, i might be able to update as i go, but probably will have to wait until i get back.
crazy horse, the poet's cabin, mt rushmore, hill city, spearfish, silver city, keystone, custer, pactola, blue bell, sylvan lake, jewel cave, the old granite quarry, and more ..... it will be a fun and exciting time.
i'm looking forward to seeing old places and reaquainting myself with all of the black hills' delights. if there's a wifi anywhere, i might be able to update as i go, but probably will have to wait until i get back.
crazy horse, the poet's cabin, mt rushmore, hill city, spearfish, silver city, keystone, custer, pactola, blue bell, sylvan lake, jewel cave, the old granite quarry, and more ..... it will be a fun and exciting time.
Friday, September 15, 2006
O L H
i got an update from my brother on our dad. here's what he said:
"Today Dad moved into the new place. Crestview is in Milford, it is a very nice place. He went in quietly and the only time I saw him he was smiling and joking with the nurse. I didn't spend any time talking to him because when I finished signing the papers, which took about 50 minutes, he was sleeping. He will have a lot more room to roam, more people to joke with, and more access to the great outdoors. They have a wristlet on him to let them know if he goes out. They have more caregivers per resident so they think they'll be able to keep up with him. I wish them luck. His behavior has improved with the new regimen of medication."
this whole alzheimer's thing just sucks. he's gone, yet he's not. puhleeeeeeze do not allow me to go through that. even if we have to go to switzerland or amsterdam or somewhere, let's do me in and cut the sadness short.
"Today Dad moved into the new place. Crestview is in Milford, it is a very nice place. He went in quietly and the only time I saw him he was smiling and joking with the nurse. I didn't spend any time talking to him because when I finished signing the papers, which took about 50 minutes, he was sleeping. He will have a lot more room to roam, more people to joke with, and more access to the great outdoors. They have a wristlet on him to let them know if he goes out. They have more caregivers per resident so they think they'll be able to keep up with him. I wish them luck. His behavior has improved with the new regimen of medication."
this whole alzheimer's thing just sucks. he's gone, yet he's not. puhleeeeeeze do not allow me to go through that. even if we have to go to switzerland or amsterdam or somewhere, let's do me in and cut the sadness short.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
vignette
He put the book down, shook his head, then got up and approached the window. Another rainy day. That wasn’t so bad, really, the farmers could use it and so on and so forth and all that good-will-toward-man stuff. I’m just feeling down. And bored stiff. And completely disgusted that someone could write that kind of crap and get it sold, and yet here I am, a waaay better writer, and all I get is rejection slips. Sheesh. That bites...
He picked up the book he had just put down, shook his head again, and sneered as he tossed the thing in the trash. Good riddance... Then he snagged his coat off the hall tree, swung out the door, and headed down the front steps toward the park. Thank god his coat was water-proof and had a big hood which sloped just far enough past his eyebrows to keep the drizzle off his face. He needed to get out.
It was a quiet day, not many people in the streets, and the park was empty. He walked to the little shelter that was snugged into the trees and sat on one of the dry benches. If I can’t think of a plot here, I might as well throw in the towel... He let his mind wander, discarding scene after scene, until finally a few ideas started to jell.
Might as well start with a small, beribboned poodle in a large park... His eyes drifted past the trees, trying to find sinister underpinnings, as he absently noticed a dirty mutt nosing his way from bush to bush, totally unconcerned about the rain. A mysterious, darkly cloaked woman hurrying somewhere... He spied a thick stand of trees and bushes that looked perfect for nefarious activities. There was even an overgrown path leading into the snarls and brambles. The mutt lifted its head and gazed at a woman walking quickly down the sidewalk. She wore a brilliant red suit, a jaunty red hat, and sinfully high heels that made her legs go on forever. Her large umbrella was doing a good job of protecting everything from the rain except her gorgeous gams. Why did he never have a towel when he needed one?! Twice she dabbed at her face with her hanky and he wondered if it was the rain or if she was crying. Now there’s someone I’d like to be acquainted with...
He reluctantly refocused on his plot. An old jalopy parked close to where the woman walks past... Danger nearby... Boys playing a game of touch football, grappling as the ball gets knocked into the tangle of bushes... A shot rings out... He noted again that no one was out-and-about on this grey day. No one except the woman who would be passing near him soon. And, oddly enough, a black limo that was slowly creeping along the edge of the park. Where did that come from and who would be out cruising on a day like this... He tried to get his mind back on-track but his attention was diverted by a loud bang. Snapping his head toward the noise, he scanned the streets but saw nothing. Looking a bit longer, he finally decided it must have been a back-fire. Haven’t heard that in a long time...
He turned back to watch the woman walk by but she was gone. What the... He craned his neck, then stood up and checked every direction. Nothing was moving. Nothing except the mutt, who was sniffing and whining softly. What... He started off toward the mutt, then noticed the splash of bright red on the ground. Picking up his pace, he heard the squeal of tires as a vehicle raced away, and then he saw her on the ground ... the woman in the suit had been shot, the blood from her wound darkly staining the red material. “Move back, pooch, let me take a look.” Her eyes were closed, but she was breathing and he thought maybe it was just a shoulder hit. Still ... he slipped his cell phone out of his pocket and punched in 9-1-1. This is weird, man, just too weird...
He picked up the book he had just put down, shook his head again, and sneered as he tossed the thing in the trash. Good riddance... Then he snagged his coat off the hall tree, swung out the door, and headed down the front steps toward the park. Thank god his coat was water-proof and had a big hood which sloped just far enough past his eyebrows to keep the drizzle off his face. He needed to get out.
It was a quiet day, not many people in the streets, and the park was empty. He walked to the little shelter that was snugged into the trees and sat on one of the dry benches. If I can’t think of a plot here, I might as well throw in the towel... He let his mind wander, discarding scene after scene, until finally a few ideas started to jell.
Might as well start with a small, beribboned poodle in a large park... His eyes drifted past the trees, trying to find sinister underpinnings, as he absently noticed a dirty mutt nosing his way from bush to bush, totally unconcerned about the rain. A mysterious, darkly cloaked woman hurrying somewhere... He spied a thick stand of trees and bushes that looked perfect for nefarious activities. There was even an overgrown path leading into the snarls and brambles. The mutt lifted its head and gazed at a woman walking quickly down the sidewalk. She wore a brilliant red suit, a jaunty red hat, and sinfully high heels that made her legs go on forever. Her large umbrella was doing a good job of protecting everything from the rain except her gorgeous gams. Why did he never have a towel when he needed one?! Twice she dabbed at her face with her hanky and he wondered if it was the rain or if she was crying. Now there’s someone I’d like to be acquainted with...
He reluctantly refocused on his plot. An old jalopy parked close to where the woman walks past... Danger nearby... Boys playing a game of touch football, grappling as the ball gets knocked into the tangle of bushes... A shot rings out... He noted again that no one was out-and-about on this grey day. No one except the woman who would be passing near him soon. And, oddly enough, a black limo that was slowly creeping along the edge of the park. Where did that come from and who would be out cruising on a day like this... He tried to get his mind back on-track but his attention was diverted by a loud bang. Snapping his head toward the noise, he scanned the streets but saw nothing. Looking a bit longer, he finally decided it must have been a back-fire. Haven’t heard that in a long time...
He turned back to watch the woman walk by but she was gone. What the... He craned his neck, then stood up and checked every direction. Nothing was moving. Nothing except the mutt, who was sniffing and whining softly. What... He started off toward the mutt, then noticed the splash of bright red on the ground. Picking up his pace, he heard the squeal of tires as a vehicle raced away, and then he saw her on the ground ... the woman in the suit had been shot, the blood from her wound darkly staining the red material. “Move back, pooch, let me take a look.” Her eyes were closed, but she was breathing and he thought maybe it was just a shoulder hit. Still ... he slipped his cell phone out of his pocket and punched in 9-1-1. This is weird, man, just too weird...
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
money laundering
1. remove from dirty confines,
2. put in container of hot soapy water,
3. let sit a bit,
4. scrub with toothbrush,
5. rinse,
6. set aside to dry.
2. put in container of hot soapy water,
3. let sit a bit,
4. scrub with toothbrush,
5. rinse,
6. set aside to dry.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Saturday, September 09, 2006
stars in the sky
Q: What's wrong with this image?
A: This image clearly shows the moon, a laser beam, and a photon torpedo about to hit the observatory.
Ok, well I just made up the laser beam and photon torpedo, but the moon is definitely a problem. Because the cameras are so sensitive, when the moon rises it actually blinds them-somewhat akin to a person looking at the sun.
Q: Are there any cool CONCAM images around to see and discuss?
A: No. The Night Sky Live project is inherently boring.
Well, perhaps there are a few images that are sort-of cool.
http://nightskylive.net/NightSkyLive_for_beginners.html
*grin* i just love it when scientist-types have a sense of humor!
Friday, September 08, 2006
vignette
“Katie, did Corwin tell you what time he was going to come in today?”
Startled, Katie dropped the U-screw she’d been trying to work into the screw hole and watched as it drifted away. Damn it! She was in trouble now. Those screws were hard to come by and if it floated into the mesh Small Net Sensor System, it would blow it out, to say nothing of scaring everyone in the dome. Hell, she just had to hope her luck held out and that the screw would drift close enough to the energy generators that the magnetism would capture it benignly to the partial-metal surface.
“Katie, did he tell you?”
“Sorry, sir. No. He didn’t talk to me, but I think he was scheduled for his service re-check so he might be late.”
The chief walked away mumbling about service re-checks and the difficulty of finding replacements when someone was re-upped. Katie waited just until he had gone inside the airlock, then unhooked her safety tether and worked her way in the direction she’d last seen the screw. You’d think I be able to spot it since it is ult-orange, after all. Suddenly she did see it and froze, watching in stunned horror as the screw slowly made contact with the SNSS mesh. That simple little touch set off subterranean alarms, plus-gaged all airlocks, and was going to set the perimeter guard in 10 seconds.
Without thinking she slammed into her survival routine, bounding straight up as far as she could manage, twisting herself so as to be pointing towards the mountains on this little planet, then releasing the tiny burst of em-air which should propel her far enough away from the dome that she wouldn’t be picked up on the laser and vaporized.
Damn damn damn! She scanned the surface as it slowly unrolled, trying to find the emergency hut that had been set-up for just this scenario. It was disguised, of course, since they weren’t the only intelligent beings in the vicinity, which was the reason for the SNSS after all. Well hell! She was gradually slowing and if she didn’t locate it pretty quickly, she was sunk.
She reviewed her options: (a) Find the hut. (b) Die. Well, that’s concise. Hmmm, I think I’ll choose...(a)! The sound of her giggle brought her back to reality and grimly she focused on scanning the entire area as far as she could see. There! She spotted what she was sure was the hut and was relieved that it was almost directly in her path.
Finally she was close enough she could radio the rescue net, which shot into the air and deployed nicely just ahead. She watched herself drift into the net, then grabbed with both hands and started pulling herself down toward the hut. Just before she reached the tops of the mountains she glanced in the direction she had recently come from. Bursts of light? The lasers are active ... that can’t be ... unless ... Oh hell, she was still in trouble. A light show like that one didn’t happen by accident; there was something bad going on.
Fairly quickly she reached the hut, engaged the net retrieval system, secured herself inside, and sank to the floor. That ... was unbelievable! She started laughing, then promptly burst into tears. After a little bit she was done with that, and got up to blow her nose and wipe away the tears. Now! She took a deep breath and checked out the hut -- comm system...functioning, perimeter guard...turned on, hut maintenance...functioning, surveillance...beeping. Beeping? Crap! Now what?!!
Startled, Katie dropped the U-screw she’d been trying to work into the screw hole and watched as it drifted away. Damn it! She was in trouble now. Those screws were hard to come by and if it floated into the mesh Small Net Sensor System, it would blow it out, to say nothing of scaring everyone in the dome. Hell, she just had to hope her luck held out and that the screw would drift close enough to the energy generators that the magnetism would capture it benignly to the partial-metal surface.
“Katie, did he tell you?”
“Sorry, sir. No. He didn’t talk to me, but I think he was scheduled for his service re-check so he might be late.”
The chief walked away mumbling about service re-checks and the difficulty of finding replacements when someone was re-upped. Katie waited just until he had gone inside the airlock, then unhooked her safety tether and worked her way in the direction she’d last seen the screw. You’d think I be able to spot it since it is ult-orange, after all. Suddenly she did see it and froze, watching in stunned horror as the screw slowly made contact with the SNSS mesh. That simple little touch set off subterranean alarms, plus-gaged all airlocks, and was going to set the perimeter guard in 10 seconds.
Without thinking she slammed into her survival routine, bounding straight up as far as she could manage, twisting herself so as to be pointing towards the mountains on this little planet, then releasing the tiny burst of em-air which should propel her far enough away from the dome that she wouldn’t be picked up on the laser and vaporized.
Damn damn damn! She scanned the surface as it slowly unrolled, trying to find the emergency hut that had been set-up for just this scenario. It was disguised, of course, since they weren’t the only intelligent beings in the vicinity, which was the reason for the SNSS after all. Well hell! She was gradually slowing and if she didn’t locate it pretty quickly, she was sunk.
She reviewed her options: (a) Find the hut. (b) Die. Well, that’s concise. Hmmm, I think I’ll choose...(a)! The sound of her giggle brought her back to reality and grimly she focused on scanning the entire area as far as she could see. There! She spotted what she was sure was the hut and was relieved that it was almost directly in her path.
Finally she was close enough she could radio the rescue net, which shot into the air and deployed nicely just ahead. She watched herself drift into the net, then grabbed with both hands and started pulling herself down toward the hut. Just before she reached the tops of the mountains she glanced in the direction she had recently come from. Bursts of light? The lasers are active ... that can’t be ... unless ... Oh hell, she was still in trouble. A light show like that one didn’t happen by accident; there was something bad going on.
Fairly quickly she reached the hut, engaged the net retrieval system, secured herself inside, and sank to the floor. That ... was unbelievable! She started laughing, then promptly burst into tears. After a little bit she was done with that, and got up to blow her nose and wipe away the tears. Now! She took a deep breath and checked out the hut -- comm system...functioning, perimeter guard...turned on, hut maintenance...functioning, surveillance...beeping. Beeping? Crap! Now what?!!
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
no nonsense
Lawyer 1: “Your Honor, my client sat down to have breakfast and ordered waffles, orange juice, and coffee. When the order came my client took a drink of coffee and it was so hot, he dropped the cup and spilled hot coffee all over his lap causing burns and humiliation. We are suing for $100,000 for physical damages and mental suffering.”
Judge: “Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to gulp hot coffee? Grow up and take care of your irresponsible self. Case dismissed. Next.”
-----
Lawyer 2: “Your Honor, my client trespassed on a posted lot, broke into the empty house, and fell through a hole in the floor, breaking his leg and several ribs. We are suing for $300,000 for physical damages and mental suffering.”
Judge: “Don’t you know how to read? Grow up and learn some respect for others -- you’re going to jail. Case concluded. Next.”
-----
Lawyer 3: “Your Honor, my client plays his drums in his own home which helps keep him from becoming a juvenile delinquent but the neighbors whine about the volume. We are suing for $50,000 for mental trauma and disrespect.”
Judge: “You’re the whiney-butt, you immature little pissant. You’re not number one in anybody’s world except your own. If you don’t learn how to be considerate of others, you’ll be back in front of me just long enough for me to throw the book at you. Case dismissed. Next.”
-----
Lawyer 4: “Your Honor, my client stands on a street corner for hours at a time, holding a sign imploring people to give him money so that he will have nourishment. We are suing the city for $500,000 for mental turmoil because the police aren’t doing anything about drivers flipping him off.”
Judge: “Go out and get an honest job, you scumbag. If you keep looking for a handout, I’m going to put you on a chain gang and that will teach you how to work. Case dismissed. Next.”
-----
Lawyer 5: “Your Honor, my client was CEO of a prosperous company but was fired because of some silly little stock fraud which led the company to keep half of his golden parachute. We are suing for $500,000,000 for mental anguish.”
Judge: “You’re lucky they didn’t tell you to go fly a kite. People like you should have to go to jail simply because you breathe. Take your unscrupulous self, a backpack full of food but no money, and go live on No-Man’s Island for two years. If you can survive that, maybe you’ll learn some real values. Case concluded. Next.”
Judge: “Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to gulp hot coffee? Grow up and take care of your irresponsible self. Case dismissed. Next.”
-----
Lawyer 2: “Your Honor, my client trespassed on a posted lot, broke into the empty house, and fell through a hole in the floor, breaking his leg and several ribs. We are suing for $300,000 for physical damages and mental suffering.”
Judge: “Don’t you know how to read? Grow up and learn some respect for others -- you’re going to jail. Case concluded. Next.”
-----
Lawyer 3: “Your Honor, my client plays his drums in his own home which helps keep him from becoming a juvenile delinquent but the neighbors whine about the volume. We are suing for $50,000 for mental trauma and disrespect.”
Judge: “You’re the whiney-butt, you immature little pissant. You’re not number one in anybody’s world except your own. If you don’t learn how to be considerate of others, you’ll be back in front of me just long enough for me to throw the book at you. Case dismissed. Next.”
-----
Lawyer 4: “Your Honor, my client stands on a street corner for hours at a time, holding a sign imploring people to give him money so that he will have nourishment. We are suing the city for $500,000 for mental turmoil because the police aren’t doing anything about drivers flipping him off.”
Judge: “Go out and get an honest job, you scumbag. If you keep looking for a handout, I’m going to put you on a chain gang and that will teach you how to work. Case dismissed. Next.”
-----
Lawyer 5: “Your Honor, my client was CEO of a prosperous company but was fired because of some silly little stock fraud which led the company to keep half of his golden parachute. We are suing for $500,000,000 for mental anguish.”
Judge: “You’re lucky they didn’t tell you to go fly a kite. People like you should have to go to jail simply because you breathe. Take your unscrupulous self, a backpack full of food but no money, and go live on No-Man’s Island for two years. If you can survive that, maybe you’ll learn some real values. Case concluded. Next.”
Thursday, August 31, 2006
i want one
i was just surfing around and ran across this statement:
"...the RIKEN BNL Research Center supercomputer...The computer has 10 teraflops of peak computing power, which makes it capable of performing 10 trillion arithmetic calculations per second, with sustained speeds of five teraflops."
wow! finally something that won't make me wait! but then: "The $5-million computer took three years to build..." well, at this moment i don't have an extra 5 mil.
(http://www.physorg.com/news4276.html)
"...the RIKEN BNL Research Center supercomputer...The computer has 10 teraflops of peak computing power, which makes it capable of performing 10 trillion arithmetic calculations per second, with sustained speeds of five teraflops."
wow! finally something that won't make me wait! but then: "The $5-million computer took three years to build..." well, at this moment i don't have an extra 5 mil.
(http://www.physorg.com/news4276.html)
true crime -- small town beat
August 29: Officers were asked to assist a man while he discussed an unpleasant family matter with another family member who had a difference of opinion. Officers remained until the men had finished their discussion.
August 26: Officers received a noise complaint. The reporting person said that it sounded like a loud party. Upon arriving, several people ran from the area and were not located. Officers spoke to the one remaining person. He believed that since it was Friday night, he could have a late night cookout, complete with loud music. He denied that anyone had run away and insisted that there was no under-age drinking going on. After a brief discussion with officers, the person decided he would turn down the music and make sure everyone was quiet. Extra patrol was provided.
August 26: A resident reported that her boyfriend was missing. Officers spoke to the man's roommate who stated that the person in question was out of town and expected back by Wednesday. The girlfriend was notified.
August 26: Officers received a noise complaint. The reporting person said that it sounded like a loud party. Upon arriving, several people ran from the area and were not located. Officers spoke to the one remaining person. He believed that since it was Friday night, he could have a late night cookout, complete with loud music. He denied that anyone had run away and insisted that there was no under-age drinking going on. After a brief discussion with officers, the person decided he would turn down the music and make sure everyone was quiet. Extra patrol was provided.
August 26: A resident reported that her boyfriend was missing. Officers spoke to the man's roommate who stated that the person in question was out of town and expected back by Wednesday. The girlfriend was notified.
perspective
the other morning hubby morosely said, "i think i've all-of-a-sudden got a lot more grey hairs." well, what could i say to that? getting old is a bitch. but ... it happens. if you're lucky. anyhow, i commiserated, said he was still handsome, still my knight in shining armor, etc.
this morning i woke up, showered, dried my hair, and .... found a GOB of new, grey hairs. AAAAAIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
hmmm, well, actually they are CLEAR hairs, not grey hairs. i can live with that.
this morning i woke up, showered, dried my hair, and .... found a GOB of new, grey hairs. AAAAAIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
hmmm, well, actually they are CLEAR hairs, not grey hairs. i can live with that.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
peter piper
the husband and i were talking about things that are hard to say. he had just sort-of sneezed and i said, "pretty puny sneeze" and he said "got some pepper in my nose" and i said "pretty puny pepper powder ... say that fast 3 times" and he said "say 'federal railway administration' fast 3 times" and so i tried it -- it came out something like fedwalwailmailmistration. hahahahaha.
your turn.
your turn.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
already warmed up
i've just finished a quick skim of msnbc.com -- some of the articles are old-hat, but one that surprised me was about breast-feeding in america. it seems there are a lot of people who think it's obscene, objectionable, disgusting, etc. hmmm ... how curious.
i breast-fed both my boys (in public and private) and would encourage every mother to do so if she's physically able to. should breast-feeding in public be allowed? well, do you eat in public? are kids bottle-fed in public?
it seems strange to me that people equate breast-feeding with sexuality. and for a woman to express disgust about another woman breast-feeding, makes me wonder what is in her head and in her past for her to think that way. there's no sweeter thing on this earth than your baby grinning and gurgling while he's nursing.
americans have some really disturbing ideas about reality.
i breast-fed both my boys (in public and private) and would encourage every mother to do so if she's physically able to. should breast-feeding in public be allowed? well, do you eat in public? are kids bottle-fed in public?
it seems strange to me that people equate breast-feeding with sexuality. and for a woman to express disgust about another woman breast-feeding, makes me wonder what is in her head and in her past for her to think that way. there's no sweeter thing on this earth than your baby grinning and gurgling while he's nursing.
americans have some really disturbing ideas about reality.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
no regrets
we sold our lovely mountain place to a really pleasant, cheerful canadian couple. it was so nice for the new owners to be such special people -- we didn't go through a realtor so everything was handled just between the four of us, except for the legal stuff which the excellent, small-town escrow company handled.
we posted our 'for sale' notice on the 6th and had two showings set up for the 13th. the first buyers took it and the second ones said 'call us if the deal falls through'. during the last 14 days, the web site has had 850 hits which shows how healthy the glen is. go to http://7-25attheglen/ if you'd like a trip through heaven.
we posted our 'for sale' notice on the 6th and had two showings set up for the 13th. the first buyers took it and the second ones said 'call us if the deal falls through'. during the last 14 days, the web site has had 850 hits which shows how healthy the glen is. go to http://7-25attheglen/ if you'd like a trip through heaven.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
vignette
She walked along the beach at a leisurely pace, looking for interestingly-shaped driftwood. "I mean, how hard can it be," she muttered, getting distracted by a pretty peach-colored rock. After picking it up and looking at it for a bit, she decided against putting it in her pocket and turned back to the wood.
"Too plain ... too ugly ... someone used that one for firewood ... that one's too big ..." She continued on, looking at and dismissing piece after piece as she wandered farther down the shore. All of a sudden the perfect piece was sitting right there in the mist -- she reached down to pick it up and nearly tumbled onto the sand. "Damn! That's heavy!" It wouldn't even budge. "Huh. I guess it true." She'd heard that driftwood was heavy but thought that was just a tale.
After an hour of searching she had found two pieces that were just the right size, just the right weight. And just in time. She turned around to start her walk back to the car and finally noticed how much the fog had crept to the shore. "Gees, this is spooky." Juggling the hefty wood, she picked up her pace and made her way over the rocks, past some brambles, and under a downed tree.
The fog completely surrounded her now and the stillness pressed down. She was the only thing in the universe, at least it felt that way. It was really disorienting. She paused a moment to get the full effect, then hurried on, hoping that the tide wasn't going to cut off her return route.
Finally she noticed it was getting lighter and realized the fog was backing off. "Heh. Thought you could scare me. Heh, no way." Finally the mist lifted enough that she could see the city lights coming on in the late fall afternoon dusk. It was beautiful.
She stopped and put the wood down, to rest a bit and enjoy the lights. "It's always so peaceful and life-affirming to see those lights," she thought. "Just makes me feel--" She cocked her head and looked closer. Something didn't seem right. The outline was off and the lights didn't seem to fit the pattern she knew by heart. And the longer she looked, the stranger it got.
"Those don't look right," she mumbled to herself. Shaking her head she picked up the wood and continued on. "I've got to get to the car, get home, and get something to eat. My brain needs food." She walked along thinking she should be just about at the parking lot by now, but couldn't tell that the bushes were thinning.
"Good grief. How much farther?" She continued on, starting to worry a bit, and hoping to get to the parking lot before it got dark. "Where is it?" she said, as she picked up her pace.
"Too plain ... too ugly ... someone used that one for firewood ... that one's too big ..." She continued on, looking at and dismissing piece after piece as she wandered farther down the shore. All of a sudden the perfect piece was sitting right there in the mist -- she reached down to pick it up and nearly tumbled onto the sand. "Damn! That's heavy!" It wouldn't even budge. "Huh. I guess it true." She'd heard that driftwood was heavy but thought that was just a tale.
After an hour of searching she had found two pieces that were just the right size, just the right weight. And just in time. She turned around to start her walk back to the car and finally noticed how much the fog had crept to the shore. "Gees, this is spooky." Juggling the hefty wood, she picked up her pace and made her way over the rocks, past some brambles, and under a downed tree.
The fog completely surrounded her now and the stillness pressed down. She was the only thing in the universe, at least it felt that way. It was really disorienting. She paused a moment to get the full effect, then hurried on, hoping that the tide wasn't going to cut off her return route.
Finally she noticed it was getting lighter and realized the fog was backing off. "Heh. Thought you could scare me. Heh, no way." Finally the mist lifted enough that she could see the city lights coming on in the late fall afternoon dusk. It was beautiful.
She stopped and put the wood down, to rest a bit and enjoy the lights. "It's always so peaceful and life-affirming to see those lights," she thought. "Just makes me feel--" She cocked her head and looked closer. Something didn't seem right. The outline was off and the lights didn't seem to fit the pattern she knew by heart. And the longer she looked, the stranger it got.
"Those don't look right," she mumbled to herself. Shaking her head she picked up the wood and continued on. "I've got to get to the car, get home, and get something to eat. My brain needs food." She walked along thinking she should be just about at the parking lot by now, but couldn't tell that the bushes were thinning.
"Good grief. How much farther?" She continued on, starting to worry a bit, and hoping to get to the parking lot before it got dark. "Where is it?" she said, as she picked up her pace.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
true crime -- small town beat
Aug 4: An officer responded to a complaint that a barking dog was locked in a van on a hot day. The car was parked in the shade with windows open. There was a full bowl of water in the vehicle. The dog's owner checked on Sparkie while the officer was present and the dog was healthy.
Aug 3: An officer assisted a person by removing a (live) kitten from her car's motor compartment. The kitten was uninjured.
Aug 3: A resident reported that an adult relative was missing and had failed to return home. An officer located the missing man by calling his cell phone, and discovered he was in fine condition and at a golf tournament. No information was available on his score.
Aug 2: At the request of a passerby, an officer checked the welfare of an unresponsive woman in a laundromat in the 700 block of 3rd Street. The lady was found to be peacefully napping and not in need of assistance.
Aug 3: An officer assisted a person by removing a (live) kitten from her car's motor compartment. The kitten was uninjured.
Aug 3: A resident reported that an adult relative was missing and had failed to return home. An officer located the missing man by calling his cell phone, and discovered he was in fine condition and at a golf tournament. No information was available on his score.
Aug 2: At the request of a passerby, an officer checked the welfare of an unresponsive woman in a laundromat in the 700 block of 3rd Street. The lady was found to be peacefully napping and not in need of assistance.
Friday, August 11, 2006
fight back!
i just read a short article about widespread rudeness in america today (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14235322/), and the author concluded it was because of celebrities and their 'me first/me only' attitude.
it used to be that people aspired to having 'class'. not so, these days. and this man says he's had it up to here with all that crap and he isn't playing into that sick syndrome any longer.
"I’m not going to run around trying to fix the awful people, upbraiding wrongdoers like a one-man clean-up crew. No more righteous indignation, no more flipping off selfish drivers, no more yelling at old guys bugging me...It’s bad for my blood pressure...So I’m going to observe the speed limit, I’m going to alert the usher, I’m going to say “Oh by all means, you go first,” when very important nobodies barge into line at the supermarket, yammering into their Motos about all the important nothing they have to say. I’m going to quietly resist the culture of entitlement but I won’t let it get me down anymore. I’ve got too much classy living to do."
hear, hear! a touch of class all around, please.
it used to be that people aspired to having 'class'. not so, these days. and this man says he's had it up to here with all that crap and he isn't playing into that sick syndrome any longer.
"I’m not going to run around trying to fix the awful people, upbraiding wrongdoers like a one-man clean-up crew. No more righteous indignation, no more flipping off selfish drivers, no more yelling at old guys bugging me...It’s bad for my blood pressure...So I’m going to observe the speed limit, I’m going to alert the usher, I’m going to say “Oh by all means, you go first,” when very important nobodies barge into line at the supermarket, yammering into their Motos about all the important nothing they have to say. I’m going to quietly resist the culture of entitlement but I won’t let it get me down anymore. I’ve got too much classy living to do."
hear, hear! a touch of class all around, please.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
a constant project
i don't know if this link will work or not, but here's a link to a friend who has some really great marriage advice -- http://furzicle.livejournal.com/85676.html
Saturday, August 05, 2006
a laugh by any other name...
an e-mail friend just sent me the following notice --
Once again, The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words. The winning definitions are:
1. Coffee (n.) - the person upon whom one coughs.
2. Flabbergasted (adj.) - appalled over how much weight you have gained.
3. Abdicate (v.) - to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
4. Esplanade (v.) - to attempt an explanation whilst drunk.
5. Willy-nilly (adj.) - impotent.
6. Negligent (adj.) - describes a condition in which you absent-mindedly answer the door in your nightgown.
7. Lymph (v.) - to walk with a lisp.
8. Gargoyle (n.) - olive-flavored mouthwash.
9. Flatulence (n.) - emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.
10. Balderdash (n.) - a rapidly receding hairline.
11. Testicle (n.) - a humorous question on an exam.
12. Rectitude (n.) - the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.
13. Pokemon (n) - a Rastafarian proctologist.
14. Oyster (n.) - a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.
15. Frisbeetarianism ( n.) - the belief that, when you die, your soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.
16. Circumvent (n.) - an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.
where it came from may or may not be true, but it's got me ROFL just the same!
Once again, The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words. The winning definitions are:
1. Coffee (n.) - the person upon whom one coughs.
2. Flabbergasted (adj.) - appalled over how much weight you have gained.
3. Abdicate (v.) - to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
4. Esplanade (v.) - to attempt an explanation whilst drunk.
5. Willy-nilly (adj.) - impotent.
6. Negligent (adj.) - describes a condition in which you absent-mindedly answer the door in your nightgown.
7. Lymph (v.) - to walk with a lisp.
8. Gargoyle (n.) - olive-flavored mouthwash.
9. Flatulence (n.) - emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.
10. Balderdash (n.) - a rapidly receding hairline.
11. Testicle (n.) - a humorous question on an exam.
12. Rectitude (n.) - the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.
13. Pokemon (n) - a Rastafarian proctologist.
14. Oyster (n.) - a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.
15. Frisbeetarianism ( n.) - the belief that, when you die, your soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.
16. Circumvent (n.) - an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.
where it came from may or may not be true, but it's got me ROFL just the same!
Friday, August 04, 2006
small town crime
July 31: A traffic flagger called police when a vehicle started driving in the wrong lane, nearly causing a collision. The flagger feared the driver was intoxicated. Officers interviewed the driver and found she was sober and simply confused.
July 30: A resident reported a large plastic bottle piggy bank holding $400 in coins was stolen from their apartment. The empty bank was found by the resident and was impounded.
July 28: A mother complained about bullying at the skatepark, and advised that a 13 year-old boy threw her eight-year-old's skateboard on the ground. An officer investigated and learned the older boy was tripped by the younger boy, who lost control of his board. The older boy was advised to control his temper or he would be barred from the skate park, and his mother was advised of the incident.
July 27: A business called to report their employees were following a shoplifting suspect on foot. Officers located the 49-year-old suspect who still had the alcohol and cosmetics in her possession. She was arrested, cited, and released with a court appearance date.
July 27: Officers were dispatched after midnight to a report of a band of teenage boys circling a car and screaming at the lone female occupant. The hooligans were contacted, detained, and transported to their guardian's residence.
July 30: A resident reported a large plastic bottle piggy bank holding $400 in coins was stolen from their apartment. The empty bank was found by the resident and was impounded.
July 28: A mother complained about bullying at the skatepark, and advised that a 13 year-old boy threw her eight-year-old's skateboard on the ground. An officer investigated and learned the older boy was tripped by the younger boy, who lost control of his board. The older boy was advised to control his temper or he would be barred from the skate park, and his mother was advised of the incident.
July 27: A business called to report their employees were following a shoplifting suspect on foot. Officers located the 49-year-old suspect who still had the alcohol and cosmetics in her possession. She was arrested, cited, and released with a court appearance date.
July 27: Officers were dispatched after midnight to a report of a band of teenage boys circling a car and screaming at the lone female occupant. The hooligans were contacted, detained, and transported to their guardian's residence.
who knew?
i used to use a treadmill, but it never occurred to me to SING ... http://www.hedonistica.com/yt.php?path=http://www.youtube.com/v/pv5zWaTEVkI
Thursday, August 03, 2006
be nice to nerds
i just got an e-mail from a friend of mine which listed 11 things that bill gates supposedly said to a class of graduating kids. the advice, which is pretty good, really originated with Charles Sykes, author of Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves But Can't Read, Write, Or Add. it turns out there are actually 14 rules and even though they aren't contained in the aforementioned book, they can all be found here -- http://www.snopes.com/language/document/liferule.htm -- with the accompanying info about the story rolling around on the 'net.
take to the skies
we just watched an excellent movie -- Winged Migration -- a french documentary with beyond-excellent music, no dialogue, and minimal narration. the scenes were not doctored and there was absolutely no graphic addition, enhancement, or adjustment going on.
my favorite parts (for humor) were the clark's grebes and the red-crowned cranes.
if you ever feel snippy, cranky, depressed, out-of-sorts, or bored, this is the movie for you. it's like snuggling up with your favorite blankey and sucking your thumb. (well, except for three tiiiny little scenes.) and if you start out feeling good, you'll end up feeling even better after watching this. i loved it!
p.s. if you don't want to be disillusioned, don't watch the special features.
my favorite parts (for humor) were the clark's grebes and the red-crowned cranes.
if you ever feel snippy, cranky, depressed, out-of-sorts, or bored, this is the movie for you. it's like snuggling up with your favorite blankey and sucking your thumb. (well, except for three tiiiny little scenes.) and if you start out feeling good, you'll end up feeling even better after watching this. i loved it!
p.s. if you don't want to be disillusioned, don't watch the special features.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
don't leave home without it
did you know that they send along a roll of duct tape on every manned space mission? 'tis true. it's also true that they've used it!
the latest incident came up on july 11 when the connecting latches came loose on the jet backpack the astronauts use on all space walks. the men wanted to tape things securely before their next walk, and planned to use Kapton (apparently an updated version) which "is like duct tape but is slippery and able to withstand both frigid cold and fiery hot temperatures."
( http://www.octanecreative.com/ducttape/NASA/ )
duct tape was called into stand-by service for a repair problem on a mission on august 2, 2005, as well as on a 4 1/2-month mission on the international space station in 2001 (there was no kitchen table so the frustrated astronauts built one out of scrap aluminum, and duct taped the top), the apollo 17 mission (dust trouble from the lunar rover on the moon, december 1972), and of course the suspenseful apollo 13 mission wherein duct tape played a role in the ingenious and crucial fix of the air filtration system during april 1970.
pretty amazing, huh?!
the latest incident came up on july 11 when the connecting latches came loose on the jet backpack the astronauts use on all space walks. the men wanted to tape things securely before their next walk, and planned to use Kapton (apparently an updated version) which "is like duct tape but is slippery and able to withstand both frigid cold and fiery hot temperatures."
( http://www.octanecreative.com/ducttape/NASA/ )
duct tape was called into stand-by service for a repair problem on a mission on august 2, 2005, as well as on a 4 1/2-month mission on the international space station in 2001 (there was no kitchen table so the frustrated astronauts built one out of scrap aluminum, and duct taped the top), the apollo 17 mission (dust trouble from the lunar rover on the moon, december 1972), and of course the suspenseful apollo 13 mission wherein duct tape played a role in the ingenious and crucial fix of the air filtration system during april 1970.
pretty amazing, huh?!
finally
it seems there is debate over whether there are physiological differences between men and women in the brain. logically it would be a given, wouldn't it? besides the obvious physical differences between the sexes, there are also the emotional differences, obvious or otherwise.
A woman uses about 20,000 words per day while a man uses about 7,000.
A woman remembers fights that a man insists never happened.
A woman knows what people are feeling, while a man can’t spot an emotion unless somebody cries or threatens bodily harm.
A woman over 50 is more likely to initiate divorce than a man.
(statements from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0767920090/002-4145275-8475238?v=glance&n=283155)
now there is a book out which purports to enlighten us about the whole thing called The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine, a neuropsychiatrist. i've been aware for decades of the lack of empathy/sympathy/concern that women get from male doctors. (go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13989048/site/newsweek/?GT1=8404 for more info.)
i can't wait to read the book!
A woman uses about 20,000 words per day while a man uses about 7,000.
A woman remembers fights that a man insists never happened.
A woman knows what people are feeling, while a man can’t spot an emotion unless somebody cries or threatens bodily harm.
A woman over 50 is more likely to initiate divorce than a man.
(statements from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0767920090/002-4145275-8475238?v=glance&n=283155)
now there is a book out which purports to enlighten us about the whole thing called The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine, a neuropsychiatrist. i've been aware for decades of the lack of empathy/sympathy/concern that women get from male doctors. (go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13989048/site/newsweek/?GT1=8404 for more info.)
i can't wait to read the book!
Monday, July 31, 2006
enjoy!
my favorite internet music station is overxposure.fm -- they are so great but lately i've noticed that i turn the sound off more and more. today i finally read a little blurb that said they had changed around their format -- that explains why i was becoming dissatisfied.
now the part of the station that is most likely to play the stuff i like is called Low Mercury. they've moved away from the name FrostByte Groove Lounge, which i thought was cool, and replaced it with Groovera, which i think stinks. they've also added a section called Ambient Popsicle, which has more vocals than the other two.
now the part of the station that is most likely to play the stuff i like is called Low Mercury. they've moved away from the name FrostByte Groove Lounge, which i thought was cool, and replaced it with Groovera, which i think stinks. they've also added a section called Ambient Popsicle, which has more vocals than the other two.
relaxed
the Young Marrieds came up for a visit this weekend. it was great to see them again and we got to talk about baby names. no ... they aren't preggers yet, but one-of-these-days...
we watched a movie -- 16 blocks -- short review here: http://kphiker.livejournal.com/
and the weather has finally settled down with some clouds and a nice reduction in temperature. yikes! that 80- and 90-degree stuff is just not for me! give me flannel and sweatpants anyday!!
we watched a movie -- 16 blocks -- short review here: http://kphiker.livejournal.com/
and the weather has finally settled down with some clouds and a nice reduction in temperature. yikes! that 80- and 90-degree stuff is just not for me! give me flannel and sweatpants anyday!!
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
new career field wide open
sex in space: the stuff of dreams? more like the stuff of nightmares. to me it seems that it would be like trying to run fast underwater -- not as easy as you'd think.
sex in space is going to have to happen, but there are definitely challenges: you perspire more in an outer space habitat, therefore you'll encounter more free-floating fluids; the action/reaction truth may make you look/feel like a slow-motion keystone kop; it's quite easy to get space-travel motion sickness. therefore, sex will probably have to be choreographed, at least until people figure out the trick.
researchers are finding that lack of gravity has a profound impact on fetal development, as well as on medications and other health issues (to say nothing of the logistics of the sex act itself). "So how much gravity is enough?...Think of gravity as a medication. We don't know the dose, we don't know the frequency, and we don't know the side effects." (quotes taken from interesting article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14002908/.)
the article goes on to say that between gravity concerns, radiation, and whatever else we encounter, we must become space aliens if we are to survive as a species. "Our children...will be space aliens...They will be different from us in some way...disturbing, but it's something that we need to think about if we are truly going to be a spacefaring civilization and settle the galaxy."
this intriguing dilemma definitely needs looking into.
sex in space is going to have to happen, but there are definitely challenges: you perspire more in an outer space habitat, therefore you'll encounter more free-floating fluids; the action/reaction truth may make you look/feel like a slow-motion keystone kop; it's quite easy to get space-travel motion sickness. therefore, sex will probably have to be choreographed, at least until people figure out the trick.
researchers are finding that lack of gravity has a profound impact on fetal development, as well as on medications and other health issues (to say nothing of the logistics of the sex act itself). "So how much gravity is enough?...Think of gravity as a medication. We don't know the dose, we don't know the frequency, and we don't know the side effects." (quotes taken from interesting article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14002908/.)
the article goes on to say that between gravity concerns, radiation, and whatever else we encounter, we must become space aliens if we are to survive as a species. "Our children...will be space aliens...They will be different from us in some way...disturbing, but it's something that we need to think about if we are truly going to be a spacefaring civilization and settle the galaxy."
this intriguing dilemma definitely needs looking into.
window gazing
we had an absolutely beautiful day here, complete with cooler temperatures. the tide was low, so the water wasn't as gorgeous blue as it would have been had the tide been high. still, lovely.
it makes me sad
i got an e-mail from my brother bringing me up-to-date on our dad. if i'm ever diagnosed with alzheimer's and can't do it myself, i beg you to slip me something that will quickly bring about my death.
Let me tell you about Dad. Most of the time he is a happy, friendly guy, who babbles along about his work, and his neighborhood in a conversation that is difficult to follow but not too hard to interact with. His room stinks because he pees on his bathroom floor. His shoes have velcro straps and to him they are Rubic's Cubes. He messes with them constantly and he will never figure them out -- I've got to get him some slippers. Sometimes he stops breathing and that scares the staff, but he wakes up and yells at whoever is trying to revive him, and--- that scares the staff. He sometimes throws temper tantrums, hits, kicks, and scratches. It is amazing how physically able he is compared to everyone else that I've seen in his unit. He has lost weight and become more agile. I'm sure he can out-move any patient in the entire building. This is a problem.
I have to go over there today and find out if I can get him to go with me in the car. He needs to go to the hospital for an evaluation, and will probably have to be relocated to a psychiatric unit. It appears his behavior is getting worse. If not earlier, I will meet with his doctor on Aug. 10. There is still some money left, and his insurance costs half as much as it used to, but now it is almost certain that he'll outlive the funds. So, I need to practice moving him anyway.
Please don't worry about trying to be in touch with Dad. He is already beyond reach. But please know that his nature is a happy one, he has had a good life, and he has given and received much love.
Let me tell you about Dad. Most of the time he is a happy, friendly guy, who babbles along about his work, and his neighborhood in a conversation that is difficult to follow but not too hard to interact with. His room stinks because he pees on his bathroom floor. His shoes have velcro straps and to him they are Rubic's Cubes. He messes with them constantly and he will never figure them out -- I've got to get him some slippers. Sometimes he stops breathing and that scares the staff, but he wakes up and yells at whoever is trying to revive him, and--- that scares the staff. He sometimes throws temper tantrums, hits, kicks, and scratches. It is amazing how physically able he is compared to everyone else that I've seen in his unit. He has lost weight and become more agile. I'm sure he can out-move any patient in the entire building. This is a problem.
I have to go over there today and find out if I can get him to go with me in the car. He needs to go to the hospital for an evaluation, and will probably have to be relocated to a psychiatric unit. It appears his behavior is getting worse. If not earlier, I will meet with his doctor on Aug. 10. There is still some money left, and his insurance costs half as much as it used to, but now it is almost certain that he'll outlive the funds. So, I need to practice moving him anyway.
Please don't worry about trying to be in touch with Dad. He is already beyond reach. But please know that his nature is a happy one, he has had a good life, and he has given and received much love.
small world
i had an interesting conversation with my best friend mary yesterday -- she was talking about one of her clients and said that he was from pakistan and his wife was from slovenia or somewhere; at any rate he doesn't speak her language and she doesn't speak his -- they use english. but their one-year old daughter will grow up learning all three languages. i wonder how they met and isn't that neat about their daughter!
Friday, July 21, 2006
i don't get it
we've got a situation here that has me just shaking my head. if you've been reading the husband's blog, you know how he feels about our neighbor with the kid in high school. if you haven't been, here are the bare facts:
the boy has a grunge band (he plays drums) and they've practiced the last year in an upstairs room right outside our bedroom window. the dad said they would limit practice so as to end by 9 pm. the dad moved out nine months ago. the band has played 'til 11 pm on several occasions. we refrained from saying anything because it didn't happen very often and thought we'd just ignore it because of their strained family situation. they have two beautiful irish setters (and are baby-sitting another dog) which they allow to occasionally poop in our yard while urination is a more frequent occurrence, and they are almost always off-leash.
the husband finally said 'enough' and politely spoke with the mother -- she agreed something different should happen. nothing changed, so hubby wrote a decent letter asking changes be made. again nothing changed, so hubby called the police about the band; the police came and heard the noise agreeing it was out-of-line; the police spoke with the boys; several of the boys came and apologized to the hubby (although not the neighbor kid). hubby called the animal control people who came out and spoke with someone at the house.
the mother left the house last week on thursday and had a long weekend with a friend until sunday night. while she was gone, the son had a weekend party including beer. when the mom got home, the kid left the house and didn't come back. the mom wrote a letter to hubby and left it on our front porch saying that because WE were not good neighbors, her son had moved out of the house (he was too stressed about the police coming) and she had to pay $160 in fines and now she was all alone (although the son moved back two days later).
the thing that bugs me the most about this situation (besides how uncomfortable it is) is that she straight-faced lied to us. we checked with both the animal control people and the police, and they neither one gave her any tickets.
i do not understand how she could lie about that. it's beyond me. i don't lie and don't tolerate it from other people so i have very little experience with it. how in the world can a supposed adult lie about something so easy to check? she's intelligent (she's a dental hygienist), she's in her 40's, she and her soon-to-be-ex have three boys (senior in high school and two in college), she's soft-spoken, very pretty, and from canada.
i just don't understand the lying.
the boy has a grunge band (he plays drums) and they've practiced the last year in an upstairs room right outside our bedroom window. the dad said they would limit practice so as to end by 9 pm. the dad moved out nine months ago. the band has played 'til 11 pm on several occasions. we refrained from saying anything because it didn't happen very often and thought we'd just ignore it because of their strained family situation. they have two beautiful irish setters (and are baby-sitting another dog) which they allow to occasionally poop in our yard while urination is a more frequent occurrence, and they are almost always off-leash.
the husband finally said 'enough' and politely spoke with the mother -- she agreed something different should happen. nothing changed, so hubby wrote a decent letter asking changes be made. again nothing changed, so hubby called the police about the band; the police came and heard the noise agreeing it was out-of-line; the police spoke with the boys; several of the boys came and apologized to the hubby (although not the neighbor kid). hubby called the animal control people who came out and spoke with someone at the house.
the mother left the house last week on thursday and had a long weekend with a friend until sunday night. while she was gone, the son had a weekend party including beer. when the mom got home, the kid left the house and didn't come back. the mom wrote a letter to hubby and left it on our front porch saying that because WE were not good neighbors, her son had moved out of the house (he was too stressed about the police coming) and she had to pay $160 in fines and now she was all alone (although the son moved back two days later).
the thing that bugs me the most about this situation (besides how uncomfortable it is) is that she straight-faced lied to us. we checked with both the animal control people and the police, and they neither one gave her any tickets.
i do not understand how she could lie about that. it's beyond me. i don't lie and don't tolerate it from other people so i have very little experience with it. how in the world can a supposed adult lie about something so easy to check? she's intelligent (she's a dental hygienist), she's in her 40's, she and her soon-to-be-ex have three boys (senior in high school and two in college), she's soft-spoken, very pretty, and from canada.
i just don't understand the lying.
lighten up
i decided it was time to change to a lighter format. if there's anything you can't read because the print is to light-colored, just highlight it and it'll be visible. but it should be better from now on.
it all makes sense
well finally! an explanation about the concept of ten dimensions that i can understand! http://www.tenthdimension.com/flash2.php
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
them men
“Well, as soon as he walks in the door, he says “what are we having for supper” and I say “I’m fixin’ hot dogs with cheese, and brown sugar beans, and a salad with peanut butter cookies for dessert” and he says “I don’t want no hot dogs” and I say “Whaaaaaat? You’ve been eatin’ my hot dogs for forty-five years and now you just don’t want ‘em anymore?” and he says “That’s right. I saw a thing on that Discover channel said you shouldn’t eat no hot dogs and I don’t want no hot dogs.” Can you believe that? Honestly, Betsy, I don’t know how I put up with that man.
“Ah, go on, Ruthie, he’s a good man and if he’s watchin’ his own diet, you’ll have him around that much longer, you know that. And what would you do without him anyhow, I’d like to know. Now, Joey -- he’s gonna end up wearin’ my fryin’ pan if he’s not careful.”
“Oh lordy, what’s he gone and done now, Betsy?”
“Well, you know how I said I’d make Jody’s cake for her weddin’ so I was workin’ on that plus I was puttin’ together a casserole for old Pete since Mabel just died, bless her heart, and I had a whole big lot of washin’ to finish up before Patsy and Jimmy and the boys come up this weekend, so I told Joey I’d like his help with some things. So he gives me that funny look of his and says he has to go out and mow the yard and I say okay and ask if he’d be sure to sweep the sidewalk and porch. You’d think I done asked him to take out his own appendix! But he finally says he’ll make sure it looks okay so what can I say, and I just keep on doing everythin’ else. I finally get the cake done, and put the casserole on the table to cool, and go out back to try to get those clothes taken care of and next thing I know, Joey’s eatin’ that casserole! I coulda killed him!”
“Oh my gawd and I would have finished him off for you. Does the man have absolutely no sense?”
“That’s right. And it’s not as if the funeral was a surprise -- he’s gonna to be one of the pall bearers. And I only make that casserole for when someone’s died.”
“Well, maybe you need to remind him of that fact. And tell him the next time you make it, you might be the only one eating it!”
“I swear, Ruthie, you can’t live with ‘em and you can’t live without ‘em. What’s the answer, I’d like to know.”
“I don’t know, but one thing’s for sure, if Hank wasn’t such a good kisser, I’d have sent him on his way a long time ago, but don’t tell him I said he was a good kisser ..... he’d blush.”
“Ah, go on, Ruthie, he’s a good man and if he’s watchin’ his own diet, you’ll have him around that much longer, you know that. And what would you do without him anyhow, I’d like to know. Now, Joey -- he’s gonna end up wearin’ my fryin’ pan if he’s not careful.”
“Oh lordy, what’s he gone and done now, Betsy?”
“Well, you know how I said I’d make Jody’s cake for her weddin’ so I was workin’ on that plus I was puttin’ together a casserole for old Pete since Mabel just died, bless her heart, and I had a whole big lot of washin’ to finish up before Patsy and Jimmy and the boys come up this weekend, so I told Joey I’d like his help with some things. So he gives me that funny look of his and says he has to go out and mow the yard and I say okay and ask if he’d be sure to sweep the sidewalk and porch. You’d think I done asked him to take out his own appendix! But he finally says he’ll make sure it looks okay so what can I say, and I just keep on doing everythin’ else. I finally get the cake done, and put the casserole on the table to cool, and go out back to try to get those clothes taken care of and next thing I know, Joey’s eatin’ that casserole! I coulda killed him!”
“Oh my gawd and I would have finished him off for you. Does the man have absolutely no sense?”
“That’s right. And it’s not as if the funeral was a surprise -- he’s gonna to be one of the pall bearers. And I only make that casserole for when someone’s died.”
“Well, maybe you need to remind him of that fact. And tell him the next time you make it, you might be the only one eating it!”
“I swear, Ruthie, you can’t live with ‘em and you can’t live without ‘em. What’s the answer, I’d like to know.”
“I don’t know, but one thing’s for sure, if Hank wasn’t such a good kisser, I’d have sent him on his way a long time ago, but don’t tell him I said he was a good kisser ..... he’d blush.”
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
small town crime
July 10: A group of juveniles were witnessed having a fruit fight, using hard green unripened plums in the parking lot at the skatepark. The plums that did not connect with the warriors were striking parked cars behind city hall, and at least a couple of incoming rounds struck the occupied blood donation van that was on site for the day. Officers declared and enforced a cease fire and the combatants were identified by police. Everyone is now awaiting damage reports and cost estimates from vehicle owners.
July 10: A passerby reported observing a man urinating beside a business. The man was contacted by police and the matter was resolved.
July 9: Officers were dispatched to a report of a domestic dispute in progress. Officers arrived and discovered that a 10-year-old had called 911 after she was disciplined. No crimes were committed.
July 7: Police received a complaint that a group of juveniles were skateboarding on the new boardwalk and furnishings, possibly causing damage to it and interfering with the enjoyment of pedestrians visiting the new facility. An officer contacted the juveniles to ask that they move to the skateboard park facility. The kids argued with the officer that the boardwalk was not specifically posted to prohibit skate boarding. As it was apparent that education and reason were not working, the skate boards were confiscated and released to an adult who arrived to take responsibility for the youths.
July 10: A passerby reported observing a man urinating beside a business. The man was contacted by police and the matter was resolved.
July 9: Officers were dispatched to a report of a domestic dispute in progress. Officers arrived and discovered that a 10-year-old had called 911 after she was disciplined. No crimes were committed.
July 7: Police received a complaint that a group of juveniles were skateboarding on the new boardwalk and furnishings, possibly causing damage to it and interfering with the enjoyment of pedestrians visiting the new facility. An officer contacted the juveniles to ask that they move to the skateboard park facility. The kids argued with the officer that the boardwalk was not specifically posted to prohibit skate boarding. As it was apparent that education and reason were not working, the skate boards were confiscated and released to an adult who arrived to take responsibility for the youths.
Monday, July 17, 2006
the ages
Stone Age:
“Gronkk.”
“Mufft.”
Ancient Greece:
“Sister, Agdonimumis has bedded me and Father says I must go with him. I will miss you.”
“And I will miss you, Heclevariottus.”
Medieval Times:
“Victoria, that dreadful Duke has offered for me and Father has accepted. Alas, I am doomed. I will miss you, my dear dear friend.”
“Oh Elizabeth, the darkness struggles to hide the sun, but rainbows always appear. I shall pray for you all of my life.”
Old West:
“Matilda, I am so happy. Matthew has approached Father to ask for my hand.”
“Oh Prudence, that is so fortunate. He is a fine man and we will get to see each other at church every Sunday.”
1960’s:
“Katie, the neatest thing just happened. Todd asked me to marry him. And then he finally kissed me! He’s such a dreamboat.”
“Oh Annie, I always thought he was such a square, but he’s turned out real ducky. I’m happy for you, kiddo.”
1980’s:
“Whoa, it's, like, awesome, you know? I mean, Dudette, he’s gnarly to the max and, like, we’re all, like, classic, you know? So, like, significant others and all, like. It’s just way cool!”
“As if. No way. Get outta here. You and the Steve? Hey Babe, like, that’s, like, so cool. I’m all ohmygod. That is so totally no problem.”
2000’s:
“W00t!11! Ownage, Betts, teh man is mien.”
“Teh shit, girl! Trixy move! Thet roxor 4evar!1!!1!
Some time in the future:
“Gronkk.”
“Mufft.”
“Gronkk.”
“Mufft.”
Ancient Greece:
“Sister, Agdonimumis has bedded me and Father says I must go with him. I will miss you.”
“And I will miss you, Heclevariottus.”
Medieval Times:
“Victoria, that dreadful Duke has offered for me and Father has accepted. Alas, I am doomed. I will miss you, my dear dear friend.”
“Oh Elizabeth, the darkness struggles to hide the sun, but rainbows always appear. I shall pray for you all of my life.”
Old West:
“Matilda, I am so happy. Matthew has approached Father to ask for my hand.”
“Oh Prudence, that is so fortunate. He is a fine man and we will get to see each other at church every Sunday.”
1960’s:
“Katie, the neatest thing just happened. Todd asked me to marry him. And then he finally kissed me! He’s such a dreamboat.”
“Oh Annie, I always thought he was such a square, but he’s turned out real ducky. I’m happy for you, kiddo.”
1980’s:
“Whoa, it's, like, awesome, you know? I mean, Dudette, he’s gnarly to the max and, like, we’re all, like, classic, you know? So, like, significant others and all, like. It’s just way cool!”
“As if. No way. Get outta here. You and the Steve? Hey Babe, like, that’s, like, so cool. I’m all ohmygod. That is so totally no problem.”
2000’s:
“W00t!11! Ownage, Betts, teh man is mien.”
“Teh shit, girl! Trixy move! Thet roxor 4evar!1!!1!
Some time in the future:
“Gronkk.”
“Mufft.”
Saturday, July 15, 2006
gimme food
“Are you sure there will be something there?” Antze was grumbling again.
“Sure, I’m sure,” replied Snortz. “It was granddad’s map and I found it hidden in his room, so it’s got to be real.”
“Why didn’t you ask him about it when he was alive?”
“Well now, I didn’t know about the map when he was alive, did I?”
They snipped at each other a little while longer, then settled back into their routine. Antze was the pilot of the massive old ‘bucket of boltz’ as his mom always called it. Snortz was the navigator and communications spec. They each were well versed in a number of other fields, as anyone needed to be who flew in hyperspace. They got along well and managed to earn a pretty good income from their asteroid scavenging.
But their latest venture was risky, especially since it was based on an old map which couldn’t even be authenticated. Granddad was an accomplished explorer in his day, but if this whole thing was just a joke, they would be in debt. On the other hand, this was definitely going to be a treasure map if it turned out to be accurate -- it showed the location of food. Massive amounts of food, just waiting to be plucked. Food was always an issue, and to find a secret storehouse of food would make them rich beyond their dreams.
“Okay, we’ll be coming out of hyperdrive in 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 ...” and suddenly things were right-side-up again. Not literally, of course, since space had no up or down, but the sensation you got in hyperdrive always felt wrong and when you came out again, things felt right. It was weird, but there it was. Everyone just accepted it.
“Antze, you did a great job. We are right on course and need to move in quickly but quietly. Granddad’s notes say the food is semi-intelligent and easily panicked, so we will go in on the dark side and stake out the biggest group. At that point, we can seed the area with doppz, load them in a jiffy, and keep the whole group sleepy but alive until we’re back home.”
“You got it, Snortz, here we go...”
The next morning there was massive panic as humans tried to accept and explain the disappearance of most of the people in the Middle East. It would go unexplained and six months later it would happen again. It would continue that way until there was only a small population left in Australia, Montana, and Wales. Those areas would be left undisturbed for another two thousand years so the food could re-establish itself.
Snortz and Antz would become very rich, and would put a treasure map for their grandchildren in an excellent hiding place.
“Sure, I’m sure,” replied Snortz. “It was granddad’s map and I found it hidden in his room, so it’s got to be real.”
“Why didn’t you ask him about it when he was alive?”
“Well now, I didn’t know about the map when he was alive, did I?”
They snipped at each other a little while longer, then settled back into their routine. Antze was the pilot of the massive old ‘bucket of boltz’ as his mom always called it. Snortz was the navigator and communications spec. They each were well versed in a number of other fields, as anyone needed to be who flew in hyperspace. They got along well and managed to earn a pretty good income from their asteroid scavenging.
But their latest venture was risky, especially since it was based on an old map which couldn’t even be authenticated. Granddad was an accomplished explorer in his day, but if this whole thing was just a joke, they would be in debt. On the other hand, this was definitely going to be a treasure map if it turned out to be accurate -- it showed the location of food. Massive amounts of food, just waiting to be plucked. Food was always an issue, and to find a secret storehouse of food would make them rich beyond their dreams.
“Okay, we’ll be coming out of hyperdrive in 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 ...” and suddenly things were right-side-up again. Not literally, of course, since space had no up or down, but the sensation you got in hyperdrive always felt wrong and when you came out again, things felt right. It was weird, but there it was. Everyone just accepted it.
“Antze, you did a great job. We are right on course and need to move in quickly but quietly. Granddad’s notes say the food is semi-intelligent and easily panicked, so we will go in on the dark side and stake out the biggest group. At that point, we can seed the area with doppz, load them in a jiffy, and keep the whole group sleepy but alive until we’re back home.”
“You got it, Snortz, here we go...”
The next morning there was massive panic as humans tried to accept and explain the disappearance of most of the people in the Middle East. It would go unexplained and six months later it would happen again. It would continue that way until there was only a small population left in Australia, Montana, and Wales. Those areas would be left undisturbed for another two thousand years so the food could re-establish itself.
Snortz and Antz would become very rich, and would put a treasure map for their grandchildren in an excellent hiding place.
living by the water
i got up a little while ago and wandered into the kitchen to put my tea water on to boil. shuffling to the windows to adjust the top down-bottom up shades for the day, i noticed a woman out walking her little pomeranian. the woman had stopped and was earnestly looking off toward the trees above the harbor. i followed her gaze and noticed a large number of great blue herons flocking to two of the cedars. since they were only about four houses away, i could see them fairly well, but went into the library to retrieve the binoculars. a couple more herons landed and a few flew away, but at one count there were eleven perched in the tops of the two trees. if i'd been able to see the other sides, the number would have been higher. it was neat.
Friday, July 14, 2006
gaming 5
i know i said i wasn't going to do this, but i can't help it -- i am just so shocked ... 21, 350!
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
caught
That jerk! So he thinks he can go out on me and not get found out?! HA! I’m sneaking over to his place and I’m going to catch him in the act!!!
She turned onto the dark, familiar street, drove past five houses then slowly pulled to a stop and shut off the engine and lights. It was a moonless night, which was good. Except that she was just a teensy bit afraid of the dark.
The darkness is my friend. I like the darkness. I am one with the darkness. She chanted the mantra softly, willing it to give her courage.
Suddenly headlights shined in her rear-view mirror. Quickly she ducked down on the seat, making sure she didn’t accidentally hit the brake pedal. She held her breath, waiting for the car to go by, but it got closer and closer then turned into a driveway.
Slowly she sat up, peeking between the headrest and seat, trying to see out the back window. A light came on in the little house with the big front porch. He’s home! All she had to do now was see if he was alone.
She popped the dome light on her old Ford, loosened the tiny bulb, then eased the door open and quietly got out. None of the neighbors were out as far as she could tell, although there was always the chance someone could be sitting on their porch in the dark.
The darkness is my friend. I like the darkness. I am one with the darkness. The words trooped through her mind as she started up the driveway. Abruptly she tripped on a crack and slammed her knee into the concrete before she caught herself.
Damn! That hurt! She managed to pick herself up without any noise and limp toward the illuminated kitchen at the back of the house. The window was open an inch or so and she could just barely hear voices. Plural! The jerk! Then there was a feminine giggle followed by an unconvincing ‘stop that’.
Ha! He should have stopped that before it began! She crept closer, going up on tip-toe to try to catch what they were saying. The back door creaked open unexpectedly and she frantically took a flying leap behind a low hedge in the neighbor’s yard. As she lay there listening, she realized her head, back, bottom, and legs were getting cold. And wet! They must have just finished watering their yard. Damn!
The back door creaked again, there was a distant sound of voices, then the kitchen light went out, soon followed by an upstairs light coming on. His bedroom! That does it. I’m outta here. That jerk is sooo history.
She sopped back to her car, squished in, and headed out. I mastered the darkness and am mistress of my fate! Look out world; you don’t mess with Kate! She giggled ... unless you’re a cracked driveway or wet lawn.
She turned onto the dark, familiar street, drove past five houses then slowly pulled to a stop and shut off the engine and lights. It was a moonless night, which was good. Except that she was just a teensy bit afraid of the dark.
The darkness is my friend. I like the darkness. I am one with the darkness. She chanted the mantra softly, willing it to give her courage.
Suddenly headlights shined in her rear-view mirror. Quickly she ducked down on the seat, making sure she didn’t accidentally hit the brake pedal. She held her breath, waiting for the car to go by, but it got closer and closer then turned into a driveway.
Slowly she sat up, peeking between the headrest and seat, trying to see out the back window. A light came on in the little house with the big front porch. He’s home! All she had to do now was see if he was alone.
She popped the dome light on her old Ford, loosened the tiny bulb, then eased the door open and quietly got out. None of the neighbors were out as far as she could tell, although there was always the chance someone could be sitting on their porch in the dark.
The darkness is my friend. I like the darkness. I am one with the darkness. The words trooped through her mind as she started up the driveway. Abruptly she tripped on a crack and slammed her knee into the concrete before she caught herself.
Damn! That hurt! She managed to pick herself up without any noise and limp toward the illuminated kitchen at the back of the house. The window was open an inch or so and she could just barely hear voices. Plural! The jerk! Then there was a feminine giggle followed by an unconvincing ‘stop that’.
Ha! He should have stopped that before it began! She crept closer, going up on tip-toe to try to catch what they were saying. The back door creaked open unexpectedly and she frantically took a flying leap behind a low hedge in the neighbor’s yard. As she lay there listening, she realized her head, back, bottom, and legs were getting cold. And wet! They must have just finished watering their yard. Damn!
The back door creaked again, there was a distant sound of voices, then the kitchen light went out, soon followed by an upstairs light coming on. His bedroom! That does it. I’m outta here. That jerk is sooo history.
She sopped back to her car, squished in, and headed out. I mastered the darkness and am mistress of my fate! Look out world; you don’t mess with Kate! She giggled ... unless you’re a cracked driveway or wet lawn.
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.
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.
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
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
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
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!
(six minutes later) no wait ... i got 14, 350!!! yay for me!
Monday, July 10, 2006
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).
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.
a matter of "try, try again"?
nah ... luck.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
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!
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
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.”
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".
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".
Thursday, June 29, 2006
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 ...
original ...
step 1, front and back ...
step 2, front and back ...
step 3, front and back ...
Saturday, June 24, 2006
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.
"... 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.
Friday, June 23, 2006
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.
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.
Monday, June 19, 2006
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.
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!
CONGRATULATIONS, JEFLA !!!11!11111!!1!!! w00t!
Friday, June 16, 2006
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
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.
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 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.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, June 09, 2006
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!
Friday, June 02, 2006
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 ...
"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 ...
Thursday, June 01, 2006
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.
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.
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