Big Fun Scary Goals for 2008

In general, I think that New Year's Resolutions rarely work for me, even though I've posted something nearly every year.

The NaNoWriMo folks have been doing Big Scary Fun Goals the last couple of years and I thought I'd throw my hat into the ring. Part of what makes this different (at least for me) is that the goals are quantified and measurable (with the exception of #8). Perhaps this will make a difference.

Here's my list, published on the NaNoWriMo BFS forums as well.

My BFS goals for 2008:

1. Get surgery to correct hearing loss (scheduled in January!)
2. Lose 60 pounds (lost 44 pounds in 2007)
3. Read at least one book a month by the end of the year starting with (in no particular order):
• His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
• Faith of a Writer by Joyce Carol Oates
• Mockingbird by Charles J Shields
• A Grand Improvisation by Stacy Shiff
• Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
• The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
• Dancing with Joy: 99 Poems ed. Roger Housden
• A Book of Luminous Things: An International Anthology of Poetry ed. Czeslaw Milosz
• Best American Short Stories 2003 ed. Walter Mosley and Katrina Kenison
• Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Treasury ed. Isaac Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg
• Telling Stories: An Anthology for Writers ed. Joyce Carol Oates

4. Write every day using Writer’s Book of Days prompts
5. Blog at least weekly
6. Finish & Print By the Light of the Faerie Moon (NaNo 2007)
7. Win NaNoWriMo 2008
8. Figure out what career path I want to take

I think those are big and scary enough, and the reading will certainly be fun. Actually putting together this list was fun all by itself.

Happy New Year to all!

Holiday Party

Last night was our annual company holiday party at the Westin Hotel. We had a great time; the food tasted and looked wonderful, everyone dressed up, and the liquor flowed freely. Lots more people danced this year, and I danced with Brandon, the very cute, very young sous chef in our Cafe as well as TJ, the reluctant but sweet.

Here's to a fun holiday season!

Rally Day

Today I spent most of the day at The Tea Spot in Boulder writing. I wrote 5,568 words, earning my Rally badge and catching entirely up!

On a side note, The Tea Spot is a lovely shop, and I am throughly enjoying my new tea pot and tea leaves. The folks there are very helpful and kind, and will even rebrew green leaves. I'm just about to make myself another pot of tea. Join me?

Birthday!

Happy Birthday to me! And to GirlZoot!

Long long long day, but happy!

We got up early to catch the balloon festival first day lift off. Mom and I are traveling with her church group, SOAR - Seniors on a Rampage. We have some very lively seniors (Mom being one of course). I got to come along because Mom's such a good convincer.

Anyway, we got up early and drove around the balloon festival three times. None of the guards or traffic directors got us through to where we needed to be. We ended up seeing most of the lift off from the bus windows. When we finally got onto Festival Grounds, Mom and I made a beeline for the field, trying to find the registration for our balloon ride (tomorrow morning).

We found a big red truck with a white trailer and a sign I recognized, Rainbow Ryders - the folks we bought our tickets from. We talked to a nice woman with a deep southern twang and she directed us to Bill. Bill, it turned out, was the pilot of the balloon still in the white trailer. He had not taken off today.

Bill was kind enough to direct us to the registration tent. Mom talked to Bill about getting into the festival grounds earlier so we wouldn't miss our flight tomorrow. He said we could ride with him, they left at 4:45 am from the Rio Rancho Best Western, which happened to be where we were staying, too. We got his room number and went back to the registration tent to get more info.

We spent probably three hours at the festival, bought some pins, and generally had a great time. The bus (the trip was a bus tour) took us back to the hotel, where we changed our clothes to go to Santa Fe.

We only had about 2 hours in Santa Fe, because we wanted to get back to Albuquerque for the Balloon Glow and fireworks (on my birthday!). Mom and I spent some time in the little rock shop I loved last year. Nothing really called to me so we left empty handed. Well, not entirely empty handed, we got three tiny vial necklaces designed to put small minerals in. We bought three, because we were going to make Bunny, our fearless leader, a bottle of the Chimayo sacred earth to hang around her neck as a thank you for taking care of us on the trip. The other two were for us. Mom also got two tiny glass bottles with cork stoppers to hold the remaining earth.

We stopped at the French bakery connected to La Fonda and bought a piece of Quiche Lorraine for me and two small desserts for later. I got a strawberry shortcake cake with heavy whipped cream. Mom was better and got a little fruit tart with kiwi, raspberry, and blueberry on top of a light custard. She also got a steak salad at the cafe on the far side of the plaza, the one that's been in business for over 100 years.

I bought, after much delight in shopping all the various stands, a silver feather from a Navajo artist selling at the Palace of the Governors. It is almost two inches long with deep grooves and feels both heavy and light when I wear it. I bought it in part because we are going to fly tomorrow. The wind had picked up quite a bit and many of the artists were packing up to leave. The leaves skittered across the paving stones and crunched underfoot. I always love the crunching of leaves.

After sitting for several minutes and taking pictures and watching the people go by in the plaza, we headed back to where the bus would pick us up. We stopped in the rock shop and mom bought me a pendant I had been looking at earlier. It is a goddess figure with her arms up holding a round cabochon of amethyst.

Cyclone Power

This is going to be a quick post. We're getting ready to leave for New Mexico for the Albuquerque Balloon Festival tomorrow morning.

Mom is an avid Kohl's shopper. I get a lot of my clothes there, and there's always the umpteen times a year they give special discounts, including the coveted 30% off everything in the store. It's a lottery system, most people get the standard 15%, some get an exciting 20%, but only a few get that height of discount, the 30% off.

Well, of course, just before we were due to leave for vacation, Mom got the 30% off sticker on her Kohl's ad in the mail. And we'd been waiting for it. I've been wanting a Dyson Animal vacuum, and Mom's been cautioning me to wait for the 30% off. Twice I've wanted to buy one, but she keeps telling me to wait. When I got in the car and the ad was on the seat, I picked it up and peeled back the sticker. It was Dyson time! And of course, the sale would be over by the time we got back.

When we got down to the store, I was calculating how I would pay on Mom's Kohl's card and chatting amiably away about how nice it would be to have a Dyson, etc. When we finally got the top of the line Dyson 17 in the cart, Mom pulled out her trusty calculator. She came up with a figure, which was pretty good, considering how much they are in the first place and she smiled. "That's only $5 more than I paid for the one in the basement."

What? Which one in the basement? She had her own Dyson, which was how I knew I wanted one of my own. I raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "Which one in the basement?"

"Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas!" she replied, grinning. "I got the lower model on 15% off when it was on sale back in April.

April! She's definitely a mom; she can keep a secret for six months or more. I can't hardly keep a secret for more than a couple of weeks (which is why I do my shopping after NaNoWriMo so I don't have to worry about blurting it out by mistake).

Well, I have to wait till we're back from vacation to use it, but yay! It'll be great! Clean carpets. Won't the kitties be surprised!

Ok, so it wasn't as quick as I thought. Oh well!

Grand Slam!

Mom and I went to the Rockies game against the Diamondbacks. The Rockies need to win all the rest of the regular season games to make it to the playoffs as the wild card. And we beat the Diamondbacks soundly today.

I haven't been to many games this year, but more than usual, which is generally one game. My aunt owns season tickets and she loves baseball. She recently had a surgical procedure that the doctor wouldn't release her to attend the game, so she gave the tickets to us. She was sorely disappointed to miss the game.

I had my little camera and I took some pictures, which I posted on Picassa as kind of an experiment. The picture above is of Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies Shortstop rookie, just before he takes a swing. At the time, I was taking a picture of his wide stance in the batting box. Just after I got the shot, he ripped one up the middle and made his first career grand slam. And the crowd went wild.

Heck of a game, and a beautiful night on top of it all.

Learning to Listen

GirlZoot turned me on to books on cd a couple of weeks ago. She told me it was like crack, very addictive. When I told her my commute was only around 20 minutes to the office, she waved her hand in dismissal. "Perfect," she exclaimed.

As recommended, I started with a book I knew: Oryx and Crake by Margaret Attwood. I was actually re-reading the book in the flesh so to speak. I filled up my cd player in my trunk with the disks and started to listen.

GirlZoot was right. Audio books act like crack on a bibliophile like me. I'm starting on my fourth book tomorrow. I've listened to two of my all time favorite classic books: The Great Gatsby and All Quiet on the Western Front. Since I've been doing historical novels (or period novels, whichever you prefer) I decided to choose another favorite, Catch-22. Plus, it's a great way to get in some reading during otherwise non-reading moments. Very cool.

I'm almost looking forward to my commute tomorrow.

Lazy Day

Saturday I got quite a bit done. I went to the bank for an errand, went into work for a few hours and got a lot done, picked up my new inversion table from the management office, and set it up. Mom came up for the setting up and dinner (and she brought her wonderful, amazing, coveted Dyson Animal vacuum for a quick sweep). As soon as the new Dyson goes on a good enough sale at Kohl's, Mom won't have to bring hers up anymore.

Both of us got a chance to try the new inversion table. Back in high school, Kerri's stepdad had an inversion table (we called it the hang-upside-down machine). We both took turns hanging upside-down and I really loved it. The feeling of relaxation, quiet, and calm has stayed with me all these years. When my company formed a partnership with Gaiam, we received a nice discount on their website. When I saw they had the hang-upside-down machine, I had to have one.

Today has been very quiet. I've inverted a little, getting used to the machine. Most of the day has been spent spiffing up the blog after upgrading to a new template, and messing around online. I have a few errands to run, then I'm coming home and consuming vast quantities of Heroes. Mom just finished the series so she lent it to me now.

Then back to work tomorrow. Vacation is coming soon. I really can't wait.

Checking out a piece of history

P9050438
Originally uploaded by Arcadiajoy

Today at lunch, a couple of coworkers and I went out on the Rocky Mountain Metro Airport (formerly Jeffco Airport) and took a tour of the Sentimental Journey, a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress.

Wiz has a vast store of knowledge on airplanes and WWII history, which made for a wonderful and educational half hour. I even walked across the catwalk in the bomb bay which was a bit nerve-wracking as the bomb bay doors were open. I could imagine the wind rushing in when the plane was airborne and got a chill.

Labor Day Weekend

I love a three day weekend!

I'm in the midst of setting up my 2007 NaNoWriMo blog. Title and plot indeterminate at this time, but I've got some characters burbling in my head. hehe...

Have a great weekend!

Post Secret mini movie

Weekend Stuff

Friday was Kerri's birthday. I took the day off and spent the evening with GirlZoot and Mitch at the Gothic Theatre down on Broadway. We went to the Bowling for Soup concert, and they played all sorts of great stuff. The Gothic has got a great upstairs, with different levels all looking out over the stage. The room has an intimate feel, and I didn't feel crowed, which is a nice change for a rock concert.

Saturday, I went to the library for a bitsy, with all the best intentions to do some writing. I actually spent most of the time chatting with Shaych and GZ, catching up on current events and politics. Valium joined us at the library and we all went by the Apple store at Cherry Creek (shiny new computers and iPods and accessories... oh my). After declining to eat at the food court for quite unreasonable prices, we retired to Hops where we were joined by Shadowowl. Hops changed their glasses - I guess it had been a while since I had been there. Lunch was quite tasty. I decided that after lunch I'd go home. Honestly, I hadn't been feeling well most of the day and I didn't want to drag the rest of the group down. I napped quietly in my green chair with the fan on.

Sunday was quiet. I went out and bought some new nail polish and painted my nails Russian Navy. I love OPI color names. The other two are Vodka & Caviar and An Affair in Red Square. I'm thinking about getting Boris & Natasha. Russian theme...

Good weekend, much needed rest and relaxation. Still, I'm not quite ready for this week at work. I suppose that will get better tomorrow.

End of a Decade

~ No spoilers here ~

I finally got my hands on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows after I went out to grab a bite to eat and checked my mail. Instead of UPS as I expected, the USPS delivered my book in the lovely package box at my mail station. Luckily not everyone in the area was waiting for Harry, as we only have four boxes for about 200 homes.

I read it straight through, well, mostly. Around 1 am, I read the same paragraph about six times in a row and decided to go to bed for a little while. Seven hours later I got up, fed myself some Jell-O and a granola bar to keep up my strength, and finished the book by noon.

People who have heard me talking about Harry Potter and how things are going to turn out know I only had two real predictions salient to the outcome of the series. As promised, there are no spoilers here. I will only say, I was 50% right, and one of the outcomes in relation to my predictions made me unbelievably happy and one of them was heart wrenching.

As I expected, I cried a lot throughout the book. I had to replenish my stock of tissues near my big green chair. I'm a softie, so I cried at the happy things and the sad things, lest you think it is just a terribly sad book. It's not. It's dark, but not exclusively.

I've decided to re-read the book at a more leisurely pace, to absorb some of the details I may have missed on the first pass. I've already had a discussion with GZ about some of the themes which I want to revisit. Overall, I'm pleased with the book, my questions are answered and Harry's world is at rest in my heart.

Summer's slipping away

I'm waiting in my big green chair for Harry Potter to arrive. I'm just about at the point where I'm going to go out and get a bite to eat, because, of course, when I get back, the package will have arrived. And I'm getting tired of waiting.

I spent most of my free time the last couple of weeks re-reading books 1 thru 6. When I finished Half Blood Prince, I cried, a lot, and moped about most of the next day. Now I'm just wanting to get on with it. Of course, I'm having mixed feelings about the whole thing. Whereas, it is always good to get to the end of the book to know what happens, this is the LAST book. When it's over, it's over. Except for the movies. I'm consoling myself that I'll read the entire series again when Half Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows each come out on the silver screen.

I know I haven't been terribly communicative this summer (or really this year). I've not had a lot to muse on and felt I haven't had a whole heck of a lot to say. I'm enjoying my summer, spending time with family and friends, reading, thinking about writing, even going to work has been relatively nice.

Last week, I babysat my cousin, Little Miss, and she was just so funny. We gave her a fudgesicle paddle pop and she walked around eating it, saying "It's cold and creamy." She thought it was just wonderful, until it started melting all over her hand and onto the grass. We rescued it with a bowl and a spoon. After the creamy cold treat, we kicked around the soccer balls for a while. She's pretty good for being not quite 3.

Ok, I'm going out for a little while. When I get back, I'm sure I'll have my copy of the Deathly Hallows waiting patiently for me to read it. Won't that be lovely!

Bands on the Bricks

P7110126
Originally uploaded by Arcadiajoy

Last night a friend and I went to Bands on the Bricks in Boulder. Onda played two sets of Latin rhythms and melodies between 7 and 9pm.

We had a lot of fun checking out the dancers, moms & dads with their kids, smiling couples, teenagers, and independent spirits. I admit, I was snarky at times, what with a fashion faux pas or twelve. There was one guy with a shirt of little skulls and a giant neon yellow skull on the back. Maybe it was just too busy for me, but wow. One free spirit showed more skin than probably truly necessary, but she certainly was enjoying herself. One guy wore Wolverine on his shirt. That was cool.

I loved watching the hairstyles, on ladies or gentlemen, and got a few interesting shots. We did see some punks at the end of the night, but it was too dark to catch the shot so far away. One kid had a periwinkle Mohawk in big spikes. "

To tell the truth, live music really makes me happy. Occasionally it makes me a bit nostalgic; last night I thought of two years ago in August when I last saw my favorite band outside under the Boulder sky. Onda's music was similar, and the crowd seemed nearly as excited. I smiled and turned my camera back on the dancing fools before me and after a moment, joined them.

Do you always...

watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day in the year and then miss it.

Daisy Buchanan, The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Happy Summer Solstice!!

Benjamin Franklin

Don't worry, John. The history books will clean it up.

Well, it doesn't matter. I'll not appear in the history books, anyway. Only you. Franklin did this and Franklin did that... and Franklin did some other damn thing. Franklin smote the ground and out sprang... George Washington... fully grown and on his horse. Franklin then electrified him with his miraculous lightining rod... then the three of them-- Franklin, Washington and the horse-- conducted the entire revolution all by themselves.

I like it.

Howard Da Silva as Benjamin Franklin
William Daniels as John Adams
1776

Book & Lover's Day

Stack of Books
Originally uploaded by Arcadiajoy.

Today is Book and Lover's Day. A rose for love and a book forever! Tattered Cover gives out roses when you buy a book today.

I went with Girlzoot and Shadowowl to the new Tattered Cover on Colfax and we spend several pleasant hours browsing in the books and gathering treasures.

The top book, Kushiel's Dart, is going to be the first book in our new book club. I started reading the book that jumped into my basket first, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson. Shirley Jackson wrote the chilling and very memorable "The Lottery". This story is set in the same village.

I try to make my major book purchase on Book & Lover's Day. I spread my choices out over different genres and types of books, poetry, classics, short stories, contemporary and writing. I missed out on my writing book by Joyce Carol Oates, but I found a short stories book by her which evened out.

So I expect to spend many more pleasant hours reading and enjoying my new books. Happy Book & Lover's Day!

Another Week

My uncle is doing better. I went to see him Monday night and he was still sedated in ICU with a ventalator and a big bandage on his head. Thursday, he was sitting up, breathing room air, and talking up a blue streak. He still has a way to go, but I think he's going to make it just fine.

Work has been interesting, and a bit on the frantic side, but what's new, really? I'm excited about the new position and I would like to get down to business on my new projects. Now, to get management to agree... I have been pulled back into the day to day business pretty strongly. I am going to have a talk with my manager to make sure I'm on the right track.

I really enjoyed the rain today. The clean fresh smell during and after the rain was such a refreshing change after all the snow this winter.

Enough randomness for now, more later :)

Scary Night

I found out this afternoon my uncle passed out twice this weekend. This evening, he went in for brain surgery. He is now out of surgery. My cousin in Brasil, four hours ahead, is laying awake waiting for a call from her mom to let her know if her dad made it through surgery.

My aunt, who is generally the rock around which the family revolves, is frightened. We are all grateful he came through the surgery, but the future is still uncertain. But isn't it always?

Promotions Poetry and Posting

It has been a while since my last post, and I missed February entirely! (It's a short month, easy to miss... right?)

I just wanted to put out a quick post on a couple of things going on in my world. First of all, I got the promotion that my manager spoke to me about back in September. Yay! Now to get on to the first real project, well, second project after this report for Sales my director wants done by the end of next week. I'll be the content owner of all policies and operating procedures for the entire department including accts receivable, credit and collections, and deductions. Nothing like a big challenge to start off a promising new job.

I've been reading some poetry books I recently bought, mostly anthologies. I'm reading familiar favorites as well as meeting new friends. I might review some of the poems (if I get adventerous). For now, I am really enjoying them. I'm getting inspired to try my hand at poetry again; it has been a few years since I seriously wrote poetry on a consistant basis. I have also re-read some of my friend Kerri's poetry and that has been inspiring in other ways.

The sun is shining today, even if it is a bit cool out, and I am off to enjoy some of the pleasant late winter weather. Have a great day!

Happy Late New Year!

Sixth week in a row with snow... cold enough to keep the snow on the ground and in 7 foot high walls and piles. The weather and conditions are somewhat depressing and bringing out a strong sense of hibernating. I have gotten in a great deal of TV show watching on DVD, 5 seasons of 24, My Name is Earl, Dead Like Me, Boston Legal, House MD.

I did get Duke Incognito out for printing, yay!

Since the beginning of the year, I have said goodbye to two friends who have passed out of this life. One was a great writer, a bard of the highest caliber, a sweet, funny, kind man with a sparkle in his eye and a particular talent making fires which we all enjoyed at Writers Guild during the cooler months. The other was my beloved bird of 25 years, Deeter, who brought song and beauty into my world for nearly three quarters of my life.

I'm working on goals for this year, projects I want to start or finish and activities I want to participate in. One thing I know already is I want to read more this year than last year.

Tarot Card Thingy

You are The High Priestess

Science, Wisdom, Knowledge, Education.

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know. The High Priestess is also associated with the moon however and can also indicate change or fluxuation, particularily when it comes to your moods.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Blizzard of Aught Six

Yesterday the snow started early and I drove into work in the beginning of the blizzard. After an hour or so at work, the powers that be closed the office and I started driving home.

Mostly it was slow going, deep snow and cautious drivers. About a quarter mile from Federal on eastbound 120th, everything slowed even further to a creeping crawl. Everyone wanted to keep going, once in motion stay in motion. I finally got to the intersection and drove through to the other side of Federal. I saw a police cruiser come down 120th westbound. I noted it and started to drive up the hill. When I checked my rearview I saw that the cruiser was behind me, having closed off 120th at Federal. After passing a semi and one stranded car, I noticed that there were about 6 to 10 other cars on the side of the road. Some of them were completely perpendicular to the road and one of them was the same make, model, and year as my car. I followed the pickup truck in front of me through the maze of cars and continued slowly home.

I got into the complex with little trouble or sliding. Around two corners and then to where my garage waited for my little car, I flipped open the garage and pulled into the untouched white expanse spread before me. I got about one car length in and my car high centered, 50 feet from home.

After forty-five minutes of shoveling a path for the car then digging out under the tires, I popped the car into neutral and rocked it back and forth. The car finally got over the snow and into the garage with only a few seconds of fear that I would hit the building instead of pulling into the garage. After I got inside, I closed the garage door and collapsed into my chair, tired, but proud of my accomplishment.

Today I peeked out and the snow had fallen and drifted over the path I shoveled. Good thing the office was already closed.

Here's to a white Christmas!

Writing Quote

No thinking - that comes later. You must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is... to write, not to think!

-- Finding Forester

Democracy in the morning

I got to my polling place around 8am yesterday and by 8:35 I was done. The little room was packed, but we were very nicely herded by the election judges. The electronic voting booth varied from all the ones I've used in the past and I've used everything from punching the chad, to a hand ballot, to three or four different kinds of electronic voting booths - I like to keep my hand in, ready to vote in any manner presented. Haven't yet voted absentee, but haven't really had the need. I particularly like going down with all the other registered voters and feeling a sense of community, a sense that my vote is part of the whole vote, that we all come together for this special event, this sacred duty.

Ok, must be off to work, so I will leave off with the ramblings and get you back to your regularly scheduled November Insanity. Oh, wait, that's MY regularly scheduled November Insanity. Not doing so well, but writing every day. Story is in a weird place but then again, week two is starting, and gosh golly if it's not going to get harder.

Best of luck to all my fellow nanoers. Keep on writing!

Welcome to the Insanity

NaNoWriMo officially started this morning at midnight. I was snug in my bed with a touch of cold that blossomed into a bit of a cough and fever this morning. Auspicious beginning this is not, but I shall perservere! Even if I can no longer spell correctly.

Welcome to November, the month of insanity and mayhem in the writing circles I run in.

I can't remember, do blog posts count as word count?

Best of luck to all my writing buddies, GirlZoot, Ian, Sunrunner, Survivor, DaveToe, Iunones, and everyone else that my foggy brain has let slip.

Let's get writing!

Last Dance

Thursday and Friday night Cabaret Diosa played their 'last shows ever on Earth' at the Boulder Theater. This year's Halloween theme was Willy Juanka and the Cha Cha Factory.

Many of the old songs came out for one last time. Tonight You Will Be Mine, Banana Rum, Hat's on Fire, Baby Wants to Mambo, Mambo Verde and Mambo Cave all brought back memories and got me dancing.

It's strange to think it's over. After 11 years of playing (I 'discovered' them about halfway through their run) the band decided to go their separate ways.

I'm happy for them. They got to go out in grand Cabaret Disoa style, with good hair and great music surrounded by devoted fans who all left wanting more.

Juan Del Queso told us that The New Electric Eden isn't a physical place; it is in our hearts and minds and we can go back any time we want. Pablo de Gallo reminded me that There is a place that you can go to dance where the music always plays.

I believe them.

!All Hail the Mighty Mambo!

Updates

Aqua Doors and Windows
Originally uploaded by Arcadiajoy.

I'm slow on the updates since I got back from vacation.

Here's a pretty picture to look at while I get my act together.

Enjoy!

20 ish Questions

I found this little meme on GirlZoot's blog. It was fun so here it is for your enjoyment. Anyone wanting to answer, please feel free to answer in the comments.

----------

I want to know 20+ things about you.
I don't care if we've never talked, never liked each other, or if we already know everything about each other.
I really don't.

1.Your Middle Name:

2. Age:

3. Single or Taken:

4. Favorite Movie:

5. Favorite Song:

6. Favorite Band/Artist:

7. Dirty or Clean:

8. Tattoos and/or Piercings:

HERE COMES THE FUN ... ... ...

1. Do we know each other outside of blogging?

2. Whats your philosophy on life?

3. Would you have my back in a fight?

4. Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest?

5. What is your favorite memory of us?

6. Would you give me a kidney?

7. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you:

8. Would you take care of me when I'm sick?

9. Can we get together and make a cake?

10. Have you heard any rumors of me lately?

11. Do you/have you talk(ed) crap about me?

12. Do you think I'm a good person?

13. Would you drive across country with me?

14. Do you think I'm attractive?

15. If you could change anything about me, would you?

16. What do you wear to sleep?

17. Would you come over for no reason just to hang out?

18. Would you go on a date with me if I asked you?

19. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?

20. Will you repost this so I can fill it out for you?

Munching on pumpkin

PA020084
Originally uploaded by Arcadiajoy.

Currently, I'm in Santa Fe with some wireless access so I thought I'd post a quick pic.

This horse is outside of the Taos Visitor Center. Since it's now officially fall, he's snacking on a lovely pumpkin, which just made me smile.

Having lots of fun, with the shopping and the museums and the being away from home.

More soon!

Day of Projects

This week pretty much flew by. My trip to Scottsdale AZ was quite lovely. The weather was quite hot (well into the 90s). We stayed at a lovely resort with no less than three pools (and me w/o my bathing suit!), ate copious amounts of resort food (and drank quarts of grapefruit juice... yummy!), and even learned a little along the way. It was amazing to be in the same room with a large group of people who understand the work I do and can get excited about it. I won't bore you with the details, but the job I do is a specialized niche of accounting that generally only CPG (consumer packaged goods) companies have to deal with.

Today, I'm planning on getting some projects if not finished, at least started. I have stuff I'm doing for the band for their final shows (which makes me a bit sad), more along the lines of personal projects I've wanted to do for years and just never made it a priority. I've also got a few things around the house to do, so I'll just have to see how much I can get done.

On another note, I received my free* Day Timer leather binder with all the inserts and accoutrements I recently ordered last night. It came with samples of all sorts of different pages, including graph paper! Now I need to get the phone book tabs and I'll be set. Most of my contacts are in my email program or on my Palm (yes, I have both a paper and an electronic planner, I'm finding out what will work best for me as I have used both to varying degrees of success) but I learned from the Laura Stack, the Productivity Pro, to use the alpha tabs in the phone book as a filing system in the planner as well as a phone book. Since there are some very exciting opportunities coming up at work, I want to work hard on my productivity and my organization to give myself that extra boost.

In my slightly scattered way, I just checked my queue in the midst of writing this post. My next movies coming from Netflix are quite exciting, and the tv show is one I've been waiting to see all year (since I don't get WB on my rabbit ears). Netflix is my compromise with myself regarding visual entertainment. I just cannot justify the $40+ a month for cable for me and my kitties, when I have so much else I should do (writing, reading, projects). So I get my movies, fit them in when I can, and call it good. I'm sure I've ranted this before, but I do feel strongly about it (and I can get digital cable at Mom's whenever the urge strikes).

Off to check the mail and get working on those projects.


* with purchase of a year of inserts and S&H, still a good deal overall.

Tagged Again

1. The last movie you saw in a theater, and current-release movie you still want to see:
Saw Cars at the dollar movie – I loved it!

Little Miss Sunshine

2. The last movie you rented/purchased for home viewing:

The Constant Gardner – Very good

3. A movie that made you laugh out loud:

Dogma

4. A movie that made you cry:

Big Fish

5. A movie that was a darling of the critics, but you think didn't live up to the hype:
um I don’t generally keep up with the critics,
6. A movie you thought was better than the critics:
see above

7. Favorite animated movie:
Mulan

8. Favorite Disney villain:
Ursula

9. Favorite movie musical:
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever

10. Favorite movies of all time (up to 5):
Princess Bride

To Kill a Mockingbird

Casablanca

It’s a Wonderful Life

Labyrinth

Got Tagged

The hardest part of this one, was that I had to pick only ONE in each… tried for the first one I thought of.

1. One book that changed your life - the hardest question first. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

2. One book that you've read more than once. – A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

3. One book that you'd want on a desert island. – A large collection of short stories or fairy tales

4. One book that made you laugh. – Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

5. One book that made you cry. – All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarch

6. One book that you wish you had written. – Wicked by Gregory Maguire

7. One book you wish had never been written. – Mien Kampf

8. One book that you are reading at the moment. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis – funny time traveling literary goofiness

9. One book that you've been meaning to read. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Business Trip Prep

Whee! Today I'm going about making lists, ironing clothes, figuring out what items need to be checked and which I can carry on all in preparation for my business trip next week. I actually leave tomorrow afternoon, so hence the running about today.

My department is sending me to beautiful Scottsdale AZ for a conference. I'm going to meet others in my field (which is fairly specialized to CPG companies) as well as folks from my parent company. There will be a presentation by our new software provider about the module we just implemented for my department (for which I'm busily troubleshooting and refining processes). I'm glad I got business cards a couple months back, they'll get a work out this week.

I also have time to bond with my current supervisor, who is the other attendee from our company. We have gotten along well over the last couple months since she joined our department. I'm hoping that the time together will be good for both of us. I know that I can learn a lot from her, and I hope that she can learn more about our specialized field from me.

When I get back, I'll let y'all know how it went. It's a short trip, so I'll see you soon!

Newness

Short and quick post here.

It's amazing how wonderful and special things are when they are new. Even a treadmill, pre-owned and representative of long hours of hard work can be a bright and shiny thing.

And the cats think it's a wonderful new toy to climb on or nap on... silly kitties. (No, I don't let them near it when I'm using it)

Weird, wild stuff.

Five years ago

This morning I woke up to the song stylings of Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA.

Five years ago tonight, I sat in a new hottub, listening to Mr. Greenwood and watching the Twin Towers fall over and over again on every channel.

The Towers of Light are on in NYC tonight, still the only thing to have risen from ground zero.

I just heard on the news that it takes 7 to 10 years to get over a sudden and tragic loss.

Today I had an active and exciting day, and tonight, after finally being alone for the first time since early this morning, I'm experiencing an admixture of at two very different griefs, one very public and shared, the other very private, yet on some level shared.

Just reflecting in a scattered, disjointed kind of way.

Good things about today

A nice quiet day today.

First off, when I was out cleaning my car (it's going in for repairs next week), I heard distant bells. In a few moments, the familiar melody of an ice cream truck came around the bend. I saw the tiny truck drive by, and nearly flagged it down to buy a drumstick or a pushup pop. It rounded the bend and its little melody followed it before I could give in to its haunting lure.

Later, after a flash thunder and hail storm, in the freshly washed air, I found a perfectly golden leaf clinging to my car window. As I drove to the rest of my errands, I passed a golf course. The late summer storm had left a snowy white covering on just the greens.

Day out and about

This morning Mom called and we decided to visit the wee one, now that she and her parents had a week to get used to the full body cast she is in after surgery to correct her hip displaysia. Happily, the surgery was a success, now the next several weeks in the cast must be endured to let it heal.

We had a quick bite at the local fast food joint, and drove across town. My aunt and uncle (Grandma and Grandpa) were babysitting (Mom and Dad at work). We spent a couple hours with the family, as the cast of characters changed (Grandma leaving, Mom arriving). Playing Magna-Doodle, watching PBS Kids Sprout and trying to understand sweet little words spoken around her favorite binky comprised some of the exciting activities. It was good to see everyone, and spend time with the wee one, even a sometimes cranky wee one.

After our visit, Mom and I went to the dollar movie (not quite as good as the fifty cent movie from bygone days - I'll see anything for fifty cents!) and saw Cars. Mom had seen it before, and allowed that she would see it again. I really enjoyed the movie. It was much more geared for adults than I expected, and I even cried a little (*sniff*).

After the movie and a relatively slow dinner, we adjourned to the house to make orange mini muffins (yum!) for Mom's church function in the morning. Nothing like orange mini muffins baking to fill the kitchen with tasty scents and feelings of home.

Um, surprise??

You are a Social Liberal (71% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (25% permissive) You are best described as a: Democrat Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

Weekend over

The weekend has officially ended, and on a good note.

Friday evening, I had a good time at my nephew's birthday party. He looked very happy and had a good time with family and friends. We all whipped out our cell phones and called his new phone so he could add the numbers in his address book.

Saturday was extremely quiet, I did a lot of stuff around the house, projects I needed to start or finish, stuff like that. Both kitties enjoyed me being home, and I spent time playing with or petting on them on and off. Watched Labyrinth and Arabian Nights in the background.

Sunday, quiet again, until I got myself going around 2. Made my way to Mom's, where we ended up playing cribbage and watching part of Meet the Fockers (which was much funnier than I expected, all the hype notwithstanding).

After the movie watching, I went over to GirlZoot's and got my game fix for a couple days. We played a quick and dirty hand of Magic, then 3 rounds of Mexican Dominoes (also called Train Dominoes among others). The Boy joined us and we had a rousing time of wit and banter as well as game-y goodness. Three hands of Hearts followed where I got to take the Queen at least once (after I gave it away no less). I always enjoy playing games at GirlZoot's or my kitchen table. I think it's my turn next (whenever they can make it up in my neighborhood).

Today (well, yesterday now) I did some more around the house, with the added benefit of a partner in crime. We managed two meals out, the laundry, the bills, the sheets, and the carpets. Whew!

Overall, a very relaxing weekend, with lots of down time (which I needed more than I realized). I may have to take another day off sometime this month (before my weeklong vacation in October for which I will need to be forgiven). And next weekend, we're off to see the wee one for a few hours at least. We didn't make it to see her this weekend, but since she just got home Friday, I'm sure her parents are looking forward to having some time to adjust.

See you in the world.

Looking into a long weekend

I think I'm all caught up on the major events and activities of the last few weeks.

Here's where I am today.

We are going to go see my baby cousin (I've got to come up with a better descriptor than that, she's nearly 2!) at Children's Hospital later today. She had surgery to correct hip dysplasia, and will be in a cast from the waist down for 6 weeks, then another half cast for another 6 weeks. The good things here are that it was caught early (imagine 12 weeks in a cast as an active 6 or 8 year old), she probably won't remember this with stunning detail, and even the doctor said it will be harder on the adults than on her. She's an amazingly adaptive and sweet little girl, and I know she'll come though this and still be a sweet, happy little girl.

I took today off, so I have a nice 4 day weekend ahead of me... where I will endeavor to keep my mind off my job. With all that is going on, it sometimes creeps into my thoughts on my time off, and I try not to let it bother me. The other day, tho, I woke up in a start and called myself at work to cancel something I had scheduled by mistake... Fun times!

After visiting the wee one, I will be going to celebrate my nephew's birthday. He just started high school and is now 15 years old (as of Wednesday). He is taller than me (and his mother, and I believe his father as well) and I can still remember him spitting up on me when he wasn't much bigger than a football. I had just started college when he was born and all sorts of memories are swirling around in my noggin, of his previous birthdays, of when he and his mother visited me in my college dorm, of playing video games, and board games and laughing and watching this incredible boy grow into the young man he is now. And I am honored to be one of the privileged few friends invited to the family dinner tonight.

One last thing, I had a very strange dream last night. Girlzoot and I were mudding on the old HLII MUD. Somehow, instead of just colorful text, it was live action as well, some sort of combination that may have been just part of the dream. Anyway, one of the elder gods was helping Girlzoot and me gain in the attributes of our class, which for my part involved me being humiliated but remaining true to my honesty. Once I was humiliated to death (in the game) I raised my attribute and resurrected in a room called Up on Altia's Rooftop. I tried to read the text of the room (it was created for and by Altia when she attained godhood back in the day) because I wanted to save it. Well, things started happening, as they do on the mud, and the text either never showed or it scrolled by too fast to read. When I was recalled (by the same elder god) I met Girlzoot (in the live action part of the game) and told her what happened.

Ok, I'm off to shower and dress to go see the wee one. Enjoy your holiday weekend, everyone!

Renovation

Our local ABC is under renovation, so we have to decamp early tonight. Next week is Labor Day, so I got my writing group fix as best I could tonight.

Survivor brought his lovely wife, Mrs. Survivor. We hit it off, and even enjoyed a brief interlude outside in the cool evening air talking before we had to pack up and leave. I'm still mulling some of the things we talked about.

All in all, a good night, even if the group part ended too quickly. See everyone in 2 weeks!

Punk Rock 101

Before the Get Happy Tour concert tonight, I met Girlzoot at Brothers BBQ on Washington and 6th Avenue. My KC Brisket tickled my tastebuds greatly, and the sweet bbq sauce tasted just fine. We talked, and listened as we finished our tasty meals.

After finding a good spot to park by Charlie's, we wandered across the street to get our tickets at will call and stand in line. While getting the tickets, we watched some of the members of the various bands (mostly the folks from Bowling for Soup) cross Colfax with a darling french bulldog named Sherman (which GZ found out later). At previous concerts, I have always delighted in seeing part or all of the band before the show.

While we waited in line, Mitch joined us. It really made me happy that the three of us could get together for the concert. While we have kept up in various ways over the last year since Kerri's funeral, it felt good to all be together.

Once inside the Ogden, I noticed that the upstairs had expanded quite a bit, and had wings coming out toward the stage along the walls. It took a few minutes to register this, seeing as I hadn't been in the theatre for a couple of years.

Since this was a 16+ show, we had to prove our age to get up to the balcony where the drinks were. Our tight neon orange bracelets made quite a fashion statement, going very well with our Batgirl and Tinkerbell t-shirts (can you guess which was mine?)

We had a few drinks and I made some impromptu earplugs (so out of practice). Before the show we got in some chatting and talking and laughed quite a bit.

Four bands performed, Army of Freshman, Punchline, Lucky Boys Confusion, and Bowling for Soup. Though I didn't know anything of the first 3 bands but Girlzoot's good word, after they finished, I discovered I definitely like their music. We bought a Lucky Boys Confusion EP for $5, and I now have three albums in my iTunes shopping cart. And I'm looking forward to the new BFS album coming in November *whoot*

The Bowling for Soup set had a total of one song I didn't know, which in itself was awesome, but they also played every song I wanted to hear (Surf Colorado, Ohio, 1985, Two Seater, Girl All the Bad Guys Want, Punk Rock 101, The Last Rock Show, Get Happy). I'm going to be buzzing on this for a while.

Thanks Mitch and Girlzoot for coming out! I had a great time and we should do it again soon (or something like it).

Whooo hooo!

One final look

Saturday I drove into a wet and rainy Boulder to see the last show on my punch card. After much deliberation, I chose to do a repeat performance.

I parked at the Library (huzzah for free parking!) and walked by Boulder Creek under Broadway and up to 13th to the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. I got my last punch for Arachne and wandered through the muesum until the show was opened. I got a second row seat along the back, where I could see the entire stage (the first time we were to the side and missed part of the story in the stage dressings).

I saw a few of the actors from different pieces at the Fringe, which was fun. Everyone seemed to be supporting everyone else.

With a different persepective, and a different night, the show came alive in a different fashion. Some of the surprise had left the piece, like the skittering spider part, however, the story and the acting withstood the loss of my innocence.

Whereas some of the pieces at the Fringe showed different or updated visions of an older story, Arachne told the myth set in the time and place of its origin. "We tell the same stories over and over again." "If we're lucky and we have a story where we're really smart or really clever, then we tell that story over and over again." Her retelling of this ancient tale not only brought the myth to life again but also gave me a glimpse into the eyes of an angry Goddess and I felt the loss of faith that Arachne purported keenly.

"I am here in the corner, where you don't want me. But I am still here."

Flying Solo

Friday afternoon, I got an email from DJ, he was unable to make it out on Friday night. I pulled out the festival schedule to see if there was anything I wanted to change about the shows we planned on seeing. Luckily, the shows were all in the Dairy Center for the Arts, a nice central location, close to some good eats and relatively easy to park near.

I got off work early, due to summer hours and drove into Boulder. The sky was overcast a bit, with the sun peeking out at different times. By the time I got to the Dairy, it had warmed considerably and I decided to run by Noodles for a bite to eat. With my book (the reading of which I wouldn't be noting on my CV, as it would mean I didn't like to socialize), I walked down to the restaurant and ordered a nice trio of breaded Parmesan chicken, mushroom stroganoff, and a caesar salad (with real grated Parmesan cheese on it). Quite tasty, and I read my book for about an hour before heading back to the venue.

By now, it was raining lightly, like it had last Saturday walking back from *Bux (which, incidentally is next to Noodles). I went into the Dairy to get my tickets and I got a chance to meet Sophie Nimmannit, the artist and actor in Arachne. She was very personable and genuinely excited to hear feedback. Later, while waiting in line, she put on the Athena mask (with mirrors for eyes, which just felt so right for a Goddess) and handed out flyers to her show.

The first show I saw was Something is Rotten, a very off beat version of Hamlet, with puppets, a goldfish as Ophelia, a construction truck as a very convincing Laertes, and a ghost sock with pink stripes. As before in many of the shows we saw at the Fringe Festival, the actors continually broke the fourth wall. All in all it was funny and entertaining, definitely something unique in the treatment of Hamlet.

After a brief break, while the stage was set for the next performance, I found myself in the same seat (front row stage left section). The Decameron Project had large imposing asymetrical blocks for the staging, looking almost like rock formations or distant mountains. Later in the show, everyone had a start when one of the big crags came crashing down by mistake with a thunderclap.

Set in a future where mankind seemed to be nearly destroyed by an undefined plague, six survivors told each other stories to keep the dark at bay and remind themselves of their essential humanity. Some of the stories, like the Family Bed and the Office Sex Toy (my titles, not theirs) touched a deep vein of humor and sexual banter. Others, like Come Back After Death and Wrong Therapist, had humor laced with a piercing meaning, reminding us all of what it is to be human. While the actors physically broke the fourth wall by leaving the stage and sitting on the floor before it, they never spoke to the audience. I loved the storytelling aspect and how the others would participate in acting out the story. It gave a richness of experience and allowed the players to be different people all within the context of the show. Serious, but ultimately uplifting.

After the last show, I was quite tired, and left the beautiful Boulder valley to wind my way home. One more punch for tomorrow and the Boulder International Fringe Festival will be over, at least for me, until next year.

Pearl Street Up and Down

Tonight the plan was for catching a show together at the Trident at 8:30. Since I get off work between 5 and 6 o'clock, I figured I could take in another show before the comedy improv. Plans changed after I heard from DJ. Now we were taking in two shows, after a quick bite at Illegal Pete's (mmm good).

IP's is at 15th and Pearl. We walked down to the Boulder Co-op at 19th and Pearl to see w/e, a one man dramatic piece (picture above). I really liked the way the story unfolded, and how the characters interrelated. The actor, Robert LaRonde, had an amazing grasp of kinesthetic sense as evidenced by the transformation between Miles and Cynthia. Miles' near frenetic pacing and Cynthia's tentative smile stayed with me.

Afterwards, we walked back down Pearl Street to the Trident (at 9th). Along the way a busker was performing for a small crowd, balancing something on her chin. She had a chain demarking the stage, one of the yellow plastic kinds. DJ told me about another performer he had seen, who did an amazing Zip Code trick. He had a chain outlining the continental US and asked for audience members to tell him what Zip Code they were from (preferably out of state). He would unerringly place them in the correct home towns and fill the map with the folks watching the show.

We got to the Trident with plenty of time, and we got some drinks. One of the performers we had seen on Sunday had just finished his set and was staying for the next one. I said hi and told him how much I enjoyed his show. He remembered me and DJ from the other night (most of the venues are very intimate, we're talking inches not feet from the stage at times).

The improv, Comedy a la Carte, was done by Mile Hi-Larity, a local Denver improv troupe. We had an MC and four players varying from Jeopardy to guess the activity with a twist. As always, audience participation was manditory. Occupations, outdoor activities, and favorite colors tumbled over each other vying for promenince and the chance to be chosen. One of my favorite improv activities is always Rewind, and they did a good job with a trucker piece. One I hadn't seen before was Flashback, where the action rolls for a while then the MC calls flashback and the players act out a scene that happened before the last scene. Confusing, but definitely entertaining.

Two years in a row, Kerri and I went to Impulse Theater under the Wynkoop for her birthday (after trying abortively to see something closer to home). It was always fun and we laughed so much we cried. Under the overhang at the Trident, in a place where I was pretty sure she had never been, I could feel her with me, laughing and being amazed at the speed and hilarity ensuing before me.

After the laughter subsided, and I could breathe normally again, we wandered back toward my car, parked at 14th and Canyon. After I dropped DJ off at his car, I wound my way back through Boulder, enjoying the quiet and the cool evening air, and wondering what tomorrow would bring.

Reunion

Today we had a reunion of sorts at my office. We've been in the new building since December last year and we finally have a beautiful new full service cafeteria. Everyone who ever left the company was invited (and I heard quite a lot of opinions about this).

There was a treasure hunt (going around to all the floors and getting stamps from different places, learning that the main executive office is the size of a small apartment) and a prize drawing. Tee-shirts, water bottles, and a long line for some scrumptious finger foods. It was fun to see some of the folks I worked with over the last several years.

At the prize drawing, both my guest (my mom) and I won prizes (gift cards to the new Cafe).

Then we took a long, hot drive to Aurora to enjoy a chocolate malted.

Tuesday at the Library

Well, ok, it wasn't exactly at the library, but I parked at the library, does that count? It's a very lovely building, the Boulder Public Library, and I enjoyed parking there close to the creek and all. While I have dozens of books at my house that are begging to be read, I still could have passed a pleasant evening in the confines of the library... and it might have been slightly more entertaining.

Tonight I met DJ down by the library and we went to another of a series of Fringe Festival events. The venue, the Trident, is set up quite nicely for a little sheltered outdoor patio experience. Before the show, we kept getting peeks of the actors, getting set up on either side of the stage (behind tall white walls). I sort of felt like we were seeing the bride before the wedding. DJ thought they were eager and that was a good sign.

My mother taught me that if you don't have anything nice to say, it's best not to say anything at all.

So after the show, we walked back to the library parking lot and talked for a bit. After the night flies and the 'squitioes snacked on us enough, I drove home under the darkening sky.

Quiet

I got to our local internet cafe and had a yummy chicken cordon bleu panini sammich with a pickle chaser. I spent most of the evening chatting with Shaych, Girlzoot, and Seraphmoon. Fun times.

Not a lot of non-chat writing, tho.

More Fringe to come tomorrow!

A Fringing we will go

Second helping of the Boulder Fringe Festival today. The first performance was at the Trident Bookstore out on the back patio, which had a sand box and a high ceilinged covered section. We saw Curriculum Vitae by Jimmy Hogg, the Brit who approached us yesterday to come see his show. It was wicked funny. During the performance he went from wearing a bathrobe to dressing himself for an interview. We got Star Wars references, surreal moments from my own life, and audience interaction. I would see this one again, if there weren't so many other shows I have planned.

After the show, DJ and I walked down Pearl Street and the entire length of the mall. As I am not a frequent patron of the mall, I walked pretty slow and did a bit of window oogling. I also noticed an It's Your Move game store (one of my weaknesses). We had a quick dinner and walked to the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art for the second show of the evening.

The performance was upstairs in a space with seating on three sides. Before we were seated, we wandered around the galleries with both wood and metal sculptures and paintings with some mixed media. There was also a scary looking open lift. *shiver* My life long fear of heights kicked in and I stepped back while DJ investigated. It did look interesting, sort of reminded me a bit of the lifts in Metropolis (which I need to retrieve from who I lent it to).

Arachne was a one woman show with puppets and masks. The artist came out in a full spider outfit and skittered across the floor in a very realistic, and somewhat creepy, manner. (Note, I am not overly fond of spiders, I try to refrain from screaming when seeing one) The interpretation of the myth explored the story from Arachne's point of view. I quite enjoyed it.

Afterward, we walked through City Park, under Broadway, and over Boulder Creek. Running water sounds soothing and always captures my attention. We stopped momentarily on the bridge where the creek ran under our feet.

Before I knew it, I was back in my own car driving home with a smile on my face. I could get used to this.

Eternal Sunshine...

Can I borrow a piece of your chicken?

And then you just took it, without waiting for an answer. It was so intimate, like we were already lovers.

Clementine / Joel - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

A Boulder Day

Today was the first day I got a chance to attend the Boulder International Fringe Festival up in beautiful Boulder Colorado. As I drove in along Highway 36, at an outrageous speed, I crested the big hill that opens into the Boulder Valley. The sun was out and my breath caught in my throat. I had forgotten how stunning the view coming into the valley is and for a moment I missed my 20 mile commute into the People's Republic. Then I came back to reality and just enjoyed the view.

With the super spiffy directions from DJ, I managed to find a parking spot not too far from the Dairy Center for the Performing Arts where the first performance was scheduled. The box office didn't have the Frequent Fringer pass I wanted to purchase, so I had to bum a punch off of DJ's frequent fringer pass. The fine folks at the front turned a blind eye to our slight of hand passing the card between us.

The first show we saw was A.C.E. Comedy. It was a three person show with an American, Canadian, and an Englishman. They had cute Scrabble letters on their shirts (which previous audiences took for chemical symbols, a disturbingly intelligent thought completely devoid of cultural knowledge). The show was fricking funny, at one point bologna and American cheese and mayo took part in an oddly fascinating way. Much laughter abounded.

After the fun improv comedy set, DJ and I decided to catch a dance performance next, which happened to be an hour later. We took a walk down to the local *bux and had some icy fruity drinks (mocha raspberry and bluberry non-coffee yumminess). DJ bought mine, which was very sweet (thanks again!) and we chatted about random stuff, the best kind of chatting. We walked back to the Dairy in a light rain, passing a farmer's ditch that fascinated me. I always have had a fascination with running water, and when I was young, we lived across the cul-de-sac from an irrigation ditch where I spent many pleasant summer hours both by myself and with friends.

As we reached the Dairy, Jimmy Hogg, the star of one of the shows Curriculum Vitae, handed us postcards for his show and asked us to come see him at the Trident. I already wanted to see the show, and it's always nice to be asked personally (even if it was kind of a drive by). I purchased my pass and we played the pass the pass game again (to balance the scales).

Twitch, performed by a dance troupe of seven women, had several different pieces. My favorites included the first piece with four dancers all over the stage, doing balance work off each other, and times when their arms or feet moved so fast purple tinged their skin tones. Also, the final piece, three scenes of the corporate world, where the performers went from full business attire (including the omnipresent tie) to completely throwing away the tie as the last vestige of corporateness and jumping thought the fourth wall before the lights fell. I also enjoyed the solo performances, one woman told the story of where she came from with words and dance, and another broke one of the cardinal rules of performance by having her back to the audience the entire time. She looked like a swan at times, just moments from taking off into the great blue yonder.

I picked up a full schedule and we spread it out on my trunk (watched by the heffalumps and woozles in my back window) to determine what other shows we wanted to see. We're probably going to see something together tomorrow as well.

All in all, I quite enjoyed myself. I adore live performance, and the company was marvelous.

Happy Hour

Tonight we went to happy hour at Dave & Busters. It was fun (they had a deal where you could get a meal and a card for playing at a good price). We played trivia and I messed around with some other games (the horse racing is my favorite, but there are not always two players). I got myself two cute little shot glasses that look like beer mugs. And they're even glass (classy!)

Book thingy

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123
3. Find the fifth sentence
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions:

Don't you dare dig for that “cool” or “intellectual” book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest, then tag three people.

I always get all tense about the tagging, reminds me of the chain letters from bygone years... Feel free to join in the fun.

Caveat - closest book to my computer isn't exactly light entertaining reading...

Find More Time by Laura Stack

Pests are the time wasters and robbers that keep you from being able to accomplish your goals. They are obstacles in your path. My handheld phone/PDA allows me to access e-mail from anywhere; it is a time-saver during the workday and while traveling, but it is a pest when I'm fiddling with it while I'm supposed to be enjoying my son's T-ball game. Sleeping in on the weekend may be a necessary luxury if you've had a hectic week with little sleep, but it becomes a pest when being too lazy on a Saturday morning keeps you from accomplishing the tasks you set out to do.

Hrm... now I'm reading the rest of the chapter... maybe it will help.

Legendary 4 Nikators

I missed Tuesday! What was I doing that I missed Tuesday; I was on such a roll!

Oh, I worked late and got a haircut... so I got home late from that and went pretty much to bed.

Tonight Glender and I went to see the Legendary 4 Nikators at Bands on the Bricks in front of the Boulder Court House. It was fun, I got to dance, and sing, to 50's 60's and 70's dance music, be loud and generally make a fool of myself (which I am wont to do when left to my own devices). Glender had a good time out on the dance floor while I mostly stayed to the side, behind the speakers where it was slightly less loud. The band had fun and they had several members (bass, guitar, two keyboards, and sax, plus female lead vocals and lots of guest musicians and singers).

People watching at these events is always a hoot. The couple next to me was fun. The gentleman wanted to stay to the end, while the lady kept trying to get him to leave for the last half of the show. At one point he asked if I had a dollar and as I don't generally carry cash, I couldn't oblige him. Anyway, at one point he and his ladyfriend (wife, girlfriend, lover, I didn't ask) were smoking a hand rolled cigarette of unknown origin. I don't recall sensing any extra-legal materials burning, but I could have missed it easily...

Neways, it's off to bed for this tired dancing fool.

Monday Night

I love my writing group.

Tonight we had possibly the biggest turn out since, well, since ever. When I got there, EDog, Survivor, Apogee and Julie were already there. DJ and Marie showed up just after I got there. Even Eric came back (and I got a hug!). My biggest surprise was seeing Survivor, who I didn't expect until November sometime (yay for surprises!!).

Right now I'm listening to Bowling For Soup's High School Never Ends... this is a total non-sequiter, however, it's hilarious...

Still care about your hair and the car you drive, it doesn't matter if your 16 or 35...
The whole damn world is just as obsessed with who's the best dressed and who's having sex...
Who's got the money, who's got the honeys, who's kinda cute and who's just a mess
And I still don't have the right look, and I still have the same three friends, and I'm pretty much the same as I was back then

Ok, back to the regularly scheduled post... where was I? Oh, loving my writing group... Anyway, it was a bit overwhelming to have everyone there. EDog is always good at superfocusing and ignoring all the distractions (of which I am one at times, I know). He actually wrote with headphones on, but I'm not sure how much got done, what with all the circus in front of him. Apogee was helping everyone out who needed IT support (we gather at an internet cafe with free wireless), Survivor hung out and talked dirty with me (ok, not really dirty, but flirty dirty). DJ and I usually chat quite a lot, both IM and in person, but the group dynamic (and seating arrangements) seemed to change that tonight. He had a lot of great ideas that never panned out (mostly to do with Apogee and something about tongues). Marie was pretty quiet, and couldn't stay long, but it was very nice to see her for the short time she could stay. Julie occupied Apogee in a laptop buying advising type role for a while then chatted happily with Survivor while I tried to unbreak my IM program (with Apogee leaning over me in that 'I'm a tech, don't mind me and give me your mouse' way). To be honest, I think I'm picking that up at work, the gimme your mouse and let me steer... Of course, sometimes it's better to let the user steer, which is why I'll always be a trainer and probably never IT support. (Gimme the damn mouse!)

Mostly, if I could have the hanging out and the getting writing done both, a nice balance, I'd be in heaven.

Thanks everybody for coming out. I had a great night!

Outing

Today we had tickets for the Rockies / Cubs game. It was a lovely day, cool and breezy, and we nearly won...

Regardless, getting out of the house and in the world was a good.

Back to my regularly scheduled life tomorrow. See you there :)

Shiny Day

I spent most of today with my mother, and we had a lot of fun. First, we had breakfast at the local greasy spoon... yummy bacon and eggs - where we made a map of the world with the sugar packets. Then I got a manicure - I'm wearing Opi Don't Be Koi with Me, a bright orangy color - perfect for summer. We did a bit of shopping then got some dinner fixin's at King Soopers. After a lovely dinner on the back porch (and after chasing Deke into the house twice!) we watched the pilot episode of Firefly, Serenity, and then Shindig. Mom really enjoyed the show. Love me some Kaylee.

Road Trip

I took today off of work, and managed not to get dressed until after 5. After some reading (and falling asleep while reading), surfing the net, talking to Girlzoot, and petting the kitties, I decided I was hungry and it was time to get moving. While chatting with Girlzoot, she suggested taking a drive. This suggestion stuck with me, because after a relatively quick dinner at Red Lobster, I got on I-25 North and just kept driving.

As I drove, I had Bowling for Soup as company, and I thought how nice it was to just drive, not have somewhere to be at a certain time, just to drive. The lure of the open road is quite attractive and I enjoyed watching the sun go down as I drove with the window down and my hair blowing all around. The landscape was familiar. When I went to school at CSU, I drove the highway at least twice a month. Some of the landmarks / businesses had change, but most of the way felt the same. Now, rumble strips lined both sides of the road, and about 10 miles north of home, a little fence ran in the median to prevent people from crossing it to the other side. I suppose they're serious about the signs stating "Median Crossing Prohibited". Who knew?

As soon as I passed my own exit, I knew where I was heading, and today it felt right to be going back to my old stomping grounds in Fort Collins, home of the CSU Rams. Kerri and I spent a lot of time in the four years I attended CSU, both at the dorm and in the two places she lived in off campus. And since I've been thinking of her all day, a trip down memory lane seemed like a good idea.

I got into town before the sun completely set, and drove up Mulberry to Wheedbee. The last house Kerri lived in college was just off Wheedbee and Myrtle. This was the house we played Secret of Mana for hours instead of studying, painted the ceiling, celebrated my 21st birthday with a bowl full of fuzzy navels (I couldn't drink orange juice for months after), where I became Goddess of the Yard (for one night only), and where she had the best graduation party complete with an ice block for shooters and a gaggle of old friends and new faces. We scrubbed jello shots out of the carpet there, and smoked our first cigarettes on the front porch. As I drove past, thoughts and images came to me of the memories and times I spent in the little white house with green shutters. It looked exactly the same as it had 12 years ago when she drove off in her black 4Runner with the dogs in the back and her dad sitting next to her.

After I drove by, I swung back around to Mulberry and went to the 7-11 we used to frequent. The clear plastic lids for the Big Gulps (with or without a cape) are not new, but back in the day, we used to carve our initials in the translucent plastic lid so we could tell who's was who's when we got back to the little house on Myrtle. After grabbing some gum and a drink (putting my initial on the lid in honor of the memory) I swung through Old Town and headed for Walrus Ice Cream, the best ice cream ever. Back when I was in college, it was right on College (basically Main Street) but I think shortly before or after I graduated they moved a block west, just off Mountain. After circling the one way streets for about 10 minutes, I finally just laughed and pulled into the pay parking lot which did have a few spots. I could remember circling the Corbett parking lot every night looking for a spot, and the night of the Billy Squier concert, Kerri was driving and we couldn't find a spot in our lot or remotely near the dorm. Surprisingly the charge was only $0.50/hour, excessively reasonable. Walrus didn't have my favorite (Cinnamon) but I had a nice scoop of strawberry in a chocolate waffle cone which I ate in my car listening to P!nk. Quite tasty.

Next door to Walrus, the Rio Grande has a back porch area gated off under a big arch. Kerri used to love going there, the food was good, the margaritas were really good, so good that there was a 3 margarita limit. I also remembered the Spring Break of my senior year when Shaych and I went to the Rio for dinner. I ordered a margarita (what the heck! I thought) and the waitress asked if Shaych wanted one as well. He said he did but had left his id at home so he'd just have a virgin margarita if that was ok. Well, no, it wasn't, but how old was he anyway? By the end of the evening, he had imbibed his own margarita and mine to boot. Suffice it to say, there is a reason for a 3 margarita limit... But we had fun and talked about the most outrageous things that night.

I decided to take a spin around the Oval then head to my old dorm for a bit of nostalgia. When I got onto campus at the Oval, it had gotten pretty dark. Oddly enough, there were tents and awnings pitched with a bunch of empty animal crates (the big metal bar kind). Apparently some sort of bazzar had happened today, and people were either bedding down for the night or packing up to leave. Part of the Oval was blocked to traffic so I ended up driving on the east side of campus, past the building that was reputed to have stairs ending in nothing and doors that opened to the open air. Now, I'm not sure I believe that, but I remember the story from my days as Campus Mail Delivery.

I made my way back out to Laurel and west toward Corbett Hall, conjoined with Parmalee at the kitchens (where I used to work). I entered the parking lot and circled around, pleased at all the available parking. I slid my car into my favorite spot, right in front of my old room H107, the sweetest single on campus. I had my own entrance separate from the rest of my hall, a nicely sized room, and my own bathroom (the best part, I didn't have to share with any neighbors). I also didn't have any upstairs neighbors, I was under the lounge between A and H halls, so it was blessedly quiet. I got out of the car and wandered up to the door leading into the dorm. Instead of a big lock, a pass card controller rested next to the door, and a nifty call box (like those in some apartments where you have to be buzzed in) was right outside the door. When I was in school, it was before the big cell phone boom (I didn't have one til years later, and it was still 15oz and clunky as all get out) and if you wanted to get in, you had to have your key or know a friend was coming down to get you. Yanno, uphill in the snow both ways and all.

I stood beneath the window where I used to shout up to Shaych to play something, anything, and play it loud so I could hear it. I couldn't smoke in my room, so I would hang out outside and chat with him in his room or he would come down and join me, enjoying a brief respite from the many hours of study and paper writing. I smiled as I walked under the underpass and into the courtyard. Corbett is the biggest dorm on campus, and at the time (and I imagine to this day) is also the football dorm. It's shaped like a big D with two wings flaring off by the kitchen. In the center of the D is a huge courtyard with a sand volleyball court, concrete basketball full court, and a grassy area with several huge trees. By now, it is full dark, and school is not in session yet, so I'm a bit wary, but I wandered in and sat down for a bit and enjoyed the warm night, thinking about my old room and the many many times I crossed the courtyard to go eat or pick up mail or meet someone. I thought fondly of the first time I met Shaych at the mailboxes, his warm smile and friendly manner invited me into his circle of friends. We walked across the courtyard, mail in hand, and went up into his single suite, catty-corner to mine one floor up. He was building a montage on his wall and we talked about music and politics and Madonna among other things. Since that day, he has been one of my dearest friends.

I had one last stop to make, so I gathered myself and drove up North Drive and headed toward Elizabeth Street. Campus West looked as lively as ever, the Subway still a staple of the area, with a new Qdoba and McD's. The little mediterranean food place I loved was gone, and I saw something had taken over the downstairs spot where Marshak's was until the flood of 97 destroyed the merchandise. They reopened down in Old Town and I just learned they closed for good in October 2005. I played my first ever MtG Tournaments there and bought my first serious comic book series there.

When I got to Prospect, I turned west and headed down the dark road that had few streetlights (after the blazing bright lights on Shields, this was sort of a blessing). When I got close, I had to start looking at street signs. Azalea is a winding street that loops from Prospect up to Overland. I found the correct turn and drove past a very quiet neighborhood to the little townhouse that Kerri moved into just before finals our freshman year. We had recruited Jon, the pet store guy and all around fine fellow, to help move the 55 gallon fish tank Kerri had started in her dorm room (and purchased from Jon earlier that year). Kerri's new roommate had a female basenji and during the year she lived in the place on Azalea, she had a litter of four pups, one of each. Male and female red and white and male and female tri-color. Reeses, Caramello, Snickers and Junior Mint (could you tell they were on a diet when the naming happened?)

After my final drive by, I went back to College and drove down the main strip out of town. The local market had been bought out by King Soopers, and there was a Whole Foods right there as well. I waved to the mall where we spent many many nights buying music and visiting Jon. I noticed all the chain restaurants that popped up, Applebees, Olive Garden, Lone Star. As I made my way to the highway to head for home, I saw the moon hanging on the eastern horizon. It was huge and a golden yellow-orange and it followed me all the way back. Weird Al got me home again, and I thought of the time Kerri had bought walkie talkies so we could be connected as we caravaned home for winter break. I told you it was before cell phones...

All in all, I expected this trip to be more emotionally draining than it was. Mostly I smiled and didn't even think to shed a tear. To tell the truth, I really enjoyed my trip and I think it was a great idea. Thanks, Girlzoot.

Sestina for Kerri

Sestina for Kerri

I still remember the day we met, Kerri
How you shared with me your brilliant smile
Our friendship blossomed and soon after
Inseparable much of the time
We played on the roof beneath the stars
And laughed as snow fell in cold moonlight

Among our friends you always were the light
Bright laughter sparkled in your eyes, Kerri
Your home shone like a beacon; it was the star
We orbited eager to share your smile
Arcades and games filled our time
With much giggling after

We grew and laughed and planned for after
High school days that finished fast as light
Soon we tasted freedom, unfettered by time
Remember midnight bowling or Jon at Foothills, Kerri?
Puppy and ferret antics would make us smile
Your love of animals always shone like a star

Then for a while you followed a different star
Your travels and freedom came only after
You searched for home and for a moment lost your smile
Somehow you managed to retain the light
Of your bright blue eyes and easy way, Kerri
And let yourself settle down for a time

Family ties called you forth after a time
Spent with friends in your hot tub beneath the stars,
Along with dancing to fiery rhythms, Kerri,
And hours spent discussing literature even after
You decided to move to back the heat and light
Of the Texas sun that always made you smile

What happened to that beautiful smile?
It shines now only in snapshots of time
Taken in long lost shafts of sunlight
Now you live in gentle twilight as the stars
Twinkle softly above the earth and only after
My eyes have dried do I smile, thinking of you, Kerri.

In my heart you smile at things I whisper beneath those stars
In my heart I hold close our time, making new memories so after
We meet again in the Light we can share them together, Kerri.

Last look at Lyrics for now

He drinks a whisky drink
He drinks a vodka drink
He drinks a lager drink
He drinks a cider drink
He sings the songs that remind him
Of the good times
He sings the songs that remind him
Of the better times
- Tubthumping, Chumbawamba

I look up at your house
And I can almost hear you
Shout down to me
Where I always used to be
And I miss you-
Like the deserts miss the rain

And the years have proved
To offer nothing
Since you moved
You’re long gone
But I can’t move on
And I miss you-
Like the deserts miss the rain
- Missing, Everything But the Girl

Same thing that turns you on
Can turn you off
Same thing that makes you hard
Can make you soft
Same thing you thought was wrong
Could be right
Same words you speak for peace
Can start a fight, start a fight
Same same thing that brings you down
Can make you high
- Higher than High, Tony LeMans

In the midst of my bubble

I'm riding along, in my mist of music and memory, trying my best to reconcile the past with my future, and things just keep happening. As I have learned, life continues on, the world keeps spinning, opportunities are presented and decisions need to be made.

Sorry to be so vague, but since I began this post, it has gotten inordinately late making me somewhat loopy and tired and I'm also in a decision making process (which can be long and painful).

Goodnight for now, I promise more soon.

Songs of memory

I’ve been thinking maybe I’ve been partly cloudy
Maybe I’m the chance of rain
And maybe I’m overcast
And maybe all my luck’s washed down the drain

I’ve been thinking about everyone,
Everyone you look so lonely
But when I look at the stars
When I look at the stars
When I look at the stars, I see someone else
When I look at the stars
The stars, I feel like myself
- Stars, Switchfoot

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
- How to Save a Life, The Fray

Daniel my brother you are older than me
Do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heal
Your eyes have died but you see more than I
Daniel you're a star in the face of the sky

Daniel is travelling tonight on a plane
I can see the red tail lights heading for Spain
Oh and I can see Daniel waving goodbye
God it looks like Daniel, must be the clouds in my eyes
- Daniel, Elton John

More Lyrics in my head

If someone said three years from now
You'd be long gone
I'd stand up and punch them out
Cause they're all wrong
I know better
Cause you said forever
And ever… who knew?

Remember when we were such fools
And so convinced and just too cool
Oh no no no
I wish I could touch you again
I wish I could still call you friend
I'd give anything

When someone said count your blessings now
’Fore they're long gone
I guess I just didn't know how
I was all wrong
- Who Knew, P!nk

Here comes the rain again
Falling from the stars
Drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are

As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up
When September ends

Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up
When September ends
- Wake Me Up When September Ends, Greenday

I've seen fire, and I've seen rain.
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end.
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,
But I always thought that I'd see you again.
- Fire and Rain, James Taylor

Lyrics in my head

Come back to Texas
It’s just not the same since you went away
I bet you missed your exit
and drove right on through the Lone Star State
There's a seat for you at the rodeo
and I've got every slow dance saved
Besides the Mexican food sucks north of here anyway
- Ohio (Come back to Texas), Bowling for Soup

If I could I relive those days
I know the one thing that would never change......

Every memory of looking out the back door
I have a photo album spread out on my bedroom floor
It's hard to say, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye

Every memory of walking out the front door
I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for
Its hard to say, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye

Look at this photograph
Everytime I do it makes me laugh
Everytime I do it makes me......
- Photograph, Nickelback

Four take 2

In honor of Shaych's addition

Four Favorite Books:
1. Prayer for Owen Meany
2. Wicked
3. All Quiet on the Western Front
4. The Great Gatsby