Reply with your name and
1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle with you in.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal. You MUST. It is written
I'm very late in posting this. Girlzoot, Shaych, and Valium, please accept my apologies.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
You are Scooter.
You are a loyal, hardworking person, better known
as a doormat.
SPECIAL TALENTS:
Going for stuff.
LEAST FAVORITE MOVIE:
"Go For Broke!"
QUOTE:
"15 seconds to showtime."
LAST BOOK READ:
"300 New Ways to Get Your Uncle to Get You a
Better Job "
NEVER LEAVES HOME WITHOUT:
Coffee, clipboard, and Very Special Guest Stars.
What Muppet are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Study conversations
Things overheard at Paris on the Platte by the very patient guy at the end of our table:
G: Mar-duck.
A: I think it’s Mar-duke.
G: Marmaduke?
A: Yah, the big orange dog.
G: I think he’s red, in fact I think it’s Marmaduke, the Big Red Dog.
A: That’s Clifford, the big red dog
G: I don’t know, they’re all big and red and they all created god.
G: Mar-duck.
A: I think it’s Mar-duke.
G: Marmaduke?
A: Yah, the big orange dog.
G: I think he’s red, in fact I think it’s Marmaduke, the Big Red Dog.
A: That’s Clifford, the big red dog
G: I don’t know, they’re all big and red and they all created god.
Relativity of intelligence
You are smart; you can make it go.
I got this phrase from STtNG, from the episode where Geordi was kidnapped by a space-faring race that stole technology from other races, and wanted to steal Geordi for his talents.
It has now become a stock phrase in my vocabulary. And girlzoot just flung it back at me. I told her how smart she was after she learned me something new on the internet thingy. She said, "Yeah, I can make it go." Made me laugh, and practically snort hot cocoa out my nose.
Maybe you had to be there...
I got this phrase from STtNG, from the episode where Geordi was kidnapped by a space-faring race that stole technology from other races, and wanted to steal Geordi for his talents.
It has now become a stock phrase in my vocabulary. And girlzoot just flung it back at me. I told her how smart she was after she learned me something new on the internet thingy. She said, "Yeah, I can make it go." Made me laugh, and practically snort hot cocoa out my nose.
Maybe you had to be there...
Don’t ask me what to wear
Don’t ask me what to wear
I have no embroidered
headband from Sardis to
give you, Cleis, such as
I wore
and my mother
always said that in her
day a purple ribbon
looped in the hair was thought
to be high style indeed
but we were dark:
a girl
whose hair is yellower than
torchlight should wear no
headdress but fresh flowers
I have no embroidered
headband from Sardis to
give you, Cleis, such as
I wore
and my mother
always said that in her
day a purple ribbon
looped in the hair was thought
to be high style indeed
but we were dark:
a girl
whose hair is yellower than
torchlight should wear no
headdress but fresh flowers
Sappho
Translated by Mary Barnard
Four Years Ago Today
Four years ago tonight, I was soaking in a brand new hot tub in Aurora, CO, drinking wine coolers, smoking Marlboro Lights, listening to Lee Greenwood, and watching the footage of the World Trade Center destruction play over and over and over again on CNN or any channel we turned to. Later, when we were outside in the steaming water, the window open so we could hear the TV, we looked up in wonder and a little terror, the primeval terror of the unknown, as we heard the sonic booms of fighter aircraft take off from a nearby Air Force base. Our voices burbled over one another as we began to explain to each other the fact that military aircraft were flying overhead, it was ok, nothing to be alarmed by. But everything alarmed us that night. We were together and we were safe, but what did that mean anymore, what did anything mean?
It was a month ago yesterday that I spoke to her last. Only a month. The last time. How can that be?
It was a month ago yesterday that I spoke to her last. Only a month. The last time. How can that be?
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Geekish Nerd?
| Pure Nerd 78 % Nerd, 43% Geek, 34% Dork |
| For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd. The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally smart led to being unpopular, which would ultimately lead to picking up all of the traits and tendences associated with the "dork." No-longer. Being smart isn't as socially crippling as it once was, and even more so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful. Congratulations! THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST |
Monday, September 05, 2005
Katrina
It seems everywhere you go, Katrina and the aftermath finds its way into conversation. Last night when we were out seeing The Wizard of Oz at the Boulder Dinner Theatre it came up. How people could be in such dire straits and we be out enjoying ourselves?
I am lucky, I suppose. I have not lost any family or friends, no one I know personally was in the path of the storm. A friend's new boyfriend evacuated to Colorado, leaving behind his ex and their children against his will. There are so many other stories, so many faces of people, our people, my people, so many that have been devastated, have lost everything except their lives, that it is mind-numbing.
The single worst disaster that has ever hit us, and we seemed unable to move, unable to snap out of the spin. Pictures of the storm, pictures of the people, stranded, angry, calling for help; cameras capturing the images, able only to report not provide the water, food, and medical supplies so desprately needed.
Relief has begun to arrive, and is arriving, at least one of my friends is going down as I write this to provide relief services to the refugees, and another might be called upon at any moment. I feel so helpless, that my thoughts keep spinning, my private grief mixed with a national grief, one we all share. A grief with no end in sight.
I am lucky, I suppose. I have not lost any family or friends, no one I know personally was in the path of the storm. A friend's new boyfriend evacuated to Colorado, leaving behind his ex and their children against his will. There are so many other stories, so many faces of people, our people, my people, so many that have been devastated, have lost everything except their lives, that it is mind-numbing.
The single worst disaster that has ever hit us, and we seemed unable to move, unable to snap out of the spin. Pictures of the storm, pictures of the people, stranded, angry, calling for help; cameras capturing the images, able only to report not provide the water, food, and medical supplies so desprately needed.
Relief has begun to arrive, and is arriving, at least one of my friends is going down as I write this to provide relief services to the refugees, and another might be called upon at any moment. I feel so helpless, that my thoughts keep spinning, my private grief mixed with a national grief, one we all share. A grief with no end in sight.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Random Thought
And as he drove on, the rain clouds dragged down the sky after him for, though he did not know it, Rob McKenna was a Rain God. All he knew was that his working days were miserable and he had a succession of lousy holidays. All the clouds knew was that they loved him and wanted to be near him, to cherish him and to water him.
--So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish, Douglas Adams
--So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish, Douglas Adams
Monday, August 15, 2005
Stargazing
Last night I sat on the sidewalk while Charlie lay in the grass, enjoying the cool night air. I looked across the way and saw Cassiopeia hanging over the end unit of the row houses, the one where Kerri lived when we were in high school. I’ve always liked Cassiopeia, the great big W in the sky; it’s one of the constellations I can almost instantly recognize.
I remember soft twilit evenings on the roof at Kerri’s house, watching the stars come out in the summer. Her friends tried to show her the different constellations, and she could see the Big Dipper, but she could never see Cassiopeia, no matter who tried to show her. Sitting on the sidewalk next to my dog I thought of those distant evenings with her, and murmured the little song we made up sitting up on the roof.
When the wind blows
On the roof-top
We are cold
Under the cat blanket
The view of the sky became blurry, my eyes glistening. I felt this hole in my heart big enough to hold the sky, knowing she had gone beyond my pale. In my mind, forevermore, she will reside in the soft grey twilight among the scattered stars as they begin to shine.
Sweet dreams, my dear friend. You will be forever missed.
I remember soft twilit evenings on the roof at Kerri’s house, watching the stars come out in the summer. Her friends tried to show her the different constellations, and she could see the Big Dipper, but she could never see Cassiopeia, no matter who tried to show her. Sitting on the sidewalk next to my dog I thought of those distant evenings with her, and murmured the little song we made up sitting up on the roof.
When the wind blows
On the roof-top
We are cold
Under the cat blanket
The view of the sky became blurry, my eyes glistening. I felt this hole in my heart big enough to hold the sky, knowing she had gone beyond my pale. In my mind, forevermore, she will reside in the soft grey twilight among the scattered stars as they begin to shine.
Sweet dreams, my dear friend. You will be forever missed.
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Festival Banner
Last Sunday, we went to the Renaissance Festival in Larkspur. Friends of mine are on the Royal Court of the Faire, and we visited and stayed for the fashion show and the final joust. It was a cool day, with the temperatures down in the 80s and a nice breeze practically everywhere.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Triumph for the Pack Rat
I keep stuff. More stuff than I need, but less than some of those poor souls who do not remember what color the carpet is under all the stuff (and can't tell from the pathway, because it has turned grey with wear).
I have about 4 boxes of papers in various places in my house (mostly in my garage) from different times in my life that I refuse to part with. During my last move, we moved them, and I promised I would look through them and toss what I could and file what I needed to keep. Well, it's coming up on my second lease renewal and I just haven't had a chance to get through all of them. I did get through part of one of them *yay* about a year and a half ago, and I occasionally go out to the garage and dip into one of the boxes, bringing out a treasure of incomparable worth, that sits on my dining room table for a while, then moves to my desk, where it collects dust in the open, instead of in its box.
I also keep things at work. I hoard my letters, with all their precious attachments, on the off chance I might need them again. This has worked for me in the past; I have found emails or letters that helped me resolve an issue. But at my office, I have one little drawer and one hanging file corral on my desk for all my files. We share a tall 4 drawer for all our customers' invoices, and that's it. I have had a pile, wrapped lovingly with rubberbands up in my cabinet for over a year now. I just put some of it with the 4 boxes of stuff I pulled out of our 4 drawer and shipped off to outside storage. But if I ever need it back, it is in a box, safe and sound. Just like I like it.
My files and emails are about in the same state of pack-rattedness as the rest of my desk. I don't ever delete emails, but I'm sure I should be, but I might need it three years down the line. You never know. And I store all my attachments, named with helpful names, on my personal network drive (which has not reached as gigantic proportions as you might imagine; it's still fairly reasonable). And every month, squish all the files down into a nice, helpfully named zip file. Which go back to, you guessed it, when I started at this company.
Well, today was exciting for this pack rat. I had an invoice for a 2003 charge that I could show we paid in our system, but the 2003 files are in storage (and I have never even requested one, isn't that amazing!). So I decided to go through my old email attachments and lo, there was my beautiful proof, including all the bells and whistles attached, laying quietly in the dusty old zip file. I was so excited I showed my co-worker, a wonderful woman with a daughter my age and a good sense of humor, and she laughed. She never keeps anything past its useful life: email, paperwork, paper clips... But she appreciated my triumph, and agreed that yes, today was a good day to be a pack rat.
Now, if I could just find my keys and my cell phone I could get on with my weekend.
I have about 4 boxes of papers in various places in my house (mostly in my garage) from different times in my life that I refuse to part with. During my last move, we moved them, and I promised I would look through them and toss what I could and file what I needed to keep. Well, it's coming up on my second lease renewal and I just haven't had a chance to get through all of them. I did get through part of one of them *yay* about a year and a half ago, and I occasionally go out to the garage and dip into one of the boxes, bringing out a treasure of incomparable worth, that sits on my dining room table for a while, then moves to my desk, where it collects dust in the open, instead of in its box.
I also keep things at work. I hoard my letters, with all their precious attachments, on the off chance I might need them again. This has worked for me in the past; I have found emails or letters that helped me resolve an issue. But at my office, I have one little drawer and one hanging file corral on my desk for all my files. We share a tall 4 drawer for all our customers' invoices, and that's it. I have had a pile, wrapped lovingly with rubberbands up in my cabinet for over a year now. I just put some of it with the 4 boxes of stuff I pulled out of our 4 drawer and shipped off to outside storage. But if I ever need it back, it is in a box, safe and sound. Just like I like it.
My files and emails are about in the same state of pack-rattedness as the rest of my desk. I don't ever delete emails, but I'm sure I should be, but I might need it three years down the line. You never know. And I store all my attachments, named with helpful names, on my personal network drive (which has not reached as gigantic proportions as you might imagine; it's still fairly reasonable). And every month, squish all the files down into a nice, helpfully named zip file. Which go back to, you guessed it, when I started at this company.
Well, today was exciting for this pack rat. I had an invoice for a 2003 charge that I could show we paid in our system, but the 2003 files are in storage (and I have never even requested one, isn't that amazing!). So I decided to go through my old email attachments and lo, there was my beautiful proof, including all the bells and whistles attached, laying quietly in the dusty old zip file. I was so excited I showed my co-worker, a wonderful woman with a daughter my age and a good sense of humor, and she laughed. She never keeps anything past its useful life: email, paperwork, paper clips... But she appreciated my triumph, and agreed that yes, today was a good day to be a pack rat.
Now, if I could just find my keys and my cell phone I could get on with my weekend.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Laughing Lord & Lady
I spent the fourth of July in the company of this noble couple, recent additions to the Royal Court. After a lavish repast, we explored the extensive grounds of their lovely estate, enjoying the pleasant summer evening air. After the sun went down, we enjoyed a fireworks display. Many thanks to the laughing lord and lady for a very enjoyable evening.
Friday, July 01, 2005
Alanis
Ok, so after the margaritas I shared with my co-workers this afternoon on a lovely shaded patio in Boulder, I get in my car to go run an errand. My radio is on and I hear Alanis Morrisette's Ironic. Which is only marginally ironic (I suppose there's irony in that...) but not the version from Jagged Little Pill. It's acoustic, and done very nicely. And when she gets to the part about the 10,000 spoons and only needing a knife she sings:
It's meeting the man of my dreams, and then meeting his beautiful husband.
I love Alanis.
I'm going to get the re-issue of JLP the acoustic version... the two songs I heard sounded really good.
UPDATE: Jagged Little Pill Acoustic is quite good.
It's meeting the man of my dreams, and then meeting his beautiful husband.
I love Alanis.
I'm going to get the re-issue of JLP the acoustic version... the two songs I heard sounded really good.
UPDATE: Jagged Little Pill Acoustic is quite good.
Vancouver, anyone?
Ok I might be over reacting (my mother certainly thinks so) but Sandra Day O'Connor just retired. I'm not quite sure how things will come out, but with a mostly conservative Congress and a conservative Executive branch, one can't help but think a conservative justice will be confirmed. We needed Sandra Day O'Connor's moderate voice, and I think we're going to lose that. Along with the defense on some of our rights the Supreme Court has defended with sometimes the slightest of margins.
Hey, one of my exes is Canadian... maybe he'll let me crash at his place...
Hey, one of my exes is Canadian... maybe he'll let me crash at his place...
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Lyrics in my head
You've always been
Time and again
The one to take my hand
And show to me it's okay to be
Just the way I am
With no apology
Garth Brooks - A Friend to Me
Time and again
The one to take my hand
And show to me it's okay to be
Just the way I am
With no apology
Garth Brooks - A Friend to Me
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Liquid Luminosity
Driving home tonight I was under a spell. I could barely keep my eyes on the road. An early summer thunderstorm and the setting sun painted the sky with a marvel of nature and physics, a stunning rainbow lit the stormy sky my entire drive home. At first I only saw a part of the rainbow, an arching swath of color and light spilling on the ground from the dark clouds. The colors glowed so clearly, like liquid light pouring from the sky. I could see the vivid bands of color spilling onto the ground and buildings behind it.
The other edge of the rainbow looked like a pastel drawing on dark grey paper, smeared smoothly with a celestial finger to blend the colors and light into a band of soft beauty. After a few moments the light came together and I could see the semi-circle from end to end. I thought of my great-uncle who told me a story of how he had stood on the side of one mountain and saw a three-quarter rainbow arching into the sky and dipping into the valley below him. I always wondered if there were a perfect spot to see a circular rainbow, from end to not end banded in bright liquid luminosity.
And above the main rainbow, the second rainbow shimmered at the edge of my sight, like an object in the darkness that you can't see straight on, but have to watch through your side vision. I couldn't be sure, but it seemed to me instead of being roygbiv it was vibgyor, a dim and fragile reflection of the main rainbow. Everytime I tried to look straight at it, the second one became blurry and smeary until I blinked and looked away.
The entire three-quarters of an hour I spent driving home became a study of the rainbow set as it seemed so close then moved back and back to finally become a faded rememberance of the shining glory it was, then to finally fade as the light left the sky and the rain cleared.
The other edge of the rainbow looked like a pastel drawing on dark grey paper, smeared smoothly with a celestial finger to blend the colors and light into a band of soft beauty. After a few moments the light came together and I could see the semi-circle from end to end. I thought of my great-uncle who told me a story of how he had stood on the side of one mountain and saw a three-quarter rainbow arching into the sky and dipping into the valley below him. I always wondered if there were a perfect spot to see a circular rainbow, from end to not end banded in bright liquid luminosity.
And above the main rainbow, the second rainbow shimmered at the edge of my sight, like an object in the darkness that you can't see straight on, but have to watch through your side vision. I couldn't be sure, but it seemed to me instead of being roygbiv it was vibgyor, a dim and fragile reflection of the main rainbow. Everytime I tried to look straight at it, the second one became blurry and smeary until I blinked and looked away.
The entire three-quarters of an hour I spent driving home became a study of the rainbow set as it seemed so close then moved back and back to finally become a faded rememberance of the shining glory it was, then to finally fade as the light left the sky and the rain cleared.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Happy Summer
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
- Daisy Buchanan The Great Gatsby
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Good Day
I spent most of yesterday either with my mom or at her house. She had a salon appointment at noon, so I toodled myself and my shiny little laptop down to her house to hang out with the dog and to get some work done. More hanging out with Charlie happened than actual work (I still need to write out my bills, and finish the writing I had started).
All around, except for some extreme heat and some heated words, we all had a lovely day. Charlie was perky and alert, she sat in the grass in the sun for about 10 minutes, watching the world go by (not much exciting) and having the wind blow her clean white fur. Mom gave her a bath that morning so she was all shiny clean and smelling like shampoo. I brought her back up to the porch in the shade and got her some water with ice cubes in it (she likes that) and she drank some. She sat on the towel next to me while I surfed the web (I love wireless, oh, so much) and started work on my project. After a while I grabbed a slice of turkey and Charlie ate it all up, fairly daintily, but with vigor. And I brought her a pillow to sit on which she did until Mom came home.
Out in the hot hot sun (I should have parked in the garage while mom was out) we unloaded the stuff in my trunk and figured out how to put down my back seat. I'm not so great in the sun, and it was really hot (around 4pm) so I decided we were going to 7-11 and I got myself a Slurpee and an iTunes code. Much better with liquidy ice to slurp on. The trip revolved around getting some lovely bookcases that were on sale at OfficeMax. The nice manager guy helped us get the 4 bookcases and one major DVD stand (all assembly required) into the trunk, and complemented us on being prepared and not making him try to figure it out.
We ran the bookcases back to mom's garage, stacked them up nicely for her (she's got a project of vast proportions moving and organizing stuff in her computer room where the bookcases are going to live) and I went and got another Slurpee. Mmm icy cold. Thinking of getting one right now... Anyway, once we got back we relaxed a bit then decided to fill our bellies. We ran out after to Costco to look at a shiny white electronic device which shall remain nameless but they were closed.
We got back, Jeff next door was watering the plants, Charlie was enjoying the evening sun, and Mom and I started making a little stepping stone from a package I got. We mixed up the cement, poured it (well dumped it) into the little mold, and pressed Charlie's front paws into the middle. And washed everyone off. I'll post a picture when I see it next, it was dark last night when we were done (and half eaten alive by mosquitoes) so no piccy. While it was drying, and to finish off our day, we watched Hotel Rwanda, which was very good.
So all in all, good day. Oh and Mom's visit to the salon was lovely, she was all nail painted and hair coiffed and lovely herself.
All around, except for some extreme heat and some heated words, we all had a lovely day. Charlie was perky and alert, she sat in the grass in the sun for about 10 minutes, watching the world go by (not much exciting) and having the wind blow her clean white fur. Mom gave her a bath that morning so she was all shiny clean and smelling like shampoo. I brought her back up to the porch in the shade and got her some water with ice cubes in it (she likes that) and she drank some. She sat on the towel next to me while I surfed the web (I love wireless, oh, so much) and started work on my project. After a while I grabbed a slice of turkey and Charlie ate it all up, fairly daintily, but with vigor. And I brought her a pillow to sit on which she did until Mom came home.
Out in the hot hot sun (I should have parked in the garage while mom was out) we unloaded the stuff in my trunk and figured out how to put down my back seat. I'm not so great in the sun, and it was really hot (around 4pm) so I decided we were going to 7-11 and I got myself a Slurpee and an iTunes code. Much better with liquidy ice to slurp on. The trip revolved around getting some lovely bookcases that were on sale at OfficeMax. The nice manager guy helped us get the 4 bookcases and one major DVD stand (all assembly required) into the trunk, and complemented us on being prepared and not making him try to figure it out.
We ran the bookcases back to mom's garage, stacked them up nicely for her (she's got a project of vast proportions moving and organizing stuff in her computer room where the bookcases are going to live) and I went and got another Slurpee. Mmm icy cold. Thinking of getting one right now... Anyway, once we got back we relaxed a bit then decided to fill our bellies. We ran out after to Costco to look at a shiny white electronic device which shall remain nameless but they were closed.
We got back, Jeff next door was watering the plants, Charlie was enjoying the evening sun, and Mom and I started making a little stepping stone from a package I got. We mixed up the cement, poured it (well dumped it) into the little mold, and pressed Charlie's front paws into the middle. And washed everyone off. I'll post a picture when I see it next, it was dark last night when we were done (and half eaten alive by mosquitoes) so no piccy. While it was drying, and to finish off our day, we watched Hotel Rwanda, which was very good.
So all in all, good day. Oh and Mom's visit to the salon was lovely, she was all nail painted and hair coiffed and lovely herself.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Update
Charlie is home with Mom. She took her home on Monday, after a long weekend in the hospital. Monday night she ate some turkey and drank lots of water, and while visiting a neighbor stood up with the help of a sling (her front right leg was hurt from the IV and her back end hasn't worked well for a while) and while standing tried to chase a cat (slowly, but with vigor and much tail wagging).
So the vet said give her time, see if she adjusts to being home. She's been standing on her own as the wound on her leg heals, and last night she even had a bm (I sounded like the proud mother of a toddler getting toilet trained with all the encouragement). She even is walking around a little - after we'd been on the porch for a while, she walked over to the screen door and patiently waited for me to open it for her. Once inside she found a nice spot and laid down, pretty as you please under her own power.
I can see her spirit in her eyes, she's still very much Charlie although her body has slowed down considerably. She is not asking for much, and generally accepting what is given, when she used to be quite demanding. Her time is coming, but it isn't right now. No matter when, I am blessed to love and be loved by her gentle little soul.
So the vet said give her time, see if she adjusts to being home. She's been standing on her own as the wound on her leg heals, and last night she even had a bm (I sounded like the proud mother of a toddler getting toilet trained with all the encouragement). She even is walking around a little - after we'd been on the porch for a while, she walked over to the screen door and patiently waited for me to open it for her. Once inside she found a nice spot and laid down, pretty as you please under her own power.
I can see her spirit in her eyes, she's still very much Charlie although her body has slowed down considerably. She is not asking for much, and generally accepting what is given, when she used to be quite demanding. Her time is coming, but it isn't right now. No matter when, I am blessed to love and be loved by her gentle little soul.
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