Books and stuff

The books I've read that were written in/about the 1700's and 1800's are different.

There seems to be a lot more emphasis on the everyday stuff - laundry, cooking, gardening - as action, and a lot less emphasis on plots, subplots, sub-subplots and car chases.

I suppose the lack of emphasis on car chases can be taken as a "given". Ahem.

Whenever I run out of cleaning/housework steam due to laziness or videogame addiction or whatever (this latest due no doubt to my fears of reinjuring my back/leg), reading Little Women or Little House on the Prairie or Anne of Green Gables or damn near anything by Jane Austen is a sure guarantee that I'll get housecleaning/knitting/quilting fever for at least a few days.

The girls in those books are so VIRTUOUS!! Mending, sewing, working on their samplers, cleaning, shining, cooking... For some odd reason, it makes me want to emulate them for a while. In fact, I'm glad that I have this almost-guaranteed impetus providing trick.

Oh heck. I think "J" from the cubicle next-door is having leftover beer-soaked-bratwurst for lunch. All I have is a tuna sandwich. DAMN that smells heavenly..... (NOT the tuna...)

Anyhow - I think it is about time for me to break out the Louisa May Alcott again. I would like to see significant improvement in my environment after this weekend. Wish me luck. Or wish me impetus - that would be even better than luck - as impetus accomplishes more!

178 days

Birthday Wishes (Now with SUBLIMINAL mom-nag messages...)

Ok, so I'm a day late. Phlllhhbbbhhttt.

Amanda - your new address so I can mail you things please?
I wish I knew how to macrame without screwing it up. My ex hubby made this awesome hanging table back years and years ago - I loved how it looked, natural jute and (IIRC) a smoked-glass top. I'd like to make a set of hanging shelves - but my macrame "talent" sucks. I can do it, but it looks like crap because I cannot maintain an even tension. I can knit, I can crochet, I can do most fiber arts - but macrame totally defeats me.

Amanda, I think Brad's Postcards are brilliant! You could send me your address on one?
I wish Herbie the Garden Gnome would pull the weeds in the flowerbed, because there are bajillions of them and it's too hot and humid outside to stay out long enough to make a significant dent before NEW ones grow overnite!
Of course, you could CALL me with the address... phone number hasn't changed, altho voice mail is full.
I wish I knew enough about this new digital tv thing to make an informed decision about purchasing a new TV - As it is, I'm afraid to do so in case I buy one that won't work next year. And does this affect Radio too? Will I need all new tuners for freaking everything??

Yes, I know I'm being an obnoxious git. It's a mom thing.
I wish I had cheekbones. *sigh. And dimples.

So - I went out to dinner last nite at Outback Steakhouse. It was good - tasty as ever, but the menu has changed some so it took a lot of perusing in order to decide on dinner. I also got a small stack of books for a birthday present - which is nice.

Lunch over. Back to work.

179 days

Insomnia... The only way to fry.

Ok, so the pain in my back is gone. The PAIN down my leg is gone. I can stand on tip-toe without agony. I took out the trash bin without pain. These are all good things.

Unfortunately - I still am having trouble sleeping. Last night and the night before it was jumpy legs. I lay there - in peaceful comfort... and all of a sudden, for no apparent reason - my leg decides to twitch.

I actually made it to sleep one time - and dreamed I tripped as I went up the stairs, waking to the twitchy jumpy leg - adrenaline pumping and grabbing for the handrailing - which was actually my night-stand.

Part of the problem is still the back - so saith Dr. Brad. Part of the problem is the weather. It's so darn muggy and humid that I can't stay in one position for any length of time or the downside 1/2 gets too warm and sweaty, so I roll over to make the "downside" the "upside" and have to reposition all the pillows, which is an entire production number of itself.

The damn mourning doves killed my blueberry bush - AGAIN. This is getting farking ridiculous. Every year I get a baby bush, I plant it properly, put it in a nice spot - and every year at some point when the doves are nesting, they pull it out of the dirt and try to make a nest out of it. The plants don't like being uprooted, and die.

I need a BB gun. Squab anyone?

Made another step on my way to getting a new office chair at home. I FINALLY threw out the old one this morning. I was so afraid that one time I'd forget the back was almost broken and lean back and throw my back out permanently as well as bust my scalp open (scalp wounds bleed like crazy!), give myself a concussion and put a hole in the wall.

So I went last night to Office Max after seeing Dr. Brad, and sat in all their chairs. Well, all their "executive" and "manager" chairs. I will not EVER purchase a "task" chair - they're hideously uncomfortable, and blatantly sexist/classist.

You know which ones I mean - the ones with the tiny little backrest that barely covers a portion of your lower back - allowing all the men in the office to ogle your ass? Fuck that.

Several of the chairs were quite cozy. I absolutely do NOT want a chair with a leather seat, because I spend too much time in that chair and have no desire to do the leg-to-chair bonding that occurs when sweaty thighs sit on leather or plastic for too long.

They weren't near as pricey as I'd feared either. This is a very good thing. Perhaps next weekend I'll do some more chair-sitting at a couple other stores then make up my mind.

181 days