I really should NOT have stayed up almost all night playing video games with my friends, but I was having so much fun. I'm running on caffeine and adrenaline today, and fully expect that tonight I'll collapse in a heap of exhaustion shortly after dinner.
As usual, I never did finish ALL the tasks I had set myself for this 10-day weekend, but I accomplished quite a great deal and there is NOTICEABLE difference from what there "was". I hope to sustain some of the momentum.
Coming back to work after a long time off is always a challenge - most of what I do on a daily basis isn't covered by anyone else, so I do return to a certain amount of clutter and stacks of "stuff" as needs attention. It's not all that bad, however, and hopefully by weeks' end, I'll have this monster under control as well.
One of the best things that came of the yearly mucking out of the premises is that I found a copy of part of a short story that I'd been writing some time ago, but had lost in electronic-form. This particular bit I had liked quite a lot, and really had done a lot of tapdancing around with the rest of the story when I found it was missing, because I did not want to have to recreate from memory the whole thing. Huzzah, then, that I only have to re-TYPE the bit that I came across. It also bodes well for the future of the story.
Hope your New Year is progressing as well!
748 days
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Monday, January 01, 2007
A new year
a clean slate
a fresh piece of writing paper for our lives.
I know what I'll be doing today - in preparation for the rest of the year.
How about you? What will you do?
749 days
a fresh piece of writing paper for our lives.
I know what I'll be doing today - in preparation for the rest of the year.
How about you? What will you do?
749 days
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Retrospectives Suck
I'm tired of them. I'm tired of having to "relive the year" in review. Enough already. I didn't care about "TomCat" and "Brangelica" the first time around, they're JUST as noxious this time. Enough! I have been disgusted by the news of the war for the whole year - and disgusted by the antics of the frat-boy from Texas for 6 years. Enough! Stop it.
The eve of a new year for me is a time to look forward. To set goals and assign priorities to them, and formulate strategies to attain them.
It is also a time that a once-friend of mine (we drifted in very different directions) and I used to always use for mental focus, by doing the things we would most like to spend the rest of the year doing.
This year I will work on cleaning up my OWN back yard, pick one of the environmental groups to work with close to home, I will work on cooking and eating healthy every day instead of just finding something to chow down. And I will make an effort to assist the other "Lib'ruls" hiding in my county - in the hopes that we can get a candidate on EVERY single opening on the ballots, not just for the large state-wide elections.
There are other goals, but this is a private, personal thing with me, and I'll deal with those on my own. For 2 days, The last day, and the first day, of the year(s), I'll try to do as much as I can toward reaching those goals in a day - to try and set my sights and focus on them. It's not a surefire thing, it's not "magick" - it's just a personal goal, and it does work frequently enough for me to keep going.
To all who will party tonite - be safe.
750 Days
The eve of a new year for me is a time to look forward. To set goals and assign priorities to them, and formulate strategies to attain them.
It is also a time that a once-friend of mine (we drifted in very different directions) and I used to always use for mental focus, by doing the things we would most like to spend the rest of the year doing.
This year I will work on cleaning up my OWN back yard, pick one of the environmental groups to work with close to home, I will work on cooking and eating healthy every day instead of just finding something to chow down. And I will make an effort to assist the other "Lib'ruls" hiding in my county - in the hopes that we can get a candidate on EVERY single opening on the ballots, not just for the large state-wide elections.
There are other goals, but this is a private, personal thing with me, and I'll deal with those on my own. For 2 days, The last day, and the first day, of the year(s), I'll try to do as much as I can toward reaching those goals in a day - to try and set my sights and focus on them. It's not a surefire thing, it's not "magick" - it's just a personal goal, and it does work frequently enough for me to keep going.
To all who will party tonite - be safe.
750 Days
Saturday, December 30, 2006
I don't know
I don't know how I feel this morning after hearing the news that they executed Saddam Hussein over in Iraq last nite.
I'm not surprised or anything - other than a certain mild surprise because there wasn't the big "build up" that we have over here before an execution. That man was never going to get a fair trial, and there was never any doubt in my mind that the people from an area where "an eye for an eyelash and all your teeth for a small cavity" is the norm. Those people put him through that whole kangaroo court with no intention of EVER coming back with any verdict other than "Hang him".
But he was a very very bad, bad, monkey man. Brought down from power by another very very bad, bad, monkey man.
My feelings are kind of numb on this matter.
751 days
I'm not surprised or anything - other than a certain mild surprise because there wasn't the big "build up" that we have over here before an execution. That man was never going to get a fair trial, and there was never any doubt in my mind that the people from an area where "an eye for an eyelash and all your teeth for a small cavity" is the norm. Those people put him through that whole kangaroo court with no intention of EVER coming back with any verdict other than "Hang him".
But he was a very very bad, bad, monkey man. Brought down from power by another very very bad, bad, monkey man.
My feelings are kind of numb on this matter.
751 days
Friday, December 29, 2006
Ahhh... Drugs...
Ok, first off, for all you kiddies out there - DRUGS ARE BAD...M'kayyyy?
Flexeril is good. Flexeril is very good. I now have about twice the range of pain-free motion in my arm as I had last nite, and although I'm still not completely healed up, a few more pain-free nights should be just the ticket.
The Dr. took some test or another, requiring a very small amount of blood, and then declared that my blood range thing was 6.6 instead of the 7.1 it had been so he was going to leave the meds alone for now and let me get on with diet and (ugh) exercise.
So, so far, so good, I guess.
It's been overcast and grey here for a week. Not bad weather, just dreary. My battle with the spiders and my pack-rat-itis continues, today I take another 4 trash bags full of crap to various and sundry donations-accepting places.
752 days
Flexeril is good. Flexeril is very good. I now have about twice the range of pain-free motion in my arm as I had last nite, and although I'm still not completely healed up, a few more pain-free nights should be just the ticket.
The Dr. took some test or another, requiring a very small amount of blood, and then declared that my blood range thing was 6.6 instead of the 7.1 it had been so he was going to leave the meds alone for now and let me get on with diet and (ugh) exercise.
So, so far, so good, I guess.
It's been overcast and grey here for a week. Not bad weather, just dreary. My battle with the spiders and my pack-rat-itis continues, today I take another 4 trash bags full of crap to various and sundry donations-accepting places.
752 days
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Ugh
Today I have to go to the Dr. again. Ugh.
However, maybe I can do something about this muscle spasm that's been pestering me since the snowstorm a while back. I think I pulled something rather nastily when trying to sweep the heavy snow off my car, and every night my arm and shoulder hurt like crazy. I'm fair certain it's a muscle spasming. Me - the spaz case. *sigh*
Anyhow - got a lot to do, the laundry is almost all done, the kitchen is looking better and I have a TON of trash to take to the curb, since I've decided that if I haven't worked on something in over 20 years, I'm probably never going to do.
Also need to make a few stops at the postal orifice, the grocery store and somewhere that I can buy a pretty bow for a present that still needs to be wrapped. My friend from Tennessee is in town and I need to get that taken care of.
Otherwise, the week off has been relaxing and productive. If I can just get this arm/shoulder thing fixed up, I'll feel great.
753 days
However, maybe I can do something about this muscle spasm that's been pestering me since the snowstorm a while back. I think I pulled something rather nastily when trying to sweep the heavy snow off my car, and every night my arm and shoulder hurt like crazy. I'm fair certain it's a muscle spasming. Me - the spaz case. *sigh*
Anyhow - got a lot to do, the laundry is almost all done, the kitchen is looking better and I have a TON of trash to take to the curb, since I've decided that if I haven't worked on something in over 20 years, I'm probably never going to do.
Also need to make a few stops at the postal orifice, the grocery store and somewhere that I can buy a pretty bow for a present that still needs to be wrapped. My friend from Tennessee is in town and I need to get that taken care of.
Otherwise, the week off has been relaxing and productive. If I can just get this arm/shoulder thing fixed up, I'll feel great.
753 days
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Spirituality
Been reading around some on a lot of blogs. Have found some interesting insights from some unusual places.
What I've really found is that those who have some concern with spirituality, whether in the form of organized religion or not, tend to talk about it to one extent or another. There are some atheists out there, who aren't concerned about it, and there are some "anti-theists" out there who seem bound and determined to be rude and obnoxious to anyone who is. What I find unfortunate is that most of the poeple who do the most of the talking are convinced, beyond any doubt, that they have found "the way" and that if everyone else isn't following THEIR path, they're wrong.
What I've seen is that each of us is given a path - a means to connect to the divine - the "deity" if you will. These paths aren't all going to be the same. There are too many things that need to be addressed, and if we all concentrate on just one of these things, while IT will become less of a problem, the rest of the world will go to hell in a handbasket.
If we only concentrate on one aspect of the whole, then everything tips wrong in another direction. In order to fix poverty, hunger, the environment, war, and everything else that needs attention, we have to work on them all at once, and that's just a bit too much to ask from anyone who can give enough to make any sort of difference to the whole. This needs to be a group effort, and each of us needs to find their own "small bit for the whole" and work at that.
I've made my choice, based on what I can personally do, and it isn't blogging. That's my outlet. This is my emotional overload safety valve. This is where my angst gets to come out and play, because it has to stay bottled up most of the time in "real life".
So if I don't seem to be paying enough attention to your personal pet project for improving the planet - understand that perhaps that's not the part of the whole that I've found to be my path. But I don't think your part sucks, just because it isn't mine - ok?
754 days
What I've really found is that those who have some concern with spirituality, whether in the form of organized religion or not, tend to talk about it to one extent or another. There are some atheists out there, who aren't concerned about it, and there are some "anti-theists" out there who seem bound and determined to be rude and obnoxious to anyone who is. What I find unfortunate is that most of the poeple who do the most of the talking are convinced, beyond any doubt, that they have found "the way" and that if everyone else isn't following THEIR path, they're wrong.
What I've seen is that each of us is given a path - a means to connect to the divine - the "deity" if you will. These paths aren't all going to be the same. There are too many things that need to be addressed, and if we all concentrate on just one of these things, while IT will become less of a problem, the rest of the world will go to hell in a handbasket.
If we only concentrate on one aspect of the whole, then everything tips wrong in another direction. In order to fix poverty, hunger, the environment, war, and everything else that needs attention, we have to work on them all at once, and that's just a bit too much to ask from anyone who can give enough to make any sort of difference to the whole. This needs to be a group effort, and each of us needs to find their own "small bit for the whole" and work at that.
I've made my choice, based on what I can personally do, and it isn't blogging. That's my outlet. This is my emotional overload safety valve. This is where my angst gets to come out and play, because it has to stay bottled up most of the time in "real life".
So if I don't seem to be paying enough attention to your personal pet project for improving the planet - understand that perhaps that's not the part of the whole that I've found to be my path. But I don't think your part sucks, just because it isn't mine - ok?
754 days
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Happy Boxing Day
Whilest on the subject of the imaginary "War on Christmas", it occurred to me that not only do I not know how to spell occurred, but that a major sticking point for the Religious Wrong is that the ACLU is working with other religious groups who are not happy about "Nativity Scenes" at public places.
You will note - PUBLIC PLACES. I have never yet heard of the ACLU trying to get someone to take down a nativity scene on their own private property, nor one from a church property. Apparently this scare tactic is being used by the Religious Wrong, however. I know that Dad believes that they are "trying to do that".
When I was growing up, we lived in a small suburb of Chicago - almost in "the country", as there were still gravel and dirt roads and cornfields and woods all around us. The neighbors were all religous folks - Next door was a good catholic family with 6 boys, next to them a baptist family with 2 kids, then the 2 Lutheran retired ladies, across the street a couple of methodist families, and over the other direction, my best friend was catholic...
And lots of folks would put out those light-up plastic nativity scenes. And every year, SOMEONE would come thru and steal, or bend, fold and mutilate the baby Jesuses out of a few of them. I can assure you, it WASNT the ACLU - and back then Dad would complain about "Those Darn Kids" (nobody knew who... but it HAD to be kids, yes?)
Never a mention about the ACLU or a "War on Christmas". Oh, sometimes folks would get pissy because someone would abreviate and say "xmas", but it really wasn't the huge deal. And no, to my remembering mind, I don't recall there being a creche scene at the town hall building. Just bells and lights and Santa.
Ok, guys? There IS NO WAR ON CHRISTMAS - get over it. Get past it. Think for yourself. Read everything. Question everything. The real war, George W. Bush's Illegal and Immoral War is real - and it has now, officially - at Christmas - killed more American Soldiers than Osama Bin Laden did on 9/11.
How about fighting for peace on earth for a change?
755 days
You will note - PUBLIC PLACES. I have never yet heard of the ACLU trying to get someone to take down a nativity scene on their own private property, nor one from a church property. Apparently this scare tactic is being used by the Religious Wrong, however. I know that Dad believes that they are "trying to do that".
When I was growing up, we lived in a small suburb of Chicago - almost in "the country", as there were still gravel and dirt roads and cornfields and woods all around us. The neighbors were all religous folks - Next door was a good catholic family with 6 boys, next to them a baptist family with 2 kids, then the 2 Lutheran retired ladies, across the street a couple of methodist families, and over the other direction, my best friend was catholic...
And lots of folks would put out those light-up plastic nativity scenes. And every year, SOMEONE would come thru and steal, or bend, fold and mutilate the baby Jesuses out of a few of them. I can assure you, it WASNT the ACLU - and back then Dad would complain about "Those Darn Kids" (nobody knew who... but it HAD to be kids, yes?)
Never a mention about the ACLU or a "War on Christmas". Oh, sometimes folks would get pissy because someone would abreviate and say "xmas", but it really wasn't the huge deal. And no, to my remembering mind, I don't recall there being a creche scene at the town hall building. Just bells and lights and Santa.
Ok, guys? There IS NO WAR ON CHRISTMAS - get over it. Get past it. Think for yourself. Read everything. Question everything. The real war, George W. Bush's Illegal and Immoral War is real - and it has now, officially - at Christmas - killed more American Soldiers than Osama Bin Laden did on 9/11.
How about fighting for peace on earth for a change?
755 days
Monday, December 25, 2006
Merry Christmas
To all who celebrate - Merry Christmas
You will notice I did not say Xmas. I did not say Happy Holidays. I did not say "Season's Greetings"
Now, if you would, please give me the gift that will keep giving all year and stop listening to Limbaugh, Coulter, O'Reilly and their friends, and use your brain, the one your God gave to you - and think for yourself.
The only way that anyone can "destroy" Christmas is if YOU allow it. Go ahead, say Merry Christmas. Say it to everyone you meet today - this week, whenever. Ignore anyone who gives you a dirty look. If anyone tries to stop you, trot out the old 1st Amendment - that's what it's THERE for! Stop being a victim, especially when there really is NOBODY trying to victimize you. Stop looking for imaginary evils, and do something about the REAL evils - the evils of imperialism, nationalism, war, lies and hatred.
Merry Christmas, Dad.
756 days
You will notice I did not say Xmas. I did not say Happy Holidays. I did not say "Season's Greetings"
Now, if you would, please give me the gift that will keep giving all year and stop listening to Limbaugh, Coulter, O'Reilly and their friends, and use your brain, the one your God gave to you - and think for yourself.
The only way that anyone can "destroy" Christmas is if YOU allow it. Go ahead, say Merry Christmas. Say it to everyone you meet today - this week, whenever. Ignore anyone who gives you a dirty look. If anyone tries to stop you, trot out the old 1st Amendment - that's what it's THERE for! Stop being a victim, especially when there really is NOBODY trying to victimize you. Stop looking for imaginary evils, and do something about the REAL evils - the evils of imperialism, nationalism, war, lies and hatred.
Merry Christmas, Dad.
756 days
Sunday, December 24, 2006
The Great Jello Fiasco
So I go to make jello for the jello salad for the office pot-luck on Friday.
Thursday morning I make lime jello and put it in the fridge.
Thursday nite I make cherry jello and put it in the fridge.
Friday morning I whip up sweet cream and add sugar and take out what SHOULD be two very well-set pans of jello to cut up and add to the whipped cream...
and I have 2 pans of jello soup.
I cried.
Then I made another 2 boxes of lime jello - and instead of using cold water, I used ice cubes and some more whipping cream... and this time it came out ok, but not as nice as I wanted. I hate jello.
757 days
Thursday morning I make lime jello and put it in the fridge.
Thursday nite I make cherry jello and put it in the fridge.
Friday morning I whip up sweet cream and add sugar and take out what SHOULD be two very well-set pans of jello to cut up and add to the whipped cream...
and I have 2 pans of jello soup.
I cried.
Then I made another 2 boxes of lime jello - and instead of using cold water, I used ice cubes and some more whipping cream... and this time it came out ok, but not as nice as I wanted. I hate jello.
757 days
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