Sunday, November 25, 2007
Sweating in Orlando
I'm in Orlando for work, and took a step Jazzercise class this morning. I realized that my step teacher in VA is a kick-butt and take-names kind of gal! If I had kept the pace that the Orlando teacher set, I would have barely broken a sweat... And half the class left before the strength training! I have a new found respect for even the slowest ladies in my classes back home; they ROCK!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
What Died In Here? When Thanksgiving Goes Really Wrong.
Last year about this time, I blogged about how much emotional resonance this holiday has for me. My family cares about food, how it's prepared, how it looks and how it tastes. Based on my experience away from the family table, we are in the minority.
I really hate spending holidays with strangers, eating their traditions, many of which come from a jar or a can. Smiling through dry turkey, or turkey that smells and tastes like a wet dog, cold mashed potato glue, gross undercooked stuffing that they spoon right out of the bird's butt teeming with more salmonella than you could get from licking a turtle. You have to smile and eat it all. Nothing seasoned, everything bland...Calgon, take me away!
I am thankful that last year I ate with friends who were excellent cooks and this year, I'm eating with my dad and his wife. A family meal at last! I really hope that next year I will get to play the newlywed card and have T-day at my house. No bird butt stuffing at table, I can tell you that!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
I've Tried To Like Dick, But I Just Don't
Last night as I was watching "I, Robot" for the umpteenth time, I was struck by how much I like movies based on novels or stories by Philip K. Dick, and how intensely I dislike his writing. This particular story was originated by Isaac Asimov, but it always makes me think of PKD. I was also thinking this while watching the latest director's cut of "Blade Runner" at the Uptown Theatre last week. "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" was the most ho-hum story I've read in a long time. Who cares about hallucinatory horned toads? Good grief. Then you call the repairman on your husband because his completely manufactured religious experience is on the fritz? This is one instance in which the movie was better than the book.
Back to I, Robot... Now those who know me will know that I am endlessly fascinated by what defines humanity, and how we can mirror or pantomime that to put others at ease when it doesn't come naturally. (A primer for my un-sympathetic and un-compassionate self.)So the robot Sonny's struggle to be accepted by Spoon as a unique individual and eventually a friend is interesting to watch. I didn't read the story it's based on. I won't pretend to have an opinion on it aside from one informed by experience. I don't like Dick.
Back to I, Robot... Now those who know me will know that I am endlessly fascinated by what defines humanity, and how we can mirror or pantomime that to put others at ease when it doesn't come naturally. (A primer for my un-sympathetic and un-compassionate self.)So the robot Sonny's struggle to be accepted by Spoon as a unique individual and eventually a friend is interesting to watch. I didn't read the story it's based on. I won't pretend to have an opinion on it aside from one informed by experience. I don't like Dick.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
12 of 12 November 07
I'm taking this opportunity to welcome myself back to 12 of 12. I really like doing this project, so it will be a monthly priority from now on. You all are witnesses! On with the show...
4:40 AM - Since I have the day off, I'm going to start it right by going to a 6 AM exercise class. It looks as if neither of us are ready for it to be wake up time.
7:05 AM- Now that exercise is out of the way, I can have a productive day of computer network building and household chores. I wish I had a day off more often. SO FUN! P.S. There are a lot of old ladies with zero energy level in the early morning classes. I feel bad for the instructor, it must be like leading the Bataan Death March each morning.
9:30 AM- The secret lives of my cats are revealed to me... Pepper sleeps while shedding and Flannel practices guerrilla tactics by camouflaging himself among my bed pillows.
1:40 PM- This is the view from Mrs. Miller's ER room. She had a bad spell at the physical therapist's, detailed in Gavin's 12 of 12, and was in the hospital for a few hours in the afternoon. I liked her ER doc, Dr. G., he explained stuff really well. Something interesting that I noticed: all the health care people talked to me and Mrs. Miller, like Gavin wasn't even there. Do they assume that my estrogen naturally makes me the caregiver? Someone should do a sociological study on that.
7:05 PM- I take a last minute look at the thread that describes a get together happening tomorrow. A friend of mine has ordered a bunch of food from Home Bistro and we're gathering to taste test to see if it is better than homemade.
7:40 PM- I stop for gas in Annapolis on my way to an appointment. $3.05 for gas, people! It was MORE expensive down the street. This is a bad, sad day for America.
10:30 PM- I finally get the wireless network router that I bought around 10 AM to work. I've been assing around with this thing off and on all day. DANG! Now Gavin and I can both use our computers in the house. Hooray!
11:03 PM- I put away the spicy soba noodles with shitake mushrooms and napa cabbage that I fixed for dinner. It was really good, and I'll eat it for lunch tomorrow. I will have to remember to buy snacks when Gavin moves in. As you can see, I keep a thin selection of ready to eat stuff.
11:15 PM- This is Pepper's impression of Zuzu from It's A Wonderful Life, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings". Except substitute "Rachel goes in to the kitchen" for bell ringing and "Pepper gets food in his dish" for the wings. Depending on your viewpoint, they're both wrong, but Pepper is the wrongest one of all.
11:30 PM- I set my alarm for the next day. It looks really early. Sigh.
11:35 PM- I stare at this corner of the room a lot, since it's in my direct sight line from bed. I think about how it will look different with Gavin's dresser there.
11:45 PM- Finally winding down for the night with a copy of Walter Mosley's Cinnamon Kiss. I only read a few pages before falling asleep.
If you are new to 12 of 12 - here are the basics:
1) ALL PHOTOS MUST BE TAKEN ON THE 12TH OF EACH MONTH.
2) After you post your pictures onto a webpage of your choice (Livejournal, typepad, MySpace, Flickr, etc...) please post the TIME, LOCATION, and A SMALL COMMENT in the pic.
3) You own the rights to all of your pictures. The idea "12 of 12" is Chad Darnell's. While credit is not necessary, please don't credit someone else with the idea.
4) The original concept was at least one body part in the picture. That idea was slowly faded away. The important part is that it is 12 pics.
5) The monthly Bonus pic is a 13th picture and is optional.
6) When referring to the project, please refer to it as "12 OF 12" - not "12 ON 12."
7) Once completed, please e-mail or post the PERMALINK of the post AND the city and state or city and country of WHERE THE PICTURES WERE TAKEN. (If you are on vacation, it's where the pics were taken.)
(The permalink is the link to the ENTRY of your page. If you just send me your website, I have to track it down. By listing the permalink, it helps for people to go back and view your previous 12 of 12 entries from previous months.)
ANYONE is welcome to join in, even if you've never done it before! I hope you will.
4:40 AM - Since I have the day off, I'm going to start it right by going to a 6 AM exercise class. It looks as if neither of us are ready for it to be wake up time.
7:05 AM- Now that exercise is out of the way, I can have a productive day of computer network building and household chores. I wish I had a day off more often. SO FUN! P.S. There are a lot of old ladies with zero energy level in the early morning classes. I feel bad for the instructor, it must be like leading the Bataan Death March each morning.
9:30 AM- The secret lives of my cats are revealed to me... Pepper sleeps while shedding and Flannel practices guerrilla tactics by camouflaging himself among my bed pillows.
1:40 PM- This is the view from Mrs. Miller's ER room. She had a bad spell at the physical therapist's, detailed in Gavin's 12 of 12, and was in the hospital for a few hours in the afternoon. I liked her ER doc, Dr. G., he explained stuff really well. Something interesting that I noticed: all the health care people talked to me and Mrs. Miller, like Gavin wasn't even there. Do they assume that my estrogen naturally makes me the caregiver? Someone should do a sociological study on that.
7:05 PM- I take a last minute look at the thread that describes a get together happening tomorrow. A friend of mine has ordered a bunch of food from Home Bistro and we're gathering to taste test to see if it is better than homemade.
7:40 PM- I stop for gas in Annapolis on my way to an appointment. $3.05 for gas, people! It was MORE expensive down the street. This is a bad, sad day for America.
10:30 PM- I finally get the wireless network router that I bought around 10 AM to work. I've been assing around with this thing off and on all day. DANG! Now Gavin and I can both use our computers in the house. Hooray!
11:03 PM- I put away the spicy soba noodles with shitake mushrooms and napa cabbage that I fixed for dinner. It was really good, and I'll eat it for lunch tomorrow. I will have to remember to buy snacks when Gavin moves in. As you can see, I keep a thin selection of ready to eat stuff.
11:15 PM- This is Pepper's impression of Zuzu from It's A Wonderful Life, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings". Except substitute "Rachel goes in to the kitchen" for bell ringing and "Pepper gets food in his dish" for the wings. Depending on your viewpoint, they're both wrong, but Pepper is the wrongest one of all.
11:30 PM- I set my alarm for the next day. It looks really early. Sigh.
11:35 PM- I stare at this corner of the room a lot, since it's in my direct sight line from bed. I think about how it will look different with Gavin's dresser there.
11:45 PM- Finally winding down for the night with a copy of Walter Mosley's Cinnamon Kiss. I only read a few pages before falling asleep.
If you are new to 12 of 12 - here are the basics:
1) ALL PHOTOS MUST BE TAKEN ON THE 12TH OF EACH MONTH.
2) After you post your pictures onto a webpage of your choice (Livejournal, typepad, MySpace, Flickr, etc...) please post the TIME, LOCATION, and A SMALL COMMENT in the pic.
3) You own the rights to all of your pictures. The idea "12 of 12" is Chad Darnell's. While credit is not necessary, please don't credit someone else with the idea.
4) The original concept was at least one body part in the picture. That idea was slowly faded away. The important part is that it is 12 pics.
5) The monthly Bonus pic is a 13th picture and is optional.
6) When referring to the project, please refer to it as "12 OF 12" - not "12 ON 12."
7) Once completed, please e-mail or post the PERMALINK of the post AND the city and state or city and country of WHERE THE PICTURES WERE TAKEN. (If you are on vacation, it's where the pics were taken.)
(The permalink is the link to the ENTRY of your page. If you just send me your website, I have to track it down. By listing the permalink, it helps for people to go back and view your previous 12 of 12 entries from previous months.)
ANYONE is welcome to join in, even if you've never done it before! I hope you will.
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