Me-anders

With a ONE and a TWO and a....

2012-02-13T13:09:00.006-07:00

Wellsir, here we are again. On the Job Hunt.Gack. You know?Which, let's face it, you likely do know. Since, like, everyone and their brother in this country is so catastrophically unemployed that, like, they're considering "Zombie" as an actual resumee entry.And here am I. Hiding in my little space ship for the last (mumble mumble) months and wrestling with all manner of demons from mental to

Good News, Everyone!

2012-02-09T09:45:00.002-07:00

YAY! My luck is still running strong.I just heard from my doctor.They found "nothing".That means that... I'm fine.The horrible, horrible procedure of evil was worth it because even though the tissue they hacked away had no evil sprinkles of its own, it was very likely just a few months away from getting them there. So yay. Huzzah and Hurrah. It was worth it.I'm okay. And now, I'm going to go

Baby Steps

2012-02-04T12:05:00.003-07:00

I know I know, I'll stop talking about this any day now. It bears mentioning though, that I do feel much better. Not 100%. Not by a long shot. But the main squeeze and I went out for a long, leisurely walk around the ol' national mall yesterday (it was 60 degrees WTF) and on the whole it was a fantastic and healing day out. We started at Lincoln, made an important stop at Vietnam, Ambled past

Never Again

2012-02-01T17:05:00.002-07:00

There are so many people, the vast majority I'd wager, for whom this kind of procedure is effectively pain free.I am in the .0001% for whom it is most absolutely not.It took 30 minutes. I kicked and holler'ed and shook and had little panic attack style seizures. I cried. I swore and said some very unpleasant things in Norwegian. Now I'm sore, I hurt, everything hurts, and I feel like crap. On a

Interim Update

2012-01-31T10:01:00.004-07:00

It is no secret that the gods (or the Universe, if you prefer) ... well, they get kindof an advance notice on what's going on. Some more than others. And similarly, it is no secret that the success of any message, last week's, for instance, hinges on both timing and delivery.So let's look at last week, shall we? On a day like today, when I'm about to launch out on another

Best Grocery Store Trip EVER!

2012-01-25T15:13:00.003-07:00

First post in January? pooh. Well, let me tell you about today.Today is the day my beloved husband turns 35. Which means, if you remember, that I do too. Not because we share the same birthday but because my mother always said I'd marry a younger man and since I'm actually six months older than him and I can't stand to have her be right on this one, I say that I don't get older until he does. So

THE SURVEY!

2011-12-30T13:51:00.003-07:00

It's the end of the year, gentle reader, and time for another navel-gazing episode of "CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!"Ha, well no, it's just the entry where I try to summarize my previous year's activity in a simple survey I gleaned from another website long ago and now that I'm in the habit, I kindof dig the ritual. So, here we go, eh?1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?Moved to

Last bitchy post of the year!

2011-12-30T13:42:00.002-07:00

Well, today is not one of my best days, so I’ll make this a bitchy entry. M’kay?I’m still working on this beshitted cold, you see. My Nyquil-addled think-meat is coming up with some really ingenious new ways to torture me in my sleep (the dreams, you guys, Oh MY GAWD the dreams) so I snuck out to the living room for a

SNERK

2011-12-28T10:00:00.002-07:00

I went home for the holidays, specifically to my beloved husband’s home, and it was fantastic! We had so much fun. We ate so much good food. We had so much great family time. Museums, gingerbread houses, shopping and food preparation... it was all just SO grand!Only thing is, there’s still (as I’ve said before) one thing you can get for free on the airlines these days, and that’s SICK! I got sick

Ka-riss-miss is coming!

2011-12-12T13:22:00.003-07:00

You know that old record where John Denver sings christmas carols with the muppets? I like that record.It reminds me of "those yonder good old days" when I didn't understand nostalgia. When I thought that the Grinch really DID give Cindy-Lue Hoo a drink of water before she went to bed. When the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in the whole world was a six foot tree in the living room, wilting

Now-vember

2011-11-28T12:48:00.002-07:00

Things I will remember from the last few weeks of November-ness:Writing and submitting my first 250-word assignment for a freelance writing website. (I made $2.50! KaCHing!)Knees. Specifically, cypress knees. Which I saw in Tennessee during my first trip ever to Tennessee to see my super awesome sister in law. Cardinals singing in the mornings while I was juuuust barely conscious enough to

Wait - STILL???!?!?!?!!

2011-11-07T09:40:00.005-07:00

Don't ya just love it when they use too much punctuation? Hee hee hee. Anyway, take a gander at THIS why don'tchya: Proof, kids, that I'm in a land of crazy tall trees. And that since the last time I posted... in October ... when Autumn was just getting started... that crazy season called AUTUMN has been in full swing ever since.IT IS STILL AUTUMN OUT HERE, FOLKS!Like seriously leafy, rustly,

Let's just take a little trip around town. M'kay?

2011-10-17T16:24:00.004-06:00

Well I guess autumn is starting to kick up around here, so here are some pictures of what it looks like these days.This at a Home Depot, no less. Nice, eh?And below we have a tree in my parking lot.More woodsy-goodness from the parkinglot here. (not to be confused with "doing a woodsy", let's don't go there today.) Then I took the camera on a little drive up to Suergal's place. Sure, it's all

Back to complainin'

2011-10-08T19:08:00.003-06:00

But this time, I'll try to do it like an easterner. (I dunno, though, what's that supposed to sound like? Seinfeld?)*ah-he-heh-hem**ahem*So maybe it's just me, but do people just not give a crap about sirens out here? GOOD LORD people! In an hour you can hear about 10 siren-y vehicles driving past... screaming their various little harmony-free, three-note songs as they carreen from intersection

Woot!

2011-10-07T12:13:00.004-06:00

Sightseeing! LIKE A BOSS!Great Falls National Park, kids. That's the Potowmac, out there all booming and thundering and rushing and foamy and stuff. And yes, I put a "w" in there, that's for the extra "WOO" you do when you get to the overlook structure and get a full view of it all up in your face. WOO.The day itself was cold and bleak and gray. So much so that the brave little tribe of the four

Tick Tock Crack

2011-09-26T11:14:00.003-06:00

As I told my mother recently, things have ground to a screeching halt around here. It's monday. My beloved husband is back off to his exciting and fulfilling job filled with science and people and meetings and questions and books and access cards. I, lo, am here.I am nose to nose with an apartment full of stuff that needs my attention and I hear the clock ticking and I just can't be bothered to

Post-Outing

2011-09-24T08:12:00.003-06:00

Just a short note today as I'm on my way to my next engagement. *tee hee hee*The movie last night was fun! There were four new people there in our party and they were all awesome and funny (ask me about the Napoleon Joke sometime) and we all had a good time. Even the movie wasn't bad. (Contagion, if you're interested).More on that later. Just letting you know I survived (duh) and all's well. It's

Oh, I don't know, let's call this one: RAIN

2011-09-23T10:29:00.002-06:00

Yeah. Rain! East-coast, September rain!It's raining today, and it's wonderful! Sure I'll be moaning about it in no time, but today it's amazing and different and new and not even a little bit frustrating or depressing. It's the kind of rain that we foolishly wish for in Colorado (foolish because it's impossible). It's a straight down, enduring, emotionless rain. It's the kind of rain that makes

Results Episode: PART ONE!

2011-09-20T08:36:00.003-06:00

So this is supposed to be the entry where I thump my fist on the desk and say "I am going to like it here!" but you and I both know by now that it's still far, far too soon to declare such a thing. Even though I'll very likely do it eventually.My beloved husband is at work today, his second day, and good LORD did he look handsome this morning. You know? Wow. One of his co-workers invited us on a

Chaos?

2011-09-19T11:00:00.010-06:00

I do NOT remember packing this much chaos.Let us begin this little tour of insanity in the bedroom:First we were all like "refugee camp" Yes, that is my buddy Thor keeping watch in the window. Thanks for noticing!Now we're like "frat house" Thor is still there, just at a higher elevation so as to keep a better eye on things.And then in the office? Where kitty is going to spend her nights? Yeah,

Wow, that was...

2011-09-16T10:49:00.004-06:00

Virginia. I'm here. I'm still here.I'm... getting used to it?Sort of.But first let us talk quietly, in hushed tones and with brows furrowed about a part of the trip I was dreading. There were many parts, actually, that I was dreading, but this one in particular I think many of you can dread right alongside me with sheilds raised: driving cross country with a cat.Gadzooks! You know? Who does that?

Stuff is just Things

2011-08-17T09:56:00.003-06:00

Intuitively, I know it. I'm a rational person, after all. The things that surround me are just things. Books, lamps, furniture, all luxury items and nostalgic trinkets from my life of leisure. There is a saying: The things you own, own you. I hate that saying. There are people who say that you only know your full self, your fullest self, when you rid yourself of earthly desires and belongings

My Bravery Face: Let me show you it.

2011-08-11T10:06:00.002-06:00

In case you didn’t know, this migration crap is stressful. It can be organized into three distinct categories of stressful events. First, you have the pre-move organization. This includes planning, scheduling jettisoning of ballast, packing and arranging for renters or sale of the current abode. And cleaning. This stage

On your mark, Get set,

2011-08-03T11:14:00.007-06:00

Let the pack-a-palooza begin!p.s. barfffffWell here it is August and I'm no closer to being ready to move across the country than I was at roughly this time last year. Only difference is the miles and miles of internet research I've done concerning places to maybe end up living in, how to get there, where to find packing materials and (egad) how much this whole nonsense is going to cost. Welcome

Zzzzzzzzip

2011-07-20T09:18:00.004-06:00

D'you hear that?That flizzy whizzery sound?That's the sound of the summer zipping past me. I think I'm going about 40 miles an hour but unfortunately the rest of the universe is still up there at about 9billion. So, like, I'm getting a little behind the caravan.But a lot has happened since my last post. As it often does.July fourth, Y'all! Wa-hoo! Happy Birthday USA! Go Team Us! You know?I had a

Yeah, this bears sharing

2011-06-30T08:56:00.007-06:00

Oh, let's don't talk about moving today, okay? Let's look in another big hole in my brains.Below is a correspondence path that took place yesterday between me and my fellow co-workers. You see, I have to pester them (relentlessly) every week to get them to fill out a very simple forecast worksheet. This worksheet is a broad-strokes prediction of their hours for the next work week. The process

New Beginnings

2011-06-21T09:49:00.002-06:00

Have you heard?We're moving!I know. I know.Here's the short version:My beloved husband, the doctor (hmmm, that's got a nice ring to it), has applied for and interviewed for and been accepted for something that very closely resembles his dream job.And it's about 40,000 miles away from where I live now. Not really, it's actually just 200 states away. Well, that's a bit hyperbolic, but it's far.

Well this is new...

2011-06-13T09:58:00.002-06:00

Funky, right? I woke up this morning groggy as hell after another long night of nightmares on a full head and a rapidly emptying stomach. Got to the shower just fine and somewhere between getting dressed and going downstairs I noticed something. It "felt" funny in my brains. Like how your eyes feel fuzzy after you stare at the lightbulb for too long or if you have been sleeping with one

Big Things

2011-06-10T10:43:00.004-06:00

I've written before about how much I adore impossibly big things. Cumulo Nimbus. Even the name sounds big. Giant tires that are used on giant, yellow caterpillar machines.Tall buildings. Mountains. Oceans. Big.I've possibly written before about how the pace of my life works. It's in five-sies and seven-sies. Every five years starts a new chapter in the cycle. Starting in highschool, just

Oh, just emptying my head.

2011-06-01T11:04:00.002-06:00

So after a frightfully unscientific facebook poll I just conducted, it appears there’s too much pain in this world. You know this already, though, don’t you. Not exactly a newsflash. After all, when we humans aren’t busy killing eachother with guns and bombs, we’re killing ourselves with cancer, clogged arteries, and (literally) mind-blowing recreational drugs. Loss is a part of life. There

This is why!

2011-05-13T13:10:00.001-06:00

Oh yes, gentle reader, this is why we don't look directly at the sun. All good math here. I tell ya!

A Day For Changing The Guard

2011-05-09T11:27:00.002-06:00

Today is the springtime day I dread: The first day of the season when the heat isn’t on in the morning. It was meant to be that way, we had our windows open all night and therefore had turned the automatic heat off. It was cold all night with that crisp, night-time freshness that you get on these schizophrenic Colorado spring nights. And when I awoke, it was to the empty blaring of my travel

Maudlin Thursday

2011-04-21T10:39:00.003-06:00

So yeah, this is probably going to piss a lot of people off.So why share it? Want it off my chest. That's why.Easter. You already know it's my favorite holiday, right? I love it because of the rebirth, the light, the joy, the candy and the obligatory re-tooled fertility rites. I love it because it's absolutely the best parts of Christianity all rolled together, dipped in chocolate, and served

Just like old times

2011-04-06T08:35:00.003-06:00

You know those days when you go to work and your face is all red and blotchy and "look at me! I'm on Meth!" and your tummy is all "look at me! I eat doughnuts for dinner!" and your pants are all "look at me! I come from the one-size-fits-none store!" and your shoes are all "check us out! we're from the 80's!"... and your head feels too big and your boobs are just unmanageable and your muffin top

NAWT an April Fool's Joke

2011-04-01T15:22:00.002-06:00

Just had to share: This weekend, I'll be teaching my FIRST EVER Intro-to-Norwegian class! YAY! Nothing formal, except that there will be people there who expect to walk away with some new knowledge about the language. I'm not doing it for a school or anything, is what I'm trying to say. Just a nice thing to do for some (so far) very nice, very interesting people who have expressed an interest in

Do Not Call Back, Please

2011-03-29T11:07:00.002-06:00

Here’s a little game called How To Suck at the Cold Call:1) Have almost no ability to properly pronounce the words in your script. Smash words together while erratically emphasizing various syllables and adding unexpected pauses. Ignore pronouns, refer to objects as “he” and possible female coworkers as “he” and obviously male coworkers as “it” or “that” or “uht”. See also: Have no grip on the

Medicine, Please!

2011-03-28T10:09:00.021-06:00

Please forgive the obvious formatting issues with this little photo-confetti post of mine. I tried to get it to work. Really I did. I'm not going to go so far as to say that blogger can suck it, because I'm far too pleased with the chance to share my pictures. However, bear in mind that I'm thinking it REALLY loudly. Please to be enjoying the tour of the Denver Botanic Gardens that I took

Very, Very

2011-03-16T10:05:00.007-06:00

Oh man is this ever one of those days. No reason in particular, I guess. The whole day feels like I should just be in bed staring at the wall or something. It feels like all of the Kami on this side of the world finally got word of what’s going on in the Pacific and in Japan and they’re just all sat down on the curb, crying on the ants and feeling really really depressed. I can feel it today. It’

Let's try foregoing the mumbling today.

2011-03-01T09:54:00.004-07:00

*deep breath* There was a heavy frost last Friday. It coated everything in this chunky, sugar-crystal frost. Everything was frozen. It was quiet outside, quiet like a child's bedroom just after the whole house has fallen asleep. It was peaceful. The world was whispering and waiting and just smiling at itself while flickering springtime dreams toyed with it's imagination just a few inches

Mumbling.

2011-02-22T13:13:00.004-07:00

I'm cold today.There's been a lot of good stuff going on. Also, there's been lot of scary stuff (see, middle east: more of the same) and a lot of really sad stuff (see, earthquake in New Zealand) and a lot of just insane stuff (see, republicans: more of the same). The good stuff, today anyway, just feels drowned out by the noise and angst of the bad stuff.To be fair, I had a whole lot to drink

Nice Things

2011-02-10T09:24:00.003-07:00

In honor of some very good news, lately, let's just look at some very nice things.Light. I just love glass. The colors, the lines... the textures and patterns... That's good medicine right there. All of the above are original work done by my mother (I helped on a lot of them) and the window with 2 cranes is a window that my husband and I made for his mother. Light. Glass. So easy to fall in

So. Mad.

2011-02-04T13:23:00.004-07:00

I don't know if you heard about this... I'm sure it's old news by now... but here:As part of new language on an abortion rights law, the word "forcible" was added before the word "rape" to indicate the kind of rape-resulting-in-pregnancy that's acceptable for federally funded abortions.Now, as of today, it appears that the republicans who set up this language have retracted their wording and

Just to get it out of my head while I'm thinking about it...

2011-01-31T15:26:00.002-07:00

How is it possible to feel homesick for a place I’ve never been? How is it possible to miss voices and faces with whom I’ve never shared a single breath? There is a hole somewhere in my brains, and it is unique amongst its brothers because this hole in my brains has a singular echo:“I miss…” it says quietly, before trailing off again.

What a Monday!

2011-01-31T09:44:00.002-07:00

All of my sympathies go out to the eastern parts of this great nation, parts which have been innundated in nasty weather for months and are still digging out of brutal snow totals. Sympathies too, for any who get screwed by freezing rain on a regular basis. Not only has it not snowed much at all in this neck of the woods, freezing rain is nigh unheard of.Bearing that in mind....The weather was

Another Image to Ponder

2011-01-27T17:50:00.004-07:00

This is a wordle of the blog post about my grandmother's car.It's nice.

And Lo

2011-01-24T10:59:00.004-07:00

For some reason my SUPER AWESOME sunrise picture won't load right. So sad.Please to be enjoying, instead, a smoochy kitty face.

The Lamp I Hate.

2011-01-18T14:01:00.006-07:00

I don't 'hate' the lamp... I just hate it. You know?Tips? Suggestions? What should I do with this monstrosity? It came with the house... so it's always been there, sneering at me when I come down the stairs every morning and leering at me as I rumble my sagging self up the stairs every night. It is too clear, too angle-ee, too "fake candle"-ee, too brassy, too chain-ee (heh, chaney) ...Tell me...

Oh the conversations I have!

2011-01-17T13:28:00.002-07:00

In an effort to remind myself that I’m actually a nice person after all, I’ll record this latest interaction and hope to spin it with as little narcissism as possible. Co-Worker 1: *grinning* So, what’s that word for when you’re spelling out a sound?Me: *blank*Co-Worker 1: I mean like, not spelling it out, but like when

A Indulgence

2011-01-03T14:23:00.007-07:00

Indulge me while I navel-gaze for a moment and do a little review of 2010. This little survey has been cannibalized from one of my favoritest blogs ever: Sundrymourning.comActually that little gem all by itself is strange since she and I are on such different life-paths. However, I do love her writing and she continues to

Bringing Good Memories Into A New Year

2010-12-30T11:23:00.004-07:00

The new year, it seems to me, is a time for memories. This is an old one.I remember the sleek, aerodynamic shape of the chrome handle on the door. It had a round button that for years resisted my attempts to press it. I loved pressing my thumb into

Visions of Sugarplums

2010-12-28T09:36:00.004-07:00

Christmas belongs to toddlers. Forever and ever. My nieces are still so teency at 2+ years old. They're funny, they're fascinating, the little seeds of their individual personalities are starting to germinate and take hold. Their laughter is infectious. Their fury is untethered. Their hugs are golden apples from the gods. May I always be lucky enough to stoop over to pick them up as often as they

Solstice

2010-12-21T13:37:00.005-07:00

I'm still having a tough time getting used to this whole "get over yourself, you're human" gig. Especially right now. A very sudden death has occured in my hometown... one of the veritable village elders, if you will... and it has put me in a place to have to think about things I haven't had to wrestle with for at least 10 years. Not up close like this. The loss itself, naturally, is tragic.

Springerle Rolling Pin

2010-12-16T09:41:00.011-07:00

(spring-er-lee or shpring-air-luh or skwee-omg-must-nommmmm)My Grandmother's springerle roller! So pretty, eh?Let's see, here we have: Flag for good ol' USA, An Owl (sideways), Wheat (kinda upsidedown) , and a, um, Angel Fish? Humming Bird?And on the next side... That's a rooster probably (sideways), Kitty!, A shooting star, A turtle!The next side gives us: Clearly a mouse/rat/opossum (upside

Super Fun Cookie Time!

2010-12-16T08:37:00.004-07:00

I got bit by the baking bug lately, and decided to try a seasonal German-style cookie called springerle. (means little jumpers as far as I can acceptably discern)I remember my grandmother and grandfather made them. Their kitchen smelled of flour and anise on those weekends. I never saw the actual making but as a wee bairn I was impossibly fascinated by the rolling pin with the designs carved

Let's try this again.

2010-12-02T16:43:00.005-07:00

My annual holiday gripe, of a hopefully different stripe.Happy HannukahHappy HijraHappy Festival of Lights...Happy AshuraHappy KwanzaaHappy Cozy Winter Nights...Happy Solstice, SaturnaliaAnd far more obscure religious rites....Happy Birthday Ra and Jesus,Beetoven and Mary Queen of Scots....I hope your festivals of Shiva, Neith and AlyconeWere appropriately full of delights....Happy Christmas,

Can Not Keep This To Myself!!!

2010-11-18T13:27:00.004-07:00

*gnash gnash* go my teeth.Just to allay any lingering fears of what this is about: TSA screening.First and foremost, allow me to say that since I do not agree with these new guidelines, I don't plan on flying anywhere until they get this sorted out. I'll caveat that by agreeing that I don't actually have any flight-contingient plans on the books for about six months... and agreeing that on the

Vote

2010-10-28T11:36:00.003-06:00

I don't care who you vote for, as long as you think that your vote is for the right person.Please vote. Please serve your country and make your voice, your one in a kajillion voice, as loud as possible. Not everyone is allowed to vote. Not everyone gets to have a say.Sometimes we vote for the one that doesn't win. Sometimes we vote for the one who does. Sometimes we are the one teency vote

The Storm

2010-10-25T08:49:00.002-06:00

Today is a new day. This is the first day. I’m so over this swinging pendulum of summery exuberance and fiery dismay. I’m trying something new. Today is something new. There is a big ol’ storm on the way. The autumn colors have been absolutely magnificent this year. Now, at the end of autumn color season, this heavy wind is kicking all the leaves loose into a glittery panic. Swirls of them

Odin Wears a Seatbelt

2010-10-11T18:10:00.002-06:00

Today I did something I never thought I’d do. I reached out of my tiny little brain and made contact with someone I thought I’d spend the rest of my life without. Might still, but today I sent a message into the abyss for the sole purpose of being social and “over it” and whatever else I was trying to prove. In all honesty, I hope to hear back. I hope for good news. I hope this contact

Presences pt 2

2010-10-05T11:50:00.006-06:00

So after work, I mustered my courage and went out back with my camera. I plunged the digital lense into the depths of a place I dared not stick my own nose and clicked off a few awkward shots. What I was whole-heartedly expecting was this: Luckily, my bravery was rewarded and I am happy to announce that all that awaited me was this:So now... all that remains is figuring out what our phantom

Presences

2010-10-04T12:21:00.002-06:00

When one focuses on what one happily goes without, one is immediately delivered upon of something that one will be all too freaked out about to be with.Hunh?I ess'plain:We have a mid-sized wood deck out in our back yard, under which appears to be visiting/living some kind of … something? We've fenced the whole yard pretty good, so bunnies can't get in. (no really, they can't.) Anyone coming to

Absences

2010-10-04T12:05:00.003-06:00

Okay, so yeah, I fell off the planet for a month there. Lots of good stuff happened in the mean time though. My nieces had their second birthday party, which was awesome. My mother in law joined my beloved husband and I on a four-ish day road trip to Mesa Verde, which was awesome. I got my hair permanently purpled (I should put the permanent in quotes but people who know hair dye know that

Thank You, Universe!

2010-08-30T11:12:00.002-06:00

Found my thumbdrives.Was about three inches away from deciding I was never going to see them again.They were in a place where I had looked roughly eight times before (yes, I counted) and each time had investigated each teency nook and cranny to no avail... but now, this time, they were there. Thank you, universe, for returning them. Also, house-elf, I must make a mental note to supply you with a

8/28/1963

2010-08-27T15:49:00.003-06:00

Please join me in making sure we honor real history tomorrow, instead of sensationalized and pornographic hatred:http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htmWhen's the last time you read the full text of the I have a dream speech?It had been a while for me. Roughly since high school history class. I remember thinking that it was boring at the time, but in today's politically

OH YEAH!

2010-08-26T16:13:00.002-06:00

and by the way:I have purple hair, y'all!Not a lot of it, just a stripe. But I'm thinking of going bolder. It's kindof invisible right now - very subtle. Feels pretty badass though.Pretty. and Badass.Insanity is fun. I should do it more often.

A Bold Thought For The Day

2010-08-26T15:47:00.001-06:00

If the past were so great, we’d still be living in it.No really, stick with me on this one. What do we have from “the past” that we still use today? Pencils? Yup. Great start. Cars? Yup. Spaghetti Sauce? Yup. Sweet. Legislation through representation? Yup. Stellar.What do we not have that’s from before? Clay tablets at schools to take notes in (you know, before we monkeys started

I'm not giving up.

2010-08-13T09:08:00.002-06:00

I’m compelled to stand outside and tell the whole universe: I’m not giving up.What? It’s hard to explain.I am not giving up on the idea that this country can, at least at some level, agree that human rights cannot be nitpicked on the grounds of lifestyle choices, dietary trends, intensely personal religious beliefs, or handed-ness. This whole gay marriage thing should never have been as big a

The Company Picnic

2010-08-09T10:02:00.002-06:00

Open scene: KF in the bedroom, stressing about what to wear. Bathing suit? Out of the question. It stays in the drawer. Flower pants? Gawd it’s hot out, and only getting hotter, and last year was kinda sweaty – perhaps something lighter might be in order. Also, perhaps it might be nice to wear something that wasn’t worn to the picnic last year?Winning choice: Shorts. Austria-sandals.

More Word Snobbery: Back to basics

2010-07-26T12:50:00.003-06:00

Enough of the hard stuff, eh? Let's do a simple excercise.Is that how you spell excercise? It can't be. ech.Anyway:Words I LoveCreekGlueCreamEnvelopeEgressFlangeWords I don't hate but would rather not have to use because they are somehow ickyBlandProbablyIllicitGreasePriceand Vomitorium (which I just learned today is a building term for the place designed to channel and maintain large numbers

The Results Episode

2010-07-23T18:00:00.003-06:00

Hello Kitty So, gentle reader. I won't keep you in suspense. We are firmly NOT in Universe B, option 2, direction of don't-even-think-about-it. We are in Universe A. But my euphoria is tempered by the fact that it's still not the universe where none of this happened. We're not in the group of worst possible news. We are, in fact, in the group of average-bustingly good news... albeit still

Today's the day.

2010-07-22T10:52:00.003-06:00

Cat's still not outta the bag/box yet, but we're underway.We find out today if we're in universe A (good news)or if we're in universe B (...Today we find out. After today, there will be no more not-knowing. There will be a plan. I'll either miss this blissful state of possibility or attempt to gratefully slough off its terrifying aftertaste.The resection will start in a little while, actually,

Platitudes

2010-07-16T09:44:00.003-06:00

Update #1: Cat’s not outta the bag yet. Still in a holding pattern on that little news item. However, that hasn’t stopped my stupid little brain from spinning into a frenzy of guilt/anger/dismay (lather/rinse/repeat). It’s not exactly realistic to expect myself to stay out of that kind of mental flagellation, since I seem to be programmed to do that sort of thing deep down to my very own DNA.

Schrödinger's Cat

2010-07-13T09:08:00.002-06:00

Today is a bit of a limbo day. Without revealing too much, the family is awaiting some pretty important information regarding a recent diagnosis. We’re all pretty optimistic, because it is within our nature to be pretty obnoxiously optimistic. However, the final cards have not yet been put on the table and there’s still that stupid chance that we’ll fall on the “wrong” part of the curve. (And

Subpoena'ed

2010-07-09T19:13:00.003-06:00

GAWD not this again.I was a witness to an accident about six years ago. I have been subpoena'ed for it about four or five times now, not once have I ended up having to go to court for it. New legal-types keep jumping into the fraccas, you see, and they need X more months to study up on the situation before courting it up again. By now my memory of the event is absolutely zilch. I've been deposed

A Certain Sunday Conversation

2010-07-05T15:47:00.003-06:00

"But have you ever spoken to God?" she asked. Leaning on the question."Sure, lots of times." came the reply she did not want to hear.She raised a suspicious eyebrow. She braced herself. "But if that's true, how can you be so... ""Angry?" again, the quick reply came and she did not care for it."Well yeah. Angry. You say you talk to God and yet you are just about the most outspoken person

My new favorite word:

2010-06-30T10:53:00.002-06:00

Anosognosia"I don't know what I don't know"Not to be confused withAgnostic"I don't know, and neither do you."which happens to also be a pretty danged good word in my world right now.

Monday Downers

2010-06-28T09:48:00.002-06:00

So much more than crying.I’m kindof struggling today.The sun is out, the intersection swallows are zooming and zipping around like gangbusters and I’m just… you know… not into it. You know how music makes me cry. Right? And certain paintings. And some commercials. And that book. And roses. And cat-fur. I’m tired. Not exhausted though. I’m mopey. But not so out of it that I can’t come

What the?

2010-06-22T19:40:00.001-06:00

wow - so, some of you were just innundated with a series of Sumi-e (Japanese Ink Painting) insects. Um - that was a bunch of pictures I'm collecting for a kids book I'm putting together for my brother and nothing I was planning on telling anyone about because it's kindof... well....l.a.m.e.I promise not to totally steal those images, too. Those are just inspiration for where I want the

Things I Need to Believe

2010-06-10T08:20:00.002-06:00

That people, on the whole, are really a lot smarter than the ones/twos that I hear about and read about. You know. Constantly.That I, when pressed, would be able to fairly defend myself in an regrettable situation.That someday I will bump into that boy from Copenhagen again and he and I will immediately recognize eachother and we’ll finally understand what it was that happened in the rundtaarn

The conversations I have:

2010-06-09T13:36:00.007-06:00

We were talking about "Spad"s at work today. Only briefly of course, and between other, more pressing issues. But still...You know, just me and two of the growly ol' ex-miners hanging around at work here... one of them had a shiny little spad all framed up nice on his desk and so I finally asked for the back story.Now that I know what spads are for (little hook-y nail-y things that hold

Back from Vacation!

2010-06-01T07:27:00.003-06:00

Ten glorious days in Austria and everything could not have gone better.It was awesome. I have a nasty, nasty cold which has settled in my lungs and after two showers I can still smell all that big-city exhaust and second hand smoke on/in me, but really the whole trip went flawlessly. The things that got screwed up were... tolerable. Will talk much, much more about that later.Need tea now.And

Anxiety Food

2010-05-20T13:01:00.003-06:00

Oh jeez, why oh why am I getting a big red spot on my face right now?How come suddenly none of my pants fit?Where did I put that alarm clock?Is the pen with the journal?What if I forget something?What have I already forgotten?What if he's getting a cold and it doesn't sink in until we get on the plane?What if I get really sick on the plane again?What if the trip sucks?What if the weather sucks?

Bring your taun-taun to work day!

2010-05-12T08:35:00.006-06:00

According to the weather stations over the last three days, we were due for the mother of all spring storms last night. It was gonna' rain, and snow, and even out here we were going to get like, EIGHT FEET OF SNOW (cue the scary music) and then planes were gonna' start falling out of the sky and hydrogen bonding would start to fail, and cats would be living with dogs, and all manner of insanity

Medicine

2010-05-10T11:35:00.003-06:00

So I’m still feeling pretty tapped by the wind. I’ve got so much to look forward to, a whole big fat lot, and I can still feel this emo oil slick of depression sliding and sloshing around in my brains, oozing down my spine, and knotting itself up inside me and all the wind can do is remind me of all the things I’m depressed about.But I’m not that depressed – or at least, I’ve got zilch to bitch

Happy Mothers' Day Weekend!

2010-05-07T10:43:00.003-06:00

A goose nested outside the window of my coworker,the eggs just hatched this morning. All together now: "Awwww" Moms of the world: My hat is off to you.

Wind

2010-05-05T16:29:00.002-06:00

It’s the windy season now. My own private “Mistral” both in and outside my head. The wind here isn’t so bad as it is in other parts, like the valley where I grew up or the town higher up in the same valley (where the wind could pluck a chicken clean if you held it out the kitchen window for a moment or two)…I digress. Spring weather here is nothing short of enthusiastic. It is also very easily

Snow Today

2010-04-29T16:57:00.005-06:00

So yesterday it was 78° out.Gorgeous.Today it's roughly 43° out.And it's snowing. No really. It's snowing! See that teency, scared looking clump of tall buildings in the distance? The knot of civilization about to get stomped on by the fog giants?That's Denver.I do adore the fitful spring weather of the Rockies.Swoon with me, won't you?*Swoon*

Movie Reviews!

2010-04-26T16:50:00.004-06:00

Brain dump in 3...2...1...Avatar: James Cameron, released 12/18/09Saw it: Christmas time 2009Have I reviewed this one for you yet? Not like I need to, it’s a great movie and everybody knows it. Sure, we all saw it before when we went to see Pocahontas and it’s not like the plot is a big fat mystery or anything, but it’s a visually stunning piece about an ancient theme which is still as important

This Bud's For You

2010-04-22T08:18:00.002-06:00

OMFG!

2010-04-19T16:39:00.003-06:00

Okay, so screw beer pong - I just fell in love again.Never knew about this but now that it's there I'm just LITERALLY weak in the knees.Dirty Thunderstorms, y'all. Lightening in the cloud of ash over a volcano - like at Iceland's Eyjafjalla right now that's errupting and farting microscropic glass and ash all over Europe (take THAT Europe!) - all that stuff in the air, all that mass and energy

Beer Pong

2010-04-19T08:29:00.002-06:00

Can I just tell you how over beer pong I am?Beer Pong. I am so over it. Utterly. Viscerally. Over.It.I am so big, fat, over beer pong. It is a disgusting game, it is a massive time-sink. It is an inefficient means of achieving drunkness and it isn’t exactly the most flattering means of engaging strangers/friends in friendly competition.Mostly though, it is a revolting game. For those of you

Metaphysical Dangers

2010-04-12T08:47:00.004-06:00

What a weekend I just had! To begin my story, I have to share that the cord snapped in our honeycomb-style blinds on our sliding door. So I woke up Saturday with one goal in my fuzzy little head: See if we can fix the blinds.Upon putting the blinds on the back deck and laying out the brick-a-brack associated with it, I decided that if I untied the knots in the remaining cord, we’d probably be in

This is my new thing I learned today:

2010-03-29T13:52:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I get all snooty about words and word usage. Test me out on it sometime by calling it the “sixteenth” chapel, or telling me to “undefrost” a turkey before cooking it.I hear the grimacing faces I make are just priceless.Lo, my word-snobbery knows few bounds and that is why it was so much fun today to learn about this little linguistic nugget I have ALWAYS thus far gotten wrong and which

A letter to an old friend:

2010-03-28T13:09:00.004-06:00

How've you been? How's your dad? I hope he's well, he seems to be keeping busy. That's good. Out here everything's pretty good. Me and the main squeeze are doing pretty well for ourselves and carving out a very comfortable little life. I have to tell you that a lot of my friends, most of them you're already pretty familiar with, are having/have had babies this year. They're so excited, I hope you

Happy Dance

2010-03-28T11:00:00.003-06:00

Holy crap you guys, gentle readers and slathering minions alike, I finished the book!I started it on a whim just to see if I could finish something... you know "anything". Seems I was in a bit of a dark spot there, eh? But anyway I had this neat dream this one night and after Jason talked me through it he pretty much dared me to try to turn it into something and then here I am, six months later

Grounded

2010-01-07T13:21:00.002-07:00

So many thoughts and ponderous nothings I want to share.I won't though.No more blogging until I finish the last few chapters on the book I wrote for Nanowrimo. *gnash gnash*When I tie it up and "the end" it, I can come back. Hopefully this won't take long.*gnash*

Interview with a me.

2010-01-01T17:28:00.008-07:00

Byebye 2009. The year of a thousand weddings has concluded. I'd like a nap now. The survey below comes from a great blog: Sundrymourning.com I adore her writing and she continues to inspire me even though we have so little in common. Almost especially because we now have so little in common. Answers are mine, go to her blog to see hers (and get addicted!)1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d

Getting in the spirit

2009-12-18T09:00:00.003-07:00

I am reminded today of a conversation I had with someone in college. She told me I seemed to have a very personal relationship with God, even though I was pretty outspoken about not being a Christian. I responded, half smartass-edly and half earnestly, that I did have a very personal relationship with several of the gods. She rolled her eyes right on cue. (I loved her for this!) Then she

Screwit-sthesia

2009-12-14T10:25:00.001-07:00

Synesthesia: I just don’t buy it. I mean, I get that there’s something going on there but it’s one of those things I’d have to truly personally experience to understand. Seeing letters/numbers as colors, or being able to “taste” words or “smell” consonants… it’s just too much for me to really accept. Like, so you say you see every “L” as red. Okay, so what about things shaped like an “L”?

One

2009-12-08T17:03:00.003-07:00

Guess what temperature it is out there? One.Farenheit.Brace yourself. Clouds are breaking, sun has set, what residual energy remains in the vicinity is hungrily thrusting itself skyward.It's gonna be co-oh-old tonight. Hi there, Kelvin? Is that you?