Some andecotes to amuse you...
I drink peppermint tea every day during lunch at work. (I used to switch teas, but I'm not sure which ones are safe during pregnancy, so I stick to peppermint. It was recommended by americanpregnancy.org, so I figure it should be OK. So far, Baby A seems to like it.) The particular brand that I like best prints quotes on the paper tag of each tea bag. Today I saw a quote I hadn't seen before: "A great man is always willing to be little," by Ralph Waldo Emerson. I wondered right away how I as a short woman should take this. If I'm involuntarily little, does that make me great? (Ha! I wish.)
On the way home from work, I saw a car with this bumper sticker: "Christopher Columbus didn't need directions...and neither do I!" Silly driver, I thought, don't you know Columbus was trying to reach the West Indies? I hope that's not where the driver wanted to go, as he/she will probably be as successful as Columbus.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Snowy Day
Today, the farthest I ventured was to the exercise room at the center of our apartment complex. With both snow and rain, I didn't want to go anywhere. Eugene did run a few errands, but we decided not to visit his parents as we'd planned. Perhaps next week. In the meantime, I baked a dozen rolls and CROWW (Cinnamon Raisin Oat Walnut Whole wheat bread), posted two crits on the workshop when it came back online, and finished going over the third draft of Lennon's Line. Oh, and I also ordered the crib and some more maternity clothes. So it was a productive day, but I'm still not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. Guess I need more luck the next time we go to Vegas. (grin)
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Life List
Since I visited two states for the first time on this trip, I thought it would be a good time to update my state life list. I'm told I visited Arkansas when I was a toddler, but I don't remember it. I counted it anyway.
create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide
create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourCalifornia travel guide
Vegas Vacation, Part Two
OK, where did I leave off? I don't think I finished Day Three. Eugene and I had dinner at a nice restaurant in our hotel. Then we walked around the Strip for a bit. We wound up at the Belliago again so Eugene could view the Ansel Adams exhibit for himself. I wandered around and played video games while I was waiting for him. We finished the night by playing The Simpsons and eating sorbet.
Day Four
Wouldn't you know I'd wake up feeling sick again? I've heard of some women having morning sickness throughout their pregnancies, but I'm still inclined to think it was too much food. It wasn't as bad as before, but I skipped breakfast with Eugene and spent the morning resting. By afternoon, however, I was feeling better and decided to go around a bit. The weather was gorgeous, so I'm glad I was able to get out. I took the monorail to the Mirage to see their dolphin/big cat exhibit created by Siegfried and Roy. The trainers there interact with the dolphins, but they don't put on a scheduled show the way zoos or aquariums do. I watched them for a bit, both above and below water, before checking out the other animals. They were quite active for the middle of the day; in particular, there were two beautiful white lions, both male, that scratched trees and played with each other. I'm not the photographer Eugene is (and my camera has significant shutter lag), but I still got some shots I was happy with. There were also white tigers, black panthers, and leopards. I picked up some stuffed animals and gradually made my way back to our hotel to meet up with Eugene.
We took the monorail over to the Hilton (I think it was the Hilton) for dinner and the Star Trek exhibit. By the time we found a place to eat, it was a bit late, but we were still able to see the exhibit. Mostly it was a timeline of Star Trek's future history and artifacts from the show. There were also exhibits devoted to the aliens. The experience ended with a simulated shuttle ride; the premise was that the Klingons had kidnapped us from the 21st century in an effort to seize one of Picard's ancestors, and the Next Generation crew had to return us to our time. They had some neat effects; the ride started with us lined up in front of some doors, then the lights went out. When they came back on, the doors were gone. Unfortunately, due to my pregnancy, I had to skip the actual shuttle ride, since the motion was too violent. That just meant I went down to the gift shop right away. I picked up something for the baby and an autographed of Nimoy; Eugene bought a tribble to add to our stuffed animal collection. We then went to Quark's for chocolate fondue. An Andorian was wandering around, but he left before we could take a picture of him. Eugene still found ways to take pictures of Oscar with aliens.
Day Five
Today was the highlight of our trip: a visit to the Grand Canyon. Eugene skipped the last day of lectures for this. We set this up through a tour group that picked us up from our hotel. (Unfortunately, Eugene forgot his jacket on the bench; we weren't able to recover it later.) We met up with others at another hotel before boarding a bus to take us to an airport outside of Vegas. From there, we flew in a puddlejumper to the Grand Canyon. En route, we passed over the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. In setting up this excursion, I'd tried to take my condition into account and find a trip that wouldn't strain me too much. One thing I hadn't thought of, however, was that small planes are more subject to bumpiness than bigger ones. The flight was a bit rough; I was holding onto the seat with one hand and my belly with the other. Baby A didn't seem to have any problems, however.
When we finally landed at another small airport, we picked up lunchboxes and boarded another bus. It took us to a spot on the South Rim. We had about 45 minutes to walk around, take pictures, and visit the gift shop. It was colder than I expected; there was still snow on the ground. I felt bad for Eugene, but he wouldn't have fit into my windbreakers. The views were amazing, however. After we were done at that spot, the bus took us to a second stop at Bright Angel Lodge. We took a few more pictures and bought more things at the gift shop. Eugene replaced his jacket; I bought some Native American crafts. By this time, the sun was setting, and we had to go back. We did see an elk, but I wasn't able to get a good photo from the moving bus. The flight back was much smoother.
We arrived back at our hotel after 8:00. We didn't finish with dinner until about 9:20, so afterward we hoofed it over to a restaurant we'd noticed earlier in another hotel. This restaurant, the Chocolate Swan, has been featured on the Food Network, so of course we were determined to sample its wares before leaving Vegas. The treats were well worth it!
This was our last night in Vegas, so after our chocolate, it was time to pack. I'm amazed we got all of our stuffed animals into our suitcases!
Day Six
We had a mid-afternoon flight back to Chicago, but we got to the airport well ahead of schedule. Given how busy security was, that was probably a good idea. I did get my first pregnancy comment from a stranger, so I'm definitely showing. (At least no unwelcome belly rubs were involved.) Other than that, the flight was uneventful. We arrived in Chicago before the storm, luckily. It's not the best welcome back, but at least we weren't stranded anywhere.
We're poorer in cash but richer in memories. I doubt we'll be taking any more vacations like this for a while, so it's good we were able to take one now.
I have too many pictures to post on the blog, so you can view some of them here.
Day Four
Wouldn't you know I'd wake up feeling sick again? I've heard of some women having morning sickness throughout their pregnancies, but I'm still inclined to think it was too much food. It wasn't as bad as before, but I skipped breakfast with Eugene and spent the morning resting. By afternoon, however, I was feeling better and decided to go around a bit. The weather was gorgeous, so I'm glad I was able to get out. I took the monorail to the Mirage to see their dolphin/big cat exhibit created by Siegfried and Roy. The trainers there interact with the dolphins, but they don't put on a scheduled show the way zoos or aquariums do. I watched them for a bit, both above and below water, before checking out the other animals. They were quite active for the middle of the day; in particular, there were two beautiful white lions, both male, that scratched trees and played with each other. I'm not the photographer Eugene is (and my camera has significant shutter lag), but I still got some shots I was happy with. There were also white tigers, black panthers, and leopards. I picked up some stuffed animals and gradually made my way back to our hotel to meet up with Eugene.
We took the monorail over to the Hilton (I think it was the Hilton) for dinner and the Star Trek exhibit. By the time we found a place to eat, it was a bit late, but we were still able to see the exhibit. Mostly it was a timeline of Star Trek's future history and artifacts from the show. There were also exhibits devoted to the aliens. The experience ended with a simulated shuttle ride; the premise was that the Klingons had kidnapped us from the 21st century in an effort to seize one of Picard's ancestors, and the Next Generation crew had to return us to our time. They had some neat effects; the ride started with us lined up in front of some doors, then the lights went out. When they came back on, the doors were gone. Unfortunately, due to my pregnancy, I had to skip the actual shuttle ride, since the motion was too violent. That just meant I went down to the gift shop right away. I picked up something for the baby and an autographed of Nimoy; Eugene bought a tribble to add to our stuffed animal collection. We then went to Quark's for chocolate fondue. An Andorian was wandering around, but he left before we could take a picture of him. Eugene still found ways to take pictures of Oscar with aliens.
Day Five
Today was the highlight of our trip: a visit to the Grand Canyon. Eugene skipped the last day of lectures for this. We set this up through a tour group that picked us up from our hotel. (Unfortunately, Eugene forgot his jacket on the bench; we weren't able to recover it later.) We met up with others at another hotel before boarding a bus to take us to an airport outside of Vegas. From there, we flew in a puddlejumper to the Grand Canyon. En route, we passed over the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. In setting up this excursion, I'd tried to take my condition into account and find a trip that wouldn't strain me too much. One thing I hadn't thought of, however, was that small planes are more subject to bumpiness than bigger ones. The flight was a bit rough; I was holding onto the seat with one hand and my belly with the other. Baby A didn't seem to have any problems, however.
When we finally landed at another small airport, we picked up lunchboxes and boarded another bus. It took us to a spot on the South Rim. We had about 45 minutes to walk around, take pictures, and visit the gift shop. It was colder than I expected; there was still snow on the ground. I felt bad for Eugene, but he wouldn't have fit into my windbreakers. The views were amazing, however. After we were done at that spot, the bus took us to a second stop at Bright Angel Lodge. We took a few more pictures and bought more things at the gift shop. Eugene replaced his jacket; I bought some Native American crafts. By this time, the sun was setting, and we had to go back. We did see an elk, but I wasn't able to get a good photo from the moving bus. The flight back was much smoother.
We arrived back at our hotel after 8:00. We didn't finish with dinner until about 9:20, so afterward we hoofed it over to a restaurant we'd noticed earlier in another hotel. This restaurant, the Chocolate Swan, has been featured on the Food Network, so of course we were determined to sample its wares before leaving Vegas. The treats were well worth it!
This was our last night in Vegas, so after our chocolate, it was time to pack. I'm amazed we got all of our stuffed animals into our suitcases!
Day Six
We had a mid-afternoon flight back to Chicago, but we got to the airport well ahead of schedule. Given how busy security was, that was probably a good idea. I did get my first pregnancy comment from a stranger, so I'm definitely showing. (At least no unwelcome belly rubs were involved.) Other than that, the flight was uneventful. We arrived in Chicago before the storm, luckily. It's not the best welcome back, but at least we weren't stranded anywhere.
We're poorer in cash but richer in memories. I doubt we'll be taking any more vacations like this for a while, so it's good we were able to take one now.
I have too many pictures to post on the blog, so you can view some of them here.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Vegas Vacation, Part One
Eugene and I are in Las Vegas this week. He's doing continuing education; I'm on vacation. I have to pay for Internet access at the hotel, so I won't be on much until Saturday. But here's the trip so far:
Day One:
Eugene and I left the apartment at 8:30 a.m. to go to the airport. He’d checked us in over the Internet the day before, so check-in and security were a breeze. The flight itself was pretty uneventful too. I did manage to finish one book and nearly finish another by the time we landed.
I could tell the difference immediately. Even before getting off the plane, it was much warmer. And the bank of slot machines in front of our gate was a bit of a clue too that we were in Las Vegas. When we went outside to catch a cab to the hotel, there were palm trees and other unfamiliar plants.
All of the hotels here on the strip are huge. The whole first floor is dominated by row upon row of slot machines, ranging from penny slots to high-roller ones. Other areas are set aside for blackjack and poker, but I don’t know those games well enough to attempt them. Each hotel also has lots of shops and restaurants, the latter ranging from fast food to gourmet. The smoke wasn’t as bad as I feared it would be, but it’s still noticeable. By the end of my first night, I already had a sore throat.
After we managed to check into our room, Eugene left to sign in for his conference and attend lecture. I took off my long underwear, called my parents, explored the hotel, and relaxed until Eugene returned. We had dinner at one of the buffets in our hotel, then we explored two other hotels connected to ours by walkways. They were pretty similar to ours regarding the gambling, but the theme of each hotel was different. They also had different attractions. We ended up going through a shark reef exhibit in one of the hotels, The gift shop had a big stuffed orca, so we bought him as a friend for Oscar. After having tea at one of the Starbucks, we headed back.
Day Two
We both got up early; Eugene had lectures starting at 8:00, and I couldn’t stay asleep. We had breakfast together at the buffet before splitting up for the morning. I gambled five bucks while waiting for the hair salon to open, but my money was gone in less than five minutes. Video games give me more fun for the buck. When the salon opened, I made an appointment for a manicure in the afternoon. Then I set off to explore some of the other hotels. While the weather was much better than it had been in Chicago, it was still a bit cool for me. It was also overcast with some slight rain.
I stopped briefly in the New York hotel, but I was primarily interested in the Belliago and their fine art exhibit. That hotel had some of the pricier shops I’ve seen so far—not that there’s much point in me buying any clothes or shoes while I’m pregnant. The gallery had a special exhibit of Ansel Adams photographs. I was a little disappointed in not being able to see some of the old masters, but it was still interesting to see the photographs and learn more about Adams. Of course I had to tell Eugene about the exhibit so he can see it for himself. I had some sorbet before walking back to the hotel to meet Eugene for lunch, stopping along the way to pick up bottled water at a drugstore and check out another hotel. By the time I finally found Eugene, I was exhausted from all the walking. We had lunch with two of his godparents and our wedding sponsors; they were also there for the convention.
After my manicure, I relaxed the rest of the afternoon, too tired to explore. Eugene and I took a cab over to the Mirage to see the Beatles show “Love.” We had dinner at that hotel’s buffet. It was good; they had din sum, sushi (which I couldn’t have), and other seafood. My stomach was so tight I couldn’t even finish my salad, though. After dinner, we went straight to the theater and got seated.
“Love” was quite a show. I’d never seen a Cirque du Soleli show before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The theater was divided into quadrants with gauzy translucent curtains. Some of the cast members wandered around before the show started, offering entertainment. The show itself was showcased around the Beatle’s songs. It was vaguely biographical in the beginning, showing Liverpool in the aftermath of WWII and early Beatlemania. The Beatles’ voices could be heard occasionally, and clippings and movies were shown on two sceens. But most of the show was devoted to interpreting the Beatles’ songs. There were some recurring characters, such as a young girl trapped in a window and other woman in a long red dress. My favorite character was a guy who reminded me of Kramer from Seinfeld (which is more unusual because I didn’t watch the show very much). He appeared from time to time with a bouquet of yellow flowers, attempting to offer them to female characters but getting rejected each time. I felt sorry for him.
Some of my favorite parts of the show included “Something,” which featured women on trapezes swinging through the air while a man tried to woo all of them at once, and “Octopus’s Garden.” The costumes for that part of the show made the performers look like jellyfish. “Blackbird” was comical, as a man kept urging a group of four birds to fly. Every time they tried, they crashed. At other times, the show passed over the audience or even came into the audience. During one song, a bed rose into the air, and the sheets from it spread out over the audience. Unfortunately, they stopped a couple of rows shy from our seats; Eugene whispered to me he wanted a partial refund. It’s not a show that can be captured on DVD; there’s just too much going on all at once. Some of the interpretations were a bit abstract; I think it’s the kind of show you’d need to see a couple of times to get all of it. Still, it was great, the kind of thing I know John in particular would have loved.
We had talked about going around a bit more after the show, but while I was waiting in line to purchase a couple of souvenirs, I started to feel sick. We took another cab back to our hotel. Let’s just say it’s a good thing we did, as shortly afterwards I had to make use of a wastebasket. It must have been something I ate; I suspect perhaps it was the shrimp cocktail. The good thing is that it seemed to pass pretty quickly. Still, I crashed very early that night.
Day Three
The morning was similar to the day before, except that I decided to stay in and rest to make sure the baby and I were both OK. It’s always reassuring to feel the baby kicking, though the kicks are still on the “soft” side. I met Eugene for lunch. Afterwards, I walked to the Tropicana to see two of their exhibits. Unfortunately, both of them were closed until further notice. So I went next door to the MGM Grand to see the lions on display. (They’re in a zoo-like exhibit behind glass.) They have two males less than a year old. I watched them for a little while, took a picture, and then walked to the Bellagio. The weather was sunnier today, but it was still a bit cool (for my taste) in the shade. Of course, it still beats Chicago this time of year! I checked out the conservatory, which was decorated for the Chinese New Year, and took some pictures. Then I sat in the lobby and rested for a while, closing my eyes and bobbing my head every few minutes. When I returned to our hotel, I treated myself (and the baby) to ice cream. Then I relaxed in the room until Eugene returned. We plan to go around some more tonight. I think if I go anywhere tomorrow, however, it will be by monorail. This is more walking than I do on the treadmill at home.
That’s all for now. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to blog again before we get back. I do have pictures, but I’ll upload them later.
Day One:
Eugene and I left the apartment at 8:30 a.m. to go to the airport. He’d checked us in over the Internet the day before, so check-in and security were a breeze. The flight itself was pretty uneventful too. I did manage to finish one book and nearly finish another by the time we landed.
I could tell the difference immediately. Even before getting off the plane, it was much warmer. And the bank of slot machines in front of our gate was a bit of a clue too that we were in Las Vegas. When we went outside to catch a cab to the hotel, there were palm trees and other unfamiliar plants.
All of the hotels here on the strip are huge. The whole first floor is dominated by row upon row of slot machines, ranging from penny slots to high-roller ones. Other areas are set aside for blackjack and poker, but I don’t know those games well enough to attempt them. Each hotel also has lots of shops and restaurants, the latter ranging from fast food to gourmet. The smoke wasn’t as bad as I feared it would be, but it’s still noticeable. By the end of my first night, I already had a sore throat.
After we managed to check into our room, Eugene left to sign in for his conference and attend lecture. I took off my long underwear, called my parents, explored the hotel, and relaxed until Eugene returned. We had dinner at one of the buffets in our hotel, then we explored two other hotels connected to ours by walkways. They were pretty similar to ours regarding the gambling, but the theme of each hotel was different. They also had different attractions. We ended up going through a shark reef exhibit in one of the hotels, The gift shop had a big stuffed orca, so we bought him as a friend for Oscar. After having tea at one of the Starbucks, we headed back.
Day Two
We both got up early; Eugene had lectures starting at 8:00, and I couldn’t stay asleep. We had breakfast together at the buffet before splitting up for the morning. I gambled five bucks while waiting for the hair salon to open, but my money was gone in less than five minutes. Video games give me more fun for the buck. When the salon opened, I made an appointment for a manicure in the afternoon. Then I set off to explore some of the other hotels. While the weather was much better than it had been in Chicago, it was still a bit cool for me. It was also overcast with some slight rain.
I stopped briefly in the New York hotel, but I was primarily interested in the Belliago and their fine art exhibit. That hotel had some of the pricier shops I’ve seen so far—not that there’s much point in me buying any clothes or shoes while I’m pregnant. The gallery had a special exhibit of Ansel Adams photographs. I was a little disappointed in not being able to see some of the old masters, but it was still interesting to see the photographs and learn more about Adams. Of course I had to tell Eugene about the exhibit so he can see it for himself. I had some sorbet before walking back to the hotel to meet Eugene for lunch, stopping along the way to pick up bottled water at a drugstore and check out another hotel. By the time I finally found Eugene, I was exhausted from all the walking. We had lunch with two of his godparents and our wedding sponsors; they were also there for the convention.
After my manicure, I relaxed the rest of the afternoon, too tired to explore. Eugene and I took a cab over to the Mirage to see the Beatles show “Love.” We had dinner at that hotel’s buffet. It was good; they had din sum, sushi (which I couldn’t have), and other seafood. My stomach was so tight I couldn’t even finish my salad, though. After dinner, we went straight to the theater and got seated.
“Love” was quite a show. I’d never seen a Cirque du Soleli show before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The theater was divided into quadrants with gauzy translucent curtains. Some of the cast members wandered around before the show started, offering entertainment. The show itself was showcased around the Beatle’s songs. It was vaguely biographical in the beginning, showing Liverpool in the aftermath of WWII and early Beatlemania. The Beatles’ voices could be heard occasionally, and clippings and movies were shown on two sceens. But most of the show was devoted to interpreting the Beatles’ songs. There were some recurring characters, such as a young girl trapped in a window and other woman in a long red dress. My favorite character was a guy who reminded me of Kramer from Seinfeld (which is more unusual because I didn’t watch the show very much). He appeared from time to time with a bouquet of yellow flowers, attempting to offer them to female characters but getting rejected each time. I felt sorry for him.
Some of my favorite parts of the show included “Something,” which featured women on trapezes swinging through the air while a man tried to woo all of them at once, and “Octopus’s Garden.” The costumes for that part of the show made the performers look like jellyfish. “Blackbird” was comical, as a man kept urging a group of four birds to fly. Every time they tried, they crashed. At other times, the show passed over the audience or even came into the audience. During one song, a bed rose into the air, and the sheets from it spread out over the audience. Unfortunately, they stopped a couple of rows shy from our seats; Eugene whispered to me he wanted a partial refund. It’s not a show that can be captured on DVD; there’s just too much going on all at once. Some of the interpretations were a bit abstract; I think it’s the kind of show you’d need to see a couple of times to get all of it. Still, it was great, the kind of thing I know John in particular would have loved.
We had talked about going around a bit more after the show, but while I was waiting in line to purchase a couple of souvenirs, I started to feel sick. We took another cab back to our hotel. Let’s just say it’s a good thing we did, as shortly afterwards I had to make use of a wastebasket. It must have been something I ate; I suspect perhaps it was the shrimp cocktail. The good thing is that it seemed to pass pretty quickly. Still, I crashed very early that night.
Day Three
The morning was similar to the day before, except that I decided to stay in and rest to make sure the baby and I were both OK. It’s always reassuring to feel the baby kicking, though the kicks are still on the “soft” side. I met Eugene for lunch. Afterwards, I walked to the Tropicana to see two of their exhibits. Unfortunately, both of them were closed until further notice. So I went next door to the MGM Grand to see the lions on display. (They’re in a zoo-like exhibit behind glass.) They have two males less than a year old. I watched them for a little while, took a picture, and then walked to the Bellagio. The weather was sunnier today, but it was still a bit cool (for my taste) in the shade. Of course, it still beats Chicago this time of year! I checked out the conservatory, which was decorated for the Chinese New Year, and took some pictures. Then I sat in the lobby and rested for a while, closing my eyes and bobbing my head every few minutes. When I returned to our hotel, I treated myself (and the baby) to ice cream. Then I relaxed in the room until Eugene returned. We plan to go around some more tonight. I think if I go anywhere tomorrow, however, it will be by monorail. This is more walking than I do on the treadmill at home.
That’s all for now. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to blog again before we get back. I do have pictures, but I’ll upload them later.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Missed Turns and Good Friends
Our friends Adam and Natalie came into town this weekend, so we planned to have dinner together and meet at the restaurant. Unfortunately, the directions from the Internet were flawed; a turn was left out. (And no, a "right out" wouldn't have helped either.) We realized we were lost about the time we were supposed to meet our friends. We called them to explain the situation, then luckily managed to find an alternate route on a folded map Eugene had in the car. We were nearly an hour late, which was quite aggravating. But our friends understood, and we had a good time talking to them.
I'd go into more detail, but we have to catch a flight later this morning. Time to turn int.
I'd go into more detail, but we have to catch a flight later this morning. Time to turn int.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Stolen from Sara
| You Are Bert |
 You are usually feeling: Logical - you rarely let your emotions rule you You are famous for: Being smart, a total neat freak, and maybe just a little evil How you life your life: With passion, even if your odd passions (like bottle caps and pigeons) are baffling to others |
http://www.blogthings.com/thesesamestreetpersonalityquiz/">The Sesame Street Personality Quiz
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Happy Rose Day!
I found a big box at my desk when I came into work this morning. (The roads were much better today, BTW.) It had arrived last night after I'd left. Eugene sent me two dozen red roses and a box of chocolates. Of course I had to take a picture of the flowers after I put them in the vase: 
I had to work late tonight, plus I had to stop for gas on the way home. However, since Eugene was also running late, it wasn't a problem. We had dinner at home: shrimp and steak, potatoes, carrots, and salad. The baby ate well tonight! Plus, Eugene also made a chocolate tart topped with raspberries, and we also have chocolate-covered strawberries. We'll be having those soon.
As for gifts, Eugene spoiled me with a diamond necklace. (It has a pendant of dangling diamonds that are supposed to represent love growing over the years. There's a special name for it, but I don't remember what it is.) Unfortunately, my gifts to him didn't work out quite as well. I bought him three history books and a CD, but he already had two of the books. At least he laughed about it. I've already ordered a couple of different books (photography ones he wanted) for him through Amazon.
Need I say how lucky I am to have a husband who treats me so well? Happy Valentine's Day, my sweetie. I love you so much.
(Ok, better sign off before I get too mushy....)
I had to work late tonight, plus I had to stop for gas on the way home. However, since Eugene was also running late, it wasn't a problem. We had dinner at home: shrimp and steak, potatoes, carrots, and salad. The baby ate well tonight! Plus, Eugene also made a chocolate tart topped with raspberries, and we also have chocolate-covered strawberries. We'll be having those soon.
As for gifts, Eugene spoiled me with a diamond necklace. (It has a pendant of dangling diamonds that are supposed to represent love growing over the years. There's a special name for it, but I don't remember what it is.) Unfortunately, my gifts to him didn't work out quite as well. I bought him three history books and a CD, but he already had two of the books. At least he laughed about it. I've already ordered a couple of different books (photography ones he wanted) for him through Amazon.
Need I say how lucky I am to have a husband who treats me so well? Happy Valentine's Day, my sweetie. I love you so much.
(Ok, better sign off before I get too mushy....)
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Driving and Dogs
I hate to talk about the weather, but it was certainly blog-worthy today. I'm not sure how much snow we received, but with that and the winds, I was a Nervous Nellie on the roads today. It took me about forty minutes (instead of my normal fifteen-twenty, depending on the route I take) each way. Of course, I was going much slower than normal. My boss was kind enough to let us leave early, so that helped. I'm wondering if I should go in at the normal time tomorrow or not. It'll depend on how much snow we get overnight. I really should go in at my regular time to start an experiment, though.
I spent some time with Eugene tonight watching the Westminster Dog Show. There are some beautiful dogs out there, and some of the breeds were new to me. It's also amazing how the judges can evaluate so many breeds, holding each one up to its standard, without taking notes. I wasn't sure which dog to pick for Best in Show, but Eugene correctly predicted the winner. He may not be a judge, but he knows more about dogs than I do!
I spent some time with Eugene tonight watching the Westminster Dog Show. There are some beautiful dogs out there, and some of the breeds were new to me. It's also amazing how the judges can evaluate so many breeds, holding each one up to its standard, without taking notes. I wasn't sure which dog to pick for Best in Show, but Eugene correctly predicted the winner. He may not be a judge, but he knows more about dogs than I do!
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Baby Shopping
Eugene suggested the title of this post to make people wonder what we meant. No, we didn't find any babies for sale this weekend. Guess it's a good thing we did it ourselves. ;)
We went to Babies-R-Us this weekend to look at cribs. I've heard they can take months to come in, so it might not be too soon to order one. That is, if we can decide on one. There were several models set up in the store; through trial and error, we realized that we need to get one with a drop-down side. Given my lack of height, it's the only way I can reach into the crib. We did see a couple of models we liked, but since I forgot the Baby Bargains book at home, we held off on ordering. The book did say that this manufacturer makes good cribs but not-so-great furniture. I asked about that on a forum I belong to, and the moms there were satisfied. But then I looked at the reviews on the BRU website, and they were decidedly mixed. Several people even said their children were able to climb out of the cribs--not a good sign at all! All cribs sold in the U.S. are supposed to meet certain safety standards no matter what the price is. I'd like to think this model really will be safe, as we will probably end up buying a crib from BRU. We haven't found another place close to us where we can look and feel the cribs before choosing one.
Travel systems are also tough. We've definitely decided on the car seat, but the Baby Bargains book says the matching stroller isn't very durable. We did see another possible stroller at the store. It's more expensive, but it's lighter and has a higher rating. But will we be able to use it with the car seat? There's the rub.
At least I don't have to worry about clothing, as my mom seems to be taking care of that all by herself. But I think the baby registry is going to be much harder to create than the wedding ones.
We went to Babies-R-Us this weekend to look at cribs. I've heard they can take months to come in, so it might not be too soon to order one. That is, if we can decide on one. There were several models set up in the store; through trial and error, we realized that we need to get one with a drop-down side. Given my lack of height, it's the only way I can reach into the crib. We did see a couple of models we liked, but since I forgot the Baby Bargains book at home, we held off on ordering. The book did say that this manufacturer makes good cribs but not-so-great furniture. I asked about that on a forum I belong to, and the moms there were satisfied. But then I looked at the reviews on the BRU website, and they were decidedly mixed. Several people even said their children were able to climb out of the cribs--not a good sign at all! All cribs sold in the U.S. are supposed to meet certain safety standards no matter what the price is. I'd like to think this model really will be safe, as we will probably end up buying a crib from BRU. We haven't found another place close to us where we can look and feel the cribs before choosing one.
Travel systems are also tough. We've definitely decided on the car seat, but the Baby Bargains book says the matching stroller isn't very durable. We did see another possible stroller at the store. It's more expensive, but it's lighter and has a higher rating. But will we be able to use it with the car seat? There's the rub.
At least I don't have to worry about clothing, as my mom seems to be taking care of that all by herself. But I think the baby registry is going to be much harder to create than the wedding ones.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
New Links
I added a couple of new links to some more blogs.
The first one is called "From Me to You," and it's written by a local Beatle fan. We belong to the same Beatles forum. I'm not sure if we've met, but I'm sure we've been at the same "Fest for Beatles Fans." Maybe we'll get to meet this year; it'll depend on how things are going with the baby by then.
The second one is "Stuck Inside a Cloud," another blog of mine on LiveJournal. (The name comes from a George Harrison song.) Yes, I know; the last thing I need is another journal to maintain. As I discussed in a previous entry, it seems that most of the bloggers on my writing workshop use LiveJournal. The plan therefore is to move some of the writing-related posts to LiveJournal so I can network with them. (Ironically, one of my writing friends will be moving her blog to Blogger soon.) I don't know if I'll use it as much as this blog, but of course all of you are welcome to check it out.
I'm finally caught up on crits for the moment, though I'm sure that will change tomorrow. ;) For now, while I do have a couple of things to take care of before bed, I finally may have a chance to work on my own stuff. When will I stop being bass-ackwards about critting and writing?
The first one is called "From Me to You," and it's written by a local Beatle fan. We belong to the same Beatles forum. I'm not sure if we've met, but I'm sure we've been at the same "Fest for Beatles Fans." Maybe we'll get to meet this year; it'll depend on how things are going with the baby by then.
The second one is "Stuck Inside a Cloud," another blog of mine on LiveJournal. (The name comes from a George Harrison song.) Yes, I know; the last thing I need is another journal to maintain. As I discussed in a previous entry, it seems that most of the bloggers on my writing workshop use LiveJournal. The plan therefore is to move some of the writing-related posts to LiveJournal so I can network with them. (Ironically, one of my writing friends will be moving her blog to Blogger soon.) I don't know if I'll use it as much as this blog, but of course all of you are welcome to check it out.
I'm finally caught up on crits for the moment, though I'm sure that will change tomorrow. ;) For now, while I do have a couple of things to take care of before bed, I finally may have a chance to work on my own stuff. When will I stop being bass-ackwards about critting and writing?
Monday, February 05, 2007
More Hair-Raising Comments
Normally, I'm not surprised if people fail to notice when I have my hair cut. When my hair was below my shoulders, it's not so obvious if it's an inch or two shorter. But chopping off as much as I did is definitely drew some comments at work today. Most of them were complimentary, but my boss apparently is going to need some time to adjust to my new style. He keeps thinking I'm someone else. His wife, our company president, asked if I'd donated my hair. That's a noble thought, but since I hadn't planned to go so short, I didn't arrange to save my shorn locks. I'm not sure if they would have been suitable anyway--I think the hair has to be a certain length and unprocessed. I haven't had my hair highlighted since the wedding, but I'm sure there were still traces of that present.
With that, I think I'll have to find some new subject material tomorrow.
With that, I think I'll have to find some new subject material tomorrow.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Update
Well, here's the new hairdo. Yes, we just took this, so I'm tired.
Not much for me to say about the Super Bowl; I don't even understand the game. Personally, I preferred the Puppy Bowl. But I did get some crocheting done. Now, it's time for me to get some sleep.
The Horsemen Are Coming!
Remember how I announced I was pregnant?
Horsemen Two and Three of the Apocalypse are on their way.
A couple of weeks ago, I looked at my hair and decided it was so long it was losing body. Plus, I have to admit I was getting tired of having to pull it back from my face every day. So, yesterday I went to the salon and got something completely different.
Just how much did I chop off? Well, I don't think my hair has been this short since undergrad, or even high school. I'm still getting used to it, though I have to admit it took me much less time to take care of my hair this morning.
No, I don't have any pictures yet. We should have taken some yesterday, but we didn't. I'm still in sweats and sans makeup, so I'll do everyone a favor and not post pictures until I'm more presentable. You'll probably have to wait until tonight, or even tomorrow.
This brings me to the second shocking thing I'm doing this weekend: I'm actually going to watch the Super Bowl. We were invited to a party by some friends of ours, and that's the only reason I'd spend that much time in front of the tube when I'm four crits behind on the OWW. At least it will be nice to get together with people; hopefully we'll also get to see our tango instructors again. I'm planning to bring my latest crocheting project along and work on that while I watch. I won't understand the game, but I've heard Apple has a big Beatles-related announcement to make. Now, if only Paul was performing again....
Horsemen Two and Three of the Apocalypse are on their way.
A couple of weeks ago, I looked at my hair and decided it was so long it was losing body. Plus, I have to admit I was getting tired of having to pull it back from my face every day. So, yesterday I went to the salon and got something completely different.
Just how much did I chop off? Well, I don't think my hair has been this short since undergrad, or even high school. I'm still getting used to it, though I have to admit it took me much less time to take care of my hair this morning.
No, I don't have any pictures yet. We should have taken some yesterday, but we didn't. I'm still in sweats and sans makeup, so I'll do everyone a favor and not post pictures until I'm more presentable. You'll probably have to wait until tonight, or even tomorrow.
This brings me to the second shocking thing I'm doing this weekend: I'm actually going to watch the Super Bowl. We were invited to a party by some friends of ours, and that's the only reason I'd spend that much time in front of the tube when I'm four crits behind on the OWW. At least it will be nice to get together with people; hopefully we'll also get to see our tango instructors again. I'm planning to bring my latest crocheting project along and work on that while I watch. I won't understand the game, but I've heard Apple has a big Beatles-related announcement to make. Now, if only Paul was performing again....
Friday, February 02, 2007
Double Crash
We hired a new scientist at work last month. We're not only sharing an office but also a printer, and my computer has been acting as the server. That means instead of turning it off every night, I need to leave it on standby. For some reason, it doesn't "come back to life" as quickly as my laptop at home, so I foolishly end up pressing the on/off switch several times. I say "foolishly" because when I did that yesterday, I wound up summoning an image I thought I'd never see again--The Blue Screen of Death. Even rebooting the computer didn't help. We were worried at first that I'd fried the hard drive completely and that I'd lost everything. (Well, not everything; I do back up my files. Unfortunately, I'd been remiss and hadn't backed up for three weeks.) By some miracle, our IT person was able to get my computer up and running again, files and all. And yes, I did immediately back up to a flash drive. I'm backing up my laptop to an external hard drive as I blog; at least that promptes me to back up every week.
I would have posted about this last night, but I was so tired I wound up crashing myself. It was probably a combination of several nights of "sleepus interruptus" and a hectic day at work. So no writing for me last night, but I doubt I would have been happy with it anyway. So I went to bed around 8:30-9:00. I guess I needed to do it; Eugene said he came in at one point to check on me and found me snoring! Hopefully today I'll be a little more wide awake.
I would have posted about this last night, but I was so tired I wound up crashing myself. It was probably a combination of several nights of "sleepus interruptus" and a hectic day at work. So no writing for me last night, but I doubt I would have been happy with it anyway. So I went to bed around 8:30-9:00. I guess I needed to do it; Eugene said he came in at one point to check on me and found me snoring! Hopefully today I'll be a little more wide awake.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Meeting the Monk
The Field Museum has a temporary exhibit on Gregor Johann Mendel, the monk whose work with peas led to the discovery of the laws of genetics. I've wanted to see it for a long time, so today we finally went. It was a blustery day, but luckily it didn't snow.
We're members of the museum, so we got in for free. We also got tickets for the evolution exhibit (the name escapes me at the moment.) We wandered around most of the upper level before we found Mendel. The exhibit featured books, documents, and tools used by Mendel, including some of his gardening tools and an apiary. Of course it discussed his pea experiments and explained what dominant and recessive traits are, including a list of dominant and recessive traits in humans. Mendel's work went unappreciated during his lifetime but was independently rediscovered in 1900 by three different researchers; part of the exhibit was devoted to genetics in the 20th century. There were also genetically-inspired artworks, including a karyotype imagining chromosomes as striped socks and a family pedigree done as a mobile. The pedigree traced the inheritance of Huntington's chorea over several generations; different shades of agate represented the various phenotypes. The exhibit concluded with research currently being done to trace gene flow in different populations. There was also mention of a plant that seems to rescue defective genes by resurrecting good versions that they didn't get from their parents. How they manage to circumvent Mendel's laws is still a mystery. We enjoyed the exhibit, but I wish they had more genetics books in the gift shop; most of the souvenirs were pea-related and overpriced. (I may have thought the bib saying "Give Peas a Chance" was cute, but I wasn't going to spend $40 for the set.)
After that exhibit, we went through the evolution one. It covered everything from the beginning of life to the present day. They've redone the exhibit since the last time we saw it; one part I particularly enjoyed was a computer rendition of life in the Precambrian Era. If you need inspiration for aliens, you need look no further. The dinosaur exhibit was also laid out differently from the last time I saw it. I wasn't able to take any pictures in the Mendel exhibit, but I took some here. Here's the link:
http://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/smua/
By the time we finished walking through the exhibit, we were hungry. We had a late lunch at the Corner Bakery, browsed in the main gift shop, and headed home.
We're members of the museum, so we got in for free. We also got tickets for the evolution exhibit (the name escapes me at the moment.) We wandered around most of the upper level before we found Mendel. The exhibit featured books, documents, and tools used by Mendel, including some of his gardening tools and an apiary. Of course it discussed his pea experiments and explained what dominant and recessive traits are, including a list of dominant and recessive traits in humans. Mendel's work went unappreciated during his lifetime but was independently rediscovered in 1900 by three different researchers; part of the exhibit was devoted to genetics in the 20th century. There were also genetically-inspired artworks, including a karyotype imagining chromosomes as striped socks and a family pedigree done as a mobile. The pedigree traced the inheritance of Huntington's chorea over several generations; different shades of agate represented the various phenotypes. The exhibit concluded with research currently being done to trace gene flow in different populations. There was also mention of a plant that seems to rescue defective genes by resurrecting good versions that they didn't get from their parents. How they manage to circumvent Mendel's laws is still a mystery. We enjoyed the exhibit, but I wish they had more genetics books in the gift shop; most of the souvenirs were pea-related and overpriced. (I may have thought the bib saying "Give Peas a Chance" was cute, but I wasn't going to spend $40 for the set.)
After that exhibit, we went through the evolution one. It covered everything from the beginning of life to the present day. They've redone the exhibit since the last time we saw it; one part I particularly enjoyed was a computer rendition of life in the Precambrian Era. If you need inspiration for aliens, you need look no further. The dinosaur exhibit was also laid out differently from the last time I saw it. I wasn't able to take any pictures in the Mendel exhibit, but I took some here. Here's the link:
http://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/smua/
By the time we finished walking through the exhibit, we were hungry. We had a late lunch at the Corner Bakery, browsed in the main gift shop, and headed home.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
At the Box Office...They're Standing in Line
As Eugene drove home from work last week, he saw a sign advertising a Billy Joel concert in the Chicago Area in April. We're fans; we saw him perform with Elton John a couple of years ago and really enjoyed the show. So we invited a couple of friends to join us, and they accepted. I was designated the buyer of the tickets, which went on sale this morning. They weren't available through Ticketmaster, and since the venue is quite close to us, I decided I'd go to the box office and buy the tickets there.
Since it was Saturday, we wound up sleeping in. I got ready as quickly as I could and was at the Sears Centre by 8:30, an hour and a half before the tickets went on sale. There was already about forty people in line. I found out later that the first person in line had arrived at 4:00 a.m. Right behind him was a group of people with blankets playing cards; they'd arrived at 5:30. It was a good thing we got to wait inside. I'd brought a book, so I spent most of the wait reading, occasionally talking to the people around me.
Around 9:30, one of the employees came out to talk to us. (By this point, I don't know how many people were behind me, but the line snaked down the hall as far as I could see.) He said that we didn't have a better chance of getting good seats for coming here and that everyone might not get tickets. He suggested calling in for tickets while we waited in line. One guy even brought a laptop to search online!
The tension grew as the minutes passed. Several people called in before my cell phone said it was time, but they couldn't get through. I called the ticket number several times myself but got a busy signal each time. But I didn't have to try too many times; there were eight open windows at the box office, so the line moved quickly. It also helped that the woman right in front of me left when her husband at home got tickets.
When I got to the window, the woman told me the floor seats were already sold out. She did have some seats on the lower level in the second row, so I took them immediately. Eugene was later amazed that in six minutes (the time I had to wait), half of the venue was sold out. But I'm glad I bought the tickets in person. The wait wasn't too bad, and I got decent seats without having to add on extra fees. Can't wait for the show!
Since it was Saturday, we wound up sleeping in. I got ready as quickly as I could and was at the Sears Centre by 8:30, an hour and a half before the tickets went on sale. There was already about forty people in line. I found out later that the first person in line had arrived at 4:00 a.m. Right behind him was a group of people with blankets playing cards; they'd arrived at 5:30. It was a good thing we got to wait inside. I'd brought a book, so I spent most of the wait reading, occasionally talking to the people around me.
Around 9:30, one of the employees came out to talk to us. (By this point, I don't know how many people were behind me, but the line snaked down the hall as far as I could see.) He said that we didn't have a better chance of getting good seats for coming here and that everyone might not get tickets. He suggested calling in for tickets while we waited in line. One guy even brought a laptop to search online!
The tension grew as the minutes passed. Several people called in before my cell phone said it was time, but they couldn't get through. I called the ticket number several times myself but got a busy signal each time. But I didn't have to try too many times; there were eight open windows at the box office, so the line moved quickly. It also helped that the woman right in front of me left when her husband at home got tickets.
When I got to the window, the woman told me the floor seats were already sold out. She did have some seats on the lower level in the second row, so I took them immediately. Eugene was later amazed that in six minutes (the time I had to wait), half of the venue was sold out. But I'm glad I bought the tickets in person. The wait wasn't too bad, and I got decent seats without having to add on extra fees. Can't wait for the show!
Friday, January 26, 2007
An End to Dual Citizenship?
Today, I did something I've been considering for a long time: I created a LiveJournal account. I was inspired to do so while commenting on a friend's journal, since LJ has mistaken me for not human on occasion. (Humpf!) But the main reason I have an account on LJ is because there are a lot more people from OWW (my writing workshop) on that site, so it would be a better place to discuss any writing issues I have.
I'm not sure I want to maintain two blogs, though. Sometimes it seems I barely have time for this one. It's still worth maintaining this site, since it helps me keep in touch with my college friends. The question is, do they really want to hear me talk about projects they haven't read and may never read? (I suppose I should ask them directly.)
Right now, there are two possibilites: I could duplicate posts on both blogs, or I could make one personal and one writing-related. I'll have to play around for a bit before I decide what to do. But I may still keep this name for this blog; I'm not sure people would appreciate it if I change it again!
I'm not sure I want to maintain two blogs, though. Sometimes it seems I barely have time for this one. It's still worth maintaining this site, since it helps me keep in touch with my college friends. The question is, do they really want to hear me talk about projects they haven't read and may never read? (I suppose I should ask them directly.)
Right now, there are two possibilites: I could duplicate posts on both blogs, or I could make one personal and one writing-related. I'll have to play around for a bit before I decide what to do. But I may still keep this name for this blog; I'm not sure people would appreciate it if I change it again!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Game Show Contestants
I think I've mentioned before on this blog that I watch more TV now that I'm married and we have Dish Network. I probably still watch less TV than the average person, but one show I do like to watch is 1 vs. 100. I also see a bit of Deal or No Deal occasionally, as Eugene likes that show. Personally, I find the drama on that show a bit over the top for my taste, and since it's all based on chance, it's not as interesting to me as a show that tests general knowledge.
One thing I've noticed about both shows is that I find a significant fraction of their contestants annoy me. The main trait I find annoying is arrogance. (Sue talked a little bit about arrogance in her blog today, which is part of the inspiration for this blog entry.) Every contestant on those shows is convinced when he or she first comes on that he or she will get the top prize. That's to be expected; it's human nature to think the best of yourself. What turns confidence into arrogance, IMO, is when the contestants dismiss the odds against them or insult the mob members on 1 vs. 100. Sometimes when the insults or cockiness reaches a certain level, I lose sympathy for the contestant. Also, sometimes contestants don't seem to realize how hard it's going to be to reach the top prize. Having been on Jeopardy! (and getting my own arrogance beaten out of me ;) ), I know the shows are harder than they appear. Sometimes the contestants learn that lesson as they play; others cling to their original mindsets for as long as they're on the show.
Sometimes contestants are annoying for other reasons, such as a certain type of laugh, an over-used catch phrase, or some other trait. One college student on DonD last year liked the color lime green--a very bright neon green. She and her supporters all wore the color. It's not to my taste and not a color I'd want to look at.
Why am I bothering to blog about this? It occured to me today that watching people on these kinds of shows can provide writers with character traits to use in their works. Arrogance would be a good quality to give a villain, while secondary characters (or even primary ones) can be fleshed out with quirks like the ones I listed above. The only thing is that certain traits may be harder to convey in writing than through TV. Just as describing an attractive person is less intense than seeing a movie star, so is it harder to make a reader hate a particular laugh than someone who can hear it. I'm sure it can be done, but it might be easier to show others reacting to the trait than describing it.
Having discussed negative traits, I should come up with inspirations for positive traits for heroes. That'll have to be another blog entry, though; it's close to bedtime for me.
One thing I've noticed about both shows is that I find a significant fraction of their contestants annoy me. The main trait I find annoying is arrogance. (Sue talked a little bit about arrogance in her blog today, which is part of the inspiration for this blog entry.) Every contestant on those shows is convinced when he or she first comes on that he or she will get the top prize. That's to be expected; it's human nature to think the best of yourself. What turns confidence into arrogance, IMO, is when the contestants dismiss the odds against them or insult the mob members on 1 vs. 100. Sometimes when the insults or cockiness reaches a certain level, I lose sympathy for the contestant. Also, sometimes contestants don't seem to realize how hard it's going to be to reach the top prize. Having been on Jeopardy! (and getting my own arrogance beaten out of me ;) ), I know the shows are harder than they appear. Sometimes the contestants learn that lesson as they play; others cling to their original mindsets for as long as they're on the show.
Sometimes contestants are annoying for other reasons, such as a certain type of laugh, an over-used catch phrase, or some other trait. One college student on DonD last year liked the color lime green--a very bright neon green. She and her supporters all wore the color. It's not to my taste and not a color I'd want to look at.
Why am I bothering to blog about this? It occured to me today that watching people on these kinds of shows can provide writers with character traits to use in their works. Arrogance would be a good quality to give a villain, while secondary characters (or even primary ones) can be fleshed out with quirks like the ones I listed above. The only thing is that certain traits may be harder to convey in writing than through TV. Just as describing an attractive person is less intense than seeing a movie star, so is it harder to make a reader hate a particular laugh than someone who can hear it. I'm sure it can be done, but it might be easier to show others reacting to the trait than describing it.
Having discussed negative traits, I should come up with inspirations for positive traits for heroes. That'll have to be another blog entry, though; it's close to bedtime for me.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Deboning Sorbet
Eugene likes to suggest "deboning ice cream" as an activity for improv performers to act out. After the last time he used this one, I thought it would be fun for him to do it for real. So I bought a Nylabone, wrapped it in plastic, and placed it at the bottom of a container of homemade apple sorbet. We had several servings of sorbet before uncovering the bone. Tonight he finally found it. We were eating out of the bowl when his spoon encountered it.
"What is this?" he asked. Apparently he thought there was something wrong with our ice cream maker.
"Let's dig it out," I suggested.
After several more spoonfuls, he pulled the bone out.
"Congratulations, you have now deboned sorbet," I told him.
He said it was a good joke and kissed me. I saved the bone so we could give it to Heidi, my parents' dog, later.
In Other News: There hasn't been much to report. I did bring my car in for maintenance at the dealer yesterday. It was the first time I've done so since buying the car over three years ago, so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at all they wanted to do to it. It took a lot longer than I originally expected; I dropped it off at 9:00 and didn't get it back until 4:30. I was able to get a loaner for the day at no charge, so at least I wasn't stuck at the dealer all day. I wasn't comfortable driving the loaner (the seat didn't adjust very well for my short stature, so I had to scoot forward to reach the gas), so I just stayed home. Eugene and I did go out in the evening for dinner and a trip to the bookstore.
Writing I've been critting chapters on OWW while revising Lennon's Line. I'm rewriting part of the climax to put Paul's girlfriend at some risk without actually letting the bad guys get her (so cliched, IMO). It was tricky figuring out how to do that, but I think I've finally got the scene blocked out, if not completely written. Too bad it took me a few days to solve that. I do goof around on the Internet when I'm supposed to be writing, but sometimes it frees part of my brain for plotting purposes.
"What is this?" he asked. Apparently he thought there was something wrong with our ice cream maker.
"Let's dig it out," I suggested.
After several more spoonfuls, he pulled the bone out.
"Congratulations, you have now deboned sorbet," I told him.
He said it was a good joke and kissed me. I saved the bone so we could give it to Heidi, my parents' dog, later.
In Other News: There hasn't been much to report. I did bring my car in for maintenance at the dealer yesterday. It was the first time I've done so since buying the car over three years ago, so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at all they wanted to do to it. It took a lot longer than I originally expected; I dropped it off at 9:00 and didn't get it back until 4:30. I was able to get a loaner for the day at no charge, so at least I wasn't stuck at the dealer all day. I wasn't comfortable driving the loaner (the seat didn't adjust very well for my short stature, so I had to scoot forward to reach the gas), so I just stayed home. Eugene and I did go out in the evening for dinner and a trip to the bookstore.
Writing I've been critting chapters on OWW while revising Lennon's Line. I'm rewriting part of the climax to put Paul's girlfriend at some risk without actually letting the bad guys get her (so cliched, IMO). It was tricky figuring out how to do that, but I think I've finally got the scene blocked out, if not completely written. Too bad it took me a few days to solve that. I do goof around on the Internet when I'm supposed to be writing, but sometimes it frees part of my brain for plotting purposes.
Monday, January 15, 2007
A Hard Day's Crit
It looks as if my regular crit partners on OWW are coming out of hibernation. Sue's been the main one to post consistently, but two more of them posted a total of four chapters yesterday. It was a good thing I had today off so I could get them done. I've been working on them since this morning, though I took breaks to check my forums and play Text Twist. Now I'm debating if I should chance going outside to start my car. Even I know I need a break from the computer occasionally.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Hunkering Down
As Sting would sing, it looks like the hounds of winter are harrying us down. Last night we got sleet; tonight so far we've had rain, but I'm afraid it'll change to snow later. I have tomorrow off, but I was supposed to bring my car in for routine maintenance. I think I may reschedule and stay inside all day. I'm enough of a Nervous Nellie when I drive in this kind of weather, but in my current condition, I'm even paranoid that I could slip and fall just trying to walk to my car.
At least I'm well prepared to stay inside. Between books and my computer, I have plenty to keep myself occupied. I'll have some time to finish crits for OWW and work on Lennon's Line. Tomorrow I'm planning to make a beef barley soup in the crockpot; I bought everything I need yesterday while I was running errands. I just hope Eugene will be OK tomorrow. He not only has to go into work, but due to some snafus, he hasn't been able to get the heater in his car fixed. (See his blog for more information.)
OK, time to see if I can get one more crit posted tonight.
At least I'm well prepared to stay inside. Between books and my computer, I have plenty to keep myself occupied. I'll have some time to finish crits for OWW and work on Lennon's Line. Tomorrow I'm planning to make a beef barley soup in the crockpot; I bought everything I need yesterday while I was running errands. I just hope Eugene will be OK tomorrow. He not only has to go into work, but due to some snafus, he hasn't been able to get the heater in his car fixed. (See his blog for more information.)
OK, time to see if I can get one more crit posted tonight.
Friday, January 12, 2007
A Happy Laptop
Even smart women make foolish choices.
When I bought my current laptop a couple of years ago, I didn't max out the memory, even though my other laptop was running very slowly. I think I was trying to save some money. That was my first mistake. My second one was more recent; I added bloatware (otherwise known as the latest version of Norton Antivirus) to my system. The drag on my memory immediately became apparent. I'd have to wait to switch between programs, and there'd be a lengthy gap between songs when I played music on my computer. I double-checked the specs and found I could quadruple my current memory, so I bit the bullet and ordered more memory from Dell. It came today, sooner than I expected. I installed the modules as soon as I came home from work.
What a difference! Word opens up so much faster; even a 600-page document like Lennon's Line pops open quickly. Music plays constantly without the band members taking a break after every song. Best of all, I don't have to wait when I switch between programs before I'm able to use them, and when I'm done playing a game, I can close the window just by clicking the red "X" once instead of twice. Even typing seems to be smoother; before when I'd blog or write, the cursor would abruptly jump to another part of the screen. So far, that hasn't happened.
There are still a few quirks I'd like to fix about this laptop, but it's much more usable now. I should be able to keep using it for another couple of years before it's time to replace it. Hopefully then I'll be smarter about the memory.
OK, now let's see if the memory upgrade helps the muse....
When I bought my current laptop a couple of years ago, I didn't max out the memory, even though my other laptop was running very slowly. I think I was trying to save some money. That was my first mistake. My second one was more recent; I added bloatware (otherwise known as the latest version of Norton Antivirus) to my system. The drag on my memory immediately became apparent. I'd have to wait to switch between programs, and there'd be a lengthy gap between songs when I played music on my computer. I double-checked the specs and found I could quadruple my current memory, so I bit the bullet and ordered more memory from Dell. It came today, sooner than I expected. I installed the modules as soon as I came home from work.
What a difference! Word opens up so much faster; even a 600-page document like Lennon's Line pops open quickly. Music plays constantly without the band members taking a break after every song. Best of all, I don't have to wait when I switch between programs before I'm able to use them, and when I'm done playing a game, I can close the window just by clicking the red "X" once instead of twice. Even typing seems to be smoother; before when I'd blog or write, the cursor would abruptly jump to another part of the screen. So far, that hasn't happened.
There are still a few quirks I'd like to fix about this laptop, but it's much more usable now. I should be able to keep using it for another couple of years before it's time to replace it. Hopefully then I'll be smarter about the memory.
OK, now let's see if the memory upgrade helps the muse....
Thursday, January 11, 2007
What I've Read: A History of God
I just finished reading this today after work. I started it before we went on vacation, but I wasn't comfortable bringing a book on religion onto a plane in that climate, right after the terrorists were caught in London. For a while the book was buried in a basket of books; after I rediscovered it, I decided it was time to finish it.
This book traces the history of the three major monothesistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It's interesting to note how they underwent similar developments. For instance, both Christianity and Islam were originally much more feminist in thought than they are today. All three religions developed mystic movements, though Christianity was affected the least by this, especially once the Enlightenment encouraged people to think about God as something or someone subject to rational thought. Perhaps this is why Christians (or at least some of them) are more likely to take their holy book more literally than do Jews or Muslims. I never realized before how the fundamentalist movement came about, but this book provides some insight into that. It's also worth pointing out that according to this book, Muslims at the beginning of the 20th century were much more friendly toward the West but then became humilated by some of the military defeats they suffered.
The final chapters of this book discuss the rise of atheism and the future of God. While it's difficult to view God in the same way post-Holocaust as before WWII, it still seems that there's an innate religious drive in humans that's not going away. On the other hand, the history of religion as traced in this book does suggest that mixing rational and religious thought doesn't work well for either science or religion.
There's a lot to ponder in this book, both on a personal level and on the world-creating level for writers. By looking at how religion has changed over the centuries, writers can develop religions for their own worlds that give us a new perspective on the subject.
With my next book to read, I'll be switching things up a bit with some hard science fiction. We'll see if I want to discuss it afterwards. In the meantime, I should also update my blog template.
This book traces the history of the three major monothesistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It's interesting to note how they underwent similar developments. For instance, both Christianity and Islam were originally much more feminist in thought than they are today. All three religions developed mystic movements, though Christianity was affected the least by this, especially once the Enlightenment encouraged people to think about God as something or someone subject to rational thought. Perhaps this is why Christians (or at least some of them) are more likely to take their holy book more literally than do Jews or Muslims. I never realized before how the fundamentalist movement came about, but this book provides some insight into that. It's also worth pointing out that according to this book, Muslims at the beginning of the 20th century were much more friendly toward the West but then became humilated by some of the military defeats they suffered.
The final chapters of this book discuss the rise of atheism and the future of God. While it's difficult to view God in the same way post-Holocaust as before WWII, it still seems that there's an innate religious drive in humans that's not going away. On the other hand, the history of religion as traced in this book does suggest that mixing rational and religious thought doesn't work well for either science or religion.
There's a lot to ponder in this book, both on a personal level and on the world-creating level for writers. By looking at how religion has changed over the centuries, writers can develop religions for their own worlds that give us a new perspective on the subject.
With my next book to read, I'll be switching things up a bit with some hard science fiction. We'll see if I want to discuss it afterwards. In the meantime, I should also update my blog template.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Mental Breaks
The busier my life gets, the more I realize how necessary it is to step back and take mental breaks. When you're rushing around at work, doing several experiments at once, only to come home to dinner and chores, it's very draining. That's bad for anyone, but when you're also trying to write, you're left with no energy and a blank screen. Mental breaks give you a chance to think about your story before sitting down at the keyboard; that way, you're ready to write right away.
I unwind in several different ways. The Internet is always a good standby with forums and e-mail to read, plus there's games. Of course, these mental breaks can last all evening if you don't discipline yourself. Eugene and I have taken lately to playing Yatzee! after dinner; it gives us some couple time. TV is another way to relax, though I try not to watch too much of it. I also like to read and crochet, but it's harder to find time to work on those projects for an extended chunk of time.
Of course, life is going to become even more hectic soon once our baby arrives. But I think even then I'll need to find the time to relax. It's not something you can regulate just to the weekends or vacations; you need some chill time every day to keep your sanity.
On that note, I think I'll call it a night.
I unwind in several different ways. The Internet is always a good standby with forums and e-mail to read, plus there's games. Of course, these mental breaks can last all evening if you don't discipline yourself. Eugene and I have taken lately to playing Yatzee! after dinner; it gives us some couple time. TV is another way to relax, though I try not to watch too much of it. I also like to read and crochet, but it's harder to find time to work on those projects for an extended chunk of time.
Of course, life is going to become even more hectic soon once our baby arrives. But I think even then I'll need to find the time to relax. It's not something you can regulate just to the weekends or vacations; you need some chill time every day to keep your sanity.
On that note, I think I'll call it a night.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Re-Organizing
I know I'm way overdue for an update. I wanted to add my to-read list of books to the sidebar first, and I've been either too busy or too tired to do that until now. At least I have a start. This list doesn't include my non-fiction books, and I really should add the authors' names to the list. Perhaps it's easier to update the template in chunks instead of waiting to do it all at once.
I'm reorganizing other aspects of my life as well. When I was single, I kept track of receipts and other financial papers in an accordion file, a new one for each year, organized alphabetically by category. I tried that last year too, but I had so many papers I couldn't even close the file. So for this year, I'm trying something Eugene recommended. I'm putting the financial records in brown clasp envelopes, one for each major category I track in Quicken. I'm keeping all of the envelopes in a file box from Office Depot. The envelopes tend to get mixed up, but in the long run I think it will be easier to find receipts this way.
Not too much else to report. Eugene and I did get together with some friends last night. They had a little girl in November, and the new mom was itching to get out. So we went out for dinner to an Indian buffet. The food was spicier than what I'm accustomed to, so I wound up eating a lot of flatbread. Afterward, we went back to their house for dessert and (for everyone else) wine. Eugene and I got to hold their little girl; it still seems strange to think that soon we'll have our own baby. There's much to be done yet before he or she comes.
Writing: I've been making some progress with Lennon's Line. I'm revising some scenes toward the end. Basically, I want to put Paul's girlfriend in some jeopardy without her actually falling into the hands of the bad guys. (It just seems so cliched to have her captured, even though I do think it's necessary for Paul to believe she's in real danger.) It took me a while to figure out a way to make that work. Of course, it's up to the readers to decide if it does or not.
I've also returned to critting on OWW. Currently, only one of my regular crit partners is posting regularly, though some of the others may still have submissions up. I'm not sure if I'll go back and review those, especially if they've been up for months. When I do resume posting work of my own, I'll probably need to cultivate a few new critters.
I'm reorganizing other aspects of my life as well. When I was single, I kept track of receipts and other financial papers in an accordion file, a new one for each year, organized alphabetically by category. I tried that last year too, but I had so many papers I couldn't even close the file. So for this year, I'm trying something Eugene recommended. I'm putting the financial records in brown clasp envelopes, one for each major category I track in Quicken. I'm keeping all of the envelopes in a file box from Office Depot. The envelopes tend to get mixed up, but in the long run I think it will be easier to find receipts this way.
Not too much else to report. Eugene and I did get together with some friends last night. They had a little girl in November, and the new mom was itching to get out. So we went out for dinner to an Indian buffet. The food was spicier than what I'm accustomed to, so I wound up eating a lot of flatbread. Afterward, we went back to their house for dessert and (for everyone else) wine. Eugene and I got to hold their little girl; it still seems strange to think that soon we'll have our own baby. There's much to be done yet before he or she comes.
Writing: I've been making some progress with Lennon's Line. I'm revising some scenes toward the end. Basically, I want to put Paul's girlfriend in some jeopardy without her actually falling into the hands of the bad guys. (It just seems so cliched to have her captured, even though I do think it's necessary for Paul to believe she's in real danger.) It took me a while to figure out a way to make that work. Of course, it's up to the readers to decide if it does or not.
I've also returned to critting on OWW. Currently, only one of my regular crit partners is posting regularly, though some of the others may still have submissions up. I'm not sure if I'll go back and review those, especially if they've been up for months. When I do resume posting work of my own, I'll probably need to cultivate a few new critters.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Our New Year's Eve Celebration
As I mentioned in my last post, Eugene and I went out to dinner last night. We went to the Weber Grill. There's one in Chicago, but another location opened up near us last year. (Yes, it's sinking in that another year is upon us.) It was our first time there, and we stuffed ourselves royally. We started with a grilled pizza appetizer; Eugene also had a salad. I had a filet mingon with garlic mashed potatoes and a side of garlic spinach. Eugene had a strip steak with a baked potato. The steak was very tender, despite me asking for it medium well. (Had to make sure it was OK for the baby.) We didn't finish our meals, but that didn't stop us from having a sundae for dessert.
After dinner, we went to the comedy club and hung out for a while before they let us in. They had some new chairs in the entrance; I don't recall the technical name for them, but they're the kind without legs (so you're practically on the floor) that rock slightly. We liked them, but I don't think they'll work too well for me when I'm farther along. ;) The comedy club let us in shortly before 8:00. We had a table in the first row. The club was small, but it was well-packed, with 50-60 people there. There were mostly couples, but I saw families there too. Dress ranged from casual to formal.
The package deal for the night included a buffet of appetizers (hot and cold) and desserts, free soda and water, a toast at midnight, and party favors. Yes, this means we both got lei'd. (rimshot). Eugene got a red conical hat that made him feel like a Shriner; if I'd brought my camera, I would've taken a picture for your entertainment. I wore a "Happy New Year" tiara. Of course we got noisemakers too. I didn't have much room for food, but I sampled some cheese and fruit -- and yes, the desserts.
The first show began at 9:00. There were two improv shows with the same performers but different games. We offered a fair number of suggestions; in fact, for one game, the performer taking suggestions said we were "completely destroying the other tables" with our suggestions of Shakespearian drama and Greek tragedy. I also came up with a movie title: Aardvarks Go To France. In between the shows was some dancing; we got dragged up on stage for a song or two.
As midnight approached, the staff handed out drinks for toasting (yes, I just had sparkling juice). They showed a tribute to those who had died in 2006. There was supposed to be a clock ticking down the final seconds, but the comptuer running that developed a glitch, so one of the performers led us in the final countdown. We all drank and made noise and kissed our sweeties, but by 12:30 people started to leave. I was tired, so we left too. But it was nice to go out on New Year's, especially since it may be a few years before we can do it again.
Today we're just hanging out at home. We did some cleaning, and we have a pot roast cooking in the crockpot for dinner. Later on tonight, I may try doing something Sara has done and put a list of my "books to read" in my template. Since there are over 40 books, the list may take up the entire blog. :)
After dinner, we went to the comedy club and hung out for a while before they let us in. They had some new chairs in the entrance; I don't recall the technical name for them, but they're the kind without legs (so you're practically on the floor) that rock slightly. We liked them, but I don't think they'll work too well for me when I'm farther along. ;) The comedy club let us in shortly before 8:00. We had a table in the first row. The club was small, but it was well-packed, with 50-60 people there. There were mostly couples, but I saw families there too. Dress ranged from casual to formal.
The package deal for the night included a buffet of appetizers (hot and cold) and desserts, free soda and water, a toast at midnight, and party favors. Yes, this means we both got lei'd. (rimshot). Eugene got a red conical hat that made him feel like a Shriner; if I'd brought my camera, I would've taken a picture for your entertainment. I wore a "Happy New Year" tiara. Of course we got noisemakers too. I didn't have much room for food, but I sampled some cheese and fruit -- and yes, the desserts.
The first show began at 9:00. There were two improv shows with the same performers but different games. We offered a fair number of suggestions; in fact, for one game, the performer taking suggestions said we were "completely destroying the other tables" with our suggestions of Shakespearian drama and Greek tragedy. I also came up with a movie title: Aardvarks Go To France. In between the shows was some dancing; we got dragged up on stage for a song or two.
As midnight approached, the staff handed out drinks for toasting (yes, I just had sparkling juice). They showed a tribute to those who had died in 2006. There was supposed to be a clock ticking down the final seconds, but the comptuer running that developed a glitch, so one of the performers led us in the final countdown. We all drank and made noise and kissed our sweeties, but by 12:30 people started to leave. I was tired, so we left too. But it was nice to go out on New Year's, especially since it may be a few years before we can do it again.
Today we're just hanging out at home. We did some cleaning, and we have a pot roast cooking in the crockpot for dinner. Later on tonight, I may try doing something Sara has done and put a list of my "books to read" in my template. Since there are over 40 books, the list may take up the entire blog. :)
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Last Post of the Year
In a few minutes, Eugene and I are headed out for the evening. We're going out for dinner, then we're going to an improv comedy show--or, actually, two shows. Hopefully we'll get home before the drunk drivers hit the road.
Since this is the last post of the year, I feel as if I ought to look back at what we've done. We've been pretty active, I think. We've taken tango lessons, seen King Tut, visited with old friends and made new ones, been to Michigan, and visited England. Even more changes are in store for us next year.
As for resolutions, well, the last thing I need to do now is lose weight, but I do have to manage how much I gain. For a while over the holidays, I felt as if I was going to gain all my "allowed" weight at once. At least I can work out now; I had to skip it for a while. I do want to lose weight after the baby comes, of course. Needless to say, I want to be a good parent. Some of my other goals for 2007 include finally getting out of this apartment. For writing goals, I want to finish editing Lennon's Line and start submitting it to agents/editors, finish a short story I started a couple of months ago, and start the rewrite of Catalyst in the Crucible, next in the Paul Harrison saga. Hopefully I'll be able to do more research for some other novel ideas that are still incubating in my brain.
Have a happy 2007, everybody!
Since this is the last post of the year, I feel as if I ought to look back at what we've done. We've been pretty active, I think. We've taken tango lessons, seen King Tut, visited with old friends and made new ones, been to Michigan, and visited England. Even more changes are in store for us next year.
As for resolutions, well, the last thing I need to do now is lose weight, but I do have to manage how much I gain. For a while over the holidays, I felt as if I was going to gain all my "allowed" weight at once. At least I can work out now; I had to skip it for a while. I do want to lose weight after the baby comes, of course. Needless to say, I want to be a good parent. Some of my other goals for 2007 include finally getting out of this apartment. For writing goals, I want to finish editing Lennon's Line and start submitting it to agents/editors, finish a short story I started a couple of months ago, and start the rewrite of Catalyst in the Crucible, next in the Paul Harrison saga. Hopefully I'll be able to do more research for some other novel ideas that are still incubating in my brain.
Have a happy 2007, everybody!
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
The Two Days of Christmas
Two days, four visits, and lots of driving. That's what we've been up to the last couple of days.
It started Christmas Eve with a drive up to Wisconsin. We stopped first at my friend Liz's house to exchange gifts with her and chat for a couple of hours. We also got to watch the birds (and squirrels) feeding in their backyard. Their neighbor puts out corn for the deer, so there were a few of them around too.
Mid-afternoon, we said farewell and drove to my parents' house. My grandmother was there too (since she lives with them now), and one of my nieces was already there. My brother and his family came by right before dinner. Afterwards we exchanged gifts and had cake and tea. Eugene made his infamous flourless chocolate cake; half a slice was rich enough to satisfy me. The highlight of the evening was watching Heidi, my parents' toy poodle. She got two presents this year: a package of Snausages from me and a new toy from my parents. She wanted to play with her toy right away, and she kept chasing it until we finally had to put it away before she exhausted herself. Then, after getting a treat or two, she sat sphinx-like and stared at the can of Snausages as if she could will it to open and give her more goodies. She tried pawing it a few times but only managed to startle herself. I'm told that the next day she was still staring at the pantry where we keep her treats, waiting for more.
Christmas morning was private time for us. Eugene made a special apple puff pancake for breakfast, and I prepared fresh-squeezed orange juice. Then we exchanged gifts. He gave me four books; I gave him two books, a DVD set he wanted--and two cans of soup (in case he tried shaking the box). Hey, the soup was an improvement on the cans of dog food he put in my gift one year. (No, I didn't keep them.) Eugene even found time to make an apple pie to bring to our next hostess.
The visiting started again with a holiday lunch with Jan, Eugene's dad's vet partner. They've been together so long she's part of the family. Afterwards, we spent the afternoon and evening at Eugene's parents' house. His dad was born on Christmas, so it was a combination Christmas/birthday celebration. Lots of family came over in the evening, and there were plenty of kids to run around and remind us what the holidays are about.
It was nice seeing our families, but I have to admit I'm glad I have today off too to recuperate and catch up on some things around the apartment. Maybe now I can get back to editing again.
It started Christmas Eve with a drive up to Wisconsin. We stopped first at my friend Liz's house to exchange gifts with her and chat for a couple of hours. We also got to watch the birds (and squirrels) feeding in their backyard. Their neighbor puts out corn for the deer, so there were a few of them around too.
Mid-afternoon, we said farewell and drove to my parents' house. My grandmother was there too (since she lives with them now), and one of my nieces was already there. My brother and his family came by right before dinner. Afterwards we exchanged gifts and had cake and tea. Eugene made his infamous flourless chocolate cake; half a slice was rich enough to satisfy me. The highlight of the evening was watching Heidi, my parents' toy poodle. She got two presents this year: a package of Snausages from me and a new toy from my parents. She wanted to play with her toy right away, and she kept chasing it until we finally had to put it away before she exhausted herself. Then, after getting a treat or two, she sat sphinx-like and stared at the can of Snausages as if she could will it to open and give her more goodies. She tried pawing it a few times but only managed to startle herself. I'm told that the next day she was still staring at the pantry where we keep her treats, waiting for more.
Christmas morning was private time for us. Eugene made a special apple puff pancake for breakfast, and I prepared fresh-squeezed orange juice. Then we exchanged gifts. He gave me four books; I gave him two books, a DVD set he wanted--and two cans of soup (in case he tried shaking the box). Hey, the soup was an improvement on the cans of dog food he put in my gift one year. (No, I didn't keep them.) Eugene even found time to make an apple pie to bring to our next hostess.
The visiting started again with a holiday lunch with Jan, Eugene's dad's vet partner. They've been together so long she's part of the family. Afterwards, we spent the afternoon and evening at Eugene's parents' house. His dad was born on Christmas, so it was a combination Christmas/birthday celebration. Lots of family came over in the evening, and there were plenty of kids to run around and remind us what the holidays are about.
It was nice seeing our families, but I have to admit I'm glad I have today off too to recuperate and catch up on some things around the apartment. Maybe now I can get back to editing again.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
A Regift I'm Grateful For
First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for their good wishes and apologize I haven't blogged much this week. I've been meaning to, but I'm still feeling a bit fatigued. I haven't even had the energy to work on Lennon's Line, and I want to rewrite parts of it. It may be time to have my thyroid levels checked again.
Anyway, I crashed early last night and slept in, so I'm feeling awake enough to tell you a story.
Years ago, for my 28th birthday (my golden one), I bought myself two rings. One was an onyx stone; the other, alternating sapphires and diamonds. I chose them because the colors are personally significant to me. Since then, I've worn both of them on my right hand. I do take them off at night (unlike my engagement/wedding rings), but I wear them every day without changing them up.
Last week, I took them off as I was cleaning the apartment. To keep them safe, I put them on my watch, closed that, and stuck the watch in my jeans pocket--something I've done lots of times. I left the watch and rings in my pocket later that night as Eugene and I ran errands. I didn't bother putting them on until the next day, when I couldn't find them. I checked the usual spots but soon decided I'd lost them while I was out.
It took me a few days to adjust to the fact I'd lost them for good. My hand felt naked without my accustomed rings, and it was strange not having a watch. So I decided to replace them, even if the rings wouldn't have the same meaning. I found an onyx ring on sale at the mall, and I bought a nice watch at a bargain price from Overstock.
This morning, as part of our routine, we did laundry. Eugene woke up before I did, so he brought the first load down. I roused when I heard him return to the bedroom. He was dangling my watch from his hand.
"Someone up there really likes you," he said.
Apparently I must not have frisked my jeans properly before putting them in the wash; my watch and rings were on the bottom of one of the laundry bags.
Eugene admitted later he was tempted briefly to wrap them up and give them to me on Christmas, but that might have caused some issues.
Needless to say, I'm happy to have my beloved rings back, and I'll have to be more careful with them in the future. Of course, I don't know how much longer I'll be able to wear any of my rings (in case my hands start swelling), so I have to enjoy them while I can.
Happy holidays, everyone, and may you experience a minor miracle of your own this Christmas!
Anyway, I crashed early last night and slept in, so I'm feeling awake enough to tell you a story.
Years ago, for my 28th birthday (my golden one), I bought myself two rings. One was an onyx stone; the other, alternating sapphires and diamonds. I chose them because the colors are personally significant to me. Since then, I've worn both of them on my right hand. I do take them off at night (unlike my engagement/wedding rings), but I wear them every day without changing them up.
Last week, I took them off as I was cleaning the apartment. To keep them safe, I put them on my watch, closed that, and stuck the watch in my jeans pocket--something I've done lots of times. I left the watch and rings in my pocket later that night as Eugene and I ran errands. I didn't bother putting them on until the next day, when I couldn't find them. I checked the usual spots but soon decided I'd lost them while I was out.
It took me a few days to adjust to the fact I'd lost them for good. My hand felt naked without my accustomed rings, and it was strange not having a watch. So I decided to replace them, even if the rings wouldn't have the same meaning. I found an onyx ring on sale at the mall, and I bought a nice watch at a bargain price from Overstock.
This morning, as part of our routine, we did laundry. Eugene woke up before I did, so he brought the first load down. I roused when I heard him return to the bedroom. He was dangling my watch from his hand.
"Someone up there really likes you," he said.
Apparently I must not have frisked my jeans properly before putting them in the wash; my watch and rings were on the bottom of one of the laundry bags.
Eugene admitted later he was tempted briefly to wrap them up and give them to me on Christmas, but that might have caused some issues.
Needless to say, I'm happy to have my beloved rings back, and I'll have to be more careful with them in the future. Of course, I don't know how much longer I'll be able to wear any of my rings (in case my hands start swelling), so I have to enjoy them while I can.
Happy holidays, everyone, and may you experience a minor miracle of your own this Christmas!
Friday, December 22, 2006
From Russ's Blog
Since Blogthings formatting never works right for me, I'll just paste the link and my results--and my comments on my results.
How Much Have You Changed in 10 Years?
You've Changed 36% in 10 Years
Ah, the past! You may not remember it well - because you're still living in it.While you've changed some, you may want to update your wardrobe, music collection and circle of friends.
Yeah, right. I admire the current crop of celebrites so much I really want to dress like them or listen to them. And why would I give up good old college friends just for the sake of change? Maybe we as a society need to focus more on what is good and not on what is new.
How Much Have You Changed in 10 Years?
You've Changed 36% in 10 Years
Ah, the past! You may not remember it well - because you're still living in it.While you've changed some, you may want to update your wardrobe, music collection and circle of friends.
Yeah, right. I admire the current crop of celebrites so much I really want to dress like them or listen to them. And why would I give up good old college friends just for the sake of change? Maybe we as a society need to focus more on what is good and not on what is new.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Christmas in Chicago
Today, Eugene and I continued a holiday tradition by visiting the Christkindlmarkt in downtown Chicago. The weather was supposedly warmer than it was at our last visit, but I was still shivering. Of course, sometimes I have to wonder if I'm really warm-blooded, but there was a bit of a wind. I couldn't have any spiced wine this year, so I had to make do with cider and potato pancakes instead.
The markt was bigger and busier than last year. It was also more diverse, including items from Russia, Peru, and Nepal along with German ones. We bought a lace table runner, glass ornaments and a tree topper, and a set of four houses to start a Christmas village for display. We wandered around for a bit, looking at all the booths, the tree, and a miniature tree setup.
After leaving the markt, we checked out the window display at Macy's. This year, it was Mary Poppins. I think they based it on the book, not the movie. (I hate to admit it, but I'm more familiar with the movie instead of the book.) We then had a late lunch at a deli before heading over to Millennium Park. Eugene lost some of last year's photos when his hard drive failed, so he wanted to replace them. We took some photos of us at the Bean, where he proposed to me nearly two years ago. Then we waited until the ice rink was full of skaters (it was being smoothed out) so he could take some pictures of them.
Our final stop was Ghardelli's for a rich chocolate mint sundae. Then I snuggled under a blanket in the car while Eugene drove home.
I didn't take as many pictures as Eugene did, but I posted some here:
http://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/smua/
The markt was bigger and busier than last year. It was also more diverse, including items from Russia, Peru, and Nepal along with German ones. We bought a lace table runner, glass ornaments and a tree topper, and a set of four houses to start a Christmas village for display. We wandered around for a bit, looking at all the booths, the tree, and a miniature tree setup.
After leaving the markt, we checked out the window display at Macy's. This year, it was Mary Poppins. I think they based it on the book, not the movie. (I hate to admit it, but I'm more familiar with the movie instead of the book.) We then had a late lunch at a deli before heading over to Millennium Park. Eugene lost some of last year's photos when his hard drive failed, so he wanted to replace them. We took some photos of us at the Bean, where he proposed to me nearly two years ago. Then we waited until the ice rink was full of skaters (it was being smoothed out) so he could take some pictures of them.
Our final stop was Ghardelli's for a rich chocolate mint sundae. Then I snuggled under a blanket in the car while Eugene drove home.
I didn't take as many pictures as Eugene did, but I posted some here:
http://s91.photobucket.com/albums/k301/smua/
I Know Russ's Secret...
because it's actually mine, or should I say mine and Eugene's.
(If you don't read Russ's blog, you can check out the entry and the resulting comments here.)
Eugene and I will be bringing about the apocalypse next year, so start planning now. That's right: we're expecting our first child in June.
To answer a few questions you might have:
So far, the baby and I are doing fine. I've had nausea (not just in the morning) and heartburn, but they haven't been too bad. At least I've been able to eat. I've been tired too, which is part of the reason I haven't done much writing or editing lately. I officially enter the second trimester on Wednesday, so hopefully I'll get some energy back. We've seen the baby on ultrasound and heard the heartbeat, which is reassuring.
Yes, we plan to find out what we're having, but we probably won't announce the sex until the child is born. I personally know of a couple of cases where the ultrasound was wrong, so I'd like to be absolutely sure. Besides, I'm thinking of a unisex theme for the nursery anyway.
I've started looking at names, but we really haven't discussed them yet. It's tough figuring out a name with a strong meaning that flows well with our last name. Hopefully we'll decide on something before we leave the hospital.
As for living arrangements, the plan is to start building a house next year, but it won't be done until September (assuming everything stays on schedule). It'll be tough having a baby in our cramped apartment, but as long as we get out of here before the baby becomes mobile, I think we can manage. How I'll manage work and child-rearing is a different story, but it has to be done too.
Finally, we'd appreciate any good thoughts you could send our way. The doctor says I don't look my age, but that doesn't help me in the egg department, and my hypothyroidism can be a problem if it's not handled properly. Eugene and I just want to have a healthy baby next June.
(If you don't read Russ's blog, you can check out the entry and the resulting comments here.)
Eugene and I will be bringing about the apocalypse next year, so start planning now. That's right: we're expecting our first child in June.
To answer a few questions you might have:
So far, the baby and I are doing fine. I've had nausea (not just in the morning) and heartburn, but they haven't been too bad. At least I've been able to eat. I've been tired too, which is part of the reason I haven't done much writing or editing lately. I officially enter the second trimester on Wednesday, so hopefully I'll get some energy back. We've seen the baby on ultrasound and heard the heartbeat, which is reassuring.
Yes, we plan to find out what we're having, but we probably won't announce the sex until the child is born. I personally know of a couple of cases where the ultrasound was wrong, so I'd like to be absolutely sure. Besides, I'm thinking of a unisex theme for the nursery anyway.
I've started looking at names, but we really haven't discussed them yet. It's tough figuring out a name with a strong meaning that flows well with our last name. Hopefully we'll decide on something before we leave the hospital.
As for living arrangements, the plan is to start building a house next year, but it won't be done until September (assuming everything stays on schedule). It'll be tough having a baby in our cramped apartment, but as long as we get out of here before the baby becomes mobile, I think we can manage. How I'll manage work and child-rearing is a different story, but it has to be done too.
Finally, we'd appreciate any good thoughts you could send our way. The doctor says I don't look my age, but that doesn't help me in the egg department, and my hypothyroidism can be a problem if it's not handled properly. Eugene and I just want to have a healthy baby next June.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Your Attention Please....
I just scored over 2.2 million on Tetris at this arcade. I'm not sure how many lines I created, but I got to level 80.
That is all. ;)
That is all. ;)
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Social Butterfly
That's not how I would describe myself, but it's how my weekend went.
Saturday I got to see my good friend Kristi for the first time in months. She was down for the weekend at her parents' house, which is much closer to me than her current location. So I brought her a couple of gifts that I picked up in London for her. We had lunch at a local diner, then we braved the mall. Kristi was lucky enough to find a gift she'd been searching for. Afterwards, we browsed at the bookstore for a while. I brought her home and chatted with her and her mom for a while before I had to leave. Even though Kristi and I may not see each other often, we still always pick right up again where we left off. Hopefully I'll get to see her again soon.
I barely had time to check the Net at home before it was time to change and leave for my company's holiday party. It was at a seafood restaurant; we'd gone there the year before too. A few people were quite late, but we waited for them before ordering dinner. The crab legs were good, but towards the end of the night the service was quite slow. I guess next year we should look for a new place to switch things up a little.
Today Eugene's cousins held a birthday party for two of their children. It was mid-afternoon, so we ran some errands before heading over. We got there shortly after the party was supposed to start only to find that it had been in progress for a while. Apparently people had decided to show up early--which is quite unusual in Filipino culture, let me stay. We had some food, watched the kids, took a few photos, and left.
We still had things to do at home, including putting up our new "Mini-Tree." It's six feet tall but much skinnier than the big tree we put up last year. Since we haven't gotten that one out of storage yet (it's at my in-laws' house), we figured the only way we would get a tree up at this point would be to get a small one. I have to admit it's a lot easier to put up the Mini-Tree than the half-a-tree we had last year. Besides, given how many ornaments we pick up on trips, we may eventually need two trees to display them all.
Editing: Believe it or not, I did get some editing done today, though it was light editing/reformatting. I am going to need a break from Lennon's Line before I do the final edit.
Saturday I got to see my good friend Kristi for the first time in months. She was down for the weekend at her parents' house, which is much closer to me than her current location. So I brought her a couple of gifts that I picked up in London for her. We had lunch at a local diner, then we braved the mall. Kristi was lucky enough to find a gift she'd been searching for. Afterwards, we browsed at the bookstore for a while. I brought her home and chatted with her and her mom for a while before I had to leave. Even though Kristi and I may not see each other often, we still always pick right up again where we left off. Hopefully I'll get to see her again soon.
I barely had time to check the Net at home before it was time to change and leave for my company's holiday party. It was at a seafood restaurant; we'd gone there the year before too. A few people were quite late, but we waited for them before ordering dinner. The crab legs were good, but towards the end of the night the service was quite slow. I guess next year we should look for a new place to switch things up a little.
Today Eugene's cousins held a birthday party for two of their children. It was mid-afternoon, so we ran some errands before heading over. We got there shortly after the party was supposed to start only to find that it had been in progress for a while. Apparently people had decided to show up early--which is quite unusual in Filipino culture, let me stay. We had some food, watched the kids, took a few photos, and left.
We still had things to do at home, including putting up our new "Mini-Tree." It's six feet tall but much skinnier than the big tree we put up last year. Since we haven't gotten that one out of storage yet (it's at my in-laws' house), we figured the only way we would get a tree up at this point would be to get a small one. I have to admit it's a lot easier to put up the Mini-Tree than the half-a-tree we had last year. Besides, given how many ornaments we pick up on trips, we may eventually need two trees to display them all.
Editing: Believe it or not, I did get some editing done today, though it was light editing/reformatting. I am going to need a break from Lennon's Line before I do the final edit.
Friday, December 08, 2006
For John...
(This is one of the many tribute songs written for John Lennon. I've been listening to it a lot today, the 26th anniversary of his murder.)
Edge of Seventeen--Stevie Nicks
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song ...
Sounds like she's singing...
whoo...whoo...whoo
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo...baby...ooo...said ooo
And the days go by....
like a strand in the wind
In the web that is my own...
I begin again
Said to my friend, baby...
Nothin' else mattered
He was no more...than a baby then
Well he... seemed broken hearted...
something within him
But the moment...that I first laid...
Eyes...on...him...all alone...
On the edge of...seventeen
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song ...
Sounds like she's singing...
whoo...whoo...whoo
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo...baby...ooo...said ooo
I went today...maybe I will go again...
tomorrow
And the music there it was hauntingly...
familiar
And I see you doing...
what I try to do for me
With the words from a poet...
and the voice from a choir
And a melody...nothing else mattered
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song ...
Sounds like she's singing...
whoo...whoo...whoo
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo...baby...ooo...said ooo
The clouds...never expect it...
when it rains
But the sea changes colours...
but the sea...
Does not change
And so...with the slow...graceful flow..
of age
I went forth...with an age old...
desire...to please
On the edge of...seventeen
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song ...
Sounds like she's singing...
whoo...whoo...whoo
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo...baby...ooo...said ooo
Well then suddenly...
there was no one...left standing
In the hall...yeah, yeah...
In a flood of tears
That no one really ever heard fall at all
Oh I went searchin' for an answer...
Up the stairs...and down the hall
Not to find an answer...
just to hear the call
Of a nightbird...singing...
come away...come away...
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song ...
Sounds like she's singing...
whoo...whoo...whoo
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo...baby...ooo...said ooo
Well I hear you in the morning...
and I hear you...
At nightfall...
sometime to be near you...
Is to be unable...to hear you...
my love...
I'm a few years older than you...
are (I'm a few years older than you) my love
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo baby...ooo...said ...(repeat)
Edge of Seventeen--Stevie Nicks
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song ...
Sounds like she's singing...
whoo...whoo...whoo
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo...baby...ooo...said ooo
And the days go by....
like a strand in the wind
In the web that is my own...
I begin again
Said to my friend, baby...
Nothin' else mattered
He was no more...than a baby then
Well he... seemed broken hearted...
something within him
But the moment...that I first laid...
Eyes...on...him...all alone...
On the edge of...seventeen
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song ...
Sounds like she's singing...
whoo...whoo...whoo
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo...baby...ooo...said ooo
I went today...maybe I will go again...
tomorrow
And the music there it was hauntingly...
familiar
And I see you doing...
what I try to do for me
With the words from a poet...
and the voice from a choir
And a melody...nothing else mattered
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song ...
Sounds like she's singing...
whoo...whoo...whoo
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo...baby...ooo...said ooo
The clouds...never expect it...
when it rains
But the sea changes colours...
but the sea...
Does not change
And so...with the slow...graceful flow..
of age
I went forth...with an age old...
desire...to please
On the edge of...seventeen
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song ...
Sounds like she's singing...
whoo...whoo...whoo
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo...baby...ooo...said ooo
Well then suddenly...
there was no one...left standing
In the hall...yeah, yeah...
In a flood of tears
That no one really ever heard fall at all
Oh I went searchin' for an answer...
Up the stairs...and down the hall
Not to find an answer...
just to hear the call
Of a nightbird...singing...
come away...come away...
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song ...
Sounds like she's singing...
whoo...whoo...whoo
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo...baby...ooo...said ooo
Well I hear you in the morning...
and I hear you...
At nightfall...
sometime to be near you...
Is to be unable...to hear you...
my love...
I'm a few years older than you...
are (I'm a few years older than you) my love
Just like the white winged dove...
sings a song...
Sounds like she's singing...
ooo baby...ooo...said ...(repeat)
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Here's a Good One....
| You Are: 30% Dog, 70% Cat |
 You're both smart and in charge - with a good amount of attitude. However, you do have a very playful side that occasionally comes out! |
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Ah, That's Better....
It's been a headless chicken type of week at work, and I'm sure it's going to continue at least through Friday. So it would be a good night to veg in front of the TV or play video games, and I did do the latter. But I finally got my butt in gear and did some editing on Lennon's Line. It's still a very light edit, mostly reformatting and trimming text. I'm glad to say the novel is now under 148,000 words. Given that Day of All Seasons, even after I tried to shorten it, is over 170,000 words, it feels like an accomplishment to shorten a novel to "publishable" length. (New authors are sometimes advised to keep their novels short. This keeps costs down for the publishers, who may then be more inclined to take a chance on a new author. I don't know how true this is, though.) Of course, cutting length is only good if it improves the story, but I do feel that I'm improving the pacing by cutting some paragraphs and other bits. I still need to review my crits from the OWW and incorporate those changes, but I have to admit that takes more gumption than I have at the moment. I think after I finish this pass through LL, I'll have to put it away for a while before I'm ready to edit it again. Hopefully that will be the last edit before I send it out.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Quick Recap
I've been a bit lazy about updating the blog, even though I've had things to blog about. Here's a quick summary:
I think I've mentioned before I'm a Nervous Nellie when it comes to winter driving. So Friday morning when Eugene watched the news and came into the bedroom to tell me the local roads were very bad, I took a snow day at work. I didn't get much done other than prep cookies for shipment (hopefully they'll go out this week) and take a much-needed nap in the afternoon. I didn't leave the apartment at all, but I'm well stockpiled with books.
Saturday I straightened out the apartment a bit. I also finally got out of the place: we had tickets to see Wayne Brady live. It was a combination dinner/show, though the dinner was separate from the tickets. The food was OK, things like appetizers, salads, and sandwiches (though I did see some people with prime rib). It was a packed house, and the show started late. The first game was a "gansta rap," which was ruined--or made even funnier--when Wayne's assistants couldn't spell words like "philanthropy." Wayne was rhyming words on a pad; he flipped the page over and went "what the--?" At least Wayne can spell! The show overall was funny, but it was even bluer than the Whose Line show. After the show, we stopped at Barnes and Noble on the way home.
Today was a quiet day, mostly doing errands and laundry. I haven't done any editing in the last few days; lately it's been hard finding the energy. Hopefully after we get the cookies out I can get my priorities straight again.
I think I've mentioned before I'm a Nervous Nellie when it comes to winter driving. So Friday morning when Eugene watched the news and came into the bedroom to tell me the local roads were very bad, I took a snow day at work. I didn't get much done other than prep cookies for shipment (hopefully they'll go out this week) and take a much-needed nap in the afternoon. I didn't leave the apartment at all, but I'm well stockpiled with books.
Saturday I straightened out the apartment a bit. I also finally got out of the place: we had tickets to see Wayne Brady live. It was a combination dinner/show, though the dinner was separate from the tickets. The food was OK, things like appetizers, salads, and sandwiches (though I did see some people with prime rib). It was a packed house, and the show started late. The first game was a "gansta rap," which was ruined--or made even funnier--when Wayne's assistants couldn't spell words like "philanthropy." Wayne was rhyming words on a pad; he flipped the page over and went "what the--?" At least Wayne can spell! The show overall was funny, but it was even bluer than the Whose Line show. After the show, we stopped at Barnes and Noble on the way home.
Today was a quiet day, mostly doing errands and laundry. I haven't done any editing in the last few days; lately it's been hard finding the energy. Hopefully after we get the cookies out I can get my priorities straight again.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Feels Like Deja Vu
Apparently my car is a magnet for nails. I've lost track of how many times this is now--at least the third or fourth--but it happened again recently. I'm not sure where I picked it up; it may have been locally, or it may have been on Sunday when we drove up to see Liz. Either way, I must have been driving on it for a while without realizing it. I did notice some bumping feelings when I've been driving on the highway to work, but since it didn't occur for the entire trip, I thought it was just the patch of pavement I was on. Anyway, my boss noticed my tire was completely flat this afternoon. A couple of guys at work put the spare on for me, and my boss let me leave early to have it taken care of.
I got to Sears around 3:30. It took four hours before it was done. Everyone and their mothers had to get snow tires installed tonight in advance of the blizzard. (Foresight could have been more foresighted, don't you think?) It didn't help that even after my car was ready, it took a while for someone to enter it into the computer as being done.
The wait could have been worse. I browsed for a while at Barnes and Noble, enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate and a stuffed pretzel, and did some holiday shopping. I also bought three paperbacks for myself. I finished one during the wait and read 70 pages of a second. Still, it disrupted my plans to frost my sugar cookies tonight. At this rate, I think I'll have to do them on Saturday. But the important thing is that my car is once again safe to drive. I just hope driving tomorrow isn't as bad as they say it will be. I only drive about seven miles to work one way, but in a snowstorm, that's still farther than I want to go.
I got to Sears around 3:30. It took four hours before it was done. Everyone and their mothers had to get snow tires installed tonight in advance of the blizzard. (Foresight could have been more foresighted, don't you think?) It didn't help that even after my car was ready, it took a while for someone to enter it into the computer as being done.
The wait could have been worse. I browsed for a while at Barnes and Noble, enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate and a stuffed pretzel, and did some holiday shopping. I also bought three paperbacks for myself. I finished one during the wait and read 70 pages of a second. Still, it disrupted my plans to frost my sugar cookies tonight. At this rate, I think I'll have to do them on Saturday. But the important thing is that my car is once again safe to drive. I just hope driving tomorrow isn't as bad as they say it will be. I only drive about seven miles to work one way, but in a snowstorm, that's still farther than I want to go.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
My Sweet George
I would be a bad Beatlefan indeed if I let the fifth anniversary of George's death pass without notice. I've been listening to his music this evening, though I didn't get to listen to as much of it as I wanted.
It's probably obvious to those who know me that John is my favorite Beatle. George is my second favorite, however. I like his dry humor and respect his love for nature and spirituality, even if I don't share his philosophy. I listen to his solo music the most of any of the Beatles'. John's music is so emotionally intense that it can be painful to listen to at times, but George's music is more soothing.
I started reading a biography about George on the morning of the day he died, thinking I'd want to read it while he was still alive. I didn't find out about his death until early the next morning. I had a hard time getting out of bed to exercise that morning, but I forced myself to anyway. As I turned on the TV, I heard a familiar song. Since I wasn't fully awake yet, my thoughts went something like this: "Hey, that's Beatles music! 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps....' George.... Oh no!" Then the news anchor confirmed what I'd just guessed.
George's death in some ways is easier to deal with than John's. While George also died too young, the cancer made it seem inevitable. Even someone who writes alternate history like I do would be hard-pressed to create a scenaro in which he wouldn't have taken up smoking; it was just too "cool" at the time. George's death was more peaceful than John's--though the attack he suffered at his home at the end of 2000 couldn't have been good for his health. But George seemed to accept death gracefully, and "Brainwashed" and The Concert for George provide uplifting music for those of us who still miss him. Even so, the world is poorer without his presence.
It's probably obvious to those who know me that John is my favorite Beatle. George is my second favorite, however. I like his dry humor and respect his love for nature and spirituality, even if I don't share his philosophy. I listen to his solo music the most of any of the Beatles'. John's music is so emotionally intense that it can be painful to listen to at times, but George's music is more soothing.
I started reading a biography about George on the morning of the day he died, thinking I'd want to read it while he was still alive. I didn't find out about his death until early the next morning. I had a hard time getting out of bed to exercise that morning, but I forced myself to anyway. As I turned on the TV, I heard a familiar song. Since I wasn't fully awake yet, my thoughts went something like this: "Hey, that's Beatles music! 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps....' George.... Oh no!" Then the news anchor confirmed what I'd just guessed.
George's death in some ways is easier to deal with than John's. While George also died too young, the cancer made it seem inevitable. Even someone who writes alternate history like I do would be hard-pressed to create a scenaro in which he wouldn't have taken up smoking; it was just too "cool" at the time. George's death was more peaceful than John's--though the attack he suffered at his home at the end of 2000 couldn't have been good for his health. But George seemed to accept death gracefully, and "Brainwashed" and The Concert for George provide uplifting music for those of us who still miss him. Even so, the world is poorer without his presence.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Visiting Liz
I don't get to see my dear friend Liz too often. She still lives in the town where I grew up, but her work schedule is more of a problem than the distance. She works a lot on the weekends (she's in catering), and her schedule constantly changes. So when I found out she had today off, we had to go see her.
We still had our usual Sunday morning chores to do, so we got there around lunchtime. After showing Liz our wedding album, which she had asked to see, we treated her for lunch at Panera. We also gave her a couple of gifts I'd picked up in London for her--and her share of Cookiefest 2006. She didn't try them while we were there, but hopefully she'll approve them. We talked for a while, looked at some of Liz's pictures, and watched birds from the kitchen. (Side note: the subdivision where I used to live and she still does is fairly wooded, so it attracts a fair amount of birds. We used to feed the birds too, just as her family still does. You can see chickadees, woodpeckers, cardinals, juncos, and finches in the winter. I miss being able to watch the birds in my backyard.) We could only stay for a few hours, since I had to get back home and pick up a prescription before the pharmacy closed. Besides, Eugene needed to continue with Cookiefest 2006. It was still good to see her, though; hopefully we'll get to visit Liz and her family soon.
I've been naughty and haven't posted pictures from this week, but it will have to wait another day or so. I'm a bit tired and plan to go to bed early. At least I did some light editing on Lennon's Line this evening.
We still had our usual Sunday morning chores to do, so we got there around lunchtime. After showing Liz our wedding album, which she had asked to see, we treated her for lunch at Panera. We also gave her a couple of gifts I'd picked up in London for her--and her share of Cookiefest 2006. She didn't try them while we were there, but hopefully she'll approve them. We talked for a while, looked at some of Liz's pictures, and watched birds from the kitchen. (Side note: the subdivision where I used to live and she still does is fairly wooded, so it attracts a fair amount of birds. We used to feed the birds too, just as her family still does. You can see chickadees, woodpeckers, cardinals, juncos, and finches in the winter. I miss being able to watch the birds in my backyard.) We could only stay for a few hours, since I had to get back home and pick up a prescription before the pharmacy closed. Besides, Eugene needed to continue with Cookiefest 2006. It was still good to see her, though; hopefully we'll get to visit Liz and her family soon.
I've been naughty and haven't posted pictures from this week, but it will have to wait another day or so. I'm a bit tired and plan to go to bed early. At least I did some light editing on Lennon's Line this evening.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Ending Earthlink
Regular readers of this blog may remember the connection problems I had a couple of months ago. Because of that, Eugene and I ended up switching providers; nothing else worked. Today, I cut the final cord and canceled my account with Earthlink. In some ways, it's a shame I had to do that. I've been with them for over ten years, since I first started surfing the Net. My e-mail address has outlasted several computers. But lately I've been deluged with even more spam than usual; hundreds of spam messages flooded my old e-mail address yesterday. So, even though there are still a couple of bugs with the new system, I'm glad that I have a new e-mail address now. If you're not using that one already, my friends, please do so.
Anyway, I just finished my seventh batch of cookies; the only one left is sugar cookies with homemade frosting. Hopefully we can get them sent out (and yes, Russ, you're still on our list) next week. It's not so much that I'm tempted to eat them, but they're taking up a lot of space on our table. What a problem, huh?
Anyway, I just finished my seventh batch of cookies; the only one left is sugar cookies with homemade frosting. Hopefully we can get them sent out (and yes, Russ, you're still on our list) next week. It's not so much that I'm tempted to eat them, but they're taking up a lot of space on our table. What a problem, huh?
Friday, November 24, 2006
Baking with the Beatles
Well, Eugene already described how Thanksgiving was on his blog, so I don't need to go into detail here. He did forget to mention the entertainment: kids (our ring bearer and one of the flower girls) and dogs. We goofed around with the kids before dinner. I even let them take pictures with my camera, though I need to delete a couple before I post them. As for the dogs, Eugene's father's partner stopped by for a while and brought three of her pets. One of them was a very friendly puppy, just the right size to stick into my purse. I didn't take him home with me, though.
As for what I'm thankful for, family and friends, of course, and especially my husband. I'm also grateful to be healthy.
Today I stayed home to bake. I was hoping to bake three different batches of cookies, but I only got two done. I'm not too happy with how the second batch turned out. It was a new recipe. The dough didn't roll out well, I didn't get the yield I was supposed to, and the cookies stuck to the pan so much some of them nearly broke apart. The cookies do taste good, but I don't think I'll make them again. But at least I had some good music in the background; I'm playing a Beatles marathon of their albums in order. Right now I'm up to Revolver. I'll continue baking and Beatling tomorrow.
As for what I'm thankful for, family and friends, of course, and especially my husband. I'm also grateful to be healthy.
Today I stayed home to bake. I was hoping to bake three different batches of cookies, but I only got two done. I'm not too happy with how the second batch turned out. It was a new recipe. The dough didn't roll out well, I didn't get the yield I was supposed to, and the cookies stuck to the pan so much some of them nearly broke apart. The cookies do taste good, but I don't think I'll make them again. But at least I had some good music in the background; I'm playing a Beatles marathon of their albums in order. Right now I'm up to Revolver. I'll continue baking and Beatling tomorrow.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Early Family Get-Together
We're not having Thanksgiving with my parents this year, just with Eugene's family. It'll be easier for us not to have to drive up to Wisconsin, eat, and then drive back down to eat some more. Still, I'm going to miss my mom's cooking this year. At least I got to see them yesterday. Eugene and I treated both sets of parents, as well as his brothers and my grandmother, to Texas de Brazil. It's an all-you-can-eat Brazilian steakhouse, featuring different varieties of beef, chicken, pork, and lamb, brought to your table on skewers. It does have a good salad bar too, but the meat is the star of the show.
It was good getting the parents together; I don't think they've been together since the wedding. The only bad thing about the event--besides the price--was that I ate so much I had a bad stomach ache later on that evening. (That's why I didn't blog last night.) It kept me up all night, but the pain finally ebbed this morning. (I'm actually glad I was able to go into work so I could start and finish a three-day experiment before the holiday.) I'm too tired tonight to post pictures; perhaps tomorrow.
It was good getting the parents together; I don't think they've been together since the wedding. The only bad thing about the event--besides the price--was that I ate so much I had a bad stomach ache later on that evening. (That's why I didn't blog last night.) It kept me up all night, but the pain finally ebbed this morning. (I'm actually glad I was able to go into work so I could start and finish a three-day experiment before the holiday.) I'm too tired tonight to post pictures; perhaps tomorrow.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Reunion with a Friend
Some of my college friends who read this blog may remember my friend Jen. We met our freshman year; we were next door to each other in Liz Waters, and we were both interested in biology majors. Since then, Jen moved to Kentucky; the last time I saw her was at her wedding two years ago. (She was unable to attend mine for a very good reason.) She's currently visiting her parents in Wisconsin, close to the border, so I drove up today to have lunch with her at a quaint little place called the Speakeasy.
My friend is a private person, so I don't want to post too much about her. She's also photo-shy (though she doesn't need to be), so even though I brought my camera along, I didn't get a picture of her. It was still good seeing her again and finding out how her life is going. After lunch, we went shopping briefly. I would have liked to have spent more time with her, but I'd promised to visit my parents before going home. Hopefully it won't be another two years before we see each other again.
Since Eugene and I are staying in tonight, we may start Cookiefest 2006. If you're not familar with that event, Eugene discussed it on his blog. I'm afraid I do have a slight correction to add to his description. Eugene said that we "bake to our heart's content." It's really more like we "bake until the nice men in white coats haul us away from the oven and give us aprons that truss up our arms."
Given that I plan to bake eight different recipes this year instead of six, I expect to get a visit from the white-coated men any day now.
Writing: I have been editing Lennon's Line, though it's been more on the order of line edits. I'm coming up on a section that drew a lot of comments on OWW, so I need to pull them out and go over them again. I still haven't finished that short story I was working on, so I should get back to that. The Muse knows I need something fresh to work on instead of alll Paul, all the time.
My friend is a private person, so I don't want to post too much about her. She's also photo-shy (though she doesn't need to be), so even though I brought my camera along, I didn't get a picture of her. It was still good seeing her again and finding out how her life is going. After lunch, we went shopping briefly. I would have liked to have spent more time with her, but I'd promised to visit my parents before going home. Hopefully it won't be another two years before we see each other again.
Since Eugene and I are staying in tonight, we may start Cookiefest 2006. If you're not familar with that event, Eugene discussed it on his blog. I'm afraid I do have a slight correction to add to his description. Eugene said that we "bake to our heart's content." It's really more like we "bake until the nice men in white coats haul us away from the oven and give us aprons that truss up our arms."
Given that I plan to bake eight different recipes this year instead of six, I expect to get a visit from the white-coated men any day now.
Writing: I have been editing Lennon's Line, though it's been more on the order of line edits. I'm coming up on a section that drew a lot of comments on OWW, so I need to pull them out and go over them again. I still haven't finished that short story I was working on, so I should get back to that. The Muse knows I need something fresh to work on instead of alll Paul, all the time.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
And How Was Your Day?
(cue announcer voice for the following sentence) It's time once again for another Stupid Sandra Moment!
First, I need to provide some background. One of the instruments I work with in the lab is a HPLC, short for High Performance Liquid Chromatography. It allows us to separate, identify, and quantify compounds we're interested in. It does this by flowing a stream of liquid, such as water, a buffer, or an organic liquid, over a column. A column is a thin metal bar with an interior matrix that can be made up of a polymer or some other material, depending on the application. Different materials will be retained by this matrix for different lengths of time, so when they come off, they do so at different times. Other equipment then detects the compounds and registers them as peaks against a baseline. The whole setup takes up a good chunk of a lab bench and costs more than my car. When it works, it works well, but lately we've been having various problems with it.
We purchased a new column recently for a new project. I installed it today. The manufacturer recommends having the solvent running during installation to prevent air from getting into the column, which is a bad thing. This particular column requires a mix of water and acetonitrile, not one of the safest chemicals I've worked with. So as I put the column into place, I held it over the waste carboy we use to temporarily store used solvent before we dispose of it. Meanwhile, every connection of this column to the line was leaking. In attempting to fix that, I got lefty-loosey and righty-tighty mixed up. The column came free and slid down the funnel into the waste carboy.
I freaked a bit. Columns cost hundreds of dollars, and the other chemicals inside the carboy could damage this one. How could I get it out? The carboy opening was too narrow for me to reach inside -- and I wouldn't want to anyway; a mere glove wouldn't be enough protection. I tried fishing out the column with a magnet, but that was too weak to hold it. There was only one thing I could do: empty the carboy into the storage drum and catch the column when it came out.
I donned my lab coat and took the carboy to the warehouse where the drum is kept. As I unlocked the cabinet containing the drum, my boss came by with a gas cylinder. He's always the one empty out the carboy, so he came over and asked what I was doing. I'd hoped I wouldn't have to tell him what had happened, but I had to confess what had happened.
He doubled over in laughter. Then he shooed me back to the lab to take care of it.
Luckily, my boss was able to rescue the column, and we installed it. I'm still testing it, but I think it'll be OK. (Some of our columns are so delicate their matrices wilt if you look at them funny, so I'm glad this one isn't that sensitive.)
Now that I've atoned for my mistake by confessing it on the Internet, I hope the HPLC god will be satisfied and let us get some work done for a change.
First, I need to provide some background. One of the instruments I work with in the lab is a HPLC, short for High Performance Liquid Chromatography. It allows us to separate, identify, and quantify compounds we're interested in. It does this by flowing a stream of liquid, such as water, a buffer, or an organic liquid, over a column. A column is a thin metal bar with an interior matrix that can be made up of a polymer or some other material, depending on the application. Different materials will be retained by this matrix for different lengths of time, so when they come off, they do so at different times. Other equipment then detects the compounds and registers them as peaks against a baseline. The whole setup takes up a good chunk of a lab bench and costs more than my car. When it works, it works well, but lately we've been having various problems with it.
We purchased a new column recently for a new project. I installed it today. The manufacturer recommends having the solvent running during installation to prevent air from getting into the column, which is a bad thing. This particular column requires a mix of water and acetonitrile, not one of the safest chemicals I've worked with. So as I put the column into place, I held it over the waste carboy we use to temporarily store used solvent before we dispose of it. Meanwhile, every connection of this column to the line was leaking. In attempting to fix that, I got lefty-loosey and righty-tighty mixed up. The column came free and slid down the funnel into the waste carboy.
I freaked a bit. Columns cost hundreds of dollars, and the other chemicals inside the carboy could damage this one. How could I get it out? The carboy opening was too narrow for me to reach inside -- and I wouldn't want to anyway; a mere glove wouldn't be enough protection. I tried fishing out the column with a magnet, but that was too weak to hold it. There was only one thing I could do: empty the carboy into the storage drum and catch the column when it came out.
I donned my lab coat and took the carboy to the warehouse where the drum is kept. As I unlocked the cabinet containing the drum, my boss came by with a gas cylinder. He's always the one empty out the carboy, so he came over and asked what I was doing. I'd hoped I wouldn't have to tell him what had happened, but I had to confess what had happened.
He doubled over in laughter. Then he shooed me back to the lab to take care of it.
Luckily, my boss was able to rescue the column, and we installed it. I'm still testing it, but I think it'll be OK. (Some of our columns are so delicate their matrices wilt if you look at them funny, so I'm glad this one isn't that sensitive.)
Now that I've atoned for my mistake by confessing it on the Internet, I hope the HPLC god will be satisfied and let us get some work done for a change.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Who Needs Words? Everyone!
I saw an article on MSN.com this morning that made me a little (OK, a lot) miffed. Here's the link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14823087/
The premise of the article is that reading is a skill that will soon become obsolete for the majority of workers, who will rely on audio and video cues instead to do their jobs. The futurist author of this article doesn't insist all writing will go the way of the dodo; he acknowledges that "In 2025, tens of millions of Americans continue to enjoy books and magazines as recreational pursuits, and this happy habit will undoubtedly remain part of the landscape for generations to come." (How he reconciles this with the belief that these Americans will only be able to understand 100-word chunks of text is beyond me; perhaps he thinks all fiction will be of the flash (i.e., very short) variety. I'm a novelist by nature, so that would sink my career.) But he thinks only the leaders of America will need the ability to handle abstract thought.
While he includes scientists among the elite, the whole idea of dividing society into literates and illiterates scares me. In essence, the author is saying most people don't need to learn abstract concepts or critical thinking. After all, how can you teach these concepts without words? And if you have masses of people unable to do these things, how can you expect them to innovate? How do you expect them to elect capable readers and make sound policies about abstract concepts? Are we supposed to regress to the ancient style of Chinese government, relying on scholars who pass certain exams to be our governors? That doesn't sound good for democracy to me. A stable democracy requires middle-class, reasonably educated voters, not worker drones. We all need critical thinking skills, no matter what we do for a living.
Reading. It's not just a skill; it's a precious privilige. Exercise your rights early and often, and do your part to make sure the next generation appreciates it.
Thank you for reading this. Hopefully I'll have a lighter topic for my next blog entry.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14823087/
The premise of the article is that reading is a skill that will soon become obsolete for the majority of workers, who will rely on audio and video cues instead to do their jobs. The futurist author of this article doesn't insist all writing will go the way of the dodo; he acknowledges that "In 2025, tens of millions of Americans continue to enjoy books and magazines as recreational pursuits, and this happy habit will undoubtedly remain part of the landscape for generations to come." (How he reconciles this with the belief that these Americans will only be able to understand 100-word chunks of text is beyond me; perhaps he thinks all fiction will be of the flash (i.e., very short) variety. I'm a novelist by nature, so that would sink my career.) But he thinks only the leaders of America will need the ability to handle abstract thought.
While he includes scientists among the elite, the whole idea of dividing society into literates and illiterates scares me. In essence, the author is saying most people don't need to learn abstract concepts or critical thinking. After all, how can you teach these concepts without words? And if you have masses of people unable to do these things, how can you expect them to innovate? How do you expect them to elect capable readers and make sound policies about abstract concepts? Are we supposed to regress to the ancient style of Chinese government, relying on scholars who pass certain exams to be our governors? That doesn't sound good for democracy to me. A stable democracy requires middle-class, reasonably educated voters, not worker drones. We all need critical thinking skills, no matter what we do for a living.
Reading. It's not just a skill; it's a precious privilige. Exercise your rights early and often, and do your part to make sure the next generation appreciates it.
Thank you for reading this. Hopefully I'll have a lighter topic for my next blog entry.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Still Stunned
I didn't think I would have anything interesting to discuss tonight, but then I checked my e-mail.
I may have mentioned before on this blog that I'm a member of Broad Universe, an organization devoted to promoting women in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I'm on their mailing list and received a digest of messages tonight. The main topic of discussion was sexual harassment in SFWA (Science Fiction Writers of America, the professional organization for writers in this genre) and at conventions. I'm not sure how much I should share (and I don't know the names of the men involved), but one of the incidents mentioned by a woman on the list was about going to an awards ceremony and being slapped in the face by a well-known judge moments before receiving an award. Another woman mentioned not having her science fiction writing credits recognized and being excluded from panels while men wondered why they'd been assigned to the same panels.
I don't have enough background on these situations to make judgements about them. Nonetheless, I feel I should say something about them, if only to point out how unprofessional and unacceptable this behavior is, no matter in what field it occurs. I guess I'm all the more stunned by it because I attend WisCon, a feminist convention with a welcoming atmosphere, every year. Perhaps I take such feminism for granted. The woman who got slapped described how stunned she felt immediately afterwards, too stunned to react. Someone else mentioned how women are conditioned to automatically think they're somehow to blame for such treatment. Again, this is another reaction that makes it difficult for women to stand up for themselves in the heat of the moment. One woman did describe how she got someone to leave her alone, but it was a different type of situation.
I studied martial arts for a couple of years in high school and freshman year of college and reach the rank of green stripe, halfway to black belt. Although I no longer practice kicks and thrusts regularly, I like to think I still have the reflexes to defend myself in a similar situation. Given that I'm a short woman who looks younger than she is, it wouldn't surprise me if something like this did happen at some point in my life, either at a SF convention or elsewhere. Hopefully, if I remind myself that sexual harrassment still exists, I'll be more prepared to recognize it and defend myself if it ever happens to me. And hopefully this blog will make others more aware too. We shouldn't have to deal with this behavior in an era when a woman is two heartbeats away from the presidency, but some behaviors persist in the human population for much longer than they should.
I may have mentioned before on this blog that I'm a member of Broad Universe, an organization devoted to promoting women in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I'm on their mailing list and received a digest of messages tonight. The main topic of discussion was sexual harassment in SFWA (Science Fiction Writers of America, the professional organization for writers in this genre) and at conventions. I'm not sure how much I should share (and I don't know the names of the men involved), but one of the incidents mentioned by a woman on the list was about going to an awards ceremony and being slapped in the face by a well-known judge moments before receiving an award. Another woman mentioned not having her science fiction writing credits recognized and being excluded from panels while men wondered why they'd been assigned to the same panels.
I don't have enough background on these situations to make judgements about them. Nonetheless, I feel I should say something about them, if only to point out how unprofessional and unacceptable this behavior is, no matter in what field it occurs. I guess I'm all the more stunned by it because I attend WisCon, a feminist convention with a welcoming atmosphere, every year. Perhaps I take such feminism for granted. The woman who got slapped described how stunned she felt immediately afterwards, too stunned to react. Someone else mentioned how women are conditioned to automatically think they're somehow to blame for such treatment. Again, this is another reaction that makes it difficult for women to stand up for themselves in the heat of the moment. One woman did describe how she got someone to leave her alone, but it was a different type of situation.
I studied martial arts for a couple of years in high school and freshman year of college and reach the rank of green stripe, halfway to black belt. Although I no longer practice kicks and thrusts regularly, I like to think I still have the reflexes to defend myself in a similar situation. Given that I'm a short woman who looks younger than she is, it wouldn't surprise me if something like this did happen at some point in my life, either at a SF convention or elsewhere. Hopefully, if I remind myself that sexual harrassment still exists, I'll be more prepared to recognize it and defend myself if it ever happens to me. And hopefully this blog will make others more aware too. We shouldn't have to deal with this behavior in an era when a woman is two heartbeats away from the presidency, but some behaviors persist in the human population for much longer than they should.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Adventures in Voting
Well, it's that time of year we all look forward to: the final day we can be harassed by negative ads and prerecorded political messages. Yes, it's Election Day, the day I get to tell government what to do.
Normally I vote before work, but I had to go afterwards today because I slept in. I've voted here before, so I thought I remembered where to go. Not quite. My polling place is a church--ironic, given that we're supposed to have separation between church and state--but there are two churches used as polling places on the same street, not too far apart. You guessed it: I went to the wrong one. (In my defense, my old voter registration card had the address of my polling place on it, so I didn't think I needed to bring any other voting information with me.) I realized that when I got there--the parking lot wasn't familiar--but I went in anyway to get directions to the right place.
Once there, it took me about twenty minutes to vote. Much of that time was spent waiting for a cardboard booth to become available. I'm not going to reveal how I voted, but it should be interesting if all of my choices won. I doubt that they will, but at least I had my say. The suffragettes would be proud of me.
Normally I vote before work, but I had to go afterwards today because I slept in. I've voted here before, so I thought I remembered where to go. Not quite. My polling place is a church--ironic, given that we're supposed to have separation between church and state--but there are two churches used as polling places on the same street, not too far apart. You guessed it: I went to the wrong one. (In my defense, my old voter registration card had the address of my polling place on it, so I didn't think I needed to bring any other voting information with me.) I realized that when I got there--the parking lot wasn't familiar--but I went in anyway to get directions to the right place.
Once there, it took me about twenty minutes to vote. Much of that time was spent waiting for a cardboard booth to become available. I'm not going to reveal how I voted, but it should be interesting if all of my choices won. I doubt that they will, but at least I had my say. The suffragettes would be proud of me.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Happy Blog Anniversary to Me!
Now, where's my cake? Can't have a special occasion without cake. ;)
Well, one year ago I started a blog to comment on another friend's blog. I've found it a good way to keep in touch with my friends and let them know what Eugene and I are up to. It makes me feel closer to friends in other states. Sometimes it's been useful to me to look back at a particular event. Sometimes it seems as if I spend more time in Mundania on this blog than talking about SpecFic, however. I think a lot of the writers on OWW use LiveJournal, but I don't want to start a separate blog.
I haven't done any writing today, though I did crochet while Eugene called tech support about our wireless router. It's finally working now; I think the problem had something to do with the IP address. I'm still not sure if it's going to work well for me, as I seem to be having trouble loading some sites. I didn't think DSL stood for Darn Slow Loading.
Anyway, that's enough for tonight--Tetris is calling.
Well, one year ago I started a blog to comment on another friend's blog. I've found it a good way to keep in touch with my friends and let them know what Eugene and I are up to. It makes me feel closer to friends in other states. Sometimes it's been useful to me to look back at a particular event. Sometimes it seems as if I spend more time in Mundania on this blog than talking about SpecFic, however. I think a lot of the writers on OWW use LiveJournal, but I don't want to start a separate blog.
I haven't done any writing today, though I did crochet while Eugene called tech support about our wireless router. It's finally working now; I think the problem had something to do with the IP address. I'm still not sure if it's going to work well for me, as I seem to be having trouble loading some sites. I didn't think DSL stood for Darn Slow Loading.
Anyway, that's enough for tonight--Tetris is calling.
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Party Weekend
It was a happening weekend for us, which is why I didn't post for a while. Yesterday we went to a housewarming party. We met the couple at our tango lessons earlier this year; I also know the woman through a local forum we belong to. They have a very nice condo. There were a lot of people at the party, including our former tango instructors and some other people from the forum. We spent most of our time talking to them. Eugene took a lot of pictures, so I shared them with the forum. I'm not sure if he's going to post the link on his own blog.
Today we had a party for my grandmother, who turned 92 on Friday. She lived on her own until September, when health issues forced her to move into my parents' house. At least some of her health issues seem to be improving now that my mother's caring for her. But to make it easier on my mother, we had a brunch at a restaurant in Rockford. Also there were my brother and his girlfriend, my aunt and uncle, and my cousin and his girlfriend. After brunch, we all drove up to my parents' house and visited for a while. Heidi, my parents' poodle, went crazy with all the extra people giving her attention. We brought along a huge cake from the same bakery that made our wedding cake; it was good, but it wasn't as rich as our wedding cake. At least we made it home without bringing leftovers home. I took pictures, as did Eugene, but I'm feeling too lazy to post them tonight. Maybe tomorrow; it's my blog anniversary, so of course I'll have to post something to mark the occasion.
Writing: I did write a little bit more of that short story I started last week, but I lost the momentum. I need to reread what I have so far and figure out where I want to go next. At least I did more editing on Lennon's Line yesterday; I even finished a chapter. Not sure yet if I want to write tonight; I may just go to bed early, after a round or two of Tetris.
Today we had a party for my grandmother, who turned 92 on Friday. She lived on her own until September, when health issues forced her to move into my parents' house. At least some of her health issues seem to be improving now that my mother's caring for her. But to make it easier on my mother, we had a brunch at a restaurant in Rockford. Also there were my brother and his girlfriend, my aunt and uncle, and my cousin and his girlfriend. After brunch, we all drove up to my parents' house and visited for a while. Heidi, my parents' poodle, went crazy with all the extra people giving her attention. We brought along a huge cake from the same bakery that made our wedding cake; it was good, but it wasn't as rich as our wedding cake. At least we made it home without bringing leftovers home. I took pictures, as did Eugene, but I'm feeling too lazy to post them tonight. Maybe tomorrow; it's my blog anniversary, so of course I'll have to post something to mark the occasion.
Writing: I did write a little bit more of that short story I started last week, but I lost the momentum. I need to reread what I have so far and figure out where I want to go next. At least I did more editing on Lennon's Line yesterday; I even finished a chapter. Not sure yet if I want to write tonight; I may just go to bed early, after a round or two of Tetris.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
At Last, Some Real Writing!
It's easy to come up with ideas but much harder to work them up into full-fledged stories. Most of the ideas I've mentioned here have been shelved, at least for the time being, because they don't grab me hard enough to make me write them out. But today an idea came visiting at work, an idea that finally seemed to encapsulate something I've wanted to write about for a long time. So this evening I actually wrote over three hundred words on it. It feels like I've done so little writing or editing recently that even that small amount feels like something.
I don't want to say too much here before I finish the story, in case I derail my momentum. But I will say I'm experimenting with this one. It should be interesting to see what the OWWers will think of it.
I don't want to say too much here before I finish the story, in case I derail my momentum. But I will say I'm experimenting with this one. It should be interesting to see what the OWWers will think of it.
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