santa cruz wharf

28 February 2007

thursday thirteen ~ ocho

desired male attributes
(working my way thru the alphabet....backwards)

Bestest
Boyish
Benevolent
Building
Bible studying
Bitch loving
Book owning
Band-aid-ing
Beauty seeking
Baby holding
Blog reading (maybe)
Bona fide
Bad-ass (just a little)

27 February 2007

25 February 2007

Manic Monday with Mo ~ Yellow

Yellow....Fear and cowardice come to mind when I hear the word yellow.

Yellow bellied.
Yellow livered.
Coward.

Now it would be incredibly easy for me to make a list of people who I think are cowards. Names you know and names you do not. But wouldn’t that really be the coward’s way out?

Fear can be a useful and important sense. It acknowledges potential danger. In the best way, Fear can motivate me to take care. Fear can motivate my strength. I am not afraid of fear.

I am afraid of being a coward.

If ever confronted with a real life danger could I step up and act with courage? When facing a life threatening condition could I take the painful, difficult steps to battle it? Or would I just turn tail and run?

I don’t know.

That’s something else I am afraid of.
Not knowing.

sheesh

rainy Sunday afternoon

It is pouring outside. I’ve started the laundry. There is about 14 inches of work to read thru before tomorrow.

I'm gonna have to make a job change pretty soon....partially by choice and partially by circumstance. Do I want to stay at the same place....or do I want to move on...don't know yet. Should probably fine tune that resume and surf around to see what's out there...

But no....here I am reading about strangers...and I guess writing to strangers as well. More likely writing to myself….but I’ve never been much of a diary or journal sorta gal.

Someplace in my mind I have to think someone else is gonna read this or I wouldn’t write it.

And it is a great excuse to be procrastinating...sitting with the laptop in front of a movie. Wonder if I can stretch it out until the Oscar coverage begins....

22 February 2007

Feast One Hundred & Thirty Two ~ siete

Appetizer
Where on your body do you have a scar, and what caused it?
I have quite a few to choose from.

The only one I can brag about is a four inch line on my right shin incurred while playing Field Hockey when I was a junior in high school. Back in the day shin guards were these leather contraptions with buckles and clips…which did a great deal to impair one’s graceful running ability. Especially if you are five foot two inches and the shin guards are made for girls who are pushing six foot or so. Anyway one day I took off my shin guards during a game and as luck would have it I collided with the keeper. Her full-on leg guards had huge metal buckles and clips which tore into my unprotected leg as she tried to stop me and block my shot.

On the off chance you were wondering….the shot was good. (smile)

Soup
What is something that has happened to you that you would consider a miracle?
I have been blessed with more miracles than scars. I have survived many accidents and catastrophes...I have been given far more than I deserved…

My daughter Rhiannon was a miracle for me from the very moment of birth. Having majored in Biology I understood the intricacy of her teeny tiny respiratory, circulatory, and skeletal systems. Her sight, her cry, the grasp of her fingers were all miracles for me. As a young woman her life continues to be a miracle. I am thankful for her life and her love. She is the miracle for whom I am most grateful.


Salad
Name a television personality who really gets on your nerves.
Joan Rivers

Main Course
What was a funny word you said as a child (such as "pasketti" for "spaghetti")?
When I was first learning to talk I said “bah” for water. I loved taking a bath (still do) but couldn’t pronounce the “th” sound and it came out “bah.” All water was “bah”

Being a very young first time father….my Dad hated that I wouldn’t say water and was always trying to correct me…”no...it's water…Not bah….it’s water…”

Family lore has it….one day while driving on a bridge over a large river...I pointed down and said, “look Daddy…water…” My Dad was so excited he was gleeful saying over and over, “yes…water”….at which point I started laughing and said, “No Daddy…not water….Bah!!” and giggled all the way home.

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I have always thought ______ was ______
I have always thought the way I am was just a bit bizarre.

21 February 2007

thursday thirteen ~ siete

desired male attributes
(working my way thru the alphabet....backwards)

Cool
Clever
Christian
Considerate
Carousel riding
Control relinquishing (the remote…among other things)
Carnivore
Capable
Congenial
Creative
Comforting
Cajole-able
Compatible (this could be the most difficult)

20 February 2007

18 February 2007

Manic Monday with Mo ~ Celebrating…Honoring



I am “Celebrating” a couple of the men whose contribution resulted in me living a very good life.



Not only is my little corner of the blogging world celebrating “morgEpalooza” (Yo Mo…Happy Four-Oh!) a significant number of Americans are celebrating “Presidents’ Day”. I started thinking about the men we celebrate…and about the four men for whom the United States actually celebrates with a Federal Holiday.

Columbus ~ Washington ~ Lincoln ~ King

Men of passion and conviction. Men who sacrificed a great deal in their personal life. Two actually had their lives taken from them. I don’t have time to scan the net for research on Columbus, but I know the other three were truly men of God. Their Christian faith guided and sustained them in their calling. I am honored to honor their lives.

I know there are ongoing debates over WHOM to honor and celebrate…and why or why not.

I could personally name half a dozen Americans….men and women….whose lives I would want to establish recognition for.

There is no way we can have Federal Holidays for each and every man and woman whose lives have contributed to the greatness of our Nation.

Unless of course….we went to a three day work week.

However….here’s an idea….

How about Honor Days instead of Holidays? What if there was a list …it could be pages and pages. Each person could select three (or four?) from the list. At the beginning of each year…they would submit in advance to their employer…who they were going to honor. Sure some people would work it out to just have them all in a row like an extra week of vacation. Some would tack them on to Christmas or Thanksgiving. People would select their own birthday. Some people would choose to honor individuals who we think are evil and atrocious. So what? Each person could choose what or who to celebrate. If they had no conviction for another individual…well then…that is their right as well.

Every great plan has its draw backs….not sure how we would deal with the schools. Not sure we can have the students picking their holidays. Mine would pick test days. (smile) But then again testing is gonna be on the internet soon anyway. Maybe they could be required to write an essay about the individual they were recognizing. I also realize companies save money by closing down operations. And small business owners can’t always give up an employee or two. It may cause some interesting conversations at the dinner table if family members disagree with other’s choices. But still. It’s a thought…don’t ya think?

As for today….

Celebrate that with the contribution of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln….among others….we can write on these blogs whatever we want. That we can throw out TO THE WORLD our thoughts, opinions, rants, raves, and ramblings….with freedom. Thanks guys.

From the depths of my heart….

I celebrate Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.

17 February 2007

Photo Hunting ~ week five ~ "Antique"




I am only now getting around to posting my Saturday Photo Scavenger hunt …a bit after 8pm on the west coast.

This coming Tuesday is the “go-live” date on a project I have been working on for over two years….needless to say our entire team worked today…and will for the rest of the weekend.

But to the point.

This is the "ANTIQUE" building my office is in. It is called The Carriage House…because it was originally an actual functioning Carriage House, built in 1845. The top black and white shot ...taken by Ansel Adams. The color version is from today...taken by me. (smile).




15 February 2007

Feast One Hundred & Thirty One ~ seis

Appetizer
What sound, other than the normal ringing, would you like your telephone to make?
On my cell phone I love to be able to download different songs for different incoming callers. I change them up every couple of months…or every week if I get tired of the song from a frequent caller. (smile)


Soup
Describe your usual disposition in meteorological terms (partly cloudy, sunny, stormy, etc.).
Calm, sunny and warm…..with a major storm sitting just off the coast. It might dissipate into nothing…or it could just move on to a different shore. However… if it starts to hit….you best be holding on…cause ain’t no way you’re gonna be able outrun it.

Salad
What specific subject do you feel you know better than any other subjects?
I know a very little bit about a very great number of things. My mind is overflowing with a zillion worthless pieces of trivia. But what I do best…what I love to do most ...and what my forte is…Is being Mommy. I have had a very diverse, somewhat unique parenting experience….and it promises to continue. Someone close refers to me as the “Joan of Arc” of children. He wasn’t referring to little ones…he was originally talking about a group of teenagers I was championing.


Main Course
Imagine you were given the ability to remember everything you read for one entire day. Which books/magazines/newspapers would you choose to read?
Hmmmm….I think I would want to read the Bible. I wouldn’t get thru it all…maybe the New Testament…Proverbs, Psalms, Geneses


Dessert
If a popular candy maker contacted you to create their next confection, what would it be like and what would you name it?
I have no idea. Maybe chocolate and hot chili pepper….in small bite size pieces wrapped up like Rolo candy…and I would call it…Intenslate. (Intense Chocolate)

14 February 2007

thursday thirteen ~ seis

desired male attributes
(working my way thru the alphabet....backwards)

Dynamic
Dishwashing
Dog loving
Dragonslaying
Determined
Daddy
Delectable
Disarming
Daunting
Do-gooder
Domestic
Dreaming
Dude

13 February 2007

12 February 2007

rambling revisited

I had the following comment on my rambling post and I am compelled to clarify and comment back…

The comment:
I tend to agree with you in most part. The banning of anything generally comes as a result of law suits or insurance claims. If people weren't so quick to sue the pants off of everything dang product because it did this or that...or caused this or that...then they wouldn't be removed. Insurance companies are tired of making pay outs so they would rather see things banned and make us believe they want it banned for our own good rather than the real reason it is costing them money.

Now as for cell phones. I hate seeing people talking on cell phones while driving...their total concentration is not on driving rather it is split between driving and talking. Now look at it this way. Why should I be put at risk while I am driving by another driver who is not paying full attention because they are talking on their cell phone. My chances are high enough for a car accidents without adding the complications of the cell phone. In this case I think technology did us a disservice...and we being human abused the technology. Cell phones are great....but there is a time and place for everything. Oh I could go on about the cell phone thing. The increased productivity...or is it....the employer now gets to move their space into mine. My car...they don't pay me rent for using my space, they don't help with my insurance...but now they are expecting me to do work in my car....I don't think so.....what did we do before? Think about it. WE have done this to ourselves.



Me Again:
I can’t really speak to the laws in Canada…and do not know details of your insurance or legal industries. I can only speak to what I know here.

I’ll buy into the role of the insurance industry. I have commented before on how I hold them responsible for many of the issues here in the US. But in most cases it is a JURY (or the threat of a jury trial) that results in an outrageous settlements complete with punitive damages…all with the help of an attorney or two. People like to punish companies…and love the idea of a “windfall”…they don’t think of the consequences. If the law held the individual who had the accident accountable (rather than the company who made the item inadvertently involved in the accident) we’d all be better off.

Gotta start making paper with dull edges… paper is causing innocent people to have very painful cuts on their fingers. If those paper companies can't make paper with dull edges...then sue them. Force them to quit making paper! When you ask McDonald’s to heat up your coffee…after you have paid for it…then you hold it in your lap…drive away… and it sloshes on you….you can sue the company for serving you coffee hot enough to burn you. C'MON !

As for the cell phones. I should have been more explicit as to what I am objecting to.

I am objecting to the proposed legislation which would make it a crime to use your cell phone while WALKING. I know cell phone conversations can be a dangerous distraction while operating a vehicle… so can drinking… or eating… or even singing along to a favorite song. For me.... having another person in the car with me is BY FAR the most distracting. What are we gonna do… outlaw talking while in a car?


You can not legislate stupidly or humor error out of the equation.

If you work for an employer who demands cell phone connectivity while driving…you and I live in two different worlds. I personally work for an entity (a very large…. hard driving…. well respected, world known entity) that expressly forbids by written policy talking on the phone when driving for work purposes. Not even with a hands free device. You are not allowed to be on the phone when driving for business.


Perhaps being a nurse is different? Are you on emergency call?

I can not agree the technology has done us a disservice…I agree humans have abused it…like so many other things we found in nature or have in our lives as a result of human ingenuity. Personally I am grateful for my cell phone. I have two teenagers (one away at college) plus an adult daughter who lives in another city. I love being able to reach them or enable them to reach me whenever and wherever I am. I DO remember what we did without them. When my daughter first turned sixteen, they weren’t as prevalent as they are today. I wish they had been. I've had family members ill and dying. Praise God I could be reachable at anytime... anywhere... day or night. If someone calls me … and I don’t want to chat… I just don’t answer. If I am on a mountain road (which I am frequently) I don’t answer. But when it’s safe I check to see who called… and if I want... I can call them back.


I am in control.

If I didn’t have the cell phone, I wouldn’t have that option.

I like having the option.
I like having the choice.
I like being in control.
I like my freedom.




11 February 2007

Manic Monday ~ "Spike"


Spike – I actually called my daughter “Spike” for a couple months.

My daughter Rhiannon, (NOT NAMED AFTER OR BECAUSE OF ANY FLEETWOOD MAC SONG) graduated from college two years ago December. A month earlier at Thanksgiving she personally notified me, my folks, her Dad and his parents, that come graduation she was gonna shave her head.

Yep.

Knowing what was important to the fam she promised that she would walk to “Pomp and Circumstance” with hair…let us all take pictures of her in cap n’ gown…but then…it was coming off. A friend of hers did head shaving for the men’s sport teams at her school. He had professional equipment, plenty of experience, and agreed to be there for the big event. (what amazing connections one makes in college.)

Despite my fumbling, stumbling efforts at being a single parent for the majority of her life….Rhiannon ended up being rather well adjusted. This is not the kid you would expect to shave her head. When she told me, I clearly recall thinking, “oh THIS ought to be interesting” But hey... she was almost 23...and graduating from the University of California. I was incredibly proud of her….almost as much as I am now. So…I was the supportive, loving Mommy. I remember saying, “yeah okay…but YOU have to tell your Grandparents AND Great-Grampa “cause I’m not gonna.” (I’m a supportive, loving Mommy…but I am no fool.…and while this may not be a greek tragedy… we do indeed kill the messenger.)

Truth be known…what I suspect…is when you and your mother are freakishly linked…when you talk to each other several times a day and probably know way too many personal details of each other’s private lives…graduating from college is a good time to start redefining that relationship. When your Mommy has had rather long hair for most of your life….shaving your head is the best visual to establish your own identity and independence.

And she had wanted to shave her head before.

Five years prior, when Rhiannon was a senior in high school, my Mama underwent chemo and radiation treatments following her mastectomy. My Mama and my daughter are very close…Rhiannon wanted to shave her head in solidarity with Gramma. Fortunately my Mama forbade it based on all the “Senior Year” pictures, events, et cetera. Being one of the few requests ever denied to my daughter…it had probably been stewing somewhere in that brain of hers.

The day of graduation was truly one of the most significant of my lifetime. My family…her Dad’s family…a bizarre sibling mix….and bunches of grandparents….traveled hundreds of miles to see Rhiannon graduate. It was wonderful. Following the ceremony, surrounded by the tens of thousands of other family and friends, loaded down with roses, cameras, and a used airhorn or two…we were headed out to find Rhiannon.

My ex-mother-in-law starts yelling at me. Right there in front of God, Chancellors, and everyone. She does NOT want Rhiannon to shave her head. I look at her incredulously…saying, “she told you about this a month ago” The response was that they thought Rhiannon was kidding. Mind you, I live about 400 miles away from my in-laws. I have only seen them one other time in the past ten years…and that was when Rhiannon graduated from High School. And here she is YELLING at me. (did I mention her birthday is 31 October?...no kidding…it is)

I can’t get away because of the crowds. I look around…trying to locate Rhiannon’s father. The man is really tall and has red hair…usually he can be spotted immediately. But no. It occurs to me that he could be hiding. And where by the way, is MY side of the family? There they are behind me…oblivious…chatting with strangers….smiling proudly…having a high ole time.

Her two young half brothers are watching wide-eyed at their grandmother yelling at their sister’s mother. They don’t know me very well…but they know her…and they’re lookin’ a little scared. I smile down at them trying to reassure them, “WHERE is your dad???” (Damn...I can never get over how much one of them looks just like my daughter.) They both shrug. Great. Rhiannon has the same shrug. Wonder where they get it. Must be genetic. This woman is still yelling about how I can’t allow this to happen and now she’s pulling on my sleeve. Why can’t she just shrug? I am about ready to lose it. Rhiannon’s 20-year-old step brother steps in…trying to deflect the onslaught… "now Grandma we talked about this…” She just keeps on me. I look to my father-in-law (who is usually my biggest fan) he says nothing…he just shrugs. No help there.

Finally I see her Dad approaching; slowly side stepping through the throng…I can tell from his face he knows there is trouble. I give him that pleading “get over here NOW” look. He hasn’t seen that look (from me anyway) in almost twenty years….but he makes tracks. Amusingly I recognize the “oh geez what is my mother doing now” expression on his face as well. I turn to my ex-mother-in-law and say in my outside voice, “I haven’t been married to your son for over 18 years…leave me alone…yell at him instead.” I turn and slip through the crowd to find my way to my daughter. I ain’t waiting for anyone anymore.

Needless to say any hesitation I may have secretly felt for shaved heads evaporated instantly.

Back at her apartment, almost everyone took a turn at cutting off her shoulder length hair…almost everyone. Later at the party in a local restaurant my father-in-law very quietly told me she had a beautiful head.


10 February 2007

rattling becomes rumbling becomes ranting

I over-commented on a Curmudgeon post earlier today, and the subject has been rattling around in my head ever since. I admit…I’m gonna quote myself a bit here.

We are going to protect ourselves from germs until our bodies have lost their natural ability to resist even the most mild of illness without the aid of a drug we are required to purchase. Our bodies will no longer heal from a cut or a scratch without a trip to the drugstore, two types of photo identification, and a form waiving any and all claims to privacy.

The over prescribing of antibiotics for every little sneeze and sniffle is resulting in rather serious national and international health repercussions which I could go on and on about. Let your body fight it. Or the germs will win.

I am adamant in my contention we are killing ourselves by killing every germ around us. We don’t allow our body’s resistance mechanisms a chance to arm and protect our health naturally. All of these prevention drugs, let alone the germ-killing lotions, breakdown our God-given force field to leave us exposed and vulnerable.


Secondly…we are going to protect ourselves from other people and the possibility of negative experiences until we become prisoners living in a stifling society constricted by controlling dictators, if we don’t start standing up to them now. Now.

Stupid individuals (and those who are loser wannabes) are being used to eliminate the situations which teach and give us (and our children) depth of experience and the ability to learn life lessons.

C’mon. Recalling Easy Bake Ovens because something like five children got burned? What about the real oven? No three-legged races or sack races because someone might fall down? Are we going to criminalize everything which might result in someone getting hurt? Ban people walking around while using I-pods or cell phones…ban it BY LAW? Are you joking me? Because someone got distracted while crossing a street? Prohibit MY choices….let alone the freedom of the masses because of what may happen to a couple of clueless individuals?

Pay attention….this is the United States of America! Remember?

Good thing we didn’t say…

“Oh no don’t get in that ship and sail to find religious freedom. You might get hurt.”

“You can’t stand up to British rule and form the greatest nation in the history of mankind. You might get hurt”

“You are not allowed to get in that covered wagon or stagecoach” It is too dangerous out West. You might get hurt”

Okay yeah…now I am being silly. But you get my point.

The actual laws that are pending are starting to scare me just a bit…just off the top of my head....no cell phone talking…no I-pod listening…no disciplining your children...on the heels of controlling what kind of foods we can eat and where we can smoke. I do NOT want to be protected from my own choices. I want to learn my own lessons thank you very much. Warn me to the dangers. Educate me on the consequences. But allow me to continue to choose.

Please do not be one of those who are being DUPED into jumping on the band wagon of legally eliminating what is "not good" for us. Do not allow the fear of what MAYBE….what MIGHT…happen to give power to the wrong people. We are giving over our lives…all of our choices…our options and our LAWS to those who want to step in and control everything we think and everything we are allowed do.

It is stupidity.

09 February 2007

Photo Hunting ~ week four ~ "Broken"


When I saw this week’s word….the only thing I could think of was:

Broken Neck

This picture was taken in July.

It is the neck of my beloved Cameron.

I want to begin by saying gratefully, thankfully, joyfully that this little tale has a happy ending.

A bit of the back story….In addition to my daughter I have two wonderful children in my life. The role I play in their lives can most easily be defined as ex-stepmom. The lost their own Mother to cancer when they were young. Their Dad and I were an item for quite some time about ten years ago…the Step Mom thing worked…the girlfriend thing didn’t…and I definitely got the better end of the deal. They do not live with me fulltime…and I am not financially responsible for them. But I have done all the Mommy things….fieldtrips, sleepovers, prom dresses, prom suits, football gear (yeah for BOTH of them) et cetera. While they may not be children of my body…they are indeed children of my heart…and they will always be part of my family.

Last June (on the night of his sister’s senior prom) Cameron was at a beach birthday party – complete with parents et cetera. They had been playing in the surf and sand and it was time to eat. As Cam dove into the water to rinse off…a wave caught his legs…grabbing them out from under him…slamming his head into the sand.


Cam would later describe feeling his chin ram into his chest…and hearing a sound I can not bring myself to describe to you. He could not move, and for a few minutes he was underwater. One of his friends noticed his stillness and pulled him out onto the beach. The feeling in his limbs returned…but he was “tingly” like pins and needles when your foot falls asleep…except he was tingly all over.

Being almost six foot and almost sixteen…the most important thing on his mind was eating dinner. He was feeling better by the moment…and hey…the hot dogs were ready. The ongoing frivolity included volleyball…and who knows what else. I only know that God was holding his head.

One of the girls stepped on a sharp object in the sand and cut her foot. For this…they all flagged down the ranger….to check on her foot. (picture me rolling my eyes – the only time in my life I am thankful for a 14 year old, attention grabbing, hysterically complaining, froo froo airhead girly girl)

Having washed out the cut and bandaided her foot….they decided to mention as an afterthought to the ranger….”hey…ya think its okay that he still feels kinda tingly” (Imagine the rangers’ reaction to THAT story.)


Ambulance is called.
Boy is strapped to board.
Ambulance rushes to hospital.

Frantic phone calls, many tests, scans, xrays, brace instructions, and dire warnings of possible paralysis and then THEY SENT HIM HOME.

For the next twelve days….TWELVE days…he can’t pick up anything heavier than five pounds…gets to take his finals at home…can’t even shower without the brace…and yet something is still not quite right.


Twelve days.

Apparently the “one guy” who reads pediatric scans at the local hospital was on vacation. Apparently no one else knew what to look for…and so no one else had any idea what the real extent of Cameron's injury was. We live in a small beach town. World renown medical institutions are about an hour away. I kept telling his Dad to get a second opinion. But no. (we won’t discuss the influence of the nurse he was dating at the time…but suffice it to say….she has since been voted off the island)

Cut to the chase.


When the “one guy” finally comes back and gets around to looking at the test results…Cameron is sent to immediate surgery. Nothing – no ligaments or tendons or anything are attached. Later we would be told that football saved his life. He played Center on his high school football team and had developed incredible neck and shoulder muscles. They held his head in place and prevented the weight of his head from crushing his spinal cord. That and the hand of God.

A piece of bone was removed from his right hip and attached to his neck with a metal plate and screws. In August they let him drive and in November the brace was removed. They are saying his neck will be four times stronger than before and (are you ready for this?) that he can play football next year.

I can hear you gasping “NO” all the way out here.

I have begun my campaign against such absurdity.

Stay tuned.

Cam has pretty much his full mobility back. He can swivel left and right as before…he can look down almost 100%. Looking up is still somewhat limited…but hopefully additional movement will come from more therapy and exercise.

Today…he is thankfully the typical sixteen year old. Beat up pickup driving…hormone poisoned…smart mouth talking…loud rock listening….equal parts bear and boy. Capable of consuming a ton of food at every single setting.

Not Broken anymore.

08 February 2007

Feast One Hundred & Thirty ~ cinco

Appetizer - Have you been sick yet this winter? If so, what did you come down with?
Not yet…I am too ornery to catch everyone else’s germs. Of course now that I’ve said that I’ve probably jinxed my resistance….and I will get hit with the mutant strain of something vile and awful.

Soup - What colors dominate your closet?
Brown….kinda a chocolate brown…I seem to have recently acquired many outfits in that shade lately…but the rest of my clothing is my traditional navy and dark blue.

Salad - How would you describe your personal "comfort zone"?
When my kids are all safe and sound and my loved ones are healthy. Where I can feel free to be intelligent and don’t intimidate anyone with my intensity.


Main Course - On which reality show would you really like to be a contestant?
The only one I can stand to watch is “Extreme Home Makeover” I’m sorry. But most of these reality shows…and the new wave of game shows…make people look stupid. Many of them ARE stupid…but probably most are the victims of creative film editors. I think it would be great to work on that Home Makeover show….not that I wouldn’t want a great new home and all that comes with it for myself…I just think those who work on that show (on camera and off) get to bring a great deal of love, hope, and happiness to many people each and every week.

Yeah I know…sappy…

Dessert - Which holiday would you consider to be your favorite?
I don’t know how to answer this question. It appears I am avoiding all holidays with the exception of my kids’ birthdays and then I go all out. I am very moved by the spirit and meaning of Christmas. At one point I thought Passover/ Easter was my favorite with New Years being a close second…but times have changed.

07 February 2007

thursday thirteen ~ cinco

desired male attributes
(working my way backwards thru the alphabet)
Eternal
Emotionally stable
Erotic
Enthusiastic
Esoteric
Enticing
Empathic
Entertaining
Earthling
Earnest
Essential
Enduring
E_ _ _ _ _ n
(not meant to inspire any guessing game…merely an extremely personal attribute I could not in good conscious neglect to include)

06 February 2007

05 February 2007

Manic Monday ~ "Drifting"

drifting
(like Morgen…I thought of the people who have drifted out of my life)

As I get older (rolling my eyes) I am reflecting on how people drift away from each other. There have been many close friends in my life, from whom I have completely lost contact. I have just drifted away from them…or allowed them to drift away from me. Probably the former. I am truly one of the world’s worst correspondents…I come from two long lines of literary letter writers…and yet I can’t seem to even keep up with my Christmas Card list. (sigh)

To some extent it is a product of not living in the same place for my entire life. My college roommate and I live on opposite sides of the country. I occasionally track her career online...and yet haven’t spoken to her in way over a decade. The neighbors with whom I shared meals five (…eight…ten…) times a week now live 400 or more miles away. The co-workers who knew me better than most are now…where? Who knows? In a few cases the drifting is a result of getting a divorce…or of the kids growing up and not having that constant interaction with other parents. Oh MY, we shared so many monumental events and memories. They were so important to me in the moment….and they have now drifted off on so many different currents.

Truly there are a couple people from whom I have gladly cut off all ties. And an extended family member or two that I wish I could distance myself from (just kidding…well…sorta…) ….but there are several individuals who I regret having allowed to drift away.

Friendships…all relationships for that matter….take a certain degree of effort to maintain. A cold hard look results in the realization that I rarely pursue friendships. If someone engages me…then I become an incredibly loyal and active friend. But if you start to drift away…then I will the tide take you away from me.

03 February 2007

Photo Hunting ~ week three ~ "Gross"


A Gross
(this one of pennies - consider the irony)

If (and it’s a mighty big if) there was one ongoing embarrassment I feel about being American is our continuing inability to switch over to the metric system. I don’t believe it is our unwillingness…it is our inability….we just can’t make it happen.

I am well aware of the inherent issues of conversion, including initial confusion and incredible cost. I am also aware that the vast majority of items sold have metric measurements printed on their packaging. And yeah…we call it a liter of soda and a 750 of wine. But still….

It makes us (and U.S.) look stupid. I hate looking stupid.

01 February 2007

Feast One Hundred & Twenty Nine ~ cuatro

Appetizer
What was one of the fashion fads when you were a teenager?
Hot pants and go go boots.
(I totally remember my Mama in white “go-go” boots sorta Nancy Sinantra-esque.)

Soup
Name one thing you think people assume about you when they first meet you.
People assume that I am distant.
(however if I determine that I like you…

it doesn’t last for long)

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how hard do you work?
At this point in time I would have to say…..9.22.
I am in the final three weeks of a major project I have been working on for two years.

Main Course
If you were given a free 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl to sell anything you currently own, what would you advertise?
While I love SuperBowl commercials…I am not big on everyone else doing or having what I have. Not that I am selfish….I just truly appreciate the benefits of being different.


Besides once something becomes in hot demand it either gets expensive or hard to come by. (sheesh…maybe I AM selfish)

Dessert
Fill in the blank:
I love to…um…share intimacy when it is storming.