This was a nice piece

Neil Gaiman did back five years ago for Halloween in the New York Times...

Ghosts in the Machines

I particularly found this striking...

There’s a blog I don’t think anyone else reads. I ran across it searching for something else, and something about it, the tone of voice perhaps, so flat and bleak and hopeless, caught my attention. I bookmarked it.

If the girl who kept it knew that anyone was reading it, anybody cared, perhaps she would not have taken her own life. She even wrote about what she was going to do, the pills, the Nembutal and Seconal and the rest, that she had stolen a few at a time over the months from her stepfather’s bathroom, the plastic bag, the loneliness, and wrote about it in a flat, pragmatic way, explaining that while she knew that suicide attempts were cries for help, this really wasn’t, she just didn’t want to live any longer.

She counted down to the big day, and I kept reading, uncertain what to do, if anything. There was not enough identifying information on the Web page even to tell me which continent she lived on. No e-mail address. No way to leave comments. The last message said simply, “Tonight.”

I wondered whom I should tell, if anyone, and then I shrugged, and, best as I could, I swallowed the feeling that I had let the world down.

And then she started to post again. She says she’s cold and she’s lonely.

I think she knows I’m still reading ....

One thing about putting up a diary online, in public--you really never know who is reading, or sometimes if anyone is. I recently had my boss' boss chide me to take my insulin because I'd posted here that I'd forgotten to do so. Sometimes you do get a clue that you're not just writing words in a vacuum. Even though I'm certainly not naïve about what's public on the Internet, it still surprises me a bit when someone does mention reading. There's something, though, about writing, about reaching out into the void and putting out something personal, bridging between yourself and the unknowns out there, that is appealing to writers. Does the reader know what I'm thinking? Does he care? Does anyone care? It sometimes surprises me that people follow or read this blog. I mean, I do try to put up content that is interesting, but sometimes it comes down to just my own story, and I'm sometimes surprised anyone would read that. Of course, I find reading blogs--even of people I don't know--fascinating because you do get a glimpse into another person's (generally) ordinary life.

I remember years ago I happened, completely accidentally, on a blog by someone in another country, on another continent, even in a different hemisphere. He'd been blogging for some time, but I happened across it just as his wife and he had found out that their unborn child was anencephalic, meaning that the brain was not and would not develop past a rudimentary state. Even if it were born alive, it would die within days, no doubt. They were going to go to another country to have an abortion performed, as it was not available where they lived. His pain was raw, as he struggled with a horrible loss, as a very private pain was shared with others, some of whom reached back over the divide with what comfort they could provide.

Just a little musing on blogging, I guess, and how powerful it can be, so personal yet impersonal, that sort of thing.

Nice story on what Samhain means to pagans

For growing ranks of pagans, October 31 means a lot more than Halloween

As pumpkins, witches and faux cobwebs have taken over much of North America for Halloween, Clare Slaney-Davis is preparing an October 31 feast that some would consider much spookier, with table settings for her grandparents, a great-aunt and other relatives who have passed away.

As she and her living guests eat, they'll share stories and memories of loved ones they've lost.

Slaney-Davis, who is based in London, isn't preparing the feast for Halloween. Instead, she and pagans around the world are celebrating Samhain, the beginning of the pagan new year, a night when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is believed to be the thinnest of any time during the year.

That's why it's a night devoted to ancestors. "We honor them, and we recognize that we don't live in a world of people who are merely dead or alive," says Slaney-Davis, 46. "Ancestors are central to us."

Thanks to Lisa for the link.

Some excellent (mostly Doctor Who) Halloween costumes

Winners of the BBC America Costume Contest Revealed!

The winner is an excellent River Song. I'm not surprised that under 'scariest' category there's a Weeping Angel--they give me the willies.

Happy Halloween

After much debating and little execution, I dressed for Halloween at work as Death, on of the Endless from Neil Gaiman's Sandman comics. I had a black top and pants on, a black wig, and the requisite Death makeup. We had trick-or-treating with the kids this morning, as they made their way around the various offices. Each office had previously picked up donated candy. It was great fun.

I felt a little bad because I didn't have candy for tonight's trick-or-treating, but I wasn't sure if anyone would come, either. So when I got home, I took a nap, keeping the house dark. I never heard a peep from anyone. I guess that's what you get with apartment living.

So now I'm up and considering how best to celebrate the holiday, which is a religious one for me (Samhain). For libations, I don't have any wine to offer the dead, but I have oil and honey, which both count as possibilities. No pomegranate this year, but I do have garlic. Ah, the problems of being poor and pagan.

For now, though, I think I'll check out the news and see if anything of interest is going on for this last day of October.

Weird news of the day: old fashioned way to cut out the competition

Police: Florida pizza workers burned down rival store: One allegedly said that with Papa John's gone, there'd be more customers for Domino's

It happened in Lake City, Florida, and police are still looking for an ignition device the arsonists say they built but did not use scattered along I-75.

Okay, good night for real. And for goodness' sake, if you're in Florida, don't touch anything weird you might find along the interstate.

Today has been very restful, and I've watched more TV than I do in a week normally

None of it live--I watched 'Once Upon a Time' from last Sunday, followed by the first two episodes of season 1 of 'Supernatural'--the pilot and one called "Wendigo". Then I talked on the phone with a friend for awhile and watched 'Grimm', which premiered last night. I like both 'Once Upon a Time' and 'Grimm', but I'm leaning toward the latter more, although Regina/the Evil Queen in 'Once Upon a Time' is scary (as is Rumpelstiltskin/Mr Gold).

I only got up and going about noon, and even then in the afternoon I napped a bit as well (I haven't had any caffeine today). I made some macaroni and penne pasta. I had some sauce for the first meal and then later on I mixed in oil and balsamic vinegar with the pasta and put some Parmesan on it. In the house I have some rice, a little oatmeal, and some dry beans left, as well as one butternut squash. It's going to be a long few days until payday. I have been subsisting mainly on peanut butter and crackers at work, and the peanut butter's almost gone.

So I can't say I've done a lot today, but it's been very relaxing. Sometimes you just need that. Tomorrow we're back to the game and normal Sunday activities.

I think I'm going to head on to bed. I should read a bit, but I'm getting sleepy. Good night.

Yes, yes it does

Does your favorite fantasy novel pass the "Youngling Test"?

I love that the author uses Robert Jordan as the test for kitsch. I admit, I actually own (and have read) some of his books. I petered out after they became so repetitive I couldn't stand it any longer.

My absolutely favourite fantasy novel is actually The Grey King by Susan Cooper, part of the excellent 'Dark is Rising' sequence and winner of the Newbery award. It tops my list ahead of Harry Potter, which I do love, but I read Cooper in my impressionable youth, and frankly, prefer it, as I find much of Rowling's work, well, derivative in some ways, and rather wordy at times when it's not really necessary. I'm sure Harry Potter is absolutely refreshing to someone who hasn't been reading fantasy most of their life, though. And please, before you toss rotten tomatoes, remember, I did enjoy both the books and movies immensely. However, it is with great sadness that I endured the most terrible of film adaptations of Cooper's work--The Seeker, which was horrible. If only Peter Jackson or one of the many excellent Harry Potter directors had had a chance to adapt it, rather than the people who did. Ugh.

Before I go to bed

There's this:

Goodnight iPad: A Parody for the Next Generation by Ann Droyd

Here is the description from Amazon:

In a bright buzzing room, in the glow of the moon-and iPhones and Androids and Blackberries too-it is time to say goodnight...

Modern life is abuzz. There are huge LCD WiFi HD TVs and Facebook requests and thumbs tapping texts and new viral clips of cats doing flips. Wouldn't it be nice to say goodnight to all that? Like the rest of us who cannot resist just a few more scrolls and clicks, you may find yourself ready for bed while still clinging to your electronics long after dark. This book, which is made of paper, is a reminder for the child in all of us to power down at the end of the day. This hilarious parody not only pokes loving fun at the bygone quiet of the original classic, but also at our modern plugged-in lives. It will make you laugh, and it will also help you put yourself and your machines to sleep. Don't worry, though. Your gadgets will be waiting for you, fully charged, in the morning.

:) Enjoy

Did you know that hydrogen can build up in hot water systems?

Which makes perfect sense if you think about it--I just never really have. I have a friend who has never had an electronic dishwasher anywhere he has ever lived, and he has had one recently put in. As with most gizmos, he's spent a day or two of staring at it before tackling the manual. According to his manual, hydrogen can build up in the system if it is unused for about two weeks. If it has been unused, they recommend running the taps for a few minutes. Not only is this a fascinating bit of trivia which will no doubt become indelible in my memory (for useless facts seem to be the only things that stick there), it's good for me to know because frankly, I don't use my taps much, and I don't produce very many dishes quickly enough to run the machine regularly.

Anyway, I was a bit amused, although it does sound like it could, in rare circumstances, be dangerous. And he did finally put a load in and turned it on. I'm interested to see how it goes, and I'm looking forward to seeing it for myself this weekend, as prior to it, I was one of two main dishwashers there. :)

So yesterday I got my itinerary

for the Chicago trip. I fly out mid-morning on a non-stop flight from Blue Grass Airport to O'Hare. That's a relief, since without a car making the trip from Cincinnati or Louisville would have been more complicated. I fly back the next evening, with the same seat # on both trips. The only difference is about 20 minutes for some reason on the way there. I'm flying United Express.

As such, it became a little more real and I was freaking a bit last night when I talked to a friend and then another texted me (the latter has never really seen me freak quite like that, I think). I'm over my little anxiety thing for now (I had gotten past the anxiety over flying and had gone forward to freaking over taking a CTA train to my hotel--I've never been on a subway).

Now I'm actually looking forward to doing it. I've talked to a co-worker, who has offered to let me borrow a carry-on bag that is larger than mine, since it's just an overnight trip and I don't want to check anything if possible and incur a fee, plus I'll look silly lugging multiple bags on the subway; you might as well put a neon sign above my head that says out-of-town-sucker (although that's probably going to be there anyway). I absolutely have to take my CPAP with me, and I've checked into the rules for that, and then there's the liquids issue (my insulin pens are fine, as is my makeup, etc. I'll buy some little sample shampoo and bodywash before I go). I've looked up TSA rules for packing, decided on the best shoes to get in and out of at the airport, decided to take my satchel rather than a purse or backpack (I'd overstuff the backpack, and they'd probably consider it a second bag). I've looked into getting to the airport (I can take LexTran's airport bus out there, but it looks like I may have to either take a cab or make arrangements with a friend to get back). I have maps of both airport terminals and have thoroughly explored the Chicago Transit System and hotel websites. And I've looked up to see exactly what can be done in airplane mode on the phone, although just now I was perusing their policies and apparently cell phone operation is prohibited. It didn't mention being able to keep them on in airplane mode to listen to music, etc. I'll check with them when I go to make sure.

After all, knowledge is power, and it might help me fend off any anxiety. There isn't much I can do about one fear, at least between now and then, and that's the fear of them booting me for being fat. I can't afford a second seat. I wouldn't be able to go at all if someone else weren't paying. I know it's probably unreasonable (and at least I won't be flying Southwest, which seems to boot people all the time), but it's there. After all, despite my lapses of body awareness at times, I am aware that I am obese. Maybe not as much as some, but more than many. So there you have it. On the other hand, I'm flying on a Monday and Tuesday, so maybe it won't be a packed plane. We'll see.

Gods, you must think I'm a mess. :)

So I finished an excellent book today

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs, which is a young adult story that I found very enjoyable. The title, of course, is intriguing in and of itself, as are the quaint photographs inside. I borrowed a copy from the library for my Kindle, and although the waiting list was not as great as the one for the physical copy, I waited about a month to check it out. I definitely recommend it, and I hope a sequel is forthcoming soon--I've read it's expected in spring 2013.

I definitely plan to get a copy of my own (in the physical sense, in fact). The Kindle isn't the best for reading the illustrations that involve handwriting, such as a couple of letters, although I managed. I also think YKWIA would enjoy this as well.

If you like fantasy books, particularly ones set in our own world, with monsters and heroes and peculiarness, you'll enjoy this book.

Here's the book trailer:


My favourite line in the book, which I will paraphrase here because I've already returned it to the library, is how much the narrator loved listening to Welsh people speak, even if he couldn't understand a blasted thing they said. :)

Must admit, this is a very igenious commercial

I think if I were dating the man who rushed to take lady's place on the bike so he could pedal, I'd re-think our relationship. :)

I hope he'll be okay

Iraq veteran in critical condition after getting hit with police projectile during Occupy Oakland demonstration

Scott Thomas Olsen, 24, of Onalaska, Wisc., was admitted to Highland after he was hit on the head above his right eye during clashes with police, said hospital spokesman Curt Olsen, who is not related to the veteran.

"It's absolutely unconscionable that our citizens are going overseas to protect other citizens just to come back and have our own police
hurt them," said Joshua Shepherd, a six-year Navy veteran and friend of Scott Olsen's.

Fellow protesters brought him in after he failed to respond to basic questions. Doctors at the hospital said that Olsen had brain swelling and placed him under immediate supervision.

"He survived two tours in Iraq," said Adele Carpenter, a friend of Olsen's and a member of the Civilian Soldier Alliance. "This struggle has high stakes, I really respect the fact that Scott was standing up for what he believes in. He's really passionate about social justice causes."

More on the Roman archaeology front

The Lupercal (if this grotto is it), was the place Romulus and Remus were supposed to have been suckled by the she-wolf in Roman mythology, eventually becoming a worship centre for the twin Gods. Thanks to YKWIA for letting me know about this.

Ah, amore!

Roman-era couple held hands for 1,500 years: Archaeologists believe the pair was buried in a position of mutual adoration

The skeletal remains of a Roman-era couple reveal the pair has been holding hands for 1,500 years.

Italian archaeologists say the man and woman were buried at the same time between the 5th and 6th century A.D. in central-northern Italy. Wearing a bronze ring, the woman is positioned so she appears to be gazing at her male partner.

"We believe that they were originally buried with their faces staring into each other. The position of the man's vertebrae suggests that his head rolled after death," Donato Labate, the director of the excavation at the archaeological superintendency of Emilia-Romagna, told Discovery News.

I am excited

Right before I left work I got the form I need to fill out to request travel arrangements for a meeting in Chicago that I am going to. The lovely thing about it is that they're paying for it (not my workplace, but rather the people who host the committee). I managed to fill it out (requesting vegetarian meals, requesting a flight to and from Lexington, that sort of thing) and will send it in tomorrow. I really wish I could stay an extra day and see the sights, but I don't think that will be possible. Still, it should be interesting--Chicago in winter. :) I hope I am made of strong enough stuff, having spent all of my life south of that latitude.

My living room is almost back in order

They did, in fact, fix my window panes today, which is great. Granted, my view is primarily one of a parking lot, but at least it is no longer marred, plus there's no cool air seeping in. When I put the plant table with the books on its shelf back in front of the window, I also put back the torchiere that I had moved to the bedroom. It was nice for reading in bed, but I rarely do so. I am, however, on the computer a lot, and it was simply too dark in this corner of the living room without it. That means the priter stand is not quite flush with the desk, but oh, well. I'm going to wait until tomorrow to put the rest back; I need to take out the recliner and that really should be done in daylight. But I am now set to be able to watch TV again. And I really should tonight, but I'm not quite ready to. Besides, I started reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and am rather hooked. So I may do some reading as well, in a little while.

It's sad

when you are too tired to do something as passive as watch TV. I DVR'ed both 'Supernatural' Friday and 'Once Upon a Time' tonight to watch later. I bailed on a friend rather than watch a DVD (although that seems to have been more of an anxiety thing I don't quite understand--I felt like I should go on home even though I had time to watch something and still take the last bus out). I haven't watched the second episode of 'Lost'. Nor did I pop in any of the 'Supernatural' Season 1, disc 1 I have.

Part of it, I suppose, is that my living room is turned upside down so they can fix my windows. There are books on the loveseat, and the recliner needs to be taken out as it has died, and so I'd have to be less comfy in my falling-down computer chair.

What I have managed to do is get through several chapters of Elizabeth Peters' Silhouette in Scarlet. And I did all my errand yesterday and cleaned my friends' house today.

Maybe after the windows are fixed tomorrow (barring any more emergencies in other buildings) I can put the plant table back as well as the books underneath and get comfy and just watch TV tomorrow night, although I must admit, I like being able to just walk up to the window. Mondays I'm usually quite tired due to the all-day Sunday game prep and game, but we didn't play today and I came home and crashed about six, just now getting up for some much needed water and a phone call.

I think I'll wrap things up here for now and head back to bed. Good night, and have a pleasant week.

This was quite beautiful and inspiring

Emmanuel Kelly and his brother were found in a shoebox in Iraq when they were small. A woman brought them to Australia and became their mother. His story is inspiring, and he did an excellent job with John Lennon's 'Imagine'.

I was at the library earlier

and a man was curious as how to check Kindle books out, and I showed the librarian and him the entire process, something she hadn't actually seen since after you go through the library's Overdrive site you also go to Amazon. As a result, I have a dystopian novel, Children of Paranoia, on my Kindle. I may keep it; it sounds worth a read. But right now I'm making my way through Elizabeth Peter's Vicky Bliss novel number 3, Silhouette in Scarlet. Anyway, I got to be a truly helpful (as opposed to annoyingly helpful) librarian. Yay.

I also spent probably a couple hours all told texting a friend back and forth. It was good to hear from him, although I laugh because he's 28 years old and texting seems to be his preferred contact method. I've had to learn to do it well. I need to go through and wipe out some of the words that have made it into my Swype keyboard over the months I've used it. But I'm keeping 'Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee'. See, whenever you use a word (or mistype one), it goes into the dictionary. Since you swipe your finger along the keyboard rather than type out each letter, it's fast and easy, and it predicts what you meant. It normally works fine. But I text on the bus, and buses are bumpy, so sometimes I wind up with not-words like 'nged' or such. And those you have to erase, but I've only now gotten the hang of doing so. :)

I planned my own funeral today

Well, that's a bit of a misnomer. Actually I planned for my cremation and a following memorial gathering where people can share memories--it's not an actual service or anything. I find visitations gruesome, so there isn't one. I found out some things about Kentucky law.

One, you don't have to be embalmed to be buried, which is great to know as embalming absolutely grosses me out, but then I prefer to be cremated, anyway. Two, even though I have not spoken to my father since 1993 and we are estranged, he technically has a right to stop said cremation. And I will haunt him from my grave if that is the case. I doubt he would do so, but there you have it. He is next of kin, as well as my mother. She has repeatedly been told I prefer cremation. Anyway, I signed a document that would go to a judge in case of a challenge to support my desire for that form of disposal. Maybe they'll bring in this post as well. :) Three, in some cemeteries (they vary from one to another), certain urns may be buried without an urn vault, and may be buried without taking up a plot (i.e., buried above another body).

This came up because my mother has expressed a desire to bury my urn. I'm sure she wants a grave to visit, and there is an available plot in the family area of the cemetery, by my grandparents. I am not adverse to this, although frankly I'm fine being sprinkled somewhere, too. I left the option of burial of the urn open, and chose one that could be, so she can do so if she wishes, but did not prepay that. The ancient Greeks were burned and then buried in amphorae. This is as close as I could get to that, anyway. If she wishes to use some of the insurance money for that and a stone, so be it. But if my mother or grandmother is no longer living by the time I die, I'd like my cremains to be given to my best friend, and I'm sure he'll sprinkle me. That's fine, too.

The only sad thing about the process was when the woman was off making photocopies, I continued perusing the urns and found the ones for infants. Those choked me up a bit.

I also found out how pre-paying through insurance works. Because I have diabetes, it complicates things. I pay a set premium per month for ten years. If I die within the first six months of non-accidental means, it will pay the sum of the premiums + 5%. From 6 months to a year, it's 35% of the amount. From 1 year through the second, it's 70%. After the completion of 24 months, it's full face value. So the goal is to not die within the next two years, obviously. If it's accidental death, the full amount is paid. If I miss payments, it lapses, and I'm out my money. If I pay it off completely, then the funeral costs are paid for even if they rise. I was lucky to get that guarantee without a service charge. Mine isn't actually starting until next month, when I make the first payment, so nothing happens if I die in before then.

Next on the agenda is a will. I have no real property at all, just my books, which I wish to go to my best friend, with the balance of things going to my mom. So it should be simple. I may be able to do it through our employee assistance programme. I'm not sure if it includes legal aid anymore. I already have a living will/advanced directives.

I will recommend the folks at Milward Funeral Directors, one of whom assisted me. They even offer 'green' burials. It took about an hour and a half and left me rather tired. I hate to think what sort of experience it would be for someone recently losing a loved one. They have a booklet to gather information for the family for last minute things, which I will fill out. I had mentioned no Christian aspect desired. I'm going to include a CD of the music I'd mentioned to her ('Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme,' by Simon & Garfunkel, 'Dust in the Wind' by Kansas, and 'Now Comes the Night' by Rob Thomas), and a copy of a couple of poems I'd like to include (Dylan's 'Death Shall Have No Dominion' and the Orphic hymn to Hekate). That sort of thing. My best friend is my primary medical surrogate (I have no doubt he'll pull the plug if it's warranted), but the arrangements I am leaving to my mother. I hope she comes through for me. I know it will be difficult. But then, memorials are for the living, aren't they?

Quote of the day:

'Harry Potter is about confronting fears, finding inner strength, and doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how important it is to have a boyfriend.'--Robin Browne (although it's often misattributed to Stephen King)

:)

Time for anti-inflammatory pills again

I am in a great deal of pain. My ankle and foot were hurting so much earlier it was difficult to get home, much less rest. I'm tempted to go back into that damn boot again, if it would give some relief, however temporary. On top of everything, my left hand is nearly completely numb, meaning my neck is acting up again, this time on that side. Hopefully some ibuprofen will help with the pain and get the swelling down so the nerves aren't pinched.

There are certain aspects of growing older that are not what they are cracked up to be. Of course, as a customer once put it, every day you wake up on this side of the grass is a good one.

Speaking of which, tomorrow is the day I go to the funeral home and talk to them about advance planning my cremation and funeral. I talked with the lady earlier this evening to confirm.

My, it's been a long week. Even today was long. I got up early to move things around so the workmen could get to my windows, because I have two panes (two different windows, one in the bedroom and one in the living room) that have cracked. One at least was due to something hitting it when they did yard work. I'm not sure what caused the other. It just appeared one day. Anyway, the bedroom is the worst, but had just a couple of plant stands in the way to put to the side. In the living room, there is a table with plants on the top and books on a lower shelf stacked about three feet high. I didn't want them to have to move that, especially as my printer stand, which is designed to attach to the computer desk by a small triangle joint, is actually in line with the table and desk and held up by them bolstering it on each side. If you don't know that, and move the table, then my printer does a nose dive. So it was better to just get up early and move some things around. It's really time to take the recliner out entirely; it's dead, shedding bolts here and there. That's part of the plan tomorrow.

Anyway, I needn't have bothered, really, because a water emergency in another building meant they weren't able to get to the windows, but they left a nice note that was very apologetic and promised to fix them Monday. In the meantime, there are books on the sofa, and thinks are all askew, but I can deal with it till then.

There was also an eviction notice on my door when I came home. I paid my rent yesterday, but they had filed on Tuesday and it was just being served. I have to call them Monday to see if I need to go to court to present my receipt or not. I haven't come this close to being evicted in some years (although there's usually a rough spot near November if there is a danger). I can't believed I did something as utterly stupid as forgetting to decline my book club titles. Oh, wait, yes I can. For the record, the titles are Neal Stephenson's Reamde and Harry Connolly's The Wooden Man. Ironically enough, it was the first set of features selections where I was not actually interested in either book. But since each book has now cost me upwards of $200 or more, I'm sure as hell going to read them. At least the Connolly book is a three-in-one. And I'm trying to contact them, because that is not counting towards my total of books bought. They're saying I've just bought one at regular prices, when it's three. I just need one more and then it's goodbye SFBC, let me tell you, unless you magically get to stop having to decline selections once you fulfill your commitment. I know someone who doesn't have to, but they've been a member for years.

I was going to watch Supernatural (both the regular one at 9 pm and maybe one off of a disc of earliest episodes) tonight, but I was just so tired and hurting that I DVR'ed it instead. I probably should have finished the game notes tonight as well--although there is a good chance we won't play Sunday, since Brenda's been sick, but I need to be ready just in case. If we don't play, I'll still go over, clean, and we'll do something fun.

Okay, that's enough. I think the ibuprofen has kicked-in, pain-wise. I have to get up early enough to take the 9:45 bus into town, and I haven't actually filled out the planning book they sent me, although I'm not entirely sure I was expected to. Good night.

This is a great scene...

I can't embed the video, unfortunately

but there's an excellent College Humor video called 'A "Real" Grad School Ad' that pretty much describes my life as it was for eleven years. Fortunately, the real world caught up with me.

Go see, it, and thanks to YKWIA, who instantly thought of me and decided to share. :)

A 'Real' Grad School Ad

I stand corrected

According to the Wall Street Journal, large cats, primates, dangerous reptiles, bears, and wolves are all banned from being owned by individuals in my state of Kentucky. Woo-hoo!

Where to Live if You Want to Own a Tiger

Weird thing of the day

Saw this on the @WeirdNews Twitter feed:

Hello Kitty Chainsaw: A Must for the Handy Serial Killer

:)

I have always rather liked Maureen Dowd

And I found an essay of hers to be dead on, in my humble opinion. Of course, I have strong views on a few other religions as well. (See Sarah Silverman, for one example.) There are times I question whether I should be atheist or agnostic, and just believe in science, but then those times pass. Besides, scientists, atheists, and agnostics (and I'm not lumping them together) are sometimes quite silly, too, in their beliefs.)

Anne Frank, a Mormon?

On the science/palaeontology front...

Spear tip in mastodon bone points to earlier human arrival in North America

A NEW analysis of ancient mastodon bones found in Washington state is adding to growing speculation that humans arrived in North America before the Clovis people, once believed to be the first inhabitants of the continent 13,000 years ago.

I suspect as we learn more, this date will be pushed back further.

I understand the need for public safety

but I am incredibly saddened by the deaths of so many rare and exotic animals in Zanesville, Ohio. I do not believe that this man should have had access to these animals in the first place, and should not have been allowed to keep them. I hope that Ohio joins most other states in regulating this, and I suspect my own state of Kentucky needs to as well.

I agree wholeheartedly with Delcianna Winders, Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement at PETA, who told HuffPost:

This is a tragic example of how things can go very wrong when people are allowed to keep exotic animals. Animals always pay the price and [this situation] is a perfect example of this.

Zanesville, Ohio Town Copes With Dozens Of Exotic Animals Set Loose, Killed

I am particular saddened by one photo of dead tigers, lions, and other creatures, which is on the following web page:

Ohio sheriff: Only one monkey remains missing

And then there is this video:


I hate it when animals suffer because of human actions. There is some hope, though. Six animals were saved--a young grizzly bear, three leopards, and two monkeys.

Six exotic animals saved from carnage settling in at Ohio zoo

A special web page has been set up by the Columbus Zoo for contributions to defray the cost of keeping the animals.

I knew her when she was just starting out

I used to work in a comic store, and one of the other people who worked there was a student at UK who even then was working her way into radio. We all had some fun times. I even went to her wedding. She has a great personality and was very driven, and I always expected her to do well.

Today YKWIA sent me a link about where she's gone from there. She's been to Louisville, Virginia, and Utah since she left, and is now an executive producer of Utah's Morning News with KSL 1160.

So here's a big salute to Becky Bruce, who's gone onto bigger and better things than college radio. Good luck in all your endeavours!

Finally, a cause I can get behind in terms of sending military advisors

I've been following the actions of the so-called 'Lord's Resistance Army' for a bit now and I am horrified by their tactics and the pain, suffering, and death they bring in the name of Christ. Apparently Rush Limbaugh thinks that they are nice Christians because they say they are, rather than the brutal thugs they are. If you are not familiar with the LRA, you might want to do some Googling. In the meantime, this video does a lot to give you an idea of how children fare in the LRA.

Dear Mr. Limbaugh: Evelyn's Appeal from Strongheart on Vimeo.

It would figure

So we had a severe thunderstorm warning that came and went a bit ago. There wasn't much rain, and just a little thunder. My co-worker got me home dry and happy (yay!) and then I decided to go to the laundry room for a Diet Coke. It was merely sprinkling. Then big drops started when I was halfway there. I got in just as it was pouring. And after all that?

The drink was sold out.

I could have hung out there until it let up, but it didn't show signs of it. In fact, it was thundering and lightning pretty violently, and the water was already forming large pools. So I came on back to my apartment, getting soaked in the process.

On the other hand, it has been a pleasant day, and the early part was actually pretty. We're about to have a massive cold front come through--the high tomorrow is supposed to be 50 degrees. Guess it's time for sweaters and jackets. :)

Okay, I think I'm going to grab a bite to eat and check the news.

If you've been having trouble with this page loading

and being inexplicably whisked away to an Alt Librarian web ring page, I've removed the web ring-related code from the template for now (I've got a backup), so it should make everything okay. If it doesn't, and you still have trouble, let me know (there may be some errant code hiding somewhere; this template has evolved over many years).

Speaking of many years, on the 18th, I will be celebrating my 10th anniversary of blogging. Ten years. Yep. Oh wait...that's in, like, eleven minutes!

Here is the very first post I put up:

Thursday, October 18, 2001
AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!
Grrrrr....Ah, technology! I just spent the last 20 minutes composing my first entry and it went [poof] somewhere into the aether. I'm too frustrated to try again just yet. I'll try again later. But all in all, it's pretty typical of how my days go, so maybe it's not such a bad introduction after all.

What a wonderful kick off. :) Number of posts in 2001, total: 4. Greatest number of posts in a given year: 1,1077 in 2010. Total posts: 7,484 (of which 7,455 made it to publication). That's a lot of writing, and a lot of time. I hope you've enjoyed it. :) I try to mix it up between my life, serious things, weird stuff, and funny things, plus some science and humanities along the way. It seems to work.

Okay...here we go. It's now officially midnight. Happy anniversary, Rabid Librarian!

Just got in

and it's been a rather decent day, especially for a Monday. The weather was beautiful (it's supposed to turn cold in the middle of the week; I wore my sandals for what might be the last day for awhile). I got some good news on the financial front today, meaning that I can get some groceries over the next couple of weeks. Yay. They had soup bread bowls for lunch at work, and I had a nice broccoli cheddar one [I've been rather short on money lately due to a horrible mistake I made in not declining my featured selections for the Science Fiction Book Club. I think each book cost me about $245 after all the bank and late fees and such went through. I am not kidding or exaggerating. I have one more book to buy and then I think it's going to be 'sayanara, SFBC'. Fortunately soup is pretty cheap.]

I got quite a bit of work done and caught up with co-workers as well. Then a co-worker drove me to the store to pick up some things for a friend and dropped me off there. Then I was fed the best dinner I've had in quite some time, a baked tilapia dish with a sauce and shallots, a spinach soup, and a nice pasta salad. It's a far cry from the peanut butter I've been eating. Yay! Even hours later, my tummy is very happy and satisfied.

Okay, that's all for now. I should be getting home at a more reasonable hour tomorrow, so more blogging. Now I'm going to set the DVR for Craig Ferguson. According to the Doctor Who folks on Facebook, Matt Smith [the Eleventh Doctor] is supposed to be a guest, although it wasn't listed on the guide. We'll see. Good night.

I forgot how long we played last week

We normally play four to five hours when all is said and done--this past week, however it was right over 8 hours, so the notes took almost five to do. I try not to do it so late on Saturday, but well, here I am, just finishing and it's almost eleven. But it's ready, put over onto my Kindle. I went ahead and renewed the Kindle book that was due today so I can finish it, too, so all is not lost. (Well, technically I checked it in and then grabbed it back; there doesn't seem to be an actual renewal function on the library's website for eBooks).

Well, that didn't take too long

I went on my foray out into this beautiful autumn day, where the sky is a cloudless blue, the wind is a bit brisk, and the trees are losing brightly coloured leaves. I went over to the library and took two books and an Ella Fitzgerald CD back, picking up a hold (a book on terrariums, of all things, to nurture my craftsy nature, such as it is) and a diabetes book from the American Diabetes Association. I got out of there in time to take the bus to Kroger, but decided I didn't want to go over there just to get bread and then wait for the better part of an hour for a return trip, nor did I want to navigate two major roads without a sidewalk through most of it by walking home, especially in my glasses rather than my contacts (the bifocal works a bit differently, and I don't wear my glasses often, so I'm not as used to them).

Instead I walked a half-block down to the Circle K, stopping along the way to admire the vegetables at the Bluegrass Farmer's Market and a couple of used cars. I particularly liked the 2011 Hyundai Elantra GLS I saw. Plus there was a Honday Accord hybrid. Of course the latter was red, and my last three cars were red. I want a change. On the other hand, I'm pressed to get bread these days--I have exactly 1 cent in savings, so it was basically window shopping.

Anyway, it was a nice walk. I'm home now and thinking of doing some reading before working on the notes. The latter should be interesting as it involves a TARDIS, Neanderthals, a PT boat full of dead men, and a prison beyond the mirror lands. :)

I have really been slacking

and I'm sorry for that. It has been a combination of having a lot to do in the early part of the month and falling asleep because I just feel so tired all the time (I suspect that has something to do with my blood sugar, at least often, as I come home, I eat (and yes, take my insulin), but then fall asleep). Seeing as this month is the tenth anniversary of this blog, I'm going to do what I can to change how things have been going and actually blog before I get overwhelmed by a case of the tireds, if at all possible.

Today, though, I am totally free. Because I knew I wouldn't be going anywhere, I did wait to do the game notes till today. And I plan to pick up some bread from the grocery and a book that's come in to the library (and take two back that are due this weekend). I also need to finish a Kindle library book, which is due today, so I'd like to do some reading. And maybe watch a movie and do the dishes. Not much of a day, but it's nice to just have some 'me' time, I think.

Next Saturday I am going to talk to a representative of Milward Funeral Directors. She sent me some information I had requested on doing advanced planning. I want to assure that I am cremated and not embalmed, and if possible, take out a policy to pay the costs rather than having my family use my life insurance, which is, after all, tied to my employment. I've talked to my mother about my wishes. She had mentioned a plot near my grandparents that is available, and I reminded her I planned on being cremated. She pointed out the urn could be buried there, which is fine with me if that would make her feel better, as long as I am not embalmed and placed in the ground as is. [I asked her why she would want to bury the urn, and she brought up the Dust Buster possibilities if it were knocked over. See, I do get my sense of humour honestly.] But really, I think she'd rather have a grave to visit, and that's fine. I just really am grossed out by the idea of embalming. Personally I'd rather just be scattered somewhere nice, but what happens after my body is burnt is really not my concern. I just want it to break down quickly, to allow for release of the spirit and potentially quicker reincarnation. And I also want to make sure my wishes regarding religious aspects of a funeral are followed--I don't want some Christian preacher I've never met come up for my family and talk about what a good person I was. I'm not Christian, for one, I'm Pagan. When my great-grandmother died, a man preached her funeral who really didn't know her. He talked about how much she loved the hills of Owen county, and how she was infirm but still sharp. She had had Alzheimer's for fifteen years. I don't know if my grandmother and great-aunt were ultimately to blame for that, if they didn't want the community to know that Ma was lost when it came to her mind, but it offended me, greatly. Anyway, I just want to make my wishes known, and see what my options are for paying it off.

:)

Coming Out to the World on the Web

LIKE a lot of people who post videos of themselves on YouTube, Kristina Cecil wants the world to know a few personal facts:

She is an avid hiker.

She is a Minnesota Vikings fan.

She is a member of the United States Air Force, which is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to serve in the military.

And she is gay.

“It’s really nice to say that now, because the whole ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ has been repealed,” Ms. Cecil, a 22-year-old with short-cropped blond hair and a tattoo on her right arm, said excitedly to the camera. “I’m just really happy to say that I’m gay, and I’m an American airman.”

More power to them. There are definitely some advantages and disadvantages to coming out in such a public arena as the Internet, but it has to be freeing, especially after years of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'.

RIP Taz DiGregorio

Co-writer of 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia' and keyboardist for the Charlie Daniels Band for over 40 years. He died in a car crash in Tennessee last night.

Here they are, in action:


Charlie Daniels Original Joel 'Taz' DiGregorio Dies In Crash

I have always loved that song, and it has some great fiddle playing.

Fascinating

Black Death genetic code 'built'

The genetic code of the germ that caused the Black Death has been reconstructed by scientists for the first time.

The researchers extracted DNA fragments of the ancient bacterium from the teeth of medieval corpses found in London.

They say the pathogen is the ancestor of all modern plagues.

The research, published in the journal Nature, suggests the 14th Century outbreak was also the first plague pandemic in history.

It uses very little actual sample material, so I don't know if it's completely accurate, but the technique could be useful in studying other endemics as well. They found that the Black Death of the 14th century was, indeed caused by a strain of Yersinia pestis that is an ancestor of plague strains today. However, it was not the same pathogen from previous plagues such as the Justinian plague of the 6th century.

Yay, clean clothes!

I really wish my apartment had a washer/dryer hookup. Instead, we have a laundry room with twelve washers and dryers for a complex of over 200 apartments. It's under the leasing office, as well, so I have to schlep things over. But, that's part of the reason I have a granny cart, and I've learnt that going late at night ups your chances of doing multiple loads.

I have about two times the three loads I did left to do (it amazes me just how many clothes I have), but I just had the quarters for those. Still, that went pretty well. Usually I head back to the apartment and leave the machines going, but we've had some problems with people taking clothes and so I sat on the steps outside watching slugs have sex and talking to a friend on the phone. Later, when the drops of rain got a little more than just a light spitting, I went inside and since I was alone, played music off my phone without the headphones. It's got a pretty decent speaker.

Last night I got up in the middle of the night and cleaned like mad. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are the annual walk-throughs where the leasing staff inspect the apartment for leaks or other issues. I had things strewn about from when I was sick and didn't feel like cleaning up after myself, and I hadn't done the dishes. I took care of all that, plus cleaned the bathroom. My tub needs to be re-caulked (I've been here seven years). I wonder if they would do it for me, because a klutz like me probably shouldn't do anything with a caulk gun.

This evening I came in, had some vegetarian chili, and then took a nap even though my laundry was on much of the bed (the comfy chair is defunct; I really need to drag it out to the dumpster). I got up after 9 and started the laundry. I just got back in a little after midnight.

I'd like to watch a movie, but it's a bit late. I still have a DVD out from Netflix and I need to send it back. Perhaps I can watch it tomorrow.

On a totally random note, I was on Facebook earlier and found a link to the NBC-Universal store, which has plushie minions from Despicable Me in Halloween costumes. Aren't they cute? I love the minions. I feel a certain kinship with them (long story). Anyway, not something that I would get unless I had children, but fun. It puts me in the mood for Halloween.

I am a little wary of these sorts of stories, especially when they seem to originate from FOXNews

So this essay rather said what I thought about the matter:
The Giant, Prehistoric Squid That Ate Common Sense

We have a serious problem with science journalism. A big one, in fact, and today that problem takes the form of a giant, prehistoric squid with tentacles so formidable that it has sucked the brains right out of staff writers’ heads.

While making the rounds among a few California museums late last month, I kept hearing rumors of a bombastic, super-hyped presentation due to be presented at this year’s Geological Society of America meeting in Minneapolis. The scuttlebutt was that someone was going to give a talk about a super-intelligent, predatory squid which fed on huge ichthyosaurs during the Triassic. Fascinating, if true, but the reason that all the paleontologists I met were chuckling was because there was not a shred of actual evidence to back up the claims. Apparently, whoever was set to give the talk had apparently stayed up late watching It Came From Beneath the Sea too many times.

Now the talk has officially been given and the scant details of the proposition have been oozed out into the newswires by way of a press release. Let me be clear — there is no paper yet or anything specific for those not in attendance at GSA to look at. This fact will be key to the media nonsense which has been swirling around the web today.

Here's the FOXNews story for comparison: Lair of Ancient 'Kraken' Sea Monster Possibly Discovered

It's good to remember flaws as well as good points

What Everyone Is Too Polite to Say About Steve Jobs

In the days after Steve Jobs' death, friends and colleagues have, in customary fashion, been sharing their fondest memories of the Apple co-founder. He's been hailed as "a genius" and "the greatest CEO of his generation" by pundits and tech journalists. But a great man's reputation can withstand a full accounting. And, truth be told, Jobs could be terrible to people, and his impact on the world was not uniformly positive.

We mentioned much of the good Jobs did during his career earlier. His accomplishments were far-reaching and impossible to easily summarize. But here's one way of looking at the scope of his achievement: It's the dream of any entrepreneur to effect change in one industry. Jobs transformed half a dozen of them forever, from personal computers to phones to animation to music to publishing to video games. He was a polymath, a skilled motivator, a decisive judge, a farsighted tastemaker, an excellent showman, and a gifted strategist.

One thing he wasn't, though, was perfect.

I think one adjunct is going to find the pen is mightier than the sword

Thanks to the New York Times. :)

A Stutterer Faces Resistance, From the Front of the Class

As his history class at the County College of Morris here discussed exploration of the New World, Philip Garber Jr. raised his hand, hoping to ask why China’s 15th-century explorers, who traveled as far as Africa, had not also reached North America.

He kept his hand aloft for much of the 75-minute session, but the professor did not call on him. She had already told him not to speak in class.

The comments have many differing opinions, mostly in the young man's favour, however. I can see the adjunct's point, but I think she missed something important by refusing to call upon him in class and telling him to not speak during it. Let's face it. Adjuncts don't get paid much, and they have almost no real training in teaching (for that matter, full professors don't either; graduate school is all about research, and if you're a teaching assistant, you learn as you go). Of course, she did avail herself to him outside class, which is good, but expected. However, in silencing him, keeping the class running smoothly seems to be an excuse, at least from what I got from the article, which was admittedly one-sided. It seemed more that she simply didn't want to make the effort to understand and answer him. How would she deal with someone with an extremely thick accent, or someone with Tourette's? What about know-it-alls who monopolise class time? They are truly disruptive. A part of one's grade is often class participation, not just to demonstrate knowledge (which writing down the answers and giving them to her might have done) or to gather knowledge (by communicating to her outside of class), but also so that other students can learn from those interactions. He was essentially shoved aside in favour of getting through the material quickly, rather than encouraging learning, including respect for others with differences that can sometimes seem inconvenient.

I do agree with one commenter in particular: maybe, as a teacher of history, she should consider reading or watching The King's Speech.

A hue and cry can, indeed, change corporate minds

Netflix axes Qwikster; kills plan to split in two

Netflix is hitting the rewind button on its business plan.

After listening to consumer outcry, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings announced Monday that the company was backtracking on a plan to separate its DVD rental and streaming businesses.

"It is clear that for many of our members, two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVDs," read his post on the company's blog (blog.netflix.com). "This means no change: one website, one account, one password… in other words, no Qwikster."

Dear God

Woman Who Stole Fetus Charged With First Degree Homicide

A Milwaukee mother of three who was desperate to give her boyfriend a son allegedly hunted for pregnant women until she found one alone, clubbed her with a bat, strangled her and used an Exacto knife to steal her fetus.

The mother and fetus died, and Annette Morales-Rodriguez, 33, was charged today with two counts of murder.

What a horrible way to die, and all because someone has lost touch with things like reality and right and wrong. And the alleged murderess was a mother of three, desperate not only to give her boyfriend a child, but a boy, no doubt to carry on the name and such. I've always found this bias for boys to be inexplicable; that a child be born healthy and intelligent would be my main wishes, girl or boy. Unfortunately, this child had no chance. It chills me to think of her killing this woman, and I feel so sorry for the family who have now lost a mother/wife and child/brother.

So sad, and sickening, and wrong. I hope she gets the justice she deserves.

It's midnight

and I'm just getting home from the game, meaning I've been going strong for 18 hours and I'm pooped, especially after all the bus riding yesterday. We got two important issues resolved in the game, though, so that was good. But I am tired. I still have to try to straighten up the house by tomorrow, but I certainly can't do it tonight; I'll have to get up early and see what I can do. The annual apartment walk-throughs are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, so hopefully I'll be be towards the middle or later.

Okay, I would blog just a bit more but my computer is acting oddly during a backup and everything I'm typing is going into a buffer and then is being spat out all at once. It's a little disconcerting, and I can't see what I'm typing. But that's probably for the best, as I need to go to bed. Good night.

Why I should I suffer alone?

Thanks to YKWIA playing this last week, I have had the 'Charles in Charge' theme song in my head the last few days. It is beautifully done a cappella by The Blanks, who performed on 'Scrubs' often. Please don't get me wrong, I love what they've done--I just find the 'Charles in Charge' to be, well, insipid yet devilishly catchy.



My favourite, though, is their version of 'Underdog' (of course I always loved that theme, anyway):


Technically, this is probably better. I identified it in the first note or two.


Okay, good night for real this time. :)

I had the wrong disk today to do some tech work

and wound up taking 8 buses back and forth over the course of the day, meaning several hours of bus riding, waiting at bus stops, and walking to them. One nearly broke me--a man who (and I have it on good authority that this is he usual schtick) harangued a young man who did Christian rap, telling him he was going to teach him a lesson and preaching at the top of his lungs, and quite arrogantly believing he had The Truth directly from God, when the young man had a better idea of how to live a life based on Christ's teachings than that over-inflated buffoon who was attempting to impart his 'wisdom', got so onto my nerves that as the bus came to a stop and they were still at it (his wife was in this supportive role), that I finally shouted, 'Oh for God's sake, shut up!', and left the bus. I should say that it takes a lot to make me do anything assertive, but I feel really strongly about being subjected to religious bullying, and yet at the same time, it irritated me that even though the guy could quote chapter and verse (why do so many people believe that makes them knowledgeable?), he had no real understanding of the history and meaning of the scripture. I've probably studied more religious topics than he has.

Then they got on the next bus with me, and my heart sank, for I had a headache from all his shouting, but they were very, very quiet. Thank goodness. If I'd known the Orphic hymn to Hekate by heart I would have recited it. What would he do with an actual pagan, rather than brow-beating the flock of fellow believers? I may just put that on my phone for future reference. I don't normally encourage belligerent people or bother the hornet's nest, but really, some people need to be taken down a notch or two. I know someone who encountered this same man and did that more eloquently than I could ever have, but it inspired me to act, and I'm glad I did.

Oh, but I'm glad to be home now. I could barely see (my contacts were bothering me) or walk straight on the way from the bus stop. I wouldn't have been surprised to be questioned about public intoxication, even though I was sober. I came in, made a quick phone call to announce my safe arrival, made some steel-cut oatmeal, and now I'm headed to bed. Tomorrow is game day and it starts very early. Good night.

Seems a little childish to me

especially as they're still selling them online, but have pulled the print content from their brick-and-mortar stores. Hmpf. This reminds me why I prefer shopping with Amazon to Barnes & Noble. I first heard about this from Neil Gaiman through his Twitter feed.

Barnes & Noble Removes DC Comics After Exclusive Amazon Deal

Barnes & Noble has begun pulling off works from DC Entertainment, formerly known as DC Comics, from its shelves, in response to the publisher's agreement to exclusively offer digital versions in Amazon Kindle format.

One final Jobs video

An excellent commencement speech...

How awful

Child finds parents, relative slain in Mississippi

It happened in the town of D'Iberville, population 9,400, north of Biloxi. All of the victims were from China. The little girl, 8, was one of four children in the family. She came home from school to find her parents and another person, thought to be her aunt, dead of stab wounds. What a horrific thing for a little girl to come home to. My thoughts are with these children tonight.

Where to begin?

I have never owned an Apple product. That being said, I recognise that Steve Jobs was a visionary who changed my world, and I was very sorry to hear that he had died at the relatively young age of 56. The first computers I learned in school on were Apple IIcs and TRS-80s (the latter came from Radio Shack).

Over the years, as he revolutionised the tech industry with products whose features everyone tried to imitate, he made being a tech geek actually seem cool, a far cry from when I was programming on an Atari in high school.

He did so with a characteristic sense of humour. You can see that in this timeline produced by CNN:



World reacts to the death of Steve Jobs

Then there's the lovely tribute to him using a very simple redesign of the Apple logo.

So thank you, to the man who brought us Pixar movies and portable tech, who put an entire music library in our pockets and made our phones smart. RIP.

PS Just so things don't get too grim, I found this on a tribute to Jobs. It's the first Pixar film, the one that is the reason for the hopping lamp logo. It's deceptively simple in design, like many Apple products (with a lot of work on the back end to make it so).

Hi

I know I've been sporadic at best the last few days. First there was being away on the visit to my family. Then Friday night I posted just a bit. Saturday was spent with friends (we watched Beastly), then there was the 'Doctor Who' finale, which rocked, and the premier of 'Bedlam', which looks interesting.

Sunday was preparing for the game, doing the big grocery run, and then the game. We time travelled back into the age of the Neanderthals to try to save the world and our entire timeline. Still working on it. I was so tired when I got home I crashed for 12 hours.

Monday I had to go by the store and deliver some groceries to a friend. This morning I was late to work because a bus driver pulled away even though I was ten feet in front of him and had my bus pass out.

Tonight I went over to try to fix a computer that is being very wonky, but was fed the most wonderful dinner I've had in awhile, a Breton dish with fresh tuna steaks and onions, mashed potatoes, a salad, and French cream of potato soup. My tummy is very happy.

On the way home, as I was waiting for the bus, a fairly large meteor, an early showing from the Draconid shower that peaks in a few days, streaked across the sky. I was delighted--I haven't seen a meteor in years, and it reminded me of the times when I was a kid and we'd lie on a car hood in the California desert to watch meteor showers, away from light pollution and smog, and there was just this dark velvet sky, millions of stars, and the Milky Way, along with hundreds of streaks of light. It was breathtaking. :)

Tomorrow the plan is to come home from work, barring any emergency computer issues. There's a programme I'd like to catch that's premiering at 10 on FX called 'American Horror Story'. My, I'm watching a lot of TV lately, for me.

I'm afraid that's all I've got for tonight. I'm just so pooped. I will try to write something blogworthy tomorrow.

Good night.

I've been out of town for a couple of days

visiting my family. I took off during a lecture series because my work would have been very light with all the doctors in the meeting. Haven't been off during the week in awhile. Everyone's doing pretty well and it was nice to stay overnight and see them. My mom and I spent a couple of hours last reading our respective Kindles. :) But we visited, too. It's also nice to be home. Tomorrow the plan is to spend some time with friends, maybe watch a movie. Then Sunday's the game and I think a Kroger run. Then it's back to work on Monday.

I came home, ate something, took a couple of hours' nap (really, this time), and then watched Supernatural (excellent episode), as well as two episodes of Criminal Minds. Haven't had a TV night in awhile. Tomorrow, though, is the season finale of Doctor Who. I definitely have to catch that. :)

I think I'll head to bed. Hope you have a good weekend.