Walking in a winter wonderland...

: 'The Remedy' by Jason Mraz
: Content and happy

Today was snowy yet filled with holiday warmth as I helped a Christian friend prepare for the holidays with gift wrapping and decorating, which is great because it got most of my holiday desires for doing that out of the way and still was helpful. Also, my friend was very upbeat due to the snow and the season, and so it was contagious.

So, I have to admit, I've had a day full of holiday cheer. I'm a little tired now, but I had a great dinner of potato-leek soup for my efforts and lots of peanut brittle (I adore peanut brittle, which I forget until I'm offered some). About the only thing we didn't do was eggnog, and I have some of that. :) But it was nice to listen to jazzy Christmas music and watch the lights glow as darkness fell.

So, it's a little early. Christmas started early for me when the car arrived, after all. And of course there's also Chanukah and Yule to celebrate as well. I'm an equal-opportunity celebrant. After all, the point of the holidays, no matter what you celebrate (and really it's not that 'Jesus is the reason for the season' since the traditions associated predate him by quite a bit)--although I agree that it shouldn't be all materialism and if you're going to celebrate his birthday, that's certainly more important than Santa and sales) is to bring light to an otherwise dark time of the year and celebrate the return of the sun from its furthest point. No matter what religion, what hemisphere, etc., that's pretty much the point of winter solstice and the traditions that grew up around it.

Imagine. Something people actually agreed on, even if they didn't mean to. :) Now if we could just get the peace thing down.

Believe it or not, I totally missed the news

that Saddam Hussein had been captured until this morning when I went over to a friend's house, and then, when he said everyone was talking about Saddam, I somehow thought he meant Sodom--what can I say, I've spent more time studying ancient and biblical history than watching news of the Iraqi war, and talk radio pundits often go on about Sodom and Gomorrah. :)

So, we watched the President's speech (pretty decent, I must say...especially since they've been looking for someone for 8 months in the same area as where he was found). But, it's certainly a feather in Bush's cap, and if they bring forth bin Laden, I'll even give a thumb's up for the administration.

As usual, I turn to my favourite news source for Bagdad--Salam Pax, but he hasn't had a chance to update yet...still, I did catch up on some of his writing. His description of waiting for the kerosene man, despite its similarity to us waiting for an ice cream truck, was chilling. I really hope the country and its oeconomy can be stabilised soon, for the sake of the Iraqi people and our own troops...and I hope the Iraqis get to deal with Saddam in terms of meting out justice, rather than the US stealing their fire, so to speak.

Here's a bit of movie trivia...

I was watching tonight's 'Saturday Night Live' with Elijah Wood, which has just been excellent (especially with Chris Kattan returning for a cameo as Gollum in the opening monologue). I wondered a little about Elijah Wood's background. I mean, I remember watching him in The Good Son--he was excellent, in a generally disturbing film that really showed MacCauley Caulkin at his best as a sociopath, although the movie didn't receive the acclaim it disturbed. I remember at the time thinking that when he grew up he would have the type of face women would fall over, especially with those wide blue eyes. Well, I was right. But I was looking into his biography (he's from Iowa, which may explain why he seems so down to earth) and discovered this little item: he played the kid at the video game in the future in Back to the Future who asks what a quarter is. :) Hee hee. That's one of my all-time favourites--sort of a secret passion of mine, but particularly that part of the series. Nice to see he got in on that one. And certainly getting the role of Frodo is a coup that will affect the rest of his career. Oh, and here's a special bonus--his sister Hannah was in Two Towers as one of the women in the cave during the battle.

I'm not so much a reading-Tolkien fan (I've majored in ancient and mediaeval history, so thank you, I get enough of that writing style) but I do like the stories and have been watching the movies. I suspect that once filming ended one of the first things anyone who wasn't playing an elf did was wash their hair. I'm glad they actually showed people travelling overland and falling into muck and swamps, etc. with realistic unwashed-ness, but I'd hate to spend so much time so artfully grungy. They have my sympathy. I can't imagine having to look that bedraggled for months on end. I saw a magazine cover of Aragorn the other day holding his sword with nicely shampooed hair. I guess once you become king they either have to let you take a bath or hold you down until you're clean. :) Anyway, I'm eager to see the third movie, and I'm glad they had Elijah Wood on SNL tonight, because it's been absolutely hilarious.

I think I'll head on to bed, though. The weather has changed from freezing rain to fairly heavy snow...the big wet kind that just seems to fall like a stone. We had about a half inch earlier today--I wouldn't be surprised to get 2 or 3 inches by tomorrow night. Fortunately the salt should be able to take care of the roads at this temperature. If it gets very bad I'll just take the bus into town but really, the car seems to handle pretty well in slick conditions. It doesn't have anti-lock brakes but does have good brakes, new tyres, heated mirrors, and front-wheel drive, and it's a heavy enough car that it's not all over the place on slick roads. Another thing I like is that it's pretty long--that was a drawback at first, since I'd never owned a non-compact car, but it has lots of crash space both fore and aft, so I feel safer (knock on wood). I really need to thank my mom and stepdad again for giving me the car, and for giving it to me before the weather got bad. :) It's like the gift of freedom. Obviously being mobile means I'm running around doing more (and not getting enough sleep) but that's okay. I'm just glad that I can do all that running without relying on a troubled bus service.

What a great day...

: 'Amazing' by Josh Kelley; 'White Flag' by Dido; 'Peaceful World' by John Mellencamp
: Relaxed

I went to the gym and did a really good workout--about an hour and a half, including treadmill, bike, and weight machines. I finally found the leg curl machine! I can do those, but I can't do the machines where you push up with your legs instead--it messes with my knee. But I did a good, balanced bit with legs, arms, chest, and even did 50 reps of abdominal crunches. During part of the workout, one of the TVs had 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'--which I love. Of course, there was no sound, but one of the Jurassic Park movies was playing in the cycling theatre, so every now and then the abominable snowman would obviously roar and dinosaur sounds would come out from across the room, so that was fun.

I went by the store and got some fish, a frozen side dish of rice, carrots, and broccoli, some crusty rolls, and some olive tapénade (olive spread with feta, capers, pimentos, and garlic) and cooked a quick dinner and spent the evening with friends.

It's been snowing most of the afternoon, although now it's gone over to freezing rain, so I expect it'll be icky tomorrow. No game tomorrow--Brenda's son is going to a birthday party, but that's okay. Instead I think I'll help with some holiday decorating, etc.

Well, I think I'll play a little on the computer and then read more of the latest Rabbi Small novel I'm reading.

This was sad news...but at least he died free

Movie star Keiko dies in Norway

I never saw the 'Free Willy' movies, believe it or not, but I've always loved orcas, and whales in general. (For awhile I actually had an 'adopted' whale where I sent money to help humpbacks and received a picture of 'my' whale (or rather, her tail) sort of like those 'save the children'-style charities.)

But on a good note...

• Keiko died free, where he wanted to be, rather than where people thought he should be (he didn't conform to the programme they thought they had, heading straight to Norway of all places--where there is still whaling, although not of orcas).
  
• He was able to swim with wild whales and yet keep the human companionship he apparently craved. Indeed, he was surrounded by the handlers who had been monitoring him and treating him for the pneumonia that suddenly took his life.
  
• Wherever he went...whether in parks, in the movies, or in his adopted home of Norway, he taught people a lot about whales and inspired them to try to protect him and his cousins.
  

So maybe, in the long-run, this one whale did more to enlighten people than any programme or leaflet could begin to.

Rest in peace, Keiko. And, thank you.

Sometimes you just have to 'reset'

There seems to be something wrong with Blogger, so I'm writing in Notebook until I can actually post.

As you know, I had apparently built up such a sleep deficit that I slept 17 hours on Thursday. Well, yesterday I added another fifteen hours. I finally feel human again, so I must have needed it. I don't even have a sore back like I sometimes get when I crash. I did at some point last night wake myself up because I was having a minor nightmare about work and in the midst got attacked by something coming at me and tried to kick it in my dream and apparently really did kick my closet door, which is metal, to a resounding ring that woke me up. So much for paralysis during REM sleep.

So, having caught up in terms of rest I find that I feel sooooooooo much better. I had been puffy and sore and even a little warm, not to mention cranky. The first thing I did once I woke up (well, besides pee) was take a long, warm bath with my citrus gel and soft scrubby mitt/back scrubber and just soaked up warmth and exfoliated some of the itchy dry skin from my back, and let's just say I felt like those fire lizards from Anne McCaffrey's books after a good bath and oiling. :) I was afraid I'd be dehydrated, since I had been sleeping so much and not drinking as a result, but I feel fine. I think I was retaining water, so I just absorbed it back. Yay!

In a little while I'm going to pick up some friends and drop them off for a visit with relatives, then head to the gym and work out for awhile. For now, I'm listening to soothing New Age music and I've fed the animals. I'm happy that it's warm in here (it's 29 degrees outside and very blustery, so I'm sure the wind chill is worse...it's supposed to snow a bit tonight and maybe up to 2-3 inches tomorrow).

I was, of course, up and doing stuff during the day yesterday. I worked and then went downtown to take care of some things and then the credit union, and then over to Eagle Creek library, where I was hunting specifically for a couple books on irritable bowel syndrome. Funny, my insides are doing a lot better since I got so much sleep and I've been eating just a little here and there. I was afraid my blood sugar would go up (it does that if I don't eat...no eating means no insulin being triggered and it just creeps up), but I'm fine. I guess it makes a difference if you're sleeping because of depression and if you're sleeping out of exhaustion. :) Anyway, one of the books is an 'all you need to know about IBS' intro and one is a cookbook. Since I have no less than four people in my life with IBS besides me, I thought it would be good to learn more. The medicine the doctor gave me is helping, but dealing with stress and diet changes go further in the long run. Besides, I feel a little weird taking something related to belladonna to reduce the spasms. :)

Anyway, here's hoping for a good start to the weekend...I'm so glad the holidays (and time off) are on the horizon!

Aha! You thought Quiz-time was over!!!!

Results...:

you are Violet Baudelaire! you love your siblings,
want to be an inventor when you grow up, and
are very polite. you, unfortuantely, also have
Count Olaf after you.


What miserable character from a series of unfortunate events are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Catching up with the Friday Five

1. Do you enjoy the cold weather and snow for the holidays? Not really. Having grown up in Louisiana, I actually get in the mood quicker when we have a sudden warm front come in. However, snow was always a special treat when I was growing up, so I still like it. I don't care for really cold weather, though.

2. What is your ideal holiday celebration? How, where, with whom would you celebrate to make things perfect? I'd like to just spend time with loved ones, maybe play board games, and have dinner, with everyone safe and warm.

3. Do you do have any holiday traditions? I celebrate Christmas with my family, Chanukah with friends, and Yule at home. Since I don't have a firelplace, I can't really do a Yule log, although I usually get a small live tree to bring in. :)

4. Do you do anything to help the needy? When I can. I give to the bell-ringers and if I have extra canned goods or clothing I donate them. I'd like to volunteer time at a shelter, nursing home, or AIDS residence sometime during the holidays this year. I'm thinking of taking the whole week between Christmas and New Year's off, so I might be able to do that.

5. What one gift would you like for yourself? With the cold weather coming on strong, I need a scarf/glove/hat set...something warm and snuggy. It's on my Secret Santa list, though (along with a couple of books and a Spirograph™), so I'll wait until after we have our party next week before shopping for them myself.

17 hrs' sleep + Friday = Quiztime!

This is Spock (aka 'Laid-back and Stupid but Sweet' Kitty)...

Your cat may be Angel...the little white demon kitten. He may enjoy such things as climbing
your Xmas Palm tree...eating the lights and be so hyper you think he ate your missing stash of speed. He also likes meowing louder than a blow horn.

...and Buns (aka 'I'll growl at you from the vet scale but don't you dare move me' Kitty)
Your cat..if you so desire to call it that is Cuddles...the angry bipolar kitty from hell. Your cat may enjoy tormenting other cats..dogs..or alligators...he is moody and bitchy. What a nice cat.

...and Darius (aka 'I don't really live here' Kitty who hides when anyone comes over)
Your cat is Buttons..cute cuddly...and oh so evil..your cat may enjoy such activities as killing bugs...and plotting your death. :) He may also like chattering at birds until he falls out of the window.

-----------------------------------------
How deranged is your cat?
brought to you by Quizilla

So tired...must sleep (warning...stupified rambling follows)

I've been burning the candle at two ends the last few days, and it's caught up with me royally, having lived on about four hours' sleep a night for over a week. I just finished a small glass of water and it's the first actual H2O I can remember drinking for a long time...not good. Because of an emergency that popped up this morning, I haven't had a shower since yesterday and feel really ooky, but the fact is, I've been too tired to do anything about it. I went to bed at about 4:30 this afternoon and surfaced briefly just now. I'm on my way back in a few minutes.

You probably think I do nothing but sleep. No, I just talk about getting sleep. Without realising how much was sneaking up on me, I've been on a must-get-this-done jag on various projects this week. With last minute stuff before the holidays at work, shopping for Secret Santa stuff, anxiety-ridden Christmas parties, the prospect of three other (smaller, more intimate) celebrations before the end of the year, preparations to take classes next semester, general full-moon madness around me, etc., etc.--well, you get the picture. Of course, this has left me little time to actually tell you anything about some of the more odd things that happened this week. I'll try to catch up on those this weekend. Just as well, really--I haven't been my most coherent today. Dwana--who has finally updated her blog, yipee!--caught me this afternoon a couple minutes before quitting time at work taking a marker and pen and colouring a wooden ice cream spoon that had been on my windowsill like a little fish with scales, etc. She patted me on my head and just said, 'okay' and left the room. That's about as coherent as I got, and since I hadn't washed my hair I felt all greasy and icky. I was actually still in the shirt I'd slept in that night. Just so you know...this is NOT how I normally come to work. In fact, lately I've been dressing up and doing the makeup thing. But if I had taken the time to go back home to get cleaned up, I would have missed a good bit of my scheduled shift, and this way I at least wasn't technically absent (having worked at least half of it). I'd let them know I might not be in until later and even though I'd been gone for hours, it overlapped my shift by only a little over an hour. With it being Thursday, which tends to be relatively quiet, there weren't any crises whilst I was gone. Fortunately there were a lot of books to reshelve, and that's a task I could do in my sleep. (I say that now, but if I go in tomorrow and they're all in some bizarre order, you'll know why). I stayed a little later, too--now that I'm just there four hours a day it's a little more flexible--so long as I don't go over the 20 hours of the week, although I make a point of keeping a stable schedule since it's even more important for them to know when they can come to me for help.

One good thing today--a visitor who had called awhile back for pointers on where to find more for a college project on a rare condition came in today originally to read the newspaper and realised I was the one who had helped and was very glowing in her thanks. Apparently it made a real difference in how well the project went. That was nice. I usually just think of it as doing my normal job, but it's rewarding to know that I've helped someone. After all, even seemingly minor requests are important to the people who make them. I wish she'd caught me on a day I looked halfway presentable, rather than 'ridden hard and put up wet', but still.. :) That's one thing about librarianship--you don't always see the end product, but especially in health care, you know that the information you're helping someone find isn't usually just theoretical but is being used for patient care, or to help a patient or family understand a personal health issue better and therefore make informed decisions. But it's nice when you can just work librarian magic and they go...ooh...ah. I forget sometimes that it seems like hocus pocus to the unintiated. And when you can show them how to find things for themselves...it's like you've initiated them into great mysteries.

Well, I'm going to go on back to bed. Hopefully with rest tomorrow will be better. Besides, it'll be Friday (and even though it'll be here soon, I don't think I can even stay awake long enough to see if the Friday Five comes back tonight. It'll have to wait for when I'm awake tomorrow.

Looking over this post it seems a little rambly. Hope you forgive that, but hey, you were forewarned. 'Night.