First with the horrible part, I suppose. A colleague of mine was injured in Afghanistan this weekend, by an improvised explosive device. He's got burns and sight and hearing problems right now, but he's alive and he'll heal and he's on his way back home. A soldier he was with, as I understand it, didn't make it. When I learned he was off to Afghanistan and the project he was working on, I was worried something like this might happen. I don't know him too well, but what I do know of him, he's a warm guy with a sense of humor and joie de vivre that I appreciate. This is why I hate war.
We have a friend stationed in Iraq at the moment, too. I haven't worried too much about her because I don't think she's seeing direct combat per se. But damn. I do worry about her mental health on her return; depending on what she's been exposed to, I suppose. Trauma like surviving an explosion, or battle or whatever, fundamentally changes you. I'm keeping both of them in my prayers as well as the family of the fallen soldier.
Now for the happiness (because that's what gets us through the day, right?):
Ein - I learned today we will be getting a full week off of work at Christmas. Whee! I'm sure it's unpaid, but a week off is a week off. I'll take it.
Zwei - Cute costumes tonight. We had a toddler Mad Hatter accompanied by a grown up Alice. A teenaged girl with a lime green spiderweb and plastic barbed wire around her neck. ("Are you a psychedelic spiderweb?" "No, I'm a dustbunny - and would you believe, some people keep barbed wire behind their couch?!") A ninja with vampire teeth. I kept trying to insist he was a vampire ninja, but he swore he wasn't. A quartet of 10-year-old girls: a witch, a devil, an angel and something else. A cat burglar.
Drei - Wonderfully friendly children. Some good friends trick or treated by our house tonight and brought with them a friend and her sons. I'd only ever met the boys once or twice before. They're 4 1/2 and 2 1/2 years old respectively. The girls as always were delightful - excited to find participation ribbons on Babydog's crate. The boys were just adorable. As they were all leaving to hit up more houses, the 2 year old (dressed in a Jiminy Cricket costume) flung his arms up for a hug. Then he stuck his tongue out and started humming. So I hugged him and picked him up under his arms and held him in front of my face. I copied his face and sound and the two of us were there, at arms length face to face, tongues protruding humming against eachother. I think he could've done that all night. It was awesome!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Good Things and East Coast Guilt.
1. Honey called in the new cell phone company to transfer over our old phone numbers onto the new carrier. I only heard his side of the conversation, but it sounded like he was making fast friends with the customer service guy, chatting about everything from our dog to how many children we expected to show up on our doorstep for Halloween!
2. Discovering one of my weekly recipe e-mails from Texas Monthly was for a Cream Filled Pumpkin Pie Roll. Mmm. We're hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year. Honey hates pumpkin flavored deserts, but I think I might try to make this anyway, as he will not be the only person at the table. Just thinking about it makes me all fuzzy with anticipation!
3. We're heading back over the mountain this morning so Babydog can do her second leg of her JHD trial. The last time we went to a herding trial/exhibition, it was all corgis; this time she's the only corgi in a sea of border collies and a few shelties. It's really only intimidating for me. HOWEVER, though she's not as disciplined as a lot of the border collies - and most of them are rural dogs anyway, so they have more room for practice than just a living room - in her part of the trial, she was still a lot better than some of the other dogs. (My chest puffs.) What can I say? I guess I'm a competitive American mommy.
I visited SonnjeaB's Friday post, today. It's interesting, her conundrum about volunteering and being a better person is not only somewhat personally familiar - I too sometimes have trouble reconciling my desire to make the world a better place and not really wanting to work the volunteer places I've sold myself on - but its familiarity seems to translate to another area of my life: the professional one. I think I'm only just now finding the general direction I want my career to take, but boy do I feel like I've been slow to the game.
In this part of the country people are defined by and happily define themselves by their employment or their achievements. (I may have blogged on this before.) If you're 5 years old, it's assumed you're a good reader. If you're 18, it's assumed you're applying to top tier schools and the state university is only your "safety." If you're 60, it's assumed you've made it to the top of your game, you still work-out and you've got a healthy retirement waiting with which you can travel the world in your twilight years. If you're out of college, it's assumed you're on your career track and you know what that is. So here I am, 30, just now starting up what I want to be doing and I feel like I'm perceived as a dilly dallyer, when really all it was was schlepping to pay the bills and sampling till I found the dish I liked. (And some days I think I might still want to switch the dish.) It's hard to be human in a part of the country that assumes over-acheivement on everything and everyone. (see #3 above!)
Revision to #3: I'm happy that Babydog gets a thrill from herding. It makes me happy to see her happy, even when she's over-eager!
2. Discovering one of my weekly recipe e-mails from Texas Monthly was for a Cream Filled Pumpkin Pie Roll. Mmm. We're hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year. Honey hates pumpkin flavored deserts, but I think I might try to make this anyway, as he will not be the only person at the table. Just thinking about it makes me all fuzzy with anticipation!
3. We're heading back over the mountain this morning so Babydog can do her second leg of her JHD trial. The last time we went to a herding trial/exhibition, it was all corgis; this time she's the only corgi in a sea of border collies and a few shelties. It's really only intimidating for me. HOWEVER, though she's not as disciplined as a lot of the border collies - and most of them are rural dogs anyway, so they have more room for practice than just a living room - in her part of the trial, she was still a lot better than some of the other dogs. (My chest puffs.) What can I say? I guess I'm a competitive American mommy.
I visited SonnjeaB's Friday post, today. It's interesting, her conundrum about volunteering and being a better person is not only somewhat personally familiar - I too sometimes have trouble reconciling my desire to make the world a better place and not really wanting to work the volunteer places I've sold myself on - but its familiarity seems to translate to another area of my life: the professional one. I think I'm only just now finding the general direction I want my career to take, but boy do I feel like I've been slow to the game.In this part of the country people are defined by and happily define themselves by their employment or their achievements. (I may have blogged on this before.) If you're 5 years old, it's assumed you're a good reader. If you're 18, it's assumed you're applying to top tier schools and the state university is only your "safety." If you're 60, it's assumed you've made it to the top of your game, you still work-out and you've got a healthy retirement waiting with which you can travel the world in your twilight years. If you're out of college, it's assumed you're on your career track and you know what that is. So here I am, 30, just now starting up what I want to be doing and I feel like I'm perceived as a dilly dallyer, when really all it was was schlepping to pay the bills and sampling till I found the dish I liked. (And some days I think I might still want to switch the dish.) It's hard to be human in a part of the country that assumes over-acheivement on everything and everyone. (see #3 above!)
Revision to #3: I'm happy that Babydog gets a thrill from herding. It makes me happy to see her happy, even when she's over-eager!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Fastest. blog. ever.
The next 48 to 96 hours are going to be hectic, but for the most part exciting. As for today? I get a temporary promotion at work (hence the image) which may last through tomorrow. At work they're calling it "filling in" but I'm calling it a temporary promotion because what i'm learning while i'm filling in i can apply to my next job. and hopefully there'll be some eyes watching who are already thinking ahead to whom they want to fill upcoming positions with. Tonight? Another crunch-night adding onto my thesis. This weekend? Babydog's first herding competition. Sleep? Overrated!Now to put on my shoes and hustle to my assignment!
ps. thanks to some police org in the UK for giving me an image that illustrates my day and uses a model who looks like she could be my sister ... or uncanny cousin.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Whoa - was this a Monday?
a la Clare, here are three things great about today:
1. I saw deer on the drive home this evening. They were grazing alongside the very heavily trafficked freeway in a field not even the size of a soccer pitch. There must've been 5 or 6 of them. Though it's sad urban sprawl forces them to come into the heavily populated areas to feed, I must say, seeing them brightened my day!
2. My commute home was fastest on record! It normally takes me 60 - 75 minutes to get home from my office each evening. (About 45 - 55 minutes on the inbound commute.) For some reason, tonight, there were absolutely no gum-ups on my ride home. I got home in 45 minutes! I couldn't believe my luck!
3. Discovering new blogs through the three beautiful things site. Clare, you're doing such a wonderful thing!
1. I saw deer on the drive home this evening. They were grazing alongside the very heavily trafficked freeway in a field not even the size of a soccer pitch. There must've been 5 or 6 of them. Though it's sad urban sprawl forces them to come into the heavily populated areas to feed, I must say, seeing them brightened my day!
2. My commute home was fastest on record! It normally takes me 60 - 75 minutes to get home from my office each evening. (About 45 - 55 minutes on the inbound commute.) For some reason, tonight, there were absolutely no gum-ups on my ride home. I got home in 45 minutes! I couldn't believe my luck!
3. Discovering new blogs through the three beautiful things site. Clare, you're doing such a wonderful thing!
Sunday, October 22, 2006
those which tickled me
1. hearing Babydog yelp with unfiltered joy as she chased the sheep this morning.
2. letting Honey choose the Halloween candy tonight at Target. "But I don't think the children will really like the dark chocolate Hershey's, babe." He smiles, "Exactly!" ... and he talked me into getting Babydog a costume even though he thinks they're stupid, just becuase he knows how much I'd kick myself if i'd've passed it up. yea, Honey!
3. replacing the previous owners' (henceforth to be known as the Dundies) kitchen nook overhead drab light with a prettier warmer one. it's fun: with each minor change, this house becomes more and more ours!
2. letting Honey choose the Halloween candy tonight at Target. "But I don't think the children will really like the dark chocolate Hershey's, babe." He smiles, "Exactly!" ... and he talked me into getting Babydog a costume even though he thinks they're stupid, just becuase he knows how much I'd kick myself if i'd've passed it up. yea, Honey!
3. replacing the previous owners' (henceforth to be known as the Dundies) kitchen nook overhead drab light with a prettier warmer one. it's fun: with each minor change, this house becomes more and more ours!
what made me happy this week
1. Driving the wooded highway this time of year into work, it just fuzzies my heart to watch the leaves turn. About half a mile from where the main road branches off to join the freeway, there's a big pocket of tall thin trees that have all turned a lucious yellow. I pass them on my left and they just make me smile. They make me think I'm in northern New Mexico. This week was grey, rainy and chilly. The turning trees, particularly that pocket, kept me happy inspite of the meteorlogical drear. It's like they drink in sunshine and radiate it for us when the sun doesn't care to grace us with his presence. How I'll miss those leaves when it's winter and we have no terrestrial sunlight!
2. The deadline for submitting my intent to graduate was yesterday at 5PM. HEAR THIS: I, "she who puts the 'Pro' in procrastination,"actually got the paperwork in like 20 hours ahead of time. This is major for me. If it's due at 5, my norm is to get it to you at 4:57. Yea, me!
3. Keeping a secret from my dog: next week, she gets to go herding two whole days in a row! ... and with other dogs, too! I'm sure that'll be good subject for another post ... so long as I remember.
4. There's a local radio station that plays "old timey" popular music during the 7 o'clock hour on Saturday nights. It's a neat collection of scratchy recordings. Last night, I heard some song from the teens or 20s that I'm pretty sure was the inspiration to the theme song for "The Itchy and Scratchy Show." The tune was exactly the same up until the crescendo of their song. I laughed. If only the writers of the original melody had known that 80 or 90 years later someone would hear their tune and picture a cartoon cat and mouse beating each other with mallets!
in other news ...
I will be receiving a practice Spanish exam, as I have opted to test out of my language requirement for my degree. All it is is a translation test. Now all I have to do is be as good at Spanish as I was back in 1997 or 98 when I was easily 30%-40% fluent. um ... si tengo "stock" en Univision, es lo mismo que comprender la idioma con fluidesse, no? (See, Pissed Off? It's not just you who worries about exhibiting a mastery of a foreign language?)
The print deadline for a small monthly out of state paper for which I proofread has been pushed back till midweek. Everytime deadline is pushed, I'm always afraid it's because I'm not turning around the articles fast enough. But I think there are other factors at work here, because I have only received about 2/3 the normal amount of articles I usually get, so far, by this time of the month.
My parents are back in the city of my nativity this weekend for a conference. I'm somewhat jealous. I'd love to spend a day just to sniff out the old haunts of my youth. ... and to pick up some shredded beef barbecue sandwiches wrapped in too-thin butcher paper that you then eat in old school desks placed against the back walls of the joint. Seriously, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
2. The deadline for submitting my intent to graduate was yesterday at 5PM. HEAR THIS: I, "she who puts the 'Pro' in procrastination,"actually got the paperwork in like 20 hours ahead of time. This is major for me. If it's due at 5, my norm is to get it to you at 4:57. Yea, me!
3. Keeping a secret from my dog: next week, she gets to go herding two whole days in a row! ... and with other dogs, too! I'm sure that'll be good subject for another post ... so long as I remember.
4. There's a local radio station that plays "old timey" popular music during the 7 o'clock hour on Saturday nights. It's a neat collection of scratchy recordings. Last night, I heard some song from the teens or 20s that I'm pretty sure was the inspiration to the theme song for "The Itchy and Scratchy Show." The tune was exactly the same up until the crescendo of their song. I laughed. If only the writers of the original melody had known that 80 or 90 years later someone would hear their tune and picture a cartoon cat and mouse beating each other with mallets!
in other news ...
I will be receiving a practice Spanish exam, as I have opted to test out of my language requirement for my degree. All it is is a translation test. Now all I have to do is be as good at Spanish as I was back in 1997 or 98 when I was easily 30%-40% fluent. um ... si tengo "stock" en Univision, es lo mismo que comprender la idioma con fluidesse, no? (See, Pissed Off? It's not just you who worries about exhibiting a mastery of a foreign language?)
The print deadline for a small monthly out of state paper for which I proofread has been pushed back till midweek. Everytime deadline is pushed, I'm always afraid it's because I'm not turning around the articles fast enough. But I think there are other factors at work here, because I have only received about 2/3 the normal amount of articles I usually get, so far, by this time of the month.
My parents are back in the city of my nativity this weekend for a conference. I'm somewhat jealous. I'd love to spend a day just to sniff out the old haunts of my youth. ... and to pick up some shredded beef barbecue sandwiches wrapped in too-thin butcher paper that you then eat in old school desks placed against the back walls of the joint. Seriously, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Molly's Movie Review: "Click" it off.
We rented Adam Sandler's latest mal-offering to the world of entertainment tonight, Click.
Let me recount for you the best part of the movie:
It's 25 minutes into the film. Sandler, having just learned his remote control has magical powers, confronts the wierd guy (Christopher Walken) who gave him the device. He suspects he's on some sort of prank reality show a la "Candid Camera." Michael, Sandler's character, supposes the country is having a chuckle at his expense. Walken, in his very flat Walken way says, "Nobody's laughing at you, Michael."
(now for the best part) Honey shouts, "YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!"
I think I laughed out loud in this film a total of 3 times. That includes my laughing at Honey's adlib. And seeing as how I live to laugh, that's saying a lot.
What could have and should have been a fun new twist on It's a Wonderful Life was instead coopted into tired, standard Sandler fare of animal sex jokes and supposed hilarity derived from hearing little kids say the word "shit." Add to that the never-stellar Kate Beckinsale (I'm sorry, how did she get through Serendipity and not convince me that she was in love with John Cusack? How can you not have chemistry with Cusack?), pepper it with completely hollow dialog and sautee it all up with the script that writes itself and what you've got is 108 minutes of schlock worthy of the Hallmark channel.
Click wasn't so bad that we clicked it off, obviously. But it was just short of that dubious distinction. There were some - maybe two or three - redeeming qualities. Sean Astin for one. After teaming with Sandler in 2004's 50 First Dates, I suspect he may be on the path to being his regular foil. But he's just a good actor, period. Henry Winkler and Julie Kavner as Sandler's parents were the other good qualities. But again, they're pretty solid actors. They're good bets no matter how crappy the show.
We considered watching Click in fast forward just so we could get to the resolution a little faster. However, that seemed like it would have been too surreal for a Monday night: watching a movie about controlling life in fast forward in fast forward. Wrap your mind around that one, Paduan! Honey noted that several times you thought it would end and it didn't. "It's like Lord of the Rings! Wrap it up, Peter Jackson!" he finally yelled about 15 minutes from the real ending and smack in the middle of the supposed second ending.
My advice to those out there looking to see this: don't. If you really want to see Sandler doing something good, try Spanglish or Punch Drunk Love. Or hell, even 50 First Dates had more heart than this tripe. Save your eyes and your time. Do a crossword puzzle.
... a quick note. I included in my last post, a photo of some trees ablaze with the colorful leaves of autumn found here on the East Coast. For the record, all I did was copy that image from a website after googling different phrases about autumn foliage and east coast. (I think it came from some Virginia tourism site.) I wasn't sure if y'all thought it was one of mine, originally. I apologize if I gave that impression.
Let me recount for you the best part of the movie:
It's 25 minutes into the film. Sandler, having just learned his remote control has magical powers, confronts the wierd guy (Christopher Walken) who gave him the device. He suspects he's on some sort of prank reality show a la "Candid Camera." Michael, Sandler's character, supposes the country is having a chuckle at his expense. Walken, in his very flat Walken way says, "Nobody's laughing at you, Michael."
(now for the best part) Honey shouts, "YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!"
I think I laughed out loud in this film a total of 3 times. That includes my laughing at Honey's adlib. And seeing as how I live to laugh, that's saying a lot.
What could have and should have been a fun new twist on It's a Wonderful Life was instead coopted into tired, standard Sandler fare of animal sex jokes and supposed hilarity derived from hearing little kids say the word "shit." Add to that the never-stellar Kate Beckinsale (I'm sorry, how did she get through Serendipity and not convince me that she was in love with John Cusack? How can you not have chemistry with Cusack?), pepper it with completely hollow dialog and sautee it all up with the script that writes itself and what you've got is 108 minutes of schlock worthy of the Hallmark channel.
Click wasn't so bad that we clicked it off, obviously. But it was just short of that dubious distinction. There were some - maybe two or three - redeeming qualities. Sean Astin for one. After teaming with Sandler in 2004's 50 First Dates, I suspect he may be on the path to being his regular foil. But he's just a good actor, period. Henry Winkler and Julie Kavner as Sandler's parents were the other good qualities. But again, they're pretty solid actors. They're good bets no matter how crappy the show.
We considered watching Click in fast forward just so we could get to the resolution a little faster. However, that seemed like it would have been too surreal for a Monday night: watching a movie about controlling life in fast forward in fast forward. Wrap your mind around that one, Paduan! Honey noted that several times you thought it would end and it didn't. "It's like Lord of the Rings! Wrap it up, Peter Jackson!" he finally yelled about 15 minutes from the real ending and smack in the middle of the supposed second ending.
My advice to those out there looking to see this: don't. If you really want to see Sandler doing something good, try Spanglish or Punch Drunk Love. Or hell, even 50 First Dates had more heart than this tripe. Save your eyes and your time. Do a crossword puzzle.
... a quick note. I included in my last post, a photo of some trees ablaze with the colorful leaves of autumn found here on the East Coast. For the record, all I did was copy that image from a website after googling different phrases about autumn foliage and east coast. (I think it came from some Virginia tourism site.) I wasn't sure if y'all thought it was one of mine, originally. I apologize if I gave that impression.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Fall sneaking up on us
"I'm in the habit of being alone/ I try hard to break it/ But I can't on my own ... but man, I wish I had a hand to hold ..."
Honey is listening to Edie Brickell on his computer. I forgot about this song. I forget how great she is. She's good for this weather-turning season.
October is one of my favorite months here. September & October and April - July. April through July are my favorite months everywhere, but particularly here. But October is particularly great because of the foliage. That actually is my beautiful thing for the day. It's enough to carry me.
1. the first leaves of autumn being kicked up in little flurries by the wind and passing cars. I can't wait for the oranges to get deeper and bright, bright reds! I might alter my drive in just so I can get a better look at the leaves! They're like slow fireworks.
In the meantime, I remembered that JoeInVegas said on October 2, that one of the things he liked about the day was that it was cloudy, a rarity in Vegas. Then, last night, I was cruising YouTube and checked out a user I hadn't visited in a few weeks, LazyDork, and if you'll see when he arrives in Vegas at the end of the video, it's cloudy. Did he arrive on October 2nd?
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
OMGs, i love BSG! ... and more TV
so i've had lots of thoughts swarming around in my head the last few weeks that i'd love to blog on: the Pope's papa faux pas; Jack Straw's concern over full-body cloaking clothing; Mark Foley and though HYlarious as it is, the real non-event that it is as well ... and of course most recently, Mr. "Oh-so-Ronery's" test of a nuclear bomb somewhere north of the DMZ. However, i also haven't had a lot of time to post about these, so hopefully i'll get a chance to ponder and wonder a little later. in the meantime, i'm going to do today's triple rave about this season's crop of television shows (thanks to Clare):1. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA - i've said it once and i'll say it again: the best damned show on television. if you're not already watching it, rent the first two seasons on DVD, get yourself caught up and then quake with wonder in front of your telelvision set. the way the writers keep the audience living in the complete moral ambiguity that is fear, war, hope, faith and life itself is absolutely awe-inspiring. (and does anyone think that Leoben pushed that little girl down the stairs or is it just Honey and me? it smells fishy! run, Starbuck, run!!)
2. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - just finished watching an episode tonight. oh, Aaron Sorkin, how i missed you! The West Wing went nowhere when you left. but you ... you came back. you came back because you LOVE us! yea, Sorkin! (and as a side note, i'm totally excited for the premier of "30 Rock" tomorrow night. i adore Tina Fey and Honey is in love with her. we have high hopes!)
3. The Office - when i first saw the american take on this british import, i was unimpressed. Ricky Gervais slays me. but then it became good somewhere along the way and now it's completely great! you darling are keeping fresh and i love that about you. Michael Scott seems to be even more painfully awkward this season so far than he has been in the last two seasons. and it's awesome. but WTF? Jim flirting with the chick at his new office? damn those writers! how dare they toy with our affections like that? everyone knows that Pam and Jim are meant to be together. she bought new clothes for God's sake!
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Three Things from the Last Week
I'm glad to read that a) Clare is getting some notoriety and b) she's cool with the blogosphere hitching onto her idea of positive reflection. So, in the vein of the latter - and because I'm beginning to believe it's good for the soul, let us commence:
1. Having Honey come with me to a friend's birthday party. I didn't think he'd make it and I think we both ended up having a great time. (Yummy Thai food, too!)
2. Getting word from the doctor's office that what we had both feared was not the case. It's the first time in months I've had anything resembling good news come from that office. I wanted to sing!
3. Preparing to have a friend or two over tonight to watch the season premier of Battlestar Galactica, season 3. (We each had Friday plans, so we had to wait till tonight.) I can't frackin' wait!
1. Having Honey come with me to a friend's birthday party. I didn't think he'd make it and I think we both ended up having a great time. (Yummy Thai food, too!)
2. Getting word from the doctor's office that what we had both feared was not the case. It's the first time in months I've had anything resembling good news come from that office. I wanted to sing!
3. Preparing to have a friend or two over tonight to watch the season premier of Battlestar Galactica, season 3. (We each had Friday plans, so we had to wait till tonight.) I can't frackin' wait!
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