Hagioscope

pay it forward

2009-02-09T10:19:00.000-06:00

Life is tough — but we can change that. How? I challenge everyone to pay it forward at least once this week. Here's how:

Do someone a favor.
Instead of having that person pay you back, ask them to pay it forward with a favor to someone else.
Ask them to pass the pay it forward challenge along, too.
Share results as comments to this note.
Post these instructions in your own blog, LJ, FB, chat room, bulletin board, internal memo, etc.

Go on. Make someone's day.

tough cookies

2008-12-24T20:14:00.004-06:00

I get a kick out of these tasty tough guys. Hope you do too.

Merry Christmas!

use your spare change to make CHANGE

2008-12-15T12:37:00.000-06:00

What to do:

Go to www.positivechange.com and make a donation — as little as 99 cents. Your contribution will help feed hungry families this Christmas.

If Positive Change receives $1,000 from 100 people by 12/18, they'll receive an additional $1,000 in matching donations. So get clicking! This is change in which we can all believe — and participate.

Gas under $1.90

2008-11-13T13:33:00.000-06:00

PRESIDENT OBAMA!!!

2008-11-04T22:12:00.000-06:00

OBAMA WINS!!!
AMERICA WINS!!!

After

2008-11-04T08:17:00.000-06:00

During

2008-11-04T08:14:00.000-06:00

Before

2008-11-04T07:35:00.000-06:00

Please . . .

2008-11-03T15:12:00.002-06:00

and for my next trick ...

2008-10-26T15:47:00.002-05:00

Work: Done, several days ahead of schedule. Good for me.
Cats: Napping.
House: Clean (enough).
Lawn: Unmowed for the past month, covered in leaves, and likely to stay that way. Because it's sleeting outside.
Watching: The Nude Bomb, a 1980 Maxwell Smart big-screen feature. Not bad, really. The disco intro is fun. And the final episode of Journeyman (via hulu.com). Positively decent. I really wish it was still on.
Cookies: Baked. Warm. Gooey. Mine.

... or not

2008-10-23T14:04:00.005-05:00

I did not end up getting the proofreading gig I mentioned yesterday; the client's budget is about half what I would need to charge. Oh well. But I do have an interview next week for a possible writing gig. Geez, how long since I went on an actual in-person interview?

small loss, small gain; big loss, big gain

2008-10-22T20:40:00.000-05:00

Last week I broke up with Wells Fargo, and I will no longer be proofreading their newsletter.

Today the publisher of another newsletter responded to my resume, and I might end up proofreading theirs instead. See how nicely that works out?

strengths, weaknesses, cats

2008-10-22T09:11:00.000-05:00

My latest post, "Turn Your Weaknesses into Strengths," is up at LaidOff101.com. Have a look.
During yesterday's session, Bob the God of Shiatsu asked me how I had injured my left shoulder. I told him I hadn't, but he maintained that I had because he could feel the results. Finally I asked if years of carrying heavy bookbags and purses could account for what he was noticing, and he said yes. So downsize your bags, y'all; the big ones really do do you harm.
This morning Presto stretched up, hooked a delicate claw over the rim of my mug, and pulled a cup of hot chai down from the table onto himself. Nothing was injured but his pride, but he now smells faintly of exotic spices.

Back to work.

Gas under $2.45!

2008-10-21T13:10:00.000-05:00

fave clip from the latest debate

2008-10-16T19:10:00.000-05:00

mood music

2008-10-15T07:08:00.001-05:00

My Mood Music post is now up at LaidOff101.com. Click on over to see what I listed after "Have a Little Faith."

Good timing; I could use the boost today. Not only do I have to break up with Wells Fargo and tell them why, but I also will attend a friend's mother's funeral home visitation after work. *Sigh.*

Is Big Brother reading this?

2008-10-13T14:14:00.006-05:00

I need some sage advice. I've proofread a certain Large Bank's employee newsletter for the past several years. I've included my Social Security number on my invoices, and Large Bank has paid me. Nothing else was required.

But times have changed. This week the project manager informed me that Large Bank is instituting new information security measures that require contractors to submit to background checks before they can be deemed suitable for the Large Bank payroll. I was a little uncomfortable with this idea until I received the background check authorization form.

After reading it, I'm a lot uncomfortable. It states, in part:

The scope of the report requested by [Large Bank] may include information relating to criminal history, academic achievement, employment history, Social Security number verification, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, and mode of living."

Does that sound arbitrary and invasive to you? Am I overreacting?

I'd appreciate your opinions on this. Thanks!

Oh yeah?

2008-10-12T15:58:00.001-05:00

Gas under $3.00!

2008-10-07T12:49:00.000-05:00

I filled up on the way home from teaching a class. Yay!

good stuff

2008-10-03T09:21:00.006-05:00

It's been a while since I posted a proper update, but I've been busy having a good time. Here's how:

I haven't been downloading video from iTunes as much as I used to now that I can get almost everything I want for free on Hulu.com. However, I got hooked on In Plain Sight after watching the pilot episode (free download), and I couldn't find other eps anywhere but iTunes, so back I went. When I clicked to purchase the series, I mistakenly clicked on the HD button instead of regular. Happy accident! It is beautiful! Now I'm grabbing Heroes episodes in HD, too, the better ogle Sendhil Ramamurthy.

Also, my posts on LaidOff101.com are popular, and the site boss likes some ideas I've floated for upcoming topics. Thanks for your support!

Also, a latecomer to Tuesday's T'ai Chi class handed me an unexpected $50.

Also, Julie asked me to substitute teach one of her T'ai Chi classes, which means she trusts me not to confuse her students too much.

Also, my big T'ai Chi client has just booked classes for all of 2009 for all three locations. They like chi! They really, really like chi! And I'm working on coming up with a name for my T'ai Chi business.

Also, Sprite has tolerated some physical contact from Presto in the last couple days. Not much and not for long, but it's a start. I suspect cooler weather will offer more snuggling opportunities. Like now: I've got a kitty nestled against each leg.

Also, I just finished reading a good book, Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear, and I've just started another interesting one, Marrying Anita by Anita Jain. AND I discovered TWO new books by a favorite old author, Dick Francis, that I hadn't known about.

Also, clients have been pumping up my ego with praise for my work. A prospective client has been flattering me as well — but he wants me to work @ 60 hours a week for less-than-fabulous pay, so I don't think he's going to make the cut.
Also: good sleeping weather.

Also, I'm meeting a friend for a burger and a beer tonight. Mmm, melted cheese . . . fries . . . is the pub open yet?

Yeah. Good stuff. And how are you all doing?

Not-so-little buddy

2008-10-01T06:54:00.001-05:00

Presto is still full of pouncy kitten energy, but from some angles, he could be mistaken for an adult cat. The cooler weather is bringing out his snuggly side. And while he and Sprite still are not great friends, they can now share the couch for a nap.

new post at LaidOff101.com

2008-09-24T20:13:00.000-05:00

Check out my new post at LaidOff101.com, "Working with a Career Coach."

Comments, especially comments left on the post itself, are always welcome!

my new blog — let me show you it

2008-09-16T15:47:00.001-05:00

Ladies and . . . other ladies, I am pleased to announce the launch of LaidOff101.com, a community and resource site for people who have been laid off. Yours truly is a contributing author, and my first post is now online. It's titled "Invest in Loss," and it appears in the lower left-hand corner of the home page. Click on over and read it! Leave comments! Come back regularly to see fresh new content!

Rainy Sunday snooze

2008-09-07T11:39:00.000-05:00

Undangerous weapons?

2008-09-05T13:13:00.002-05:00

Um, if they're not dangerous, they're not weapons. Right?

tasty . . . ?

2008-09-04T07:23:00.003-05:00

We interrupt this week's political commentary to bring you the Salute to Chest Hair from CakeWrecks.blogspot.com. If you're not regularly checking the wreckage, well, you're missing out.

a real issue

2008-09-03T16:23:00.009-05:00

A recent Time magazine article about VP hopeful Sarah Palin reports that when she was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, she tried to ban books. It reads, in part:

Palin continued to inject religious beliefs into her policy at times. "She asked the library how she could go about banning books," [former mayor John Stein] says, because some voters thought they had inappropriate language in them.

Forget the baby mama drama. This is a very real reason not to vote her into higher office.

dingaling

2008-09-03T10:11:00.000-05:00

My doorbell dinged at 4:00 this morning, and I never really went all the way back to sleep. I knew there was no one at the door; the damn bell had malfunctioned a couple times the previous afternoon. Humidity? Poltergeist? Bored Republicans? Whatever. None of that mattered when it chimed again at 5:00 a.m., and again at 6:00 a.m. So I'm on my way down the hall (at the U) to get a coke.

I had a dream in the wee hours of the dawn, between dings, that when I went to see who was at my door, I discovered that several animals had made their way into my house, including half a dozen cats, a Newfoundland hound, and several migrating Canada geese.

knocked up

2008-09-01T12:25:00.002-05:00

Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol is 17, unmarried, and knocked up. That's probably not the kind of bump the conservative candidates were looking for, eh?

whirlybirds

2008-08-31T11:34:00.003-05:00

I live near the airport.

There's a major political convention in town — so major the president may or may not be attending, Hurricane Gustav permitting.

I'm seeing a LOT of helicopters overhead this morning.

UPDATE: CNN.com has just reported that the prez and vice prez will not attend the convention because they want to focus on the hurricane.

protestable

2008-08-31T08:24:00.004-05:00

With the Republican National Convention hours from liftoff in our fair Cities, certain individuals are being subjected to police raids and detention — not because they're doing anything disruptive, but because somebody thinks they might be thinking of doing so later maybe. Citizens assembling peacefully to plan peaceful protests — the legal, protected-by-the-first-amendment kind — have seen their homes and public meeting places invaded and their literature and belongings seized because . . . yeah, no good reason. Google it. You'll find more reports than I can keep up with.

This kind of cowardly bullying certainly does not make me proud.

committee chair

2008-08-29T15:27:00.003-05:00

As you may have heard, the Republican National Convention is coming to my Twin Cities Sept. 1-4. It's going to be . . . I guess "interesting" is a polite word for it.

Check out this screen shot from a page on the convention's Web site. Look at the left nav bar. Since when did an armchair become an icon for video? Seriously! NOT the kind of logical choice that makes me think a Republican president would be anything like a good idea.

Joseph

2008-08-24T21:09:00.000-05:00

As I walked home from the store this morning, a little boy about three years old jumped out onto the sidewalk to block my path. He was a cute enough kid: blond hair, blue eyes, rosy cheeks. But there was something about his wild grin that suggested all was not well.

The boy stayed in front of me as I feinted left and right. I showed off some fancy footwork and dodged around him to keep walking. He giggled, and I thought that was the end of our game. But it wasn't. I clicked off my iPod when I heard the flap flap flap of his footsteps behind me.

That was when his mother started hollering, "Joseph! Get back here!" Lank blonde hair, dangling cigarette, yesterday's sweatsuit, everyday bitterness.

I spun around with some menacing monster claws, but that didn't deter Joseph. He grabbed for them. I waved and turned my back and kept on going. Joseph followed me the length of the block, not speaking, just dogging my steps like a puppy hopeful of more playtime. His mother continued to bitch in their driveway.

Joseph caught up to me at the corner, all but wagging. Listening to the woman bark at the boy, it wasn't hard to guess what possessed him to follow a stranger so eagerly, without looking back. It made me sad to tell him he'd better go on home. And it made me worry: How far will Joseph follow the next person who's nice to him for half a second?

get cracking!

2008-08-14T20:43:00.004-05:00

For all you Wallace & Gromit lovers out there: Hulu.com has added 10 short films featuring mad inventor Wallace's Cracking Contraptions. Enjoy!

This scares me

2008-08-14T17:51:00.000-05:00

Halloween candy is already on the shelves at the local Walgreens. Need
any "Snack Size Tombstone Molded Bars?" Got 'em right here.

Doing fine

2008-08-12T18:15:00.000-05:00

Presto is home from the vet and back to his usual playful self. He's
already chewed another toy apart since getting home.

where the boys aren't

2008-08-12T10:52:00.004-05:00

Last month, I decided to once again try my luck with online dating. I paid my fee and posted my profile. After a few e-mail exchanges with complete flaming idiots, I encountered a decent one. We traded messages, talked on the phone, and met for brunch on Sunday.

Then: a couple days' silence.

Today I sent him a message thanking him for a nice time and saying I'd like to meet again. But he does not think we are a match. kthxbai.

I can't say I'm surprised. To tell the truth, I did not feel any immediate chemistry either, but I was hoping to meet again and develop some.

I am not enthused about returning to the hunt. Maybe tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I just read a very interesting article on Salon.com. It's titled "Looking for the perfect stranger: How a single, successful New York writer ended up pursuing an arranged marriage in India" by Anita Jain. The title says it all. She makes some nasty cracks about desperate losers who resort to the Internet to find dates, but I'm not holding that against her. The article is an excerpt from her book, Marrying Anita: A Quest for Love in the New India. I ordered a copy.

Also: Presto is at the vet right now for his snip 'n chip procedure. I'll have him back late this afternoon.

The other males on my radar this morning are Olympic swimmers and gymnasts. Well done, gents. But why are your outfits exactly alike? When did swimmers stop wearing those fetching Speedos and start climbing into bodysuits?

well geez

2008-08-11T12:33:00.003-05:00

I finally broke down and tuned in the Olympics on my local NBC station last night. It seemed to be running sports coverage and commercials in about a one-to-one ratio — which is why I wanted to find a different way to watch. Sheesh.

I think I'm bad luck for female gymnasts. Every time I looked up from my book, some tiny girl with a ponytail was stumbling out of bounds or falling off of something. Yowch! I did better with men's swimming; no one fell out of the pool while I was watching.

Today I went to teach my T'ai Chi class for government employees and only one student showed up. Well geez. Don't these people have calendars? The lone student cut me loose after half an hour, so home I came. That was not a good use of my time.

Presto goes to the vet tomorrow morning for his neutering surgery. That might slow him down for a couple days, but hopefully not much. I'll have to remember to put his food away at 8:00 tonight and not let him have any more before he goes in. He will not be happy.

Who doesn't love ice cream?

2008-08-10T12:41:00.001-05:00

Presto samples my ice cream sandwich. I'm surprised he likes mint.

the movies are coming to me

2008-08-10T08:21:00.002-05:00

My stomping grounds may soon experience a brush with fame. According to this article, famous once-local filmmakers the Coen brothers will be shooting footage in my area next month. The location mentioned in the article is not exactly in my neighborhood, but it's close enough I could stop by on my bike.

What's the opposite of gold?

2008-08-09T17:41:00.005-05:00

This afternoon I went to nbcolympics.com to try to watch the Olympic opening ceremonies online. But I'm not allowed to. Why? Because I don't have cable, evidently.

From what I can gather, NBC has partnered with numerous cable companies to provide online video. You have to subscribe to one of their partner services in order to access the video.

Uh, one of the main reasons I'm trying to watch online is because I don't have cable.

Verdict: STUPID!! FOR THE WIN!!!!

So I went to plain old nbc.com and tried to download a track & field video. But I'm not allowed to. Why? Because my computer is not running Windows.

Verdict: STUPID!! FOR THE WIN!!!!

Stupid: 2
Kim: 0

I finally found a scrap of the opening ceremonies on YouTube — 3.5 whole minutes' worth.
So far these Olympics are not going well.

dumb junk du jour

2008-07-31T10:13:00.001-05:00

When’s the last time you awoke to the sensation of a tongue in your nostril? For me, it was 5:30 a.m. today. Presto was ready to play. Thanks, cat.
Does anyone out there use Twitter? I really don’t see what the big deal is. All explanations welcome.
The other day I watched an episode of ReGenesis on Hulu.com. It’s a TV show best described as House + Bones + 24. Key ingredients: obnoxious but brilliant protagonist, science-based prodecural, and time pressure, respectively. One ep was enough. It’s the obnoxious protagonist that puts me off. I know “love to hate ‘em” antiheroes are fairly popular, but when I watch TV, I don’t want to hate, I just want to be entertained. Hate is too much work. Well, I’m willing to hate a villain, but not a main character.
When I’m working on campus at the U in our bunker of an office space, my iPhone experiences a signifcant delay in synchronizing e-mail and picking up voice messages from the outside world.
I made a rare run through a McDonald’s drive-thru yesterday. Even though I know that smoking a pack of Ebola-laden cigarettes would probably be less unhealthy for me than eating an Extra Value Meal #3, I have to admit it tasted pretty good. Especially the fries. * Sigh * I hate it when that happens.
I just finished reading David Sedaris’s new book, When You Are Engulfed in Flames. You should read it, too, so I’d be happy to lend you my copy.

when it rains, it pours

2008-07-29T16:18:00.001-05:00

After a couple quiet weeks, the work floodgates are opening again. The magazine I used to work for needs some on-site help a couple days this week, and I’ve got a phone message waiting from another party interested in my resume. Plus, that new client I’ve been waiting on has sent me several informational documents in preparation for work to begin next week. So I guess vacation time is nearly over.

Last night I had a dream in which I kept receiving checks in the mail. I didn’t really want to wake up from that one. And then today I’ve found money in two different places. Granted, it was only a penny each time. But found money is found money. I think these incidents portend good things to come.

Sloth Day: partial success

2008-07-22T09:29:00.004-05:00

Yesterday’s attempt at a Day of Sloth was only partially successful. I ended up having some work tasks to do after all. But I did manage to hang out at a bookstore and see a couple matinees before the work and enjoy reading after the work. So it was good.

So what did I think of the much-hyped Dark Knight? Mixed reaction. The Batman character doesn't do much for me: all dark and broody, period. The movie was very true to the comic book character as far as I know, not being a comic reader, so I guess it gets an A for accuracy. But the unrelenting dreariness gets, frankly, boring.

The Harvey Dent character had some interesting dimension, though. He set up the moral dilemma nicely. And the Joker was just plain scary. True insanity, true unpredictability, is truly terrifying. Well played by the late Heath Ledger. (And no, I still haven’t seen Brokeback Mountain. Why? Because I knew gay men existed as Real Live Human Beings even before the movie came out. [Came out—get it?])

Action and gadgets: also okay, but the action editing was too MTV-choppy for me to follow much of it. But Batman fights dirty. I like that in a dark knight. Sadly, we didn’t get to see much gadgetry. Too busy racing from one apocalypse to the next.

And speaking of all those apocalypses, the movie is about half an hour too long. Just a few emergencies, more fully realized, would have been more interesting to me.

And I HATED the way women were portrayed in this movie. HATED. There were only three of them in a cast of thousands, with about 12 seconds of screen time apiece, and they were all blubbering victims. Not cool. At all. This is the 21st century, for crying out loud. If we can handle gay cowboys, I think we’re almost ready for women with spines.

On screen Maggie Gyllenhaal, the normally gorgeous actress who played Rachel, looked awful, as though something had been sucking out her soul. Probably the hypocrisy of pretending this was a good role.

All things considered, Kung Fu Panda kicked Dark Knight's hiney. The story was easier to follow and the hero was much more inspiring—something ordinary people could actually aspire to be. Cinematically, KFP was the opposite of DK: bright and beautiful and hopeful.

I’ll buy KFP and watch it several times more, maybe with my niece. We’ll talk about how anyone can become a hero by using her own special talents, like Master Tigress and Master Viper—neither of whom sheds a single tear in the process of fighting evil and helping her friends. And we’ll dance to the soundtrack.

day of sloth

2008-07-21T09:19:00.004-05:00

The recession, which once lived in a different city than me, has now become an impolite neighbor tossing its garbage over the fence into my yard. Two of my freelance clients have hit the economic skids and informed me this month that they won’t be sending me any more projects “for a while,” which I take to mean “ever.” That takes an uncomfortably large chunk out of my monthly income.

This came as no surprise, especially since one of those clients was an Internet start-up I never expected to stick around for long. The other client had me doing a regular project I found to be a pain in the butt, so I’m actually sort of grateful it’s off my plate.

And I remind myself that this fluctuation is all part of the freelance game, one of the tolls I pay for riding the freedom trail. Heck, a recession might even work in my favor if companies start outsourcing more tasks.

Still, the mortgage must be paid. So I went ahead and landed a new client last week—amazing how these things show up just when I need them; amen—and we’ll start trading labor for pay soon. If things go well, this client could nearly fill the financial gap left by the other two.

Plus I’ll begin teaching more T’ai Chi classes in September, so there’s a few bucks. And the client is already talking about booking classes for 2009.

I also have a bid in at the U to increase my hours by taking on a part-time tech support position in my department that will open up in mid-August. The guy who’s currently doing this job does it from off-site, which means I could, too. So let’s keep some fingers crossed for that.

Ideally, adding those responsibilities would increase my hours enough that I’d qualify for health benefits, too. Ideally, I say. My department manager is amenable to the idea, but she has to run it through the vast and lumbering bureaucratic channels all U employees know and love. My niece could well be enrolled at the school by the time an answer trickles down, so there will be no counting of unhatached chickens. But I’m hopeful.

In the meantime, I’m in a lull. One might almost say a doldrum. There’s nothing I have to do today. So I am declaring a Day of Sloth. Today I will not:

go to the gym
mow the lawn
clean the house
do laundry
go to T’ai Chi

Instead, I plan to spend the day reading In Odd We Trust (a graphic novel in Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas series lent to me by Sister-san) and going to matinees. Yes, I plan to actually see movies in a theater! Can’t recall the last time I did that. Right now Dark Knight and Kung Fu Panda are on my agenda, so I’m sure to get plenty of fight-scene action despite skipping my own martial arts class.

When I tire of those exertions, I will catch up on watching Burn Notice on Hulu.com, and if my brain hasn’t fallen out yet, I might even try an episode of The Fall Guy.

But I will not perform work, and I will do my best not to think about work. And I’m tossing that recession trash right back over the fence.

not another cat photo!

2008-07-20T19:04:00.006-05:00

I've been chided lately for posting only cat pictures to my blog. To prove I'm not quite a crazy cat lady yet, please view these pix of some equally cute two-footed creatures who came to visit Sensational Acres this weekend.

Link to photo album: http://picasaweb.google.com/Jugglernaut1/BrownsVisit72008

bibliocat

2008-07-18T10:54:00.002-05:00

Presto has refined literary tastes.

New toys! Close encounters!

2008-07-16T19:59:00.002-05:00

Mom sent Presto a new toy that dangles from the doorjamb. He's having the time of his life. Sprite, so far, has managed to resist the allure.

ready to play

2008-07-16T14:29:00.002-05:00

It's hard to take a good flash picture of Presto because he shuts his eyes when the anti-redeye blinky light comes on. Here, it just makes him look nearsighted.

Kisses!

2008-07-15T19:51:00.001-05:00

The camera loves Presto, and Presto loves the camera.

clean bill of health

2008-07-14T11:46:00.003-05:00

Presto had his first vet visit today and came home with a clean bill of health.

He's about six months old, the vet said, so my estimate of three months was way off. He's old enough to be neutered and will have that done next month. His teeth, ears, and coat look great. He tested negative for FIV and feline leukemia.

Most important, though, Presto is chipless. I held my breath while the tech scanned him for a microchip that would indicate someone had already claimed him, afraid I'd have to return him to his first home. But no chip was found. He'll get one when he goes in for neutering so if he's ever lost, he can be returned to me.

Presto hated the car ride to and from the vet, but did fine while he was there. He charmed the staff with friendly head bumps and did not scratch, bite, or poo on anyone. It was a good way to start the week.

Feathers

2008-07-09T19:45:00.000-05:00

Here's Presto! with one of his favorite toys. He actually likes the
bare end of the stick better, especially when it disappears under the
doormat.

Presto says hi!

2008-07-07T11:27:00.000-05:00

kitty seems happy

2008-07-06T15:23:00.002-05:00

My new kitty has a cheery disposition and already knows how to flirt and cuddle. He appears to be laughing and smiling in these photos. That's Sprite's toy he's playing with. She does NOT appreciate him being here.

I'm thinking of calling him Presto! because he appeared in my life as if by magic. Also, he's wearing a tuxedo like a magician on stage. What do you think?

Oops.

2008-07-06T08:58:00.007-05:00

Oops. I accidentally adopted a kitten last night.

My friend Lisa called to tell me that some neighbors had been feeding a handsome stray, but it was time for him to find a forever home or go to the Humane Society. She invited me over to meet him, and he came home with me. I hadn't intended to adopt a new kitty for several months yet, but there this guy was, ready to pounce and play and purr in my lap. What could I do?

Sprite is not happy about the new arrival, but I hope she will remember that she's still the boss of the house.

Meanwhile, I need to figure out what the new guy's name is.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2008-06-25T11:04:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday, Mother Media!

I LOVE YOU!!!

Summer is ON

2008-06-21T17:56:00.001-05:00

The new face of evil

2008-06-19T19:25:00.000-05:00

Lunch on the lawn

2008-06-19T12:50:00.000-05:00

Peaceful picnic area on the U of M's St. Paul campus.

At last, Sprite investigates

2008-06-17T16:50:00.000-05:00

Squirrelly

2008-06-17T16:46:00.000-05:00

Cheeky little bigger about six feet from my chair -- and the cat
beneath it.

Night of 10,000 Frolics

2008-06-08T09:19:00.004-05:00

Last night we held the first, probably the first annual, Night of 10,000 Frolics fundraising event for the T'ai Chi studio. Cabaret-style entertainment upstairs, food & drink & silent auction downstairs, socializing everywhere. Over all, I think it was a moderate financial success — we'll learn the finally tally soon — and people had fun. I still found a couple things to grump about, but more to appreciate.

Down sides

My job was stagehand. Since no one really told me what needed to be done, I assigned myself the job of trying to keep the performers' entrance/exit area clear. And I failed miserably, because most people honestly don't believe that rules, cautions, admonishments, and my guiding hand on their shoulder are really meant for them. Just like at the Chinese New Year demonstration. Weasels. People are not going to change, so I will not beat my head against this brick wall again.
The performance space was terribly hot and stuffy, and my territory just outside it wasn't much better. Plus, humidity > 65% all night. I perspired for 6 hours straight.
The two services I donated to the silent auction garnered just one bid between them. I was hoping to raise more money.

Up sides

Because I was working outside the performance space, I didn't have to sit still and look polite during the interminable blues numbers. I've never learned to like the blues, no matter how well they're played — and they were played very, very well last night. Just END THE DAMN SONG already.
Despite the stultifying atmosphere, the performance area was nice and spacious, with a gorgeous wood floor for the dancers.
Where else are you going to see English Morris dancing, clogging, ballroom cha-cha & hustle, and Middle Eastern sword-balancing/belly dancing all in the same night?
Also on the program: Chinese puppetry, Shakespearean stage combat, folk singing (the good kind), Morgan Willow reading a couple of her excellent poems, and the aforementioned blues.
Because I was there to work rather than to play, I was dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans — the better to hide the sweat and not gross up a nice outfit. I'm grateful I didn't opt to wear my beautiful scholar's robes, in which I would have suffocated.
The free food was terrific. Nick and Jeff are wizards in the kitchen. They put together fab mayo-free sandwiches and addictive little cheese/fruit/roasted peppers-on-tiny round toast thingies. I ate at least a dozen of them, each different from the last. Plus: THREE KINDS OF BROWNIES.
I was not on the organizing committee. They had a couple months of headaches over this event, and they did a bang-up job, and I'm deeply grateful I was not part of it.
I got to chat with several interesting people I wouldn't normally see, including Sifu Doug Anderson, our Sifu Paul's Eclectsis teacher and the founder of the style.

Until next year . . .

weasel redux

2008-06-07T15:47:00.003-05:00

On May 16, I blogged about an interviewee who was supposed to call me but didn't, blowing me off for the third or fourth time in a row. I rescheduled the interview to yesterday, June 6. I called him at the appointed time and guess what! He didn't answer!

I left him a voice message and called three more times in the next 20 minutes, figuring hey, he might have gotten caught up on another call. But no. When he finally called me back, he said he'd forgotten all about the interview and guess what! needed to reschedule.

So we're going to try again on Monday. Or at least I am. Last chance.

a cat tale

2008-05-24T17:47:00.002-05:00

I'm not saying my kitty Sprite is stupid, but last night she set her own tail on fire.

I was eating ice cream on the couch and set a dollop on the coffee table for her to enjoy. She was so intent on the treat she forgot to keep her tail moving, and it lingered a little too long over a burning candle. An inch-long section of tail was aflame for a good three seconds before I managed to put it out. She didn't even notice until I started grabbing at it.

Sprite wasn't hurt, just a bit singed. And the smell of fried fur — OY! I think she was more indignant about being spritzed with Febreeze than about actually catching fire. That's my girl.

Hey, bud

2008-05-16T11:43:00.003-05:00

Know how sometimes someone says they'll call you at a certain time, and the call will be a certain length, so you don't start anything right beforehand because you have to be available for this important call? And then they don't call?

Yeah, I hate that. It happened this morning. But I guess I'm grateful I get back the hour I expected to spend on the phone.

Of course, now I'll have to reschedule this inconsiderate weasel again, because I still need the interview. If this wasn't the third or fourth time he'd blown me off, I might feel more generous toward him.

Anyhow ... I'm definitely grateful my crabapple tree is about to blossom. It's a couple weeks late this spring, but as you can see, it's just about ready to explode with color.

Best birthday cake (and decorator) ever!

2008-05-09T16:52:00.000-05:00

No class

2008-04-28T12:09:00.000-05:00

Here's the room designated for my new noon T'ai Chi class. Notice how
it's full of furniture? And empty of students? Yeah. I am not amused.

April is the cruelest month

2008-04-26T09:16:00.002-05:00

truth

2008-04-24T15:07:00.003-05:00

complete this sentence

2008-04-23T11:01:00.004-05:00

Complete this sentence:

It's been four years since I . . .

super Tuesday

2008-04-22T18:30:00.005-05:00

Today I'm grateful for a number of things, including:

the two clients who have referred me to their friends. One of these referrals has already resulted in a new project. Thanks, ladies!
my new T'ai Chi students at the government center, who all showed up for class with checks in hand. All of them. It's a miracle!
being done with the toughest magazine fact-checking task for another month
Sprite, for making sure I did not toil alone. Reaching around her bulk to get to my keyboard does slow me down a bit, which is a nice reminder to not be in such a rush. It's also a good reminder to run the lint brush over the couch before company comes.
the friends who are coming to visit tomorrow, because they motivated me to clean house today
Comet with Bleach and the Swiffer dusting wand, which made the job a little easier
the lovely breeze blowing the Comet smell out the windows
being able to pay my quarterly taxes on time
ice cream

warm & fuzzy

2008-04-21T10:34:00.003-05:00

At this very moment, I'm grateful for my first butterfly sighting of the season. I always think of butterflies as Dad dropping by to check on me.

I'm also grateful for weather nice enough that I'm working on my deck, and that Warren is energetically hunting birds in the back yard, and that Sprite is tolerating her forced outdoor time reasonably well.

I will be doubly, triply, quadruply grateful in a week or two when the volunteer project I've been working on is finished.

Lunch of champions!

2008-04-18T12:13:00.001-05:00

Hey. It's Friday and I'm working at home. Why shouldn't I?

Bad Apostrophe Chronicles

2008-04-16T17:52:00.001-05:00

call & answer

2008-04-15T11:12:00.002-05:00

One of my regular freelance projects involves interviewing a homebuilder each month for a magazine. The interviews themselves are easy, since the magazine supplies the questions. All I have to do is write down what the builders say — or, better yet, e-mail them the questions and edit the responses they send back.

The hard part of this job is finding builders to interview. For instance, between yesterday and today, I made 29 phone calls. Nearly all of these were follow-up calls to people I’d contacted twice before and hadn’t heard back from — discourteous of them, but entirely usual.

My efforts resulted in conversations with numerous answering machines and about five actual people, one of them a teenager so snide and sullen that if her Dad does call me back, I’ll say something about her ‘tude, and I don’t care if it costs me an interview.

Only one of those five people was an actual builder rather than an assistant. That builder agreed to do the Q&A and asked me to e-mail him the questions. Sadly, I have no faith he’ll actually fill out the form and send it back, as I’ve been burned on this arrangement several times. (I am, in fact, currently trying to get back in touch with a guy who eagerly agreed to do this six weeks ago and hasn’t replied since.)

One of the assistants said her boss might have time to talk to me later today while he’s on the road, and if so, he’ll call me back.

So out of 29 phone calls, I got one yes and one maybe, with no guarantee of follow-through. OY! But I am grateful for the glimmers of hope these possibilities provide.

In other news, my birthday is next month. If you feel like giving me a gift, what I want is an interesting and/or beautiful mug, with or without saucer, for my morning tea.

hulu's on first

2008-04-13T14:27:00.014-05:00

Q: It's the 21st century. Where's my online, on-demand streaming video?
A: Check out Hulu.com.

Q: What's on there? Anything good?
A: A little bit of everything—TV shows ranging from The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and Emergency! to Numb3rs and The Office. There's about 100 movies, too, including Monty Python's Meaning of Life.

Q: Really! Is it free?
A: Yes.

Q: Are there commercials? Cuz you know how I hate commercials.
A: Yes, there are a commercials, but far fewer than on broadcast TV, and you can still mute them.

Q: OK, but how's the video quality? Better than YouTube or worse than YouTube?
A: Hulu is better than YouTube like Picard is better than Kirk: Crisper, clearer, more mature, higher-tech, and with a lot less drunken debauchery.

Q: Er ... Do I need special hardware or software?
A: Nope, just a high-speed Internet connection.

Q: Not bad! Is there anything else cool about Hulu?
A: You can subscribe to RSS feeds that let you know when a new episode or clip from your favorite show has been posted.

Q: But only if you're a huge geek, right?
A: Yes, that is correct.

Q: Wow. Free, low-commercial TV and movies on demand. Aren't you grateful this service finally exists?
A: You betcha.

chillin'

2008-04-11T12:29:00.009-05:00

Yesterday I was grateful for:

Remember The Milk, a free online to-do list you can use by itself or integrate with calendars, e-mail, and other applications
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Diet Coke with Lime, which I shouldn't drink because of the Nutrasweet, but I had one yesterday for the caffeine anyway
the fleece hat, gloves, and scarf I got for Christmas

Today I'm grateful for:

telecommuting
central heat
knowing Mother Media is coming to visit soon
my iPod surviving a tumble off the elliptical machine at the gym
grapes
having a check to deposit

The weather outside is totally blucky right now, so I'm glad I have plenty of work to do here in my home office and plenty of amusements lined up for later. I'm seriously considering making this a stay-in weekend.

soap dish

2008-04-09T16:03:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time last week, my former boss Claire called to tell me about a job opening that might interest me. It did, so I made an appointment to meet with the client. We met yesterday, and while the full-time position was not a match for me, we discussed the possibility of me doing some freelance work for them.

Since the job was still open, I contacted a networking buddy, Kim K, I thought might be interested. She said, "My friend Deb used to work there. Wanna talk to her?" So I called Deb, and she gave me some very useful information about the organization.

Then I asked what Deb was doing these days, and she said she'd just applied for a job at a place I used to work, reporting to my ex-boss (not Claire). So I in turn hooked her up with Kim T, who still works at that place with that boss and can give Deb the inside scoop.

And then I backtracked to Kim K and Amy, the mutual friend who introduced us, and Claire, and told them the whole story. It's a small, small world.

Today I'm grateful for:

networking
cell phones

getting the drop on it

2008-04-08T15:30:00.004-05:00

Today I'm grateful for:

Claire connecting me with a potential new client
the potential client turning into an actual client
smart friends
dropping my candy in the coffee shop. When I knelt to retrieve it from under the table, I found someone's cell phone.
free wi-fi in the coffee shop; I'm there now.

putting the CUSS in customer service

2008-04-07T20:45:00.001-05:00

Today I had to deal with some bullshit that put the cuss in customer service. Rather than rant at length about it, I'll summarize by saying BULLSHIT once more, with feeling. And if you were wondering whether to buy the Dictate software application from MacSpeech . . . don't.

Aside from that, today was a good day. I got a decent amount of work done despite the technical difficulties, taught my last T'ai Chi class at the HP St. Paul Clinic—nice ladies, but I'm not going to miss the drive—and had a good teaching session this evening. That was with one of my favorite newer students, a young man whose untidy black hair makes him the college version of Harry Potter. Plus, I got a paycheck in the mail. I love it when the week starts out with positive cash flow.

From today forward, every post will contain at least one statement of gratitude.

Today I'm grateful for:

Warren's good appetite
Sprite's aggressive purr
my fun students
that paycheck
all the software that does work
the friend who flattered me by asking my advice

Bare feet. Green grass. Can it be ... ?

2008-04-03T18:04:00.001-05:00

get back there

2008-04-02T16:41:00.003-05:00

If you could go back in time and give your younger self three key pieces of advice, what would they be? How old would you want your younger self to be when you deliver them?

the pits

2008-04-02T10:34:00.006-05:00

With warmer weather approaching, I thought now would be a good time to upgrade my antiperspirant/deodorant. On the advice of several friends and a convincing commercial, I purchased Gillette's "clinical strength" product. And . . .

IT SUCKS! The "antiperspirant" did not even survive a single round of T'ai Chi; I was damp by the end of the second section of the form. Nor has it survived half a morning of sitting quietly at a computer. It's keeping my underarms about as dry as a garden hose would. The only good thing I can say about it is that I don't stink (yet).

Verdict: Don't waste your money.

Sweet Home Ala . . . whut?!

2008-04-01T08:01:00.002-05:00

Finnish new wavers The Leningrad Cowboys and the Red Army Chorus teamed up to perform this rousing rendition of Sweet Home Alabama. Enjoy the fashions — especially the hair!

Just another spring evening

2008-03-31T20:13:00.002-05:00

Allen wrench

2008-03-26T20:20:00.003-05:00

GAAAAAH! I'm watching a Woody Allen movie (Scoop) and enjoying it — except for the parts in which Woody Allen appears. I can't STAND the guy's "acting"! It's ruining an otherwise decent film.

herring scaring

2008-03-25T14:04:00.005-05:00

OK, done with lunch? Or looking for an appetite suppressant? Click on over to Pundo3000.com, where some hearty souls have taken photos of various foods and compared them side by side to the pretty pictures on the packaging.

The Web site is in German, but the navigation is easy: Click on a photo to begin. Let it load. Click the right-pointing arrow to go to the next one . . . if you dare.

WARNING: Contains several close-ups of herring.

I has a bucket!

2008-03-23T09:23:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter!

Must be basketball tournament season

2008-03-21T08:48:00.001-05:00

Cabinet label at work

2008-03-20T15:53:00.001-05:00

Yes, these two things ARE the same.

aaaand they're off

2008-03-17T10:00:00.002-05:00

9:59 a.m.: first drunk-dial wrong number of this snowy St. Patrick's Day.

the Muppets sing "Danny Boy"

2008-03-17T09:56:00.001-05:00

As usual, the Muppets do it best. Here are the Swedish Chef, Beeker, and Animal singing that Irish classic, "Danny Boy."

BFF

2008-03-14T19:55:00.001-05:00

Here's me and my date for this exciting Friday night: my new beau Mac. He has a certain . . . glow about him, doesn't he?

A reading from the Book of Spam

2008-03-10T11:17:00.002-05:00

T'ai Chi videos

2008-03-08T19:35:00.002-06:00

The T'ai Chi studio's webmaster has been busy adding videos to the school's web site (tctaichi.com) and uploading them to YouTube. They're definitely worth a look.

To find the videos:

On tctaichi.com: Go to "Schedule & class descriptions" in the left nav bar, then click on the name of a class. Scroll to the bottom of the class description and wait a few moments for the video to load.
On YouTube: Search for "Twin Cities T'ai Chi." Several videos will come up.

who's your Mac daddy?

2008-03-08T07:41:00.002-06:00

a;lsidjf;alksdfj!!!! ;alskdjfalskjdf!! z,xmcnv;aoieujrldkxn!!

MacBook Pro!!!

zx;ocivuj;aeklqnr!!!111!!!

qpoeiuz.k!!! aseaksjhfaalksjhdfiz.kvn!!!!!!! Srsly!! I mean it!!!

FAST!!! SLICK!!! SHINY!!!

Yeah, I bought it. And yeah, it's hotter than the surface of Mercury in the summer.

I got the 15-inch, 2.5-GHz, 2-GB model. True Love! I also picked up a copy of Office 2008 while I was there, as I need it for a particular client's project. And I'm going to pick up some speech-to-text software, too, so I can dictate my notes straight into Word.

Setup was a breeze. I hooked up the firewire cable and went out to lunch, and when I got home, the Pro had assimilated all of the iBook's files and apps. Resistance was futile. All the iBook's info took up less than 40% of the Pro's memory, which means I've got plenty of room to maneuver, and my fat apps have some wiggle room. (InDesign, Photoshop, I'm talking to you.) The Pro also played nice with my extra monitor and my printer on the first try.

Nerdvana.

Enough! Gotta go play.

Gygax gone

2008-03-04T19:06:00.002-06:00

D&D creator Gary Gygax has died. Gamers everywhere roll to save vs. sadness.

I played D&D in high school, partly to pass the time, partly to hang out with the cute smart boys, and partly to consume my weight in Doritos and Mountain Dew. I was never a terribly serious player, but I clearly remember passing evenings in fun and camaraderie. There were more than a few people in my hometown who believed D&D was devil worship, but the only influence it had on me was to expand my imagination and my social circle.

Now the game's creator has gone on the ultimate adventure. We thank him and wish him well.

Waiting for Spring

2008-02-24T15:19:00.001-06:00

RATS, year of

2008-02-24T13:11:00.009-06:00

The CNY demo is over at last, and thank god for that. It was much more low-key this year than usual and also blissfully short, two more things for which to give thanks. I had the worst hair day of all time and spent the entire evening red-faced from the heat, but hey, I’m not in it for the glamour. I did my stuff right, made my wardrobe changes on time, and didn’t trip up my classmates, so I’m most thankful for that.

The puppet dance was a cool way to open the demo. It would have been interesting to hear the story behind it — I’m sure there is one — and to know who the performers were.

Just once, though, I’d like to demonstrate Eclectsis without having people “joke” afterward that they’re afraid of me. Especially longtime friends. That’s no funnier than saying you’re afraid of a T’ai Chi player. Just because Eclectsis looks more overtly martial does not mean its practitioners are more likely to pick fights, and it’s kind of hurtful that people’s knee-jerk assumption is to assume as much. Sure, they’re just joking around, but jokes have their basis in reality.

Anyway. I bought myself a new fan from MNKS last night, one that just happens to match my new robes. It’s the first weapon I’ve bought in at least six years. I guess weapons haven’t been my top priority lately. I would like to start giving more attention to my sword form, though. Practicing for this demo with people who are really accomplished with the sword reminded me of how far I have to go.

And speaking of the demo, if someone asked me how to make it better, I’d point out that the following should, but obviously don’t, go without saying:

Cell phones off. Post signs at the doors. Make announcements from the stage. Charge fines. Conduct pat-down searches. Do whatever you have to do to convince people to turn the damn things off.
No children under 6. No, not even your adorable moppets. Children who do attend should be accompanied by an adult at all times. They should not be thundering unsupervised through the equipment room or screeching up and down the hall playing hide-and-seek or sitting in the aisles of the audience. Parents who let their children run wild are being terribly inconsiderate of everyone who came to see and hear the demonstration. Yes, you.
Keep it quiet. Whether you’re sitting in the audience or waiting to go up and do your thing, be quiet. You’re at a performance. Act like it.

It would be nice if we could . . .

Leverage the tech. Hook up a feed from the video camera to display the goings-on in the equipment room or hallway so people who didn’t get a seat or can’t take the heat can see and hear anyway. (And by the way, what ever happens to these recordings? I’ve never seen one.)
Find somewhere to stash guests’ coats. Maybe we could set up garment racks in the sink area in the hallway, or in the corner by an artist’s studio — somewhere other than the changing rooms, which are crowded enough already.

In an ideal world, we could also:

Designate a backstage area. It would be nice to have someplace out of sight and earshot to store weapons and to congregate and prepare before going onstage.
Circulate the air. Better ventilation would help with temperature control, and especially with incense control. The smoke gets too heavy too fast in the space we’ve got.

Overall, I was happy about the way this year’s demo went (i.e., fast). My teachers and classmates never cease to amaze me. When Julie walks the circle, I see Sifu Ray. And when Sifu Paul does the Mother & Sons, I see Master Choi. Damn. I’ve “learned” the M&S set, but what I do looks nothing like what Sifu did last night.

Not so much the banquet, however. What was U Garden thinking? We were short of seating with nowhere to expand, and although we waited a long time to get food, some of it was chilly/soggy when it arrived. Conversation was nearly impossible thanks to the karaoke mania going on in the larger part of the restaurant, so even if there had been room to mingle and visit, no one wanted to. Clearly we did not have our hosts’ full attention this year.

Plus: Fried couch cushions in sesame sauce? Excuse me? Some people were calling it tofu, but they lied. I know fried couch cushion when I taste it. No es bueno.

OK, enough about last night. I’ll spend a couple hours today and a couple tomorrow looking over proofs of Real Gold Does Not Fear the Fire, the Master Choi book. I’m glad to have a chance to help with this. I’d be delighted to help out with future writing projects, too, but so much goes on under the radar, I don’t even know when to volunteer.

memory lane

2008-02-18T20:50:00.004-06:00

Today I upgraded my computer's memory — all by myself! I popped the keyboard off, removed approximately 8 pounds of cat hair, removed a small metal plate, inserted the new chip, and put the plate and keyboard back on. Now the computer is quicker at doing several things at once, like letting me edit a Word document while the scanner scans something. It boots up a little faster than before, too. Sweet!

I know normal geeks do stuff like this all the time, but being mechanically disinclined, I've avoided doing physical repairs to my computer until now. So here's where I give a big shout-out to the nice folks at the Apple store. When I told them what I wanted to do, they:

looked up my model of computer to see how big a chip it could swallow
showed me how to remove the keyboard and metal plate and insert the chip by demonstrating on my actual machine — so I wouldn't have to pay them to do it
told me slyly where to buy the memory chip at half the price their store charges: crucial.com

See why I like Apple?