Tuesday, January 31, 2006

If you're gonna protest...


On my way to the grocery store this afternoon I noticed a handful of people with signs at a intersection. One sign had "State of the Union" and another had "Domestic Spying" (I couldn't read the other one or two) and I thought cool, a little protest.

But then I thought...huh, I'm not actually sure. I mean they were standing on the corner and holding signs so I'm sure they were trying to say something about the State of the Union and domestic spying, but I'm still not exactly sure what. Now I can't really imagine anyone being for domestic spying (or Dubya for that matter), but this is Ohio and embarrassingly I have seen groups of dumb fucks rallying for Dubya and his more moronic ideas, so I realised I really didn't know quite what point they were trying to make.

So my advice is if you're going to make the effort to make signs and stand out in the cold to get your message out, make sure that message is clear to the people reading it.

well this isn't very exciting.....

Heading off to bed as soon as I finish this entry. Early for me, but I need to get my ass in gear and get my work area set up so I can make stuff. Pretty hard to sell what you don't have. And even though I'm often fairly alert at night, I find it easier to do the work required to set up my work area during the day. So...I'm working on getting up earlier. We'll see how long that lasts.

My cat Max goes to the vet tomorrow for a quick checkup. Amazing how expensive a quick checkup can be. :-( He has hyperthyroidism and that can cause other problems too. His thyroid levels are now in good shape and he has gained a nice amount of weight (but most likely won't ever get back to 12+ lbs which was a nice weight for him. He's a shade over 9 lbs now). However, hyperthyroidism can also cause high blood pressure and heart issues. He had a slight murmur, which went away when the thyroid levels became more normal, but his blood pressure is still high, so he's on a couple of medications for that. The second one we just started, and this checkup is to see if it's working as expected. Pain in the ass.

Sunday, January 29, 2006

empathy

This evening, on a bulletin board I post on, another poster referenced an ad for a fast food place with three guys and a girl. They were eating chicken sandwiches and the guys were all saying "chicken" in odd ways which they all thought were just incredibly hilarious, but when the girl did it they stopped laughing and looked at her as if she was some kind of freak. The poster noted that she often felt like that on the board -- she'll go into threads and post something and no one finds it amusing or they just ignore her and go on.

Now this board gets this type of thread -- well at least the woe is me type of thread -- with reasonable regularity so the thread isn't totally off the wall. Plus the thread starter had started another thread a few days ago that veered way off track, and although it was an admittedly a silly thread, all the threads in that section are silly threads, so I couldn't figure out what made this one so different.

Anyway, right from the start people started telling this woman that it was all her fault and no one was at all sympathetic. Three things really pissed me off about that. 1) many of the people posting replies will fall all over themselves being sickeningly sympathetic when one of their buddies posts a similar thread; 2) several told her to "lighten up" or "use humour." Well, fuck, she was trying -- didn't they see that? It wasn't the most deftly written "woe is me" post ever, but she did attempt to bring humour into the situation. If that's what people there want, shouldn't they reward the attempt, even if it wasn't perfect? ; and 3) sometimes everyone needs to hear other people say "yeah, sometimes I feel that way too. Sucks, doesn't it?" Would it have killed some people to have done that? Instead, they proved her right.

This person isn't a friend of mine, and we disagree -- vehemently -- on most things, but how thick do you have to be to not see that she needed understanding, not contempt?

Sunday, January 22, 2006

man, I ain't happy here

I think I always knew I wouldn't be. I'd hoped for a sea change in me, but I can't change the essential me. I can't be someone I'm not.

I had to move (for various reasons) and this was/is my best available option. And it does have good points -- the house and yard is nice (it has some irritating things, but so did my old place); I'm close to the vet, post office, bank, grocery, fed ex place, etc.; it is nice to have some family nearby.

But I'm not a people person. I sometimes crave contact, but when I deal with a person or people for any great length of time I just want him/her/them to go away and leave me the fuck alone. I tend to like people best in small amounts and at a distance.

What I do like is open spaces, the smell of plants -- the trees when they are budding out, the growing grass, the spring flowers, and the smell of growing corn, freshly cut hay, wild roses, honeysuckle, even autumn olive blooms in the sultry summer days. Going outside in the pitch black, still night to gaze at the stars. Taking a walk after a heavy snow in clear, cold, fresh air and not even being able to find the road because no one's been out. The wild animals -- lots of deer (I loved watching the fawns play in my fields -- running, jumping, bucking, and snorting. Absolutely adorable. They would sometimes nest in one of my fields or in the little woods in front of my house.), foxes, rabbits, owls, hawks, wild turkeys, all sorts of birds, even the raccoons and opossums. Being able to play my music at whatever volume I want because there is no one around to hear it. And silence. I love silence when I want it.

So now I live in a city. It's never dark, never silent, never smells good, people all over the place, and I haven't seen any wildlife except some birds (not nearly the variety although a couple neighbors have several bird feeders) and squirrels (lots of squirrels ).

I know I can't go back. But man, I ain't happy here.

Saturday, January 21, 2006

the All Mighty and laundry

I just bought laundry detergent and of course I went for what was on sale. So what was on sale was All (brand) detergent. So I picked out their new super concentrated stuff which is named All Small and Mighty.

Now to make their point the Small (and the and) is in really small type, so when you first glance at the bottle, it looks as if you're doing laundry with the AllMighty.

Made me laugh, and it was cheap, so I bought it. :-)

Friday, January 20, 2006

Five rules for girls to follow for a happy life

A friend sent this to me. I enjoyed it and I'm too lazy to come up with anything else to write now, so...

Five rules for girls to follow for a happy life:

1. It's important to have a man who helps at home, who cooks from time to time, cleans up and has a job.

2. It's important to have a man who can make you laugh.

3. It's important to have a man who you can trust and who doesn't lie to you.

4. It's important to have a man who is good in bed and who likes to be with you.

5. It's very important that these four men don't know each other.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

the little things

I was in line at the post office today and one of the guys behind me was bitching about how slowly the line was moving. He didn't just make a comment or two and then let it go, he was getting worked up about it.

It got me thinking about my reactions to things and how I've gotten more able to not get myself upset over relatively small things. At least most of the time. For instance I even surprised myself how little upset I was about a couple of my car windows being smashed. Yeah I was irritated, but it passed realtively soon and I didn't find myself seething about it. And I don't get irritated so much when others do stupid and rude things in traffic, or at the store, etc. And I've gotten better at just leaving conversations online and in real life before I get to the point I'm furious (and sometimes I just don't get into them in the first place).

I think perhaps because I've had enough "big" things -- things that change your life -- happen in my life that a line at the post office or a smashed in car window just don't mean that much to me anymore.

Or maybe I'm just mellowing....


Nah!

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

which are you?

Reading SK's blog (and the comments) over the last several entries has got me pondering the "straights" (or whatever you'd like to call them -- suits, squares, whatever) /bohemians debate/question.

To me there are two types of straights:

1) the evil bastard straights -- people most concerned with power, money, possessions, etc. These can range from the top heads of state (politicians in general almost universally go in this straight category, it's just the nature of the beast), captains of industry, religious leaders, to the nasty little twit in charge of scheduling workers at the corner convenience store who makes sure to often schedule workers when they have asked to have off.

2) the drone straights -- people who just don't know any better or who just don't care. These are the people who let others do their thinking for them, who think a song is good because it's popular, who will tell you "drugs are bad" but when you ask them why all they can come up with is "because they are illegal" and when you ask why they are illegal they tell you "because they are bad." That kind of thinking/lack of thinking (might not be about drugs, can be about anything) is a big part what makes a drone straight. They accept the idea that bigger is better, the clothes make the man, the more stuff you have the happier you will be, etc., etc., all without ever really giving it any thought.

Bohemians, on the other hand are more interested in the mysterious or esoteric world than they are money, power or possessions. Often don't have traditional jobs, but then some do.

I'm surprised at the number of people who commented there (on SK's blog) who identified themselves as straights (or partial-straights). Even when I had very normal, mainstream, straight jobs I didn't consider myself a straight. Those jobs didn't define me, they were simply what I had to do to be able to get to the point I no longer needed to work them. I always did whatever job I had well, but never really was "there." I remember a few years ago I was talking to a woman I went to high school with. We hadn't seen each other since the day we graduated over 20 years before and we catching up a bit when suddenly she stopped talking and looked at me and said "you always were spacey." I said "thank you," as I considered it a compliment, even though I'm not sure she meant it as such. But to me that is a good thing, to me staring at the reflection of my eye in my glasses instead of paying attention in math or latin class was a good thing (and fascinating as hell too, you would be amazed at what your eye does over the course of 45 minutes in the sun and shade etc.....).

So anyway, I never thought when SK was talking about straights that he was talking about me, even when I held a "real" job. It's not so much what you look like, but how you look at the world and your place in it. So I am very surprised (and kind of disappointed) at the number of others who apparently do think of themselves as straights.

Friday, January 13, 2006

getting to know indraeek questionaire

  • What time did you get up this morning? I made it out of bed at noon. That was good for me.
  • Diamonds or pearls? I don't really wear either, but like pearls better.
  • What was the last film you saw at the cinema? I have no clue. It's been years.
  • What are your favorite TV shows? Lost is the only show I've watched at all consistantly this fall and winter. I can get engrossed in the various Law & Order's though.
  • What did you eat for breakfast? I had a glass of passionfruit juice around 2 pm. Does that count?
  • What is your middle name? Ellen
  • What is your favorite cuisine? chinese
  • What foods do you dislike? okra, raw tomatoes, seafood/fish
  • Your favorite potato chip? Mike Sell's ripple chips
  • What is your favorite CD at the moment? After Everything Now This (The Church)
  • What kind of car do you drive? ratty, 12 year old geo metro. I swore I'd drive it until it died. I never dreamed it would last this long!
  • Favorite sandwich? Grilled cheese (whole wheat bread with extra sharp cheddar)
  • What characteristics do you despise? arrogance, pettiness (I'm prone to them occasionally,ok, sometimes more than occasionally, but I still don't like them)
  • Favorite item of clothing? ummm...shoes. well.... birkenstock sandels and Blundstone clogs. Neither ever worn with socks.
  • If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would like to go? Australia when The Church are touring
  • What color is your bathroom? walls are white. floor is beige. Neither was my choice.
  • What is your favorite brand of clothing? don't really care
  • Where would you want to retire to? haven't thought that far ahead.
  • Favorite time of day? I like early mornings, but am usually just going to bed then. so late night is good. no one bothers me then.
  • Where were you born? Wilmington, Ohio
  • Favorite sport to watch? don't really like to watch sports much. tennis sometimes
  • What laundry detergent do you use? pretty much whatever is on sale
  • Coke or Pepsi? either is fine -- I actually usually get the kroger or other store brand when I buy any
  • Are you a morning person or night owl? night owl
  • What size shoe do you wear? 8 or 9 depends on the brand and type. Most shoes and boots designed to be worn with heavish socks I buy the smaller size because I don't wear socks.
  • Do you have pets? 10 cats. 2 dogs.
  • Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with everyone? Do I look as if I have any new and exciting news?
  • What did you want to be when you were little? a pony.
  • Favorite Candy Bar? chocolate covered english toffee
  • What is your best childhood memory? playing with my animals
  • What are the different jobs you have had in your life? dishwasher, receptionist, reporter, mail flipper, import logistics stuff
  • What color underwear are you wearing? probably tan
  • Nicknames: eek, eekie, kiabgoa (I've been called lots of other names, but most weren't very complimentary...)
  • Piercing? ears
  • Eye color? blue
  • Ever been to Africa? no
  • Ever been toilet papering? nope
  • Love someone so much it made you cry? no
  • Been in a car accident? yes
  • Croutons or bacon bits? croutons
  • Favorite day of the week? doesn't really matter
  • Favorite restaurant? don't usually go to restaurants. I guess the chinese place down the street
  • Favorite flower? tulips
  • Favorite ice cream? Graeters Mocha Chip
  • Favorite fast food restaurant? don't often go, but when I do it's whatever is easy (when I do go it's because I'm driving somewhere)
  • What color is your bedroom carpet? no carpet
  • How many times did you fail your driver's test? none
  • Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? My credit card just got a pretty good workout at the Church Merch. I could probably max it out there without working too hard.
  • What do you do most often when you are bored? doodle online or listen to music
  • Bedtime? 3 - 5 am usually. I have to start getting to bed earlier.
  • Last person(s) you went to dinner with? Took my niece to lunch/dinner for her birthday
  • What are you listening to right now? "Seen It Coming" from After Everything Now This
  • What is your favorite color? blue
  • How many tattoos do you have? 1
  • Which came first, the chicken or the egg? I don't know. And I'm too lazy to ponder it too much

There you go. Now you know all about me. :-)

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

ok, this is starting to get old

Went out to toss some trash this evening and guess what lovely sight awaited me? Yep. Some little fucker smashed yet another window out in my car.

There's NOTHING in the damned car. Why break into a crappy little car that has NOTHING to steal? Ugh. And the damned thing is right under a light so the fucking imbecile can see there isn't anything to take. That does actually give me a little satisfaction though -- and I have to take it where I can get it right now.

Ah, well, at least the jerk only broke the little window behind the one that rolls down in the rear door, so that's not too horrible in the practical sense. It's just so damned irritating.

I'm thinking that perhaps the spot I get for parking isn't so hot. Seems to me that being right under a light, but behind the garage so it's hidden from the house may make it a more attractive target instead of a less attractive one. What makes that irritating is that I have a van I haven't drive in two or three years that is currently residing in that garage (which is my brother's), while my brother's van and my car are parked outside.

I think I'm going to tell my brother that if he wants the damned van he can assume ownership, including insurance and registration, but that I would rather get rid of it, put his van in the garage and park my car where his van is currently. I think it would make it a less attractive target for the idiot car window smashing thieves. At any rate it would allow me to get rid of the expense of keeping a vehicle I'm never going to use.

a few eek whines

I finished changing the prices on all the prints (and unsold originals) on the SK art site. It wasn't hard (I'm so grateful for my cable connection -- I think it would have taken days on dial up), but it was tedious. Made my eyes cross!

We didn't put the prices back up to their pre-sale prices, rather we did a re-evaluation of the pricing and are now charging about halfway between the old regular price and the sale price. I think the prices are fair, and we will occasionally have short term special offers (especially for those who sign up for the SK art site mailing list :-) ).

I'm still working on a Certificate of Authenticity for the original works, but it's more of a pain than I expected. I had a great old program to make up cards and certificates and the like on my pc, but it doesn't work on my new pc. So I bought the new version of the same program and it's a pain in the ass! Why a company would take a nice, easy to use program and fuck it up is totally beyond me. >:(

Today was not the best choice of days to send out packages. Postage rates went up Sunday so everyone was buying 2 cent stamps or the new priced stamps. Huge line at the post office -- longer than any line I saw during Christmas. And I think they were short staffed too, since the line moved incredibly slowly. Took me over a half an hour to get through. But I had no time constraints, so it wasn't too horrible.

Friday, January 06, 2006

at last!

I went out on a Friday night!

...of course, my night "out" consisted of driving 60 miles to Yellow Springs, picking up some art prints and cards at my printer's home (the printer wasn't there because she actually did have somewhere to go), pet the dog at my printer's (sweet dog, she was thrilled), pick up a fast food meal for my down's syndrome aunt (she was with me -- well, of course, who the hell else is going to watch her?) and a soda for me, and driving 60 miles back home.

Woohoo.