I know you're all disappointed, but I'm not going to say I'm sorry, because I'm not.
I loved the looks of pride and accomplishment on your faces when I caught the moth you all had been trying to catch for the last several hours. I know you each were happy to see the results of your long and laborious efforts to teach me to hunt properly. Heck, I was a bit astonished that none of the furniture got disturbed in any way from my efforts.
But, YOU did not catch the moth, I did, and since I was the one who was finally successful, I'm the one who got to decide what happened to it. I know you were all looking forward to hearing that satisfying crunch that comes with the kill, but yes, I'm afraid I do have to admit, I threw it outside.
In the long run, we'll all be much happier with this decision. That one moth will make more and some of those will try to enter our domain. Plus, I don't have to pick legs and wing bits from my teeth.
I hope you all will learn to accept my decision, eventually. There will be other hunts and I will join in again with equal fervor, but there are just some things I will not do and eating the remains, living or dead, of almost any accidental wildlife intruder is one of them.
There are certain conditions that polite people don't talk about, but I find myself in one of those. Completely personal, except suffice it to say Etainne is most displeased by the fact that we only have 1 restroom in this house!
Yes, I went to the doctor, Yes, they gave me meds. No, I'm not feeling better yet.
On the other hand, there are times when it's comforting for several cats to climb on your body and purr in unison. I didn't know they could do that!
IF his hoof quarter crack is REALLY minor,
IF it's not causing him pain,
IF the patch they put on it holds,
IF he runs like he ran the last 5 races,
(If he poops on the way to the gate, as he has in the last two races)
(If he tries to nip, buck, kick, or just generally irritate either his jockey or his trainer, like he has in the last two races)
If he loads well,
If nothing stupid happens,
Then, he will be the first triple crown winner in the last 30 years, and we may see if he's really a reincarnation of Secretariat.
Good Luck, Sweet Boy. My heart and wishes are with you.
IF you don't feel well before the race, TELL SOMEONE, so you will have a chance to heal and become the fine daddy horse, I know you can be! Don't risk your life for a title and to line someone's pockets- they've already made stud contracts for you, so there's no need. This injury doesn't have to be life-threatening.
Feb 26th- new front tires............................................... $135
March 3rd-ish- took car to Hyundai to find out why the "check engine" light was on. They told me it was the Mass Intake Airflow sensor Part costs $465, not including labor. Didn't fix at that time. Total estimate for repair would have been $515.
March 20th-ish - flippy doo-dad switchy thing that makes the brake lights turn off broke (the one connected to the brake pedal) Replaced by myself, sort of. My boss climbed upside down in the car to fix it. :)...........................$27
April 18th-ish- took car back to Hyundai to finally fix the sensor and get emissions sticker updated (They won't pass the car for emissions if a check engine light is on- it automatically fails, even if the engine is running perfectly)
Turned out to be a hole in the vacuum hose that attaches to the sensor, so they fixed that, the oil change, changed the brake pads, fixed a different hose that had a leak for the power steering, and did the emissions test which passed. :) Total cost to fix all of that stuff.............$525.
Total spent to pass my $35 emissions test.......................$687.00
Unless something is done, the Navajo (Dine) Nation will lose their internet access on Monday Apr 7, 2008. That means any student who takes online classes will not be able to finish their courses, as well as becoming more isolated than they already are. The whole tribe uses the internet, not just the students, so it's loss will be felt nationwide.
I e-mailed the head of their communications department to see what they have in the works and am awaiting a reply, but if any of you have suggestions, I'm open. I'll be cross-posting this to everywhere I go on the internet, to catch as many people as I can to make them aware. Maybe sheer volumes of concerned people can help, somehow.
Etainne's female budgie murdered another cagemate sometime in the last 24 hours. The strange thing is we didn't hear or see anything. We're convinced the female premeditated this murder, complete with body mutilation to confuse us into wondering who the dead bird was- didn't work, though. With only 3 birds in the cage, and two of them still breathing, it was pretty simple to narrow down which one was missing- well sort of missing, there were parts left. We think she did the deed while we were both out voting today.
Not a pang of remorse, either! The little hussy wanted us to rejoice with her over her decision to narrow the gene pool possibilities! There will be NO offspring, I can guarantee it! It takes 21 days to incubate an egg and I have no ethical problems with forced ex-vitro abortion! (throwing the eggs away once they've been laid)
There's not much point to posting when you've been doing what you have to do to keep life going. I've been sleeping, working, paying bills, and playing Morrowind. That's it, that's all I've been doing. There have been injuries and illnesses that we have all recovered from or are still recovering from. The car's have been mostly well behaved. The animals have been sleeping a lot- not being too cute or obnoxious. Everything has been just plain, boring, the way it goes. Not that I'm complaining, though, but it does make it harder to post something that others want to read.
I've been getting phone calls on my cell phone from one of the local school districts, offering me jobs as a substitute. Since I don't work for them and I'm not the teacher in this household, I thought this was sort of odd and wanted them to change (fix) the problem so the right person could get the jobs. They were not trying to get my sister- her cell phone and home phone numbers work just fine and she also goes online to sigh up for jobs.
I called the school district. I got routed to voice mail.
I called back. I got a person who didn't have any idea who to contact about the problem. She suggested I call back and get one of the other operators.
I called back again and got routed to the technology department who told me I needed to call human resources.
I called human resources directly and got a voice mail.
I called back to the main number again and asked for the person in human resources who actually FINALLY fixed the problem.
Now, I understand that the operators just route calls and don't actually know any of the workings of the system, but should it really honestly take five (5) phone calls to fix a typographical error???
I hope the lady who was supposed to be getting the job offers, gets them, now.
Last night, I saw something that scared me. I delivered a pizza to a new house. When they opened the door, the daughter and the mother were sitting on a plastic covered pristine couch, while the dad was sitting in the easy chair.Both the mother and the daughter were perfectly manicured and rather Stepford Wife and Child sitting there on the edge of the couch. There was not a single item out of place in the house. The TV was on one of those "pimp my ride" type shows. The daughter did not show any excitement at the sight of pizza and she was somewhere around 7 years old, where excitement is the expected reaction, and the wife looked scared to death of stepping out of line. The dad was very cordial to me, but neither of the other family members uttered a sound or moved a muscle.- - - very odd! Do families still have dynamics like this, in this day and age? Is this normal for them? Or did I just come at a bad time?
I just got an e-mail (hoax!!!) from the IRS saying they owe me a refund from last year.
Careful folks. Tis the season for stuff like this to start being sent. I intend to research where to send these and I'll post it back here when I find it.
I've been delivering pizzas since 1987. I've had dogs bark, run out the door and down the street, guard their masters severely, flop over and ask for tummy rubs, or ignore me completely, but until a few days ago, I can honestly say this had never happened!
I went to the house. There was a chihuahua mix there. I handed over the food, accepted the credit card, and was making the copy of it when the dog gave me the moon pie eyes and whimpered a little when his owner told him to sit. Then, he got up, walked over, sniffed my shoe, lifted his leg, and let fly!
Yep, golden streams on my shoe.
You know? Not a single person at work had any idea how to clean that off so that it wouldn't encourage others to do likewise?
Honestly, I want to socialize and post interesting stuff and go read interesting stuff from you all, but right now, I'm having a hard time getting my laundry done (or started) and my hair washed and my oil changed.
I'm trying to stay current, honest! Give me a few more days, please?
While Gliss was away, Rath decided it was time to let his master know what was happening. He headed downstairs, dreading more than a little having to interrupt his master’s work. He opened the door to the experiment room.
“Master, I know how busy you are, but I’ve brought you your supper and I have some news you might like to hear.”, he said.
His master looked up from a pile of odd looking machine parts. “Hmm?” Oh, just leave it on the table over there,” he said, pointing to an almost uncluttered area of his work bench.
“Master, please, I must talk to you and you must eat while it is hot. It is important or I wouldn’t be bothering you.”
“Very well, what is it, Rath?” he said kindly, as he stopped hunting among the parts and worked his way carefully to the bench, his whole being now focused on Rath.
“Master, as you know, I’ve been studying the stars and trying to decipher the legend.”
“Yes, I remember you mentioning it- oh my, was that really about a month ago?” Rath’s master often lost track of time while working. He was a brilliant inventor and scientist, but the day to day events seemed to slip easily from his notice.
“It was more like three months, but yes.” Rath stalled, not sure how to start, “You know that the world has been getting progressively colder these last few years. We have almost no spring or fall now and summer hasn’t appeared for almost 5 years. Our food stocks are almost gone and we need to do something before we all starve to death.”
“Yes, I know. It’s why I’ve been trying to build this hydroponics garden, but something is eluding me and I can’t quite figure out what it needs to work properly. I can get the seeds to grow and mature, but I can never seem to get the mature plants to create seeds or fruit. I don’t understand it.” His eyes told Rath he was dangerously close to wandering off in a fit of invention that would completely distract him from the conversation at hand.
“Rolph, concentrate!” Rath was in no danger, having used his master’s name. He had bought his freedom a few years previously, but had stayed because Rolph needed someone to take care of him and help with experiments. Over the years, they had become friends and colleagues, more than master and servant, but it still felt strangely disrespectful on the few occasions when Rath had needed to resort to the tactic.
Rolph snapped to attention and sat up straighter. His eyes and ears eagerly tracking as he waited for the next command. It was hard-wired into his being to pay close attention, like a hunter watching a bird fall from the sky to see where it would land.
Rath continued. “The legend says a snow child with the sign of the circle will be born and will lead us to find peace and balance with our world. I’d always assumed that meant a white child with rings or circles in his fur of a different color, but I was wrong. I assumed that when the planets and stars aligned, the child would be born, but I was wrong there, too. Master, he’s sitting in our kitchen, right now, asleep at our fire!”
Rolph stood up quickly, “Here? Now? How’d you find him, How do you know he’s the one?”
“He ran into me at the market. He has a black sign of Pi in his white fur, but he was also born a child of this interminable winter. Master, he’s young, barely out of kittenhood. He can’t be more than 8 months old, which would mean he was born just as the stars started to align. He has a presence that is undeniable even for one so young, and a Sylph was following him, though he didn’t notice her. The Sylph don’t follow just anyone, you know!’
“If I hadn’t been sure when I brought him here, I am now, though. You recall I’ve been using a salamander to light our fireplace?
“Yes” his master said.
When I went to start the fire, our timid little salamander turned himself into a full fledged fire god, bearing gifts for the youngster. That’s two elementals who have latched onto this kitten.”
“Well, it would appear, from circumstances, you may be correct in your analysis. Perhaps, I should go upstairs and meet this boy. Have you told him what his responsibilities are? Does he know what he’s in for?”
“No, master. He’s had a lot of surprises today and seemed to need the nap. We’ll be starting out in the morning, though, so if you’d like to verify my findings, now would be the time to do so.”
“I’m sure your calculations are correct, Rath. Just the same, I should probably meet him now, rather than later after you return. Oh, if you’re leaving tomorrow, you’ll need supplies and some spending money. I have a little saved away. You’re welcome to it. Just leave me enough to buy more seeds and fill the larder while you’re gone. Dear me, I’d have finished that clock sooner if I’d known it would be time for you to leave so soon. I’ll have to remember to feed myself for a while, now, won’t I? I’ll miss you and worry after you while you’re gone, but I know you’ll be alright, especially if the elementals are going to be your traveling companions.”
Rath and Rolph touched noses and headbutted each other to show the depths of their friendship for one another. Then they headed back upstairs.
I used to listen in the dark, by the glow of the neon green lights, on my stereo to this song for hours and loved this movie. I miss songs with lyrics that tell stories.
“Same way they caused it, by adding more chemicals to the problem until it either died or was corrected.” Dubois replied.
“Is that why younger trees don’t talk?” asked Ace.
“Those trees who were born from trees such as I, can still talk, but we have not let our numbers swell. We didn’t want our intelligence to become common, so we selected our mates instead of letting Nature do it for us as we did before the change. We keep ourselves isolated and insulated to protect ourselves. She should really be the one to explain, though.”
Ace and Rath both looked at Gliss.
“Well, really,” she said, slightly flustered, “We had to do something. We couldn’t have a bunch of sentient trees wandering about, squandering their gifts and getting themselves axed, left and right.”
Rath and Ace were both startled. “Wandering about?” they said in unison.
Gliss glared at Dubois. “I wasn’t ready to tell them, yet. No matter, I guess the cat’s out of the bag, now.” Rath and Ace winced at the reference. “Fine, okay, then, time to fess up. The reason I know so many in the forest and why I have been around for centuries and why it has been so many centuries since I have been welcomed willingly into someone’s home, is because I’m a Sylph, a Faerie.
“My kind have been alive longer than Man was on this planet and saw all his highs and lows. Men were not always bad, there were good ones here and there. It was just that, as a species, they seemed to lack awareness of what they did or how it affected others. There are thousands of my kind, but most do not come to this world anymore because to be seen, we either have to have a dire need or have someone believe in us to allow us to cross the veil between our world and this one. When Man left, there were few others left to believe. Animals never really had need of us. They took care of their own problems, mostly, but the trees were a different matter.
“It was part of our job, since time began, to keep them strong. When Dubois and his generation became sentient, we knew we had to protect them, so we asked the other trees to guard them and keep them safe. That’s why the Birch are here standing around this glen. They entwine their branches and form a ring around Dubois to keep those who harvest lumber away from him and his kind, willingly, knowing that some of their number may die protecting Dubois.
“There are glens like this all over the world and wherever you find one, you’ll notice the grass is green and tender and the snow never touches inside the ring. It is our magic that keeps the ground warm so that the sentient trees are not stressed. Yes, they are free to go wherever they like, but when they stop to rest, a ring is formed for their safety and the local trees stand honor guard around them.”
“But, if you are magic, why couldn’t you just fix everything and set it right again?” demanded Ace.
“Because, dear, that’s not how it needs to work.” She said, laying a hand on his arm to comfort him. “Sure, we could have used magic on the world and Men, but that would not have been just. It would have taken away everyone’s choice. We would have been as guilty as Men of deciding others’ fates for them. When we granted our magic to those like Dubois, it was their choice, just as it was the choice of the non-sentient trees to be their guards and the grass and the earth to provide a serene resting place for them. We didn’t force any of this, we simply offered an alternative and let them decide.
“You have to remember, most of Mankind had forgotten about us or refused to believe in us, and those who did believe were either too young to be listened to or were considered insane or childish to believe in us, so we had no way to include them in our offer. It made us very sad, but we couldn’t break our laws.”
Anger seethed from Ace’s lashing tail as he shot up from the ground and started pacing under Dubois’ boughs. “But I never had a choice!”
“Yes, Ace, you did. You could have ignored and refused to believe the voices in your head. You could have chosen to go to town that day, run your errand and gone home immediately. You could have gone home at any time along the journey. You still can if you wish, but now that you have named it what it is, whatever you decide from here on will have to be your decision and you will have to live with that decision and it’s consequences.”
Ace was beyond forlorn. He stopped pacing and curled up in as small a package as his body would let him. “But I don’t know how to fix the world. What if I try and it doesn’t work? What if I make it worse? What if something happens and you get hurt or killed?”
Gliss walked over to him and sat next to him. She pulled his head into her lap and began stroking his ears. “Ace, Rath and I knew before we met you what might happen. We accepted it, good or bad, because we both believe it’s important to try, and because we both believe in you. We both believe you will be the one to return balance to the world and we both will do everything we can to make sure you have the opportunity to do so, but we will not force you. It must be your choice.”
Rath curled up beside Ace, licked the other ear briskly and purred. “Perhaps, you should take a nap before making any decisions. Gliss and I will stay right here and Dubois will guard us, for a change. We can be safe and warm, for just a little while, and recharge our spirits as well as our minds and bodies.”
Ace relaxed a little with Gliss on one side and Rath on the other. It felt good to have his friends near to comfort him. He was still worried, but a nap did sound like a good idea.
You know, theoretically I should be able to figure this out on my own, and if I wanted to hard wire the machines together, I'd have no problem, but
I want to create a multi computer OFFLINE gaming network so all the family members can play the same game at the same time against each other.
One computer is hardwired into our router.
The other two are wireless and use the wireless part of the router to access the internet so all three can use the router at the same time, but I don't want to use an online connection for family gameplay because the purpose of this little exercise is to expose the boy to multiplayer games without giving him access to cutthroat players online.
Any suggestions?
Is there a way to use the router as a connector without accessing the internet?
Ace lived comfortably with his master. He had food when he needed it, water, a soft place in the sun to lay when he wasn’t required for duties, but his mind was troubled and his soul was impatient. His dreams haunted his waking hours. Lately, he’d even begun to think he’d seen the beings from his dreams during the day. He didn’t know who they were, only what they said. It wasn’t good to listen to the voices in one’s head, but he couldn’t stop them from speaking, so he had no choice but to listen. They told him to leave, that there was more expected of his life than giving foot massages and cleaning up after others. But how could he leave? He knew there were others out there, beyond the safe walls that held him, who did not have enough to eat or a dry warm place to sleep. Leaving would be hard, but the voices were hard to ignore.
***
Rath looked up from his charts, his eyes bleary from staring too long, hoping to find some sign that would lead him to the one he sought. The legends said there would come a day when the world would set itself straight and his kind would no longer live in bondage or poverty. The stars said that time was now, but where to look for the one who was promised to lead them to peace and plenty? He got up from the table and went to the cupboard. Bare, as usual. Why his master didn’t do the simple things like buying groceries, was beyond him. ‘Well, when your head is in the heavens, it’s hard to remember that your stomach is closer to the ground.’, he thought. He’d have to do the shopping himself, again.
Rath checked his fur and set out for the market, mentally checking his list: cream, coffee, flour, salmon, potatoes, onions, maybe some nice fruit for his master if he could find any in season. It was cold. Winters had been getting steadily worse every year, but Rath knew that would all change as soon as the Promised One had completed his task. He continued to walk toward town, setting his shoulder to the wind and wishing his master would complete that contraption in the basement he’d been working on for so long. A mechanized vehicle would sure come in handy on days like today! He turned the corner of the road leading to the edge of town and headed for the market section.
***
Ace wandered the streets of the market, eyes filled with the variety of wares available. His master had sent him to pick up his clothes at the tailor’s, a function Ace had never been permitted to perform. He’d never been to town, before. Now, if he could just find the booth where the tailor worked. He was so busy concentrating on his errand, he neglected to watch where he was going and ran into Rath, both ending up in a pile in the street. Rath growled as he adjusted his dignity and picked himself up off the ground. Then he noticed the youngling who had caused the accident. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. It was the Promised one! Quickly, he helped the male child to his feet.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you,” Ace said, “Really, I suppose it’s the height of bad manners to be so tourist-y, but I’ve never been to town, before”
“Quite alright, young sir, and I should be the one apologizing.”, Rath replied, “May I help you? Do you need assistance navigating the booths?” Rath needed to stay close to this youth. The world depended on him. He needed to gain this one’s trust. “I’m Rath, of the House of Madril. May I ask your name?”
“I’m Ace, of the House of Hoepf” he said, touching noses with the stranger, as was the custom, “I’d be glad of your help.”
They wandered the bizarre, picking up the clothes and groceries as they strolled, talking constantly, getting acquainted. It was late afternoon and the snow had begun to fall again when they were finished. Ace’s tummy growled. He’d been so awed by the wonders of town, he’d forgotten to eat. Rath looked at the youth. “Ace, my home is just down the road, and as we’ve just bought the groceries, I’d be honored to share my supper with you.”
“My master will be wondering what happened to me, but it is far and it is getting cold. A warm fire and hot food would be welcome before I start home. I would appreciate sharing your table.”, Ace said, as they started down the road leading out of town and toward Rath’s house. They had just rounded the corner when a shrill voice came from the trees. “The Promised one shall set things right! Look to Plume Lake. There is where you will find what you need.” Ace shook with fear. The trees at his home had never spoken.
Rath eyed the trees. Up in the top of one was what looked for the world like a blue jay, but there was something strange about this bird. “Come closer, Friend”
“I dare not, you will eat me!”
“Eat a talking bird? Parish the thought, for I suspect you are not what you seem to be. We are Ace and Rath. What would your name be?”
“My name? No one has ever asked me before. I do not think I have one. I’ve never even thought of having one. In all these centuries, I’ve never needed one.”
Centuries? Ace was confused. Birds don't live for centuries, do they? Rath nodded as if making up his mind. “Come, Friend, show your true visage. You have nothing to fear from either of us.”
The winds picked up, snow glittering in the air. There, on the road, a young maiden stood, her wings gossamer and iridescent, her hair flowing, luminescent with dulcet light. Ace hissed in confusion and was immediately embarrassed. Bowing low, he murmured, “I’m sorry, I was just shocked, is all”
“‘Tis alright, Ace. I’ll wager you’ve never seen one of my kind before.” She smiled at him. Turning to Rath, she said, “So, about this naming business, how does one find a name?”
“Well, I think we will call you Gliss. That should do.”
“What means this ‘Gliss’?”
“It’s short for a musical term, ‘glissando’ which is a series of notes, rising up, usually.”
“Oh, I like that!” She smiled, “Gliss it is, nice to meet you”
“Ace and I were on our way to my home for supper. Would you care to join us?
“In your house? With real food and drink? In all these centuries, no one has ever invited me willingly into their home! What a treat! Thank you, I think I will.”
***
Rath showed his guests into the kitchen, leading them to the chairs closest to the fireplace. He went out the door, whistling, and came back in with a load of firewood and a salamander to light the fire. He wished there were another way, but salamanders were the most reliable, when coaxed just right. It seemed a waste of such an awesome power to be used in such a menial way and a little disrespectful. Setting the wood in the grate, he placed the salamander on the stones in front. Bowing respectfully, he asked the salamander if he could please have a fire to provide warmth and food for his guests. The salamander blinked and looked at Gliss. Suddenly, the salamander grew into an awesome beast, and spoke.
“Welcome, Promised One. I’ve been tending fires in this abode, waiting for your arrival for months.” He was looking at Ace. “I have been sent to give you tools for your journey.” He pulled a suit of chainmail and a box that looked to be of gold from the fireplace.
Ace was agast. “But, why me? I’m not much older than a kit! I haven’t any education unless you need your house swept!” He eyed the chainmail. It was obviously his size and was woven as fine as a spider’s web. His gaze moved to the box. He opened it. Inside was the softest pillow of red velvet and two tiny cups secured to the side of the box. “What’s the box for?” he asked.
“It’s for me to ride in.” said the salamander, “You don’t expect me to walk all day and night, starting fires wherever you go, do you? The chainmail is forged in the hottest fires and folded 300 times to make it strong, but light. It will protect you against any weapon you can think of. Now, I think I’ll start this fire so we can dine.” With that, he shrank again and walked over the wood to start the fire. When the fire was built to his liking, he crawled to the bucket of sand near the hearth and fell asleep.
Gliss, meanwhile, inspected the chainmail. “This is the most exquisite mail I’ve ever seen! Even the gnomes can’t make mail this fine. Ace sat in his chair, looking afraid and confused. Rath tried not to notice and busied himself with supper preparations. Gliss looked at Ace, her face softening. “Ace, do you not know the legend?” She sat next to him on the chair and cradled his head. “When the world turns a cold eye, one will come who will bring balance to the world and peace to all who dwell there.”
“Supper’s ready” announced Rath.
“Come, let us eat, then you rest. It’s too cold and you are in no condition to go home tonight.” Gliss cooed.
They ate their meal in silence, remembering to offer some to the salamander, who really didn’t want any, but didn’t want to seem impolite. The fire roared in the fireplace, making the kitchen cozy and warm. Ace ate like he’d never tasted food, a proper response for one of his age when thoughts and worries can melt away at the sight of a good meal. He went back to study the fire, thinking of the words Gliss has said, but the fire was warm and his belly was full. He was soon fast asleep.
“Thank goodness!” said Rath. "I had no idea he would be so young. I wonder if he’s up to the task he is about to face.”
“He’ll do.” Gliss said, knowingly, “He has the most important weapons already, even if he doesn’t know it. His heart is good and kind and he has courage. He hasn’t run away from any of the strange things he’s seen today. I’d better whisk away these clothes to his master. He won’t be missed so soon if the clothes are there in the morning.”
“Good idea. Come back when you’ve finished. No reason for us to separate if we are to start this journey in the morning. I’ll stay here and pack. Oh, see if you can find any of his belongings while you are there. He may have need of his things”
Ace slept fitfully. Strange images appeared in his dreams. First, there was the woman in green. She kept saying “Come to me and I will help you” She was lovely, but he didn’t know who she was. Then, another being he couldn’t quite see was beckoning him toward the lake water. Multi-colored feathers floated on the surface. He knew he would meet both, soon. He would be the Promised One, but that didn’t make him feel any braver. He wanted more than anything not to mess things up. The whole world was depending on him. He hoped he was strong enough to do whatever it was he needed to do. Strange how legends and prophesies can be so vague. The dreams released him to be replaced with visions of his childhood, chasing butterflies and napping on manicured green lawns in the sun.
Another chapter (not necessarily the second):
The land along the road, as far as the eye could see, was furrowed and filled with an abundance of grain, waiting to mature enough to harvest, providing a pleasing sea of light green and silver for the eyes to feast upon as the breeze gently tipped the heads of the stalks to and fro. A river echoed the winding and well-used path. Moss covered stones lay along the banks as the water slowly lapped at the stones. Ace gazed at the interaction of the stones and the water and smiled. Ahead, a stand of trees obscured the path.
“There’s a town, up ahead.”, said Rath, “We should see if we can find some provisions.”
“Oh, yes!”, bubbled Gliss, “I hope they have a baker.”
Ace looked at Gliss and smiled more broadly. Her infatuation with fine food was as constant as the stars. He then frowned. “Rath, how will we pay for what we need? There are a few items we’ll need that will cost more than a year’s pay.”
“I very much doubt we’ll find all that we need, but we may find a few items for defense and we’re certain to find food.. I wonder if we should try to bargain for a pack animal? As for paying for the items, don’t you worry, the universe will provide.”
Ace was not reassured. The universe might provide, but it didn’t always provide when most needed.
The trio entered the darker, cooler world under the trees. Straight burly trunks lined both sides of the path like soldiers standing in review. Their branches reached across the path creating a natural arbor. The effect was both soothing and majestic. Almost unnoticeably, the path widened to a natural glen. Above, the branches still covered the sky, the trees seeming to hold branches with their neighbors to create a spontaneous net above the circle of meadow. In the center of the meadow stood a single knotted, twisted, aged tree. Somehow, Ace got the impression that this tree was special. The party gazed at the meadow, loathe to step on the tender perfection of grass.
“Who enters this glade?”, boomed a deep baritone voice.
Gliss took a timid step onto the grass. “We are travelers on our way to the village on the other side of your magnificent glen,” Her eyes narrowed, “Would you, by any chance, be Dubois, the Ancient?”
The tree straightened a little, then shook. A light tinkling came from his leaves which didn’t match his rugged look at all. Rath stood transfixed. Ace looked ready to run back down the path the way they had come.
“Yes, my lady, although I was not so ancient the last time our paths crossed”
“No need to be reminding me of age, Dubois!”, Gliss chided playfully. “May I present my friends? The elder is Rath, an astronomer; the younger is the Promised one, Ace.”
“The Promised one! My roots and leaves, I never thought I’d meet the Promised one! Welcome, friends. Sit by my roots and I will tell you what I know.”
Rath sidled up to Gliss. “Do you know everyone in the forest?” he kidded while poking her gently with his elbow.
Rath, Ace and Gliss settled on the ground at Dubois’ roots and prepared to listen.
“ Longer ago than most remember, there were creatures on this planet who called themselves Man. They were a destructive and selfish race. They did not respect each other, the earth, or any other creatures that lived with them. They sought personal gain and took what they felt was theirs without asking or giving consideration to anyone else around them. They stripped the earth of her minerals and overused her topsoil to the point where nothing could grow where they had touched the earth. They made fearsome weapons and used them against each other, not heeding the effects on others around them, poisoning water and land. They took animals from their homes and experimented on them to see what their minds could come up with, not caring about what might happen to their test subjects. They felled whole forests, developed chemicals to control what they did not desire, which poisoned birds and other animals. They consumed to the point of causing thousands of animals and plants to die out. In their greed they caused the air to grow thin in places and the land to heat up everywhere. They changed the earth so much they couldn’t live on it anymore.
“They had a habit of taking your ancestors into their homes for companionship, but they were not content to accept the animals as Nature had made them. They took apes and mice from the wild and experimented on them, trying to make them more useful to their purposes. They reasoned that if a dog was helpful as a pet, then it would be much more helpful if it had more intelligence and could use tools. They changed dogs, cats, mice, and apes. They achieved higher sentience which helped them, for a while, but the effects were cumulative. Each successive generation became smarter. The animals they had altered and their children began to resent being kept as servants, as their intelligence increased. The new sentients longed to create on their own. Along with intelligence came greed. The cycle began again.
“An interesting unintended effect also began, though slower. The chemicals and manipulations Man used to increase the animals’ intelligence, was not disposed of properly. It got into the water system where the nearby plants got their nourishment from. Man never intended to have smart plants, but some of us were more susceptible than others. Older trees died from shock, but sprouts and shoots were still pliable. We grew and gained knowledge, which was ironic since Man had been cutting down trees for centuries to use as paper for storing knowledge. Eventually, Man corrected the problem, but a few of us had learned how to hide our intelligence and we survived.
“So, now Man is gone, but we still have war and strife, famine and plague. There are still areas where the earth has not recovered. We still have slavery. We still have need.
Every year, I get to work Halloween.
Every year, there are teens who think it's fun to dress in solid black and walk in the streets.
Every year, there are 3-9 year olds, brightly costumed, but filled with excited energy who don't stay on the sidewalks.
Every year, I dread driving on this night. Millions of children and thousands of pizza delivery drivers are not a good combination.
Please, if just for one night, turn on your porch lights, park your cars off the streets, leave as much wide open well-lit space as possible for people like me who have to drive and fear all the other things we have to avoid to prevent injury to those who's lives have not yet been as long as we'd like them to be.
I'll be the one driving half the speed limit with both my brights and my fog lights on.
When I was in 10th grade, we read "Of Mice and Men" and about 13 other Steinbeck stories. Then, sometime after that, parents decided it wasn't the sort of book kids should read, so it was banned.
Here's a teacher who read an APPROVED book to his students, but is now facing prosecution because particular parents got upset and decided if the school wasn't going to do something, they would file "distributing bad material to a minor" (forgot the word used) charges to get this teacher removed.
Personally, I don' t think this teacher did anything wrong. Yes, the subject is one that I personally wouldn't use, but that does not invalidate the fact that this book was on the approved reading list at the time it was read, nevermind how I feel about banning books, in general.
I think it's a shame that some people just have to be right, no matter how they have to do it or what it costs others involved. Great example these parents are teaching regarding tolerance and free thinking for their children.
You're not alone. There are others, here, who have been through, or are going through, what you are going through, right now. Or, I've been there, or am there, right along with you, and we'll figure it out together.
There is no shame. Your feelings are just as valid as anyone else's. Your worries and hurts are as big to you as theirs are to them. Don't let them belittle you for owning what you feel.
Find little joys where you can and remember them. Tuck them away in your heart for those days that seem solid gray.
I'm thinking of you, wishing and praying for something happy to happen for you. And I'm not alone in that, either.
Yep, that's right.
Six out of the seven kitties are wishing they made kitty NyQuil!
Coughing, sneezing, aching sinuses, body aches, mild fevers, can't get comfortable to sleep, everything tastes funny (off), the world is woozy if I try to walk anywhere, hold me and make me better but don't touch me- sick.
Poor babies! :(
Good news is rhinoviruses are generally species specific, so no one else will be getting it.
I feel completely uncentered. I go to the places where people I'd like to have as friends are and I read, but I do not interact much. I live in fear that when they find out all about me, they will not want to be my friends anymore. They will think I'm nuts, delusional, or worse, a pretender of something I'm not. I do not trust that their like of me is based on any real knowing and I do not trust that they can have an open enough mind to see that people can be multi-faceted. I don't know if it is safe to show them all the sides of me.
I've been looking around on the internet, just sort of grazing here and there on topics I find somewhat interesting. Several places use graphics for their headers-banners-logo area that are from well-known artists, some of whom happen to be friends of mine, who I know didn't give permission to have their artwork used in such a way. But these websites are not commercial sites, just personal ones, but I feel bad whenever I see that an image I know was not created for that purpose is used that way.
I haven't mentioned any of this to my artist friends and so far, I haven't made a stink with any of the website owners, but
If you were using an image you found at a place that had a lot of graphics you thought were for open use and you used it in a way that was not insulting to the person who actually made the image---you didn't alter it, you used it as it was originally made--- would you want to know you were using an image that was not supposed to be used at all?
Because you know, you're indirectly guilty of copyright infringement, but it was not an intentional goal of yours because you thought the image was safe to use, but at the same time, the artist's copyright has been infringed, so I'm sort of torn. It's not my job to defend my friends' artworks, but at the same time, if I don't, who will? And on the other hand, these pieces are nice and people who are not talented do enjoy using nice images on their sites and if they had to do them, themselves, there'd be a lot of boring sites out there.
Sorry folks, probably should have explained this sometime in the last 5 years
My sister, Etainne, and I live together, along with her son- that would be my one and only nephew--except there are half nephews on the other side of the family I haven't met yet and won't strain myself to meet anytime soon--- 7 cats, 2 dogs, and 11 birds.
(If you're old enough to remember a comedy LP called "The First Family", you may now follow along)
4 of the cats and 6 of the birds are related, not to each other, but well you know, confined to species, they make up their own families.
2 of the 3 remaining cats were my sisters when she divorced.
The other cat was mine.
The two dogs and 4 of the birds (well, and the family of 4 cats) were added after we moved here.
Of the family of 6 birds, I started out with 2, but they had other plans. They actually have had 12 or 15 children (er, chicks) but I managed to boot the rest from the nest(adopt out). But the only way to discourage the female from laying fertile eggs is for their last clutch to remain with them, so they're still here.
The family of 4 cats were found as days old kittens in our back yard. We took them in, intending all along to take them to the no-kill shelter- never intending them to stay- but well, when they were 8 weeks old they were still small, despite regular 2-4 hour feedings and the shelter told us to bring them back when they weighed over 2 lbs each. They were all almost 9 months old by then and we were used to them, so they ended up staying.
That leaves one rescued bird who was rescued on purpose and is loved every bit as much as the rest.
I wish I'd been a little quicker on the uptake just now. I got an error that said Windows had a problem loading some part of this page (the add entry page) but I clicked ok, before I actually read what the error was about. Reloaded, and didn't have the problem again, so I'll keep an eye out and see if it comes back again.
Weird!
Anyway, it seems like the comment alerts are working and the tracking alerts, which is totally cool! Thanks Keith!!!
I'd like to declare a mulligan for today. It's just not going the way I'd hoped. Nothing majorly wrong, but nothing happy or exciting either- It's a blah day, but maybe that's what I need as my brain can't seem to stay on focus for longer than a few minutes today, anyway. Good thing I didn't have anything planned that required a brain, today, I would have been found sadly lacking!
Now, if I could just figure out why my browser won't let me copy and paste in this box.
... or if I could get my brain together long enough to fiddle with designs
... or if I could think of something to put with the chicken fried steak I'm cooking for dinner
... or if I felt motivated to actually check to see if the Critter has homework he's ignoring
1. Do you have a tattoo?
2. How old are you?
3. Are you single or taken?
4. Fish?
5. Do you dream in color?
6. Ever seen a corpse?
7. Hipsters or Hillbillies?
8. How did we meet?
9. What's your philosophy on life and death?
10. If you could do anything with me, and have no one know, what would it be?
11. Do you trust the police?
12. Do you like musicals?
13. What is your fondest memory of me?
14. If you could change anything about yourself what would it be?
15. Would you cheat ?
16. What are you wearing?
17. Have you ever peed in a pool?
18. Would you hide evidence for me if I asked you to?
19. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?
20. Which do you prefer - short or long hair?
21. What's your favorite day of the week?
22. What's your favorite color?
23. If you could bring back anyone that has passed, who would it be?
24. Tell me one interesting/odd fact about you?
25. What was your first impression of me?
26. Have you ever done drugs?
27. Will you post this so I can fill it out for you?
I just created a text document of my entire two years posting on modblog. I never thought to look for them. I figured once the server was gone the posts were too.
But now, I have every blog entry I've ever entered anywhere (because I cross posted the entries from the forum I used as a journal before I had a blog to the first few pages of modblog), but it's like 22 pages long, so I'm not sure I should post it here at the beginning of this blog's dates...Still,l 5 years of journals is sort of impressive for me, considering I could never keep a diary for more than 6 months when I was growing up.
I was reading over some of my old entries. I think I was a better writer 3 years ago. Well. maybe I'll post it, maybe not, but at least I have them, now.
The wayback machine also had my layout from modblog. Don't know why I never thought to look for it there, before. It was by far the most involved template I ever used, anywhere and I always thought I'd eventually get efx2 to look that way, but never got around to it. Yes, I *could* hand code the nested tables and recreate it, but since it's there, why the heck not use it? All I have to do is strip the modblog generator stuff out of it to be able to use it here and add the stuff like chatbox and rss feed that I want.
But first, there's a certain cat that needs his litterbox refreshed!
February, 2000, I was doing laundry when I noticed my favorite grandmother's quilt was starting to get a little ragged, in spots. Well, there are at least 4 generations of previous quilters on that side of the family and I had also quilted before, so why the heck not try to mend the thing?
*this is a stupid idea from a person with just enough exposure to a problem to be dangerous about it!*
So, I went online and tried to find as many quilting forums as I could. Wow, you should meet some of the characters you meet at an online quilting bee! There was one site that had everyone from those who didn't know how to thread a needle (let alone that there are different kinds of threads and needles) to professionals who know everything and of course, those in between.
So, there was this one site where this really funny and naturally supportive lady posted. She had good skills, but didn't give you the meadow muffins that sometimes accompanied the quilting police ladies or the*whoosh above your head* advice the professionals sometimes gave. And, she had a tiny llama as her member icon.
Ok, so months go by and I decided I needed more personal help and hired a teacher to start me out better, but whenever I came across something that threw me, the llama lady was there, ready to encourage, advise, commiserate (when I had to redo parts) and generally support.
Then Sept 11th happened. We were, as a nation and as a world, floored. We were numb. But the llama lady wasn't. Within hours, she was posting an idea to help relieve the suffering and pain so many were going through. She asked for generals, I volunteered. (so did 6 others) Originally, we only had 20or 30 people say they would help out. But over the course of the 8 weeks, it grew, and when we were finished, when we had reached our goal, over 800 quilts were made in those 8 weeks by over 300 quilters. She hand delivered several special quilts to their intended recipients, driving the whole way, stopping at fellow quilters' houses along the way to personally say thank you to them.
That lady was special in a way no other person I've ever met has ever been. Her name was Ms Visine. (yeah, she's changed it just a little bit) She has been physically in my home and is completely the way you see her here. She is the third sibling of the twin set I belong to, and I'm proud to call her friend and sister.
Obviously I've missed quite a few, and I've added a spaces and taken away the < at the beginning,so these will show the code instead of just the name and link, but the advantage is that these are direct links so you can just copy and past the code into the editor. Simply erase the ones you don't want and put in the ones you do, if I don't have them. (I'm still adding to this, btw)
a href='http ://bbd.efx 2blogs. com/'>BBD
a href='http ://bebbet.efx 2blogs. com/'>Bebbet
a href='http ://birdsnest.efx 2blogs. com/'>Birdsnest
a href='http ://bunnychan.efx 2blogs. com/'>Bunnychan
a href='http ://chica.efx 2blogs. com/'>Chica
a href='http ://chandramoon.efx 2blogs. com/'>ChandraMoon
a href="http ://cyclingplatypus.efx 2blogs. com/'>Cycling Platypus
a href='http ://darkstar.efx 2blogs. com/'>Darkstar
a href='http ://deejay.efx 2blogs. com/'>Deejay
a href='http ://dorum.efx 2blogs. com/'>Dorum
a href='http ://eclectablog.efx 2blogs. com/'>Eclectablog
a href='http ://elisla.efx 2blogs. com/'>Elisla
a href='http ://etainne.efx 2blogs. com/'>Etainne
a href='http ://goddess.efx 2blogs. com/'>Goddess
a href='http ://grimfairy.efx 2blogs. com/'>GrimFairy
a href='http ://grnidlady.efx 2blogs. com/'>Grnidlady
a href='http ://heavensdevil99.efx 2blogs. com/'>Heaven's Devil 99
a href='http ://jeremy.efx 2blogs. com/'>Jeremy
a href='http ://keith.efx 2blogs. com/'>Keith
a href='http ://kingofankh.efx 2blogs. com/'>KingofAnkh
a href='http ://kinnigurl.efx 2blogs. com/'>Kinnigurl
a href='http ://lauriesasylum.efx 2blogs. com/'>Laurie's Asylum
a href='http ://ladyvisine.efx 2blogs. com/'>Lady Visine
a href='http ://lazyboy.efx 2blogs. com/'>LazyBoy
a href='http ://libertine.efx 2blogs. com/'>Libertine
a href='http ://lisalisabobisa.efx 2blogs. com/'>Lisabobisa
a href='http ://littlemissconfused.efx 2blogs. com/'>LittleMissC
a href='http ://logis.efx 2blogs. com/'>Logis
a href='http ://mothman.efx 2blogs. com/'>Mothman
a href='http ://nysak.efx 2blogs. com/'>NysaK
a href='http ://periodicallydemented.efx 2blogs. com/'>Periodically Demented
a href='http ://photostyle.efx 2blogs. com/'>PhotoStyle
a href='http ://pizzofmine.efx 2blogs. com/'>Pizzofmine
a href='http ://sic.efx 2blogs. com/'>Sic
a href='http ://sladewilson.efx 2blogs. com/'>SladeWilson
a href='http ://spaceystacey.efx 2blogs. com/'>SpaceyStacey
a href='http ://streams.efx 2blogs. com/'>Streams
a href='http ://welshpixie.efx 2blogs. com/'.Welsh Pixie
This will get you started, anyway.
OH, where you ask: ok, well the area of your blog that says:
< !-- BEGIN LEFTSIDE --> <(except yours will probably say right side)
< h2>Description
< %Description%>
< br>
Below that you'll find the place where the default links are. Simply add a < br > (without spaces) and paste in. If your browser is set not to copy and paste, you can copy using Ctrl-C and paste using Ctrl-V.
each link will need a < a > at the beginning and a < / a > + a < br > (without the spaces) at the end.
But when I do that and insert the url for the image, all my links turn blue or purple and the image still doesn't appear. What am I missing? What didn't I do? What did I do wrong? (why are my links changing colors when I do this?)
double check your settings to make sure others can see and comment in your blogs, but there are several people missing the "add a comment" link in their templates.
If you were offline yesterday, you didn't see the rather sudden and provocative new idea Periodically Demented and Keith had (PD had the original idea, and Keith found the software)
It caused quite a stir. MANY people jumped at the chance to have features and stuff back the way it was in a more secure format---including Keith.
So, after a round or two of who can donate the quickest, PD bought the software (well, Keith bought it, but PD gave him the money and lots of others chipped in to cover dancing girls, beer and extra bandwidth- oh and explosives)
So, I went to take out the trash around 3 this morning, got snagged by "Angel", came back, thought I was still logged into wpMU, but when I refreshed, this was here and the fun had begun.
So, what I've taken the long way around the barn to say is, this time was intentional for the betterment of the community. :)
(oh and meanwhile, Chica got snagged in the mix and has decided to become a CL to help with layouts and coding, so go visit her if you have any problems.LazyBoy, UtahCon, and WelshPixie are all here too and probably can help you also.)
We're still waiting on word about post restore, but Keith needed to get some sleep or work his real job or be a dad, or something, so we're trying not to fuss. okay?
Ok, I've been fiddling with this for quite a while and have fixed things to where I won't have a meltdown or think I'm somewhere I'm not supposed to be when I come back, so before Etainne comes home, I should probably get some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzs- she's going to have me help her and I'll need a brain, and probably a couple motrin to help her. <--- the way I look right now.
(that sounded like a gripe, it wasn't. My eyes really are whirling and I generally need motrin after sitting anywhere besides my comfy overstuffed computer chair and I can't see her screen from here so I'll have to go over there.)
Ok, reading around, I've seen a bit of grumbling, so here's what I can offer, right now.
1. If you keep getting logged in as anonymous for replies, simply change that box to your username.
2. If you completely fubar your whole template and want to start over, you can simply reload the original template by clicking on 'choose another template' under your template menu.
3. I highly recommend bookmarking both the efx2blogs main page and your own blog management page in your browser's favorites. It can save a lot of frustration.
4. As an added precaution, I've created a notepad page with the template I'm working on, just in case I do something awful. You can clear the editor box and paste your code in, if necessary.
5. Back up your important posts, either to another blog or to a notepad file. We shouldn't be moving again anytime soon, so it shouldn't be a problem, but you never know, so just get in the habit.
6. If you go to your account page, you can see the last however many posts you picked in your preferences. If you need more, you can change the number.
When all the fiddling is done, this software will enable us to have pretty darned close to what the Restyle gave us, (with added security) but a little patience goes a long way.
This place has been officially fumigated, now (not that I had a problem, but you know, better to take care of a problem before you have it than after)
So, there was one little tiny item I didn't feel comfortable putting over on Chica-X 's place, because it doesn't really fit over there and I didn't want her or her readership to be uncomfortable. But it fits just fine over here, so I'll post it now and y'all can ignore it or respond as you see fit.
I don't have solid numbers, but here are some facts. There are, right now, still living, people- men and women- who are veterans, who are disabled, who served honorably in WWII, the Korean Conflict, Viet Nam, Granada, Panama, Kosevo, Bosnia, Somalia, and the first Gulf war. I mention this because lately, in the news, the focus seems to be on the treatment of vets returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, from this conflict, and the impression is that they are the only ones who are receiving treatment for injuries sustained during service to their country. It's not true. At my local VA hospital, there are 250,000 vets who receive treatment. There are another 300,000 who live in the area and could if they chose to, but do not.
I don't begrudge those returning from the current conflict, but I strongly resent the implication that those who served before are somehow less deserving of quality care because they've been in the system longer. The funny thing about health is it gets worse the longer you deal with it.
Case in point: I am a female over 40 service-related disabled vet. While I appreciate the extra care given to me because I'm a woman, you know female stuff, I have other issues that are not gender specific that are service-related that I can't get any sort of resolution for. I see men who are older than I am, who get all the heart meds and monitoring they want but can't get a refit on their prosthetics. This "flavor of the month" diagnosing and treatment style doesn't work well, in my opinion. The abcesses caused by improperly fitted prosthetics or a tooth the VA won't fix can cause septicemia and death a lot quicker than a high cholesterol count or a possible tuberculosis outbreak.
I'm not asking for total health care. I just want them to fix what they promised they would! For all of us.
I've been hit by a writing bug, which is a good thing since I need to have something to say when I guest blog on Chica-X's blog, but it means I can't say anything here that I might want to say there and I don't know how long this inspiration will last or if I will be still happy with what I wrote by the time I need to post. See? This is why I didn't complete that journalism degree!;)
I'm pretty sure I won't be rambling on about e-mail over there, so it's probably safe to do so over here. I've noticed a pattern that I find disturbing. I get only about 10 e-mails per day, but 9 of them, generally are for things I didn't ask for.
About 5 years ago, I bought an Iomega zip drive, then had some incompatibility issues, so I went to the Iomega site. Since then, about 3 times a week I get advertisements from them. I don't remember signing up with them. All I did was register ownership of one of their products and search their technical base. Still can't use the drive. It's collecting dust, just like their e-mails do. I don't even look at them, they go into the rotational file immediately, but I'm still getting them after numerous attempts to unsubscribe.
I ordered a gift for a friend from a saddlery company. They keep trying to get me to buy a horse to go along with the previous purchase.
My ISP keeps sending me "How to get connected" e-mails which I find hilarious because if I wasn't connected, I wouldn't be getting the e-mails!
I took an online quiz at one of those new age shops. It was a fun quiz, but I took it, like, 4 years ago. I can't unsubscribe from those, either, but I almost don't mind because they have such a fascinating collection of things they sell. Still, I didn't buy from them, before, so why would I now?
Okay, guys, If you don't want to discuss female health issues, leave now. Of course, if you have any females in your lives- mothers, sisters, girlfriends, wives- then you might want to stick around for just a moment.
I got a letter from the VA on Friday afternoon that stated I was to report to a non-VA clinic for my very first mammogram today. Okay, so we need to ask the VA to give a tiny bit more notice, but other than that, it was fine.
Ladies, if you have the option, try to make sure you get the digital mammography instead of the old standard kind! It's quick, PAINLESS, and easy. Not sure about other areas, but I asked what the cost was for women who don't have insurance and the clinic I used charges $250, which includes taking the images and interpreting them. Of course, if you have insurance, it's even less, so there's no real financial reason not to!
The technician at the clinic said she gets a lot of women who dread it because they fear what they've heard about how painful it can be, but this is no longer true. It took me longer to get undressed than it did to get the mammogram done. My results should be ready in about a week, but the cool part was I could see the images right away (not that I knew what to look for) Still, it was pretty cool, but the best part was knowing that my fears were baseless. YEA!
You scored as Serenity (Firefly), You like to live your own way and don't enjoy when anyone but a friend tries to tell you should do different. Now if only the Reavers would quit trying to skin you.
I have always had a hard time changing. If it were up to me, there would still be a file manager in Windows and I'd still be using Netscape 4.6 to preview source codes, but...
There comes a time when dealing with the idiosyncrasies of the software I'm using becomes too irritating to deal with, so to that end, I've upgraded.
I have 3 days to find an interest in something printed, bound, on real paper. If I do that, and can read another 15 pages, I will have read 1000 pages of printed material- not online- in a real book I held in my hand, this week. :D
If I'm really lucky, it'll be a good story and I'll be able to claim at least 1200 pages this week!
Dumbledore fine
Harry might die but will be brought back.
Hermoine dies.
Snape dies fighting against Malfoy Sr.
Hagred minister of creature affairs
Serious Black dies defending someone
Neville get's Budge's job (ministry of Magic)
Tralaney dies
Ron gets an appointment somewhere
Voldemort contained and banished
Magonigal fine
Sr Malfoy dies, Jr Malfoy is forced into hiding
My predictions
Dumbledore dies
Snape gets appointed head of Hogwarts. We never learn everything about his past.
Harry and Voldemoret die or get locked in an eternal plane of struggle
Hermoine and Ron get married
Black dies
Hagred gets appointed as an ambassador to otherkin
Longbottom put in charge of hospital where his parents are
Alternatively, if Harry doesn't die, he gets appointed new Dark Arts teacher or becomes an Auror.
Both Malfoys destroyed if not killed
Listen up! It's not a crime to accidently kiss someone's bumper in traffic. It IS a crime to drive away at high speeds when the driver of the car you hit gets out of the car to see if there's any damage.
I knew, at 3-5 mph, there wouldn't be any significant damage, but my insurance company wants me to look, anyway. My plan had been to look briefly, walk to your car, and assure you that everything was copacetic and you didn't have anything to worry about. Paint scratches, that's all.
You, on the other hand, decided to panic.
You are now guilty of a felony, whether you are ever caught or not, and for what? Because you were afraid I'd find out you didn't have insurance or because you didn't want to have to tell your parents you'd hit someone while texting? (oh yes, I saw the cell phone in your hand!)
Wake up, Doofus! Running away can sometimes make things a lot worse than they were to begin with.
I wish you luck, because you're going to need it the next time, when things may not go so easy for you.
Oh, and by the way, cutting through traffic lanes like you did, during high traffic is also not a great idea. Neither is cutting through a parking lot to avoid a traffic light.
A geek, a nerd, one of those "nice" girls people knew in high school, but couldn't remember ever actually socializing with.
Please, don't make me do the "secret handshake". I barely got beyond the "High Five". I don't know how to "blood brother- peace out- gotcha back- more power to you- kissin cousins shake" or whatever it's called when a handshake lasts 5 minutes and has 15-37 intricate variations. I don't know the prescribed order in which the moves are supposed to be placed.
It's hard enough to be a girl, taught during the N.O.W. generation to shake hands like a man, and realize that my normal handshake intimidates men and insults them, without having to memorize choreography just to say hello.
Please, just don't ask, don't offer. I will only disappoint you and embarrass myself.
Ok, this won't apply to 99.9% of you, but for the rest,
If you have video screens in your car and want to watch X rated movies, please tint your windows!
Most adults have learned to ignore what they see while they're driving, but there are kids in the cars around you, too, who don't need to see "Debbie Does Dallas" in full living color on the way to Walmart.
Also, as unfriendly as this will sound, if your driving, your screen needs to be turned off, even if you're only watching "Barney" dvds for the kids in your car. It's distracting, even for you, the driver.
There's a UNCF commercial- public service announcement that touts the accomplishments of African American inventors. I think it's cool to know all these great and not so great (some are humble) things were invented by African Americans, but I wonder at the misleading message of the ad. A lot of the things invented by African Americans were introduced in the 1800's, some even earlier.
I would like to know, out of the people mentioned in the ad, how many had a college degree? I'm sure Dr. Charles Drew, who invented the blood plasma bag and thus the blood bank, had a college education, but what about A.L.Cralle, who invented the ice cream scoop, or Garrett Morgan, who invented the traffic light, or L.A. Burr, who invented the lawn mower?
You see, when I was growing up, I was taught (perhaps incorrectly) that generally, African Americans didn't go to college before WWII, that before Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights demonstrations, Blacks were not admitted to colleges, except for the two or three all- black colleges in the North. I had always assumed that meant that the people who invented stuff before then had done so without a formal higher education, using the power of their minds and the determination of their spirits to succeed in spite of being oppressed, which I always found more inspirational.
So, what about it? Did Sarah Boone, who invented the ironing board, have a college degree? Did Lydia O. Newman who invented the hair brush, have one? What about J. Ricks, who invented the horse shoe?
It is true that a mind- anyone's mind- is a terrible thing to waste, but it's equally important to remember that a college education doesn't guarantee success and the lack of one doesn't excuse anyone from using the brain they have.
***caveat*** This post focuses on African Americans because that's what the UNCF ad focuses on. It's not meant to slur or demean any accomplishment of any group or individual, but more to focus on the misconceptions that a focused ad can inadvertently or intentionally bring forth. It is not meant to enrage, but rather to engage the mind of the reader in an active, participatory thinking process about the quality of the information we're bombarded with every day.
Cross your fingers.
Turn around three times.
Shout nonsense words.
Stick out your tongue and cross your eyes.
Keep a good wish for my car.
Today's update:
I called to see if I could drop off the car to get the power steering restored and the guy (Josh) told me the prices had doubled and they didn't have any of the parts in stock, and they had such a backlog of cars from Monday through Wednesday that they couldn't possibly get to my car until this coming Monday, anyway, even if they HAD the parts onhand. :rolleyes:
Absolutely rediculous! This isn't a major fix. It shouldn't take more than 2 hours and so far it's taken (or will take) 3 weeks! Not a happy camper, here, folks! Still waiting for the parts to come in. Meanwhile, I'm glad I didn't just leave it there with them and rent a car while they didn't fix mine!
Why can't people (mechanics) do what they say they can do and when they say they can do it for the amount they originally say they can?
A friend of mine was asking me if I knew of an operating system that wasn't windows or linux for PC. I have no idea, but I know there are people here who do know, so speak up! What's the best alternative(free license) PC OS out there?
So, two weeks ago, my brakes started making a metal crunching noise. I took the car into Firestone where they informed me the calipers were bad, but they'd need two days to order the parts. In the meantime, they could bleed the lines, relube the parts and it would drive safely as long as I replace the pads the moment I start to hear them go bad. Ok, so the cost of actually replacing the calipers is $800. They charged me $400 with a pro rate for the real job when I get it done, for the other $400.
Then, last week the battery died. Hyundai wanted $130 for a new battery, installed. I went to Autozone and got one for $70, (installed because they were nice enough to put it in for me)
Last night, the power steering went out. The pump appears to be working but there's a serious leak- so serious that the fluid leaks out immediately when I put it in. I've called Hyundai and they say it will be about $250 to replace the whole system, but it could be just the return line. They didn't happen to mention how much that would be to fix.
Today was the big day for Jury Duty. I stayed up all night to be sure I made it there on time (because if I had gone to bed, chances are I would have slept through my alarm clock and there's a big nasty note on the form letter sent out that says if you don't show up, you can be subpeona'ed to show cause for why you didn't obey an order of the court)
At 7AM I showered and found something not made of jersey knit to wear and headed towards downtown. Now, I don't normally drive downtown because I hate guestimating which streets go which way and street signs disappear around here like the city was having a fire sale. The other problem is that the streets are named South and North whatever and East and West whatever, even if they don't actually run the direction they're named.
I was supposed to go to S. something but I got befuddled and was actually at N. something when I found what must have been the parking garage we were supposed to use. I had no indication I was in the wrong place because there was a sign that said "Jurors, use roof level" So round and round up the ramp I went and had 15 minutes to spare when I parked my car. I happened to see a fire marshall and asked him where the elevator was when he told me I was in the wrong garage and needed to go 4 blocks south.
I drove down the ramp, round and round, and round and met the guy at the gate who begrudgingly let me pass without paying because it had taken me 10 minutes to enter and leave the garage and they only allow 5.
I went to the correct parking garage and entered through the only entrance I could find and was told I was on the wrong side of the garage and needed to go out again and go around the building to the other entrance. I almost cried! But at least the official there was nice about it.
So, I finally found the correct place and had 3 minutes to park the car and get to the right place to be processed. I didn't find an open parking space until the 5th level. I ran to the eleva
<--- the way I look right now.