Zombie Apocalypse!

They were shambling down Market Street this morning, spattered with blood and intermittently moaning.

It was awesome.

Psst. Pass it on.

Today's earrings: cups, theobromine molecules

Bedtime reading: Thud!, Terry Pratchett

Songs of the season

"Long Black Veil," Lefty Frizzell
"Call me the Breeze," Lynyrd Skynyrd
"Blood Makes Noise," Suzanne Vega
"Reservoir Park," The Dutchess and the Duke

New shoes!

I was on my way to the store after work when I decided I needed new shoes more than groceries. I got off the cable car at Grant, collected three pair of velvet mary janes, and, since I was there and all, had dim sum for dinner. On the way home I passed the time of day with a saxophone player at Grant and Post, and passed a Chinese violin player at Market and Ellis who was playing something that sounded a whole lot like "Red River Valley." As I got closer to home I was noticing the bougainvillea in the planters in the plaza, thinking about other places I've lived, with and without bougainvillea. Bougainvillea is important.

Waiting in the mailbox at home: jury summons.


Today's earrings: deer, buffalo

Bedtime reading: Come to Dust, Emma Lathen

Minty!

Right before I went on vacation, I ordered a bunch of books from Amazon. I got back and there they all were... except Joanna Russ's How to Suppress Women's Writing. I thought that was kind of funny, actually, for the first week. Then the bookseller emailed me to ask for feedback on their wares, and I asked them to start a trace for the package. Instead, they refered me to Amazon customer service. I asked them to start a trace. Instead they said they were very sorry and reversed the charge to my debit card. OK, whatever. I ordered another copy, which arrived in good time.

Today the first copy arrived. It was described by the seller as being in "very good" condition. It should have been described as "ex-library (good)." The binding's in fine shape, but there's a card pocket inside, the back cover looks to have rested on a damp surface at some point in the distant past, and it reeks eye-wateringly of peppermint. (The peppermint stench is a new one on me. WTF?)

So now I'm not sure what to do. Or, rather, I know I need to contact Amazon and tell them I've got the book, but should I be trying to send it back, or keep it? And if so, should I be trying for a discount on the grounds of the misclassified condition? Decisions, decisions.

Spelling Bee!

Spelling Bee Dude said "ma-ook-a," and I was like, "huh?" until he said it meant "toward the mountains," at which point I was all, "oh, mauka." Then Spelling Bee Dude said it had no other pronunciations. And I'm all "What!?" Dad said it with two syllables. He even was a native-ish speaker, unlike Spelling Bee Dude. hmph.


Today's earrings: turtles, trees

Bedtime reading: Dragon's Claw, Peter O'Donnell

Secrets of the Patriarchy, Revealed!

Today S told us that whenever a guy sees a woman in a dress, the rule is he's supposed to complement her. Most dresses don't have pockets, you see, and if women are encouraged to wear clothes without pockets, then men get to carry the car keys, and therefore get to decide when they leave the party.


Today's earrings: rockets, school buses

Bedtime reading: The Color of Magic, Terry Pratchett

An open letter

Dear people in costume shouting "woo!":

You aren't as lovably zany as you think you are. And the official course is two blocks over. Go "woo!" there.

Love,
iiii

Crowning moments of awesome

First, on Survivor, there was much maneuvering, which culminated with Sandra standing up and saying that she didn't want to go out with the immunity idol in her bra. Then she made a production of pulling it out, while the jury enjoyed Russell's discomfiture in the background.

Then there was the season finale of Supernatural. It culminated with, well, it was pretty much the yellow crayon speech, but with a '67 Impala in place of the crayon. It worked, mate.


Today's earrings: spiders, crows

Bedtime reading: Borrower of the Night, Elizabeth Peters

Cute but deadly

Today's earrings: polar bears, brown bears

Bedtime reading: My Heart Leaps Up, R.A. Lafferty

Half sick of blogging

This daily posting thing has gotten tiresome. I've been planning on sticking it out to 1000 posts and closing up shop, but that's another five months. I'm not sure I want to keep slogging on just because of a culturally dictated fetish for base 10, you know?

Anyway - sometime soon, I'll be moving the daily earring report to facebook and only posting here when I actually have something to say.

RSN.


Today's earrings: boots, brooms

Bedtime reading: My Heart Leaps Up, R.A. Lafferty

Forest

Today's earrings: pines, trees

Bedtime reading: My Heart Leaps Up, R.A. Lafferty

Shiny monkeys

Today's earrings: monkeys, suns

Bedtime reading: My Heart Leaps Up, R. A. Lafferty

Best excuse ever

"Sorry I'm late - my root canal ran long."


Bedtime reading: My Heart Leaps Up, R.A. Lafferty

Ecclesiastes 9:11

Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to the men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.

Today's earrings: racing camels, bicycles

Bedtime reading: My Heart Leaps Up, R.A. Lafferty

Pizza 2-nite

Today's earrings: mushrooms, olive shells

Bedtime reading: My Heart Leaps Up, R.A. Lafferty

Tonight on Survivor

Week before last, JT found an immunity idol. Last week, JT and the other guys on Team Heroes conspired to pass that immunity idol to Russell, a total stranger who happened to be the last male player on Team Villains. Their rationale for this was that "obviously" the women on the Villain team were in an alliance, and Russell needed to be saved from the Evil Women.

This week, the teams merged. Villain Sandra stole a moment alone with Hero Rupert and told him the real scoop: the internal divisions of the Villains had never been along gender lines, and Sandra was the real odd one out on that team. Since Rupert and Sandra had been allies in a previous season, Rupert believed her. Since JT was very much invested in his fantasy of Evil Women, JT did not believe her. JT's conviction was bolstered by a series of not-terribly-plausible lies from Russell.

Danielle (a Villain) wins the immunity challenge. Considerable maneuvering ensues. The ex-Heroes, what with one thing and another, decide not to vote for their primary target Parvati, but for Jerri (a Villanous red shirt). The ex-Villains decide to vote for JT. After the voting, Parvati produced two immunity idols - the one JT gave Russell, which Russell gave her, plus one she'd found herself - and handed them to Sandra and Jerri. Sandra and Jerri thank Parvati and play the idols. JT voted out.

JT congratulated Russell, but not Parvati, before he left. In his final words, he said that the lesson he'd learned (from Russell lying to him) was "never trust a woman."


Today's earrings: frogs, lily pads

Bedtime reading: My Heart Leaps Up, R.A. Lafferty

SCIENCE!

We went to see Neil DeGrasse Tyson at the Palace of Fine Art. Among the SCIENCE! he spoke of turtles all the way down (Dan'l told it better). After, we stopped at Mel's for munchies.

I think we're on for brunch this Saturday.


Today's earrings: eyes, dopamine molecules

Bedtime reading: My Heart Leaps Up, R.A. Lafferty

The time has come

to start thinking about starting to re-catalogue my library.


Today's earrings: elephants, mice

Bedtime reading: My Heart Leaps Up, R.A. Lafferty

Couplet named

@Susan - dunno. Did it work?

Meg has it!
Amy got it, too.

So! Brunch at my place next weekend?


Today's earrings: boots, chickens

Bedtime reading: My Heart Leaps Up, R.A. Lafferty

Name that couplet

And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more --

First person to name the poem without googling gets brunch on me.


Today's earrings: sand dollars, shells

Bedtime reading: My Heart Leaps Up, R.A. Lafferty

Previously unappreciated benefit of wearing loose skirts all the time

If you happen to spill a full Cup O' Soup in your lap, just stand up, and the hot liquid is no longer in contact with your lap.


Today's earrings: skeletal fish

Bedtime reading: My Heart Leaps Up, R.A. Lafferty

Got stuff done

Mailed my taxes, moved my computer so the sun won't be rising over it any more, even got through a decent amount of work.


Today's earrings: eyes, mailboxes

Bedtime reading: My Heart Leaps Up, R.A. Lafferty

Clumsy

I burnt some toast bad enough to set off the smoke alarm, so I opened a window and turned on the fan and the alarm stopped beeping. Later, I dropped half my grilled cheese. I still haven't worked out how to turn off the fan without turning out the light.

*sigh*


Today's earrings: octopi, coins

Bedtime reading: My Heart Leaps Up, R.A. Lafferty

This weekend

I rearranged my living room.


Today's earrings: stools, brooms

Bedtime reading: Microserfs, Douglas Coupland

Happy Friday

I got nothing done today.


Today's earrings: amethysts

Bedtime reading: Microserfs, Douglas Coupland

You Light Up My Life

Heard this morning in Montgomery Station, live on the accordion.
Heard again this evening on the muzak in the grocery store.


Today's earrings: bees, bears

Bedtime reading: Microserfs, Douglas Coupland

Today's discovery

Did you know they make cake-batter flavored frozen yogurt? It's really good.


Today's earrings: llamas, buffalo

Bedtime reading: Microserfs, Douglas Coupland

The ground floor of City Hall

I toured it this morning. They have some nice light fixtures in the office areas.


Today's earrings: pigs, citrine drops

Bedtime reading: Microserfs, Douglas Coupland

Caught up on my appointment television

Jerri did the smart thing, which is sad because it looks like this season is going to be a rerun of last season - a truly horrible person gets to the end because he'll be easy to beat in the final, but the editors try to convince us that he gets to the end because he's the Most Brilliant Strategist in the World. *sigh*

Followed by the saddest Supernatural ever. Poor, doomed Winchesters.


Today's earrings: spiders, crows

Bedtime reading: Microserfs, Douglas Coupland

Learning experiences

It looked like rain this morning. I don't have a pair of waterproof shoes that goes with my Easter Sunday dress, so I wore a different outfit (and the amber earrings to go with it) to mass at St. Patrick's. I learned that Catholic tourists do not sing at mass, even when encouraged by the priest.


After mass, I met the gang back at my place. They peer-pressured me into changing into warmer clothes (and tree earrings) and going with them to the Muir Woods, where it was raining. I learned that a) redwood groves stay relatively dry, and b) tourists will show up to see redwoods even in the pouring rain.


We lunched in Marin. Then we went to M's, where I napped for a while. K and I went grocery shopping. We noshed on leftover Chinese takeout while playing Apples to Apples. I learned that "the ocean" is more "stunning" than "charging rhinos." Still don't get that one.

M drove us back to my place. At D's insistence, we played Scrabble. S put "CARIBOU" across two double word scores for 96 points. I made a display of poor sportsmanship.

They're leaving first thing in the morning. pout.


Today's earrings: bunnies, amber teardrops, trees


Bedtime reading: Night Shift, Terry Pratchett

Party Time! Bouncy House!

Tiger's birthday party, at M's. Much merriment. The kids spent most of their time in the firedog-shaped bouncy house. Yelling "Cupcake time!" at the top of my lungs did get them all to come spilling out. We sang, and ate cupcakes (or chocolate-chip meringues, for the observant), and then everyone went back to bouncy-bouncy-bouncy fun.

We got take out for dinner, and then M smooshed us all at Scrabble.

Very good day.


Today's earrings: gingerbread men, school buses

Bedtime reading: Night Shift, Terry Pratchett

Played hooky

S, D, and I zig-zagged across town on trolleys and cable cars, touching down at the Hyatt with the cool lobby and the cable car museum before coming to light on the Hyde Street Pier. They have some spiffy sailing vessels at the Hyde Street Pier. Then (as I had tired of waiting in the drizzle for transit) we got a cab over to Green Apple. Bookshopping ensued. We went back to my place. K&D went to M's; S and I took naps. AL showed up and we went to M's for pizza. yum.


Today's earrings: fire extinguishers, fire trucks

Bedtiem reading: Night Shift, Terry Pratchet

Up with the chickens

...and the jet-lagged. The sunrise was cloudy and pink.

I went to work, and the vacationers went to Ano Nuevo to see the seals. They also stopped to visit the roadside metal tyrannosaurs. In the evening we ate Ethiopian in the company of some pleasant mathematicians & LM. Tiger fell asleep on K in the restaurant.

Tomorrow we Explorator.


Today's earrings: coffee cups, chickens

Bedtime reading: Night Watch, Terry Pratchett

Good things

K/S/D arrived this afternoon. We hung about, got dinner, read bedtime books, and then I went to my very first HOA meeting. Some of my fellow owners really like the sound of their own voices; others seem quite pleasant. K/S/D are now asleep in my living room. :)

In other news, it was Newbie's last day. Yippee!


Today's earrings: monkeys, wishbones

Bedtime reading: Night Watch, Terry Pratchett

Mission accomplished

I have the specified breakfast foods in my home.


Today's earrings: camels, suns

Bedtime reading: Night Watch, Terry Pratchett

I have Cheerios

But should I get yogurt, and possibly granola? Inquiring minds want to know.


Today's earrings: lizards, rocks

Bedtime reading: Night Watch, Terry Pratchett

Compasses

Unerring and impartial justice; the perfect figure of the circle with the central point, the source of life. With the square, the compasses define the limits and the bounds of rectitude. In sacred architecture the compasses represent transcendent knowlege; the archetype controlling all works; the navigator.
-- J.C. Cooper, An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols

Today's earrings: compasses

Bedtime reading: Iron Tears, R.A. Lafferty

Leisure

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stop and stare?

-- William Henry Davies

Today's earrings: coffee cups, teapots

Bedtime reading: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Muriel Spark

Taxing

The worst part about taxes isn't writing the check. It's the paperwork.


Today's earrings: amethysts

Bedtime reading: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Muriel Spark

Root canal delayed

The endodontologist did a little poking and prodding with icy bits of gauze, then told me that he wasn't so sure I needed a root canal right this minute. The tooth would seem to be improving on its own, though at a glacial pace, so maybe we should wait? We discussed it a bit, and settled on making another appointment for a month out, and we'll see how it goes.

In other news, I found out this morning that Newbie has resigned. You will be happy to hear that I did not jump around the office yelling, "YEEE HAH!" Instead I just smiled too much while saying how glad I was for her and hoping that she'd do well in her new job.


Today's earrings: mushrooms, trees

Bedtime reading: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Muriel Spark

Musical Interlude

Tonight in Mongomery Station was a guy with a voice eerily like Johnny Cash, playing an accoustic guitar and singing "Blitzkrieg Bop."

I gave him money.


Today's earrings: penguins, fish

Bedtime reading: The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Muriel Spark

Victory!

I am the proud new owner of a thing that holds up my stereo, holds my music, and has space for a few toys & games. It's just the right size to hold LPs, too.

Plus, lunch with the nice people who brought me my new piece o' furniture and took away a bunch of superannuated electronics.

They are most excellent.


Today's earrings: peace signs, chickens

Bedtime reading: The Danger, Dick Francis

Fuzzy peril

Today's earrings: llamas, rabbits

Bedtiem reading: The Danger, Dick Francis

March Madness

has pre-empted my Thursday night appointment tv.

*sigh*


Today's earrings: frogs, lily pads

Bedtime reading: The Danger, Dick Francis

Happy St. Gertrude's Day

She's the patroness of gardens and cats, and also people who need a place to stay.


Today's earrings: tulips, peas

Bedtime reading: The Danger, Dick Francis

M's been telling me I should get some art

I was thinking maybe something like this:

It's by Thomas Easley. I do love his chickens.

Today's earrings: ants, suns

Bedtime reading: The Danger, Dick Francis

Happy Ides of March!

And also, Dan Luten's Brithday.

I decided to mark the day by trying out the bar & grill that just opened in Hallidie Plaza. The kitchen seems to be doing ok, but the counter staff do not yet have the hang of the registers.


Today's earrings: eyes, liberty dimes

Bedtime reading: The Danger, Dick Francis

Happy Pi Day!

Dinner @ M's:
Spinach-feta quiche (A made the crust)
Pie-shaped pasta with M's pesto
An array of tiny store-bought dessert pies
Wine
Trivial Pursuit.

I love the holidays.


Today's earrings: pies, apples

Bedtime reading: Iron Tears, R.A. Lafferty

"Like Little Ducks Each Day"

Jonah Hirnbrecher was doing something with his hands, on or behind the shoulders of Jim Snapjudge. He seemed to be unfastening an invisible something, probably a garment. Then he drew it off and folded it carefully with his ritual hands. The object was still invisible, and yet its shape, including the very fancy fringes of it, could be guessed from the movement of those Jonah hands.

"I am removing your Prophet's Mantle, Snapjudge," Jonah said then in a liturgical voice. "It is best removed some hours before death, for the prophetic faculty is already lost when the doubting and questioning begin. When one dies and the Mantle has not been symbolically removed, then the trees in the sacred talking groves (there are still some in nearby Scioto county) will wail out 'A Prophet is dead!' and I hate to hear grown trees cry."

- - R.A. Lafferty

Today's earrings: gingerbread men, fire trucks

Bedtime reading: Iron Tears, R.A. Lafferty

Board feet

I'm not sure yet how many more shelves I'll really need. I have to shuffle stuff around a bit, stash a box or two back in the basement, maybe sell some books.

Plus I need someplace to put the music.


Today's earrings: octopi, trees

Bedtime reading: Island of the Sequined Love Nun, Christopher Moore

Hardware

Stopped off at the hardware store on the way home and picked up some more shelf pegs; hung the last of the shelves.

It's not all going to fit.


Today's earrings: boots, chickens

Bedtime reading: Island of the Sequined Love Nun, Christopher Moore

Here comes the rain again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzFnYcIqj6I


Today's earrings: bees, leaves

Bedtime reading: Island of the Sequined Love Nun, Christopher Moore

Only six more book boxes in the basement

Today's boxes: Art; Hardcover Fiction, A-H.


Today's earrings: leaves, typewriter keys

Bedtime reading: Island of the Sequined Love Nun, Christopher Moore

Up against the wall

The handymen came this morning and attached cases to walls. The world is good.


Today's earrings: turtles, tools

Bedtime reading: Coyote Blue, Christopher Moore

Protest time

Just as I got home, a bunch of people with signs marched by, escorted by motorcycle cops. Then sirens. Then the people with signs marched back the other way, escorted by motorcycle cops.

Later, Cirie got blindsided by JT.


Today's earrings: octopi, alligators

Bedtime reading: Coyote Blue, Christopher Moore

False alarm

Yesterday's big alarums were d/t me looking at the wrong file. Up side: we do not have to add 9,000 lines one at a time by hand. Down side: some customer is still pestering IT for an update I can't find.

And I have to lead a seminar on Excel tomorrow at 2.


Today's earrings: eyes, crows

Bedtime reading: Coyote Blue, Christopher Moore

Why, yes, my failure to plan IS your emergency.

Got an email this afternoon from the head IT dude, saying that people were hassling him for the new Schedule B, and when would it be ready. "Huh?" I replied. "What new Schedule B?" "The one they're hassling me for," he said.

I looked around, and discovered that there was indeed a new Schedule B, posted mid-February and effective yesterday. I said, "Oops." Then I compared the new book to the old book, and the new one is twice as long. Literally. The old one was 8800 lines long; the new one is 17,500. I said, "@$%@#."

D and J are in charge of the minions around here. I went to J, told him my problem, and he pulled his two minions off their current jobs and pitched in himself. I went D, told him my problem, and he said, basically, "that's nice." I went back to D, told him that the customers want this done as of yesterday, could I use his minion B? And D said, as soon as B's done with the thing I assigned him this morning... probably next week sometime. WTF? We've got to add 9,000 lines to a database one at a time by hand, and it was supposed to be done yesterday. NO, I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK. I was insistent, and got my way, but D was real clear that I'm overreacting and being utterly unreasonable. Jackass.


Today's earrings: polar bears, brown bears

Bedtime reading: Freeze My Margarita, Lauren Henderson

I'm changing my Lenten Vow

We're about two weeks in and I've been late seven days so far. I doubt my own sincerity, here.

I'm switching to: I will have only one cup of coffee per day. That, I've been doing.


Today's earrings: compasses

Bedtime reading: Freeze My Margarita, Lauren Henderson

Lunch in the food court

So nice living across the street from the mall.


Today's earrings: bunnies, other bunnies

Bedtime reading: Freeze My Margarita, Lauren Henderson

Banana boats

Today's earrings: monkeys, teaspoons

Bedtime reading: Freeze My Margarita, Lauren Henderson

Fire boat

Today's earrings: fire extinguishers, boats

Bedtime reading: Freeze My Margarita, Lauren Henderson

Swamp boat

Today's earrings: dragonflies, alligators

Bedtime reading: Freeze My Margarita, Lauren Henderson

Ice boat

Today's earrings: penguins, fish

Bedtime reading: Freeze My Margarita, Lauren Henderson

Ships of the Desert

Today's earrings: racing camels, anchors

Bedtime reading: Freeze My Margarita, Lauren Henderson

I have the technology

Went to Tanforan with b2, came home with a new (flat) tv and a dvd player that works. Spent the rest of the afternoon and evening watching Supernatural season 4. The world is good.


Today's earrings: eyes, wishbones

Bedtime reading: what, are you kidding? I'm falling asleep in front of the new tv.

So, Survivor

It's "Heroes" vs "Villains" this time out. Which is to say, previous players beatified by the editing staff vs. previous players vilified by the editing staff. Some of the "Villains" seem to be genuinely unpleasant people, but then, so do some of the "Heroes."

The editing staff tends to beatify overt leaders, while they tend to vilify backstabby strategerizing types. So the "Heroes" all have their egos tied up in being team captain, while the "Villains" have their egos tied up in plotting how they will backstab the guy who's taken the team captain role. Result: "Villains" 2, "Heroes" 0.


Today's earrings: owls, estrogen molecules

Bedtime reading: Freeze My Margarita, Lauren Henderson

Baking

I had a banana to use up, so I mashed it, added some peanut butter, milk, sour cream and an egg and baked it. Tasted pretty good, but the texture was odd.


Today's earrings: strawberries, peppers

Bedtiem reading: Above Suspicion, Helen MacInnes

Lolcat poetry

im in ur handfull of dust, showing ur fear.


Today's earrings: moose, wood rounds

Bedtime reading: Above Suspicion, Helen MacInnes

Happy Mardi Gras

This year for Lent I'm going to go to bed at a reasonable hour. I may start early.


Today's earrings: pigs, garnets

Bedtime reading: Above Suspicion, Helen MacInnes

President's Day

I had to work.


Today's earrings: snowflakes, lizards

Bedtime reading: Above Suspicion, Helen MacInnes

Assemblies

We had a lovely brunch, then (thanks mostly to CC's magic hands) two bookcases and a kitchen cabinet appeared in my living room. AL and M presented me with a hammer. Then we went out for chocolate.


Today's earrings: bees, turtles

Bedtime reading: Under the Dome, Steven King

Happy New Year

It's the Year of the Tiger, you know.


Today's earrings: peace signs, zodiacs

Bedtime reading: Under the Dome, Steven King

I got carded at the liquor store tonight

I was kinda tickled. That hasn't happened in ages.


Today's earrings: mushrooms, stones

Bedtime reading: Under the Dome, Steven King

Happy St Scholastica's Day

Scholastica is invoked against storms, because this one time, when she was visiting with her brother (St. Benedict), she asked him to stay over and and talk to her all night but he said no, so she prayed and God sent a thunderstorm so severe that her brother had to stay.

God does the silliest stuff for saints.


Today's earrings: frogs, lily pads

Bedtime reading: Under the Dome, Steven King

Ikea is coming! Ikea is coming!

Bookcases tbd Saturday.

Anybody feel like a brunch & assembly party Sunday?


Today's earrings: monkeys, typewriter keys

Bedtime reading: Under the Dome, Steven King

The Day of the Superb Owl

M & I toured Ikea contrary-wise, and I came away with

- the velvet cushion I'm sitting on right now
- a spatter guard for my pots and pans
- an ice cream scoop
- wildlife cookie-cutters (some Russians tried to hijack them out of our cart while we were looking for a bundt pan, but gave them back as soon as M showed them where to find more)
- a shelflet for my bathroom cabinet
- an upper cabinet to fill the blank spot in my kitchen

Thanks, everybody! It was exactly what I wanted. :)


Today's earrings: turtles, teapots

Bedtime reading: Murder Against the Grain, Emma Lathen

Par-tay!

Turns out, we'd have had to be accompanied by an Elk, and the one I know had other plans for the evening. :(

So! We went to Plan B, which involved meeting at my place for wine and cheese. Then we went to Plan C, the Indian restaurant on the corner that we hadn't tried yet. I believe that may become our default Indian restaurant. After, we went to the food court at the mall for cupcakes.

Present haul: S4 of Supernatural (the good season, with Mischa Collins), a pretty blue scarf, and considerable future haulage from Ikea. Thanks, guys!


Today's earrings: octopi, trees

Bedtime reading: Murder Against the Grain, Emma Lathen

How much is six times nine?

I got my first HOA meeting notice. In the same envelope was a handy little self-nomination form, in case I wanted to be on the board.

Maybe next year.


Today's earrings: amethysts

Bedtime reading: Murder Against the Grain, Emma Lathen

First, catch your...

The Basic Plan: 6pm Friday at the Elks.
Plan with Frills: we congregate at my place beforehand.
Plan B: we go get dim sum.
Sound good?

Random path-crossings this morning: a current neighbor, the Singhs. Sylvia actually came up with my name on the fly.
This evening: a woman I used to see on the bus before I moved.


Today's earrings: gingerbread men, rabbits

Bedtime reading: Murder Against the Grain, Emma Lathen

Shiny Candlemas!

Today I went out and got myself an ironing board, and an iron to go with it. Each day I creep closer to orthodoxy...


Today's earrings: rockets, brooms

Bedtime reading: Murder Against the Grain, Emma Lathen

A-ha!

http://www.asylum.com/2010/01/29/westboro-baptist-church-protests-gets-protested-outside-twitter/
I though they'd been in town - when I got back from the endontologist Friday, there was residual police presence and everyone was telling me about what sounded like a WBC counter-protest.

And I missed it.


Today's earrings: sand dollars, olive shells

Bedtime reading: Murder Against the Grain, Emma Lathen

Thirty-seven minutes

Or, how long it takes a Kansas jury to convict a confessed murderer. :)

In other news, the endodontist says he'd like to wait a month and see if the tooth doesn't pull itself together before he starts recommending root canal.


Today's earrings: scarabs

Bedtime reading: Hard Row, Margaret Maron

Went to the mall

Found the earrings store. Now I have octopi. :)


Today's earrings: snowflakes, peppers

Bedtime reading: Hard Row, Margaret Maron

The Walrus and the Carpenter

The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright--
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.

The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done--
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and spoil the fun!"

The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead--
There were no birds to fly.
- - Lewis Carroll

Today's earrings: flies, amber

Bedtime reading: Hard Row, Margaret Maron

On the cable car this morning

One woman asked some tourists where they were from. "Brazil," they said. "Oh! I'm from Colombia! Right next door..." She wanted them to speak Spanish, but all they had was Portuguese and English. The Asian woman sitting next to the lady from Colombia did speak Spanish, though. She'd lived in Mexico for a while. Then the conductor chimed in that he was from Spain. They had a lovely chat. I pretty much just recognized the place names, but I could tell they were having fun.

Then I had my teeth examined. She refered me to a periodontist.


Today's earrings: amethysts

Bedtime reading: Hard Row, Margaret Maron

Word of the day

thug

1810, "member of a gang of murderers and robbers in India who strangled their victims," from Marathi thag, thak "cheat, swindler," Hindi thag, perhaps from Skt. sthaga-s "cunning, fraudulent," possibly from sthagayati "(he) covers, conceals," from PIE base *(s)teg- "cover" (see stegosaurus). Transferred sense of "ruffian, cutthroat" first recorded 1839. The more correct Indian name is phanseegur, and the activity was described in Eng. as far back as c.1665. Rigorously prosecuted by the British from 1831, they were driven from existence, but the process extended over the rest of the 19c.

- - etymology.com

Today's earrings: hands, basketweave spoons

Bedtime reading: Hard Row, Margaret Maron

Busy evening

Wine & pizza with b2 - we got to see the counter clerk's new boyfriend, and he is, as promised, most cute. We refrained from doing the Ooooo-oooo! noises while he could hear us. We're such grown-ups.

Later, M & SJ stopped by. They'd just seen Avatar, which they said was perfectly formulaic and most lengthy. And that despite what I'd heard, the nerve-cluster touching thing wasn't sex.
Darn.


Today's earrings: skeletal fish

Bedtime reading: Driving Force, Dick Francis

Punch

There was an old owl lived in an oak,
The more he heard, the less he spoke;
The less he spoke, the more he heard,
O, if men were all like that wise bird!

Today's earrings: owls, trees

Bedtime reading: Driving Force, Dick Francis

Land of the inappropriate cover tune

Road to Nowhere.


Today's earrings: scarabs

Bedtime reading: Driving Force, Dick Francis

Cold-blooded

http://www.keysnet.com/news/story/178919.html


Today's earrings: turtles, other turtles

Bedtime reading: Driving Force, Dick Francis

Illumination

The Cricket has lit up my life. She's the best & the brightest.

Thanks, Cricket!


Today's earrings: boots, buses

Bedtime reading: Driving Force, Dick Francis

Brunch with T (no S)

Hope you're feeling better, S.

After, CC & went to Home Depot and found a light fixture for the top of my bookcase. I am very glad she was there.


Today's earrings: pigs, citrine drops

Bedtime reading: Unseen Academicals, Terry Pratchett

Exchanged emails with the insurance company

I can, in fact, afford to have this crown redone. It'll just use up my dental benefits for the year.

*sigh*


In other news, one of my coworkers has quit to go be a missionary. Didn't see that coming.


Today's earrings: swords, dragons

Bedtime reading: Unseen Academicals, Terry Pratchett

Back to the dentist

...and she tells me that I'll just have to wait until it stops hurting. Um, wtf?
I can't afford to get this thing redone. I can't even afford a second opinion.


Today's earrings: snowflakes, suns

Bedtime reading: Unseen Academicals, Terry Pratchett

Definitely need this crown adjusted.

*sigh*


Today's earrings: spiders, crows

Bedtime reading: Unseen Academicals, Terry Pratchett

New crown

lots of temperature sensitivity. I think I'm going to need to go back in...


Today'searrings: flowers, garnets

Bedtime reading: Unseen Academicals, Terry Pratchett

Dentistry postponed

I realized about noon that I hadn't gotten a confirmation call from the dentist's office, so I called them. They seemed surprised. No, they did not have me down for 2pm. But they can fit me in tomorrow afternoon. I said fine.

This is the second time they've misplaced my appointment. hmph. Looks like I am going to have to have Words with the receptionist.


Today's earrings: compasses

Bedtime reading: Unseen Academicals, Terry Pratchett

To cable, or not to cable?

Just got a bill from Comcast, so I need to call and browbeat them into not sending me any more bills. Or I could let them coax me into becoming a customer again.

On the "stay away" side, we have the expense, the general evil of monopolies, and the specific evil that is Comcast. Also, Netflix and next-day online rebroadcasts.

On the "go back" side, we have my Thursday night conversations with b2 and the delights of channel-flipping.


Today's earrings: lizards, rocks

Bedtime reading: Rat Race, Dick Francis

I understand there was an earthquake today

A 4.1, in Milpitas.

I didn't feel a thing.


Today's earrings: racing camels, rabbits

Bedtime reading: Rat Race, Dick Francis

To the bookstore!

I picked up some books for Tiger after work. I hope he doesn't already have the one about the little red lighthouse.


Today's earrings: mice, other mice

Bedtime reading: Rat Race, Dick Francis

Blur

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7kUuXR7pKw



Today's earrings: balloons, broomsticks

Bedtime reading: Three Men in a Boat, Jerome K. Jerome

This sounds ominous

Came home today to a notice that ownership of my mortgage has been transferred to Fannie Mae. What does this mean?


Today's earrings: lobsters, anchors

Bedtime reading: Three Men in a Boat, Jerome K. Jerome