Paid property tax

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

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

Gloss

At the bus stop this morning, I found myself wondering where "to gloss over" came from. Is it to hide something behind a shiny surface, or to explain it away? And how did those two meanings grow out of each other?

Turns out they didn't:

gloss (1) "luster," 1538, from Scand. (cf. Icelandic glossi "flame," related to glossa "to flame"), or obsolete Du. gloos "a glowing," from M.H.G. glos.

gloss (2) "word inserted as an explanation," 1548, gloze, from L. glossa "obsolete or foreign word," from Gk. glossa (Ionic), glotta (Attic) "obscure word, language," lit. "tongue." Extended sense of "explain away" is 1638, from idea of a note inserted in the margin of a text to explain a difficult word.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=gloss

Still not clear on which was the source for "gloss over," but at least I can stop wondering how 'explanatory note' = 'shiny surface.'


Today's earrings: coffee cups, teapots

Bedtime reading: Jingo, Terry Pratchett

Verses

I'm a little teapot, short and stout

Here is my handle, here is my spout.

When I get all steamed up then I shout.

Tip me over and pour me out.

I'm a clever teapot, yes it's true

Here's an example of what I can do

I can change my handle to my spout.

Just tip me over and pour me out.

Today's earrings: coffee cups, teapots

Bedtime reading: The Daffodil Affair, Michael Innes

Hot water

The plumber dude showed up bright and early, covered with tattoos and competence, and replaced my water heater with alacrity. The old one was white, and other than being a water heater in a kitchen, sorta blended in ok. The new one is battleship gray with two copper loops coming out the top. They look like mouse ears or something. The new contraption, despite its tingent disharmony, is capable of heating and containing water at the same time. I'm for it.

Next problem: draining half a dozen sodden towel without any outdoor space.


Today's earrings: mermaids, teapots

Bedtime reading: "Trouble with Water," H.L. Gold

I should have worn these earrings Wednesday

No, I can't break away, I must have you every day,
As regularly as coffee or tea;
You've got me in your clutches and I can't get free--
You're getting to be a habit with me
(Can't break it)
You're getting to be a habit with me.

- - Al Dubin


Today's earrings: coffee cups, teapots

Bedtime reading: Space Chantey, R.A. Lafferty

Lumber

Spoke with the Landed Gentry in their new digs this evening. They seemed a bit drained.

The cat came and sat on Landed while were talking. I hope Gentry got the picture...


Today's earrings: bulls, teapots

Bedtime reading: Christmas at Candleshoe, Michael Innes

PST

9am. clock radio went off. lazelazelaze and the announcer went to commercial with, "It's 8:17 here at KGO." Huh? Checked other clocks. Turned out the only one I hadn't re-set was... the clock radio. Oops.

9:20am 8:20am. reset clock radio. Made coffee.

9:15am. called the Wandering Albatross. Turned out to be quarter-past midnight in his time zone; I apologized & hung up.

9:30am-10:15. intermittently tried to call K back.

10:30am. met gang for brunch at Cafe Pretentious. At some point, they'd discontinued table service & failed to circulate the memo. The Angry Lemming heroically hunted down brunch. Go, Lemming! Then we all got epistolatory.

noonish. the gang headed east ISO some great outdoors to inhabit; I went for gelato. mmmmm, gelato.

4:30pm. b2 called; her grandmother died this morning after a long illness.

6pm. Cousin Bruce called. He'll be in town for a bridge tournament 11/22-12/2, could I recommend some restaurants?

8:15pm. Wandering Albatross called. He had changed time zones! I did count right! Anyway, he's home again & pleased about it.


Today's earrings: eyes, teapots

Bedtime reading: Fugitive Colors, Margaret Maron.

Tempest

Top Chef 2-nite. I still hate Dave, and my precious Tiffani is vindicated! In fairness, I should say that however whiny Dave is, he's whining while doing his best to pull his weight for the team. Not like the morons from S2, who know how limited Ilan is and still stuck him with the duck. And didn't bother to coordinate their menu at all. And didn't even try to talk Marcel out of the pre-puddles he calls foams and gelees. Twerps.


Today's earrings: mice, teapots

Bedtime reading: Foundation, Isaac Asimov