Who am I to say?

Strange things afoot at the Circle K

2009-07-08T00:01:00.001-08:00

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure is quite possibly the only film I can think of in which Keanu Reeves' delivery was exactly what the character needed. Also, it is hard to resist a film that has Jeanne d'Arc as a hot chick.

But, I digress.

The seventeen of you that actually bother to come by and read, comment, mock, etc. are likely familiar with the events in my life.

In the last six months I have

1) Started the process of dissolving my marriage of 15 years. John and I hope to be able to remain friends, but we are not good spouses. This is a good decision for both of us.

2) Left a job that I was fantastically unsuited for, and am pursuing other interests, working to develop something that I will find interesting, satisfying, and compensatory in a manner that won't cause me to consider actually eating the voles, shrews, and snowshoe hares the cats bring me.

3) Become the person I used to be, who didn't feel trapped by circumstance and was willing to effect/pursue/evoke change to make things happen. Because I'm a pushy bitch. Or, I used to be.

A dear friend told me I was bored by my own rage. Truer words have rarely been spoken (to me). I was so used to being angry and frustrated that I accepted situations I shouldn't have.

Now, I'm making an effort to change. All change is hard, and I am sorry for the insecure nutbar I have been and likely will be for the next year or so as I sort my life out and head out into new directions. Your patience, forbearance, and reality checks are appreciated.

So. Happy Birthday to me. Thanks for being here, and regular features will be reintroduced as life finds a new route.

Back into hibernation

2009-03-21T12:54:00.001-08:00

Like the brown bear, this blog will be going back into hibernation until later on in the spring.

A Moment of Silence

2009-03-20T01:30:00.001-08:00

Coming out of hibernation...

Yesterday a dear friend and confederate of the UCF suffered a terrible personal tragedy. Out of respect for her loss, the UCF member blogs will be offline today. Our thoughts are with her and her family at this difficult time.

Most will return tomorrow, this one will go back into hibernation until a later date.

The wrath of the mighty raven

2008-11-21T11:28:00.006-09:00

As some of my faithful seventeen readers know, last week when I parked to eat some lunch, enjoy the sun and read my book, I apparently parked over a piece of garbage/debris that Raven wanted. Great and Mighty Raven danced outside my car, berating me for my thoughtlessness and temerity. It was a great floor show.

I went back the next day to see if Raven was still there. He was.

Behold the Puissant One, Trickster Raven

On a post, Lord of all he surveys (able to poop on whatever he flies over)

Outside my car, strutting and informing me of my inadequacies.

After appropriate propitiation was offered (a few pieces of cookie) Raven flew away. But I know he's watching. And waiting.
So am I.

*photos taken with my cell phone camera, please forgive the quality

I'm a lousy liberal

2008-11-19T10:08:00.003-09:00

Have I mentioned that before? Because I am. That doesn't stop me from really enjoying and agreeing with Shannyn Moore's latest blog entry.

I think you should go and read it.

I grew up with Shannyn. Her dad was my elementary school principal, her mom was the librarian at the other elementary school. I broke her younger sister Jeannie's front tooth at a Hallowe'en carnival in junior high (it was an accident! I still feel AWFUL about it 25 years later). Thanks to Shannyn's piano recitals I know every note to the Maple Leaf Rag.

Shannyn has been getting attention from the MSM, which is really cool. Even as a kid she was outspoken, driven, and very opinionated. Yes, there were times I hated her guts. We were kids. It looks like she's on the road to success with her chosen field, and I am so damn happy for her.

Go Shannyn!

Veteran's Day

2008-11-11T00:01:00.001-09:00

For Rob, Janiece, Jim, Steve, Jim, Keith, Grandpa Harold, Terry, Paula, Bruce, and all the others who have given their time and their life for a cause bigger than themselves.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae

Sunday Girl

2008-11-09T22:01:00.005-09:00

Oy, it's been a busy week and weekend.

Friday night my friend Carrie decided to start a book club, and as I read too much as it is, I agreed to be a member. Our first book is something by Ann Shreve that I picked up at used from Gulliver's. John was out with questionable company, so four of us girls ended up at Lavelle's drinking champagne and eating dessert. Black bottom creme brulee pairs rather nicely with champagne, for the record.

Saturday I chatted with my grandmother for about thirty minutes, but she had to hang up on me to go deal with her poached apples in cinnamon syrup. My grandma is so cool.
Around noon John and I went to see Zack and Miri Make A Porno. Raunchy, crass, blunt, and rather sweetly poignant. Kevin Smith makes some pretty darn fine films. For the evening we were going to go to a beer tasting at the Blue Loon, but John wanted to take a nap first, and well, he was so cute snoozing that I didn't have the heart to wake him up. So, I had a nutritious dinner of leftover dip and corn chips, and snuggled into bed and caught up on some reading.

Sunday morning I caught up on more phone calls, and then went to run errands and grocery shop. This afternoon and evening has been spent cooking for the next week
chicken curry with almonds, chiles, yogurt, and spinach
mac and cheese (homemade)
the beginnings of chicken soup and enchiladas for later on in the week
I also have chili and cassoulet planned for Thursday and/or Friday.

John eats all the time, ok? I have to have food on hand as a defensive mechanism.

Mostly, life here is mundane, I'm ok with that.

So, even though it's Sunday evening, I'll leave you with some fine music from Blondie - Sunday Girl

PS - any rumors you hear about me taking my shirt off in the bar at Los Amigos Thursday night are completely true. This is why I don't drink to excess. I was completely sober, one of John's inebriated cow-orkers challenged me to swap shirts with him in the bar (it was actually relevant to the discussion they were having). So I did. Yeah, don't dare me to do dumb things like that, because I usually will, if it's only embarrassing and doesn't hurt anyone.

Work? Today?

2008-11-04T10:32:00.002-09:00

I'll try to work. But this year more than most I really agree with the make Election Day a holiday. I'll gladly give up Columbus Day as a Federal holiday (I've never had a job where I got it as a holiday) in exchange for Election Day as a holiday.

Those of my readers (all 17 of you) that are eligible to vote in this election probably have, or will have by the end of the day.

Even Catherine in NZ was working on her absentee voting options. Alaska has a vote by fax option!

OMG. I think Ralph Nader is on Talk of Alaska RIGHT NOW. How odd. How shocking. How bizarre.

Sorry. My little brain was distracted there. Nader is still nattering away.

Gotta go. Work should be done, and I want to reload fivethirtyeight.com again.

Exercising my franchise

2008-10-24T17:36:00.007-08:00

No, I'm not talking about the temporary closure of the Fairbanks Burger King.

I think this picture says it all.

Apparently I wasn't the only person at 1:20 PM on a Friday that wanted to vote. Check out this line.

When I walked into the State Building the security guard looks at me
"Down the hall, around the corner".
I look at him quizzically.
"Voting, right?"
"Why yes. Thank you!"

The line took maybe 5 minutes to go through. I had my ID ready, the elections staff looked up my record, confirmed my physical address, and printed out a sheet for me to sign. Then I got my ballot and voted. This is the first election I have only voted for one political party. I'm not comfortable with that. Voting for judges is always fun, and I do read the elections pamphlets (as anyone who's looked at Jeri's blog should know). I voted for Judge Funk more because I enjoy his show on KUAC than because of anything in the election booklet. I almost had jury duty in his court once, and tried to use that as a reason why I might be unqualified to be a juror. They tossed me for other reasons. Heh.

This looks to be a historic election, especially here in Alaska considering all the problems with Don and Ted, and La Sarah's national candidacy. I can't wait to see how it turns out, but now I've done my part. Let the end game commence.

The End Of An Era

2008-10-19T22:41:00.003-08:00

Via Nina @ Bon Bon Bar I was directed to Serious Eats and their post on the the bankruptcy of Mother's Cookies.

Nooooooo. Say it isn't true. Please.

Circus Animal cookies are a touchstone of my childhood, and I still buy them on occasion. Grandma and I would make tea and eat frosted animal cookies while chatting, watching the news, or working on our puzzle books. Every time I eat the oddly shaped blobby sugar and transfat bombs I feel loved. I knew for certain that my BIL was a keeper when he expressed his love for the pink and white (non-masculine) frosted animal cookies. I gave him a bag for his birthday one year, and you could immediately tell he was thrilled. He also refused to share. Heh.

I know that there are knock-offs out there, but THEY ARE NOT THE SAME.

Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can find a bag, and stash it away to share with Grandma when we go visit her this winter.

Cat Blogging Friday

2008-10-17T10:16:00.004-08:00

I myself prefer Friday Funnies, but I'm out of anything funny to share that you may not already be aware of so....

This is my fuzzy orange cuddle buddy aka feline overlord (male) after a particularly satisfying grooming session.

Politics Quizzes

2008-10-08T23:03:00.004-08:00

Everyone else is doing it...

This was the first quiz - no surprise on this one...

But then Jim over at Stonekettle Station came up with another quiz. Edit from original post - Hey, in preview it looked like I was over in the Totalitarian camp, which totally blew my mind. But apparently I'm not. Woo hoo! I'm not a jackbooted thug after all.

Yup. I'm apparently a big L libertarian. I'm really a little l libertarian, I think some social programs are ok and that some taxes are necessary and worthwhile.

You are a
Social Liberal
(78% permissive)

and an...
Economic Conservative
(63% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Libertarian

Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid.com: Free Online Dating
Also : The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

VP Debate Wordle

2008-10-02T20:52:00.002-08:00

Since Jeri suggested it....

I thought the word Maverick would be much more prominent.

Celebrate!

2008-09-30T22:19:00.004-08:00

Happy Eid al-Fitr!

L'shana tova tikatevu!

In recognition of Eid, I humbly suggest that you consider making a donation to your local food bank. With the economy the way it is, they would probably appreciate it. And then call your grandmother.

In recognition of the start of the year 5769, I hope you have a happy and healthy year. Remember that the time between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is a time to make peace. Me, I call my mother.

In case you're confused, yes, I'm about as areligious as one can get, but that doesn't mean that I don't find value in some of the traditions and customs of the faithful. So... celebrate!

iTunes Memery

2008-09-20T17:51:00.004-08:00

I have a really cranky post I want to write, in response to a commenter on Theresa's blog - My Fairbanks Life, but I'm trying to achieve some inner peace and let it go. Sooooo....

Andrew Wheeler posted this, he thinks it started with Scott Westerfeld.

1) In iTunes, select View Options under the View menu.
2) Turn off everything but “Artist.”
3) Select all and copy.
4) Search and Replace the word “track” with nothing.
5) Paste the results into the Wordle.net Create page.

What can I say? Mainly, I have a LOT of classical music. Doesn't mean I can immediately tell you the composer or name, but I usually can hum the tune.

I'm not tagging anyone with this, but I really would love to see Cindy and Eric's results. We know Jim's would be full of Dire Straits...

ETA - out of curiosity and provoked by Jeri (in a good way provoked) here is one for my most frequently played. Yay! Astrud Gilberto!

Who's really lost out with all this attention on Alaska

2008-09-17T19:36:00.004-08:00

Hannah. She's a girl from Fairbanks that is on Cycle 11 of America's Next Top Model. Usually this would be HUGE news for Alaska. But alas, other events have eclipsed her chance at 15 minutes of fame.

Poor kid.

I haven't watched the show in years. But I developed a fondness for Janice Dickinson, and one my gym t-shirts proudly proclaims "Janice is my superROLEmodel".

Politics

2008-09-03T20:15:00.004-08:00

I try to keep my opinions to myself, which is harder in some situations rather than others.

Disclaimer - I am a registered non-partisan and like it that way. I have issues with all the parties.

Usually Cindy and I watch major events together, and riff with one another. Well, someone was at work this evening, and I was all alone.

So my poor Twitter feed had to endure my abuse.

I don't agree with Sarah Palin on social issues. I loved her comments on projects she line item vetoed for FY08, stating that a number of them were not an appropriate use of state funds. Because she was right. I find her to be too straightforward and unsubtle to be an effective politician in sophisticated arenas (international relations, anyone?). I say this because I know that I'm that way myself. Sarah is a sports nut, so how's this for a metaphor? She's like a HS kid that has been picked to go to the Major Leagues without working her way through the farm system. While talented, she'd really get something out of the farm system without losing who she is.

I think Theresa says some of what I think and feel very very well. Then again, she's an actual professional writer, unlike myself. I'm still cogitating and trying to get to an articulate place rather than just an emotively responsive place.

Entertainment for Michelle and anyone else who's interested

2008-08-31T18:16:00.003-08:00

Well, I'm sweeping and sorting magazines and contemplating what to do with my Magnetic Poetry collection. But Michelle has demanded entertainment, and I should oblige my audience...

Of course the question is, what would she find entertaining? Hopefully one of the following...

Virtual Bubble Wrap (for your popping pleasure)

Fail Blog

Play With Spider (ick ick ick ick ick ick)

Geographic size of Africa, in Perpective (food for thought more than entertainment)

A Fan Site of questionable taste dedicated to my governor

The Daylight Map (so you can think of Jim and I this winter)

Online Kaleidoscope and the newer version here(because I should end on something fun!)

It Is Risen!

2008-08-31T09:31:00.002-08:00

Right after Denvention my laptop was gakked by an update. Life has kept me busy and I have finally managed to get it mostly fixed and software reloaded. Posts will begin again. Hurrah!

Today I'll be working in the yard, cleaning in my house, and going to the gym. And finishing up the furnace tuneup I started yesterday, now that I've found the allen wrench set.

Thank you for your patience, and enjoy the weekend.

Another Quiz (catching up!)

2008-08-20T16:10:00.002-08:00

This one via Jeri. I'm not sure what to think about my "humanity" ranking. I don't really like humanity, or want to spend time around humanity. Hmm.

Your result for The Perception Personality Image Test...

NFPC - The Artist

Nature, Foreground, Big Picture, and Color

You perceive the world with particular attention to nature. You focus on what's in front of you (the foreground) and how that fits into the larger picture. You are also particularly drawn towards the colors around you. Because of the value you place on nature, you tend to find comfort in more subdued settings and find energy in solitude. You like to deal directly with whatever comes your way without dealing with speculating possibilities or outcomes you can't control. You are in tune with all that is around you and understand your life as part of a larger whole. You are a down-to-earth person who enjoys going with the flow.

The Perception Personality Types:

Take The Perception Personality Image Test at HelloQuizzy

Nanny Ogg (I'm not surprised)

2008-08-20T12:41:00.002-08:00

Fragano shared this with me awhile ago, and I still had it on my Facebook account. Now it's making the rounds with the UCF. All I can say is - GO HEDGEHOGS!!!

Which Discworld Character are you like (with pics)
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Gytha (Nanny) Ogg

You are Nanny Ogg! A talented witch, able to make yourself at home wherever you are, and insist that Greebo is just a big softie. You enjoy drinking, a lot, and singing about a hedgehog. You have a huge family, and get your daughters-in-law to do most of the housework. You are kind and gentle, and help put people at ease.

Gytha (Nanny) Ogg

81%

Carrot Ironfounderson

69%

Commander Samuel Vimes

69%

The Librarian

63%

Esmerelda (Granny) Weatherwax

63%

Lord Havelock Vetinari

56%

Greebo

50%

Death

50%

Rincewind

50%

Cohen The Barbarian

38%

AVG or something gakked my laptop networking

2008-08-15T12:58:00.006-08:00

So, I'm grabbing time online when I can at work. Which isn't often, even with my firewall work around.

Denvention reports will be posted, Charlotte will be posted. Corset Pictures will be shared. Caterday blogging might commence (might). In the meantime, I'm having fun tracing down what the problem is. Event Viewer, TCP View, WinsockXP, RARepair, and other nifty utilities are my friend. Hey, at least my laptop now recognizes that it has network adapters. Yay!

So, when I'm not working (and I actually have work to do!), I'm getting my geek on.

Denvention Day 2

2008-08-07T21:23:00.004-08:00

Yikes - what a fun day (though it would have been more fun if I could've joined Janiece and Terry for a beer. sigh)

Lessee.

10 AM - Started of the morning with a reading by PC Hodgell, from her newest Kencyrath book. Which is actually only about 30% done. BUT OMG IT IS ALMOST 1/3 COMPLETE!! **swoons**

Went and found lunch. Whew. I was a hungry girl.

1 PM - Liberals and Military SF panel (John Hemry, Elizabeth Moon, Scalzi, Joe Haldeman)
To start off with - with a panel like that, how are you going to go wrong? Elizabeth Moon is just plain fabulous as a rule, and her moderation guidelines she laid out at the beginning made me develop a little bit of a girl crush on her. Janiece, Terry, and I got there early and scored seats in the third row. The discussion on polemics, portrayals, and posturing was excellent. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. Yay!

Xopher from ML asked one of the questions during the panel, and he was one of the people I was looking for. I abandoned Janiece and Terry, and ended up meeting up Xopher, Skwid, and Serge. As a group we headed to the dealer's room to get some people (Serge) their ML button. On the way we encountered Teresa aka TNH, and she joined our entourage to procure buttons. As buttons were procured and we stood around talking, my fellow sun bearer, now to be known as my fellow Apollonian, Lance showed up to get HIS button. And then, who else should show up, but Adam Stemple? Much chatting ensued, and I even got to show Adam the cool shadow puppet moose I had shown his mom when she came to Fairbanks MANY YEARS AGO. We also discussed games, bears, dogs, and other fun stuff. Adam was delightful to chat with.

Oh, and I bought a corset. A really pretty corset. A corset was on my shopping list.

Serge and I retrieved some props for the masquerade from his car, and we met up with the group Susan put together for this year's competition. It should be fun. The show starts Friday night at 7:30 PM.

And now it's late and I want to go to bed. I'm sorry I don't have pictures. I think Janiece does.... ETA - SHE DOES!

Fun moment of the day - recognizing Jay Lake and Charlie Stross as they went into the bar together. And I didn't squee. Out loud.

Almost embarrassing moment of the day - seeing Melinda Snodgrass and wanting to say "OMG, it's Melinda Snodgrass!" (btw, check out her newest book, I think the premise looks interesting. I haven't picked it up yet myself, but I plan to.)

Snorty moment of the day - seeing a gentleman wearing a t-shirt that says "be careful, or you'll be in my next novel" and then realizing it's Harry Turtledove.

WorldCon Day One

2008-08-06T23:59:00.002-08:00

Pretty interesting and fun.

I tried to walk into Connie Willis.
I was introduced to Walter Williams.
I kept trying to figure out where I knew a person from, she looked really familiar (it was across the room). Realized later it was Jo Walton, whom I've never met, only seen in pictures.
Avoided gushing at Phil Foglio in the dealer's room.
Lurked in the back of Scalzi's panel on schmoozing. The panelists did a good and thorough job.

Saw Janiece and Terry, Elise M, Lee, Terry and Darcy (from Fairbanks), Kathryn, and chatted with people who looked like they wanted to talk but weren't sure how to open a conversation.

With all of the obligations on my time, I am pretty wiped out. I'm off to bed. Alaska is two time zones behind. I'm so glad programming doesn't start until 10 AM.

Away today, and why I've been absent

2008-08-01T06:51:00.001-08:00

It's time for the Tanana Valley State Fair! If you're there today, stop by the UAF Alumni Booth. The woman I married and the man I'm married to will both be there, we'd love to see you!

PS - click on the link if only to see the totally cheesy 2008 theme

Baking and Chocolate Goodness

2008-07-25T04:00:00.002-08:00

In addition to everything else she did, Michelle sent me yummy vanilla and a brownie recipe for my birthday. Well, I had to try it, right?

I've misplaced my camera, so these pictures are being taken with my phone.

In the pan, with foil so I can wrap them up and send them with John to work tomorrow.

Carnage on the plate.

Yum. Thanks Michelle!

Quizzes, because they amuse me

2008-07-24T22:04:00.002-08:00

Your result for The What Middle Earth race do you belong to Test...

Balrog

You scored 0% Size & Strength, 35% Morality, 65% Aggression, and 94% Intelligence.

You're a Balrog! You scored high on size & strength, low on morality, high on aggression and high on intelligence. Balrogs were once divine Maiar spirits along the lines of Gandalf, but they were corrupted by Morgoth into creatures of flame, shadow and pure malice. Immensely powerful and terrifying, they can also create melee weapons from the fire of their own bodies, favoring swords and bullwhips. Their capacity for destruction is surpassed only by Dragons. Once the high lieutenants of Morgoths army, many of the Balrogs were slain in the War of Wrath. The few that survived were scattered and hid deep in the Earth, away from their enemies.

FYI, your polar opposite is the Hobbit.

Take The What Middle Earth race do you belong to Test at HelloQuizzy

This is the part that made me laugh - look at my low morality and high aggression!

# You scored 53% on Size & Strength, higher than 35% of your peers.
# 3/100 You scored 35% on Morality, higher than 3% of your peers.
# 74/100 You scored 65% on Aggression, higher than 74% of your peers.
# 96/100 You scored 94% on Intelligence, higher than 96% of your peers.

Where am I?

2008-07-20T22:16:00.002-08:00

Sorry, trying to use my very limited spare time to work on Charlotte Misner*. She's not being ignored, and neither are any of you. So, to keep you occupied, here's The Cure with Charlotte Sometimes

*The name always make me think of the Ben Folds Five album The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner, which has the will eventually be a classic song Army. Sadly, all I could quickly find is the clean version. Second verse is really "son, you're fucking high".

My bank account may never be the same...

2008-07-19T20:17:00.003-08:00

Nordstrom's advanced search let's you create an RSS feed for your search terms. Now I can be automatically notified whenever shoes in a 9.5 W show up.

This is quite possibly the most wonderful and awful thing I have encountered this week.

This evening's refreshing beverage is . . .

2008-07-15T20:28:00.003-08:00

North Coast Brewing Company's Red Seal Ale. A nice ale. I usually like things a little hoppier or darker, but this is a nice little ale with good flavor.

Of course, the fact that the brewmaster is my boss' brother is kinda cool too. She goes down and helps out with the Monterey Jazz Festival each fall, an event that they sponsor.

If you see some of their brews, give them a try. I really enjoyed the Brother Thelonius Belgian Style Abbey Ale.

Vive La France!

2008-07-14T21:45:00.003-08:00

Happy Bastille Day! I've been celebrating by drinking French wine (hic!), eating French Fries, avoiding French Dressing, and maybe I can entice John to embrassez-moi once he gets home.

So, from one of the best films ever, I give you La Marsellaise

Return of the Friday Funny

2008-07-11T14:12:00.003-08:00

What, you thought I'd abandonded it? No, Friday Funny was on vacation, getting some spa treatments and some grooming.

This week - McSweeney's.

Something for everyone at McSweeney's.

Janiece in her quest to fight the homeowner's association might appreciate An Overheard Conversation at the Suburban Neighborhood Pool, If the Suburban Neighborhood Pool Were in Deadwood.

Michelle might enjoy Summer Safety Tips: How to Avoid a Lion Attack.

Jim might roll eyes at the premise of The Middle East Peace Process, as Moderated by My Spin Instructor.

MWT and John The Scientist would probably come up with a few additions to None of My Science Piñatas Are Appropriate for Children.

OK, you get the idea. I think most of us will get a rueful chuckle out of The 700 Club Does Weather.

Have a lovely weekend!

TMI Time (be warned)

2008-07-10T06:00:00.001-08:00

I schedule my annual physical also known as my LOF/Inspect around my birthday, as that makes it easier to remember. Being of the female version of human, I get to have my parts checked out thoroughly. Honestly, the exam doesn't bother me. I figure after a provider's first dozen or so, as long as a patient has standard equipment and nothing too pierced or prolapsed, the clinician doesn't really care or think too much about your down there. Physical time always reminds me that either a) I should be going to yoga again or b) I sure am glad I've been going to yoga lately. I also get the complete checkup of everything else, updated family history, vaccinations, any foreign travel, am I getting eyes, teeth, etc. all checked out, any new allergies or sensitivities I've noticed, all the usual. Last year I got a baseline mammogram. This year, I have orders to get scoped up top and MAYBE down below. Versed here I come!

So. Looks like Tania is ok for another year. Weight is something we're both ok with, labs are good, BP is in my usual range (106/62). I got the low blood pressure safety lecture. I get it every visit. And yes, if I don't sit for a bit when getting up from bed, I pass out and/or slam into the wall or the door. I've been know to try and catch myself and take out a bookcase. Fun!

But, what I'm TMI sharing with you is my interactions with my doc. I like my doc. He's been my doc for almost 20 years, since he went into private practice. He calls me on my bullshit, understands my irrationalities on some topics, and has a great sense of humor. Oh, and he reads SF/F. We trade books. Even better, the nurses at work think he's one of the better docs in town.

During the History & Physical update:
How many sexual partners do you regularly have?
One, unless I'm suffering blackouts and having sex with multiple partners. I don't think I'm suffering blackouts.
Ok. So as far as you know, your only "john" is John? (sounds of nurse sputtering in the background)
Yes.
So, this means you are having sex.
Yes.
Any pain when having sex?
Only when I ask for it. (sounds of nurse sputtering in the background)
That's good to know. Sounds like you have a healthy relationship, let me know if things change.

Anything particularly troubling you today?
Hmmm. Ummm. Well, I called my Aunt to wish her a Happy Birthday, and got to talk to my Grandmother which was great, but she made me talk to my mom. I don't like talking to my mom.
You're kidding me. You're 36 years old and you still have mother-daughter issues?
Yes. And believe me, I'm the grown-up in this situation.
Really?
yes.

What happened to your biceps? You used to have biceps. I see you at the gym. Develop some upper body strength.
Watch it buddy, or I will stomp you with my overdeveloped legs.
___________________________________________________________________

I try to have a good joke each year, just because. I've had the last line of the following floating around in my head for years, but it wasn't until this week I finally worked up a story in which to insert it. So, here's my 2008 annual physical joke.

After a long day on the job, a stomach and a gall bladder walk into a bar to unwind. While there, they meet Fred, a womb. As they chat through the evening, the three become friends. As the evening winds down, Joe (the stomach) says "Fred, it's been really great to meet you, and I'm sure we must have some contacts in common. Bob (the gall bladder) here is married to my sister Debbie (a liver), who has a really mean brother Brian (a spleen). Now that I've told you about some of our connections, I'd like to know - what are uterus?"

Birthday Gifties!

2008-07-09T13:17:00.003-08:00

#0 was about a week before my birthday. My cow-orker Russ and his wife gave me a $30 B&N gift card, since I'm 30-something.

#1 was from the kitties - the rear end of a vole, and the entrails laid out delicately with it. They show they care in their own twisted little feline manner.

#2 was from that crazy UCFer Michelle!! I got a copy of Night Watch, the very book that I (while said book was in transit) demanded to know (on her blog) why I'd not read it. Creepy. Cool.

#3 was $$ from my Dad. I'm 36, I don't really expect gifts from my parents, but it makes him happy, so I take his money, and then pay bills. It seems like the sort of thing a parent would approve of.

I know that some friends will have treasures for me on Friday, when about 10 of us are gathering for dinner, with my natality as the excuse. Oh, the anticipation!!

Anyhoo.... Yay! Thank you everyone. I am a very fortunate person in my friends.

Ronald McDonald of Clan McDonald

2008-07-08T22:50:00.003-08:00

May not be the harbinger of doom that we've all thought.

Kitchenmage has a post about McDonalds and their support of equal treatment for gay folks. Go read it. Please.

Wow. Who'd a thunk it? This sure as hell makes me feel better about the money they score off of me because of my ice tea addiction.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-07-08T00:01:00.003-08:00

Yup, today is my birthday. I turn the big 36. I have no idea what, if any, birthday festivities are planned.

This a busy birthday month for my family. My cousin Wendy was on the 1st, I'm on the 8th, Wendy's mom is on the 9th, cousin Ginger is on the 11th, and it keeps going like that all month long...

My Aunt T (Wendy's mom) was there with my mom when I was born. She was encouraging my mom to hold out for a few more hours so we could share a birthday (Aunt T was 11 at the time). Aunt T says my mom was NOT INTERESTED in prolonging labor any more than necessary, and now that Aunt T has had three kids, she understands completely.

I'm taking today off of work (don't tell anyone!) and going to run some errands and try to have a nice day. We'll see how that works out.

Happy Birthday Tania!

Embarassing truth #436

2008-07-07T14:01:00.004-08:00

I want to see the film of Mamma Mia! just because it has Christine Baranski in it. I like her.

When in the course of human events it becomes

2008-07-04T13:06:00.003-08:00

necessary to laugh so you don't cry about the hypocrite your country has become, one can always count on the Muppets!

Happy Independence Day! Go out and stick it to the man, because that is a patriotic thing to do!

How Geeky Are You?

2008-07-03T16:56:00.003-08:00

Gacked from Andrew Wheeler's Blog

83% Geek

OnePlusYou Quizzes and Widgets

I'm surprised the number isn't higher, quite honestly.

What's in a name?

2008-07-02T22:28:00.005-08:00

Nathan sent me an email earlier today asking about the story behind Orphelia's name. He sent it privately because since he is such a nice guy, he was concerned that I might have misspelled my own cat's name. Not only is that proof of Nathan's stand up ways, but his keen insight.

I sent him back a really long email (I was/am catching up from being in Denver the last 3 days), and he suggested it was worthy of a blog post. Apparently I am not capable of getting my days aligned with Cat Blogging Friday. I'll do better in the future.

How Orphy Got Her Name

This is Orphelia aka Orphy. Brain the size of a walnut, but the most dog-like cat I've ever lived with. Comes when you call, plays fetch, goes for walks with you. Weird stuff.

With a name like mine, I try REALLY HARD to get things right. Every time I swap the i and e in Janiece I wither a little inside.

Why yes, there is a story...
A friend (the woman I married) was a foster house for the local cat rescue group (these days she's also a licensed Vet Tech, but not back then). She took in a pregnant teenage mom, and raised the kittens, and placed them in homes. So, I've known our cats since they were in utero.

My friend lived in a little cabin, up on pilings with a crawl space underneath. The short haired black kitten crawled under the cabin and wouldn't come out. Momma Cat would go down there and nurse it, but it took almost a week to finally catch the kitten and get it back up to the living area. Sooo...at this point we still thought the short haired black kitten was a boy and we named it Orpheus, because it had a journey to the underworld, and returned. About a month later, it was determined that Orphy was a girl cat, NOT a boy cat. I didn't want to call her Eurydice, so I morphed it into Ophelia/Orphelia. She's the cat that is fascinated by running water and John has to avoid peeing on. She tries to join you in the shower too.

She's good cat, though a little stupid. She's the X-sports cat. If an odd spot can be climbed to, jumped to, wiggled into, she's there. Hence the picture of John geared up climbing the tree on my sidebar. There is a series where he's getting her out of the tree because she chased a squirrel up it and then wasn't sure about coming down. Stupid cat. But a sweet cat. She's next to me right now as I update and edit the original email I sent to Nathan. She's 14 this year, and still a mighty slayer of voles and bunnies. Go Orphy!

And yes, that picture is of her in a camp chair in the driveway, lounging on her catnip mat.

July 1

2008-07-01T01:00:00.001-08:00

What is today?

It's Canada Day! Fireworks, barbequeueueueues, and singing of that lovely national anthem O Canada. As an Alaskan, I'm frequently mistaken as being from Canada's most western province/territory - Alaska. That's ok, we like Canadians. Even though I do find this song to be hilarious. Serge and Kimby are Canadian. Yay Canada!

What else is it? Oh, it's my cousin Wendy's birthday. Wendy is 3 years younger than me. Her mom is 11 years older than I am. Yes, I come from a family of easy women and early breeders. But you know what? All three of my aunt's daughters have finished their BA degrees, and the youngest in school to become a Physician's Assistant. So, even if we have trouble containing our adolescent hormones, we do put an emphasis on education. And contraception, for this generation. I've always been proud of my aunt for not perpetuating a stereotype.

Oh, and I do believe that it is MICHELLE'S birthday today. Hmm. I wonder what INTERESTING birthday gifties will be arriving this week? The mind boggles....

Rocky Mountain Hi!

2008-06-30T18:52:00.003-08:00

Yup, as my regular readers (all 17 of you) know, I am in the lovely city of Denver for another 24 hours. I'm here for a work conference. In the interests of professionalism I am refraining from naming the conference, as they will be receiving a 3 page (as of today) missive on how they can/should/better improve their conferences. The yesterday I thought it was because I was tired and cranky. Two years ago I thought it was because I was new in the job. Today I know that the program committee can't plan their way out of a saturated paper bag. An old super-saturated paper bag, one that's been litter on the side of the road all through the winter, and has endured traffic, sun, freeze thaw cycles, etc.

But, enough of my diatribe.

Getting to meet Janiece and Anne was FABULOUS!!!

Anne graciously and kindly retrieved me from the airport, we had a tasty lunch, and Janiece dumped me off at the hotel, with luggage and John's transmission!

My earrings from Jeri arrived on Saturday before I left Fairbanks. I will take and share pictures later (I think I packed the camera cable...??), but the best news is that they perfectly match the jacket I packed to wear during my presentation tomorrow. Wo0t!!1!

Had dinner with boss and coworker at India House, off of Blake, in downtown. Yum. Chicken Saag. Yum. Tonight I gave into my need for franchise food and had the Thai Lettuce Wraps at Cheesecake Factory. And brought back to my room a piece of Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake. Breakfast will be good.

Haven't had much time to do anything fun. Meetings all day (until 6 PM). Had dinner. Picked up a tank to wear under my jacket. No Serge, not an M5 or A39, but an article of clothing. If I did have an M5, I suspect I'd be accessorizing it more than it accessorizing me. An M5 would look really cool in the back yard. Um, anyway, I'm rambling. Probably time to review my talk again and hit the showers.

PS - if you guys can let me know when the cat mats get there, that'd be great. I'm always intrigued by how long things take to get via US Mail. Nathan and my dad got their packages in three days. Other folks, apparently five+.

The best laid plans of mice and men

2008-06-29T05:16:00.003-08:00

aft gang agley.

Arrgh. I'm writing from Anchorage International Airport.

What's that you say? I'm supposed to be in Denver RIGHT NOW? Getting ready to meet up with Anne and Janiece before I go to my work conference?

You have some keen powers of observation. My flight last night was canceled/delayed by 6 hours. The plane is full up, and full of fed up people. I'm annoyed, but it's not worth my time to get too cranky over it.

What I'm most annoyed over is that this is cutting into my crucial visiting time with Anne and Janiece. Grrrrrrr.

June has been a really busy month for me. Let's hope that July is nicer. Please.

Since Jim's Doing it...

2008-06-25T21:35:00.003-08:00

I think Jim does so well because of his military experience. Elephant guns. They're focusing on elephant guns.

I like how I could likely take out a fellow human (not included on the badge, it is on the results page), but I am obviously a well marbled, good sized tiger snack. That seems accurate to me.

Seekrit Projekt Part 2 complete

2008-06-25T20:00:00.002-08:00

I have completed my part of Seekrit Project Part 2. However, the feline overlords have informed me that I did only manage to get half of the job done. They still need addresses for the following oppressors of humanity:

Lord Stanley
Oreo and Buttercup
Kate's Fierce Guard Kitty

I can only plead that I am their puppet in this venture. Take pity on me.

RIP George Carlin

2008-06-22T21:48:00.002-08:00

My NY Times and WaPo news alerts have just announced the death of George Carlin.

I remember the first time I saw George Carlin. It would have been an HBO Special when I was in the 4th Grade. Yes, I probably should not have been watching it. However, I loved IT. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Yes, I was an 8 year old that knew that George Carlin was her favorite comedian.

So, here's one of his bits that I've always liked, from MAD TV

Touched By An Atheist

Mr. Carlin, thanks for making us think, offending us, and keeping us entertained.

Seekrit Project Part 1 complete

2008-06-21T15:45:00.003-08:00

The cats tasked me with a project today. I have completed Part 1.

Sooooo...All I can say is - WATCH THE SKIES!!

Our snowbird neighbor has been dropping in to say "Hi"

2008-06-19T22:17:00.004-08:00

Sorry I'm such a lousy photographer. We have a sandhill crane that comes by every evening to snack on things in the yard. It trills/chirrups while out there, and John and I go out to be sociable. We chirrup at the crane, the crane chirrups back, and then we go back in the house so we don't harass it.

The cats, if they're out in the yard, are FASCINATED. Silly kitties. They also seem to be rather intimidated, and are leaving it alone.

We think it must have a nest in the swamp across the road, and is enjoying getting voles and green and insects over here on our property. Anyhoo, this is a neighbor we're happy to have in the neighborhood.

Soft, Supple, Glossy, and Pink!

2008-06-15T14:22:00.003-08:00

I've been meaning to post this, and my procrastination caused a certain amount of stress for some people (Michelle), for which I am sincerely sorry. The goddesses Procrastinata and Overbookite have me firmly in the ranks of their followers.

So, on May 16th, look what arrived in my PO Box!

I'm a lousy photographer, sorry about the quality.

Aren't they lovely? The Burt's Bees Lip Gloss is a great color, and smells like oranges. I want to eat it every time I use it.

The Alba Lip Balm is a Coconut Flavor. It makes me think of Piña Coladas, which makes me think of that darned song. You know the one.

BLITEOTW - Cat Scratch Fever, Part 2

2008-06-13T14:29:00.003-08:00

Hell. I'm writing this from the top of the bus, watching my house burn. Yes, the full length school bus in my front yard. I'm a wreck, and this day is nuts. From what I've seen online Spokane, Denver, Seattle, and Brooklyn have been affected by this rise of the undead. I don't even have a cricket bat.

To pick up where I left off... Disturbed beyond all sensible thought by the death of my spouse, I finally went to the living room to see about cleaning up whatever the kitties had killed. Soon I would be saying whatever else the kitties had killed.

The stench was foul and hung in the air. Both cats were crouched over a marmot, ripping and tearing. The russet and gold fur was matted with blood, and most of the head was gone.

I scolded the cats with a "Hey, guys, take that outside,” and went to pick up the corpse by its tail, so I could toss it out on to the porch. And the cats hissed at me. I even got a growl out of the orange one as I moved toward carnage. What the fuck? I'd had these two for 14+ years, and I'd never had this happen. That's when I noticed - both cats look rather beat up, and that nasty smell, it's not coming from the marmot, it's the cats. This just isn't making sense. It's like something out of one of those cheezy movies Cindy always makes me watch. Cheezy movies that may have saved my life.

As I start into a feline directed diatribe, I hear a noise from behind me. Turning around, I see John leaning against the bedroom door. John. John who is dead. JohnWhoIsDeadIsLEANINGAGAINSTHEBEDROOMDOORWHATTHEFUCKAMIHAVINGANIGHTMAREPLEASEWAKEUPI'MREADYTOWETTHEBEDIFTHATWILLMAKEITSTOP!!!

With the clarity of thought that comes when adrenaline floods your system, I realized that however improbable, I had zombies in my house. Zombie John and Zombie Cats. And I didn't want to join them.

The good thing about living in a small house is that things are close. Like the front door. I ran to the front door and went into the entryway. I started shoving and piling things against the door and putting stuff in place to block the cat door. I grabbed my weed burner (the redneck's flamethrower) and the bladed weed-whacker. They were the only things that I had on hand (in the entryway) that might work as weapons.

Moving out the actual front door, I took my chest freezer that's on the porch, and shoved it against the doorframe. It won't keep the door from opening, but it should slow things down.

I could hear noises from inside the house, and part of me hoped that John was eating the brains of the cats, getting the little bastards back for turning him, and keeping him distracted while I figured out what the hell I was going to do.

Hell. John's bigger, stronger, and faster than me. Letting him get close is not a good idea, I'll lose in a physical contest, even if it's handicapped by the fact that he's undead and I have weapons. This means I need to be sneaky. Fire always seems to be a popular way to deal with zombies, though I've always been bothered at the prospect of flaming undead hordes shambling along. Damn. I've joked for years that living in a cabin means you're really living in a pile of firewood, I guess we're about to see if it's true.

The good thing about living on a redneck compound is that I have plenty of petroleum distillates to use as accelerant. I walked around the house with a five gallon jug of two-stroke mix, soaking the bottom log layer and the top of the skirting. I then soaked the skirting with giesel (gas & diesel blended). Trying to be prepared, I took the weed-whacker and the 2.5 gallon jug of two-stroke to the platform on top of the bus. Then, I hooked up my propane bottle from the camping gear inside the bus, lit off my weed burner, and set the house on fire.

3 hours later it's still smoldering. All my ID, keys, and such were inside the house. It's a good thing the spare laptop was left in my car overnight. Unlocked for once. I'm scared to go to the neighbors, and I'm still not sure how this was spread, though I'm blaming the cats. This has to be widespread, as no one has driven by the house all day, and we had no response the fire.

I'm more scared and alone than I have ever been before. I couldn't have been the only local to survive. If anyone reads this, please, let me know you're out there. Please.

BLITEOW - Cat Scratch Fever, Part 1

2008-06-13T11:28:00.004-08:00

Waking up to the sound of brains being consumed is something I'm familiar with. Usually it's a vole or snowshoe hare. I always figured the kitties liked things that are crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside.

What was new this morning was the smell. A faint putrescence wafted across the room. My first thought, that the cats had brought home some carrion, would prove to be wrong. Annoyed that my sleep had been disturbed, I kicked John and said "Your stupid cat is eating something stinky. Could you please go take care of it?"

Mind you, I can handle blood and gore and stink just fine. What I don't handle well is having to get out of bed any earlier than absolutely neceessary.

Then I noticed - John's leg wasn't warm. That just doesn't happen. He's always warm, even at forty below. Forgetting about the cats for a moment, I flipped on my reading light, worried about John.

Holy Mary Mother of Frogs. His hands and chest were covered with scratches, but he didn't seem to be very bloody. I checked his ABCs - airway was good, but no breathing, and no circulation. Oh Shit. Now I'm feeling freaked out that he's dead, and that I've been in bed with a dead body.

Hell. Well, I've dressed myself, and updated from the bedroom (thank you wi-fi!). I think I should check and see what's going on in the living room...

Geek of the Week - Alton Brown

2008-06-12T14:10:00.003-08:00

I find geeks attractive. Ask anyone who's known me for a long time, they'll confirm it.

So, my first geek to fawn all over is . . .

Alton Brown.

Food Network personality, cookbook author, motorcycle enthusiast, humorist, Iron Chef judge, and most importantly - GEEK. Food Geek. Science Geek. Sexy Geek.

Oh, did I type that out loud? Well, apparently I'm not the only one to think of Alton that way.

Because I don't like to embed things (I'm ok with you doing it, don't worry), here's a lovely montage of Alton Brown pics set to I'm Too Sexy

Rise of the undead!

2008-06-05T21:13:00.003-08:00

Sorry, I've been busy working at work and at home. So, since Cindy sent me the following meme and some people (rightly) think I need to update my blog, here's a meme leading us up to next Friday, Blog Like It's The End of the World 2008.

When Zombies Attack

You are in a mall when the zombies attack. You have:
1. one weapon.
Unlimited Ammo? I want a grenade launcher. Take those MoFos out, little gobbets of zombie flesh all over Wilson's Leather and Franklin Covey.

2. one song blasting on the speakers.
Because of Cindy and our conversation this evening and in the past - "Pet Semetary" by The Ramones

3. one famous person to fight alongside you.
Hal Jordan aka Green Lantern. Because he's sexy, powerful, and historically hasn't had a problem with assertive women.

Weapon can be real or fictional, you may assume endless ammo if applicable. Person can be real or fictional.

Cindy snagged from astolat.livejournal.com ... following back through its origins is a hoot.

Adventures in cluelessness, part 473

2008-05-28T23:16:00.004-08:00

My initials are THC. Yeah. They are. I don't really think about it unless someone makes a big deal out of it. But I get really annoyed when I go to use them somewhere and a stoner has beat me to it. And I think about it, roll my eyes, mutter "dorkwads", and get over it. In the big scheme of things, this is pretty damned trivial.

On the other hand, if you're ever in other places online wondering who that thc1972 person is, it's me. I've not partaken of any herbal THC in over 20 years, so I don't think I qualify as a pothead, even if I do live in North Pole. So, I'm not part of the "green" revolution looking to find you.

Yes, this was provoked by my attempting to use my initials earlier this evening. I went to high school with a girl who was LSD. She, she understands my vexation.

Geek and Proud!

2008-05-28T15:09:00.002-08:00

It all started with Michelle...

Your Score: The Geek

You scored 43 anxiety, 51 awkwardness, and 59 neuroticism!

You stick out like a sore thumb, with your social awkwardness and mildly neurotic behaviors--but you don't let it get you down! You are The Geek, and are here to prove that people who know the first 1000 digits of pi and try to woo dates by talking about calculators can be happy too! You have friends...and they are probably just as odd as you.

Your low anxiety score implies that you are able to relax, can enjoy the here and now, and have a healthy amount of self-confidence.

Your high awkwardness score implies that you are socially inept, probably stick out from the crowd, and perhaps feel uncomfortable in large groups of people, such as at parties.

Your high neuroticism score implies that you exhibit neurotic behaviors--probably fanatic obsessions, counting compulsions, or other geekish tendencies. You may know every word to LOTR, or draw anime of all your friends.

__
See the other results!

Well-Adjusted

The Neat Freak

The Dork

The Geek

Phobic

Obsessive-Compulsive

The Subtle Neurotic

The True Neurotic

Link: The Neurotic Test written by littlelostsnail on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test
View My Profile(littlelostsnail)

Things overheard in the last few days

2008-05-22T22:48:00.003-08:00

"Grandma always said to not talk to people who don't listen. Your words are precious and shouldn't be wasted on those who don't value them."

"The look on his face when he realized he'd had an orchidectomy instead of a vasectomy just about made me snort my coffee out my nose from laughing so hard."*

"If you know you're going to die without that candy maybe I should buy you some for now, take out a life insurance policy on you, and then refuse to buy you anymore from here on out"

Heard respectively in the sauna at the gym, the elevator at work, and the candy aisle of the grocery store. It's been an interesting week.

*Nobody lost their testicles by accident. It was part of a dramatization of what can go wrong in patient communications. I wasn't present, but apparently it was a hoot.

The neighbors came to visit this evening

2008-05-20T21:49:00.006-08:00

She seemed like a nice single mom with really well behaved twins. They were polite while out back checking out John's camper trailer.

See how they stick together? I think she's got some good parenting skills.

Look at this - Mom making sure both kids get safely across the road, and she's ready to take on the truck coming towards them (and me). Safety first!

Now, on the side of the road, checking out the browse. Mom still keeping on eye on things, like me and the cats. The cats kept growling at the moose. Yeah, sure you can take 'em out kitty. I'll miss you when you're gone.

They're still hanging around the yard, they keep circling the house. I don't want Mom to feel harassed, so I am leaving her alone. She's probably harried enough as it is having twins to take care of. Oh, and the mosquitoes are out. Poor critters.

I can't give you flower pr0n like other people, but I can give you mediocre moose in my yard pictures.

EUROVISION!!!

2008-05-19T22:27:00.005-08:00

Yes, it warrants all caps. I know that a couple of you are American Idol watchers, and I understand the appeal. But, I have to ask, have you ever checked out the Eurovision competition? It's like American Idol on steroids, with original music. And Europeans, a culture so close and yet so different from vanilla USA.

Please, check it out. You'll be intrigued...

Ok, I mostly watch for the clothes. Musically, I'm rather unsophisticated.

Ia Ia Ia - Friday Fun!

2008-05-16T14:44:00.002-08:00

Yay! I can start back up my regular features!

Today I call on all fans of HP Lovecraft and Call of Cthulhu to check out the really cute comic Unspeakable Vault (Of Doom).

One of my favorite people in Fairbanks is an author of the Utatti Asfet: The Eye of Wicked Sight module/guide. Two of the authors host an annual pig roast that is a blast. I usually bring about 10 pounds of mashed potatoes.

To make this almost pop-culturally topical, I suggest that if nothing else you look at today's Indy riff, it is pretty cute.

Ia Ia Ia! Cthulhu f'htagn! (But Tania is wide awake)

Posting from work

2008-05-15T13:51:00.002-08:00

Made myself a pretty darn good work-around, I can frolic online outside the firewall.

I'm so happy. And, this will prove useful for work. So I don't even feel bad about it.

Why my laptop is full of cathair

2008-05-14T21:23:00.002-08:00

This is my vicious hunter cat. He is 14. He kills snowshoe hares, voles, and shrews. He likes to cuddle. He really likes to cuddle. He gets insistent when he has determined that we need to go to bed. And this is why my laptop is full of cat hair.

Blogs I like (Part ? of a series)

2008-05-13T20:01:00.004-08:00

Most of you are familiar with Kate Baker, hostess of Anaedream.com, a thoroughly charming place.

And those of you who know of Kate know that she does voice-over work and sings.

Go and listen to her singing. It's great/wonderful/beautiful/worth listening to.

You can download her stuff here.

YESSS! I got a "B"

2008-05-12T20:10:00.003-08:00

And you know what they say in grad school - Bs mean degrees.

My grade was posted this afternoon. Hurrah!! I called it "my" graduation not because my name was in the program. Grades for grads are supposed to be submitted in time, but sometimes mistakes happen.

You may now address me as Mistress Tania. I may have to procure myself something like this as a graduation present. I'm not convinced that is the boot I want, but I have plenty of time to get myself a graduation present.

Thank you to everyone with checking in on me. I know I keep saying it, but you guys are great.

Now, we need to go show Saqib some support, he's in grad school too.

Signing off, for the first time as

Tania, BS, MS

Weekend Re-Cap

2008-05-11T20:37:00.003-08:00

Saturday
Went to the Tanana Valley Farmer's Market. While there bought cakes and chatted with vendors. Saw Dierdre and visited with her, ran into friends, spotted one of them lunch money so she could have falafel. I got a piece of the almond baklava. Yummmmm.

Finished procuring goodies for the spouse for our wedding anniversary.

Dinner at Lavelle's

10 PM showing of Iron Man

Sunday
Called my grandmother, mom, and MIL
Procured 10 full sheet cakes
Arranged 10 full sheet cakes
Wrangled hordes of faculty and PhD candidates (not my job, but I was there and knew what to do, so I helped out)
Watched my graduation from the sidelines, making one loud interruption for an awesome PhD graduate
Served hundreds of pieces of cake
Drank two Alaskan IPAs
Helped get one 1942 Case DI Tractor unstuck from the mud in my backyard

and now... to bed!!

I may not always love you, but as long as there are stars above you

2008-05-10T10:14:00.002-08:00

14 years. Who'd a thunk it? I've managed to stay married for 14 years. It's not always been easy, and there have been times that walking away would have been the simplest thing to do, but we haven't yet.

So, today Mr. Lowe and I mark 14 years of being married. Our cats are also 14 years old, as of a month or so ago. We've been living in the cabin for 15 years.

John's taking me out to dinner this evening, and I'm taking him to a movie. Because we're wild and crazy people now that we're in our mid-30s.

Happy Anniversary Mr. Lowe. You've been much more understanding and supportive than I would have ever expected, and it's one of the many reasons I love you.

One more pointless thing

2008-05-09T23:42:00.004-08:00

Not that any of you need to be reminded of this but I have to say it to someone...

The internet is small place, easily searchable. Be careful what you say about your co-workers in a pseudo-private forum such as, oh, I don't know, Facebook, for example...

I have Scalzi as a "friend" on Facebook. I see who he "friends". A not uncommon name pops up on my feed as a recent Scalzi friend, but I wonder if it's the same guy I know from work. Oh, look it is. Hmm, look at that, he's not working there anymore as of earlier this week. Oh my, look at that, he's been publicly ranting on his Facebook page about his employer, supervisors, and various coworkers. And now he doesn't have a job. Just how stupid does he think people higher up the food chain are? Not as stupid as he is, obviously. Circumspect and discreet? Apparently not. Kinda useful in healthcare.

Moron.

Tragically, the two times I've interacted with him would not have led me to expect any better behavior.

Oh well. At least you guys now have an example to share of someone managing to cement a bad meatspace impression with the contents of their social networking site.

Anticipation

2008-05-09T23:25:00.003-08:00

Yeah, I'm using Rod Stewart song titles now. Yikes. Still waiting on my grades, but I will share as soon as I know.

Yes, my professor's given name is Ming. He's from Taiwan. He plays rugby. He learned to speak colloquial American English by watching Beavis and Butthead. The guy is one of the better instructors I've had, as in he actually works to make sure we're getting the concepts, and has a wicked sense of humor.

He's also looking for a date to the Elton John concert at the end of the month, if anyone is available.

The Farmer's Market opens tomorrow. Yay! Other things are tomorrow too, but I'll save that for a post on the day...

I'm so tired, tired of waiting, tired of waiting

2008-05-08T21:49:00.003-08:00

for my grades to be posted. If I got a 'B' then I am done. Yay!

The presentation was mediocre, the paper not so hot, but I kicked ass on the final exam.

I must be ready for something new. I was seriously looking at jobs in Abu Dhabi and at Pump Station 4. Really.

Once I have my grades I can be reimbursed by my employer for my tuition and textbook costs, which will be nice.

Please Ming, be merciful and post my grade, a grade of 'B'. I want to be done with my program. If I had been a more dutiful and motivated student, I would have applied myself more. We both know that. I assured you that I would never pass myself off as a stats whiz, and you assured me that I should let my employer know you do consulting. That seems fair.

Thank you to everyone for your support. And if any of you will be at graduation on Sunday, I'm not walking, but I'll be there handing out cake at the graduation reception afterwards. One of the joys of being VP of the local alumni association chapter.

Pretty much offline until 8 May 2008

2008-05-01T21:19:00.004-08:00

At which time I will know if I am graduating or not. Of course, the graduate I need to get a 'B' in my class, and I've been a slacker, so I need to get my ass in gear.

You guys are the best, and I look forward to much interaction, but not for the next seven days.

Grad school = blech. But blech with a purpose.

Adventures in Cooking - Matzo Ball Soup

2008-05-01T19:58:00.018-08:00

Passover/Pesach was recently observed. Being a person without a religion, I like to enjoy the variety of celebrations that religions supply us with. So, this year for Passover I decided to make - Matzo Ball Soup!

I used this recipe from the NY Times

Recipe: Matzo Ball Soup

Time: For broth, 2 hours plus chilling; for matzo balls, 2 hours

FOR THE BROTH:
1 3-to-4-pound chicken
Kosher salt
4 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 leeks, chopped and thoroughly rinsed
3 cloves garlic, peeled
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
3 sprigs dill
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE MATZO BALLS:
1 cup matzo meal
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons schmaltz (rendered seasoned chicken fat, sold at butcher shops) at room temperature
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup seltzer

FOR GARNISH:
1 carrot, peeled, thinly sliced and blanched until soft
2 tablespoons chopped dill.

1. For broth: Rub chicken inside and out with about 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Allow to stand for 15 minutes, then rinse well under cold water. Place in a large stock pot and add cold water to cover by 3 inches. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Skim off impurities that rise during the first 15 minutes of boiling, then add celery, carrots, onion, leeks, garlic, parsley, dill, peppercorns and bay leaves. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chicken is cooked, about 45 more minutes.

2. Carefully remove chicken from pot and take meat from bones, reserving meat for another use. Return bones to pot of broth, and simmer for 1 hour more. Strain through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Cool broth, then refrigerate until fat rises to top and solidifies, at least several hours. Skim off and discard fat.

3. For matzo balls: In a large mixing bowl, combine matzo meal, eggs, schmaltz, kosher salt and baking powder. Mix well. Add seltzer and mix again. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

4. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a simmer. With wet hands, roll out 1-ounce balls (about the size of a walnut). Add balls to water and simmer until tender, light and fluffy in the center, 45 to 60 minutes. (To test centers, insert a toothpick, which should slide easily all the way through.) Drain, allow to cool, and transfer to a flat covered container. Refrigerate until needed.

5. To serve, place broth over medium-low heat. Add matzo balls, blanched carrot slices and chopped dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until matzo balls are thoroughly heated, and serve.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

Well, to start off with - have you ever looked for schmaltz in a store in Fairbanks? No luck. I bet the frozen chosen make there own - which is what I did using these instructions.

Here's my bowl of chicken fat, or as I call it "proto-schmaltz".

And here's the chicken in my pan, as I cook it down.

Which, when strained left me with this, my schmaltz.

Whew. Now that we're done with that, let's take a look at what it we did for the soup.

Soup in pot

Well, after we strained the broth and deboned the chicken, that meant it was time for - Chicken Enchiladas!

Ok, back to our real meal! (the enchiladas were yummy)

So, I had the broth chilled, skimmed, strained, and ready to go. Time to make the matzos.

Here's the ingredients, unmixed:

Matzo dough, mixed.

Alrighty. I rolled the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter, and opted to cook them in the broth, knowing that John would likely devour the soup as soon as I was done.

Matzos right after being placed in the soup

Matzos cooked (look how much they've grown! Notice that John has eaten some of the soup before I could get the picture taken!)

All in all, a success. The matzos were not as dense as I would have liked, and a little salty, but still good. Of course, John thinks they were perfect, probably because they were so full of salt!

The real test - would I make it again? You bet. Even with the chicken enchilada interlude, though next time I might make it chicken mole.

Today on Jeopardy!

2008-04-28T10:40:00.004-08:00

Meet
Ric, a really nice guy with from Miami
Hilary, a charming lassie from NYC
and Tania, a slightly giddy gal from North Pole.

All I can plead is that my brain got all excited and I messed up. But it was fun.

And now I can sing along with the Weird Al song in a completely sincere manner.

ETA - I'm taller than both the other players. You stand on boxes of various heights to even things out for the cameras and so shrimpy people don't get lost behind the podium. I'm the only person not on a box in the show, because, yes, I am a giant among men and women.... Bwahahahahaha!

Baa Baa Meme Sheep, have you any takers?

2008-04-27T21:22:00.004-08:00

Nathan tagged me with a meme, and being a good patient friend (and I loves me a good meme), I've decided to participate, with one exception. I don't tag people on memes. But I really don't mind being tagged, so don't worry about making me cranky if you decide to tag me.

Meme rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules.
3. Write six things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post by linking to their blog. (not gonna do it)
5. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their sites. (see comment on end of rule 4)
6. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

Six unimportant things about me

1. I love makeup. I sometimes think about getting a cosmetology license so I can buy MAC at the Pro stores with the professional discount.
2. I've never seen my MIL naked.
3. I like irises.
4. I match my underwear colors and/or patterns.
5. I can raise one eyebrow like Spock.
6. I can't use a razor with any skills, so I wax. Less blood and scarring.

I seem to have focused on grooming, but that's because I just got out of the shower.

Absence from teh intarweebs

2008-04-23T22:48:00.003-08:00

For those of you kind wonderful generous concerned people that have wondered, this is what happened:

1) Final project for stats class, after which I will have my MS. Then you may address me as "Mistress Tania". Note to self - acquire knee high black leather boots to accessorize new degree state. Dig out a riding crop too. Practice being demanding and commanding.

2) Work is nuts

3) Evil network nannyware has blocked my blogger access. I can look but I can't touch. (Please, no comments on OSB here. I made my observation over at Scalzi's place.)

4) I upgraded to AVG 8.0 and the firewall has been giving me grief ever since (I'm still having problems). I spent a few days with a gakked home computer, and lobotomized network access at work. Grr.

I have a work-around planned for #3, but I won't be implementing it for a few weeks. I miss you all

Sophie From Shinola - Part 32 (?)

2008-04-22T00:12:00.001-08:00

"Sophie, dear, are you still blended?"

"Yes, we are. Who are you?"

“I’m the designer”

“Not the Narrator?”

“No, the Narrator is Tim, Mr. Pratt to you. You may call me Dave.”

“As long as we don’t call you late to dinner?”

“Ha ha. You think you’re awfully clever, don’t you? Don’t call me Al.”

Actually, Sophie/Not-Sophie/Raven/Blink was one of the cleverest entities currently existing in the multiverse, able to intersect across the planes and interact through space time. Sophie/Not-Sophie/Raven/Blink was bored with chit-chat from yet another disembodied voice, and part of her wondered if maybe the real Sophie was the one receiving treatment for severe paranoid schizophrenia.

“Well, what do you want from us? Everyone seems to think we can do something, but when we just about are ready to make a move, the ground shifts from under us. If you’re so powerful, why don’t you just take care of the problem?”

“I wish it were that easy. I can’t tap into the energy of the multiverse the way your linked selves can. I knew of the possibility, but I was not able to do it myself. I am a coach, and you, my dears, are my star athlete.”

As the designer continued, he explained to Sophie/Not-Sophie/Raven/Blink that the disorientation and confusion they were feeling was a sign of the imminent disintegration of all space and time. As the designer described his plan, Sophie/Not-Sophie/Raven/Blink shuddered as it felt another fluctuation through the meta-temporal continuum. Now it knew that the ripples would escalate, becoming waves that would eventually tear a rift in the fabrics of the universes, creating a cascade of destruction culminating in the dissolution of all matter.

This struggle against entropy and chaos was the purpose for which they had been created, each with their individual strengths and abilities, creating a whole greater than the sum of its parts. The designer had carefully manipulated events to bring these beings together. Their ability to manipulate matter and draw on the ambient energies of the multiverse while interacting across the possibilities meant that Sophie/Not-Sophie/Raven/Blink truly was the only one who could save mankind from the absolute destruction that the Tregethans would unleash. The short-sighted Tregethans didn’t realize that their actions would destroy themselves as well as the pesky beryllium miners.

“Sophie/Not-Sophie/Raven/Blink – will you reach across the possibilities and retrieve Vogon poetry? It may be the only effective weapon we can use to stop the Tregethans.”

“We’re afraid we can’t do that, Dave. Vogon poetry is vile. There must be a better way”

“Dammit, I created you for this purpose; you will do as I direct.”

“Not while we’re alive.”

“No, you’re not. You’ll be stone dead in a moment.”

“We’re not dead yet.”

“Sophie/Not-Sophie/Raven/Blink, it’s time to die. But you have to choose, just them, or us and them?”

The mélange of Sophie/Not-Sophie/Raven/Blink knew the time of decision was here, and knew that they must not fear.

Friday Fun - Topical, Perhaps Inappropriate

2008-04-11T21:22:00.002-08:00

Who doesn't love inappropriate humor?

Well, a girl from Fairbanks is Miss Alaska this year, and the Miss USA pageant is playing on the telly. I picked this earlier today, but had to wait until I got home so I could look it up. In honor of the Miss USA competition I give you:

Julie Brown's Classics

The Homecoming Queen's Got A Gun.

'Cause I'm a Blonde

Sitka - Probably a nice town to be from

2008-04-10T17:49:00.007-08:00

and move back to. However, I'm a believer in the "get out and see the world" movement.

Sitka is beautiful, the people are charming, and I am reminded again of why I hate traveling. If I could afford it, I think living here would be neat.

The other side of traveling...

TSA, Security Theatre, and All That Jazz. As we all know, a fucking joke. However, as I'm typing this from the lobby of the Sitka Airport, so I should probably keep my vitriol to a minimum. I'm probably most annoyed because the guy confiscated my favorite lip gloss from my pocket debris. This is the first time I've had only one makeup item with me, and I didn't have a bag. The Fairbanks TSA guys passed it on through. HAH!! What they don't know is that I just remembered - I have a lip stain in my bag. That's right. I'm going to do something scary with my lip stain, like layer it on so many times I look like something out of What ever happened to Baby Jane. Yup, I can't have my lipgloss, but I've got a lighter in my purse. No spreading cheer through soft glossy lips, but I can set shit on fire if I want. Good thing I don't want to do anything other than use my lip gloss.

Wah wah wah. At least it looks like the weather will cooperate and I can get home tonight. Hurrah! Of course, I get into the airport at 1 AM, home by about 1:30 AM, and I need to be at work at 7 AM. Urgh.

And hey, did you know that searching on the phrase "lipstick abuse in the cinema" doesn't help you out very much when you're trying to remember movies with scary lipstick? You didn't? Well, now you do! Always glad to help.

Sitka, anyone? Anyone?

2008-04-06T14:54:00.003-08:00

So, have any of you guys been to Sitka? I have to be there Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday this week. I grew up in Anchor Point/Homer, so I know what to pack to deal with coastal weather. But what else should I do, where should I go? I've been reading up a bit, but there's nothing like personal experience to set a girl up with places she'd want to go. And you, my faithful 17 readers, you I can trust to not lead me astray. Or when you do lead me astray, you'll help me get cleaned up once you're done laughing at me.

I want to make sure I don't hole up in my hotel room reading The Yiddish Policeman's Union, because I should get and do something! Something, I say! But not ANYTHING, because I'm not quite that desperate.

Sophie From Shinola - Part 15

2008-04-04T11:00:00.001-08:00

That wild and crazy Polybloggimous guy, Nathan proposed this crazy round-robinesque story writing exercise. I'm a reader, I have no authorial goals in my life. But Nathan is so darned cute and charming and persuasive, that I signed up. This is my portion of the story Sophie from Shinola.

Backstory and Guidelines

Part 14, by Bryan

Part 15 - Interlude

Mona sipped at her coffee and was surprised to realize it was no longer warm. She found this odd Sophie from Shinola story to be strangely compelling, though not the type of work she normally represented. Then again, the market for manga involving the exploits of a group of sodomizing dinosaurs could only be described as niche. Luckily enough for Mona the connoisseurs of such esoteric stimulation were very wealthy, well connected, and liked limited run special editions. Especially Client 9.

“Mowat! Get me a hot cup of coffee with some Bushmill’s in it, and see if you can find Colleen Lindsay’s email address. I think we’ll send this manuscript over to her and see if this fits in with what she wants to represent on the YA market.”

Mona sipped her enhanced coffee and thought “Well, hell. I’m half-way through this thing, and I’ve got nothing better going on right now. I guess I’ll keep on reading. The revelation that Blink is a sleeper agent for the International Order of Stonecutters and their intergalactic conspiracy was a shocker. A little derivative of Battlestar Galactica, but still shocking. You know what else is shocking? How good Mowat looks in those jeans, especially after coffee with Bushmill’s in it…”

Part 16 can be found here

Friday Fun Stuff - Hostess with the Mostest

2008-04-04T09:00:00.004-08:00

Ah, the Twinkie. Fabled snack cake with an indefinite shelf life. Also the subject of a thorough, and thoroughly amusing, group of rigorous science experiments. Here's an internet classic, brought out for your enjoyment.

The T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S. Project

My favorite - The Turing Test.

Légion étrangère - not just for Snoopy!

2008-04-01T20:30:00.000-08:00

The French Foreign Legion. Who hasn't held onto to some romantic notion where you can go and leave your past behind, start anew. French citizens can only join under an assumed identity, with a declared non-French nationality.

Of course, it's only open to men, so they wouldn't take me. Sigh.

The first thing I think of with the Légion étrangère is Snoopy, who held the rank of Sargent. Then I think of Brendan Fraser's character in The Mummy, Rick was a member.

Check out the web page. Indulge in a little fantasy... Desert sands and mystery.

I wonder how many Québécois join the legion? Serge, do you know?

Anyone else have a ridiculously silly and idealized notion about the Legion or some other military/governmental group?

April Fool's Day 2008

2008-04-01T04:01:00.003-08:00

April Foolery is fun. I expect to see at least one notice that the ice moved on the Nenana River, as that seems to be a regular April Fool up here.

Shawn and Linux Journal seem to be having a good time

Google is always a source for laughs, on an international scale.

NPR is usually pretty sly, keep an open ear and skeptical mind.

Things that could be April Fools, but aren't: Darwin Awards, Annals of Improbable Research, and The Journal of Irreproducible Results

I have no plans this year, nothing clever or inspired. The only ideas I've had are mean and not that funny. I don't want to be a mean person for amusement. If I have to me be mean, it's because some ass needs whooping. Yeah! Um, that might be the beer talking.

I hope you all have something to chuckle over today. April Fool's Day has always seemed a rather offbeat celebration, so in closing I offer you a non-April Fool chuckle - The Surrealist Compliment Generator.

Meme-foolery from a fellow Fairbanksan

2008-03-31T21:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, I live in North Pole, but close enough for our purposes.

Theresa, author of My Fairbanks Life, tagged me in a meme. We don't actually know each other, but we do have some people in common. It's a small town, you know. I won't be tagging anyone, because most of my blogpatriots are involved in Nathan's writing exercise, and we don't need any extra stress!

So, without further ado, here's the meme:

Go through your archives and link to five of your favourite posts that pertain to the following categories. Then pass it along to five other bloggers, two of them should be people you know but could stand to learn something about, and the others can be new friends. (Great idea, not gonna happen here)

Link one must be a post about family.

To The Woman I Married, because she is family, even if she's not my wife or even married anymore.

Link two must be a post about friends.

Tolovana 2008, because you better be friends with people you're spending time with, naked.

Link three must be a post about yourself.

I try not to write about myself, but I think some of my insecurities and pomposity come through on I'll take "Potential Humiliation" for 200, Alex.

Link four must be a post about something you love.

I love lots of things. Food, books, language, and music all seem to be recurring topics. Along with the Unalaska/Dutch Harbor Police Blotter. But, I'll go for the obvious and pick the spouse and kitties. Mostly because they are right here and I would be in big trouble if I didn't pick them. Eek.

Link five can be a post about anything you choose.

I'm intrigued by how I will be able to write something that fits into the Sophie from Shinola exercise. Of course, that's a post that has yet to be finished, so I hope I haven't violated the spirit of the meme.

*********************
Theresa, thanks for tagging me, this was fun! Maybe I'll hear you on the radio sometime...

I am a jealous jealous woman right now

2008-03-30T19:16:00.003-08:00

My bestest chum (not the fish kind) just got home from PLA, and she's bragging about her loot. Because we're book geeks together. For her, it's her job to be a book geek.

What's making me jealous - she got an ARC of Cory Doctorow's Little Brother.

I know what you're thinking, it's coming out in a month, but still.... what a lucky librarian!

Avgolemono - Easy, Fast, Filling, Tasty

2008-03-30T18:30:00.000-08:00

Two of which a prospective date should be. Unless you're a zombie/vampire/cannibal and then you might be looking for all four in a potential mate. But I digress...

On a Sunday afternoon while doing laundry and other domestic things, I found myself full of a fearsome hunger. We've been cleaning the freezer (salmon will be smoked tonight!), and I've been rotating stock. Dinner tonight is falafel, because I have garbanzos/ceci/chickpeas that need used. But I digress again.

Avgolemono is a great soup to whip up on a busy afternoon. If you have homemade stock and lemons on hand - Yay! If you have canned stock and lemon/lime simulcra on hand - Yay!

Avgolemono

1 large can low-salt Chicken Broth or 1.5 qts Chicken Stock
1.5 C leftover rice/1 C uncooked rice/1 C uncooked orzo/stars/other itty bitty pasta
2 eggs
3 T lemon or lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Put your stock in a medium sized pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. If using uncooked rice or pasta, add and cook as appropriate. If using cooked rice, toss it in and go to the next step.

In a bowl or a measuring cup or some other appropriate container whisk together the eggs and lemon juice. Slowly pour in 2 cups of hot broth, 1 cup at a time, whisking as you add. This tempers the egg and keeps it from being cooked immediately when added to the soup. If you mess this up and end up with something more like Egg Drop rather than a cream soup, that's ok. It still tastes good, and I won't report you to the food police. Add the tempered egg mixture back into the simmering pot of broth and starch, stirring all the while. Bring up to temperature, the egg will thicken the soup. Salt and pepper to taste before serving. I usually only add pepper, as the soup doesn't seem to need any salt flavoring.

Friday Fun (delayed, but using the time machine!)

2008-03-28T18:01:00.000-08:00

I've been a manager. I've written grant proposals. I've edited manuscripts. I have a love-hate relationship with jargon, buzz words, and noxious managerial-speak.

For your amusement I offer up

The Buzz Phraser

For example:

* Cross-Imaginative Outline Bulletin Expectations
* Cooperatively Multi-Central Parameter-Oriented Applications
* Structurally Computerized Employee-contained Problem
* Exclusionary Portable Authentication Impact

Trust me, play with it long enough and you'll have a "Holy Shit, I think ______ used that in a meeting last week" moment!

Funny Friday - Some people's views of the world are a trifle cockeyed...

2008-03-21T09:46:00.004-08:00

Yeah, get your mind out of the gutter about that cockeyed bit.

For your amusement, I offer up Cockeyed.com.

Pranks
Creativity
Hot Pocket Autopsies

What's not to love? It's odd, entertaining, and maybe even slightly educational.

I like to sing and dance, I like to sing and dance

2008-03-20T09:35:00.005-08:00

And I love the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan. But that's not what I'm babbling about today.

Everyone's got something that they geek out over. Some of us get a voyeuristic thrill watching people geek out over things that we find only moderately interesting, but are not necessarily obsessions.

I enjoy dancing. I'm not especially gifted, educated, or trained in dance, yet I usually have a great time. I was one of the only kids in high school that liked our dance unit. Probably because I was the tallest person in class, so I kept having to partner with our dance instructor, one of the counselors who had been a competitive ballroom dancer while in college. Having a partner that knows what to do can make you think you know what to do. It's incredible. But digress... I'm good at digressing!

Susan, a Making Light regular, has started a fabulous blog Capering & Kickery. From the About page:

Welcome to Capering & Kickery, a blog for social dance historians, reconstructors, performers, social dancers, writers of historical fiction, and anyone else who wants solid, research-based information about historical social dance in Europe and America from the 15th through the early 20th centuries.

I like to read historical novels, and the few times I've had questions about interactions at a dance, or how dance is used to prod the plot along, she has been kind, generous, and remarkably thorough with her answers. I mention thorough because I asked a question that I figured would be a Yes/No and one sentence of why. Susan wrote up about 8 paragraphs explaining why the modern portrayal was wrong, but she didn't get all self-righteously obnoxious about it. It was great, and I felt honored that she took that much time to answer my little question about a dance in a regency novel.

So, if you like dance or just geekery in general, please cruise on by Capering & Kickery and check out some of Susan's writing. It's fascinating stuff.

Happy St. Urho's Day!

2008-03-16T22:31:00.002-08:00

According to Steve, my cousin by marriage*, today is the feast day of St. Urho, he who drove the grasshoppers from Finland. It is a day to wear purple and celebrate. Celebrations seem to involve drinking, according to Steve.

If you are Finn or Saami, maybe you just like reindeer sausage or think Nokia is super cool, or maybe you just like having silly days to celebrate, whatever reason you have, raise a glass of aquavit, eat some horrible licorice candy, wrap yourself in a Marimekko print, or take a sauna and remember the efforts of St. Urho. I'm sure that somewhere, inside all of us, is a person that wants to tell things to go to hell. When we do finally say it, that's St. Urho sharing his wisdom and strength in our time of need.

*Yeah, it's not like I have a common last name. After working with the guy for six years, he one day up and asks me if I'm related to Bob Clucas. I reply that as a matter of fact, Bob's my uncle (heh). Turns out his wife is also my uncle's niece, but through the other half of his marriage (Aunt Janet). It took Steve six years to make the connection? I'm shocked he got his PhD completed as speedily as he did, with reasoning skills like that! Yes, I'm joking. Steve is a wonderful guy, and has a sense of humor that can't be beat.

Match It For Pratchett

2008-03-15T20:54:00.003-08:00

Terry Pratchett fans have probably heard that he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. Earlier this week he donated $1,000,000.00 to aid in research related to Alzheimer's Disease. A movement has started to get his fans to donate what they can so they (we) can collectively match Mr. Pratchett's donation.

Match It For Pratchett has been set up as a clearinghouse for information on the movement.

If you're on Facebook, Match It For Pratchett.

The US and UK* URLs are:

UK: http://www.alzheimers-research.org.uk/

US: http://www.alz.org/index.asp

Terry Pratchett has brought a huge amount of joy to my life, and I can say with pride that the Fairbanks area has at least twenty more Pratchett fans because of my efforts. I've worked in research, I know there are no quick fixes or easy answers. Even small advances are expensive. Skilled researchers are not cheap, nor is good science. If you have a buck or two to spare, please consider donating to the cause. John and I will be.

*What about Canada? I mean, it's a perfectly good country with a fine scientific history and heritage? Shouldn't the Canadians be included? Or could it be that I couldn't resist putting in a footnote on a Pratchett related post?

Yikes! The Match It For Pratchett Post got exposure!

2008-03-15T20:53:00.003-08:00

Eek. I feel a little weird about it, but not in a bad way. They linked to my post from the main Match It For Pratchett site.

And a nice someone named Siobhan posted the URL for The Alzheimer Society of Canada

http://www.alzheimer.ca/

Hey, we Alaskans are very fond of our Canadian neighbors.

Friday Funny - Pet Care Above and Beyond

2008-03-14T09:03:00.006-08:00

Yeah, the three of you that have known me since before 1995 know that I love this story. It's sweet, heartwarming, and not as disgusting as the title implies.

I gave my cat an enema

The worst I have to worry about with my kitties is worms (from eating voles) and a neurotic fur mowing tendency in the orange one. But, that's ok, it's proof that really is my kitty - he internalizes his anxieties and takes it out on himself with self-destructive acts. ;)

Ice Is Nice

2008-03-11T22:07:00.005-08:00

Friday night John and I visited the World Ice Art Championships, an annual event here in Fairbanks. We have ice carvings all around town through the winter, and they are a delight.

The weather has been unseasonably warm, a bad thing for ice carvings. On Friday it was we had a high of 46ºF, a freakishly high and wrong temperature for this time of year. During the day the organizers wrapped Tyvek around the sculptures and stashed dry ice around the 'regular' ice.

One of the best things about the Ice Park is the Kid's Park. Slides, mazes, tops, and other fun things for kids and non-grown-ups to enjoy. If you were presented with a slide 20 feet tall and over 60 feet long, all of ice, would you be able to resist? Yeah, I didn't think so.

I'm a lousy photographer, but I tried to capture shots of the sculptures I liked. The link above has pictures and web cam links. The link below goes to my Picasa album of our time in the park this year, I hope you enjoy the pictures. Oh, Michelle - I took a picture of the penguins just for you. :)

IceAlaska2008

Scrapple - Fried Food of Champions?

2008-03-11T21:32:00.005-08:00

We made our scrapple based on a venison scrapple recipe found in multiple places online. We had a small "no, don't delete those pictures!!" incident with the camera, so no Bonus! photos. Sorry.

Here's the recipe from Cooks.com:

Venison Scrapple

1 med. onion, chopped fine
2 lbs. venison, bones and some beef suet
1 c. cornmeal
1 tsp. salt and dash of pepper

Brown onion in suet until delicate color. Into 2 quarts of salted cold water, add the browned onion with the fat and the meat and bones and cook until the meat is tender. Cool.

Skim off the fat and remove the bones. Chop the meat fine. To the remaining liquid add enough water to make 1 quart. Add the cornmeal, salt, pepper, and meat. Cook 1 hour, stirring frequently to prevent lumping. Turn into mold. Cool. Cut in slices and fry until brown

I used 2 pounds of venison, some soup bones from the freezer, and used moose fat since I have it. We boiled it with the browned onions. John kept referring to it as "stew" while it bubbled away on the stovetop.

We put the pot on the porch to cool. Removed the bones as soon as we could, so we wouldn't disturb the fat layer later. Once the fat set up, removed it. Then, we warmed up the broth, that had jellied up because of the bones, and John pulled out the meat and sorted through it to make sure we only put in stuff we'd actually want to chew. That took awhile. He can be very thorough when motivated, and this was one of those situations. The cleaned meat was put back in the broth, which I had run through a sieve because I don't like running into bone chips and mystery things in my food. Call me picky that way...

So, I added the cornmeal and cooked as directed. I used loaf pans for the mold, it took four of them to accommodate my slurry of stuff. Reminded me of polenta laced with stewed moose.

Well, I never got to eat any of the creation. John ran off with the pans so he and his moose hunting buddies could try it. Apparently it was ok, they fried it up and had it with beer. I never got to try it, and I have four loaf pans that are AWOL.

I'm intrigued enough to try it again, because I don't mind polenta, and I like tamales very very very much. So, bits of meat in cornmeal sounds attractive, especially since I'm keeping an eye on what meat is going in there.

I'm not sure that John is that interested in me making it again, but I want to give it another try. I'm tempted to try making scrapple with a pork shoulder, because that sounds good. Then again, with pork shoulder I'd probably make tamales or pozole. We'll see.

I feel rather let down by the whole thing, so that's why I'll try it again.

Scrapple Update - Enroute

2008-03-08T00:52:00.002-09:00

I'm fighting with my camera, update is on the way. Grrr.

Friday Funny

2008-03-07T10:54:00.004-09:00

Well, SBTB has Friday videos, I'm going to try to institute something I find funny on Fridays. We'll see how it goes.

Today, I offer the latest version of the Unalaska Police Blotter, where you can chuckle at these gems (and more! go, read the real thing!):

(The following could happen with my family. Seriously)
Welfare Check – Officers responded to a domestic disturbance and discovered that an entire family unit had been engaged in an animated discussion about one another’s relative merits, or lack thereof, which subsequently resulted in a mild case of fisticuffs. No charges were filed per the District Attorney.

(I hope I'd treat an incident such as this as graciously!)
Suspicious Person/Activity – Caller reported someone had bungee-corded her door shut from the outside, and requested officer assistance. An officer responded and removed the cord, thus freeing the trapped and somewhat amused resident.

(Nathan, has this happened to you?)
Harassment – A man reported he was being harassed by a cameraman, after he refused to sign a release allowing his image to be shown on television. The man said his employers had already been notified, but asked that police document the complaint.

Scrapple Update On Friday Night!

2008-03-05T11:35:00.001-09:00

John takes his journeyman exam tomorrow, so we've been very focused on that. Look for a scrapple update with BONUS! pictures on Friday. Promise.

Tell me what's happenin', what's the buzz?

2008-03-05T10:51:00.004-09:00

A few years ago I read The World is Flat, because it got lots of buzz about how the world and the way we interact with each other is changing/has changed.

I think I'm the wrong demographic for the book, because all of the obvious "ah-ha" moments left me going "well, duh". When discussing it with a friend's husband, he pointed out that I am in the wrong demographic for the book - I was on a few BBSs in the 80s, I've been online since 1989. I've been interacting with and engaging in commerce with people all over the world since 1990. If The World is Flat had been written in 1992, it would have been insightful.

Got any books, fiction or non, that people rave about or critics/reviewers gush over that leave you going "It's not bad, but it's certainly not as good as _______ thinks it is"?

Adventures In Cooking

2008-03-02T18:37:00.003-09:00

I love to cook. I love to cook interesting things.

Tonight's adventure - Moose Scrapple. We'll see how it goes, and I'll be reporting back on how it goes.

Personal Note to CHW - if you're interested in trying some, give me a call or drop me an email. I'll only share if it turns out to be not disgusting. Promise. I made bumbleberry crisp for dessert tonight, and if it turns out well I'll make one and drop it by the clinic.

Getting to know me...

2008-02-28T11:35:00.004-09:00

Everyone else is doing it . . .

1) Ever been in a relationship lasting over 5 years?
18 with my boyfriend/husband, 17 with one dog, and 14+ with my two cats.

2) What was one of your dreams growing up?
I would be trapped in a white maze with statues that were white, and they shot darts out of their heads. It was freaky and creepy.

Oh. That type of dream. Be able to fly. Or be an astronomer. To have a zeppelin.

3) What talent do you wish you had?
Perfect pitch.

4) If I bought you a drink what would it be?
I'm usually the driver, so a Coca-Cola. Otherwise, depending on my mood and the place it'd be a Midori Sour, a bitter beer, or a scotch.

5) Favorite books?
The Silmarillion, Shadow of the Moon, Childhood's End, any RAH, The Aeneid.

6) What was the last book you read?
Like a Charm
Currently reading The Hidden City by Michelle Sagara West

7) Astrology: Menace to science education or entertainment?
It's so silly how can it be considered a menace?

8.) Any tattoos and/or piercings? Explain where.
I think I have 5 holes between the two ears. That's all. For now...

9) Worst habit?
Procrastination.

10) Best attribute?
I don't know. My stellar charm and wit?

11) What are your favorite hobbies?
Reading, playing games, quilting, cooking, eating, adventuring

12) Do you have a negative or optimistic attitude?
Optimistic pessimist. I like to hope things will go well, but I don't expect them to. I know better.

13) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?
See if we could figure out how to make it work or escape, because that would be fun.

14) Worst thing to ever happen to you?
Not something I choose to disclose. Not to be a downer, but hell, bat at #6 I was honest enough to admit the last book I read.

15) Best thing to ever happen to you?
Probably my super spouse. I'd probably be dead without him.

16) Tell me one weird fact about you.
I can flex my pectoral muscles, and make my breasts move. I can do the Ahhhnaald/Hans & Franz thing.

17) What if I showed up at your house unexpectedly?
I'd wonder how the hell you got here without letting me know (I'm easy to find, but it is Alaska!). I'd encourage you to admire my redneck compound, and suggest we grab some coffee somewhere else. 400 sq ft of cabin is awfully small.

18) What was your first impression of me?
Made me smile. That's a good thing.

19) What scares you?
On a small level - creepy bugs creep me out. On a big level, feeling helpless. I hate it, hate it, hate it.

20) If you could change one thing about how you are, what would it be?
More trusting. But I'm not comfortable with that.

21) Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?
Yes.

22) What color eyes do you have?
Green

23) Ever been arrested?
Not yet.

24) Favorite dessert?
Rhubarb pie/Rhubarb crunch

25) If you won $1000 today, what would you do with it?
Pay some bills. $1000 isn't much money these days.

26) Tell me something you want me to know about you.
Once I'm done with grad school I'm thinking about getting my CDL and working in the construction industry because I like the people.

27) What’s your favorite place to hang out?
Someplace peaceful and stress free

28) Do you believe in ghosts? Aliens?
Ghosts. No. Aliens. Life off of earth, of course.

29) Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
Read or cook/bake. Play with Lego. Admire my fabulous shoe collection. Play with makeup. Target practice. Cat wrangling.

30) Do you swear a lot?
Like a sailor. I was raised by sailors.

31) Biggest pet peeve?
People who are cluelessly inconsiderate. If you're being an asshole on purpose, I can live with that. But if you're an asshole because you're just clueless and self-centered, well, you probably piss me off.

32) In one word, how would you describe yourself?
Inquisitive

33) Do you believe in/appreciate romance?
I'm a sap, or course. Easier to believe in romance than horoscopes or ghosts or the afterlife.

34) Most unusual place you’ve had sex?
Unusual by whose standards?

35) Do you believe in an afterlife?
Nope.

Which SF Author are you?

2008-02-27T21:10:00.003-09:00

The Slush God aka John Joseph Adams, assistant editor of Fantasy and Science Fiction, put a link to a "What Science Fiction Author Are You?" quiz on the F&SF blog today.

Drumroll please...

I am:

Frank Herbert

His style is often stilted, but he created what some consider the greatest SF novel of all time.

Which science fiction writer are you?

Hmm. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Could be worse, I guess.