We received our tax refund this week. We had already decided that most of it would be spent on things for the house, such as a new water heater and maybe a dishwasher. Adrian also needs new glasses. I splurged and bought myself an iPod Touch. It's worth every penny, let me tell you. I rely on my iPod to get me through the boring work days, when all I do is look at payment vouchers all day until my eyes are like pinwheels.
My uncle Larry (my father's younger brother) passed away last week. He was loading a U-Haul to move to Texas and dropped dead of a heart attack. I don't remember him very well, because for most of my life, he lived in California with his family. They lived in Greenville for a little while when I was in junior high and gave me their water bed instead of having to move it back to Cali. I remember that he looked just like my father and was usually laughing about something. I'm sorry I didn't get to know him better.
I worry about my family in Greenville because of all the drama they have to deal with. Constant health problems, dealing with elderly relatives who do not understand why they can't live at home anymore, etc. It was a constant struggle when I still lived at home, so I feel like I had to move away. Dallas was not far enough. It's not that I don't love them, far from it. I just cannot deal with constant tragedy. I cannot see why I have to deal with it in order to prove my love for my family. All of my family members profess to understand why I moved to Austin, but I have to wonder if they really think I ran away from them. Maybe it's my own sense of guilt speaking. I do know that my mother always wanted me to be happy and it caused her pain to know that I wasn't happy while growing up and also for a good chunk of my adult life. When she died, I made a promise that I would be happy. Although I've missed her desperately for the last 7 years (9 years if you count the time while she was ill), I'm happier now than I've ever been in my life. I feel like my life has a "flow" now, like things are happening the way they should. That's all I ever wanted and that's what my Mom wanted for me. I only wish she were here to share it. I wish things would go smoother for my family too. They've had to deal with too much for too long.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Monday, February 02, 2009
I thought my nose was running, but it'snot........
I've had "cedar fever" all weekend and didn't go to work today. This is the first year it's bothered me. Usually everyone around me is suffering and I'm fine, greedily breathing through my nose at their misery. I slept all day today and only got up to go grocery shopping.
Back to work tomorrow.....lots to do. I see a new pain specialist on the 10th. Looking forward to that, oh yessssssss..........
Back to work tomorrow.....lots to do. I see a new pain specialist on the 10th. Looking forward to that, oh yessssssss..........
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Phobias
Most people have phobias of scary things like heights, spiders, snakes and such. I like to think of myself as fearless, but the fact is I'm actually very afraid of two things: search lights and horseshoe crabs.
Search lights (like the type outside movie premieres) make me think that Hitler is coming to get me. I don't know why this is; perhaps I was a Jew in hiding in a previous life or maybe I saw too many bad Nazi WW2 movies. My mom found out about this phobia of mine when I was about 8 years old and we were driving down Northwest Highway in Dallas, where there are loads of car dealerships. For some reason I cannot fathom, car dealerships back then used search lights at night. We passed one when it was pointed directly at our car and I freaked out. I screamed and hid my head and later that night (and for days afterward) I had nightmares about Hitler and the Nazis coming to get me. Now the only time you see search lights is in front of topless bars and I usually don't have to drive past those. I get the heebie-jeebies just seeing the lights in the sky.
My second phobia I became aware of a few years back when I was working in the antique mall. One of the dealers had a showcase of fossils, rocks and unusual sea shells, and they also had a couple of horseshoe crabs (not alive, of course). If you haven't seen one, they are the most vile, prehistoric and loathsome creatures known to mankind:
Underneath, they're even MORE horrific:
Of course, someone would want me to open up that showcase and TAKE ONE OF THEM OUT to look at it more closely. No, sir. I would have to call my six-foot-five co-worker to do it, and even he would only hold it by the tail and grimace. I want all who read this to appreciate how difficult it was for me to post photos of these revolting crustaceans. I had dreams of one of these crabs coming back to life. I would be running down the aisle screaming like a banshee while the reanimated arthropod scurries down the aisle after me, making a metallic rasp on the concrete floor.
What are YOU afraid of?
Search lights (like the type outside movie premieres) make me think that Hitler is coming to get me. I don't know why this is; perhaps I was a Jew in hiding in a previous life or maybe I saw too many bad Nazi WW2 movies. My mom found out about this phobia of mine when I was about 8 years old and we were driving down Northwest Highway in Dallas, where there are loads of car dealerships. For some reason I cannot fathom, car dealerships back then used search lights at night. We passed one when it was pointed directly at our car and I freaked out. I screamed and hid my head and later that night (and for days afterward) I had nightmares about Hitler and the Nazis coming to get me. Now the only time you see search lights is in front of topless bars and I usually don't have to drive past those. I get the heebie-jeebies just seeing the lights in the sky.
My second phobia I became aware of a few years back when I was working in the antique mall. One of the dealers had a showcase of fossils, rocks and unusual sea shells, and they also had a couple of horseshoe crabs (not alive, of course). If you haven't seen one, they are the most vile, prehistoric and loathsome creatures known to mankind:
Underneath, they're even MORE horrific:
Of course, someone would want me to open up that showcase and TAKE ONE OF THEM OUT to look at it more closely. No, sir. I would have to call my six-foot-five co-worker to do it, and even he would only hold it by the tail and grimace. I want all who read this to appreciate how difficult it was for me to post photos of these revolting crustaceans. I had dreams of one of these crabs coming back to life. I would be running down the aisle screaming like a banshee while the reanimated arthropod scurries down the aisle after me, making a metallic rasp on the concrete floor.
What are YOU afraid of?
Thursday, January 22, 2009
A Bargain
I'd say we made a good trade this week: The USA got a President with a triple-digit IQ and Crawford got their village idiot back. All is good.............
Friday, January 16, 2009
House Wishes
Eventually, Adrian and I want to remodel our kitchen and both bathrooms. The kitchen is tiny, but laid out well. I don't like the cabinets or the countertops, though. I'd like something more along the lines of this, with a nice wood or tile floor:
Of course, I'd also like stainless steel appliances, but new cabinets and Silestone countertops would work fine.
As far as the bathrooms, we have a tub in the master bath and a shower in the so-called cat's bathroom (Adrian's term). I never use the tub except for showering, so something like this (with different colored tile and vanity) would be great:
The cat's bathroom needs a tile floor and a better, non-leaky shower with glass doors. Adrian wants a pedestal sink for that bathroom.
We also want to take out the carpet in the house and replace it with hard wood floors, except for the bedroom, where I'd like a nice berber carpet. Adrian plans on painting the house in the spring. I don't know when we'll be able to afford to do the remodeling. It will probably be a few years.
Of course, I'd also like stainless steel appliances, but new cabinets and Silestone countertops would work fine.
As far as the bathrooms, we have a tub in the master bath and a shower in the so-called cat's bathroom (Adrian's term). I never use the tub except for showering, so something like this (with different colored tile and vanity) would be great:
The cat's bathroom needs a tile floor and a better, non-leaky shower with glass doors. Adrian wants a pedestal sink for that bathroom.
We also want to take out the carpet in the house and replace it with hard wood floors, except for the bedroom, where I'd like a nice berber carpet. Adrian plans on painting the house in the spring. I don't know when we'll be able to afford to do the remodeling. It will probably be a few years.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
A boring week
Nothing happened this week, except for Friday, when I left work at lunch for 2 doctor appointments. The rheumatologist said "see you in 6 months" which means nothing is happening, and the shrink says I only should come every 2 months, if I need it. I suppose no news is good news.
Next week, I have to help teach a class on processing vouchers and get started on re-doing the work intranet webpage. That's bound to be more interesting than what I'm doing now. Plus, we have a 3 day weekend with MLK Day. I think we should get off every Inauguration Day too. It's one extra day off every 4 years, and c'mon, this one is HISTORIC. Plus, 4 day weekends are bitchin'!
I got about 2 inches of hair cut off this morning and it's time to color it again. The stylist said, "I can't believe how blonde you are! You must have looked like a ghost before you went red!" Yes, I did. Pale skin, pale hair. Being asked, "are you feeling OK?" by total strangers. Men seemed to be totally stupified by blonde hair, no matter what you actually looked like.....I don't miss being blonde. I'm a redhead at heart.
Next week, I have to help teach a class on processing vouchers and get started on re-doing the work intranet webpage. That's bound to be more interesting than what I'm doing now. Plus, we have a 3 day weekend with MLK Day. I think we should get off every Inauguration Day too. It's one extra day off every 4 years, and c'mon, this one is HISTORIC. Plus, 4 day weekends are bitchin'!
I got about 2 inches of hair cut off this morning and it's time to color it again. The stylist said, "I can't believe how blonde you are! You must have looked like a ghost before you went red!" Yes, I did. Pale skin, pale hair. Being asked, "are you feeling OK?" by total strangers. Men seemed to be totally stupified by blonde hair, no matter what you actually looked like.....I don't miss being blonde. I'm a redhead at heart.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Back to work
Our 2 week winter break is over and back we go to work tomorrow. I'm sure it will be rather quiet tomorrow; they were doing some major renovations in my office when I left, so all of our computer equipment had to be disassembled and stored under our desks. Unless the computer fairies visited over the holidays, we'll probably be putting stuff back together for most of the day.
Had our customary Sunday lunch with Stainze today. He's going into the hospital on Jan. 13th to have a tumor on his kidney removed. It hasn't been biopsied yet, so he won't know if it's benign or otherwise until it's out. Need less to say, he's very nervous about the whole deal. He has some friends coming to stay with him for a bit, since he'll be off work for up to 10 weeks. We're hoping for the best for him.
Took down the Xmas tree yesterday and stored all the holiday stuff away. The old tree will go to Goodwill, along with the old bed frame and foundation. I could probably stand to get rid of other stuff too, like shoes. I wear shoes until they wear out. Time to go through the closet.....
Had our customary Sunday lunch with Stainze today. He's going into the hospital on Jan. 13th to have a tumor on his kidney removed. It hasn't been biopsied yet, so he won't know if it's benign or otherwise until it's out. Need less to say, he's very nervous about the whole deal. He has some friends coming to stay with him for a bit, since he'll be off work for up to 10 weeks. We're hoping for the best for him.
Took down the Xmas tree yesterday and stored all the holiday stuff away. The old tree will go to Goodwill, along with the old bed frame and foundation. I could probably stand to get rid of other stuff too, like shoes. I wear shoes until they wear out. Time to go through the closet.....
Friday, January 02, 2009
Klutz
We went clothes shopping today, something I always dread. Predictably, I didn't find anything but I did marvel that most plus-size clothes seem to be in man-made fabrics. Is it not bad enough to be big and sweat a lot without being punished by wearing clothes that make the sweating worse? We also found some men's athletic shoes, which surely must be made for athletic clowns. I can't imagine a heterosexual male (or one who doesn't have a big red nose) wearing these:
We did have more luck at Home Depot, where we bought a 7 1/2 ft. tall, pre-lit Christmas tree that had been marked down from $250.00 to just $62.25. It didn't come with a box unfortunately, so at the moment it's lending a festive air to the garage.
We put the Honda in the shop today to get a new master cylinder:
When the call came from Groovy Automotive that the car was ready, I tried to go outside to tell Adrian, but I stepped out wrong and went down like a ton of bricks. I strained my left ankle and my right knee badly. I've had an ice pack on my ankle for the last hour and my foot is frozen. It doesn't hurt terribly, so I'm sure it's just a strain. Still, what a klutz I am......
We did have more luck at Home Depot, where we bought a 7 1/2 ft. tall, pre-lit Christmas tree that had been marked down from $250.00 to just $62.25. It didn't come with a box unfortunately, so at the moment it's lending a festive air to the garage.
We put the Honda in the shop today to get a new master cylinder:
When the call came from Groovy Automotive that the car was ready, I tried to go outside to tell Adrian, but I stepped out wrong and went down like a ton of bricks. I strained my left ankle and my right knee badly. I've had an ice pack on my ankle for the last hour and my foot is frozen. It doesn't hurt terribly, so I'm sure it's just a strain. Still, what a klutz I am......
Thursday, January 01, 2009
First post of 2009
I don't usually make resolutions at New Years'. I find that I soon lose interest in such things as exercising (which I know I should do everyday) or eating right (I'm a foodie, what can I say?). I will make an exception this year. I will endeavor to be more creative. I'm going to post more regularly, even though the posts may not be always funny. Everyday life is not always amusing or entertaining; sometimes (many times) it's downright dull, but if I want to call myself a writer, I must write.
I'm on the last part of the 2 weeks winter break that we cushy state employees get every year. It's been absolutely great; I don't think I've ever had 2 weeks off all at once since I've been an adult. I've slept late every morning, watched movies, read books. I finished fixing my Yardbirds website (www.yardbirdsphotos.com) and gotten it up and running. I learned a new Mac application (iWeb) and generally, just enjoyed my life.
This past year was not bad by any means, even though I lost a job. It was a job I hated and losing it was a very good thing. I ended up with a job I like much better. Working at UT is like being a waiter in LA; everyone is something else (actor, dancer, director, etc.) and they're just working there to pay bills. I think that can be a healthy way to live if you tend to define yourself by your work like I do. It gives you something else other than work to put emphasis on. So, I'm now a writer who works at UT paying bills. Yep, that's the ticket, and it's a pretty good ticket.
I'm on the last part of the 2 weeks winter break that we cushy state employees get every year. It's been absolutely great; I don't think I've ever had 2 weeks off all at once since I've been an adult. I've slept late every morning, watched movies, read books. I finished fixing my Yardbirds website (www.yardbirdsphotos.com) and gotten it up and running. I learned a new Mac application (iWeb) and generally, just enjoyed my life.
This past year was not bad by any means, even though I lost a job. It was a job I hated and losing it was a very good thing. I ended up with a job I like much better. Working at UT is like being a waiter in LA; everyone is something else (actor, dancer, director, etc.) and they're just working there to pay bills. I think that can be a healthy way to live if you tend to define yourself by your work like I do. It gives you something else other than work to put emphasis on. So, I'm now a writer who works at UT paying bills. Yep, that's the ticket, and it's a pretty good ticket.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Yule is over....long live 2009!
We had a fun Yule here at home. My husband's siblings came down and we made pizzas, played board games and sat outside watching the fire in the chiminea. Adrian and I opened our prezzies for each other: I got him a DVD of 'A Clockwork Orange', 2 CDs, and a book of Factory Records graphic designs. I received:
A bottle of Anna Sui Night of Fancy perfume.......
Michael Palin's diary of the Python years......
a book about silent film actors.....
a DVD documentary about vaudeville.....
a book about Ghosts Caught On Film, 99% of which are obviously and patently fake. The other 1% stump me......
Plus various stocking stuffers I love, like Smarties, Bit O' Honeys, Ghirardelli chocolates and also a new Wheatsville Co-Op membership, so I can continue my pursuit of hippie-ness.
I've been making steady progress on revamping my Yardbirds website too. I hope to have it up by January 1st. It looks a million times better than the present site. I'm using iWeb to do the site; it's extremely easy to use. The one that's up now looks terrible and it too hard to read. My new URL will be www.yardbirdsphotos.com. Look for it soon!
Oh yeah, Happy New Year too! That means the Twilight Zone marathon on the Sci-Fi network......
Oh, the pompatoose of Shatner......
A bottle of Anna Sui Night of Fancy perfume.......
Michael Palin's diary of the Python years......
a book about silent film actors.....
a DVD documentary about vaudeville.....
a book about Ghosts Caught On Film, 99% of which are obviously and patently fake. The other 1% stump me......
Plus various stocking stuffers I love, like Smarties, Bit O' Honeys, Ghirardelli chocolates and also a new Wheatsville Co-Op membership, so I can continue my pursuit of hippie-ness.
I've been making steady progress on revamping my Yardbirds website too. I hope to have it up by January 1st. It looks a million times better than the present site. I'm using iWeb to do the site; it's extremely easy to use. The one that's up now looks terrible and it too hard to read. My new URL will be www.yardbirdsphotos.com. Look for it soon!
Oh yeah, Happy New Year too! That means the Twilight Zone marathon on the Sci-Fi network......
Oh, the pompatoose of Shatner......
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Some Yuletide Silent Films
"Santa Claus" (1898)
"A Christmas Carol" (1903)
"The Night Before Christmas" (1905)
"A Christmas Carol" (1903)
"The Night Before Christmas" (1905)
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Stephen Fry on the Joys of Swearing
As usual, Stephen Fry is the voice of reason and sanity in a overly-PC world....
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Why does this mightily amuse me?
It contains my least favorite word in the English language, yet it makes me laugh myself sick.
There's just no accounting for taste sometimes......
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Friday, November 07, 2008
Thangs Are Looking Up
The election is FINALLY over and my candidate won. So sorry if yours didn't. Those people who think that the US will suddenly become a socialist country obviously know very little about socialism. Ever had to call the police or the fire department? You've benefited from a socialist organization. Ever checked out a book from the library? You've benefited from a socialist organization. Were your parents wealthy enough to put you through private school? Then you probably went to public school, which is (wait for it)...a socialist organization. Socialism is NOT communism and the US will never be a purely socialist country. The (post-Nixon) Republicans let things get so bad that people seem to think that it's a reasonable fear, which is ridiculous. End of story.
I got a promotion and a nice raise this week. That was far more exciting to me than any election. I've got 2 weeks off at the end of the year, plus 2 days off later this month to go see my family. THAT'S what I'm excited about, not another election......and I still love my new bed.
I got a promotion and a nice raise this week. That was far more exciting to me than any election. I've got 2 weeks off at the end of the year, plus 2 days off later this month to go see my family. THAT'S what I'm excited about, not another election......and I still love my new bed.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Nausea
My rheumatologist has put me back on Plaquenil. I was diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome in late 2004 and I was prescribed Plaquenil but after 6 months of my parotid glands continually swelling up, the rheumy took me off of it and released me. He now seems to think that a double dose every day will keep my cheeks from making me resemble a rabid chipmunk. I've been on the drug again for only a short time, so the only thing I've noticed so far is nausea. I cut myself back to a single dose a day and that's helped. Plaquenil is an immunosuppressant, so I hope I don't catch everything that comes around the office. I got sick often enough when my immune system wasn't being suppressed.
An administrative associate position has become available in my office and I interview for it on Thursday. It's a nice promotion and carries a large (for my salary) raise.
News about the Tempurpedic Bed: it's not really a Tempurpedic(tm) bed, but one from overstock.com that is supposed to compare favorable with Tempurpedic's top of the line bed at a third of the price. It's not memory foam all the way through; it has a pillow top of regular foam and a washable cover.
It's also 14 inches thick, so I had to buy some new sheets. Oh, and some new pillows too. It's EXTREMELY comfortable; we've had to get used to sleeping on it. Our old bed was lumpy and made my joints ache. We both became accustomed to flipping like pancakes all night long and not sleeping. It's difficult to turn over on this bed, so the first few times I slept on it, I woke up every time I changed positions, which I've always done. Last night, I stayed in the same position all night and only woke up once, which I consider a vast improvement. I was stiff and sore this morning, but then, I usually am anyway. I'm happy with my purchase.......
An administrative associate position has become available in my office and I interview for it on Thursday. It's a nice promotion and carries a large (for my salary) raise.
News about the Tempurpedic Bed: it's not really a Tempurpedic(tm) bed, but one from overstock.com that is supposed to compare favorable with Tempurpedic's top of the line bed at a third of the price. It's not memory foam all the way through; it has a pillow top of regular foam and a washable cover.
It's also 14 inches thick, so I had to buy some new sheets. Oh, and some new pillows too. It's EXTREMELY comfortable; we've had to get used to sleeping on it. Our old bed was lumpy and made my joints ache. We both became accustomed to flipping like pancakes all night long and not sleeping. It's difficult to turn over on this bed, so the first few times I slept on it, I woke up every time I changed positions, which I've always done. Last night, I stayed in the same position all night and only woke up once, which I consider a vast improvement. I was stiff and sore this morning, but then, I usually am anyway. I'm happy with my purchase.......
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Saturday, October 04, 2008
More Adventures in Sleeping
Adrian felt compelled to write down some of the things I was talking about in my sleep last night:
- "We can make ice sandwiches out of the top part of bras - the kind you wear when something is strapless because they're stiff".
- "Where's the clicker? The one where you click on the pillow and a fairy comes out and says, 'You clicked on this'".
I must turn into Stephen Wright when I'm asleep......
- "We can make ice sandwiches out of the top part of bras - the kind you wear when something is strapless because they're stiff".
- "Where's the clicker? The one where you click on the pillow and a fairy comes out and says, 'You clicked on this'".
I must turn into Stephen Wright when I'm asleep......
