Ah, the other side. The other side of the lake, the other side of a door, the other side of the tracks, the other side of the mountain, the other side of the world, the other side of a certain age. The view is pretty nice over here!
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Sweet! Our comptroller is a member of the local N.A.W.I.C. (National Association of Women in Construction) chapter. Tonight was their spring awards meeting, and the guest speaker was John L. Smith. . .Head football coach for the Michigan State Spartan football team. Our boss sent anyone from the office that wanted to go to the dinner/meeting (and paid our way). Yeah!
John L. is as funny and bouncy and off-the-wall as he appears in his television interviews. A great time was had by all!
Go Green!
John L. is as funny and bouncy and off-the-wall as he appears in his television interviews. A great time was had by all!
Go Green!
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Monday Madness a day late:
1. On what day of the week were you born? Thursday
2. Were you born in the morning, afternoon, or evening? 10:02 p.m.
3. How many siblings do you have? Brothers or sisters? 4 brothers, one sister.
4. Do you (or did you) ever wish you were an only child? And if you ARE an only child, did you ever wish you had brothers and sisters? Nope
5. Did you (or do you) dream of having a big family of your own? pass
6. In your opinion, which is (or would be) easier to raise; boys or girls? neither. Each child is unique.
7. In looks, do you favor your mother or your father? Father
1. On what day of the week were you born? Thursday
2. Were you born in the morning, afternoon, or evening? 10:02 p.m.
3. How many siblings do you have? Brothers or sisters? 4 brothers, one sister.
4. Do you (or did you) ever wish you were an only child? And if you ARE an only child, did you ever wish you had brothers and sisters? Nope
5. Did you (or do you) dream of having a big family of your own? pass
6. In your opinion, which is (or would be) easier to raise; boys or girls? neither. Each child is unique.
7. In looks, do you favor your mother or your father? Father
Monday, April 11, 2005
"Rubble is the ground on which our deepest friendships are built. If you haven't already, you will lose someone you can't live without, and your heart will be badly broken, and you never completely get over the loss of a deeply beloved person. But this is also good news. The person lives forever, in your broken heart that doesn't seal back up. And you come through, and you learn to dance with the banged-up heart. You dance to the absurdities of life; you dance to the minuet of old friendships."
Anne Lamott, PLAN B Further Thoughts on Faith.
Anne Lamott, PLAN B Further Thoughts on Faith.
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Sunday's Unconscious Mutterings.
I say ... and you think ... ?
1. Horrendous::awful beyond comprehension
2. Home video::funny
3. What a girl wants::what a girl needs
4. Grounded::based
5. Trusting::innocent
6. Simplistic::forgetting the details
7. Buzz::bee
8. Balcony::my favorite relaxation spot
9. Roar::thunder
10. Hooker::pro
I say ... and you think ... ?
1. Horrendous::awful beyond comprehension
2. Home video::funny
3. What a girl wants::what a girl needs
4. Grounded::based
5. Trusting::innocent
6. Simplistic::forgetting the details
7. Buzz::bee
8. Balcony::my favorite relaxation spot
9. Roar::thunder
10. Hooker::pro
Saturday, April 09, 2005
Raymond Chandler or Raymond Burr?
Kitty Carlisle or Kitty Hawk?
William Shakespeare or William Shatner?
Martha Stewart or Martha Graham?
David Letterman or David?
Sylvia Miles or Sylvia Plath?
Shaun Cassidy or Sean Penn?
Julia Roberts or Julia Childs?
Johnny Cash or Johnny Carson?
Hillary Duff or Hillary Clinton?
Kitty Carlisle or Kitty Hawk?
William Shakespeare or William Shatner?
Martha Stewart or Martha Graham?
David Letterman or David?
Sylvia Miles or Sylvia Plath?
Shaun Cassidy or Sean Penn?
Julia Roberts or Julia Childs?
Johnny Cash or Johnny Carson?
Hillary Duff or Hillary Clinton?
PS: Everyone has that dream. |
Take the Trickster Test at www.isleofdreams.net.
Swiped from SusanJayne.
Friday, April 08, 2005
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
More Signs of Spring in Michigan:- Pussy Willows Pop.
- Robins are home. (I've seen two.)
- Driving around with the car windows down.
- Needing a jacket in the morning, carrying it home at night.
- Opening the windows at home.
- Hearing the bounce of basketballs on the pavement outside those windows.
- Motorcyle police people.
- The Dairy Queen is open!
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Spring comes slowly to mid-Michigan. A walk in the woods is very gray and brown and right now quite solid ground but after a few April showers it will be muddy and gucky and sticky. More people are out and about, and when I took my Sunday walk I couldn't find any deer at the arboretum. There were many tracks, though, and I had the feeling that they were blending into the scenery and laughing at me.
Otto sends us to the new April posting of 26things. Yikes, talk about difficult! I've failed to complete the last two, so I'm not going to make any promises, but it's always fun to keep the list in the camera bag . . . in case.

You have to work for spring in Michigan until May. In April you have to look high, look low, look beneath last year's tumbled leaves to find the new life coming. The green in the woods on Sunday was from the moss, thickly growing on stumps and trees.
Susan-Jayne started a new job. Hurrah!
"silence" is one of the items for the 26THINGS.
As I walked through the forest, I listened for silence, but it wasn't there. The soughing of the pine trees; branches rattling and falling to the ground; dogs barking in the distance; birds chatterings; and while I was quieter than I was during the winter in my big old clod-hopper boots, I STILL can't walk silently on the trail. Something made me look to my right. This little fellow definitely qualified as silent.
Monday, April 04, 2005
Monday Monday. I had become accustomed to it being light out at this time of the morning. Seems funny that it's dark now again . . . but I sure do appreciate that extra hour of sunlight in the evening!
Some Monday Madness.
The following questions all begin with Where you live...
1. ...did you have to turn your clocks forward one hour this weekend? Yes
2. ...what is the price of gasoline? 2.23/gal
3. ...which natural disasters, if any, do you have to worry about? tornadoes, blizzards
4. ...do you have a local newspaper, and if so, do you subscribe to it? yes, on the weekends
5. ...do you subscribe to a local cable company for television viewing? no
6. ...what is the speed limit on your road/street? 25 mph
7. ...how far do you have to drive to the nearest post office? .8 miles
8. ...what is the average temperature in April? uh. guessing 53F
9. ...what is the average temperature in December? uh. guessing 29F
10. ...are your four seasons drastically different from one another? yes
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Cr...Chromium
You scored 20 Mass, 19 Electronegativity, 83 Metal, and 0 Radioactivity!
Oooohaaaaah.... shiny! You probably have an incredibly stable and
well-maintained group of friends... that probably also don't get out
much either. You're not one to get bogged down by a problem. Of course,
I'm basing this upon Chromium's ultra-low water-exchange constant and it's corrosion-resistant properties, and I wouldn't be too surprised if
the analogy doesn't even apply.
Link: The Which Chemical Element Am I Test written by effataigus on Ok Cupid
Found at Nitrogen Man LDH's.
You scored 20 Mass, 19 Electronegativity, 83 Metal, and 0 Radioactivity!
Oooohaaaaah.... shiny! You probably have an incredibly stable and
well-maintained group of friends... that probably also don't get out
much either. You're not one to get bogged down by a problem. Of course,
I'm basing this upon Chromium's ultra-low water-exchange constant and it's corrosion-resistant properties, and I wouldn't be too surprised if
the analogy doesn't even apply.
Link: The Which Chemical Element Am I Test written by effataigus on Ok Cupid
Found at Nitrogen Man LDH's.
ah, the Spartans are out of the NCAA Championship run. *sigh*
I guess I'll Unconsciously Mutter:
I say ... and you think ... ?
1. Renewal::Rejuvenation
2. Someone to talk to::You've got a friend
3. Count::on me
4. Expiration::date . . . on the milk. I'd better go check it.
5. Upload::Download
6. Publish::or Perish
7. Holy::Holy Holy
8. Change in the air::Spring
9. Titillating::amusing
10. Glorious::Sunshine
I guess I'll Unconsciously Mutter:
I say ... and you think ... ?
1. Renewal::Rejuvenation
2. Someone to talk to::You've got a friend
3. Count::on me
4. Expiration::date . . . on the milk. I'd better go check it.
5. Upload::Download
6. Publish::or Perish
7. Holy::Holy Holy
8. Change in the air::Spring
9. Titillating::amusing
10. Glorious::Sunshine
Saturday, April 02, 2005
According to Cassie-B, April 2 is:
Children's Book Day
Reconcilation Day
and
Peanut Butter & Jelly Day.
Three things I can really get into. I love kids' books. I'm collecting pop-ups. And yesterday, at the bookstore, I picked up a teen-ager book, just to get a feel for what the kids are reading these days. I have to keep up with the nieces and nephews somehow.
Anyway, check out Cassie-B's for something to celebrate each day in April.
Children's Book Day
Reconcilation Day
and
Peanut Butter & Jelly Day.
Three things I can really get into. I love kids' books. I'm collecting pop-ups. And yesterday, at the bookstore, I picked up a teen-ager book, just to get a feel for what the kids are reading these days. I have to keep up with the nieces and nephews somehow.
Anyway, check out Cassie-B's for something to celebrate each day in April.
At the Movies:
Last night I saw the Upside of Anger. (Note: Kevin Costner fan here.) Joan Allen and Kevin did remarkable acting work in it and it was nice to see a movie about middle-aged people. I'd give it a 7 out of 10. (I give tens about every three years.)
Last night I saw the Upside of Anger. (Note: Kevin Costner fan here.) Joan Allen and Kevin did remarkable acting work in it and it was nice to see a movie about middle-aged people. I'd give it a 7 out of 10. (I give tens about every three years.)
Friday, April 01, 2005
From status.blogger.com:
Some BlogSpot blogs are currently receiving error messages that say "EOF while reading from control connection" when publishing. This varies according to which of our servers you are on at the time, so if you are having this problem, please try logging out of Blogger and then logging in again to publish, which should put you on a new server automatically. We are currently investigating the source of this problem.
Log off, log on. Standard answer to all problems.
Some BlogSpot blogs are currently receiving error messages that say "EOF while reading from control connection" when publishing. This varies according to which of our servers you are on at the time, so if you are having this problem, please try logging out of Blogger and then logging in again to publish, which should put you on a new server automatically. We are currently investigating the source of this problem.
Log off, log on. Standard answer to all problems.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Oh great. Here goes blogger again. This is a pain.
Got a spare couple of grand to buy Final 4 tickets?
Hmmm. Got the blog to publish once. Once out of 10 attempts isn't too bad, eh?
Got a spare couple of grand to buy Final 4 tickets?
Hmmm. Got the blog to publish once. Once out of 10 attempts isn't too bad, eh?
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Gail says her post on The Schiavo Case took a long time to put together. I'm glad she took the time, as this post resonated so well with me. Thanks, Gail!
From Spartan Country:
It's all basketball all the time up here in mid-Michigan. It's not just the Michigan State University's Men's Basetkball team going to the Final Four of the NCAA Basketball tournament. Nope. The Women's Basketball team is going to the Final Four also!
Everything is green up here. (Except the grass.)
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Monday Madness. It was a fairly decent Monday. *smile*
Let's have some fun! More fill-in-the-blanks! =)
1. ___________ is more fun to celebrate than any other holiday. Easter
2. The last vacation I took was to __________. Silver Lake Sand Dunes
3. The next vacation I plan to take will be to ___________. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan. (Montana has to wait until 2006.)
4. I'd really like to be more _________. aware
5. I can't remember the last time I __________. hmm. Tough question. I can remember all the last times, and if I can't remember, then I wouldn't remember what it was?
6. The book I last read (or am currently reading) is ________.Anne Lamott's Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith
7. The last program I installed on my computer was ________. Photoshop Elements
8. When it comes to food, my weakness is _________. Chocolate
9. I really look forward to spending time _________. scrapbooking.
The last one is not a fill-in-the-blank, but a challenge........(completely optional, my friends!)
10. Choose a person's blog in the comment section, and welcome others to visit it, by leaving a link to their blog in your entry today. Random click from The Madness' comments sends us here.
Note: Blogger wouldn't let me post last night, so I'm Monday Mad on Tuesday!
Let's have some fun! More fill-in-the-blanks! =)
1. ___________ is more fun to celebrate than any other holiday. Easter
2. The last vacation I took was to __________. Silver Lake Sand Dunes
3. The next vacation I plan to take will be to ___________. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan. (Montana has to wait until 2006.)
4. I'd really like to be more _________. aware
5. I can't remember the last time I __________. hmm. Tough question. I can remember all the last times, and if I can't remember, then I wouldn't remember what it was?
6. The book I last read (or am currently reading) is ________.Anne Lamott's Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith
7. The last program I installed on my computer was ________. Photoshop Elements
8. When it comes to food, my weakness is _________. Chocolate
9. I really look forward to spending time _________. scrapbooking.
The last one is not a fill-in-the-blank, but a challenge........(completely optional, my friends!)
10. Choose a person's blog in the comment section, and welcome others to visit it, by leaving a link to their blog in your entry today. Random click from The Madness' comments sends us here.
Note: Blogger wouldn't let me post last night, so I'm Monday Mad on Tuesday!
Monday, March 28, 2005
Found at that Werewolf Roscoe's:

The Scottish selkie was a being who appeared to be a seal, but had the ability to shed their skin and roam the land in human form. If a human were to happen upon the discarded seal skin, he or she could hide it and force the selkie to marry him or her. However, if the selkie were to ever find the skin, he or she would immediately reassume seal form and return to the sea from whence they came, leaving their spouse and offspring on land to forever mourn their loss.
As a selkie, you are a very withdrawn, secretive and somewhat sad person, and those around you find you alluring and mystifying. People who come into your life find it difficult to find the inner you. You are also curious, but you enjoy the comforts of home most of all.
Who is your inner Shapeshifter?
brought to you by Quizilla
The Scottish selkie was a being who appeared to be a seal, but had the ability to shed their skin and roam the land in human form. If a human were to happen upon the discarded seal skin, he or she could hide it and force the selkie to marry him or her. However, if the selkie were to ever find the skin, he or she would immediately reassume seal form and return to the sea from whence they came, leaving their spouse and offspring on land to forever mourn their loss.
As a selkie, you are a very withdrawn, secretive and somewhat sad person, and those around you find you alluring and mystifying. People who come into your life find it difficult to find the inner you. You are also curious, but you enjoy the comforts of home most of all.
Who is your inner Shapeshifter?
brought to you by Quizilla
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Oh my goodness!! How do you top off a lovely family dinner and Easter egg hunt? Why, with the double over-time win of Michigan State University over Kentucky in the NCAA basketball March Madness. Madness, I say! We're still hyperventilating!!!!! It's on to the Final Four, and no one saw it coming!!!!
We'll be gathering at 2:00 today at Mom's for Easter dinner. Projections are for nineteen people to be there: boy, am I glad she has her garage available for the dinner. I'm taking a layered salad. Usually I'm the "Salad in the bag" type of shopper, but for holidays I get head lettuce and tear it up. I try to think good thoughts about the people that are going to eat it (while I dearly love my family there are a couple that try my patience). And today I thought about childhood Easters.
We must have been poor, or maybe everyone was poor back then. We didn't have Easter baskets, well, not store-bought ones. We would make baskets out of construction paper. When my brother J.R. and I hit double digits, we were allowed to help the Easter Bunny fill the baskets. We would hide in my parents' bedroom with our "baskets" and five bags of candy; jelly beans, larger Easter Eggs that were filled with a cream type base, bunnies and chicks made out of a marshmallowy substance, flavored bunnies and chicks made out of a candy-corn like substance, and for chocolate the malted milk speckled robins eggs.
J.R. and I would carefully divvy up the bootee. Two jelly beans to a basket might be where we would start. Then one bunny or chick per basket. And on we would go. The little kids would try to peek in the windows, but we had drawn the shades. Occasionally we'd thump on the floor. "Oh Mr. Bunny," we would say, and we could hear the little kids giggle.
The big advantage for J.R. and me? Well, of course the bags wouldn't come out even. After all, we were making six baskets. Somebody had to take care of the overage, didn't they? We were ready volunteers.
Why is it that the good-old-days so seldom involved expensive things?
Just sneaking around at 3:00 a.m, looking for the Easter Bunny. As I haven't found him (or her), I'll do the Unconscious Mutterings instead.
I say ... and you think ... ?
1. I’m waiting::for an answer
2. Speak::your mind
3. Roger...::Dodger
4. Knock knock::Who's There
5. Hybrid::Floral
6. Can’t believe my eyes::or my ears
7. Hooked on::Love
8. Pontificate::Hold Forth
9. Slime::A weird substance the kids love to make at the Science Museum
10. Unwelcome::Intruder
I say ... and you think ... ?
1. I’m waiting::for an answer
2. Speak::your mind
3. Roger...::Dodger
4. Knock knock::Who's There
5. Hybrid::Floral
6. Can’t believe my eyes::or my ears
7. Hooked on::Love
8. Pontificate::Hold Forth
9. Slime::A weird substance the kids love to make at the Science Museum
10. Unwelcome::Intruder
Saturday, March 26, 2005
If the sun appears, the teachers have planned an appropriate activity at a park near the school. If the sun does not appear, the children will sprawl out on the floor and colour. The chairman of the teachers says, "Generally, it looks like we'll spend most days colouring."
LDH has challenged us to use the following words in a post. I think I just did.
chairman
generally
teachers
floor
colour
looks
sun
activity
appropriate
park
LDH has challenged us to use the following words in a post. I think I just did.
chairman
generally
teachers
floor
colour
looks
sun
activity
appropriate
park
Friday, March 25, 2005
The Centurions wore Sneakers and Work Boots.
The church I usually attend is holding their Good Friday services this evening instead of at noon, and I have a slight conflict: there's an MSU-DUKE NCAA match-up that starts around seven tonight. Go Green! We're on, miz Susan! The paper showed a downtown church holding services between 12 and 2. I thought maybe I would try to go there.
As I pulled onto Michigan Avenue I ran into police cars and motorcycles blocking traffic. A crowd of people was coming down the north side of Michigan Avenue, led by a man in purple carrying a cross. It was Cristo Rey's annual Way of the Cross trek through Lansing, starting at the Capitol and ending at the Community Center.
I've always been curious about this walk, and decided this would be my Good Friday service. I ditched the car down by Impressions 5 and made my way back to Michigan. The crowd had moved down to the Lugnut Stadium parking lot, about two blocks away. I headed that way. By the time I reached the corner the crowd was a block north on Larch. Jesus sure was moving quickly.
I felt a little odd trailing the Hispanic group. Was it proper to crash their event? One of our install trucks passed me. Did I feel a little nervous that I had been found out following this group? What would I have done if this were 2000 years ago? Where would my heart have been? What courage would I have exhibited? Or would I have pulled a Peter?
I heard the end of the 6th Station, and tagged along at the back of the group, with the baby carriages and a little boy that had his hoody pulled up with a knit cap atop it. I was able to hear the 7th Station perfectly, and it made me smile. In it there was a remembrance for those with disabilities, and a reading from Hebrews 12. (Note to self: look that up.)
I followed along to the 8th Station, but wasn't able to hear very well. (It was held in the parking lot of an American Eagle store. The sign said: Pepper Spray, $5.29.) I was also a mile away from my car by then. The Cristo Rey Center was about another mile. I could make it there, but I didn't know anyone in the group to ask for a ride, and I knew I wasn't good for a full four miles. Reluctantly I turned onto Oakland to make the walk back. I was alone, yet felt in touch.
And your day?
The church I usually attend is holding their Good Friday services this evening instead of at noon, and I have a slight conflict: there's an MSU-DUKE NCAA match-up that starts around seven tonight. Go Green! We're on, miz Susan! The paper showed a downtown church holding services between 12 and 2. I thought maybe I would try to go there.
As I pulled onto Michigan Avenue I ran into police cars and motorcycles blocking traffic. A crowd of people was coming down the north side of Michigan Avenue, led by a man in purple carrying a cross. It was Cristo Rey's annual Way of the Cross trek through Lansing, starting at the Capitol and ending at the Community Center.
I've always been curious about this walk, and decided this would be my Good Friday service. I ditched the car down by Impressions 5 and made my way back to Michigan. The crowd had moved down to the Lugnut Stadium parking lot, about two blocks away. I headed that way. By the time I reached the corner the crowd was a block north on Larch. Jesus sure was moving quickly.
I felt a little odd trailing the Hispanic group. Was it proper to crash their event? One of our install trucks passed me. Did I feel a little nervous that I had been found out following this group? What would I have done if this were 2000 years ago? Where would my heart have been? What courage would I have exhibited? Or would I have pulled a Peter?
I heard the end of the 6th Station, and tagged along at the back of the group, with the baby carriages and a little boy that had his hoody pulled up with a knit cap atop it. I was able to hear the 7th Station perfectly, and it made me smile. In it there was a remembrance for those with disabilities, and a reading from Hebrews 12. (Note to self: look that up.)
I followed along to the 8th Station, but wasn't able to hear very well. (It was held in the parking lot of an American Eagle store. The sign said: Pepper Spray, $5.29.) I was also a mile away from my car by then. The Cristo Rey Center was about another mile. I could make it there, but I didn't know anyone in the group to ask for a ride, and I knew I wasn't good for a full four miles. Reluctantly I turned onto Oakland to make the walk back. I was alone, yet felt in touch.
And your day?
Books Books Books.
Another book I just finished was THE MASTER BUTCHERS SINGING CLUB, by Louise Erdrich. Erdrich has created a world in the town of Argus, North Dakota. (Raise your hand if you've ever been in North Dakota. I have; spent a night at the KOA in Minot (rhymes with Whynot) North Dakota.) The state is a vast emptiness that is often called "fly-over land", but Erdrich uses the landscape to create her world.
I have read many articles about the author through the years, and even had a copy of LOVE MEDICINE in my stacks of book, but had not read her. THE MASTER BUTCHERS SINGING CLUB was impossible to put down, the characters written so poetically and intertwined as real-life intertwines people. I'm dusting off LOVE MEDICINE now.
Another book I just finished was THE MASTER BUTCHERS SINGING CLUB, by Louise Erdrich. Erdrich has created a world in the town of Argus, North Dakota. (Raise your hand if you've ever been in North Dakota. I have; spent a night at the KOA in Minot (rhymes with Whynot) North Dakota.) The state is a vast emptiness that is often called "fly-over land", but Erdrich uses the landscape to create her world.
I have read many articles about the author through the years, and even had a copy of LOVE MEDICINE in my stacks of book, but had not read her. THE MASTER BUTCHERS SINGING CLUB was impossible to put down, the characters written so poetically and intertwined as real-life intertwines people. I'm dusting off LOVE MEDICINE now.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"
"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
"I suppose you are real?" said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive. But the Skin Horse only smiled.
"The Boy's Uncle made me Real," he said. "That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always."
--The Velveteen Rabbit
Mandarin meg is talking about blockquotes today, so I just edited mine to have a green background. At least I hope that's what will happen.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
I just finished reading Anita Diamont's GOOD HARBOR. The storyline was a bit contrived, but the characters, 59-year-old Kate and 42-year-old Joyce, came alive as they walked the beach.
Here in Michigan you can walk either the sunrise side (Lake Huron) or the sunset side (Lake Michigan). I was always a sunset side walker.
Here in Michigan you can walk either the sunrise side (Lake Huron) or the sunset side (Lake Michigan). I was always a sunset side walker.
Here in mid-Michigan EVERYTHING is green. Not outside, no, that will take another month or so. It's the spirit of green, as both the men's and women's basketball teams at Michigan State University are in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Basketball tournament. It's a good day to be a Spartan.
Well, now you know. Thanks, LDH.
Most compatible with: Toilet Paper. Click here -- What Random Object Represents Your Inner Self? |
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Unconscious Mutterings time.
I say ... and you think ... ?
1. Stink::Skunk
2. Renewal::Library Card, Rejuvenation
3. I remember...::Yesterday
4. Loneliness::gray
5. Ooooh::Aaaahh, Fireworks
6. For real::Velveteen Rabbit
7. Titanium::Strong
8. Get down::Boogie
9. Rupture::Spleen
10. Dramatic::my nieces
I say ... and you think ... ?
1. Stink::Skunk
2. Renewal::Library Card, Rejuvenation
3. I remember...::Yesterday
4. Loneliness::gray
5. Ooooh::Aaaahh, Fireworks
6. For real::Velveteen Rabbit
7. Titanium::Strong
8. Get down::Boogie
9. Rupture::Spleen
10. Dramatic::my nieces
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Spring in Michigan. We have to make our own, as our true spring will be in late April/early May. Elsie, at work, brought tulips yesterday for everyone. These bright spots of color were nice, as we had awakened to two inches of snow. It was a pretty snow, the kind that looks like a giant hand had taken powdered sugar and sifted it over the trees and houses, but it is much prettier in December. *grin*
Another way we make spring is by having Home Shows, exhibitions of new home products. Our HVAC company is exhibiting at another one this weekend, and I'm working from 10-12.
Make me envious. How's your weather?
The things we learn from quizzes.

You are Julia Kristeva! You were a student of
Roland Barthes, and came up with such important
notions as intertextuality and abjection. You
are a semiotician, psychoanalyst, scholar of
literature, and dozens more things. You are not
dead.
What 20th Century Theorist are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
This one again from LDH.

You are Julia Kristeva! You were a student of
Roland Barthes, and came up with such important
notions as intertextuality and abjection. You
are a semiotician, psychoanalyst, scholar of
literature, and dozens more things. You are not
dead.
What 20th Century Theorist are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
This one again from LDH.
Friday, March 18, 2005
Go Green!!
As always, playing with stuff from Mandarin.
Gorgeous Montana pictures here. (I'm trying to distract myself from the game. I think I'm bad luck for the Spartans. Yikes!)
Whew! Michigan State continues in the NCAA MARCH MADNESS!
1One way to play with CSS is to use the drop cap code to make a big number. One way to make Shirl happy would be for Michigan State to beat Old Dominion in the next two hours. Please???
As always, playing with stuff from Mandarin.
Gorgeous Montana pictures here. (I'm trying to distract myself from the game. I think I'm bad luck for the Spartans. Yikes!)
Whew! Michigan State continues in the NCAA MARCH MADNESS!
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Well, today started a little calmer. I spent Tuesday night at my mother's house. (I've been spending every other night there since I was sick in December and she had foot troubles in January. Kind of helped each other through the winter.) Anyway, I was going to take a night picture of her house with all the lights on to go on a poster at work for whole house generators. I forgot. I was in the shower yesterday morning when it dawned on me I hadn't taken the picture. So I hopped out of the shower, grabbed some clothes, and went charging out into the freezing weather to grab some shots before the sun came up. At about 6:17 a.m. Sheesh.
Much calmer start today.
Much calmer start today.

Jane Eyre from Charlotte Bronte's novel of the same
name.
Which Heroine of Victorian Fiction Are You?
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Swiped from LDH.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
A couple of places I've been playing:
Surname distribution. It's fun to see how the surnames move from 1820 to 1990.
Sheryl pointed to Placing the States. It's become addictive. Thanks, S!
Surname distribution. It's fun to see how the surnames move from 1820 to 1990.
Sheryl pointed to Placing the States. It's become addictive. Thanks, S!
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Cyber-bro Jeeem, in Thailand, reports on another day-in-the-life.
NCAA Men's brackets here.
NCAA Women's brackets here.
NCAA Men's brackets here.
NCAA Women's brackets here.
I'm back, and it's time for the Unconscious Mutterings.
I say ... and you think ... ?
1. Shape up::or ship out
2. New Orleans::French Quarter
3. In the bedroom::*smile*
4. All the time::All News
5. Philosophy::Belief
6. Tyler::Mary Tyler Moore
7. Disturbed::Upset
8. French kiss::Tongue
9. Solidify::Strengthen
10. Furtive::Sneaky
I say ... and you think ... ?
1. Shape up::or ship out
2. New Orleans::French Quarter
3. In the bedroom::*smile*
4. All the time::All News
5. Philosophy::Belief
6. Tyler::Mary Tyler Moore
7. Disturbed::Upset
8. French kiss::Tongue
9. Solidify::Strengthen
10. Furtive::Sneaky
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Friday, March 11, 2005
- Joan of Arc or Joan of Arcadia?
- John Lennon or John Denver?
- Emily Dickinson or Emily Bronte?
- Paul McCartney or Paul Anka?
- Katherine Hepburn or Catherine Zeta-Jones?
- George Harrison or George Clooney?
- Harriett Tubman or Harriett Beecher Stowe?
- Mick Jagger or Mickey Dolenz?
- Margaret Mitchell or Martha Mitchell?
- Orlando Bloom or Orlando, Florida?
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Survivors Ready?
Who will get booted off tonight?
Who is your favorite player?
I may be watching Survivor too much.
The other night I dreamed that my brother Grizzl, a big old 48-year-old dude, was a contestant on Survivor. My mother and I decided we would go check on him. We flew to the island where the contest was being held. My mother stayed with the plane, and I sneakily followed a path. The path led directly to a hut. No on was around. Aha! I went into the hut and then out the other side, and THERE was a room that had a sink with running water, a refrigerator, and some lockers and stuff. I heard someone coming, so hid on a cot (sheesh) with some clothes over me. As luck would have it, it was my brother Grizzl. He was getting into the fridge for a Mountain Dew. He realized someone was in the room and walked over to the cot. I couldn't see him (I was under all those clothes) but I could hear him laugh and say "oh great". Well, of course he had to tell Mark Burnett I was there. Burnett made me attend Tribal Council where he told me that I had NO MORALS and then let the other contestants decide if Grizzl could stay or not. (They did.)
I may be watching Survivor too much.
Who will get booted off tonight?
Who is your favorite player?
I may be watching Survivor too much.
The other night I dreamed that my brother Grizzl, a big old 48-year-old dude, was a contestant on Survivor. My mother and I decided we would go check on him. We flew to the island where the contest was being held. My mother stayed with the plane, and I sneakily followed a path. The path led directly to a hut. No on was around. Aha! I went into the hut and then out the other side, and THERE was a room that had a sink with running water, a refrigerator, and some lockers and stuff. I heard someone coming, so hid on a cot (sheesh) with some clothes over me. As luck would have it, it was my brother Grizzl. He was getting into the fridge for a Mountain Dew. He realized someone was in the room and walked over to the cot. I couldn't see him (I was under all those clothes) but I could hear him laugh and say "oh great". Well, of course he had to tell Mark Burnett I was there. Burnett made me attend Tribal Council where he told me that I had NO MORALS and then let the other contestants decide if Grizzl could stay or not. (They did.)
I may be watching Survivor too much.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
- Tom Cruise or Tom Selleck?
- Barbara Walters or Barbara Bush?
- Steven Spielberg or Stephen King?
- Elizabeth Taylor or Elizabeth Barrett Browning?
- Isaac Asimov or Isaac?
- Jennifer Aniston or Jennifer Lopez?
- Tom McGuane or Tom Wolfe?
- Chris Rock or Chris Locke?
- Susan Sarandon or Susan B. Anthony?
- Kevin Costner or Kevin Kline?
Monday, March 07, 2005
Starting the week with a little Monday Madness. And questions are courtesy of our good friend susan!
1. What's on your refrigerator? (Please feel free to use a picture to answer.) On top of the refrigerator we have: Shredded Mini-Wheats/bread/Easter Egg dyes. On the face of the refrigerator we have about 600 magnetic words. As I look at that I'm thinking I really might be a little OCD. Who buys 4 sets of magnetic words? Huh???
2. What color is your refrigerator? White
3. Is the freezer on the top, bottom or side? Top
4. How old is your fridge? Does it match your stove? About ten years old and it does match the stove
5. How regularly do you clean the inside of your fridge? Regularly? Oops.
1. What's on your refrigerator? (Please feel free to use a picture to answer.) On top of the refrigerator we have: Shredded Mini-Wheats/bread/Easter Egg dyes. On the face of the refrigerator we have about 600 magnetic words. As I look at that I'm thinking I really might be a little OCD. Who buys 4 sets of magnetic words? Huh???
2. What color is your refrigerator? White
3. Is the freezer on the top, bottom or side? Top
4. How old is your fridge? Does it match your stove? About ten years old and it does match the stove
5. How regularly do you clean the inside of your fridge? Regularly? Oops.
Sunday, March 06, 2005
Swiped from Sheryl:

You're a Dialogue/Character Writer!
What kind of writer are you?
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You're a Dialogue/Character Writer!
What kind of writer are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
We wake up on Sunday and we Mutter.
I say ... and you think ... ?
1. Usher::Church, Wedding
2. Cherish::Tender Love
3. Mistreat::Abuse
4. Forum::Symposium
5. Systematic::Methodical
6. Warning::Siren
7. Wash::Car
8. I wish::upon a star, you were here
9. Candles::Birthday
10. Metallic::Silver
I say ... and you think ... ?
1. Usher::Church, Wedding
2. Cherish::Tender Love
3. Mistreat::Abuse
4. Forum::Symposium
5. Systematic::Methodical
6. Warning::Siren
7. Wash::Car
8. I wish::upon a star, you were here
9. Candles::Birthday
10. Metallic::Silver
Saturday, March 05, 2005
Brrr!
This has been a most wintry winter up here in mid-Michigan. We've had more snow than usual, and we're waking up to temperatures of 7F/-14C. In March!
I work for a heating and air conditioning company, and we have booths in Spring Home Shows in March. The first is this weekend. So much for showcasing air conditioning!
Make me envious. How's the weather in your area?
This has been a most wintry winter up here in mid-Michigan. We've had more snow than usual, and we're waking up to temperatures of 7F/-14C. In March!
I work for a heating and air conditioning company, and we have booths in Spring Home Shows in March. The first is this weekend. So much for showcasing air conditioning!
Make me envious. How's the weather in your area?
Friday, March 04, 2005
Sheryl gives us a visual for accessibility.
Thanks!
Edit: Yeah yeah, I accidentally double posted. Blogger was hinky last night. But I'm leaving both posts up. It's a great picture. Really.
Thanks!
Edit: Yeah yeah, I accidentally double posted. Blogger was hinky last night. But I'm leaving both posts up. It's a great picture. Really.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Accessible Art.
Our local art gallery recently moved to a site in the downtown area. They moved into a vacant store that had been designed by the architect George Nelson. The building contains a mezzanine. There is an exhibit on the mezzanine. The second level is reached by climbing stairs.
Hmmm.
I asked about the accessibility issue when the Gallery moved into the building in December. (I was quite amazed that they would put an exhibit on the mezzanine. The store that had been there before had blocked that area off to the public.) I was assured that they were working on getting the funding for an elevator.
Today I stopped by to browse, and one of the volunteers asked if I had seen the exhibit on the second floor. I had to be truthful (didn't I?) and said, "I'm sorry, I'm boycotting the mezzanine until the elevator is installed."
That volunteer seemed to understand, but another volunteer had to pipe in. "Would you rather we hadn't opened here at all?"
*sigh* "No, I would prefer that the exhibits were held on the first floor. Art should be accessible to everyone." Obviously I wasn't boycotting the first floor, as I was strolling around viewing the works. If I had really wanted to make an issue, I would have been picketing outside the front door.
Oh wait, maybe that's what I should do next.
Our local art gallery recently moved to a site in the downtown area. They moved into a vacant store that had been designed by the architect George Nelson. The building contains a mezzanine. There is an exhibit on the mezzanine. The second level is reached by climbing stairs.
BARRIER FREE DESIGN
Barrier Free Design, a special part of the building codes, has been public policy in Michigan since 1966. It is intended to assure that public facilities and facilities used by the public are accessible to and usable by all citizens, including elderly persons, wheelchair users and individuals with permanent or temporary conditions that reduce coordination or mobility or make walking difficult or insecure.
Hmmm.
I asked about the accessibility issue when the Gallery moved into the building in December. (I was quite amazed that they would put an exhibit on the mezzanine. The store that had been there before had blocked that area off to the public.) I was assured that they were working on getting the funding for an elevator.
Today I stopped by to browse, and one of the volunteers asked if I had seen the exhibit on the second floor. I had to be truthful (didn't I?) and said, "I'm sorry, I'm boycotting the mezzanine until the elevator is installed."
That volunteer seemed to understand, but another volunteer had to pipe in. "Would you rather we hadn't opened here at all?"
*sigh* "No, I would prefer that the exhibits were held on the first floor. Art should be accessible to everyone." Obviously I wasn't boycotting the first floor, as I was strolling around viewing the works. If I had really wanted to make an issue, I would have been picketing outside the front door.
Oh wait, maybe that's what I should do next.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Good Wednesday Evening!
So are we having fun yet? I'll bet Karen is. Going to go check on her Wednesday hunk now.
Oh my! Karen is having a good day *evil grin* and also sends us over to Cassie-B's, where she has March's Bizarre and unique holidays posted. I'm going to celebrate March 14. Can anyone guess what day that is? (Hint. 3/14)
So are we having fun yet? I'll bet Karen is. Going to go check on her Wednesday hunk now.
Oh my! Karen is having a good day *evil grin* and also sends us over to Cassie-B's, where she has March's Bizarre and unique holidays posted. I'm going to celebrate March 14. Can anyone guess what day that is? (Hint. 3/14)
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All right, it's a contest. First person who correctly identifies the play in the statue wins a prize.







