Like a Kid in a Candy Store

Quite literally. I was in Chicago this past weekend for my uncle's funeral. It was a really hard couple of days although it was wonderful to get to see my extended family. I got to see aunts and uncles that I hadn't seen in years. I got to meet some of the wonderful friends my uncle had. And I got to relive a bit of my childhood. 

My uncle would come out to Des Moines for the Planned Parenthood book sale every year. This is a huge sale with some great deals on some old and interesting books. I still go every year. But the part we loved about his visits is that he would always bring us candy. And not just snickers bars. He would bring us old candy. Like these little gems. 

Marpo Yum Yum Marshmallow Cones!!! So I walked into the break room at the funeral parlor and what do I spy. These. My cousin had found them as a little tribute to my uncle. We ate almost the entire box. And then I stopped into the candy store she had found them in and bought some to take home. Jeff doesn't really care for them so they are all mine. All their marshmallowy goodness. Here's a picture of the actual cone. The marshmallow is a  little stiff on the outside and chewy on the inside. The cone is just like any other ice cream cone. These are actually very tasty. 

Since we had the chance I also picked up Satellite Wafers (see below) and candy cigarettes at the same store. Satellite Wafers are basically communion wafers with little candy pellets inside. They are still as bad as I remember. Not that bad taste is stopping me from eating them. I absolutely loved them as a child. A blast from the past. One last delivery by my uncle. He will be missed.

Domesticity, Cat style

Okay I'll be the first to admit that I'm not domestic. And all my friends will gladly back me up. I'm not much of a housekeeper. I don't cook, at all. And I don't do a lot of interior decorating. In fact one of the only things domestic about me is my knitting. 

But this past week has been a bit odd. Since I'm heading into Chicago on Monday for a funeral I have been doing laundry like a madwoman. And enjoying it. Weird. I planted some wildflowers for the front porch which I hope will come up soon with all the rain we have had. The yard looks bad so the flowers may smooth over the rough patches. I've been cleaning the upstairs and organizing my library. I even hand washed some dishes that I could have easily dropped in the dishwasher. 

And lastly I have added a hummingbird feeder to the front porch. I put that up on Thursday with the idea that they wouldn't find it for a couple of weeks. Heck it's been so cold here that maybe they weren't even here yet. So I was shocked and awed to find one buzz directly over my head this morning and scout the feeder. I have been trying to get a picture of them all day with no results. Every time I have the camera ready they don't come. The moment I put it away they arrive. Here is a picture of the set-up along with my lilacs. I may have to bring some of those in and really pretend I'm domestic. 

Hard day.

So I'm having a hard day and really just wanted to write it out. My uncle died yesterday. We had been expecting it any day now but it really hit me today for some reason. Even yesterday, with the party and everything, I was still distracted enough not to think. But today at work was tough. My uncle had been diagnosed with colon cancer about a year ago. The doctors gave him 9 months to a year. He managed the year. Which is wonderful and surprising considering what shape he was in. 

And his death has got me thinking about my life. My uncle was a wonderfully sweet man but he was a man who never took any chances in life. He worked nights his whole life, and then came home to the house he shared with his mother and aunt and either slept or read. As far as I know he never dated a girl much less married. He lead a very solitary life. He traveled but never really across the oceans. And then in his retirement he simply shut himself in his house and did nothing. He grew weak, barely able to get around without a walker. And that was at 64. And now he is gone, at 67, without really ever having done much living. And that for me is the saddest thing. 

It reminds me that we are only weak in body because we allow ourselves to be. This has been a catalyst toward getting me to work out. Not to lose weight, even though I would like to, but to be stronger. I want to be strong enough to still be active into my seventies. I don't fear getting old. I fear getting elderly, whether that is at 40 or 80. 

This has also got me thinking about friends. I've always been shy. Painfully sometimes. And I have not always been the best about maintaining friendships. And that needs to change. I want to take more chances socially. To meet new people, to acknowledge people as friends more. I want to allow myself to take risks with my feelings. And not be afraid to be hurt. I watched my uncle hide away in his home and I don't want that to be me. Although a man who loved to talk, he took the easy way out and stayed in. I don't want that. 

This death has been the third for Jeff and I since December. This will be my second funeral in the past six months. And this one will perhaps hit me the hardest. When my great-aunt died she was 97. And fiery until the end. At 95 she was still trying to clean out her own gutters. I want that fire. 

Do not go gently into the night... Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Dylan Thomas

And not when I come to die, discover that I had not lived. Thoreau

Keeping busy

I had originally planned to post every day or every other day but life appears to be getting in the way. Shocker of all shockers I haven't even had time for any World of Warcraft. The guild is beginning to wonder where I am. The same cannot be said for Jeff, who spends most of his waking non-work hours playing. 

Work has been crazy with training and learning since we rolled out Office 2007. I may be incredibly naive but I have to admit I really like the changes. It seems more user friendly and far more understandable. And I may be the only person in the world who enjoys tech training sessions. Last fall I did three days of GIS training and you would have thought I was in heaven. When I was at the library recently I picked up a book on webpage design through HTML and CSS. I'll be reading that at the same time as The Five Laws of Library Science. Yeah, you're jealous.

Home has been full too. We have a party we are hosting tomorrow night so I have been cooking and making centerpieces since I got home, which was about 8:30 after running errands. The centerpieces actually turned out semi-decently. I'll try to post a picture later. I'm pretty proud. 

My big excitement is that I have finally stopped attacking myself for not writing and gone with the more nature way. Telling myself stories. With a tape recorder. I have told myself stories since I could talk. I would most often just think of the stories but as I got older I found that I flesh out the story more if I talk it aloud. Now days I most often tell them in the car. I think it's a little easier for Jeff then a wife who is constantly talking about characters or making up conversations. So now I simply drive along and talk to myself. I'm sure the neighboring drivers think I'm insane. But it has been a constant diversion for me and a chance to reinvent myself and my characters. I had never really thought to capture those on tape before. I dug out my old tape recorder (yes the kind that still uses mini-cassettes) and a couple AA batteries and am now a crazy lady who talks to herself and tapes it at the same time. I'm excited to see how much of a story I can generate this way. 

Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen

So the famous graduation speech is titled. What I've learned is that not everyone is smart enough to. Including yours truely. Saturday was way too nice to be in. So I spent the morning sitting outside writing and soaking up the sun. I was a little tan when I went in. But then Jeff had a cricket match and so off I went to sit in the sun more. With legs that haven't seen it in about eight months. I simply forgot what happens when you spend eight hours out in the sun with no sunscreen. I was fried.

My shins still hurt and my arms are really feeling it. Yesterday it was painful to stand. Wow how could I be so dumb. I wish I can say that this will turn into a beautiful tan but it won't. I'll go from burnt, to peeling, to white again.

But the big thing is that I think (maybe) I learned my lesson. I do this every year and every year I say I've learned. So we'll see. But the match was amazing, the sun felt good (for a while). And I spent the entire day doing pretty much nothing. I can live with a sunburn for that.

Book Review: Curious Incident

I actually finished two books within the last week but I'm only going to talk about one. The first one was The Modern Ark: A History of Zoos and really how many people are going to think of that for a fun reading book. I found it amazing but I have odd tastes. I'm a geek for books on animals and wildlife and the more scientific and sociological the better.



The one I'm really writing about is Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. I wasn't really sure about this book when I picked it up. I has been listed as one of the 501 must-reads. And they are not kidding. This is a really fascinating book. The book tells the story of Christopher, a 15 year old with autism. He finds a neighbor's dog stabbed with a garden fork and sets out to solve the mystery of the killing. And finds out more truth about everything then he was looking for.


The premise seems silly but Haddon's writing style is amazing. He tells the story while allowing his narrator (Christopher) to branch off on the tangents that seem to fill his mind. In one scene, Christopher is in the back of a police car (he's been arrested for hitting an officer) and is puzzling and thinking about the constellation Orion. And then he branches out into how to determine prime numbers. All the while handcuffed and sitting in a squad car.



The characters are likable. Christopher is just wonderful in his systems and tangents. You really feel like you get into his mind. Haddon allows you to explore his mind and it really was a fascinating place. Plus I learned a fun way to find prime numbers. Always cool in my book.

Mutant Squirrel

So now that the weather has warmed up I am outside constantly. The moment I come home I am thinking about sitting outside. My little table and chairs gets a good solid workout from April to October. And with how hard this winter was I am ready to be outdoors. On Wednesday, I got home from work, changed and headed outside. I brought the cat with me along with dinner. Jeff was off at practice so I decided to get some writing done. The cat of course was more interested in chasing the robins and squirrels.

She was eyeing something in the woods when I looked over and saw a flash of white. I ran in and grabbed the binoculars. A gray squirrel with a pure white tail. Then I ran in and grabbed the camera. This little photogenic bugger sat still while I crept closer and grabbed some fantastic shots.

I have been playing a lot with wildlife photography so this was right up my alley. He practically posed for me. I had taken some deer photos (again from my porch) the night before but those were not near as helpful.

Considering I can step out my front door and see deer, squirrels, raccoons, woodpeckers, and more then our fair share of turkey vultures, I have to say I love living near the woods. I'll try to post some of the deer pictures later but they are just not that fantastic.

Here's another great shot of that shock of a white tail. Maybe I should be checking the woods for nuclear waste or something.

Does that stairway look familiar?

I had not been back in Gadgetzan last night for a minute when someone whispers me about going to Zul'Farrak. I figured what's the hurt. It was the most bizarre four man pick-up group I have ever seen. There was me (level 49 warlock), a 66 druid, a 43 hunter, and get this a level 39 warrior. Our tank was so low that there was no way he was keeping aggro. And the lack of a mount was really frustrating. As always pugs can be frustrating and rewarding. I would work with the druid again any day. And again I scored a nice new blue item. A headpiece this time. Jeff is a bit jealous because I now am decked out in six blues.

So we had a decent time on the first part although the hunter kept attacking the scarabs early because he said he needed them. No amount of convincing would tell him that there were plenty more coming and that he would get his chance. So we let him attack random ones and then stood by and watched.

We even rocked on Captain Bly area. No wipes, only two deaths the entire night. Woot. I guess it worked. But sadly we finished with Bly and then no one had the hammer to summon Gahzrilla. Fun. I had put mine in the bank. So I hearthed back to Gadgetzan, picked it up, and came back. Gahzrilla went down in seconds. A good night overall but again another midnight.

Sick and Tired but Well-equipped

Was sick all weekend. I'm fighting this stupid head cold. I slept most of Saturday and Sunday and still wasn't feeling great yesterday. Figured I should go to bed early last night. Of course that didn't happen. Jeff took me through Zul'Farrak and Razorfen Downs. I got me a beautiful new staff and enough blues and greens to boost my enchanting skills. Razorfen was an attempt to grind enchanting. I just didn't have enough low level mats. But we didn't start the instance until 10:30 and then I didn't log off until about 12:30. Took until 1:30 to fall asleep. I am dragging today. There might have to be a coffee run. Or two. Or three. But my enchanting is now respectable and my tailoring is pretty decent. I may eventually have a good fully functioning character.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

No not spring and summer although that is part of it. It's Cricket Season!!! Ever since Jeff took up this little sport I have been enamored. Not just because all the guys are wonderful and treat me like family. Not just because I get to hang out with the amazing international crowd in Iowa. And not just because I love the chance to sit out on a Saturday morning and watch the field and the birds and the game. I love the game itself. So much so that baseball is now boring to me. 

I mean how exciting is an at bat when you know that the person has another coming up in a half an hour. Now with cricket, when you're out, you sit down for the rest of the game. No more batting for you. That means a lot more tension and a lot less forgiving of mistakes. 

When we were in Australia, Jeff and I had the chance of seeing a match at the amazing Sydney Cricket Grounds. But we were rugby mad at the time and ended up seeing a rugby match. Not that I regret that in the least. But to see where the international Aussie cricket team plays. Wow that would have been cool. 

So we went out this morning in the rain with the thought that there was no chance that we would play. Cricket is even pickier than baseball about the field. But I guess if you were playing on concrete you would be too. But surprise, surprise we played. A shorter 25 over match. But we played. And Jeff hit a six. His first. He'll be living on that for a while. 

I know that I'm pretty much writing this for me. I'm sure no one is reading, particularly this early but I just have to say, it was great to be back with my boys of summer. At least one new face this year and I'm sure he'll fit in beautifully. With the way the guys accepted Jeff and adore him as the token American (no longer token white guy thanks to Chris) I'm sure this new guy will fit in. And really the way the guys have accepted me as one of them. I go to Hooters for wings and beer after the games. And I noticed this year that most of the guys have no issues padding up in front of me anymore. Mmmm half naked men and cricket, could life get any better. 

Summer starts for me when the first cricket ball is bowled. I'm so glad it's here. 

Swimming with Sharks

Literally!! So I'm sitting at my desk eating lunch and trying hard not to hear the people in the breakroom when I hear one of the women mention a TV program she saw about swimming with sharks. And both women immediately talk about what a crazy idea that is. And who on earth would want to do that? And all I'm thinking is Me! I want to do that. Actually I've done that.



Mind you these are also women who keep referring to Orcas as sharks. So much so that I am tempted to go in and correct them. But I don't.



But this conversation gets me thinking about thrill seeking. Now I am a coward, self-proclaimed. I am not the thrill seeking type. Death is not an idea I'm comfortable with. But we just bought life insurance and I'm rated high risk because I scuba dive. And diving is something that I love and fear at the same time. I am enchanted when I'm down there. I am awed by the fish and coral. I've even swam through an underwater forest, an experience I will never forget. But I worry about diving too. Not the idea of a shark, sharks don't scare me. But drowning. I'm terrified of that.



So all I can think while I listen to this conversation is how there is a much larger threat than sharks underwater. The water itself. But the experience is so worth it that you just get past the fear. And remind yourself that your scuba instructor was an 80 year old man who had been diving for 50 something years. Who dove with the Navy when they developed tables, and dove to depths I can't even imagine. If he can do it, so can I.



By the way, most divers don't fear sharks but do worry about barracudas. Guess what my first fish I saw while diving was.

Photo by Gary Friend-NE Point Turks and Caicos

The Illustrated Woman

When I was younger my mother read me children's books by the hundreds. And we would read them over and over until both mom and I had them memorized. I can't even count the number of times I have read Go Dog Go. Enough to quote it. And I still claim if you want to raise a reader you have to read to them.

But my mom did something even better. Before she started any book she would read the title, the author, and the illustrator. I can't think of certain books without listing the author and illustrator. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, written and illustrated by Judi and Ron Barrett. And the pictures were what really excited me. Drew me in you could even say. Over the years I have realized that the picture books I love the most had good stories but great pictures. And now as an adult I find myself browsing through the children's departments looking at covers. I know they say you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but really why else do you pick it up?

Now I'm trying to write my own stories and have come up with a huge problem. I can't draw. No seriously can't draw, not to save my life. And I'm trying to teach myself. This is not an easy thing to do. I can see it all in my head but the hands don't want to work. And it never quite looks like the image I have in my head. Sadly, I hardly remember the authors who didn't illustrate their own work. I know who the Little Bear series was illustrated by but not the author. So I'm working to become an illustrated woman. Possibly using collage, like Leo Lionni and Ezra Jack Keats but we'll see. It's all a matter of playing. And reminding myself that Dr. Seuss could never draw lifelike things and he was still the master.

Until then I'll wander the library looking at new favorites like Adam Rex (fantastic and funny), Shaun Tan (mysterious and otherworldly) and Mo Willems (childlike and silly).

Trying it out

This is my first post so it is a bit of a test. Okay so I haven't tried blogging before but I figure with my love of writing I should be able to contribute occasionally. For those who know me, you know that I jump around in my thoughts a lot. I learn everything I can about a subject then move on to the next. Fads many would call them. This is designed to be a way for me to talk about these crazes. So this will be collection of everything. 

Right now I'm big into art so I'll talk a little about that. I read voraciously so I'll talk about the books I'm reading.  I'm childfree (not to be confused with childless) so I'll talk about that a little. I'm playing World of Warcraft regularly so I will discuss that. Expect anything and everything. Just don't expect me to stay in one place. Henry Ford once said People who stop learning are old, whether at 18 or 80. My goal is to never get old.