Happy Thanksgiving all

It's Thanksgiving. My favorite holiday. No commercialism, no high pressure shopping, just eating. One of my favorite things to do. I'll be away from my computer for the next four days visiting my in-laws in St. Louis. So no new posts for a bit. Everyone enjoy the time with your families. Relax, eat a lot, and we'll see you after the holidays. Happy Thanksgiving all. 

Getting Animated About It

I'm a huge fan of animated films. If given a choice, I'll almost always pick an animated movie over any other. Stop-motion, digital, hand-drawn, it doesn't matter. I am in awe of the movie making process for animation. There are some many different styles of animation and each is interesting and artistic. When each movie is over, then I have to watch the special features. All of them. I spent two and a half hours watching the making of Chicken Run after I bought that film. That's longer than the movie. 

This past year we signed up for Blockbuster delivery and since then I have been steadily requesting any animated film I can get my hands on. Lately I've been focusing on the more modern movies that have come out. And the results have been interesting. Tonight I watched the last of them for a while and figured I would do some quick reviews of the ones I have seen. I'll stay away from talking about the Pixar films which are consistently wonderful or the straight to video Disney ones that I can't bring myself to watch.  

Tonight we watched Hoodwinked. I had seen the previews when the movie first came out and thought it looked funny. First it had Patrick Warburton. The man is a comedy genius. I will gladly watch every animated film he does voice work for. And I was right. This fairy tale gone wrong had all the makings of a Jon Scieszka children's book. I won't tell you too much about the plot because that is one of the best things about this story. The movie follows Little Red Riding Hood's visit to grandma's house but the characters are not the ones you have met before. Each character, Red, wolf, grandma, and woodsman, tell their own story of the events of the night. And hilarity ensues. This was one of the most inventive and well written of the animated movies we have seen recently. 

The previous one we had rented was The Wild. This movie came out about the same time as Madagascar and seemed to tell the exact same story. I have to wonder if the stories had originally been sent around the studios and everyone sampled from the same thing. Both stories tell of zoo animals that have to make it out there in the wilds of Africa. Both of them have main lion characters and giraffes. We watched both of these. And while each movie was similar in plot there was a very different tone. And because of that, I loved one and hated the other. The Wild was quirky, lead by Eddie Izzard as the koala. There was a zaniness to the movie but it was not a grating zaniness. There seemed to be a heart behind the madness. Madagascar on the other hand focused mostly on the arguments between the characters. After thirty minutes I debated turning the movie off. It was a little like going to dinner with a couple filing for divorce. The sniping at each other was grating. The penguins were the saving grace of the film, perhaps the reason that the new film promised 30% more penguins. 

Open Season was one of those films that I enjoyed and forgot the moment it ended. I had to ask Jeff what the title was in order to write this and couldn't even remember any of the voice talents. Not a good sign. Normally I can tell you who did the principal voices, what the title was, and who directed it. I can tell you who directed the Pixar animated shorts. The story was cute, the characters were silly and slightly over the top, and the jokes were good. I just didn't find it incredibly memorable. Perhaps I should go back to the classic "Wabbit Season, Duck Season" Warner Brothers cartoon as a substitute. At least that one I can quote. 

But the jewel of the ones we have seen recently was Over the Hedge. If I had to pick an animated film that surprised me with its heart and warmth it would be this film. Now I have not yet seen Wall-E but I hear that one will possibly replace it. (I don't see things in the theater so that one has had to wait) First, the movie has a message. It is not a subtle message but one that is not dripping from every word. And it is a message I can wholeheartedly get behind. The sprawling of the suburbs has driven animals into smaller and smaller areas. (but this is not the post for that discussion). What I loved about this movie was the voices. Gary Shandling, Bruce Willis, and Steve Carell were hilarious. How can you not love a film that gives William Shatner a possum role? The movie is funny and touching and silly. Everything a good animated film should be. The scene at the end with Steve Carell was so hilarious my husband had to stop the movie to wipe the tears of laughter from his eyes. Too wonderful. 

I have to love that there are so many animated films for me to enjoy. And so many different forms. I'm eager to see Coraline when it comes out. Stop motion has a special place in my heart. But until then I have many more in my queue. 

People in Glass Houses....

I have a confession to make. I bought my townhouse for the windows. Yeah the place is nice and the location is mostly quiet but it was the windows that made me fall in love with it. There are only three but they are wide and expansive and look out over a forested area. I remember touring the place, thinking I could possibly live here, until I saw the master bedroom window. And I was in love. We bought in August so it was lush and green outside and the nearby creek was just too pretty. When I open the windows at night I can hear the sound of the brook. 

What got me thinking about all this was a recent article in Dwell magazine. I occasionally pick up home magazines because I love residential architecture. And I particularly love two different (and I mean very different) styles. The first is the cottage. Small, cheerful, warm, and bright. The second is modern. Sparse, cool, simple, and... well bright. I've realized that what I love abut both of these styles is the windows. In fact, in 95% of the pictures I pull out of these magazines, the windows are what captured my eye. The other 5% are outdoor living spaces. I am clearly infatuated with mixing the indoors and the outdoors. 

The article in Dwell was covering Mies van der Rohe's Lafayette Park in Detroit. This was a planned community in Detroit filled with modern apartments, townhomes, and condos. And they're almost all glass. Here is a picture of the townhouses. 

My first introduction to Mies was in college. I went to Drake and started my career in the school of journalism. That was before I realized that intense daily deadlines and I do not get along. But the school of journalism was held in an interesting glass building. Every outer classroom was floor to ceiling windows. I was in heaven. The building, interestingly enough was designed by Mies van der Rohe. It was a source of pride for the school. And a source of happiness for me. 

Meredith Hall-Drake University

So I think I could possibly live in a glass house. I love the remoteness of the houses and the idea of constantly being surrounded by views of trees, animals, and nature. Mies created some of the greatest glass and steel skyscrapers around. But it is his glass house, the Farnsworth House, that I love the most. If price wasn't an issue, I'd live there.  

The same with this goethermal house in North Carolina. 

I'm not sure I could live in the Philip Johnson glass house but that's mostly because it is just for tours. 

But I'd love to live with those windows. I just have to remember not to throw stones. 

Snow!!!

As always the first snowfall of the year makes me happy. There is just something magical about the first one which seems to bring people outside to play in the beautiful white flakes. Yesterday was our first snow and I watched a young girl riding her scooter through the flakes, mouth open to catch them on her tongue. Then I took the camera out to try to record some of this magic. Of course there is no way to pin down magic but it's fun to try. 

Now don't get me wrong, by the seventh snow I'll be complaining and by the 30th I'll be done with winter. But for this moment I was happy. For this moment I was more than ready for winter. Here are a couple of the shots I took. I've noticed that falling snow doesn't photograph well but it does video well. I love the mixing of snow with leaves. I'm particularly proud of the red one. And the pumpkin reminds me that autumn moves into winter. My neighbor still had hers out and it was collecting snow fast. 

Knitting Night

My little sister taught me to knit about two years ago. She patiently explained the stitches to me and then helped me along as I screwed up. She and I have been knitting together weekly since that time. I've only done a couple of projects. I tend to knit very slow and don't do a lot of knitting at home. Over the last couple months we've added a number of new people to the group. We meet at a different coffee house either Monday or Tuesday and talk and knit. I am always amazed at the number of people who stop by to say how they used to knit, or how they've always wanted to learn. We believe in the "more the merrier" so everyone is pretty much invited. 

Of the nine people that are currently on my list, only four or five can make it each week. It's always a different mix of people. The one constant for most of the group has been my project. I have been working on a rather long scarf for the last 8 months. (did I mention I'm a slow knitter?). Tonight I finally finished the project. I just have to brag. I started on a hat this evening and have a great start on it. I even remembered how to join. But for my little sister, who I know reads this, my scarf is above. I'm sorry you won't see it. I'm giving it to my friend tomorrow morning. And I'm so excited. 

Book Review: Nature Girl

I love Carl Hiaasen. Okay well I've never met the man but I love his writing. There is something about the ability to take a dozen or so oddball characters and weave them together into a hilarious story. When I first read John Irving I thought that he was the best at combining characters but Hiaasen takes it to a higher place. This book is filled with no less than a dozen characters who are all fascinating in their own right. And he manages to bring them all together on one small island to see what will happen.

Nature Girl follows Honey Santana, a single mom in the Everglades who is off her meds. She hears mismatched songs in her head constantly and reacts often violently when things displease. Well she is displeased when a telemarketer calls one evening and then calls her a name. So she sets about to track him down. Now the telemarketer is having an interesting week as it is. His mistress is about to dump him for being too boring, his rich wife is planning to divorce him, and a private investigater is tailing him. So when he gets a fake call from Honey offering him an ecotour in Florida he jumps at the chance. So the telemarketer, his mistress, and the private investigator all head down to Florida.

There they meet a Seminole Indian who is haunted by a tourist he didn't kill, a college girl who is bored with life and is just looking for something fun, a fish vendor who is stalking Honey, and Honey's ex-husband and son. And that's just the beginning. Imagine all of these on a small island to get an idea of the almost slapstick quality of this novel. He sets things up beautifully. There are so many kidnappings in this book it is hard to keep track of whose prisoner is whose. Each character is played up to the max. Boyd, the telemarketer, is just scum in the worst sense of the word. Honey is crazy but still very likable. Sammy, the Seminole Indian, just wants to be alone and can't seem to catch a break. Even Boyd's soon to be ex-wife is just a little crazy.

Hiaasen writes all of his books about Florida and particularly about wild Florida. When I was on vacation a couple weeks ago I read his The Downhill Lie, about golf. I'm always impressed with the subtle environmental message that he hides in his books. The bad guys hate the outdoors, the good guys revel in it. The swamp always wins. And these are hidden in the book. Anyone who reads his work will come away thinking about how hilarious a writer he is. They may not even notice any sort of message. The plot on this books is wild but somehow the reader is willing to follow. The characters are just too interesting to turn away. In the tradition of the best train wreck, we just have to keep looking.

This book was a perfect antidote for me. It has been weeks since I've done any real reading so this was a quick read filled with enjoyable characters. I devoured it in little over 24 hours. The perfect beach book, I could also see spending a cold snowy day curled up on the couch with this book. Just be careful who's in the room. I guarantee you will laugh, probably out loud, possibly shooting food out your nose. Yeah he's that funny.

Bishop Allen!!!!....or not

One of my big excitements for my birthday this past weekend was going with my sister to Ames for the Bishop Allen concert. I had bought the tickets months before when I first found out they were coming. Since she introduced me to their music it is all I've been singing. I'm driving Jeff nuts walking around singing "News From Your Bed" and "Choose Again". So when she mentioned seeing David Sedaris, I mentioned seeing Bishop Allen. Of course we both jumped at the idea.

So Sunday I wasted most of the day until Em showed up at my door at 5:30. She was supposed to pick me up at 6 but was too excited. We jumped into the car and headed north. Ames is about 35 minutes north of Des Moines. We stopped in Ames to grab dinner at this wonderful little Thai place. The decor of Thai Palace wasn't anything special but the food was very tasty and very filling. Mmmm massaman curry. Then we stopped into a little bar for a beer before the show.

When we got to the venue at show time there was no one there. They were just starting to set up the stage. We picked up our tickets and then wandered into the student union to kill some time. The show was supposed to start at 8 with two opening bands. We wandered back at about 9 to see a printed sign on the door. "Show will be starting at 11ish". We were told that the band was having car troubles and had broken down. They were just barely in Omaha. After reading their blog I found out that they had broken down in Colorado but one of their opening bands had picked most of the band up and drove in.

My sister and I debated options. If we stayed, the opening bands would take the stage at sometime after 11. Bishop Allen would probably take the stage around midnight. And then we would be driving back home at 1 or 2 in the morning. Of course if we left, we'd miss the show we'd been waiting for for months. Plus we would have to kill the two hours in between which I knew probably meant a bar at that time of night.

After a bit of debating we made up our minds. Perhaps I'm getting old. We went out with some of Em's friends who had come up for the concert, drank a beer, and then eventually drove home. No concert. Bleh! I checked Bishop Allen's website (www.myspace.com/bishopallen) to find out that they went on shortly after 11. By that time, Em and I were hanging out at my house playing video games and laughing our heads off. We did Mario Racing and had a ball. I missed the concert but still had a great time. Thanks little sis!

What's Opera Doc

There a huge number of cartoons that I can remember word for word but very few of them quite like the Warner Brother's What's Opera Doc? I can sing along with that little gem and pretend for a moment that I actually know what Wagner's Ring Cycle would sound like. Of course I'm missing a couple hours of it. But that Bugs Bunny cartoon was one of my first introductions to opera although not my first introduction to classical music. 

So I was thrilled on Saturday when I got to go see Bugs Bunny on Broadway with my parents and sister. You honestly can't even begin to describe how much fun it is to watch a 100 piece orchestra play the opening introduction to a Bugs Bunny cartoon. From the initial slide sound to the clopping blocks it brings a huge smile to your face. I was laughing before they even began to show the cartoons. 

The show is a brain child of George Daugherty and has been running in symphony halls for almost 19 years. The idea is that Warner Brothers sampled a lot of classical music when making their cartoons. Of course the most famous being What's Opera Doc which uses Wagner's Ring Cycle and the Rabbit of Seville which uses Rossini. But there are numerous Road Runner cartoons that also uses bits of classical pieces cut in such a way to make them recognizable but abbreviated. Remember a cartoon is only seven minutes long and classical pieces tend to be a bit longer than that. So on Saturday I was treated to a full orchestra playing Rossini, Mozart, Wagner, Strauss, and Smetana while watching some of the funniest cartoons ever made. What could be better?

I was really surprised by how well they pulled this off. The musicians timed their starts and halts perfectly. The conductor used a click track, an invention of Carl Stalling's own (Warner Brother's composer and conductor) to keep track of every little stop and start. And they had to time it beautifully. The orchestra, which gets about a week to rehearse with the new music, did amazingly. Almost every seat in the Civic Center was filled. There were tons of kids there who seemed to love the show. I'm sure for many of them this is their first trip to the symphony. 

My sister and I, along with Jeff and my sister's fiance, laughed harder than most. We've all grown up with these cartoons. They make up our childhood. And as Daugherty said in his opening introduction, it is difficult for many of us to hear the Ride of the Valkyries without thinking "Kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit". This music was introduced to us by cartoons. The cartoons when created were done with a full orchestra behind them. And this show brings all that together for one incredible evening. So much fun. 

Sleeping In

For the last two months or so I've been dealing with a frustrating case of insomnia. I have no problem staying asleep. It's the falling asleep that's the problem. I go to bed at 11 or so on work nights and then lie awake until 1 or 2 in the morning. When the alarm goes off at 6 I tend to be dead tired. It's frustrating and stressful and hopefully curable. 

Yesterday was my birthday and my family kept asking what they could get me as a gift. You can tell how old you are by how practical the gifts you ask for are. One year I asked for a file cabinet. Another year I asked for a vacuum. This year I asked for a white noise generator. Yeah I've become seriously old. 

Here's the odd part, I love my gift. I slept with it last night and I slept like a baby. I turned the thing on to night noises, crickets and wind, and dropped off within minutes. I was woken at four by my noisy neighbors coming home and leaving the engine running. While that would normally keep me awake with anxiety for hours, I fell back to sleep in minutes. I woke up to realize that I'd slept over 8 hours. It felt fantastic. I think that may be the best gift ever. 

Dewey

Last night my plan had been to relax a little and start the world of warcraft expansion. Of course life is what happens when you are making other plans. About 5:30 my mother calls and want to know if I will go to an author reading with her. At 6:30. So I grab a quick bite to eat, check in on my neighbors cat (who I'm catsitting), and head out the door. The reading is at one of the local libraries.

I get to the building about 10 minutes before the reading is to start to realize that there is hardly a parking space to be had. People are walking some decent distances through the cold rain to come hear this author. Now this library's reading room is not big. I've been in there for several readings and there are normally only thirty or so chairs set up. My mom, dad, and I walk in the door to see that it is literally standing room only. And that standing room is out in the library's lobby. To make a long story short, we spent 30 minutes standing in the lobby listening to the author speak but not able to see her. There were probably 150 people there.

I'm interested in this author partly because she's a librarian. Actually she's the librarian in Spencer, Iowa who one morning found a cat that someone had dropped in the book drop. She managed to talk the city council into letting her keep the cat, who lived for 19 years in the Spencer library. Everyday the cat would wander the stacks, greeting people, cheering people up, and generally finding laps to sleep in. I'm sure for the non-cat lovers this was hell but for people like me, this would have been perfect. When the cat past away, the librarian Vicki Myron was approached by a number of publishers with money to publish the cat's story. The book is currently a best seller and will be made into a movie. Myron announced last night the Meryl Streep will be playing her in the upcoming movie.

The discussion (it wasn't really a reading) was very good and Vicki Myron was enjoyable to listen to. I was not surprised by the number of people who showed up but I wish they would have moved the reading out into the general library area. There were a lot of people who know of this cat before the book was even published. This cat was actually known across the country. When he died, the obituary for Dewey Readmore Books was run in over 200 newspapers. That is some serious notoriety for a cat.

Picture of Dewey courtesy of the Spencer Library

The Animal Rescue League had set up a booth. I was pleased to see the number of people there who gave to the ARL and helped to support the library. This was a very successful event for them. Even without having read the book (I just got a copy last night) I'm sure it will be a good story. Cats and librarians, right up my alley. And more than anything reminds me why I like librarians. I love the idea of a cat in the library. I love that the librarian decided to take him in that cold January day. I love that people have helped support the library and the cat because of it. What a great story. I hope it inspires others.

Cleansing post

I spent a good deal of yesterday researching the egg industry in the United States. Part of my job includes putting aside my personal feelings about something and learning as much as I can about a specific topic. Most of the time I can be slightly impartial. This was not the case with this topic. I could only do any serious research in 45 minute increments. Then I would be so sick that I would have to find something else to look at. As a semi-vegetarian, yesterday was enough to almost push me straight into vegan. Or at least make sure every egg I eat is from a free-range humanely treated chicken.

Actually I will make a plea to support California egg growers. California passed Proposition 2 in this last election that requires that all animals raised for food must be held in spaces that allow them the freedom to lie down, stand up, and stretch their legs. For many cows, pigs, and especially chickens, this has not been an option in the past. The egg growers are saying that this will bankrupt the California egg industry. If we can prove to them that humanely raised animals can still be profitable, there is a chance to move that legislation nation-wide.

But I didn't start this post to talk about the terrible things I saw and read yesterday. Instead I wanted to talk about one of the fun artists I found while looking for something to cleanse my head. With eggs on the brain, I happened to stumble upon Jeff Koons and this sculpture.


I love the glass and the delicate nature of this sculpture. Koons is a very interesting artist, using mostly pop culture references. I remember when the Des Moines Art Center purchased one of his pieces. There was a huge uproar. The art center had paid several million dollars for three shop vaccuums stacked on top of each other in lighted boxes. Similar to this.

But I love Koons' sense of fun. This has to be one of my favorite sculptures.

I love how he uses unusual materials to create his art. The glass instead of the balloon. The use of shop vacs as art. Modern art for me has always been about finding new materials and using them in a way not used before. Koons definately does that. Plus how can you not smile when you see these.

Fruits of Winter

Last night we had freezing rain, tonight we'll have snow. It is now officially winter in my book. Anyone who knows me, knows that I hate winter. I've always said that people should only complain about one season. Winter is it for me. You won't hear me say a word when it hits 100 degrees with 80% humidity. But the moment it drops below 32 degrees, expect some swearing. 

So I find it strange that I absolutely love the fruit of winter. Yes I'm talking about the Pomegranate. Pomegranate are not easy fruits but they are incredibly tasty. And it's also why (according to the Greeks) we have winter. When I was in the grocery store this past Sunday I noticed that they were starting to stock pomegranates in the produce aisles. This early they aren't quite right yet. Wait until right before Thanksgiving and they will be perfect. 

The Greek story of winter focuses on Persephone, goddess of the harvest. One beautiful day she was playing in a field when Hades, lord of the underworld, appeared and carried her down to the underworld to be his bride. Persephone's mother Demeter, was furious with the abduction and vowed that the earth would not produce food until she was returned. Finally Hades relented but before doing so he gave Persephone some pomegranate seeds. She ate those, and according to Greek tradition, became bound to the underworld. The agreement reached is that Persephone would spend some of her time in the underworld, during which time nothing would bloom or grow(winter). And then after three months she would be returned to the upper world, and the plants would begin to grow again (spring). 

So of all of my hatred for winter the pomegranate, the "cause" of all that misery, is still one of my favorite fruits. If you have never had one I would recommend trying one. As I mentioned they are not easy fruits. They are reddish color outside and seem to grow in an almost square shape. The fruits inside are full of juice and very delicate. I tend to peel the fruit very gently until I reach the seeds. Then I pull off each seed separately adding them to a tupperware container. This is time consuming. The juice doesn't stain but it can be messy. Normally I buy two at a time, prep them right away, and then snack at my leisure. You eat the whole seed including the pit. A handful of these is not only healthy for you (good antioxidents) but very flavorful. A beautiful fruit. Even if it does cause winter. :-(

Bernie

As a state employee I get tomorrow off. I'm looking forward to hopefully sleeping in, getting some things done around the house, and maybe some reading. When I first started working for the state I thought I would get all those wonderful bank holidays as well. You know, the ones like Columbus Day or President's Day. Instead I get Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Veteran's day only. Not that I'm complaining. Most people don't get that. 

So Veteran's Day is tomorrow and I should be thinking of all the soldiers overseas who are serving our country. While I am a Pacifist, I still support our troops. I may not like why they are there but I can certainly show my appreciation. 

But Veteran's Day always makes me think of Bernie. The year I was born my father decided that he wanted to take up the guitar. He signed up for a continuing Ed course and it was there he met Bernie. Bernie was in his mid fifties and my dad was in his mid thirties but they struck up something of a friendship. After the class was over Bernie would come over once a week to play guitar with my dad. I grew up around this man. It was so regular to see him each week that in the summer when he was up at his cabin was strange. There are certain songs, like Greensleeves and Edelweiss, that I can't hear without thinking of my dad and Bernie. 

Now Bernie is a veteran. He gave his leg and most of the movement in his right hand to World War II. He was doing artillery for the Army when they were hit by a randomly aimed shell. Three of the guys in his group died. He was happy to have just lost a leg. He would tell us stories of being lost at sea on a disabled destroyer. He told us of his time in France. But mostly I learned about attitude from him. 

Bernie could have come back as shattered as his leg. Instead he remembers just being happy to be alive. He worked for years at the Veteran's Administration, working his way up the chain. But it was when he retired that Bernie really started to work. He started a band, called the Old Timer's Band, that plays in retirement homes and community centers for free. You would think that would be easy. A great volunteer gig. But Bernie takes it seriously. The band did 363 gigs last year. There were days when he would do two gigs, traveling miles between locations. Sometimes they come in the summer when the weather is nice, sometimes in the snows of winter. Bernie says he loves it. He can't imagine doing anything else. And for a man of 88, with only one good leg, he certainly gets around well. 

His attitude is what makes me so impressed with him. Bernie will tell you he's doing what he loves. He lost his wife two years ago, and he could be feeling sorry for himself, but he is constantly thinking of others. He knows the older people love to hear the music so he goes. He loves to play so he never misses a gig. So tomorrow, even as I look forward to it as a day off, I'll be thinking of Bernie. Even though we're expecting snow he'll be out driving to his gig. I just hope I have his energy when I get older. And his attitude. 

Why poetry makes me look stupid

I hate to look stupid. But more than anything I hate to feel stupid. But a poem has humbled me. It's not one of those classic poems that no one can read. Heck I loved the Odyssey and the Illiad. This is very simple Zen poem that I had adopted practically as a mantra. 

Right after I got married I worked in a burnout job where I got yelled at a lot. I did phone and customer service for a county hospital. I enjoyed the job but some days were really tough. My boss was one of those amazing women who understood how tough it was. She would periodically give us little cards, gifts, or sayings to keep us going. One day she left me a poem on my desk, after a particularly hard week. She had pulled it out of her Zen once-a-day calendar. I tacked it up on my cubicle. It simply said:

It is much better

to close your eyes, sit in your study,

lower the curtains, sweep the floor, burn incense.

It's beautiful to listen to the wind, listen to the rain,

take a walk when you feel energetic, 

and when you are tired go to sleep. 

I never wrote down the author and the piece of paper has been lost to history. I loved the simplicity, the Zen feel of it. To just focus on the simple things and worry less. It was, for a long time, one of my saying to remind me to relax. 

So this past week has been very tough. I'm still fighting insomnia and I'm having trouble relaxing. I had forgotten some of the words of the poem so I went looking for it. I cheated, using Google, and pulled it up. Only to find that I had been missing over half the poem. The actual poem was written by Yang Wan-Li in the 1100s. He was one of the masters of the Song Dynasty poets. 

Don't read books!

Don't chant poems!

When you read books, your eyeballs whither away, leaving the bare sockets.

When you chant poems your heart leaks out slowly with each word. 

People say reading books is enjoyable.

People say chanting poems is fun.

But if your lips constantly make a sound

like an insect chirping in Autumn,

you will only turn into a haggard old man.

And even if you don't turn into a haggard old man,

it is annoying for others to have to hear you.

It is much better

to close your eyes, sit in your study,

lower the curtains, sweep the floor, burn incense.

It's beautiful to listen to the wind, listen to the rain,

take a walk when you feel energetic,

and when you are tired go to sleep. 

Wow. My former mantra actually stands against everything I believe in. I love to read books. (please note that my eyes have not withered away) I love to memorize poems. My beautiful zen poem was actually some guy complaining about too much noise and wanting to become a hermit. As a librarian, I'm actually shocked by this full poem. The words "Don't Read Books" will never ever escape my lips. They shouldn't even be in my vocabulary. But there it is. The mantra that I have used for years is a lie. A poem made me look stupid. 

Karazhan!

{Warning: for my non WOW playing readers, this post will mean nothing}

For my Wow playing readers they may not be interested but at least they should understand what I'm talking about. I had dinner with a friend Wednesday night that ran almost two hours. I got home finally at 7:30 and the first words out of Jeff's mouth were "we have a spot for Kara, want to go?" Now I'm a brand-new 70, wearing mostly greens. Not your typical Kara player. Jeff informs me that it is incredibly nerfed so I say what the heck. I have to say that I love my guild for that. Not a lot of guilds would take a underpowered, underequipped player into Kara. Mine did.

We started with Attumen and had no real problems with him. I had a moment of stupidity, right after Attumen mounted Midnight, my hand slipped. I spun around, losing track of everyone. I knew I was supposed to be behind the horse right then. I just didn't know where the horse was. I happily didn't wipe the party, or even kill anyone. That was pretty much my whole goal for the night.

We did Murkblood who provided the most challenge for the evening for me. Just trying to stay in front of him was difficult. He moved way too quick for me. I just dotted him up (Affliction ftw) and kept running. It was pretty intense but we managed to down him on the first try, no deaths. Moroes was practically a trash pull for the group. They are mostly epiced out. Then Maiden. I had seen this fight before but I was surprised at how long she stood up. It took quite a while to kill her. I managed to do the entire fight without taking any damage.

My first shot at Opera and we got Romeo and Juliet. I was pretty happy with that. The Wizard of Oz would have probably been too distracting for me. I've never done a 10 man so it was a bit confusing at the start. We killed both and then started to work on the two of them together. Juliet went down, and Romeo still had way too much health. But we turned on the dps and brought him down. Then on to Nightbane. This was awesome. I knew what to expect going in (I've watched many a fight over Jeff's shoulder) but this was seriously wild. The imps were kicking my tail (I'm squishy) but luckily we had good heals. Down in one try. And the end of the night. It was past midnight EST.

I picked up some great gear including new gloves and a beautiful new staff. I thanked everyone and logged off. The next night was our rescheduling knitting night so I didn't think I would get a chance to finish the run. But my sister called at 4 and said she didn't really feel like it, and I wasn't overly excited so we called it off. I signed up for that night's run. And I'm glad I did.

It was an odd group. A warrior, four hunters, a shaman, a paladin, a priest, a rogue, and me. We started with Curator, who went down easy. Then we moved onto Aran. Jeff accidentally left his gorilla on aggressive. We walked into the room and he attacked. Aran threw down flame wreath immediately as we were moving in and we were toast. Only one member survived and that was surprising. Our second attempt proved much more successful. I even remembered to banish one of the elementals.

Chess was odd and not my favorite fight. I died once when my piece couldn't get out of the fires. We won without problem but I just didn't enjoy the experience. I hated the limited movement and the limited attacks. I managed to bring down one piece though. Illhoof was next. My moment to shine. As a warlock I got to focus all my attention on Illhoof. My guild leader had me simply seed of corruption the thing to death. Worked like a charm.

And lastly we took down Prince. That was the most intense fight of the night and one of the most fun. So much going on and at the end he was running towards us, I assume after dispatching our tank. He had almost reached me (standing next to the healer) when he fell right at our feet. Wild. He dropped the Helm of the Fallen Hero and Jeff finally made me roll for it, even though he wanted it badly. I figured I had already picked up a number of beautiful purples. I won it and picked out my first T4 piece. Yay!! It was an amazing night. In two days I helped complete Kara. We only have Netherspite left and he'll be Sunday. I hope I can go.

Jack Frost

They're predicting snow this evening for down here in Des Moines. This would be our first for the season. Traditionally I would say that I'm not even remotely excited about this. I've never been much of a snow fan. Of course it is pretty. Of course it can be fun (love snowmen and snowball fights). But then you have to leave the house. And that's not so fun. 

I have to admit the mere suggestion of snow makes me want to pull on my slippers and sweaters. I want to break out the hot chocolate and curl up on the couch with a book. In winter I become a homebody. I have tended to hibernate as much as possible in the winter. It's not the cold that gets me. I can handle the cold. I just hate to drive in the snow. 

I come home from work after having driven home slow enough to anger the people behind me. And once home I don't normally leave the house unless Jeff is driving. I hate to drive in snow. Hate it and am scared of it. I would go to work and back but that was normally the limit. 

But this last year really tested that fear. We had over 70 inches of snow in Des Moines. Normally we get just a little over 30. I started the winter with this terrible fear of driving. I would lose sleep over the mere suggestion of snow. I was scared of sliding, I was scared of being stranded, and I was scared of getting into an accident. It's strange that as you do something day after day, suddenly it doesn't look so scary anymore. The difference is that last year I didn't offer myself any options. I went to work every day, except one.  

This year I'm actually okay with the idea of snow. Tomorrow will be pretty. I'm sure there will be big white flakes floating lightly from the sky. It won't stick to the roads and it will actually make me start to think that winter is coming. The 70 degree temps the last week, had made me start to doubt. But winter is coming. And for the first time, this year, I don't need to hibernate. I'm sure I will a little. I have a lot of writing I want to get done, I have books waiting to be read, and a subscription to Blockbuster that often goes to waste. I'll easily fill my time. Tomorrow I'll try to post pictures of the snow. And I'm actually hopeful we get some. 

Not keeping up (with the Joneses or anyone else)

I logged onto my Facebook account for the first time in three weeks. I looked at all the new notifications that I have. I read one new email. And I glanced at the number of requests that I had. Then I logged out. I didn't even accept my requests. I think I'm officially burnt out on Facebook.

A friend of mine got me started with the site and I played around with it a bit. I created a profile, found some friends, and added a couple applications. Then I lost interest. I tried to maintain at least some connection with the site for a while. I'd log in, send out silly requests, and post to people's walls. But my heart really wasn't in it. I wanted to say more. I prefer conversation to superpokes. Throwing a frog at me tells me nothing about how your life is going. The site is okay for email but I actually prefer regular email systems.

The one good thing that has come out of my early interest in Facebook is this blog. As I realized I wanted to say more I decided that I would start this. Now I spend significantly more thought on this then I do log time on Facebook. I figure I spend all day at work on the computer, I spend some of my evenings on the computer playing World of Warcraft, and I try to fit in more and more time at the computer for writing. I'm done with sites that are just time wasters. I don't really feel like I have a lot of time to waste. So for those of you who read my blog, that are waiting for me to come back strong to Facebook, sorry. I'll try to log in occassionally but if you really want to contact me, text, phone, or email works best.

Election Fever

I know you're all tired of hearing it but if you haven't had a chance to get out and vote, do it. I went this morning at 7:15 and was the 80th person through my polling place. My hope is that this means that there will be a good turnout. I've had smaller elections where I went at 6:00 pm and was the 80th person. In Des Moines we don't tend to get the huge crowds that some of the polling places in New York seemed to have today. The lines around the block have been encouraging.

Now I don't tend to be a political person. My idea tends to be that the less the government does, the better. My dad once told me that the best situation is to have a Democratic president and a Republican Congress or vice versa. Less gets done that way. Cynical I know but that seems to be the overwhelming response before this election. Suddenly everyone is excited about politics and I have to admit that I have been swept up in the fever. My plan for this evening is to go home, turn on the TV and watch the results roll in. I've never done that with any election before. Now I'm not going to say that the computer won't be on during the whole thing. I'm sure Jeff will talk me into playing some WOW. But Tuesdays are traditionally my knitting night. But I don't really want to go tonight. And everyone who normally knits with me says the same. They want to stay home tonight and watch. History is about to be made, no matter who wins.

And today is a proud day to be an American. I love election day. The actual election process gets old fast but election day is wonderful. This one started almost two years ago and has been the focus of more media coverage than any other before it. I get three or four political campaign calls a day and I hate those. But election day is special. I get to go and cast MY vote for who I want. I get to stand in line with my fellow Americans (and that is one of the few days we call ourselves that) and make my small voice heard. I get to do something that some countries' citizens don't get to do. And for that I'm proud. I don't care who you vote for, I don't want to know. That's between you and the voting booth. But if you want to complain during the next four years about who our president is, make sure you've said your piece and cast your vote.

New Toy!

I'm pleased to announce a new addition to our household. A Wii Fit!! After many, many months of searching Jeff and I finally stumbled on one in Target this morning. It just seemed too good to be true. We had both decided that we would splurge on the DVD edition of Star Wars (the originals, of course). When we walked into the video game aisle and saw it. Star Wars went back to the shelf immediately. I stood guard while Jeff went to find a salesclerk. And I was not about to let anyone else pick it up. I Saw It First! Luckily no one challenged me. I'm pretty sure I would have brought out the claws. 

So we got our new baby home and hooked it up. Now I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd heard from friends who had one but never been able to try or even seen the games. I was shocked. By the end of the strength training session I was sweating. By the end of the aerobic section, I was panting. And by the end of my entire 30 minute time playing, my legs were jelly. I'm so out of shape.

And the Wii was sure to remind me how out of shape I am. The game takes your weight, calculates your BMI, and then reminds you (sometimes gently, sometimes not) that you are doing things wrong. My balance was so off that my trainer continually asked me if I was putting my other foot down (I was) and then remind me that balance is one of the most important things for people as they age. Was the thing calling me old? Turns out it was. My physical age turned out to be a decade older than my actual age. Ouch! 

So I have big plans. I'm going to try to get up early every morning to workout with the thing. 30 minutes a day should be perfect. It's cheap (now that I own it), at home (perfect for the cold Iowa winters), and actually fun. I don't even mind the running portion. We'll see how well I do. Right now my intentions are the best. 

He Has The Power!!!

No, not He-man with the power of Greyskull. BigRedKitty and the power of his horde. I have several blogs that I visit every day. They are just part of my morning ritual to start my day out right. All fun, all interesting. One of my favorites is BigRedKitty. He's just so funny and informative. I'm not even a hunter, although I do play World of Warcraft. So I was shocked when BRK discovered my little corner of the net. And then more surprised when he linked to it. I'm honored!!! /salute  

My husband got me started reading BRK since he plays a hunter. He was picking up all sorts of great tips and enjoying the great writing. He showed me one of BRK's Daniel stories and I was hooked. I don't always follow all his pet advice, but as a warlock some of his tactics are useful. Minions are close enough to pets. For those of you interested I play an Affliction warlock. I love the fact that even if things run away, they still die. /evil laugh

But the reason I say he has the power is this. I traditionally get 10 or so hits a day to my site. I tend to jump from topic to topic, not good for building up a steady audience. Since BRK's link this morning, I've had almost 1050. Behold the power of one man's words. Now for any of you visiting, remember he warned you. I don't really talk about WOW much. I mention my first two trips through Zul'Farrak. I talk about going into Stratholme. And I celebrate the fact I just turned 70 (finally). But I play casually. I've been addicted for stretches but WOW playing competes with my reading and, I have to admit, sometimes it loses. 

So this is big thank you to BRK. Thanks for taking some time out of your morning to see who your readers are. Thanks for writing one of the more consistently entertaining blogs I read each day. And thank everyone for stopping by. BRK and his horde are a force to be reckoned with. Thank goodness he uses his powers for good instead of evil. (or at least I think. hmmm)  Maybe I'll have to talk a little more WOW. But then again Wrath comes out in less than two weeks. I might just be too busy playing.