Moon

As an added note, Happy New Year all. Not only is it the end of a year but the end of a decade. Always something to be marked. And to add to that excitement, there is an odd moon tonight. Tonight is a Blue Moon (a second full moon within a month), something that only happens every couple of years. I would be curious to find out the last time that a Blue Moon fell on New Years Eve. I would bet many many moons ago. It is also a partial lunar eclipse tonight, although we in the U.S. won't be able to see it. So some unusual astronomical occurances for the New Year. If only I believed in omens...

Home Plans

I have a bit of an odd stress reliever. When I'm bored or frustrated or stressed, I look at home plans or home listings. I come by it honestly. My mother, although she's never dreamed of building a home, continually brings home blueprints books. You see them in the grocery store or hardware box store. They contain blueprint after blueprint which are available for sale. Neither of us will ever buy a blueprint. But I love to look at those plans.

Jeff used to get frustrated with me that I always took home an Iowa Realty listing from the store. I'd even grab apartment guides. When we finally bought the house I think he assumed that it would be over. That I'd stop looking. What he didn't understand was that it wasn't the buying I was interested in. It was the looking.

Perhaps it is the possibility that I love. I enjoy looking at sites like Realtor.com which offer pictures of houses for sale. I can imagine all the possible ways to make the house my own. This is of course funny because I've done very little to customize our own house. But I'll imagine laying new floors in this one, putting a pool in that backyard, or even just picture my library in one of the rooms. Or I look at the blueprints and imagine what the house would have to look like. What configuration is right for us. Again I'm not really in the market, I just find it soothing.

This week's been a bit odd. I'm just starting to get used to my new nine hour days. Strange that I was easily working 8.5 to 9 hour days before. But now that it's mandatory it's much more draining. So on my lunch hours I've been staying in and looking at houses. I've found a couple in Des Moines that I wouldn't mind owning. I've glanced at homes in Asheville, a city I've become fascinated with. I looked for houses in San Antonio for no reason whatsoever. And in between I've been checking out blueprints on HousePlans.com. I'm much more relaxed and suddenly I'm thinking of fixing up my place. After all, these homes for sale have some good design ideas.

Bing

I'm trying to remember when Google appeared on the scene as the primary search engine for the world. Google has easily outstripped all other engines in terms of usage and I would argue, versatility. As a librarian, I know that it is not a great research tool but I will admit that if you have an idea what you are looking for, it is invaluable.

This past year the word has been Bing, a new search engine put out by Microsoft. I've done some comparison work and still prefer Google for most of my search needs. But every morning I dutifully go to Bing.com. I go for the photography. Every day, Bing posts an image as the backdrop for their interface. And every morning I am completely blown away by the image. I'm not sure where they are finding these photographs but I want that source.

The images then offer links to learn more about the animal, place, landmark, etc.... I've learned a lot about different landmarks just by finding an image I liked. I clicked on an image of Stari Most, the Old Bridge in the town of Moster in Herzegovina to find out all about it's history. I learned about the Falkirk Wheel in Scotland after seeing a picture on Bing and wondering what the heck it was. I got to reminisce about my trip to Maui after seeing the image below. This picture was taken at the Black Sand beaches on the road to Hana. I stood on this very beach but my pictures don't come anywhere close.

Bing is not going to be my new search engine. I've done scientific comparisons and simply feel that Google is a better engine. But there is something about serendipitous learning that draws me. It's the same way I love to walk aisle by aisle through a library to see what catches my eye. I'll keep going to Bing to learn new things, to find new places, and to see the beautify of the world around us. For that reason alone, I hope they keep the site up.

Speed

When I was younger my mother would tell me that her years passed by faster the older she got. I was young and the days seemed to stretch on for eternity. So of course, I didn't believe her. I almost hoped for the years to go faster. I wanted to reach 13...16...18....21. I was ready to grow up and, at that time, time moved too slowly for me.


I started noticing it at 25. A subtle shift in time. A speeding up. And this last couple years I've really been feeling the speed. I know that my years have not actually sped up but with relativity they certainly feel quicker. This year has passed in a blur. With all the changes around the house I can hardly recognize who I was in January but it also feels like I blinked and missed most of the year. Each day (particularly the work days) seemed to drag but the weeks flew and the year passed me by way too quickly. It feels like only a couple weeks ago that it was summer. Now it's the end of the year.



So like each New Years before it I'll make my resolutions (should I be scared that they are almost always the same ones?) and watch the next year fly by. I'm hoping to actually get to some of those resolutions, particularly the weight and writing ones. I've made a deal with myself to lose 33 pounds this year (my 33rd one). I've also made a deal with myself to write everyday if only for 15 minutes. Now if I could only make a deal with myself to slow down time.

Clock image from Salvador Dali's The Persistence of Memory.

Merry Christmas All

In a few short hours I will be winging my way southward with the hopes of reaching at least Hannibal, Missouri before the weather finally catches up to us. I'm fleeing a storm that may very well bring 12 inches of snow to my fair city. I understand that my friends up north are receiving much more. My big hope is that we can get out before the rain we've been getting starts to freeze and change to snow. I'll keep you posted.

I'll be in St. Louis this weekend which should get quite a bit less snow and will be hopefully much warmer. I'm not sure what my internet access situation will be so I won't promise any posting. I also won't have a ton of time. So this measly thing might be it for the rest of the week. Merry Christmas all!! I hope you get a chance to spend time with family and friends. To relax after the sometimes exhausting Christmas season. That you get a chance to eat tons of food and that everyone stays safe and warm. I'll be thinking of you all. Be safe, be loved, be merry.

New Schedule

One of the bonuses of my job is the hours. They are mostly stable Monday through Friday. I don't have to work too much overtime and I only occasionally have to take work home. One of the other bonuses is that the state offers what they call an adjusted work week. For the last three and a half years I've worked the standard set week. On Friday I start my new schedule and it may impact the blog a bit.

The way it works is that I will start working 9 hour days most of the week. And then I get every other Monday off. I'm going to start this new schedule with the Monday after Christmas. What that means for me is that every other weekend is a three day weekend. What it means for you is that I won't always be good about getting a post out on those Mondays. You know how good I am about posting over the weekend. Spotty is the nice way to put it. Non-existant is the other.

My plan is for that Monday to be a writing day for me. A chance to work on some stories I have rough drafts on, or create new ones. A chance to get some painting done. If I'm good and spend time at the computer, then I'll get a post out. If I waste the day, like I might, I probably won't. It could go either way. I love that I have this option for a schedule. It allows me some flexibility for a writing day. It also allows me some time away from work. Plus I generally work 9 hour days anyway, so this is just an added bonus. I'll let you know how it goes. I just figured I'd warn you. I'll try to be good. But I can't promise that the allure of spending the day out won't trump sitting at home writing.

People of Walmart

Now I don't shop at Walmart. I know too many small business owners to shop at what my family refers to as the evil empire. But after checking out People of Walmart (thanks for the suggestion Em), there are other reasons not to shop there.

People of Walmart is a blog dedicated to displaying readers' pictures of people they find in Walmarts. There are the poorly dressed,

the crazies,

and the "what were they thinking?".

I'm not brave enough to post a picture of the mostly dressed although there were plenty of those. It's a mix of some of the oddest pictures you'll ever see. And almost all of them are funny and sad and frightening.

Jeff and I spent part of the weekend, while recovering from shopping, clicking through the many pages. I was both humored and scared by the end. I'm amazed people leave the house looking like that but I'm also a bit scared for society in general. There are some odd people out there. And most of them are shopping in Walmart.

Stressed

{Warning: I'm incredibly whiny and neurotic today. Proceed with caution}

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you wake up with a feeling of impending doom? That's this week for me. Just thinking about the week makes me nervous. This morning I honestly wondered if going back to bed would make it go away. It's not Christmas, although that's stressful enough for some people. It's just the wrong combination of things.

As most of you know I'm not a huge fan of winter. In fact I hate it. I hate the ice and the snow and the cold. I'm starting to get over my fear of driving but I'm still terrified of ice. So of course they are planning for freezing rain all week. Literally starting tonight we are supposed to have freezing rain and snow, pretty much nonstop, until Friday afternoon. I'd be upset about that normally but even more so considering we will be traveling this weekend. I'm supposed to head to St. Louis this coming Friday. Heading out of town in freezing rain and sheet ice is the stuff of nightmares for me. Trigger my weather nerves.

Add to that the fact that I'm helping a friend out with some pet-sitting. I told her I would check in on her puppies each day this week. She has someone coming to take care of them but I need to check in daily. Now I love her dogs but I'm not always good with pet sitting. Much like baby-sitting, taking care of someone else's pet or child is pretty stressful on me. It instantly moves me into stress and worry mode. I am constantly worried that something will happen to them on my watch. After watching me babysit one afternoon, Jeff just smiled and told me it's a good thing we didn't have kids. I'd never sleep. Add that worry to the mix.

Last night I came home to find that my upstairs window sills were wet. Well not just wet, soaked and damaged. Apparently my windows are leaking under all the stress of the snow. There is still well over a foot of snow on some sections of the roof and the gutters are filled with ice. So it is now leaking into the house, either through the attic or through the window seals. I'm hoping it's the seals, less worry for mold. The sills are destroyed and now I'm worried that it has moved into the walls. Repair is going to be costly. I'm hoping the association will cover some of it, but I'm worried that it might cause other problems.

Oh and add the fact that I have three people I haven't bought for, a Secret Santa I just picked up on Friday, and you can consider me one walking pile of nerves. I'm a worrier to begin with but I think things are starting to stack up on me. Weather, pet-sitting, home repairs, shopping, and slippery travel. Should be a fun week.

{Sorry all. I probably shouldn't be writing this today. I know I've got it pretty good and that I'm whining needlessly. It was just weighing on my mind.}

Poetry Friday

No politics this week. In fact something a little tamer. With Christmas only a week away I thought I would do something seasonal. I looked for something to do with the solstice. That is my favorite part of this holiday. I traditionally celebrate the solstice because I know that after it comes the lengthening days. Similarly I become depressed at the summer solstice, knowing that they sunlight will never be longer than it is now. And each year this repeats.

But I haven't found any Solstice poems that I like and I love the simple cadence and sweetness of Robert Louis Stevenson's poetry. Yes this is the same Robert Louis Stevenson who wrote Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyl and Mr Hyde. But no menace or dasterdy pirates here. Just sweetness. Enjoy!


Winter-Time
by Robert Louis Stevenson

Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,
A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;
Blinks but an hour or two; and then,
A blood-red orange, sets again.

Before the stars have left the skies,
At morning in the dark I rise;
And shivering in my nakedness,
By the cold candle, bathe and dress.

Close by the jolly fire I sit
To warm my frozen bones a bit;
Or with a reindeer-sled, explore
The colder countries round the door.

When to go out, my nurse doth wrap
Me in my comforter and cap;
The cold wind burns my face, and blows
Its frosty pepper up my nose.

Black are my steps on silver sod;
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;
And tree and house, and hill and lake,
Are frosted like a wedding-cake.

Whole Lotta Shakin'...just not here

I'd been meaning to write a book review (and had even started it) but a friend's email sent me in a complete other direction. She'd sent me a story from our local news source about a smaller (3.5) earthquake that just hit Nebraska. It touched on Southwest Iowa and the shaking was only for a couple seconds. But still, it was an earthquake!!

The comments on the news site are all worried. After all, we do live on the New Madrid Fault, one of the largest ones in the country. The fact that it hasn't done any serious moving or shaking since 1812 doesn't seem to reassure people. The comments (nothing good ever comes from reading the comments-PVP), all seem to say that this will be the end of the world. I have to admit that my first response to the story was not fear. It was excitement. If Nebraska can have an earthquake, we can. And I've always wondered what it feels like.

Now I'm not inviting quakes on the same size as the 1812 one. Those (there were four within a three month stretch of time) rang church bells in Boston and Washington DC. All of them were over 8.0 on the richter scale. Those could easily destroy sections of the city. Although we don't have a ton of skyscrapers, our builders aren't really built for earthquakes. But I wouldn't mind feeling a bit of a 3.5 quake. I'm just curious what it would be like. I've done a ton of reading about quakes and other natural disasters and always wonder what they are actually like. So perhaps we'll eventually feel a small one. Something like what my in-laws informed me hit St. Louis. A bit of shaking in the middle of the night to wake everyone up. Heck if Nebraska gets one, shouldn't we?

Tool Use

For the last couple decade the definition of being human (and separate from animals) has relied on the concept of tool use. Humans use tools, animals don't. After our definitions which were based on language, culture, and emotions were thrown out, we had to settle on tool usage. When it was determined that chimpanzees use tools to gain access to food, we started to lose what little ground we had. Over the past several decades we have found species after species that uses tools to make things simpler or gain access to resources. So this definition will eventually be busted as well.
British scientists have been working with rooks (same family as crows) for many years and are amazed by their clever use (and even invention) of tools. These are not trained behavior but are the result of problem solving. I watched a video recently where a rook lowered a hooked piece of plastic that it had been given into a beaker in order to snag a tiny little bucket with treats. The scientists were impressed by this. The rook then carried the bucket to the top of it's cage to eat the treat. When it couldn't reach it with it's beak, it hopped back down to the hook and fished the food out with that. Impressive tool use and understanding of how the tool worked.

This past week, scientists found evidence of tool use in octopuses. Divers took video of an octopus finding and unburying a coconut shell. It hollowed the shell out and then carried it along the ocean bottom. If attacked it will overturn the shell and hide under it. Or if it finds two shells it will bring them together to form a protective ball. Octopuses have long been known for their intelligence but the use of tools had not been documented in the species before. Another crack in the human/animal definition. This video has been circling the internet for a couple days now, partially because of it's amazing discovery but mostly because it's pretty funny to watch the octopus run. If nothing else I hope it reminds people that animals are far smarter than we give them credit for. And tool use is no longer a valid difference.

Image by Roger Steene (courtesy of BBC)

Oddly Antisocial

I'm not typically antisocial. Most of the time I love being around friends and family. I revel in long discussions and good conversation. For an introvert (and trust me I am one) I tend to enjoy being around people. Mind you, drop me in a room full of people I don't know and I'll find myself a quiet corner to hide. But with people I know, most won't even believe that I'm painfully shy.

But for some reason both today and yesterday I've been avoiding people. I haven't been on Facebook, I haven't been blogging, and I haven't even been willing to check my email. Apparently I'm being antisocial. Which is hilarious considering my weekend. Most of the weekend was pretty quiet. I had dinner with Jeff on Friday and we settled in at home for some exciting Christmas Card writing and a touch of Bailey's. It's amazing how much easier that pen writes when the Bailey's is flowing (my apologies to anyone who gets one of my later addressed ones). Saturday was filled with cleaning. The house looks almost uncluttered now, which is miraculous. With two packrats living in the same house, things can get a bit overwhelming.

And all of that led up to Sunday. I woke up with the alarm on Sunday so I could have breakfast at a friend's place. And she treated me wonderfully. I had samosas and sweet potato curry. There was homemade Apple Carrot juice (surprisingly tasty) and homemade tortillas. By the time I left her house, I was well past stuffed. I got home just in time to get a call from a high school friend of mine. She had looked me up out of the blue and had emailed me about getting together. Considering that she lives in Alabama we haven't seen each other in years. Eleven years to be exact. We had lost contact. So for all of Sunday afternoon, Jeff and I hung out with her, her husband, and her two adorable kids. We spent a lot of time playing Wii, taking pictures, but mostly just catching up. It was wonderful. So after a day filled with talking and visiting you would think that I'd be more than ready to communicate with everyone else. Apparently not.

I'm thinking that I've come out of my antisocial mood. I spent a fantastic lunch today with my sister. We laughed and ate too much. And now I feel like writing. I feel like sharing. I may even get on Facebook although I'm not promising anything. Just know that I'll be posting the rest of the week. And possibly this weekend. And sometimes, it may even be interesting.

Poetry and Politics

I realized last week that I haven't done a Poetry Friday in many many weeks now. I've either been bad about posting and then trying to catch up, or I just haven't been in the poetry mood. But a poem that keeps popping up on TV has me thinking about Whitman. And a bit peeved.

I'm sure by now you've seen the black and white Levi's commercials which include a video montage of either young people or scenes from America. Over these images is a scratchy voice reciting poetry, in particular Pioneers, Oh Pioneers and America both by Walt Whitman. The ads are unique in using poetry to sell a product. The mood they create is young, patriotic, and excited. In that sense they are successful.

The first time I saw these ads I was shocked. Not only was I hearing snippets of poetry, but that Levi's was again touting their American-ness. Now I understand that is the bedrock of the company's brand. They are the American jeans company. And they are all about American values. The funny thing for me about that is that Levi Strauss shuttered the last of their American manufacturing plants back in 2003 (most though had closed in the late 80s, early 90s). They no longer have any Canadian manufacturing either. Those were also closed about the same time. The only thing American about the Levi Strauss company is the headquarters. So I guess they can say that their designs are American, just not their actual make-up. I'm curious that these ads are so overtly American values based considering how recently they shut their last plant.

But the real thing that fascinated me was the narrator. That scratchy voice that seemed so old and yet spoke of youth. And then just recently I listened to an NPR interview with Neil Gaiman on audio books. He was talking about early audio and he played a click of America. The same scratchy voice. The same inflections as the commercial. And I realized what I'm listening to. That's Walt Whitman. Supposedly Whitman recorded four lines of America on a wax cylinder for a phonograph (early phonographs used cylinders instead of records). Pioneers is done by an actor since Whitman never recorded that one. Here is the kicker though, this would have been recorded in 1890. There is still discussion of whether it is actually his voice but most scholars agree that it is. And I'm intrigued. This is history. I'm actually saddened that it took a commercial to point me to The Whitman Recording. And a little saddened that is being used to sell jeans. But I guess if it spreads the word about his poetry and the recording, they are doing some good.

And that is a long introduction to finally bring you the poem which is much smaller. This is the full text of America by Walt Whitman.

Centre of equal daughters, equal sons,
All, all alike endear'd, grown, ungrown, young or old,
Strong, ample, fair, enduring, capable, rich,
Perennial with the Earth, with Freedom, Law and Love,
A grand, sane, towering, seated Mother,
Chair'd in the adamant of Time.

To listen to the recording check out the Walt Whitman Archive or Poets.org.

Brian Despain

I don't remember when I learned about Brian Despain's fun and poignant artwork but I have loved his paintings for quite a while. I've been meaning to share them but things kept getting in the way. But during this past month, both Drawn.ca and Lines and Colors have done profiles on Brian so I figured it was about time I did my own.

Brian's artwork is filled with fish and robots and gears and robots and birds and robots. And did I mention robots. Best known for his series of images portraying robots interacting with both the natural and the man-made world, his artwork has a wonderful mix of technology and emotion. These are not just mechanical creatures that respond to commands. Many of his robots are contemplating, reacting, and exploring. They are emotional and curious. And they are all incredibly rendered.

Using a muted palette of greys and browns, Brian creates a world that is recognizable but a bit surreal. Fish flow from robots' chests. Robots talk with pears and hummingbirds. One odd imaged offered a robot striding through town with a giant octopus for a hat. Each creature in Brian's paintings are detailed, down to the bolts on the robots and the scales on the fish. The images are sharp even if the backgrounds are a bit muted. But the real power of Brian's work for me is the emotion. His robots are surprised or amused or curious. It seems clear though both facial expressions and body language. Or perhaps that is me anthropomorphizing.

Each robot or creature is unique. His creations are each numbered to show their place in the series. These are not sequential though. One of the first images chronologically is robot number 29, seen below, in an image called Mr. Bubble's Birthday. This is a perfect example of the detail and emotion I was talking about. This has to be one of my favorites.


Brian's work has become incredibly popular recently and there are even cell phone skins with his images on them. I'm seriously thinking about picking up one of his laptop covers for my old laptop. And of course I need to pick up a print of his work one of these days. The hardest part will be choosing which incredible image to purchase. There are just too many I want. Fun, sad, poignant, and beautiful robots. What more could any girl want?

Epic

I'm at home today. I decided to spend the day at home after one of the worst blizzards in the history of Des Moines hit last night. I went to work yesterday with the snow flying. When I left the office there was about 7 inches of snow on the ground. The drive home last night was slippery but not horrible. But that was not the worst of the storm. Last night we got an additional 8 inches. And then the winds kicked up.

It has been a full blown blizzard all day. That combined with the current 15 inches of snow has produced one of the most dangerous storms I've ever seen. Many of the interstates have been shut down for most of the day. The National Guard was called out to rescue people who traveled and ended up in ditches. The National Weather Service referred to the storm as "Epic". And the Governor warned last night that people shouldn't drive if they could avoid it.


So this morning I emailed my boss and told him I was taking a furlough day. I have to take seven of them anyway. And this seemed like the perfect day. Here is the view out of my front window. That rapidly disappearing block in the middle of the patio is our air-conditioner. The car was even more buried.


But not even the second floor was immune. Here is my back bedroom/studio. I walked by and noticed how dark the room was. That's when I realized that the bottom half of the window is completely buried with drifts.


I worried this morning about whether I should go in or not. My father did go in to work. He described the roads as horrible. I've been watching the conditions deteriorate all afternoon. I'm glad I stayed home. I hung out with Jeff (whose school closed for the day), shoveled a bit of snow, drank tons of hot chocolate, and read most of the day. Now I'm planning to curl up, watch Mythbusters, and drink some coffee. It was a wonderful day...for those inside.

Alice

I'm a huge fan of Alice in Wonderland. I've read the books (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass) multiple times, which is saying a lot. I've watched and own most film adaptations of the story. I've bought video games just because they are based on the character. I've even purchased figurines from the Disney film and Robert Sabuda's amazing pop-up book of the story. I love the story, the characters, and the setting. In short I love everything about those books.

That said I should have hated the new Alice miniseries done by the SyFy (or as I prefer SciFi) Channel. I should have been upset by the fact that the series never really touched on the original story. I should have hated that the characters are so loosely based on the book's characters that the only thing they have in common is the names. The Hatter is not mad, the White Knight doesn't move backwards, and The White Rabbit isn't really a rabbit at all. I should have hated it. But I didn't. Apparently I'm easily seduced.


Similar to SyFy's (back when it was SciFi) Tin Man, while I bristled at the license taken with the characters and story, I found the tone to be spot on. The premise of this story is that Wonderland is run by the Queen and King of Hearts (so far so good). They maintain peace in the kingdom by providing their subjects with liquefied emotions (ummm what?) particularly good emotions. In order to get the emotions, the organization called White Rabbit sneaks through a looking glass into the modern world and steals people, who they call oysters. The oysters are then kept happy while the emotions are drained from them. Alice, following her boyfriend Jack, stumbles into Wonderland in possession of a ring of power. The Queen will stop at nothing to get the ring back. Alice, with the help of Hatter (a street wise hustler character) and the White Knight (who's crazier than "a box of frogs"), set out to save Jack and bring down the Queen's reign. That's the story in a nutshell but there was far more going on.

As expected the setting was incredible. Wonderland's city is an odd mirror of the real world except that most of the action takes place in the buildings or on narrow ledges. The Queen's palace (Hearts Casino) is an elaborate house of cards. The settings themselves are beautiful and over the top. Which is what drew me in. SyFy, both literally and figuratively, gave Wonderland an edge. And not just the edge where the action takes place. It is a beautiful place but also incredibly deadly. The grit of the city and its maze-like buildings made sense to me. The fact that Alice would be guided through this chaotic urban world by a street hustler makes even more sense that way. And I liked the comparison of the urban grit with the polished atmosphere of the casino. The setting really made this for me.

The character of Alice is also a bit different from what you are used to. In this adventure Alice is the major butt kicker. She's a blackbelt in Karate and can easily defend herself physically. What she can't seem to do is defend herself emotionally. She is easily misled and is constantly trusting the wrong person. Her character is afraid of heights (which is never explained) leading to some annoying hysterical scenes. Hatter on the other hand is a much more enjoyable character to watch. He alternates between menacing, cocky, charming, pitiable, and sweet. I was seduced by his understated charm, his puppy-dog loyalty, and his hat tricks. He's a manipulative character but with a solid core. Kathy Bates is a fabulous Queen with just the right amount of anger and self-righteousness. She's vain and over-the-top in just the right way. And to balance all the grit and menace of the others is The White Knight, who is seriously crazy. His constant singing, his useless showmanship, and his wild facial expressions made him seem more like the book's character than anyone else.


The one issue that I had with the series was that the plot tried to do a little too much. It tried to work in characters that shouldn't be there. It tried to add family drama in the form of Alice's father who was dragged into the world decades ago and brainwashed. Most of the scenes with Doctors Dee and Dum were too bizarre, even for Wonderland. Where Tin Man followed one story much more successfully, this miniseries is like a juggler keeping way too many balls in the air.

I'm sure most people will disagree with me on most of this review. Those who really enjoyed it will say that most of those extraneous parts are needed. And those who hate it will say that it was too far from the story to even be considered an Alice in Wonderland adaption. I myself will simply say that I'm infinitely seducible. I went in with a vague curiosity based on images and ended up enjoying it. I won't be rushing out to own this Alice, but I won't turn it down if I find it at a reasonable price. A dark story with some bizarre twists and turns that made for an entertaining, if not over the top, Alice. And a very different take on the story.

Who Needs Sleep?

I find it funny that I just bought that song from BareNaked Ladies. And it feels so appropos today. I'm living on about 3 hours of sleep so I won't be posting anything huge. I'm not sure I'd be coherent enough for anything more than a couple sentences. So instead, I found this. And considering the amount of snow and cold we are expecting in the next three days (12 inches!!!!) I figure there is no time like the present to post it.

Stuart Carlson

Milwaukee Journal Sentinal

New Toy

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that I just got new toys in the form of two typewriters. And that is true. But this new toy is a bit more high-tech. And I bit more likely to affect the blog.




I've been wanting a scanner for years now. I'm not sure why I held off on buying one since they have become pretty reasonably priced. Rather than taking pictures of images that I wanted to add to the blog I figured with a scanner you wouldn't get as much distortion of image. So Jeff and I had been pricing them. We figured that since our printer was in good shape we wouldn't want one of those all in ones.



That is until we saw the HP Photosmart Plus (pictured below). And then we saw the price. We finally bought it two days after Thanksgiving when the stores were still doing big sales. This beautiful piece of technology (note the touch screen) was 50% off. We simply couldn't pass up a deal like that.

It is a printer, scanner, and copier all rolled into one. I don't think either of us need the copier although that aspect will be nice for photocopying recipes or knitting patterns. I had done a late night copier run just recently to copy a list of books out of a library book before returning it. So it will be nice to no longer have to pay for those. But what really sold us was the wireless printing. Our current printer requires that we bring one of the laptops over to the printer to be plugged in. If I was working on my desktop, which I normally am, that meant transfering the files to the laptop to be able to print. With this new toy I can just hit print and done. From across the room!! It's like magic.

And of course now I can scan things. Which means you guys will get to see things with a lot less distortion. It also means that you might be subjected to more of my artwork. Which could be scary. So not only will you have to deal with images of my amateurish drawing or painting attempts but they will have more clarity than before. Sadly that means you can no longer say things like, "That's a great....elephant? pig? I'm so sorry with the terrible picture quality I can't quite tell." So be prepared.

Sometimes the old remedies are the best

Okay fair warning, this is about a bit of a disgusting topic. But it's what's on my mind recently and I had to share my findings. But if you're easily grossed out by some topics, this might not be the post for you.

I find it amazing that some of old remedies seem to work far better than anything else out there. In this case I'm using a sinus remedy that is many centuries old. And still works like a charm. Since I had bronchitis this past summer I've been having some issues with my sinuses. I can't smell as well and I have certain times where I have more trouble breathing. My sinuses feel full. It was starting to really annoy me when I fell back on some yoga training that I had years ago. During class I mentioned something about my sinuses and the yogi suggested a neti pot.

For those who've never heard of a neti pot it is a small either ceramic or plastic pot shaped like a teapot. You mix a solutions of salt (or saline rinse) with lukewarm water and then pour the solution into one nostril. The solution will them flood into the sinuses and out the other nostril. Since you tip your head to the side and slightly forward you can still breath comfortably although through your mouth.

When my yogi first mentioned the neti pot, I remember being completely disgusted. I hated the feeling of getting water in my nose when swimming. Why would I purposefully put some in? Plus then there was the fact that this was my nose and I knew what came out of that when I blew it. I did not want to deal with that. So I didn't try it then. But when my recent sinus problems began I figured I would bite the bullet and pick one up.

The sensation has to be one of the oddest feelings in the world as you flood your nose with water. I can see why they suggest using warmish water. But for days afterward I breath better, I smell better (well I'm not sure I smell better, but I can smell things better. :-)). And more than anything I feel better. I was completely skeptical but nowadays I love my neti pot. For anyone dealing with sinus issues, I would certainly recommend one. Once a week is all I need and I feel so much better. I know it's not the most appetizing idea but it works. Again sorry if I grossed anyone out. But it works so well I just had to mention it.

The Terrible Thing of Alpha-9

As you know I'm a huge animation fan. I watch animated films, I have three different animation blogs that I read regularly, and I'd love to learn how to create my own. And when I see things like The Terrible Thing of Alpha-9, I remember why I love this medium.

The Terrible Thing of Alpha-9 is one of the sweetest, funniest, and most exciting bit of animation I've seen in a while. It's short and filled with fun. I saw it months ago on Irene Gallo/Tor's Saturday Morning Cartoons but it is released exclusively by Cartoon Brew TV (a great place to visit for some fun animation).

Terrible Thing is the brainchild of Jake Armstrong who did the film for a thesis project. It follows an astronaut who is attempting to capture the bounty on the creature that lives on the planet Alpha-9. It's a wild romp with a very manly astronaut and a very unusual monster. I won't tell you more than that because I want you to watch it instead. The film has slowly gained notoriety by word of mouth mostly. I watched it and then immediately had to show it to Jeff. Then share with a coworker or two or three. It's a bit twisted at the end but in a good way. It's well worth a viewing.

Something a Little Lighter

After yesterday I feel like I need to post something a little lighter. Something that will make me incredibly happy rather than angry. Something to cleanse your palate after my diatribe yesterday. So I bring you a library.

Yes, what you see is a lending library. A village in Somerset England lost both their mobile library and their phone box in the past year. So they contacted the telecom company and asked for the box back. Not the mechanisms, just the box. And they turned it into a lending library.

The phone box houses about 100 books and they are constantly changing. Lending is done on the honor system. Patrons select books to read and bring in books they have already read. So far they claim that the system is working really well. And they get a library that's a bit of an oddity and a showcase. Along with the recycling of an old part, I think it's a brilliant idea. Now if only it didn't remind me of a Tardis every time I looked at it. :-)

Read the whole article here.

Eating Animals

It is hard to imagine that two years ago I had never heard the term Battery Cage. That I had never really thought about where my eggs come from. That I had never even really thought about the chicken that I ate. Some would say that I was blissfully ignorant but I find my lack of information incredulous. How was it possible for me to not know how my food was produced? But that was the case. Over the last year and a half I have learned perhaps far more than I ever cared to know. I have learned enough that I plan to never eat meat again. I have learned enough that I'm actively contemplating becoming vegan. And they say that a mind, once expanded, can never return to its original size. I cannot unlearn what I have learned. Nor do I want to.

Over the last year and a half I have read everything I can find on food production, with a focus on animal production. Jonathan Safran Foer's newly released book "Eating Animals" immediately jumped to the top of my list when I heard about it. I asked for the book for my birthday and finally sat down to read it over Thanksgiving. This had to be one of the toughest books I've ever read about any topic. I've read war stories that didn't affect me as much as this very true story of systematic torture. I broke down halfway through and had to put the book down for a while. I've always been sensitive to animal suffering but knowing that this is all true and that this is how the industry is trending makes me angry, disgusted, and sad at the same time.

Foer starts out with a tongue in cheek discussion of eating dog. His arguement is that with dogs we would have a steady stream of good tasty meat. Dogs are plentiful and eaten around the world. And by now you are starting to get angry. We can't eat dogs. We don't eat companion animals. I've mentioned before that companion animals actually have a pretty good life in the US, certainly compared to farm animals. Foer states that pigs are just as smart as dogs, just as loyal. Yet the dogs we invite into our families. The pigs we keep in horrible conditions and slaughter in terrible ways. And pigs have it far better then our feathered friends. Chickens, whether kept for eggs or for meat, are some of the most tortured creatures on the planet. Both their lives and their deaths would make most horror films look tame. And this happens to hundreds of millions of birds every year. And chickens, like dogs, are playful, curious, and social.

Foer tells stories of both animal lives and animal deaths and all are enough to make you ill. He also gives the opposition a chance to speak. His book includes letters from cattle ranchers, factory farmers, along with the more expected letters from animal welfare activists and PETA. The only one he doesn't represent is the Agribusiness executives, mostly because they refused to answer his letters, request for tours, or even inquiries. As Foer points out, shouldn't we get a chance to see where our food comes from. We used to be able to but now that factory farming has become dominant, that is no longer the case. Mostly because the more we know about where our meat comes from and how the animals were treated, the less likely we would be to eat it.

I won't apologize for sounding preachy here. This is something that I feel incredibly strongly about. Although I won't attempt to convert anyone to vegetarianism, I do ask that you think about where your food came from. And think about what animal made that meal possible. Although I will not eat meat again, if the industry does return to more humane lives for its animals I won't begrudge someone for eating it. But with the current state of factory farming, meat production (along with dairy and eggs) is nothing short of torture. And that I can't have on my conscience. I'm currently a vegetarian but after reading this I'm heading towards vegan. I'm also planning other life changes. I won't say this is all because of this book, but the more I read, the more sickened I am. And what I have learned, cannot be unlearned.

A Cure for All My Ailments

What if I would tell you that I have found the one thing that will help me lose weight, improve my mood, keep my anxiety at bay, increase my energy, and lengthen my life expectancy. It's pretty simple. In fact, I learned about it at the ripe old age of 1 year old. It's walking. The first and only thing that I have ever found that takes care of almost all my issues. You would think with all those benefits it would be something that I would be dedicating tons of time to. Yet for some reason I find it tough to get out the door.

Jeff and I went walking this afternoon. We wanted to try out a path that has been built near the house and I loved just getting out into the trees and putting one foot in front of the other. In fact, I'm always happy when I'm walking. I don't remember the last time I took a walk and didn't enjoy myself. Even though I don't really like to walk along busy streets I won't turn it down. My favorite walks though are when I leave the trails. Strap on my hiking boots and step off the beaten path. This picture is from a hike Jeff and I took along the creek near our house. We found all sorts of interesting plant life, spotted a couple of deer, and found our way a couple miles from the house, just following a creek. It was one of my favorite walks.

But I still find it tough to motivate myself. I look out the door and think that it's just too much work to put on my shoes. Or find a coat. And the couch just seems comfier. So I put off going. And then feel lazy and even worse. A simple walk everyday would be all I need to improve my life. Now I just need to get moving. My plan (kind of like a resolution) would be to take a walk every other day weather depending. I'm not about to become one of those crazy people you see walking in torrential rains or in a blizzard. But on nice days there is no reason I shouldn't get out and walk when I can. When I lost all that weight four years ago I did it simply through walking more and writing down what I eat. And getting out simply makes my anxiety go away. With those bonuses alone, I need to make an effort to get out there and walk. Here's hoping I can keep the pace up.

Happy Thanksgiving

I spent the morning cooking and will be heading out shortly to have dinner with my family. Today, think of something that makes you happy, something that defines life for you. It could be a close family, a wonderful marriage, a job you love, a pet, or even something as simple as the chance to read. Find that something and say a little prayer of thanks for it. I'm not religious but prayers of thanks into the universe seem the best possible form of praise for this life we have. I love life and everyday am thankful for it. Today just a bit more so. So say a little prayer of thanks. And I hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving.

Isaac's Storm

They say that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Isaac's Storm is a perfect example of this.

About two years ago I read Erik Larson's book The Devil in the White City at the insistence of my mother. Now that is noteworthy for the fact that my mother is not much of a book reader. It is rare that she makes recommendations so I tend to read them. The book told the juxtaposed stories of the construction of the World's Fair in Chicago, and the story of H.H. Holmes, a brilliant serial killer who supposedly killed more than 27 people. The stories may seem odd bedfellows but Larson intertwined them in ways that just make sense. And kept me fascinated. I devoured the book and started seeking out more of Larson's books. I bought Isaac's Storm but it ended up relegated to my shelves until this past trip. I figured with a hurricane just missing the Yucatan Peninsula where I was going, this would be perfect beach reading.

Isaac's Storm also tells multiple stories. The first is about the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. The storm has been considered one of the worst natural disasters to ever occur on U.S. soil. It killed over 6000 people and almost leveled the entire city of Galveston. The reason the hurricane was so devastating is mostly because the town never had any indication that it would be hit. The storm simply wasn't predicted. And that leads to the other stories in the book. Larson also tells the story of Isaac Cline, the chief weather observer for Galveston and provides a history of meteorology and hurricane prediction. In the early 1900s the Weather Bureau in the US was just starting out and so many of their predictions were based on the current knowledge. The "law of storms" as it were. And the "law" stated that no hurricanes ever went that far into the Gulf of Mexico. Because of that Galveston never built a seawall to protect itself from hurricanes. Because of the known "law of storms" the chief meteorologist never noticed the classic signs of a major storm. And because of this arrogant ignorance, a town nearly was destroyed.

Galveston after the hurricane

Larson weaves these stories together beautifully. This well researched book reads like a novel in parts, and a detailed history in others. I learned a ton about the early history of weather prediction, about the signs and warnings of a hurricane, and about the people and the city of Galveston. All personal accounts are based on letters and on Isaac's own accounts of living through the hurricane. The Weather Bureau at that time used telegrams to convey current conditions and predictions so Larson had a treasure trove of documents that allowed him to map the storm out. In many of the chapters we follow the path of the storm as it grows and moves east into the Gulf. We learn how the Cubans tracked the storm perfectly but because of an arrogant director at the Weather Bureau, those reports were not read. This was a book for me about devastation that possibly could have been avoided. It was about willful ignorance and arrogance and the feeling that humans could control nature. And it was particularly poignant after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

As I mentioned at the beginning, those who fail to learn from history are destined to repeat it. We see a city like New Orleans, very much like the city of Galveston. It was built below sea level. It was built without a high enough levee to fight off rising waters. It was a city built on arrogance that a storm could never be powerful enough to destroy it. And one did. And many people lost their lives and their property because of it. I know I'm up on my soapbox here but I see them rebuilding New Orleans and I hope that this time they get it right. Building in a flood plain is risky and arrogant. And for some reason we keep doing it. No matter what the consequences. I hope fervently that the government of New Orleans rebuilds with the worry of another storm. I hope they rebuild smart. Or if they won't, then they shouldn't rebuild.

In Praise of Geeky Men

Jeff bought the new Star Trek film over the weekend and we sat down to watch it Saturday night. I'd never seen it but Jeff had gone when it was in the theaters. He had come home raving about how much he'd enjoyed it and although there were some inconsistencies he had thought it was a ton of fun. I've seen all the other Trek films so I figured I should probably see this one. I hadn't really be excited about it.

I have to admit that this was a very enjoyable movie. Not a great movie but a very enjoyable one. The plot was pretty decent (for a Trek film) but it was the characters that really made this movie fun. The script played with the well known characters. We all know what Kirk is like but other than an initial fling with a green skinned alien girl (what is it about the green skin?) he kept his hands to himself. It was Spock who ended up with the girl. We finally find out the origin of the name "Bones". Sulu isn't quite the master pilot we all remember him as. And Scotty...well anytime Simon Pegg takes a role, you know it's going to be fun. Needless to say I laughed, I worried, I enjoyed the film.

And about halfway through the film Jeff and I had this conversation:
Me: Wow, Spock is seriously hot
Jeff: Young Spock or old Spock?
Me: Young Spock of course
Jeff: What about Kirk?
Me: He's okay.
Jeff: What is it with you and the geeky guys?

Okay he may not have said that last line but it was what I was thinking. I've noticed a trend in myself. Some of the guys I find hot are not the ones most women are interested in. And vice versa. Brad Pitt does nothing for me. Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson (even before they went insane) aren't on my list of attractive me. Tobey McGuire though makes me weak in the knees (particularly in those nerdy Peter Parker glasses).

I've always found geek men attractive. I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds the guys on "The Big Bang Theory" attractive although it feels like it sometimes. When watching NCIS, one of my favorite shows, it's McGee that I find hot. Even decades ago I found Clark Kent much hotter than Superman. A pair of glasses, a strange fascination with D&D, and a huge intellect are apparently big turn-ons for me. Not sure why.

So in this recent Trek installment it was Spock who played that role. I loved the conflicted serious character who was just on the wrong side of cool. I loved the (mostly) stoic nature and the arrogant intellect. I even loved the ears. Just another attraction in a long line of men who few others consider hot. Other women may not want a geek but they are apparently right up my alley.

A Wedding and Mexico

Okay apparently when I said last night I meant tonight.

I've had plenty of time today to write this. I finally downloaded my pictures and had some time to look through them and I realized something. The pictures I have don't do this particular place justice. They certainly don't do the wedding justice. Everything was so incredibly beautiful and my camera just didn't capture all that. It was a whirlwind trip but full of such beauty.

We arrived on Thursday afternoon without issue. The drive from the airport to the resort took about 50 minutes but our driver took it slow. Playa del Carmen is a mix of incredibly luxurious resorts and some of the most abject poverty I've seen. The road we took in was divided. The left side had some exclusive resorts with the kind of guarded gates that I've seen in luxury travel magazines. On the other side of the road, shacks and run down stores. It was an odd paradox.

Our resort was no exception to the beauty. Here is a picture of the grounds.

This is the first all-inclusive I have ever stayed in and I was not prepared for how pampered I would feel. During check-in we were presented with some rather tasty alcoholic drinks. The mini-bar (also included) was stocked with beer, soda, water, and several full sized bottles of alcohol just waiting to be tapped. The room was just gorgeous but other than sleeping we spent very little time there. The first night was not a particularly good night but considering that Jeff and I hadn't slept much the night before and had been traveling all day, we ended up in bed about 8 that night.

Jeff woke me up to see the sunrise the next morning. There is nothing more wonderful than being wrapped up on a beach chair, listening to the sound of the waves, and watching the sunrise on the beach. The day was spent sleeping on beach chairs, playing in the ocean, and hanging out with family. I walked the beach both mornings with Jeff's dad and by the end of the trip my legs were killing me. The rehearsal dinner was that night but both Jeff and I were exhausted again and ended up in bed by 10.

The next day was the wedding. The resort had set up chairs and a wedding arch on the beach. It was a fabulous setting. I spent the morning walking the beach with dad, playing in the kiddy pool with my niece and nephew, and looking for Jeff. He and I managed to lose each other from morning until the wedding at three. I have to say that if Jeff and I were ever to get married again, this is how I would do it. To be able to attend a wedding, with drink in hand, and bare feet is just perfection. I took pictures and watched the kids and enjoyed the wedding. Everyone on the beach stood and watched. It was a wonderful moment. Here is a picture of the wedding party. I should download the professional ones but for right now you'll have to make due with my amateur ones.

After the wedding we sat in the lobby bar and had drinks until dinner. We ate at the resort's steakhouse (they had five restaurants). Then the bride and groom celebrated their marriage with a quick dip in the pool.

Jeff and I headed back to the room about 11 and went to sleep fast. We were both up by 2 since we had a transport coming for us at 4. The trip back to the airport in Cancun was much less slow and much less enjoyable. The driver drove like a maniac and with us being in the far back seat it was a bumpy ride. We did get there much faster than the trip in but I was a bit nauseous. The flight out of Cancun was great but getting out of Atlanta was a little more problematic. We ended up home about 3 hours after we were scheduled to. It was seven by the time we were finally home and Misty was thrilled to see us.

All and all it was a wonderful trip. The resort was beautiful, the all-inclusive part was fabulous, and the time spent hanging out was a lot of fun. It took me a couple days to recover but I'm so glad I went. Congrats guys. And thanks for a great trip.

Been Missing

I'm back. Okay I've actually been back in the country since late Sunday night. I've been mentally back in the game since last night.

I have tons of pictures to show you from Mexico. It was gorgeous. Truly beautiful. The resort was incredible, the all-inclusive aspect was wonderful, and the wedding was very pretty (enough adjectives?). And I've been meaning to post pictures and write about the trip but I just haven't been in the mood. Monday I spent the whole day with my aunt and uncle who were visiting. Tuesday I began kicking myself to sit down and write. So yesterday morning, after enough kicking, I decided that I would make this an extended blog vacation. I wouldn't post until I felt ready to. I wouldn't feel pressure to produce. I don't ever want this blog to feel like a job, a chore, something I have to do. Rather it should be something I'm excited to do.

All this week I've been coming home at night and crashing. I lay on the couch and stuff my face until I finally fall asleep. It's been hell on my mood and completely unproductive. I decided to change things up yesterday. Last night I sat on the couch and read. I watched TV and knit. I read more. And sometime last night a switch was thrown. I felt like myself again. I woke up this morning invigorated. I found at least three things I wanted to talk about just this morning alone. And I figured it was time to break my silence. A week and a half is a pretty long time for me to go without writing (or at least blog writing. I wrote free-hand all trip long). So this is just to say I'm back. I am composing in my head a post about the wedding and the trip that I'll post tonight. With pictures.

What's this 40 hour thing?

I'm in an insanely good mood today. I practically bounced out of bed this morning at 6:30. I'm humming while I work. I have lunch plans with a friend of mine. It's going to be a good day.

Of course most of this is the fact that I only work two days this week. I'd say that today is my Thursday but since I didn't work any of the previous days it doesn't really seem like Thursday. Wednesday is a state holiday and Thursday I wake up incredibly early to board a plane to Mexico. Can you tell I'm a little excited? Even with such a short trip (we're back on Sunday) I'm excited to spend some time hanging out on a beach with family. I'll post pictures when I get home. It doesn't seem real yet but having the rest of the week off keeps reminding me how soon I'm traveling.

And my short weeks don't end there. I'm back home but I'm taking Monday off just to relax. It actually worked out well since my favorite aunt and uncle will be in town that day and I will plan to see them for lunch. Then I have the four days next week of work. Followed of course by Thanksgiving week. So I only work three days that week. I don't have another full 5 day work week until December. How can I not be in a good mood with that type of schedule? Now all I have to do is get through today and tomorrow.

On the blog side please be aware that I will be posting today and tomorrow but won't be writing anything for the rest of the week. I'll plan to post pictures and descriptions when I get back but I'm not guaranteeing anything until next Monday or Tuesday. I'm taking this trip as a break from everything. I'll be back rested and refreshed with some new content and hopefully a bit of a tan. Hope you have half as good a week as I'm having. Or at least a good day.

Cleansing Post

The previous post was a bit sad and a bit disgusting. So here is a painting attempt I made this afternoon to cleanse your mind. Maybe. It's not a great painting but I'm having fun. It's my Balloon Boy. I love the blue of the sky but otherwise I'm not in love with the image. But it is much happier than my poor sick bird.

Halloween Bird

{Warning: The images below might be a bit icky for some people.}

With the time change, I've been getting up extra early. Even on weekends I'm waking up at 7:30 or 8. I'm much more of a morning person so I'm not complaining. I love the quiet stillness of Saturday mornings. I make a pot of coffee, haul out my notebook and pens, and watch the birds visit my feeder. That had to be the most entertaining purchase I've ever made. I find infinite pleasure in watching the variety of birds that visit. I've had beautiful birds like this gorgeous cardinal that visited during the snowstorm we had in October.

I have nuthatches and chickadees that visit regularly. They are my most frequent visitors. So frequent in fact that I've stopped photographing them. I do watch them with the binoculars though. I was watching this Saturday when a house finch landed on the feeder. I noticed that his head looked a little rough and picked up the binoculars. One half of the head was fine, a perfect finch face. The other side was...not. It looked like the finch's head had exploded. I was fascinated and horrified by it.

Here is the regular side.

Here is the other.

So I found my way to the computer to see if I can figure out what could be wrong with it. It appears to be Avian Pox which means I had to wash my bird feeder again. This is a contagious disease for birds (finches are regularly infected). The finch didn't seem to have too much trouble eating but I had to feel sorry for it. It will eventually starve or be killed by a predator. I watched it most of the morning.

The other birds, like this woodpecker (above), didn't seem to have a problem with it. But for me it was like a train wreck. It was the first injured or ill bird to have visited my feeder and I couldn't help but feel sorry for it. I hope it does okay and comes back. I keep the feeder full. I'll see if I see it again.

Poetry Friday

I hate to miss two days in a row on the blog (and I'll miss even more next week) so here are two posts for the price of one. Oh wait, you guys don't pay for these. Well it's a good deal anyway.

A small poem but one of my favorites. I'm always moved by unrequited love stories. And this short classic poem makes me happy and sad at the same time.

The Look
by Sara Teasdale

Strephon kissed me in the spring,
Robin in the fall,
But Colin only looked at me
And never kissed at all.

Strephon's kiss was lost in jest,
Robin's lost in play,
But the kiss in Colin's eyes
Haunts me night and day.

C is for....

Cookie, of course. We all know the song.

If you haven't been bombarded with Sesame Street stuff enough recently, here is just one more tribute to the program that most of us grew up loving. Sesame Street turns 40 next week and the tributes have been popping up everywhere. Google's most recent doodles have included Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and today's Ernie and Bert. I've seen news articles everywhere about the impact of the show on my generation and beyond. Even the BBC got in on the act today and did an article and a video about the series.

I grew up with Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers and loved both of the shows as a child. My mother would teach us time based on the shows. When we asked how long something was she would tell us "one Sesame Street" which was an hour or "one Mr. Rogers" which was a half an hour. It was not a perfect system but we quickly figured out about how long things were from that. We didn't watch a ton of TV as kids but we never missed Sesame Street. And time wasn't the only thing we learned from the great show. I learned how to count and spell and add from the show. And I learned without realizing it. The beauty of the show is that it made it so much fun to learn. From the puppets to the animated segments or the live-action films, we were subtly taught basic skills.

I haven't really watched the show in many years so I don't know if or how things have changed. I know that some of the new popular characters like Elmo have gained quite a following. But back in my day (wow I sound old saying that) Big Bird and Snuffleupagus were celebrities for my generation. I'm glad that this educational program has received all the acclaim that it has. The geniuses who invented it molded a generation who had grown up with television as a medium. We learned and we loved it. And for that I'm incredibly grateful. It may not have been edgy but it was the best hour on television.

For added fun check out Matthew Stadlen's 5 Minutes With Sesame Street. I'm a huge fan of the whole 5 Minutes With... series but this one was extra fun.

Spoonful of Stories

If you see me scarfing down Cheerios recently, it has nothing to do with the flavor (okay well a little) but right now it has more to do with the books. General Mills (specifically Cheerios) and Simon and Schuster have been running the Spoonful of Stories program for the last seven years but this is the first time I was aware of it. I had heard about this giveaway from a number of the children's book blogs I read but I didn't realize it had started until I was standing in the grocery store on Sunday and looked down to see that Cheerios offered a copy of What's Under the Bed by Joe Fenton. I reviewed this book for my other blog and had loved it. I own a copy of the book but for some reason I simply had to buy that particular box of Cheerios. I brought it home, and like a child, opened the box just to get the toy.

And now I'm a girl obsessed. The program chooses five books each year to distribute in their boxes. These are not unknown books either. Some of the previous titles include: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Bear Snores On, Click Clack Moo, and my favorite Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. The list of authors selected reads like a who's who of the children's book world. Joe Fenton's book must be part of the 2009 picks since it's not yet listed on the Spoonful of Stories site. From 2002-2008, Spoonful of Stories has distributed 35 million books in their cereal boxes. This is the kind of children's toy giveaway that I can really get behind.

The books are smaller than normal sized, softcover, and in both Spanish and English. The illustration are the exact same just in a smaller size and without the glossy pages. I ate breakfast on Monday rereading the book. I'm hoping to finish the box fast enough that I can go out to the store again to pick up another box, this time with a different book. I may have to start eating Cheerios for lunch now. And maybe dinner. Never underestimate the power of a free book.

New Toys!!!

I picked up two new toys last night and am very excited to get a chance to play with them this evening. The first one is a big beautiful desktop. I've got it sitting on my writing desk upstairs. It's an Olympia.

The second is a laptop and it even came with its own carrying case. It's the perfect size and I already like the feel of the keys under my fingers. I'm looking forward to sitting downstairs on the couch with it on my lap working on it. It's a Royal and used to be my fathers.

Now for those of you who are confused, these aren't computers. They're typewriters. Or more specifically manual typewriters. The big one (about 40 pounds worth of machine) is a desktop model that my mother bought many years ago for about 10 bucks and never used. I spent most of my high school years writing novel attempts on the thing. I went over to my parent's house last night with the specific desire of rescuing it from my parent's basement. I have been missing my old portable from college and wanting a new typewriter. What better one than a machine that I spent most of my high school years using. What I didn't know when I went over is that my father also had an old portable manual typewriter that he wrote his papers on in college. They made it a two for one deal (and even bought dinner) just for me to get them out of their house.

They both work beautifully and I'm really excited to own them. I love the feel and sound of a manual typewriter and have always written better when I had to pound my ideas out on the keys. There is something very satisfactory about the clickety-clack of a typewriter. And these are both beautiful specimens. I'll try to post pictures later this evening but I just had to share my excitement.

Okay, here's the Olympia along with my very cluttered writing desk.

And here is the Royal, or technically Royalite.

What my favorite snack is worth?

For the last hour I have done nothing but stand at the counter, plucking delicate seeds, avoiding juice stains, and slowly losing feeling in my back. Twice I had to stop and sit down in order to ease the pain in my neck from bending over. My fingers were so cold and wet that they pruned within the first thirty minutes. But it's all worth it. I now have a huge tupperware container filled to the top with pomegranate seeds.

November makes me incredibly happy for a number of reasons. It's my birthday month which always means a nice dinner out with my family. It's the month of my very favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. More food and family. And it's pomegranate season. Can you tell I like food?

In these days of supermarkets where I can get grapes, asparagus, apples, and strawberries year round, pomegranates are a bit of an oddity. They only appear in the store during the end of October and throughout November and December. The rest of the year you simply can't get them or at least not good ones. You can always tell a good pomegranate by how heavy the fruit is. It should be much heavier than you expect it to be. It should also be firm and a deep red.

Now pomegranates have to be one of the most difficult fruits to eat. I've heard of people who peel the skin and then eat both the seeds and the pulp between but I'm not willing to stoop to such lengths. I am picky about my pomegranates and am willing to put in the work to get the flavorful seeds while avoiding the stringy pulp. They are quite simply my favorite snacks and are worth every minute of extra effort.

At the store today, I bought three of the largest ones I've ever seen. I took them home and scored the fruit into quarters. Then comes the delicate work of pulling the seeds out. I'm pretty picky and only take the full and clear seeds, leaving behind the cloudy and smooshed ones. Inevitably I will get juice all over the counter, my hands, and my clothing. But it is all worth it. I can now open the fridge and take a handful of seeds to munch on whenever I want. And this will be my only snack for weeks. All during pomegranate season the fridge is never without a container filled with seeds. I literally eat myself sick of them. I will eat them until the thought of their juice makes me slightly ill. Luckily by that time the season will be over and I can start working on craving them again next year. I love pomegranate season.