| Things I think up when sick and pestered by kids who are less sick |
[Dec. 18th, 2009|12:50 pm] |
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THE AMAZING INCREDIBLE JOURNEY-VOYAGE An adorable pug, a gruff stray lab mix and a clever siamese cat are accidentally shrunk down to microscopic size and injected into the corpse of Isaac Asimov, to figure out a way to find their way home. On the way they have amusing and occasionally scary adventures involving microbes, a miniaturized attack-porcupine, and an evil scientist. |
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| I Am NyQuil's Bitch |
[Dec. 18th, 2009|09:32 am] |
15 hours sleep in the last 24. Not too bad. I feel shitful, have two hours and forty minutes to decide if I'm going in to work today.
Holidays shopping to proceed on. No idea what to get Jeff that doesn't involve expensive gaming computer parts that he wouldn't rather get himself anyway. Probably some dragon-themed thing or other.
Been watching that Facebook stuff, commenting a bit. Facebook, it seems to me, is good for days when I'm sick and my attention span is even shorter than usual. On the whole, not the healthiest form of communication. Doesn't lend itself to long, well thought out text-based commentary. |
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| Long time to home |
[Dec. 17th, 2009|11:21 pm] |
Got to the Kearney, Nebraska airport at 12:30pm Central time. Got off the plane in Sacramento at 10:30pm Pacific time. Yes, that's 12 hours.
Waiting for ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) lady_cinnicat to arrive. She just called, getting onto the freeway. She'll probably want dinner. Don't want to think about 8am appointment and everything else tomorrow.
*sigh* I get annoyed at coworkers for continually kidnapping me for long dinners, when we carpool? What part of 'I want to go to the hotel, I have things to do' says that it is okay to go to a restaurant? The only time I got to go back early on this assignment was when I was visibly ill. Last night I finally got up and walked to the hotel nearby, grabbing my computer out of the car at 10:00pm while they continued to plan a late-night geocaching. This is how clueless they are: one asked after I gave back the keys after getting my bag out of the car if I wanted to go check out the cache outside the restaurant. Gah.....
Yah, the work schedule is getting to me today. |
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| walls |
[Dec. 17th, 2009|08:53 am] |
Walls are safe.
You can lean into them, with no words
no betrayal, no needs or oaths
no obligations to justify
Walls are sturdy
and single-minded.
Rest your back against one,
and trust without betrayal,
no knives to twist,
just has your back and nothing else.
Walls are seductive
But they never grow
always one-sided
never initiate anything
not touch, not words
no beating heart. |
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| Dickens 2009 |
[Dec. 12th, 2009|10:40 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Davis, CA | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  chipper | ] |
( Dickens or Dinner? )
Yay, Dickens Faire!
Had a good time with everyone else who went (kit1508 and others), got some bangers, did some shopping (including a wand with belt holster as I start looking at next halloween far far too early). I also decided to upgrade my black bowtie to something more dickens-y. And the good shopkeeper helped me pick out a vest, chavet (?) and pin to replace the plain black look. I think it looks pretty good, and so did others.
Met up with Hilary while I was out there, good to see her again and glad she is doing better now. Will have to keep in touch more often.
I liked the gambling palace there, and was doing well. I gave a friend four chips to play and he let it ride a few times, curious about it. I got back quite an amount and cashed it in for a small prize or three,
Sadly, we got there too late to get seating at the tea room; which goes to show how important it is to get there early. We did get tickets to the tasteful, saucy, and inneuendo-filled French Postcards show. Always a treat, and funny too.
About the only distasteful part was all the rain! We had to wait in line about 20 minutes in the rain to get tickets for which I fortunately had a couple umbrellas in the car as our late arrival also meant we parked in the back of the main partking lot. I understood other groups of friends arriving after us had to park behind the building and hike around in the dismal weather. The rain also made the trip home a bit nervous, but got there safe and sound. |
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| Be a man! |
[Dec. 12th, 2009|11:53 pm] |
From the BBC: an Iranian student activist who had just given a speech criticizing Khamenei was arrested earlier this week, allegedly for attempting to evade arrest by disguising himself as a woman. (His friends say he did no such thing, and that the police dressed him up as a woman to discredit him.)
To express their solidarity with him, around 200 Iranian men have posted pictures of themselves in hijab at a discussion board called Be a Man at iranian.com. What a cool form of protest! It's fun to look through the pictures just to see the wide variety of Iranian men who'd take part in such a protest. (Plus, men in drag are adorable.) |
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| Introducing the Cheerio |
[Dec. 11th, 2009|03:07 pm] |
Longest 24 seconds of my life right there, between when the doctor says "Now we should see a baby at this stage" and when she actually finds the baby. :-) |
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| just some stuff |
[Dec. 10th, 2009|12:52 pm] |
When I start something new, something physical (usually) that I have not done before, I frequently can't do it.
When I can't do it, I flash back to the abuse and humiliation of being inept, clumsy and slow - in play, in school settings of one kind or another. Or at home. It feels dangerous, unsafe, and I want to huddle with my back in a corner so people (like my brother, for example) can't hit me for daring to try something until I get it right.
One reason I obsess on sticking with martial arts training of one kind or another is the highly structured, rigid hierarchical school format - this is safe, and nobody _dare_ laugh or mock other students. The other is that this way, I will always have something to fall back on in case someone picks on that little kid again.
So I can jump. Great.
We have a new bar I can't quite reach. So now I'm going, again, back over all the emotions that flash out when I can't do something like that.
Someday I hope this stops. I'm getting really tired of feeling the pain. When I think it's all good, when I think "Hey, I can't do that yet but I know I will eventually" it still comes back.
This is unlocked because I am getting impatient with the illusion I feel like people have of me. I'm still failing at stuff. |
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| contradiction |
[Dec. 7th, 2009|04:22 pm] |
I'd like to have someone who cared enough about my well-being to bring me some of each night's dinner so I could eat something that didn't come out of the deli without having to eat last night's leftovers every night for dinner. But I don't want someone in my life being that obsessive either. I'm an adult, right?
But - and here's the contradiction - I'd like to be able to not care and take pride in following this precept:
mi hitotsu ni bishoku o konomazu
Do not pursue the taste of good food.
So I have the philosophy. All I need now is to _believe_ in it.
I would like to have the hormonal stability (because this is when it happens) to not need it. |
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| goals for 2010 |
[Dec. 7th, 2009|11:53 am] |
wow, 2010! like, science fiction!
July 1st I started a 6 month fitness challenge. My goals:
size medium BDU pants, (check)
1.5 mile run in under 14 (13:05, check)
set of 10 pullups. I can pull off 3 on a straight bar, set of 5 on rings. Since that's up from ZERO, I'm good.
my goals for 2010 are:
24KG 15:15 VO2Max to 60
press 36KG for 3 each side.
15 one arm pushups each side.
15 one legged squats each side
single set of 10 pullups.
8 hanging straight leg lifts
2 mile run in 16 minutes.
one handstand pushup.
Right now:
16KG|40 for the VO2max. *
press stacked 24kg 5 times each side
one arm pushups with one leg up is 2.
One legged squats I'm at 2.
Pullups as above.
I cannot do a textbook hanging straight leg raise. GTG half hanging leg raises at 4 reps.
My 1.5 mile run time is 13 minutes.
I am relearning the headstand.
body comp goals: lose 20 pounds of fat, another inch off my pants-waist, and 4-5 inches off my gut (belly button). I am no longer the custodian of a noticeable beer belly, but why stop here?
* what the hell is 16|40 at a 15:15 for VO2Max? !!!!
Okay, first, youtube somethign called a kettlebell snatch.
16KG is the weight I am currently doing my snatches at. 15:15 is a 15 second work followed by 15 seconds rest interval. that's a set of 7 snatches, followed by 15 seconds of rest.
16KG|40 means I throw this 35 pound cannoball up 7 times, then rest, and I do that 40 times (20 each side).
So the goal of 24|60 on the 15:15 is doing 60 sets of 7 with a 53 pound crackball, with 15 seconds of rest between sets. |
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| Fruit Cake |
[Dec. 7th, 2009|11:38 am] |
Recipe completed. Yield, six 16 to 20 oz loaves.
The best thing I can say about this recipe is that it's gluten free, dairy free, and has no added sugar.
Other than that, don't expect it to be low glycemic, or low carb, or health food. It's celebratory feast food. You don't eat it as a nutritional supplement.
3 quarts brandied dried fruit: Started in early September (this year's blend included some returned raw dried berry mix from work, a whole bunch of coarse crushed cacao nibs, dates, dried figs from a neighbor's tree that I forgot in the bottom of a cabinet, and local walnut halves. And brandy. Lots and lots of brandy. 3 months later it's very syrupy and dark, and tastes divine.)
Preheat oven to 300*F.
Pour into a large bowl and mix well with:
3 cups almond meal
1/2 cup walnut meal
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
zest of one large orange
zest of one large lemon
(Juice lemon and orange together, set juice aside.)
Grind together:
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp nutmeg, fresh grated
fat pinch saffron
Mix in with fruit/nut mixture.
Cream well together:
1 cup shortening (Spectrum brand used)
4 eggs, added one at a time.
Scrape down frequently with spatula until well combined.
Add:
1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup soy flour
1 tsp baking soda
Alternating with
lemon/orange juice.
Mix well until creamy.
Batter will be somewhat thick. Mix very, very well with fruit/nut mixture. No sugar is added; there is enough sugar in the fruits and the brandied syrup to sweeten.
Grease small loaf pans well with shortening. Fill about 3/4 full. Bake in water-filled pans with water as high as you can. Cover with foil for first hour, uncover and bake another hour.
Remove to table. When warm to the touch, remove from pans, invert. Over each loaf, drizzle 1 tsp vanilla extract and a healthy amount of brandy. Wrap each loaf while still warm in wax paper, then foil. Seal well, set aside in a cool dark place for at least two weeks. |
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| A name from years back. A very funny name from a very odd time. |
[Dec. 6th, 2009|09:18 pm] |
Back in the mid 80's, my friends and I would drive up now and then from OC to Santa Monica, where we'd attend the meetings of a Dianic Wiccan circle, the Circle of Aradia. It was fun, and a chance to do stuff that involved dressing up and dancing in circles and just plain letting go of the OC Normalcy. Then we'd all go out to Denny's and shoot the shit, flirt, etc.
So anyway.
One of the meetings we had a Special Guest, an author and activist named Z Budapest. I'd read a couple of her books, and while enjoying the useful bits I was put off by what seemed like a desire to KILL KILL ALL THE MEN.
Not being a member of the KKATM Wymyn's Spirituality Movement, I was curious - I was also concerned by police activity against certain unconventional religious groups up in the NorCal area. She lived up there, and I wanted to ask her about that, was she getting involved in the religious rights challenges apparently going on there.
Given my background, *any* formal action against a religion just because it's odd or unpopular makes me itch.
Cut to the chase. She answered me with "Oh, we are safe enough. And besides, they are MEN, you know? But you are good-hearted to worry."
We walked away and my friend Kandis said "I honestly thought you were going to slap her. I have never heard such a patronizing voice in my life." Because she did everything but pat me on the top of my head.
I ungritted my teeth and said "Yeah."
Oh that woman. Blind, and stupid. The Man don't care if you're man or woman when he comes to bust you for not being Like Him.
Anyway.
Here at the Co-op, we get magazines that don't sell dropped off in the breakroom. Yesterday's collection was "SageWoman" one of those mags that's all Nature Women's Ritual Stuff. And goodness, RIGHT THERE ON PAGE 69 I SHIT YOU NOT was "Generation Z - the Politics of Women's Spirituality."
I see she has learned how to spell in the last 25 years.
So after telling my coworkers in the breakroom of my previous experience, I decided to read this - maybe she's matured a bit.
And I started laughing, and read the following aloud to my victims.
"Don't underestimate the visual effect of the long-haired young men on women. This signaled to us all that this was a new kind of more "vagina-friendly" male; one who didn't rape or insult, even if they were rejected. You felt safe around the long-haired guys. They were usually mellow, not aggressive, and they got more attention from girls."
"Women responded to this new male image with -- the mini skirt. (It is said you can tell how much freedom is available in society by looking at how much the women are covered up or not.) The mini skirt demanded that we should be able to look sexy and still be safe. Responsibility for women's safety meant that men had to control themselves. The promise of the long haired males was ... yes, they could handle this stimulation, no problem."
I don't know about you, but I have yet to meet a heterosexual or bisexual male, regardless of the length of his hair, who was NOT "vagina-friendly." But meeting them does not make me want to jump right up and put on a mini skirt.
I must say we had a lot of fun with the phrase "Vagina-Friendly" at work, and it may even become a new and useful slogan. Perhaps even another way of using the letters "PW" - we can now say "VF" instead. It has a much less aggressive meaning to it!
Maybe this is one of those "you had to be there" moments. I don't know. I suspect that ol' Z is still so blinded by her hate and fear that she wouldn't know the difference. Because, "...they are men, you know?" |
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