neilfred

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Do apply!!!

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From deep in the uncanny valley of the Rubik's Cube, it's the Uncanny Cube. At first blush this appears to be a slight variant, but it is quite profoundly and perversely different.

Three things:

1. I've been having a lot of migraines lately. Enough that I'm thinking I'd like to try to be productive during the less intense ones. I was thinking of maybe getting some voice recognition software so I can at least dictate ideas or stories or emails or something while I'm lying down and waiting to be able to look at my computer screen again. Does anyone who has used such software have recommendations? And how plausible do you think this plan is? Like, can I tell it to open up Word or something and then dictate a whole bunch of stuff without ever looking at the screen, and just go edit it later?
   
   
2. I'm planning starting a blog soon on how to effectively and quantifiably make a difference and advocate for the kinds of changes you want to see in the world (more on this soon). Any suggestions as to the best blogging site out there? I want something somewhat customizable, but mostly just easy to set up and dependable. I was looking at squarespace.com, which looks nifty and very easily customizable to include Twitter and all sorts of other stuff, but it's not free and it's still newish. Anyone tried it or know someone who has?
   
   
3. I think I might be starting at least one podcast soon. I have no idea how to do that -- in terms of hardware especially. Anyone done this or have good suggestions on how to start? I'm of course also asking Google for help, and have found a few guides, but if any friends have advice from experience, that would be most welcome.
   

Thanks! :)

 From 2001, Will Self rips Richard Littlejohn's novel into bleeding gobbets.  

One of my favorite bits:

SELF: It is a 400 page... I've read 200 pages of it and that is a 200 page recruiting leaflet for the BNP.

LITTLEJOHN: Well, you can't comment until you have read the other 200.

SELF: Why? Does it suddenly turn into Tolstoy?

LITTLEJOHN: You'll have to read it and find out, won't you.

SELF: Well it won't take me long.

A little later we expand on the theme:

LITTLEJOHN: I am absolutely delighted. The main villains of the piece actually are two white middle-class lawyers and policemen.

SELF: Wait a minute, the solicitor is dubbed as being part of an entry-ist plan by left-wing Islingtonians who kind of submerge themselves - one of them becomes a policeman who incidentally is graphically depicted masturbating with a truncheon - and the other one is a gay lawyer who runs a left-wing - a kind of firm that actually is vaguely impossible - that operates out of the Gray's Inn Road. I have read your book Richard, I do wish you would stop saying that I haven't. I have read 200 pages, I read them quite closely.

LITTLEJOHN: But you haven't read the book in its totality and you have to read the book in its totality.

SELF: Why?

LITTLEJOHN: In order to understand it.

SELF: Does it turn into Tolstoy at page 205?

LITTLEJOHN: No it doesn't turn into Tolstoy. I don't set out to be Tolstoy. It is a much more complex book than that.

SELF:Than Tolstoy?

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jcn/photos/~3/7A4BHe7hQdk/001487.html

Legislative elections were held a week ago Sunday. The city was more shutdown than normal for Sundays. You couldn't buy alcohol until 21:00 hrs - a couple of hours after the polls closed. I took the 88 bus to La Matanza, once again going to the province of Buenos Aires to take photos. A friend was working the polls and he said that it should be okay for me to take photos of people voting. The bus started five blocks from our apartment and dropped me off about six blocks from the school. The hour and a bit ride went without incident as per usual on the buses here.

Upon arriving at the school, I walked in and upstairs and took some photos looking down on the crowds and of people voting. I didn't get very far before an official came up to me with her clipboard and said it was against electoral code to take photos inside. As she was accompanied by a cop and also really nice about it all, I asked her if I could take photos outside and she said of course. Always easier to ask forgiveness than permission when shooting, but still, a bummer. I left without saying goodbye as my friend was busy and I had to go. As I have been making an effort to walk at least an hour a day, I walked back to "downtown" which was about 1 hr and 15 mins walk away. I was glad to get the exercise, see the town and also I got the best shot of the day, a torn campaign poster.

I haven't been paying very close attention to the news, but I have been trying to loosely follow the elections. They were congressional elections and the big news grabber was that Nestor Kirchner, the former president and husband of the current president, Christina Fernandez Kirchner, was running in the province of Buenos Aires. He lost. In fact the Kirchners took a beating and lost control of congress. There were rumours that they would leave the presidency if that happened and that chaos would break out. All was calm this past week on the politics front, at least from the point of view of the streets not being a mess.

What hasn't been calm is all the hyps about GRIPE A! OMG we're all gonna die!!!! Not really, or at least not now, but people are freaking out. Schools have been closed for a month as of last week. I'm just going about my normal routine and just washing my hands and using alcohol gel a lot more often. I see a lot of people with surgical masks and scarves around their noses & mouths out in the streets and on the buses, etc. They are useless, but make people feel better, much like the security theater at the airports. They don't protect the wearer from infection. They only prevent a sick person from infecting others as the masks are nowhere near airtight. Argentina is third in the world with the number of deaths from this flu at 55 as of this morning. This is behind Mexico and the USA. Unfortunately, this is a third world country and the government is scrambling and behind the ball and people are hording tamiflu and there is only one lab to test for the flu and it takes 15 days which is too long to get a good result. If you need tamiflu you need it quicker than the 15 days it takes to confirm. Ahhh, Argentina, I love you, I just hope you don't kill me.

A new crossword puzzle, "Forgeries," is available (in AcrossLite format) here.

I'm friggin' exhausted, and it somehow got to be one in the morning, so I'll sum up:

Friday, ran up to the City at a sort of dumb hour of the morning, and spent all day loading shells for electric fire on the SF Municipal pier. Fun times, realized that Charlie from Ceilidh does pyro too, and got to see some 1.2G mortars. By which I mean, got to haul around some big freaking rusty lengths of metal pipe, and watch someone else put them into barrels of sand. Skipped Baxtalo Drom and went to Alameda for dinner with Josh and ostensibly a movie - but Alameda movietimes didn't mesh with our schedule and we ended up just walking up and down Park street and chatting. Quelle interessant, I know. Crashed at Auntie and Sherman's place, slept like a log.

Saturday morning, woke up at oh-dumb-thirty, showered, and put on my newly-altered Spring Dress. Brownie and tea were had, and then off to parade site, where we ran through some of the choreographies for grand march on the run. Some float up from us ended up playing Michael Jackson, which led to us all doing the Night Fever in our Victorians, for the public. Yes, we may do Victorian ballroom at Fezzis, but we are first and foremost *historical* dancers, and the term doesn't descriminate. The 70's were a historical period, too. The parade went well enough, though we have some tuning to do on the playlist/logistics front if we're not going to have a dance-on platform truch next year. Who knows. It was fun, and exhausting, and did I mention exhausting? Oh, and ran nearly an hour late. By the time I'd picked up Josh (driving, still in corset and splits and modesty petticoat), changed out and got on the road it was already 2-ish. We stopped at In-N-Out burger and I scarfed a burger and fries (with extra salt), remembering belatedly that I had eaten a filched brownie and some tea for breakfast. Oops.

Made it into San Jose for pyro about 45 minutes late, but dad was even later. The racks were already built, thanks to Jeff and his nailgun. (Which we were later to regret. Siiiigh.)

Argh, and I'm falling asleep. So this'll have to be fast:
Josh shot his first show, Dad shot his first hand-fire show. Food good, pyro good. Sleeping in good.

Pyro tonight too. More 3" shells, one flowerpot and one delay-fire. Cold evening, smaller show. Make sure to nail racks with duplex only, or else spend all the time saved in hammering out the cleats. Bleh.

Home, tired as hell, going to sleep now.

The trip to DC took FOREVER!

It literally took almost double my normal time. There were -6- accidents.

I finally stopped to get some dinner in Fredeickburg, and the guy in front of me in the Wendy's line was comiserating (sp?) with me; he was coming up from Durham (so, mostly on I85 rather than I95), and had been on the road just as long as me. At least it was good to know that going an alternate route wouldn't have saved me any time.

I got in and out of that Wendy's in about 15 minutes, and got back to the highway behind the exact same truck I was behind when I took the exit. No, I'm not joking. !!!

But, at least I made it safe and sound.

I just got back from a run around Fresh Pond. Along the way, there was a new bench. Someone had left some (fake, I think) flowers on it. I suppose it must have been installed in memory of someone, but I didn't see a plaque or a name. What there was was a single yellow post-it. On it was written, "To Captain and Teneille, I understand your pain. Babe."

I wonder what the story is.

This week is the NPL convention in Baltimore. It doesn't officially start till Thursday, though there is a pre-con party on Wed evening. But I decided to fly down a few days early to visit friends. Things started well when I ran into sproutcm at the airport, which made the wait for the plan far more pleasant. Plus he just happened to have a puzzle on him. Not one he'd made for the con, but one he'd created for his students, so it was actually easy enough for me to complete on the hour long plan ride. acroarcs and his fiance had driven to the airport to pick up Sprout, and were kind enough to give me a lift to the Greeenbelt Metro station.

I took the Metro out toward rattleback and principaltogar's place. It was a quick walk to their place, but rattleback and I did make a point of stopping on the way to grab a beer & watch a hot dog eating contest. Back at their house, I had a damned tasty pork tenderloin taco, then helped with the cooking - primarily making Deviled Eggs, Southern style (with French's mustard & Duke's mayo) and Northern style (with Gulden's and Hellman's). Guests started showing up about 6, and I gotta say that rb & pt know some truly awesome people, and pt's nephew is about the coolest & most together 17-year-old I had ever met. As usual, rb made a fantastic meal. Frank Purdue once said "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken," but I think it takes a man from North Carolina to fry one up properly. About 9, we went up to the roof to watch the fireworks, good views of both the official ones, and the many independent efforts).

I had leftover fried chicken for breakfast this morning - which really is an awesome way to start the day. Then we got touristy in downtown DC. We walked past the White House & I just stopped and stared at it with this goofy grin on my face. I can't believe there's somebody I'm not embarrassed by in there! I was also charmed by the extraordinarily polite Tamilese protesters. "President Obama, President Obama (President Obama, President Obama) Please act now (Please act now)" It makes all the folks screaming "What do we want? Marriage for all! When do we want it? Now!!" sound like socio-political Goofuses to the Tamilese Gallants.

Then we hit the National Gallery of Art & the National Portrait Gallery, both of which were downright awesome. Damn, there's some good art in our capital - and the museums are free! I'm still kind of in awe from having seen the original of Dali's Last Supper. Interesting, the Last Supper is in a foyer type room that contains nothing but the Dali & the elevator. The sign pointing toward the room simply says, "Elevator." Given my tendency toward stairs, I never would have seen it if pt hadn't thoughtfully pointed it out to me.

In a little while we're heading out to a Belgian restaurant, which has my beer buds all a-tingle. Yeah, this is a pretty damned fine trip!

So, velvetpanda is here! We watched Team America last night in honor of the holiday, and went grocery shopping, and slept, and... oh, yeah, Alice is dismantling my house from the ground up.

Here's how this morning went.

Me: *washing breakfast dishes*
Alice: Uh, is there a trick to flushing the toilet?
Me: What, is it not flushing? *goes into bathroom, observes Issue, attempts to fix with plunger, fails* Okay, let's call a plumber. *removes rug and trash so as not to get them wet, goes back to continue washing dishes*
Alice: *makes coffee*
Me: Yeah, so I should be getting my free concert DVD from the Jonathan Coul--
Alice: *removes tea kettle from stove*
Me: FIRE!
Me and Alice: *blow frantically at three-inch flame emanating from stove*
Me: Windows! Open windows!
Alice: *grabs bathroom rug from floor, uses to fan smoke out windows*
Me: Can I please finish washing the dishes here?
Alice: This house has withstood the elements since 1863, but one sixteen-year-old girl from the 21st century is going to bring it down.

I love this girl to death. Really. To death.

Drove Zond-7 to Milbrae, came home and cleaned up a little and so on. Hung out with Moomin taking photos of spiderwebs and bees.



I was feeling sad and tired but then perked up for our party. Rook's classmates are super nice and fun and I like to be a party host. so that was awesome. We did bbq chicken and sat in the yard, which wasn't too hot but instead was stunningly perfect weather suddenly at 5pm when they started to show up! People in their 20s! a bunch of them ! Lively! I am old... They have all just moved here from other places into dorms and student housing at Staffnord and over the course of the party all sidled up to me to say how nice it was to be in an actual home. I felt the full force of girlycon-esque feelings wash over me. They have now all gone off with Rook (taking Moomin, appallingly past his bedtime) to see fireworks. I love fireworks passionately but am not physically up to a giant trek in crowded and cold and damp conditions (they are over the water out at the port and VERY lot of traffic etc, only worth it if you go hours before hand with blankets and food and establish yourselves). rae_beta went to emperor norton's grave and then likely out somewhere in SF with people. I already miss her and she's only stayed in my house 2 days!

*** a wad of classmates came back ***

The best bit of the party aside from the school folks being nice was Nukie's cousins coming over. His small cousins were afraid to come into the yard full of grown ups. "Don't LOOK at them" Nuku advised. "Just walk by. There are MARSHMALLOWS." We made s'mores. The small cousins got more comfortable and then the big teenage cousins drifted in like big awkward hulking almost-teenagers. I think the biggest one who often ends up here is maybe 12 but he looks almost adult - I feel very happy to give him popsicles and have him run with the little kids. Rook disarmed them with some good questions about the rules of the ball game they play in the street, which is rugby and which is what they play in Tonga. They know a lot and are very willing to explain it, which broke the ice! THEN... I pulled out some snaps (the kind you throw on the ground and they explode) and rolls of red paper caps for cap guns. "The experts should dispense them to the others" ... "I'm an expert! I'm an expert!" but no one had ever done it. The older kids were extremely bold in taking rocks so big they're boulders and dropping them on a whole roll of caps unrolled & then folded over. Anyway, picture us all sticky with marshmallows and it being about 9pm - dusk - and me in my wheelchair in the driveway maniacally snipping off pieces of red gunpowder papers. And let's see, Moomin and Nukie, the two small cousins, and then at least 3 older ones, kind of flipping out with rocks and gunpowder. SO AWESOME!!!!



I felt much better about the day!

I got to feel a bit like Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, which I always enjoy (but which I have mixed feelings about sometimes because it's a lot of work and I don't have as much energy as I'd like to spare.)

read a little bit of the "free range kids" book which is not useful for me because I already think that way but which might be a good present for several children I know. Perhaps E. or her friend Octavia.

rae_beta gave us a rubbing of emperor norton's gravestone! it's hanging on the wall! we are sad to see her go!

This morning I gave Moomin two dollars in quarters for folding laundry and helping me sort through a tub of old bits of toys. He sat on his bed holding the quarters and contemplating our cat Rocket who was sprawled in a patch of sun. "Ah... what I wouldn't give to be that cat! Lying in the sun! Happy as can be! No worries about money! Not a care in the world!" Moomin sighed. Luckily he didn't look up to see my face...

You may imagine me giggling afterwards in the kitchen as quietly as I could.

Now his friend T. is over. They're discussing the technicalities of wood elves vs. swamp elves.

I feel lucky to have so many amazing kids in my life!

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I prepared a posting about Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, but it's less than timely and full of insignificant memories better off unshared ("I remember watching roller skaters in Central Park go round and round to 'Rock With You'"). I was glued to TV coverage the first night, but it quickly got repetitive.

A puzzle by Patrick Blindauer was set to run in the NYT on July 1. On Monday afternoon, I got word that David Kahn had constructed an MJ tribute (Patrick's bumped to July 22). I ran down to the Times and did the necessary processing (it's a good thing I have no life and can do this). We notified everyone and it went live before the body was even buried. Except we didn't know about something called Times Digest, which ran Patrick's puzzle; still not sure who should have been cc'd on that.

June 26 was the 40th anniversary of my high school graduation. Yeesh, how did THAT happen? The reunion will be next year and has already started on Facebook.

I continue to take advantage of opportunities to see theater:

Tin Pan Alley Rag - I'm not into the music of Scott Joplin or Irving Berlin, but this play about a fictional meeting of the composers was very entertaining. I was inspired to read more about the men, and most of the story was true. Crossword blogger Brian Cimmet is "Piano 2" (unseen by the audience).

Dixie's Tupperware Party - This Tupperware lady talks about tops and bottoms, pits a gay and straight couple from the audience in a "rimming contest" and is not really a lady. Campy fun.

The Umbilical Brothers (Speedmouse) - Goofy Aussies. Charming, silly fun. My favorite was the bobsled impression.

There was a Pinkberry across the street from the Joyce Theater, so I tried it for the first time. I had a small cup of a new coconut flavor for $4.50 (ouch! it cost extra for the non-plain flavor). Tasting it on a bench in front of the store, I found no discernible coconut flavor so brought it back inside thinking they'd mistakenly given me plain. The guy behind the counter took a small taste and also noticed no coconut, so he made me another cup... which tasted the same as before. Back in again. It was definitely from the coconut dispenser, so they thought maybe it needed to be stirred some more. Oh well. Everyone couldn't have been nicer, but I don't think I'll be having this again.

The 39 Steps - When this Broadway show came up in my theater club listing for last Sunday afternoon, I booked it immediately. Then I realized that the remaining "Norman Conquest" play had a performance that day. Oh no! If it was also listed I'd be annoyed for missing out. Whew, it wasn't. I hadn't seen the Hitchock movie, but the play (which 3 of my friends saw in London - I have worldly friends) was fast-moving and fun.

Bird Machine - a visually striking fairytale with puppets about man's yearning to fly.

After getting a scary letter about the need to pay rent promptly (which it turned out was sent to everyone, but I didn't know that when I got it) I went to the office on the 1st to personally deliver my check. There's a special box on the wall for this purpose, so I might do this every month and save postage.

I had two offers to see July 4th fireworks, on both sides of the river. I ended up staying in Manhattan (less worry about returning home on a night when crazies could be out). My hosts have a fantastic high-floor apartment near Times Square, and after a Greek dinner, we watched the show from the building's large community terrace and then hung out. Fun New York evening.

I'm staying at a downtown hotel, and the parking is $28/day.

Now, my company will pay for this (obviously), but it seems like a needless expense. I'm going to go ahead and drive in on the first day and stay at the expensive parking on Sunday, but it seems silly to pay for the rest of the week when I'm going to be sticking mostly to the metro line.

Where is a good place for me to stash my rental car?

I see that there are three metro stations with designated long-term-parking spots (Greenbelt, Huntington and Franconia-Springfield), but they each only have about 15 spaces, and the websites I've found mention that cars left in those spots are targets for vandals.

The only requirements for the spot is:
1) it must be cheaper than $28/day
2) I must be able to get to it fairly easily from a Metro stop, in case I get a bug up my butt and want to drive somewhere (to, say, head home early).

Help? :) I'll try with my co-workers, too, to see if they have any advice. It isn't critical, of course, but I hate spending that kind of money (mine or anyone else's) when it might be easily avoidable.

Semantics, Gender, and 'Cis' - a very good post!

Fredrick Douglass speech from 1852 4th of July! Great!

The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought light and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.

Yesterday hung out all morning wiht rae_beta. We poked around in the garden. I was walking super well and am really, really happy with that. Actually I"m a bit terrified to lose it, because it was convenient and I get to beetle around so much quicker doing things as they occur to me to do instead of planning "getting up now" trips out of bed. I folded a million loads of laundry and fixed the dishwasher and put stuff away and then we made wreaths out of lavender and gossiped. By the time we hit the salvadorean place for late lunch I was back in the wheelchair. Then I had a nap, she took off, Rook came home, Moomin came home, Zond-7 came over, Rook fell asleep.





Zond7 and I went out to see his current favorite comedian (or one of them) Maria Bamford in San Jose. She was even better in person than in video clips! I highly recommend you go and see her or watch a whole DVD length performance ! She was great! David Garcia was very good too. I wasn't too into the other guy Larry something, though he did okay. Z. has spent months looking at comedian clips and so I have benefited from his massive effort of filtering and only have to watch Stew Lee, Maria Bamford, and Tig Nataro. Other good ones will be reported as discovered!

We thought about hanging around San JOse to analyze its weird trying to be cool "scene" but were both too tired to stay out. Came home and I had sort of a fight with Rook. That's all I'm going to say about that I guess. This morning we all went off to the parade which was amazing as always. There are so many different and often slightly pathetic parade participants. Like there'll be two people holding up a banner and then a little knot of other people behind them. Maybe with funny hats on or deelybobbers or riding in a classic car with the name of a local business hung off the back. There were shriners in little cars (and segways) and marching bands and girls with batons, a slightly smaller than usual falun dafa contingent, a lot of small groups of either military branches or odd "Lodge" or veterans groups (my favorite definitely the pearl harbor survivors on top of a huge truck, all very old, happy, and wearing hawaiian shirts) The floats this year weren't as good as some previous years - the theme was Music and somehoe that didn't lend itself to extravagant floats. the best was the one done up like a fake pink cadillac with fins, a jukebox, actual human dancers, giant root beer float, burger, hot dog, and fries. Like, each fry a huge foam thing as big as a person. Hilarious. That was the only float that could rival the best year which was Highway 280 where every one made floats with landmarks from the highway. And isn't that a weird theme for a parade??? The ultimate best thign from this year was "Recology" which was a big shiny red garbage truck and about 12 dudes with metal trash cans who did a sort of dance routine with their trash cans. They ran quick march to the back of the truck, and then up again in front, clashed their cans together in groups of 4, twirled the cans around... Holy crap. It was sexy and hilarious. I was laughing so hard!



The outfits of the Chico Bavarian band were worthy of note. Black suede shorts with tassels and embroidery! Really amazing!



Grupo Folklorico dancers, all ages!



Nothing better than Los Trancos Woods marching band tho, fantastic outfits that filled me with love and awe, all running around and playing kazoos and stuff.



Rook's classmates are coming over for backyard bbq. it's hot out but we both watered the patio and i'm hoping it'll cool off in an hour or so... as long as I don't actually have to cook anything... I'll cut up watermelon or make smoothies maybe.

I'm exhausted too but resting up and can certainly be social for a while longer!

maybe a smoothie now and a chess game with Moomin...

Moomin in "journalist hat", in tie dye waving a flag

This entry was originally posted at http://badgerbag.dreamwidth.org/305898.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

Semantics, Gender, and 'Cis' - a very good post!

Yesterday hung out all morning wiht rae_beta. We poked around in the garden. I was walking super well and am really, really happy with that. Actually I"m a bit terrified to lose it, because it was convenient and I get to beetle around so much quicker doing things as they occur to me to do instead of planning "getting up now" trips out of bed. I folded a million loads of laundry and fixed the dishwasher and put stuff away and then we made wreaths out of lavender and gossiped. By the time we hit the salvadorean place for late lunch I was back in the wheelchair. Then I had a nap, she took off, Rook came home, Moomin came home, Zond-7 came over, Rook fell asleep.



Zond7 and I went out to see his current favorite comedian (or one of them) Maria Bamford in San Jose. She was even better in person than in video clips! I highly recommend you go and see her or watch a whole DVD length performance ! She was great! David Garcia was very good too. I wasn't too into the other guy Larry something, though he did okay. Z. has spent months looking at comedian clips and so I have benefited from his massive effort of filtering and only have to watch Stew Lee, Maria Bamford, and Tig Nataro. Other good ones will be reported as discovered!

We thought about hanging around San JOse to analyze its weird trying to be cool "scene" but were both too tired to stay out. Came home and I had sort of a fight with Rook. That's all I'm going to say about that I guess. This morning we all went off to the parade which was amazing as always. There are so many different and often slightly pathetic parade participants. Like there'll be two people holding up a banner and then a little knot of other people behind them. Maybe with funny hats on or deelybobbers or riding in a classic car with the name of a local business hung off the back. There were shriners in little cars (and segways) and marching bands and girls with batons, a slightly smaller than usual falun dafa contingent, a lot of small groups of either military branches or odd "Lodge" or veterans groups (my favorite definitely the pearl harbor survivors on top of a huge truck, all very old, happy, and wearing hawaiian shirts) The floats this year weren't as good as some previous years - the theme was Music and somehoe that didn't lend itself to extravagant floats. the best was the one done up like a fake pink cadillac with fins, a jukebox, actual human dancers, giant root beer float, burger, hot dog, and fries. Like, each fry a huge foam thing as big as a person. Hilarious. That was the only float that could rival the best year which was Highway 280 where every one made floats with landmarks from the highway. And isn't that a weird theme for a parade??? The ultimate best thign from this year was "Recology" which was a big shiny red garbage truck and about 12 dudes with metal trash cans who did a sort of dance routine with their trash cans. They ran quick march to the back of the truck, and then up again in front, clashed their cans together in groups of 4, twirled the cans around... Holy crap. It was sexy and hilarious. I was laughing so hard!



The outfits of the Chico Bavarian band were worthy of note. Black suede shorts with tassels and embroidery! Really amazing!



Nothing better than Los Trancos Woods marching band tho, fantastic outfits that filled me with love and awe, all running around and playing kazoos and stuff.



Rook's classmates are coming over for backyard bbq. it's hot out but we both watered the patio and i'm hoping it'll cool off in an hour or so... as long as I don't actually have to cook anything... I'll cut up watermelon or make smoothies maybe.

I'm exhausted too but resting up and can certainly be social for a while longer!

maybe a smoothie now and a chess game with Moomin...

This entry was originally posted at http://badgerbag.dreamwidth.org/305461.html. Please comment there using OpenID.

 Things I have accomplished recently:

1) Went significantly over my chore quota twice in the last two weeks
2) Resynced my iPhone after it decided to lose all of my contacts.
3) Made many improvements to my webapp
4) Finished several books
5) Made great progress on my crosstitch
6) Planned a trip to LA to see a college friend
7) Helped a college friend decide where to move in nearby (Yay friends!)
8) De-clogged the bathroom sink
9) Submitted 6 months of insurance claims, this time with diagnosis codes (and they'll only take a MONTH to process- fuck insurance.)
10) Made general-level plans about a trip to Hawaii this fall
11) Bought a corset!

And other things. Point being, I seem to be a lot happier if I'm able to accomplish small, finite personal goals on a regular basis. So all this pleases me, and I am feeling very productive.

Whoever keeps trying to change my password, cut it out. This is still an actively used account and the change your password email still comes to me.