52 Weeks of Happy (7/52)

Four Things That Made Me Happy This Week:


1.  Reading.
I'm going at a snail's pace through my current book, since I generally only read while exercising, these days, and, um, I haven't been as consistent about that as I ought, but Tish is growing on me.  The book Donald and I are reading, Feet of Clay, has been amusing, too.  There's nothing like slipping into another world for half an hour or so-- especially when it's a well-ordered world with the kind of author you can trust to supply a satisfying conclusion with all the threads of the story tied into a nice, neat bow.  Yes, please, and thank you kindly!


2.  A new crochet project in new colors.
This one will be a variety of different 12" blocks.  There's no chance to get bored when you crochet each pattern only once!  It keeps you on your toes.  (I know; I mention crochet a lot in these "what made me happy" entries-- but it's one of the things that most consistently make me happy, lately...)


3.  Homemade sugar cookies. 
I don't make them very often-- once or twice a year, maybe-- and that's probably definitely a good thing, because they never last long.  I end up eating (much) more than my share of them.  So while it made me happy to have a batch of them to enjoy, this week, I'm also happy that-- as of this afternoon-- they're gone.  No more guilty craving for one more cookie.  ;o)


4.  Favorite TV shows.
(For instance, Community, which finally returned with new episodes a week or so ago.)   It sounds kind of shallow, somehow, which is silly.  Why is feeling happy about a TV show so different from feeling happy about books?  Turning on the TV and relaxing on the couch (with a crochet project in hand) at the end of the day is a real treat.  Nothin' wrong with a little escapism... (Or a whole heapin' lot of it, as the case may be, what with books and TV and so on and so forth.)


BONUS.  Not getting hit by a meteorite.
Can something that didn't happen count? (g)  Sure, why not?  I'm thankful and very happy that the world is still turning in its usual way, with no cataclysmic calamities to complain of.  Seriously, though, these "little things" have a wonderful way of making you stop and take stock of your life.  There are major problems in the world, but it could be so much worse. 


Hm.  I think at least certain elements of these "52 Weeks" entries are beginning to sound like a broken record.  (Crafts, food, weather, gardening, books.)  I guess the same small things make me happy on a regular basis... Or maybe I'm just not good at remembering the other things.  I'll keep up with 52 Weeks, though.  It can't hurt, and we're only seven weeks into the project.

Random Things

In no particular order...

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We've been seeing a couple of turtles in the pond, lately.  They seem pretty skittish, though, so no up-close viewing.  Mostly just a splash when we get anywhere near where they are, then two little heads popping up out the water-- and popping back down again when they apparently decide that we look scary.


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I've been trying to do a little yard work this spring.  There's still so much more to do, but at least I'm trying.  Every little bit helps, etc., etc.  This morning, I planted a new "daisy gardenia" near our patio (where we can enjoy the fragrance of the blooms), transplanted some roses, and mulched a little.  Next up-- more mulching, more transplanting (white spider lilies, snowflake flowers, montbretia), painting the sundial and obelisk "trellis", finishing bushwhacking the Jungle (a.k.a. the overgrown flowerbed by the bay window), putting river stones and pavers by the front door (where the runoff from the roof is particularly punishing during downpours), doing something about that unfortunate patch of the yard that covers the septic tank, and so on and so forth.  It should be enough to keep me busy for, oh, the rest of my life-- or longer, if there were a way to do yard work from the Great Beyond...


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We've started looking more seriously into having a garage built.  It's one of those things I really want to have done-- but dread doing.  (Or deciding, planning, arranging, and paying to have done.  Same difference, as they used to say in school.)  Still, it will be nice to have a really good storage spot for our tools (which now take up too much room in the utility/laundry room) and various other odds and ends-- and I long for the day when the threat of a severe thunderstorm doesn't make me worry that one of the cars will sustain hail damage.  (Alright, damaging hail doesn't happen that often, but it has happened once, and I'm paranoid about hail, now.  You'd almost think I was Pa Ingalls worrying about an all-important crop that's a week away from harvest.)

I think Donald mostly wants a garage so that we'd have a place to play ping-pong, justifying the purchase of one.  (Well, maybe not really.  I don't think I'll be enough competition to make it that much fun for him.)


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I tried making some hypertufa in the past couple of weeks.  Some of it turned out okay (knock on wood), and some of it did not.  I'm not sure what was wrong, really, but I plan to give it another try, sometime. 

I've made hypertufa stepping stones, troughs, etc. before, and it always worked fine.  (Not to say that none of it ever broke; some things did, but that was probably because I didn't use any reinforcing wire mesh or fibers... and they were relatively thin.) 

Anyway, hypertufa is a fun and easy outdoor project-- but it's more fun when it actually works.  (g)


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I (and then sometimes Donald) started watching That Girl in the evenings, a couple months ago, when the local "retro TV" station began showing an episode every weeknight.  I was really enjoying it-- and so of course the powers that be decided to reschedule it for 7 a.m.  I still catch it, occasionally, but it's not exactly a convenient time for relaxing in front of the TV.  (Tsk!) 

Anyway.  About the show.  I find it inordinately amusing-- and curious-- that (reportedly) Marlo Thomas didn't want the series to end with Ann and Donald (um, a character on the show by that name) getting married because she didn't want the young women watching at home to think that marriage was a woman's only real purpose or goal in life.  She even thought that having the (engaged) couple actually get married at the end would "defeat the somewhat feminist message of the show" (according to, erm, Wikipedia... so give that as much credence as you see fit). 

And yet taken as a whole, the program (or as much of it as I've seen so far) is far from presenting what I'd consider a uniformly strong feminist message.  (Maybe that says more about me and what I think of as "feminist" than the program itself... Or maybe it's a reflection of how feminism has changed over the years.) It's just that Ann is frequently presented as a somewhat scatter-brained (or maybe "scrape-prone" would be a more accurate descriptor) individual and regularly needs Donald (or her father) to come to her rescue.  Not a very feminist portrayal of an independent woman, as I understand it. 

That's not to say that the character seems weak-- far from it.  Let's just say that her boyfriend is a prominent feature of her life in the show.  He's in nearly every episode, usually to play some important role.  He treats her with respect and affection, takes her career aspirations seriously, and supports her in her pursuit of that career.  I can't see how it would've hurt anything to have her finally marry him.  It's interesting how you never hear people saying that it somehow emasculates a male character when he gets married in a book or TV show.  I can't recall anyone ever suggesting that when a male character admits he wants or even needs a woman to be a permanent fixture in his life, he's no longer independent enough and is setting a bad example for the young men who look up to him.  Why should it be any different for a female character?  Sure, she could continue living alone, unmarried.  Hadn't they already shown her doing just that for a few seasons?  Why would having her marry-- at some point-- not even necessarily the very last episode-- have weakened the "message" that Ann was a successful example of the independent woman?

...But again, "feminist" isn't one of the labels I'd apply to myself, so possibly I'm just incapable of seeing the what the big deal was or is.  Of course I think women should have the same rights as men and be treated with the same level of respect, but that's just common sense and common decency-- and so the belief doesn't (imho) require any special designation.

...Not that it matters whether the character marries or not.  (g)  It was the (supposed) fact that it was purposely avoided that makes me think about it at all...


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Gee, aren't you glad I got started on that tangent and that-- lucky you!-- you were here to skim or altogether skip it?!  ;o)  (I don't blame you.)


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I recently had cause to glance into some of the earliest journals I ever wrote (and kept), and let me just say that few things could be as mortifying as reading your own words from when you were... I don't know, 13 or 14 years old.  So embarrassing.  My only hope is that (nearly) everyone is as silly at that age as I was.  Of course, not all of them were or are foolish enough to make a written record of it... 

It wasn't so much what I wrote about-- well, okay, maybe that, too, at times-- as it was the way I wrote it.  Good grief.  If you think I'm too wordy now.  I clearly wanted very desperately to be "fancify" reality.  Actually, I wanted to be living in an LMM novel, and apparently I thought that if I wrote as though I were, then I would be.  (Or something like that.)  The horrible purple prose-ification of a teenager's rather dull life!  The amplification of the mundane and the trivial into the Deep and Meaningful!  And, of course, almost every teenage girl's natural gift for finding potential for drama in the most unexpected places.  Well, at least I have a handy way to bring myself back down to earth, whenever I begin to form too high an opinion of myself. 


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And that's more than enough for one entry.  Much, much more than enough.

Music Via TV Programs

All my favorite (new-to-me) music, lately, comes from TV shows...  It's probably because that's the only place I encounter new music, since when I listen to the radio it's talk radio, 99.9% of the time.

...Though that anti-smoking jingle they've been playing for the past few months is pretty catchy, even if I don't usually like words like "cancer" and "toxins" popping up in my music...



"Take smoke; put it out!" ;o)

Anyway, anti-smoking jingles aside, apparently I enjoy "dream-pop" and bands influenced by "shoegazing". (Where do they come up with the names for all these musical sub-genres?  Not that I'm complaining.  They seem appropriate, somehow... just a little funny-sounding.) 

Thanks to Revenge, "Anyone's Ghost" is on repeat...  (I prefer the Silver Swans version, though the original by The National isn't bad, either.)



More via Revenge...
First, we have "Riverside" by Agnes Obel:



For a beachy 60's throwback, may I suggest "Catamaran", by the Allah-Las?



Then there's "Wait", by M83, found through "The Secret Circle":



To end with something a little more up-beat, it's back to Revenge with "Home" by OK Sweetheart:



Has Target used that song for a commercial? If not, I'm surprised, because it just screams "Target commercial". That's not an insult; I tend to like Target commercial music, though it's best in small doses. Perfect for bouncing around the house to. ;o)

More VITAL News Via Twitter

"Mythbusters" put a canonball through a home and a minivan (on accident, which isn't necessarily immediately obvious, with that program), and some idiotic head teacher in Britain turned off his school's heating on one of the coldest days of the year to show students how the school could reduce its carbon footprint.  (Because simply lowering the heat wasn't bold enough, I guess.  I wonder if anyone explained to him how much more energy it takes to heat a very cold building versus keeping it fairly level at moderate warmth...)

On the other hand, Alec Baldwin was kicked off an airplane (before take off, in case you were wondering) because of his immature behavior... So it's not all bad news, this morning...

On a Lighter Note...

Ha!

"Abercrombie to pay 'Jersey Shore' cast to stop wearing its clothes."

"We are deeply concerned that Mr. Sorrentino's association with our brand could cause significant damage to our image. We understand that the show is for entertainment purposes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans,“ an Abercrombie & Fitch spokesperson said in a statement. “We have also extended this offer to other members of the cast, and are urgently waiting a response."

That's hilarious. 
It's even funnier when you consider that Abercrombie & Fitch doesn't exactly have a sterling reputation, itself.

Sure, it's probably just a way to get some free advertising, but I'm still amused. 

Funny... I've never watched "Jersey Shore"-- never shopped at Abercrombie & Fitch.  (I don't know if there's even one anywhere in this area.  Maybe in one of the malls?)  So how do I know anything about either one?  Clearly, both entities have done a good job of getting into the news.   

Worlds Colliding!

(Via James Lileks on Twitter...)

If you're familiar with The Andy Griffith Show and the original Star Trek TV series, maybe you'll appreciate this "worlds colliding" moment.  Apparently, two Star Trek episodes used the "Mayberry" sets when the crew of the Enterprise visited an Earth-like planet.  Check out some stills on this site: Mayberry in Star Trek. 

My favorite is the one where Kirk and some lady are walking right past Floyd's Barber Shop-- with the name right there on the window.  (g)  If only they'd gone in and visited a while with the friendly denizens of Mayberry!

Random Stuff

And I mean random.

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Via Twitter--

Valerie Jarrett: Obama 'getting absolutely no sleep' because of debt crisis.

Oh, no!
*wipes away a tear*
 

This whole situation is infuriating.
...I'll leave it at that.

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Donald dislikes "Primetime: What Would You Do?"

Haven't seen it?  Here's the description for tonight's episode:

Scenarios (suggested by viewers) include a little person being mocked for his size; a teenager telling her boyfriend that she's pregnant and wants the baby--to his loudly expressed disapproval; a child disapproving loudly upon hearing his dad is gay; a young woman in a wheelchair being offered help in public when she doesn't need it; and a boy being harassed by others boys because he has red hair.

Ick.  This show gives me the shudders.  Why didn't they bring back Candid Camera, instead?

Programs on Michael's "Change the Channel QUICK" List:

• "Extreme Makeover:  Home Edition"  
• It was ok in the earliest episodes, but then it degenerated into every single week being about people with the most depressing stories they can find, tears being a must, and the designers going crazy and doing weird, over-the-top things every episode.  I'm glad if people in bad (beyond their control) situations basically win the lottery and get a free home makeover, but... I don't want to watch it happen over an emotional hour of TV.  I just don't like it.
• "The Doctors" and "Dr. Oz"
• Medical stuff?  And in a "talk show" format?  No, thank you. Not now, not ever.  This is pretty much how I feel about most "talk shows", but the medical aspect makes me hit the "next channel" button with record-breaking speed.  (I may have mentioned before-- in passing-- that I run screaming from serious medical/health-related stuff?  I was telling the truth. Fiction, non-fiction, fan fiction-- doesn't matter.  I don't like it.  I can barely fathom that there are enough people out there who do like it that programs like these stay on the air...)

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When I pulled aside the curtain on our kitchen door this morning (preparing to open it to let Trixie out for her morning stroll), there were two deer standing right outside our gate!  That's probably the closest I've ever been to a wild deer.  I was so surprised I didn't notice if they were does, bucks, whatever.  (I tend to think neither of them had antlers, though.)

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Sometime in the past month or two, Donald spotted a young armadillo rooting around in our side yard (outside the fence).  We got some photos and videos of it.  Maybe I'll get around to editing and uploading some of the video soon...  (What a treat for you all! ;o))

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Someone ought to make a satire of The Rainbow Fish in which the rainbow-scaled fish is replaced by a fluffy-haired dog.  The other (short-haired) neighborhood dogs are jealous of Fluffy Dog's luxuriously long, silky fur and begin demanding that she share patches of it.  Fluffy Dog is guilted into giving away all her fur (after some exceptionally bad advice from a mysterious alley cat), and in the end, every dog in the 'hood has a patch of her fluffy fur.  Fluffy Dog herself now looks something like this:

...Only uglier.

The story continues for a page or two more to say that since the other dogs only liked (Formerly-)Fluffy Dog when and because she gave them her beautiful fur, their friendship is shallow and short-lived.  Soon, they're off pestering the new pup on the block (a poofy poodle) for a lock of his curly hair.  Fluffy Dog, realizing that she has given away her natural-born gifts for nothing-- to a group who don't even truly value them-- is left sad and alone.  Until her fur grows back in, that is.  Then the others will be back for more, because it isn't right that she should have something they don't have.

The End.  ;o)
(Maybe it's already been done?)

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There are people actually looking forward to this new movie about golf.
I am baffled.

Of course, I am also fully aware of the fact that there are plenty of people who'd be baffled by the things I look forward to, so...

(That Cowboys & Aliens thing looks interesting, for example.)

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Musical obsession of the moment-- Patrick O'Hearn's "Beyond This Moment":

Random Thoughts

•  After letting the floors go for a while, I spent a good amount of time vacuuming today.  (It took forever, so let this be a lesson to me not to wait so long, next time.) I'm still in awe of how well our (no longer so) new vacuum cleaner works, compared with the old one. 

•  I love the Trixie-dog, but if you have a problem with long white dog hairs getting on everything (making it nearly impossible to get out the door without at least one hair lurking somewhere on your clothes, even if you're very careful), the Eskie probably isn't the breed for you.  Neither she nor her hair have a doggy smell, but you will get unscented dog hair on your clothes, if you come into our house for any length of time.  No amount of vacuuming will ever eliminate all that fur.  It's just a fact of life with American Eskimo Dogs.  (You have been warned.)

•  Thanks to gifts and my own purchases, I have enough hand lotion to last an average woman a few years, figuring for moderate use.  And yet I keep noticing that my hands look dry, thinking to myself, "I ought to put on some lotion"-- and then getting distracted by something else and promptly forgetting all about it.  Apparently I need to wear a bottle on a cord around my neck.  It may be the only way I'll ever remember to use it...

•  I saw someone blog about how she's thinking of doing Project 365 again in 2011, with an emphasis on macro photography this time-- and I thought, "Hey, that sounds like a fun idea!"  That's right.  I am tempted to do Project 365 again.  This is probably a bad idea.

•  The last time I made Santa Fe Stew, I made it vegetarian (by omitting the chicken).  I did this because I was feeling lazy and didn't want to bother with the chicken-- and because I didn't think it would affect the stew much, since I typically use less meat than the recipe calls for, anyway.  (I did add a couple bouillon cubes, though, to supply a little chicken flavor... and I also used quite a bit more beans than the recipe calls for, so there'd be plenty to freeze for later.  However, I always use more beans than are called for...)  It turned out fine.  This remains one of my favorite dishes.  Donald likes it better over rice (which I also like but don't absolutely require), and I like to eat mine with some tortilla chips on the side. 

•  The clothes dryer is buzzing.  I could pretend not to hear it, but I don't think Molly will take care of it on her own...

•  As predicted, Molly was just lying in her dog bed in the kitchen, seemingly oblivious to the buzzer.  She's better at pretending not to hear than I am. 

•  Movies we've watched recently include the following:  Splice, Vampires Suck, Devil, Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny (with Rifftrax commentary), and others that fail to come to mind.  (Oh, such as The Legend of the Guardians, which Donald wanted to see because of the quality of the cgi.)

•  TV shows we've been watching together:  Community (just finished Season 1, though we've already seen some of Season 2 as it aired), Monk (we're on Season 3), various sitcoms (Big Bang Theory, The Office, How I Met Your Mother, The Middle, Modern Family, etc.)... and probably some other things I'm forgetting. (We were watching The Walking Dead, too, but of course the first season of that is over now.)

•  Those are all the random thoughts I'll bother you with for now.  But you never know when there may be more.  (That'll give you something to look forward to.)  ;o)
 

Philander / Meander & SNL

Two Random Things!

First Thing:

Since Donald doesn't make as many little mistakes with English as he did when I first met him (and those were more often mispronunciations than anything else-- "necktie" sounded like "necktee", for instance), the occasional little slip-up is all the more treasured. ;o)  This time, it was him using the word "philandering" when what he meant was "meandering".  Hey, that's a pretty impressive vocabulary for a non-native speaker!  But I'll still laugh (lovingly) at you when you refer to someone "philandering" through the woods (or however it was he was using the word). (g)


Second Thing:

Last weekend, we happened to catch a little Saturday Night Live.  Inevitably, the conversation turned to the topic of how unfunny most of it was-- and how they rarely fail to take a mediocre joke/gag (something that might elicit a tepid, murmured "heh" the first time 'round), then repeat it over and over again, beating the proverbial dead horse down to the molecular level... and then hitting it one more time, just to be sure.

Before, we've wondered if this level of "humor" is adopted because it's Saturday night and much of the target audience will have been drinking heavily and won't require anything that's actually, you know, funny to make them giddy or at least content to sit (passed out?) through the entire program...

But I think we've now come up with a better theory:  SNL is basically "Teletubbies" for adults.  Are you one of the lucky few who've never been subjected to "The Teletubbies"?  One of the most annoying things about that old kids' show is that they'll show a video clip (on one of the characters' tummy-TVs, of course)... and once it's finally over, you'll hear a chorus of children's voices-- or is the 'Tubsters themselves?-- demanding "Again! Again!" And here's the worst part:  They show the whole boring video clip again.  (Or something like that.  Forgive me if I've gotten it slightly wrong.  One of my goals in life is to watch as little "Teletubbies" as possible, so I may have missed some of its subtler nuances.)

...Anyway... This SNL thing of taking the same sad little scrap of a joke and playing it over and over and OVER again is pretty much just like that.  It's "Teletubbies" for adults.  Only... is there anyone out there who's honestly shouting, "Again! Again!" at his TV set?  Seriously?  For stuff like this?

Yes, I watch things over again, myself.  I reread favorite books, play the same song two or three times in a row... I like repeating favorite things as much as more than the next person (probably), but that only applies to things I really like and/or have found worth repeating.  Not silly jokes that weren't even funny the first time.

...I'm beginning to think that Saturday Night Live isn't aimed at people like me!  ;o)

Chuck-- The Red Test

There will be some SPOILERish things ahead regarding episode 11 ("Chuck Versus the Final Exam") of season three of Chuck, so if you're not caught up on the show, and think you'll want to watch it later, you might want to skip this entry.  This also applies if you've never watched the show and don't know or care who the characters even are. (g)  (However, if you enjoy spies / light action / comedy / romance / drama-- above all, a show with a sense of humor-- you might want to try an episode or two.)

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We're gradually catching up on the third season of Chuck.   I think I like this season less than the previous two, so far.   This is partly because Chuck turning into a "Real Spy" just feels weird.  I think I liked him better-- found the show funnier-- when he was just a regular guy thrust into the (TV version of the) world of spies.  The other main detriments are the introduction of Shaw (whom I don't particularly like) and Sarah/Sam's character development.

The last episode we watched was the one where Chuck takes his "Red Test", in which he is supposed to prove that he has what it takes to kill someone in the line of duty.  How do you prove something like that?  Well... by killing someone-- not just a random someone, obviously, but a specific target-- a mole who is endangering the lives of others.

In the end, he can't bring himself to do it.  (Even though the other dude is about to kill him?  Come on, Chuck.  Or really, come on, writers.  I mean, are we really supposed to believe that he'd rather die himself than shoot the guy who's about to kill him?  I guess we could explain it by saying that he hesitated-- which is understandable-- but would have pulled the trigger if he'd seen the other guy's gun in time... Maybe?  Otherwise, I'm not buying it.)  Of course Casey pops in out of nowhere to do the dirty work-- but the final result is that Sarah (temporarily, I'm sure) thinks Chuck did pull the trigger.  And then, at the end of the episode, there's this implication--well, ok, she just comes right out and says that she no longer loves him, because he was capable of killing.  Even though she herself has killed multiple times as part of her job as Spy Chick.

...Huh?  Maybe there's more to it than meets the eye.  Maybe she's just feeling guilty because she thinks he killed for her (because the only way they can be together --???-- is if he's a spy, and he can only be a spy if he successfully completes his Red Test).  Possibly this is meant to make the character "deeper"-- more "layered".  "See how real she is?  Different aspects of her character are contradictory-- illogical-- just like in a real person!"  To which I reply, "Meh."  Realism is overrated (as this show seems to understand so well, in most cases (g))!   It just feels extremely hypocritical.  She's allowed to kill people if the job requires it, but Chuck is supposed to stay soft and harmless, even if his own survival is at stake?

(ETA:  In her defense... I guess she doesn't know yet that the other guy was posing a threat to Chuck's survival, since she wasn't there... Unless I'm remembering incorrectly.  That makes a little more sense... But it's still irritating.  She can have relationships with other spies who presumably have passed their tests.  Why is it so unforgivable in Chuck?)

Anyway, gripes aside, there are still plenty of things to enjoy about the show.  I do wonder where they're headed for the rest of this season-- and the next.  They obviously know that the program probably won't survive a Chuck/Sarah happily-ever-after (not until the end of the show, at least), but it doesn't take long for the things keeping them apart to feel painfully contrived.  Ah, the eternal dilemma of the TV writer!  ;o)

Recent Happenings and Doings

Monday, after leaving the first load of laundry in the washer, I discovered that it would fill and agitate as usual, but refused to drain (and because it couldn't drain, I didn't try the rinse or spin cycles).  To put a long story short(er), Donald removed a broken lid switch (a safety feature that causes the machine to automatically stop agitating and spinning when the lid is opened), and (because we didn't feel that this particular safety feature was vital for us) he hotwired it, if that's the word I'm looking for. . .   Anyway, he bypassed the lid switch, and that did the trick.  (Though we did have to start a whole new washing cycle to get the thing to realize that all was well.)  Thanks to my heroic handyman (and a bit of electric tape), I was able to wash clothes again.  (And there was much rejoicing.)  I just have to be very careful to resist the powerful urge to stick my arms into the machine while it's moving.  I may have to tie a string around my finger to remind myself.

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Entertainment...  (film, TV, books)...

We've been watching all three Lord of the Rings movies with the RiffTrax commentaries (because the third one just came out).  It was funny, but I think I've had enough super-long movies for a while.

We've finally caught up to season three of Chuck.  I'm enjoying this season less than the previous two, so far.  I don't care for the whole Shaw storyline, and my patience with Sarah/Sam is growing thin, too.  There's still plenty of time for it to improve, though. 

The last two books we've read together:
Shades of Grey, by Jasper Fforde
Thoroughly enjoyable.  The first in a series (a trilogy, I think), though, so there are unanswered questions/unresolved conflicts at the end. It's difficult to categorize-- somewhat fantasy, a little sci-fi, definitely mystery.  Most of its charm (for me) was its sense of humor and the fun of trying to figure things out from the tidbits of information the author doles out a little at a time.

Something Fresh, by P.G. Wodehouse
This was the first non-Jeeves/Wooster Wodehouse we'd read-- or at least the first I'd read.  Donald may have listened to some on tape back when he had a long commute.  This book introduces a different set of characters-- the Blandings Castle set.  So far, I prefer the Jeeves and Wooster set, but this group of characters is entertaining, too.  (However, I did find that my favorite parts were those that could just as easily have been set in a Jeeves and Wooster book.)  I didn't care so much for the slightly more serious, "romantic" parts of the book.  I turn to Wodehouse for humor; anything else is a bit disappointing.  I realize that this must not be much fun for an author-- being pigeonholed by an audience that is displeased when s/he ventures into new territory-- but there it is!  And since Mr. Wodehouse has been dead for quite some time, now, we need not worry about hurting his feelings.  ;o)

The last book I finished:
Mapp & Lucia, by E.F. Benson
It took me a little while to decide how I felt about the Lucia books.  (This is sacrilege to the true Luciaphile, I know.)  However, by now I know that I find them curiously interesting (particularly now that Miss Mapp's in the story).  I've seen this series described as a mixture of Wodehouse and Keeping Up Appearances, and that's the best explanation I've come across.  They're very much comedies of manners-- cozy, tangled webs, full of one-upmanship and friendly (?) rivalry-- small town/village stories about a handful of characters who take very careful note of one another's comings and goings.  Some of the characters behave in the most horrifying ways, yet you find yourself still interested in them, even if you don't always like them.  They all suffer occasional downfalls, which may be what keeps you from simply despising them. 

What I'm reading now:
Don't Look Now, by Daphen Du Maurier
I'm into the fourth story in this collection of short stories (some of which are fairly longish).  So far I've read "Don't Look Now", "The Birds", "Escort", and most of "Split Second".  ("The Birds" was creepier than the movie version, I think, by the way, and it's my favorite in this book so far.) 

Every so often, I'm in the mood to read macabre, spooky, suspenseful stories, but I usually end up feeling that something's missing from them.  I'm not sure exactly what I want that I'm not getting from these stories. . . Resolution?  That's frequently left out in favor of something "artistically" open-ended.  (Either that, or everything just falls apart at the end, as with the bulk of what I've seen from Stephen King, who can spin a scary story but hardly ever brings it all together in a satisfying conclusion.)  However, sometimes there's a definite end/resolution-- as in "Don't Look Now" and "Escort"-- but it's still not quite there, up to the level I'd hoped it would be.  Generally, short works are not as satisfying to me as full-length novels, and most of the creepy things I read do tend to be short stories. . .  Or maybe I'm just too picky.  I'm enjoying these stories well enough, though I think I'll be ready to return to a more cozy, prosaic genre by the end of the book. 

- - - - - - -

The bunnies (wild rabbits) are a little crazy this year.  I guess they've decided that the entire yard is theirs, now, and frequently the dogs get to do a little bunny-chasing when they are let outside.  Twice the other morning a bunny was just a couple of yards from our house, right where Trixie could see it-- and growl a low, throaty growl-- and bark-- and continue to bark, at intervals, single, startlingly loud barks-- long after the offending bunny had decamped and the yard been declared "all clear".  This was not good for my nerves.  (I hope it isn't a sign that I'm turning into Mrs. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.)

- - - - - - -

After a first attempt at knitting, a week or two ago, I haven't picked it back up again.  The casting-on part (long-tail cast-on) was ok, once I knew exactly what I was supposed to do, but the first row after that was awful. Trying to get the needles to do what I wanted-- ugh, it filled me with disgust, even though I tried to remember that when I first started crocheting, the crochet hook didn't immediately bend to my will, either.  I think part of the problem may have been the yarn I was using.  It was a partial skein I had only because it was bundled with some other yarn I wanted to buy at a thrift store.  It was nasty, nasty stuff (and I use almost only acrylics when I crochet, so if I say it's nasty, you may believe me that it was).  Scratchy, catchy, yuck.  Next time-- assuming there is a next time-- I'll use something a little nicer, even if whatever I make is likely to turn out ugly because I'm a rank amateur.

I suppose I still would like to learn to knit, if it doesn't turn out to be too much of a pain to get the hang of it.  The problem is that what I really want to knit is lacy fabric, and from what I gather, that's the type of thing that many even fairly seasoned knitters view with trepidation.  I wonder know how much of that is exaggerated-- or just people overestimating the difficulty of knitting lace / lace knitting-- or if it really is that much more difficult. . .  I have a lot of confidence in the idea that if you want to do something badly enough, you can make it work, but I'm not sure if I do care that much.  Especially when there are so many lacy things I could just crochet, instead.  It's not exactly the same look, but it's beautiful in it own right.  . . .We'll see.

- - - - - - -

I'm forgetting some things (probably some things more interesting than the stuff I did manage to remember), but this entry has been "in the works" for long enough, as it is! 

Two Guilty Pleasures

First, Harper's Island.

I may not seem like the type to enjoy horror/thriller-type entertainment, but every now and then, I am. (Particularly if it's mild enough to be shown on network TV. I know I can handle it if it's not deemed too gory for the ol' tube. ;o)) This series has turned out to be more entertaining than the first couple of episodes led me to expect. Unlike apparently every other person who watches the show, I don't really have a pet theory about the identity of the killer. I think several people are equally likely to turn out guilty-- even one of the supposedly deceased characters. The writers have done a good job of making just about everyone seem suspicious. (g)

It's nice to know that there are only a set number of episodes and that the program was designed with a particular ending in mind. With "regular", on-going series, it usually feels like things are just drifting-- not good for mysteries.

I only wish I could go ahead and finish the series all at once! I want to know how it ends!

- - - - - - -

The second (less guilty) guilty pleasure is The Hidden Hand, a novel by E.D.E.N. Southworth.

This novel was recommended in passing by one of my high school teachers. I think she made the suggestion based on seeing that I was reading Jane Eyre-- as in "If you like Jane Eyre, you ought to read The Hidden Hand." She gave me the author's unusual name, and it remained on my "to read" list for years. I never happened across it, but whenever I'd transfer my list of title and authors to a fresh sheet of paper, eliminating some of them as either lost causes or no longer appealing, I'd keep The Hidden Hand. If it could possibly be compared to Jane Eyre, then it deserved to stay.

Well, I've finally found it and started reading. (You can, too, if you click the link above. It's available for free online. I bought a printed copy, because I'm just not that crazy about reading from the monitor, but you can't beat free.)

I'm almost 100 pages into the story, with over 350 left to go. Here are some things I've noted so far:

• Marah and Traverse-- What an odd mother-son relationship! I realize we have to make some allowances, considering that this was written and edited in the mid to late 1800s, but it's almost creepy at times.
• There are some instances of possibly offensive language and racial stereotypes. (Again, take the era it was written into consideration.)
• Capitola is a bit of a Mary Sue, so far. (And I suspect that she may only increase in Mary Sue-ishness, as the story progresses.) And of course, if Capitola is a Mary Sue, then I have to label Herbert and Traverse (especially the latter) as a pair of Gary Stus.
  
• I had to laugh when it turned out that Capitola has not only an unusual identifying birthmark (on the palm of her hand, which struck me as an odd spot for a birthmark), but also a tattoo of her name and birth date! How very... convenient.
  
• A trapdoor in Capitola's bedroom? Leading to a bottomless pit? Really?
  
• Would people actually have reacted so strongly to a 14-year-old (I think) girl dressing in boy's clothes? Would it really have been looked upon as an almost criminal offense?
• "Miss Condiment"-- What a name! Reminds me a little of Dickens, only less subtle in its oddity.
• The relationships among the characters are about as tangled as in a soap opera! There are too many coincidences to count, and I'm not even a third of the way in!
• No-one's hair is merely "black". It's (almost) always "jet black" or "coal black".
• Within the space of two sentences, someone uses the phrase "HORROR OF HORRORS!" (yes, in all caps) and says she "swooned away".
  

So far, I can't see much Jane Eyre in this book, but I suppose it's still interesting, in its own way. I don't see myself re-reading this one time after time, though.

Mulch. Herbicide. Electricity. TV (w/ spoilers).

Nothing but a handful of tidbits today:

- - - - - - -

I've been spending the first parts of the past few days spreading mulch and pulling/digging out weeds from flower beds in preparation for mulching. I have it down to one pile of mulch in a place where it won't kill any grass, which means it can wait another day or two (if need be). The mulch is good for the plants and improves the looks of the yard. Spreading it is also forcing me to start tackling the weeding I'd been putting off. I don't enjoy weeding, but I feel better about myself (and the yard) after I'm done. (Like exercising. And chores in general.)

Next, I need to get serious about spraying weeds around the yard with Roundup. By which I mean I need to actually spray some Roundup instead of just constantly saying, "You know, I really need to spray some Roundup! One of these days... When the planets are in perfect alignment and there's a cool spell and my daily horoscope says 'Today is a good day for killing weeds.'" (Just kidding. Obviously. I'm so not one of those people who read horoscopes or know when the planets are aligned. The procrastinating, on the other hand? All too true, I'm afraid.) I have to see if I can find the "recipe" so that I get the potency right... I wonder if I can put some of the "home-mixed" stuff in an empty spray bottle so that I always have a little on hand, premixed? I'd be better about keeping weeds down if I had a little bottle at the ready.

Note: Don't ever look up Roundup or other herbicides online, unless you're prepared to read about how awful they are and how awful you are for using them. Oh, and that you're killing the environment and yourself with every squirt, or something like that. *whistles nonchalantly*

- - - - - - -

We had an electrician come this week to install an outlet box on the patio. For whatever reason (keeping costs down), our builder designed this house with outlets on only two sides of the house-- neither of which are the side we use most-- by the kitchen door and the main gate. Unfortunately, we had to have another (smaller) electrical box put on the side of the house, because the old one had no empty slots. If the electrician knows what he's talking about, though (and he should), this second box should cover us when we want to pull electricity to our (future, as-yet-unbuilt) garage, put in additional security lighting, etc.

It'll be nice to have electricity right on the patio. Much more convenient than dragging out the extension cords everytime we want to use the radio, a fan, or a power tool outside!

- - - - - - -

Here are a few TV tidbits, SPOILERS included:

Um... Did you see that part about how there will be SPOILERS?

Because I'd really hate to SPOIL your viewing pleasure with my SPOILERS about LOST and Survivor...



Still here, huh?
Well, ok. Don't say I didn't warn you.
About the SPOILERS, that is.

LOST:
I don't really know what to make of most of the season finale. (But what else is new, right?)

I'm glad that we finally got to see more of the statue, but to be honest, I felt that Jacob was a little of a let-down. I don't know what I expected or wanted, but some average-looking guy wasn't it. Of course, he's obviously not just some average guy, but still...

I was disappointed to see that John was actually still dead, though by the time of the "big reveal" I'd already guessed he was in the box. (John goading Ben into doing the dirty work of killing Jacob just didn't feel right for the character, and I figured someone must be in the box. Oh, and is it just me, or isn't it kind of odd that this was the second time the writers tried to shock us with a dead John in a coffin/box.)

Of course, if the bomb-us-out-of-this-mess plan works, Locke will be alive again-- as will all the other characters we've lost (ha ha) along the way. I would be happy to see some of those old faces back again.

Other random thoughts:

• Assuming the plane lands safely (and none of the past however-many seasons ever happened) what about the characters whose lives were improved by their time on the island? As Kate remarks, not everything that happened on the island was bad. For instance: Locke's cured paralysis. Rose's cured cancer. Kate's new-found freedom. ...I think there are others, but those are the only ones springing to mind. Well, except from the relationships formed, of course. For instance, Charlie & Blonde Aussie. (Clara? No, Claire. Had to look it up! She's been off-screen too long, and I'm not great with names.) The only things of this sort I noticed being referenced on the show are Kate's handcuffs and relationships with Jack and Sawyer.
  
• I was disappointed that Ben killed Jacob. Not so much because I care intensely about Jacob as a character (partly due to the fact that he's apparently a supernatural being and ought to be able to take care of himself), but because I'd like to see Ben behave admirably just once in a while. I know he's one of the villains, but I feel sorry for the guy. And if you believe in redemption, there's always a chance. . .
  
• The "Oh, yeah, we've been hiding out in the jungle for three years" thing with Rose and. . . Rose's Husband-- ah, Bernard, I think?-- seemed a little convenient and rushed in that lovely "we've gotta start tying up loose ends, stat!" sort of way, but I guess it's an acceptable explanation. I can't really blame them for wanting a peaceful retirement. More importantly, we see that the dog is okay. (Seriously, seeing Vincent was more exciting than seeing either of The Retirees, as they shall henceforth be known. (g))
• Kate and the New Kids on the Block lunchbox. ...Gah... One more thing to not really love about Little Miss Freckles. She's one of those dratted NKOTB fangirls. ;o)
• I just read someone's theory that Mr. Evil (aka Faux Locke, aka He Who Wants/Wanted Jacob Dead) is actually-- ready for it?-- the smoke monster! Why didn't I think of that?! I wouldn't be surprised if that's right.
  

Well, enough of that.

Survivor:
Coach was finally voted off. I wasn't surprised to find (via Google) that I wasn't the only one to notice some strong similiarities between the "sayings" of Coach and Michael Scott (from The Office). Both can be obnoxious, embarrassingly ill-informed, and egotistical-- but sometimes you see a glimmer of hope for Michael-- and at least you know he's a fictional character. Coach is (presumably) a real person (unless he's an undercover actor), and though I occasionally felt a little sorry for him, most of the time I couldn't keep from rolling my eyes whenever he opened his mouth. And I didn't usually feel bad about the eye-rolling, 'cause he so frequently was just plain mean.

- - - - - - -

The End.

Mean Bee, Cass-uh-row, and "What's on Tivvy?"

With the return of the warmer weather, we've also noted the return of those horrible wood-boring bees. I really hate those things. They're destructive and menacing. They're also territorial, and they stand their ground-- er, hover their air(?).

Anyway, I'm a little frightened of them, to tell the truth. For some reason, they seem to love the area around our kitchen door. (It makes sense, now, because of all the new wood in the area, thanks to our patio project-- but they've always seemed to concentrate in that spot.) Today, as I made several trips carrying groceries inside from the car, I was under close and disapproving surveillance by one or two of the irritating things. I tried spraying one with wasp spray, but I don't think I got enough on it to do any real damage. Apparently the only way to kill them is the hit them with a board, then immediately find where they fell and finish them off before they have a chance to recover. (shudder) Donald, get your 2x4 ready for this weekend, ok?

- - - - -

I was making up my shopping list for the aforesaid groceries, when someone who shall remain nameless wondered why I hadn't made a particular "cass-uh-row" in such a long time.

(Pause for internal laughter) "Cass-uh-row? Did you just say 'cass-uh-row'?"

Yes, he had. "What. . .? Isn't that how you say it?" (Though by his expression it was clear that he now knew otherwise. (g))

Not quite-- but I guess it might sound a little like that. . .

Well, now we have the ingredients for that casserole that we haven't eaten in a year or two, even though the bee tried to prevent me from bringing them inside.

- - - - -

I'm watching my way through "The House of Eliott" again, as "lunchtime entertainment". It's pretty soap opera-y in spots, and as always seems to be the case in these programs, the characters sometimes-- no, frequently deserve a good spanking (Ugh, don't get me started on Evie!)-- but somehow it's still addictive and watchable.

(I'm fairly sure I mentioned this after an earlier viewing, but) I find it very funny when an episode ends on a tragic/dramatic note, complete with suitably emotional music, only to be immediately followed by the jaunty theme song. It's like this: Oh no! Someone's just been killed in a car accident! Horror! Drama! Sadness! Woe! --Well, ok. Enough of that, now. Back to the party! La-di-da da-da-da daaa daaa! La-di-da da-da daa-daaaa! La-la di da da dun-dun-dun, La-di-da di-da di-daa-aa-aa! (Yes, that's exactly how the theme song goes. :oP)

It's a little thing, but it makes me laugh.

P.S. If you've seen the program, you might be amused by this French & Saunders spoof: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Random Bullet Points

Things, lately:

• As you'll know if you read my "tweets" on Twitter, our water pump stopped working last week. Thursday morning, I think it was. The repairman couldn't make it here until Friday morning, so we just had to make do until then. Fortunately, we had a little water stored, and my maternal grandparents live near enough that it was easy to go fill a few more containers. The repairman came early Friday, so we weren't without for long, but it was long enough to remind us of how much we take it for granted. I never realize how often I wash my hands until the water's off. It's so much more trouble when you can only use one hand at a time (because the other's busy pouring water).
  
• Trixie may have solved the horse chestnut dilemma for us. I knew that she'd broken a couple of the saplings, the day I got them. I'd put them in the wheelbarrow with some water, not thinking she could reach them in there-- but she did, and she'd messed with two or three before I realized it. It turns out that those just happened to be the Chinese horse chestnuts. One of them may still be ok, but otherwise, we'll just have to look into buying one.
• We're also thinking about getting a blueberry bush or two, and maybe another satsuma. We'll have to figure out where's the best place around here to shop for fruit trees/shrubs. . .
• We had some very windy weather, recently. Evidently it was windy enough to blow a scrubber (the "plastic steel wool" kind) off our grill, because yesterday afternoon I spied Trixie chewing on it. I got it from her easily enough, but I couldn't tell for certain if she'd eaten any of it. Crazy dog! If there is anything that she can possibly get into, she'll find a way. I really, really hope she calms down a little more with age.
  
• Over the weekend, we watched the Rifftrax version of "The Star Wars Holiday Special". I knew it would be odd, but the reality of it was far more bizarre than I'd ever imagined. Absolutely awful! I can't see how anyone could have thought it was a good idea. I'd try to explain how weird it is, but once I got started I wouldn't be able to stop, and it'd take too long. If you're really that interested, you'll just have to go find it to watch for yourself. (g)
  

Of course, one or two other things have happened, too, but I don't think any of it was much more interesting than what's listed above. At least there's something non-political at the top of my blog, now. ;o)

More Random Stuff

Ew. I think I found a tick on Trixie today, while petting her on the couch. (I didn't dare give it a close inspection, but I'm pretty sure it was a tick.) It wasn't attached, so I was able to easily grab a paper napkin, pluck it off her back, and squash it-- but now I feel a bit squeamish about the possibility of other ticks left on the couch. . . or on me. (nearly faints) Ugh! Well, that's enough! (No, it's not the first one we've seen in the past month or two.) The dogs will be getting their (overdue) flea/tick-prevention treatment, pronto.

-- -- -- -- --

I've been re-watching North & South, and it turns out that it, too, was better than I'd remembered. The "social issue" aspect wasn't as overbearing as I'd recalled and the heroine not quite so annoying, either. (She's no Jane Eyre, but I can make it through the miniseries without throwing things at the TV.)

Side Note: So many of these well-made period miniseries have such wonderful soundtracks-- but they seem rarely to be available on CD (or even download online). I'd love to have the music from Jane Eyre (2oo6 version), Wives and Daughters, and North & South, to name just a few, and I know (from what I've read while looking for these soundtracks) that I'm not the only one interested. It seems like a wasted opportunity for these composers.

-- -- -- -- --

While amusing ourselves with silly things on the Internet, we came across a song by a Swedish girlband known as "Troll". Donald remembers this one, but I don't. Maybe it didn't make it as big in the US. . . Anyway, the name of the 1989 hit is "Jimmy Dean". Because of presence of the words "jacket", "car", and "movie star" in the lyrics, I'm thinking the reference is probably to James Dean-- not the guy responsible for Jimmy Dean sausages-- but it still makes me laugh. (Actually, I'd probably like the song better if it had been written with the sausage guy in mind. I've never really understood the fascination with James Dean-- I'm not that interested in the Kennedy clan, either. . . Must be something wrong with me.)



Oh. Now I see the picture of James Dean at the beginning of the video, so yeah, I guess that leaves no doubt: This song was not about the breakfast sausage guy.

So disappointing. ;o)

-- -- -- -- --

Yesterday, Donald noticed a typo on a receipt he got from a store one of his former co-workers described as "the ghetto Wal-Mart": "Mobile" was spelled "Moblie" at the top of the receipt. That's pretty bad, misspelling the name of your own city!

Random Chit-Chat

(Written throughout the day, a bit at a time, like many of these posts are, actually.)

This was one of those weekends that leave me feeling less rested on Monday morning than I did on Friday morning. Well, maybe it's not quite that bad, but I could definitely do with another day of weekend. I think I get that feeling most often when we go out and about more than usual. (I am a homebody at heart.) Saturday, we spent most of the afternoon out shopping. At least it wasn't a fruitless excursion-- if nothing else, we found Donald a couple nice, new pair of shoes (at sale price!) for work, to replace an old pair at the end of its miles-- but it still doesn't feel like a proper Saturday when you have to compete with crowds and long lines in shops.

-- -- -- -- --

Hm. What more is there to say? So much of what I can think of-- what's presently on my mind-- isn't likely to interest anyone, including myself. It's mostly a list of things I need to do today. Laundry, for instance, as well as some general house-cleaning. And more important than those tasks-- going through a pile of papers and sorting things into piles: stuff to file, stuff to toss, stuff to discuss with Donald (to decide whether to keep or toss), and bills-- which I really, really hope aren't too close to being due. Piles of paper stress me, precisely because I'm worried I'll forget a bill that's due. It's surprising, really, how often I still allow things to pile up, considering that it does stress me out to have stacks of paper that grow by the day.

One might also wonder, in this age of automatic billing, why I don't simply have all our bills paid, well, automatically. We do take advantage of that service in one or two cases, but I guess I'm not completely up with the times. We've progressed past the point of paying with checks from our check book, as we did back when we were just married, but we still haven't reached the level of technological dependence that we let the computers handle everything for us. Not quite yet. ;o) (This is largely because I feel that if I didn't have to look at bills in order to pay them, I wouldn't examine them closely enough.)

So. Shall I next describe for you in depth my process for sorting laundry? (g) No? Well, you're probably right. Have to leave something to write about another day. . .

-- -- -- -- --

I've been re-watching my way through Wives and Daughters again, a bit at a time. It's better than I remembered, though there have been several times I'd have liked to reach through the screen and slap someone. I suppose I'll have to watch North and South (the Gaskell one-- not that Civil War thing from the 80s (g)) again, next, though from what I remember of that one, I expect to find it at times a dreary process. From what I recall, those characters behave even more maddeningly-- and there's also the whole "social issue" aspect of the series. Yes, yes, I suppose authors like to have something of substance in their novels, but some of them manage to do it without making you feel you're being preached to-- and honestly, I am either annoyed or bored when those things encroach too far in my entertainment. (I probably sound like a thoroughly spoiled little brat, but I don't care. :oP)

Speaking of irritation in the form of "entertainment"-- though it's hardly my only complaint with the show, I'm exasperated by the frequent mention of "this economy" in the last two episodes of Desperate Housewives*. I could almost hear the writers: "See how current-- how relevant we are? We feel your pain! Truly, there is no disconnect between the Hollywood elite and you commoners stranded in the cultural wasteland between L.A. and New York." (Not that the Hollywood elite would like the insinuation that they have anything to do with Desperate Housewives. (g) But you get the point.) Of course, nothing on that program should surprise me, at this point. I haven't yet forgotten the episode in which the neighborhood had a whole day's warning of the approach of one specific tornado-- a tornado, not a hurricane. People had time to tape their windows and make leisurely plans about where they would weather the storm. I don't know if they meant it to be funny, but it certainly was!

*Now that I've admitted to still watching that silly, silly show, I need hide nothing from you, my faithful readers, for what confession could be more shameful? ;o)

Snippets du Jour

Here is yet another handful of snippets.

You're used to them by now, right?
You've come to expect them.
Actually, you've even grown fond of them, and you'd be disappointed if I were to start writing long, cohesive, essay-like blog entries. "This is a fine treatise on the role of technology in the modern home, but. . . where are the snippets?" you'd whisper tremulously, your eyes widening in disbelief. Because you love snippets. You're not sure why, but somehow they simply make you happy. Deep down inside, where it really counts.

. . . Right?

Just pretend, and eventually it'll be true.

---

I hate to admit it, considering some of the things I've written before, but after reading a recent Cake Wrecks entry, which included a link to this story, I wonder if maybe (in some very rare cases) there should be someone keeping an eye on the naming of American children. . . (I still can't support the idea of every name being subject to some agency's approval, though. Surely there are other methods of addressing this kind of problem, rather than giving the government even more control of our lives.)

What a sickening pair of parents! So many people simply shouldn't be trusted with the care of children, and this is a prime example of that fact.

---

My parents discovered yesterday that their house is now visible through Google Map's Street View feature. And not only is my paternal grandparents' home visible, but you can also see my grandfather and his dog out in their front yard! (g)

As for our house, our mailbox and the spot where the easement meets the road are there, but they didn't go down our little dirt road. And for some reason, they're missing a tiny bit of the main road, so you can only catch a distant glimpse of my maternal grandparents' home.

I still think it's a little weird, seeing familiar places (and pets! and people!) on these maps. . .

---

Ready for another instance of technology being a little creepy?

Last night Donald shopped around for tickets to and from Sweden (to attend his grandmother's funeral and visit a while with his family). Then this morning, while reading some random blog, I was stunned to see an Orbitz ad with a clickable link for flights from Mobile to Gothenburg. Obviously, this ad was based on his searches, but. . . is it just me, or isn't that kind of creepy?
I'm just silly, probably, but I don't quite like it, though I suspect it's a trend in online advertising.

It's one thing for Amazon to keep track of what I search for and put related goods on "my" version of their homepage. I'm used to that kind of thing within a single website, but once I leave that page, I don't expect them to keep following me around with personalized ads (beyond e-mail, of course).

This is like. . . Imagine browsing the books in a ("real life" brick-and-mortar) shop, only to be accosted on the street (the next day!) by some stranger with an assortment of related titles. "Hey! I saw you were looking at books about American Eskimo Dogs the other day. Have you ever read Eskies and the Women Who Love Them? Or how about Take the Pesky Out of Your Eskie? I recommend that one particularly, because I also saw on your blog the other day that you were complaining about your puppy destroying socks. . ."

Well. Maybe it's not that extreme. Still a strange sensation, though.

---

Ha! I just read that "Sugar" from Survivor: Gabon (Yes, I watch Survivor. You wanna make something of it? ;o)) is actually an actress. As opposed to, you know, your friendly neighborhood "pin-up girl". (I know, I know. What can I say? This show is one of my guilty pleasures. Much of what's available on TV these days qualifies as a guilty pleasure!) She was even in a few episodes of Gilmore Girls! I don't know why I'm surprised, but I am. . . Oh, reality TV, you're so not reality.

---

The weather here is unseasonably warm. On the other hand, it's very quiet outside. I hadn't thought about it until I watched a bit of video we shot in September (I think). The sound of insects humming was so loud! During the summer, the humming, chirping, and buzzing never seems to cease, but by mid-December, the insect noise is greatly reduced, and I'd forgotten all about it. It doesn't take long, does it?

---

Better call that done. . .

Now, *that* will wake you up. . .

Living in a house where there are only adults and dogs, you don't really have to worry much about what comes into the house via TV, radio, and so on. Every now and then it crosses my mind that something I'm watching would require sending kids out of the room-- or waiting until they were asleep-- but most of the time, it's just not something I think about.

Sad though it may be, I think most people have come to expect that there will be (lots of) things that aren't "child-appropriate" or "family-friendly" on broadcast TV at night. However, despite the changing mores of our society, I was still surprised (before 8 a.m. this morning) to see nearly nude photos of Jennifer Aniston blazoned across the TV as I ate my cereal. That's not what I expect or want to see on the morning news. I pictured my (theoretical) kids: One minute they're happily (or groggily?) munching their breakfasts while a weather map dominates the screen. (Ah, weather. My favorite thing to watch in the morning. So soothing. . .) The next, they're looking at photos of a woman wearing nothing but a tie. That scenario makes me mad, and I don't care if the tie was strategically placed.

Call me a prude, if you like, but it just seemed completely unnecessary. But then again, so does most of what's on those stupid national news programs. . .

"Uh-oh. She's talking to the TV again..."

One little note before I commence grumpin' at the TV. ;o)

Earlier this week, you may have heard, the moon, Venus and Jupiter-- the three brightest objects in the night sky-- were very close to one another. Apparently this was big enough of an "event" that it was in the news, but the funny thing is that Donald saw it and called me out to look at it before we'd heard about it. (Mom, your e-mail about it went to the junk e-mail folder, so I didn't see it until today. Probably because it was empty except for a link. Guess I need to check that folder more often!) So, yes, it was pretty impressive, to just catch his attention like that. Too bad we'll have to wait until 2052 to see it again.

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Things the TV has made me wonder about lately:

Does no one dare tell Bill O'Reilly that "plasma" is not pronounced "plahh-smahh"? Maybe it's just me, but that pronunciation of his drives me up the wall!

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Why are "they" getting rid of Pushing Daisies-- something completely different from anything else on TV right now, that I know of-- instead of one of the numerous medical or crime shows? I mean, I like a good "procedural drama" (as "they" call 'em) as much as the next person, but there are so many of them! And the medical shows can all go away, as far as I'm concerned.

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Don't the news people (anchors and reporters alike) get tired of doing variations on the same set of stories every year? For instance: It's now winter, so bring on the carbon monoxide poisoning stories and segments stressing the need to buy carbon monoxide alarms! I guess that if they didn't do this, they wouldn't have enough "news" to fill their ever-expanding time slots, so they probably can't complain.

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Why in the world are we expected to want to watch award shows (and now, even the nominations for those awards!) that honor actors and musicians? Upon catching a very odd glimpse of the Grammy nominations last night, Donald and I were commenting on how there seem to be more and more of these programs.

The really weird thing is that many people do seem to actually care. It baffles me. Yes, I watch movies and TV, and I listen to music. There are even a very, very few actors and musicians whom I admire or think seem to be decent, semi-normal people-- but how does it follow that I must want to see them get all dolled up and congratulate one another on how wonderful they are at their "craft"? If we're going to watch award ceremonies, shouldn't they be honoring people who make a real difference in the world instead of those who merely entertain us in our spare time?

I suppose it was inevitable that it should happen this way. What group of people would want all this fuss, drama, and glitz for their sakes, other than the "stars"? And of course, the ones who make the decision to broadcast these lavish displays are more closely connected with those same "stars" than they are with the people who truly deserve nationwide recognition.

So, maybe inevitable, but still irritating and enough to make you weary of the world and the celebrity-obsessed.

This was nothing new to you, I'm sure, but I needed to get it out. Now that it is out, I can wash my dishes in peace. Thank you. ;o)