All the Tweets That're Fit to Print!

In this age of Twitter and Facebook, instant feedback is king.  Even for the more reluctant (such as myself), it is fascinating (not to mention addictive) to see what people around the world are thinking and saying right now.  (Unfortunately, this knowledge often doesn't do much for your faith in humanity, but that's another matter entirely.)

As always, people are jostling to keep up with the times.  No-one wants to be left behind.  This carries over into the business world, too.  Which is fine.  It's just one more way to keep in touch with customers and let everyone know what you do and how well you do it. 

And then there's the local news. 

I don't know if this is happening everywhere, but I suspect it's a widespread phenomenon.  At least one of our local news channels makes a habit of incorporating into their stories the tweets and Facebook comments of random people who respond to the channel's own tweets and Facebook writings.  This inclusion would seem to indicate that the news writers think these comments are newsworthy.  You might be surprised how rarely this is the case (or then again, maybe you wouldn't be).  Instead, what you get is a telegraphic version of the old "sound off" columns in your average small-town newspaper.  It's pointless.  It's not even news!

Here's a good example of what I'm talking about. There's a story about a benefit concert that's going to take place soon.  The tickets were available for free, and apparently they disappeared within ten minutes of becoming available (only to pop up later for sale on eBay, etc.). 

Part of the story went as follows:

Shortly after posting that the tickets were gone on [news channel]'s Facebook page, several viewers vented their frustrations.

[Random Local Male] commented: "grrrrrrrr I wanted tickets." 

[Random Local Female] added: "Many of us southerners who waited for hours online only to miss out on tickets are extremely pissed...."

Wow, that's some earth-shattering news, right there.  I 'specially liked the "grrrrrrrr" part.  ;o) Why not just write that people were upset that they didn't get a chance at a ticket, only to find them snapped up by people who intend to profit by them?  (Is it even necessary to say that much?  It seems fairly obvious.)

I don't know why this is so particularly irritating to me.  It's not that much different from the silly polls they've been doing for years.  I suppose it's not even worse than when they go out and interview people at random, trying to get "reaction" to this or that story.  But for whatever reason, it just elicits my very best eye roll.

"Shop early & SAVE!"

In my e-mail in-box this morning there was an ad from a fabric store with the title "Shop early & SAVE!  Christmas Cottons $1.99 yd.". . . And then later on in the e-mail, "Christmas in June SALE!"

"Shop early and SAVE!"-- Well, they weren't kidding about the "early" part, at least! 

I know you need to shop early if you're to have time to get your holiday sewing (or other crafting) projects done in time to enjoy them "in season"-- in fact, it wouldn't be a bad idea for me to start working on a few things, myself-- but who wants to buy Christmas prints in June? 

In a month or two, the stores will be putting out their Christmas decorations.   It's that time of the year!  Or, well, not really that time of the year at all. . . but they seem to think it is.

Bullet Point List

Things from 'round here.

• This week, Donald bought a "snake tamer", a small shotgun specially designed for snake-sized problems.  (Of course, it can cause some damage to non-snake-sized problems, too, so potential violent intruders beware.) 
• We did a little practice shooting the evening we got it.  It was my first time firing anything more powerful than an air rifle, and I have to admit, even that relatively small kick was enough to rattle me a little.  After one shot, I was done for the night.  I definitely need more practice, as I wasn't aiming correctly and ended up shooting holes in the leaves of one of our satsuma trees instead of "killing" the cardboard snake target.  Eek.  I feel jittery just remembering it.  (I will improve, though, intruders, so stay away.)
• What prompted us to finally go ahead and get a gun for snakes was that a couple weeks ago our neighbor down the easement came to show us a sizable rattlesnake he'd shot not far from our yard.  I think he had this same kind of "snake gun". . . and I believe it's similar to the one my parents have, too.

• The continuing oil leak in the Gulf is big news around here, as you might expect.  Some of those beaches you keep hearing about in the local news?  That's where my family used to go for Saturday afternoons of playing in the sand and searching for seashells.  I remember Friday nights parked in the car, eating pizza, listening to the radio, and watching the water, then taking a moonlit walk just out of reach of the waves.  I go through phases of anger, sadness, and disgust over it, even though at the moment it seems unlikely to affect us directly.  We don't live on the beach.  We rarely even go to the beach, these days. We don't earn a living from the Gulf or tourism, directly.  Still, I'm sure it will have a domino effect on the local economy, and some of our family may suffer financially, even if we don't. . . If nothing else, I care about the beaches that are woven through my memories of growing up in this place, and I want them to stay as much the same as possible, for future generations to enjoy.  I believe that the area will recover-- with any luck, sooner than many predict-- but I don't think it's possible for anyone to know all the damage that's being done.  I think it will be years before I'll feel that the beach and seafood is as safe (as far as toxins go) as it was before, no matter what the "experts" may say. 

•  My Project 365 is still creeping along at a snail's pace.  I will finish it, imperfect though it is, but I don't think I'll try to do it again-- not right away, at least.  I think I take and post photos less spontaneously than I did before I started.  Most of my photos these days tend to be halfhearted and fairly boring.  If I could ever just catch up to the current photo of the day, I think the project would be more interesting.  It's hard to feel excited about taking a photo that I "can't" even post until I work my way through two or three weeks of old photos.  I need to take an evening or weekend afternoon and just plow through the backlog of photos. 

• Did I mention that we've painted the kitchen?  I can't even remember. . . Well, we did.  We bought the paint back before we had visitors. . . which was. . . in March?  Anyway, it had been a while, and I guess I had kind of. . . forgotten what color paint we'd bought.  (I know.)  I had been remembering it as a slightly goldenish almondy color.  Not so!  It was much more golden and much less almond than I'd recalled.  Not almond at all, in fact.
• When we start painting, I like it well enough, though Im startled to find my memory has been so wrong.  Still, it looks rich and warm compared to the pale lemony yellow we originally painted the kitchen (soon after the house was built).  Pale lemony yellow can be nice, too-- but that tint had always tended to look a little more greenish than we'd expected, and it was so pale that there wasn't a pleasing contrast with the new, white beadboard wainscoting.  We wanted something to make the white "pop", and this new color certainly does that. . .
• By the time we've finished painting, I've begun to wonder what we were thinking when we chose this color and why isn't the paint almond like I'd remembered?!  In certain light, the paint feels greenish-mustardy-yuck (if such a color is even possible), and I begin to suspect that I hate it with a fierce and passionate loathing.  
• Donald suggests we should just paint it a different color altogether, if I am that unhappy with it, because paint is fairly cheap.
• I suggest that it would be ridiculous to do so until we've waited to see what it's really like, because ok, it looks better now, so maybe that was just some really bad lighting before. . . 
• But on the other hand, why is this not almond?  Why did we choose this color at the last minute?  After months of looking at aquas-- then weeks of looking at sand and almond colors-- why had we gone psycho at the last moment and chosen this goldy, macaroni and cheese color?  WHY? I HATE MACARONI AND CHEESE COLOR (like we have in the office... which I guess is ok for an office, but definitely NOT for our kitchen/breakfast room)!!  Macaroni and cheese color should die a slow, torturous death!!!
• Donald argues that we considered this color longer than I seem to remember us doing, then demonstrates that it's not the hated macaroni and cheese color, but says that if I really hate it that much, we should just repaint.  It won't take that long.  Look, the masking tape's even still up-- all the countertops are cleared.  Let's go get the paint chips out again and get an almond color--
• No, that would be a waste of time and money.  We have to at least give this color a try first.  Ok, see?  It looks better with this lighting. . . And once I put some things on the walls, it won't be so overwhelming. . . Maybe some aqua or blue touches will balance it out. . .
• (And so on and so forth.)  
• Well, we kept the paint, and it's grown on me.  Donald thinks maybe it looks different now than it did when we first painted, as though it's shifted a bit after drying more permanently or something.  I'm doubtful that it's changed.  I think we've just gotten used to it. . . and it was never really bad to begin with.  It was just such a shocking contrast from what I'd been picturing for months. I'm thoroughly ashamed of myself for making such a big deal over the color of paint, but oh well.  It seemed important at the time.  I'd promise never to overreact again, but I doubt I could keep my word.  
•  There will be before and after photos, once the "after" is done.  We still have crown molding to put up-- just a narrow bit to match what's on the kitchen cabinetry-- and wall art / hooks / etc. . . . and curtains. . . and oh yeah, I still need to paint the kitchen cabinets white.  Maybe I'll show "before and in-progress" photos.   If I wait until "after" photos are ready, there's no telling when you'll see them!

•  It's only the beginning of summer (despite the fact that Sweden will be celebrating "midsommar" next weekend), but I'm already tired of summertime heat and humidity.  There's really not much more to say about it than that.  It's hot.  It's sticky.  It's thundery almost every afternoon (seems like).  Grass and weeds grow so fast you can almost see them shooting up before your eyes, and this is the heyday of the snake and the insect.  In brief, it's just not my favorite time of year.  Let the countdown to October begin!

Been a While

Yes, it's been a while.  I won't try to summarize anything & everything that's happened since those distant days when I posted with semi-regularity.  Let's just jump right back in and see how it goes.  Maybe my days of frequent blogging (at this spot, at least) are over.  No way to tell, really. . .

- - - - - -

A few weeks ago, a bunch of us (Granny L., Mom, Aunt Cathy, Aunt Debbie, Kimberly and I) went "yard saling" together.  I hadn't been to a real yard sale in years, but it was successful (and fun) enough to convince me that I need to go more often.  There's a lot to be said for the thrill of the (bargain) hunt!  

My biggest (both size- and price-wise) purchase that day was a little table for $5.  It looks like it was originally meant for a bedside table, but as we don't need any more of those, I'm planning to use it as an end table on my side of the couch.  (Yes, we each have our own side, where we sit 99.9% of the time.  Doesn't everyone?) While we have two perfectly good end tables already, the way the furniture is arranged (and the way it'll probably stay for some time), I don't have one on my side.  I've been using a folding tray, but this little table should be a strong improvement over that. 

Because the furniture in the main room is all dark-- either stained wood or painted black-- I thought the table, which is white, would look better with a coat of black paint.  Today I lightly sanded it, TSP'd it, then primed it. (The old finish was pretty slick in spots, so I thought I ought to do as much preparation as possible.) It felt a little silly putting white primer on an already white finish.  (Yes, yes.  I probably shouldn't use white primer under black paint, but it was what we had, and I'm sure it'll work just fine.  This thing was going to need at least two coats of black paint, anyway.)

So, we'll see how that goes.  I'd (kind of) forgotten how long it takes me to paint things-- or at least how long it feels.  I'm sure it'll be worth it in the end.  I did remember to take a couple of "before" photos, so I'll be able to have the fun of a big "before & after" reveal.  (Isn't it exciting?)

- - - - - -

I don't remember exactly when I last blogged about non-political, newsy things. . . It was after my parents settled on building the new house, wasn't it?  In any case, that house is a reality now-- is visible from where I sit (or would be if the curtains weren't currently drawn close)-- and is very nearly finished.  It's turned out to be one of those things that simultaneously feel as though they've taken a long time and no time at all.  (So many things feel that way!)

We'll soon have three new neighbors and two new neighbor dogs (not to mention a car or two).  I expect I'll see my parents and youngest sister more often once we're living a short walk from one another, and it should certainly be convenient for carpooling on some of our shopping trips and the like.  Also, there will probably almost always be someone nearby to help in a pinch (especially with my grandparents just another short walk away). 

. . . It just struck me that we'll be living two extremes, soon, with Donald's parents so very far away and mine almost next door.  People talk a lot these days about how small the world has gotten-- and it's true, in a way-- but it still feels plenty big when you have friends and family on another continent.  I wish it were easier (cheaper, safer, faster) for us all to pay casual visits. 

- - - - - -

Well, I consider the waters thoroughly well tested, now.  Pretty much exactly as I remembered it.  It's only a matter of taking the time to write every so often.  (Even if blogs are apparently no longer cool.  Where did everyone go, by the way?  Twitter and Facebook?  Both those places just feel insufficient, compared to blogging.  Oh well, things will always come and go, I guess.)

Young Boozer & Our Gal Twinkle

One of these days, I'll probably blog again.

For today, here are a couple of names we've been hearing on local TV and radio spots (though not necessarily the exact ones linked below)-- Young Boozer and a lady named Twinkle are running for office in Alabama:

Some might say that I (of all people) really shouldn't comment on other people's names.

So I'm not saying a word.  Nope, not a word.  ;o)