CountryMouse's Refuge

14:01 This weekend shall be movie weekend. Kung Fu Panda, Wall-E, Wanted...and if it's still playing anywhere, Iron Man again. #

15:15 The cats are chasing a very large fly around the room. It's very entertaining. #

15:28 My sweetheart's boss is a jackass.On a day when most employees are gone at 3pm(by company policy),he schedules a staff meeting for 3:30.Ass. #

15:38 I have a headache now. #

16:17 I'm taking a bunch of "Likeness" quizzes on Facebook. And watching Burn Notice. #

16:25 Likeness app on Facebook: tinyurl.com/6chjyb #

16:41 Rackin' frackin' stupid boss idiot. #

16:43 I believe that this guy has no life, and wants no one else to have one, either. Jerk. #

16:43 My headache is not improving my mood. #

16:53 After all that, the stupid $%#^%@! didn't even hold a meeting. He's racking up some major bad karma. Jerk. #

20:36 Well. *That* was a brutal few hours. Migraine spiked horribly, with full-blown visual and nausea effects. Fortunately, it's over now. Whew. #

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When I get bored...

Its sad when you have to choose between filling your gas tank and eating.

14:39 back online after a 3 or 4 day hiatus. Partly for busyness, partly for being sick for a few days. 115 email messages. Ugh #

15:07 I don't know how, but I somehow managed to delete the RTM window on my gmail page. ::sigh:: I guess I'm still not feeling great. #

15:58 This is really, really nice. Enjoy! #

15:58 www.vimeo.com/1211060 #

16:57 I dropped my Tivo remote behind the couch last night. So far, too lazy to retrieve it. Hah. #

19:55 I am about to completely lose patience with the Troll's boss and job. #

21:26 I think I'm running a fever again. Bleh. #

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I laid down to rest my eyes from what appeared to be a headache from too much Sun yesterday. This was around 4pm. I slept until 2:50 this morning. I guess Ashley came home yesterday and had a conversation with me but I am not remembering anything except her coming in later in the evening and placing an icepack behind my neck to help with the headache.

I didn't set the alarm yesterday thinking I would be up during the evening. Luckily my body naturally woke up (a little later than usual) in enough time for me to get ready for work. It's funny to think that even though I went to bed at the uncommon hour of 4:00 in the afternoon I only slept 11 hours. It's a lot of sleep but had I "normal" schedule it would have been much longer. I am feeling much more awake than I did this same time yesterday so maybe I'll actually get some things done around the house that I've been neglecting.

It's a good day to be awake as my work schedule had a wrench thrown into it this morning when I arrived at the video relay center. Seems there was a serious S.N.A.F.U. in the scheduling and I was left alone after 5:30. In the world of relay you must have at least two people on the floor to run the center. This did not happen. One person no called no showed and the other person is taking the entire month of July off but was still on the schedule for today. That just left me and my laptop with the movie "Kickin It Old Skool" ready to watch. I'm not going to lie to you if you're alone for 90 minutes at 5:30 in the morning, this is a good movie to have around. Totally dorky. Just my style. I didn't want to get on the phones for 30 minutes when everyone else finally arrived at 7am so I did some extra "office" work.

Now I'm at the community college and this too has offered up an easier than normal schedule today. There are tests in both classes so my team terp and I split up the classes. I took the first one (Fitness) since going home before the second class is not an option. As the class works out I just sit around and wait to see if there is anything to be interpreted for the Deaf student(s). My team terp is taking the second class which consists of just the test taking and should be over within 30 minutes of start time. As this is a summer quarter and there are no classes held on Fridays, we get an extra day off this Thursday for the July 4th Holiday. I also have Friday off from the vrs center as it too is on holiday schedule. I could use the money but naturally will not complain for the extra long weekend.

I missed seeing Ashley last night. Rumor has it she ordered a pizza because it was too hot to have the oven/stove on. When I woke up this morning I found all my new skirts hung on the hangers I bought from Target yesterday. The skirts are not from Target. I bought a really beautiful skirt a few months back and sent it back to Indonesia with Ashley's dad. Since he worked for a clothing company there, he was able to cut me 12 additional skirts from the original. They are all so gorgeous so I splurged and bought all new hangers for them. I'll probably go through and bag up the old skirts I don't wear anymore and drop them off at a donation site. With the additional 12 skirts now in my wardrobe I only have to save up for some nice shirts and I'm set for at least another year or two before having to update with new clothes.

I'm still fanagling our budget. This whole gas gouging is really taking a toll on our finances. We are thinking about turning off a couple of things in the house until things get a little more under control. Maybe the cable (since we can go anywhere now and get free wi-fi) and whatever other little things we can go without for the time being. The community college checks will start rolling in here soon so that will help. When Ashley and I first got together gas was $1.79. Now there is a 250% increase as we are paying around $4.40.

I hope Obama can do better.

Water Dogs part II (Makezie takes the plunge)




Penny is an old pro!

Water Dogs part I (Makenzie and the river confusion)

Just outside my tent...

Ashley and I took a last minute camping trip on Saturday. It wasn't as last minute as some of our other trips as we had a friend who was already camping up in Silver Springs (Mt. Baker area). It was made of the awesome. The making of the Muck Muck (fire) was in full blast. Beer in the plentiful and a lovely river that flowed right past our tent. Took the dogs and makenzie got her first lesson in being a riverpup. We were in the mountain all day Saturday and Sunday morning so we didn't realize the heat wave that had come over our little part of the world until we came home Sunday and found that there was a severe meltdown in the ability to get anything done due to the rise in mercury of the thermometer.

It's hot in these damn parts!

The heatwave is slated to continue at least for today. There was no relief to be found last night except laying on the bed naked with the fan oscillating between Ashley and I. Little sleep was had and today I'm pretty tired. I don't suspect much will get done today as the tempurature is supposed to hover somewhere between 90 and 95.

My nephew Jaycob turned 13 yesterday. I bought him his own copy of World of Warcraft. Now he doesn't have to use my account in order to play. There are some pretty stringent rules that come along with me keeping his account active. The game itself was the birthday gift. The monthly membership is not part of the birthday gift. It's a learing tool to help him be responsible for what he needs to do around the house. This way if for some reason he is not able to "do his stuff" he wont have his membership paid for the month. This however is not the end all be all. Every missed opportunity has the ability to be turned into an earned opportunity and to have the membership turned back on. He's a great kid. His dad (my brother) on the other hand could use some parenting help.

Today on the agenda: Not a whole lot if this heat keeps up!

19:58 Lots of work done today. Me and the Troll are a most excellent team. #

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* Post 3 things you've done in your lifetime that you don't think anybody else on your friends list has done.
* See if anybody else responds with "I've done that."
* Have your friends cut & paste this into their journal to see what unique things they've done in their life.



My Three

Was a human pin cushion as a fund raiser for a friend getting top surgery (it was $1.00 per needle and you could put it anywhere. FYI, this is where I met my current partner Ashley!!)

Met my father for the one and only time when I was 30 years old.

Pierced Miss Nude Texas in the hoohaa

12:24 Drove the Troll over to Budget Truck rental this morning, to pick up the truck with which he will pick up the $100 freezer this evening.Yay! #

12:26 Because I am a freak, I am busy trying to line up free craigslist stuff to pick up while we have the truck this evening. #

16:42 So. Sleepy. Time for a snack-that-isn't-lunch. #

17:07 Ahhh...Foods by George gluten-free cheese pizza, with black olives and canadian bacon added. Cold, cold ice tea to go with. #

17:50 Talking to Dad on the phone. Always fascinating. #

21:54 bedtime. #

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And there really is! Split into sections for easy reading/skimming purposes. Assuming there's anyone left who's interesting in reading/skimming...

Work
Some of you know that I've been job-hunting since the end of last year, looking to find part-time work I can do from home. The reasons being a) migraine and b) spending time with my brother while I still can.

The hunting was profoundly unsuccessful. There was a lot of looking at potential jobs on the jobsites and finding yet-another-make-thousands-per-week-automated-bullshit scan, a lot of checking the local papers, and a few applications and interviews. Bugger.

Eventually, come the end of May, I had a big talk with Ben, ex-co-worker Muirie, and friend moonspirit43. The upshot of which was the decision to take the plunge. The next day I handed in my month's notice, with no work to go to. The vague plan was to be at home, and to pick up the occasional 1-day job or short-term temp position or inveigle friends to hire me for business-y stuff I can do at home.

Cut to this week, with 4 days left to go. My boss has (finally) figured out that me leaving leaves a big hole with no-one else able to do the work. We negotiate, and instead of being resigned, I'm going to stay on working 10 hrs a week - 5 in the office (on one day), and 5 at home (spread out how I like). I also negotiated myself a pay-rise, which makes me happy.

The advantage of this is some regular guaranteed income will still be coming in, and I still have plenty of time at home to either faff, work, or pick up small jobs outside of work. And it all changes next week!

Brother
Alex aka bigtaz is still deteriorating, albeit slowly. He appeared on Close Up a few months back, having attended a big hospice-organised day at the Pukekohe Raceway - it was very cool! (that link takes you to the segment in question - just click on the link for 'Close Up: Racing Hospice', under the 'Related Video' heading.)

Since then people have been just amazing in helping him achieve the goals on his bucket list. A few weeks later he went up in a helicopter and flew over Auckland for 2 hours, which I gather he thoroughly enjoyed. Then a few weeks after that, he and I attended the matinee session of 'La Boheme', at the Aotea Centre. It's his favourite opera, but he'd never had the pleasure of seeing it live - he was working backstage when it last was put on here in Auckland. We were driven there in a Cadillac as well, which was a huge treat!

Right now he and his best friend are in Queenstown, for five days. Qantas paid for the flights there and back (and gave them access to the Qantas lounge), while Destination Queenstown have been just amazing - organising primo accomodation, lots of activites (shotover jet, gondola, cruise, 4WD to Macetown, onsen hot pools etc), and most of the meals as well. Initially I was going to go with him, but we had a big talk, and he really wanted his friend to go - they've been mates for about six years. I was okay with that, especially having had the holiday to the Gold Coast with him last year. So they're down there, over the winter festival (even better!), and having a blast.

But he is getting sicker. There's still no time-frame for how long it's going to take him to die, and we just live with that. He goes into the hospice for respite every 2-3 months for about a week, and he also attends their social day, Opening Doors, most Tuesdays. I've been once (and will be going more, now), and it's great - a bunch of sick folk and their carers, lots of nice food, massages, haircuts, chatter, and the occasional guest speaker. It's fantastic, and he often comes home with little gifts, and with his nails repainted :)

Migraine
Still got it. Still mostly able to live with it. Still taking a lot of different pills to help minimise it.

Been over three years now. Go away, pesky chronic migraine!

Love
Ben and I are still doing really well - I do have an amazing husband, and I'm delighted that he puts up with me. Given that he's the primary support for me, Alex, and two mad cats, he does remarkably well. I tell him I love him often, and show my love with good cooking and lots of cups of tea. Among other things.

My poly loves are still doing well - along with Ben, I also have my lover and four 'friends-with-benefits' (all of whom read this *waves to them*). As such, I now refer to my dance-card as 'full' ... and to my google calendar a lot!

I love my life. I love having lovers who are friends with each other (and me). And I love being able to be open about it.

---

I've undoubtedly left a lot of stuff out, here. Which will give me an excuse to post again, soon!

The Welsh Fairy Book by W. Jenkyn Thomas

Exhibit A: My love of all things Welsh.

Exhibit B: My obsession with faeries, fairy tales, and folklore in general.

Exhibit C: The title of this book.

The defense rests.

More seriously, this is a fantastic collection. There's a wide variety of fairy tales in it--mostly featuring actual faeries--and I felt that it gave me a really good feeling for Welsh folklore in 1907 (when the book was first compiled). One can't really judge on the literary merit of folktales, but they're well-told, and most are entertaining and intriguing. A few had unexpected similarities to folktales of other cultures that I've encountered, and I would be interested to find out where these tropes originated (if it can be pinned down) and how they passed from one to the other.

15:59 Back home in Trenton now. I missed my cats terribly. Clearly, they missed me, too. :) #

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Here is a scenario of what might happen in October.

Around the second week of this coming October there is a day in which there are three or four "terrorist" attacks in the U.S. on widely spaced areas. The number of deaths will not be high, as the attacks will be accompanied by a warning that they were just a demonstration of what the terrorists will do soon. Some of the terrorists will supposedly be U.S. citizens who happen to be gay and/or lesbian.

(These attacks will not be by terrorists, but will be by a select group of people, some from the government, some from big business, and some from the Christian far right), but they will  be made to look like terrorist attacks.)


The Bush administration will declare a state of martial law. The presidential election will be "officially" postponed until "peace and tranquility" are restored in the nation.  There will be a number of executive orders (like Executive Order 9066 from FDR) that will basically "temporarily" suspend most rights. The Christian extremists will begin to declare that the attacks are a "sign from God" that the U.S. must fully embrace Christianity, and purge itself of "disruptive" elements (like gays, lesbians, liberals, etc.) and drive Islam out of the country.

Some elements of the U.S. military will be involved in all of this.

The result will be that the U.S. will become a theocracy. The Bill of Rights will, effectively, be done away with. Those who wish to protest this in court will find their way blocked by new executive orders banning any such legal maneuvers. No matter how anyone wishes to challenge the new laws or the martial law declaration, they will be unable to do so because they will not be allowed to do any such thing in court.

Muslims will be gathered up and deported to other countries. All evidences of Islamic worship will be purged from the U.S. This will be done first; afterwards, the Christian right will produce "evidence" tying in gays, etc. to the attacks, and the U.S. will begin to establish internment camps for them. Many gays, etc, will go into hiding; some will try to appear as heterosexuals.

The TV will also be heavily censored. Ellen Degeneras (might be spelling that wrong) will be removed from the air, as will any other programs seen as gay friendly. Schools will be required to teach the "evils" of Islam, and to disband all gay,etc. groups, and to make health ed. programs strictly based on abstinence.

Executive orders will nullify everything like legal marriage from same-sex couples. They will also nullify some of the State's rights. Again, anyone who protests will be unable to get their cases heard.

There will be some violent protests which will be exactly what the "new" government wants. They will use such protests to "justify their position" and to crack down on dissidents. The U.S. will, in effect, become a Nazi-like Christian-extremist state, with suspension of almost all personal rights "for the time being."

Bush will remain President, although McCaIn or someone else will be given a sort of co-President position.

There will probably be one or two more "staged" attacks, just to keep up the pressure and the media coverage.

The Internet, at least relating to things originating in the U.S., will become very heavily censored. People will be encouraged to turn in any sites that seem "un-American." Big Business will get even bigger and more powerful, and much of the Internet, in the U.S., will be reserved for them alone. Fewer and fewer "average" people will be able to use the Internet except for shopping, as costs for personal web sites will be increased so much most "average" people will no longer be able to afford to have their own pages.

More and more of the media will be brought under control by government groups and pro-government "interest groups." (Such as what ws done in Japan during World War II to their own media.)

The Democratic party, by various methods, will be isolated and severely reduced in power. Presidential elections will be postponed indefinitely by the government. There will still be a Democratic party present in state and local elections, though, at least for a while.

Why yes, I am updating from my newly reformatted laptop. It's so empty. I have 92% of my c: drive still available after recovering all the driver info from the recovery disc. I'm installing my World of Warcraft as we speak. I've also reinstalled Firefox on my laptop. I've missed it something horrible. I never did install FF on Ashley computer because I didn't want to confuse her with another internet option.

I will need to run out and get another cooling pad for this baby as it runs hot when I'm playing WoW.

Oh how I jump for joy in fixing my computer on my own. Not that I'm tooting my own horn since it was only having to reformat and then reinstall. Not that big of a deal. But still...

So my laptop has been broken for quite a few months. I've struggled with the now defunct "CompUSA" to honor my warranty which expires this December. Unfortunately they are now referring people to a third party removed for insurance claims. This in turns that a customer will work for months to get something done only to be shoved into the cracks of oblivion and forgotten about.

I decided to take matters into my own hands. I have now successfully erased my hard drive and am reformatting my laptop the partitions on the c: drive. What all that means I'm not sure but it sound techy. Hopefully this will put my laptop back right as rain and Ashley can have hers back.

Everything I had on there is downloadable again so not too worried about missing stuff. I think it was overloaded anyhow with all my silly little programs.

If this doesn't work out, the is a nice little computer store a hop, skip and a jump from my house that charges $25/hour ($200 cap) to give it a once over. they said their turn around time is 3 days. Not bad compared to the 6 weeks I went through the last time I had to get my laptop serviced.

*crosses fingers*

I can tell that this new schedule is going to be a little hard to get used to. I'm starting my first class and my mind is telling me that it's time to get ready to head home and go to bed. Normally I would be ready to fall back into bed in about 45 minutes from now. Instead I have to put that off for a few more hours.

I may not even get a nap today because it might be a little late and I don't want to stay up late tonight.

meh.

• Mount Rainier—Learning to Live with Volcanic Risk
  Neat info on Mt. Rainier lahar potential.
  (tags: disaster safety)
• The Neptune Society, cremation
  Saw these folks on Modern Marvels. They have a fascinating underwater city of the dead for crematory remains.
  (tags: death shopping)