time and twilight

Isn’t it funny how time management sometimes gets away from you? For example, I’m still struggling to manage my time effectively since I left work, nearly two years later. I used to work nine hours a day (including lunch) and the drive to and from work was an hour each way. That’s eleven house of time devoted to work. Don’t get me wrong – I really liked my job most of the time I had it (at the end it there was no way to go up in position or salary, so that was one of the reasons I left). However, that always seemed like so much of my life that I would like to have for something else, as I’m sure many people do.

Then I got all of that time back. HOORAY! So I started doing all of the things I said I’d do if I had the time – learning to cook, play the piano, raising a guide dog puppy, reading all the classics, brushing up on photography, starting a blog, etc. It’s been great and I feel so lucky to have this opportunity at a young age. However, I may have overdone it slightly. Something always gets neglected. With all of the internet issues we’ve had recently I’ve trained the blogging time right out of my schedule. As soon as a space appears where I have time it quickly gets filled.

So, basically, I need to sit myself down and revamp my schedule. Some of you might be thinking, “Oh, such problems,” but I probably won’t have this opportunity forever so I’m trying to make the most of it. I’ve been MIA on the blog since I got my beloved internet connection back because I haven’t gotten that worked by into the priority list. I’m not going to stop blogging. I’m going to get back to my five posts a week (or so) if it kills me. If only I could be like my friend Kat and never sleep (I’ve jokingly called her a machine because she manages to do at least as much as me AND she has three well-behaved, clothed and fed small children.)

There. I’ve said it. I feel better already.

OH…and I finally read the Twilight series - all four books in two weeks which is lightning fast for super slow reader me. I liked them much, much better than I thought. Much like my afore mentioned friend Katherine, I didn’t like the second book very much but the third one was my favorite. Since I knew what they were about going in, as well as what to expect, I think I was able to enjoy them for what they were – a story about teenagers. The vampire thing seemed like something that was just happening on the side almost.

I went to see the first movie with my friend Lizzie, under much duress, when it came out. She had read the books and, of course, wanted to see the movie. At the time I didn’t care that I was nearly the last person on Earth who had not read them and vampire books (and the like) are not my thing. Now I’ve seen the first two movies and I can say that they are not a great representation of the books, in my opinion. (Read: They were awful.)

I probably still would not have read them if my neighbor had not offered to lend them to me. As it was, with no internet at the time, I goggled them up. They aren’t my favorite books ever, but I did enjoy them. I’ve found that most adults who’ve read them are either teachers or parents, either screening them or getting in on what the kids like these days, which may have been one reason why I didn't feel compelled.  Overall, I'm glad I finally took the time to read them.

Have you read them? What did you think? Did you read them for the reasons above or something else?

Better yet...

What's your best/favorite time managment tip?

blue

I want to participate in Alphabe-Thursday today because I haven't been able to in weeks. Frankly - I miss it.  Since I'm not prepared for this week as much as usual, I'm just going to wing it. 

When I think of blue, my first thought is that my two favorite people in the world have blue eyes.  (My other favorite person in the world has green eyes with brown specs.  Sorry daddy - green was last week.) One of my mom's eyes is kind of green so we've always joked that when someone compliments my eye color I always say it came from my mom's blue eye.  It's amazing how many people out there now think my mom only has one eye.

I also think of that song Blue Christmas that Elvis sang where the backup singers did that wooo-ooo-oo-oo-oo thing on the word blue.  Do you remember that?  There was a girl I went to high school with who thought that was so funny. She's the one who ate ground coffee dry, right out of the tin.

When I feel blue, the Bear often buys me flowers because he's the BEST BEAR EVER.  Stargazer lilies are my favorite, sans the messy orange bits.  Orange was several weeks ago - maybe I'm making up for lost weeks with a rainbow.

I also think of this teething ring when I think of blue.  It belonged to Phoenix but she didn't like it so Laura inherited it as a hand-me-down.  I don't think she likes it much either.  Maybe it's because she's not using it right.

Yes, I'm a terrible mommy.  Look away.

I'm also blue that I've not thought of a reason for Steve the electrician to come back yet.  Mmmm....Steve the electrician....

What? Where am I?  Oh.

Okay, so that's all I've got for blue.  I'm sure I'll think of an awe-inspiring blue post tomorrow.  This will just have to do for now. 

steve the electrician

It’s been weeks since we had a light in our upstairs hall because, well, when it stopped working we couldn’t be bothered to have it fixed at the time. One day there was a loud pop and a small fire and then…nothing. So we’ve managed without it.

Then we started to think that maybe it was time to call an electrician. Pesky fire hazard. This weekend the Bear finally called someone to come and save us from our certain fiery deaths. He came on Sunday morning. I was asleep at the time so the Bear came to wake me and I got dressed while he went through the pleasantries. When I was ready, I walked down the stairs and…

…the music started.

You know that music that plays when everything goes slow motion in a film or tv show because a beautiful person has just walked into the shot? I swear to you I could hear Barry White’s voice. Steve was the beautiful trigger that made the music play. Steve the electrician. Mmmmm….Steve the electrician

Of course I looked a mess. More than a mess. I looked like two messes tied together with an old piece of string. I almost wanted the world to open up and swallow me whole but if it did I wouldn’t be able to stare at Steve like I was starving and he was food. A great chasm in the Earth would have to wait.

While Steve was busy telling us he was a member of Mensa talking about light bulbs I realized that I should probably comb my hair and change out of my jammies before I started following him around our house like a puppy. (Steve liked puppies – he kept talking baby talk to our two dogs. This fact was not lost on me.)

This clearly pathetic state of affairs continued until he’d replaced two light fixtures and fixed our faulty wiring (which really was a fire hazard, by the way). All I could think of was, “How many of our outlets and light fixtures could I destroy with a hammer before he notices? HE CAN’T LEAVE.”

I think I’m officially a desperate housewife.

In the end I decided against trapping him here against his will and let him go. Part of that was due to the fact that I don’t want to break the law and part of it was the fact that I don’t have enough money to buy the car for the Bear that he would want in order be my accomplice. Damn you, poverty!

Then Steve the Hot Electrician left, in his tight tee shirt and tool belt. I really should have mentioned a career in the movies to him but I thought I’d help him out by filming his next visit first. You know, like a screen test.

His next visit.

Now where did I put my hammer…

i’m back!

Our ISP is still the dark spot on an otherwise bright universe, but at least our connection is stable enough now so that I can plug a cable into my laptop and get a signal. So I’m back! Tethered to the wall…but back.

Bet you thought I went on another exotic vacation, didn't you? 

A lot has happened since I was here last. First of all, we have completely redecorated our house, sans the kitchen (which really doesn’t need it yet). I’m very happy about it. It looks so much better. I’ll have to see if I have some before shots so I can do before and after. With the three bedrooms, lounge and bathroom we’ve done in the last four weeks, we’ve now painted every inch of the inside of this house (even the kitchen).

Which reminds me…

Remember when I said that the Bear was making me a walk-in closet? Well that’s done now. I don’t think any of my American readers will appreciate the size of it because it’s about the size of a normal walk-in closet in the US, but my British readers should get a kick out of it. We have a “bedroom” in our house that is a box room. We don’t call it that because we keep boxes in there – you can fit a twin/single size bed in it and that’s it. Literally. Being American, it’s a stretch to call a room that size a bedroom (which is why it’s in quotation marks above) but it’s the British way and with space at a premium over here on this lovely little island, I can kind of see why. Anyway, the Bear put shelves and hanging racks all over it for me and it’s amazing. Made to order. He’s very skilled with the woodworking, my Bear. I’ll get some pictures of that up for you to see, too. I might even try to get some pictures of other things he’s made me.

Also our little Laura has doubled in size. We got her when she was 6 weeks old at 8.5lbs and now she’s 11 weeks old and weighs 17.5lbs. YEAH. She’s growing a little to fast for my taste, although it’s nice to see how healthy and happy she is. Plus she has huge feet and I love huge dog feet. She’s still as gorgeous as ever. Her face is squaring up nicely and the one quarter of her that’s Golden Retriever is starting to show in the length of her fur. She’s the most beautiful black Lab I’ve ever seen. She also has a sweet personality, which helps. You can read about her here on her blog if you like.

I also read four books which I’ll tell you about in a few days.

It’s amazing all of the stuff you can get done with no internet access. I’ve missed you all so much. As soon as I publish this I’m going to start my long trawl through all of your blogs, starting with those of you who have still been visiting me despite my absence. Thank you! It may take me some time, but I’ll get there.

I’ll start posting more regularly now too, since our house is kind of back together again. So don’t be a stranger!

STUPID ISP

[Sorry for the short rant ahead. I’ll keep it brief. We both have better things to do. Plus there are better things at the end.]

Our Internet Service Provider is on my last nerve. We phoned them in June about our suddenly very slow service (think molasses) and the day before yesterday they “reset” something and now we can’t connect to our router wirelessly. I’m at my wit’s end. I can connect, sometimes, with a cable. Problem is that it’s intermittent at best and it’s not at a place in the house where you can even sit down. I’m desperate to visit people’s blogs because I haven’t been able to in WEEKS – first because the service was too slow and now because I have to stand up to check my emails online, maybe, if the wind is blowing in the right direction. I’m at my wit’s end (not that it was a long journey there, but still).

Anyway. As soon as the ISP decides to stop messing about and gets our connection actually working, I swear to you I will be visiting you again. I can see a day in my future where I will spend countless continuous hours reading blogs. Bliss. Until then, I’ll just complain. Everyone loves it when I complain, right?

Maybe lightning will strike their headquarters. I’M TALKING YOU PLUSNET. Not that it would help my cause but at this point it wouldn’t really make our non-existent service any worse.

Just so you know, to post this I wrote it on my laptop, saved it photos and all to a jump drive and then moved to the Bear’s laptop to hope I can upload it, maybe. Seems I was successful, as you’re reading this now.

I’m dying over here.

On the bright side, though, I can take my dog with me to the grocery store.

Well, the bright side is the bright side even if it’s totally unrelated.

have i mentioned...

...that I love this little fur baby?

No?  Well, I do. 

odds and ends ten (with after-school specials)

First of all, let me start by apologizing for not visiting anyone recently. I’ve done the odd visit here and there, but our internet connection is soooo slooooow lately that I’ve not been able to do my rounds like I used to. It’s been a couple of months since we had decent service and, yes, I’m pretty mad about it. We’re working on sorting it out, but meanwhile it means I’m not making it to everyone’s blogs. I just can’t sit in front of my computer long enough to look a five blogs, not to mention 50 or so. I’ll be back, I promise. I might even be back with news that both PlusNet and BT are both now called “PaigeNet and PT, Paige Inc. companies.”

Anyway, onward with the randomness. There hasn’t been nearly enough random on here lately, so I thought I’d stir it up. Also, I’ve found I’m much more interested in your responses than my own so I might ask you some questions. Prepare yourself.

First of all, I’d like to say that people in my hometown have been suffering with heat indexes well past 100 degrees Fahrenheit (that's nearly 38 for you Celsius folk). I feel for them. I also feel very, very glad that I live several lines of latitude higher than them where the high today is 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20C) and I do not have to gasp for air as membranes of my lungs burn and scorch in the blazing, blazing heat. Very, very glad.  Me no likey the heat. What is your ideal weather?

I have this weird thing were I never call people “aunt” or “uncle.” I refer to those people, of which there are many, as my mom and dad’s brothers a sisters. I’d say, “My parents went on vacation with my mom’s sister.” I think it’s because they are close to their siblings but I’m not close to them as aunts and uncles. Never really have been. I do get along well with (most) of them but it’s just this thing I do. I never thought it was odd until people in my adult life started pointing it out. Hmm. Curious.

In other news, I made my first pineapple upside down cake from scratch last week. It was the most perfect thing I’ve ever created. I like them but they are not my favorite, so I just sort of haphazardly followed the recipe and ended up with a delicious beautiful thing. I’m really proud of myself! I bake and cook all the time but rarely does anything turn out that good. I was so shocked and happy that I didn’t get any photos before it was gobbled and gone. Rest assured, however, that I will be making it again and will share photos and the recipe with you (it’s not my recipe, just in case you wondered). This time I might try peaches. What is the most perfect thing you’ve ever baked or cooked?

Oh, I passed my piano (grade 1) exam. With merit. I KNOW. Fear me. My piano teacher said he thought I’d do well but I think he was probably sweating it a little. He’s got laser like precision when it comes to seeing things that I make mistakes on, which very good – I like that in a teacher. The thing is, it makes me nervous. I’ve told you how the man misses nothing. I stand by that statement. He’s also a complete perfectionist. Again, that’s a quality I sought when was looking for a teacher. Still makes me mess things up in his presence, though. So I basically did better in the exam than at practice because the examiner guy barely noticed I was there which made it difficult for him to care about me making a fool of myself. Hence, me relaxing and good scores all around. Except sight reading. I am crap at sight reading.

Speaking of the examiner guy, imagine the scariest most stern, hard, cold person you can, staring down his nose at you through his half-moon glasses while speaking very quickly and cutting off the answers to the questions he asked you with more questions. That’s who tested me. He's the stereotypical mean teacher you see in cheesy movies and after-school specials.When I got back to the car afterwards the Bear said, “How was it?” I responded, “That man scared me.” With a big frowny face. 

Which reminds me - do you guys remember after school specials?  I remember the one where this family's house was destroyed by a storm or something and this kid got his hand licked by a cougar.  Does anyone remember that?

I have so much to tell you but I better not because this will be a monster of a post and no one likes that.

Okay. So I’m gonna go now.

orange you glad i didn’t say banana?

Remember that knock-knock joke? No? Let me get on my six-year-old hat and I’ll recount it for you.

Knock-knock.
Who’s there?
Banana.
Banana who?
Knock-knock.
Who’s there?
Banana.
Banana who?
Knock-knock.
Who’s there?
Banana.
Banana who?
Knock-knock
Who’s there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you glad I didn’t say banana?

Ha-ha. Aha. Ha.

Yes.

Well.

Anyway, the Alphabe-Thursday theme today is orange. I’ve had a bit of an obsession with orange lately. Even my blog has gone orange. When we were getting our gear for Peru, all I wanted was an orange down jacket and an orange sleeping bag. Yeah. I didn’t get them. They were waaaaaaay too expensive considering the amount I’d be using them. So I ended up with a red sleeping bag and brown down jacket. Just as good, but not orange.

I also really, really, really want this:

So much. That’s all I have to say about it.

Plus, remember this post where I said that the new $10 is orange? Some people were like, “What? You’re insane.” Well, apparently it’s not the conspiracy to confuse me since I left the US in 2008 like I thought. Turns out it’s been in circulation since March of 2006. WHATEVER, U.S. GOVERNMENT.

Here’s the link, so you can be like, “Dude. She’s not lying. It’s freakin’ orange.” Because that’s what you’ll say. Although it lures you into a false sense of security because on their pictures it’s only a “hint” of orange. In real life, it’s NEON.

http://www.newmoney.gov/currency/10.htm

Okay, so I’m going to stop talking about orange now.  Orange you glad you stopped by?

who would you save?

Warning: Controversial subject matter ahead.

I almost didn’t post this after writing it because most bloggers are mommies and nearly all of my readers are. I thought I’d be judged and ridiculed and no one would understand my point of view. Then I realized that the most understanding and forgiving group of people on Earth are, of course, mommies. I decided that I had not given the blogging mommies out there due credit. So, I changed my mind back to posting this because I want to share something that’s a little less cute and fluff and a little more serious.

It’s no secret I love animals, especially dogs. If you’re ever in the unlucky situation where I have to choose to save you over one of my dogs, it’s not going to turn out well for you. I don’t just think all human life is sacred, I think ALL life is sacred (except spider crickets – those must die). Yeah, so my family (and inclusively my dogs) are at the top of my save list.

This goes for the cat, too. Jessie’s chances of me trying to pull her from a burning building: 100. A stranger’s chances of getting pulled from the same burning building before Jessie: 0.

This paradigm includes children. Just because it’s a child who’s involved doesn’t change a thing to me. An eighty-nine year old person’s life is just as sacred to me as a nine year old’s. I know that there are gasps of horror all over the internet at the thought of that but if I have to choose between a kid and my grandmother, gramma’s gonna win every time. That might even hold true of someone else’s grandmother.

I just don’t think age is a good determining factor. I mean, if the kid is obviously troubled or a delinquent and grandma is a sweet, seasoned little old lady with lots of wisdom to give I’d rather give grandma a chance. I know that the kid has his whole life ahead of him but this argument is lost on me since Hitler and Charles Manson had their whole lives ahead of them when they were nine, too. Even if the child isn’t delinquent or destined to be a terror to the world, I might still choose grandma. There goes my career as a babysitter, I know.

I do, of course, realize that this will change abruptly when/if I have my own children.* I will put them first and I’m prepared to eat my words and totally go back on all of this. I’m very curious to see, though, if I will change my mind completely and start putting all children first or if I’ll maintain the basic idea and just bump my kids to the top of my “save” list. I mean, my dogs are near the top of my list now (after the bear, mom, dad, grandma) but if faced with a child and a dog I’ve never met, I’d save the dog. Every time. Minds change, however, so I’m looking forward to seeing what mine decides. *(Just to clarify this point, I know that I'll put my kids first, if I ever have them.  What I'm curious about is if I'll ever put ALL kids first, which is something I doubt.)

Light subject, ey? Well I’m always posting pictures of flowers and doggies and not a lot of substance, so I thought I’d try it out. I can’t wait to see what you think.

So, what/who is on your “save” list? Would you ever put an animal above a person, even if the animal isn’t top of the list? Would you save a stranger or your pet? Does it upset you that there are people like me who would choose an animal’s life over a person’s?

So…have a happy day!!