Thursday, January 22, 2004
Cool shirts, and lost in the 80's
Firstly, I want to say a big, huge, chocolate-filled thank you to my pal Val, aka the spiffy author/bard Cephalgia. She sent me an absolutely adorable Blue M&M t-shirt, which, as I may have mentioned, is absolutely adorable. Tango the Wonder Kitty gave his official seal of approval by curling up on its sleeve and bathing himself. Click on the picture at right to see the full version.
Secondly, let me say hi to Carla, who was concerned about the lack of rambles lately. She thought perhaps Tango had finally done something to me to prevent me from being able to ramble.
I'm here to report Tango has left me relatively in tact, although he did try to break my mother's neck the other day. She was standing on the piano bench, trying to untangle the Christmas lights I'd wrapped around the top of the piano. When she tried to step off the bench, Tango decided to jump onto it getting into Mom's way, which caused her to fall to the floor, flat on her back. She's very sore, but still alive. Tango was unharmed.
So Tango's working on the whole doing us in thing, but his plans have yet to see full fruition. Besides, who would give him catnip every single day of his life if we were unable to perform our duties?
Having an 80's Flashback
I'm on a quest.
I recently decided I needed to acquire every single song I ever liked from the 1980's. Ever since, I've been going through CDs and more CDs, not to mention tapes, trying to remember, with the aid of a very handy book called Top Pop Singles (1955-1993), which songs came from which decade. I now have enough MP3s to fill at least three CDs, and I'm not finished.
That has, of course, led to the start of a 90's collection, and even a 70's collection... although, I must say, that one includes absolutely no disco, with the exception of the occasional ABBA song. I do have some standards, such as they are.
All of this has really driven home a point, which is, of course, that I seriously need a life. But it's also reminded me of a different time, a time when I could turn on the radio to damned near any station and could recognize the song they were playing, by title and artist, in less than 3 seconds, almost without fail. I devoted a large portion of my brain to 80's music, and as I listen to it again now, I realize my brain is still steadfastly dedicated.
No wonder I can't remember my own name most of the time. Instead, I still remember the words to Wang Chang's "Dance Hall Days," a song I utterly despise, due to lyrics such as these:
Those are the actual lyrics. I have no idea why. But it was a different time then. A time when a band could be called Bow Wow Wow or Oingo Boingo, or even Bananarama, and it was okay. We all did the "Safety Dance" with the Men Without Hats, and didn't stop to wonder why they had no hats. I was utterly in love with the song "I Wanna Be A Cowboy" by Boys Don't Cry (sample lyrics: "My name is Ted, and one day, I'll be dead, yo yo yo"), because it was cool and fun.
A man calling himself Taco was "Putting on the Ritz" in his tux and white gloves. It was scandalous when Quiet Riot spelled "Cum on Feel the Noize" the way they did.
Loverboy were cool. Def Leppard were cooler. Everybody knew what Frankie Goes to Hollywood meant when they said to "Relax, don't do it, when you want to come to it." They Might Be Giants waxed nostalgic about Istanbul once being Constantinople. I loved that song.
I was so proud I'd finally managed to record "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor off the radio with my little cassette recorder when I was eight. Both Journey and Air Supply were played frequently by my older sister, and I thus inherited her love of both groups. Rick Springfield churned out several hits, all of which I still adore, even though he rhymed 'cute' with 'moot' in "Jessie's Girl."
The first full-fledged concert I ever attended was Debbie Gibson. And it was good.
Even my 13-year-old nephew has acquired a taste for 80's rock. He called the other day and said he was given an gift certificate to Sam Goody, so he bought Hysteria by Def Leppard. Did I mention he's 13? I guess it doesn't hurt his mom, also an 80's lover, is friends with the present drummer for Journey. He's learning by osmosis.
*sigh* I won't even go into my everlasting love of the movie Dirty Dancing, and how I have two different editions of it on DVD, and am annoyed because they just issued a third which I will also have to acquire someday soon.
On that note, I'm going to go pilfer some more CDs for 80's goodness. Let me leave you with some timeless wisdom via the lyrics from "Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leppard:
You just can't get deep meaning like that in music anymore.
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Monday, January 19, 2004
Sleep - the final frontier
I've decided, after much thought, to just give up sleeping. It's pointless, really, when one lives in this house. I have nine little and not-so-little beings set firmly against it.
This morning I was woken up at 5:30am -- and let me stress here I am not a morning person -- by two dogs needing to go outside. That turned into having to feed four cats, a guinea pig, and two of the four dogs. By the time all that had happened, I was beyond being able to go back to sleep.
So, here I sit at 6:30am, with a dog sitting next to me, and other who keeps insisting it's play time and breakfast time, complete with whining and bouncing all over the house. She's one of the two who got me up in the first place.
And Tango the Wonder Kitty... oh, that boy. He's been very... well, very him lately. He's left no potential toy left un-played with, and no moment to be cuddled left un-cuddled. It's to the point where I can't even go to the bathroom without him in there, climbing all over my chest, purring his fool head off, moving from position to position and staring at me from point blank range. It's a bit disconcerting.
My typical work day at the computer consists of the following process:
So I'm giving up sleeping. Even when I do manage to sneak a few hours in, I usually end up with two cats - Tango and Butler - fighting (literally, though they don't hurt each other... it's mainly hissing and the occasional swatting) for the coveted position of getting to sleep on my legs. Tango usually wins, so Butler ends up getting up in my face and batting at my nose until I pet him.
I love my animals, but they really drive me crazy. I'm still confused how I ended up with so many, anyway. It's wasn't intentional. But here they are, and despite how they might serve to diminish my already tenuous grasp on sanity, I love all of them.
Okay, maybe that proves my sanity has already left the building. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go pet/feed/let outside/feed/let inside/feed/cuddle with/feed/pick up after one or more animals.
If you see my sleep, tell it I said hi.
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This morning I was woken up at 5:30am -- and let me stress here I am not a morning person -- by two dogs needing to go outside. That turned into having to feed four cats, a guinea pig, and two of the four dogs. By the time all that had happened, I was beyond being able to go back to sleep.
So, here I sit at 6:30am, with a dog sitting next to me, and other who keeps insisting it's play time and breakfast time, complete with whining and bouncing all over the house. She's one of the two who got me up in the first place.
And Tango the Wonder Kitty... oh, that boy. He's been very... well, very him lately. He's left no potential toy left un-played with, and no moment to be cuddled left un-cuddled. It's to the point where I can't even go to the bathroom without him in there, climbing all over my chest, purring his fool head off, moving from position to position and staring at me from point blank range. It's a bit disconcerting.
My typical work day at the computer consists of the following process:
- Tango climbs up on top of the printer, which sits to my left and slightly behind me, and stares at me.
- Tango climbs up on the stereo, which sits next to the printer and is to my direct left, and stares at me.
- Tango climbs up on my monitor, which of course is right in front of me, and dangles his tail over the front of it so I can't see anything, and stares at me.
- I move his tail so it's situated on top of the monitor.
- Tango, after about 30 seconds, moves his tail back down in front.
- I move his tail back so it's situated on top of the monitor. Tango accepts this, as he knows a greater prize is to be had. He watches and waits.
- If I make even the slightest indication I might be leaning back, he moves in for the kill, and climbs up on my chest before I have the chance to register what's happening, curling up in nanoseconds, purring his fool head off. He knows I won't be able to tell him no if he purrs.
- After several minutes of cuddling, I decide I really have to get back to work, and I set Tango on my bed.
- Tango lays on my bed for approximately two minutes.
- Repeat process.
So I'm giving up sleeping. Even when I do manage to sneak a few hours in, I usually end up with two cats - Tango and Butler - fighting (literally, though they don't hurt each other... it's mainly hissing and the occasional swatting) for the coveted position of getting to sleep on my legs. Tango usually wins, so Butler ends up getting up in my face and batting at my nose until I pet him.
I love my animals, but they really drive me crazy. I'm still confused how I ended up with so many, anyway. It's wasn't intentional. But here they are, and despite how they might serve to diminish my already tenuous grasp on sanity, I love all of them.
Okay, maybe that proves my sanity has already left the building. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go pet/feed/let outside/feed/let inside/feed/cuddle with/feed/pick up after one or more animals.
If you see my sleep, tell it I said hi.
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Wednesday, January 07, 2004
The ice age continues
It's almost 4am and I haven't slept. It's hard to sleep when you're wondering if the trees outside are going to break under the strain of the ice weighing them down. Our house is literally surrounded by almost 20 old growth Douglas fir trees. Big, tall trees with many branches currently weighed down by layers of ice and snow. If one of the trees falls, chances are it will fall right into our house.
I've heard many of those trees' branches break tonight, though it's hard to tell when they're ours or the neighbors'. I can see some small branches laying on the ground in the yard, though I dare not venture out too far to check. I don't know where and when the next is going to fall. I've been told in the past I need some sense knocked into me, but surely there are better ways than to have a branch do the knocking.
We've had a lot of freezing rain in the last 24 hours, and snow, sleet, snow pellets, etc., since new year's day. Oregon may get a day or two of snow a year under normal conditions which rarely sticks where I live, but this is anything but normal. The road is shiny from the freezing rain, and I haven't dared to try going down the driveway, which is a small hill, to test how slick they are. Needless to say, I haven't traveled on the Purple Plaything, which is still a scooter and not a sex toy, in a few of days.
I did venture downtown on Monday (had to go to the bank), when the conditions were better, though there was still ice in many places. My scooter did come out from under me once as I was coming to a stop sign, but I managed to catch it before it fell over completely. My leg, which I used to break the fall, is still sore. I wonder if the person in the big SUV behind me on the road laughed.
There are two hills between me and the nearest store, so we're going to have to sit tight until the weather gets better. I'm running dangerously low on Pepsi... I know it won't last the day. Even my supply of M&Ms is near empty. Actual important supplies are holding, though there are things we need from the store. But they'll have to wait.
My sister-in-law's father is in the hospital after having suffered a brain hemorrhage, so I'm worried about her traveling to and from the hospital, which is over 30 minutes away from her house.
The weather forecast shows a high of 48 degrees on Friday. It would be nice if it happens, but I'm not getting my hopes up. Maybe my predictions of mutant snow people forcing us into an ice age in order to take over the world is coming true. You never know. Between now and Friday more freezing rain is expected.
We interrupt this ramble to bring you an important early morning 3.5 hour power outage.
It gets rather cold when one has no heat.
Power has now been restored. Thank you for your patience. Your ramble will continue once the rambler has dethawed.
Here it is, midday. There are approximately 12 million branches, big and small, strewn across the yard, to the point where, from a distance, our yard look lush and green. It is upon closer inspection one notices the green is comprised of 12 million branches. None of them did damage to the house... although branches are still falling, so damage is still a possibility.
The dogs were having quite the time last night, barking each time they heard a branch break. It's a loud, ominous sound. I couldn't fall asleep until well after daylight.
The airport in Portland is now closed. Schools have been closed all week. We've been putting out food for the birds and the squirrels, since the ground is too frozen to forage. The local news has been going almost non-stop, covering the storm which looks nothing like Oregon and a lot like Alaska.
All in all, a good time is being had by all.
I'm off to venture down to the mailbox, which across the street (and down the small hill which is my driveway) to get the mail. Wish me luck.
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I've heard many of those trees' branches break tonight, though it's hard to tell when they're ours or the neighbors'. I can see some small branches laying on the ground in the yard, though I dare not venture out too far to check. I don't know where and when the next is going to fall. I've been told in the past I need some sense knocked into me, but surely there are better ways than to have a branch do the knocking.
We've had a lot of freezing rain in the last 24 hours, and snow, sleet, snow pellets, etc., since new year's day. Oregon may get a day or two of snow a year under normal conditions which rarely sticks where I live, but this is anything but normal. The road is shiny from the freezing rain, and I haven't dared to try going down the driveway, which is a small hill, to test how slick they are. Needless to say, I haven't traveled on the Purple Plaything, which is still a scooter and not a sex toy, in a few of days.
I did venture downtown on Monday (had to go to the bank), when the conditions were better, though there was still ice in many places. My scooter did come out from under me once as I was coming to a stop sign, but I managed to catch it before it fell over completely. My leg, which I used to break the fall, is still sore. I wonder if the person in the big SUV behind me on the road laughed.
There are two hills between me and the nearest store, so we're going to have to sit tight until the weather gets better. I'm running dangerously low on Pepsi... I know it won't last the day. Even my supply of M&Ms is near empty. Actual important supplies are holding, though there are things we need from the store. But they'll have to wait.
My sister-in-law's father is in the hospital after having suffered a brain hemorrhage, so I'm worried about her traveling to and from the hospital, which is over 30 minutes away from her house.
The weather forecast shows a high of 48 degrees on Friday. It would be nice if it happens, but I'm not getting my hopes up. Maybe my predictions of mutant snow people forcing us into an ice age in order to take over the world is coming true. You never know. Between now and Friday more freezing rain is expected.
We interrupt this ramble to bring you an important early morning 3.5 hour power outage.
It gets rather cold when one has no heat.
Power has now been restored. Thank you for your patience. Your ramble will continue once the rambler has dethawed.
Here it is, midday. There are approximately 12 million branches, big and small, strewn across the yard, to the point where, from a distance, our yard look lush and green. It is upon closer inspection one notices the green is comprised of 12 million branches. None of them did damage to the house... although branches are still falling, so damage is still a possibility.
The dogs were having quite the time last night, barking each time they heard a branch break. It's a loud, ominous sound. I couldn't fall asleep until well after daylight.
The airport in Portland is now closed. Schools have been closed all week. We've been putting out food for the birds and the squirrels, since the ground is too frozen to forage. The local news has been going almost non-stop, covering the storm which looks nothing like Oregon and a lot like Alaska.
All in all, a good time is being had by all.
I'm off to venture down to the mailbox, which across the street (and down the small hill which is my driveway) to get the mail. Wish me luck.
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Thursday, January 01, 2004
2004 - the dawning of an ice age
I have proof. The mutant snow people really do exist. I believe I've even found their leader, if the size of the snow person I saw today is any indication. And he's wearing a hat. Surely that means he's the boss. Or it could be a she. I don't know.
We here in Oregon had a big (for us, anyway) snow storm on Thursday, which covered absolutely everything and left my neighborhood in about 4 inches of snow. Other places had 6 inches and up. It may not sound like much, but it doesn't snow here very often, so it's big to us.
So I was outside part of today, taking pictures. Click on the snowman or the snowy tree to see a few of 'em. Needless to say, I didn't go anywhere on Purple Plaything, which is still a scooter and not a sex toy. I get the distinct feeling I wouldn't have made it very far.
Besides, I would have had to pass the mutant snow person to go anywhere. I'm afraid to get that close.
In other news, I decided to revamp my SpecialWeb.com domain. I hadn't updated that thing in a few years, and it was in a sorry state. The new design is more compact and less cluttered, and very... well, purple. I seem to be in a purple phase, since my iwantalife.com and Random Ramblings sites are also purple. And, of course, my Purple Plaything is purple. There's probably some psychology theory which would apply here, but I don't really want to delve into my psyche. I'm afraid of what I might find.
I hope everyone is having a great new year so far. I'm off to bed now... I must rest up in case I have more snow to take pictures of tomorrow. 'Cause, you know, it's snow. And it's pretty.
I need a life. I really, really do.
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Return of the mutant snow people
They're back. I'd hoped and prayed they'd gone away for good, leaving our world in relative peace. But, alas, it was not to be.
Because they're back.
You may remember my detailed account of their last visit, where I predicted their eventual takeover of the world. But my fears abated when the mutant snow people seemed to fade into nothing as the temperatures warmed, the snow melted, and their semi-formed bodies disappeared.
But yesterday... yesterday I saw them again. Many of them were well formed, looking strong and fit. Some were even wearing clothing. Their time has come. It won't be long before we as humans will be forced to bow down before their superior snowiness. "Bring me my corn-cob pipe and a button for my nose!" they'll shout, and we shall obey. Put on something warm, friends, and prepare to meet your new masters.
Our only hope to survive, to escape a life of forced servitude, is to somehow capture the power to defeat them. Yes, friends, the mutant snow people have a weakness, one which we must, nay we WILL exploit, to save personkind.
Their weakness -- heat. Snow melts, after all. These snow people may be of a hearty stock, sticking around even after the surrounding snow has melted, but eventually, they, too, shall come to rue the coming of Spring and its warmer temperatures. Unless, and this should be one of our greatest fears, they find a way to keep the temperatures cold. Because then, friends, they will be unstoppable and the world will be theirs... well, except if we use fire, or portable heaters, or heat lamps, or some other such heat source, and point them in the snow people's general direction. 'Cause then they'd just melt into harmless puddles on the ground.
So maybe the mutant snow people aren't such a threat after all. Huh. Well, never mind, then.
In other news, the new year is here (did you notice?), and with it brings a whole new period of adjustment when writing the date on things. But so continues the passage of time. I took some time today to say goodbye to my animated santa collection and related items. I plan on visiting with them again tomorrow to take pictures before I put them away, but it was the last time I'd see them turned on at night, so it was a melancholy moment. Soon they will be packed away in boxes, and I shan't see them, my holiday friends, for another year. Once the pictures have been taken, I will put them online for you to see, to share in my sorrow. I know you'll be waiting.
I'm off to bed now, to ponder the previous year, and to wonder what 2004 will bring. Either that, or I'll play Yahtzee on my handheld. Happy new year, friends. May it be better than the last.
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Because they're back.
You may remember my detailed account of their last visit, where I predicted their eventual takeover of the world. But my fears abated when the mutant snow people seemed to fade into nothing as the temperatures warmed, the snow melted, and their semi-formed bodies disappeared.
But yesterday... yesterday I saw them again. Many of them were well formed, looking strong and fit. Some were even wearing clothing. Their time has come. It won't be long before we as humans will be forced to bow down before their superior snowiness. "Bring me my corn-cob pipe and a button for my nose!" they'll shout, and we shall obey. Put on something warm, friends, and prepare to meet your new masters.
Our only hope to survive, to escape a life of forced servitude, is to somehow capture the power to defeat them. Yes, friends, the mutant snow people have a weakness, one which we must, nay we WILL exploit, to save personkind.
Their weakness -- heat. Snow melts, after all. These snow people may be of a hearty stock, sticking around even after the surrounding snow has melted, but eventually, they, too, shall come to rue the coming of Spring and its warmer temperatures. Unless, and this should be one of our greatest fears, they find a way to keep the temperatures cold. Because then, friends, they will be unstoppable and the world will be theirs... well, except if we use fire, or portable heaters, or heat lamps, or some other such heat source, and point them in the snow people's general direction. 'Cause then they'd just melt into harmless puddles on the ground.
So maybe the mutant snow people aren't such a threat after all. Huh. Well, never mind, then.
In other news, the new year is here (did you notice?), and with it brings a whole new period of adjustment when writing the date on things. But so continues the passage of time. I took some time today to say goodbye to my animated santa collection and related items. I plan on visiting with them again tomorrow to take pictures before I put them away, but it was the last time I'd see them turned on at night, so it was a melancholy moment. Soon they will be packed away in boxes, and I shan't see them, my holiday friends, for another year. Once the pictures have been taken, I will put them online for you to see, to share in my sorrow. I know you'll be waiting.
I'm off to bed now, to ponder the previous year, and to wonder what 2004 will bring. Either that, or I'll play Yahtzee on my handheld. Happy new year, friends. May it be better than the last.
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