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| Monday, November 24th, 2008 | | 3:24 pm |
the novocaine is wearing off
ugh My phone was off because the dentist said he didn't think I'd want him answering it while he was drilling my tooth out. He was right. Temporary crown on now--will be eating T'Day dinner on the wrong side of my mouth. Current Mood:  uncomfortable | | Wednesday, December 5th, 2007 | | 5:13 pm |
That Was Easy--NOT!
On Nov. 21, I placed an online order with Staples to have calendars printed. The confirmation email said I would hear within 24 hours from the local store, where I was to pick them up. I never heard, but hey, it was Thanksgiving, so I cut them some slack. When I still hadn't heard from them by Nov. 27, I emailed the store. No answer. On Dec. 2 I called the store. I was told someone would look into it and call me back. They didn't. On Dec. 3, I called again, and the copy service center immediately put me through to a manager who apparently decided I was simply a pain in the butt. He didn't take my name or order number, but he said he'd check on my order. Huh? He came back online about 5 minutes later to say he was transferring me to the copy service center--you know, the folks who 5 minutes previously had transferred me to him. After being on hold for another 7 minutes--yes, I timed it--someone came on line who actually tracked back and found all my emails and agreed to make the calendars. Progress! Hey, he wasn't exactly apologetic, but at least I was getting the order done. They called me later on the 3rd to say they had printed the calendars, and I went into the store to pick them up this evening. It only took them 5 minutes to locate the order--which apparently once again had been lost off the books. I thought they might knock the price of one of the 6 calenders off as a way of apologizing. Instead, they had rung up a bill for $3 more per calendar than the web site had said I would pay but then showed the $18 overage as a "discount." So I guess my apology was that they decided not to overcharge me afterall. Somehow, I'm not feeling the love, and it certainly wasn't easy. On the plus side, the calendars came out really well . . . Current Mood:  annoyed | | Tuesday, April 17th, 2007 | | 2:31 pm |
| | Wednesday, November 8th, 2006 | | 12:34 pm |
on the hazards of my job
one thing that comes with being a professor in a journalism school is being called by the local media to be a source for a story. So I just fielded a call from the local paper wanting my reaction to the rooster at 5th ST. Market, to which I replied, they have a rooster at the 5th St. Market? Turns out they do--a live one. So look for me in an upcoming story. And if the reporter's smart, she'll have the following quote from me in there: "In marketing, small kids and fuzzy animals always work." What a way to make my mark in the media world out here. Current Mood:  amused | | Thursday, November 2nd, 2006 | | 9:49 pm |
got my paycheck yesterday
so I spent it like a crazy fool. (Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks, for those of you missing the reference.) Actually, I've been quite good and paid down the credit card debt accumulated from 4 months with no paycheck. I haven't had money to spend on me for quite awhile. But tomorrow night I have a formal dinner for work--"black tie optional" and held in the ballroom on campus. So I am now the proud owner of a $129 dress from Ann Taylor that I love--black lace over a taupe silk slip. I have the perfect black silk shawl to go with it, not to mention some original 1930s jewelry that fits right in. If I say so myself, I look pretty darn good in it. (Now I'll just have to see how many other people shopped at Ann Taylor.) It felt good to indulge. I might even--gasp--wear lipstick. I think I'll do my date for the evening proud. Current Mood: pleasedCurrent Music: HGTV | | Tuesday, October 31st, 2006 | | 11:24 am |
Brrrr
First, yes I'm back from the coast. It was a magical weekend. We went mushroom hunting (the Cowboy Bebop song keeps playing in my head) on Friday afternoon at Cape Perpetua. It's not a good mushroom year because we haven't had enough rain, believe it or not. But we found some nice chantrelles and had a wonderful, if strenuous, hike through the woods, going well off the beaten paths. I guess I should mention that we also found some of the real interesting mushrooms too, but we left those for folks looking for a more psychadelic and potentially dangerous experience. Saturday we hiked up the coast. John swears he just gave me my head to see what would happen, but he was happy when the rocks finally stopped us. We had hiked 8 miles downcoast to the next town. Of course, hiking the 8 miles back, it turned foggy and cold, but it was still great fun. That night we had dinner at a Japanese restaurant up the coast that was quite good. Nothing like Nabeyaki Udon when you've been hiking 16 miles in cold weather. Sunday we drove up the coast some more and collected fossilized clams on the beach. We only hiked about 6 miles that day--with about 20 pounds of rock each. We came back down to Newport and had a wonderful lunch overlooking the harbor and fishing boats. It was reminiscent of Montauk, except there were mountains in the background. But I got home on Monday to a 54 degree house. The guy is fixing the heat now. But the heat pump is poor and will beed replaced at some point in the next year or so. Ah well. Back to reality. Current Mood: chipperCurrent Music: Jezebel | | Sunday, July 9th, 2006 | | 8:48 pm |
TGWT--Part 2
Greetings from Lincoln, NE. The short version—Day 2 was brutal. I actually slept pretty well last night, despite being in a hotel and right by the interstate traffic. Being beat will do that to you, I guess. Got off right at 6:30 am again. Unfortunately, today consisted of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and into Nebraska. Scenery? Corn, milo, soybeans, and wheat. Admittedly, a couple apple orchards in Illinois broke things up a bit. And I did see one herd of goats. However, I crossed both the Mississippi (all casinos) and Missouri rivers today, so I must be making progress. I also passed the RV/Motor Home Hall of Fame, the International Wrestling Museum, and the birthplaces of Ronald Reagan, Herbert Hoover, and John Wayne. Quite a legacy the Midwest has left us, I’d say. And in case you ever wondered where Pay Pal has its bricks and mortars, it’s just outside Omaha. My favorite set of signs today were in Indiana—“Animal present when blinking.” They’re apparently testing a system that detects an animal on the road and warns you of it. They had solar powered detectors set up about every 500 feet for a space of about 20 miles. And on every one of them it read, “Animal present when blinking.” I didn’t see any blinking signs or any animals, so hard to say if the system’s working. When I last lived in Indiana, cows frequently got loose on the interstates. So I scanned the roadside for cows, but only saw one herd of Herefords, well off the road. No pigs, either, which is a big change from my former Midwest days. NC-based Murphy farms really has cornered the hog market with factory farms. Ugh. Traffic was quite a bit thicker today, and ridiculous around Chicago. And I was around Chicago at 8:45 on a Sunday morning. I’d hate to imagine it at any other time. It was also blazing hot today—mid 90s for most of the trip. And for a road that just really goes straight west, it’s amazing how many times you have to exit just to stay on I-80. So given traffic, heat, lack of scenery, and road squiggles, it was just a l-o-n-g 12 hours on the road. And while my thighs are feeling much better, thank you, my back and butt are permanently car-seat shaped. And my luck with rest stops is still holding. Stopped at one in Iowa—one of the few—and found the line for the women’s room snaking out of the building and down the sidewalk. I decided I wasn’t that desperate and moved on. I was sweating most everything out anyway. But my hotel is quite nice—great room, a lovely swimming pool that I had all to myself, and free internet, which I wasn’t expecting. Tomorrow it’s Nebraska and Wyoming, sliding into Salt Lake to stay with friends, which will be a nice change. But it’s an early night for me . . . Current Mood:  tiredCurrent Music: Gladiator | | Thursday, May 18th, 2006 | | 9:58 pm |
Guess I'm really moving
Bakubreath and I worked wonders today, and the place definitely looks like I'm moving out. Makes it all quite real in a way it hasn't been up til now. The hardest part is the last couple weeks here. Lots of work to do--final draft of book is due to the publisher by June 1. But everyone wants a little piece of me before I go, which I'm finding hard to deal with both time wise and emotionally. Had to say goodbye to my closest and best friend last night. Still not recovered from that one. Ah well, this is all in the way of better things to come. Gotta keep the goal in mind while the alligators are snapping at my butt. Current Mood: tiredCurrent Music: whatever Bakubreath put on | | Wednesday, November 23rd, 2005 | | 7:08 am |
for all you trivia buffs
FACT OF THE DAY On 23 November 1963, the first episode of the BBC TV serial "Dr Who", starring William Hartnell, was screened in Britain. The show was resurrected in March. | | Thursday, August 18th, 2005 | | 2:25 pm |
Montauk scoreboard
Termites 1000 Rosebush 500 Shakes 100 Prongs 50 Ticks 3 Pat 2 Took the shakes down from the side of the back door that had the termite damage. Found all sorts of stuff had been going on under there. As the nice guy from the bug control place said, no telling if they've gotten up into the structure of the house. Cleaned out as well as I could. Replaced the shakes, which required maneuvering around the rose bush. But this was a new box of shakes from Home Depot. They were much cheaper than previous boxes. Now I know why. They taper at the top, so given that the house was done cheaply rather than correctly, there's not much overlap on the shakes. There's now a wide gap at the top of each one. Can't be helped. I did place the shakes slightly higher from the ground than previously to help slow down termite activity. I'm going to the beach for lots of pebbles tonight to place in the trench I dug next to the house and below the shake line. In the meantime, Prongs, the resident deer, has eaten the hostas, even the ones in tomato cages, down to nubs. And he's left deer ticks behind. The latest one got me between two fingers of all places. No signs of Lyme disease yet, although this is my third deer tick of the summer. On the good news side, I just got the two outdoor floodlight bulb bases out of the sockets. The bulbs had fallen and left the bases behind, and they were soundly corroded into the holders. But I finally won. Go me. And I patched the floor and repaired the ceiling drywall seam earlier, so I guess I'm semi winning here. Current Mood: kinda accomplishedCurrent Music: seagulls | | Sunday, August 14th, 2005 | | 11:28 pm |
so I just lost my entry
will try again--darn storm issues It's a magical night in Montauk. Part of that is the fact I am coming from San Antonio and loving the weather. Some is the fact the wind is coming straight off the surf tonight, so I can hear the waves clearly. Some is the fact I leave here in less than a week, and leaving Montauk always takes a chunk out of my heart--every year--so I am conscious of what I am about to miss. So tonight I think of my favorite poem. And I know I don't have it right, but here's my memory. There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, There is a rapture on the lonely shore, There is society, where none intrudes, By the deep Sea, and music in its roar; I love not Man the less, but Nature more, From these our interviews, in which I steal From all I may be, or have been before, To mingle with the Universe, and feel What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal. Roll on, thou deep and dark blue Ocean roll! Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain; Man marks the earth with ruin his control Stops with the shore; -- upon the watery plain The wrecks are all thy deed, not does remain A shadow of man's ravage, save his own, When for a moment, like a drop of rain, He sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan, Without a grave, unknell'd, uncoffin'd, and unknown Let's hear it for George Gordon, aka Lord Byron. I used to have this poem on my wall way back when. (and it's only a small part of the whole) It defines me well today. It is unbearably romantic, but it also expresses what i feel well. This is what I live for, and what I am. And I am blessed to be in touch with that every summer when I am here. And it touches very well on what I felt in January when I thought I was going down. Should anyone be looking for a 50th birthday present for me, a calligraphy version of that poem that I can hang on my wall would sum it all up for me. It's my life, my aspirations, who I am. All in one. No pressure, just a thought for those who might be looking. Current Mood:  contemplativeCurrent Music: the surf | | Wednesday, August 10th, 2005 | | 11:31 am |
off to San Antonio
I'm leaving what is currently miserable humidity here for even more and hotter temperatures. Can't wait. I should be back late on Sunday night. I'm traveling through Atlanta, so any prayers to the airport and weather gods appreciated. On an exciting note, things are really moving on the Catholic Church in town again. It will be fun to see what progress has been made by the time I get back. Current Mood: mellowCurrent Music: church bell tower | | Monday, August 1st, 2005 | | 11:20 am |
Found: One paycheck
Bless our business manager, who got my email message, tracked down where my paycheck had gone astray, and walked it over to the bank and deposited it for me. I owe her a nice gift. Suggestions? Current Mood: ecstaticCurrent Music: weed whacker | | Sunday, July 31st, 2005 | | 7:29 am |
Happy birthday, Harry!
FACT OF THE DAY Young wizard Harry Potter is born today in 1980. Coincidentally a writer called Joanne Rowling was also born on the same day in 1965. Although born in England, Rowling lives and works in Edinburgh and has been adopted by Scotland as one of our own. (From The Scotsman) Current Mood: sleepyCurrent Music: Croutons IV | | Friday, July 29th, 2005 | | 1:29 pm |
great views
apparently there is a sailboat race around the island today. Current Mood: pleasedCurrent Music: ocean waves | | Wednesday, July 27th, 2005 | | 1:27 pm |
weather forecaster needed
Today was supposed to be 95 degrees and 95 percent humidity. Well, we got the humidity, which means we also have the fog. It's just cleared enough that I can see the back bushes and the church across the street--almost. So we have a high of 75 instead since the sun can't make it through, and it's so soggy that I'm having trouble printing. The paper is sogged in the printer, refusing to feed through. And to get my mouse to work, I had to take the hair dryer to the mouse pad and dry it out. Mouse was clean, it just couldn't roll through the puddle. Croutons 2 just showed up to be fed and was soaking, but not from playing in the surf, if you get my drift. And me needing to do laundry . . . Current Mood: workingCurrent Music: 104.7 WOLF or WOOF | | Friday, July 8th, 2005 | | 4:05 pm |
I wear my sunglasses at night
The lighthouse has returned as mysteriously as it disappeared in the neighbor's yard. But now it's sited right on the edge of our property, so that if she turns it on at night it will shine directly into the living room and my bedroom every 8 seconds. It may be time to invest in a BB gun up here. Current Mood:  curiousCurrent Music: wind howling | | Wednesday, July 6th, 2005 | | 6:31 pm |
SAS update
Semester at Sea captain dies; is replaced as ship docks in Russia Associated Press PITTSBURGH - A new captain took over the ship used in the Semester at Sea program on Thursday days after the original captain died aboard the vessel, according to the Institute for Shipboard Education. Capt. Jeremy Kingston arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia, where the ship was docked to take over the vessel, said Paul Watson, Semester at Sea spokesman. He replaced Capt. Antonios Kritikos, 59, who died of an apparent heart attack aboard the ship Monday, Watson said. Kingston will be assisted by Capt. Kostantinos Siamantas, who had assisted Kritikos and was the ship's interim pilot after Kritikos died. ******************** So Jeremy's back on board . . . Current Mood: amusedCurrent Music: church chimes | | 10:33 am |
complete idiocy
So for 2 months now, I've been missing a zip disk. Since my desktop died, I hadn't worried too much about files since I had them all on zips. But one of my crucial zips was missing--the one with all my former research on it. (This is the yellow disk I was asking you to keep an eye out for, Bakubreath). So after spending the last 5 days wallowing in a morass of cutting edge critical/cultural-postmodern musings on identity, which has left me absolutely brain dead, I looked up across my desk. Lo and behold, my eyes alighted on my spare zip drive, sitting in a pouch. You can guess the rest. Sigh. Current Mood: relievedCurrent Music: lawn mowers | | Tuesday, July 5th, 2005 | | 11:14 am |
oh my
From the Semester at Sea web site ****** July 4, 2005 It is with deep sadness that we report that, today, Captain Antonios Kritikos has suddenly passed away while onboard the MV Explorer. Faculty, staff, and students have been informed of the somber event and are joined together as a community to deal with the loss. This was the 4th Semester at Sea voyage for Captain Kritikos. The Executive Dean, Dr. Les McCabe and the Academic Dean, Dr. Ron Linden, together with the entire Summer 2005 Semester at Sea community express their deepest sympathy for the great loss. The MV Explorer is now under the command of Captain Kostantinos Siamantas who has been working for many years alongside Captain Kritikos and has extensive knowledge of the vessel. The MV Explorer is due to arrive in St. Petersburg, Russia on Wednesday the 6th as scheduled. Please do not hesitate to call our office if you have any questions. ****** He apparently had a massive heart attack. And now you know why they have a morgue on the ship. Ugh. Interesting as well in that Mats was quite sure he was sailing as Staff Captain this summer, and apparently he isn't. And I got a note from the chief pursar from my voyage, now on the Orion, that V ships felt pressured by ISE to hire her on again, so they weren't going to do it. Makes you wonder just what's going on, doesn't it? Current Mood: contemplativeCurrent Music: Kino |
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