April 10, 2008
BookMooch
So my good friend Candace has been on me to check out BookMooch, and at lunch today insisted I create an account. So I did.
BookMooch is a website where you post books you want to find homes for, and as you send off books, you earn points to ask for books to be sent to you. Sounds cool, right? Lordy knows I've got way too many bookies around my house that could use a good home. So when I got home, and added a few books until Pandora decided she wasnt happy talking to the Internet anymore and my kid wanted something to eat.
I plugged pesky Pandora in and told her to sit there an think about connecting to the Internet.
I heated up a piece of left over pizza for Lila.
I sat back down, and had requests for 5 books! I was floored! One of the books was this lovely, super expensive hardback book, The Cross and the Serpent, I had from my history days at UNM. I've held on to it for all these years because I couldnt bear to part with it; it *is* a lovely book. I am so happy to see that it was requested for 'Mooching' right away. I am so delighted that lovely book is off to someone who wants it.
I'm so pleased. : )
Posted by jez at 07:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 28, 2008
Forcing Outlook to Exit
So on a whim this AM I downloaded IE 8 Beta for Giggles, and got one. IE 8 has "Activities," which are a flavor of browser plug ins that allow sharing, emailing, and incorporating things into Facebook and the like. One of those "Activities" is emailing something via Outlook from an Email button on the browser. Clicking that button opens Outlook and resulted in this:
Ha Ha. We all like to Force Outlook to Exit. : )
Posted by jez at 09:21 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 19, 2008
Help! My Dreams have been Hijacked!
K, so y'all know I'm taking these classes at the local community college, right? Word (specialist), Word (expert), and Excel. Aw yea, loads o fun. Really, I do like MS2K7 over previous editions... when I can find the right friggin' tab. And it's not like MS's crappy help will give you an image with a big red arrow pointing to what you want. or even a handy file path.
So this Saturday I spent nearly all day doing 3 chapters of homework and stuff (with fun breaks here and there, like 'put the laundry in the dryer' and 'mop the kitchen floor'). For whatever reason, the had-been-good-until-this-point-textbook took a break from reality and failed to clarify some 'click heres' in a few (most) particularly important places, resulting in some very hair tearing and frustrating hunts, for example, the elusive "Edit Image Design Tab" (which I honestly dont think exists). Finally, after doing nothing even remotely satisfying for an entire friggin' saturday, I was done.
Come nite nite, yea, guess what I dreamt. Word. Excel. Putting images into Word. And Excel. Putting Excel into Word, and Word into Excel.
Not fun. I do NOT think dreaming about Microsoft Products is remotely gratifying.
sigh.
Posted by jez at 07:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 03, 2008
Headfonze
Ah, the things I can now say to this man....
See, I have all this friggin homework that comes with these friggin classes I'm taking at Chaffey. I'm glad I'm taking them, mind you; I'm learning MS Word and Excel 2k7 AND enjoying an extra 300$ a month by having my student loans on in school deferment, but sheesh! I get to blow significant chunks of my free time on homework.
So back to our story. Since I have to *think* while doing the aforementioned homework, I've been griping on D to use headphones when listening to his music or playing his 'kill 'em all' shooter games (granted, the machine guns and death screaming sounds are shockingly relevant to using MS 2k7, but still disruptive to though processes). D goes off and gets a pair of skullcandy headphones. They work remarkably well - i cant hear a thing and neither can he, from the outside world.
I now find it amusing to stand behind him and say things like, "Jesus visited me in my dreams last night and I am carrying the second coming of christ" or "I'm having a torrid love affair with a donkey I met online" or "I'm taking your wallet to the Apple store, honey."
Posted by jez at 11:52 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 16, 2008
Reason 1 Why I Hate Microsoft Software
K, so I am taking office 2007 and excel 2007 at a local community college in order to learn 2k7 to teach it to staff (and, as a half time student, my loans are in school deferrment, aka 'no pay'). Since I am a 100% Mac G33k, I get to install MS 2k7 on our xp box at home.
Certain people in our IT dept refer to 2k7 as having the "Big Ass Button Bar," and boy, they werent kidding. There sure is a big ass button bar across the top of the software. But.... that big ass button bar and all the conceivably annoying menus that magically appear as you mouse near something can actually be pretty helpful... when needed. I quickly made a ppt. Which relates to our story.
So I am also curious about Outlook 2k7, so I thought I'd configure it to talk to our exchange server at work so I could test it out. So, I open Outlook, and begin to configure the account. I get the error message, "You cannot connect to an Exchange server in Outlook. Exit Outlook and add an Exchange server from the mail icon in Control Panel." Okay. I can do that.
So I close Outlook. Go to Control Panel. Find the Mail icon. Click "Add." So on, so forth x 3, and I get this:
Sigh.
Posted by jez at 08:39 PM | Comments (1)
January 05, 2008
We have this tree...
So we have this tree... It's called a "Fruit Cocktail" tree. Why? Because some brilliant person grafted orange, lemon, and grapefruit branches to generic root stalk. We call it FrankenTree. It is the meanest tree I've ever met... it has long, 3 inch spiky thorns and jabs at you as you walk by. We all have scars from its massively long, stinging talons, and I'm surprised none of us have lost an eye to the damn thing. Does it make fruit? Sort of. It makes green things that stay on it for 8-10 months, then turn brown and fall on you as you wander nearby. Some of them turn yellow. And they're *huge* We call them FrankenFruit.
Daniel decided to prune FrankenTree this morning. Unfortunately, he failed to notify me of this event, so I have no before/during pics. Therefore, I must improvise.
I do, however, have some pics after the event. Here's me, a *much* shorter and less bushy looking FrankenTree (omg, it looks normal!), and it's bizarrely huge FrankenFruit. And the cat, most likely wondering what we're doing playing around in the wet grass. Yes, do feel free to make fun of my cowboy pjs. I think they're a hoot.
And of course I also grabbed a snap of FrankenFruit. Here, we see FrankenFruit next to normal fruit, an orange and 2 grapefruits, purchased from Vons.
Notice how FrankenFruit is homogeneous looking, nubby, and generally malformed. The first year I lived here, each side of the tree produced distinct orange/grapefruit/lemon looking fruit. Not this year. FrankenFruit is mostly the same irrespective of its original location on FrankenTree and very lemony in its apperance. I think I'll try to eat one. Daniel says, "Sure, I help you. I'll call 911 when you keel over." Gee, thanks, hun.
I chose the normalest looking one that looked the most like a sweet fruit. It was a lemon (but it sure does smell good), and full of seeds (anybody want their own FrankenTree? lmk). But, a sweeter than normal lemon. So, I dub FrankenFruit Edible. Maybe I'll make some lemonade. : )
Posted by jez at 01:01 PM | Comments (1)
January 01, 2008
Ravelry n Flickr
Humf... Back in November I got my Ravelry invite... which encouraged me to open a Flickr account... which has created a lot of duplication of uploading and stuff of pics n things. I am exploring how to figure out how to mash the things together into one... Flickr has the ability to post pics to your blog, except that we dont have the appropriate files and settings on our MT server at work. And I dont have access to said server. And IT really doesnt have time to mess with it, either. So I guess for now I'll keep the duplicating up, and try (again) to be more verbose with my Blah Blah Blah here.
In the mean time - here's important links to my Ravelry and Flickr stuffs. : )
Ravelry - http://www.ravelry.com/projects/jezmynne
Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/jezmynne/
Posted by jez at 01:54 PM | Comments (0)
December 22, 2007
Yea, I know... "Where You Been?"
This time of year is always full o sparse postings as I'm busy getting things made for xmas gifts. Luckily, my fam always gets together AFTER xmas, so I get a few days of extra Hooker time, which is nice.
Work's been crazy busy - I've been getting rid of the many flavors of Rats (those pesky buggy things that always pop up and multiply like rabbits that arent super important but must be taken care of nonetheless) this week, as well as catching up and keeping up before my lovely 10 day break from work. Yaay, xmas. : )
Lila is such a good girl. I attended an assembly last week at her school where she received a merit award for reading. What a good girl! I am so proud of her. : )
I got a new phone... an iphone, if you can believe that, which rounded out my istuff quite nicely. It's a glorious little toy that everyone loves to play with. The best part - work is going to reimburse me for it since I use it for text, IM, and phone contact with my peeps who need library stuff. Even Lila loves the little thing and runs around the house snapping pics like crazy. Here's some of my Lila iFavs:
And my Favoritest of all...
Oh yea, speaking of iStuff, you *so* have to check out the The 2007 Holiday Guide To iCr@p
Been really busy pumping out hat n scarf sets. Like this one, for my niece. I figure it's safe to post it here, cuz she is 3 and definitely doesnt read my blog. =P
Posted by jez at 09:52 AM | Comments (0)
October 16, 2007
Yea, I exist
Finally got a new battery for my camera... so the pics will start coming in again.
been quite busy with work, lately. working on several projects, a few articles here and there, and a conference presentation. i'm really excited about the conference presentation (no kidding!) although it is a lot of work, but because this is one place where i'm an innovator. see, we have this content management system called Sakai here at work, and not only have i created lots of library handouts n stuff in there, but i've been teaching it and using it as a networking tool with my faculty and staff. it's been fun... but keeping me out of trouble, and out of fun.
i've also been lucky enough to get involved with the teaching and learning writing initiative here, and boy, that has been, and will continue to be, a real eye opener! it's all about creating writing in courses as a learning tool, and i am getting a lot of ideas on how to incorporate writing into my own library sessions, but more than anything this set of workshops will impact my own ability to write. i'm looking forward to implementing some of the things i've learned in my next set of writing. we're basing our sessions around Engaging Ideas by John Bean, which is a great read and full of some neat ideas. this whole writing workshop is inspiring me to write more, in general, so i gather this will mean i'll be extrapolating here more often, peppering my little bloggy woggy with text in addition to pics of crochet stuffs.
heading off home here in a few days... cant wait! I miss civilized food and i'm eager for breakfast burritos at Millies and the Frontier (my once fav hangout), some Cracker Barrel (a luxury we do without out here. someone please explain that to me, cuz i dont get it), and hanging with the fam. My sis is coming down, of course Dad n Stepmom will be around, and so will my Gramma! it's actually all in honor of her - she's turning 90 next week, and we're all surprising her with a visit! I assume it's safe to write about that here, as I'm sure Gramma doesnt ever look at my blog. : )
Today is Yarn Lunch... Ruth and I will hang out in the dining hall and encourage our students to come craft with us. It's chilly today... good day for a snuggly jacket and some yarn to crochet on. Working on a doily right now; size 3 thread and a size 1 steel hook. fun combo.
k, nuff for now. should go put $$$ on my card so I can eat, which I very much want to do right now.
oh, and since this is Random Ramblings of a Crocheting Librarian... here's some bookmarks I've made for an upcoming craft fair. Just to keep it on topic. : )
Posted by jez at 10:37 AM | Comments (0)
August 26, 2007
You know you're from New Mexico when...
1. You buy salsa by the gallon.
2. You don't think it's weird that everybody stares at you when you walk into the Frontier.
3. You snicker whenever someone from out of state tries to pronounce your last name.
4. You've had a school day cancelled because there was half an inch of snow on the ground.
5. You know what an Arroyo is.
6. Your high school's name was a Spanish word.
7. You still call the 'Flying Star' the 'Double Rainbow' and it's still the best place to get dessert in the world.
8. There is a kachina somewhere in your home or yard.
9. You have license plates on your walls, but not on your car.
10. Your favorite restaurant has a chile list instead of a wine list.
11. Your Christmas decorations include "a yard of sand, four cases of small candles and 200 paper bags."
12. Most restaurants you go to begin with "El" or "Los."
13. You hated Texans until the Californians moved in.
14. You price-shop for tortillas.
15. You have an extra freezer just for green chile.
16. The tires on your roof have more tread than the ones on your car.
17. You think a red light is merely a suggestion.
18. You believe that using a turn signal is a sign of weakness.
19. You don't make eye contact with other drivers because you can't tell how well armed they are just by looking.
20. You think six tons of crushed rock makes a beautiful front lawn.
21. You have to sign a waiver to buy hot coffee at a drive-up window.
22. You ran for state legislature so you can speed legally.
23. You pass on the right because that's the fast-lane.
24. You have read a book while driving from Albuquerque to Las Cruces.
25. You know they don't skate at the Ice House and the Newsstand doesn't sell newspapers.
26. You think Sadies was better when it was in the bowling alley and the Owl Cafe was better before they put in the turn-off.
27. You have used aluminum foil and duct tape to repair your air conditioner.
28. There is a piece of a UFO displayed in your home.
29. You just got your fifth DWI and got elected to the state legislature in the same week.
30. Your swamp cooler got knocked off your roof by a dust devil.
31. You have been on TV more than three times telling about how your neighbor was shot or about your alien abduction.
32. All your out-of-state friends and relatives visit in October.
33. You know Vegas is a town in the northeastern part of the state.
34. You wish you had invested in the orange barrel business.
35. You are afraid to drive through Mora and Espanola.
36. You iron your jeans to "dress up."
37. You don't see anything wrong with drive-up window liquor sales.
38. Your other vehicle is also a pick-up truck.
39. Two of your cousins are in Santa Fe, one in the legislature and the other in the state pen.
40. You know the punch line to at least one Espanola joke.
41. You think the Lobos fight song is "Louie, Louie."
42. You know whether you want "red or green."
43. You're relieved when the pavement ends because the dirt road has fewer pot-holes.
44. You can correctly pronounce Tesuque, Cerrillos, and Pojoaque.
45. Your car is missing a fender or bumper (or a turn signal and aligned headlights).
46. You have driven to an Indian Casino at 3 a.m. because you were hungry.
47. You have been told by at least one out-of-state vendor that they are going to charge you extra for "international" shipping.
48. You expect to pay more if your house is made of mud.
49. You can order your Big Mac with green chile.
50. You see nothing odd when, in the conversations of the people in line around you at the grocery store, every other word of each sentence alternates between Spanish and English.
51. You know you will run into at least 3 cousins whenever you shop at Wal-Mart, Sam's or Home Depot.
52. Tumbleweeds and various cacti in your yard are not weeds. They are your lawn.
53. If you travel anywhere, no matter if just to run to the gas station, you must bring along a bottle of water and some moisturizer.
54. A package of white flour tortillas is the exact same thing as a loaf of bread. You don't need to write it on your shopping list; it's a given.
55. At any gathering, regardless of size, green chile stew, tortillas, and huge mounds of shredded cheese are mandatory.
56. Prosperity can be readily determined by the number of horses you own.
57. A tarantula on your porch is ordinary. A scorpion in your tub is ordinary. A poisonous centipede on your ceiling? Ordinary. A black widow crawling across your bed is terribly, terribly common. A rattlesnake is an occasional hiking hazard. No need to freak out.
***************
Uh, yea. : ) Makes me miss home. Green, please?
Posted by jez at 02:05 AM | Comments (1)
July 22, 2007
Double Take
Found this in Phoenix this weekend. Yes, we just HAD to get gas here!
Posted by jez at 07:48 PM | Comments (0)
May 26, 2007
Pink Lemonade
Got a hankerin' for some cool hand made goodies from a dedicated WAHM? Well, I got a new site for ya. This is Pink Lemonade, and is full of all sorts of neat jewelry and other homemade goodies.
Let's support our Work At Home Moms! : )
jez~
Posted by jez at 10:18 AM | Comments (0)
April 08, 2007
The Enchanted Unicorn
DH and I went out to do our taxes at the same place his company does their payroll and whatnot, and of course I took some 6" squares to work on for the CL Granny Square Exchange. While I was there, our tax lady (who was awesome, by the way!) suggested I go by this place called The Enchanted Unicorn, which was nearby. For some unknown reason, DH said he'd subject himself to yarn shopping (maybe he hit his head that morning? Had a fever? Either way I was tempted to ask him, "Who are you, and what have you done with Daniel?" However I shut my yap as I can recognize an opportunity when I see one!) Anyways, back to our story about The Enchanted Unicorn.
It was a neat store full of exquisite fibers from cottons to wools to silk with everything in between. I saw for the first time in my life a Chibi needle, which everyone raves about on CL, I saw a swift and winder, which was cool (I still wind hanks as Gramma taught me - over 2 chairs and by hand), I saw a gianormous needle for broomstick lace and learned a little more about hairpin lace, which I am on fire to learn. I handled tons of lovely yarn, so soft, with bright colors, and I browsed their magazines and pattern books.
However..... and this is a BIG however, one lady kept following me around the store bugging me to learn to knit. I explained to her that I was an accomplished crocheter of 29 years and very dedicated to my handiwork, and that I'd even learned to knit but didnt like it at all. I explained that I have a healthy respect for knitters but that I was thoroughly dedicated to my art of crochet. The result? She continued to follow me around the store, telling me that I should reconsider and take knitting classes and that she would teach me properly. No matter how many times I said, 'No' to this woman, she would not let up. I was thoroughy miffed! I felt like my talent as a crocheter was not encouraged nor welcomed at the Enchanted Unicorn.
Boo!!! Hiss!!! Although that store was jam packed with stuff I truly want to aquire, I'll not go back. Not till I get an apology (yes, I emailed them from their website) and a promise that I could shop there, without harassment, as a crocheter.
: (
Posted by jez at 11:14 AM | Comments (1)
January 29, 2007
The Universe Does Not Want Me To Work Out
sigh... like most Americans, I am not active enough. my 2 primary hobbies, the Internet and crochet, do not lead to much strenuous activity, to say the least, so I go to the gym here at HMC before work in the mornings. today was our first Monday back, and, uh, yeah.
so i get there a little late but still with enough time for a good workout, and as I stand there in the shower, soaped up, I realize i've forgotten my towel. you'd think I'd've learned from The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy to always have my towel with me, but today you get to call me Arthur Dent.
So thinking fast and on the fly, I decide I can use my gym shirt (which is pretty large to hide my extra poundage due to my mouse potato lifestyle) to dry off. thus, I resume my leisurely soaping and rinsing, having a gay ole time in the warm water.
However... when I'm done showering I shut off the water and think to myself, "Gee, the floor looks unusually shiny." see, I do not see so well without my glasses on, and I neglect to realize till I've turned the water off that the little non skid rubber mat is conveniently covering the drain hole, and although it has little holes itself, without sufficent drainage a lovely little lake is created. where my stuff is. a lake. of water. wet water. yes, do let your imagination run wild at this point. ~sigh~ thankfully I've left my clothes on a bench, but everything else, bag, shoes, socks, and yes, my emergency 'towel' AKA gym shirt, is sopping wet. made for an interesting attempt at getting ready for work.
needless to say, it's another manic Monday morning and I'm wishing it were a Sunday. at least today I dont have any appointments or classes to teach, like the day last week when I spilled gas all over my pants and had to teach 2 classes, meet with a math faculty member and volunteer at my kid's school before being able to sneek home to change.
well, they do say life is an adventure, not a guided tour... *lol*
Posted by jez at 09:34 AM | Comments (1)
January 15, 2007
Catchin' Up
been busy... work was crazy with stuff after xmas break, and then i've had a pretty nasty cold distrubuted by some beloved member of the household. but, today is a rare luxury - Lila is with the Luceros and Daniel is working. yup, i have a day of quiet all to myself. : ) and Daniel was soooo quiet this morning, i slept till 10. wow!
so i'm tired of Pogo for the time being and relatively caught up on my crochet and email, so i think i'll catch up on post i've been meaning to do.
of course i crocheted gifts for the family. : ) I made Gramma a nice lap 'ghan/shawl out of Bernat's Galaxy, in Saturn. It was hateful yarn to crochet with as it got all tangled up in its gobs of fiber that makes it nubby boulce. but, the shawl turned out pretty nice and very warm.
I made a plain hat n scarf set for my Dad out of TCL Amore in Navy, and a doily for Mom. I was just kinda messing around with pineapples, and the doily started to bowl, so I ran with it. it would be perfect for holding potpouri or under a bowl or vase, and i think it turned out pretty cool.
we also took a marvelous trip to Salt Lake to visit with the fam; everyone was there as Gramma, Dad, and StepMom drove up from Albuquerque. it's cold there and Lila needed a hat and scarf. I whipped one up in record time on xmas day out of Moda Dea Wild in Hot Tamale and Aunt Lydia's size 10 cotton in Red. It's a very interesting combination and made for a sturdy, warm, and heavy combination. We've already lost the hat (dammit!), but i'm hoping it will turn up at Mom's somewhere. Turned out really cute, though, and Lila was so excited to open it.
we all had a great time hanging out with the fam and Lila really came out of her shell. : )
Before:
After:
Posted by jez at 01:43 PM | Comments (0)
December 22, 2006
Bah, Humbug!
You know, I don't celebrate Christmas. I've not cared much for it since I was about 8 and learned that trees die when you cut them down. And let's not even go there about this split from something spritual and family oriented to a commercial free-for-all at Target and Best Buy. But anyways. Back to our story.
So I volunteer an hour each week in my daughter's school library when her class is there. The librarian and I take turns reading books to the children, sometimes I tell stories, and we help the children find books to check out for the week. I arrive early yesterday, and the librarian eagerly tells me about this exquisite pop up book she wants to read, how she knows the author and that the book is beautiful, and then she drops the bombshell - it's the 12 days of xmas, and she expects me to sing it. Uhhh.... right.
We begin by introducting the book to the children, and turn to the first page where I begin, "on the first day of xmas, my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree." k, got that part. Then, "on the second day of xmas, my true love gave to me.... pause... (insert image of me leaning over the librarian frantically trying to read the text of the book because I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE WORDS ARE TO THIS FRIGGIN' SONG)." yeah, it went like that.
By the fourth day of xmas, the librarian figured out I did not know this particular xmas carol and would intentionally SHOW me the page so I knew what to sing. Sigh. By the fifth day, she's begun to sing, too, and has encouarged the children to join us, even selecting one vocal young'un to solo 'the partridge in a pear tree' part (of course... it's the one part i knew). All the children are merrilly singing along, me stumbling along, trying to figure out what gift is next while simultaneously remembering the sequence as we count back down, and I look down on to the face of my lovely Lila. She is sitting there, slack jawed and more than a little confused with all this merrymaking and group sing-songing; clearly she doesnt know the words to this particular xmas carol, either. I simultaneously feel bad that I've maybe let her down a little bit yet happy that I'm not the only one who doesn't know what the hell's going on.
I read them a book about Hannukkah when we finished the carol travesty. For Jen. : )
Posted by jez at 04:12 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
December 21, 2006
GIS Your Thanksgiving
Wow, this is cool! Click the link below to see a GIS created map of where Thanksgiving Dinner comes from. Who knew Wisconsin did so much agriculture??? And we all know about Idaho Potatoes, but I had no idea North Carolina had the corner on the sweet potato market!!! Excellent fun!
http://www.indiana.edu/~libgeol/turkeyday/trkyday02.pdf
Posted by jez at 01:29 PM | Comments (0)
December 19, 2006
New Coat!
We're going to Salt Lake City to visit the family this year - everyone from Mom, Dad, StepMom, StepDad, Gramma, Siblings, Cousins, congregates in one place the week after Xmas to hang out. This year, Mom's hosting, and I'm excited to go! I haven't seen the fam in ages. Plus, this will be Daniel's first trip to Salt Lake, which is actually a pretty cool little city. Added bonus - they have Cracker Barrel; a luxury not found in California!!! In planning for the trip, I realized that 'winter' in California has not left us with much warm clothing for a place that has real winter. So, I dug around in my long neglected sewing stash, found some fleece, a pattern, thread, and decided I needed a warm coat.
It was a super easy pattern and I made the entire thing on Sunday. It's huge, far bulkier than I expected, but hey, it's damn warm!!! I also used the decorative stitching thingie on my machine to topstitch something fancy to match the buttons, too. That took forever and made my feet hurt (I prefer to sew standing up at a counter).
I hate nylon lining (cold on bare arms) so I dug around in my old diaper makin' stash and found some nice cream colored microfleece, which I used to line the coat with. I'm certain the microfleece is what makes the coat so bulky, but wow, it's super warm and extremely soft!
Overall, I'm pretty pleased with my new coat. It's incredibly warm and soft, very roomy with huge pockets, and looks decent. Now to crochet up some hats n scarves...
Posted by jez at 10:10 AM | Comments (2)
September 14, 2006
Angry Octopus
Oh, and have I mentioned that I am the Mother of the most wonderful, creative little child ever? She came home with this the other day, proudly proclaiming, "Mommy, this is Angry Octopus!"
Now why would he be angry? Could it be because he only has seven arms? Maybe that one of his arms is sort of stuck onto him as an afterthought? Or perhaps because he's recently filled up his pickup truck at the gas pump or paid five bucks for a thing of creamer at Vons? He looks a little on the psycho side, but I dont think Lila's learned that vocabulary word just yet. Just look at his eyes... and that maniacal grin... I totally empathize with that look. yeah, he's nuts.
But I love him so. How could you not? Angry Octopus rocks!!!
Posted by jez at 01:54 PM | Comments (0)
August 17, 2006
Presents for Grammy, Grandpa, and Tanta
I have the sweetest little child ever. Lila got a box of clothes and goodies from Grammy (my Mom), Grandpa Jerry (my stepdad), and Tanta (my sis), and was so delighted that she decided to make some mail for them. She drew pictures and made art, then took colored construction paper and 'wrapped' them, complete with white printer paper strips for ribbon. She even made tags, bless her gentle heart, although she wrote 'to' Lila instead of 'from' Lila. Nonetheless, I think that's pretty darn good for an unsupervised five year old!!!
Posted by jez at 07:24 AM | Comments (0)
August 10, 2006
Bye Bye, My Beloved Tee Tee
My heart is breaking... my beloved Tee Tee, my kitty of 10 years, died yesterday. She became ill about a month ago, and with little money to spend on labs and whatnot, we only had the option to make her comfortable until the time came for her to go. Yesterday, I planned to take her to the vet, but the sneeky little girl got out and hid under the stairs. I couldn't, no matter what the bribe, get her to emerge, so I had to wait until Daniel came home. He had to completely tear the stairs apart in order for me to get her out. When I did, I saw that she was unable to stand, her legs twitching and reaching out. She cried and cried, and choked on the water I tried to give her through a syringe. It was time; my Tee Tee was suffering. I took her in, and held her in my arms, stroking her, telling her she was a good kitty and that we loved her, until the vet gave her the medicine to take her into the next world. I will miss my Tee Tee.
I first got my Tee Tee in 1996 as a companion kitty for my Baby Ivan kitty. I got her from a shelter; she was one of several feral animals taken from a rural part of New Mexico. The shelter said that even though she was four months old, it was unlikely that she would adjust to domesticated life, and that if she remained wild I could bring her back. However, I was drawn to her, as she was an exact replica of a kitty my Grandparents had when I was a young girl. I named her Tycee, after that kitty my Grandparents had. She was a wild thing, and it took about a year for her to emerge from under the furniture, but when she did, she was the best kitty anyone could have. She was ferocious as a hunter! She killed prairie dogs that got into our back yard. In an apartment building infested with mice, we never had one. Only mice parts did we find. She kept any animal that didn't live with us out of the yard; it was *her* territory! She ran the household and kept every other animal we had in line. She was a good kitty.
When I had my daughter, Lila, Tycee became like a second Mommy, meowing and pawing at me when Lila cried. She watched over Lila, and was so good to her. In all the ear and hair pulling, tail yanking and rough hugging and child play, Tycee never once scratched Lila. She was patient and gentle and kind. Pointing to Tycee, "Tee Tee" was Lila's first word, and so Tee Tee she became.
I love my Tee Tee. She was my companion for 10 years, the cat no one thought would easily adjust to domesticated life. But she did; she was a survivor, strong and tough and always there to watch over the house, my daughter and myself. I love you still, my Tee Tee. I miss you so.
Posted by jez at 10:28 AM | Comments (1)
July 18, 2006
Those New Hummer Commercials...
seen 'em? ugh. i've never really formed an opinion about the whole Hummer thing... to each their own, i say. but the new commercials are just over the top and have completely altered my view on anyone who drives a Hummer.
Commercial #1 -
Mommy and Jake are on the playground. Mommy and Jake are waiting in line at the slide, and another Mommy and son take cuts. Mommy says, "Jake was next." to which Other Mommy replies, "Well now we're next." Mommy keeps her mouth shut and stands by meekly while Other Mommy and child enjoys the slide. Mommy then grabs Jake, rushes to the nearest Hummer dealership, buys the silly thing slamming the pen down on the desk and drives off to the slogan, "Get your girl on."
k, let's review. if you're a pushover and you fail to stand up for yourself and your kid, you make yourself feel better with frivolous purchases and you drive a Hummer. ooooh, makes me want to go right out and buy one.
Commercial #2 -
Man #1 is at the grocery store purchasing healthy foods such as tofu and veggies. he sees Man #2 line up behind him, dumping the contents of a small butcher shop onto the conveyor belt. interesting to note that the meat was all unpackaged. Man #1 eyes the meat longingly while Man #2 eyes the tofu and veggies with equal suspicion. Man #1, obviously married to Mommy above, leaves the store and rushes to purchase a Hummer and drives off to the slogan, "Restore your manhood." wait, i'm confused. i thought that was what Viagra was for???
k, let's review. if you make healthy eating choices and have very low self esteem about such healthy eating choices you are less of a man and require something to 'restore your manhood.' we can now deduce that any man who drives a Hummer eats healthy but feels badly for it, plus he lacks the critical thinking skills that would allow him to formulate a balanced meal of veggies and a burger. right.
so, overall, Hummer is loudly proclaiming that people who fail to stand up for themselves and have low self esteem should drive their vehicles. great. just what we need - overzealous, passive agressive personalities running loose on our roads feeling better about themselves by bullying everyone else in an obese, dangerous, commodity guzzling vehicle. boy, if i owned a Hummer and saw those commercials I'd be pissed.
What i've learned -
see an aggressive Hummer driver? offer them cuts or red meat and you'll be a okay.
Posted by jez at 07:54 AM | Comments (0)
July 08, 2006
Learing To Be A Leftie, or, Establishing Communication With the 'Other' Hand
~sigh~ i have owie boo boo on my right hand. apparently, what i thought was carpal tunnel is actually damaged tendons in my thumb. saw the doc yesterday, and i'm under orders to keep the thumb immobile while it heals. that's all fine n good... except my left arm seems to be a little, well... let's be gentle... sluggish in responding to my suggested activities. and it tires easily. i guess it enjoyed the good life as a support arm, letting the right one do all the work, but no more. now it must scrub the bathroom counter, which is actually quite tiring. i wonder if my left triceps will lose their second wave from all this? seems possible.
the worst part about this is that i cannot crochet. at all. and that is the traumatic part. tv is sooo boring; i had no idea! and movies just take too long, sitting there paying attention and doing nothing. but the good part is that i've been reading more; both last night and today i've picked up books because A - i can't crochet so tv and movies have lost their appeal, and B - i can't play video games. right now i'm settling in with Innumeracy by John Allen Paulos. it's turning out to be a fun little read.
Things I Cannot Do With My Left Hand
- thread the spray nozzle on the garden hose.
- bathe my kid. apparently my left hand has great difficulty keeping shampoo on Lila Approved Surfaces (and let us not talk about Rinsing With The Cup). much squalling results in bathing attempts these days.
- use a knife. my apologies again to the table next to us at Brandon's Diner. i honestly did not mean to fling burrito at you.
- use the left/right handed learning scissors i got for Lila.
- pour.
- brush my teeth. worst. thing. ever. .
Posted by jez at 10:25 AM | Comments (0)
April 22, 2006
The Salton Sea
went out to the Salton Sea recently, and had a blast! my good friend Derik found this cool empty looking city area on Google Earth, and we did a little reading up. turns out that this area called Salton City was planned as a resort and recreation town on the Salton Sea back in the 50s and 60s. of course there is no economy out there, so the area died. we thought it would be cool to go see a modern day ghost town, so off we went. however... turns out that California hit there, too. all this new construction was going up. 'buy now! 3 bedroom for 199,000$!!!' signs were everywhere! we were suprised.
of course we went down to the shore, and having Bucko the 4x4 Trucko encouraged us to get a little too close.
the muck was nasty! under the hard crust, salty mud was this tar like black mung that stuck like glue to everything. it was just gross. the worst part was that we started to sink as soon as we got stuck. we dug and dug, and even got boards under the wheels, but by that time the chassis was sitting flat on the mud and we weren't goin' nowhere.
Ma n Pa Shovel
where Bucko was sittin'
it was a mess. we had to pay a rediculous amount of money to the local economy to get ole Bucko hauled out. as soon as we got out and started driving, we noticed the balance was horribly off. we then had to drive 25 miles to get to the nearest place to power spray off as much of that nasty muck as we could.
we all got covered in mud, especially Daniel. he had to crawl under the truck on his back in order to get the chains around the axel, but we had a blast anyway. and it *was* a beautiful day...
so when's the next adventure???
Posted by jez at 06:54 PM | Comments (0)
April 25, 2005
Birth ~ The Movie
this movie eerily illustrates the deep connections we establish and the delusions we'll believe in to make them real, and makes a chilling and haunting journey through the human psyche. Anne loses her husband, only to have him reappear 10 years later on the eve of her marriage to another man, but in the guise of a young boy. Anne questions her choice to marry, and begins falling into a horrifying delusion that she and the boy need to be together. the story weaves through her life as her choices to be with the boy causes it falls apart, and its haunting reality is a warning to all of us to be mindful of our actions. overall, the movie was a good watch; Kidman was very realistic and easily illustrated the position her character chose to be in. Cameron Bright was remarkable and utterly convincing, and never once acted like a child. the characters evoked sympathy at their plight and the background music was profound and haunting. however, it was somewhat monotonous and the long scenes focused around the actor's morose and pensive faces got old, quick. i enjoyed it once, but won't be adding it to my collection.
eh. : )
Posted by jez at 05:50 PM
April 15, 2005
Lila's B-day Presents
so for Lila's b-day i took her down to Corona at this horse farm for a pony ride... already my beautiful little baby is asking me, 'Mommy, let's go to the store and buy ponies to ride!' that's my girl!
honestly, i was apprehensive as to whether or not she would actually ride a horse - they are quite bigger than her, and lately she's been more cautious with things, but no. she jumped right up there and rode till the last possible minute. she chattered and patted the horse, saying things like, "Pearl is my friend. i like Pearl!" we stayed for about a half hour petting them through the fence and talking about horses. it was fun.
we also had a bbq on Saturday for her, which was great fun! Lila had a blast running around and playing with all the kids, and i had fun playing hostess. we grilled burgers, chicken, and hot dogs. Candace made a salad, and we all had birthday cake after dinner. it was a great day and i believe my little one had lots o fun. : )
Posted by jez at 03:43 PM
April 05, 2005
Digweed ~ Fabric 20
quality Digweed, very good. this cd is more on the mellow side, but is not lacking in excellence by any means. very consistent flow and rhythm, the tracks weave a nice sound together. you begin in one place, but end up in somewhere completely different by the end of the cd; you don't notice the subtle transition at all... you just look up out of your musical journey and realize that you're not where you thought you'd be.
track 3 is my fav; i love the ethereal vocals and gentle tone. tracks 7-9 remind me of 80's electronica, like Ministry's Twitch and, to a lesser extent, some of the remixes on the 12 Inch Singles.
the best part is that Lila likes it, too. it's not often anymore that i can listen to a stretch of music without getting assaulted by musical critism in Childese coming from the backseat. but she does dig it; i caught her pounding her My Little Pony's head into the car door on beat while humming, bless her heart.
for sure, add it to your collection! : )
Posted by jez at 07:40 PM
this weekend
so i went down to San Diego this past weekend to visit Eliz and attend her baby shower. i just *love* (insert sarcasm here) trying to get ready to take a trip down the 15 in this town. with the other zillion people here, it never fails to take at least a half hour for any minor event, like using the money machine. i adore wasting my gas aimlessly pimping the Wa Mu parking lot so i can race over to wait for 20 minutes while everyone and their brother do something to the ATM. Love it. And let's not even talk about attempting to purchase gas. can you believe 2.50$ a gallon? wtf???? i sure hope the government gets off its ass and starts funding hydrogen fuel cell research, cuz getting gas really sucks right now. insert the same BS waiting with half of LA here, and then add insult to injury by raping 35$ out of your wallet just for gas. ugh. thus, add an hour to the 2 hour trip just to get cash and gas. i think i'll start running my errands at 2 in the morning.
but with all the delays that LA provides, clear sailing down the 15 (that is, once i got past that nasty I-10 to the 60 to the 90 stretch) let me make up the time. one place where LA-ers *dont* wait is the freeways... when clear, 90 mph is acceptable velocity in these parts. *THAT* i appreciate!
a good time in SD... it was the highlight of the weekend. the downer this weekend was the obvious solution to my financial woes... i have to sell my house. i'm very upset by that - i worked hard to get the damn thing in the first place, but with the nasty 9% increase in my lot rent starting May 1st, i just can't make it. however, this may turn out to my advantage; in one year, i gained about 20,000$ in appreciation. can you believe it???? i'm not sure what to think, yet. so now i have the dilemma of What To Do... i have choices, of course.
Option A
leave. take my $$$ and go buy property somewhere. perhaps New Mexico, or perhaps Washington, where my sister lives. part of me is torn for that... i am totally down for adventure, and a fresh start away from this rather rediculous California Rat Race has its appeal.
Option B
stay. put the cash into another property, perhaps a cheep fixer upper (i am fairly handy and not afraid of power tools) that i can then resell at a profit close to extortion within a year. a friend of mine was telling me last nite that he and his bro are planning to buy a multi-unit, and using the rent to help pay living expenses.
so i dunno what do to. i guess i'll sell the house and see where the cards fall, so to speak, about where my future path lies.
Posted by jez at 07:02 AM
April 01, 2005
Easter
so it looks like Easter blew up all over the house. we had the company of friends up for a visit that weekend, so fun was had by all. Lila and Emilio, who is a few years older than her, played non stop every minute they were together. i must say, Emilio was quite patient and tolerant of Lila, who followed him around like a shadow, parroting everything he said or did. so anyways, back to Easter.
Elizabeth and i went all out on stuff for the kids. we spent a hour filling all these plastic eggs with candy and goodies, as well as supplied additional candy and toys. on Saturday night, we woke up after the kids fell asleep and hid everything all over the house. Emilio woke up very early, knowing full well that the Easter Bunny was coming. Lila, not having the same level of familiarity, slept on. finally at nine we agreed to wake her so the kids could hunt. they had a marvelous time, and we enjoyed watching them look straight at that elusive egg, but not see it. when everything was found (Elizabeth had the foresight to count the items), Emilio immediately emptied his plastic eggs, whereupon they joined my household. Lila won't even discuss getting rid of any one plastic egg, insisting that even the broken ones stay. thus, it looks like Easter blew up in my house... everywhere there are plastic egg carcasses, their innards long since gone; there is no escaping them. everywhere your eye falls... under the drapes, in the couch cushions, peeking out from under the counters, on the bookshelves, next to the playstation, in the houseplants, hiding under the dining room table... the ones under the fridge enjoy seeking out bare feet in the middle of the night, much to my delight. add to all of that stray wisps of that damned basket grass that's killing my vacuum and mysteriously appearing in ever increasing numbers wadded candy wrappers, and you get the full picture. it's like we're living in this Easter Bunny Cast Offs vortex.
the highlight of this whole Easter Bunny deal was this nifty toy i got for the kids. it has two, velcroed paddles that attach to your hands with straps, and this little, yellow bunny that you toss back and forth, using the velcro paddles to catch it. i must say that the bunny makes quite a satisfying thwock! noise when you catch it, and being that the bunny is covered in the soft side of the velcro (the loop, should you require a new vocabulary word), the bunny assumes highly entertaining positions when contacting the velcro pads. already it has provided hours of amusement in the household. we've also found out that it is great for providing exercise via 'keep away' with the cats, who *must* have the chewy, yellow bunny.
ya, it was a good holiday. : )
Posted by jez at 04:22 PM | Comments (0)
March 14, 2005
Robots ~ The Movie
Lila and i went and saw Robots. it's the first time in about two years she's been to a movie, and she was ever my little reflective learner. she was nearly overwhelmed! she grew very solemn and
silent as we walked up to the giant marquee sign and into the
cavernous and colorful entryway. she looked at all the candy for sale and video games, and was astonished at the huge, sloping seats in the theatre. she was like a little quiet sponge, her wide brown eyes looking into every corner and taking it all in. she sat in my lap, quiet and silent the whole time. i tried placing her in a seat, but i put her too far back and the thing closed on her like a little Lila clam. she did not care for it at all, and spent a fair amount of time during the ads and previews kicking the seat bottom next to us down, down, down with her feet, growing frustrated that it ouldn't stay put like she told it to. when the movie started, she just sat there, still as stone and unresponsive to my questions and comments. i was unsure if she was having a good time, she was so quiet and pensive. it wasn't till we were outside nearly to the car that she began to jump and exclaim, "Mommy! I saw the Robots movie! I saw it!"
the movie itself was okay... cute, loveable characters that you can't help but root for with a well done 'accept yourself for who you are' theme. the movie focused more on the minute details of the adventure instead of the overall theme, which was nice. otherwise it would've been way overdone. it's funny, like Sky Captian and The World of Tomorrow, the movie had this very retro 40's artistic flair, but unlike the former, the latter made it look cool. my favorite feature of the movie is the elaborate subway system and the dominoes. the movie had its funny adult references peppered through for the grups, and Robin Williams is always fun. i enjoyed it and will buy it for Lila when it comes out, but Shrek and Shrek 2 are better.
eh, i'd see it again. : )
Posted by jez at 08:29 PM
March 01, 2005
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
i watched 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow' last nite. although more entertaining than network television, it didn't make it to my 'sure, i'll watch that again' list. although the movie has some nice special effects, the dialog is velveeta cheesy, totally unrealistic and cutesy (honestly, are you going to stop and make flirtatious chit chat while standing on a precarious metal rail in a rocket zooming into space with a three second count down to the explosion of the earth??? c'mon). and to make matters worse, the 'playful banter' the two main characters endulge in the entire movie is actually more like irritating bickering. but whatever. the themes were overdone and the ultra bright light with the soft and fuzzy, slightly out of focus style, although good for Gwenyth's hair, was just too much. i kept thinking, 'parody?', but i guess they were seriously trying to make a movie here. shame... i like Jude Law and Geovanni Ribisi, but this movie made them look ridiculous.
boo.
Posted by jez at 09:33 PM
February 19, 2005
About Me
Merry Meet!
my name is Jez, and i am... well, i'm me. : )
i crochet, avidly, to the point where i lug crap around everywhere i go. i love video games, music, and movies. i garden and am quite proud of my roses. i am a librarian, prioritizing the preservation of libraries and their contribution to our global society. i am a mother to a lovely little girl who is the sweetest, kindest, most willful little creature i've ever met. i am a wife, blessed to have found my bestest friend ever in this lifetime. i am a witch, and i am the most comfortable hidden away in the wilds of the world.
Favorite Loitering Places on the Web
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i'm pretty easy to find...
I'n jezmynne on Yahoo messenger
on AIM my profile id is bad8sslibrarian
Posted by jez at 12:20 AM