Saying Goodbye to Favorite Authors

Sitrep: last week - 30 minutes swimming
Goals: 2x Boot camp

One of my favorite authors, Suz.anne Bro.ckmann, released a new book last week. And I have yet to buy it. Yes, I know. Coming from the person that scoured used book stores on her vacation in Japan to find copies of her back list, this is shocking.

I haven't enjoyed her last few books as much as I used to. (My post on her previous book) Part of it is that I have changed since I first discovered her books 10+ years ago. Part of it is she has changed, as has the world.

I'm on the library waiting list for this one. I noticed Saturday that I'm now up to number one (from 4 on release day), with the next copy due back around August 14. But I'm so not excited about this. I think I'm actually dreading reading this book. Made evident by a BB post header listing several characters that apparently have secondary story lines in this book. Characters from two of her "triangles"; the seemingly endless soap-opera-like threads. [sigh]

It's so depressing when an author whose books/writing I enjoy evolves into a different style. It happened with J.ude De.vereaux, Ju.lie Ga.rwood, etc. It's the switch over to mainstream, more fiction/suspense, I think. And seems to happen around or after they move into hardback. After they hit the bestseller lists. Reader, publisher, editor or author driven, it seems to inevitably happen.

This weekend it dawned on me that OTE was the last book of hers that I read more than once. Every one after that, once I'd read it, I put it away and that was that.

Her writing style has changed. Slowly at first with the introduction of the Sam/Alyssa/MaryLou triangle. But once that went over so "well" (hey, it generated lots of buzz and people wanting to keep reading to get to the end) it's like that became the sole goal. There are now three continuous story lines or "arcs": Decker/Dave/Sophia, Tess/Nash, Izzy/Tracy. The last book and now this book introduce the hero and heroine for the first time. And they are newcomers to the "world" she's created. Characters we've never heard about. It's like they are foils for these story arcs, and overshadowed. Less detailed, less impressive, less important. At least, that's how I feel.

And her books are definitely more political. It's not like my politics and hers differ. They really don't from what I can tell. I just am tired of the "causes". Maybe they were always there; I'm either too sensitive or the climate politically has changed and it's coming across more stridently in her books. I don't k now. But things like "Cosmo" pulling out the PF.LAG button/emblem (whatever it was) didn't fit in the scene it happened in. Maybe it was the way it was written, like it was added to promote the group, not as part of the character development. I'm so not sure why that was jarring to me and stands out. Hmmm.

The characters no longer stand out for me; they blend together now. It's kind of irritating that the heroines all seem to be of the same type: spunky, law-enforcement type background, etc. The continual use of alcoholism, lack of condom useage. It's becoming repetitive. And I know I've remarked on this before, but the fact that everyone the characters meet has the same type of sense of humor etc. It's like what happened with Davi.d E.ddings. I loved the "Belagariad". The "Belgarion" was pretty good. But after that, especially through the "Sparhawk" and later series, it's like they were pale imitations of the first books.

Or like the Ro.bert J.ordan "Whee.l of T.im.e" series. Wonderful writing, detailed, intricate story lines, great characters. Until what, the fourth or fifth book? Then the characters (especially the women) started to become more like empty shells of themselves, more alike than dissimilar, and way too many threads/story lines for any of them to be satisfactorily written. It was too easy to become lost, confused...and way too much work to read the books as they came out. I'm not sure to this day, almost twenty years after the first book in the series, if he ever finished it.

But I digress. So this is how I feel about Suz' books. Rather a revelation to me. And I'm not sure I even want to read this latest one, In.to the F.ire, when my turn comes up at the library. I'm tempted to wait until she finishes these story arcs. Or maybe not even then. (Which will probably get me banned from the BB.)

It's All About Scully

Sitrep: 30 minutes Swimming

And no, I'm not referring to the new X.-Files movie. Although I want to go see it. First I need to rewatch the series finale...I can't remember the ending!

I'm talking about my wonderful, obnoxious, adorable and extremely spoiled fur-baby.

I dropped her off at my little's house Wednesday a.m. before heading out of town on a business trip. Shanni called that night, around 10pm, to "chat", and while talking realized they hadn't fed Scully dinner. Now, Scully is nothing if not insistent about having her meals at preordained times. Seriously. If I'm not feeding her by 7am on weekends, she makes such a racket I'm surprised the neighbors don't complain. So Shanni was upset because they forgot to feed Scully...it's not that they're cruel, etc, it's that their 3 dogs are outside most of the day (Golden Retriever, Standard Poodle, Westie) and self-feed from this huge bowl. For Scully going over there is a little bit like Thanksgiving and Christmas all rolled into one. Naturally she's outside with the other dogs a lot, and munches quite happily from their bowl. Keeping them away until she eats the juiciest bits, of course. She's The Alpha of that pack.

So yesterday morning at 6:45 am Michelle called to assure me they fed her breakfast. Scully made sure of it. [g] Then last night Shanni called to say good-night, and told me Scully almost gave them heart failure. Apparently, she disappeared for quite awhile. Various accounts have it ranging from a few minutes, to over an hour. When they weren't looking, she slipped into the master bedroom and crawled under the bed. (I do mean crawled - there's very little space. She can make herself mighty little/flat when she wants to.) And she stayed there all day. I think there's just too much activity there for her. [g] Shanni was apparently so scared she was shrieking Scully's name. Oh yeah, that'll make the dog come running. [rolling my eyes]

Well, talking to them just now, it appears Scully stayed all night and all morning under the bed. She didn't come out for dinner (I'm sure she was too gorged on the other dog's food. She won't skip a meal) nor did she come out for breakfast. Michelle said "I know she's still alive because whenever the cat tries to go under the bed she growls. And if the other dogs come in the room, she growls." Still on the phone, Michelle decided it was time for Scully to go outside. I mean, she has got to go pee...Then she started laughing.

Apparently Shanni was so worried about Scully starving while I'm away, she put Scully's dog food bowl under the bed this morning!!! It was licked clean. OMG. I'm still laughing. No wonder the silly thing didn't get out from under the bed. Talk about "room service."

If You're Ever...

Sitrep: 30 minutes Swimming

If you're ever in Bozeman, Montana on a Thursday night, have dinner at The Mint Bar & Cafe in Belgrade, just outside town.

The food is phenomenal. I had the tastiest, tenderest steak I can remember (which says a lot, since I order medium well or well done). It was like butter in my mouth. And whatever they marinate it in...O.M.G. The fries were delicious as well...tangy and salty and just perfect. And you won't find a better vanilla bean Creme Brulee. The atmosphere is great...very Montana yet tasteful....The Mint has been around since 1904 so the history is fun.

And on Thursday nights, an extra special treat with entertainment by Montana Rose. Great mellow beat, kinda bluegrass meets country meets something else...She has a wonderful voice, and the band is excellent. Live music with the best dinner I've had in a long time!

The company was great; I love listening to our Ed Consultant J. swap stories with the instructors...especially when we can get him talking about his travels in Europe, or his years in the Navy. Tonight was no exception, great dinner company (except for one of the instructors, who I don't like for some reason. I can't quite put my finger on why I distrust her so much. Must puzzle that one out.)

Driving back to the hotel we were treated to a Montana sunset over the countryside and mountains. Breathtaking! And a perfect end to a perfect evening.

Last night a wonderful Italian place, tonight the Mint...who knows where we'll eat tomorrow?

Turning Limes into Limeade

I'm having such a hard time keeping to my budget lately. Stress, stress, stress. And today I bought another Lime Tree. For Pete's sake. Sigh. BUT it was the one I really wanted in the first place only it was $39.95 plus shipping. So I got the cheaper one. And it is thriving. Oh, you should see the new leaves coming off of it. I'm thrilled...it was actually the third attempt (first 2 attempts from a different company) and finally SUCCESS!

Anyway. With my love of limes, I've been thinking of getting a second one. In Paraguay I pretty much denuded the two lime trees in my yard when they were in season, and the limes in the grocery stores around here are puh-theh-tic.

Today in my email I got the newsletter for Park Trees & Shrubs , and there it was, the other lime tree, for only $19.95. So I had to buy it. I mean, that's half the price! So I'm a happy little grower.

And for all of you wondering how I can grow lime trees in MT, it's for my container garden. They'll over-winter it in the house. ;) So now I'm sitting here at my desk singing "Limes, beautiful Limes" in my head. At least I'm smiling now! It's all good, as long as I don't start singing out loud and skipping through the office!

Silence. With a capital "S".

Somehow I've ended up single and childless yet with a child very much like me as a teen. OMG. How the heck did that happen? Oh, yeah...I joined Big Brothers Big Sisters. I have no idea what to do with Shanni. She's just a bundle of raw nerves and crazy emotions. I can so relate to what she's feeling. I was an emotional mess myself at her age. I just don't know what to do or say when she falls apart. Nothing I do seems to help, and only makes it worse. So I just sit there and listen. It's just so hard because I know what's on the other side of all that emotion and chaos...it's just something you can see at twelve, almost thirteen. But, Oh, the melodrama! Her Aunt yelled at her yesterday, and called her lazy. (Actually, she called Shanni and her siblings lazy.) Not cause for a meltdown, but this is Shanni. A child whose parents never yell at her, and are pretty lax in discipline, rules, etc. The truth of the matter is that Shanni is lazy. As are her siblings. They've learned to be so from their parents (both households). So the house and yard aren't very well maintained. Unless they're having company over for a holiday, and then it's clean-clean-clean like mad for days. I know, because I'm family enough I've been recruited for those events. [g] Since they are now moving (long story short, they gave up their house in the bankruptcy, and are having a different home brought in) Mom has decided it's time to start fresh. Sunday Shanni's Aunt D and family (think Brady Bunch, only 5 girls and 1 boy) descended to clean the yard. I didn't show up until early afternoon, and just in time for the fireworks. [g] It was all I could do later on not to laugh when Shanni was presenting to her mother all her grievances against Aunt D. Especially when she started in on "Aunt D didn't take into consideration that I have a job, or the dogs, or the wind, or that we concentrate on the inside of the house so much..." OMG. That "take into consideration" part sounds so like me. At this point her Mom stopped her and went "How many days in July have you worked?" Silence. With a Capital S. Her mom held up one finger. "One day." Then she looked around the room, raised an eyebrow and continued "You've been concentrating on the inside?" Silence. Again, with a Capital S. "It doesn't look clean to me." By this point I was sitting hunched up in my chair, face turned away, because I really wanted to laugh at the dumbstruck looks on the girl's faces. M doesn't usually call them on their crap. I do, but their Mom doesn't. I wanted to cheer her on. I'd already been over this with Shannon earlier that afternoon. And I've told her on numerous occasions that she should do more around the house. She's learned the rules at my house, although I have to remind her a lot. I don't yell, I just remind her calmly to throw stuff away, or rinse her dishes and put them in the dishwasher...But then again, I only have her with me once a week. If it was daily I might lose my mind. [g] Anyway. I do my best not to let Shanni get away with her flights of fancy...I'll let her have her little fits. I ignore her, turn up the music, read, stuff like that, until she's calmer and then we talk rationally about stuff. Mostly I just ask her questions to try to get her to think through why she's so upset. Honestly, she doesn't have these breakdowns with me, unless they've started before I show up. There are numerous reasons for that, the largest one I'm not mom, followed by the fact I see it coming and say "Don't even start that with me. You'll only ruin your afternoon, not mine." And have proven the point. I've tried to tell M. we can't baby Shanni through these. Let her have her melt down and talk to her afterward. Trying to cajole her into a better mood only feeds into the meltdown. Maybe I'm just too harsh. I don't know. It's nerve-wracking. Anyway. By the time I got home I was exhausted. And extremely thankful for the Blessed Silence of my home. With a Capital S!!! At least her mom has her seeing a counselor. Maybe she can help Shanni learn how to deal with her emotions and anger issues. I definitely think some physical activity will help tremendously. Keep your fingers crossed we get into the YMCA for the Single Parent Family Rate. Then I think I'll make a weekly date with Shanni to go to the Y, in addition to our usual weekend outing. P.S. Did I mention the lettuce is coming up? Just a few little leaves poking through the dirt. Man, I'm going to go crazy waiting for all this stuff to get big enough to eat. How do people stand this?

Lucky Bookstore Find

Sitrep: no Mount Helena tomorrow. :(

So yesterday I drove to Butte with my little sis and her family. It was bankruptcy court date, and their car is in the shop. Of course. So I "volunteered" to take them. It's only about an hour away, and a pretty drive. I didn't have a clue where we were going, but Steve said he knew, no prob. Riiiiight. Ya know, when a person is driving down the interstate at 75 mph, and you're the navigator, you really have to tell them it's their exit coming up before you pass it!!!!

He said he could get us there taking the next exit, and foolishly I listened instead of just turning around like I wanted to. Sigh. We had 10 minutes to get to the courthouse by the time the attorney had given them (thank goodness he told them to be there 30 minutes before the hearing start time!!!!). I was not exactly happy as I thought they were going to be late for court. Not a good idea. I think judges tend to get irritated by that kind of thing.

Anyway. Steve & Michelle were doing the usual couple-bickering-over-asking-for-directions thing, KT telling me to just "Google it", and Shanni was uncharacteristically quiet. Smart kid. [g] I'm going how the hell do I "Google it" when I'm driving? I don't exactly have the Internet in my car...that's when KT (in that teenager tone - you know the one) informed me that I can text Google for directions. How the heck am I supposed to know that? I usually Google it BEFORE I GO. To put an end to the madness I just pulled over, grabbed my cell and called a coworker that lives in Butte. She told me how to get where we were going and we were there just in time to meet the attorney.

Oh, did I mention that downtown Butte is something like 4 blocks by 4 blocks? Turns out where I pulled over was two blocks from the courthouse, which we could see from where we were. I even pointed to it and said "is that it?" Hah.

After that was done, we ate lunch, and then went shopping. First store was this great little used book store. I spent $25 there. I found a copy of Anne Morrow Lindbergh's "Listen, the Wind" which I've been wanting for a long time. :) Happy happy. And it was only $5.00. Joy, joy I had the worst time figuring out where they put her books. The owner said his wife insists on shelving AML in the classics section. He lead me to the right book case, and I saw it first. I almost knocked him over trying to get it off the shelf. LOL.

Then we hit a couple of antique stores, took the girls to the mall, and came home. It was a good day! Except for when Steve lost his patience and went to haul the girls out of Claire's Boutique. He was a pretty amusing sight standing there in the midst of all that girly stuff. And suitably threatening, as the two made their choices ASAP when they saw him.

Happy, happy, joy, joy...that was me last night fondling my new-to-me books as I tried to read them all at once.

P.S. - Shanni forgot she's babysitting all day tomorrow, followed by an school friend's slumber party, so no hike on Mount Helena. Too bad I promised her months ago that I wouldn't go up there without her. Stupid me. So it's Boot Camp with Alden this weekend.

P.S.S. - Almost forgot! They weren't there last night when I watered, but this morning the onions are peeking through the surface...a whole 1/4"! Whoo-hoo!

Minor Miracles and Lessons Learned

Sitrep: I have a goal now. [g] Mt Helena on Saturday or Bust!

So yesterday was the monthly grocery shopping day. It's still going surprisingly well, using the typed list on the fridge and going only once for the main stuff, and 2 weeks later the other store for the meats (monthly supply again). Last night I came in at $4.84 over my budget. Because of a book, naturally. :) And this was also one of those monthly trips where I had to restock flour, sugar, shortening...all those baking goods I buy infrequently. And miracle of miracles, I actually made it out of the store without any chocolate, cookies, ice cream or pizza/tomato items. Which is saying a lot since a) I was really hungry and b) I was PMS-ing.

Then I ruined it by making oatmeal cookies at 9pm and inhaling several cookies worth of the dough. Not to mention the finished product. They're supposed to be for tomorrow's trip to Butte, America with my little and her family. At least that's what I told myself as I was baking them. (But we all know it's because I wanted the dough.)

Every so often I get these strange cravings or spells where I only want to eat one thing. Usually it's my favorite lime pasta dish, or egg salad sandwiches, or biscuits with eggs and gravy...lately it's been Oatmeal Cookies. This was my third batch in the last 2 weeks. All eaten by yours truly. Although one batch was an oatmeal cake (try it sometime. It's pretty good with coffee for breakfast). Interestingly enough, did you realize that you can (without adjusting the other ingredients)

1) Use less flour than called for
2) Use less shortening than called for
3) Use butter 1 for 1 instead of shortening
4) Use a mix of butter & shortening
5) Eliminate the eggs entirely
6) Don't add vanilla (I wanna know who closed the bottle last. It's un-openable!)

And the cookies will still turn out pretty decent? You can even do a multiple of the above in the same batch and the cookies are still edible.

And if you're using the recipe from the New Better Homes & Garden Cookbook (the same one my Mom's had since I can remember), you can substitute regular milk for the buttermilk, change nothing else in the recipe, and bake it in a cake pan? It's kinda like a cornbread, only oatmeal. With sugar. Yum. (It only works with the above cookbook's recipe. At least, that's the only one that's worked for me so far!)

But you absolutely, positively, can not use less oats than the recipe calls for without reducing all the other ingredients first. Because it just does not taste like oatmeal cookies. It tastes like a brown sugar flour cinnamon cookie. Which I suppose is okay. Just not when you're craving oatmeal cookies.

Not that that stopped me from eating a handful for breakfast.

Ostrich

Sitrep: Che Caique...( loosely translated from Guarani - "Without Want". No motivation!)

A lot of things lately have made me think humans are a bunch of ostriches with our heads in the sand. I read a great Thurber quote (I'm re-reading a bunch of his stuff. The "Flood" story from "My Life & Hard Times" can still make me laugh helplessly.) Anyway. I read a great Thurber quote that brought ostriches to mind (I'll post it later) and was kind of my ah-ha moment that brought together a lot of things I've been musing over the last few weeks.

1) Discovering my little's mom has been paying interest-only mortgage payments for ten years. OMG. It took a lot of doing to get her to understand why she's upside down in her house...with the girls looking on. I just wanted to shake her and yell at the girls that if I ever catch them doing something so stupid...Not once in those ten years did she add up what she'd paid, or even look at the balance remaining on her mortgage statement...

Thwump...there goes her head into the sand.

2) News story on giving cholesterol to children as young as one year old if high cholesterol/obesity runs in the family. Apparently that's considered safe. WTF? Are they serious? Geez. Both my parents have high cholesterol, yet aren't obese. I'm overweight yet my cholesterol is excellent. So instead of actually implementing programs such as incentives for parents to exercise with their kids from a young age, assistance for poorer families to buy fruits/veggies, insisting on physical education in school, nutrition classes in school (can combine into all sorts of other classes as well, like math - you use math in recipes, figuring out calories, etc). Do they actually think putting these kids on cholesterol meds as young as one years old is the right thing to do? What potential side-effects would that have!

Thwump...there go all our heads into the sand.

3) Tom's post the other day on Charlie Mike. I've read it a few times and each time I feel like I'm hearing this giant THWUMP. Me sticking my head in the sand. [g] In particular the last few days I've been focusing on his last line "what lifestyle do you want to be trapped in?" Judging by the last few weeks, one of indolence and food. [sigh] But that's not what I want to be trapped in. I used to say to myself (and others) that if only I lost 20 pounds, I'd be satisfied, I'd be healthy, etc. Well, the truth of it is that I've lost - and kept off for over a year - those 20 pounds. And I'm not satisfied. I'm happy, very much so, but it's not enough. There's another 20 pounds for me to hit the healthy mark. I think where I've been stumbling is that I've been setting short-term goals. Things like "this is what I'm doing this week". Which is good, but without having that larger goal beyond the smaller one, it's too easy to lose focus. I want to be trapped in a lifestyle where exercising several times a week is normal, part of my routine. A lifestyle where I have energy and am healthy. A lifestyle that my little sister can look to and think she can do it too.

So this ostrich is pulling her head outta the sand and taking a look around.

My goal: lose 20 pounds by July 15, 2009.

I think that's a pretty decent amount of time to get this accomplished in. Short term steps to get this done are to get back on Spark People. Daily journaling of my food/exercise helped. A lot. I'm also setting weekly goals and monthly "rewards" (ie, Starbucks, Books, Music) for meeting those goals. This week's goal: climb Mount Helena.

Basil, I see Basil!

Finally! The basil is peeking it's way out of the dirt. I'd about given up on it. I must have planted it a bit too deep, maybe. But I was watering the tomato/basil/chives container after work yesterday and there it was! I was so excited I forgot I had the hose in my hand and sprayed the dog. Oops. [g] I got the carrots, onion and lettuce planted although I'm afraid it's probably too hot for them right now. We'll see. Tonight I need to build the planter for the green beans and the green pepper. I've had the wood piled in the "garden" area for weeks, just have been too distracted (read lazy) to do anything about it. The tomatoes are ripening up quite nicely. Too bad I don't eat them. lol. But Shanni does, so they are all hers! They're little tomatoes, too.

It's a good thing I had such a nice day last Sunday, because this week has been heck at work. The convention started today and it has just been insane getting ready for it. Especially with a new boss, and the 2nd in "command" hasn't a clue (even if she thinks she does!). At least I managed to finagle my way out of attending. Because if I was there I'd be doing all the work. I already had one call from Nick (coworker) who is so frustrated because he's doing the work while everyone else is socializing. I had a feeling it would be that way. Which is why I didn't want to go. :)

Nothing much else to report. I'm exhausted (haven't exercised in awhile!!!) and I ate lunch at one of my favorite places this week (Pita Pit) and forgot that their Caesar dressing is the kind that gives me a headache. So it's been a fun few days. I'm not sure which is more draining; the headache or the meds? Either way I'm too tired mentally to think of anything to blog about today. Just thought I'd post before everyone thinks I'm sick or something. And I was excited about the basil. [g]

Perfect Day

Sitrep for last week: 1x Swimming, 1x Walk (30 min w/little sis), 1x Yard Mowing, 1x Moving Furniture (Sofa, ugh)

Goals: 2x Boot camp, Daily Walks w/Dog (weather permitting)

I didn't want yesterday to end. Maybe my idea of a perfect day is different than others' ideas, but yesterday was so wonderful, so relaxing. I got up at my usual weekend time, 7 am (thanks fur baby-that-must-eat-on-schedule-or-else), and then crashed on the couch for a few hours. There was a wonderful breeze coming in the windows most of the day. I watched a few home decorating shows, then logged on to check the library website to see if a book I wanted was in. It was. So I showered and dressed, and then worked on my puzzle book "Brain Games" (I love this thing, and am always so impatient for the next issue to come out!). I headed to the library around 1pm (that's when they open) and found my book, "Susannah Morrow" by Megan Chance. (VERY GOOD BOOK, as is "An Inconvenient Wife".) I also picked up "The Timekeeper's Wife" or whatever it's called. Can't remember right now.

I went home and read the rest of the day. Didn't turn the TV on, just sat in my recliner chair under the window, with the fresh air flowing over me. It was great. The house was spotless since I'd cleaned for the party on Friday. Laundry was done, I had dinner already prepared. I just sat there and read. Late afternoon I stopped for a bit and mowed the yard, tended to my plants (chives are growing nicely, tomatoes are doing okay - one is actually ripening, no sight of the basil yet, and the lime tree is thriving in it's new pot). Then I went inside and read some more. It was just one of those peaceful, perfect days. The light, the air, the quiet, the soft sounds of summer drifting in from outside (distant lawnmowers, children's voices, a dog bark here and there). I love days like this. :)

Here's wishing you all have days that renew you as much as yesterday did for me.

PS - If you haven't read it yet, check out last week's guest post on Charlie Mike. It's wonderful!!!

Whose bright idea was this, anyway?

Goal: Daily Exercise (at least 15 minutes)
Sitrep: 1x Swimming (75 minutes)

Does anyone have a "I Survived My First Homeowner Disaster" t-shirt? Okay, maybe disaster is too strong a word. But Saturday morning when I was crouching under my dismantled bathroom sink and desperately trying to catch the water pouring out of the pipes, it sure felt like one!

The darn think has been draining slow and no amount of D.raino or bleach would clear it. Then it stopped draining period. So. I got something stronger, a big bottle of Rot.oroo.ter drain opener. Poured some in, waited, tried to flush with water. It foamed and bubbled and after a few hours the sink was empty. So I tried to brush my teeth and it backed up. Sigh. Poured the rest of the bottle down the drain. Or tried to, anyway. Let it sit overnight with no success. So Saturday morning I took the darn thing apart. I managed to fit the mop bucket underneath before pulling the pipes apart. Alas, I hadn't realized all the drain opener solution was pooled in the pipe and the trap. That combined with the now-released water made a heck of a foaming mess that overflowed the bucket rather quickly. I grabbed a towel to soak it up and prevent it from getting onto the nice hall flooring. Too bad it was a purple towel. Now it's purple with ugly yellowish splotches on it.

And after all that, the stupid pipes were clear. All the way from the sink down through the trap. Yet it wasn't draining. So I figured there had to be a clog in the part of the pipe coming from the wall and curving down to meet the trap. Only I couldn't see it. By this point it's been hours. So I put the sink back together, cleaned up and headed out to meet my little sis and her family as previously arranged. After dinner, I stopped and bought a plunger. Wouldn't you know it, that cleared the clog. For Pete's Sake!!! After hours of banging and shoving and crouching and pulled shoulder and leg muscles, a $3 plunger did the trick. [rolling eyes] It sure was easier when I had a landlord to call for issues like this!

Only now as I write this, I remember the loud popping/sucking noise when I used the plunger and am wondering if maybe I should go down in the basement and make sure I didn't rupture a pipe or something. Whimper. I hate going down there. There are spiders. ;)

I Wonder Why

Sitrep: Can you guess?

I've been thinking a lot about my Grandpa and my Aunt N the last few months. I'm not sure why. It was before my coworkers father started to get so ill, so that didn't spark it. Not a day goes by lately that I don't think on the two of them. Grandpa's been gone some 10 years now, and Aunt N...I can't remember how long. Her death was such a shock, those days passed in a blur and all I can remember is the month and date, not the year. Although it's been 2 or 3 years now.

When I think about Grandpa it doesn't hurt, exactly. It's hard to describe. A general sense of sadness, of missing. But when I think about my aunt, it's starting to hurt again, although not as intensely as those first few months after she killed herself. The evening I returned from the funeral, a good friend took me down to O'Toole's, and once Bartender B heard the news, the drinks were on the house...I had just enough to fall apart and then my friends took me home. Where we hung out and I talked and screamed and cried. It was good to get it out, to not bottle that pain up inside. And slowly over a few months I dealt with N's death, the way of it, the why, the guilt I felt for not having noticed anything when I'd been there just a few short weeks before then. Several months after N's passing, she came to me in a dream. In my dream we were all together and upset and missing her, but she was standing right there...at first I couldn't see her either, she was just a somebody in my dream that I didn't recognize, but that came to see why I was upset. When I explained why, she put her arms around me and said "I'm right here." I woke up feeling better than I had in days. It was a comforting dream, and I felt very much as if she's okay now, at peace with herself and her decision.

Maybe I think on it so much now because Grandpa died in June, and around July 4th was the last time I visited with my Aunt. She was gone by mid-August. I guess when I think on her now it doesn't hurt as much as it did at first, and I must have just pushed it aside for the most part for awhile now. There isn't guilt anymore, just a kind of wistful "I wish" and achy type feeling. It's not all tied up in anger and resentment anymore. Just a sadness and a pang, and wondering if anyone else thinks about her too. (I'm sure they do!) And a wondering why we tiptoe around the subject and don't talk about her. Or Grandpa. Maybe it hurts too much.

So I think on both of them, and get tears in my eyes and miss them. And then get on with my day, hoping I'll see them again in my next life, even if only in passing.

Mine Eyes Have Seen...

Sitrep: =8-[

You would think a trip to the library would be a safe option; a place I could let my guard down a little bit when it comes to who I have with me. All I can say is I am soooooo glad Shanni wasn't with me on yesterday's weekly outing to the library...just KT (17, almost 18, and thinking of joining the Navy, not the National Guard.)

After a leisurely morning that started at St.arbu.cks, we got to the library just before it opened at 1pm. Sat outside in the shade for a bit; it was truly a gorgeous weekend. After meandering around the library for an hour or so, we went to the self-checkout computer, which is just off to the side of the main lobby and entrance. It's right next to this large window overlooking the computer lab. I was rooting around in my purse for my library card, when KT whispered my name is this voice that was just not usual...I looked up and she had this expression on her face, part horror, part fascination, and she said "There's someone watching P.o.rn in there!!!!" I looked into the computer lab, thinking she was surely over-reacting to a nude picture. But nope. There on a computer screen, in all their, uhh, glory, was a man and woman having sex. Naturally (hah) it's zoomed in on the important, uhh, "moving" bits. I admit, it took me a few seconds to react.

I mean really. I was standing in the lobby of the public library for Pete's Sake. I couldn't be seeing what I was seeing...I don't care if you want to watch adult movies (as long as no children or animals are involved!); and I admit to having watched one or two myself. But there's an appropriate place, and Sunday afternoon at the public library is not that place. So I marched over to the librarian and told her. She was a bit surprised, and asked which computer. So I said "Just stand over here and you'll see it." Considering I was standing in the middle of the lobby at that point she looked alarmed. [g] She stepped out from behind her desk, took one look, and just about flew into that lab and made him turn it off.

I am just so glad that Shanni wasn't with me. Not because I think it's some horrible thing or anything. I just was so not up to a conversation like that. I can just see how it would have gone. She'd've yelled out loud as can be for everyone to hear "What's that? Are they NAKED? Are they having SEX? GROSSSSS. Why are they bouncing like that? Why would he want to watch that? Is that LEGAL???? Have YOU ever done that????" And she'd be off...

The Gods were smiling on me yesterday. I only had to have a talk with a teenager who's thinking of joining the Navy...

Mayhem. Chaos. Is your work done yet?

Sitrep: Zip. This is embarrassing...

Apparently last night KT told her mom & step dad that she wants to join the National Guard. I wasn't there, but the 11pm phone call I got from my little sister would indicate that all hell broke loose. Not toward KT, but between Mom & Step dad. I'm not sure which one is for or against...apparently it was an ugly scene and my little was upset. They usually don't fight, and when they do, it's minor stuff. I'm thinking my little was supposed to have been in bed and they didn't realize she was awake. Knowing her, she probably was eavesdropping. Sigh. That's a bad habit we need to address. But I got her calmed down and off to bed. Sigh.

I'm not sure how I feel about KT wanting to join the National Guard. I knew she had something on her mind yesterday when I picked her up after dance practice. We had a quick bite at We.ndy's and then she went to the store with me on the way to her Mom's work. She was distracted, kinda downcast, and didn't want to talk about it. She's taken the S.AT and A.CT the last two weekends. I think it is hitting home to her that college is a year away, and she's worried about finances. She gets good grades, but isn't one of those honors AP students. I think she's freaking out about how to go to college, and is thinking the National Guard is a way to go. Does the Guard have the same educational opportunities as the military?

Normally, I'm all for the military. I'm an AF brat myself. But with Ir.aq and Af.ghanistan...I don't want her to do it. With just a high school degree, she'd be on the front lines, right? I know it's not 100% certain that she'd be called up, but let's face it. The Guard is deployed very heavily over there, and that includes the Montana units.

The armed services have been heavily recruiting her; the amount of stuff she gets in the mail is crazy. I don't remember ever getting that kind of mail in my junior/senior year. I guess it's just more proof of how things have changed.

I've been getting her tons of info on colleges and scholarships, and trying to get her to fill out the federal student aid forms. Maybe I'll see if I can sit down with her some weekend soon and do that. I doubt her mom will; she's not much of a planner, and definitely not in the financial area. But if it's something KT really wants to do, for whatever reasons...It sucks, big time. :( I guess I'm just like every other family member/friend out there...don't want their loved one in harm's way. I've been lucky - so far - that it's been fairly removed from me.

Why do we go overboard?

Sitrep: Zero

A coworkers father died last Saturday. His health had been getting progressively worse for months, and the last few weeks were pretty bad for J.G. She asked me to come over last night and help her put together a poster board layout/collage of pictures. So I packed up a bunch of my scrapbooking materials and headed out. When I got there, she had all these old pictures from when her Dad was a kid. Not wanting to use the originals, we headed out to find a scan & print kiosk. It took 3 hours to get them scanned (four shops before finding one that worked and was free). We were just about done when the guy working the photo counter comes over, takes one look, and says "You know at the beginning you have to agree about the copyright restrictions. You can't copy those without a release."

ExCUse me? A picture from freakin' 1935?

Copyright apparently goes for 75 years. Which means 1933 to today. So no copies, folks. Unless, of course, you have your own high-quality scanner and photo printer.

J.G. turned to him and for a second I thought she was going to collapse. (These last few weeks have been extremely hard for her!) Then she goes "But it's for my father's funeral!" Poor guy...he had no idea what to say to that. I explained we were printing them out to put on a poster board for the service. He relented, and let us. A very nice guy, really. Then he stuck around and tried to cheer up my friend.

I understand copyright protection and everything. Even agree it is necessary. But why do we have to go overboard on this? Realistically, most pictures people have that are from the 30's and 40's are going to be "studio" pictures. Yet how many of them actually have the photographer or studio's name on the back? Not very many. And even if they did, what are the odds you'd be able to find them to either buy more prints (if they even had the negatives) or to get a release?

And what about all those school pictures? What if I wanted to do a scrapbook of my sister or brother or myself using school pictures? That's from the 70's onward...Wouldn't be able to copy those, and the thought of even trying to track down the photographers...well, that would be a fun job. I'm just glad I have a very nice color scanner. Now I just need to get that printer I want that will print pages up to 12" x 12" paper size. :)

I just want to scream sometimes with how overboard we go in trying to be "protective" and "fair". What the heck ever happened to common sense?

Anyway. We did an awesome layout for her Dad's Navy years...1943-1946. He joined straight out of High School. She has pictures of his ship heading out to sea, on leave somewhere in Japan or the Philippines, his "office" on board ship (complete with pinup girls on the wall!). We found a poster board with a flag/red, white & blue graphic faded into the background. Matted the pictures on black paper, and then used a bunch of Navy themed stickers from the scrapbook store. We also put pictures from his Smoke jumper days (he was one of the original Smoke jumpers) on there as well. It turned out fabulous. Then we did another poster of family pictures - his parents on through to his grand kids. Made for a long day, but it turned out pretty darned good, if I do say so myself.

Discovering a new author

Discovering a new author feels a little like how I imagine Columbus & his sailors must have felt when they finally spied land.

Especially when they have an nice back-list to glom.

Several weeks ago I picked up "The Serpent Bride" by Sara Douglass. I'd read a chapter at the store, and it piqued my interest enough to buy a new-to-me author. It's the first in a trilogy (Darkglass Mountain), and for the first third or so I was really getting into it. Then I started running into all these other characters and places and references to events that were confusing. It was written like I, the reader, should already know about this stuff. Turns out she has something like 6+ other books set in the same world, and with some of the same characters. So I was enjoying it, but it was a tiring read because a lot of things I just didn't understand. They really, really ought to put something in the blurb or on the cover that this is a "return to", ya know?

In spite of feeling like I was slogging through the book (at first I kept having to flip back to see who was who), I liked it. Enought to go to the library yesterday and get another of her books "Hades' Daughter", first in the Troy Game series (not in the same world as the other one.)

Wow. I'll say that again. Wow. Started it shortly after getting home & eating, about 6pm, by 6:30 the TV was turned off (it was annoying me, unusual when I'm reading), and at 11:30 pm I had to make myself go to sleep. I'm captivated. :) Over halfway through the book already. And it's some 584 pages long (hardback). At lunch today I'm off to pick up the others in the series. At this rate, it'll be done by Monday. =8-O

It's a bit of a different type of book for me. Definitely in the sci-fi fantasy realm, with a bit of relationship/romance in it. The thing is, in each of the following books the characters are reincarnated. Tied together, trying to fix the messes they've made, defeat the great evil. Novel concept for me in a book. Usually I don't like a lot of angst drawn out over a lot of books; the "Romeo & Juliet Syndrome" irritates me after awhile. I might give up on this series after the next book. Who knows? But I'm captivated right now. And going to enjoy the ride while it lasts.

Connections; A Little Bit of Spring Madness

Sitrep: Nada. My "Fire" Element is seriously depleted.

Yesterday I attended a meeting with my new boss and our printer. We were meeting to discuss options and deadlines for our annual convention materials. The new boss wants to change things up this year (Yay!) after 20+ years of the same thing. Just printed in different colors. [insert rolling of eyes]. The two of them met briefly at R.'s retirement reception in the office. So this was a get-to-know meeting as well. Except they really sorta know each other...they both grew up in this town.

As I listened to them go through the

"We lived two blocks from...."
"Went to H Elementary School..."
"So did I..."
"Weren't you...."
"I remember him/her/them..."
"That's my sister...."
"Didn't she marry..."
"Yeah, he graduated..."

I felt a tiny little pang of envy. I wonder what that's like, living someplace where you're connected to so many people, things, events, places. A kind of loose-knit sweater of your life and history. Is it a warm feeling, or stifling? Scratchy and itchy, or soft and smooth? Maybe it's all of those.

I don't regret the way I was brought up. Living so far from extended family kept us very close, I think, as a small family unit with Mom, Dad, brother and sisters. I got to see things and explore places and learn things I wouldn't have otherwise. It's what made me as Strong an individual as I am today.

Maybe it wasn't so much a pang of envy, as one of curiosity. It's just not something I can easily comprehend. I guess the closest I could come to that is the cul-de-sac where my family moved when I was twelve. But even there there's only one family that's lived there since we were there. A few moved in when I was fifteen, one later, the others after I was in college/graduated college. I have one friend I've known since kindergarten, and she and her parents and her brothers are parts of the web of my life for those early few years, a few in college, brief little intertwinings since then. Maybe it's just like that, only on a larger scale, with your parents and siblings and relatives webs more closely overlapping yours.

It was just an interesting feeling, watching, listening, feeling that connection.

A Little Bit Of Spring Madness
The container garden has grown.
Green beans, carrots, romaine lettuce, green onions, bell peppers, and potatoes.
Basil, catnip (no, I didn't get a cat), chives, lemongrass, two varieties of sunflowers.
And a self-pollinating lime tree.

I believe I've said before that I'm really good at planning. We'll see how the execution goes.

It Just Goes to Show

Sitrep: nothing. :(

So. One week to the day after receiving the permit to mine in EH, HS&G has been ordered by the DEQ to stop work because they are in violation of the permit.

Seriously.

They are restricted to accessing the site via one road, and one road only. They've been using a different road. What, did they think no one was going to be watching? And if they can't even be bothered to follow a pretty simple up-front restriction on the permit (hello, it's one of the first things listed! I know, I've printed it all out and read it!) what makes anyone think they'll follow the rest of the restrictions?

Cost is $100-$1000 per day. I bet that's just pennies to them. Fines at their existing location never seemed to bother - or stop - them.

In the meantime, we're still trying to get the citizen initiated zoning approved. To prevent other developments like this from going in. And to restrict HSG from extending their operations to the remaining acreage. Hopefully their current actions will go to show the commissioners how unreliable HS&Gs promises are.

I've heard that the county assessors office is getting a lot of requests for property tax liability re-assessments now that the pit is being developed. Heh. I've gotta think about that. Not sure it might not bite me in the rear if I requested one. Would my living room remodel affect my property taxes? Of course, if I took out the closet in the sun-porch, it could no longer be listed as a 4-bedroom. Not sure what idiot filled that paperwork out. It wasn't me! Weird. For selling purposes, I can't call it a 4th bedroom. But for property taxes they do. How wrong is that?

calm, rational thought returns

Sitrep: 10 mins Boot Camp, Lawn

Now that I'm ~somewhat~ more calm, I'm able to blog. I was extremely upset yesterday and simply couldn't find the words. Astonishing, I know! It looks like the open cut mine, the gravel pit complete with batch plant, asphalt plant, etc, is going to be built in E.H. Just blocks from my house, next to two elementary schools, next to several parks, and surrounded on 3 sides by existing residential neighborhoods. Oh, and did I mention it's already a Superfund site due to freakin' Asa.rco and a century of their mining? We've almost got that cleaned up and now this...

HS&G was able to use their money to sue DEQ and get a court date within days of filing their suit. Nice, huh? They got their permit to mine the 111 acres the day before final approval was to go through on the zoning of EH, which would have prevented the mine. The issue was DEQ has been consistenly underfunded and understaffed and unable to complete environmental assessments within 90 days. They had to extend the comment period to the public on this one because there were only 2 notices, as required by law, in the paper, but they were right at the holidays... pretty convenient timing, huh? Not. It was deliberate, as the permitting process was started last June. Why wait until December to notify the public? Because many would be out of town or so busy they'd miss the notices, that's why. Anyway. The courts said that DEQ had to issue the permit at the end of 90 days even if the EA was not finished, and that the Opencut Mining Law trumps the Environmental laws in the state.

Miracle of miracles, the EA was finished that very day. Guess who paid for an independent firm to do the EA? Yep. HSG. And the DEQ has the nerve to say even though HSG paid the contractor, DEQ is the one who hired them? Huh. I don't mean to accuse the firm of anything shady...but it smacks of conflict of interest and impropriety to me. And reading the final EA, that addressed concerns submitted by residents, the responses were pretty much "it won't affect you badly because we say so". Right.

And it's not like this is simply a case of NIMBY (Not In My Backyard). There are some serious concerns about health, water, & safety. The H. Valley has been struggling with water quality issues for years. EH has additional water quality issues with Asar.co and it's lovely contamination of the area. The land they are seeking to dig up and disperse all over the property is contaminated with lead, arsenic, selenium. Testing has shown areas with more than 2x the EPA limit that requires cleanup. Yet they're simply to "move" it? Their plan is to mine within 5-6 feet of the groundwater level. Yet they have no study showing where it is. In addition, they are going to be filling a lot of their water needs from the existing irrigation canals in the area...one that many farms rely on. And these aren't your big commercial ones, either. Considering we've been in drought for years...

Then there's the safety of the trucks on the two-lane road that is barely adequate to handle existing traffic. A road already known for bad accidents. Theses trucks will have to pass the schools, go through EH...yet no traffic study, no improvements to the road are required. Our activism did manage to get some restrictions placed on their hours of operation...they were planning on 20 hours per day! Get real...They're now restricted to 5a-7p weekdays, shorter on Saturdays, none on Sunday...UNLESS they're under contract deadlines. Since they are the monopoly here, and are the only supplier for the state/county road improvements - which take place at night - the asphalt plant, etc, will be running, you guessed it, all night. They are also not allowed to drive their trucks during the school "arrival" and "departure" hours. Trucks aren't allowed to idle more than 15 minutes either. But who's gonna enforce that????

All the "precautions" HSG is required to take to diminish aesthetic impacts are ones they are supposed to be doing on their current property that I drive past daily. It's an ugly scar on the landscape, and the trees planted to block the view??? Dead, all but one. Nothing was done, and where's the enforcement? Dust, noise, lights from the current operation - nothing mitigated. Complaints have been steadily rising since the local owners were bought out 3+ years ago by an international firm. It's all words on paper... the fines are minimal and have no effect on this company as the past years have shown. Why would it, they're a monopoly and growth is strong in the valley. Demand is high. Although if people knew they were getting stuff from land contaminated by Asar.co that hasn't been cleaned up...

The final commissioner meeting was yesterday for zoning, and it was supposed to be finalized. But all of a sudden, they've extended the deadline until next week for "comments", and are considering giving HSG a variance allowing the remaining 389 acres of the property to be mined. Dammit. The citizens have done everything required of us by law...it's CITIZEN INITIATED zoning, out of legitimate concerns over air quality, noise, roads, water, lead/arsenic contamination...We have a right to direct how our town develops and grows. So yet again I've written the commissioners, as hopefully the rest of EH residents have. But I'd bet everything HSG gets their variance anyway. Regardless of what more than 80% of the citizens want or not.

It sucks. It really does. We don't have the money to appeal the courts decision (which I'm betting in future gets overturned by a higher court - there are other cases in other counties pending on this very issue) because the law requires us to put up a bond if we want to appeal.

Anyway. It just makes me want to cry. A giant pit in the center of my beautiful town. Air quality is going to be bad - the smell from the asphalt plant alone will cause headaches for me, the dust is going to kill my allergies. Not sure what it will do to my dog's asthma. I guess I'm going to have to figure out how to get AC installed in my house before that goes on line...Too bad, because one of my favorite things about living out here is the fresh air.

Keep your fingers crossed, say your prayers, send your positive energy this way...whatever you have, we need it to keep them restricted to at least the 111 acres.

Turning Into Earth Mother

Sitrep: 10 mins Boot Camp (I had to stop - not sure what was up mentally last night. It improved with sleep, though, as I my out-loud laughter woke me up at 5:36am!)

Okay, not really. [g] But I've finally decided to start my container vegetable garden. I'm going to have two containers - half whiskey barrels I found at Low.e's. The list of what to plant isn't very long for me as I'm such a picky eater. Here it is:

Carrots (#1 of course!)
Onions
Potatoes
Green Beans
Lettuce

I'm still hoping we're going to do corn again at my little sister's, but considering it's June and we haven't even begun to plant...

From what reading I've done (yes I've researched. Do I do anything without researching first?) I think I'm going to be able to put the lettuce, carrots and onions in one container. The potatoes and green beans in another. I might add a third container depending on space. We'll see how much of this actually comes off. [g] You know me, great on planning, lousy at implementing.

I'm starting late, so who knows if they'll grow...it's at least worth a try. So get ready for gardening posts...like you weren't sick enough of my lawn care woes! [g]