The funny thing about having an unplanned, somewhat forced, absence from blogging is that you realize how much work it is to get back into the swing of things. Not just from this end, but visiting all your regular haunts. I haven't yet run through the HNT list, and Wednesday night is less than 48 hours away! I wish I could say I have lots of stories to share, but I'll just bore you with the mundane.
EDITED: I just deleted most of this post, as I realized that, even after 6 days of not blogging, I had absolutely nothing interesting to share. Trust me, you'd thank me if you'd been able to read it.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Six HNT
If you've been by since last week, you'd know that this blog celebrated its 6th Blogoversary last week (actually, last Wednesday, but I spaced it out). So all this week I've been reposting some of the first writings of this blog. As I said when I started that, I think I was a better writer back then. I'd like to get back to where I was. I hope you'll check the reposts back to last Friday.
I wanted to do some sort of celebratory HNT for the 6th Blogoversary, especially since I spaced it out last week. Something based on "six". Possibly six pictures? Nah...that's overkill. Painting a big "6" on my body somewhere? Nobody would want that. Ooh! Take a picture of something I've got six of! Think about that for a minute... There's not really a whole lot, if anything, that we have SIX of. God seems to have figured that we don't really need more than two of anything, other than fingers and toes. And then it hit me!
But first, a story. When my nieces were growing up in the 90s, we used to tell them that their Uncle Os was born with six toes on each foot, which were amputated as a baby. This was always a source of fascination for them. And in the summer months, during the days of flip flops or bare feet, I'd let them inspect my feet. And there it was. I have what seems to be an unnaturally large gap between my big toe and the rest of the toes. I haven't really seen anyone else with quite the same gap. And my big toes work almost as well as the opposable thumbs on my hand. I can grab things, twirl them, toss them, and all sorts of other things. I'm a freakin' freak of nature!
Anyway...my nieces would come and check out this gap, get all grossed out, then run off to grab Uncle Os another beer. Which was the real goal anyway. So what better way to celebrate this blog's 6th Blogoversary than to show off my foot, and the gap where my 6th toe was "removed" (trust me, the gap is much more prominent than it appears here!)?
I am a woman. So strange to type that word. Woman. When I think of the word woman I think of those who are in their later years with a lot of wisdom, knowledge and experience. Those who have been through so much more than myself. So I rarely refer to myself as a woman and think of myself as more of a girl. A girl who is living and learning about life. I come here to write about the “chaotic clutter” that goes on in my head. I am also a girl who will grab her camera or use her cam to take photographs. Sometimes of myself. Sometimes of other things. I am an overly sexual girl who is going through a continual journey and I enjoy expressing the way I see my adventures through words and photographs. My eye is drawn towards erotic photography but I see beauty in so much more.
Our bubbly, but secretive Mystery Guest will be revealed on Thursday afternoon. Be sure to come back to find out who it is!
This week's MG is The Secretive Writer! You need to stop by and see why exactly she was needing to take a bath (and shame on you if you've never been there)! Say hi while you're there too!
Lots of nekkidness over at "...the Other HNT" this week. Be sure to support your fellow HNTers and leave some comments, OK? NSFW, as usual!
A new development as of this afternoon. The new chairs for the orchestra arrived today, as well as the rest of the music stands. And since we have a concert this weekend, what better time to show them off? This of course, means I have to assemble, unpack and load the new equipment. And transfer the old stuff to a different storage area, since it won't all fit in our current one. With that in mind, I'm assembling rolling chair racks tonight, and doubt that I'll get around to see anyone until sometime Thursday. Hope you're all looking good this week!
I wanted to do some sort of celebratory HNT for the 6th Blogoversary, especially since I spaced it out last week. Something based on "six". Possibly six pictures? Nah...that's overkill. Painting a big "6" on my body somewhere? Nobody would want that. Ooh! Take a picture of something I've got six of! Think about that for a minute... There's not really a whole lot, if anything, that we have SIX of. God seems to have figured that we don't really need more than two of anything, other than fingers and toes. And then it hit me!
But first, a story. When my nieces were growing up in the 90s, we used to tell them that their Uncle Os was born with six toes on each foot, which were amputated as a baby. This was always a source of fascination for them. And in the summer months, during the days of flip flops or bare feet, I'd let them inspect my feet. And there it was. I have what seems to be an unnaturally large gap between my big toe and the rest of the toes. I haven't really seen anyone else with quite the same gap. And my big toes work almost as well as the opposable thumbs on my hand. I can grab things, twirl them, toss them, and all sorts of other things. I'm a freakin' freak of nature!
Anyway...my nieces would come and check out this gap, get all grossed out, then run off to grab Uncle Os another beer. Which was the real goal anyway. So what better way to celebrate this blog's 6th Blogoversary than to show off my foot, and the gap where my 6th toe was "removed" (trust me, the gap is much more prominent than it appears here!)?
As an added bonus for this picture, I took it this morning in the brilliant sunshine.
The same sunshine that's kept us in the mid-40s for almost two weeks now
and has melted just about all the snow.
I do this for my friends back east. I knew you'd appreciate it.
ETA: NO comments about needing a pedi, please.
I never realized how truly dorky looking my feet are!
The same sunshine that's kept us in the mid-40s for almost two weeks now
and has melted just about all the snow.
I do this for my friends back east. I knew you'd appreciate it.
ETA: NO comments about needing a pedi, please.
I never realized how truly dorky looking my feet are!
I am a woman. So strange to type that word. Woman. When I think of the word woman I think of those who are in their later years with a lot of wisdom, knowledge and experience. Those who have been through so much more than myself. So I rarely refer to myself as a woman and think of myself as more of a girl. A girl who is living and learning about life. I come here to write about the “chaotic clutter” that goes on in my head. I am also a girl who will grab her camera or use her cam to take photographs. Sometimes of myself. Sometimes of other things. I am an overly sexual girl who is going through a continual journey and I enjoy expressing the way I see my adventures through words and photographs. My eye is drawn towards erotic photography but I see beauty in so much more.Our bubbly, but secretive Mystery Guest will be revealed on Thursday afternoon. Be sure to come back to find out who it is!
This week's MG is The Secretive Writer! You need to stop by and see why exactly she was needing to take a bath (and shame on you if you've never been there)! Say hi while you're there too!
Lots of nekkidness over at "...the Other HNT" this week. Be sure to support your fellow HNTers and leave some comments, OK? NSFW, as usual!
A new development as of this afternoon. The new chairs for the orchestra arrived today, as well as the rest of the music stands. And since we have a concert this weekend, what better time to show them off? This of course, means I have to assemble, unpack and load the new equipment. And transfer the old stuff to a different storage area, since it won't all fit in our current one. With that in mind, I'm assembling rolling chair racks tonight, and doubt that I'll get around to see anyone until sometime Thursday. Hope you're all looking good this week!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
They make a pill for that, right?
This is the last of my reposting from six years ago. Even then, as a new and avid blogger, there were...issues...
Well, heck.... - 01/27/11
Even though I'm fairly new to the blogging experience, tonight I've come up with my first case of blogger's block (say THAT ten times fast!). I can't think of anything to write. I'm not able to put out in my normal way. I feel somehow inadequate. I've never had this problem. I know that my readers don't mind--"it happens to everyone" at some time or another, BUT IT'S NEVER HAPPENED TO ME. Maybe it's the stress. Maybe I'm trying too hard. Maybe I'm thinking too hard about bad experiences in the past. Maybe I've been doing it too much over the past week. Or maybe I'm just tired. I suppose I could take one of those pills they advertise on TV, but then I run the risk of being up for 4 hours, then I'd have to call a doctor....
I'm just afraid of what is going through your mind. I don't want your pity. I don't want you to say it's alright and that you understand. I've heard of this happening to other guys and they get laughed at. Hopefully that's not going to happen here. I'd like to think that our relationship is stronger than that. I guess the only thing to do now is to try to fall asleep and not think about it. Yeah, right.
No, I think the better thing to do is to not try again for a couple of days. Yeah, that's the answer. I'll be a new man! And no alcohol to screw things up. Come back strong after a couple of days and be primed and pumped and ready to go! By golly. that's what I'll do! I'll be back on Sunday. Until then...
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The NEXT BLOG Button
The fifth of my post reposting series. When I first started blogging, I had no idea what the next step was. I posted. Surprisingly, people read and commented. But how was I supposed to find anyone else who might pique my interest? I hadn't really lurked among the blogs to build up any favorites yet, so I spent a great deal of time with that NEXT BLOG button up there. Interestingly, I think that if I were to write this post today, it would be vastly different. Mostly due to how blogging has had to make way for Facebook and Twitter. There might still be six types of bloggers, but I think the categories would be have to be changed quite a bit. For as much as the prior posts could have been written today, this one is definitely outdated...
Six Types of Bloggers - 01/27/05
In spite of my prior comments about not spending a great deal of time checking out blogs, I find that I DO like to hit that little button in the upper right corner that says "NEXT BLOG>>". The randomness is wonderful, and I've done it enough to determine that there are six basic types of bloggers. Here they are in no particular order:I would highly urge you to take a chance on that little button in the corner. There's a whole lot of world out there that you should experience! Hopefully this little post can help you figure out what you've found!
- THE TEENAGER--By far, one of the largest groups out there. These people shouldn't be allowed near a computer. If their parents read this stuff, they'd blow a major artery. Both for language and content. There are no happy teenagers. No teenager can write a paragraph without using some of the most graphic profanity imaginable. Apparently, high school English teachers are telling them that if you can't expand your vocabulary, use profanity instead. It's much more effective. Teenage girls are the worst. They're all virgins, but all their friends are sluts. Guys suck, except for Billy. He's different from the rest. Really! He just keeps her picture in his locker to remind him how badly she treated him.... And when did they all decide that they might all be lesbians, or like to be? The biggest sin amongst this group? Thinking that they are gangsta. Nothing worse than a wannabe gangsta. I hate to break it to them, but a 15-year-old, blond-haired, blue-eyed cheerleader named Sally from Pigsnot, Iowa isn't going to impress anyone with their attempts to come off as a ho' from da 'hood!
- THE SPAMMER--It's nice to know that there's someone out there so concerned about the size of my penis that they'd go to the trouble of setting up a blog with information on what I can purchase, or where I can go to get that taken care of. Granted, it's long been a concern of mine, but I never bothered setting up a blog specifically for that! There's blogs out there for just about any ailment, problem, or subject you can think of. And they appear to have someone that modifies their site on a daily basis! While SPAM appears to be here to stay (and you have to credit someone for coming up with the idea that a blog site would be fertile ground for that), blogs seem to be relatively free of old-fashioned hardcore porn. At least I haven't found, er, run across any yet....
- THE INFORMANTS--No, not like a narc. These are blogs that are similar to SPAMMERS, but are more informational. There's two main types--the sites that simply list a number of links based on a subject (such as: "Everything You've Always Wanted To Know About North Dakota"), or sites that are actually manned by a real person, who chooses to enlighten the reader about various topics (such as a particular crackpot religion, the philosophy of some unknown 17th century Icelandic pacifist, or by posting their doctoral dissertation on whatever boring, mudane subject they got their degree in). Generally, these sites are harmless, because most people will haul ass out of there as soon as they realize what they've stumbled upon, so that none of the information actually gets out!
- THE FAMILY GUY--This is the blog where you, and Uncle George, and Cousin Willie, and Grampa Smith can all go to find out what happened at the family BBQ from June, 2002, since you weren't there yourselves. The site hasn't changed since it was originally published in December, 2002, when it was used as a common, but lame, excuse for a Christmas greeting. And all the pictures were taken with Aunt Betty's brand new 1.2-megapixel digital camera. Blown up to 300%. The audience for these pages is limited to about 10 people, max. No one else is really invited to see these pages, but when geeky Uncle Phil made the page, he made it public, and no one, including geeky Uncle Phil, knows how to get rid of the page, or restrict it. Then again, it should stay up, just in case Bobbie Jo's ex-husband makes parole--he really had a good time at that BBQ!
- THE NORMAL BLOGGER--These are the ones that are the best, but also the rarest, out in blogdom. There might be a nice picture or two, some nice links, maybe some humorous posts. There's generally a little ranting going on, but nothing that would offend anyone. Often there's some personal stories that are interesting, but not a great deal of crisis, or mind-numbing blathering (is that a word?). If you're lucky enough to run across one of these, make note of it!
- THE NON-ENGLISH BLOGGER--This is often the scariest of the bunch. Mostly because you have no idea what you've discovered or landed in. They actually fit into one of the types from above, which is scary enough, but there's usually no way to tell which! Depending on the country of origin, your experience could be either good or bad. There appears to be alot of Brazilian sites. And Nordic sites. And Indonesian sites. Occasionally you'll get a nice picture. If you run across an Asian one, then the page is usually filled with non-Western alphabets. I have to admit that Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, etc. blogs are quite beautiful. Who knows what's being written, but who cares? It LOOKS good! Same with Middle Eastern writing. Say what you will about what's going on in that region these days--when you read about it in their own writing, it LOOKS good. Once in awhile you'll run across one of Blogger.com's headings ("About Me" or "Archives") in the midst of all these foreign languages or characters. Sort of gives you an anchor of sorts--letting you know that this, too, is just someone's blog!
Monday, January 24, 2011
The Explanation
Number 4 of my repost series. Probably the most frequently asked question posed to me over the years is, "What does osbasso mean?" I invented it around in the early 80s, I believe. I definitely know I used it for my vanity plates as early as 1985. It's just something that's stuck for over a quarter of a century (wow!). Here's the post where I tried to explain it to an unsuspecting blogosphere...
The Derivation of Osbasso - 1/26/05
What exactly is Osbasso? Well, it's sort of an invented word (actually two words--I usually separate them: os basso) made up of two Latin words. Definitions below:So, literally, bone bass. Those of you who have bothered to check out my profile, you'll see that I play the bass trombone, or, using hip jazz lingo, the bass bone. And keeping my 9th grade Spanish in mind, I seemed to recall that in almost every language but English, the noun comes first, then the adjective. Therefore, bone bass, or in Latin, os basso.
- os n. pl. os•sa
A bone. (think osteoporosis or osteoarthritis)- bas•so n. pl. bas•sos or bas•si
An instrumental part written for a bass instrument.
I've used the term since the mid-80s as a password (sorry--I don't do THAT anymore!), on my license plates, as a username, and all sorts of other things. Only twice in 20 years have people figured it out on their own. Both were musicians, both were also medically inclined. Explaining the origins of it have never gotten me out of a speeding ticket, but the highway patrolmen generally just shake their heads as they're writing it. In that "Man, that's so sad. Go get a life." sort of way. Actually, if I explain it to just about anyone, I get that head shake. Sort of like how you're doing it right at this moment.....
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Little did I know...
#3 in my blogoversary repost celebration! Little did I know how prophetic this post really was. Written in the days when everyone had a Myspace page, Facebook was available only on college campuses, and Twitter wasn't even a glimmer in anyone's eye, blogs were still an enormous time-suck. Apparently, from the very beginning, I was making apologies for not getting to everyone's blog, and worrying about what the heck I'd write on my own site. Just like my previous post...the more things change...
Blogs--The Secret Evil - 01/23/11
Blogs are the evil secret of the internet. They are time consuming, addictive, and will ultimately destroy society as we know it. Well, maybe not that bad, but I'm sure spending more time in front of my computer screen than I should be! I started this blog about 4 days ago, and I can already see two problems arising.
The first problem would be the feeling that I need to come up with a new post on a daily basis. I don't think I've got the time to do that. Or enough original thought that could keep it interesting to myself or anyone else. And I don't want to get into making it a daily journal of my thoughts or activities. But at the same time, I find that I enjoy writing down random thoughts. Even if it takes me longer than I think I can spend on it. I've never really taken the time to do it before, and I find that it's sort of a mind-clearing activity. But I think I need to accept the idea that I can't force my thoughts, and that there's going to be days that I won't be posting.
The second problem is also partly related to time-consumption, but also with the state of society. I could very easily spend hours surfing miscellaneous blogs, and checking out all the links, and finding myself getting interested in the lives of others. Sort of like getting hooked on a soap opera (One Life To Live, by the way). Not that people's lives should be trivialized like a soap opera. But as I explore, I find that there are some truly unhappy people out there! My life is not one that I would suggest others to emulate, and there's certainly alot that has happened that could get me down, but it would be a far better life than some are living as described in their posts. And there's so many of them!! On the positive side, it appears that my life isn't quite as bad as I might think.
I would love to check all the links and read all the journal entries and comment on everybody's site. But then the time factor comes in, and you just can't do it! I had the same problem when I first got access to the internet. I was bound and determined to read every page of the internet. Or at least look at the pictures! Took me awhile to realize that you just don't have time in this life to do that. So I have to limit myself. If I don't run across your blog, I apologize. I'm sure it's a good one. And that your life isn't all bad. And if I DID run across yours, you'd never know it--no time to comment. But heck, you found mine, so that's a good thing!
Anyway, those are the two problems I will be working on. I'm not going to force myself to write if I've got nothing to say, and I won't feel guilty about it. And when I DO check my blog, I'm not going to spend too much time checking out the random links and journals and blogs to see how bad everyone else's life is. I just don't have that much time on my hands!
And, to prove my prior point, I've spent more time writing this post than I had planned. I'm outta here! Blogs are evil, and there's nothing you can do about it.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
The Song Remains the Same
This is #2 out of 6 of the early post re-posting. It's funny how, as time goes by, things remain the same. I had almost the exact scenario happen today. Ugh...
The Dumping Grounds - 01/21/05
Back when I was growing up, I remember very cleary the day that I was riding in the car with my mother, going to the store or coming back from my grandparents house, or some such thing. It was memorable because I got to ride in the front seat, and my sisters were in back. These were the days when the typical family had only one car, and wives/moms were expected to stay at home with the kids, while the husband/father took the car to work. Whenever the kids got to be in the car, it was usually a family affair, and the parents would be in front, and me and my cootie sisters were in the back. But on this day, for whatever reason, Mom was driving, Dad wasn't with us, and I was in the front seat.
At some point during this ride, I rolled down the window and casually tossed out some sort of litter. I don't remember if it was something small or something large, but it didn't matter. All of a sudden, my mother stops the car, and in a moment I won't likely ever forget, ripped me a new one about the sins of littering. With the car stopped in the middle of the street, and traffic trying to get by, she made me get out and pick up whatever it was. My sisters, after the initial shock had worn off, took great glee in the fact that my butt had been royally chewed! That's all it ever took. Never again, in the next 4 decades, have I ever tossed litter out of a car window.
I bring this up now, because of a disturbing trend I've seen over the past couple of years. And it happened again this afternoon. A carload of kids (apparently from a multi-car family!) was stopped at the light across the intersection from me. Someone in the back seat rolled down their window, and tossed out a full bag of empty McDonald's remnants. Didn't even bother looking around to see if someone was watching, in case it was something they shouldn't be doing. Then someone from the front seat hands him another one to toss! The light turns green, and I don't even move. They pass by me, without the slightest hint that they might have done something remotely wrong!
Now I'm generally the first one in line to defend the maturity of teenagers today. I've seen plenty of them getting the short end of the stick, just because of their age. But at what point did the youth of today figure out that it's OK to just dump out their garbage in the middle of the street?? Between my mother, and that hokey public service announcement of the Indian chief crying over the smog, litter and pollution, the thought of littering hasn't crossed my mind since that fateful day so, so many years ago. Have we raised a full generation or two of parents who don't teach their kids anymore? I can't imagine a parent of my age allowing their children (or grandchildren) to do such a thing!
God bless my mother for teaching me things at a young age. This is just one of the many things she did well for me in my life. She still made a mistake by not forcing me to take piano lessons, but that's a subject for a future discussion...
Friday, January 21, 2011
Starting My Seventh Year!
Anyone who's known me for any length of time knows that I'm usually pretty good with dates. Birthdays, in particular. So it might come as a surprise that I totally missed my 6th Blogoversary. I dipped my toe into all of this on Jan. 19th, 2005. And here we are, 1564 posts later. I went back and read some of those first handful of posts tonight. I wrote better back then. Long before understanding that not everyone plays nice out here. Long before half-nekkidness became commonplace. Long before knowing if anyone was reading anything I wrote. Actually, I did have a very small handful of commenters then. In particular, Moose, Lightning Bug's Butt, and Lizabeth. Moose and LBB are still around, and I keep up with Lizabeth through FB now.
To celebrate six years of doing this, I'm going to repost six of those earliest writings. I think you'll like them. And it takes me off the hook from coming up with something new!
To celebrate six years of doing this, I'm going to repost six of those earliest writings. I think you'll like them. And it takes me off the hook from coming up with something new!
Jury Duty - 01/20/05
So last week, I get a summons for jury duty. Thursday, Jan. 20, 2005 at 8:45 AM. But call us first to make sure it's not cancelled. So I get up early, call, and get a pre-recorded message saying to be at the Courthouse no later than 8:45. Knowing that parking was going to be tight, and the roads were all slushy messy, I head down early.
Outside of the Justice Court office are a couple of uncomfortable benches. People were sitting there, drinking the free coffee, and just waiting. I check in just ahead of a musician friend of mine. At least I'll have someone to talk to while waiting for court. So we sit on the uncomfortable benches and start talking about music. Everyone else got to hear our opinions too, since you could have heard a pin drop out there before we started.
The door to the courtroom opens, and anyone who was NOT a juror, but there for a criminal proceeding, were to go into the courtroom at this time. Almost everyone gets up and goes in! We're sitting amongst criminals!!!! No wonder they were all quiet. Trying to figure out their "arguments", or how they're going to pay their fine, or trying to work up some sympathy tears.....
Mark & I continue as more of the jury pool shows up. Still not very social, but noticeably looser. Mark & I try to guess what sort of case we'll be getting. Guns? Drugs? Probably not--this is just justice court. DUI? MIP? Traffic? Maybe. Then the courtroom doors open, and the jury pool is asked to come in. We move to a new set of uncomfortable benches, and the judge proceeds to inform us that everyone is there and ready to go, except for the defendant! She has 10 dog tickets. No indication of what that means. Were they abused? Were they running around loose in town chasing cars? Whatever it was, she didn't show, which means she forfeited her right to a jury trial. But thanks for coming. Thanks for coming?!?!
Mark headed back to a construction job. Don't know about anyone else. Did anyone feel anger towards this woman? For having 10 dog tickets? Or for causing a hassle to our routine? Did anyone feel the need to get together and discuss their feelings towards all of this? Apparently not, because we all scattered like cockroaches. But now I have a blog, which a great place to vent about things like this!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Dinner and FB Junk
Dinner last night with No One Special (I'll just refer to her as NOS...) was wonderful last night. It's the third time we've actually met, which in a state this size is sort of silly. The first time was that awkward just-met phase, and I had to get back for a gig, so time was somewhat limited. The second time I surprised her at work, while on my way to the airport, so it was even less time and less conversation. This time though, we were able to have dinner, have some great conversation, and quite a few laughs. Montana politics, HNT, marijuana, photography, Crimson, blogging--just a few of the subjects touched upon.NOS was here to address the Montana Legislature, regarding their attempts to overturn the medical marijuana law that the people voted for by initiative. I don't quite understand how the Legislature can do that, but it's happening. NOS has been using medicinal marijuana (after a great deal of research and hesitation) to help with her frequent migraines. Contrary to the bias of the wacko soccer moms (apologies to the normal ones out there), she's not an old hippie getting stoned every day on her MM card. Hell, she used to be in law enforcement! She had hoped that she could give testimony during a committee hearing. Alas, she ran face first into the political machine, and came away somewhat discouraged. It's a daunting, scary thing to step inside the halls of the Capitol. And there's a reason that lobbyists are well paid to do what they do.
Anyhoo...she did send me a link and urges any and all (particularly Montanans) to click a few keys and get their opinions noted:
- Vote not to repeal Medical Marijuana:
- http://leg.mt.gov/css/
sessions/62nd/legwebmessage. asp - Fill in name/address/etc.
- Select the "committee" button
- Select House Judiciary, Senate Judiciary, and Joint Subcommittee on Health and Human Services (three different committees--you'll have to do this three times)
- Enter: HB 161
- Click against.
- Add a note as to why… or just state that you do not want it repealed.
The rest of this post is stuff I stole off of FB...Ever wonder what happened to that kid that was on the cover of the Nirvana album? Click the picture and see! (safe for work)
Let me make it perfectly clear that I despise Oprah. She's the first of those who have found fame, without having any discernible talent. She opened the door for the Paris Hiltons, the Kardashians, and the plethora of hacks that keep the tabloids in business. I do not choose to celebrate her 25 years, or her decision to close down her show. Johnny Carson she ain't!
I've just been Oprahfied! Now it's your turn. Help The Oprah Winfrey Show celebrate its 25th and final season. Go to http://www.oprah.com/oprahfy to get started.
I wish I had this woman's ability to talk. The stream of consciousness is wonderful! She's got a couple other Youtube videos, but this one's the one that caught my eye.
Sonofabitch
(HNT below this one)
This is the second year in a row that I've missed linking to this in a timely manner. Even later than last year. I suppose that means it's gotten easier... And harder...
It's the Little Things HNT
It's been one of those weeks. Nothing significant--just a lot of little things that pile up and get under your skin. Or my skin, at least. Why can't things just work the first time? Or in a logical manner?
Miscommunication with this week's Mystery Guest, so we have none this week. Remember, if you're interested in being the MG, just email me for the 'complex' details! And if you've done it before, there's nothing that says you can't do it again!
No problem in getting new pictures over at "...the Other HNT" this week! Stop by and see which of your fellow HNTers are over there! Leave lots of comments, too! NSFW, as usual. Ed. note: For reasons mentioned below, OHNT might be posted later than usual.
Stop by and check out the latest adventure of the OsShirt. Legs, water, bocci balls, oh my!
As mentioned above, time (or lack of it) has made me a bad blogger. Stuff that should have been written, but weren't include:
- Digital cable box--With the fancy new TV, I figured it was about time to go digital, even though I don't watch much TV (though that could change). Plugged everything in, and it works perfectly, with the exception of NO AUDIO. Spent an hour and a half going through all the settings on the box and the TV to make sure there wasn't a weird setting. Yes, I check the 'mute' button. Finally broke down and spent half an hour with customer service, who were hit with an error message they'd never seen. Swap out the cable box for a replacement one, and everything will be peachy. Two cable boxes and two HDMI cables later, and 45 minutes with a nice man in India from the TV manufacturer, and I have to wait for up to two weeks for a service rep. The TV works fine with the cable plugged directly in, but not with the cable box.
- The less hours at work that I mentioned last month has been a little bit of a blessing, as I've had symphony stuff up the wazoo taking up that time. Unfortunately, the time spent at work has been non-stop work, and my usual routine of an occasional email, chat or blog surfing has been severely limited. Certain individuals are fully aware of that.
- Did I mention that someone dropped many thousands of dollars to buy the symphony new music stands and chairs? Someone (no names) has to find the time to assemble racks and stands... That's not so bad. We also got stand lights for those music stands. Whose brilliant idea was it to ship a majority of them in ONE box--totally unnecessary, and impossible to handle. Couldn't be split into TWO smaller boxes? And then to send the remainder from back order in another box?
- And those same stand lights--after unpacking them, I open one of the cartons and right there on the front of the box, "bulb not included". So now I have to find a cheap lot of specialty bulbs. Glad I checked ahead of time!
- I won't go into my continuing problems with the router at home.
- I switched to Progressive Insurance when I got the new car last summer. I got my renewal notice, and found that it rose almost $100. Then I realized that the coverages were different than I signed up for (that whole 'name your own price' thing). Why can't they just assume you're going to renew for the same coverage as before? Still, I really like Flo!
- iPhone or iPad? Don't know what to go for next. Though my current financial situation implies that it's not something I need to worry about any time soon...
- The dome light in my car. Won't turn off. Because there's a sensor that says a door is open. It's been like this for a week. Best advice I got from the dealership is to WD-40 the door latches, and hopefully the offending sensor will fix itself. Uh-huh. It's not so noticeable during the day, but it's sort of exposing while driving down the street at night.
Miscommunication with this week's Mystery Guest, so we have none this week. Remember, if you're interested in being the MG, just email me for the 'complex' details! And if you've done it before, there's nothing that says you can't do it again!
No problem in getting new pictures over at "...the Other HNT" this week! Stop by and see which of your fellow HNTers are over there! Leave lots of comments, too! NSFW, as usual. Ed. note: For reasons mentioned below, OHNT might be posted later than usual.
Stop by and check out the latest adventure of the OsShirt. Legs, water, bocci balls, oh my!
As mentioned above, time (or lack of it) has made me a bad blogger. Stuff that should have been written, but weren't include:
- NFL playoffs--The Patriots won't be in the Super Bowl. That grants the Jets my "favored" status going into Pittsburgh. Though I still dislike the Jets. Actually, none of the AFC teams do anything for me. On the NFC side, the Packers/Bears should be a great game. Too bad that can't be a Super Bowl game... Rooting for the Pack. My Super Bowl prediction: Packers 38 - Jets 21.
- A truly happy moment on Monday--I got a postcard from Hawaii! Shizzle is over there right now, and might very well never leave! What a convenient reason to visit!
- Another high point happens tonight. I won't be around because I have a dinner/beer date! With No One Special (you might need an invite to get on there)! She's #21 over there in my sidebar if you don't know what she looks like. She's in town for a couple of days, so we had to get together!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Ducks/Tigers HNT
You might have noticed that I closed comments all day here Wednesday. Or maybe you didn't (I have to quit thinking that everyone comes by to check things here 2-3 times a day...). Symphony stuff has unexpectedly piled up on me for January. But in a good way. I may have mentioned in an earlier post that we are performing a children's concert on Thursday for the local 4th & 5th graders. Usually, the concert is in March, and for some reason I didn't realize it was this week until a staff meeting last week. Oops! It's an important outreach activity, and I am amazed every year that we can get a full orchestra to take time off from their day jobs to do it. Of course, it means that I lose TWO days, since I have to deal with this concert like any other--equipment moves, set-up, etc. The music is rarely satisfying to the musicians, but I think we all look at it as an important opportunity. This will be the only exposure that some of these kids will ever have to a live orchestra. That is, unfortunately, a sad fact of life...
The other thing that's hitting unexpectedly was the year-end anonymous gift from one of our sponsors. His corporation has dropped thousands of dollars on us for the past few years, which is a tremendous gift already. But, after some informal talks with one of our musicians, he's bought the orchestra new chairs and music stands. New chairs cost over $200 each (ergonomically designed for optimum musician performance and comfort), and the various accessories add to the total. Delivery of the music stands and storage carts was this week. Of course, they just deliver this stuff. Someone has to assemble them when they get here. You can just imagine who gets to do that, right? So I've spent the past two days assembling the carts (about 90 minutes each), and am now starting on the stands. Fortunately, those are far less cumbersome. I'm not sure when the chairs and their carts are expected to show up, but you just KNOW that there's some assembly required there, too. And the rush is to get them all ready for our second concert at the end of the month. It'll happen. I just have to make sacrifices, which means my time around here will be sparse for a bit.
So what does that have to do with my HNT? Absolutely nothing. I'm just kicking back and watching the Ducks and the Tigers battle it out Monday night while taking a break from cart building. Half-nekkid, of course.
I feel badly about what this sudden rush of work has done for this week's Mystery Guest. I usually can grab a poem or lyric, but I just haven't had the time. So I have to wing it here. Of course the first thing to notice is that the 'mystery' part isn't quite a mystery, except to the newer participants around here. This MG has been around for many years, though not so much over the past year and a half or so. She's had a rough year in 2010, similar to mine. But she's making a comeback. Still a spitfire to the end! Sorry I don't have the time to be more eloquent--I'll have to make it up to you.
Be sure to come back on Thursday afternoon to find out who she is, if you don't already know...
This week's MG is Stealth from Cookies and Porn. Go check her out!
With symphony set-up today, and rehearsal tonight, I'm not going to be able to post "...the Other HNT" until after midnight. Be sure to stop by though! Some great pictures this week! NSFW, as always.
New adventure over at the OsShirt site!
The other thing that's hitting unexpectedly was the year-end anonymous gift from one of our sponsors. His corporation has dropped thousands of dollars on us for the past few years, which is a tremendous gift already. But, after some informal talks with one of our musicians, he's bought the orchestra new chairs and music stands. New chairs cost over $200 each (ergonomically designed for optimum musician performance and comfort), and the various accessories add to the total. Delivery of the music stands and storage carts was this week. Of course, they just deliver this stuff. Someone has to assemble them when they get here. You can just imagine who gets to do that, right? So I've spent the past two days assembling the carts (about 90 minutes each), and am now starting on the stands. Fortunately, those are far less cumbersome. I'm not sure when the chairs and their carts are expected to show up, but you just KNOW that there's some assembly required there, too. And the rush is to get them all ready for our second concert at the end of the month. It'll happen. I just have to make sacrifices, which means my time around here will be sparse for a bit.
So what does that have to do with my HNT? Absolutely nothing. I'm just kicking back and watching the Ducks and the Tigers battle it out Monday night while taking a break from cart building. Half-nekkid, of course.
I feel badly about what this sudden rush of work has done for this week's Mystery Guest. I usually can grab a poem or lyric, but I just haven't had the time. So I have to wing it here. Of course the first thing to notice is that the 'mystery' part isn't quite a mystery, except to the newer participants around here. This MG has been around for many years, though not so much over the past year and a half or so. She's had a rough year in 2010, similar to mine. But she's making a comeback. Still a spitfire to the end! Sorry I don't have the time to be more eloquent--I'll have to make it up to you.Be sure to come back on Thursday afternoon to find out who she is, if you don't already know...
This week's MG is Stealth from Cookies and Porn. Go check her out!
With symphony set-up today, and rehearsal tonight, I'm not going to be able to post "...the Other HNT" until after midnight. Be sure to stop by though! Some great pictures this week! NSFW, as always.
New adventure over at the OsShirt site!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Lots o' Random
So much to write, no time to write. It's cut into my surfing, too. Grrr... Of course, none of it's terribly earth-shattering...
I wasn't going to write anything about the shootings in Tuscon, but what passes as "journalism" is not good. And that's partially due to the media giving what the public "wants" (I don't recall ever wanting reality TV shows, but apparently I do).
Loving the Facebook statuses from the southerners and their snow. I realize it's a novelty in some parts, but geez! It's just snow! And snow days?? I don't think there's a district in the state that has such a thing. It's cute.
I have seen more snowman pics than ever. Have you noticed that the best snowman pics come from places that never get snow? Like it's a ritual they think they have to do? People up north don't build snowmen! They did it once as a kid, and that's good enough! It's lost its appeal up here. Though, honestly, the snow up here isn't conducive to making snowmen--too cold and too powdery.
On a weather related note, speaking of cold... It's been sub-zero here again for the past few days. But it's also been bright and sunny with no wind! I had to spend time outside working yesterday (and later this afternoon) in 4° weather. It was gorgeous! Of course, once the sun set behind the mountain, my opinion changed drastically! But for a few hours, it reminded me of why I love it here!
Watched the big football game last night. Really thought the Ducks would pull it out. Lord knows they had the chances to win. Though I suppose that if I needed to boast about our national champion, Tigers sound far more intimidating than Ducks! I was disappointed in how Brent Musburger had an obvious woody for Newton and Auburn all night. And his "all the Tostitos" line before the last kick? Really? Isn't there some sort of mandatory retirement clause we can invoke?
Just got an official notice from Facebook that I will be upgraded to the "new" FB profile in a few days. Should I be wary of the fact that it's taking them this long for me? Or should I rejoice in the fact that I don't have it yet?
What's up with all the birds dying in mid-air?
At what point did the rules of English spelling change? I grew up with the rule that if you adding "-ed" or "ing" to the end of a word that ended in a consonant, preceded by a vowel (not a diphthong) , you doubled the consonant.
I wasn't going to write anything about the shootings in Tuscon, but what passes as "journalism" is not good. And that's partially due to the media giving what the public "wants" (I don't recall ever wanting reality TV shows, but apparently I do).
Would interest in this shooting be as high if the Congressperson shot wasn't an attractive, young female?Dana has a good post today about people and their "worth". Go check it out.
Was it necessary to mention that her intern, who's credited with probably saving her life, is 'openly gay'? Does that mean his gayness saved her life, or that if he were straight she would have bounced up and helped others?
Would there be as much interest in the 9-year-old girl who was killed if she weren't born on 9/11? And what does that say about kids born on 9/10 or 9/12? Are they somehow not as important?
Our friends from the wacko church in Kansas (avoiding searches here...)says they're going to show up for funerals. Perhaps if the media quit acting like their PR agents, then they might fade away?
Loving the Facebook statuses from the southerners and their snow. I realize it's a novelty in some parts, but geez! It's just snow! And snow days?? I don't think there's a district in the state that has such a thing. It's cute.
I have seen more snowman pics than ever. Have you noticed that the best snowman pics come from places that never get snow? Like it's a ritual they think they have to do? People up north don't build snowmen! They did it once as a kid, and that's good enough! It's lost its appeal up here. Though, honestly, the snow up here isn't conducive to making snowmen--too cold and too powdery.
On a weather related note, speaking of cold... It's been sub-zero here again for the past few days. But it's also been bright and sunny with no wind! I had to spend time outside working yesterday (and later this afternoon) in 4° weather. It was gorgeous! Of course, once the sun set behind the mountain, my opinion changed drastically! But for a few hours, it reminded me of why I love it here!
Watched the big football game last night. Really thought the Ducks would pull it out. Lord knows they had the chances to win. Though I suppose that if I needed to boast about our national champion, Tigers sound far more intimidating than Ducks! I was disappointed in how Brent Musburger had an obvious woody for Newton and Auburn all night. And his "all the Tostitos" line before the last kick? Really? Isn't there some sort of mandatory retirement clause we can invoke?
Just got an official notice from Facebook that I will be upgraded to the "new" FB profile in a few days. Should I be wary of the fact that it's taking them this long for me? Or should I rejoice in the fact that I don't have it yet?
What's up with all the birds dying in mid-air?
At what point did the rules of English spelling change? I grew up with the rule that if you adding "-ed" or "ing" to the end of a word that ended in a consonant, preceded by a vowel (not a diphthong) , you doubled the consonant.
For example: travelOr did the nuns steer me wrong in the old days?
Old days: travelled, travelling
New days: traveled, traveling
Another example: cancel
Old days: cancelled, cancelling
New days: canceled, canceling
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Can You Sense the Excitement? HNT
Ooh, look! A blog!
Haven't been overly gung-ho about being online a great deal in 2011 yet. Partly because I just got slammed with all sorts of symphony stuff. I've been spending my evenings in brain-sucking committee meetings running phone interviews for our choral directing position that's open. There's nothing worse than having someone interview who can't use the alloted 30 minute slot to ask questions, give decent answers, and show some indication that they're actually interested. Even more fun when English is not their main language (in some cases, not even their 2nd or 3rd...). So that's taken care of my nights this week.
Next week we have a concert that I wasn't aware of... Well, I was, but it's a concert that's usually in March. We play for all the local 4th/5th graders. So next week is shot to hell, with rehearsals, set-ups and a midday performance (sure, I'll take time off from my job that I'm getting my hours cut back on already...). But it's worth it (at least that's the official line...).
The hall we play at is a city-owned facility. It's the only decent-sized auditorium in town, so they get to make the rules. One of which: they book the auditorium three years in advance, on the first business day of the new year. And since they're really the only game in town, organizations line up at the door to be first to claim their dates. So I got the phone call on Sunday--would I be willing to show up early to grab a place in line? The woman who would actually be getting the dates is on the elderly side, and didn't want to stand in line in the dark and cold. Oh, sure, why not? What I didn't realize when I said that is that I needed to be in line by 6AM. Six o'fucking-clock. When the temperature would be a cozy 0°F. Though it did warm up to a balmy 5° by the time I left. At 8AM. Which is the time she showed up to relieve me. And still half an hour before the doors to the building would open.
So here I am, early in the cold morning, just before leaving. Note the puffy, light-sensitive eyes. The unshowered hair doing something funky (which was OK--I put on a cap immediately after this). Unfortunately, you can't see my breath in this particular picture. Trust me...it was quite visible. I was at least smart enough to take along a canvas beer-drinking chair (sans beer), gloves, scarf and down comforter. She was smart enough to bring her own chair, but I offered her my comforter and told her I'd pick it up at the office later. "Oh, that's right. I'll see you at the staff meeting at 9..."
It should be noted that someone else snuck in a side door and beat us to being first in line...
Skittering Skattering
(unkown)
"Skittering skattering
I dash under the couch
Skittering skattering
I find my little house
Skittering skattering
I found a piece of cheese
Skittering skattering
It is a moldy piece of cheese
Skittering skattering
It is a yummy piece of cheese!
Who am I."
This one should be pretty easy to figure out, but come back on Thursday to find out who the Mystery Guest is!
When she shows her face, it's sorta hard not to know who she is, unless you're one of the really foolish ones who hasn't actually been to her site before! Of course, it's Chickie, from over at "Skittering Thoughts". Be sure to stop by, and if you've never been there before, go nose around in her archives. She's a keeper!
Go check out to see the first to join in on "...the Other HNT" in the new decade! There's a good selection of your fellow HNTers over there. Be sure to stop by and leave some comment lovin'! Of course...NSFW.
Haven't been overly gung-ho about being online a great deal in 2011 yet. Partly because I just got slammed with all sorts of symphony stuff. I've been spending my evenings in brain-sucking committee meetings running phone interviews for our choral directing position that's open. There's nothing worse than having someone interview who can't use the alloted 30 minute slot to ask questions, give decent answers, and show some indication that they're actually interested. Even more fun when English is not their main language (in some cases, not even their 2nd or 3rd...). So that's taken care of my nights this week.
Next week we have a concert that I wasn't aware of... Well, I was, but it's a concert that's usually in March. We play for all the local 4th/5th graders. So next week is shot to hell, with rehearsals, set-ups and a midday performance (sure, I'll take time off from my job that I'm getting my hours cut back on already...). But it's worth it (at least that's the official line...).
The hall we play at is a city-owned facility. It's the only decent-sized auditorium in town, so they get to make the rules. One of which: they book the auditorium three years in advance, on the first business day of the new year. And since they're really the only game in town, organizations line up at the door to be first to claim their dates. So I got the phone call on Sunday--would I be willing to show up early to grab a place in line? The woman who would actually be getting the dates is on the elderly side, and didn't want to stand in line in the dark and cold. Oh, sure, why not? What I didn't realize when I said that is that I needed to be in line by 6AM. Six o'fucking-clock. When the temperature would be a cozy 0°F. Though it did warm up to a balmy 5° by the time I left. At 8AM. Which is the time she showed up to relieve me. And still half an hour before the doors to the building would open.
So here I am, early in the cold morning, just before leaving. Note the puffy, light-sensitive eyes. The unshowered hair doing something funky (which was OK--I put on a cap immediately after this). Unfortunately, you can't see my breath in this particular picture. Trust me...it was quite visible. I was at least smart enough to take along a canvas beer-drinking chair (sans beer), gloves, scarf and down comforter. She was smart enough to bring her own chair, but I offered her my comforter and told her I'd pick it up at the office later. "Oh, that's right. I'll see you at the staff meeting at 9..."
It should be noted that someone else snuck in a side door and beat us to being first in line...
Skittering Skattering(unkown)
"Skittering skattering
I dash under the couch
Skittering skattering
I find my little house
Skittering skattering
I found a piece of cheese
Skittering skattering
It is a moldy piece of cheese
Skittering skattering
It is a yummy piece of cheese!
Who am I."
This one should be pretty easy to figure out, but come back on Thursday to find out who the Mystery Guest is!
When she shows her face, it's sorta hard not to know who she is, unless you're one of the really foolish ones who hasn't actually been to her site before! Of course, it's Chickie, from over at "Skittering Thoughts". Be sure to stop by, and if you've never been there before, go nose around in her archives. She's a keeper!
Go check out to see the first to join in on "...the Other HNT" in the new decade! There's a good selection of your fellow HNTers over there. Be sure to stop by and leave some comment lovin'! Of course...NSFW.
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