Good News, Bad News
Good news: The water in my water heater was still hot enough for a perfectly comfortable shower this morning.
Bad news: My propane company's service guy isn't in today, and won't be able to come out until tomorrow. (Ah, the joys of small-town life...)
Good news: It doesn't matter that I was late to work today from dealing with the propane company, because things here at work are so broken I couldn't do my job, anyway.
Bad news: I'm at work now, and things are so broken I can't do my job.
Sigh.
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
What a Gas
So, I went to the grocery store after work, and just as I was putting away the last of my food, my neighbor knocked on my door to politely inform me that she'd been smelling propane around my house. Which doesn't surprise me, actually, since I'd thought I'd smelled it briefly myself a few days ago, but it seemed to go away, and I thought maybe I'd imagined it. Also, the pilot light on my water heater went out a few weeks ago for no apparent reason, which may be simple coincidence, or may be a sign of trouble. Anyway, I shut the gas off, but of course the gas company had just closed. So I called work instead and told 'em I might not be in tomorrow. I figure I'll call the gas company first thing in the morning, but who knows how long it'll take 'em to show up?
Sigh. And I was even going to cook today. Honest. I was.
So, I went to the grocery store after work, and just as I was putting away the last of my food, my neighbor knocked on my door to politely inform me that she'd been smelling propane around my house. Which doesn't surprise me, actually, since I'd thought I'd smelled it briefly myself a few days ago, but it seemed to go away, and I thought maybe I'd imagined it. Also, the pilot light on my water heater went out a few weeks ago for no apparent reason, which may be simple coincidence, or may be a sign of trouble. Anyway, I shut the gas off, but of course the gas company had just closed. So I called work instead and told 'em I might not be in tomorrow. I figure I'll call the gas company first thing in the morning, but who knows how long it'll take 'em to show up?
Sigh. And I was even going to cook today. Honest. I was.
Saturday, September 11, 2004
More Random Links
More miscellaneous silly/interesting links. No monsters popping out of these, either. I swear.
Ball on a string!
A giant map of Springfield
Movie Mistakes
Spock quote generator
More miscellaneous silly/interesting links. No monsters popping out of these, either. I swear.
Ball on a string!
A giant map of Springfield
Movie Mistakes
Spock quote generator
Friday, September 10, 2004
Thursday, September 09, 2004
Search Request Thursday
Because my legions of adoring fans never seem to get tired of it. Or something.
t'pol enterprise naked crack "east coast": Is "east coast" some kind of euphemism I'm not familiar with?
2004 science tickling: I imagine the soft sciences are probably more ticklish than the hard ones.
"neighbor's barking dog" detective: Ah, but it's the dog that does nothing in the night-time that's the clue!
bad blake's lotaburger: Actually, their food is quite good, as fast food goes. I wouldn't work there again for love nor money, though.
vampires/mildly sexy: Extremely sexy vampires need not apply.
stark farscape convention 2004 Paul Goddard: Yes, he was just at one in Atlanta, and I didn't get to go. *pout*
pictures of naked men with pants at their knees: Well, then they're not entirely naked, are they?
tribble dragon tattoos: A tribble-dragon! What a great concept! It breathes fire and reproduces like crazy!
Buffy's bitch: You mean Spike?
nicknames for homemaker + domestic goodness: I dunno, I'd think that if you go giving your homemaker stupid nicknames, you might have a bit less in the way of domestic goodness.
humbuggy dong do: Hey, that's a lot of fun to say!
tatoos of greek gods or monsters: How about Prometheus getting his liver eaten? That'd be a hell of a conversation piece.
sensicle text data parser: I'm not sure quite how to parse that, "sensically" or otherwise.
"thesis sentence" and "reality tv": My thesis is that reality TV is annoying and stupid.
price list for googlies doll: So, what does a good condition googly doll run these days?
how to tell different tortises: Maybe you should mark their shells with paint. It works for sheep.
diagram of laundry shute door: It's a piece of wood and a couple of hinges, isn't it?
what porn movie did aurora snow sound like a duck: Was there an actual duck involved in the movie, or was she just making, um, duck noises? Because duck porn strikes me as a really specialized niche market, y'know. And, oh, man, I'm gonna start getting searches for "duck porn" now, aren't I?
Because my legions of adoring fans never seem to get tired of it. Or something.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Hey, Look, It's the Regular Monthly Meme!
Current clothes: Blue jeans. A gray t-shirt with a short-sleeved blue denim shirt unbuttoned over it. My Dr. Suess socks, featuring broad gray-and-white stripes, the words "one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish," and pictures of the fish in question. No shoes at the moment.
Current mood: OK.
Current music: Most recently Sting's Brand New Day.
Current annoyance: My neighbors, who woke me up this morning with their very loud, very annoying music.
Current thing: Actually getting useful stuff done around the house.
Current desktop picture: This image of the Large Magellenic Cloud.
Current song in head: It's amazingly quiet in the old brain just at the moment, but various tunes from the Buffy musical episode have been haunting me lately, especially Spike's.
Current book: The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin. I find it hard to credit that I'd made it to this point in my life without ever having read the Earthsea books, but I'm very happy to finally be correcting that, because they're excellent.
Current video in player: None at the moment. Most recently a tape I was copying Farscape episodes onto. And not the one that'd been in there for months, either. I discovered recently that I could, in fact, copy episodes off the DVDs, so I've been doing that instead of copying my crappy taped-off-the-TV episodes. Yeah, I'm a outlaw renegade, I am, madly violating copyright laws left and right.
Current DVD in player: Disc 5 of Buffy season 6.
Current refreshment: I had some strawberry ice cream and a mug of tea a little while ago. Mmm.
Current worry: Between muscle aches and general tiredness and a few digestive problems I am not going to get into, I've become a little concerned about the state of my health. I was joking earlier about the problem being that I don't eat right and that I spend too much time in front of the computer, but I realized that that probably is, in fact, the problem. This is a little, well, disturbing, if not worrying, so I'm actually working on making an attempt to treat the poor old body a little better. We'll see how long it lasts. I periodically make a resolution to eat better, and I think my record so far for actually managing it is about a month.
Current thought: I'm having very mixed feelings about Buffy season 6. Did I mention that already?
Current clothes: Blue jeans. A gray t-shirt with a short-sleeved blue denim shirt unbuttoned over it. My Dr. Suess socks, featuring broad gray-and-white stripes, the words "one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish," and pictures of the fish in question. No shoes at the moment.
Current mood: OK.
Current music: Most recently Sting's Brand New Day.
Current annoyance: My neighbors, who woke me up this morning with their very loud, very annoying music.
Current thing: Actually getting useful stuff done around the house.
Current desktop picture: This image of the Large Magellenic Cloud.
Current song in head: It's amazingly quiet in the old brain just at the moment, but various tunes from the Buffy musical episode have been haunting me lately, especially Spike's.
Current book: The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin. I find it hard to credit that I'd made it to this point in my life without ever having read the Earthsea books, but I'm very happy to finally be correcting that, because they're excellent.
Current video in player: None at the moment. Most recently a tape I was copying Farscape episodes onto. And not the one that'd been in there for months, either. I discovered recently that I could, in fact, copy episodes off the DVDs, so I've been doing that instead of copying my crappy taped-off-the-TV episodes. Yeah, I'm a outlaw renegade, I am, madly violating copyright laws left and right.
Current DVD in player: Disc 5 of Buffy season 6.
Current refreshment: I had some strawberry ice cream and a mug of tea a little while ago. Mmm.
Current worry: Between muscle aches and general tiredness and a few digestive problems I am not going to get into, I've become a little concerned about the state of my health. I was joking earlier about the problem being that I don't eat right and that I spend too much time in front of the computer, but I realized that that probably is, in fact, the problem. This is a little, well, disturbing, if not worrying, so I'm actually working on making an attempt to treat the poor old body a little better. We'll see how long it lasts. I periodically make a resolution to eat better, and I think my record so far for actually managing it is about a month.
Current thought: I'm having very mixed feelings about Buffy season 6. Did I mention that already?
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Meep!
Apparently Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker of the Muppets have been voted Britain's favorite screen scientists. I'm not sure whether I'm pleased or appalled, to be honest...
Apparently Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker of the Muppets have been voted Britain's favorite screen scientists. I'm not sure whether I'm pleased or appalled, to be honest...
Monday, September 06, 2004
Day of Labor
So, it's Labor Day and, miracle of miracles, I actually have the day off. A friend of mine from Albuquerque called and wanted to know if I was doing anything this weekend, and whether she could maybe come down into town and hang out. I told her no, 'cause I'd sworn to myself I was going to use the three-day weekend to get a bunch of stuff done around the house. Having told her that, I now feel obligated to spend today housecleaning and such. Sigh. Honestly, I'm very, very tempted to call her back and ask her if she wants to come down and watch some DVDs or something, instead, but no. I am being strong! I am being productive!
Actually, I've already got quite a lot done this weekend. You can even see the floor in the computer room now, which may not sound like much, but given that it's the space where all my random junk has been accumulating since I moved in, I consider it quite an accomplishment. I cleaned out the fridge, too. Go me!
I have a good system for getting housework-type stuff done, if I've got a day or two to spend on it. I put on an album, or 30-60 minutes of random music, and the deal is that I have to keep working until the music stops. When it does, I'm usually ready for a break, and I can go watch an episode of Buffy or something. (I'm halfway through season 6 now, by the way, and will doubtless have a lot more to say about it when I'm finished.) Then maybe I'll go and work on something that involves sitting in front of the computer instead of scrubbing things and putting things away for a little while, just for variety. Then I'll put on some more music and start the cycle over again. This turns out to be way more effective, somehow, than making a list of things to do and just forcing myself to work straight through until they're done. And I often get a lot of little stuff done that otherwise I'd probably never even think to do, because the deal is that even if I've finished the current task, I've got to work on something until the music stops.
Now if I can just keep things in a moderately tidy state until my sister gets here next month, I'll be happy.
So, it's Labor Day and, miracle of miracles, I actually have the day off. A friend of mine from Albuquerque called and wanted to know if I was doing anything this weekend, and whether she could maybe come down into town and hang out. I told her no, 'cause I'd sworn to myself I was going to use the three-day weekend to get a bunch of stuff done around the house. Having told her that, I now feel obligated to spend today housecleaning and such. Sigh. Honestly, I'm very, very tempted to call her back and ask her if she wants to come down and watch some DVDs or something, instead, but no. I am being strong! I am being productive!
Actually, I've already got quite a lot done this weekend. You can even see the floor in the computer room now, which may not sound like much, but given that it's the space where all my random junk has been accumulating since I moved in, I consider it quite an accomplishment. I cleaned out the fridge, too. Go me!
I have a good system for getting housework-type stuff done, if I've got a day or two to spend on it. I put on an album, or 30-60 minutes of random music, and the deal is that I have to keep working until the music stops. When it does, I'm usually ready for a break, and I can go watch an episode of Buffy or something. (I'm halfway through season 6 now, by the way, and will doubtless have a lot more to say about it when I'm finished.) Then maybe I'll go and work on something that involves sitting in front of the computer instead of scrubbing things and putting things away for a little while, just for variety. Then I'll put on some more music and start the cycle over again. This turns out to be way more effective, somehow, than making a list of things to do and just forcing myself to work straight through until they're done. And I often get a lot of little stuff done that otherwise I'd probably never even think to do, because the deal is that even if I've finished the current task, I've got to work on something until the music stops.
Now if I can just keep things in a moderately tidy state until my sister gets here next month, I'll be happy.
Sunday, September 05, 2004
Friday, September 03, 2004
Search Request Thursday
Hey, it's only a few hours late, really.
christopher walken unwrap condom: Well, good to know he's practicing safe sex, I guess.
bender passed out gutter futurama: I can't recall any specific instances, but somehow that seems like the sort of thing that happens to Bender a lot.
MAXIMUM NOVELTY COMPANY: What, this blog isn't novel enough for ya?
allergies unstuff: Um, I think it's usually quite the opposite, really.
Babs Bunny with a Cucumber: I do not want to know what she's doing with the cucumber.
download "Blake's 7 Junction": I wish! All that's online is the trailer.
nude hanging around: Ah, an activity for the low-key nudists.
genuine computer quiz: Don't be fooled by those fake computers!
radio shack ec-4014: Somebody else remembers my dear, departed calculator! I am moved.
uses for altoids tins: Well, you can carry your Altoids around in them.
tickling friend socks off hobbies: Some people have strange hobbies.
livejournal kath worry: I'd be willing to bet good money there's somebody named Kath who worries on LiveJournal somewhere.
"old magnet coils": Wow, I don't even remember mentioning magnet coils.
www girls gown whiled free porn samples.com: Wow, that's a hell of a domain name! I wonder if the "Girls Gone Wild" folks are gonna sue 'em?
ticklish aragorn: Ticklish is hardly a dignified thing for a king to be don't you think?
moped movie animated frog: Is the frog riding the moped?
richard dean anderson porn: Ah, is that what he was doing before MacGyver?
"keep mom company," cleavage: Because Mom's never lonely when she has her cleavage for company.
Hey, it's only a few hours late, really.
Another Post About My Stupid Body
So, last night I indulged in some heavy-duty therapy for sore, stressed-out back and neck muscles. I drew an extremely hot bubble bath, hooked up the water jet spray gadget I bought a while back and almost never use, lit a scented candle, put on Pachelbel's Canon in D (aka the world's most relaxing piece of music), and settled in for a good long soak.
The thing is, though, that that jet spray gadget really just makes me yearn for a proper jacuzzi bath. Because there are a very limited number of ways to position the nozzle, and none of them are quite right. There's nothing quite like achieving that exact perfect state of boneless relaxation, only to suddenly realize that I actually need bones in order to hold myself in the right position so that the jet is pointing directly where I want it.[1]
The other, far more distressing, thing is that getting into the exact right position for the water jet tends to involve a lot of lying with most of my head under the water. Including my ears. Which, in this case, has led to either water becoming trapped in my ears, or possibly to the heat melting my annoying overabundance of earwax just enough to create a very effective plug. Either way, my ears now feel very uncomfortable, and the world sounds distant, muffled, and strange. It's really, really unpleasant. Also, whipping your head frantically back and forth in a vain attempt to shake water from you eustachian tubes also tends to pretty much undo most of the effects of a massage bath.
On top of it all, I seem to be alternating this week between getting far too much sleep and far too little, and this has been one of the "far too little" days. I am experiencing a deep temptation to just call in sick. Or, OK, to call in tired, sore, and partially deaf. Hmm. Not sure my boss would buy that one...
[1] Between my aching shoulders, you pervert.
So, last night I indulged in some heavy-duty therapy for sore, stressed-out back and neck muscles. I drew an extremely hot bubble bath, hooked up the water jet spray gadget I bought a while back and almost never use, lit a scented candle, put on Pachelbel's Canon in D (aka the world's most relaxing piece of music), and settled in for a good long soak.
The thing is, though, that that jet spray gadget really just makes me yearn for a proper jacuzzi bath. Because there are a very limited number of ways to position the nozzle, and none of them are quite right. There's nothing quite like achieving that exact perfect state of boneless relaxation, only to suddenly realize that I actually need bones in order to hold myself in the right position so that the jet is pointing directly where I want it.[1]
The other, far more distressing, thing is that getting into the exact right position for the water jet tends to involve a lot of lying with most of my head under the water. Including my ears. Which, in this case, has led to either water becoming trapped in my ears, or possibly to the heat melting my annoying overabundance of earwax just enough to create a very effective plug. Either way, my ears now feel very uncomfortable, and the world sounds distant, muffled, and strange. It's really, really unpleasant. Also, whipping your head frantically back and forth in a vain attempt to shake water from you eustachian tubes also tends to pretty much undo most of the effects of a massage bath.
On top of it all, I seem to be alternating this week between getting far too much sleep and far too little, and this has been one of the "far too little" days. I am experiencing a deep temptation to just call in sick. Or, OK, to call in tired, sore, and partially deaf. Hmm. Not sure my boss would buy that one...
[1] Between my aching shoulders, you pervert.
Thursday, September 02, 2004
Search Request Thursday...
...will probably be a bit delayed. I seem to have developed a rather annoying pain where my neck meets my shoulders. I'm not sure whether it's a pulled muscle or a pinched nerve, but, either way, not sitting hunched over a keyboard sounds like a really good idea.
Stupid body. What did I ever do to it, aside from the not eating right, the lack of exercise, and the sitting for hours in unnatural positions? Oh, wait...
...will probably be a bit delayed. I seem to have developed a rather annoying pain where my neck meets my shoulders. I'm not sure whether it's a pulled muscle or a pinched nerve, but, either way, not sitting hunched over a keyboard sounds like a really good idea.
Stupid body. What did I ever do to it, aside from the not eating right, the lack of exercise, and the sitting for hours in unnatural positions? Oh, wait...
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
On Foot
Well, I finally went to the doctor today about my sore foot. Turns out that, yep, the problem was exactly what I thought it was, and, no, I didn't need an x-ray to confirm it. So, I'm supposed to do some stretching exercises, ice it every evening (or when I've been walking on it a lot), and wear shoes with lots of cushioning (which I pretty much always do anyway). It could be better in a month or so; it could take a year to improve completely. And he said if it gets to the point where I can't stand it any more, I can go back in and they can give me a cortisone injection, which might or might not help. Yay.
While I was there, I also picked up a renewal for my allergy prescription, which ran out some time ago. The allergies have begun acting up again in a big way, and the over-the-counter stuff I've tried doesn't seem to work nearly as well as the prescription pills. (Well, the non-drowsy kind doesn't anyway. The non-non-drowsy kind work beautifully, but turn me into a living zombie.)
Ye gods, I am getting old, aren't I? Listen to me rattling on about my medical problems...
Well, I finally went to the doctor today about my sore foot. Turns out that, yep, the problem was exactly what I thought it was, and, no, I didn't need an x-ray to confirm it. So, I'm supposed to do some stretching exercises, ice it every evening (or when I've been walking on it a lot), and wear shoes with lots of cushioning (which I pretty much always do anyway). It could be better in a month or so; it could take a year to improve completely. And he said if it gets to the point where I can't stand it any more, I can go back in and they can give me a cortisone injection, which might or might not help. Yay.
While I was there, I also picked up a renewal for my allergy prescription, which ran out some time ago. The allergies have begun acting up again in a big way, and the over-the-counter stuff I've tried doesn't seem to work nearly as well as the prescription pills. (Well, the non-drowsy kind doesn't anyway. The non-non-drowsy kind work beautifully, but turn me into a living zombie.)
Ye gods, I am getting old, aren't I? Listen to me rattling on about my medical problems...
Welcome Back, Buffy!
So, I've now started watching season six of Buffy (for which there be spoilers ahoy!). And, y'know, two or three episodes in (depending on how you count the two-hour opener), I think I can kind of see why the season got so much fan criticism. It really is dark, and not in a way that's particularly entertaining, even for an avowed angst-fan like me.
Still, I have to give the show's writers props for daring to tackle the subject of Buffy's resurrection in such a... well, it seems kind of silly to describe it as a "realistic way," when it involves magic spells and such, but I can't really think of a better phrase, so we'll let that one stand. The thing is, lots of TV shows have killed off main characters only to bring them back, and all too often it feels like a cheat, especially if the character is killed off in a great heroic sacrifice which is then cheapened by having the grand sacrifice turn out to be no more than a momentary inconvenience. Shows which strive for a little more realism and dramatic substance "earn" a character's resurrection by having a high price paid for it, and at least a few lingering consequences. (Farscape comes to mind, of course, as do the Star Trek movies.) But even so it's hard to escape the feeling that things are just too easy, that coming back from the dead is a little like coming back from a long vacation, after which everything tends to go right back to normal.
Buffy's resurrection, on the other hand, is nothing remotely like that. Not only is it not anticlimactically easy, there's something about it that's downright creepy. The images of Buffy clawing her way out of her coffin and wandering around Sunnydale in a stupor are more horrific than heroic, and the strong implication that Buffy's friends, with the very best of intentions, may have done her a grave disservice (uh, no pun intended) is a hell of a twist, and certainly not something I've ever encountered before.
However it plays out (and having seen parts of the end of season 6, I more or less know how it plays out), I do have to admire that kind of courage in storytelling.
So, I've now started watching season six of Buffy (for which there be spoilers ahoy!). And, y'know, two or three episodes in (depending on how you count the two-hour opener), I think I can kind of see why the season got so much fan criticism. It really is dark, and not in a way that's particularly entertaining, even for an avowed angst-fan like me.
Still, I have to give the show's writers props for daring to tackle the subject of Buffy's resurrection in such a... well, it seems kind of silly to describe it as a "realistic way," when it involves magic spells and such, but I can't really think of a better phrase, so we'll let that one stand. The thing is, lots of TV shows have killed off main characters only to bring them back, and all too often it feels like a cheat, especially if the character is killed off in a great heroic sacrifice which is then cheapened by having the grand sacrifice turn out to be no more than a momentary inconvenience. Shows which strive for a little more realism and dramatic substance "earn" a character's resurrection by having a high price paid for it, and at least a few lingering consequences. (Farscape comes to mind, of course, as do the Star Trek movies.) But even so it's hard to escape the feeling that things are just too easy, that coming back from the dead is a little like coming back from a long vacation, after which everything tends to go right back to normal.
Buffy's resurrection, on the other hand, is nothing remotely like that. Not only is it not anticlimactically easy, there's something about it that's downright creepy. The images of Buffy clawing her way out of her coffin and wandering around Sunnydale in a stupor are more horrific than heroic, and the strong implication that Buffy's friends, with the very best of intentions, may have done her a grave disservice (uh, no pun intended) is a hell of a twist, and certainly not something I've ever encountered before.
However it plays out (and having seen parts of the end of season 6, I more or less know how it plays out), I do have to admire that kind of courage in storytelling.
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Monday, August 30, 2004
Split-Shift Snoozin'
Strange day. I went to bed last night about 2:30 AM, had some difficulty getting to sleep, and woke up again about 6:30. Tossed and turned 'til nearly 7:00, decided no more sleep was happening, got up, had coffee, had breakfast, did some stuff, finally took a shower around 9:30. Got out of the shower, lay down on the bed for a moment, discovered that it was very comfy and I really felt like I could sleep... and did. I woke up at 2:00. Now I feel all weird and groggy, and I have to be at work in an hour and a half. The really sad thing? When I got up at 7-ish, I remember thinking, "Well, at least I'll have lots of time today to get things done." Sigh.
Strange day. I went to bed last night about 2:30 AM, had some difficulty getting to sleep, and woke up again about 6:30. Tossed and turned 'til nearly 7:00, decided no more sleep was happening, got up, had coffee, had breakfast, did some stuff, finally took a shower around 9:30. Got out of the shower, lay down on the bed for a moment, discovered that it was very comfy and I really felt like I could sleep... and did. I woke up at 2:00. Now I feel all weird and groggy, and I have to be at work in an hour and a half. The really sad thing? When I got up at 7-ish, I remember thinking, "Well, at least I'll have lots of time today to get things done." Sigh.
Sunday, August 29, 2004
More Random Links
I think it's time to throw out some more random links I've encountered here and there. No monsters popping out this time, I swear!
I don't know what the heck this site is about. I don't even know what language it's in. But this is the most incredibly, compellingly cheesy music video I have ever seen.
The alien languages of Futurama decoded. There's also a lot of other cool Futurama-related stuff on the site, but most of it is in Spanish.
Fantastic Fiction book site. Haven't had the chance to look at much of this yet, but there looks to be a lot of SF-book-related goodness.
Guide to every science fiction character who was ever killed. The title is way over-ambitious, but it's amusing, anyway. (Contains spoilers for various TV shows and movies.)
The Theory of Cat Gravity. Sounds plausible to me!
I think it's time to throw out some more random links I've encountered here and there. No monsters popping out this time, I swear!
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