My Silly Lifetag:www.airynothing.com,2010:/blogs//42010-02-28T03:01:24ZMovable Type 3.312010 Movie Project A & B Moviestag:www.airynothing.com,2010:/blogs//4.42962010-02-28T02:24:54Z2010-02-28T03:01:24ZWe have a lot of DVDs in our house...not scary-numbers, but a lot. We have a 4-shelf case full of movies and a 5-shelf case full of TV shows. I have my favorites, and when I go to watch something,...Barbhttp://www.airynothing.com
Crouching Tiger, which Andrew wants to watch, and still have a couple of Don Knotts movies, because I couldn't watch them all in a row).
Here's the run down of the As and Bs:
Across the Universe – I hadn't seen this in the theater...it was Andrew's movie, but I wanted to see it. Found it so-so -- story was not exactly strong, music was fine, but I'd rather hear the Beatles versions of the songs. Probably won't watch this again
Aladdin – A classic, but I haven't seen it in a while. While some of the jokes are a bit dated (I knew they wouldn't age well even when I first saw the movie), the movie is still a lot of fun to watch.
Amazon Women on the Moon – I got hooked on this at Tech, and I wondered if I'd still like it now. Definitely still like it now - made me laugh!
Anastasia – Not bad, not great account of the Grand Dutchess Anastasia. Enjoyed it again, but not a favorite.
The Aristocats – Hadn't seen this since Kirsten got it when it was re-released in the mid-90s. Classic Disney faire. Definitely a 60s flick, but a lot of fun.
Atlantis – I've always loved stories of Atlantis. This one is no different.
Batman Begins – Have to say I love the Dark Knight take on the series.
Batman Forever – Sorry, this one has a special place in my heart...and there's just something about Val Kilmer in a tux...Yum.
Beauty and the Beast – More classic Disney - love the story.
Being John Malkovich – I had forgotten most of the plot of this one, so it was fun to see it again.
Big Fish – Another one where I had forgotten much of the story -- tall tales at their best.
Blade Runner – Classic Harrison Ford and sci-fi...'nuff said.
Bride and Prejudice – hadn't seen this one. Turns out I'm not a huge fan of the story, but loved the colorful Bollywood-style
Bridget Jones' Diary – ah, Bridget Jones. Classic girly flick (yes same basic story as Bride and Prejudice, but better disguised, I guess).
I've watched more, but will leave those for another post later.]]>
Just Hanging Ontag:www.airynothing.com,2010:/blogs//4.42932010-02-23T21:24:26Z2010-02-23T21:54:54Z I keep thinking I should blog more, but when I sit down to do it, I find I don't have much to say. This year has been so stressful, and I find it hard to be inspired by much....Barbhttp://www.airynothing.com
I keep thinking I should blog more, but when I sit down to do it, I find I don't have much to say. This year has been so stressful, and I find it hard to be inspired by much. The house has this pall of sadness over it, and every day at home is a slog. I'm watching Ares to see what side-effects of chemo he may develop, constantly watching what he eats and checking the litter box (yes, isn't that lovely). Also constantly trying to see that Duncan has food any time he shows interest, and that it's food he likes. One has few external signs that he's sick, but I know the cancer is eating away at him. The other has lost nearly half his body weight and feels so fragile to the touch. It's hard enough to face losing one, but facing losing two just seems inconceivable.
Mostly I try to celebrate them, taking pictures and snuggling copiously. Then, of course, I have to make sure that Artemis, our non-sick cat, gets enough attention, too. Often she feels left out because I'm not facing losing her sooner rather than later. So it feels like every day at home is just all about the cats. And all about the prospect of loss.
On the one hand, I know that it's "just my cats", not like it's a human that's sick. On the other hand, Ares has been part of my life since 1996, and Ducan since 2000. It's hard to pretend it doesn't matter because they're "just a pet", because I've never seen pets as "just pets" – they're family members.
So for now, I'm just hanging on. Hoping for the best, and often cursing that hope.
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Oh 2009, how I misjudged youtag:www.airynothing.com,2010:/blogs//4.42922010-02-15T14:38:12Z2010-02-23T07:00:04ZDear 2009, I was ready to be done with you sometime in the middle of the year. Honestly, I wanted 2010 to come quickly, and put you behind me. I truly believed that 2010 would be present the opportunity for...Barbhttp://www.airynothing.com
Dear 2009,
I was ready to be done with you sometime in the middle of the year. Honestly, I wanted 2010 to come quickly, and put you behind me. I truly believed that 2010 would be present the opportunity for a fresh start, a shiny new year to bring a new attitude.
Sadly, it looks like I may have misjudged you, 2009. I may have been ready to be done with you too quickly. Little did I realize how much 2010 would suck so early on.
Sure, I was uncertain of my job situation much of last year, working less than full time most of the year. I traveled for a few job interviews, from New Paltz, NY to Midland, TX. Finally offered a job in Mississippi the same week I found out I could stay at my current job. Not sure why I had to go through all the interviews...seems like it was for nothing; though I suppose whatever doesn't kill you, blah blah.
But that all seems like a bad dream now. 2010? Has sucked worse in the first month than all of you, 2009, all put together. Okay sure, I love that our basement has been re-done, complete with a full storage room. But that doesn't outweigh 2010's bad stuff. Okay, I could deal with the dumping of snow....don't like it much, but I can deal with it.
The topper is that we have two sick cats. Duncan has lost almost half his weight, and we can't seem to get it back up. Ares has cancer, which we first found out about January 4. So far we have had a slew of tests for Ares, removed a tumor from his ass, and started chemotherapy. He's doing really well, and each time we decide on another therapy or treatment, I do some soul searching to make sure that we're doing the best thing for Ares. I don't want to put him through stuff just because I don't want to lose him – I want to make sure that his discomfort is short and has some measurable benefit. The good news is that cats don't respond to chemo as violently as humans tend to. The bad news is that the chemo is our last shot – the cancer is a bad one, that tends not to respond to chemo, and tends to grow quickly. But at this point, it's either chemo or making him comfortable....certainly not ready for that yet.
Anyway, 2009, I apologize for underestimating you. After seeing 2010, you're not so bad.
Movie Memetag:www.airynothing.com,2009:/blogs//4.42382009-01-05T17:15:26Z2009-01-13T07:00:04ZVia Terminal Degree. Apparently, if you've seen more than 85, you have no life. There are 238 films on this list. Put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click...Barbhttp://www.airynothing.com
Terminal Degree.
Apparently, if you've seen more than 85, you have no life. There are 238 films on this list. Put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click post at the bottom. Have fun.
(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
(x) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
(x) Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
(x) Blazing Saddles
() Airplane
Total so far: 9
]]>
(X) The Princess Bride
() Anchorman
() Napoleon Dynamite
(X) Pan's Labyrinth
(X) Saw
( ) Saw II
(X) White Noise
(X) White Oleander
( ) Anger Management
(X) 50 First Dates
(X) The Princess Diaries
(X) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 17
(X) Scream
() Scream 2
() Scream 3
() Scary Movie
() Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(X) American Pie
() American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far: 19
(X) Harry Potter 1
(X) Harry Potter 2
(X) Harry Potter 3
(X) Harry Potter 4
() Resident Evil 1
() Resident Evil 2
(X) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
(X) The Village
(X) Lilo & Stitch
Total so far: 26
(X) Finding Nemo
(X) Finding Neverland
(X) Signs
(X) The Grinch
() Texas Chainsaw Massacre
() Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
() White Chicks
(X) Butterfly Effect
(X) 13 Going on 30
(X) I, Robot
() Robots
Total so far: 33
(X) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
() Universal Soldier
(X) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
() Along Came Polly
(X) Deep Impact
() KingPin
(X) Never Been Kissed
(X) Meet The Parents
(X) Meet the Fockers
() Eight Crazy Nights
() Joe Dirt
(X) KING KONG
Total so far: 39
() A Cinderella Story
(X) The Terminal
() The Lizzie McGuire Movie
() Passport to Paris
(X) Dumb & Dumber
() Dumber & Dumberer
() Final Destination
() Final Destination 2
() Final Destination 3
() Halloween
(X) The Ring
() The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
(X) Flubber
Total so far: 43
(X) Practical Magic
() Chicago
() Ghost Ship
(X) From Hell
(X) Hellboy
(X) Secret Window
() I Am Sam
(X) The Whole Nine Yards
() The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 48
(X) The Day After Tomorrow
() Child's Play
() Seed of Chucky
() Bride of Chucky
(X) Ten Things I Hate About You
() Just Married
(X) Gothika
(X) Nightmare on Elm Street
(X) Sixteen Candles
() Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
(X) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(X) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 54
() Bad Boys
() Bad Boys 2
() Joy Ride
() Lucky Number Slevin
(X) Ocean's Eleven
() Ocean's Twelve
(X) Bourne Identity
(X) Bourne Supremacy
() Lone Star
(X) Bedazzled
() Predator I
() Predator II
(X) The Fog
() Ice Age
() Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
() Curious George
Total so far: 59
(X) Independence Day
() Cujo
() A Bronx Tale
() Darkness Falls
() Christine
(X) ET
() Children of the Corn
() My Bosses Daughter
(X) Maid in Manhattan
(X) War of the Worlds
() Rush Hour
() Rush Hour 2
Total so far: 63
() Best Bet
(X) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
() She's All That
(X) Calendar Girls
() Sideways
(X) Mars Attacks
(X) Event Horizon
(X) Ever After
(X) Wizard of Oz
(X) Forrest Gump
(X) Big Trouble in Little China
(X) The Terminator
(X) The Terminator 2
(X) The Terminator 3
Total so far: 74
(X) X-Men
(X) X-2
(X) X-3
(X) Spider-Man
(X) Spider-Man 2
(X) Sky High
() Jeepers Creepers
() Jeepers Creepers 2
(X) Catch Me If You Can
(X) The Little Mermaid
(X) Freaky Friday
(X) Reign of Fire
() The Skulls
() Cruel Intentions
() Cruel Intentions 2
() The Hot Chick
(X) Shrek
() Shrek 2
Total so far: 85
() Swimfan
(X) Miracle on 34th street
() Old School
() The Notebook
(X) K-Pax
() Krippendorf's Tribe
() A Walk to Remember
() Ice Castles
() Boogeyman
() The 40-year-old Virgin
Total so far: 87
(X) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(X) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(X) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(X) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(X) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(X) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total so far: 93
() Baseketball
() Hostel
() Waiting for Guffman
() House of 1000 Corpses
() Devils Rejects
(X) Elf
(X) Highlander
(X) Mothman Prophecies
(X) American History X
() Three
Total so Far: 97
(X) The Jacket
() Kung Fu Hustle
() Shaolin Soccer
() Night Watch
(X) Monsters Inc.
(X) Titanic
(X) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(X) Shaun Of the Dead
() Willard
Total so far: 102
() High Tension
() Club Dread
(X) Hulk
(X) Dawn Of the Dead
(X) Hook
(X) Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
(X) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
(X) Waterworld
Total so far: 108
(X) Kill Bill vol 1
(X) Kill Bill vol 2
() Mortal Kombat
() Wolf Creek
() Kingdom of Heaven
() the Hills Have Eyes
() I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
() The Last House on the Left
() Re-Animator
() Army of Darkness
Total so far: 110
(X) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(X)Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(X) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(X) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(X) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(X) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 116
(X) The Matrix
(X) The Matrix Reloaded
(X) The Matrix Revolutions
() Animatrix
() Evil Dead
() Evil Dead 2
() Team America: World Police
() Red Dragon
(X) Silence of the Lambs
() Hannibal
Total so far: 120
I've seen 120 of 239 films
Oh well, I think we already knew I didn't have a life.
If I could have tweeted (2)tag:www.airynothing.com,2008:/blogs//4.42362008-12-29T03:10:17Z2009-01-05T07:00:03ZIf I could have tweeted the past couple days... Cold. Fraking cold. Cold Cold. Fraking, frak, frak, frak cold. (Tue Dec 23, 2008 - 8:32 AM) Ahhh hot cocoa! Good for aching feet and cold, cold, cold, me. (Tue Dec...Barbhttp://www.airynothing.com
If I could have tweeted the past couple days...
Cold. Fraking cold. Cold Cold. Fraking, frak, frak, frak cold. (Tue Dec 23, 2008 - 8:32 AM)
Ahhh hot cocoa! Good for aching feet and cold, cold, cold, me. (Tue Dec 23, 2008 - 12:48 PM)
Mmmm...Roch Voisine is still very cute. Remember swooning over him in high school French class. (Wed Dec 24, 2008 - 9:36 PM)
No, I am NOT afraid to make the drive home by myself. I realize that I'm a helpless girl, but lay off already! (Wed Dec 24, 2008 - 11:54 AM)
Merry Christmas everyone! (Thu Dec 25, 2008 - 10:14 AM)
Sigh. Missing home - either one. So "not my Christmas" here. (Thu Dec 25, 2008 - 11:58 AM)
Would you be grilling @akuchling about driving "such a long way"? Or is it just that I'm a girl? So tired of this. (Thu Dec 25, 2008 - 2:25 PM)
Score one for my grandma! Asked how long my drive would be Sat., told her 10 hours, responded "oh good, that doesn't sound too bad." Hah! (Thu Dec 25, 2008 - 5:10 PM)
Holy crap! We spent a lot in Canada! (Fri Dec 26, 2008 - 10:12 AM)
Packing, packing, packing. Hoping to get car packed up so I'm ready to just breakfast and go tomorrow morning. (Fri Dec 26, 2008 - 10:23 AM)
Kicking back and relaxing for the evening. Just about everything is packed up for the drive tomorrow. Yay! (Fri Dec 26, 2008 - 7:03 PM)
Quiet Canadian Christmastag:www.airynothing.com,2008:/blogs//4.42352008-12-26T03:02:05Z2009-01-02T07:00:02Z We've had a quiet Christmas. Yesterday it snowed again - third snow storm this week, I think. We've decided to just hunker down and enjoy being in the house. Not much to report from here - we opened presents...Barbhttp://www.airynothing.com
We've had a quiet Christmas. Yesterday it snowed again - third snow storm this week, I think. We've decided to just hunker down and enjoy being in the house. Not much to report from here - we opened presents last night, slept in this morning, and are just kicking around the house. We've watched the Christmas specials that I brought with me (White Christmas, A Christmas Carol (the Patrick Stewart/TNT version), and A Christmas Story). Andrew's cousin came for a little while yesterday, and his Auntie and another cousin came for tea today. We may go into "the village" tomorrow to check out a new antique store.
We've been keeping an eye on the weather to see when I should drive home. It looks like I'm still okay to head home on Saturday -- the forecast is for rain and 50 degrees for a high in upstate New York. Hopefully I'll be home Saturday night. ]]>
Slushy and Cold Days in Montrealtag:www.airynothing.com,2008:/blogs//4.42342008-12-23T02:46:51Z2008-12-30T07:00:03ZAfter a bit of...um...schimpfing...we drove up to Montreal yesterday. Once we got onto the main highway, the roads were fairly clear. The wind was blowing, so snow swirled on the roadways, but mostly visibility was good. Montreal proper was actually...Barbhttp://www.airynothing.com
After a bit more shopping, finally making into a little mall (for warmth!), we settled down for hot cocoa. I also got new mittens and a hat (tuque or tuke), which helped me keep warmer.
Next stop? A Hello Kitty shop!!!! I picked up a few fun things, and we headed back to the hotel for a while. We needed to rest from the trudging around in the slush and the cold.
Finally we walked down Saint Catherine's Street, stopping at Addition Elle - an awesome "plus sized" shop (unlike Lane Bryant, their most common fabric is *cotton*, not polyester or some crappy, shiny, wrinkle-attractor). I ended up finding a cute new winter coat, so I spent way more than I should have. Oh well - it's so much better than the one I had.
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped to press our noses against the Ogilvy's window - dressed up for the holidays.
The morning was cold. Cold, cold. Frost-bite cold. Cold, cold, cold. (Woke up to -8 degrees F). We bundled up and went found a crepe place on St. Cate's. Very cold breakfast -- the crepes were warm, but we sat by the window, which was very, very, very cold.
Then we walked to the Canadian Centre for Architecture. We spent some time there - the special exhibit was about ways that people change and interact with their surroundings, featuring exhibits on guerrilla art and gardening, among other things. We also walked through the restored Victorian house which had been turned into a reading and meeting area (so no Victorian furniture or decor). Finally looked at the exhibit on sky lights. It didn't take us very long -- I'm glad we went once, but we don't feel the need to go again.
Finally we met up with Andrew's friend and his wife for lunch. We had been thinking about going to the Botanical Garden, but I didn't feel like walking much more (I'd forgotten how tiring it is to walk in the slush and ice), and I really didn't want to drive home in the dark. So, we headed back to the "country" and Andrew's parents' house. ]]>
If I could have tweeted (1)tag:www.airynothing.com,2008:/blogs//4.42332008-12-23T02:17:14Z2008-12-30T07:00:03ZOur cell phones don't work in Canada, and Andrew's folks are on dial-up, so I'm without Internet and without Tweets for this Christmas week. Popped on briefly from our hotel room in Montreal.... If I could have tweeted the past...Barbhttp://www.airynothing.com
Our cell phones don't work in Canada, and Andrew's folks are on dial-up, so I'm without Internet and without Tweets for this Christmas week. Popped on briefly from our hotel room in Montreal....
If I could have tweeted the past couple days...
Just heard @akuchling say "What dat?" by himself in the kitchen -- something we picked up from Ugly Dolls merchandise. (Sun. Dec 21, 2008 - 12:51 PM)
Enough with the futzing already. (Sun, Dec 21, 2008 - 4:46 PM)
It's totally weird to see "boxing week" ads. (Sun, Dec 21, 2008 - 7:32 PM)
So over walking in the crappy-slushy-icy sidewalks in Montreal. (Mon, Dec 22, 2008 - 1:31 PM)
Totally going to chop off all my hair when I get home. It's getting in my way. Long enough now to donate to Locks of Love. (Mon, Dec 22, 2008 - 2:26 PM)
Yay! Found a cute new winter coat! (Mon, Dec 22, 2008 - 6:15 PM)
Settling in back at the hotel for the evening. Tired from treking around the sloppy roads. (Mon, Dec 22, 2008 - 8:00 PM)
The drive...tag:www.airynothing.com,2008:/blogs//4.42322008-12-21T02:15:40Z2008-12-28T07:00:03ZGiven the high price of airline tickets, at least prior to Thanksgiving and into early December, we decided to drive to Montreal to visit Andrew's family for Christmas, rather than flying. So, today we made the trek up. We had...Barbhttp://www.airynothing.com
Given the high price of airline tickets, at least prior to Thanksgiving and into early December, we decided to drive to Montreal to visit Andrew's family for Christmas, rather than flying. So, today we made the trek up. We had checked and re-checked weather in up-state New York to see if we would be able to make the drive or not - given that it's December, a time of snow and blizzards in the Northern US. It appeared that the weather would hold - with the chance of storms coming the yesterday and tomorrow, but not today.
We left the house around 6:30, but stopped for breakfast at a nearby Mexican restaurant, so didn't really get on the road until 7:30.
For the most part, the weather held - there was no snow on the groun in DC or Maryland. A small dusting had taken hold in New Jersey, but nothing on the road - it had probably snowed a few days earlier. By the time we hit New York, there was ground-covering snow. It started to become clear that snow had fallen within the past 24 hours in New York - the roads were clear, for the most part, but we ended up passing several snow plows.
Snow started falling, but just a little, as we were passing through the Adairondacs. Traffic had died down by that point, and we were driving a bit slower.
The real trouble came when we stopped for dinner in Plattsburgh - when we got off the highway, the roads were clearly not as well cleared. The first light we went through, I had a bit of trouble getting the car going and going straight. We slided around for a while, then settled on Applebees - only one of two restaurants we saw.
The border crossing went well, but apparently the Canadians don't know how to clear their roads as well as the Americans -- at least in Quebec. The roads instantly became more snowy and I was a bit more nervous driving on them. It didn't help that we got off the main road rather quickly. The side roads had maybe had a plow, but not for a while and they were slippery.
But, I drove slowing and carefully, and we made it to Andrew's parents by 7PM, in one piece.
I was theretag:www.airynothing.com,2008:/blogs//4.31542008-11-05T22:32:57Z2008-11-13T07:00:03ZI don't usually get emotional about voting. In fact, up until 5 years ago, I was one of the apathetic many who didn't believe that my vote counted for anything, so I didn't vote at all. Four years ago, I...Barbhttp://www.airynothing.com
for Kerry, but against Bush and his policies.
This year was so different for me. Sure, I was voting against Bush and his polices, which I really believe McCain would have brought to the presidency. But more than that, I was voting for Obama. I believe in Obama. When I listen to Obama talk, I feel inspired. I get that knot in my throat, butterflies in my stomach. Prior to this, I had NEVER felt inspired by a politician. NEVER. Ever.
I'm going to honest. Race never entered the picture in my decision. I honestly think that Obama is the best person for the job at hand, and he could have been purple, for all I cared. But after I cast my ballot yesterday, I found myself getting teary-eyed leaving the polling place. For the first time in this long, drawn-out process, I finally realized how historic it was that I got to vote for an African American for president. For the first time in a very long time, I was proud of my country.
And I get to say that I was there. I was there when the United States elected its first African American president. I was there for a truly historic event. I was there.
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Go Vote!tag:www.airynothing.com,2008:/blogs//4.31512008-11-04T14:10:09Z2008-11-12T07:00:01Z I don't care who you vote for, just get out there. Okay, I care a little who you vote for, but, as my mother says, if you don't vote, you don't get to complain. So go do it. Oh,...Barbhttp://www.airynothing.com
I don't care who you vote for, just get out there. Okay, I care a little who you vote for, but, as my mother says, if you don't vote, you don't get to complain. So go do it.
Oh, and if you need more of a reason than voting as your civic duty, then here are a few things that your "I voted" sticker will get you:
Participating Ben & Jerry's stores are giving out free ice cream 5-8 PM
Krispy Kreme is offering star-shaped patriotic donuts
Some of the Chick-fil-A stores are giving out free sandwiches
California Tortilla restaurants are giving out coupons for free tacos on a future visit
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Political Dreams...tag:www.airynothing.com,2008:/blogs//4.31432008-10-22T12:56:59Z2008-10-30T07:00:04ZHuh. I dreamed that I met Barack Obama last night. I was riding the bus through Vienna (VA, not Austria), and noticed him in the back of the bus, working on something. For a while I did the "looking but...Barbhttp://www.airynothing.com
Felicia and Jo. (I think there was even another build-a-bear animal, maybe this puppy, but I don't actually have one, so I'm not sure where it came from.)
While I was taking pictures, I remember lamenting that my niece's "flat Kira" hadn't arrived yet, since it would have been a really cool picture for her to add to her project. ("Flat Kira" is basically a Flat Stanley project, but with my niece as the main character. I'm hoping to get it soon so we can take her downtown and get some great pics.)
Shortly after that I woke up, so I don't know if there was a rally in Vienna or what. Very weird, though...maybe I'm channeling Kirsten.]]>
Don't get complacent tag:www.airynothing.com,2008:/blogs//4.31402008-10-21T17:35:15Z2008-10-29T07:00:02Z TOP 5 REASONS OBAMA SUPPORTERS SHOULDN'T REST EASY 1. The polls may be wrong. This is an unprecedented election. No one knows how racism may affect what voters tell pollsters—or what they do in the voting booth. And the...Barbhttp://www.airynothing.com
TOP 5 REASONS OBAMA SUPPORTERS SHOULDN'T REST EASY
1. The polls may be wrong. This is an unprecedented election. No one knows how racism may affect what voters tell pollsters—or what they do in the voting booth. And the polls are narrowing anyway. In the last few days, John McCain has gained ground in most national polls, as his campaign has gone even more negative.
2. Dirty tricks. Republicans are already illegally purging voters from the rolls in some states. They're whipping up hysteria over ACORN to justify more challenges to new voters. Misleading flyers about the voting process have started appearing in black neighborhoods. And of course, many counties still use unsecure voting machines.
3. October surprise. In politics, 15 days is a long time. The next McCain smear could dominate the news for a week. There could be a crisis with Iran, or Bin Laden could release another tape, or worse.
4. Those who forget history... In 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote after trailing by seven points in the final days of the race. In 1980, Reagan was eight points down in the polls in late October and came back to win. Races can shift—fast!
5. Landslide. Even with Barack Obama in the White House, passing universal health care and a new clean-energy policy is going to be hard. Insurance, drug and oil companies will fight us every step of the way. We need the kind of landslide that will give Barack a huge mandate.
If you agree that we shouldn't rest easy, please sign up to volunteer at your local Obama office by clicking here:
http://pol.moveon.org/obama/office.html?source=blog&id=14534-5183653-nFgmwbx&t=1
[Reposted from Migraine Girl]
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To work or not to work, that is the questiontag:www.airynothing.com,2008:/blogs//4.31332008-09-22T02:33:03Z2008-09-29T07:00:01ZA couple of weeks ago, my government manager mentioned that she had been talking to our project manager about taking me on full-time through the next fiscal year. Prior to this, I only knew that my full-time employment was only...Barbhttp://www.airynothing.com
A couple of weeks ago, my government manager mentioned that she had been talking to our project manager about taking me on full-time through the next fiscal year. Prior to this, I only knew that my full-time employment was only guaranteed through the end of this calendar year. For any normal person in that situation, with no future job on the horizon, it would be good news that their employment could be continued for another 8-10 months.
I'm not normal.
Currently I work on three different tasks at work - one is a research task for 50% of my time, one is a web development/science support task for 30% of my time, and the last is an education and public outreach task for 20% of my time. I only like one of these tasks - the outreach task. The others are things to be tolerated (an loathed).
Sadly, the full-time position that my one manger is offering, is actually an extension of the web development/science support task. This is the longest-running of my tasks, which started over 5 years ago. For over 4 years, I have hated that job. A big part of the problem is that I often have *nothing to do* - I'm not talking about nothing meaningful or nothing interesting, but rather nothing at all. Another problem is that when I write new text for a web page, I can't get anyone to approve the text. The result? First, I have a bunch of new web pages that I've worked hard to research and write, that just sit on my computer without going live. Second, our web pages get further and further out of date. And does my manager think that turning this into a full-time job is going to relieve these problems?
My outreach position can continue my funding through May (at the 20% level), so I asked about maybe doing the new position at the 80% level through May so that I could at least continue some part of a job I like (that's not how I worded it with my manager, of course). She didn't seem to like that idea at all - she's convinced that they'll need me full time.
As it happens, Andrew and I are in a position where we can survive on just his salary (pending a large amount of budget-trimming). So, do I take the full-time position just so I'm taking in cash, feeling like I'm contributing to the household? Do I take some time off?
If I were to turn down this position, I would still be able to work the 20% time on outreach. In addition, I would plan on working on my writing - I've been told that my fiction is publishable, but to do that I need to polish up some of my stories and research which markets I should submit them to. The house needs a top-to-bottom cleaning and some work (painting and such). I'd also like to work on getting CraftyPhD
up and running. Plus, it would be nice to have some time for my science blog. There's no way to fit all of that into my life with a full-time job.
But, is this just selfish? Andrew supports my desire to turn down the job. But I'm worried about how much we need to trim the budget. Will he start to resent me for turning down full-time employment when I had the chance? Will I feel guilty over pursuing my interests instead of contributing to the household? I know that when I do find a job, Andrew and I may find our positions swapped, with him having trouble finding a position in whatever town we move to, but is that really a good reason to turn down a job now?
I have to give my decision to my manager tomorrow. I'm honestly not sure what will come out of my mouth at that time. Wish me luck.
The Police in Concerttag:www.airynothing.com,2008:/blogs//4.31162008-08-08T02:44:28Z2008-08-25T07:00:02ZThis has been a summer of shows for me – The Lion King, Indigo Girls, the NSO's "Broadway Rocks", and the NSO's "Dial H for Hitchcock". But the highlight for me so far has been The Police. (Followed very closely...Barbhttp://www.airynothing.com
The Lion King, Indigo Girls, the NSO's "Broadway Rocks", and the NSO's "Dial H for Hitchcock". But the highlight for me so far has been The Police. (Followed very closely by The Lion King.) I'll try to write up the other concerts here later, but I want to say a bit about The Police before it fades too much.
I originally bought 2 tickets for The Police's concert in Pittsburgh. I wasn't sure who would go with me to the concert, but suspecting that I would drag along poor Andrew. Then I remembered that my aunt Maggie and I sang loudly to The Police on a drive down to the Keys one summer, so decided to invite her. No sooner did I get the words "I have two tickets to The Police in Pittsburgh," than Maggie was saying, "I'll go."
Skipping ahead over our road trip (we totally got "Pixburghed"), and our fun for half a day in Pittsburgh (we really, really go "Pixburghed"), we made our way to the concert venue relatively early. We figured that we'd rather get there early and twittle our thumbs than get stuck in traffic or parking.
The venue, The Post-Gazette Pavillion, was rather nice. It's an outdoor venue, and there are several food and drink vendors set up in a couple of cul-de-sacs on either side of the stage and lawn. (Maggie indulged in a glass of wine and a beer; I stuck with a smoothie).
The concert itself was awesome! I heard later that the earlier concerts a year ago were a bit...er...well, not terribly good. But, this one was great - they seemed to have pulled it together over the intervening year. They played both Maggie's and my favorite songs ("Wrapped around your finger" and "Don't stand so close to me").
Sadly, our seats were behind tall-boy and big-haired-girl, but there were large screens, so we could see most of what was going on. And, they sat down during Maggie's favorite song, so we stayed standing and were able to see every minute of it.
As with any moment like this – one that you'd always hoped would come, but not sure it would – it ended too soon. Our trip back to the hotel was another little adventure, but I'll have to decide later if it merits a blog post...let's just say that this was the one time that having an airport hotel did not make it easier to find (hee hee hee). ]]>
I keep thinking I should blog more, but when I sit down to do it, I find I don't have much to say. This year has been so stressful, and I find it hard to be inspired by much. The house has this pall of sadness over it, and every day at home is a slog. I'm watching Ares to see what side-effects of chemo he may develop, constantly watching what he eats and checking the litter box (yes, isn't that lovely). Also constantly trying to see that Duncan has food any time he shows interest, and that it's food he likes. One has few external signs that he's sick, but I know the cancer is eating away at him. The other has lost nearly half his body weight and feels so fragile to the touch. It's hard enough to face losing one, but facing losing two just seems inconceivable.
Mostly I try to celebrate them, taking pictures and snuggling copiously. Then, of course, I have to make sure that Artemis, our non-sick cat, gets enough attention, too. Often she feels left out because I'm not facing losing her sooner rather than later. So it feels like every day at home is just all about the cats. And all about the prospect of loss.
On the one hand, I know that it's "just my cats", not like it's a human that's sick. On the other hand, Ares has been part of my life since 1996, and Ducan since 2000. It's hard to pretend it doesn't matter because they're "just a pet", because I've never seen pets as "just pets" – they're family members.
So for now, I'm just hanging on. Hoping for the best, and often cursing that hope.
We've had a quiet Christmas. Yesterday it snowed again - third snow storm this week, I think. We've decided to just hunker down and enjoy being in the house. Not much to report from here - we opened presents last night, slept in this morning, and are just kicking around the house. We've watched the Christmas specials that I brought with me (White Christmas, A Christmas Carol (the Patrick Stewart/TNT version), and A Christmas Story). Andrew's cousin came for a little while yesterday, and his Auntie and another cousin came for tea today. We may go into "the village" tomorrow to check out a new antique store.
We've been keeping an eye on the weather to see when I should drive home. It looks like I'm still okay to head home on Saturday -- the forecast is for rain and 50 degrees for a high in upstate New York. Hopefully I'll be home Saturday night. ]]>
After a bit more shopping, finally making into a little mall (for warmth!), we settled down for hot cocoa. I also got new mittens and a hat (tuque or tuke), which helped me keep warmer.
Next stop? A Hello Kitty shop!!!! I picked up a few fun things, and we headed back to the hotel for a while. We needed to rest from the trudging around in the slush and the cold.
Finally we walked down Saint Catherine's Street, stopping at Addition Elle - an awesome "plus sized" shop (unlike Lane Bryant, their most common fabric is *cotton*, not polyester or some crappy, shiny, wrinkle-attractor). I ended up finding a cute new winter coat, so I spent way more than I should have. Oh well - it's so much better than the one I had.
I don't care who you vote for, just get out there. Okay, I care a little who you vote for, but, as my mother says, if you don't vote, you don't get to complain. So go do it.
Oh, and if you need more of a reason than voting as your civic duty, then here are a few things that your "I voted" sticker will get you:
