My time

Tonight was for me. I watched the end of the American League Central tie-breaker game between the Chi Sox and the Twins. Then it was off to the tub and some reading. It is nice to read things other than manuals and technical papers. Tonight is was a fragment of an unfinished novel by Jane Austen called "The Watsons". You can read about it and another unfinished novel here.

The heavens

4:15AM came oh so early this morning. The alarm went off and I wondered aloud about what the heck and it was still dark! Oh yeah I needed to get to work. It was a chilly clear morning. As I drove in I opened the roof of my car to see the stars. It is great to live in a city that has a dark skies ordinance. All those billions and trillions of sparkles in the sky. In many parts of the country, you can't see but a few. My nephew Joe is so surprised by how many stars are up there when he comes to visit. Maybe next year he will be ready to visit the Lowell Observatory. This morning I saw the constellation Orion which reminds me we are heading into fall and winter. Time is ticking and life is moving forward.

Enjoying the night time sky in solitude allows me to wish upon the falling stars, see the planes and satellites streak across the sky, and talk to the man in the moon. What a beautiful sight!

So what did I do today?

Cleaned my house
Watched football
Worked on the computer
Watched football
Worked on the computer some more
Watched more football
Writing this and realizing that in less than 5 hours I need to be at work

I need one more day...

It has been some time...

It has been quite awhile for me to think about which way I am suppose to go along my path in life. While I was in China, I faced with the choice to the left. Do I take the easy path to the left or do I choose the harder path to the right (Especially one that has a tree growing in it). Which path I choose that day is of little consequence. I was faced by many choices that day. Sometimes I was able to take one path and circle around only to choose the other. In life though we are not given that chance. How many times have you been faced with a choice and been allowed to do it over? For me, not once. In the past several months, this picture has often come to mind. It is located at a Daoist temple on the side of a mountain. Many things went through my head and heart that day and a few decisions made. As long as I don't run into the tree growing up in the path, I will be ok.

Seeker of truth

If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.
-- Rene Descartes

Stepping on my soapbox

Hmm... What a time in politics. We have had 8 years of WTF! Citizens of foreign nations think we have a low IQ and wonder if we even care about how we are perceived by the rest of the world. I am usually not one to discuss politics. However lately the topic of politics is coming into all sorts of conversations. So tonight I am just going to ramble along my thoughts.

[Begin ramble]
I find it interesting that people are automatically labeled "conservative" or "liberal" based on their beliefs. Who came up with these labels in the first place? It saddens me that our society has become so afraid of what is different. May it be someone's skin color or their religious beliefs or their gender. What makes life interesting are these differences. To those who feel that they are above everyone else because these differences; I feel that they need to take a hard look inside. No one religion, race or gender is right. As you can guess I have been labeled a "liberal" because I am open-minded, open-hearted and open to ALL religious beliefs. I am going to continue to do what I have always done...THINK. The one thing that I am not going to do is allow dogma to dictate my choices and freedoms. So for this I am labeled a liberal. Hmm...better than a sheep.

Now some of things that have come up are about qualifications of the candidates. I really don't believe any of the presidential candidates and their choices as running mates are truly qualified. Anything can look good on paper and many can BS their way through an interview. That is what this election is...You have two people interviewing for a job. We are their employers. Besides the last time I checked my history books, George Washington and a number of our early presidents didn't have the qualifications many people are looking for. Do you think that we would have had George Washington under the current set of supposed qualifications? Probably not.

So where are we at? At the fulcrum point in society. The American people need to start being "We the People..." instead of allowing our government to trash the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. So educate yourselves..complain...demand changes be made. Otherwise the checks and balances will be gone before you know it. One thing to keep in mind is the separation between Church and State. It is there for a reason.

I hope that someday the American population pulls their brains out from where ever they have been storing them and actually use them. So get out there and vote. If you don't get out there and vote on November 4th, you can't bitch about it later.

My two cents.
[End ramble]

Now we wait for the outcome...

Ahhh...

I took a few hours off today to take care of me. I went and hung out in the forest to recharge my batteries. My brain is currently off kilter thanks to something going on in my inner ear. Soon that will be resolved but until then, it looks like I will need to keep taking my migraine medication to keep my head from exploding...sigh.

For tonight

Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously.... Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.
-- Jane Austen (1775 - 1817), Pride and Prejudice, 1811

When you dream...

Dreams for me are interesting. I am not into the whole psychoanalyzing them but just seeing what is in my subconscious. The topics range from work issues to personal issues. The people in them vary and sometimes they are no longer with us. In the past couple of weeks I have had the type of dreams where you feel like the dream is an extension of the day. Running here and there...dealing with situations...living on the other plane of existence. I am definitely going to need to change my current schedule and habits. This current state is exhausting.

I have great friends

So as you all know, I turned 40 a couple of weeks ago. I didn't want a party for a number of reasons which are personal to me. So what I did that day was come to work really early and bring in my birthday cake (German Chocolate with Coconut Pecan frosting -- My favorite!) for my office. I sent out an email and told them all to enjoy it. It was an amazing cake because when I got back into work the next day, there was one more piece left...for me. Later in the day I enjoyed some Johnny Walker Blue. That was a good present to myself. For one of my friends, my wishes for no party fell on deaf ears. She told me I needed one and we compromised on her idea. A tea party for a small group of people. It was a little over week ago but I still think about it. We had Champagne, a wonderful selection of teas and she made everything...scones...finger sandwiches...yum!

Thanks Marianne! You were right.

My hope for Spring....

Mom and I planted 57 bulbs today! It should be awesome! Although I need to get few more bulb varieties.

Whew!

At last the week is over. The start of this one was looking a lot like the last one. Fortunately it slide into a quiet abyss. Now to the weekend. Mom is here and I know she has a list for me. Bring it on.

Wishes

We all wish for something every now and then. Sometimes our wishes are for the train to move faster because we are waiting for it. Sometimes it is concerning the people in your life. Sometimes it is just personal to you.




What are your three wishes?

Small Feet...A Big Heart...A Pair of Shoes

Where I work, I can't always wear sandals. There is a room that is very cold and there are a lot of servers and networking equipment in it and no sandals are allowed. So when I went to work today, I didn't think I would be needing to go in there so I choose my footwear for the day accordingly. As I was headed to the no sandals room, I stopped by the office of two of my friends. One of them offered me his extra set of shoes. I wear a woman's size 6 and he wears a man's size 13. I may have looked like a clown but at least my feet were warm. Thanks You!

My Tuesday

Nope the week isn't getting any better. Sigh...

I wish people who have trouble communicating would just shut up.
-- Tom Lehrer

Monday, Monday...

For the past week I have had different songs stuck in my head. Not even "It's a Small World" could get rid of them. So being the day that it is, I now have "Monday, Monday" stuck in my head. I have decided to share the other ones with you so you too can have them stuck in your head. Enjoy!

This one is courtesy of my student Dave...It took days to get this song out of my head...days...


And this one is from my Bunko buddies...Thanks!


Thanks to my hair and Cousin IT...

My happiness...for today at least

Football on my 50" plasma TV, snacks and a beer... A great thing today is the Steelers won in not so great weather.

It's only the middle of September!

Ok, I am the one who is looking forward to fall and winter. But we still have 9 days until the fall equinox. It is suppose to be 39 ºF overnight. Brrrrrrrr! Looks like I am turning on the heat or definitely sleeping in until it gets warm tomorrow.

I so agree...

The creator of the universe works in mysterious ways. But he uses a base ten counting system and likes round numbers.
-- Scott Adams

Day four of a migraine

Ok body this is getting ridiculous...Day four of a migraine. I don't usually get the traditional description of a migraine. Mine are like electrical storms and only on one side of my head. Sigh. Other symptoms are rearing their head this week...vertigo, pressure in the ear and the feeling like someone is standing on the side of my head. Not fun.

Today is also a day of remembrance for 9/11/01. It is hard to believe that it occurred 7 years ago.

A long day...

Not sure what to write about today. My long day at work, reflections on things going on or life in general. I think I will not write about much of anything. I have been up for many hours and I think that getting into anything heady will just make life more complicated. So I am sticking to making things less complicated.

Fall is approaching

The mornings are crisp and the need for another blanket on the bed at night is inching closer. Some nights you need it for awhile and then you wake up drenched in sweat and wonder why you feel like you are sleeping in the tropics with no air conditioning. We are fast approaching my favorite time of the year. The leaves will change and show us the hues of yellows, oranges and reds. Fall is a time of reflection for me. I have to look back at the year and determine if I fulfilled my goals/resolutions for the year. If I haven't, I may still have enough time to do so and if I have, I can pat myself on the back. Some goals/resolutions have been on the list year after year. It is probably time to let them go...

A thought for a Monday

It is not a bad idea to get in the habit of writing down one's thoughts. It saves one having to bother anyone else with them.
-- Isabel Colegate

Good food and music

Where?
The Jazz Brunch at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.
Thanks Dad.

Dad and Daughter Day

This weekend is just for me and my dad. What do we do to spend quality time together? Go to a baseball game. So early this morning I hopped into my car, drove 2.5 hours to the Phoenix airport and flew to San Francisco. Yes...San Francisco. My team lost tonight but that is OK. Just being able to have an adult beverage in a really nice hotel bar and hanging at a baseball game drinking beer with my dad makes me smile.

So dad...where do we go to next? Houston? Chicago? Denver? As long as I can get my bloody mary before the flight...we're good.

A happy brain

Estimated amount of glucose used by an adult human brain each day, expressed in M&Ms: 250
-- Harper's Index

Today

There are a million things to do, say and achieve. Now I just need to start at #1 and finish #1,000,000 by December 31.

Wheeee.

Labeling ourselves

A myriad bubbles were floating on the surface of a stream. 'What are you?' I cried to them as they drifted by. 'I am a bubble, of course' nearly a myriad bubbles answered, and there was surprise and indignation in their voices as they passed. But, here and there, a lonely bubble answered, 'We are this stream', and there was neither surprise nor indignation in their voices, but just a quiet certitude.
-- Ask the Awakened by Wei Wu Wei


So are you the stream or the bubble?

Things I am avoiding

1. The Republican Convention
2. The Democrat Convention
3. Cleaning my house
4. Migrating my old computer to my new one
5. Completing my New Years Resolutions

Where I hide...