Using Ubuntu Linux when one is blogging here is a real pain because it wants NOTHING to do with hyperlinks or Bold Type. Nothin'. No how. I guess eventually it'll come around and someone will mess with it and get it more user friendly. I wonder if MAC people have the same issues on this site. Sigh.
Technology can be a real pain in the arse at times.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Tra-La! 'Tis Spring! And Biking Is The Thing
It's spring. Finally! The sun is shining and we've been outside. Riding bikes. Which can be scary. Marty is so much better at this Biking thing than I am!
Yesterday, I rode the second-longest distance I've ever gone: 19.5 miles. I did a cancer ride years ago in the Rocky River Metroparks and that was 25 miles.I'd never even come CLOSE to riding that long and being young(er) and stupid(er), I figured, "Well, I've gone this far, what the heck!" I was dying the last 6 miles.
This time, yes, I was pooped but I could have walked a few miles afterwards, albeit s-l-o-w-l-y! So I must be getting my strength up and improved.
What has been interesting about this Biking With Marty thing is he is in the lead most of the time so I really have to TRUST him AND his eyesight AND his abilities. Surprisingly, that's not easy for me.
He is a natural athlete and a natural driver. As his mother says,"If it had wheels, he could drive it!" He took to tricycles, bicycles, motor bicycles, cars, trucks etc. like a duck to water. Apparently he is also good with motor boats. He has great reflexes and of course, his eyesight is very good. For not being able to turn his head, he sure sees a lot!
Logically, I DO understand that he is not going to lead me astray if he can possibly help it. But he wants me to ride close. Within 2-4 feet. If he slams on his brakes (and he has) I'm scared that I'm gong to run up into his ass-end wheel and cause a crash. I really don't want to wipe out for both our sakes but especially HIS! So I am understandably reluctant. I get so tense I have to tell myself to relax!
It is an interesting exercise in trusting your partner! It's also an interesting test in trusting your Higher Power. Kind of like: God Is My Co-Pilot!
I also entered the Cleveland Half-Marathon yesterday. Marty is convinced that this biking will help with my walking distance and stamina. I hope he is right! every time we go out and ask,
"Tell me AGAIN why this is good?" Sharing some activity together is a good thing, for sure. But my body is singing a different tune.
There is a concept of NO Excsues. That there really IS no earthly (or unearthly) reason why I can't do this and be more than "just OK" doing it.
Could there be a Mini-Biathlon in my future? Hmmmmm......
Yesterday, I rode the second-longest distance I've ever gone: 19.5 miles. I did a cancer ride years ago in the Rocky River Metroparks and that was 25 miles.I'd never even come CLOSE to riding that long and being young(er) and stupid(er), I figured, "Well, I've gone this far, what the heck!" I was dying the last 6 miles.
This time, yes, I was pooped but I could have walked a few miles afterwards, albeit s-l-o-w-l-y! So I must be getting my strength up and improved.
What has been interesting about this Biking With Marty thing is he is in the lead most of the time so I really have to TRUST him AND his eyesight AND his abilities. Surprisingly, that's not easy for me.
He is a natural athlete and a natural driver. As his mother says,"If it had wheels, he could drive it!" He took to tricycles, bicycles, motor bicycles, cars, trucks etc. like a duck to water. Apparently he is also good with motor boats. He has great reflexes and of course, his eyesight is very good. For not being able to turn his head, he sure sees a lot!
Logically, I DO understand that he is not going to lead me astray if he can possibly help it. But he wants me to ride close. Within 2-4 feet. If he slams on his brakes (and he has) I'm scared that I'm gong to run up into his ass-end wheel and cause a crash. I really don't want to wipe out for both our sakes but especially HIS! So I am understandably reluctant. I get so tense I have to tell myself to relax!
It is an interesting exercise in trusting your partner! It's also an interesting test in trusting your Higher Power. Kind of like: God Is My Co-Pilot!
I also entered the Cleveland Half-Marathon yesterday. Marty is convinced that this biking will help with my walking distance and stamina. I hope he is right! every time we go out and ask,
"Tell me AGAIN why this is good?" Sharing some activity together is a good thing, for sure. But my body is singing a different tune.
There is a concept of NO Excsues. That there really IS no earthly (or unearthly) reason why I can't do this and be more than "just OK" doing it.
Could there be a Mini-Biathlon in my future? Hmmmmm......
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The Olympics....
...are on. I watch EVERYTHING. It is my Every Four Years Thing.
I even watch Curling. I don't get it, but it's like a slooooow train wreck; I can't take my eyes off it when it's on. I don't get the commentary. I don't understand a single word, but that's OK.
I will even watch Hockey. I like to support Womens' Hockey. Even when America is NOT playing. That's how bad the whole Olympics thing is. Marty knows all TVs in the house are MINE when the Olympics are on.
I get testy when the phone rings. "Not now, d****it!" Especially Skating. Mens' Ice Skating is on tonight. You'd better be bleeding when Skating is on.
I will write more when the Games are over.
I even watch Curling. I don't get it, but it's like a slooooow train wreck; I can't take my eyes off it when it's on. I don't get the commentary. I don't understand a single word, but that's OK.
I will even watch Hockey. I like to support Womens' Hockey. Even when America is NOT playing. That's how bad the whole Olympics thing is. Marty knows all TVs in the house are MINE when the Olympics are on.
I get testy when the phone rings. "Not now, d****it!" Especially Skating. Mens' Ice Skating is on tonight. You'd better be bleeding when Skating is on.
I will write more when the Games are over.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
What Do You See?
Look at this picture.
I mean, take a moment, take a breath and really look at it.
What do you see?
Monday, January 11, 2010
A new year begins and "Timely" musings
Christmas at our house was good and very enjoyable. I was and am spoiled.
Now our new year has begun with Marty having back surgery. On January 8th, they inserted rods and screws. What I'd call "Rack and Pinion Steering." He looked like ten kinds of awful that afternoon when I did get to see him in Recovery, but by the next day, even with tubes, shunts and a (eeu!) catheter, he looked tons better.
It's Monday the 11th now and he is sitting up, and walking around, looking a big raggedy but really quite good. The doctors are amazed. He is one tough bugger that's for sure! I am amazed at his strength and it's probably due to sheer cussedness!
I am hoping that he continues along this path, with no set-backs at all. That would make me one happy camper. Hopefully, he'll be going home tomorrow, if not it'll be Wednesday.
I'd like to be home for his sake and for the dogs' sake. People have been really great about offering to help with them. If Winger and Jesse were younger, I probably would have bitten the bullet and kenneled them all. But they are getting older and with them both being on meds, it's tougher. And more expensive. I hate to be a cheap bee-yatch but kennels charge way more per dog for giving meds.
Alas, Miss M has proven yet again that her timing (or lack thereof) sucks. This other-worldliness when it comes to time and being on time, or even a facsimile of sort of being on time is getting irritating. She even laughs about it.
"I have NO concept of time." As though it were a quaint characteristic. A little quirkiness.
"Well, perhaps that is something you need to develop?"
Duh.
I truly think she thinks it's not that big a deal; that it's not rude or inconvenient. I am not saying you have to be a Time Nazi and beat the Tardy Ones into the next hemisphere. " A little late" is a few minutes. "Chronically late" is a half and hour or so consistently. Ridiculously late is hours and hours. And hours.
I am far from perfect but I know that people's time is precious. So when I can get someone to take me someplace, I try not to waste their time. She dawdles.
I almost think it's some kind of weird rebellion or a very passive-aggressive way of control or power play. It IS a joke among family and friends but it really shouldn't be. I am afraid that it has cost her in the past and may seriously cost her in the future. Somebody should really nail her butt to the wall. If I were her boss and she were that late, I'd fire her.
Maybe it's a youth thing ("I have all the time in the world") and I'm suffering from the "Time is precious" state of mind thing. So it may be a viewpoint differential. But I don't think that's it, really. I'd call it a Character Defect but one that is so easily fixed.
Anyway, I digress into crap I can't do much of anything about. The main concern is Marty. I guess I just feel it should be hers as well. If it were her mother in the hospital she'd be turning her butt inside out to be at the hospital AND take care of the animals. Sleep would be irrelevant.
I was somewhat shattered (but not terribly surprised) to discover at a relatively young age that the world does not revolve around me. I have to take care of myself and nurture myself and love myself, yes. That the cosmos and I are as one Being. Yes. get that. But time as it relates to others does not mean the world revolves around me. I also have learned that my actions (or inaction) can affect other people too. That is not to say that you should live your life solely for others, no. But it is a sense of consideration and thoughtfulness.
Right now, my energies are focused on caring for myself, Marty and the doggies. My brother and both nieces are next in my sphere. And I do need to not get my knickers in a twist over a rude, self-serving, immature, selfish brat who needs a swift kick in the arse. So many more things are crucial. I only have so much energy and like all energy, it needs to be expended wisely.
Sheesh, I should like SUCH a bitch.
I am so grateful for how well Marty is doing. It is amazing. He absolutely blows my mind. Even when I want to smack him around! I am also so grateful for friends who really stepped up to help or even offered to help. Mollie, Mary, Robin, Bini and Rob --- wow!
Now our new year has begun with Marty having back surgery. On January 8th, they inserted rods and screws. What I'd call "Rack and Pinion Steering." He looked like ten kinds of awful that afternoon when I did get to see him in Recovery, but by the next day, even with tubes, shunts and a (eeu!) catheter, he looked tons better.
It's Monday the 11th now and he is sitting up, and walking around, looking a big raggedy but really quite good. The doctors are amazed. He is one tough bugger that's for sure! I am amazed at his strength and it's probably due to sheer cussedness!
I am hoping that he continues along this path, with no set-backs at all. That would make me one happy camper. Hopefully, he'll be going home tomorrow, if not it'll be Wednesday.
I'd like to be home for his sake and for the dogs' sake. People have been really great about offering to help with them. If Winger and Jesse were younger, I probably would have bitten the bullet and kenneled them all. But they are getting older and with them both being on meds, it's tougher. And more expensive. I hate to be a cheap bee-yatch but kennels charge way more per dog for giving meds.
Alas, Miss M has proven yet again that her timing (or lack thereof) sucks. This other-worldliness when it comes to time and being on time, or even a facsimile of sort of being on time is getting irritating. She even laughs about it.
"I have NO concept of time." As though it were a quaint characteristic. A little quirkiness.
"Well, perhaps that is something you need to develop?"
Duh.
I truly think she thinks it's not that big a deal; that it's not rude or inconvenient. I am not saying you have to be a Time Nazi and beat the Tardy Ones into the next hemisphere. " A little late" is a few minutes. "Chronically late" is a half and hour or so consistently. Ridiculously late is hours and hours. And hours.
I am far from perfect but I know that people's time is precious. So when I can get someone to take me someplace, I try not to waste their time. She dawdles.
I almost think it's some kind of weird rebellion or a very passive-aggressive way of control or power play. It IS a joke among family and friends but it really shouldn't be. I am afraid that it has cost her in the past and may seriously cost her in the future. Somebody should really nail her butt to the wall. If I were her boss and she were that late, I'd fire her.
Maybe it's a youth thing ("I have all the time in the world") and I'm suffering from the "Time is precious" state of mind thing. So it may be a viewpoint differential. But I don't think that's it, really. I'd call it a Character Defect but one that is so easily fixed.
Anyway, I digress into crap I can't do much of anything about. The main concern is Marty. I guess I just feel it should be hers as well. If it were her mother in the hospital she'd be turning her butt inside out to be at the hospital AND take care of the animals. Sleep would be irrelevant.
I was somewhat shattered (but not terribly surprised) to discover at a relatively young age that the world does not revolve around me. I have to take care of myself and nurture myself and love myself, yes. That the cosmos and I are as one Being. Yes. get that. But time as it relates to others does not mean the world revolves around me. I also have learned that my actions (or inaction) can affect other people too. That is not to say that you should live your life solely for others, no. But it is a sense of consideration and thoughtfulness.
Right now, my energies are focused on caring for myself, Marty and the doggies. My brother and both nieces are next in my sphere. And I do need to not get my knickers in a twist over a rude, self-serving, immature, selfish brat who needs a swift kick in the arse. So many more things are crucial. I only have so much energy and like all energy, it needs to be expended wisely.
Sheesh, I should like SUCH a bitch.
I am so grateful for how well Marty is doing. It is amazing. He absolutely blows my mind. Even when I want to smack him around! I am also so grateful for friends who really stepped up to help or even offered to help. Mollie, Mary, Robin, Bini and Rob --- wow!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Tis the Season....
‘Tis The Season For Music and Food
I think my favorite things about Xmas, the season are seeing the lights and hearing the music. When I was a kid, music was a big and very important part of the Holidays (with a capital H, baby!) Because my mother and father were very musical and Mom played the piano, the house was filled with music. They had a Christmas party and Santa (yes, you read that correctly) came to our house and handed out presents to all the kids present (no pun intended!)
Thanksgiving was all (and still is) about the food. The. Food. (Insert choral: “Aaaahhh!”) The Art Of The Perfect Turkey. Stuffing with fruit in it. It could be cranberries, apples, raisins…chestnuts….wait, that is a nut, right? Whipped or mashed potatoes. Heaven In White, right there, kids! This year, even though we go out of town for Turkey Day, I would still like to make The Dinner. (I hate the turkey we normally get. Sigh…)
Back to X Time! I love the lights and maybe that’s because Mom would put a little tinsel Christmas tree with lights in each of our rooms when we were kids. That is magical! Every year since 2000, we’ve driven out to look at folks’ decorations. We rate them. Are they “just lights?” Is a “Mini-display?” It is a “Proto-Display?” Or is it a Full-tilt Boogie DISPLAY? It’s very fun, free (except the gas of course) and I’m impressed at the creativity. Bah-humbug to all the Energy Scrooges out there. Get LED lights and shut the hell up!
Even more or on an equal footing with lights and display, I love the music. I start loading up on it in late November. To date, I think I have well over 1600 holiday songs. God, how I love MP3 players!! All different styles too. I love hearing new songs, old songs because I might get a new twist on an old one or learn a new one that I just adore. Two to check out (if you haven’t heard them) are “All Those Christmas Cliches” (sung by Nancy LaMott) and “Christmas Can’t Be Very Far Away,” (sung by Amy Grant).
I think my favorite things about Xmas, the season are seeing the lights and hearing the music. When I was a kid, music was a big and very important part of the Holidays (with a capital H, baby!) Because my mother and father were very musical and Mom played the piano, the house was filled with music. They had a Christmas party and Santa (yes, you read that correctly) came to our house and handed out presents to all the kids present (no pun intended!)
Thanksgiving was all (and still is) about the food. The. Food. (Insert choral: “Aaaahhh!”) The Art Of The Perfect Turkey. Stuffing with fruit in it. It could be cranberries, apples, raisins…chestnuts….wait, that is a nut, right? Whipped or mashed potatoes. Heaven In White, right there, kids! This year, even though we go out of town for Turkey Day, I would still like to make The Dinner. (I hate the turkey we normally get. Sigh…)
Back to X Time! I love the lights and maybe that’s because Mom would put a little tinsel Christmas tree with lights in each of our rooms when we were kids. That is magical! Every year since 2000, we’ve driven out to look at folks’ decorations. We rate them. Are they “just lights?” Is a “Mini-display?” It is a “Proto-Display?” Or is it a Full-tilt Boogie DISPLAY? It’s very fun, free (except the gas of course) and I’m impressed at the creativity. Bah-humbug to all the Energy Scrooges out there. Get LED lights and shut the hell up!
Even more or on an equal footing with lights and display, I love the music. I start loading up on it in late November. To date, I think I have well over 1600 holiday songs. God, how I love MP3 players!! All different styles too. I love hearing new songs, old songs because I might get a new twist on an old one or learn a new one that I just adore. Two to check out (if you haven’t heard them) are “All Those Christmas Cliches” (sung by Nancy LaMott) and “Christmas Can’t Be Very Far Away,” (sung by Amy Grant).
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