Might I suggest Heifer International? I've been a supporter for many years, and it's a gift I give myself, knowing that my donations have helped families all over the world survive and prosper.

The modern world does not reach as far as we may think. Not so long ago even in what we call the First World, a single cow meant the difference between a decent life and poverty, and that's still true in so many places. Just think: A single cow or a flock of chickens can make the difference between malnutrition and good health, between poverty and prosperity.

Families helped by Heifer receive their animal(s) and training in their care. They also make a commitment to pass on offspring from their gift animals to others in their community, so a single animal can eventually impact many families and strengthen the community to which it is given.

That's a far better bargain than any door-buster sale item will ever be.

Or, to be more honest, hobbler's world.

I've recently taken up running or should I say, I've recently aspired to taking up running. Finding no nearby gyms to my liking for the prices quoted, I've been looking for an alternative way to get in my workout (vital considering my job involves me sitting for 8+ hours a day), and the high school's track which is literally across the street finally beckoned me to give it a try.

That first day, I made it around six times, mostly at a walk, but I really liked it. I never used the running tracks at the various gyms I've belonged to, preferring to use the treadmill, but I think that allowed me to take it too easy on myself. Just you and the track or sidewalk, there are no distractions (TV, magazines) to slow you down.

They have the distances posted on signs by all the entrances to the track, and seeing that I had gone a little more than a mile and a half or about 2500m, I thought, "I know! I'll work up to a 5k!"

And so I've been working for the past couple of weeks now. It's hard going because I have no stamina for running. I'm a solid walker and can go for miles and miles, but running is not something I've ever really done. I looked at the "train for a 5k" calendars and I need a remedial "train for a 1k to get started on training for a 5k" calendar which I'm sort of making up as I go along.

Today I ran over a third of a mile (0.375 miles) without stopping. That's a personal best. And I ran a full mile out of my 1.5+ miles (or 4 of my 6 laps) which is another personal best. Once I can run all or almost all of the 6 laps, I'll start working on that "train for a 5k" plan. I'm surprised I managed that 0.375 as that is twice my prior best distance.

Who knows? By summer I might actually be ready for a real 5k run!

I see and hear this a lot, and it bothers me (on the web, in conversations, etc.).

When someone shares a story where they've overcome something (addiction, major or minor), or accomplished something, a lot of mere acquaintances and even *complete strangers* will say, "I am so proud of you!"

They have no right to be proud of the accomplishments of someone whose achievement has nothing to do with them. It is, in fact, condescending and arrogant to say such a thing to someone under such circumstances.

Congratulations or any variation on that concept are entirely appropriate, but pride? Who the hell do they think you are?

We can be proud of the military on behalf of our country or proud of a member of our government or an Olympian -- they represent us and if they do well, their proud moment is a proud moment for the nation, but I'm not sure even then I'd feel it wasn't presumptuous to, for instance, *say* that to a service-person. "Thank you" -- yes; "Your country is proud of you" -- yes; "I'm proud of you" -- no.

My entire shopping venture this evening can be summed up by this exchange at Target:

Clerk: "You want a bag for the bleach?"
Me: "No."
Clerk: (pauses) (puts bleach in a bag)
Me: ...

Not *bad* so much as just really off-kilter. It took me 20 minutes to find where they kept the sponges after I found the cleaning supplies aisle -- which is where the sponges were not.

New chest plus adorable pictures of Liffey in the sunshine.



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Just bought a gorgeous chest/coffee table for my living room. I've been looking and looking for a nice piece to keep blankets in *and* use at a side or coffee table in the living room, and just as I was about to buy one of the cute (but overpriced) ones at Pier 1 (I have a coupon), I popped into the local furniture consignment shop on a whim and BAM! There was the perfect thing and at a BARGAIN price.

I was walking, so I'm taking a breather before driving back the four blocks to fetch it home. Picture later.

All this and a red velvet cream cheese cupcake from Bleeding Heart Bakery -- a perfect Saturday.

For all the congrats and good wishes. Been a lovely day. 

I woke up this morning to find out my flash short, "Beata Beatrix," has been accepted by Electric Velocipede. This is my first sale that will appear in print rather than in pixels. It will be published at some point next year.

Oh, and also: *squee!*

Gotta say. Taylor Swift's a funny lady. Also, not a bad actor.

I did not wear a costume, but I did get my hair cut on a whim at Ulta. Lovely! I meant to keep going to my old stylist after the move, but she's so far away now and her salon doesn't stay open late, so it isn't all that practical. Meanwhile, my hair was getting hopeless, and now all is well. I really like the cut and the stylist was marvelous.

I had a Halloween party I could have gone to this evening, but I wasn't really in the mood for it. I had a busy week, and I just wanted to be quiet and catch up on errands and watch some TV.

After the impromptu haircut, I went to Target for some basics and then on to Best Buy. However, when I left the mall with the Target, I made a big mistake and thought a lane I pulled into was a turn lane when it wasn't. I basically pulled into oncoming traffic (though there was none, thank goodness) but mostly it was a sort of half-median. The lines had confused me and it was an unfamiliar bit of the road (I usually turn the other way to go home and was turning this way to go to the Best Buy).

NATURALLY, there was a cop behind me somewhere who saw the whole thing, so along with scaring myself half to death, once I got back into the correct lane, I got pulled over. I managed to flail myself out of a ticket by explaining what had happened, but *nerve shattering.*  I suppose that works for a Halloween trick, so I accidentally "celebrated" the day after all.

I went on to Best Buy because the real reason I decided to go out and run errands was to get a new modem/wireless router. The separate modem and router I've had are both 3+ years old, and I'd started having a lot of connection problems involving me re-re-restarting everything multiple times.

So far so good with the new one -- it seems MUCH faster which, of course, makes me annoyed with myself for not upgrading sooner. Still, one piece of machinery vs. two and faster vs. slower and cranky all equal win.

And in the end, there was leftover Aloo Ghobi, so no traffic ticket, faster internet, *and* Indian food?  Happy Halloween! 

catherinehaines found this list via Bella who in turn found it via Neil Gaiman: it’s Borders Australia’s 100 Favourite Books Of All Time, as voted by their customers.

The meme rules are:
Books that one has read should be bolded
Books for which one has seen the movie should be italicized
Books that are on one's “to read” pile should be marked with an asterisk (*).

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My superpower is being able to organize and clean things that already *seem* organized and cleaned. I went out to Ikea (again!) yesterday night after other plans fell through and bought the bigger of the two versions of Gorm storage shelves (unpaid endorsement) so I could bring yet more order to my not-all-that-chaotic storage closet.

( Domestic blithering... )

It's Single Childless Adults' Day (SCAD) once again!

How are YOU going to celebrate?

After a few dreary, overcast days and even some rain, today is bright and gorgeous and cool. I slept in a bit and watched the 2nd episode of #1 Ladies' Detective Agency which I'd missed when HBO reran it a couple of weeks ago (so for me it was the last new episode -- I do hope they are making more).

I had some friends over last night to see the place and after they helped me sort out my breakers so I could label them, we went wandering around Oak Park. We had a lovely dinner at one of the two nearby Indian restaurants (even though the billing got hilariously confused and they accidentally threw out my friend's leftovers so made her up a half-order fresh to replace it) then toured around and checked out the bookstores and the independent coffee shop (where I am going to go myself in a little bit).

I still don't have a gym and I'm still having trouble with the cost of the very nearby one. I think it's just too expensive for me to justify. I have these limitations on what I"ll spend on things and this one exceeds what I think the service offered is worth about $20 which, especially when multiplied by 12, is a lot of money. In fact it's enough to buy membership to another gym for a year or almost.

I also can't find my cookbooks and recipes and I'm worried they ended up in the wrong box and got donated. Probably not; I'm probably panicking over nothing and just need to sort through the few bins in my storage closet, but I'm still fretting.

Not sure taking the kickboxing class as my first workout in over a month was a good idea, but it was a good class. And yet I am sore and can feel the even-more-soreness coming on.

I'm trying-out gyms now, and this one seems pretty expensive to me but is just over two blocks away, and it is not a busy facility (it actually is a tennis center with a fitness center, too, but the emphasis is on the tennis and that part is busier). Not being busy is a plus. Towel service and a pretty sweet locker room are pluses, too. Proximity is a HUGE plus -- hard to not go when it's so close.

I must mull, though, because it is more expensive than my last two gyms were... but not that much more expensive than my last gym in Fort Wayne was. I'm going to visit at least one more and maybe two before I decide for sure. I definitely need a gym, though, to balance my way-sedentery workdays.

I'm for-real all settled in now. I brought home the gorgeous picture I had professionally framed (I'm not sure I ever had that done before -- it looks fantastic), and Nuala immediately went on an unrelated spazzy tear, ran into it, and knocked it flat on the floor with a loud bang (it was leaning out of the way against the counter, but she somehow managed to bounce off of it and send it smacking down onto the hardwood). I was horrified. I'd already bumped it into the wall a couple of times carrying it up the stairs and was worried about that (it's kind of big), and I hadn't even gotten it unwrapped yet to check on it, and if it got broken, that's a LOT of money right down the drain, so she got totally yelled at and went and hid under the file cart for a few minutes until I babytalked her back out and apologized. She can't help it if she's a spazz.

Meanwhile, the new Roomba arrived today -- the day after I ordered it. Shockingly fast, but I suppose they have a center here in Chicago? Dunno, but dang! Fast. It's really cool and shiny and didn't get stuck on anything. It also "goes home" when it's done as this one came with the home base (which was considerably extra back when I bought Pangur Ban so I never had one before). When it's done cleaning, it goes back home and locks into its charger. Amazing. I need to come up with a name, but after the confusion over Pangur's name, I'm going to wait a bit and see what fits.

Pangur is not dead or trashed. I cleaned him, packed him back up in his box, and put him down in the storage closet. I'm thinking I might try to Craigslist him when I put the portable clothes washer up for sale. We'll see. No hurry just now, but I do need to get some things out of that storage closet as there really isn't any room left which is a bit tragic for a non-packrat.

A lot of it is, I'll admit, boxfuls of empty original-packaging boxes, though, so not as bad as it seems.

Want to see more pix of Nuala and Liffey, before and after the move? CLICK HERE!

The last box is down by the recycling (I have at-curb recycling! No more hauling stuff to the recycling center -- just down the stairs to the dumpster area!); the last item is stowed in my storage closet.

I've replaced the desk leg damaged in the move; I've bought new storage solutions for the office. I've purchased new rugs and curtains to fit the new space. I've bought more hangers because the new closet allows me to hang up so much more stuff. The new bed is awesome and the old dresser is back to being the dresser and looks lovely with the rest of the items. I've donated yet another carload of stuff to charity.

A few pictures, posters, and things are hung up but there is a lot less wall space to adorn here, so most of my pictures and posters are down in the storage closet. I also have two new pictures I want to have matted and framed which will take up the remaining wall spots once that's done.

I have a plastic bin-ful of stuff I plan to eBay and some of the posters will get sold that way, too. Some will be kept and stored. (the new Priority Mail shipping rates have made me ready to eBay again -- flat rates for the win!)

A friend is on her way here, and the plan is to wander the town this afternoon. Tomorrow I have one last day off to just kick back and enjoy the new place without any need to do anything to it. Though maybe I'll take the pictures to be framed ;) Michael's is having a sale...

I love this place. I love this town. I'm glad I did this.

I finally broke down and rebooked my useless ticket to Dragon*Con. With fees, etc., since this was a lowest-of-the-low ticket (no refunds, etc.) meant that it put me up only $60 on the tickets for Norwescon in April, but at least I wasn't out the entire ticket price. The flight prices had gone done for April in the meantime of my dithering, so it ended up being right about where I was thinking it "ought" to be.

So I am now booked for Norwescon in April 2010, and I will not be that irritating never-shows-up passenger they call as they're trying to board the plane today.