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.
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!
Little Missy stops to smell the flowers.
* "In Flanders Field" — though this poem is associated with Remembrance Day in the UK [known as Veterans Day in the U.S. and both days being renamings of the original WWI Armistice Day], it seems to have become associated with Memorial Day [formerly Decoration Day, established to honor the U.S. Civil War dead] in the U.S.
To my mom, who is really great at her job, to my sisters-in-law without whom I would not have my wonderful nieces and nephew, and to my excellent-mom friends, most notably ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
lisamantchev.
And to me, 'cause, gosh darn it, I've raised these cats right!
When Indiana went for Obama at 1am.
Happy Guy Fawkes Day!
Though I just now notice that the apostrophe is misplaced in the icon text. Since "Halloween" is a contraction of All Hallows Eve (or Even -- both of which are shortened versions of All Hallows Evening), the apostrophe is there to replace the V. Though, really, shouldn't it then be Hallo'e'en'?
I am not doing anything especially Halloweeny today or this weekend. Which is fine -- I like the idea of Hallowe'en but don't much care if I participate in the festivities of it. I like seeing other people dress up and enjoy the atmosphere.
I love autumn, and things have been nicely autumnal these past many days. It's a bit warmer today but not enough to ruin things. I'm happy for the kids -- it always seemed to be rainy or so cold on Hallowe'en when I was a trick-or-treater. This is great weather to go tromping around through the fallen leaves begging candy from strangers.
Happy Hallowe'en, everybody!
If nothing else, skip ahead and watch the last 10 minutes.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Instead, I was up late hanging with a returned
litl_iruka (she'd been away for the holiday) and then even later working on my edits. And by late, I mean early. So when Nuala woke me at 9:30a, most any other day, I'd throw food at her and dive right back into bed. But this morning, I thought, "Nah, I'm up." So here I am. Editing.
That eventual bio-pic of my famous, wicked life is going to be so remarkably dull. However, the idea of a power ballad playing over a montage of me typing does appeal.
- Location:typing
- Mood:
sleepy - Music:"City of Blinding Lights" by U2
That's Single Childless Adults Day!
*confetti!*
Yep, the Holiday I Invented (five years ago or so), is looming. Do you have your plans made, your drivers designated, your party shoes purchased? Have you told all your married and parental friends and family? 'Cause the gift-giving and celebrating of those of us who have neither married nor spawned looms! September 29th, my friends. Mark your calendars! Tell your friends, and let the joyous songs and clumsy dancing begin!
Also, read last year's blog on the same topic for more details.
Subjects about which to fret or freak, in order:
- Finishing up the packing pre-move
- The actual move
- Getting settled-in post-move
- Working from home
- WorldCon
- (edit) HALLOWEEN!
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
- Boxing Day/St. Stephen's Day (depending upon my mood)
- Twelfth Night
(this is lisamantchev's fault)
Just sayin' Hope everyone has a terrific 2006.
- Mood:
tired - Music:"Promentory" by Trevor Jones
Why does all the work stress have to hit at the same time as holiday stress? It isn't fair.
- Mood:
stressed - Music:"Battle Without Honor or Humanity" by Hotei Tomoyasu
Not, mind you, from my Thanksgiving feast, but from supper which I went to after 2nd viewing of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (which, have I mentioned, is awesome? It's awesome). Indian food. SOOOoooo good. They had a special buffet for Thanksgiving, so we went after the movie. *drool*
Thanksgiving luncheon was excellent, too. I just showed better restraint there, I guess.
- Mood:
full - Music:computer hum
I invented a holiday a few years ago, but so far only my family has celebrated it. It's Single Childless Adults Day, and it's September 29th. The rules are simple:
1.) You have to be single and never-married
(because if you HAVE been married then you've had all sorts of showers and other present-giving experiences in association with this event plus anniversaries)
2.) You cannot have any children
(see above, gift-giving, plus you then have mothers/fathers day as your extra celebratory day on the calendar)
3.) You must be a grown-up... no, you have to be a GROWN-UP who pays his/her own bills, has responsibilities, etc. because if you live with mom and dad and don't pay rent, you're still being raised and are not a grown-up.
That's all. And it isn't just an excuse to get gifts; it's a day to stop and be appreciated as a grown-up who has chosen his or her own way through life, solo, if only for the moment.
So consider these truths and then celebrate Single Childless Adults Day!
—We work overtime and holidays so you can go to your kids' soccer games and "be there" for them on Christmas morning.
—We wear the hideous bridesmaid's dresses you pick out and give you 2-3 separate gifts when you go through the levels of becoming married and then console you during the divorce proceedings.
—Though we are probably having more fun than you are (since we are single and childless and can therefore do whatever we want, whenever we want to do it), we also serve as objects of pity for you, as you think we can't possibly be happy unburdened by such joys. So that's a service we offer.
- Mood:
silly - Music:"Calling All Angels" by Train
A nod to my chosen ancestral emphasis of Irishness.
I'm generally descended from a lot of things European but have red hair so fell most in love with my Irishness. So much to love, so much to embrace. The literature, language, mythology, and grace. All that bloody war stuff, too, and miserable, loss-riddled history.
I was thinking the other day about the film HERO and how it has such a non-Western sense of what a good ending is and discussing it with various people. I thought later that perhaps it struck me as a good ending prior to the post-mortem dicussions about it because it seemed so familiar. It's so IRISH, if you read the old tales, the ballads and heroic cycles. Dying with honor is victory.
Which brings us to St. Stephen's Day. The day after Christmas which honors the first Christian martyr. Dying with honor is victory, indeed, and very, very Irish.
We don't have a day-after-Christmas holiday in the United States. No Boxing Day, No St. Stephen's Day. If it weren't a weekend, still, I'd be back to work (except I'm on vacation), which is always depressing to have all that holiday anticipation and fun and then BAM, back to work. Seems there should be a day-after to officially unwind from it all. The week between Christmas and New Year's is an odd one. Always has been. When you have to work it, it has an unreal quality to it, like it's a week stepped aside from the norm. There are leftover treats and everyone's in a kind of lazy mood...
Oh, my God. Kate Winslet is on SNL. I'm not sure if I'm delighted (Kate!) or horrified (SNL?!)
Thus endeth the ramblings.
- Mood:
thoughtful - Music:Kate Winslet on SNL... noisy commercials
In my apartment! Tinsel and lights and ornaments and CANDLES. Phew. Got that done. Got the cards done. Everything's all pretty. I love it.
TCM was showing old Christmasy movies all day, so I was able to see Meet Me in St. Louis for the first time in YEARS! Love that old thing, especially the "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" scene where Margaret O'Brien cries on cue. They followed that with The Bishop's Wife, and no one is cooler than Cary Grant as an angel.
I love old movies. Love old movies. I hope I can catch White Christmas, too, and I need to watch the original Miracle on 34th Street (with Edmund Gwenn and Natalie Wood) and my tape of Ruldolph (Bumble!) and THEN it will be Christmas for sure.
I love winter. I wish it were colder. I thought it was snowing earlier, and it may have been, but it didn't stick. There's still more than a week before winter officially hits, though, so I'm hoping.
- Mood: tired
- Music:"Brick" by Ben Folds Five
Well, it’s been a month. No excuses. It just has been a month.
Movie report: I’ve seen Kill Bill twice (GREAT movie; can’t wait for Part II in February); saw School of Rock and it was a lot of fun; I’m planning to see Mystic River soon, too. And it’s Halloween tomorrow! I’m costume-FREE! But we did get a jeans day at work, so that’s practically a costume.
I’ve been reading up a storm, too. Real books, audio books, comics, magazines — the written word RULES! I’ve also done a clean install of a new operating system on my computer (making it the fourth OS on ye olde computer) -- XP Pro. And I’ve booked my first overseas trip for the spring to London! Yay! Finally! Whee!
Matrix Revolutions and LOTR: Return of the King loom and I guess they’re releasing the 3rd Harry Potter movie (GREAT director this time) in late spring, so lots of fun movies to look forward to...
The renaissance faire was a lot of fun -- we came right in the front gate and saw a parade and the queen, so big success there. Pretty good weather, too. It had rained but did not rain on us.
I’m already planning for Christmas. I don’t want to repeat my usual final jeopardy method of shopping this year, so I’m trying to sneak up on it by buying a bit at a time. I have some good ideas for presents, too.
Happy Independence Day! I’m oberving my own annual tradition of watching 1776 and cleaning house. Great movie! Plus, it’s a three-day weekend — freedom is a wonderful thing ;-) I’m taking a break now, to submit a blog, since it’s been more than a couple of weeks.
I saw Finding Nemo on opening weekend. I think that’s the best movie I’ve seen so far this year and since it has been a good movie year so far, that’s saying something. In my estimation, it almost ties with Monsters, Inc., and many I know think it’s better, but then my heart belongs to Mike Wazowski, so it’s hard for me to like any film better than Monsters, Inc.. Also saw Legally Blonde 2 yesterday and it was tons of fun.
You know what I hate? I hate people who tailgate. It’s seems to have become something of an epidemic over the past few years. People just drive too damn close to each other. Especially at stops. Cars pull right up behind me as if we’re in a parking lot. If someone even lightly taps them, they’re going to wham right into the back of my car! It drives me inSANE! And I drive a five-speed, so when it happens on an incline, they’re pretty much just going to be lucky if I don’t hit them when I start from first. And it’d be their fault! As most other cars are automatics, I then worry that their lack of attention will cause them to drift into me. I’ve been rear-ended, and it was so stupid that it even happened. The traffic was bumper-to-bumper, stop-and-go and every time we stopped, the guy acted shocked! I’d look in my rearview mirror to see his startled, wide-eyed face, and I knew! I knew eventually he’d hit me. And he did about the fifth time this happened. FIFTH!!! As if the first four times just weren’t enough to wake him up. There is no excuse for this. No matter what any of us think, none of us is that good of a driver. We can’t do all kinds of things and drive at the same time. We’re just asking for it when we do. Most accidents aren’t accidents; they’re due to someone not paying enough attention.
So that’s my peeve for the day! Thank you.
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