Still no job...but lots of buzz

Today is a buzzy day.

One of those days where Puck sits in his bird's-eye-view perch and creates mischief.

The type of mischief that gets you hoping and thinking the 'what-if' thoughts.

The sort of mischief that has you believing a job could be imminent...and it could be yours, and....then CRAP!

I hear him squealing with laughter for having so successfully gotten me wound up and believing in (hoping for) 'what ifs" of my own.

I had a late morning interview (finally) with the director of the first film offer. It didn't last long, and he seemed positive, but would only say that there were other people to consider and that I might hear from them early next week. He did like my notes, however. He liked them a lot!

Once I left the building and walked to my car, I checked my phone for messages. You see, there was a new headhunter who contacted me via email on Thursday, wanting to discuss a job, and she asked plainly for my number and a time when I would be available to speak. I wrote back that "nearly any time on Friday was good, but morning would be best."

She responded with "Good. I'll call you in the morning."

So, when I found a missed call on my phone and a message in my voicemail, I automatically assumed the call would be from her. It wasn't.

This call was from one of the fresher employment agencies/contract houses who had gotten in touch over the last couple of days with client jobs that would pay rather well, but were long distance (and a bit of a curiousity) - like, Tulsa, OK and Maryland! Apparently I could do my work from home. Talk about your telecommute!!

Of course, I phoned them back but ended up leaving them a voice message. Ugh!

It's probably needless to say that the woman whose call I was anticipating never did phone.

Stopped for groceries on the way home, and while stacking catfood in the cart, received a phone call from yet another unknown agency with a job available at a large insurance group in downtown Detroit! More on that one anonther time.

Lot's of chats with lots of new folks. Lots of questions, and lots of proper phrasing and bantering. Lots of smiling and head nodding, and loads of driving....but no job.

It's OK, though, I am going to kick back and enjoy a weekend where I hope to get some other stuff accomplished - all of which has nothing to do with Q&A and buzzy words.

We'll see

Interviewing today.

Interviewing tomorrow.

I've got a few questions of my own. Cheeky monkeys.

Yanking my chain

Not for nothin', but can somebody please explain this to me?

My family has one place we frequent to have our hair cut, and yes, it is one of those "chain salons."

I know, I know. You tend to get what you pay for, but I sort of feel for $12 (plus a tip, if I am not crying like an idiot at the hatchet work to my bangs) they had better make it look as though some thought went towards what it was I asked for, and just exactly how the stylist-of-the-day was going to achieve my requested maiming.

By the way, a little tip: Try to steer clear of the one with all the bandaged fingers.

Ah, sorry...the question at hand, and please keep this thought in mind - 'my family consists of two male people and one female-type (me)'. Two menfolk, one femme bot. Got it? Boy, boy, girl.

When I wander in to stand at the counter, and I await the personalized greeting, I am never disappointed by the somewhat unenthusiastic welcome and inevitable three questions.

"Hi! Welcome to [insert chain barber name here - I'm sure yours isn't much different]. Q#1 What can we do for you today?"

[My answer is usually "haircut," or some other hair-related event. Maybe I should ask to have a wheat beer and a veggie sub....hmmm].

Q#2 "Can I get your phone number?"

See, they store us (the hair clientele) in their computer/register by phone number, so it helps that they ask for one's digits. [Again, my answer is usually straightforward.]

Q#3 "Are you...Beth?"

I would be astounded if I am not Beth.

Heeding my reminder from about seven lines ago, how would you answer this question. Could I possibly get it wrong? Is there any chance I am Brian or Karl?

Let's see, who else would I be, as I am clearly not my sons, and most assuredly female?

At moments like those I wish I still had my magic 8-ball.

Are they yanking my chain, or do they need a little 'Captain Obvious training'?

It's raining SO hard...

If it keeps on raining much longer the way it has - and the way that it is - the backyard will be filled in no time, and I can go swimming!

It's already knocked a lot of leaves off the tree in the front yard!

It's rained so much my car is now mud-, bird poop-, and maple tree sap-free! I saved $5.

Ya know that mound of grass I mentioned yesterday? Well, it's now four inches shorter...but it is 18" wider! Oh, wait. That's nothing to get excited over.

Darn-it-all!!

The latest

1) The day was half as wet as the weather weenies predicted it'd be - at least for our area.

2) Bud mowed the lawn, but couldn't bag it properly because we had no bags in the garage - where they belonged. No, the bags were in my car, 'seeing the countryside.' Helpful.

3) The rain began falling before I could get home with the lawn bags, with which to bag the grass clippings. We now have a two-and-one-helf foot tall mound of wet grass in the driveway.

4) Oh, yeah, Karl had his six month dental cleaning. The lawn bags were apparently along for the ride (I think they were shirking yard duty).

5) Ah yes. Brian sort of trimmed the low hanging branches on the Chinese Maple out front. Let's just say his pruning style is more George-of-the-Jungle-meets-Crazyass-Tarzan and less like any standard yardcare guru.

6) Had time to cut and sort several hundred squares for the new quilt project, and still get quite a bit of sewing done on the patriotic crazy quilt. The Statue of Liberty is nearly complete (you have NO idea how good it feels to get that done)! Photos at: www.truenorthquilter.blogspot.com

7) Heard nothing (NOTHING) from the first production, even though we had arranged a phone interview with the director for today.

8) Did hear (oddly enough) from the second production (even lower paying than the first) as far as they would like to have a face-to-face interview Thursday. How am I gonna squeeze that in? LOL

9) I need to get some sewing done tomorrow in a big way to make up for the lost time over the last two days. If I do get a production job, my quilt aspirations for the immediate future are bleak.

10) Brian received a call from his new store manager today. Even though he was told it would be about two weeks before all the interviewing and decisions were made, Mgr Tim has decided to hire Bud on as the full time CES manager in a new store! And, unlike their earlier estimation, they want him to begin working there beginning next week, and not nearer the end of October! A promotion and a raise and more hours - good, good, good!

11) My fall flowers are more beautiful every day. The clematis and white Japanese Anemone are absolutely stunning, and it makes me want to get out there and weed one more time before the snow falls. Riiiiight.

Okay, that's the latest for tonight. Have yourself a good night's sleep and a wonderful tomorrow.

Happy little experiment

We had a very little bit of popcorn left to pop, and I was in a popcorn-y sort of mood. Since I didn't feel like dirtying a pan to achieve the meager, yummy outcome, I decided to try making it in the microwave instead.

I reasoned that microwaveable popcorn can't really be anything more than a lot of oil and flavoring in a sack with the unpopped kernels - right? If those expensive manufactured bags can work in the microwave, what would be the harm in making my own popcorn micro-bag?

So (ready to put out any surprise fires), I tossed a bit of butter into a paper lunch sack, added the kernels and rolled the bag closed - leaving a lot of room for the popcorn to pop into; placed the bag onto a paper plate; slid the entire thing into the microwave, closed the door and punched the "popcorn" button on the handy-dandy panel.

In less than a minute, Karl and I shared a modest amount of fresh popcorn! Yea, it worked.

NOTE TO SELF: Add popcorn and lunch sacks to the shopping list.

Oh, sure!

Now that I've gone and "said" how happy I am for a dreary day that will permit me to remain indoors (guilt-free)....it's sunny!

[Yeah - I think I will continue to do what I am doing, maybe the sunshine won't notice I am using it to get some more new squares configured. **sneaky laughter**]

I am happy today is dreary and rainy

Perfect excuse (as if I really needed one) to not go outside (AGAIN) and work on the yard, but to stay indoors and concentrate on the quilt!

Working on the second row and it is looking pretty cool!

No word from either of the two productions (still/yet/what else), and the headhunter has until Tuesday before I call again.

It's Sunday...relax and smell the turning leaves and enjoy your cider and donuts. I am going to rev up my machine and enjoy my own brand of fall colors!

Is there anything she IS happy about?

Yes, I am quite happy to have received two inquiries for (production) work, but I do wish they had come as concurrent gigs.

Of course, I do (really) wish it had been a more permanent job somewhere, with 'bennies' and a consistent paycheck (lasting more than 3-6 weeks).

I am very happy to have had the chance to talk with someone about a job.

It's just very easy to think that things could be better knowing that there is something better out there.

Knowing that I shouldn't have to settle is just a little disconcerting, but I am happy.

:^/

See.

Really.

And while I'm at it

While I am busy shooting myself in the foot, I am going to touch on another bothersome practice of the 'film industry' here in Michigan.

The outlook was wonderful regarding finally getting a payscale close to appropriate for script supervision work...until Gov Fathead-Stupidpants was elected (Snyder, for those of you not living in the "mitten state").

Yes, the daily rate was slowly going up; and while we were never going to approach the rates afforded to Scriptys in CA or NY (or GA and AZ, for that matter), it was looking promising to getting paid something more akin to the 12-14 hr days and LOADS of paperwork that must be done.

The job is undervalued. You don't see the camera department seconds and assistants making a paultry sum. Nor the lighting/grips. So why should the person whose work is so necessary to keeping the sound and camera info in sync, and who gives the editor a 'visual' of the shot sequences without seeing the footage, and informs the UPM, producer(s) and coordinator of just where the filming is (on schedule or not) at the end of each shooting day so poorly paid and rewarded?

Why?!?!

Yeah, I don't know, either.

I applied to no less than five new productions looking for crew over the last two weeks, and finally just heard from two of them - about a day apart. The first responding UPM and I had a good phone conversation, and I sent a copy of my work for a production day. Was told via email, that evening, that I would hear back from them the next day. (The next day I heard that they would let me know something the next day - which would be today. Go figure.)

A day later I was contacted by a producer's asst on yet another project that I applied to, and received a brief note telling me that the Scripty rate is $100 per day. 'Get in touch if that is acceptable.'

OK, when I responded to their ad looking for an "EXPERIENCED SCRIPT SUPER" (yes, they had that portion in caps) for an LBI (low budget indie) they also requested you include your desired rate. Taking what I know into account, I proposed a fair $185/day to get myself into pricing range. Their options for working, knowledgeable, current continuity folk in this state is slim. I was a bargain at that rate.

Yesterday I received the brief note telling me their rate and that I should get in touch very quickly if that is acceptable.

Well, it's NOT acceptable, not for what you think you should get from any Scripty worth their salt. So, I responded with a polite information request - asking for my own info in order to make an informed decision. Let's see if I get a response or if I am rebuffed for not jumping up and down and wetting myself over the chance to make nothing for doing a boatload of work.

Yes, people, I know I need the work. I know! But, if I am giving away the store for the chance to what?....just to have my name on one more crew list, I may as well be paying them!

The first production has told me where and for how long. I know it is a pawltry $125 a day, and that I will be driving to Detroit for six day weeks, and I know my pre-pro and my wrap dates. I was looking for the same info from the second tribe so I could determine if there was any merit to switching ships if it came to that.

The only info allowed from prod#2 were vague dates and a general vague location. Since the film folk seem to think filming in Holly, MI is filming in Detroit, I need clarification.

Sit tight, let's see if I hear from anyone today. Otherwise, I intend to have fun with this sunshine filling the house! Later.

Be careful what you wish for

In the film industry you need to be cautious when dealing with people, in meeting people and revealing too much about yourself before you need to.

You also need to watch your pockets (i.e.; your money). These people will try to get you to "invest" in their "projects"...and you will be a sorry soul if you don't have a pair of shades to keep you from becoming blinded by the glare of the spotlights and flash of the bull shit bulbs.

For example: Jess Goslin is a master con artist and liar extraordinaire. I mean, I have met and worked for several major BS pros, but she is a cunning liar. All along there were promises of the film beginning in March, then in August (because there were issues with the funding). Then there were issues with logistics and the cast schedules...and on and on. Then came the email opportunities to help make the film by donating money to the cause via those online sites that will collect the money for you and keep track of the progress.

Needless to say I did not donate, but I did try to keep track of the progress, and I did phone the CC (not going to tell you what this stands for, because my mother would not appreciate reading it) a few times to let her know my availability as Scripty.

"Oh, yeah. No, Beth, I know you are interested and we are excited to have you on the crew. I'll send out the paperwork when we get to production."

Yeah....bull shit!

Ah well.

At any rate, I was cleaning out my phone contacts and passed over her name and number (and believe me, it is taking all of my resolve not to post her number here), and I decided to look up the project online to see what the latest load of garbage was. Can you believe - NOTHING!?

Well of course you can. The only news out there is the same load of (2) crap 'articles' she penned herself and loaded out onto the internet to try and create a buzz. Or, the one BS 'article' some wannabe Bollywood 'reporter' supposedly wrote about coming upon this deceitful diva in LA, leaving a bogus hundred dollar tip on a table. Really? C'mon....jeez!

You can't even find the supposed crap film (already in the can, mind you) on IMDB - or any other film site. Why? Because the tripe was never filmed! (or was, and is too lame to release - I'm just syin'.)

I looked up her writers, her co-producer/exec producer, the director....and they don't exist in those capacities. And...there are no credits with the bogus film name associated, either.

[sgnort] "Worldwide anticipation," my @ss.

I had hung my hopes on having another paid credit (and some work this summer) on the word of some lame, lying con artist. Be careful what you wish for - but keep your hands on your wallet and your head in the reality game.

Okay, I have to go now. Cleo is purring wildly at my feet, chewing the tips off of my laces while she wrestles with my shoes, and it's wrecking my snarky mood.

:^)

Happy Birthday, my blonde baby!

Yes, Brian is 25 today.

I am so proud of you, Bud, and you have so much more ahead of you to accomplish. Take your time and be happy.

You know what Great Gram would say....."25, eh? That's a nice start. See you at 100!"

I love you!

Rainy + foggy = Fainoggy?

Fraingy?

Roggy?

England?

It equals today in Michigan.

Ah, well. Let's move on.

September is already 2/3 gone, and I am nowhere near ready for October. But, the way the allergies are acting up, I will be glad (for both Karl and myself) to have the frost do it's thing. It will be a sad day when we have to close up the house for winter, for despite the pollen, fresh air wafting through is always welcome.

At present, Hobbes is sitting in one of the front windows having a staredown contest with our resident chipmunk. The chipmunk is unflinching, but 'Beana' is stiff competition. However, he is driving me mad with his endless chirpy little bark, so excuse me a moment, please.

Okay, I'm back and the noise is gone - at least for the time being. Sorry, cat.

I made a decent dent yesterday, in the first row of the quilt I am working on. Wish I could post a photo, but it would give away the design, and I can't afford to do that - just yet. Suffice to say, I was very happy to have gotten as much done as I did (for a change), and progress can be seen in snitches and snatches at www.truenorthquilter.blogspot.com if you're interested.

Today is supposed to be a warmer day - once the fog moves off. And since it rained overnight and into the early morning hours, it most likely will be a humid day, too, with the temps in the predicted high seventies. Yug.

Need to get Karl to corral his classwork and notes into a binder today. His armful of stuff is getting a little hazardous to carry, and impossible for him to find anything in. He likes it that way, but there is a way to organize it all, and Karl needs that practice.

Be quiet, Peanut Gallery.

And me? I have plenty of things to do, so I suppose I will close for now and get to them. Hope you have a productive day!

Hey

Why do butterflies drift over roads at such a low altitude?

Has anybody tripped over my missing job? I can't seem to find it anywhere; thought maybe I dropped it over there somewhere.

Who's the wiseguy who ordered all this rain for today?

Why are the geese flying over my house heading west - should I be concerned?

Why is it that Twitter (and SPAMbots posing as a cousin) are the only entities (human or otherwise) who are emailing me?

Anyone wanna see my surgery scar? We call it the 'zipper.'

Does somebody out there feel competent enough to cut my hair into an attractive style?

What's the last thing you remember about being five years old?

Have you ever had too much of a good thing?

It was the perfect day

Weatherwise...activity-wise...friends-wise.  Perfect!

We began the day at the Renaissance Festival, spending several hours with family friends - Klaus and Erika, and their newest family member, Loki.  Loki is a rescued German Shepard/Collie-mix, with a decided past which includes abuse.  Sad but true - it is evident from his fears of certain objects. 

But, he is in a great home, now, with loving and kind owners.

We covered the fairgrounds from stem to stern, and Loki sniffed every tree he could reach...and every other dog in attendance, too.  He was much petted and doted over by many people passing by, and even Karl got in on the lovefest,
getting down to Loki's level and having an eye-locked
conversation.  This is remarkable for Karl in the respect that he is not much of a dog person - in fact, he has a bit of a fear of our canine brethren.  So for him to initiate contact and socialize so intensely with Loki was a positive thing.

Klaus photographed or video'd most of the day, bought a walking stick and journeyed into the "enchanted realm."  Many times the boys would wander off together (Brian, Karl and Klaus) and Erika and I would do our necessary things.  I know they had a good time and a lot of fun (all three of them).

The weather was the absolute best, really!  The right temperature, fabulous breeze, sunny and dry.  Every day should be exactly like today!  My saddest thoughts kept going back to the fact that it was sunny and I could have been laying out quilt blocks for assembling with all the lovely natural light!  Silly, I know, but I am pretty driven right now in wanting to move forward on this particular quilt.  I have a mission!

Once the time at the festival ended (we all agreed it would have been more fun earlier in the season), we made plans to attend again next year, but sooner in the season rather than later.  The crowds are always pleasantly light in the first two weekends.  Fortunately for us, the crowds didn't become problematic until after 1PM.  Perhaps next year Erika will be much more capable of getting around, and the lighter crowds early on will make the day less physically exhausting.  But that's a year from now and lots of things can change.

I did have some time mid-day to lay out the better part of two squares and finish cutting the yellow portion of my material needs, but I hardly made a dent in the project.

The remainder of the late afternoon was spent gabbing, laughing and movie-watching with Jean.  She brought down several movies to pick from and we had our usual laugh-a-thon after talking about our kids, our job woes (or, lack-of-job woes).  She had the chance on Saturday to spend time visiting with her twin daughters (in the same place) in the company of her granddaughter, and delighted in watching the aunts fuss and coo over a very cute little girl.

I know that feeling, spending quality time with the boys and not feeling pressured to get anything else accomplished except to enjoy the time and the company.

The coming week is full of the same old stuff - job searching for me and school for Karl.  With fall around the corner - and the onslaught of mosquitoes abated to a great extent - I am hoping to allow myself time outside in the gardens to get a lot of work done, before I am regretting it over the winter months. (Yes, I truly need to give myself permission to do what needs doing...I have issues in case you haven't noticed.)

More another time, until then....ciao!

I'm just sayin'

Some portion of the day will include yardwork - and oddly enough, it won't be performed in my own yard!

H

Headache.

Housework.

Happy cats.

Half-baked employment jobsites.

Healthy colon.

Half-wit neighbors.

Halibut for dinner?  Hmmm??

Halting software programs.

Help me, please.

Hardship - hate it.

Have the GREATEST mom!!

Harassing employment agencies for work.

Hounding productions for responses.

Hiccups.

Hourglass figure gone.

Hugs from sons.  :)

Housefly dead.

Ho-hum.

Nothing much

Nothing much to say beyond "hello" and "thank you for dropping by."

Today was a busy day - mostly pertaining to Karl's schedule.  It began with getting the trash out (and just in the knick of time, too) prior to getting on the road for Karl's class.  Last week we took the opportunity to schedule tutoring for him one day per week immediately following class, and I get the feeling he must be getting something out of it.

Even though he is reserved about sharing the happenings of his day and/or his feelings or thoughts, he must have enjoyed himself at some level, for he stayed with the tutor this afternoon an additional twenty minutes beyond his scheduled session!  After that, he stopped into the gaming club on the way out and spotted a few people he knew. They gabbed for about half an hour! 

On the way home we spoke about whether he would like to plan on stopping by the geek club once in a while after class - he's giving it some thought.

I ran a couple of errands while K was in class, then we hit the bank on the way home and capped off our road trip with a stop at the insurance office to renew our membership and make a payment on the auto policy. 

Once home, Karl trundled off to his room and the comfort of his computer corner and sweatpants.  I swept the floors and read a newspaper, checked email for job responses and new listings, then applied myself to constructing another 100-square block for my latest project.  Tomorrow will find me cutting out more than 500 one-and-one-half-inch squares of the next color needed.

At present I am dividing my time between typing a quick nothing here and making dinner.  We are having small steaks, spaghetti squash and baked potatoes - what's on your menu?

Definition of a miracle

For those dozen or so bystanders in Utah, who lifted a car off of an accident victim before he could burn to death, thank God!

If you haven't seen the video online somewhere, or heard the story on your morning news... it is remarkable!  It was humanity.  It was a miracle!

A young man on a motorbike was struck by an SUV (or large model car).  The bike erupted into flames upon impact, while the motorcyclist was pinned under the car with no way to escape. 

Pedestrians approached the car to try and move it off of the man, to no avail.  First one and two, then five people.  Not certain if the man was even still alive, many people had a hard time simply standing by while a body burned - dead or not.

Quickly, a young woman dropped to her stomach near the flames to get a better view of the biker to see if, in fact, the man was still alive.  When she saw movement she called out to the growing crowd, who then swarmed the vehicle, forcing it up high enough - and long enough - for another person to grab a leg and pull the man from under the car to safety.

If that's not a miracle, then I don't know what would constitute one in this day in age.  People, we are all in this together.

P.S.   No, the biker was not wearing a helmet, but the latest news from the hospital is that despite fractures to his legs, hips (and pelvis, I think), there are no major or life-threatening injuries - he is expected to fully recover! 

I put myself 'out there'

Oh, yes I did.

I stuck it way out there and had it slapped, pinched, teased, and then hung out to dry.

Friends and acquaintances have suggested networking and meeting up, and said they'll call, but it always winds up a bust.  A big ol' goose egg.  Nada.  Bupkiss.  Zilch.  (By the way - voice mail sucks - in general... esp with t-mobile.)  Oh, and if you are reading this and you think this bit of boo-hooing is only because of you, please believe me when I say no, it isn't.  Trust me, it so isn't just you.

Yes, I know life can jump in the way...take over and mess up plans.  I know that stuff can happen and re-route us.  I am well aware that there are forks in the road...and bumps and potholes, blah, blah, blah.  But three days running with three separate sets of plans/peoples? 

C'mon! 

What is fate/life trying to say to me?  "Stay put."  "Wait your turn - it's not your time, yet."  I've been stuck in 'Wait World' with my 'next-in-line' number pinched between my forefinger and thumb so long the ink has worn clean off.

Oh, yeah, I'm out there, baby.  Could someone toss me an umbrella, please, it looks like it's gonna be a while longer and we're heading back into a rainier season.

Phone interviews

Over the summer I had several interviews - mostly with headhunter agencies looking for candidates to place in corporate contract positions.  Each one of these headhunters has told me how perfect I am for the job posting; how absolutely perfectly my experience and skill sets match the requirements for the position.

Four times now I have been grilled and phone-prodded.  Twice thereafter I have been invited to meet the interviewer in person to continue the interview process, and to fill out their hiring/work forms. 

In all four cases I have never been disappointed with their atrocious or non-existent follow-thru.  In one case I have had nothing but lip service and vague promises of next steps, with no further action or contact after the initial phone conversation.  The few times we did speak, it was to his claims of "I am going to hand your resume to my associate on Monday, he will be your go-to."  Or - "My son, with the phys-ed scholarship, has suffered a muscle tear, and my car is in the shop after and accident and I have a cold....but I will get back with you and hand your resume to my associate."  That then became "Call me on Monday after I have had a chance to visit my client and I will have more to tell you."

Of course when I did call him again on Monday, at the assigned time, he did not answer, and I ended up leaving a voice message.

And no....he has never phoned back.

What am I to take away from that message?  Why not just tell me what the issue is (if there is one) and then have nothing more to do with me?  Why leave me hanging to be chased down by my persistent phone calls and emails?

Am I just supposed to give up and vanish?  Do you think you can ride out my barrage of contact attempts until I do nothing more?  Oh no, my friend, it ain't gonna happen.  I am not going to stop playing my fiddle until you change the tune.

A number of times the story goes: "The position for which we were recruiting has been filled internally.  But don't worry, we are still going to find you something - there's work out there."

Ri-i-i-i-ght.

I'm not worried - I'm disappointed.

Phone interviews are great until they're not.  And let me tell you - you employing types - your interviews (for the most part) are triffling crap.

Allow me to brag a little

Here are my two sons:

Bud, working the long weekend at the Renaissance Festival (with a smile on his face),



and Karl with Barb, his Community Living Support Aide.



Darned internal alarm clock!

6:16AM
Dark and quiet.  The sights and sounds outside my open windows are comforting and private.

Been up for a little while - for no good reason - and just couldn't fall back to sleep, so here I am.  This would have been handy if I'd had someplace to be, or something to do at 6:15AM!

The cats think I am up to serve them an early breakfast.  HA.  I love their simple, blind faith and adoring inquisitive faces.

The coming week is a mash up of stuff.  Meetings with friends and networking opportunities; Karl's classes and probably a trip to the dealership for the last free oil change and looky-loo under the new car warranty.  Scary thought. 

My PC, for whatever reason, has decided to forget who I am, and has 'unremembered' all of my user info on various sites and is making me re-enter everything everywhere!  What's up with that?  Outrageous!!  Talk about needing a cheat sheet - sheesh!

Got home from a romp yesterday, with the sun shining and daylight all around, thinking I would have brilliant light with which to lay out more squares for my latest quilt project.  Uhhh....not so much.  I pulled into the driveway and found only clouds and shadows until early in the evening.  It's a conspiracy I say!!!

6:39AM
The sky is revealing itself slowly.   From my vantage point out the library window I can see the periwinkle blueness of a new day fading up in the western sky.  Watching the sunrise in "reverse" is interesting.  The sounds of the crickets and busy night frogs is giving way to drowsy birds.

7AM
Lighter and lighter grows the sky.  It's now 7AM, and for some reason there is now what sounds like gunshots (or fireworks?) banging off and popping in the distance and in an unknown direction.  Seriously?  I hope your neighbors egg your home later.

The sky is pale baby blue, with hints of wispy clouds well beyond the reach of the maple tree branches.  Cleo is at my feet prutting and chirping in her sweet little voice, and had just reached out to touch my leg sweetly with one of her little 'button' paws to remind me it is now officially fooding time.  We've kept each other company throughout the twilight show, but now it is time to step into action on the day. 

The pre-dawn light is sufficiently nudging the shadows aside and illuminating the corners and surfaces in the rooms behind me.  Cleo's purring is now of the ravenous sort, and her noises are more frequent and pleading and expectant.  Her little touches have given way to the hefty nuzzling prod of her nose on my calf - all things that I love about her.  Yes, she is most definitely hungry!

Outside, the noises of the birds are louder still, with a murder of crows off in the distance making their hellish "scraw-scraw" calls to one another.  They are the only birds I will shoo away out of my trees when they land. 

Inside, my pack of felines are now all requesting food, and there is no denying them any longer. 

Until later in the day....here's hoping you can enjoy your Sunday morning.

Another grey day

Holy smokes.  How can there be so much grey in the sky?  I sort of expect it in those wintry bleak months, when the weather turns and it is called for (you know, November, January, February), but it's September for-crying-out-loud!  Knock it off!!

Because the weather has turned so dramatically and so quickly, the leaves are already beginning that color shift thing, and a few trees are throwing off leaves as though it's time for that.  Well, it's not!

[stamping foot at Mother Nature]

I've been trying to have a material giveaway on the other blog page - TrueNorthQuilter.blogspot.com - but no one seems interested, so I am canceling it.  There are readers, but no one (except for Maria) wants the free 'fat' fat quarters.  Go figure. 

[WARNING: Don't read this paragraph if you don't like sour grapes] 
I have perused many other quilt blogs with nothing much to say, and can't for the life of me figure out why [greatly edited] they have comment after comment.  They give away material and have people begging for it.  I try to find out about the people who (I can see) are reading the blog, visiting from countries far and wide (and from right here in the US), and have no responses!  What is up with people!?

[Sour grapes are done - resume reading]

Trying to remain positive has become a second full time job...and I am failing miserably.  Everything is affected, and I am hating being around myself any more.

Any suggestions?

Good movies

Good movies (and let's face it, it's always a matter of opinion and taste) are few and far between any more. 

Sometimes I have to be duped or hogtied and dragged to a movie to see it - and sometimes those duplicitous and wrangling people will get me to a movie that is great (and something I would never have seen on my own).  While other times I have been left with the sorry loss of time and the waste of the price of the ticket.

I hate a bad movie, don't you?

Well, I have very recently seen two truly good movies - "The Kids Are Alright" and "Crazy, Stupid, Love," and neither one disappointed me in any way.  No car crashes, no guns, no gratuitous sex, no really over-the-top foul language, nothing unbelievable....just life.  Unexpected twists and charming stories of truth and reality.  Well written, tremendously cast and acted, beautifully crafted, fun to watch films.

Treat yourself to a good time in front of a large (or small) screen.

The Kids Are Alright.
Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Good movies.

Post Script - It just dawned on me that there was a bit of playboy-esque behavioral sex carefully shot and implied in the beginning of "The Kids," and if it was my mom writing this review it wouldn't be considered "tastefully done" by any measure.  But by today's standards, there was mild nudity and a little of the old 'bouncy-bouncy' on the screen, but nothing to make one blanch too awfully.  Again, this is my opinion.

That makes four (and one half)

So far, since the boys and I moved in to our home eleven years ago, four houses have been foreclosed on just on our block!  The "half" home is one neighboring house that has been 'let go' (due to foreclosure) by two separate families.

Thank you, God, for keeping us from that very fate.

Well, darn!

They did it again. 

My cats drew straws to see who would puke on (in) my shoes (AGAIN) early this morning, and the winner did an extremely thorough job.  I believe I heard the transgression in progress - the ralphing, not the straw-drawing - and I know it was either Flop or Cleo.  It couldn't have been Hobbes.

How do I know it wasn't Hobbes?

She was laying on the bed next to me, having already hair-balled her guts out more than an hour before.

Oh yeah, it's been a busy day thus far.  So, if you will excuse me.....now that I've located the peanut buttery ma-gurk on (and in) my shoe, I think I need to get a move on and take care of it.  I may want to wear them later.

Eeewwww.

Jeez.

Labor Day, Schmabor Day - whatever

You're in the middle of another undeserved, four-day holiday away from work (if you have a job).  Enjoy it, you thoughtless bunch of beggers.

The Tigers pulled one out!

Totally amazed that our 'boys' came from behind to capture a win.

"Came from behind."  [sgnort]  Rr-i-i-i-i-ght.

They came from Saskatchewan!

Happy boy

My beautiful blonde boy is going to the fair!  He has the entire holiday weekend away from his regular job to work at the festival - and he is over the moon.

Every year for the past eleven (this is the twelfth), he has had a job at the Renaissance Festival, starting in the kitchen (as all youngsters did back then), moving quickly his second year to handling the order-taking and customer side; then working his way into hawking.  After three and one-half years he moved to a vendor booth (and away from employment with the festival directly). 

Side note: The owner of the venue is an absolute ass, and he owns several such festivals across the midwest and Florida.  Some he cares for more than others, and some (it is believed) he is trying to run into the ground.  [cough-hack-MRF-cough]

At any rate, Brian fell into the services of a clothing dealer at the fair (Pendragon), and has been working for/with them for the last seven years - and he loves it.  They work him hard and long, but he craves it - almost lives for it!  The pay is worth it to him and he has done a good job for them, so they reward him with kindness and certain employment year after year, summer after summer.  This is what he looks forward to.   

He is my Renaissance boy.

It broke Bud's heart when he was told that because of the transition in the operating procedure at the craft store, he wouldn't be able to work weekends at the fair - even if he worked every other day of the week to cover his time.  So far on his days off, he has been able to assist his boss and friend in receiving the stock, cleaning out the space and stocking/setting up the booth.  He gets paid, and he likes the work and the people so very much.

Fortunately, the clouds parted, and somehow the schedule was amended to make it possible for Bud to work this entire weekend at the festival!  It's like a tonic.  Despite the fact he will work 12 days in a row (between his retail job and this long weekend), he is excited and happy, and I am happy for him.

Another Friday

I woke up thinking about how quickly this week seems to have passed, and realized we were at the end of another week.

I blinked...I must have.

It's sort of an odd thing I'm finding that even my younger friends (and Brian) are noticing the fast(er) passage of time.  I've always thought that with nothing (like a job) to do to keep busy, time seems to just d-r-a-g.  But look!  Here we are in September already with nothing but a large handful of holidays between us and the end of 2011!  Remarkable.

We are at the point in the year where I see it as nothing but a fast tally of celebratory markers.  The "fast four months" I call it. 

Labor day (long weekend of beer, boats and food - oh, and the dizzying start of a new school year - whoosh!); Columbus Day and Halloween (basically a party month and yard cleanup time); Thanksgiving (another long food weekend); Christmas (let's face it, food debauchery wrapped in the guises of goodness), then; the NEW YEAR (let's not forget the food, wine and hangovers)!

I simply think some of this could have been planned out a little better by the founding fathers and card companies, and perhaps spread out over a greater period of time, that's all.  But, it is what it is, and has been ever thus for.....well, let's just say we're all fairly well entrenched in it by now, aren't we?

But I digress (I know, I know - nothing new).

I woke up this morning having to check if whether or not it was really Friday. Which is odd, since I also did the very same thing yesterday when I had to put out the garbage for pick-up. 

Yup, it is Friday, and in my head, Friday music began playing.

"What does she mean 'Friday music?' "

Well, I'll tell you.

Every day of the week has music.  That is to say, there is a song out there - written with the name of a day of the week in the lyrics - for all seven days of the week.  Some are more popular and well known than others, but every day has at least one.  The songs I know are:

• Sunday Girl - Blondie
• I Met Him On A Sunday - The Shirelles
• Gloomy Sunday - Billie Holiday
• Sunday Morning - Maroon 5
• Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2
• Sunday Sunday - Joni Mitchell
• Blue Sunday - The Doors
• Sunday Papers - Joe Jackson
• Pleasant Valley Sunday - The Monkees
• Sunday Kind of Love - Etta James
• Sunday Sun - Beck
• It Must Be Sunday - Phoebe Snow

I know, Sunday is a very popular day.  There are others, but I really only like these songs, and since it's my list, I'm stopping with these.  Of course, that'll hold true for each of the remainder of the days.

• Monday, Monday -The Mamas & The Papas
• Rainy Days and Mondays - The Carpenters
• Blue Monday -New Order and also Fats Domino
• Monday Morning -Fletewood Mac
• Except for Monday -Lori Morgan
• Manic Monday -The Bangles
• Come Monday" -Jimmy Buffet
• New Moon on Monday -Duran Duran
• Tuesday Afternoon - Moody Blues
• Ruby Tuesday - Rolling Stones
• Church On Tuesday - Stone Temple Pilot
• Love You Till Tuesday - David Bowie
• Tuesday Heatache - Steve Perry
• Tuesday Heartbreak - Stevie Wonder
• Wednesday Morning, 3am - Simon and Garfunkel
• Wednesday Girl - The Jet Set
• Wednesday Week - Elvis Costello  and The Attractions
• Waiting For Wednesday - Lisa Loeb
• Thursday's Child - Eartha Kit
• Thursdays - Meghan Cary
• Thursday Afternoon - Brian Eno
• Thursday - Jim Croce
• Thursday's Child I Want You Back - World Beaters
• Thursday Night Blues - Johnny Otis
• Friday's Child - Van Morrison
• Black Friday - Steely Dan
• Friday's Child - Nancy Sinatra
• Friday On My Mind - David Bowie
• Saturday Night At The Movies - The Drifters
• Another Saturday Night - Sam Cooke
• Saturday Nights Alright For Fighting - Elton John
• Saturday Night - Bay City Rollers
• Saturday In The Park - Chicago
• Only On A Saturday Night - Mood for Moderns

Great.  Now I need to go stack some CDs in the disc changer and turn on the stereo - my earworm is craving a music jam.  Well, it is Friday, and it has been a very l-o-n-g week, if only in my head.

Hmmm...don't Nilsson, The Beatles, Cat Stevens and Bob Seger have songs where they mention a day of the week?  See ya later.

Does anyone else feel that moisture?

I can't remember the last time I finished off a container of salt.  It has been a while, though.

And I am referring to the tubular cardboard dispenser you buy (most often) from the grocer.  You Morton's fans will know what I am talking about.

Each one of those little roundish boxes holds more than a pound of crystallized salt.  Twenty-two ounces!  And I just polished one off.  Fortunately, I had a 'mate' on the storage shelf in the garage for the inevitability of just such an occasion.  Honestly, we most likely would not have used it up had it not been for some icey front steps several times last winter.

As I unwrapped the outer cellophone and proceeded to peel the label (which covered the spout), I was struck by the random stupidity of the wording on the label:

"For protection against humidity and moisture. Peel label to reveal pour spout."

Now, I was a might tickled by the colorful notion that that bitty little sticker was going to protect that flimsy cardboard boxful of salt from humidity and moisture.  I always thought humidity was moisture, but dagnab if science hasn't found a way to keep my salt completely protected from the ravages of humidity and moisture!

Lawsy, next thing you know, we are going to be landing men on the moon!

My happiness in the moment didn't last long, though, and I suddenly panicked.  My mind was racing with the sudden confounding epiphany of the salt-variety.

My resulting quandry was two-fold:

1.)  If I removed the sticker so as to use the pour spout, I would effectively be screwing with the protective device for my salt.  What would happen if I accidentally dropped my container of salt into a pot of stew or knocked it into my dishwater?

[gasp]

By leaving the label covering the spout, I would never have to worry that my salt would clump.  But then, how would I use my salt?

2.)  If that damn label was so wonderful, why was my salt already a clumpy brick?  That's right, I could've robbed a convenience store with that kitchen weapon.  Or, at the very least, I could have given someone a bit of a concussion if I hucked it at their head......accidentally, of course.

So, being the clever individual that I am, I peeled away the label from the top of the container - disregarding my clumpy salt's safety - only to find their label was soley effective in pulling off their cheesy pour spout!

It never rains....but it pours.

Yeah, well

About an hour ago I read my horoscope for the month.  I don't tend to put a lot of stock in them, but if they are favorable, I do pray a little for them to come true. Well, maybe not "pray" so much as hope real hard. It's sort of like...not ever betting on horses, but secretly rooting for one particular horse to win while you watch the Kentucky Derby.

Does that make sense?

The girls are scattered just outside the library door, having eaten and watched as I gathered the garbage and bundled it off to the curb. Hobbes is in her queenly spot on an old shoebox (which she treasures).  Cleo is laying on the carpet just beyond, trying to keep up with the shifting rays of sunshine on the floor. Cleo always finds the shafts and spots of sun and plants herself in them.  In the winter, it's enough to warm me just looking at her doing that, but in the summer heat - pheh!

Normally I leave the curtains in the kitchen window open, but with today's temp soaring (higher than it needs to), I have closed them to deter the sun from prematurely raising the household numbers. 

And Flop...well that adorable cottonball scampers to the nearest chair and balances on an arm. She likes to roost and watch.  To each her own.

In a little while, they will converge and begin begging for the next bit of the routine - snacks.  Following that, they will divide and wander off to their favorite napping places and spend the day dozing.

Me? I may start looking for another horoscope site.

Have a good day.  Here's hoping at least your dreams come true.