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"Little" black dress

This is it. It is done. And gentle reader; I managed to keep my head gear on for the entire event. That has never happened. I suppose I shouldn't use the term 'little' as there is roughly 5.5 yards of linen in the beast. The elbow looks very wonky in this picture but it really isn't that bad. I think I was standing funny. It was quite comfortable and I did catch a few admiring glances. Melisant pegged the hem length perfectly. I could even climb up and down the bleachers with little or no problem. It was long enough to puddle very prettily when I knealt, but I could stride confidently (surging bat like forward? why yes I think I shall!) when necessary. Plus, nobody stepped on the back that was awesome. Simone actually congratulated me on achieving the look-- which made my whole freaking day. I can only aspire to her greatness. I discovered despite my most sincere attempts to keep the fabric grain all straight, this gown pulls off the right shoulder a little. I suppose period undergarments are a must with this particular cote.


THIS BLOG IS FINISHED. THE END.

oooh I think i wet them!

OH! Awesome! doood!! SWEET!!-- look at the detail! I can't wait to get these in my army! The trio can be my newest recruits. No sooner do i decide it is unseemly for a grown woman to keep an army of action figures and swear I won't buy any more then these lil beauties fall into my lap. Hermione is PERFECT. groan---I NEEED THEM! Mom pleeeeese.

YpsiKnits= NO Karaoke!

OH thank the goddess! *relief* I haven't gone to bitchandcoffee in weeks, but Brookie said they were going to Karaoke afterwards--and I HAD to go and I was all like ..ummm no. But she talked me into it. I do love the social interaction. But I am a horrible knitter and generally advance my skills in other areas. (Like smutty inuendos!) But I dragged my fat ass of the couch and went out last night and had a lovely time. NOBODY made me sing... what a relief! I mean seriously I can hardly carry a tune in a bucket. It was nice to sip my chai latte and get an inch or so up on the old Ravenclaw scarf. OH! The PENIS! We meet at a coffeeshop named Bombadil's (duh I think ya'll kinda knew that). Peter the owner (not my Pete) is all about local artists and so there is a constantly changing art display. There is an oil portrait in this revolving decor (For Sale: Pets or Meat) of a rather well endowed dude. He's got NO booty; but he is hung like the proverbial horse. It was 'hung' right by our squashy couch and we couldn't help but admire it. Too bad it is bigger than the TV cabinet. I need a bigger house.

Izzy's Indy T-shirts

Daughter is quite pleased with her recent wardrobe additions.
we actually had the Squirrel Squad one for a while, but just got the OTTERS tee at the Meet last night. Ms. Thang got 4th in her first real event ever. That was actually a little traumatic at the beginning. Izzy's relay partner was really late thus Iz was kinda flippin out. Real tears. It was heart wrenching. She has this massive Hufflepuff thing goin on.
Zoli needs to learn how to do flip turns or whatever they are called because he was in a rather exciting race for third place (the kid in first was SOOO far ahead of everybody else it was pretty amazing, then the boy in 2nd-- then the herd--and Z was really doing well until they all flip turned to go back and he stopped touched the wall and then pushed off. ): So they got like six inches on him. Not bad for our first official Otter's event.

Both kids had fun. I worked a shift in the concession stand and we boogied home for our LOST marathon which was quite satisfying all in all.

so cold

I am so looking forward to the LOST festivities tonight. I will enjoy looking at pretty people on the beach. I am not having fun in the cold. It is, at least, sunny today. So, I put my shades on to walk Bree. Don't want wrinkles now do we? I am like a mummy. Bundled into my scarf, sunglasses, hat--basically no exposed flesh. My breath actually fogged up the shades and then froze! It was far worse than spraying the windshield with solvent and watching it freeze as you drive down the road. My ears and toes are still numb. I would make a horrible Yuki-onna.

There is this ancient Japanese myth about a Snow goddess. In some of the stories she is just a ghost who has frozen to death in the snow and cold. In other versions she is an evil entity, like C.S. Lewis' Snow Queen. Remember the bitch from Narnia?(Gods! Tilda Swinton is HOT!) Similarly, this Yuki-onna is also always beautiful and serene, but she too, is often quite deadly to stupid humans. In fact she is often a vampire and seldom has candy involved. (Damn I could get down with Ms. Swinton and some gooey sweets!) Small glitch with Lewis here, but, the easy compare/contrast parallel continues when you consider how Edmund initially hooked up with the IcyOne. You see darling reader-- Yuki-onna will also reveal herself to humans who find themselves trapped/lost in snowstorms. She's also got her icy breath that she uses to freezedry wayward travelers. Hmmm, another comparison point. Other legends say that Yuki-onna purposefully leads her victims astray so they wander around aimlessly until they die of exposure. She will often manifest herself physically as snow or wind. She then invades people's homes, blowing in the wall with an icy blast of swirling snow, to kill the whole family while they sleep. Doesn't everybody check the door before they go to bed?

Does the European story of Jack Frost ever actually kill anybody?

hmmm...I wonder if Lewis studied Japanese mythologies--ya 'spose?(insert sarcasm) I am not implying any plagiarism on Lewis' part, but I did just see a new book discussing the influences many great authors have had. The Little Book of Plagiarism by Richard A. Posner. It was in the NYT Sunday BookReview. *LOVE IT*

So. I suppose I am thinking a lot about snatching others words. oh--let's say Shakespeare and his sources (in particular in ref to my HV!) If one has internalized a text so thoroughly that you have adopted it as your own--it is plagairism or regurgiation? If you chew properly is it bad? What about the 'net? (Did anyone hear about Dame Alys and the punkin pie? I'll bet ya'll don't hang out on the cooks list so much but Dame Alys is apparently a LOT older than we all thought! *giggle*) Proper references young ones! MLA all the way!

Young Snape

fanart by ambient black (found on TLC.com)

this is the character in my head---

Mysterious Marooned Marathon

Here's the plan. TOMORROW!!!!!!Hopefully by six pm Petey will be home. Pete changes his clothes. 6:45 pineapple pizza arrives. 7pm we start reviewing last few epis of Season 2/3. 9pm everyone ensconced with pillows, popcorn, blankies and beverages. If you aren't interested in watching don't show up. If you are-- call me today so I can order enough pizza. Kids in theory have school in the morning so all guests should depart by 11:30. IF we *know* they don't all bets are off. This is the only invitation that will be issued. Serious Losties only need apply. Loud children will be fed to the turtle. Sea Anemone sushi, Ranch dressing and papayas welcome.

PS
If the kids don't have school on Weds (please god... it is just COLD) we will start without Pete..say about 2ish.

Sunday dinner

Matt was home Sunday. We made home-made pasta for the lasagane. Matt coached and kept the pints filled with Guinness. Matty was on the coaches' stool because it was his machine and I had never used it. I always go old school and just make a pile in the middle of the counter, and roll it out by hand. But we decided to play with the power tools, so the kitchen aid did the mixing and we got very nice, very uniform results with Matt's shiny toy. Petey held down the machine and I cranked. It was a good system.

Six eggs, four cups of flour. We had a layer of spinach. A layer of ground beef sautéed with onions and garlic, of course-- salt & cracked black pepper. A layer of Ricotta and topped with mozzarella. Used about 3/4 of a quart of tomato sauce with oregano, garlic, basil and thyme. It was awesome. In fact I had a really hard time just having a "reasonably sized" portion. (About 3"x3") Pete and Matt nearly wiped out the pan within two helpings. Isabel, of course, found it too spicy. Zoli and Evan barely looked up from their games long enough to smell it!

baby it's cold outside

Please allow Jarvis and Pete to demonstrate how fucking cold it is outside.

That clock thing DH is holding is pretty awesome. An elfbrand gift from his dear old Da, it claims to be "atomic"--giggle-- but it does have a remote sensor thingy that is out in the yard so we can check the actual temp w/out going outside! oooh how very hi tech. Of course we could peek at the weather channel, or WEMU is always on in the kitchen (they do the weather at the top of the hour) and in about seven seconds I can check on the 'puter. But it is a silly toy and Pete likes it. It does have the phases of the moon on it...

Still Joyce's B-day

If you won't read Ulysess (shame on you if you haven't yet) at least rent the Coen brothers film. O Brother Where art Thou? It's lovely. "Gopher, Evert?"

Writing in English is the most ingenious torture ever devised for sins committed in previous lives.
—James Joyce

My fave story about James Joyce; (I only have two and neither of them actually includes him.) is the one with Pete and Eric and the Guinness Fleagh. (say FLA for those of you who are Gaelic impaired) The three of us (this is back when we didn't so much as fart without one another) were attending this splendid festival of all things Irish. We had WAAAY too much Guinness and it was very hot. It was so hot (easily +90F) that the event was giving away free water. Huge galvenized steel troughs filled with bottled water and mostly melted ice. Some random guy picked me up and "threw" me in one of these bathtub sized buckets. WHY? because I asked him to!! There was NO shade anywhere, so hot-- the only thing hotter was all the live music/bands. (NOTE: This anecdote sometimes masquerades as the Van Morrison Orgasm story but that is a diff thing entirely.) This event was a rocking good time. Swing dancing drunk with pretty strangers. Ask me about the hooker on the fence sometime.

ANY WAY--James Joyce..right--
This day was very sunny, white hot bright. I think I lost my sunglasses. My alcoholic memory fades but it was hot-- and steamy-- and very drunk and the guys have toddled off (as they were wont to do) and I spy a tent. A big white canvas thing.

It was creating an oasis of deep lush shade. Dark and inviting. The grass was not trampled down by thousands of feet. The grass was heavy and soft, like a meadow. and what was it that I heard? Not the crazed and amplified jig of another folk band, not the dulcet tones of Elvis Costello, no this was calmer...a deep baritone of spine caressing manliness. This person was not singing--he was reading...FROM ULYSSES!!. I sank down on the green grass. In my blurred vision I could see a long lean black Irish dude, gorgeous, he stood on a little stage--he held THE BOOK. and he read. The sing song patter of Joyce's nonlinear ramblings connected viscerally with my disjointed and heat addled brain. So cooool-- I drifted off on this sea of happiness. The beautiful accent wrapping around my dreamy little head. I glanced around the darkened audience--singles and couples, less than 50 people total. I was in heaven. Poor silly boys if only they knew--ah...magically Eric placed my feet across his lap, Petey resting my head against his thigh. Pete handed me a full cold pint, we listened as Leopold stumbled along to his funeral--his journey a mirror of duplicitous fiction so beautiful and raw.

HP & the Deathly Hallows

It seems that early this morning-- Seattle time-- the whole wide world finally learned the official publication date for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; JKR announced it on her page. (see the link to the right). It is 12:01 AM on Saturday, July 21, 2007. sweet. I have pre ordered my adult UK cover, but I think I'll just pick up the American edition after breakfast that morning. Unless, the kids want to go to one of the bookstore gigs. And a mere eight days after the movie release! (Gonna need a new counter downer-er) Man--Phoenix Rising is gonna be nuts. and TLC is totally bogged down.

Meatwad gets the hunnys yeah

This morning in the FREEP Petey pointed out the story about the faux bombs. in Boston. Now granted I was still pre-coffee so when he asked had I heard about the bombs in Boston I was a little startled. But it seems that the mysterious blinking boxes were only a promotional prank for a cartoon. It appears they have been on display in numerous other cities and that Boston overreacted a bit. Part of me can hear the indignation of the Bostonians, but really it is a funny cartoon and a great prank. Honestly, what can you expect from a show that presents a whole cow, injected with jalepeno cheese, dipped in beer batter and deep fried? This is not a place to go for intellectual stimulation.

I am suddenly reminded ("self" I said to myself) of Bill Gates' and Jon Stewart's recent conversation about the future interactive capabilities of TV/computers. What are some examples of this new technology Gates offered?: educational shows will have quizzes at the end, or that the viewer can participate in game shows. Neato--especially from the Mommy POV, yet Stewart raised the point that perhaps sometimes we (Fat Lazy Americans that we are) just want to sit and be entertained. (amen brother) My girl QueensexxyGretch just pointed out (and this supports Stewart's idea) that after staring at a computer screen all day at work-- the last thing she wants to do is come home and make a myspace page. Enough with the blinky screen. I can understand that. Ya'll know I adore a well bound volume. But... I do like the idea of hanging out with Shake and watching dog shows.--Fo drizzle!

odd little discs

The mail came yesterday. ( I know darling reader, it does that) But I was just so happy to see those distinctive red envelopes. The last two discs of the Samurai Champloo series. My beloved anime; by director-san Watanabe of Cowboy Bebop fame.I had discovered the series last year when in fits of insomnia-- I would cruise the late night programming on Cartoon Network. I randomly chose Champloo over "Ghost in the Shell" and was immediately hooked. At first I was a little lost because the episodes were not presented in the order they were intended but I soon figured out where I was and gave up on Adult Swim and headed straight to netflix. I had been parsing the discs out carefully to prolong the buzz. I finally broke down, rearranged the queue and got the last two back to back. Christ am I glad I did. I was disappointed to find out A.) each disc only had like two or three epis--not like the earlier discs which held six to eight episodes. and B.) The shows themselves were getting shorter by the second. I feel unfinished. There wasn't enough. I am so engaged with these characters that I am actually kinda pissed off. Lame Ending. Parting at the crossroads..how freaking cliche! So much potential, so much beautiful art, original art. Fantastic dialogue. So tempting and lush, how could he just stop?? I think of other artists who yanked the rug out from under their audience, in a different genre (actual comics) we currently are victims of Bill Amend/Foxtrot, but also Bill Watterson, who drew Calvin & Hobbes the greatest cartoon of ALL time--yes even better than Charlie Brown (sorry Timmy) and and to a lesser extent because he was actually kinda run out of the studio on a rail--John Kricfalsui. These guys all commit the cardinal sin of engaging the reader and then just crapping out. To quote Otto from a Fish Called Wanda
"DIS a POIN ted!"




What Samurai Champloo Character Are You?


Hosted by theOtaku.com: Anime. Done right.

Oh Danny boy--

Well our little hero has grown up. The lower shot is from the current run of Equus, in which he stars--yes THAT play--wow. The little photo I have enclosed here--->

















is from a very funny (if you are into a lovely salad of David Bowie, Orlando Bloom and Harry Potter tossed with Roseanne and sprinkled with a big dose of sarcasm) British sitcom called EXTRAS. It is running on HBO.
I was at first a little embarrassed to admit that I signed up for HBO just so I could see their three minute OoP trailer. (See the counter in the next column over--the big numbers with Snape? yeah that lil filmy) But now I have found ROME which I adore and EXTRAS right after. Sunday night is quite a bit more festive!

On the britcom Mr. Radcliffe was busy trying to get his 17 year old ass laid, and doing a pretty crappy job of it, but he did get to wave a condom around Dame Diana Riggs' ( start humming the Avengers theme song) stately 'do.

Poor Barbaro

pretty horsie.

Just for me

thorn (þ) and eth (ð)

I love saying bilabial fricatives.

The end. (part one)

It is finished.

Saturday at Mistress Melisant's garb work day I finished the bomb. Honor asked me why I called this project "the bomb" and I explained that it had blown up both figuratively and very nearly literally at least three times. It seems like nearly two years ago--I flew out to the cities (That is how we Northshielders refer to MSP) and got a crash course in how to look at patterns, and my sewing machine. I heard the words that my soon to be laureled Mairgreid SAID. I even took notes.

But that did not stop me from completely ignoring her sage advice and piecing together a black linen gown in (this is the sick part..) in the most 'efficient' way. I also thought I would be clever by just not adding the bottom add on part of the skirt pattern because I am short, seamed (get it SEAMed) fruitless to purposefully add on something I was going to have to hem off in a week. hmm..not so much.

When the first incarnation of this supposed cotehardie was finished It swirled very nicely. I slipped it over my head to find that one sleeve was centered nicely between my boobs and the other was under my left arm pit. I learned about fabric grain the HARD way. I then bought more of the same linen (thank you Trisha!) and started going to Melanie's work shops at EMU. Laid out new bits and cut them out and pinned them in and sewed them up. That all sounds very easy but the fact of the matter is no sooner would I get confident that I knew what I was supposed to do and move forward w/out Melisant hovering-- then I would screw up and have to pull it out and do it again. Serging the bits made no sense to me until I had to adjust the armpits. Then the tangle of pube-like threads from un-serged pieces was frustrating enough that they about made me cry.

Finally it is a wearable garment. It has some wonky moments and a few extra puckers here and there, but these are the best sleeves I have ever done. I am quite pleased with the beaded sash. The buttons are still staring at me. BUT! Technically the reason for this blog is caput.

Remember back when I started this blog? Well, on Valday. I will have somebody take pics and that will be the end.

Freakin Horse pills

God I hate taking drugs. I feel like a geezer. I should get one of those little plastic boxes with the SMTWTFS printed on the lids. I have a horrible gag reflex and despite years of ortho novum I still really hate taking pills. I can dry swallow the little peckers, but dude I am really wishing I could get the big ones--I dunno--chewable, yeah like friendly drugs. It is still like two months (oh crap-CRAP. i just looked at the calendar 2 months and two days--crap--how depressing) till I am officially 40.
As another obvious reminder of my aging-- I am supposed to take a handful of horsepills every morning but I am so bad at it.

Then when the weather doesn't co-operate and my knees get stuck. sigh.

Watched the crappy* movie "Stick It", back a bit-- but all it really did was point out quite glaringly that I am NOT a letter winning 89lb gymnast anymore. I am old and creaky and fat and I have to take these damn pills.
I don't like like it, nope not one little bit..
Somebody shoot me.



*that's my secret word for today CRAP --now everybody scream Pee Wee style)

Chateau Bain Chaud's first bottling

Good afternoon constant readers-- remember back in October (you can check the archive) when we tested the specific gravity of the meade? You may recall that Petey & Rollo were not happy; so the big jug sat some more months and then I washed the recycled wine bottles, soaked off their tacky labels... and they sat in the middle of the kitchen floor. And then three more weeks went by and FINALLY today, Petey brought home a bag of corks and his Portuguese Corking machine. (of which he is very fond--and what we had great fun making silly names for, such as the porch o cheese monkeys machine etc) We attempted the wine thief method of transference but as we ended up with 16 bottles; I am pleased we ended up siphoning from the carboy (sp?) to fill them all. We did manage to get sticky honey wine all over our hands, drench three dish towels and the rug before we finished. Competent wine bottlers that we are. I am thinking that job would have been MUCH more fun had there not been two 11 year olds playing Sid Meier's Pirates in the next room.

This batch is very sweet and gingery. A little cloudy but we are pleased. Lovely all in all.

FINALLY!!

U-M Library puts English language history online
ANN ARBOR, Mich.

Hot Damn!.—This book was 75 years in the making at the University of Michigan, has more than 15,000 pages and takes up nearly four feet of shelf space.

And now what has been called the greatest achievement in medieval scholarship in America and the most important single project in current English historical lexicography is off the bookshelf and freely available in an online version.

The task for editors compiling the Middle English Dictionary was to document the English language from just after the Norman Conquest up to the introduction of the printing press at the end of the 1400s. With that innovation the language became more or less standardized, but during the Middle Ages, the language evolved under the stress of events and social change, particularly as French culture was absorbed into the language. These were truly the formative years of the English language, presenting major challenges to lexicographers.

By converting the contents of the Middle English Dictionary into an enormous database, the dictionary has been made searchable in ways impossible in a printed document of its size. Medievalists, English language scholars and the curious can now access the dictionary free of charge.

The database includes information on the origins of technical writing, popular culture, notable literary works, medicine, law, science, ship-building, encyclopedias, translations of the Bible, maps, letters, wills, acts of State, recipes, philosophy, mathematics and numerous other subjects, providing a distant mirror of Medieval culture and society. In addition to the linked information, the dictionary also provides the full, searchable text of more than 100 important Medieval documents in their entirety. "We've always wanted to see an interlinked web of dictionaries that together cover the very multilingual world of medieval Britain along with antecedent and successor languages," said Paul Schaffner of U-M’s Digital Library Production Service. "The division between dictionaries has always been rather artificial in a multilingual society where words tend to slip back and forth between languages. There are many words, especially commercial and legal words that cannot be easily as signed to one language or another."

The need for free access to this resource was made apparent by inquiries from around the world. Now the English teacher in Uganda can finish a translation of a Middle English mystery play for his students, the English gentleman attempting to determine the origin of his surname on behalf of a society of those with the same name will find an easier path to success and independent scholars and emeritus faculty will have full access for their research. Students at various colleges and universities who use the Middle English Dictionary for class assignments will be able to complete their assignments from home computers.

"Support from the National Endowment for the Humanities was crucial in bringing this project to completion," said John Wilkin, who led the digitization project and is the architect of U-M's digital library effort. "Now, with support from the U-M Library, this invaluable historical and linguistic resource will open the path to our shared past to more people than ever before."

owie

Ice+stoopid knee=owie

Yesterday, whilst walking through the woods with Steve (cool dad /ex neighbor from Izzy's school--NOT Xhusband) and his dog Zoe-- I thought I broke my ankle. He caught me before I actually fell on my ass. It was a rather ungainly side step into a frozen hole kinda thing. The little boney bump that sticks out the side of your leg? yeah that thing. It hurts a lot, especially when a certain doctorboy squeezes it, then like the sick monkey he is-- he follows the tendon up my calf (still squeezing mind you) and says "does this hurt?" Okay, let's think-- I am writhing in pain and trying to squirm away--saying Ow! and Fuck! loud enough to scare the Peanut, do ya suppose it hurts? hmm MAYBE. So he says to "ice it" (that's all he ever says..He never says "Oh poor baby-- we need to put you on a pillow and feed you bon bons and cafe mochas" humph
Like I would put up with that BS anyway... So I am supposed to stay off it today. I guess I better if I want to play at Andre's Burn's Night Party. feh...stoopid twisty ankle

Obsessions

All HP references aside, because honestly I have no control over that...
A girl has to balance out her addictions slowly--what if I run out of samurai champloo before LOST is back??
Can you just see me sitting in a corner chewing on myself like a anxious Jack Russell terrier? I just finished my most decadent luxurious treat to myself, many friends would say this reward for writing three pages would be...chocolate, or perhaps vodka, maybe cashmere or a beautifully bound book? But no dear reader. I just devoured the penultimate disc in my most serious addiction-- and it was a bloody freaking cliff hanger!! AAARGH! My sexysarcasticsweet Jin is trapped on a bridge getting his ass kicked by some blind bimbo who tricked all three travelers! She may not even BE blind! I shouldn't have watched all four epis in the same afternoon.
And it is still basically two weeks till 2/7!
CRAP!
Sawyer!!!

Pf*@!ed by Pfizer

Jen Granholm said it was getting punched in the gut. Like we need to get sucker punched. Pfizer and the 2,140 jobs it is taking with it are leaving A2!?! Sweet Jesu-- Ann Arbor just built a new high school!! The real estate market is gonna take a hit. That "sprawling Plymouth Road campus" (Freep, front page) is gonna sit there across from Pete's office like a big empty rat trap. hey maybe Ypsi can introduce the Jerks from Exemplar to the Jerks at Pfizer and they could have a Let's pfuck over the State's economy club. They could meet at The EMU President's house and compare how much building material they have wasted! OR~ maybe ~ Google will decide it needs five acres of lab buildings and move in there?? yeah...Maybe a giant monkey will fly outta my ass; swoop around the lower pennisula waving a magic wand while throwing coins to the peasants.

I wanted to chat about Obama and Hillary but I am so without hope at the minute. (I have a funny bumper sticker story...but not right now-- eh) I would very much like to strangle W. and his complete lack of foresight. I also wouldn't mind bitch slapping the BIG 3 automakers who convinced everyone that putting all the eggs in one basket was an efficient move. I am looking at farm land in Eau Claire WI again. I am gonna raise sheep. Gonna pull a Grizzly Adams--abscond from all society, mebbe grow dreadlocks and write poetry.

I wish that I was standing next to a railroad track--right next to it--so the ground would shake as a three mile long freight train roared past me-- and scream at the top of my lungs like a maniac--I AM SO SICK OF SELFISH IDIOTS!!! STOP REACTING AND START THINKING!!!!!

oh duh dear

So after judging cordials at Winter Revel I was more than slightly off base when we walked into Starry Nights 20th gig. When I saw Eua (say AYE oh wa) I was happy and confused all at the same time. I had planned on glomming onto Ian and his Mom, HRM Sanjay, and just having a cozy moment---when lo and behold Eua (aka uber hottie) is leading me into the kitchen and telling me there is a surprise on the counter. I am basically trying to get my coat off and mourn her lost long locks. Upon seeing her I immediately think Tinn is in town--but oh no not my champion, not my long lost buddy--but she hands me .... THE BEANS!!! AHHHH they're back!! Oh no..Now what?? fear not beloved readers--the game is afoot! (again) Look out Tinn!

gross indecency

Well that was an exciting way to kill a Monday morning. Jury Duty (again!) The trial I almost got to sit on was armed robbery and gross indecency. On the evidence table there was an Xbox and several games. I don't even want to know! I never made it to the 12 Angry Men chairs, which was prly a good thing because I would have had to raise my hand at least five times, let us consider, I have friends who are cops, I know my way around firearms, I am familiar with situations where things did not turn out the way I planned AND...I have been in situations where I became sexually jealous, and alcohol has been involved. Juror 760 have a donut and GO HOME!

mmmm... man meat

Titus Pullo is a main character on the HBO series Rome which is available on DVD and is a lovely bit of fluff. Albeit gory historically accurate (ish) gladiator fluff but, lacking Book 7 to read and while waiting for LOST to come back-- melodrama reigns supreme.

SAVE MY BABY!!!

'Action is eloquence'
Friends of Shakespeare's church seek help to save history
The Times Herald Record, Middleton NY

The grave of William Shakespeare near the altar inside Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Stratford upon Avon, England Thursday Jan 11, 2007. The church in which William Shakespeare is buried is in need of some 2.5 million pounds (US$ 4.7 million) worth of repairs, notably to the 14th century tower and the 18th century spire.

(AP Photo / Alastair Grant)

Adopt a gargoyle. Sponsor a spire.
It could help save the 800-year-old Holy Trinity Church, where William Shakespeare was baptized and where he lies buried with his wife, Anne Hathaway, in stratford-upon-avon, England.
Church officials hope fans of the Bard around the world will help raise $6.3 million needed to repair a cracked spire, broken windows and eroding bricks — and address damage from years of dry rot and the death watch beetle.
"It's absolutely desperate," said Josephine Walker of the Friends of Shakespeare's Church, which is in charge of fundraising. "It's raining, and as we speak, rain is pouring in through the clerestory windows."
It's a common story in the parishes of England, where hundreds of medieval churches need frequent loving care. The Church of England estimates some $680 million worth of repairs is under way or urgently needed, and few of the crumbling churches have connections to anyone as famous as Shakespeare.
The Friends of Shakespeare's Church already has an American fundraising arm — but church officials are concerned by the drop in Britain's tourist numbers following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as well as the July 7, 2005, suicide assault on London's transit system and more recent terrorism alerts. The number of U.S. tourists fell 13 percent from 2000-05, when 4.2 million Americans visited Britain, according to government figures.
Catherine Penn, one of the trustees of the Friends, said urgent work had been done to repair the crumbling parapet, but donations from tourists have dropped for other repairs at the church, in Stratford-upon-Avon, 120 miles northwest of London.
She urged supporters to "sponsor a gargoyle" to help the fund.

Shakespeare was baptized at Holy Trinity April 26, 1564, and the church's burial register lists him as "Gulielimus, filius Johannes Shakspeare" (William, son of John Shakespeare).
After a career writing and staging his plays in London, Shakespeare retired to Stratford in 1611, and was buried in the chancel — an area near the altar — on April 25, 1616, two days after his death.
Some 100,000 people visit Holy Trinity every year to view his resting place, with its inscription, "Will Shakspeare, Gent." The memorial was erected a few years after his death, and the plump-looking likeness on the gravestone is considered a good one.
"People say he looks like a well-fed pork butcher," said church warden Bill Hicks.
Shakespeare's prominent burial spot was not in honor of his supreme literary skill, but because in 1605 he bought privileges in the church that, among other things, obliged him to keep the chancel in good repair. But within a few years of his death, the structure was in danger of becoming one of the "bare ruined choirs where late the sweet birds sang," mentioned in Shakespeare's Sonnet 73.
Church officials say repairs now are needed to the spire, the chancel, the north and south aisles, and the north and south transepts.
On the north transept, the orange stone buttresses are badly weathered and stained-glass windows are decaying. Stone on the south transept — which is missing a cross — is similarly weathered and shows signs of dampness.

"It's a wonderful place with a wonderful heritage," said the Rev. Martin Gorick, the church vicar. "For 800 years this has been a meeting place, and we want to keep it that way."
And just in case anyone might think of moving his remains, Shakespeare's gravestone offers a curse, written by the Bard himself.
"Good frend, for Iesus sake, forbeare
To digg the dyst encloased heare
Bleste be ye (the) man (who) spares thes stones
And curst be he (who) moves my bones."

www.shakespeareschurch.org

Neil's dad--or don't read this

Between the two of us Petey and I seem to have a funeral every other week since Xmas. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Can you SEE the sarcasm dripping?

One of Pete's oldest friend's, Neal also known as "wheels" to those of us who love him-- lost his Daddy. Pete opted for the evening memorial service and I stayed home with the chilldwen. I just could not do another funeral. It's a good thing I don't live in a war torn province in another country or I would just be a weeping pile of protoplasm. Death is too weird. Why all the freaking flowers?? Where do souls go? Do they dissipate? What makes a personality? (those of you dear readers with faith--just-- don't..okay? I need science.) The empty shell of a what used to be human and is now ...dust. I am not made to mourn this much. I was telling my buddy Ian that I was contemplating draping the house in Black crepe a la the classic Victorian style. Black Victorian reminds me..did you know amongst the famous people three deaths; Lily Munster bit it too?? her, James Brown and some other person Pete and Rick and Tim all knew. It is going to seem tangental but it really is related--been watching the HBO series Rome--it is really just a gory soap opera, but it is well written and has pretty people in it. There is also a lot of death. Quick meaty death.

One of the main characters reminds me of a kid I grew up with; Frankie. He was always very butch and very strait forward and had this very pure sense of justice. Very white or black, not a lot of gray zone. The Romans are portrayed this way, right /wrong, dead/alive, either you are for Ceaser or you are for Pompeii--No real analysis or contemplation. I have to admit getting one's head lopped off would be preferable to a slow cancerous death, dying from the inside.

Amy Sedaris had a moment in her recent book where she describes rabbits trapped above their own feces-- being devoured alive by fly larvae that hatch from the manure--horrible. There are other insects that do that some kind of wasp I think.

dabook

Today was a good day in lala land. I hit 300 pages. *applause*
Fixed a big bump in the chronology.
Wrote some nice sex.
Only two hundred more pages to go. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Discovered Office Max is cheaper than a ream of paper and two ink cartridges.Tho I am not going to get the RD printed till I actually hit 500 pages. WHINE ALERT: It is so hard to read on the screen tho--I'll be glad when I can take an old school pencil to it and actually edited the bits properly. I still have a lot of Froissart that is straight notes and my recent discovery/realization that four years of actual time existed and need to be condensed (like tomato soup or orange juice?) doesn't seem so bloody horrendous anymore. The wedding scene still doesn't exist because I swear if you start reading at the beginning of the MS you are still tweaking text four hours later--I haven't even started the wedding scene. I am lame.

wrong again!

I have decided to take a vow of silence. well, we know that won't work. Rather than torture myself I have instead decided to stop trying to guess if a book is worth buying or if I should check it outta the liberry--that Amy Sedaris book? yeah shoulda bought that one! had it home for one hour and devoured it. Hilarious.

I don't even know where to start

I have had quite possibly the most eclectic weekend I have ever had in my life. My great (and I do mean GREAT) uncle passed away. He was 90. At his viewing Friday night my cousin Jackie had a copy of the Saginaw News which ran a trite little article that no one bothered to fact check before they printed it. That three hours was very sad and the trip reminded me that--hell I don't know how to say it other than--it was fucked up. I was not able to maintain my composure; despite the amazing role modeling of my beautiful and now widowed great aunt.

I saw a lot of a family I haven't seen in years--found out things like a cousin who will always be 12 in my mind-- is actually serving in the army (stationed in Germany thank the goddess), that I have a very cool new aunt who has helped keep the bird feeder full-- and there are more people in Vassar than I thought. My gran gives good hugs. It so comforting to lean on the bosom of one's elders and be petted, be told that it will be okay. I was in a funk to say the least.

That night karma balanced out and Maihgreid learned of her imminent laureling. That was such good news. She deserves it and I am so proud of her. I can't wait to see her elevation. Thinking about going seeing my friends (read chosen family) after such a huge (guilty) dose of my real kin was cleansing.

Saturday dawned gray and miserable and cold, happily it was warm in the sheep barn and Cynnabar did much to lift my spirits, and I had a lovely afternoon finally comprehending round robin, and making gatorade. Sunday Peter FINALLY got the news (2 1/2 months later--that he is still a brilliant type A doctorman (he passed his board re-certs) He was so relieved.

It was also Rollo's birthday and the surprise was perfect. We smashed about 20 people into their tiny little kitchen and covered our faces like we were playing peek-a-boo...so when he came round the corner there we all were with our faces covered yelling surprise. Then we feasted on hot wings and party subs and chocolate cake--the gaming began and there was beer and Harry Potter chatter. Now today it is MLK. and ice. I may still be in a funk. coffee. I need lots of coffee. Then I am gonna take the camera for a walk. The trees are beautiful in their frozen fairyland glory.

Snow globe

Those crazy Swedes! First creamed herring and now this beautiful Snow Globe. I have always been fond of ice sculptures, extreme snowforts etc., but this is quite possibly a wet dream. Just imagine a snowball fight between these guys and the folks who put up the Russian ice castle/vodka bar. My kinda peeps!

this morning in the freep

I wonder if I should title this entry something more like--paranoid plants--or hypocritical hydroponics--

enh--what I am choosing to rant about this morning is a huge discrepancy I noticed between two stories in the Detroit Free Press. It seems unjust to me that while on the front page of the LOCAL section there is a huge story about the herbal bust of a suburban grower of--well--I don't want to look at google ads for bongs for the next week--so you just guess what this guy had under *his* grow lights. The tone of Witsil's article is barely objective--it paints a picture of a pretty normal dude trying to make a buck--not hurting anybody (well not directly) and getting socially smacked down for supplying the demand (of society).

THEN in sharp contrast located in the LIFE section of the same daily paper-- there is a prominently placed article about two more plant growers. However despite their agricultural similarities the two articles are vastly different in tone and voice. Marty Hair's piece about the suburban couple growing African violets is all happy crappy and pleasant. No quotes from the county sheriff in this piece, WHY do the grow lights in the first dude's basement rank a condescending and patronizing tone, while the grow lights in the basement of the second piece evoke granny's frilly petals and blue ribbons at 4-H?? "attracting new fans".
I'll bet the first busted guy has a pretty sad fan base right now.

If the Freep editors are going to run stories on home botany constructions I think the value judgments on the plants should be left to the reader and not insinuated by the reporter. "distinctive smell" --feh.

She didn't mean to turn me on...

I have seen Halima dance. I have spoken with her and been mesmerized by her gorgeous eyes--but dude last night she made me wet...and soapy! WE LIKE FELTING!! OH YES! We like felting ALOT!! This is so much better than pottery! Now here is a thing I can do. I get it. It makes sense to me. As you can see in the corner of the group shot, the six pointed star is part of my clan's heraldic device;
the ingen Aeda cup and stars.
The workshop last night was so much fun. I was sad to miss Squirrel Squad, but this is soo cool! It is squishy! I am MUCH better tat this than I am at pottery. I also like having a new excuse to buy more wool. There is something so very satisfying about touching wool. Seeing the colors and imagining all the potential. This pouch (when complete) will be to hide my cell phone. I love the SCA.

Tiny little adventure

I did something new today. I have a fridge magnet that reads "do something that scares you everyday". Well today's thing wasn't scary but it was a big jump outta my rut. I went to ...are you ready??? A NEW GROCERY STORE!!! ah! gasp! yes darlin reader--I went out to Saline to a place called "The Country Market". It was pretty boring. They seemed to have a lot of leftover "marked down" produce. That was odd. Their meat was okay. Not baad like Sheena's here in Ypsi--key-riist-- that place scares the bejesus outta me. Sometimes I swear that meat is green. OH! did I ever tell you about the first time I saw bleu cheese in Vassar? I was shopping with my Mom and we saw a saran wrapped hunk oh bleu cheese and she swore it moved. If she had a blog she could write about that. But she is too busy crawling around the internet graveyards searching for long lost relatives. Speaking of graveyards, There was thing in the Freep this morning about The Elmwood Historic Cemetery in Detroit, MI (it's alloneword.org) I love cemeteries. Lisa and I use to walk out to Highland here in Ypsilanti and have picnic lunch with the babyboys in their strollers.

Rock and Roll hoochie coo

YAY REM!! They were inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame. R.E.M is so lyrical and magic. I really enjoy their stuff.

Booo stoopid Hall of Fame board for denying the Stooges for the SIXTH FREAKIN TIME!

OH! and Happy Birthday Mr. Bowie, you pretty thang!

Suck o lux

HOLY TOLEDO!! We paid this amazing person with a plain white van (very mafia like if you ask me) to come suck out the heating vents in the house today. wow! wow! wow! what an amazing difference! Get your house sucked! If it's good for Roger Rabbit it'll be good for you. (and if you want to feel old...that film came out in '88!! argh!)

Busy lil weekend

This weekend was just a social whirlwind of busy-ness. On Friday I was a guest at the second Ypsi Naked Lady Party. Photos can be seen on the link to your right--very festive. Drank most of a bottle of champagne and brought home less than I took. Which aided both my desire for exciting clothes and less clutter. OH! You don't know what a Naked Lady Party is?? Oh dear one, it is a very good thing. Ya clean out your closet; bring all the goods to the appointed house (with snackies and booze) and everybody picks through the laundry drifts and then whatever doesn't get a new home is donated to a local women's shelter.

At the risk of sounding like a Eric Carle children's book "On Saturday the very happy Daye ate through three strawberries... but she was still hungry" Saturday 12th night. I forgot the camera--which made me sad but I saw lots of people which made me happy. I do like people. Especially Zaynab, I haven't seen quite enough of her. For an interesting twist on the ordinary, Melisant (whom I normally see in mundane clothes snuck up behind me in beautiful French garb and it took me a full second to place her--usually I see somebody in mundanes, try to convince them that they were in one of the classes I taught or we were on a committee together somewhere, but it turns out they are in the SCA. This time my sewing mentor turned the tables. I was the student and she was in garb! We mostly visited with the Viking crew and snickered through court. Rollo shared a very funny line. "The SCA doesn't attract wierd people so much as it retains them." We admired our pretty Prince and Princess and then boogied home because sadly--for me-- feast was sold out. I really wanted to taste the Spanish extravaganza, especially the peach dessert. sigh.

Finally this morning after staring blankly ay teh NYTImes crossword-- (I got about 18 clues) we were happy to cash in our our DIA memebrship and see the 12:30 show of Annie Liebovitz before they packed up all the photos. I was truly moved to tears when I encountered the Nora Jones portrait. I have been a huge fan since we saw her open at the Ark. for Taj Mahal. She is just ethereal.

pleased

"It’s an historic moment for the women of America. It is a moment for which we have waited for over 200 years."
NANCY PELOSI, on becoming speaker of the House.

This is such a good thing. I am so relieved. I have hope. This morning over her bowl o Crispies Isabel practiced saying PU LO SEE. It has a nice ring to it. ...amazing.

GWL

Eight hours from Fargo, ND and eight hours from Ypsilanti, Mi is a place called the Wisconsin Dells. There is a Great Wolf Lodge there. We like it. We like it a LOT! This is the second time we have met our dear friends there for an extended visit and we are planning a third. It is a giant slumber party of waterpark and silliness. It is so much fun. I have uploaded a bunch of new pix at the .mac account which links from here with the "My Photo's" tab. I feel a list coming on--feather boas, ice cream drinks, impromptu yoga class, giggling in the dark like little kids, prime rib, champagne, stale crackers, beavers chewing on sticks,vibrating guns, inner tubes of various colors, tattoos, Irish whiskey, visine pain, omlette boy, chocolate fountain, WEREWOLF AOOOOO! ipods, room hopping,baby advice,hot tub, chlorine cancer, wave pool? NO-- WADE pool--NO WAVE! pool
sigh...what a great time