Dakota: Yellow-dog, why must you be so petulant?
I thought we were going to get along this time?
Cisco: Grrr.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
An uneasy gathering
Texas trip -- a third telling
Dragon Mood? -- last Sunday I was feeling anxious
Aunt Doris knocked on our bedroom door at 7 a.m. She came in with a big smile, wished us a "Go-ood mornin'" and gave us each a big hug -- while we were still in bed. When we were alone, I stage whispered to Ruth, "I think she's glad we're here!"
We had a quick breakfast and got dressed for church. I tell you -- Ruth and Aunt Doris are both cut from the same cloth. Each of them looked like they had stepped out of some Christian goin'-to-meetin' sartorial magazine. I kid you not! Ruth had on a vibrant, snappy orange-and-beige three-piece linen pant suit with sexy, matching sandals; she even wore a matching ankle bracelet (that I made her)! Aunt Doris had on a beautifully fitted dark purple-y blue suit that had a very delicate jacquard pattern on it. The pattern gave the whole suit a rich depth. With her small stature and shimmering white hair, she too looked like a knock-out, even at eighty years plus! I, on the other hand, wore a black pair of capri pants, a sleeveless yellow top (that I like), covered by a poorly-fitting cheap linen jacket. I looked and felt schlumpy in comparison to my fellow female companions. I was not looking forward to church.
We drove in two cars because Aunt Doris and Uncle Hemie said they had to give some kids a ride home. We entered a back or side entrance of the church and found a bathroom. It reminded me of something right out of the fifties: old porcelain fixtures, chipped laminate and cramped. It smelled stale. We were all primping our hair when another woman entered the small space. I recognized her immediately: Margie. Aunt Doris and Margie began talking as if they were resuming a conversation from five minutes earlier. Aunt Doris asked her, "Do you know who these two are?" and Margie answered energetically, "Of course I do!" Doris responded, "...and you remember Margie Moerbe?" Yes, that's her name! Margie Moerbe.
Margie Moerbe is at least in her seventies. The first thing you notice about her is her blue eyes. They're light blue and the light that shines forth from her eyes is like being caught in a prison yardlight. Nothing escapes her. And yet, she is a friendly person, at least in that southern, smiling-on-the-surface kind of way. I told Ruth later that she feels like a very prim and proper Sunday School teacher who'd stand you in a corner in a heartbeat. Don't pull any crap with her!
I was still in that dazed, okay-what-do-I-remember-about-this-person mode when Margie said to me, "Do you know that I took care of you for a whole morning when you were a baby and you never cried that whole time?" Wha-a-aat? I paused. And then I did remember Mom telling me (way back when) about Margie babysitting me once upon a time. I don't know when or the exact circumstances of her babysitting me, but imagine my discombobulation at running into someone in Port Arthur, Texas, who babysat me for a morning over fifty years ago?
I'll note this now, because a month from now I probably won't be able to recount this. Margie is married to Norman Moerbe, who is now eighty-eight years old. Norman is a first cousin to Aunt Doris, as well as Ruth's and my dad. Doris and Ray's mother, who we called Granny, her maiden name was Moerbe. So, Norman is a first cousin to them on their mother's side. And Margie is a relative by marriage.
I digress. Let me get back to the church experience.
The service was delayed getting started. Aunt Doris, sitting next to me, leaned over and whispered that they were probably having a hard time getting all the children in line. It was a cryptic comment to me. A few minutes later, sure enough, here come kids, lines of kids, trooping down the two aisles to the front pews of the church. There were so many children that it required many adults to guide and steer them into the proper pews. I whispered to Aunt Doris, "It looks like trying to herd a bunch of cats," and she chuckled.
This is an old-time German Lutheran church in southeastern Texas. So imagine my surprise that the kids I was seeing were mostly not white. They were black, Hispanic (Mexican), but predominantly Asian -- Vietnamese or Hmong, I presume. They had beautiful black hair, many of them cut in little Buster Brown haircuts. Some of the little girls wore pretty, flouncy dresses. Many of the children had very plain clothing -- nothing Sunday-special about them. And there were so many of them! I guesstimate fifty to sixty children.
The service began, and my brain went into lets-get-through-this fog. That is, until the pastor led the children in singing a song. They sang to a pre-recorded accompaniment which ended abruptly three or four seconds before the children finished singing. It was evident something had gone awry. Without missing a beat, the pastor quietly said, "All right, children, let's sing it again." Which they did... a capella. And then they sang three or four more songs.
Following that, the pastor baptized two children, both about five years old, a boy and a girl. They were both Vietnamese. The little girl began to cry; her brother, who also was going to be baptized, was absent. The pastor crouched down and put his arm around her while he tried to explain her tears to the congregation. When the little boy was to be baptized, the pastor called two other people up to the front: the boy's mother, who spoke no English and a young teenager acting as an interpreter. The little boy whose name was Tai responded quite fearlessly to the pastor's questions about why he was getting baptized: "...because I love Jesus." The interpreter was obviously not used to his role, but kept turning his head from the pastor to the mother, hesitantly translating the ancient sacramental words, to which she nodded slightly.
Then the pastor announced that because it was Mission Sunday (somehow themes for worshipping have always felt odd to me), we were also going to have two members of the congregation give witness to their faith. I wiggled uncomfortably in my seat; the service was already pushing towards an hour's length and we hadn't even gotten to the reading of the Gospel or the sermon! How long was this going to be?
The first witness was a young Vietnamese girl, about fourteen years old. I don't recall her name. She was slight with long black hair. She stood at the lecturn and began speaking into the microphone. It was hard to understand her, but at some point, it became clear that she was overcome with emotion and began to cry. She was talking about her relatives, the war in Vietnam and her fears. Her sobs turned into outright crying. The moment turned into seconds and then more seconds. Finally, the pastor stood up, turned to the congregation, put his hand on his heart and walked over to the young girl. He put his arm around her and spoke to her quietly. She continued, giving her testimony, her voice still fraught with emotion. When she finished, I don't believe there was a dry eye in the place.
The other witness was also Vietnamese, a young man with a short, spiky haircut. He had a big, infectious smile. We learned that he is a college student at the University of Texas but grew up in this congregation. He spoke about the people there and about Pastor Dinger's influence on him. He noted how very boring confirmation classes had been ... which elicited laughter from the congregation. He spoke about his faith and his love for the people there at Trinity. It was a forthright testimony to how he had been impacted.
... more to come ...
Aunt Doris knocked on our bedroom door at 7 a.m. She came in with a big smile, wished us a "Go-ood mornin'" and gave us each a big hug -- while we were still in bed. When we were alone, I stage whispered to Ruth, "I think she's glad we're here!"
We had a quick breakfast and got dressed for church. I tell you -- Ruth and Aunt Doris are both cut from the same cloth. Each of them looked like they had stepped out of some Christian goin'-to-meetin' sartorial magazine. I kid you not! Ruth had on a vibrant, snappy orange-and-beige three-piece linen pant suit with sexy, matching sandals; she even wore a matching ankle bracelet (that I made her)! Aunt Doris had on a beautifully fitted dark purple-y blue suit that had a very delicate jacquard pattern on it. The pattern gave the whole suit a rich depth. With her small stature and shimmering white hair, she too looked like a knock-out, even at eighty years plus! I, on the other hand, wore a black pair of capri pants, a sleeveless yellow top (that I like), covered by a poorly-fitting cheap linen jacket. I looked and felt schlumpy in comparison to my fellow female companions. I was not looking forward to church.
We drove in two cars because Aunt Doris and Uncle Hemie said they had to give some kids a ride home. We entered a back or side entrance of the church and found a bathroom. It reminded me of something right out of the fifties: old porcelain fixtures, chipped laminate and cramped. It smelled stale. We were all primping our hair when another woman entered the small space. I recognized her immediately: Margie. Aunt Doris and Margie began talking as if they were resuming a conversation from five minutes earlier. Aunt Doris asked her, "Do you know who these two are?" and Margie answered energetically, "Of course I do!" Doris responded, "...and you remember Margie Moerbe?" Yes, that's her name! Margie Moerbe.
Margie Moerbe is at least in her seventies. The first thing you notice about her is her blue eyes. They're light blue and the light that shines forth from her eyes is like being caught in a prison yardlight. Nothing escapes her. And yet, she is a friendly person, at least in that southern, smiling-on-the-surface kind of way. I told Ruth later that she feels like a very prim and proper Sunday School teacher who'd stand you in a corner in a heartbeat. Don't pull any crap with her!
I was still in that dazed, okay-what-do-I-remember-about-this-person mode when Margie said to me, "Do you know that I took care of you for a whole morning when you were a baby and you never cried that whole time?" Wha-a-aat? I paused. And then I did remember Mom telling me (way back when) about Margie babysitting me once upon a time. I don't know when or the exact circumstances of her babysitting me, but imagine my discombobulation at running into someone in Port Arthur, Texas, who babysat me for a morning over fifty years ago?
I'll note this now, because a month from now I probably won't be able to recount this. Margie is married to Norman Moerbe, who is now eighty-eight years old. Norman is a first cousin to Aunt Doris, as well as Ruth's and my dad. Doris and Ray's mother, who we called Granny, her maiden name was Moerbe. So, Norman is a first cousin to them on their mother's side. And Margie is a relative by marriage.
I digress. Let me get back to the church experience.
The service was delayed getting started. Aunt Doris, sitting next to me, leaned over and whispered that they were probably having a hard time getting all the children in line. It was a cryptic comment to me. A few minutes later, sure enough, here come kids, lines of kids, trooping down the two aisles to the front pews of the church. There were so many children that it required many adults to guide and steer them into the proper pews. I whispered to Aunt Doris, "It looks like trying to herd a bunch of cats," and she chuckled.
This is an old-time German Lutheran church in southeastern Texas. So imagine my surprise that the kids I was seeing were mostly not white. They were black, Hispanic (Mexican), but predominantly Asian -- Vietnamese or Hmong, I presume. They had beautiful black hair, many of them cut in little Buster Brown haircuts. Some of the little girls wore pretty, flouncy dresses. Many of the children had very plain clothing -- nothing Sunday-special about them. And there were so many of them! I guesstimate fifty to sixty children.
The service began, and my brain went into lets-get-through-this fog. That is, until the pastor led the children in singing a song. They sang to a pre-recorded accompaniment which ended abruptly three or four seconds before the children finished singing. It was evident something had gone awry. Without missing a beat, the pastor quietly said, "All right, children, let's sing it again." Which they did... a capella. And then they sang three or four more songs.
Following that, the pastor baptized two children, both about five years old, a boy and a girl. They were both Vietnamese. The little girl began to cry; her brother, who also was going to be baptized, was absent. The pastor crouched down and put his arm around her while he tried to explain her tears to the congregation. When the little boy was to be baptized, the pastor called two other people up to the front: the boy's mother, who spoke no English and a young teenager acting as an interpreter. The little boy whose name was Tai responded quite fearlessly to the pastor's questions about why he was getting baptized: "...because I love Jesus." The interpreter was obviously not used to his role, but kept turning his head from the pastor to the mother, hesitantly translating the ancient sacramental words, to which she nodded slightly.
Then the pastor announced that because it was Mission Sunday (somehow themes for worshipping have always felt odd to me), we were also going to have two members of the congregation give witness to their faith. I wiggled uncomfortably in my seat; the service was already pushing towards an hour's length and we hadn't even gotten to the reading of the Gospel or the sermon! How long was this going to be?
The first witness was a young Vietnamese girl, about fourteen years old. I don't recall her name. She was slight with long black hair. She stood at the lecturn and began speaking into the microphone. It was hard to understand her, but at some point, it became clear that she was overcome with emotion and began to cry. She was talking about her relatives, the war in Vietnam and her fears. Her sobs turned into outright crying. The moment turned into seconds and then more seconds. Finally, the pastor stood up, turned to the congregation, put his hand on his heart and walked over to the young girl. He put his arm around her and spoke to her quietly. She continued, giving her testimony, her voice still fraught with emotion. When she finished, I don't believe there was a dry eye in the place.
The other witness was also Vietnamese, a young man with a short, spiky haircut. He had a big, infectious smile. We learned that he is a college student at the University of Texas but grew up in this congregation. He spoke about the people there and about Pastor Dinger's influence on him. He noted how very boring confirmation classes had been ... which elicited laughter from the congregation. He spoke about his faith and his love for the people there at Trinity. It was a forthright testimony to how he had been impacted.
... more to come ...
Marvalene's fur coat
Dragon Mood? -- snorting indignantly that scales are always better than fur!
Once upon a time . . . my Aunt Doris took care of a lady named Marvalene G. Maybe her name was spelled Marv-e-lene; I really don't know.
Anyway, before she died, Marvalene gave Aunt Doris a beautiful tea length (I think that's what people call it) mink coat with a luscious stand-up collar. I don't know that Aunt Doris ever wore it.
Last weekend, Aunt Doris gave me Marvalene's fur coat. She told me she wanted me to have it. She said with my living in the north with all its winter cold, I would get lots more use out of the fur coat than she would. I tried it on and it fit pretty well. Aunt Doris said Marvalene was a taller, bigger person, like me. (Aunt Doris is short, getting shorter and very small-framed.) She kept saying that she wanted me to have it.
I was stunned almost to the point of being rude. I just didn't know what to say. Finally, I sputtered out a "Thank you."
That was definitely an unexpected part of the trip! I am now the still-surprised owner of a tea-length fur coat. Who woulda thunk it??
Once upon a time . . . my Aunt Doris took care of a lady named Marvalene G. Maybe her name was spelled Marv-e-lene; I really don't know.
Anyway, before she died, Marvalene gave Aunt Doris a beautiful tea length (I think that's what people call it) mink coat with a luscious stand-up collar. I don't know that Aunt Doris ever wore it.
Last weekend, Aunt Doris gave me Marvalene's fur coat. She told me she wanted me to have it. She said with my living in the north with all its winter cold, I would get lots more use out of the fur coat than she would. I tried it on and it fit pretty well. Aunt Doris said Marvalene was a taller, bigger person, like me. (Aunt Doris is short, getting shorter and very small-framed.) She kept saying that she wanted me to have it.
I was stunned almost to the point of being rude. I just didn't know what to say. Finally, I sputtered out a "Thank you."
That was definitely an unexpected part of the trip! I am now the still-surprised owner of a tea-length fur coat. Who woulda thunk it??
Friday, April 29, 2005
Texas Trip -- a first telling
Dragon Mood? -- introspective
I want to post about my trip to Texas before too much more time goes by.
It was a far better trip than I had ever imagined. I actually had some misgivings about the trip because 1) I'm not out to my aunt and uncle, 2) I don't share their profound embracing of Christian "values" (whatever the hell that means these days), in general, and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, in particular, and 3) I didn't know how much they may have aged or their house smell like "old people" since the last time I visited. I was a little nervous.
I got to the airport with time to spare. Ruth had to literally run from her Virginia flight in order to catch our flight to Houston. Whew! That was a little too close for comfort!
We drove into Port Arthur, following Mapquest, and eventually got lost. Actually, we just didn't go far enough on Jefferson/Stadium Road. We were driving through a neighborhood that looked rundown and filled with hand-painted signs that said "Mercado" or "Farmacia." We thought we were lost. Actually, it was an indication of how things have changed in Port Arthur, including my aunt and uncle's neighborhood . . . and also a forerunner of some events of the weekend.
Aunt Doris had to literally "talk us in" to their driveway. She welcomed us with outstretched arms, lots of hugs and an invitation to "come on in, are ya'll thirsty?"
We sat out on their porch, a large, rambling kind of a room with mismatched furniture, a very informal "outdoor" kitchen (Uncle Hemie's kitchen) and we talked. And we talked. We talked about recent events in the family, and not-so-recent events, stretching back for a number of years. We settled in for another drink and more talking.
They fixed Ruth and I a yummy dinner of grilled ribeye steaks, (handshelled) creamed peas (not at all like the canned ones), sweet corn from the farm, scrumptious pickles (also from the farm), a tossed salad with fresh avocado and fried apples. That didn't include dessert which, as I recall, we put off until Sunday afternoon! I was stuffed!
Ruth and I settled into their guest bedroom, replete with a four-poster bed (cannonball style), the circa-50s white cotton bedspread and four thoroughly broken-in pillows. We laid in bed, just like we were ten and twelve again, and talked for at least an hour after Doris and Hemie had gone to bed. That felt great!
I want to post about my trip to Texas before too much more time goes by.
It was a far better trip than I had ever imagined. I actually had some misgivings about the trip because 1) I'm not out to my aunt and uncle, 2) I don't share their profound embracing of Christian "values" (whatever the hell that means these days), in general, and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, in particular, and 3) I didn't know how much they may have aged or their house smell like "old people" since the last time I visited. I was a little nervous.
I got to the airport with time to spare. Ruth had to literally run from her Virginia flight in order to catch our flight to Houston. Whew! That was a little too close for comfort!
We drove into Port Arthur, following Mapquest, and eventually got lost. Actually, we just didn't go far enough on Jefferson/Stadium Road. We were driving through a neighborhood that looked rundown and filled with hand-painted signs that said "Mercado" or "Farmacia." We thought we were lost. Actually, it was an indication of how things have changed in Port Arthur, including my aunt and uncle's neighborhood . . . and also a forerunner of some events of the weekend.
Aunt Doris had to literally "talk us in" to their driveway. She welcomed us with outstretched arms, lots of hugs and an invitation to "come on in, are ya'll thirsty?"
We sat out on their porch, a large, rambling kind of a room with mismatched furniture, a very informal "outdoor" kitchen (Uncle Hemie's kitchen) and we talked. And we talked. We talked about recent events in the family, and not-so-recent events, stretching back for a number of years. We settled in for another drink and more talking.
They fixed Ruth and I a yummy dinner of grilled ribeye steaks, (handshelled) creamed peas (not at all like the canned ones), sweet corn from the farm, scrumptious pickles (also from the farm), a tossed salad with fresh avocado and fried apples. That didn't include dessert which, as I recall, we put off until Sunday afternoon! I was stuffed!
Ruth and I settled into their guest bedroom, replete with a four-poster bed (cannonball style), the circa-50s white cotton bedspread and four thoroughly broken-in pillows. We laid in bed, just like we were ten and twelve again, and talked for at least an hour after Doris and Hemie had gone to bed. That felt great!
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Zoto is back up
Dragon Mood? -- anxious to leave
... and I have posted a new photo for my seasonal photo.
It's about 90 degrees here at work and I am ready to leave. Too hot!
... and I have posted a new photo for my seasonal photo.
It's about 90 degrees here at work and I am ready to leave. Too hot!
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
ARRrrrgHHGH! What am I thinking?
Dragon Mood? -- sending sweet Mamacita kisses to her baby boy
H A P P Y
G O L D E N
B I R T H D A Y,
J O S H !!
H A P P Y
G O L D E N
B I R T H D A Y,
J O S H !!
Tomorrow
Dragon Mood? -- hungry
Tomorrow I hope to post at least a little bit about my trip to Texas!
Just no more time today!
Tomorrow I hope to post at least a little bit about my trip to Texas!
Just no more time today!
... I've got to send this to Lina
Dragon Mood? -- happy; this dragon loves tail-swishin' rhymes
Here's a cute rhyme from Virginia Kahl (1955) called "The Duchess Bakes a Cake:"
A long time ago there lived over the waters
A Duchess, a Duke and their family of daughters --
Madeleine, Gwendolyn, Jane and Clothilde,
Caroline, Genevieve, Maude and Mathilde,
Willibald, Guinevere, Joan and Brunhilde,
And the youngest of all was the baby, Gunhilde.
Doesn't it make you smile?
I wonder if there's more? Where's the part about the Duchess baking a cake? From this site. Which I surfed to from this very cool baby-wizard-name-voyager site.
Here's a cute rhyme from Virginia Kahl (1955) called "The Duchess Bakes a Cake:"
A long time ago there lived over the waters
A Duchess, a Duke and their family of daughters --
Madeleine, Gwendolyn, Jane and Clothilde,
Caroline, Genevieve, Maude and Mathilde,
Willibald, Guinevere, Joan and Brunhilde,
And the youngest of all was the baby, Gunhilde.
Doesn't it make you smile?
I wonder if there's more? Where's the part about the Duchess baking a cake? From this site. Which I surfed to from this very cool baby-wizard-name-voyager site.
Friday, April 22, 2005
Fast and dirty post
Dragon Mood? -- itchin' to go
It's Friday afternoon, wa-a-aaaay later than I usually am here at work and I'm itchin' to get outta here. I have things to do, people to see and more things to do!
Tomorrow morning I fly to Texas with my beloved sister, Ruth. We are going to visit our dear Aunt Doris and Uncle Hemie. They landed in a rather forgotten corner of Texas, living out their lives rather quietly. Ruth and I want to spend time with them, visiting, sharing a few meals and hopefully, listening to lots of wonderful, old-timey stories. Maybe some of them will surprise us? -- who knows?
I have been very busy at work this past week . . . and I just found out they (management) have racheted up the pressure on us by pushing up the date for running a pilot of a course. Yikes! That will be waiting for me when I return from Texas!
Then, of course there's always the requisite bills to pay. I checked my bank account online today, and -- halleleujah! -- my tax refunds arrived! I will shuttle them from one account to another and my VISA balance will take a wonderful step in the right (read "lowered") direction! I know that S and both of my children are encircling me, applauding. Yeah me!
Joshua the Jubilant Actuary has a birthday next week. Another one! Imagine that! I swear these damn kids are getting older faster and faster! It certainly can't be that I'm getting older and older!?!?! I'm struggling on what to get him? This or that??
I'm scootching my chair towards the door . . . but I did want to acknowledge how postively thrilled I am that I was able to restore this 3-column layout for calypsoDragon13! Thanks again, my sweet hijita, Carolina for all your loving support and gentle encouragement. I could have ten thousand daughters and none would compare to YOU!
Wish me a bon voyage! I'll be back on Wednesday. :-D
It's Friday afternoon, wa-a-aaaay later than I usually am here at work and I'm itchin' to get outta here. I have things to do, people to see and more things to do!
Tomorrow morning I fly to Texas with my beloved sister, Ruth. We are going to visit our dear Aunt Doris and Uncle Hemie. They landed in a rather forgotten corner of Texas, living out their lives rather quietly. Ruth and I want to spend time with them, visiting, sharing a few meals and hopefully, listening to lots of wonderful, old-timey stories. Maybe some of them will surprise us? -- who knows?
I have been very busy at work this past week . . . and I just found out they (management) have racheted up the pressure on us by pushing up the date for running a pilot of a course. Yikes! That will be waiting for me when I return from Texas!
Then, of course there's always the requisite bills to pay. I checked my bank account online today, and -- halleleujah! -- my tax refunds arrived! I will shuttle them from one account to another and my VISA balance will take a wonderful step in the right (read "lowered") direction! I know that S and both of my children are encircling me, applauding. Yeah me!
Joshua the Jubilant Actuary has a birthday next week. Another one! Imagine that! I swear these damn kids are getting older faster and faster! It certainly can't be that I'm getting older and older!?!?! I'm struggling on what to get him? This or that??
I'm scootching my chair towards the door . . . but I did want to acknowledge how postively thrilled I am that I was able to restore this 3-column layout for calypsoDragon13! Thanks again, my sweet hijita, Carolina for all your loving support and gentle encouragement. I could have ten thousand daughters and none would compare to YOU!
Wish me a bon voyage! I'll be back on Wednesday. :-D
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
this post is from "Blog This!"
When I blog from "Blog This!," my posting title comes out a different color than the regular old posts.
Hmmm? Can I change that??
Inquiring minds want to know!
Hmmm? Can I change that??
Inquiring minds want to know!
Confounded and still confused
Dragon Mood? -- this dragon doesn't like "confounded"
Once upon a time . . .
Once upon a time, I thought that programming and coding were consistent things. Things you could count on like math and the sun rising in the east. In school, in one of my (horrible) classes, computers were referred to as "non-deterministic automata." Like, it doesn't get choices. It just does what you program it to do.
Well, as you may (or may not) see, I'm back to a 3-column layout . . . for the moment, anyway. I went through the original version (seen here) and my version, and other than moving the code for "WomenBloggers" from the right sidebar to the center column, I didn't do anything. 'Splain that to me, will ya?
Shee-eee-eeeee-eet!
(arms raised, palms up) Not that I'm complaining!
Once upon a time . . .
Once upon a time, I thought that programming and coding were consistent things. Things you could count on like math and the sun rising in the east. In school, in one of my (horrible) classes, computers were referred to as "non-deterministic automata." Like, it doesn't get choices. It just does what you program it to do.
Well, as you may (or may not) see, I'm back to a 3-column layout . . . for the moment, anyway. I went through the original version (seen here) and my version, and other than moving the code for "WomenBloggers" from the right sidebar to the center column, I didn't do anything. 'Splain that to me, will ya?
Shee-eee-eeeee-eet!
(arms raised, palms up) Not that I'm complaining!
Admitting defeat
Yup, I'm admitting defeat. The 3-column layout has done me in. I have tried three -- count them-- three different 3-column templates and they have all ended up looking like the proverbial stuff that hits the fan.
It doesn't really matter that I'm not a CSS whiz or an expert at writing code to work in all these variety of browsers. It really doesn't matter.
The long and short of it is that I picked the wrong battle. This is a battle that I can't win.
I blog because I enjoy blogging. This whole fiasco has been nothing but incredibly frustrating and ultimately a huge energy drain. Not enjoyable at all.
So ... I want to get back to enjoying blogging here and enjoying what I'm looking at -- me and those other few sets of eyes that look at calypsoDragon13.
The Holy Grail of 3-column blogland will just have to continue eluding me.
It doesn't really matter that I'm not a CSS whiz or an expert at writing code to work in all these variety of browsers. It really doesn't matter.
The long and short of it is that I picked the wrong battle. This is a battle that I can't win.
I blog because I enjoy blogging. This whole fiasco has been nothing but incredibly frustrating and ultimately a huge energy drain. Not enjoyable at all.
So ... I want to get back to enjoying blogging here and enjoying what I'm looking at -- me and those other few sets of eyes that look at calypsoDragon13.
The Holy Grail of 3-column blogland will just have to continue eluding me.
Monday, April 18, 2005
Ode to Spring Green
I got to ride around in my car today. I think it's safe to say that spring is busting out in a dramatic way! The grass is magically changing from a lifeless dun to emerald green. The trees are beginning to bud, the spring green tips peeking out like some wayward child, late at night, wanting to know what's up with mom and dad. What a gorgeous time of year!
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Sunday morning post or whine?
Dragon Mood? -- disjointed
It's been a while (or so it seems) since I've taken a weekend morning and just posted.
I feel like the last month has been filled with all these discrete, separate events that I have experienced/ticked off my list/observed with detachment ... and I have felt absolutely no sense of ~flow~. Each week feels like three or four or four-and-a-half days of work to "get" through and then I'm on to the weekend. S and I have been feeling the money pinch pretty good, so our weekends have been filled with watching TV, watching HBO movies, playing computer games and/or sitting looking at one another. We have not been dining out or going to the movies. We have avoided stores and shopping, in general, like the plague. (Sometime, I would like to post about shopping and what a nasty national habit our country, women in particular, seems to have acquired. Who needs all that stuff, in the infamous words of George Carlin?).
I digress. When I reflect on what my last month has been filled with, BASKETBALL is definitely at the top of the list. For two to three weeks, I (and we) lived from one basketball game to the next. Talk about addictive and obsessive! I also have been somewhat preoccupied with health issues in general. I'm constantly tracking the supply of my Lipitor, Avandia and Synthroid (for two residences), as well as the ubiquitous baby aspirin. Then there's my Femring which I sort of "forgot" and S paid the price for over a week with my bitchiness (well, I did too, but she really did). Then, last weekend, I had to gather my urine for 24 hours (an experience I'd rather forget), fast for 12 hours and run down to the hospital lab before 10 a.m. on a weekend morning to drop off my urine and a goodly supply of my blood. *big sigh* This week, I had to visit the podiatrist for a "problem" with my big toe nailbed which I won't share here 'cuz even I don't want to read about it! So, then I limped for a day and am still applying antibiotic to two toes. Oh yes, and did I mention the PerioMed that I'm gargling with twice a day in preparation for my semi-annual teeth cleaning tomorrow? another *big sigh* I am sick and tired of all these health issues and prescriptives and caveats and pro-active gyrations. ARRrrrghHH! Enough already! I just want to live!
Is it any wonder that I have not experienced any sense of flow this past month?
It's been a while (or so it seems) since I've taken a weekend morning and just posted.
I feel like the last month has been filled with all these discrete, separate events that I have experienced/ticked off my list/observed with detachment ... and I have felt absolutely no sense of ~flow~. Each week feels like three or four or four-and-a-half days of work to "get" through and then I'm on to the weekend. S and I have been feeling the money pinch pretty good, so our weekends have been filled with watching TV, watching HBO movies, playing computer games and/or sitting looking at one another. We have not been dining out or going to the movies. We have avoided stores and shopping, in general, like the plague. (Sometime, I would like to post about shopping and what a nasty national habit our country, women in particular, seems to have acquired. Who needs all that stuff, in the infamous words of George Carlin?).
I digress. When I reflect on what my last month has been filled with, BASKETBALL is definitely at the top of the list. For two to three weeks, I (and we) lived from one basketball game to the next. Talk about addictive and obsessive! I also have been somewhat preoccupied with health issues in general. I'm constantly tracking the supply of my Lipitor, Avandia and Synthroid (for two residences), as well as the ubiquitous baby aspirin. Then there's my Femring which I sort of "forgot" and S paid the price for over a week with my bitchiness (well, I did too, but she really did). Then, last weekend, I had to gather my urine for 24 hours (an experience I'd rather forget), fast for 12 hours and run down to the hospital lab before 10 a.m. on a weekend morning to drop off my urine and a goodly supply of my blood. *big sigh* This week, I had to visit the podiatrist for a "problem" with my big toe nailbed which I won't share here 'cuz even I don't want to read about it! So, then I limped for a day and am still applying antibiotic to two toes. Oh yes, and did I mention the PerioMed that I'm gargling with twice a day in preparation for my semi-annual teeth cleaning tomorrow? another *big sigh* I am sick and tired of all these health issues and prescriptives and caveats and pro-active gyrations. ARRrrrghHH! Enough already! I just want to live!
Is it any wonder that I have not experienced any sense of flow this past month?
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Mollified
Dragon Mood? -- twitchy but mollified
I don't know what (WHAT??) the heck is going on, but my blog is not fully reloading when I hit Ctrl-R or F5. In fact, it is loading a version from ten publishings ago. We are using Mozilla 1.7.5, a pretty recent download of the browser. I went into Edit | Preferences and cleared out the cache, thinking that Mozilla was re-loading an old version. Unfortunately, that didn't solve the problem. I have logged off and logged back on (the unknowledgeable tech's answer to every mysterious computer situation). I'm still sleuthing.
But, as you can see, there IS a three-column layout here. It's not exactly what I want, but it will work for now.
(----big sigh---!) I really ought to take a class in html or CSS.
Now, I'm off to buy dog food and people food!
I don't know what (WHAT??) the heck is going on, but my blog is not fully reloading when I hit Ctrl-R or F5. In fact, it is loading a version from ten publishings ago. We are using Mozilla 1.7.5, a pretty recent download of the browser. I went into Edit | Preferences and cleared out the cache, thinking that Mozilla was re-loading an old version. Unfortunately, that didn't solve the problem. I have logged off and logged back on (the unknowledgeable tech's answer to every mysterious computer situation). I'm still sleuthing.
But, as you can see, there IS a three-column layout here. It's not exactly what I want, but it will work for now.
(----big sigh---!) I really ought to take a class in html or CSS.
Now, I'm off to buy dog food and people food!
Shout-out to Lina
Dragon Mood? -- frustrated, contrite, perturbed ... did I say frustrated yet?
Thanks, Carolina, for your help! I'm sorry that I am being such a recurrent pain-in-the-you-know-what!
Thanks, Carolina, for your help! I'm sorry that I am being such a recurrent pain-in-the-you-know-what!
Friday, April 15, 2005
Please excuse the mess . . . !
Dragon Mood? -- great balls of dragon-snorting fire!
I made the mistake of copying a 3-column template off the internet -- the author's identity will remain nameless.
I have been dinking with this template for over a week now. I made a lot of mistakes because I don't know html and I don't know Cascading Style Sheets. But, to my credit, I WAS GETTING THERE. Until, I realized that the center column was NEVER lining up with the left and right sidebars. It STARTED where the left and right sidebars ended! ARrrghH!
I stupidly PRESUMED that it was my ignorance! Wrong! I went back and looked more carefully at the author's presentation of this template. His/her center column DOESN'T LINE UP EITHER!!!! (Sorry for the shouting -- I'm pissed off!)
So, I'm heaving this template out the window of my little blog house and starting over again!
I made the mistake of copying a 3-column template off the internet -- the author's identity will remain nameless.
I have been dinking with this template for over a week now. I made a lot of mistakes because I don't know html and I don't know Cascading Style Sheets. But, to my credit, I WAS GETTING THERE. Until, I realized that the center column was NEVER lining up with the left and right sidebars. It STARTED where the left and right sidebars ended! ARrrghH!
I stupidly PRESUMED that it was my ignorance! Wrong! I went back and looked more carefully at the author's presentation of this template. His/her center column DOESN'T LINE UP EITHER!!!! (Sorry for the shouting -- I'm pissed off!)
So, I'm heaving this template out the window of my little blog house and starting over again!
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
testing, testing, 1,2,3...
I haven't blogged for days now. I tried to access "Blog This" yesterday and it kept pooping out on me.
It appears that the functionality is back online today.
I've been busy the past five or six days.
S and I played cards with Patrick and Kevin until about 3 or 4 in the morning Friday night.
Saturday and Sunday were absolutely gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous weather. Sadly, most of Saturday I spent sleeping like a rock, indoors of all places!
Sunday, we hung around the house, still rather zombie-like. Kevin came over and we knit for several hours. Sunday night, I finished up my taxes and submitted them electronically. Thank heavens for TurboTax!
Monday was a back-in-the-saddle day. It was also mi hijita's 29th birthday! Happy Birthday, Carolina!! In the evening, she and I had a nice long chat on the phone, comparing notes on our respective days. After that, S and I went for a lovely, long walk with the pooch. I really enjoyed her company and our walk.
Tuesday, I got word that my tax forms had been accepted. Whew! That's done for another year!
Last night, we went with our crazy neighbor, Jan, downtown (the BIG downtown) to check out a new Irish pub and also to hit one of the casinos. It was a relaxing, fun evening. I burned through $20 on nickel slots in no time. I have no luck as a gambler! Lousy, lousy luck!
Today, I'm back to rather zombie-like mode. I was up too late for this fifty-something body. My eyes look veddy, veddy sleepy!
And, I have work coming out the wazoo! Don't ask me where that is!
ANDDDDDDD ...... I still want to get this 3-column layout activated for Calypso Dragon 13, but I have to make some timmmmmmmmeeeeee!!!
It appears that the functionality is back online today.
I've been busy the past five or six days.
S and I played cards with Patrick and Kevin until about 3 or 4 in the morning Friday night.
Saturday and Sunday were absolutely gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous weather. Sadly, most of Saturday I spent sleeping like a rock, indoors of all places!
Sunday, we hung around the house, still rather zombie-like. Kevin came over and we knit for several hours. Sunday night, I finished up my taxes and submitted them electronically. Thank heavens for TurboTax!
Monday was a back-in-the-saddle day. It was also mi hijita's 29th birthday! Happy Birthday, Carolina!! In the evening, she and I had a nice long chat on the phone, comparing notes on our respective days. After that, S and I went for a lovely, long walk with the pooch. I really enjoyed her company and our walk.
Tuesday, I got word that my tax forms had been accepted. Whew! That's done for another year!
Last night, we went with our crazy neighbor, Jan, downtown (the BIG downtown) to check out a new Irish pub and also to hit one of the casinos. It was a relaxing, fun evening. I burned through $20 on nickel slots in no time. I have no luck as a gambler! Lousy, lousy luck!
Today, I'm back to rather zombie-like mode. I was up too late for this fifty-something body. My eyes look veddy, veddy sleepy!
And, I have work coming out the wazoo! Don't ask me where that is!
ANDDDDDDD ...... I still want to get this 3-column layout activated for Calypso Dragon 13, but I have to make some timmmmmmmmeeeeee!!!
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Happy Birthday, Jess!
My niece, Jess, turns 20 today!
Happy Birthday, Jess!
Twenty years ago, it was Sunday morning, Easter Sunday morning. We got a call from Paul saying that Ruth had had the baby and it was a little girl! They were both ecstatic!
And then, two minutes later . . . we discovered that Josh, age 7, had the chicken pox!
Oh my . . . those were the days!
Jess, I hope that this next year is full of memorable adventures and exciting self-discovery for you!
Happy Birthday, Jess!
Twenty years ago, it was Sunday morning, Easter Sunday morning. We got a call from Paul saying that Ruth had had the baby and it was a little girl! They were both ecstatic!
And then, two minutes later . . . we discovered that Josh, age 7, had the chicken pox!
Oh my . . . those were the days!
Jess, I hope that this next year is full of memorable adventures and exciting self-discovery for you!
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
Gorgeous Wendish-day
Dragon Mood? -- itchin' to go
It's pushing four o'clock, it's 70 degrees outside and I cannot focus on work.
I just wanted to post my congratulations to the MSU Spartans' Women's Basketball team, along with Coach Joanne P. McCallie on their outstanding play this season. While they didn't win the NCAA Tournament, I think history will remember them for their tremendous contribution to women's athletics at Michigan State. Be proud!
I also wanted to note that I'm working --ever so slowly-- on a 3-column layout for Calypsodragon13. I put it up for about a half an hour this afternoon. It looks pretty rough yet, so I reinstated the old 2-column layout. Once again, I will have to slowly piecemeal in the changes to the 3-column layout as I am an untaught CSS hacker, dangerous only to myself!
I'm gonna drag my dragon-self outta here!
It's pushing four o'clock, it's 70 degrees outside and I cannot focus on work.
I just wanted to post my congratulations to the MSU Spartans' Women's Basketball team, along with Coach Joanne P. McCallie on their outstanding play this season. While they didn't win the NCAA Tournament, I think history will remember them for their tremendous contribution to women's athletics at Michigan State. Be proud!
I also wanted to note that I'm working --ever so slowly-- on a 3-column layout for Calypsodragon13. I put it up for about a half an hour this afternoon. It looks pretty rough yet, so I reinstated the old 2-column layout. Once again, I will have to slowly piecemeal in the changes to the 3-column layout as I am an untaught CSS hacker, dangerous only to myself!
I'm gonna drag my dragon-self outta here!
Sunday, April 03, 2005
A Sad Day in Spartan-land
Dragon Mood? -- ???
Well, the MSU Spartans lost to the Tar Heels of North Carolina by some significant point spread, 87-71, or something like that.
S and I couldn't even bear to listen to the talking heads after the game. We switched the channel, anesthetizing ourselves with some HGTV decorating drivel.
I am proud of the men's basketball team. I think they did themselves, Coach Izzo and all us Spartans proud. Proud with a capital P!
I'm proud of how they defied our too-low expectations of them, how they started afresh after Izzo's dramatic sledgehammering of videotapes from the regular season, how they appeared to really enjoy the post-season run. Those are all good, positive things that I want to remember.
Thanks, Alan Anderson, Kelvin Torbert, Chris Hill and Tim Bograkos for all your hard work, your great spirit and your senior leadership this past year. I appreciate it all! I hope that you carry powerful and positive memories from this experience with you in the coming years.
Love you, Spartans!!!
Well, the MSU Spartans lost to the Tar Heels of North Carolina by some significant point spread, 87-71, or something like that.
S and I couldn't even bear to listen to the talking heads after the game. We switched the channel, anesthetizing ourselves with some HGTV decorating drivel.
I am proud of the men's basketball team. I think they did themselves, Coach Izzo and all us Spartans proud. Proud with a capital P!
I'm proud of how they defied our too-low expectations of them, how they started afresh after Izzo's dramatic sledgehammering of videotapes from the regular season, how they appeared to really enjoy the post-season run. Those are all good, positive things that I want to remember.
Thanks, Alan Anderson, Kelvin Torbert, Chris Hill and Tim Bograkos for all your hard work, your great spirit and your senior leadership this past year. I appreciate it all! I hope that you carry powerful and positive memories from this experience with you in the coming years.
Love you, Spartans!!!
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Lovin' Coach Izzo
Dragon Mood? -- snortin' a fireball for Izzo
"Are you nuts, Ref?" (Photo taken by Kevin Fowler for the Lansing State Journal.)
A directive? -- "Be tough!"
"Are you nuts, Ref?" (Photo taken by Kevin Fowler for the Lansing State Journal.)
A directive? -- "Be tough!"Feeling twitchy
Dragon Mood? -- twitch, twitch, snort, TWITCH!
It's Saturday morning which is usually one of those times that I LOVE to post.
But this morning, I'm feeling decidedly twitchy. It could be because:
It's Saturday morning which is usually one of those times that I LOVE to post.
But this morning, I'm feeling decidedly twitchy. It could be because:
- TONIGHT, the Spartans are playing the Tar Heels in the second FINAL FOUR game! Arrrgh!
- the dog just threw up twice out by the back door. I heard some funny noises and went to investigate. Yellow, liquidy throw-up. Did she eat something she shouldn't have? What is going on with her?
- I put the teakettle on the stove to boil some water for some healthy iced green tea later today with the requisite basketball-game-watching popcorn. The teakettle made these very strange thumping noises! Is our teakettle possessed? Is this a sign? Is the teakettle about to throw up?
- my cell phone continues to behave oddly. I called Yosh on a fully charged phone this morning. We talked for 39 minutes and some seconds (as if seconds could make the difference!) and when we got off the phone, my battery was down to one bar. What is up with that? Then I TXT-messaged several people about the impending game, and then several more subsequent TXT-messages with Lina. Still at one bar. Arrrrgh again!
- the wind is blowing something fierce here in mid-Michigan this morning. Did Mother Nature forget that we have transitioned to April, not blustery March? She's two days late on the blustery winds. This is the month for birthdays, spring bulbs peeking their green heads out, winter-triumphant daffodils and gentle spring rains. Not blustery winds that are bending the 50-feet-tall pines over at alarming angles, careening back and forth with scary movements toward our oh-so-vulnerable roof.
Friday, April 01, 2005
Google Gulp?
What the heck is a Google Gulp? According to this site, it's ...
I think the Google folks have been smoking something. Listen to this:
Like I said, I think the oogledy-googledy stuff has gone to the Mountain View folks' brains. Funny!
a line of "smart drinks" designed to maximize your surfing efficiency by making you more intelligent, and less thirsty.
I think the Google folks have been smoking something. Listen to this:
Think a DNA scanner embedded in the lip of your bottle reading all 3 gigabytes of your base pair genetic data in a fraction of a second, fine-tuning your individual hormonal cocktail in real time using our patented Auto-Drink™ technology, and slamming a truckload of electrolytic neurotransmitter smart-drug stimulants past the blood-brain barrier to achieve maximum optimization of your soon-to-be-grateful cerebral cortex. Plus, it's low in carbs! And with flavors ranging from Beta Carroty to Glutamate Grape, you'll never run out of ways to quench your thirst for knowledge.The site goes on to pose the rhetorical question of "How to get Gulped?"
Like I said, I think the oogledy-googledy stuff has gone to the Mountain View folks' brains. Funny!
How I'm feeling about Saturday night
The Michigan State Spartans play the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and I am EXCITED! I think it's gonna be a great game. Makes me want to jump UP in the air and shout, "Go Green, Go White!"
We're behind you guys 100%!
[I think this is an archival photo of Oscar Roberson, obviously a heckuva leaper!]
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