This weekend was truly a gift

Despite the fact that I was almost completely eaten up by envy from all the bikes I heard ripping around, I still managed to totally revel in the season with a hike at Fox Island. Then my love and I strolled hand in hand through Foster under a gauzed Gibbous moon.

I know all you riders feel for me...

My bike is dead in the water so to speak. The battery is hanging in there, and I always leave my bike on a trickle charge when it's parked at home. It's a 2003 and I've replaced the battery once. It's probably time to do it again.

Sad to say I have a more expensive problem afoot now. The back brake started making noise the last time I rode it, so it's in the garage until next spring probably. Unless I have manna falling from heaven, I won't have money for it until then. I've even toyed with the idea of getting a new bike. It would probably be my last one, and I sure would like to have a tourer with hard locking cases and a much nicer windshield than the cheapo scratched and scarred thing I'm riding with now. I need to sit down and figure the difference between getting all the much needed service to my bike and the expense of buying a new one.

So, I'm in for the weekend, but that's OK since I haven't been feeling well. I've read a lot, listened to some music, done some baking and enjoyed the fall colors through the windows. Feeling ill almost helps the transition from riding to driving my car . My fellow riders know the impending sense of doom associated with this season of the year.

Now THIS is more like it.

Everyone has been complaining about the weather, saying that we skipped autumn altogether and jumped right into frigid winter temps. Well, they better not be complaining now, the last two days have been sublime fall days with temps in the 70's. My bike is running great despite the scare it gave me when it got down in the 30's and wouldn't start. I'm almost tempted to play hooky from work, but I won't. Why? because I have a strong sense of right and wrong, instilled by my Mom. Thanks Mom, for the work ethic. I'll be thinking about you this afternoon while I'm gazing at all the sunshine from inside my glass cage and hearing all the library patrons talk about how gorgeous it is outdoors. Come on 5 oclock!

I can recognize irony but...

somewhere in the middle of the article, I think it was the part talking about needing to wait on a hold list for new bestsellers at the public library, I became just a little unsure. Apparently I wasn't the only one who's hackles started to rise, you'll see one comment of a library user who really got their knickers in a twist. It's nice to see that the public library still has some staunch defenders even if they are slightly confused.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/19/ED7B19P06H.DTL

Hanging Rock

Crap! I missed the Acres Land Trust Organization's photo exhibit and wine tasting at Art Link this past Saturday. I really couldn't afford the $75 entrance fee per couple anyway, but I swear I'm going to see the exhibit while it's there. I didn't even realize until today that the photos featured Hanging Rock. I've picked catnip leaves from the top , and peered over that sheer drop. It makes you believe the Native American Legend of Wy-nu-sa and her leap to death.

The Ballad of Hanging Rock ~by Stormy Sellers Come all you romance lovers, come listen while I tell The fate of poor Wy-nu-sa, a fair young Indian belle
Way down in Indiana, where Wabash waters glide There stands a lonely boulder high on the river side
There lived an Indian maiden Wy-nu-sa was her name A lovely woodland flower with cheeks of wild rose flame
She had a fond young lover, a warrior true and bold A gay and dashing hunter who loved this maid of old
One night as late they lingered in love dreams there alone The lovers' moon was shining down on the hanging stone
A jealous hearted rival stole down the river side There slew Wy-nu-sa's lover and hurled him in the tide
With cries of bitter anguish, in her wild grief and woe The brokenhearted maiden leaped in the stream below
There with her own true lover in tender love and pride In all her youthful beauty the fair Wy-nu-sa died
For many years no lovers would venture there alone For since Wy-nu-sa perished there it is a haunted stone
They say when skies are dreary, and Wabash waters sigh When the lovers' moon smiles wanly, they hear her mournful cries
When fireflies light the waters, and ghostly shadows glow They see a phantom maiden leap in the stream below
So! Come you romance lovers, my story now is told You've heard the Indian legend of this fair maid of old
If on some lonesome evening, you venture there alone You may see the Indian maiden leap from the hanging stone

The above information is from "Miami Indian Stories" by Chief Clarence Godfroy.

It's Monday, how can I tell, Mondayitis strikes again!

I just busted out a big belly laugh when I heard the boss called in sick on MONDAY again! Seriously, how can you be sick so many times on Monday? My next reaction was saying, "Well, at least this will make good blogger flodder." What I meant to say was fodder, but flodder seemed to fit well for blogger fodder until I looked it up on urbandictionary.com. Flodder is already in use.

flodder

The staff member whose job it is to fend off your complaint (or other enquiry), and make sure you don't waste any management time. From the initials of "first line of defense".

Synonyms: flodbod, flodperson.

The verb is "to flod".

Took me ten minutes to get past the flodder at the front desk.

52 in a 40!

I was heading to the north side of town since my dentist moved his office out to the hinterlands and got a little too frisky with the throttle. Of course I didn't see the cop car until it was too late. I pulled into the next place of business and waited for the officer to get out of his car. He didn't and then I realized that even though I'd stopped in a parking space I hadn't turned off the key. As soon as I did and swung the kick stand down, the officer stepped out and asked for my license and registration and said, "I stopped you because you were going 52 in a 40." I'm glad he didn't ask that stupid question, "Do you know why I stopped you?" I just sat back on my bike, calculating how much this was going to cost me in money and time (going downtown to the city/county building to buy back the points on my license) and trying to keep my face expressionless. I had quite a little while to contemplate my transgression and then the officer stepped out of his car and handed me a "warning" ticket. Without even thinking I reached out and touched his face and blessed his heart, then a few tears of relief leaked out. Afterward, I realized my action could have been interpreted as a potential hostile gesture. I think it embarrassed him, but it was totally spontaneous. He shuffled his feet a little and said that he let me slide because I was wearing my helmet! Oh! the power of my pretty pink helmet!

I've got one in the oven!

I've got one in the oven, an apple pie that is! I decided to make J an apple pie since the poor dear had to work. Of course riding to the grocery in all that glorious sunshine for the apples figured into it too. I overspent last week while I was on vacation, and haven't even gotten part of the loot yet. I've been coveting a pair of biker boots that I saw at Jim Bailey's, but they didn't have any in my size so they're on order in a couple of different sizes to try. I also bought a new pair of silver earrings at the Perfect Setting while we were in South Haven. So, I'm housebound by lack of funds. I really shouldn't have even been spending frivolous gas money, but couldn't resist making the trip to the grocery the loooonnnnnng way round.

The pie, yeah, it was delicious.

Just the facts

Yesterday the boss said to me, "We're having a staffing crisis." She had to work with just one other employee in the building for an hour. She must have forgotten that she regularly schedules only three staff members on Fridays or Saturdays (some of our busiest hours of operation) with the result of having only two employees in the building while lunches are taken for three hours. Hmmmm.................

So, let me get this straight, one hour for her is a crisis, three hours for her subordinates is just what you have to do to make a living. Did I mention that I get to take early retirement when I turn 55? I'm going to get one of those 5 year calendars and start checking off the days!

Gretel and Jay's Wedding

J and I had a fantastic time in South Haven. It was so fun watching Gretel and Jay interacting with their friends and relatives. I admire the newlyweds for making it happen just the way they wanted, with friends and family enjoying the day together, preparing the food and drinking and laughing without getting hung up on traditions or organizational details. I took lots of pictures, but am only posting a few since my computer inconveniently hit the wall with it's RAM capabilities and crashes each time I try to edit the photos. We prepared some fantastic food; fettuccine Alfredo, spicy marinara, tomato salad with fresh basil and mozzarella, and homemade apple pie for a splendidly healthy and fresh wedding feast. The beautiful dress Gretel wore was purchased by the wedding shopper extraordinaire, Amanda, just an hour before the ceremony. I wish I'd gotten a full length photo of Gretel, the dress even had an appropriately long train. As you can see, it was perfect and the couple looked gorgeous. May I present Mr. and Mrs. Jay Johns.

Going to the beach and they're gonna get maaarrried!

We're heading up to South Haven for a couple of days to see Gretel (J's daughter) and her fiance, Jay, get married. The arrangements have already hit a few snags. J got a call from Gretel saying that she'd lost her wallet on the airport shuttle and her ride from Dayton to Fort Wayne fell through. We were unenthusiastically planning on making the 4 hr drive to pick them up, but karma realigned itself and her flight to Dayton was overbooked, so they put them on another flight directly to Fort Wayne. Hurray! They're going to be married on the beach by Gretel's Grandfather and have rented a house in South Haven for a week to spend time with the rest of the family. Of course families being families, not everyone is cooperating. Beam some positive energy their way, so that hopefully their wedding is filled with good memories, instead of family drama.

Friday Mondayitis

Even when I'm not there to fill in, the Mondayitis continues unabated. Ha Ha! I ran into Joyce at the grocery store. She told me I took the wrong week off, the boss called in sick Monday and Tuesday and took another half day today.

White as a sign of purity and innocence, not in this case!

I'm on vacation for a week and I started it off by lounging around the house and catching up on a few neglected cleaning chores. I should do more, but since I'm on vacation I'm able to justify spending the rest of my time reading, riding, hiking, and hanging out with J. Here's some
photos I took at Kokiwanee. The first photo featuring the innocent looking white flowers is actually the poisonous White Snakeroot which is claimed to be responsible for the death of Nancy Hanks Lincoln (mother of Abraham Lincoln). You can read more about it and "milk sickness" by clicking the title link.

When I got back in town, I remembered that I wanted to stop in and see Miss Denise to have a leather belt fixed and here's a picture of her and her man at D & M Leather. They are an amusing couple. Every time I go in there, he jokes around about how hard Miss Denise makes him work, then he rolls his eyes and happily hops to whatever chore she's assigned to him. She regally presides over the sewing machine and charges fair prices for leather repair (she's great at replacing pockets) and will sew on patches while you wait. So, if you're a biker and haven't taken the time to meet them, you're missing out on one of the quintessential biker experiences that Fort Wayne has to offer. Then I finished up the day at one of my very favorite places, Hyde Bros. Book Store. Below's a picture of the treasure I found while snooping around, which is lying on top of the blue afghan that I'm just finishing up for my Sky Eyed boy.

New Addition to the family

This is Uba, who J claims is part Maine Coon Cat. He is an enormous neutered Tom and the adjustment with bringing him into the household and acclimating all three of the cats was stressful for all. Now that Uba has pooped wherever he wanted a few times (Yeah, I'm still working on getting that smell out of here), he's finally accepted the placement of his litterbox and is even sharing the food bowl with Mooch and Monster. He is a beautiful cat, but don't let his looks deceive you, he's one mean hombre! He'll only tolerate being petted a few times, then the claws come out! and don't even think about picking him up!

I said in my heart, "I am sick of four walls and a ceiling.
I have no need of the sky.
I have business with the grass
I will up and get me away where the hawk is wheeling.
Lone and high,
And the slow clouds go by.
I will get me away to the waters that glass
The clouds as they pass
To the waters that lie
Like the heart of a maiden aware of a doom drawing nigh
And dumb for sorcery of impending joy
I will get me away to the woods.

What's up with Google?

My gmail isn't working. Try again in 30 seconds, might as well be 30 years! I don't know how I even existed before computers.

Still moving...

The cat door is installed, but they're not using it regularly yet. The magnetic click when the flap closes behind them freaks them out a little. They turn around looking for the origin of that alarming noise. I have even more of J's good stuff; all of his music, dvds, clothes, musical equipment, guitars, but still no Uba. I need to get some odor neutralizing spray since Uba will be arriving this week, which should really set the fur flying. Three cats, two males and one female will leave us humans outnumbered. I hope they'll all learn to get along. The house is already starting to look completely different and I think our stuff meshes very nicely. Once all the boxes are stored away I might even post some pictures.

Moving, moving, moving...

Packing, sorting, cleaning, organizing, out with the old, in with the new. One boy back to school, one to go.

I took Chrish back to school this week. He seemed really happy to be back, seeing old friends and getting his dorm apartment set up. His classes don't start until the 25th, but he volunteered to help incoming freshmen with their move-ins.

Finally I have concrete evidence of J's intentions. I have all of his good stuff, in the form of his entire collection of CDs, DVDs, mwha ha, ha. When Uba moves in, that will be the clincher. I think I'll shop for the cat door today.

Stop This Train

No, I'm not colorblind
I know the world is black and white
Try to keep an open mind, but
I just cant sleep on this tonight

Stop this train
I wanna get off and go home
again
I can't take the speed
it's movin in
I know I can't
But honestly wont someone
stop this train

Don't know how else to say it
Don't wanna see my parents go
One generations length away from
Fighting life out on my own

Stop this train
I wanna get off and go home
again
I can't take the speed
it's movin in
I know I can't
But honestly wont someone
Stop this train

So scared of gettin older
I'm only good at being young
So I play the numbers game
to find a way to say that
Life has just begun

Had a talk with my old man
Said help me understand
He said turn 68
You'll renegotiate
Don't stop this train
Don't for a minute change the place you're in
Dont think I couldn't ever understand
I tried my hand
John, honestly
We'll never stop this train

Once in awhile
When it's good
It will feel like it should
And they're all
Still around
And you're still safe and sound
And you don't miss a thing
Til you cry when you're driving
away in the dark
Singing

Stop this train
I wanna get off and go home
again
I can't take the speed
it's movin in
I know that I cant
cuz now I see
I'll never stop this train.

This is one of my favorite John Mayer songs from his album Continuum. Quite often listening to the words makes the tears flow. I've been thinking about this song for a number of reasons; the most important being that J's father died Thursday night. It was expected, but in no way does that make it easier. His mother needs companionship and comfort right now, so our time together is going to be very limited.

Another reason this song is running through my mind is the current firestorm conflangrating around Obama's National Health Care plan and the folks who have taken exception to his ideas about end of life counseling. Correct me if I'm wrong here, but no amount of private health insurance is going to ward off the inevitable! I am totally in favor of allowing a person to take control of that inevitable process by making a living will and preparing for the end of their life. Even physicians recognize that at some point invasive medical procedures can do more harm than good for the aged. There is nothing more repugnant to me than thinking of being old, lying in a hospital bed and having someone in my family decide for me that I should be put on life support. I want the quality of my life to extend all the way to the end and if I choose hospice and to leave life gracefully, that should be my choice. American's aversion to the whole death process is really making itself manifest. It's especially interesting to me that so many self proclaimed Christians have such a fear of death. Not only is it a natural part of the life process, but Christians also have the promise of eternal life.

Metamorphisis

We're doing it. J is moving in at the end of August. He's already starting to bring boxes over in his car and we're both working hard on cleaning out extraneous stuff to make way for the combination of our households. We've been doing a lot of talking while we've been preparing for this big change and both admit a to a little trepidation. J is the one taking on the greatest amount of risk. If we're not able to make it as a couple, he'll go back to square one, finding a place to live, moving once again, etc... We've agreed that the main impetus for moving in together can't be practicality, although hopefully it will minimally ease the money crunch for both of us to split living expenses. We are good together, supporting each other when needed, talking, laughing, enjoying movies and books, taking long walks comfortably hand in hand, sharing breakfast together. J loves cooking and it is so luxurious to sit down with some smooth jazz, candlelight, gaze into his beautiful brown eyes and enjoy the delicious omelet he's whipped up. We do have different interests and one of J's concerns is that he still won't have the time or the space to immerse himself in his creative projects, music, writing, etc... He's worked two jobs seven days a week for a very long time, but just the amount of time that we won't spend driving back and forth across town to see each other has to result in more free time. It may take a little while to find our balance. I've drifted farther away from my hiking than I like, but part of that is from all the cleaning and organizing my house requires to be ready for him to move in. He just admitted to me the other day that he doesn't like hiking in the summer, that he finds it too buggy and it makes him feel claustrophobic to be surrounded by all the green foliage. We're still learning about each other and it will take a while to become comfortable with our space and time.
Wish us luck!

Win Win Won!

OK, this is just funny. Our library system gave away 10 laptop computers at the end of the young adult summer reading program. When teens completed the program they could choose the reward of choosing a second paperback gift book or entering their name in a system wide drawing for the chance to win a new laptop. The names were just drawn today and one of the winner's name was Win Win. I'm not making this up. With a name like Win Win, how could you lose? Hopefully there will be a picture of the winner's posted on our website which I'll be able to add later.

Socialism

Obama's critics claim he's not coming through with his promises of change, but when he does try to make changes to the current health care mess he's accused of being a socialist. Is this a fair assessment?



I'm wondering if all the people who think that a National Health Care system is socialism want to surrender their social security checks when they turn 65. If they're not willing to do that then I don't quite understand their distinction between one social program and another.

For J

This video by Peter Reynolds, children's author and founder of Fable Vision Inc. is dedicated to J.



It's a wonderful thing to see someone become successful by living their bliss.

I found this on postsecret today and it made me think about the time my ex-husband (boyfriend at the time) told me my Christmas present was out in the car. I thought it was going to be a ring and instead it was a giant stuffed animal. Of course I told him thank you, but then I put it in the corner of my bedroom and kicked it occasionally. It might have been an omen.

How long is your political memory?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

A coworker and I were talking this morning and he brought up an interesting point. After three months our capacity to remember current events, names, and faces begins to fade, and politicians count on that. I thank Rachel Maddow for reminding us just what sort of person republican Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana is. In my personal opinion, it can be summed up in just one word, HYPOCRITE!

Bill Maher: New Rule: Not Everything in America Has to Make a Profit

Bill Maher: New Rule: Not Everything in America Has to Make a Profit

Posted using ShareThis

Two new wildflowers

I'm still learning to identify the wildflowers and here's two that I found at Bicentennial Woods and have just learned their names. The yellow is Fringed Loosestrife and the lavender is Heal-All. To read about the medicinal properties of these two wildflowers, check out these sites.

http://www.altnature.com/gallery/healall.htm

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/l/looyel41.html

Lazy weekend

I took a long solo hike at Bicentennial Woods and at the Robert C and Rosella C Johnson Nature Preserve. I wish I'd had my Acres Preserve Guide with me. It would have allowed me to see that when the trail dumped out on the road at the Johnson Preserve it picked up again further down at the Whitehurst which doubles the trail length. Now that I've examined the map I see I'll need to go back and explore further. I've always enjoyed the Cedar Canyons area, so much so that back in 1985 Mark and I had our wedding reception at the Izaak Walton Chapter house on Hollopeter. Here's some of the photos of wildflowers I found on the hike. It's rather melancholy to see the Tall Bellflower, Creeping Trumpet Vine, and Bladder Campion in bloom since it means that summer is at its zenith.

I thought all the green foliage in the last photo made for a lovely photo, but don't let it fool you. Those are stinging nettles. In fact some of the healthiest looking plants in the woods right now are the nettles and the poison ivy.

First Kelly and Sean, and then Daryl tried to roust us out to see the finish of Three Rivers Festival and the fireworks, but we were enjoying our own little world; and then when it started to rain and we were tucked in all cosy watching a movie, we even felt a trifle smug. I love Sunday afternoons, hanging out with J at Hydes; reading and watching him hunt and peck on the computer (amazing that such a talented, intelligent, and dexterous man would use the 2 finger method on the keyboard- he's quite fast at it too!) and interact with his customers. A lot of people don't understand the constant state of flux that is a used bookstore. They're so used to having a clerk check a computer database to determine stock that they can't even comprehend that Hyde Brothers is like a huge undiscovered hoard of treasure just waiting to be explored and discovered. No one knows exactly what is there, you just have to be willing to spend the time browsing.

Invisible chocolate fingerprints

Sometimes I have trouble remembering,
but here are a few things that I'll never forget;

invisible chocolate fingerprints
pirate look
watery embraces

Plum line

palms trace sylvan planes

that dip into sweet concavity
breathing in sighs of warm summer rain
lover's eyes melt like chocolate above quicksilver elfin grin
sighting along plum tips to dusky root
as words polished to the cool smoothness of river rocks
drip like honey on expectant lips .

One of my favorite features

One of my favorite features from Blogger was the ability to follow the links for interests from my profile to find other bloggers with the same interests. That feature hasn't been working for about a week or so. At first I thought it was because of some changes made to the server at work, then I discovered that it no longer works from my home computer either. When I went to the help section, I found other people have discovered the problem, but no one has posted a solution yet. I hope Google gets their act together and gets one of my favorite features back in operation.

And the answer from blogger (click the title for link)


It's broke!

Only three more weeks, then five more years...

After this week, they're only be three more weeks of summer reading program. Some of it is very enjoyable, and some, well, not so much...

I've adopted a new strategy. Now, when some dissatisfied parent starts complaining about the selection in prize books for the children's reading program, I just walk away and stop listening to them. In the past, I've really allowed them to get under my skin, but not anymore. I recognize them as someone who is dissatisfied with their life and is incapable of spontaneously enjoying goodness. They don't understand that the gifts are just an incentive to entice the children and that their child has already received the reward of a summer of reading practice and enjoyment.

I know from personal experience how much easier it makes your child's school career if you instill a love of books and reading from an early age.

I took a facebook quiz

I took a facebook quiz and found that I'm 15% bitchy and I guess it's coming out now. You can hardly have missed the news of South Carolina Governor, Mark Sanford's recent debacle, and I don't usually make too much fun of other's misery, but when you're a possible Republican Presidential candidate for 2012 and your main political platform is preservation and protection of the American family.... Well, who could resist a few good yucks when you find out that urbandictionary lists hiking the Appalachian trail as being synonymous with extra-marital affairs?! He chose to make himself fodder for the late night comics for a very long time!

Great Googley Moogley!

Great Googley Moogley! J has two days off in a row! This is the first time that's happened since we've been together! Wheee! We are going to have pure unadulterated fun!

A good Post Secret for Mondays

This was on Post Secret. If you're not familiar with the website and it's origins, you should check it out. Some of the postcards are humorous, some heart rending, but very few are boring.