originally posted on monday, december 27, 2004

i'd like to keep the fun going - so, no matter when you've stumbled upon my journal, feel free to post questions of your own!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ask me questions, and I'll answer! And then I'll ask you some. *heh*

it's not that i'm normally unapproachable or secretive (snarky, yes ... secretive, hellz no), but perhaps you've just been waiting for the right time (which, *now* is always the right time for me) ... or mebbe we don't get to see each other outside of party space so personal questions seem a bit odd ... or whenever you see me you're so bedazzled by my smile you completly lose the power of speech ... or mebbe you have no clue who i really am and you just need a diversion from work *grin*

i love memes

originally posted on thurs, may 11 2006

i had an extremely horrible and physically violent dream

my best interpretation is that ... i'm not listening enough

which, i'm inclined to believe

so

tell me

anything you like

wish me well

wish me ill

i'm listening

(anonymous commenting is always on, additionally i'll screen today - no one will hear you but me)

originally posted on fri, feb 2, 2007

and, since i'm crap at writing 'em - i turn to you, dear reader ~grin~

here's your chance, tell the world what you really think they should know about me

leave a comment, with a line you think best describes me

i'll compile 'em all and put up on the front page - no editing, no tweaking

(yeah, even you odd lil people who hate me but still have me friended for reasons only you know)

~grumple~

there's a newly opened pharmacy in Vancouver

it wants to be a safe space for women to get health care, from women medical staff*

which, aight

trouble starts with what the pharmacy folks feel are "unsafe" things

transwomen
recovering addicts (of any gender presentation)
sex workers - i think only those that present as female, since the issue is having the non sex worker pharmacy patients being mistaken as sex workers (and, since this pharmacy only serves folks who are born female)

there's no word yet on the pharmacy's position on transmen (who, you know, might have been born female)

to see a compilation of articles/posts, you can visit the Questioning Transphobia blog (http://questioningtransphobia.wordpress.com/2009/07/11/protest-of-lu-pharmacy/)

*i'm using "women" here coz that's the language used by the pharmacy staff. later on, i use "female" coz i'm more comfortable with it as descriptor for gender

started a new knitting project last night

using several websites for guidance (which is to say, reading many different techniques and settling on the least scary/most explicitly written) i taught myself the toe up method for knitting socks on double pointed needles

huzzah!

it was just about as difficult and scary as i'd always thought ~heh~

very glad i waited til i was more comfortable using DPNs - for this method, you start out with only 24 stitches, over 2 needles. and then increase every other row til you've got 64. at that point, you add a third needle and it finally starts to look like normal ~grin~

we'll see when it comes to turning a heel upside down - if i can master that, then this might become my preferred sock technique

tho, i have to agree with most folks, working toe up really is much more satisfying in a completely sensual way

you can much more easily try the sock on at the foot stage. what's cuter than seeing just the toes of a sock, sitting on yer foot ~ 3 am? ~woojah~

i'm using two hand painted sock weight yarns, on size 4 needles. one is brick, a dusty red with very subtle shading. the other is Irving park, a bold strip that, while still on the skein, i'd thought was much ... calmer ~grin~ we'll see as it knits up

picked these up for 50% off at a Tangled Web sale, ~ 7 months ago

i'm using a nice knit 3, purl 1 ribbing all around the leg and down the instep (ETA: yeah, that was boring. could hardly tell there was ribbing at all. switched to knit 2, purl 2. very pretty)

hoping this will show off both the bold and subtle stripes in the yarn

if it works, these might be my first proper just for me socks ~woojah~

(~smirkle~ if it doesn't work, they'll be gifted to someone who doesn't mind the mistakes)

i finished the tank top last night

got to try using the mattress stitch for the first time (it's a very cool way to sew vertical seams)

i used the 3 needle bind off for the shoulders

once it was all put together, i tried it on. not bad! and, not nearly as wrongly sized as i'd feared

i'm gonna send it along with the laundry, see what effect a wash/dry has on the cotton (am hoping for a one size shrink)

for my very first piece of knitted clothing that was more complicated than a sock, i'm super pleased with the outcome ~bounce~

(and, lemme just say: socks are complicated!)

hooray!

one gal wants the table

the other wants the dining chairs + rocker

~wiggles~

both will be over @ 5:30 to look at the furniture and see if their vehicles/brute strength allies are sufficient for the task

that table is crazy heavy, i tell you what

once they're all gone, and i've spent a pleasant few days with nothing in my dining room, i'll prolly use part of my first paycheck to have a small, foldable, wheeled table of glory delivered for free (and! will def have a table by the time libitina visits to play with stained glass)

dpfesh helped me track one down yesterday. i measured both my exisiting table and my kitchen work island to help judge the dimensions of a new guy (ideally, in betweeen both). wheels are definately required, but if it's small enough, i don't need it to fold

the delivery is key, coz there's no way i could wrestle a table into/out of my car and then up the steps by myself

and then, the next time an able bodied sweetie is in my apt, mebbe we'll switch the futon/tv locations

~wiggles~

i've been wanting to change things around for awhile now. there's been much pondering and planning (in my head). so happy to see it coming to fruition in real life!

later this month, i'll take another pass at the pantry. i still like having shelves in the dining room closet to hold food/cooking things. needs better organizing that it can withstand my desire to rummage. also, i think all dishes need to be in cabinets. something unpleasant is happening to the plates i've got out in the rack. ~geh~

sometime soon, i'll need to replace the futon. the rig that grendelgongon and bitmonger set up has given me an extra 2 years of futon joy. but i can hear it starting to protest, poor thing

next on the list is to either organize the 4 existing bookshelve more happily (with plenty of crafting space as well as better groupings for the books) or replace them all with a smaller number of sturdier cabinets, mebbe with dust preventing doors? OOoOOo my ideal joy would be glass doors, i can see the purty yarns/books and know they're not getting so dusty that i (literally) get bronchitis when i try to reorganize them

eEEeEEe

my carpets are all clean!!

part of the whole "hooray for renewing yer lease" is a free carpet steam clean

bitmonger helped me move my glass table, wooden chairs and rocking chair out of the living room last night

and, i have to say, i'm loathe to put them back

i love all the space i have to walk around in!

so, anyone want a rocking chair or a medium sized oval glass table with faux brass stand?

seriously

Philly is busting out of our pants and onto the streets!

Calling all radical fatties and their allies!! Join us for the fattest day of the summer!!

July 11, 2009, you are invited to participate in 3 radical fat events.

First, a flash mob, or rather a FLESH mob.

The idea is that we'll gather at the Philadelphia Art Museum, and scantily/flashily/fabulously clad self-identified fat folks will run, walk, skip, waddle, ride, saunter, sashay, etc. their way to the top of the famous stairs, Rocky style. Fat folks who don’t do stairs can be waiting at the top for the mob. All of this while allies are cheering, holding signs, and handing out fat liberation literature. This action is going to be filmed for our fat queer documentary. The key word here is FLASH, this is going to be very quick so don’t be late or you’ll miss all of the fun.

All that fat visibility will have made me hungry! On to a barbeque in West Philadelphia for delicious summer fare and exciting company.

Don’t be shy fatties and allies, fuel up for the mega hot fat dance party that night!! Be prepared to show off your sweet moves and hottest queer fashions while raising funds for our fat queer documentary.

Here’s the run down:

Flesh Mob
Time: 2:00pm
Where: Fountain directly across the street from the Philadelphia Art Museum

Come dressed flashily/scantily!

BBQ
Time: 4:00pm-8:00pm (directly following the action)
Where: 4606 Kingsessing Ave. West Philly
Cost: $3 (no one turned away for lack of funds) + $2 PBR

Fat Dance Party (For Every Body)
Time: 9:00pm-1:00am
Where 4606 Kingsessing Ave. West Philly (same as the BBQ)
Cost: $3-5 + Whiskey and Vodka bar.


Can’t wait to see you!

Becka, Eileen, and Jamison (makers of the awesome doco)

what ever the monitor equivalent of legs would be

pixels?

for about a year now, on start up it's had a 2 in wide band, from top to bottom, around about center left. this goes away completely after about 5 min and only re appears when some function kicks in a screen blanking (like, not when switching programs but sometimes when resizing from a game/movie)

fine

a couple of weeks ago, it developed a 1 pixel wide strip from top to bottom, over on the left (past the disappearing band of white) that's all blue and never goes away

still, i was ignoring it

two days ago, i noticed a similar strip on the right, that's all red

~le sigh~

time to start seriously pondering a replacement

all my data's saved to the external guy, so no worries there

and, the actual ... working bits are doing just fine. so if the whole monitor spontaneously blanks, i can connect it to the TV for last minute fixes

in fact, i might happily keep it around to serve as a netflix instant watch portal

however, a new shiny laptop of faster better game processing would be marvelous

o wise intertubes, what new laptop should i get?

( the next guy should have: )

i don't require the new guy to come from Dell. tho, i have enjoyed my relationship with them and would prolly stay on, out of inertia. specially if they offer deals/credit

( here's the specs on the current guy )

my first week on the new meal planning schedule is going very well

libitina and i spent a delightful day at a u-pick cherry orchard on sun

i also visited their non local non organic but brightly displayed and reasonably priced produce stand ~chuckle~

turns out, when i wander around picking out veggies at random and setting them on the counter, i can quickly amass a pile that's actually too heavy for me to carry ~d'oh~

we decamped to her place for dinner and massive quantities of food prep

i pitted and halved ~ 5 pounds of cherries

after regaling me with a beguiling array of slinky dresses and skirts from the depths of her closet, libitina very politely chopped my veggies (and a watermelon!) into gorgeous julienned bits*

before bed, i sprinkled any number of nummy brown spices on the cherries and set them in a 100 degree oven in a single layer on a cookie sheet

this morning, i made sure they were unstuck, turned over and put back in with the oven off while i went to work

when i got home, i tossed enough of the veggies to fit a gallon zip lock with olive oil, pesto seasoning and lemon pepper

into the oven at 350 for an hour

while they were happily roasting, i put together the dough for Parmesan pull aparts

after a quick consultation with luluisme about what "let yeast stand until foamy" means, i was good to go

(turns out, while i was on the phone worrying over 'em, the lil buggers decided to foam ~heh~)

got everything mixed and it's just about finished the first rise time

~fingers crossed~

*i can see that i'm going to need to invest in a device that will julienne (rather than shred). i really love the affect on the veggies when they cook, but i completely detest cutting them up myself (not to mention the increased potential for disaster if i'm required to wield a knife that long)

we've got one vote for a mandolin. this one comes with a lil shield/handle doodad, to help avoid the inevitable

what device would y'all use?

neat!

i was wanting to set up weekly reminders on my gcal to make the foundation meals

but, i wanted those particular entries to be in a diff color, so they wouldn't look like actual social events

(and so folks wanting to schedule with me don't get confused and think i'm not avail 'cause my cal sez i'm roasting veggies that day ~grin~)

i played around with the task feature, which does allow a separate color and places a note in the "all day" section of the weekly cal view. but, annoyingly, tasks don't auto repeat

i was all prepared to make a whole separate google account when i stumbled across the cute lil "create" button under my calendar name

~score~

now i've got a meal planning calendar, in green, with it's own recurring events

i figure i'll try for 4 of the foundation items weekly:

sun - roasted veggies
mon - rolls/pizza dough
wed - chicken (shredded, roasted or sticky)
thurs - soup (with all the leftover bits from the week)

and 2 items monthly:

2nd sat - tomato sauce
2nd tues - lasagna

i'm hoping the regular schedule will also help with having just a once weekly grocery trip. and, that the trip will have a set list. i don't mind going more often, but it'll be easier to budget this way

i'm all mycited about this cooking/scheduling/budgeting adventure

stay up late last night, reading the last book in the belgariad series

then slept the morning away

got up around noon and set myself the task of some serious video game playing ~grin~

am currently enthralled with zenerchi

lil colorful blocks!

( when my tummy rumbled, i made an attempt at a spinach/mushroom rice dish )

i'm hoping that by planning meals out more clearly, i can save money by buying staple foods in bulk/on sale.

so far, this has worked wonderfully for the whole "make tomato sauce in large batches, then randomly make lasagna with whatever's in the fridge plus whatever pasta's in the pantry" plan

i'd like to expand that sort of cook a foundation item/use foundation item in several meals formula

possible foundation items:

roasted veggies - can make quesadilla, pizza, quiche, soup, add to rice, add to pasta
bread/pizza dough - can make, uh, pizza ~grin~; can have rolls to chomple randomly
soup - uses up leftovers: beef noodle, chicken noodle, potato, tomato, roasted veggie
tomato sauce - can make lasagna, pour over pasta, pizza
spicy shredded chicken - can make quesadilla, pizza, quiche, soup, taco salad, add to rice, add to pasta

that's 5 foundation items to make weekly/bi weekly

and then, hopefully the actual meal prep each night will be sort of clear:

easy option: use what ever's in the fridge/pantry.

or: make a dish from scratch (spanikopita, yakisoba, pork roast, learn something new)

while the first goal is saving money (eating out less often/not buying lunch at the work cafe), the second is equally important: providing an impetus to actually cook.

one of the ways my depression manifests is in a paralyzing ambivalence about self care: cooking, cleaning (myself and my kitchen), getting adequate sleep.*

i enjoy cooking

sometimes, tho ... it's really hard to over come inertia. and ordering in/going out are way easy.

i'm going to try making meal prep into the fun thing i do at home several evenings a week. which is to say, rather than think "weah, this meal takes 2 hours to make", i'll try to think "yay! this is a great way to enjoy being at home" ~heh~

it's a bit ... hokey, i know. but i gotta start somewhere.

(and yes, not all meals take 2 hours, but that's what's going thru my head when i'm whining)

happily, i've found that having folks over for dinner is a way fun motivator

i made a delish spinach and mushroom lasagna for my mr james last night. even washed up the dishes while the food was baking! (my dishes multiply at an alarming rate, and i'm easily overwhelmed by them)

everything but the spinach/mushrooms already existed in my fridge/pantry - so the cost was spread out over several past grocery trips

had plenty of happy making chat time. fed us both, with seconds, and still had enough leftovers for three lunches

*interestingly, it doesn't extend to not caring about hygiene/clothing when appearing in public ... i think the bits of me that would be ashamed to step foot out the door as a slobby fat girl are stronger than the depression bits in this one area. weird

all my expenses + debt repayment are at the lowest currently possible ~woot~

the next step to lower expenses is crazy talk realm: don't pay for the intertubes, don't have a monthly cell phone plan, don't turn on the lights, default on debt repayment

and! i found out that, after 5 years, my rent freezes. so long as the policy doesn't change, my rent won't go up ever again ~score!~

the last 4 areas to tackle are: gas, groceries, savings, allowance

~deep breath~

i've been lusting after these lil beaded stitch markers for awhile now

at first, i was all "psh, why would i want some random thing hanging off my knitting needle"

then! i saw one being used

was gorgeous

and really, dangly sparkly crafty things? so very me (i think a magpie shagged a cat somewhere in my dna chain)

a few weeks ago, i'd picked up a lil $2 kit for making beaded hemp necklaces/bracelets

turns out, i can't even a bit follow the directions. nor do i have much of an innate "tie this kind of knot here" skill

however! mebbe i can use the doomed bracelet beads to create a dangly stitch marker thingie?

my mr james is coming over tonight to be crafty (he's putting a sealant coat on the winter figurines he been painted)

i'm gonna swing by AC Moore and scrounge around for some sort of ... earring kit? i dunno. something that has a metal circle (to go around the knitting needle), with a straight bit (for the beads to sit on) and an end bit (uh, to keep the beads from falling off?)

it put the lights out for a bit

so, since i couldn't finish my video game, i decided to have a bit of a ...

well, prayer i suppose is the proper word

tho devotion and meditation are just as good

lit all the pretty candles in the living room

put 2 fingers of the, uh, waters of life over ice ~heh~

set out my cool speakers (with the sparkley lights and yellow lava lamp in the middle)

tuned my iPod to the kirtan set i put together for rath yatra

was quite wonderful

got to ponder a couple of bits of my world that haven't been doing well

gave much thanks for the staggering number of bits that *are*

i was 10 or 11, flipping thru channels. saw him in that crazy red leather outfit, a raft of odd monster looking black folks dancing behind him

i called out to my sisters excitedly "hey, micheal jackson's in a new movie or something!"

~grin~

we watched the whole thing thru and then came a spot touting the channel's name

and that's how i learned about MTv

~bounce~

having a cute lil visit with my casfesh tonight

there shall be dry cleaning returned to it's rightful owner

and a cuisinart food processor to try out

and dinner

and smooching

and joy

When: Sunday, June 28th from 1 to 4

Where: A-Space, 4722 Baltimore Avenue (West Philly)

What: Bring your new and gently used clothes in sizes xl-6x to swap.

Accessories welcome, too!

How much: $5 donation (or more if you can) gets you in to swap.

All proceeds benefit NOLOSE (www.nolose.org)

wee hoo!

we're having our very own fat flea market this sun

there's plenty to choose from: casual to business to steppin' out

stop by and join the luv

~wiggles~

they'll be in philly from oct 14 to 18

i freaking heart this circus

and am particularly in lust with Alegria

i hope they have bit with the folks soaring around with silken curtains wrapped on their arms

anyone wanna go with?

went well

(canna get to gmail, but can read LJ. so, it's a break even on the internet perks)

tasks seem doable, nothing fancy

am part of a large team, 5 others started with me today - 12 started last week

bosses are nice, good at explaining

i took cuddlebunnie's advice and spoke directly with manager man 'bout the hair. tho, i did wait til after we'd been told that jeans were acceptable and i'd worked a full day ~chuckle~

am happy to be making money again. am very much looking forward to sitting here and doing the non rock star tasks for, hopefully, the next 6 months. (feel free to gently remind me of this when i'm feeling antsy in 3 months)

will have to figure how to pay bills and rebuild my savings at the same time. i lived off savings during my 10 month unemployment stint and it's mostly gone now. i managed to only use a small amount of credit, and it's hanging out in low interest repayment land

we'll see where the world is by jan 2010, might be ready to poke my nose out and sniff around for more brain stimulating (and higher paying ~ahem~) gigs

whine whine whine

my back hurts

whine whine whine

i'm hella bored

whine whine whine

berry week started today

whine whine whine

still not sure i have a job

whine whine whine

am home from camping

hurt my back

very bad

there was much crying

can't start my new job today

there's a fair chance they'll cancel my contract

gaian mind as an organization sucks balls

my cabin mates were the awesome

am taking meds and attempting bed/couch rest

my mr james will be stopping by this evening with food and a refilled prescription

wiping my ass is a new and exciting challenge each time

phone calls are more than welcome

i've got the rest of the veggies we picked up* from the farm on sun

red onion
green and yellow squash
red pepper
eggplant
grape tomatoes

tossed with olive oil, kosher salt, pesto seasoning, black pepper and chili 3000

single layer on a cookie sheet

they've been in a 350 degree oven for 30 min

i'm thinking 15 more and they'll be perfect

~chomple~

*which is not to say they were raised on that particular new jersey farm ~grin~ most are from hither and yon

ground turkey
cans of diced tomatoes
jar of ragu
half of the veggies that the wonderous libitina cut up for me
red onion
green and yellow squash
eggplant

pesto seasoning
chili 3000
beef and veggie soup base

~wiggles~

for lunch today, i dipped delicious onion rolls in to the sauce

here's the thing, while it's hella tasty ... it's also too salty

mer

i wonder how that happened? mebbe the beef soup base from penzy's is saltier than the chicken base? mebbe the extra 4 hours of simmering with the top off sort of concentrated all the flavors more than i hoped?

is there any cure for an overly salted sauce?

i'm pretty sure that when i use it in a meal, like lasagna, it'll be fine. but for dipping bread in, the salt is way noticeable

OOoOOo i love this one

i was facilitating a discussion group for BiZone

the topic was Coming Out as Bi: When, Why and How

dpfesh and casfesh were all about the bi ness, but had no community and mostly straight friends

so, they drove from p'ville (near King of Prussia) all the way to camden, nj!

they walked into the room and ... wow

they were new and shiney and awesome

i pounce on them just as soon as my official duties were met

they claim they would have pounced as well, if i hadn't gotten there first ~tee~

the tale of how we became a triad is more (and less) complicated

after the initial "hey, yer hot", we all had dinner several times

dpfesh and i clicked mostest

she and i would chat via IM while working boring corporate jobs

about a year goes by, with random dinners for the 3 of us and much daily talking for jen and i

and one day as i'm closing down my IM for the day, she says good night and i say "love you, g'night!"

which was all surprising and made me silly

during that year, we'd both been clear about how ... well, girls are scary to date ~heh~

i pointed out the bit of "hey, if there's already love, why not try the dating thing?

so, we did

that moved along happily for about a year (and sometimes bumpily, with me saying, more than once: erm, i'm not dating casfesh. so mebbe this event/trip/dinner could be just us?)

in addition to weekly grrlies's date (she and i) there were increasing numbers of "the three of us going somewhere fun" type excursions (with more or less grump from me depending on a near infinite variety of factors, not the least of which was: have i had lunch yet? and: have i had a just grrlies's date in recent memory)

one night, we three were sitting in their back yard, enjoying the stars

and, completely out of the blue, dpfesh sez: you know, we're like a lil family

now, my grrlie is awesome, but not known for mushy sentiment ~heh~

casfesh and i just 'bout burst into tears and were stunned to realize she was right. we'd somehow melded into a triad without looking

it took us all quite a while to adjust to the newly recognized structure and find our places within it

after that, we made agreements together and there's been a great deal of shifting of the 3 dyad relationships

at this point, we all feel that we are each in a committed primary level relationship "with the triad" itself

~bounce~

I want you to ask me something you think you should know about me.

Something that should be obvious or maybe not, but you have no idea about.

Ask away.

bitmonger and i found a wonderful new* indian restaurant last night

it's @ 45th and Baltimore

http://www.desi-village.com/

the chicken mahkani was delish with a complex and smokey flavor.

(fair warning, their medium spice level was just about too hot for me. luluisme: totally get the mild!)

* new to us - it's been getting rave reviews since 2005

was wondering if anyone would like to go halfsies on the member level below?

i'd be the member and you'd be the guest - we'd each get 2 IMAX tix, is what i was thinking

( member details )

~grin~

my friend starstealingirl hopes to visit in early oct (9 - 13)

what wonderous and fun things do you think a first timer, queer, kinky, poly gal should do or see?

here's my first blush:

1. camden aquarium! (column of jellyfish! hippos of cute!). possibly also the zoo?

2. if there's a strong pull for national pride type things we've got the cracked bell and a few important parchments that i would enjoy seeing again. will check out the bus tour

3. Black Phoenix, a great kink club, at least once

4. perhaps a pot luck with my sweeties and friends? mebbe with games or a movie

5. stroll along South Street - a bizillion kinky/queer stores to ogle

6. OoooOoO Giovanni's Room - a queer bookstore

7. i think the philly dkye march and one of the pride events is in oct. anyone have the dates (if they're set this far in advance)

8. we can hit Dave and Busters ~wiggles~ this might be a great trip for dpfesh and casfesh to join us on

9. reading terminal and a farmer's market - we can bring back the tasties to cook for dinner

eeEeEEEEee

was in the bathroom, washing my hands, when this gorgeous black girl says: i love your hair! what do you use?

~preen~

had a 5 min convo where in i schooled her

got to reveal all the secret white girl curly hair products that work wonders on our type of hair (thick, hella curly, wanting to be frizzy, but also able to grow long) (hers is as long as mine used to be)

oh man!

remember that BMS contract i posted about?

it's even better than the one i just accepted (more money, better commute, better actual work, same 6 month time frame but for a company i *know* loves to hang onto contractors for up to 2 years)

hope to have a phone interview tomorrow and perhaps an in person week after next

(after i remembered i'm going to gaian mind, i got the contract folks to push back my start date to july 15th. i'll have the week of the 8th off to sleep and, possibly, interview)

i'm gonna play the slut and try to get 'em to make an offer. shall ponder how and when to mention i've accepted another contract. thoughts are appreciated!

my sweetie bitmonger has a delicious phone voice

thanks for the assist, darling ~kisses~

slightly more money, slightly closer commute

the work itself is copious and quite possibly, tedious ~heh~

it's with one of my old consulting companies that i liked

it's not any of the jobs you've heard about so far ~chuckle~ completely out of the blue

i'm leaving my current contract 2 weeks early, which, i feel kinda crappy about

seriously, i never expected the lil phone screening from last night to turn into a real offer - no interview or anything!

new gig is a 6 month contract for Merck in blue bell, pa

google sez it's 40 min - compared to 60+ for current gig

not ideal, but not for ever (my forever goal is to commute via train to CC and then move somewhere's in the train region 1 or 2)

it's definately trading up, so i'm pleased

i've now worked more hours in 2009 than i did in the whole of 2008

we were asked to ponder the nine ADF virtues and see if/how they applied to our lives

my tally: three of 'em are in my world (perseverance, courage and integrity); two of 'em i had to re interpret (moderation became balance, fertility became creativity); and the other 4 are just silly/annoying (wisdom, piety, hospitality, vision)

do any of these strike a chord with you?

-Wisdom - erm, like being smart? or mebbe this is more like "continuing to learn" or not being closed to new ideas

-Perseverance - yes! stick-to-it-ive-ness. i totally like this one. balanced with a desire to realistically evaluate the situation, coz, not all things should be continued.

-piety - what, like, always going to ritual or consistently honoring the gods? eh, i don't need this one. i make offerings when i'm moved to. i try to make sure it's not only when i need something. past that, i don't think sticking to a schedule makes me a better pagan

-Hospitality - eh. i'm not a fan of opening my home to someone simply because they exist. i entertain and cherish my friends. i'm often uncomfortable with overly solicitous strangers

-Vision - what in the world? like, being a visionary? seeing outside the box? or seeing into other realms? i find that to be a bit of tosh, really. i think more folks could do with seeing what's actually in front of them in *this* realm ... and then trying to make it better.

-Moderation - screw that! i'd like as much of everything as i can carry, please. then, i'll happily share out the extras. i'm gonna pretend this one means "balance". as that's a virtue i can get behind. a bit from column a, a tad from row 3

-Courage - hrm. in the face of what? somethings are daunting for a reason. could be you haven't thought things through or aren't prepared. i tend to view fear as a healthy reaction and i try to pay attention to what i can learn from it. then, properly prepared, i'm all in for a battle - either with others to get what's owed, or with myself to let go of what i think i'm entitled to.

-Fertility - yeah, that's a big no thank you. not every human should reproduce. however, i do try to cultivate a richness of creativity and a spirit of adventure/learning/growth

-Integrity - yes! i'm totally down with this one. do the thing you said you'd do. and do it well. if you canna do it, then let it be known and ask for help.

i heard an article that mentioned x y and z were undermining tradtional chinese values

which made me wonder, what are traditional american values?

what do you guys think?

the fam's taking a trip today

we'll catch ya'll on the other side

at the moment:

i'm currently working a loverly 2 month data analyst contract (1 month in, 1 to go).

the only drawback to this gig is the commute (and perhaps an overly excitable gal cowerker)

there's a 5-10 day crunch time at the beginning of each month. luckily, my berry week cycle does not coincide with gal cowerker losing her cool during crunch time.

so far, i've learned one whole new skill (SAP) and refined another (vlookup in excel). which means this contract has given me a whole new market to tap and my time spent here is all bonus

the money is ok, not nice and not where i'd like to be for any lenght of time (tho, of course, way better than the zero income i had for 12 months. just saying)

this contract could end any sec if they find a perma candidate. could extend forever as they take time to search. 2% chance they'll offer me the perma gig

i like this team and i would try very hard not to leave them without 2 week's notice, and especially not in the middle of crunch time. trouble is, all recruiters lately want to hear "avail immediately". no one's giving me room to say "two week's notice" ~bah~

Gig 2

perma data analyst position for a middling sized company in KoP

couple days ago, i got a recruiter call and, after the phone screen, was asked to interview

had the int yesterday, late afternoon. went very very well. like, hella well, i tell ya

would have a similar commute to current contract (so, not my fav), but 25 min shorter for not having to trek down 202. and now that i'm adjusting to the early morn schedule, i can certainly see the joys of pre 8 am turnpike driving. i'd much rather be working in center city and taking a train, but i'm not being given those options lately

i'd prolly want to move closer in a year (but saving up might take longer with this gig), try to find somewhere tween bitmonger and dpfesh that's accessible by train so i can mebbe rekindle my center city job dreams

the work would be challenging and fun, i think. might be a bit too high stress, tho - they've got a daily report schedule. that leaves little time for refinement and building in the structure that makes things easier

the money is nice. and it's a perma gig with benefits

am waiting to hear back from the hiring manager

Gig 3

got a call this morning for a 6 month contract for ... BMS. you remember them? my dream gig that i quit to seek my fortune and then my fortune laid me off and i couldn't find another gig for ... 12 months?

right, so

gig wouldn't be my old one. not even that same location.

would be a nice commute into jersey. so, no options for moving closer to any of 3 cities my 4 sweeties live in. but, would be a great gig to help replenish my savings. and if i'm not moving anytime soon anyway, i'd rather be getting better money while i'm staying put

work would be with SAP and would prolly rock muchly. they're offering training and everything

the money is nicer than gig 2 and the contracting company is offering benefits. BMS has a culture of keeping contractor for years, so i can be 45% safe in considering this as a perma gig.

am waiting to see if they'd like to interview me

~whew~

so!

barring any more phone calls, that's where we stand ~heh~

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/05/spirithelp/

hey, neat

did you know that there are still lil rovers on mars?

and one is stuck in the sand?

i'd thought there were all dead (battery-wise)

"Both Spirit and Opportunity have been traveling the midsection of Mars for more than 20 times the planned 90-day length of their missions. While Opportunity had its own five-week sand vacation in 2005, recently Spirit has had more trouble. In January, the rover malfunctioned for reasons that still aren’t clear."

that's awesome

not like hotdogs awesome. but truly awe inspiring

~whew~

did a fairly thorough weeding of my flist

went from 130 to 87

i forgot to check the number of comms before i started - i need to got back thru tomorrow to make sure i've selected the proper watching/member of/posting access to levels

(the interface was a bit touchy - so if i unfriended you and that makes you sad, there's a fair chance it was a mistake. drop me a line, 'k?)

~claps~

my mr james and i are gonna trek down to bryn mawr thurs night to see a live version of the cool NPR show

there's still tix left, if anyone wants to join us

we'd tried to see marty moss-coane a few years back, at an ACLU sponsored book reading. i decided to dress up and bought a t-shirt that said "I Read Banned Books" ~heh~ sadly, we got there late, they'd underestimated the crowd and i barely got to see the top of her head as she walked by, let alone hear anything.

this time, i'll plan better ~grin~ shall get there early, will sit cutely with my knitting, save a seat for mr james

here's the detail:

Set against the backdrop of the majestic Thomas Great Hall of Bryn Mawr College, Radio Times on the Road will feature Moss-Coane and a panel of distinguished local guests discussing the national political scene, including the recent defection of Senator Arlen Spector from the Republican Party. Afterwards, enjoy a cup of coffee with Moss-Coane, the Radio Times production team, and the panel for a post-discussion coffee and dessert reception. We hope you can join us. Visit whyy.convio.net/radiotimeslive to reserve your seats today.

reached a (rather important to me) milestone last week

i went to the gym twice

in one week

without a complaint

~bounce~

now that i'm back to a more regular attandance at bellydance, i'm hoping it'll continue to feel nice and simple to slip an evening of walking or basketball into my week (this isn't so much a scheduling concern as a ... whining concern ~heh~)

i'm on target for exercise x 2 this week as well: my james and i played basketball at the courts near his place for over an hour on sun. so, as long as i go to bellydance on thurs, i'm all set

i need to develop a simple set of stretches to do before working out. something that will keep my achilles tendon happy

um, i'm kinda in love with this job

just sent off an update 'bout one very cool project, fielded a request for another, and called the helpdesk to report an application error

all in like, 20 min

~wiggles~

(to remind myself: this commute is not sustainable. this is a 2 month contract. there is only a 2% chance i'll be asked to stay on - they're sure to find a suitable internal candidate.)

ETA: have discovered the thing that shall deflate my current NRE for my job

gal cowerker

is like, not getting along with yer crush object's secondary

well, she's secondary to company. but, uh, primary to me

annoyingly

which, never has to happen in real life ~grin~

hey there, folks

just wanted to point out, in case you weren't comfy/clear:

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/key_facts.htm

Can people catch H1N1 flu from eating pork?

No.

H1N1 influenza viruses are not transmitted by food.

You can not get H1N1 influenza from eating pork or pork products.

Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe.

Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills the H1N1 flu virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.

~bounce~

just learned a new (to me) excel trick

is the vlookup thingie

in any set of colums, it finds the row you want connected to whatever value from the left column you asked it to look for

kind of thing ~chuckle~

i'd always been afeared of it. but boy cowerker sat down and walked me thru it, using an actual adhoc report request. so, real data, real conditions, real results

~claps~

for that right there, new job rocks muchly

(yer free to remind me of that at the end of next week when i'm trying to remain calm while cowerkers and boss pull out their hair trying to get month end reports done)

well, alrighty then

had a great phone int with the hiring manager @ 10 am this morn

consulting company called me back @ 11:30 am

i start on mon

is a 2 month contract, in west chester, pa

i think the work itself will be a great mix of interesting/challenging and boring/repetitive

commute will suck ~shrug~ i can do anything for 2 months

it's weird

i'd just gotten my head around this whole freelance thing. and now 9-5, m-f work is being offered.

i'm disappointed that my Excel training guy isn't avail today or tomorrow. coz, now *i'm* not avail during the day for awhile - and i really wanted to finish teaching him how to format that one report. but, i counted no less than 7 distinct points where he said "huh! i never knew you could do that!". so, i've definitely given him his money's worth, even if it turns out to only be the one session

my first freelance gig is this afternoon, from 1 to 3

shall be showing a very nice mr vending machine company owner a few excel tricks

like, you can save a copy of the worksheet to futz around with on yer own desktop, rather than waiting until all the workers go home so you don't interfere with them using it

you know, tricks ~smirkle~

if this goes well, could be at least 4 more training sessions, and a possible project to build him a snazzy new thingie ~woot~

shall try my very very best not to be snarky at him in any way. is not his fault, poor mr company owner. shall train him up good

and then! i've got an in person interview for a 2 month DBA gig @ 4 pm.

there was some mention that the client wanted to start immediately and they'd most likely hire directly from the phone int.

the consulting company head honcho is driving all the way out to mt laurel to meet me for coffee, rather than wait til thurs when i could come to his office. which! man, that's ... either creepy (like: *why* do you so very much need to *LOOK AT ME*) or incredibly heartening (like: i'm such a strong candidate they feel i'd ace the phone int with the client and could start right away).

and then! bitmonger and i have a cute lil visit. i've put a reminder in my phone to prompt me to leave NJ and drive my ass back home to meet him at the train station ~grin~

hark! i hear my alarm telling me it's time to put on clothes and wend my way to jersey for to be employed!

(oh noes! i don't have a werk themed icon! how'd that get overlooked all this time?)

i can happily walk you thru the basics*

i've got everything needed - and i'm guessing a small (say 6x6 square?) lil project could be started and finished in one evening. tho, i'd also be keen to set up multiple visits for longer term projects

on my shelf right this minute are a million colors of glass, both translucent and opaque

got a grinder for the stubborn bits

soldering iron and whatnot

can even do the fancy antiquing stains so it looks like wrought iron ~grin~

*enough to give you a feel for the craft if you've never tried it before. or, if yer all sortsa crafty already, i can sit and work on my own project while you create something awesome. i'd really enjoy the company ~warm smile~

and i'm sitting here, all nervousy

i'd promised to be avail by phone in case she needs to call after

my poor grrlie pit

i'm glad she found a doc who mostly passed alla questions on the first try

we've all got such ... hope riding on this

if you'd care to spare a comforting thought, just now would be a grand time