Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in misterflames' LiveJournal:

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Monday, November 2nd, 2009
11:35 am	I just wanted to test this out. Now, how does one do the "behind the cut" thing, hmmm? (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
1:31 am	Satisfaction So I sit here, contemplating the day that has past, and honestly I think it was a pretty good one. The reason why? My treadmill arrived. About two weeks ago, Sue and I went out on a shopping trip, and one of the things I was shopping for was a treadmill. I had talked with a nutritionist about getting things more squared away, and she pointed out that exercise was something that needed to happen. My cholesterol was high, particularly the LDL levels, while the HDL levels were severely lacking. Admittedly, that's probably my genetics talking, but diet and exercise can improve matters. Also, while my overall blood sugar levels were improving, my kidneys were taking a hit having to deal with the higher levels and weird spikes I get. So, exercise. Now, one of the good ways of getting exercise is walking, but as we know, walking with my feet as they are is rather a trial. The solution for that would be a level walking surface that could also cushion my steps, so a treadmill would be needful. Admittedly, I could sign up to a gym, but let's be honest here. *Going* to the gym requires a hell of a lot more motivation than I have, presently. I'm crazy, I'm lazy, but I'm not stupid. grin Hooray for self-knowledge. Now, treadmills can be complicated, but the big factor of them is the price. I needed a treadmill that could handle my weight, and I'm about 385 pounds with my boots on. Also, with all things, you get what you pay for. So I went to The Fitness Outlet in Lynnwood to see what I could see after doing a little online research. The salesman, a gentleman by the name of Mark, was quite helpful and informative, and didn't try to sell me on the top end devices, either. Of course I did mention that I was on a budget, but was willing to spend for quality if need be. Mark suggested that we try the Spirit XT475, which was the model I had identified online. It fit well, seemed comfortable and adjustable, and the price even after tax was cheaper than the online sales price tag at the link. The only bobble was that their local warehouse was out, but they had it on order. I agreed and paid for it, and waited patiently while working with the dumbbells I bought at Fred Meyer. Today was the day of delivery, and two helpful gents arrived to assemble and set up the treadmill for me. Tekle and I had decided on the garage, since the treadmill weighs nearly as much as I do, so that's a factor as well. The gents set everything up and helped explain the unit, and left me with little extras as well as what I needed to make it go. So I decided to try a light workout, then and there. I punched in my weight, my age, and programmed it for a fifteen minute walk, then I gripped the hand bars and away I stayed. I liked how it measured my pulse by my grip on the bars, and the ability to hit stop to pause was useful, too. It even has a shelf and two recesses, so I can have a place for a water bottle (included!), a music player (iPods were mentioned, but I'm not a fan of Apple's Marketing department. I buy my mp3s from Amazon, and my next cell phone will probably have music involved), and a book. Plus two little fans to help cool me, not that they were needed today. Fifteen minutes had me go for about a third of a mile, after I adjusted the speed to something I could handle. Afterward, honestly, I felt pretty good. My sugars were better for it, too. Now, I'm going to see about making it part of my daily routine, like dealing with the cat box and making sure Buddy's got clean water and kibble. In time, I'll probably be able to handle more time, and maybe more speed, although I doubt I'm going to be walking as fast as I did when I had sneakers. But it's something to build up for, and another way to work on having a life again. I'm awfully thankful for Tekle being there, though, because I messed up on how much cash I needed for the delivery. Tekle spotted me fifty dollars, and when we go out on a little shopping trip I'll be sure to pay him back. Plus, I'm going to see about getting some groceries. The weather has turned, and I'd like some more chili. laugh (Comment on this)
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
2:55 pm	KITTY! Today Tekle and I went to Animal Talk Rescue and looked over the various cats there. Isenron, the tabby ginger tom, wasn't enamored with me, but I decided to check the other cats there and see what we could see. Good thing, too, because I was introduced to Tub Tub. The lady who handed him off to me was a little confused at which of the cats it was, so I was introduced to him as "Cassandra", but we got that squared away after a moment. Tub Tub immediately started to head bump me and snuggle, purring all the while, so it was pretty obviously that he was meant for me to take home. I had been claimed. So we went ahead and bought everything that we needed as a starter as well, and brought the kitty home. I renamed him to "Buddy" for the nonce, because he really doesn't seem to be a 'Tub Tub' to me. We'll see what his name is supposed to be in a few days. He'll let me know. Buddy's taken to the home as if he's lived here all of his life. He's cuddling up to everyone, and Leslie adores him. I figured she might, because he's a sweetheart, and she's really been wanting a cat to love. I think it's a good fit, myself. Paul approves of him as well. We'll work out finances so everyone helps support our new friend, and it will be wonderful. All is right with the world. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, September 27th, 2009
2:09 pm	Adoptions... So the latest topic of discussion here at Faithful is how to go about adding to the family, so to speak. Leslie is one of our troika of residents here, and she's been lobbying for a cat for months. A couple of weeks ago, Tekle gave his approval, and the two of them started the process of adopting a cat from one of the local groups. First they went to the Lynnwood Petsmart, who referred them to their Shoreline store. At Shoreline, Leslie found the feline of her dreams, a black and white long haired tom named Sanchez. So, in a world that makes sense, she gets to take the kitty home, right? So, when did this world ever go and do that? laugh I wasn't there, but apparently there were concerns. Leslie has to either use a walker or an powered chair to get around, and Tekle's first language is not English. So they seemed to be concerned over who would be taking care of the feline maintenance duties. But those questions were answered and everything was done on our part to let us bring Sanchez home. But then we started to get delays and concerns and weird bits, like they had been informed that not everyone here approved of getting our new feline friend, and so they decided not to let us adopt him. Leslie broke down in tears when she heard the news. Paul, the new guy, immediately wrote a eloquent reply that the three of us signed stating that we would love nothing better than to welcome Sanchez into our home and spoil him to a ripe old age. The adoption agency acknowledged the letter, and offered to have us come to Arlington to select another cat from them. No, unacceptable. Leslie had chosen Sanchez, and that was the only acceptable solution from our end. As you can see from the link I posted, Sanchez is still listed as available for adoption, although eventually that will be a dead link. So we're back to waiting to hear from the adoption agency, who promised to get back to us no later than Tuesday. Hmmph, two weeks and more at this point. Now if it were up to me? I'd hop into a vehicle right now and go to one of the no kill shelters around here and select a cat and bring it back home with everything I'd need. Places like Animal Talk or the Seattle Humane Society, for instance, seem to be ready and willing to help us get a new cat. And it's not like we're clamoring for a kitten, either. A mature, well-adjusted adult would serve us better here, honestly, and adult cats need homes, too. The only reason I'm waiting is because Leslie fell in love with Sanchez. But we're all being realistic here. I talked with Leslie, Paul, Tekle, and Akberet about this, and we're going to get a cat. If these yahoos at the adoption agency continue their games, then to hell with them, and may God have mercy on the kitties there. Because on Wednesday, Tekle and I are going to go get a cat; a good, happy kitty that we will do our very best to love all of its days on Earth. And I'll send a letter to Petsmart, too, telling them that while we do not hold them responsible for the actions of the adoption agency at their store, when it was time to get the cat we picked up the necessities at the same location, for the convenience as well as to give the agency that worked with us our full support. After all, I'm pretty sure that's why Petsmart has that particular adoption agency at their store, no? "What do you think, sirs?" Current Mood: Righteous Indignation Current Music: Up -- Shania Twain (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
4:25 pm	Updating... Okay, on the medical side, I had another problem crop up. My toenails started to behave in odd ways, and one started to grow a new nail under the old while another just tore itself off on a pull. Concerned, Tekle and I went to Stevens Hospital on Friday and I began IV Antibiotics until the cultures returned. The result was cellulitis, but it was *not* MRSA, thank the gods. I'm taking Sulfa antibiotics to counter that, and since I already had an appointment to the podiatrist today, I went through with that. The doctor tsked a bit at the nail, and did an incision to drain the fluid and to remove the offending material. Net result, I'm down to three toenails at the present, but five toes. Next week I have a follow-up appointment, and we'll see what happens there. During the weekend I also made Jambalaya, with bell peppers for a minimally spiciness. Turned out quite well, even though I needed to add rice later on. Forgot to account for the diced tomatoes in the equation. Take care! Current Mood: relieved (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
1:24 pm	Whups... Nothing too huge here, just wanted to get my thoughts down. Fre did another meatloaf, and she did that quite well. However, I had mentioned the idea of gravy to her, and she tried it and got things all mixed up. The boiled potatoes? Just fine. But over them she just used the Better Than Bouillon and water, but added too much of the paste so that it ended up being quite salty. I think, in part, she got confused from the fact that she's been making gravy from a mix, and she didn't take into account other things I did when I was making the beef stroganoff. Also, I had mentioned that I wanted to help her with making the gravy, but that slipped her mind as well as the fact that I was dozing in the chair here. I doubt she checked on me, but she might have seen my closed door and figured that she need not bother me from my morning nap. She lives with me, she knows my habits. laugh I will admit that my first reaction to this was irritation. After all, the paste isn't exactly cheap when misused. But I reined in those horses, ate the meal, and asked Fre to sit down and we talked about it. I explained the basics of gravy, and asked her that we make it together, since I like to cook as well. It felt funny, though, as if I were the adult and I was teaching my daughter how to cook. I tried to squelch that vibe, though, since Fre has two kids of her own, and while she's younger than I am, our relationship is not based on that. She's my care giver, and she has and deserves my respect. But sometimes, I'm the one that has to step in, because of the language barrier more than anything else. I'm happy to do that, but it does make things interesting in my own head. More things to track and analyze. Another bit of irritation today was a call from the pharmacy. The pharmacy called to say that they would be unable to fill the order for more lancets until the twelfth, because the state insurance will only pay for 100 lancets and 100 testing strips per month for me. The state believes I should be testing three times a day with my blood sugar, but my doctor and I think it should be four. I'll speak with Tekle about this, and we'll work something out, but I put this out there as a data point for state run medical insurance. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
2:58 pm	Beef Stroganoff and other changes. So, on today's Episode of Cooking With Fre, I decided on an easy version of the Beef Stroganoff dish. I started by shopping to pick up ingredients with Sue on Sunday, marveling at the price that cream of mushroom soup is going for, and then I started to work with Fre in the kitchen. Fre's very interesting to work with, I think. I almost believe she's territorial with the knives, insisting on cutting meat and vegetables. Of course, some of it might just be safety and hygiene concerns, since she wears gloves while doing so. First thing I did was refresh my memory of the basics, and I did that with the Food Network site. I don't believe in following recipes religiously, but they do help keep me within the lines. chuckle Fre sliced the beef up, and I prepared some olive oil in the skillet. We put in the beef, along with a clove of garlic and a bit of Lawry's and some pepper, and browned the meat. I took the meat off and added about a cup of sliced mushrooms and a medium onion, and cooked them until the onions were starting to become translucent, then I sprinkled a teaspoon of flour over the mix. At this point, I pulled out the Better Than Bouillon, a cup of water, and the cream of mushroom soup (Campbell's Low Sodium, for those of you who might be interested). The Better Than Bouillon was nice stuff, although a bit spendy at $7.29 a jar. However, that jar will make me about ten quarts of good beef broth, so that's economical. Once I mixed everything together in the skillet, I added the beef back in and covered the skillet to simmer for half an hour, stirring occasionally. The sauce thickened up and the onions melted into it, contributing to the thickness, and at that point I turned off the heat and added in a cup of sour cream. Stirred it evenly, and served it over tricolor bow-tie pasta. Turned out reasonably well, I think. Tekle was here as well, and he enjoyed the dish with me. Fre had just had her breakfast a bit before, but the dish should warm up fine for later over hot pasta. As usual, she studied it so to duplicate it later. It's an easy dish, after all, taking only an hour to cook, all told. Now, the big change here at Faithful is that we're getting a new resident, a gentleman by the name of Paul. He's heavily into science fiction, and had been an animator and commercial artist back in the day. I think he had worked on some of the old Hanna-Barbera cartoons, as I recall from our conversation when he was looking over the place. It'll be interesting to have a new face here, and we'll see what he likes for dinner as well. Tomorrow, we'll be hitting the beach, if the weather cooperates. Hope it does, I'll bring Making Money with me and enjoy a bit of sunshine. So, any suggestions on what to cook next time? laugh (Comment on this)
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
6:03 pm	Kitchen essentials So, I'm looking over the pantry here at good old Faithful, and I'm considering things. Fre and I have come to an understanding about cooking in that she wants to learn more of what I know, both in cooking style and in English, for that matter. So I'm thinking of what sort of recipes and such I can show her, so we can work toward that as well as to continue making friends. Good times, good times. The trouble is, from my point of view the pantry needs work. Spices are minimal, for instance. There's no flour, no corn starch, so that rules gravies out. Noodles are limited, but then again I don't want to go crazy in the pasta department. So I'm sitting here considering what I want to put in a kitchen, what I consider staples for cooking, and that got me wondering the same for you all out there. What would you all suggest that I use to stock my cabinet? Things I want, for a couple of reasons: Flour (for dusting of meat and for gravies) Soy sauce (Might try my hand at fried rice) Broth, Stock or Bouillon Canned diced tomatoes More spices: I already picked up onion and garlic powder, primarily for ease of use. But there are so many others out there. Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme... laugh Olive Oil: I like the flavor of it, for cooking. Might not be a good idea, though. Leslie was also making some sounds about tuna casserole, so picking up the ingredients for that would be a good plan. Whole wheat noodles for the win and the reduced carbohydrates. Leslie mentioned liking the oil-packed tuna for that, so I might grab a couple of cans of that just to try it and see. Thoughts? Current Mood: Plotting Current Music: Anything *but* Scarsborough Faire (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, August 23rd, 2009
3:36 am	I miss the Growly. One of those things I miss having around is a cat. I have been a cat person, I believe, since I was whelped, considering my mother had a cat named Paula when I was a very young child. Alas, Paula ended up having kittens, and I'm told that my father did something cruel to one of them. All I remember, vaguely, is that I was told that Paula and the kittens went to live on a farm a long way away. Now that I'm an adult, and I know my mother better, I can see that as the "truth, from a certain point of view" as an old Jedi Knight would have said. Of course, we're also talking about memories that are probably thirty-seven years old, and having been rewritten a few times in the manner of old data, so who's to say how it went. No matter the digression. I want a kitty. laugh Now, a cat is *possible* here, but it would take more than a bit of work on my part, of course. Which is only fair, since it's not Fre's job to be a kitten wrangler, and Leslie has her mobility issues, and any other people would also have to be considered. Food and litter would have to be purchased, and the cat would need care and shots and to be spayed, of course. It would have to be an indoor cat, which strikes me as interesting, since all of the cats in my memory have been indoor/outdoor cats. I abhor the thought of declawing, since that's really a nice way of saying 'amputate', and I'm not for the idea of mutilating innocent animals. True, cats aren't terribly innocent, but it's not their fault, is it? So this is a letter to the Universe, in essence. Am I supposed to be owned by a cat at this point, or no? A good question. "What do you think, sirs?" (Comment on this)
Thursday, August 20th, 2009
12:23 am	Solving the question of dinner time... So, I had a little dinner party, with lovely friends over for socializing over foodstuff, and it went very well, I think. The dinner I decided on was meatloaf, after I came to the conclusion that, honestly, the meal wasn't so important that it had to be truffles and caviar. So long as the food was prepared well for my friends, it would work out fine. So I went out shopping on Monday with Rae and Mitch, and we picked up things (as well as having a tasty lunch beforehand at Red Lobster). My meatloaf is a reaction to my mother's recipe, honestly, because I've never been a fan of having vegetables within it. My mother had to fool me by dicing up the onions really fine so that they slipped past my notice. I always liked the flavor of onions, but the consistency was something I had a harder time dealing with, at least until I became an adult. But, given my druthers, I'd rather have a vegetable free meatloaf. However, this does not mean I want it without flavor or anything else, or else I might as well just cook hamburgers over the grill. So, I add in seasoned bread crumbs for filler, spices for flavor, and eggs to help bind it all together. An easy shorthand for the spices, I've found, was the Lipton's Savory Herb and Garlic soup mix, but that's damned near impossible to find in a store these days. So, I improvised with garlic and onion powder and a bit of Mrs. Dash as well as a tablespoon or so of Worcestershire sauce. Progresso's Garlic and Herb bread crumbs were the filler, and my rule of thumb for the eggs is one egg per pound of ground beef, rounding up. So, four and a third pounds of ground beef and five eggs. Now, I like to mix this by hand, but since I'm working in a kitchen in an adult family home, I'm not supposed to touch the food directly. Fortunately, we have surgical gloves on hand, but unfortunately, we have my clumsy, big hands to try to stuff them in. (You know what they say: Big hands, big feet, two out of three ain't bad...) Fre stepped in at that point, and did the mixing and the shaping of the meatloaf, and I put it in the oven at 350 degrees, estimating about ninety minutes for baking. (Twenty minutes per pound of meat is another rule of thumb, not that I know how to cook thumbs.) Next was the preparation for the asparagus. Easy to do, once I showed Fre and she nudged me out of the way. laugh Cut off the woody ends, put in a skillet with a bit of water, and heat, and they steam up fine. The couscous was also simple, but that's because it was a box dish, so all I had to do was boil water and a bit of butter (or olive oil if you like) along with the flavor packet, add the couscous and take off the heat and let sit for a few minutes before fluffing it up. Now, I know Fre was taking mental notes on how to prepare things, because both Leslie and I enjoy meatloaf as I prepared it, and it's not at all difficult. With just two of us, though, I would probably only do a pound or so of ground beef. I didn't eat a large meal here, and my blood sugar was just fine at bed time. Admittedly, I did go double on the asparagus, but that worked out fine. I felt a little bad that Sora doesn't like that vegetable, but she really liked the couscous, and that's a plus. That particular brand of couscous was Near East Parmesan Couscous, and they have other varieties available as well. Three bucks a box, but I probably only needed one box to serve five rather than the two I used, but it's all good. Alternately, you can get quick couscous varieties and add in your own seasonings, which I might try sometime. Fre jumps in to do the food prep, though, and it makes me feel a little odd because I'm more of a hands on sort, but I do like it when other people do the chopping. After dinner, we were gathered around the table, and we started playing together and socializing. Two excellent board games were used, but I can't recall the names of them to save my life, and honestly, they were more the means of appreciating each other's company. I love that Ken and Sue got out of the house and that Chris and Sora visited as well. I'm going to have to do this again sometime, and think up some other easy meal to do as well, while accounting for palates as well as my blood sugar. We never did get around to having dessert, but I did have some fruit with my nighttime meds, so it worked out well for me. Thank you one and all, and we'll have to do this again, soon. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, August 12th, 2009
5:55 pm	Performance Anxiety. What strikes me as funny is the silly thoughts flitting through my head. I've invited a few friends over for a little dinner party, and thus the notion of "What's for dinner?" rears its head. I'm known for cooking a couple of things, honestly, and doing them well enough that they are considered tasty, but I'm no chef and I know it. The interesting thing is that I know that I'm no five star chef, or even a short-order cook. I remember once having nani_ka over to cook with me, and showing her a couple of differences on how I do things. That was more for the fun of cooking with someone else, someone who used a difference culinary dialect from me, and enjoying the differences. So it breaks down as a debate on "What's for dinner?" The timeless thought of the ages around mealtime. Silly, isn't it? Current Mood: contemplative (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
11:24 pm	Adventures in cooking. So, after a bit of a shopping trip with Sue last Friday, I brought home fixings for two items which I am somewhat known for cooking. I brought home ingredients for jambalaya and for chili as well. Monday I decided to cook the jambalaya, and Fre, my usual care giver, decided to help. She has a fondness for shrimp, you see, and so I had bought a couple of pounds with the intention of making a couple of dishes with them. However, the andouille sausage I bought had pork in it, which is not something she was permitted to eat, so I saved that for another time. I started with oil in a large pan, and when it heated I added the vegetables, which were an onion, some peppers, and a couple of garlic cloves. The peppers were jalapenos and red chilis, what your average person considers spicy, but I think of as just a flavorful start. Since Eritrean cuisine is supposed to be spicy, I figured this would be well within Fre's tolerances. After letting the veggies cook a bit, I added in the shrimp as well as some Lawry's Seasoning Salt, black pepper, and paprika. I forgot to pick up cayenne pepper, which probably was a good thing. While I let that simmer along and the juices reduce, I started up the rice. Fre was surprised that I didn't want to use the rice cooker, but I told her we weren't doing straight rice, but rice with other ingredients. Hence the cooker would be the wrong choice. To the pot I put in a quart of seafood stock and a can of diced tomatoes with chilis, and let come to a boil before adding the rice. Unfortunately, I had the rice done before the liquid was completely absorbed, but this was not a setback, dear reader, this was providence. I combined the rice and liquid with the shrimp, and let simmer until the juice reduced and everything was permitted to become a cohesive whole. The end result turned out quite well, with a bit of good heat, but not overwhelming. Both Tekle and Fre commented that it was spicy, but they enjoyed it and so there were no leftovers. I was happy with that, honestly, because I usually cook with a crowd in mind, and I only had three people at hand and no real way to handle a large pot of leftovers. Sometime this weekend I might do up a modest pot of chili, but that gets me thinking here. This is my home, and it's a place where I can entertain guests and have fun with them. We've got tables, indoors and out on the patio, as well as sofas and that sort of thing. Who among my local friends would be interested in a bit of cooking and gathering, for the fun of it? I'll want to talk it over with Akberet, but I don't see it as a problem for a Saturday or a Sunday. Leslie, our other resident, shouldn't be a problem, either, and I'll be sure to let her know. And I promise I will not go into my room and log into WoW while the guests are here. Honest! Not even to check my auctions! So, what do you think? (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, July 30th, 2009
7:47 pm	I'm terribly sorry... But I have to say this, and get it off of my chest. "NYAR!" Girl Genius continues to rock the house. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, June 20th, 2009
9:41 am	Five Words Meme... I tagged myself from little_wren82 and her post on the subject. I think she put the meme well when she said, "Reply to this meme by yelling 'Words!' in the comments and I will give you five words that remind me of you. Then post them in your LJ and explain what they mean to you." So, Sue tagged me with the following words, having given them all the thought they were due: books, family, repartee, role-play, divine. And now, onto my thoughts on the matter. Books: Not too many people know this, but my grandmother worked in the Broome County library, and some of my first memories were of the books she had at her apartment, which had been discarded for some reason or another, but she saved and brought home for her grandkids. My love affair with books is probably four decades old, and while I do most of my reading these days online, there is still something satisfying about holding a book in my hand, smelling its fragrance and feeling the tactile joy from the cover and the pages. Books have always been a comfort for me, and probably always will be. I use them as stepping stones to travel the realms of the mind, and come up with a few twists of my own, here and there. Family: An interesting word for me, considering how little I regard the people to whom I share biology with. Oh, I love them, don't get me wrong, but if I never laid eyes on any of them ever again, I shan't complain. No, family to me are those that I've come to embrace over the years, those people who are even closer than friends and hold a place within me that I cherish and embrace. The Japanese have a term for it, nakama, those people who from circumstance are closer than friends, they are a part of you. Not that they are alone in that thought, just ask Shakespeare. "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers." There are some in that sort of family that I may not like so much these days, and I'll spare you names, since those of you who know don't need me to remind you, but that doesn't stop me loving them or caring about them. They are still, for better or for worse, my family, and that's not something that's going to change. Repartee: Oh, I adore wit. Back in college, my circle of friends would trade off lines and such, doing our best to find a topper to the conversational competition. In those days, the ultimate compliment in a conversation was "Fuck you!" It meant that you had so devastated your opponent in the battle of wits that he was reduced to the shambles of profanity. It was all done in fun, of course. There is a reason that conversation is also called 'intercourse'. The trading of thought and the verbal tennis match is a wonder to behold as well as to participate in, and while I've never felt the need for a post-dialogue cigarette, I can see the desire for one creeping into my mind. Maybe that's why they smoked like chimneys back in the 1940s, with people like Hepburn and Tracey employing the give and take there. My wit is quick enough, and can be biting at times. There are others far better than I, of course, but then again, there always are, right? But playing the game, no matter the end result, is a pleasure for me. Role-play: Back when I first started gaming, I was a munchkin, of course. Who wasn't? The games started as an expansion of war-gaming, after all, so focusing on stats and such is where we descended from. But I like the idea of assuming the persona of who I am playing, being that person for a time, and exploring their headspace. At times I don't care for the answers I get, but I respect them because the answers are true ones. It's funny, but I even do this sort of thing when I'm playing other games, just assuming that other mindset and trilling around with the thoughts that emerge. It's not madness, I know, because I know who I am, but... man, finding the words for this is not the easiest thing I've ever done. But it is entertaining, isn't it? Divine: Okay, get this one out of our systems. My love of over ten years listed this as one of my Five Words, and Ego demands I acknowledge that with just two words. "Of course." There, the joke's out of the way now. Are we ready for the real deal? Good. Once upon a time, I contemplated a life as a priest in the Roman Catholic church. The principal of the school I went to thought that I had a calling, and perhaps she was right, but it's not your usual call. I contemplate the divine, and try to understand it, but that's not all. When I take on a role, sometimes I'm pulling down the lightnings from the heavens. You know that sense when you're balanced and in tune, and everything is just coming out right? Yeah, like that. But also there are times when I'm just thunderstruck with a thought, one that seems to be as near to perfect as can be crafted in this flawed vessel, and I know that I have been touched. When I do world-building, I work best with another person feeding me questions. The reasons I give for that is that I don't know what the answer is until the question is asked, and thus we're discovering it together. Most of the time, that's not true, it's just me pulling thoughts I've had subconsciously or getting me to focus on the words to give the right answer. But other times... I get the sense that I'm just passing along information. chuckle In 1602, Neil Gaiman had a character describing what it felt like to become The Mighty Thor™. He described himself as the warhorse that the knight rode, and the two of them worked together to the knight's goal. The God Thor, of course, being the knight. There are times when I've felt those touches of the divine, when I've contemplated the Big Questions, and I get Answers. The truths I get may not be universal, but I'm not universal in the slightest, so of course they are going to be tinged with my perspective, but the questions, the answers, and the path to get there are so fascinating that I have to smile in breathless wonder. And so, in a way, I'm in my cloister, thinking thoughts of the Divine, and trying to figure ways to pass them along. I am utterly convinced that God is an Artist, and that we are indeed crafted in that Image. Our Art is our life, and we acknowledge the gift by giving it our all, and living. So, those are my Five Words. Would you like to know yours? (Comment on this)
Friday, June 19th, 2009
4:47 pm	Thank you. If there is one person, or more, on your friends list who makes your world a better place just because they exist and who you would not have met (in real life or not) without the internet (or its predecessors if you're old enough to remember those), then post this same sentence in your journal. Blame little_wren82 for this one, if you must. I've known her for over a dozen years, met her through the AD&D echo of FidoNet, and my life has been infinitely blessed with her presence. Current Music: Enid - Bare Naked Ladies (Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
2:36 pm	Epic Fail or Epic Win? You be the judge. All right, I'm reading my Friends List, and I spot this bit of amusement, probably done by the 'sharing' feature from the site: http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/irangooglemap/ If I understand the poster correctly, it appears that he wants to have real-time imagery supplied from orbit by Google so that we can see the protests in action. Now, most of my friends here are geeks, and don't need me to discuss the intricacies of geosynchronous orbits and image resolution technologies. Suffice it to say that Captain Kirk on the bridge of the Enterprise could probably do it easily enough, but we're not quite there yet. So, my first thought was, "This guy is a moron." Then, I got to really thinking. The name of the petitioner is "iranprotest", which means it was just made up for this petition. And then I recalled the epic trolling a few years ago concerning the online protest of the title of the second Lord of the Rings movie, because it was obviously an attention getting ploy to link the movie with 9-11. So, as the petition moves toward three thousand signatories, I can just imagine some /b/-tard in his parents' basement, laughing his ass off at the mindlessly gullible. So, did Anonymous deliver this delectable morsel? You make the call. Current Mood: amused (Comment on this)
Thursday, May 28th, 2009
5:58 pm	Strolling around the neighborhood. Well, today was my first follow-up appointment, and so I decided that I was going to walk the distance to the clinic. I certainly picked a lovely day for it, I have to admit. The clinic is just over on the next block, so I started my stroll early enough, just in case of trouble. Well, that and my genetic imperative to always be early. Yeah, Dad did have me programmed well. Well, there was also a mix-up of sorts, too. You see, it turned out that my doctor wasn't going to be there for my appointment, so they had to schedule me with one of the nurse-practitioners. I certainly respect them, because they have pretty much as tough a training course as anyone whose gone to med school, plus they've come up from the ranks, so to speak. What they neglected to mention until their reminder was that they changed the time of the appointment from 10 to 10:30. Of course, I had to give Murphy His due. So I left the house at 9:15 and started walking. Admittedly, I had to stop a couple of times and get a bit of rest, but I made the trip in about fifteen minutes. I sat down after checking in with a bit of triumph, then about ten minutes later, there's Tekle coming through the door. laugh Another bit of miscommunication, since I didn't think he would be coming by the house to take me to my appointment, and honestly I don't want to have him go out of his way for these sorts of things. But I was glad to see him because I wasn't wanting to handle that walk back. So my blood pressure's under control, but my blood sugar's still running higher than the doctor liked, so we made an adjustment to my dosages. And, to be honest, I need to walk more. My blood sugar afterwards was lower than it was before breakfast, and dinner's is even lower, still. I know I should do it for many reasons, but forty years of lazy is a hella inertial load. grin Afterwards, Sue and I got talking about things, and she decided that she would be able to come as my guest to Chris's and Sora's wedding. Huzzah! So off to the mailbox to send off my RSVP, finding the *right* mailbox on only my second try, and thus more exercise was to be had. Hurray for me. So, an interesting day, I would have to say... at least to boring old me. But I get to wear the new dress clothes I picked up on Sunday, so go me. So how was your day? (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009
3:39 pm	Okay, I figure I might as well open up the lines here... So while having lunch today, Tekle came up to me and asked about websites. Seems that he's thinking of getting one for the home here, and he would like me to set it up for him. Fair enough, I think. I don't know that much about HTML, but considering online resources that's simplicity itself. So I was wondering, does anyone have any suggestions concerning hosting and registry companies? I'm wanting to get a bit of information here first, if I can. (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, May 4th, 2009
8:24 am	It's got to be the meds, right? Well, that's the theory du jour, so to speak. Anyway, I'm on Lexapro for my depression, and they just raised my dosage from twenty to thirty milligrams. All well and good, but since then my brains been adjusting, and my vivid dreaming has skyrocketed. I'm not having much in the way of known side effects, or at least any I'd pin directly on the drug, but the vivid dreams are definitely interesting. I just wish I got more XP from questing, or at least replenished my spells. grin In other news, I received this gorgeous invitation in the mail for Chris and Sora's wedding. I ought to be free that day, and I'm looking into options to get to the church on time, as the song goes. Plus, I think I ought to at least consider a bit more in the way or suitable clothes. Dancing, however, is probably not going to happen. laugh I talked with Sue about going, and she's thinking about it, so we shall see and make sure I get my RSVP in by the deadline. Take care, all. Edit: Link repaired and corrected dosage (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, April 30th, 2009
12:29 pm	If I Tweeted, it would go like this "Capture Mom's Heart with Godiva." Umm... thanks, I guess, but I don't typically like to subcontract out my heart carving needs. You do that, you end up with pig hearts and shit like that, and honestly, I think that familial organ removal calls for the personal touch, thanks. This service brought to you by the weird things that go on in my head when I read my e-mail, thanks! Current Mood: crazy (Comment on this)