The Neon Nurse's Charting

Here's something weird. I have not been to town all week! Not off the property at all, not even up to the mailbox since last Monday! It's kind of like a vacation for me. I have gotten a lot of things done, and it would be all good except for the part where I haven't sold any books. At least I do have a few orders now to mail tomorrow.

For some reason I've been having a lot of trouble with Firefox crashing on me lately (is it trying to tell me something? Has the magic gone out of the relationship? Is it TIRED OF ME sitting here day and night???). Just in case it's hardware-related instead, today I downloaded copies of all the stuff I would be devastated to lose to my external hard drive. Something I really should do on a regular basis, but you know me....

Some of all that stuff I've been doing is yardwork. I am happy to announce that the riding lawn mower ALSO started right up for me, and I got a really big patch mowed. Had to quit after a bunch of smoke started pouring up out from under the engine area. The good part is that it was only caused by me accidentally scooping up a slice of hidden cardboard. The bad part is that it either loosened or slightly melted the serpentine belt that drives the mower blades. It fell off, so now I have to call the shop guys Monday. *sigh*

Let's see, what else is new? The first baby birds of the season have hatched out in the nest that's in the wall by our old backup air conditioner. It's kind of fun to hear them cheeping off and on. I think they are just starlings, but hey, those are at least shiny.

Mike has moved into a new stage. On the plus side, it's a move up in age appropriateness. But what he is doing is bringing home...magazines. With pictures that arouse certain urges in him. Like asking me to buy him a motorcycle, complete with racing track suit, or a jacket with NASCAR patches all over. So far he is content with the idea of saving up his money to buy them for himself. But I see arguments ahead. :/

Speaking of sons, Big Sterling is working my side of the street. He has started a mailing list to keep up with friends and family, called "onetruckertorulethemall". Why he wants to rule the mall, I have no clue.

Here's something I stumbled on that is too good not to share, also big fans of the current White House crew might want to skip it. It seems to be a trailer for a longer web production coming out this summer. Worth a view just to see Hillary in a Wonder Woman style costume!

"Hillary, Obama, Edwards and Gore use their superpowers to thwart the administrations conquest of the universe."

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wr0MLl-fxuo

Just a mish-mash post of remarks and links and pics and stuff.

First of all, I made the comment last week about originally thinking Nathan Petrelli from Heroes ought to be working the GOP side of the street. Later I decided I was wrong and I should apologize. I mean, rich, upper-crust type who probably means well but is actually kind of a jerk? Did the show's creators pay any royalties to John Kerry??? (Although it would have been kind of cool if Kerry had had a super-power.)

Next, a topical joke, which I posted to a political blog today.

One of my minor claims to semi-fame is that I attended (for one year) a Bible College Jerry Falwell got thrown OUT of. For being TOO LIBERAL in his theology.

My first thought upon seeing the breaking news was of a joke I heard while at that same college. It's the sort where you can plug any old name in, and the gist of it is that someone who has just arrived is being given the grand tour of Heaven. They are impressed, but curious about one thing, some giant marble walls cutting off one area.

The newcomer asks his angel what they are for, and the angel hisses, "Quiet! That's where we keep Jerry Falwell! He thinks he's the only one up here!"

*crickets chirp*

Okay, I promised a Tune. This week it's going to be a video tune on YouTube, and if it doesn't make you grin, then I can't help you none. It's a cute little four year old boy rockin' the heck out of his accordion, playing

Jambalaya!

I didn't get many pictures at the parade because we got there just minutes before we had to join the line. But once we were through, we swung around so we could watch a little of it.

I really liked this one, though, of a local saddle club heading back to their trailers.


An adorable little calf at the Longhorn show.


I think this one should be titled 'Madonna and Calf'


A pretty wildflower from my yard. I don't know what kind it is.

(I shouldn't post saying not much is happening. I know better, WHY do I do it?)

This weekend was Lamar Days, an annual town holiday that gets more packed with activities every year. Our county Dems wanted to have an entry in the parade, so on Friday evening I went over to help decorate the truck we were going to use. Only two of us could make it, but it didn't take too awfully long, and I was able to get some yard work in later.

Saturday morning early Mike and I went back over to help finish the last few minor details before driving into town. The first snag we hit was that the truck's owner had accidentally left the key turned on in the ignition, so the battery was dead. No prob, I know how to jump a battery. I figured if that was the worst thing to happen all day, we'd be lucky.

While it was charging, I went to where we had stashed our blow-up donkey, intending to plump him back up, as he'd sagged a bit during the night. This is a BIG vinyl balloon animal, 5 foot high at the ears, a zebra with a paint job to make him look donkey-esque. I think maybe the paint has weakened the vinyl over the past few years, though, because JUST as I was checking him for firmness and deciding he was almost but not quite full--he BURST!

I started to think that saying about the worst thing again, and I mentally SLAPPED myself.

But we made it on time and the parade went fine. (And I have thought of a way to fix the donkey!) Later on, Mike and I went back to town to enjoy the carnival rides and the Longhorn cattle show. I forgot it was the grand re-opening of the Big Timbers museum or we would have gone to that too.

But maybe it was just as well, because even though I took a nap and went to bed early (at midnight!), I was ZOSTED on Sunday. Mike presented me a a hanging basket of petunias, and Caro made a wonderful salmon dinner (Mike picked out all the meal components!) plus cookies later. And I took another nap, but I was STILL zosted.

I was feeling much better yesterday, which was lucky, because as Mike and I were getting into Dreamcloud after mailing our packages, an older lady I've spoken to a few times stopped me to ask if I could help her move a bookcase she'd just bought from a local store.

Well, you know I said yes. It wasn't far, and I don't mind helping someone out--strangers have helped me plenty of times, after all. Plus, since you ask, yes I AM responsible for everyone in the whole world. If you don't believe me, you can ask my inner child, who is The Big Sister and therefore in charge of Everything.

It took a little while for the store guy to get us loaded up, but the bookcase fit, and all seemed well. With Mike's help, I carried it into the tiny house she had just recently moved into, and then at her direction moved a little more furniture to find a place to put the bookcase. Okay. All was well. EXCEPT she wondered if I could drive her to Wal-mart, as she was not sure there were enough hardware pieces for the shelves, and also she needed an adaptor for the air conditioner her landlord just put in for her....

Here's something else you probably know about me. I try to avoid people who are maybe not so good on boundary issues because *I* have a severe deficit in the 'saying no' department. I would be a perfect target for one of those practical joke reality shows, because once the key player aroused my sympathy, I would just keep agreeing to EVERYTHING. "What, drive you to Mexico? Um...ah...well...today?"

As it happened, though, I had already planned to go to Wal-mart to pick up one of my prescriptions. And all in all, other than my back seizing up a little bit later on, from the unexpected carrying, the ordeal wasn't that much of one. Plus she WAS nice and she INSISTED on paying me five dollars, finally dropping it in the seat where I wouldn't notice until too late.

I was zosted again, though.

Excitement didn't care. We had just finished watching Heroes, and Mike was trying to avoid going to bed as usual. So I was a little suspicious when he asked, "What are the sirens going off for?"

They were going off so I could spend the next hour and a half nervously watching out the front and back doors at the vivid lightning-y sky, trying to spot the tornadoes that the NOAA website kept telling us were being reported in our area. In the end, there were half a dozen sightings and touch-downs various places 4-12 miles from Lamar. So far as I know, though, no damage.

Probably, what with Holly in March and Greensburg (only 200 miles from here) recently, everyone is just a tad antsy about tornadoes. Zosted or not.

So. LOTS of excitement here lately, no new excitement need apply. We're fine. No, we really are. Thank you so much for asking. She said excitedly.

The clone is going to become a mother! (Legally, not just in support of her loco co-parentis.)

"Gov. Bill Ritter signed bills into law Monday allowing gay couples to adopt and requiring science-based sex education standards at school districts offering human-sexuality courses.

Some religious groups, including Catholic Charities, had urged Ritter to veto House Bill 1330, the so-called second-parent adoption bill.

Focus on the Family founder James Dobson also called on his Christian radio show listeners to voice opposition to such legislation, saying "liberals have declared war on traditional morality and traditional family values in this state."

But in signing a flurry of 26 bills into law Monday, Ritter said the second-parent adoption measure provides more children the emotional and financial security that comes with having two parents."

So yay us!

More posting later!

I thought a topic like that might make a nice change.

Our poor lawnmower sat out all winter under the deep blizzardy snow--and yet when we tried it Tuesday, it started right up! WIN!

Also I recently found our trash can lid! It had blown away on a really windy night. I had gone looking for it, which precipitated the incident where I climbed down into a big irrigation ditch and ALMOST could not climb out. And after all that, no lid!

But recently one of our neighbors who has a metal recycling business sent a guy over to ask if we wanted him to pick out the loose scrap in our back field. See, the people who had owned the parcel before made it into their own private dump. My son-in-law had done a HUGE amount of work getting rid of most of it, but there was still some sitting around, making it impossible to mow properly.

Naturally I was totally okay with this idea, and the guy has done a bang-up job. It was just a bonus that when I was out walking around to give specific permission about certain items that I found the trash can lid. Apparently the wind had first been blowing SOUTH like crazy, before shifting to the north....

So between mowing and trimming off broken trees and getting rid of metal junk, we are well on the way towards having a halfway decent looking outdoors for a change this year!

Here's a fun site for Heroes fans!

Vote Petrelli!

I was surprised to look at his positions and find he's fairly well over on the liberal side. If I'd been guessing, I would have pegged him as GOP all the way. (Privileged class and kind of a jerk, which shows off my own prejudices, eh?)

Also, I have NOT forgotten about Tune Tuesday, and today I have a LOT of them for you!

A friend of mine showed me a link to a website that has a vast collection of old TV show themes available for listening or even downloading!

Click here to go to TelevisionTunes.com!

I wasted more time than I'm prepared to admit to on those auditory trips down memory lane. But the one that I got the biggest thrill from was this:

"Yes, it's Superman, strange visitor from another planet, with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men! Superman, who can change the course of mighty rivers, bend steel with his bare hands, and who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way!"

I was probably about 6 when I first heard those stirring words. Young enough to totally believe them. Young enough to take them in and know that was what I wanted to do when I grew up. Sadly, I cannot fly, and even running for office is probably beyond my current energy level.

But I still stagger along doing what I can, and having fun doing it!

It's feast or famine with me, isn't it? I do a Spamtastic Saturday, but then nothing for the two days following.

Sunday was a more Mike intensive day than usual (we discovered later he had forgotten to take his ADD meds!), so I didn't have the Pieces of Quiet needed for coherent thought. Then yesterday I had two Scheduled Things, a dentist appointment in the morning and a Dem planning meeting in the evening. On days like that, by the time I get to the Sweet Sleeping Boychild TimeODay, my brain is offline. But you knew that about me.

During my appointment with Cindy last week, she asked me if there was any time of day when I just sat and did nothing but think.

I was tempted to say, "Yeah, when my computer is booting up." But I'm not sure she would have gotten that it was a joke.

Things are actually getting settled in my head re the Daughter Debacle, so we decided to set my next appointment for a month later instead of a week, and see how I'm doing them. Cindy made sure to tell me I could call if I needed to come in sooner, and she reminded me to keep working on trying to maintain a balance between thinking and feeling.

She seemed to have gotten the idea that I was keeping myself in a frenzy of activity in order not to have to stop and feel things. I told her she ought to have known me before I got Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and had to CUT WAY BACK. :)

I did suggest, though, in all seriousness, that I feel like I'm a very emotional person, the sort who can get weepy over the beauty of plain old trees and all that. Maybe, I said, I formed the habit of being mentally on the go as much as possible because that's how I maintain the balance she suggested as optimal. And she looked kind of surprised and allowed that could be true....

OK, more later, if all goes well. But before I close, here is a link from the rather big list I have been amassing to share.

Did you know Pete Townshend has a blog?

http://petetownshend-whohe.blogspot.com/

Yes, the guy from The Who. I especially recommend him to my friends who are into music, but he's just generally interesting. Worth a look!

Caro went to an auction this afternoon. These guys followed her home. They are part of a game called Political Chess, kind of a cross between chess and Monopoly, which seems to have been put out by Colorado Project/Common Cause in 1972. Hmm, for something from what I vaguely recall as a liberal type group, there sure isn't much DIVERSITY amongst the playing pieces....

Not that I mean to be rude. Especially as our miniature guests are staring at me from the No Rude Zone. Per the sign taped to Mike's computer. (Yes, that IS his mouse with the red jewels all over it. I bought it for me but it didn't work well in my system.) Don't worry, he put up his own sign over in the TV end of the room and declared it a No Mean Zone.

As you may recall, I took off last week at 3am to go to a training session for people who are officers in their county (Democratic) parties. It was excellent, not just for content but for it being presented in do-able step-by-step format. I can't say I came home ENERGIZED, because I was exhausted for the first few days I was home. (Having your brain asplode with too much new info will do that to a person.) But I did get inspired to try to organize my time and priorities better. I seem to have let personal communications slip off to the side, though, and that's not good. So I'm still in beta, I guess.

Here's an example of me doing new ideas. I set up a table with voter registration forms and info at our local elementary school's Cinco de Mayo festival last night. That's Prowers County's youngest activist, Mr. Mike, helping me. (I had to stop him from shouting at passersby to come talk to us so they could vote....)



Those glasses Mike is wearing are new. He picked them himself. Up close I think they have a sort of Buddy Holly meets Devo look. The day we picked them up I had to stop by our county chair's office. She has a high school DECA helper who MIke knew slightly from when they were both in middle school. My normally shy boy strolled up to her, KNOWING he was looking fine, and suavely said, "Oh, hel-LO there!"

This is a fun age. In the same way extreme roller coasters are fun. Yikes.

One more little thing about the training I went to. It was held at a place called Shadows Ranch, just outside of Georgetown, Colorado. Their main business is as a place to hold weddings. It was chock-full of arty, whimsical decor. Also, they have a small wolf habitat. The wolves seemed to find staring in the picture window at the people highly entertaining.

I think it is suspiciously funny that the Astronomy Picture of the Day is of the Sombrero Galaxy.

Those of you in eastern climes may not get the joke if you don't know that today is Cinco de Mayo. No worries, lots of people out here no hables either. I still treasure the memory of the NEOPLAN bus factory meeting I attended where a secretary, earnestly taking notes for the upcoming celebration, asked, "Cinco de Mayo...what day does that fall on this year?"

(P.S. OH HAI DERE, I BACK. MORZ LATUR.)