Shannon's Photo du Jour

Anya Bast is Having A Contest!

2009-12-22T21:20:00.002-06:00

And you can enter.

Click here to enter Curl Up with a Book…and a Nook Contest

Woo Hoo!

If I win it will mean less of this:

... worrying if the the cats are going to knock over a book shelf and kill me, and more time actually relaxing and reading.

Kidnapped!

2009-12-16T22:37:00.004-06:00

I was recently kidnapped and forced to partake of holiday cheer because I have not been in the mood for Christmas this year. (I haven't put up a tree or wrapped a gift or baked a cookie!)

As you can see by the first picture I was not even given the time to comb my hair or put on makeup before I was taken out for Blueberry Blintzes!

Then I was bundled into my car along with tangerines and Christmas Music and we were off on the "Jolly Up Shannon" trip.

First Stop was Round Rock where, in a fit of 'Holiday Cheer' I purchased a new Cthulhu doll. (and some mysteries and a couple of Science Fiction books).

I was also able to comb my hair and put on some lip gloss.

I was 'encouraged' to sing along with the Christmas music....

The next stop was Fredericksberg. We were going to do a mini tour of the Trail of Lights. Since this was a spur of the moment abduction there wasn't much planning and nobody thought to bring a camera. All the pictures were taken with Chris's iPhone. It would have been better if I had my phone with me, but....

First we ate an early dinner at Friedhelm's Bavarian Inn. Then we visited downtown and looked at the lights.

This is the largest Candle Pyramid I have ever seen. It is beautiful. (My candle pyramid and smoker and nutcrackers are still all boxed up. I don't think I'll pull them out this year.)

As you can see, Chris is standing in front of it. I tried to call for help while I had the phone, but, alas, I was not able to. (I couldn't figure out how to use the damn iPhone - Heck, this is the only picture I was able to take with the darn thing!)

Then it was off to Johnson City.

The courthouse was covered with lights.

Then we went to the Pedernales Electrical Co-op. This was my favorite part of the night. It's magical under the trees.

I call the next one "Christmas Broccoli"

After driving around and looking at more lights we were on our way to Marble Falls.

And then it was a dark drive home.

I could have done with some hot chocolate to warm me up after the walk by the lake, but other than that it was a pretty nice evening.

I didn't change my mind and I'm still not putting up any decorations or making any candy, (or singing any more songs!) but it was nice to get out and do something different.

Veteran's Day

2009-11-11T16:46:00.002-06:00

On a 'normal' Veteran's Day I think of all the people who I know who have served in the Military: Chris, Ric, my grandfather, etc. and I'm grateful for the sacrifices they've made for our country.

This Veteran's Day, however, has been overshadowed by what happened at Fort Hood last Thursday. For everyone who doesn't know I live in a small town just East of Killeen.

Thursday November 5th, 2009 turned out to be a surreal day. I was at lunch with Chris when we heard about the shooting spree on Fort Hood.

We were glued to the television while we ate.

When I got in the car I scanned the radio stations as I drove back to work but they didn't have any news on them.

Once back at work I found an MSN feed for the story and kept updated.

The only people who came into the store after 3:00 p.m. Thursday were my co-workers relatives and Chris. The normally busy street outside the store was empty.

We heard so many conflicting stories from the different news sites that at one point it seemed like the shooting was escalating outside Fort Hood and we thought about shutting down the store and going home.

A friend was on post when this happened and he was almost at the gate when they locked down the post. He was the second car in line and had to wait there for six hours until they opened up again.

One of my co-worker's father-in-law works at a school on post. They didn't get the last of the children out of the school until after 9:00 p.m..

A lot of the soldiers I deal with are jittery and on edge. Family members are still in shock. And me? I still don't know what to think about everything that is happening here, all the changes that are happening to my community.

The next day was bright and beautiful, and I needed to get away from the news, so we decided to get some chicken and go to the park for a picnic, which I blogged about here.

While we were there I took these pictures of the flags flying at half mast for the victims of the shooting spree.

It just felt right to post them today.

Feeding Ducks

2009-11-06T19:07:00.000-06:00

Today Chris and I went to Chick-Fil-A and went to the park to eat lunch. We picked a table just off the path between the gazebo and the pond.

While we were eating two geese came over the hill...

They stopped to check out what the birds were eating (seeds)....

Then they got a little braver and came closer to us.

We were ignoring them because we were eating when suddenly Chris sat up and said "Ouch!" He looked down at the goose who had suddenly appeared by his side and asked, "Did you just bite me?"

I started laughing so hard I almost missed taking this picture of the goose fleeing the scene of the crime!

I adore this picture. Look at the goose's feet.

When we were finished eating we walked over to the pond.

And fed some ducks.

And then the geese showed up again!

Chris didn't hold a grudge and fed all the feathery fowl.

Once all the waffle fries were gone we left, but Chris had a small parade following him:

Oh, and just because I can,

Those feet still crack me up!

Days of Rain and Froggies...

2009-11-01T12:41:00.002-06:00

It was a very rainy week, and here are some pictures. First up are two pictures of the lake that is growing in my back yard. The pictures I posted a few weeks ago were under my trees. This week's are over by the street in the middle of the yard:

The second picture shows how deep it is.

The next picture is out the back door at work. Look at the stream of water running behind the cars.

As you can see they were smart when they built the mall - they slanted the parking areas so the water flows into the road between the buildings.

This is a frog I found while I was vacuuming. Mark is holding it.

We put it outside so hopefully it found it's way somewhere safe.

I saved my favorite picture for last - this is a picture of the view of the front of the store. I really like the light reflections on the rainy road and parking lot.

Once again I'm happy to find something beautiful in my everyday life.

I truly believe beauty surrounds us but we are often too busy to stop and notice it.

I Defied the Gods...

2009-10-26T01:53:00.001-05:00

I wasn't going to blog again quite so soon, but the last picture amused me so I had to post it. There is a long story attached to it:

I was invited to a party in Salado this weekend and I think someone up there didn't really want me to go.

The first indication was the bathroom door. When I take my shower I do not close the bathroom door, the cats like to wander in and out while I'm showering and if I close the door they sit outside it and howl. Since I am usually alone in the house when I bathe I just leave the door open.

Anyway, I was out of the shower and putting on my makeup and the cats were playing in the bedroom and somehow the bathroom door slammed shut. Not a big deal except.... I couldn't get it opened again.

I tried and tried and nothing. Thank goodness I was on the side with screws and thank goodness I keep a screwdriver in the hat where I store my makeup (It's a tech thing. We are terrified of not having a screwdriver).

I took the doorknob off and found out the part that turns the damn latch had broken off and I could not get the latch to disengage with anything in the bathroom, so I had to remove the hinges and take the door down. I removed all the parts of the doorknob from the door and rehung it.

By this time I was all grimy again and I had to take another shower.

So, I finally got all clean and pretty. There were little nuisances getting ready - put my thumb through a stocking, chipped a nail, got dressed and realized my blue nails didn't match my maroon top so I had to change my clothes.... You know. All those little nagging things that happen when a woman gets ready to go out.

Here's a picture of my nails so you can see what I mean, they really don't go with any type of red:

When I left the house it was a little breezy, but the sun was shining, however, the closer I got to Salado the darker it got. By the time I got there it was pitch black and pouring rain. I was going somewhere new and I couldn't find the turn off because none of the street lights were on. I drove very slowly and had to wait for lightening flashes to find my turn off.

Halfway down the gravel road there were some lights and I was relieved to finally see something friendly and lit up.

The party was OK. Everything to eat had peppers and there was a cash bar that I did not take advantage of and I ended up talking shop all night, but nobody died so I guess it was an enjoyable evening.

On the way out I stopped and took a picture of one of the dozen lights that lit the circular part of the driveway and I'm glad I hadn't noticed it on my way in:

I would have felt like I was in a bad gothic romance which started, "It was a dark and stormy night..." (I took the picture on my way out)

I made it home in one piece.

There was one final message from the gods tonight:

I think I'm going to call this picture "The Shroud of Salado" because it's a pretty good image of my face rubbed into the makeup removal cloth.

This just proves that the gods do have a sense of humor.

It's late and I'm going to bed. Sleep warm Interwebs.

Photo Enhancement Experiments....

2009-10-24T11:59:00.001-05:00

I downloaded Paint.net and I've been experimenting with it.

I started with a picture Chris took of my hands.

Here is the original picture:

I'm holding a cup of tea. I like the golden tones in this picture - my nails, my gloves and the embroidery on my jacket.

Can you tell I was cold?

First Experiment was Black and White:

Chris likes this one the best.

He likes the texture that the black and white brings out.

I also took my favorite and enhanced it with Sepia:

There is not as much texture in this one, so I feel kind of 'meh' about it.

Chris says I like the sepia because it removed twenty years from my fingers.

And now for my favorite, I call it "Shannon 4:00 a.m.":

I brightened it a bit and then I used the Photo Effect "Soften Portrait":

I like the muted colors. I like the hint of texture in the jacket. I really like this picture, I think it tells a story.

I enjoy looking at it.

Rest In Peace.... (Updated)

2009-10-20T11:28:00.009-05:00

Chris's dad died last night.

I'll update later.

Updated to add:

The published obituary is wrong, wrong, wrong.

First, it appears that Chris's brother Jimmy's last name is wrong. Then they got Chris's and his sister's Holly names completely wrong. Finally, the number of grandchildren is wrong.

This pisses me off.

I know who wrote the obituary and from now until I die I will refer to the three of them as "the body snatchers". I am never going to be polite to those three women because of the way they treated Chris and his family during this time.

I am very angry.

Edited once again to add - They incorrectly stated that all the children except for Chris live in Billings. This is not true.

Rainy Days and Kittehs Always Make Me Smile...

2009-10-10T21:09:00.000-05:00

OK, so the song I was singing when I started this post was "Rainy Days and Mondays", because the lyrics fit my mood.

First there were pictures of the lake growing in my back yard and then some mushrooms growing on the front steps, but by the time I get to the kitteh pictures my mood improved and I was a bit happier.

Talkin' to myself and feelin' old

Sometimes I'd like to quit
Nothing ever seems to fit
Hangin' around
Nothing to do but frown
Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down.

What I've got they used to call the blues
Nothin' is really wrong
Feelin' like I don't belong
Walkin' around
Some kind of lonely clown
Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down.

Funny but it seems I always wind up here with you

Nice to know somebody loves me
Funny but it seems that it's the only thing to do
Run and find the one who loves me.

What I feel has come and gone before

No need to talk it out
We know what it's all about
Hangin' around
Nothing to do but frown
Rainy Days and Mondays always get me down.

And, finally, I gilded my nails and I think both my fingers and toes look much better, and maybe this and the makeup (I'm wearing mascara every day!) will help prove to everyone that I will be fine.

Week From That Warmish Location.... If You Know What I Mean.

2009-10-03T09:49:00.003-05:00

Oh, Interwebs it's been a horrid week...A week from that Heck-ish place.

So, my weekly post is going to be more about nature, which I find life affirming, and less about Chicken-shit Rat Bastards who send suicide notes through email.

So, with no further ado... My Week in Nature:

I thought the pattern of leaves against the sky on my Oak Tree is beautiful and very Autumnal.

I found this little flower blooming in my yard one mourning.

The grass was covered with dew and the yard was sparkling with rainbows and I was trying to capture it, but, sadly, a cell phone may not be the best photographic equipment for this effect.

More Dew Covered Discoveries:

Mushrooms this time, but again.... Kinda hard to see.

A true engineering feat that popped up after the rain ended:

I'm going to feel a little guilty when I sprinkle ant killer on it, but not too much. They are dangerous!

And finally, I was looking at my toes last night while CJ was playing WoW in my Livingroom and...

My toes are missing that certain "something".

Maybe some toenail polish? I might swing by Target after work and pick some up.

Oh, and I haven't posted a picture of myself lately:

I like this picture. This is what I look like to myself. No makeup, hair not brushed, neutral expression, wearing my comfy clothes.

Conquering the World!

2009-09-30T07:44:00.000-05:00

I disassembled a laptop yesterday.

I just closed my eyes and thought of this poster:

I jumped right in:

Did you notice my high tech tool?

With a guitar pick and a screwdriver I can conquer the laptop world!

I still want to say "Portable" - Damn Dell Indoctrination!

That's all for today folks! Move along. Nothing more to see.

Beef and Bok Choy Recipe

2009-09-27T19:50:00.000-05:00

I decided to buy some baby bok choy today when I was at the grocery store.

I made a stirfry with it.

First I made the stirfry sauce:

Then I quartered the bok choy. It was a little big so I chopped the bottom a little.

Next, I sliced some steak:

Now the fun starts:

Heat the oil in a wok.

Add the beef:

Then the bok choy bottoms

Then the leaves

Then the sauce

Then put the meat back in.

Then admire your handiwork.

I sprinkled some sesame seeds on top as a final touch.

Beef and Baby Bok Choy Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp. brown sugar1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb. flank steak, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
4 heads baby bok choy, quartered (I used two large-ish heads)

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and sugar
Heat oil in a large wok over high heat. Season the steak with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until cooked through (3-4 mins). Transfer steak to plate.
Add the bok choy and 1/4 cup water to wok and simmer, covered, until tender (2-3 mins).
Add sauce to the bok choy in the skillet and bring to a boil. Add the steak and any accumulated juices and cook, tossing, until heated (1-2 mins). Serve over rice.

Happy Birthday To Me!! (many, many, photos of food)

2009-09-24T23:55:00.000-05:00

Chris watching CJ Playing with his new iPhone... I had to do a bit of back seat driving!

Pomegranates on the restaurant grounds.

The Old Watering Trough.

CJ taking a picture of me taking of picture of CJ.

A Covered Wagon at Stagecoach Inn.

A gaslight outside the inn.

Now for the food....

Hushpuppies as an appetizer.

Fruit Cup.

Tomato Aspic

Grilled Salmon, Twice Baked Potato and Corn and Corn Souffle which I could not eat because of my pepper allergy.

And one sad looking tiny little dinner roll.

Then it was home for:

The cake Chris baked for me.

Happy Birthday to me!!

Isn't it pretty on my Springtime china?

It was a very fun birthday. Good friends, good food and good times.

Birthday Rainbow!

2009-09-23T21:07:00.002-05:00

Well, almost my birthday rainbow! There was a huge, full arc, double rainbow that I drove towards on my way home tonight.

When I got home I took a couple of pictures. The arc did not turn out, but two pictures I took of the legs did.

Happy Birthday To Me!!

I Stole These Pictures From CJ...

2009-09-22T00:51:00.000-05:00

I was very growly and snarling tonight so CJ and I decided to go out and have a drink as therapy.

What can I say she is obsessed with my "angry" breasts.

Round one of the Bahama Mamas. See my pretty, pretty purse and my oddly shiny fingers?

This was dessert and Irish Coffee. NomNomNomNomNom.

Pretty, pretty Irish Coffee.

They Weren't Thinking.....

2009-09-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've taken to calling Hallmark the "Angry Penis Restaurant" and Chris wanted to know why.

I understand it's supposed to be a man in a chef's hat....

But really....

It's a penis with an attitude.

Cute Celery

2009-09-13T15:02:00.000-05:00

I spent my mourning chopping veg.

The celery was so pretty I had to take a picture of it.

The root of the celery made a pretty flower shape.

I enjoy being surprised by beauty in my daily chores.

Rainy Friday

2009-09-11T20:47:00.001-05:00

It was a cold and rainy day in Central Texas.

Most people see Texas as a Southern, Redneck state which hasn't kept up with society. I don't agree.

Even in small town Texas we have wine...

And Sushi at the local grocery store.

I think that shows we have kept up with civilization.

Although...

I'm still trying to figure out why one would need a loaf of bread with one's batteries...

Multimedia message

2009-08-31T21:04:00.000-05:00

Test blogging from my phone...photo

Testing blogging by phone...

2009-08-31T20:47:00.001-05:00

This is an experiment to see if i can blog
by phone

----------
Sent from AT&T's Wireless network using Mobile Email

Sunset on the Road

2009-08-29T06:48:00.000-05:00

cthulhu

2009-06-30T12:37:00.001-05:00

Some June Photos

2009-06-25T09:57:00.010-05:00

I just realized why I don't update my blog anymore - the server in the livingroom/kitchen is dying and that's where I blog and I get too frustrated trying to use it.

Here's the blog I tried to post yesterday and couldn't:

I haven't taken many photos since vacation and I haven't made time to update my blog. (please see above.) I'm going to try to go to a weekly blog with daily photos because hopefully that will be easier.

I'm not even Twittering at the moment. Hmmm.... This is probably because I Tweet on the same computer.

Well... Anyway...

Back to my photoblog.

Here are some random pictures I took this month:

If you look you will notice a picture of two little girls playing on one of the boxes:

Now look over at the orange box...

Here's another picture (I turned the girls box to the front to see what they were playing...)

Now, this may not amuse anyone else, but reading across it says: Baker's Dozen Bonanza Burn in Hell. And they wonder why more girls don't get into gaming. (I understand the games are in alphabetical order, but the juxtaposition of the little girls playing and 'Burn in Hell' amused me.)

Next up is the custom build computer I sold:

Isn't it pretty?

The next picture made me laugh because it reminded me of Storm:

The T-shirt reads: "Trapped in a human costume. Please help unzip."

Finally, a picture of my socks on a day Chris says I didn't even try to match my socks. He wanted to know if I was thumbing my nose at fashion or if I was just too lazy to look for two matching socks.

The sock with writing says: "Like I need your approval". It's a sock with attitude.

Quilts!

2009-06-04T10:28:00.006-05:00

These are my quilts (other than my Heart Quilt which I've blogged about before).

First up is my very first quilt that my great-grandmother made me. It's 40 years old and is well loved.

Here are some closeups of the quilt:

When I left to live on my own I didn't take a change of clothing because my quilt and books took up the entire duffel bag.

My priorities may have been a wee bit skewed.

Next up is the first real 'pieced' quilt I made. Before this all I had done was sew together squares. I did make some mistakes, but overall I think I did a good job.

It's a very pretty quilt. I forget how pretty sometimes.

Finally, this is the only quilt I own that was purchased. It's for a king sized bed and mine is only a queen so it's hard to see the entire design.

It's not really my style, but the colors go with the earth tones Dimension X is decorated in, so it's going on the back of the sofa bed in there.

Another thing I don't like about it is the colors bleed. But, I used the color catcher clothes when I washed it and they worked and it looks great.

I had much help when I was trying to take these pictures.

On the first quilt I had to shoot around Mia.

She would not get off the second quilt, so I just left her.

I had to pick her up off this quilt because the pattern was too hard to see with her butt in the way.

I really don't mind her helping me. There is something about cats and quilts that make a home feel like a home.

BBQ!!

2009-06-03T10:30:00.005-05:00

I got a new charcoal grill and the first thing I cooked was a turkey!!

First, I rubbed vegetable oil all over the bird and then I put it on the grill. The coals were arranged around the sides so the bird didn't drip on them and cause flareups.

This is a picture of the bird half way through cooking:

And this is the final product (after 2 1/2 hours of cooking):

I tested it and the thigh was 185 degrees and the breast meat was 165 degrees, so it was done.

It was smokey and delicious and today I'm making the leftovers into soup:

How do I feel about my new grill?

I love it!

May Photos

2009-06-02T16:42:00.003-05:00

More 'catch up' photos.

I thought this car was amusing.

A customer came in and said her bottom optical drive no longer worked. It wasn't seen in BIOS or Windows so I brought the system in for a diagnostic.

Upon further examination it was easy to determine what was wrong with the secondary drive:

It was non-existant. Oh well. Diags like this even out the laptop diags that take a week to determine what's wrong.

I saw this precious little bird on the awning outside the store one day.

The most interesting thing to happen to me this day was seeing them put up a new billboard.

The air conditioner is out at work, so I've setup some fans. They don't really help, but at least the customers think we are doing something.

This is my towel in my knitting bag. It was International Towel Day, and, yes, I knew where my towel was.

We went to 5 Guys for dinner and there was a lone potato trying to make a break for it.

I hope he made it.

My day lilies are starting to bloom. They are beautiful.

And finally, Mia, sleeping on a quilt. She is so cute when she's asleep.

April's Photos

2009-06-02T07:37:00.005-05:00

Here are April's images.

These flowers were blooming at the stop sign near the clinic. This was the second time I went to the doctor for my cough.

I had to go to Staples to get some printer paper and, while I was walking there, part of the sign fell on me!

This is my rosebush in bloom. It's taking over the walkway and I really need to trim it back, but I was sick all spring and never got around to it.

One of my car tires blew out (thank goodness Chris was with me) and these are the flowers that were blooming alongside the road.

The spring flowers are what I love the most about Texas.

This is Chris changing the tire:

This is the tire.

I found this sign amusing.

Why does Botox need a Happy Hour??

March Photo's

2009-06-01T19:54:00.000-05:00

I have not been posting pictures every day and I'm feeling overwhelmed with the pictures I have taken, so, I decided to post some pictures I've taken to get back in the groove. Here are some photos from March:

March 11 - 13th it rained.

March 14th I finished an apron. Please excuse the strange perspective:

March 19th - the man we built this computer for has some serious 'size' issues - that big tower is the CPU heatsink and fan. And he's not done with the memory yet:

The oversize CPU fan was bad enough, but adding a memory fan to it also?

Serious 'size' issues.

I do think the fans together look like an office building.

This shiny gold bug was on my car on the 19th...

The Gold Bug.... Isn't that an Edgar Allen Poe story? I remember my Great-Grandma Liz had a book of Edgar Allen Poe short stories that I used to read when I visited her. I also read Huckleberry Finn laying on a bed upstairs in her house one warm summer.

Finally, the first blossoming tree of Spring on the 20th.

Bozeman Explodes

2009-03-06T08:28:00.002-06:00

I saw my hometown burning that day.
Rodney King

There was an explosion in my home town.

These images are from the Daily Kos.

This makes me sad.

Burn, Baby, Burn

2009-02-20T08:25:00.002-06:00

May the dragon of life only roast your hot-dogs and never burn your buns!
Unknown

I have become accident prone around hot objects.

Here is the back of my hand. One long burn where I accidentally hit an oven rack. One burn where my knuckle accidentally hit a computer heatsink.

Here is a blistering burn on my finger I can't remember where I got it:

Between the cooking burns and the computer burns I'm in sad shape

My Current Puddle

2009-02-18T08:24:00.001-06:00

Every path hath a puddle.
George Herbert
"Jacula Prudentum"

This is the parking lot at work. I followed this glowing green green stream from one side of the parking lot to the other and I couldn't find where it originated.

It was more than 100 feet of chemical nastiness.

I suddenly had the urge to go to the pet store and buy four turtles and a rat.

More Emotions.

2009-02-16T08:14:00.002-06:00

Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.
Arthur Golden,
Memoirs of a Geisha

I feel like my oak tree today.

Naked and barren and scratching at the sky.

Feelings

2009-02-09T19:11:00.003-06:00

If you're going through hell, keep going.
Winston Churchill

This is what I feel like today.

Here is a closeup of my emotions:

I don't know why, but this is resonating with me.

Another Dr. Appointment.

2009-02-05T18:25:00.001-06:00

My own prescription for health is less paperwork and more running barefoot through the grass.
Leslie Grimutter

The plant is still alive, but there are some dry spots.

That's a good description of me too.

Sad Day

2009-02-03T20:30:00.000-06:00

To himself everyone is immortal; he may know that he is going to die, but he can never know that he is dead.
Samuel Butler

Two of my neighbors and their dog were found dead this morning. They died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

It is sad.

Yellowstone

2009-02-02T19:23:00.001-06:00

I know of nothing to compare with it anywhere in the world, and I am glad we are making of it such a success as a national playground
Warren G. Harding

I'm busy getting my food experiment blog up and running this week so I didn't have time to think about taking pictures. (I was sick yesterday.)

Here is a picture I took in Yellowstone Park, which my family always refers to as "The Park", as if every other park is just a dim reflection of the one, true park.

This is one of my favorite photos of all time.

Biscuits! (A Caturday Miracle)

2009-01-31T22:51:00.002-06:00

Everything is a miracle. It is a miracle that one does not dissolve in one's bath like a lump of sugar.
Pablo Picasso

I made biscuits and they turned out!

They were light and fluffy.

You could cut them with a knive.

They were not gooey in the middle.

They tasted wonderful.

It was a certifiable Caturday Miracle.

Burned Out

2009-01-30T22:46:00.003-06:00

It's better to burn out than it is to rust
Neil Young

I was going through my pictures and I found this photo of a motherboard with a burn mark on it.

Burn spots on computer components fascinate me.

Yesterday Mourning.

2009-01-29T22:33:00.002-06:00

Cold! If the thermometer had been an inch longer we'd have frozen to death.
Mark Twain

I went outside yesterday morning and everything was covered in ice.

Each blade of grass of was enrobed in ice and the grass crackled when I stepped on it.

My car was totally covered in ice.

This is the view through my front windshield.:

I had to scrape, and scrape...

And scrape some more.

This is what the front of my car looked at noon.

The ice was melting, but it was a slow melt.

Sleep

2009-01-28T08:58:00.005-06:00

I'm not asleep... but that doesn't mean I'm awake.

Author Unknown

I fell asleep talking to Storm last night and I was too tired to walk all the way to the bedroom, so I slept in my office.

The problem is I removed all the bedding from my office so I wouldn't be tempted to sleep back there.

I made do with my robe and my afghan as covers.

It was cold so I kept my fuzzy socks on.

I have no idea how one of them ended up on the back of the sofa.

Accident Waiting to Happen.

2009-01-27T19:35:00.001-06:00

Bureaucracy is the death of all sound work

Albert Einstein

This is what the stacks looked like when I came back to work.

One of the cables on the floor caught me and I tripped when I was going back to pick up a laptop.

If I was paranoid I'd think someone was trying to kill me.

Foggy Day!

2009-01-26T19:48:00.004-06:00

Technology is so much fun but we can drown in our technology. The fog of information can drive out knowledge.
Daniel J. Boorstin

It was very foggy today.

That's all.

It was just foggy.

Salad Sunday (Day 10)

2009-01-25T06:45:00.002-06:00

A salad is not a meal. It is a style.
Fran Lebowitz

Poor Pathetic Grixie Caturday

2009-01-24T10:35:00.003-06:00

Cats know how to obtain food without labor, shelter without confinement, and love without penalties.
W. L. George

Grixie is so pathetic she must sleep in the shipping material for an Aerogarden.

I think it's funny how her body molds to the box.

Music Wants To Be Free

2009-01-23T13:56:00.004-06:00

A song has a few rights the same as ordinary citizens... if it happens to feel like flying where humans cannot fly... to scale mountains that are not there, who shall stop it?
Charles Ives

When I purchased The-Most-Beautiful-Computer-in-the-Whole-of-the-Known-Universe (I really need to get a better description of my computer!) I moved my data to an external hard drive and never really got around to moving it back onto my new computer.

When I installed the second 500 GB hard drive in TMBCITWOTKU... (The 'K' looks funny because I expect it to be an 'N'. Come to think of it, I expect the 'W' to be an 'H' too.)... Anyway, I decided it would be a good time to move the data back to my computer.

Imagine my surprise when I found out the external hard drive had failed. I was able to get most of the data off of it, but, I did lose some MP3s.

After six months Chris decided to rerip my CDs using a better algorithm.

He says he's "Saving them [my CDs] from Shannon!".

I"m sure it has nothing to do with him wanting some of my music for his MP3 player.

I Survived!

2009-01-22T07:23:00.009-06:00

A hospital bed is a parked taxi with the meter running.
Groucho Marx

I got to the hospital early, early in the mourning (before 6:30 a.m.)

Here are pictures of my day. They are mostly self explanitory, so I'll keep the commentary to a minimum.

The parking lot.

The entrance.

The elevator.

My allergy band.

6:30 a.m.

7:30 a.m.

Was moved to the holding area.

8:00 a.m.

Recovery.

I spent the next 5 hours throwing up.

Chris.

My heartbeat spiked everytime I vomited.

View from my window before I left.

2:40 p.m.. Finally going home!

Garden Update Before I Leave (Day 6)

2009-01-21T04:59:00.007-06:00

One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides. W.E. Johns, The Passing Show

This is what my gardens looked like this morning:

The lettuces:

It looks like someone (who will remain nameless - Let's call her G.) was interested in one of my baby lettuces.

These are my herbs.

Only the basil has sprouted.

I'm leaving for to the hospital soon.

Wish me luck!

My Freezer On Inaugurationn Day.

2009-01-20T16:42:00.004-06:00

Hey baby, do you like fine cooking? Cause you know what? I got Swanson's Dinner in the freezer with your name on it.
Jimmy Fallon

This is what my freezer looks like at the moment.

Ice? Check.

Soup in serving size containers? Check.

Huge uncooked frozen turkey left over from Christmas? Check.

Maybe I need to do something with that turkey.

Another Busy Day

2009-01-19T23:15:00.004-06:00

When we are sick, we want an uncommon doctor; when we have a construction job to do, we want an uncommon engineer, and when we are at war, we want an uncommon general. It is only when we get into politics that we are satisfied with the common man.
Herbert Hoover

I had another busy day.

I left the house at 10:00 a.m. and my low fuel light came on while I was driving on the highway.

I had to find a gas station.

Which made me 3 minutes late for my 11:00 a.m. lab appointment...

...Which translated into my being half an hour late for my x-ray appointment, but I made up some time there.

I was twenty minutes late for my EKG appointment, but the technicians had gone to lunch. I went and got a sandwich and some milk for lunch and then was back at Internal Medicine by 12:45.

It took 20 minutes for the EKG.

I went straight from my EKG to my doctors office and I was there half an hour early (1:15 p.m.)

Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.
Erma Bombeck

I'm pleased to report that the plant in my doctor's office is doing better.

I'm not pleased to report that I had to wait over 2 hours to see my doctor. She had an emergency, so, after I convinced the receptionist that I couldn't have my pre-op appointment on Friday (two days after my surgery) I was moved into my doctor's office to wait.

I got tired of sitting and watching the clock, so I moved a chair underneath it and worked on my knitting.

After she saw me I found out how much the insurance company was not covering and I got depressed.

My last stop was pre-registering at the hospital where I got even more depressing news about my insurance coverage.

My surgery is not listed in their books so they had to 'guesstimate' how much I would owe afterwards. It was not pretty and I put my head on the financial officers desk and just sat there for a while.

Then it was off to work.

At least I had stew and cornbread waiting for me for dinner and Storm was very entertaining so my day ended on an 'up' note.

I'm not looking forward to Wednesday though.

Beef Minestrone Soup

2009-01-18T15:20:00.003-06:00

Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day, and awakens and refines the appetite.
Auguste Escoffier

I love cooking.

I like the smells of the vegetables. I enjoy the sounds as I chop them.

I like taking a pile of raw ingredients and turning them into something wonderful.

I also like that I won't have to cook after my surgery and I'll still be eating healthy food.

Special Soup Blog

2009-01-17T13:11:00.006-06:00

Pease Porridge hot,
Pease Porridge cold,
Pease Porridge in the pot
Nine Days old.

I am making soups for next week and this afternoon I'm making chicken soup (I'll add the dumplings later) and 15-bean soup.

I soaked the beans all night in a mixture of vegetable broth and water.

When I rinsed them this afternoon before I started the soup they looked like this:

Aren't they gorgeous?

Chris Caturday

2009-01-17T08:59:00.007-06:00

People with insufficient personalities are fond of cats. These people adore being ignored.
Henry Morgan

I wonder who are these 'people' whom cats ignore? This is a picture of Chris trying to get some work done in his little cubby of an office.

Notice all the help he has.

As I'm posting this I hear swearing from his office. It seems one of the cats shut down his computer.

I wonder if Mr. Morgan has a different definition of 'ignore' than we do.

Sprouts! (Day 2)

2009-01-16T10:26:00.002-06:00

No two gardens are the same. No two days are the same in one garden.
Hugh Johnson

Some lettuce sprouted for me overnight.

I'm so excited!

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary.... (Day 1)

2009-01-15T13:56:00.003-06:00

Plant carrots in January and you'll never have to eat carrots.
~Author Unknown

I planted lettuce in my large AeroGarden and herbs in my small Kitchen Gardener.

I put them on my buffet, but they are noisy so I may move them back into the kitchen.

The problem is they take up counter space.

I'll keep you updated on how my garden is growing.

The Color Was Leached From the Ground

2009-01-14T19:34:00.005-06:00

Oh, they say she died one winter
When there came a killing frost
Michael Martin Murphey - Wildfire**

The yard was covered with frost this mourning and there was ice in the empty birdfeeder.

I love the way the frost washes all the color from the leaves and grass.

** I've always wondered if MMM knew that a 'killing frost' killed plants, not ponies.

Weird Noodles

2009-01-13T19:52:00.003-06:00

As long as there's pasta and Chinese food in the world, I'm okay.
Michael Chang

I was boiling rigatoni today and the noodles lined up like little soldiers as they boiled.

There are some slackers in the group. See them napping at the bottom of the pan?

And There Was Light!

2009-01-12T20:22:00.004-06:00

Ever since we crawled out of that primordial slime, that's been our unifying cry, "More light."

Sunlight. Torchlight. Candlelight. Neon, incandescent lights that banish the darkness from our caves to illuminate our roads, the insides of our refrigerators. Big floods for the night games at Soldier's Field. Little tiny flashlights for those books we read under the covers when we're supposed to be asleep.

Light is more than watts and footcandles. Light is metaphor. Light is knowledge, light is life, light is light.
~Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider

I went to work this mourning and the lights had been hooked up in my space.

I left up the Christmas lights.

They are still cheery.

Sky

2009-01-11T17:48:00.008-06:00

Artists can color the sky red because they know it's blue. Those of us who aren't artists must color things the way they really are or people might think we're stupid.
Jules Feiffer quotes

These are pictures I took on the drive home on Friday.

The sky was pretty.

Monitor Cat

2009-01-10T15:41:00.003-06:00

In a cat's eyes all things belong to cats.
English Proverb

Monitor cat is watching you.

Who monitors Monitor Cat?

Biopsy Day!

2009-01-09T21:50:00.007-06:00

I couldn't find a quote for today. I'm also tired so I'm going to copy part of the message I sent Storm describing the procedure.

I had my biopsy today (and if the time stamp is correct, I was undergoing it while you were typing this message) and since it is an outpatient procedure I was awake for it. Well, I was supposed to be awake for it, but, the pain was so bad I passed out.

Seriously.

One moment I was looking at the ceiling, reminding myself to breath through the pain and the next thing I know Jeannie was patting my hand and calling my name. Then she helped me sit up and put my head between my legs and told me I couldn't move.

The weird thing about it (and what they don't tell you in 19th century novels) is that when you faint from pain you also sweat a lot. When I was finally able to stand up there was a perfect sweat outline of my body on the table.

This is a picture of Chris driving me home. He doesn't look happy does he?

WalMart

2009-01-08T21:24:00.002-06:00

Wal-mart... do they like make walls there?

Paris Hilton

I went to WalMart today because I needed to get groceries and a microwave popcorn popper.

They didn't have the popcorn popper, but they did have sushi.

And some cabbages that reminded me of Audrey (Feed me Seymour!).

I went to Target and found a Nordicware Microwave Popcorn popper for under $10.

Junk Food Junkie

2009-01-07T19:38:00.002-06:00

It requires a certain kind of mind to see beauty in a hamburger bun.

Yet is it any more unusual to find grace in the texture and softly carved silhouette of a bun than to reflect lovingly on the hackles of a fishing fly? Or the arrangements and textures on a butterfly's wing?
Not if you are a McDonalds's man.

Ray Kroc

I didn't feel like cooking tonight so I stopped by McDonalds and had some chicken nuggets and a cup of coffee.

It was good.

New Workspace

2009-01-06T19:42:00.006-06:00

Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.
Chinese Proverb

This is where I work (weeks after the remodel started).

This is the view from the other side.

I hung up Christmas lights just to have some light in the dank hole.

They look cheerful and put off an amazing amount of light.

Freezing Rain

2009-01-05T23:18:00.004-06:00

Thou art all ice. Thy kindness freezes.

William Shakespeare

There was a freezing rain this morning.

The road flooded.

My trees were covered in a thin layer of ice with tiny icicles on all the branches.

This is my neighbors tree. I thought it looked beautiful with the bare branches and mistletoe against the sky.

This is the field down by the railroad tracks. It looks cold.

(Storm-man the last picture is for you. I'm going to hang out there when it's warmer and get a picture of a train.)

Laundry Day

2009-01-04T10:41:00.004-06:00

Laundry day...See you there...Under things...Tumbling.
Joss Whedon - Dr. Horribles Sing-A-Long Blog

I went to the Laundromat today to wash my coats and bedding and I took a bunch of pictures (and video) because I'm going to make a new YouTube of me singing the Freeze Ray Song from Dr. Horrible.

Here are a couple of photo's from today that I really liked:

Me adding coins to the washer:

My coats and bedding tumbling:

I took my knitting to keep me busy.

They were also showing "A Knights Tale" on the televisions above the dryers, so I had something to watch while I knitted (is it knit or knitted? I like the way knitted sounds so I went with it).

I think it was a very productive mourning.

Adrenaline Junky Caturday

2009-01-03T17:52:00.001-06:00

Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys....
Ed Bruce, but it's always Waylon and Willie I hear in my mind.

I think he was doomed from birth.

(and if you can't tell - he is in a cat costume in the first picture, hence the caturday tag.)

Don't Worry, Be Happy

2009-01-02T16:40:00.006-06:00

I can’t do raw. I can’t do sushi, even. Anything that has that vaginal quality to it. I’d rather eat an actual vagina than that, honestly.

Kate Beckinsale

I have to say, sushi freaks me out more than almost anything. At least a vagina would be warm.

My publicist has literally turned a funny color and is going to go have a lie-down. He’s throwing up now, as well.

I find a lot of things kind of funny and I often say what’s on my mind, and then get nine texts from all my friends going, ‘What’s the matter with you?’ But I haven’t ever made a big attempt to have any particular image. And I don’t really worry about it.

Kate Beckinsale explaining previous quote

When I read these quotes I thought Ms. Beckinsale would approve of the restaurant down the street.

If the Sushi's too cold they could just toss it on the barbeque for her.

Nerd Holidays

2009-01-01T14:07:00.002-06:00

Everybody's having fun out here. They drinking, they fighting, they pissing on the streets. It's New Year's Eve. They loving the ladies.
Dave Chappelle in 200 Cigarettes

I had an OK New Year's Eve.

I ate Chicken McNuggets, drank Champagne Cocktails (Peach nectar, peach schnapps, champagne) and watched 200 Cigarettes.

The picture is blurry, but you get the idea.

I couldn't sleep so I logged into WoW and rain Wailing Caverns with some new guildies and got HoneyLotus (my new shaman) the legs and chest of the Embrace of the Viper set.

I am such a nerd.

New Year, New Shawl

2008-12-30T13:08:00.002-06:00

She'd stopped reading the kind of women's magazine that talked about romance and knitting and started reading the kind of women's magazine that talked about orgasms, but apart from making a mental note to have one if ever the occasion presented itself she dismissed them as only romance and knitting in a new form.
Terry Pratchett

I started knitting a new shawl.

The yarn is interesting.

Tonsure

2008-12-29T21:40:00.003-06:00

I don't consider myself bald, I'm just taller than my hair.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

It was cold outside this mourning and my car was covered in frost.

Except for one little bald spot on the moonroof.

Bows, Bows and More Bows

2008-12-26T19:30:00.003-06:00

I was raised the old-fashioned way, with a stern set of moral principles: Never lie, cheat, steal or knowingly spread a venereal disease. Never speed up to hit a pedestrian or, or course, stop to kick a pedestrian who has already been hit. From which it followed, of course, that one would never ever -- on pain of deletion from dozens of Christmas card lists across the country -- vote Republican.
Barbara Ehrenreich

Someone put a string of large red bows in the turn lane.

I got a picture of one of them, but I couldn't stop to get a better picture of the row.

Then, when I got to work there was another, smaller, bow in my parking spot.

The universe is obviously trying to tell me something.

Christmas Kitten!

2008-12-25T12:15:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T07:02:00.005-06:00

This was my World of Warcraft Guild Christmas Card last year.

These are all the characters I play: Lestal, Orchidblossom, Thornblossom, and Shadoblossom.

Merry Christmas Everyone and may your Feast of Winterveil be bright!

Christmas Eve Eve

2008-12-23T15:56:00.003-06:00

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...

I don't know what kind of creature this is....

But it sure looks happy perched on my finger.

Solstice

2008-12-22T23:35:00.002-06:00

It's all about the sun, master. White snow and red blood and the sun.
Always has been.
Terry Pratchett

This is the last leaf on my oak tree.

I love the sun effects around the branches.

Still Sad

2008-12-19T21:29:00.002-06:00

We are enjoying sluggish times and not enjoying them very much.
George Bush

I'm still kind of down.

Here is a picture of Mia playing with the white garland from my black Christmas Tree.

At least I got my Christmas shopping done before all this happened.

Bad News Today

2008-12-16T23:00:00.002-06:00

It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it's a depression when you lose yours.
Harry S. Truman

My hours were cut at work today.

Here are some pictures of goldfish for stress relief.

I took these pictures on my trip to Fredericksburg.

Don't forget to breathe.

No Work Today, Baked Cookies Instead

2008-12-15T11:39:00.003-06:00

Did you ever come to work on Monday and realize that you forgot how to do your job?
Scott Adams

When I went in to work today the store was in disarray.

The remodel had not been finished.

I went home and baked cookies.

Which was more work than work.

Caturday - Mia and Buda

2008-12-13T12:45:00.002-06:00

When you have a cat, you assume certain responsibilities that, in a spiritual sense, may transcend those of a marital or a business relationship.
Kinky Friedman

Mia likes to sit on top of Buda.

I wonder what they are watching.

I Ate A Pickled Brussel Sprout!

2008-12-12T20:21:00.018-06:00

I admit I was drinking a Guinness... but I did not swallow.
Kinky Friedman

Today when I woke up my car looked like this:

So, I scraped it off and headed off to IHOP. I have decided that everytime I try something new at IHOP I don't like it, so from now on I'm sticking to Blueberry Blintzes.

I also now know my new goal in life: To make a lemon pancake that doesn't taste like cake batter. (I'm a no sugar in my pancakes type of girl.)

Then it was off to Fredericksburg where the Christmas decorations ran the gamut from tasteful...

To tacky.

(I do like the reflection in the tacky one).

This sign conjured images I didn't really want in my head:

Instead of lunch I noshed my way through the free samples of the small shops selling food, which is where I ate the pickled brussel sprout. (I live an adventurous life!)

I used the restroom at the the store that sold the pickled brussel sprouts and every flat surface in the room was lined with Renuzit Rasberry-scented Airfresheners.

The walls were also papered with pictures of out-houses, but the airfresheners amused me.

Finally, on the way out of town I met a new friend.

His name is Buda McPest (pronounced Buddah mac pesht).

He is 43" tall at his ear and weighs between 70 and 80 pounds.

He is wearing my Hellfire Peninsula scarf (he was cold!). (I knitted the scarf during the horrible time after I hit Outland with Thorn.)

He lives in my entry now, greeting everyone who comes in.

It was a wonderful day.

Busy Day!

2008-12-11T18:03:00.005-06:00

The great majority of us are required to live a life of constant, systematic duplicity.

Your health is bound to be affected if, day after day, you say the opposite of what you feel, if you grovel before what you dislike and rejoice at what bring you nothing but misfortune.

Our nervous system isn't just a fiction, it's part of our physical body, and our soul exists in space and is inside us, like teeth in our mouth.

It can't be forever violated with impunity.
Boris Pasternak

I spent three hours at the hospital today.

The plant in my new doctor's office did not inspire any confidence...

I was used as a pin cushion.

But I had a very nice lunch, so not all was lost.

Layers!

2008-12-10T19:33:00.008-06:00

All my text disappeared from this post also.

I'm still working on recreating it.

It was very cold today.

I did a strip tease when I got to work. (Marcia supplied the badump-a-dump sound effects for me!)

The first layer:

Badump-a-dump

Hat, Gloves, Scarf.

The next layer:

Badump-a-dump

Flannel Shirt.

Then a hoodie

Badump-a-dump

Finally, a denim shirt and a sweatshirt.

Badump-a-dump

I stopped there (my long sleeve t shirt)

I put the flannel shirt and scarf back on.

Dump-a-dumpBa

I may have started out looking like a bag lady, but I was a color coordinated semi-stylish bag lady.

Cold

2008-12-09T19:52:00.002-06:00

Something happened to my text in this post.

I'll try to recreate it later.

It was very cold with freezing rain tonight.

I took this pictures driving home.

Keys

2008-12-08T20:56:00.002-06:00

Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
P.J. O'Rourke

There were sales customers in the store so I couldn't go home exactly on time tonight.

I played with my keys while I was waiting for the store to clear out.

I didn't want to leave Chuck alone.

Snow Snake Caturday

2008-12-06T12:24:00.002-06:00

After scolding one's cat one looks into its face and is seized by the ugly suspicion that it understood every word. And has filed it for reference.
Charlotte Gray

Mia took the white fluffy garland off my black Christmas tree and then ran to Chris when I scolded her.

You can see the garland beside him.

They are both looking at me accusingly.

Lunch

2008-12-04T18:35:00.002-06:00

I haven't trusted polls since I read that 62% of women had affairs during their lunch hour. I've never met a woman in my life who would give up lunch for sex.
Erma Bombeck

I had a sandwich and iced tea for lunch.

I adore the blue and black fuzzy scarf I knitted this summer.

I make an effort to wear black and blue just so I can wear my scarf.

Heart Quilt

2008-12-03T20:19:00.002-06:00

A quilt will warm your body and comfort your soul.
Author Unknown

I pulled out my heart quilt this weekend.

I designed and made this one when I lived in Georgia.

My bedroom was still a Valentine then, all happy hearts and cupids.

I need to make a new quilt to match my new mood and decor.

Better Frowning Picture

2008-12-02T19:44:00.002-06:00

There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.
George Carlin

I took a better picture tonight of the moon frowning at me.

Nature is Frowning.... Kind of.

2008-12-01T23:15:00.008-06:00

Every one is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody
Mark Twain

I tried to take pictures of the Moon, Venus and Jupiter tonight. It looked like the sky was frowning.

I was out in the middle of a field and couldn't brace my hand against anything so most of the pictures are squiggles.

I did get one clear picture, but, it's very dark.

I'm disappointed.

Happy Birthday Chris!

2008-11-28T01:00:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T20:04:00.006-06:00

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
Author Unknown

I started this shawl when I was sitting with Pat discussing her husband's death.

I finished it on vacation in May.

It took me through my cat's death, the whole kerfuffle with Storm, the unfortunate incident, Chris's illness and two surgeries, and finally my unhappiness with my family.

I call it "The Shawl That Would Not End".

We had dinner with Marcia and her family. Chris was anti-social, but I had a good time.

Brrrr.......

2008-11-25T11:08:00.002-06:00

I took this picture this morning as I came home from my walk.

Autumn is here and there is a chill in the air.

Thanksgiving Came Early

2008-11-23T11:00:00.004-06:00

The funny thing about Thanksgiving, or any huge meal, is that you spend 12 hours shopping for it and then chopping and cooking and braising and blanching. Then it takes 20 minutes to eat it and everybody sort of sits around in a food coma, and then it takes four hours to clean it up.
Ted Allen

I bought a turkey to cook on Wednesday so we would have some leftovers for dinner.

I put it in the refridgerator to thaw late Friday night.

Today I tested it and it was thawed, so I decided to cook it.

Turkeys are ready on their own schedule.

Lunch with Chris

2008-11-21T19:09:00.002-06:00

It's Friday!

That means I get to have lunch with Chris.

Doesn't he look so, so, thrilled to be sharing a meal with me?

Double take

2008-11-19T20:23:00.003-06:00

I did a double take when I went into Hobby Lobby today to buy Christmas lights.

My first thought was, "Why would anyone want a silk hemp plant?"

Turns out it is supposed to be a Japanese Maple.

I feel silly.

Monday Mournings at Work....

2008-11-17T19:03:00.002-06:00

Uh-oh. Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.
Office Space

I got my cup of tea and a magazine to read at work this mourning and noticed they were color coordinated.

Blue, blue Monday.

New WoW Shaman

2008-11-16T17:47:00.003-06:00

I decided that my old World of Warcraft server was too lonely without Storm, so I created a new Draenei Shaman on another server.

If I decide I like this server I'm going transfer Thorn over, and I'll probably rename her.

Godfather Caturday

2008-11-15T08:00:00.001-06:00

I left my phone's data cable at work, so I can't transfer the picture I wanted to use today.

I'll update Monday or Tuesday.

Pretty Leaves

2008-11-14T20:46:00.002-06:00

Brown, orange and golden
Twirling, falling through the sun,

Landing on the ground.
Shannon S. (me)

I wrote this haiku when I was twelve. (I took this picture today).

I still think it's the best poem I've ever written.

Still Feeling Under the Weather.

2008-11-13T19:34:00.003-06:00

To array a man's will against his sickness is the supreme art of medicine.
Henry Ward Beecher

This is the only picture I have that looks like "Under the Weather".

I took it Tuesday morning during my walk.