Search blog.co.uk

Posts archive for: October, 2007
  • Happy Halloween!!!

    Chillin' on Halloween, who I'm listening to, today:

    Robbie Williams
    REM
    The Proclaimers
    The Mutton Birds
    The Kinks
    Richard X. Heyman
    Jam
    Runrig
    Heartsfield
    The Grapes of Wrath
    Michael Penn
    The Bridley Brothers
    Fleetwood Mac
    whiskeytown
    Ministry of Sound
    Tom Petty

    Well, off to change for work--for the fancy dress day, I'm changing into my alter-ego, Farmer Namcy,well... I do a pretty good redneck impersonation, ha-ha. Any excuse to wear jeans to work. :p But hey, we got free food, today! Yeah!!! Any day that I don't have to pack the dreaded peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch, is a good day, to me!

  • Good Luck David Tennant


    Wishing actor David Tennant good luck at tonight's NTA awards--and his co-star, Freema Agyeman, as well. Well done!

  • To Sleep, per chance to dream...

    I had a good night's sleep, for a change. I've slept in some odd places in my life, so sometimes it irks me when I can't sleep in my own bed.

    I've slept in a lawn chair, a bathtub, on hay bales, on the grass underneath my pickup truck (it was a blistering hot day, with no shade, at an open-air flea market I was working), on a sofa with literally no springs, ditto in an arm chair, on a bed with a big basketball sized hole in the middle of it (don't ask), on a bus, on a plane, in a car, hospital bed, on the floor of a small, crowded airport in North Africa, on a very, very tiny bed in a ship's cabin, sleeping bag in a tent on the ground, on a blanket on a living room floor, in a horse stall, and under a moving tarp in the open back of a pick up truck in late October, going down the Thruway (NY state motorway) at 3am.

    So, it really perturbs me, when I can't sleep in my own blinking bed! I love it when I get a good night's sleep--had some really funky dreams, tho.

    First I dreamed that I was hanging blue satany curtains over some closet doorway, and Doctor Who (David Tennant's Dr., I think) was standing there, telling me they were crooked--then, I jumped back in time, to when I picked them out-- on sale at the bargain table at Woolworth's--which went out of business here, in the early 1990's! Then, while I was in the shop, picking out the curtains, I was suddenly being entertained by three alternating look-alike singers--one guy was pretending to be some country singer (I forget who), one was an Elvis impersonator, and one was a John Denver impersonator--they all had guitars, and were competing for some prize, and I was the judge, and suddenly we were on television...THAT was one weird dream!

  • Morning all

    Well, have my new blog up and running...and very obscure--one view so far, ha-ha. Suits me. My playwriting blog has had zero views, my fan fiction blog has had five (in the last two months)...so all's well, then.

    Have a few chores to do, this morning, so not much time for messing about. My internet is still slated for cut off. No way I have the money--it's the blinking phone, I'm gonna' miss, as the nearest one is about a 10-minute walk away, and isn't available after 11pm. So if I have a fire or other emergency, or need a cab, or want to contact a potential employer--I'm crap outta' luck, I reckon.

    And, of course, I'll miss all of you, and my contact with the outside world. But...the end of the pay cut's too late to save me--I'm only just avoiding eviction, as it is--and even that's still a bit iffy.

    So, anyway, hope you all have a pleasant day, and if you're celebrating, a nice halloween. Take care. N.

  • Photographs--Images we can't forget

    I was reading Jenray's blog, about some photography programme over there across the Big Pond, and was thinking about all of the touching images I'd seen, over the years. Dead images burning the life of the story they told, into my soul.

    I can remember, when my mum was running the village library, there was this big book--and all it was, was photographs of the Civil War--moving images. I remember one, taken just a couple days after the battle of Gettysburg, I remember, several times, sitting in the reference area, just staring at the photo. I guess I was about 15 years old, at the time.

    The photo, by Matthew Brady, is of a lone confederate sniper, that had been shot in a remote area, lying in the rocks all alone, his corpse stiffened in his last act of life--clawing the earth, a rock as his pillow, waiting for help that he probably knew would never come, waiting for death, in pain...dying all alone, unburied, left to moulder into the rocky earth. Did anyone mourn him? Or was that image his only legacy, a photograph, instead of a headstone.

    To this day, the image moves me, saddens me. And, now, I know why.
    Link to a much larger image: http://www.archives.gov/research/civil-war/photos/images/civil-war-098.jpg

  • Loo Nazis?

    Gave my cubicle mates quite a laugh tonight, reading to them from the London Times online, how the Germans count the amount of toilet paper their troops use in the loo--8 million rolls, or, as the headline put it, ten rolls per man, per day!

    Which leaves one to wonder, just what do the Germans put in their winer schnitzel?

    Seems the troops used to have drilled into them, "I will not go anywhere without my toilet paper!" Or something similar. Good advice--not sure if it's up there with "Keep your head down when they're dropping the bombs," but good advice, nonetheless.

    "But wait!" The official German toilet paper counter says, "That figure's not quite right--that was 8 million SHEETS, not rolls! Ohh--and, we have to take into account that some of those rolls were three-ply. Ah. Great way to--erm, cover yer bottom, there, Mr.TP counter!

    I wonder how this guy handles cocktail parties? "What do you do, for a living?" Good thing he's not in the states--some rolls here, are four-ply quilted! :yes:


    "Say--Sargent Schultz, is that a winer schnitzel in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

  • Life post-drabble-a-thon

    You know, it actually has been difficult, adjusting to not having to write a story every single day?

    I sort of am at a loss, as to what to do with myself, ha-ha. Don't know what I'll do if I lose my itnernet--tho' I'm sure my apartment will get much cleaner! :DD :oops:

    Anyway, really, it's true. I sort of am at loose ends, right now, with my free time. Well, not RIGHT now, as I have to go and change for work. I really hate working nights--I mean, it's not the end of the world, having to work nights, but still. it's much harder for me to cope with a day/night shift, sometimes, in the physical sense, if you know what I mean?

    I hope I won't lose my itnerent, but if I do, I hope I can get it back in time to watch some of the Dr Who stuff that's coming out on YouTube next month, and thereafter. Dr Who really has been a nice break from my routine for me--that and someof the new and old music I've been listening to.

    Well..off to work...collections calls in the afternoon, fund raising on evening shift. I hope my illness won't play up, like last night--makes a long night longer, when you're exhausted.

    sorry about the rant about Firefox--it's just that every time I turn around, Firefox interferes with stuff--not letting me in websites (that it let me in, before), not always letting my use cut and paste, stuff like that. very, very frustrating! It seems to slow down my computer a little, as well.

    Anyway, meh--what do I know? Have a good day all.

  • David Tennant Gets Testy Over 'Do


    Actor David Tennant was overheard recently, getting a little testy over a comment on his hairstyle. Someone asked the actor if crappy hairdo's were the hot new trend in Cardiff these days, whereupon the actor was overheard to mutter, "Meh--go kiss a haggis."

  • Accord Hospice--Random Stories

    So, my internet status is still pretty much up in the air, I'm afraid.
    In that light, here's a few more stories, from my Accord Hospice 100-story challenge blog ( www.nbgolash.blogspot.com/ ), in random order:

    STORY#3:

    The Garden

    They were working in the garden, as they had for the past fifty-four years. Sam was pruning his wife’s roses. Suddenly, Anne stumbled, looking pale and wan. “You alright?” He asked. “No,” she whispered, “I feel weak.”

    “It’s your heart.” The doctor said, “You’ve not long to live.” Four weeks later, Sam sat on what was their wedding bed. He held Anne’s cold hand, tears coursing down his cheeks. “I wish I could see our garden,” she whispered. “I brought it to you,” He said, placing a red rose in her hand. She smiled, closed her eyes, and Sam wept.

    STORY #98

    The Last Scout

    Moses Walker served with the 5th Cavalry in the heart of the Dakota Territory. Soon, he would retire, but now he was on scout for the patrol sent out to protect the gold miners. He halted on a knoll--when a band of Sioux appeared! Screaming, they began chasing him.

    Moses suddenly found himself in a box canyon. He leapt down, back to the rocks, firing over his horse--when his bullets ran out. Just then, an arrow found him, and Moses knew it was the end. He smiled. “Eh, didn’t want to retire, anyway,” he murmured as he died.

    STORY #87

    Gypsy Dancer

    Wallace rose from the poorhouse, to become one of the wealthiest men of the age, thanks to an invention he’d made. He was living in one of the grandest homes in all the shires. But, he was alone. The peerage shunned him, his peers thought him above them, so Wallace kept to himself.

    He spent his evenings, staring at a painting he’d bought in Venice: a life-size portrait of a gypsy dancer. Standing there, he whispered sadly, “I wish you were real.” As he turned, and slowly walked away, a tiny teardrop fell from a corner of the gypsy’s eye.

    STORY #36

    Doctor Who: Nothing to Brag About

    The lady was galloping her mare, leaving the lords behind. She stopped, waiting for the others to catch up. Meanwhile, in the Tardis, the Doctor was busy bragging to his latest companion, Donna. Gleefully he shouted, “Oh! I know! Let’s go back to Merrie Olde England!”

    The Tardis appeared, wheezing like a dysfunctional church organ--right in front of the lady’s mare! She reared, dumping the lady on her bottom, right into a steaming pile of manure. The Doctor stepped outside--and stared at Queen Elisabeth I, sitting on the ground. Raising an eyebrow, he said, “Ah. That's what happened!”

    STORY # 51

    The Battle of Verity Gap

    George kept down, lying in the mud of a shell hole. The bullets were flying overhead, so thick; they actually were stripping the bark from the trees. “Fire that rifle, soldier!” The lieutenant shouted. But there was nothing to fire at---everyone was wisely keeping his head down--except certain young officers.

    The lieutenant went down, shot through the head. Just then, George spied a woman in black, riding hell-bent across the battlefield. The bullets slowly ceased, as she leaped off her horse, and cradled a dead man in her arms--the widow who stopped the battle of Verity Gap.

    STORY #67

    Born to Buy

    It wasn’t a very large village. But, it did have a store/post office. The store, Wilson’s, carried a little bit of everything. It was a fine day, and, with his wife sitting nearby, holding their new baby, Mr. Wilson put the finishing touches on a new sign: “Wilson and Son.”

    Wiping the gold paint from his hands, he looked on proudly as his wife softly crooned a lullaby: “By-low, my baby, by-low…” Mr. Wilson chortled, “That’s right, love! You teach him to buy low, I’ll teach him to sell high, and together we’ll make a great shopkeeper out of him!”

    STORY 23

    Lover's Farewell

    Elisabeth stared out the open window, at the roses in her garden--but wasn’t seeing them. Her mind was on a far-flung battlefield. One day, she’d been pruning her roses, when something made her look up. There he was, Blane Gordon, astride a handsome bay mare, resplendent in his uniform.

    They waltzed the springtime away, even had a favourite tune: Lover’s Farewell. Sighing, she picked up his photograph--suddenly, the tall clock in the hall struck midnight. But, strangely, it was only ten. Then, on the soft breeze, Elisabeth heard their tune--and sobbing, she knew--her lover had died.

    Story #14

    The Lumberman's Last Dime

    Winter was over, the log drives done. Melva was pleased, for the lumbermen would come and stay at her parent’s lodging house. She was fond of Jim. All summer, he courted her, taking her dancing. When winter came again, he promised marriage, on his return.

    “Here, Mel,” he cried as he left on the stage, “keep this to remember me.” He threw her his last dime. “If you don’t come back, I’ll use this to buy a bucket of beer and drown myself.” Jim was later killed, and Mel, she bought herself a beer, and drowned herself in one swallow.

    STORY #71

    Writer's Block

    The writer sat hunched over his keyboard, massaging his temples. He’d just written a movie, called “Day of the Animated Cadavers,” and now the studio was at him to make a sequel. Trouble was, he had writer’s block.

    Deciding to go for a walk to clear his head, the writer headed out into the countryside. His stroll took him past a churchyard. Tired, he sat, leaning against a mouldery, tilted, marble headstone--and it moved slightly. A hand reached out from the grave…slowly, towards the unsuspecting writer. There was to be a sequel after all, but it wasn’t a movie.

    (NOTE: Ihese stories were written in honour of the patients of Accord Hospice and in memory of Mrs. Helen MacDonald. The stories were written to raise funds for a hospice in Scotland Thanks. )

  • Attn: Tennant Fan-girls! Look! David's Underwear!

    He-he-he-he-he! Well...I didn't say WHICH David, did I?

    I'm sooo-bad! :)) :)) :))

    I'd recently read this on a fan forum: (David Tennant) "..smolders with an unbridled passion..."

    Thought I smelled something burning, but I thought someone had burnt a haggis.

  • DELETED: Ramblings of an Aging Whovian

    I have just deleted my alternate blog. I had no choice. It seems some person sent a chain e-mail out to well over 100 people, with my blog address. In less than 6 hours, I went from my usual 10 or 15 visitors, to well over 100. And every last one of them was from some Yahoo mail address. I don't like that. Mainly because I could say things on that blog, I could not say elsewhere..oh, it had light stuff too, just like on here--DT and Dr Who captions, jokes, etc...but really--I feel...dirty, now, being passed around the web like some cheap hooker in a sailor's bar. No idea what attracted them, but..it's gone now. Forever.

    Made me sort of sad to have to do that...I mean, sure, loads of people visit this website--but there's big difference between people casually, or deliberately seeking out your blog--and some completely unknown person--without consulting you, just randomly passing your blog address out via e-mail, for whatever reason, to hundreds of people.

    I'm sure some of you are saying, "What's the big deal? What's she whinging about now?" Well, it's a fine line, I admit, but to me, it is a line. It a tiny, semi-invasion of my privacy. I'm glad if this sort of thing wouldn't bother you, really I am. And it's hard for me to explain, why it bothers me at all---but, bottom line is, it DOES bother me a little. So, no choice but to delete and begin again.

    I will set up a new blog, but will ONLY give the address to those who request it, and will not be putting it on any search engines, if I can help it. And, it will NOT be on blogger!

  • And...a little cat humour

    HAIR CRITIC CAT:

  • Halloween humour

    A skeleton walks into a pub, and calls to the bartender: "Give me an ale and a mop, please!"

    Why wouldn't the skeleton cross the road? Because he didn't have the guts to!

    Once a young assistant to an orthopedic surgeon was taking a display skeleton in her car to the doctor's office. At the red light, she noticed everybody staring her curiously. She smiled and tried to explain, "I'm taking him to the doctor." An old lady said kindly, "Poor dear! You are too late, don't you think?"

    A music scholar was touring through a graveyard in Vienna when he heard music coming out of a grave. On inspection, he found the headstone as Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770-1827. The music was the Ninth Symphony being played backwards. He soon rang up a friend who came in time to hear the Seventh Symphony being played backwards. They hurried to call an expert who hurried to them to hear the Fifth Symphony playing backwards. All the more weird was the fact that symphonies were being played in the reverse order in which they were composed. When the caretaker of the graveyard heard this, the only comment he made was, "What's the wonder! He's just decomposing!"

    How come the vampire had heartburn after eating? He had a stake sandwich.

    Two nuns are driving through Translyvania, when they stop at a crossroads just after dark. Suddenly, a tiny vampire leaps onto the bonnet of the car! "What'll I do?" cried the nun that was driving. The other nun said, “Turn on your wipers, that will get rid of him!” The driver-nun did, but to no avail. The little vampire just clung on. “What now?” the driver-nun asked in despair. “I put holy water in the windshield washer receptacle, try spraying him!” So, the driver-nun did, but though he got horribly burned, the vampire just hissed and started clawing at the windscreen. “NOW what!!!” The driver-nun wailed. “Try showing him your cross,” the other nun yelled. So, the driver-nun poked her head out the drivers-side widow and shouted, “I’m very angry with you! Get offa’ my bonnet, or I’ll slap you with my ruler!”

  • Connections

    Communication is one of the most difficult things for a human to do, I think. Just for the sheer breath and scope of humanity--we are all the same, in so many ways--yet, each of us is an individual, with our own separate and unique thoughts and experiences.

    Still, sometimes we do manage to connect with each other--for despite our vast differences, many of us share the same emotions and experiences. This is why theater and movies and television work so well--especially when the scriptwriter has touched a similar chord in our collective souls. We may be individuals, we may not always relate to each other--but, enough of us do, to make communication work.

    I don't know if this makes sense or not. One of the reasons I write is, of course, to communicate. But, I also write for my own pleasure. I've been messing about with a play, and I don't think it would be publishable--because I don't feel it really communicates anything--but when I write in my blog, sometimes...sometimes I think I make it work. There's something special, when I write, that I feel--that makes the effort worthwhile, knowing I'm stretching my thoughts and feelings out to dozens--even hundreds--of people, and knowing that somewhere I out there...maybe, just maybe, I'll make a connection.

  • Dr Who Captions--replacing the LOST post

    I have to totally re-do this post, because flippin' Blog.co.uk LOST the previous one--no idea where it went. This blog site is going to the blinking dogs, today!


    "Arrrgh! I had to wait ten years to get a dental appointment, just to clean these teeth, and now you say my appointment's been rescheduled for 2015?"


    "No Graham, that's erm--not my sonic screwdriver in there..."

    "Hair gel, super glue...they both looked the same to me..."

  • Accoustic Proclaimers!

    Loved this video! They sound every bit as good in person, as they do on their records, I think. Not every artist has that ability. These gents are just wonderful, and I'm glad I discovered them this year, they are areal gem, to me.

  • Quiz answers

    Quiz sent to me by dtfangurl73:

    Twenty Questions:

    1. What's the weather like where you are at right now?

    Mostly cloudy with patches of sunshine, mildly chilly.

    2. What part of the world are you writing from:

    Northeastern NY state, USA, near the Adirondack Mtns. and Vermont.

    3. What type of place are you in right now?

    My small one bedroom dump apartment.

    4. Are you hungry or not right now?

    Hungry, sort of.

    5. What would you like to eat right now?

    Toss-up: either a nice juicy steak, with zucchini sauteed in garlic butter, and fresh mashed--or, a Big Mac Value Meal.

    6. What will you, or did you have, for dinner tonight?

    I'm making one of those 39 cent boxes of "Valu-Save" Macaroni and cheese, a hot dog, and some peas.

    7. What do you do for a living?

    Telemarketer.

    8. What's the worst job you ever had?

    Tie: Cleaning loos at a casino/race track and Asst. cook in a convent

    9. What's the best job you ever had?

    Stable hand

    10. What's the most unusual job you've ever had?

    Running rides in an amusement park

    11. If you could do any type of work, what would you do?

    Not really an issue any longer, but, ideally, Either write, or work in theater, horses or history, or do something where I help people.

    12. Do you like your present job?

    Not really, no.

    13. Have you ever done any volunteer work?

    Yes, every now and then, when I'm able.

    14. Have you ever been featured in a newspaper article (writing, interviews, in the news)

    Yes, in the news once and interviewed twice, wrote four or five feature articles and one opinion piece, plus letters to editor.

    15. Have you ever been on Tele? (Acting, interviews, in the news)

    Interviewed once for Breakfast, and shown on camera for some public tv fund drives, that's about it.

    16. Have you ever been on radio?

    Once, in my early teens, I had to crow like a rooster on-air, to win a contest (free chicken dinner and a transistor radio), and also wrote/directed a recorded radio play for college, and also read the news once, on-air at the same college.

    17. Have you ever performed on stage?

    Several times in small roles.

    18. Have you ever given a speech?

    TONS of times, in college. And, a few lectures for a 4-H youth horse club, and a history lecture, many years ago, for a library group once.

    19. If someone in another country paid for you to go and live there, and either go to school or work there as well, would you go?

    IF I could take my cats and at least some of my possessions, and IF the job paid enough for me to live securely (able to pay food, rent, bills)--very probably.

    20. When was the last time you went out somewhere, for entertainment, where did you go, and whom did you go with?

    Late August I think, I went to the local history museum (it was very dull), by myself.

    I tag anyone who wants to be tagged!

  • David Tennant to Star in New Happy Days

    Exclusive: Actor David (Dr Who, Casanova) Tennant is up for the starring role in the in the new Happy Days series. The new series, instead of taking place in the US (Milwaukee, Wisc.) will take place in 1950's Perth, Scotland, instead, with Tennant to star as the motorbike riding, kilt-wearing ladies man, "Fonzie" The new series will also feature Hugh Grant as Richie Cunningham, Justin Lee Collins will be the new "Ralph the Mouth," with Alan Carr playing his sidekick, "Potzie".

  • Accord Hospice stories, #60 - 100

    The Accord Hospice 100-story challenge fund-raising blog, can be found at:
    www.nbgolash.blogspot.com/

    Information about Accord Hospice, in Paisley, Scotland, can be found at:
    www.accord.org.uk

    Story #60, written on 18th Sept., 2007:

    The Box

    Dick was driving on the A-1, when he spotted a brightly wrapped box in the road. He stopped. Looking at it, in his rearview mirror, the lure was too much. Dick took the package.

    It had a card, “Do not open--or else.” No name. Putting the box in the back, he drove on. But--he saw it in the mirror, tempting him. Stopping the car, he opened the box--just then, out of nowhere, the car was flattened by a lorry. Police found an unwrapped box at the scene, with only a note inside: “Open on pain of death.”

    Story #70, written on 28th Sept., 2007:

    The Torch-bearer

    It was a stony-dark night. Ron left the pub, shortly past midnight. In the car park, he noticed something odd. He stood, in the light of a distant streetlamp, looking down at a crumpled body.

    Ron heard footsteps behind him. It was a man in a dark suit. Handing Ron a torch, he said, “Hold the light steady.” The man examined the victim’s skull. “Dead--blow to the head with a blunt instrument.” Ron went to hand the man back his torch--but he merely gave an oily smile, saying. “Oh, I’d rather you had that, when the police arrive.”

    Story #80, written on 10th Oct., 2007:

    Life Between the Lines

    In was a quiet night in Booring Vale. Suddenly, the skies lit up, as a tiny light shot downward---it was fist-sized meteorite. It smashed trough the roof of the library, glowed briefly, then all was dark again. Abruptly, at midnight, the books began tumbling off the shelves, and the characters came alive!

    Lassie wandered into the C’s of the encyclopedia, and got lost in Cardiff. Tarzan swung into Charlotte’s Web and was stuck. Hamlet began flirting with Catherine Earnshaw, and Sherlock Holmes helped Allen Quartermain find Solomon’s mine. At dawn, all was back to normal…well, until midnight comes again.

    Story #90, written on 18th Oct., 2007:

    Speaking in Tongues

    Two cowboys were sitting on the fence, talking. Joe was telling Bill about how he’d gone to see a lawyer to stop a developer from taking his ranch. “What happened?” Bill asked.

    “First, the lawyer asked if I had grounds, and I told him I had 500 acres. Next, he asked me if I wanted to bring a suit--but I only got the one I was wearin’. He asked me if I thought I had a case--so I told him I only had a six-pack.” Bill asked, “So then what?” “The danged lawyer threw me outta’ his office!”

    Story #100, Written on 28th Oct., 2007:

    The Lady in Red

    It was early on a sweltering Los Angles afternoon. I was sitting at my desk at my detective agency, watching the sun creep across the floor, hearing a fly buzzing at the window, and contemplating the bottle of bourbon on my desk. Just then, someone knocked.

    “Come in,” I answered wearily. “Hello, Charles.” It was her. That blond bombshell I called, “the lady in red”. The woman who suckered me into helping her cover up a murder, and nearly cost me my life in doing so. “I’m back.” She whispered demurely. But…did I want to kiss her, or kill her?

  • Accord Hopsice stories: #10, 20, 30, 40 & 50.

    Here are every ten stories I'd written, from the Accord Hospice 100-story challenge fund raising blog:

    Story # 10, written 31st of July, 2007:

    Some Things Never Change

    Bill gazed at the lake’s dark waters, the dense forest surrounding it. His wife, Alice sat beside him in the canoe, eying their Indian guide. The tall warrior paddled across the wide lake, towards Bill’s new cabin. “You be quiet,” he commanded, “lake spirit no like noise. Spirit will waken, rise up, smash canoe--we drown.”

    The lake was deep and cold. The Indian paddled in eerie silence. Abruptly, Alice spoke loudly, “Why’s it so quiet?” The warrior froze--then shrugged and kept paddling. “It alright,” the Indian said, “spirit knows woman can’t shut up for more than five minutes.”

    Story #20, Written 10th August, 2007:

    The Shadow Rider

    In the black storm-tossed night, a shadowy figure on a dark horse, weaves its way through the trees. The wind-driven rain lashes the rider. But he is never still, never stops. He just keeps plunging through the gloom. The night becomes formless, blurs into a blank wall of fog and mist. Still, the Shadow Rider and his phantom steed gallop onwards.

    A thoughtless man condemned. The fairies revenge is perpetual damnation. The rider had killed one of their own, ran her down on a bridle-path, so they cursed him with eternal life, a ceaseless ride, through the forests of Hell.

    Story #30, written 19th August, 2007:

    Found at Sea

    High on a cliff, the wind blew cold in the silvery moonlight. A young woman stood on the cliff-edge, gazing out to sea. Her long white dress was whipped by the fierce breeze, and strands of her hair oft-times went astray. She stood with tear-filled eyes.

    In the far-distance, a fog-horn blew, and a dense whiteness roiled over the foamy seas. In her hand was a letter--the last one ever, from a lover drowned at sea. She stared down at the foamy waves-and leaped. A water-drenched sailor came up from the waves, catching her. Two lovers reunited in eternity.

    Story #40, Written 29th August, 2007:

    Doctor Who: Party Crasher

    The Tardis landed with a wheeze and a bump. The door opened, the Doctor walked out. “The opening party of the Neon Gardens of Lucexsive!” Martha was awed. But she didn’t like the funny holographic food. “No sense of humour,” the Doctor sniffed.

    Martha was grooving to the geometric morphing sound system, when a scary flying instrument from the mechanical band, tried to attack her! The Doctor nipped out with his sonic screwdriver and zapped it. The vicious bagpipe dropped to the floor. The Doctor frowned and nudged it with his foot, “Damn thing was out of tune.” He muttered.

    Story #50, Written 8th Sept., 2007:

    Be Careful What You Say

    Emma and Randy, a young farm couple, were walking through the autumn countryside, and came upon a field full of dairy cows. There was another field containing a lone Holstein bull. The couple held hands and leaned against the fence watching the cows graze.

    The bull came up to the fence, and began nuzzling the nose of a nearby heifer. Then, he jumped the fence and began…well, doing what bulls do. Grinning, Randy squeezed Emma’s hand, and, looking at her sideways, whispered, “I’d not mind doing that myself.” Emma arched an eyebrow, and said dryly, “Go ahead--it’s your heifer.”

  • By Jenray's Request: Accord Story #1

    Jenray has suggested that I re-post my Accord stories--one per day, on here. Unfortunately, I'm probably going to lose my internet soon, so I don't think that's gonna' work. But, I'll compromise and post the 1st, 10th, 20th, etc.

    I've no clue if anyone out there would possibly want to read, or re-read these stories. But, I thought, why not? Honestly, I believe they aren't that great, but you can be the judge of that. So, while Charlie is lying on the living room floor, sunbathing in the light from the window, I'll post my first story for Accord on here.

    If you read the stories, and by some chance, happen to like them, the Justgiving button is right above this, and the Justgiving page will remain open to accepting donations, until the end of December. Even tho' the fund raiser has officially ended today, I decided since I didn't meet my goal (250 pounds in 100 days), to keep the fund raising site open for a couple of more months.

    BLOGGING FOR ACCORD HOSPICE: STORY #1 POSTED ON 22ND JULY, 2007

    DAY ONE: 22nd July, 2007

    Night Train to Paris

    The young man on the night train to Paris, stepped out on the platform for air. He saw a lady in black, watching a village go by-- two lights on. Most buildings scarred from the Great War: shell-torn roofs, black holes, the night masking the memory of death.

    The young gentleman spoke. “Cold night.” Without turning, the lady said, “Not as cold as the grave.” He bent his head to light his cigarette. “That was my village, that we just passed", she added sadly. “I died there, with my children.” Dropping his lighter, the boy blanched. The lady had vanished.

  • What the heck is wrong with Bcuk NOW???

    God! This site has sooo-many bugs, sometimes, doesn't it?

    Now I can't reply to your comments!

    I hit "reply" and NOTHING! Blank screen! This site sucks sometimes, with all the problems it constantly has---getting so it's nearly every week now. I liked the original site much better, the one that was here when I joined---the more this site "improves," the WORSE it gets! Someone should tell these gits that if something works, you stick with it, you don't need to change it every five minutes. If you're that bored that you have to change stuff all the time, maybe you should find something else to do, ey?

  • Accord Hospice LAST DAY--DAY 100

    Just wrote my last story for the Accord Hospice fund raising blog. I simply cannot thank you all enough, for your kind words of encouragement--and your sponsorship!

    Here's the last story, but you can read the others by clicking on the 100-stories banner above.

    STORY #100

    The Lady in Red

    It was early on a sweltering Los Angles afternoon. I was sitting at my desk at my detective agency, watching the sun creep across the floor, hearing a fly buzzing at the window, and contemplating the bottle of bourbon on my desk. Just then, someone knocked.

    “Come in,” I answered wearily. “Hello, Charles.” It was her. That blond bombshell I called, “the lady in red”. The woman who suckered me into helping her cover up a murder, and nearly cost me my life in doing so. “I’m back.” She whispered demurely. But…did I want to kiss her, or kill her?

  • Sad Farewell to a Gallant Horse

    Sadly, the wonderful career of Irish thoroughbred, George Washington, ended today, during the running of the American race, the Breeder's Cup.

    The horse was in the top finishers, on a sloppy track, when he broke down in front of the grandstand, shattering his leg. He was put down almost immediately, so horrible was the injury.

    A sad day for horse lovers and race fans, and for Ireland. The end of a brave and lovely horse.

  • Pet Food

    Now, like me, over the years, my pets have developed their own particular tastes in "people" food.

    Our first cat, a black cat named "Buttons," used to be partial to mum's spaghetti with meat sauce. If she was outside, the minute mum made her sauce, Buttons would come trotting home, and sit in the kitchen waiting for a bit of a treat (a tiny dish of the cooked sauce).

    Our first dog, "Happy," a half-lab mix, would eat ANYTHING. I mean, one time, my sister came home for a visit, and brought a mixed Italian sub sandwich with her---salami, peperoni and ham, with salad oil, lettuce, tomato and onion on a sub roll--and didn't want it. She put it down for Happy, and we just sat there and watched the blessed dog, scarf down the entire 12-inch long sub, veggies and all!

    Another time, I was grilling some trout on my outdoor fire pit, and went in for a sec, to get something, came back out--no trout! Yup, Happy was rather guiltily sitting there, licking her lips--which I was relieved to see weren't burnt! But, trout being expensive, at the time (they were store-bought, from the frozen food section), I wasn't thrilled, let me tell you!

    The funnest thing, was the time my dad took a whole blueberry pie into his bedroom with him, to snack on while he watched the baseball game or something, on his television in there. He'd come out to get something from the fridge, and went back in---promptly charging into the living room, startling mum and me! "WHO ATE MY PIE?!?" He yelled.

    Mum and I had been sitting, watching a TV programme, and hadn't a clue what he was nattering on about. Just then, Happy came strolling into the living room, licking her lips with a blue-stained tongue! She ate the whole thing--licked the pie plate clean, in a matter of minutes!

    My half-collie Shamrock, adored a local brand of chocolate-chip cookie (biscuit). When proffered, she'd delicately take it, and then actually slowly suck on it, savouring it like a person would, before swallowing--drooled a bit, to, unfortunately. And, she loved bear bones, as well--a neighbour who hunted used to save the bear bones just for Shamrock, who absolutely adored them.

    Now, we had a cat, in the mid-80's, Bandit, who was partial to broccolli. My mum's cat, Penny, was fond of pizza--cheese, crust, sauce, the whole nine yards.

    My late-cat J.R., adored poultry--chicken, turkey, didn't matter. Smiley, another cat that was put down last year, was addicted to milk.

    Charlie loves tinned tuna--well, okay, Charlies loves food of any shape or sort! And, Flame---she adores popcorn, corn chips, cheese and..well, anything even remotely cheesey, and Chinese food--especially the bits of pork in the rice or lo mein. Boots is rather dull in his culinary tastes, and mostly prefers his dry food.

  • Reminder: Going Dark

    Just a reminder to you all, that at any time, Time-Warner may be pulling the plug on my phone/internet service for non-payment. If I suddenly go dark, that's why. I didn't harm myself, or run away from home, or die of this mystery ailment---I just couldn't pay my bill.

    Been a genuine delight knowing you all. I have no idea when I will be cut off--may be Monday, may be in two weeks. It's in Time-Warner's hands, now.

  • Cheap Land--and they also have a bridge they can sell you!

  • Dr Who Caption for Today


    "What Martha doesn't know, is that Superman's not the only one with X-Ray vison--whoa, there, big fella, heh-heh."

  • Same old, same old

    Well, a quiet and mainly uneventful birthday--just me and the cats. My birthday prezzie to myself this year is taking a day off (Tomorrow), which I sorely need.

    Sun's coming out, but it's been cloudy and rainy all afternoon. Just got home from work, a little while ago. Suppose I have to make myself something to eat--debating on a hamburger and fries, a hotdog and fries, or tinned soup and a sandwich. Haven't eaten all day, and I'm famished. Normally, I'd get a pizza delivered, or go out to dinner, on my birthday, but with only 15 dollars in the kitty, I don't think so. Meh, there's always next year, maybe.

    The cats were glad to see me, anyway--especially Charlie. Did you know, the little blighter actually parked his fat arse by the front door when I left, and was STILL THERE, when I got home, over 6 hours later? Poor wee thing has gotten very clingy, of late, ever since I went into hospital for a few days, back in June. Well, of course I scooped him up (no mean feat, as he's quite an armful, and very heavy) and made a fuss over him, which he clearly relished.

    Tonight I write my last Accord story, for tomorrow. Sort of sad, in that I never met goal, and hardly anyone (except for some wonderful friends) has read them (a whole 3 visitors today, to the site)...guess that says a lot about my story-writing abilities--and, the fact that maybe it's a good thing, I couldn't finish my PR degree, because I more or less sucked at promoting the Accord blog. But then, I have a hard time blowing my own horn, I guess. I am glad I was able to help, tho--even just a little.

    So, I'm off to make dinner in a bit, maybe take a nap, get up, write a story, watch a Who DVD. Just another night at home. Same old, same old.

  • Thanks again!

    Thanks again, everyone, for all of your very kind birthday wishes. It means more to me than you'll ever know, bless. Take care and have a good weekend. Nance.

    Illustrations by my favourite childhood illustrator/author, C.W. Andersen.

  • Thanks!

    Thank you for your kind wishes. Have a wonderful weekend.

  • Off to work soon...

    It's Friday afternoon. I have to leave for work in about 45 minutes.

    A nice autumn day, here in this little northern city--some of the trees are so gorgeous! I couldn't keep my eyes off one, from my office building's windows...you can look out across the main street, past the telephone company's car park, at all the changing tress-and there's this one..oh, it's brilliant! I really miss having a car, at times like this, because of the lovely scenery around here, this time of year--people come from all over the states and Canada--even all over the world, just to see it.

    Well, an ambulance went roaring by, siren screaming, this morning. I'm guessing somebody's not having a good Friday...maybe he or she just opened the weekly pay envelope.

  • David Tennant to be the New Marcel Marceau

    Exclusive: Actor David Tennant--sans makeup, rehearsing to become a mime. "Well...this way I don't have to worry about memorizing all those lines anymore, do I? And.." he continued, "in white-face, no one will know me--no more fangirls chasing me about. I was beginning to have problems with my hand, having to sign all those autographs--it's not easy being a sex God, you know."

  • Nite all


    Me on "Buddy" in the schooling ring, during a winter-time western riding lesson, in the mid-1970's

    I freely admit, that once again, I'm going through a bit of a rough patch--never stops, and, I don't expect it ever will.

    But..I'm still here, so I might as well just shrug and keep going.

    I remember once, back when I was a teenager. I was working as a groom, in exchange for 15 dollars (about 7 pounds 50p) a week and riding lessons. One day, in the heart of mud season, I was asked to take some used wood shavings (minus the manure), about a dozen wheelbarrows of them, and spread them over the outdoor schooling ring, to improve the footing...well, 'bout halfway through, I hit deep patch...and got completely and utterly stuck fast, in about a foot of thick, gooey mud. I was wearing my trusty old lace-up hikers at the time. Soo--not a good situation, mainly because no one was about--the owner was up at her house, and because the ring was unusable, no one was there riding...it was just me, a wheelbarrow of dirty stable bedding and a foot of wet-cement like mud...oh, and did I mention that it had started sleeting outside, and that a cold, raw wind was blowing a gale, coming up the valley from the open fields?

    Well...that's how I feel, right now. Powerless. Stuck fast in the mud of my life..and all I can do, ALL I can do...is just wait it out.

    Oh, I got rescued about a half-hour later, by the way. The big old, very butch, assistant instructor came by, got out her pocket knife and, cutting away my boot laces, she hauled me bodily out of the mud...my boot was another matter...it stayed there for about three days, as I recall. I was devistated. I loved those old boots--sold by Sears Roebuck, made in the Chezk Republic--lovely balance, never needed breaking in-ah well. Mum and dad bought me another pair, eventually. And me--I got off with a bad case of bronchitis, and one very, very wet, muddy, sock.

    Nite all, have a good morning.

  • Yikes!!!

    Me as Polonius (right)

    I was rummaging through some stuff, when I happened on the VCR tape of my one and only live theatrical performance, in the Dining Room---uck! Throw that one in the rubbish bin, then...and be quick about it!

    OMG! I'm an awful actress. Just don't have the stuff it takes to do the job right. I mean, I am not afraid to try new--even really weird--stuff. In fact, I even learned to like it, in a quirky sort of way. And, given the logic behind it, I used to dive into anything my theater profs and fellow students threw at me...but...I never seemed capable of being able to
    dig into my pandora's box, make that leap of immagination, dive into the deepest depths of my soul, to give a good performance. It's not that I didn't want to--I just simply can't. I don't know how a pro, or even a good amateur does it...but I just seem to lack something...be a bit empty, in that aspect. It frustrated me at first, but then I realized, after a while, that there wasn't much I could do about it--must be some sort of character or intellectual flaw...just never could dig, no matter how bad I wanted to. I just suck at acting.

    Well, truth-to-tell, even in my writing, I often have a difficult time going deep--especially getting personal. That's why I refuse to show anyone my plays--they are just far to shallow and banal--well, and poorly written, to waste anyone's time with. My fiction stories aren't much better, either--in my opinion.

    Well, I binned the tape, and now am off back to work, for another four hours of joy, joy, joy (NOT.) Take care all.

    PS: That's me in the hat, in first rehearsal for Polonius for the 15-minute Hamlet for a class assignment.

  • Dr Who Caption for Thursday


    "Ugh! Twenty-three takes being forced to eat a Big-Mac over and over--I'm gonna' ralph! I think I should get compensation for this scene."

  • joke of the Day

    Beware the politically correct police:

    Three children were called into the Principal's (headmaster's) office. They were sitting side-by-side, waiting for the coming lecture on their bad behaviour.

    "So, what'd you do?" asked Tommy to Betty.
    "I said 'sh*t.'" she replied. "What'd you do, Tommy?"
    "I said 'f*ck," he said.
    They two of them looked over at little Billie--who never got in trouble.
    "What did you do, Billie?" They asked.
    He looked down, ashamed.
    "I said 'Christmas.'

    Well working 10 to 9 today...yuk. But, seriously need the money, so no hope for it, but gosh, I'll be done in by the time I get home tonight.

    I'm sitting watching the con-trails of nothwest bound jets--going to Europe??? Chicago???
    Funny how they often travel in threes--no really, that's twice now I've noticed that..one, two, three jets in a row--what's with that, I wonder? Commerical (sorry, no time for spell-check) airliners, not Natl. Guard jets.

    Wish I was there, not here. Ah well. Another day, another..day. Have a good one, all.

  • Another Dr Who Blooper

    I was watching the episode again, called Human Nature, where the school boys are out on a hill, on a rainy winter day, shooting at targets--and once again, there's this glaringly obvious big white lorry, driving down the road in the background--now mind, it's SUPPOSED to be 1913...they didn't have big white vans traveling at high speed down what clearly seems to be an A road, back then.

    All I can think was, that this episode was done in a hurry, because no one person noticed--not one--I mean, don't they look at the rushes? All the millions spent to make this...wow. I mean, it's not like it couldn't have been cut out, it wasn't a vital scene. How could you not see a big white lorry, van or whatever, trucking along in the background? Geez--you expect bloopers, but really...no idea how that one was missed.

  • Good Night and Good Mroning

    Well, going to bed shortly...wrangled a long shift tomorrow--they didn't want to give it to me, but I turned my hurt doe look on the supervisor, and it did the charm--either that, or I just got lucky, and they needed a bottom in a seat, tomorrow. So, I'm working split shift--10 to 3 and 5 to 9. But, it's better than when I have to do that all week. I only have to work 2 to 9 on Friday, 10 to 4 Sat, and 2 to 8 Sunday--I HATE working Sundays, no clue why, but it just is more tiring to me, than any other time of week, working Sundays. Yuck.

    Well, just wrote Accord story #97. It's rubbish, but I'm really scraping the bottom of the barrel with story ideas, of late. Oh well, nearly done.

    Be going to bed soon--didn't sleep much last night, tossed and turned all night. Dead tired right now. Had heart palpatations half the day, but a bit better. Going to watch a few minutes of Who, then off to bed with me.

    Hope you all have a great night, and an even better tomorrow.

  • David Tennant Admits to a Slight Ego Problem

    Actor David Tennant recently reveled that being suddenly cast into the international limelight has caused his ego to sometimes get a bit overly inflated--the actor is shown here, with a Doctor Who doll, that he keeps in his pocket, so he can take it out and admire himself in his off-hours. The actor refused to confirm rumours that he's been making little dresses for it, though.

  • Small World and sad news

    Well, calling on local college alumni, I wound up calling my aunt last night! Was good to hear from her, tho' we were never very close at all, she's been pretty nice to me.

    Anyway, found out my Uncle Mickey died (my dad's last living brother) a few days ago. No way to go to the funeral, and I have no address for them. We were never close or anything, 'cause Uncle Mike didn't like me that much--then, Uncle Mike didn't like much of anyone, he was a crabby old git, all the years I knew him. He and dad were one pair of very unhappy Polock guys.

    Small world tho', isn't it? I call literally hundreds of people a day...I suppose it's inevitable, you call someone you may know.

  • Stop abusing Telemarketers! We are PEOPLE, stupid!

    I've been doing a little bit of this and that, what with the work slowdowns of late. Last night, I started off on collections, and then, split the rest of the night, calling for fund raisers for two different colleges.

    One, a local college (If downstaters are bad to talk to--upstaters are ten times worse--the downstaters will scream at you--the upstaters won't even communitcate, they just slam the phone down in your ear)...

    Please stop being cruel to telemarketers! Did you know, that many people are telemarketers, because they are in WHEEL CHAIRS/DISABLED, and CANNOT do anything else? We don't enjoy calling you, any more than you like getting these calls--yes, some of these people are students, or housewives...but many more are doing this because it's all the work they are able to do. They telemarket because it's they are just trying to be productive members of society--and NO, we are NOT paid well! We are often forced to work under part-time (less than 40 hrs. a week) so businesses do not have to pay out ANY benefits--sick pay, holidays, health care, etc.) So please remember that you are talking to a HUMAN BEING---we have feelings. We don't like being verbally and physically abused(deliberately hurting our ears) any more than you do--just because you can't see us, doesn't give you the right to cause us physical pain, any more then some criminal or terrorist has a right to hurt you. we're just people..please show some humanity and stop abusing elderly and disabled telemarketers!

  • David Tennant: To Beard or not to Beard?

    Just a quick hello before I leave for work--working 3 to 9 today. Anyway, a bit better today, phyaically, tho' I slept badly during the night, somehow I've managed to pull myself together enough to function--sort of--today.

    Spent a very short time on a bit of creative writing I've been neglecting for months and months, and surfing the net a little, messing about tidying the bathroom, not much else. No appetite today, but managed a hot dog and some pasta salad...have to make a sandwich to take for my dinner tonight. Bascially...a very boring and blah day. Just like the weather outside. Bleh.

    So, the scuttlebutt on one of the forums is a fierce debate (I kid you not) over whether David Tennant will do Hamlet in a beard or not. Ey? Oh, that's a big deal, so some people it seems--me, I don't care for the beard, but then, I don't know the man, so if he wants to scruff up for the role, let 'em. It's his life, he's a grown man. Anyway, I don't see whether or not he goes scuzzy for the role matters a whole lot--it's his performance that counts, right?

  • Nite all!

    Ack! I was SUPPOSED to go to bed an hour and a half ago...but got writer's block in the middle of writing my Accord story, and I hate leaving one of those stories unfinished, as I'll toss and turn all night fussing over it. And, I have to get up two hours earlier than I have, tomorrow, and work one hour longer...dang.

    Hope you all have a great Wednesday. No Dr Who videos tonight then...took me over two flaming hours to write two paragraphs...used to take about fifteen or twenty minutes! Oi! I need a holiday--not going to get one mind, but...hey, adopt me--pleaeeze??? I need a holiday! NOW! :yes: :crazy: ;D

  • Playwrite's words of wisdom for Wednesday:

    Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

  • BOYCOT THESE WEBSITES! Hurt spammers where they live!

    BOYCOTT THESE WEBSITES
    http://www.xowow.com"
    http://www.killsean.com
    http://www.xowow.com/wow-gold.asp
    http://www.powerleveling-wow.com/siteMap.asp

    DO NOT go to this webstie, it belongs to a loser who has to spam blog comments to get business.

    BOYCOTT THEM NOW!

    kaills1983@aol.com

    IS A STINKING SPAMMER!

    If you hate spammers, for pity's sake DO SOMETHING about it!

    I urge everyone to list websites that spam you, with a request that readers boycott the website--if need be, go one step further and tell the website that they are boycotted, and why--the only way to stop a spammer, is to threaten the website's income.

    Don't whinge! DO SOMETHING!

  • Dr Who Caption for Wednesday:

    "No, Martha, I'm NOT 'just wasting my money!' I swear I am going to win that ITV phone-in quiz this time! ...Why are you laughing?"

  • Dr Who Fan-tastic!

    More details emerging about the Children in Need Dr Who episode--now we know, besides the fact that Peter Davidson (5th Doctor) is appearing, the mini-episode will be written by the fabulous Hugo-award winning writer, Steven Moffatt, and tttled, "Time Crash." Farrr-out!!!

    BTW---think Mr. Davidson looks great! Two terrific actors, one skit--lovin' it!

  • Putting myself up for Adoption

    Social Security may be discontinuing my benefits now...Ugh.

    I'm tired of this! I am so incredibly tired. :**:

    So...

    I'm putting myself up for adoption. I'm nearly 47, and my cats go with me as a package deal. I'll relocate (at your expense) anywhere but:

    The deep south (incl. Texas and Florida), Fargo North Dakota, New Jersey, Toledo Ohio, Downstate NY, Asia, Africa, Greenland, Russia, and Milton Keyes. :'(

    PM me for any details about me which you would require. Adopters assume all expenses. No hanky-pankly allowed, as I prefer to retain my old maid status. :DD

  • I just noticed

    ..Flame has nipples (she's an unspayed female) in the weirdest places!

    She's got one up near her armpit, by her chest, one on the thigh of her rear leg, there's no rhyme or reason to the darn things..what's with that???

  • No! I am not a New Yawker!

    Someone else has recently assumed I live in New York City. NO!!! I am not from New Yawk City! It's a good four or five hours south of me.

    I DO NOT have a "New Yawk" accent! My actual accent is really much closer to upper mid-west (Michigan) and very slightly New England-ish, than the down-state lingo. Downstater's have a completely different accent than upstaters--just like regional differences in other countries. Since I come from the Upper-Hudson Valley, and not the Adriondacks, I talk slightly different than my native Adirondack co-workers--tho' the difference is fairly marginal, Adirondacker's do have their own distinct accent, as well--tho it is rather subtle, and you have to have been hear a while, to really detect it.

    New York state is HUGE. Not as big as Texas, mind. But, to drive from a New England (Vermont, Massachusetts, Conn.) in the east, to the Canada (Ontario) border in the west, takes a good five to seven hours of driving, depending on your speed, the weather, etc.

    From New York City to Quebec Canada, takes about the same. I live four to five hours north of New York. I have been there about a dozen times or so, but have never lived there.

    MAP OF STATE BROKEN DOWN INTO "TOURIST" REGIONS:

    MAP OF NEW YORK STATE:

    Find "Albany" on the map (my birthplace, my "home" county where I lived for 23 years, and the state capital), the county above "Albany," is is Saratoga County (where I lived for over 15 years) The county above Saratoga, is Warren county (where I've lived for the last 6 years)--two counties above the word "Albany." The red line traveling upward, is Interstate 87, the major motorway that connects New York City to Northern New England, Montreal, Canada and the St. Lawerence Seaway.

  • Moose Turns Mall Rat

    Once again, our local moose has been spotted hanging around the local mall--there's some swamp land behind it, that may be attracting it--or, it might be the big sales on a TJ Max and Bon Ton!

    The mall put up a replica of a cow, to attract the bull moose away from shoppers, but the replica seems to have attracted...someone else instead.

  • Good afternoon

    Well, it's official, New York state is having its warmest October on record--since 1875! No global warming? HA!

    It's windy today, gonna' be a soaker--half the state is covered with heavy to light rain. Basically, it's a really crappy day outside.

    Well, back to work for me today...hurt missing so much pay this week, when I so badly need it, but cannot be helped. I wasn't capable of working, when I could barely walk downstairs without feeling like I was going to have heart failure or faint. Better today, thank goodness.

    Hope you all are having a good day. Cheers.

  • Dr Who Caption for Tuesday


    "Excuse me, I'm looking for a yellow brick road--oh, and you haven't by any chance seen a little girl named Dorothy and her dog Toto, have you?"

  • Morning all!

    I had too much caffeine earlier, and now I'm wide awake at half-past one in the morning. Oh well..cuppa' joe, anyone?

  • Roadkill for supper, anyone?

    I was going through some old papers of my mum, and found a few stray--and ancient, recipe cards. One was, apparently, my Great Aunt Carrie's (a spinster aunt who ran her own farm in Columbia County, NY, until she passed on in the late 40's or early 1950's)

    People here--hunters--do still eat gray squirrel, and seem to like it. There was an article in our local weekly, a while back, giving detailed instructions on how to hunt and cook gray squirrels, while camping in the woods.

    Me, I rather like squirrels--preferably alive and being their cute little selves.

    Here's my great Aunt's recipe for squirrel: (with a side note at the bottom of the card, "good for older, tougher, squirrels.) I presume she means the meat, and not that elderly squirrels are mean old farts.

    "Aunt Carrie’s Squirrel & Dumplings

    2 2 to 2 ½ lb dressed squirrels

    2 ½ cups water

    1 ½ tsp salt

    ¼ tsp black pepper

    ½ cup yellow onion, very finely diced

    ¼ cup celery, peeled and very finely diced

    ¼ tsp dried thyme, crushed

    2 Tbls butter or margarine

    Dumplings (recipe to follow)

    Wipe meat thoroughly, removing any hair, shot, and the scent glands. Wash meat inside and out in warm water. Drain. Cut meat into individual serving pieces. Place meat in a dutch oven or stock pot. Add water and salt. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to lowest setting, cover tightly and simmer for two to three hours, or until meat is tender. Meat is done when it starts separating from the bones. Add remaining ingredients. Bring meat to a rolling boil. Lay prepared dumplings over the top of the meat, cover tightly, and continue cooking for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes. remove pan from heat. Plate meat and arrange dumplings around the edges of the meat. Spoon the liquid (“gravy”) from the pot, over the meat and dumplings, and serve. Serves 4.

    Squirrel Dumplings:

    1 cup all-purpose flour

    1 ½ tsp double action baking powder

    ¼ tsp baking soda

    ¼ tsp salt

    ½ cup buttermilk

    Sift flour. measure and re-sift 3 times with baking powder, soda and salt--the last time sifting into a large mixing bowl. Stir in buttermilk and mix lightly with a fork. Turn out onto a floured board and kneed lightly for about 5 minutes. Roll dough out to about a ¼-inch thickness. Cut into 1 X 3-inch rectangles, with a floured knife. Makes about 12 dumplings.
    "But I thought I was your cute little dumpling..."

  • Just talkin' 'bout stuff...

    While I was in a waiting room today, a nice little old lady started talking to me, she seemed lonely. So, we had a nice chat--she was talking about presents she was making her family for Christmas--custom tee-shirts. She showed me photos (she carries a scrapbook of pics of her projects in her big bag, believe it or not---there were some cute sayings: "I luv Grandma" stuff like that--then, she pulled out one, she'd made for her son:
    "My Pen is
    Bigger Than Yours"

    OMG!!! I mean, it took me a long minute to get that one--I'm an old maid, mind, and a bit slow on the uptake sometimes---I mean, this nice little old lady...dear lord...what next???

    I used to make my own tee-shirts as well. You can go into the local crafts stores and buy blank tees in whatever colours you like, and lettering or decals, that you iron on yourself...used to do my own shirts for years, back in the 1980's--it was fun. Used to make my own leather belts, as well, from kits at the local Tandy leather store (gone now, alas).

    I wish I could do that again, sometime. I'd do something like:

    "The Angels Have the Phone Box."(I went on the website below and designed the one Pictured above) Or: "I Love Who?" "Hurry up! My Tardis is double-parked!
    Go Kiss A Dalek,

    Come Armageddon, can I have your car?
    God is Coming and is SHE mad!
    Society for an Idiot-free America,
    Feel the Raw Naked Power of the TimeLords (with Tenant's picture--I'm so naughty!)
    If you've got the time--I've got the Tardis (a play on an old Miller Beer slogan/jingle),
    This Shirt Reccomended by Dr. Who,
    And, a play on Maxwell House coffee's slogan: "Doctor Who: Good to the Last Time Lord.",
    "Tardis Express, when it has to be there before you sent it."
    And, "Grab Life by the Tardis!"

    Design your own Tee, online:
    http://www.shirtcity.com/shop/index.php?farbe=51&PHPSESSID=f94455792f1ae5ccff42cea67e29be96

  • PRESS RELEASE: Hollywood to make Physco III

    In the Hitchcock tradition, Hollywood is set to make Physco III--The Evil One

    The original movie made the "Physco house" of the Bates Hotel--a mock Victorian mansion, sitting atop a grassy knoll on the Universal Studios lot--famous.

    Here's an exclusive photo of the new Physco house:

    The plot is that a distant cousin of the Bates family gets elected president of the United States, and then goes about stabbing visiting heads of state, while they're in the shower--then, he bombs the hell outta' their country.

  • Hi.

    Nice autumn day. This is a covered bridge that's about 40 miles east of where I live. I've been over it, but that was about 25 years ago.

    Feeling marginally better--well enough to go out in a while to the store, before starting work. 'Tho I nearly passed out last night, my health has improves slowly over the course of the afternoon, I'm happy to report.

    Not much to say. Did some writing last night, watched some Dr Who this morning, but mostly I've been resting. Thanks to all for your very, incredibly, kind comments. Hopefully I'll be back up to snuff in a day or so. cheers.

  • Bush Says Wiley E Coyote is part of Axis of Evil

    "That Coyote is a terrorist...so's Elmer Fudd, Slyvester the cat, Marvin the Martin and and Yosemite Sam. They're all part of the axis of evil..."

  • DT fangirl: Too much time...

    ...on her hands, or way too obsessed?

    That's what I have to ask myself after reading my young fangirl friend's latest e-mail. Okay, here's the scoop:

    This young lady insists that she's found a website that David Tennant used to use. She claims her logic behind this is (get this) that person "talks just like david," and his forum name (apparently dafivenine) are the first two letters of his first name, and the number of letters in his first name, and the number of letters in his last name." What a minute, I ask her, Tennant is seven letters. She has a pat answer for that, "No, not Tennant, MacDonald." Ey? Oh,yeah, I forget that's his real last name. Okay. Whatever.

    Still not buying it, I ask anyway, (what the hell, I'm home sick, bored outta' my mind, why not humour the girl?) how did she find this so-called name that Tennant/MacDonald uses? Oh, one of her friends tipped her off. Her friend told her "David likes hip-hop music." And...? It seems this person used to lurk in a UK hip-hop forum. Used to? Well, it seems this dafivenine stopped using the forum last year--fan friend's explination--that's when he began doing Dr Who. Ah. Okaaay--then.

    Well, I write back, why are you prying into the man's personal life--something I will always be against doing--and, more to the point, what if your friend is wrong, and it was just some college kid, messing around between classes--or some guy with the initials "D.A." who was born on 5th of September?

    Oh no, it's not prying! He doesn't use the site anymore. And her friend knows someone in Glasgow, who's mum know's David's sister...(I'm NOT making any of this up, honest!)--Tenant/MacDonald has a sister? Yes, her name is K____. okay...so, what, this sister gave your friend's mum this information? No, but my friend said he'd gone to a hip-hop concert once, and saw David there...etc, etc. etc.

    Wow! It does my head in, all this teenage fangirl logic--it's like a blinking Hardy Boys episode, it is!


    (shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson as The Hardy Boys, on ABC Tv from 1976 to 79)

  • Top Ten Song picks?

    Okay, if you were stranded somewhere, all by yourself, in the middle of nowhere, and all you had in the way of entertainment, is one CD, containing ten of your favourite songs (NOT albums--SINGLE SONGS) What would they be? (Chosen partly for the uplift, and partly for inspiration and/or emotional response.)

    Here's my list:

    1. John Denver--Spirit (from Windsong)
    2. Stan Rodgers--The Mary Ellen Carter
    3. Three Dog Night--Joy to the World
    4. Carpenters--Top of the World
    5. The Proclaimers--(Gonna' Be) 500 Miles
    6. Barry Manilow--Mandy
    7. Beach Boys---Kokomo
    8. Fred Small--Heart of the Appaloosa
    9. Randy Bachman--Prairie Town
    10. Runrig--Our Earth was Once Green

    What are your top 10 individual song picks?

  • I am going offline soon...

    Well folks, just did the math.

    I have 60 in cash
    a 32 dollar pay check
    a 314 dollar pay check (that I've been saving for a rainy day--and brother, it's pouring)
    a 230 pay check
    and next week, probably also a 230 dollar pay check.

    I owe:
    600 dollars rent-- which was due Saturday.
    131 dollars to Natl. Grid for utilites (due this Thrusday, day before payday)
    and 91 dollars for internet/phone (due two weeks ago).

    Leaves me with a sum total, (added and subtracting)
    44 dollars for spending money, for the next three weeks. Lovely. So, something HAS to give, and I'm afraid it's the rather pricey internet service...and since the phone is part of the package deal, my phone service as well.

    Life sucks and then you die.

    This is life in the REAL America. This crap about all Americans are rich--don't you believe it--it's no more true than in other countries.

    For my Brit friends, dollars are pretty much double to your pounds (5 pounds = about 10 dollars)--which is why so many British tourists love America--in case you didn't know.

  • Welcome to Dustyland!

    Okay, I've had it--I officially want to defect from America!

    It's not bad enough being ill without benefit of health care, it's bad enough being forced to work with a pay cut, reduced work hours and no job benefits (other than that pathetic thing we call a "pay check" at the end of the week)--now, I have to put up with going to my own loo in the morning, and having some workman on a ladder, staring through the window at me! Nice of the landlord to let me know some guy was going to be working on the building on a Sunday morning--and what an ugly little bugger--leering at me, with nothing but my night shirt on! Dang! Last nite, coming home, I was almost run down LEGALLY crossing the crosswalk, and got cursed and screamed at for being a "retarded gimp," by some young guy, sitting comfortably on his arse, in a shiny black sports car.

    So, that's it! I'm done! I am defecting (only in mind, as I and the cats are too poor to do it for real)--I'm officially (mentally) leaving America to the ill mannered dogs, and going to "Dustyland." I'm not American any longer--and since I lack the funds to be Canadian, English, Scottish, Welsh or any other nationality (unless someone out there wants to adopt me, ha-ha) I am making my own dang country!

    Constitution to be posted at a later date. :))

  • A Video for my fan-girl friends!

    Enjoy DT fangirls!

  • Yet another scam...

    And yet another scam e-mail was sent to me...is anyone really so naive now, to believe this nonsense? Guess so, or these morons in Nigeria or whereever would be out being real men, and working at real jobs, instead of skulking in the darkness of their seedy dens, withering their utterly useless lives away, sending fake e-mails that just get binned by those of us that still have gray matter between our ears.

    This time...I'm a beneficiary of some rich guy named George Brimley, yet another rich philanthropist, who died in yet another plane crash---well, there's something...if you are a rich philanthropist? Take the train next time, because it seems an awful lot of you die in plane crashes. Last time it was some oil tycoon, who died in a plane crash in Canada, and for some reason just felt like leaving me 10 million dollars. How generous! And all I'd have to do to get it, was mail some low-life Nigerian "barrister" 3000 dollars. Gee, what a bargain. OMG! What a bunch of schmucks must be on the internet! Geez!

  • Big or small: Cats are cats all the same

    Awwww--!

  • fOUND! Dr Who Out-take from Last of the Time Lords!

    WARNING: contains bad language.

  • This Just in! David Tennant Blinded!

    Here we see an exclusive photo of actor David Tennant having to be helped off-set by his Co-star, on the TV Series Dr Who. The actor suffered temporary blindness while on a break from shooting, after staring too long at the displays of cleavage in the weekend edition of the Sun newspaper. Health and Safety is now considering whether the Sun should display warnings on it's front page.

  • Hi

    Well--in spite of the fact that it literally might have cost me the roof over my head to do so, I almost went to hospital today...thankfully, I'm feeling a bit better after a short sleep.

    With no one here at all, it was a tough decision. I have no one to feed that cats, or help me with the chores or anything---and, of course, if I'm in hospital and not working--absolutely no income coming in, and hospital bills--assuming they'd admit and uninsured person--that could not be paid--and therefore, more wages to be potentially garnished.

    So, I opted out of that. I did manage to eat something, today, so that helped a bit. The two bright spots of my day is that I spent some time chatting with two good friends, for a few minutes, and also, I got a birthday card from my sister--honestly, this is probably the first time in over 40 years, that sis has remembered the day before it happened.

    Last year, the card came over a month later, and the last ten years or so, I'd not got a card at all, mostly. So, not sure what sparked that, but maybe she's feeling a bit lonely, now that mum and dad are gone--which is odd, because she rarely ever visited or even called mum, for the last thirty years. In fact, from 1983 to 2005, she visited us a sum total of maybe 3 or 4 times--if that. Even when she was only a 20 minute drive away, she never visited. And, she seldom asked mum and I to visit--mum never once, in 15 years--never--was invited to her own grandson's birthday party. Oh, she visited dad quite a bit--but mostly when she needed money, or at least, that's what dad always said to me. I don't know if that's true, to be fair.

    And the two of us? Oil and water. No, really. She's a skinny, neo-conservative, racist, street-smart, slightly paranoid, ex-drug addict, with a near-genius I.Q. Me? I'm a fat, liberal, tree-hugging, straight (despite what some people think), sometimes depressed, genuine old maid, with a low-average I.Q.. Oil and water. Complete and utter opposites.

    When I tell people that the only safe subjects the two of us can talk about, are gardening and the weather. Not joking at all. Sis is EXTREMELY touchy about EVERYTHING. Holding a conversation with her, is sometimes like trying to walk on eggshells without breaking them.

    So, I have to wonder, why, suddenly, all this touch-feely B.S.? Don't get me wrong--I'm thrilled, really I am. But...what the? Who is this person? And what has she done with my sister? :))

    THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR INCREDIBLY KIND COMMENTS, YOU ARE WONDERFUL FRIENDS, AND I GENUINELY FEEL BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE CHANCE TO KNOW YOU. N.

  • A Little Cowboy story--and, Even the Mares love DT!

    A Cowboy Gets Three wishes:

    A cowboy was out searching for stray cattle in the mountains one day. He was riding down a steep trail, when he came to a sharp turn in the path. All of the sudden, he came upon a 10 foot long rattlesnake in the middle of the trail!

    Pulling out his six-gun, the cowboy goes to shoot the snake, when the snake says, "Hold on there, pardner, don't shoot! I'm a magical snake, and if you spare my life, I will grant you three wishes."

    The cowboy holsters his pistol, and says, "Okay, deal. First, I want to have the chiseled good looks of Gary Cooper. Then, I want a body like that there body builder, Charles Atlas. Then, I want the same-er...equipment, down below, that this here horse I'm riding has."

    "Done." Says the snake. "When you get back to the bunkhouse, you will be a changed man." On that, the cowboy hauls his horse around, and spurs it into a high lope back to the bunk house on the ranch, down in the valley below.

    The cowboy pulls to a sliding stop at the bunkhouse, races in the door and rushes up to the bunkhouse's mirror. Sure enough, his wishes had come true--he looked. Yup. He had the face of movie star Gary Cooper. He tore off his shirt--he had six-pack abs and huge arms like the body builder Charles Atlas...then, with trembling, anxious fingers, he unbuckled his chaps and unzipped his jeans---his face went dead white. "Oh my word, no!" He cried in dismay. "I plumb forgot! I was riding the mare!"


    "Oh! David Tennant's coming to pet me! Quick, Myrtle, how's my breath?"

  • Thanks all

    Thank you for your kind comments. I am quite ill still, but hopefully this will pass quickly, and I will be back soon. Hope you all have a great weekend. N.

  • Down but not out

    Not blogging today. Nothing serious, just a bit of the old stomach troubles that one gets from time to time. Probably back tomorrow. Take care, all. N.

  • The mind is always the first to go

    Dr. Jones goes to the retirement home for his monthly rounds. He sees Joe and asks him, "Joe, how much is three times three?" Joe responds "59." He goes over to Tom and asks, "Tom, how much is three times three?" Tom responds, "Wednesday." He finally goes over to John and asks, "John, how much is three times three?" "NINE" replies John. "That's right ...now how did you come to that answer?" "It was easy...I just subtracted 59 from Wednesday!"

  • Funny thing happened last night...

    I was watching--again, "Daleks in Manhattan," and I look over behind me, and there's Boots, sitting up, straight as an arrow, staring at the computer monitor, watching with absolutely rapt attention. He LOVED the pig-men! And when the Doctor started running down the sewers, it just fascinated the heck of of Boots! Oh, Boots adored part I, so I guess we'll have to watch part II, tonight. I think the Doctor has a new "fan!"

  • David Sings!


    "Me, and, my sha-dow, strolling down the av-en-ue..."

    Okay, is it just me, or does sometimes this guy look just a little scary?

  • Proof--from Bush to Michelle Malkin--that Satan is a Republican

    Well...maybe not totally..but I hope none of these so-called "God-fearing" republicans aren't planning on going to heaven--they'd better fear God!

    You see, our lovely president recently vetoed a bill that would increase healthcare spending for sick children. However, he was perfectly okay with a bill that was for more than four times the amount spent on disabled and dying kids, that would increase military spending.

    Well, there was a chance for our elected politicians in the House of Representatives to be a shining example of humanity, and over-ride Der Fueror's--erm, the president's, veto. Did they? NO! Let the kids be sick and die! We have a country to bomb the hell out of --several countries--as George wants to piss everybody off, and start WWIII.

    But wait! There's more. After a recent televised address by our less than courageous and fearful leader, the Democrats brought forth a young man, who was suffering from the effects of a brain injury. The youth's parents were lower-middle class--dad recently lost his business and they weren't doing so hot--and they didn't have enough medical coverage to pay for all the care young Grameme Frost was going to need, so Grameme came on national TV, to ask the president--and the country, to help him, and others like him to get the care they so desperately need.

    What do the spineless, cowardly, mentally lazy, evil, brutal bullying republicans do?

    They launch a concentrated effort to slime the boys parents--inventing outright LIES to do it! It started on a mean-spirited and mindless and cowardly blog, by a woman (can't call someone like this a "lady") named Michelle Malkin.

    Then, the lies and hate campaign really started to roll--with radio hate-monger Rush Limbaugh chiming in his propaganda, and then ending up on Fox News on cable TV. All this venom just because a young boy had the courage to stand up in front of America, and ask for help--in the form of 350 million dollars--not even a drop in the bucket, compared to the more than 100 BILLION spent to "bring democracy"--death, to Iraq.

    It's not just about 350 million dollars, that could make the lives of thousands of innocent American children better---it's about the republicans not wanting the world to see them for hopelessly ignorant, brutal, cowardly, evil beings they've truly become.

  • Nite all, from...

    crappy old downtown Glens Falls, NY.

    Well, another lovely night ringing up downstaters. Got one moron who screamed "I'll give you directions to hell first, you... (profuse expletives deleted)!".

    And, it was all downhill from there. Jerks. Why would any person deliberately want to make a complete stranger think that he's/she's a complete idiot, with the manners of your basic livestock? Write on one side of the paper only, two extra credits if you can find a good name for these types of people. A good many downstate New Yorkers suck--not that some upstaters are much better, mind.

    My jaw abscess is back, and my jaw's so stiff and sore, as much as I'd like to eat--my body is telling me I'd better or else--I really am not looking forward to chewing. The only doctor that the local hospital will send me to (no health insurance) is over 15 miles from here, and I've no car! I was told to go to the ER if the infection/swelling got too bad (as in not being able to breathe, talk, chew or swallow). Lovin' poverty--never a dull moment.

    Well, have to force myself to eat, I suppose, before I pass out or something. It's noisy in my building tonight (it's a quarter to midnight, here)--loads of banging furniture about, loud stereos, dog barking. Good thing I don't have to be to work in the morning!

    Oh, and my hours are permanantly cut, I'm told--by 3 to 5 hours at least. Fan-friggin'-tastic. So, I don't know...yours truly is falling back into life's sewer again--but hey, what else is new...don't know if I could a handle "normal" and "secure" life, any longer, ha-ha.

    A VIEW FROM MY PART OF THE WORLD, ON A LATE AFTERNOON IN WINTER:

  • David Tennant Comments on BBC Budget Cuts!


    "I've got yer budget cut right here--bend over Auntie Beeb!"

  • Read this...

    if you dare care!

    Cancer affects us all.

    There are frighteningly many ways we can contract the disease. It's not always known how we get cancer. We can get it though smoking, exposure to chemicals, radiation and/or pollution, poor eating habits, and ways that researchers have yet to find the answer for.

    Whether it's a loved one, us, or a friend, sooner or later, you and I will know someone who's died of cancer. But, we can fight back! And, we can make life for those already afflicted easier to bear.

    One way, is to visit my 100-story blog, and support Accord Hospice...working to provide free care for those in the final stage of their life, by sponsoring the 100-story (100 one-hundred word fiction stories, in 100 days) blog, written in honour of Accord's patients and in Memory of Mrs. Helen MacDonald), by clicking on the Justgiving link to sponsor me. A minimum donation of just one pound ($2) is asked. I am nearing that last few weeks and am only at 52 percent towards my final goal of 250 pounds by 29th October. Please consider a visit today?

    www.nbgolash.blogspot.com/

    You can also help fund free breast exams, for poor women throughout the world--from the Americas and Europe, to Asia and Africa, but merely clicking the link below--it's FREE! It doesn't cost a single cent--the site is paid for by the advertisers.

    The Hunger Site

    WITH PROFUSE THANKS TO JEN-RAY FOR POINTING THIS SITE OUT TO ME.

  • The PC Police Halloween Killjoys!

    Big article in the news---HEALTHY HALLOWEEN TREATS.

    Okay, when I grew up, Hallooween trick-or-treating was NOT supposed to be healthy! You got candy--or, if you wanted to be politically correct (tho' we didn't call it that, back then) you got your little cardboard box, and trick-or-treated for Unicef. But...healthy wasn't a factor. In fact, I'd hate to say what we did with the few apples we got. Yeah, we had this one cheap >:XX that was rich, but had an apple orchard--well, all the other toffs on the streets above ours (our was the middle-class street, but the three short roads above our street, on the hill, were all rich people's homes) used to give us caramel apples, and full-size candy bars...this guy just threw wormy apples from his orchard at us, grinning about how clever he was--he wouldn't, if he knew what us kids did with them (don't ask, ain't tellin')--one person, the Nagangasts, a local florist/cabinet maker, never once, in over ten years, ever opened his door on Halloween--but what to you expect from someone who has an altra-modern Califfornia style single-storey home, and then plants a row of fake greek columns on the front lawn--no shrubbery, no trees, no flowers, mind---weirdo! Nobody like him...we all suspected him of being up to something...but really, I think he was just your odd ball recluse.

    "Healthy" Halloween treats--g'wan! Get outta' here PC's, go hide under your bed 'till the holday's over.

    mid-1970's children's Halloween costumes: (top to bottom, right to left)

    Nurse (I actually remember my younger friend wearing this same one!), motorcycle cops, ballerina, bride (top row)

    Mr. Spock, Batman, Superman (2nd row)

    Six Million Dollar Man, Bionic Woman, Miss America (beauty queen contestant), Evil Knevil. (bottom row).

  • Blogging on a late-autumn afternoon

    The autumn wind, last night, was howling it's fury, scattering the clouds, hovering protectively around the quarter moon, like they were sheep. Today, the pearly skies, try to hide the golden sun. I think it's gonna' rain. Well, guess I'd better wear a hat, as I walk to work today.

    Artists I'm listening to, today:

    Nat king Cole
    John Denver
    Johnny Mathias
    Dean Martin
    The 23rd Turn off
    Deacon Blue
    Squeeze
    The Beach Boys
    The Searchers
    The Kinks
    The Proclaimers
    Gordon Bok
    Runrig
    The Cowlicks
    Chicago
    Fleetwood Mac
    The Knack
    Carole King
    The Goldstars
    Rod Stewart
    Razorlight
    Jamie Vernon
    Shaun Cassidy

  • Quiet Day

    Well, a quiet day at home. Doing some odd chores that need doing. Wrote my Accord Hospice story for today--another ghost story..outside of Dr Who fan-fic, and light humour, I like writing the occasional ghost/Gothic horror-type of story. I've been slowly adding chapters of some of my Dr Who fiction stories to my new fan-fic blog, making notes for adding to a play on my playwriting blog, that's in the first page or two, and also, adding some recipes to my new recipe blog on Blogger (which I haven't really made public, tho' they aren't really "private") and just petting the cats and such. I needed a quiet day. My illness is playing up slightly, again, 'tho not as bad as before, thank goodness. I just filled out two more job applications, as well. May have an interview on Friday--it's a wait and see sort of thing.

    Seems I've lost another blog friend--again, with no warning or reason why, and no response to my e-mails. That's happened a lot to me...people say they want to be my friend, act all cosy and friendly, then, maybe I say or do something they don't like or are not comfy with--and, rather than just ask me, or discuss it, they just bail. Makes me feel like...well, rubbish...and sad, very sad. I'd never force a "friend" to stay, but I hate it when he or she just bails on me without seemingly any rhyme or reason.

    I used to hate public (in-class) reviews of my work--whether writing, acting, drawing, etc, because you'd get silence a lot, instead of positive or negative feedback--and silence is even worse than a bad review, because your imagination can do much more damage to your ego, than a bad critique, I think--unless your ego is so over-inflated, that you become oblivious to such things, I suppose.

    Well, must get on. Trying to decide what to make for supper tonight. Wound up with frozen pizza last night, because my eggs...well, it wasn't pretty. I've not ruined eggs in a good long while, but I did a real number on my dinner last night, not even sure I can salvage the pan! Never cook when You're distracted and exhausted, I suppose is the lesson I've just learned. Well, suppose today I'll make some cajun beans and rice with sausage. I'm saving the good stuff for tomorrow: Spaghetti and meatballs. That'll use up the last of the beef, for a while. I was going to make meatloaf, but changed my mind. So, off to finish the chores. Cheers. N.

  • The Devil Made Him Do It

    Well, my Bonnie Prince Charlie was sooo-good yesterday, even Flame--who normally hates him--was licking the top of his head, gently. Oh, Charlie was so good. He was quiet, just wanted to be held and petted, didn't get into anything he shouldn't, didn't chase flame, or stop me from leaving (lately, he will stand his big fat arse in front of the door, so I can' open it, every-blessed-time I go out), and he didn't try to get into the rubbish.

    Well, seems the devil had a little talking to our Charlie, last night--the brat is back. So far today, he's chased Boots out of the chair--whereupon Charile sat on it triumphantly for 5 minutes, before decided he really didn't want to sit there, anyway--then, Charlie chased flame up onto the radiator, and sat staring at her, teasing her, while she hissed and growled at him--the cheeky brat then started whinging pietously at me, when I yelled at him to lay off. "I wasn't doin' nuthin' mum!" Yeah, sure, Charlie.

    Well, all's quiet at the mo'--Charlie went off to pout in the kitchen. Sometimes I wonder how our mum ever put up with sis and me, honestly!

  • This one's for Gilraaen!

    Do they hire him out by the hour?

  • Well then...this should make smokers feel better...

  • Who Needs David Tennant?

    When I've got Bootsie laying on the back of my chair, nuzzling my hair and purring in my ear? :)) :))

    Much better, I think, then some ritzy TV star I'm never going to meet, ey? I mean, boots is cute, soft and cuddly and loyal. David Tennant is..scruffy, bony, probably doesn't purr worth a damn, and very likely wouldn't give me a second glance.

  • OMG! I Got to Dress--and Un-Dress--David Tennant!!

    ....On this website: http://www.stardoll.com/en/dolls/465/David_Tennant.html

    He-he. Fooled 'ya!

  • Dr Who Spoiler

    Well, seems the Sun couldn't keep it's mouth shut, and let out a spoiler for the Christmas Day episode of Dr Who for 2007.

    The Titanic's been taken over by an evil guy named Max Capricorn, and turned into a spaceship. The Doc stows away and teams up with this Kylie dame to defeat the aliens--snogging, naturally (Does this Tennant fella' ever NOT snog something? The germs he must have, my goodness! This show is really starting to raise this old maid's eyebrows! :)) ) his co-star along the way.

    Another blub, on a different website, has it that this Kylie-some kind of pop singer or soap opera star, I take it, tho' I've never heard of her--is set to travel with the Doctor as his new companion--but dies at the end. That's just a rumour, so don't take it as fact, please.

  • American Folk Music: Heart of the Appaloosa, by Fred Small

    Even tho', traditionally, appy's and I don't seem to get along too well (that and horses named "Burt," for some reason), since first heard it, over two decades ago, this song always brings a tear to my eye.

  • Hello---and sorry

    Sorry about last night's post. I just had my hours cut again, and found out the business-to-business employees just had their pay restored--yet those of us in business-to-consumer are still below what the new-hires are making. :##

    Then, I just hit every miserable >:XX downstate New Yorker that lived, last night. Gosh, so many of them are more farm animal than human, when it comes to simple, basic manners. And paranoid? Oh yeah! These people's massive paranoia and suspicion of strangers, puts even Homeland Security and the KGB to shame. How can anyone live like that? WHY would anyone want to live like that?

    Gosh, I moved up here (to NY's southern Adirondack mountains) to get AWAY from these freaks! (I lived in a suburb of the capital city of Albany for a few years, and a lot of downstaters moved in there, and brought their freaky, uptight, ill-mannered, paranoid attitudes with them, so I moved to a rural mill town, where people still smoked and drank, consumed salty and fatty foods, left their doors unlocked, and thought nothing of having a civil conversation with a total stranger--in other words, NORMAL people!)

    I know, that after over 45 years of being teased, picked on, beat up, pushed around, lied to, cheated, having pranks pulled, that I really should have a much thicker skin than I do. But, right now, I seem to be more vunerable (sorry, can't spell worth a damn), than ever. My life these past two years, had been so on the edge all the time--all the time. It never stops for long, maybe a month or two, if I'm lucky, of some sort of normalcy, then, the whole shebang winds up in the loo again. It's like constantly trying to climb up and down a cliff alone, without a rope or any life-saving devices, you just have to hope you can hang on, till the next safe footing comes 'round again--and pray you don't fall.

    Anyway, right now, some days are much tougher to deal with than others. I have some good friends out there--and tho' I know, for many of you, my depression, bitterness and fear that I publish on this blog, makes you uncomfortable at times, I am grateful that you think enough of me to stick with me.

    Thank you. N.

  • Texas had Veggies Just for Gays???

    Wow. Must've been before George W. Bush's time, ey?

  • Ladies...the secret to getting your man...

    ...DON'T LET YOUR BREATH STINK!

  • Ladies, don't we all...

    ...dress like this, when we do our shopping at WalMart/Asda?

    Oh wait, I also wear my diamond tiara and shiny black pumps, too. :))

  • Well--that was weird...

    I had tried the logging in and out thing, but to no avail. I thought perhaps someone had flagged my blog or something.

    Anyway, I seem to be back, for now. That was very strange--you think if there was some sort of massive problem, the people who run the site would post something on the homepage to let users know--sure glad I cannot afford to go "pro," as I'd really have something to beef about.

  • Holy smokes!!! My blog is gone!!!

    So I guess this really is goodbye---Blog.uk has killed my blog--or is anyone else had this happen????

    My blog is gone, so therefore, I guess, so am I. It's been great knowing you all. You can find me on blogger. Cheers. Nancy.

  • Just Call me Rubbish Girl--my tirade for the night.

    I hate being treated like rubbish, and man, tonight, calling college alumni from a downstate (re: snobby chavs--the worst of all possible combinations), cripe! One scumbag deliberately turned up the volume on his phone, while pounding the tone keys, in my ear--and yes, it hurt. A lot. I hate my job, I hate humanity and I hate life. The way I honestly feel right now, is if someone were to barge into my apartment right at this moment, and shoot me dead--I'd consider it a blessed relief.

    What is it about me, that attracts people to be mean to me, to play pranks on me, to physically and emotionally hurt me all the time?

    I hate most human beings right now (except for my friends). I hate my country. I hate life. I hate being me. I really am rubbish, aren't I?

    I want out of here--but I'm so incredibly trapped. This isn't living, this is blinking solitary confinement!

    Oh, don't mind me, I'll get over it and be my old charming (ha!) self again in the morning. N.

  • Congradultaions Dr Who!

    Just read where Mr. Tennant, Ms. Agyeman and the programme Dr Who, all got nominated--again, for the television awards this year, to be presented on the 31st October--good luck to them and congratulations to all concerned! Well-deserved!

    Sorry to see the lovely Ms. Agyeman's photo is cut off, but I must dash and get ready for the night shift, no time to edit, I'm afraid.

  • Blog Action Day: A poem and a video

    I speak often of my teens, and the times I would sit and watch a hawk soar, over my part of New York's Upper Hudson Valley. Here is a video of a Red-tailed hawk in flight. I hope it will inspire you to take action to help save our planet.

    To go with the video, here's a poem by British poet, Ted Hughes:

    Hawk Roosting

    I sit in the top of the wood, my eyes closed.
    Inaction, no falsifying dream
    Between my hooked head and hooked feet:
    Or in sleep rehearse perfect kills and eat.

    The convenience of the high trees!
    The air's buoyancy and the sun's ray
    Are of advantage to me;
    And the earth's face upward for my inspection.

    My feet are locked upon the rough bark.
    It took the whole of Creation
    To produce my foot, my each feather:
    Now I hold Creation in my foot

    Or fly up, and revolve it all slowly -
    I kill where I please because it is all mine.
    There is no sophistry in my body:
    My manners are tearing off heads -

    The allotment of death.
    For the one path of my flight is direct
    Through the bones of the living.
    No arguments assert my right:

    The sun is behind me.
    Nothing has changed since I began.
    My eye has permitted no change.
    I am going to keep things like this.

    Ted Hughes

  • The Story Behind David Tennant's Trainers

    Below is a photo of David Tennant's trainers--the story behind this picture, is that Mr. Tennant is trying to convince actress Billie Piper, that his shoe size is the same as a certain other part of his anatomy. Here we see Ms. Piper valiantly trying to stifle her laughter.

  • Trick or Treat! (Cough-cough!) And a Blog Action Day Factoid


    The ad says:

    "No song and dance about medical claims--Old Gold gives you a treat instead of a treatment."

    Yeah, the treatment comes twenty years later. It's called "Oxygen."

    Nice legs, though.

    BLOG ACTION DAY FACTOID:

    Did you know...

    That cigarette butts (ends) do NOT break down? The toxic chemicals from discarded cigarettes stay in the soil for decades? The paper may break down eventually, but those bad chemicals remain to poison the soil--and possibly our drinking water--for perhaps longer than the person who dropped it/them there, is alive?

  • Are you trying to tell me something, dear!

    Yes, it's the perfect Christmas gift---why not buy one for your boss, your local politicians, the neighbours and your mother-in-law today!

  • Why I Support Blog Action Day

    Because, for me, being outside, out in nature--whether city or country, is a gift, a wonderful moment to stand in the palm of God, in the centre of the universe, to be part of all that is and was.

    A rainbow over the valley, the roar of the hectic stream during the spring run-off, the gentle, the music of the rain--a symphony of individual of drops, the rhythmic beat of waves upon a shore--like the rocking of a cradle inside our souls, the laughter of the sunlight, as it sparkles against softly waving spruce boughs, standing on a hill, only the wind and sky as my companions, watching a red-tail hawk circling, slowly spiraling, upwards towards heaven.

    Walking under open skies, or beneath the sheltering comfort of the trees, with nature's magnificence surrounding me, encompassing me, comforting me. Wind, rain, sun, clouds, they are one with me, and I them. I am not alone, when I am out there, for I have the universe above and below me.

    Walking with grace, in the centre of peace and serenity--heart, spirit and soul as one, a magical moment, a pause in the steady breath of time, that I may hold in my heart forever.

    But...if we continue to destroy, to use and abuse the earth without thought, without conscience---these words will become meaningless to future generations--as they are to so many, now. Because all these things will die. They will be wantonly destroyed by us and those who come after.

    To so many, nature doesn't exist. Isn't even an afterthought. It's a bit of greenery that slides by your car windows as you drive down the motorway. It's a pretty view, nothing more. But, you see it's not. We come from nature--even if you're one of those who prescribe to the notion we solely come from God---in that same vein, God created nature, so when you blindly--or, deliberately-- hurt nature, you hurt God, ey? Think about that.

  • Blog Action Day 2007: Runrig

    "Our Earth Was Once Green."

  • Death in the Water: How General Electric is Killing a Town--BAD post #3


    THE LOWER HUDSON RIVER, CATSKILL MOUNTAINS.

    As many of you know--I have joined in the battle against cancer, by supporting Accord Hospice.

    But, there's another way we can fight cancer--at one important source: POLLUTION.

    Decades ago, GE (General Electric) in Fort Edward and Waterford, NY, made a special kind of transformers--inside these transformers was a particular kind of oil--and other things. Over the decades, this oil was indiscriminately dumped into New York's Hudson river--along with other chemicals.

    The Hudson River is a 315 miles long. It begins as a small pond--Lake Tear in the Clouds, way up north, in the high peaks region of New York's Adirondack mountains, and flows all the way south, to the Atlantic Ocean at New York city. It starts as a small stream a bit over 4000 feet up on a pristine mountainside, and winds up as the Upper New York Bay, that flows past the Statue of Liberty. Ocean vessels can--and do, ply the Hudson all the way to the capital city of Albany, roughly 150 miles. The river's got one main tributary, the Mohawk river, which flows west near Albany, out towards Buffalo--and these two north-south, east-west flowing rivers, were a MAJOR contributing factor in the development of the American west.

    The Hudson is tidal to just above the capital city of Albany--and once or twice a seal--and even a whale, have made the 100 plus mile trip inland. Whereas the mid to lower course of the river is tidal, and somewhat placid, the upper course features multiple waterfalls, dams and rapids...but is still navigatable to smaller craft. There are two pallisades on the Hudson--the most famous and well-known being those on the lower end, not far from the Tappenzee Bridge. The others, can be viewed from the shores at Corinth, NY, in the southern Adirondacks--most notably from a small scenic public park, Paagenstcker Park.

    The Hudson is named after the Dutchman, Henry Hudson, who was the first known white man to have sailed his ship, the Halfmoon, up the river--probably only as far as the Albany area. The river is home to a diverse array of wildlife--from sturgeon to trout. From bald eagles to great blue herons.

    Getting back to the oil now...

    The oil dumped into the river contained something known as PCB's--a possible carcenogen. Actually, a very likely one, but GE debates that, of course. And since GE is strongly connected to the White House...well, you can guess how the government has dragged its feet on this.

    The nasty thing about PCB's--they MIGRATE. That's right...they can leave the river and migrate up to a mile away...which of course, meant I grew up, swimming and playing in PCB polluted water and soil...even tho' I lived almost a half mile uphill from the actual river.

    The town of Fort Edward, NY is ENTIRELY polluted with PCB's and other unhealthy chemicals. The whole town--in the yards, inside the homes...the cancer rate is very high there, as you can guess. Leukemia is becoming more and more common, among residents there. And though the federal government is finally--albeit very, very slowly-- working on dredging out the PCB's from the river--the state of New York has done NOTHING on behalf of residents of the town. Not a thing. They worry about terrorist bombs--but entire town at risk of cancer--who cares, right? It's not a spectacular enough death to matter to the politicians. At least, that's my, admittedly cynical, viewpoint.

    Here's a fact sheet on the PCB clean up in Fort Edward, from the Clearwater project:

    Facts About Dredging Hudson River PCBs

    * The Hudson River is the largest federal Superfund site in the US, covering a 200 mile stretch. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) dumped by General Electric at their Hudson Falls and Fort Edward plants continue to contaminate both the Upper and Lower Hudson River. GE´s dumping, most of which was done without permits, occurred from 1946 until 1977, when PCB use was banned. Small amounts of PCBs continue to seep into the river from bedrock beneath GE´s plants, which GE will remedy by 2003. GE is responsible for the costs of cleaning up their PCBs.

    * The Hudson River is not `cleaning itself´ of PCBs. Scientific studies have shown that less than 10% of PCB mass has been reduced by dechlorination over the past 20 years, leaving slightly lighter PCB molecules that are still toxic. PCBs are most often in the top nine inches of sediment, making them available to the aquatic food web. Each year, five hundred pounds of PCBs flow over the Federal Dam in Troy from sediments in the Upper Hudson and move down river.

    * PCBs remain an unacceptable health risk for residents and wildlife in the Hudson Valley. PCBs cause cancer in animals and are a probable human carcinogen. PCBs cause neurological, reproductive, and endocrine problems, as well as birth defects in both humans and wildlife. Currently, fishing in the Upper Hudson is catch and release only. Anglers are prohibited from eating fish from this 40 mile stretch due to PCB contamination. Women of childbearing age and children are advised not to eat any fish from the Lower Hudson, and men are advised to limit their consumption. Despite health advisories, many anglers and their families continue to eat their catch.

    Modern environmental dredging equipment and techniques can safely remove contaminated sediment. Hydraulic dredges, such as the cutterhead dredge and the eddy pump, and enclosed mechanical buckets are designed to minimize resuspension of contaminated sediments. Environmental dredging is much more contained and precise than navigational and construction dredging and has been used successfully in environmental cleanups throughout the US.

    And here's what the federal Environmental Protection Agency says:

    For 30 years ending in the late 1970s, the General Electric Company (GE) discharged as much as 1.3 million pounds of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into the Hudson River from its capacitor manufacturing plants in Hudson Falls and Fort Edward, New York. The PCBs remain in the river sediment. After many years of study, 40 miles of the Upper Hudson is now slated for an environmental cleanup.

    PCBs are harmful to people's health.

    PCBs cause cancer in laboratory animals, are considered a probable cause of cancer in people, and can trigger serious health problems, including low birth weight and reproductive and immunological problems. Pregnant women and children are especially vulnerable. Major national and international health organizations, including the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the American Cancer Society, and the World Health Organization agree with EPA about the toxicity of PCBs.

    Eating fish from the Hudson can be dangerous.

    For twenty-five years, concerns about PCBs in Hudson River fish have prompted New York State to issue health advisories that recommend limits on eating fish from the river. People should protect themselves by following state fish consumption advisories. Information is available from the New York State Department of Health (see note inside). Women of childbearing age and children under age 15 should not eat any fish from the Hudson River. No one should eat fish caught between the Federal Dam at Troy and Hudson Falls.

    Although PCBs do break down, they remain in the river and are hazardous.

    The endurable quality of PCBs, which made them valuable as industrial products, makes them hazardous to the environment. PCBs degrade naturally over time, but the process - called natural dechlorination - does not make them harmless. EPA considers all PCBs, regardless of their level of chlorination, to be hazardous to people's health. The PCBs may change, but they don't go away.

    PCB levels in fish are not going down.
    Although PCB levels in fish have decreased over the past twenty years, the downward trend has leveled off. In fact, average PCB levels in the fish of the Upper Hudson have not changed significantly in recent years. They are still high enough to trigger restrictions on eating fish and a ban on commercial fishing.

    PCBs in the sediment are not safely buried.
    River sediment is continually redistributed across the bottom by erosion and river flows. This movement exposes PCB-contaminated sediment, making it available to the fish. Elevated levels of PCBs, up to 1,650 parts per million, are still found at the surface of the sediment, and 90% of the sediment cores collected in 2002 and 2003 had PCBs in the top two inches.

    PCBs move throughout the river.

    A sophisticated scientific technique was used to fingerprint where the PCBs come from and where they go. It enabled us to track the movement of PCBs in the sediment of the Thompson Island Pool - the most heavily contaminated section of the river - through the water, 100 miles south to Kingston. The fingerprints also reveal that the five-fold increase in PCBs, as water flows through the Thompson Island Pool, comes from the sediment.

    Source control alone will not clean up the river.

    Each day, about three to five ounces of PCBs enter the river at the top of the Thompson Island Pool through fractures in the bedrock underneath the GE Hudson Falls plant. Samples show that about one to two pounds of PCBs flow out of the Thompson Island Pool every day. It's simple math. The additional PCBs come from the river sediment. By turning off the Hudson Falls spigot, PCB levels in fish should go down somewhat. That's why control of the source is an important complement to EPA's cleanup plan. But without targeted dredging, PCBs in the sediment will continue to find their way into fish at unacceptable levels and for an unacceptable length of time.

    TOWN OF FORT EDWARD, NEW YORK, 90 years ago--but not changed much since then.

  • Blog Action Day: Post #1-- The Rain of Death

    THIS ADIORNDACK LAKE SEEMS BEAUTIFUL--BUT IN REALITY, IT'S DEAD!

    This is a short post, 'cause I've stuff to do.

    You think you need all that electricity--well, maybe--but that coal those power plants are burning so you can have your toast in the morning--it KILLS.

    I'm not talking global warming--I'm talking ACID RAIN.

    Acid rain kills. There are whole ponds and lakes in our Adirondack high peaks, trees even..dead from acid rain. No life in a wilderness pond--can you even fathom that? None.

    The pollution from American mid-western power plants drifts eastward, over the Adirondacks and into the country of Canada. And it kills things when it comes down in the rain..it makes the rain so acidic, that NOTHING can live in it--and we BREATHE this, and it falls on our skin, and it kills fish and plants...just so little Johnny can play his video game, and mum can blow dry her hair and dad can sit and watch telly at the end of a long hard day.

    Not to mention the fact, that our monuments and grave stones and buildings, are being literally MELTED by this stuff--buildings deteriorate, the faces of statues in our parks blur, writing on grave stones becomes invisible--dying like the person beneath them...all so we can sit at our computers, read at night, and watch television.

    THE ACTUAL EFFECT OF ACID RAIN ON AN OLD HEADSTONE:

  • Nite all!

    Just got in from work, a while ago--brutal, brutal day...gosh, people were NASTY! I cannot fathom how the hell I got over 700 dollars in a bit under 6 hours from these people--most of whom should be better suited to standing in a barn somewhere, pooping on the floor, judging by their phone manners.

    Oh sure, I got about 25 pledges, but I had to wade through 200-300 mostly irritating calls, speaking to people whom either were raised by wolves--"Do the names, Romulus and Remus mean anything to you?" or were simply lacking in enough gray matter between their ears to carry on an intelligent conversation for even 10 seconds. God bless America.

    Got heat, finally...only the front room radiator is, apparently dusty in spots I cannot reach, because the gosh-darn smoke detector keeps giving out a sharp little warning beep, every ten seconds...all I can think is that it's the dust burning off, as there's absolutely no hint of any smoke, anywhere. The old cast-iron radiators have not been on in about 5 months, so I suppose they've accumulated some dust and cat hair in some of the crevices I've not reached.

    Truthfully, I've not given the apartment a thorough cleaning since I went in hospital in June. I've had all I can do, just to do the basics-give the tabletops, counters and stove a quick swipe, sweep the carpet, damp mop the kitchen floor, scrub the shower stall--those things really exhaust the hell out of me, now, so I only tend to do them about twice a month, instead of weekly, like before. Hurts to admit that, but no way can I ever afford a home aid--they say I'm not sick enough yet, anyway, ha-ha. My late mum used to joke that one of the pluses of being seriously ill--free maid service, having your meals prepared for you, and... oh, and handicapped parking if you have a car. :))

    Speaking of being ill, my fever is back, so I'm cutting this short tonight. I'll do my Accord story in the morning, I'm too tired to think tonight. I just want to climb into bed, get warm (figures, right? I finally get the thermostat fixed so I can have some heat, and it's going to get warm by the end of the week), anyway, after I toss out dinner--OMG! My slow cooker leek , chard and bean soup--OMG! I've smelt rotting food that smelled better! I'm not eating it, no way! Even the cats aren't liking the smell of it. So, I just settled for a sandwich and the last of the french fries (chips) for dinner. I don't like throwing away food, when I have so little, but then, I don't like throwing it up, either! Bleh! Yuck!!! Phooee! Into the loo it goes.

  • A Poem and what I'm listening to, today

    The Fields of November
    By N.B.G.

    The world is empty in the
    Mist-shrouded morning, a curtain
    Swallowing the world, an abandoned
    Barn, decayed and rotting, musty
    With the greif
    Of time. Forgotten,
    Neglected. My eyes
    Are open, like the rolling fields of
    November, rolling away towards the eternal
    Sleep of winter, dying brown, fading green,
    Yellowing hay and silvering trees. That's me,
    Jaded with the uselessness of existence.
    Dancing like the last of the maple leaves, in the
    Wild winds of change and
    Ending seasons.

    I dance the step of the damned, but smile
    With the whimsy of knowing, spring is just
    'Round the corner, just a shovelful of snow away.
    As the snowflakes of my life, come to
    Bury me, covering my hills, my woods, my life with
    A cold, frozen death, I know
    That my hills and woods will never grow old,
    Will continue, growing, living, keeping the spring
    Roses in their soul, 'till warm zephyrs
    Rise again.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    What I'm listening to today:
    The Proclaimers
    The Goldstars
    The Brindley Brothers
    Tyler Hinton
    Fastball
    Jamie Vernon
    Fleetwood Mac
    Brad Yoder
    Richard H. Heyman
    Gin Blossoms
    Whiskeytown
    The Cowlicks
    Abba
    Runrig
    Johnny Mathis
    Gordon Bok
    Beach Boys
    Cutting Crew
    The Kinks

  • Is it me....


    Or has "Captain Nazi" been portrayed here, in a slightly effeminate pose?

  • Nite all! Pleasant Dreams!

    Well, I'm chilled through, so must be off to bed--seriously nippy in here--can't wait until the heat gets turned on again! It's not that I mind, so much..heck, I've lived in rooms where it's so cold, your breath comes out in a fog, so it's not intolerable, except to my fingers, toes and nose, maybe, ha-ha. My circulation's a bit off in my legs--usually my right's worse than my left, but for some reason, my left foot's the one that feels like a block of ice, right about now--still, I'd rather be cold, than suffer though that exhausting tropical steam-heat we had, for much of the summer--usually we get that for about two weeks in July, and maybe, a week in August--this year, it was nearly ever week--we'd have a few weeks of tropical-like humidity, and a few days of normal weather, than back to the deep-south type weather again...hated every minute of it--because, you can always put more clothes on, or pile more blankets on, when you're cold--but with the heat, you can only take just so many clothes off--unless you're living in a nudest colony--or David Tennant, ha-ha.

    I'm rather tired, again. Battling that darn light-headed and dizzyness, for much of the day...was even listing to one side, slightly, this morning, as my balance was a bit rubbish, for about a half-hour, or so.

    The abscess in the jaw is down a bit, but it was playing up a little today, still, at least I no longer look like I had a satsuma stuck in my throat.

    Sometimes I do get a bit weary of dealing with it all though. Late this afternoon, during break at work, I watched, way up in sky, three passenger jets, their bellies glowing shiny white in the deep-blue skies, contrails spreading out behind them like a bride's train, going west, one-two-three, like ducks in a row, probably out of Boston, headed heaven-knows-where...Europe? Chicago? Los Angeles? And I was wishing on was on one of them..ah well, wishes are petty useless, I know, but, wishes are still free, ey?

    Well, enough melancholoy bull-pucky...I'm off to bed now, nitey-night all!

    THESE ARE SOME OF THE ACTUAL VERMONT COWS, THAT YOUR BEN & JERRY'S ICE CREAM COMES FROM--MOO!

  • Reveled: David Tennant Turned on By Daleks!


    It has been reveled, that actor David Tennant--has a Dalek fetish! He was recently overheard on set, exclaiming, "Yeah, those big balls of theirs, really turn me on!"

  • Forget coal in your stocking: Santa's bringing you lung cancer!

  • So---come outta' the closet and book your holidays Now!

  • Because you'll never know when you'll want to murder someone!

  • Morning all

    Have to leave for work in 2 minutes, but wanted to say good morning to my blog friends. I'm a bit under the weather today, but still plugging away. Hope you have a fantastic Saturday--brrr...it's freezing here! Looks and feels like snow, almost--did snow a few flakes, last night, btw. Cheers! N.

  • Standing in that old yellow rain again

    Well..the news just keeps getting better and better (yes, I am being sarcastic). I'm about to have my internet service discontinued--and not one damn thing I can do about it. The cash just isn't there. I owe for this month's bill, and they sent me a nasty letter saying they want payment NOW..or else. Well, the due date is Sunday, and unless a money-tree spouts up on my balcony overnight--ain't gonna' happen.

    I've got to call the company Monday, find out when it's to be turned off--means not only the loss of my internet--a heavy, heavy blow, but my phone as well, until I can afford to scape up the cash for a mobile or something. That's the rub. The nearest public phone is four or five streets away--about a 10 minute walk--and isn't available between 11pm and 6am..and has a 5 min. time limit. Yeeeesh! Well, no hope for it. Shame if I couldn't finish the Accord fundraiser, but there's just nothing I can do--well, if it's not being shut off right away, maybe I can cram the rest of the stories in, in one or two days, instead of the usual daily story. It's less than 20 now, I think.

    I just did a HUGE wincing act. While going through mum's papers, I found the radio play that I wrote, directed and produced as a joint project for my broadcast writing class and my playwriting class (I was taking both courses the same semester). Well, I was sitting here, reading it, after work tonight--OMG! It's AWFUL!!!!! How the hell did I get an "A" for this???
    Obviously for effort. Oh, the show got some laughs, but now that I'm reading it, five years later...ouch! It's soooo--bad! Maybe that's why some people found it funny--it was so bad.

    I haven't decided to bin it or not, yet. Mum kept it and the cassette, but the cassette recording of the studio session is broken....thank God. Oh, it's so bad. I have a few of my plays posted on a special blog--which I will NOT revel, so please don't ask. It's just there, only because I have no disks to save the stuff on, and if--heaven forbid, my computer crashes, I know that if or when I get another one, I haven't lost this stuff forever--oh, I've lost more than 80 percent of the stuff I've written, between moves and clean-outs and just accidental loss. I tend to be rather stoic about the loss, but deep down, oh, it hurts a bit--sort of like losing a part of yourself, when you lose a unique work you've created--good or rubbish.

    But this play--oh man, it's awful. The actors, bless them, my fellow students, mostly, from the theater programme, truly enjoyed doing it--or so they told me, and wanted to do another--but looking at this script...oh, I'm so glad it never happened. What a load of...it just makes me so wince. Well, a lot of my "creative" writing, quite frankly, does. I'm more of an essayist and journalist--honestly, I'm not very creative at all, and have crap for an imagination. That's why I sucked at acting, I think.

    Brrrr! It's freezing in here--about 60 degree F, and dropping. No heat--I couldn't afford batteries for my electronic thermostat--who'd ever think a tip like this, would have a modern thermostat? Sleeping in my clothes with two quilts and three cats to keep me warm, tonight--feels like snow, a little. It's 30 F (-1 C) out there, and we're to get some light, brief snow flurries. Weird how two weeks ago, it was 82 F!

    Well, I was going to write a story tonight...but I'm just too blessed cold! My arthritic fingers are not liking to type, tonight, and I'm just plain exhausted.

    Hope you all have a great weekend--I won't be around much, as I'm working both days. Nite all, pleasant dreams.

    MOONLIGHT IN NEIGHBOURING VERMONT...

  • Another Meme

    Well, I did tell my blog friend--very nicely I hope, that this would be one of the last "meme's" that I'd do for her, as they are a bit time-consuming, fun, but sometimes they take a while to do. It's her birthday today, so I did one last night on my other blog, and I'm doing this last one here.

    You don't have to read this, by the way. I imagine these must be quite boring, to read.

    3 Random questions meme--Part II

    1. What would be your three most ideal holidays?

    1. A historic tour holiday, but one that also includes just relaxing and hanging out, shopping, doing stuff, and chilling, probably in a country-like setting or a small town somewhere. Somewhere in North America or Europe.

    2. Someething that combines a learning experience--like maybe some kind of history, art, writing, carriage (horse) driving, or theater seminar, combined with some fun and relaxing things to do as well, like horse riding or sailing or just browsing the shops or galleries.

    3. A train or boating holiday. I'd LOVE to do a canal holiday, or sailing holiday--or maybe a cross-country train ride, that'd be awesome! I used to dream of a horseback holiday, but my physical limitations have pretty much killed that dream.

    2. Name 3 things that you've collected, in your lifetime:

    1. Antique bottles
    2 Antique saddles and horse/cowboy related stuff
    3. model horses

    3. Name three things you are, or have been, an expert, or near-expert at:

    1. cooking (have aculinary certificate)
    2. Antique saddles (mostly western)
    3. Writing essays

    4. Three things you don't own right now, that you wish you did:

    1. Tie: proper desk and chair, or a sofa
    2. A car--ideally a Ford Ranger pick-up truck
    3. A small home of my own (with an affordable mortgage)

    5. Three dreams you had twenty years ago:

    1. Own a horse
    2. See the UK/Europe
    3. Own my own home

    You can borrow this meme, for your own blog, if you want--I don't tag people.

  • A Poem for a Gloomy Autumn Day

    It's back to October weather now. A gloomy, murky day. I was reading a poem, last night, in bed, and thought I'd share it with you, if you don't mind. It's by my favourite poet, Lorna Greene, of Vermont, who died tragically and young, in the mid-1920's:

    Hillside Fog (Fragment)

    The white limbs of a birch
    Shone from out the foggy evergreens,
    Like love against the murkiness of life.
    A lone maple, protected from the wind,
    Blazed in primitive glory on the hillside,
    For all else was encased in drifting mist.
    High up, faint, bare tree-tops
    Appeared to wander aimlessly around,
    As if not satisfied...

  • Evil David Tennant


    "I know the scripts for next year--and I'm not gonna' tell ye. Not one little tid-bit, fans, ha-ha! So there!"

  • I'm American. I'm fat. So deal with it!

    Yeah, baby! I'm fat, and I'm proud!

    I walk like a cross between a little old lady and a gimpy John Wayne, and I look like my Polish babushka gran---deal with it! I am what I am--and what I am is inside...got that.

    Hey, I just vented--and it feels GREAT! He-he...can't keep a poor chav down, ey? The rich and beautiful may have the world as their oyster, but I've got life by the short-hairs, and baby, I'm yanking those suckers! :)) :)) :))

    Sorry, I'm actually not in a great mood--and gosh, now on top of all the other physical woes, yours truly just ripped a nice size chunk of her thumbnail off--and, yes, I've lost nails before, and let me tell you, it really does smart...ouch!

    And, Flame has gotten over her illness, but now the wee thing's in heat--meaning, Yowwlll! Meowww! All-blinking-night-long! And all morning and afternoon, as well.

    I'm going to wait to write my Accord Hopice story in the morning--I'm drawing a blank tonight..but I'm sure I'll think of something, always have, except for those three days last week when I was too ill to even bother eating, let alone actually think, ha-ha. I'm an American, you know, thinking doesn't come easy for us, just look at our president..the poster-boy for the American educational system.

    So, I don't drink or anything like that, but gosh, I just needed to let rip, tonight. Dont' worry, tomorrow I'll be back to my grumpy old self, ha-ha.

    Tonight, I'm just too tired and sore to be even be miserable. If that makes any sense.

    Yes, that's a real advet from the 1940's!

  • Dr Who Caption for Thrusday


    "Awww--you mean I can't snog anyone in this scene? And I have to be fully clothed, too? Well, there's first time for everything, I suppose."

  • Whoa! When did i get this old???

    Good Heavens! I just walked down to the bank and back--a mere 6 relatively short city blocks--and I feel EXACTLY like I just hiked 6 miles! Good grief! I really am ill, I suppose. I think on last year, I was walking 3 miles to work--partly up two steep hills--each day, in all sorts of weather, and was fine with it--slightly tired, but fine.

    I'd walk to work, stand on my feet, washing, drying and folding towels at the Travelodge for hours on end-generally 5 to 9 hours, depending on how many rooms were booked, and do this 7 days a week (I only got a day off after the summer holidays were well over). Still, might get a bit winded, but walking was no biggie--my walk wasn't pretty, for a woman, but by gosh, it covered a lot of ground, and that was more important to me, quite frankly, than walking "pretty."

    Now, I walk with a definite hitch to my git-along, as we country folk are wont to say, and sometimes I walk--I'm told--like a "little old lady"--which seems to irk some people, for reasons I cannot--or rather, will not, surmise upon here. Americans really are hateful towards us "un-beautiful" people--it's all that smarmy, shallow, Hollywood and "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," (A popular 80's US TV programme) glam, that's brainwashed them, in my opinion. Many Americans have gotten so, they really do believe that what they see on television and in the fashionable magazines and on the fancy adverts that blare at them every 10 minutes (or less)--they think that's what's true and real. Very sad.

    Ah well, guess I'm just becoming a cynical, stoic old maid...with an emphasis on the world, "old."

    I wish I could change my life, but I'm at a loss how. Met a co-worker on the street--he works two jobs, has a wife and son, but bare is making ends meet, himself. He echoed my thoughts, as we parted, "There's just no work here! At least nothing that pays you enough to live on." Yup. Only in America, can you work full-time, or nearly full-time, or two jobs, and STILL be poor.
    And, if you complain, you're given the boot, and they hire some high school kid, or imigrant to take your place, who is too ignorant or green, to know any better, or care.

    It's a gloomy damp day outside--matches my mood. Very apt, I'd say.

    This is what I feel like, today:

  • I didn't need to grow monsters...I had an older sister

    I distinctly remember having a massive fight with my sister, because she cut this advert out of my Rawhide Kid comic, and I'd not finished reading it, yet! Man, I was steamed--I loved my Rawhide Kid comic books.

  • Nite all!

    Off to bed, hoping I will be better tomorrow, as it promises to be a very long day--off to the bank in the morning, then the shopping--(a long drawn out affair when at the mercy of rural bus schedules), then home to change and work. Whoppie! Maybe I should promote myself as a tour stop for people with insomnia.

    Anyway, beside the other two illnesses, my stomach is not a happy camper tonight--the effects of having bubble and squeak (fried bacon, onions and cabbage) with mashed potatoes, for lunch, and, pierogi dumplings fried in onion-butter for dinner. And me without any Alka-Seltzer! Heartburn's so bad, I can't breathe hardly--like a lump of blinking fire in my chest!

    I hope I will be able to sleep tonight. The chills are gone but the infection is spreading into my face, now. Pretty soon my face is gonna' resemble that girl in Willy Wonka, that became a blueberry--only of course, hopefully I won't actually turn blue, ha-ha.

    Well, wishing my blog friends a very good night. cheers.

  • A word about David Tennant's Private...

    ...well, his privates.

    Oi! yes, someone e-mailed me some DT pictures..and some were quite lovely, him all smiling and his hair combed...but one was yet another one of him...well, au natural. I have that one, actually, I'm afraid to admit--I put it on my files...and totally forgot to delete it, after.

    Well, this is the same one--only it's about four times the size of my pic,a nd you can really see...well..EVERYTHING.

    Yikes.

    And, NO, I am NOT posting it here--I posted a sized-down version on my other blog...purely for fun.

    This is the guy that has all the girls swooning? I really must be missing something here...gosh, he's skinny. I've seen free-range chickens with more flesh on them---my goodness, even his woo-hoo is skinny! I don't think it's ten-inches, but honestly, I wasn't tempted to look at it that much.

    As always, a wonderful actor, of course, and not bad looking--shaved, combed and clothed. But...oh, the nightmares this old maid is going to have now.

    THE MAN IS AWFULLY..ERM--FOND, OF THAT SCREWDRIVER, ISN'T HE?

    (Yesh, I'm just having a spot of fun, don't get yer knickers in a twist, fangirls--save that for David.)

  • Bugger all! A whingy, mundane post you can skip

    Sent home early for lack of work! Bugger! Thank goodness I just had my food stamps re-instated, 20 dollars will be a huge help, as I had less than 30 to spend on food for next week. I can save the trip to the food pantry for next week.

    But, will indeed have my hours cut for the rest of the week to 4 hours a day. This is my only income, so this is not good. I've already lost 30 to 35 dollars out of my weekly check (that's about 15 to 20 pounds), now, I'm losing an additional 50 to 60 dollars, roughly, with the lack of work.

    And, I'm sick again tonight. Got up from my chair at work, and suddenly it was like the floor was moving--now I feel very weak and light-headed...and my fever's back...101.2 (normally of course it's 98.5 or 98.6)...so just a bit of a fever. Dang. Thought the abscess was getting better today. So, I not only have that, I've got this danged long-term illness to deal with...ah well. There's folks worse off than me, who am I to complain, ey?

    I did find some good cheap recipes for this week--just did my dinner menus, so I will know what to get from the store, tomorrow. Still have a whole packet of the sausage I bought last week, that was buy one, get one free, so I'm trying to find creative ways to make it stretch a little. And, I still have a pound of ground beef, as well, for the meatloaf.

    Meatloaf, beets, mashed potatoes.

    Leek-chard soup with northern beans and sliced smoked sausage, rolls.

    Polish sausage and Veggie stew, rolls.

    Texas Frito-Chili pie (just two tins of chili dumped onto a bed of corn chips, sprinkled with cheese and baked).

    Mock shepherd's pie (just a pie crust with tinned stew dumped in it and some mashed potatoes spooned on top, baked)

    Zatarain's Cajun black beans and rice mixed with smoked sausage & tinned corn.

    Hard boiled eggs in chard sauce over toast.

    Told you this was a mundane post.

  • Take that, you vegetarians!

    If mankind was meant to eat leaves and twigs, we'd be herbavores!

  • That's weird!

    I just made a post, and it came up, "only for friends,"--but...I never clicked the "Friends" button, so why did it do that? Is blog uk acting up again, or is it just me?

  • A Quiet Afternoon at Home

    Well, it only took me till have past two in the afternoon, to write Tuesday's--or, is today, Wednesday? I think it's Wednesday, but I'm not sure..I really was badly ill, last night, I guess. I'm not joking folks, I really don't have a clue right now, what day it is--I'll find out when I go to work tonight. I just don't happen to have a calendar handy where I'm at, at the moment.

    Anyway, off to finish my chores in a few minutes--wow, the living room was dusty! You could write your name on my corner knick-knack shelf!

    Someone wrote me today, asking me about how I felt about living in a caravan. It was a love-hate sort of thing with me. I mean, I liked the idea of having a place of my own--but the upkeep was worse than a house, at times! (My trailer/caravan was 72 feet long and 14 feet wide, with a bedroom and a bath on either end--there was a master bedroom/bath on the back end, and a smaller bedroom, with the main bath outside the door, in the front. In the middle was an open floor plan living room, and towards the back, a sizeable island kitchen that also had a built in hutch on one wall, and big closet, outside the master bedroom door, housing the washer/dryer-in other words, for a single-wide caravan, it was huge.) Anyway, after the first year or two, everything started to go on it: roof, wood mouldings inside, front door sprung, pipes broke, furnace broke, hot water heater broke, windows broke (storms mostly, skirting blew off and had to be replaced...it was a massive headache in regards to upkeep.

    And then, it was in a "mobile park"--a caravan park, and that's awful! One, you can't choose your neighbours, and they are usually living less than ten feet away--and they may be nice, or they may be a bunch of foul-mouthed, party-loving, drunken rednecks--and remember, in a park, you're not only paying a mortgage--you also are paying lot rental! A park owners are a freaky-weird lot, let me tell you....in fact, some of them make Hitler look like Snow White!

    And, in hot weather, a trailer/caravan can become literally like an oven, without air conditioning. Also, repairs--you can't get a proper plumber for a caravan...it has to be a moblie home specialist...do you have any idea, how hard it is, to find a mobile home repair guy? Or even more, how hard it is to find a mobile home repair guy--or I'll go you one better, finding a mobile home repair guy who isn't some beer-swilling redneck whose, Sears-Roebuck tool is fuller than his brain?

    But...yeah, there were times I enjoyed caravan living.

    It wasn't always hard to maintain, and it was often pleaant--of course, it's always nice coming to a place, and knowing it's YOURS (well, really, it was the mortgage company's)...it's a nice feeling, coming "home."

    And, I do love living in the country.

    I think, I'd live in a caravan again, quite happily, but only on the following conditions:

    1. It was on my own land--no real close neighbours..I mean not so close we can hear each others conversations/fights..other stuff... whenever we have the windows open.
    2. I had enough money--or someone living with me/nearby to help, to maintain it properly.
    3. reliable transport--went one summer without a car, and it was a bother, lugging groceries and library books and such, back and forth a couple of times a week, to and from town--it was a bit over a mile away, up a hill.
    4. A smaller place--not too small, but not whopping huge either.
    5. A big shed or garage, where I can store stuff.

    If I had those things, sure, I'd live in a caravan again, and happily.

    This woman asked, because, from what I can gather, she will be moving into her brother's caravan somewhere in England, out in the countryside, and she'd never spent any time in one, so was asking my opinion. It's a simpler life, in many ways--especially if you're not in a ready=make park but on your own land--but it has its own unique set of difficulties and challenges, and you should make sure you have help in place (repairs/lawn care, etc.) if you plan on doing that.

  • Celebrating Christmas: American Style!

    Ah yes, it's getting that time again, when American mum's and dads are going shopping for the boys, and what sort of gift celebrates Christ's birthday, better than a nice shiny new weapon?

    Pow! Pow! Hey, mum, I just shot Rudolf, can we mount his head in the living room, next Christmas? We could wire up his nose, and use it as a nightlight for my bedroom!


    How many of you have watched "A Christmas Story?" I love that film! Poor Ralphy, I really could relate to him. "You'll shoot you're eye out!" Love it, ha-ha!

  • Good morning!

    Hi all, a gloomy, dreary day, my side of the pond. Still sick, with fever/abscess, but, had a good night's sleep, at least, and the chills are gone. And the abscess, though still hot and swollen, is down slightly.

    I have to stop blogging about my job and more intimate details of my life--I guess I will be setting up a blog in one very obscure place today, so I can express myself without fear of censure....you see, I just found out someone "local" is accessing my blog, and since I don't know who this might be (only have an IP address), at the risk of sounding paranoid, I have to watch it. I've heard of people losing their jobs, because of things they've said on their blogs--whether they mention an employers or someone's name, or not. (Which I never have and never will--but, I have shown pics of the building where I work.)

    I also, some time back, when I was going through a rough patch, had someone actually track me down through my blog--rather than do the proper thing, and just send me a PM or an e-mail or whatever---and find me through a lot of internet digging...that sort of weirds me out a little. I don't object at all to being contacted via e-mail or PM, but I seriously get weirded out, when people "sneak" behind my back, prying into my personal life. If you have a question about my life, or a concern or a comment--for God's sake, just ask me! Don't go 'round behind my back, snooping. What are these people, the KGB or HOmeland Secourity? I may not be inclined to give a direct answer or explaination, but unless the person's rude and/or obnoxious, I'd never not answer him or her's PM or E=mail.

    Anyway, I've not eaten yet, so I've got to go rummage around the fridge and cupboards, see what I can find to eat. My eyesight's rubbish, of late, and since Mozilla has messed up my computer, and made the print SMALLER---these young computer geeks, they NEVER think! They don't grasp that not everyone has great eyesight---anyway, reading print, between my slightly blurred vision and the smaller print--can't hardly see a thing on my computer, this morning--God! I'd kill for a proper desk and chair!

    Well, I'm off to nosh on something, then tidy the tip--erm, apartment. Have a good day, all.

  • Nitey-nite all

    Well, a slow night at work--thank goodness! Not many calls coming in, so I didn't have to talk much. I have my tooth abscess back, and it's not great this time.

    Partly it may be because my immune system is down with my long-term illness, I don't know. I was actually feeling better on Sunday--now today, I've a fist-sized swelling in my neck, chills and fever--not to mention the pain in my tooth from the abscess. It literally happed over night..funny about stuff like that. It's the last thing I can afford too--the timing, with my partial lay-off and the pay cut, and, the loss of medical coverage, could not be worse! Here I am, one of the 45 million plus Americans with no health care, and I go and get a second illness. Well, at least it's not affecting my breathing. If it does, whether I can afford it or not, it's off to the ER for me. Right now all I can do is rest, rinse, and take aspirin. Don't know where the money's coming from, if I need medicine..no clue. I have to pay that $150 out of my rent money on Thursday to the bank...yesh--what next...I don't think I want an answer to that!

    I really do swim in the sewer of life--but hey, I may not have any money, a good job, a decent life or my health, but..at least I can still blog, right?

    I did come home to a wonderful surprise tonight--and if you look in my header, you might notice why I'm so happy, despite life poo'ing on me again.

    Yes! (She punches the air.)

    I got a new Accord sponsor, whose very generous donation has just put me a bit over the half-way mark. Isn't that fantastic? I think it's far-out!

    So, so what if I feel like crap--I got a sponsor today!!!

    ____________________________________________________________________________________________
    Oh, oh---speaking of crap, get this:

    I forgot to mention in my blog a while back. I was ringing up businesses in September, and one of the places I called was named---I kid you not---"Krap Technologies."

    It was out of business. Hmmm--I wonder why?

    I kept imagining having to be the receptionist: "Good morning, Krap Technologies."

    Or, some salesperson---"Thank you for buying Krap, have a good day."

    Or what the adverts must have been: "Looking for affrodable technology solutions? Buy Krap, and save!" Or, "We're your local computer dealer--we're Krap!"

    Or someone saying, "Oh yes, I got Krap software on my computer."

  • David Tennant Admits He's No Boy Scout

    It has been reveled by a Dr Who insider, that filming for the Hooverville scene in Daleks in Manhattan had to be stopped--while a crew member instructed actor David Tennant how to un-tie a knot. Apprently, the actor recently admitted, that he is unfamiliar with basic knots, that he has to have a helper on-set to tie his trainers for him every day.

  • Another day...what I'm listening to

    Well, it's Tuesday afternoon, folks. I'm leaving for the job fair in a while. Overnight, I developed another abscess in my lower jaw..isn't life such a joy? And me without health care insurance--or spare cash for medicine. Lovely. Love my employers timing, laying us off from day work for two weeks, right on top of the $1.08 an hour reduction in pay--and you wonder why I'm looking for a different job? The new hires are getting 8 cents more an hour than me, who's been working for this place for a year...life sucks.

    So, I ate a little something, now I'm chillin' for a bit, gathering my info for the potential employers, and listening to some music. It's a fairly nice day out there--not grand, but..okay. The brats upstairs are blasting their music, so I've had to crank up mine, because they listen to crap, and who wants to listen to crap? Once again, moi is not a very happy camper--but, I'm trying, I swear, not to let things get to me, too much, this week. I was horribly down, Friday, on learning of the partial layoff. But..now I'm resigned. What can you do? Just try to swim in life's poo, and keep your head up, and try not to swallow.

    And, I was just ripped off at the bank not long ago, to the tune of nearly 500 dollars! Someone got hold of my debit card number and went to town--I haven't used my bank in ages, and thought I actually had a zero balance in there...no, I had a negative 500+ dollar balance.

    so...they want 150 dollars by Friday, or they go to the police over it. Not good. So, there's goes the stinking 200 dollars I put aside for the rent. I did tell them to close the account--but they won't until I cough up the 150 dollars. I can't prove I didn't authorize the withdrawls--it came through as an auto-payment, tho' I have no auto-pay's set up with anyone, but...I'm not well enough to argue with them, so I'll just have to eat it. Life just gets better and better, as you age, don't it tho'?

    Just slap me in a coffin and slam the lid down, I could use a nice holiday, right about now, ha-ha.

    What I'd really like to do today, is just get in a car, take my tunes with me, and...drive. Just get the hell out of here for a few hours.

    Artists I'm listening to today:

    Cake
    The Proclaimers
    Fleetwood Mac
    Whiskeytown
    The Finn Brothers
    Golden Bear
    Deacon Blue
    John Denver
    The Kinks
    The Posies
    The Saints
    Kate Wolf
    Simon & Garfunkel
    Shaun Cassidy
    The Shake
    The Cowlicks
    Cat Stevens
    The Move
    Counting Crows
    The Symbols
    The Goldstars

    "MEDICINE WHEEL," By a famous American folk musician, the late Kate Wolf (Images shown from the film, Into the West.)

  • Day 80!!! 20 more days to Go!!!

    Well all, I'm down to the wire--just 20 more stories to go, for the Accord Hospice 100-story challenge! On 29th October, I'll have written 97 stories (I had two wonderful "guest writers" very generously fill in for me for 3 days, while I was rather ill, last week)--in 100 days!

    It's hard to believe how the time has flown!

    Here's story #80, fresh from my MS Word programme. To visit the site, click on the 100 stories banner above--or, go to: www.nbgolash.blogspot.com/

    To find out more about Accord Hospice, visit them on the web, at:
    www.accord.org.uk

    At present, I have ten sponsors, who've raised a total of 120 pounds for Accord Hospice. My goal is to reach 250 pounds by 29th October. Donations are made securely, through Justgiving, which is officially endorsed by Accord Hospice.

    DAY 80

    STORY #80

    Life Between the Lines

    In was a quiet night in Booring Vale. Suddenly, the skies lit up, as a tiny light shot downward---it was fist-sized meteorite. It smashed trough the roof of the library, glowed briefly, then all was dark again. Abruptly, at midnight, the books began tumbling off the shelves, and the characters came alive!

    Lassie wandered into the C’s of the encyclopedia, and got lost in Cardiff. Tarzan swung into Charlotte’s Web and was stuck. Hamlet began flirting with Catherine Earnshaw, and Sherlock Holmes helped Allen Quartermain find Solomon’s mine. At dawn, all was back to normal…well, until midnight comes again.

  • Music to Clean the Kitchen by...

    Just heard this band for the first time today--really like it.

  • I'm a baaad girl!


    "Wait!!! We forgot the leaf blower and the whipped cream!"

  • fun stuff one can do with lawn care tools

    I'm feeling a bit silly today:

    Set up a loud-speaker (tannoy) in your garage or shed. Then, wait till the neighbours are having a barbeque with their friends. Positioning a big gas powered lawn trimmer/weed whacker next to a mic, start 'er up and let 'er rip. When she gets going good, shout into the mic, over the engine--"Do we have clearence for take-off? We'll use the neighbours drive as our runway!"

    On a similar vein, next time the neighbours have an outdoor party, if you have no garage, you can go into your garden shed, set up the mic and speaker, grab your wife, hubby or partner, start up the lawnmower, and shout, "Okay, sweetheart, now bend over. Oh, did you bring the petrolieum jelly? This is going to be a tight fit!"

    Or, if you live in a flat, you can wait 'till the neighbours are having a party, get some tight leather pants, put on a mask, drape a bull whip over your shoulder...and go knock on the neighbour's door, holding a leaf blower, and ask them if they have any whipped cream you can borrow.

  • Small people do petty things...

    I was on the Teaspoon and an Open Mind site, yesterday--and noticed one of my stories was GONE from the site!

    Now, I didn't remove it at all--and the site refuses to answer my queries.

    Recently, one of the heads of the site, commented on one of my drabble posts--snarking at me about ending a paragraph with someone speaking, and then starting the next paragraph with the other person speaking.

    Okay, I know that may not be 100 percent good grammar, fiction-wise--but, it is NOT a written rule of grammar! At least, not in the states it's not.

    This is the same bimbo who wants everyone to write their stories in once-sentence incriments, or short-short paragraphs...essentially, she asks writers to write picture book style stories, rather than PROPER stories, with PROPER paragraphs.

    Well, I told her, I'd just spent five years of my life studying writing at college (I minored in writing at my 4-year college, and took every writing course available at my 2 year college), and also have written for a newspaper--and never once, had anyone ever had a problem with me, ending with a quote and beginning with a quote, and I didn't honestly see how that hurt anyone's enjoyment of the story.

    Next thing I know, the Teaspoon site yanks at least one (possibly two) of my stories from their site. Very mature!

    And, they refuse to answer my queries, so I can assume, since the story in question, had no swearing, sex or graphic violence, that it was pulled because the queen of Teaspoon decided that she wanted to show she was boss.

    Some people totally suck as human beings.

    As for this single-sentence paragrpahs: That's for babies, idiots who refuse to learn how to read or write properly, and lazy people. I refuse to stoop down to their level (unless paid to do so, that is).

    How is it that I, who am marginally blind and extremely near-sighted, and who is forced to look at a screen that sits more than 2 feet away, can read news stories, 19th century literature and blogs online, with little trouble---but these children half my age (or yonnger) cannot??? Lazy idiots. These are the same people who only get their news from the little ticker that runs at the bottom of the television screen, I'm thinking.

    Well, anyway, unless I put it on here, my story, "The Run for Rose" is lost forever, thanks to the teenager that runs Teaspoon and an Open Mind.

    Have I mentioned that mean, petty people totally suck, and are among the worst human beings on the planet?

    WHEW!!!

    I just checked, it's not lost (Not a great story, but still, I spent a lot of time writing it), and I did publish it on here, in May. So, maybe later I will re-post it on my new Dr Who fan fiction blog.

    It took me months--literally, months--to finish this story, and it would distress me to no end, if the story was lost---I lost so many things, after mum died. I was so stressed out, I just chucked things away without truly looking at them, and consequetally lost over 50 percent of my stories, plays, essays, journal entries and poetry. So, losing a story really hurts, because I know I'll never get it back again, and it's a bit like losing a part of myself, really.

  • America Vs. Europe

    I was reading where the murder of 6 young people in the upper mid-west, by an off-duty police officer, had made the headlines in the UK and other parts of the world.

    Interesting. People in the UK seemed quite shocked by the story, asking, "How could this happen?" and "What a terrible tragedy,"

    Whereas, the reaction of my American coworkers was, "Oh, huh. That's too bad. You never can tell about some people. What are you ordering for lunch today?"

  • If life's an amusment ride--

    --I should go 'round with a barf bag in my back pocket.

    Well, a long weekend shift, talking to mean people..."Why are you all calling me on a Sunday?" Because it's my mission in life--If I have to be miserable--EVERYONE does! :))

    I was speaking about Americans and their total inability to speak good, clear English, and the fuss they make when some foreign-born person can't speak good English...anyway, got some redneck tonight, on the phone, and this honestly, literally, is what I heard, after I asked to speak to a gentlemen about his bill:

    "Murph, murple, mumble, mumble, murph--working." Ey???

    Ah. That person made himself very clear, didn't he? Probably an English teacher from Kentucky or Georgia.

    And, I got this guy--again, asking for a gentleman---who said, "I dunno'." I asked if he was the person I wanted to talk to? "I dunno'." Ey??? I asked if I was calling the address listed on my computer screen--yup, you guessed it, "I dunno'." I'm thinking either this guy's parent's did way too many drugs in the sixties, or he's a member of George Bush's cabinet.

    I got a Hispanic guy, who right of the bat said, "No Habla Engalais." I said, "Oh--Gracisas." He said, "Okay, no problem, bye." and hung up. Ey???

    Got some rather odd names this week--at one point, I called a woman named, "Princess," followed on the heels by a man named--I KID YOU NOT---"Luscious." Now, rednecks are famous for being quite literally, the world's worst spellers--store signs, adverts--even people's names are often spelled (mis-spelled) phonetically down there. No joke, it's 100% true. So, I just assumed this guy's name really was "Lucius," right? Wrong. The guy answered the phone, in a very deep, masculine voice, "This is Luscious." Ey???? Okaaay, then.

    I hung up, trying very hard not to picture in my head, some naked hairy redneck, lying in bed, saying, "I'm luscious."

    Then I got to wondering, If "Princess" marries "Luscious," what would they name their kid? "Killer?"
    ________________________________________________________________________

    So, I've a story to write for Accord Hospice in a bit. No clue what about, none whatsoever..gotta' wing it again tonight, like I did last night. Spent two hours trying to think of something yesterday, to write a story about. I didn't realize, when I committed myself to this 100-story (or rather, now, 97-story, with the addition of my "guest writers.") how terribly stressful coming up with an fiction idea would be, night after night for about 3 months. Wow, it's tough, let me tell you. But, it's worth it. My sponsors, bless them, have helped to raise 120 pounds for Accord, which I certainly never could have done on my own.

    So, while I don't have any autographed scripts or daleks or drawings to offer, only a few half-baked fiction stories, and less than 6 readers a day on the site, at least I can say I tried, that I didn't just sit there an moan that I couldn't afford to make a donation. I suppose there's that, anyway.

    My friends have been so incredibly supportive and for that, I'm incredibly and eternally grateful. Thank you, my friends. N.

  • David Tennant Admits Needing a "Comfort"Toy While Filming


    LONDON, UK: Actor David Tennant admitted yesterday, that he often carries a little stuffed teddy around with him, on-set, to help him overcome his insecurities. Dubbed, "Tiny Teddy," the acotr's "comfort" toy, helps the actor cope with stressful situations, during filming.

    (NOTE: In reality, this is a nice pic from the upcoming Children in Need calendar--which Mr. Tennant so very nicely agreed to pose for. N.)

  • Mini Meme

    Sent this one: FIVE FAVOURITES

    1. Favourite movies? List as many as you want.

    * Arsenic and Old Lace
    * Lillies of the Field
    * To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything Juile Newmar
    * The Colour of Paradise
    * Pillow Talk
    * That Thing You Do
    * The Out-of-Towners (orig. version)
    * Saving Grace
    * True Grit
    * Star Wars (1976)
    * Vertigo
    * Galaxy Quest
    * The Little Shop Around the Corner
    * James Bond films.

    Favourite ice cream flavour?

    Starbuck's coffee ice cream

    Favourite restaurant food?

    Pizza--preferably from Paps'a, Spiak's or Purple Pub in Watervilet, NY, or, locally, either Harvest Restaurant or Talk of the Town Tavern in Glens Falls, or Roma's in Whitehall, NY.

    Favourite television programme:

    No-brainer: Dr Who of course!

    Favourite animal:

    Horses.

  • The Many Personaliities of Nature

    It's a bit cool, cloudy and dreary this morning. Thunderstorms blew through last night, and spirited away the hot, summer-like weather. Now all's well, we're back to autumn: colourful hillsides, red-brown dried up leaves, crinkling and skittering at our feet, brisk windy days, frosty nights.

    Nature is a mother. She knows what's needed, and sees that things happen in a natural and logical order. She nurtures and guides and delegates--mind you, she's also fickle, and sometimes, tho' she knows what's needed, she'll put on an obstinate pout, and decline to humour us.

    She is oftimes like the philosopher, Speaking little, thinking much. A quiet morning filled with sunshine and light breezes, a mellow dusk, accompanied by the songs of crickets.

    Nature can also be a warrior, spreading a swath of death and destruction, a tempest of turmoil, a roiling rage, that consumes and tears asunder, for no other purpose, than a macho display of raw power.

  • Dr Who Caption for Sunday


    "You want to do what to me, Rose? Here? In Front of your mum? Ohhh--kinky, I like it."

  • Foo Fighters--learn new things everyday

    Someone just introduced me to the Foo Fighters, via a YouTube video of a song, "Times Like These." I liked it. I'm not big into hard rock, but that was really good, I thought.

    I was asking, because they're coming to the civic center, which is about a 15 or 20 minute walk from my apartment. Not that I can go, but I'd heard of the band, and was quite curious about them.

    Here's the video:

  • More Assistance needed

    Oh, and for the life of me, I can't seem to make Google my start page--how the hell do you do that? I don't remember!

  • Mizzilla are a bunch of slimeballs!

    I need EASY step-by-step instructions to get rid of Mozilla--AND, get something different, Windows IE or whatever...

    Mozilla just once again, arbitraiily totally changed my computer, WITHOUT consulting me. I DON'T NEED THIS CRAP!!!

    The bastards lost 80 perccent of my bookmarks, they totally changed my start-up page--WITHOUT EVEN ASKING ME!!!! I went for a lie down, I got up three hours later--POOF!! Totally new start-up page, with more than half my info, completely lost!

    And, this is the third time they've just messed up my whole computer, and changed things without asking.

    I'm so angry at their high-handed and arbitrary attitude, that I am filing a formal complaint against them with my state's attorney general.

    Oh yeah--when Mozilla changed everything, they also somehow made the print much smaller, and now I can't read things anymore, because I don't own a desk, and my screen is more than 2 feet away, and I have poor eyesight! I wish someone would sue these bastards, they need a good lawsuit to get them to mend their Nazi-ish ways!

    But--I know virtually nothing about computers. Someone gave me instructions for getting rid of Firefox, but I've lost them.

    I need this to be step-by-step, and easy to understand. I also don't know how to go about replacing Firefox with something else.

    Firefox totally sucks. No one has a right to change your computer around, without your permission. I can't believe that my government is letting Firefox get away with this crap!

    Please, won't someone out there help me????

  • Proof George W. Bush Hates Children

    George Bush recently shot down a spending bill, that would increase funding for children's health care (mainly poor kids) by some 35 billion dollars...

    ...while asking for a 190 billion dollar increase in war funding, so we can extend operations in Iraq and Afghanastan, and kill and maim even more innocent Iraqi children.

    Well, that's one way to keep the world's population down, I suppose.

    Oil is irreplaceable, you know---hey, these people can always have more kids, right?

  • Good for them!!!

    Underage drinking, despite raising the legal limit from 18 to 21 in the early 1980's, and despite DWI roadblocks, arresting parents who allow their children and other minors to consume alcohol in the home, still underage drinking is a serious problem--in the last two months, twice that I know of, there were multiple death car crashes of underage drinkers--one just two weeks ago, where two or more young people died, while driving under the influence.

    So, I applaud efforts by the police to crack down on those selling alcohol to minors. Some people just never learn!

    From the Glens Fall's Post Star:

    State Police arrested six store clerks in Warren and Washington counties on Saturday after they allegedly sold alcohol to an underage volunteers who was working with police, officials said.

    According to police, charged with unlawfully dealing with a child, a misdemeanor were;

    * Angelique Bartholomew, 21, of Granville, an employee of the Stewart’s Shops store in the village of Granville.
    Advertisement

    * Michael Gebo, 18, an employee of Sunoco Mart in the village of Whitehall.

    * Lee R. Gosselin Jr., 17, of Whitehall, an employee of Putorti’s Market in the village of Whitehall.

    * Morgan E. Christiwa, 24, of Queensbury, an employee of Cobble Pond Farm Mart, Queensbury.

    * Bruce Williams, 54, of Queensbury, an employee of the Exit 19 Mobil station.

    * Kaitlyn Hayden, 18, of Queensbury, and employee of the Cumberland Farms store on Main Street, West Glens Falls.

    All six were released pending prosecution in the courts where their arrests occurred.

    State Police did not say in a press release how many stores they went to where clerks did not sell to the underage volunteers.

  • Hi

    I just had some more bad news heaped on me. I may not feel much like blogging for a while, I don't know. Just wanted to let you know, in case you're wondering what happened to me.

  • title-3091746

    I was sitting out on my little balcony, overlooking Glen Street tonight, watching the sun set, feeling the balmy summer-like breeze, petting Bonnie Prince Charlie and Boots, sipping some diet orange soda, trying to think of a story idea for tomorrow's Accord (#77) story, and trying to decide what Dr Who story to watch tonight (toss up between Runaway Bride and Girl in the Fireplace).

    But, mostly, I'm listening to some tunes, and just chillin'...

    What I'm listening to, tonight:

    Shaun Cassidy
    The Kinks
    The Proclaimers
    Bay City Rollers
    Neil Young
    John Denver
    Heartfield
    The Dave Clark Five
    Bruce Springsteen
    Randy Bachman
    Steve Ellis
    Any Trouble

    THOUGH I grew up in New York's upper Hudson Valley, I can really relate to this tune by Randy Bachman--and, the "feel" of the song, really speaks to my mood, tonight. "...Portage and Main fifteen below..." Oh yeah. No matter where I live, I think I'll always carry a bit of the long, cold winters inside of me. I'm a cold-weather person, born and bred.

  • US Largest meat recall

    Well, it seems if you want to be sure of the safety of your home-cooked hamburgers, you have to make them yourselves.

    there's been another recall of bad burgers, this time from Topp's, out of New Jersey, who is now closing its doors after 67 years, and putting 87 people out of work, due to a massive e-coli conamination of the meat.

    The US Dept. of Agriculture is taking a lot of flak for their slow response for the recall, which seriously sicking a little girl, who happens to hail from my home-town area--the McDonald's, a family I used to deliver papers to, in my teens. Their 8-year old girl suffered kidney failure as a result of consuming the tainted meat.

    Topps is filing for bankruptcy, and is being sued by the McDonald's and other families--as it food stores, such as WalMart's, which sold the tainted meat. (Tho' what they had to do with it, other then selling it--unless they were too slow pulling it from the shelves--)..anyway, it's a mess.

    I read where inspectors found conditions at the meat packing plant (arbitor) "appallingly filthy."

    The USDA has been increasingly lax in its inspections, it is said, allegedly due to budget cuts by the Bush administration.

    The meat continued to be sold, weeks after the contamination was discovered. The first recall of the meat was relatively small, but then a second recall was issued, with covered tens of thousands of packages of frozen hamburger patties--many of which had already been sold--and very likely consumed by then.

    So far, over 30 people have contracted the potentially fatal illness caused by this particular strain of E-coli.

    Incidentally, I used to eat Topps hamburgers, just a few years ago. I now use a different, better quality brand. But may go back to just buying fresh ground beef and making my own.

  • BBC Revels New Look for Doctor Who!


    It's been reveled by the BBC controller, that they want a "new look" for Doctor Who---following the popularity of the American television programme, "The Sopranos." The New Doctor Who, will have a new attitude, sporting posh Italian suits, slicked back hair, and a tough accent. The BBC will also be replacing, it is said, the sonic screwdriver with a titanium sledge hammer. Instead of scientific solutions, the Doctor will now defeat the monsters by breaking their knee-caps. They will also replace the Doctor's catch-phrase, "No second chances," with "I'm gonna' make you an offer you cannot refuse."

  • Just another day...

    Ho hum. Just another day.

    I'm having a lot of trouble getting my medical care reinstated. So, health-wise, I'm in a holding pattern for a while--maybe forever, I don't know. Just take my over-the-counter vitamins and hope for the best.

    I'm sitting here, listening to some music, "Born Innocent," at the moment--first time hearing it, rather like it. Good driving song, that, and some stuff by Heartsfield--"As I look into the fire...", and by the Kinks--they're not bad.

    Well, I have to pick up my meager pay check--tight weeks ahead. Still not getting my SSI check the government promised me..the bastards. And, yes, I mean that.

    I'd give anything to live somewhere else. America is wearing thin on me. Tho', I'm not naive--lost that a while back. I don't guess things would be any better anywhere else.

    I'm not in a very good mood today. I wish I had something to hold on to--just one little tiny thread of hope, a pencil-thin light at the end of my life's tunnel...but I'm stuck in darkness, to the end of my days, and I've no illusions about that.

    Hope is a lovely word, but I can't seem to find it, today. Ah well, it's a summery warm day outside, I'll grab some ice cream before shopping, enjoy the weather. It's the best I can hope for, today.

    HEARTSFIELD

    THE PROCLAMIERS

  • The Two Faces of Bush...

    The video is rather funny--yes, that's the real prez in the video, and some comic too, at a state dinner for the media.

    The scary thing isn't Bush this time, the scary thing is the YouTube comments for this video--most of the people commenting (mostly Americans) didn't KNOW which one was the real president of the United States!!!

    America: Land of the stupid, home of the imbeciles! I should know, I just spent 9 hours mostly talking to rednecks and middle-America, most of whom cannot even answer a telephone properly, read, or make out a cheque--NO JOKE! But, hey, they can buy and shoot as many guns as they want

  • Dr Who Caption for Thrusday Night

    Before I go back to work, to finish out my shift, I thought I'd leave you with this:

    "Oh, I know, Captain! Let's prove who's the better man--whoever farts the loudest wins!--Pwwwwat!"

  • A Meme for Thursday--passed on by "bikurchic"

    1. Did you ever live in the country?

    Yes and no. I grew up in a country-like setting, but it was really considered the suburbs. Likewise, I have, in the last 12 years, also lived in three rural mountain towns...but technically only one was truly in the country."

    2. What's the best thing about where you live?
    I can walk to work in 10 minutes, and there's cabs and buses (sort of).

    3. And the worst?
    Not having a car, and not being able to get out of this city for nearly a year (literally)--and living so close to a major resort area--mountains, rivers, lakes, aumsements, festivals, etc. and not being able to go to these things.

    4. Have you ever lived, worked on, or visited a farm?

    My cousin married a dairy farmer, so I've briefly visited a farm, and I've worked as a stable hand, with goats and chickens around the place, so suppose that might count?

    5. Have you ever driven a tractor or other farm implement? Yes, I've driven a tractor...also a backhoe, bulldozer, dump truck and bucket loader, but not sure if they count or not.

    6. Did you go to college, and if so, what sort of degree do you have? I went to college for 6 mos. at age 18/19, for stable management--but droped out. Went back to college at age 39, got my A.A. degree in Liberal Arts/Humanities. Transferred to a 4 yr. college--first majoring in Theatre--minoring in writing-- then changing (due to lack of class availability) temporarily to World Literature (while I figured out what I really wanted to change my major to), finally ending up in Communications, with an emphasis in PR/Journalism, still keeping my writing minor. I dropped out in autumn of 2005, due to Bush's financial aid cuts (both to poor students and to colleges themselves), and the raising of my tuituion by 1500 dollars a year.

    7. Have you ever participated in a live theatrical performance, and if so, what was your biggest role?

    A couple. Biggest role? Guess that would be as Aggie in The Dining Room.

    8. Have you ever traveled to a foreign country, and if yes, where? Yes. In order, Netherlands, Iceland and Egypt--don't think I can count a 3 hr. layover at Heathrow as visiting the UK.

    9. If you could be anywhere else, right at this moment, where would you like to be?

    Oh, in Cardiff, of course, watching them film Dr Who, ha-ha. (If I could take my cats with me, that is. ;) )

    10. When is the last time, if ever, you participated in a sporting tourneament, and if so, what was it?

    Erm--1980, I was in a horse show, in a western pleasure riding class (placed 2nd). Oh wait...it wasn't formal or anything--no trophies or ribbons, but I did participate in an impromptu horseshoe pitching tourney, several years back.

  • Boring Blog Post: Good Morning!

    Hi, off for another split shift today, 10-3 and 5-9.

    Here's the weather forecast for where I live:

    Currently: 63 °F / 17 °C
    Clear
    Humidity: 93%
    Dew Point: 61 °F / 16 °C
    Wind: 4 mph / 6 km/h / 1.5 m/s from the South
    Pressure: 30.18 in / 1022 hPa (Rising)
    Visibility: 8.0 miles / 12.9 kilometers
    UV: 1 out of 16
    Clouds: Clear -
    (Above Ground Level)

    Daily temps/weather, for:

    Thursday

    Friday

    Saturday

    Sunday

    Monday

    [Partly Cloudy]
    79° F | 50° F
    26° C | 10° C

    [Clear]
    84° F | 52° F
    29° C | 11° C

    [Partly Cloudy]
    81° F | 59° F
    27° C | 15° C

    [Chance of Rain]
    74° F | 52° F
    23° C | 11° C

    [Chance of Rain]
    69° F | 44° F
    21° C | 7° C
    Partly Cloudy

    So, blog readers, if any of you are planning a weekend in NY's Adirondack mountains--or the Green Mountains of Vermont, I'd say Friday and Saturday are your best bets, weather-wise. cheers.

    If you're ever in the Lake George region of the Adirondacks, let me know--I can clue you in on where to stay, and what to do.

  • Ohhhh---so that's what they wear under the kilt...

    The Scots prove that they aren't afraid to "let it all hang out!"

    :))

    So, all you UK fangirls, if you ever happen across David Tennant when he's wearin' the kilt--bring a battery-powered hair dryer with you---whoops! Oh sorry David... :)) :))

  • Do ANY job recruiters actually READ resumes???

    Got another job interview offer, for a major insurance comapany, $13 an hour to start--only problem is: The "interview" is in New York City!!! Heaven knows where the actual job site is.

    For anyone of you, not familar with the geography of New York State...well, NYC is about--roughly 200 miles south--a good 4 drive--if you speed and traffic is light..a 5 hour drive, normally--and that's just to get CLOSE to the city--add another half-hour to 45 minutes, just to get into downtown Manhattan--or more!

    And I thought an hour to hour and a half commute to Albany, NY or Rutland, VT was difficult without a car? Sheesh! Don't these HR head-hunters even bother to read a person's resume? Damn.

  • Remembering Freedom: Icarus

    I loved this song, "Spirit," when i was about 15 or so...I'd listen to this song all the time. Then, I'd be riding my ten-speed through the streets and woods and fields around home, thinking of this song--on my little ten-speed Sears bike (well, it was really my sister's bike, didn't have one of my own, at that age)...anyway, on the bike, I felt like I could fly, like I could just get on it, and go anywhere...until I crashed it, that is. I was a ten-speed Icarus. Fell on my face, spent the night in the ER getting X-rayed and stitched up, totaled the bike, freaked me out, freaked out my poor dad, upset mum--my sister never has forgiven me for the bike (that she never used, to begin with). Ah well...there's the memories, at least, of when I thought I was a cycling goddess--and this song:

  • What I'm listening to, today

    Andrew Bougoeous
    The Proclaimers
    Cake
    The Kinks
    SweetLou
    The Bridley Brothers
    Jam
    Dave, Dee, Dozy & etc.
    The La's
    John Fogerty
    John Denver
    James Taylor
    Sarah McLaughlan
    Ronan Keating
    Dave Mallet

    Thanks to Pandora Radio, for giving me an enjoyable afternoon of listening, before starting my workday.

  • I hate this! I Don't want any more "Friends' invites! NO MORE!

    I'm so tired of this. I am NOT accepting one more invite ever again!

    Someone I deeply care for, and thought was my friend--has just wiped me from her friend's list..without a word! She'd just sent me the nicest comment, too. I don't get this. What the hell did I do now??

    No more friends, okay. None. I refuse.

    All I ask of my "friends" now, is if you have to drop me--just tell me why, okay?

    I'm tired of this shit. This is the third time this year, someone has professed to be my good friend--and I believed them, like a stupid sap, and they just cut me and ran for no reason--and I say, enough!

    I'm NOT going to let you people hurt me anymore. Human beings suck. I'm not going to let anyone new in my life, ever again. I'm done, You hear me, God...DONE. I can't trust anyone. I don't mind letting go, if someone feels the need to leave, that's fine--it's this dropping me without a word crap...that just plain sucks. I don't like the way it makes me feel. So, screw this. No more new friends. Don't invite me, I won't accept. Period.

  • End of a Long Day

    So, I am going off to bed soon--I hope. Still have to write that dang Accord story--number 73, I think--before bed...and no, I have no ideas yet, as to what it will be.

    I'm dead-bang tired. To the point where I'm slightly woozy again...oh, not the pass-out woozy, just...bleh. My spaghetti dinner, while fab tasting--the food pantry included some really great locally made sausages, mmm--boy! Were they ever good! Unfortunately, those self-same sausages, are sitting like a rock in my stomach, right now, and the heartburn is kicking in...but, at least I had something I liked for dinner--that makes it worth it, to me.

    Charlie's lying on the cat blanket in the living room here, looking well-pleased with himself, as he should be. Had a pesky old fly in here, tonight, and Charlie caught it. Good boy, Charlie! You see, in my part of the world, it's been the Summer of the Fly--sounds like a bad horror film, but really, it's just the truth--everyone's been talking about how bad they are this year--they're everywhere! And there's just so many! You kill one, and ten more are back instead...it really is almost like a horror film--just when I think I've gotten rid of them, they're back. Last night, I couldn't sit out on the balcony, because when I looked out the screened window, there were about 10 flies out there, hovering around the outside of the screen. Very strange year. But, I remember, one summer in the late 1980's, we had a huge amount of bees--bees everywhere. Gosh, I got little stings, several times that summer. You could hardly go outside, for all the bees! Funny about things like that.

    I had a couple of nice e-mails in my box tonight..and one strange one, again. The nice one's were from two friends, wishing me a good day. One was from a total stranger, complementing me on my Accord Hospice efforts--and again, asking why there's no mention on Accord's website of it--and again, I had to explain that it's because they don't know about it--or if they do, they don't think it worth mentioning. Let's face it, the 100 story blog is probably THE most obscure fund raiser on the internet today.

    The strange e-mail, was also about Accord...but kind of...well, odd. Cryptic. I don't know this person "travelersgurl1989." But she (I'm guessing gender by the e-mail address) wrote:
    "Ur stories R so cool! I could never do that. R U a Dr Who fan? I know David loves them, doesn't he?"

    Okay, it was a very nice thing to take the time to write me--but..who's "David???"

    David Tennant? David Brinkley? David Copperfield? David Lee Roth? I suppose she means Mr. Tennant--again, I ask you my friends, why do so many of these young girls, think I would know Tennant? David Tennant's about as far removed from me, as a Neaterthal's cave drawings are removed from the works of Shakespeare! He and I live in two totally different worlds--not to mention 3000 miles apart! Geez--. I mean, the man wouldn't give a fig, I'm pretty sure, about some obscure blog for Accord Hospice, no matter what the reason. That's just no gonna' happen, not in a zillion years. I mean, assuming she means him--I don't know. The only "David" I know personally, is a cousin I've not even seen in exactly 25 years.

    Anyeay, always glad to get nice e-mails, cryptic or not.

    Good news is, my leg is better today..not nearly as sore. Two full-length leg cramps in one day...while awake...not fun.

    Ugh! Just discovered I've got another fly in here! See? I told ya'! :))

    As long as it doesn't go in my bedroom, ha-ha.

    My mouse is acting up again, tonight--maybe the cats were playing with it? ;)

  • Discordant notes...an excerpt from my other blog

    What is it, that separates us, from everything else--all other life, on this earth? I believe, it's thinking--well, that and having opposable thumbs.

    Reason is a delicate thing tho', I think--especially in this day and age. Some people these days, frown on reason--even decry the thinker. Whereas Thomas Jefferson said, "Political dissent is the highest form of patriotism," today, neo-cons and others around the world, cry foul, when questions are raised and weaknesses and lies brought to light. Now, the political dissenters in some parts of the free and supposedly democratic world, are called "traitors," from a public who is often genuinely frightened of questioning authority. So many, do not like their busy little lives disrupted by the discordant notes of queries and protests. This in a way, is how the Nazi's and Socialists came into power...because asking questions and thinking independently became things to fear, instead of that which we should embrace.

    some people seem to delight in being idiots. I think, perhaps because it's easier to be that way, to feel you'll be more accepted by the "crowd," then if you are perceived by them to be a nerd. Or maybe, society has it so easy, now, that they are simply growing mentally lazy. They just want to sit back and have their knowledge spoon-fed to them in tiny little doses...if at all. To some, it seems to me, thinking, asking questions, curiosity itself, is no longer of importance to some sectors of society. It's almost as if many people have become intimidated, by the mere thought of the serious pursuit of knowledge.

    Texting is a prime example--how many people, young and old, now have carried over their text-speak into every day writing? Too many. Why? Because text-speak is cool? No. Because text-speak is easier than actually having to spell and write correctly. Mental laziness at its finest, that is. Fear of effort.

    Or, at least, that's my opinion, anyway. Am I being too cynical? Perhaps, I don't know.

  • Not a David Tennant fangirl, but...

    I must confess here, while I admire the man's work, and he's nice looking, the man, as most of you know by now, simply doesn't make my heart go piiddy-pat...don't get all moon-eyed, no screaming or salivating...

    ...that said...okay, the guy's just a tad charming and...oh, dare I say this...okay...he's just kinda' sweet-looking, in this pic, I think.

    Still doesn't make my heart throb...but..okay, it deserves an "Awww--." :oops:

  • Monday: Let it be

    The start of a brand new day--used to be, I bounded out of bed with enthusiasm--now, I just sort of open my eyes slowly, and hope I'm just dreaming that it's light outside. Tough getting old.

    Used to be, I could work any amount of hours, and schedule, any days..no big deal. Now, I miss being on disability, because it allowed me to work as little as 25 hours a week, without seriously injuring my finances. Now...no sick or holiday pay for me, just work. But...

    things could be worse. I could be unemployed or cleaning loos for a living, there's that to be grateful for, I suppose. And, unlike last week, this week I've got some decent meals to eat, so there's that to be grateful for, as well...oh yeah, and two week's worth of clean clothes, for the first time in ages.

    I'm exhausted tho'. I can't even take a half-day off, let alone a week. I got yet another job offer--this time in Vermont. Why can't these job recruiters actually READ resumes??? I mean, it says right there, "Glens Falls area only." What part of that don't these people get? Albany is not near GF's--it's fifty miles south! And Vermont--same thing, Rutland is a good 50 to 60 miles east of here! Doable by car perhaps, but not by bus, no way. Forget the train, that's doubly expensive, and has an even worse schedule than the buses do.

    I got invited=---well, a lot of people did, to a special dinner theatere charity show next Sat., but can't afford it---$35 dollars right now, might just as well be $350. Shame. I've not been to a performance of any kind, or a concert or anything, since Spring of 2005. There's a folk concert coming up, at the library here in the city, later this month, but I'll be working that day.

    Well, got chores to do before work--working 10 to 7 shift today. I'm back on sales now. My company rarely promotes workers like me to the upscale sales...I'm a bottom feeder at work, that's my lot in life. Always have been, always will be. And...that's okay. At least I can say that I tried to change my life. Now...I'm just too damn tired to care, any longer. Let it be, I say.

  • A Poem About Morning

    FIVE MINUTES AFTER SUNRISE

    by Lorna Greene

    Orange bars of hot sunlight
    Across a cold, white world.
    On my yellow wall,
    Chill lines of pink-lavender
    Tree-tops.
    Darkness on fairy virginity;
    Warm tints on it.
    Delicate shadows of blue,
    Like airy color
    Over a wedding dress.

  • Dr Who Caption for Monday


    "I hath peanuth butta--now my tongue ith stuck to the rooth of my mouthh..."

Footer:

The content of this website belongs to a private person, blog.co.uk is not responsible for the content of this website.