I Ain't Afraid of No Daleks

WEll, I'm off in a bit to go to run some errands over to the shopping centre across the bridge in South Glens Falls. I hope my cab will be able to get through--downtown is closed off tonight, for the first day of the big Adirondack Hot Air Balloon Festival...thousands of people will be pouring into the city and surrounding area this weekend, with literally hundreds of hot air ballooons of all shapes and sizes launching from various locations--first launch happening now, up the street about a quarter mile from me, 7 balloons launching from Crandall Park, and one inflating on the main street through the downtown city centre, for the street festival there.

I was going to go, but I'd rather do my chores now, than tomorrow, because of the play tomorrow night--I have to work both tomorrow and Saturday, so I don't want to wear myself out, by running around like a loon after work, trying to do everything at once, and then going out Friday.

So, I'm off, and I won't be back online 'till about 8 or 9 pm my time, so have a good night, all. Cheers.

1. Choose a picture that represents what you do for a living.

2. Choose a picture of what you would like to be doing for a living.

OR

3. Choose a picture of a place you visited with your parents, as a child.
(Frontier Town theme park, North Hudson, NY)

4. Choose a picture of fun holiday activity you've done on your own.

5. Using Google images, choose a random piece of art that appeals to your current mood.

I'm so excited! Tomorrow I get to see a play again!!! Oh, that's going to be soooo-cool! I've not been inside a theater--any theater, since 'o4, and I'm so thrilled.

I've learned to cope with being shut out from the world, for days, weeks, even months on end...but having to go nearly 6 months without a car, phone, television, internet or being able to go anywhere, except to get groceries or do laundry--I have to say, being alone like that, that was a hard, hard six months, and I know I can do it again, if I have to--after mum passed on, I was utterly alone for months as well, with nothing but 7 cats, my internet, fresh grief, a pile of useless CV's, no heat/hot water, and a foreclousure notice for company. So, I CAN survive being isolated from the world...and in a way, it does make me appreciate these little extras--like shopping for jeans, or playing a round of crazy golf, or going for ice cream or for a swim at the lake...or saving my money to go to a play, it makes these things all the more precious and special to me.

Unfortunately, the drawback is, that it also is a poignant reminder of how much I am missing, and, a reminder of my aloneness, when I go out by myself.

But, I'd be acting churlish, to my way of thinking, if I resented those things...it's just another part of this new reality that is my life now. Like I've written before--for me, there is no looking forward. That part of my life is over, finished. There is no "forward," there's just the here, and the now. I cannot afford to look forward, for the simple fact that another crushing blow to what shred of hope I might still have inside me, would probably be the thing that would be my finale. My past is gone, the future is dust, there is this moment, and I have to focus on that, because if I don't, I will basically just fall apart.

There is no one here to hold me when I cry, laugh with me when I find something funny, yell at me when I mess up...there is only me. I have to be strong for myself, and for me, that means trying to leave the bitterness of all the losses and disappointments, behind--whether it's a massive loss, like losing mum or my cat Red--my best pal for 18 years- or my home, or a moderate disappointment such as having to drop out of college before completing my BA, or a relatively minor blow to my sense of trust in something I relied on--like episode 12 of Dr Who---I HAVE to protect myself, any way I can. And for me, in the here and now, that's taking things one day at a time.

CLICK to enlarge picture.

Well, I've mentioned before how my little girl-cat Flame, is addicted to popcorn--no really. I cannot pop any microwave popcorn, or bring a bag of flavoured popcorn in the apartment, that she doesn't go positively BONKERS, pestering me to give her some! She has a tendency to sit on the arm of my chair, whinge, and quite literally wave her paw in my face, until I hold out my palm to let her scarf some down.

So, on this day, I went into the little Stewart's convenient store across the street from my office building, looking for a pre-lunch snack. It was odd, but me and all my co-workers were all saying how hungry we were, this afternoon, even tho' we'd all had a good breakfast, just a couple of hours before. That was sort of strange...people all over the office saying how hungry the were. Maybe it's the sudden change from high summer back to our normal autumn.

But, I digress. So, I was browsing through bags of Doritos, pretzels, TGI Friday's crunchy mozzerella flavour sticks, and BBQ corn chips--when I spied something called "buffalo wing and bleu cheese flavor" popcorn. Okay, sounds funky, I like funky sometimes, thought I'd give it a whirl.

You know, they say that temptation is the catalyst of fools...okay there's no "they," I just made that up, just now. Anyway, no. Or, to put it another way: BLEH. Just blew 99 cents. But, I ate half a bag anyway, 'cos damn, I'm hungry.

As usual, Flamey decided she HAD to have some, and sure enough, within seconds of me opening the bag, there she was, perched on the arm of the chair, "gimme' gimee, gimme' mum!" I WANT it! So, held out my hand, not really expecting her to try it....she DID!

Flamey has this thing, she LOVES to crunch popcorn in her mouth. I mean, you should see the look of pure joy on her face, when she going "nom-nom-nom, yummy!" Well, she crunched away, but I could see she was having doubts. After the first piece she was licking her lips and moving her jaws--it was just a tad spicy, as "buffalo wing" flavour tends to sometimes be. I thought, "well, now she's had that, she won't want any more." No, not quite. She scarfed down two more pieces before she finally decided that buffalo wing and bleu cheese popcorn reaallly wasn't her thing!

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The other day, I had all that trouble with my bad eye--an infection...and my tunnel vision is getting worse. Anyway, I had to see the health centre's receptionist for something...and I'm standing there behind the counter, on the other side of the window, looking down at the woman seated at the desk---who, as it happens, choose that particular day to wear a low-cut blouse. Now, had I even been a lesbian instead of a "genuine old maid", I might have been okay with that particular "view," but...I rather doubt it.

Not as bad as the time I was forced to sit an entire semester in a computer class, staring down the bum-crack of the teenage girl in front of me....ewwww!

The republicans are aghast, at senator Joe Biden's suggestion that the idea of Americans earning more than a quarter of a million dollars a year paying more in taxes is, quote, "the patriotic thing to do."

While the republicans have always pushed "trickle down economics,"---cutting taxes for the wealthier classes, in hopes the savings will---eventually, "trickle down" to the middle and poorer classes.

The Democrats want to raise taxes for anyone making over a quarter million dollars a year, while cutting taxes a little to a lot (depending on one's income--people over age 65 making under $50,000 will have no income tax at all), thereby giving people more money in their pockets to spend on a weekly or monthly basis, rather than waiting for a questionable reduction trickling down from the rich, which would take--if ever, years to happen.

The democrats also want to stop American corporations taking away American jobs overseas to countries using low-wage labour, from getting tax breaks here. Thereby possibly mopping up some of the leakage of jobs from the U.S.

I can finally get into BCUK!

Had the devil of a time using the site last night, starting around 10pm. At one point, the site lost 3/4 of a long post I'd written--needless to say, I was less than pleased.

I tried to post a recipe and reply to some friend's posts and the recipe wouldn't post and the comments???? No clue.

Another really lovely day here. Not a cloud in the sky though somewhat cool right now at 54 F (12.3 C)...but not too bad.

I had a helluva laugh last night. One of my UK friends was saying that in winter, it got as cold as 1 degree Celsius..I looked it up...that's about 29 or 30 F! I burst out laughing! No really. 1 C is WARM for us, come winter, where temperatures range, in January to early March anywhere from 1 C to -31 C or colder, in Jan. of 2004, it was -40 C! (which, oddly, is the same temperature in fahrenheight). Generally our winter temps average from -11 C to -5 C. But lately, with global warming (oh yes, take it from someone who has spent YEARS out in the outdoors in all weathers, the climate IS changing), there is no real average any longer, and it might be -12 C one week, and 3 C the next...it's really getting very strange.

Over here, we also often have "January thaw"--a temporary rise in temperatures for a few days, causing spring like weather conditions. Not every year, but often enough. The temps sometimes get to as high as 15 C to 21 C, sometimes sparking mid-winter thunderstorms...once, in the late 80's even spawning a few tornadoes. Then, we have winter again, and within days the weather drops back to maybe -2 C or colder.

Today it's to be sunny with a high of 18 C, dropping back to -1 C tonight.

-1 C "freezing???" G'wan wi'ya....I've GOT to move to Scotland!

We don't even put on our winter coats for that!

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