I Ain't Afraid of No Daleks

Well, didn't get the laudry done--have to wait till after work tomorrow or Monday morning, whichever.

I splurged at the grocery store--normally, I try very hard to watch my grocery budget and only buy a few "luxury" food items--steak or meatloaf mix or a whole chicken--no more than once or twice a month. Well...I saw a beef brisket on sale for under 10 dollars--and I've NEVER seen beef brisket on sale before...especially for less than 10 dollars. I really want to get a chuck roast to make pot roast for thanksgiving, but blimey!!! What used to be a very cheap ('cos it's fatty and tough) piece of meat, is now $15! Whoa! That's...ridiculous! Beef brisket's just a sort of a square flat cut of beef roast that, like chuck roast, has to be slow cooked for tenderness and flavour.

I'm going to cook mine Sunday. I've not had a beef brisket (that wasn't corned beef brisket, which different--that is pickled in brine and coloured with dye to appear red) in at least 20 years. I will do a recipe I had once, where you cook the brisket in coke (classic) and lots of onions, with a dash of worcestershire and some bay leaf. I usually cook a pot roast with carrots and onions...but opted instead to leave off the carrots and have some cauliflower instead...with mashed potatoes and Bistro gravy, too, of course. Yummy!

After eating tinned ravioli for lunch (and one dinner) for the last five days, I felt I needed a "treat"..and, it probably would have cost me the same..or more, to eat a similar dinner out at a proper restaurant.

I can hear trick or treaters out on the street--gorgeous day!!!

It was sunny and very un-autumn like, actually in the mid-60's...didn't need my coat and was almost too hot wearing a sweater (jumper).

Well, I must be off to start dinner. Hope you all have a lovely night.

Here's another sent to me on another website...this one's different.

Rules: no words, use pictures to answer the questions

Yourself: (Age 16--click on pic twice to make bigger)

Your home: (Sorry, I won't show the tip building where I actually live)

The area where you grew up:

(In my former hometown, this was the old Montgomery Ward's department store and warehouse...the green space behind it is part of the playing fields for the elementary school I attended. My dad worked in the building--a commerical linen service-- across from Montgomery Wards (lower left) for around 25 years. The former store is now an office building. It is in the center of the village. We lived on the northern end of town..)

Your Favorite possession:

No photo available--I have a pic of it from when I too a photo of my cat Charilie, but I can't access photobucket at this time (tho' it's in my profile photos, I think), but I'll try to find something that sort of looks like it. It's a western oil on board painting, unframed, by an outsider artist named George Hoose, that my mad ol' Aunt Mary gave me for my 7th birthday...the only thing I still own from my childhood...it's old and worn and probably not even worth 10 dollars, but I am rather atttached to it.

Your dream last night:

Your Favorite Drink:

Your Dream Car: ]

Your Dream Home:

Your worst fear:

Where do you dream you'd like to be within the next Ten Years?

What are you having or did you have for dinner tonight? (leftovers from earlier in the month that I took out of the freezer)

What You're Not:

One of Your Wish List Items for Christmas this year: (not going to get one, mind you...just a stupid wish, I suppose I will probably end up buying myself a model horse from Tractor Supply Co., like I did last year)

Your Life:

Actor David Tennant is to have a part in an upcoming film. He will be playing a character named Hector, a family friend.

Here is more information about the film, titled "1939."

1939 is set between present day London and the idyllic Norfolk countryside in the lead up to the Second World War.

1939 is writer/director Stephen Poliakoff's return to the cinema after an absence of a decade since his previous feature films which included the critically acclaimed and multi-award winning Close My Eyes starring Clive Owen, Saskia Reeves and Alan Rickman.

Initial filming is set to begin this Monday, and it will be shot in London and Norfolk. Busy man, Mr. Tennant...where on earth does he find time to erm--sleep?

David, have you ever heard of the term, "workaholic???"

1. You and Jesus go out to dinner - who pays?

Neither, we're having loaves and fishes.

2. You suddenly have to flee the country and adopt an alias; what is it?

Alan Carr

3. Pick one state in the U.S. to get rid of permanently.

Easy. Texas. Adios George W., don't let the door hit you on the way out!

4. You wake up as the opposite gender - what's the one thing you wanna try?

Scratching my balls...always wondered what men see in it.

5. Luke Skywalker or Han Solo?

Doctor Who! (and then maybe Han, 'cos he's really butch and has got all the good lines)

6. Toy you always wanted but never got as a child?

Not a toy I know, but I always begged my parent's for a horse.

7. Top three celebrities you wanna do?

Do what? I don't want to "do" anyone...does that make me odd? Oh well.

8. What's an automatic deal breaker in a potential significant other?

"Deal breaker?" Geez, you make it sound like a corporate takeover...how unromantic!

But, my biggest turn-off is some really pushy guy trying to mold me in his own image--basically, I don't like a guy telling me what I should think or what I should believe in, how I should look, or basically, treat me like a possession--a knick-knack to show off to his ex or whomever, instead of a person. Do that to me, and you're outta' there. Oh, and outright lying to me, that's a total no-no, as well.

9. What is the last movie you saw that actually scared you?

I honestly can't remember. I've not seen a scary film in years.

10. Worst thing you've ever said out loud?

(No comment)

11. You're sentenced to death and its the morning of your execution; what's your last meal?

Wait! I'm sure the govenor will call any minute now! But...I am feeling a bit peckish, so I'll order a cut of the semi-rare beef prime rib roast au jus, some steamed cauliflower with lots of butter, and some mashed potatoes and gravy, warm rolls, a lettuce salad with bacon bits and cheese on it and poppyseed dressing, and an ice cold glass of Coke Classic...and some bread pudding with whipped cream on top, and Green Mountain coffee--extra cream, no sugar-- for dessert, thank you very much.

Hey, it's not like I'd have to worry about my health or my weight anymore, ey?

12. What's something that most people have done that you've never done?

Been kissed, cuddled and loved by a significant other...basically, had a relationship.

13. Before you die you want to go to...?

...Cardiff, to see the Tardis set.

Wouldn't that be cool!

14. Something you'd really like to do but probably wont ever be able to do?

Hmmm--I guess work with my voice professionally, like in radio or something.

15. A wild animal you'd like to have as a pet?

Actually, I've already had wild animals as pets: snakes, turtles, rabbits, pigeon...and my friend had a tame squirrel. I hear skunks (with scent glands removed) make nice pets...and raccons are really cute!

16. A drug you'll never try?

Assuming you mean illegal drugs? None, not ever. If I want to get "happy" or "mellow," I prefer to do it myself, without artificial assistance, thanks.

17. If you were an animal what would you be?

A goose...cos they stick together, aren't stuck in one place all the time, and are never totally alone.

18. If you had to marry someone you knew at the age of 12 who would it be?

My pal Tommy. We were friends for roughly five years. He was a good friend, and tho' we parted ways when I was 15, I still sometimes think about him, tho' I doubt he even remembers me.

19. What's something most people don't know about you?

After reading my blog for the last 2 years? What haven't I said about myself on here (that is, other than things I'd rather no one ever knew)? I once owned two anitque percussion muskets, neither of which worked.

20. First celebrity crush?

Bobby Sherman

21. What's a weapon to suit your personality, habits and abilities?

Duct tape and a pocket knife, like MacGyver...but not because I'm clever...I just never have any proper tools around.

23. Favorite breakfast bread style (pancakes, waffles, toast etc...)?

really, I prefer fried potatoes, but I do toasted English muffins or just plain old toast, in a pinch.

24. Favorite parody movie?

The Brady Bunch films--hated the series, so I loved the films.

25. Worst way to die?

Is there ever a good way to die? I watched my mum slowly die, up close and personal, so I guess dying slowly, whether you do it bravely and with good spirits, or in pain and despair...but I suppose being burned to death or something, isn't great, either.

Busy day, me. Off to do a dozen things and hope I can get them all done--it's past 11am and I've not even had my breakfast, so we shall see what we shall see.

Where else but playwrite27's blog would you see a photo of a fat American broad in a cowboy hat and bandana, wearing a burgundy Dr Who tee shirt, sitting on a horse-drawn hearse being drawn by a fiberglass horse?

CLICK PHOTO three X's to make bigger

(photo taken in 1987 at Gaslight Village theme park--now abandoned, Lake George, NY)

What happens when a Dr Who actor can't find work due to typecasting...

"Oh, here's one. 'Wanted: Skinny Scottish bloke with very sexy hair to be the back end of a panto cow..."

Chicken Little Too MuchBy playwrite27

It was a Saturday night in the small rural town. At the auction barn, the lot was full of pick up trucks, livestock haulers, and cars of all sorts. Inside the musty florescent-lit interior, the country folk gathered on the tiers of wooden benches, which flanked either side of a tiny sawdust filled arena.

Voices babbled away, and in the background, one could hear the bleats of goats, nickers of horses and cackling of hens. The auctioneer's helper, George, a tall lanky fellow, one of those strong but usually pretty silent types--except when he was tracking bids for the auctioneer, was busy clearing away the last of the long folding tables from the arena. The first half of the night had been devoted to selling everything from tools, to saddles, to new toys, novelty singing fish, an antique mirror, used books, fresh flowers, an old dresser and some used appliences, tractor tires, bales of hay and even day old bread and frozen hamburgers...and one funny-shaped wooden object: no one knew quite what it was.

Now it was time for the animals to be brought out, and the auctioneer motioned to George to start showing the good folks assembled there, the chickens.

The noise of the crowd gossiping during the break, combined with the dull roaring of the flame of a kerosene heater in one corner--it may have been springtime, but that barn could get mighty chilly at night, without a little help--made for quite a racket, so the auctioneer had to bang his gavel rather loudly (WHAM-WHAM "Now pay attention folks, we're gonna' start the bidding in a minute, so I need you'all to quiet down so I can hear!")

Again he banged twice on the old wooden podium that was set up in the middle of the stands. People still gossiped with their neighbours, but at a quieter hum. It was across from the main seating area, giving the auctioneer a good view of most of the bidders...many of whom he knew by their bidding number--if not face and/or name.

George brought two cages out onto the one folding table he'd left in the middle of the sawdust, and plunked them down. Reaching in he pulled out the weirdest looking chicken--well, weird if you're a city slicker I suppose. The chicken was black and had long shaggy feathers--but, it was the top of his (it was in fact a rooster) head that was...strange. Instead of smooth feathers, a profusion of white feathers sprouted from the bird's head, in a Phyllis Diller effect...making the chicken look more like some punk rocker in a chicken suit. There was a similar one in a second cage, as well.

The auctioneer, a beefy florid-faced man, dressed in cowboy attire, with dark slicked back hair and a profusion of gold chains around his neck, took a sip of water, eyed the birds with some barely veiled skepticism, then banged his wooden gavel twice more.

"What's the lot number on them birds, George?" He shouted into his microphone. Every consigner to the auction had a lot number assigned to his merchandise or livestock, so the auction house could more easily keep track of what belonged to whom when pay out time came. George snuck a peek at a little yellow numbered livestock tag attached to the cage--they were similar to one's put on the ears of cattle to identify them--and he called out the number.

The auctioneer cleared his throat. "Alright. Next we have lot number one-forty-one. Fine pair of show quality roosters. A couple'a real nice birds here--who'll start the bidding?" His eyes narrowed as no hands appeared, no little white cards with numbers on them waving in the air. 'Okay,' he thought, 'this isn't going to be pretty--and neither are them birds.'

Sighing, he continuted, "Do I have ten-ten-ten," the auctioneer sang out in his special rapid-fire patter, "who'll gimme' ten-ten-ten? Ten dollars where? Who'll gimme' ten-ten-ten? Ten dollars Where?"

The auctioneer looked out at the crowd, they looked back at him--the one's that weren't still chatting, that is--with blank faces. He sighed again. "Where do you want to start 'em folks? Is there any interest in these nice pair of birds? How 'bout seven and a half? Who'll start the bidding at seven-and-a-half? Seven-fifty, seven-fifty...couple of real nice Star Wars roosters--great conversation piece for your farm yard! 'An were talkin' show quality, folks! Make a great 4-H club project for your kids!" Taking a breath, the auctioneer glanced at George...now holding out one of the roosters by it's wings--well away from him to avoid the sharp talons. The rooster did not look amused. George merely raised an eyebrow at the auctioneer and shrugged.

Taking another deep breath, the auctioneer decided it was time to change tack, and blurted out, "Five dollars! Who'll gimme' five dollars for the pair? It's for the pair now, you're buyin' 'em both for one money! Five dollars? Five-five-five, who'll gimme' five-five-five? Five-five-five..." Still no little white numbered cards flapping in the air, no raised hands, no nods, nothing. "Tell you what folks, I don't normally do this, but you bid five dollars, 'an I'll even throw in the cage! How 'bout that? Five-five-five, who'll gimme' five-five-five? Who'll gimme five dollars? Five dollars anyone?" He asked hopefully.

There seemed to be a shifting in the tiers of wooden seats, and more people were looking at the birds, but still no takers. Or, it could have been that their bottoms were getting sore. The auctioneer frowned. "Isn't there any interest in these here two polack birds?" Apparently, not. So, the man with the cowboy shirt and gold chains decided to try something new. "Alright," he said, trying to refrain from grinding his teeth, "we'll sell them each, then. We're gonna' sell them separate now," he repeated, so he wouldn't be accused of selling roosters under false pretences, "you're not buying the pair!" The man admonished again, hoping that some idiot wouldn't think otherwise and then cause a ruckus after the bidding because he'd been too busy gabbing with his neighbor to hear what was being said.

The auction began again. "Who'll gimme' two dollars each? Who'll gimme' two dollars for one'a them birds? Two dollars? One dollar? The auctioneer said the "one", like he couldn't believe it, as someone in the crowd yelled it out. Of course, he did. He knew his crowd--bunch of cheapskates that they were. It was a game they played...start high, go low...wait until the lowest possible bid and..."Well," the auctioneer said wryly, with mild sarcasim, "I never would'a thought of that sir, thank you."

This was where his real work began. "One dollar!" the man with at the podium cried out. "Now, who'll gimme' one and a half? one-and-a-half, one-and-a-half, who'll gimme' one-and-a-half?" Suddenly George hollered "Yesss!" at the top of his lungs, his arm pointing like a bird dog's snout towards a fluttering white card to the far upper right of the crowd. "One-and-a-half, thank you." The auctioneer continued, "Now who'll make it two? two-two-two, two-two-two, who'll gimme' two-two-two? Who'll gimme' two dollars for one of them there roosters?" "Yes!" George hollered again as another card--this time on the left side, waved.

The auctioneer barely paused for breath. "Two and a half, now three, now three-three-three," another call from George and the bidding soon was fast and furious. "Now three, thank you, now three-and-a-half, three-and-half. Three and a half, thank you, now four-four-four, four dollars from the doorway, now four-and-a-half, four-and-a-half, now five, five-five-five, now five-and-a half. Five-and-a-half-five-and-a-half. Five and a half where? Do I have five-and-a-half?

The man with the slicked back hair and chains quickly surveyed the crowd. He looked at George, who gave a slight negative shake of his head. The auctioneer tried one last time. "Do I have five and a half? Is anyone interested in one of these birds for five-and-a-half? Five and a half?" He uttered this last bid with an almost unmanly falsetto of false hope in his voice. "That's it? All in and all done?" With a mighty heave as if he were slinging a sledge hammer, he slammed the gavel hard upon the flat wood top in front of him. "SOLD!!! for five-and-a-half!

The man with the gavel looked over to the bidder, an old farmer in matching green work shirt and trousers, with a John Deere baseball cap on his head. "You want 'em both, sir" The auctioneer asked suggestively. The farmer nodded, and George looked up at his boss, who said--a trifle unnecessairly, "He's taking them both George." They both looked at the old farmer, and the auctioneer asked, "What's your number, sir?" The man in the John Deere cap once again held up his little white card with some numbers boldly written in black marker on one side. The man at the podium nodded and said, "Eighty-three, for five-and-a-half" to his female assistant--in this case, his wife, whom silently wrote down the bidders number and that he was taking two roosters and what the winning bid was, and handed it to a runner--in this case her daughter, to take to the auction's cashier desk to be filed away under his bidding number.

Shaking his head, George walked past the podium, taking the two cages into the back room where animals and merchandise that had already been bid on, was kept. As he walked by, the auctioneer heard George muttering to himself. Putting his hand over the mike, the gold-bedecked cowboy asked, "What's that you say, George?" George leaned over and muttered something at the auctioneer. "What's that? You think them birds are pretty?" George shook his head and mumbled something else. "Ohhh--" George's boss said, "you think they're pretty ugly. Well, I don't know about them there roosters, George," the man chuckled, "but I think that there farmer just laid himself an egg."

POLISH CHICKEN

PHYLLIS DILLER

.

I just found out that "Mr. Green Jeans" (Captain Kangaroo) was a jazz musician--a drummer, who at one time played in Fred Waring and the Pennslyvanians, and with band leader Bob Crosby in a marine band during WWII.

Huh--and I thought he was just an actor on television. Goes to show you never know...

"Last one to the all-you-can-eat buffet is a skinny Scottish bloke!"

____________________________________

I was doing some Who surfing and came across this photo, which gave me a chuckle...THEN, in looking up some Dr Who quotes, I found the caption below...so I went back and copy/pasted the photo...well, you'll either laugh too, or maybe not...maybe I'm the only one who finds this pairing rather funny...

___________________________________

"You seem to know all the queer people."

____________________________________

(Quote from "The Dalek's Masterplan," 1965-66...which incidentally, co-starred an actor named "Peter Purves" as a companion))

I was recently told both (by two separate people) that I'm:

1. "Too nice/polite."

2. That I'm "very polite for an American."

Ah well, blame it on mum--she was very big on manners. Thanks to her, everyone thinks I'm British.

What's going on with BCUK lately? My widgets keep appearing and disappearing. Anyone else having this issue, or am I just lucky (not)?

An 8 year old boy New England boy died recently, at a gun festival.

At this gun "fun day," people were invited to fire automatic weapons--weapons meant solely for military defense by well-trained ADULT soldiers--at pumpkins, junk cars and other objects. This included ANYONE, regardless of whether they'd ever held a gun in their hands before.

Okay, this is what happens when stupid people totally ABUSE the privlieges put in place by the founding fathers. It is an absolute concrete FACT, that the "right to bear arms" was intened SOLELY for the militia--such as today's National Guard.

It was NEVER meant for people to use guns as TOYS. It certainly never was meant to be used as a political statement, a security blanket for the socially and culturally insecure, a substitute brain for the intellectually challenged, or, in some cases, as an extra penis.

So, anyway, this "fun day:" An 8 year old boy was allowed to fire--solo--a Uzzi intended for Isrealli soldiers. Again, trained adults. Supposedly, the kid had a "trained" adult with him...seems to me, if this was a "trained" adult, who truly respected guns, he NEVER would have allowed a child to touch ANY automatic weapons. So, I doubt very much that statement was very true.

So, the 8 year old lost control of the weapon and shot himself in the head, later dying.

Who is responsible?

The dad
The so-called "professionl"
Everyone at that "fun day" who considered weapons toys
and, the NRA and all other Americans who blocked legislation a few years back, to ban ANYONE from allowing children under 10 years of age to handle handguns and automatic weapons (rifles for hunting were considered okay under the proposed legislation, as long as adult supervision was present at all times)

All you ignorant spoiled, greedy, selfish American SLOBS who stopped this legislation, you have an 8 year child's blood on your hands. Your petty selfish gun greed and sheer stupidity and abuse of a "freedom" killed this boy, every bit as much as the bullet did.

There can be no pride without honor. There can be no honor without respect.
That includes respect for life, and for the weapons you hold so dear.

Caring is for heros
not caring is for zeros.

Congradulations on yet another award win--David Tennant dramatic artist of the year and Dr Who best show of the year at the National Television Awards. Well done, yet again!

Now, I'm not so naive to think Mr. Tennant shall ever read this...and I reckon trutfully that he wouldn't give a rat's bottom how I feel--geez, get real, I'm not anybody...so, anyway, since I very literally just spent my last dollar, I can't afford any overseas postage just now to write him a fan letter, ha-ha, so I will just have to blog this to no one in particular.

This is probably going to come off really sappy and pathetic, so it's just as well the actor will never read it, by the way. I'm not even sure why I'm blogging this, except that I just want to say it and get it out, 'cos I've no one here would want to hear it--I told Bonnie Prince Charlie, but he just yawned and rolled his big ol' rotund ginger and white body over--think of a cross between a sea lion and a beached whale with fur-- and then proceeded to wash himself in a spot that probably would make some men rather envious (or is that too much information?). Cats are very self-centred creatures sometimes, aren't they?

Sorry to digress. Back to the main subject: David Tenannt Leaving Dr Who

I've been a dedicated Whovian for exactly 25 years. I was shattered when they took it off the air, and elated would be a beggarly word, to describe how I felt when I learned, in winter of 2006, that it had been brought back--and was coming to America.

The timing of Dr Who coming back into my life, simply couldn't have been better, if it had been planned that way. Having only just lost my mum, having spent a very hard winter in abject poverty--living on benefits alone, and spending every day for over 2 months , hunting for a job--even the day we buried my mum, I was at the state job service office, hopefully browsing their listings for jobs...but it was so hard.

My first Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, totally alone and without funds...no proper heat or hot water in my home...about the time mum died, first the propane gas furnace and then the hot water boiler, died completely. Then I got the foreclosure notice for my caravan...not a good winter at all, that.

Eventually I got a job--and was tickled that Dr Who would be shown on Sci-fi, during my break time at work--our employee lounge at the race track/casino had a 40 inch television set. Oh the joy!!!

Anyway, I found out Eccleston was leaving, and saw photos of this new guy--whom, unlike Eccleston, I'd never heard of before---and I decided to wait and see...long wait. I didn't get my first glimpse of David Tennant until mid-July of 2006. But...wow. Okay, I was VERY impressed. He grabbed me right from the get-go.

I saw in Mr. Tennant, an actor who was so incredibly versatile...funny and sinister and sad and all-powerful---sometimes almost all at once. Amazing!

There is nothing I like more to see in any actor/actress, than range...the ability to lay the soul bare for all to see, to laugh, to cry, to dance upon the wings of human emotion--and wow, tennant had that, and more.

Over the last couple of years, Doctor Who has taken me places I never could go on my own. It's taken me out of my grief, my hardships, and those continual upsets and bad news--and, the ever-looming spectre of my worst nightmare: homelessnes.

Well, most of you regulars know about that, just from following my blog for the last two years--Doctor Who literally SAVED me. That's a long and, like the rest of this, not a terribly interesting story, but it's true, I swear it...in an off-hand way, Dr Who very literally kept me from killing myself.

I had lovely, lovely friends (you know who you are) who sent me copies of the series--which I otherwise would never have seen, as I don't have television and no way could I ever afford the DVD's, not in a zillion years, not on my income--anyhow, I don't want people to think I'm feeling sorry for myself, or trying to elicit sympathy, 'cos I'm not. I'm just trying to give some exposition here, some background as to why I am so sad about Tennant's departure. It's NOT because I'm a fan-girl (and the first person who calls me one, gets a virtual pie thrown in his or her face)

David Tennant's Doctor took me on a magic carpet ride--it was almost like 25 years ago, when I first began watching Tom Baker's Doctor--having never heard of, nor seen Dr Who, nor being an anorak--the ride to fandom back then was truly delicious!

And, Tennant brought back that feeling. When I literally had nothing else in the world to smile about, hearing that Dr Who theme, and knowing that this skinny Scottish bloke in a fab long brown coat, wonky suit and trainers was going to come dashing out the Tardis doors to whisk me away from my troubles, was a gift, truly it was.

And now, knowing that as of January, the ride will be over forever...saddens me more than you could possibly know. Another loss--and yes, it IS a loss for me...it tires me knowing I'm losing yet another thing (well, I'm not calling Tennant a 'thing,' I'm referring to the 10th Doctor here) that I care about from my life.

Yes, I know there'll be another Doctor--this one under the brilliant pen and producing of Steven Moffatt. And yes, I DO understand completely, Tennant's reasons for leaving--he's an intelligent man, and he is probably quite right in his logic. Still, it doesn't make the loss any less.

Tennant will move on, and I hope every role he encounters will give him the satisfaction and reward that he craves from his craft. Still...I will be here, in Glens Falls, just me and the cats and a dead-end telemarketing job...and no more tenth Doctor to look forward to...and yeah, I know it's probably pretty pathetic of me, but it does make me feel very empty, alone and sad--I feel the loss tonight, sorry.

Ignore the previous post. Apparently the newspaper got it wrong (and it wasn't even a redtop)...Tennant's outta' there in 2010.

Anyone else got more bad news for me this week--send it to someone else, ey? I've filled my quota of bad news for this week. (God, at least I hope so!)

In a big drug bust yesterday in the city of Hudson Falls, New York--a known drug pipeline siphoning drugs from Montreal and New York City, to Vermont and other parts of New England--a known dealer was arrested following a lengthy police investigation---the dealer's name: Jaques Moron. Very appropo, dont'cha think?

I've been supporting this charity since I was a wee child. I remember when the Hudson River was so polluted, that turds were floating on it, and dead fish were everywhere. Now, the river is cleaner than it has been in decades: thanks largely to a group of dedicated people, sailing up and down the (navagatable portion for a masted vessel)) of the Hudson River, promoting enviornmental causes such as: clean waterways, clean drinking water and wildlife preservation.

The sloop clearwater began as the brainchild of a small group of what were then termed as "hippies," and has since grown to be a mass movement supported by millions of New Yorkers and even the national community. It's a prime example of just how much power a grass roots effort can generate. From a single idea, a clean river was born.

Internationally famous 1960's folk singer and Hudson Valley native Pete Seeger (the Weavers), was a shining light of the movement, docking the sloop up and down the river, giving concerts with his friends, and raising money for cleaning up the river. My first experience was when I was around 10 years old. The first donation I ever made from my own money, was into the donation barrel on the dock next to the sloop, at a Clearwater concert at the Rennsalear Yacht Club. Somewhere in the family photos, there's a photo of me at age 17, standing in front of Clearwater, docked on the Hudson in Albany, NY.

Today, the sloop continues to promote a clean river, offering charity cruises up and down the river at various locations, from New York Harbour to the Port of Albany. Most recently, they are doing a "Pirate" cruise for the Halloween holiday.

http://www.clearwater.org

The news has hit the papers, sthat David Tennant will be continue playing the Doctor until at least 2011! Hoo-ray! That's the very best news I've had all week! Thank you David Tennant!

ADDENDUM:

Sorry, it appears the newspaper that published the article that he was going to sign for another term as the Doctor, was a bit premature (like that's never happened), and Tennant publicly announced tonight that he is definitely leaving, that he will film his last stint as Doctor Who in January.

Doesn't mean I'm gonna' stop my DT captions blog though, sorry.

I was recently asked about my celebrity crush..told the person I didn't have one. "Not even David Tennant?" She gasped (or probably would have, if we were talking in person, and not online),

"But, you must have a celebrity you love?"

Erm...well....I like Lassie. (Who has been always played by a boy dog, btw)

I mean, he's cute, obedient, loyal, loving and...he's got nicer body hair than David Tennant...and more neatly combed, too...and, I could shake hands with him, without being crushed by ten million screaming fan-girls...and I'll bet he doesn't fart half as much as Tennant supposedly does.

Just spent a half hour typing something in my blog--and the stinking computer abruptly kicked me out...and did bcuk actually save my work? NO. They never do. It always (MAYBE) save the first sentence...and deletes everything else.

Oh well, if I've a mind to, I'll finish it tonight.

so...all the weather men in the area, running around like Chicken Little's with acorns dropping on their heads, yelling that the sky is falling...or rather, that we're to get this really bad rain/snow/wind storm all day today...HA!

Not only haven't we got that 50 mph wind...no rain...or snow, either! It's just brightly overcast and cold... 33 F. Oh, big deal then...still, I get to wear jeans to work, 'cos they can hardly recind the casual dress day for the bad weather, just cos the weather man got it wrong again.

Of course, we may actually get the storm later in the day or evening...but, though it's overcast...it's not dark, and looks more like it's clearing a bit.

Like I always say folks, better off just sticking your head out the bloomin' windows! I guess predicting northeastern New York weather, is a bit like piloting the Tardis...bit iffy where you're gonna' land.

In New York city alone, the average life expectancy of a carriage horse is four years...after that, the horse usually goes to slaughter.

The average working life expectancy of a New York City police horse...fifteen years.

Every year, carriage horses around the world--New York City, Lake George New York, Philadelphia, Mexico City, Luxor, the Bahamas, and other parts of thw world are maimed and/or killed outright, for no other reason than sheer neglect and abuse.

Some cities have understood the horrors these animals are forced to live through, and have stopped the abuse by banning carriage horses: London, Paris and Toronto.

I won't list the horror stories here...to find out more, or to support the humane treatment of these horses, go here:
http://www.equineadvocates.com/carriage.html

Another Central Park carriage horse dies...

NOTE: I should add that most PRIVATE carriage services--such as those used for wedding hire and other special events, are generally not at all like the tourist carriage operations. Private hire horses are often from a two to six horse farm, and these horses are often treated like members of the family--I am acquainted with two such private hire people, and know they both treat their horses well, giving them not only good care, but careful training for unexpected road conditions.

WHO MEME?

1. The first character I first fell in love with: Oooh, has to be Tom Baker. What a fun, interesting, mysterious and adventureous character! (bit like what drew me to Tennant's character, actually)

2. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now:

Ace. I thought a tough, almost punk-ish companion wasn't right for Who, but Sophie made it work, and I really loved the unusual interaction with Ace and the Doctor.

3. The character everyone else loves that I don’t:

Rose Tyler. I didn't like the character. I mean, Billie made it work, and I grew a lot more fond of Rose over time--Billie did a brilliant job with the role...it's not Billie, or even "Rose," it's me...I just can't relate that well to the character...and truth to tell, I'm really, really, really not into soap opera type stories, which also had something to do with it...Rose's relationship with the Doctor was borderline soap opera-ish. Though I suppose from an acting point of view, and maybe even from a writing point of view, soap opera-ish stories can be more interesting to do. It's just not...me.

4. The character I love that everyone else hates:

A lot of people--especially younger people, and people perhaps too familiar with her comic characters, seemed to outright hate Catherine Tate. Yet, I truly loved her. She's my favourite companion of all time--and now, one of my favourite actresses, as well. I think she's enormously talented, intelligent and very witty, besides. Any human with that lovely a sense of humour is a big hit with me, anyway. Oh, and she's much prettier than Billie and Freema (sorry girls--not that you are in any way unattractive, you're pretty, too!)

5. The character I used to love but don’t any longer:

Victoria. I liked her a lot at first...but then the screaming got bit much...kept wishing the Doctor would stop being so damn polite and just reach over and give her a bit of a happy-slap to settle her down.

6. The character I would shag anytime:

Shagging a Doctor isn't my thing, sorry fan-girls.

7. The character I’d want to be like

Donna...loved her...she was nearly my age (no idea how old Ms. Tate is, but reckon her to be definitely quite a few years under my own 48)

8. The Companion I love most from the old series:

Oh, Sarah Jane. What a peach! She was a companion ahead of her time.

9. Favourite gadget/prop:

Tie between the good ol' sonic key/screwdriver, and K-9

10. Favourite non-Doctor Time Lord:

Gosh, guess it's a tie between the Master and Romana.

11. Favourite three villains from the old series:

Davros, the Master and the Zygons

12. From the new series:

the new Daleks--a lot of people didn't like the flying bit...but gosh, didn't I find that creepy, oh yes. Let's see...the Satan-monster...great! And Mr Finch...would love to see him come back...very evil dude.

If you could be any person in the world, who would you be, and why?

I'd like to be a comic actress or a radio presenter. Totally unrealistic of course, but, there ya' go. I really like working with my voice, and I love it when I can make people smile or laugh--doesn't happen nearly often enough to suit me.

Describe a place you remember from your childhood.

The teahouse in the old formal Victorian gardens that were right behind our back yard. It was just a screen building housing some cupboards and a BBQ pit, that had been built sometime in the 1930's or 40's. It was made of brown wood, and had a green semi-transparent wave roofing--I was told once by the estate's gardener, that it was a form of bakelite and actually quite rare (by the late 1970's), but not knowing about such things I cannot say. The floor was paved inside with yellow bricks--no, I didn't live in Kansas. I remember the smell--piney and deeply musty...sort of like a cellar smell. We kids from our street used to hang out there, and tell ghost stories about it...that there was a ghost in one of the cupboards. It was sort of spooky, I suppose...which might sound odd, considering it was just a glorified screened patio with a roof. In my late teens, I would go there alone, on rainy days, and just sit and admire the sights and sounds and smells of a garden and pines in the rain. Later, two local boys vandalized the place but good, and it was torn down--I resuced some of those yellow bricks though, and they later became my own little outdoor fireplace, which was well-used and treasured until my last autumn in my family home, in 1983.

What would have happened if you didn't leave the house this morning?

I would have likely been written up as a "no-call, no-show," and possibly even fired from my job.

If you could visit anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would you go?

Hmm--either to europe to visit my friend, or if not that, pehaps to stratford to see Hamlet, or maybe barring that, at least to Cardiff to see the Dr Who exhibit, if it's still there...barring that, I'd like to go horseback riding somewhere...or maybe to a really good museum.

What hobbies do you, and have you had? Why do you like them?

First hobby was stamps, when I was about 11...didn't last long, boring.

I had a model train set in my early teens, forget exactly how old I was...was into it for a couple of years, then moved on for some reason....got back into it briefly in the mid-90's, even going so far to start building a detailed layout...realistic riding stable, pastures, stream, road, hills, trees, etc...but then life changed and I had to let it go..very reluctantly, I may add. Still long for the money, materials and room for a model rail layout...not gonna' happen, but...one of the few daydreams I still have. It's a brilliant hobby, I might add.

If reading is a hobby, I've been a voracious reader since I was about 13 and mum enrolled me in a kid's book club that mailed a horse book to me every month. Got the reading bug and never lost it.

At 14 I found an antique bottle in the nearby woods--mum got a book on antique bottles out of the library for me...my bottle was in there (and worth 4 whole dollars, besides) and I got the antique bottle collecting bug for about 15 years--for a while quite the expert, evenually acting as a docent and tour guide for the National Bottle Museum.

From 19 to about 25, I was an amateur local historian, doing reams of extensive research--both on site and in local and state libraries and through interviews... and am sort of an expert (tho not as much as I used to be, with the passage of time) on a nationally historic local cemetery.

Am a semi-expert on antique saddles--particularly American one's. And also know a bit about other equestrian collectables and antiques. Over the years I've own a half-dozen antique and collectable saddles, and many other types of collectables. Today, I only own a 1950's signed western bit, a late 1700's Spanish-Colonial horse bit, a posh early 20th century fox hunting riding crop, an orignial (contemporary to the 1900's) post card showing the world's most priceless western saddle (studded with diamonds, silver, gold and rubies and all hand carved), and a 1900's western brass-studded pony bridle with the orginal curb bit.

I have been know to dabble in silk floral arrangements, and have won prizes at the Saratoga County Fair for them, including two special awards for "most original" and "Lady of the Fair" (a floral decorated ladies hat competition). I took a floral design course in my early 30's. I'd do floral design for a living, but the pay is crap (worse than McDonalds) and it's really hard to find jobs--precisely the same reason I opted not to get into radio work.

I presently collect model horses...mainly miniatures (about 2 to 3 inches high), but have a few in larger sizes.

Ideally, I'd love to collect Dr Who stuff, but that's just not possible.

What is the greatest lesson you've learned so far in this life?

Well, sounds a bit bitter, but I have learned that realistically, you really cannot depend on anything or anyone at all--the floor can drop out from under you at any given point and time--and that's just the way life is.

How would you spend a found $20 bill?

I wouldn't. It's not mine I don't keep things that aren't mine. My sister doesn't agree with that. I once found a 20 in the car park at a local grocery store, and turned it in to the store's office without even thinking about it--my sister railed at me for days that I was bonkers, that the store clerk would just pocket it sooner or late. Very probably she was right, still...I would never rest easy knowing that it might belong to some little old lady, or some poor mum, and that it might be his or her last twenty--of course, sis said that it probably belonged to some rich yuppie who wouldn't even miss it--again, probably right, still...not mine, and that's that. I am not a saint, I'm not this morally self-righteious (at least I don't think so) person, it's just how I feel about it.

How old would you be if you didn't know your real age?

Ey? I'm as old as however many years it's been since I was born, yeah?

Or do you mean, how old would I think I was? Erm--right now? That'd be about ten years older, 58.

"I warn you, let me outta' here! Time Lords have the most powerful farts in the galaxy, let me out or I'll start eating this plate of Heinz beans you just gave me!"

I have never...

1. Been kissed

2. Eaten sushi

3. Ridden on a motorcycle

4. Read War and Peace

5. Met David Tennant

I have...

1. Sailed on a Skutje (Friesian sailboat)

2. Touched a Tardis console

3. Ridden a white Arabian mare in the moonlight, in the dunes above the Spynx

4. Played the female equivilent of Jerry Springer in a college skit once

5. Wrote my village's official motto when I was 13 years old (still in use today)

COME UP WITH FOUR REALITY SHOW IDEAS, RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, NO MATTER HOW SILLY THEY MAY SEEM:

Celebrity ten-pin strip bowling (or, "Bum Cracks of the Stars")

Trading Hovels: A poor person in one country, trades homes with a poor person in another country, to see how the other half (barely) lives.

Dinner Lady for a day: Celebrity chefs trade places with dinner ladies and McDonald's workers for a day, as punishment for being so arrogant about us "regular" folks and our cooking/eating habits.

Bloggers! A show that goes inside the lives of your average bloggers--shown late at night as therapy for insomniacs.

Hi all,

Got home from work about half-past two, had a lunch of some tinned ravioli and a diet Pepsi, now...here I am.

Tomorrow is a special casual dress day at work (jeans allowed), due to the impending winter storm we're to get.

Yup, like parts of the northern UK, we northern New Yorkers will be up to our necks (okay, more like ankles and knees) in it, tomorrow.

Yeah, it's been pouring rain all afternoon, on the heels of a coastal storm working its way upstate into parts of New York, New England and Quebec. Here in my area, it's probably not going to amount to anything much--1 to 4 inches of snow...pffft, they call THAT a storm? Heck, that won't even slow down traffic all that much.

However, just a short way to our north and west, they're expecting up to 14 inches of the white stuff...THAT's a snowstorm...not a blizzard, but something like that will probably close schools and delay traffic somewhat...especially for any procrastinators who've not got their snow tires on yet, or don't have a good pair of all-season radials on their car/truck.

I can just picture all those eager butch guys, out in their garages and sheds, gleefully tuning up and putting petrol in their snow blowers...the landscapers who also do snow plowing, rubbing their hands together in anticipation of the early increase in their cash flow, the two local ski areas (West Mountain that's outside this city, and Gore Mtn. up in North Creek, in the northern end of the county) smiling with delight at the prospect of an early ski season.

The shops are probably already selling show shovels, ice melt pellets, snow brushes (for brushing off cars), mittens, snow boots and hats.

Well, guess my leaky winter boots can stand one more trip, I suppose. I just hope there won't be too much slush. Wet feet at the office. Yuk.

The lights were flickering at the office a few times, but didn't go out or interfere with the phones or computers.

We're under a flood watch, high wind warning and winter storm watch until tomorrow night. Supposed to get heavy rain alternating with heavy wet snow, and winds from 40 to 50 miles per hour.

Hey, it's October..not the first time we've had weather like this. I can remember one year when I was wee, going trick-or-treating in our neighbourhood, in snow flurries. Not much fun, trick or treating in your fancy dress, with a winter coat on, tho'.

I just want to take a moment to say once again, thank you to everyone who sent me birthday wishes. It was a rubbish birthday, that's true...but it was made so much better by knowing that so many cared enough to send me a message. THANK YOU.

So, sitting here with my sneezes and sniffles, I say, have a great night all, may you all have a restful sleep.

Well, woke to a dreary October morning...it's 45 F (7 C) according to the online report...but my balcony themometer reads 38 F...don't know which is right. It's pouring down rain, as well. No snow though, so that's okay I guess.

Rough night. The right side of face became so congested that I woke with it several times--basically every few hours, it was swollen to twice its normal size and the pressure was a bit strange-feeling. I took some Advil around 4am, and that helped a bit.

But gah--I don't drink, but feel hungover as hell this morning. Gonna' be a rough shift for me today. I predict a post-work nap in the offing, most probably.

Well, the cats seem to be caught up in the weather...usually they are wide awake in the morning...but all are sleeping. Flame is in a box on the closet shelf, and when I peeked in at her, she just stuck her head up, blinked at me, yawned, and the head went back down into the box again. That kind of day, I suppose.

Hope you all are having a good Tuesday. cheers.

Gah--my hillbilly neighbours won't SHUT UP! They have been shouting at each other (not arguing, just talking normally--they ALL shout!) And, he's letting that stupid dog bark, too...it's past midnight, and I've given up going to bed early...who the hell can sleep with that...they're even hammering! Cripes!

I suck...I've really come down in the world...living in a damned dump with a bunch of ____...and now have to pay 25 dollars more for the privledge--all because of all the problems these hillbillys and their cousins who moved into the building have caused management...

So, got those two increase notices in the post this morning. Then spent the afternoon with chest pains (lungs not heart)...tonight, I was stuck calling stinking American hunting/gun slobs.

I can basically talk on the phone at the moment, for about 3 1/2 hours...but that last half hour's a real killer. So, I'm in the middle of a call with some hunter slob, and begin coughing...and choking a bit, I might add. Breathing suddenly became a slight problem...still, I did my best to slog on with the call--but the thing is, this arse seem to be amused by my distress. He kept laughing, even after I, in my most lady-like way, apologized and told him I was recovering from pneumonia. He found that quite a hoot, apparently. Bastard.

God, these American gun freaks are rubbish people. They think they're brave 'cos they can pull a trigger, they think they're tough cause they can kill something. They think they're patriotic, 'cos they own a gun, support the troops and wear red-white-and-blue underpants.

Horse pucky.

American hunters are rubbish people. It takes honour to have pride, a sense of basic courtesey to have respect, and this guy comes up just plain empty...as do the "man" who deliberately screamed "HELLO!" in my ear, and the jackarse who just spent the whole call whinging about how the club diddled him, but refused to take the phone number so he could ring them up to resolve his issues...lazy sod. Here's a guy who'll spend hours in rain and snow in the woods and wilderness, laying for a deer...but he's too blessed lazy to stop whinging and pick up a telephone. What would YOU call someone like that? Certainly not brave or proud or strong, that's for sure.

Basically, it was a crap night at work.

Oh, and a short way into my shift, the teenage bimbos at the end of my row, started in with the jumping up and down in their seats back and forth, and the dousing themselves with perfume, and gossiping loudly with each other--there's teenage boy now, as well. I'm trying to make sales and couldn't concentrate on my job, with all the massive distractions...who could? Well, maybe someone obtuse could, I suppose. Someone unimaginitive, maybe, who does his or her script by the numbers.

The teens in the office suck. They have no idea of work ethics...in fact, they're so..ugh, I very much doubt they even know what the word "ethics" means. Blinking hell, it's like being back in my freshman year of high school, with them around!

Anyway, I decided to move my seat...did the courtesey of telling my supervisor--mind you, didn't make a complaint about the bimbo teens, just quietly decided to move, so I could get some peace and quiet..well, as quiet as a telemarketing office out of control can be. Just so I could do my job more effectively, ya'know?

I rarely change seats on shift--only if there's a technical problem...this, to the best of my knowledge, is the first time in two years, I've changed my seat for a non-technical reason...unless maybe there was a time when I was having a mild allergic reaction to that chemical odor that was wafting through the office, and I needed to get away from it.

Did I get an "okay, fine" from the supervisor? No. I get a stern admonition that I'm not to change seats after shift starts. What am I? Five years old? I mean, hey, it's okay for the bimbos to pop up and down in their seats all night long, put on perfume, do their makeup and nails, gossip loudly about breast implants (don't ask)...but hey, I want to change my seat so I can do my f'ing job...oooh, better not do that.

God, my office is the WORST office I've EVER worked in, in 20 years! And I used to temp for three different agencies, plus worked in three other offices full time, besides...so I have a lot to compare it to. It doesn't have to be this way, if management would take some outside seminar classes, perhaps, or...just get their act together. It's so disorganized...and night shift is a free-for-all.

I'd probably like my job, if the office was run a little less haphazardly, if it had more consistancy with rules and stuff. Oh, they're actually very nice people...I like every one of my supervisors/office execs as human beings..as bosses...meh. I've had much better.

Also worse, to be fair...I mean, I worked for that Texas born-again Christian right wing republican lady (aka: "God") at the Travelodge, and that was awful.

But...what a crappy birthday. I can't wait for midnight when I can just forget about today and move on.

"Never mind the black hole--they've got leaky pipes and rising damp...they need to get a man in!"

1. A Place You've Visited and Your Favorite Thing there.

The Metropolatin Museum of Art in Manhattan. It's hard to choose just one thing, 'cos it's just so jam-packed with interesting stuff! I of course love the Egyptian and Roman exibits, But I also like the Tiffany glass and the medevil armor as well...and the paintings and sculptures...gosh..everything's my favourite...except maybe the wait to get your coat, ha-ha.

2. Country You'd Like to Visit and Why

The UK, definitely. So many of my friends are there, so much history (a history buff's dream), there's London and the Lakes District, Scotland and Wales and the Yorkshire Dales...ah well. It's sort of a lost dream, but it's probably my last one that I have left.

3. A Place From History You'd Like to Visit and Why

Pompeii or maybe the Acropolis in Athens. I've seen Egyptian ruins, now I'd like to see either some Greek or Roman ruins with my own eyes.

4. A Place You Know a Lot about

Nationally historic Albany Rural Cemetery, in Menands/Colonie New York

5. A Place You'd Like to Learn More About

Scotland. I've several acquaintences in Scotland, yet the more I speak with them, the more I realize how little I know about the place where they live.

6. A Fictional Place in a Book You'd Like to Visit

The lost city in King Solomon's Mines...bet that'd be really cool.

7. A Fictional Place in Television You'd Like to Visit

Well, gosh, I dunno', could it be...the TARDIS?

8. A Fictional Place from Film You'd Like to Visit

The New York City of the Doris Day films, that'd be cool. Those films made New York look downright groovy.

9. A Favorite Place You Visited With Your Parents and Why

Frontier Town theme park in the northern Adirondacks, back in the late 60's and early 70's. Cos I was into cowboy shows, like some British kids were into Dr Who or the Wombles or whatever. It was the equivilent of some kid who loves Dr Who, getting to go to a Dr Who theme park, I suppose. Fronteir Town had a 7th Calvary regiment, real Indians and cowboys, a steam train that got held up by outlaws on horseback...one of whom later got "hung" at the livery barn by the town marshall (no political correctness in those days), a rodeo and horseback riding.

10. Your First Long Trip Away from Home Alone

That would be Wyoming in June of 1980. I'd lived about 3 hours from home (in a college dorm), that autumn/winter, but my 3 day bus trip to the wilds of Yellowstone Park was my first true long trip away from home alone. I was 19.

here's a fun meme;

To find the name of your new band, go here; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random

then...choose the title of the first article at the top of the page

Then, to choose the name of your first hit single, take the name of the street you live on, and google it. Choose the first sentence of the article (or a short approximation thereof) as your song title.

Choose the title of your first album here:
http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
by choose the last quote on the bottom of the page

Lastly, to find your album cover, go to google images, put it "interesting picture" and choose the forth picture (that fits this blog format) as your album cover.

Here's what I got:

BAND NAME: The Battle of Stanwick

First single: Thai Restaurant to Re-open on G__ Street

Album title: People will accept your ideas more readily if you tell them

ALBUM COVER:

Like the communists, the republicans have lowered themselves to the lowest common denominator to get themselves elected--pushing hate and fear and lies onto a gulible (and notoriously STUPID) American public.

Here's the latest robocall (automated telephone solicitation) from McCain-Palin:

Hello. I'm calling for John McCain and the RNC because you need to know that Barack Obama has worked closely with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, whose organization bombed the U.S. capitol, the Pentagon, a judge's home and killed Americans. And Democrats will enact an extreme leftist agenda if they take control of Washington. Barack Obama and his Democratic allies lack the judgment to lead our country. This call was paid for by McCain-Palin 2008 and the Republican National Committee at 202-863-8500.

So, if McCain-Palin wins, us left-wingers can expect to be shunted into trucks and sent to Gitmo style concentration camps, because we're TRAITORS for THINKING and asking QUESTIONS about Iraq, Iran, China, Russia, Republican over spending, Republican lies, Republican laws, Republican removal of rules for big business..etc.

Basically, if you question the republicans or go against their narrow biggoted and hate-spewing views at all: you're a traitor.

Well, Thomas Jefferson was a terrorist. He wrote:

"Political dissent is the highest form of patriotism." Guess I'm in good company, ey?

Just heard the postman clank the metal lid of my mailbox downstairs. Went down to retrieve my post...wish I hadn't.

This is what I got for my birthday, people:

A notice from Time-stinking-Warner cable, saying that the cost of my internet service was going up to $50 dollars a month.

A notice from my landlords, saying my rent was going up to $625 a month, starting in December.

Happy f'ing birthday to me, ey?

Crap.

British stage actor Patterson Joseph has apparently hinted that he's to be the next Doctor. But then, so have several other actors...and then, there's all the fan rumours...and there's poor David Tennant, as brilliant a Doctor as there ever was, continually haunted by the sudden departure of Christopher Eccleston...fans were so shocked by that, that they lost their faith in the actors that play the part...or maybe they just don't have enough of a life to find something better to do with their time, than wonder when poor DT, a Doctor they love, and an actor who seems to equally love his part, is leaving. Weird, man, really...very strange, isn't it?

Okay, so a "doner kebab" is basically what we Yanks call a "gyro!"

Our "gyros" are mostly found in Greek run establishments, but some non-Greek takeaways also sell them.

They were quite the fad in the 80's and 90's...but have died out a bit, nowadays.
Used to be, they were even sold as a ready meal from the frozen food aisle of some grocery stores.

The gyro here, is the mystery meat on the cone, that's shaved off and stuffed in a round pita bread, and served with (normally) a light cucumber sauce, and fresh or sauteed onions and green bell peppers--and, sometimes fresh tomato is added as well.

AN AMERICAN (GREEK) "GYRO":

A BRITISH KEBAB:

The American "kebab" or, "Shish Kebab" which is extremely popular during the summer grilling season...grilled cubes of marinated beef or chicken, with onions, bell peppers, tomato chunks, zucchini or yellow squash, mushroom caps, etc. added

I did a food meme yesterday, and mentioned that we yanks don't have kebab shops--at least not in northern New York state, but that we did have something called a "spiedie," usually made with chicken...but sometimes cubed pork, or more rarely, beef.

Like Buffalo wings, potato chips (crips), apple pie ala mode (pie with ice cream), spiedies are native to New York state, coming from the southwestern part of the state, Binghampton.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiedies

Spiedie booths are most often found at county fairs and festivals around here. Sometimes they are called kebabs instead, and are normally sold plain (no veggies) either with or without the roll.

Many people make spiedies at home, or may use the sauce as a marinade when baking or grilling boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

It can be ordered online. Or, I can get a bottle of sauce for anyone willing to pay the postage, if you want to try it.

Here's a spiedie:

And it's most often made with spiedie sauce (which is sold where I live, mostly in the summer months):

I thought we'd just had an earth trembler, but I guess it was just our building settling again...or the plumbing going wonky again, or someone shifting some heavy furniture in one of the other apartments. Blimey! Every time someone even slams a door too hard in this building, you can feel the walls and floors move.

I looked up earthquake data...nope. the closest one was a tremor in Tennessee yesterday. They did have some minor quakes in the US--mostly in downtown Las Vegas, parts of northern California, and Alaska. Some bigger quakes tho, I noticed, in Fiji, Indonesia and Afghanastan this weekend, but all under 6, so hopefully, they weren't too bad, and with luck no one got hurt.

So, we've seen in series 4, the Doctor's daughter and his future girlfriend, and, supposedly at Christmas, we'll get a glimpse of the Doctor's future self...but wait, there's more!

In 2009, we'll get the biggest reveal of them all: the Doctor's future mother-in-law!

Whoops! Just got tagged again...this time by someone named janisthorn.

Well, I've nothing better to do--well, okay, I have to finish sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor...you know, meme's are great procrastinating tools, bless.

_______________________________________

And here we go:

WHO WERE YOU NAMED AFTER?

My first name came from the title of a Frank Sinatra song that my dad liked, my middle name came from a character in Little Women, which was mum's favourite book of all time. My surname is Americanized (aka: bastardized) from the Polish name "Golaz"

.2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

Yesterday...I was just sick and tired and depressed/worried about missing so much work/pay, no big deal.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?

I have DCD (dyspraxia) and two crooked fingers--I pretty much write like a first grader and in fact, can't do cursive writing at all.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?

I don't have a favourite, but I eat a lot of sliced ham (gammon) and turkey breast.

5. DO YOU HAVE, OR HAVE YOU EVER HAD, PETS? HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD PETS?

Yup. Three cats. Had pets all my life: cats, dogs, mini-lop eared rabbit, mouse, pigeon, guinea pigs, turtles, lizards, and a goldfish. Worked in two kennels and three riding stables, as well, in the last 30 or so years.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?

Probably not, I'm too cranky.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?

Not really. I absolutly detest sarcasim--I think it's childish and petty. but heck, I'm human, and yes, sometimes I'm mildly sarcastic, in a humourous vein...but, it's not something I make a habit of.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Not since 1967.

9. WOULD YOU JUMP OUT OF AN AIRPLANE?
For a million dollars, and free medical care for life--and free burial in the cemetery of my choice, if I die? Probably, yes.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CEREAL?
Honey-nut cheerios or any generic store brand variation thereof.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
No, after a lifetime of terribly sore feet, I kick those puppies off as soon and as fast as I can, baby.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?

I worked heavy labour for years--as late as 2006, so I used to be. Since my accident in 2007, no. I used to lift 50 pounds without problems...now I have trouble lifting 15 or 20.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM?
Starbucks coffee ice cream--it's to die for.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

Their smile--or their frown, probably. After a lifetime of verbal abuse, I naturally tend to look at people from the inside out.

15. RED OR PINK?

Neither...definitely not pink, though. Bleh.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOU?
Pretty much a tie between my looks and personality, ha-ha.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Mum. I miss her so very much.

18. WHAT COLOUR TOP AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Navy tee and bare feet

19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Baked beans with some Jack Daniels (flavour) BBQ sauce mixed in them, and two boiled hot dogs with spicy brown mustard, and some diet peach flavoured iced tea.

20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The Proclaimers, "I'm on my way"

21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU BE?
Toss up between Midnight Blue and Fuzzy-Wuzzy Brown.

22. FAVOURITE SMELLS
A tack room or saddle shop, horse sweat, hay, horse manure (I kid you not), pines after the rain, backstage at a theater (that dusty smell), the crisp-clean air at night--in the bitter cold winter after a snowfall, baking bread, old spice aftershave (reminds me of my dad), Polo aftershave--love the smell, wild oregano/marjoram, fallen leaves, lakes or rivers (a sort of musty-wet smell), lavendar, roses, lilacs, fallen apples, the summer pavement after a rain, fresh mown grass/hay, cinnamon, a roast in the oven, pine shavings, pumpkin pie baking.

23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
The cab dispatcher on Friday night.

24. FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Don't really watch sports any more (no tele, and can't get out to local events much)...but, I used to watch golf, polo, show jumping, local basketball, rodeo, harness racing, and more rarely, ten-pin bowling, football (soccer), snooker and ice hockey.
25. HAIR COLOUR?

Brown with a bit of grey...getting slightly salt and pepper-ish, I suppose.

26. EYE COLOUR?

Brown

27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?

My eyesight's too poor for contacts..my doctor once told me it would drive me bonkers to have them, 'cos they'd have to be really heavy. (I'm extremely near-sighted, and also marginally blind in my right eye).

28. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

Oh, happy endings. I've been scared for real, don't need a flippin' film to get that way.

29. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?

I watched part of that Neil Simon film, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, on DVD yesterday.

30. WHAT COLOUR TROUSERS, JEANS OR SKIRT ARE YOU WEARING?

Purple jeans.

31. SUMMER OR WINTER?

I'm well used to winter, but after five or six months of the white stuff and the bitter sometimes sub-zero cold, and the sleet and ice, you can get pretty sick of it. Summer's lovely, but I'm not into hot and humid AT ALL. Of course, there's more to do, come summer, so, I suppose summer.

32. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs I reckon. I like hugs, never get enough of 'em.

Never really been snogged, so I don't know if I like it or not, do I?

33. FAVOURITE DESSERT?

Ice cream mud pie--coffee ice cream pie in a crushed chocolate cookie crust, topped with hot fudge sauce, whipped cream and cherries. Ooooh, it's sooo-good!

Haven't had it for years.

34. WHAT'S OUTSIDE YOUR WINDOWS RIGHT NOW?

Sunshine through the maple leaves--my wonky tree doesn't turn colour until November for some reason, medium blue, cloudless sky, traffic on Glen Street, the spire of the Presbyterian church and some Victorian rooftops, pines and a few other trees in people's yards, Boots out on the balcony chair, my pot of yellow mums, my windchimes and the balcony, of course.

35. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
A Friesian horse

36. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Nothing, I don't have tele.

37. FAVOURITE SOUND?
The Doctor Who theme. Always makes me grin, that. Naturally speaking, I adore the sound of the wind soughing in an Eastern Hemlock or other pine tree, or maybe the sound of a brook. very soothing....and, after a long winter, nothing gladdens my heart like the cheerful song of a robin red-breast sitting in a tree...and I adore the sound of wild geese in the autumn dusk.

38. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
For nostalic reasons, the Beatles...like the Stones, but never really got into them.

39. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?

Luxor, Egypt.

40. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?

Nope, there's not a talented bone in my body.

41. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Albany, New York.

God, Palin you ARE an imbecile!

Palin and her ilk are bigger terrorists than the terrorists are!

Palin and her gang of cutthroat republicans are perfectly OK with Americans shooting each other (why else would they be against stricter gun laws), and are against national heath care, on the grounds that it would "hurt the economy." OK, so, it's bad to hurt the economy, but it's GOOD to hurt your fellow citizens, but denying them access to doctors, dentists and other vital health providers? It's GOOD that millions of children, elderly, disabled and adults, suffer horrendous pain and sickness, 'cos YOU don't want to (hypothetically) pay for it! (Selfish self-centered greedy evil bastards that you ARE.)

Well, here's what I say to you, you stinking republicans: YOU are the terrorists. Yes, you are. You may not crash planes to get across your point, but you call people names, you spew hate-EXACTLY like the NAZI's spewed hate at the Jews and gypsies...for anyone that doesn't agree with your pathetically narrow, and totally paranoid views of how the world should be.

I had to postpone the followup with the doctor about the cancer thing. Too far for me to walk to their office, have to wait until I can spare the funds for co-pays and transport and all that blather. People who aren't living on the edge in this country, just don't have a clue--that includes most health care providers. These people may work with the working class and the poor, but they STILL don't "get" what living on low income and/or week-to-week income is like. Totally obtuse...they don't have to be, mind you, they just can't be bothered to make the effort to learn. Reality isn't a TV programme, and TRUE reality isn't much fun to learn about, let's face it.

People die every day of cancer and other illnesses in America--unnecessarily, for no other reason than they can't afford the treatments, the tests, the co-pays to visit the doctor, the hospital stays...and especially, too often, the drugs, that they need to, if not get well, at least to have a better and longer quality of life. Conservatives holler about terror threats...but millions of Americans suffer and die--totally needlessly--every year, for NO OTHER REASON than their fellow greedy, petty, mean-spirited and totally selfish Americans don't want free health care---so, Americans die...at the hands of their fellow Americans. But hey, Americans hurting and killing Americans, that's okay...it's those foreigners we have to watch out for.

Finally got a reasonably good night's sleep, after a relapse yesterday afternoon, that pretty much did me in--I wound up conking out in bed for about 10 hours, more or less...and about four hours Saturday night. Didn't even eat dinner last night, or breakfast today. Sat up in bed reading around 7pm Saturday...woke at 11pm, no idea I'd even fallen asleep. Went back to bed around 1 am, didn't wake at all, until 11am this morning. My cough/lungs are somewhat better today though, so I geuss the layabout did me some good, any way. Gosh, I do feel old sometimes, though.

I want to thank you all for your very kind birthday wishes. Just another day for me these days, but knowing people think enough of me to wish me a happy birthday, is really lovely. Thank you.

It was supposed to be grey and rainy and cold all week--but today is cloudless and warmer--well, around 55 F. And, tomorrow it's supposed to be in the low 60's. And these weather guys go to college to predict the weather? Think we're better off just sticking our heads out the window, ey? No complaints from me. Sunshine's great--bring it on!

So, the title of the Christmas special is "The Next Doctor." And since I'm not big on spoilers (only sometimes, I do confess, my extreme curiosity about all things does sometimes draw me into reading spoilers...like I did just now).

I've known the title for several weeks now, having read it on a Who forum a while back. However, since several people have posted this spoiler already, I don't think I'm saying anything here, that any dedicated Whovian probably doesn't know already--the spoiler warning is for you non-anorak /Whoites out there.

I wrote this to a blog friend this afternoon: (well, it's early afternoon for me, anyway)

I thought maybe RTD was messing with fan's heads again...and perhaps he is, as now every DW forum and blog on the planet will be full of speculation as to whether this Morrisy chap will be taking over from Tennant in '09, or if Davies is screwing with us, and Tennant will still be our Doctor in '09. Ah well, guess that's all part of the "magic" of this new Dr Who these days: Guessing what stunt RTD will pull next.

I've learned the hard way early this summer, not to put too much trust in Dr Who--or Russell T. Davies.

So, David "the best Doctor ever" Tennant: Will he, or won't he? Well, this old fan will just have to suffer the slings and arrows of...waiting, to find out, just like the rest of you lot. (Drums her fingers on the desk.)

I can't believe it's only 6pm (18.00) here! Already it seems like it should be more like 9 or 10 pm.

It's pouring rain and in the 40's F, out there. No fit night to be out, tho' there are people walking around on the pavement, every now and again.

I just got into my mini-cupcakes I bought yesterday...yum. They are gold cake with orange frosting and black, yellow and orange sprinkles--halloween colours. Quite good for a dollar and a half, I must say.

I can't decide what to have for dinner tonight. I'm hedging between BBQ franks and beans (merely a tin of Heinz beans with some BBQ sauce added, and some hot dogs laid on top) and tinned corn, or macaroni and cheese and some spinach, or breaded fish sticks and french fries. I'm too knackered to fuss with dinner, want something quick, easy and simple...of course, if I were rolling in cash, I could order some Chinese takeaway or a pizza or something. Ah well.

I'm leaning towards the beans right now, but I'm not ready for supper yet, so may change my mind, later.

Well, I'd started writing a new Dr Who story--the one where he ends up in silent-film era Hollywood, and discovers a real monster is lurking around the set of an early horror film, and the Dr meets some famous early actors, like Chaplin and Fairbanks, Valentino and Tom Mix, Fatty Arbuckle and Lilian Gish (I haven't decided whom exactly he will meet, yet). Unfortunately, I can't access the blog I was using to write the story (I no longer have MS Word), and I can't have them send me my password, 'cos I can't access any of my e-mail accounts, without IE booting me off the web. Ah well, another unfinished story in the files.

I got bit by another spider last night...and the itching is driving me bonkers! It's a big stinking welt on my right forearm--I was clearing out a box in the closet, and I felt something bite me...little tiny spider, great big bite, go figure. I'm out of hydrocordzone to treat the itch with, so I just have to put up with it, and try not to scratch my arm too much, but isn't it driving me half-mad, trying not to scratch?

Wow, this is a boring post...I'm sooo-bored tonight. I might as well go to bed and nap or something. I don't feel like reading at the moment, and I've seen all my videos several times in the past couple of weeks---sat up in bed a lot while I was ill, watching DVD's.

I've been watching: A Double LIfe--which earned Ronald Coleman an Oscar for best actor in 1948. It's about an actor playing Othello, who takes realism acting a bit too far...not being able, eventually, to differentiate himself...or those around him, from his character, and in the end committing, like Othello, murder. It was, I believe, based on a play.

Scarlet Street was good. The ending was sort of predictable, but still enjoyed the film very much--not your average run of the mill plot, at any rate. The bad guy was someone you loved to loathe, the bad girl sometimes showed a little niggling of doubt about right and wrong, but couldn't tear herself away from her man. The main character--a normally dependable but weak man, afraid to follow his dreams, but bold enough to steal...interesting film indeed.

The Thin Man series from the 30's and 40's, starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. It prompted me to start reading the story that inspired it, "The Thin Man," written by the man who also wrote "The Maltese Falcon," Dashell Hammet.

I watched Dr Who, of course--the last three episode of Series 3, plus two Davidson's and a Tom Baker, also The Magnificent Seven, Augustus--the Roman-era mini-series, Get Smart, a comdey from the 60's, about a Catholic girl's school called "Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows," and some Doris Day/Rock Hudson films.

Well, I suppose I could go and read. I've three books I've been diving into at night, on and off. Have a good night, all.

01. CHEESE or CHOCOLATE?
Cheese
02. BLUEBERRIES or STRAWBERRIES?
Blueberries
03. COFFEE or TEA?
Coffee
04.
05. TOASTED CHEESE OR BEANS ON TOAST?
Toasted cheese.
06. YOHGURT DRINK OR JUICE?
Juice
07. RICE or PASTA?
Both.
08. PUDDING OR FRESH FRUIT?
Pudding
09. MINCE OR TOFU?
Mince
10. HOT DOGS or HAMBURGERS?
Hamburgers...with hot dogs a close 2nd
11. MARMITE OR MARMALADE?
Neither...prefer jelly
12. CHEDDAR OR STILTON?
Cheddar
13. REGULAR OR DIET SOFT DRINK?
I'm a diabetic so it has to be diet...but prefer regular.
14. LEMONADE or SWEET TEA?
Lemonade
15. CHERRIES or GRAPES?
Flavour-wise, both. Fruit-wise, neither.
16.
17. DONUTS OR MUFFINS?
DONUTS
18. WHITE BREAD or WHOLE-GRAIN/WHEAT BREAD?
Either, not fussy.
19. PEAS or CARROTS?
both
20. TARTS OR GINGERBREAD?
Tarts...I've always wanted to be a bit more daring.
21. COLD CEREAL or PORAGE?
Either
22. MUSTARD OR CATSUP?
Mustard
23. MAYONNAISE OR BROWN SAUCE?
Mayonnaise
24. SALAD CREAM OR MAYONNAISE?
Mayonnaise
25. OLIVES OR PICKLES?
Pickles
26. ONION or GARLIC?
Onion
27. RANCH OR ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING?
Ranch
28. SCRAMBLED EGGS or FRIED EGGS?
Scrambled
29. COTTAGE PIE OR SHEPHERD'S PIE?
Whichever one is made with beef.
30. MEAT-EATER OR VEGETARIAN?
Meat-eater
31. TAKE-AWAY OR MICHELLIN STAR?
Take away
32. SUSHI or SANDWICH?
Sandwich
33. READY MEAL OR MCDONALD'S?
Either, probably
34. PIE AND MASH OR CHICKEN CURRY?
Either.
35. FAGGOTS OR PRAWNS?
ey??? What the heck's a "faggot?" Erm-over here, a faggot is a derogitory term for a gay man, or, and outdated term for a stick of wood for a campfire. And, since I don't particularly like shellfish, I'll say neither.
36. CHICKEN OR FISH?
Chicken
37. BEEF OR GAMMON?
Both
38. BUBBLE AND SQUEAK OR TOAD-IN-THE-HOLE?
Bubblie and squeak, I like that. Never had toad-in-the-hole, tho' I know what it is.
39. MASHED OR JACKETED POTATO?
Either is fine, but lean toward mashed.
40. KEBAB HOUSE OR CHIPPIE?
We don't have kebabs here, but we have a Long John Silvers, and that's (sort of) like a chippie. I like kebabs, but here they are only available during BBQ'ing season--where you make them yourself, and they aren't an Indian dish, but American kebabs, or one can get "spedies," a type of American kebab made with chicken, at a county fair.

FOODIE MEME: PART I

Favorite food to crunch:

Movie theater (extra butter) flavour popcorn

Favorite comfort food:

Three-way tie between beef chuck roast (aka: New England pot roast) cooked with carrots and onions, and served with mashed potatoes and beef gravy, or, ketchup-topped meatloaf with Harvard style (aka pickled) beets and mashed potatoes, or, Spaghetti bolognese.

Favorite picnic lunch:

small sub sandwich, and either homemade potato salad, macaroni salad or cold New England baked beans.

...and, if I'm feeling especially posh, I might add some deviled eggs.

Favorite food scene in movie:

The pie-in-the-face scenes in the old silent Keystone Cop series of films...ooh, many's the time I've wanted to do that to some arrogant pompous arse, let me tell you.

Favorite food lyrics:

"You deserve a break today, so get up and get away, to McDonald's." Nah--that was naf...I just couldn't think of anything else.

Best food smell memory:

Mum's pot roast--mmmm! She'd make it with sliced carrots and onions, cloves and bay leaves, vinegar and sugar, and just a hint of worcestershire, oh my gosh, did it smell good!

Food that reminds me of the ocean:

I've never dined at the seaside. We were a good 100 plus miles from the nearest ocean. Fish always came from the frozen food case or the fish market.

Favourite seafood meal out:

Tie: Ted's Fish Fry fish and chips dinner, or...on the more posh side, perhaps some broiled brook trout served with a veg and some rice pilaf or a jacketed potato.

Favorite winter snack:
Chocolate chip cookies.

Most likely to eat for lunch:

At Home: Ham and chese, turkey breast or tuna sandwich with chips (crisps) and, perhaps, some soup if I'm in the mood.

Out: McDonald's, New Way Lunch hot dogs, Long John Silver's, pizza slice(s), Taco Bell, Burger King or maybe the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, if I can afford it.

Least likely to eat for lunch:

Salad. Boring.

(Exception: a chef salad and some really nice homemade soup would be acceptable).

Makes me gag:

Anything with the head still attached to it--don't want my food to gaze up at me while I'm eating it, thanks.

My least favourite food:

Mushrooms. Grrroossss. Yuck, bleh, phooey. Get 'em away from me! (Got the point?)

Food tradition I loathe:

Chicken and biscuit dinners. Why does every country church in these parts, have to hold a friggin' chicken and biscuit dinner. Bland and unimaginative. (in the US, a biscuit is a type of very dry and crumbly roll)

Favorite wild foods:

Wild strawberries, love 'em. And sometimes wild onions--they are much sharper and more bitey than domestic scallions.

Food that reflects my heritage:

On my dad's side, Polish food, specifically Polish sausage, pierogi, and golabki (which my family called "golumpkies").

Mum's heritage goes back some 300 years in New York state...just plain old ordinary American cooking there...casseroles, meatloaf, pot roast, steaks, pork chops, chicken...usual stuff. She was Dutch-German, and Irish-English-Scot, by heritage, but the closest we got was Corned beef and Cabbage, and German potato salad, I think.

Favourite takeaway food:

Pizza

Favorite raw food :

I'm not crazy about any kind of raw food--even veggies. I will eat a plain lettuce salad. MAYBE an apple or a carrot stick, or cauliflower.

Cooking classes:

Elementary school (last two years), and three years high school home economics classes. Apprenticed at a national park, twenty years later obtained a culinary arts certificate from a local college.

Restaruant dishes you would never eat, even if they paid you one hundred pounds:

Eels, sushi, octopus, anything with mushrooms in it, shellfish, tripe/brains, black sausage/blood pudding...well, anything made with blood basically,, ham hocks, collard greens, fiddleheads, heart, anything with the eyes still attatched, raw tomatoes--well, most raw veggies, catfish, guacamole, asparagus, artichokes, pizza with anchovies, pasta alfredo, frog's legs, lobster.

Gah--my voice is rough, but got through the first two hours...at least the calls are slightly spaced out, and not rolling in one on top of another for hours on end. Not a short phone script, but not the longest one, either. So, reckon as long as my voice holds out, I'm stuck here, ha-ha.

Cold, deeply grey and rainy day here. 9 C out there at the moment, with some heavy rain moving in later--probably when I'm walking home, sod's law being what it is. I forgot my umbrella--but, wore my heavy Carhardt winter jacket for the first time since early April, so at least I won't freeze...forgot to put on my wellies, though.

New girl sitting next to me--she doesn't sound happy...it's a high pressure job at times, and I don't know if she'll last. But, you never know, this could prove to be right up her alley.

So, utterly broke for the next 6 days, but no big deal. I will have to wash my trousers and unmentionables out in the kitchen sink though, and dry them on the radiators--note to self: by a clothes drying rack.

Well, back to work. Life sucks and then you die--I prefer to think of the afterlife as a free permanent holiday, ha-ha.

Whoops, just got yelled at for going over my break time...heaven forbid. Not like I'm making any sales today. No one's home--and those that are, are freaking out about the economy and not buying anything.

.

Oh gosh, what a rough night that was! Started coughing around 10pm, kept on until 2 in the morning. An hour into sleep, my sinuses on the left side of my face blocked up...got to sleep a half-hour later, an hour after that, started coughing again...dang. And, it's going to be a long day.

Wish to heaven I could blow off work today, and just lay in bed, but...no. I owe it to my employers, who have been very understanding, to have my bottom in the seat at 10am. I'm gonna' be toast by tonight though. Dear God, I feel wicked awful. I can feel fluid in my chest...like I'm drowning in it. I'm sick of this stupid cold...going on week four, as of tomorrow. I can live with a cold, mind--it's this lingering forever that's rotten...not sick enough to stay home, but sick enough to make doing my job a misery.

Anyway, not much I can do about it. I have to eat these mini-waffles, change into my weekend working duds, walk to work and just slog it out as best I can. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Cold and dreary day, bit rainy...but, at least it's not snowing...yet.

Got chastised for picking on David Tennant again...this time, in such a rude way, that I had to delete the comment...lots of the f word...some rather obnoxious little DT fan-girl needs to expand her vocabulary a bit more. British and American mums today, seem to be a lot more lenient than the mum's were, when I was growing up. My mum would have tarred and feathered me, and hung me on a clothesline...and most of the other mum's on our street likely would of helped her, if I'd used that sort of language--and, to an adult besides! One did not talk back to adults (well, to adults not in your immediate family) when I was growing up, it just wasn't done. Cultural differences, I suppose.

Anyway, this young girl was rather put out with my Roasting David Tennant blog. Oh, boo-hoo. Like Tennant's going to give a flying fig about anything I'd have to say. Yeah...riiight. How silly is that? David Tennant would no more read my blog, than he would quit acting and go work the till at Tesco's for a living...not gonna' happen.

Anyway, I like making fun of David Tennant--I find his situation quite hilarious...those fans I mean, that vote him with the sexiest eyes, or hair or whatever. The one's that google "david tennant porn," or "david tennant naked," (oh, not while I'm eating my breakfast, thanks) and where he gets his haircut, where he lives or what hotel he's staying, where he buys his trainers, whether he's gay or not gay, who he's dating, whether or not he's had an accident, what he likes to eat, is he a vegetarian, etc, etc, etc...

I think all this wild DT enthusiasm is a geinuine hoot.

I was reading online, some stuff about Love's Labour's Lost--I vaugely remember reading that play in the mid-80's, back when I was working behind the counter at Midas Muffler, but couldn't remember exactly all that it was about, other than a bunch of guys decided to give up girls for a time--so I was curious and read up on it...and found a few reviews of the play, and fan blog commentaries, besides.

Whoa. One woman, from Virginia I think, flew over there for the week, and watched the play every night for five nights. Okay, now that's scary...and very expensive. Well, at least she has a hobby, I suppose.

Another fan-girl wrote she dosn't remember what the play was even about, or who else was in it, 'cos she spent the whole play staring at David's (I wish I was joking here) hair.

Hilarious!

I was just reading on a Who forum, about the RSC auction in London this coming Tuesday. Wow, cost is the equivilent of about $1600 a ticket...in a recession, no less. Nice to know not every Briton is hurting for money.

I haven't had $1600 of my own money, at one time, since 2004. Seems like a lifetime ago.

Anyway, it's to be a brillant evening...well, for $1600 it darn well better be, ey?

There's to be a performance by David Tennant, fan-girls, a soliiquy (gah--I can't spell any more, arrgh!) by Mr. Tennant from Love's Labour's Lost, also Patrick Stewart will be there, Derek Jacobi and a host of other top notch totally talented Shakespearean performers from the RSC.

Highlight of the evening is an auction. Up for grabs:

A script from Dr Who, signed by all the actors.
Dinner on stage with two of the cast members from Hamlet--could one of them be Tennant, fan-girls? (oh, I can just hear some of them swooning at the thought of dinner with david, god help us)
six tickets to Hamlet
A private performance by RSC members at the winning bidders home, and more.

Gosh, wouldn't that be brilliant. Times like this, I can truthfully say that POVERTY SUCKS.

Well, it's for a really good cause--next to helping the poor, the elderly, the sick, animals, kids and the environment, I think helping the arts is pretty darn important, as well, so certainly I would hardly begrudge the RSC their fund-raiser. Matter of fact if I had a dollar--which I don't, I just spent my last three dollars on the milk and butter which I forgot to buy--I'd give it to the RSC. I knew about them long before I'd ever heard of Tennant (through one of my college courses) and was impressed by their dedication from the get-go.

So, if like me, the RSC gala is way out of your league, I hope you will still consider--if you can at all spare it, giving a pound or two to the RSC, to help keep one of Briton's--no, the world's--great traditions alive.

AS many of you know, I'm a wee bit of a nature girl.

However, things were not quite always all sunshine and roses, when I was out there in the woods and fields.

Take as an example, the winter time. Now, I have to tell you, there's nothing more glorius than being the first to trod the virgin snow in a pine forest after a snowfall--I mean, the pines look like towers of snow castles, the stillness, the feeling that might be something like what the first astronauts felt, walking on the moon.

And then, you snowshoe or walk under a drooping pinebough...and the wind decides just then to pick up speed...and the boughs move, and you find yourself with 6 inches of icy cold snow suddenly being dumped down the back of your neck.

I never said swear words as a teen--except for that time. It was the "s" word, if I recall correctly.

AFTER THE STORM: EASTERN WHITE PINES DROOP WITH HEAVY SNOW

Okay, it's Friday night. ten minutes to ten--reckon that makes it ten minutes to three am, in the UK.

I walked down to the office, to work a few hours make up time...only to find the 'puters were down...means I gotta' try to work the full shift tomorrow, drat. I will if my voice holds out. It's better today, but after four or five hours of saying the same script over and over...well, we'll see. I'll bring along plenty of cough drops.

Anyway, yeah, it's Friday night. I'm a bit tired from shopping--what with beverages, a 7 pound bag of cat litter and a five pound bag of cat food, ten tins of pasta, etc...my back is a bit sore. Blimey! This from a woman who used to think nothing of lifting 40 or 50 pounds. I'm getting old, man.

Man? Oh, now I'm really showing my age. Next you know I'll revert to saying far-out, neat-o, right on and groovy.

Come to think on it, I don't think I've actually said, "groovy," since the forth grade (age 10).

Anyway, Friday night, sitting here watching Utopia again whilst blogging--sometimes the computer will let me in..found a "cheat." I can't access the internet by clicking on the IE icon...but, if I open the recycle bin, I can click favourites and access my blog that way. Sometimes I can go to other websites...but it's very iffy. No rhyme or reason as to when or why I get kicked off the internet. Can't access any of my e-mails still. It doesn't like that.

I'm wondering if downloading Mozilla 3 did this? It's what killed my old computer, I susupect. I keep reading things on Google like "firefox 3 is s_it," "firefox 3 sucks" (my own opinion, actually), and "stay away from firefox 3"--this refers to post 3.0 firefox editions...3.1, 3.2, 3.3 all seem to have generated a LOT of problems for some people...and firefox is totally unresponsive to problems, it's like they're in total denial.

If anyone knows a comparable browser that's suited for Windows 2000, let me know, ey? I'd appreciate it.

Well, we here in northern NY are in for a week of cold, rain and snow apparently. Winter is here a wee early this year...tho' it may warm up temporarily come early November, it's been known to do that.

_________________________________

So, on with the meme, ey?

What’s the most underrated and overrated types of food?

Over-rated: sushi

Under-rated: fresh from the oven, salted and roasted pumpkin seeds. Best part of carving the Halloween pumpkin, mum's roasted seeds...yummy!

What do you usually eat for breakfast?

Whatever I want. Most commonly, either honey-nut toasted oats, yogurt, oatmeal (porage) or scrambled eggs fried potatoes and bacon. But, I'll eat pretty much anything..donuts, bagels with cream cheese, bologna sandwich, cold pizza, spaghetti, left over Chinese...if my stomach can hack it and I'm hungry enough, nearly anything's fair game.

What did you have for dinner today?

Two chilli-dogs and some potato salad.

What’s your favorite local bird?

Red-tail hawk. Spent much of my teenage years watching them. We had loads of wild birds where I grew up: Plieated woodpeckers, great blue herons, cardinals, blue jays, red-winged blackbirds, pheasants...you name it. But I always got such a kick out of watching hawks--they are AMAZING! I remember once, sitting on my front lawn, watching this hawk right over my head, circling and circling and circling, higher and higher and ever higher in the sky, until eventually it became just a tiny speck in the heavens...and then, disappeared up into the clouds. Farr-out.

What’s your favorite local tree?

Well, for purely sentimental reasons, I'd say Eastern White Pine--'cos we had a grove of them behind our house.

Transcendentally, I'm fond of the big ol' Eastern Hemlock (sort of like a spruce tree)--lovely to hear in the wind, and glorius with the sun shining brilliantly off the boughs and needles.

Aestetically, the maple...can't beat a maple tree for shade and in the autumn, the colours are, of course, amazing...oh, and let's not forget the syrup, yum!

What’s your favorite season?

Autumn

What’s the best night sky (Northern hemisphere)?

Late autumn or winter, in the Adirondacks or Vermont...or maybe in Iceland. Or, summer in Yesllowstone Ntional Park. When you can see the Milky Way (the stars not the candy bar) with your naked eye, you know you've got a great sky to gaze at...and the meteor showers...wow. Get high enough, and you can see AND hear the shooting stars. Delicious.

What is your favorite way to imbibe alcohol?

I don't drink...don't like the taste of alcohol especially...and, I've only been tipsy twice in my life, and don't like it. But, that said, I do like a scoop of good vanilla ice cream, with a wee bit of creme de menthe poured over it. Or, some pancakes or crepes with a little peach brandy poured over them...yummy.

What is your favorite television fantasy?

That's easy, riding in the Tardis. Who wouldn't want to do that?

New age: is it jazz, classical, easy-listening, or crap?

Depends. Swings between jazz, classical and crap I find.

What’s your favorite "oldies" band?

Don't have a fav--but, love lots of stuff by the Beach Boys, Doobie Brothers and Three Dog Night.

What is the "oldie" you find most romantic?

Earth Angel by the Penquins

I know you’re in Borders, and I need to find you quick. What section would I find you in?

Sci-fi section, Doctor Who, Doh.

Or, try the mysteries or the westerns...after that, I may be in the horse books, writing or history sections...last resort, try the CD and DVD section upstairs. Dont' bother with the coffee shop...way too over-priced, we'll go to Stewarts, instead.

What literary character or author do you kind of sneakingly hope you might be compared to some day?

Louis Lamour--not literary genus, but one helluva story teller. Or, maybe Ralph Waldo Emerson..he had some brilliant ideas. Of course, every writer wants to be a Shakespeare or a Jane Austin or Dickens or whatever. Deep down though...I don't really want to be compared to anyone...I'd rather be uniquely me.

Currently book you are reading?

I'm reading three (not at the same time, obviously)...just began re-reading Doctor Who "Last of the Dodo's", also half-way through reading The "Thin Man" and also, just started chapter two of "Shakespeare of London".

So, my pay cheque this week was $139. That's a hundred and thrirty-eight dollars more than my net wealth when I woke up this morning morning was, ha-ha.

I paid the other half of the National Grid bill, bought cat food and litter, spent $15 dollars on medical stuff, bought myself a hot dog with the works and a small glass of Pepsi from New Way Lunch, went shopping at the discount food store--had three great coupons...10 tins of Chef Boyardee pasta (bit like Heinz's for those of you in the UK) for $5, a package of Stouffer's frozen Macaroni and cheese for 89 cents, and large white eggs for 99 cents.

Got a feeling I'll be sick of ravioli by next month, ha-ha. I still have half a package of frozen 3 cheese ravioli pasta in the freezer along with half a jar of vodka sauce, that was left over from earlier this month. Well...can't complain, surely? That would be darned churlish of me. At least I won't be going hungry. Beats living on peanut butter and tinned peaches, or cold cereal for part of the week, like I've done before.

I decided to get a package of mini-cupcakes too, for my birthday treat, they were on sale for $1.49.

But, after the cab fare of $5--bags were much too heavy to lug home on the bus, my net worth is now (drum roll please)...$3 and whatever misc. change I might have lying about...until Friday rolls around again, that is.

It's fine, really. I've gone 7 days with only a few cents in my pockets. I'm used to it, really. No worries..well, as long as I don't have to go to hospital or something, then I'm screwed.

So, you see why these creeps that whinge and crank and say mean things about folks on the dole, you see WHY I get upset with these ignorant slobs?

Sure, there loads of people on the dole that are lazy bums...but then there just as many---more even, that are just like me, who NEED the dole just to survive. I'd like to see these whingers try to live 6 days on just $3! Then they'd REALLY have something to whinge about.

Have to work half-past six to half-past eight tonight, to make up some hours, cos my cough/lung was getting in the way of me being able to do my job this week. Then, it's try to slog through 5 hours of talking, tomorrow, then I have off until 5pm Monday--and my poor voice/lungs could do with the rest, let me tell you.

As I predicted, there will be no Dr Who skits for the Children in Need special this year. The lead actor, David Tennant, is current playing in two productions of the Royal Shakespeare company--both matinee and evening performances, playing the lead in Hamlet and Browne in Love's Labour's Lost at Strafford and later this year, London.

But pray, do not despair Whovians and DT fan-girls.

On 14th November at 19.00 (7pm) there will be a special preview of the Dr Who 2008 Christmas day programme.

Gosh, my apartment is making some odd noises today.

This morning something in my bedroom wall--the side where there's only open hallway on the other side, thumped. An hour ago, the kitchen floor groaned--while I was sitting on my bed and with all three cats, and just now, at nearly half-past noon, something in the living room wall near the balcony, just went "thunk."

The building is settling something fierce today. I've a notion that if we ever have a big earthquake, this whole building will just collapse like it was made of sand.

You know, nothing pisses me off more than hearing well-off people whinging and putting down people on benefits. It really makes me do a slow burn..makes me want to kick the naysayers--usually men, I've noticed, in the nuts.

Sure, there's people on benefits who don't want to work--hell, I've known, and currently know, a few. But, more than half the people on benefits DON'T WANT to be on benefits!

Many of those on benefits have only the other alternative of literally starving or freezing to death.

How can any person call themselves "human" and begrudge someone food and shelter? Bottom line: you can't.

I mean, there's lots of young yobs out there, beating people up, robbing, even murdering people...would you say ALL young people are yobs? No. So then, why do these sub-human neanderhals keep insisting that EVERYONE on benefits is a freeloader?

Perhaps it's the media...they don't show the reality of life on benefits-or without benefits. They only show the abusers and users...then never show the TRUTH, only a skewed portion of it.

So, like people who believe all Muslims are terrorists, or all American Christians are crazy fundamentalists, so many are lead to believe that everyone on benefits is on benefits 'cos they are lazy and shiftless.

I get so MAD when people insinuate that I don't want to work for a living..especially in light that I've done some very physical and very dirty jobs in my time...in light that I've worked, in my time, 9 or 10 hour days, frequently worked 6 or 7 days a week, etc.

Yeah, I'm only working 20 hours a week and collecting benefits. Because I nearly killed myself, working 39+ hours a week, split shifts (day-night both) while I was dreadfully ill and sometimes in awful pain!

Sorry, I'm on a bit of a huff. Some guy put me down yesterday made a cutting remark about me yesterday, when he found out I was working and on benefits. He looked down at me, and used the look and tone of voice that said he considered me a human cockroach. I am still angry enough to chew nails. I bet that arsehole wouldn't be caught dead cleaning loos for a lving, or, folding towels for 8 hours without a break, shoveling manure, cleaning out kennels, or washing dishes for 10 hours at a stretch. I bet that jackarse wouldn't do that, and that's what makes me angry.

Oh, I've worked in offices too, but I do what I have to do, work-wise, whether I like it or not, no matter how low the pay.

I had to deal with that when I was going to college full-time and taking care of mum and the mobile home. One of mum's nurses would also give me that snide, sarcastic voice and the cockroach look, and every time she saw me she'd ask, "have you found a JOB yet?" Grrrr. Good thing I'm not violent, because those people are really asking for a five-fingered answer from me...right on their snoots.

The most salary I've earned in my lifetime, was in 1989-1990, when I was working for a Fortune 500 company in information varification for a copy department. I was earning just over $16,000 a year.

I currently make $9.00 an hour, working about 20 hours a week, the highest hourly wage I've ever earned in my life.

Mostly though, I've a lifetime of minimum wage under my belt.

I had two motivations for going to college full-time at age 39:

1. To lift myself out of poverty and give myself a fighting chance to live a "normal" life.

2. To stay away from the trap of living a life in a totally dead-end job I am not overly fond of, such as my dad did.

Well, neither happened, and all I have to show for it, is that at least I tried to change things--and successfully did for about 5 years-- and didn't sit home collecting benefits whinging about my lot in life.

Still, here I am, worse off (financially and materially) than I was at age 38, back on partial benefits and in a dead-end job. But hey...I tried. (loser)

CURRENT FACTS ON MINIMUM WAGE:

Federal (US govt's official) minimum wage, in 2008, is $6.55 per hour. New York state minimum wage in 2008 is $7.15

Most Americans (58.5%) will spend at least one year below the poverty line at some point between ages 25 and 75

The USA ranks 12th on the HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX.

The current poverty level for a single person in the USA is $10, 400.

Today, without disability benefits, I'd honestly have the choice of either have to work until I literally get so sick I die, or, I would be living on the street or in a welfare motel.

Anyway, that's my story. Here's an article from 2006, that tells it like it is:

By WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY JR., Universal Press Syndicate | November 27, 2006
http://www.nysun.com/opinion/phony-world-of-minimum-wage/44145/
Nancy Pelosi, the new speaker of the House, has told us that as maybe the very first order of business she will call up increasing the minimum wage. Here are the relevant facts:

We learn that one individual American last year received compensation of $1.5 billion. This leads us indignantly to our blackboard, where we learn that the average chief executive officer earns 1,100 times what a minimum-wage worker earns. What some Americans are being paid every year is describable only as: disgusting.

My family never had much luck with cars. Dad was a bit of a...okay well, let's not sugarcoat it. My dad was a cheap bastard. If he hadn't of had a brother who owned a garage , or rather a series of different garages, over the years (Mobil, Sinclair, Esso, Mobil--in that order)--which enabled dad to get labour usually free and parts wholesale, we would of had to walk more often than not. Even then, the cars were always in the shop...dad wasn't big on maitenance, it more or less let the vehicle run into the ground, and then groused and whinged when he had to actually do something with it. His idea of car care was to put the oil in once in a while, and check the tires--okay, when I got old enough, I checked the tyres.

Me, I tried my best when I got old enough--but afraid even in 1989, when I bought my first honest-to-God-straight-from-the Ford-dealership pick up truck (all previous cars being used old clunkers I bought for a few hundred dollars), a 1985 GMC S-15 and took it for regular oil changes and other maitenance, I STILL got stuck with a lemon! No, really. I proudly took delivery on the damned thing, drove it out of the dealership and up the hill towards home...where it promptly coughed and died! Two years later--with only half the payments made, the head gasket blew to smithereens.

The second stright-from-the-Dodge- dealership car I bought--my first brand new car, a Dodge Neon, lasted all of about a year and a half, before the transmission..and almost simultaineously, the brakes...went plewwy.

I had cars and trucks I loved, and cars and trucks I detested.

But, the one car I detested the most, was mum's 1981 Ford Escort hatchback. She bought it in 1983, with money she had left over from the sale of our family home, after the divorce.

Naturally, mum adored that car. Dunno' why. Oh, it wasn't a bad car...but for some reason, I just hated that car. It was just so...naf. I hated the style, I hated the colour (pale blue), I hated the way it drove and I hated having to crawl with my 240 pound frame (at the time) into and out of the dang thing.

My car at the time was just as bad--a big American boat of a pseudo-luxury car, called a 1979 Chrysler Cordoba (not the one with the real Corintian leather, tho). It sort of was the chav version of a Lincoln Contenental or a Caddy.

I don't remember much about my car, other than I liked the colour (royal blue) and it was comfy to drive...but sh_t on snow, despite being heavy, I might add. Mum would lord it over me when the snow fell, 'cos her car had the new (at the time) front wheel drive...which is quite good on snowy roadways.

I remember getting too cocky driving that Cordoba home from choir practice one night--our Presbyterian church which I attended back in my old home town, was 15 miles from where I had moved to--and during choir practice we'd had a dusting of snow. It was just some wispy snow, blowing across the dry roads--well, I THOUGHT they were dry. I was 24 and only had my license for a bit over two years (I was a late bloomer). I didn't know about something called "black ice," which is a micro-thin coating of ice that forms on what looks like dry roadway.

I was driving along, nice as you please, when suddenly the wheel stopped responding, as I was going downhill on a four lane roadway...with a big propane gas truck coming uphill at ME.

I scrambled to get back under control, swerving from the oncoming lane, back into my lane, and right for a big yawning deep ditch on my side of the road--well, in those five seconds when I happened to notice I was sliding out of control straight for the ditch, it bloody well looked like the flippin' Grand Canyon. Nearly shat myself I did.

The car stopped--I kid you not--about 2 inches before dropping into the ditch.

After that, I tended to borrow mum's Escort more often. I still didn't like it though. Especially when mum accidently slammed the passenger door on my right knee...fracturing the kneecap slightly.

And even more especially did I hate the darn thing, on that day when I was unloading groceries from the back, and without any warning, the hatchback gave way, and came slamming down on my head, giving me one helluva' concussion.

On that day, I swore to the angels in heaven that I wouldn't ever own a Ford Escort, if God himself came down and handed me the keys.

I just took a personality test that someone sent me.

Basically, my results compared me to an elderly British citizen. See? I told you I was tetchy!

From: http://rtlyrics.com/BrownSputum.htm

Based on “Brown Sugar” written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

A big part of pulmonary fields
Is knowing what a sputum’s color means
So we thought we would take time to recite
Colors you might find for your learning delight
White sputum – could be the lungs are clean
White sputum – or asthma might be seen

But we can tell you that white is not
The only color cultivated from a crop
So to feed your learning appetite
Half a dozen more for further insight

Gray sputum – comes from a cold or flu
Gray sputum – might be hay fever too
Yellow sputum – it might be bronchitis
Yellow sputum – or bronchiectasis
Black sputum – could be from smoking crack
Black sputum – a nasty thing to hack
Red sputum – blood’s somewhere in the tree
Red sputum – think CA or TB
Orange sputum – might be Pneumococcus
Orange sputum – or Klebsiella pus
Green sputum – think Pseudomonas first
Green sputum – Mycoplasma’s the worst

We started thinking it was kind of mean
To end this song on the color green
Because we don’t wish to be impolite
Here’s one more color then we’ll say good night

Brown sputum – look for dehydration
Brown sputum – and now the song is done

I so rarely get telephone calls--usually just my medical calls, or telemarketing (oh, the irony!), so I can forget to check for missed calls on my mobile for a day or two.

I had a missed call...an unavailable number. I dislike these unavialbale numbers...what are they trying to hide?

I assume it's a telemarketing call...I mean, no one I know has an unlisted or blocked number. If it was someone I know..try me between 3pm and 11pm Eastern time (I'm 5 hrs behind UK time)..but keep it short, as I get charged for incoming calls I believe.

Tardisgurl has tagged me again. I wasn't going to. I just came on here to check my PM's (can't access my e-mails without the browser crashing).

Tardisgurl's meme:

1. What have you had to drink today?

a cup of hot Orange-spice tea, tropical fruit flavoured sparkling water (my cough leaves me positively parched), and 'cos I'm out of juice, I had diet orange soda with my breakfast.

2. What time did you get up this morning?

My stinking cough woke me at half-past five this morning, and kept me up.

3. What did you have for breakfast?

What the heck tardisgurl, are you with MI6? Well, if you must know, I woke famished and had a small bowl of honey-nut oat cereal in milk, then later fried up two slices of bacon and two small eggs, and had two slices of buttered toast with it.

4. Plans for today?

Go to work at half-past nine, work till two O'clock or quarter after, come home, probably have lunch and if I'm not well, go to bed. Or, if I'm feeling okay, I'll probably do chores and then read and listen to some music, or watch a DVD.

5. What can you hear right now?

The New Pornographers singing All for Swinging You Around, traffic out on Glen Street, Boots "talking" to himself as he's scampering around the apartment, playing.

6. What time is it?

8.27 am

7. What are you wearing today?

You know, for once I haven't a clue. Usually I lay out my work clothes the night before, but I was so out of it last night (went home from work an hour and a half early due to the fact that I was busy coughing up my right lung), all I can say some black trousers and...something else. It's overcast and somewhat chilly, presently 36 F (2.4 C) so likely I'll wear a jumper or something, that works with black trousers.

8. Last time you went out with your friends?

April of 2006 (No, not kidding, pathetic, aren't I?)

9. Last concert you went to?

There was a local cover band playing at a downtown festival back in August.

10. If you could meet someone famous, who would it be?

I can't think of anyone off-hand. Hilary Clinton, or maybe Russell T. Davies?

"Oh ma'word, back away ladies! Quick! Somebody call the fire brigade! I'm stuck up this tree 'cos I had to run away from all these sex-mad women! Being hottie-licious has its drawbacks"

I've borrowed a computer for a very short time--30 minutes to be precise. I blogged something on Roasting David Tennant, and now I have this to say about the the big divide between republicans (conservatives) and democrats (liberals):

When Clinton--a democrat was prez, we were at peace. When Clinton was prez we had no massive foreign terrorist scares. When Clinton was prez, poor kids, the elderly and disabled had better access to food, education, job training, housing assistance and medicine.

Oh yeah, and isn't it funny (or not) how Republicans conveniently forget that Bill Clinton nearly wiped out our national debt--the national debt clock in Time Square was nearly down to zero---and under George H W Bush...they've literally run out of numbers!!

Who would YOU rather trust???

____________________________________

Tagged by Tardisgurl again:

"newspaper meme"

1. How often do you read a newspaper either from a news agents or online?

Online, daily to several times a week. hard copy newspaper...seldom, as the Post-Star has gone from a respected regional paper to a rubbish republican rag pubished for people with low educational standards.

2. How often you read the national news?

Almost daily

3. International news?

Daily

4. local/regional news

Almost daily to a couple times a week.

5. Finacial news

Hardly ever

6. Sports

Never

7. Celebrity gossip?

a few times a month maybe

8. Arts/culture?

several times a week

9. Food?

Hardly ever

10. Editorial/opinions, letters to the editor, blogs?

Daily to several times a week..depends.

11. Advice columns, horoscopes, etc.

Seldom

12. Comics

Sometimes

13. Obituraries

Only rarely

14. Classifieds

Sometimes

15. Human interest/feature articles

Sometimes

BCUK IS NOT SHOWING PROPER SPACES ON THIS BLOG...SORRY EVERYTHING'S CROWDED TOGETHER, NOT MY DOING.

I had to check an e-mail---was hoping for some advice, but the consensus is that I've well and truly somehow screwed up this new hard drive. Anyway, I noticed that I had one last two-part meme in my saved box that I'd missed, so I copied and pasted it on here. My last hoo-ra, so to speak.

It's boring so if you're having insomnia troubles, these two are just the cure for that, ha-ha.

It's just 7am, I've been up since half-past six, as my coughing woke me again. It's grey, cold and dreary...oh, is that a few snowflakes I see? Brrr! Just a couple though. For us native northeastern New Yorkers--and most people in neighbouring Vermont--, a couple of snowflakes don't make us turn a hair. We have to get at least a foot or more of white stuff, before we even deem to start to complain...tho' we may grumble a bit, about having to haul out our sweaters (jumpers) and winter coats and all that...it has to get below zero (F, not C), before we get into true grumble mode.

That reminds me. Next month I have to start looking for some proper winter boots--my thermal insulated wellies sprung a hole in the left foot last year...all I have is a pair of ugly black knee-length rubber wellies that I got for ten bucks at Tractor Supply Company last winter--good for slush and deep puddles, but totally unsuited for sub-zero F weather.

___________________________________

PART I "The inner-you meme"

1. Name a significant event that occured when you were 5 years old.
My mum's dad committed suicide...tho' I wasn't told this until I was around 20 or so.

2. A significant event that happened at the age of 10.
Our school's health, music and gym teachers--whom all lived in our village and of course, whom we all knew personally-- were on a hijacked plane that was forced to land in Egypt, I think. When they came back to school, it made national and international news, and we had a local/national press conference in our school's gym that we were allowed to attend.

3. Age 20?
Let's see, I THINK there was the hostage crisis over in the Iran, I think, and Mount Saint Helen's blew her top, killing a mess of people, and causing temperatures to rise that summer and also some truly spectactular sunsets...oh, and Moonraker was released in the local theater..tho' I don't know if a non-Bond fan would consider that a "significant event," ha-ha. I was in college and living away from home for the first time. I went off by myself a couple of thousand miles away, to work and live in the Wyoming wilderness (Yellowstone Park) for the summer.

4. Age 30?
Wasn't that when we had the Gulf War? And, that's the year I left my cushy $16,000 plus a year--with 2 week's paid holiday time and full medical/dental/optical benefits-- office job, working for a Fortune 500 company, to take a $7,000 a year job--with zero holiday time and absolutely no benefits, including no health care insurance--- to go work solo five days a week, as a stable hand at a big dressage barn...and I loved ALMOST every minute of it.

5. How did you see yourself when you were a teen?
I thought I was fat and ugly. I was country, when country (with my peers) very much wasn't cool--tho' ironically, it would be, less than five years later-- an outsider--tree huggers and straight (non pot smoking non-drinking) kids were considered way uncool in my high school--, I felt..well knew, actually. I was very quiet and shy and introverted, I was clumsy and forgetful and unsure of myself a lot...except when I was out in the woods and fields with just me and the dogs, then I could be anything I wanted to be, and felt like I could take on the world. And, I suspect I may have been a bit of a spoiled mummy's girl. But, all that said, I feel that I hadn't lived in the outside world long enough to really dislike myself yet.

6. How do you see yourself today?
I think I'm fat and ugly. I don't like myself very well...okay, I hate myself a lot, I guess. I think I'm tetchy, cranky--bordering on the tempermental--, selfish, depressed and too negative. I've basically given up on myself, I suppose. Tho' I like to think I've become more understanding of people's problems and motives than I was when I was younger, and much much more self-aware of my own motives emotions, and also, I think I have developed a good sense of humour.

7. How many long term relationships have you had with men/women?
A sum total of none. I've never dated anyone long enough to have anything that might be termed a relationship.

8. Had any big career or life changes in the past five years?
Oh yes. I tried to go back to college to change my life and also to have a career I loved, rather than a job I hated...didn't work though, and I had to drop out in '05 a year shy of getting my BA degree. Went to Egypt, almost bought my dream home--but became disgusted with my (now I realize rather shady) mortgage lender and backed off--Lost my dad and mum and pretty much all of my aunts and uncles. Lost my caravan home, my car, two jobs (due to circumstances beyond my control), five of my seven cats, evicted for the first time in my life, almost died last year, got a permanent (and painful) limp last year, and, on the positive side, made new and wonderful friends--such as I've never had before...oh, and Dr Who came back...belive it or not, that was a very big deal for me.

9. Dreams?
Used to want to write or do something creative and/or do something useful/helpful for a living, have my own little home, own a horse--or at least get to be near horses more often, visit (or live in) the UK, have friends to hang out with. Don't wish for any of that, any more. Waste of time.

10. Your personal philosophy/outlook right now?

Keep my head ducked down, don't look back too much, or forward...just take it one day at a time and hope to heck I survive.

_____________________________________

PART II fun meme (NOTE: some answers changed, 'cos I did this a couple of months ago, and I wanted to update a couple of the answers (DVD/CD queries).

1. What are you wearing?
My grey retro Pink Floyd tee, indigo denim jeans, grey socks, my Ariat jameson boots.

2. Last five DVD's you watched?
Dr Who Utopia, Shadow of the Thin Man, A Double Life, Scarlet Street, The Magnificent Seven.

3. Three favourite actors?
Derek Jacobi
David Tennant
James Stewart

4. Three favourite actresses
Catherine Hepburn
Lauren Bacall
Catherine Tate

5. Three favourite bands at the moment?
The Proclaimers
The New Pornographers
Kaiser Cheifs or the La's

6. Last three CD's you played?
The New Pornogrpahers Electric Verson
Dr Who Series 3 soundtrack
The best of the Proclaimers

7. Three favourite television programmes of all time?
Dr Who
Remember WENN (an American A&E cable network series back in the 1990's)
Are You Being Served?

8. Three favourite police dramas/Detective programmes of all time?

Law and Order
Columbo
Simon and Simon

9. Three favourite Sci-fi or action type programmes?
Dr Who
Original Battlestar Galactica (25 years ago)
Bionic Woman or Quantum Leap

10. Three favourite reality programmes?
US version of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (Bravo network)
Both (US/UK) versions of Anitiques Roadshow
Top Chef (Bravo network)

I keep getting booted off the internet and my screen's going wonky. Hard drive problem? I can't get a registry cleaner, and can't find anything that will fix this, so I'm going to go offline at home in a day or so. I will go back online briefly, perhaps now and again, to check PM's...but can't stay on long without everything totally crashing, so I'm leery of turning on the computer too much. Thanks all.

Well, about 45 minutes to go before quitting time. Hope my voice holds out, it's getting a bit rough. Ah well, such is life.

It was a lovely sunset tonight, downright picturesque, actually. If I'd had a camera or could paint, I think I would have liked to capture it for posterity. The dark roiling clouds of autumn parted just enough to bathe everything--the cream coloured deco style building on the corner of Bay Street, the ponderous granite of the Episcopal church, the orange maple trees the dark looming bulk of the Adirondack foothill to the south--all cast in a pale orange and rosy glow.

We're to get a dusting of snow tomorrow, and it's to be rather chilly for a few days, with temps in the 20's to 40's F, with high winds behind it.

The golddust twins--my nickname for the two chav teens next to me, have been spending most of their time, popping up and down out of their seats. Another teen in the next row is alternating between singing out loud and hiccuping. That should impress the clients visiting the office tonight, yesirre bob.

Ah well. Wot the hell, some other evening, some other time...I'm outta' here in ten minutes. Don't think I'll bother with supper after I get home. Think I'll sit up for a bit..see if a miracle has happened and my computer is back to normal, LOL, then feed the cats and go to bed and hope I can get some sleep tonight.

Well, it was an unhappy day.

I was awake until 5am coughing, then woken at 11am by someone upstairs shifting furniture about. Then I turned on the new computer to find it was messed up already--I think I'm just going to pay my friend and cut my losses...this doesn't seem to be meant to be any longer...a home computer, I mean. It saddens me, but I've had so very many losses, I think I'm just numb now.

So, I'm stuck here at work. My throat once again feels as if it is afire, and I know that my cough will start again tonight, as right lung feels a bit rubbish.

I'm stuck next to the two chav teens, who spend much of their time at work texting, checking their makeup and putting on lotion and doing their nails--and they both STINK of perfume..to the point that I have to hold my nose when they walk by.

And, the woman behind me, who talks like she's deaf (you know, deaf people have a tendency to SHOUT OUT LOUD when they're in normal conversation...actually, that seems to be the thing for this area, as my neighbour across the hall's sister is ALWAYS shouting no matter what the reason)..anyway, loud lady is also humming...tunelessly. Arrrgh. Like Chinese water torture, that...like those men that walk around the supermarket or shot, whistling loudly and very annoyingly. Or am I the only one who finds that annoying?

I have to pitch up and find all my spare change that's lying about tomorrow. I found a crumpled dollar in one of my jeans pockets. I'll spend it on a bus ride to the Price Chopper, which has a Coin-star machine, that counts your change and then spits out a receipt that you can cash at the supermarket till for dollar bills. I am low on TP and out of eggs amd I think I can scrape up maybe 5 or 6 dollars out of my loose change, perhaps more, who knows?

Well, back to work. My thoat feels like hell. this should be fun. Thank goodness I'm doing collections and not sales--collection is good, 'cos it's a short script and I don't have to talk as much, to pitch for a sale.

Okay, so the resolution on my computer is comepletely craped out, NOW, Firefox has crashed!

I think I'm going to go get ready for work and just skip the computer for the rest of the day. Screw this.

1. When was the last time you shaved
your legs?
About two weeks ago (what can I say, I need new razors, only the medical people ever see my legs and it's too cold for shorts or swimsuits, so..who cares?)

2. What were you doing this morning at
8am?
sleeping.

3. What did you have to eat today?

So far, a bowl of honey-nut tastee-o's serial with whole milk. And for dinner, breaded fish sticks with tartar sauce, buttered peas and sweet potato pancakes.

4. How many different beverages have
you drank today?

A cup of hot peppermint tea, and a can of diet orange soda.

5. What’s one thing you wish to change
about your self?

Less negativity, maybe?

6. What do you wish for?
I don't even bother with wishes anymore, but I'd like not to be trapped, I'd wish for a "normal" life--a career, some friends around me, getting to go out once or twice a month, that sort of thing.

7. When was the last time you got really hurt?

People have so often been naturally mean to me, so it's a come and go type of thing.

8. Any plans for Friday night?
No.

9. Something you are excited about?
Not today.

10. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Coffee

11. Describe your key-chains:
I use two key chains per set of keys, as a safety measure in case one breaks.

One is little medallian that has the name and official seal of my last college which I attended in Vermont, and an advert for the now-defunct Saratoga Equine Sports Center.

The other is a miniature metal Coldstream Guard in his scarlet uniform and bearskin hat, and a red telephone box.

12. What are you going to watch tonight?

Dr Who or a Thin Man film, probably, on my portable DVD player

_________________________________

Part III

Name 7 things in your bag/wallet/
pocket:
1. New York State driver's license
2. Southern Adirondack Library System library card
3. My card key to get into my office building downtown
4. My food stamp card
5. My Social Security card
6. My medicare insurance card
7. My prescription insurance card

Name 6 things you do when you’re
really stressed:
1. Lay in bed
2. cuddle the cats
3. blog
4. snack
5. cry
6. try to read to take my mind off of things
7. pace back and forth thinking of a solution for my stress

Name 5 favorite fruits:
1. Apples
2. tinned peaches
3. Oranges (sometimes)
4. pineapples (rarely)
5. wild strawberries (very rarely)

Name 3 things you are wearing right now
1. black stretch trousers
2. Lake George tee shirt
3. blue socks

Name 2 things hanging on the walls of the room you are in

1. my college diploma
2. an antique Victorian black and white lithograph of three white stallions known as "Pharoah's Horses" in a round antique wooden frame

Name one place you'd most like to be right now?

How 'bout in Cardiff looking at the Dr Who exhibit there?

I still--sort of, can write--but, everything being out of proportion, I can't use my whole screen.

Anyway, I had this meme saved in my hotmail. It's a three-parter, that I don't think I ever posted to this blog--if I'm wrong, sorry.

_________________________________________

1.Do you talk to yourself?
Yeah, but it's just thinking aloud...a bad habit I developed in my late teens, when hanging out in the woods--think it started as me talking to my dog, Shamrock, really. Now, I do it probably 'cos I'm alone so much...but I don't hear voices or anything, I swear! Somehow thinking aloud occasionally helps me to reason better, dunno' why.

2.Who do you think of the most when
you are alone?
Doctor Who. I'm kidding. I dunno', my friends, sometimes my late mum, or more rarely, my dad.

3. When it is a rainy night, what do
you do most of the time?
Listen to music, maybe blog or read or just look out the windows.

4.What do you do when you see a full
moon?
Admire it

5.Are you brand conscious?
Rarely, but that said, there are one or two brands I'm fond of...but definitely not for trendy reasons.

6.Things you spent a lot of your money
on?
Laundry, food, medical care, cab fare, pet stuff.

7.Is there anything that you are
craving for right now?
Yeah, a soft warm bed, a bottle of cough syrup and lots of sleep. Unfortunately, I have to leave for work in exactly an hour and a half.

8.Do you prank call people?
Not since I was around 10 or 11 years old..tho' as a telemarketer, I have to say there's some people I'd love to prank call, ha-ha.

9.Last person on your missed call list?
North Country Imaging.

10.What was the last text message you
received?
I don't do texting.

11.All-time favorite song?
Hard to say. I love lots of songs, but I don't have a one all-time fav, really, maybe Joy to the World by Three Dog Night? Or Rhymes and Reasons by John Denver, or (I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles or maybe Ashoken Farewell by Jay Unger?

12.High school you attended? Grammar School?
Guilderland Central
Menands Common (now Menands Elementary) School

13.Can you play snooker (pool)?
I've been fiddling with since I was in my early teens, but..meh--if it happens to go in a pocket it's mere chance. I used to sometimes go to the Lake George billiard pallor to mess about, a few years back, but stopped when some of the "men" there started snickering at me and making cutting remarks to my face.

14.Can you swim?
Erm--only on my back, does that count?

15.Would you rather swim in the lake
or dive in the ocean?
I've not swum in the ocean but once in my life, but grew up swimming in lakes, so definitely lakes.

16.Single or taken?
Old maid

17.Do you have a crush?
Nah, haven't had a crush in years and years.

18.Last celebrity crush?
Parker Stevenson back in the 70's,(tho' I sort of briefly had a thing for Richard Dean Anderson when he was playing MacGyver).

19.Happy with your life?
Erm--that would be a big fat no.

20.What’s in your mind now?

I suck.

The person on this other website I sometimes use, who told me (in light of my continuing computer woes) to "pray to Jesus" for a resolution, sure picked the wrong day to tell me that!

Until today, I believed in God. I didn't see him as some magic genie that could grant wishes if you only prayed hard enough and had faith. I saw Him as..well, I don't know exactly how I saw him in my late middle age, truth to tell. But, I realized a while back that praying was good for making you feel better, but...that's all. God--well, if there was a God, isn't some omnipotent fruit machine or a cape and tights wearing super-hero, for pity's sake.

I've decided not to waste my time or emotions believing in God any longer. I have no faith in some being that has put me into the world I'm living in. I put myself into this life I'm in, I'm stuck here, I am what I am, and that's that. No eternal being is out there in the..well, wherever omnipotent beings dwell, looking down on me.

I don't feel very good about myself today, and the last thing I need is for someone telling me I have to depend on some... mythical being to make my life better.

I don't know what to do. My computer is broken already. I can't get into add/remove programmes without a "hardware wizard" popping up, telling me to uninstall stuff or trouble shoot--and I don't have a clue what to do! I just don't.

My screen is ten times bigger than normal...I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!

Someone on another website snidely told me to pray, but here and now I have decided that there can't possibly be a god, 'cos no almighty being can be this cruel.

40 percent chance of snow tomorrow--last I read, on Saturday, we were to get the snow Thursday, but it's already raining heavily out in the western part of New York, and the temperature is dropping and it's won't get into the mid-40's (7 C) even, on Wednesday.

Brrr! I do believe we northeasterner's are in for a long and very cold winter...last winter, the snow and cold lasted from just before Christmas, until mid-April...this year methinks it will be one of those winters like when I was wee, that lasted from mid-November to April. Maybe I should take a cab to the used sporting goods shop, and buy a used pair of snowshoes and harness, I used to be quite the snowshoer in my teens, ya'know. (Cos' dad was too cheap to buy me a set of cross-country skis and boots, so I could go skiing with my friends, truth to tell. I wound up snowshoeing through our woods and field with only our two dogs for company...still, it gave me a greater appreciatin of serenity...and a sprained ankle when snowshoes slipped on some ice as I was going down a ravine...do you KNOW how embarrassing it is to tell people you had a snowshoeing accident?)

Maybe I can look up my former classmate up Warrensburg way, whom, like Sarah Palin's hubby, ran the Iditarod dog sled race--(only my former classmate had run it half a dozen times), and borrow his sled dogs...MUSH you beautiful huskies you!

...and may never want to see him again, actually.

I've been reading the help and bug blogs...LOTS of bloggers are unhappy about losing all their widgets, and I'm sure it must be driving the guys over in Germany mad by now, trying to reassure us and fix things. I will say that this time they seem to be very responsive and if any of you haven't checked the help or bug blogs, BCUK says they will fix the problem today--hoo-ray! Thank you bcuk!

Oh, and tell them to bring the padded jacket and the truck, ey?

Here is is twenty past three in the morning, and I'm still blogging! Well, actually, I can't sleep 'cos I've just developed a dry cough that refuses to go away.

This darn cold has gone through so many stages...last night, it was my sinuses, tonight, I had a powerful sore throat again, and was sneezing..then, after walking home from work in the damp night air, the dry cough started for the first time...at least my congestion seems to be finally clearing...thank heavens! I was running out of tissues, ha-ha.

But, I'm tapped out until Friday, so I will just have to live with the cough until I can cash my cheque...thankfully there's a drug store in the supermarket, so I don't have to traispe all over town.

I've been sitting up blogging recipes, reading, poking fun at Mr. David Tennant...anything to take my mind off of coughing...it's sort of working. When I sit up in bed, the minute I close my eyes, it seems I get this subconcious urge to hack away...but then if I read a book, or blog or something, I cough a lot less. Mind over matter, ha-ha.

I'm working on my new Dr Who story, and messing about with one I started back in early summer. I may post a chapter when and if I manage to get one completed. Right now it's mostly cobbled together notes...I had a chapter started on paper, but...gah! Boring! Too much exposition...I firmly believe that a good Dr Who story...or western or adventure or whatever, should start off with a bang...ideally, grab the reader from the first page--I mean, that's how I decide if i want to read a book, lots of times--not always, but say, if I'm browsing the stacks at the library or books store, if I am pulled in by the first few paragraphs of that first chapter, then I know that 8 times out of ten, I'll enjoy the book. Also, in that same vein, I think nearly every chapter should end on some kind of cliff-hanger, something to drive you or your readers to turning that page to the next chapter. I try to write my Who-fic like that...sometimes...more often than I would comfortably admit, I don't quite manage it, but that's why I'm a blogger and a fan-fiction writer and a really horrid playwright, and don't write for a living..it don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing...and talent, one mustn't forget that...and a 4 or 8 year college education in English grammar and writing skills doesn't hurt, as well...and I never quite managed that...as Agent 86, Maxwell Smart (Get Smart TV show) used to say..."missed it by THAT much."

Here we see David Tennant sporting his new walking toadstool look, as he recites "I'm a little teapot" for his friends...of course he adds that the spout on HIS kettle is in reality, quite large...

Some pics of October in my part of the planet...enjoy:

MY FAVOURITE KIND OF ROAD:

ONE OF THE DAIRIES THAT SUPPLIES CREAM TO BEN AND JERRY'S, WHOSE ICE CREAM PLANT IS JUST ACROSS THE BORDER IN VERMONT'S "NORTHEAST KINGDOM."

THIS WAS TAKEN ABOUT 20 MILES FROM WHERE MY SISTER LIVES, IN SOUTHERN VERMONT

Gosh, I do miss living in the country sometimes.

So, I've got Windows 2000...and it absolutely will not play DVD's. Oh, I can LISTEN to the DVD's, I just can't watch them...I had WinDVD 4 that came with the computer, and Windows Media Player--I tried to install RealPlayer 7 but it was way too small (1 inch screen???) and didn't want to work, either.

Any suggestions? Or, does Windows 2000 just not play DVD's? I don't know anything. I've been using Windows XP for years, so this is all new to me.

Thought I'd celebrate having a computer back, with a meme--don't think I've ever seen this one.

Do you eat a lot of fast food?
I adore fast-food, I grew up on it: White Tower hamburgers, Carroll's, McDonald's, Burger King, Hoffman's snack bar, New Way Lunch on Congress street in Troy, NY, Hot Dog Charlies, Ted's Fish Fry, Galligher's Fish Fry, Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips, A&W drive-in, Mr B's Best, Mike's Neba Sub and Roast beef, pizza joints, KFC, Mid-City Woolworth's soda fountain..well, you get the picture.

How many people have you kissed in 2008?
A total sum of zero. I do give a my cats a quick peck on the head sometimes, though...those furballs can be a bit of a bother, however.

Have you ever streaked?
Erm--not on purpose. (Don't ask)

Are you an understanding person?
I'd like to think so, I try anyway.

What was the last movie you saw in the cinema?
Passenger 57

What did you last get upset about?
I only got $33 in my pay check this Friday (due to my being too ill to work), and someone stole my change purse with my last $10 in it--that made me cry, that did (not in public, though).

Do you eat sweets on a daily basis?
I can't, I'm a diabetic...just once or twice a week, if even that. I had my last Starbucks frozen frappachino bar last night, that I've been hoarding for weeks.

Does it make you happy to get letters?
Oh yes, I love it! Mind you, that only happens about three or four times a year, if at all, so it is a pretty special occasion anyway. Mostly all I get is junk mail and lots and lots of bills.

Who was the last person to text you?
No one's ever texted me...there's no one to text me..and, well, texting costs extra...and I don't have a clue how to text, anyway.

What are you looking forward to this summer?
Summer's gone--and I'd hoped to get out more and do things as I was too ill and too broke to do anything last year, but only sort of got my wish..I went swimming once, and played crazy golf once, and rode the trolley for some soft ice cream at the lake front a few times.

Who was the last person you ate with?
The Thanksgiving holiday after I moved in, Nov. of 2006, I ate at the community dinner at the Presbyterian church a couple of streets down from me. I may have eaten with some co-workers in the lunch room, but that doesn't really count, cos there's no where else to eat, so it wasn't by choice.

Do raisins belong in cookies?
Oatmeal cookies, most definitely.

Walking into a party, what's the first thing you notice?
I haven't been to a party in years and years, so I don't remember. I probably guess I'd look for some familiar or at least friendly, faces.

Kiss on the first date?
Stopped dating in 1997, but...probably not..unless we REALLY hit it off, then I reckon a peck on the cheek would be okay--but, I've never been kissed so I don't know.

Would you rather have chicken or steak?
Steak...chicken is cheap and steak is a treat for me.

What's one thing you've learned from a relationship gone bad?
I've never had a relationship, I'm an old maid.

Who was the last person you took a picture of?
I don't remember. The cats, I guess. I've not had a camera in years.

Would you ever donate blood?
I am not allowed to, as I have chronic anemia...I used to, though, as I have a rare blood type.

Have you ever felt replaced?
I've been replaced, sure. I used to be a crackerjack file clerk and a pretty good receptionist, but now everything is software this and software that, and I'm useless.

Are there deerheads covering any walls in your house?
I only live in redneck land, I haven't regressed that far yet.

Have you ever been asked out?
That would be a no.

Are you good at telling jokes?
I suck like a Hoover

Have you ever driven without a license?
Nope

Do you wish you had smaller feet?
Well, sometimes--I wear the most common size shoe, so it's hard to find a pair when there's sales on.

When ordering sushi, what do you get?
I would rather eat leaves and twigs than sushi

Do you write in cursive or in print?
I have DCD and two misshapen fingers, so I am physically unable to write cursive, so I have to print always.

Who was the last person you sat next to?
A co-worker named Walter

What were you doing at 10 am?
Waiting for the postman or washing dishes.

Are you different now than you were six months ago?
Nope, still a loser in Glens frickin' Falls.

What was the last beverage you spilled on yourself?
Not a clue

How old will you be in 10 months?
48

Do you think you'll be married by then?

Only if there's a shotgun involved.

Was yesterday better than today?
Yes, I got the new hard drive my friend sent to me, bless her, and I'm back online again, doing these stupid meme's.

What month is your birthday in?
October

Can you live a day without tv?
I haven't had television since 2005.

When was the last time you saw your dad?
About 11am in the morning, December the 30th, 2003, about three hours before my departure to Egypt, that was the last time I ever saw dad alive.

How many pets do you have?
Three cats.

Do you prefer shoes, socks, or bare feet?
Socks in fall-winter, bare feet spring-summer

Available?
I suppose, but...who the hell would be stupid enough, or desperate enough to want me???

What is your favorite colour?
I lean towards royal or navy blue, but also go for brown or burgundy

What are you doing for your next birthday?
Sticking a frozen Hawaiian pizza in the oven, watching Dr Who on YouTube and blogging.

Do you like coffee?
I'm picky about my coffee, really depends on the brand--favour Green Mountain and Paul DeLima coffees.

Do you like iced tea?
Yes, if it's sweet but not overly so.

What are you listening to?
The New Pornographers "Electric Version."

Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed?
I prefer sleeping on my left side, but usually have to sleep on my right, 'cos of an old hip injury.

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
I would be pretty enough for people to like me more--and I would have sit up straighter as a kid, like mum bagered me to, so I wouldn't be so stoop shouldered now.

Do you know how to play poker?
Yes, but only play either on the computer, or for pennies or matchsticks.

What are you thinking about right now?
God, my throat hurts, wonder if I have any throat drops left?

Any plans for next weekend?
Pay the other half of the electric bill and shop for cat food and the usual basics on Friday, work Saturday, do housework and relax on Sunday.

What were you doing at 12 last night?
sleeping

Do you smile a lot?
I've got crap teeth, and not much to smile about, but I like a good laugh though.

Have you ever had a life-threatening injury?
I had a life-threatening illness last year, but other then nearly winding up in a wheel chair after that horse ran over me, thankfully most of injuries have been relatively minor.

Do you like flying or driving?
I enjoy driving a great deal--but I like flying too, especially in a small plane, that's very cool.

What is your favorite thing to spend money on?
toss up between books, Dr Who, and anything horsey.

Do you wear any jewelry daily?
Sometimes my necklace, a filigree silver heart with a round blue shell in the centre, either that or the antique horse bridle ornament, that was made into a pin. Those are the only two pieces of jewelry I wear on a semi-regular basis.

Who got you the jewelry you are currently wearing?
Mum. The necklace I got as a surprise gift--just because, and the pin was the last birthday gift I got from her, for my 44th birthday.

Who is the funniest person you know?
I really don't know anyone funny, though there's a guy named Chuck at work, that sometimes makes me laugh.

How often do you remember your dreams?
pretty often, I guess, at least for the first few minutes after I wake.

What is your ringtone?
Can't afford a ringtone, but if I did, it'd be the Dr Who theme or the Magnificent Seven theme.

Skim, 1%, 2%, or whole milk?
Whole or semi-skimmed

Are you mad about anything?
Sarah f'in Palin and all her little bigoted, intellectually limited and culturally stifled friends

What time did you go to sleep last night?
About 11.30

Where did you last sleep besides your own bed?
In a hospital room at Glens Falls Hospital a while back.

I've not been able to write my thoughts down in a while, and that is hard. I guess one of the most human things about us, it our thoughts. Animals think to an extent, but only on the most basic level--the same I suppose, as any human infant perhaps.

Americans as a whole, in this day and age, are not taught to think abstractly--at least, not at most state-funded schools. It is not until one steps through the portals of a college or university, usually, that one is challenged to go outside oneself, to turn inward with one's thoughts, and outward with one's eyes and soul. American schools are set up for students to pass. That's it. Pass the tests, get passing grades, show basic knowledge of the principals one is taught, and your in the gravy. Master computer software and you have it made--but abstract thinking? Not a salable commodity in America, any longer.

An American, two centuries ago, made his or her own tools and clothing, grew the food they ate, built their barns and pasture fences and homes themselves...and they did it with pride, and imagination and flare! Those old-time pioneer women, they had to do with hard-packed dirt floors, until the wood planks for their homes that hubby had cut and fashioned, has seasoned outdoors enough, to be put down. (Fresh cut, or "green" wood--whether for indoor use or firewood, must be left to dry out, before it can be used.) So, what did these women do? They took sharp stick, and etched out patterns on their floors, so simulate the fanciful patterns of a carpet. Before there were those now familiar weather vanes on the tops of buildings as we have now (we even had one on the cupola on top of our garage, when I was wee), farmers often fashioned hay cocks---figures made of straw, resembling birds, animals and even the head of George Washington, to tell them which way the wind was blowing.

These people toiled from dark to dark--often working by moonlight, as their eyesight was better than ours, due to them being used to the dim light of candles---yet, they found time to read. These rough and ready folks read newspapers, classic literature, poetry and the bible. They thought nothing of walking or riding ten or twenty, or even thirty miles, just to hear a politician, minister or other educated man, lecture on some popular subject...and they considered it an honour to hear him speak. A man who did not know his politics and at least some poetry, was not well thought of, and even those who could not read, learned by listening and asking questions.

Today? Well, many Americans can't even walk through a Wal-marts without looking like a zombie...totally unaware of his or her surroundings. They'll walk up to a snack bar, look right at the beverage menu on the wall, then ask, "what kind of soda do you got?" They're told that Obama is a terrorist, and believe it. They're told that there's WMD's in Iraq, and believe it. They're told that they only way to keep their country safe, it by hating and making war on, anyone different from themselves.

More and more every year, Americans are spoon-fed what to know, what to think, how to behave, how to look and all that...and they like it that way...cos thinking takes effort. Thinking is SCARY. Thinking and asking questions, and seeing the whole picture--or conversely, seeing a minute and intimate portrait of the whole picture...well, it can be upsetting. It can make you angry. It can make you feel small and helpless sometimes--which in itself is a mistake, if nothing else, than thinking makes you stronger, not weaker..even though it can be difficult seeing an injustice, seeing through lies and propaganda, and knowing that millions of others believe the propaganda.

I used to wonder how the Germans and the Russians and the Chinese let things get so out of control--with the unjust imprisonment of innocents, and the mass murders and the extreme hate towards those who do not fall into the party mould. But now, since 9/11, I see the hate that has been pushed and pushed into the country's thinking, the extreme--bordering mindless--patriotism, the literally dumbing down of a once-great nation with hate and petty meaness and isolationism, selfishness and greed...and I could weep with the shame of it all.

well, I'm told that my problems with pics and icons has something to do with the fact that I can't use Internet Explorer 7 with Windows 2000, and I need--apparently, IE 7 to install abdobe flash player and such. Is this correct?

Thank you all, once again, for all of your incredible kindess and support during my latest "crisis," it is deeply appreciated!

When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,
Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
--William Shakespeare

Okay, I downloaded Adobe flash on Windows 200--now I can't see ANY images at all! Not icons or photos or anything? What do I do?

UPDATE: I tried uninstalling adobe flash, and I still cannot view icons or most pictures--even the illustraion of the Daleks on my blog header is gone. What do I do?

I have the new Windows 2000 hard drive up and running, but...I can no longer view any of my pics--old or brand new, in photobucket. Anyone know why this may be happening, and, is there any way to fix it?

Well, the good news first, ey?

I'm back online. Have some glitches to deal with, and it will take me weeks and/or months to get every blessed thing sorted...like getting Windows office again, as my CD is only for XP and this is 2000, so I will be without a word proccessor for a bit, which means any Dr Who stories or plays or whatnot will either have to continue to be handwritten, or I'll have to set up a private working blog somewhere, where I can write stuff and keep my notes, sort of like my misc. blog on blogger, for my crap plays.

Anyway, I am thrilled to be back online at home. I am well used to being completely alone, and the silence which that entails, but it is so good to be able to "talk" to the world again, in the privacy of my own home, and not have to worry (too much anyway) about nosy co-workers butting into my private life--what life? Not sure why anyone here in Glens Falls would give a damn about my personal business, as I don't go anywhere or do anything much, as a rule.

I am feeling better, I'm also pleased to say. Spent much of yesterday in bed, sleeping the dregs of the flu/pnuemonia off. Unfortunately, a possible side effect of this has happened, and it's not good.

I went to the doctor's Thursday, for a quick check of my lungs--mentioning that I'd had this awful salty/saline taste in my mounth...well, the nurse I was seeing ordered some tests, and now I have to go for another lung x-ray and stuff...I didn't mention this before 'cos I don't want anyone at work to know...I've a sign of some kind of rare-ish lung cancer, it seems. It'll probably turn out to be nothing, as I've never smoked in my life--tho' I spent most of my childhood around my dad, whose nickname was "smokey," for a reason...he used to smoke as many as 5 packs of Pall Mall's a day, and he himself had lung cancer. And, I did spent a lot of the latter part of the 80's and early 90's in smoke filled auction barns quite a few nights out of the week, back when mum and I had our flea market business. Still...

I'm not overly worried. I mean, over the last 20 years, I've been told that I might have ovarian cancer, would be blind in a year, that I might have MS, that my horse-related back injury would put me in a wheel chair, and more recently that I had congestive heart failure---NONE of which proved to be true! So, I'm not sweating too much about the lung cancer bit...all because my spit tastes salty? I think it's once again a case of Chicken Little syndrome on the part of my health care providers. When I die of anything, it'll likely be kidney failure like my mum had, or my heart, perhaps. And, truthfully for me, there really are far worse things than dying, trust me on this.

ALL of my sidebars are GONE from my blog--they are gone, gone gone! What the hell is happening to Bcuk???

I can't access comments or previous posts...every single thing has totally disappeared!

Has anyone else had bcuk bugs on their blog?

And, sorry if you don't like me being upset with the blog for the vast amount of bugs that occur, but you know, as I just wrote a negative commenter, this blog is my lifeline to the outside world--it is the ONLY connection pretty much, that I have with other human beings. Oh, I sometimes chat with people in the office, but basically, this blog is IT. Without this blog I have no one, nothing. I might as well be living in a tent in the middle of the Sahara. I'm sure at least 99% of you cannot grasp what this is like, how it feels. I'm pretty well adjusted to being alone, but still...imagine having no one to tell you thoughts to, your sorrows, joys, troubles and memories? No one, not ever? Can you even begin to grasp how hard that is on a human being? So pardon me if I get upset by having my lifeline messed up.

You, who have, and have had, so much, Whom takes for granted the simple act of talking and texting and writing in a blog, why do you begridge someone who has had so little, being upset about problems?

I seem to have been switched to the new blog editor without me doing it--at least, after I write, the page that comes up is totally different (and, a pain in the arse as it causes me extra steps to get back to my home page)

NOW, the stinking blog has messed up my Roasting David (Tennant) group!

I had a Feedjit widget on there, and it has been removed! I didn't do it. And, when I try to put it back, there's NO http widget setting any longer, for me to do so!

Is this some scam by bcuk to get me to go pro? Or is it just another stinking bug in the system. I use Wordpress, Blogger and other blogs, and NOBODY has as many probablems as Bcuk--if it wasn't for all my blog friends, I would have dumped this crap blog a long time ago.

I'm really disgusted.

...I got a choice for someone named after a bottle of beer ("Bud" Taylor), or a woman whose hubby just got arrested for drink driving, failure to yield and hit and run with an injury.

Now, I'm not one to hold what a spouse or other adult relation does, against a person, yet Villa White, the Democratic candidate whom I was leaning towards supporting (well, would YOU vote for a conservative redneck with a nickname that sounds like a popular brand of beer? Let's face it, "Mayor Bud" doesn't exactly sound very impressive, does it?)

I wouldn't mind so much about White's hubby, except that Villa White is refusing to speak to anyone and has apparently gone into seclusion on the matter.

According to the police blotter: Hubby ran a stop, hit a woman's car and broke her jaw or shoulder or something, then hubby drove off and parked in his driveway, later walking to the scene and denying any involement...police found him rather intoxicated. He was arrested and released pending proscecution.

Thing is, cadidate White is ducking reporters--I understand not talking about a pending lawsuit (which is probably a given under the circumstances) and criminal case, but she could at least step up and say, "no comment," but she's running away, apparently, and my thinking is, if she can't handle this, how would she handle any crises' when she's in office?

So, looks like this little northern New York state city of 15,000 souls maybe be stuck with Mayor "Bud" for a while. Glens Falls sucks.

Oh well. I don't especially like Obama--too wishy-washy, and I now have reservations about Villa White, so maybe I just won't blinking vote this year.

Hi all,

Thanks for the suggestions about voting. Unfortunately the deadline in my state for absentee ballots is past, and it is quite correct that absentee ballots, in that they've a history (since Bush Jr. became prez) of not being properly counted...or even counted at all.

Once again at work...collections calls today...just couldn't reach someone, 'cos the guy that took the call said the man I wanted shot himself in the foot last night and was in hospital...another brilliant American shooter...they should change the song and slogan from "God bless America," to God help America, ha-ha.

Feeling somewhat better today, after a bout of severe chills early last evening. Cripes! Had the heat turned up to an unheard of 78 F last night--something I NEVER do, and even under two blankets I still couldn't get warm! Took from around 5pm 'till a bit past eight for the shivers to stop...I was only out in the cold for about 15 minutes yesterday, but I guess that's all it took.

Flame was sick this morning, wouldn't eat and was throwing up a bit...her appetite isn't bad though...I mean, she was hungry enough to sit up and wave her paw at me, begging for some bacon this morning (cute wee thing she is, always good for a smile, my flamey), but she didn't want her soft food, and I heard her meow in distress when I was in the shower, and found she'd barfed on the kitchen floor a bit. That's twice this week. I'm hoping it's just seasonal hairballs, as there's just no cash to spare for a vet, for a long while.

Then, after I fussed over her and told her what a good girl she was--which she naturally liked, Flame tried to lick my hand...with her chin still covered in..well, you know. I love Flame, but draw the line at getting cat vomit on my hand, if I can possibly help it. I thanked her for the thought, though, and gave her a chin rub.

We had frost on the grass this morning, and temperatures at slated to chill down, with overnight lows from 31 F to 22 F (-1 C, to -6 C) with highs from 45 F to the upper 50's F. Most of the week shall be sunny, which is nice. Thursday there's a chance for rain or snow showers, but one day out of five isn't anything to complain about.

My teenage co-workers are busily texting and doing their makeup and nails between calls, so I don't feel much guilt about checking the weather forecast, ha-ha. The radio station I get at home, seldom broadcasts the weather. Just plays the same old naf easy listening tunes from the 40's to early 80's, and a quickie CNN news blast on the hour...if they ever give the local weather, I've never heard it...suspect it's one of those stations that pre-records everything, including the DJ.

Years ago, in my early 30's, when I was working at the dressage stable, the barn radio was tuned to a pop station, and I soon noticed that they played the exact same songs every day at pretty much the same time...and the same adverts, as well. Didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that it was a recorded broadcast...changed stations after that, and started bringing in my own mix tapes, as well. Actually, that was one of the perks of that particular job, as being that I was most often working absolutely alone, I could listen to whatever music I wanted to, on the barn's boom box. Music does make the work go by faster...and the drive, when you're on the road.

Well, obviously since I'm online, I'm at work. My voice is better, thankfully. However, even after 12 hours sleep last night, I feel so run down, like I could just lie down and never get up again.

The right side of my head feels like it's been used as a football, I'm hot as hell and my heart's working overtime...but, I think I will make my bill next week now.

So, people keep asking me if I'm going to vote. Actually, usually I do, unless I'm ill or otherwise physically unable to get to the voting booth. However, this year I don't like EITHER candidate (I was--in fact have been for years--leaning towards Hilary), but...Palin would make such a disasterous leader, that I feel compelled to vote for Obama-even though I feel the man is incredibly wishy-washy... and think he may prove to be a wee bit of a jobsworth when the chips are down, quite frankly. Maybe I'll be proved wrong, if he wins.

With McCain, it'll be almost like a Bush Jr. Junior in the White House...albeit an incredibly old one. McCain has made some serious judgement errors in this campaign, though. First, his Palin pick may have inspired many moderate republicans--but, Palin and her radical (and often quite violent) views, frightened off quite a few independent voters who were sitting on the fence. Then, in the last debate, McCain went on the attack, instead of talking about the things Americans needed to hear, he just seemingly went on a rant against Obama. Americans facing losing jobs, homes and going hungry and without medical care...they don't want rants, they want positive answers. And, I think the latest polls prove that.

Will I vote? If I got the 10 dollars to spare for cab fare to the high school

(would this stinking republican-run city put the polling place on a bus line, so EVERYONE could easily access the voting booths? No! The republicans wouldn't think of that, 'cos thinking is really, really hard, and we wouldn't want the chav republicans in this naf town to hurt themselves, would we?)

Well, back to work in a few minutes. I guess if my computer had to break down, it's just as well it did it now, when I'm too out of it to care...I'm incredibly bored, but too darn out of it to care, at the moment.

Have a good night all

Still trying to work with a crap voice, but my fever's gone, thankfully, and my brush with pneumonia is on it's (slow) way out.

I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that I'll make the other half of my electric/gas bill next Friday...or else I'll be without heat or lights (not joking, wish I was) I've lost so much time at work with this thing...and of course for me, no work translates into absolutely no pay...no sick day pay in my world. Ahh well, that's why I'm working when I'd rather be in bed, ha-ha.

I did my laundry today--had to go to the health center for a new prescription and to have my BP and lungs re-checked, so, the laundromat being just a few doors up the street, thought I'd kill those two proverbial birds with one stone, so to speak...but gah--I was so bad after..got home and suddenly started coughing..thought I'd cough up a blinking lung! Didn't do my working voice much good, let me tell you.

Anyway, it was a lovely autumn day today. The foliage is at peak: oranges, yellows and reds everywhere...and tonight, as the sun was setting, over on the south horizon, as I looked out my office windows, I saw a hot air balloon, floating along in the sunset--pretty sight!

Well, I'm pulling a short shift again, leaving 1 hour early, 'cos my voice is toast. Three hours seems to be my limit, at the moment...won't have a "proper" pay cheque until the last Friday of the month...life does suck, doesn't it?

This was one of my favourite treats from the Woolworth's soda fountain, when I was a wee child:

TRI-CITY WOOLWORTH'S
"BLACK COW"

8 scoops vanilla ice cream
Mug root beer--or your favourite rootbeer.

Place 2 small scoops of vanilla ice cream in four tall glasses. Pour in root beer about halfway and serve.

Another childhood favourite:

ORANGE JULIUS:

1 cup orange juice
2/3 cups dry skim milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
8 ice cubes

Place everything in a blender, cover and blend on medium speed until mixture is frothy. 1 to 2 servings.

Here's omething I invented during some downtime while working as a breakfast chef at our local Holiday Inn, back in 1982:

NANCY'S OWN CHOCO-COFFEE

1 cup premium brand hot black coffee
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
2 tablespoons cream or whole milk
whipped cream

Stir in syrup and cream, top with a dollop of whipped cream.

still sick but slogging on. My voice feels like rubbish, and so do I.

People are being miserable tonight--don't know what is different about Tuesday from Monday, to make Americans such miserable, pathetic, sorry little gits, but there ya' go.

I noticed the stock market is booming--one wonders if it was the "bailout" or if it was just some sham to get free funds from our governments--I notice few of the banks are passing the savings on to the people who need them the most.

Yet, something tells me that this crisis is far from over--that we are in a false lull, and that the worst is yet to come---that Wall Street, investors and the fools called politicians haven't learned a damned thing from all of this. I do hope I'm wrong.

Well, that's all I have to say. Maybe tomorrow will be different...not necessarily better, just...different.

Back in the office tonight--wishing I were home in bed...yeah, still sick. I have to take a lot of breaks at work, 'cos I can't talk long without beginning to lose my voice. Still have a low fever and feel pretty run down...but, I can SMELL again. Well...sort of, anyway. It's nice being able to taste food again. Best diet plan in the world, a stuffy nose...food's a lot less appealing when you can't taste it.

We had a brilliant weekend--warm, sunny, brilliant fall foilage. I missed the Lippizan stallion show, though.

Well, back to work. Thank you each and everyone, for your kindness and moral support. You're all brilliant friends!

Hello to my buddy in Corinth--why don't you ever leave a comment? How are things on Palmer Avenue? Did they start re-building those businesses on Main? Has Jack's Place re-opened? How's Joel?

Or are you the one in Lake Luzerne, the snoop from the office? Still, you could just say hi, if you're that interested in me....

Well, still sick. It's been one helluva long week, let me tell you. Don't have much time so I have to type fast!

I can't work more than 2 hours without going completely hoarse. I made three sales today though. My paycheck will be only about 50 dollars next week.

Two bits of good news--well, one may be a bit of a mixed blessing.

Firstly, I'm apparently getting a tower sometime in the next week or two, thanks to a lovely and very dear friend. So I'll be back on here much, much sooner than I ever would have believed I have. I may not belive in miracles, but I do belive that I have been blessed with some unbelivably wonderful friends.

Secondly, I may actually be getting a raise. That would be the raise I was supposed to get a year ago. So, on the eve of my 2nd anniversary with this company, I may get a 25 cent to 75 cent raise in my hourly pay. This is nice--wonderful in fact, but...it may not be, as my disability cheque (the one that pays my rent and internet bill) would likely be affected...I may even lose it. That worries the hell out of me. I'm still not well enough to work full time--yet, if I lose my disability, I will not only have to work 40 hours a week, but probably have to get a second job, besides....which will potentially put me back in hospital.

Without the internet, I am sooooo-bored! I do have DVD's to watch--22 of them now, which is great---and my books, those would be the same 150+ books I've had for the past x-number of years. But, I am re-reading them anyway, and at least I do have them, so I shouldn't complain, really, but I do miss having things to keep my mind active. The only time I have a conversation with anyone is at work--often commiserating or chatting with the total strangers I call. Thank god for Ruth Liberman and her theater classes...this old maid lost most of her shyness in the short space of 2 or 3 years, which was the best thing that I got from college, quite frankly.

I can't access my MS word files now, so I can't fiddle with my unfinished Dr Who stories on a legal pad. So...I have been making notes for a new Dr Who story. I've been thinking of send him to Hollywood in the 1920's...he could meet Lilian Gish, Charlie Chaplin, Tom Mix, Rudy Valentino, Harold Lloyd and other wonderful old stars. I'm thinking making a bit of a mystery, involoving a monster on the movie set--who really is a monster/alien. It's just notes, but I thought it might be a fun story to write.

Well, I must dash. Have a bill to pay, then home for some more rest--and staring at the stains on the ceiling tiles...and shaking out all my sheets and stuff on my bed. I was sitting on my bed, when this whopping huge spider came and began crawling all over my coverlet. Ugh! I HATE spiders! I'm being overun with the darn creepy things, and Nancy is NOT a happy little camper...I happen to have a mild case of arachnaphobia.
I've got no less than 4 different kinds of spiders in my place. And cobwebs! I can't keep the place dusted for all the cobwebs! What is going on??? It's starting to creep me out, let me tell you. I only had a few spiders--one kind of spider--when I moved in....now I've got a zillion kinds and am getting bitten (got a rash on my foot from yet another bite) and constantly taking down webs--I was walking through the doorway from the bedroom to the lounge, when one cheeky arachnid dropped down from the ceiling right in front of my bloomin' face! The cheek!

Anyway, I'm offline until Monday night. Hope you all have a lovely weekend. Cheers.

I woke to that gad-awful American version of CNN on my old clock-radio.

Bleh. CNN is to U.S. radio, like the Sun is to UK news, know what I mean? News for the mentally lazy.

They were talking about the economic meltdown, and interviewing some moron calling himself either a political or economic professor, and this supposedly intelligent man said--rather haughtily and childishly--that "If people wanted to be PATRIOTIC, they'd support Wall Street. If they just care about themselves, then by all means be cautious with your money."

HOW stupid is that?

When the hell did spending money become patriotic???

So, because my literal net worth at the moment, is about 57 dollars, that makes me a traitor to my country???

What? What don't they just sell patriotism at the one-dollar store now, alongside the cheap made-in-China knick-knacks. Stick it in with the soaps, socks and cereal boxes.

Funny, I thought patriotism was about sacrificing your life for you country, about political dissent, voting, volunteering, participating in town meetings, honouring your flag and those who fought for it, learning about your nation's history, respecting your country's laws--and, your fellow countrymen and women.

Guess not. Now, it's patriotic to buy American beef--which rules out eating at McDonald's, thank God.

If you don't agree with the conservatives/republicans, you're branded a "liberal"--said with the same fear and loating that many of my paranoid Yanks used to whisper about Communists, 40 or 50 years ago.

Captialism and democracy can work--but, as such folks as Eisenhower AND Marx had warned us, many decades ago--and nobody listened--EXTREME capitolism and democracy....are a disaster waiting to happen.

But, if you want to be psuedo-patriotic, by all means, throw your money at Wall Street--and look up the name of a good homeless shelter while you're at it...becasue if you go belly up, the US government can't and won't help you--they're only helping the blokes on WALL STREET, that got us into this mess in the first place.

Oh, and by the way, while I do love my country....I still would be much happier being British.

I was hoping to put in 4 hours work tonight, just so I have a pay check next week, yet an hour in to working the phone, my voice sounds--and feels, like I've been gargling with gravel and ground glass. Dang.

I'm really tired too, my heart has been pounding out the samba. I'm sick of being sick!

...I only felt that way.

I've been silent all week for two reasons: 1. that cold I woke with on Sunday morning, turned into the flu, THEN into walking pneunomia. I'm only just back at work on Friday, and still seriously shaky and weak, and can't breathe worth a damn if I walk more than block or so.

And...my computer died Sunday afternoon. It's completely gone. the windows socket whatever that is, is gone...basically all I get when I turn it on, is my wall paper...no icons, nothing.

So, here I am, computerless, probably for at least a year, until I can save enough for a new tower.

Well, gotta' go to work. I'll try to write more later, on my break.

Some political pundits have accused McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, of "borderline racist" remarks, in one of her more recent speeches.

One of these remarks is that Palin accuses Obama of "not being like the rest of us (Americans)."

Here is part of what Palin says:

"This is not a man who sees America like you and I see America," she said. "We see America as a force of good in this world. We see an America of exceptionalism."

Palin went so far as to outright say that Obama "supports terrorists."

NEWS REPORT IN LOCAL PAPER: In her character attack, Palin questions Obama's association with William Ayers, a member of the Vietnam-era Weather Underground. Her reference was exaggerated at best if not outright false. No evidence shows they were "pals" or even close when they worked on community boards years ago and Ayers hosted a political event for Obama early in his career.

Obama, who was born in Hawaii and is reportedly a devout Christian, has repeatedly suffered attacks by conservatives, trying to tie him to radical Muslims--but this is the first time the Palin-McCain campaign has come right out in public and said that Obama "is not like us," and, suggested that by being "different" than conservative white anglo-saxon protestants, he is un-American.

It should be noted that McCain opposed the making of Martin Luther King Day a national holiday, AND, the Arizona-based Senator also opposed the removal of a Confederate flag--a southern symbol of both separitism and racism--from the capital building in South Carolina.

One of McCain's key supporters has also launched a national ad campaign against radical Muslims--though in reality most people view it as a thinly veiled outright attack on the Muslim religion as a whole. The people putting out this free anti-Muslim DVD in newspapers across the country, have absolutely refused to reveal who is backing them and whom is REALLY behind this launching of outright bigotry...as can be expected in any cowardly attack, I suppose.

Bullies throw their bricks and verbal punches, then run like hell, and soon after deny any wrong-doing, because doing the right thing takes courage--doing the wrong thing takes...absolutely nothing. That's why they're cowards and bullies, that's what these slugs do.

Liberals: 10 Conservatives: ZERO

Cowards hiding their faces--and fears-- at a KKK rally.

Well...more like snow-raining, really. It abruptly began pissing down rain...and then there were these big snowflakes mixed in with it. I was just about to walk down to the convenient store for some throat losanges...guess not.

The WTEN weather man said, and I quote: "Enjoy the nice Sunday!" Not a single prediction of rain..forget about snow showers. Well, looked on the radar--there's one tiny little patch of rain-snow in all of big old New York state...and guess where it is?

Are we to have an afternoon of THIS??? "Enjoy the nice weather..." Pffft.

While at Wal=mart I looked at the cost of new towers--yikes. cheapest one was $298! They had a whole new computer set up--by e-machines, for $398, so maybe some day I can get a new 'puter. Problem is, I'd also have to get new software, like MS Word, etc. People don't think about that, when they tell me to "just get a new one." yeah, well, I'm not getting any more big payouts from the government any time soon, nor am I going to win the lottery, get paid for something I've written, pick the trifecta at the race track, or be chosen to be Dr Who's next companion...so just gotta' do what I can.

I had planned on taking a walk to Crandall park about a quarter mile up the road, this morning. Meh--my bad foot wasn't cooperating. I hurt it Friday night, so I've been hot-soaking it and rubbing liniment on it. It's better, but a wee sore still, so I decided to let discretion be the better part of valour.

I had to go to Wal-marts yesterday, after work. Bleh. The mobile I was going to buy--the one with the cheaper phone cards, had gone off sale at the store where I'd seen it, so I had to go to Wal-marts for my usual $20 Virgin card, which they sell for 12 cents less than everyone else. I got the remainder of my week's shopping while there, and, found a DVD of one of my favourite westerns, The Magnificent Seven, on sale for $4.97.

Unfortunately, while waiting for the bus--a good 45 minute wait after I was done shopping, I caught a terrible chill while sitting in the bus shelter. It was 53 F outside, so it certainly wasn't cold, by any means--but there was a chill wind that seemed to cut right through my denim jacket, and I couldn't stop shivering. I finally decided to bite the bullet and spend the $6 on a cab ride home.

I spent last night with the chills...even turning on the heat. This morning, I woke with a burning lump in my throat, chest congestion, body aches and more chills. Damn. I thought I'd beat back the flu--which has been raging around Glens Falls for the past several weeks...even affecting a number of my co-workers. Not a lot I can do about it. I forgot to buy tea again, drat it all. No chicken broth, and out of vitamins, tissues, cold remedy, etc. Well, just have to hope it doesn't get worse...working a job where one has to use one's voice for hours on end, with a sore throat, isn't a whole lot of fun.

We're expecting snow flurries in the wee hours of Monday morning, or possibly, Tuesday morning. Well, that's about normal for this part of the world. So much for global warming...I was in one of the local "everything for one-dollar" type of shops Friday, and managed to pick up some winter gear: several pairs of thermal socks (good to minus 25 F) and a pair of knit gloves while I was there (not to mention a notebook, a new coffee cup and a girdle). I'm ready for winter--bring it on! (Well, I need to find a pair of winter boots yet, but that can wait another month, I reckon...I'll just wear two pairs of thermal socks when I wear my rubber wellies, ha-ha).

Gosh, I was HUNGRY yesterday! I couldn't stop eating! Blimey! I've not had an appetite all week, and I guess yesterday made up for it. I had a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast, two slices of pizza at the office, a Big Mac and large fries after I got done shopping, and STILL was famished a few hours after that, so had a hot pastrami and provolone cheese sandwich with a cup of potato chowder, for my dinner...and I was STILL hungry...but resisted the urge to eat any more. What the heck was THAT all about??? Very strange. Pre-flu hunger pains?

My appetite (or lack thereof) seems back to normal today..but yesterday afternoon...I've not had a big hunger like that in...can't remember when. Not for a very long time, certainly.

Well, it's getting close to 1pm here, and I've chores to do. Hope you all have a good day.

While I can't access my hotmail account, I did get an yahoo email from someone named K___, who seems to think I KNOW David Tennant!

Get this:

"Hi, I hope you don't mind me writing you. I think your blog is really cool. Please tell David I think he's really special and that I love him. How long have you known him? If you can, can you please tell me where he lives, or where he's staying in Stratford? I heard David is not doing the next series because he was offered the film role as the Riddler. Is this true? Please answer me back, I'll understand if you don't want to give me David's address, thanx."

Good gravy, I am getting rather tired of these teens thinking I know Tennant, where the heck are these girl's getting this from?????

All I can think is that someone, somewhere, has said I know the actor---I assure you it WASN'T me!

So I told her:

I've no clue if he's staying or going. I hope he stays on for at least part of Series 5, just to see how he gets on with Moffat's scripts...but Mr. Tennant is a grown man, and if he wants to go off and play Robin or the Riddler or whomever, it's his life, his job, he's going to do what he wants to do, and that's fine.

I can't tell him anything, 'cos I really don't know him, yet I was sure that he appreciates the enthusiasm of fans like herself. I had someone once give me the gent's street address (and someone else give me his supposed e-mail address), but I would never, under any circumstances ever divulge this information, whether I knew the actor or not. However, I could tell her that I was told he lives somewhere in London with the odd name of Crouch End (I hate to tell you the image that springs to mind with a name like that--but at least it's better than somewhere called Ramsbottom, or Sheepsbum, or whatever). I imagine this Crouch End must be a rather large place if it's in London, so I doubt I'm divulging any big secrets.

The man's staying in a hotel in Stratford? I was told Stratford was only 50 miles from London? I used to commute 100+ miles round-trip DAILY from the Adirondacks to central Vermont, mostly on trecherous B roads...often in snow and heavy rain! I'd leave at 7am, and if I had a night class, not get home some nights until 10 or 11pm. And, when dad was alive--I might have to ALSO commute in the opposite direction nearly the same distance, if dad needed help with something...and come home and cram in my homework, half the night, and take care of mum and the caravan and...Tennant really has to stay in a hotel???

So Wimpy boy Tennant can't commute? I mean, if he's too wimpy to drive, with his income he could hire a blinking chauffer. Geez. Those big stars sure have the easy life, do they not? Wow man, I hope Tennant never plans on being a dad, he'd either have to hire someone to raise his kids, or give up his career if he doesn't like commuting.

OJ Simpson was convicted today, for attempted robbery, kidnapping and possession of a firearm. He could face life in prison.

In a strange twist to the rather bizzare OJ crime stories--first his trial and aquittal for murder in Los Angles all those years ago, than the attempted robbery in Las Vegas, the number 13--considered by many to be an unlucky number, was dominant throughout the trial:

FROM THE NEWS:

He was convicted of an armed robbery that happened on Sept. 13 and was found guilty on the 13th anniversary of his Los Angeles murder acquittal. The Las Vegas jury deliberated for 13 hours after a 13-day trial.

Well...that was weird. Every day my compute is acting up in a different way--this morning it logged me off this blog..without me doing it! Well weird, that was.

I just read a comment by someone named "Martha" on my blog. Twice now I've had people suggest I contact the illustrious David Tennant regarding my problems...okay, while the thought behind it was genuinely nice, I find the suggestion that I tell Tennant my troubles to be just a wee on the weird side. He's an actor, not a super hero or a magic genie or God (tho' I'm told his hair is very God-like)

I don't know the man, will never have any contact with the gent...and really fail to see why the man would bother to care about me, as we don't know each other! In point of fact, our lives are so different from one another, that the man might as well really be an alien from outer space! I am quite sure Tennant must certainly have a hugely busy life and cares of his own to see to, without getting involved with my stupid pathetic little life.

Anyway lovely sunny day here, tho' quite chilly. We had frost last night. For the next week, temperatures will vary from the mid-50's F, to the mid to low 30's F. Monday, the thermometer is supposed to dip to 31 F (-1 C), and we may get a few flakes of snow, during the night. Still, a few snow flurries never hurt anyone.

Next weekend is the Lippizan stallion show in the city, at the civic center. I'd like to go, but the ticket prices seem a bit steep for my budget, but if they're issuing and discount coupons, I might still go. I've still got a 171 dollar bill to pay, that's due the third week of this month--that's two payments of 90 dollars out of the next two pay checks--one of which will only be 130 dollars, so I've got to be careful with my funds.

I hurt my bad foot last night. I'm well used to the pain, so it's fine, but it tires the hell out of me, and makes me limp more and walk like an 80 year old woman. That's because the worsened limp has the added side effect of making other parts of my body hurt as well, what with the change of movement--especially my bad knee...and for some strange reason, my left shoulder...possibly because as my limp worsens, I tend to hunch forward and lead with my right shoulder more...dunno' why, mind you.

Well, bagel with cream cheese and an orange juice for my breakfast, and I'm not raring to go today...I'd rather go back to bed, ha-ha. But, I have to work today, telemarketing to people who have better things to do than speak to me, and boy do they let me know it!

Have a great day, all. Cheers, N.

There's been so many negative and just plain stupid articles out there, about what's going on in my country, but this one, this one made me giggle!

Why Some Women Hate Sarah Palin

Copyright © 2008Time Inc

NOTE: This is NOT being directed at any specific person or persons in blogland. This is just a generic vent.

____________________________________________________________________-

FROM THE NEWS:
The legislation's roller-coaster ride through Congress began at a somber meeting in Pelosi's office in mid-September where Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke frightened senior Democrats and Republicans with their warnings of an impending economic collapse without quick legislative action.

"Pray for our republic," intoned Representative Marcy Kaptur, a democrat from Ohio, a leading opponent of the measure. "She's being placed in very uncaring and greedy hands."

____________________________________________________________________________________

Okay, Paulson--the man who STILL fails to formally acknowledge that we're in a recession, and George Bush, the biggest presidental liar in American history, have gotten their way.

Despite the fact that Bush has a long-standing history of un-factual propaganda, a gift for crying wolf and telling us that the sky is falling, and Paulson pretty much ignored the mortgage industries shady lending practices, and, as I said, STILL refuses to say the "R" word, despite these well-established fact, it just boggles me how people LISTENED to these two, and BELIEVE them!

I got news for every single last one of you. What is happening now, was always going to happen. It's been building up to this for the last five to ten years, at the very least...and very probably longer than that, since Regan's era, when he began de-regulating big business and Wall Street started getting a firmer toe-hold in Washington D.C.

This measure will NOT stop the recession. It may slow it down slightly, but not stop it. And, if a major foreign investor (I mean a nation, not a bank or individual) whom we are in debt to as a nation bails on us, if all these bad mortgages we're buying fail to stabilze the housing market, if people panic when they realize that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation only has enough funds to cover a mere fraction of all the nation's bank deposits and there's a run on even a handful of big US banks....we WILL go into meltdown and this "bailout" will prove UTTERLY WORTHLESS.

Some areas of the USA are being hit--and hit hard, but..they were already being hit, over a YEAR AGO.

Here in my region, the economy...is fine. No, really. The paper said today that our local economy has not felt the impact of the credit crunch hardly at all--and many areas of the US can say the same.

It's like, if you're indoors, in a windowless room, and everyone you meet is telling you it's raining...well, you might be inclined to believe them...and it is raining....1000 miles away. Outside your building? It's cloudless and sunny. Hey, these other people probably know what they're talking about--even tho' you don't know any of them personally, and haven't bother to ask any deeper questions, like, "where is it raining, how hard is it raining, is it going to rain all day, etc?" They are yelling "rain," so heck, they must know, right?

I hear a lot of people worrying about people losing their homes and such. Me too. I've BEEN homeless, okay? If I can't relate to that, NO ONE can, for pity's sake! Yeah, I may seem unsympathetic, but that's not true. I don't want to see anyone hurt, but on the other hand, I think millions have been living in a zombie-like state of extreme capitalism. We NEED a check, and balance. It's like WWII, the atomic bomb was horrible and terrifying and the worst thing we've ever done as a nation...yet, if we had not, then WWII may well have extended for two or four or five years, at a cost of far more lives and resources than those two bombs.

I keep comparing the financial crisis to a war...well, it's not so different. Money can destroy a nation as well as any bomb can, believe me.

In the news editorial comments and even on the streets and on the telephone when I talk to people, I'm hearing some Americans casually saying that some people "deserve" to lose their homes, if they were stupid enough to buy into these shady mortgages...just as my sister and other neo-conservatives have said that people heavily in debt for health care costs, "deserve" to have their homes taken from them, if they cannot pay their hospital bills. I've even heard these same rumblings in UK papers, about people there, losing their homes due to the hike in mortgage rates. This sort of opinion is based solely on air and arrogance.

Okay, then, in that vein, all those people out there, who say that, should DESERVE to lose, when the stupidly play the lottery or bet on the footie or the horses, or pull the lever of a fruit machine, yes? YES.

Saying people with bad credit, who got into this, deserve to become homeless, is not right. It is not at all what I was trying to say. I would NEVER wish anyone to lose their home, and anyone who thinks that, doesn't know me AT ALL.

Yes, I may seem like I don't care if we head into a depression. That's not true. I'm just angry that people are freaking out, when this was happening right under their very noses!

I saw this whole thing coming for a long time. In January of 2004, while in Egypt, CNN Europe reported that the dollar was faltering under pressure from the euro. When I got home--NO ONE I spoke to here, even knew what I was talking about! In spring of 2004, I said that this whole pushing of (temporarily) ridiculously low-interest ARM's onto people with bad or poor credit was riding to a fall...NO ONE listened! Last summer when I saw this nation's economy begin to falter, I murmured that I wouldn't be surprised if we were headed into a depression, eventually...people LAUGHED at me!

I've BEEN saying for the past 20 years, that our rise into extreme capitalism was going to lead us to a fall...not one person believed me, only because I'm a dummy and unpopular and fat and ugly and I'm not supposed to fricking actually know anything, right? Oh, and I'm one those nasty little LIBERALS the conservatives fearfully sneer at, as well. Conservatives HATE liberals, 'cos we represent common sense...a scary thing, common sense, makes you see beyond your safe little glass bubble and into reality-land.

Now, truthfully, I'm an idiot about financial stuff and world politics--but over the past several years, I've sort of been watching this slow-motion fall I'm a bit pissed off with all the panic. This really is just like the build-up to the Iraq war...WHY CAN NO ONE SEE THAT???

The big-wigs cry foul and all the little chickens run around thinking the sky's suddenly falling, straight out of the blue!

WHY DON'T SOME OF YOU THINK FOR CHRIST'S SAKE???

We are are nearly bankrupt in this country, right? At least according to Bush-Paulson, so WHY are we giving this man carte blanche to billions and billions of dollars?? This bill has NO oversight! NONE! Paulson can now do whatever the hell he pleases with this money, with no one to answer to. So, if he buys up billions in BAD MORTGAGES, and we lose all those billions of dollars, then...what??? AND, this bill contains NO HELP for American consumers! People are going to lose their homes and jobs, DESPITE this "emergency" measure. The ONLY one's being helped here, are the filthy bastards who got us into this mess in the FIRST PLACE.

Do you not all understand that? Are you ten different kinds of stupid?

I guess you morons who supported this thing, LIKE WITH IRAQ, are going to find this out the hard way, five or ten years down the f'ing road.

Jotted off another bad quatrain the other night. Got nothing better to do before bedtime, so I thought I'd post this.

PHOTOGRAPH

Memories held within my hands,
People and places forever gone,
A loss of souls upon life's sands,
The fading strains of a well-loved song.

2008, Nancy G. In memory of my mom and dad, and other deceased family members: Grandma Bertha, Grandma Gladys, Gradad Bill, My great-grandmother, my aunts-- Ann, Jane, Bertha, also mum's cousin Doug and his wife...some of whom I knew well, some I barely remember, and some I only know through family photographs and stories.

A man from a rural Washington County NY community, came to Glens Falls, and decided to let the city know he was there---by driving down the street repeatedly blaring his car hooter. The gentleman said later that he "wanted to let everyone know" he'd arrived in the city.

Well, someone did notice his arrival...a Glens Falls police officer sitting in his car, on a kerb, while the rural man drove by.

The police officer decided to introduce himself to this redneck on his first visit to our little city, and duly flashed hello with those little red lights on top of his patrol car. The rural man pulled over to see the pretty lights, and found himself a few minutes later, sitting in the back of the officer's car, for a personal tour of the city jail.

Seems our redneck horn-blower was about three times over the legal limit for alcohol consumption.

Ah yes, only in Glens Falls, people.

Well, a chilly, damp autumn day has turned into a chilly sunny autumn day. Some of the trees are at their peak colour and are really unbelieveably spectactular. This is when I most miss having a car--and a camera.

Ah well. I'm off in a bit to do a bunch of chores. My big day out, ha-ha. shopping and bill paying, whoo-hoo.

I was sitting here sifting through my drawer looking for my calculator--handy when I'm shopping so I don't go overbudget...found a Dr Who series 3 DVD someone sent me--that works in the portable DVD player, so I'm very happy, now that I can watch a couple of new series episodes.

So, off to the my office building to pick up my pay check--I need a laugh today. Then, off to the Broad St. drug store to get my test strips and a refill on one of my meds, and Hanniford to cash the cheques, pay the rent and a bill and buy a couple of items I can't get elsewhere. Then, it's back home and onto a bus in the exact opposite direction, to Wal-marts. Yippie.

Not a terribly exciting life I lead, is it?

I'd like to do some writing tonight, but this virus has messed up my 'puter so bad, it's now effecting my ability to use MS Word. I've a couple of quatrains still on there, I can't access. Not that it's a big loss if it's lost forever. I've literally lost dozens of poems and stories over the last several decades, it's always sad for me, but I get over it fairly quickly, 'cos well...once something is lost, it's usually gone forever, and there's not a whole heck of a lot one can do about it, is there?

In order to even be on here, I have to log off my settings, and use mum's old settings, which doesn't have MS Word or anything on there, just the basics as she left them.

Random meme

1. Describe three films you liked in your early teens:

I remember loving Blazing Saddles. I suppose many young people today, might not get some of the jokes--like Howard Johnson's 1 flavour (Howard Johnson's motorway restaurant chain--famous for it's orange roof and clam dishes, used to boast "99 flavors" of ice cream), or people making fun of Hedley Lamar's name (actress Heddy Lamar was an early film star). The campfire farting scene was probably the first type of crude humour of that nature, ever seen before in a major film--not sure whether that's a good thing or not, mind you. My favourite scenes were when Mongo clocks the horse, and the bad guy registration scene, with the Nazi's and the Bedouins.
I also am fond of the song "I'm tired." Thought that was a hoot.

Live and Let Die. Saw that at our village's drive-in movie theater with my dad--even remember which screen--screen 1. The theme tune was a big American Top 40 hit, on Casey Kasum's Sunday morning countdown show, on the radio. But, I remember being enthralled by some of the characters and chase scenes. Although my dad was a very big Bond fan, it was my first Bond film that I'd ever seen, and to this day it very much remains one of my favourites.

In 1975, my sister was all agog over films such as Jaws, Rollerball, Tommy and the Rocky Horror Picture Show. I remember mum liking The Eiger Sanction and some Pink Panther film, and dad enjoyed Three Days of the Condor and and Dog Day Afternoon. (We went to the cinema a lot that year, for some reason.) I remember liking films like Sherlock Holmes' Younger Brother, the Four Musketeers and Escape to Witch Mountain. but that particular year, I clearly recall being quite over the moon with the film, Rooster Cogburn---I mean, Kate Hepburn and the Duke? Wow, what a combination! It was John Wayne's next to last western film--and it was great. Of course, as a follow up to True Grit, it wasn't quite as good as that film, but the reprise of Rooster Cogburn's US Marshall character really suited Wayne, and I can't think of a more exciting Hollywood pairing than these two strong-willed and stubborn characters.

2. You're asked to count to three on your fingers. Which hand do you use, and which three fingers?

Right hand--index, ring finger and middle finger.

3. What did you order, last time you ordered from a takeaway, McDonald's, etc?

Sweet and sour chicken, with plain pork flavoured lo mein and a roast pork flavoured egg roll.

4. What did you last order the last time you went out to a proper restaurant?

I don't know if the New Way diner, which is just a little hole-in-the-wall place on South Street, constitutes a "proper restaurant," but I was sat down and waited on. I had two of their special hot dogs with "the works," (their own spicy-sweet meat sauce, mustard and chopped onions), a small order of fries and a small diet Pepsi.

5. A. The names of your three all time favourite takeway/fast food places?

Ted's Fish Fry (Aka: chippy), Hot Dog Charlie's, Arby's.

5. B. Three favourite restaurants?

Jake's Roundup, The Wooden Soldier, Spiak's.

5. C. Name three favourite ethnic food restaurants?

Roma, Mike's PIzza-Adobe (Italian-Mexican), Sitar.

6. You're all alone on a quiet rainy night. Do you watch an old film, play a video game, randomly surf the net, or put on some music and curl up with a good book?

It's about a 50/50 split between the old film and the music/book, I suppose.

7. When did you last wear fancy dress, why were you in fancy dress (party, trick or treating) and what did you have on?

I was in fancy dress last Halloween for the annual office do--won a prize. I don't really remember exactly what I went as--either a scarecrow or a farmer.

8. Would you date any of your blog friends?

Dunno', never been asked, but likely not, as all of my male blog friends are some 3000 miles or more away from me, and most of them are "taken," already, and, who the hell would want to date someone like me, anyway???

9. What did you, or will you do, for your birthday this year?

Absolutely nothing, just like most other years, of late. Just another day on the calendar these days.

10. What's the current ring-tone on your mobile?

It's a phone, it rings. Really, novelty ring-tones can be fun, but I just haven't bothered with that, as of yet.

11. What were you doing at midnight, last night?

Sitting up in bed, reading an old western paperback.

12. Last time you had a haircut?

April of 2008. Planning to rectify that situation soon, I hope.

13. What are you wearing at the moment?

Are we being kinky?

Oh, okay...it's quite chilly today, so I'm wearing a brown tee shirt under a brown and gold ladies plaid flannel shirt and a pair of dark indigo ladies' "Rider's" boot-cut jeans, thick powder blue socks, my Ariat Jameson boots, cotton pants and a bra.

14. What are your plans for today?

Cash my disability and pay checks at Hanniford, pay the 600 rent and a 90 dollar bill that's two weeks overdue, use the other 75 or 80 dollars to buy some frozen Chicken Biryani to make for my dinner tonight (that's my "treat" for this week), go to Housecalls pharmacy and get my scripts filled, then go to Walmarts and get the pet food and a few groceries--and if I've enough left over, a new mobile with a cheaper calling card option...if I'm really lucky, I may even make it to the post office today...if not, then I'll have to wait until Wednesday or Friday of next week. That MAY pretty much leave me in the lurch for funds, though, so the phone may have to wait until the end of October.

15. What's the first thing you see when you open your wallet?

Air.

And, my useless library card.

16. Name a hobby you'd like to do, but either have never done, can't afford to do, or just aren't willing to try:

Model railroading I suppose. Last Sunday made me realize how very much I miss it, but also, there's other hobbies I used to do and enjoy, but like railroading, I can't afford a single one of them. I always wanted to learn how to fly, but my learning disability would probably make that pretty much impossible.

17. What time is it where you are, right now, and what did you have to eat, so far today?

It's nearly noon time and nothing to eat so far--I am technically hungry, but don't feel like eating anything.

18. How tall are you?

Five feet, six inches.

19. Have you ever tried illegal drugs?

Nope, never had the urge to even smoke pot, it's simply not my thing.

20. Last time you drank in a pub?

June of 2001, in Leeuwarden, NL--if you're talking about alcoholic beverages. I had a glass of gingerale at the bar in Talk of the Town Tavern, back in spring of this year.

21. Hot dogs, sausage or Haggis?

Aren't they all sort of (loosely speaking) the same thing?

I like both hot dogs and haggis, but haggis isn't sold over here, so hot dogs, I suppose.

22. Three favourite places to be?

Out in the country or in a stable or in a forest
In a quiet room writing or reading or doing a hobby
Inside a theater--even empty they thrill me.

23. What songs do you sing in the shower?

I rarely sing in the shower, but when I do, I do folk songs or sometimes a pop tune I've been listening to.

24. A. Have you ever sung in a choir (outside of school) or on a stage in front of an audience?

Yes to both.

24. B. The last song you sang out loud with no one around?

I think it was either "Today," or "Angel from Montgomery."

24. C. Last song you sung in public, can you read music, and how good a singer are you?

Oh, probably in theater class, five or six years ago. I think it was an in-class exercise as a dare--you drew a slip of paper from a hat, and had to do what it told you to, in front of the rest of the class, no matter what it was. I had to stand up on the apron of the stage, and belt out "Oklahoma."

I can fractionally read music--I mean, I know what beats the notes are, know about rests, and know the low notes mean low chords and high notes denote higher chords, but..that's about it. If you were to point at a note, and ask me what it was--couldn't begin to tell you.

My singing sucks like a Hoover.

25. Last person you hugged and/or kissed?

Honestly, cant' remember the last time I hugged someone...kissed? Probably my mum, the day before she died, I kissed her on the cheek.

Well, some woman bought an abandoned home in Michigan on e-bay...for one dollar and 75 cents. Doesn't say what the back taxes on it are though, or how much it will run her to either make the place livable or demolish it. Still, not a bad bargain.

My thoughts: the government could take some of these abandoned homes, find charities to help fix them up, and use it as housing for homeless families, the disabled and impoverished elderly people who are able to care for themselves. Yeah, like THAT'S ever going to happen! Still, I may, if I get my 'puter up and running, put a bug into the ear of Congresswoman Gillibrand, whom has a regional office just few doors down from our office. No one ever listens to me, but at least I won't be sitting around moaning about the economy and what will happen to people--I'll be trying to HELP, which is something few Americans seem to be thinking of, at the moment.

25 people--including the engineer--died in a bad train wreck in L.A., a few weeks back, after the train driver ran a red light....because he was texting.

Okay, this texting stuff? It's going too far! Besides the fact that it's demolishing the English language to smithereens....many kids, and far, far too many adults are using text-speak beyond the use of their mobiles, in everyday situations...that's like speaking pig-Latin in ordinary conversations with people...makes you look STUPID.

Now people are DYING because they can't stop texting...whether driving cars, trains, etc. That's...ridiculous! What the hell is so damn important that you HAVE to text or use a phone while driving? People are way, way, too damn caught up in this crap...and you know what? Most text or phone conversations? Not that vital! I mean, unless you're calling 911/999 or something, do you HAVE to speak or text someone while driving? No. If it's not an emergency, and you can't pull over to talk, then it can't be that important, can it? It's like these thick people I call, who say, "I'm in the shower," "I'm late for an appointment," "I'm on long distance," etc. I mean, if you're that busy, WHY are you even bothering to answer the phone??? If it's important, they'll call you back...or if you are one of those sad people, obsessed with your caller ID, you can ring them back, yes?

Palin goes into tonights debate, with only 25% of the voters behind her--mostly die-hard republicans. I got one of the die-hard's on the phone last night, who called Palin, "his girl." I nearly vomited into the phone.

McCain says he's going to let "Sarah be Sarah....she's tough." Oh good, I was afraid he was going suggest she act like a lady.

Despite the fact that only 25 percent of America thinks Palin's up to the job of Vice-President, McCain says, "The American people ... the more they see of her, the more they love her..." Erm--I guess he means conservative Americans, 'cos she just makes me ashamed, personally speaking. She's just another American embarrassment, as far as I'm concerned.

From the news: In a CBS News interview aired Wednesday she criticized the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion but was unable to name any other Supreme Court decision she disagreed with, though she said there were other decisions that divided Americans.

n a separate CBS interview, Democratic V-P candidate Joe Biden said Roe v. Wade was a good decision "because it's (as) close to a consensus that can exist in a society as heterogeneous as ours." Asked to name high court rulings he disagrees with, Biden cited the decision that struck down a law giving abused women the right to sue their tormentors in federal court.

A recent college study shows that today's children are undersupervised by their parents, that child neglect is escalting at an alarming rate, and that the "cultural mentality" of today's children, has declined dramatically from 30 years ago.

No sh_t Sherlock.

I rang up some home in Wilkes-Barrie Pennslyvainia last night. The little boy answered--about 8 or 10 years old, "Who is this!" I told him, "What d'ya want?" I told him. (pause) "We don't want any!" (slams down phone.) Charming child. I wonder what pigsty his drunken or drug-invested livestock for parents makes him live in. There's a kid that's probably, very unfortunately, going to grow up to be trash--tho' you never know, some kind person may care enough about him to train him to act human. I hope so.

David Tennant and the rest of the Who team are once again supporting Children in Need this year--and you can, too, if you live in the UK, and--get the chance to win a really fantastic prize, as well!

To raise funds for Children in Need, David Tennant, Russell T. Davies, and everyone involved with Dr Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures are pitching in, to give some very lucky people a chance to see the BBC Wales studios housing these three programmes, up close and personal.

Lucky winners will tour the Dr Who set, PLUS Torchwood AND the Sarah Jane Adventures

By answering the questions on the website correctly, one can get the chance to win this fabulous prize--and help out this most worthy of causes at the same time.

For more information, go to the BBC's official Dr Who website.

For those of us living outside the UK, if you can spare the change, you can donate by going to the BBC's Children in Need-Pudsey "donate" webpage for more information on giving.

"Pudsey" is the CIN's mascott---a big yellow smiling teddy bear with a bandage over his eye. One day a year, the BBC sets aside a day of programming just for the CIN appeal...very much like our national Jerry Lewis MD telethon each Labour Day weekend at the end of summer, here in the states on NBC.

The money contributed to Children in Need is distributed to organisations supporting children aged 18 and under who have mental, physical or sensory disabilities; behavioural or psychological disorders; are living in poverty or situations of deprivation; or suffering through distress, abuse or neglect.

Another meme I've pulled out of my Word file.

3 most scary moments

The night I spent alone in the ICU's waiting room, knowing that I was going to have to sign the papers for turning off mum's life support--knowing that when I did, the next day, I would never see my mum again. I guess that was the most awful and frightening night of my life, I reckon.

One time, when I was around 24, mum and I were weekending up here (about 11 years before we moved here to the Adirondack mountains), at a cottage next to Lake Vanare. I got up at the crack of dawn, the the intention of getting in a rowboat and going fishing. I got in the boat just as the sky was beginning to lighten, there was a slight mist on the water, but not too bad. However, after about fifteen minutes of rowing, I'd gotten out into the middle of this small lake--about this time the sky had lightened considerably, though the sun hadn't begun to rise yet, and, at that point, the fog closed in. I literally could barely see my hand in front of my face. I had no clue where I was, nor where the shoreline was. I was relieved when I'd found some shoreline--I didn't know what side of the lake I was on, but I figured that if I rowed along the shore long enough, I'd eventually come to the dock by the cottages. Unfortunately, I rowed around the island twice, before I realized that it was a little island. Okay, now I was scared. The fog had become so thick I could barely see the island's shore, tho' I was only four feet away from it. Then, out on the lake, I heard voices and the scrape of oars, as other fishermen went out on the water. Rowing like my life depended on it, I rowed towards the sound---and wound up less than two feet from the dock! I was never so relieved in my life! Mum was extremely angry though...seems she never heard me mention the night before that I was going out early and had no idea where I'd gone, and there she was standing on the dock...man, I'm glad I was an adult, 'cos if I'd been a kid, no doubt she would'a given me a good spanking and grounded me, ha-ha.

One time there was a violent thunderstorm...with a tornado warning. We were in mum's caravan..it was about 1987, I think. We were looking out the front door at the storm, when all of a sudden, the sky turned GREEN. That was a bit freaky. Then, the GLASS in the storm door, began BREATHING. No really, it began moving in and out like it was alive. Mum and I ran into her wooden addition--a family room that had been built on to the place, and sat on the floor next to the sofa huddled with the cats, while mum's trailer swayed back and forth in the wind...it was the only time in my life I'd ever seen mum afraid of a storm before. Fortunately, we only lost some alumninum skirting from the bottom of the trailer, and our shed door blew off. One of the nearby houses lost it's roof, though, and my next door neighbour had a tarp completely vanish and his motorcycle that was parked in his drive, wound up in his yard.

3 favourite television programmes when you were 9 or 10 years old

Cowboys in Africa
Get Smart
Laugh-In

3 favorite places in the world (whether you've visited them or not)

The woods and fields of the valley where I grew up...incl. Albany Rural Cemetery
The Adirondacks/Washington County, NY
The UK

16. Do you create Doctor Who icons?

Nah, I'm hopeless at photoshop and stuff like that.

16a. Let’s see a sample!

N/A

17. Recommend a fanfic/icon/fanvid/fancomic/fancreation!

There's loads of good fan stuff out there (and plenty of bad stuff...like Who-porn)

18. Have you been to any Doctor Who conventions?

Not in this or the last decade, but in my 20's (1980's), you couldn't keep me away from them.

19. Have you ever dressed up as a Doctor Who character?

Only 3 times, once for our fan club's Halloween party, and once at the BBC's traveling Dr Who exibit, and once for a stint my club did manning phones for the public television station's pledge drive, during a Dr Who marathon.

20. Do you own any Doctor Who merchandise?

I wish I did own some of that cool stuff! I have some things: some books, the first two soundtracks, two old series DVD's, and two of the Radio Times audio books.

21. Are you a fan of Russell T. Davies?

Yes and no. I think he's one of the best writer's on television today. That said, some of what he writes...how do I put this? It isn't "me." His stuff is great, but I don't always relate to it. I don't always agree with his Who decisions, but except for once, I never had any beef with him about it, I just shrugged it off. I tend to make my own paths to follow, and Davies' material goes a different way than me--not that that's a judgment on the man, I think he's wonderful and would love to have the honour of meeting him one day. It's just he's way ahead of me, educationally and worldly-wise, and...this is too long an answer, isn't it? Well, like I said, yes and no. How I feel about the man and his work, isn't a black or white type of response, sorry. It's sort of like my hair...bit salt and pepper.

21a. Steven Moffat?

Like Davies', he's brilliant. Can't fault his writing one iota.

21b. Paul Cornell?

Erm--okay, not bad.

22. How do you think Series 5 will be?

Fantastic, no matter if Tennant is the Doctor or some schmuck I never heard of before (okay, I'm kidding about the schmuck part. I never heard of Tennant either, until he became the Doctor).

23. Freema's sudden departure from Torchwood?

Unexpected and a bit tacky, but I suppose she had her reasons.

24. The Blinovitch Limitation Effect?

Whatever, it's sci-fi, anything goes, silly or not.

25. Multi-Doctor episodes?

Love 'em!!! Peter Davidson and Tennant rocked!

26. What’s your favourite Doctor Who technobabble?

The old "reverse the polarity of the neutron flow." I'm so glad Tennant FINALLY got to say that!

27. Have you watched other TV shows exclusively because of the presence of Doctor Who actors?

Oh sure, Tenko which had Louise Jamesson, Some series with Patrick Troughton whose name escapes me, and All Creatures, A couple of Tennant's things, and of course, Tom Baker in some things, as well.

28. Have you met any of the actors?

Ian Martier (Harry Sullivan). I was at a convention with Louise Jameson, but never got to meet her

28a. Travelled to any filming locations?

I live in northeastern NY. But, I've been to one of the locations they shot for backdrop on Daleks in Manhattttan...the shots they took from the real Central Park.

29. What do you think of “The Curse of Fatal Death”?

Couldn't stop laughing, and what a cast!

30. Do you have any fannish opinions that you think are fairly unpopular?

Well, for one, some fans seem to take exception to the fact that I don't think David Tennant is at all sexy--I watch him for his acting, not for his erm--lunchbox...or, his hair. And, I am not overly fond of the "soap opera" element Davies sometimes put into the programme, particularly the syrupy Doc/Rose bits...but it was never really an issue, mind you, again, just a personal choice. But, some fans seem to resent that I'm not at all--and never will be, a Doctor /Rose shipper. (They seem to think that means I don't like Billie Piper, which couldn't be farther from the truth!) And, I deeply resented the ending of episode 12, which no one else seems to agree with--which is fine. And while I do think that the series finale was just fantastic--I also thought it was slightly over-the-top, as well. Most fans disagree, so there you go.

31. What’s your favourite pairing?

Tennant/Tate

32. What pairing(s) won’t you touch with a really long pole?

Peri/Tegan

This was sent to me about 2 months ago, I saved it, but never quite got 'round to doing it...until now.

1. When did you start watching and why?

1983. Why? 'Cos there wasn't anything better to watch on a rainy Sunday afternoon...one episode and I was totally hooked.

2. What was your first serial/episode?

It was either Ark in Space or the Sontaran Experiment.

3. Which serials/episodes have you seen?

Over the last 25 years, all available episodes of the "Classic" series--plus clips from some lost episodes...though I think I might have missed a couple of the last Slyvester McCoy one's, 'cos about that time the local PBS station stopped showing them, and also our fan club was breaking up--turning into a generic sci-fi club, rather than a strictly Dr Who fan club.

3a. Favourite?

I love them all! Yes, some I love better than others, but...no way I can pick just one! Fergetaboutit!

4. Are your friends/family interested in the show?

No, mum didn't like Dr Who--but tolerated it, and sat through it probably more often than she wanted to. I've had friends who liked it, sure...and some of my co-workers watch it, on Sci-fi.

5. Which Doctor is your favourite?

David Tennant...closely followed by Tom Baker...Baker treading on Tennant's shoes.

6. Which Doctor is your least favourite?

I don't have one, but I suppose Hartness, because I could least relate to his character--tho he was a marvelous actor!

7. Which TV companion is your favourite?

Donna! Gosh, she was fantastic! Perfect pairing with Tennant, like two classic film characters from the 40's. Lovely performances, great lines...just..perfect.

8. Which TV companion is your least favourite?

Peri, 'cos as a Yank, quite frankly I found her constant whinging really deeply embarrassing to watch.

9. Do you listen to the Big Finish audios?

No, they don't sell them where I live, and even if they did, I probably couldn't afford them.

9a. If so, which is your favourite?

N/A

9b. Also: which Big Finish companion is your favourite?

N/A

10. Have you listened to any non-Big Finish audios?

Yes.

10a. If so, which is your favourite?

The one Tennant did with the Pirates...his voices were great, and the story was very entertaining.

11. Have you read any of the novels or short stories?

a little over a dozen in the past twenty years--they are very hard to find, and these days, usually out of my price range ('cos they're mostly all hardbacks, now, except for the "easyreads" books). The nearest shop that sells Who fiction and magazines is Borders, and that's over 15 miles from here.

11a. Have you written any Who novels or short stories?

Well, that would be very literally a dream come true, but, alas, I'll never be good enough for that, I fear.

11b. Which is your favourite?

N/A

12. Have you read any of the comics?

A couple of the Tom Baker one's...again, very hard to find in my corner of America.

12a. You guessed it–which is your favourite?

There was a Tom Baker one where he was facing a new Roman Empire in the future, with robot centurians, I rather liked that one.

13. Do you watch any of the spinoffs (e.g. Torchwood, Sarah Jane Adventures)?

Yes.

13a. Which is your favourite?

The Sarah Jane Adventures, I love Lis Sladen's character. And, sorry, I'm sure John Barrowman's a terrific actor and a nice person, but Captain Jack's character just doesn't cut it for me.

14. Is there any particular episode/book/audio/comic you desperately want to watch/listen to/read?

All of the tenth Doctor one's, anything by Terrence Dicks or Gareth Roberts I've missed, ditto for the New Doctor Who Adventure series that I might have missed, back in the early 90's.

15. Do you write fanfic for Doctor Who?

Yes, since June/July of 2006, but stopped in early July this year.

15a. If so, post a snippet of a work-in-progress (or several)!

I'll post the link to the one I was writing in early July of this year, and have yet to finish.

http://davidtennantsdoctor.wordpress.com/doctor-who-dark-holiday/

____________________________________________________________________________________________

...boring day, but a restful one--which of late is a good thing. I had to save Boots this morning. Darn cat somehow found a stray piece of plastic shrink wrap from a DVD someone had sent me, lying in my waste basket beside my desk...I found him back into a corner, eyes wide, tail puffed out, choking on it. Stupid of me, to leave something crinkly like that, lying about...boots adores anything that makes crinkly noises. Well, I managed to prise open his mouth without him accidentally biting me, and reached in and pulled the slimy wet thing out from his throat. Poor wee tyke. For a big ol' tom cat, he really is just a kitten at heart, and gets so easily frightened at everything.

After he calmed down a bit, he reached up his paws to me, to pick him up--which of course I did, I do love Boots, and that dear ginger boy, oh, he does love me back. He buried his head in my shoulder and purred, kneeding his paws gently...that's one thing about Boots, he's absolutely the gentlest, sweetest tempered animal, in nearly 48 years of being around animals, that' I've ever known. Boots might hurt a fly, but he'd never-ever even give me a scratch. The one time he did accidentally scratch me, the little angel seemed absolutely appalled and was quite beside himself.

Had a rough night again last night, nothing bad, just my stomach's been playing hell with me, for the last two days, making it hard to sleep. I noticed I'm getting "liver spots" all over my stomach all of the sudden, which I find very odd. I've had spots for a few years now, on my hands and arms--normal for someone who's spent so much time in the outdoors...but my stomach? I don't think that's ever been exposed to sunlight in its life. Huh. My hands are getting a lot more wrinkled as well. Well, I am one woman who honestly doesn't mind looking my age--I worked hard to live this long, nothing to be ashamed of, far as I'm concerned.

A partly sunny, overcast day here. Rained last night, but dry so far today. Very balmy...cool, yet sort of humid. The kind of autumn weather that brings out the last of the insects, and makes rotting apples in the grass and fallen maple leaves sweeten the air, the kind of weather that makes us mortals realize the last nice days are upon us, and that soon we shall be walking with bowed heads in rain and ice pellets.

It's the type of day, where those who celebrate it, start putting out their Halloween and autumn decorations: corn stalks, pumpkins, hay bales, dried Indian corn, and yellow and red mum's on their porches...plywood and plastic tombstones, cobwebs, skeletons and witches in their yards.

The elderly tourists are coming in by the coach load, to do some leaf-peeping, go on lake cruises and eat at rustic-themed restaurants, with names like The Log Jam and Adirondack Pub and Brewery and Fiddleheads...or, in chain restaurants such as Lobster Pound, Olive Garden and Howard Johnson's.

People are out getting in the last of their cycling, walking, skateboarding and motorcycle riding, before the sun closes his eyes to winter. And me, I would give anything to be out for a drive in the country...but am stuck here, blogging and doing chores...night shift tonight, so a long night ahead. Hope you are all having a good day.

Lake Luzerne, southern Adirondack Mtns., New York state. (My caravan was a bit over half a mile from here.)

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Becky’s Big 50 meme PART II:

26. Write about getting fired or quitting.

Pass on this one.

27. What was it like to spend your first night away from home?

Honestly, I don’t remember. It probably was a sleep over at one of the neighbours, when I was a kid.

28. What was it like to come back home after a long holiday?

I never had a long holiday in my life—but, I had a working vacation (with a big emphasis on that “work” word), at 19. After a summer in the Rocky Mountain wilderness, where people were very open, friendly and courteous, coming back to New York’s capital city of Albany was literally like culture shock—I’d never realized how rude, grasping, impatient and obnoxious upstate New Yorkers could be! It was a genuine eye-opener.

29. Write about a disappointment.

Which one?

30. Something that made you sad when you were a child.

My friend, Harry the gardener (a lovely old gent, who tended the bishop’s estate, and other estate land behind our home) lost his cat when the Episcopal bishop’s mansion burnt down. That upset me quite a lot, even tho’ I’d only seen his wee ginger cat a few times. I remember crying, when I found out.

31. Write about something that flopped.

My education/future. After five years of hard work, having to drop out (thanks Bush’s financial aid cuts) hurt more than I could say. Well I know that I’ll never get back in to school now, my finances are kaput, no way I’ll ever get that BA…I’m going to be fifty in nearly two years, much too old to start over…bollocks.

32. Write about a time you had to communicate with someone you couldn't understand.

Ah. I was trying to get into a closed exhibit at the Egyptian museum, with the rest of my tour, and the stinking guard let everyone else through…but not me, ‘cos he claimed that my student ID wasn’t any good. Caused me just a wee bit of anxiety, that.

33. Did you ever win or lose a contest?

Both.

34. Something you desperately wanted as a kid.

A horse.

35. Did you ever see a ghost?

Yup.

36. Did you ever run away from home? How far did you get?

Yeah, when I was around 8 years old. Only got to the pine grove in our back yard (mum caught me, darn it. I was going to run away and work on a ranch)

37. Write about the best attic or basement you've ever been in.

Ey? My bedroom as a teen was in the attic. It had no heat, and in winter I slept with 12 blankets, an electric fire and my half-collie dog to keep warm. But…I had my stereo/radio, a television set and my books—and, it was totally private and I could even open the window and sit out on the garage roof, on nice days, and take in the view.

38. Did you ever know someone who had "everything"?

Yeah, we had some wealthy neighbours where I grew up. I had two “everything’ friends…one was my best friend Tommy—his dad was president of a local steel mill, and they weren’t exactly wanting for anything…yet, they were very lovely, kind, down-to-earth people, very involved with their kids and neighbourhood and community---heck, you’d have never known they were wealthy, they were just like everyone else. Then, there were the Smiths. They were my first encounter with “yuppies.” They were very much nouveau riche, they neglected their son, flaunted their wealth—while at the same time being cheap as hell, they had no involvement with their son—often leaving him alone with no one but the housekeeper for days or even weeks on end. They ran out of money when their restaurant (which they named after themselves) went belly up, and their son grew up to become a local drug dealer.

39. Write about a time as a child when you played in one or all of the following: a treehouse, a farm field, a construction site, a junkyard, an abandoned house or barn, a stream, a cemetery, a pasture, railroad tracks.

Whew, that’s quite a list! I already talked about the tree fort. We didn’t have a farm field, but we had an abandoned pasture that we often played in—especially in winter when we’d go sledding down it’s gentle slope. When the catholic cemetery expanded—and we lost a main blackberry patch, they piled up this huge mountain of dirt that was just there for about a half-dozen years, and we loved it. We used to “shoot” each other and then “die,” rolling down the hill, we’d also ride our bikes down the hill, which was great fun…and caused a few scrapes and bruises. Yes, we had a “dump,” often the cemetery and local landowners would dump things down the big ravine next to the abandoned pasture—over the years, our “discoveries” down their yielded: a child’s little red wagon, a barber’s chair, a pig trough, marble gravestones and…wait for it….a coffin. No, really. A metal coffin was just summarily dumped down the ravine…we never did get it open though…we tried…not sure what we would have done if there was a body in there…screamed and ran away, I suspect---this story kind of covers both the cemetery and junkyard theme, there was the foundation walls of an old house near our street, with a cellar hole, and we used to use it as the “U.N.C.L.E.” headquarters—that was a 1960’s spy show on American television that was quite popular with us kids at the time. There was a stream off of Cemetery Avenue, near the rail tracks, and mum used to walk us there, and take us fishing. I remember the fish were black and kind of runty…no idea what they were. As it happens, we did grow up right near some rail tracks—which ran smack through the middle of our village…the old Delaware and Hudson line. We did stuff most kids did, living near a rail track…walked on the rails, put pennies on the line, waved at the engineer, that sort of thing.

40. What did you do to amuse yourself as a child when you had to wait for a long time? (for instance, at the doctor's or dentist's office)

I don’t know…read a popular children’s magazine that was found in most doctor’s and dentist’s offices, talk to mum, colour in a colouring book, very probably.

41. Did your mom or dad ever make you wear something you hated?

Oh heck yes. My 8th grade graduation dress…also the dress I wore to my sister’s wedding. Dad didn’t want to shell out for a posh dress, so mum found me a long, seafoam green (the colour I HATE the most!) sleeveless gown in the Montgomery Ward’s department store’s “bargain room.” Bleh, I swear to heaven, I was so glad when that stinking dress didn’t fit me anymore.

42. What was the earliest you ever got up in the morning? And, the latest you ever stayed up?

I’ve had to get up for work at 3am, in the past. When I was a college student a few years back, especially around mid-term project time, and final exams, it wasn’t unheard of for me to stay all night, maybe get 2 hours sleep, if that…and drive to school, sit in classes all day, and drive home again.

43. Write about a time you were talked into something and regretted it.

Cooking for a living. Everyone wanted me to be a cook, but me. So, in my early adult years—and again briefly in my early 30’s, I was a cook. Never again. I’m retired—permanently!

44. Were you ever in a helicopter, limousine, race car, hot-air balloon, submarine, or horse-drawn carriage?

Everything but the helicopter and the race car.

45. Did you ever forget something extremely important?

Hell yes.

46. Write about an experience in a hospital.

Do I have to? Okay. Being alone in hospital sucks. The end.

47. Were you ever accused of something you didn't do?

Sure. Once in the stable where I worked as a the weekday stable hand, the stable manager accused me of stealing her wrist watch…when I had a perfectly lovely antique pocket watch which I, at the time, treasured. I was a bit unhappy over that…the boss found her watch in her horse’s stall, two days later…where it’d fallen off her wrist. (I never was allowed in her horse’s stall…no one took care of her horse but her). Also, a few years ago, I wrote an essay and printed out two copies on the college’s computer. Well apparently a student in my class took a copy of the essay from the computer, and turned it in as her own—two days later, head of the English department at the state college I was attending, very gravely called me into his office. Essentially, the man accused ME of stealing this young student’s work. I was completely nonplussed! That is the one thing I would never-ever-ever-ever, do! I work hard at nearly everything I write: good, bad or indifferent! I was not a happy little camper—and what gets me, is that my “voice,”…my writing style, is extremely distinctive…or so I’ve been told by nearly every English professor I’ve ever had. I’m told they can just pick up my paper, without my name on it, and know it’s mine. Mind you, I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing. To have one of my own professors…head of the blinking English department, not recognize my work, and then accuse me of stealing some 19 year old’s paper, well, I was just…stunned.

48. Write about a disastrous trip or vacation.

Egypt 2004. It would take too long to write about. Short version: Stuck for two weeks with the deaf (who refused to acknowledge that) elderly room mate from hell, sick as a dog for two weeks—lost 20 pounds, mum was hospitalized, dad was hospitalized (while I was on a cruise on the Nile), it was 40 below zero at home and my water pipes burst, the cats went two days without food or water, I got accused—publicly dressed down by someone I’d deeply respected-- of “being mean” to the roommate..who was also ill and who I’d been bending over backwards to do things for…long, long story, as I said, room mate from hell, and, my dad died and I never got to see him or say good bye to him.

49. Were you ever give a responsibility you couldn't handle?

Not really. Taking care of mum was a bit of a challenge sometimes..she could be very petulant about taking her meds, eating, etc, and being sick of course sometimes she could get a bit tetchy with me. That, combined with being in college full-time and also owning the big old caravan—which seemed to always be needing repairs those last few years—nearly did overwhelm me, at times.

50. Were you ever in a fire, flood, tornado, blizzard, earthquake or hurricane?

Been in a category 1 hurricane, two small earthquakes, my stove has caught fire twice, but I’ve put it out… no tornado but a “microburst” twice, which is tornado force straight line winds—very scary.

Well, apart from the fact that I wonder if Tennant will be able to grow back his sideburns in time for the Dr Who specials filming (rather like the new cut, makes him look more his age), which is set to begin in either mid to late January, according to which fan site you read...not much in Who rumours out there, as yet.

Of course, many fans already know about the "monsters" for the Christmas special...the other rumour is that there's to be some new one's coming in. Also, that the Doctor will regenerate--oh, that's been the rumour since oh...2006, so...six in one, half a dozen the other, with that little tid-bit.

I've read where at least two "big name" stars will be in the specials. One rumour has Donna coming back...seems a bit unlikely, with Ms. Tate having the career that she does, but then Dr Who is science fiction and ANYTHING is possible on Dr Who.

Possibly no Daleks in the specials...which would be disappointing probably, so some of the youngsters, but it's Russell T. Davies' call, so who knows? One thing one can never do with Davies, is outguess him...though plenty of us try, don't we?

"Hey look what the Sun says about Dr Who: Doctor Who's sideburns to regenerate in 2008 specials!"