I Ain't Afraid of No Daleks

Gosh, I did love this programme! The "fab five" really rocked, and Carson's antics always cheered me up--even my straight-laced tea-drinking librarian mum loved these guys.

I enjoy working with my voice--it's not as good as it used to be, what with a couple of bouts of pneumonia and my not being able to have any access to a dentist--and never having any formal voice training of course, which is pretty essential. Still, it can be fun, fooling around with your voice and using it to convey stuff...from a Doris Day attitude to Rambo, from redneck to posh.

Some people might not think voice work a high-class or desireable career--but, let's not forget: it IS a career, not a job.

I've been working jobs for 35 years. I KNOW the difference between a "job" and a "career," trust me.

Here are jobs I've personally done:

Flipping burgers, grilling sandwiches, making fries and milk shakes, filling coffee and soda cups, writing up cheques and using the till and cleaning the grill (soemtimes almost all at once when I was busy) in a bowling alley snack bar.

Rolling up, rubber-banding, bagging and delivering 1000+ weekly newspapers, door-to-door, seven route's worth...for 50 dollars a week.

Standing on a concrete floor 8 hours a day in a warehouse, printing price label stickers to go on record albums.

I've stood on a hard tiled floor, behind a wall-length dish washer in a restaurant for 9 to 10 hours, pushing mucky plates into a steaming machine, until the smell literally gets into your pores, and your feet hurt like hell, and you have steam burns on your fingers and arms.

So, maybe these people who think working in a low-level career as a voice-over artist or a tour guide or whatever is rubbish, would like to try peeling 50 pounds of potatoes first thing in the morning, followed by shucking 100 ears of corn, followed by ironing and starching a dozen aprons, followed by washing pots, counting a couple of hundred used beer and soda cans to take to the recyclers, taking out bin bags to a tip, getting a hose and washing off large rubber floor mats that you had to haul outside and bring back in, bringing 50 pounds (just under 4 stone) of flour up 2 flights of stairs from a store room, mopping floors, etc--again for minimum wage, is better? Riiight. Get real, people.

These jobs above, were in my teens and early 20's.

In-between, I've crawled in and out of dog kennels on my hands and knees with a vacuum (hence the bone spur in my neck), scooped poop, fed and watered 30 dogs cats and two horses, cleaned 8 litter boxes and mopped floors at an animal shelter.

Mucked 23 horse stalls in three seperate barns in weather ranging from nearly 40 C, to minus 31 C, carried over 50 gallons of water in buckets every day, unbandaged the legs of 15 horses every morning, took horses in and out of pasture every day--some of them barely trained to lead and very active--(yes, I've been dragged a few times...not fun).

I've stood in the rain, broiling sun and even snow for 8 to 10 hours with few breaks, running amusement rides.

In 2006, 7 days a week for 10 weeks, I stood, all alone, on a hard concrete floor, in a little shack sometimes in 38 C weather, often for 6 to 8 hours washing, drying and folding over 1000 towels, without so much as a tea break. For the equivilent of a bit over 3 pounds 50 pence an hour.

Before that job, I walked around 9 miles a night, five nights a week, up and down stairs and all over a big casino/horse racing complex, carrying really big heavy (and dirty/smelly) bin bags to two skips areas, from all over the complex---up and down stairs, across broad stretches of pavement, etc. I was cleaning loos used by grubby maintenance workers, CEO's who thought flushing a loo above them, and elderly people with bowel control issues. For very low wages, and finishing up each night, very literally bent over double from the pain and stiffness--and, doing this with a sprained and fractred ankle, for a while!

Now, I sit in a chair all day, listening to people whom I don't know, and whom do not know me, hurling verbal abuse at me, and trying to hurt my ears--often for nothing more than accidentally calling a wrong number, or maybe they hate the organization they belong to, and have decided to take their madness out on the first INNOCENT person that comes along. It's NOT a fun job, trust me. Americans are the dumbest, most ill-mannered, mean and obnoxious people on the planet, sometimes.

I would worship the person who let me into a career, matey's, no matter what it was! I would absolutely give up my eyesight, I would give up walking, or a chunk (but not all, and not the cats) of my remaining possessions, if I only could have a CAREER and not a JOB. I kid you not, I really would.

I should add, that also in my lifetime, I've also worked as a library assistant (unpaid), receptionist in a lawyer's office, worked for a Fortune 500 company in their verifications unit, as a secretary in a muffler shop (6 days a week), a trucking permit agent and a telephone operator/receptionist for a car dealership. Better jobs--but still just jobs.

I FINALLY got my phone to work, now am waiting on a call from the drug store--I'm supposed to take some meds right away, and they had a long que of about two hours--so they said they'll call me when the new meds are ready--which they just have, so I have asked my neighbour to give me a lift to the drug store as he's going right by there, then it's off to work. He's picking me up in 15 minutes or so, so I might as well blog while I'm hacking and stabbing and butchering time.

Hey, ANYONE can say they're "killing time," why be mundane when you can be brilliant? OK, not brilliant so much as over-the-top.

Well, as I wrote earlier, I cannot replicate the posh 'do the stylist gave me, to save my life--OK, more death reference...gotta' stop reading Raymond Chaldler mysteries before bedtime.

Next time I get a cut--probably not for another month or two, I'll ask her what she used and what she did, though I may not be able to afford all that muckety-muck, and I'm hopeless at dolling myself up--no clue how to do my makeup...hardly ever have used mascara, eyeshadow or all that nonsense..anyway, I was asked to try and take a better self-portrait, so I went out onto the balcony (very carefully, as I'm still rather stiff) with my wee pix camera, and did the dirty deed.

What with the sun on the snow, I figured it was light enough for the pic to come out a bit better than it did last night. Hope you have the stomach for this--god, I'll never be choosen to be on tele, that's for sure! I think I'm frowning 'cos the bright sun was hurting my eyes a little.

Well, I couldn't afford it, but I went to the health centre and got a cortazone injection and some pills--it's really bad, I'm afraid...the nurse's words those are, not my own. So, I called in semi-sick...leaving for work in a half-hour...providing I can walk downstairs and down the street. The nurse also gave me some stuff to rub on, and that's helped--at leasst I can type more comfortably, now.

I'm letting the heat of the sun coming though the windows penetrate my legs and feet--nature's liniment, ha-ha. Feels genuinely good, too.

Thought I'd look up some cheap recipes for February, since I'll be paying extra on Electric/gas, and since I've just found out my food stamps have been reduced, as well, next month. Oh, and I'm getting more money taken out of my pay check this year, on top of that--my weekly pay has been reduced by about 8 dollars less than what I made in 2008. Doesn't rain but it pours, as they say.

BEEF & EGGPLANT CASSEROLE

1 medium eggplant (aubergine), peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef (mince)
1 small can tomato sauce, mixed with 1 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning
1 cup Italian style dry bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon melted butter
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzerella cheese

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.

Boil eggplant in salted water until tender. Drain. (Note: eggplant will turn slightly brown, but that won't hurt the flavour.) Process eggplant in food processor or mash with potato masher, until smooth. In a deep heavy skillet, cook onion and garlic in oil, until onion is softened. Remove onion and garlic and set aside. Add ground beef and cook until brown and crumbly. Drain. Next, mince the garlic, and stir garlic, onions and beef into eggplant. Place mixture in a deep greased casserole dish. Top with tomato sauce. Mix breadcrumbs with butter until moist. Sprinke breadcrumbs over tomato sauce then sprinkle mozzerella over breadcrumbs. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes--cheese should be melted and breadcrumbs browned.

NEW YORK BEEF STEW

1 pound beef, cut into cubes
1 1/2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup flour
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 large can tomato sauce
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 small yellow onions, sliced
3 large carrots, sliced
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

Season flour liberally with salt and pepper to your own taste. Dredge meat in flour. Heat oil in a dutch oven or large deep pot, and brown meat. Halfway through browning, add garlic and continue to cook until meat is browned on all sides. Drain off oil, and stir in tomato sauce, water, bay leaf, worcestershire and thyme. Add vegetables and bring to a boil. Stir, and simmer over low heat, covered, for 30 to 45 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

TEXAS JAILHOUSE CHILI (no really, that's what it's called)

CAUTION: this recipe is somewhat hot and rather spicy!

1/2 cup olive oil
2 pounds beef, chicken or pork, coarsely ground
2 cloves garlic, minced very fine
1 1/2 Tablespoons paprika
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin, or, 1 Tablespoon comino seeds, powdered fine in a cloth bag
1/2 Tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayeene pepper
2 cans red kidney beans, drained (purely optional)
3 cups water

In a dutch oven or large, deep skillet, heat oil and brown beef with garlic, salt, pepper and spices. Simmer, covered, over very, very low heat, for 4 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. stir in water, and beans if desired, and continue cooking for 45 minutes to an hour, or until chili has thickened. Note: instead of beans, this can also be served over rice, or with cornbread or buttermilk biscuits, on the side.

Drat! I've just now tried to replicate what the hair stylist did to my hair last night--but I'm afriad the hottie hairstyle is alluding me, and I'm back to my wonky old uncoooperative hair again, today--oh, it still looks better than it did, but how she got it to look like that--well, she used several products, a couple of different posh-looking brushes and a super heavy-duty hair dryer...I've got two cheap hairbrushes, a can of mouse, and one travel-size hair dryer.

Ah well, back to being just plain ol' me...maybe it's for the best, anyway.

God, I'm having a tough morning. I'm so bunged up with arthritis this morning, I very much can barely move...from my feet to my neck, I'm so stiff and sore, that just walking from the lounge to the kitchen is slow going.

This is possibly the worst visit from "arthur" I've had literally in all my life. I keep telling myself, "you have to go to work, you have to go to work," but gah--I would dearly love to pull a sickie, and just lay abed a while longer, it aches that bad. I'm going to work, but it's going to be a brutal, brutal day...I'm going to try and scrounge up some change to take the bus in...kills me to pay a dollar for a 3 min. bus ride, but I sincerely am not sure if I can walk the ten minutes to work this morning.

It's 20 F out there right now--but a little over an hour drive to our north, in the heart of New York's Adirondack mountains at Saranac Lake/Lake Placid, it's minus 1 F. I noticed it's a comparatively balmy 36 F four hours away, down to New York City--lucky sods.

Well, can't sit here discussing the weather...I HAVE to go to work...I have to go to work... I have to....(sigh).

One of President Obama's first acts in office, was to strike down Bush's ban on providing international relief funds, to any groups who provide abortions or merely even suggest or provide information on abortions.

This ban was based etirely and solely on religious views--it has no scientific grounds, and it's moral grounds are somewhat subjective to personal viewpoints...most of which are dictated by religion, and not common sense---which goes entirely against the First Amendment of U.S. Constitution.

The phrase separation of church and state is believed to first be found in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson in 1802 to the Danbury Baptists, in which he refers to the First Amendment to the United States Constitution as creating a "wall of separation" between church and state.

In the First Amendment, Congress is admonished to "make no law" regarding the establishment of relgion, and can make no laws regarding religions.

Many people today, believe that to include, that the US should not make any laws or rules, which favour one religion, and that it should not push what is seen as a religious-based rule upon non-religious citizens. Which of course, an anti-abortion laws and rules, do, because over 75% of Americans whom are against abortions--are against them due purely based on religious grounds and church dictated bans on such proceedures. This then, could truly be considered, wholely unconstitutional, as the US government is banned from forcing religious views on the American people.

It is certainly ludicris to ban seriously needed funding to those suffering from hunger, disease or natural disaster, solely because the agency providing that relief, may happen to be OK with abortions. How is that a Christian response? Not the Christ I used to believe in, at any rate. But then, my Christ doesn't really seem to exist in the right-wing evangelical world.

Whoops! I hate spoilers, but it's too late now. I was under the impression that these were a few early publicity shots of Tennant back to work as the Doctor...erm--not quite.

Well, it's been given away that either the army or U.N.I.T. will be involved in Planet of the Dead. Sorry. I SWEAR I didn't know...but I know some of my Whovian friends get all impatient to know what's going to happen...personally, I prefer to be surprised--well, except for that whole thing about the ending of 4.12, that almost made me stop watching Dr Who, it upset me that much. (the surprise, not the story itself)...I don't like shocks--like I don't like scary movies...I've been shocked and scared for real--trust me, it's NOT a fun or entertaining experience! Anyone who thinks shocks and fear entertaining, is blessedly naive.

Well, he may be a brilliant actor now, but this old TV pilot that someone just e-mailed me the link to, proves that Tennant wasn't always all that picky about the work he chose to do:

Still trying to wrap my head around this...I look really hot in my new 'do? Whoa. That's very strange. The best I've ever had said about me, is that I look "cute." Here's my reaction to that "complement," to quote the Doctor: "No, no--don't do that...just don't."

So, the woman around the corner from my office--the one I wasn't allowed to ride in the lift with--has just been appointed to Hilary's Senate seat.

Yeah, I can't ride in the lift with her for security reasons...well, to be fair, I do eat a lot of curries, Mexican, and Polish food, I mean, it would look bad if our local US congresswoman *(now our US senator) got toxic gassed by some big arsed telemarketer...anyway, I can't ride in the lift with her, but she wouldn't say no to my vote, I reckon.

Kristin (I keep wanting to say 'christine,'for some reason) Hillibrand is our region's Washingon representative, whose Adirondack regional office is two doors down from our own door. She's not there very often, as she also has an office in Saratoga Springs, Albany (I think) and of course, one in Washington, D.C.

I'm not crazy about her, merely because she leans a lot to the right, brown-nosing to the heavily republican, very white and twice as uptight northeastern New York crowd. She's pro-gun, and anti-abortion (unless she's changed her stance like some politicians are wont to do, with revolving door opinions on certain issues). Yet, she has helped people who have come to her. She has shown herself to be a very caring and intelligent person, so I'm willing to forgive a little closet conservatism on her part.

I've personally met at least a half a dozen people in the last couple of years, who have said that Congresswoman Hilibrand has personally assisted them with problems such as getting disability and/or veteran's benefits, landlord-tenant issues and other red-tape brick walls which people sometimes find themselves facing.

In other words, Hilibrand--tho' completely unknown by most people outside of the Saratoga/Adirondack region of New York state--is a good choice! She's very proactive, very interested in making positive changes, in helping people lead better lives and in economic growth. Sure, she's still a politician, and she's hardly perfect, but...yeah, tho' Gov. Patterson is a total twit, I think for once he's done the right thing.

My plan, after I had a quick bite to eat, was to blog a tiny bit, write a paragraph in my newest Dr Who fan-fic on wordpress, watch the rest of Journey's End on DVD, and go to bed--but here it is 9pm, and I'm ready for bed now--not feeling great, all of the sudden. Decided to hit the bed at the unheardof hour of half-past nine. God, I'm getting old.

A local man here in the Glens Falls area, was recently convicted for having sex with a 13 year old girl. He was sentenced to 6 months in prison, ten years probation, and a 1000 dollar "sex offender fee." Sex offender fee??? What? It's like a club that you join, now?

Meanwhile, the 13 year old girl will carry the emotional damage inside her, for the remainder of her life.

The scales of justice sometimes get a bit wobbly, but this time they are downright completely out of balance.

Well, though I could scarcely afford it, I went to Walmart's beauty salon and had my hair re-done---my gosh, I just had THE best haircut in my life! Wow!!! This hair stylist is a keeper, let me tell you--finally, a stylist who understands my ultra baby-fine wonky ol' hair! Whoo-hoo!

I mean, I had two guys smile at me...and (ok, this is a bit off-putting sort of) my drunken hillbilly neighbour told me that I look "really hot" in my new 'do.

Although, I can truthfully say, that in 48 years, that is quite the first time anyone has every told me that I looked "really hot" before...a comment which my mind is still trying to process...somehow I've never equated myself with hottie-ness, it's a term for myself, which has never entered my mind before. Huh. Very strange. I'm getting too old for this, think I'll just go back to being plain (or butch) old Nancy.

Honestly though..wow. I mean, this really looks fantastic...I feel like a celebrity--ok, a D-list celebrity, but hey, I'll take whatever I can get, I'm not picky.

That woman last week really did give me a bad cut--even the Walmart's stylist said so--after she did a double-take when I told her that I'd just had it cut a week ago...she was genuinely flabbergasted by how poorly it was cut, and joked with me, asking if my stylist at the other salon had a vision problem. This Walmart stylist did things to my hair that no one ever bothered with before--I'm genuinely chuffed! Wish I had somewhere to go to show it off, but after paying the electric/gas bill, buying a phone card and my groceries, paying 15 dollars in cab fare and then 20 for the haircut...well, I've less than about 18 dollars between me and next Friday's pay check. But...yeah, it was worth it.

I tried to take a pic of myself, but I suck at self-portraits, especially with a less than 2 inch size camera! What you see is the best I could manage.