Another Exciting Friday Night

Driving to dinner, the sunset over the Oquirrh Mtns was incredible! One of the most amazing sunsets I have ever seen! It appeared giant white-gold flames leaped from the mountain tops, lashing the fuschia streaked grey sky. I didnt have my camera so I have tried to approximate it with the most similiar sunset I could google.

We went to Applebee's. I had chicken-fried steak. I was going for comfort and found it in the chunky mashed potatoes covered with salty milk-gravy.

On the way home, we watched the odometer turn to 19,000 miles. This activity was a lot more fun before odometers were digital. Back when you could actually see the tiny numbers turn. The nine going, going, gone, as zero made its appearance.

We stopped at Costco for gas. A tall, ugly woman with a mass of horribly blond hair filled her tank at the next pump over. Her husband saw me staring and laughed. Then I stared at him and we laughed together. It was a couple on their way to a Halloween party. He was she and she was he.

Just another exciting Friday night.

Monday Meanderings

The other day, I found mittens on sale for 79 cents a pair. I picked up 10 pair thinking that someone would be doing a "drive" for the homeless shelter this winter and I would be found prepared! But tonight, as I traveled the vast expanse of the internet, surfing on my trusty, red wireless mouse, my typin' hand became characteristically frozen. My thrifty spouse keeps the thermostat at 70, which sounds reasonable during the cold months, but I am always cold! My hand doesn't freeze at work where it is warm! Anyway, my right hand always turns into a popsicle after a while at the keyboard. I thought of my cache of mittens! I took one pair from the bag and, taking the scissors to each fingertip, I came up with a solution! Aside from looking like a cheap Michael Jackson wanna-be, it really does the trick! My hand is warm and toasty!

You already know from an earlier post, that I am afflicted with pareidolia(scroll down) The WIKI articles relates it's not only faces we Pareidoliacs see, it can be just about anything! Today as I drove home alone in the car, I was excited to see a large squirrel sitting on a fallen tree branch.
I squealed with delight to no-one in particular, "OH! A squirrel!" (It doesn't take much to excite me.) I was a bit worried for it, since it was right next to the busy highway! Imagine my disappointment when I realized the "squirrel" was just an extension of the broken branch. Yes my friends, that is the pain of living with Pareidoliasm.

My creatively talented daughter, Shannon, was on television recently and I was so proud of her! She even gave me a shout-out for teaching her the fine art of scavenging for treasures on the road-side! Check out her appearance on "Studio5".

Rush's Rants have Ruinous Ram-ifications

So, Rush Limbaugh wants to buy a football team...
What's the big deal? The guy loves football.

1. It's been well-documented that transcripts on Limbaugh's own website, in 2007, quote Limbaugh as saying," The NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons. There, I said it."

2. He stated on-air that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was "overrated because the media wanted to see a black quarterback succeed."

3...."all the stuff that happened in New Orleans…whining, where’s FEMA and moaning, where’s BUSH?"

4. "It’s Obama’s America, is it not! Obama’s America, white kids getting beat up on school buses now! You put your kids on a school bus, you expect safety but in Obama’s America the white kids now get beat up with the black kids cheering!"

'
"I feel that given the overall weight of his statements regarding blacks, for him to own a team, even part of it, would be modern slavery." Zennie Abraham

THAT'S the big deal.

Midnight Run

I had to make a run to the library tonight to pick up some books. I had promised someone I would pick them up to use in her class. Only, I had waited too long and the hold had expired so, I had to drive to several libraries instead of just one.

It was only 7:30 when I set out, but with the night darkening so early now, it seemed like midnight and I found myself surprised by all the traffic, even though I was a part of it.
"Don't these people know it's late? What are all these cars doing on the road this time of night? Yes, I'm out here but you should be at home!"

90.9, the glowing blue numbers illuminated the car's gray seats and my right, denim-clad knee. I was listening to KRCL, our local, independent, listener supported radio station. Just about every town has a station like this one, very liberal leaning, with G.B.L.T. public service announcements, Pacifica Daily News, Democracy Now! and the dates and times of drum circles, Reiki classes and Planned Parenthood hours.
The Wednesday night host, Emily, plays the best music every week. But the only time I listen is when I am alone in the car coming home from a workshop, a meeting or shopping. Yet everytime I listen, I hear something new that I rush home to google or find on Youtube. This time,as drove on in what seemed to me the prematurely blackened night, I heard a theme of sorts.
From Oingo Boingo
"We close our eyes and the world has turned around again
We close our eyes and dream and another year has come and gone"

"I'd like to make myself believe
that planet Earth turns slowly" Owl City

The fact that it was dark night and that I longed to close my eyes and dream, made these songs an especially effective soundtrack for my chore.

Help me add to the "Night Driving soundtrack". Send your suggestions!

How Much is Too Much?

Having solved the problem of one of the "small whys" mentioned in my previous post, I immediately felt my spirit lighten. It wasn't the solution I'd hoped for, but the weight was off my shoulders, having done everything I could to solve the problem. I know I am being pretty cryptic here, but there are some situations I just don't feel I can just "put out there." Which brings me to my subject: Do I really need to know you had sex in the airport bathroom or How much is too much information?

Shan and I were just talking about the fact that some bloggers could, in our humble opinion, use a little more discretion when sharing their lives with the world, even as we wondered where one gets the chutzpa to be totally transparent. Is it confidence or ignorance? A plea for attention or a devil-may-care honesty? And what about the repercussions of total disclosure? I know people from my work, church and neighborhood read my blog, so I am limited in some of the anecdotes, trials and attitudes I can share. At least that's what I think...maybe I'm just too uptight?

The "bathroom lover" seemed angered and hurt when someone commented negatively on the post. On the other hand, Liberty Post was recently accused of being sanctimonious after commenting on David "Lothario" Letterman's confession. I've always admired her intelligent candor on issues close to her heart and more especially, her tactful replies to her detractors. She's a class act, for lack of a better term. Dooce shares her hate-mail now and then and, while some are pretty funny, they can be very mean and kinda scary. Of course many of these comments are delivered anonymously. My rule is, if I can't put my name to it, I probably I shouldn't say it at all. But how much freedom do we have when we write to, potentially, hundreds of strangers?

A friend of mine has a second undercover blog that covers the entertaining goings-on at her job. Another friend had a "secret" blog that she directed me to after we shared some personal struggles. Sometimes, I wish I had a "nom de plume" blog. Damn! I just gave away the name I wanted to use for it! On it's pages would be all of my unknown follies, my bitchiest opinions, my hidden fears and heartbreaks. But for know, I am trying to keep up with the public blog, working to not worry so much about what people will think when I give my honest opinion, irreverent observation or awkward emotion and if you ever come across a blog called NomdePlume, it's not me...really!



With all of the dreaming going on in blogland, may I suggest this excellent article in Segullah. While it is written from a Mormon perspective, it's not exclusive in its insights!