Thursday 2/25 8.30am
Not sure whether I'll make it out today as there's a front moving in so the knee hurts and I just put in two days at work so it's a little stressed, too. And there's supposed to be wind gusts up to 40mph later today. However, it's starting to be Spring temps here, mid to high 60s. El Paso may hit 70 by the end of next week. And I'm starting to see greening all around. When the time changes on 14 March, we start the summer hours in the store (oh yah!)
Really want to check my emails to see whether I have a job offer from anybody, but may just do it early tomorrow.
Kenn was gone for three days to the Manager's Meeting in Las Cruces. Got back late yesterday and said we're going to be getting lots of new stuff from new vendors. Where we're going to put all the new stuff is a puzzle. He says the powers-that-be are pleased with the way this store is going. Ask me if I care, go ahead, I dare you.
The most baffling thing about this corp. is why they haven't implemented POS scanning so they know what's really selling. Every item is required to have a barcode tag on it, which they use when they do the main inventories, so it can be done. Why we're not using scanners when selling is a mystery.
Two other things don't make any sense either. One is leaving items on the shelf when the date code says they've been there for over a year and haven't sold. Why isn't that stuff pulled and sold off to jobbers? The other is the lack of a photo catalog, either printed or digital, so that managers can see what they're ordering. As it is, they only get a truncated name and description, so it's sort of "I don't know what that is but I'll give it a try" ordering system. And sometimes the warehouse sends unordered stuff to try to get rid of it (I guess), like sending "Arizona" souvenirs to this store.
Worked with Carol (Kenn's wife) yesterday and it went fine. We both have the same attitude about the stuff and the systems. She talked about what a skinflint Kenn is (great, yet another wonderful character trait). Ah well. She said evaluations are supposed to happen this week or next -- it'll be interesting to see how that process goes and how he'll rate me. I think workers should be able to evaluate their bosses, too. And if corp. bigwigs paid attention to that, it wouldn't hurt. She also said that she'd told Kenn he needed to work with me to train me on stuff; he said he knew it but then he wouldn't get his time off. Awww, poor baby. But that's the reason he's going to lose a good worker (me).
Am thinking now that I'll do a dump/flush today, then tomorrow am will leave fairly early and go to the petroglyph site, then do groceries and email late in the day. Or vice versa. The light will be better for photos in the afternoon but there's no twilight in the desert so it would mean getting back after dark, backing in and getting hooked up. Which I can do, of course, it's just a little trickier.
Have to start trying to find a mechanic to fix the rod knock in the engine, too. No idea what that's going to cost. Sigh.
Later:
Got called into a store meeting for 1pm. It was supposed to take 15 minutes but I got to just stand for a solid hour (really good for the knee) listening to Kenn drone on about all the wonderful things he'd learned at the conference. There was a throwaway line tossed in "no gossiping" that almost made me laugh out loud. Don't they know that's what people do? all people? No wonder they have so much turnover. All the people who have stayed with them for any length are local people, not RVers, but they are set up to handle RVers, with spaces at each store, and they advertise for them. Was handed a self-evaluation form to fill in -- I'll do my best to be diplomatic as I do want to get a good reference out of this company.
Fri 2/26
Got a late start. Took a shower, fed the cats, and was on the road about 11.30 or so. Stopped by Hastings Entertainment (bookstore/movies/music) as I'd been told there were lots of sale DVDs. Managed to find Hell is for Heroes, one of my favorite WW II movies (Steve McQueen, Fess Parker, Bobby Darin, Nick Adams, etc.). They could special order What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? for me but it's almost $20 so I said no thanks. Then off to grocery shop, and now at the cafe (where they've had a mechanical failure so cold food only).
Best thoughts to B. If all goes well, she'll soon be able to see us coming and going.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Desert Museum Trip
I have no idea why this is underlined!!
Here's made-up captions for these photos.
She: Ewww, what's that smell?
He: Heh. I think it's me.
She: Yours looks better than mine.
He: Tough.
Here's made-up captions for these photos.
She: Ewww, what's that smell?
He: Heh. I think it's me.
She: Yours looks better than mine.
He: Tough.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Today 2/19
I'm at the cafe. Got a reply from one application just stating they were reviewing all apps and might be in touch. Very courteous. Of course, if that place hires me, I'll be spending the next year in Blythe CA, a real garden spot.
No real news. Work tomorrow, off Sun and Mon.
TTFN
No real news. Work tomorrow, off Sun and Mon.
TTFN
Tuesday 2/16
I got chewed out by Kenn today. Seems that nothing is to be moved ever unless he approves, I should stop griping about doing inventory as I don't have much else to do, I shouldn't move the sombreros as it threw off his inventory and he then ordered too many, I should talk to customers this particular way (his way), and on and on and on. Of course, it turns out that Caleb has passed on my comments on whatever, which Kenn has taken amiss.
Mind you, I wasn't asked about my side of the "story," just told how to be. He just assumed that my attitude was whatever he interpreted from what Caleb had said. That's not the way to talk to an employee without creating resentment.
I had words with Caleb later, who apologized profusely and said he hadn't meant to get me in trouble, really. he hadn't. I acquit him of malice but not of stupidity. I'll also be talking to Kenn about his manner and assumptions.
So much for us all working as a team.
For the record, I don't gripe, I moan. "Oh great, inventory of these thousands of pieces of junk jewelry. Just what I wanted to do." And then I go do the inventory.
I never touched the sombreros so I don't know anything about them. I resent him looking at me like he didn't believe me (I don't lie).
I've been a retailer for half his life so I don't need to be told how to talk to customers, which I told him.
I shall be redoubling my efforts to find another job. While this store is much much better to work at than Akela Flats, it's not turning out the way I hoped. Kenn is becoming more tyrannical all the time -- my way or the highway -- which is not what he said it would be like. I passed my 3-month trial period without any acknowledgment from Kenn or the Bowlin management. I've taken and passed the Module One test and then found out that now you have to pass all three tests to get keys and codes (or to become shift supervisor or asst. manager).
Alfred (director of operations) said I'd learn to do the paperwork, would open or close, and in general would have more jobs and responsibility etc. None of this has come to pass. Also, he said I'd get 16 hours a week; when Kenn tried to give me less, I told him what Alfred had said and told him I need 16 hrs at minimum. However, little by little he's cut me back to 14 hrs a week.
I'm not a nagger. These people promised me certain things and I've reminded them once. After that, I just stop caring and start looking to leave.
Maybe it is me, after all.
Mind you, I wasn't asked about my side of the "story," just told how to be. He just assumed that my attitude was whatever he interpreted from what Caleb had said. That's not the way to talk to an employee without creating resentment.
I had words with Caleb later, who apologized profusely and said he hadn't meant to get me in trouble, really. he hadn't. I acquit him of malice but not of stupidity. I'll also be talking to Kenn about his manner and assumptions.
So much for us all working as a team.
For the record, I don't gripe, I moan. "Oh great, inventory of these thousands of pieces of junk jewelry. Just what I wanted to do." And then I go do the inventory.
I never touched the sombreros so I don't know anything about them. I resent him looking at me like he didn't believe me (I don't lie).
I've been a retailer for half his life so I don't need to be told how to talk to customers, which I told him.
I shall be redoubling my efforts to find another job. While this store is much much better to work at than Akela Flats, it's not turning out the way I hoped. Kenn is becoming more tyrannical all the time -- my way or the highway -- which is not what he said it would be like. I passed my 3-month trial period without any acknowledgment from Kenn or the Bowlin management. I've taken and passed the Module One test and then found out that now you have to pass all three tests to get keys and codes (or to become shift supervisor or asst. manager).
Alfred (director of operations) said I'd learn to do the paperwork, would open or close, and in general would have more jobs and responsibility etc. None of this has come to pass. Also, he said I'd get 16 hours a week; when Kenn tried to give me less, I told him what Alfred had said and told him I need 16 hrs at minimum. However, little by little he's cut me back to 14 hrs a week.
I'm not a nagger. These people promised me certain things and I've reminded them once. After that, I just stop caring and start looking to leave.
Maybe it is me, after all.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Today
Lots of spam starting to show up in the Comments. Humph.
I'm at the cafe. Normally, I rest up a day after working two days, but I want to keep on the job hunt. I'll probably come again on Friday. Have to work Sat. and then off for two days. Work Tues-Wed, then back to Mon-Tue schedule.
One of the applications I sent out today was for a retail/bookkeeper at a campground in Blythe CA for a year minimum. Not the most salubrious of climates but certainly a job I can do well, settle down for a while, lots of snowbirds come winter so lots of socializing if I want. Could be a whole lot worse.
I think I need a job that has some fun built in. I'm beginning to think there's something wrong with me, after Crescent City and Akela Flats and now here. I keep reminding myself that Madison was fine, and everybody at Amazon liked me, and even 7 Bluff was okay.
I'm at the cafe. Normally, I rest up a day after working two days, but I want to keep on the job hunt. I'll probably come again on Friday. Have to work Sat. and then off for two days. Work Tues-Wed, then back to Mon-Tue schedule.
One of the applications I sent out today was for a retail/bookkeeper at a campground in Blythe CA for a year minimum. Not the most salubrious of climates but certainly a job I can do well, settle down for a while, lots of snowbirds come winter so lots of socializing if I want. Could be a whole lot worse.
I think I need a job that has some fun built in. I'm beginning to think there's something wrong with me, after Crescent City and Akela Flats and now here. I keep reminding myself that Madison was fine, and everybody at Amazon liked me, and even 7 Bluff was okay.
Tuesday 2/16
I got chewed out by Kenn today. Seems that nothing is to be moved ever unless he approves, I should stop griping about doing inventory as I don't have much else to do, I shouldn't move the sombreros as it threw off his inventory and he then ordered too many, I should talk to customers this particular way (his way), and on and on and on. Of course, it turns out that Caleb has passed on my comments on whatever, which Kenn has taken amiss.
Mind you, I wasn't asked about my side of the "story," just told how to be. He just assumed that my attitude was whatever he interpreted from what Caleb had said. That's not the way to talk to an employee without creating resentment.
I had words with Caleb later, who apologized profusely and said he hadn't meant to get me in trouble, really. he hadn't. I acquit him of malice but not of stupidity. I'll also be talking to Kenn about his manner and assumptions.
So much for us all working as a team.
For the record, I don't gripe, I moan. "Oh great, inventory of these thousands of pieces of junk jewelry. Just what I wanted to do." And then I go do the inventory.
I never touched the sombreros so I don't know anything about them. I resent him looking at me like he didn't believe me (I don't lie).
I've been a retailer for half his life so I don't need to be told how to talk to customers, which I told him.
I shall be redoubling my efforts to find another job. While this store is much much better to work at than Akela Flats, it's not turning out the way I hoped. Kenn is becoming more tyrannical all the time -- my way or the highway -- which is not what he said it would be like. I passed my 3-month trial period without any acknowledgment from Kenn or the Bowlin management. I've taken and passed the Module One test and then found out that now you have to pass all three tests to get keys and codes (or to become shift supervisor or asst. manager).
Alfred (director of operations) said I'd learn to do the paperwork, would open or close, and in general would have more jobs and responsibility etc. None of this has come to pass. Also, he said I'd get 16 hours a week; when Kenn tried to give me less, I told him what Alfred had said and told him I need 16 hrs at minimum. However, little by little he's cut me back to 14 hrs a week.
I'm not a nagger. These people promised me certain things and I've reminded them once. After that, I just stop caring and start looking to leave.
Maybe it is me, after all.
Mind you, I wasn't asked about my side of the "story," just told how to be. He just assumed that my attitude was whatever he interpreted from what Caleb had said. That's not the way to talk to an employee without creating resentment.
I had words with Caleb later, who apologized profusely and said he hadn't meant to get me in trouble, really. he hadn't. I acquit him of malice but not of stupidity. I'll also be talking to Kenn about his manner and assumptions.
So much for us all working as a team.
For the record, I don't gripe, I moan. "Oh great, inventory of these thousands of pieces of junk jewelry. Just what I wanted to do." And then I go do the inventory.
I never touched the sombreros so I don't know anything about them. I resent him looking at me like he didn't believe me (I don't lie).
I've been a retailer for half his life so I don't need to be told how to talk to customers, which I told him.
I shall be redoubling my efforts to find another job. While this store is much much better to work at than Akela Flats, it's not turning out the way I hoped. Kenn is becoming more tyrannical all the time -- my way or the highway -- which is not what he said it would be like. I passed my 3-month trial period without any acknowledgment from Kenn or the Bowlin management. I've taken and passed the Module One test and then found out that now you have to pass all three tests to get keys and codes (or to become shift supervisor or asst. manager).
Alfred (director of operations) said I'd learn to do the paperwork, would open or close, and in general would have more jobs and responsibility etc. None of this has come to pass. Also, he said I'd get 16 hours a week; when Kenn tried to give me less, I told him what Alfred had said and told him I need 16 hrs at minimum. However, little by little he's cut me back to 14 hrs a week.
I'm not a nagger. These people promised me certain things and I've reminded them once. After that, I just stop caring and start looking to leave.
Maybe it is me, after all.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Today
After being a total slug for two days, I have gotten myself out and about. It's 11.45 am here and I'm considering being at the petroglyphs site about 2pm to do some scouting before the light starts to slant and warm.
Or not.
I mean, I have to spread stuff out over the five days, don't I? And maybe going to the site during the week will be better. So I slough off the rest of today and watch the olympics tonight, alternating with Extreme Makeover Home Edition.
TTFN
Or not.
I mean, I have to spread stuff out over the five days, don't I? And maybe going to the site during the week will be better. So I slough off the rest of today and watch the olympics tonight, alternating with Extreme Makeover Home Edition.
TTFN
Saturday 2/13
Saturday 2/13 9.30am
Watched the Olympics opening ceremony last night, and was wowed by the visual effects they created with light and film and a few tangible items on the floor. Talked to Quinn during a lot of it so had the sound muted. When they started dancing, I said I'd call her back. Turned on the sound and enjoyed. I don't quite understand the "urban backwoods" choice of costumes, but, hey, maybe that's the way Canadians see themselves. And I enjoyed watching the Plains Indians Fancy Dancers cut loose; there was a Hoop Dancer or two, too. All in all, pretty good, except for the single glitch at the very end.
I suppose Wayne Gretzky was a logical choice for final torch carrier but it wasn't very surprising. And he has no charisma. But he is a world-renowned athlete, so okay.
I've been up since 5am and I'm still not ready to move. Am thinking about town (groceries, computer) and about petroglyphs, but who knows whether I'll actually do either.
Went into a bakery the other day that had "croissants" painted on the window. However, all they had were croissant sandwiches, none for sale by themselves. Odd, don't you think?
Did do another sort of the back bins. Am pretty sure I now have room for the 20ft sewer hose and the water hose to fit neatly. It's very annoying that the pipe opening here sits about three feet above the ground -- makes dumping a tedious chore (tote that line, lift that line, and repeat).
5.30pm
Did absolutely nothing today, except take a 3-hour nap from 10-1. Of course, I was up at 5am after just five hours sleep so I needed it. I was hoping there'd be some olympics coverage on during the day, but no.
I'm definitely going out somewhere tomorrow.
Oh yeah, here's a few pix I took the other evening, including one of the shack (can't remember if I've put one up of it before).
Watched the Olympics opening ceremony last night, and was wowed by the visual effects they created with light and film and a few tangible items on the floor. Talked to Quinn during a lot of it so had the sound muted. When they started dancing, I said I'd call her back. Turned on the sound and enjoyed. I don't quite understand the "urban backwoods" choice of costumes, but, hey, maybe that's the way Canadians see themselves. And I enjoyed watching the Plains Indians Fancy Dancers cut loose; there was a Hoop Dancer or two, too. All in all, pretty good, except for the single glitch at the very end.
I suppose Wayne Gretzky was a logical choice for final torch carrier but it wasn't very surprising. And he has no charisma. But he is a world-renowned athlete, so okay.
I've been up since 5am and I'm still not ready to move. Am thinking about town (groceries, computer) and about petroglyphs, but who knows whether I'll actually do either.
Went into a bakery the other day that had "croissants" painted on the window. However, all they had were croissant sandwiches, none for sale by themselves. Odd, don't you think?
Did do another sort of the back bins. Am pretty sure I now have room for the 20ft sewer hose and the water hose to fit neatly. It's very annoying that the pipe opening here sits about three feet above the ground -- makes dumping a tedious chore (tote that line, lift that line, and repeat).
5.30pm
Did absolutely nothing today, except take a 3-hour nap from 10-1. Of course, I was up at 5am after just five hours sleep so I needed it. I was hoping there'd be some olympics coverage on during the day, but no.
I'm definitely going out somewhere tomorrow.
Oh yeah, here's a few pix I took the other evening, including one of the shack (can't remember if I've put one up of it before).
Friday 2/12
Friday 2/12 6am
Supposed to be a gorgeous weekend, sunny in the mid-60s. Am thinking about whether to drive up to the petroglyphs site right now, or wait until afternoon to get that warm slanting light. The problem with "right now" is that I really don't like to move too quickly first thing. I like to do just what I am doing -- drink coffee, play solitaire, do crosswords -- until about 9am. Then I can stir around and actually do something.
On the other hand, if I wait until afternoon and want to spend a fair amount of time there, it'll be dark at 6pm and I either come back and fumble around hooking up, or I boondock there and do some morning shooting, too.
What to do what to do.
Maybe nothing. Maybe I'll do nothing today but read the really good magazines I got yesterday. One was the "Oxford American: the Southern magazine of good writing." This issue is the 11th Annual Southern Music issue: True Soul & Other True Sounds." It came with a 2-CD set with one disc of Arkansas music (part of their new State Series) and one disc of southern masters. I played the Arkansas disc yesterday and was surprised to hear that Sleepy LaBeef was from Arkansas (there's no mistaking that voice). The mag has a page or two on each artist, plus other interesting music-related articles. The music ranges from the 1940s to the present. Most interesting.
The other mag I got was Saveur's annual guide to the world's best food. Absolutely luscious photography, much of which will be saved for decoupage (whenever I get around to doing that). I love good food mags, not that I ever actually cook any of these things -- way too complicated, even the ones they label "easy." I did do a recipe once -- potato pancakes with gruyere cheese. See, just two ingredients, one pan, simple prep. And I still only manage to cook the dish about once a year. Oh, you want the recipe?
Grate 2 large potatoes into a clean towel.
Wring all moisture out of potatoes.
In bowl, season with salt and pepper and toss about.
Grate gruyere into another bowl (1 cup)
Heat a little oil in skillet.
Use half the potatoes to make two pancakes and put in pan.
Fry slowly until brown on bottom.
Sprinkle gruyere on pancakes, leaving edges clear.
Use rest of potatoes to make a pancake on top of cheese (press down to adhere).
Flip pancakes and fry gently until brown.
Serve hot.
Yum yum.
Just had a sneezing fit, which may mean that the allergies are going to kick up today. Another reason to do little today. I do want to do a re-sort of the back bin -- I think I'm still keeping too much. Does one person really need 40 bungee cords?
Supposed to be a gorgeous weekend, sunny in the mid-60s. Am thinking about whether to drive up to the petroglyphs site right now, or wait until afternoon to get that warm slanting light. The problem with "right now" is that I really don't like to move too quickly first thing. I like to do just what I am doing -- drink coffee, play solitaire, do crosswords -- until about 9am. Then I can stir around and actually do something.
On the other hand, if I wait until afternoon and want to spend a fair amount of time there, it'll be dark at 6pm and I either come back and fumble around hooking up, or I boondock there and do some morning shooting, too.
What to do what to do.
Maybe nothing. Maybe I'll do nothing today but read the really good magazines I got yesterday. One was the "Oxford American: the Southern magazine of good writing." This issue is the 11th Annual Southern Music issue: True Soul & Other True Sounds." It came with a 2-CD set with one disc of Arkansas music (part of their new State Series) and one disc of southern masters. I played the Arkansas disc yesterday and was surprised to hear that Sleepy LaBeef was from Arkansas (there's no mistaking that voice). The mag has a page or two on each artist, plus other interesting music-related articles. The music ranges from the 1940s to the present. Most interesting.
The other mag I got was Saveur's annual guide to the world's best food. Absolutely luscious photography, much of which will be saved for decoupage (whenever I get around to doing that). I love good food mags, not that I ever actually cook any of these things -- way too complicated, even the ones they label "easy." I did do a recipe once -- potato pancakes with gruyere cheese. See, just two ingredients, one pan, simple prep. And I still only manage to cook the dish about once a year. Oh, you want the recipe?
Grate 2 large potatoes into a clean towel.
Wring all moisture out of potatoes.
In bowl, season with salt and pepper and toss about.
Grate gruyere into another bowl (1 cup)
Heat a little oil in skillet.
Use half the potatoes to make two pancakes and put in pan.
Fry slowly until brown on bottom.
Sprinkle gruyere on pancakes, leaving edges clear.
Use rest of potatoes to make a pancake on top of cheese (press down to adhere).
Flip pancakes and fry gently until brown.
Serve hot.
Yum yum.
Just had a sneezing fit, which may mean that the allergies are going to kick up today. Another reason to do little today. I do want to do a re-sort of the back bin -- I think I'm still keeping too much. Does one person really need 40 bungee cords?
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Today
Got the replacement light fixture and so was off this am to get it installed. The guy took it out of the box and said "this switch is busted, too." So I'll be sending it back for a refund this time, and will send them a long letter about this situation. Meanwhile, I bought a fixture from Alamo RV right then and there (a ThinLine for almost as much as the other three fixtures had cost), but the bulb is bigger so I'll get more light and it's considerably sturdier.
Everybody say it with me, you get what you pay for. Right? Right.
Consoled myself by going to Hastings and getting a little reading material and then to WM for salad stuff and a nice-looking porterhouse steak. Am now at the Rustic Cafe and had their special: hamsteak w/raisins, green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet tea.
Am thinking I'll go to the petroglyphs monument real soon, maybe Sat or Sun. Am getting antsy to see them and photograph them. No money this month for a longer trip.
I'm starting to get a lot of spam in the Comments. Think I'll stop using keywords of any sort as that may be what's attracting them. Humph.
Thanks for the nice comments on the virtual tour. I do get more light and air from that window, now that it's not blocked by bins; the other half of the window doesn't open, so the bins there don't block air, just light. Nobody commented on the white pieces of paper in each bin on the side -- or did I explain them already?
Everybody say it with me, you get what you pay for. Right? Right.
Consoled myself by going to Hastings and getting a little reading material and then to WM for salad stuff and a nice-looking porterhouse steak. Am now at the Rustic Cafe and had their special: hamsteak w/raisins, green beans, mashed potatoes, sweet tea.
Am thinking I'll go to the petroglyphs monument real soon, maybe Sat or Sun. Am getting antsy to see them and photograph them. No money this month for a longer trip.
I'm starting to get a lot of spam in the Comments. Think I'll stop using keywords of any sort as that may be what's attracting them. Humph.
Thanks for the nice comments on the virtual tour. I do get more light and air from that window, now that it's not blocked by bins; the other half of the window doesn't open, so the bins there don't block air, just light. Nobody commented on the white pieces of paper in each bin on the side -- or did I explain them already?
Wednesday 2/10
Wed. 2/10 10am
Was up at 5am, drank coffee, played solitaire, did a crossword, read. Back to bed at 8.30 and now up again, feeling more awake.
Caleb, my coworker/supervisor (the other fulltimer at the store) is reading the Odyssey. He said he really had wanted to start with the Iliad, but nobody ever gives him what he has actually said he wants, just something close. So we had a nice discussion of how much of Greek culture underpins our modern day society, and how Shakespeare takes up the slack. I didn't have the impression of him as a reader. Considering his goth-y and very dark past, I think it's the mythology that attracts him, but hey, reading is reading.
I, on the other hand, am reading a new author's mystery series. They say "write what you know," and as Sheila Lowe is a "forensic handwriting analyst," that's what her series is about. Our heroine is a "handwriting analyst," you'll note, not a document examiner, which is a forensic field of repute. And she does do writing authentication. I'm assuming the author's description of the field is accurate and complete, though the character also does personality analysis, which I've always understood to be a less than scientific approach. Sometimes the client is a employer vetting applicants but sometimes it's lawyers building a case. I'm not so sure that the courts accept character assessment based on handwriting as irrefutable fact.
I've finished the first book and am starting the second. I'd rate them as "middling." Not great, not terrible. Reasonable plotting with an effort not to be prudish (though she doesn't describe her heroine's sex scenes -- an admirable restraint as most of the romance writers who turn to mysteries can't resist their impulse for hot and steamy and frequent sex, which often unbalances the books). This author didn't start out as a romance writer, so she has none of those faults.
Her biggest fault is the tendency to use a non-sound word to describe dialogue. "Mugged" is not a substitute for "said." Hemingway pronounced that the only words that should be used for dialogue are "said" and "asked." That's a trifle draconian, but better to err on his side than to use such words as "simpered" or "laughed" or "pouted" instead.
"Oh Keith," she simpered.
"Now, Melanie," he laughed.
"Phooey," she pouted.
And they strolled off, pleased with their massacre and themselves.
There; that's my little lecture for the day.
Was up at 5am, drank coffee, played solitaire, did a crossword, read. Back to bed at 8.30 and now up again, feeling more awake.
Caleb, my coworker/supervisor (the other fulltimer at the store) is reading the Odyssey. He said he really had wanted to start with the Iliad, but nobody ever gives him what he has actually said he wants, just something close. So we had a nice discussion of how much of Greek culture underpins our modern day society, and how Shakespeare takes up the slack. I didn't have the impression of him as a reader. Considering his goth-y and very dark past, I think it's the mythology that attracts him, but hey, reading is reading.
I, on the other hand, am reading a new author's mystery series. They say "write what you know," and as Sheila Lowe is a "forensic handwriting analyst," that's what her series is about. Our heroine is a "handwriting analyst," you'll note, not a document examiner, which is a forensic field of repute. And she does do writing authentication. I'm assuming the author's description of the field is accurate and complete, though the character also does personality analysis, which I've always understood to be a less than scientific approach. Sometimes the client is a employer vetting applicants but sometimes it's lawyers building a case. I'm not so sure that the courts accept character assessment based on handwriting as irrefutable fact.
I've finished the first book and am starting the second. I'd rate them as "middling." Not great, not terrible. Reasonable plotting with an effort not to be prudish (though she doesn't describe her heroine's sex scenes -- an admirable restraint as most of the romance writers who turn to mysteries can't resist their impulse for hot and steamy and frequent sex, which often unbalances the books). This author didn't start out as a romance writer, so she has none of those faults.
Her biggest fault is the tendency to use a non-sound word to describe dialogue. "Mugged" is not a substitute for "said." Hemingway pronounced that the only words that should be used for dialogue are "said" and "asked." That's a trifle draconian, but better to err on his side than to use such words as "simpered" or "laughed" or "pouted" instead.
"Oh Keith," she simpered.
"Now, Melanie," he laughed.
"Phooey," she pouted.
And they strolled off, pleased with their massacre and themselves.
There; that's my little lecture for the day.
Monday 2/8
Monday 2/8 7am
I watched the Super Bowl yesterday. Well, more or less -- there wasn't much else on and I decided to treat it as a sociological experiment, watching the people and their interactions. One thing struck me -- why do quarterbacks have such unusual names? Peyton Manning, for instance. Drew Brees. Bret Favre. Joe Montana. and so on. Most of the people I meet have ordinary names -- Ken, Andy, Tom, Jack etc. And I wasn't particularly impressed with the commercials -- that talking baby for e-trade(?) is really starting to annoy me. And while I like Betty White and Abe Vigoda, I'm not so interested in seeing them being tackled in a pick-up football game. I can't even remember the others.
My favorite was a few years ago -- the cowboys out on the range herding cats.
Anyhow, the Saints won (hooray New Orleans), and then I watched Undercover Boss. It's an interesting premise -- the head honcho of a company pretends to be a new hire. He explains the cameras as a documentary on entry-level jobs. The first episode was on Waste Management Systems, largest trash company in the country. He went on five jobs in different areas of the country and did different jobs. He got quite an insight into the front-line people, like the women trash truck drivers who have to pee in a can because they're being spied on by route supervisors, checking up on them. I don't know what male drivers do -- pee in someone's bushes? He only spends one day at any one job, and got fired by one guy because he couldn't get the hang of the job. He reveals himself at the end of the program, bringing the workers to HQ and rewarding them.
The only problem is the overt nature of the cameras. When people know they're on camera, they act differently, even if they don't mean to. It's the act of being observed that changes the actions of the observed. Surely they could have found a way to film unseen? And don't tell the workers they're being filmed until afterward. And, being an upbeat sort of program, there was no discussion of workers who do take advantage of every looseness to work less or steal or who have conflict with others. There is always an "us" versus "them" attitude, especially in corporations.
Next episode is Hooters.
I see a hawk out my window, sitting on that little shack about 50 feet away, just sort of looking around (for breakfast?). I was getting my binoculars to take a closer look but he flew away.
Big front is to arrive on Wednesday and my bones are announcing it, loudly.
Happy birthday, B!
I watched the Super Bowl yesterday. Well, more or less -- there wasn't much else on and I decided to treat it as a sociological experiment, watching the people and their interactions. One thing struck me -- why do quarterbacks have such unusual names? Peyton Manning, for instance. Drew Brees. Bret Favre. Joe Montana. and so on. Most of the people I meet have ordinary names -- Ken, Andy, Tom, Jack etc. And I wasn't particularly impressed with the commercials -- that talking baby for e-trade(?) is really starting to annoy me. And while I like Betty White and Abe Vigoda, I'm not so interested in seeing them being tackled in a pick-up football game. I can't even remember the others.
My favorite was a few years ago -- the cowboys out on the range herding cats.
Anyhow, the Saints won (hooray New Orleans), and then I watched Undercover Boss. It's an interesting premise -- the head honcho of a company pretends to be a new hire. He explains the cameras as a documentary on entry-level jobs. The first episode was on Waste Management Systems, largest trash company in the country. He went on five jobs in different areas of the country and did different jobs. He got quite an insight into the front-line people, like the women trash truck drivers who have to pee in a can because they're being spied on by route supervisors, checking up on them. I don't know what male drivers do -- pee in someone's bushes? He only spends one day at any one job, and got fired by one guy because he couldn't get the hang of the job. He reveals himself at the end of the program, bringing the workers to HQ and rewarding them.
The only problem is the overt nature of the cameras. When people know they're on camera, they act differently, even if they don't mean to. It's the act of being observed that changes the actions of the observed. Surely they could have found a way to film unseen? And don't tell the workers they're being filmed until afterward. And, being an upbeat sort of program, there was no discussion of workers who do take advantage of every looseness to work less or steal or who have conflict with others. There is always an "us" versus "them" attitude, especially in corporations.
Next episode is Hooters.
I see a hawk out my window, sitting on that little shack about 50 feet away, just sort of looking around (for breakfast?). I was getting my binoculars to take a closer look but he flew away.
Big front is to arrive on Wednesday and my bones are announcing it, loudly.
Happy birthday, B!
Sunday 2/7
I'm reading Lethal Legacy: an Alexandra Cooper novel, by Linda Fairstein. It's a police procedural. I've read a few in this series before and they were okay, but I'm really enjoying this one as the murder victim is a rare books conservator, affiliated with the NY Public Library. So there's lots of discussion about rare books, rare maps, conservation, breakers, thieves (usually dealers; they don't use x-acto knives anymore -- dental floss is the latest thing), etc. Lots of fun.
I miss working with books. Maybe I should go back to Tucson and get a job at Bookman's.
Found a "Jeopardy" rerun. Final Jeopardy category is "Big Books." Answer: When they began in 1879 the creators of this thought they'd finish in 5 years. Five years later, they reached "ant."
Ha! I know this -- it's the OED!
I've been in despair, despair, I say, at the level of ignorance displayed on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? One guy (with two master's) answered the question "From whom did the US buy Alaska?" with "France." I mean -- France!?
Of course, I regularly despair at the grammar and syntax so common these days. Yesterday, I heard a guy say "she had went . . ." Shudder. Even more common is the construction "if I would have . . ." What's happened to the word "had"? If you use "if" you don't need "would" -- they're both conditional.
Watched the Wanda Sykes Show last night. Penn Jillette was one of the guests. The sight of the two of them together just cracked me up. She's tiny, he's huge. She's precise, he lumbers. She speaks sharply, he booms. I really like him -- would like to get cable just to watch the Penn & Teller show "Bullshit."
Been thinking a lot about whether to become an indexer. In some ways, it's a really good fit for me -- work with books and the like, apply logic, do anywhere. On the other hand, it's not an easy business to get started in and slow to make any money. Also, it's very solitary and I've come to realize that I'm only a loner when I'm among people; otherwise, I need a certain amount of socializing. That's one of the reasons typesetting lost its interest for me -- the work is carried on alone and I got tired of being alone all the time.
I think being a cataloguer would be of more interest, especially if it were for a company or a library (private or otherwise). Of course, I don't have the proper degrees so that sort of job probably won't happen. Maybe I'll see about a part-time work at a public library somewhere. Hmmm.
Have pretty much decided not to take the beet harvest job. Yes, the money is good but I just don't think I have the stamina to work 12-hr shifts every day. I foresee one knee or the other swelling up overnight so I can't bend it or stand on it -- and when that happens, it takes days for it to go back down, and that's only with rest, which I wouldn't be getting.
I will be calling the carnival this week for their decision. I'm not sanguine about the outcome; if they wanted me, they'd have called me, right? But I'll keep letting them know I'm interested. And I've applied for a part-time job in a gallery in Cloudcroft, 20 miles up the mountain from here, at 9000 ft. It would be for July-Sept., would fit with the job here at Bowlin, and in Sept. I could quit Bowlin too and go to the Livorno H.S. reunion to be held in Scottsdale AZ in early Oct., which I would really like to do.
I miss working with books. Maybe I should go back to Tucson and get a job at Bookman's.
Found a "Jeopardy" rerun. Final Jeopardy category is "Big Books." Answer: When they began in 1879 the creators of this thought they'd finish in 5 years. Five years later, they reached "ant."
Ha! I know this -- it's the OED!
I've been in despair, despair, I say, at the level of ignorance displayed on Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? One guy (with two master's) answered the question "From whom did the US buy Alaska?" with "France." I mean -- France!?
Of course, I regularly despair at the grammar and syntax so common these days. Yesterday, I heard a guy say "she had went . . ." Shudder. Even more common is the construction "if I would have . . ." What's happened to the word "had"? If you use "if" you don't need "would" -- they're both conditional.
Watched the Wanda Sykes Show last night. Penn Jillette was one of the guests. The sight of the two of them together just cracked me up. She's tiny, he's huge. She's precise, he lumbers. She speaks sharply, he booms. I really like him -- would like to get cable just to watch the Penn & Teller show "Bullshit."
Been thinking a lot about whether to become an indexer. In some ways, it's a really good fit for me -- work with books and the like, apply logic, do anywhere. On the other hand, it's not an easy business to get started in and slow to make any money. Also, it's very solitary and I've come to realize that I'm only a loner when I'm among people; otherwise, I need a certain amount of socializing. That's one of the reasons typesetting lost its interest for me -- the work is carried on alone and I got tired of being alone all the time.
I think being a cataloguer would be of more interest, especially if it were for a company or a library (private or otherwise). Of course, I don't have the proper degrees so that sort of job probably won't happen. Maybe I'll see about a part-time work at a public library somewhere. Hmmm.
Have pretty much decided not to take the beet harvest job. Yes, the money is good but I just don't think I have the stamina to work 12-hr shifts every day. I foresee one knee or the other swelling up overnight so I can't bend it or stand on it -- and when that happens, it takes days for it to go back down, and that's only with rest, which I wouldn't be getting.
I will be calling the carnival this week for their decision. I'm not sanguine about the outcome; if they wanted me, they'd have called me, right? But I'll keep letting them know I'm interested. And I've applied for a part-time job in a gallery in Cloudcroft, 20 miles up the mountain from here, at 9000 ft. It would be for July-Sept., would fit with the job here at Bowlin, and in Sept. I could quit Bowlin too and go to the Livorno H.S. reunion to be held in Scottsdale AZ in early Oct., which I would really like to do.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Today
Glad the virtual tour was of interest. And here -- a call to the Universe I just placed:
NO more winter for B (which probably means the rest of us will get it all).
Working on the back rack yesterday and discovered the little bin was cracked and falling apart. So today I got a replacement. Am at the Rustic Cafe now, having the "trashed browns" with sunnyside up eggs and red sauce.
Then I'm off to the pistachio statue store to get some of that pistachio coffee for Deborah. They loved the bag I sent them and she wants to give some to her family.
The only chore left is laundry, which I'll do tomorrow. And finish the rack sort.
Back to work Monday.
Am considering working the beet harvest in, I think, Nebraska. Two weeks of hell -- 12-hr shifts every day, industrial setting, hardhats, goggles, earplugs, outdoors, sorting and piling beets. Definitely wouldn't be fun but the money's good. $10.40 for the 1st 8 hrs Mon-Fri, x 1.5 for the other 4 hrs and all day Sat. Sunday is double time. So I'd come out of hell with about $2000. What I don't know is whether I have the stamina or endurance to physically do it. I'll think long and hard about it.
NO more winter for B (which probably means the rest of us will get it all).
Working on the back rack yesterday and discovered the little bin was cracked and falling apart. So today I got a replacement. Am at the Rustic Cafe now, having the "trashed browns" with sunnyside up eggs and red sauce.
Then I'm off to the pistachio statue store to get some of that pistachio coffee for Deborah. They loved the bag I sent them and she wants to give some to her family.
The only chore left is laundry, which I'll do tomorrow. And finish the rack sort.
Back to work Monday.
Am considering working the beet harvest in, I think, Nebraska. Two weeks of hell -- 12-hr shifts every day, industrial setting, hardhats, goggles, earplugs, outdoors, sorting and piling beets. Definitely wouldn't be fun but the money's good. $10.40 for the 1st 8 hrs Mon-Fri, x 1.5 for the other 4 hrs and all day Sat. Sunday is double time. So I'd come out of hell with about $2000. What I don't know is whether I have the stamina or endurance to physically do it. I'll think long and hard about it.
January RIPs
I forgot to note some newly dead people, of note to me, if no-one else.
Donald Westlake.
I actually can't remember whether I noted him in an earlier post. Anyhow, the critics all rave about his Dortmunder series, which I can't stand, but I do love his comic novels (especially the one about the Pope/Vatican but can't remember its name) (wait, it's The Road to Gandolfo), and his grim and noir Parker series, under a pseudonym I also can't remember (wait, it's Richard Stark). Oh no, it's early dementia or maybe Alzheimer's. Nah. Any other time, the info would roll trippingly off the tongue -- just not today (but it all came to me later).
J.D. Salinger.
Not that I think he's a great writer, and I personally couldn't stand Holden Caulfield, but The Catcher in the Rye became an instant classic because it captured the parent-child conflict so well and it came out when familial and social ties were loosening all over and our society became youth-oriented.
Les Paul.
An amazingly inventive man for such a modest demeanor. What would rock and roll be without the solid-body electric guitar? And didn't he have a most distinctive style of playing? I watched the Grammy Awards last Sunday and they did a tribute to him -- a 40s-style singer doing How High the Moon and, on guitar -- wait for it -- Jeff Beck! He did a fine job of playing at breakneck speed in Les Paul's signature style and yet being an interpreter, not just a copier. Great stuff.
Donald Westlake.
I actually can't remember whether I noted him in an earlier post. Anyhow, the critics all rave about his Dortmunder series, which I can't stand, but I do love his comic novels (especially the one about the Pope/Vatican but can't remember its name) (wait, it's The Road to Gandolfo), and his grim and noir Parker series, under a pseudonym I also can't remember (wait, it's Richard Stark). Oh no, it's early dementia or maybe Alzheimer's. Nah. Any other time, the info would roll trippingly off the tongue -- just not today (but it all came to me later).
J.D. Salinger.
Not that I think he's a great writer, and I personally couldn't stand Holden Caulfield, but The Catcher in the Rye became an instant classic because it captured the parent-child conflict so well and it came out when familial and social ties were loosening all over and our society became youth-oriented.
Les Paul.
An amazingly inventive man for such a modest demeanor. What would rock and roll be without the solid-body electric guitar? And didn't he have a most distinctive style of playing? I watched the Grammy Awards last Sunday and they did a tribute to him -- a 40s-style singer doing How High the Moon and, on guitar -- wait for it -- Jeff Beck! He did a fine job of playing at breakneck speed in Les Paul's signature style and yet being an interpreter, not just a copier. Great stuff.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Virtual Tour
Okay, you asked for it (well, a few of you did). So here's a bunch of photos of the inside of my rig, with annotations. Don't forget--you can click on any image and it'll blow up very large so you can study the details (if you're an obsessive type).
The first pic is the living area from the rear (fridge is bottom right). The curtain leads to the driving cab, the bins are books, the red is my bedcover, the stool gets me up to the bed (no vaulting up for me).
The next
is a closeup of the couchend. The two bottom bins have about 40-50 paperbacks each; the top bin is hardcovers; and the top is my bedside table.
Then we have a view of the bins on the front dinette seat. The wicker case holds all cables and cords for appliances. The lower part is my "coffee table," misc. daily stuff. This also shows my TV viewing angle. The larger back bin is the Games/Crafts bin, with the Books Read bin on top of it. The closer 2-bin stack is Perm.Lib. pbs on bottom, and the TBR bin on top. I can just lift the whole top off without removing the stuff, lay it on the bed, choose a book, replace the life and snap it on -- easy peasy.
Next image is the rear dinette seat, which used to have bins on it, too, but now holds the plant
and computer and phone and camera and binoculars, etc. The plant travels in the kitchen sink.
Here's a view of the cabover, showing my almost-twin bed with
two very large bins (clothes and linens) beyond; in the middle is a medium bin (shoes) and a small bin on top (office supplies and book cleaning stuff) -- note the fancy pillow! Got that at the Wild Cats Park in Oregon last fall.
Now we're seeing the rear of the rig, showing the kitchen
with the fridge on the left and the shoe rack hanging on the closet door. The striped curtain is where the bathroom cum pantry is. And here's the cabinet on top of the fridge
where I put canned goods and seasonings.
Last but certainly not least is the bathroom
which is visible from the door, so I try to keep the curtain pulled. Note the long hanging clothes and jackets -- these obscure 
the actual pantry, but I've pulled back the clothes so you can see it. It's a five drawer unit, so it's taller than it seems here. The bungee cord attaches to one coming up from the milk crate the pantry sits on and keeps the drawers and the unit in place when on the move.
So there ya go. Now you can picture me sitting on the couch, with my lapdesk on my knees, playing computer solitaire and gazing out the window, OR with my feet up on the couch, leaning back on my pillow, watching Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? or So You Think You Can Dance or some old movie. OR maybe napping under my red coverlet. Hope you enjoyed the tour.
The first pic is the living area from the rear (fridge is bottom right). The curtain leads to the driving cab, the bins are books, the red is my bedcover, the stool gets me up to the bed (no vaulting up for me).
The next
is a closeup of the couchend. The two bottom bins have about 40-50 paperbacks each; the top bin is hardcovers; and the top is my bedside table.Then we have a view of the bins on the front dinette seat. The wicker case holds all cables and cords for appliances. The lower part is my "coffee table," misc. daily stuff. This also shows my TV viewing angle. The larger back bin is the Games/Crafts bin, with the Books Read bin on top of it. The closer 2-bin stack is Perm.Lib. pbs on bottom, and the TBR bin on top. I can just lift the whole top off without removing the stuff, lay it on the bed, choose a book, replace the life and snap it on -- easy peasy.
Next image is the rear dinette seat, which used to have bins on it, too, but now holds the plant
and computer and phone and camera and binoculars, etc. The plant travels in the kitchen sink.Here's a view of the cabover, showing my almost-twin bed with
two very large bins (clothes and linens) beyond; in the middle is a medium bin (shoes) and a small bin on top (office supplies and book cleaning stuff) -- note the fancy pillow! Got that at the Wild Cats Park in Oregon last fall.Now we're seeing the rear of the rig, showing the kitchen
with the fridge on the left and the shoe rack hanging on the closet door. The striped curtain is where the bathroom cum pantry is. And here's the cabinet on top of the fridge
where I put canned goods and seasonings.Last but certainly not least is the bathroom
which is visible from the door, so I try to keep the curtain pulled. Note the long hanging clothes and jackets -- these obscure 
the actual pantry, but I've pulled back the clothes so you can see it. It's a five drawer unit, so it's taller than it seems here. The bungee cord attaches to one coming up from the milk crate the pantry sits on and keeps the drawers and the unit in place when on the move.So there ya go. Now you can picture me sitting on the couch, with my lapdesk on my knees, playing computer solitaire and gazing out the window, OR with my feet up on the couch, leaning back on my pillow, watching Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? or So You Think You Can Dance or some old movie. OR maybe napping under my red coverlet. Hope you enjoyed the tour.
Thursday 4 Feb
Thursday 2/4
6.30 am The rain seems to have stopped. Cloudcroft up at 9000 ft was supposed to get a foot of snow. I wonder if I'm going to be able to motivate myself today to do some chores, you know, like spray the mud off the rig (wheel wells, tank handles, etc) so I can do a dump & flush, take a shower, go grocery shopping. Stuff like that.
One of the drawbacks to not stocking up is that when you're out, you're out, and now you must go to town. It's not that I don't have food; I do; it's just not the perishable stuff like bread and meat and salad. And I have a day's worth of coffee left.
So I guess I'm going to town. Sequence of events is to clean the rig so I can do the dump, then take a shower, then go to town, grocery shop, go to cafe for a meal and a few hours on the computer, then home.
Last big project on my list is to sort the bins on the back rack, one big and one small. I've discovered that there's room between the big bin and the rig for my chair (folded up in its carrying sleeve), which is great as I don't have to carry it inside anymore. Whoever put the big bin on the rack did it very oddly to my mind.
It's about 3ft wide x 2ft deep x 3ft tall (is that 18 cubic ft?). The bottom has been cut off and it's bolted onto wood pieces that are bolted to the rack itself, thus raising the bin so there's about 3 inches of open space at the bottom. Why was that done? Drainage? The lid fits tightly over the lip so it doesn't get wet inside, so that doesn't make sense. And the open space means that road dirt and wet can get inside! It makes it tricky to keep things from slithering out the bottom (like extension cords). Also, the hinged top doesn't open all the way as it hits the rig, so it has to be propped open somehow. Not a good design. It'd be better to have a lift-off lid -- at least you'd be able to get into the whole thing with both hands.
And then there's the little bin (sitting underneath where the license plate is) -- it's just a regular snap-lid bin like the ones I have inside. It has to be small so as not to obscure the license, and it has to be bungeed to the rack.
If they were going to the trouble of putting on a custom rack, why didn't they build a custom bin for it, instead of jerry-rigging these store-bought bins?
The rack makes backing up tricky, too, as it can't be seen in the mirrors, so it's easy to run into things. I think I'll put little bitty red plastic flags on the corners -- I should be able to see them fluttering.
Bitch bitch bitch.
7.30 am Clouds packed in, raining again.
Crossword clue: Ingenious
Answer: DAEDAL
Has anybody heard of this word? Is it related to Daedalus, the wax wings guy?
I was pleased with myself for knowing the answer to: PageMaker parent
Aldus (though I think few would connect it to the 16th(?) century Venetian printer)
6.30 am The rain seems to have stopped. Cloudcroft up at 9000 ft was supposed to get a foot of snow. I wonder if I'm going to be able to motivate myself today to do some chores, you know, like spray the mud off the rig (wheel wells, tank handles, etc) so I can do a dump & flush, take a shower, go grocery shopping. Stuff like that.
One of the drawbacks to not stocking up is that when you're out, you're out, and now you must go to town. It's not that I don't have food; I do; it's just not the perishable stuff like bread and meat and salad. And I have a day's worth of coffee left.
So I guess I'm going to town. Sequence of events is to clean the rig so I can do the dump, then take a shower, then go to town, grocery shop, go to cafe for a meal and a few hours on the computer, then home.
Last big project on my list is to sort the bins on the back rack, one big and one small. I've discovered that there's room between the big bin and the rig for my chair (folded up in its carrying sleeve), which is great as I don't have to carry it inside anymore. Whoever put the big bin on the rack did it very oddly to my mind.
It's about 3ft wide x 2ft deep x 3ft tall (is that 18 cubic ft?). The bottom has been cut off and it's bolted onto wood pieces that are bolted to the rack itself, thus raising the bin so there's about 3 inches of open space at the bottom. Why was that done? Drainage? The lid fits tightly over the lip so it doesn't get wet inside, so that doesn't make sense. And the open space means that road dirt and wet can get inside! It makes it tricky to keep things from slithering out the bottom (like extension cords). Also, the hinged top doesn't open all the way as it hits the rig, so it has to be propped open somehow. Not a good design. It'd be better to have a lift-off lid -- at least you'd be able to get into the whole thing with both hands.
And then there's the little bin (sitting underneath where the license plate is) -- it's just a regular snap-lid bin like the ones I have inside. It has to be small so as not to obscure the license, and it has to be bungeed to the rack.
If they were going to the trouble of putting on a custom rack, why didn't they build a custom bin for it, instead of jerry-rigging these store-bought bins?
The rack makes backing up tricky, too, as it can't be seen in the mirrors, so it's easy to run into things. I think I'll put little bitty red plastic flags on the corners -- I should be able to see them fluttering.
Bitch bitch bitch.
7.30 am Clouds packed in, raining again.
Crossword clue: Ingenious
Answer: DAEDAL
Has anybody heard of this word? Is it related to Daedalus, the wax wings guy?
I was pleased with myself for knowing the answer to: PageMaker parent
Aldus (though I think few would connect it to the 16th(?) century Venetian printer)
Wednesday 3 Feb
Wednesday 2/3
It's been raining all day, a "female rain" the Navajo would say, no thunder or lightning, just a good soaker. It was a good day for doing nothing (except feeding the cats) and my knee has repaid the rest by going back to normal. Yah!
I've just finished reading "Madame Bovary's Ovaries: a Darwinian Look at Literature," by Barash & Barash, 2005. Quite enjoyable. Though it didn't necessarily expand my knowledge of Darwin, it did a good job of showing how literature through the ages has explicated his theories. Beyond the introductory and epilogue material, the chapter titles are quite informative:
Othello and other angry fellows (male sexual jealousy)
The key to Jane Austen's heart (what women want and why)
How to make Rhett give a damn (what men want and why)
Madame Bovary's ovaries (biology of adultery)
Wisdom from "The Godfather" (kin selection, being family)
The Cinderella syndrome (stepchildren struggles)
On the complaints of Portnoy, Caulfield, and others (parent-offspring conflict)
Of "Musketeers" and "Mice and Men" and "Wrath" (reciprocity and friendship)
Now it goes in the Books Read bin and eventually will get traded or sold.
There are three books on my "bedside table" in various states of being read, usually according to mood:
Snake Agent: a Detective Inspecor Chen novel; by Liz Williams (2005; on p.69). Set in a future cloned Singapore. The ghost of a murdered girl fails to arrive in Heaven as expected. The demon from Hell's police force is assigned to drag her to hell while Insp. Chen is set to get her to Heaven. Conflict ensues. Conspiracies are uncovered. Lots of fun. Witty, too.
How to Wash a Cat, by Rebecca M. Hale (2008). Mystery, first in a new series. I'm not sure I'm going to like this. I read the first chapter one night and put it down. I'm going to give it another try. Deb read it while we were in Tucson and liked it a lot until the end.
Confessions of a Demon, by S.L. Wright (2009; on p.21). Our heroine is a human-demon amalgam, the only one. Her food is human emotion and her name is Allay (ironic, no?). The writing is decent so far and we'll see how the plot works out. Seems to me that this author has written something else but it's not mentioned.
It's been raining all day, a "female rain" the Navajo would say, no thunder or lightning, just a good soaker. It was a good day for doing nothing (except feeding the cats) and my knee has repaid the rest by going back to normal. Yah!
I've just finished reading "Madame Bovary's Ovaries: a Darwinian Look at Literature," by Barash & Barash, 2005. Quite enjoyable. Though it didn't necessarily expand my knowledge of Darwin, it did a good job of showing how literature through the ages has explicated his theories. Beyond the introductory and epilogue material, the chapter titles are quite informative:
Othello and other angry fellows (male sexual jealousy)
The key to Jane Austen's heart (what women want and why)
How to make Rhett give a damn (what men want and why)
Madame Bovary's ovaries (biology of adultery)
Wisdom from "The Godfather" (kin selection, being family)
The Cinderella syndrome (stepchildren struggles)
On the complaints of Portnoy, Caulfield, and others (parent-offspring conflict)
Of "Musketeers" and "Mice and Men" and "Wrath" (reciprocity and friendship)
Now it goes in the Books Read bin and eventually will get traded or sold.
There are three books on my "bedside table" in various states of being read, usually according to mood:
Snake Agent: a Detective Inspecor Chen novel; by Liz Williams (2005; on p.69). Set in a future cloned Singapore. The ghost of a murdered girl fails to arrive in Heaven as expected. The demon from Hell's police force is assigned to drag her to hell while Insp. Chen is set to get her to Heaven. Conflict ensues. Conspiracies are uncovered. Lots of fun. Witty, too.
How to Wash a Cat, by Rebecca M. Hale (2008). Mystery, first in a new series. I'm not sure I'm going to like this. I read the first chapter one night and put it down. I'm going to give it another try. Deb read it while we were in Tucson and liked it a lot until the end.
Confessions of a Demon, by S.L. Wright (2009; on p.21). Our heroine is a human-demon amalgam, the only one. Her food is human emotion and her name is Allay (ironic, no?). The writing is decent so far and we'll see how the plot works out. Seems to me that this author has written something else but it's not mentioned.
Tucson Trip
Wednesday 1/27 through Sunday 1/31
Started out about 10am into the teeth of an oncoming storm. Reached Lordsburg NM about 2.30. It was so dark at that point that it was like night. So I stopped at the Flying J, along with many many others. Spent the night there, rained all night, left about 9am. It was still raining but I was driving away from most of it and it lightened considerably along the way. Still overcast and spitting.
Reached Tucson about 1pm and went straight to the Barnes & Noble on Ina Rd. (to indulge in a little fuel). Had talked to my brother who was on his way and would call when he was about 10 miles out. So we arrived at the land at the same time (gated). Now you remember the rain? Well, the mile-long dirt road leading to the land was not only muddy but heavily washboarded. So Ghibli and I got tossed up and down and sideways. And the potholes the front tires missed would get caught by the duallies -- that's how many actual holes there were; no missing them entirely.
Now, the thing about washboarded roads is that you can either (1) drive very fast so it kinds of smoothes itself out, or (2) drive very slowly so it kind of undulates under you. Unfortunately, RVs don't lend themselves to #1 and their configuration is such that even #2 doesn't work out so well. So -- bounce bounce jolt jolt sway sway ad infinitum ad nauseaum.
Tinnee and Craig, owners of the land, didn't arrive until 2am Sunday morning. So we were boondocking for three nights. Of course, H & Deb's rig (a Class A) had a generator so they had heat and lights etc. I didn't but my new fluorescent lights were usable as they draw so little power from the house battery. No heat, though I was warm enough in my flannel pjs and sleeping bag (about 30 at night)
Because we were 20 miles north of downtown and Tucson's traffic is horrendous, it made the most sense to drive my rig. So I got to drive the nasty road out, then 20 miles to town, 20 miles back, and the nasty road back. We went into downtown Tucson on Friday so they could prowl a small part of the Tucson Gem/Mineral/Fossil Show (biggest in the world). I sat in the rig and read.
Saturday we drove the nasty road (now mostly dry but still bumpy) 30 miles to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum out in Oro Valley west of downtown. We took the steep road over Gates Pass and came back up Oro Valley into Avra Valley through the Saguaro Natl. Park. This is a pic of Deborah and Harland in Gates Pass, showing Old Tucson Movie Studio in the valley -- it was really windy.
At the Desert Museum, we split up as they wanted to see everything. I puttered around a while, took a nice pic of some heron statutes in the Riparian Corridor.
The live animals don't cooperate nearly as well. They were finally done about 4.30. Return trip.
If you ever go to Tucson, do go to the Desert Museum; it's really great. Here's a pic of H & D at Gates Pass with the Old Tucson Movie Studio in the background (you've seen this western town in nine million westerns). And here's the herons.
Sunday, I left at 9am. Stopped downtown and got gas (at $2.22/gal!) and headed out on I-10. Reached Alamogordo and was hooked up about 6.30pm. Long damn day (it's 370 miles from here to Marana AZ).
It was great to see my brother and Deb, and I would have liked to stay a few more days and get ferried around by Tinnee (who has a photo exhibit in the Gem Show -- she's a professional jewelry photographer). I just hadn't planned on doing so much driving while there.
Let's not talk about my right knee.
Started out about 10am into the teeth of an oncoming storm. Reached Lordsburg NM about 2.30. It was so dark at that point that it was like night. So I stopped at the Flying J, along with many many others. Spent the night there, rained all night, left about 9am. It was still raining but I was driving away from most of it and it lightened considerably along the way. Still overcast and spitting.
Reached Tucson about 1pm and went straight to the Barnes & Noble on Ina Rd. (to indulge in a little fuel). Had talked to my brother who was on his way and would call when he was about 10 miles out. So we arrived at the land at the same time (gated). Now you remember the rain? Well, the mile-long dirt road leading to the land was not only muddy but heavily washboarded. So Ghibli and I got tossed up and down and sideways. And the potholes the front tires missed would get caught by the duallies -- that's how many actual holes there were; no missing them entirely.
Now, the thing about washboarded roads is that you can either (1) drive very fast so it kinds of smoothes itself out, or (2) drive very slowly so it kind of undulates under you. Unfortunately, RVs don't lend themselves to #1 and their configuration is such that even #2 doesn't work out so well. So -- bounce bounce jolt jolt sway sway ad infinitum ad nauseaum.
Tinnee and Craig, owners of the land, didn't arrive until 2am Sunday morning. So we were boondocking for three nights. Of course, H & Deb's rig (a Class A) had a generator so they had heat and lights etc. I didn't but my new fluorescent lights were usable as they draw so little power from the house battery. No heat, though I was warm enough in my flannel pjs and sleeping bag (about 30 at night)
Because we were 20 miles north of downtown and Tucson's traffic is horrendous, it made the most sense to drive my rig. So I got to drive the nasty road out, then 20 miles to town, 20 miles back, and the nasty road back. We went into downtown Tucson on Friday so they could prowl a small part of the Tucson Gem/Mineral/Fossil Show (biggest in the world). I sat in the rig and read.
Saturday we drove the nasty road (now mostly dry but still bumpy) 30 miles to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum out in Oro Valley west of downtown. We took the steep road over Gates Pass and came back up Oro Valley into Avra Valley through the Saguaro Natl. Park. This is a pic of Deborah and Harland in Gates Pass, showing Old Tucson Movie Studio in the valley -- it was really windy.
At the Desert Museum, we split up as they wanted to see everything. I puttered around a while, took a nice pic of some heron statutes in the Riparian Corridor.
The live animals don't cooperate nearly as well. They were finally done about 4.30. Return trip.If you ever go to Tucson, do go to the Desert Museum; it's really great. Here's a pic of H & D at Gates Pass with the Old Tucson Movie Studio in the background (you've seen this western town in nine million westerns). And here's the herons.
Sunday, I left at 9am. Stopped downtown and got gas (at $2.22/gal!) and headed out on I-10. Reached Alamogordo and was hooked up about 6.30pm. Long damn day (it's 370 miles from here to Marana AZ).
It was great to see my brother and Deb, and I would have liked to stay a few more days and get ferried around by Tinnee (who has a photo exhibit in the Gem Show -- she's a professional jewelry photographer). I just hadn't planned on doing so much driving while there.
Let's not talk about my right knee.
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