Since I wrote my original post in August, I have added some things to the Cloud Player:
The Diving Board by Elton John (Old loyalties die hard. I have always loved Elton. Always will.)
Dog Train by Sandra Boynton (Kids music, but fun for grown ups, too. Just love the words in these songs.)
Favorites and Rarities by Don McLean (His Tapestry was one of the first LPs I ever owned. Played it to death. Love his style.)
Frog Trouble by Sandra Boynton (Another batch of kids music, but just as funny as ever, and not annoying to listen to.)
Heart of Saturday Night by Tom Waits (Listened to a lot of his music on Pandora, and decided I really liked it. This was the album that I decided I wanted to own.)
Highwayman 2 by Willie Nelson, Kris Kristopherson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings (Liked the first one, the second one is pretty good as well.)
Platinum and Gold by Lou Reed (When I realized how many of the artists I liked over the years he had influenced, I decided to go to the source. Listened a lot on Pandora and then chose the collection.)
Ponder the Mystery by William Shatner (What can I say? Old loyalties die hard. :) )
Time Passages by Al Stewart (Had to get it when so many of the songs kept turning up on Pandora and I realized I still liked them)
Traveling Wilburys Vol 1 (Just had to get it, I had it on cassette once upon a time...)
Traveling Wilburys Vol 3 (Had to complete the set. Love these guys.)
So many of the songs I listen to speak more to me now than they did when I first heard them, much like some poetry and some art means more, strikes me differently than it would have even 10 years ago. Things happen in life, we learn things, feel new things, see new things, and it changes us. Makes us appreciate some things and some people more.
I am finding as I go along, that it isn't the things themselves that matter, but the people behind them, the memories and emotions they evoke, that make them worth something. It has been my privilege over the last year or so to meet some very worthwhile people online. I have also gotten to meet a few of them in person. The love, laughter and caring that we have shared online is also present when we are together face to face. Nice to know that this world is not the big, cold, lonely place it was just a few years ago. Technology has made it possible to find friends all over the world. So blessed to know you, my online friends, and doubly blessed to have met some of you in "real" life.
That's enough from me for now.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Saturday, October 26, 2013
A New Look At An Old Tradition
It was Red Ribbon Day again in Moore today. Every year, the whole town turns out to either parade down Broadway to Main to Eastern and the high school, or to line the route and get candy. The purpose of the parade is supposed to be to raise awareness about drug abuse, and to help prevent it. It's a traditional place for candidates for local office to show up to campaign, for local celebrities to be called upon to be Grand Marshall. (Gary England was one year, this year it was David Payne.) (Yes, weather forecasters and storm chasers are celebrities in Moore, Oklahoma.)
One tradition for our entry was missing this year. My dog Bear died two years ago, and Julie's dog Mollie did, too. Melvin is still around, but doesn't like the parade. Julie didn't walk this year, and so the announcers couldn't make their annual joke about her Corgi Melvin. ("See that little brown dog? He's so short, he doesn't have feet, he has INCHES!!")
This year, the parade still had plenty of drug-free emphasis, but it had a whole lot more "Moore Strong" slogans. This year the parade takes place five months after a very nasty set of tornadoes came through and tried to wipe part of town off the map. Just like in 1999. People are still displaced, many no longer live in Moore while they wait for homes to be rebuilt. Still, we had one of the largest turnouts EVER for that parade, even though it sprinkled rain.
There was an even greater party atmosphere at the parade lineup than usual. Everybody was smiling, people were stopping and hugging friends and acquaintances, it was lovely to see. This is how a community is SUPPOSED to be. Supportive, connected, ok, maybe a little bit sappy, but close and caring. We got big waves and smiles from the crowds, not just because we had a horse and carriage with us to promote the Big Read of True Grit for our library system, but because people were glad to see us. This town loves its library. They cheer for us when we come out for the parade. They really miss us when we are closed. They ask about staff members they haven't seen for awhile. (I was on vacation for a week recently. I got many "good to see you"s from customers when I came back.)
The picture at the beginning of this post is of the float from Cross Timbers United Methodist Church. They are but one of the groups that have supported the schools that were damaged in the tornadoes. I think one thing says it all on this float. HOME. Moore is home. For some of us it is an adopted home, but home it is. Where our hearts are, where we feel cared for, where we can relax and spread out. It's a place with all the amenities of a large metropolitan area, but where I can still run into people I know when I go almost anywhere around town. (Whole OKC Metro is like that, really.)
Many friends and family members who live elsewhere have said we should leave, but we can't. Our church family, our library family, and our home are here. We have a nicer home than we could afford anywhere else. I have a job that I love, one that makes a difference in this community. We have found a church that is very close to our hearts. We've been here twenty years now. It's home. We have been through hell with this community. There is a bond here, whether the hell was the Murrah bombing in '95, or the tornadoes in '99, 2003, or just this past May,we came through it together, it knits us very close here in the heart of the heartland.
Oh, I will still get frustrated with our politicians and with the willful ignorance of a few, but I will still love this place and its people. I will still be here hoping to help connect them to the books and other resources they need for lifelong learning.
Here are a few photos from my experience of the parade this morning. Betsy, the Clydesdale, was pulling a carriage which held one of my PLS colleagues dressed as Maddie from True Grit. Several of my coworkers were walking alongside the carriage and our Friends volunteer (and half of my "fan club") Vickie Kelly was there as well. (Vickie comes to all my voice recitals. I therefore call her and her husband John my fan club.)
In order to help banish the gloomy drizzle, I led our little group in a verse of "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'" (It is astonishing how many people in Oklahoma know the words to songs from the show.)
Here's me and Betsy, the horse. (I am skinnier than I look. Was wearing thermals under this outfit! I am not a parade rookie! Also note the Aussie Outback hat instead of a cowboy hat!)
Yes, this year the parade felt like it meant just a bit more than it has in the past. LOTS more entries in the parade, more people out to cheer us on, and everybody in much better spirits than I can recall seeing there in a long, long time.
Well, got my copy of True Grit downloaded. Guess I better get busy and read it. :-)
Monday, October 21, 2013
Further Reflections On My Trip and Return
One thing that amazed me is how many people ignore the view out the airplane window. Do they fly so often that it now fails to amaze them? I can understand if it is night time, or there are lots of clouds (though I enjoyed the cloud formations we flew above on Saturday morning), but on a clear, sunny day? I'm glued to the window, watching the miniature world scroll by. Farms, towns, factories, suburbs, vast stretches of apparently empty space. It's all interesting to me. I don't get to fly all that often, and the perspective gained by viewing our civilization from a distance can be heady stuff. Our world really is pretty small, no matter how big it feels from down here. What we do to the land matters, it shows up even from a distance.
Though I like flying, and I like seeing new things, I don't like being away from my base of operations that much. It unsettles me. I guess I haven't found a good way to take it with me yet. Ever since I got back, this song has been playing in my head, and refuses to be exorcised, no matter what.
Traveling Wilburys: Inside Out
The weeds in Alabama could probably rival the plants in Australia for vindictiveness and danger. Most of the vines I had to remove from in and on my mother's azalea hedges had HUGE thorns. They are carnivorous, actively seeking the slight bit of bare skin between my long pruning gloves and my shirt sleeve. I have multitudinous scratches and puncture wounds on my elbows. I also ran afoul of the top of the chain link fence. I was grateful over and over again for the tetanus shot I got shortly after the tornadoes. At least I knew I was protected from disease. Much antibiotic cream and cortisone cream have helped the scratches start to heal. I also have bruises all over me. Branches that argued with me, things that poked me through the sheet we used to transport our clippings to the curb, the abominable fence, my own pruners, these are the things that bruised me. Stumps of old shrubs bruised my knees when I tried to kneel on them to reach the roots of some weeds. Also, I don't know if it is the bending and lifting I did while at Mom's or the vigorous workouts I've done since I got home, but my leg muscles are sore. Something has worked them hard!
As hard as my sister and I worked every day, I still missed being really active. I missed my walks and my elliptical time. I listen to music and just move it when I am walking or using the elliptical. Gets my blood pumping, and gets my heart rate up. All that yard work was not aerobic. Didn't benefit my heart or lungs much. (In fact, being up close and personal with so much pollen was not so good for my allergies. I am still living on antihistamines and eye drops.)
I also missed my regular clothes. I had only yard work clothes at Mom's, except for the outfit I wore on the plane to and from. None of my yard work clothes is the right size any more. Most are about two sizes too big. I felt really odd wearing those clothes every day. (Although it was a bit of an ego boost, knowing how tight those clothes USED to be!)
REALLY missed my singing. I just get lost in my songs and in the challenge of making my voice do what it needs to do to function properly. Just couldn't do that at Mom's. (Sister's snide comments didn't help, either.) Voice lesson today was a challenge because I went so long without practice, and haven't really had time to practice much since I got home. Once I found my groove, though, things went pretty well.
Since I got home, we have been OD-ing on the Pacific Rim Blu-Ray. Lots of really neat extras on that set of discs, and we've been working our way through all of them. I really love that movie. It's just NEAT!! (Added bonus, Ron Perlman is in it, and his daughter Blake composed and performed a song for the closing credits .)
Matt framed our art posters that we bought at Dallas ComiCon Fan Days. They look good in our hall. Finally have art that really reflects our lifelong interests.
A Hellboy as an adolescent painting, and Gipsy Danger fighting a Kaiju by Devin Kraft of Cheshire Cat Art. We met him at the con, and gave Ron Perlman a smaller print of the Hellboy painting as a token of our esteem. (We thought it was cute.)
Here is a picture of a frog on the back wall of Mom's house. May be a little blurry, it's zoomed in.
Here's the front of Mom's house after we got done taming the azaleas.
When I got home, my Boot Campaign boots were waiting for me. These boots are sold as a fundraiser for a program that gives aid to servicemen and women returning from overseas. I bought them to support the cause, and to reward myself for a 30 pound weight loss since I started this effort in January.
Speaking of my weight loss, here are some before and after photos to give a little perspective on how much difference 30 pounds makes.
This is me at 168 pounds.
And this is me at 138 pounds. BIG difference, eh? Biggest difference is in how I feel and in the numbers on my health records. BP lower, Cholesterol lower, everything looking good!
Guess that's about all for this outing. I have wandered around in the wilderness long enough. Hope you enjoyed the trip.
Though I like flying, and I like seeing new things, I don't like being away from my base of operations that much. It unsettles me. I guess I haven't found a good way to take it with me yet. Ever since I got back, this song has been playing in my head, and refuses to be exorcised, no matter what.
Traveling Wilburys: Inside Out
The weeds in Alabama could probably rival the plants in Australia for vindictiveness and danger. Most of the vines I had to remove from in and on my mother's azalea hedges had HUGE thorns. They are carnivorous, actively seeking the slight bit of bare skin between my long pruning gloves and my shirt sleeve. I have multitudinous scratches and puncture wounds on my elbows. I also ran afoul of the top of the chain link fence. I was grateful over and over again for the tetanus shot I got shortly after the tornadoes. At least I knew I was protected from disease. Much antibiotic cream and cortisone cream have helped the scratches start to heal. I also have bruises all over me. Branches that argued with me, things that poked me through the sheet we used to transport our clippings to the curb, the abominable fence, my own pruners, these are the things that bruised me. Stumps of old shrubs bruised my knees when I tried to kneel on them to reach the roots of some weeds. Also, I don't know if it is the bending and lifting I did while at Mom's or the vigorous workouts I've done since I got home, but my leg muscles are sore. Something has worked them hard!
As hard as my sister and I worked every day, I still missed being really active. I missed my walks and my elliptical time. I listen to music and just move it when I am walking or using the elliptical. Gets my blood pumping, and gets my heart rate up. All that yard work was not aerobic. Didn't benefit my heart or lungs much. (In fact, being up close and personal with so much pollen was not so good for my allergies. I am still living on antihistamines and eye drops.)
I also missed my regular clothes. I had only yard work clothes at Mom's, except for the outfit I wore on the plane to and from. None of my yard work clothes is the right size any more. Most are about two sizes too big. I felt really odd wearing those clothes every day. (Although it was a bit of an ego boost, knowing how tight those clothes USED to be!)
REALLY missed my singing. I just get lost in my songs and in the challenge of making my voice do what it needs to do to function properly. Just couldn't do that at Mom's. (Sister's snide comments didn't help, either.) Voice lesson today was a challenge because I went so long without practice, and haven't really had time to practice much since I got home. Once I found my groove, though, things went pretty well.
Since I got home, we have been OD-ing on the Pacific Rim Blu-Ray. Lots of really neat extras on that set of discs, and we've been working our way through all of them. I really love that movie. It's just NEAT!! (Added bonus, Ron Perlman is in it, and his daughter Blake composed and performed a song for the closing credits .)
Matt framed our art posters that we bought at Dallas ComiCon Fan Days. They look good in our hall. Finally have art that really reflects our lifelong interests.
A Hellboy as an adolescent painting, and Gipsy Danger fighting a Kaiju by Devin Kraft of Cheshire Cat Art. We met him at the con, and gave Ron Perlman a smaller print of the Hellboy painting as a token of our esteem. (We thought it was cute.)
Here is a picture of a frog on the back wall of Mom's house. May be a little blurry, it's zoomed in.
When I got home, my Boot Campaign boots were waiting for me. These boots are sold as a fundraiser for a program that gives aid to servicemen and women returning from overseas. I bought them to support the cause, and to reward myself for a 30 pound weight loss since I started this effort in January.
Speaking of my weight loss, here are some before and after photos to give a little perspective on how much difference 30 pounds makes.
Guess that's about all for this outing. I have wandered around in the wilderness long enough. Hope you enjoyed the trip.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
The Annual Trip To Mom's
On this very warm October Friday, I am finishing some laundry and preparing for the annual trip to my Mom's house in Alabama. This is not our family home, she sold that in the 90s and moved to a little town in Southern Alabama, next door to her sister, my Aunt Margaret. It isn't far from where she and several of my aunts and uncles grew up. (The family home was in Los Angeles County, California, in a little unincorporated area called Hacienda Heights. At least MY version of the family home. Moved there when I was 14 and all the others were already grown and gone. I finished Jr. high, high school, and college living in that house.) (The older kids call the Compton house the family home, 'cause that's where they finished school. By the time I reached Jr. High, Compton was no longer a good place to be.)
At any rate, I already mailed two boxes of clothes ahead to my Mom's so I'll have stuff to wear to do all the yard work we're going to do. I left some stuff there last year, but it is all probably too big for me now. I've lost 30 pounds since December. (20 of it since May.) I have to pack all the stuff I might need en route into my huge purse so I don't have to mess with a carry on. This usually works pretty well.
It is late evening now, and my preparations are almost done. My sister is worrying about thunderstorms delaying her plane. Sigh. They'll come or they won't, it's the weather in the Plains. Usually don't pop up bad until later in the afternoon than when we'll be there. Last Saturday, they didn't start until after 4 pm., at least as far as I remember. (I was a bit, uh, distracted last Saturday.)
It is now one week and two days since I wrote the paragraphs above. I have survived the journey to Mom's, the week of yard work, and the journey home. Still trying to get my mind and body back on normal schedule. Mom's house is in the same time zone, but the schedule is vastly different when dealing with an elderly relative. Earlier up and earlier to bed. Also had to get up and out to work early, before it got too hot.
The weather is part of my disorientation right now. I left warm temperatures behind here in Oklahoma, to go to even warmer (and more humid) temperatures in southern Alabama. I came home to true Oklahoma Autumn. Cool, sunny days and cold nights. Beautiful clear, bluer than blue skies, and very bright sparkly starry nights. I find myself contemplating taking the winter things out of hibernation and putting the summer ones away. Not a good chore, as many of my winter workout things will no longer fit. They will be far too large. Now, this is a good thing on one hand, because it shows that I have lost 30 pounds. It is a bad thing in that I really don't want to spend more money on clothes right now. I had to upgrade my phone during the short week I was home before going to Alabama, because the venerable Droid X2 decided that it was done during our weekend at Dallas ComiCon Fan Days. (Where I finally got to meet Ron Perlman.) This is not an inexpensive undertaking. I am still not sure how much my new bill will be every month. The new phone, however, is wonderful. Except for the fact that the wireless charging back won't fit in my Otter Box Defender case, it's perfect. So, I have to do without the wireless charging capability until I can find a protective case that will work with it. I really prefer the Defender cases, though, as they really make the phone easier to handle, and they keep it in almost new condition. (Plus my new case is really pretty. Purple outer case with a seafoam green inner case.)
I also have to do the paperwork. Bills to be paid, budget fussed. Email cleared up. Sigh. Made chili for dinner. (No heads, SOA fans, I promise. I discuss cooking with Michael Ornstein sometimes, NOT with Chucky.) Only unusualness in this chili was about a cup of Left Hand Milk Stout. Added some depth to the flavor.
It felt so different to be out of my native adult environment, away from my husband, and with my Mom and my sister, who both tend to think of me sometimes as still being a very spoiled child. I will admit to being a bit spoiled, but I am no longer a child. I think it surprises my sister every year when we start all this work, exactly how much I CAN do. I know when I was a child I was pretty useless except as an ornament or a distraction. These days, I have experience running a household, often for long periods of time on my own, and in a foreign country far from family. I have experience dealing with the public, handling all sorts of transactions, and performing for an audience. I can also successfully navigate the bureaucracy of the military that affects my life. I am confident in my ability to do my job and in my relationships with others. Why, then, do I become a very insecure and fearful person around my family? Perhaps because I know they will never really understand a lot of things about me. I am the different one in this bunch, the sci-fi and fantasy fan, the musical one, the poet, the daydreamer. They never did understand my non-sequitur comments, never could follow my admittedly eccentric train of thought. Matthew can. He's always been able to figure me out. One reason I married the man. He knows me. And he loves me anyway.
Another thing that bothered me was the way this trip made me reflect on leave taking. When someone leaves this life, they can do so in a number of different ways. They can go unexpectedly and suddenly, like my nephew, and send us all into shock and grief. They can go out fighting to the last, like Melodie did, brave, inspiring, and striving to their last breath, or they can go little at a time, the way Mom is. She is going to be 90 on her next birthday, and she is growing weaker, and her mind a bit fainter every time I see her. She forgets little things, she forgets she just told you something, and so tells you again. And again. She doesn't cook, or quilt, or even read much anymore. All were things she loved to do. She has trouble walking, and spends most of her day just hanging out in her recliner, with old TV shows re-running in the background.
My sister is getting older, too, but she is as spirited and stubborn as ever. Her father's daughter. She will never really be old, I don't think. Too much attitude. Even if she is a grandma.
As for the work we did this week, well, I DO have a few pictures.
At any rate, I already mailed two boxes of clothes ahead to my Mom's so I'll have stuff to wear to do all the yard work we're going to do. I left some stuff there last year, but it is all probably too big for me now. I've lost 30 pounds since December. (20 of it since May.) I have to pack all the stuff I might need en route into my huge purse so I don't have to mess with a carry on. This usually works pretty well.
It is late evening now, and my preparations are almost done. My sister is worrying about thunderstorms delaying her plane. Sigh. They'll come or they won't, it's the weather in the Plains. Usually don't pop up bad until later in the afternoon than when we'll be there. Last Saturday, they didn't start until after 4 pm., at least as far as I remember. (I was a bit, uh, distracted last Saturday.)
It is now one week and two days since I wrote the paragraphs above. I have survived the journey to Mom's, the week of yard work, and the journey home. Still trying to get my mind and body back on normal schedule. Mom's house is in the same time zone, but the schedule is vastly different when dealing with an elderly relative. Earlier up and earlier to bed. Also had to get up and out to work early, before it got too hot.
The weather is part of my disorientation right now. I left warm temperatures behind here in Oklahoma, to go to even warmer (and more humid) temperatures in southern Alabama. I came home to true Oklahoma Autumn. Cool, sunny days and cold nights. Beautiful clear, bluer than blue skies, and very bright sparkly starry nights. I find myself contemplating taking the winter things out of hibernation and putting the summer ones away. Not a good chore, as many of my winter workout things will no longer fit. They will be far too large. Now, this is a good thing on one hand, because it shows that I have lost 30 pounds. It is a bad thing in that I really don't want to spend more money on clothes right now. I had to upgrade my phone during the short week I was home before going to Alabama, because the venerable Droid X2 decided that it was done during our weekend at Dallas ComiCon Fan Days. (Where I finally got to meet Ron Perlman.) This is not an inexpensive undertaking. I am still not sure how much my new bill will be every month. The new phone, however, is wonderful. Except for the fact that the wireless charging back won't fit in my Otter Box Defender case, it's perfect. So, I have to do without the wireless charging capability until I can find a protective case that will work with it. I really prefer the Defender cases, though, as they really make the phone easier to handle, and they keep it in almost new condition. (Plus my new case is really pretty. Purple outer case with a seafoam green inner case.)
I also have to do the paperwork. Bills to be paid, budget fussed. Email cleared up. Sigh. Made chili for dinner. (No heads, SOA fans, I promise. I discuss cooking with Michael Ornstein sometimes, NOT with Chucky.) Only unusualness in this chili was about a cup of Left Hand Milk Stout. Added some depth to the flavor.
It felt so different to be out of my native adult environment, away from my husband, and with my Mom and my sister, who both tend to think of me sometimes as still being a very spoiled child. I will admit to being a bit spoiled, but I am no longer a child. I think it surprises my sister every year when we start all this work, exactly how much I CAN do. I know when I was a child I was pretty useless except as an ornament or a distraction. These days, I have experience running a household, often for long periods of time on my own, and in a foreign country far from family. I have experience dealing with the public, handling all sorts of transactions, and performing for an audience. I can also successfully navigate the bureaucracy of the military that affects my life. I am confident in my ability to do my job and in my relationships with others. Why, then, do I become a very insecure and fearful person around my family? Perhaps because I know they will never really understand a lot of things about me. I am the different one in this bunch, the sci-fi and fantasy fan, the musical one, the poet, the daydreamer. They never did understand my non-sequitur comments, never could follow my admittedly eccentric train of thought. Matthew can. He's always been able to figure me out. One reason I married the man. He knows me. And he loves me anyway.
Another thing that bothered me was the way this trip made me reflect on leave taking. When someone leaves this life, they can do so in a number of different ways. They can go unexpectedly and suddenly, like my nephew, and send us all into shock and grief. They can go out fighting to the last, like Melodie did, brave, inspiring, and striving to their last breath, or they can go little at a time, the way Mom is. She is going to be 90 on her next birthday, and she is growing weaker, and her mind a bit fainter every time I see her. She forgets little things, she forgets she just told you something, and so tells you again. And again. She doesn't cook, or quilt, or even read much anymore. All were things she loved to do. She has trouble walking, and spends most of her day just hanging out in her recliner, with old TV shows re-running in the background.
My sister is getting older, too, but she is as spirited and stubborn as ever. Her father's daughter. She will never really be old, I don't think. Too much attitude. Even if she is a grandma.
As for the work we did this week, well, I DO have a few pictures.
 |
| Azalea by Mom's driveway, during. |
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| Same azalea after. |
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| Circle of Azaleas, after trimming. |
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| Sister Susie trimming. |
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| Front of house, before |
We did the back yard, too, but I am having trouble getting these photos to behave, so I think I will cut my losses and end this blog entry now. I still have a lot to get done before resuming my regularly scheduled life tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
The Most Fun I've Had In Years
This past weekend, I had a chance to meet some people face to face that I only interact with online. The fact that one of them is my favorite actor was icing on the cake.
There are about a dozen or so of us Ron Perlman fans who follow Ron on Twitter and talk to each other all the time. He tweets us back sometimes, and it's fun for all of us.
Three of us girls met up in Dallas for the Dallas Comic Con Fan Days. Ron was appearing at the con. It was so much fun to meet in person and get to put voices with the faces and words we see on the screen. (I mean, we all know what Ron sounds like, but now he knows how we sound and we know each other's voices now.) Not that we had much time to talk to Ron, but he made what time he could for us.
Anyway, for us girls there was lots of laughter, staying up late and talking, wandering the Dealer's Room and getting separated and either DMing or calling each other to get back together. There were little happenings that became jokes, and it was just like being a teenager again for three days.
My poor, long suffering spouse was our "handler", keeping us from walking into people, Daleks, Hulks, and zombies. Unfortunately, he couldn't protect Mary from Kelly's Damn You Autocorrect moment involving a certain penguin. (You don't want to know, trust me.)
There was pizza, and a hash tag game, and way too much silliness. It was a blast. I laughed so hard my sides hurt, and my cheeks hurt, and my abs got a real workout. Kelly and Mary had never been to a con before, and Matt and I hadn't been in about 30 years. My, how technology has improved things! The last time we went to a con, there were only a few PCs, and they were dumber than the average microwave is these days. There were no cell phones, no tablets, and certainly no Internet. This con was a lot bigger than the last Creation Con we went to in L.A. It was also less hectic and crowded, which is odd, since there were a LOT of people there.
In the Dealer's room, I primarily focused on acquiring buttons for my library lanyard. (Gotta keep my Geek Girl cred current, you know?) I got several and some to share. I also got some movie posters. I even found an insulated cup for coffee that is cobalt blue and has the Star Trek TOS command insignia on it. It's really neat! Matt got a couple of really nice books and had a large Pacific Rim poster sent home. (We didn't want it to get ruined.)
Of course all of us girls got Ron to sign our photos. I got one signed for a young man who works with me who is in Basic Training for the Oklahoma National Guard as I write this. I told him I would get it for him and frame it for him so it would be safe until he got back from Basic. He is really excited about it. I scanned the picture and posted it to his Face Book page. I got lots of DMs from him, and he tweeted his thanks to Ron, also. Hope it cheers him up when he gets bogged down in PT and training and being away from home. He won't have Internet access while he's there. Guess I'll have to write him actual letters once they tell us where we can send them. (It's OK, when I was really into Fandom, the U.S. Mail was the only way we had to communicate and share "text files". These letters and stories often required extra postage, which on a typical fan's restricted budget was a bit of a burden. This spawned many buttons and stickers that said "The Post Office is a Klingon Plot!")
The main thing I take away from this weekend is how interconnected this world has become. Never before would it have been possible for fans and their favorites to be able to communicate like we can now. Not all celebrities are going to be comfortable with social media, but for those that are, they can really get a sense of who their fans are, and why they are fans. Good things to know.
I also had my good judgement confirmed. I just knew Kelly and Mary were great people, just from conversing online. I was right, they are great people, even more fun to talk with in person. It's also good to have it confirmed yet again that Ron Perlman is every bit as warm, witty and charming in reality as we always suspected he was. I cannot find the words, which for me is a bit unusual, to say how much it meant just to spend a few minutes chatting with him, and being able to tell him in person how much his online presence has cheered me up in the midst of all the stuff that has gone on this year. Because of Ron, I have a group of friends all over the world, which means when I'm up late worried about something, SOMEBODY will be online to talk to, somebody who cares. I have a pretty good support group here locally, but I hate to bug people with my random midnight anxieties. Online, there's usually someone already there who won't mind chatting, and these gals usually cheer me up. Would be great to meet all the "Perlgirls" in person. Maybe someday. It would be one HELL of a party!
In other news, my cell phone was in the process of dying during the con. (REALLY not a good time to have a cranky cell phone!) It was upgrade time anyway, and so the last two days have been consumed by a learning curve for a new device. I also have to get ready to go to my Mom's for a week. Leaving on Saturday. A whole week with no WiFi. No fun. At least my phone package is good enough that I can check my Face Book and Twitter and email regularly. I plan to hit the library for the free WiFi when I can. We are primarily going to do Mom's heavy yard work and to visit with her and Aunt Margaret, of course. Geez, I may lose even more weight while on this trip. Sure hope we can find stuff to eat that's healthy. I can't do a bunch of fast food again. I just bought a bunch of size 8 Levis. I want to still fit them.
Some pictures from the weekend follow.
Thanks again, Ron, just for being your fabulous self! We all love ya, big guy.
There are about a dozen or so of us Ron Perlman fans who follow Ron on Twitter and talk to each other all the time. He tweets us back sometimes, and it's fun for all of us.
Three of us girls met up in Dallas for the Dallas Comic Con Fan Days. Ron was appearing at the con. It was so much fun to meet in person and get to put voices with the faces and words we see on the screen. (I mean, we all know what Ron sounds like, but now he knows how we sound and we know each other's voices now.) Not that we had much time to talk to Ron, but he made what time he could for us.
Anyway, for us girls there was lots of laughter, staying up late and talking, wandering the Dealer's Room and getting separated and either DMing or calling each other to get back together. There were little happenings that became jokes, and it was just like being a teenager again for three days.
My poor, long suffering spouse was our "handler", keeping us from walking into people, Daleks, Hulks, and zombies. Unfortunately, he couldn't protect Mary from Kelly's Damn You Autocorrect moment involving a certain penguin. (You don't want to know, trust me.)
There was pizza, and a hash tag game, and way too much silliness. It was a blast. I laughed so hard my sides hurt, and my cheeks hurt, and my abs got a real workout. Kelly and Mary had never been to a con before, and Matt and I hadn't been in about 30 years. My, how technology has improved things! The last time we went to a con, there were only a few PCs, and they were dumber than the average microwave is these days. There were no cell phones, no tablets, and certainly no Internet. This con was a lot bigger than the last Creation Con we went to in L.A. It was also less hectic and crowded, which is odd, since there were a LOT of people there.
In the Dealer's room, I primarily focused on acquiring buttons for my library lanyard. (Gotta keep my Geek Girl cred current, you know?) I got several and some to share. I also got some movie posters. I even found an insulated cup for coffee that is cobalt blue and has the Star Trek TOS command insignia on it. It's really neat! Matt got a couple of really nice books and had a large Pacific Rim poster sent home. (We didn't want it to get ruined.)
Of course all of us girls got Ron to sign our photos. I got one signed for a young man who works with me who is in Basic Training for the Oklahoma National Guard as I write this. I told him I would get it for him and frame it for him so it would be safe until he got back from Basic. He is really excited about it. I scanned the picture and posted it to his Face Book page. I got lots of DMs from him, and he tweeted his thanks to Ron, also. Hope it cheers him up when he gets bogged down in PT and training and being away from home. He won't have Internet access while he's there. Guess I'll have to write him actual letters once they tell us where we can send them. (It's OK, when I was really into Fandom, the U.S. Mail was the only way we had to communicate and share "text files". These letters and stories often required extra postage, which on a typical fan's restricted budget was a bit of a burden. This spawned many buttons and stickers that said "The Post Office is a Klingon Plot!")
The main thing I take away from this weekend is how interconnected this world has become. Never before would it have been possible for fans and their favorites to be able to communicate like we can now. Not all celebrities are going to be comfortable with social media, but for those that are, they can really get a sense of who their fans are, and why they are fans. Good things to know.
I also had my good judgement confirmed. I just knew Kelly and Mary were great people, just from conversing online. I was right, they are great people, even more fun to talk with in person. It's also good to have it confirmed yet again that Ron Perlman is every bit as warm, witty and charming in reality as we always suspected he was. I cannot find the words, which for me is a bit unusual, to say how much it meant just to spend a few minutes chatting with him, and being able to tell him in person how much his online presence has cheered me up in the midst of all the stuff that has gone on this year. Because of Ron, I have a group of friends all over the world, which means when I'm up late worried about something, SOMEBODY will be online to talk to, somebody who cares. I have a pretty good support group here locally, but I hate to bug people with my random midnight anxieties. Online, there's usually someone already there who won't mind chatting, and these gals usually cheer me up. Would be great to meet all the "Perlgirls" in person. Maybe someday. It would be one HELL of a party!
In other news, my cell phone was in the process of dying during the con. (REALLY not a good time to have a cranky cell phone!) It was upgrade time anyway, and so the last two days have been consumed by a learning curve for a new device. I also have to get ready to go to my Mom's for a week. Leaving on Saturday. A whole week with no WiFi. No fun. At least my phone package is good enough that I can check my Face Book and Twitter and email regularly. I plan to hit the library for the free WiFi when I can. We are primarily going to do Mom's heavy yard work and to visit with her and Aunt Margaret, of course. Geez, I may lose even more weight while on this trip. Sure hope we can find stuff to eat that's healthy. I can't do a bunch of fast food again. I just bought a bunch of size 8 Levis. I want to still fit them.
Some pictures from the weekend follow.
Thanks again, Ron, just for being your fabulous self! We all love ya, big guy.
Me and Mr. P.
Three very happy ladies and one really awesome guy.
The Penguin Picture.
(And that's all I'll say about that.)
Yeah, we're cool.
Waiting for the fun to start.
The fabulous Star Trek coffee cup, buttons, and earrings.
The picture that was signed for my coworker.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Staff Day Adventures
Our library system has a staff development day every year. The last two years I have missed because I've been at my Mom's in Alabama, helping my sister do Mom's heavy yard work for the Fall.
This year, our trip falls AFTER staff day, so I was in attendance today.
Staff day is usually at least a little bit fun, because we get to see colleagues that work at other branches who maybe we worked with at our branch or on a committee before. It's a good time to reconnect with your fellow strugglers against ignorance, your fellow crusaders in the cause of information availability. It lets us know it isn't just us, we're ALL a little bit insane! :)
This year, I am glad I could go. I was afraid though, that I would never make it in time to pick up my two coworkers who were car pooling with me.
Let me tell you a story. Our little city of Moore, OK is bisected by the BNSF rail road tracks. Only TWO streets, one on the South side of the city, and one on the North side, go under the tracks. All three of the central main drags are blocked by the train. Guess what happened before I could cross the stupid tracks this morning, when I was in a hurry? Oh, yeah. LOOONG, SLOOOW train. I tried to beat it to 4th Street, no luck. So I had to go all the way to SE 19th, and then across to Telephone and back up to SW 2nd to pick up my first friend, and then I had to drive all the way to Norman to pick up my second friend, and THEN drive to the other SIDE of Norman to get to the conference location. (Which happened to be the USPS National Center for Employee Development, where Matt works.) (They have a separate conference center which is REALLY nice.) We managed to arrive in plenty of time, despite the best efforts of Big Nasty Stinking Freighttrain. (Which is what we here locally call the Burlington Northern Santa Fe.)
Once we got there, things went pretty well. I was tired, and some of the presenters made it hard to keep my focus, but most of it was pretty good. Lunch was really nice, because we had lunch tickets that gave us free reign in the food court. Matt came and joined us for lunch, which was nice. (He had to buy his, though.) I behaved myself. I had a salad.
I hate these things because I have to spend so much of the day sitting. I HATE to sit still for hours at a time. I am WAY behind on my step count, so I now have to go and do my elliptical trainer time that I didn't have time for this morning.
So, another staff day survived, no awards won in our department, but hey, we've all won them before. (I got one at my second staff day. I have been with the system for 14 years now.)
The only part of the day I could really have lived without was the whole system staff picture. It was a totally disorganized zoo. The individual branch pictures were more efficiently done. I also hate being squished in the middle of a crowd like that. Claustrophobia is my nemesis. I don't like enclosed spaces, or being that close to so many people. Even people I like, and I really like my coworkers. Our branch in particular is a crazy fun place to work. The jokes are fast and furious in he circ work area some days.
Won't be much fun for awhile because we are missing our Melodie. Her laugh and her smile were precious to all of us. Long ago, she introduced me to Sandra Boynton's kids music. The songs are funny and catchy and won't drive adults nuts. I used to cheer Melodie up some days when she was a little down by starting out the "Dinosaur Blues". I'd sing "I got those dinosaur blues..." and she'd chime in with "From my hat to my shoes" , and smile at me.
So, on this day when we all gathered to renew friendships and to learn, we paused a moment to remember Melodie and her kindness, her patience, and her loving nature. We will always try to be more like her.
This year, our trip falls AFTER staff day, so I was in attendance today.
Staff day is usually at least a little bit fun, because we get to see colleagues that work at other branches who maybe we worked with at our branch or on a committee before. It's a good time to reconnect with your fellow strugglers against ignorance, your fellow crusaders in the cause of information availability. It lets us know it isn't just us, we're ALL a little bit insane! :)
This year, I am glad I could go. I was afraid though, that I would never make it in time to pick up my two coworkers who were car pooling with me.
Let me tell you a story. Our little city of Moore, OK is bisected by the BNSF rail road tracks. Only TWO streets, one on the South side of the city, and one on the North side, go under the tracks. All three of the central main drags are blocked by the train. Guess what happened before I could cross the stupid tracks this morning, when I was in a hurry? Oh, yeah. LOOONG, SLOOOW train. I tried to beat it to 4th Street, no luck. So I had to go all the way to SE 19th, and then across to Telephone and back up to SW 2nd to pick up my first friend, and then I had to drive all the way to Norman to pick up my second friend, and THEN drive to the other SIDE of Norman to get to the conference location. (Which happened to be the USPS National Center for Employee Development, where Matt works.) (They have a separate conference center which is REALLY nice.) We managed to arrive in plenty of time, despite the best efforts of Big Nasty Stinking Freighttrain. (Which is what we here locally call the Burlington Northern Santa Fe.)
Once we got there, things went pretty well. I was tired, and some of the presenters made it hard to keep my focus, but most of it was pretty good. Lunch was really nice, because we had lunch tickets that gave us free reign in the food court. Matt came and joined us for lunch, which was nice. (He had to buy his, though.) I behaved myself. I had a salad.
I hate these things because I have to spend so much of the day sitting. I HATE to sit still for hours at a time. I am WAY behind on my step count, so I now have to go and do my elliptical trainer time that I didn't have time for this morning.
So, another staff day survived, no awards won in our department, but hey, we've all won them before. (I got one at my second staff day. I have been with the system for 14 years now.)
The only part of the day I could really have lived without was the whole system staff picture. It was a totally disorganized zoo. The individual branch pictures were more efficiently done. I also hate being squished in the middle of a crowd like that. Claustrophobia is my nemesis. I don't like enclosed spaces, or being that close to so many people. Even people I like, and I really like my coworkers. Our branch in particular is a crazy fun place to work. The jokes are fast and furious in he circ work area some days.
Won't be much fun for awhile because we are missing our Melodie. Her laugh and her smile were precious to all of us. Long ago, she introduced me to Sandra Boynton's kids music. The songs are funny and catchy and won't drive adults nuts. I used to cheer Melodie up some days when she was a little down by starting out the "Dinosaur Blues". I'd sing "I got those dinosaur blues..." and she'd chime in with "From my hat to my shoes" , and smile at me.
So, on this day when we all gathered to renew friendships and to learn, we paused a moment to remember Melodie and her kindness, her patience, and her loving nature. We will always try to be more like her.
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