The Voice in the Wilderness

Igor

2008-09-22T17:10:45Z

Very cute. There are some bits that fly WAAAAY over the heads of the majority of the audience. Those who get it are in for a treat. I laughed so hard at some things, people must have thought me totally bonkers. I had to explain some of it to my family.

So, go for the cultural references, and have a good time. Bonus that it involves a monster beating the tar out of things while singing "Tomorrow" from "Anne." *LOL* Is it a great film for the ages? No. Will you laugh and have fun? Yes. The cheesy ending I could have done without, but then, as Friedrich said, when you'd done so many cheesy things in the film, what's one more to push it over the top?

When did courtesy go out of style?

2008-09-15T02:19:36Z

Friedrich and I had a chat this weekend about this, and I'd love to hear what the rest of you think on this.

As children, it was drilled into us to behave in certain ways in public. Use your manners, don't push and shove, don't eat and talk at the same time, don't throw a fit if you can't get what you want, etc. What happened? I constantly see people, from the very young, to the very old, act in ways that are just plain rude and nasty.

Case in point - this weekend at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Adult humans behaving like small mammals with attitude. Pushing past each other, standing in the middle of everything, taking pictures of other people standing in the middle of everything. Giving you dirty looks if you walked between the two. Giving you dirty looks if you stood there looking at them, waiting for them to finish. One pair nearly ran over Dolly on the way to the aquarium. When I told Dolly to walk in front of me so as to be less likely to be run over, one of the women turned and said, "I wouldn't have run over your little girl." Hmmm, I think that odd, considering that you went around me moving like a freight train, and had I not said something, you probably wouldn't have seen her. Perhaps I am overly aware of personal space (one of the things my mom was a HUGE stickler about), but I still don't enjoy having someone blow by me like a semi on the highway. I also consider it my personal responsibility to make my child aware of those around her, so she isn't unintentionally rude. By training my child to think of others, as well as herself, I'm giving her the tools to have a smoother path through life, by not annoying her fellow man.

People letting their children act horribly, too. The child who nearly broke limbs on Dolly and I, when he decided he needed to hit the revolving door at top speed while we were in it. He then proceeded to be extremely rude as he crammed us through the contraption so he could shoot out the other side. He was then followed by his mother and two sisters, who ran into me while looking at the wildlife. We dodged this crew not once, not twice, but three times, while trying to enjoy the exhibit. We made every effort to be somewhere they were not, they were that unaware and obnoxious. Later, someone's young child wandered up to me, without a parent in sight, and started trying to force Dolly and I do what he wanted with an exhibit.

Here's where my questions are: Am I TOO polite? Are we handicapping our child by making her use her good manners? Do we need to let our child run amok, so she can "be like the other kids?" Do I need to shut off the voices in my head that tell me that knocking someone down to get to what I want is wrong, and just go for it, like so many other people? Because, quite frankly, being a polite human seems to be an oddity these days. I see a lot more people being totally unaware of those around them and thundering over others in the herd than I see people being kind enough to hold a door, an elevator, etc.

Maybe I'm just too aware of my surroundings, and the people in them. Maybe I need to tune out a little more, and be happier for it...

Finally, an odd moment, and my view:
Coming back to our room in the hotel, we saw a women, in a bathrobe, sitting in the floor of the hallway. We couldn't tell what she was doing there, as she was sort of hunched over, almost as if she was in tears or something. When we got a little closer, she sort of looked up at me and said, "Hello." I asked if she was ok. She didn't answer - because she was sitting there talking on her CELL PHONE. OK, does anyone else find it odd that you'd think it better to sit in the floor of the hall and talk on your phone, in a bathrobe, than to stay in your room and maybe hang out in the bathroom, if you're worried about disturbing someone else in your room? No way on earth you'd catch me sitting in the hall in a bathrobe, let alone to talk on the cell. Eep. Either I'm super old fashioned, or people are just weird...

Adventures in Plumbing...

2008-09-05T17:47:47Z

OK. I started out last night, fully intending to put in the new kitchen faucet myself. Got everything pulled out from under the sink, cleaned, etc. First realization - I had totally forgotten just how crowded it is under my kitchen sink. Due to what can only be considered laziness, the contractors who built this place crammed some odd things under there - I've got the standard kitchen sink, with faucet. Then there's the line to the dishwasher. Then there's a reverse osmosis that we added on, because we have HARD water out here, and the house has a softener system, which adds salts to get rid of the other stuff. Well, on top of all that (sounds normal, right?) there's the vent for my downdraft on the cooktop. Yep. I have this ridiculous, nearly worthless downdraft thing, because they were too lazy to put in a real hood and have that "clutter up" the view from my island cooktop. Grrrr.

So, I crawl into the tiny space left over from all these various pipes under there, and look at the plumbing and such. Oh poop. All the water pipes and the hose for my pull out sprayer faucet run through the same hole, which is kinda packed tight with all this muck. And it looks like something has leaked. So, put away my tools, and announce that I am calling a plumber.

The plumber has arrived, took one look at the mess, and said it was a good thing I called and that I was right to worry about breaking something in there in the process. He's taking part of the RO system out just so he can work in there. *LOL* Then he checks the water pressure, which is 20 lbs higher than it should be, and lets me know that the pressure regulator for the entire house is broken. So, I've just signed up to be a priority customer, and get the whole place inspected, lock, stock and barrel, so we can get all the works fixed up and not have any more exciting issues, like yet another busted hot water heater. So, we'll fix the drip in the garage sink (which we just shut off the water to years ago), the hot water recirculation pump that's dead, the broken faucet handle in the bathroom, etc. I'd forgotten how many things I'd just put up with around here. *LOL* Now we'll just have an enormous plumbing bill for a while... All because the handle came off the kitchen faucet.

Well, he's got the new faucet in, right? Three tries later with the odd connections... but it's in. And now, it leaks. Yep, it's a bum faucet. Oh, and we have a broken handle on the hot water valve, which he couldn't get a new one for, and the threads are stripped because he had to use the pliers to turn it, and now we have to just replace the whole thing. Words fail, here, folks. Well, not really, but four letter words and phrases involving deities just aren't appropriate. He's taken the faucet back out, which took a little while, and is now finding out if they have a faucet that will work, or if I have to go get a new one NOW.... Ok, no, I don't have to go to the store, they've got one, and it's "only" going to cost $500 to buy it and put it in (on top of what we were supposed to pay to put in the first one). Oy. By the end of today, I will have a HUGE plumbing bill, and a big headache, but, I HOPE, no leaks... Keep your fingers crossed that he doesn't find buckets more to mess with during his inspection of the REST of the house. This could go from a one day experience to a multi-day program of pain...

In the end, here's the list of stuff fixed (or soon to be)
One new kitchen faucet (bummer one will go back to Home Despot)
Two new shutoff valves
One bathroom faucet handle fixed back where it belongs
LOTS of adjusted shut off valves
One set of faucet handles tightened so faucet doesn't leak (garage)
One pressure regulator replaced
One recirculating pump to be replaced

They checked the hot water heater, which is fine *insert sound of cheering here*. The recirc pump working will be another shut off all the water in my house repair, since the guys who put it in didn't think ahead, and plumbed it as if it will never need to be replaced. *insert booing and hissing here*

I swear - if Friedrich and I ever have a house built, I'm going to set up my own little office on the site, come to work with them every blessed day until it is done, and hassle the crap out of everyone who attempts to do things in a shoddy or stupid manner. Plumbing, electrical, etc., should be laid out with something like logic. When I explained to the plumber where our water line comes in from the street, and then is actually tied to the house (on opposite sides of the front of our half acre lot), he just shook his head and hoped we didn't live here long enough to need to replace it... and the lawn... and the driveway... This is just one of the many eccentricities of our abode.

Meme - I'm a daydreamer, alright...

2008-08-27T23:39:41Z

Your result for The Perception Personality Image Test...

NBPC - The Daydreamer

Nature, Background, Big Picture, and Color

You perceive the world with particular attention to nature. You focus on the hidden treasures of life (the background) and how that fits into the larger picture. You are also particularly drawn towards the colors around you. Because of the value you place on nature, you tend to find comfort in more subdued settings and find energy in solitude. You like to ponder ideas and imagine the many possibilities of your life without worrying about the details or specifics. You are in tune with all that is around you and understand your life as part of a larger whole. You are a down-to-earth person who enjoys going with the flow.

Take The Perception Personality Image Test at HelloQuizzy

New West Kingdom Arts and Sciences Championship

2008-08-25T17:38:08Z

Feel free to cross post at will and as needed.

Here is the revised copy per Lord Godric von Appenzell, Minister of Sciences
Populace of the West! Pay Heed! Their Majesties challenge all subjects to compete in an Arts and Sciences Championship to be held at October Crown.

The Champion will hold this position for one year and serve Their Majesties by encouraging participation in the Arts and Sciences throughout Their Realm. The Champion will be determined as the competitor with the greatest combined score of all competitions entered at October Crown.

In addition to the previously published competitions of:
• Period instrumental piece
• Armor, for people or animals

The following categories have been added for the Championship:
• Research Paper (no more than 10 pages) – can be any subject that is of particular interest to you: a battle, shoes, fortifications, jewelry, migrational patterns of Viking raiders, etc. You know there is something that you have been itching to research.
• Textiles – can be: clothing, a favor, a loom, period tie-dye (if you can document it).
• Ballistics – Might be: arrows, catapult, throw in your own ideas!
• Period Private Parts – Etchings, underwear, you have a naughty mind. Make it work!

You can enter as few as one or as many as all of the competitions. As normal, documentation will be required for all entries. The Champion will be decided upon at Crown and announced in Court.

Use a limp noodle to beat me if I've misremembered things.

Their Majesties, with the aid of their Arts and Sciences officers, will hold an Arts and Sciences Championship, at October Crown. The competition categories are as follows:

instrumental music
armor for people or animals
a research paper (any topic in SCA period, 5-10 pages)
textiles (making, using, etc.)
naughty bits (period bawdy or "pornographic" material - pg-13, we're a family show)
ballistics

Rules:
You may enter any number of categories. One item may be used for more than one category. The entries will be scored both under the standard Arts and Sciences competitions scoring, and by a Championship judging panel, consisting of Their Majesties, the Arts and Sciences officers, and the newest member of the Order of the Golden Poppy. Based upon the scores from that panel, the person with the highest total score will be made the new Arts and Sciences Champion.

The Arts and Sciences Champion will be a part of Their Majesties' entourage, process in court, and have other duties as the Crown makes known.

Love thy neighbor...

2008-08-11T20:36:53Z

Thou shalt warn they neighbor when thou dost remove the lid from thine septic tank, so that thy neighbor's house smells not like its contents...

Gah. I had all the windows open to AIR OUT my house. Not acquire new and worse stinks to deal with...

5 Songs Meme

2008-07-14T04:33:31Z

1. Reply to this post and I'll assign you a letter.
2. List 5 songs you like that start with that letter.
3. Post them to your journal with these instructions.

revchewie sent me H.
Note - these are taken, in order, from my iPod. Yes, I have skipped a few in between songs here and there, but you get the idea...
1. "Hands Clean", Alanis Morissette
2. "Happy Holidays", Bing Crosby
3. "Happy Jack's Undrinkable Ale", The Poxy Boggards
4. "Hardware Store", Weird All Yankovic
5. "Hope Has a Place", Enya

Why yes, I DO have eclectic tastes...

Bonus Song:
"Have You Seen The Bright Lily Grow?" - Unknown (performed by Sting!)

Stupid ISP

2008-07-10T16:58:31Z

Had connection problems last night - I had email, but no web. This morning, I had NOTHING. So, 20 minutes of plugging and unplugging, because of how all the stuff is interconnected (modem, airport, computer, internet phone). FINALLY got it all working. I was about to go into serious DT here folks... I needed my fix!

3 things Meme

2008-06-25T21:05:39Z

Rules: Post 3 things you've done that you believe nobody else on your F-list has done. Indulge in remorse if someone calls you out on a listed item.

This was hard for me - my life hasn't been that exciting, in general. And there are some things a nice girl doesn't talk about in public...

1.) Work as a snack bar attendant in a roller rink, on skates.

2.) Get married on a Sunday.

3.) Get dumped off at the wrong stadium in Athens and have to hike halfway back to catch another cab... *LOL*

EDITED: ok, there's another exploit I didn't think of until after the fact: contributed to firing a cannon off on campus during finals week... and didn't get caught. Said cannon (at least the time I really helped out) firing off full cans of soda pop... on the soccer field. We did aim for safety - away from the dorms, and we went and hid in a ditch and watched for people to go by, so no one got hit. *LOL* For the record, the distance traveled by the can that went the farthest was from goal to goal. And it didn't pop open. It was the only one that didn't. *LOL* The things you do when you date mathematicians and engineers...

Hear about Period Weaving in a great place!

2008-06-25T17:22:40Z

This year celebrates the 50th anniversary of Hearst Castle as a State Park. As a result, there are some pretty groovy things going on down here that I thought folks might be interested in. They also just had an article in Westways (that magazine folks with AAA get), so I thought I'd better jump on getting more info on the better ones... here's a short list:

December 11 - 5:30-7:30 pm
Arachne's Legacy: Weavings at Hearst Castle
Muna Cristal, Hearst Castle Guide, will talk about the tapestries and carpets (and probably more) of the Castle.
I had the privilege to take a behind the scenes look at some cloth of gold curtains they were restoring several years ago - this lecture ought to be FABULOUS. If nothing else, you can stand around and drool over the gorgeous stuff... This one is run by the Friends of Hearst Castle. Tickets are $75 per person. This is a "behind the scenes" tour.

Celebrate the holidays with a behind the scenes tour of textiles and fabrics. Muna Cristal has become the principle lecturer on tapestries and carpets at the Castle. Researching and presenting these topics in a meaningful, interesting manner has become a labor of love which she happily shares with any and all interested parties.

I've been told tickets are limited, so if you want one, get one soon. I can shoot folks the email if they're interested. Me, I'm going! 8) It is a THURSDAY night (yeah, I know, what a pain), but folks who are interested in coming down can find crash space at my place or other places in Tarnmist - you could make it your wine tasting weekend! *evil giggle*

November 2008 - February 2009
"Hearst the Collector" - exhibit at the LA Co Museum of Art, featuring items from the Hearst Collection, and companion pieces from all over the world. Should be a GREAT show. Hmmm, maybe a birthday trip for me in January?

December 6
Holiday Feast in the Refectory - limited to 88 people, $1000 per person, but MAN, what a place to eat dinner. The hall is patterned on a Renaissance dining room, with banners hanging from the ceiling, etc. This is one pricy meal, but hey, where else are you going to get to eat like this? *LOL*

Another meme!

2008-06-25T05:56:21Z

Your result for The Classic Dames Test...

Katharine Hepburn

You scored 7% grit, 33% wit, 38% flair, and 29% class!

You are the fabulously quirky and independent woman of character. You go your own way, follow your own drummer, take your own lead. You stand head and shoulders next to your partner, but you are perfectly willing and able to stand alone. Others might be more classically beautiful or conventionally woman-like, but you possess a more fundamental common sense and off-kilter charm, making interesting men fall at your feet. You can pick them up or leave them there as you see fit. You share the screen with the likes of Spencer Tracy and Cary Grant, thinking men who like strong women.

Find out what kind of classic leading man you'd make by taking the
Classic Leading Man Test.

Take The Classic Dames Test at HelloQuizzy

Happy Birthday, helblonde!

2008-06-24T22:15:01Z

Hope it was a good one, with many more to come!

memeage

2008-06-24T19:51:16Z

Your result for The Viking Age Persona Test...

Skald

FOLLOWER - SPIRITUAL - PEACEFUL - EDUCATED

Skalds are the Norse equivalent to bards, or possibly minstrels. They are the ones responsible for over half of what we now know about Scandinavian culture, royalty and mythology today, for they passed down their lore by word of mouth and song from generation to generation until Snorri Sturlusson of Iceland wrote down the Eddas in the 13th century.

Skalds were gifted poets with quick tongues who flattered kings with their art, and occasionally the kings themselves would be known as skalds (or else!). Skalds were highly respected for their wit and intelligence, and in some folklore, they were said to know of events happening in far off lands as they were happening.

Take The Viking Age Persona Test at Hello Quizzy

Hmmmm. The Enneagram type meme... well, I did two different ones, and, like most of those things, I scored really close in lots of different categories. So, I'm just me...

Jumping on the bandwagon

2008-06-11T16:42:36Z

http://kevan.org/johari?name=VeronicadaLugano

Too cute to pass up - and a lot better than sticking it on my car...

2008-06-09T19:45:32Z

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

No surprises here...

2008-06-06T16:01:25Z

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Musician Doo doo de doo waaaa doo de doo! (<-- That's you playing something.) Everyone appreciates the band/orchestra geeks and the pretty voices. Whether you sing in the choir, participate in a school/local band, or sit at home writing music, you contribute a joy to society that everyone can agree on. Yay! Welcome to actually doing something for poor, pathetic human souls. (Just kidding.)
Social Nerd
Drama Nerd
Literature Nerd
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Artistic Nerd
Science/Math Nerd
Anime Nerd
What Be Your Nerd Type? Quizzes for MySpace

LOTS of meme...

2008-05-14T17:10:18Z

Hey, I took the http://dragonhame.com on-line Inner Dragon quiz and found out I am an Amethyst Dragon on the inside.
In the war between good and evil, an Amethyst Dragon tends to walk the fine line of Neutrality....
When it comes to the powers of Chaos vs. those of Law and Order, your inner dragon walks a fine line between Law and Chaos. As far as magical tendencies, Magical spells come as natural to the Amethyst Dragon as breathe from it's body. During combat situations, whether by spells or by claw, your inner dragon will do whatever it takes to get the job done.
Formed from translucent amethyst, it is an awe inspiring sight to see one in its true form. Light passes through the dragon's body creating a deep purple glow. Its scales will magnify the light rays into bright lavender beams to highlight this effect. Amethyst dragons spend most of their time housebound but do occasionally feel the need to take a sojourn to a far destination. These dragons love books and will often pick their destination from one of the many stories and histories they may have read. Amethyst dragons are very solitary in nature, but do keep a distant watch on the world around them. They tend to be highly intelligent, and often amuse themselves in human form by building gadgets and toys. Amethyst dragons are very learned creatures.
http://Dragonhame.Com

You are a Hufflepuff!
	You are ideally suited to the Hufflepuff house. Although you do not shine as brightly as some of the other houses in academic areas, you are a well rounded individual with a wide variety of interests. You enjoy helping people and are generally inoffensive.
Harry Potter Test by LJ Quiz Harry Potter DVDs \| Harry Potter Books

	I received 79 credits on The Sci Fi Sounds Quiz How much of a Sci-Fi geek are you?
Quiz by SheGoddess: Quick Weight Loss

LJ vacation

2008-05-10T05:55:50Z

Just letting folks know that I'm going to lay off the LJ for a while. Lots of reasons, but if you need me, there is email. I've changed the settings on my account so ANYONE who's an LJ member can send me messages here, not just friends.

I did some serious house cleaning (which isn't done yet), and deleted a lot of posts. Lots of reasons for that, but the simple explanation is I just don't need it out there in the universe any more.

I'll come back to this at some point, but right now, I need to step away from the keyboard...

I want this!!!

2008-03-18T16:52:28Z

a Lady's size Oud/Lute

I want to learn to play the Lute. I really do. I would really love to have one that's small, because I have tiny hands. One catch - I haven't anyone to teach me around here, at least that I know of. I may have to start hunting more seriously, if I keep seeing things like this. I'm fighting not to buy the thing right now, because I know I won't do anything with it without lessons. 8/

And I would LOVE to get good enough at it to sing and play at the same time. That's going to take a lot of work! But it's a goal I'd like to work towards.

Update: ok, I gave in to temptation. I put in a lowball bid on it. Between my bid and shipping, it's less than $70. If I get it, fine, if I don't, well, there will be others down the road...

New frying pans

2008-02-22T05:34:52Z

I know, how silly - but I've been dealing with these same crappy pans for years now, and I finally got new ones so I could GET RID OF THEM! Used one of the new ones tonight, and it was HEAVEN, I tell you... how could something so inexpensive be so much nicer? *LOL*

For the record, I replaced some old, no name pan with a new T-fal. 8) No need Pam in "non-stick" pan no more!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T18:18:43Z

Virtual Chocolate! (because it can't make you fat like the real thing...)

Wishing love and happiness to all of you!
*HUGS*
Now, go hug someone you love, feed them some good food, slip them some flowers, etc.
If you're not the Valentine's day sort, just be sure to tell the people who mean the most that you love them.

Musical Happy dance

2008-01-28T02:45:03Z

Maestro Allesandro agreed to play for me for my stuff for Queen's Artisans. Now all I have to do is write a book on the stuff I'm researching. *LOL*

Can I excuse their wrongs? In darkness, let them dwell...

2007-12-11T20:24:48Z

This is my response to spending well over an hour trying to hunt down mp3s of some Dowland songs I'm trying to study. OMG. WTF? I've heard some very strange things passing as professional recordings of this stuff. One included someone who sounded as if they were either being tortured, or in the throws of passion. ACK.

OK, I'm no professional recording artist, but do these people have no shame? Some of them clearly aren't trying for anything like a period performance. A couple that were sounded awful - the lute and voice only agreeing on some of the notes. Ick ick ick! BTW, this was all on Amazon and iTunes - two places you don't find a whole lot of "amature" music, unless you're listening to someone's pod cast.

*sigh* When I got the Sting album, I thought his performances passible. It was making the music more accessible to the masses, by having a pop star sing it. OY. Turns out, the thing is worth more to me than I thought. At least Sting doesn't sound like a pompus operatic tenor, trying to sing music his voice just seems too big for... and doing so at the speed of a funeral dirge.

Ok, end of rant. Back to trying to find a recording that isn't revolting...

UPDATE - I found some. I was specifically looking for three songs:
The Lowest Trees Have Tops
Clear or Cloudy
Wilt Thou Unkind

Another holiday meme or three

2007-11-30T20:17:42Z

'Twits', they told me,
Pa-rum-pum-pum pum.

Little Drummer Boy
from the Christmas Song Generator.

O Nerds of wonder, Nerds of might,
Nerds of royal beauty bright.

We Three Kings Of Orient Are
from the Christmas Song Generator.

You Are a Gingerbread House

A little spicy and a little sweet, anyone would like to be lost in the woods with you.

What Holiday Food Are You?

12 Days of Christmas Meme

2007-11-30T06:30:18Z

On the twelfth day of Christmas, AllergicOne sent to me...

Twelve jj_maccrimmons drumming

Eleven misagillians piping

Ten channel6s a-leaping

Nine learnteachs dancing

Eight j_i_m_rs a-cooking

Seven callistotonis a-sewing

Six ldyannas illuminating

Five ma-a-a-adbakers

Four movies

Three books

Two ceramic pots

...and the SCA in some poetry.