Strangeness on a Walk...

I got home early enough from work the other day that I was able to take a walk while it was still light outside. Just a couple of blocks from my house is a tiny little park that provides public access to the river.



Next to the pocket park is a large industrial area that has been abandoned long enough to be largely reclaimed by nature - which doesn't take long in this climate. The property had a large fence all around it during my last visit, but this walk showed that someone had removed the water front fencing and brush-hogged the whole thing - probably sprucing it up for the new for sale sign.

Taking the opportunity presented, I explored a bit, and discovered something odd. First, a single shoe.


And then another.

A sweater...

And pants...

Even shorts

and briefs.


I looked around a bit for the person, but found (thankfully) only spring flowers.

Still, it seems strange to me to find an entire outfit scattered through the grass.

Shackleford Banks

A friend came to visit last weekend, and on Saturday we ventured into the breezy bracing day to explore Shackleford Banks. We drove to Beaufort and took a water taxi over to the island. She's horse crazy, so a significant reason to go was the herd of wild horses that live on the island.

We didn't have to wander far to find them - there were several right over the dunes from where we unloaded.







Eventually we decided that we'd tried their patience enough so we cut across the middle of the island to reach the Atlantic side of the island. I love the ocean. I can spend happy hours just staring at the waves.


But there were dunes to explore and shells to collect and mysteries to contemplate...

What do you suppose happened to him?


Is there a lost and found for mermaid purses?


I thought that boat was pointed the other way when we were on the way here?


Pardon me, sir, but which way to the boat home? As the gull flies is fine - there really isn't a trail anyway.


A different group of horses was kind enough to lead us in the right direction back to the pick up point. (Hint: Don't head for the Fort. That would be the wrong way. Point yourself roughly between the hotel and the water tower.)


And see that we continued on our way.


We returned to the mainland tired, hungry and sunburned but well content with our respective treasure troves of shells - which took both of us to haul back across the island. They don't seem heavy when you find them, but it adds up fast!

These are mine. (I collected enough last time that I felt I could afford to be choosy this time. Also, I gave my friend her choice of our finds.) The one I am happiest about is the Scotch Bonnet (top row, fourth from your left) - it's the North Carolina state shell, the critter involved lives in deep water and I'm told it's rare to find an intact one of any size.



These are hers. She was very happy about the whelk shells. We found a good selection.



All in all, a lovely day!

A Hard Battle, Lost.

She beat the odds for longer than anyone expected, and fought harder than anyone I've known. I'm not sure she did herself any favors, because it hurt. It hurt her, and her husband and all who knew her and watched the struggle and the pain, the small victories and the gradual defeats.

Today, though the spirit was still willing, the flesh had finally had enough. My friend's wife died today. You first heard of her last fall, when the doctors said that she wouldn't see Christmas. She did, and she was still fighting when we went back on a rainy January day and took the outside lights back down again.

This morning, she told her husband that she loved him and she'd like some juice. She was gone when he came back to the room. I hope she's finally stopped hurting.

Belated Pi Day Salutations...

It's weird how some people don't celebrate Pi Day. What's wrong with them?? Cool numbers and PIE - what's not to love??

Since 3.14 fell on a Saturday this year, my coworkers and I combined St. Paddy's Day and Pi Day into one really yummy lunch. Corned beef, cabbage, mashed potatoes, and pie. Yummy!

I've been hungry for derby pie. (It's like pecan pie, but with chocolate chips and walnuts instead of pecans.) So that's the pie I made, in my special pi plate... I'm such an uber-dork sometimes.

The only problem? I had meetings all freakin' day and I got one tiny little sliver of pie. After my meetings, I came back to collect leftovers and found this:


Bastards ate the whole thing. I'm thinking about making one just for me. What's slowing me down is dread of dealing with the crust. I do NOT use store bought crust, but heavens I struggle. My mom has the touch with crusts - they come out perfect every time, blast her. Me? I struggle and curse and mutter. Ugh. Wretched things.

Anyway, happy pi day!!! (If you missed this one, the European Pi Day is July 22 so you have another shot at it this year.)

Shallow As A Dry Creek Bed...

You know what's pissing me off about this recession? Well, lots of things but the one right now is that my job is brain-numbingly awful. I literally come home and curl up in a ball in the corner. And I have no one to whine to because everyone here is insane and everyone else is unemployed, so anything I say about my job gets "at least you have one" in response.

This crap needs to end. One, so I can whine again. And two, so someone is hiring and I can get the hell outta here.

Lessons Learned While Traveling, Part 1

No matter how tired and medicated you are, DO NOT write "chicken" on the documents they give you on the plane when you're returning to the States from Mexico... even if what you are talking about is a small clay statue of a chicken. Those border people have NO sense of humor about livestock.

An Easy Mystery

What am I?


Perhaps a clue?


Or two?





The jig is undoubtedly up by now.





I am... affection. Very determined affection.

A Lovely Day

I was up at 8:00 this morning. Yeah, I'm having a hard time believing it too. By 9:00, I had stopped at the gas station for two of their largest coffees (yes, both for me) and was making my way to my friend's house. By 10:00, the coffee was gone, which made me sad, but the auction was underway!

I made it home without a table, but only 'cause I lost that bid. Darnit. But the one that got away were 6 of some of the most beautiful dining room chairs I'd ever seen. Those are bugging me. *sigh*

I'll post pictures soon, but I didn't leave empty handed. I got the cool antique desk chair I wanted. Also, I wanted a milk crate full of beautiful little chunks of oak and I ended up getting the whole blasted shelf o'crap. Some stuff was trashed (several feet of cracked hose), some was claimed by my friend (like the weather stripping that is the perfect size for her garage door) and some was set aside for goodwill (an assortment of pet food bowl, lots of stainless steel boat bits, some phallic looking THING that was called a 3" long test ball, etc). I got the whole shelf for $20, and one of the router bits in the new toolbox is worth about double that, so that works out but I actually managed to only pay $13 for everything 'cause a couple of guys came over and offered a couple of bucks for the whatsits that they were hoping to get off the shelf. One guy gave me $2 for a huge pulley, and another guy gave me $5 for a couple of covered plastic buckets. I love auctions, I really do.

I wanted another crate of wood, but it was on a rack and they sold ALL of the stuff on the rack as one lot. Of course the wood was all I wanted so I let it go. Bonus: the person who won left the crate of wood when he hauled off everything else! Yes! So my friend and I nonchalantly picked that crate up on our way out. (Realistically, "nonchalant" means you should be hearing the spy hunter theme as we skulk nearby, scurry over - looking very guilty - to our target, grab the crate (and nearly jerk our arms off picking it up - wood is HEAVY) and scurry away again. Master spies? Not so much.)

One other thing I got for free? A slight sunburn. The day was perfect - sunny and clear, right around 70 degrees - a beautiful, beautiful day. It was a bit chilly in the shade, with the breeze, but I wore layers and was fine. I spent the day with a good friend, kicked back enjoying the day and the really fine people watching opportunity. You know, until I moved here, I didn't really understand why they'd call a color "Carolina blue." There wasn't a cloud in the sky all day.

Then we went back to her house to feast on cresent rolls, New York State wine and really yummy homemade soup. Dessert was some pastry thing that J. makes that is SO good, and the cap to the evening was playing their PS3 - the Star Wars Lego game, which I love.

So, it was a very very good day. Hope yours was wonderful too!

The Centipede

This guy was lonely and so he decided life would be more fun if he had a pet.

So he went to the pet store and told the owner that he wanted to buy an unusual pet.

After some discussion he finally bought a centipede, (100 leg bug), which came in a little white box to use for his house.

He took the box home, found a good location for the box, and decided he would start off by taking his new pet to the bar for a drink.

So he asked the centipede in the box, 'Would you like to go to Frank's place with me and have a beer?

But there was no answer from his new Pet. This bothered him a bit, but he waited a few minutes and then asked him again, 'How about going to the bar and having a drink with me?'

But again there was no answer from his new friend and pet. So he waited a few minutes more, thinking about the situation. He decided to ask him one more time. This time putting his face up against the centipede's house and shouting, 'Hey, in there! Would you like to go to Frank's place and have a drink with me?'

WAIT FOR IT......

A little voice came out of the box: 'I heard you the first time! I'm putting my fucking shoes on!'

Everyone Should Have A Duck...

Sharon, over at the Birdchick, found this clip. The duck chowing on a banana made me laugh.

Wordless Wednesday - What Lies Beneath...

Artistic Luxury: Fabergé, Tiffany, Lalique

This exhibit was at the Cleveland Museum of Art until January 18 and words cannot explain how totally bummed I am that I missed it. This is the first exhibit I've missed for years at the Museum, and it's one that I've been looking forward to for AGES. *sigh*

But, starting February 7, you can find it in San Francisco, at the Legion of Honor. I just happen to have a cousin in San Fran, who just bought a house... so all hope is not lost for me. If you find yourself in Northern California, you should definitely go!

From the Detroit News:

Antique lovers won't want to miss this breathtaking exhibition, which includes rare loans from public and private collections worldwide and is the first comparative study of the work of three of the 20th century's greatest designers. More than 50 international lenders include Queen Elizabeth II of England and Prince Albert of Monaco. Santa may not have tucked one of these masterpieces into your stocking, but don't miss the chance to see them up close in Cleveland.

Considered the "Big Three" of the decorative arts world at the turn of the century, Peter Carl Faberge in Russia, Louis Comfort Tiffany in the United States and Rene Lalique in France enjoyed a spirited rivalry that resulted in the production of some of the world's most beautiful jewelry, decorative arts and other luxury goods. This opulent exhibition of more than 300 objects provides plenty of eye candy and reunites many of their finest masterworks for the first time since they were on view together as part of the legendary 1900 Paris World's Fair.

Highlights include five Imperial Easter eggs by Faberge, one Imperial egg by Cartier and an Imperial Basket of Flowers by Faberge, all designed for the Russian Tsars and their family and later sold by the Bolsheviks; the American debut of Louis Comfort Tiffany's "Magnolia Window," a stained-glass work purchased in Paris in 1901 for a Russian baron and only seen in Russia; Edward VII's cigarette case, on loan from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; and glittering jewelry featuring diamonds and rare gems by Tiffany & Co. Other treats include the "Autumn Leaf Globe Lamp" and "Adam's Vase," on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and former star of the 1900 Paris World's Fair, both by Tiffany; Faberge's "Kremlin Tower Clock"; and Lalique's "Frogs and Lilypads" vase.

Wordless Wednesday - SNOW!!

Really?

This is funny. I only have to go into work if I want to tomorrow 'cause the weather people said it was going to snow so they shut down the factory. At the time, it wasn't even cloudy.

And the stores are out of bread, milk, beer and toilet paper - the necessities, you know.

I have a very important supplier meeting tomorrow with people who are leaving to return to Germany on Wednesday, so as long as the weather doesn't totally suck, I'll be going in. *sigh*

Last weekend, I went to Chicago. There was like 4 inches of snow on the runway, and a couple more had fallen by the time I got to the rental car. No one really paid attention. Just in case you weren't already aware, the south is different.

Well, It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time...

Remember a while ago, when I alluded to working my nerve up to do something? And I blamed the tequila and my friends?

Well, that something was letting a nice lady named Allison, who had many tattoos, large holes in her ears and three studs in her nose grab my tongue in a clamp and add a metal barbell to my oral landscape. It actually didn't really hurt. It ached, which was weird. The strangest part? They dry your tongue out before doing it, and that feels very very odd. Your tongue is not meant to be dry. Really. When I asked her if it was going to make me talk like an idiot, she responded that if people wanted to sound like idiots, they would with or without the tongue ring. Then she stuck out her tongue, and holy smokes! she had THREE studs in her tongue, in a triangle that matched the one in her nose!

Why did I do this? I'm not sure how it all got started, but I went out at Thanksgiving with friends from college. It was the first time since college that we'd all been together again and it certainly didn't take us long to regress. One thing led to another and somehow we were all (all 10 of us) trooping to the conveniently located (next to the bar) tattoo/piercing place to each have something done. The first one to remove it pays for the group trip to Vegas. I will not be losing this bet. Now it's down to an endurance test. I was hopeful at first 'cause one friend is a banker and she got her eyebrow done. I was sure that she'd walk into work on Monday and they'd be all "Get that metal OUT of your face!" Turns out, they thought it was so cool that two of her coworkers went out at lunch and got theirs done too. Well, dammit. There went that idea.

So at Christmas, I went back to the store and got new bars with acrylic balls, which are much less likely to hurt your teeth. Also, the light doesn't glint off them when you talk and you're much less likely to have people notice it.

It's actually been fun to play with - if you put ice on the top of your tongue, you can feel it underneath 'cause of the metal conducting the cold. Neat! Interesting and unexpected - talking on my cell phone outside the other night and it was really cold out, and it felt remarkably like I'd stuck my tongue to a flagpole, but INSIDE my mouth.

Pretty cool: I've lost 10+ pounds since Thanksgiving. Crunchy, which is a personal weakness of mine, is a bit of a problem now.

But yesterday, on my way home from work, I realized that the bottom ball had worked its way loose and was floating around my mouth. For whatever reason, I had a hard time getting it screwed back on - no, not while driving, after I got home. And today, damn thing did it again! On Allison's advice, I have an extra barbell in my purse, just in case it comes loose and I swallow it or something. Apparently, the acrylic balls have a very finite lifespan. I'm going to go reattach the stupid thing and if it escapes again, I'll move to a different colored one. *sigh*

Parting thought: Have you ever tried to take a picture of your own tongue? With a newspaper? Proof of life pictures are a major pain.

Wordless Wednesday - Ah Vacation, July 2008

Leading Me Down The Garden Path...

Or... my Garmin suddenly went apeshit crazy yesterday and I need it to come back to me!

I had to drive to Indiana yesterday to visit a supplier - yay! - and the device that I've come to depend on totally dropped the ball. OMG. I'm so traumatized by this, you just have no idea.

First, heading for 71 and the Garmin tells me to head for Cleveland. Okay, 'cause it's not like I checked a map to verify her accuracy before leaving. I drove several miles up 71 and she told me to get off at 18 AND THEN GET BACK ON 71 HEADING THE OTHER DIRECTION. WTF???

Second, heading into the wilds of Indiana, and she tells me to exit the highway at a spot that says the correct city. Okey-dokey. Then I traveled 40+ miles in circles on gravel roads past cows (and fields, old cemetaries, REALLY cool houses and other things I wished I had a chance to explore) to get back on the same damn highway, one exit down. Awesome! I'm so glad a coworker was waiting for me at the hotel! Oddly, he chose to drive to and from the supplier's yesterday.

Then today, she tried to get me to turn off the highway into a lake for almost a quarter of a mile, pulled those "get off here, go aways, turn around you idiot, you are going the wrong way" things TWICE and then the battery died. My brother calls her the "bitch in a box" and today, I must agree. Bad Garmin! Bad!

What is wrong with me?

I've been having a real problem with the whole Christmas spirit thing this year. I did send out Christmas cards, and the ones I've received are taped around a doorway, but that is the only hint of Christmas at my house. I didn't put up a tree, didn't hang a single garland, or string a single light. There's not even a wreathe on my door. My house is the single dark spot in the neighborhood - everyone else is quite festive.

It's worse than that though. I had the whole weekend to get ready to leave for home this Christmas. Did I clean the house? Finish shopping? Wrap gifts? Pay bills? Unload random crap from the jeep? Do laundry? Anything productive?? Nope. Not a damn thing. I curled up on the couch with a bunch of books and didn't move, unless I was getting more coffee.

I did manage to get some stuff done this week. Shopping's done. Laundry's done. Then I got home last night from work, found "The Bourne Supremacy" on TV and curled up on the couch again. And, instead of being ready to leave when the alarm roused me from slumber first thing this morning, I smacked the alarm, rolled over, and went back to sleep. When I finally crawled out of bed this morning, I started cleaning.

Here's the thing though... Before I leave to start the 12 hour drive to get home, I still have dishes to wash, the main floor to sweep, trash to take out, packing to do, wrapping to do, unload the jeep, reload the jeep, clean out the cat box, gather together everything to take home, organize bills to pay sometime this week, etc etc etc. And am I doing it? Nope. Sitting here playing online.

I just don't want to go. I don't particularly want to stay here either, but I have never been so unenthused about a holiday before. What is my problem?

But to everyone out there who's a bit more into the season, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

Leverage...

I really like this show, with Timothy Hutton and a bunch of other people. For the next while, Tuesdays at 10 pm are booked.

But, am I the only one wondering about the parallels between the first episode and John Sandford's book, "The Devil's Code?"

Speaking of Being Watched...

I'm not sure whether to be completely fascinated or utterly horrified. This is the image of my house available on google when you type in my home phone number, then click on the map thing then go to street view. Check it out - Jeep's in the driveway, I'm home!

You can turn around and check out my neighbors across the street, or stroll up and down the block. Of course, I completely freaked out over people driving around taking pictures and then linking them online for anyone to stumble over. Then I spent an hour looking up everyone I knew to see if their houses are online too. Ahh, the wonders of modern technology!