The reading list
Mood:
party time!
Topic: Brain candy
Finally finished reading
The Battle of Corrin - been waiting for that book to come out in paperback for some time now and happened to spot it at the
United a while back. But since I was in the middle of
Weaveworld at the time it took a while to crack it open.
Not bad. Makes a good finish to the whole pre-Dune saga. A couple of annoying little details in it (why would a cargo ship for thinking machines have windows in it for humans to look out?) but nothing bad enough to take me out of the story. Mainly for me it was just plain zippy to see how the various important organizations and concepts of the Dune world got their start. Maybe one day I'll get to do a Dune game.
So I took a couple days off from reading because I wasn't sure what I wanted to read next. My last shopping binge more than doubled my reading list. I finally decided to grab Gibson's Pattern Recognition and have had the most difficult time in putting it down. Really, I almost didn't make it online tonight because that book has me thoroughly hooked. I'm already halfway through it in less than 24 hrs - I'm usually a slow and lazy reader. Gibson makes me so jealous sometimes, and this book has it in spades - I've giggled several times at how he phrases and describes certain things. Fantastic read, you should pick it up.
And, to finish this little post up: for the past few days I've been looking for something to buy with my $25 Overstock.com gifty card, courtesy of MyPoints. At first it was just browsing CDs, then I got the big idea that maybe they would have the coffee grinder that I want. Big fat no on the grinder. So I decided to start putting various random wants into the search bar and whaddaya know, up pops Barker's The Great and Secret Show and Everville, two books I have been trying to find for the past couple years. They should be on their way very soon, and the happy dance will commence.
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at 10:51 PM CST
Fek wind
Mood:
irritated
Topic: Bitchy rants
It hasn't rained since August. It fucking sucks. Our whole crop thing is completely fucked - we had to sell 6 cows a while back because we can't afford to feed them, and there's no telling how long we can keep the 9 smaller ones we have left. The sheep have been pulled off the other place, so that little pasture rent check is going to be half what it should have been. Basically, once again the weather is fucking us.
Only that's just the tip of the iceberg. See, a couple weeks ago we had this insano wind day - the wind was so bad that we couldn't see a quarter mile down the road. I'm honestly amazed that it didn't blow the big metal sculpture thing off the bomb shelter. Everyone, even people in town, had to deal with dust blowing in through the windows.
Now we don't know who (we have our suspicions...), but someone turned us in to the soil conservation guys about the soil blowing on our land (the other place where the sheep were, not the home place). This means we got sent an ominous letter requiring we do something about this or we would lose certain govt checks that we rather depend on to continue doing this farming thing.
This is complete bullshit. If the person we think ratted us out is indeed the rat, then a pox on said person. Bigtime poxage, because being a good neighbor would have involved a brief telephone call to us personally and not some bureaucrat, and we would have taken care of the matter quickly. Indeed - the situation is as fixed as it can possibly be, and if we had gotten the call instead of the soil conservation guys we would be in exactly the same position we are now, except official bullshit need not have been endured. The hubby is now forced to coordinate between 2 or 3 different people to make sure all the paperwork and shit is dealt with properly.
And, just to make sure this is a total slap in the face - WE WEREN'T FUCKING BLOWING! I drove out there the day after we got the official letter to suss out the situation, and while it is dry out there it is not smooth like we had been blowing dirt all over the place. I mean yeah, of course there was dirt in the air that day - everyone was blowing. But our land looked pretty fucking good considering how much dust was in the air that day. The one who was blowing was our neighbor to the South - who is always blowing when the wind is up because he doesn't take quite as good care of his land as we do. And him blowing ends up blowing dirt on us, which fucks our situation up and gets us to blowing. Now we're gonna have to pay to get a big strip of his place plowed up to keep him from fucking our place up.
I so want to choke the shit out of someone. This whole situation is fucked. And whoever it was who ratted us out - you'll get yours. I hope it stings for days too.
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at 11:41 PM CST
Jesus sent me a chain letter
Mood:
silly
Topic: Nothing in particular
This has to be one of the weirdest things I've ever gotten in the mail. Seems there's this church in OK that has decided to send little paper prayer rugs out with their charity solicitations.
Isn't the whole prayer rug bit a Muslim thing? I mean, I could be wrong - maybe there is some sort of xian prayer rug thing going on that I never caught on to. I dunno. In any case I have one. It's got a big Jesus head on the front of it, and at the bottom there are instructions:
Look into Jesus' Eyes you will see they are closed. But as you continue to look you will see His eyes opening and looking back into your eyes. Then go and be alone and kneel on this Rug of Faith or touch it to both knees. Then please check your needs on our letter to you. Please return this Prayer Rug. Do not keep it.
And then on the back, where it's just kind of plain looking (but still printed with a rug pattern) it says:
"This Prayer Rug is Soaked with the Power of Prayer for you. Use it immediately, then please return it with your Prayer Needs Checked on our letter to you." It must be mailed to a second home that needs a blessing after you use it. Prayer works. Expect God's blessing.
Yeah... And I know a guy who got a prayer rug and he didn't use it, and you know what - 10 days later locusts ate his house.
And you know the letter they sent, along with the checklist of things you want to pray about, contains a "Please send us money" clause. Why do they have to go through all this silly chain letterage to get us to send them money? Don't they know that makes it look extra hokey? The scary thing is, I can totally see the poor women who are kneeling on this little piece of paper, staring down at Jesus, waiting for his eyes to open, and bawling their eyes out as they pray for blessings from God. Then they'll fold it back up and send it to some friend and the chain continues.
Not that any of that is a bad thing, mind you. I'm all for the power of prayer. This just seems silly to me. You know I'm lazy and bad, and I'm gonna just brush this baby up against my knees while praying for Lotto winnings. Although I guess my prayers don't technically count on account of I'm an unrepentant pagan.
What I really want to know is, am I getting an express ticket to hell if I chop up the prayer rug to use for decoupage?
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at 11:22 PM CST
Ethel the Aardark Goes Quantity Surveying
Mood:
lazy
Topic: Various webshit
It's just a survey, relax.
What is your secret, guaranteed weeping movie?
Actually, I don't have one. If a movie makes me cry once that's usually it.
If you could have plastic surgery, what would you have done?
Don't think I'd want plastic surgery. I am perfection, after all.
Do you have a completely irrational fear?
Wasps and most arthropod type critters, and humanity.
What is the little physical habit that gives away your insecure moments?
If I knew what it was I would stop doing it.
Are you a pyromaniac?
Not that into Def Leppard.
Do you have too many love interests?
Probably.
Do you know anyone famous?
Only in a marginal sense.
Who would play you in a movie?
Oh please, like I would ever appear as a character in a movie.
Do you know how to play poker?
Basically.
What do you carry with you at all times?
My carcass.
What do you miss most about being a kid?
Not a whole lot. Being a kid actually kinda sucked, and I was always in a hurry to get grown up already. Somehow it seems I haven't managed that yet.
Are you happy with your given name?
I guess. Never really thought about it.
How much money would it take to get you to give up the Internet for one year?
More than you got honey!
What color is your bedroom?
Mostly white.
What was the last song you were listening to?
Right now the end theme to FLCL is on.
Have you ever been in love?
Still am
Do you talk a lot?
When the mood takes me. Sometimes you just can't shut me up.
Do you like yourself and believe in yourself?
Occasionally and no.
Do you consider yourself to be a nice person?
Not really, but a lot of other people do so I guess that counts for something.
What is your ideal marriage location?
In a swimming pool filled with ramen noodles.
Which musical instrument do you wish you could play?
All of them.
Favorite fabric?
Denim. Denim is sexy.
Something you love and hate?
My random sleep schedule.
What's the one language you want to learn?
All of them.
How do you eat an apple?
Raw generally.
What do you order at a bar?
Rum and cokes or beer if they've got a good one on tap.
Have you ever pierced your body parts?
No, somebody else did it.
Do you have any tattoos?
Not yet.
Do you drive a stick?
Is this supposed to be some kind of witchy wisecrack?
What's one trait you hate in a person?
Zeal.
Do you consider yourself materialistic?
Sort of. I'm not all that attached to material things but I have extremely particular tastes. If I get something that I actually want I want to keep it because it's mine.
What do you cook the best?
Food.
Favorite writing instrument?
Keys. My handwriting is atrocious.
Do you prefer to stand out or blend in?
Absolutely.
Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex?
I really don't think I'd be fooling anybody.
What's one car you will never buy?
The Batmobile.
What kind of books do you like to read?
Fiction.
If you won the lottery, what would you do?
Buy a big chunk of land, put a house in the middle of it, screen it off, get a fast internet connection, and never see another human being that I don't like again.
Burial or cremation?
I want to be cremated and made into bottle rockets.
How many online journals do you read regularly?
Several. Look over at the sidebar.
What's one thing you're a loser at?
Finishing what I start.
If you don't like a person, how do you show it?
Saying mean things about them.
Do you cry in front of your friends?
If the mood takes me.
What kind of first impression do you think you give people?
It used to be evil and scary, but nowadays it seems I put people off as being aloof. Which I am, btw.
What's one thing you like to do alone?
You mean I can only pick 1?
Are you a giver or a taker?
Yes.
When's the last time you cried?
Earlier today, but we're not going to get into that.
Favorite communication method?
Vague but meaningful facial expressions.
How many drinks before you're tipsy?
Belly up to the bar and let's find out.
Do you think you're cute?
Absolutely. I'm so cute I can't fucking stand myself.
Do you have problems changing clothes in front of friends?
That's what boxer shorts are for.
Favorite type of music?
Still pretty mad about the whole techno sound.
What is the sexiest thing the opposite sex can wear that catches your eye?
A man with a moustache.
Are you a workaholic?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! What?
What are your kids names?
Right. This fool has no plans to breed, ever.
Do you watch a lot of television?
Too much.
Do you like to shop?
When the mood takes me.
What is your hidden talent?
I don't think I have one. If I do, it's hidden so well I can't find it.
Would you die to save the life of someone you deeply love?
Probably not. I'm not good at that sort of thing.
Are your friends married or single?
Yes.
Do you own a Bible?
There is one in the house (a few, in fact), but I would not say that I own it.
What version is it?
Let's not get into that.
Do you play chess?
No, because that game is boring.
Do you like the rain?
Indeed.
Do you like thunderstorms?
Sometimes. They can disrupt my routine sometimes.
What's your favorite website
Don't really have a favorite.
What was your weight when you were born?
No idea, and I'm too lazy to look.
What time were you born?
5 minutes before a slightly more favorable astrological situation.
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at 12:25 AM CST
d'oh
cool
accident prone
a-ok