baka_na_haha

Happy Agnosticalia!

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:58:29 GMT

You can celebrate even if you are not agnostic: Question something other people take for granted, be puzzled or confused, admit that you don't know something - but,most importantly, have fun!

Kick boxing to "The Wall"!

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:44:39 GMT

OK, so it was the kick-boxing version and not actually Pink Floyd. Still, it's a great way to wake up in the morning. Good music, good exercise, and some (at least pseudo) violence thrown in - Good times.
[I don't have the energy to try to re-create over a week of points - where did the week go? But I have been pretty good overall]

Finally! A decent depiction of a therapist

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:00:07 GMT

My kids told me about this years ago, but I finally read "A Wizard Alone" by Diane Duane. Sure enough, there is a therapist who is not an idiot. It's about time!
Tues, Dec. 1 - 8 pts
Wed, Dec. 2 - 4 pts

A lovely Thanksgiving

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:56:48 GMT

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays - largely because it is generally a relaxing time with just our immediate family. Despite some stress in dealing with the airlines to get the kids home on Wednesday, the weekend went smoothly. How could we lose? Good food (Peking duck instead of turkey), the house full of young people, lots of time for games and just hanging out, good conversations - And we get to see the kids again in just a few weeks. What more could I ask?

Mon, Nov. 30 - 4 pts

Kids make things so much more fun . . .

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:56:47 GMT

We've gone to the same psychology convention for more years than I choose to admit. It generally involves going to meetings (some good, some less so) and maybe going out to dinner with an old friend or two. Fine and useful, but not all that much fun.
This year, the convention was in NYC and Zan met us there. What a difference! We went out to the theater every night, which made the whole weekend so much more exciting. We are also learning that sleep is highly overrated, especially when so much fun is involved. We saw Showgasm (complete with free shots of whiskey), Hair, and The Gayest Christmas Pageant Ever (with wonderful stage management by Zan's friend Jenny). All were a blast!
Our next convention (in two years) is in Boston, and I predict similar fun times.
Mon, Nov. 23 - 4 pts (we won't discuss the weekend - travel is not good for my eating and exercise)

We're probably the last ones to see it . . .

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:11:39 GMT

but we finally saw "Wall-E". What a fine, creative movie! And what a great lesson in how to convey emotions and story with minimal dialogue. It's exactly the type of movie I love.
Now that we've caught up on Buffy/Angel, we're going to need more movie recommendations. Any suggestions of wonderful movies that are preferably up-beat, not too heavy (or too much like work), and definitely not depressing?
Tues, Nov. 17: 8 pts

I can chew again!

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:49:08 GMT

I got the stitches out of my mouth and I can chew and talk again without pain. It's amazing how "you don't know what you've got till it's gone." I can really sympathize with Xavid in 7th grade - how did you stand going so long without real food, you poor baby?! I'll take is slowly and take very small bites (since I've not fully healed yet). Besides, I did lose a few pounds despite the ice cream and I don't want to gain them back. But, boy, did a piece of ordinary bread taste great!
Mon, Nov. 16: 4 pts

My kind of house guest

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:19:30 GMT

We had a 16-year old boy stay with us this weekend while his family was out of town. When we ask "What should we do?", he whips out his portable projector and says "If you've got a white wall somewhere, we could watch this cool movie." The next day, he sleeps in, eats pancakes, then plays Heroes of Might and Magic with us. I love it when people are clear and assertive about what they want to do - it makes life so much easier! And it doesn't hurt that we have such similar tastes.

Sun, Nove. 15 - 4 pts

Shirt circles return!

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:24:27 GMT

Around February, 2008 we started experiencing a strange phenomenon in our house. One day, I noticed that J had a stain on the front of his shirt. It was on the right side of his shirt and looked like most of a circle (kind of like the mark that a glass can leave on a table if you don't use a coaster). We didn't think much about it, although it turned out to be a bit difficult to get the stain out. A few days later, the same type of stain appeared in the same location on another shirt. We tried to figure out a pattern, with no luck. It can happen to me or Jim (interesting, never to either of our kids). It simply doesn't seem to fit anything we are leaning against or anything obvious like that. We have walked all through the house, but cannot see anything that we have been leaning against or carrying that would make such a stain. We can go several months without any shirt circles at all, and then they start happening again. Yesterday, after months of none, I got 2 interlocking shirt circles.

There must be a logical explanation, but after over 1 1/2 years, we are out of ideas - any suggestions? If this is some type of mystical message, we are totally not getting it - and who knows what dangers may result from ignoring such messages?! Are there others out there receiving such messages? Anyone know of any entities said to communicate this way?
Sat, Nov. 14: 4 pts

My own personal pirate?

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:25:00 GMT

Genealogy can be so much fun! And with the rapid advance of technology, things are different every time I hunt for information about someone. I finally got to going through information Jim gave to me last Christmas about my British ancestor, George Charles Beckley, who sold ships who sold ships to King Kamehemeha. Family legend is that he was a privateer, but I have no actual proof. It's been several years since I hunted seriously for info about him - now, with Google Books, I can find the names of actual ships he sailed and sold, details about some of his voyages, etc. I'm still not sure whether he was a pirate or not, but I'm getting closer. Great fun!
Fri, Nov. 13 - 6 pts

They said it couldn't be done . . .

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:30:30 GMT

but we actually caught up with Zan on Buffy-watching (Season 5, episode 17)! My timing isn't great, however, since I also happen to be reading Diane Duane's "Wizard's Dilemma" - it's a tough time to be a fictional mom.

Thurs, Nov. 12 - 10 pts

Wow - that felt great!

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:16:14 GMT

I am now a big fan of kick-boxing! It was a great aerobic work-out and had a lovely amount of violence and aggression. It was a lot like an hour-long intense, non-stop rapier training session (without the sword). The only downside was that after the class, I really wanted to spar with someone - it's a shame to let all that punching and kicking go to waste!

Wed, Nov. 11 - 4 pts

Kick-boxing?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:08:18 GMT

They've replaced my nice step-aerobics class led by an elderly, but spry, instructor with a kick-boxing class. I can't imagine anything that sounds like more of a contrast! But it also has a cool, macho sound to it. Linda, who recommended the step class to me in the first place, likes the class and the instructor and thinks I would like it, so I'm tempted to give it a try. Nothing like something new and different to get those muscles working, right, Sorcha? Of course, now that I'm pumped to try it, I'm not sure that my mouth will be healed enough to handle it tomorrow - I could barely get through my 9am session today until the Tylenol kicked in. But I think I'll give it a try as soon as possible.
Tues, Nov. 10: 4 pts

It doesn't sound exciting . . .

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:28:17 GMT

but it was fun to help start to clear out Jim's workroom. We actually cleared a path so that one can walk through it without tripping on debris! And he has a small area of the workbench that is cleared off, suitable for working. Small, concrete tasks can be so satisfying.
Sun, Nov. 8: 10 pts

I may not have been good . . .

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:40:11 GMT

but on Tavern Night it is totally worth it! Even taking one small bite of each marvelous dish was extremely naughty - but how could anyone pass up Ealdred and Clariel's cooking?! A good time seems to have been had by all. And I'm going to start making up for it by doing DDR right now.
Fri, Oct. 6 - 6 pts
Sat, Oct. 7 - 2 pts

I'm sorry that I voted . . .

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:56:07 GMT

with an absentee ballot. Ohio is encouraging this and it seemed easy, so I gave it a try. It is simply not the same! There is something about actually going to the polls that makes me feel part of the community and the political process (flawed as it is). I won't do this again (unless I'm actually out of town).
Tues, Nov. 3 - 10 pts
Wed, Nov. 4 - 4 pts

Georgie is tormenting us!

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:59:35 GMT

She has always been terrified of thunderstorms, but at least that only kept us up for the few nights each year when there were storms. As she has gotten older (she'll be 13 in January) she has started getting agitated more and more often, until now it is almost every night. Even on Klonopin twice a day, she quivers and pants for hours on end at night. True, she no longer tries to play our answering machine and she is not insisting on standing on my head unless there is a true thunderstorm. But it is still pretty hard to sleep - and night after night, it gets pretty old. Oh well, I guess sleep is overrated.
Sun, Nov. 1 - 8 pts
Mon, Nov. 2 - 6 pts

I was proud of myself . . .

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:17:07 GMT

for posting my Halloween pictures on Facebook - until I noticed that somehow they appeared 2 times. Oh well, I still have to work out the bugs.

I don't think I can post them here (since I don't have a paid account, but feel free to check them out on Facebook and see if you can guess who they are.

Sat, Oct. 31 - 6 pts

How could we possibly be so rusty . . .

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:50:27 GMT

after missing 2 measly Friday dances? Not fair! Now we can only do the East Coast Swing and Cha Cha with enough steps to get through a full song without being bored. Hopefully the lameness of last night's dance will be sufficient to lead to more consistent practice.

Thursday, Oct. 29: 10 pts
Friday, oct. 30: 6 pts

I was avoiding the new aerobics class

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:39:17 GMT

My favorite instructor had left, and the new one seems to be the total opposite. My old teacher was literally old (76 years!) and an inspiration: soft-spoken, encouraging, with the same routine each time so you could get into the zone without thinking about it and still get a great work-out. The new teacher seemed loud, brash, more like a drill sergeant, with an ever-changing routine which requires actual thought - not what I have in mind first thing in the morning.

But, in the spirit of behaving myself, I gave it a try. I did have to think, and I will always miss Chris, but I also did push myself and feel pretty damn good.

Tues, Oct. 27: 10 pts
Wed, Oct. 28: 4 pts (sounds bad, but I truly did not have time to exercise and I controlled myself at Dessert Revel, which is much better than usual. So it's a good 4 pts.)

Urban hip-hop . . .

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:40:24 GMT

is really not our thing. But we are learning the West Coast Swing and the only song we have at home to practice with is an Urban Hip-Hop song called "Ridin' Solo". It amuses me to be in my pjs and dancing shoes, dancing to a song with the line "I ain't no white suburban chick" (which is, of course, exactly what I am). And it is helping us to learn the dance.

Mon, Oct. 26: 8 pts

One more try

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:56:03 GMT

I'm going to try tracking my healthy eating and exercise one more time. It actually does help, but I need to find a way to keep it up more consistently. This time, I'm going to compare LiveJournal and Facebook. I doubt that the venue will make much difference, but Facebook is a new toy and feels more public, so I'll try it. The numbers will range from 0 to a maximum of about 12 each day, with the higher the number, the better. Nagging and encouragement are welcome, but not expected. I apologize to Facebook friends who will be stuck seeing my posts twice (at least for awhile).

Sunday, Oct. 25: 10

Better than a concert

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:57:43 GMT

I listened to the full JC Superstar album on my drive to and from the Westside (thanks, Zan, for getting me to think of it!). I hadn't listened to the whole thing for ages and I was surprised at how powerful it was - plus, I remembered almost every single word. Sometimes the simple pleasures are the best.

Plus, Zan just called to ask me about something cool she found for me at a jumble sale. It's so much fun to get a new toy - and especially feels great to know she was thinking about me and understands me so well.

Have I mentioned lately that I love my kids? They are so much fun!

In general, I was way too old last night . . .

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:22:22 GMT

Funny, though - I got much younger for the songs that highlighted "Janis".

I understand that they wanted to emphasize Big Brother, since they were real and "Janis" was not. So now I know that it's Janis (and her clones) that I like, not the band itself. I wonder how Zan would have liked this conert . . .

J is now hooked on Charlie Kaufman

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:31:07 GMT

It was J (not me!) who pushed to watch Being John Malkovich - and on a weeknight, no less. This from a guy who used to not have the energy to watch Buffy unless he was perfectly rested. Of course, it was amazing - where does Kaufman get his ideas?! I still think he must be one strange guy.

It wasn't until I was griping a bit about the ending that I even remembered that Zan had complained about the ending - I had come to the same conclusion on my own. C'mon, Charlie - you could have easily made things much more powerful and realistic by simply ending a bit sooner, leaving things ambiguous, or any of a number of other options. I know, enough back-seat driving. It was still incredible.

(and, no, even if J is obsessed, he will not convince me to watch Synecdoche - not that he'd even try).