Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Ouchie

As some of you all know I am a klutz.  Past few days my moon must be over the equinox of Don Q or something (I never am good with the astrology stuff * grin * ).  During a break in the rain storms on Sunday I took a walk and a skid.  The skid on slick 'gypsy asphalt' as in the stuff cute guys sell off the back of their truck to idiots who think they are getting a resurfacing of the lots/driveway.  Once it rains the 'asphalt' becomes a slick painted surface and the oil washs away leaving an adult slip'n slide without the fun of childhood.  Smacked left knee and toe and ouched the right wrist. 

Cut to yesterday.  Got sent home half hour early cause my supervisor asked to see my knee and said it was swelling too much and I should go home and elevate and ice it.  I said, sure and hobbled.  Short Piker meeting but fun seeing folks.  Then between rain storms I decided to put recycle stuff out and toss out the kitchen garbage.  I notice the basement was left open and light on.  I try to reach in to flick off light and my foot hits the wooden step and apparently a blob of water and I fall ass first down the dozen or so steps - naturally catching my left forearm and right forearm on the wooden steps not to mention middle of shoulder blade and tush!  And I thought my knee hurt!  Cripes.  Or that should be crip...pllllling myself.  Argh.  My supervisor said she ought to smack me and I said if she could find a spot I hadn't already damaged to go for it. 

I really need my vacation!

Friday, September 23, 2011

Sir Paul was more impressive

Well I got stuck at a light while VP Biden and his motorcade drove by.  I knew that he'd been in town fund raising and had shut down the 95 corridor at 8 am (yes - they didn't publish it til late so tons of people got stuck 45 min behind lines of cops) thus causing more than one person to say they could possibly LOSE their job over this mess.  BUT they didn't mention that he was coming back at noon!  I got stuck at the lights and watched about 40 motorcycle cops go past and then nothing.  I turned off my car and got out.  Snapped pictures of cops in the distance.  Looked around and watched people getting furious.  I told the guy behind me so he wouldn't flip out that I had turned off my car.  A few more folks joined us chatting while nothing went by.  Fifteen minutes of nothing.  Then a bunch of black flashy SUVs and a fire/rescue truck and a few more cops cars and then gone.

I was more impressed seeing Sir Paul at Disneyland in the New Orleans area.  I got closer to him and he was nice.  I am not as thrilled with Biden.  He didn't even wave all his money at us! 

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Last day of Summer

Kind of hard to believe it but summer is officially over tomorrow.  Yep, it's autumn already.  Most of the known globe experiences weather changes but here not so much.  It's going to be in the high 80s today which is better than the high 90s but still not sweater weather by any means. 

As my trip home nears I am doing the mental gymnastics of how to squeeze in everyone and everything I want to get done in the week I'll be there.  Prep work first is getting my flu shot so I don't land sick.  Plane traveling pretty much guarantees exposure to some nasty bugs.  Having already been sick twice this past month I am pretty much done with that for a while.  I know many folks don't bother with flu shots but I've noticed the years I skipped I got ill with one thing or another.  Influenza has literally changed entire towns - we as humans tend to forget our past. 

I started my summer book reviews.  Launched one last night to Sand and I hope to have two more done tonight.  For me finding the right quotes to give a reader a taste of the writer's voice is pretty important.  It's not always easy because some of the passages I like wind up being pages of imagery and that's not a good review.  These were all 'donated' or 'loaned' books so it means I read outside my comfort zone.  Sort of like school - someone else picks the book.  One or two surprised me given the author wrote them a dozen plus years ago.  After I finish the books I tend to then go see what I can find on the writer and some things definitily surprised me about the various writers. 

Outside my office building....just at dawn.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Yeah, I know I'm old

I remember the 'fall line up' was a much anticipated event when I was a kid.  The TV guide arrived with all these glossy pictures of stars and the shows that were coming.  My siblings and I would pour over the pages and talk about the upcoming Fall Season.  Since back in the day we didn't have cable much less more than a half dozen stations it was manna.  We were tingling with excitement waiting to see who would guest star on the returning series.  Made deals with folks doing chores so we could pick a show. 

Cut to this morning.  Local radio show talking about 'what shows are you looking forward to seeing?' and all I can think is ...it's September right?  Oh, yeah.  *shrug*  The gloss is off the pages and with all the other cable stations there's always something I haven't seen on and fall line up doesn't mean what it used to.


Monday, September 19, 2011

Shiver me timbers!

Did you find yourself saying, "Arrrrggg" today?  Or perhaps calling a coworker a worthless land lover?  Mistakenly call the service person at the restaurant a "saucy wench"?  Did you call out in traffic, "Avast ye matey!"  Then you are aware it's the international Talk Like a Pirate Day.
http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

I first heard about it in one of Dave Barry's smart assed columns.  Since then on and off there are snippets of it that crop into the local morning talk shows and on the news.  I think more than one of us wanted to be a pirate at some point in our lives.  Some of us may have succeeded (you know who you are!)  I think we need silly holidays at times.  And with the depressing news and the wild weather it seems like a Pirates' Life for Me needs to be sung out loudly.   Let me go find a Johnny Depp movie.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Summer is gone?

So the local newspaper reported yesterday two 'factoids' that still have me giggling. 

One that Floridians can tell summer has turned the corner and there is autumn in the air.  *giggle* yeah, uhuh.  What that means is the humidity wasn't 98% yesterday morning at 6:45 am and there was a slight breeze of 77 degrees instead of 81 degrees before dawn.  The 'lows' in the 90s during the day.  I have friends complaining about the 40's in the evening and these clowns think this is 'autumn'?

Two is that Floridians should stop thinking that hurricane season is over.  It seems since Irene ran up the coast and drenched Vermont most Florida folks decided that meant the season was done.  Historically most of the nasty hurricanes have hit in October in recent years.  Wilma being a shining example of that.  But let's not rush out and buy the plywood yet since it's sunny and gorgeous today.  And for those in the know duct tape is NOT the proper way to secure windows during a hurricane despite the cute media moments.

I think my vampires are getting hungry!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Tons of fun weekend

But naturally work is too busy to give me time to tell all. 

Saw the "Elvis Experience" until the show was called on account of rain and electricity don't mix and the accents of lightning had the "King" leaving the stage damn fast.  Friends were heading down to meet up with me and ended up meeting at the house since it was pouring rain.  We sat around talking for hours.

Saturday was catch up day.  Caught up with landlord (yes he's back in the picture) and didn't have to deal with the landlady at all.  This marks over 30 days of no crazy woman.  Caught up with some of basic household chores and did some cleaning.  Laundry (funny how that never goes away). 

Sunday my friend Suzanne came over so I got to get her caught up to Episode 31 in The Building before my reading was called on account of wine.  As in she and I were drinking wine, sitting in sun by pool and jumping in when we got over heated.  It was great fun.  She's coming back next Saturday for more. 

More but too much work...so tell more tall tales when I can.

Friday, September 9, 2011

September turns the corner

I've been snapping pictures and actually got them onto a disc.  Thus, in theory weather permitting, I will be enhancing my flickr site.  Weather permitting being the operative phrase.  Last Saturday was full of weather and this weekend is supposedly going to be nicer.  One thing weather forecasters agree on is that all their 'models' aren't accurate.  Uhuh.  I want their job.  I could be dead on wrong 90% of the time and as long as I smile right and don't collect DUIs or other legal embarrassments I could keep a job forever.  Sure wish I was kidding. 

Sunsets and sunrises have been stunning with all the scattered storms.  Chanced a few shots of a rainbow out of car while hanging in traffic killing time as people forgot how to drive.  I still haven't caught the amazingly large lightning bolts but they were there too. 



Wednesday, September 7, 2011

10K for Labor Day

Called on account of rain.

But seriously folks.  Friday started raining and thunderstorms.  A break in the morning so I got a chance to run out and get basics.  I was expecting a few friends over and we were going to soak up the sun and some wine.  Instead watched movies on TV while the air crackled and the rain poured out of the clouds.  I did some editing and writing by hand but it's a lot slower than the computer (go figure).  Sunday at noon my friend showed up with her 4 month old baby I've nicknamed Thor.  He pounds on everything (including my breasts) with strong little fists.  He already stands and wears clothing designed for one year olds.  She's screwed this kid's going to be a bruiser.  Then my other friend showed up with her pregnant daughter and the two grandkids (age 1 and 4) so it became a nice full house circus.  Another couple folks showed up and we all had fun but it was busy.  Monday was a bit of writing and some relaxing.

I did get to catch up twice with Jonathon King (the writer I mentioned lived nearby and is a friend) we had some great convos about the craft.  I was mentioning my current WIP and how I have to be careful not to get too caught up in my research.  He said when he guest lectures he often times reminds writers that it isn't wise to let the research derail you from your tale.  I then countered just being contrary that sometimes those jaunts off the page can bring new ideas - he laughed and agreed.  He also told me some gossip about one of the writers (Michael Connelly) who is a friend of his and also friends with one of my California friends.  Nonsensical fun.  But I did take to heart a bit of his advice (I had already been heading towards the idea but it confirmed the thoughts) and episode 36 will be fun in The Building. 

Just a little over a month until I fly home to see family and get some stuff from storage.  I don't know which excites me more.  Okay, family  yeah...that's it.  Last night I was going to clean up all the stuff I jammed in over the weekend (over 5K) but nature had her way instead.  Lost power a couple times and with the constant lightning strikes I figured it wasn't a good time to be online and challenging the elements.