TILES!
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the resolution: "snark less"
butbutbutbut... consider:
(bullet point goes here) fusion cuisine has its points. but Irish and Mexican? really?
(bullet point goes here) Irish nachos. think about it. Irish nachos.
(bullet point goes here) it's Rachel Ray.
(bullet point goes here) EVOO
look at the yummilicious offering below:
would you eat it?
(I'd bet not)
now I'm in the mood for "nachos as big as your ass" from Costa Rica or from any of twenty good Mexican restaurants within a three-mile radius.
my tile guy has been hard at work...glad I got the kitchen cleared for his equipment.
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The government today announced that it is changing its emblem from an eagle to a condom, because it more accurately reflects the government's political stance. A condom allows for inflation, halts production, destroys the next generation, protects a bunch of pricks, and gives you a sense of security while you're actually being screwed.
(Not necessarily a reflection on the current administration, but more of a comment on politicians in general.)
an occasional book review
Jeff Sharlet must have a debt of gratitude to Rachel Maddow. and Rachel back to Jeff. about the time this past summer that the John Ensign ( R. senator from Nevada - having an affair with a married woman in his staff) and Mark Sanford (R. governor from South Carolina - missing for five days in a 'hike') - it was Jeff Sharlet who in a series of appearances in the Rachel Maddow show acquainted Americans with the shadow organization known as "The Family". "The Family" is a secretive fundamentalist organization, now famous for owning a house in C street Washington D.C. where several members of Congress (Ensign and Sanford among others) lived while Congress was in session.
Sharlet has been following "The Family" for several years now. a few years back he spent several months in Ivanwald, one of the houses owned by "The Family" as one of a group of brothers - young men selected to be trained for future leadership positions in support and behalf of "The Family" and its principles of driven Christianity, "biblical capitalism" and "Jesus plus nothing".
The first chapters of the book are interesting, when Sharlet writes about what was it was like to be a brother at Ivanwald and describes the weekly breakfast meetings at the C street house, attended by several members of Congress, the Administration, lobbying groups and other powers around D.C.. Sharlet describes how while publicly supporting inclusive gatherings such as The National Prayer Breakfast, in private The Family has been closely involved with repressive regimes around the world in support of American fundamentalist supremacy.
The book lags a bit after these few chapters - Sharlet dives into a discussion of the beginnings of American fundamentalism, followed by narratives of how different persons have gained leadership within The Family, up to the current leader, Doug Coe. several of these chapters had their beginning in Sharlet's articles in Harper's and elsewhere
an occasional book review
as one of the "tired girls", the name the author gives to us, most of us women, who suffer from illnesses that are difficult to properly diagnose, treat, or cured, I read this book with interest. even though headaches are not part of my personal hell I found much I could relate to in this book - going from doctor to doctor, trying drug after drug (all of which worked. for a while), trying alternative therapies, and reaching a state in betwixt acceptance and resignation.
Paula Kamen makes her journey fun to read. she is immensely self-aware of her situation and of her privileged position - her parents pay for excellent health insurance that Kamen as a free-lance author could never afford; her parents also provide a place to retreat to whenever she couldn't handle the pain of her headaches or the hassles of her daily life.
in between the relation of her personal journey* Kamen discusses pain - the medical understanding of it, of its causes, of its management. she also discusses how pain as suffered by women is perceived differently than pain as suffered by men, both by the medical establishment and by society at large. Kamen also brings up the point that women are more likely than men to suffer from diffuse, chronic, cause-not-easy-to-pin-down pain, and the frequency with which the patient is dismissed by doctors as being 'difficult', 'non-compliant', and the kiss of death: "it's all in your head".
*and lest you think it has a happy ending - it doesn't. the headache remains; at times worse, at times somewhat bearable.
It's a new twist on my Resolution Challenge efforts. I figured by mooshing my goals/resolutions/to-do lists together, this may keep me from thinking about my impending turn of 40.
Yes, yes, I know turning forty is fabulous, according to those of you who have entered that age already. I remember the relief and joy I felt escaping my twenties and moving into my thirties. Ahhh. That was nice.
So here's my list. I decided to include some stretch goals (S), fun goals (F), good-habit goals (GH) and some general to-do (GEN) items I should get done within a year. As I'm starting to type, I'm only up to 33. Maybe I'll leave some blanks so you can come up with some ideas or vote for your favorites. It'll be like American Idol, but not. We'll see what I come up with when I get to the bottom of it.
Without further ado:
1. Pay off my car. (S) This would be one year early on the loan and free up my income. Wouldn't that be nice?
2. Try acupuncture to rid myself of nasty teeth grinding/clenching habit. (F/GH) I've always wanted to try it, but never thought I had a good enough reason to. I clench my jaws to the point the apparati from my dentist stand no chance of success.
3. Eradicate the magazine pile. (S/GEN) It's massive and needs to be dealt with, but there are mags I really want to read in there somewhere.
4. Deep clean the house once a quarter. (GH) It's a small place, but I still don't clean nearly enough.
5. Eat more fruits and veggies. (GH)
6. Lose two inches from my waist and the Buddha. (S/GH) I'm giving up on weighing myself and I think this is a better way to think about it. That's where I gain all my extra weight and it's also a heart disease trigger, from what I've read. I'd like to stick around well past 40, thank you very much.
7. Rid closet of all unflattering clothes. (F) I do have some things I need to stop wearing out in public, but they are sooo comfy.
8. Reduce cable subscription after March Madness. (GEN)
9. Update resume. (GEN) Remember when this used to be on my list for the last few years? Yeah, I still never did it.
10. Paint the living room. (F/GEN). Blue. I think I'll paint it blue.
11. Save $$ for Amy's Argentine Adventure/40th Birthday Bash. (S/F)
12. See FamilyH at least once before Christmas. (S/F)
13. Read "7 Habits" again. (GH) It's always inspiring and I need a kick in the pants.
14. Compete in another triathlon. (F) Looking at one in October with my friend A.
15. Spend a night at a B&B in Globe. (F) Saw it in the Nat Geo Traveler and it's only an hour away. May as well! Plus, the Mexican food in Globe is phenomenal. Yum.
16. Vox Peep-Meet! (F) Whenever it is, I'll make sure I'm there!
17. Throw out old cosmetics. (GH) I have eye shadow that's at least three years old.
18. Run eight miles by end of February. (S) If I can't, I'm going to be in a lot of trouble for my race.
19. Organize back room. (GH) It's a mess.
20. Attend to 'In box' on desk. (GH) I don't even know what's at the bottom of that.
21. Stop overthinking. (S/GH) I can't control other people's thoughts or reactions, only my own so I need to relax.
22. Try one new recipe a month. (F)
23. Retrofit road/racing bike. (GEN) That thing is a death trap the way it's set up now. Gear shifters on the frame and Pedal Clips of Death.
24. Do one nice/thoughtful thing a day. (GH) Instead of thinking "I should send that person a note", I'll actually send that person a note.
25. Listen more, talk less. (S/GH)
26. Touch up yellow paint in kitchen and hallway. (F) This will entail me buying more paint, but will be an easier job than the living room.
27. Fix guest bathroom toilet. (GEN) I tried to pay a friend to do it, but he and his wife moved to Mexico. Ay Carumba!
28. Organize photos. (GEN) Stop laughing! I will! Fine, I'll recatagorize it: (S)
29. Make a photobook or print out the Grand Canyon trip photos. (F/GEN)
30. Create one painting. (S/F) Yes, that would be the same painting goal as last year.
31. Sell/use the timeshare. (GEN) Anyone interested in renting a week of timeshare at cost? Seriously, let me know and we'll work something out.
32. Return glances and/or smiles. (S/F/GH) This shouldn't be as hard as I make it out to be.
33. Don't go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink. (S/GH) I'm bad about putting off doing dishes, but not so bad that I'm going to buy a dishwasher.
34. Cook rest of the lamb that's in my freezer. (F)
I could use up the rest of my goal slots with "Use up/toss out" just about everything, but that's kind of cheating. Let's see what else I'm forgetting but will be obvious later...
Like...
35. Practice the piano so it's more than just a piece of furniture holding up picture frames. (F)
36. Cut myself some slack once in a while. (GH)
37. Improve flexibility. (GH) My hamstrings are going to shatter one of these days, I need to loosen them up.
38. (This space intentionally left blank) - How could I miss this? Visit Grams in Wisconsin, preferably in summer. (S/F) Stretch only because of time and money. Which probably makes almost everything a stretch goal, really.
39. (This space intentionally left blank)
I might come up with two more after a good night's sleep.
I have had it with all these motherfucking icicles on my motherfucking truck.
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