Saturday, January 04, 2014

Go 49ers! Go Eagles! With A Side Of YUCKY-BLECHS!



"Problems are not stops signs, they're guidelines."

~Dr. Robert Schuller

I slept late yesterday... really late. I am not sure why. Well, I was up until about 2:00 A.M. working on some editing, but that isn't all that late for me. I am a night owl, always have been, so I don't think that was it. I went to bed, and I had been asleep for about 3 hours, when Alan's alarm went off. BUZZZZZZZ! LOL. I hear it nearly every morning, and we usually talk for a few minutes, then I go back to sleep, which I did yesterday as well... so, I don't think that was it. About an hour later, Joey began crying to be let out to play. I don't let him out to play until much later in the day, when I can supervise the hilarity. We are all still learning our way, so it's just better to keep an eye on things. I got up and held him and we cooed with each other for about 20 minutes, then put him back in his box in the kitchen, and went back to bed.

3 hours later the phone rang, it was the doctor's office cancelling an appointment. I didn't know that at the time, and they left no message, just the caller ID. So, I had to call them back to find out what the call was about, then call Alan to have him call them and reschedule his appointment. Sigh. I then decided to get up, but before I did I was going to just shut my eyes for a couple more moments. Maybe listen to CNN in the nice warm bed... 6 hours later, at 2:15 p.m. the phone rang! It was Alan who was now on his way home. "Sheesh, who the hell is calling now?" I thought to myself. Imagine my embarrassment at it being the afternoon, and had he not called, I would have still been sleeping!

Now this morning, at 3:07 AM EST I am still awake, but feeling a bit feverish. Could I be catching the first cold of the 2014? It's not that I mind a good cold once in a while. A nice fever is a euphoria like no other, but I am still a bit amazed about the 6 week coughing yucky-blechs from last spring! I have been uncomfortable, but a deep cough, that leaves you pretty much unable to breathe for 6 weeks is something I sincerely hope I never experience again! And I probably won't. If I am sick now, or about to be, it just feels like your average, run of the mill, yucky-blechs. Yeah... that's it... I have the YUCKY-BLECHS! If I do have something, I hope it doesn't last long, I have two big football games to get excited about this weekend! Go Eagles! Go 49ers! My two favorite teams! I love them both! But no matter who I cheer on it's going to feel a little like running a red light... it will just be wrong! Never let anyone ever tell you that you can only fall in love with one person... or ;) ... one football team. You can love them both for different reasons! LOL.

Decisions! Decisions! Love is a whole other kind of sick.

Darn YUCKY-BLECHS! ;)

Mood: Silly

~Me :)


Friday, January 03, 2014

Warming Trends



"The storm starts, when the drops start dropping
When the drops stop dropping then the storm stops stopping."

~Dr Seuss

It's been warm lately, but if you live in the San Francisco East Bay, you already know that! It's been called "unseasonable" and "above average" like it's smart or something. Sigh. If autumn had to leave, because it's the natural thing for it to do, then I would at least like to have a few dreary, dark rainy days to call my own. Instead, not only is autumn no where to be found, but winter seems to have completely given up and skedaddled as well! Not only are there signs of spring everywhere, like blossoms and the sneezing of neighbors, but the aphids have shown up earlier than usual, and they are making a snack of my lovely roses even as I type this post!

 This has been a devastatingly dry year, January 1st to January 1st. And we have been setting records for Spare The Air days as well. The air is cool, but certainly not cold, and the cool air has a brown tinge to it. Blech! It hasn't made me want to venture out to do any photography, but Alan made go with him to San Francisco on January 1st anyway! I had a good time, just like he said I would, but I have to admit, I was still in a soft Spare The Air day funk, wishing for rain. Still, look how beautiful the city was! And Union Square was as lovely as ever!

Union Square
San Francisco, California
January 1st 2014
Late Afternoon/Early Evening




The view of San Francisco from Yerba Buena Island is always gorgeous, especially with the buildings in the downtown and financial districts still wrapped up like pretty holiday packages!

San Francisco, California
January 1st 2014
Early Evening



Oh well. I understand that the northeastern part of the U.S. will be experiencing some heavy snow this weekend, so I guess I should be thanking my lucky stars that I don't have to endure that! But I would love it to be a little colder, and rainy, for the air's sake if nothing else. If things continue the way they are going, we will be in for a possibly devastating fire season in California in 2014! It makes me a bit jittery just thinking about it! But hey, I just checked the 10 outlook for Berkeley, and Intellecast  is predicting showers for January 11th, so, maybe there's hope after all!

But just in case, does anyone want to do a rain dance with me?

Anyone? 

;)

Mood: Hopeful

~Me :)

Thursday, January 02, 2014

I Know, Right?



"For last year's words belong to last year's language, and next year's words await another voice."

~T.S. Eliot, Four Quartets

Have you heard? Well, if you are over 30, there are some common words and phrases you shouldn't be saying, because, well, you are too old! If 30 is an unseemly age to utter the word, AMAZEBALLS, can you imagine how completely icky it must be for a young one to hear a person of my... YIKES... age (51) to use it? Now, to be fair here, I learned that word, like all the other kids did, from the Internet, Twitter to be more specific! And I didn't learn it from someone younger than myself, thank GOD, I learned it from Danny Devito! And the way I feel about it is, if it is good enough for Danny, then it is good enough for me, but on the other hand, as social decorum goes, I usually try to carry myself with a certain bit of dignity. When I read an article late last year, on the website Lifescript, titled, Top 10 Things You're Too Old To Wear, I took all my message t-shirts, and put them in a big pile I like to call, "I am Too Old To Wear You In Public, You Are Now Gardening Shirts." Frankly, message t-shirts were the only items on the list of to 10 bads in my closet! I guess as a fashionista... I was doing pretty good at keeping it real!

But when it comes to words and phrases, well, once again, I am being reminded that time does indeed march on, whether I want it to or not, and along with time, comes age. So, it's time to create another big pile, albeit a metaphorical one, of things that should never be said by a woman, or man, with gray roots! And that's fine, but really, do I have to give up AMAZEBALLS? (Whine). I really liked that one! AMAZEBALLS, AMAZEBALLS, AMAZABALLS! Sigh. Well, okay, I guess that one isn't terribly lady-like, so... okay... I will give that one up! But I refuse... flat out refuse... to give up "I know... right?" I LOVE that one, and say it several times a day as I find myself in disbelief about one thing or another, and that phrase usually sums up my perplexity quite nicely! What's a girl to do? I know what I am capable of, and I know I will not be able to successfully give that one up! I am not going to even try, but when it comes to the others on the list, I can live with it! 

Here is the full list...

Seven Things You Totes Need To Stop Saying If You're Over 30

1. Totes . Yeah, I am just learning of totes, and I don't think it's all that fun. I agree.

2. I know, right? Sorry, I can't discuss it.

3. Amazeballs. It's just fun, but okay, I get it.

4. Cray (Cray-Cray) I am on the fence about this one.

5. I Will Cut you/ I will Cut A Bitch. I couldn't agree more. Stupid at any age. And self incriminating.

6. Adorbs. Blech. Enough Said! Although it does remind me of Rachel Zoe and anything she wears, designs, or promotes is fabulouss! So, I have mixed feelings!

7. Feels. I agree.

What do you think? Do you use any of these popular words or phrases? Do you march to the beat of your own tune, or do you like to be appropriate no matter how much you would rather embrace the trend? 

Please, share your thoughts! Or, if you like, take the first poll of the year on the sidebar and tell me what you think! If you have a trendy phrase, from years gone by, that you adopted and still use, even though it is a bit passe, feel free to share it in the comment thread!

Tell me all about it!

"Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say infinitely when you mean very; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite."

~C.S. Lewis

Mood: Curious

~Me :)


Wednesday, January 01, 2014

Happy New Year 2014!



"Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, it will be happier... ."

~Alfred Lord Tennyson

When I look back at 2013, and all the weird twists and turns it took for Alan and I, there is only one way to think about it. For us, 2013 will always be the Year Of Plan B! Most of the time Plan B would turn out to definitely be the way to go, but sometimes it took a little bit of time to realize just how fortunate Plan B could be! Our 2013 had adventure, and love, and curiosity, and a lot of good fortune, such as finding our energetic and silly new kitten Joey! 2014 is here, and no one knows what it will bring, but as the years tick off of my life, I am more and more thankful for the road I am on with Alan, and for our life with our furbabies... Hendrix, Dylan and now baby Joey... and all that life has waiting for me as the clock strikes midnight!

2014 IS Here! ON TO THE NEW ADVENTURE!

"We will open the book. It's pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and it's first chapter is New Year's Day."

~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

From Our House To Yours... HAPPY NEW YEAR! :)

Mood: Hopeful

~Me :)

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

It's New Years Eve, So...



Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne
And there's a hand my trusty friend
And gies a hand to thine
We'll take a cup of kindness yet
For auld lang syne

~Auld Lang Syne

I know, I know. I don't usually post a video as the head of my posts, I usually post a new photo, or an archived photo which just happens to fit my rant, rave or observation, but this being not just the end of December, but also the end of 2013, I wanted to take a slightly different look at things. Yes, I still have a retrospective of December, but I have included one page look back at each of the last 12 months. If you want to see the original retrospectives for each month, simply click on the date at the top of each page to be redirected to the original post containing all the round-up photos for that month. Please, as always, I welcome your input on my photography! Please feel free to share your impressions of my photography! Oh, and I hope you enjoyed the video clip, it's one of my favorite clips from one of my favorite movies, When Harry Met Sally, and it just happens to fit New Year's Eve nicely. I never miss it!~

Enjoy!

Looking Back At 2013

A Look Back At January 2013...



A Look Back At February 2013...



A Look Back At March 2013...

 

A Look Back At April 2013...

 

A Look Back At May 2013...

 

A Look Back At June 2013...

 

A Look Back At July 2013...

 

A Look Back At August 2013...

 

A Look Back At September 2013...

 

A Look Back At October 2013...

 

A Look Back At November 2013...



A Look Back At December 2013...



Well, that was 2013 as seen through the lens of my camera, and what a year it was! It was filled with public art, and beauty. Tragedy, and relief. Love and new found friends. Sadness, and then incredible joy! In other words, it was a year! It was life! I can't wait to see what 2014 has waiting for me to discover! On to the adventure waiting to happen!

:)

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

~Eleanor Roosevelt

Mood: Inspired, Happy, Encouraged, Challenged, 

~Me :)

Monday, December 30, 2013

The Naming Of Cats Is A Difficult Matter...



"The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have Three Different Names.

First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathon, or George or Bill Baily
All of them sensible everyday names.

There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter
But all of them sensible everyday names.

But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?

Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bobalurina, or else Jellyorum...
Names that never belong to more than one cat.

But above and beyond there's till one name left over,
And that is the name you never will guess;
The name that no human that no human research can discover...
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.

When you notice a cat in profound meditation
The reason, I tell you, is always the same...
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name...

His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular NAME."

~T.S. Eliot, Old Possum's Book Of Practical Cats

I owe Dr. B an apology. He and I had briefly discussed names for little Joey on our first visit to see him, just after Joey burst into our lives. At that time he had mentioned that no cats should have more than three names, and I disagreed, because I thought I had read in the Old Possums's Guide To Practcal Cats, that all cats should have six names! Well, clearly, that turned out to be wrong. Thank goodness I haven't given the other 2 cats in the house as many names as I thought they should have had! But they do have more than one name!

Hendrix is also known as: Bubba, Teeth, Baby Hendrix, Moose and Chubs, because of his apple cheeks.
Dylan is also known as: The Baby, Mr. Pissypants, Dilly and Dillybean, Old Bean
Joey is also known as: Joseph, Joey Bear, Little Joe, Mr. Chew and PigPen.

I think I will stop at those names. LOL. They fit, they understand them, and why confuse things... right? Elvis was born with his name, I am convinced of that, and he wouldn't deal with nicknames, he put his paw down about that. When we got Hendrix, he learned his name within the first week, he is such a bright, loving child. He is truly the love bug! Dylan is the serious one, who only needs to be brushed to put him in a happy playful mood! But with Joey, we still have to get to know each other a little better before all his personality traits come out, but so far, he is just a total joy! He is smart, and climbs really well, and he is learning his proper place with his brothers.

Joey has been a wonderful, happy surprise! And yes Dr. B, you were correct, three names is plenty!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)


Sunday, December 29, 2013

The Nightmare After Christmas



"Nothing is more frightening than a fear you cannot name."

~Cornelia Funke, Inkheart

I am a little under the weather today, so I thought I would share a brief blog post about this tag I found on some throw rugs I purchased at the 99 Cents Store. I was needing some rugs for the bottom of Joey's sleepy box, and this type of rug fit nicely, so I purchased about 20 of them. He will be able to use them in his sleepy box and then in his temporary room, the bathroom, until we fully transition him to the rest of the house next spring. He needs some time to integrate with his brothers, and then he will have to be fixed, so it's just better to take these steps a few at a time so it all goes as smoothly. He really seems to like the rugs, he picks at them with his tiny toenails and all seems fine, but I have to tell you, the information I read on the tag, which I hadn't bother to read until I got ready to wash them, kind of gives me the wiggins...

Care Instructions:
Machine wash in mild water.
Tumble dry low heat.
Size: 17.3 inches x 27.6 inches.
44 centimeters x 70 centimeters.
Contents: 
Made completely from miscellaneous pieces of undetermined finer content

What? " Made completely from miscellaneous pieces of undetermined finer content?" What?

What does that mean? Does that mean it could be made from, like jellyfish fibers? Old tires? Maybe even... gulp... spider fibers? Or does that mean they used some odd fiber... gulp... not of this world? Like the fiber they found on that shiny stuff left behind from the Roswell UFO crash of 1947? Or maybe it just means that the rugs are made up of harmless, but useless recycled crap. You never know about these things! It's what makes them so affordable at .99 Cents each. And that's all fine and dandy, but I do wish I had just a little more information. Even 1 fiber identified would be good!

Mood: Curious

Me :)