Driving Peeves

"You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a little note on the windscreen, it said, " 'Parking Fine.' "

-Tommy Cooper

This just makes me crazy. I cannot understand why folks are so damn inconsiderate of others! Last May, I wrote a post about this very situation. I had attended a Chili cook off in Castro Valley, and while I was trying to find a place to park, I came across numerous examples of folks taking up two parking places, to park their over sized vehicles in. This was in a parking lot that doesn't have a lot of spaces to begin with, so when you come across a situation like that, it can be damn infuriating. Some of you agreed with me, others didn't, which I understand, because we all have different things that push our buttons. This just happens to be mine.

I have a difficult time walking at times, especially if my legs are hurting or are swollen, due to my Fibromyalgia. I am not at the point of being disabled, but I am in pain at times, and I find it inconsiderate if someone takes up two places, because either they are too lazy to park their cars correctly, or they are so concerned that their car will be scratched, that they deliberately park in two places so they won't be dinged. I cannot understand for the life of me why one wouldn't check to see if they are in the space correctly, unless they simple don't care who they put out. My friend Wil, made a good point, that some vehicles are too large for some parking lots, which are striped for compact, or economy cars. He is right, in those instances I understand the need for a little more room, but as you can see, this space had ample room, but the driver simply paid no attention to how he/she had parked.

I will admit it, I have a thing about SUVs. Those who drive them, drive aggressively, and more than once, I have been nearly run off the road by one. It is the most difficult thing about driving for me, the aggressiveness of others. Sigh. Anyway, as I said, those who don't know how to park their vehicles is my personal peeve, and while I know I am not alone in that, I have to imagine what might be just as nerve racking to someone else. So, that is the subject of the new poll on the sidebar, " What Is Your Main Complaint About Other Drivers?" I only have eight choices on the list, so if I didn't include your personal pet peeve about driving, feel free to share what it is in the comment thread. With the exception of drivers talking on their cell phones while driving, I think that one is a given. The results of last months poll can be found on the poll results blog. Just click the link below.

Ok, chime in. Share what about other drivers, makes driving more difficult for you. We are all in this driving thing together, although sometimes it kinda feels like we are all alone... doesn't it?

"Which Fast Food Restaurant Serves The Best Burgers?"

-OndineMonet
Home Depot
San Ramon, California
July 24th, 2007
Afternoon

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Juxtaposition

"Somebody who thinks logically is a nice contrast to the real world."

-Unknown

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Take a picture of things that are juxtaposed in interesting ways. "Juxtapose" means "To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast." In case you hadn't run up against the word very much (it's one of those Scrabble words). Basically, if two things you see next or near to each other make an interesting picture, or seem to comment on each other in an interesting or ironic fashion, you're good to go.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Ah yes, juxtaposition! It can be found everywhere... and yesterday... I found it at Starbucks. Here we also have the eternal question, well, one of the eternal questions anyway, coffee or tea? If we go with coffee, then you might enjoy the beverage Alan ordered, which was, Double Chocolate Chip Mocha Frappuccino, or if you are like me, you might go for something a little bit lighter, like, Tazo Passion Shaken Iced Tea. Actually, I enjoy almost everything Starbucks serves, but I am a little bit more health aware, since I was diagnosed last week with Type 2 diabetes. Anyway, no matter which drink you prefer, one thing is for sure, they are delicious, and very photogenic. Don't you think? Hmmm... which do you prefer? Coffee or Iced Tea?

-OndineMonet
"Juxtaposition At Starbucks"
July 30th, 2007
Castro Valley, California
Afternoon

Silly Laws & William Shatner

"There is hope for the future because God has a sense of humor, and we are funny to God."

-Bill Cosby

Ok, so I was sitting by myself yesterday afternoon, having a good old fashioned poutfest, when I thought to myself, "Girl... get over it." It's time to get over it. Granted, I don't let go of things easily, and I am highly resistant to change, but if 2007 hasn't taught me anything else, it has taught me that change is going to happen, with or without my permission. It's time to get my humor back. So, while I have to admit I am still holding onto certain people, some distant places, and things, I am back on the path to whatever comes next. The simple truth is, I would rather be at OzzFest, then wasting time feeling sorry for myself. I would love to go to OzzFest sometime, I think it would be a hoot. It may not be possible this year, with all the stuff I have coming up, but maybe next year. :) I think Ozzy Osbourne is kinda cool, as is his wife Sharon. That is one smart, snazzy lady who knows how to live. :)

What do I need to do to cope with my situations? What do I need to do to live? What could help me feel a little better about things? I know... the answer is always in my love for music and humor. Two things we mortals simply cannot survive without. So, to get your week, and mine, off on the right note, how about a YouTube video of William Shatner performing Elton John's, "Rocket Man" at the 1978 Sci-Fi Awards. LOL. The first time I saw this clip I laughed so hard I cried. Now THAT is good for the soul. For those of you who cannot view video clips, rest assured I thought of you as well, and have compiled a list of actual Dumb Laws, that are currently on the books in certain states. So watch and laugh, or read and laugh, but just remember to laugh!

The Summer Will Soon Be Over... Don't Get Caught Being A Scofflaw! :)

Alabama
1. Bear wrestling matches are prohibited
2. You may not drive barefooted
3. You may not have an ice cream cone in your back pocket.
4. Nobody is allowed to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool.
5. It is illegal to wipe one's own car with used underwear.

Connecticut
1. A pickle is not officially a pickle unless it bounces.
2. You are not allowed to walk across a street on your hands.
3. You may not educate dogs.

Delaware
1. In Delaware you may not sell dead people for money without a license.

Indiana
1. A monkey was once convicted of the crime of smoking a cigarette and sentenced to pay a fine and trial costs.
2. It is illegal for a liquor store to sell cold soft drinks.
3. The value of Pi is 4, not 3.1415

Iowa
1. Kisses may last for as much as, but no more than, five minutes.
2. One-armed piano players must play for free.

Massachusetts
1. A woman cannot be on top in sexual activities.
2. Bullets may not be used as currency.
3. Defacing a milk carton is punishable by a ten dollar fine.
4. Mourners at a wake, must not eat more than three sandwiches.
5. Snoring is prohibited unless all bedroom windows are closed and securely locked.

North Carolina
1. Fights between cats and dogs are prohibited.
2. It is illegal to have sex in a churchyard.
3. Oral sex is considered a crime against nature.

Texas
1. It is illegal to milk another person's cow.
2. It is illegal to urinate on the Alamo.
3. It is legal for the blind to go hunting, as long as they have someone with them who can see.
4. It is legal to commit homicide, as long as you tell the person when, and where, you are going to kill them.

"Humor is the sunshine of the mind."

-Edward G. Bulwer-Lyton

-OndineMonet

A Visitor To My Garden

"Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down the rainbow."

-Douglas Pagels

The weather here in the Bay Area has been nice this summer. The days have been warm... not really hot... and the nights very cool with a nice breeze. The garden is coming along nicely, and with the weather so mild, it has been a real joy to spend time outside in the afternoon, just waiting for critters to pay me a visit. I have a bird feeder up, but the birds have been scarce this year. Only a few from time to time, which is a stark contrast from last year, when I swear I saw 50 different varieties come in an out of the yard. I guess it all runs it's cycles. We haven't had many opossums this year either, one day last year my favorite opossum, Ipson Pendragon, just stopped coming by, but we have raccoons by the dozen. :) In fact, I think it might have been one of those wacky raccoons that made off with my herb garden. LOL. I am going to replant, and give it another go. I still have the cilantro, and the garlic chives, so all is not lost. :)

Yesterday, I set up the tripod in the garden, to try to capture the picture of a lovely little butterfly I saw sitting on top of the stock. It is a common male checkered skipper (Pyrgus communis). I had a good time photographing this little guy, it was very comfortable with me, and so I was able to take my time. I used the macro lens, and got in really close. I was able to get several good shots, before he scampered away. I like the skippers, they are tiny, but their markings are so beautiful. I need to check within the stock, to see if any females have laid eggs. I planted the garden so it would come into full bloom in the autumn, I would be thrilled if I have a lot of butterflies among all the flowers. :) That would make for a happy place I think. Right now the only thing blooming is the Nemesia, and the roses, both of which have a ton of flowers on them. Elvis has taken up sleeping between the containers of flowers, he likes the butterflies too.



"No vision and you perish; No ideal, and you're lost; Your heart must ever cherish some faith at any cost. Some hope, some dream to cling to. Some rainbow in the sky. Some melody to sing to. Some service that is high."

-Harriet Du Autermont

-OndineMonet
"Rainbow Across The Pear Tree'
Berkeley, California
July 28th, 2007
Afternoon

Curious Carly Gets A Call From Her Doctor, And Her Doctor Says...

"What the fresh hell is this?"

-Dorothy Parker.

Well, I am looking at it this way, if one has to receive bad news, this was the bad news to receive. My blood test results came back, at it seems, I have Type 2 Diabetes. Sigh. Bother. Well, into each life a little rain must fall... right? But gosh this year has been a pain. Have I mentioned how happy I will be on New Year's Eve this year? How much I will be smiling when the clock strikes midnight? LOL. I am a diabetic. I am a diabetic. I have Diabetes. No matter how I say it, or how many times I say it, it just sounds like it can't be right. I mean, while I admit I have a sweet tooth that goes straight to my soul, I don't really overindulge. I love my veggies. I could probably do better with getting more exercise, but jeepers, with my Fibromyalgia, it is so difficult. I do T'ai Chi and meditation to help with the stress, and yet, I have diabetes.

Still, there is a bright side to things, and I am focusing on that. My doctor tells me that we don't have to jump headlong into insulin. We are going to try managing it with some strict dieting, and glucose monitoring for the next 6 months. I will have to start checking my levels several times a week. Whew! The news could have been so much worse... I think. I have a class to attend, which is paid for through my HMO, which I am thrilled about, because that is where I learn how to take on this new challenge. :) I like taking classes, and educating myself. That is how I have come to terms with the majority of the difficulties I have had... by educating myself and taking out the mystery of what ailed or frightened me.

I will admit to a few tears after the phone call. Alan didn't see me cry, I waited until I was alone. He would have understood, but it was just such a personal thing, that I really needed to feel it all by myself. I am ok now. In fact, I made myself a bracelet. My doctor said I will need to carry a card, or get one of those ID bracelets to show I am diabetic, but that was not for me. I made myself a charm bracelet. I took some charms from other pieces of jewelry I own, that have some special meaning to me, and I bought some symbolic charms at Michael's, and I got a heart shaped ID tag at, where else? Petco. LOL. Well, if Elvis has to wear one for his Diabetes, then so do I. Now we match.

My Charm Bracelet Symbols...

Purple flowers - My garden and Alexandrite is also my birthstone
1 Green and 1 Gold cat bell - Every man I was ever involved with at one time or another referred to me as a "cat." Now I have bells. :) Also, we have 2 Saturn Ions, one in Green, and one in Gold.
A heart with a pearl in it - Pearl is my other birthstone
A purple heart with "Ever After" in it - Love
A cat holding a pearl - My Elvis
2 butterflies - They represent a metamorphosis, as do dragonflies. I am hoping to add a dragonfly charm, when I find one I like.

So, now the work begins. I don't know how I got Type 2 Diabetes, but I have it, and I am going to face it. I watched a friend of mine nearly kill herself, after she was diagnosed, by climbing so far into denial that she very nearly lost her life. I couldn't do anything, but watch helplessly as she ran head long into chocolate, and fatty foods, and well, all things bad for the diagnosed diabetic. One day, she could no longer live that way... and the road she had put herself on became very dark and very painful. I decided then and there, that if this ever happened to me, I would do my best to face it. And face it I will. Watch me. :) If I didn't, how would I ever look at Elvis again? He makes me brave. I still need to ask though... can this year be done now? I hate 2007! LOL.

Let the research begin...

"Razors pain you; rivers are damp; acids stain you; and drugs cause cramps. Guns aren't lawful; nooses give, gas smells awful; so you might as well live."

-Dorothy Parker

-OndineMonet
"My Charmed Life Bracelet"
Berkeley, California
July 27, 2007
Evening

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #176: What's Overrated

"Once you've been really "bad in a movie, there's a certain kind of fearlessness you develop."

-Jack Nicholson

Weekend Assignment #176: Tell us of one piece of culture - book, movie, album, painting, play, architectural "masterpiece," whatever - that you think is wildly overrated. Note I said to focus on an object, not the artist: for example, explain why Sgt. Pepper's is overrated, not The Beatles, or The Godfather, not Francis Ford Coppola.

Extra Credit: Have you ever changed your mind about how good a book, movie, etc., was? You know, you read a book once, hate it, come back to it several years later, and find out it wasn't so bad after all.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Ok, this is an easy one John, the most overrated film I have ever seen, was the movie Dune. It has to be the worst adaptation of a book I have ever seen make it to the big screen, but not if you ask a one of the movie's cult followers. Released in 1984, and based on the brilliant book written by Frank Herbert, the movie Dune, was no less than a dog of a film, filled with overacting, and miscast parts. Sting was embarrassing in his performance, which hurts me to say, because I have been a lifelong fan of him, and I was really looking forward to seeing him in that movie. If I wasn't laughing out loud at the bad acting, I was falling asleep from lack of interest in the storyline. And yet, this movie has a huge cult following, but then again, so does Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and Plan 9 From Outer Space. Both of which I am a huge fan of, but of which the argument could be made that they are just as nondeserving as Dune.

Hey, I guess we all like what we like, but my goodness, the movie Dune, just didn't come close to doing the book justice, as so often happens with movie adaptations. The movie's director, David Lynch, no longer even appears in the credits to the film, because when the movie first opened in the U.S. to bad reviews, he decided to distance himself from the film. If you have never seen the movie, trust me and forget it, don't listen to the cultists, read Dune the book. :)

Extra Credit: Sure, I have changed my mind on occasion. One example, is when I heard that Madonna was coming out with a version of the Don McLean song, American Pie. Don't get me wrong, I love her voice, but let's face it, Don McLean had made American Pie a true piece of Americana. When I finally did hear her version, I was very pleasantly surprised. I loved it. Now both versions are among some of my very favorite songs. I like finding out I was wrong sometimes. :)

-OndineMonet

Note: My friend Vicki also did this week's Weekend Assignment, over at her blog, Maraca. She has a really cool story to share, so be sure to drop by. You can read it here. :)

Your Monday Photo Shoot: A Walk Down Your Street

"I came from a real tough neighborhood. I put my hand in some cement and felt felt another hand."

-Rodney Dangerfield

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Take a shot of something unusual on the street where you live. The challenge? It can't be of something of yours. Which means, you'll have to, you know, walk down the street a bit. The definition of "unusual" I leave to you. My only suggestion is that it should be in public view, unless you can convince a neighbor to let you in their house and take photographs of the freakish stuff they have there. And if you can, well, Good on you.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)





I love getting out with the camera, but I have to admit, I felt a bit uncomfortable with showing my street specifically. I don't know, it just feels a little too private for me, because of where I live in the hills. So, I did a bit of a drive in the general neighborhood, and came up with a nice view of San Francisco, from high atop Grizzly Peak. It's a nice view, and just as pretty in the day, as it is at night. But the real photographic find, was of the poor discarded bouncy ball, with a pumpkin face painted on it. :) Now I ask, who could throw away something as adorable as that? I love pumpkins. LOL. I had an overwhelming urge to retrieve him from the dumpster, it seems like such a shame that he was given up on, especially with Halloween just around the corner. Oh well, maybe his owner will have a change of heart and go get him. Poor little fella. :( Blogfather, I hope it was ok that I did a slightly broader interpretation of the photo shoot. :)

"One man's trash, is another man's treasure.'

-Proverb

"The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye, but found by the heart."

-Unknown


-Ondinemonet
" Poor Discarded Punky"
Berkeley, California
July, 25, 2007
Afternoon

Round Robin Challenge: Gimme, Gimme!

"There are two tragedies in life. One is to lose your hearts desire. The other is to gain it."

-George Bernard Shaw

How fun! After a little more than two years, the challenge participation list has finally come back around to the very top. Karen was the one who came up with the idea of the challenges, as a way of cheering me up, during a time when I wasn't feeling particularly inspired. :) She is a good friend, who has been there for me. Well, she challenged me, and then I challenged her, and from there, more and more of our friends asked to join the fun. The rest is history. :) Now, we have not only got to share the challenges with our old friends, but we have made new ones through our love of photography, and creativity. :) True to form, Karen has come up with a challenge that is not only fun, but inspiring as well. She has chosen, "Gimme, Gimme" as our subject.

This one had me thinking, to the point my head hurt! LOL. I have all the material items I really want. Oh, I suppose there is always something that would be nice, or that I could use, but for the most part I am set. So, I decided to let my mind wander a bit. She said we could even imagine the possibilities in the abstract. So that is what I did. I let myself want something really unusual. Something I would only consider purchasing if I hit the lottery. What would that be you ask? Well, how about a Merry-Go-Round? :)

I have always loved Carousels, and Merry-Go-Rounds, heck, Alan even proposed to me on one at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. I like the music, the beautiful, whimsical animals, and the way it feels to go around and around, until you feel dizzy inside. :) It's that dizzy feeling I enjoy. :) I had a wonderful time last Christmas, visiting the, "Holiday Lights In The Woods," celebration in the Berkeley Hills. Part of the event, is to open up the Merry-Go-Round at night. It is amazingly beautiful, with all the lights, music and holiday ribbons. I enjoyed it so much, that I let myself daydream a bit about what it would be like to own my own Merry-Go-Round. Maybe buy a very old one, and fix it up, just so it's beauty could live on.

I have a small collection of Merry-Go-Rounds, and Carousel horses. In fact, we had Carousel horses on top of our wedding cake, as opposed to a bride and groom. We thought it was a nice way to celebrate the place where Alan proposed. As a wedding present, an old family friend, gave me a snow globe, shaped like a wedding cake, with a carousel inside it. It remains one of my favorite possessions to this day. I suppose if my dream of never owning a Merry-Go-Round never does come true, I would be just as happy to own just one carousel horse. I have seen them in the windows of houses from time to time, and I think it looks lovely. So that's it, I would like to have a Merry-Go-Round. LOL. Silly... huh?

Be sure to drop by Karen's blog, "Outpost Mavarin" to see her entry. Then, take a jog about the land to see what the other participating Robins have come up for this entry. Just follow the Linking List posted below. We have some really talented and creative Robins, it's always a lot of fun to read their entries, and see their magnificent photography! If you have never played before, but would like to, hop right in. Visit the Round Robin Blog, read the ***Welcome Entry & Rules Of Play." Then, post your entry, comeback to the comment thread and leave us a link, so we can find you.

Linking List

1. Karen... Outpost Mavarin
POSTED!

2. Carly... Ellipsis
POSTED!

3. Kerrin... A New Day, A New Photo
POSTED!

4. Janet... Fond Of Photography
POSTED!

5. Vicki... Maraca
POSTED!

6. Nancy... Nancy Luvs Pics
POSTED!

7. Steven... (sometimes) photoblog

POSTED!
8. Brandon... A Visual Experiment

POSTED!
9. Gattina... Keyhole Pictures
POSTED!

Suzanne... New Suzanne R's Life
POSTED!

-OndineMonet
Holiday Lights In The Woods (Berkeley)
December, 2006
The Merry-Go-Round At Guadaloupe Park (San Jose)
April, 2006

Violets And Baby Fruits And Vegetables

"Flowers seem intended for the solace of ordinary humanity."

-John Rushkin

Well, I got the blood test done yesterday, so now the next step is the appointment with the surgeon. That will be on August 6th. Sigh. I am not stressing about it as much as I was last week, but there is still a lot about it that has me wondering what I should do. Like the fact I am in my mid 40's now. I suppose it is a good idea to write things down for Alan. You know, in case something unexpectedly stupid happens. I know one thing, I would rather he knew for sure to pull the plug, as opposed to possibly having George Bush decide my fate.

That would be literally the LAST thing I would want. Sheesh. LOL. (Rolling my eyes). I am starting to see things in a more positive light, I can focus on the benefits of having the surgery, I just wish while they are in there, they could also remove my ingrown toenail, remove a weird mole I have on my back, lift up my tush ever so slightly, and make me taller. LOL. And oh yeah, by the time I have the surgery, I will need a touch up on my dye job. :)

I don't know. Sometimes things go wrong, and of course that would cross my mind, but most of the time, things go perfect. I have always believed the odds for everything are 50/50... either it will be ok, or it won't. The horse will win, or it won't, it will rain, or it won't, George Bush will say something stupid this week, or he won't, but don't we all know he will? Tee Hee. OK, so sometimes the odds are a little more in favor of something then not.But what's a girl to do? I know the attitude I take into surgery will directly affect how fast I heal. I will find my sense of humor, like I have many, times before. I will. I have learned to at least try to find the positive.

Take this summer for example. I HATE the summer, but this year I have been enjoying it, because I gave myself something to focus on other than how much I dislike the season. I have my flower garden, and Alan has the vegetable garden. We take turns doing the watering, if one of us is especially tired. I enjoying sharing the gardening duties with him, watching his vegetable plants begin to produce, and tonight he was making suggestions, for some special evening lighting for the flower garden next year. He thinks some colored solar lights my be pretty. Yeah... I can see that! :) There are very few situations in life that can't be made better, by searching for the positive aspects, rather then dwelling on the negative. But don't get me wrong about one thing... I still HATE 2007. LOL

Now... I must brag on Alan a bit. All babies are beautiful, even baby vegetables. :) He is doing an amazing job with the fruits and veggies he planted. They are going to be delicious when the harvest comes. :) We are also looking forward to eggplant, green beans, Lima beans, and pumpkins. :)

Baby Tomato

Baby Bell Pepper

Baby Zucchini

Baby Cantaloupe


"Shipping is a terrible thing to do to vegetables. They probably get jet-lagged, just like people."

-Elizabeth Berry


-OndineMonet
"Glistening Violets"
Berkeley, California
July 23, 2007
Early Evening

Steven's Feline Friday: Laughing Kitty

"A sense of humor... is needed armor. Joy in one's heart, and some laughter on one's lips, is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life."

-Hugh Sidey

Tee Hee. Elvis likes to giggle and laugh. We first noticed this peculiar talent of his, when he was about a year old. We were playing fetch with him one evening, and as we tossed the little pink mouse to him, we heard him make a little sound. Just a silly little snort. Alan and I both laughed, because it had sounded to both of us like he was actually laughing. "How strange would that be?" We mused. But when he caught the mouse, and brought it back for us to once again throw, he made the noise again as he laid it at Alan's feet. Again, we laughed. "Could it be? Can cats really laugh?" Here it is, 9 years later, and my answer is, YES! Cats do laugh!

When Elvis is having fun, or is he is looking at something he thinks is amusing, he makes a wonderful little giggling noise. Noodles make him laugh, his stuffed monkey (Cap-N-Federick) makes him laugh, playing with bubbles makes him laugh, and when he sneezes... he laughs. Yesterday, I was teasing his whiskers with a feather brush, and he just loved it. We have a pretty good time together. He makes me laugh, and I make him laugh, and it's good for all three of us. He is a happy little fella again, and is just about back to his old self, since we finally have his diabetes under control. I guess humor helps cats heal as well. :)

This entry is for my friend Steven's weekly meme, Feline Friday. If you have a kitty you would like to show off, and you want to play along, you can find out all the info you need by visiting his blog, "(sometimes) photoblog." Like Steven says, "Cats Rule."

-OndineMonet
"Laughing Kitty"
Elvis
Berkeley, California
July 22, 2007
Early Evening

Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots

"Brain cells create ideas. Stress kills brain cells. Stress is a bad idea."

-Fred Saunders

Hi everyone. :) Thanks so much for the comments and emails of support. :) It means a lot. Ok, yeah, I certainly did have my pout on yesterday, didn't I? Well, I am better today. I am getting used to the thought of having the surgery, and how much better I will feel when I have recovered. My first thought when things go wacky, is that I am not sure I will be able to make it through it. Those thoughts come from growing up in a family who fully embraced the negative in life. I have learned to retrain the thoughts, and for the most part I am a positive person, but some times I get overwhelmed, especially if a difficult situation comes at me out of the blue. That's what happened when I found out about the possibility of surgery... it was out of the blue. It usually only takes me 24 hours or so to work it through in my thoughts, and I begin to see things in a new, and sometimes, brighter light. It does help a lot to have your comments and feedback. While I don't usually like to bring my negative moods to Ellipsis, it helps more than I can say to let myself share moments when I am hurting or frightened. You remind me I am not alone.

In a complete change of subject. I am absolutely exhausted. Last night, Alan and I came across several LARGE infestations of ants throughout the house. I don't understand it, they came up so quickly, and there was a ton of them. I was sitting on the bed playing with Elvis at 8:00 PM, we spent about 30 minutes playing, and then I got up to watch a program on TV, when I went back into the bedroom, to change for bed, I saw that the entire top of the bed was covered with ants. Just an hour earlier, there wasn't even one. It was a miserable night trying to get rid of them. Just as we got one area taken care of, we would find a cluster somewhere else. Alan and I finally gave up, and went for a ride very late last night, just to get away from the smell of ant spray. This seems like a new type of ant, it is very aggressive, and they are really fast movers. Stupid bugs. After we got home, Alan and I fell into bed, and got a nice, long, delicious sleep in, only to wake up to several more clusters. We fought them pretty hard yesterday, then sat down to a nice meal of Chinese take out. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... comfort food for the weary soul! :)

As stressful as the ant situation was, Alan and I kept each other laughing. We do that. When we are stressed, we tend to bring the humor out in each other. We laughed all day, as we engaged in battle with the enemy. At one point, we were laughing so hard, we were both holding our sides in pain. Doesn't that just make your day? Getting a good solid, punchy humor going? :) I have no idea what made me think about it, but for some reason, that old kid's game, "Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Robots," came to mind. When I was a little girl, I had a best friend Mike, and he had a set of the robots. Mike was great fun. I miss him a lot, even to this day, but it is a fun memory I have of he and I occasionally playing "Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Robots." Gosh the toy market has changed since I was a little girl. Everything now is so high tech. It's a shame really, because those silly little toys from when I was a child, were wonderful. Toys from back then, were not nearly as sophisticated as they are now, but there was a charm to them that you really don't see very often anymore. Sigh. Mike and I used to laugh and laugh at that game. Even as a little girl, I knew the importance of humor. :) I found the retromercial for them on YouTube, and it really made me laugh, and it was good to remember Mike. It was like having him here with me. :) I feel better now. :)

-OndineMonet

Curious Carly Goes To The Doctor, And The Doctor Says...

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."

-Buddha

On Thursday of last week, I went to see my medical doctor, for my 6 month Fibromyalgia once over. Everything is the same, meaning I still have Fibromyalgia, but with the warm weather of summer, I am doing a little better as far as the pain associated with it goes. There is only so much that can realistically be done with it, and I am learning to accept those bad days. I am not sure I will ever fully understand why I "airhead" so badly sometimes, but if nothing else, it can certainly be colorful. :) The blood pressure has been brought under control. I finally found the right medication for that. It is a little peach colored pill called Lisinopril. My doctor was thrilled with my latest B/P reading of 129/82. :) Success!

Now for the unpleasant part. I have to have surgery. FRET! I think I have mentioned her before that I have an allergy to aluminum chlorhydrate, an ingredient found in most antiperspirants. It was first diagnosed back in the early 1990's, when I felt a lump under my arm, and felt some pain. I had the pain for about 3 months or so, before I finally called the doctor. By the time I got an appointment, I had developed a hole under each arm. Bother! There wasn't much that could be done by then, so the doctor advised me to stop using antiperspirants/deodorants immediately, and use only a mild soap and water instead. I did, but the damage was done. I have been living with these sores since then. It's not always bad, it can be controlled with antibiotics pretty well, but sometimes it can be so uncomfortable.



My doctor examined my arms again Thursday, and we had a long talk about what would probably be best for my over all health. Because of the infections that tend to come up, my white blood count is almost always elevated. That's not too healthy, as it only exacerbates those times when my Fibromyalgia zaps my energy. There were some days this last winter, when I literally slept 17 hours a day, and woke up with very little energy. We think the one is playing off the other. So, surgery to remove my sweat glands, and a couple lymph nodes, is what the doctor is ordering. Sigh.

YIKES! JUST YIKES! It will mean a 5-7 day stay in the hospital, and a 6-8 week recovery time. Because they will be removing the glands from under both arms, my picture taking time will be cut dramatically. Again YIKES! I think I have mentioned once or twice, that I would rather take pictures then breathe. LOL. Sigh. I don't know, there are so many pros and cons to having the surgery. Frankly, some of the information I have been reading about aluminum chlorhydrate, is down right frightening. I have no idea how it can even be allowed in products considered safe. I have read numerous articles linking it to Alzheimer's Disease and breast cancer. The beauty/health market is getting better about providing alternatives to products containing it, but not enough awareness about it's dangers is made available. Sigh. Although, when you think about it, how good could a product be, that blocks the release of toxins from the body?

Oh well. It's always something. And as scared as I am of having surgery, I guess it makes sense to do so. I go in on Monday for a blood test, where everything possible will be checked. I should be little more then dust when they are done with me. Fun. And I have an appointment with a surgeon scheduled in a couple weeks. I am hoping that I can maybe have it done after the first of the year. I have the garden in full swing, and autumn is the one time of the year I live for. I don't want to have to miss it. Besides, I am usually hibernating in the winter anyway, so it seems like it would be the perfect time for recovering from surgery, but I don't know if the doctor will go for that or not.

Alan has been wonderful about it. He just wants me healthy and to feel better. He even promised to send me flowers in the hospital, and we are negotiating a new teddy bear to keep me company. Yes, I am a grown woman who still depends on the kindness of teddy bears. After all, I won't have Elvis there to hold my hand. LOL. I don't care how much pain I am in, I am planning to take my camera with me! They will have to pry it out of my hand as I go into surgery. LOL. My camera goes everywhere I go, because you just never know when art might just turn up. :) Life is an adventure to be sure, but surgery is such a scary word, I wonder, can I do this?. :(

Antiperspirant: Link To Breast Cancer?

Deodorants May Pose A Major Health Risk

-OndineMonet
"Weird Hospital Tools"
July 19, 2007
Afternoon

John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #175: TV or Bacon?

"Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn't have in your home."

-David Frost

Weekend Assignment #175: TV or Bacon? By which I mean, you have to choose one of these two things. Whichever you choose, you get to continue to enjoy. The one you don't, you lose forever. So, which will you choose? The pixellated, phosphorescent pleasures of television's hundreds of channels? Or the smoky, meaty pleasures of bacon? You must choose!

Why TV and bacon? Well, because they are two things most people seem to like, and they are (usually) entirely unrelated, which makes choosing between more interesting.

Caveats: Assume "TV" also to mean any form of entertainment originally broadcast or intended for TV; no 'well I'll just watch Heroes on my computer" weaseling out allowed (you can still watch movie DVDs on your computer). If you're a vegetarian and/or Jewish and/or Muslim (and therefore don't eat bacon), you may substitute some other beloved food product, but it has it has close to bacony experience as your dietary restrictions allow. For non-Americans, assume that all bacon sub-types are involved here, not merely the narrow American definition of it. Got it? Excellent.

Also: Aside from dietary restriction scenarios, no "bacon' substitutions, like Kevin Bacon or Roger Bacon. Honestly. That's just silly.

Extra Credit: Current favorite TV show and/or variety of bacon.

-John Scalzi (By The Way)

Decisions, decisions. Well, actually, this great question of the ages, isn't all that difficult for me. While I really love bacon, I can, and have, gone great lengths of time without eating it. I actually don't eat a lot of meat in general. I am not really a vegetarian, but I do find myself eating a lot more vegetables for my main course choices, such as a nice dinner salad, or a veggie pizza. So, if I ever really did have to choose between TV or bacon, I would definitely give up bacon! Especially considering the hundreds of enjoyable hours of TV I have watched in my 45 years. Bacon can make you smile with it's yummy goodness, but can it make you laugh till your sides hurt?

The above YouTube clip is one of my all time favorite moments from TV. It is an episode of Taxi, from September 25th, 1979, titled, "Reverend Jim: A Space Odyssey." The first time I saw it I laughed so hard, that I was actually sore the next day, and over the years, it hasn't ceased to be just as funny to me. I was thrilled today, to find the 5 minute clip on YouTube, and enjoy it once again. TV.com says about the episode that, "the yellow light scene, is widely acknowledged as one of the funniest moments in American network television." It is certainly one of my favorite episodes of any network television show. :) It's just that funny!

To have a sense of humor is so important to we mortals. It has been proven that laughing is not only good for the soul, but it is vital to our physical well being. Someone once said that, "laughter is the best medicine," and I know from personal experience, it's absolutely true! Bacon... not so much. Let's face it, bacon is at it's best, when it is on a big, juicy hamburger, surrounded by half a jar of mayonnaise. Yep, that is a treat to be sure, but it won't prolong my life. Sigh. But television, on the other hand, informs, entertains, sometimes it inspires, and lets face it, we need it at this point. We need the cartoons when we need to shut out the real world. We need our TV's because of days like 9/11. We need the dramas, so that sometimes we can just cry. We especially need the comedy for all those times when we really do need to take life less seriously. Yeah... I choose TV! :)

Extra Credit: I look forward to many different shows, it's hard to choose just one. So, how about I list my top 5...

1. Desperate Housewives
2. 2 1/2 Men
3. Ghost Hunters
4. Lost
5. King of the Hill

My favorite type of bacon would have to be, Oscar Meyer Center Cut. It's wonderfully delicious and fries up nice and crispy. :)

Be sure to click on the YouTube video, to enjoy a very funny 5 minutes of television history. :)

-OndineMonet

Paradise On Earth

"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams."

-Jeremy Irons

Yesterday, was a very long day, but a very good one. It rained very early in the morning, but by mid-afternoon, it was bright, warm and sunny. It was the kind of day that made it impossible to be in a bad mood, and finding this pretty little skipper butterfly, only made it better. I know my blog has been a bit floral heavy lately, but my goodness, isn't that what the summer is for? Flowers and sunshine, and beautiful little butterflies, just floating by. Golden Gate Park in summer... now that is paradise on earth! :)

-OndineMonet
"Little Skipper"
Golden Gate Park
Dahlia Garden
San Francisco, California
July 18, 2007
Afternoon

Green Ice

"Flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words. They are the hieroglyphics of angels, loved by all men for the beauty and their character, though few can decipher even fragments of their meaning."

-Lydia M. Child


OK, so I lied. LOL. I said I wasn't going to post any more photos of my garden until the autumn, when every thing should be in full glory bloom, but I have added a few things to the garden that I am thrilled with, so I thought I might do just one more entry to share my progress. :) I have added several more containers of flowers, the star of which is the Green Ice rose I purchased the other day at Home Depot. It is one of the most beautiful mini roses I have ever seen. Of the mini class, it is the largest, with nice full blooms, which are green on the outer petals, and a soft pink toward the middle. I was going to just grow the 6 types of minis I had purchased this year, and add a few more next year, but when I saw it other other day I was stunned. It is gorgeous. I literally smile every time I set out to the garden. :)

Watching these flowers grow has been so good for me. I am stressed about stuff that I have no real control over, like the war, and the fact that nearly 6 years after 9/11, we are not any safer then we were on 9/10. I think about what the next strike will be like, will it come on a day like the last one? A day when there isn't a cloud in the sky? Will it happen when I am in Golden Gate Park, relaxing in the fresh air? Will it happen like the last time, while I am asleep in my bed, sleeping peacefully? When all those overwhelming thoughts creep into my thoughts, I usually grab my CD player, and the gardening bucket I made, and go to my garden to sit among it's beauty. Sigh. It's good for my soul.

I also daydream about what I want to do for the garden next spring. I think I have picked out the roses I want for next season. I think I might buy some roses online next year, I found a couple nice sites, Nor'East Miniature Roses, and John's Miniature Roses. I know for sure I want to add some lavender roses, and maybe a couple white ones, but I am also considering the following colors...

1. Behold - yellow
2. Vista - deep lavender
3. White Chocolate - white
4. Sweet Revenge - orange
5. Snow Ruby - red/white

Right now, assuming all of my plants make it to autumn, my garden will consist of...

Columbine, mini roses, dark sunflowers, cosmos, poppies, dahlias, stock, a wildflower mix, four 'o clocks, butterfly flower, and campanula. It's going to be colorful, and by the time I get the scarecrow up, it should be an autumn extravaganza. Fingers crossed. I have had a few bumps along the way. Like when I found a rather round little robin feasting on my cosmos, just as it was coming in nice and full. Wacky bird. :) I have replanted, so we'll see. I have some guarded optimism for the cosmos. The latest touch was to put my Mylar dragonfly balloon on the fence, just to look over things when I can't make it out to the garden. As always with Fibromyalgia... some days are better then others, but that silly garden sure helps to lift my spirits. :)

I have had this song in my head all day, it's so pretty, enjoy!

Lose Your Way
By Sophie B. Hawkins

I have no confidence
And I can't see why I should
But I could do most anything for you
And you know I would

I try too hard, and then I give up way too easily
I'm the runner up inside of you, and your the winner inside of me

Lose your way
And I will follow
Here today
And here tomorrow
Like my freedom I know
I'll never let you go

I still wish on an even star
And I suppose I always will
Every child loses something a while can't fulfill
And when you cry I feel the sky burst open in my veins
If loving you makes a slave of me, then I'll spend my whole life in chains

Lose your way
And I will follow
Here today
And here tomorrow
Like my freedom I know
I'll never let you go
Walk the line
I'll walk beside you
Change your mind
Let your love decide you
It's the reason I know
You'll never let me go

Isn't that a beautiful song? :)

-OndineMonet
"Green Ice"
Berkeley, California
July 16, 2007
Afternoon

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Working In Shadow

"Beware that you do not lost the substance by grasping at the shadow."

-Aesop

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Take a picture in which shadow plays a significant role in the composition. You may ask, how does this differ from the recent Photo Shoot involving silhouettes? Silhouettes are a very specific sort of shadow play, and for this assignment you can take a wider approach - shadows of all sorts (you can use silhouettes, of course. Just don't recycle the shot you use!). Shadows give a photo drama it might not otherwise have.

-John Scalzi ( By The Way)

In May of 2006, I took a tour of the inside of Fort Point, at the Golden Gate Bridge, and took about a million photos. There are a lot of shadows to be found in the old fort, but one of the most striking shadows, I saw that day, was the shadow cast by the bridge. I was on the very top of the fort, facing toward Marin County, and it was a gorgeous sunny day. I was thrilled to be able to get a picture of not only the beautiful Golden Gate, but also of it's shadow beneath, which made it see, like one could almost walk across the water into Marin. Sigh. I love that bridge.

In this second photo, if you look very closely, do you see the shadow of a tulip in a pot? :)


-OndineMonet
"Shadow Walk To Marin"
Fort Point
Golden Gate Bridge
May 13, 2006
Afternoon

Good Photo? Bad Photo?

"I think the best pictures are often on the edges of any situation, I don't find photographing the situation nearly as interesting as photographing the edges."

-William Albert Allard, "The Photographic Essay."

I have learned something about myself when it comes to my own photography, sometimes it is a good idea for me to take a step back, before deciding whether or not I like a photo I have just taken. Take the above photo as an example. Last Wednesday, I was in Half Moon Bay, very late in the afternoon. I stopped at Pastorino's farm, to photograph the magnificent wealth of flowers they have in bloom right now. It is really spectacular, everything is in full bloom, and the variety is endless. As gorgeous as all the colorful flowers were, for some reason I found myself attracted to the white daisies. They were amazing, and with the low flowing fog, just making it onshore, and across the farm, it gave everything a ghostly appearance. Fog is a strange thing, it can flow on one side of a building, completely shrouding it, while the other side can be completely clear and sunny. Last Wednesday, it seemed to be flowing across the field as if to cover the more colorful flowers, while it made the daisies glisten. :) Magic!

There was exactly one butterfly to be found, this gorgeous, American Painted Lady, (Vanessa virginiensis). This is my favorite butterfly to photograph. It is a happy little girl, and the colors on her wings are stunning. I am fascinated by the pattern of her wings as well. It is small, only about 2 in, across. I don't know, maybe I kind of know what it's like to be the little one on the block. LOL.

Anyway, as I said, there was only one of her fluttering among the daisies, and the mist was beginning to roll in a lot heavier, so I knew I only had a few minutes to make my time with her count. I followed her from a proper distance, as to not spook her, and tried really hard to get a shot that would show her full beauty. Well, I ended up with a lot of misty photos, and some shots where she wasn't quite in focus, and then I have this one. As you can see, I got her in focus, but the mist and the flowers surrounding her distract from her a good bit. When I first began to edit my photos that day, I thought about cropping out the surroundings, but somehow it just didn't look right. I decided to put it away for a few days, and take another look this weekend.

Yesterday, I took the file out again, and for whatever reason, when I looked at it a second time, I kinda liked what I saw. I don't think it's the best I have ever done, but there is something about the photo that draws me in. I see all the mistakes, and unfortunate elements to it, and at the same time, it gives me a good feeling. I am not exactly sure why I didn't like it at first, maybe I shouldn't try to edit photos when I am that tired. Maybe I needed a few days to work through how difficult it was to get the photo, and be proud of myself for how hard I worked at it. It's difficult to pat myself on the back when I have done good. Silly. No one knows better then I do what level of effort I put into something. Right? So, for whatever reason I like this photo. I like the memory of taking it as well. It was a productive day with the camera, and a good day to let the camera process my thoughts. :)

-OndineMonet
"Misty Vanessa"
Half Moon Bay, California
July 11, 2007
Afternoon

Presidents Say The Darndest Things

"You know, I guess I'm like any other political figure: Everybody wants to be loved."

-George w. Bush, Washington D.C., July 13, 2007

So is the war over? Yesterday, (Saturday) the Prime Minister of Iraq, Nouri al-Maliki said that the Iraqi army and police are now capable of keeping security in Iraq, and that "American troops can leave any time they want." Isn't that what President Bush has been saying was our main objective? To train Iraqi military, and police so that they could sustain their own country in the face of the sectarian violence that has run rampant in the last few years? With al-Maliki's declaration of self sufficiency, I see no reason why America should lose one more life to this war. Of course, we haven't heard the spin from the White House yet. That will either come later this weekend or early next week. And it will also come with some vague reason about how and why al-maliki misspoke, or was somehow, otherwise in error. But wouldn't it be nice to think that maybe, just maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. That we, as a nation, wouldn't have to lose one more of our military to this administration's violent whim? It's a nice thought. Al-Maliki has handed Bush a reason to begin pulling troops from Iraq. "American troops can leave any time they want."

It's so odd, early last week, Iraqi Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari, warned that Iraq would fall into total civil war, should American troops leave. Actually, just a couple weeks ago, al-Maliki was saying just about the same thing. On the other hand, the Iraqi parliament couldn't be dissuaded from taking a break from government for August, due to the fact that temperatures in that country can reach as much as 130 degrees. Temperatures our own service members would be working in. Yet, Iraq must feel that they have things under control, to take time off in the middle of escalating sectarian violence throughout their country. Al-maliki made it very clear, America is not wanted or needed in Iraq. It's time to leave. Now. Not September. No more waiting for reports. Now.

I have always balked at Bush's arrogant assertion that "we are fighting them over there, so we won't have to fight them here." I have always said, that it is a matter of time before we are hit again. Not if we are hit again. But I have also always said that I hope to one day say... "I was wrong." I don't know what Homeland Security Chief, Michael Chertoff, was thinking when he said he had a "gut feeling" about a heightened terrorist threat against the U.S. this summer, but I can't help but wonder if it wasn't code for, "something got by us, we don't know where it is, but we know for sure it is just a matter of time." Well, that is supposition on my part, but you know what? I really do feel that a day like 9/11 will happen again. It wouldn't at all surprise me that it could happen sometime before the end of the year. All we did in Iraq, was make the country ripe for becoming what it is, a breeding ground for future terrorists. And when we had Osama Bin Laden, we let the chance to bring him to justice go, in favor of keeping up relations with Pakistan, a country that has always catered to the Taliban.

Bush also once said, that America would track Bin Laden down, and bring him to justice, no matter how long it took. Well, that hasn't happened. He said that we would leave Iraq when they said they could stand up and hold the country. They have said that now... so what will Bush say and do? Will he keep his word on that? I am hoping, just hoping, we will begin a withdraw of our troops before we lose anymore, because I think we are going to need all our military personnel right here on American soil. Call it a "gut feeling." Bush never keeps his word, so deep down I suppose I already know what will happen. It's all just so sad. :(

"We say in full confidence that we are able, God willing, to take the responsibility completely in running the security file if the international forces withdraw at any time they want."

-Nouri al-Maliki, July 14, 2007

NOTE: The above YouTube video, is from a White House press conference in 2006. It is a clip of Helen Thomas, asking President Bush what the real reason was for going to war with Iraq. A question he never really answered. Thank you Helen, for having the courage to ask.

Current U.S. Military Casualties - 3613

"Al-Maliki: Iraqis Can Keep Country Secure (CBS News)

-OndineMonet

My July Bumble Bee

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Golden Gate Park has an amazing Dahlia garden. It is tucked back from the road, and sits next to the Conservatory of Flowers. It comes magically alive in the summer, and it is one of my favorite places on earth. I find it especially inviting on days after I go to therapy. Therapy has healed me, but like with any discipline one learns, it can be very painful as time takes care of what ails you. I usually come out of those appointments exhausted, so sometimes going out with the camera can be difficult, but I know that using the camera to look at the beauty in the world, to focus on something other then how torn up I feel, is the way to process those secret inner feelings we all carry around. I decided a couple years ago, to have a subject, something specific to search for, when I am needing to do that kind of mental processing. This summer, I have chosen the bumble bee.

I think I am getting better with my bee photos. I am learning about light and shadows. I am really learning about timing. LOL. These are happy little critters. The can also be quite a tease. LOL. It was hard to not take this bee's personality quirks personally. LOL. Just as I found a comfortable way to stand, just as I got the setting right and the wind would stop blowing, just as I was about to snap the photo, this bee would happily buzz away to a new blossom. I swear I could almost hear her giggle as she flew by me. LOL. Almost.

I stuck with it, and here you see what I got, but not without a good deal of patience. I still haven't gotten the perfect shot of a bumble in flight. It will come. I am going to visit the Dahlia garden at least once a week this summer, at least until my garden begins to blossom. It will be another four weeks or so, before it's ready, but it should be very colorful when it does. I am putting some dahlia's in the pots this week for a mid-autumn bloom. Purples and oranges. It should be ready, just as my therapy comes to a close. Nice timing I think. :) Yep, I'm a happy camper.

So tell me, when you are out with your camera, do you ever give yourself "assignments?" Do you ever use your photography as a way to process what ails you?

-OndineMonet
"My July Bumble Bee"
Dahlia Garden
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
July 11th, 2007
Afternoon

Eight Random Facts About Me :) A Meme Sent To Me From Patrick

"When we discover that the truth is already in us, we are all at once our original selves."

My friend Patrick has tagged me to play a meme, "8 Random Facts About Me." He was tagged by Laura, of "Adventures In Juggling." I always enjoy doing memes, of any kind, but I always worry a bit about doing memes that ask me to name facts about the wonder that is me, because I have been blogging almost 4 years. Over the last few years I think I have shared just about all there is to know. Well, at least all I think you would be most interested to know anyway. So what's new I could share? Well, when I really thought about it, I have plenty to share, mostly by way of updates to facts about me that you already know. That could be interesting... right? So, here is my, 8 Random Facts About Me, but first we have to present the memes rules.

The Rules
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog post (about their eight things) and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged and to read your blog.

And Now... The List

1. I LOVE fast food, and my newest fast food obsession is Stuffed Jalapenos. :) YUM.

2. My great photographic quest this summer ,is to capture a Bumble Bee in flight. I am doing a lot better with my flying creature photos, but perfect shot of a Bumble Bee in mid flight is still eluding me. I am working on it. :)

3. Alan and I have decided to coach each other in T'ai Chi and Meditation. He and I have a few days a week set aside to share some moments of peace.

4. I will officially be done with therapy at the end of August. Last Wednesday, Sarah and I talked a lot about what I have worked on in the last few years. I still have some issues that tend to haunt me... but who doesn't? It just feels good to be back to living life with the coping skills I have learned.

5. I am a night owl. I love to sit up at night, into the wee hours, doing my photo editing or writing in my blog, but coming soon, I am going to try to get back to going to bed no later than 11:00 P.M. I am wanting to enjoy the warm sunny days of summer, because it makes my sore muscles feel better. Look for my new hours soon.

6. I have never been to a movie by myself. Another thing I hope to change this autumn. Hmmm... I wonder what movies are coming out?

7. I have a Boyd's Bears teddy bear collection, to which I add one new piece each October. Oddly enough, the first stuffed critter I ever purchased from that company, was a Moose. :) You remember Ross, right?

8. I am 16,439 days old. :) But I only feel, 9,125 days old. Except when my Fibromyalgia is being mean, on those days I feel, 31, 025 days old.

Note: I have signed up for a Fibromyalgia Support Group. When it hurts so bad sometimes, that I can't even tolerate a hug, it's time to do all I can to help myself feel better.

Be sure to drop by Patrick's Place to read his entry. Thanks again Patrick! Now, I am supposed to tag 8 people to play along, but I think this one has been around for a while, so I will leave it open to anyone who wants to play, to do so. Please don't forget to let me know you played, by leaving me a link to your entry in the comment thread. :)

-OndineMonet
"Bumble Bee in the Mist"
Half Moon Bay, California
July 11th, 2007
Late Afternoon

Steven's Feline Friday: The Many Moods Of Elvis EP #1

"In the middle of a world that had always been a bit mad, the cat walks with confidence."

-Rose Kennedy

Guess What? Elvis and I decided to try making a new video. He was feeling a lot more animated the other day, and in a much better mood, so we decided to give his reach for stardom one more try. :) I think this one is better then the last one, but we still have some room for improvement. :) We likes the camera, which will make things easier. I am trying to break the habit of talking baby talk to him. LOL. What can I say, he is my baby! :)

In this video he is being very affectionate. We had just finished doing some Yoga. Yep, he and I do Yoga together. He even has his own mat. I help him with his stretches, and then we do some Qi Gong and meditation. Although, his meditation sounds a lot like sleeping. Snnnnnooooorrrrrrr. :) Maybe our next video will be one of he and I practicing our search for inner peace. :) For now, enjoy!

There is still time to get your entry in for this week's edition of Feline Friday, over at my friend Steven's blog, (sometimes) photoblog. You can find out all the information you need to play along by clicking here.


-OndineMonet
The Many Moods Of Elvis
Episode #1

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Geometry

"It has been said that art is a tryst, for the joy of it maker and beholder meet."

-Kojiro Tomita

Monday Photo Shoot: Picture something that shows off something geometrical. Squares, cubes, vectors, right angles, tangents, and so on; basically, any picture that shows geometrical forms and shapes in an interesting way.

-John Scalzi

I love public art. This beautiful geometric sculpture is called "Calliope" and was designed and presented to the city of Berkeley, California in 1982. The sculpture had come under some disrepair, but was restored to it's full glorious beauty in 2004. If geometry had been this interesting and appealing when I was in school, I would have paid closer attention. LOL. There are many other examples of Mr. Slusky's geometric art throughout the Bay Area. I have been wanting to take a weekend and visit as many of the pieces as possible. I love his art. To see more, visit his website here.




Helios (Bayer Corporation)
Berkeley, California


-OndineMonet
"Calliope" By Joseph Slusky
Berkeley, Marina
Berkeley, California
Spring, 2006

Round Robin Challenge: The Road Less Traveled

"A person without a sense of humor, is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road."

-Henry Ward Beecher

"The Road Less Traveled"

I just love this photo. I know some of you have seen it before, but I thought it might be fun to show it off again. :) I first found this street about 10 years ago, when I was out for a ride in the East Bay hills. I thought is was so amusing. If you look very close, you will see, one sign says, "Not A Through Street," while the other sign says, "One Way." This is so metaphoric. Now tell me, how many "roads" have you gone down in life, that you wouldn't allow you a way back? If the folks who live at the top of this hill drive up the hill to their own homes, they would be breaking the law to come back down the hill. So going strictly by the letter of the law, there is now way out! LOL. Now I am assuming that the local police doesn't actually enforce this certain legality... but personally... I wouldn't push it. I imagine this is a true, "Road Less Traveled." :)

Our newest member of the Round Robins, Vicki, author of the blog, "Maraca," has chosen "The Road Less Traveled," for our last challenge. Well, actually, it's not our last challenge, it is just the last challenge we will be doing in the sidebar rotation format. If you have been paying attention, you already know that beginning at the end of the summer, the Round Robin Challenges will be doing things a little different. We will no longer be following the list of Robins on the sidebar to find our challenges. We are now asking all Round Robin members to submit their ideas for upcoming challenges. Everything else is the same. Karen, Steven and I will still be taking turns bringing you a new challenge every other Wednesday. All you have to do is send us your ideas, subjects or themes. You can submit as many times as you want, and if we use your idea we will still feature you and your blog that week. Come on Robins... we can't do it without you... send in your ideas! :)

Be sure to visit all of our participants for our current challenge...

Linking List

1. Vicki... Maraca
POSTED!

2. Steven... (sometimes) photoblog
POSTED!

3. Karen... Outpost Mavarin
POSTED!

4. Janet... Fond Of Photography
POSTED!

5. Renee... Ode to the Muse
POSTED!

6. Dallas... Dallas Miao'd **Welcome New Member**


7. Brandon... A Visual Experiment **Welcome New Member**
POSTED!

8. Carly... Ellipsis
POSTED!

9. Kerrin... A New Day, A New Photo
POSTED!

10. Gattina... Keyhole Pictures
POSTED!

11. Nancy... Nancy Luvs Pics
POSTED!






-OndineMonet
"The Road Less Traveled"
Hayward, California
Circa 1997

Hey Now, You're An All Star, Get Your Game On, Go Play

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it."

-Yogi Berra

San Francisco has been all a buzz lately. Well, for the last week or so anyway. Tonight is the All Star Game, at At&T park. There was a lot of activities for fans, this past weekend. The city is decorated with banners and last night, after the Home Run Derby, there was a pretty nice fireworks display. That bright light in the center of the above photo, is the ballpark, all lit up. The water next to the park, McCovey Cove, was filled with fans in small boats and kayaks just waiting for one of the home runs to make it into the water. It was freezing last night, so my deep respect really goes out to those who lasted the whole time out on the bay. I took this shot from Treasure Island... and let me tell you... it was COLD. It always throws me that San Francisco can be so cold and windy, even in the middle of July. If you ever come for a visit, don't forget your coat, no matter what time of year you come! :) I love it here.

So Tell Me, Who Do You Root For In The All Star Game? American League? Or National League?


-OndineMonet
The View Of The Ballpark
And
McCovey Cove
San Francisco, California
Bay Bridge
July 10th, 2007
9:45 PM

Music Please (A Musical Meme Sent To Me From Laura)

"To stop the flow of music would be like the stopping of time itself. Incredible and inconceivable."

-Aaron Copeland

Yea! I have a new meme to play, y'all know my fondness for memes. :) In fact, I have two new memes for this week. One sent to me from my friend Laura, of the blog, "Adventures In Juggling," and one sent to me from another good friend, Patrick, of "Patrick's Place." I am going to do Laura's meme first, and Patrick's meme later in the week. This is a busy week for me, and we have a Round Robin Challenge coming up this Wednesday, so Patrick, look for the meme you tagged me to do, this coming Thursday! :) So now... on with the Music Meme...

Here are the rules

1. Name between 5 & 10 songs that have made an impact on your life. I'll leave it up to you to decide how many you wish to describe.

2. Pass it onto five other people with a link back to your own post and this one as the original.

Click HERE to see Laura's original entry. :) Thank you Sweetie! :)

My Music List

1. Here Comes The Sun, By The Beatles
It was the first song I remember hearing on the radio as a little girl. I remember singing it over and over as a child, and I also remember that it always made me smile... even to this day. :)

2. I Saw The Light, By Todd Rundgren
As you know, one time, a long time ago, I fell in love at first sight. I remember every thing about it, even the fact that this song was playing on the radio. Well, it wasn't meant to be, but Mr. November did become my friend. It's a fond memory, of a profound moment, a long, long time ago. :)

3. Groovy Kind Of Love, By Phil Collins
Alan and I fell in love to this song. :) We enjoyed it so much that we had it played at out wedding, as our parents walked down the aisle. It's still our song. :)

4. The David Duchovny Song, By Bree Sharp
You knew I had to include this song... right? Oh how I lust after that man! LOL. Sighhhhhhhhhhhh. Hey David, like the song says..."I'll be waiting... in Nevada." :)

5. Sheena Is A Punk Rocker, The Ramones
What can I say? It really, really rocks... and appeals to my wild side, which is fading fast. ROFLMAO! God, middle age is soooo much fun. :)

6. Prelude in C Minor, By Chopin
I really enjoy classical music. Always have. I put this piece on when I am feeling a little lonely, there is just something about it which makes me feel good inside. It's romantic, but a blue kind of romantic that makes it seem a little bit ok, to allow myself remember loves from the past. Sigh... I guess it's a girl thing.

7. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, By Rachmaninoff
Rachmaninoff wrote pure romance with this piece, it was a perfect choice for the haunting tune in the movie, "Somewhere In Time." I had heard it years before the movie came out, but since hearing it in the film, I always associate it with Christopher Reeve, and Jane Seymour in the roles of Richard and Elyse. It's one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.

8. Soak Up The Sun, By Sheryl Crow
I like this song for a pretty simple reason... it reminds me to stop taking life so damn serious, and have some fun. You know? ;)

9. That's Just What You Are, By Aimee Mann
I swear this song was written about every man, Alan and Elvis included, that I have ever met. Ladies, you can find the lyrics here. Go have a look and tell me if it reminds you of anyone you know? LOL.

10. Amas Veritas/Practical Magic, on the Practical Magic Soundtrack.
I loved the book, but I loved the movie just as much. :) This particular song is so lovely and so vivid that it is what I imagine autumn would sound like if it have an official tune. I love playing it, it is warmth and color and everything autumn is to me. I sound crazy I know, but it truly is sensual in every sense of the word. The whole soundtrack is wonderful, but this song makes the whole thing come alive. I love getting lost in the notes. :) You really must hear it sometime. :)

Okie Dokie, that's it for me. I now need to tag five people to play along. I usually leave it open for folks to join in, or not as the spirit moves them. So here is what I will do, I will send out some emails to some folks, as to not put them on the spot, and if they play, I will ask them to come back here and leave a link in the comment thread for this entry. If there is anyone else out there who wants to play, feel free to join in. Everyone is welcome! :)

Thanks again, Laura! :)

-OndineMonet
"Notes At Rest"
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
July, 2007
Afternoon

Bumble Bee Tongues

"For many 19th century artists, the usual reaction to photography was no reaction at all. They simply ignored it. But not Degas. He was deeply interested in the new medium, not just as a tool that could help with his drawings and paintings, but as an art form in its own right."

-Edward Saywell

Can you believe it? It was cloudy and kind of cold yesterday, at least I was cold. Elvis was by my side most of the day, I think he knows when I am not 100%. Sigh. I have been having nightmares again. Nightmares are the most inconvenient things. It's so strange how we can be sound asleep, and yet transported forward or backward in time, to places we have long since forgotten about, visiting with people we know we will never see again. The surreal can seem so vivid. Like I said, nightmares are inconvenient.

That's why I take pictures. Photography allows me to step into the surreal with a certain amount of control. I love taking photos of gardens, because there is so much going on, and everything changes in a blink. It takes a great deal of concentration to photograph butterflies and bumble bees, especially on a warm, sunny day. It's a good thing, but it is definitely a challenging thing. I don't know... my mind gets completely filled with whatever scene is in front of me. The flowers, the things with wings, the sky... whatever. Everything else gets blocked out. At least it seems that way. Maybe that is why I have nightmares when I haven't been particularly active with the camera.

Of course, it might also mean it wasn't a good idea to eat 8 Jalapeno Poppers at 3:00 in the morning. LOL. Jeepers, that is why I dreamed the hills that surround the house I live in were on fire! Could be. Or it could have just been my mind reminding me of my lifelong fear of fire. I have conquered a good many fears and phobias. I took charge of my life, and eliminated panic attacks from ruining my life, but I have never been able to cure my fear of fire. I try to photograph fire when I can. When Alan barbecues, I am right there with the camera, snapping away. Still... the fear continues. Maybe my dream was saying, "Get over it girl."

I used to be absolutely scared to death of bumble bees. Now I seek them out, so much so that recently I was on my stomach in Golden Gate Park, photographing some bumbles that were enjoying some dandelions. LOL. I had to laugh at myself, because it was just a few years ago that I would have left the park, for fear of bees. Silly of me, because look how beautiful they are. They have such interesting lines, and who knew they have tongues? :) It never occurred to me they would, until I was licked by a butterfly last year at the Conservatory of Flowers. LOL. It seems I had a little bit of maple syrup on my hand, left over from a pancake breakfast I had eaten earlier that day. Talk about surreal... being licked by a butterfly, is surreal! Almost as surreal as watching an opossum use it's thumbs. But that is a whole other entry. LOL. It's not supposed to be cold in July... is it?

-OndineMonet
"The Bumble Bee's Tongue"
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
Late June, 2007