Endpaper and Title Page, The Eclectic Elementary Geography, Cincinnati: Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co., 1883.
Category: Uncategorized
Railroad Motor Car
Oldsmobile Curved Dash, circa 1910
This is another photo from my ex-step-father’s family. I have no idea who the people in it are. Relatives of his, presumably, which would mean the photo was most likely taken somewhere around Rushville, Indiana.
Oops!
I added the 100th person to my friends list, and then Facebook promptly implodiated. Coincidence??? (Yes, I’m a friends list minimalist.)
Customer Service Win
I sometimes feel a little silly for not taking my car to a quick lube place for oil changes. Instead, I drive 25 miles out of my way to get it done. Which is what I did this morning. When I got there, I told them that I hadn’t checked fluid levels lately, but that I knew the windshield washer fluid was empty. Obviously, I could refill that myself, but for some reason, I just can’t remember to buy any. The mechanic kind of laughed at me, but I can’t help it. I have some sort of mental block.
So, as I was driving home, I went around a twisty curve and heard a THUNK from the floor of the passenger seat. I looked down, and there was a full gallon of windshield washer fluid lying there. How thoughtful! That totally made my day. I really doubt that one of the quickie oil change places would have done that for me, which is why I drive to the next county to get an oil change.
Plus, it’s always nice to go for a drive in the country.
Perseids, Ahoy!
The annual Perseid meteor shower is nigh! Tonight and tomorrow night (peak is supposed to be early pre-dawn Friday morning), if the sky is clear, go outside and LOOK UP. It won’t kill you, I promise.
We Are Now Prepared for the Apocalypse
When the End Times come, everyone but Kirk Cameron and his banana will be stuck here on Earth.
If you find you’ve misplaced your corkscrew in the ensuing chaos, not to worry! All you need to open a bottle of wine–and those of us Left Behind will surely be requirous of an adult beverage–is a shoe.
Title of the Day
Preliminary report of the Task Force on Sexual Preference to the Oregon State Legislature / State of Oregon Department of Human Resources, 1977.
Nineteen-freaking-seventy-seven, people. Thirty-three years have passed, and what do we have to show for it? Why have things regressed since then, instead of progressing? What the heck is wrong with us?
Some choice quotes from the report:
“The prediction that there will be negative consequences if homosexual people are permitted in certain occupations ignores the fact that homosexual women and men are already working in every area and the negative consequences have not occurred.”
“People who are homosexual are not the only ones who suffer because of the traditional prejudices and discrimination against homosexuals — all of us do.”
“…homosexual men and women are not any more obsessed or preoccupied with their sexuality than heterosexual men and women. However, heterosexuals, for various reasons, may be preoccupied about the sexuality of homosexuals.”
“The fear that homosexual men and women will try to ‘recruit’ heterosexual men and women is sometimes a projection by persons who are quite anxious about their own homosexual feelings, their waning sexual functioning, or their lack of confidence in their masculinity or femininity.”
“…since sexual orientation is not obvious, heterosexuals who speak up for civil rights protection for homosexuals are often suspected of being homosexuals themselves.”
The Dream of the Lizard Baby
I had the weirdest dream this morning.
I came home and found that the obnoxious Cadillac from #5 was in my spot, only it was parked sideways, taking up three spaces. But because of bizarro dream physics, there was plenty of room for me to pull into my spot, blocking the Cadillac in. So I did. And then Mr. #5 came out and begged me to give him just five minutes to move his car, which I begrudgingly did.
I backed up my car and sat, waiting. And then I noticed that an ambulance was parked across my apartment door, blocking the entry. Okaythen! I may as well wait for Mr. #5 to move his car, because I can’t get into my apartment, anyway. So I did. And while I was waiting, the paramedics brought out a baby. In an aquarium. As I looked more closely, I saw that the baby was lying on its stomach, but lifting itself up with its front arms. Like a lizard. And then I looked even more closely, and saw that the baby was half lizard. A-ha! That’s why it was in an aquarium!
At that point, a girl tapped on my car window. I rolled down the window to talk to her, and saw that she was decked out head-to-to in preacher clothes. And then I noticed that there was a preacher standing on every doorstep in my court, preaching to no one.
And then I woke up. Teh enb.
Don’t know if Mr. #5 ever moved his damn car, but I doubt it.
Technology Overload
My GPS unit arrived today (three days ahead of schedule!). It is seriously cute. It’s about the size of an iPod Classic, so it’s big enough for using in the car, but not too big to carry with you comfortably when you’re on foot. Perfect!
It’s still charging, so I can’t really play with it yet, which is just as well, because I have a lot of manual reading to do. It’s kind of a jumble so far, and having got only three hours sleep last night probably isn’t helping my reading comprehension.
I’m also going to have to find a place to put the mounting bracket in the car, which will be be tricky. There isn’t a whole lot of real estate that’s close enough for me to use the GPS while driving.
Good, Good Day
I’m done with my most recent cat sitting job. He’s a very sweet boy, but it’s time consuming, and I worry about him, because he’s in early stages of renal failure. His appetite was weird this time around, and this afternoon, he didn’t eat a thing while I was there, not even his treats. He’s getting so many different things to eat, though, that it’s hard for me to gauge whether he’s on overload or if he’s not feeling well. Put that on the big list of Things I Would Do Differently If I Were In Charge. But I’m not, so all I can do is report back to his owner and hope that they use the information constructively.
I’m also almost done with the house sitting job I’ve had all winter. The owner should be moving in in a few weeks.
So I’ll have a couple fewer things vying for my attention, but also less money, so it’s a trade off.
Oh, and the sun played peekaboo with us today! There were clouds, but also patches of blue sky, and even some actual glimpses of the sun. Exciting!!!
red paper boat 