Another Auld Lang Syne

Photograph from the Art Institute of Chicago by Kudzu Planet.

Like most of you probably do, I get introspective and contemplative at the start of each new year. I'm not one for making big lists of resolutions and trying to change my life every January, but it's a good time to take a look around and change things that just aren't working. That can mean getting rid of things, or it can mean filling in gaps.

My sister and I spent the past few days doing that with our apartment, and it's refreshing to look around and see only things that we choose to see: no boxes, no clutter. At the same time, I picked out some things I'm not using at home that will go to my office, to make it feel more comfortable and more like my own space.

Unfortunately, weeding out bad habits is much more difficult than making cosmetic changes to your living environment. It's even harder to remember that every day is a blank slate and a chance to try again. January may be a convenient tipping point, but in reality, a new year, with all its promises, starts every morning. Wake up and smell more than just the coffee!

Under Pressure

I think my problem with public blogging is that there's just TOO MUCH PRESSURE. In my private blog, I can blather on all day about the minutiae of my life, and my readers are fine with it because they're my friends. They blather on, too. It's assured mutual blather.

Blogging for the public is a whole 'nother thing. The general public doesn't know me. They don't care what I bought my grandmother for Christmas, unless it's snicker-worthy or possible a fabulous deal that they can either get for themselves or, at the very least, envy. And, of course, I don't want the general public to know every little detail about me and my life. So I have to choose stories that are funny, insightful, or otherwise interesting enough that people will care about reading, AND that don't give away too much personal information.

That's a lot of pressure, people!

My last attempt at a public blog failed because it was too specialized and boring. The boring part could certainly doom this blog, too, but at least I'm not tied down to a single subject. I can write about anything! The world is my oyster!

If only I liked oysters.

Most Wonderful Time

Sister and I saw Amy Grant and Vince Gill last night for my 40th birthday. They were awesome. They did all the Christmas classics you'd expect, plus some newer stuff and a carol singalong. It was a great way to spend an evening any time, but especially when it's your birthday.

I don't feel any more 40 than I did on Sunday. I guess it helps that no one ever believes I'm that age. People are always saying I look like early 30s at the most. Thank goodness for permanent hair color, I say!

The Weather Outside is Frightful

No, not snow. Thunderstorms. My arch-nemesis-es. *cowers*

Christmas shopping is mostly done. Stuff for Angel Tree kids is bought and packed to be dropped off tomorrow. One Amazon package arrived with an item missing, boo. E-mail sent to customer service.

Next on the to-do list: wrapping. Lots and lots of wrapping.

Shoppers Rush Home With Their Treasures

A whole lot of Christmas shopping got done today. Wait, let me rephrase that: A WHOLE LOT OF CHRISTMAS SHOPPING GOT DONE TODAY. We took care of probably half our shopping lists, not counting what we're getting for each other. Kohl's, JC Penney, and Target thank us verrah, verrah much. Heck, we thank them, too, considering some of the great deals we got. Retailers are freaking out liek woah, dewd. If you have the cash, go take advantage.

You Get What You Give

Each year, I attempt to give 10% of my total income to charitable organizations. I rarely manage that amount (it’s harder than it seems), but I keep trying anyway. Anyway, I’m posting links to the organizations to which I’ve donated or will donate this year, with a link to each web site and a brief statement explaining why I support it.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

My sister and I are big Broadway fans, especially when it comes to musicals, and twice we’ve attended performances at which the companies provided special offers in exchange for donations to the fund. As a result, we were able to get our pictures made with Jai Rodriguez back in 2005 (The Producers) and this year onstage at the Shubert Theater with Clay Aiken (Spamalot!).

Equality Now

My sister and I learned about this organization’s work through Joss Whedon, creator of some of our favorite universes, including Firefly and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And, of course, Joss Is Boss. We first donated through the Atlanta Browncoats’ participation in Can’t Stop the Serenity 2008.

Heifer International

It’s a long story, but suffice to say it involves water buffaloes and VeggieTales. At any rate, great organization, great program, deserves your support.

Kids Need to Read

Firefly star Nathan Fillion co-founded this group to promote reading among kids and support libraries in providing them with good reading material. As good Browncoats, my sister and I have a strong tendency to do whatever Captain Tightpants says. (Even when that means strapping dead bodies to the front of the ship.)

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Finally, my mom is a breast cancer survivor, so this one is closest to my heart. I also like Save Second Base and encourage everyone to buy one of their fun t-shirts.

Who's Gonna Drive You

A state trooper in Boston gave out a $100 ticket to a couple that was driving in the emergency lane. The catch? They were doing so to get around rush-hour traffic because the woman was in active labor:

Jennifer Davis was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on Nov. 18, her contractions just 3 minutes apart. Her husband, John, was trying to appear calm for his wife's sake, driving in the breakdown lane of Route 2. They pulled up behind a state trooper to ask whether they could continue using the lane to reach the next exit, near Alewife Station.

Not only did the trooper say no, he gave them a $100 citation for driving in the breakdown lane, made them wait for their citation while he finished writing someone else's ticket, and even seemed to ask for proof of pregnancy, Jennifer Davis said.

"He said, 'What's under your jacket?' I said, 'My belly,' " Davis said. "He waited and gestured with his head like, 'OK, let's see it.' He waited for me to unzip my jacket. I mean, it was so clear that I was pregnant."

Now, I have to say, while the demand to see her belly was uncalled for, I can't really find the trooper completely at fault. The article notes that he offered twice to call an ambulance, which any informed healthcare consumer knows is the fastest way to get medical attention 99.9% of the time, but the couple declined. He also used an option where the citation was mailed to them instead of done on the spot, which saved time. And they still made it to the hospital with plenty of time to spare, the birth coming about 5 hours later.

As a PR exercise, this wasn't the best way to handle things. He should have just told them to move on but stay out of the emergency lane. Yes, two previous troopers had given them the OK to use the lane (carefully) when traffic backed up, but that's still a very dangerous thing, especially with a woman in labor. The couple were also stupid to refuse an ambulance, which would've gotten them to the hospital much faster.

Bet the ticket is thrown out, though.

Source

Pass Around the Coffee

I had my first eggnog latte of the season this morning. Never have I been so glad Starbucks opened a new location right next to my office park. Yummmmm.

The portabello-and-spinach piadini ain't half bad either.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like

It snowed a little around lunchtime today.

It's damn cold out.

I can't believe it's December already.

My living room is full of boxes of Christmas decorations.

I placed an Amazon order this morning.

I turn 40 this month.

You Take the Good, You Take the Bad

Throat infections suck.

Turkey dinners don't.

Isn't It Ironic

In the midst of celebrating "Green Week" on all its networks, NBC/Universal laid off the entire environmental unit at The Weather Channel, which the humongous media conglomerate acquired recently.

Practice, preach: words to live by.

Also let go were on-camera meterologists Cheryl Lemke, Dave Schwartz, and Eboni Deon. I'm a Weather Nerd, so I know most of the on-air people at TWC, but I don't remember Eboni, which isn't much of a recommendation. I liked Cheryl. But I COULD NOT STAND DAVE SCHWARTZ. I'm sorry he's jobless, but MAN am I glad to see him go.

(Weather.com still has up the bios for the three. That's cold, man.)

Life is a Highway

Shuttling back and forth between hospitals: not highly recommended. My mother is one, and my grandmother spent last night in another an hour away. Commuter Daughter, that's me.

Thank goodness for laptops and remote network access. I don't have the leave time for this!

Everything's Comin' Up ... Daisies?

Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller takes a page from the Joss Whedon playbook after the show's cancellation:

It's very likely that Pushing Daisies will end after episode 13, which as you know, is a cliffhanger. But we are talking to DC Comics about doing comic books that will wrap up our storylines, and I already have a pitch for a [big-screen] movie ready to go.

Extending the life of a cancelled television series through comics and movies ... I dub thee jossification!

Source

Twilight Time: Never

I haven't read any of the Twilight series, except for a few sentences at Cleolinda's LiveJournal deconstruction of the final book. One of my friends just posted this sample paragraph:

Edward in the sunlight was shocking. I couldn't get used to it, though I'd been staring at him all afternoon. His skin, white despite the faint flush from yesterday's hunting trip, literally sparkled, like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface. He lay perfectly still in the grass, his shirt open over his sculpted, incandescent chest, his scintillating arms bare. His glistening, pale lavender lids were shut, though of course he didn't sleep. A perfect statue, carved in some unknown stone, smooth like marble, glittering like crystal.

I ... have no words. Seriously, I can't describe it! Stephanie Myers has chewed up all the adjectives in the world and spit them back out! And people are eating up her regurgitations!

Yeah, I think I'll skip this tripe. J.K. Rowling may not be the best writer in the world, but I'd rather have simple than purple.

Livin' La Vida Loca

Original plan: Parents come to visit for Thanksgiving, order turkey dinner (and cake) premade to save time, have relaxing few days at home.

Intervening event: Mom falls, breaks hip, has surgery.

New plan: Spend Thanksgiving week at parents' house, taking care of Dad and getting Mom home from hospital safely. No clue about Thanksgiving dinner plans.

The fun never stops at Casa de Shannon.

Brand New Day

We're going to give this another try. My life is random and eclectic, so my blog should be, too. No themes, no limits, no rules, just right. No, wait, someone did that already ...