Saturday Silliness

Hi there. Oscar the cat here. Wishing my humans would put down the stupid video camera they just got....Hi Five! to Fred! Your thinking is wise and true, my feline friend....

How Do You Sleep at Night?

Sweet Dreams,

photo by taradharma

Peter has tagged folks for a meme....

How do you sleep at night? Especially these days....
Actually, sleep is pretty easy when you rely on a pill, which I do. I spent years trying natural methods, but between menopause and anxiety, sleep just did not come. And when you have to be at the office in the morning, no sleep just doesn't cut it. Pills, I say.
What strategies, if needed, do you use to get to sleep?
As I said, pharmacueticals. I also will sit in the hot tub (prior to pharms, always, not post), read a book, watch television. I do not get on the computer, as that wakes me right up and I can spend hours without knowing it.
Do you wake up in the middle of the night, plagued by obsessive thoughts?
No. I wake at night due to coughing, acid reflux or the ruckus of our dog devouring a racoon who has had the bad luck of stumbling into our garage, but not obsessive thoughts.
What strategies do you have to get back to sleep?
A cup of hot tea or decaf coffee and a book will usually do it.
Are your dreams affected?
Oh, sure. Lots of natural disaster dreams: earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, that sort of thing. Panic and adrenalin are the emotions du jour.

Not very sexy, I know.  Not even a bit intriguing.  Welcome to my world.

As Peter put it so well: "I understand that a meme needs rules. Mine are:

Answer the questions
Link back to the original meme
Tag others to participate

I'll understand perfectly should you consider this rude, intrusive, or inappropriate. But in the spirit of authentic meme-ing, I'm tagging, herewith":

Deboo
Karen
Lori

Monday Musing

Enbiggen to read poem bettah.

Photograph & poem by taradharma

Tommy Had a Cake

I've got a ways to go in the world of video - too bad this camera doesn't have a stablizer -- the picture jumps all over the place. Oh well, ck out the image quality - it's HD! CBS News sent the high end....



Thanks to my 10 o'clock break buddies for putting up with being video recorded!

Bliss

Monday night, Monterey, California. Joan Baez at the State Theater. Magic. Sorry for the crummy photo - I took it with my cell phone. She brought the house down with "Flow."

Flow - Joan Baez

I Won!

I entered the "First 100 Days of Obama" contest at CBS news, to win a Flip digital video camera.  I won.  Geez.  Now I have 2 Flip cameras!

Here's the essay I submitted:

My wife and I were married in California in October 2008. It was the natural outcome of an 8-year committed relationship that involves two children. One of the happiest days of our lives, we are now under threat of having our marital rights revoked.

Did I mention that my wife and I are both women?

President Obama, as candidate, President Elect, and now President, has not sent a clear message regarding the legality of same-sex marriage rights for all Americans. There are many state-level and national organizations working on behalf of gay and lesbian couples to secure equal rights under federal law. Until then, we are living a 'dream deferred.' I understand the President's hesitation -- he will anger many if he takes the bold step that we want him to take, but to paraphrase what the President says on the economy, don't come to the table with tired and worn out ideas. There is no legal basis to deny same-sex couples marriage rights, only tired and worn out cultural taboos and semantic quibbling. Now is the time for bold action, Mr. President!

We would love to win a Flip video camera to chronicle our story, and what the future may hold for all Americans. I believe our perspective and interviews with community organizers who are working on this issue would add to the vigorous debate.

Our two children would love to particpate in the making of such a video: they are so hopeful that their family will be recognized in this way, and given the dignity and legitimacy that other families take for granted.



So, now, the work begins. And I'll upload the final product to the CBS News website. We'll see what happens after that.

Happy Valentines Day

Hearts to all my peeps!

Gittin' Old

In the past 2 days I have found out one friend is in the hospital awaiting a pace-maker (happening as we speak); another friend collapsed from a seizure and paramedics hauled him off to ER.  He has a brain tumor (benign) and will have to have it surgically removed.  Mother has osteoporosis and her poor bones are breaking right and left.  Dad's cholesterol is too high and he eats well and exercises.  Still, cholesterol too high, just like his mom.  

L. has taken to her bed at 87 and needs around-the-clock care.  Someone else's mom in her late 80s is dizzy all the time - horribly so.  My friend Sarah's mom (92) took to her bed a couple of months ago.  Grandma is 87 and hurts everywhere.  Grandpa is 93 and is nearly deaf and nearly blind.  

We found ourselves taking about 'old people ailments' at a dinner party recently. Our 14 year predictably rolled her eyes.  

We go round and round in the circle game.

Technology Blows my Mind

I got a demo of this digital video cam yesterday (work related). Wow. I was so impressed by it that I went home and convinced the wife to buy one on Amazon. Imagine: digital video technology that is about size of an ipod. With 2G, and 60 minutes of recording time. Visual quality is great; sound quality okay. Maybe they'll improve on subsequent models.

Waaaaa-hooooo!

Pure Digital Introduces Flip MinoHD™- The World’s Smallest HD Camcorder

The maker of Flip Video™ – the best-selling family of affordable and simple-to-use digital camcorders – today introduced its latest breakthrough product: the Flip MinoHD. The world’s smallest high definition camcorder at just over three oz., this remarkably slim camcorder makes capturing and sharing HD video easy and affordable. The stylish Flip MinoHD from Pure Digital Technologies, priced at $229.99 (MSRP), records up to 60 minutes of HD video and features Flip Video’s new FlipShare™ software, also announced today. This advanced on-board software platform allows consumers to plug the camcorder’s signature flip-out USB arm into any computer for easy drag-and-drop video organizing, editing and sharing on YouTube, MySpace, AOL Video or via email... Read full article. BTW, Amazon has them on sale.

The Snuggie

I was just telling Robin about this product and advertisement, and now some smart ass has made a great parody of it! Yee-HA! Snuggle on!

What Is Life?

Joe has a great (if long) essay on the state of our mental health, the health care industry, and perspective. As I discuss with friends, we are such an isolated group of people, especially middle and upper class citizens of these United States. It doesn't help us in any sense: mentally, spiritually, economically, physically.

The hippies in the 1960s revived the lost notion of communal living, and though that experiment largely died out, we are seeing a resurgence of those ideals now. Now that we need each other again. Families moving in together to save on housing costs, adult children taking in their elderly parents who need help to get by every day, people who just want a more connected way of living which brings back some fun and joy.

I see it as a positive trend, and I'll be interested to see how our mental health fairs nationally as a result. If we can parse that out from the effects of joblessness. Could our collective mental health actually improve despite tough economic times? Could we possibly rediscover that we need one another and that we are happiest in our inter-dependance?

Our family is gathering today for a bbq, despite the rain. We'll pull the Weber under the eaves of the house and grill our burgers. Grandma and Cousin Doug are bringing a green salad. We're providing potato salad (made by N. which is the best anywhere, ever), burgers, snacks, beverages. The oldest daughter is bringing her boyfriend/fiance, and the youngest daughter is with us the weekend. Brother Shannon is bringing his lovely finance.

Good times, stories in the making. Bread to break. Es la vida!

Blog

Shasta Saturday

Inspired by Karen's fella, I finally got a photo of Shasta with her tounge out. Enjoy.

It Breaks My Heart

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

Angelika: Drugs R bad!

Oh, I found a wild blog....

Angelika: Drugs R bad!

Out of Context

"I think the story about the Shit Man is true."  

I'm part of the 10-o'clockers group.  We can be spotted in the plaza every morning at - you guessed it - 10 a.m.  We meet for coffee.  We're a diverse group: groundskeeper, electrician, maintenance, delivery, manager, analyst, etc.  We share bullshit and trade insults, and gawk at the people who amble by.  Today we heard the story of the so-called "Shit Man."  We have lots of weird characters that roam the campus and have for years.  He, SM, is one of them.  Maybe one day I'll get out my spy camera and take his picture.

Can you guess how the dude got his name?

(gosh, do I have a 'shit' theme going?)