tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9610707013639459782012-02-13T12:18:42.597-06:00A journal of travel, self-exploration, writing, and cool stuff. Like pictures of where I've been. And odd stories. And my thoughts, which anyone will tell you are definitely odd.Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.comBlogger1001100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-36845911516471883762012-02-11T19:28:00.000-06:002012-02-11T19:28:47.996-06:00

I was chatting with my BFF recently about the whole damned mental health issue: Me:  Why does getting better mentally, at least for some of us, have to be like learning to walk again after getting a leg shot off, or getting a spinal injury? Why can't it be like getting over the flu? Relearning to think differently is a long, difficult, sucky, unpleasant prospect (and probably just as bad to

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-57147034109815064472012-01-29T12:18:00.000-06:002012-01-29T12:18:50.668-06:00

Joy is always worth it.  – The Bloggess Those of you who follow this blog, those who know me, you know what I've gone through in the past few years. Long unemployment, underemployment (still goes on), financial worries, and the biggest: losing Mom and having major difficulties coping with that and the grief and depression that come with that loss. I have been stuck and spend far too much time

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-11614273990527789022012-01-20T22:43:00.000-06:002012-01-20T22:43:24.539-06:00

I drove to Dallas today! I drove in a rental car, too, as my car is still in the body shop from my little fender bender. That's five hours on the road, including bathroom breaks and snarfing down some lunch. I haven't driven that long since I arrived in Houston just over three years ago. I arrived in Dallas with a cramp from my butt all the way down my right leg. (I arrived in Houston in good

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-18719214294673118152012-01-18T09:21:00.000-06:002012-01-18T09:21:09.778-06:00

DON'T CENSOR THE WEB As a writer and content creator, I am protesting the SOPA and PIPA legislation that would censor the Internet and make it impossible to share content freely.  See these links (live on Jan 18) for information and other supporters: XKCD comic Basic Instructions comic americancensorship.org

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-72778567670732808042012-01-14T20:43:00.000-06:002012-01-14T21:07:27.324-06:00

My boy, HS senior photo As I wrote yesterday, my brother killed himself 29 years ago,  just days before my birthday. I always get depressed in January. I was also always used to having my family making a big deal out of my birthday, even as an adult. Mom called me every year on my birthday ever since I went away to college and sang Happy Birthday to me on the phone, even when I lived in the

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-54267346986689742392012-01-13T21:06:00.000-06:002012-01-13T21:06:18.864-06:00

He was born three years and almost nine months after me and he was always "my boy." He was my treasure and my gift and I'd have given my life for him. For a long time, I wished that our parents had died and at least left me him.  But he died when he was 18; this coming week it will be 29 years since he killed himself, just days before my birthday. I always get depressed in January.  The

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-67552776388244678842012-01-07T20:39:00.000-06:002012-01-07T20:39:05.125-06:00

I don't make New Year's Resolutions — never have succeeded. I tried a few times when I was younger and I had the success that all articles about the futility of resolutions predict: zero. But there are a couple of sites I follow — one always and one sometimes — that have ideas for changing one's life without resolutions or goals. One of the sites is zenhabits.net; the other is LifeHacker.com.

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-31346483955835319162011-12-28T23:49:00.000-06:002011-12-28T23:49:03.957-06:00

What is 'family'? Who are they? What part do they have in your life ... and you in theirs? All my life, 'family' meant people related to me by blood. We rarely included anyone from outside the blood-clan into our tribe. So members of my family had a huge impact on my life and on me, sometimes not so good. But good or bad, I loved my family more than my own life. Mine wasn't the type of

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-54749357184025492332011-12-20T21:05:00.000-06:002011-12-20T21:05:49.652-06:00

'Absolutely Exhausted' is a phrase used by my mother since I can remember. Of course, I picked up this phrase from hearing it all my life. Most of the time, it's simply an example of hyperbole or poetic license, but there are occasions when it was ... or is ... a completely concrete description of my condition. For example, there was the time I went to Knott's Berry Farm with my youth group

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-12437450493981163432011-12-15T20:40:00.002-06:002011-12-15T20:40:59.729-06:00

The past year-and-a-half has taken me places I've never imagined. I never imagined taking care of my cancer-stricken mother — or being able to for that matter. I never imagined moving back to Oregon then back to Houston, all in the space of six months. But more than that, I never imagined finding out that So Many People Like Me!  They really, really Like me! (And one or two have even said '

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-2029309592628269912011-12-11T00:12:00.001-06:002011-12-11T00:16:39.013-06:00

Reaching out for contact, for comfort and support, and for help: this is a concept and a behavior I know little about. Sure, I know on a theoretical basis, but not on a practical one. My family only reached out to other family, and then tried their best to not do that. Being a burden was considered a very bad thing. Thus I have no way of judging when I am and when I am not being burdensome.

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-66858710039189577852011-12-05T20:30:00.001-06:002011-12-05T20:37:33.601-06:00

When I feel low, I want people to give me presents. Heck, I'm even happy when I receive a "present" I've ordered for myself: I lurve the UPS driver, the FedEX driver, ... basically whoever hands me the "present." And yes, my family frequently used material things to say I love you. We hugged and kissed and said I love you, but there was just enough gift-as-love/affection to make it into my

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-85053601943888753342011-12-04T10:30:00.001-06:002011-12-04T14:01:51.208-06:00

Well, I weathered the mood storm back there and am doing very much better. I just wanted to let y'all know so you don't worry. I don't have anything to write currently, but plan to get back on a schedule now that I'm doing better. Thanks for your support and your concern!

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-59202657719162257212011-11-20T23:32:00.001-06:002011-11-20T23:35:41.519-06:00

I can't think of anything good or positive to say right now, so I'm probably not talking to you much. There is only so much self-pity someone else can stand. Right now, I am miserable, my life is miserable and overly challenging and I'm making no progress. I have tried and I am trying as hard as I can. Will I keep trying? For now, that is unknown. So if I'm not writing (and I gave up Nano

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-64574739407850901202011-11-14T18:50:00.001-06:002011-11-14T19:00:53.498-06:00

I haven't written any more. I got up to 1600 words and just haven't done any more. I'm stopped on all fronts — all. No progress. No movement other than backward. The apartment is still shame-worthy (no, seriously, I wouldn't even let a maintenance guy in if I had a problem). I haven't paid the estate bills for no reason at all. No reasons for any of it. Except one. I am sad. I am drowning in it

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-30821410140539873002011-11-05T20:51:00.001-05:002011-11-05T20:51:17.824-05:00

Well, I haven't written since the 1st. Until tonight. And I am not writing story yet. I'm just writing stream-of-consciousness text, trying to figure out who this character is and what she wants. Sure, most people start Nano knowing all this ahead of time. Many people even have all their characters and plots worked out before November 1st. I barely had an idea. And unfortunately, where I

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-34211764721615717432011-11-02T21:14:00.000-05:002011-11-02T21:15:01.123-05:00

Unfortunately, today was a very long day. I was busy with one of my jobs most of the day, then led a meeting for that one. I didn't get to my other job at all and as of 9 pm I haven't written for NaNo. Not sure yet if I will. Because after a very long meeting, I drove down the road a ways and discovered I had a completely flat tire. And I wasn't in a very good neighborhood. Thank heavens for

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-43741045392901177652011-11-01T21:55:00.000-05:002011-11-01T21:55:46.652-05:00

I'm engaging in National Novel Writing Month. The first question I have to ask myself is this: is it counter-productive to write blog posts when I'm also trying to write 50,000 words of an incipient novel? The second is this: can I make it all the way through this time? And the third is this: what am I, crazy?! This is my third or fourth attempt at NaNo. The other attempts ended within

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-36571771588398165612011-10-09T21:41:00.000-05:002011-10-09T21:41:24.080-05:00

I started a part-time paid position with the group I've volunteered with for two years: I am the manager/ coordinator for making sure that everything is accomplished, and on time, and that the event runs successfully and smoothly. Not sure how I got roped into this. Doug made it sound simpler. So, right after I agreed to that job, I was asked to interview with a writing services company. One of

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-82658779510876631962011-10-02T21:23:00.001-05:002011-10-02T21:23:59.673-05:00

I wrote much of this in mid-August, while I was still going through things at the house. Then, between a lack of internet access, a surfeit of work and fatigue, and that pesky appendectomy, I didn't get back to it until now. Therefore, it is both past and present. I'm making progress. Here I am, surrounded by memories and the realization of the final aspects of my losses and how my life will

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-47536588285517113472011-09-24T22:51:00.000-05:002011-09-24T22:51:36.585-05:00

So much has happened since my last post, written that innocent day in mid-August when life seemed so much simpler. Full of work to do, yes, but not as complicated as it was to become. I'm very glad I didn't know the future! Where do I start? I added a week to my two-week stay so I could finish all the tasks I needed to finish. Two days before I was due to fly back to Houston, I had an emergency

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-74079796235460273342011-08-16T23:20:00.000-05:002011-08-16T23:20:58.639-05:00

Today I was kept company by the demons of sore muscles and fatigue. I did get to watch two muscular young men move stuff from storage back to the house, and chat with them. I even bought groceries. But I was brought down by extreme exhaustion (where did you come from?) and feel asleep for four hours. I figured that someone would call or text me and that would wake me up. A phone call did come in

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-91527633173968230592011-08-16T00:28:00.000-05:002011-08-16T00:28:44.037-05:00

The morning dawned bright with promise, so I was told when I wandered over to my neighbors' at 10 am. The morning was still bright, but dawn was long gone, and so soon would be my neighbors. We were still yelling our good-byes as I clawed my way through the short path between our houses (Note to self: tell the yard lady to trim back the hedge).  And there she stood by my front door — Xatrax,

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-56573114294112608262011-08-14T22:52:00.000-05:002011-08-14T22:52:49.419-05:00

Even in the midst of anxiety- and angst-inducing situation and activity, I am smiling and I feel like Champagne — little bubbles are starting at my toes and tickling their way upward. Why? Because I'm beach-happy. It's kind of like being slap-happy, except that I've been "slapped" by being at the beach. I took a walk today, longer and harder than any of the (extremely few lately) walks I've

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-67601135492219912632011-08-14T00:57:00.000-05:002011-08-14T00:57:13.001-05:00

I spent today marking my territory. Instead of pee, I used lime green post-it notes and a blue gel pen. The friend who was helping me suggested I mark items before beginning The Great Adventure in Packing. Smart woman, that Kem. So we wandered thru much of the house marking stuff to be sent to me in Houston, to go into storage for me (and a couple of things for my aunt), and then marked things

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com5Lincoln City, OR, USA44.95816440000001 -124.017891444.903233400000005 -124.0417289 45.01309540000001 -123.9940539tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-76937000402042551282011-08-12T21:29:00.000-05:002011-08-12T21:29:04.235-05:00

Finally, I am near the end of my time as Executor of the Estate. It hasn't been fun and I haven't been great at it, but nothing's blown up and I made it through alive. (I was going to say "no one died" but that isn't quite accurate.) I've got many tasks to accomplish in less than two weeks and I'm hoping for help that may not manifest for my hardest task. I thought to myself, what else can I do

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-58663523446286367052011-08-02T00:16:00.001-05:002011-08-02T00:17:16.611-05:00

Apparently it's possible to get too much sun and too much heat down here in Houston-land. Who knew? Okay, I just forgot. I figured it out halfway thru my first summer here (after making myself ill several times), but last summer I was in much cooler climes and forgot I guess. So today it hit triple digits and I went for a walk in my park. I was under the trees. I had 3/4 of a bottle of water.

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-5339023451109390822011-07-31T21:20:00.000-05:002011-07-31T21:20:21.122-05:00

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; min-height: 21.0px} span.Apple-tab-span {white-space:pre} Yesterday (and actually several times recently), Julie has pointed out to me that I am not being positive and that I'm not even acknowledging that there is anything positive in my posts. I'll point out all the

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-76736466973303186382011-07-30T22:46:00.000-05:002011-07-30T22:46:06.181-05:00

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; min-height: 21.0px} span.Apple-tab-span {white-space:pre} A body at rest will tend to stay at rest A body in motion will tend to stay in motion ... Unless a force acts upon that body. I could use a good force, because I am truly a body at rest. I did move today.

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-12680118517765606612011-07-19T22:38:00.000-05:002011-07-19T22:38:05.116-05:00

I backed out. I emailed my recruiter guy and said "this just isn't for me," then I emailed my two friends with whom the recruiter had set up "practice" meetings. One of them was so relieved; she said she knew this wasn't the right fit for me and understands how desperation can change how you look at things. Sure, the recruiter guy called, but he didn't try to convince me to reconsider, he simply

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-73000160994880867582011-07-18T20:42:00.000-05:002011-07-18T20:42:34.757-05:00

I have agreed to go along toward a sales-type job because a) I don't have anything else going on, and b) I want to eat. The thing is, I really don't want this job. I don't have that "this is a bad idea" feeling in my gut, just butterflies. But I have such an aversion to it! Not only that, but I feel they basically manipulated me into giving up the names and phones numbers of some friends for me

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-6557057244318429312011-07-17T21:00:00.000-05:002011-07-17T21:00:08.444-05:00

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; min-height: 21.0px} Previously I wrote about how I lost my way and wandered away from the philosophies, beliefs, and practices that gave me balance and a center and serenity. Since I wrote that, I bought a couple books on simplicity by the writer I most like. And at

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-76266808961997980152011-07-08T21:46:00.000-05:002011-07-08T21:46:07.396-05:00

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; min-height: 21.0px} p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; color: #111111} p.p4 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; color: #111111; min-height: 21.0px} span.s1 {color: #000000} I don't plan my life out: not my days, my

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-12940976893267805532011-07-06T22:35:00.000-05:002011-07-06T22:35:55.716-05:00

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; min-height: 21.0px} Houston has been experiencing a drought for about 3 years. Basically, for as long as I've lived here (even when I was at my mom's for those months). Not so much as a tropical depression has relieved the dryness. Only three rainstorms have provided

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-32621166527171287822011-06-28T20:59:00.001-05:002011-06-28T21:01:08.627-05:00

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; min-height: 21.0px} p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; color: #3d3d3d; min-height: 21.0px} p.p4 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; color: #3d3d3d} p.p5 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; color:

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-26148755676638272922011-06-24T22:34:00.000-05:002011-06-24T22:34:38.899-05:00

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; min-height: 21.0px} p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 19.0px Arial} p.p4 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 19.0px Arial; min-height: 22.0px} span.s1 {font: 18.0px Gill Sans} I'm not sure where I first learned about simplicity and the simplicity

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-21246369575200621752011-06-21T13:34:00.000-05:002011-06-21T13:34:21.701-05:00

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; min-height: 21.0px} I just read an article in Cracked.com that validated many of the issues I have with various romantic comedies: most of the ways a character shows love in these films is illegal (unfortunately, they tap Twilight only once). I mean, who wouldn't want

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-74064827139860376342011-06-16T23:45:00.000-05:002011-06-16T23:45:06.584-05:00

I've been thinking, a very dangerous activity for me. When I think, small thoughts grow into bigger thoughts, which often grow into grandiose ideas and fabulous plans. I think I'm currently at medium thoughts. I've been thinking about what I want to write about. I have this blog. I have a professional blog that I started then stopped. I may or may not theoretically have other blogs in existence

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-63691251640434527182011-06-06T18:34:00.000-05:002011-06-06T18:34:35.427-05:00

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; min-height: 21.0px} p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Arial} span.s1 {font: 18.0px Gill Sans} ol.ol1 {list-style-type: decimal} For the next 28 days, I am striving to be like my friend Julie, she who comments here regularly. Julie is the most

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-40747881976323011642011-05-28T22:59:00.001-05:002011-05-29T00:58:32.659-05:00

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; min-height: 21.0px} or An Adventure involving Donuts, very small Things, historic Architecture, Histories, cars, and Rain. No explanation. Yes, I visited Julie in her natural environment on Thursday. It's taken me some time to write about it because of my tendency

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-3685504621761694842011-05-25T20:29:00.000-05:002011-05-25T20:29:13.390-05:00

The cello is now the official sexiest instrument ever. At least for today. If we'd known how cool this stuff could be, everyone would have joined band.

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-75084051708269527252011-05-23T20:37:00.001-05:002011-05-23T20:55:39.303-05:00

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; min-height: 21.0px} or How I came to the Coast, met Julie of JulieLand, and rediscovered the Need for Sleep For those who don't already know, I flew from Houston to Oregon on the 18th and Julie promptly visited me here on the Coast. She arrived late Wednesday night,

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-61474674629003495762011-05-13T11:52:00.000-05:002011-05-13T11:52:52.144-05:00

(This post was supposed to go up on the 12th, but Blogger was down.) p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; min-height: 21.0px} I woke up and I didn't have power. That was okay; I can do without it. I don't need it all the time.  Food in the fridge was still cold, meaning the electricity hadn't been off

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-67488252862597365642011-05-08T22:33:00.000-05:002011-05-08T22:33:55.221-05:00

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; min-height: 21.0px} I have no pithy wisdom or sad stories for you tonight. So I thought I would share amusement. I love all things Cthulhu. http://stuff.icanhascheezburger.com/2011/05/05/cute-kawaii-stuff-epicute-cthulhu-cookies/ I don't have a plush Cthulhu because I

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-88641886053927779162011-05-07T11:59:00.001-05:002011-05-11T11:42:35.349-05:00

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; min-height: 21.0px} p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 19.0px Times New Roman} p.p4 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 19.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 22.0px} Tomorrow, the 8th of May, is Mother's Day. Many people will be celebrating it with their

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-38531373339928567102011-05-04T16:39:00.002-05:002011-05-05T10:29:51.821-05:00

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; min-height: 21.0px} Not in the right place. My bad. Let's just say I had an annoying day full of too much caffeine and too little sleep. I fell asleep over my laptop and woke with a mind and body that just didn't want to function or work together.

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-38321100413006969552011-05-02T23:32:00.000-05:002011-05-02T23:32:11.329-05:00

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 20.0px; font: 18.0px Candara} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 20.0px; font: 18.0px Candara; min-height: 22.0px} Today I began a experiment in Mindfulness and Awareness. It will take practice and more practice, but the idea is to pay attention to exactly what I am doing right now, such as typing, without also thinking

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-51449101928734762072011-05-02T00:21:00.001-05:002011-05-02T00:21:44.770-05:00

It makes sense, of course, to rejoice when a boogeyman has been destroyed, and Osama bin Laden has been the worst boogeyman in contemporary American memory. A feeling of relief and catharsis has brought a nation to its feet, cheering with joy. Perhaps tomorrow many will feel sorrow over being so pleased that someone, even someone so evil, has been murdered. That his murder was necessary is not

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-15734836695640308332011-04-29T01:15:00.000-05:002011-04-29T01:15:21.170-05:00

Lately it seems that Nature bites back big time. The latest is the swath of tornadoes and storms that hit the U.S. midlands, part of the south, and the eastern coast. The American Red Cross does some very good work. I know they get bad press occasionally and my grandmother hated them over some weird little thing about care packages when my grandfather was fighting in the East Pacific in WWII.

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-73702115324973320022011-04-26T22:16:00.002-05:002011-04-26T22:18:44.905-05:00

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 18.0px Gill Sans; min-height: 21.0px} "Of all of these things, the greatest is love." As everyone knows by now, my natal family is gone. I lost my dad in 1978, my little brother in 1983, and my mom last summer 2010. Yes, there are relatives, but none of them is as close to me as the

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-19323054077990222102011-04-24T02:07:00.002-05:002011-04-24T02:16:03.282-05:00

You cannot be sad when you watch this video. It's probably my favorite. It's the Discovery Channel "Boom De Yada" song. Enjoy! http://youtu.be/NqV3clvlC4Q

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-76929000242364470512011-04-22T20:48:00.000-05:002011-04-22T20:48:24.653-05:00

Stars. I never look at them anymore, but they actually are quite ... beautiful. –Men in Black Do you ever find yourself so wrapped into a routine that you forget how you got there in the first place? When something you did because you enjoyed it becomes becomes habit? For example: I spend a lot of time on my laptop. Nowadays, I surf the Internet for the most part. And even that has become a

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-8083962075681685352011-04-02T20:53:00.000-05:002011-04-02T20:53:06.473-05:00

Wanted: Help. Help with bringing order to my apartment. Help with finding work. Help with paying bills. Help with not getting so consumed with anxiety over these things that I simply pop. I have a couple of small projects coming up, but not with anyone who can afford to pay me full price. Yes, I do have a sliding fee scale. Extremely small businesses and individuals get a break, because they have

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-2447960709973552312011-03-29T21:51:00.001-05:002011-04-27T02:08:41.557-05:00

WARNING: This post contains adult content and references to genitalia, sex toys, and batteries. Read at your own discretion. If you are under 18, just lie and tell your folks that you didn't read it. Don't blame me: there was a unanimous request for it! (Originally posted Tuesday, October 28, 2008) My mom was helping me pack today, and we were discovering that there was a lot more to do that

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-40809131913418472562011-03-25T22:43:00.000-05:002011-03-25T22:43:30.023-05:00

So, back when I started all this, I began with a rather interesting little story of an event involving my mom, me, and a brown paper package from Babeland. Go check it out before you go any further so you will know what I am talking about. I thought the story was hilarious. At least one other person did, also. My other readers/friends, not so much. It's rather adult, as well. The thing is, I

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-53370290593955438972011-03-23T22:17:00.000-05:002011-03-23T22:17:10.313-05:00

I unexpectedly find myself with friends and a supportive community of people I've never met, and never even talked with on the phone. We blog, we comment, we email, we tweet. I even watch TV with some of them! In fact, I watched Castle in tandem tonight with two women I met on a blog. We each watched a recording (I was on hulu.com) and IMed as we watched. It was way fun! I even laughed out loud,

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-80709129680392776582011-03-10T22:04:00.000-06:002011-03-10T22:04:07.623-06:00

Hello all who visit, all 3 of you. I have wanted to write, I think of writing often, but too often what is in my head lately is sad, dark, and dreary, and y'all don't need to  get it into your head. (Yes, Steve, I said "y'all. Deal with it.) But, I do want you folks to know I've been thinking of you and of my blog. Part of the reason I often hesitate to blog is that whole "potential employers

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-77237314797154597892010-11-02T01:24:00.000-05:002010-11-02T01:24:27.333-05:00

Dear Mom I love you. I will miss you every day of my life. I hadn't appreciated how central you were to my life. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage without you. I know I will, eventually, but for now I just cannot see it. I feel lost and empty and homeless. People loved you, probably more than you realized. I am so glad that you had time to enjoy having friends and doing things with them. I

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-571079984143681902010-10-03T00:36:00.002-05:002010-11-02T01:27:47.104-05:00

I'm finally coming out of the fog of that shock and initial grief. I don't remember much from the first few days after Mom died, and I've spent most of the past three weeks kind of floating, unable to accomplish anything. But on Thursday, I feel like I woke from a sound sleep. The sun was shining. I accomplished tasks. I went outside. Since then I have felt aware. I feel desperate for a recent

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-41085576201298508022010-09-25T04:46:00.003-05:002010-11-02T01:32:32.421-05:00

Have you ever heard about Smith Magazine's "Six-Word Memoir" projects? You describe your life in six words. They have published several books from what their readers share. Traditionally, when one loses one's parents, one is usually in one's fifties or sixties, or older if one is lucky, and the parent(s) in their seventies or eighties or more. It is hard to lose a parent, of course, but there

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-86467678120631728232010-09-16T05:16:00.001-05:002010-11-02T01:26:59.401-05:00

I had intended to write regularly this summer. After all, my tasks were light. All I had to do was take my mom to treatments and help her out. But cancer consumed my summer, and then it consumed my mom. I don't want to go to sleep at night. I don't want to get up in the morning. Tonight I fell into a rampage of sobbing, with my best friend patting me and holding my hand. Then he got me kleenex

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-83120915220712261762010-09-07T02:12:00.002-05:002010-11-02T01:33:16.304-05:00

As some of you know, my grandma died last September after a long period of becoming progressively weaker. She ate less and less and drank less and less. After she died, although Mom and I missed her a great deal (she lived with my mom for several years), Mom wanted very much to travel, and to travel with me when possible. She wanted to go to Europe and to Hawaii with me. Mom finished radiation

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-19996677983079940292010-08-16T22:30:00.000-05:002010-08-16T22:30:59.325-05:00

My mom never got sick. Ever. Even after she had her gallbladder out (in the bad old days before laproscopy, when it was major abdominal surgery — plus they removed the appendix for kicks I guess), she managed recovery AND my two-year-old brother for a couple of weeks alone (my dad took me camping with some of his family — and my mother let him live). Mom has always been the Energizer Bunny. She

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-54125846304680304882010-07-27T23:05:00.000-05:002010-07-27T23:05:25.973-05:00

Over on Lucy's blog, Witchy Betty reminded me to take care of myself, too. if my fibro acts up, or if I get sick, I won't be much good for taking care of Mom. That's pretty obvious today: I'm almost as exhausted as Mom. In fact, I'm going to bed at least an hour earlier than she is. In addition, I haven't kept up with a project. I have the last article to write, and today I was informed they

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-2211262046416753382010-07-27T01:56:00.001-05:002010-07-27T02:07:33.411-05:00

My mom has cancer. It came as such a surprise. I'm sure everyone who develops cancer or who is close to someone who does feels the same surprise, the same shock. We had made the mistake of thinking life is fair --- we have lost so much. We had succumbed to the belief that all of life's hardships and good fortune balance out, but they don't. I knew that, but I had forgotten. Life is reminding me.

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-82169414610896377252010-02-23T13:27:00.006-06:002010-02-23T13:37:02.281-06:00

There is a song by Daniel Powter called "Bad Day": "Because you had a bad day You're taking one down You sing a sad song just to turn it around" Bad days happen. I have them. We all do. I suppose I should keep my mouth shut when I have them because people get all concerned when I let them out. What the heck? It's all part of the truth of existence. I did say I was going to be honest in this

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-67340082797721756162010-02-21T18:41:00.003-06:002010-02-21T18:45:47.876-06:00

***Warning: this is not a happy or at least optimistic blog post, but some times ya just gotta let it out.*** I took a little people-tour on Facebook today. Maybe I was feeling lonely. I searched on the name of my old boyfriend from high school and found him right off (there were only 2). I then clicked on various of his friends who were my school friends and saw that he is in contact with

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-54807025005040319212010-02-13T11:03:00.001-06:002010-02-13T11:04:54.877-06:00

Cover letter I wrote for a recent editor position I found on the Web. Dear hiring manager, I am an experienced editor, both copy and substantive, who has worked with technology and science for many years. I have and am currently working on an intermittent basis editing scientific papers for NOAA Fisheries, most recently for the Galveston lab (a few hours per month). I have edited academic

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-130580714117897742010-01-27T15:10:00.001-06:002010-01-27T15:11:19.190-06:00

I had a younger brother and he was my treasure. From the day he was brought home from the hospital, I felt responsible for his well-being. And if my parents had died and he had lived, I would have bent my life around to make things good for him. But that isn't the way it went. My birthday falls in January, which is usually a dreadful month The month encircles the post-holiday letdown and gray,

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-15436838049404736392010-01-16T22:56:00.002-06:002010-01-27T15:13:02.377-06:00

I'm writing on my novel again. That Damned Novel. TDN, for short. I haven't touched it for a couple of weeks. It haunts me. I feel I have to start over from scratch, but I don't want to trash 36,000 + words. I've totally rewritten the ex-boyfriend from stalker to clueless. The novel still a bit too like conventional romances. I'd rather it be more like Crusie's and Rich's novels: unconventional

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-9795223229725094202010-01-11T17:00:00.005-06:002010-01-11T17:00:02.999-06:00

Part Two So here I am: in Houston, still essentially unemployed (thank the gods for extended unemployment benefits) and going through my savings faster than I like, and still feeling at sea and not feeling very different from when I lived in Oregon. And there is still the question of "What do I want to do?" The answer to that is both simple and complicated: I want to write. Sure, I want to keep

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-18577529344673455192010-01-10T20:58:00.004-06:002010-01-11T01:00:01.719-06:00

Part One I am a forty-eight- ... on the verge of forty-nine- ... year-old woman. I am a professional technical writer and editor (that includes science, too) with a gajillion years of experience, but I am unemployed. And looking. (I use the term "between jobs" to remind myself that another one is right around the corner. So far the corner has been a very long way away.) I am endeavoring to

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-33335886789643163202010-01-09T00:28:00.002-06:002010-01-09T01:08:30.483-06:00

I'm having difficulties finding work, as everyone around me knows. There are a few positions opening up in technical writing and editing. One position in particular keeps popping up: Technical Writer in Saudi. It doesn't specify the contract length or the rate of pay, but I imagine the length is at least a year and the pay is astronomical. And there would be no place to spend it because I am a

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-33333378550994721952010-01-08T22:02:00.002-06:002010-01-09T01:08:41.876-06:00

Notice my new blog-do? The old one didn't constrain the area for the title graphic, causing the graphic to look short and the text to run past the edge of the graphic. I didn't like it. So I decided to try out another of the blogspot templates. And the old one kind of hid the link to where you can leave a comment; I hope the comment link in this template is noticeable enough. I haven't figured

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-29212054481430276532010-01-07T21:25:00.003-06:002010-01-09T01:09:56.654-06:00

Today I am following the lead of ... copying, perhaps ... an author named Lani Diane Rich. She began a blog series under her Lucy March name to document her life and personal changes over the next 516 days, which is when she hits her 40th birthday. In 1 year and 2 weeks, I will be 50. That is 54 weeks. Three hundred seventy-eight days. Wow. There is a lot I want to do with myself and my life by

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-52117941744114021922010-01-01T22:17:00.002-06:002010-01-09T01:10:10.845-06:00

New Year's resolutions are easily broken. They are what you will do that year, and if you don't achieve them that year, you have failed. (Studies show that people become quite depressed when they break their resolutions.) Goals, on the other hand, are targets, and need not be finished within the year for success. As I am a perfectionist and I have always considered life to be something you

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-84601106611791353642009-12-19T21:14:00.002-06:002009-12-19T21:14:54.909-06:00

Man, that has to be one of the best bad SF movies ever. Okay, not quite as bad as It Came From Outer Space, and not as good as Earth Girls Are Easy, but worth half-watching for a couple of hours. (I cannot compare it to Plan 9 from Outer Space because I have never had the good fortune to watch that show. So sad.) And it brings whole new meaning to world domination through infomercials. I wonder

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-26905973380270752672009-12-18T22:49:00.002-06:002010-01-09T01:10:22.910-06:00

Are you in the class of "never touch them," or perhaps in the "I'll try anything" group? I'm somewhat in the middle and my eyes are my most-valued sense. For the last month, I have been struggling with an eye problem. To me, that is one of the most frightening things possible in my life. It started suddenly a month and a half ago. In the morning, I noticed nothing about my eyes. At the end of

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-89376584989926928162009-12-09T14:57:00.004-06:002010-01-09T01:10:37.711-06:00

Last year, I spent Christmas in a hotel room. I had dinner at The Waffle House (which makes pretty awesome, filling, way too fat for you foods, especially waffles, of course). It didn't bother me at all; it bothered everyone else a lot. So worry not this year: my mother is coming to spend the holiday with me. Mom and I have long planned that when Gram died, Mom and I would do something

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-5791944017199269742009-09-09T22:21:00.006-05:002009-09-09T23:04:21.744-05:00

Cicadas live here, in Humble, Kingwood, and Atascocita. In all of the south. And parts east and even the Midwest, from what I've. But not the Pacific NW, as far as I know. I'd never heard them before I moved here. I don't like them.The sound a group of cicadas makes is the sound you would hear if you were in the middle of a horror flick that involved insectoid entities — or maybe electrical ones

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-47980938650074590072009-07-11T22:33:00.004-05:002009-07-11T22:59:33.509-05:00

It's about time I ran away from home. I'm 48, after all!When I was growing up, I was an obedient, amiable child. If I disobeyed, it was accidental. I didn't rebel particularly; I just fought with my mom for about three years when I was in my teens. But I didn't commit acts of rebellion. I generally tried to follow the rules.Except for once, when I was in second grade.I had a boyfriend --- Chris

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-51122666000742769722009-06-20T08:00:00.000-05:002009-07-11T23:05:38.011-05:00

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice begins on June 21, 2009 at 1:45 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time. That would be 10:45 p.m. for the folks on the West coast, 12:45 p.m. in Houston. Woo hoo!

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-3406598136377993582009-06-20T06:36:00.003-05:002009-09-09T18:20:11.111-05:00

I'm living in the land of summer. The land of sunshine and heat. The land of warmth in temperature and warmth in people.The land of tropical storms and hurricanes and killing levels of heat and humidity.I worry about summer here. I worry about August and September, which are supposed to be the killer months, the months that could send me running for the PNW without so much as packing my bags. I

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-90637966435163365172009-06-14T22:41:00.001-05:002009-06-30T09:06:47.099-05:00

It's hot, and time to check for effects and mitigations.Dehydration? Check. Get the water.Exhaustion? Check. Get out of the heat.Sunburn? Check. Get out of the sun.Melted climbers' putty? Ch ... What?I have this stuff called climber's putty. It is blue and resides in a plastic fist-shaped container and looks kind of like The Blob. It (the putty, not the sci-fi monster) is made to help strengthen

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-4237088415572683662009-06-14T09:19:00.000-05:002009-06-14T22:50:35.583-05:00

Friday it was 98 degrees. And 52% humidity, which is very mild for this place at this time. And I was dyin'.I think it's about water. I am not getting enough because of working so much in the middle of the day and then going on to do errands and such. This last week was bad for that and I ended up every afternoon feeling ill and completely exhausted until about 7 pm. When I would eat a very late

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-87878211726956303122009-06-09T22:22:00.000-05:002009-06-09T22:39:05.258-05:00

I have feet. My feet have problems. It's getting tiresome.My feet began their latest annoying behavior in September. I'm still working on them. I have a new podiatrist and new orthotics. They are helping, slowly.Today I bought new sandals, three pair, that will be helpful to my dreadful feet. Because in two days, my foot doc TAKES BACK MY ORTHOTICS!Okay, he's taking them to modify them, but I did

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-34741715751709273862009-06-04T21:23:00.003-05:002010-01-07T21:35:03.832-06:00

Yes, it has been a very long time. I apologize. When I feel overwhelmed, I tend to conserve my energy. I will write more posts. As for now, check out The Tribune. I've been writing articles. But there was a big smash-up today and now "I be uh editore". That's okay: I'm not aggressive and I found many things were actually painful for me to do (calling the same source very five minutes for updates

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-72748364805710989492009-02-27T22:18:00.002-06:002010-01-09T23:51:35.924-06:00

Yes, ladies and gents, I am living in Houston. Texas. Someplace I never imagined myself visiting much less living. And guess what? I love Texas. I love where I live: a NE suburb of Houston (it's surrounded by Houston, in a very weird set of zoning rules that pissed off the people of Kingwood, who were swallowed by the metropolis) named "Humble" (the H is silent, which is rather odd given where

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-78965561719592752912008-12-10T19:11:00.000-06:002008-12-10T19:24:22.264-06:00

Hello allI arrived in Houston this afternoon. It is snowing.Yeah, that's why I left Oregon.I am where I am because it's near a AAA office and I wanted some in-person service. So they got me one of the few hotels in the area, and they sent me to a mechanic that is AAA-certified and that they know. The latter item is why I stopped here and went no further. I really didn't want to try to get further

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-75448387678884659242008-12-06T20:07:00.000-06:002008-12-06T20:51:06.832-06:00

As someone who has lived all her life on the West Coast, I have shared my friends’ and neighbors’ opinion of “anywhere but Texas.” That’s where none of us wanted to live. Why? Because it was full of cowboys, which we all knew were uneducated rednecks, right? Bigots. Treated their women badly. How terrible. To think that, to carry that opinion for all these years without ever checking it out. My

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-54498202541178889862008-12-06T17:18:00.000-06:002008-12-06T20:54:48.541-06:00

You’ve heard the phrase “everything’s bigger in Texas,” right? Well, there are a lot of SUVs and pickups on the road; I find I am actually experiencing truck envy! At the Fort Davis national park the other day, there were seven cars other than mine: a pickup, a van, a jeep, and four SUVs. But I’ve also seen small imports too, even some with Texas license plates. So I guess it’s also legal to be

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-40156838972387846992008-12-06T17:03:00.000-06:002008-12-06T20:55:10.562-06:00

I’ve been in Texas for four days, I have had more beef than I usually have in two months, and I find myself inexplicably feeling rather Texan.People I’ve met here—from the salesclerk in the Origins store in El Paso to the sweet 21-year-old waitress at the Hotel Limpia here in Fort Davis—have been warm, friendly, helpful. Happy to talk. Not in a rush. The food is great, but I now have to begin a

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-2438713923884609912008-12-03T20:53:00.000-06:002008-12-03T21:18:02.332-06:00

On my trip, I have been in several high-altitude places: Zion National Park (4000 to 8726 ft above sea level), Bryce Canyon (9115 ft!), Canyon de Chelly (5500 to 7000 ft), Monument Valley (5200 ft), and now Fort Davis (5274 ft). Actually, it’s McDonald Observatory (6800 ft) that is the high point near Fort Davis. And all of these places have had little light pollution, or at least much less than

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-41672889264744172842008-12-03T20:26:00.000-06:002008-12-03T21:25:16.693-06:00

I arrived in LC on Wednesday, around 3:00. I was tired and had been driving for over 250 miles. I wasn’t thrilled at being on a minor highway, especially when the AAA travel person had said the hotel was downtown. It isn’t. And there are train tracks on the other side of the minor highway. But I fell in love with my room. I stayed at the Best Western Mission Inn, and it was done in Spanish

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-39047708295590562292008-11-24T17:26:00.001-06:002008-11-24T17:28:05.905-06:00

Well don't bother leaving comments folks. I cannot seem to comment on my own blog. I looked up all the various and sundry help things and am not the only person who cannot do this. The one "expert" seems to mostly be pushing his own blog of how to and his instructions are esoteric and highly involved.So screw it. If you have questions or comments, feel free to leave them. I will email you. You

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-26013892332116397072008-11-17T18:22:00.000-06:002008-11-18T01:31:04.151-06:00

I was fairly young when I learned something shocking: not all households use mayonnaise. Some use Miracle Whip. And some households use a different kind of mayo than Best Foods, which was my family’s spread of choice.As I am traveling, I am reminded of this. My stepsister’s fridge contains Miracle Whip and a dark mustard. Mom still uses Best Foods and Dijon mustard. I use Kraft mayo and whatever

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-14950360171548530312008-11-17T18:11:00.000-06:002008-11-17T18:31:20.278-06:00

Thursday night, the night before I took off, and I was still packing and sorting. And doing a bit of revision. My friend H came over after work to see me one last time. My mom and grandma were watching TV and overseeing me. H wanted to know if I had set up my tent yet—I’d had it for a couple of weeks by now.“Nope,” I replied. “No time. Busy packing and all that stuff.”H chided me and ordered me

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-47400846134426729642008-11-17T18:01:00.000-06:002008-11-17T18:10:34.190-06:00

Friday, November 7, 2008: I was aiming for a departure time of between 9:00 and 9:30 am. We hadn’t packed the car yet; as of last evening, I hadn’t yet even opened my tent, much less set it up. (See next post.) Mom woke me at 7am and after 2 mugs of tea, PB on toast, and a shower, my mom and I proved to be a major force in physics: we got everything into that car first time, more or less. No

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-10051135104584153962008-11-13T21:45:00.000-06:002008-11-13T21:51:30.399-06:00

The title refers to the email I am using in conjunction with this blog: ForteanSkye. Which itself refers to Charles Fort, an interesting and somewhat obscure writer and information collector from the late 1800s and early 1900s.Many of the news tidbits Fort collected referred to things falling from the sky---weird, unexplainable things. Such as rocks. And odd-colored sands. And frogs. He

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-961070701363945978.post-45963140120197254922008-11-13T19:36:00.000-06:002009-07-11T23:06:13.214-05:00

As of this writing at the beginning of my travels, I am 47 years old. I am a caucasian female with a couple of undergraduate degrees, and a long career in high tech that I abandoned during the high tech crash in 2001 when I went to live near my mom and grandma on the Oregon Coast.I have hit a wall in my life: what do I do next? A many-year contract editing scientific reports for a government

Skyehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02353637836935659079noreply@blogger.com1