St. Pat's

the Irish eyes are smiling. Happy St. Patty's Day.

tired.

i'm tired of being "sick"

i'm tired of being grouchy

i'm tired fo people telling me theres nothing wrong when, clearly, something is.

i'm tired of not knowing whats going on.
do this: put in ear plugs, then put on your head phones - just white noise- quiet talk radio or something. now walk around all day. don't take them off. go out to dinner, go to a party, go to a movie. now, be in the conversation. quickly recover from commenting on a completely different conversation. ha ha wasn't that funny. great. do it again 7 or 8 times.
repeat tommorw- indefinatly. enjoy yourself and stay in good humor.

the flying woman

This lithograph hangs in my parents house.R.C. Gorman, 1981, Dream (Night), Lithograph

They purchased it in the first few years of their marriage. i came across the artist while looking for "inspiration" for my art class. I have seen this style from other artist and was not sure it was the same. My mother corrected the story i remembered about the piece, told me what they had payed and so forth. I looked it up, did the inflation calculator and so forth- it has almost quadrupled in value.
I don't nessacaraly like a lot of the other work by this artist, but a few i do, and this is one of them.

RollerGirl Round Up!

RMRG Tryouts coming up

Wanna be a rollergirl? Think you have what it takes to skate in the big time? Then come try out for the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls! Bring a friend, spread the word, and come have a blast!

WHEN: Sunday April 19th, 6:45p to 8:45p
WHERE: Skate City, Littleton

Email recruit@rockymountainrollergirls.com with any questions. See you there!

intresting idea.

maybe i have just been oblivious [that's never happened before] but i have never seen such as thing as this.

i drive by this building everyday. it was empty for FOREVER. then one day there was a sign. Jam Space USA.

basically they have rehearsal rooms, recording space and music lessons. you can go, rent some room time. they have some instruments there- so you don't have to bring your full drum kit every time.

it just seems pretty cool.

derby embroidery

found this today. love it.

Frozen Dead Guy Days

its that time again!

that's right! Frozen Dead Guy Days!

here's the info be sure to watch the music video.

This years logo is much better than last year. I don't know if we will make it to the festivities- so if some one does, will you please bring us back a pint glass??

art class

project 3.

LCL4

black: shoes, pants, leather jacket, shirt.
lime green: back pack, scarf, hat, vest.

good bye Rocky

so i'm a little late with this post. its not necessarily an important post, but is one i feel should be remembered.
last friday that rocky mountain news printed its last edition. it was days away from being 150.
i am glad the Post is still here- but for how long?

photos

i have noticed recently, that i recognize my self less and less in photographs. i don't know if its getting older, or what. probably you would look at theses and say "yep, that you." but i find myself a little bit surprised every time. these are all from the last couple months.

RIP Paul Harvey

CHICAGO (AP) - Paul Harvey, the news commentator and talk-radio pioneer whose staccato style made him one of the nation's most familiar voices, died Saturday in Arizona, according to ABC Radio Networks. He was 90.

Harvey died surrounded by family at a hospital in Phoenix, where he had a winter home, said Louis Adams, a spokesman for ABC Radio Networks, where Harvey worked for more than 50 years.

No cause of death was immediately available.

Harvey had been forced off the air for several months in 2001 because of a virus that weakened a vocal cord. But he returned to work in Chicago and was still active as he passed his 90th birthday.

His death comes less than a year after that of his wife and longtime producer, Lynne.

"My father and mother created from thin air what one day became radio and television news," Paul Harvey Jr. said in a statement. "So in the past year, an industry has lost its godparents and today millions have lost a friend."

Known for his resonant voice and trademark delivery of "The Rest of the Story," Harvey had been heard nationally since 1951, when he began his "News and Comment" for ABC Radio Networks.

He became a heartland icon, delivering news and commentary with a distinctive Midwestern flavor. "Stand by for news!" he told his listeners. He was credited with inventing or popularizing terms such as "skyjacker," "Reaganomics" and "guesstimate."

"Paul Harvey was one of the most gifted and beloved broadcasters in our nation's history," ABC Radio Networks President Jim Robinson said in a statement. "We will miss our dear friend tremendously and are grateful for the many years we were so fortunate to have known him."

In 2005, Harvey was one of 14 notables chosen as recipients of the presidential Medal of Freedom. He also was an inductee in the Radio Hall of Fame, as was Lynne.

He composed his twice-daily news commentaries from a downtown Chicago office near Lake Michigan.

Rising at 3:30 each morning, he ate a bowl of oatmeal, then combed the news wires and spoke with editors across the country in search of succinct tales of American life for his program.

At the peak of his career, Harvey reached more than 24 million listeners on more than 1,200 radio stations and charged $30,000 to give a speech. His syndicated column was carried by 300 newspapers.

His fans identified with his plainspoken political commentary, but critics called him an out-of-touch conservative. He was an early supporter of the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy and a longtime backer of the Vietnam War.

Perhaps Harvey's most famous broadcast came in 1970, when he abandoned that stance, announcing his opposition to President Nixon's expansion of the war and urging him to get out completely.

"Mr. President, I love you ... but you're wrong," Harvey said, shocking his faithful listeners and drawing a barrage of letters and phone calls, including one from the White House.

In 1976, Harvey began broadcasting his anecdotal descriptions of the lives of famous people. "The Rest of the Story" started chronologically, with the person's identity revealed at the end.

The stories were an attempt to capture "the heartbeats behind the headlines." Much of the research and writing was done by his son, Paul Jr.

Harvey also blended news with advertising, a line he said he crossed only for products he trusted.

In 2000, at age 82, he signed a new 10-year contract with ABC Radio Networks.

Harvey was born Paul Harvey Aurandt in Tulsa, Okla. His father, a police officer, was killed when he was a toddler. A high school teacher took note of his distinctive voice and launched him on a broadcast career.

While working at St. Louis radio station KXOK, he met Washington University graduate student Lynne Cooper. He proposed on their first date (she said "no") and always called her "Angel." They were married in 1940 and had a son, Paul Jr.

They worked closely together on his shows, and he often credited his success to her influence. She was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1997, seven years after her husband was.

She died in May 2008.

Paul Harvey was a favorite of mine. great voice and i loved "the rest of the story." you will be missed.

LCL3

red: leggings, hat
black shoes, scarf
black, red and royal jacket.

from around the house

having fun with new batteries in the camera, and finding to usb cord...

out my front door.
all the houses in my neighborhood, that still have original front doors, have round windows.



chair that broke... due to age, more than the person sitting in it.




dice.

the bus

i was excited last nigh-t as i waited for the bus at Metro. the sun was set, but i could still see the outline of mountains and clouds. do you know what this means? this means that i may soon be walking home in light. i have never enjoyed being out by myself at night. i don't care if it is only 6:30. when its dark its dark.

i don't like the bus because its slow.

i do like the bus because its great people watching.

last night, girl and her mother got on across from me. i say girl, but she was prolly in high school, and i didn't conclude that it was a girl until about half way through my ride. the mother was 50ish. overweight. stringy gray hair that had been dyed hot pink, but was very faded. both had their tungs pierced. both looked like men.

the other day there was a guy sitting by the front. he looked like Bob Ross- only his fro was bleached. he was still wearing the same cloths from the 70s too. no, not 70s styled. litteraly, this guy has been wearing these cloths since the 70s. i finally figured out that he was keeping tally of how many people got on and off and which stops.

there was also a you black guy. prolly early 20s. he had his itouch, $200 jeans, $100 jacket, $150 Nike's. he was dressed well. looked nice and respectable. had a bag. but was very visibly carrying a mac air book. why? this would have fit in his bag. and would have slightly decreased that chances of him getting jumped for everything he had on him.

woe is me

We all do things that annoy others. Sometimes its giving un-solicited advice, a personality trait or an un-intentionally wrong comment.

most often I catch my self as I saw the wrong thing- and try to apologize for it coming out wrong. I have a co-worker that routinely says nasty things and trys to pass them off as "sarcasm." i have another co-worker who holds grudges for at least a yr. some times you know why- sometimes you don't. There are a few others that are office favorites for their sparkling personality and amazing work. [some of which others of us are asked to correct on the side so that no one knows.] they don't like some one new- so now i can no longer eat lunch with them.
another girl, i think of as a friend, is also friends with a girl from another department, who appears to tolerate me.
we talk about being annoyed about constantly being snubbed for lunch outings and so forth, yet then she snubs me too.

this is only the social side of office politics.

most people reading by now, know that i really don't care for my company or a number of the people i work with. Despite that, i try to be friendly and good tempered with everyone. i hate playing games.

for the most part i like most of these people. I very much miss going to lunch once a week or two with the group. i don't expect to be best friends with anyone- its obvious we are in some very different social circles, but I am trying to have a good working relationship and some work buddies.

I have in the last number of months backed off of a number of people. which is to say, that i don't make an effort to start regular conversations with them. coincidentally, most of them pretty much never talk to me.

i was in better standing with several people until 2 girls were hired last spring. then i was grouped over with them. i thought it would blow over in 5 or 6 months. but it hasn't. things seem to continue to diminish.

I am disappointed in my self for caring so much about politics and being liked. i am also disappointed in people i thought i was on good terms with, for being so cliquish.

RMRG Monthly Pub Crawl

omg!!

By mutual agreement, Steven Page will be parting company with the remaining members of Barenaked Ladies. Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart will continue recording and touring together as Barenaked Ladies. Steven Page will pursue solo projects including theatrical opportunities while the band enters the studio in April 2009, and hits the road in the fall.

Page says "These guys are my brothers. We've grown up together over the past twenty years. I love them and wish them all the best in the future."

FYI

turns out hot wing casserole is GREAT!

lcl2

light pink: pants, hat, scarf, purse
dark pink long jacket

i have no idea what color her shoes were, but i suspect, pink.

hot wing casserole

yes. you heard right. HOT WING CASSEROLE.

We were making out weekly menu as we do..weekly. and Tim asked me the sme silly question he asks every week. "What do you want to eat?"

hot wings and tater tots... hot wing cassarol.

by now you would think he would kn0w enough to ask what we should eat this week.

so we googled it. there are several varieations. ours is this:

big ol' pan.
tatertots. bottom layerthen add cut up carrots and celery.
add a nice layer of Ranch dressing.

add chicken

add hot sauce. .. and olives. tim wanted cheese as well. now i love cheese as much as the next person, and it sounds delicious- but i had to say no. i know olives dont go with traditional hot wings. but we like to jum at the oppertunity to put olives in just obut anything we can.

then i put foil on it. in the oven at 425. for 20 min. remove foil, cook another 10 min. note that things are bubbling.

hope its good.

LCL

today:

light blue pants, hat, scarf, socks, purse.
black shoes, jacket

spring pops up

i was out and about and inspecting my yard last weekend. i planted a bunch of tulips lat fall, hoping to have a little spring color.

i found some snow drops that i didn't know i had.

my rhubarb is starting to sprout.
and finally some signs of life from at least a couple tulips.

its supposed to be nice for the next 4 or 5 days. i'm going to go out and water- hope that the other will show there heads as well.

paper circle garland

A couple weeks ago i finally got around to doing a craft project I dreamed up at X-mas.
[the above sentence is not actually a link. but blogspot felt that it should be.]

its just a string with a bunch of fun colored and textured circles taped to it. but you could do this with any number of shapes. i suppose it just depends on your personal level of sanity, or OCD.

i only have OCD in small spurts, so i used a circle cutter and did this in about an hr. or less.

fun fun family fun time

Monday we took the days off, planning to run around with the family- as T's uncle and cousin are in town for the week.

Uncle T got sick, so we took the kids [and m + d and katie] - Alex, Mr. k and the Bean to red rocks and Casa Bonita.

Alex took LOTS of pictures. hopefully i will see some of them some time. they had fun running around, up and down the stairs, until everyone complained of being hungry.
Originally we were headed to Casa Bonita because Uncle T had never been , and frankly it was his only chance to go with us. i don't care if he was sick in bed with a fever.

i think we spent somewhere between 2 hr and an an eternity there. kids had fun. i was surprised at how crowded it was for a monday afternoon.

it now appears that Alex is sick- and tim and i wernt feeling great this morning either. feel like i'm about to be sick, hopefully it will just go away and not manifest i like to spend my weekends not sick.

i feel this blog entry would be more interesting if i had the pictures to accompany it.

off the band wagon.

last week i got in 1 post. and this week is not off to a good start either.

Had a great Valentins, as usual. eggs, potatos, breakfast sauage, salsa. mmm...

Sratbucks was $1 drinks- and i had a gift card.

we went to donate blood- but my count was too low. i will have to go back later. they wondered about Tim because his temp was 66.3 and me because mine is 99.3

Tim told me he had a surprise for me, but i had to pick it out.
Really, nothing says "i love you" like my very own cleaver.

we watched Dr. who. had been putting off the last 2 episodes of what ever season we were watching due to Daliks. i fucking hate Daliks.

napped.

had a good roast dinner, etc.

went to an art opening.

it was a good day.

this may not sound exceptionally exciting or romantic to anyone else out there, but it was a good day. it was a lazy day. its just what we needed.

whirlwind

this has been a confusing week. I have had a very hard time keeping my days strait, and i'm behind on a number of things.

i got locked in my bedroom last night when the door knob fell off. i managed to get the door open with out having to resort to climbing out the window.

Ch.7 sent a reporter and camera man to our practice last night. the reporter choose to be on skates. I think he did really well considering that he couldn't remember the last time he was on skates and that he was wearing 2nd hand roller rink skates. it is supposed to air Sunday at 10 during the sports segment. i have no idea if this is 10am or 10 pm.

i need new wrist guards- my cheap ones are falling apart.

I'm also trying to get together an outfit for the MyLifeLine.org benifet foundraiser next week.
my brother and sister-in-law will be speaking at the event.

all i can say is, thank god its thursday.

First Friday

To night is First Friday.
Art districts all over town- in many towns- are having late hours, crackers, sweaty cheese and possible booze. You can go, eat, view mostly terrible art- and some really great art- all for free.

for other things to do tonight, or for more info on the below locations, check out http://www.westword.com/

Tennyson St. from 38th to 45th Ave.
I will be there, and one of our roller girls has some photography on display at Studio 52. Grab some food while your out at Parisi or Tacos Jalisco. if you want more options head over to 32nd & Lowell- there are many food options.

Not too far from there is Pirate Art Oasis and a hand full of other oddities at 37th & Navajo. Try Patsys, or Pasquinis.

I like William Havu at 1040 Cherokee St. denver. there is another gallery right there as well- though the name escapes me. Havu always puts on an amazing show of very professional, very expensive art. Walk over to Pints Pub, or Denver Dinner for some grub.

if you want quantity, but not necessarily quality, you can head over to old Santa Fe Dr. between 6th and 10th. there are TONS of gallery's along here. We recommend eating at Arada.

tired

its Thursday.
were tired.
[were having tacos for dinner too...]

thursday is our veg night. our friday. our calaps on the couch and try to convince ourselves that we need to go to work in the morning.

monday-thursday home by 7:30 or 8. dinner by 9. shower and bed by 10:30.
friday- just work. no school, no skating- time to go out
saturday- run errands, etc etc
sunday- practice, home work, get togethers. and it all starts over again.

thank god for thursdays.

wow!? wheres all the snow!?

our thread vendor was here this morning. I don't know where hes from- at all.

its 65 F here today.

the first thing he said was "wow, i expected it to be cold and snowy. it nice you folks have a little break from all that snow you get."

I have relatives from Nebraska who don't come out because it might snow. you know, because the winters are so bad here. especially to ... nebraska.... yeah we totally have ice storms covered in snow and high winds beat.

beat with beautiful weather, that is. seriously. we have some cold days, the occasional snow storm. but really- its dry and comparably, very warm. and SUNNY. have i mentioned that its sunny like 360 days a year? oh, oh and its not icy.... and our sunsets- and sun rises for that matter, totally kick ass. not to mention all the other magic's of living in colorado- and more denver.Denver snow storm of 07- or 06- i dont rememberalso taken, colorado January.

I realises that the people reading this blog know this. but i had to get it off my chest.

Also. the flip flops i'm wearing? MY FEET ARE NOT COLD.

Season Opener!

That's right! it's a double header!

check out http://rockymountainrollergirls.com for more info.

[no, i'm not playing, but i'll be there- possibly selling cookie, or osmething.]

saw his shadow. whos supprised?

the ground hog did. maybe the problem is that they start this thing too late in the morning?

i would be more excited about the "less winter" thing, if snow was less a part of spring.

none the less, its very spring like this week, here in Denver.

7th Annual Boulder Strong Ale Fest

we saw a poster for this in our favorite small hipster liquor store tonight. Its put on by Avery Brewing Company in Boulder. all proceeds go to charity. Looks like a good time. don't know if we will go- will have to see where our food budget is at the end of the month. :)7th Annual Boulder Strong Ale Fest. February 27&28, 2009

Featuring 60+ of the finest high gravity draft beers from across America. Beers will be over 8% abv, with some created especially for this event. We have planned that ALL beers will be available at the start both sessions. $25 at the door gains you entry, a commemorative tasting glass, and sixteen, 2oz pour, tasting tickets. Additional sample tickets are two for $1. There are no advance ticket sales to this event.Proceeds will go to Local Charities.
The 2009 fest will be bigger than ever. We have a ton of new participants with exciting offerings!

Friday, February 27th: 4:00pm-10:00pm, Saturday February 28th: Noon-6:00pm

Featuring:
Avery (CO), Allagash (ME), Full Sail (OR), Shorts (MI), Stone (CA), Pizza Port (CA), Lagunitas (CA), Jolly Pumpkin (MI), Shorts (MI), Snake River (WY), Smuttynose (NH), Russian River (CA), Bear Republic (CA), Dogfish Head (DE), New Holland (MI), Moylan�s (CA), Flying Dog (MD), Left Hand (CO), Boulder Beer (CO), Golden City (CO), Pumphouse (CO), Mountain Sun (CO), Twisted Pine (CO), Oskar Blues (CO) Wild Mountain (CO) with still more to confirm!
Where: Harpo�s Sports Grill, 2860 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder 80303
www.harpossportsgrill.com

DERBY pain.

o god o god o god o god o god.....

they just announced that we are scrimmaging on Sunday.

see... several things...

i like falling drills and blocking drills and.. not really the part with the skating around the track.

i had a terrible practice yesterday. my ankles had been better- with only my arches hurting. last night i was back to the good ol' complete ankle and top of foot cramp. i cannot tell you how much this hurts. it makes my legs shake and my balance is gone. for get any speed [and i have none to begin with] forget trying to do the drill properly.
at the very end of practice last night- after i had been lagging behind everyone the whole time, we had a 1 min. sprint skate.

i had the best fucking 4 or 5 laps of my life. my legs didn't hurt, my feet didn't hurt, my lungs didn't hurt. i picked up speed, did some cross overs, didn't freak on the corners.

W. T. F.

i was excited. and fucking pissed.

i try to start practice with a positive head. i says "i'm going to go out there, and those crossovers are so yesterday. no big deal. do em like you grew up on skates."
and then... well.... yeah, sometimes i get my foot all the way around. but not usually. and it takes all my focus.

so when we scrimmage, we are supposed to be looking around, talking, blocking, making holes, doing whips- etc.
i'm trying to just skate with the group and stay low. that's it.

i keep telling my self to just not worry about it. to just enjoy it. laugh at my self. know i'll get better as i go.
i try. but its hard to do when you are the worst in the group. and i mean by far. i'm that kid that makes everyone else feel good about their skills, because at least they are better than me.

Here is my standing ovation to anyone who can do crossovers and not take them selves, or 3 other people out while doing them.

thigns..and things...

wow.... those arn't the right colors at all. i don't know what happened, but you can still read the info.
except for the times.... starts at 8 at Atomic Cowboy, we move on at 8:45, 9:30, 10 and 10:30.

___________________________________________________

i read a blog called Daily Danny. written [it appears] by Danny Seo- a super duper green guru, that totally kicks Martha's ass and makes her not only look snobby- but stuffy as well. [ok, we already know she was those things, but he just rubs it in.

today's blog was a fun little craft project to try with old plastic bags.

Check out todays blog to see how to make this fun "Peony"

pthhhhh!

guys really? i'm down to Tim, AP and my self reading my blog.... so sad.

google, you can aford better graphics!

when did google change their little logo on the corner of page tabs?? i hate it. noticed it yesterday, or the day before.

VOTE!

you can vote for more than one... i need to narrow it down.

dark pink are ones i really like, light pink are my next tier.

the green/yellow/red is related to how close they are on the availability list.


the thing aobut a derby name is, its not just on a shirt, or announced at bouts- its what you go by at practice and so forth.

so Madam Mame-ya goes by madam.
catholic cruel girl goes by Crulie

and so forth... but Li'l Bitch? i'm not entirely sure what to call her at practice.

derby names

vesper- good
agony christy- good
Iona Vespa- good to go
Hazle Nutt- good to go
Red hornet- Good to go
Kelly Green- good
beatrix plotter- maybe
princess vespa- ok
Paige Turner- maybe
Pearl Button- ok
Panic Button- ok
Polly Gone- ok
Pierce Hart- ok
annata verde? [vintage green]

Dinah Soares- ok
Wendy Storm- ok
Ginger Rael- maybe
Marsha Mellow- ok
Rae Gunn- no- but does not have date added??

Erin Go Braghless- prolly not

Helen Back- no
Dr. Payne- no
Estelle Hertz (it still hurts)- no
Polly Ester- no
Ophelia Payne- out
sting-Rae- no



http://www.ethanwiner.com/funnames.html -long list of fun names

http://www.twoevils.org/rollergirls/ --- check avalibility of derby names

Goodfellas

we watched Goodfellas last night. I cant believe i haven't seen this movie before- but i think its because i was thinking it was The Crew.

the reason, we determined was because the fronts of the movie box say "like Goodfellas meets Grumpy Old Men" [the below picture does not, i couldent get a copy on here that did]

good movie. I love mob movies. though a number of them seem to have escaped me. see i don't really make an effort to see many mob movies- we just watched The Godfather earlier this yr.

if you like mob movies, watch it. i think it may have launched a number of peoples carrears.

also The Crew is funny.

cat update.

Phenn is almost as big as Kabuki- and will be 6mo. in feb.
this photos was taken, just as she stopped cleaning his face. it was adorable.

Phenn LOVES to be out and running around the house. he and Kabuki play, and he is determined to be friends with Falkor. mostly he goes up to Falkor, Falkor hisses, Phenn just sites there and looks around, Falkor is confused and tolerates him as long as Phenn doesnt touch him.
Phenn tried to play with F the other day. kind of running and leaping at him, and then running away again. i dont think F liked it very much.
Ozzy hasnt learnd to just whap P when he tries to share food with him. instead hes just pissy and baks off. P is also trying to be friends with O. but it means sitting 3 feet away with a pair of boots between them.

the letter for today is "P" and the number 4.

target <3

i am happy to announce the "faeries & gnomes" is it's own section link at Target> Home Decore

compost pile

one of the first things we did in our yard when we moved in, was start a compost pile. we created a bowl shape from old sod we took out- to help incubate and speed up the decomposing process.
right now the compost pile is about the most colorful thing in our yard. i hope that this spring when we are ready to start planting, we will have some nutrient rich material to add to the mix.

the city of Denver is doing a composting program trail- where they give you the large bins [like recycling] and you fill them with branches and debris... probably also kitchen scraps if you don't have a pile of your own- but i would just use it for things too large for my pile. [we are not part of the pilot program- a limited number of homes were accepted.] every spring you can purchase compost and mulch from the city of Denver.


Our goal this year is [to finish the patio- oops.] to get a big vegetable garden composted, planted and mulched. we cleared a large area last fall and will just need to straiten up some borders, etc.


we also need to decide weather we want to rip out the whole back yard level it and re-sod it with nice grass- or if we want to try to fill in the lumps and get the grass to fill in and level out. I think the problem is that this is the original lawn from 1941.


the other big project is the front yard. our front yard is a weird hot weather grass, that is uber thick [but not soft] and doesn't not like to be green. ever. i guess the people before us covered the whole thing in miracle grow every year, to get it to green up. this lawn REALLY need to ripped out and re-did.

i started a very small tulip bed last fall. just for something that is pretty out there. but we really need to take out the whole front slope- as it doesn't grow anything but weeds.- wish i could remember what color tulips i bought.

speaking of projects- the sprinklers need to be seriously worked on. need to budget for that. need to have actually payed sprinkler guys come out and mess with it.


when we moved in last spring, my mom gifted us with a full out landscape plan for the property. it will probably take us several years to get things done, but we can work on small sections at a time- every little bit helps.


my other fascination with our house is the built in planter by one of the windows [inside]. we thought we were going to have an herb garden- but have not been too successful with that. i have a few potted plants added in as well, and its looking nice and cherry- though i still don't have any geraniums.
i have also always wanted a fancy terrarium. like the one pictured above. of course i want a vintage one- and of course my spending limit is $20 or less. [the one above is from Smith & Hawkin. on sale for $47] so if anyone comes across one send me a pic. please!

ulg.

so much for Metro being good about their students having lives and shit.

basically my gripe is that i have 48 hrs to get a whole bunch of art supplies. i was hoping to have until this weekend. but NO. sheesh. 48 hrs. i have been home 1.5 hrs. i am going to bed. i will be up maybe an hr. before work tomorrow- then i will have half hr. between home and skating. then i will be home around 8pm. then i go to bed by 10, so i can be at work by 7 the next morning.

see where i have all that free time to shop around various art suply stores to get supplies exactly as listed.

1.20.09

this is a magic date. maybe not for everyone, but for a lot of people. i have the text of the speech here. you can find the video almost anywhere online at this time.

i bought the above T-shirt in August. my mom didn't get it. i continue to think its truth.

I cant wait to see what this man can do.



here is Obama's inaugural speech:

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

tim's new laptop

yes. that's actual size. so i s the mouse that's next to it.

1 gig. solid state HD., 3lbs etc. etc.
shiny.
tiny.

its good for internet and typing. which is exactly what he wanted.


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you may have noticed lately that i am including pictures, even if they are specific. this is kind of a quiet new years goal for me. i like blogs with pictures. i try to add more pictures. i try for a lot of these to be ones i have taken- but that doesn't always happen. [like yesterday.]

whew. glad thats over.

so it was a very long weekend... in fact i wouldn't call it a weekend, because it never ended- it just continued on forever..and ever...

Mart is over. I dont have to go to Stock Show again.

and i am being launched full speed into spring.

skating tonight- and school starts tomorrow.

our new schedule is this: we'll be home by 8. on fridays we'll be home by 5 or earlier. weekends are open, except 12-2 on sunday for me. first saturdays of the month are Bouts... i assume mostly in the evening.

we will be busy.

but i'm excited. i'm excited for spring, and excited about getting our yard into shape- in colorado its an issue to not start too early, so new things dont freeze. we have long warm falls and cold wet springs.i REALLY need to get my house cleaned up. the last of the xmas stuff away, some things filed [our cabnet is a mess.. mostly my fault, tim is good at neat filing. it would be nice to have a big old filing cablent and i can have my messy drawer, and tim can keep the rest neat and claen.], things picked up, sorted, thrown away- xmas thank yous still need to go out, craft projects, etc.

i am dieing to get out of town. just for the weekend, just a small trip. we are planning to go to Kansas in May. and as excited as i am about that, i would like to go somewhere else before that. and preferably sooner than later.