January 11, 2007

Ha! Here’s proof!

I kinda resent y’all trying to steal my thunder. I posted below about decluttering & you each seem to think that you are better than me at burying yourself in detritus. Ah, you are so ill-informed. I was going through my photo files and look what I found! The above is dated June 30, 2005. That’s the work table in my office, where I do my books, sort files, pay bills and such. Well, I used to. I haven’t actually seen enough space for most of those activities in quite a while. See the large stack of files to the left? There is an almost identical stack in the same place today, just slightly larger. The heap of clutter to the right of the TV? Oh, I wish my camera worked so I could show you that today it’s actually two fallen-over heaps supporting each other. That slick-looking roll of something under the left rear corner of the table? That’s a large laminated poster called “Bad Bugs” that should be on my wall. It shows identification photos of the more common wood destroying insects, along with damage typical of each species. I love that poster. I really should put it on the wall. Today it’s in the back of the supply closet. It’s behind the old phones I want to give to the shelter for abused women, and the reams and reams of different colored paper I use when I print notices for the homeowner’s association. It’s not likely I could get close enough to the wall to hang my poster anyway, so I guess I’ll leave it where it is for now. I don’t know what the rest of the stuff under the table is. Hey, give me a break! It was almost two years ago. My industry magazines are in racks behind the stack of files, and I see pink receivables binder beside them. My purple binder for my service account log is on the front/center of the table under a single file. Maybe I actually logged that file the day I did the work. That used to happen. I probably thought about turning to my right and taking a picture of my cluttery desk that day, too. And I probably concuded that it was so embarrassingly messy that I didn’t want to record it for posterity. Which, of course, means it was much messier than the work table. This was near the launch of an effort back then to tackle my messes and clean them up. It didn’t work, as verifiable to anyone who should see that picture and also get a look at the same view today.

So, anyway, no more of this stuff where you come here & whine that your stuff is messier then my stuff. This is one crown I’ve earned for myself and you’re not going to take it away. I am the champion … when it comes to clutter!

Playing catch-up

I haven’t blogged about the clutter problems in a while because it would be too embarrassing to say how little I had been doing. I’ve been working on it the last few days. I won’t claim to have made up for lost time. Years upon years of slothful behavior can not be wiped away in mere days. However:

The guest room is clean. That nice queen-sized bed is such a convenient place to pile stuff that I’ve bought “for later.” Also a wonderful place to spread things out when wrapping gifts. We’re not talking Christmas here, folks. There was gift wrap I used last summer on that bed. The gift wrap and clutter have been put in their proper places. BONUS: I have scissors! I have tape!

Need to strip the bed & launder the linens in the next few days so it will be fresh and ready in case I ever get guests.

My office is not clean, but:
All reports are in properly labeled folders.
The reports were properly date-ordered and entered into the books.
The reports then properly alpha-ordered for filing.
Filing is still months behind.
All invoices and check receipts for the last month or so were then put into the books and filed away.
New checks opened, entered into accounts and collections.
New checks stamped, added up on deposit slip and ready to deposit.
Supplies for accomplishig all of the above are properly in their place so I don’t have to search under and around months of back-filing to find the stapler & the check-endorsement stamp next time.

Okay, even listed item by item it doesn’t sound like much, but you should have seen how disorganized my office was. Actually, I’m glad you didn’t! I’ll try to finish up in here tomorrow, then will have two rooms (guest & office) completely clutter-free. That would be a good thing!

January 10, 2007

Legally blogged

I’ve seen a lot of talk lately in the blogsphere about the legal rights of bloggers. We may (or may not) think of our blogs as a journal wherein we talk to our friends and others who happen to wander by. The fact is that we are publishers and anyone can see what we write. Some people may take offense, whether because we’ve stepped on their own toes or because they believe we’ve somehow caused public harm by what we’ve written. Bloggers have been known to innocently place protected material on their blogs. We can get sued for that, you know. Some bloggers blatantly steal writing and images and claim them for their own. What are you supposed to do if someone else is taking credit for your work? All of these scenarios can cause us headaches, and may end up getting us dragged into court.

Someone recently gave me a link to a site that helps us sort this out. If I could remember who that was I’d thank them by name, but I’ve forgotten now. Please don’t sue me! The Electronic Frontier Foundation outlines bloggers’ rights and liabilities. Every blogger should study the site, then add it to their blogroll or bookmarks for easy access. They do not claim to give legal advice for specific cases, but provide guidlines that could keep you out of a sticky situation. I’ve only read a small amount of the material that EFF makes available and have already learned some very useful information. Check them out. Think about joining them. Send them a check! They’re doing a good thing for all of us!

January 14, 2007 - Update! This post has been linked to the Postie Carnival. Check it out!

January 9, 2007

Do us working folks a favor, please?

I was just over at my friend Angie’s blog and was reminded of something I had not gotten around to blogging about. You see, Angie has chickens and ducks. Nice to live like that, with animals around. I spent a lot of summer vacations with both sets of grandparents when I was growing up, and they all had animals. Between them and their neighbors I was exposed to chickens, ducks, geese, goats, sheep and cows as a child. As I mentioned in a previous post, one of my grandmothers raised small animals “for table,” mostly chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs. That seems to me a more healthful and natural was to expose a child to the world than through malls and super-highways, the suburban world where I raised my son.

What Angie wrote that inspired me, though, was a particular aspect of raising animals out loose in ones yard. Angie recently discovered that her ducks have been laying eggs under her house. Since this does not appeal to her she’s decided to block off her crawl space so egg-laying can be done in more accessible areas. Bless her! She’s a gal after my own heart.

You all know (or should by now!) that I do termite inspections. Yes, this old gal crawls around under houses for a living. It’s ususally “just part of the job,” though sometimes it’s especially interesting or fun. It’s nice when you crawl out and present the homeowner with an old, cracked teacup you found. Even moreso when she bursts out crying and explains that it’s the last remnant of her grandmother’s china. Sometimes it’s downright unpleasant. An early employer used to have me carry a pocket recorder and note my findings audibly while I inspected. I’ve still got a cassett around here somewhere that goes something like this: “The crawl space is dry and well-ventilated. (click) There are subterranean termite tubes extending up the foundation wall beneath the master bathroom. (click) There’s drywood termite damage to the rim joist and droppings on the sill beneath OH #%@%*&! I just stuck my hand inside a dead cat!”

Through laughing yet? I’ve crawled around dead dogs and cats and through chicken, duck and goose poop. I’ve accidentally cornered skunks, possums, racoons and other critters. I’ve been cornered myself by territorial geese and dogs. There are actually people in this world who dispose of dog poops by raking or hosing them under their houses. I don’t know how they live with the smell, but will testify that they do it!

I’m here today to voice my humble plea. If you live in a house with raised foundations, please, please, please fence around your crawl space. It doesn’t really matter how you do it, whether with garden lattice, chicken wire or fancy carpentry.** Could you do that for me? And for the entire pest control industry? And for the telephone repair crew, the plumber, the electrician and the cable guy? We all hate crawling around in animal muck and over the remains of the neighbor’s missing cat. We thank you!

Oh, good, you’re done already! Did you read Ang.’s Chicken Coop Yet? Well, good again; you’re on a roll! Now go see what else she’s been up to at A Bit of This and That.

You can thank me for it later!

**I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that you should NOT create any contact between earth and wood while accomplishing this task. To do so would create a nice little bridge for termites to use to enter your house.

Email forwards

I get tons of email forwards from family and a friends. Some of them make me crazy. How hard is it to copy and paste the original content to your mailing list, instead of forwarding a forward of a forward of a forward? How many private email addresses have you forwarded to me (from folks who don’t know me and might not want me to have their addresses?) How many have you shared my address with? Shame on you!

One of my cousins (actually she’s married to a cousin) is a thoughtful emailer. She “blinds” addresses, and only sends me selections from her forwarded mail that she thinks will interest me. This post is dedicated to Kathy for her thoughtfulness! She’ll never see it, of course. My blog will lose a lot of its entertainment value if my family ever finds out about it! Here’s part of a forward Kathy sent me today. I hope enjoy you’ll this in her place!

And finally, for all of my postie friends who are recovering from the latest scavanger hunt:

January 8, 2007

Calling Crunchy Carpets!

Sweet thing, I haven’t been able to get into your site in ages. I get a search page instead. I know you’re online & think you’re okay because you’ve commented bunches of times. Is there a secret to getting into your blog these days? New URL? I need to catch up on you & your family! There’s an email toggle here somewhere (on my profile,I think,) or you can leave a comment.

Any of our mutual friends who have a clue, I’d welcome your help!

January 7, 2007

For Cass

My camera became brain-damaged on Christmas Day, and I’m pretty sure it went through its final death throes on New Year’s Day when I was trying to take pictures of the fire. My timing was always lousy!

My friend Cass has just started a new photoblog. She’s invited one and all to join her for Self Portrait Sunday which, of course, I can’t really play right now. I can cheat, though. I know this because most of Cass’s friends weren’t any more ready than I am, so they’ve posted non-self portraits. I’ve dug around in my files and come up with a real exclusive!

Above you see me, mid-eighties, with the ex. He was trying not to be the ex that day. He’d been out of my life for quite a few years, but he had a habit of showing up from time to time. That was fine. We shared a son. But then Mr. Ex would disappear again for another few years. Each time he came back he’d suddenly remember that he loved me madly and wanted me in his life. The first time he did this I bought it. That’s when we married. Our son was three. I was young and foolish enough to think that his father and I could make a family for him. We were together for a whole five months before that fell apart. The next time I saw him was probably about five or six years later. I got a call from a lawyer saying Mr. Ex was back in town, in jail, and needed help with bail. I brought him a carton of cigarettes and we visited for a half an hour. Then I got a lawyer and had him served with divorce papers. He thought that was cold. I thought it was pragmatic, considering that it was the first time he’d had an actual address in many years.

Fast forward to the occasion above. My life had become more settled. I had entered the profession I still serve today. I was on the board of our local industy association and had committed to go to our annual picnic. Mr. Ex showed up and wanted to spend the day with our son. Son said no thanks, I’d rather go to the picnic. He was getting ready to start his senior year in high school and quite able to make his own decisions. Mr. Ex also told our son that he needed to drop out of school and go into the U.S. Army, as he, his father and his grandfather had done. Son said no thanks. So we all went to the picnic.

And why is the picture considered an exclusive? Well, because it was one of only three occassions where we were photographed together. We had a very small family album.

Cass would like you to join her and all of her friends for Self Portrait Sunday. I’ll install a button when someone tells me how. Today you can just follow the link above and it will take you right there! Don’t be shy now!

January 6, 2007

Meet my fellas!

I talked about some of my gal friends a while back and promised equal time for the menfolk. Here are some of the guys who make my world go around

Steve, over at The beginnings of a Blog, is a tech wiz. He knows and understands all the gadgets that make our lives click along smoothly these days. He’s also great at hunting down links for new sites that help you stay informed. But our Steve is not a one-dimensional guy. He’s a Canadian living in New York and going to Long Island University on a track scholarship. Did I mention that he’s got a wicked sense of humor? Wonder where he finds the time to dedicate to the research that keeps his blog up-to-the-minute?

Drew and I have been visiting each others blogs & talking on a message board for a while now. He and his lovely lady Allison are both excellent photographers. He’s posted a Photo-A-Day since April 9, 2005 and has invited other bloggers to join his Photo-A-Day project. Drew is a true renaissance man. He collects Transformers, and even posts tasty recipes! Every time I prowl around in his archives I find something new that I didn’t know about this talented guy!

Osman has the heart of a poet. I’ve been reading his About the things that occupy my mind for a while now. His posts are always interesting and thoughtful. He’s a multi-talented guy who recently excitedly announced his second blog, Linguistics and Languages. Osman, you see, is a linguist and languages are his passion. He is studying at university to be an English teacher. He is multi-lingual and has installed a translator program on the site so that it can be read in twelve different languages. I especially enjoyed his round-up post of others’ thoughts and opinions on languages. I was quite honored when he asked me to be his first guest blogger.

As a newbie blogger and totally non-tech, I frequently find myself facing glitches in my posting. Techie has come running to my aid several times when I’ve had technical questions. He’s another who is a great resource for gadgets and sites to enhance your online experience. He’s recently started a gift selection site with attitude. He likes to share amusing tidbits that he finds when he’s surfing around. Oh, and I should mention that it looks like his little girl is making her first appearance in the world this weekend. Congrats to Techie & wife!

In addition to all of their other sterling attributes, my fellas are all handsome and studly, and they all know how to treat a gal to make her feel oh-so-special. Drew and Techie are taken (alas!) but Osman and Steve are single guys still looking for love. Skeet’s matchmaking service will, for a small fee, arrange a more personal introduction for you gals out there who are also searching.

January 5, 2007

I got tagged: Favorite movies

My friend Jules tagged me. I have to tell you about my five favorite movies. It’s hard to pick because there are so many good ones out there. I’ve watched each of the ones below many times, but they aren’t the only ones to share that dubious honor. I love the old Lerner & Lowe and Rogers & Hammerstein musicals, but didn’t include them. Brigadoon is available on DVD now, so I’m going to use a gift card from Christmas to pick that up soon. I love grainy, silly black-and-white sci-fi flics … the kind where you sometimes see a boom descend into the screenshot and you have to laugh at the goofiness of the monsters. I adore really good kid-flics and probably have as many of those as I do adult fare. Alfred Hitchcock is still my master of suspense. But, for a general audience, here are my five:

I first watched because of Johnny Depp, of course (don’t we all!) His sexiness and charisma come through, no matter what the role. He’s never relied on that alone, though I’m pretty sure he could. His movies are all fresh and original, and he knows how to pick his roles. What surprised about this one was my reaction to Brando. He’s always been a fine actor, but I never particularly thought about him one way or another. Surprise! He’s huge in his role as DJDM’s therapist - I’m referring to his physical shape - but wow! He exudes sexuality and intelligence and wit. Made a fan out of me.

This one is probably catalogued as a romantic comedy, and I certainly like that type, but I think that The American President is head and shoulders above most of this genre. Smart and sexy, Michael Douglas and Annette Benning create solid, believable characters that you feel like you really know early in the show. They’re both so intelligent and strong-willed, you know there’s going to be an intersting conflict. The supporting cast all carried their roles extremely well also. This one is great fun with a just the right level of tension and drama thrown in to keep it from being too sugary sweet.

A group of unemployed Irish guys decide to put on a show a ‘la Chippindales. You know you’re going to love it from the opening credits. I still laugh until I cry every time I watch it, still get teary over the sad parts & still want just a little more of a peek at the end. Why, oh why did they not shoot the final shot from the audience’s perspective?!

Not just one of the best baseball movies ever. One of the*best*movies*ever, period. First there’s Kevin Costner. Yum! Get over it and get into the story (I know, hard for some of us to get over Kevin. That’s like trying to get over Johnny Depp. Not sure it’s do-able, but try.) We all have a field of dreams. A seemingly impossible task that only we have faith in, and we’ve fought it because it’s so ridiculously farfetched. This story is all about stretching, and reaching and believing and doing. Making the intagible dream become a reality. But you know that. You’ve all watched it and felt that stirring to drag your dreams out into the light of day. It’s not about magical slippers. It’s about taking that leap of faith, even though common sense says you’ll never reach the other side. Field of Dreams makes us believe we can.

Perhaps one of the saddest movies ever made, certainly the saddest for our times, because it’s the terrible reality we’re all living with. The all-star cast is a good enough reason to watch, but it’s the story that is the true star here. Political - not my thing at all. Controversial - I usually avoid that, too. Still, it sucks the breath out of my lungs and leaves me shaking, crying, feeling so helpless. Yet I’ve gone back to it time and again, and I know I’ll continue to do so. It’s too compelling to just watch once. It’s too important to not share. Watch it. Get angry. Then do something. Yes, there’s a special reason that I ask you to watch it, but you don’t need one, trust me. If you haven’t watched it, please, please do.

Now for the fun part. I tag Drew and Osman because they love good movies, too! Now I need to find one more. Any volunteers?

Ah, finally! I also tag my sweet,good friend scorpy01!

Insteresting things happen while Hawaii sleeps

It’s six o’cock in the morning. I’m waiting for my coffee to finish dripping so it can help my pry my eyes open. I had detoured into my home office to turn on my computer on the way to the kitchen like I do every morning. I guess it’s just as well that the coffee isn’t ready yet, because I’d surely have sprayed it all over the monitor when I opened my mail. See, this gal I know online recently took a European vacation. She recorded everything with her HP Camera and has been generously sharing her photos with anyone who wants to see them. But I must be very special, because she gave me an exclusive piece of a lovely collage she’s making. Some of you know just why that’s so special. Since you’re my friends, I thought I’d share it with you also.

Coffee’s ready! Y’all come on over & share a cup with me. Today’s special is Kona macadamia nut.