Ok, so this is usually the month that I whine *hot and heavy* (hee,hee) about the heat and especially the humidity. My hair turns into a frizzed mop when it's humid...and I love sleek hair...which I rarely have in the summer because of the humidity. But this summer we are having a record cold wave. It hasn't been this cold in Iowa since 1891! It's hard to complain about an average temperature of 68.2 degrees (Fahrenheit). For once - in over a hundred years - Iowa is not the worst weather state in the nation for July.
The rest of the country is steaming, like Washington and Oregon...or drying up in drought like Texas. No weather whining is killing me.....
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
after BlogHer, more blogging
Back from BlogHer '09. This was my first time, and I only signed up for one day of the conference. I could have used another day...the first day was overwhelming because it was such a huge group, about 1400 attendees. I was hoping to connect with more people on a more personal level...and maybe it's just me getting old, but I found the noise level deafening rather than energizing. Yes, if memory serves me correctly, I used to enjoy a good loud rock concert...when I was younger!
A persistent subject at the conference revolved around how much of yourself to reveal in a personal blog. Should you reveal family names or discuss personal family issues? How much of your own, complex, personal self should you reveal? And will you pay a price for revealing your most intimate self -- to the entire blogosphere? It's a very complex subject; some bloggers have been disowned by their families for what they have posted in their blogs.
I wonder if it's the scope of blogging that creates some of the problems? In the pre-technology days, save for professional writers, most of us made our comments and thoughts available only at neighborhood coffee klatches or family reunions. Sure, our words insulted or shocked occasionally, but we were among friends who knew we were an all-around good person despite a shocking comment,...and familial obligation kept us invited to our family reunions, despite what we might "blab" after a few drinks at those reunions.
On an internet blog, our words expand worldwide. The possibility is there for our words being misinterpreted or our being misunderstood as a person because of a small selection of our words on a blog. My blog has very few readers so far, yet my words reached far enough that I received a negative comment for posting a whine about the weather on the afternoon of Michael Jackson's death. The post was actually a draft that I had created on Blogger the night before, and I just clicked "publish draft" before leaving work for the day. I am a middle-aged white woman blogging in the Midwest...I spend my days working in the typical "cube farm"...I am one of the last people to hear the latest breaking national news when I'm buried in a work project. But my blog posting managed to touch a nerve with someone for whom Michael Jackson was a significant part of her life.
At first I was hurt by the comment...until I remembered how much I identified with the late Princess Diana. Diana was English royalty...of which I know nothing...but I really empathized with her status as a rejected divorced woman and single mom. I was devastated by Diana's unfair and untimely death. Husband Meester and I went on a tour of Scotland after Diana and Prince Charles's divorce and all the American ladies on the tour bus became incensed at the sight of a shop window with a mannequin of Prince Charles next to a mannequin of Camilla Parker-Bowles in a wedding dress. The British woman guide leading our tour defended Camilla because Camilla, while a married woman, carried on her affair with Charles discretely, as befitting royal tradition. That remark made the American women literally howl with indignation. For the most part, we Americans don't understand the workings of royalty.
So, as writers have always done, we as bloggers offer our personal selves to the world, for agreement or disagreement...for friendship or hostility...for better or worse. But we're going to keep on posting, revealing ourselves as we choose...and there's a little "X" in the upper right corner of your browser when you don't like what you read. It's a big enough blogosphere for us all.
A persistent subject at the conference revolved around how much of yourself to reveal in a personal blog. Should you reveal family names or discuss personal family issues? How much of your own, complex, personal self should you reveal? And will you pay a price for revealing your most intimate self -- to the entire blogosphere? It's a very complex subject; some bloggers have been disowned by their families for what they have posted in their blogs.
I wonder if it's the scope of blogging that creates some of the problems? In the pre-technology days, save for professional writers, most of us made our comments and thoughts available only at neighborhood coffee klatches or family reunions. Sure, our words insulted or shocked occasionally, but we were among friends who knew we were an all-around good person despite a shocking comment,...and familial obligation kept us invited to our family reunions, despite what we might "blab" after a few drinks at those reunions.
On an internet blog, our words expand worldwide. The possibility is there for our words being misinterpreted or our being misunderstood as a person because of a small selection of our words on a blog. My blog has very few readers so far, yet my words reached far enough that I received a negative comment for posting a whine about the weather on the afternoon of Michael Jackson's death. The post was actually a draft that I had created on Blogger the night before, and I just clicked "publish draft" before leaving work for the day. I am a middle-aged white woman blogging in the Midwest...I spend my days working in the typical "cube farm"...I am one of the last people to hear the latest breaking national news when I'm buried in a work project. But my blog posting managed to touch a nerve with someone for whom Michael Jackson was a significant part of her life.
At first I was hurt by the comment...until I remembered how much I identified with the late Princess Diana. Diana was English royalty...of which I know nothing...but I really empathized with her status as a rejected divorced woman and single mom. I was devastated by Diana's unfair and untimely death. Husband Meester and I went on a tour of Scotland after Diana and Prince Charles's divorce and all the American ladies on the tour bus became incensed at the sight of a shop window with a mannequin of Prince Charles next to a mannequin of Camilla Parker-Bowles in a wedding dress. The British woman guide leading our tour defended Camilla because Camilla, while a married woman, carried on her affair with Charles discretely, as befitting royal tradition. That remark made the American women literally howl with indignation. For the most part, we Americans don't understand the workings of royalty.
So, as writers have always done, we as bloggers offer our personal selves to the world, for agreement or disagreement...for friendship or hostility...for better or worse. But we're going to keep on posting, revealing ourselves as we choose...and there's a little "X" in the upper right corner of your browser when you don't like what you read. It's a big enough blogosphere for us all.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Friday bullet points
My Friday so far
This post inspired by Defective Typewriter's post this morning.
- One co-worker is eating coleslaw at his desk for breakfast.
- One co-worker is both humming and singing religious hymns - out loud, for christ's sake! (oops, did I just say that? humming makes me crazy.)
- The reception desk (which is way too close to my cubicle) is really noisy with customers today.
- I just got handed a pile of requests for data queries to do for a co-worker who is leaving town now, guaranteeing I will have questions about said requests that can't be answered.
- It's an uncharacteristically, for Iowa in July, beautiful and cool day outside - and I am stuck inside.
- I am eating a bagful of Nestle's chocolate morsels - which means I will have a big chocolate rush but will be stuck at my desk having to work it out through my keyboard.
- I hate my job *whine* ...parts of it, anyway....
- My BFF co-worker, H, is commiserating with me through IM. If it wasn't for H and our shared love of making fun of co-workers and comparing everything in our office to "The Office" tv show, sometimes I couldn't make it through the day. Our favorite comment about our office is "You just can't make this stuff up!" It can be that crazy.
This post inspired by Defective Typewriter's post this morning.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Not so gardeny good
Know what I hate? I hate trying to drift through my garden as the last rays of sun brush the leaves and flower petals with fading gold...inhaling the day's last breath of flower scent...and getting the holy crap bitten out of me by the mosquitoes and no-see-ums.
But what I really hate is when I'm sitting at my computer half an hour later...and see something dangling at the periphery of my vision...and realize that I've had a spider from the garden crawling through my hair for the past half hour!
EWWW!
But what I really hate is when I'm sitting at my computer half an hour later...and see something dangling at the periphery of my vision...and realize that I've had a spider from the garden crawling through my hair for the past half hour!
EWWW!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Random question
I may use "running in a hamster wheel" as a metaphor for my life...and I really scamper around in my own way every day...but I just don't get the obsession with the "pound-the-pavement for miles every day while sweating buckets and wearing skimpy nylon clothing" kind of running. I tried running for one week about 20 years ago...got shin splints...well, it felt like it...and decided that I got enough physical activity for the moment just being a single mom and working full-time.
One element of running that I really don't get is the compulsion to run on a public roadway. We live in a subdivision at the very edge of the city limits, surrounded by farm fields. The only road to our area is an old, narrow, winding country road with no real "shoulders" on the sides. The land slopes sharply upward on one side with tall grasses that are only occasionally mowed. The flatter side of the road consists of weeds, litter, and dead raccoons and possums, with an occasional reeking dead skunk. How attractive is that for running?!
And yet, there are runners on that road all the time. This morning we encountered two runners abreast of each other, so that they were in the actual roadway itself. Drivers were barreling down the road, late to work, still half-asleep, sun blinding their eyes, only one hand on the steering wheel with coffee mug or cell phone in the other. The Meester and I are just old enough that we slowed down, with irritation, and circled cautiously around said runners. It's a scenario just waiting for disaster.
I really don't understand it. Our city has miles and miles of safe trails for runners and walkers and bicyclists...all funded by my tax dollars. And funded by the runners tax dollars too, I might add, so why not use those trails? (I just finished taking an evening walk on one of these trails myself.) You runners out there must get asked this question often, (probably by the guy shouting out the window of his gigantic pick-up truck while giving you the one-finger wave...but that wasn't be me...if you're wondering) so what's your answer?
I'm sure I could peruse every running blog for the answer, but that thought makes me tired, so I'll just ask. Thanks.
One element of running that I really don't get is the compulsion to run on a public roadway. We live in a subdivision at the very edge of the city limits, surrounded by farm fields. The only road to our area is an old, narrow, winding country road with no real "shoulders" on the sides. The land slopes sharply upward on one side with tall grasses that are only occasionally mowed. The flatter side of the road consists of weeds, litter, and dead raccoons and possums, with an occasional reeking dead skunk. How attractive is that for running?!
And yet, there are runners on that road all the time. This morning we encountered two runners abreast of each other, so that they were in the actual roadway itself. Drivers were barreling down the road, late to work, still half-asleep, sun blinding their eyes, only one hand on the steering wheel with coffee mug or cell phone in the other. The Meester and I are just old enough that we slowed down, with irritation, and circled cautiously around said runners. It's a scenario just waiting for disaster.
I really don't understand it. Our city has miles and miles of safe trails for runners and walkers and bicyclists...all funded by my tax dollars. And funded by the runners tax dollars too, I might add, so why not use those trails? (I just finished taking an evening walk on one of these trails myself.) You runners out there must get asked this question often, (probably by the guy shouting out the window of his gigantic pick-up truck while giving you the one-finger wave...but that wasn't be me...if you're wondering) so what's your answer?
I'm sure I could peruse every running blog for the answer, but that thought makes me tired, so I'll just ask. Thanks.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
P.S. to Steampunk me
Oh yea, this is why I don't do a blog draft...during lunch at work...between spoonfuls of yogurt...which I dripped on my keyboard...and then just hit "Publish Post" later...without checking my work. I left out a whole paragraph - the reason why I happened to be reminded of the "How Not To Act Old" blog post about steampunk.
Tuesday night husband Meester and I watched the premiere episode of "Warehouse 13" on the Sci Fi network. (excuse me; thye changed the name of the network from Sci Fi to Syfy. Meh.) Anyhoo, the show is full of steampunk gadgets. So I spent the episode squealing "Look - steampunk!"...and Meester would say "Huh, what's that?" Just so I could look all young and hip and all...
Tuesday night husband Meester and I watched the premiere episode of "Warehouse 13" on the Sci Fi network. (excuse me; thye changed the name of the network from Sci Fi to Syfy. Meh.) Anyhoo, the show is full of steampunk gadgets. So I spent the episode squealing "Look - steampunk!"...and Meester would say "Huh, what's that?" Just so I could look all young and hip and all...
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Steampunk me
Read this post a few weeks ago on the "How Not To Act Old" blog. The author mentioned hearing the word "steampunk" in a panel discussion and not knowing what steampunk was about. She even mentioned a twitter thread - started by Rainn Wilson, aka the Dwight character from "The Office" tv show - about one of the things that makes you officially old is not knowing about steampunk.
Yay! I know about steampunk! and I like it! More proof that I'm not too old yet. I loved the steampunk laptop pictured in the blog post, with the wee brass claw feet...and this steampunk keyboard, with the vintage old brass typewriter keys.
Ummm, does that fact that I know all about typewriters, because I used a typewriter to produce my school papers...make me old? ...and the fact that even if I wore steampunk lingerie - I would look nowhere near as hot as the models pictured? ...hmmm, maybe I just need some full body tattoos?
Yay! I know about steampunk! and I like it! More proof that I'm not too old yet. I loved the steampunk laptop pictured in the blog post, with the wee brass claw feet...and this steampunk keyboard, with the vintage old brass typewriter keys.
Ummm, does that fact that I know all about typewriters, because I used a typewriter to produce my school papers...make me old? ...and the fact that even if I wore steampunk lingerie - I would look nowhere near as hot as the models pictured? ...hmmm, maybe I just need some full body tattoos?
Monday, July 6, 2009
Lavender delicious
Whew, I can't believe it's the 6th of July already, and I haven't posted yet this month. Hopefully my trip to BlogHer '09 will get me inspired to post more often. How does every other blogger find time to post everyday? After a day at work, I'm often too tired or busy with housework or not home till late, and I end up saying "I'll have to post tomorrow, for sure...but then it's the same thing all over again tomorrow. I do try to do a post draft during my lunch hour sometimes, so that I can click "Publish Post" later, but not often enough...obviously. And I'm still trying to find my "voice", or a "theme", or whatever. (Is whiny and boring a theme?)
And boy, can I dwell on the same annoying weather theme over and over again! So I won't even mention that it rained almost all day on the 4th - okay?
Since I couldn't go out most of the day (won't mention that we missed a favorite local 4th of July parade because it was pouring rain - okay?), I did some baking. I have many scone recipes, none of which I've tried...I tend to focus on baking muffins. But I found this recipe for lavender scones deeply buried in a pile of untried recipe clippings. My lavender plants have not done well this year...ummm, that might be due to all the cloudy and rainy weather...(I just had to say it). But I was able to pick enough lavender buds for this recipe. (Had to dry the buds for a little while in a slightly warm oven - due them being wet from you-know-what.)
This picture is a little over-exposed from the flash, but notice the wee lavender flower at the top peaking out of one scone.
LAVENDER SCONES
2 Cups flour
1/3 Cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar, separated
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
3 tsp. fresh lavender flower buds, or 2 tsp. dried buds
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 Cup whole milk or half-and-half
egg wash: 1 beaten egg plus 1 Tbsp. water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together the flour, 1/3 Cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs. Stir in the lavender flower buds. In a small bowl, combine the egg, vanilla, and milk. Add to the flour mixture and stir to blend into a soft, sticky dough. Turn dough out onto a well-floured board, cover, and let rest for 15 minutes.
Knead dough gently, adding just enough flour so that the dough doesn't stick to your fingers. Pat it out to about an inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter that has been dipped in regular sugar, cut into rounds. (I just patted the dough into a round and sliced across it with a sugared knife; kind of like cutting pizza slices, but gently. Scottish scones are often triangular shaped like this.) Place on ungreased baking sheet. Brush each round with egg wash and sprinkle with the reserved sugar. Bake until light golden brown (12 - 16 minutes). Remove immediately from baking sheet to wire rack to cool. Cool - are they kidding? These scones are delicious buttered and wolfed down while still hot!
And boy, can I dwell on the same annoying weather theme over and over again! So I won't even mention that it rained almost all day on the 4th - okay?
Since I couldn't go out most of the day (won't mention that we missed a favorite local 4th of July parade because it was pouring rain - okay?), I did some baking. I have many scone recipes, none of which I've tried...I tend to focus on baking muffins. But I found this recipe for lavender scones deeply buried in a pile of untried recipe clippings. My lavender plants have not done well this year...ummm, that might be due to all the cloudy and rainy weather...(I just had to say it). But I was able to pick enough lavender buds for this recipe. (Had to dry the buds for a little while in a slightly warm oven - due them being wet from you-know-what.)
This picture is a little over-exposed from the flash, but notice the wee lavender flower at the top peaking out of one scone.
LAVENDER SCONES
2 Cups flour
1/3 Cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar, separated
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
3 tsp. fresh lavender flower buds, or 2 tsp. dried buds
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 Cup whole milk or half-and-half
egg wash: 1 beaten egg plus 1 Tbsp. water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together the flour, 1/3 Cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs. Stir in the lavender flower buds. In a small bowl, combine the egg, vanilla, and milk. Add to the flour mixture and stir to blend into a soft, sticky dough. Turn dough out onto a well-floured board, cover, and let rest for 15 minutes.
Knead dough gently, adding just enough flour so that the dough doesn't stick to your fingers. Pat it out to about an inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter that has been dipped in regular sugar, cut into rounds. (I just patted the dough into a round and sliced across it with a sugared knife; kind of like cutting pizza slices, but gently. Scottish scones are often triangular shaped like this.) Place on ungreased baking sheet. Brush each round with egg wash and sprinkle with the reserved sugar. Bake until light golden brown (12 - 16 minutes). Remove immediately from baking sheet to wire rack to cool. Cool - are they kidding? These scones are delicious buttered and wolfed down while still hot!
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