Last night started out with the potential to be a fun filled, interesting evening. I had done my hair, planned an outfit with heels, and was even wearing lipstick and mascara. I had purchased tickets to a performance at a small local theatre, a Neil Simon work, my man was willing to come with me, and there was the possibility of friends showing up to share the evening with us. I was hoping to go for drinks afterwards.
We left an hour before the performance was to start. Traffic was light on the way into town, and then it wasn't. As we approached Virginia Street, it became more congested, then detoured. I heard the rumbling sound of ten thousand motorcycle engines as I tried, now pointlessly, to beat the clock.
After a bit of calculated meandering, I was able to line up the car with the entrance to one of the Cal-Neva parking garages. We drove up 5 levels to the roof and back down without finding a parking spot. After reaching level 5 of the second parking garage a half hour after the performance was to start, we secured a spot between four tricked out bikes and a green suburban. Halfway down the elevator, I realized I was still in my flip flops. My cute little heels were still in the car. Oh well, f*#& it anyway, the shoes don't make the night. Right? Right. It turned out to be a good thing, because with the theater closed, and all the gleaming motorcycles around, we decided to take a walk. I would've been crippled in those things before we'd gone more than two blocks.
We traversed the line of booths, ogling the leathers and sunglasses and occasionally scantily clad biker -ahem- ladies. We had a grand time perusing fantastic creations on two wheels that cost more than some houses. We heard at least 3 versions of AC/DC wannabes, and had a fantastic view of an awesome fireworks show. As a side note, if I ever wanted to become a pickpocket, I would hit fireworks shows. People are so entranced, they don't even notice it when you bump into them.
Bikes can be some damn sexy machines. Don't get me wrong, a flat black '49 Merc will get me every time, and I'm still holding out for that black and orange '67 4x4 Dodge pickup with the built 426 Hemi, and I'll always have time for a '23 T-bucket (what girl wouldn't?), and I'll positively swoon for a '38 Caddy, and I just might sell my soul for a chance to drive a Bugatti Veyron or a Koenigsegg-CCXR, but bikes are different. They are like the wiry Irish boxer types that are sexy, not the bodybuilders (4x4's that never see mud) or the workin' guys ( the 4x4's covered in mud) or sleek debonair types (30's and 40's luxury cars). They're a breed of their own. Definitely intriguing.
We stayed until they rolled up the sidewalks, tried to figure out what to do with the rest of the evening ( my honey doesn't like dancing or bars) gave up and headed for Denny's. Why Denny's? Because, as evey REAL night owl knows, they have breakfast for dinner at midnight plus, and when conversation lags, you can shoot frilled toothpicks at the ceiling using drinking straws as launching apparatus... We missed the exit, and after about three turns trying to get back in sight of the restaurant, some jackass decided it was OK to go 15 mph in a 35 right in front of me. The brakes popped.
I'd been meaning to do the brakes for like almost a month, even had the parts in the car. Fortunately I had tools in the trunk, so I did the brakes at like 1 in the morning in a Wally World parking lot.in the lowest cut shirt I've worn in a while. Not my idea of a great Saturday night.
We finally made it to Denny's, met a friend there, hung out and had good times til like 4. So yeah, it didn't go anything like I had planned.
One heck of a Saturday night.
9.22.2011
Disappointments and Demons Conquered
Well, in short, I didn't get the land. Ten minutes before I was supposed to meet the realtor to see the property, she called me, said she had just spoken to the listing agent, who was getting papers for it signed right then. Three days later, I found out that the money I thought I was getting that would have paid for it wasn't coming and wouldn't be there until next year. Anyway, I'm sure this just leaves me open for a a better opportunity in the future. Like next year. Now, I have discussed the whole patience teaching thing in the past. I've got it down pat, O Omniscient Being, you've taught me well. Please Stop!! ( It's nice to have someone else to blame, lolz)
In other news, that laughing demon of public speaking has finally been soundly thrashed. Ok, maybe just got his butt kicked and is hiding in the alley, but still, I took the fight to his corner. I joined Toastmasters last week.
My first week, I spoke for all of two minutes, and left the front of the room for my chair, shaking and blubbering all the way. It's not like acting, where you can pretend to be somebody else. That's fun, from what I remember of it. You have to be YOU up there for this kind of thing. THIS week, however, I survived through a 8 minute plus speech, one planned and organized, it even had an outline. Now, If can just keep from hiding behind a piece of paper, and stop trying to find my place from it, and stop saying 'ah' and "um" and "uh", I'll have the beast dealt with. Woot!
Why did I join toastmasters, you ask? Well, in selecting my college subjects, I found I could take Public Speaking. On a whim, I decided to take the course, not really thinking it through, just knowing that it was something I needed to work on and that it would fill a communications requirement for my degree. So yeah, it was all hunky dory until it dawned on me that I would actually have to SPEAK like I knew what I was talking about in front of PEOPLE. Yeah. Like signing up for the course would defeat the demon, right.
In addition to public speaking, Geology is awesome, but I need to study more. German is awesome, and I need to study more. It has affected my capitalization in English, that's for sure. I have to write everything twice. Cultural Anthropology has been a breeze, and almost pointless. It seems almost purely subjective and the least scientific or logical course of study I've come across.
I am thinking of auditioning for some sort of theatrical performance next summer. I won't have to go to North Dakota until the summer after next for school, and after the public speaking stuff it should be entertaining. I wonder what will be available then? Is there a "summer season" for theatre?
And on a completely different note, why do I like the British spellings of words so much more that the American versions? I have a friend who would say it's because the English version is correct, but she's British. 'Theatre". "Travelling." "Centre." Although I like that American English uses "z" rather than "s" in a lot of words. I think "Z" is my favorite letter, come to think of it.
I still need to conquer my use of parentheses. Also, I need to find something besides "in other news" and "and on a different note" to introduce random subjects. How does one look up that sort of thing? Is there a thesaurus for phrases?
I need to start writing again. I have a paper due in Anthropology by Oct. 10th, and a 10 sentence German essay this week, which will keep me writing, I guess, but that isn't quite what I mean. I need to start my novel over, after staying away from reading novels for a while. I still have a tendency to adopt the voice of whatever author I've been reading, rather than developing my own. the blogging thing may help with that, but my grammar needs LOTS of work there, as I'm sure you can tell. :P
So, enough mental vomit for one post, Adios! Or, rather, Auf Wiedersehen!
In other news, that laughing demon of public speaking has finally been soundly thrashed. Ok, maybe just got his butt kicked and is hiding in the alley, but still, I took the fight to his corner. I joined Toastmasters last week.
My first week, I spoke for all of two minutes, and left the front of the room for my chair, shaking and blubbering all the way. It's not like acting, where you can pretend to be somebody else. That's fun, from what I remember of it. You have to be YOU up there for this kind of thing. THIS week, however, I survived through a 8 minute plus speech, one planned and organized, it even had an outline. Now, If can just keep from hiding behind a piece of paper, and stop trying to find my place from it, and stop saying 'ah' and "um" and "uh", I'll have the beast dealt with. Woot!
Why did I join toastmasters, you ask? Well, in selecting my college subjects, I found I could take Public Speaking. On a whim, I decided to take the course, not really thinking it through, just knowing that it was something I needed to work on and that it would fill a communications requirement for my degree. So yeah, it was all hunky dory until it dawned on me that I would actually have to SPEAK like I knew what I was talking about in front of PEOPLE. Yeah. Like signing up for the course would defeat the demon, right.
In addition to public speaking, Geology is awesome, but I need to study more. German is awesome, and I need to study more. It has affected my capitalization in English, that's for sure. I have to write everything twice. Cultural Anthropology has been a breeze, and almost pointless. It seems almost purely subjective and the least scientific or logical course of study I've come across.
I am thinking of auditioning for some sort of theatrical performance next summer. I won't have to go to North Dakota until the summer after next for school, and after the public speaking stuff it should be entertaining. I wonder what will be available then? Is there a "summer season" for theatre?
And on a completely different note, why do I like the British spellings of words so much more that the American versions? I have a friend who would say it's because the English version is correct, but she's British. 'Theatre". "Travelling." "Centre." Although I like that American English uses "z" rather than "s" in a lot of words. I think "Z" is my favorite letter, come to think of it.
I still need to conquer my use of parentheses. Also, I need to find something besides "in other news" and "and on a different note" to introduce random subjects. How does one look up that sort of thing? Is there a thesaurus for phrases?
I need to start writing again. I have a paper due in Anthropology by Oct. 10th, and a 10 sentence German essay this week, which will keep me writing, I guess, but that isn't quite what I mean. I need to start my novel over, after staying away from reading novels for a while. I still have a tendency to adopt the voice of whatever author I've been reading, rather than developing my own. the blogging thing may help with that, but my grammar needs LOTS of work there, as I'm sure you can tell. :P
So, enough mental vomit for one post, Adios! Or, rather, Auf Wiedersehen!
9.11.2011
Castles in the Air
So, I have been interested in alternative housing for a long, long time. I have wanted my own piece of Earth ( I have learned, through my Planetary Geology course, that it is bad form to refer to THE Earth, it is either Earth, or, THE planet(and, I still haven't corrected this whole parenthesis thing, either(as you can see))) for quite some time, as well. There may be hope at the end of the tunnel yet ( not to mix metaphors, or anything).
I've learned of a 5 acre parcel for a price I can afford. The price is very little, and that corresponds to other facts about it. It is sand. It is hilly. It's in the desert in a county that has had the highest unemployment rate in the nation. And, if I can make it work, it will be mine.
It will mean I can build a workshop. A real, honest to life workshop, where I can set up my anvil and put it to good use, where I can finally have a decent bench upon which to build furniture, a proper place for my automotive tools, a VEHICLE LIFT!!! I can set up a welder! I could even devote a corner of it to a potter's wheel, and kiln..
I wonder if it would be possible to make a combination metal forge and potter's kiln. Maybe a section for glass blowing, too. I could put that in the center of the shop, put er the whole thing off of propane. Put the benches on the sides, get the portable bench design built, and put the vehicle lift next to the custom built toolbox....
Oh yeah, I'll be able to build the house, too. Maybe I can take vacation next year and go to the earthbag building seminar taught by Nader Kalili! That would be a fantastic beginning towards the house, a chance to make the mistakes before they matter.
I want to build an earthbag dome house, something solid with a sense of permanence, rounded and fitted to the land, growing out of it. I want window seats and a cellar, high ceilings to let out the heat, and a thick, thermally massive stone fireplace to warm it. I want arches, and a big porch, the kind you put rocking chairs on and hang a swing from, to enjoy a cold beer or glass of iced tea as the sun goes down. I want a kitchen with enough counter space to prepare baking on, and storage for the produce from the garden that will grow out back, and room for the deep freezer so it doesn't have to stay outside. There will be a greenhouse too, but not just any ordinary greenhouse! This one will be built for aquaculture, so we can have fresh fish whenever we want it, too. Outside of this will be a row of rabbit hutches and a chicken coop for meat, and eggs.
I'll put down a well, and set up solar and wind generators for power. There will be a backup battery bank too, so we don't have to worry about running out of power.
Of course, it will take a long time to get to the point described above. With any luck at all, it will have come together like this just about the time I graduate. We'll start with a small one room house (that will later become a guest house, or a studio) a generator, and a water tank. You've got to start somewhere.
Financially, I've no idea how I will make all this work, yet, other than the initial purchase of the land. With that, at least we will have a place to be, a place to stand and call our own. I look forward to it, and while I won't say I want it more than anything else, I want it just as much as I want to learn, and to travel, and to invent and create. It is one piece of the puzzle one more clip in the video montage.
Someday, it will be awesome. It's just another risk right now.
I've learned of a 5 acre parcel for a price I can afford. The price is very little, and that corresponds to other facts about it. It is sand. It is hilly. It's in the desert in a county that has had the highest unemployment rate in the nation. And, if I can make it work, it will be mine.
It will mean I can build a workshop. A real, honest to life workshop, where I can set up my anvil and put it to good use, where I can finally have a decent bench upon which to build furniture, a proper place for my automotive tools, a VEHICLE LIFT!!! I can set up a welder! I could even devote a corner of it to a potter's wheel, and kiln..
I wonder if it would be possible to make a combination metal forge and potter's kiln. Maybe a section for glass blowing, too. I could put that in the center of the shop, put er the whole thing off of propane. Put the benches on the sides, get the portable bench design built, and put the vehicle lift next to the custom built toolbox....
Oh yeah, I'll be able to build the house, too. Maybe I can take vacation next year and go to the earthbag building seminar taught by Nader Kalili! That would be a fantastic beginning towards the house, a chance to make the mistakes before they matter.
I want to build an earthbag dome house, something solid with a sense of permanence, rounded and fitted to the land, growing out of it. I want window seats and a cellar, high ceilings to let out the heat, and a thick, thermally massive stone fireplace to warm it. I want arches, and a big porch, the kind you put rocking chairs on and hang a swing from, to enjoy a cold beer or glass of iced tea as the sun goes down. I want a kitchen with enough counter space to prepare baking on, and storage for the produce from the garden that will grow out back, and room for the deep freezer so it doesn't have to stay outside. There will be a greenhouse too, but not just any ordinary greenhouse! This one will be built for aquaculture, so we can have fresh fish whenever we want it, too. Outside of this will be a row of rabbit hutches and a chicken coop for meat, and eggs.
I'll put down a well, and set up solar and wind generators for power. There will be a backup battery bank too, so we don't have to worry about running out of power.
Of course, it will take a long time to get to the point described above. With any luck at all, it will have come together like this just about the time I graduate. We'll start with a small one room house (that will later become a guest house, or a studio) a generator, and a water tank. You've got to start somewhere.
Financially, I've no idea how I will make all this work, yet, other than the initial purchase of the land. With that, at least we will have a place to be, a place to stand and call our own. I look forward to it, and while I won't say I want it more than anything else, I want it just as much as I want to learn, and to travel, and to invent and create. It is one piece of the puzzle one more clip in the video montage.
Someday, it will be awesome. It's just another risk right now.
9.01.2011
School Stuff
I am busy as hell, and loving every minute of it. Every minute I can keep my eyes open, that is. I have been more tired more frequently in the last three weeks that I've been in a long time. It's cool though.
I am taking Planetary Geology, Cultural Anthropology, German, and erm... Public Speaking. I know this sounds more like a liberal arts major than engineering, just hear me out.
The whole thing started months ago, when I was assigned a student advisor. Apparently no one informed the professor that he was to take this position in my educational efforts, so by the time I realized he would be no help at all, the courses I would have preferred were full. Undaunted, I had decided I had STARTED this thing already, finally, and could fill other educational requirements for the degree, the ones that are supposed to make one "well -rounded". I didn't bother to explain that I am already rather round at parts, they might have sued me.
The first three courses are interesting, and fun. The Public Speaking course is more of a necessary evil. I needed a communications course to fulfill a requirement,and well, I've avoided the subject long enough. Now the only problem is that I must find an audience to hear my four required speeches. Sounds like I'm not going to be able to avoid toastmasters after all...
So yeah, my "gap decade" has come to a close, I have signed on for a long haul of late nights and early energy drinks, but what the hell, you only live once, right? Might as well make it interesting.
I am taking Planetary Geology, Cultural Anthropology, German, and erm... Public Speaking. I know this sounds more like a liberal arts major than engineering, just hear me out.
The whole thing started months ago, when I was assigned a student advisor. Apparently no one informed the professor that he was to take this position in my educational efforts, so by the time I realized he would be no help at all, the courses I would have preferred were full. Undaunted, I had decided I had STARTED this thing already, finally, and could fill other educational requirements for the degree, the ones that are supposed to make one "well -rounded". I didn't bother to explain that I am already rather round at parts, they might have sued me.
The first three courses are interesting, and fun. The Public Speaking course is more of a necessary evil. I needed a communications course to fulfill a requirement,and well, I've avoided the subject long enough. Now the only problem is that I must find an audience to hear my four required speeches. Sounds like I'm not going to be able to avoid toastmasters after all...
So yeah, my "gap decade" has come to a close, I have signed on for a long haul of late nights and early energy drinks, but what the hell, you only live once, right? Might as well make it interesting.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)