Something old, nothing new

For those of you who complain that I'm not blogging much lately, I'm starting a new writing class on Monday. It's free so I'll be even less inclined to do homework than usual, but if I have writing assignments, and if I bother to do them at all, I'll blog them. Maybe.

Old Herb isn't gone, he's just out developing characters so don't forget him. Or he might be out trying to drag his mother, Roxie, home from the neighborhood bar. (She likes a little drink now and then you know.)

I'm old, I'm tired, I'm cranky.
I need to develop patience, and I need to do it now.

Or you need to stop annoying me.

- - - Martha 3/31/06

Happy Birthday, Kay

Today is my baby sister's birthday.

She doesn't read my blog so I could tell you how old she is, but that would be a clue as to how old I am and you don't need to know that.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

I'm wearing my new nightgown as I write this. My comfy new nightgown. It's just right for spring nights. Not too hot, not too thin. Not too short, not too long. It's a yellow and blue cotton print with yellow satin trim. It has pictures of birds, bees, and butterflies flittering among flower blossoms.

For some reason, a couple of the birds look like airplanes and one looks like a whale with wings. It doesn't really matter what they look like when I go to bed, because when I turn out the lights I can't see them. I can only feel the comfy, soft cotton that surrounds me as I drift off to sleep.

Baby, it's cold outside

While I was cruising through the internet tonight, I found an article on Netscape news titled "1,500 Venezuelans Pose Nude in Public". They were posing for an American photographer Spencer Tunick who is going around the world taking pictures of large groups of people willing to pose nude in public.

I looked at a few of his pictures. I couldn't help but notice that they were revealing. Mostly they revealed how strange people are and what they'll endure to get their picture taken.

There was a snapshot of a large bunch of buck naked people lying on an uncarpeted floor with their legs up in the air. Do you know how uncomfortable that must have been? I'm sure those people weren't as uncomfortable as the ones I saw arranged helter skelter on a roughly paved road. An aversion to public nudity has little to do with me refusing to lie down on tarmac without a thick layer of cloth between me and road burns in unmentionable places.

It was reported that 2,000 Canadians showed up to pose in the nude OUTSIDE. I'm not sure what ethnic group they were because in their picture they all appeared BLUE.

I have to admit that I just don't get it. The appeal of mass public nudity escapes me. Why would one pose cheek to cheek like that with a thousand strangers?

and where the heck did they put their keys?

Is gray hair to blame?

I went to my local bookstore yesterday. I must have looked more confused than usual because at least 4 people asked if I needed help. I hope they all worked there.

Good-by, Nick

My brother-in-law died Tuesday night. He committed suicide. I haven't seen him for several years so I don't know what demons drove him to such an irreversible action.

I hope they have good fishing in heaven. Nick loved fishing, but he had to give it up after a car accident left him permanently disabled when he was in his early thirties.

I don't think most people realize how hard he fought for normalcy after he was left wheelchair bound, tube-fed, unable to speak. He couldn’t even control the drool that ran down his chin.

But Nick rarely took no for an answer and never did as he was told so he paid no attention to those who predicted he'd never walk or talk again. With a lot of work and stubborn determination, he learned to eat again, to talk again, to walk again. He didn't do these things well, but he did them. He even learned to drive a specially equipped car and got a job entering data into a computer. But he could never enjoy fishing again. It was just too hard to bait a hook or manage a rod and reel one-handed.

I don't know what caused him to give up the struggle and put an end to his life. Maybe he just got tired.

Rest in peace, Nicky. You deserve it.

Short note

I started my new job today. About 8 hours straight of training. My eyes are on fire. The most important thing I learned today was that I can put eyedrops in my own eyes if they burn enough.

Cowboy up, old lady! Stop being a wuss.