I thought I'd reached a pretty high level of detachment in relation to the <a href ="http://lay-c.com/hi/archives/001133.html">car.
Until I opened a credit card bill this evening.
It included charges for $700 - for work we had done following the fire incident. Ouch! It seems there should be some clause for not having to pay for something that you no longer have.
Actually, maybe I should look into that, since it was AmEx - if I had bought a camera and it was stolen, they would reimburse me.
If you eat a chocolate calcium chew and then apply minty lip balm, it's quite the taste treat.
We live at the foot of Punchbowl - the crater that is home to the National Cemetery of the Pacific. One of the strange things about our proximity to such a place, especially in this time of conflict in the world, is that, every once in a while, we are startled by the guns saluting a soldier or veteran as he or she is laid to rest.
Update: Turns out Sunday's gunshots were part of a memorial service related to World War II.
Some months ago, I wrote about ER taping at the place I work out and take pottery. So, again, even though I mostly stopped watching the show a few years ago, I had to see the season premiere - just in case I caught a glimpse of the YWCA. Once again, I was disappointed.
BUT, I'm <u>sure</u> from the story-line, and the preview for next week's episode, that next Thursday will be <u>the</u> night.
I was happy to see Parminder Nagra, of Bend it Like Beckham fame, on the show.
Thanks for all the sympathy regarding Nelly. We've decided to look at the bright side - she was getting on in years, and maybe we would have had to put more money into her for repairs. And we didn't have much of value in the car - I'd recently removed the movie passes (hah! that's an extra $15 they <u>don't</u> get) we normally keep in the glove compartment, as well as my phone charger. We did realize yesterday that Sam's favorite mug was in the car. But it could have been much worse.
We suspect that she has now been reduced to her parts and sits, an empty shell, somewhere on the island. To me, it's crazy how popular theft, especially car theft, is on an island - especially one small enough to drive around in a few hours. People also bother to break out of prison, which seems like an exercise in futility - since I've lived here, there've been several prison breaks, all of which ended in capture.
Our insurance covers a rental - a very good thing, since the bus strike is still going on. I guess in the next week or so, we'll start scoping out a new car.
If you happen to see a white 1990 Honda Accord, Hawaii license plate #JYS051, let me know.
Our car was stolen! Sam just called with the news that some dirty rat bastard took the car from the parking lot at work. Okay, those are my words, not his. Sam was quite calm about the whole thing. I am quite peeved. Observe the difference in our personalities.
I thought I'd share my new-found knowledge.
I just learned a word that you think I would already know, since it's a synonym for fever: pyrexia.
The related adjectives are pyrexial and pyrexic.
Pyretic is an adjective for what's causing the fever.
As in, My Strep infection was pyretic.
In our family, we’ve always had great loyalty to Channel 4 News. No matter how long I’m away from New Orleans, I’m happy to see my old friends behind the news desk and in front of the weather map, when I return. My brothers once had a chant for Hoda Kotb, a 10:00 anchor, whenever she appeared on the screen, and the whole family cried with her when she announced her departure for Dateline NBC.
Another anchor with a special place in our hearts was Bill Elder, a 5:00 anchor. His special line, at the end of his newscast, was “Now, we take you live and direct to the CBS Evening News.” He was part of my life growing up – on the TV in the kitchen, as dinner was being prepared. In 1998, he announced, via a taped message, that he had brain cancer and was going to have surgery. We saddened at the prospect of him being gone – not just from our evening television, but from this world. When he returned to the news, I remember the smile he had on his face as he said, “we take you live and direct to the CBS Evening News.” It was an, “I’m back!” smile. I had a similar one on my face, along with tears of happiness that he’d recovered.
He eventually had to leave the air again. My father just told that he passed away yesterday. I’ll miss you, Bill Elder, a part of our family though we never met.
I hope this morning's shower was not indicative of how the whole day will go.
Granted, I was a little extra-sleepy (I got up at 5 am for my conference call, and stayed up later than I wanted, waiting to see if the little press conference I did yesterday hit the news - it didn't.), but still....
I shampooed my hair. That went well. But then, instead of applying conditioner, I applied an apricot facial scrub to my hair. And I didn't realize it until after I'd worked it in a bit. I think I was able to rinse the majority of it out (pretty clingy stuff). I'm hoping that when I go to the restroom, now with dry hair, I won't discover that I look like a Head and Shoulders commercial "before" shot.
Yesterday, Sam and I signed up for surfing lessons. They don't start until November, but I am way stoked. It really hit me the other day that I've been here a year, and I have yet to try surfing. I decided that needed to change, especially since I quit my other "Hawaiian" class - hula. So, we drove up to the North Shore, and signed up for free classes, offered by the City & County.
(This whole island is the county of Honolulu, and I don't understand the intricacies but as far as public services go, the city and county are seen as one entity - hence, the City & County of Honolulu.)
Yay - it's my parents anniversary!
Happy Anniversary, Mom and Pop!
I've been thinking recently how proud I am of both of you - transitioning so well into this new stage in life, both as a couple and as individuals. I hope that this anniversary is a great day, even though you're on opposite sides of the world. And I hope that 32 years from now, Sam and I will have such a great marriage as the two of you.
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Boo... John Ritter passed away.
I was pretty surprised this morning to find a vague reference to his death, and thought maybe I was misunderstanding what Dr. Sanjay Gupta would be discussing. The reference to Johnny Cash seemed clear - he's been in the hospital. But they must be referring to some other John Ritter.
But, nope. The one and the same. The one I grew up with, watching Three's Company. In addition to being a funny man, he seemed like a nice guy. I feel like a little tie to my childhood is gone.
Sometimes, I am amused by the spam in my inbox -
From: navel korovitsch
Subject: Cc fatteenn your pippee ferbl
I grew up in a house where we called things what they were - penis, vulva, feces. No woowoo, peepee. poopoo for us. But when I'm presented with options like this, I'm a little tempted.
When conversation fails, turn to the weather.
So far today, it's been grey and rainy. I find it fitting - it matches the flags at half-mast, and the dark clothes of the newscasters.
I keep thinking about the fact that for my kids, the events of September 11, 2001, will fall into the category of history. They will stare at us in perplexed fashion when we talk about the day as we experienced it. The same way that I stared at my mom when she talked about never forgetting where she was when she found out that JFK had been shot.
They will not understand the lump in my throat or the tears in my eyes when I think of the New York skyline the way it used to be, and all the lives that were lost when it was altered. They will not know the images that flash uncontrollably through my mind or why my heart aches when I see explosions in movies. For them, September 11 will be just another day, maybe with network news a little more "boring" than usual.
Various and sundry is one of my favorite phrases. My husband and one of my brothers think it amusing that I choose to use the word sundry. Imagine my delight (and Sam's further amusement) when we moved here, to a place where there are all manner of sundries stores.
So, the various and sundry -
1. At the end of today's work day, I will have worked in this job for one year. I will not comment further on this milestone, except to say that it is sad that it is a milestone - the past four jobs I've had (including temp and part-time work) lasted less than a year. I'm happy to be moving away from a ditzy-looking resume, but almost bummed that I can no longer say things like, "This is my fifth job in less than two years."
2. This weekend, I found some great buys - major sales! But I think my ultimate was the new pair of Asics I bought. I've been thinking that it was time to buy a new pair of sneakers, but I wasn't looking forward to the investment. By chance, I came across a pair for $25, marked down from $80. Is that great or what?! And I wasn't even actively looking for them at the time.
3. The 19-Day-Feast last night was hosted by a Ruhi Book 4 study circle. Book 4 focuses on the history of the Baha'i Faith, so they did readings focusing on that, accompanied by pertinent images projected on the wall. Quite nice.
Last night we went to dinner and a movie. Nothing fancy - the whole evening cost about $25. But it felt decadent....
- Because it was something we planned - it wasn't just something we decided to do last minute, out of lack of better ideas.
- And because it was a weeknight - it made it seem like we were taking part in some restricted activity, and we didn't have to contend with the crowds of the weekend.
If you're looking for a special way to spend time with your honey, I highly recommend a weeknight date.
Lately, reading people’s blogs, I’ve become envious of their “fall” comments. I know, I live in a tropical paradise – how can I be jealous of other people’s weather? It is true what they say - the grass is always greener.
For a while this weekend, I had that bittersweet feeling of Labor Day weekends of the past – that sadness that this is the last freedom of summer, combined with the anticipation (both in happiness and fear) of the new school year.
This year, I have no school supplies to buy. I have no fall wardrobe to pull out, or buy. The end of August was not marked by the stress and excitement of moving. There haven’t been days of amazing strange light. What marks the transition, other than the date?
Over the past few years, as work has been a year-round activity, I’ve come to realize that summer is more than time off from school. It’s a state of mind. It means more popsicles, more sandal-wearing, more staying up late, more spontaneous hanging. It’s not only higher temperatures, though that is a part of it.
But this weekend, I was hit with the realization that the cultural end of summer was here, and I hadn’t yet achieved my state of summer. I haven’t had a popsicle in a while, I wear flip-flops year-round, and my late nights have been lacking in the “feel” of summer. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve had a few instances of summer – letting go of my worries for a few hours, a casual walk home from work while reading and sweating.
But I feel like I almost cheated myself out of summer. Good thing I live in a tropical paradise – I have the rest of the year to make up for it. Now I just need to figure out how to achieve a state of fall.