tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73578292012-01-24T21:21:59.549-08:00this is tinarama!tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.comBlogger4981100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-33355560541194809712011-11-28T22:15:00.001-08:002011-11-28T22:15:18.101-08:00

Just briefly reporting that I am lying in bed, at the bottom of what I'm pretty sure is known as a "dog pile" and am feeling calm and mostly OK for the first time in several days. My blood sugar is suddenly going crazy high again for no reason I can figure out, and my mood took a nose dive also very suddenly so I'm back on meds - a new one this time - which is causing all kinds of weird nervous

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-68868870741529853652011-10-11T09:46:00.001-07:002011-10-11T09:46:42.497-07:00

Just a quick note to mention that my summer-long experiment with non-uniform dressing – wearing something different every day, mixing, matching, the whole thing – is now officially ending. I finally noticed this morning as I was getting dressed that I'm not really having fun with it anymore. I miss waking up and knowing pretty much exactly what I'm going to wear, and wearing it. Or actually not

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-51388574834226255932011-08-15T11:00:00.001-07:002011-08-15T11:00:42.511-07:00

So – where have I been? Off exploring ... I seem to have been seized lately by a wave of creative energy that is slowly taking me out to sea – meaning, to places I haven't been to before, that are new and strange and seemingly a bit possibly dangerous, but beautiful and exciting and emphatically demanding to be lived rather than documented in a pitifully neglected online journal. Yesterday I got

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-62577415373236384652011-05-09T21:37:00.000-07:002011-05-09T22:04:45.759-07:00

I've had a love hate relationship with red shoes for so many years ... stalking them, loving them, lusting for them, even buying them again and again, only to find myself unable to wear them because they're just way too red. There are at least three pairs stashed away right now in a box in the garage that I've never worn, even though part of me still loves looking at them. I even get them out to

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-49975424916793349942011-03-08T18:49:00.001-08:002011-03-08T18:49:42.714-08:00

So it's come up my attention ( OK, I googled it) that Lent starts tomorrow. I don't even remember if I did anything last year but this year I definitely want/need to. Forty days of yoga? Rising at six a.m.? Or maybe even five? Cutting out sugar? Meditating every day without fail? Walking two miles before breakfast every morning? Daily singing?I have five hours left to decide. Just wanted to

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-55110797387304854412011-02-28T19:05:00.000-08:002011-02-28T20:16:36.639-08:00

Also wanted to take note of a hospice visit I had with a patient who has Alzheimer's. We had the same five-minute conversation at least 20 times in the three hours I was there and every time she was delighted to have it. At first I felt awkward about repeating myself so often but it wasn't long before I was able to relax into the situation and just enjoy her pleasure in talking with me.

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-1489368369654316032011-02-26T22:40:00.000-08:002011-02-28T20:15:41.630-08:00

I was in line at the market this morning and happened to see the latest issue of the magazine I used to be the art director of. Flipping through I noticed that the page count is down again and almost half the stories are basically repeats of stories they already covered in the first three years of publication. The design has gone downhill too - no more full bleeds except on the cover, which I

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-49798882401072411372011-01-18T22:24:00.001-08:002011-01-18T23:01:31.999-08:00

It didn't happen on MLK Day, but the day after. Meaning, today.I woke up with these words in my head:Alone under a silent skyshe sighed starsThere was a visual too, sort of like that story about baby Krishna playing in the yard, when his mother opens his mouth to make him spit out the dirt he's been chewing on and instead of mud she sees the entire universe in there ... My mouth was open, and the

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-85746933772664456582010-12-13T20:32:00.001-08:002010-12-13T21:11:43.958-08:00

This phrase has been rolling around in my head lately. I was reading one of my religious magazines and found myself feeling annoyed at the depth to which a certain writer was analyzing his experience of making tea ... a Buddhist cliche I'm really starting to get tired of. Another phrase – "navel gazing" – also comes to mind.I've spent years and years doing the same thing. What makes me happy

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-19663726707525794532010-12-06T20:29:00.001-08:002010-12-06T20:45:47.079-08:00

By special request, I present to you: the boots.Another thought that's been floating around in my head is this recent awareness of all the Things I keep thinking about buying, now that I have some cash flow going again. The funny thing is, I'm really not all that into "stuff" and kind of hate shopping ... I realized awhile ago that I enjoy thinking about stuff a lot more than I enjoy actually

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-82983230153933702912010-12-04T23:13:00.000-08:002010-12-04T23:53:14.539-08:00

That about sums it up. I took the design job and dove straight into the deep end again – major deadlines and lots of overtime right from the get-go. It's not a bad thing, though I did spend the first week or so in a state of semi-bewilderment at the sudden change in routine. Sitting at a desk all day again – not my favorite thing. Getting up in the dark and coming home in the dark – also not.

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-46481467455183514202010-10-25T19:34:00.001-07:002010-10-26T09:14:46.650-07:00

It happened last week. I meant to write it down that day, that very morning, so I wouldn't forget any of it. Then I got busy, and a few days passed ... and now all I can remember is that it featured my ex-husband introducing me to his new family, including several kids he's had with his new wife (this was just in the dream – I have no idea if he's actually had more kids with her), and ended with

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-83381833370473620092010-10-13T21:41:00.001-07:002010-10-13T22:06:25.466-07:00

Just a quick followup to take note that since the last time I posted I've started my one-day-a-week part-time job and been called to interview for two more jobs. One of which I might actually kind of like to take.Might. Kind of.Except that a huge part of me – huge! – has been SO enjoying being at home and taking care of the house, Mr. A., dogs, errands, chores, cooking, cleaning, etc. etc. etc. .

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-41346266133049602772010-10-09T18:17:00.001-07:002010-10-09T18:58:04.039-07:00

This is where I've been spending as much time as possible lately. It's a tiny little beach but because you have to hike a bit to get there, and probably for other reasons too, it's never all that crowded. I've been swimming as much as I can, just floating and diving and letting myself be carried by the waves. We saw dolphins doing the same thing a couple of weeks ago ... probably they were

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-75129108644580333342010-09-01T22:58:00.000-07:002010-09-01T23:48:01.769-07:00

And the law won. Oh wait – actually, it was ME who won! Yay, me!On July 16, on my way home after the rare post-birthday indulgence of an iced coffee (decaf), a pedicure (pearly olive green) and a haircut (4 inches off the bottom), I was pulled over by a cop. It was the first time it has ever happened when I had truly no idea at all what I'd done wrong. Turns out I had overlooked a tiny little

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-49392384940946215972010-08-27T12:27:00.000-07:002010-09-01T23:48:57.083-07:00

There's a trailer on TV lately for a new werewolf movie, in which Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins informs Academy Award winner Benicio del Toro, "You've been bitten by the beast." It's our favorite thing to say to each other these days, now that Bea is settling in to grow her second set of teeth and always eager to try them out on anything or anyone she can get her mouth around.Watching the

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-71430732971082726302010-08-06T13:09:00.001-07:002010-08-06T13:32:45.582-07:00

I noticed a few weeks ago that the mark on Bea's chest is an actual five-pointed white star. Pretty cool, eh?Today I decided to chop my pill in half and split the dose between morning and night, in hopes of 1) not falling asleep in the afternoon again, and 2) being able to sleep better at night. So far, so good. It's 1 p.m. and I'm still awake, and not even all that sleepy. The weather has been

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-39348421560870043732010-08-05T17:04:00.000-07:002010-08-05T18:23:17.694-07:00

I've been on the meds for six days and so far all that's changed is that I have a constant mild headache and am so sleepy I can hardly keep my eyes open. I thought it was just my usual exhaustion until I went on the message boards this afternoon and found that almost everyone who mentioned side effects said intense drowsiness was the main one they'd experienced. Most people said it only lasts a

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-15833883506635474902010-07-29T19:01:00.000-07:002010-07-29T19:24:35.756-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about why I've been so resistant to the idea of taking medication for an illness I know is real and debilitating. Something you hear a lot in mental health conversations when this topic comes up is the comparison between antidepressants and insulin. "If you were diabetic, would you feel guilty for taking your insulin? No, because you would recognize that you need it to

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-47746866130951586662010-07-27T21:38:00.000-07:002010-07-27T22:05:04.098-07:00

WHAT a day. After my last desperate post I went back to bed and slept until it was time to visit my hospice patient. The best thing about the visit was actually just about the best thing about the whole day – as I was getting ready to leave, she made a great effort to speak and was able to pronounce the words, "I enjoyed our visit." It's the first thing she's ever said that I've been able to

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-11695363559690785322010-07-27T09:59:00.001-07:002010-07-27T10:26:03.983-07:00

I swear I never set out to make this my online catalog of complaints ... But. I do need to record that I'm sort of taking a nosedive right now. So much so that my therapist is insisting I get back on meds, at least for awhile. Which I am going to do starting this week.Depression sucks. I still have such a hard time accepting it as an illness that is not my fault; symptoms like hopelessness,

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-746730819333513802010-06-30T09:01:00.000-07:002010-06-30T11:59:11.386-07:00

I'll just spit it out: I did not get into the MSW program I applied to. I found out yesterday, when I called to confirm they'd received my final grade in the statistics class – an A, by the way – and learned the letters had already been sent, and my name was not on the list. The lady was nice enough to look up my file and let me know where my application had fallen short: not in the application

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-9626413057512263122010-06-15T15:29:00.000-07:002010-06-15T16:00:00.595-07:00

I was just realizing that my last post was the same as the one I'm about to write – a blatant attempt to procrastinate studying something I feel totally overwhelmed and exhausted by.Augh! Mockingbird actually CLIMBING up the raspberry canes, claw over claw, as if wrestling its way up the trunk of some monstrous thorny jungle tree – then flapping down onto the patio with a huge ripe raspberry in

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-6579283319529255652010-06-02T10:03:00.000-07:002010-06-02T10:56:10.978-07:00

Except when she's sleeping. Mr. A remarked the other day that she seems to have only two settings – ON and off. Right now she's off, at least for the moment, so I'm trying to get some work done and post this adorable puppy picture.She really is adorable. That's a good thing because she's also a lot of work, and at times a lot of yelping and barking, which I find very nearly unbearable. Tater

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-18684901419573475202010-05-27T16:07:00.000-07:002010-05-27T17:10:55.108-07:00

So. A cryptic series of emails between Mr. A and me yesterday caused me to believe he didn't actually want a puppy at all ... which caused me to freak out and decide she had to go back, for the sake of my sanity ... which caused him to freak out and say he couldn't believe I was getting rid of the dog ... blah blah blah. It was probably the worst fight we've ever had, and in the end it turned out

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-50729290066060961652010-05-26T08:56:00.001-07:002010-05-26T10:57:20.861-07:00

My alternate title for this post was going to be "More than I can chew?" I'll get to that shortly.So, we got the puppy. We named her Beatrice (Bea). What can I say? She's very cute, but that wasn't why we chose her; in a nutshell, I've been feeling like I need to start getting another dog trained, and I don't want to wait too long to do it. Tater isn't going to be thrilled about any new dog we

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-26199428858008127492010-05-22T19:15:00.001-07:002010-05-22T20:25:18.911-07:00

The bad news is I just got an overpayment notice from the unemployment people. Apparently I forgot to report some income I had back in February – despite my sincerest efforts at accurate record-keeping and reporting – and now I have to write them a check for the amount they paid me, that I wasn't entitled to. Plus, they "may" add a 30% penalty. Not to mention they "may also assess a penalty

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-67460668109089471982010-05-19T11:12:00.000-07:002010-05-19T12:21:53.081-07:00

I just got back from the DC area, for my youngest sister's graduation from grad school. The only time I'd ever been there before was about 14 years ago, for a wedding, and there wasn't time for much looking around. This time I was there for six days – long enough to fall madly in love with the place and put it on my list of places to visit as often as I can afford it.First of all, it is so green

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-39807328003392859212010-05-05T22:11:00.000-07:002010-05-05T22:47:51.682-07:00

This is my new motto for now: Feel great, act great, and approve of myself. I wish I could remember where I found this photo – I didn't take it myself but I appreciate the sentiment.Things are happening in Mr. A's family that I really have no frame of reference for, and a huge part of me is itching to step in and fix it. I always have a strong opinion about the "right" way to do things – and in

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-35188532691123308012010-05-01T15:53:00.000-07:002010-05-01T17:10:06.873-07:00

I've been holding on to this library book way past its due date, intending to track down the quote I wanted to remember – and now I finally found it.Going into your fear is like going through a fog. The key is whether you're regarding what you experience as simply something real or instead as monumental entrapment, imprisonment. If you panic further, you breed cowardice. If you don't descend into

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-88948246504421002822010-04-29T18:44:00.000-07:002010-05-01T15:53:54.531-07:00

Just a note to calm myself down – two months after joining the gym, I'm finally going to actually go there! It seems silly when I say it that way but it's true; every time I've thought about going, I've felt too shy. What if someone sees me?!?!?!I'll have to do some thinking about this phobia I have of acquaintances. I'm not afraid of my friends, or of strangers either. Only of people I just sort

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-62410574726449968352010-04-28T11:46:00.000-07:002010-04-28T12:08:52.679-07:00

It appears my beloved puddle has not been annihilated after all – only transformed. Check it out.Maybe I should've expected this. The whole reason it stayed full of water for such a long time when it was a puddle, was because of the soil's inability to drain in that spot. Why I thought paving it over would change that, I'm not sure ... just very glad I was wrong. How often do I get to say that?So

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-52011583020114700492010-04-24T17:52:00.000-07:002010-04-24T18:57:27.513-07:00

Yesterday was the anniversary of my diagnosis as a diabetic. Three years into it, I can confirm that the people who told me the first part would be easy, were right. As it turns out, it really was easier, way back in the beginning when I was still terrified of instant amputation and/or death, to do all the things I should be doing to stay healthy. The hard part is sticking to the changes over the

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-91346999049461342492010-04-17T18:43:00.001-07:002010-04-17T19:58:16.244-07:00

This is a picture of the puddle at the end of our driveway – the puddle that used to be there. It was a natural tank (according to Mr. A, who speaks the language of water) formed by a soil structure so compacted that water could not drain from it at all, so any time it rained it would fill up and remain a happy spot for birds and creatures to come bathe, play, and drink, until all the water

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-71646695901351378872010-03-23T20:59:00.001-07:002010-03-23T21:35:29.144-07:00

In my flusteration in the last post I guess I forgot to mention another cool thing about this class: it feels SO good when a certain concept or formula actually sinks in, and I realize that hey – wow! – I actually do KNOW this stuff! I didn't know it before, and now I do. I learned it!It's been a long time since I've challenged myself with something this difficult, that does not come naturally to

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-42263077236948027312010-03-22T12:42:00.000-07:002010-03-22T13:24:16.980-07:00

Just taking a quick break to say this statistics course is kind of making my brain hurt. I got through the first four chapters without much trouble, but now suddenly the accumulation of all these formulas is starting to bunch up against my skull in a very distracting way. It's a strange feeling to have all this information just swirling around like debris in a flash flood, scrubbing and

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-37836088881736029822010-03-02T12:07:00.000-08:002010-03-02T13:16:22.140-08:00

I may have spoken too soon last time when I declared myself "back to normal" – or maybe just overestimated how good my usual "normal" feels, which I think would be easy for anyone to do after many months of struggling. In any case, I've had several really hard mornings lately, and they have inspired me to go ahead and officially declare my spring practice this year as always, even though I'm off

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-55521178367440526712010-02-25T18:52:00.000-08:002010-02-25T20:17:45.663-08:00

Well, I sent off my grad school application today. Now, except for finishing my statistics class, there's nothing left to do but wait to find out if I got in. I'm feeling good about my application; I actually had it ready to send yesterday, then decided to sleep on it one more night, and when I went over it again this morning I was able to make it even just a little bit more perfect. My therapist

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-35334400672910987732010-02-09T13:26:00.001-08:002010-02-09T15:34:16.690-08:00

So I continue to move forward toward this plan of starting grad school this fall, one grueling, torturous step at a time. It's more work than I thought it would be, and I now realize why most people spend years laying the groundwork for a project like this – rather than just deciding and diving in at the last possible moment, like I'm doing. Not that I haven't been thinking along these lines

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-50036562841112917962010-01-21T13:34:00.000-08:002010-01-21T15:57:15.205-08:00

Yep, I'm not posting much these days. The depression seems to be taking a lot out of me this winter. I've come to a slow realization that is actually has been taking quite a lot of out me for some time now – years, really. A couple of decades, if I'm going to be honest. Strange to think I've never really noticed the extent of it until recently. Partly I think that's because of a semi-stoic

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-74472589217082043522009-12-17T01:04:00.000-08:002009-12-17T02:10:52.214-08:00

So one of the possibilities I've been reading about is becoming a Certified Diabetes Educator. I just keep coming back to it ... As much as I try to tell myself it would make more sense to get an RN, just as a way to qualify for a more stable kind of job than I've had until now, my heart really isn't in it. Visions of bedpans, etc.However. Certification as an RN might be the fastest way to open a

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-22233891544410969902009-12-15T16:35:00.000-08:002009-12-15T20:58:22.628-08:00

Apropos of nothing but my need for constant reminders, I give to you: the new wallpaper on my phone.I discovered this band recently and have been keeping this song on repeat as I move about my days. Really loving the way it's coloring my life as the fall moves into winter. Click here to download the file.Not too much happening on the job front. Nothing at all happening, in fact. I'm OK with it at

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-48833628741682743012009-11-30T01:32:00.001-08:002009-11-30T02:08:12.296-08:00

I just finished my letter and resume for this job I've had my eye on, and I have to say, now that it's done and I can see myself on paper – I'm really not nearly as lame as I was thinking I was last night. Even with the stress of working more often than not for rinky dink operations and failing family businesses, I've managed to amass quite a decent list of accomplishments over the last 20+

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-11085650481787578082009-11-28T18:03:00.000-08:002009-11-28T20:26:03.320-08:00

I've just discovered something new about myself this weekend: When it comes to looking for work, at least as far as Monster.com is concerned, I'm OLD. They didn't say so in so many words ... but tonight I was googling for inspiration to help me rewrite my resume, and ran across several articles about the "40-plus job seeker." Until today I hadn't realized I'm considered basically over the hill,

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-53377827287400540862009-11-08T08:36:00.001-08:002009-11-08T10:29:47.930-08:00

It appears being laid off has left me even more disturbed than I had realized. Several hours into my six-day road trip with a friend, some baggage shifted and as I was leaning into the back seat to straighten it, my friend said something about how lightly I had packed. "I'd never be able to pack just one little bag for a two-week trip.""Two weeks?" I said."Um ... we're going back next Tuesday, so

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-18281430545906250422009-11-04T09:24:00.000-08:002009-11-04T09:42:43.558-08:00

Just a quickie to write down something interesting that happened to me this morning.I've been waking up way too early as it is, and Daylight Saving Time has not helped. Usually the first thing I notice when I realize I'm awake is that flood of adrenaline sloshing through my guts. Once I'm up I can get it back down to a manageable level by exercising – I feel fine as long as I'm moving fairly fast

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-48985504666726786932009-10-29T17:12:00.001-07:002009-10-29T18:12:54.494-07:00

(Click here to download the soundtrack to this entry.)I was sorting through the folders on my computer this afternoon and ran across this guy. I don't remember where I got the picture but I'm glad I kept it. The look on his face makes me feel calmer about my present state of uncertainty, reminds me that even when I think I know exactly what's happening and where I'm headed – nobody ever really

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-45323484594545289562009-10-26T13:23:00.000-07:002009-10-26T14:18:47.883-07:00

On the day the stock market crashed last September I was at a press check in Las Vegas, sitting in the client lounge watching the dire predictions unfold. Everyone wanted to know if it would be as bad as the crash of 1929, which has its 80th anniversary this week. Is it that bad? Is it going to be? I don't know. Right now I'm just focusing on my own situation, and trying to enjoy what there is to

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-31809805679129756792009-10-23T16:23:00.001-07:002009-10-23T16:31:20.924-07:00

So this morning I was laid off from my job – you know, the one I've been complaining about for the last five years? True, the whole newspaper industry and this newspaper in particular has been dying a slow death for quite awhile now, but somehow I still didn't see it coming. At least not for me. If anyone was going to be gotten rid of, I would've thought it would be ... not me. Because for a long

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-6001486570289913992009-09-22T11:21:00.000-07:002009-09-22T11:40:55.867-07:00

Lest anyone worry overmuch, I feel a lot better today. Why? No idea – but I'll take it.Maybe this IS hormonal. Am I having a hot flash? My gyno thinks I'm still a few years away from that, but how could anyone know for sure?In any case, the Rx is the same as always: ixnay on the caffeine, increase exercise, simplify diet, drink tons of water, and stick to a regular sleep/wake schedule. And talk

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-17533561454999393702009-09-21T21:27:00.000-07:002009-09-21T21:32:14.871-07:00

[From last week] Just a brief note while I'm waiting for Obama to start his healthcare speech to Congress ....I really want something good to come of this. My insurance doubled last year, and this year it's going up 41%. I damn near cut off my thumb last weekend and had a few scary moments contemplating whether I could actually afford to go to the emergency room .. though thankfully it turned out

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-81288044687639179352009-09-19T19:54:00.001-07:002009-09-19T20:51:23.201-07:00

Just got back (yes, at the very early hour of 7:54 p.m.) from a birthday party for a neighbor – who, as it turns out, is turning 27 in just a couple of days – and who, although you will not have heard of the man himself, comes from a family you very well may have heard of, if you're any kind of a foodie type of person in the United States of America ... his semi-famous father did make an

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-82909002545293963362009-08-03T21:29:00.000-07:002009-08-03T22:45:45.911-07:00

1. Working. I have three freelance projects going on right now and am supposed to be starting on my Big Project of the season any day now. While I haven't spent a lot of time actually working on the freelance projects, they always seem to take a lot of brain time for me – this includes things like email time, research time, and project-related down time, in which I'm not exactly producing

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-47084098661503571722009-07-12T22:13:00.001-07:002009-07-12T22:28:57.073-07:00

My mom made me a CD with all of my baby pictures on it. This one has always been one of my favorite pictures of myself but I never had a copy of it until now. I can't stop staring at it.I feel such love for that little three-year-old person with the calm, open, empty face. What was she thinking? What would I tell her if she were my child? How would I take care of her?Sometimes I try to imagine

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-12040249117925832572009-06-24T12:31:00.001-07:002009-06-24T12:31:01.758-07:00

Okay, seriously now – who IS in charge of Burger King's advertising?http://www.dlisted.com/node/32669I loved the creepy King character they introduced a few years ago, because I'm just kind of like that – fascinated with ambiguity and uncertainty, the kind of humor you get on The Office when Michael does something just utterly inappropriate, and you get to watch people squirm as they try to

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-80497003647771237962009-06-24T10:20:00.000-07:002009-06-24T11:13:45.084-07:00

I just bought yet another brown skirt. Ever since I took the pledge to stop wearing black, I seem to have become a little obsessed – every black piece of clothing in my closet must be replaced with something of another color, and this summer that color seems to be brown. In addition to de-blacking my wardrobe I'm also altering several items of already-approved colors that no longer fit properly.

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-12575894109075882972009-06-22T21:12:00.000-07:002009-06-22T21:19:29.127-07:00

That's my life right now – painfully boring. At least, so it would appear to a disempassioned observer. Or wait, is that a word? Dispassionate – I think that's what I was trying to say.But I kind of like "disempassioned," though. That word pretty much sums it up. Work, then home, then more work, then sleep, then work again. I have been doing some sewing in between, and gotten a bunch of cleaning

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-59518063222159980972009-06-05T22:08:00.001-07:002009-06-05T23:12:33.895-07:00

Did I already post this? The best part is the little dance he does at :40.So! Once again it's time for an update on My Wondrous Diabetic Journey. The latest news is that I've had two different A1C tests done in the last few weeks, from two different labs, just to see how close the results would be, and they were actually very close. I took both tests on the same day. The one from the walk-in

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-72357056258366303922009-06-04T19:54:00.000-07:002009-06-04T20:07:04.776-07:00

I thought I'd take a break from resenting and complaining about the very rich, and focus today on one of the cool side-effects of living just a stone's throw from the sixteenth most expensive ZIP code in the country: The thrift stores around here rock. Today at lunch I got five gorgeous heavy linen sundresses (also two heavy silver plate soup spoons in a beautiful and unusual pattern) that I am

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-11030356856174919492009-06-01T19:08:00.001-07:002009-06-02T11:26:27.377-07:00

Today is Tater's birthday. He's eleven years old. Celebrations include games with Kongs, cheeseburgers and a box of original flavor Frosty Paws.We've been sort of sporadically looking at puppies, though still have no official plans to step up the search. A shelter not too far from here has this little beauty available – a baby pit bull with very human-looking eyes. I swear I did not Photoshop her

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-55737601242314740812009-05-30T18:38:00.001-07:002009-05-30T19:33:48.543-07:00

Last week Mr. A and I were at the local big orange do-it-yourself home-and-garden store, and as we were leaving – all loaded down with half a ton of potting soil, plants, tools, bags of mesquite chunks for the barbecue (one sale, two for one) and other assorted yard-related stuff – he pointed out a couple of prefabricated sheds that were parked up against the side of the building, in the shade."

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-9641361101634386542009-05-15T22:51:00.000-07:002009-05-22T11:59:54.855-07:00

I guess it had to happen eventually. The summer uniform I've been wearing for most of the last two summers and was planning to recycle this year with only minimal changes – has suddenly been adopted by some semi-official voice of fashion, which has pronounced 2009 the "summer of the shift." Drat!It's such a basic dress, and that should've been my tip-off. Everything in design seems to be going

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-27951353941622325712009-05-14T18:26:00.001-07:002009-05-14T18:26:18.912-07:00

I failed to note in yesterday's rant that I actually love to ATTEND weddings. I love community rituals of all kinds, especially when they're about something important like a major life change or rite of passage. And as for parties, a wedding is pretty much my favorite kind. Just don't ask me to stand in the spotlight ... I don't like it there.

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-83478642201169060592009-05-13T20:20:00.000-07:002009-05-13T22:57:01.041-07:00

I've just spent the last 9 hours looking at hundreds of wedding pictures for an upcoming work project and I just have to say: I'm so glad I never had a real wedding! It all looks so exhausting ... trying to get everything just perfect ... and all that money ... I have a work friend who plans events and the word from her is that the minimum budget for a wedding is $50 grand. That's her MINIMUM, to

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-31165692153712315762009-05-08T17:43:00.001-07:002009-05-08T17:43:19.387-07:00

Last night I went out to take the trash out to the road and there was a huge salamander walking across the porch. Not as huge as those big orange ones from China, but still the biggest one I've ever seen in person – about 6 or 7 inches long. I looked it up online (photo to come) and am pretty sure it's an arboreal salamander. It's an amphibian adapted for climbing (see also: arboreal locomotion),

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-33801891346360379242009-05-08T17:34:00.001-07:002009-05-08T17:34:56.401-07:00

In the book I'm reading, a someone just gave a gift to a man living alone on an island in a lake in the far north: a bag of potatoes, a small block of lard, and a scrap of cloth tied up around 12 nickels.I was thinking how good it would feel to give those things to someone you care about, and know that they would see it as a really great gift. One of the paradoxical things about living in such

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-83369721111988575852009-04-20T22:07:00.000-07:002009-04-20T22:39:09.729-07:00

Well, life goes on. I got a new bike last week – the stepthrough version of the same bike I've been riding for the last four years or so. I love that bike! When the company that made it was sold last fall, Mr. A suggested that we should really get another one as a backup bike, before the new manufacturer starts changing everything that makes it the perfect bike for me. I'd been thinking he was

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-28379989117908832442009-04-14T23:51:00.000-07:002009-04-15T00:28:55.847-07:00

For some reason I guess I really did think that knowing it was coming would prevent me from feeling it so deeply when it finally did happen. It's strange to be reminded so inescapably that I am not as strong as I always think I am. I'm still glad I stayed with him and held him while he died, but was not prepared to feel this sad and sort of ... disoriented.I've had some of my usual anxiety dreams

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-22277151375973915042009-04-02T12:53:00.000-07:002009-04-02T14:18:27.043-07:00

It's done.Last night was the first night in years that the Jeeps did not sleep in the doorway of my room, guarding my bed. Instead he slept on his towel in front of the fireplace and I dozed on the couch, keeping watch over him for a change.This morning I got the vet on the phone as soon as the office opened, and he was able to recommend a different clinic that does house calls. So I made the

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-69745381709329705502009-04-02T00:02:00.000-07:002009-04-02T00:03:15.668-07:00

We're probably putting the Jeeps down tomorrow.He's been having trouble with his hips for a year or more, and all winter it's been getting harder and harder for him to get back up when he falls. Now, in the last month or so, it's gotten suddenly worse. And today for the first time he can no longer stand or walk at all, not even if we help him.Tonight we were holding him up to eat a little dinner

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-6563410619576296442009-03-22T23:09:00.001-07:002009-03-22T23:45:12.940-07:00

And yet another opportunity to examine my boundaries – someone I know, one of the first people I met here in fact, has just gone through a long and painful breakup, and has been away for several months working, and is now back in town for a few weeks and wants to camp out in our back field for "one or two weeks." There are a number of reasons why I don't want this person staying here, but really

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-64481379858962704862009-03-18T22:32:00.000-07:002009-03-21T22:34:20.073-07:00

There are an awful lot of people driving pickup trucks around here who think bicycles are supposed to be ridden only on the sidewalk. A few days ago, in almost the same spot where last week's "incident" took place, a guy in an orange pickup rolled down his window and leaned all the way across his front seat while driving by in order to shout at me, "GET ON THE SIDEWALK!"As soon as he was clear of

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-4922823374321148342009-03-10T17:11:00.000-07:002009-03-11T12:02:32.512-07:00

This morning a giant scary guy in an enormous white truck tried to run me off the road on my bike, not once but twice.The first time he came within about a foot of my handlebar and I yelled, "HEY!" and kept riding. Traffic was stopped at a light, and I passed him on my way to the front – not saying another word, but taking note of the vehicle and the guy in it.A few minutes later he swerved

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-32326159172201464522009-02-24T22:48:00.001-08:002009-02-24T23:00:16.162-08:00

I had the coolest experience on Facebook today – my dad friend-requested me! I accepted the request, of course, and then tonight I called and had the nicest conversation with my parents. Apparently one of my sisters had been telling him about something that happened on Facebook and he thought it sounded cool, so he googled it to find out what it was and then signed up for an account. It totally

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-45819346980598848372009-02-23T19:41:00.001-08:002009-02-23T21:10:20.529-08:00

So, have I totally abandoned this blog? No. At least not in my heart ... I still think all the time about things I want to write about, and will write about them someday – I hope in the not too distant future.For right now I'm way over-extended at work, both in my day job and with a couple of freelance projects that arrived at the same time and which, the economy being what it is these days, I

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-57258200615051265342009-02-07T17:37:00.000-08:002009-02-07T18:49:04.727-08:00

I didn't take this picture myself and I don't know where it came from, but I had to post it because it so gorgeously illustrates my latest obsession – the moss garden. I've been collecting little pieces of moss everywhere and storing it in jars, making little tiny terrariums, tucking it in under the feet of house plants ... It's just the most beautiful color, and so fuzzy, and I love the

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-19912743712009080822009-02-04T19:51:00.001-08:002009-02-04T21:12:05.532-08:00

Last Friday I went to the "low-cost health screening clinic" at my pharmacy to have a new A1C done. Now that I'm basically uninsured (unless something catastrophic happens and I spend more than my deductible), clinics like this are a godsend. I had called the hospital lab where I've had all of my blood work done until now, and found out that for the two tests I wanted done it would cost me about

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-9998496489236917082009-01-15T19:33:00.001-08:002009-01-15T20:09:13.898-08:00

I just got home from work and in today's mail is a save-the-date card from Mr. A's niece, who's getting married this summer. On a cruise ship in Mexico.They had been planning to do it right here in my quaint little town. People come from all over the world to get married here and it's got all the accommodations, services, romantic locations, leisure activities (etc.) that people want to build in

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-60667740066453763812009-01-12T22:42:00.000-08:002009-01-12T22:48:10.315-08:00

Okay, time for some diversion. The search for the ultimate badass boots has been resumed, and today I came across these beauties:Oh my.Actually I'm thinking just the regular old shortie engineer boots ought to do just fine.Although really, if the winter continues the way it's been going so far, I'll be back in sandals before I get a chance to break these babies in. It was over 85º here today,

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-731688248605580472009-01-10T23:36:00.001-08:002009-01-15T20:42:58.852-08:00

It seems like for the last several weeks all I've been doing is waking up, going to work, and then – the day really begins – with these amazing bike rides home.It's what I live for right now. I can't believe how good it feels.For many years people told me that endorphins were better than drugs, better than anything. I never believed them.If I believed in regrets I would consider regretting all

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-52979360438219428132009-01-07T20:24:00.000-08:002009-01-08T08:43:37.930-08:00

This one starts with a quote – the Fourth Wonderful Precept:Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech and the inability to listen to others, I vow to cultivate loving speech and deep listening in order to bring joy and happiness to others and to relieve others of their suffering. Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I vow to learn to speak truthfully, with words that

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-81345181055351858192009-01-05T19:31:00.000-08:002009-01-05T20:56:55.533-08:00

I had a weird day today. Everything was normal until lunch, which I later realized contained around 40 grams of carbs – almost twice as much as I'd thought. My BG shot way, way up and stayed high for over an hour, then dropped over a hundred points in about 25 minutes. It continued to drop for another hour after that, to the point where I found myself scrounging around the office for leftover

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-60615955847934243422009-01-03T17:43:00.000-08:002009-01-03T17:48:59.437-08:00

In an attempt to mix it up a bit and get more exercise out of my daily bike time, I've been exploring some alternate routes on my ride home lately. Pedaling along at night on quiet, unlit country roads is one of my favorite things to do and I mostly feel pretty safe doing it. There are very few cars and no pedestrians at all out there – just me and my bike and my glow-in-the-dark jacket, and my

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-68330876169143553622008-12-30T22:53:00.000-08:002008-12-30T23:21:24.673-08:00

Just wanted to follow up on the meeting by taking note that I was one of only a few folks in attendance who are NOT some kind of health worker, and it was disturbing and validating all at the same time to be in a room with upwards of 60 health care professionals who all seem to passionately believe that there is almost nothing worth salvaging in our current system. Among other things we discussed

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-7235923654461526352008-12-30T11:20:00.001-08:002009-01-05T21:56:36.495-08:00

Last night on my way home I rode through a potent cloud of skunk odor that lasted about a quarter mile, and found myself overwhelmed with compassion for the poor creature who'd released it into the world. It was either dead (hit by a car, most likely) or felt so threatened that it had lifted its stripey little tail and blasted someone. I know how it feels to be that anxious!I myself was on my way

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-46807483620380197352008-12-28T22:14:00.000-08:002008-12-28T22:55:49.606-08:00

In my wanderings on the web today I found this site where you can buy (and sell!) human hair. This long red braid is one offering; most of the others show the hair actually still attached to the person who's growing it, along with a description, and the terms and conditions of the sale.I've read that the best wigs are made from human hair, but I guess I always thought that wigmakers would find

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-49212303316229515972008-12-28T01:00:00.000-08:002008-12-28T01:41:26.123-08:00

Can't remember exactly where I ran across this, but I've been reading this site by a fellow named Dmitry who lived through the collapse of the Soviet Union and wrote about the experience (and what Americans can learn from it) in 2006. This little passage made me think of what I wrote earlier today:If the economy, and your place within it, is really important to you, you will be really hurt when

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-9373139905387164102008-12-27T19:15:00.001-08:002008-12-27T20:18:44.572-08:00

Bike to Work Pants from Cordarounds on Vimeo.I ought to also mention that Mr. A and I created the Yule-timate Celebration of the Bike this Christmas by giving each other mostly bike-related gifts. The product in the video above was not one of them, but it's a cool idea, no? Work-ready pants with built-in reflective technology! Maybe next year.It feels good to be all stocked up on lights, tubes,

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-37261942945013774202008-12-26T10:11:00.000-08:002008-12-26T10:32:40.693-08:00

Once again the Christmas miracle failed to occur. I am still diabetic.We spent the day at Mr. A's sister's yesterday with all his family. Throughout the day I stayed pretty aware of what I was eating, but toward the end of the afternoon the pies appeared, and that was when I sort of decided, well, it's Christmas, and I know for a fact that these pies are delicious, and one day of higher blood

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-45955534015014915662008-12-22T16:04:00.001-08:002008-12-22T16:04:57.706-08:00

Remember last spring when I quit my job to work for a nonprofit, and then freaked out with anxiety and changed my mind and got my job back?Turns out that was a good call. I just got a press release announcing that basically the entire staff of that organization has been laid off. The state department of finance has just ordered all work funded by state bonds to stop immediately – in fact, we've

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-11243882918156459772008-12-17T11:28:00.000-08:002008-12-17T11:46:51.400-08:00

You know those days when you think you might be about to come down with something, but you can't quite tell? You feel sort of tired, but maybe that was just because you stayed up too late the night before. Or maybe had a little too much cheese – that could be why your head feels a little stuffy. Should you stay home from work and try to nip it in the bud? Or is there really anything the matter at

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-61644551948028365382008-12-13T21:59:00.001-08:002008-12-13T22:25:53.040-08:00

Every September our neighbor down the road gets four new red and white steers, and every summer, at the end of August or so, they disappear. We're pretty sure we know what happens to them.This year the poor creatures were whisked away on schedule – there one day, gone the next, the gate left open on an empty field for more than two weeks – but their replacements did not appear until just before

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-14729143289541113212008-12-12T19:33:00.000-08:002008-12-13T21:55:59.042-08:00

Yes, inane!1. Las Vegas just continues to get weirder and weirder. Another press check trip found me late last night squashed into the back of a cab with a driver who whispered nonstop into his headset in a language I did not understand, while alternately flooring the gas and slamming on the brakes every 15 seconds or so for the entire 20-minute ride to the hotel. Upon checking in I found out

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-26049213261668986242008-12-10T22:29:00.000-08:002008-12-11T08:40:18.799-08:00

For about the last year or so various friends have been trying to get me to join Facebook, and until today I always declined. It's not that I don't want to keep in touch with friends, or make new ones, or even be visible online – obviously! It's just the whole idea of networking that makes me panic. I had this fear that if I put up a profile on Facebook, suddenly my entire life would become

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-7120352072188653502008-12-05T09:31:00.001-08:002009-01-07T20:37:29.614-08:00

Back before this watershed incident occurred – a day before, a whole night before – a bunch of us went down to the beach for one of the lowest tides in recent memory, to look at tidepool creatures in the middle of the night. Among other wonders we saw this little red octopus, rumored to be venomous, that my amazing friend M, the beach naturalist, photographed while several of us held the lights

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-37703498531543685632008-12-03T21:40:00.000-08:002008-12-03T23:02:00.152-08:00

I did something last week I've never done before – I bought something based on a sample that arrived in a package with something else I bought online. It was in one of those little tiny glass vials with the name of the stuff stuck on with a little white laser-printed label, nothing special, but I became obsessed with it after I spilled it on my sweater sleeve – obsessed to the point I kept

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-27492587039360798912008-12-02T11:02:00.000-08:002008-12-02T11:05:03.359-08:00

I don't know what I was clicking when I ran across this, but I loved it, and wanted to share.Still one of my favorite songs ever.

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-56130420897369334662008-12-01T20:32:00.000-08:002009-01-07T20:37:05.413-08:00

This whole thing with the boots has me a little unnerved. Because why am I obsessing over the perfect pair of badass black leather biker boots, when I am neither badass nor a biker? And let's not forget the fact that I promised myself to stop wearing black this year – it's too harsh for someone with my coloring, someone who before you know it is not even going to be a redhead anymore but some

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-62517229992391484472008-11-30T22:44:00.001-08:002008-11-30T23:09:52.721-08:00

One of the things I un-prefer about working weird hours and long weekends is that it inevitably disrupts my already tenuous relationship with the waking-sleeping cycle. I've been a terrible sleeper for many years, I don't even really remember how long ... once I'm asleep I do OK, but getting there is never easy. Right now, for example, I know I "should" be asleep, or at least heading in that

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357829.post-35684130999272910802008-11-26T22:52:00.000-08:002008-11-26T23:19:48.772-08:00

One of the things I still love about my job is the time I get to spend looking through weird old historic photos of the various famous people who have lived in my burg/village/valley over the years. Recognize this handsome fellow? He's going to be the cover guy on the next issue of the magazine I art direct – a different photo, but I think I'm going to find a way to use this one somewhere inside.

tinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12157105006469455294noreply@blogger.com2