Meeting Requirements

This is the last of the blogs to meet the requirements for this course. I have enjoyed this exercise, recording and sharing my thoughts, even did a few extra posts for fun, and plan to continue. Which started me thinking about expectations, and how I and others approach them. For me, expectations are usually the bell lap in my race - a point I must pass to finish, but not typically my end goal. I guess this makes me an over-achiever, which in many circles (especially among students) is a derisive term. The thing is, I have always been this way, as long as I can remember. If I look back at the scrapbook my mother kept, even in 3rd grade I wrote papers longer than required, used more sources than asked, and generally went the extra mile. It is a life-long habit, one I can't seem to turn off. Not even on the little things. Many people who work like this burn out, claim "stress", or have all-out nervous breakdowns. I just keep plugging along. In fact, it drives me crazy to NOT have something to do: a book to read, a magazine to skim, homework to do, at least one craft project in the works. In fact, I am only truly happy if I am multi-tasking. Take a typical Saturday morning, when I have laundry running, watch cartoons with my son while doing homework (we are learning to duel like on "Yu-gi-oh"), and jump up during commercials to do quick bits of other household chores. How do people do nothing? I don't think I will ever know.

Bad Things Happen in 3s

Wow, I feel like a statistic. This morning I was rear-ended on the way to work. No one was hurt (I was in the process of dropping my son off at Kids Zone) except my vehicle (yes, I am one of those that believes my car has a personality). She is a little shaken, but is bravely rolling on. That was vehicle incident #3. Over the weekend, the slide-out on our camper decided to not slide, which makes for very tight quarters - incident #2. And the one that kicked this cylce off, the useless piece of human baggage that side-swiped my husband's truck while it was parked in the underground airport parking - hitting it hard enough to move the 1/2 ton pickup 4 feet, crushing it into the next parked car, and since it is a hit-and-run, leaving us out the deductible.

I have long felt we should chuck all the motor vehicles and go back to horse-and-buggy transportation (reducing carbon dioxide emissions AND creating a useful bi-product for gardeners).

Does anyone know a good used buggy dealer?

I've Grown Up, But Sadly, Many Others Haven't

Last night I attended a concert a Verizon Ampitheater - the Black Crows and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. (TP has been my favorite since the late 70's). I had an epiphany. I now go to concerts to hear music and enjoy an artist's presentation; not to get wasted, see people, and be seen (literally). I was astounded at the number of women, obviously aged 50+, sporting new ta-tas, and showing them off in outfits Britney Spears might have been embarrassed to wear (or maybe proud to wear?). Not to mention the number of women of all ages with exposed mid-riffs that were better described as maxi-riffs. I think it is time to institute what I call the reverse V-chip. Like the current model that prevents youngsters from watching what "someone" considers age-inappropriate content for them, this would block adult and/or overweight women from seeing anything fashion-related that is not appropriate for their age and/or body type. And, since women cannot be trusted to tell the truth in these matters, the chip would need to be synched-up with the license bureau (for age and height) and a set of scales in the home. That way, maybe the world of sensible people would not have to endure another evening sitting in stadium seats at eye level with unbidden bellies and breasts.

Beauvoir

Late afternoon on the porch of the antebellum plantation home of Jefferson Davis, after the Civil War. Shot on Velvia 50 with a sepia filter. My favorite from this year's vacation.

Haunted by Hauntings

Currently I am finishing up "The Ghosts of New Orleans", written by two paranormal researchers with the ISPR. It is more on the academic side than most "ghost story" books I have read. I am not sure what I believe, but hauntings fascinate me, and it has prompted me into exploring more. When in New Orleans recently I visited one building certified haunted by the ISPR. Marie Laveau did not put in an appearance in her voodoo shop, but there was plenty of interesting stuff besides. Of course, I grew up hearing rumors about the Odd Fellows Home (only a mile or two from where I presently live) and Rickey Road, but never took these too seriously. I have even spent a couple of evenings trying to find the "Spook Lights" outside Joplin, to no avail. There is quite a list of reportedly haunted places in Missouri still to check out. You can even book a room over the internet at a haunted hotel. Happy haunting - I mean hunting!