unhappy medium

on my drive to work i followed a van that must have taken How To Drive In Small Towns lessons from the same person as my dad: one constant rate of speed of approximately 12mph, which sounds safe if not completely aggravating, except for the counterbalancing activity of ROLLING STOPS. EVERYWHERE. ALWAYS.
 
i'm all about balance, but i don't think it works this way. 
Posted on Wednesday, April 4, 2007 at 08:28AM by Registered Commentermdog | Comments3 Comments

brilliant

peep passover.

i have no words.

[via dooce]

Posted on Tuesday, April 3, 2007 at 12:58PM by Registered Commentermdog | Comments6 Comments

shootout

so, apparently, my past luck at shooting moving objects [.500 batting average] is far better than my attempts at stationary targets [possibly in the negative percentages].
 
i think the bb gun from my childhood days gave more of a response and kick than the 22 rifle i shot yesterday. on the other hand, there was something satisfying about watching the impact of the 223 remington and 9mm on the defenseless water bottles and cans.
 
ah, rural life. 
Posted on Monday, April 2, 2007 at 10:45AM by Registered Commentermdog | Comments4 Comments

stakeout

so, i almost went speed dating tonight.

[here's the part where i pause to allow rachel to do a little chair cheer].

to bring the unknown up to speed [so to speak]: room of people, one-on-one talking for five minutes, move on to the next person, mingle all together later, trade info at that point if you desire.

i saw a blurb about it on the local library website. which was apparently the ONLY blurb about it, but i will get to that momentarily. i was both mortified and intrigued by the idea, so i enlisted a friend for solidarity and accompaniment; she knew people that had attended the last one and said she would get more information. the reconnaissance mission came back with bad news: according to prior participants, there seemed to be quite a creepiness factor. also keep in mind this is a small town, and perhaps not an enormous pool to draw from, i.e. not likely to be much different this time around.

so i suggested a stakeout. i let my friend off the hook and said i would do a little browsing slash reading slash monitoring from a safe distance, and call her if things looked... promising. i showed up about half an hour early, found an anne lamott book and a suitable reading location, and read peacefully for awhile. registration was to start at 6:30, and "interviews" at 7:00. after a while i realized/thought that i couldn't actually see anyone walking in, as the whole ordeal was set up in a room off of the immediate entrance, in the lobby between the outer doors and inner doors.

hmmmmm. i see there is no way i can get a better position, and come up with plan b [which ironically enough, was the name of the lamott book i was, at this point, not really reading]. i decide that i will keep 'reading' for awhile before making my way out to assess the situation. while waiting, i observe a man coming in and out of the lobby, obviously involved in setting up the registration process. also: i panic. by the time 6:50 rolls around, i have pretty much decided to chicken out, but am allowing a sliver of possibility that i will ignore all the bones in my body that are screaming please leave, don't go through with this, have you gone completely mad?

i walk out and realize that there is a reason i couldn't see anyone walk in. in the lobby, there is a table, and the man behind the table, and at that moment three women talking to the man behind the table about the speed dating. or perhaps more accurately, the lack of speed dating. because behind all of this is... an empty room.

might want to do a little more advertising next time, folks.

well, if nothing else... it certainly was speedy. 

Posted on Thursday, March 29, 2007 at 11:30PM by Registered Commentermdog | Comments7 Comments

maintenance

due to a scheduling quirk, i just got back from a dentist appointment, and will be going to the eye doctor later this afternoon.

i feel like i'm getting a tune-up. 

Posted on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at 11:12AM by Registered Commentermdog | Comments7 Comments

this one's a keeper

against my better judgment, i am linking to this because it is SO DAMN FUNNY. ninety comments worth of humor. NINETY. except those of you with y-chromosomes will likely want to stop reading by the time you hit the word "applicator". don't say i didn't warn you.
 
 
hello kitty. oh my god. 
Posted on Monday, March 26, 2007 at 05:50PM by Registered Commentermdog | Comments7 Comments

cruising

77°F and sunny, with a good dose of unscheduledness.
 
i need to start throwing my camera in the car before heading to church, as it seems i have taken to driving down old us route 33 on bright and wonderful sunday afternoons. there's not a lot of traffic [or troopers] on this road anymore, which is just fine by me. those speed suggestions signs on curves? highly overrated. and i never realized how many portions of this old highway on which one can hit 80mph. i mean... hypothetically speaking. of course.
 
time for laundry, and a nap. 
Posted on Sunday, March 25, 2007 at 03:13PM by Registered Commentermdog | Comments2 Comments

behind the curtain

"This following type of formation is called a 'curtain.'  The foto does not nearly do it justice.  It is massive and sparkly all over.  Sincerely, people, caves are fascinating.  All the formations we saw were thousands of years old.  They are so beautiful, but hidden in the depths of the earth where humans and light hardly reach.  There was a river/stream flowing through one of the caves, and the years and years of slow erosion and molding of the rock was so evident!  Amazing!
 
For some reason that is reminding me of the most beautiful unique parts of ourselves, our inward thoughts and personalities that take so long to develop, that are continually changing and that are actually appreciated by so few.  Never completely - only by God.  And what of God?  We know so truly little of who God is. ..."
 
[more from sjl here
Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 at 08:49AM by Registered Commentermdog | Comments7 Comments

my Mr. White?

my friend lance recently had his class of fifteen-year-old chinese students write love poems in english.
 
i'm guessing you don't really need any more explanation than that.
 
here is a sample introductory verse:
 
You are my heart.
You are my liver.
You are my three quarters of life.
 
and the rest can be found here. teacher lance has some creative students!
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 at 09:56AM by Registered Commentermdog | Comments6 Comments

glorious

yesterday afternoon i took a four hour nap. FOUR. HOURS. WITH THE NAPPING.
 
being sick has its advantages [excuses]. 
Posted on Monday, March 19, 2007 at 08:23AM by Registered Commentermdog | Comments7 Comments