Well kids, it’s been a while since I updated, many excuses, none good. Have been mourning the death of my external hard drive…and along with its early demise it took all of my pictures/music files. Who knew you’d need an external hard drive for your back-up external hard drive. Also re-installing again (for about the 4^th time) all of my music files for my iPod. (Its predecessor also kicked the bucket right around the same time as my external hard drive. Coincidence? No, I think not. I think they knew exactly what they were doing. Listen to the radio you say? What is radio? Have you ever watched the Family Guy episode where Brian and Stewie become radio hosts? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws58s9wzYsA

Yeah, that’s what radio has become. I don’t even know what Top40 is anymore. So yeah, if any of you have ever had to reinstall all of your music files to backup, you know it’s more than just importing all of the cds back onto a hard drive. You also have to make sure the files are in the right place, there are no duplicates, the songs are all labeled so you don’t have 400 Track 01’s on your iPod….it’s a full-time job! GAH!!!!

 

As of Thursday, October 8^th, I have 9 weeks of classes left…..have been looking at graduate schools. Syracuse University cost almost $40k. I don’t have $40k. Another school, Lesley in Cambridge, Mass, costs $14k. It has a low-residency program for MFA-Creative Writing. That’s what I really want to do. Low-residency programs are usually 2 weeks at the campus and the rest online. They are hard to get into; you have to be really good. Am I good enough, that is the question. I could also stay here and continue at Oswego in their Master’s program for English. Decisions…..or I could just move out of this god-forsaken state and go to a full-time program elsewhere. But I can’t. I have to finish raising the family first. Couple more years for that, and the little woman still has 5 years to go before she can retire.

 

I think that along with the change in the weather bringing my allergies and asthma into full fledged fruition; it has also brought my irritated-ness with the populace to the forefront of my being. Things that have driven me to near psychosis:

 

People who spit. Knock it off, you are gross and ignorant.

People who drive like assholes in front of my son, who I am trying to teach the right way to drive, my way, and they are not helping. Knock it off, you are annoying.

People who spend $200 on a pair of suede boots that make this noise: shook shook shook shook. Knock it off and pick up your damned heels when you walk. You are annoying and a slave to fashion and wasted your parent’s hard earned money so you can be an individual clone with the rest of your pack.

People who use the words like, and absolutely to excess. By excess I mean more than once per sentence. Knock it off, you are a college student, you sound ignorant.

People who crawl out of the woodwork once a week to go shopping and feel the need to bring the whole family with them to the store. Knock it off, there’s not enough room for all of us, it is unnecessary, and it only takes one person to shop.

 

Come on, you can’t tell me that Michelle Obama didn’t know who her great-great grandfather was. Bullshit. I’m thinking that the masses aren’t getting what they thought they were going to get when they elected her husband, so they’ve found a way to garner some of the sympathy vote. Sure, my ancestors weren’t slaves. And by the way, Brazil imported 5x’s more slaves than did the US during the Atlantic slave trade, something we don’t learn in our history books. The Vikings had slaves. Some of the slaves of the Ottoman Empire held high positions in the governing body. Humans will always prey on the weak, it’s what we do. Race is such a big deal for Americans, it is ridiculous. We need to get over what color we are on the outside and start dealing with the feelings we have on the inside towards the other people in our midst. I’m taking the Psychology of Race and then History of Human Trafficking back to back and it’s an interesting mix of ideas/theories/history/psychology/human condition.

Oh there’s more….I think I’ll save some for later..

So now I have to start collecting pics all over again, which means I’ll be trolling the internet looking for interesting images.

Well kids, it's been 10 years since my beloved and I took that fateful walk around the block, and we are now holed up in Alexandria Bay

at the Channelsyde Motel
  enjoying two days of stress free mini vacation. It was our gift to each other, and I was able to find this little gem of a hideaway away from the commercial element of downtown A-Bay for half the price and a world away in terms of ambiance, and scenery. Across the seaway,  right in front of our motel is Wellesley Island.

It is so quiet here, there are no kids, no loud bars, no bar hounds, no obnoxious tourists that I'm sure of two things; I may not want to go home, and I'm sure we'll be back. Photos to follow, maybe sooner than later if my camera and my lappy-toppy speak the same language. We checked in and within an hour the first freighter churned by right outside our room. (stock photo.) It was both exciting and surreal. It was a beast! I was amazed that if left no wake, and that the little speed boat that followed it rocked the docked boats to and fro like mad. Have seen a couple large hawk-like birds which may or may not be bald eagles, they were too far away to tell for sure, but I'm gonna keep my eye out for one just the same. So I'm off to bed, charging the batteries for a day of touring the area. We are gonna take a boat tour of the

1000 Islands and


Saint Lawrence Seaway
 

and probably go visit Boldt Castle.
  Then putt-putt!! Yay!! Hahahaha.....

Well the heat wave finally broke yesterday, (it was only 80 degrees instead of 89) and I was able to get out and mow the shag carpeting of lawn that had grown. The lawnmower hates me now. I still have to get back out to the back 40, but the weatherman is calling for the heat and humidity to leap back up to the 90's. yay. Not. I am not a summer lover. Oh sure I like vacation and r&r, but it's too damned hot for me. Even in the winter I am a lovely shade of scarlet. It's my natural coloring. People think I'm having a heart attack. I'd love to not have a glowing red face every day, but it's my cross to bear....

Saw miniature chickens the other day on our ride home. Shaemus said they were chicken nuggets. They looked like big chickens, but were miniature sized, which lead my mind to wandering....I've never thought about what a chicken looks like after it's chick stage. Another interesting things was this: I saw a flattened goose, (at least I thought it was a goose, it had greyish brown feathers, coulda been a hawk,) in the center lane of one of our busy thoroughfares and it lead my mind to wandering.....I never thought about what happens to animals medically speaking. I guess I just always assumed they were perfect and lived their lives until Darwin steps in and takes them out ala getting flattened in the center lane of one of our busy thoroughfares. This conjured a visual of a goose flying in the sky having the time of his/her life and all of a sudden an aneurism pops in it's brain and it dies instantly and falls out of the sky only to get flattened in the center lane of one of our busy thoroughfares.

These thoughts are all manefesting because I'm worried about Xiuchi. She's been sneezing for a month. Only one side of her sinuses is stuffed up, and her snot is just a shade past clear. Other than that, and her gagging on another hairball that she can't seem to barf up she is doing her usual. But I'm obsessed over it. I can't take her to the vet for another couple weeks, I'm po. Anyway....

As it has been too hot, the animals have done nothing photoworthy, so I took pics of my flowers. Included are shots of some stray sunflowers in honor of my professor's blog entry, http://steinerdonna.blogspot.com/2009...  check it out, it's a great story.
 

My rose of sharon bush, I got it as a twigling from my friends Joe and Michelle 4 years ago.




These glads are actually burgundy.                           One lonely snapdragon living in the weed/rock/flower bed.


I planted mini zinnias and giant zinnias. They are happy.




There are nasturtiums in there too. You can eat the petals, they have a peppery flavor.




Oh! I'm really proud of this guy, it's an egg gourd.


The egg gourd plant has taken over the end of the garden.


A maple tree it trying to gain a foothold by the rose of sharon bush. I'm going to pull it. I hate doing that.

Cherry tomatoes. They were yummy.                     There are more in this mess....I spy...


A stray morning glory in the bird feeder bed. A pleasant surprise.


I think this is poison ivy. What do you think?

It has climbed al over the shrubs in the front of the house and is starting to crawl up the siding to the roof....it's like freaking kudzu!!



I finally started the Harry Potter series. I just started the third book. I am so far pleased with it, at least I was able to get more than three sentences into it....(slam on Twilight, I made it three sentences in before my eyes started to bleed and brain matter started to run out of my ears.)

Enough rambling...I have chores awaitin' and they ain't gonna do themselves...grrr....

It took  most of summer break, but I finally finished Duma Key by Stephen King. To say that reading it was akin to slogging though the surf with both legs attached to fishing nets is taking it mildly. Why did I continue to slog on if it was indeed as tiresome as I say, second only to Insomnia? Because I am not a quitter! I set out to read complete works this summer as I did last, and I aimed to keep that promise to myself. Now that I have finished King, I can pick up where I left off in The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. But back to King, what was he thinking? Where is the old King I used to know and love so well? It seems that he has changed since his stint with near-death, and for me, not in a good way. Gone are the manglers, lawnmowers and devil cars that made my heart race with each new paragraph. In are characters that need so much development to introduce that you are half-way through the book before you know them and why they are there. Duma Key was 90% set-up and 10% crescendo. Unfortunately, the crescendo lacked the same heart pounding sensation that the pounding surf brings onto the beach. I am disappointed by the new King, and thus will be gun-shy about reading anything new. Now where did I put that Poe??

Everything I say here today will of course pale in comparison with the fact that Karl Malden has died.
                                

Yes, you heard it here first....come out from under that rock! Oh, Farrah died,
                                             as did that annoying guy who YELLED EVERY WORD OF HIS COMMERCIALS AT YOU WHILE YOU FRANTICALLY SEARCHED FOR THE REMOTE TO MUTE HIM ONLY TO FIND IT TOO LATE. When the commercial was over... Billy Mays.... 
Oh, and Ed McMahon bit it too... I keep thinking I'm missing someone...but for the life of me, I can't remember who...anyway, as I have just updated my Facebook page, I'll share that tidbit with those of you here that shun social networking sites......
had a ball mowing the lawn with the tree swallows. There had to have been 10 or so, darting all around me catching the bugs in mid-flight the mower kicked up. It was funny, as soon as I'd made two passes with the mower, they showed up en masse...like they knew...it was cool to feel at one with them, even I ate a couple gnats....needed salt. Some of you also already know what I did for my birthday, which actually hasn't happened yet, it's July 19th, for those of you who want to get your shopping in early...but as a creature of seizing the spontaneous moment....I finally after 43 years decided what I wanted to have indelibly inked onto my flesh for all eternity. Well, not 43 years per say....but you know what I mean...and I had the whole experience on film, had being the key word here...but in an update to Windows 7/camera software cd loss/picture editing program snafu, I lost them all.....I don't want to hear it, if you want to do something nice, buy me a Mac, and I won't have these problems...so while the keyboard is slippery with A&D ointment from the constant applying to said tattoo to keep it moist...I have been able to upload a few new pics that I did not lose...it is on the inside of my right forearm, you can't see it when I have my arms in their usual "at your side" placement, but as soon as I reach out, or turn my arm there it is...originally it had the ying/yang symbol in the center....but I chose something I hold more dear to my heart, and it's one of a kind also...guess who's paw print and win a prize!

Why have I not been watching Chelsea Lately? This show is hysterical!! New fan!!!

Well, the little woman has chemo in the morning...and I as the belovedee must be there too....it's the 5th of 8, she's handling it well...besides that whole bald thing...but she likes it, still sweating her ass off...but now it's a cooler, dryer sweat. Bwahahahahahahahaa.a.......here, have some pics....I'll talk about something other than myself next time.....
Four new eggs in the bluebird box.....that makes 9 new bluebirds for the planet thanks to Dee, who made the box, and me, for keeping a wary eye and camera lens on them from egg to fledge.....


Xiu has had enough hot.


Callie prefers the cool surface of our Danish Modern coffee table...
as soon as she learns how to use that remote, we are all in trouble....

BUNNY WABBIT!!!!!


More incredibly hot feline....

  I plucked this guy from in between the irises...now where to put it...
          

The 'nasty-ursiums' are doing well...we've tried the orange petals, taste like pepper..


Had some great cloud formations move through the area because of the FRIGGIN' HEAT AND HUMIDITY....



I mentioned the house climbing vine and behind the bushes dragon to Mpmmacakes earlier...there is in theory supposed to be a space between the shrubbery and the house....the beloved stated she would go in and slay the beast........that was three weeks ago...it is out of control....




And last but not least.....
Wait...I just remembered I had more...I'll save those for later...except this one...excuse the wreck..we've been busy...we got all 5 animals in the frame at one time!! Of course Pocho is coming out of Phoebe's butt, but what else is new...and Edward is looking the other way...still thinks he's Amish....

I'm sleepy....
JLS

Hey kids! I haven’t had a good rant in quite awhile, so this being a grey, rainy early morning and I’m still (amazingly) awake at this ungodly hour, I thought I’d take time to address some of my issues…..yes, get me some tissues…..

I’ve had it up to here (gestures at forehead) with these losers who feel the need to rob small businesses/gas stations for a paltry amount of money to feed some habit, or they lack a real job wherein they earn their own fucking money and not take from those who toil daily to make their own paltry amount in fair earnings. I think I’ve found a way to curtail this social blight. It is a twofold approach.

1. Every small business owner/gas station will be equipped with a double-barrel shotgun installed under the front counter at groin level with everyone who approaches the counter.

2. When the attendant is faced with a robbery/strong arm situation, he/she pretends to comply while pulling the trigger of the shotgun thereby placing a large diameter hole in the perpetrator where his nuggets used to be.

This will…

            a) Teach the ignorant mf that a life of crime doesn’t pay.

            b) Guarantee that he will have no more contributions to the gene pool.

I think this approach will not only serve as a warning to the rest of the ignorant losers out there who have chosen to behave inappropriately, but also begin to clean the gene pool of this social menace.

The U.S. Department of Justice reports

• 797,500 children (younger than 18) were reported missing in a one-year period of time studied resulting in an average of 2,185 children being reported missing each day.
• 203,900 children were the victims of family abductions.
• 58,200 children were the victims of non-family abductions.
• 115 children were the victims of “stereotypical” kidnapping. (These crimes involve someone the child does not know or someone of slight acquaintance, who holds the child overnight, transports the child 50 miles or more, kills the child, demands ransom, or intends to keep the child permanently.) (http://tinyurl.com/2sjo4o)

Briant Rodriguez, kidnapped at gunpoint from inside his own home. Joshua Childers, wandered away from his home in rural Missouri. 4-year-old Lesley Perez, taken out of her own front yard, and 5-month-old Cortez Rose are only four of the thousands of children that go missing every year to be found alive and well in May and June of this year. I can’t list all of the missing; you’d wind up going cross-eyed and give up after 10 minutes of staring at your monitor. Haleigh Cummings and Haylee Donathon are still missing and in grave danger. Caylee Anthony and Sandra Cantu weren’t as lucky, as was 5-year-old Nevaeh Buchanan of Monroe, Michigan whose body, found along the River Raisin under poured concrete had a beer can on top of the body as a parting gesture.

Not all of these missing and exploited children were taken by sex offenders, but we need to implore the federal government to pass a law allowing the use of gps style location systems via ankle bracelet of level 3 sex offenders. Personally, I vote for castration, but that does not guarantee that the offender will not offend again. These offenders need to be monitored 100% of the time. If we are going to allow them to live free in our society after they have served their sentences, then they should be held accountable for 100% of their daily activities.

People, keep your children safe. Do not let them run the streets. Keep them close, and under supervision at all times. 5-year-old children should not be playing outside without a parent right there with them. Do not let your children go with people you barely know or just met. Just because someone has a record doesn’t always mean that they are a hazard to your children. Think about it. Don’t be fooled by their “reformation while in prison” diatribe. Yeah, everyone is innocent. We’re all free of evil thoughts and actions….bullshit. Oh, “low self-esteem led me to allow my child to be around sex offenders”….bullshit. Being an ignorant crackhead led you to allow your child to be around convicted felons. To those of you who have reformed and not reoffended, have changed your lives and become productive tax-paying citizens of our fucked-up society, kudos to you. You should now feel the way I do about the rest that haven’t followed your path…

JLS

   "When the itch disappears"
   "When the burning is soothed"
   "When you feel fresh"
   "You can come back to your life."
   "Vagisil, bring yourself back."

  Yeah, like we are banished to the menstruation huts we have tucked away into a corner our backyards. I doubt the women of Ethiopia, Surinam, and other countries where this custom is practiced are sitting back watching a Vagisil commercial right now saying "dayam, I wish I lived in America, then I could buy some Vagisil and get out of this damned hut!"

   "You can come back to your life." What, you disappeared for 5 to 7 days? You know, if guys had penile fluid oozing from their penises, there would be no commercials for Penisil. Men would not be banished to the "penile ooze" huts. Men would not allow their penises to be turned into a stinky stick, the way women's vaginas are characterized as a "shame cave."

    In all of my years I think I have seen one commercial for male jock itch. One. In 40 years. It was for a product called "Cruex." I think this "war of the roses" is totally onesided. I don't want to smell like a bouquet of fake roses like the ones granny always kept in a vase on the kitchen table......Just say "NO" to feminine hygiene commercials until men get some of their own. A lot of them have no idea about male hygiene.....men smell funny to me...must be the lesbian in me, but when they are devoid of any perfumes/body sprays/scented soaps or shampoos, they just smell icky. Not all men, those who seem to be of good moral fiber, and I don't mean "moral" in a biblical sense, just one of the good ones, there are so few...smell different than the rest. Have I lost you? Hello? Where's my megaphone....



                    13-year-old speller in the national spelling bee or next serial killer.......you decide....
                                                   
Hmmm....Oh, the baby bluebirds are getting so big, they must grow half an inch every day!

         

   I'm not quite sure what he thinks he's going to do back there.....but it may wind up with his getting stitches....

Callie has expired. Not really. She just looks that way....

Xiuchi's fabulous rollover trick....






 

Ta-Da!!!