docoflove1974

You forgot about the caveat at the bottom, the small print: "If you actually get solace from any of this advice, you probably need more help than we can give you. Really, you need to seek out professional mental therapy. By the way, it's sunny and projected to be near 80'F in Santa Clara, California, home of Yahoo...so we're having a nice day. No idea if you will, too."

Happy UNRV birthday, my dear! If I were in NYC now, we'd go on the town to 'celebrate', gibberish style! LOL

In case your local or national news hasn't picked it up, there was a massive explosion of a gas main in San Bruno, which is just south of San Francisco. The explosion was so gigantic that people at first thought that it was a plane crash; people inside their houses still felt the heat. Pacific Gas and Electric, the power company here, just confirmed that the gas main was a huge transfer pipeline, a 24-inch pipe that probably carried 300-pounds of pressure, that blew. A producer for ABC News said that a 20-foot section of pipe was split in two, and the explosion also blew a water main, so putting out the main fire took longer than expected. Really, no one knows at this time (10:30pm PDT) how many homes have been disintegrated, how many people are dead, nor how many more have been injured. Definitely, an entire neighborhood is gone. And I can't stop watching the news. I live about 15-20 miles away, and while I don't think I know anyone who lives in that specific neighborhood, I can't pull myself away. Less than 1/2 mile away is Skyline College--I worked there for a year, and it is a sister college to the one I work at. I know that some Skyline students come down to my college for courses, and I can only imagine that some of my former colleagues are directly affected. The organizer in me wants to do something--anything--in order to help. I want organize drives, or reach out to people...something. But sitting on my couch, I feel like I'm here with my thumb up my arse, completely helpless. So far there haven't been any notices from work on how we can help, but I know that by the time I wake up in the morning my email inbox will be filled. My Facebook connections will provide other information. Most likely there will be a blood drive--our campus nurses are in tight with the blood banks. I guess the good side of this is how people are connecting to help others, whether they know the person or not. On the news reporters are interviewing people, both to get information as well as to show that John Smith and Jane Brown are fine, and are looking for family and friends. A couple of shopping centers are places where emergency services are having people go to register and get services--and the businesses are opening and helping in any way that they can. It's not about earning money or gaining notoriety; it's about helping your community. What a beautiful thing. Somehow I have to go to sleep tonight. No idea how that's going to work.

Ooh, you picked the wrong city! San Francisco is where you need to be. (Although I don't know that the prices are much better...sadly....)

Yes, folks, I am now reunited with the virtual world and the television world, and damn does it feel good. Even better, I got my couches today. So in all honesty, I can actually start having people over. What a concept! In all seriousness, I haven't had a place that I could entertain in since I left Austin in 2005. Living with my parents didn't exactly espouse positive feelings in that aspect. In theory the last apartment could have been wonderful, what with the unit leading to the backyard. The problem, however, was that the place needed so much work that I was too embarrassed to show it to many people. And even then, it was a quick "So, here it is, small and quaint. Thanks for stopping by!" But now, I have room for many to sit and relax. And next weekend I should get my dinette table in, which will help even more. Pretty soon it'll all be right as rain.

I know, I know, I haven't been very active on the blogs lately. No, I haven't fallen off into the deep end. Just that I moved to a new apartment, one right on campus to my main employer. This brand-new construction has had some glitches, including the fact that the powers that be forgot to hook it up to the internet and cable grid. So, it might be another week yet before I have internet at home, or tv for that matter. Mildly annoying, and it doesn't fit in with my plans, but what are you going to do? Therefore, I am relegated to having to walk across the street with my laptop and hook up to the wifi several times a day. Like I said, mildly annoying. And to be honest, I've been bitching about it to a select group of people, who are like minded. Then it dawned on me yesterday...I need to really let this go. I can't do a thing about it. Patience is a virtue, one that I possess at times. I'll just have to take it for now. Because, in all truthfulness, there is nothing about this place I don't like. It is damned near perfect. I have a view that I haven't had in years, of the Coastal Range; I see the fog pouring over the hills every night, and retreating back every morning. I walk to work, or have a very short drive for the private groups, so I use less than half of the gas as before. The apartment is twice the size, plus a garage, with brand-new everything, and high-efficiency appliances. It's no joke to say that my living situation has improved 100 fold. Now it's time for me to run along to class. I'll fill you in later with more, and include some pictures in the gallery.

This does help, quite a bit. Thanks!

Yep, still no blogs for me, either. Haven't tried instant messaging, but I wasn't enthralled with it earlier, either. And I'll agree that the 'today's posts' only works if you check every single day, or perhaps more than once a day. Right now I still don't have internet access at home, so I can only check when I'm at work...maybe, if I have time.

Thanks, Bryaxis...yeah, I had a feeling there wasn't much that was of the ancient writers, but it was worth a shot.

I'm starting a new vein of inquiry surrounding the Iberians--mostly regarding the Celtic tribes in Iberia, but of the general population in antiquity. I'm interested in any period accounts (or second-hand sources, perhaps) regarding the Roman first discussions on the people of Iberia. If there are any translations of the Carthaginian and/or Greek descriptions, that would be interesting as well. My inquiry is mostly linguistic, naturally, but even cultural information would be highly useful. In general, I don't know much about the Iberian peoples who were there before the major empires came calling for trade and conquest. Therefore, any information would be highly useful. For example: I know that there were constant skirmishes and changes of loyalty during the Punic Wars (especially the second one), and that Scipio had a presence there for some time. Did anyone in his time make a description of the Celt-Iberian tribes that they were in contact with? Thanks in advance!

Chalk up another one here who can't get into the blogs...not even my own! Another element that I do miss dreadfully: on the home page of the forum there used to be 'view all unread posts' (or something along those lines), and I don't see that anymore. That helped a ton in catching up, particularly after a few days of not being on here. On the positive side, I do like the new Fast Reply box...much improved over the last one. But we're missing many of our cool UNRV smilies!

That's what happened here recently. During the 90s and early 2000s it was "everyone can afford a home! Adjustable rates make it easy!" and so it goes. And now more people are renting...and like you bring up, it's not such a bad thing. I, too, figured out early on that I really couldn't afford to buy a home, either. Yes, I do wish I had my own home...and I also wish to afford it.

First, an apology to all 'true' Clapton fans...I know that isn't one of his best songs, and unlike when I usually type out this blog, I'm not even listening to the song on iTunes or in my head. In fact, I don't really like the song. But the title is just so appropriate. Yesterday I went to sign the lease for the new apartment. Oh how the cherubs in heaven sang! I keep telling myself, 8 more days and I'll be on my way to the apartment that I've wanted for quite some time. Not just new, but around professionals who won't stand outside your window yapping at dark during the week, where I don't have to worry about walking home at night for fear of random intoxicated street folk. A place that is finally big enough to have people come over, and its maintenance will be up to professionals who take such concepts as 'repair' and 'appearance' seriously. A place to truly call home. I used to have such a place once...from 2003-2005 the apartment in the northwest corner of Austin. That was a gorgeous place...magical, almost, especially given the place I had lived prior. I went from a place that went from ok-acceptable to ghetto in the span of 6 months; in one year we had 40 car break-ins, 10 robberies and 3 attempted rapes in our 150 unit complex. Then I moved northwest, to a gated complex away from any ruffians. Sure, it was a commute to get to campus, but at least I could work in quiet, and I didn't have to worry about much. In fact, the most fearful experience I had was trying to walk to the park-and-ride, which was half a mile. No problem, you say? Well, yeah, but there were no sidewalks, and I had to cross two majorly congested roadways. I decided to drive it instead...felt sheepish and ashamed about it, but figured my safety was a wee bit more important. The place I'm moving to now is very similar, minus the gate. And I can walk across the parking lots (2 of them) to get to work...easy enough. My biggest worry, I suspect, is students walking over, thinking they can knock on my door and come in for impromptu office hours. Um, no. There will be none of that. As for now, I have a full weekend with family. The bridal shower for my soon-to-be sister-in-law is Saturday, and then the rest of the weekend with my parents. I'm really looking forward to seeing how incredibly girly this party's gonna get...ok, no I'm not. I'm dreading it. I have a strong suspicion that it'll be all girly games, brainless activities in the name of goofery and supposed fun...and I'll be miserable. But I can put on a brave face for a couple of hours, right?

Probably just as well as they can here...which is a sad comment.

Well now, this weekend has so far been full of frivolity. Ok, that's getting carried away a bit. But I actually have had a weekend thus far where I could just simply relax. Of course, there was a reason behind it...always is. Friday night my upstairs neighbor Hank wanted someone to drink with, so I obliged. We each consumed quite a bit of wine...in fact, it led to a very rough night. So yesterday, while I wasn't hungover, I definitely didn't have the normal unbounded energy that is typical of me. Methinks my major drinking days are over...eh, whatever. A night of ill tummy feelings followed by a day of lounging around isn't all that bad, is it? Yeah, it is...or it could be. Eh, we shall see. __________________________________________________________________________ I got recently accused of never going out...at which point I scoffed in that person's general direction. Define going out, I quipped. I mean, I go to the park regularly to watch the birds, gaze upon a idyllic scene, and read a book. Sometimes I go off for a drive to the coast or to the valley, just to get away from everyone here and be around people there. Just yesterday I spent the day out...ok, it was outside, working on my plants, but still. I'm not dark and tanned, but I do have color on my skin...doesn't that prove that I've been going out? (This mini semantics lesson brought to you by George Carlin...may you rest in peace, wherever you are...and thank you for explaining the airline safety talk so eloquently.) (By the way, if you aren't knowledgeable of the Good Mr. Carlin and his lectures, there are cuss words...may not be safe for public viewing...then again...) __________________________________________________________________________ I have now less than 2 weeks left in the old apartment, and I'm feeling very anxious. Yes, I have some wonderful memories here, but at the same time I cannot wait to get out of here into a place that's twice as big, in an area that I love, and right next to work. There is a forecast for 100% chance of change in my life, and I'm liking those odds. Of course, my horoscope for the week isn't quite as rosy: So does that mean that I'm going to have to get my hands dirty, so to speak, to get things done? How is this different than any other week? Eh, just as long as I don't get harassed by my landlord or anyone else, I'll be fine. Hmmm, maybe the crankiness has already set in. Ok, time to go run away.

As much as I do enjoy historical fiction, and especially about Medieval Europe, I'm completely uninterested in this one. I tried to read the book several times, each time falling asleep while reading the first chapter and giving up. I have to say that the mini-series is not of interest to me. I know that the SF Chronicle didn't like it that much.

And what a crying shame that is. Perhaps even a jailable offense. Rack'em up, I say.

Very true...but I personally never thought of myself as much of a photographer. I simply wanted to chronicle my journeys in life, knowing that at some point my wonderful and seemingly permanent memory will fail me catastrophically, at which point I'd like to be able to not just point out a holiday snap, but tell you where I was, what I was thinking, etc. I just would like people to be honest...maybe that's too much to ask?

"I'm tired of waiting for that messenger boy...what's the emperor's cell number again?"

Oooh...ok, similar gripe here, but from the opposite end. I love putting pictures online...that way, I send the link, and if people want to see them, great. But if they can't be bothered, they can toss the email, and I'm none the wiser. But lately, both with the trip to Hawaii last year and to Italy this year, I have people tell me, "Ooooh! You have to tell me about the trip! You have to show me the pictures!" And especially with the Italy ones--let's face it, I took 900 shots or so over 2 weeks--but even the Hawaii ones last year, people were completely tuned out by the 4th or 5th snap. They really didn't care. Look, if you want to see the pictures, I'm happy to tell you the story behind them, what I was thinking about when I took the shot, etc. But don't placate me by feigning interest, only to realize that you don't care. I mean, if you know me at all, I will have lots of reasons for doing what I do, and lots of information behind my decisions...if you don't want to hear it, then just wait for the email link.

In three weeks time, I'll be waking up after my first night in my new apartment. And I mean really new...they're putting the finishing touches on the construction now. The anticipation is nearly killing me, but the next 3 weeks will be full of organization, happiness, and logistics. I've already booked my upstairs neighbor to help me move--he's got a big truck, a fairly large trailer, and does this for one of his side jobs--and given notice to my landlord. Of course, it's been sitting here, and he hasn't bothered to pick it up. But he knows that I'm moving out, knows that the date is set, and even when the date is. He's just never knocked on my door to pick up the notice. Nice. I'm kinda dreading him, though, too. He's got a band--well, they say they're a band, but I say they're a bunch of garage band kids that are now middle aged--that comes over every Wednesday night to make noise in the music studio in the back. He's mentioned that they want to throw me a party...ugh. I used to have a great excuse, that I had a private group on Wednesday nights so, aw shucks, darn and drat, I don't think it'll work out. Sadly I just had to disband the group for lack of participants, so that excuse is out. Ugh. Now I need another excuse. Eh, knowing me, there will be some...I'm sure I have meet-ups with friends and such. Yeah, that's the ticket. The big chore for the day is to go to one of the better used book stores and sell off some books, DVDs, and perhaps some CDs. There aren't many, but since they haven't been selling on Amazon Marketplace for me, well, time to get them gone. I don't want to pack them to the new apartment; in fact, this is one of the things I'm very good at, getting rid of clutter on a periodic basis. Let's face it, I've lived in small spaces or I have been moving every year or two my entire adult life, and I've learned the hard way that if you don't give stuff to the Salvation Army and sell stuff off regularly, it just grows and grows and grows. I'm definitely good with clothes--if I haven't worn it in a year, it's gone--and constantly put stuff on Amazon to sell. Hey, if it's just sitting here collecting dust, and I have zero use for it, why not sell it? I'm not saying that I'll recoup my costs, but at least that's a few bucks in my pocket. Well, it's nearly 8am, time to get moving with my day. Lots to do today...big bucks to be had! hehe

I also wouldn't forget the role of traders, who used probably Greek or perhaps Phoenician at first as a lingua franca (depending on the area), and who many times became either linguistic experts for a given area or who had local contacts who were translators. These contacts would be useful for the Romans in general--both military and civilian--in communicating in Latin and the native language. I seem to recall that this in particular was the chain of events in Gaul and Hispania, but I'll have to check that later with my sources--so don't completely quote me on this.

On this day 97 years ago Josephine Ann Tapella was born to poor Italian immigrants on the kitchen table in P

No didn't miss the point...just was thinking about turnips for a second....

Well, it took 3 weeks, but I finished the Italy album. Every picture I took (which is over 900) has been worked on, identified, named, uploaded and then re-organized and labeled. A lot of work...but the end result is a wonderful collection of memories. I still need to get a few pictures from my parents, which I'll get in a couple of weeks. If you wish to check it out, click here, and use the side bar on the left to go to the various sub-albums. Hope you enjoy them. Part of what took so long is that I've been a might bit busy. One has to be when one is on the dole...I don't sit idlely easily or nicely, and usually have to be involved in a few projects. Plus some of my friends have wanted to meet up to talk about the trip, and I have obliged willingly and eagerly. It's always good to know who your friends really are. One such friend made a profound statement: she and I are in the the golden years of our lives, that they won't get better than what they are now. That the 30s and early 40s are the best years, ever. Um, really? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm fully aware that I can work now harder and longer than I will be able to in the future, that I live in a part of the world that people flock to, that my health is good and so is that of my family, and that life is generally good. But if you took a snapshot of my life at this very instant and said it'll be like this for the next few years, and then said that it's the best it's going to ever get, I'd find a nice padded cell for you. Nope, my life is not bad, but it will always be better in the future. How do I know? Because that's the way it is. I am one of those people who is always trying to improve, always looking forward to something in my life to be better. I don't really like to be complacent, as it tends to lead to boredom. And as I've said, I don't do well with such elements. Besides, there are so many goals yet to accomplish: finding a mate, having a family, being gainfully employed for some entity that I enjoy, watching said family grow and advance in life, traveling even more, enjoying my life for as long as I have it. And I'm only 35...I have at least half of my life left to live, if not more. Life's going downhill from here? Steer manure. Life's only going up from here