docoflove1974

Let me tell you, we've had an amazing couple of weeks recently climate-wise. Glorious spring-like, even summer-like (for here) weather, with sunny skies, slight breezes, and wonderful temps. My plants have honestly been thriving in this weather...come to think of it, so have I. And now for something completely different: a week of rain, cold, and clouds. It seems that winter has decided not to leave us just quite yet. We need the rain, I know this...but we're not on schedule to get much from this round of storms. Just dampness, which isn't exactly something I enjoy. Roll with the punches, I guess. This week is quite an easy one, but today is still a 12-hour day. Leave the house at 8:15am, come back about 8:30pm. Very long day...but tomorrow all I have is my night class. Just have to get through today, and then I'll be home free, both this week and next (Spring Break week). Next up on the list: ordering cannoli for Easter Sunday dessert.

Yeah, I know...when I went to Alicante in 2003, it was painfully obvious who the English were. In fact, there was a specific name for them (for the life of me I can't remember it), pointing to their very red/sunburnt skin and highly elevated voices. A Valencian comment, but a very funny one. (How odd...the few Americans who were there blended in!)

It seems that there are no ASCII codes for the macron letters. You could always do the International Phonetic Alphabet version (as I do), which is to use a colon (: ) after the vowel; that's IPA for a long vowel.

One thing to make very clear: I love tea. When I used to drink caffeinated beverages, I had a constant supply of teas of various blends...Assam, Chinese, Indian, even once a Nepalese tea. Always have a green tea of some kind around...still do. Now, herbals are in rotation here, especially hibiscus-based blends and African Red Teas/Rooibos. I drink it straight--always have--and even if it's in bags, it's always loose-leaf. I don't want to say that I'm a tea aficionado, but I do love the stuff. (In fact, that's why I had to give up caffeine. I was drinking up to 2 pots of tea a day, or the equivalent in iced tea, and not realizing all the caffeine that I was imbibing...and all it took was one stressful patch, and I started suffering from alopecia. That was 4 years ago...essentially I'm caffeine free, and just fine.) With the upcoming trip to Italy, I decided that I needed to get into coffee in the morning. Not much, just a couple of cups of decaf. Black. Something to go with my toast-with-Nutella (one of my favorite breakfasts ever). In truth, I'm not much of a coffee person, although occasionally I'll make myself a cup, especially on a cold and damp afternoon. Oh, and of course after a big meal there's the obligatory espresso...I grew up with that, really. That bitterness does help settle the stomach when it's extended beyond what it should be, but otherwise, if I have to add stuff to make it taste better, eh, well, I don't much like it. While I don't have a drip coffee maker, I do have a French press...which is supposed to make a better cup of coffee, anyway. *shrug* Yesterday was the first try, today the second. It's not bad...then again, the Nutella probably is sweet enough to affect how I taste the coffee. Maybe I need to make biscotti and dunk them in, just to get the full effect. I'm almost done with this batch of coffee (Peet's Mr. Dickason's, for those who are wondering), so next I'll get some espresso roast and try that. The question remains: does the coffee really replace my love, tea? Nope, not in the slightest. Does it replace my morning favorite, a big class of cold milk? Eh, not sure of this one, either, but the jury's still out, as we say.

My Yahoo! Horoscope for the day reads: So I guess I should interpret this as a strong hint to add another blog entry, right? Seems only logical to me, really. Or does it mean that I should email my one brother, even though I know he won't get the email until tonight, when he's back home? Or does it mean I should G-Chat with my other brother, even though I talk to him all the time? Oh bother. Nah, I'll stick to this entry, and then go for a walk. Then do a bunch of work. Then, perhaps a nap. I'm not really sure right now. All I know is, if I get most all of my work done today, not only will I have very little to do this coming week, but the following week (which happens to be my Spring Break) can be enjoyed fully. I like the sound of that. So, I shall forgo the pleasantries, and get on with my day. Of course, it's such a pretty day today, and the next few days are shaping up to be quite stormy. March this year came in like a lamb, and definitely is going out like a lion--reverse of what it should be, from what "they" tell me. So maybe I should frolic and play while I can? Gotta love spring in the SF Bay Area...one never quite knows what to expect!

"Not much improvement in the development of Latin grammar"???? I don't know that I answer the question. Can you give a better background for the question?

Today is a very special day in my family, as my great aunt turns 99 today. Yes, 99. And while arthritis has slowed her to the point that tortoises move faster and farther than she does, and while her "forgetter" tends to work more than her "rememberer," this woman is amazing. Yes, there is someone who comes in 4-5 days a week for a few hours a day, and she probably needs to be put in a place where there is 24-hour care, but at the same time when she has a good day you hear about long-lost memories of times gone by, both of personal history and the history of this country. I called her a little while ago to wish her a happy birthday, after I had just come in from a long bike ride. When I told her this, she relayed a story of how when she was a little girl, she was riding her dad's bicycle in rural Watsonville, going back and forth, feeling the wind run through her blond locks. She hit a sandbar...and, well, how to put this delicately, she landed on the support bar that ran between the yoke of the bike and the column where the seat is situated. "I *still* feel it today!" she cried. She asked about work, and I told her that it's somewhat tense now, because we know we'll have to make cuts but the when and how much is still being negotiated, well, it's a bit unsettling. At which point we talked about her memories of the Great Depression; she and her new husband married in 1932, and had the first 4 years of their marriage where they luckily had jobs, but had cutbacks to deal with, which cut into their savings. But in 1936 they were able to move down the street from where they first lived, into a 5-room unfurnished flat *and* had the money for furniture. Then, in 1939, they moved to their final place, in the Cow Hollow (and very nice) area of San Francisco, where they have lived ever since. Uncle Bruno died in 1985, but she still soldiers on. The stairs make it so that she really can't go down anymore, but this woman used to walk to the bus stop to go to the store up until a few years ago, well into her 80s. Once she got into her 90s, she has slowed quite a bit, but her mind is quite sharp still. Sure, it's not quite like it used to be, but it's amazing that she's not just sitting in a bed, a vegetable. She has pretty good memories of her childhood and of the major events in her life; it's just her short-term memory that isn't quite working anymore. But still...she's still here A la vecchiaia! (I promise, that's what she's called herself for years...and I guess she is 'the ancient one'.) Happy birthday, Mary Petrucci...buon compleanno!

Wow, very pessimistic, Kosmo. I hope you're wrong, and I hope that we can continue to exist as a democracy, but no question we are so, so far away from where we could be. I have no idea how to get people to stop being so sheep-like, and it's worrisome.

LOL It wouldn't be the first time that the UK has influenced the US politically! There are major concerns that many Americans are raising, as I see it: 1) The socialist element: yes, there are still many, although not the majority of the opponents, who are fearful of anything that might be socialist in nature. These people also tend to want to scale back welfare, although I don't think they complain about social security. 2) The economic element: the fact that we're still coming out of a recession, using public debt to do it, makes people nervous. I understand this rationale, although I don't hold it. The thought is: we're already in debt up to our children's eyeballs, now it's going to be to our grandchildren's eyeballs. 3) The coverage issue: social conservatives don't want certain elements, procedures or peoples covered. No abortions paid for. No illegal immigrants covered. Etc etc. These tend to be the blind people that I talked about earlier, as they simply don't read and inform themselves, often. As for the nature of politics in this country...I don't know. I'm a naturally cynical person, and come from a cynical family; we were raised to inform ourselves, because that's the only way to make a decision...and know that what a politician says isn't what they're going to do, necessarily. However, there are so many sheep who wish to be hearded, that they believe that their politician is truly working for them. And it works.

Here Here! Happy Birthday!

For the completely ignorant, there is a vote going on...well, later tonight...regarding the institutionalization of a type of national health care system. To put it mildly, it's a hotly debated topic. We Americans have a very strong sense of "I am my own person"--basically, we are a wee-bit leery of people, particularly big governments, telling us how to live our lives. And yet we also are concerned with the "common good," such that we really don't want our fellow Americans to suffer and we recognize that we need some sort of massive health care reform. When the vast majority of the citizens either have no health care, inadequate health care, or have to take on a second job just to pay for their health care, well, something's broken, that's for sure. I won't go into my beliefs per se on the topic; that's for another person's blog, not mine. But I'll share with you a statement, or perhaps a line of thinking, that I'm starting to hear every now and then. In fact, on now a handful of occasions I have overhead the following opinion regarding this topic: "Well, I get my information from my (senator/congressman), and I trust his/her opinion. They know what they're doing." My problem is this: we have a representative-based republic. This means that our legislators (one could even say all of our politicians) listen to their constituents (aka us), use the information that they have on hand, and lead accordingly. We should not be getting our opinions from them, rather they should be getting their opinions (in part or in whole) from us. This really bothers me. We're teaching our young voters and soon-to-be voters a lesson in laziness, non-participation, and general ignorance. While I may not agree with someone's opinion, I respect the fact that they have an opinion--hopefully it's an informed one, but at the very least they have considered more than one side of a given topic, reflected upon how said topic would impact their lives, and believe accordingly. To suggest that it's okay to let others rule simply because you couldn't be arsed to learn something leads to more and more idleness. To put it mildly, it aggravates me to no end. While I may not agree with the opinions of some of my colleagues, I love the fact that many of them force their students to play devil's advocate, to argue both sides of an opinion, and to inform themselves. We've had parents and community members complain, saying that the professors are trying to indoctrinate the students to their (the professors') political views. The cases that I personally know of (which are many of the ones discussed) are not that way at all; the professors are simply trying to show the students how to think for themselves. I didn't realize that was such a dangerous concept.

I have no idea why, but lately I've gotten into the habit of reading my horoscope in the morning. Actually, I have a clue as to why: I love to have a giggle in the morning. Seriously. Today's Yahoo! Horoscope for Capricorn: Is it just me, or are those two statements a bit contradictory? I mean, things are going to go my way, but there could be a problem? Be cautious, but share the good times with others? Huh? Can I share the good times with my cat? Or do I have to include the people in my life? Well, first that would include the 'good times'...or rather, me actually having good times. If things go right, they'll come in the summer, but as far as I know, I have no 'good times' right now. And what kind of problems? Could you be a bit more specific? I mean, sheesh, how's a girl supposed to prepare if she has no idea how to prepare? Who needs the morning comics?

Hmmmm...maybe a Spanish professor looking for full-time employment should make her way to Swindon...Lord knows there's hardly any full-time employment in California.

Happy birthday, MPC! Hope you have an outstanding day!

Police Dudes...they's always a-ruinin' the partah.

I dislike Daylight Savings. No, really, I dislike it. I still don't see the point in it. Maybe for some there's a savings in electricity bills or some such thing, but honestly, just turn a light off every now and then. It helps. The first couple days of the spring-forward instantiation, I'm always off time-wise. I wake up 'late' in my mind, even though it's my normal time to wake up. I mean, my body tells me it's 7 or 7:30, but in fact my clock says 8. It takes a couple of days for both my cat Bella and I to get right. The fall-back one is even worse. Not only does it take me a couple of days to get back right again, but poor Bella is completely confused. What, it's time wake up, right? No, we don't have an extra hour, we have to get up now! I swear, that's what she's saying. Regardless, it's a gorgeous spring day--yes, I know that the equinox isn't for another few days yet, but it feels like spring has already sprung here in NorCal. Time for some cleaning, to finish up a couple of projects, and to generally get work done. Cleaning the apartment is on the list, of course. I think I'll wait another week to replace the basil plant that decided not to take hold...I don't really feel like going to the nursery. But definitely spending time outside is in order...well, not quite yet. At 8:38am (according to my clocks) it's still barely above 50'F. I think frolicking outside can wait until this afternoon.

Oh, true on that one...although I miss the Austin BBQ. There are some great places here, but man, the plethora of them there is unreal. Then again, maybe it's best for my waistline that I'm 1800 miles away from that? Calders, I do know how lucky I am. It's 13 March, won't even get to 60'F today, and I'm still going to the beach. It's so pretty outside, and I'm in need of oceanic therapy. Right now I'm stuck between going to two different places...decisions, decisions. Eh, regardless, I'm off! (oops, I've done it again...I've gotten you all jealous...) Sadly, we don't have Argumental over here yet, but the good Doctor does have a loyal following. BBC America and PBS have made sure of that. It never was my thing, though. I do enjoy sci-fi, but maybe it was the dude who played the character before David Tennant that scared me off...he looked like a mad scientist. Or is it just me? (Then again, I've got How Clean Is Your House? on right now as I eat breakfast. I'm sure that's plenty for a psychological evaluation.

Happy birthday, PP! Hope you have an outstanding day!

Sage advice, to be sure! Happy birthday, Maladict; may you have an outstanding day, and weekend!

There once was a point in my life that I really didn't care about going out. Well, that's what I thought...in reality I was lonely, but also in denial about said lonliness, so as far as I was concerned, hitting the town with friends was no big deal. Sure, it's fun, but I wasn't concerned that I was missing out on the grandest of times. At the time, I was living in Austin, working on my degree and, frankly, not very happy. Oh, I loved the city, loved the university...just hated the state (sorry, all you Texans out there in UNRV world), and really wanted to move back to the West Coast. I knew that this NorCal chick didn't fit in the Lone Star State, with the small exception of the capital city...and, really, that wasn't making my life any happier. So, as a result, I was slightly depressed...not enough to truly be sitting at home, sad sack and all, crying into my beer. I just preferred to stay home much of the time, and trapse out into the night life when I could financially do it and when my heart desired it. Oh, I wasn't anti-social; many times I was spending time with friends on the weekends, or we were watching movies at home. But to say that I saw a new movie every week, imbibed various types of swill other potent potables, danced the night away, and all that, well, I didn't feel the need on a constant basis. Sure, every now and then I'd go let my hair down like that, but I never felt the need to. I had a comfy couch, most everything that I wanted at home, so why not stay in? I lived like that for a long time--even after I moved back home to the Bay Area. The difference was, back home I was doing it because I was either broke or because I had so much work to get done, that the little free time I had was spent on the couch, relaxing. Go out? Are you mad? I just spent the last 2 weeks slaving on that chapter. I'm pooped...wiped out...my butt's on that couch, and I'm enjoying that baseball game, dammit. My parents understood--they saw how hard I worked, and how it was draining me--but at times my brothers didn't. "Why don't you go out for the evening...go see what the world looks like? Why do you have to stay at home?" Um, well, because I'm exhausted, mentally and to a lesser extent physically, I really just want to curl up with my cat, pop in a movie or tune into a game, and just relax. No thinkiing, no talking, no nothing. Just...peace. I finally got to the point that I could go out every now and then, but to be honest I still couldn't afford it. Ok, so I didn't hit the bars and such, but I hung out with the neighbors, joined a dating site in order to meet some eligible bachelors. And I did...one, in fact, was exclusively mine for 7 months. But it was more than just the dating that I enjoyed; for the first time in a while, I actually had time to be a member of society. I was being social! Going to museums! Spending time in the park--ok, so I brought work along with me, but so what. Going to the beach for the day! The past year has been this way: work hard during the week, spend at least one day of the weekend in some public place, but still getting work done throughout the week. Recently a friend of mine accused me of being a workaholic. Hah. A workaholic purposely puts themselves into situations that they *have* to work--they make excuses, whine that they're miserable, and then work some more. They could, in theory, take time off, but they convince themselves that they're needed and wanted. They also financially are able to take time off...they just choose not to. Nope, not me. I can't afford to take much time off. If I don't work, then I don't pay the bills, it's that simple. Sure, I wish I could take more time off, travel more. But the fact that I've got these little things like gas bills, phone bills, student loan payments, rent payments, and the like, added to the fact that I don't have a full-time job, well, that pretty much puts a wrinkle into things. Besides, there's one more element: I truly love what I do. I have 2-3 classes at one campus--a campus that has enchanted me with its students, its staff, its faculty, and its environment. I openly enjoy teaching there. I've now started up private group courses with another group of people that I've come to enjoy immensely, and it has gotten me to think about other projects that I want to do in the future. I'm always looking for full-time positions that are interesting to me. Basically, if I'm a workaholic, it's because I have the energy and the stamina to do it...and because I love what I do. Is that so wrong? And let's face it...I spend my free time watching movies, gardening, hanging out with friends. It's just that I don't have as much free time as most do. Academia is not for the lazy, and it's everything that you make it to be. I wish I had more time to research--as of now, it's relegated to the summers, and maybe during spring break. I wish I could take these amazing trips every year to far off places, or do whatever comes to mind. But I can't, and that's just the way it is right now. But, to be honest, it's not like my life was ever full of that. Some of us just don't swing that way. But every night, I still try to take over the world And in June, Italy will be next! A ha!

LOL Nah, that's for you and I to do the next time I hit NYC!

Happy birthday, Viggen! Hope you have a most marvelous day!

LOL Somehow I don't think I could pull off that bikini + skirt quite like she did!

Wow, I'll have to pass these onto my parents; they're planning to spend a week in Rome. Thanks, CN! Kosmo...oh, I know about the 'Ciao bella' concept...got it a lot when I would go into the border towns at the Texas/Mexican border. I'm just hoping not to get my bum pinched off...or is that a good sign?

Really cool idea! Hmmm...makes me wonder about a couple of ideas...