16 golden retrievers + the atom = science!

Via BoingBoing, a bunch of (incredibly well trained) golden retrievers show us the basic mechanics and construction of atoms. If Daisy were somehow part of this atomic demonstration, she'd be making a quark or an isotope or something.



I love science. And golden retrievers.

Um, what?

Those crazy French. I have to say -- this is not an experience I've ever wanted to have myself.

From Reuters:

French hotel offers guests a night as a hamster
Tue Nov 17, 2009 8:15am EST

NANTES - It's a unique concept according to its creators, a hotel in the French town of Nantes is offering the chance for people to become a hamster.

For 99 euros ($148.10) a night, you can eat hamster grain, run in a giant wheel and sleep in hay stacks in what is called the "Hamster Villa."

It's a unique experience and, the guests say, just something
different.

The owners, Frederic Tabary and Yann Falquerho, run a company which rents out unusual and bizarre places.

"The Hamster in the world of children is that little cuddly animal. Often, the adults who come here have wanted or did have hamsters when they were small," Falquerho said, dressed as a hamster.

However, the price is soon to go up as today's hamsters need, according to the owners, Wifi and a giant TV screen. (Editing by Paul
Casciato)

So, so proud

So two of my sisters in Christ, Lynnie and Doria, are running a marathon today. I mean, running it on purpose, because they want to -- not because someone with an axe is chasing them, which is I think what it would take for me to run 26 miles.

I've watched them over the months leading up to this race, and their example has just been amazing. They've been committed to their training regime -- consistent with a schedule of running and time in the gym, mixing up running outside together and pacing themselves alone in the gym on a treadmill to get their distances up and their times down. It's been convicting and inspiring, their ability to see a far-away goal and deliberately, one day at a time, take the necessary steps to meet it. Challenging steps that pushed them physically and mentally. Uncomfortable steps that they worked through time and again.

On top of this, they are are also beautiful and smart and kind and generous and godly and funny and all-around great women.

I am so proud of them -- and I am a better person for counting them as friends and sisters in Christ.

What's wrong with this picture?

I wore two different colored shoes to work today.

And I didn't even notice until a coworker pointed it out.

Remembering veterans today

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
-- John F. Kennedy

Two great things that go great together

I love the Beastie Boys -- this is not news. And I love "Star Wars" -- the original trilogy, anyway.

Apparently there are other Star Wars geeks out there who love the Beastie Boys, too.

Day, night, day, night, day?

Scenes from a long couple of days in the building...

Poor Piglet, scapegoated again

More swine flu humor at Piglet's expense. From Lindsay. Who I miss and think should go to a community college here in Sac for a couple of years instead of going away to school.

Pet flu

Not swine or Asian or bird. Pet flu. They both have something that has caused them to barf all over the place since about 8:00 this morning. Maybe they have some sort of Stoever sympathy virus?

Probably hard to tell from this picture, but they are very subdued. Definitely out of sorts.

At least they're sleeping now. But I'm leaving the paper towels and Spot Shot out on the counter for a bit longer.

I love this commercial

Geek humor. I just saw it on teevee for the first time and laughed and laughed.

Happy Halloween, y'all

My exciting day (and evening) consists of dodging the hundreds of kids who flock to Wisteria Lane to trick or treat and parsing various bills comprising the water package that's up for a vote Monday in the Assembly. Woo!

Waiting

So after a literal lifetime of migraines, I finally had an MRI of my head this morning.

It was an open MRI, since I am claustrophobic as it turns out and had quite a, um, spell when I tried to do a closed one about two years ago.

Results should be to my doctor by Tuesday. I'd appreciate your good thoughts and prayers in the meantime.

Statement concerning Capitol Ministries

I worked for Capitol Ministries for nine months. Most of you know that I returned to legislative life in the State Capitol this April. When I made the change, what I shared here about it was that I wasn't comfortable discussing all the reasons for the decision, and that even as I left full-time vocational ministry, I loved CM, its mission, those it sends out and the dear brothers and sister in Christ with whom I was blessed to work. And I've encouraged friends who are fellow believers to support the ministry with their time and treasure both during and after my employment there.

Sadly, I can no longer do this. Following is an abridged version of a statement the elders of my church sent out to members about CM:

As most of you know, over the last few months there has been a difficult and grievous situation developing with Capitol Ministries and Ralph Drollinger, President of CM. Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA (John MacArthur, Pastor-Teacher), where Ralph has been a member for many years and a sent-out missionary in his work with CM, recently issued a final statement regarding their relationship with Ralph and CM. With this final statement from GCC, and because of [our] long history and relationship with Ralph and CM, we believe it appropriate to pass this information on to you.

Our intent in sharing these things is three-fold:

1. To warn you, and encourage you to warn others, that Ralph Drollinger has been determined to be biblically disqualified for spiritual leadership by the elders of his home and sending church. Inasmuch as we agree with and support the determination of the GCC elders, we believe Ralph is not to be trusted or regarded as qualified to be in a place of spiritual leadership. Because Ralph is continuing in his role as President of CM, in spite of GCC’s determination, we believe he is a deceitful and divisive danger to the body of Christ (Rom. 16:17,18; Titus 1:10,11; 3:10,11). Therefore, neither Ralph nor any ministry endeavor he presently leads should be supported financially or otherwise.”

2. To encourage you to continue praying for God to be glorified in this situation, for God’s grace to be extended to Ralph in granting repentance, and for the Gospel to continue to go forward, particularly in capitols around the country and around the world. Likewise, please continue to pray for God’s sustaining grace to be provided for those directly and indirectly impacted by this situation...

3. To give you perspective and understanding regarding why Sean, Lynne, David, and Nora were compelled to resign from their full-time work with Capitol Ministries, why Pastor Greg resigned from the Board of Directors, and why we as a church no longer support or endorse Capitol Ministries.

GCC’s final statement follows some previous statements they had given concerning the situation. Here are GCC’s statements, which have been available to any who ask:

1. From July 17, 2009 –

“The elders of Grace Community Church have agreed to temporarily suspend our affirmation of Ralph Drollinger, pending the resolution of our inquiry into allegations made against him.”

2. From Sept. 24, 2009 –

“In the summer of 2009, five of the Capitol Ministries Board of Directors resigned. These men are well known to us and we have no reason to question their wisdom, discernment, or integrity. One of those former board members, John Anderson, is a respected member of our church in good standing; the other, John Bates, is one of our elders. It is the estimation of these men that Ralph Drollinger is not biblically qualified for spiritual leadership.

“We, the Grace Community Church elders, stand behind the assessment of these former members of the Capitol Ministries Board of Directors about Ralph’s disqualification from leadership in Christian ministry. The attacks Ralph has continued to make on the character and motives of these men, as well as our elders, regrettably affirms to us this determination.”

3. From Oct. 15, 2009 (this is GCC’s final statement) –

“After much observation of and interaction with Ralph Drollinger, we, the Grace Community Church Elders, maintain that he is not biblically qualified for Christian ministry. Consequently, we do not endorse Capitol Ministries under his leadership. Ralph Drollinger no longer has any relationship with Grace Community Church.”

These statements from GCC follow a lengthy process over the last 7 months which has resulted in the following within CM:

• 4 full-time staff of the Headquarters Office in Sacramento have resigned;
• 2 part-time staff of the Headquarters Office in Sacramento were effectively terminated;
• 6 of 8 Board of Directors have resigned, leaving just Ralph and his father-in-law Dan Madison (Note: the 6 who resigned did not all do so at the same time, and 2 new members were added a few weeks ago);
• 17 of 21 full-time State Directors have resigned.

....

P.S. The majority of former CM State Directors who have resigned have formed a new organization called The Capitol Commission, through which they purpose to continue their ministry in state capitols. If you have previously been financially supporting CM, we encourage you to direct your gifts to this new ministry.

Morning giggles

Via Manolo the Shoeblogger. I have watched this four times in a row and can't stop giggling.

In which I am apparently not dressed correctly for the weather

Scene: I am approaching the corner of L and 11th streets. Like most work mornings, I am met by Anthony, a homeless guy who sells his art and newspapers to Capitol community members streaming in and out of the building. It is sunny, but cool.

N: Good morning, Anthony! How are you today?

Anthony: And where is your COAT?!

N: Uh....

Anthony: And your HAT?!

N: Uh. *nervous giggle* It's not quite cold enough for all that, is it?

Anthony: (grimly) Well, it's very DAMP.

Best headline ever

From nbcbayarea.com...

Skateboarder Cleared of Assaulting Homeless Physicist
Fission and quarks figure into quirky case

It's not every day that disputes over particle physics leads to assault charges.

But that's what happened when Jason Everett Keller, 40, joined a conversation about quantum physics in South San Francisco in March.

Keller was accused of attacking Stephan Fava while Fava and his friend were discussing physics in the Bay Area town.

The charges didn't stick, however, as Keller has been acquitted by a San Mateo County jury.

The verdict is still out string theory, however, so there's no indication that physics-related violence will abate any time soon.

Is anyone else's Google Reader freaking out lately?

For about the last 10 days or so, roughly every other day, my Google Reader reports I have 1,000+ unread posts. Like, an hour after I last checked it. It seems to be spastically refreshing, or something. Maybe?

Anyone else? Or is it the drugs talking here?

All too true

Not sure of the source of this. Somewhere on the Interwebs.

I know a few people who could use this

Ha. Via challies.com, a postmodern apology slip. Click image to see it full size.

Seasonal repost -- Daisy's favorite thing: SnuggleSafe microwave heating pad

Given the recent storms and dramatic turn in temperatures, Daisy's Favorite Thing has come out of mothballs for the season. She just loves it so much -- I thought it was a topic worth reposting.

Our winters are mild in Northern California, but there's still winter. Cold, damp, gray.

And if you're a 14-and-a-half-year-old dog with short hair who weighs 11 pounds, you feel it. The house has wood floors throughout the downstairs, and while I can throw on my Ugg slippers and some sweats, neither is really an option for Daisy. When I was home more between Christmas and New Year's Day, I noticed her shivering at times, even while curled up in a ball on the (seemingly warm) couch. It was time to do something.

I read on the Interwebs about the SnuggleSafe, a microwavable pod that you can put in your pet's bedding. After being microwaved, it maintains a nearly constant 123 degrees for about 12 hours, and since there's no electricity or cords involved, it's safe for use without being monitored by a human.

And here it is. A solid Frisbee looking thing filled, apparently, with some sort of space-age gel inside.

And here it is in its Polarfleece cover. The surface of the thingy gets pretty warm, so the cover enables it to be moved and touched.

Five minutes in the microwave in the morning...

... and then it gets tucked into Daisy's dog bed under the "covers," where it gently radiates warmth throughout the day.

I was worried that Daisy wouldn't take to it, or wouldn't want some weird thing in her bed with her. But I needn't have been concerned.

It's her new best friend.

Stormy weather

The first major storm of the season blew in to the Sacratomato region overnight. The remnants of a typhoon, apparently, the storm's winds topped 45 mph throughout the area. Some 25,000 homes in Sacramento alone were without power and commutes into and out of downtown have been at a near stop all day.



It took me nearly three hours to drive the 15 miles from my house to the Capitol -- and I exited I-5 at the first opportunity and took back roads. Which were littered with downed trees, awash in surface flooding and plagued with nonworking street lights.



Rain is supposed to continue through tomorrow.

Swine flu hysteria

From Lynnie.

New favorite thing: silica powder

I have oily skin. This is both a blessing and a curse -- a blessing, because oilier skins tend to show aging less, which as I get older is definitely a good thing. A curse because, well, I'm oily -- my makeup tends to break down and slide off pretty early in the day, I'm more prone to breakouts, and then there's the shine that I have spent literally years fighting.

Powder is an oily goily's best friend, and I think I have tried most brands' products to fight the shine. And -- hardly any of them really work. They do for a while, but eventually, the oil gets the better of them. MAC Blot is, to me, the best pressed powder I've used for touching up during the day, but for a loose powder to use in the mornings when I'm getting ready, I hadn't found one that I really liked.

Some of the makeup-type message boards that I visit have been showing raves lately for Make Up For Ever's HD high definition loose powder. Oily skinned folks in particular raved about this stuff -- that its main ingredient, silica, didn't make oiliness worse, stayed matte all day long and blurred fine lines and flaws in the process. It sounded too good to be true -- I've heard it all before. And at $30, I wasn't going to take a chance on a product I couldn't sample first.

But then, I stumbled on Coastal Scents. This website offers a lot of cosmetics at vastly reduced prices from department stores (or even drugstores, in some cases). And -- they have a loose silica powder. Same ingredient as the MUFE version, same translucent shade, but at a fraction of the price -- $4 for an ounce vs. $30 for .35 ounce. And they sell samples so you can try before you buy.

And -- it's all that. I now see what the silica hoopla was about. It keeps me shine free longer than any other powder I've used, it does blur imperfections as advertised and the translucent shade (which is a stark white in the container -- it looks like baking powder) doesn't change the color of my foundation underneath. And at $4 a pop, I can use it liberally. It's my new mainstay.

Song of the day

kd lang's voice is just so beautiful. So lacking artifice, so unadorned -- and just wrapped perfectly around the lyrics. And few people write lyrics as spare, lush and poignant as Leonard Cohen.


Here she sings his "Bird on a Wire." So beautiful.

On the mend?

A few thoughts, in no particular order, as The Week That Was winds down.

• Lots of medical stuff here Chez Something this week: migraine Saturday through Monday; doctor visit to assess said migraines on Tuesday; icky oral surgery on Thursday (which Sweet Colette got me through with flying colors); icky oral surgery recovery day today.
• I am now the proud owner of two prescriptions for migraines and three prescriptions for oral surgery recovery. I am basically taking pills like it's my J-O-B.
• If any of you see me driving a car before, say, Saturday at noon, please effect a citizen's arrest, because the odds are very good that I will be altered by some sort of pain medication.
• Of course, all these drugs have different dosing schedules. Which, since one of them is for pain, I basically can't keep straight (see Bullet #3 re highness). My current medication strategy is to take at least one pill of some kind every time I wander into the kitchen. So far, so good.
• The mouth stitches come out Thursday. It will be nice to bite and chew again, but I can't really argue with the flatness of my stomach today.
• The new migraine drugs should kick in within a couple of weeks. I say "new," but really they're old -- I was on them several years ago for a long time and they worked well for me then. Right up to the point they quit working. Maybe they'll do the trick again after a few years' lapse. I have a follow-up doctor appointment in late October and, if things aren't better, I'm off to the neurologist.
  
• I'm also scheduled for an open MRI of my head near the end of October. I hope I behave myself this time.
• I am so looking forward to getting out of my pajamas, running errands and doing chores -- rejoining the world.
  

I must own this

Via the geniuses at Shelteriffic, a must-have for those of us who love Harry Potter and gadgets: a magic-wand-slash-TV-remote-control!

Behold!

It's not cheap at almost ₤50, but The Wand Company says it will perform 13 "magical functions," works with nearly any device that uses a remote and takes minutes to master. Shipping is free in the UK (₤10 to the US).

It officially goes on sale October 1 but is available for preorder now.

This is too true

Love GraphJam. Love.

Memoranda

To: Crazy Bay Area environmental lobbyist on the phone
From: Harried legislative director
Re: Slow your roll

So, let me get this straight. You've tried for six consecutive years to get a bill through the Legislature and have failed. You have a sense that the sixth time will not be the charm and are calling offices to try to shore up votes. I'm with you so far.

Your strategic error, may I be so bold to say, was when you told me that I was a "personal disappointment" to you when I shared that I didn't think my boss agreed with your position or your bill. You need to get through me to communicate to my boss what your concerns are; insulting me personally when I have a policy difference with you (a difference that the majority of lawmakers have shared for six years) is not perhaps the best political strategy.

To: Secretary in the elevator
From: More prim and proper than I thought
Re: Cover yourself

I get it's the last day of session. I get that it's hot. I get that we're going to be here a long freaking time and it sucks to to be stuck in uncomfortable office wear.

But, hey -- clothes! That are opaque! And cover all your erogenous zones! We won't even talk about what's appropriate for the Capitol vs. what you'd wear to a picnic or to wash the car.

I think a good operating principle would be that if both your panties and your bra are visible, you're not quite done getting dressed. Just saying.

To: Tourists visiting the Capitol today
From: Someone who truly enjoys working for taxpayers
Re: Please, please let me get past you

I know you're not here all the time. I know you don't understand that this is the busiest of days for us, that literally hundreds of things are happening at once, and that while, yes, absolutely, this is your building, it's also our office.

We're glad you're here. We hope you see how hard we work, how much we care about what we're doing, how intensely committed we are to a better state, better education, better roads and air and even better football stadiums. And -- the fact that you're here on today of all days is really a good thing.

But please -- PLEASE. If you see someone in serious office wear, her arms full of binders and folders and clutching a BlackBerry and several pens, literally running in high heels -- could you just step aside a little to let her pass? Please? You're on vacation or at least a Friday off work. Will that 15 seconds really mean as much to you as it does to her as she's trying to get to the floor or committee or Leg Counsel or where ever? And, one more thing -- if you could manage not to roll your eyes and/or say something crappy about politicians/Democrats/how we're all thieves or crooks, that would be the icing on the cake.

Have a pleasant stay.

Remembering

New favorite thing: Emi hair dryer by Remington

Anyone with curly hair knows that it is a bit of a challenge. I think that's probably why most of us wind up spending years straightening with blow dryers and hot irons -- smoother hair is a bit more predictable, at least, and the time we spend fussing, while not a lot of fun, tends to produce more consistent results.

When I stopped straightening my hair and embraced its curl, I still had some work cut out for me. Product is critical, and I'm lucky my stylist pointed me in the right direction there. A good cut is also really important -- my hair's fine, but there's lots of it, so I need some layers to avoid looking like the triangle-haired woman in "Dilbert" and also let the curl lose a little weight and be a bit springier.

Last, and for me most important, was the dryer. My curly hair, like I'm guessing most people's, isn't uniformly curly all over my head. Some places are almost kinky; others, mostly straight; and then there are patches with some wave but that, without coaxing, just lie there. A diffuser helps coax out some curl, but doesn't do the whole job.

I read about the Remington Emi blow dryer on a message board, and I really had some doubts. It basically sucks sections of hair into a tube-like attachment on the nozzle, spinning it and drying it into a corkscrew shape. Behold a German YouTube video that shows the basic routine:



Longer hair is left with something like dreadlocks, which can then be broken up into waves. For shorter, layered hair, like mine, the spinning action sort of activates my hair's natural curl, giving me more uniformity all over.

I love this thing. The weird nozzle can come off, too, so you can use it like a normal dryer.

The ceramic version (whatever that is) is $29.99 on amazon.com and drugstore.com, but my non-ceramic one came from Target and was like $23. It takes some practice (my first couple of times using it, I couldn't really leave the house...), but if your hair's curly or even wavy, it may be a good tool to add to your hair arsenal.

Good night, sweetheart

Like the disembodied woman's voice says in the video, I wouldn't have believed if I hadn't seen it for myself.

Ways to tell that it's near the end of session

Bills are not so much "legislation" as they are "zombies."

The answer to everything is "Sure!" followed by a slightly hysterical giggle.

You don't know what day it is. Because it doesn't matter.

You accidentally use lotion in in place of hair gel in the morning and your hair looks the same.

A matching outfit is one in which everything you wear is clean.

Lots of crying. Lots of yelling. Lots of door slamming.

You are an expert on an issue 15 minutes after you hear about it for the first time in your life.

Caucus caucus caucus.

Whomp

So I was driving home after work yesterday, minding my own business, exceeding the posted speed limit by a... smidge. It had been a hairy day, so the stereo was turned up pretty high, and it was pretty warm too, so the A/C was cranking. My mind was a dozen places, trying to wind down, thinking ahead to a night of chores and a hopefully early bedtime.

Out of the blue, completely without warning, I heard an enormous WHOMP! sound. And the back end of the car bucked.

The WHOMP! was followed by thud-thud-thud-thud noises and the smell of burning rubber. I was in the middle-right lane -- I'm still grateful for that small fact. The rear end of the car seemed sluggish, a bit unresponsive as I put on my hazards and worked my way to the right shoulder. After climbing out of the car on the passenger side (fun in work clothes), I peeked around the back of the car to assess the damage. The rear driver's side tire was basically gone.

So there I was, tireless and perched on the edge of I-5 South, inches from the lane of traffic on the side of the car needing its tire changed. Well, dang.

I had no sooner hung up the phone with the AAA operator that I heard someone's steps coming up behind me in the dry underbrush of the shoulder. A Highway Patrolman. "Great," I thought, "Now I'm going to get a ticket!"

But no. He asked me (I guess he was talking to me; he kept calling someone "ma'am," and my mom was nowhere around) if he could please change my tire. Uh, pardon? "Yes, ma'am, I'd really like to do that for you." Uh, well, thanks, I guess, but I have AAA on the way. "Yes, ma'am, but it's not safe out here. I'd really prefer to do this for you." Uh, thank you (have I entered some sort of parallel universe?), but I'll be OK. Shouldn't you go help someone who doesn't have AAA or help on the way? "Ma'am, please. Call and cancel the tow. Please, ma'am." Oh all right. Can I help at least? "Yes, ma'am. You can stand over there on the shoulder where it's safe." Um, OK then.

Next thing I know, a tow truck pulls up. Not the AAA-requested tow, but a truck associated with the Sacramento area Freeway Service Patrol. These lovely young men apparently drive around area freeways during commute hours, looking for folks who have broken down. They then assist them with getting their cars up and running and back on their way.

Long story short, out came orange traffic cones, the two men changed my tire (and I had a full-sized spare, as it turns out. Love the Ultimate Driving Machine!) and sent me on my way. No charge -- NO CHARGE! And I didn't even have to cart off the remnants of my tire -- they left them on the side of the road. CalTrans picks them up once a week or so, they said.

So inside of 25 minutes, I was back on the road and headed home. I thanked the kind men profusely and promised I'd do what I could about the furloughs. And marveled at the kindness of strangers.

Someone's having a birthday

Who could it be?

And is there a better present than a cupcake with an icing dinosaur? No, there isn't.

Real women eat tri-tip

So last night's convening of the Women's Caucus was its usual hilarious self. I am not sure what it is about gathering a bunch of Christian women together on a Friday night for dinner and laughter that brings out the random in Sacramento, but hey, we're always down for a good time.

Seven of us (counting Baby Sammy) hit the Buckhorn Grill, at 18th and L, and commandeered a couple of tables outside. I think four of us ordered the Bacon Cheddar Buck -- tri-tip, bacon and cheddar cheese on a soft white bread thing. Behold the glory:


There was a salad ordered by one of the more dietarily responsible of us, and even a Little Buck (kid's meal) -- which looked tasty, too:

Interspersed with the food was screaming laughter, a cranky panhandler with a story of woe whose logic was pretty obviously flawed, and several quite drunk young men who told us the name "Mallory" means "unlucky" (?) but wanted to know if we'd still name our daughters that (um, no), wanted fist bumps (um, no) and I think also, potentially, dates. Their ardor was undeterred by the presence of a three-month-old baby, a woman who plainly said one of the young women at the table was her daughter, and the fact that none of us appeared the slightest bit interested.

After several hours of this craziness, we set back off into the night, returning to our homes and real lives. It was likely our last get together with Lindsay, who selfishly leaves us all to go to college next week.

I just treasure these nights with them so much. What a blessing. What a hoot.

A portion of my morning's internal dialogue, two days after getting the cartilege in my left ear pierced

Alarm. *hit snooze* Alarm. *hit snooze* Alarm. *)^$%$

Dog out. Feed cat. CNN: on.

Coffee. Coffee. Coffee.

Internets. Michael Vick. *(^&$#& Healthcare reform. *(^&$#&

Stairs. Shower on. Brush hair. GAH SNAGGED NEW EARRING HOLY CATS GAH. (^&$#&

Shower. Shampoo. SNAG! SNAG SNAG! Gosh DANG it. Ow. SHAMPOO STINGS. Stupid. Gah.

Conditioner. SNAG! SNAG! Ow! Owowowowow!

Rinse. Carefully. Waiting for pain. Hm.

Dry off. Comb out hair. GAH! Snagging! GAH!!!

You get the idea...

Easy dessert, or poignant, realistic portrayal of woman's downward emotional spiral?

Well good gracious, if this isn't one of the most disturbing little bits of "advertising" I've seen in a while. A 1950s ad for, of all things Jello pudding -- is there a happier dessert? I'd thought not, either, until I saw this horror that manages to actually demonstrate what a psychotic break might look like if it were to happen near dinnertime. In 1952.

Via the geniuses at BoingBoing.

In which I proclaim my love for precooked bacon

Anyone who knows me for more than about 15 minutes knows I love bacon. Perhaps to an unhealthy degree. To date I have had two birthday celebrations where bacon was a featured ingredient, I put bacon in my grilled cheese sandwiches (which I also make with Velveeta slices) (don't hate -- I'm from Texas and it's fabulous), Lynnie gave me a bacon cookbook one time that included desserts with bacon in them. In short: bacon, bacon, bacon. As often as possible, as much as possible -- bacon.

Maybe a year ago, a bunch of us were at Lynnie's house (I can't remember why now), and she had some precooked bacon. It was curious -- there were these sort of slabs of bacon that had been cooked, separated by layers of wax paper and then packaged. All you had to do was pop it into the microwave to warm it up, and tah-dah -- bacon.

I am not sure why I didn't immediately recognize the genius of this whole concept -- it could have been the migraine meds I was on at the time dampening my enthusiasm. We'll blame that. But really -- the whole deal with bacon (aside from arteriosclerosis) is that it's a huge pain to cook. It produces a ton of grease (which you then have to dispose of somehow since no one uses bacon grease to cook with anymore) which spatters all over the place, and you have to keep turning it and turning it. Plus it's also really easy to over- or under-cook and burn yourself in the process.

All those problems evaporate with precooked bacon. You open the package, plunk however many slices you want between a couple of paper towels, stick it in the microwave for less than 30 seconds, and bam! -- bacon, y'all. I think I am on my third package of the stuff in three weeks, and was greatly relieved to see that there was a store-brand version of this at my local Safeway. It's nice to be able to meet my need for bacon and economize at the same time.

For better or worse, I am eating a lot more bacon these days, thanks to the precooked stuff. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Alternative ending for the Beer Summit

This made me laugh.

This is cool

A Slovenian choir simulates rain.

Daisy has a crush on Tom Cruise

Here she is on the couch last night, watching "Minority Report."

She watched for probably 15 minutes straight, without looking away. I think she was mesmerized by Tom Cruise's performance. Boo doesn't share her affection; he slept through the whole thing.

Bacon flowchart

From KL via Incredimazing. Click on the image to enlarge.

Why I'll be boycotting the NFL this season

Felonious dogfighting entrepreneur and former quarterback Michael Vick was conditionally reinstated in the NFL yesterday by the league's commissioner. I'll be taking my viewing time elsewhere this fall. From espn.com:

NEW YORK -- Michael Vick is back in the NFL. Now all he needs is a team to play for.

Vick, free after serving 18 months in prison for running a dogfighting ring, was reinstated with conditions by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday.

Vick can immediately take part in preseason practices, workouts and meetings and can play in the final two preseason games -- if he can find a team that will sign him. A number of teams have already said they would not.

Sal Paolantonio says the wording for Michael Vick's return gives the commissioner a lot of latitude on when to fully reinstate him. How many teams are interested?

Once the season begins, Vick may participate in all team activities except games, and Goodell said he would consider Vick for full reinstatement by Week 6 (Oct. 18-19) at the latest.

According to ESPN's Sal Paolantonio, a source close to Vick expressed "shock" over the severity of Vick's punishment and said Vick will reapply for full reinstatement as early as Week 1.

Goodell suspended Vick indefinitely in August 2007 after the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback admitted bankrolling a dogfighting operation on his property in Virginia. At the time, Goodell said Vick must show remorse before he would consider reinstating him.

"I accept that you are sincere when you say that you want to, and will, turn your life around, and that you intend to be a positive role model for others," Goodell said in his letter to Vick. "I am prepared to offer you that opportunity. Whether you succeed is entirely in your hands.

"Needless to say, your margin for error is extremely limited," the letter said. "I urge you to take full advantage of the resources available to support you and to dedicate yourself to rebuilding your life and your career. If you do this, the NFL will support you."

Goodell said he spoke to numerous current and former players and coaches as he weighed his decision and that the responses were "very mixed."

Yeah, they hate each other

All the posing that goes on -- Daisy growling at Boo if he so much as grazes her as she's falling asleep. Boo randomly swatting Daisy in the face for no reason at all. My coming home after a 40-hour-or-so workday to find tufts of hair, with roots attached, strewn around the house, indicating some sort of interspecies warfare had gone on in my absence.

It's like 90 degrees in the house today, but look who still wants to cuddle -- and not with me:

Note Boo's tail wrapped protectively around Daisy's bottom. Just too much.

Tagged on Facebook

'Thia tagged me in the most recent incarnation of "Getting to Know Me." So, here goes...

1 What time did you get up this morning? 6
2. How do you like your steak? Medium
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince”
4. What is your favorite TV show? “Lost”
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? Hm. I have no idea.
6. What did you have for breakfast today? Two cups of coffee
7. What is your favorite cuisine? Chinese
8. What foods do you dislike? Sushi, liver and coconut mostly
9. Favorite Place to Eat? I really like PF Chang’s. Don’t hate.
10. Favorite salad dressing? Olive oil and balsamic vinegar
11.What kind of vehicle do you drive? BMW 325i
12. What are your favorite clothes? Preppy-ish with a twist
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Paris
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? Empty
15. Where would you want to retire? I don’t think I will be able to retire
16. Favorite time of day? Afternoon
17. Where were you born? New York City
18. What is your favorite sport to watch? Baseball
19. Who do you think will not tag you back? No idea
20. Person you expect to tag you back first? No idea
21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this? No idea
22. Bird watcher? Gracious no
23. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night
24. Do you have any pets? A cat and a dog
25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? Ha. No.
26. What did you want to be when you were little? Writer
27. What is your best childhood memory? No comment
28. Are you a cat or dog person? Dog, probably
29. Are you married? Ha. No.
30. Always wear your seat belt? Yes
31. Been in a car accident? No
32. Any pet peeves? Bigotry, poor hygiene, rudeness generally
33. Favorite Pizza Topping? Pepperoni
34. Favorite Flower? Roses
35. Favorite ice cream? Chocolate. Always chocolate.
36. Favorite fast food restaurant? Chipotle
37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Written, once
38. From whom did you get your last email? Someone at work
39. Which store would you choose to max out your card? Nordstrom
40. Do anything spontaneous lately? Not really
41. Like your job? Sure
42. Broccoli? Yes
43. What was your favorite vacation? NYC
44. Last person you went out to dinner with? Colette

And that's the way it was...

Walter Cronkite was a huge part of the reason I chose journalism as a major in college. He gave voice to the news events that unfolded throughout my childhood, and the CBS Evening News was required viewing in my house -- at least until he left its anchor chair in 1981.

In reporting the passing of Mr. Cronkite last night, CNN had several hours of interviews with current and former broadcast journalists, all of whom talked about how he was one of a kind, unparalleled in the field, and an encouragement to those with whom he worked. Media (and technology) are rapidly changing not only how we consume news but also what we define as "news." But his commitment to factual accuracy, plain-spokenness and compassion spans the generations.

He was, first and foremost, a newsman. We were all the better for it.

A day in the life of a legislative staffer

Nora: May I tell you something? At the risk of oversharing?

Coworker: Yes.

Nora: Well, today I had to run up to committee when I heard Boss starting to present my bills in Appropriations and I didn't know he was already there. Anyway, I took the stairs two at a time. And now I have a terrible cramp in my butt.

Coworker: ...

Nora: It really hurts.

Coworker: That is oversharing.

Quitting as leadership?

The point guard reference may be completely lost on CNN's Anderson Cooper, but that doesn't slow down Alaska Governor Sarah Palin spokeswoman Meg Stapleton as she spins her boss' abrupt resignation from office yesterday. Stapleton, who was on vacation in New York as Palin makes this career-altering announcement (in front of a Wasilla lake filled with noisily quacking ducks), actually explains the analogy to him, but he's having none of it. Though I do wish he'd said, "But isn't what we really have here a case of the star point guard just passing the ball to a teammate from the bench and then running into the locker room with 18 months left in the game?"

The fast and the furriest

Cat drifting. Via BoingBoing.

In which my boss is nice to me

Nora: So, I was wondering if I could leave a little early today.

Boss: What's up?

Nora: Well, I feel silly saying this, but it's my dog.

Boss: You have a dog?

Nora: I do. She's pretty old.

Boss: How old is she?

Nora: 14. And...

Boss: 14?!

Nora: Yes. She was my mom's dog, and now she's mine.

Boss: Why is she yours?

Nora: Because when my mom died she came to me. Anyway...

Boss: Aw. What kind of dog?

Nora: *makes approximate Daisy shape with hands* Small. A rat terrier.

Boss: Aw!

Nora: Yes. And she wasn't quite sick this morning, but she was not herself.

Boss: No?

Nora: No. And I'm just worried about her because she's old. It's probably the heat, but...

Boss: Go! Go!

Like Halle Berry

OK, so things are admittedly a little weird these days at the California Legislature. But after seeing this video on Wonkette, I realized they could be considerably weirder.

I am not clear on the nexus between the artist known as Hurrican Chris, the Louisiana Legislature and Ms. Berry. It's lovely that he wants all women to know they're "like Halle Berry," whatever that means, and paying tribute to her is fine, too. But -- what?

Ennui at 17

N: Well, honey, I think I'm going to head home.

C: You had a long day, huh?

N: Yep. And my feet hurt.

C: Those shoes are great.

N: Thank you, but they are pretty much killing me.

C: *fiddling with her cell phone* Beauty is pain, girl.

N: What?

C: Beauty is pain. *big sigh* You know it is.

Song of the day

I'm not a huge Dave Matthews fan. I like his kind of laid-music well enough, I guess, and his lyrics can be alternately funny and insightful. But while it's all pleasant enough, I don't find myself reaching for it too often. Sometimes when driving, sometimes in the heat of summer when I'm in a mind of music festivals and dancing.

But this song is haunting to me. It takes the fragility of his voice, some spare repeated lyrics and simple minor chords to tell a really sad story. I'd forgotten it was on my iPod until it came up on random play yesterday, at which point I hit repeat like six times.

Dave Matthews' "Some Devil." I wish I could find a better version on YouTube, but such are the vagaries of the Internets.

Missing

Over the past couple of days, I've been the grateful recipient of some attention. Phone calls, emails, personal visits at work. "Is everything OK? You all right?" Some of have noticed my considerable blogular absence. Others, that I've missed a few Sundays of church and still others that I just haven't sounded good when they've talked to me.

The truth is my head's pretty bad these days. I have some level of pain nearly every day anyway, but June has been like a blur of medication and no sleep and trying to get through work days and nausea and just generally hanging on 'til I can get home and sort of fall apart. Sunday was, I hope, the apex of the current cycle -- none of the drugs in my considerable arsenal touched the pain at all. I even considered going to the emergency room for something, anything, to make it all stop.

I haven't talked about this -- largely because it's boring. Who wants to read me going on and on about how crummy I feel or describing my little personal struggles with pain? No one. It's so uninteresting, I don't even want to write about it. But on the other hand, it's true and real for me, and I don't want anyone to worry or think something out of the ordinary's up.

Last June was just like this, too -- I was remembering that when I started at CM, I was so hopeful that the change of scenery and reduced stress (ha!) would lead to fewer headaches. Instead, the whole month was this like pain-filled swirl with a new job thrown in. This year, I'm back in the political trenches, and the headaches are right back with me.

So. That's the deal. If you pray, I would covet your prayers that I would walk in a manner worthy through this particular season that God has ordained for me. And, that if it's His will, He'd let it stop. If you don't pray, I'd appreciate your holding a good thought for me. This, too, shall pass -- it always does -- but it's a bit wearing in the process.

Thought of the day

Via Paul Meinsen, from The Sacred Sandwich:

A day in the life of a legislative staffer

*ring, ring*

Nora: Office of Assembly Member Tony Mendoza.

Caller: Hi. Can I get your Sacramento mailing address?

Nora: Sure. It's State Capitol, Room 2188, Sacramento, 95814.

Caller: 2118?

Nora: Room 2188.

Caller: 2218?

Nora: 2188.

Caller: OK, 2118. I think I've got it.

Nora: No, it's...

Caller: *click*

Genius

From Shu!. As he said, there are no words.

Song of the day

I'm guessing this won't be a popular statement, but I don't like Bruce Springsteen's music. I've seen him live and listened to a fair amount of it thanks to an ex-boyfriend, but it has just never done a thing for me. The musicianship is fine, the lyrics are OK -- but for me, whatever it is in music that moves me, that makes me hit rewind 10 times in a row when a song is so good that I almost can't hear it enough, Springsteen just doesn't do that for me.

I was at the grocery store last night, of all places, and a midi version of this song came on the Muzak. And I realized -- I love this song. I love the imagery of its lyrics, how Bob Seger's gravelly, strained voice is just perfect to convey the regret and reminiscence of a middle-aged man remembering the salad days of his youth. I don't love all Bob Seger songs, and that I love this one is probably proof of my age and the era in which I grew up, but I could listen to this 10 times in a row and love it more each time. For me, this song does what Springsteen songs do for so many other people -- evoke a time and a place; harken to a simpler, younger age; help me remember.

For your listening pleasure, Bob Seger's "Like a Rock."

More babies

Here's Baby Belinda at almost six months. She's huge! Especially in contrast to Baby Sammy.


Her mom (!) and I snuck out last night for dinner at Dairy Queen (Cora's pic) and I just couldn't keep my hands off her. Look how much hair she has! And her cheeks! Her eyes, smile and chin are all Cora's mom's, and it's just bizarre to look at that wee girl and have her grandmother staring back at me.

Please ignore my goofy hair. We had played a game where I sort of charged at her with my mouth and eyes wide open, she would make dinosaur noises (pterodactyl? T Rex? unclear) and grab my hair in her pudgy little fists, pulling it as hard as she could. Both of us laughing all the while.

Various

The new neighbors' name
As I've been crashed out on the couch for the last couple of days, my new neighbors have enjoyed the holiday weekend in their new back yard. With windows open to catch every breeze, I've listened to them play and romp and squeal -- and get in trouble.

Apparently one of the children is named Micah. I have yet to see him (or, if I have, I'm not sure which one he is). But he's sure been a handful this weekend:

• "Micah, I am going to count to three. One.... Two.... Micah, I am not kidding." (though since they never seem to get to three, I can see why Micah would think they were)
• "Micah, if you don't stop that right now, you are going to get a very long time out."
• "Micah, no! No no no!"
• "Stop it, Micah. Please."
• "Micah? Micah!"

So, I have named the new neighbors "Micah's Family." There are at I think three children in total living there, and yet his is the only name I've heard.

The swine flu (or whatever) abates
I'm finally feeling a bit more human, and the pets have quit barfing, too, so I guess we're all on the mend. Just in time to go back to work!

I still worry that since neither Daisy nor Boo leave the house, I am the one who exposed them. To whatever it was we've had.

The human condition

I just love PostSecret. I wait all week for the new secrets to be posted Sunday mornings.

I own all the books. I even follow it on Twitter.

Such an interesting social experiment. Honesty and pain and fear and humor -- the human condition -- both constrained and liberated by what can fit on a postcard and be mailed.

Every week, I alternatingly laugh, get teary eyed, fear for the human race even more than usual, and rejoice in anonymous fellow humans' experiences, truths and victories large and small.

Every week, I see myself at least once. Every week, I have new people to pray for and hope with.

I am so proud of Shu

This weekend, my dear friend Shu! will walk in Rutgers' graduation ceremony. He technically received a degree in economics in December, but ceremonies are reserved for the spring.

He did this by going to school at night, juggling a full-time day job, writing books (yes, more than one), marriage to a great fellow Houstonian and so many pets that I literally have lost count.

For those of us who've done the full-time work/part-time school thing, we know there's really no such thing as being a part-time student. And how adult life creeps in on things in a way that is crushing. In the midst of it all, though, Shu! remained funny, mostly upbeat, largely nonwhiney and appropriately grumpy with The Man.

I am just so proud of him. Vagaries with The New Job prevented me from being in New Jersey this weekend to watch him walk, but I hope he knows I'm with him in spirit and what a gift his friendship and example are to me.

If Boo were to actually have a bat one of these mornings, I would not be surprised

Scene: Nora's bedroom, 5 AM, any given day of the week

In which I realize I am disappearing*

I started Operation Junkless Trunk at the end of January. My mission: to quit eating crap, to start moving and perhaps, if the shin splints cooperated, rehab and train to the point of regularly running. I did pretty well at it for quite a while: up to the point I left Capitol Ministries, I'd lost 10 pounds or so. And I could really see and feel the difference -- my clothes fit differently, better, and I sure felt better. But then I got the Cold of Doom, leaving me coughing and breathless, which set me back pretty considerably. I never really found my footing again, workout wise, in terms of consistency, but the 10 pounds stayed off.

And I have not been back to the gym since I returned to the Capitol. I keep the gym bag in my car, loaded with appropriate gear and thrashy music, and I know that if I can just start going, I will feel better for it -- but it's the getting started that I just can't seem to manage. Every time I look at the bag sitting there, full of recriminations and cardiovascular guilt, it exhausts me. So, I haven't gone.

I saw a lobbyist friend recently, one I hadn't seen in a few months. She exclaimed, "You're disappearing!" I thought she was referring to the 10 pounds and just being particularly enthusiastic about it (as good girlfriends do). But late last week, I wandered up to the Capitol's nurse's office to the scale there and jumped on, one eye closed as I adjusted the little weights.

Apparently, I've lost 25 pounds since January -- or, another 15 since I basically abandoned Operation Junkless Trunk. Further, I was at JCrew today doing a little shopping, and I fit into a size 8 dress. Yes, I know JCrew vanity sizes and an 8 there isn't really an 8, per se, but I haven't fit into a single-digit clothing size in any brand in many, many moons.

What's my secret, you ask? I am embarrassed to tell, but it's this: I am eating like a teen aged boy. Truly. I haven't cooked dinner in I don't know how long, or eaten a vegetable as a side dish. I only eat when I'm starving, because otherwise it's either too much effort or there's just not enough time. And by "eating," I mean part of a bag of Buffalo ranch Doritos, or some frozen Buffalo wings I pull out of a bag in the freezer and heat in the oven. Or a frozen pizza. Or a piece of leftover frozen pizza. It's kind of sad, really. But I keep taking multivitamins so I don't get scurvy or rickets or whatever and telling myself it's just for a season. And the weight is falling off.

So, apparently, it's Opposite Day for my metabolism, where if I abandon exercise and healthy food, it responds as it would had I embraced them. Or something. In any case, we'll see what happens when I go back to consuming food that requires both radiant heat to prepare and a fork to eat.

* Perhaps both literally and figuratively -- it's been a week since I last wrote. The reason for my blogular absence isn't complicated -- I'm basically worn out. The job is pretty much all I can do these days, and going to bed, waking up, showering and putting one foot in front of the other to get back to work in the morning to do it all over again is the exciting routine of my life. There's not a lot that's happening these days in my life that I even find interesting; the thought of spinning an anecdote when I'm in this work cycle is a bit overwhelming. I think once the staffer on paternity leave returns and some of these deadlines are behind us (June 5 is the magic day!) I'll be able to settle into something of a routine, at least for a while. I sure hope so. I miss my life outside the building.

A-ha!

Remember this? The sticker in my parking garage elevator that's been driving me crazy (an admittedly short trip, but still)?


Look what I saw yesterday, walking back from lunch at Gaesorn's with the gang:

It's a store in downtown! Was the sticker placement part of a viral marketing campaign? Overeager employees? Random vandalism? Not sure, but I'm really glad the mystery is solved.

Meet Samuel Joseph

Question: Is there anything better than cuddling a two-day-old baby?
Answer: No.


This is Samuel Joseph, Christina and David's newest, wee-est baby. He is precious and adorable and mostly sleeps but has the sweetest little mouth and dark hair. I am officially in love with him.

David and Christina and I met for dinner (those crazy kids! don't they know they just had a baby two days ago?!), and we had lots of food and conversation and I snuggled the baby nearly the whole time. Samuel napped and occasionally squeaked and made precious faces, which was exactly perfect.

And it just keeps coming

From Natalie Dee:

I love GraphJam

And Queen. So....

Song for a rainy Saturday

James Taylor has about the sweetest voice of anyone I know. Soothing, clear, unaffected.

As the rain's moved in over last couple days, my head's just been almost insufferable -- from change in pressure, I think -- and when I can tolerate music, I've been listening to his.

I love this song. It's on the "If a man ever sang this song to me I would marry him immediately" list for sure.

Week in pictures

A staffer on paternity leave two weeks earlier than expected + deadline week for fiscal bills + a bomb threat = this.


Yep, I said "bomb threat." The Capitol was evacuated yesterday while the Assembly was in session. From the Sacramento Bee:

Bomb experts from the California Highway Patrol detonated a mysterious package on the north side of the state Capitol shortly after noon Thursday, after the presence of two mysterious packages disrupted an Assembly floor session and caused the evacuation of about 100 people from the building.

CHP Officer Jarrod Lassila said no explosives were in the bag that was detonated. Offices on the north side of the Capitol were reopened about 12:30 p.m.

The detonation, which could be heard for several blocks surrounding the Capitol and filled the air with the smell of smoke, occurred after CHP officers used a robot to move one of the packages, a leather satchel with a piece of metal protruding from it, about 30 yards away from the L Street side of the building, to the base of a large redwood tree in Capitol Park. The satchel had been hanging from a statue about 20 feet from the entrance, according to CHP spokeswoman Jaime Coffee. A passer-by reported the packages to Capitol security shortly after 9 a.m.

Coffee said the other package had been determined to be just a plastic bag full of clothes. Tony Beard, chief sergeant at arms for the state Senate, said the plastic bag raised suspicions because it was found at the base of a monument to Gilbert Murray, a forester who was killed in 1995 by a bomb planted by Theodore Kaczynski, the notorious Unabomber.

Ron Pane, chief sergeant at arms for the Assembly, said offices on the north side of the building were evacuated as a precautionary measure. The Assembly chamber was also ordered closed. Pane said that in addition to the Assembly members, who were meeting at the time, about 100 people, mostly employees in the Department of Finance, were moved out.

"It's better to have folks move and be safe," Pane said.

The boss took us out to an early lunch, basically saving our lives by way of ceviche and burritos. We heard the bomb squad's detonation of the suspicious bag from the relative safety of Vallejo's.


And then a propos of nothing, there's this. This sticker is plastered up over the floor numbers in one of the elevators in my parking garage. What does it mean? It's driving me crazy trying to figure it out. This is what comes of watching "Lost," I think -- a bumper sticker is never just a bumper sticker. Or whatever.

Email from C

Yesterday was one of those days when I wanted to chuck my BlackBerry into the toilet. And then hold it under water to make sure it was truly dead. It was relentless, with its buzzing and chirping, as I ran from meeting to committee to briefing to my office to where ever the heck. Just when I would start to concentrate on something -- anything -- I'd hear the BlackBerry's familiar, cheerful little *chirp* and think, more or less, "&^$#%$#."

But I don't just use it for work -- my personal email goes to the BlackBerry, too. One small thing that helps on the crazy days is to occasionally get email I actually want :). Late yesterday, the BlackBerry made one of its quiet little chirps. Given the day I was in the middle of, my first thought was not terribly godly, but with a sigh, I scanned its screen. And almost burst into tears.

The email was from C, a young woman I love so much. We'd been in each other lives for more than four years -- and then, we just weren't. Between life changes and I'm not sure what else, we hadn't spoken in months, after at least weekly contact for years. I'd been mourning her, her absence, us, for so long, but didn't know how to get back to her.

And then, there she was -- just like herself, funny and open and kind. And I was pecking back to her as fast as my thumbs could manage on a tiny keyboard from the middle of a committee room, hoping that she could feel my love and joy despite the many typos and weird characters I punched in through tears. I wanted to hug the stranger I was sitting next to, I was so happy.

So much for drowning the BlackBerry.

A day in the life of a legislative staffer

Scene: The office is just crazed -- phones ringing, fax machine screaming, staff literally running to where ever. And I'm clearly on the phone -- like, talking, and with my desk covered in papers and binders, and writing and answering email all the while. There is no way I look like someone who is available to talk.

In the middle of all this crazy, a lobbyist walks into my office, sits down across from me, and just starts talking.

Nora: Um, Lobbyist, I'm on the phone here.

Lobbyist: Yes, but I just need a minute.

Nora: OK, but I am on the phone. Already talking to someone.

Lobbyist: Just one minute.

Nora: Do I not appear to be on the phone? Because I am on the phone.

Lobbyist: It'll only take a second.


Et cetera. He only left when I literally turned my back to him.

My precious

I got a Kindle, y'all.

I'd been wanting one since they first came out. I read a lot, probably four books a month anyway given all the rotating and cycling through them I do, and even though I generally buy them at a deep discount on eBay or through Amazon's used book sellers, they add up in terms of cost and ... well, piles of books.

But the capital outlay involved with the Kindle initially held me back, along with the fact that I'm generally leery of first generation technologies.

The Kindle 2 released shortly before I finished my taxes and got a hefty refund. Given the money burning a hole in my pocket, my love of gadgets and the number of books I burn through, it was a pretty easy decision.


The new Kindle is has a better screen and more memory than its predecessor.

It's also thinner -- thinner than a pencil! -- and can download a full book in about a minute.

There are lots of classic books available for free download, which is cool. I got Dracula and Frankenstein for free, for example. And the ESV was free, too -- woo! You can also download free samples of books, a sort of try-before-you-buy scenario. Best sellers run $9.99 with older books selling for cheaper.

I am very, very happy. Yay.

A day in the life of a legislative staffer

So I was sitting at my desk, reading about federal Recovery Act monies that California is slated to receive (welcome to my world) and minding my own business, when I sensed a sort of presence in the vicinity of my office doorway.

I looked up -- and there were like six or seven school children standing there. Not speaking. Just watching me read.

I have no idea who they were, how they got in or how long they'd been there.

Fog

I know I'm not writing.

By the time I hit the weekend, I thought my brain might just plumb fall out. I'd managed to put one foot in front of the other last week, get my bills out of committee, show up at work every day reasonably appropriately dressed, and not have my new boss thrown out of the Legislature for my antics. Victory!

But I spent this weekend like it was like the old days in Approps -- stunned, trying to get laundry done and errands run, all in a fog. Not just tired, though there was that, but out of it. Sunday at some point it occurred to me, "Oh. I have to go back to the Capitol this week. Because I work there now."

When I went back, I knew there'd be an adjustment. But I thought it would be in terms of work -- remembering the patterns of staffing bills, reconnecting with old colleagues, that sort of thing. I'd forgotten how the busy times (which we're in right now) can sort of eat you up in a way, and since I'm out of practice, that's all the more true.

It's all OK, good even -- just a recalibration. Once this week is over, things should even out a touch.

Not playing

I've seen and done a lot of things in 12 years in the building. I've briefed members while so sick to my stomach that I had a garbage can next to me. I've been part of conversations with members of the Legislature about pantyhose sizing -- more than once. I listened to a member's spouse wax philosophic about which ethnic groups were the least and most attractive.

I've never actually shed blood in the line of duty, though. Until yesterday.

The scenario:

Assembly Ed Committee yesterday afternoon. The committee room was packed, with lobbyists and staff waiting their turns lining the walls. I was one of these folks, hugging a wall and juggling three bill binders, a committee binder, three folders for my boss to use in presenting his bills, a BlackBerry, a notepad and a pen. Oh -- and I was wearing 3.5" heels. Cute, but teetery.

When a bill author ends his or her presentation on one bill and begins another, there's a flurry of activity -- seats empty as witnesses, the general public, members and staff following various items on the agenda clear out, and new folks fill their seats.

It was in a moment of jostling between bill presentations that Exhibit A happened. A small woman (her size belied her toughness) was exiting one of the rows of seats as I stood on the wall, waiting to take a seat. As she turned the corner to leave, she flat checked me. Sort of put her shoulder down and leaned into it, too. And I, not expecting it, took it hard. I was spun around nearly 180 degrees and hit the wall I'd been leaning against moments before, banging my hand pretty hard in the process.


It doesn't look too bad in the picture, but it bled pretty well for about five minutes. Five minutes during which I tried to hide the bleeding from my new boss while also trying not to get anything on my suit or prepared committee statement.

Good times.

Various

Whoosh!

• I may actually have work email and computer drive access today, a mere three days into the new job. Which will mean I no longer need to sign in as an intern to work. So much for the fancy new job :)
  
• Three bills up today in committee. Two of which are being amended. Yikes.
• These are three of the nine bills I am staffing. Another yikes.
• I was worried that Lynne would have to start coming across the street every morning to make me coffee as she did so kindly when I was at CM, but the office has a Keurig! Good news for both of us.
  
• I have a pretty wicked case of insomnia. I don't think it's the new job, but all the change maybe? Or there are certainly personal things that are pressing down on me. If anyone has any advice to help me sleep (and Sharon, the glass of wine isn't working :/), I'd appreciate it. I'm starting to look and feel a bit like a zombie.
• Session tomorrow at 8:30. Which means I need to be there at 7:30 to get floor materials ready for the boss. Welcome to the Assembly.
• I have these moments throughout the day when I am sort of jolted by the fact that last week, I was in full-time vocational ministry and this week, I am back in the Legislature. Some of it's been like riding a bike, but there are many obvious, stark differences.
  
• I wonder if I'll get to a point where I don't need to call or email CM at least once a day to say hello and check in.
  

The squirrel has landed

Yesterday was a whirlwind.

Despite not having a working phone for more than half the day and no email or printing abilities, Sweepa and I got reasonably settled in to the new job yesterday.

I have nine bills, three of which are set for hearing on Wednesday (!). Two of which are being amended. Ha.

Between calls to committee consultants (once my phone worked) and trying to find where the three-hole punch and office supplies were, I managed to unpack Sweepa.


This yielded the following conversation, or a derivative thereof, at least three times:

Someone: Nora, can you... Uh, there's a squirrel over there.
Nora: Yep.
Someone: Wow.
Nora: (maintains expectant look on face while waiting for Someone to resume questioning)
Someone: ...
Someone: Anyway, Nora, can you...

Good times.

Here's my office. Sean came a'visiting yesterday and pointed out it needs some stuff on the walls. I'll need to work on that. Maybe once I can print and therefore complete committee statements, I'll move on to decor.

They even got me a wee little nameplate for my door! In case I forget where I live. Which, based on yesterday, might happen.

Coveting your prayers

Today I make my triumphant (ha!) return to the Capitol, with my first day of work in the Assembly.

I am excited and terrified at the same time. Which is probably just about right.

If you pray, I'd appreciate your keeping me in your prayers today. If you don't, hold a good thought for me, please.

Holy cats. I work in the Assembly.

Resurrection Sunday

"He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay."
-- Matthew 28:6

I love Dilbert

This is, to me, hilarious.

Song of the day

It's all about the iPod these days, and the running play lists.

As I seek out music that turns off my brain and keeps my feet moving in a forwardly direction even when they really don't want to, I've been revisiting old favorites. The one I played over and over again -- in the car, at the gym, even at home -- is an oldie but a goodie: "Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys.

Throne of lies

Given the confusion about my recent FB status update, I decided to post this. Perhaps the funniest scene from the hilarious movie Elf.

Last night

What could make Opening Day better? OK, yes, tickets immediately behind home plate at Minute Maid Field coupled with hot dogs, an open stadium roof and, oh yeah, pitching from Oswalt that featured both heat and accurate placement. Another thing was getting together with friends for pigs in blankets, pulled pork sandwiches, root beer floats and, when the game's done, some Wii.

Here I am with Baby Selah. We were watching the game and I was instructing her on the finer points of late-inning relief pitching and clutch hitting. She was a rapt student. Largely because I fed her pieces of biscuit the whole time.


Once the game ended, the Wii came out. Oh yes.


There was ski jumping, there was hula hooping, there was... I don't even know what all. Oh, yeah, this is my pastor. With Sean helping with some body English.


And here are Christina and David's little boys, sitting still (rare occurrence!) for some ice cream. How cute are they?!

Big news

I am returning to political life under the Capitol dome.

Friday is my last day at the ministry and, beginning Monday, I’ll be working as Assembly Member Tony Mendoza’s legislative director.

I’ve not reached this decision easily. In the process of arriving at it, I’ve been the grateful recipient of many prayers, lots of good counsel and plenty of smacks to the head. Apparently I have a few boundaries left, because I am not comfortable discussing all the reasons for this decision, but there are many.

I love Capitol Ministries. I love its mission. I love those it sends out. I love my dear brothers and sister in Christ with whom I had the privilege of toiling for nine months.

Please keep me in your prayers as I return to the building that was my professional home for 12 years and I endeavor, as Sean prayed for me last week, to be a light in a dark place.

It's Opening Day, y'all!

Oh my gosh, it's my absolute favorite day of the year.

I know there were games last night, but come on. That's not the real start of the season. It's today, when 11 games are played and the season for the whole of the league begins in earnest.

From now through fall, CNN broadcasts are largely bumped from my TV to be replaced by whatever game happens to be on. It's the sound of summer to me, the vague background murmuring of a game being called while I putter through chores or poke around on the Internet, interrupted by the crack of a bat or the roar of the crowd -- either of which will cause me to scramble to the TV, hit "rewind" on the DVR, and relive the excitement.

I just love baseball. I miss it all winter. And now it's back.

Sunday

I got to spend my afternoon break between morning and evening church services with the Wallentines. This was a good thing in many ways, not the least of which being my first taste of Wii with Joshua and Caleb and time with sweet Ezra who was super cuddly and adorable after his nap.

He didn't want his picture taken, but I managed to sneak this one once he was absorbed in his Leapster. Which he patiently showed me how to work and let me color on.

Developments on Wisteria Lane

I'm new getting new neighbors, y'all.

The Crying, Swearing Neighbor Lady moved out in early September, and her house has stood empty ever since. There was a for-sale sign on it for a while, but I don't think it sold (no, I haven't stalked the house on Metrolist). Last week there was a flurry of activity over there -- a truck pulling a small U-Haul trailer pulled up in front, blinds open and lights ablaze, and then, the final, clear indicator: painting going on inside.

I don't know if the people are renters or new owners. What I do know is that they began some sort of construction/hammering business at 7 AM today. Yay! Welcome to the neighborhood! And that whatever they're pounding on, they hammer in multiples of eight. So all morning, it's been rapid-fire blam-blam-blam-blam-blam-blam-blam-blam, pause, blam-blam-blam-blam-blam-blam-blam-blam, etc. I keep finding myself counting each series of hammerings, and they've been remarkably consistent.

So! A new poll! Since everyone who lives on my street is weird (and ultimately annoying) in some way (except me, of course), I'm putting a poll over on the right side for us to guess what the heck it is they're doing over there and/or how it is that they will ultimately distinguish themselves, weirdness-wise. This weirdness is likely to be the source of their pseudonym for future blogging, so it's important we get it right.

Song of the day

I love Led Zeppelin. They are probably my favorite band, and no matter my mood, my situation, or the state of my achy head, they seem to have a song that just fits.

As I've been developing running play lists for myself, I'm listening to them more and more again of late. It's a little like coming home, or reconnecting with a once-best friend whom you lost touch with and from the first email or phone call, you're right back together on the same page.

Their music just all sounds so good to me, but this song, "Kashmir," is I think my favorite. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant redid it for their 1994 album No Quarter, and I really like that version, but this one is rockier, raw-er -- classic Zeppelin.

Need help with headphones

Can anyone recommend some headphones for my iPod that won't jiggle out of my ears as I run on the treadmill?

I currently have ones like these -- in-ear head phones with little silicone sleeves -- which sound great when I'm not moving too much but they fall out of my ears when I run. I bought some add-on over-the-ear sleeve thingies to use with them, but they totally don't work -- not sure if the headphones aren't meant to be used with them or what, but they barely stay on my ears in the first place and the headphones sort of wriggle out anyway as I exercise.

It's making me a little crazy, the Headphone Situation. The treadmill experience is made so much better with eardrum-thumping music, and last night I was finally just over the whole fiddling-and-still-falling-out stuff and ripped them out altogether and ran -- in silence. Which was not great.

Help? Specific brands, models and links all appreciated.

Some Daisy cuteness on video after all

It took her 'til 8:00 tonight, but she finally put on a fairly standard prancing, dancing performance.

Sorry about the videography, such as it is -- this was the first time I used the video mode on my point-and-shoot Nikon, and it shows. But you can at least get a sense of her sweet little personality as well as how obedient she is. Or isn't, as the case may be. :)

Guess who's 14 today?

I can hardly believe it, but it's true. Daisy Mae Clampitt the Wonder Dog is now 14.

I've always thought of her as Mom's dog, but in reality she's now lived with me longer than she did with her. So, she's my dog. Officially.

I wanted to take some video of her doing cute things, but she hasn't really cooperated over the last couple of days. Every time I pulled out the camera, she'd do this -- lie down in a sunbeam and bask. Which is probably when she's at her happiest, outside of when she's asleep in my bed. So, I guess this picture is appropriate after all.

Let the sun shine

The temperature, driving home from work yesterday.


Glorious sun. Two days stretch out ahead, full of promise. Yay.

I got nothing

The head's still basically not cooperating terribly well, and it's left me with little to talk about aside from medication strategies and hanging on.

Not too interesting, so I'm sparing y'all. Once I can think again, I'll be back.

In which I decide to let my hair go curly-ish

I want to preface this by saying I realize it's not a terribly interesting subject to anyone but me. Read at your own risk (and if you're bored by this, David and David, you've been warned).

So, I've been straightening my hair to some degree or other for just about 30 years. The advent of flat irons has made this task considerably easier, but I've been a slave to blow dryers and round brushes at least, if not straightening serums and gels and heat protectants, on a day-in/day-out basis for basically my entire adult life.

The problem is that my hair's not quite curly enough to be worn curly, per se, but certainly too curly for nearly any "straight" hairstyle. I was lucky that through high school in the early '80s in Texas, big wavy hair was in (when the humidity didn't wreck it or turn it frizzy). But more often than not, the styles I've chosen in the years since have leaned to sleek side.

This was made all the worse when, two springs ago, I opted for an inverted bob -- longer in front than the back and worn straight all over. Every morning, there I was with the flat iron, trying to smooth my unruly hair into a shape that was cute, but completely contrary to my hair's natural texture and wont.

Well, I'm done. Officially. I have put away the Chi and Kerastase Oleo-Relax serum and decided to just let my hair do its thing. And I feel positively liberated. Every morning is a new adventure -- I'm never sure just what my hair's going to look like or do that day, since curl is dependant upon so many factors (moisture, amount of time I spend drying it, if I have the sunroof open while I drive in to work, the phase of the moon, if it's a night game played on artificial turf, etc.). And most days I do need to do a little something to make the curl, um, more uniform or otherwise help it along in places, so I'm not completely appliance- and product-free -- at least not yet.

But having hair that is more or less doing its own thing? Versus literally ironing it into an artificial texture and style every morning? Good times.

Snow in March

The trees blooming on my street have been raining down their white and pink petals for about a week now.



It's just so pretty -- the leaves are pushing their way through the blossoms, and with even the slightest breeze, there's a snowfall of flowery snow.



The white contrasts with the lawn, greening up after spring rain and an infusion of sunshine.



We're left with the equivalent of snow drifts on the side of the road, which today's coming rain will turn dark and mushy.

Officially spring

Another glorious, sunny, warm day yesterday in Sacramento. I needed some air anyway, so I joined what seemed like every state and legislative employee downtown in heading outside to grab lunch and bask in the sun.

Our spring days are just exquisite here. There's no humidity, a light breeze, surreally blue skies and sun, sun, sun. All too soon the sun will begin mocking us, bleaching grass and plants (this is why California is called the Golden State, I think), beating down mercilessly, leaving us to huddle in air conditioning while praying for Delta breezes.


But not yesterday. Yesterday was a celebration of the end of winter. Of the arrival of spring. Of a few weeks of impossibly perfect weather until summer grabs us around the throat and grimly holds on.

An ode to Chick-Fil-A

Finally! Someone wrote a love song to Chick-Fil-A! Short but funny. And true.

Recession/retro chic: Hamburger Helper

I'm a child of the '70s. Michael Jackson. Disco. CB radios. Rainbow suspenders.

And Hamburger Helper. I probably ate my weight in this stuff by the time I graduated from high school. With a working mom and Reagonomics in full effect, the boxed mixes made for cheap, quick and easy meals. Usually we ate it as-was, but sometimes we made things fancy: grated cheese! Ro-Tel tomatoes! canned corn!

Grocery shopping Sunday, I was puzzling over what to make for dinner this week, and as I wandered the rice and pasta aisle, a very familiar box caught my eye -- I didn't know they even still made this stuff. Safeway had it on sale for two boxes for $5 (I decided to go with the brand name vs. the generic version). A pound of hamburger was I think less than $1.50 -- so, for roughly $1 per serving, I had dinner.

I went nuts and got two kinds -- Chili Cheese and Cheeseburger Macaroni, both favorites from my childhood. They're not quite as salty as I remember (not sure if Mom tricked out dinner or if the company has bowed to the Sodium Police), but not bad. For $1 a meal.

Through the looking glass

Something interesting must have transpired in my little suburb today while I was at work, because Daisy has taken up residence in this chair next to a window, and she is very intently watching. And waiting.


All that's happened so far while I've been home is a gazillion flower petals have fallen out of the trees outside like snow, but that doesn't seem to be what she's after.