So. The family is watching the TV show Glee. As part of the show, one of the female characters (Quinn) is impregnated by the school lothario (Puck), but her regular boyfriend (Finn) thinks the child is his and she is allowing that misconception. Puck knows the kid is his and everything goes round and round in humorous fashion.

In the most recent episode, Quinn actually considers that Puck might be a better father for her child than Finn. Ultimately she decides on Finn as the best father of her baby. My wife and I had a discussion about this and thought it would make a good Livejournal discussion.

Finn is the all American stereotypical quarterback. He's none to bright and shows an amazing lack of initiative. One gets the impression he is pretty good at doing what is expected of him but you get the impression if he were left in a field he'd just slowly starve to death. He's very nice and caring. He is surprisingly progressive. (He objected to the football players tormenting the oddball characters and has been surprisingly tolerant of the Gay Character although that could also be a sign of his cluelessness)

Puck is a criminal. He sells pot. He lies and steals. He sleeps around with not only other high school girls, but their mothers. However he is very resourceful. He owns his own legitimate business in addition to his drug dealing. He obviously cares a great deal about the baby and is willing to do 'whatever it takes' to provide for the baby.

So here is the thing. Is being a nice guy better than being a provider? I think both Finn and Puck will love the child. I don't think Puck necessarily loves Quinn. But I also don't think Finn will be a very good provider for the child.

As part of the hypothetical, Quinn cannot give the child away. Who does she spend her life with?

So you want to see why Sidda was tired?

This

(from last night's concert)

Yesterday I got my first riding lesson in ages. The horse's name was Tucker, a bay Thoroughbred gelding initially meant for the track but now having nice ring manners. He stands 16.2hh. As I walked and trotted around the ring doing 2-point and posting and transitions and practicing transitions and such, the instructor watched and made statements like "drop your heels" and "your angles are great, just bring your legs under you a bit... perfect!" and "ear, shoulder, elbow, hips are all lined up perfectly" and "Well, you have no trouble with that, most people after a long time off the horse don't remember to lean forward to a 20degree angle when starting the post, but you got that right" and then I had to tell her my legs were tired... it didn't take long. She seemed to understand that. We later talked about what I do for a living and that I'd like to do this regularly, perhaps twice/week if I can fit in the daylight and pay the club fee. At least until I find out if I'll be in the area after January. Then maybe something else would have to be tried, but I told her I'm determined to have fun, enjoy horse time and regain the muscle tone so that if I ever ride that Belgian again, he has more trouble throwing me. Mostly though, I appreciated riding a horse that I didn't have to fight every step of the way. What a pure pleasure that was! It made me wonder how he'd do on the trail... and that got me thinking I needed to stop thinking about that.

Today is Thanksgiving and I can't decide what I'm most thankful for so I took Strega out to one of my favorite loops (only 9-10 miles) to run. The first half of this loop I feel pretty good about letting him run loose to chase deer and get the initial spasms of energy bled off. Then we start climbing up up up and I tend then to hook him to the leash and get him trotting easily behind me. The second half has too many cliff edges that make me nervous, and I get far more nervous when I see my beloved dog standing at the edge of one at attention with muscles quivering in excitement while he tries to decide how to leap down it after some wild beast or another in the distance. By the time we reach that point he's usually pretty content to trot along behind anyway, the first half takes about an hour so he's fairly relaxed. Then once the danger of precipices is past and we're on the last little bit heading back down to the car, I let him back off the leash. He stayed close anyway, a bit worn out though not dragging too badly. I stumbled a bit there at the end. This time, it was my other ankle that almost gave. I corrected before there was a snap, but it wasn't pleasant and I limped a few yards before I could get back to trotting along. I was cursing, wondering if I'd ever get a good trail run without incident again, but decided that I will. This was nothing. By this weekend, I should be ready for another run. Maybe not a 2:14hr run, but another one none the less. Another riding lesson as well. I can feel the muscles I'd not needed in so long aching just a tad even now. I wonder if riding will help my running, swimming or cycling any?

Sidda is in the third row from the bottom, under the stars. My camera really couldn't handle the zoom but so cute anyway.

Our “BRUCE COOKS OMG MAURER COOKBOMB” dinner party was a big hit. I think we will do this again in January (I’d say monthly, but December is massively overbooked). Thanks so much to Bruce for playing chef and to everyone who attended. Yaay!

In other news, the evite as gone out for the Maurer Holiday Party (Saturday December 12). Mark your calendars, and if you haven’t gotten the evite, let me know and I will add you!

Enough people joined Decipher Script that we are going to try this thing. If you want to read The Mote in God's Eye by Niven and Pournelle with us, head over and join the community!

And conference call over and flaming ducks exploding around my head, so I zoom. Zoom!

I'm not even sure what icon to use for today's adventures. I'll go with "en guard" because I've not used it in a while.


My adventures began simply enough with a very pleasant lunch out with a friend. We chatted merrily and seemingly endlessly until the food was gone and it was time to go swimming. Mind, we originally were going to go cycling, but it was drizzly raining and neither of us wanted to ride in that, so then we were going to spin on the stationary bikes, but then I thought how nice a swim would be and there was an end.

We swam, and found that it was good, and after a while we moved to the hot tub because that is also good and there in the hot tub was a man. This man was large. He suffered from dunlap disease and a distinct lack of exposure to sunlight. He was sitting slumped such that I could not be sure as I tentatively stepped into the hot tub if he was in fact wearing anything at all or not. I determined that it would be best not to look and tried not to when suddenly his massive form surged up. My mind registered that he was wearing something baby blue with... what are those, flowers??? Little tiny flowers patterned all over it and what's that on the back... a tag showing through??? How can that...
I looked at Celeste, eyes wide. The man spoke to me, forcing me to look back at him and realize that my friend and I had left him "in a pretty good mood" before he whipped a towel around himself, a towel whose edge disappeared under the flap of his belly immediately. Then with hardly another word, the man turned and disappeared with me staring back at Celeste in sheer, unadulterated horror as the truth struck us both. The man had obviously decided that speedo's look a lot like ladies panty briefs, and so rather than buy the real thing he'd just gotten some women's underwear to put on for his hot tub time.

Wow.

Ok.

We were still stunned by this after dessert at Greenlife, but I had to get home to my sweet Strega-dog to walk and feed him. I decided since there was still some daylight that we'd go see if I could find the right trail to get to Mushroom rock this time. Knowing how fast the sun goes down, I grabbed a headlamp from my purse, just in case and thought how clever I was as I did so. Then we went off onto the trails.
As soon as I turned off onto a trail heading away from readily notable civilization, I started laying back arrows made of sticks and twigs to help me find my way out. I felt really clever. This should tell you things would go awry. I reached a point that was definitely not the right way but it was starting to head towards dark and I figured it was a good time to turn back anyway, so I called to Strega so he'd know to start back and off we went. We got to the first spot there should have been a back arrow and... I didn't see one. I looked and I looked down trails and I said "Uh... crap, did I miss a spot for an arrow??"
Well, I picked a direction and started in it. I saw it was getting dark and kept looking for familiar trail signs and realized it really didn't seem right but maybe I'd forgotten. Things often look different as the light dims. Then I saw a spot I KNEW I'd remember if I'd crossed it before and turned around. Now, it was getting pretty dusky and I wanted out of there. I jogged back to the intersection and headed now to the left. I VERY quickly established that was wrong, and decided I didn't want to keep floundering, it was time for a phone call. Fortunately, I had signal. Equally fortunate, Dreama was answering. I didn't waste time. "I'm lost."

I described what I'd crossed and where I was and asked "what direction should I turn" and she told me. I looked, I looked again and noticed there was a second "right" turn. There, suddenly, I saw my back arrow.

With renewed confidence, I hightailed it down that trail, Strega now back on leash as it was getting quite dark. I pulled out my headlamp and pushed the button to turn on the light. Nothing. I pushed it again as I walked. Nothing nothing nothing. Crap. I realized that I was about to be out of light and relying on my cell phone to find my way. That's when I topped a hill and saw the lights. Ah, civilization. I also saw my next back arrow. I looked at it, and I looked straight ahead, and I saw that straight ahead brought me to a street, and that beyond the next treeline was a building that looked like it was very likely to be the back of the very building I'd parked in front of. It wasn't particularly CLOSE, but if I went straight I'd be on a road with streetlamps instead of winding through the woods with no light. I went straight. I heaved a sigh of relief to be on the road with street lights as the fog rolled in, and an even bigger one when I confirmed that the building on the other side of that hill WAS in fact the back of the building I'd parked in front of.

Today's adventure was discovering a car show in Fort Oglethorpe. Unfortunately, my camera was in my other purse, so I had to make do with my iPhone. Also, I had Strega-dog with me which limited the time I could spend getting any one shot. Still, I had fun. Pictures behind the cut.
( Read more... )

(PS, second to last is my favorite)

So now I can post the possibility of an unabashed-geek book club. :)

http://community.livejournal.com/d3ciph3r_script/

If you'd like to read a book a month or so and discuss with your fellow geeks, then come on over and join!

It's been one hell of a day.

This afternoon I took a circuitous route to go see a man about a horse. I was severely humbled upon realizing that this horse wasn't under western saddle but English hunt seat. I was more humbled to find myself lurching on the horses back like a beginner. At first my body seemed to remember what it was doing, then suddenly I didn't. I got myself under a semblance of control, but then the horse decided he was done with me. After a third buck, I landed on the ground. When I tried to remount, the saddle slipped. I started to try to retack it, the horse took off, broke his bridle and... I spent the rest of the day mucking stalls and sweeping the barn while wondering if the owner was annoyed and just being nice by not saying anything. When I finished sweeping I went to help him get his horses (the one that kicked me off and the one he had been riding which he turned out soon after). I got to the back pasture in time to see the horses run into the woods with him chasing behind, one of his dachshund's barking at the horses heels. I waited for them to come out the other side, figuring if the went around again I'd herd them through the gate heading towards the barn. They came out, looked at me, looked back and eventually here came their owner back out behind them. The dog must have gotten underfoot when they started trotting back towards me. I was ready for them when I suddenly heard the yelping cry of the dog. The horse I'd been riding had stepped on him. They stopped near me, I saw the one had on a halter with the lead rope dangling behind him, the other was still loose. The owner had his dog in his arms. I got the lead rope, patted the horse and told him I had it, go see to the dog.
The dog was ok.

I still feel humbled by the whole thing.

Driving back from dinner tonight, my sharp-eyed daughter Cosmo spotted our owl! I stopped the car at the top of the driveway and we all got out to gape until he got tired of us and flew away toward the neighbor’s house.

We’ve been hearing his (her?) cries all year almost every night, but never caught sight of him. Cross referencing photos on our bird-book with call recordings online, we’re now pretty sure he’s a Barred Owl. I also think we must have more than one, because sometimes it sounds like a whole bunch of them having an argument. You can click on the image (no I didn’t take that photo) if you’re interested in going to the site with the audio files.

They have a pretty weird call and it startled me awake the first few times I heard it, but now I’ve gotten to like it. Nice to know someone is out there dealing with my rodent problems… Now if only the squirrels would come out at night!

Do they make “Depends” for elderly dogs?

So I am doing a closing today and the broker, the buyer and his son are chattering away in Spanish. Most of it was explaining the documents to the father who was buying the house. I caught about 1 word in 5 or so. My vocabulary, particularly where Home Closings are concerned is good enough to comprehend but not to speak.

At the end of the closing, the dad looked at me expectantly as if to say "Is that it?"

I smiled at him and exclaimed "Feliz cumpleaños!"

After a brief moment of staring at me, they laughed and I explained, "I don't know how to say 'Congratulations' in Spanish so I used the next best thing."

And I gave a silent prayer of thanks to Dora the Explorer.

I will still not admit that she has much in the way of vocal talent, the lyrics could not mean less if the chorus were in Jaberowky (wait... it is...)

but I'm backed into a corner...

this is the best video since Thriller and remove the stupid song and it could be a creepy post modern exhibit at MOMA PS1

so, I am worn down. Lady Gaga has me too... at least a little.

(Though I still think she may just be a computer generated face-bot. I mean she realistically has no distinguishing features.)




so... why is the gold chin thing hot?

Background:

So, Keep in mind my kid's favorite movie is "The Nightmare Before Christmas"

Last night, we came home and there were gummies tucked into the top of our doorknob. I knew they would be there, because Sandy has texted me to let me know she had left them there.

So I said, "Look Sidda, gummies! Sandy brought them."
She look at me scandalized, "Santy came already?!? It's not even Thanksgiving yet!"

****

Remember in "Nightmare" he is called "Santy." Also remember I am Southern.

Today:

7:45 AM- Sidda need to be at school
8:15 AM- I have to be at work
8:30 AM- Vet's office opens
9:30 AM- The latest dogs can arrive at vet's office
12:00 PM- Dr's appointment- me
3:00 PM- Sidda needs to be picked up from school
3:30 PM Lee gets off work
3:45 PM- Savannah needs to be picked up from school
5:00 PM- I get off work
5:15 PM- Latest dogs can be picked up from vet (which is 40 minutes from my office at least, in 5:00 Traffic)
5:15 PM- Savannah has to be at swim lessons at Baylor (which is close to neither my office, nor the vet's)
6:00 PM- Savannah gets out of swim lessons

Note that with two people, this is in fact, impossible. Not to mention that both girls/both dogs will not fit in Lee's car in the unlikely event that he was able to get Sidda, Savannah and dogs and get turned around in time to get to swim.

So I'll wave my magic wand (ie- ask my mom to do a bunch of things, because she will, and then I'll feel awful for asking her to do so much) and hope we all get to eat food at some point and that Sidda doesn't freak out because she'll only get to see Savannah maybe an hour with this insanity. It's either that or she can go play but have to watch Savannah get to swim and her not be allowed to, which is just too much to ask of a four year old.

Yes I could've taken the dogs to the vet another day, but honestly, the vet thing is always a nightmare. Neither Lee nor I can ever take them or go get them the hours the office is open.

Today is one of those days to survive. It should be downhill for a few days, from here.

and then this morning for breakfast he's a good boy again, attentive and acting for all the world like he's subordinate and willing to take direction.


I may need to get his thyroid checked.

Learned about the "Page 69" test. Also the "Page 99" test. I'll post both from RWC behind a cut.

From Page 69:



From page 99:



Well, there ya go. The measure of my writing, mid-stream as it were.

Oh, and by the way... I FREAKING HATE BLOODY TWILIGHT AND I HOPE IT DIES!!!!!!!! Purple prose drivel!!! STUPID AMERICANS!

I hate it more than Novel Writing Month.

I admit it, he's driving me insane. Actually, he's just bugging the crap out of me. Why is it I was able to help Romeo overcome so many of his issues and Strega instead just piles on more without ever overcoming the old one? He's not neurotic and nervous, but he's got some other serious issues that I keep dealing with over and over and over again.


He's not a dominant dog, but he is assertive. Fine. Ok. So I do all the "I'm in charge" stuff every day, keep consistent and what does he do? Growls at me last night at bedtime for giving him the same loving pat and kiss on the head he gets every damn night. He's settled into our location and has had time (considering how quickly he tends to adjust to new situations) to acclimate to my current schedule and routine but what does he do when I leave the place? Get's in the trash and last night ate a bunch of wintergreen Trident gum. He's been known to counter surf when I left for a bit in the past, but the trash and the gum is all new. He's even tried counter surfing with me there, with me sending him from the room. He's becoming one of those "I wont be controlled no matter what you do" dogs that laughs at positive reinforcement as "free treats" and refuses to do right if the treat isn't right there in hand. I'm getting so frustrated I'm starting to fantasize about being dogless. Something has gotta give.