Glitches, natural disasters and visitations.

February 28, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Gawd, I am TRYING to make the Cast page, right? I cannot wrap text around the images to save my life! It’s got to be a glitch in the theme I am using because I refuse to believe that I my HTML skills have gone from 100 mph to TOTAL MORON in 18 months.

I’ll keep working on it. I’ll get it. It’s just a simple string of code… right? Until then, you can just look at the goofy, wordless pictures and wonder who they are. Sigh.

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In climate and natural disaster news, it’s still colder that a witch’s hoohah here in Iowa and the rest of the world seems to be ready to shake itself to pieces with earthquakes or submerge under water. What the hell is going on, people?

Maybe it’s that Armageddon bullshit that the Bible talked about. Or maybe some mad scientist with a weather machine is slumped over the joystick and dead as a doornail because he choked on a Jesus-shaped Cheeto, who knows.

But you know the winter has gone on too long when you are watching the ocean waters around Hawaii threatening to send a tsunami wave at thousands of people and one of the thoughts that crosses your mind is: “What are they bitching about!? At least they don’t have SNOW!”

I blame Al Gore for this madness. I will always blame Al Gore.

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Speaking of madness …

As I was leaving Dr. K’s office the other day — after a long therapy session in which we talked about probable knee surgery, etc. — I think I a moment of divine intervention. It’s the only thing it could have been, really.

I had just gotten into the car and was pulling out of the parking lot, my mind on the traffic and the recent discussion, and out of nowhere this thought passes through my mind in a voice that was familiar, but not my own.

“A lot of people live a long, full and happy life even if they weren’t blessed with perfect limbs, Christine.”

I blinked and gasped and felt a shiver go up my spine.

Within seconds, I had images flood back to me of a strong, sturdy, determined woman — someone that I had admired since my childhood, but had not thought of in a few years. I could see her smiling face in my mind.

It was Miss Luse, my second grade teacher.

Miss Luse had contracted polio when she was young and had to use crutches the rest of her life. Yes, she moved more slowly that she wanted to, but she never complained about her condition and never let it stop her from doing things she wanted to do. She worked up until retirement age, she drove really great cars, she traveled, and she even rode horseback. She was feisty.

She and I also had a special love for each other and had kept in touch up until she died a few years ago.

The thing that surprises me about all of this is that when I first started having this serious trouble with my knees and mobility, I didn’t think of her immediately.

Could it be that the robust way she lived her life never allowed me to think of her as disabled? I hate to think that I am so un-empathetic that I didn’t consider her limitations, because I know there were probably many. She just didn’t let them wear on her emotionally and she didn’t allow others to see them.

I’m still not quite sure what to make of my little visitation from beyond, but I do know that it was totally unexpected and very comforting; I am grateful for it. I wouldn’t mind getting more inspirational messages like this, but maybe just not in the middle of traffic like that again.

(Is that a deal, Miss Luse? You know I was always a quick study, but very easily distracted…)

More again soon. Have a great Sunday. Keep your ears open for angels and stuff.

Posted by Christine | Filed Under The Scoop

Mutterings and matterings.

February 21, 2010 | 1 Comment

I say … and you think … ?

Teeth :: dentist
Sweeten :: honey
Demons :: challenges
Pizza :: pepperoni
Protector :: nerd
Smooth :: operator
Coat :: jacket
Pebbles :: shoe
Pregnant :: change
Sing :: Some people just shouldn’t…

Nerd!? The word “protector” made me think of a pocket protector. Hee! Sorry nerdlings. It’s a hard association to let go of.

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I’m slowly figuring out the WordPress workings again. Still pisses me off that each time I upgrade the program it breaks my WP-Grins and all of the ugly old smilies return or are replaced with text. I used to be able to adjust it by changing the vars.php file and the wp-config. php file… but when I tried for over an hour last night it turned out to be a major exercise in futility. So screw it. I installed something else and will try that for a while instead.

I’m still not sure if it matters anyway. All I know is that I hate those ugly regular smilies.

I’m also really tired of this layout, but I’m not ready to buy a replacement for a it yet. Maybe after I am sure this isn’t another false re-start.

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Tomorrow I will start the process of catching you up on everything that’s been going on in my little world.

Oh, the breathless anticipation!

Posted by Christine | Filed Under Memes

Chugga… chugga… whirrrrr

February 20, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Restarting the writing process is like trying to turn over a very cold engine in a very old, rusty pick-up truck. That’s been stored in a cluttered barn. With a cracked windshield. Covered with chickenshit.

How’s that for a mental image? Haha.

It’s just a little overwhelming, I guess.

I mean, in the months that I’ve been away from it, WordPress had changed and updated a few times, I had forgotten a bunch of passwords to different functions behind the site, and when I look at simple HTML code I have to blink a coherent thought into existence before I can remember what the code means. I feel like I am fumbling in the dark with stuff.

And what the fuck? A bunch of ya stopped blogging about the same time I did and just left me hanging with an obsolete blogroll. The nerve!

I went through the More Good Reads blogroll on the sidebar last night and updated and/or deleted a lot links. Hopefully those who have moved on to other things besides blogging are doing well and living a nice life. (If you had to stop blogging because you’re in jail or on the run, what can I say? Lamer.)

I’ve been trying to figure out exactly why I stopped and why I am wanting to start again. Honestly, I think I was just swallowed up with things in my life — some good, some really bad — and I simply couldn’t put words to my feelings. It felt silly to sit down at the keyboard each night and try to talk about seemingly frivolous things when I was feeling so much more under the surface.

I am striving to do much better these days, and hopefully that will become evident as the new writings emerge. Mind you, I know damn well I will still retreat into silliness and banality at times, but for the most part, I really want to keep the real communication going.

It’s not particularly healthy to live in an old rusty, chickenshit-covered pick-up truck.

Posted by Christine | Filed Under The Scoop

tap tap … Anybody home?

February 20, 2010 | Leave a Comment

I’m still a little leery of the sensation, but I feel a nudge here. I am getting the urge to write and communicate in words with people again. That was a severe blogging drought, I tell ya. I’m hoping that with a few sputtering starts, I’ll be up and running on a regular basis.

There’s a lot going on in my life right now, so please stop back if you want to catch up on things.

I’ve missed you all!

Posted by Christine | Filed Under The Scoop