Sometimes, I hear a song or read something that really resonates with me and something I've experienced. Most of the time, these have to do with grief - a grief unlike any other grief I've ever experienced. When I hear or read or see something that speaks to that place in me that was hollowed out by grief, I wonder what that person went through for them to get to that place, that depth.
A couple of weeks ago, I caught the movie "Four Weddings and a Funeral" for the billionth time (more on that and my Hugh Grant obsession later). I love that movie, and seeing it again reminded me of a poem in it that really affected me even the first time I saw the movie. So much so, that I started reading more W.H. Auden poetry and bought one of his poetry books.
This poem so clearly and beautifully sums up the feelings I had after losing my son and losing a subsequent pregnancy 4 months later. It describes grief distilled to its barest essence.
Funeral Bluesby W.H. Auden
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crêpe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
It's the End of the Week as We Know It
NOTE: All the photos in this blog entry are actual Cleveland photos from this week. I did not take any of them, however.
People around here are talking Armegeddon. Here's a brief overview of the week (mostly from my perspective) in Northeast Ohio:
Monday - Earthquake (see blog entry: Shake, Rattle, and Roll in Cleveland!)
Tuesday - The weather was 72 degrees and perfect. Driving to work at around 9:30am (I
went in late), I was amazed by the stripes of contrails criss-crossing the sky. The news reported later that they were inundated with calls, questions, photos and e-mails as the contrails were reported in the sky across northeast Ohio. Contrails (see photo) are man-made cirrus clouds created by hot jet exhaust. When the hot exhaust hits the cold atmosphere, condensation occurs, creating ice crystals which create the visible trails. Amazingly clear skies, just the right amount of humidity and very little air movement in the upper atmosphere led to numerous contrails being visible in the skies that day. Most days the contrails are quickly blown apart by air movement in the upper atmosphere, but since there was very little air movement, the contrails were visible until the sun went down. Contrail is short for "condensation trails" which are sometimes called "vapor trails."
Due to the weird warmness I washed my car, and even vacuumed the inside. Of course, later that evening, it rained.
Upon my arrival at home that evening, our land-line phone wasn't working. The DSL and satellite TV were, however working. Using my mobile phone, I called in the problem to the phone company and was told by their automated system that the problem will be resolved by the end of the day Wednesday.
Wednesday - Another warm day in the 60s. Around sunset, a cold front moved in and the temperature plummeted to temps in the 30s.
Our phone was still not working, so I called the phone company with my mobile phone to see what was going on. They told me that they came out to fix it, but that the problem is inside the house and they would need to schedule an appointment. I was a little irritated that I had to call them to find this out and that, even though I gave them my mobile phone number, they had not contacted me to tell me this.
After hanging up, I called back to see if the incoming calls could be forwarded to voice mail since it was presently just ringing busy. They couldn't get that to work, so they had my calls forwarded to my cell phone. In the middle of setting that up, I looked outside and the sky was black with big, rolling clouds. My husband yelled to me, "Hey, tornadoes!"
Strong thunderstorms, wind, hail and tornado warnings accompanied an incoming cold front. A tornado touched down west of Cleveland. Rain continued overnight. Flood warnings are also posted for the entire night. Later, the rain teamed up with sleet, snow, and ice. After two days of very warm weather, it was quite warm in the house and I had trouble getting comfortable, so we opened the bedroom window for some air.
Thursday - After a restless night sleeping with the window open because it was so hot, we awake to 2+ inches of heavy wet snow. Traffic was a nightmare as many streets were flooded, trees and branches were down from the wind, and traffic lights weren't working. The snow melted by noon, but the day remained cold - in the 30s. We experienced a beautiful orange/pink/blue sunset and a thankfully uneventful evening.
Friday - Today, everything seemed calm, the traffic was tolerable, and I even called in to the local radio station on my way to work to relay an "embarassing moment" and was the first one they put on the air! But now, just a bit before noon, huge dramatic snow flakes are steadily dropping. ugh!
When my boss told me there was a partial solar eclipse coming up (on Monday, March 19), I started to wonder, "What's next? Frogs falling from the sky? Locusts?" Unfortunately, we won't be able to witness the eclipse from here. It will be visible mostly in eastern and central Asia and northern parts of Alaska.
One weather blogger (yes, there is such a thing) said, "Only in Cleveland could we have an earthquake, tornado, thunderstorms and snow all in one week." The news is calling it a "Wacky Weather Week" and quoting the old adage about weather in northeast Ohio: "If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes!"
I say, "Repent! The end of the week is near!"
Monday - Earthquake (see blog entry: Shake, Rattle, and Roll in Cleveland!)
Tuesday - The weather was 72 degrees and perfect. Driving to work at around 9:30am (I
went in late), I was amazed by the stripes of contrails criss-crossing the sky. The news reported later that they were inundated with calls, questions, photos and e-mails as the contrails were reported in the sky across northeast Ohio. Contrails (see photo) are man-made cirrus clouds created by hot jet exhaust. When the hot exhaust hits the cold atmosphere, condensation occurs, creating ice crystals which create the visible trails. Amazingly clear skies, just the right amount of humidity and very little air movement in the upper atmosphere led to numerous contrails being visible in the skies that day. Most days the contrails are quickly blown apart by air movement in the upper atmosphere, but since there was very little air movement, the contrails were visible until the sun went down. Contrail is short for "condensation trails" which are sometimes called "vapor trails."Due to the weird warmness I washed my car, and even vacuumed the inside. Of course, later that evening, it rained.
Upon my arrival at home that evening, our land-line phone wasn't working. The DSL and satellite TV were, however working. Using my mobile phone, I called in the problem to the phone company and was told by their automated system that the problem will be resolved by the end of the day Wednesday.
Wednesday - Another warm day in the 60s. Around sunset, a cold front moved in and the temperature plummeted to temps in the 30s.
Our phone was still not working, so I called the phone company with my mobile phone to see what was going on. They told me that they came out to fix it, but that the problem is inside the house and they would need to schedule an appointment. I was a little irritated that I had to call them to find this out and that, even though I gave them my mobile phone number, they had not contacted me to tell me this.
After hanging up, I called back to see if the incoming calls could be forwarded to voice mail since it was presently just ringing busy. They couldn't get that to work, so they had my calls forwarded to my cell phone. In the middle of setting that up, I looked outside and the sky was black with big, rolling clouds. My husband yelled to me, "Hey, tornadoes!"Strong thunderstorms, wind, hail and tornado warnings accompanied an incoming cold front. A tornado touched down west of Cleveland. Rain continued overnight. Flood warnings are also posted for the entire night. Later, the rain teamed up with sleet, snow, and ice. After two days of very warm weather, it was quite warm in the house and I had trouble getting comfortable, so we opened the bedroom window for some air.
Thursday - After a restless night sleeping with the window open because it was so hot, we awake to 2+ inches of heavy wet snow. Traffic was a nightmare as many streets were flooded, trees and branches were down from the wind, and traffic lights weren't working. The snow melted by noon, but the day remained cold - in the 30s. We experienced a beautiful orange/pink/blue sunset and a thankfully uneventful evening.
Friday - Today, everything seemed calm, the traffic was tolerable, and I even called in to the local radio station on my way to work to relay an "embarassing moment" and was the first one they put on the air! But now, just a bit before noon, huge dramatic snow flakes are steadily dropping. ugh!
When my boss told me there was a partial solar eclipse coming up (on Monday, March 19), I started to wonder, "What's next? Frogs falling from the sky? Locusts?" Unfortunately, we won't be able to witness the eclipse from here. It will be visible mostly in eastern and central Asia and northern parts of Alaska.
One weather blogger (yes, there is such a thing) said, "Only in Cleveland could we have an earthquake, tornado, thunderstorms and snow all in one week." The news is calling it a "Wacky Weather Week" and quoting the old adage about weather in northeast Ohio: "If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes!"
I say, "Repent! The end of the week is near!"
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
When Animals Attack!
Last night, I'm watching mindless TV and the news comes on. I'm waiting to see an update about the Great Quake of '07 (see previous post) when this news story comes on.
To summarize, 2 people who killed 2 cats by throwing them out their car window were sentenced to community service at an animal shelter.
Although it's not part of this video, one of the shelter workers said that they wanted the criminals to see how sweet the animals were. And then this one attacks the reporter! This was probably the single most hilarious thing I've ever seen on live TV. I was checking YouTube for it since last night, finally someone posted it, and I am grateful to relive the hilarity over and over again. The look on her face after the attack is just PRICELESS! I have to admit, I was impressed that she got it together and got back on air afterward. Way to rally!
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Shake, Rattle, and Roll in Cleveland!
Last night, I survived an earthquake! Although rare in this region, we had a 3.6 magnitude earthquake last night that left a lot of folks "shook up." I live in Ohio in southeast Cuyahoga County, but last night, my husband and I were visiting my brother, sister-in-law and nephews last night in northeast Summit County. At about 7:20pm I was sitting on the floor holding my 2-month-old nephew while my husband was playing with my other nephew (2 1/2 years old) in his room when the quake hit.
At first, it felt like really strong thunder, the kind that rattles the windows, but it was deeper than thunder, and, sitting on the floor, I could feel the floor shaking. The baby was fussy and screaming through the entire incident (my brother and sister-in-law went out for a while) and I yelled to my husband, "WHAT was THAT????" As usual, he said, "I don't know..." rather calmly, but I could tell he was also a little "rattled" and my nephew also had a look of concern on his face (we tried to minimize our concern so he wouldn't be worried).
We looked around the house, then looked around outside. I immediately thought earthquake, but because they are so rare in these parts, I tried to think of other explanations. Was it just thunder? Maybe a tree fell (but it didn't look like it). I looked around outside for signs of an explosion or a structure that fell, but didn't see anything, and the sky sure didn't look like a "thunder" kind of sky.
When my brother called around 7:30pm to check in, I told him, "I think we had an earthquake!" Just then, the breaking news on the TV confirmed that yes indeed, it was an earthquake. My brother said, "Is the garage still standing? Make sure you guys get in the doorways!" He was, of course, joking (I think).
Amazingly, my baby nephew calmed down shortly after the earthquake and fell asleep and was much less fussy the rest of the night, which made me wonder if, like some animals, babies have that 6th sense when there's some change in the earth or something.
I talked to my 2-year-old nephew about it some, although he didn't really seem that worried about it and was intensely watching a Crocodile Hunter show about snakes. I said, "Remember when everything was shaking?" and he said, "Yes" and I said, "It was an earthquake! Pretty cool, huh?" and he was like, "Yeah..." but wasn't that excited or anything.
This map shows the epicenter. The green hexagon is where I live. The pink flower is where we were when the Great Quake of '07 hit.
Here's what the news: reported:
Quake shakes, shocks 3 counties
'Minor' 3.6-magnitude temblor felt in Cuyahoga, Summit, Portage
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
The earth shook Monday night in Northeast Ohio. Residents in Cuyahoga, Summit and Portage counties felt a 3.6-magnitude earthquake about 7:20 p.m. that was centered five miles north of Ravenna, just south of the Ohio Turnpike in Portage County. Quakes with magnitudes measuring between 3.0 and 3.9 are considered "minor," according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Try telling that to the hundreds of Northeast Ohioans who don't get to see their walls shimmy all that often.
There were reports of rumbling and shaking in Stow, Bath Township, Akron, Cuyahoga Falls and Solon. People said their dishes rattled, chairs swayed, and dogs jumped to their feet. Some even said they thought there had been an explosion nearby. Police dispatchers in Ravenna, Macedonia, Twinsburg and Northfield were overwhelmed with calls from both panicky and curious residents. The Twinsburg Police Department fielded more than 500 calls within a half-hour, according to harried dispatcher Jennifer Wagner. "We had 10 lines ringing nonstop," Wagner said. Macedonia Mayor Don Kuchta was enjoying a quiet night with a book when he heard a rumbling noise coming toward his house. "It was like a roll of thunder," Kuchta said. "Then it felt like somebody ran into our house with a car."
Mike Hansen, network coordinator for the Ohio Earthquake Information Center, says this is a typical account of a 3.6-magnitude earthquake. "It gives people a pretty good jolt," Hansen said, "but it doesn't last more than a few seconds." Earthquakes in the eastern United States tend to travel farther from the epicenter, Hansen said. This is because the waves travel through flat-lying brittle rock that carries the energy about 10 times as far as earthquakes on the West Coast.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that people as far north as Cleveland and as far south as Canton felt the trembling. No one felt more than light shaking, and no damage was reported.
The most recent earthquake of this size to hit Northeast Ohio was a 3.8-magnitude temblor that struck June 21 and was centered about 10 miles northeast of Painesville.
Like this one, it didn't cause any major damage.
The story is also on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU1G_jW7ZhA
In the news story on YouTube, they mention the January 31, 1986 earthquake, which I very vividly remember since I was in 7th grade at the middle school in geometry class and I thought the girl in front of me was shaking her leg and making my desk shake. Everybody got quiet when we felt it, but me, being oblivious as always, yelled out, “Kim, stop shaking my desk!!” Then I realized that the windows were rattling, too, and everyone was feeling it. It was a weird year, since I vividly remember being in the same class when we learned of the Challenger explosion on January 28 of the same year.
Damage in the area close to the epicenter was minor. Merchandise fell from store shelves and buildings in the area had cracked plaster and cracked or broken windows. Interestingly, there were reports of changes in water wells - different color or taste, wells going dry, or wells increasing their flow.
I do also remember there being some concern about the Perry Nuclear Power Plant in northern Lake County, which was only 11 miles north of the epicenter. The plant was not in operation at the time the earthquake hit, but did sustain some minor cracks and water pipe leaks. In a time of concern over nuclear power, the cold war, and just a few months later, the Chernobyl disaster, I am now seeing why I had so many nightmares about nuclear annihilation growing up!
At first, it felt like really strong thunder, the kind that rattles the windows, but it was deeper than thunder, and, sitting on the floor, I could feel the floor shaking. The baby was fussy and screaming through the entire incident (my brother and sister-in-law went out for a while) and I yelled to my husband, "WHAT was THAT????" As usual, he said, "I don't know..." rather calmly, but I could tell he was also a little "rattled" and my nephew also had a look of concern on his face (we tried to minimize our concern so he wouldn't be worried).
We looked around the house, then looked around outside. I immediately thought earthquake, but because they are so rare in these parts, I tried to think of other explanations. Was it just thunder? Maybe a tree fell (but it didn't look like it). I looked around outside for signs of an explosion or a structure that fell, but didn't see anything, and the sky sure didn't look like a "thunder" kind of sky.
When my brother called around 7:30pm to check in, I told him, "I think we had an earthquake!" Just then, the breaking news on the TV confirmed that yes indeed, it was an earthquake. My brother said, "Is the garage still standing? Make sure you guys get in the doorways!" He was, of course, joking (I think).
Amazingly, my baby nephew calmed down shortly after the earthquake and fell asleep and was much less fussy the rest of the night, which made me wonder if, like some animals, babies have that 6th sense when there's some change in the earth or something.
I talked to my 2-year-old nephew about it some, although he didn't really seem that worried about it and was intensely watching a Crocodile Hunter show about snakes. I said, "Remember when everything was shaking?" and he said, "Yes" and I said, "It was an earthquake! Pretty cool, huh?" and he was like, "Yeah..." but wasn't that excited or anything.
This map shows the epicenter. The green hexagon is where I live. The pink flower is where we were when the Great Quake of '07 hit.
Here's what the news: reported:
Quake shakes, shocks 3 counties
'Minor' 3.6-magnitude temblor felt in Cuyahoga, Summit, Portage
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
The earth shook Monday night in Northeast Ohio. Residents in Cuyahoga, Summit and Portage counties felt a 3.6-magnitude earthquake about 7:20 p.m. that was centered five miles north of Ravenna, just south of the Ohio Turnpike in Portage County. Quakes with magnitudes measuring between 3.0 and 3.9 are considered "minor," according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Try telling that to the hundreds of Northeast Ohioans who don't get to see their walls shimmy all that often.
There were reports of rumbling and shaking in Stow, Bath Township, Akron, Cuyahoga Falls and Solon. People said their dishes rattled, chairs swayed, and dogs jumped to their feet. Some even said they thought there had been an explosion nearby. Police dispatchers in Ravenna, Macedonia, Twinsburg and Northfield were overwhelmed with calls from both panicky and curious residents. The Twinsburg Police Department fielded more than 500 calls within a half-hour, according to harried dispatcher Jennifer Wagner. "We had 10 lines ringing nonstop," Wagner said. Macedonia Mayor Don Kuchta was enjoying a quiet night with a book when he heard a rumbling noise coming toward his house. "It was like a roll of thunder," Kuchta said. "Then it felt like somebody ran into our house with a car."
Mike Hansen, network coordinator for the Ohio Earthquake Information Center, says this is a typical account of a 3.6-magnitude earthquake. "It gives people a pretty good jolt," Hansen said, "but it doesn't last more than a few seconds." Earthquakes in the eastern United States tend to travel farther from the epicenter, Hansen said. This is because the waves travel through flat-lying brittle rock that carries the energy about 10 times as far as earthquakes on the West Coast.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that people as far north as Cleveland and as far south as Canton felt the trembling. No one felt more than light shaking, and no damage was reported.
The most recent earthquake of this size to hit Northeast Ohio was a 3.8-magnitude temblor that struck June 21 and was centered about 10 miles northeast of Painesville.
Like this one, it didn't cause any major damage.
The story is also on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU1G_jW7ZhA
In the news story on YouTube, they mention the January 31, 1986 earthquake, which I very vividly remember since I was in 7th grade at the middle school in geometry class and I thought the girl in front of me was shaking her leg and making my desk shake. Everybody got quiet when we felt it, but me, being oblivious as always, yelled out, “Kim, stop shaking my desk!!” Then I realized that the windows were rattling, too, and everyone was feeling it. It was a weird year, since I vividly remember being in the same class when we learned of the Challenger explosion on January 28 of the same year.
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources - Division of Geological Survey
January 1986 - Northeastern Ohio Earthquake - US Geological Survey: Historic Earthquakes
Northeast Ohio 1/31/1986, Magnitude 5.0, Intensity VI
Damage in the area close to the epicenter was minor. Merchandise fell from store shelves and buildings in the area had cracked plaster and cracked or broken windows. Interestingly, there were reports of changes in water wells - different color or taste, wells going dry, or wells increasing their flow.
I do also remember there being some concern about the Perry Nuclear Power Plant in northern Lake County, which was only 11 miles north of the epicenter. The plant was not in operation at the time the earthquake hit, but did sustain some minor cracks and water pipe leaks. In a time of concern over nuclear power, the cold war, and just a few months later, the Chernobyl disaster, I am now seeing why I had so many nightmares about nuclear annihilation growing up!
Saturday, March 10, 2007
So... what do they call the residents?
I was inspired to write this blog after receiving an amusing e-mail from my friend, ScrapGirl. Here's what the e-mail said:
A Little German Town Named . . .
A Little German Town Named . . .
Are the residents called Fuckers?
What are the mothers called?
What would you be learning at the Fucking High School?
Does the Fucking Hospital help you with anything else?
If your friend came from another town, he wouldn't be your Fucking friend.
I found this deeply amusing and decided to learn more about Fucking. The article is right, one of the biggest Fucking crimes is the theft of Fucking signs. I decided to seek out other obscenely named towns.
While none of the ones I came up with can rival Fucking, Germany, I found some amusing nonetheless...
Wank, Bavaria, Germany - this link also contains the equally amusing links to the "Wank Webcam" and "Wank-Haus"
Condom, Gers (France) (and there's actually a Bishop of Condom!!!) About.com says this: Given the more widespread social use in the English language, of the word condom, it is interesting to note that the town is located on the river Baïse; baise is a French vulgarism for a sex act. The city is a popular target for street sign stealing tourists. It is also home to a museum of famous population-controlling devices.
Big Bone Lick, Kentucky 
Located in Boone County, northern Kentucky, Big Bone Lick is a famous landmark located in Big Bone Lick State Park, which is one of the most famous paleontological sites in North America. Why, even Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson studied the bones there! Possibly even licking the big bones they found! Nearby, you will find Big Bone Creek, which empties into the Ohio River at Big Bone Landing. Lewis and Clark are said to have dubbed the region "the birthplace of American paleontology." As another legend has it, Lewis was overheard saying to his Clark, "I've got a Big Bone you can lick!"
Beaverlick, Kentucky
Since this region is rich with salt, ("lick" being short for "salt lick") there are a lot of places in Kentucky with the word "lick" in them. But come on, what if you were a graduate of Beaverlick High School? I think Lewis' wife, after overhearing his Big Bone Lick comment, said, "Well, I've got a beaver you can lick, baby!"
Dildo, Newfoundland, Canada
Named one of the ten prettiest small towns in Canada in 2001, when you visit Dildo, be sure to check out the Dildo Museum. And you won't want to miss the Historic Dildo Days celebration in August. When residents talked of changing the town's name, one person stated, "Dildo was good enough for our forefathers so Dildo is good enough for us." Amen!
Dildo Key, Florida
Can you believe there's another place with the name Dildo? Dildo Key is a small island in the Florida Bay, located in Everglades National Park. It was named for the Dildo cactus. While Dildo Key is home to Dildo Island Adventures (which sounds like my kind of thing), it is also home to the Dildo cactus, which makes me clench up in imagined agony!
Kunst-Wet, Brussels, Belguim
OK, so this is really a Metro Stop in Brussels. It's the stop where you will find the Australian Embassy, if that's some place you might need to go. Apparently, it's short for two street names, Kunstlaan and Wetstraat. When giving directions to the Australian Embassy, they like to tell people, "Take the Metro. And dont get off till Kunst-Wet."
Some more funny ones I came across:
Tit, Algeria
Sexmoan, Luzon, Philippines
Tittybong, Australia
Intercourse, Pennsylvania
Blue Ball, Pennsylvania
Thumping Dick Hollows, Tennessee
Gofuku, Japan
Long Dong Village, Guangxi, China (which is actually near Long Ji, where I went in China)
Booger Mountain, overlooking Cumming, Georgia (where the slogan is: This Christmas, don't blow it - pick a Booger Mountain tree!)
Climax, Michigan
So many funny names in the good old UK:
Bush Bank, Hereford, UK
Lickey End, West Midlands, UK ("Ever been to Lickey End?" "Have you experienced Lickey End?")
Breasty Haw, UK
Lord Hereford's Knob, UK (Wouldn't you like to see Lord Hereford's Knob? I know I would!)
Tongue of Gangsta, UK
Ring Burn Stream, UK (I think this is my new nickname for the toilet)
Wet Wang Village, UK
Booby Dingle, UK (Come on, you gotta giggle when you read that one!)
Brown Willy Hill, UK (How did Willy get brown?)
Titty Ho, UK
Balls Cross, UK
Clitheroe, UK (Many men seek it, only the determined find it - because sometimes you have to ask for directions!)
Horton Cum Studley (Oxfordshire, England)
Penistone, South Yorkshire, England
Twatt, UK (many places have this name, including Twatt Hill and Twatt Airfield - with Twatt Control Tower)
After spending over an hour reading about funny town names, I've barely scratched the surface on the good ones out there. I know, it's completely juvenile, but hey, there are worse things than sitting at the computer giggling for an hour!
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Adventures in Hair Removal
Welcome to my day. It started off innocently - I was to catch a flight for a conference in Washington DC at 4:45, and planned to leave for the airport at 3:00pm. I slept in a little, checked in with work (but didn't go to work even though I could have), did a few loads of laundry so I would have something to wear, and got my husband to come home and have lunch with me so I could see him before he left.We finished lunch and I decided at 2:00pm that I needed to start getting ready if I was really going to leave at 3:00. I hadn't finished packing or showered yet.
Here's where you need to know that I am really hairy, and I hate it. I have tried so many different hair removal options, and continue to be lured by anything new. Earlier in the day, I did my "plucking" of stray hairs on my face and around the eyebrows. I pluck almost daily, I'm a freak about it.
Lately, my arm hair has really been bothering me. A couple of times, I bleached my dark arm hair in a feeble attempt to not look like I had man arms. As I get older, I get hairier, and I am actually starting to get some dark, long hairs popping up on the back of my hands. Unacceptable!
So, at 2:00, I pulled out this "cold wax" treatment I had in the closet for a while and decided to use it on my arms. About a year ago, I trimmed the arm hair a bit, just so they weren't so manly, and it ended up growing back longer and darker, or so it seemed. And I didn't want to shave my arms, just not going there - I have enough to shave already!
Spreading the "cold wax" on my arm was torture - the directions say to make a thin layer, but it's so sticky it's almost impossible. Then you put put the paper on top, rub it down, and then yank it off. MOTHER OF GOD!!!! It hurt like HELL! I immediately started to bleed in a couple of now-empty follicles, and flashed to the scene in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" where he gets his chest waxed.
I could have, maybe should have, stopped there. But seeing all the hair on the paper was strangely satisfying. So I kept going, getting a weird thrill from the hair I was exhuming, until 40 minutes later I decided I'd better get moving or I wouldn't make my plane. Rinsing off the residue in the shower, I managed to give myself a weird blood-blister type bruise near my wrist from the hair pulling and what looks like a bunch of red needle pricks on the inside of my elbow. Oh, and now I look sunburned! But it will be all worth it to have smooth, womanly arms.
In the shower, I decided I needed to trim the nether-regions and also shave my legs. I finally emerged from the shower at 3:00pm - the time I was planning to leave for the airport. I quickly dried my hair, brushed my teeth, put on some makeup, got together my toiletries, jammed them into the suitcase, got dressed, and got the other stuff together, forcing it all to fit in the suitcase or computer bag.
I ended up pulling out of the driveway at 3:45pm! My plane ticket said board time was 4:10, and I was still a good 20 minutes from the airport, and I had to park my car in long-term parking and hike to the terminal, AND check my bag! AND get through security! And of course, my flight was in the gate farthest away!
By some miracle (and driving 75+ most of the way), I made it into the parking garage at 4:05, checked my bag at 4:10, and got into line at security. By 4:30, I was through security (which probably would have gone faster if the fashionable bitches in front of me didn't have to remove their high-heeled boots, jackets, belts, earrings, and laptops, and each of them had a purse and a laptop bag and a suitcase - it was quite a circus and I was increasingly pissed off, especially when one of them set off the alarm and giggled, "Oh, my belt! hehehe" and another one of them left her boarding pass in her purse that went through the conveyer belt. Listen bitches, some of us have SOMEPLACE TO BE!!!!)
About 20 feet from security, I did something I never thought I'd do: I hitched a ride on one of the courtesy golf carts they have for old people and invalids. Was this a lifesaver! We sped down the terminal, connected with another cart, and sped down to the gate. I was practically running, imagining that everyone would already be on the plane and they'd stare at me with ire while I sweatily boarded.When I got to the gate at about 4:40, there was no plane, and everyone was sitting in the waiting area. One of my colleagues was apparently on the same flight and she said it hadn't arrived yet. THANK GOD! I had a few minutes to go and pee and brush my hair and stop sweating and get and drink an iced tea! Another one of my colleagues arrived at about 4:50, and I thought to myself, "Well, at least I wasn't THAT late!"
I have never cut it so close for a flight before in my life. And the sad part is, I was home all day and still couldn't get my act together! The flight was uneventful, and as we flew into Washington DC,
we flew over Mt. Vernon, then the National Mall right at sunset, and it was just stunning. The sky was clear blue and the sun was that bright orange-red that burns into your eyes. The Washington Monument and Capitol are amazing to see from the sky.My hotel room is heavenly - a king bed, a big room, modern and clean with Neutrogena stuff (including facial
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wash and moisturizer!) in the bathroom. I have 2 big cushy chairs and a comfortable desk. And a huge window. From my window, I look right out to Washington DC - I can see the Washington Monument and Capitol building right from here, it's quite beautiful.I ordered pizza from a delivery service for dinner, and watched some TV, and now I'm going to go to bed, my smooth arms and legs against the soft sheets, and sleep in the glow of our nation's capitol.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Girls Night
Before red tentsPandora’s box
Persephone
Eden
We gathered
when our songs
were heard loudly
We gathered
to touch the soft roundness
of each one
We gathered
dancing of worth
sculpting our souls
praising our passion
We gathered
in safety
in warmth
with open minds
hearts
bodies
freely expressing
our humanity
and all that
flows female
We gathered
sharing of loss
of forbidden fruit
of expectations not reached
We gathered
as more than women
mothers
friends
wives
daughters
yet all in us
We gathered
as sisters
sewn together
through the
palms of our hearts.
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