cat kabob

I have been diligent in keeping my leather jacket safe from the cats.
Isabell likes to claw the back of my office chair.
Two nights ago I came home, draped my jacket on my chair, and not feeling well, went to bed early.

You guessed it, the next morning I discovered Izy had sharpened her claws on my jacket.

Man was I angry. I don't get that way often, and it didn't help that I was not feeling well.

I can't wear to work now.

She's Z's cat, I think I will have Z resolve it.

I will not buy any new furniture nor take my harp out of its case because it only takes a moment and it's ruined...

I am not sure what to do...

Both Z and the Dr. do not want to declaw them.

My thought on it is, we have made sacrifices to give them a place to live.
They can give something, their claws, in return.

They have been an item of contention with the two clawed cats. Blood on the closet shelves.

I was concerned with Milo when we got him. He uses, for the most part, the scratchy boxes. But there has been damage done to the new carpet, cabinets, and various kitty noses.

Izy prefers furniture...

Something must be done...

social butterfly

back in my single days (I was sooo tempted to spell that "daze"), I participated in a church singles program.

I enjoyed most of it. There were the political bits and the fact that I traveled further than anyone else to get there meant few if anyone wanted to visit me at home.

Volunteering was a great way to get involved, when you live further away than anyone else, and so I signed up for just about everything.

I was a social butterfly.
Something I was NOT in college or school.

Zelda has left all her friends in Omaha and has struggled to find people she wants to hang out with here in the land of plenty.

Friday night we met a former coworker of mine from the last office for a trip to the Dallas Museum of Art. (One of those things I enjoyed doing in my single days. "Open late every Thursday night with live music".)
Dizzy is a "landscraper" as they are fondly called in the Architectural circles, she specialized in school on Eco Tourism and is an intern landscape architect with a large firm.

She has a good head on her shoulders.
Down to earth.
Grew up in a small town in Wisconsin.

Doesn't buy into for one minute, the Dallas Metroplex image.

Invited to a "Southern Living Party" by her sister-in-law, she marched to a different drummer and brought her red canvas college purse. As she placed her purse with all the others on the counter, she had to stop and take a picture of them all.
Of the 11 bags, hers was the only one that didn't cost at least $300.00.

Zelda and she are going to get together and do some painting and other creative stuff.
***
Saturday we met a former coworker of Zelda's for more creative adventures.
Z and L have been planing an art paper run for two years now.
L and her girlfriend knew of a paper store, Art Papers, in the State Fair part of town.
We happened across the owner of the same store at the Fort Worth Japanese Garden festival where she was making paper and block prints.

It was nice.
L was obviously not from around these parts, as she spoke at least 2 to 3 times faster than this Texas boy could listen.

And afterwards we stopped by a favorite eater of ours, Great American Heros on Lemon.

We are now the proud owners of some really nice hand made papers from around the world.

Who knew you could make a living selling art paper!?

Trial Date

Just stopped by the accuser's Myspace site today.

He's 'in love'.

About a year ago he accused my brother of sexual assault.
My brother is digging his way out of a very deep hole created by an asshole.

The Jury Trail date has been set for next month.

What mrasshole doesn't know is the defense has print outs of his Myspace page and all his problems with drugs, alcohol, and rough sex.

I'd love to be there to watch this guy squirm...

Sadly, I don't think "justice" will see the day. mrasshole should spend a month where he put my brother.

He only thinks he likes rough sex...

Familar

As I was straightening up the other day, I came upon a doodle of Zelda's of a paint scheme for a dresser.

It had swirls and swoops and pinwheels.
Bright colors.

It was so un-me, and so the Her I knew before we married.
The mysterious, "Other" of my mind.

I met her, and gradually got to know her by written word on screen.

Creative and inquisitive.

Red cloth pendant lamps with beads.

Love of Crane coffee.

Kamikaze Grrrrl trips.

Poetic blog entries now lost to time and memory.

The Her before Me.

I miss that mysterious Her.

The Woman of words....

Jury Duty

I might have jury duty for the very first time tomorrow.
I have either been in school, over seas, or moved county when I have received summons in the last 20 years.

It is for stand-by, so hopefully, they will have selected the jurors by the 11:00 call time.

If I didn't think the whole thing was a farce, I'd be happy to go.
But when the attorneys hand pick the jury so it will play out a particular way, that's crap.

First 12 through the door, you will be on jury number one, please report to room #.
Next 12, room ##.

Summon only the number you need for the day's docket and save EVERYONE a bunch of time and money...

Dinner Date

Last night we hosted a dinner for Pinwheel brother and his new wife.
He, like most I-live-north-of-635-and-never-venture-south-of-it, was reluctant to visit us. It's not that far, but it's also not "Plano".

It gave us a deadline to clean up the place.

More pictures are on the walls.

We also met Zoe, the new dog-niece.

Dinner was on the back patio.
Company was good.

We gave them the tour of our new place.

It was nice.

May we repeat this many, many more times in the future.

Scared to Death

An article in the Dallas Morning News from yesterday, "Return of the Imperial Presidency" by Micheal Lindenburger, November 4, 2007 spoke of the increasing powers Bush and Cheney have given themselves (Presidential Power) in secret since they first came to office.

One of those being the ability to wire tap our phones "for the sake of National Security".

Or to hold someone in prison with out due process, indefinitely, because, "I'm the President, and we are at war".

"Terrorists" being the operative word.

The Constitution hands the power to, " To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;

To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years;

To provide and maintain a navy;

To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;

To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions;",

specifically to the Legislative Branch.

One of those powers Cheney has given Bush (and all future Presidents) is the ability to bypass the Congress and Declare War single handed.

The Argument being, that since the President is Commander in Chief, he should also be able to direct forces into war, WITHOUT approval from the Congress, the ELECTED representatives of the VOTERS.

How? By sending bombers to attack, in this case, Iran.

Yes, there are terrorists out there.
Some live in the middle east.
Some live in Asia.
Others are home grown from Kansas, (Tim McVeigh).

But the one I'm most frightened of is the one from Texas,
the one living in the White House.

One Person

I had a friend back in college who did not believe One Person could Change the World.

Gaundi came to mind, but it didn't convince him.

Sad.

Another example would be w bush.

Single handed, single minded, he has blacked the eye of America, and the world.

Man I will be so glad when he is out of office. (He should be impeached and sent to work in Iraq)

Sort of.

He and Dick want to move to Highland Park, Texas, an affluent suburb surrounded by Dallas.
There will parts of HP that will devalue by millions.
There goes the neighborhood.

Can't they go back to Kennybunk port?

Nov 6

I have been TV free for six days now.

I have found that instead of gorging myself for hours on "what ever is on", I am able to walk thru a room with a TV, ie. the office, or sit with Z and read while the boob tube blares on and ignore it.

Music is again a part of my life.
Stopped by the Apple store on the way home and picked up a new connection cable, up loaded the latest iTunes, and I'm good.

Means that if Z wants to watch TV, we don't spend as much time together. But I'm not sure how much interaction happens when both of us are plugged into CSI.

Though she does comment that my talking back to the TV ads won't do any good.
"Hi! I'm a TV ad! Let me whisper CRAP into your Ear long enough and often enough that you'll forget that I'm telling you nothing but CRAP. And I want you to open your wallet!"

"Bunny dear, they can't hear you..."

Miss you Z.

You know where I am.

Up stairs reading a book, listening to music, catching up on bills.

clk!

youthfulness

This new company is growing on me.
I realize it has the politics that all businesses that have more than one person have.

So far I haven't run across any of the negativity.

In fact, it has caused me to re investigate design theory and open books I haven't looked through in over 10 years.

That and they have Revit, an architectural drafting program that takes care of all the mundane, nuts an bolts work that is le raison d'ete for what I do. One person can do more work, make changes faster, and have more time to think about Design.
With the computerization of the construction design industry and the advent of E-mail, and the time value of money, less and less time has been allowed for the actual design stage of projects.
This is a reflection on the owners of said companies I have worked.

Coach is a good example of the "got to have it NOW" business model.
A little time management would work wonders for the moral of his staff.

That and getting better clients.
By that I mean, "not Cheap". Clients who are hiring Professional Services and expect to pay for them.

One of my former coworkers is stopping by tomorrow to take a look at my new digs.
He might like the place.
He might decide to try someplace "better".
He might even like Architecture again.

I do...

A table

Z and I were going to meet with a former coworker of mine for coffee and to let the two women meet each other.

Due to a cold, this will have to wait.

It was in the part of town where Z and I had our first date so we revisited one of those spots.

We have a new home.
An empty new home.
And a bank account to match.

Up stairs, in the far back corner, was the folding kitchen table Z and looked at two years ago.

But they have changed out the wood.

Z keeps telling me, "the oak table is never coming back, give it up."

And I know this.

but I can still dream can't I?

That and I'll write the powers that be and hey, they customize the sofas and chairs, they have the old patterns and made the old table... maybe... just maybe... if I throw some money at it, and enough letters, maybe I can get them to make a table I really want...the oak folding table I 'fell in love' with at first sight.

words on paper in a drawer

Someone somewhere had an idea.
And that someone somewhere decided they liked that idea.
So they wrote that thought down on a piece of paper.
Looked at it, liked what they saw, and put it in a drawer somewhere.

And those words,
that idea,
written down on a piece of paper,
in some place in a drawer,
can be used by someone to take your freedom away.

Words in a drawer...

Your life...

Some how,
they just don't quite
equate
to me...

Oklahoma

A fine group of folks in the state of Oklahoma got together and decided to make a rule that they could charge you with a Felony and put you in Jail if you in some way helped a person who is in the United States illegally.

What!?!

If I travel to England and over stay my visa, and you let me stay at your place, or you took me to someone who let me live with them, then YOU, under this law, could have your FREEDOM taken away.
For HELPING me.

And they could do it, because they don't care that I'm educated, that I have a family, that I am trying to make a living, that I have something to contribute. They can do it because they give me a label, take my humanity from me, and call me Unwanted. Illegal...
And we sat by let them get away with it...

Isn't that why we are here on this planet in the first place?
To help one another?

And I wonder why I don't love Z when we are in Oklahoma...

(and by the way, we'll take the native people's land, give them a barren piece of dirt no one else wants, and later take that away when we find some reason to want it. And we'll call it....
ah yes, we'll call it "Oklahoma")

TV fast

I have decided to cut out Television for the month of November.

So far, so good.
TV fasts used to be a regular part of my single life routine.

"Remember the Sabbath to keep it Holy".
I believe I have written about that before.

The idea being - cut out all regular activities, things that distract, and make that day SPECIAL.
No TV, no (gasp!!) shopping. (it can be done).

Should you try it, and I recommend it highly, the Sabbath will become for you, the Center of the week, and not just the bookend for the week.

Zelda is not subject to this personal purge and is down stairs enjoying Gram Norton.

I'm glad not to have the advertisers yelling at me about how I should drop everything and go out RIGHT NOW to buy what ever they are hawking.
Or someone I have never met, and most like never meet, trying to tell me my life is "less than" for not being like them.

Peace of mind.

It has given me time to catch up on book keeping.
I played with the cats for about an hour this morning.
Read the paper while listening to a CD (again no adds).

I might explore the whole Sabbath idea again for a weekly thing.

Certainly saves money.
Give a sense of empowerment.

I am more than just a "Consumer".

What about you?