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the capacious hold-all
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abbie the cat
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starting from scratch
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Zabet Groznaya
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It is the Day of Many Posts
I am dying for some pad thai and an egroll right now. *drool*
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 12:18 PM 0 comment(s)
Must...not...maim...co-worker.... Must...have...restraint....
 | There is a guy I work with who is just so obnoxious. He's the pushy, condescending, and holier-than-thou type. I can't stand him. It's so bad that I've taken to making faces at his back every time I pass his cubicle, just so that I have some form of release. I drew this picture of him yesterday after he finished his daily "belittle Elizabeth" workout. |
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 11:36 AM 0 comment(s)
I almost can't believe it. Almost.
I will have been working here at the University for two years in February. It took them 15 months to get me my own phone, and someone in my office had to quit for it to happen. This, from a university who wants so very, very badly to be a "top 20 research institute" - and they can't even get their employees phones?
Today I finally got business cards, after 20 months of faithful employment, and I don't know whether I should laugh or cry about it. Why, you ask?
1. They're cheap. The cards that were being printed when I first got here were on nice, thick paper with raised ink. Then the economy crashed and the entire University Publishing department is being laid off, and now our cards are flimsy with an ugly, right-justified, block design and an almost photocopied-looking University logo.
2. They're wrong. I'm ignoring the fact that about a third of them are cut to a different size than the others. I'm ignoring the fact that my ugly, right-justified block of information is slightly skewed. What I can't ignore is that even though the proofs I was shown had the correct information, the cards I actually received do not have my correct email address.
Twenty months. Twenty months I've been waiting for these cards, this little stamp of legitimacy, so that I can take part in the ritual exchange that happens at every new client meeting.
And somehow, I am not surprised.
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 9:44 AM 0 comment(s)
Pilsbury be dammed.
I hate the "From my heart to yours" ad campaign. In my family, time spent in the kitchen cooking = love. Really cooking, not any of that freezer-to-oven crap. This was never spoken, it was simply understood.
(Disclaimer: I do, however, love frozen food. Ain't nothing wrong with thump croissants for Thanksgiving. A Jell-O no-bake cheesecake can be divine. These are the things I learned at college.)
When I cook for people, for family or friends, it's the only honest way I can express how much I love them. The more trouble I go through, the more of a hassle it is, the more complicated the dish, the more frustrated I am because the eggs aren't stiff enough, the more I mean it. I think I learned this from my mother, who, I don't think, really meant it to be this way. It was more of a kind of martyrdom for her ("I was up all night stuffing mushrooms!"), a way to gain attention and, if she was lucky, a little respect.
I know I've gotten some respect for my cooking skills, and in my circle of friends I am easily in the top two of best cooks. (Ah, the poor Hamburger Helper Generation.) I just don't see it as a competition the way my mother did, but then I'm not up against an entire battalion of officer's wives with nothing better to do than plan parties. I cook the way I do because I believe it's the way you cook when you have somebody to love. I can't see doing it any other way.
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 2:43 PM 0 comment(s)
Live the MagicTM
My friend the Rabid Librarian works at a children's hospital. For Halloween weekend, they are doing a big Harry Potter theme party, complete with a Sorting Hat and potions lessons (ok, so it's make-your-own herbal tea, but cool nonetheless). Hubby and I were enlisted this weekend to help finish painting the backdrops of three of Hogwarts' houses: Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slythrin. We each took a house and set to it. Nine hours and several pints of paint later, we had finished. It was exhausting, but fun. I had Ravenclaw, and I got to paint a stack of books and label them in Irish and with Runes (I couldn't resist, that one was There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Holiday), as well as throw in some classics, like Hogwarts: A History and Quiddich Through The Ages. Hubby had Slythrin and painted a big caldron of simmering goo and glued in some googly eyeballs. The Rabid One took Hufflepuff (she had already finished Gryffindor) and painted a damn nice badger. (Who knew badgers were her specialty?)
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 10:08 AM 0 comment(s)
Oops.
Ok, it seems the Islamic Center school was hit by lightning in our big storm on Wednesday night, and that was the cause of the fire. My apologies to any racists, religious wackos, or any other assholes I may have offended. But we know you're out there, so don't get any ideas.
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 2:03 PM 0 comment(s)
Point-Counter-Point
I must admit, as much as I am not entirely sure that we should be bombing Taliban locations in Afghanistan, I am very, very pleased to hear that the U.S. military has finally let female soldiers into combat positions. Since the 50's, women have been tested and proven themselves better candidates for jet pilots and astronauts, and it's about damn time we let the ones with the skilz do the job. (Not that all male pilots and astronauts automatically suck, it's just that too many women had been turned away when they were perfectly qualified or even more qualified than some of the male candidates.)
And besides, how great is it to think that the Taliban is having it's ass kicked by some girls? I think this is what is known as karma!
On the down side, I was appalled to hear that the Islamic Center of Central Kentucky (housed in Lexington, next to the University) had a rock thrown through a window shortly after the September 11 attacks. Then today I heard that an elementary school they were nearly finished building had been burned down, and I cannot describe the depth of my anger and disgust. I hate living in Kentucky, and this is one of the reasons why.
I know it's not been perfect anywhere else in America. But Lexington is supposed to be the wealthiest, most cultured, and most diverse city in Kentucky, and this is the best we can do? It's pathetic. It's ridiculous, really - a Japanese student was being harassed right outside the library by some edjits who thought he was Arab! They were nice enough to not bash his skull in once he explained that he was Japanese and Christian, not an Middle Eastern Muslim. This is something I expect to see on Saturday Night Live, not on my campus.
If I were (the Christian) God, I would have turned my back on we humans long ago. "I gave you free will," I'd say, "and common sense. What the hell is your problem?"
I want to believe people (as in, humankind) are good, are sensible, underneath it all, once you get past the surface fear. But they aren't. Underneath it all, people are selfish, short-sighted, vicious, and narcissistic. Maybe it's time for another war, or a good plague. Something to thin the herd. Something to knock us down a peg, put us in our place.
If you faced your God/dess tonight, would s/he as you what the hell your problem is? Think about it. And change. A wasted life is a shame; change, change, change.
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 1:08 PM 0 comment(s)
I got fan mail!
Today I entered a previously unknown realm of cool. I know, like I could be cooler! Heh. I opened up my e-mail and found, to my delight, a random message from a guy who thinks my site is cool. It went like this:
Dear Stimpy,Ooops, that's not it. That's Stimpy's fan mail. Here's mine:
You are the greatest. You make me laugh. You a lot funnier than that other guy. What's he supposed to be anyway? A mosquito?
Your pal,
Jimmy
i like your site its got a cool format! :) justThanks, RiSE! I do it all for the fans, you know. ;-D
thought id let yah know
RiSE
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 9:01 AM 0 comment(s)
Creepy
Last night, or, more accurately, early this morning, I had a dream that was pretty odd, even for me.
Hubby's aunt was pregnant (and actually, she was about a year ago), and so was I, and so was a third girl who was either my friend the Rabid Librarian, or my hubby's sister. We were all in labor, in one room of a hospital. It only had one bed and the Rabid-Sister-In-Law had it. She was in labor the way you think of women being in labor: blood, sweat, and tears kind of labor. She had a nurse attending her, but no doctor. There was no one for hubby's aunt and I. We were squatting on the floor, since really there was nothing else we could do - when it's time, it's time. She said, "I'm an old pro at this," and set to pushing, balancing herself by holding onto the edge of a cabinet. I figured there was nothing else to do but push, so I started, and was amazed that the pain was no worse than my average menstrual cramps. In a minute the baby was born, a girl, and I wrapped her up in a blanket. There was no blood, no umbilical cord to cut. She was very small, couldn't have weighed more than 5 pounds and looked like the cutest little Fraggle you ever saw. Her skin was absolutely white, and her eyes were large and ocean-blue. She had wispy marabou-feather hair on her head that was either white or light blue. I looked over at hubby's aunt, who was also wrapping her newborn in a blanket. I blinked at her inquisitively and she shook her head slightly and said, "Stillborn." "I'm so sorry, " I said, and stood up, looking for a doctor to look at my baby and tell me she was OK. I went out into the hall, and I think I found a nurse and handed her my baby and went in search of a restroom. Then the dream dissolved and I woke up.
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This dream is creepy for several reasons:
1. The thought of being pregnant makes me physically ill. It was a disgusting experience that I don't intend to repeat.
2. The albino-Fraggle look, after I woke up, seems less and less cute and more and more "Village of the Damned."
3. When I went to the bathroom this morning, I discovered I had started my period.
Happy Halloween, y'all.
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 10:30 AM 0 comment(s)
My dad gathered up some email addresses from his side of the family and sent them to me. My Grandma Amy doesn't have one, but my Aunt Rita (the "good" sister) does, as do several of her offspring - all people I've never met.
It took me two days to be comfortable enough to even put her email address in my address book. It's been three days since then, and I thought it might be time to write her. I opened up a new message, chose "Aunt Rita" as the recipient, and typed in the subject line: Hi Aunt Rita.
And then I lost my nerve and wrote this instead.
What do I tell her? How do I know she even cares? I don't even know what she looks like. What if I send her to my tell-all web site and she decides she doesn't like me after all? What then, when all the Jimenez family thinks I'm pathetic?
I realize I'm panicking. I realize it's not rational. But these are people that all my life I thought hated me because I was my mother's daughter. And what if after they look at me as my father's daughter, they still don't like me? I don't know if I could take that right now.
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 2:55 PM 0 comment(s)
I AM 24% PUNK. Well, I may know what punk is, but... Okay maybe some people think I am punk, but is that enough? Nope. | I AM 35% GEEK. I probably work in computers, or a history deptartment at a college. I never really fit in with the "normal" crowd. But I have friends, and this is a good thing. | I AM 52% GOTH. Oh My Goth! You Goth, Girl. There is a good chance I am bi. Freakiness pumps through my viens, but I can still laughat myself. |
Blame George for 'making' me take the tests. 8D
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 8:45 AM 0 comment(s)
No wonder I'm so crabby today.
My computer seems to think it's Thursday, February 7, 2036. I'm 60 years old! It's my Gods-given right to be crabby!
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 2:56 PM 0 comment(s)
Love hurts, ooo ooo ooo, love huuuuurts.
My friend the Rabid Librarian came over yesterday afternoon and she, hubby, and I hung out and blathered for a few hours. It was fun. After she left, hubby and I realized we needed to go feed his sister's fish (she's at the beach... the only thing that keeps me from being terribly jealous is that she's at the beach with my in-laws and grand-in-laws). While hubby was hunting down his shoes, I was singing a catchy little tune because... well... because that's what I do. I sing. Constantly. Usually to the cats. Always in the car. But that's not the point.
Hubby looked up at me and smiled. "Ani Difranco?" he asked. I shook my head finished the verse I was on. "Laura Love?" Nope, nope, I tell him. "Well then who?" he asked, puzzled. "Me," I said. "I wrote that." Aaaaaaah. "I really thought it was Ani from the way you were dancing around."
I was dancing around?
"You know, doing your happy dance, where you put your arms like this." (He held his arms how humans do when they imitate a dog begging) "And wiggle your butt like this." (He wiggled his butt.)
I don't do that, do I? My brain was racing, trying to come up with a muscle memory of looking like a git. I couldn't. But hubby kept on goin'.
"It's really cute, it's a very honest moment for you. You always do it when you sing something you really like." (Dig a little deeper, honey!) At this point, I was horribly embarrassed and giggling that horribly embarrassed giggle, the one when you know what you've done is truly funny, no matter how embarrassed you are about it. I was gasping and choking on my humiliated giggles and snorts when hubby said:
"Yeah, it's so cute. I call it your T-Rex Dance."
Oh. My. God.
I really lost it then, because it was just so damn funny and yet it struck me in that place in my brain that all along has been saying, "Of course everyone stares at you, you're a freak." I started really laughing (because it was funny) and crying (because it poked it's finger into the bullet wound of one of my core neuroses) at the same time, sobbing and hiccuping and wheezing and getting all snotty. Hubby's face immediately crumbled - he hadn't meant to hurt my feelings. It's sort of like when I call him "Mr. Elbows" when he drives.
I think it took about 15 minutes of him rocking me and cooing before I finally got a grip on myself, and I was just emotionally wrung out the rest of the evening. It probably took me another 15 minutes to reassure hubby that he's not a bad husband for having made me cry.
And then we watched Book of Shadows - Blair Witch 2. Other than the ranting Wiccan (she had her place in the story, it was just the ranting that got annoying), it was actually 100 times better than I had expected it to be.
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 9:39 AM 0 comment(s)
A priest, a rabbi, and an atheist walk into a doctor's office...
A Funny Story from my Doctor's Visit; the Punchline of Which I had Forgotten until this Morning.
There I was, naked and goosebumpy. Ok, maybe not naked, but damn close, since those little hospital gowns don't cover much on a big woman. The Wisecracking Doctor had just told me about my hard-to-pronounce foot condition and was preparing to listen to my breathing with her stethoscope.
Me: "Plantar fash-ee-eye-tis, eh?"Ok, so maybe you had to be there. It was awfully funny at the time.
La Doctora: "That's right. Where's my stethoscope?"
Me: "Around you neck."
I paused a second, musing.
Me: "Plantar fash-ee-eye-tis. I've never even heard of it. Heh. I've got a hypochondriac friend who will be so jealous, she's probably never even heard of it either."
This was too much for the Wisecracking Doctor, who disolved into giggles with me.
La Doctora: "Ok, ok! Enough! Let me listen to your breathing. Take a deep breath."
Me: (gasping) I can't! I'm still laughing!
La Doctora: (still chortling) Me too!
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 9:03 AM 0 comment(s)
Health
In the past week I've been to my cardiologist and my regular physician, so I've got some new things to think about. First of all, my left foot (which has been a sore point, literally and figuratively, around the house lately) suffers from planter fasciitis (fash-ee-eye-tis), which I got right after my heart surgery and was all gung-ho about exercising, but didn't wear my cross-trainers. Bad Elizabeth, bad, bad Elizabeth!
Anyway, if you've never heard of it (I sure hadn't), it's not life-threatening, but it's not fun either. Ever peel the skin of a raw (or fried) chicken breast and seen that thin layer of white membrane? That's a fascia. It's like a tendon wanna-be; it helps with movement and support, and attaches into a bone. The planter fascia (planter for foot, like a planter wart) attaches into your heel bone. When it gets aggravated (in my case because of sudden increase in activity), it swells something awful and gets tight, causing pain not only in the part of the fascia that's irritated, but where in attaches into your heel bone and throughout the whole foot as well, making it stiff and sore.
So I have 18 different stretches to do it, and I've got to find some new shoes. *sniff* I love my Birkentocks, I can't imagine wearing shoes you can't just fling off in a second. I hate it when it snows so much in winter that I have to wear my combat boots, since they take too long time for me to get off in class and at work. I can't help it, I love going barefoot.
Anyway, other than my poor abused foot, I'm not doing badly. I gained back the miraculous 12 lbs. I had lost because I stopped exercising, thinking that the problem in my foot was a stress fracture and I just needed some time off of it. (This was seconded by my cardiologist. This is why he's a cardiologist and not a podiatrist.) My blood pressure is a little high after being taken off of one of my drugs, so we are playing with dosages again, but 150/75 is so much better than the 210/175 I used to live with.
I love my doctors. My cardiologist is actually a pediatrician (search the archives if you want to know why), and he's got a great bedside manor. He's funny and soothing at the same time. My regular doctor is a whip-smart, wisecracking woman, and even though she doesn't see me very often, she remembers who I am. They are great. I'm so glad I have them.
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 4:11 PM 0 comment(s)
Well, actually,
| If I could be any person alive, I think I'd want to be Kathy Najimy. I always thought she was a cool actress and so beautiful, but then last night I happened to see "Intimate Portrait: Kathy Najimy" on Lifetime. (Quick rant: Lifetime is the most pathetic excuse for television I think I've ever seen - how stupid to they really think women are?? If Kathy Najimy hadn't been the subject, I doubt I'd have hovered more than a half a second on the channel.) I had no idea she was so active, so bold, so generally sparkly-wonderful. You don't hear me say things like this much, but I think she's an inspiration. I said to my hubby, "I want to be like her!" and he said, "Um, hon, I think you already pretty much are." That made my day. |  |
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 10:34 AM 0 comment(s)
Bored? Visit Brunching Shuttlecocks.
Acording to them, my cyborg name ('Z.A.B.E.T.') means: Zombie Assembled for Battle and Efficient Troubleshooting.
Oh yeah, baby.
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 1:50 PM 0 comment(s)
I found my glasses!
Ok, actually, El Hubbio found my glasses, bless him, bless him. They were in the computer room, in a big RubberMaid container that we had been using to move stuff between houses. Apparently I picked my glasses up, went into the computer room to see what he was ordering on our pizza (Papa John's lets you order online), put them down, and they fell into the container where they remained hidden for a week.
Other good news: BlogBack works fine. If you click on "What sayest thou?" you will get a leetle pop-up window that will show all the comments for that particular post, and at the bottom it will give you a place to add your comment. Leaving an email address and/or a URL is completely optional.
On the not-so-great front: Macromedia gave out vouchers for people to take its beta version of the Dreamweaver Certification test in advance. I was one such lucky person, so pretty much I got a free chance to get a piece of paper saying I know how to use Dreamweaver in return for providing feedback on the test that they gave me. (Certification tests usually cost about $150, so it was a deal.) Oh. My. God. It was horrible. Since I'm a self-taught Dreamweaver user, I didn't think it was important to know the names of all the little tool boxes that pop up; I know where to go and what each thing will do without knowing that a particular panel is called the 'Properties Inspector.' I thought the test would be like sitting down and working in the application, but it was entirely text, multiple choice. I had no idea what the hell they were talking about half the time. I'm pretty certain I won't be certified. Never mind that I use Dreamweaver every day and have created dozens of sites with it, to include zabasity.org. (Which seems to often have connection problems, by the way. Blame my friend Jody, he's my host. Personally I can't complain 'cause it's free, and when it is up it's damn fast.)
On the boss front: Apparently some of my co-workers have expressed concern that they can't find me and I don't seem to have a 'regular' schedule. Translation: My co-workers show up and hour late for work, take an hour for lunch, and leave at 5. I show up on time, work through the traditional lunch hour, and take my lunch at 4, so I get to leave an hour early. Between 4 and 5 they can't find me, and assume I'm just skipping out, when actually they are the ones who are working 7 hours a day instead of 8. So pretty much I got a slap on the wrist and was told to email everyone my schedule. Agh. Whatever.
Ok, rant over. Otherwise, it's been a good week.
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 9:52 AM 0 comment(s)
loverly comments
I'm experimenting with BlogBack, a comment system for my blog. If you click on "What sayest thou?" you should (in theory) be able to send me a comment. But I have no idea 1) what it will look like, 2) where it will go (I think onto my blog, or maybe to a comment page?) or 3) what it will look like. So please, feel free to send comments so we can test the thang.
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 1:17 PM 0 comment(s)
bleh
I was in a pretty good and happy mood this morning: I slept well (though another 2 hours would have been killer), and was fairly productive this weekend while still having time to watch silly kids' Halloween movies (one in Spanish!). I saw Steph (the harbinger of bliss I previously mentioned) on Friday afternoon and we ate Thai and swapped music. All in all, a vurry nice-ah weekend.
Then I get into work and check my email. From the bossman: "See me Monday about your absences." WTF? Ok, I have actually been out a lot the past two weeks - I took a half day off Friday before last to drive to VA with hubby. I missed Monday morning because I was tearing the house apart looking for my glasses. On Thursday I had an appointment with my cardiologist (as late in the afternoon as I could get it), and then I had Steph on Friday. But I have the hours to cover it all, and the stuff I knew of in advance I filed my little vacation papers for, and when I took sick leave (for glasses) I called in to let them know, and then filed my little paperwork for it. No where in the Employee Handbook does it say that you can't take your vacation in bits and pieces.
So every 20 minutes I've headed over to the boss' office to "talk," but he's not there. Now how fair is that, leaving me sitting here with a knot in my stomach indefinitely? Evil, evil, evil.
I'm really hoping that next season we get hired for Antarctica. I'd love to quit this job and go back to school.
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 9:14 AM 0 comment(s)
I've been in a graphic mood lately, eh?
Here's a graphic I made in response to the general feeling of ill-will towards Muslim-Americans that is sweeping the country. I have to give President Baboo.. er, ok, President Bush, credit for this if nothing else: He has been really good at emphazising how this is not a time to turn against one another based on religion or ethnic background, and that Islam really is quite a wonderful religion; it's only the zelots that have 'hijacked' it to suit their purposes. So anyway, if you like this graphc, you can get it on a t-shirt at the new Zabatious Online Store (powered by Cafepress.com). I'm selling them at cost, so I'm not making any money here. (Cafepress is, but I can't fault them, it's their business to make money selling shirts. It's my business to make pretty graphics and give them away as I see fit.)
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 11:28 AM 0 comment(s)
Ever want to be a superhero?
I have to admit, if I could be any person living or dead, fictional or real, I'd want to be
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 11:07 AM 0 comment(s)
Ooh, I almost forgot to make an announcement!
I finally finished zabasity.org and it is available for your viewing pleasure.
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 3:32 PM 0 comment(s)
Odds 'n Ends
Well, I still haven't found my glasses, which is a real pain in the arse, as you can imagine. I can't imagine where they've gone - I took them off and put them next to the bathroom sink to go take a shower, and I haven't seen them since. It's like they evaporated. I'm not blind without them, I can still drive and all, but I've had the worst headache the past few days. Of course, staring at a computer screen doesn't help. Right now I'm typing this in Arial Black, 18 point, at 125% zoom, so that I don't have to try to focus on it too much. Thank Gods for copy and paste.
On the up side, after two mostly dismal quizzes, I sent out some pointers over the class' listserv, and it really made a lot of difference - only one person got below 7/10, and she admitted to not having read the material. So we went from half the class failing to only one person - that makes me feel good. I knew they could do it. I was so proud of my students I went out and bought some of those stupid stickers like you used to get in 2nd grade ("Good work!" "Great Job!" "First Rate!") and put them on their papers.
Those stickers, in case you don't know, are freaking expensive, too. (Really freaking expensive if you get the scratch 'n sniff kind!) If you got stickers from your teachers when you were in school, or if you have kids who get stickers from their teachers, you have got teachers who care. All that money comes out of pocket, too - it's not like the school board sets aside a sticker budget.
So I thought I'd be nice and share my stickers with two of my co-workers who are teaching this semester. It went like this:
Me: Hey, do you guys want some stickers?My hand to God, that's how it happened.
Co-worker #1: (scathingly) What for?
Me: To put on your students' papers when they do a good job.
Co-worker #1: (snorts derisively) None of my students would ever make a high enough grade to get one.
Co-worker #2: I hate my students. (pauses) No, I hate all students.
Me: Well, okay then... (shrinks back into her cubicle)
I have to wonder if I'll feel like that when I have my own class. Well, I'll find out this summer. Yes, that's right - I've actually managed to get a class this summer! I'll be teaching JOU 330 (Web Publishing and Design), which is the same class I'm T.A.ing for right now. Cool, eh? The only part I'm not looking forward to is the fact that I'll only have 8 weeks to teach it, instead of the usual 16 week semester. Those kids are going to have to work their butts off. I'll make sure they do.
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 8:59 AM 0 comment(s)
Happy Anniversary!
Well, well. Hubby and I have survived 365 days of wedded bliss, go us! So thus far we have broken my previous record of longest relationship (2.5 years-ish) and longest marriage (10 months, 21 days). That's kinda cool, don't you think?
Ok, ok, you really want to know what we did this weekend, I know. We... managed to lose my glasses. But that was last night, after we got home. We... had to drive really far to get there. We... went white water rafting on the Russell Fork River! The Russell Fork is near Breaks Interstate Park, which is on the KY-VA border. It's a beautiful park, and we stayed in the lodge which was really nice. We went rafting through Shelltowee Trace Outfitters, who are based in Cumberland Falls (Corbin, KY) but do the Russell Fork in the fall.
About the river we were on: The Russell Fork is a dam-fed (or reservoir-fed) river, and water is only released for a few weeks in the fall, which is when it's runable. It's has Class I - Class V rapids, so it's great for all experience levels. (Rapids are classified from I to VI. Class VI is considered too dangerous to attempt, or unrunable.)
We had the most terrific time on the river. Our guide, T.J., gave us great directions and our boat worked really well together as a team. I think we must have had the best teamwork out of all the rafts that went that day, because the rapids were easy. Ok, yes, we paddled our brains out when we were told to, and Hubby even fell out, but nothing seemed like we couldn't handle it, like "Oh Gods, what have I gotten myself into?!?!"
I almost fell out at one point, and it was like everything went into slow motion. I was falling backwards over the side. I looked at Trina (the woman sitting across from me), our eyes met, and we both clicked and knew I was going over. She started to reach for me and I turned around to look at the water. My brain just yelled, "NO!" so I started paddling against the water with all my might, trying to push against the water to regain my balance. I guess it worked, because Trina never got a hold on me but I stayed in the raft when I should have been dunked.
When Hubby went over it was also in slow motion. His feet were hooked under the 'seat' in front of him, and he started to lean backwards into the water. But then he seemed to catch himself, using his wedged toes and a leverage point, and looked ok. Suddenly, his toes popped out of the toe strap on his sandals and he lost his balance again. When we pulled him back in, the only thing keeping his shoes on were his ankle straps.
I think we're both officially addicted to white water rafting now. Thank Gods I know where I can get a plus-size wetsuit. (Renting was a less than enjoyable experience.) We're going to book a trip for next year as soon as we possibly can!
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 2:11 PM 0 comment(s)
Oy gevalt.
I feel so very guilty whenever I hand back graded quizes. I'm losing my touch.
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 8:00 PM 0 comment(s)
October!
I love October! It is by far my favorite month of the year. It's cool and crisp but not cold, and the smell of woodsmoke floats through the air. Ravens are out en masse. (If it's one for sorrow, two for gold, three for a girl and four for a boy, five's for silver, six for gold, and seven's for a secret never told, what do 23, 36, and 84 ravens mean?) There's Halloween and Samhain, which usually means lots of good eats and staying up all night with friends.
I was really worried about getting married in the fall - I didn't want to start my marriage when everything's dying, but I'm so glad I did. October could hardly be any more wonderful, but now I have an entire week of anniversary celebrations to top it off. (Oct 2 - civil ceremony; Oct 3 - first date; Oct 7 - religious ceremony.)
I'm taking Hubby on a trip this weekend for our anniversary, but I won't tell him where or what we're doing, so I can hardly tell you here, because he might read this. But I promise I will write all about it when we get back. (Have you known me to shut up yet?) We should have immense amounts of fun, though.
Ahhh. *warm fuzzies*
thus proclaimeth the Zabet 10:31 AM 0 comment(s)
New Wizard Rock Shirts!
by Zabet
by Zabet