Not much new...

Not much new around here. I'll probably start the packing process today. Which for me generally consists of throwing a bunch of stuff into a suitcase (working from my packing list -- if you don't have a list of what to pack, I highly recommend them!), until I run across an item I can't find, and then freaking out until I either a. find it hidden in a most unlikely place, b. ask Jeff & he says "oh, it's right here" (I suppose this is his annual revenge for all the times I do that to him throughout the rest of the year), c. throw my hands up and go buy a new one (if it's important enough) d. grind my teeth in my sleep until we finally leave without the item, at which point I forget all about it, as, hey! I'm on vacation!

Mostly, though, I just wanted to share the results of this little quiz with you. [Editor's note: Unfortunately it seems to have shoved my sidebar at the right wayyy down the page. And right now I'm disinclined to figure out what quirk of HTML has caused this. So if you REALLY want to see it (it hasn't changed), keep on scrolling. Otherwise, just enjoy my little tale here, and the quiz results beyond.] Another blog I visit regularly posts their results to this "Quiz Of The Week," and this week's quiz had me intrigued...which Disney character WOULD I be? Well, I guess this should come as no surprise...So, which Disney character are YOU? If you use the link below my results you can take the quiz yourself & find out...and then post your results to my comments!

You scored as Goofy. Your alter ego is Goofy! You are fun and great to be around, and you are always willing to help others. You aren't worried about embarassing yourself, so you are one who is more willing to try new things. Goofy 75% Peter Pan 69% The Beast 63% Donald Duck 56% Ariel 56% Sleeping Beauty 56% Pinocchio 44% Cinderella 38% Cruella De Ville 25% Snow White 13% Which Disney Character is your Alter Ego? created with QuizFarm.com

Down the tracks n' back

Hopped up on caffeine this morning, I had a desire to DO something for once. It seems all of my pastimes are relatively quiet pursuits. Even book hunting (with the exception of when we go to particularly rowdy sales) is subdued and slow. I wanted to move about, to enjoy the cool weather, and just do something a bit different. After some review of Google Earth to see what was around here, Jeff and I finally agreed that a walk down the railroad tracks would be a nice way to pass some time. This especially delighted me as, I've always wanted to pack up and just walk the railroad tracks endlessly. Although this would merely be an afternoon's diversion, even the ability to fulfill this desire on a very small scale was most welcome.

This part of town is very different from the viewpoint of the railroad tracks. Although it is still primarily industrial, with the occasional smattering of residential (most of which has seemingly been here since long before the industrial sprang up) it just looks very foreign from the "back side." You see things, such as the glass smashing plant (I suppose it's actually a recycling plant, but all we saw were piles of smashed glass, so it's more fun to think of it that way) that you would never have noticed driving down the street. You get to see huge, ominously creaking tanker cars along sidings leading off into liquid petroleum distributors. You can also, we learned, determine much of what the area businesses do just by walking along with your attention on your olfactory sense. The scent of bread baking, the styrene (one of my very favorite smells -- I have no idea why) of the many boat manufacturers in the area, and the grease, oil and rust smells of the area junkyards. We also saw holes dug and tracks made by local wildlife, as well as an amazing assortment of junk -- from buses and tractors to refrigerators and shelving units -- in the yard (and probably beyond the property line, was our guess) of a local resident. We nicknamed this fellow "The Collector," and turned around just beyond his yard. I think we both got mild sunburns, but it was so nice to walk somewhere it was possible to smell more than just exhaust! Though I doubt I'll ever just take off and do this long-term, it would be nice to do this sort of exploration again on a different section of track. We have many around here at our disposal. Off I go to Google Earth to determine the best next outing!

A word to the wise

Listen up, guys. Yes, just you fellas. Men, whatever you want to call yourselves. I'll tell you a little secret: women don't like to be reminded that you can live without them. That's right! No matter how true it may be, it's no fun to feel like a useless piece of trash just because your man decides he has to display his masculinity by assuring you that you're not necessary to him. And don't fool yourselves. It doesn't have to be said blatantly and directly, as in "You know, I did fine before you came along, I can do fine without you in the future if need be." No, it can be much more subtle than that. For example, it could be take the form of a steady stream of expressed desires to be "on your own." Or, perhaps every time your SO does something nice for you, even something as mundane as laundry, you're letting her know, in no uncertain terms, that you could have done it for yourself. Well duh, Einstein. We're already pretty well aware of that. That's not the point. The point was that we liked you well enough, and thought enough of you (and were just plain thoughtful enough) to do this thing. So what is wrong with just accepting it, and maybe, just maybe once in a long while, occasionally thanking us for it?

Trust me on this one fellas. It's a chunk of why I'm divorced. It's 80% of the reason I left my last job. And I can see it affecting the relationships of certain people close to me right now. If you're smart, and I know you are, you'll take this one to heart.