She stood at the steaming stove
with the pasta spoon in her hand,
ready to sink its black teeth into the
spaghetti.
We were starving for her
to lift those cooked threads with the sleek tool
and serve us the supper we waited all day for:
The spaghetti, the sauce, the hunger –
gone.
=========
Poem for Mother's Day
and for
Thursday Poets Rally
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wishing for Sonnet’s Death
The poetic form of the old sonnet,
Seems so useless and very out of date
No more do girls wear a fancy bonnet
And such should be iambic poems fate.
This savage poem cuts the brain for meat,
It pierces with sharp rhymes o’r fire to fry.
And dances ‘round to words that fiercely beat,
Until the life has left the page to die.
So throw the worthless prose into the fire
Stoke the flames to make it glow bright and hot
Chant until you’re dizzy with desire
Stab its tiny heart so it will live not.
We wish for death upon restrictive lines,
and forcing fourteen phrases into rhymes.
================
This is being posted for Thursday Poets Rally, Week 16
Seems so useless and very out of date
No more do girls wear a fancy bonnet
And such should be iambic poems fate.
This savage poem cuts the brain for meat,
It pierces with sharp rhymes o’r fire to fry.
And dances ‘round to words that fiercely beat,
Until the life has left the page to die.
So throw the worthless prose into the fire
Stoke the flames to make it glow bright and hot
Chant until you’re dizzy with desire
Stab its tiny heart so it will live not.
We wish for death upon restrictive lines,
and forcing fourteen phrases into rhymes.
================
This is being posted for Thursday Poets Rally, Week 16
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
A Brief Moment By The Fire
There was a brief moment
by the fire
when the two women
considered the unthinkable:
They wondered what would happen
if they tore off their constricting
dresses, corsets, underthings,
and tossed them in.
They would find themselves
standing there naked,
free,
watching the warm light
glow with the fabric fuel,
and ashes of their former life
flit up on the rising heat,
only to be stopped
by the ceiling.
========
This is my first work for the Poetry Prompt MEME. I hope to keep participating and keep writing poetry.
Monday, April 26, 2010
I have just decided to join the meme: Thursday Poets’ Rally. Thanks to Jingle, I've already received the following awards!
April Love, April Shower Award
Your Blog Rocks Award
You Are A Gem Award
Merry Wishes Award
Blessing YOU Award
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Poem: Returning to the Scene of a Murdered Metaphor
by Amy the Black
Your lungs are what I saw first, displayed on the window, those disgusting balloons gasping at the stale air.
Then your liver, sitting at the bar, drinking another cheap beer—the brand I can’t stand.
Your stomach sat at the table, reading a digest and devouring a nauseous meal.
Your eyes were playing pool, chalking up their sticks and trying to sink the eight ball.
Your dick was on the floor, flopping desperately like a fish out of water.
Your heart was lounging by the radio, tapping a ventricle to the beat of a song I’d rather forget.
But what I hated most were your guts, strung up on the ceiling, and clinging to the chandelier, oozing excrement onto the floor.
You were in pieces, and I was the suspect, so I turned a cold shoulder and ran.
Your lungs are what I saw first, displayed on the window, those disgusting balloons gasping at the stale air.
Then your liver, sitting at the bar, drinking another cheap beer—the brand I can’t stand.
Your stomach sat at the table, reading a digest and devouring a nauseous meal.
Your eyes were playing pool, chalking up their sticks and trying to sink the eight ball.
Your dick was on the floor, flopping desperately like a fish out of water.
Your heart was lounging by the radio, tapping a ventricle to the beat of a song I’d rather forget.
But what I hated most were your guts, strung up on the ceiling, and clinging to the chandelier, oozing excrement onto the floor.
You were in pieces, and I was the suspect, so I turned a cold shoulder and ran.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Amy the Black’s 5 Fall Fashion Tips
For some odd reason, I’ve been a little more in-tune with the fashion trends lately. Perhaps it’s because I am a “non-traditional student” (aka old person going back to school, which they should have done along time ago) and see a lot of the styles that young adults are wearing, and that if I want to camouflage myself in the student body, I have to be more aware. I could also be that I really like the styles that are popular these days. So when I saw a blogging contest through TwitterMoms.com, it thought it wouldn’t be difficult for me to participate!
So, here are my 5 Must-Haves, and Fashion Tips. If, for some strange reason, you would like to buy something for me, I will be more than happy to provide you with my full Amazon gift list. Unfortunately, a new clothes dryer is not on the list—but if you want to buy me one, we can arrange it!
So, here are my 5 Must-Haves, and Fashion Tips. If, for some strange reason, you would like to buy something for me, I will be more than happy to provide you with my full Amazon gift list. Unfortunately, a new clothes dryer is not on the list—but if you want to buy me one, we can arrange it!
1. The most important thing to remember this Fall/Winter is that plaid is back! I like plaid! But I don’t like to see entire outfits, full dresses, etc. covered in the stuff. What I do like is highlights, accessories, and small hints of plaid. I especially like the combination of the shirred jacket with plaid (on top right-hand side of photo).
2. Scarves. And not just the kind to keep your neck warm during winter, I’m talking about long, decorative scarves that one could even wear during the summer. I bet my European friends are snickering right now, because they’ve known about the importance of scarves for a while. I’m glad that Americans are finally catching on.
3. For me, Black is always going to be The New Black. What doesn’t go with black? Nothing. But I’m glad that black is still a very popular color for your wardrobe. It helps tame brighter colors, can help you go from office to party in no time, and is practically timeless. If you wear a relatively nice black outfit, you look more professional. People will take you more seriously.
4. One tip that I love: Multiple lengths of necklaces worn at the same time! Whew, what a relief to not have to decide what necklace to wear. Just put them all on! Within reason, of course. Or you could purchase one necklace that satisfies the inner 1980s Madonna in all of us women. Actually, the trend is more of a long, cascading chains.
5. Messenger Bags for both men and women. Now we can all share in a utilitarian object to help us all carry those items around with us all the time. Now I don’t feel so bad asking a rather fashionable guy, “Where did you get that fabulous bag?” and for him to tell me without feeling embarrassed. But now I have to fight over messenger bags with my husband.
I hope this gives you some ideas of what to buy me. And if you need more ideas, check out http://www.shopsmartlookfab.com/.
Monday, September 07, 2009
9/11 Remembrance: Keithroy Maynard and Amazing Grace
I have learned recently that the hymn, “Amazing Grace” was written around 1770 by John Newton, a former slave ship captain, who, after being converted to Christianity, reflected upon his former occupation and felt sorrow for what he had done.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
John Newton, an American working as an English slave ship captain, was a wretch. He worked in an industry that brought millions of captured Africans to the New World so that plantation owners and merchants could make fortunes and claim that they alone built America. But it was really those slaves—packed nearly 600 in each ship, sold to masters, and forced to work for those masters—that actually did the hard work.
John Newton didn’t convert to Christianity and immediately forgo working in the slave industry. He didn’t convert because of an overwhelming guilt for buying and selling humans into slavery. He converted because he was glad that God spared his life after a scary storm at sea.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Millions of slaves were brought to the New World. A million died en-route. John Newton made several trips from the Americas to England to Africa and back—a worker in the triangle of the buying of and selling of Africans and slave-made products sold to Europeans. Many of those slaves were brought to the United States to work in tobacco fields, but even more were brought to the Caribbean to work in sugar cane fields.
Keithroy’s journey, which was cut short as he tried to save people from the disaster on that beautiful Tuesday morning, started and ended in Montserrat—a small island in the Caribbean. An island named by Christopher Columbus, settled by English plantation owners, and an island that has recently been devastated by an active volcano.
Engine Company 33, Keithroy’s unit, was one of the first called to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and Keithroy was with them. He never returned.
It wasn’t until four years later that Keithroy’s remains were identified by DNA and his family could finally bury him in his home country, Montserrat.
It’s been a long journey for Keithroy and his African ancesters—from captives, to cargo, to slaves, to freedom, to citizens, to firefighters who could, themselves, save poor wretches.
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come.
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
There is still time if you would like to participate in Project 2,996.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Amy the Black’s Momfinitions
I couldn’t resist want to let everyone know about my Funniest Five Momfinitions, as inspired by the post at Parents Connect. These definitions are not in any (respectable) dictionary, but are words that, when used in context, are recognizable to any parent.
Wigglebotomy – In the old days of frontier psychology, some doctors would cut into the skulls of mental patients, removing a part of the brain, with the hope of making the patient more docile. Now, mentally disturbed parents of toddlers can obtain the same level of brain dysfunction with the simple task of watching The Wiggles.
P.R.F.I. – An acronym for Poop Related Fart Incident. This phrase was inspired by George Carlin’s PRBI (Puke-Related Burp Incident), but takes on a different (and messier) meaning. This is what happens when you, or a child, misinterpret the body’s signal to go number 2 as just a release of gas, and instead, a surprise happens.
Wigglebotomy – In the old days of frontier psychology, some doctors would cut into the skulls of mental patients, removing a part of the brain, with the hope of making the patient more docile. Now, mentally disturbed parents of toddlers can obtain the same level of brain dysfunction with the simple task of watching The Wiggles.
“Would you please turn off The Wiggles DVD and wipe the slobber off of
Mom’s chin? It looks like she got a Wigglebotomy this afternoon.”
P.R.F.I. – An acronym for Poop Related Fart Incident. This phrase was inspired by George Carlin’s PRBI (Puke-Related Burp Incident), but takes on a different (and messier) meaning. This is what happens when you, or a child, misinterpret the body’s signal to go number 2 as just a release of gas, and instead, a surprise happens.
“Sweetie, can you get your son a fresh pair of underwear? He just had a
PRFI.”
Happy-Happy-Fun-Place – This is what used to be referred to as Baby Jail until we decided to give it a more politically-correct name. This phrase refers to an enclosed place set aside in the home or yard where a young child can safely and securely play, sleep, or scream.
“Please put my little darling in the Happy-Happy-Fun-Place before she sticks a
fork in the socket.”
Poop Taco – This term is what we lovingly call a dirty butt wipe after it has been used and folded to resemble a Mexican food item. Unlike the food item, this is not something you want to go through a drive-thru to obtain.
“Oh look, that diaper mess created at least 3 Poop Tacos before it was completely
clean.”
Magic Saave – This term is a catch-all for all the different diaper ointments, oils, and gels used on the behinds of children (and sometimes even adults). It’s a much more pleasant way of referring to those types of treatments and seems to have a positive subliminal effect when used on the child.
“Don’t worry sweetie. I’ll put Magic Saave on your red bottom and I’ll feel
better in no time.”
Friday, February 13, 2009
Why, it's Whyville!
What can your kids do when they're at home on a snow day? Well, there are a lot of things really. But one that my family has discovered is Whyville.net.
Whyville is a kid-friendly online community where kids can explore, play educational games, chat with other citizens, and just have a lot of fun.
It's free! Of course, if you want to spend real money, you can buy "Pearls," a currency in Whyville which will allow you to purchase many things. But if you want to go a more economical way, you can learn how to earn "Clams." There are many ways to earn Clams and increase your salary.
Kids have a great time changing the way they look in Whyville. You can purchase a new hairdo, a hat, a funny nose, or even a t-shirt. The possibilities are endless! My son has discovered a way to make himself look like a cat.
Is it really safe? Yes! First of all, before anyone in Whyville can chat, they have to have a signed permission slip sent to Whyville. Once the permission slip is received, a short test is necessary which helps teach what forms of activities are not permitted in Whyville. Lastly, there is a reporting rule breakers quickly and easily. I should also mention that there are monitors that check around to see what's going on.
I say that it's fun for children, but I've had a lot of fun too! And I've learned a few things along the way.
Try it out yourself and see. If you think it's good for your child, introduce it to them. It's available at Whyville.net. My username is AmyBlack. See if you can find me!
Facts About Whyville
Whyville is a kid-friendly online community where kids can explore, play educational games, chat with other citizens, and just have a lot of fun.
It's free! Of course, if you want to spend real money, you can buy "Pearls," a currency in Whyville which will allow you to purchase many things. But if you want to go a more economical way, you can learn how to earn "Clams." There are many ways to earn Clams and increase your salary.
Kids have a great time changing the way they look in Whyville. You can purchase a new hairdo, a hat, a funny nose, or even a t-shirt. The possibilities are endless! My son has discovered a way to make himself look like a cat.Is it really safe? Yes! First of all, before anyone in Whyville can chat, they have to have a signed permission slip sent to Whyville. Once the permission slip is received, a short test is necessary which helps teach what forms of activities are not permitted in Whyville. Lastly, there is a reporting rule breakers quickly and easily. I should also mention that there are monitors that check around to see what's going on.
I say that it's fun for children, but I've had a lot of fun too! And I've learned a few things along the way.
Try it out yourself and see. If you think it's good for your child, introduce it to them. It's available at Whyville.net. My username is AmyBlack. See if you can find me!
Facts About Whyville
- Whyville is a virtual world where you can travel to different places, talk to numerous people, and learn valuable information.
- Whyville is based in Pasadena, California, but we have citizens who are from all over the world.
- Whyville was started in 1999, and already has over 4 million members! Each day around 1,000 more join!
- Our citizens are usually age 8-15.
- Whyville generates between 40 and 50 million page views a month. Wow!
- And last but not least, all of this is free! Anyone can join Whyville for the low price of $0!
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Photos of the 2009 Ice Storm
We're finally melting! But here are photos that I finally had time (and electric) to upload them.
^My nemesis tree, a Black Walnut, dropped another branch on my car. This time, it didn't do any damage. But it's getting closer to becoming a stump unless it stops throwing branches and walnuts at me.
^ As you can see, everything was covered with white snow and encased in ice. Sure it was beautiful, but dangerous too. Branches and big chunks of ice were falling everywhere. Every so often, you could hear something that sounded like a chandelier crashing to the floor or a gunshot going off as a tree finally broke in half and fell.
It was very dark at night.
^My nemesis tree, a Black Walnut, dropped another branch on my car. This time, it didn't do any damage. But it's getting closer to becoming a stump unless it stops throwing branches and walnuts at me.
^ As you can see, everything was covered with white snow and encased in ice. Sure it was beautiful, but dangerous too. Branches and big chunks of ice were falling everywhere. Every so often, you could hear something that sounded like a chandelier crashing to the floor or a gunshot going off as a tree finally broke in half and fell.
It was very dark at night.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
My Happy Place
As many of you know, I have a very unusual Happy Place. You know what I’m talking about: when you’re just about to get a shot, you’re in labor, or you’re trying not to think about something unpleasant—you try to get your mind into another place, preferably a pleasant place, so that you don’t feel so bad.
When I was considering natural childbirth, I had to come up with a Happy Place. I considered many different spots—the playground of my youth, a beautiful overlook, an imaginary place—but those didn’t really hold my attention more than Las Vegas.
Las Vegas is where I got married. We had a great time. I’ve visited there a couple of times and each time I enjoy it more. I love the lights and the sounds and the betting and the winning (not the losing so much, but I keep it reasonable.) So, that’s my happy place—in a casino.
When I was considering natural childbirth, I had to come up with a Happy Place. I considered many different spots—the playground of my youth, a beautiful overlook, an imaginary place—but those didn’t really hold my attention more than Las Vegas.
Las Vegas is where I got married. We had a great time. I’ve visited there a couple of times and each time I enjoy it more. I love the lights and the sounds and the betting and the winning (not the losing so much, but I keep it reasonable.) So, that’s my happy place—in a casino.
There are a few times when I need a reminder of the fun I had in Vegas. There’s not much around here in Ohio, since casino gambling is not legal. I’ve gone to Indiana’s silly “riverboat” gambling, where they actually built a lake to float the casino on so that they can be legal. It helps to go.
But way out here, in Creekistan, I sometimes rely on online places. Don’t get me wrong, I do not by any means have a gambling problem. I have yet to actually spend money online. But there are some places that satisfy my itch. Pogo.com is one, as well as Facebook's poker application. I’ve heard of others, like Betfair where you can play poker, but I’m not sure I can sign up for that.
Short of actually flying to Las Vegas, I guess I have to keep visiting my Happy Place in my mind or virtually, especially during these long, cold months.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Strangers on my Porch
The chickens woke me up this morning. No, not the rooster, the hens! They were carrying on. Last time I heard them like that, two dogs were trying to get into their pen and succeeded, killing two hens: Shanigha and Oprah. This morning, I didn't hesitate to check. Since the dog has been in the house at night, sleeping in the warm, he followed me out. I was only in my jammies.
Two smaller dogs were waiting for me. One was on my porch, a beagle, trying to eat Bandit's food. The other, a black shepherd mix, was running around, upsetting the chickens.
The flock was okay, my extra security held. But now Bandit is outside, playing with the dogs. He's too friendly to keep them away! When I go out to see if there are any eggs and give the chickens non-frozen water, we'll see if the dogs are still around.
Two smaller dogs were waiting for me. One was on my porch, a beagle, trying to eat Bandit's food. The other, a black shepherd mix, was running around, upsetting the chickens.
The flock was okay, my extra security held. But now Bandit is outside, playing with the dogs. He's too friendly to keep them away! When I go out to see if there are any eggs and give the chickens non-frozen water, we'll see if the dogs are still around.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Boxing Day
For most of us Americans, “Boxing Day” is a Canadian holiday noted on our calendars as the day after Christmas. I don’t think many Americans know what it is. My interpretation is that it’s a day where you give gifts to the less fortunate members of society—you box up some unneeded items and donate them to the needy.
My friend took Boxing Day to a new level.
Let me back up a bit and tell you the Tale of Two Ovens. My oven hasn’t been working for a long time. Instead, I purchased a microwave/convention oven to do my baking. That was until earlier this month when it would no longer bake. I mentioned this to my friend who happens to have two ovens: one gas oven in her kitchen that came with the house she bought, and an electric oven hanging out in the garage, waiting to be installed into the kitchen. They were trying to use up the propane in the tank before they switched ovens.
She took pity on me and decided to give me her gas oven. Yipee! I can bake again! After the guys spent a good portion of Christmas Eve doing the oven switcheroo, I was baking with gas again.
I wish I could say the same for my friends. As my husband puts it, “No good deed goes unpunished.” On Christmas, they were going to bake a ham. But while their oven was pre-heating, it became apparent that mice had made a home somewhere inside and were now becoming crispy and—to say the least—smelly.
It wasn’t good timing for them. Grandma and Grandpa were flying into town to visit them. They had even invited us to come to dinner on Boxing Day. But would my friend give up because she didn’t have a working oven? No way! She took it as a personal challenge.
She made a box oven out of a cardboard box, foil, and wire hangers. She cooked biscuits in the box oven, heated with hot charcoal briquettes. She made other items on the stovetop. We had a wonderful dinner.
Now we feel bad that we took their working stove. I guess I’ll have to have them over for dinner!
My friend took Boxing Day to a new level.
Let me back up a bit and tell you the Tale of Two Ovens. My oven hasn’t been working for a long time. Instead, I purchased a microwave/convention oven to do my baking. That was until earlier this month when it would no longer bake. I mentioned this to my friend who happens to have two ovens: one gas oven in her kitchen that came with the house she bought, and an electric oven hanging out in the garage, waiting to be installed into the kitchen. They were trying to use up the propane in the tank before they switched ovens.
She took pity on me and decided to give me her gas oven. Yipee! I can bake again! After the guys spent a good portion of Christmas Eve doing the oven switcheroo, I was baking with gas again.
I wish I could say the same for my friends. As my husband puts it, “No good deed goes unpunished.” On Christmas, they were going to bake a ham. But while their oven was pre-heating, it became apparent that mice had made a home somewhere inside and were now becoming crispy and—to say the least—smelly.
It wasn’t good timing for them. Grandma and Grandpa were flying into town to visit them. They had even invited us to come to dinner on Boxing Day. But would my friend give up because she didn’t have a working oven? No way! She took it as a personal challenge.
She made a box oven out of a cardboard box, foil, and wire hangers. She cooked biscuits in the box oven, heated with hot charcoal briquettes. She made other items on the stovetop. We had a wonderful dinner.
Now we feel bad that we took their working stove. I guess I’ll have to have them over for dinner!
Christmas Eve Eve Adventure
Don’t ask me why, I’m not sure, but we went to visit my Mother-in-Law on Christmas Eve Eve. She lives about 2 hours away. So, we got her presents together, the children dressed and went to visit Grandma for a nice Honey Baked Ham sandwich lunch. After a nice afternoon, it started raining outside. We decided, at 4 pm, that it would be best to go home before it got dark. Besides, we wanted to go to our neighbors caroling party at 6.
Everyone else had that idea too.
The roads were a slippery, crowded mess. Some bridges, exit/entrance ramps, and overpasses were closed to allow salt trucks to do their jobs. Traffic was at a near standstill. We tried to take back roads, but they were backed up too.
Two hours later, we were still only a few miles away from our starting point, and we had a long way to go. After finally getting away from the traffic, we made our way outside of the city and slowly driving down a relatively lonely highway that follows the Ohio River. We took it easy and didn’t have any problems. I probably made some people mad because I refused to drive faster than 45 mph. It was still raining and the temp was at exactly freezing. I wasn’t going to take any chances, especially with the kids in the car.
After a brief hamburger pit stop, and stopping to get beer (an essential), we finally turned onto our road after driving for 5 ½ hours. I could just see me holding that beer in my nice warm living room at any time now. Forget about the party, they’ll understand why we just didn’t feel like going somewhere else.
I was slowly driving down our road, going “the back way” as we call it, since we normally don’t arrive from that direction. It’s a winding and twisting little road that goes pretty steep at places. I wasn’t too worried—I’d never had any problems before.
The last mile or so is probably the most steep. At some point, however, my car would not go up any further. In fact, after spinning my tires for a while, the car started going backward and sideways. Not good—there are steep drop offs.
We had to abandon our car and hoof it the final ½ mile climb to home. Fortunately, I was smart enough to stuff a small flashlight into my car and just happened to have an army duffel bag in my trunk. I also checked my emergency kit, but there wasn’t anything we needed. It wasn’t that cold, but we bundled up anyway. I was a little scared because I was wearing boots that are not practical for walking. So we packed some things into the duffel bag (including the beer!), locked up the car with a note on the windshield, and started up the steep road to our house.
It was slippery. We had to walk on the side of the road as much as we can. Some places we had to walk on the road because of the drop-off beside the road. I held my 3-year-old daughter’s hand and would not let go. We walked, in the dark. The kids were doing great. My husband gave commands, and I complained about my stupid boots.
Up ahead, we saw some lights. We were scared of encountering head-on traffic, so we found a spot where we could get safely off the road and wait for them to pass. But they didn’t move any more. So we walked some more. As we got closer to the stopped vehicle, we noticed it was the cinder truck. It was stuck, with one tire off the road and uncomfortably close to a drop-off. They were desperately trying to back the truck up, and it was not going anywhere except down into the mud. If it weren’t for a retaining pole, it would be doomed.
Good thing we didn’t try to drive my car up the road further—we would have had to stop anywhere—there was no getting around the stuck truck.
We made it home, safe, and tired. Thank goodness we got some Netflix in the mail.
I haven’t left the house since, and I got rid of the boots.
Everyone else had that idea too.
The roads were a slippery, crowded mess. Some bridges, exit/entrance ramps, and overpasses were closed to allow salt trucks to do their jobs. Traffic was at a near standstill. We tried to take back roads, but they were backed up too.
Two hours later, we were still only a few miles away from our starting point, and we had a long way to go. After finally getting away from the traffic, we made our way outside of the city and slowly driving down a relatively lonely highway that follows the Ohio River. We took it easy and didn’t have any problems. I probably made some people mad because I refused to drive faster than 45 mph. It was still raining and the temp was at exactly freezing. I wasn’t going to take any chances, especially with the kids in the car.
After a brief hamburger pit stop, and stopping to get beer (an essential), we finally turned onto our road after driving for 5 ½ hours. I could just see me holding that beer in my nice warm living room at any time now. Forget about the party, they’ll understand why we just didn’t feel like going somewhere else.
I was slowly driving down our road, going “the back way” as we call it, since we normally don’t arrive from that direction. It’s a winding and twisting little road that goes pretty steep at places. I wasn’t too worried—I’d never had any problems before.
The last mile or so is probably the most steep. At some point, however, my car would not go up any further. In fact, after spinning my tires for a while, the car started going backward and sideways. Not good—there are steep drop offs.
We had to abandon our car and hoof it the final ½ mile climb to home. Fortunately, I was smart enough to stuff a small flashlight into my car and just happened to have an army duffel bag in my trunk. I also checked my emergency kit, but there wasn’t anything we needed. It wasn’t that cold, but we bundled up anyway. I was a little scared because I was wearing boots that are not practical for walking. So we packed some things into the duffel bag (including the beer!), locked up the car with a note on the windshield, and started up the steep road to our house.
It was slippery. We had to walk on the side of the road as much as we can. Some places we had to walk on the road because of the drop-off beside the road. I held my 3-year-old daughter’s hand and would not let go. We walked, in the dark. The kids were doing great. My husband gave commands, and I complained about my stupid boots.
Up ahead, we saw some lights. We were scared of encountering head-on traffic, so we found a spot where we could get safely off the road and wait for them to pass. But they didn’t move any more. So we walked some more. As we got closer to the stopped vehicle, we noticed it was the cinder truck. It was stuck, with one tire off the road and uncomfortably close to a drop-off. They were desperately trying to back the truck up, and it was not going anywhere except down into the mud. If it weren’t for a retaining pole, it would be doomed.
Good thing we didn’t try to drive my car up the road further—we would have had to stop anywhere—there was no getting around the stuck truck.
We made it home, safe, and tired. Thank goodness we got some Netflix in the mail.
I haven’t left the house since, and I got rid of the boots.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Are you an Undecided Voter? Here's Some Help!
Okay, the debates are over. We have three more weeks of Presidential campaigning to go, and there is still talk about those 'undecided' voters. I thought I'd help out those people by giving them tools and methods they can use to help decide between McCain and Obama.
1. Flip a coin. This may sound really easy, but you have to chose who gets heads and who gets tails. Have a friend help you. Click Here.
1. Flip a coin. This may sound really easy, but you have to chose who gets heads and who gets tails. Have a friend help you. Click Here.
2. I-Ching - In Asia, the I Ching (Book of Change) has been a basis for divination. Click Here.
4. Ouija Board
6. Bibliomancy - Bibliomancy is the practice of seeking spiritual insight by selecting a random passage from a Holy Book. Click Here.
8. Ask a Child - You'll be surprised with how honest they are.
9. Cow Dump. Here in Creekistan, sometimes things get decided with the aid of a cow. Here's how: Divide up a small field in equal squares. Mark each square with a red or blue mark--one for McCain, one for Obama. Feed the cow, then let them onto the field. The winner is decided when the cow leaves a pile in one of those squares.
10. Go to VoteHelp - VoteHelp is a nonpartisan candidate calculator that compares your views to those of Barack Obama and John McCain.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Thursday Thirteen #97
13 Things I remember from September 11, 2001
- I wasn't at work long and a co-worker got a call from her mother that a plane hit one of the towers in New York City. She thought her mother was crazy.
- I checked the internet and saw a one-sentance headline on my news site. It said something like "A passenger plane has flown into the World Trade Center.".
- As news came in, people were trying to find out more. I wasn't able to get a live TV feed from the main channels in the US, but I was able to get the BBC..
- People stood around my computer and watched, in horror, as the towers fell. Some people couldn't even watch. I was one of them. It just didn't seem real..
- A television was brought into the lunchroom so people could watch the coverage.I tried to keep busy that day. I think I had some kind of important deadline. It was important to someone else, but nothing seemed very important to me..
- My boss was on a business trip to LA. He was stuck there for a few days. I remember getting messages from him via his Blackberry..
- A salesman for the company was supposed to make a sales call to the Pentagon that day--for some reason, he did not..
- The president of the company contacted every company associate in New York and made sure everyone was okay. He then sent a message letting everyone else know..
- I remember wanting to do something for the victims--like give blood or donate blankets. But as news filtered in, we realized that it wasn't necessary..
- On my way to pick up my 1-year-old son, I was struck by the lack of airplanes in the sky. It was very strange. .
- The weather and the sky that day was very beautiful, a juxtaposition to what was happening in New York..
- We finally got into contact with our friends in New York to find out that they are okay. One, however, was in the mess in Manhattan, running away from the towers..
- We didn't feel like doing much and went out to eat. We were the only people in the restaurant. Streets were empty and the mood was very grim. .
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Thursday Thirteen #96
Oh my, I just realized I haven’t posted anything up where in a while! So much has happened; I don’t know where to begin. So I’ll just do a Thursday thirteen update on Creekistan!1. The chickens now have a permanent home. The wonderful Chicken Condo, built by my husband, is now occupied by 8 of the luckiest chickens in Creekistan. They don’t even know how good they’ve got it!
2. No, the rooster hasn’t crowed yet, and there are no eggs yet. But I’ve been giving the rooster crowing lessons and he seems to pay attention. But the egg laying . . . I’ll have to just let them learn that on their own.
3. We’ve been cleaning out the Bee House and making it a better place to store our stuff. Once we put sheets of plastic on the walls, pull out the carpet, and remove the drop-ceiling, it isn’t so bad! Except the fact that the whole house seems to lean to one side.
4. We officially own a truck now. Woo Hoo! Along with the chickens, the truck makes us official farmers!
5. My garden was a complete bust. Nothing has turned out except for a couple yellow squash and a couple cucumbers. Everything either got eaten by deer or just gave up. Oh, except for the turnips. They loved it there. But what exactly can I do with a bunch of turnips?
6. Some of my container gardens did okay—with herbs and some tomatoes. We think it’s because they get more sun than my big garden.
7. My living room hasn’t progressed for about a month. I need to work on it, but it’s too darn hot. I hope to have it done by Thanksgiving.
8. My 3 ½ year-old daughter has started preschool. She was excited and seems to really enjoy it.
9. My son started the 3rd grade. I’m always amazed by how much he has learned in 3-4 years of school. He’s already doing algebra, but he doesn’t know it!
10. I’ve started back to college. I’m taking a few classes—because I can! After putting my husband through until he got his Doctorate, I think I deserve some lernin’.
11. In the morning, we all hop into the car and drive to school. With both my kids in school, me in college, and my husband teaching, that means we are all in school.
12. For those of you curious, I’m taking Art History, a drawing class, an upper-level Ethics class, and Pilates. Oh, and I’m going to play in the Early Music Ensemble.
13. I’m loving every minute of it. Being away from home and learning (or re-learning) things has given me a wonderful opportunity a lot more “me” time.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Summer in Creekistan
It’s been a very busy week or so. First, we’ve been trying to get the ever-growing chickens into their new home. As they have gotten older and bigger, it has been difficult to keep them in the temporary pen. But they seem to do okay as free-range chickens. However nice free-range sounds, it doesn’t provide them with the protection they need from predators. In fact, one morning we discovered the chickens scattered, hiding in buckets and under the house, and one missing. They’re not talking, but something scared them and took one away. We are down to eight.
My youngest niece and her friend decided at the last minute to go on a summer road trip to Ohio. Of course, they wanted to visit us in Creekistan and stayed for a few days. It was as lot of fun, even though no one had money to do anything. Who needs money when you can stay home and chase chickens around the yard and have huge campfires?
But the summer is beginning to end. Our neighbor’s pool is now freezing cold and the frogs have moved on. My son will start school in a week, and everyone else will start school in two weeks.
I love the Fall and wish it would go on until Spring. I’m not such a fan of Winter.
My youngest niece and her friend decided at the last minute to go on a summer road trip to Ohio. Of course, they wanted to visit us in Creekistan and stayed for a few days. It was as lot of fun, even though no one had money to do anything. Who needs money when you can stay home and chase chickens around the yard and have huge campfires?
But the summer is beginning to end. Our neighbor’s pool is now freezing cold and the frogs have moved on. My son will start school in a week, and everyone else will start school in two weeks.
I love the Fall and wish it would go on until Spring. I’m not such a fan of Winter.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Thursday Thirteen #95
13 Random Things
1. My daughter got accepted into preschool this week, the one on the campus of the university that my husband teaches for, as well as where I will be taking classes starting this fall.
2. Yes, you heard me right. I’m taking classes this fall. I’ll be a non-traditional student taking four classes this fall. I’m really excited about going back to school and getting out of the house during the day. So it’ll mean the whole family will be in school at the same time.
3. I got nominated and voted into the local Arts Council. I’m excited about helping make an impact in the arts community and helping children enjoy the arts. This council has been too focused on plays for children, and needs to expand to other forms of fine art and music. I hope to help with that.
4. The chicken house is nearly ready. It’s been taking my husband way too long, but he wants it to be nearly perfect and weatherproof. It’s practically blocking my front door, so I hope it can get moved soon.
5. The chickens are doing fine. The temporary pen hasn’t kept them in—they sneak out and become free range for half the day.
6. In the evening, they huddle together in a sideways Rubbermaid box under a plastic turtle shell-looking lid from an old sandbox. Works fine to keep them cool and protected from rain.
7. The chickens know that first thing in the morning, I make coffee and will be in the kitchen. So if they want attention, they find their way to the porch right off the kitchen and look for me.
8. So far it looks like we have 1 rooster and 8 hens. Not a bad ratio! We can’t have more than one rooster, so I’m happy that we won’t have to eliminate any chickens.
9. The other county fair is this week. This is the county where my son belongs to 4H. He’s still a Cloverbud, so he can’t bring an animal, but I had him do a bird feeder. He got a wonderful participation award.
10. We spent a few minutes at the fair talking to a rancher who has Alpacas. There are small, hairy camel-looking creatures. They actually are related to camels, and come from South America. They are beautiful! But I don’t think I’m ready for an alpaca yet.
11. Alpacas can spit up to 16 feet away.
12. My youngest niece from Omaha decided to go on a road trip with a friend and plans on visiting me this weekend. Looks like I’ll have to clean up!
13. My children were punished for not putting videos and DVDs away—they were banned from watching videos for 10 days. They didn’t really care. There’s too much else to do.
1. My daughter got accepted into preschool this week, the one on the campus of the university that my husband teaches for, as well as where I will be taking classes starting this fall.
2. Yes, you heard me right. I’m taking classes this fall. I’ll be a non-traditional student taking four classes this fall. I’m really excited about going back to school and getting out of the house during the day. So it’ll mean the whole family will be in school at the same time.
3. I got nominated and voted into the local Arts Council. I’m excited about helping make an impact in the arts community and helping children enjoy the arts. This council has been too focused on plays for children, and needs to expand to other forms of fine art and music. I hope to help with that.
4. The chicken house is nearly ready. It’s been taking my husband way too long, but he wants it to be nearly perfect and weatherproof. It’s practically blocking my front door, so I hope it can get moved soon.
5. The chickens are doing fine. The temporary pen hasn’t kept them in—they sneak out and become free range for half the day.
6. In the evening, they huddle together in a sideways Rubbermaid box under a plastic turtle shell-looking lid from an old sandbox. Works fine to keep them cool and protected from rain.
7. The chickens know that first thing in the morning, I make coffee and will be in the kitchen. So if they want attention, they find their way to the porch right off the kitchen and look for me.
8. So far it looks like we have 1 rooster and 8 hens. Not a bad ratio! We can’t have more than one rooster, so I’m happy that we won’t have to eliminate any chickens.
9. The other county fair is this week. This is the county where my son belongs to 4H. He’s still a Cloverbud, so he can’t bring an animal, but I had him do a bird feeder. He got a wonderful participation award.
10. We spent a few minutes at the fair talking to a rancher who has Alpacas. There are small, hairy camel-looking creatures. They actually are related to camels, and come from South America. They are beautiful! But I don’t think I’m ready for an alpaca yet.
11. Alpacas can spit up to 16 feet away.
12. My youngest niece from Omaha decided to go on a road trip with a friend and plans on visiting me this weekend. Looks like I’ll have to clean up!
13. My children were punished for not putting videos and DVDs away—they were banned from watching videos for 10 days. They didn’t really care. There’s too much else to do.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thursday Thirteen #94
Just a little bit of fun for this last day of July.
13 Sawyer Nicknames (you know, Sawyer from the TV show LOST)
1. Amy the Black = Rinse ‘N’ Repeat
2. My son = Avalanche
3. My daughter = Picasso
4. My husband = Professor
5. Bandit, the Dog = Jethro
6. Gracie the Cat = Ferdinand
7. Sneaky Chicken = Blonde
8. My Mother-In-Law = Spacebar
9. My Father-In-Law = Wilbur
10. My friend, Julie = Rumplestilskin
11. My friend, Drew = Capt. Lou Albino
12. John McCain = Munchkin
13. Barack Obama = Betty
Try it yourself!
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