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Wednesday, April 8th, 2009
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4:27 pm - New content for the L&O site ~
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I've been playing with podfic / audiofic over the past week. I was contacted by someone wanting to record some Jack/Ed things, who pointed me in the direction of an LJ community that's into making audio recordings of fic. Sounded like a spot of fun, so I tried it. Downloaded a piece of software that lets you edit to your heart's content... and I now have 3 of my stories in .mp3 format. I haven't updated the home page, yet, but here are links to the downloads, if you're interested in having audiobooks of Jack/Ed stories, read by me:
Ancient Airs and Dances (~ 9MB)
Electrical Impulses (~13 MB)
Snowed In (~38 MB)
I think these sound better with headphones than hearing them through your computer speakers, fyi. I'm not sure why that is, yet, but I've only just begun to understand the subtleties of this software (Audacity).
I'm looking at doing the longer works, and so far Inevitability Redux really isn't a good candidate. Episode scenes (at least these ep scenes) don't translate well to being read aloud. I think that Plain Sight Exception would be a good one to do, but of course I need permission from the other authors involved in that round robin. Anyway.... if you give any of these a try, I hope you enjoy.
current mood:  chipper
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| Wednesday, December 10th, 2008
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9:26 pm - Speaking of MRSA
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I decided that I was going to do a little digging about LindaK's death to find out what the cause of death ultimately was. ( more... )
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8:52 pm - Warning
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Last spring, I had a fall, scraped my shin and ended up in the ER with an open wound on my leg. It wasn't dressed for 5 hours while I had other tests for the more serious issues. I ended up developing a MRSA infection -- that nasty staph that doesn't respond to drugs. I ended up in hell, with surgery to cut out the infection from my leg (an actual chunk of my shin was removed), lengthy recovery, etc., etc. blah blah. But I didn't die. I realize now that this was mostly due to my diligence re: my health, my background in science and the healthcare field, and my general assertiveness re: my own healthcare. I noticed something wasn't quite right fairly soon, got myself into the clinic asap, and kept in regular contact with my HMO/doctors, followed all instructions as each antibiotic was tried, took daily measurements of the infection to see if it was responding to the drugs or not, etc. If I hadn't done those things, and if I had lived alone? I would probably be dead, and that's not hyperbole.
Last week, my mother's best friend (an older woman in her 70s) died from a MRSA infection that developed after some knee surgery. She was due for a second surgery but got sick, and after a few weeks of antibiotic treatment her docs decided she was better "enough" to have the second surgery, and within a week she was deathly ill, they removed her entire intestinal track, she fell into an immediate coma and died the following day.
Last month, a friend of a friend of Wife's (a youngish man in his 30s) developed a MRSA infection after some minor surgery. He ended up extremely ill and it was due solely to a young intern raising her hand to say, "Hey, I think this guy has MRSA, hey there, somebody..." that the infection was attacked properly and after a short bout on life support, he recovered.
I could go on (honest, I could) with more examples, but I won't. You get the picture. Warning: If you can avoid going into the hospital or ER with an open wound, do it. If it takes 5 minutes to dress your wound yourself before you leave for the hospital, do it. If you have any upcoming elective surgery, try any way you can think of to find out if your hospital has "a MRSA problem." (My mother found out yesterday that their only hospital is known to have exactly that). If the surgery really is elective, think twice.
This isn't a Chicken Little thing as in Oh my, that Cassatt surely is a fear-mongerer! The above 3 examples happened in 3 different states, 3 different ages, 3 different states of general health, 3 different insurances/types of medical coverage. This is a real danger lurking in the midst of our medical facilities (and from what I've been reading, health clubs, spas, public swimming pools, etc.). Be aware, and be as diligent as you can possibly be.
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8:12 pm - Sam Waterston in a long interview on NPR
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I'm so totally out of fandom touch these days -- heck, barely online at all other than once/week -- I don't know if this is common knowledge. Sam W. was on the daily NPR show Talk of the Nation Tuesday. I heard the first five minutes of it before I chose to stop and catch the latest on my birth state IL's fascinating, completely whacked-out scandal (Blagojevich). But TOFTN is a great radio show, with folks around the country calling in, no yelling, no BS, just lively, interesting conversation, so I assume that this half hour with Sam was delightful. It's Sam talking about Jack McCoy. Woo hoo :-). Click HERE to get to the page with the "Listen Now" link. (It's not a podcast - it's the NPR Player).
Here's part of the show's blurb: He (Sam) talks about his experience playing a character who has aged — and evolved — on television. "This is sort of a unique experience that I'm having," he observes, "where I'm allowed to grow older and change jobs within the same fiction."
I'll catch the show tomorrow.
And on a Jesse L. Martin note -- his Christmas special with The Muppets airs December 17 on NBC. I can't hardly wait!
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| Tuesday, October 28th, 2008
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11:14 am - Obituary: LindaK
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Sad news arrived today via Google. LindaK, who was a fandom friend, cowriter of our Jack/Ed round robin, and so much more to me, died on October 18. She had been sick for a while, increasingly so over the summer -- our emails were incredibly exciting ::snort:: filled with "so how are you doing this week, eh??" bitches and moans about being down and out -- but I don't know what happened in her final month. I last had contact with her in September, and I knew at the time that things had gotten very bad for her. I assume that she went into the hospital and never came back out. I will never know. But this isn't about me, or my personal loss, etc. I really wanted to let anyone who happened to remember her from Voy:C/P or Voy:A/K or L&O:Jack/Ed that she was on to bigger and hopefully much, much better things. She deserves it.
One of the topics that gave her some comfort over the past year was the romantic tale she was writing in her head, starring Logan (L&O) and Bayliss (H:LOTS). She had just started watching H:LOTS for the first time while bedridden in '07. Her story was a long saga, and covered many eras in both shows, and had them together and apart and back together again, until she found out what happened in canon, finally, to Bayliss (in the H:LOTS movie). Horrified (as were we all when we first found out!), she threw up her hands in disgust. I tried to explain to her how inevitable this was for Tim's development as a man and all... to no avail. She then decided to ignore that entire event and keep the movie in her head going. And that is what made her such a great and quintessential fandom girl, in my very humble opinion :-).
LindaK was funny, smart, irreverent, and would give support at a moment's notice, even while she herself had trouble taking it. I'm sure her family misses her terribly. I do, and will, for a long time.
current mood:  sad
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| Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008
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9:14 am - The Bushies would be seething....
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.... if they had any notion that poetry even exists as a form of writing. The new Poet Laureate of the United States was named last week by the Librarian of Congress. Her name is Kay Ryan, and she's an out lesbian. Her orientation of course has no bearing on her position, but it's delicious, nonetheless. In the past, the Poet Laureate has participated in the inauguration of the new President, and I have a fantasy of Ms. Ryan standing there tall and proud in full view of the entire population, and more importantly Dubya, as she reads a poem that he won't understand in the least. Delicious.
current mood:  busy
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| Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008
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9:54 am
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The following came through a family email list the other day.
Subject: Never Argue With A Woman
One morning, a husband returned after several hours of fishing, stretched out on the couch and took a nap. Although not familiar with the lake, a wife decided to take the boat out. She motored a short distance, anchored and read her book.
Along came a Game Warden in his boat. He pulled up alongside the woman and said, "Good morning, Ma'am. What are you doing?"
"Reading a book," she replied, thinking it was obvious to anyone.
"You're in a Restricted Fishing area," he said.
"I'm sorry, Officer, but I'm not fishing. I'm reading."
"Yes, but you have all the equipment. For all I know, you could start at any moment. I'll have to take you in and write you up."
"For reading a book," she said.
"You're in a Restricted Fishing area," he said, looking down his nose at her.
"If you do that, I'll have to charge you with sexual assault."
"But-- I haven't even touched you!"
"That's true," she said with a smile, "but you have all of the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment."
He glared. "Have a nice day, Ma'am." He left.
Moral: Never argue with a woman who reads. She probably thinks, too.
current mood: busy
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| Wednesday, June 18th, 2008
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9:24 am
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Just because I had another one and they're still so damnably cute. I particularly like the contrast between the icon and this pic, or maybe I'm simply enjoying the way my mind twists to see the icon w/characters as presented, as opposed to the pic which shows the men who give me those characters, but the icon is them at work and inspiration for the fic and the pic is how I view them away from work in my fic, so reality and illusion bounces back and forth over the line several times.... Or, maybe I'm just in an odd mood since I got a full night's sleep last night for the first time in a looong time. |
current mood: chipper
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7:45 am - More on George Takei
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In case you wanted to read any more about his wedding plans, etc.:
1. He and Brad got their marriage license yesterday :-) . They were the first in line in West Hollywood. Cute quote from him that he gave on his way out the door.
2. His wedding plans. Two castmates from T:OS will stand for him, one of whom is a personal heartthrob of mine ;-). NO, it's not Chekov.... Interestingly, Wm. Shatner's name does not appear to be on the guest list. Unsurprisingly, Leonard Nimoy & wife are on it.
I've given links to People magazine because they spelled his name right. The link I got in my inbox was from the AP, but they didn't spell it right, or I should say they spelled it with an alternate spelling that is occasionally used. Bah. Perhaps that's quibbling, but.... Pfui on the AP. (Hint: I've been reading an inordinate amount of Rex Stout lately)
current mood: chipper
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| Monday, June 16th, 2008
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9:03 am
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::sigh::
So cute. Gives me an itch to do some fic, but I have a personal deadline re: manuscript. Another but... they are so cute. |
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| Friday, June 13th, 2008
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10:10 am - George Takei is going to get married :-)
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From Human Rights Campaign, click here to read all about it. Yes, he announced it weeks ago, but I'm just catching up with the outside world. Best wishes to George and Brad, after 21 years they're going to be legal!! Coming right after Ellen's announcement on her show, also weeks ago by now, I'm waiting to see who else is going to be sending out wedding announcements. Me and mine? Since I'm still not able to walk very well, we've decided to wait until after the November ballot initiative fails before making plans. I can't go through another Yes you are No you're not thing, like we did in '04.
The first people who will tie the knot in San Francisco -- presided over by the mayor Gavin Newsome -- will be Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon. He invited them to be at the head of the line, as he did back in '04, and I love him for it. Other very fun news here in the Bay Area re: same-sex marriage -- the Santa Clara County clerk's office (in San Jose) asked for volunteers to come to get trained to perform ceremonies, because they assumed they would be deluged next week (when it becomes legal). They expected 20 or 30 people to show up. 70 people did. I saw an interview with a man who looked like he could be the poster child for the Far Right - white, older, brylcreamed slick-backed grey hair, button down shirt, wire-rimmed glasses. Why did he want to do this? He was about to retire, and he wanted to do something useful with this time where he would be surrounded by happy people. And why shouldn't everyone have the same chance to be as happily married as he and his wife are?
I love this guy, too, and I'm glad to be pushed about my own stereotyping. You can't always assume that because a man looks like Cheney he will have that man's dark soul.
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| Wednesday, June 4th, 2008
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5:01 pm - New video content added to C/P page - 2 C/P videos :-)
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Misty_fur's video hosting service deleted her file some months back, and I forgot about it, then remembered again when I went to my site last week to check something for a new reader, and thought, "I need to contact Misty_fur and find out if this is on YouTube." The next day, there was an email from her about exactly that. Isn't the universe weird? So, I've reloaded her "With or Without You" Chakotay/Paris video on my site.
While at YouTube, I noticed another C/P video, watched it, and though the quality was bad, found it quite lovely. Choked me up, actually. The person who posted this on YouTube didn't give credit to the creator, and said they "got it off the web somewhere." I watched it again, and the final screen was a very brief title page, with the name "Layla V" on it, as creator. This name sounded familiar from my old C/P days, so I found her website, and sure enough, she made the video back on 2004, but her link to it was dead. So was her email link, and so was her yahoogroup update list. After a little soul-searching, I posted it on my page, with full credit to her and a plea that she contact me if she ever sees it. Yes, the quality isn't great, it's old-by-now .WMV technology that YouTube doesn't play well with. But, it's a wonderful video. And since I'm still getting C/Pers to my site, they will love this, and maybe get to Layla's site for some reading.
Go HERE to get to my C/P page. If you've got IE and have "active content" disabled, the YouTube videos won't display. If you want to remember why C/P was such a great pairing in the annals of slash, watch both of these vids. I guarantee you'll get the C/P itch, again.
Thank you Misty_fur, thank you Shayenne (for being Misty's impetus), thank you LaylaTrek. Great work!
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| Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
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10:23 pm - One thing Jesse did do -- Marvin Gaye on American Masters
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I was scrolling through the channels just now, heading for the news, when I saw that American Masters was on one of our PBS channels. It's the Marvin Gaye documentary, narrated by Jesse. !! It's pretty interesting, and more in-depth than an old Biography doc I saw a few years ago. It is awfully weird to see Gaye without a beard but with a big smile. He and JLM don't look exacty alike, but there's something about the general look of their faces that is so alike, it's uncanny. Jesse does a good job narrating.
So far, I've heard Sam narrate a radio program on Shakespeare, Epatha read a book to me on my iTunes, and now Jesse narrate American Masters. How well they did? I call it a tie. I want more!
God, the music they're picking for this bio is great (I love "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" that he sang with Tammi Terrell) -- come'on, Jesse! Get the $$$ together to make this movie! Uh oh -- they're now saying that Gaye "couldn't dance a lick." LOL. Jesse'll have to find two left feet.
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4:34 pm - Jesse M. is *not* going to Broadway.... maybe
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He gave an interview to his local paper, the Buffalo News, in which he says that he hasn't signed on to do Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. He doesn't say that he's not interested, only that the story was "premature."
It's nice to read that he was very happy with Ed's finale -- I agree with his comments about it. And he's also happy because the door was left open for him to return. I think there was mention of The Dick's (maybe joking) plan for L&O: Paris, France, in which JLM could star. :-) I say, "Oui!, only if *we* get to see it over here!!" I would love it.
current music: Ella Fitzgerald sings Arlen
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| Monday, May 5th, 2008
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4:58 pm - L&O: CI question (re: Goren)?
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What's the scoop on his "crazyness" in canon? I've seen the ep where he goes (frighteningly) undercover at the prison mental ward -- if that's what it's called -- and at the beginning of the ep, Eames and the captain are talking about how psychologically fragile Goren might be if he investigates this prison. As if he had some history with this place? Was there something that happened in canon aside from his mother's mental illness? Aside from his mentor's breakdown (goodness that was a creepy episode)?
I assume that the final scene of the undercover ep -- where Goren is giving his report to the brass, describing what he went through in "Heaven" -- is what is referenced in other eps when Goren refers to himself as "the crazy cop." Since he asks the brass if they assume that the experience of being strapped down for 18 hours didn't traumatize him because he was already crazy before he went into the place. They don't answer, other than to suspend him for being a "renegade," all the while looking at him with a sort of sneering disgust.
I know I'm confused seeing eps in a totally random order. Help?
current mood: tired
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| Thursday, May 1st, 2008
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12:26 am - A blast from the past to tickle your funny bone
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I'm passing this recommendation along, because, so far, the people who have followed it are enjoying themselves immensely. They, in turn, are passing it along. And since I just got through watching last night's show and had at least two laugh out loud moments -- which I admit I am sorely needing right now -- I thought I'd mention it. Quel build-up, eh? What's My Line? from the 1950s, broadcast every night on the Game Show Network (GSN). (Via my satellite carrier it's on at midnight).
I'm not usually a person who thinks that life and culture was so much better in decades past than it is now. I am, however, a person who enjoys real humor made up of equal parts natural wit and intelligence. I laugh at Chris Rock as much as the next person. But.... goodness gracious the folks on What's My Line are funny, and naturally funny, simply as a function of playing the game and trying to outwit the moderator, John Daly. Mr. Daly is a man who can make what should be a simple explanation of a "Yes" answer into the longest, most convoluted collection of 4-star words (to the delight of the audience and the panel) that you have ever heard.
For those youngsters out there who don't know this show, the game is this: regular folks with sometimes unusual occupations come on and the panel has to find out what they do for a living. Only Yes or No answers can be given. Every No nets the contestant $5, and 10 Nos and they've won. $50.00 was a nice little gift in 1950. The humor comes in the occupations, and the questions, which many times are inadvertently hilarious. Last night's show, for example, had a woman from upstate NY who imported elephants for circuses around the country; a man who owned a diamond mine; celebrity guest was Broadway producer Billy Rose; and the last contestant was a minister. And yes, the celebrity guests are a real treat to see.
The show started in 1950, I think. Right now, it's the summer of 1953. GSN is broadcasting these in chronological order, and it's a brilliant move on their part. Watching this show is one of the small highlights of our daily life, and I'm not the least bit embarrassed to say that. Maybe if you have the chance to see it, you'll feel the same.
current mood: content
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| Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
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9:40 am - JLM goes back to Broadway
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Thanks to CultureVulture, I get the by-now-old word that JLM is heading back to Broadway. (Old news to me because the email has been waiting for me). He'll be starring in a staged version of the movie Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, playing the role originated by Sidney Poitier. Great news for JLM and a round of applause, too, but I can't help but wonder how they plan to make the original story relevant. Mixed marriages are hardly earth-shattering, or enough, nowadays, to cause the liberal-minded parents of the movie to break out in a sweat. The entire dramatic clash of the movie is out of date. Wife had two ideas - they'd make JLM's character gay, or the daughter a lesbian, and the marriage is one for propriety or convenience. Or they'd make JLM's character Muslim, and the daughter a Christian, and the parents... right wing Christians? That wouldn't quite work, either -- the premise of the dramatic tension was that the original parents were die-hard liberals forced to confront their hidden prejudices. And liberal Christians -- I can't see that they would care, but what do I know?
Anyway, great news for JLM! Congrats!
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| Monday, April 28th, 2008
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9:17 am - Speaking of good Lennie shout-outs....
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Since I'm forced to sit with my leg elevated for 99% of my days, and only got online for the second time in a month yesterday (meaning I can't be on the computer to write, even if I had the energy to do so), I've been watching more teevee than is psychologically good for me. I've started watching L&O:CI -- which I initially loathed because it felt like Eames was holding up the scenery in the first 3-4 eps that we watched. It's on in the late afternoons here, and late afternoon has been more difficult, pain-wise. Anyway (geesh, what an intro)..... yesterday I saw the ep where Mike's neighbor died/was driven to suicide/killed herself. Aside from worrying about her dog from then on, I thought the ep was good. Mostly because the story that Mike told about having dreams of Lennie ("Mike, I'm not dead...") was lovely. Very nice acknowledgment of their friendship. Very well done by CN. Well written stuff.
I've also (finally) had the chance to see Rodgers talk about her opera date with Lennie :-). So sweet!
I don't hate CI anymore. I even sorta like Goren, youza. Eames -- love her. Mike's partners, not so much. I think that women actors who don't have the slightest butch side to their basic nature/personality can't pull off a tough cop. They just can't. Anabella Sciorra couldn't (though she also seemed like she was on qualudes or something...), and so far, none of Mike's partners have, either. The newest one? Definitely not. It just comes off as affectation, and not the character's personality. To me, anyway.
Maybe it's my butch-radar, lol. ::beep! wrong!:: Like that lawyer who was on the Mothership ep, Amends who keeps putting Abby down and finally sneers at her, "Wrong on the facts, wrong on the law!" and she retorts, "Wanna take it to court?" as only Abby could do. Wrong on the butch! Wrong on the law!
P.S. The CI episode that centered around the Frank Sinatra groupie kid, with Goren and Mikey knowing every last little factoid about Sinatra and the Rat Pack, etc., was peppered with so much funny. Imho, one of the funniest L&O lines, ever. Watching Goren and Logan trot off to track down some Sinatra locale or other, Eames says drily to Sciorra's character, "Our own Ocean's Two." I laughed out loud for a good minute. Maybe it was just the drugs ;-)
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8:44 am - L&O: Ed's finale
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| Saturday, March 22nd, 2008
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12:24 pm - Happy Spring
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I've been reading some good nonfiction lately, I suppose in keeping with a recent need for reality. We had to euthanize our beloved cat early this week, and fictional realms -- though wonderful distraction when in movie or television form -- don't seem to fit in the distraction module of my exhausted mind. I think they require too much imaginary thinking, and I'm way too tired to do that. I've been doing vet care for months and my bod finally let go after we let her go. ( Anyway, back to my nonfiction habit... )
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