Summer

Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it. -- Russel Baker

Deep summer is when laziness finds respecability. -- Sam Keen

Summer has set in with its usual severity. -- Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Heat, ma'am!  It was so dreadful here, that I found there was nothing left for it but to take off my flesh and sit in my bones. -- Sydney Smith

A bit of hyperbole perhaps, but I've gotten to that point in the summer when all I want to do is recline on the couch and read an easy-to-read book.  Or take a nap.  Or read a book followed by a nap.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Unfortunately, this heat-induced lethargy is having an adverse effect on my needlepoint efforts.  I'm feeling far too lazy to do even background.

Fortunately, the summer looks like it's winding down.  We've still got warmer temperatures, but they're not as hot as they were earlier in the summer - mid to upper 80's instead of mid to upper 90's.

So, I think I'll just get a cold glass of something and relax.

Papillon

Life at This Moment

To get back my youth I would do anything in the world, except take up exercise, get up early, or be respectable. -- Oscar Wilde

My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning and yet I'm happy.  I can't figure it out.  What am I doing right? -- Charles Schulz

At this point, the above two quotes pretty much sum up how I feel at the moment.  It'd be nice to be a bit younger.  But I know that's not going to happen.  So, I know that no matter how much 'work' I do, getting my youth back is an exercise in futility.  Hence, I agree with Oscar Wilde - I'm not going to exercise (much), get up early (never again if I have anything to say about it), or be 'more' respectable (let's face it, I'm moderately respectable - a failing of mine, I'm afraid).

I also agree with Charles Schulz.  Before I got out of college and into the workaday world, I had my life pretty much plotted out.  Then I got out and found out how much nonsense goes on in the business world.  Not backstabbing per se.  I'm referring to the office politics (good/bad/indifferent).  I always hated playing that game.

I also loathe committee meetings of any kind.  Which explains why I also hate jury duty.  I'm not one to endlessly discuss the minutiae behind any decision.  Any committee ever formed has always had one or more person who does want to talk everything to DEATH.  Which always makes me want to pick up a heavy blunt object and strike them repeatedly about the head and shoulders.

Plus, I won't discuss the bosses I've had over the years for reasons of possible defamation charges.  No, not every boss was weird/hateful/incompetent.  But enough of them have been and I've become a bit gunshy.

After enough weird/bad jobs with weird/incompetent bosses, I find I have no ambition left.  I don't want a career.  I don't want to climb the corporate ladder.  I don't want to supervise people.  Essentially, I just want to be left alone.  (Note:  Greta Garbo did not say "I want to be alone".  She said, "I want to be LEFT alone."  Hear!  Hear!)

Of course, all of this could just be my annual bout with late summer lethargy.  It's like the heat has sapped all the energy from my bones. 

Papillon

Me vs The Tree

When I became a homeowner about 18 years ago, my house did not come with a whole lot of shade trees.  Previous owners had planted trees, most of which were along the back fence, so they didn't provide much in the way of shade for the west-facing side of the house.  So I planted some trees.

One of those trees is a purple robe locust.  It's a nice enough tree that has lovely purple bloom clusters in the spring (they look rather like wisteria blooms).  I'd seen examples around town & thought it would be nice to have in the yard.

What I didn't know is that locust trees have a bad habit of sending up little offshoots - all over the place.  Most of the time I just prune them down to the ground until they give up.  However, there's one that's insinuated itself into part of the fence.  Which makes it very hard to get it cut back down to ground level.  I'm trying, but so far that particular shoot seems to be gaining on me.

I do feel sorry for my neighbors, they've had any number of shoots come up on their side of the fence.  I did notice a while back that they seemed to have cut down all that were readily noticed.  And I say, go for it!

I did do some rather severe pruning of the 'fence shoot' today.  I'll need to keep on top of it, if I let it get out of control it could turn into another 'Audrey' (feed me).

The things you learn when you're no longer a renter!

Papillon

Edward Abbey

Recently I ran across a quote by Edward Abbey:

"There is science, logic, reason; there is thought verified by experience.  And then there is California."

This quote got me thinking about Abbey.  For those who are unfamiliar with him (including me) - Wikipedia says that Abbey was born in 1927and died in 1989.  He was an American author and essayist noted for his advocacy of environmental issues and criticism of public land policies.  Larry McMurtry referred to Abbey as the 'Thoreau of the American West'.

I'm not sure of the dates but Abbey received a Master's degree from the University of New Mexico.  This is where he took part in one of the great practical jokes of all time.  (Note:  I'm not normally a fan of practical jokes, I'm making an exception for this one.)

A few miles west of Albuquerque are the remnants of several volcanoes which have been dormant for a VERY, VERY long time.   One night while Abbey was at UNM, he and several acquaintances took a number of old truck/auto tires out to one of the dormant volcanoes.  There they set the tires on fire, then headed back to Albuquerque.  Needless to say, there were some panicky people the next morning when everyone woke up and saw thick black smoke coming from a 'dormant' volcano.  It was checked on and found to be just burning tires and not actually a volcano waking up.

I just love this practical joke.  Nobody was hurt (emotionally or physically) or humiliated and everyone ultimately was able to laugh.

Papillon

Internet Acronyms

Last year I saw a story about tourism in Wisconsin.  It seems for years there was an organization called the Wisconsin Tourism Federation.  Of course, if you're a fan of Internet/text/Twitter acronyms - you will have already noticed their initials spell out WTF.  After much thought, they have changed it to the Tourism Federation of Wisconsin.  A number of folks on BoingBoing.com said they should have left it as it was - they could have made a fortune on T-shirts and other souvenir items.

Today, I saw another organization whose initials have been overtaken by the same acronym.  In large letters on a pickup truck was NWTF.  My initial reaction (pun intended) was WTF?  It turns out the initials belong to the National Wild Turkey Federation.  I didn't get a chance to ask if they plan on changing their organization's name or if they will leave it as is.

Papillon

Another Book Recommendation

I just got done reading another book.  It's called Just a Couple of Chickens (Raising Poultry and a Family in Hard Times) by Corinne Tippett.

The book covers a 5 year time span where the family moves to a 2-acre parcel of land east of Santa Fe - the author's husband is an entrepeneur in construction and she stays at home and takes care of the house, the 2 children and well over 100 assorted fowl, including chickens, geese, ducks, pheasant, and quail.

The book is both humorous and straightforward about the 'hazards' of dealing with Mother Nature on an up-close and personal basis.  Plus the hazards of being an entrepeneur during the economic crash of 2008 and 2009.

I recommend this book as an interesting read. 

Papillon

Malfunctions

I had been planning on writing about my recent trip to the Albuquerque Museum.  They've had a traveling exhibit from the National Museum of Wales - artwork collected by two Welsh sisters - 'From Turner to Cezanne'.

However, all of that had to be put on hold because my computer decided to become difficult.  It would allow me to connect to the Internet, but then my browser would not allow me to actually doing anything on the Internet.  OK, I take that back, I could do stuff on the Internet but only after jumping through hoops to get my browser to work with me.

After spending a great deal of time thinking murderous thoughts about my browser on Wednesday night, I disconnected everything and schlepped my computer to the repair shop.  They promised it back in 3 to 5 business days.  So I am now at one of the local libraries, using one of their computers.  It's a workable situation, but not especially convenient.

So, things may be a bit sporadic for the next 3 to 5 business days.

Papillon