My Graveyard

I know, I promise to post more often, start to and then go all non-com for a while.  Life gets busy every now and then.  Sorry about that.  Here’s some short ramblings to make up for it.

The Car-
*sigh*  We got the panel and door fixed.  The brakes are all-new and terrific.  We got a shiny new battery.  The muffler was next on the list for replacing, we needed new winter tires before snow flies and then the “Service Engine Soon” light kicked in.  The end result was we need to replace the entire exhaust system and the entire fuel system; which roughly translates to “It’s time to retire the car”, because the cost to repair both of those more the exceeds the value of the car, and is enough to acquire another, less-problematic car.  Not the news we wanted, but there it is.
In an off note, the day after we get the car back from the panel & door replacement, we went shopping, came back out of the store and someone had left a massive scratch down the side of the newly repaired area.  Doesn’t it just figure?

My quest for employment-
Slow going, for various reasons.  I’m hoping to hear back soon about getting in at the local Co-op.  A job there would be ideal because it’s within easy walking distance of home.  I would be willing to walk to town every day, but in the wintertime I’d rather not, especially with the storms we’ve been having the last couple of winters. 
In the meantime, I’ve made a tiny amount of money making some small crafts and selling them at a Farmer’s Market.  Yay, I could now call myself an artisan (under the more or less adage of ‘the difference between an amateur and a professional is being paid for your work’.).
I’m thinking of making up a small cache of goods to sell on-line come holiday time, if it works out.  Not eBay though, the market’s been flooded and to get a sale the price would have to be ridiculously low (we’re talking under-cost of materials).  We’ll see.

Other employment rambling-
I know a few people who are out of work and looking for it without luck.  Some have fancy degrees, but no experience and can’t make headway.  Some have lots of experience but no degree (like me) and they can’t make headway.
I know some people who just want to get the hell out of where they are right now.
I know one or two people who say they want to work but they’re not actively trying to find employment either.  Good luck finding a job that way, the market sucks, but no effort put forth certainly isn’t going to wrangle a job.
There have been a few business closings in town and the neighboring areas over the last month or so, it’s not very encouraging.

My Grandmother’s 80th birthday party-
Boy, is this already shaping up into a mess.  My mom decided nearly a year ago now that we’re going to have a big “to-do” for my Gram’s 80th birthday.  She decided she would be in charge of the arrangements, all the arrangements.  I got assigned to bring the birthday cake, yeah- assigned.
This shindig is supposed to be at my Uncle’s place about an hour’s drive from here, it’s going to be a BBQ type deal (yeah, that’s a fancy party mom…), we’re making the cake and one of my cousins has volunteered to bring a fruit platter (yes, singular fruit platter).  That’s as far as she’s gotten.
Monday my mom sent around an email basically saying “OK, we’re still having this party.  There’s someone in charge of the cake, there’s a fruit platter being made and it’s at this guy’s house.  I’m still in charge, but I’m too busy to put any more work in on this and I will not be able to do anything in the foreseeable future either.  You people tell me what you’re going to do for this, it needs to be the best party ever.”
I figure this thing is a train wreck in the works at this point and Gravity & I are considering gently taking over the reins of the project so it will be a decent party.  Thing is, to make the party a success, it’s going to need a lot of work and some effort from other people, which I’m not convinced we’re going to get.  Though I want my Grandmother to have a good time, I am loathe to grab this thing by the horns because it’s going to be a right pain in the ass.  I suppose everything worth having is though, so- we’ll see.

Well, that’s it for now.

After being reminded by a friend I never seem to update my blog anymore (largely due to months of arguing with my ISP to come fix the line that provides my internet service); I decided today, because the internet service is provided and a have a moment to myself, I would put up a post.  Yay!

Today I’d like to suggest you read an article I received in my e-newsletter from the Home Depot Garden Club about Recycling Water (you can visit the article via that link, but be aware that it’s throwing up a 503 error [that's Service Unavailable and in this case, due to too much traffic at one time] and you’ll probably have to try to visit it again later).  While I’m sure most of you could have figured this out yourself (I know I knew it all), I just wanted to share (again, if need be) how simple it is to do this.
Frankly, when you own your home, you get your handy water/sewer bill and it reminds you water ain’t free* and when you let the water pour down the drain to get to the cold (or hot) stuff, you’re paying for the privilege (well, you pay for it when you rent too, but you don’t usually get a nice little summery bill, it’s lopped into your monthly rental fee).
So hey, try not to let your money pour down the drain, OK?

In addition to the tips provided by that article, everybody knows to shut off the water while they brush their teeth, but try some of these:

When you boil potatoes, save the water!  Use it instead of milk the next time you bake bread.  You’ve recycled water, you’ve saved money on your milk bill and you get yummy potato bread.  (Would you rather have a prescribed recipe for this?  Search here.)

Love macaroni and cheese (from a box) and hot dogs?  Cook them in the same pot- add the hot dogs when the pasta starts to boil, they’ll be ready when the pasta is.

Cook your boxed mac and cheese in the microwave, it uses much less water (and won’t have any leftover water either)!  It also takes much less time and you could argue it less energy over all (and it won’t heat up your home in the summertime).  However, it’s important to know that the “standard recipe” to do this requires some variation depending on microwave cooking power and I find with different brands of mac and cheese too.  Start with the least water and shortest cooking time, you can always add more water and/or put it in for another minute or two if needed.  If your pasta is done and there’s a little water leftover, no big deal- leave it in there and use less milk when you stir everything together.
Personally, I find when cooking mac and cheese this way it requires less margarine (or butter) and milk when I stir it up (which saves money too), especially if I’ve accidentally used a bit too much water.  I usually end up using 2 or 3 tablespoons of margarine and a “splash” or two of milk (also a couple of tablespoons).  I also don’t stir it while it cooks- I find when I put in the margarine (before adding the cheese powder or the milk) and stir it up it un-sticks well enough.  You do what make you happy though.
And yes, you can cook your hot dogs and mac and cheese in the microwave at the same time, but be sure to add some extra water (1/4 - 1/3 cup more, assuming you’re using a half-pound of hot dogs.  If you’re throwing in just 2 hot dogs, I wouldn’t worry about adding any.  If you end up with extra water, just stir it in and use less milk or cook your food for a little bit longer; until it’s absorbed).

If you own your home and have an older toilet, getting a new low-flow model will help a lot.  There’s also an old rule of thumb (that not everyone is cool with) you could employ and/or try out a “Navy Shower” (but hey- I understand those aren’t for everyone and on some days, you just need a “Hollywood Shower“).

I bet you can find your own unique ways of saving water too. 

OK- done telling you how to live your life…. for now.  =)

*- When I was a kid, my Grandfather always used to tell me “The only things in life that are free is water and love.”  Over the years, he did modify it to “The only things in life that are free are cold water and love”.  He didn’t get around to taking water off the list as a whole before he died, but I’ll tell you that typically water isn’t free (at least not the water that’s pumped into your house).

They were up already, so why not?

What The Holidays Mean to You

For you, the holidays are about celebration. You enjoy all the fun and fellowship that the holidays bring. You celebrate the holidays in a minimalist style. You are likely to only give one great present and decorate your house with a few special items. During the holidays, you feel magical. You love all of the decorations and how happy people are. You like to sit back and take it all in. You think the holidays should be comforting and relaxing. You don’t like the holiday rush… you just like the simple pleasure of the holidays. Your best holiday memories are warm and intimate. You remember special moments more than gifts or parties.

Your Elf Name Is…

Buddy Snow Bunny

You Are Prancer

You are the perfect reindeer, with perfect hooves and perfect flying form. Why You’re Naughty: Because you’re Santa’s pet, and you won’t let anyone show you up. Why You’re Nice: You have the softest fur and the sweetest carrot breath.

You Are a Gingerbread House

A little spicy and a little sweet, anyone would like to be lost in the woods with you.

You Are a Snowflake

You live for the winter - blizzards, cold nights, snowball fights! The holidays are just a bonus!

Your Christmas Song Is

Silver Bells City sidewalks, busy sidewalks Dressed in holiday style In the air There’s a feeling of Christmas You like to take in all the sites of Christmas From city lights to eleborate window displays

Your Christmas is Most Like: A Charlie Brown Christmas

Each year, you really get into the spirit of Christmas. Which is much more important to you than nifty presents.

For the twelve days of Christmas, your true love will send you:

Twelve babies drumming Eleven snowmen a-melting Ten reindeer a-leaping Nine ladies knitting Eight cows a-milking Seven rumballs a-drunkening Six iPods a-playing Five golden necklaces Four calling secret admirers Three French berets Two bottles of whiskey And a fairy in a olive tree

You Are a Traditional Christmas Tree

For a good Christmas, you don’t have to re-invent the wheel. You already have traditions, foods, and special things you bring out every year.

Your Christmas Stocking Will Be Filled With a Puppy

Well - one cute, soft, cuddly puppy… And a very soiled Christmas stocking.

You Were Nice This Year!

You’re an uber-perfect person who is on the top of Santa’s list. You probably didn’t even *think* any naughty thoughts this year. Unless you’re a Mormon, you’ve probably been a little too good. Is that extra candy cane worth being a sweetheart for 365 days straight?

You Are Smoked Salmon Pate Soda

Tasting like fish ain’t so bad!

I would never drink that. Ick.

You Should Spend the Holidays In

Japan - where it’s traditional to eat KFC for Christmas Dinner. Seriously!

Your Holiday Personality is Caring

You like to reach out to people all year long, but you’re especially giving during the holidays. Make those you love homemade presents (like cookies or scarves). Call someone who might be feeling a little down. Give to your favorite charity.

Nope, You’re Not a Grinch

Although you may feel Grinch-like at times, it’s just because you’re worn out from the holidays. You get into the holiday spirit more than most people - and you truly enjoy celebrating with your family and friends.

You Are a Practical Gift Giver

Your gifts are useful, appropriate, and custom tailored to each person. In your opinion, the best gifts are gifts that someone will actually use. Your gifts may not be the most glamourous, but they are always appreciated.

Your Holiday Stress Level is Moderate

The holidays sometimes stress you out, but mostly because they wear you down. Take it easy! You can have a fun holiday without running yourself ragged.

OK, over all it looks like I like a nice traditional holiday and I give away useful, low-cost presents. You’re all warned!

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Thanksgiving Horoscope for Scorpio

You’re the sign most likely to start a family fight. Your signature dish: Cranberry sauce Your signature dessert: Cherries jubilee This holiday: Keep busy baking pies or taking wagers on the football game. It’s best for you to stay out of any drama!

You Are Mashed Potatoes

Oridnary, comforting, and more than a little predictable You’re the glue that holds everyone together.

You Are Apple Pie

You’re the perfect combo of comforting and traditional. You prefer things the way you’ve always known them. You’ll admit that you’re old fashioned, and you don’t see anything wrong with that. Your tastes and preferences are classic. And classic never goes out of style. Those who like you crave security. People can rely on you to be true to yourself - and true to them. You’re loyal, trustworthy, and comfortable in your own skin. And because of these qualities, you’ve definitely earned a lot of respect.

You Are 79% Thankful

You are a very thankful person - for both the big and little things in life. Your optimism is powerful. Getting through hard times is fairly easy for you.

Your Pilgrim Name Is

Damaris Cooke

Your Native American Name Is…

Tehya Salai Your name means: Precious Squirrel

I wanted to take a small moment to comment on something I never thought I would, Napster. See, I stick pretty tightly to iTunes and CONNECT. I know them, it works for me and I wasn’t particularly interested in reaching far beyond that.

Recently, Gravity’s Pioneer Airware XM radio died (apparently this wasn’t that odd with that model either), but she did have it for about a year and a half (OK, thinking about it, that isn’t very long for a piece of machinery, even given it was used pretty much daily). And so the Airware was replaced with a Samsung NeXus 50; model that had been top of the line when we bought the Airware. Now everyone wants the Pioneer INNO; so the Nexus is cheap (cheaper than what I paid for the Airware) and it can be used as an MP3 Player too. At risk of the story dragging out for too long, the new radio came with a 2 week trial of Napster (here’s a link I found on Google to a free 1 week Napster trial, if you’d like).

Here’s what I like about it: most songs you can listen to full length before downloading them.

Now, the ones that are “Buy Only” you still only get a 30 second sample of (I admit this has come up very rarely for me, I guess I am just not interested in what they think they’re going to make the most money on), and that still bugs me (I can’t always make up my mind if I like something in 30 seconds, especially if it’s a poorly placed 30 seconds, unless it’s so awful I know immediately I DO NOT WANT it).

Overall, I am able to listen to several full length songs before making a choice about what I want and I like that a lot. I thought I’d share that with you.

Now, because of the way the subscription to Napster works, unless you bought the track(s), when your subscription ends, there goes your music (so it’s sortof like Netflix [or your choice of subscription rental service], but mp3s instead of DVDs). This works OK for me right now because for 2 weeks I have the world’s best radio station (it has a streaming player built in that I use while Gravity & her radio are at work), completely customized by me (though it would happily generate a playlist for me).

Today I am grooving to the stylings of Prince’s Batman Soundtrack. A couple days ago I was listening to Michael Crawford while searching for disco hits to listen to next (it is so keen, though somewhat wrong, to be able to do that). Yesterday I discovered an album of Beatles songs covered in classical music format and I got to listen to Will Smith’s “Lost and Found” lp. I rekindled some fondness for Rod Stewart and heard some snappy remixes of his “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?” (I had that original lp on vinyl once).

Anyway, if anyone out there who reads this is interested in a service like this, I would recommend it to you.

 

Incidentally, the NeXus is pretty awesome. And tiny.

OK, not a literal baby. Well, it is a baby- just not a human baby (who’d want one of those? Human babies may be the only things that poop more than ferrets!). We’re getting a kitten.

One of K’s former co-workers has adopted a half-Siamese cat named Kiko (which is a beautiful Japanese girl’s name, though he’s boy). This is Kiko:

Kiko, shortly before leaving his last home, decided to impregnant the family’s other cat (a black and white long haired cat, which I sadly have no picture of) and somehow it has fallen to his new owner to help find homes for his offspring. That’s where we come in.

Gravity got an email yesterday pleading her (and all her co-workers, who also got the email) to consider adopting one or more of the kittens. Kiko and his lady cat managed to produce 6 kittens, 4 resemble Lilac-Point Siamese kittens, 1 of which is mostly white with some black spots and the last is simply a black cat.

Gravity has a thing for Siamese cats, as it turns out, and she wants a “baby” in the house (probably mostly brought on by the fact we won’t be getting her a dog for a while). After some talk and even an offer to let me name the kitten Miss Chan the Second (after our beloved ferret who passed away a couple months ago [No, we're not going to. Nothing nor anyone could ever replace my little Miss.]) it was decided Grav could have her Siamese kitten (she isn’t going to blame this one on me this time*, dammit!).

And so, we’ve agreed to take on a Siamese-looking male if they have one (which they seem to, though many people have a hard time telling the sexes apart), and with luck we’ll be meeting the kittens soon to hand-pick our kitten-of-choice. The kittens are ready to go in another month and then we’ll have to figure out a name for him (or her, if we end up with a girl). Ultimately, the kitten’s personality will decide his/her name, in the meantime though- here are some I’m considering:

For a Boy-

• Mace
• Maddox
• Major
• Makoto
• Maston
• Matthias
• Medwin
• Merv
• Mikhail

For a Girl-

• Mabel
• Mae
• Maeko
• Mahogany
• Mai
• Maika
• Mao
• Mardi
• Marigold
• Midori
• Misaki
• Moya

For either-

• Maemi
• Makani
• March
• Mars
• Marvel
• Mercury
• Mint
• Mitsu
• Myles

Of course if it’s a girl and her personality fits it, I’d name her “Maddox” in a minute. Or if it’s a boy and he seemed so, his name would easily be “Marigold”. I’m not too fussy, nor do I stick to the rules much. The name “Mandy” is reserved for our dog when we get one, so I can’t use it for a cat. There’s always the chance we’ll run with the tradition started by the kitten’s father and name them oppositely to their sex.

Welcome to the family, little M_______, we’ll be happy to have you.

---

*- this is because she did blame one of the cats we got on me. Only, it turned out 3 years later the whole thing was a freaking joke and she’d decided we were getting the cat before I even thought about us taking it home. She teased me for years about Millie being “[my] fault” and “[my] cat” because “[I] picked her out” and “[I] wanted her”.

…I’ve hit a wall. 

Well, this was to be expected.  The records from the closed state hospital went to the new “super hospital” (a huge hospital spanning several buildings and dominating the town in which they stand) and (by the sounds of it) were tossed into a basement closet somewhere to be forgotten about.

It seems I was seriously impositioning these people to try to find out why my birth certificate might have taken so long to get the doctor’s signature and they didn’t really seem to understand why I was curious about it.  Apparently, people only inquire about their birth certificate for 2 reasons:

1. to get a copy
2. to correct wrongful information on it (and hell, I didn’t know you could do that because I thought they were supposed to verify the info before they typed them up anyway).

Normally, sure.

In my seriously impositioning and time wasting of these busy, busy people,  my answer is “Perhaps the doctor was just busy”.  ><

What I know from my digging around is that it is true there were lots of babies born in the state where I was that year, just bearing my same surname alone there were over 600 (which makes me wonder how many Jones or Smith babies were born there that year, holy cow!), but I do have one of the more common last names

Maybe it’s true the doctor was really busy.  It still wouldn’t account for all the other issues that bring the matter to question, does it?   Y’know, the no family resemblances and stuff.

In the end, I suppose it doesn’t matter too much.  It doesn’t change who I am.  It’s all a matter of curiosity, I don’t expect to find some perfect family out there waiting for me all these years, I wouldn’t bother them if I did.  So, there it is.  As far as the super hospital is concerned nothing is remiss, that doctor was just busy delivering babies and was hard-pressed to find time to sit down and sign all of the certificates.  OK, it could’ve been worse.  =) 

Sometimes, I amaze myself by not noticing things. You know, like looking at a poster you’ve hung on your wall since high school and you’d just noticed some detail in there, though you’ve looked at it a billion times before.
This is true of my birth certificate, which I was looking at yesterday- when I realized some odd new things about it I’d never noticed before. I suppose most of us don’t spend hours peering over it (or maybe some of us do, wishing desperately for some tip off we’re adopted and really we belong to the not-lunatics we grew up with).

The dates on the certificate caught my attention yesterday. My birth certificate was signed by the doctor 29 days after I was born. That’s actually very odd. It was filed with the clerk 3 days after that. My birth certificate was not completed for over a month after I had been born.
Generally speaking, birth certificates are filed out promptly after the baby is born and gotten to the clerk’s office within 2 or 3 days.

There were practices back in those days where kids given up for adoption didn’t get their certificates finalized until after they were adopted, this was so the adoptive parents would be put on the certificate. Their names would appear as “mother” & “father” and they would be the people signing it. And that’s just all there was to it. Maybe the hospital kept notes on the real family, maybe not. I don’t know.
I’m sure adoption processing today is a thousand-fold or better more complicated, and therefore, has better records if you’d like to find out what the hell is up with something like that.

My mother’s middle name is missing from the “mother’s name” field. Now this could be because the person reporting the info didn’t know her middle name, but it was her boyfriend at the time. You’d think he might know that. If you’ll excuse him that, how can you excuse my middle name is the same as hers and mine made it onto the paper?
I just find this one weird, but maybe he was struck with a huge moment of dumbness.

There’s an address on the certificate that I had always assumed was the hospital’s address. It is not. True, it’s the same town where the hospital is located, but the fine print says it’s my mother’s residence at the time I was born. You wouldn’t normally think this was odd, but I’d grown up being told something completely different.
This piece of paper says she was living in the town of the hospital where I was born, she’d always told me she was vacationing (visiting folks) in the town where I was born.
I don’t know why the hell she would do that.

She had also always told me the hospital closed a month after I was born. Internet searching (Gravity did all the work, because her Google-Fu is much mightier than mine) shows the hospital was still around in at least 2002 (more than 20 years after I was born). It does seem to be no longer in operation.
Again, I am left wondering why the hell she would tell me that.

It does kinda sound like a shady adoption case.

Although somewhat boggled by my mom’s lies (she lies a lot, so I shouldn’t be so surprised), I was willing to just take it as that (she lied to me again), but Gravity thought it was worth some investigation (“Considering how your mom acts,” she said “You should be jumping for joy [that there's very good chance I'm adopted].”)

So, here we are, putting an inquiry out to the chamber of commerce in the area I was born trying to find out if that hospital’s really closed and where the heck the medical records for it went.
I guess once we know that, we’ll be starting to chase the trail to find out what is up with the long dates on the birth certificate.

A lot of people would probably tell me I should just ask my mom about this mess. Well I could, but 3 things hold me back on that.
1. She’s an established liar.
2. She has refused to discuss such discrepancies before*.
3. She has been know to deceive herself into believing certain things are or are not true over the years (particularly things that make her role in the event more flattering to her).
(*- I found her wedding photos back when I was a kid. They were dated on the back for August 1977. This strongly suggests she was married after I was born. I asked her about it [I was not mean, I didn't really care; I was just a curious kid.] She got hellbent out of shape about it, denied it furiously [I still sincerely doubt that they would have waited a year or more to get their wedding photos developed...], eventually snatched the pictures away and refused to talk about it.)
Those 3 comes before I take into account the situation where my mom claims to have miscarried twins, but all evidence in my memory suggests she had a c-section and the kid(s) (who knows if she was telling the truth) were given up for adoption. Every so often my mom will sigh and say “Today [or "This year"] the twins would have been ‘x’ years old.” That type of behavior is much more common to a guilty conscience than to a grieved one. Consider that although we made yearly graveyard trips to visit graves of loved ones, we never visited graves for said babies and they were never named. Sure, they could be buried as “Baby ‘Last Name’ 1″ & “Baby ‘Last Name’ 2″, but I doubt it. I can also assure you my Grandparents would have seen to this burial thing.

I really do believe if I asked her about it she would lie to me about it and refuse to discuss it further.

In it’s own way, it doesn’t really matter much. If I am a shady adopted baby, it won’t change who I am. Sure, it may free me from being related to the crazy liar mom, but it doesn’t really change me. Well, no more than Gravity pointing out due to the population zones & stuff I’m probably a half-breed as opposed to just a sheer mutt of ethnicity.
Gravity’s youngest sister has for a couple of years now been clinging to the idea I might be a “stolen Mexican baby”. Now it looks like she might be right (though it still sounds really funny). I can just imagine her crowing about that if it does turn out that way. =) Silly Nell-a-bell (and I just *know* she’s going to tease me by saying something like “I knew it because you love tacos!”)

Gods she’s a silly girl. The whole “stolen Mexican baby” trail of thought she bubbled out to me one day just cracks me right up. She was so passionate and so serious about it. =) That’s our Nettles.