The more I read about writing, the more my brain kicks in with these little flashes of stuff to write. Exercises, if you will. I get flashes of characters I want to draw in words, or places, or situations, or experiences. It always happens when I have no paper in hand or way to catch it. So frustrating!
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Been a While! General Update...
Goodness! It's sure been a while since I posted. I guess school really took a lot of energy this semester. That is now done till late August.
First things first:
I got moved. The apartment is a dive, and pretty small, but once I get the organization worked out, I think it will be OK. I was able to get the books unpacked, but the crafts are a mess. The kitchen doesn't work for me, either.
I got stuff for the bathroom to get that going. I needed a towel ring so I could have a towel near the tub when I got done. Also, all my nails went missing, so I needed nails and screws.
The cats are settling in. It took a while. Beasley is unhappy a lot of the time. Mostly because the girls are so insistent on snuggles and he feels shunted to the side. Once I take him to task and snuggle him though, he seems fine.
TV reception sucks, though! I can't watch my favorite show, NCIS. I have to catch it online or not at all. PBS also is not around here over the airwaves. I got a nice antenna and can only get about 3 channels. And those go out every time someone walks by the apartment or it rains.
I finally got HughesNet internet yesterday. That has a lot to do with why I haven't posted, of course. That and school schedules. No internet at home made for short bursts and barely keeping up with email.
I plan to study for the GRE this summer, and crochet a lot. I hope to finish the sweater I was working on last summer. And of course, the book of collected essays. I want to get that done so it's off my plate. I have 3 other books waiting in the wings...
First things first:
I got moved. The apartment is a dive, and pretty small, but once I get the organization worked out, I think it will be OK. I was able to get the books unpacked, but the crafts are a mess. The kitchen doesn't work for me, either.
I got stuff for the bathroom to get that going. I needed a towel ring so I could have a towel near the tub when I got done. Also, all my nails went missing, so I needed nails and screws.
The cats are settling in. It took a while. Beasley is unhappy a lot of the time. Mostly because the girls are so insistent on snuggles and he feels shunted to the side. Once I take him to task and snuggle him though, he seems fine.
TV reception sucks, though! I can't watch my favorite show, NCIS. I have to catch it online or not at all. PBS also is not around here over the airwaves. I got a nice antenna and can only get about 3 channels. And those go out every time someone walks by the apartment or it rains.
I finally got HughesNet internet yesterday. That has a lot to do with why I haven't posted, of course. That and school schedules. No internet at home made for short bursts and barely keeping up with email.
I plan to study for the GRE this summer, and crochet a lot. I hope to finish the sweater I was working on last summer. And of course, the book of collected essays. I want to get that done so it's off my plate. I have 3 other books waiting in the wings...
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Moved and Not Settled
I moved about 6 weeks ago, right after I got back from the Reno IWC Conference. I loved the conference, and knew I was moving right after I got back. So, life has been unsettled since then.
The first apartment I moved into was unacceptable. I moved to another apartment in the same complex, on the other end, and it's better. They just fixed the leak above the bathroom - today, so NOW I can finally get the bathroom cleaned up and set it up so I can function. NOW, I can finally get unpacked and get things set up in the kitchen (boxes are intermixed).
This has been 6 weeks of chaos. I don't like chaos. I didn't know I don't like chaos. I knew I liked organization, but I didn't know how much I don't like chaos.
When I was younger, I loved chaos and drama. I don't have the energy or time for it anymore, I guess. I like order, organization and cleanliness. I don't like insects, or disorganization.
I don't have storage in the new apartment. I have to make storage and cull my belongings so that things will fit. That means that some lovely items will be sent to charity or sold at a yard sale. I'm not sure how I want to handle things yet.
With school, I don't really have time to hold a yard sale. It would be nice to recoup a few pennies on the dollar, but it will be much simpler to just give stuff away. And the tax deduction at the turn of the year will help, too.
So, my cats are at the apartment, and I'm halfway there. I spend a few nights a week a the apartment on campus and the rest of the time with them. I still have to come back here for internet. I don't plan on internet at the apartment till at least June.
So, that's why I've been MIA. Back, at least a little bit, now.
The first apartment I moved into was unacceptable. I moved to another apartment in the same complex, on the other end, and it's better. They just fixed the leak above the bathroom - today, so NOW I can finally get the bathroom cleaned up and set it up so I can function. NOW, I can finally get unpacked and get things set up in the kitchen (boxes are intermixed).
This has been 6 weeks of chaos. I don't like chaos. I didn't know I don't like chaos. I knew I liked organization, but I didn't know how much I don't like chaos.
When I was younger, I loved chaos and drama. I don't have the energy or time for it anymore, I guess. I like order, organization and cleanliness. I don't like insects, or disorganization.
I don't have storage in the new apartment. I have to make storage and cull my belongings so that things will fit. That means that some lovely items will be sent to charity or sold at a yard sale. I'm not sure how I want to handle things yet.
With school, I don't really have time to hold a yard sale. It would be nice to recoup a few pennies on the dollar, but it will be much simpler to just give stuff away. And the tax deduction at the turn of the year will help, too.
So, my cats are at the apartment, and I'm halfway there. I spend a few nights a week a the apartment on campus and the rest of the time with them. I still have to come back here for internet. I don't plan on internet at the apartment till at least June.
So, that's why I've been MIA. Back, at least a little bit, now.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
The ERA
I'm here to talk to you about the United States government, your rights, and the political climate today.
Our country was founded on two documents, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Attached to the Constitution are the "Bill of Rights" which, as stated in the Constitution, apply to all men. Only to white men, though.
The Equal Rights Amendment applies to women. It is the last piece of critical Civil Rights legislation that is currently under attack. The Supreme Court is currently re-thinking the voting rights act of 1965, which gave people of color guarantees of their voting rights.
If the Supreme Court can gut the Voting Rights Act, the Equal Rights Amendment becomes even more important today.
Right now, women are not protected under the Constitution except as outlined in the 20th Amendment, giving women the right to vote.
Therefore, women are not protected under the first ten amendments under the Bill of Rights. Some of the freedoms not guaranteed to women include:
Women don't have freedom of speech. I could go to prison for writing this piece.
Women don't have the right for peaceable assembly. Your grandmother and her two friends walking down the street to the coffee house or to church could be arrested.
Women are not allowed to petition the government for redress of grievances. If the IRS makes a mistake and takes everything she owns, a woman cannot protest.
A woman does not have the right to bear arms. All the NRA groups in the country notwithstanding.
A woman must house soldiers not related to her in her home without her consent.
A woman is not secure in her house, papers or effects. They can be searched at any time and seized for any reason without warrant by a court of law. The law does not have to have probable cause.
A woman is not protected against double jeopardy or jeopardy of life and limb, may be compelled to be a witness against herself and can be deprived of her liberty and property without cause or just compensation, and without due process of law. This is what happens in rape trials when a woman's past is given as reason for her rape.
A woman can be held without trial, without bail, and without being charged, for interminable lengths of time if suspected in a capital crime.
A woman does not have the right to a lawyer, a speedy trial or a trial by a jury of her peers. She does not have the right to be confronted by witnesses against her, and does not have the right to compel witnesses in her favor in a criminal trial.
A woman does not have protection against cruel or unusual punishment, and may have to pay excessive bail, just because she is a woman.
Women are not equal in this country. Women are suffered equal status at the generosity of men. Women are only allowed these things because men say so. It's time to make it a requirement by law.
Pass the Equal Rights Amendment today!
Our country was founded on two documents, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Attached to the Constitution are the "Bill of Rights" which, as stated in the Constitution, apply to all men. Only to white men, though.
The Equal Rights Amendment applies to women. It is the last piece of critical Civil Rights legislation that is currently under attack. The Supreme Court is currently re-thinking the voting rights act of 1965, which gave people of color guarantees of their voting rights.
If the Supreme Court can gut the Voting Rights Act, the Equal Rights Amendment becomes even more important today.
Right now, women are not protected under the Constitution except as outlined in the 20th Amendment, giving women the right to vote.
Therefore, women are not protected under the first ten amendments under the Bill of Rights. Some of the freedoms not guaranteed to women include:
Women don't have freedom of speech. I could go to prison for writing this piece.
Women don't have the right for peaceable assembly. Your grandmother and her two friends walking down the street to the coffee house or to church could be arrested.
Women are not allowed to petition the government for redress of grievances. If the IRS makes a mistake and takes everything she owns, a woman cannot protest.
A woman does not have the right to bear arms. All the NRA groups in the country notwithstanding.
A woman must house soldiers not related to her in her home without her consent.
A woman is not secure in her house, papers or effects. They can be searched at any time and seized for any reason without warrant by a court of law. The law does not have to have probable cause.
A woman is not protected against double jeopardy or jeopardy of life and limb, may be compelled to be a witness against herself and can be deprived of her liberty and property without cause or just compensation, and without due process of law. This is what happens in rape trials when a woman's past is given as reason for her rape.
A woman can be held without trial, without bail, and without being charged, for interminable lengths of time if suspected in a capital crime.
A woman does not have the right to a lawyer, a speedy trial or a trial by a jury of her peers. She does not have the right to be confronted by witnesses against her, and does not have the right to compel witnesses in her favor in a criminal trial.
A woman does not have protection against cruel or unusual punishment, and may have to pay excessive bail, just because she is a woman.
Women are not equal in this country. Women are suffered equal status at the generosity of men. Women are only allowed these things because men say so. It's time to make it a requirement by law.
Pass the Equal Rights Amendment today!
Monday, February 25, 2013
I've been having trouble with my emotions lately. I'm flying off the handle at things. Maybe I need more "centering activities" in my life. Maybe I need a better diet, more sleep, or less stress. I don't really know if maybe it isn't all of these things.
My cats are living close by, in an apartment that is not habitable. There is a roof, floor, walls and windows. The doors lock and there are lights and water/sewer. However, there are also more roaches than I can handle. They are even in the fridge. As I finally got the fridge to work in the freezer part, I suspect that the seal on the fridge part is bad. The fridge isn't cool, and that's where the roaches are. I can't live in it.
There are other things that make the apartment objectionable, too. The floor is a bit too wavy and there aren't enough electric outlets. I can live with both of these if the roaches were not present.
The landlord is being very nice and giving me the option of two other apartments, or moving out. So, he's being very understanding. I'm sure he didn't have any idea that the roaches were this bad. I know other tenants in the building don't have roaches at all.
Until I see the other apartments (later today) and make up my mind, and time passes so I can actually move in, nothing will change. I'll be in this half-life of caring for the cats, sometimes sleeping on an air mattress to be with them at night, and all the time having a backache. Of course, I'm not sleeping well. Of course, my time is thin and my studies are suffering.
This move came on the heels of an amazing trip to Reno for the IWC. I haven't even talked about that because it was overshadowed so suddenly by this apartment issue.
Oh well, at least it's only a couple miles to see the kitties instead of 110 miles. At the price of gas, that's a good thing.
My cats are living close by, in an apartment that is not habitable. There is a roof, floor, walls and windows. The doors lock and there are lights and water/sewer. However, there are also more roaches than I can handle. They are even in the fridge. As I finally got the fridge to work in the freezer part, I suspect that the seal on the fridge part is bad. The fridge isn't cool, and that's where the roaches are. I can't live in it.
There are other things that make the apartment objectionable, too. The floor is a bit too wavy and there aren't enough electric outlets. I can live with both of these if the roaches were not present.
The landlord is being very nice and giving me the option of two other apartments, or moving out. So, he's being very understanding. I'm sure he didn't have any idea that the roaches were this bad. I know other tenants in the building don't have roaches at all.
Until I see the other apartments (later today) and make up my mind, and time passes so I can actually move in, nothing will change. I'll be in this half-life of caring for the cats, sometimes sleeping on an air mattress to be with them at night, and all the time having a backache. Of course, I'm not sleeping well. Of course, my time is thin and my studies are suffering.
This move came on the heels of an amazing trip to Reno for the IWC. I haven't even talked about that because it was overshadowed so suddenly by this apartment issue.
Oh well, at least it's only a couple miles to see the kitties instead of 110 miles. At the price of gas, that's a good thing.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Horrible Mood - Moving!
I've been in a horrible mood for a few days now. I am moving and I hate moving. The disruption, not being able to find anything, the disarray, and the upset. I know it's just temporary, but it still sucks. I just hate it. So do my cats.
I'll be SO glad when the move is over and all my stuff is in one place and it's just a matter of emptying boxes.
I'll be SO glad when the move is over and all my stuff is in one place and it's just a matter of emptying boxes.
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