Barb’s Burblings

To make your Friday go a little faster…we move from elf bowling to cat bowling. It takes a little while to load, but is worth it.

I finished a very fluffy chick lit novel tonight so thought I’d try to make my brain do a little bit of work and I picked up Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose. My dad had lent it to me ages ago (I want to say it was last summer or maybe last Christmas) and I thought it’d be a good idea to return it when I’m in Oregon in December. I opened the book and found on the inside cover of the book my dad’s signature and the date he got it (12/25/2002; I think I may have been the one to get it for him that Christmas). And for some reason I was really moved. I guess it was just one of those “I miss my parents” moments. And it was kind of funny and touching that he signed it in the first place.

From my horoscope’s mouth to God’s ears:
Scorpio Daily Horoscope
by Astrology.com
You’ll be very, very busy for the next couple of days–but for once, that won’t translate into stressed, hectic or frenzied. Think of this as your opportunity to get a lot done with a great big smile on your face.

It wasn’t until I pulled into the driveway of one of my tutorees that I realized that fall had arrived. The driveway was covered in fallen leaves. Sure, I had noticed some leaves were falling and the leaves on the trees were starting to change, and I certainly had noticed it was chillier…but today is when it really hit me. I drove home, really seeing the different colors on the trees. It was good.
I’m feeling slightly out of it at the moment, due mostly in part to an obnoxious sore throat. It’s very odd; it’s less “sore throat” and more “stabbing pain in the throat when I swallow.” I napped after tutoring in hopes it would go away; didn’t work. But other than the throat thing, I feel fine. Weird.
And naturally…I’m doing work. Good times.
Current song in my head:
“Being Alive” from Company (Thanks to the PBS Broadway series this week, I’ve been listening to more cast recordings than normal. If you missed you, you should check it out when it replays–it was fantastic.)

The Amazing Race 6 will premiere on Tuesday, November 16, at 9 p.m. In a move to screw me over, they’re airing it against Scrubs. Typical.

I can always tell that my birthday is approaching by the annual Receiving of the Life Insurance Bill. When I was born, my parents took out a life insurance policy on me with Mutual of New York, and the payment is due on my birthday each year. Once I graduated from college, my parents told me I had to start paying it (or I could cancel, I guess, but it really isn’t much). And today the bill came. So it’s like, “Yay, my birthday!” but also, “Man, a bill.”

The British newspaper The Guardian has undertaken Operation Clark County, in which readers who provide their email address will receive the name and address of a voter in Clark County, Ohio.
Writing to a Clark County voter is a chance to explain how US policies effect you personally, and the rest of the world more generally, and who you hope they will send to the White House. It may even persuade someone to use their vote at all.
As you can imagine, there are a number of Ohioans who aren’t too happy with this effort. Here’s a selection of responses; some supportive, most not so much. It’s an intriguing concept, but I can’t imagine how I’d react if I got such a letter. It does give off an air of arrogance.
My favorite of the responses:
My dear, beloved Brits,
I understand the Guardian is sponsoring a service where British citizens write to Americans to advise them on how to vote. Thank heavens! I was adrift in a sea of confusion and you are my beacon of hope!
Feel free to respond to this email with your advice. Please keep in mind that I am something of an anglophile, so this is not confrontational. Please remember, too, that I am merely an American. That means I am not very bright. It means I have no culture or sense of history. It also means that I am barely literate, so please don’t use big, fancy words.
Set me straight, folks!
Dayton, Ohio
In any case, this only helps make me think that my trip over there (England, not Ohio) should be very intriguing.

As I reached the top of the escalator at the Bethesda Metro this morning, whom am I greeted by but my old friend, Sheldon? That’s right. Good ol’ Shel is apparently making the rounds of the Montgomery County Metro stations. Good for him. I’m pulling for him.
Anyway, I also just want to say that my stress level is already high enough; the ALCS is doing nothing to help me.

Scorpio Daily Horoscope
by Astrology.com
Your current philosophy can be summed up in just one word: whatever. Well, good for you. Let the universe handle the details, and give your ordinarily intense little self a well-deserved day off.
Heh. That’s frequently my philosophy.