Fresh, Hot Wastes of Time

You know… it’s pictures like this that really brighten up my day.

I think I just peed.

Today they announced the 8 finalists for the memorial at the WTC site. This one made me cry. I also liked this one, but I think it’s impractical. This one is also very moving.

I think that the most striking is the reflecting pools. If you’ve ever been to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., you know how a quiet, austere monument can be incredibly moving. The reflecting pools, which retain the footprint of the towers, looks like it will have the same kind of quiet dignity.

Went to the range today. I still have issues with shooting low. The only handgun I was accurate with is my Ruger MK II .22, which is enormous and heavy and a small caliber and therefore totally unsuited to defense or carry. I’m just going to have to take some sort of instruction to figure out whether it’s a mental or physical problem. Could it be a flinch? Stance or grip problem? Related to the tendonitis in my right arm? I don’t know, but I’m so terribly frustrated about the fact that I can no longer shoot straight with a decent caliber handgun. It’s like waking up one morning and realizing that you forgot how to read. Where going to the range used to be fun, now it’s just discouraging. Next time I will at least take my AR-15 so that I can reassure myself that I can, in fact, hit what I aim at occasionally.

And it’s pink, which is always fun.

The more I go into Nordstrom, the more I like it. It’s the shopper’s nirvana. I bought 5 pairs of shoes today. I haven’t bought that many shoes at once in 10 years – because no place sells in my size! Retailers think there are no women out there with feet past size 10. The one place in town who sells larger sizes (9-14) also caters to drag queens, so the shoes there are sometimes a little funky.

Anyway, Nordstrom carries up to a size 14, and they also carry everything from trendy Burberry to earthy Birkenstock. I have this pair of adorable Stuart Weitzman shoes on order, since they didn’t have black in stock. The sales lady was so helpful and not overbearing, bringing me not only what I asked for but other shoes in my size that she thought I would like based on what I’d picked out. It’s like TiVo for feet.

Then I headed over to the MAC cosmetics booth trying to find that perfect shade of lipstick that Gillian Anderson used to wear on The X-Files. Couldn’t find it, but the people working there showed me a spectrum of colors and demo’ed them all on their hands for me. I ended up getting a bottle of jojoba essential oil (supposed to be good for rosacea) and strolled up to lingerie, where I got measured for a bra for the first time in ages. The sales lady there brought me something like 10 different bras to try on, but hub called and needed me to come home, so I only ended up getting one. On the way out I stopped and checked out the womens’ sales racks (Fresh Produce stuff on sale, gotta go back) and bought Jo some more big girl panties.

Maybe it is not the cheapest store in the world, but their customer service can’t be beat. Between Nordstrom and Stein Mart, we have 2 really excellent stores within 2 miles of the house. And Nordstrom, although located at the mall, never has overfilled parking, and doesn’t assume you’re a criminal. They had their $895 Marc Jacobs bags sitting out on a table, for heaven’s sake! Other department stores have them under lock and key. I have to wonder what the Nordstrom security force is like in order for the store to leave pricey merchandise out so blithely.

But that’s ok, I’m not planning on stealing anything.

Since the information is absolutely nowhere to be found regarding the calorie count on the Jack in the Box pannido sandwiches, allow me to break the story:

Zesty turkey – 750
Triple meat – 650
Ham and cheese – 675

Zoinks! I ate one of the zesty turkey ones the other day thinking “Hey, turkey can’t be all that bad, it’s turkey”. It was really, really, really tasty.

Maybe it’s the time of year. When the time changes, it’s a giant energy sucker. I can’t seem to motivate myself to post anything. It used to be that I would say to myself dozens of times over the course of a day, “Hey, I need to blog about that”. Now I can’t think of a thing that seems worthwhile to post.

In any event, last night I remembered a riddle that my mother was never able to figure out. It does have an answer, but I’m not going to post it. Yet. Can you solve it?

God made Adam out of dust
But thought it best to make me first
So I was made before the man
According to Gods Holy plan
My whole body God made complete
With out arms or hands or feet
My ways and acts did God control
But in my body he placed no soul
A living thing I became
And Adam gave to me a name
Then from his presence I withdrew
For this man Adam I never knew
All my makers laws I do obey
And from these laws I never stray
Thousands of me go in fear
But seldom on the earth appear
Later for a purpose God did see
He placed a living soul in me
But the soul of mine God did had to claim
And from me he took it back again
And when this soul from me had fled
I was the same as when first made
Without arms, legs, feet, or soul
I travel from pole to pole
My labors are from day to night
And to men I once furnished light
Thousands of people both young and old
Did by my death bright lights behold
No right or wrong can I conceive
The bible and it’s teachings I can’t believe
The fear of death doesn’t trouble me
Pure happiness I will never see
And up in heaven I can never go
Nor in the grave or in hell below
So get your bible and read with care
You’ll find my name recorded there.

If you’re interested in our Epcot and Magic Kingdom pics, check out the photo page I put up.

Something about fireworks always seems to choke me up. The “Wishes” fireworks at Disneyworld were no exception. As expected, the production was spectacular, with some fireworks that turned into hearts or stars. This photo was the one that came out the best, with Cinderella’s castle lit up on the bottom.