Monthly Archives: October 2007

Nothing Much, But a Ton of Fall Pictures

Ironically, I was just thinking of this group last week : 13 years later, Arrested Development returns

I’ve just been taking care of little work stuff. I really need to focus on expanding the online store. I have a few ideas.

I went for a walk today, the longest one yet………went to a totally different part of the neighborhood. So here is another blog with a ton of pictures. =)

2007 10 30 003

That is the main road that we live next to. It goes straight to Portland. When you face the other way, you sometimes can see Mt. Hood dead ahead.

2007 10 30 004

I was actually taken this picture against the sun, wanting to see how it would come out.

2007 10 30 007

Now for some flowers. =)

2007 10 30 012

I found a rose bush that I just had to play with on taking pictures.

2007 10 30 017

I love the different colors that are blurred in the background.

2007 10 30 034

I really enjoyed this blending of fall colors.
2007 10 30 051
This was neat with the outline of white.
2007 10 30 048
For this walk, I seemed to have found more pink flowers then purples.
2007 10 30 052
Trying to capture the lushness.
2007 10 30 056
At the Halloween party I was giving this really beautiful rose.
2007 10 30 055
Unlike most of the roses I have had, this one isn’t falling apart as quickly.

Unorganized Babble & Politics

The Halloween Party was interesting. Not use to going to actually parties where people really dress up. So our outfits worked. =)

The blue dye made my roots looked grey and the adding the purple made my hair look black…………strange…..lol But our bathtub is blue. I’m going to wait a week for our hairs to bleed out before scrubbing again. Plus I need to get some different soft scrub, I picked a lemon one for the smell and read later that it is bleach free. Well, I can’t have that and get rid of stains.

I’ve been meaning to make this observation for a while, but I don’t know what has gotten into our cat Alexis. She use to be a little bit chunky, but now she has lost weight……looks like she did when she was younger. I don’t know if the cross country trip did it. She is also acting more like a kitten and her spazing out, more ballsy. And what really throws me is she has been yelling at me when I’m in the kitchen. This is a cat that never would drink milk (I haven’t tried it lately), barely lick the juices off of tuna and would have nothing to do with human food. Now she’ll nibble on a very small piece of cheese, tried a piece of chicken and luncheon meat………..and eat some tuna! It is all so strange! She is like a different cat………I was worried that she was sick, but as much as I clean out the litters everything seems normal………she still has her strange fetish of constant water.

Today was just get things back together in terms of laundry, trash and whatnot. I got a few things done online. Trying to think where I need to start tomorrow. I know I have errands 1st thing.

This article is music to my ears : The Evangelical Crackup

There are many related ways to characterize the split: a push to better this world as well as save eternal souls; a focus on the spiritual growth that follows conversion rather than the yes-or-no moment of salvation; a renewed attention to Jesus’ teachings about social justice as well as about personal or sexual morality.

Wow, what a concept………..Christianity focusing on the teachings of Jesus! About time! It is a very interesting, but long read.

I will say this for the NY Times, they really explore an issue. Just wish more papers did that.

Of course, that article made me think of the music from O’Brother, Where Art Thou? I hate the extreme right-wingers that preach hate, but I like simple bluegrass gospels that harmonizes and has heartful feeling. But then when I use to go to churches of my choice when I was a kid it was the spirited gospel ones of the Black Baptist. Boy, if you didn’t feel the lord and spirit during one of their sermons then you were in the wrong church………lol Those were fun.

I think I’m going to surf for some more news.

2007 10 14 fall 012

Passport Annoyances

We applied for our passports this week. Harold shouldn’t have any issue getting his, we actually have copies of his birth certificate……but me…… That is another nightmare.

I don’t remember if I explained the issue that I’m having. With being born in Germany I have a Certification of Birth Abroad. Well years ago we had to have a copy of it put on file at a recorders office and they were suppose to mail the original back. According to their records they did, back in 1990………but we never received it. So all I have is the certified copy from the recorders office. So I used that for the passport application and was informed that I MAY get approved for passport for 1 yr and then I have to get an original of the document that was lost by the USPS over 17yrs ago.

Which I didn’t even know that I could get…….so now I have to deal with the State Department and that was a nightmare trying to get the correct information for what I need, since my form numbers don’t match with what they say I can get…..they do change things in 33yrs. When I called the DC number I got caught in a nightmare from HELL with their automated system and I couldn’t get a person……just got hung up on!!! Is this what my tax dollars is paying for?!?! I only had a couple of questions that I need answered……..I lucked out and found a number for “passport” info here in this area, even though I needed info from the State Department, the guy I got was really nice and helpful. The DC number SUCKED!!!

Now I have to send off a notarized letter requesting what I need, copy of my DL and anything else I can think of……..like my original German Birth Cert., copy of my Cert. of Birth Abroad, & my very old expired military ID……even a copy of the form my parents filled out with the consulate in Germany reporting my birth………..oh yeah, I need to send a check with it all. But the good thing is that the form I actually need I can get more then one copy, so I’m getting 2 and protecting one of them with my life since I have to send off one of them to the State Department for the passport application.

I tried dying my hair blue tonight, didn’t really take……good thing is it a temp thing. We are going to a goth type halloween party tomorrow and wanted to go all out. So I’m going to pick up some purple dye and see if they have some colored jel. But I have to get my nails done tomorrow. Going to have them done in black for the goth and designed with gold so it works for my football colors of Purdue. =)

Then I played around with the make up. When we went and picked out our costumes we picked up some “geisha” type make up. It is actually more like what you would wear depicting the powdered Elizabethan age. It was interesting……I haven’t put that much eyeliner on since my hairband days……lol Boy it was a pain to clean up.
Dad called last night. Sometimes a girl just needs to hear her dad’s voice. =)

It has gotten chilly here, but it has been beautifully clear. Damn does Mt Hood look gorgeous.

2007 10 13 fall 004

It Was A Monday

I got some errands done and a few things done online. But couldn’t really focus the rest of the day. I keep having sinus headaches on and off all day, even laid down for 20min trying to get rid of it.

The weather was gorgeous today, really have no idea why I didn’t get out more. Got to see all the snow on Mt. Hood. I really need to find a spot where I get a good picture of it……..I always see it while driving, not the best place to take a picture.

Tomorrow we are going to get our passport stuff turned in. When I looked up the info, looks like the office doesn’t open until 10am? Which I find strange, I would’ve thought at least 9am just because most government offices open at that time.

We watched the Colts continue their undefeated streak. =) I would love to see 2 undefeated teams when the meet up with New England in 2 weeks.

I found out why my other 2 movies didn’t show up in my itunes………it wasn’t fully converted. If I went by the overview, it was showing that it was done…….when I looked at the details it was still going. Once it fully went through the process……….about 70 minutes later, it showed up. So I’ll do my other movie tonight. I’m still debating on doing the LOTR series……….that is a lot of movie. But would be great to watch while traveling on flights.

Here is a few pictures from my walk yesterday. It was over casted, so no blue skies. =(

2007 10 21 006

Unfortunately the sun was in this part of the sky, made it blinding when reflecting off of the clouds.

2007 10 21 003

Nice, green and full of life. =)
2007 10 21 002
Just trying to get the contrast of the red leaves and the stones.

Music & News Flash

I should be doing some work, but really don’t feel like touching it.   I may get my brain on it……..but I’m not holding my breath.  =)

I’ve finally been able to listen to some of the new music we picked up the other day. We picked up the new Bon Jovi (a given with me), John Mellencamp, The Legend of Johnny Cash, & Queen Latifah……….I know I like variety.

I really enjoyed the political statements that Mellencamp made with his Jim Crow, stating it hasn’t died just hiding and we have more to do to kill it off.  I really liked in Our Country the line that says :

“There’s room enough here
For science to live
And there’s room enough here
For religion to forgive
And try to understand”

But then I’ve enjoyed songs that reflect the issues we face as a society, Johnny Cash was always good for that.  Bon Jovi is always about everyday life that speaks to in ways to us of hair band days really relate.  Oueen Latifah’s newest one is a jazzy one.  Makes you feel as if you are at a club.

I’ve always admired her…….a curvy strong woman of color making her mark in a predominately male industry, what is there not to admire, but was never that familiar with her rap music.  When she was hitting I was really into my hair bands.

I still enjoyed rap, after growing up with  LL Cool J and Run-DMC in the neighborhood that I lived in Maryland……there just wasn’t many artists that caught my ear until I was slowing down on the hair bands.  I was always a huge fan of Salt-Pepper…..got into them before metal, but I really liked the hip-hop sounds that seemed more back to basics in content….like Arrested Development.  I’ve always enjoyed the sounds of soul and the art of harmony………so many people can not do that…….so I was always paying cds of En Vogue & Boyz to Men.  Now I’ve been trying to get familiar with some of the hip-hop again…….now that I may actually have time, but where to start.  In the last year I picked up some Black Eyed Peas, Lil’ Kim, Pink (love her feminist statements), Outkast and some Usher……I love my Christina Aguerlia, who has the soulful voice of the past with the hip-hop flavor.  Miss Elliot is next on my list.  =)

I think what I’ve always liked about hip-hop is the beats……..gets you moving and dancing.  When I lived in Alaska, my H.S. use to have lots of dances (what else are you going to do when it is 20 below) and I rarely, rarely sat down unless I had a blister on my foot……everyone did that, we danced our asses off.  And I know that I can’t dance, when it comes to rhythm I really am a cracker………sadly.   When I got stuck at H.S in Indiana that was full of nothing but white folks…….it is was horrible in that barely anyone danced, they just stood around.  But then they rarely had dances………I really think it was the area of Indiana that I was in.

We filled out our passport apps online today.  The government actually got smart and has it set up where it has a web page that asks all the questions that is needed and then it gives you a filled out version to print out.  It is perfect for those who rarely hand write anything and screw it up.  =)  So we are going to head over Tuesday to the government center to turn them in.  I’m so hoping that they aren’t that backed up anymore.

While avoiding work, I have a habit of surfing news sites. I came across a very interesting and disturbing article about a guy who risked everything to try to do what is right :  Naming Names at Gitmo

It is a long article, but if you care at all about what this Administration is doing to the Constitution and how they have ruined our standing in the world, you really need to read this.  They are turning the DOJ in the KGB and yet have the BALLS to lecture other governments on their conduct……that is screwed up.

We don’t watch “Meet the Press“, we watch “This Week”, but I came across the video clips from this weeks interviews with Stephan Colbert and Bill Crosby.  Colbert is just entertaining, but Bill Crosby really gives you food for thought.  I’ve always loved the way he has always pushed the importance of education and taking responsibility.  It has usually been in the context of black issues, but it is something that should be applied universally.  Especially with the way this society is today……….no personal responsibility.

I did get out for a walk today.  Did a horrible attempt of dancing while making the bed……I hope that it is nicer this week, I really would like to go to a park and get some pictures that don’t have houses in the way.  =)

2007 10 14 fall 012