Disaster averted…sort of

Ken and I enjoyed a lazy day today, and turned on football in the early afternoon. We half-watched some games and turned it over to ABC for the 3:30 Notre Dame-Michigan game. Just before kickoff...the station's signal cut out.

NOOOOOOOO! For the love of all that is holy, NOOOOOOOO!

We scrambled to try to find other ways to watch it. The TV in the bedroom didn't have a signal, either. The local ABC station didn't come in on the TV in the garage. We couldn't find a webcast. I caught updates on ESPN's website while Ken tried to figure out other options. We thought about going somewhere to watch it, but it's not as much fun watching it in a bar or restaurant; we were figuring we were going to have to go over to his Mom's, but I hated to drop in on them with such short notice. Both latter options had the added drawback of my not doing well with watching games around others except for Ken--I get way too agitated, foul-mouthed, and intense (although I'm not that way when I'm actually at a game...go figure). I don't want to make small talk, I don't do chitchat. I'm watching the game. You probably wouldn't enjoy watching a game with me. Besides, if we went somewhere, I'd have to put on pants.

Finally, DirecTV put up a notice that they were opening up other ABC channels that were usually pay channels, so we were able to get the game about five minutes into it. Whew. I was on the verge of a thrombo.

After seeing the way the game played out, it might have been better if we hadn't been able to watch it. Notre Dame had it won, but allowed Michigan to march down the field for a late touchdown--too late for them to mount a return drive. It was a very exciting game, and all in all, I thought Notre Dame played well, but they screwed themselves with too many penalties, and their defense was spotty. A reluctant congratulations to Michigan for the win (and you know I luvs ya, Alaina!).

I was feeling rather surly after the loss, so I made an executive decision and...took a nap. I haven't gotten a lot of sleep the past couple of nights (staying up too late, yes, my own fault), and after going through that emotional wringer of a game, a nap seemed to be in order. It felt good, and I feel much better now. The surliness is definitely gone! On to Michigan State next week--that should be another good game, but I'll hope for a better outcome for the Irish!

We're looking forward to a fun and interesting afternoon tomorrow today. Ken got an email last week from the Indiana branch of The Nature Conservancy about a guided hike in the Swamp Angel--Swamp Angel, Swamp Angel, will you be mine?--Nature Preserve, about an hour and a half southeast of us, and we thought it would be a fun thing to do. I'll be taking my camera and hope to get some neat pics, and I've got my pocket field guide ready to go in case I see some new birds to add to my Life List. Nothing like a healthy dose of nature to put everything into perspective.

I also cheered myself up by watching this. Thanks, Craig!

C’mon and break it on down

I posted this on Facebook, but it makes me giggle so much I thought I'd post it here, too!

I spent a couple of hours in the garage today "breakin' it on down." I got almost all the tables cleared off and the stuff ready to go to Goodwill, and three of the remaining tables taken down. Ken and I will make short work of it tomorrow and Slick, Blacky, and Blue will be back in their garage, snug as bugs. Yay! Since I got so much accomplished, I felt good about sitting on the deck this afternoon, reading the paper and my book. Mom called and we chatted for a bit, and it was a lovely day all the way around. This week's focus will be deciding what clothes to take to Florida...swimsuit, shorts, and tank tops. That should about do it. Ha! I should get a chance to wear some of the skorts I bought last year. I'm starting to get excited about visiting our "other home," New Smyrna Beach. It will be Ken's ninth year there, and my eighth (although I remember going there when I was a kid). We love our vegecation!

This morning, I read a Huffington Post piece about Sarah Palin and the trend towards anti-intellectualism in America. I thought it was excellent, and posted it on Facebook. Our friend Mark posted a comment:

I think that this was the direction I wanted my post to reflect in my journal ... but the thing about Palin is that her inability which fuels her insecurity, makes me wonder if she will find any traction with people who are like her, in a denial fueled by misappropriated feelings of victimization.

I thought that was so effin' brilliant that I had to write about it. I think Mark nailed it totally, and that is exactly what bothered (and bothers) me the most about Palin and others of her ilk. They seem to be saying that it's okay to be ignorant and uninformed. In the case of that intellectual giant, Sam Wurzelbacher, his attitude seems to be "I don't have a lot of book smarts, but I know how I feel." For Christ's sake, man, if you recognize the problem, do something about it! It doesn't matter that much if you don't have a degree, or even a high school diploma, at least if you're not trying to get a job--then it matters a lot. But do you try to learn about new things? Are you curious about the world around you? Do you try to figure out how things work? (I would ask that you draw the line at vivisection.) Are you intellectually curious?

I saw that lack in Palin last fall, and recent articles and interviews bear that out. She doesn't know a whole lot about policy, but what is worse is that she shows no desire to learn. Her handlers were rebuffed when they tried to prep her for her debate, or for reporters questions. I find that appalling. Hey, good for you if you're pretty and charismatic. At the end of the day, you'd better have a little more depth to you, though. I don't know how you can read the text of Palin’s resignation speech and believe that this woman is fit for any position above the Town Dogcatcher. Hell, she's not fit even for that--she'd shoot first and ask questions later.

Mark's comment about inabilities fueling insecurity, and "denial fueled by misappropriated feelings of victimization" was also brilliant because Sarah Palin doesn't have a monopoly on that--I've known people in my life who have that same attitude. I'll never comprehend why anyone would ridicule me or Ken because we have degrees, but I've heard it. I can only guess that it is because of exactly what Mark referenced...insecurity fueled by inability. Sometimes it's a matter of despising what you don't have merely because you don't have it. Whose fault is that? I have people in my family who don't even have their high school diploma, but they still love to read and learn, and would never resent me because I went to college.

Education--whether formal or self-motivated--is something to be encouraged rather than ridiculed. Even if you are unable to further your formal education, it doesn't mean that your education has to end, or that you should hate others because of what they have achieved. I believe that my education didn't end when I got my degree in 1984--it's still in progress, I'm still learning, and I'm still curious.

Hummm…

I had a message on Facebook from Milwaukee Dan #1 this morning, and he said that he and his wife saw a hummingbird around their azalea last evening. I've had one feeder up for a week or so now, so I knew it was only a matter of time. Sure enough, early this afternoon, I heard that little buzz and knew they were back! There was a male on the feeder. I haven't seen him since then, but now I know they're back, and I can hang out the other feeder at the front of the house (it seems to help keep down on the fighting).

I also saw a Rose-breasted Grosbeak this morning, both male and female, so they're back, too. I'll put out some orange halves soon, because the Orioles won't be far behind. Isn't it funny how you kind of get to know and love some of these birds, and are happy to see them return year after year? Or maybe it's just me.

Speaking of birds, Happy World Penguin Day! And thanks to Craig Ferguson for pointing it out on his show last night. As much as I love penguins, I had no idea today is World Penguin Day. I don't think I've written much about my love for penguins. I collect figurines and stuffed animals (although I've quit buying the latter), and this is one of my favorites, and one of my pricier ones, purchased in San Francisco. I like to get one from every city I visit, but I have price limits. I still don't have one from New Orleans, because the only ones I saw were in the Quarter, and about $150. I don't love penguins that much! I took this guy out of the curio cabinet to get his picture, and I don't even want to tell you how many I have...I've never actually counted, but there are probably a couple hundred. They take up four of five shelves in the corner curio.

I still remember how I came to collect them, too. I was in my mid-20's, and everyone likes to collect something, right? My sister Diana collects unicorns, and my sister Sue collects angels. I hadn't figured out yet what I was going to collect, when my friend Lisa from the lab came over one afternoon. We were enjoying a few amber beverages, and an animal show came on, and it was all about penguins. They were so cute, and the way they waddled made me laugh till I cried. I figured that any creature that could bring me such enjoyment and happiness was something very special, and my collection was born. They still make me smile, and as I was watching the video at the end of this entry, I said, "Awww!" several times. Of course, I loved "March of the Penguins," and I'm glad that it showed the world what I've known for many years: these are remarkable creatures worthy of love, respect, and every effort to preserve their habitat.

Again speaking of birds--the cookin' kind--the plan is to have our first barbecue tonight, with a chicken I thawed out last night. I'm hoping the weather will cooperate. It's been a little on the gloomy side, with a thunderstorm earlier today, and lots of wind.

Ken has been doing online research to find a place for his Mom and stepdad when they move up here at the end of May. He found several possibilities. I've been catching up on magazines, and read in Time about a cool thing that colleges and universities are doing. There's a channel on YouTube for education, and you can find hundreds of videos of lectures from professors from several universities, including Yale, Dartmouth, MIT, Notre Dame, and many, many others. You don't get credit for watching the lecture, obviously, but what a great way to open up education from world-class professors to anyone with a high speed connection! I've already found one that I want to watch, about pandemic influenza, which is especially timely considering the outbreak of a new strain in Mexico.

Which, by the way, doesn't qualify as a pandemic...yet. But it's serious business, and has the potential to be a big problem. It's a genetic combination of swine, human, and avian strains, and dozens have already died. Surveillance is being heightened, and there may be some travel restrictions at some point. I'll be watching this story closely.

Is that enough topics for this entry? I think so! I've already got another one percolating, though, and I'm not sure if it can wait till tomorrow. I'm very agitated.