Tuesday, November 24, 2009

A Most Fortunate Malady

I was suddenly struck by an unexplained malady yesterday. I was bopping through my workday feeling fairly well and right around lunchtime I began to feel as though I were coming down with the flu. I felt achy, feverish and queasy. I was majorly freaked. After all, I have Kirsten's family coming for Thanksgiving dinner. My manager walked past my desk and asked if I was ok. When I told him I wasn't feeling well he recoiled and ordered me to go home. This was of course not for my welfare but because he has a running race coming up and didn't want to catch something from me.

I drove home, dreading the tale of the thermometer and wondering if I could contact Dr. G. B. for a script for Tamiflu. Then I took my temp and found I was not running a fever at all. Damn thing wouldn't even come up to normal. (Typical for me; low-acting thyroid causes me to run a bit low on temp).

So, after chilling on the couch for a few minutes I thought I should see if I could accomplish a few chores while I was home during both daylight and nice weather. Against the advice of friends and girlfriend I dragged out the lawn mower and made the front yard look like humans lived there again. This activity kicked off a fortunate series of events. My elderly neighbor saw me in the yard and came over to tell me he had cut up some wood I could use in my stove. I got my wheelbarrow and came over to retrieve it. While there, his wife asked if I would like to see their son's garden. It was indeed impressive and I really wanted to replicate it in my own backyard. One conversation led to another and before I knew it she was offering me fresh lettace out of the garden. Filled a bag and gave it to me. I then commented on a planter with fresh basil in it and she said- "Do you want some? Ronnie says he is going to till it under this week". She helped me gather huge stems and I came home with wood, lettace and enough basil to look like an embarrassing bouquet.

I decided to make pesto. I ran out to the store to get parmesan and walnuts and a bit more olive oil. The next 2 hours was spent feeding fragrant leaves into my roomie's food processor. I ended up with probably about a half gallon of fresh pesto.

Besides this lucky streak, the thing I enjoyed the most was sitting down and chatting with my neighbors. They are such sweet people and they always give me something. I appreciate the thought more than the gifts and I wonder if the current generation of neighbors will ever connect with people in this way. They are like the grandparents I always wanted. Mr. Schaeffer (the neighbor) even taught me how to sharpen a chainsaw blade.

Tonight I am taking the neighbors some fresh pesto.

Oh, and I found a quarter in the parking lot of HEB. Best sick day ever!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Sister's Edge Letter to the Editor

I can't seem to get the Chronicle's online machine to accept my post so I will be satisfied with posting it here.

I've been standing quietly to the side (feeling a bit like Cassandra) and watching the buildup of the new women's bar space, hoping and wishing things might turn out differently this time.

Everyone can agree that lesbian bars in Austin are notoriously short-lived. There are probably as many opinions as to why as there are people involved. I’ll roll off the most likely:

1) Austin is a pretty open and accepting place and lesbians can go pretty much anywhere in town without being openly harassed for being gay. This makes a women’s bar more of a want than a need.

2) Women tend to drink less than men (and generally spend less money on alcohol) and while initially interested in the idea of a bar, most women do not think of a bar as an essential part of their culture and/or a place to hang out the majority of nights in a week.

3) This is probably the most controversial of theories: Women turn their backs on a business if everything is not to their liking. I’ve witnessed this time and again and it has really been the death knell of several attempts to create a women’s bar space in Austin. The old Sidekicks died as a result of Craigslist rants regarding the bar having unfriendly staff, dirty facilities and drug use, all spouted behind the protective shield of anonymity the online world can provide. I have already seen it begin for Sister’s Edge the day after its opening. Comments complaining about slow service, poor music choices, smoky environment and long lines are already being poured into the vat of cynical rants- Craigslist Women Seek Women.

If women in Austin really want a bar that will last they need to address the issues above. Obviously the men in Austin’s gay community can keep a bar thriving for years, as evidenced by Charlie’s and Oil Can Harry’s. If the stories that the bar owners of Sister’s Edge changed it into a men’s country bar because it was a lot less trouble than trying to cater to picketing and spotty crowds, lesbians need to find a different way to express their displeasure or accept that the occasional women’s night or special event may be all our vibrant and wonderful community of women can expect.

I hope I am wrong. This community should prove me wrong. I'd like nothing better.

Monday, November 16, 2009

What I do when the phone is not ringing...

My job at the state can be a little slow at times. During these times I usually amuse myself with visiting some web sites. I thought I would share the ones I enjoy most and hope that my cracked sense of what is hilarious does not alter your opinion of me.

Enjoy. Or avoid. Whichever is appropriate.

http://dorothysurrenders.blogspot.com/
This one is a very witty woman that writes mainly about lesbians in the entertainment industry, but don't let the description fool you. She is also a pretty effective activist and has made me nod in admiration on more than one occasion.

http://itemnotasdescribed.com/
This one is just delightful in that wry ironic kind of way. Consisting of free items or offers to sell things on Craigslist, it reveals a lot about humanity and allows a glimpse into lives that make us feel so much better about our own.

http://news.yahoo.com/comics/janes-world
A comic strip I probably should have started reading years ago because I still don't understand all the characters and how they interact but I still find myself reading it each week to keep up.

http://tinyartdirector.blogspot.com/
It doesn't look like this site is updated much anymore but it is hilarious and wonderfully done. I suggest starting at the last entry and working backwards to the latest. The artist is very talented and his child is a bit scary.

http://ugliesttattoos.com/
One of my very favorites for the sheer spectacle of it all. The tattoos displayed are not always safe for the workplace but well worth a look in all their disturbed glory.

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/
The name says it all. Disturbing and hilarious.

http://www.fmylife.com/
Twitter-like entries of everyday disasters. Often repulsive, frequently heart-wrenching.

http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/
Imagine your past family photos even more embarrassing than you remember. Being judged and mocked by others. Better than therapy.

http://failblog.org/
An addiction spawned by my BFF C.

http://icanhascheezburger.com/
Best funny cat photo site ever.

http://www.msnbc.com
I used to go to CNN more but they changed their formatting and it's kinda blah now.

http://crooksandliars.com/
A nice lefty political site.

http://www.snopes.com/
The most awesome of urban legend de-bunking sites. I visit anytime someone sends me a mass email claiming something I doubt.