Had a good talk last night. It's been a rather important few days. Much has been discussed, revealed, admitted, acknowledged, shared, negotiated, recognized, and explained; things are in the open, as they should be, and now it just (just?) remains to be seen how they all get dealt with. And I know they'll be okay, I'm just not yet sure how they'll be okay. There are a variety of possibilities, good and bad, and we just have to find the path and avoid the thorns.
Why do I feel like breaking into a song from the 'Once More, With Feeling' soundtrack?

A long Saturday at work. I'd rather not.

I noticed sometime yesterday that Picasso's dot is missing from my GuestMap, and I have no idea why. Arrgh.

11/29/2002 9:42 Friday PM
The twenty-fourth day of Ramadan.
"Abdullah b. Amr (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said to me: 'Abdullah b. Amr, you fast continuously and stand in prayer for the whole of night. If you do like that, your eyes would be highly strained and would sink and lose sight. There is no (reward for) fasting (for him) who fasts perpetually. Fasting for three days during the month is like fasting, the whole of the month.' I said: I am capable of doing more than this, whereupon he said: Observe the fast of David. He used to fast one day and break (the other) day. And he did not turn back in the encounter." (Muslim)

11/29/2002 12:08 Friday AM
Well, we've put together a AlmostEveryFridayFive for today.

1. What is the coldest temperature you've ever been in?
Well, this is Florida, and I've only spent a few weeks of winter outside of Florida. Those were in Maryland, at my grandparents' house. One vacation I spent up there, I was SO hoping to see snow for the first time. It snowed a week or so before I got up there, and it snowed a week or so after I left. Guess when it did not snow. I know it was cold, maybe in the high teens, but that's it. At one point I walked outside on the sidewalk. My grandmother told me to be careful, not to slip on the ice on the sidewalk. I couldn't see any ice, and told her, oh, it's ok, I'll be alright.
Guess who landed on his ass, hard, a few seconds later.
So to this day, I've never really seen snowfall. I've seen snow on the ground, but never seen it fall. Here in Florida, I doubt I've ever seen temperatures lower than the low twenties.
2. What is the hottest temperature you've ever been in?
Florida! And it's not the heat, it's the humidity.
It gets over a hundred here occasionally, but not very often. But it does happen. The high temperatures during summer average in the mid- to high nineties here. I'd have to say that's it.
3. In general, would you rather be too hot, or too cold?
Too cold, definitely. I'm sensitive to being cold, but MUCH more sensitive to being warm or hot. I can't stand it. If the AC breaks down during summer, I've been known to drape wet towels over my pillow at night. I hate that fine sheen of sweat you develop just walking out to get the newspaper. If you're cold, you can always add more layers of clothing. If you're hot, there's only so far you can go in the opposite direction before you're offending your neighbors, and even that doesn't necessarily cool you off. Plus, being cold is, for me, almost always tied to mood. Being cold usually means winter, which means the holiday season, and all of the associated festivities. In contrast, being warm or hot rarely is associated with a mood for me. On a related note, when you're cold, you can comfort yourself with foods, for instance: soups, grilled cheese sammiches, oatmeal or grits for breakfast, hot tea, hot cocoa with the little marshmallows. And finally, not to sound all mushy, but being cold is really quite bearable if you've got someone to try to stay warm with...But when you're hot, it's much less fun to try to cool off, because both people are already in foul moods and irritated at being too warm.
4. What settings do you use for your air-conditioning and/or heater?
Or, when do you light a fire in the fireplace?
First of all, I don't have a fireplace; I wish I did.
On the air-conditioning, I usually keep it around 78 degrees or so. Any lower than that, I start to feel it. If it gets above 80 or so, you get that sweat just walking around the house. (And it's not the temperature, it's the humidity.) I'll sometimes leave the AC on all day when I'm out, so the house is frigid when I get home at night, but I get acclimated fairly quickly and then I start thinking, geez, turn that off! Let's let it warm up a little! My brother used to joke about calling me the "Snow Queen," because he preferred it even higher than I do, around 80 or so. But in recent years he's been turning it lower and lower until even I start walking around uncomfortably cold.
During colder weather, I keep the heater about 70 or 72. Any lower than that and I start feeling it on my legs; any higher than that and I start reaching for the windows.
5. What's the most extreme form of precipitation you've ever been in?
Well, that would have to be the day that fire rained from the skies, and the rivers ran as blood. It was really quite fascinating.
But other than that, I'd say that it would have to be rain. Florida rain! Nothing like it. Living in Central Florida, we unfortunately don't get the good hurricances, though. No, of course not. The Carolinas, THEY get the hurricanes. And Louisiana. And Mississipi. But Central Florida?? Noooo...No such luck.
For what it's worth, though, we get some damned hard rains here. Several times every summer, I find myself thinking, wow, I don't think it's ever rained THIS hard. And then a couple of weeks later, I say the same thing. A couple of times a year we'll get some hail here, of varying size. A few years ago a major hailstorm hit the campus one day. In some lots, every single car went home looking like a giant golfball, dimpled from the hail. Mine got lucky, I was in a lot that didn't get hit so badly. But for a long time afterwards, while walking through campus parking lots, you'd see badly dimpled cars, and you knew exactly where they'd been one disastrous day months earlier.

11/28/2002 6:44 Thursday PM
(Urp....) It was...(yawn)...a good...(yawn)...meal.

11/28/2002 10:20 Thursday AM
The twenty-third day of Ramadan.
"Abu Haraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: If any one of you is invited, he should accept (the invitation). In case he is fasting, he should pray (in order to bless the inmates of the house), and if he is not fasting he should eat." (Muslim)

Today is Thanksgiving. Gobble gobble gobble.
That is, of course, the sound of a turkey, and not the sound at the dinner table.
I hope it's a good Thanksgiving for all. There are people I'm thinking about right now - family, friends, loved ones - but then, they are the people I think about all the time anyway. I will eat yams in their honor. I will eat yams with them in spirit. The spirit will probably not eat yams, and that's okay. As long as the spirit is always with me.

I think it most appropriate today to link to the script of one of my favourite Buffy episodes, Season Four's 'Pangs,' which has a Thanksgiving theme and which itself deals with many of Thanksgiving's themes - being or not being with the ones you love (and even the ones you don't); what it is, exactly, that we're celebrating; the clash of cultures; and yams.
And it has two great lines:
"To commemorate a past event, you kill and eat an animal. It's a ritual sacrifice, with pie." (Anya, Part 1)
"Over bickering and confusion, I'll take pie." (Buffy, Part 3)

So I finally decided to have a rather subdued spread. I will have a larger feast for Eid, when I can actually enjoy leftovers during the day. For today, though, I'm preparing a large breast of turkey (I will do a whole bird for Eid, either roasted or deep-fried); yams covered with marshmallow; mashed potatoes; gravy; some garlic/herbed rice; stuffing; unmushy peas; bread; and pumpkin pie. It'll be about 3pm or so; I won't partake until sundown, of course, about 6pm or so. Until then, I will cook, relax, watch parades, watch X-Files marathons on Sci-Fi, watch Buffy marathons on FX, watch football, watch the 'Boys beat Spurrier and the Redskins, watch the Lions, watch that freakish six-legged turkey, clean up, doze, think and smile, affectionately wipe an imaginary bit of gravy off the corner of the spirit's lovely mouth, play with the hounds, and wait.

11/27/2002 11:52 Wednesday PM
The twenty-second day of Ramadan.
"Narrated Abu Huraira:

I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "Anybody who spends a pair of something in Allah's Cause will be called from all the gates of Paradise, "O Allah's slave! This is good.' He who is amongst those who pray will be called from the gate of the prayer (in Paradise) and he who is from the people of Jihad will be called from the gate of Jihad, and he who is from those' who give in charity (i.e. Zakat) will be called from the gate of charity, and he who is amongst those who observe fast will be called from the gate of fasting, the gate of Raiyan." Abu Bakr said, "He who is called from all those gates will need nothing," He added, "Will anyone be called from all those gates, O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "Yes, and I hope you will be among those, O Abu Bakr."" (Bukhari)

11/27/2002 8:12 Wednesday PM
Sometimes miles are meaningless.
Well, today was the day. I hope the next few days are fun. They'll be a bit less fun over here, and Friday certainly won't be the same. But Monday is soon. And it's not all about me, anyway. I have so much to say about all of this, and I've started and re-started several times, sounding disjointed and nearly incoherent a couple of times. So much to say, but so little of it that I want to say here.

I have one of those handy-dandy cell phones with all of that ridiculous internet-access service. I've had it for a couple of years now and I'm quite pleased with it, and with my ability to rationalize such a grotesque luxury. I can send and receive e-mail with it, chat, check scores, shop, etc., right there in traffic at 67 mph. In fact I did so tonight; I sent an e-mail to someone. Thing is, though, while it has a lot of special characters that you can insert using the '1' key, the underscore/underline isn't one of them. So when somebody's e-mail address has an underline in it, you can't e-mail them. Fortunately, I was able to mail to an alternate, infrequently used e-mail account that doesn't have an underline in it. I just hope they check that account, too, otherwise that life-and-death, 67 mph e-mailing will be useless. Ironically, I can receive e-mails from addresses with underlines, I just can't send to them.

A co-worker brought a Thanksgiving cake to the workplace tonight for all to enjoy - "Happy Thanksgiving, From Our Family to Yours." It was a nice touch. The cake was rather elaborately decorated, even had little plastic leaves, in fall colours of course, and a gold ribbon folded neatly among the leaves and decorative frosting. Although I took only a small edge piece, I wondered about the protocol there - does the slicer/server take the goodies off before slicing and serving the cake? That almost seems to defeat the purpose, if the recipients of the slices of cake don't actually get to see the original presentation. Do you slice around the goodies and serve them with the slices? And if so, are the recipients obligated to return the plastic leaves and ribbons to the person who provided the cake? or do you keep them, like party favours? then you're faced with either licking the icing off of them, or carrying around sweet, sticky leaves for the duration of the evening.

Hair can be so soft...

11/27/2002 12:17 Wednesday AM
Oh...
...my...
......God.
I know it sounds cryptic, but there are some things I just can't blog about.

11/26/2002 10:58 Tuesday AM
The twenty-first day of Ramadan.
"Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink (i.e. Allah will not accept his fasting.)"" (Bukhari)

I think I have joined a BuffyBlogs webring. The link is to the right, under the Portrait, at the very bottom. I'm never sure whether I've done it correctly, of course, until somebody in The Outside World demonstrates to me that in fact my site is listed, available, seeable, accessible, etc. But I've followed the instructions and the link is in place, so we'll see what happens. Or what doesn't.

11/26/2002 7:36 Tuesday AM
I knew this was going to be a happy Thanksgiving. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it. And I'm so glad.
Back to sleep now, grinningly.

11/25/2002 11:39 Monday PM
Tom requested a little cup of the "Special Sauce" at the sports bar tonight, to go with his mini-burgers and fries. The waitress leaned in conspiratorially and told us that the "special sauce" is just mustard and mayonnaise mixed together. Tom laughed and said, well, could I get some, please? She said sure, be right back.
So - what he ordered was some of their "special sauce."
What he got was a bottle of French's deli-style mustard and three of those small packets of mayonnaise.
I'm guessing that next week, if he orders the mini-burgers again, they'll just bring him a big hunk of meat and a hibachi.
I got a big, sloppy mushroom 'n swiss burger. Fortunately, they at least killed the cow before they brought it to me.

And then I ate and hurried home.

11/25/2002 7:49 Monday PM
Well, now, if today wasn't just a smashing day. Other than the fact that very few people in any of the classes had made any meaningful progress towards the completion of their final papers, I'd say it was a magnificent day. Of course, a few people had drafts, but they're the exceptions to practically everything. So now there is only the one day of actual class meetings left, one week from today, the last day of class meetings for the semester. UnLunch was incredible, too, but then, it always is these days. I'm scheduled to be socializing here in a little while. What does it say about me that socializing is now a scheduled activity? "8:30-11:00pm - rekindle spark of humanity." Well, that's only a weekly activity, at least.

11/25/2002 6:38 Monday AM
The twentieth day of Ramadan.
"Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "By the One in Whose hand my self is, the smell of the breath of a man fasting is better with Allah than the scent of musk.' He leaves his desires and his food and drink for My sake. Fasting is for Me and I reward it. Every good action is rewarded by ten times its kind, up to seven hundred times, except fasting, which is for Me, and I reward it.'"" (Malik)

I've just realized how sparse my comments were here over the weekend. Well, weekends are usually low-impact and fairly routine for me anyway; there's rarely any dramatic change in schedule or activity. When there is, like last weekend, you're likely to hear about it. When there's not, like this weekend, you're likely to not hear very much about anything. Except that it was, at times, a rather grim and unpleasant weekend, but hopefully we are through with all of that. I am just sad that I was apparently sending messages that I did not intend to, and that they were being interpreted in ways that I would NEVER intend. But me? change my mind about things? No, not in the slightest.

Today is the only day of class meetings for this week. Friday is a uni holiday anyway, and I've cancelled Wednesday's classes out of generousity and a sincere desire to be cooking instead. I will, however, make an equally sincere offer to come to campus Wednesday anyway, to help anybody who needs helping. Gosh, I hope nobody actually takes me up on it!

Exactly two weeks until this beautiful, horrible semester is finally, officially over. By my reckoning, and for my purposes, the semester ends in 11 days. But yes, technically speaking, I guess it's 14 days. I'm not exactly sure what will happen after it ends, or when, or how. You'd think I'd know by now, as often as I've envisioned the end of the semester and as keenly as I've wanted it. But now it's only two weeks away, and I have high hopes, and if it works out the way I want it to......wow.

11/24/2002 9:22 Sunday PM
The good news is, hugs don't expire. And I have a large supply, if you still want them.

11/24/2002 7:00 Sunday PM
I started my shopping spree for Thanksgiving and Eid. I didn't buy any fresh veggies; I'll get them Tuesday or Wednesday. Then I hung up and folded and put away virtually my entire wardrobe, it seemed. I also took out a fairly good-sized plastic garbage bag full of clothes to take to the Salvation Army. I really have too many clothes, and I never wear any of them. It's been a rough day, I guess, and I'm feeling very sad about it at the moment.

11/24/2002 11:09 Sunday AM
The nineteenth day of Ramadan.
"Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-A'raj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Fasting is a protection for you, so when you are fasting, do not behave obscenely or foolishly, and if any one argues with you or abuses you, say, 'I am fasting. I am fasting.'"" (Malik)

11/24/2002 3:05 Sunday AM
I didn't realize the future was so far away. (sigh)

11/23/2002 10:29 Saturday PM
And really, isn't a 40-degree night exactly when you want to find out that the heater in your truck doesn't work anymore?

Oh! Guess what doesn't hurt anymore?? That's the good news.
But guess whose does? That's the bad news.

11/23/2002 10:08 Saturday AM
The eighteenth day of Ramadan.
"Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that Abdullah ibn Umar used to say, "Only some one who makes the intention to fast before dawn (actually) fasts."" (Malik)

A long day Other Jobbing.

(sigh)

11/22/2002 10:36 Friday PM
The seventeenth day of Islam.
"Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive the good tidings that you will be rewarded; and gain strength by worshipping in the mornings, the nights."" (Bukhari)

She just used the word "daft!" Oh, I swoon.

11/22/2002 7:04 Friday AM
OK, so only two people love me. It's ok, really. It doesn't bother me. Never mind that my spankin' new guestmap looks like the population estimate of the worst post-nuclear war scenario. That's fine.
But what really bothers me is that it presents yet another reason why she is right and I am wrong. See, I use Netscape, and she uses IE, and is forever telling me why Netscape sucks (or smiling smugly when I tell her). When I load that little guestmap thingie up on Netscape, it appears that she lives somewhere in Savannah, Georgia (or possibly just offshore, drifting aimlessly, I suppose). And, according to Netscape, Rick lives somewhere in southeast British Columbia, Canada. According to IE, however, she lives where she's supposed to: close to me, in Orlando. And Rick lives where I think he's supposed to, in Seattle. (I'm sure he'll be relieved to learn that as long as I keep using IE, he doesn't have to move to Canada.) But I'll just smile and pretend like nothing's wrong, and we just won't tell her about this latest indictment of Netscape, ok?

11/22/2002 12:08 Friday PM
She's given us the AlmostEveryFridayFive for today. Good ones, too, except for the way they made my tummy growl.
1. What's the most memorable Thanksgiving you've ever had?
A couple of years ago, I invited a friend, Jason, a fellow grad student and instructor, over for Thanksgiving. He was a British citizen, over in America on a study-abroad partnership our uni has with his in England. So he had never had a real American Thanksgiving meal. So I went over and fetched him while the bird was in the oven. He had a roommate, a fellow Brit on a similar program, but he was dating an American girl by that time and already had plans. So Jason joined my brother and I for Thanksgiving. We watched the football games (Minnesota beat Dallas, check the history books to figure out what year it was, I'm far too lazy), ate, ate more, rested, dozed on our respective couches, and ate some more. Jason was a smallish fellow, but powerfully built, and obviously athletic. But he had never held an American football in his life, and had no clue how to throw one. He managed to throw it about 5 yards on his first attempt, and was thoroughly and clearly humbled by the experience. And yes, we teased him mercilessly. But we threw it around a bit, went back inside to eat some more, dozed some more. Finally I drove him home, well into the evening, with a couple of plates of leftovers for himself and his roommate. I went home quite happy. Aside from being a colleague, Jason was above all a good friend, and I was very glad to open my home to him and to share a uniquely American tradition with him. I miss him. He's back in England by now, and I'm still occasionally in contact with him. And when I finally make it to Jolly Ole, he owes me dinner. I'll gladly collect.
2. What are your favorite Thanksgiving dishes?
Stuffing, and it must be cooked in the bird. Take whatever precautions that are necessary, but for maximum flavour, it must be in the bird. Anything else is just cooked stuffing. Pecan pie, also, for dessert.
3. Have you ever cooked a turkey without the help of anyone?
Yes! I do practically everything without the help of anyone. It's fun.
4. What do you usually do with the leftovers? (i.e. soup, sandwiches, etc.)
Yes. All o' the above. I usually prepare WAY too much turkey, and some of it inevitably goes into the deep-freeze (left on the bone, of course). Eventually, it turns into soup, or goes over rice or pasta. Other leftovers go into sandwiches, of course, and some leftovers go straight into me.
5. You like yams?
Who doesn't?? Cover them with melted marshmallows, and I defy anybody to NOT like them.

11/21/2002 1:00 Thursday PM
The sixteenth day of Ramadan.
"Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to exhort people to watch the night in prayer in Ramadan but never ordered it definitely. He used to say, "Whoever watches the night in prayer in Ramadan with trust and expectancy, will be forgiven all his previous wrong actions." (Malik)

Thanksgiving is in one week. I love Thanksgiving; I love cooking, I love the TV specials, I love "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," I love the smells, I love the themed FoodTV programs, I love watching the Lions and the Cowboys and seeing that freakish six-legged turkey...But I'm not sure exactly what to do about it this year. Eid will apparently be just over a week after Thanksgiving. So I'm faced with multiple options about when to cook, what to cook, and how much to cook. Who knows.

I can't spend Thanksgiving OR Eid with some of the people I'd most like to spend it with, of course, which saddens me; they'll be home with their own families. But I'll be thinking about them. Oh yes. And hopefully hearing from them, somehow.

11/21/2002 1:20 Thursday AM
There's a guestmap available now (on the right, under the Portrait). Sign it. Or don't.

11/20/2002 7:43 Wednesday AM
The fifteenth day of Ramadan.
"The month of Ramadan is that in which the Quran was revealed, a guidance to men and clear proofs of the guidance and the distinction; therefore whoever of you is present in the month, he shall fast therein, and whoever is sick or upon a journey, then (he shall fast) a (like) number of other days; Allah desires ease for you, and He does not desire for you difficulty, and (He desires) that you should complete the number and that you should exalt the greatness of Allah for His having guided you and that you may give thanks." (Qur'an)

The campus has those emergency-lights distributed across campus for safety, you know, that have a panic button with flashing lights and sirens for pedestrians who fear for their safety. There's one near the reflecting pond, between it and Colbourn Hall. It's newly installed, with a sign on it that says "Not Yet Operational." If you look closely, there's a handwritten addition underneath that sign that says "Ask Attacker to Kindly Come Back Later." If that handwriting looks suspiciously like that of a certain embittered, worn out instructor, I assure you, it's purely coincidence.

After seeing what I saw at 2:58 today, I'm supposed to walk into a classroom at 3? And concentrate?? on academics??

There is much dispute on the 'Buffy' mailing lists about whether or not Cordelia's, ehh, gesture towards Connor was a compassionate act or a sleazy, disgusting one. We really need to get a life.

This semester absolutely cannot end quickly enough...I am at that point where I was exclaiming that I'm finished, it's over, I have nothing left, it's all over, let's move on, I'm empty, it's over. Then I was reminded: no, no, it's most certainly not over. That's why I'm sitting here right now, and not somewhere else having fun.

This showed up packaged with an assignment:

Dear Sir,
First please allow me to thank you for your initial patience concerning the tardiness of my second core paper. I appreciated your sympathy concerning the nature of my position. Normally, I pride myself on my expediency and punctuality concerning assignments of this nature, as writing is a pastime for which I hold a great deal of esteem and enjoyment. However, my aforementioned position, of which I am sorry that I cannot divulge much detail of, has precipitated many unanticipated side effects and complications which are causing for me, above all else, a great deal of academic dismay and frustration. I could spend time presenting you with a myriad of excuses and explanations for my recent bout of frequent absences from your class and the tardiness of this latest core paper, but rather I feel I should just own up to my transgressions, apologise profusely, and beg of you just one more boon of leniency and sympathy concerning my academic faux pas. Above all else, I wish to express that I in no way meant through my actions any disrespect to either you or your class, as writing and creative composition are arts which I uphold the highest regard for. You have my word that from this point on I shall do my best to not let my current tribulations interfere further with my performance and participation in your class.
My sincerest apologies,
{signed}

He was not in class today.

11/19/2002 6:07 Tuesday AM
The fourteenth day of Ramadan.
"The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: If anyone breaks his fast one day in Ramadan without a concession granted to him by Allah, a perpetual fast will not atone for it." (Abu-Dawud)

11/19/2002 6:07 Tuesday AM
Well, I showed up, the spirit showed up, and the Leonids showed up. We craned our necks, we pointed, I grimaced and flexed my neck. We shivered. We pointed. I made wishes on shooting stars. We talked and we laughed. And we were silent, and the silence said much.
Then we lay flat on our backs to better see the Leonids. We pointed. We oohed and ahhed. Then, our eyes heavy, the show waning, we said good night, and we parted. But the spirit did what spirits do. They haunt you, the way only good spirits do. And they stay with you. And I slept and dreamed of shooting stars and spirits.

11/19/2002 12:41 Tuesday AM
The good news is, hugs don't expire.

(Begin Angry Consumer mode)
I stopped at Greenway Ford today on my way home. Spur o' the moment decision, had nothing else to do, she was gone for the evening. And sometime in the next few months, I might be once again doing the car-buying two-step. I parked, saw that the used-car collection was surrounded by a tall fence; briefly considered just scaling the fence; and then sighed and resigned myself to making a bulldozer run though the showroom out to the used cars. But I had barely gotten through the door into the showroom when a sweet young thing ran up with a clipboard.
Hi, what are you looking for today?
Uhh, I dunno, probably a mid-sized pickup, used, maybe a small SUV or somethin'.
Ok, great. (scribbles on form on the clipboard) Can I just get your name?
(a deliberate, icy, awkward, five second pause) Do you need my name?
Well, (giggles) that's my job...! (giggles, waits expectantly, pen hovering over the form on her clipboard)
(a deliberate, icy, awkward, five second pause) Oh. Ok, well, thank you.
I turned right around and walked out the door without even a look back over my shoulder.
Imagine. There are dozens of dealerships that don't require me to fill out a form just to freakin' browse the rows of used cars. I know, I've been there, I go browsing all the time. And those are the ones I'll be going back to if and when.
(End Angry Consumer mode)

The show went "okay," from what I hear. I would have loved to have seen it. I bet it was much better than "okay."

The Leonid meteors were a no-show in the early viewing time. I'll try again with the 5:30am viewing. We'll watch them in spirit. Our spirits will be shivering, but they'll keep each other warm.

11/18/2002 5:43 Monday PM
Sometimes you just need a hug. And today I really wanted to give one. Except...
Soon.

11/18/2002 10:32 Monday AM
Sometimes you just need a hug. Sometimes you just need to give one.
Someday.

11/18/2002 6:49 Monday AM
The thirteenth day of Ramadan.
"Abu Sa'id al Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Every servant of Allah who observes fast for a day in the way of Allah, Allah would remove, because of this day, his face farther from the Fire (of Hell) to the extent of seventy years' distance." (Muslim)

A cold morning for all. I'd really like to go back to bed. No, not really. But ask me again about 10:15 or so.

11/17/2002 11:51 Sunday AM
The twelfth day of Ramadan.
"Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Fasting is a shield." (Muslim)

Once again, managed to sleep until after 11am. (Well, I woke up several times before then, but went back to sleep. Let's say that it wasn't until after 11 that I woke up for good.) It's a cool, windy day, unfortunately with no rain (so far). I'm about to go run a few errands, and darned if I'm not wearing jeans to go out instead of shorts. What is this, winter or something?

11/16/2002 10:18 Saturday AM
The eleventh day of Ramadan.
"'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) did not observe fast in any month of the year more than in the month of Sha'ban, and used to say: Do as many deeds as you are capable of doing, for Allah will not become weary (of giving you reward), but you would be tired (of doing good deeds) ; and he also said: The deed liked most by Allah is one to which the doer adheres constantly even if it is small." (Muslim)

What, you thought I forgot?

11/16/2002 10:18 Saturday AM
Wow, what a lovely evening it was last night!!
I didn't update last night because, frankly, I was just too darn tired. But that's okay. The memories are rich and fresh and so lovely.
I managed to get through the day yesterday, including a useful 3pm class that I came perilously close to cancelling due to lack of instructor interest. And if there had been a low turnout, as I was fairly confident there would be in a Friday of an already short week, I probably would have. But there was actually a lot of people in the class, so I gritted my teeth, cursed them silently, and went through with it. I did some necessary errands on my way home and didn't get home until about 6, knowing I had to leave by 6:45 or so. A quick shower and refresh and out the door I went.
...and then the concert.
Wow!
She was one of the first ones to walk out onstage (not really a "stage," but the term will have to do). And the next hour or so was stunning. I unfortunately lack the vocabulary to really and accurately describe and analyze what they did, because I don't know the terminology and the lingo, but I was impressed, and whatever flaws she noticed, I mostly didn't. (And I certainly wasn't there to look for flaws anyway!) "The Lamb" wasn't quite as creepy as she told me it would be, and "Oremus" was far creepier than she told me. I had her cheatsheet next to me and I kept consulting it to know what to listen for. And, dear girl, I am trying so hard to learn! I hate to compare such an event to something so trivial, but there's this scene from the Season 3 finale of 'Buffy,' where Giles is attempting to put the spectacular events they've just gone through into some larger intellectual perspective. But Buffy, tired, wrung out, heartbroken, replies that at the moment, she can only operate on the level of "Fire bad..tree pretty." And that's what I feel like when I'm trying to grasp the subtleties of these performances and of what she's trying to teach me. "This should sound 'happy,' and that should sound 'sad.'" And she's trying so hard, too, bless her. And I am learning! The more I don't know, the more I respect her.
And I couldn't take my eyes off her.
Afterwards, we lingered and talked and took a few pictures and then began searching for her roommate's car. The roommate is...a bit flighty, and had no idea where she was parked. We wandered, we talked, we made snarky comments about the roommate, we laughed, we talked. And, oh yeah, the roommate and another girl were with us. Oh well. But finally, of course, we found the car, not one block from the church but about three blocks from where she initially had us start looking. It took about half hour or so. They were 30 or 35 of the shortest minutes I'd spent in a long time. I reluctantly bid them a good evening, trusting that, at this point, the roommate would get her home. (I found out later that there was some minor wandering while looking for the right expressway ramp, but they did make it.)
After that I strolled through downtown Orlando back to the garage I had parked in, which was about a half mile away or so. I passed the beautiful people, the not so beautiful people, the drunk people, the soon-to-be drunk people, the young and the old, the scantily dressed, and the temporarily dressed. Lines and masses of people meandered out of bars and restaurants and crossed streets as people searched for whatever they were out searching for. I wasn't searching for anything. So while I briefly considered stopping for a bite to eat, to sit and appreciate the evening, and the fact that I'm not searching, I just went to my vehicle and drove home. It was a long day, and a short but lovely evening.

They must have had most of that singing pre-recorded and played over hidden loudspeakers. Because I only saw one person on stage.

11/15/2002 6:06 Friday PM
Finally!!!!! This is going to be fun!!!

11/15/2002 10:01 Friday AM
The tenth day of Ramadan.
"By no means shall you attain to righteousness until you spend (benevolently) out of what you love; and whatever thing you spend, Allah surely knows it." (Qur'an 3.092)

The AlmostEveryFridayFive are on vacation. Strangely, though, my Friday continues on. So I'm going to come up with my own FridayFive, about math. Like, calculus and how I've never set foot in a calculus classroom and don't even know what calculus is. (But I'm hoping the people who are there are doing well. That's more important.)

1. What's the highest math class you took in school?
In high school, the highest was Trigonomety and Analytic Geometry in 11th grade. I passed Trig with a D, and failed Analyt.Geo. like a true world champion. (I still partially blame Diane Cole.) I took Probability and Statistics in 12th grade, but it was made cruelly clear that this class was at best a lateral progression from 11th grade Trig/AGeom and that it was for folks who hadn't been deemed qualified to take 12th grade Calculus.
I had friends who qualified for AP Calculus.
In college I took something called Finite Math. The catalogue said something like "For the student who plans on taking no further math courses." I knew right then that this was a viable marriage. As far as I could ever tell, Finite Math incorporated everything that wasn't really any of the more traditional math disciplines. For one stretch we did Venn diagrams, you know, where Set A overlaps Set B to create Set C. We also did some light probability, and many times, I was asked to figure out what would happen if I reached into a bag of black and white marbles and pulled one out. It always occurred to me that this was a lovely metaphor for my whole experience in math classes anyway. I knew something would happen, but I was never quite sure what and it never quite turned out the way I thought it would.
It was a Tuesday-Thursday class during winter at 8:30am. I attended maybe 75% of the course meetings and passed with a 98% average or so.
2. Who was your favourite math teacher?
Probably Mrs. Farmer, 7th grade, Algebra. She was a middle-aged black woman, very rotund, very sarcastic. She muttered under her breath a lot. She was a scream. It's in her class that I remember dealing with those damned candy sticks we sold that year; I think she was a faculty member in charge of all of that. At any rate, every day in her class we had to spend a few minutes accounting. I guess that's appropriate.
3. What kind of math do you use in your daily life?
Nothing more than the simple functions, either when calculating grades or handling money. Sometimes I'll use geometry when playing a game. But as she said, I'm probably better at mental calculations than I let on.
4. Do you think students should be allowed to use calculators in school math classes?
Wow, that's a tough one. There are so many types of math classes, I guess, so I'm not sure I can answer with an absolute. I know I always loved scientific calculators, if for no other reason than all the mysterious symbols on the keys that I knew I would never need or understand. But it was a status symbol to have the biggest, most complex calculator. I remember I had a calculator that had this little paper cheatsheet that told how to calculate a biorhythm, and a little chart to plug the numbers onto to tell how my three cycles were running. That fascinated me. Then they came out with the big-screen graphing calculators, and that's when my heart fell. I never bothered to get one, I knew I'd be in over my head.
I don't know what math classes students should be able to use them in. I'm glad I learned to do some things in my head or with paper and pencil, but I'm also glad that I rarely need to. And that pencils have erasers.
5. Are there any funny 'Buffy' lines that deal with math?
Yes, there are. In 'Welcome to the Hellmouth,' the series premier, Xander is talking to Willow in our first introduction to both characters.
Xander says "...You know, I kinda had a problem with the math."
Willow says, "Uh, which part?"
And Xander says, "...The math."
I know how he feels.

11/14/2002 11:38 Thursday PM
Oh, as though that's not enough...
When I am Robbie (as, occasionally, I am), I am...
...big "fake".
...the force.
...charles darwin.
...top male star.
...our leader.
...alive and well.
...sexy. (I knew it!)
...a girl.(And I thought my dad was just kidding.)
...sooo good.
...not just britain's biggest star.
...ugly. (And I thought my dad was just kidding.)
...my little darling.
...an act not to be missed.
...indeed single. (Well, unmarried...)
...a 6. (C'mon, on what scale? 1-6?)
...becoming a girl. (Ok, I have issues. Flirt with me, see if I respond.)
...happy now. (Well, who wouldn't be? I'm becoming a girl!)
...saved from being wrongfully taken away.
...an escort runner. (Ahem. Insert hooker joke here.)
...irresistible because he is so much fun to be around.
...a flash in the pan.
...not gay. (Ok, NOW I'm concerned. The sexuality of people named 'Robbie' seems to be a point of contention.)
...getting ready to sweep.
...pretty much bothered that his fan base will switch and start idolising will young. (Nah, whoever Will Young is, he's got nothing on me.)
...spreading fast.
...a fuckin loser. (OK, that's it. I'm not Robbie anymore.)
...a good looking kid too.
...the sweetest person you could hope to work with.
...intensely devoted to it. (But please, don't ask what 'it' is.)
...a most talented and versatile entertainer.
...furious with her. (Really, wouldn't you be?)
...so capable to touch someone with his voice. (Hey, some people could listen to me all day.)
...in the back row.
...1 and laura is almost 2. (But really, we're just good friends.)
...a good boy.
...now 6 1/2 and speaks fluent german and english. (And a good boy. Eat yer heart out, Will Young.)
...a sympathetic robot from the beginning.
...sitting outside and linda walks up to him to tell him about why she called the wedding off. (Well, told you I'm unmarried.)
...the king.
...now offering all of his albums signed at no additional cost.
...available on a regular basis and accepts a love offering in lieu of a fee. (Contact me. Discretion is assured.)
... trying to be cool in third grade but there is a bully named bo who gives robbie trouble.
...the main person in the book.
...not afraid to let it all show. (Performances at 9 and 11, every Friday. Available on a regular basis and accepts a love offering in lieu of a fee.)
...mr. (Not "Dr.")
...undoubtedly one of the most talented singers to emerge from the uk.
...a tall lad if you hadn't noticed. (And a good boy. Eat yer heart out, Will Young.)
...an accomplished artist exhibited throughout michigan and in private collections in the united states and europe.
...designed for friendly customer service applications. (Yeah, you know what that's a euphemism for.)
...the 537th most popular male first name in the united states. (Look at this list, are you surprised?)

11/14/2002 11:01 Thursday PM
The internet is down? How offensive! How am I supposed to learn about Guitar Recital??

11/14/2002 11:20 Thursday AM
The ninth day of Ramadan.
"Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Allah, the Majestic and the Exalted, said: Every act of the son of Adam is for him except fasting. It is done for My sake, and I will give a reward for it. By Allah in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, the breath of the observer of fast is sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk." (Muslim)

My neck, my neck...
If only I could select my own private mah-soose....

11/13/2002 8:17 Wednesday PM
On this night, the 13th of November, I turned on the heater in the house for the first time this season. It was 64 degrees inside. The printing on the thermostat is worn off, and for a moment, I couldn't remember whether it was AC on the left and Heat on the right, or vice versa. It wasn't until the house began to warm up that I was 100% sure that I picked the right setting.
Anyway, regardless of what the calendar says, the first day of running the heater means this is the first night of winter. The windows closed, the houndz worn out from their day of houndy frolicking, my precious AIM keeping me company. Not quite the ideal arrangement, but for now, this is the best of all possible arrangements.

I'm finally figuring out what my schedule for next semester might be, and I'm not even teaching. It is well.

You know, there's a reason why teachers usually specify that later papers are LATE papers, or why late papers aren't accepted under any circumstances, or why papers aren't to be e-mailed or faxed. I've always been slightly lax about such things, deducting a reasonable but not crippling amount of points per day of lateness, that sort of thing. But it's a nightmare being that accommodating and I always regret it. Keeping a stack of papers together once they've been turned in is no problem. But when you're keeping mental tabs that three papers are in your in-box, another person's is on a floppy, two people's don't seem to be anywhere, another person has promised theirs the next day, another says she taped it to my office door, two people have said it's in my Department mailbox, another said it will be in my mailbox soon, and I've given four people back their papers to do over because the first version was simply unacceptable, it's a little unmanageable. And people wonder why sometimes I have to tell them, no, I'm sorry, I haven't graded YOURS yet. For future semesters, if and when they occur, I will actually be the hard-ass about it that my colleagues are. After all this time, I've finally seen the light. And it's pretty damn dim sometimes.

11/13/2002 11:11 Wednesday AM
How many more days?

11/13/2002 7:01 Wednesday AM
The eighth day of Ramadan.
"Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to exhort (his Companions) to pray (at night) during Ramadan without commanding them to observe it as an obligatory act, and say: He who observed the night prayer in Ramadan because of faith and seeking his reward (from Allah), all his previous sins would be forgiven." (Muslim)

My back feels a little better, but my neck still feels like there's a knife jutting from it in the back. I checked, though, with a mirror, and there's not. But nothing short of spurting knife wounds would keep me off campus today - and even then I'd wrap myself in towels for as long as necessary.

11/13/2002 12:04 Wednesday AM
Sometimes I just don't know when to shut up. When discussing fun weekends, worry and paranoia are not pleasant additions to the conversation.
Nice going, Rob.

11/12/2002 10:36 Tuesday AM
The seventh day of Ramadan.
"A person said to Umar the narrator: Which of the two precedes the other-Pilgrimage or the fasts of Rarnadan? Upon this Umar replied: No (it is not the Pilgrimage first) but the fasts of Ramadan precede the Pilgrimage." (Muslim)

And if there was a word to describe how bad my neck and upper back hurt, that word would be very. I can barely move right now.

And the latest showcase of her scarily effective ability to make me laugh endlessly: Googlism, which she showed me yesterday.
When I am Rob, I am...
...worried. (How does it know these things?)
...going down.
...tha shit yo.
...gonna be on David Letterman.
... a fucking idiot with a welt on his hand.
...the bomb.
...a sexy bitch. (Although current information indicates that again, I am no longer sexy. What do I believe?)
...truly the ultimate 'American champion.'
...famous.
...the standard bearer.
...retarded.
...the key to the toucans' success. (I never got a thank-you card OR a commission.)
...hot.
...to discover what happened to the crew of a deserted spaceship. (Should this be number 87 on my Things To Do list?)
...skilled at tactfully getting your guests to relax and join in the fun.
...very persuasive with a high level of enthusiasm.
...the kind of guy who drives the Bridget Joneses of this world shrieking to the nearest gallon container of double-fudge ice cream.
...cool.
...glen.
...a really nice guy to do this.
...gone.
...in antarctica as an inspector for the air force technical applications center. (Look, it said I'm gone, right? Leave a message.)
...in its final days. (And looking to go out with a bang.)
...brilliant.
...a small robot which sits on your desktop or floor. (And I'll entertain you with an astonishing variety of bad jokes and one-liners.)
...convinced that most companies require some minimum grade point average. (Which might explain his current career prospects.)
...a serious writer.
...dead. (Long live Rob!)
...certified as an advanced clinical hypnotherapist. (Trust me. Do as I say.)
...an awesome speaker.
...running.
...one of the ranch’s big successes. (I REALLY like wearing chaps.)

And when I am Robert, I am...
...learning champ.
...here.
...a poet and student of life. (Not to be confused with being a student FOR life...which is a different matter.)
...needed.
...cool in buzz.
...red hot.
...a troll.
...person in charge.
...dumb.
...leaving.
...approaching. (So I'm indecisive. Sue me.)
...$75. (She, of course, is $1. I will have to consider this. One of us is getting a bargain. I just have to decide which one.)
...a fourteen year old german kid.
...the ungifted redcap of rosa aurea.(And really, that about sums it up, doesn't it?)
...a highly committed and enthusiastic staff member. (But really, what do they know, anyway?)
...probably best called a metaphysicist.
...best.
...getting better. (And really, that's a damn good combination, isn't it? To be the best AND getting better?)
... keen to see the parliament interfering less in people's day to day lives. (And hence my support of that whole "American revolution" thing.)
...a renowned educator and a powerful teacher. (But really, what do they know, anyway?)
...eight years old going on twenty.
...an extraordinary individual with a real gift.
...responsible for every detail involved in the making of the wine.
...an extremely bright 10-year-old who is reading at a fifth-grade level although only in third grade.
...not speaking. (Hey, I'm too busy reading at a fifth-grade level. Leave me alone!)
...asleep. (Yeah, right. Like THAT ever happens anymore.)
...a southern gentlemen who seems to pride himself on four things; family, community, work & gracious living.
...more than a ghostwriter.

And you wonder why I have these mood swings? Look how much I'm trying to juggle!

11/11/2002 11:30 Monday AM
The sixth day of Ramadan.
"Narrated Aisha:
With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. work hard) and used to pray all the night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers." (Bukhari)

After waking early, I actually managed to get back to sleep until after 11am. Of course, staying awake until nearly 4am makes that much easier. But as always, it's worth it.

A holiday. A worthy one. And one I'd almost rather spend at school, at least partially.

In a few years, Ramadan will no longer overlap Thanksgiving, and I'll be able to indulge with no unusual restrictions or considerations. But for now, since they do overlap, it's all terribly inconvenient. But then, to some extent, that's the idea, isn't it?

Why is it so freakin' hard for some people to just do the right thing??? And why is it so freakin' hard for their friends to tell them to just do the right thing??? I don't know when they should have learned that pointless meanness and cruelty just aren't "cool" anymore, but certainly before now. Sometimes you just want to shake someone by the shoulders and yell, "Would you just grow up and act like a man?!"
(Unless, you know, it's a girl you're saying that to.)

11/10/2002 11:25 Sunday AM
The fifth day of Ramadan.
"There are two pleasures for the fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord; then he will be pleased because of his fasting." (Bukhari/Abu Huraira)

Today is actually one of those rarest of days - a day off before a day off. Nothing to do except what I choose to do, and nothing to go to bed early for. I think, to celebrate, I shall actually have a meal tonight, and not just food. Let's see...what to prepare...chicken? pasta? a nice manly steak? something unusual?

The brain is a fascinating thing. I had a dream, and one of the people in it (it wasn't "about" her, but she was in it) was a girl I went to high school with and haven't thought about in years. I barely knew her, was barely on nod-in-the-hallways basis with her, and can't think of any specific instance where we actually spoke, although I imagine at some point we did. There are just literally dozens and dozens of people I'd name from high school before I'd get around to mentioning her. In fact I don't remember her before 11th grade and I'm not sure I remember her in 12th. And yet there she was, in my dream, pregnant and married to a guy from the English Department who I've spoken to maybe twice in my time there. Go figure. For lots of dreams, it's achingly and sweetly obvious why I'm dreaming them and why certain people are in them. Others, though, are just simply random and I never know what's going to emerge from my subconscious. And that's why I love dreaming.

11/09/2002 10:22 Saturday AM
The fourth day of Ramadan.
'The Prophet said, "Whoever established prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven; and whoever fasts in the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven."' (Bukhari/Abu Huraira)

A long day at work.

I'm not the only person who has dreams I don't talk about.

11/08/2002 8:34 Friday PM
Me.
Couch.
Tired.
Alone.
But not lonely.

11/08/2002 4:52 Friday PM
Another month of this. Egads. Someone at 3pm said she couldn't believe how fast this semester has gone by. They have no idea how long this semester is turning out to be for some of us. And the guy who faxed me his second essay and hadn't been seen since showed up today, the day the third essay was due. I didn't check, but I'm pretty sure he didn't turn his in. I'll make an official announcement here if he did.

11/08/2002 6:50 Friday AM
The third day of Ramadan.
"O, you who believe,
Fasting is prescribed for you
As it was prescribed for those before you,
So that you may guard (against evil)." Qur'an 2:183

Today is Friday, and Monday is a holiday (with no work and no school).
If that doesn't tell you all you need to know about my mood today, you just haven't been paying attention.

11/08/2002 12:49 Friday AM
The FridayLaterThanIWantedFive:
1. Did you vote in your last elections?
Yes.
2. Do you know who your elected representatives are?
With a bit of thought, yes.
3. Have you ever contacted an elected representative? If so, what was it about?
No.
4. Have you ever participated in a demonstration?
...don't believe so. If so, was only in the mildest sense, hardly a riot scene, and might only be called a "demonstration" only by people opposed to the circumstances.
5. Have you ever volunteered in an election? What was the result?
No.

11/07/2002 3:49 Thursday PM
I'm sexy again.
I'd give you a long story about how RobPie Got His Groove Back, but I'm not really sure. It wasn't my decision.

11/07/2002 10:03 Thursday AM
The second day of Ramadan.
Allah's Apostle said, "When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained." (Bukhari)

I wonder if Disney can supply me with a song for days that aren't blustery, but rather mild and kinda breezy?

It's time to put Halloween 2002 to bed for good.

Somehow this all looks so mournful.
But with that, it's time to put all the October stuff to bed, too, in the archives. November gets the solo time now.

11/06/2002 4:46 Wednesday PM
"A Rather Blustery Day"

Hum, dum, dum, dee, dee, dum
Hum, dum, dum
Oh the wind is lashing lusterly
And the trees are thrashing thrusterly
And the leaves are rustling gusterly
So it's rather safe to say
That it seems that it may turn out to be
It feels that it will undoubtedly
Looks like a rather blustery day today
It seems that it may turn out to be
Feels that it will undoubtedly
Looks like a rather blustery day today.

11/06/2002 7:10 Wednesday AM
The first day of Ramadan.
"Ramadan is the (month) in which the Quran was sent down, as a guide to mankind and a clear guidance and judgment (so that mankind will distinguish from right and wrong)" Quran 2:185

The state Constitutional amendment requiring smaller class sizes passed. From a fiscal standpoint, that really scares the heck out of me. Nobody has any idea how to pay for this or even how many billions of dollars this will cost. It's great theory. The practice, though, might turn out to be a nightmare. Another amendment (which passed) would require the state to provide financial-impact statements for proposed legislation and amendments in the future, outlining for the voter how the legislation will be funded and, well, what the financial impact of it would be for the individual voter and for the state. Somehow I think that if such a law was already on the books, the class-size amendment would not have passed this time.

11/06/2002 12:18 Wednesday AM
Oh, my, I cannot wait for this semester to end.

11/05/2002 3:37 Tuesday PM

Did you?
And, oh, how I voted is none of your business, but:
Keller; Bush; Crist; Bronson; Johnson; Donegan; Yes; Yes; No; Yes; Yes; Yes; Apte; Henson; Consoli; Cardona.
And on the Amendments to the state Constitution:
Yes; Yes; No; Yes; Yes; Yes; Yes; No; No; Yes; No.

Tomorrow is the first day of Ramadan. Go here if you'd like more information on how this is determined, what it means, etc.

11/05/2002 11:50 Tuesday AM
I'm not sexy anymore.

Call me shallow, but that's really quite upsetting.

11/04/2002 11:03 Monday AM
I have apparently spent all weekend driving around with that little UV-rating sticker on the lens of the cheap sunglasses I bought Saturday. I hadn't noticed it and it hadn't obscured my vision. She pointed it out just now as I walked nonchalantly. She wore her trademark square pink sunglasses. There was no sticker on her lens.

11/04/2002 7:03 Monday AM
Oh, I need these days more often. I don't really have to do anything in class today, except circulate, motivate, and wisecrack! And I'm pretty good at all three. I also have to not notice some things. I hope I'm good at that, too. But that's every day.

11/03/2002 10:59 Sunday AM
I woke up to the sounds of neighborhood kids playing in the street and yards around my house (including, at one point, one of them imitating a police siren). Rather than experiencing a really satisfying damn-kids moment, I actually found it a rather pleasant way to wake up.
But then, I'm finding a lot of things rather pleasant these days.

11/02/2002 10:18 Saturday PM
I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm sleepy, and I have a bit of heartburn from the Buffalo chicken chunks I had to gobble down for lunch while working. That's my day.
Oh, well, I did buy some new cheap sunglasses to replace those that I broke yesterday. They're ok, but I'm soliciting ideas for some trademark sunglasses. Tell me if you have any suggestions.

11/02/2002 10:50 Saturday AM
I don't have time for even a bowl of cereal now. I'll have to get an early lunch, probably something not nearly as satisfying.
Damn.

11/02/2002 10:16 Saturday AM
Laziness is considering, even briefly, the possibility of loading your bike into your truck and driving three minutes to the place you want to ride your bike, rather than riding your bike round trip.
(I did ride my bike round trip, you know.)

I got home with plenty of time to have the good, hearty breakfast that I planned: pancakes, toast, a coupla eggs, some turkey bacon, orange juice.
Some IMing from someone about the assignment she's writing, though, and I find I have time only for a bowl of cereal. Dedication sucks. And do you think I'll read about these things in their evaluations after the semester?? Of course not. I'll read about how I was three minutes late to class sometimes and how we never used the book.

I will spend the day at The Other Job, listening to my cell phone not ring (yet), and not riding my bike.

11/01/2002 7:44 Friday AM
It's November already. How omigod! is that?

11/01/2002 12:44 Friday AM
The FridayLaterThanIWantedFive:
1. Were you raised in a particular religious faith?
Yes, my parents and one set of grandparents were Methodist Christian, though my parents were only nominally involved on a day-to-day basis.
2. Do you still practice that faith? Why or why not?
No. I was never heavily invested in Methodist Christianity, or Christianity in any fashion. It never made any sense to me and I'm not sure it's even accurate to say I "left" it.
3. What do you think happens after death?
God decides. And then it's a one-way ticket.
4. What is your favorite religious ritual (participating in or just observing)?
Eid, to end Ramadan. It's very personal to me, and since I'm not particularly close to many other Muslims in my daily life, it remains very personal. In a way that strengthens the experience for me; although I know I'm not alone in what I'm doing, I'm aware that I am doing it simply because of the fact that I'm doing it mostly alone. I freely share it with others, though, knowing it means nothing to them.
5. Do you believe people are basically good?
Damn good question. Yes, I think so, as simplistically as I can address a simplistic question. (Boy, how smug does THAT sound?!) But one has to define 'good,' and that complicates the question.