Cut Off From Civilization

No car! A guy with a truck came and drove her away.

Earlier this week packers put all my stuff into boxes, movers carted away all my furniture.

Hopefully within 2 weeks I will be reunited with my earthly possessions again. Intellectually, I understand that's probable. Emotionally, people came and took all my stuff.

Every day a strange new loss, so I'm thinking what next? I knew they were coming for my car, but I didn't know the internet would conk out simultaneously.

Reminds me of the English headline about heavy fog: "Continent Cut Off."

Just got internet service back this morning. Ok, what next?

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photo by ny156uk

Hold My Hand?

The packers are here now. Movers coming tomorrow.
UPDATE: Movers coming *today*

I hope the new life is beautiful.

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photo by gregg.jenkinson

Go West, Young Woman

I'm all packed, ready for the movers to come.

Where are the mules?

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photo by wahig

Let There Be Light

Some scary yellow thing appeared in the sky this afternoon after five days of rain in ?sunny Menlo Park California. Must investigate.

Was on my way home from buying my first lamp for the new kinda dark apartment. Tonight is my first time to sleep there, wonder if I'll even be able to fall asleep. Excitement spills over into an anxious vigil, tho what I am waiting for is unknown. Keep telling myself things will become more familiar.

Best of all today was a reunion with an old friend who is now a minister at Menlo Park Presbyterian. I helped guide her internship when she was a student minister in Massachusetts, now she is welcoming me into her community and her home. Lotta years gone by and catching up to do. I'm looking forward to it. The best kind of Light: the inner light of the spirit. It's been dark there too.

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photo by Essjay NZ

Bed and Breakfast

Two very kind people are delivering my mattress at the moment. So no sleeping on the floor, and I dont have to live in a hotel.

Now all I need is cheerios and milk, for bed and breakfast. And maybe figure out how to work the new coffeemaker.

I had wifi installed before getting any furniture. That's the right priority isnt it?

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photo by idiolector

Teachers

crossposted at firedoglake saturday 19 january 2008

Good morning pups!

In struggling to make sense of the mess created by this administration, I'm grateful for teachers and guides here at the lake who illuminate the difficult terrain around us.

Whether it's scarecrow on politics, Ian on economics, loosehead or Christy writing about the law, my life is enriched by their patient explanations.

I thought it would be fun to hear from you guys about your teachers and mentors, past or present, since they shape who we are and how we think about life. 

One teacher changed the course of my life by intervening when I was being taunted by other kids for my interest in books.

Elsie Ellison, the wife of Tiger Ellison -- who was our high school coach before he went up to OSU to teach his Run & Shoot strategy -- admonished them saying they couldn't hold a candle to me unless they became eager to learn too.

I couldn't have been more astonished, or uplifted, if she had ridden into the room on horseback with a sword of fire. She proclaimed that Learning was noble, one of the highest goals.

When people grumble about not being able to do anything to resolve our political and economic problems, I like to say "Everyone can do something: lead, follow, support, teach, learn." None of these need cost any money, all are valuable.

My list [everyone must have a list now that Hugh is famous] evolved from a poster showing a flock of geese with the caption: Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way. Somehow the concept of Support sounded more productive, not to mention kinder, as the third category.

Urgent Care

This amusing brain shaped building is the neurosurgery center in Hannover Germany.

Have great memories of working at the neurosurgery and neurology departments at Mass General Hospital during the B.C. era, Before Children.

The chief of the former became the head of the Boston Symphony board, and the latter became Dean of the Harvard Medical School. I tried to train them properly.

In fact I took eldest egrdaughter with me to work for a few months until she wanted to start crawling around, then it was time to resign. There wasn't day care back then and I wouldn't have turned her over to strangers even if there was.

Have done a little hospital work since then as you know, and may yet again at Stanford.

Today's urgent task was to keep calm during the ups and downs of getting an individual health insurance plan in a different state. The insurance company seemed nervous about the line where I said I was being treated for depression. Guess we still are in the dark ages. Once again, teamEgregious to the rescue. You know who you are, and thank you.

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photo by tragesessel4350

Just a Short Hop?

Contemplating the jump between Virginia and California. It's not so far, is it?

Did leap across one hurdle yesterday by making an appointment with an allergist at Stanford. Realizing I was going to have to leave my existing allergist was a sad moment. He brought me from barely breathing back to good health, I am so grateful. This morning I go for the last time and bring my serum home with me for the move.

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photo by Madeleine

To TeamEgregious: My Thanks

Rough day, credit card number stolen and used for several unauthorized charges.

The company was very quick to call and kind in their explanations. We cancelled this number and they are helping me get a new one asap.

Logistically it went well, but it left me quite shaken. You know, just what I don't need during a fragile time. I pushed back against this first by reaching out to my team, and then by looking at other areas of credit card vulnerability. Ended up canceling another card to keep things simpler.

If you have been an active member of the pit crew today, helping me get back up to speed, I sincerely thank you.

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ferrari photo by Bob Xu

Goodbye My Deer

Among the many goodbyes in preparation for moving is realizing I won't be seeing my beloved neighborhood deer anymore.

I'm in kind of a small minority of people who think there is plenty for all the creatures to eat, and that it's not too much trouble to fence in our gardens for those plants we wish to keep for ourselves.

The deer know me by voice, I call out to them and make a laid back ear-shaped gesture with my hand. This seems to reassure them, as they make the same motion with their real ears, and followup by flipping their tails to show the other deer that all is well.

Certain of them will walk towards me if I am very still and speak softly to them.

One of the sweetest compliments I ever got was from a friend who said I was like the princess in the movies where all the forest animals gathered round to hear her sing.

So it pulls at my heart to leave these lovely deer, my pets really now that dogs and rabbits [never mixed] are out of the picture. Some other interesting creatures have grown up and moved on too, tho I hope to see my children again soon.

Thinking about my deer got me all the way to the house before I realized the mail I was carrying would be the last. All mail starting tomorrow will go to my new place in California.

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photo by carplips

New Flag: Don't Cough On Me

crossposted at firedoglake 6 january 2008

graphic by twolf

Snakes TB on planes: another excuse to restrict our civil liberties? You heard it here first.

The Department of Homeland Insecurity, always keen to abuse your tax dollars to scare you into submission, will be thrilled with Tuesday's story from the AP's Paul Elias:

Health officials were searching Monday for dozens of airline passengers who may have come in contact with a 30-year-old woman infected with a hard-to-treat form of tuberculosis on a flight from India.

"She did have symptoms on the flight," said Santa Clara County Health Director Dr. Marty Fenstersheib. "She was coughing."

This is great! I mean this is great if you're a winger politician. Now you can scaremonger your way to higher office by claiming that those illegal immigrants are endangering your families once again. Oh no---they're taking away your jobs AND they're giving you germs.

Since TSA clearly doesn't already have enough information to "protect" us, in the way that a local thug will offer to "protect" your car for a fee, they will insist that Congress permit our electronic medical records to be available for review to look for scary terrorists, now defined as anyone with a cough.

Of course they would always use any controversial medical information they learn about you very discreetly. I trust them, don't you?

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Egregious Meets MilleniaLab

All thanks to emptywheel for the kind invitation to dine with her last night. First chance to meet the esteemed Mr. emptywheel and the adorable MilleniaLab [or is it vice versa?] and see where she works.

Mighty fine meal with roast beef, onions, turnips cooked to perfection, salad, and homemade pumpkin pie with whipped cream. I might have sneaked a little whipped cream to the dog :)

With the Michigan primary this Tuesday it was a most interesting time to visit family and friends here and listen to their insights about what's going on here. Is it the highest unemployment in the nation? Michigan today, the rest of us tomorrow.

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Photo by jamesfarnham

Go Blue!

En route to Michigan. Have a warm feeling in my heart towards the place, nearly went to school there both undergrad and public health.

Grew up with an OSU father who taught us to say "beat Michigan" in the same way that we reflexively learned to respond "beat Army" when anyone said Army. Hope it's ok to change my loyalty and root for Michigan now. Don't worry, still pro-Navy here.

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Photo by DaveChiu

End Construction

Another damned protester. Where will it all end.

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Photo by Tracy Lee aka StarrGazr

Attribution corrected at the request of the photograper -- thanks!

New Hampshire Vigil

Waiting for the results of the New Hampshire primary.

Heavy turnout, especially among independents asking for Democratic ballots. That's gotta be some kind of good.

Some polling places were asking for additional ballots this morning.

Are we there yet?

Late results: McCain, Clinton

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Photo by technicolorcavalry

Back in the Saddle

Working day. A little hard to get back in the saddle after such a lovely vacation at chez Reddhedd.

Completed most of the annual financial report for the medical fund, off by six cents. Short checkup produced nothing. Medium size lookover produced nothing. About to start in on the long version when I noticed I had written a one in place of a seven for the starting balance.

It's good when you can laugh at yourself, because then you will never run out of material.

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Photo by katemonkey

Road Trip

Returning from West Virginia to East Virginia today. Found this lovely photo of an S-type like Ooopsie, so named for her first day when the speedometer silently went from 60 to 90. Ooopsie!

I will stay put for another 4 days before heading out again. Probably I am just procrastinating about the last round of packing. It's working pretty well.

While looking for a real picture of a jag I found this one too. These are seriously demented people. My hat is off to them.



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Normal Jag photo by ny156uk. Post-it note jag photo by Scott Ableman

Iowa Caucus Theme Song?

This could be an election survey question, how sure are you of your vote for this candidate? Fifty percent? Seventy-five?
"Somewhere between unsure...and a hundred"

Yes I do love the Fray, does it show?

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Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart

Too soon old, too late shmart -- always loved that old German phrase.

Am not really Pennsylvania Deutsch, more like Illinois.

When people ask if something will play in Peoria, I have only to ask my relatives.

Wilkum the new year! [Hat tip to friend Ellie] Hope it's not too late to make New Year's Resolutions.

(1) Reach out to other people for help first, not last, even if it's embarrassing.

(2) Try to face feelings, especially fear, without the anesthesia of alcohol.

(3) Be open to creativity, nurture it, for problem solving but also for joy.

That's not too much to ask out of one year is it?

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Photo by tsmyther

Moon Over the North Pole

Sunset at the North Pole photo by Lucan Grant, taken from the USS Winston Churchill.

The moon looks like you could slingshot something over it from here. So much beauty in the world, as long as we don't watch what humans do to each other. Maybe we can improve on that in 2008.

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New year's baby

Claire Elizabeth, my niece, is a week old now, could be released from the ICU soon. Eating well, gaining weight, keeps trying to pull the feeding tube out. A real fighter.

Happy new year to you, little one, and to all egregious family and friends.

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