What's up with you?

[ShottleBop]

My stuff came back today. Basically, I lost my MacBook Air and the portable DVD drive I carried around just in case. I still have to replace my passport, because I'd reported lost immediately. Got back a leather bag I'd already replaced, but it's full of window glass--and even though that's supposed to crumble into safe little pieces, I'm not anxious to find out the hard way whether that works the way it's supposed to.

Also got a bag belonging to someone else, which was discarded with my two bags. I called that person up today. She's lost a MacBook Pro--but the bag still contained her (very expensive, bought-in-Europe) hair brush and AT&T MiFi, so she was very pleased. And she and her husband own a winery up in Sonoma, so I'm scoring a bottle of wine for returning her bag. (I sent the nice lady who found the bags a "You're a Star!" thank-you box of chocolate-covered fruit; I also sent her contact information to the winery, so she'll get a bottle of wine, too--and maybe some business: she's a real estate agent, and the winery folks are looking for something in SF.)

So, that's certainly better than it was.

[SR71]

The watch word for this year has been overwork. I don't really even want to talk about it much, except to whine that my nerves are frayed, work has pretty much taken over my whole life, I wake up several times a night thinking about problems at work and have to consciously make an effort to keep such thoughts at bay just to be able to relax a little. I took a week off this week and that is why I've been able to string together sentences of >3 coherent words in a row here at . rlly srsly fkg tired... I wish they would hire someone already.

[Dingfod]

Tuesday evening inland wave fell and broke her left wrist, broken in four places because of bones made fragile by osteoporosis. We spent six hours in the hospital ER, and another at a 24 hour pharmacy. Thursday we saw a osteopathic specialist. Friday, she had out-patient surgery. We were at the hospital about seven hours. She's home recuperating. Her employer was not happy about this, but is bound by the FMLA to hold her job for her for another two weeks. The reason it is shortened is because of her leave last year for the removal of her evil gravity-affected uterus. I'm not sure they're accurate on the law there, but nevermind, she may not go back to work at all. I've crunched the numbers, I think we can get by without her working if we economize by not eating out every day and frequenting bars so frequently.

[vremya]

We are 90% moved into the new apartment in Minneapolis. The kittehs are NOT HAPPY and have spent the whole day hiding under the bed. Except for Jake, who seems to like not having to compete with the kittens for attentions.

[lisarea]

Oh, hey, you guys. Guess what Matlock and I are doing.

GOING TO SEE KRAFTWERK 3D IN SEPTEMBER IS WHAT.

KRAFTWERK.

3D.

[Crumb]

Is that where they make the Mac'n'Cheese?

[Ensign Steve]

Originally Posted by lisarea

Oh, hey, you guys. Guess what Matlock and I are doing.

GOING TO SEE KRAFTWERK 3D IN SEPTEMBER IS WHAT.

KRAFTWERK.

3D.

I asked the random smilie generator how to feel about that, and it told me which is absolutely correct.

Also and on the same spin for good measure.

And of course

show spoiler

[lisarea]

This is what we're all like right now:

ralflorian.jpg

PS I checked, and in case anyone else is wondering, Florian is still the cutest.

ETA What the fuck? He's still the cutest, but he left the band in 2008 and nobody called to personally inform me for some reason. What kind of monsters are you people?

[Ensign Steve]

Aww, how cute! I didn't know you and Maturin were college sweeties.

[Janet]

My lilacs are blooming at last. I am being rewarded for putting up with Winter and I love it.

Also throwing a tea this weekend with my Mom. The theme is a layered tea, so seven layer dip, a composed fruit salad, lasagna, mini chicken pot pies with puff pastry crust, club sandwiches, of course, and wafer dessert. I think people who are not my immediately family call wafer dessert refrigerator cake or some such nonsense. Anyway, instead of the normal chocolate wafers I'm making it with meyer lemon ones and putting raspberries in the whipped cream.

So like this:


But in individual stacks and lemon with a raspberry on top this time. We always made it in individual stacks because it was easier.

[Ensign Steve]

Eh. So anyway we got in a car accident a couple days ago (Tuesday or Wednesday morning?). The the traffic in front of us suddenly stopped and so bey braked and the driver behind us did not. I haven't really talked to many people about it because, eh, but I guess it's news.

We are okay, no major injuries. I hit my face on the dashboard (yes, I had my seatbelt on!) and my nose is all bruised up, but not broken (see attached). No black eyes yet, but I'm still hopeful. That would be so badass!

nerds.jpg

The car is at the body shop for 2 weeks, which, wtf? We're getting new front and rear bumpers (did I mention we were pushed into the car in front of us?), plus they need to do something about the slightly caved in trunk lid. The other driver's insurance is taking care of everything, and we have a cool black Nissan Sentra with unlimited miles. ROAD TRIP!!!!!

[BrotherMan]

You don't have to make up stories. You can tell us the truth. This is a safe space. Your furbabbys are getting out of hand, aren't they?

[vremya]

We're pretty much settled in Minneapolis, and as much as I adore St. Paul, I like it here a lot. The apartment is bigger, it has tons and tons of windows so there's lost of light which is going to be awesome for my SAD. There's a ceiling fan and a dishwasher and we don;t have to pay for laundry anymore. Lots of good things!

The kittehs have finally stopped hiding under the bed and waking me up at 4 a.m., so that's a good thing too.

[Dingfod]

I have some friends here in Tulsa. I joined a local atheist Facebook group last year. Back then, they had a meeting once per month. It had about 400 members when I joined. Since then it has grown to over 1500 members, and has some sort of activity at least once every week. They have weekly Pint Night at a local pub, DWA (Drinking with Atheists), ACTea Time, and Bible Babble once every couple of weeks, Unholy Rollers bowling night and the group business meeting, which includes a guest speaker (this month was a philosophy professor from University of Tulsa) once per month, Feed the Homeless every few months, and other volunteer opportunities and functions (such as Game Night that one person started). Being an introvert it was hard to put myself into a social function such as they are, but I forced myself to do so. And now I am reaping the benefits. I actually have cultivated some real life friendships, and am happier for it. People actually like me. Weirdos.

[Angakuk]

The smallest of the three churches that I pastor is closing its doors. As of the end of the month I will be back to pastoring only two churches. I have been with this congregation for 25 years, so this is a very difficult time for me on a personal level as well as a professional one.

It seems somehow appropiate that this post should follow Ding's post above.

[Anastasia Beaverhausen]

Originally Posted by lisarea

Oh, hey, you guys. Guess what Matlock and I are doing.

GOING TO SEE KRAFTWERK 3D IN SEPTEMBER IS WHAT.

KRAFTWERK.

3D.

Way jealous.


We're headed up to Darwin. BB2's father had a stroke while in Indonesia, and they airlifted him down there (At the cost of $50,000, I might add). My SIL and her family have flown in, we're headed up day after tomorrow.

[Dingfod]

Originally Posted by Angakuk

The smallest of the three churches that I pastor is closing its doors. As of the end of the month I will be back to pastoring only two churches. I have been with this congregation for 25 years, so this is a very difficult time for me on a personal level as well as a professional one.

It seems somehow appropiate that this post should follow Ding's post above.

Declining church attendance seems to be the trend. I'm sorry it affects you negatively.

[Angakuk]

Indeed, but we are also bucking the demographics. Rural community with an aging and declining population. So, its not just churches that we are losing. We are also losing schools, grocery stores, gas stations, cafes, retail stores and even bars.

[Dingfod]

This is a well-documented phenomenon throughout the middle section of the country, people are leaving the rural communities and small towns for the cities. This map illustrates just that, with orange counties representing a population loss of 5 percent and purple representing a net increase of 20% from 2000-2010.

[Angakuk]

I am sure that there are multiple reasons for the exodus from rural communities but one of those is surely the increasing mechanization of farming. Farmers are farming considerably more acres per individual farmer than ever before. They are also able, again due to mechanization, to actively farm at much older ages. Fewer and older farmers means fewer people living on and working the land, now and in the future.

[Dingfod]

A friend of mine shot a man the other night. The man was trying to kick down her door. She shot him through the door. He is expected to live. She is worried she will be charged.

[Sock Puppet]

The power went out at 4:18 this morning. Woke me up because my CPAP stopped working. I checked PG&E's website and they were "investigating." It started with 1,625 customers affected, now it's down to 141, but we're still one of the lucky homes still unrestored. It may last just long enough to make us throw out food, although Mrs. Puppet says she put some stuff on ice.

At least I have the actual excuse of dressing in the dark, unlike other days, when I have to fake a neurological disorder.

[vremya]

If you have to eat stuff, start with the ice cream.

[Ensign Steve]

And watch out for dinosaurs.

[Ensign Steve]

Originally Posted by Ensign Steve

The car is at the body shop for 2 weeks, which, wtf? We're getting new front and rear bumpers (did I mention we were pushed into the car in front of us?), plus they need to do something about the slightly caved in trunk lid. The other driver's insurance is taking care of everything, and we have a cool black Nissan Sentra with unlimited miles. ROAD TRIP!!!!!

We got the car back and returned the rental, so looks like everything is back to normal. The car is totally shiny and pretty with new paint. We should get rear-ended more often!



Big ups to bey who took care of everything with the body shop and insurance and whatnot. I didn't have to do shit. Woo!