January 28th, 2012
I look forward to reading every night. Like many people, I have rituals that take me through my day: feeding the dogs, brushing my teeth, taking a shower, going to work. My evening ritual consists of drinking a cup of herb tea, brushing my teeth, putting on pajamas, and then reading for half an hour or so. Reading has always been one of my favorite things to do, and I make time to do it each evening. No matter what I’m reading, whether it’s a mystery or a non-fiction work, I feel relaxed, calm, and at peace. If I don’t read at night, I don’t sleep well.
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January 24th, 2012
This weekend, I went to Disneyland. It was not my first trip to Disneyland. In fact, I go at least once a year. In some ways, maybe I’m making up for lost time because I made my first trip to Disneyland when I was 30. I had so much fun that first time, and every time since. This weekend, I went with my sister, and we went on most of our favorite rides: Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, Indiana Jones. We also spent some time in Fantasyland riding the carousel and checking out the truly old rides like Pinocchio and Sleeping Beauty.
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January 23rd, 2012
I remember tripping over carbon monoxide alarms. Someone in the house had carelessly left it on the floor right near the staircase. I later found out it was my husband who was reluctant to own up as he thought I was going to shout at him. I heard the phone ring and ran down the stairs and all of a sudden I was on the floor. I was in agony. I happened to glance over and saw the dector on the ground. Fortunately I did not break anything and have recovered. I have told my husband to always keep it in the closet where it belongs.
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January 20th, 2012
Image via Wikipedia
The one thing I would change about the world is the way we eat. I would eliminate factory farms and promote vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. The way we treat animals bred for food is horrific. Their lives are short, brutal, and painful, as are their deaths. Humans don’t need animal proteins or products to live healthy lives. In fact, people are more healthy when they consume a plant-based diet. We can also grow more food than we can raise it from animals, meaning we could feed more people if we all embraced a plant-based diet. Not only would we be healthier; we would also have fewer problems with hunger in the world.
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January 17th, 2012
I grew up listening to top 40 radio in the Midwest, so I have always liked classic rock and roll of all decades as well as various types of indie music. This music reminds me of my youth, and who doesn’t enjoy that? Thanks to my son, I’ve learned to branch out into heavy metal too. I have, however, never liked country music. I’m not enthralled by the subject matter and lyrics, and I find the music too twangy and simplistic. Even the crossover country artists leave me cold. You can always the South somehow in the sound or in the words.
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January 13th, 2012
I’ve lived in California most of my adult life, but I spent nearly a year in Alaska some time ago. When my husband wanted to go to graduate school, he applied to several schools, including the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. He was accepted at UAF and got a teaching assistantship, so we packed up and headed north. It was an eight day trip by huge U-Haul truck. We lived there for two school semesters. He went to school while I homeschooled our son. I spent a lot of time pulling my son around the campus on a sled. We also got to ride in a dogsled on weekend.
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January 10th, 2012
If I suddenly chanced upon a cool $1000 dollars and couldn’t use it for anything but shopping, I’d have to take my money to Barnes and Noble. Since I love to read, I’m always in need of books. There are several new mysteries I’d like right now, and if I had to go on a shopping spree, I’d buy them in hardback rather than waiting for the paperback versions. I’d also get some new cookbooks. I’d probably also find some new bookends for my office as well as some new journals. If I had enough leftover after that, I’d get myself a Nook Color Tablet.
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January 9th, 2012
It was the summer of June, 2008, when an ominous occurrence took place. As I was working at the local animal shelter in Houston, TX, I discovered my boss had started a meditation routine that involved lighting candles and sitting cross legged with her eyes closed for an hour a day during lunch. Now you see, I am open to all sorts of religious hokey pokey, but I definitely took issue with the safety of lighting a candle and falling asleep- regardless of whether or not you are sitting down or calling it “meditation”. I argued with her constantly about it, but she would be un-reactive and just say that I needed to “relax”. That’s when I realized I had to take matters in to my own hands, and that meant teaching this new aged hippie a lesson. I doused her desk and office chair in fire resistant fire retardant and while she was in the middle of snoring out a long breath full of “ohm”, I quietly snuck in and lighted a piece of paper resting on her desk aflame; then I snuck out undetected. I figured my stunt would burn some paperwork and scare some sense into the woman, but about 20 minutes later as I was mopping up dog urine in the halls, I heard screaming. The fire retardant I used failed to keep the desk safe, and in her deep subconscious state, she didn’t notice the room burning up until she was literally cornered behind a silk plant fighting the flames off with rose water and incense sticks. Though, I don’t care for the woman, I rushed in to rescue her. A flaming piece of wood sparked up and hit my shoulder, it was probably from some kind of secret Buddha shrine hidden in the room. Anyhow, as the shrapnel hit me, my life flashed before my eyes. I realized that I have never been happy and have wasted the majority of my life arguing with numskulls. I stared into my bosses scared eyes, and apologized as I turned around and ran out. Although, my boss was killed, along with 32 other workers and 250 dogs, that day changed my life forever in a good way. I’m now in prison and although I am a captive animal, I now understand the fail safes of controlled burns and the unreliableness of fire retardants.
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January 5th, 2012
Image by Jesslee Cuizon via Flickr
Ok, so I probably haven’t had 40 jobs, but I’ve had a lot of different jobs. In college, I worked as a secretary and receptionist in a Social Security office, a clerk and package loader for UPS, as a photographer and editor for a student newspaper. In graduate school, I worked as a tutor and a teaching assistant, as a hostess and cashier in a local restaurant, as a nude model for figure and life drawing classes, as an instructor for SAT classes, and as a reviewer for a local educational cooperative. I’ve most enjoyed working as a photographer and editor. I was a photographer back during the days of the darkroom, and I enjoyed many hours manipulating images under the red glow of a safelight.
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January 2nd, 2012
If I could go anywhere on vacation, I would go to the south of France. I’m a longtime fan of Peter Mayle’s books on his experiences in Provence, and his descriptions of the people, the place, and most especially the food make the area sound worthy of a long-term visit. I would like to stay in an old stone farmhouse and walk through olive groves and fields of lavender. I’m also a horselover, so I would like to see the grey and white horses of the Camargue. I would like to visit in both the summer and the winter to experience the various seasons of the area.
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