(no subject)

I can't sleep.

I've been plagued by all these minor health problems that seem to be unrelated, but just when one ends, another starts up. A bladder infection. My rib pops out. PMS and cramps for days. The headache from hell. Now the left side of my neck and the shoulder have somehow gotten so messed up, my chiropractor made the wincey-sympathy face, and she's usually a hard-ass. What the hell is going on?

We are ditching our cell phone service for another. I've been with Cingular since it was GTE Wireless, then SWB; about 3 years I think. They were just great, until about 3 months ago. Without really changing our calling habits, our phone bill almost tripled. We bitch, they offer to send us an itemized bill which we don't get until we're overdue on the payment. We complain, they are indifferent. We vow to be extra careful and hardly use the phones at all; bills do not change at all. They state we are using 1000 minutes a month, which is absolutely absurd. We complain, they are indifferent. Screw them. I researched a few companies, but Eric went to do a job that was next door to a guy that repairs cell phones, and he goes to chat this guy up... he says AT&T is the most reliable. I had previously gotten miffed at them awhile back when they dicked me around on my Internet service, but they had a good deal on a shared plan so Eric and I are not getting 2 different bills and are sharing minutes. We also get to talk to each other on the phones as long as we want. And we got refurbished phones for $20. The nice thing is that they were the same kind as I had before (Nokia 5165)- I but wish that they had some way of reprogramming the one I had to work for them, since I ended up spending a lot of this evening programming a skillion numbers into an identical phone. Gar.

The new kitten is now willing to come hang out in the same room where people are, and will settle down if no one stares at her too hard. Approaching her is still a no-no, though there is this one toy she really digs, a simple piece of wire about 2 feet long with a couple of little bits of cardboard at the end. If you wave it around, I'm sure it looks like a little bug jerking and flying around, and she can't resist it. She'll even let you pet her a little if you wear her out enough, but I get the feeling she's just barely tolerating it. Well, I'm full of nice towards kitties, and by gum, I can outlast her.

(no subject)

Well, I cleaned the kitchen, folded a ton of laundry, scooped out the cat boxes (and scrubbed one out), downloaded the latest version of Trillian (looking good), and read a whole bunch of stuff on the 'net. I think I will try to go back to bed and see if I can't get some sleep. Man, insomnia sure feels lonely.

Happy happy birthday, you lucky mushroom!

To thunderminded! I wish you a great year filled with many blessings. Here's your horoscope for this week by one of my favorite astrologers, Rob Brezny:

To convey the true spirit of your current astrological omens, Sagittarius, I need to borrow three German slang expressions. Here we go. 1. Du wirst Bäume ausreissen. The literal meaning of this prediction in English is "You will rip out the trees." In other words, you will have amazing amounts of energy, initiative, and strength. 2. Du wirst aus dem Häuschen sein. The literal translation: "You'll be out of your little house." To say it another way, you will expand beyond the confines of your comfy little boundaries so as to embrace a bigger and more complete embodiment of happiness. 3. Du bist ein Glückspilz. Literally: "You are a lucky mushroom," which implies that you are about to experience unexpected good fortune.

(no subject)

After reading all the Daniel Quinn I've read, why do you think this little story stands out from all the usual glurge my dad sends me? :)


RAT RACE

A boat is docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist
is complimenting a Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asks
how long it takes him to catch them .............

"Not very long," answered the Mexican.

"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked
the American.

The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to
meet his needs and those of his family.

The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your
time?"

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a
siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my
friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. I have
a full life."

The American interrupted, "I have an M.B.A. from Harvard and I
can help you. You should start by fishing longer every day. You can
then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can
buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger boat will bring,
you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an
entire fleet of trawlers Instead of selling your fish to a middle man,
you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even
open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move
to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.

"Twenty, perhaps twenty five years," replied the American.

"And after that?"

"Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the
American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can
start selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?"

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near
the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a
siesta with your wife, and spend your evenings drinking and playing the
guitar with your friends!"