Category: Life

O Nerdmass Tree, O Nerdmass Tree

The Christmas season has officially begun.

While my season begins with Advent, I am the only observer in my immediate circle of family and friends, so family Christmas begins with Trimming the Tree.

Last night my wife and I sat down to a dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup, put on the holiday classic How The Grinch Stole Christmas (both animated and live-action versions) and decorated the Christmas tree. Well, I got the tree out of the attic, aligned the pieces, checked the pre-strung lights, and let Krystal arrange everything else. She is so much better than I am at that sort of thing. I just kind of throw the ornaments around willy-nilly and let things land as they may. Apparently, that only works with tinsel – which we don’t use as it attracts unwanted attention from Smokey.

Over the years we’ve amassed a few ornaments; it’s become somewhat of a tradition to get three ornaments each year:

One ornament that reflects our interests.
One ornament from Starbucks.
One random ornament from Hallmark on clearance after the holidays.

This year, we realized just how nerdy our tree actually is:

Darkness in the City of Light

San Francisco City Hall French Flag

San Francisco City Hall

Image by Stephan Lam / Reuters via Buzzfeed


There is darkness today in the City of Light,
so the rest of the world turned their lights on
to show our fellow men they are not alone. 
Lafayette, we are here. 
Lafayette, I am here. 
Now, what can I do?

Sydney Opera House French Flag

Sydney Opera House

Image by Cameron Spencer / Getty Images via Buzzfeed

 

7 January 2015 Charlie Hebdo

Veterans’ Day and NaNoWriMo

Why is it NaNoWriMo schedules never work as planned? My ideas for scheduled posts never made it off the page, I’ve only written 300 words of NaNoWriMo, and – to top it off – I’m feeling under the weather.

 

National Cemetery

 

But today is Veterans’ Day. Last week, the school put on its biannual Veterans’ Day Program – this particular one held special significance for two reasons: I wrote the program and the school chose to honor Mr. Tom, a 97-year old WWII veteran who just so happens to be my grandfather (who isn’t really my grandfather – you know how those family friends work). This was the first time in years he felt well enough to get out of the house for an extended period of time – he still lives at home in the house he built with his own hands back in the 40s and 50s – and stayed for the entire program. You can watch the program here:

 

 

As usual, I’ve also selected a poem for Veterans’ Day:


                       Grass
                 by Carl Sandburg

Pile the bodies high at Austerlitz and Waterloo.
Shovel them under and let me work—
     I am the grass; I cover all.

And pile them high at Gettysburg
And pile them high at Ypres and Verdun.
Shovel them under and let me work.
Two years, ten years, and passengers 
  ask the conductor:
     What place is this?
     Where are we now?

     I am the grass.
     Let me work.

 

And now, since school is out today, it’s time to play catch up on NaNoWriMo. Will I be able to write 16,500 words in one day? Probably not, but I’m sure going to try.

October has Ended and NaNoWriMo has Begun

Iron and MossWhere did October go? My favorite month has passed; we will not see it again for many months. Taken so soon by conferences, conventions, and programs – I barely knew ye, October 2015. I resolve to do better by you in 2016, including the tweeting of all Martin Luther’s 95 Theses.

November has begun, bringing with it the accursed time change and a host of other activities. Activities like NaNoWriMo – the National Novel Writing Month. Thirty days @ 1500 words per day = 45000 words minimum. Last year I faltered right out of the gate; this year I have a plan.

Part of that plan includes scheduling posts, so while you may not see me much for the next thirty days, my presence will still be felt.

What are you doing in November?

Monday Morning Grievance: Unexpected Library Fines

It’s Monday and I haven’t had my coffee.

Monday Morning Grievances Logo 1

Last Tuesday I went to the Library; Tuesday is my normal Library day. I returned my books and browsed the New Nonfiction shelf, where I found not one, not two, but three books on my TBR – needless to say, I added them to my stack. As it turned out, these were the only three books I desired to check out. Then, I went to the counter, handed the Librarian my card, and heard:

I’m sorry – you have an 80¢ fine on your card.

What? What book was over a week late? It’s impossible for several reasons:

I checked out all my books on the same day

I returned three books, and

the late fee is 10¢ per day, so

either one book was eight days late or

two books were four days late, but . . .

I checked the library cards that morning and they were stamped “Oct. 20”

So I asked the Librarian which book was late; she could not tell me. When I began to plead my case, she said

Sir, I don’t have the authority to clear your fine, but I can let you check out these books and you can pay your fine next time you come in.

I suppose at some point one has to take what one gets, but I’m still miffed about that 80¢.

I know I wasn’t late.

 

 

What annoys you?

 

 

Have a suggestion for a poem, photograph, or future post?

Drop a note in the prompt box!

 

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Twitter – where you can see my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Also, funny retweets.

Sunday Snapshots

With midterm grades due Friday and our Veterans’ Day program only days away, I didn’t have much time for taking pictures this week. However, I purposefully took a few hours out of my Saturday to spend some time walking and enjoying the fall weather.

Yesterday, Tryon Palace celebrated All Hallows’ Eve. Since the event is geared for children 12 and under, I simply bought a Gardens Pass – I could enjoy the grounds, see neat costumes, and interact with unique characters. I could not participate in any of the games, make any of the crafts, or partake of any of the “free” refreshments. Ostensibly they were free, but were included in the price of the All Hallows Ticket, so were – in actuality – paid for.

Krystal portrayed a witch:

click to embiggen and scroll through the gallery

Coworker Eliot styled himself “Lord Fall” but I called him Tom Bombadil:

Eliot Lord Fall Tom Bombadil

I may have mentioned once or twice before that I simply love the fall. I took advantage of my time at the palace to wander the trails and vegetable gardens largely ignored this time of year. Why they are ignored I have no idea – there is sublime beauty in the temporary death fall brings with it.

click to embiggen and scroll through the gallery

 

 

What did you do this week?

 

 

Have a suggestion for a poem, photograph, or future post?

Drop a note in the prompt box!

 

Don’t forget to follow me on:

Facebook – where I share news stories, articles from other blogs, and various and sundry miscellany that happens to catch my eye. It’s stuff you won’t see here! Well, mostly.

Instagram – where I show you my Life in Motion and share quotes and such. The widget only shows my last three photographs – don’t you want to see them all?

Twitter – where you can see my thoughts in 140 characters or less. Also, funny retweets.

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