How West Virginians see America.

Some of the states will be more funny to West Virginians than others, but all in all it’s awfully funny.

(via Not My Blog)

cucking-stool noun
Historical. A chair to which disorderly women were tied and then ducked into water or subjected to public ridicule as a punishment.
? origin Middle English: from obsolete cuck ?defecate?, of Scandinavian origin; so named because a stool containing a chamber pot was often used for the purpose.

That is definitely an obsolete word.

Mine?

Wet. Very very wet.

I took my camera down to watch the fireworks, because I want to play with the settings and see if I can learn to get nice pictures.

Didn’t even bother to get it out, it was so wet. Although part of me wishes I’d gotten a picture of everyone standing under umbrellas, watching the fire works.

But besides the wet, it was a good day. Crowded hot and humid in the house, but my aunt and uncle were visiting, and our friends Del and Kathy stopped by. And the food turned out well.

All in all, a good day.

It’s the 4th. Don’t expect much today.

As Kat has been hogging all the Friday Cat Blogging recently, Kit apparently decided she needed to make up for lost time.

Kit decided to sit (or lie) still for once, and let me get a decent picture.

When Susan left on Friday, she and Michael attempted to smuggle Kit into her bag. Grandmom’s opposition (as well as a probable issues with the TSA) stopped this plan.

The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies
In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. –That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. –Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain [George III] is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Rules for Flying the American Flag

Took the day off from work, however, we were still out the door by 8:30, heading for the WV State Craft Fair at Ripley.

We met my brother and his wife at Parkersburg, and then continued together to Ripley. Most of what I ought I either bought right way or saw right way and bought later. My only mistake was not buying the dark blue hanging glass globe first thing, because I had to settle for a lighter blue one when I went back.

Michael somehow ended up with the camera while we were at the fair, so I only have a couple pictures.
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I know that there is no way I was good enough this year to deserve the surprise package I got from Tania.

Home. Made. Chocolates.

When I opened the package the cold packs had warmed, so I put everything into the refrigerator without looking at it. After dinner (and dessert–the last of the chocolate lava cakes) and getting my printer hooked up (my parents came over last night after dinner, for dessert, and we ended up trouble shooting computer problems for my mom) I went to the fridge to pull out the chocolates.

I am not worthy.

They’re in individual boxes! With paper ribbons! My eyes are tearing up just writing about it!

I haven’t even opened one yet, because I am stuffed from dinner. These chocolates requires that I savor the entire process from opening the package to eating the chocolate, and that’s just not something that should be done when one is uncomfortably full.

Meanwhile, I think I am lightheaded and may need to go lie down for awhile.

I think I woke up this morning with a chocolate hangover. However the molten lava chocolate cakes were AWESOME and totally worth the sugar crash.

I sent out the address book. If you ‘d like to add more information to your entry (like birthday or something) e-mail me that information I’ll send out the address book again later this week or early next week.

And my birthday gift to myself? A color photo printer. I can’t wait to start playing with it! Think about all the awesome flower pr0n I can now share with non-geek friends!

You may possibly wonder why someone who is 38 celebrates her birthday (and Christmas) as if she was in elementary school. I mean, birthdays are just marking one year older, right? What’s there to get excited about?

Well, there are two reasons behind it.

First, as many of you know, I have suffered from depression since I was sixteen.

Second, my grandfather died days before my fifth birthday.

I know. Michelle, you’re thinking, that’s really depressing. Are you trying to relive your childhood or something to make up for past misery?

As amusing as that idea may be, no. See, it’s like this. After my grandfather died, my family made sure that his funeral would not be on my birthday. My memories of my 5th birthday are that I got an InchWorm and had a Holy Hobby ice cream cake. In retrospect I can see in my memories that people didn’t seem as happy as they usually were, but it was my day, and I had a great new toy (I have *no* idea how my parents got the inchworm from Baltimore to Morgantown, with a 5 year old, a new born, and a dachshund in the back of a Volkswagen bug, but that’s a subject for another time.). The point is that despite everyone’s misery, they made a point to let me have a happy birthday.

What I have learned from this, as I’ve grown older, is you have to take joy wherever you find it. Little things or big things it doesn’t matter. From checking the mail to new flowers to growing a year older, there are always things to enjoy, if I only stop and think about them.

Yeah, some days it’s hard. But the thing is that happiness can be a routine just like anything else. Even on days I’m feeling bad, I can feel my spirits lift, even if it’s just a little, as I go to the mailbox. Because until I open the mailbox and sort through the mail, anything could be there. A check, a new magazine to read, a letter. So how can I not be happy at the possibility of something good awaiting me? And if it’s a bill? I can be happy that we have enough money to pay our bills and live without worry.

Is this a foolish way to live? Perhaps. But I think it’s better than the alternative.

So if you feel up to it, do a little happy dance for me today. Just a small one. And if you make someone else smile, then you’re doubling the amount happiness in the world, even if just for a few moments.

Here are the names of people on the address list.

Ilya
Tania
Anne
Tom
Nathan
Michelle
Jeri
Janiece
Vince
Shawn
Kim
Jim
Matt

If you want off, or have a secret restraining order on someone else on the list (like Nathan “Naughty Old Man” G.), let me know so I don’t give out your information. If you want on, e-mail me your pertinent information.

To Kim and Chris and Lin Fan and everyone else up north:

Happy Canada Day!

Please enjoy your celebrations. I don’t mind sharing my day with our Great Enemy to the North. And if you decide to hold a parade or have fireworks for me, that’s fine too.

Happy Birthday Kathy!

and

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

YAY! YAY! It’s my birthday!
Time to do the birthday dance!
Time to sing a birthday song!
It’s my birthday! It’s my birthday!
La la la la la la la!

I’m having molten lava chocolate cakes for dessert, with fresh whipped cream and strawberries!

Awesome day for MEEEEEEEE!

I seem to be in charge of the UCF address book. However, I am missing the addresses of some of you.

So if you’d like your address shared with the rest of us crazy people, send me your address, and then I can send out the addresses to everyone who wants ‘em.

Lemme know in the comments if you want the address book and if an Excel file is an acceptable format for the addresses.

If you’d like your email address added to the list, e-mail me.

Came home from work today to find that Kat and Kit had received a package from Tania–I mean Skulker and Orphelia!

Boy were they excited!

But wait!
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What I Believe

(via Nathan)

Here’s who I look like in the Celebrity feature match.

I’ve actually had Andie MacDowell come up before in a features match.
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This is for Nathan.

decimate \DESS-uh-mayt\ verb
1 : to take or destroy the tenth part of
*2 : to cause great destruction or harm to

Yesterday driving Susan to the airport, I had one of those blanks where you can’t remember a person.

We’d been talking about Robert Parker’s Spenser books, and I remembered a throw away line where Spenser is sitting in an hotel room watching the news, and he notes that the anchors voices get deeper as the evening progresses, and if the trend continued, the midnight news would be read by… and there I blanked.

“Who’s the guy with the deep voice? He was around before and after the Civil Rights Movement maybe? I think one of his names starts with an R? Ro…? Ro…? Ro…?”

No one knew. However it came to me coming back from the airport.

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When I was sick, I read quite a few books, and ended up going to Amazon looking for sequels or books that continued the series I was reading. And, of course, other books that looked interesting.

Unfortunately, I apparently had trouble keeping track of what I had already ordered.

Thus…

Is anyone interested in a copy of Steampunk edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer
or
A Noble Radiance by Donna Leon a mystery in the Commissario Guido Brunetti series.

Cuz I’ve got two copies of each. Haven’t read either book, because I’ve fallen behind on my reading. However, the previous books I’ve read in the Commissario Guido Brunetti series are excellent. Assuming you’re interested in mysteries set in Venice.

Anyone want these books? Let me know. First come first served.

With lots of rain, the garden is blooming like mad. The most ridiculous plant is Michael’s Stargazer Lily. I don’t particularly like Asiatic lilies–I don’t like they way they’re so top heavy and require support–but Michael really likes them, so I have several.

Michael is 5′ 10″ if that gives you some perspective of how tall this plant has grown.

Here you can see the whole plant, and you might also notice that Michael didn’t get the supports up fast enough, so there is an “S” curve in the lower part of the stem. So theoretically this should be even taller.

Which is nuts.

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As previously noted, our Saturday was busy, and two unexpected events ended up making it even more so.

Susan is here for a weekend visit, because she came in for the retirement party for one of her professors. She was gone to the party most of the day, so I was thinking I’d get some things done during the day.

No, not really.

On the way to the grocery story, I asked Michael if he wanted to stop by Best Buy and look around.

We ended up buying Michael’s (early) birthday gift.

It was clearance time for laptops. And for the model Michael liked best he was available to grab the floor model for an even bigger discount. I tried to tell him that we’d have to put the laptop away for a month until it was really his birthday, but as you can see he was having none of that.

By the time we finally got home from shopping, Grandmom was starting to wonder what had happened to us, since we said we were going to take her to the pharmacy to get her prescriptions.

Just as we’re getting ready to leave, there’s a knock at the door, and it’s my brother!

So he visited for the afternoon and evening (Michael kept running out of the room to check the updates on his new computer.)

Pretty awesome Saturday, ‘eh?

I got birthday books Thursday and today!

Including the final book in Sarah Zettel’s Camelot series, which is NOT available in the US. AWESOME!

Little (Grrrl) Lost by Charles de Lint
Dingo by Charles de Lint
Double Feature by Emma Bull and Will Shetterly
Camelot’s Blood by Sarah Zettell
Territory by Emma Bull
Salon Fantastique by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling

Woo Hoo!

Susan is here for a brief weekend visit.

I may be in and out today. Or I may not.

Make yourselves at home in the meantime.

I HATE zombies.

(Shamelessly stolen from Eric)

We’re out picking up Susan from the airport, so this seems somehow appropriate.