Birch and Maple

It's Almost That Time Of The Year Again...

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Also, I'm still working on the other website, but will (hopefully) be posting over there full time come November 1.

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TheBeardedLady, my pic is of a member of the Ouled Nail, an Algerian tribal hillswoman who went to the big city to earn her dowry by bellydancing (some were what we would consider prostitutes as well).  They wore their dowry in the form of coin and jewelry, and unforunately, their time in the city wasn't the only danger, for many were murdered on their way back to their villages for the money they had earned. 

You can see more of Lehnert and Landrock's gorgeous photos here.

Oro out

Quickie from Work

So I'm ordering books related to infertility and such and have the feeling I'm forgetting some titles.  Here's what I've ordered so far:

Navigating the Land of If by Mel (duh!)

Two Is Enough: Guide for Couples Without Children

It Sucked & Then I Cried - Dooce (avail. in pb in March in USA)

So Close - Tertia

Didn't Pamela write a book, too?  I can't remember the title nor the name of her blog (because I am stupid, that's why)...

...who else am I missing?  What else would be good?

Oro - posting from work!

A Video of Awesomeness and I'm Moving [fixed url]

I'm moving because I can't afford Typepad anymore.  Please point your browsers to:

Birch and Maple

And now, the Video of Awesomeness (sfw)(unless you work for FOX News, Rush Limbaugh, etc) found via Shakesville, who also have a transcript):

Happy Saturday. Oro

Prayers Needed

If you have a moment or two to spare, a candle or incense to light, I would greatly appreciate any good thoughts and prayers for my friend, whose 11 year old son, recently diagnosed with and treated for stage 4 Hodgekins Lymphoma, has been rediagnosed with it again after being given the all-clear about 2 weeks ago.

Thank you.

Oro.

Babble

Interestingly, I've found myself rather more into the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing than the US version.  That's probably because the judges are more judge-y ("You dance like you've got both legs in one knicker hole"), and then, of course, there's Bruce Forsythe ("Nice to see you, to see you - nice!").  Ancient and awesome.

I am utterly into C4's Skins (series 1 soft trailer, hard trailer) - although I think series 3 (soft trailer - w/language and nudity) is a little more over the top than 1 & 2.  However, Ep 8 JJ - just fabulous.  I cried a little at the end.  Also, with eye candy like this, you know you'd be watching too if you could:

Back in the US of A, of course, there's GLEE, which people, if you aren't watching, you're missing a treat.  And there's a really interesting CRAZY (possible)INFERTILE LADY!!!11! storyline going on, too.  I have to confess it makes me a little...uneasy.  A little less amused.  Not because it's not funny, I guess I'm just...it's too thin, too close to the bone.  I'm not sure I'd watch it if I was having a rough day.  Here's the long promo (YT) featuring the premiere ep:

I'm also loving Community:

and Modern Family:

and oo, Dollhouse is back!  So is NCIS!  Woot!
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I was totally going to do a book review tonight, but am now too tired,

Oro out

Really? Really?? (children mentioned)

One of the 'joys' of working in retail is watching how parents treat their children.  I've seen angry parents, annoyed parents, hippie parents, unreasonably strict parents, parents who don't know how to be parents (oddly enough, these were almost all, without exception, women in their mid 30s),  rasta parents, parents who couldn't pay attention.

I had not, however, come across the...I don't even know what to call her.  She had two kids, I'd say they were 4 and 5, she was heavily pregnant with #3.  So anyway, the younger one tripped over her own feet and started crying and wouldn't stop.  Mom then asked what happened and the older one said 'She let go' (apparently they were supposed to be holding hands).  Mom then attempted to soothe the little one, not by say, cuddling her, but instead telling her she was fine, etc.  Okay, a little cool, but who knows what kind of day Mom's had, y'know?  And then she said, and I shit thee not, she said,

"Remember what I said, just be in your consciousness.  Be in your consciousness."

...

...

Be in your mfing consciousness??  Really???  Because it seemed to me that little girl was in her consciousness, she was upset and crying.  I mean, how much more 'in her consciousness' did Mom want her to be?

And what the hell does that mean, anyway??

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Did y'all catch Community (Hulu)on ABC?  I thought it was quite funny.  Right now I'm watching Strictly Come Dancing on the Beeb*.  So different from the American version.  I mean, you wouldn't hear a judge call someone's dancing "as if you had both legs down one hole in your knickers" on ABC, would you?!  Let's see...also watched The Cut, which is the BBC's version of C4s Skins** [loaded with spoilers so don't read beyond top paragraph], soon to be remade by MTV.  To which I say, good luck with that.  Somehow I don't see full frontal nudity, drug use, death, sex, gay teen sex, and sex with [redacted] happening on US tv.  Just sayin'.

~*~

Oro out

* there will be BBC...Mr Oro will soon be releasing a program to allow people to, er, watch the BBC, STV, and ITV on their pc's.  Y'all do know you can rent Eurosport for like, $10 a month, right?  Because let me tell you, that's where I'll be watching the Olympics.

** Cassie is a bitch.  And not in a good way.

I write Letters

Dearest John Stewart -

    Dude, seriously, enough with the fat jokes.  Honest, they're not funny.

Yours,

A fan

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Dear Ricky Gervais -

    The Office is awesome.  Your standup, however?  Not so much.  Again, enough of the fat jokes.

Yours,

Whatever

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Dear Customers -

    I have eyes.  That means that if it's raining out and I ask if you want a bag, you do not need to tell me that it's raining outside in that snotty tone.  Women, if you are carrying bags or a backpack, I'm still going to ask whether or not you want a bag, because that's part of my job.  A simple 'Yes' or 'No' will suffice.

Yours,

Annoyed

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Dear Republicans -

    Stop. It. 

Yours,

Increasingly Angry Citizen

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Dear Other Drivers (including ones from Canada) -

    Learn how to drive.  Seriously.  Things you DO NOT NEED TO DO:

• brake at every single corner
• brake when other drivers are approaching in the other lane
• speed up when the road is straight
• pull out in front of a driver needlessly when there is no one behind the driver
• behave like you own the freakin' road
• ignore the rules of the road (assuming you bothered to learn them in the first place)

Yours,

Scared To Drive Home After Work On Friday and Saturday Nights

Oro out

ShowNTell (child mentioned)

Ice Storm 2009?

BRING IT ON: it arrived like this...

And with the help of my awesome builder, Mr Oro, and my mate from work, they got it uncrated and into the house...

 

Ah...cast iron + soapstone + wood - electricity = happiness.  And, er, warmth.  And snow-melting capabilities.  Next week, a friend of a friend is going to install it, and then we'll do the first burn.  I bought my stove - brand new! - from the Woodstock Soapstone Company.  It's the first soapstone stove I've ever dealt with and I just can't wait to fire it up.  Hee!  The shiny thing on the top is the bottom heat shield that needs to be put on beneath the stove to prevent it from burning through the floor.  It's also a side-loader, taking a maximum of 18 inch logs.  The plus side is that one load should last 6-10 hours, and of course heat output will be long due to the heat retaining abilities of the soapstone.  And all for a mere 575lbs.  I'm going to get a griddle for the top in case I need to cook on it (we have a gas cooktop, so I don't see much cooking happening) and I also need a stove guard.  I only burned myself a couple of times on woodstoves when I was a kid, but the Chieftain, ah, well, let's just say he has a tendency not to watch where he's going.

Oh, and that massive chimney with the fantastically old, handmade brick?  Built around 1951.  The brick downstairs is brand new, machine made, and sits on top of the old dry-stone chimney stack.  Now that we've got a good camera I'll take a piccy and put it up for comparison.  The tiles are Indian slate 12X12, the floor is Ash, the coffee table's Indian Rosewood.  Up until 1981 the fireplace was used as a fireplace, which, if you've ever wondered, is not very efficient, although it looks fabulous.  From 1981-1998 a  Vermont Castings Defiant lived just outside the fireplace, and is currently residing rather rustily in my barn.  Great stove, but since I can no longer get a catalytic converter to fit it, I decided a new stove was just the ticket.

Oro, the pleased

Posting From Work!

For the love of avocados, do not read Jodi Picoult's Handle With Care.

Seriously.

Don't do it.

Just...don't.

Oro, getting off the blog before the bosses come in to check the busted back door and display window - due to the wankers who have nothing better to do...bring on winter!

Ah, Blog Aggregators, My Little Friends

Because they help me decide whether or not to follow a blog.

Recently I've deleted a couple of blogs from my feeds, for various reasons.  One big reason is of new pregnancies, and I'm sorry, I just can't follow some of you.  What is it that makes some secondary pregnancies easier for me to read than others?  Maybe it's a lack of connection, I just don't know.

So, I'm sorry, I really am but I just can't do it.

Oro (still sick, because she left the doctor's office last week without seeing the actual doctor.  See, it's not unreasonable to expect to see the doctor within 15 minutes of sitting in the examination room, and when you only have that much time before you have to get to work, well, that's the way it goes.  Oh, how shocked the nurses were!)