Category Archives: randomness

random ramblings of Yours Truly.

drumcorps, randomness, webdesign 3 Comments

Things That Make Me Depressed

When I realize I’m neglecting a given website and think to myself (way in advance), “Gee, once I’m done redesigning this website, I should really go spruce up that other one.”

Then, right before I launch the redesigned website, and am almost ready to think about the neglected website, someone e-mails the mailing list related to said neglected site and says, “Hey. Why isn’t this site ever updated?” Then I feel like a schmuck, and publicly apologize for sucking, and share my plans for updating the neglected site. Other list members express their appreciation. I feel better about myself.

Then the person (I hesitate to call the person The Complainant) e-mails the list again, just to say that they didn’t mean to start a fight, but really, why is the webmistress giving lame excuses for neglecting the site?

Which, of course, puts me into instant “fuck you” defensive mode, partnered with an unnecessary depression. Not a good way to get motivated to finish the LSM site.

Sometimes I think I should just let someone else take it over. Sure, the entire website was my own idea back in the day (1996), and yeah, that was what made me learn HTML in the first place… but maybe it’s time for someone else to take over.

Maybe I will.

I’ll give it some thought.

Update, 10:05pm: I told the mailing list of my poor neglected site to give me six weeks in which to turn the site around. If they’re not satisfied with the site by Veterans’ Day, I will abdicate in favor of a new webmaster of their choosing.

Still depressed. Still haven’t done any work on the LSM site tonight. Still has to go live either tomorrow night or Saturday morning.

I hate being depressed when I shouldn’t be. I’m going to bed.

humor 3 Comments

The Burning Bush

OMFG. Go download this fantastic story, written by Jennifer Pelland, read by Deborah Green. Best short story EVAR. An excerpt:

“The thing is,” he said, gesturing at the book, “there’s no proof in here. It’s all just faith. My scientific mind demands rational proof!”

“What will it take?” I asked. “A burning bush?”

And then my pubic hair caught fire.

Warning: if your sense of humor regarding religion is lacking, if you are squeamish about slang referents to a woman’s pubic mound, or if you are a devout Catholic, you might want to pass on this one. I doubt that very many of my readers fall in any of these categories, though, so go download and have fun. Not work-safe.

If you like this story, consider subscribing to the Escape Pod podcast, where you can listen to other fantastic short stories by published Sci-Fi authors. I know I dig it.

randomness 1 Comment

Still Here

Not much to report.

Can’t get motivated to finish the LSM site, although I only have two weeks left. Still have a couple of issues to tweak out, like how precisely to have visitors download files stored outside the web root directory (for security’s sake).

Aaron got half a day off of work today to study sort guides for his new, easier UPS job, so I got to see him all evening. We went out to dinner at the Happy Rose, our new favorite Chinese Buffet With Sushi Bar.

My new iPod earbuds arrived today. What an upgrade from the Apple ones, and from the $5 Koss jobbies I picked up at Walmart. These are soooo comfy, though the behind-the-neck cord configuration might take some getting used to.

Saw the Arrogant Worms in concert at Owens on Saturday. Fantastic show. Maybe tomorrow I’ll feel up to writing a review.

For now, though, I need to get to bed.

randomness 1 Comment

Cheerful Things

In keeping with the advice of my blog buddy Wil, I present to you Three Things That Make Me Feel Cheerful, by Diana (age 29):

  1. Our one-year-old cat, Mei, has finally begun to mellow out and not attack my hands and/or feet under the covers. Instead, she tends to curl up behind my knees and purr contentedly until she falls asleep. Whenever I move or roll over, she wakes up and begins purring again, despite the fact that I’ve just made her rearrange her sleeping position.
  2. My husband and I work opposite shifts, so he comes to bed around 4am or so, smack in the middle of my night’s sleep. Sometimes, though, I’m lucky enough to wake up when he climbs in beside me, and I get a few minutes of cuddly snuggly half-asleep happiness before I drift off again. And, yes, sometimes the cat is still there.
  3. Weekends. Weekends make me happy. And not because I’m not at work; like I mentioned, my husband and I work opposite shifts, so I only see him for 25 minutes every weekday. Weekends are when I get to have quality time with my soulmate, which is cool. Whether we go to a concert, an art fair, or just go thrifting, those two days really recharge me and make me a much happier person.

Now it’s your turn. In this time of WTF-ness, what makes you happy?

[Note: Wil Wheaton is not really my buddy. Even though he likes The Pixies, and even though I thoroughly enjoy his writing style, and even though I feel as if we would get along (again, reference the familiar writing style), I have not actually corresponded with Wil, nor have I met him. — Hey, Wil? Are you ever planning to do that Star Trek Convention in Vegas…?]

randomness 2 Comments

20 Things Meme

Well, nobody’s specifically tagged me to do it, but I haven’t done it yet, and I thought it might be fun. So, here I go: the “20 Things You May Not Know About Me” Meme. I may go through some basics that my closer friends already know, just because it’s interesting “me” stuff, but I’ll try to keep it relatively new and as surprising and interesting as possible.

  1. I was born to a single mother.
  2. My biological father offered to put up the cash to have me aborted.
  3. I qualified for free lunches in elementary school.
  4. I went to three different elementary schools in three different school districts from Kindergerten through 6th grade.
  5. I lived in Florida for three years.
  6. I grew up Mormon, and am technically still a Mormon.
  7. My mother didn’t get married until I was 12 years old.
  8. I took ballet lessons for four years, and tap for one year. After we moved to Florida, my mom made me quit because it was too expensive.
  9. I was in Girl Scouts for two years. After we moved away from Florida, my mom made me quit because it was too expensive.
  10. I was in the Gifted program in elementary school, and the Advanced classes in middle and high school.
  11. I got a 4.4 GPA my first quarter of high school.
  12. I got put on Academic Suspension after my first year of college.
  13. I can play (or could once play) the piano, clarinet, saxophone, flute, trumpet (and soprano bugle), mellophone, guitar, and various odd instruments like the nose flute.
  14. I have never smoked a cigarette.
  15. I have smoked pot. Once.
  16. I voluntarily sang in school choir for seven years, starting in sixth grade. (In elementary school, no one has a choice — everyone has to be in the school musical extravaganza.)
  17. When I was in fifth grade, I wanted to be a computer programmer for NASA when I grew up.
  18. The only person I have ever had sex with is my husband.
  19. I now own five 35mm cameras, and one digital point-and-shoot
  20. My eyes are hazel-blue.

Feel free to ask for clarification on any of these, or to do the meme on your own blog. Leave me some love either way.