librarygrrrl.net

Amy forwarded me a really wonderful transcript of a speech given by Dr. Robin Meyers of Oklahoma City’s Mayflower Congregational UCC church at the 11/04 Peace Rally at Oklahoma University. Really, it’s a stunning indictment of those who wave “moral values” at those of us who do not toe the line of Christianity-according-to-GWB, and who attempt to tell us that we are somehow less-than for our views.

Wake up, people! It’s time to begin living as though people - REAL PEOPLE, ALL PEOPLE - matter. As though people who are not powerful and who do not have an inside track to the White House MATTER. Because I’m telling you - we do matter. And though we may not live the lives that those “moral values” people want us to live, we live the lives that we have, that we own, that are OURS.

I tell you this: OUR LIVES MATTER.

Terry Pratchett does it again - he thoroughly amuses me, makes me laugh out loud, and forces me to annoy my friends by reading passages of this book out loud to them.

You know fairy godmothers? Cinderella? Fairy tales and children’s stories? Well, put those ingredients into Discworld, and know that anything odd that can happen, probably will.

Witches Magrat Garlick, Nanny Ogg, and Granny Weatherwax join forces to help Emberella avoid the happy ending her BAD fairy godmother has contrived for her. (What? You didn’t know that there are good fairy godmothers and bad fairy godmothers? This is Discworld - get used to it.) Along the way, they travel to foreign places, meet people trapped in Stories, and spread their own particular brand of mayhem.

Highly entertaining, laugh-out-loud funny, and the best way I can think of to spend $7. Let me know if you want to read any of his books - I’ve got several and would be quite happy to share.

Spent part of the weekend painting Amy’s stairwell. A few weeks ago, she got completely and 100% fed-up with the horrible wood panelling in the stairs and ripped it down. Under that was damaged plaster, so that came out too. She and a friend hung drywall a couple of weeks ago, she primed this week, and she and I painted it this weekend.

Stairwells can either be very easy or very difficult to paint. My stairwells? Difficult. Her stairwell? VERY easy. She picked a pretty almost-white grey in a semi-gloss (this girl knows how she bangs on the walls going down the stairs with her hockey gear!). I totally and completely approve of the color. It took us about an hour yesterday to do the first coat (after which we went swimsuit shopping [gasp!], out to eat, and then watched the 4-hour Return of the King DVD), and about an hour today for me to do the second coat. Not bad at all.

The dog managed to get some paint on her ear, and nearly a full (not quite scalding-hot) cup of coffee spilled on her head. She’s over it now, but still smells like French Roast. Silly pup, getting in the way of humans early in the morning when they’re doing work and after they’ve stayed up till 2 a.m. watching movies! What was she thinking?

have one of those weeks that you just wish would end, already? That’s about where I am now. Work’s been busy and surprisingly filled with odd doses of drama, and it doesn’t help that I’m still fighting this plague. Ah well, the weekend shall be a relaxing one. Tomorrow I paint a stairwell and go see a play, Sunday will be knitty-filled and L-Word filled.

Speaking of knitting, I am happy to report that I am still plugging away on my Klaralund, and am about 3/4 done. The front, back, and one sleeve are finished, and the other sleeve is about 1/13 finished. (When I started this post earlier, it was only 1/26 done, but I added another inch to it during my 3.5-hour-long-on-a-Friday-afternoon-what-WERE-they-thinking meeting.) At any rate, though, it’s coming along nicely. Hopefully, I can get more of the sleeve done this weekend, and compare progress with the delightful Amy G!

In other news, the dog just LOVES Amy’s new housemate. This morning, the beast wandered into Jen’s room and woke her with a big wet nose-poke. I should take some photos of them together, because they really like each other.

Okay, I’m off for the weekend. Wish me health, rest, and relaxation!

1. Total amount of music files on your computer?
7.95GB - 1714 songs - 4.7 days

2. The last CD you bought
The soundtrack to Garden State.

3. The last song you listened to before reading this
Between Days, The Cure (it’s on XPN right now!)

4. Name 5 songs you listen to often or that mean a lot to you
Accident Waiting to Happen by Billy Bragg
Alice’s Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie
Trust? by Frogpond
Standing in the Rain by Husker Du
Right Here, Right Now by Jesus Jones
Lovecats by The Cure
The Girl from Ipanema by Getz/Gilberto
Washington Bridge by Trip Shakespeare
(So I cheated and listed more than 5. Tough!)

5. Who will you pass this stick to (3 people) and why?
Connie in Pontiac, IL, since she’s always so kind as to leave me comments.
Robin in library school in NC, since she has such wonderful music tastes.
Shelly in IA, who will put it someplace only I can read.

But if none of them want to answer, that’s just fine too.