1/9/2010 - Sabotage in my Mailbox My back has been sore for a couple of days. Too much snow shoveling, I suppose. The one night I finally got enough rest, I woke up with an annoying twinge between my shoulder blades that progressed to an intense ache intermixed with searing pain as I padded gently through the day in my bedroom slippers. A side effect of the pain was that I chose not to shovel the front steps. (Where are those damned annoying teenagers now that there's a couple of feet out there?!) I've no lack of considerate neighbors who own snow blowers (big powerful monstrous ones), and they've kept my driveway more than passable lately. But you can't use a snowthrower on cement steps - we're all on our own for that job. And since I've been busy shoveling and salting every day for the past too-many-to-count days, I expected a bit of consideration...from the only person who traverses my steps besides me...the mailman. Normally, my mailman is a gem. If there's a package I need to sign for, and I've stepped out, he'll actually stop back around a second time to see if I've returned. His dedication to the postman's creed floors me. And, he's a nice guy. We've had many enjoyable political discussions prompted by the "Hillary for President" signs still proudly displayed in my front windows. (Hey, I paid $32 for them, I'm not throwing them away!) I love the guy! So, I was more than a little dismayed to find "not shoveled 1/8/10" scrawled on the front of one of my letters today. More like outraged. It just so happens that I was going out to try to shovel when I checked the mail today. I noticed the comment, but decided to use my anger on the snow, and deal with the graffiti-ing mailman later. Unfortunately, I completely threw my back out on the second step, and had to quit immediately. I don't know how I got my shoes off! I've never felt such pain! So, here it is, 6 hours later. I'm well medicated and comfortable, despite the fact that it's only 4 degrees outside. It's time to decide what to do about the insult tattooed on my private mail. Do I dare do anything to get my beloved postman in trouble? I am well aware that he's free to skip my house if he deems it dangerous to deliver my mail, and he must be aware of this too. Why not just do that instead of violating my letter? What the hell was he thinking? Or, was it a substitute mailman? Some new little snot who thinks it's his job to keep track of my winter obligations? There's no shortage of unshoveled homes in my neighborhood. The idiots who live behind me haven't shoveled in four years. The woman across the street is in her 70's. Are they receiving nasty memos as well? Is this some new policy of the post office - keep track of how many days we're laid up, and put hash marks on the mail to let us know that they know? Someone should tell them that today is the 9th, then, and it's actually been TWO DAYS that I've neglected my steps. Tomorrow is Sunday, and the post office is closed. Perhaps by Monday I will have calmed down and thrown the envelope in the recycling bin where it belongs. Looking at the big picture, it's not a reason to go to war with my mailman. I suppose he does have the upper hand, if I ever want to get another package. Still, with all the barking dogs and rude rude rude neighbors, I don't think I can let this little jab slide. What would you do? 2/3/2010 - A Crime Against Vegetarianism
2/18/2010 - Update Kellogg's responded to my email protesting the discontinuation of Veggie Dogs...they suggested I substitute Veggie Sausage Links instead. I emailed them and said if they expected me to serve breakfast sausage at a large summer picnic, they'd lost their minds. If this is an indication of their business sense, I'm not surprised they can't find a kitchen to make their veggie dogs anymore... 2/6/2010 - The joys of home ownership
2/18/2010 - It's Still Winter on the Great Lakes As I spend hours shoveling and shoveling and still shoveling snow, I wonder where those kids are - the ones who used to wake me up early on the weekend wanting to shovel the inch of snow in my driveway. I amuse myself while shoveling by thinking of ways I would pummel them. 3/4/2010 - Beeeeeagle! My neighbors got a new dog for Christmas. A beagle puppy named Bailey. She's unbelievably cute, curious, and well-behaved (...for a puppy, of course). As I watch her, I think "there may be no greater joy than a puppy's first romp in the snow." While watching Bailey euphorically inspect every snowdrift, an acute melancholy comes over me. I think of images I've seen of beagles in cages. Not in adoption shelters, but in testing labs. Beagles are used for cosmetic tests, as well as tests on chemicals used for cleaning toilets, dishes, floors, and for all I know, garbage trucks. They're used because they're docile and submissive. They're abused because they're nice dogs. Most people explain their thoughts on animal testing by saying "If a rat has to die so a human doesn't, then so be it." I wish they knew the horrors that beagles suffer...adorable, intelligent, joyful beagles. 4/17/2010 - The Times are A'Changin After years of struggling with an economy-model graphics card (GeForce4 MX), 128MB memory, and a 40 GB hard drive, I finally decided to buy a new computer. I bought it online, and it arrived just two days ago. Right out of the box, I wondered "Why is this monitor so shiny?" It was like a mirror, I tell you! All of my unwashed, pajama-clad, 8:45-in-the-morning glory, being reflected back at me in brilliant black clarity...disturbing! I quickly concluded that it must have some protective cover on it, and I would rip it off and burn it later. Alas, this was not to be the case. The "protective cover" I thought I saw turned out to be only four thin strips of plastic covering the chrome-like border of the screen. I had indeed purchased a new mirror for my pc. *sigh* But that wasn't the end of my dismay. Late at night, as I tried to play Deus Ex: Invisible War, a game I bought several years ago, and have never been able to play (because the GeForce4 MX doesn't support pixel shaders), the effects of the MIRROR's 16:9 aspect ratio became apparent. Everyone was short and fat. Stretched, it seems, from one end of the mirror to the other. Sacre bleu! What have I done to myself?! 5/22/2010 - VOD News...sort of Tim Williams finally updated VOD's myspace page. (Sometime in early March.) It appears they have the songs for the new album...now they have to go through the finishing process. "Maybe some tour dates in 'late spring'." I can't imagine what the holdup is, but that's really not surprising, me being stuck here on the Great Lakes far far from the eye of the hardcore scene...if any even exists anymore, not that I would know. ~ margot is listening to BloodSimple's first album, having thoroughly consumed Still and the green album earlier this evening ~
Questions/comments: Email margotbean@hotmail.com. Be sure to tell me if I can post your email, and how you'd like your name to appear |
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