Random Overheard Comment of the Day

Scene: Packed elevator of students at renowned conservatory on the second full day of classes
Who: Undergraduate musicians reuniting after break and catching up on summer news
What happened: General elevator chitchat, whereupon a young 20 something female teasingly punched her male cohort in the arm, which brought her impressive engagement ring to his attention

Guy: Hey. What's that? Did you get engaged?
Girl: Yes, this summer.
Guy: Congratulations. Is he rich? He'd better be.

Doors to elevator open. Students depart.

Ah. The cynicism of young musicians. So sad. But so true.

That bites! - Part 2

What ever happened to "live long and prosper?"

Star Trek: The Experience closing down

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) -- After a decade at the final frontier, Star Trek: The Experience is going where no Las Vegas Strip attraction wants to go.

Star Trek: The Experience entertained visitors for 10 years.

With a decommissioning ceremony -- as befits any great vessel -- the exhibit and its replica of the starship Enterprise are closing Monday.

This was on my list of things to do in Vegas, but got bumped on the last trip so I could visit the Liberace Museum and torture my mother and sisters-in-law instead. Now I'll never get to "make it so."

Let's hope it beams to another location soon.

That bites! - Part 1

from today's New York Times

A 'Twilight' Delayed

Compiled by JULIE BLOOM
Published: September 2, 2008

Stephenie Meyer is delaying indefinitely the completion of the final installment of her “Twilight Saga” after an unfinished partial draft was leaked online, The Los Angeles Times reported. “I did not want my readers to experience ‘Midnight Sun’ before it was completed, edited and published,” she wrote on stepheniemeyer.com last week. “I think it is important for everybody to understand that what happened was a huge violation of my rights as an author, not to mention me as a human being.” Ms. Meyer posted a link to the incomplete draft: “This way, my readers don’t have to feel they have to make a sacrifice to stay honest.” The leak follows the publication in August of “Breaking Dawn,” the fourth installment in Ms. Meyer’s young-adult series about vampires. The movie version of the first book, “Twilight,” is scheduled to be released in November.*

Delayed? Indefinitely? WHAT?! The sound you hear through the cyber-land you hear is millions of Twilight fans screaming in horror and plotting revenge against the person who leaked the m.s. Now that's just evil!

Now I know that many people have had less than favorable reviews for Breaking Dawn, though personally, I think I liked it best for many reasons, not the least of which is that I'm a more "mature" reader than the tween/teen set that it's "supposed" to be targeted to and therefore appreciate the more mature aspects of the novel (no spoilers here from me), but I was really looking forward to hearing Edward's side of things in Midnight Sun. I had read some of the approved pages that were previously released on the author's website and it had piqued my interest.

DARN IT. First no more Harry Potter books and now no more Twilight stories.


*Which I'm skipping. I gave into the Harry Potter films and it did totally color my mental visions of the characters. I want to keep "my" Edward and Bella.

Quote of the Day

A friend is a second self — Aristotle

Here's a blogger shout-out to all those friends of mine who have been "weathering the storms" this summer due to one thing or another. The forecast here is that the dark cloud bank seems to be passing and the sun's peaking through ... finally! Here's hoping your storms pass soon, and that the skies remain bright and calm.

Auntie Nettie's Summer Projects, Part 2

Continuing the list of the summer and other "hooking" projects

Crochet Projects:

#65-68: Decorative Crochet Snowflakes

(Still need to be starched for "ornamentation")

#64: Maroon Rainbow Skull Cap (not available)

#63: Blue Rainbow Skull Cap (not available, donation)

#62: Cream Rainbow Skull Cap (not available, donatiom)

#61: Mint Green Hat

(coordinates with #48, not available, donation)

#60: Orange Mohair Scarf (not available)

Close-up of the ends

#59: Pink/Grey Ribbon Scarf (not available)

(also like #34 and #58)

#58: Greyish Blue Ribbon Scarf (not available)

(much like #34)

#57: Blue/White Flower Scarf - 11 rounds

Close-up of the "round"

#56: Blue Flower Scarf -- 15 rounds

#55: Shopping Bag - One Strap (not available)

#54: Shopping Bag - Two handles
(as of 11/2013 no longer available)

#53: Stuffed Frog v.2 (not available)

#52: Stuffed Frog v.1 (was a Toy Society Drop, see here)

#51: Stuffed Cream/Green Bear (Donated to Toys for Tots)

#50: Stuffed Goldfish (not available)

(stay tuned for Mr. Fishie's Adventures in the U.K.)

#49: Purple-hued Spiral Scarf (not available) #48: Mint Green Spiral Scarf (matching hat #61)

When Busts Go Bad

aka what library employees do to amuse themselves when The Shushing Librarian is MIA.
I wonder why Beethoven is mad. Is the lack of musical respect? The bad corsage? The scared baby? His missing nose? The misuse of his decorative self?

MIA? Thanks for noticing ...

Is it "starve a cold, feed a fever" or "feed a cold, starve a fever?" I can never remember. Not that it matters now ...

Almost a week into the cold/flu bug that knocked me flat on Wednesday, and I'm just now beginning to remember what it's like to not have snot dripping down my face. (Lovely, right?) Now I'm just exhausted, pale, hacking with post-nasal drip, and ready to go back to bed again. Fooey with this working thing.

It's times like the last week -- when my nose was peeling from all the sneezing, when I was wracked one minute with chills and the next with a raging fever, and when I was falling asleep about 1 hour (or less) after my last nap only to awake in a puddle of sweat and drool, and when my apartment was covered with tissues and discarded o.j. containers -- that affirmed to me once again that I hate being sick.

Is it time to go home yet and go back to bed?