Author: lizardek

Do you know how many things I could be doing if I didn’t have to be at work doing nothing?! LOTS, that’s how many. I have a list a mile long. I have a lot of lists. I’m listy that way. Actually, I’m knocking things off my list like a marksman, thwak! pow! zing! Of course, each time I cross something off I add something else. It’s an obsession. It’s never-ending. Why don’t men have the list gene? Or do they start out with it and then slowly crush it until all the breath has gone out of it and...

One of our cars is sloshing. It’s the old Nissan and I wouldn’t put anything past it at this point. We’ve had nothing but rain here for weeks on end, and on Saturday night while I was at the movie with Camilla, it poured, leaving a very puddly, worm-happy world when we left the theater. We both really liked the movie, and I thought it was far and beyond the best of the 3 Harry Potter films. We didn’t puddle-stomp our way back to the car, but we could have if we hadn’t been talking so much. We got to...

cookies for dessert potluck? check marinated pork chops for grilling? check potato salad and grape tomatoes? check cooler with beer, pop, saft, ice? check deviled eggs? check sticker prizes? check stapler, paper, pen, stuff for treasure hunt? check happy faces, good moods? check CD of patriotic songs? check red white and blue clothing? check sunshine and blue skies? aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Happy Birthday, America.

I just got called an old fart. I sent out birthday invitations and nearly all of the responses I’ve gotten back have made jeering or jokey remarks about my age. It’s making me want to call off the party. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to HAVE a party but I sort of felt like I SHOULD have a party because that’s what you do in Sweden, and, I guess, most places, when you have a big birthday to make you feel old celebrate. I don’t want to turn 40. I’m not looking forward to it. It really bothers me....

In Sweden, the government pays you up to a year and a half after the birth of a child at between 60-80% of your pay. When Karin was born I wasn’t yet working so I was only (only!) getting 60 kronor a day which was the minimum one can get when one has no other salary (it’s since gone up). I started working when Karin was 7 months old. You are able to use the paid maternity leave days until the child turns 8 at which time you lose them. You can also give them, or at least a portion...

POW. Every time I think things are going along well, something happens. Not necessarily to me, but even a stab to the heart of someone I care about is like a stab to my own. 🙁 I honestly don’t understand why people have to hurt others by being selfish and stupid. There is no excuse, as far as I’m concerned, for some behavior. I know it’s hard to be an adult sometimes and it’s not always easy to do the right thing, but wouldn’t it be nice if people TRIED, at least?! The sun was shining this morning when I...

Mosaic Minds is bright and beautiful with a new masthead by galestorm and chock-full of incredibly interesting, well-written and amusing pieces from our energetic and talented staff. Go check out the new issue, titled What If?. Childwind by Elizabeth Slaughter-Ek Her hand is cupped to her cheek She’s finally asleep My back cramps against the too small headboard And I ease my way upright Stretching Standing there, I could stand there Forever my eyes holding her She’s never still Except when she’s sleeping God knows she doesn’t need much A few hours charge her buzzing body Send her zooming into...

I couldn’t get on to LJ all day and had to…gasp…WORK. Oh, the humanity! I can’t figure out why I couldn’t get on…I didn’t have any trouble with any other websites, and it’s working just fine at home and I’m pretty sure they didn’t block it because they always have a firewall page when they do, so wtf? Life without LJ is so…dull. heh Off to go sing now more later

Well, despite my 4-month-long slide into the bad-attitude pit at work, my performance review this morning was EXCELLENT. I can only hope that will translate as a decent pay raise if and when we ever get them. My boss is in agreement with me on bad attitudes and reasons for them and ways to squash them and made a point of once again offering his complete support in the event that I ever feel it necessary to look for another job and then he hugged me around the legs and begged me never to quit. We have a work party...

Attention span? What attention span? I feel like a hummingbird today. I can’t focus. I can’t keep my mind on one thing. I keep jumping up and down and interrupting myself. I don’t know why. I don’t have anything special going on or anything special I’m looking forward to. I’d eat nectar if I could find it. Did you know that the reason why nothing in nature that can be eaten is blue is because blue means poison? Well, that, and yellow. But not all yellow, just yellow animals. Okay, and not even all of them because hamsters and canaries...