Hoodz

Hoodz
Originally uploaded by measi.

We've now had Hoodsie indoors for about a year. As you can tell by the photo, he's um... struggling horribly with being an indoor kitty. Clearly malnourished, not comfortable, etc. (riiiight)

Don't even think you can tickle that belly, by the way. It's the perfect human lure. As soon as you try, he does the clawtrap method of feline attack.

(and OMGlookatthetoes!)

Updates, stuffage, and such

It's been kind of a long time since I posted... thought I should do an update since I have some quiet time to myself today...

First, I'm doing just fine, aside from a small health issue. So's Erich, so are my parents, and so is my brother. Just busy. Really busy.

Work's great. Nothing big to really report there. I'm happy where I am. :) Only news somewhat related to work is a 7-alarm fire that happened on Friday next door at a 4-generation run seafood distributor. I've put pictures up in my Flickr account. Today they're tearing down the ruins, and the smell is horrid. 60,000 pounds of lobster plus whatever other fish/seafood remains? Ick. I'm just thankful it's rainy and in the 60s today, not the 90s.

The final part of Erich's Mom's estate is hopefully to be resolved soon - he and his aunt are selling the house that they inherited via Erich's grandparents. Just waiting on the town to approve the septic system upgrade that was required. Having that house out of our responsibility will be fantastic. Talk about a money pit. *sigh*

I'm recovering from an annoying back pull that happened three weeks ago. It's so stupid - I was picking up a binder at work. Completely harmless thing, but I moved just the wrong way. Three weeks later, I've gone through a round of muscle relaxers and percocet, and I'm dealing with a pinched nerve that teases me some days with going away, and flaring up on other days. *sigh* I only missed one day of work, but I am getting extremely tired of limping. Gimpy!Mel is in full force.

Thoroughly enjoying the new series of Doctor Who. Catherine Tate is fantastic, and the timing between she and Tennant is hysterical. Sad to think that after this series ends, there are only a couple specials to fill a long wait until 2010. *sigh*

BUT... I do get to see Tennant (and Patrick Stewart) in Hamlet in a few months over in the UK. Really can't complain!

Absolutely thrilled about Obama's victory. I hope that Clinton supporters will vote Democrat this year - I know a lot have threatened to switch to McCain, but I would hope with all that's at stake, that they would continue with the party. We need change in this nation. Bush's presidency has been an absolute disaster, and although the majority of the nation has finally come to realize what many of us who knew this years ago (but were denounced as unpatriotic), I don't know how this nation will vote. But of course, everyone should vote his/her conscience. *crosses fingers* Change needs to happen.

So yeah - I'm fine. Just been busy, as always. :) Granted, I don't even know if anyone still reads this blog!

Best,
Mel.

Important instructions...

Important instructions...
Originally uploaded by measi.

Well, at least the city has a sense of humor, eh? But yes, these are the official signs. It's not the only one I've run across.

I took this at lunch near my office building. It's in one of the new parks that have replaced the ugly elevated portion of I-93 that cut through downtown Boston in the pre-Big Dig era. This particular sign is in the park portion next to International Place... and is blocking the view to the spot where the Boston Tea Party took place. :)

Yes.

Well, one candidate gets it.

Jury Duty, Day One

The court released us early today (hooray!), so I'm home at 2:30 p.m. It was a very unexciting morning. Showed up, took the jury oaths, watched a very school-like "Jury Duty rah-rah-rah" video... then went back to the jury lounge, where I waited the morning away.

Apparently there were three potential cases, but none required juries - so we were released at noon. I took advantage of the nice day and walked down Benefit Street, admiring the buildings of Old Providence & the lower part of Brown University campus, grabbed lunch on Wickenden Street again... and then walked downtown, past the canals, to the bus stop.

The court gave us the choice of either free parking validation or RIPTA bus vouchers. I took the latter. Bus ride home was relatively quick. Drops me off a block from the house. Not bad.

The one good thing about jury duty? I got a decent amount of draft writing done. About six pages in my notebook longhand. :)

I do have to report again tomorrow - service is a mandatory two days here in Rhode Island. Apparently until only a few years ago, it was a mandatory two WEEKS. Eep!

At least it's better than my experience in Boston for Grand Jury... I was quite thankful to see seats in a room, rather than the floor in a hallway I got in Boston several years ago.

So I have the rest of the afternoon to get stuff done. Was feeling a bit bleh yesterday, so I'll try to catch up on some stuff today to make me feel like I didn't completely blow the weekend away.

Whee.

Tomorrow morning? I vote in the primaries. Then back to the court. Armed with little writing projects to do.