PaladinLost's blog: "Tales from the Mundane"

Howdy all my FuFriends and FuLuvers. This is going to be a strange semester. I have mostly evening courses, so I will all tied up on Wednesday and Thursdays. So if you need to catch me, try on Monday or Tuesday. Don't worry though, I promise to stalk each of you.

This week finds me in beautiful Edmonton for a conference. Lots to do, but I just wanted to say "funny money" to all my Canadian friends.

Last night was a good night to dream I was attending a grand gala, so grand I was in a tux with a top hot. I knew I had it going on :) The gala took place over several rooms of this fictitious high-end shopping mall my mind often uses. The event was to celebrate my students. They had pulled off something marvelous and everyone was there to celebrate. It began with a dinner - they even had something vegetarian for me. Another male who looked a bit like Will Farrell was my co-teacher and he had prepared a powerpoint show to "roast" our students in a goof natured way and he asked me to play along - no problem I can do funny improv. Right after the salad, my students presented us with a photo album. Each had a 5x7 headshot and the album was dedicated to one of our students who died during our class. We all got weepy, me too. After dinner, we went to another part of the mall for the awards. It was a bit tricky to get to and we had to do a bit of rehearsal to get it right. While the rehearsal was going on, I noticed my old high school friends in the audience. My deep-crush Linette was there complaining about being cold. I told her she could have my coat afterwards. It felt right. I then went behind stage (where the human statues where getting their poses right) and found my class all sitting together. I got their attention and told them: "Take this moment and really feel it, really feel it. You have done what no one else could do, better than anyone thought. This is your day. Your great day. BUT do not let this day consume you. You are each amazing and much better days then this will come your way. Do not rest. Do not be satisfied. But do remember this day - always." I knew I was crying with pride as I spoke The ceremony went by quickly in dream time. I knew our slide show sort of flopped, but I did okay. The day was done. The tux rental people where there collecting all of our rentals. A very nice system of drawers held each of our belongings. I changed into normal clothes, but knew to keep my coat. I spent the next few minutes searching for Linette, but I could not find her. I eventually met up with my brother who took me to his car and we left the mall.

My father, mother and sister are visiting. Ever since I have known dad he has always been a doer. He and I have always done projects together. Everything I know about tools I learned from him. He has taught me a lot. But he is getting older - turning 75 this year and he is slowing down. When I asked him to bring his chain saw, I didn't figure he would help, but really he was in the way. It has to be my fault. I am just not used to working with other people on projects anymore. I just don't watch out. So when I was cutting down a small tree and dad stepped in to help - I should have stopped what I was doing. Instead when he lost his balance when the tree fell, he reached to stop himself and caught the saw. Fortunately, as soon as the tree fell, I stopped the saw, so he caught a decelerating blade, but I never should have had the saw near him. I know better. He had minor cuts, some of which required stitches, but none were very deep. He should be fine in time, but I feel awful. I know he lost his footing, but dammit I should have anticipated the danger. I am just too cocky. It is time I ate the humble pie the universe gave me today.

The conservative pundits who thought that Rachel Ray's paisley scarf was supporting terrorism are missing a much bigger issue. I just learned that the Frackers who flew the planes into the towers and pentagon took and exhaled air. Those bastards ingested into their scum-ridden bodies air and that same air is now all around us and we are inhaling it. Billions of terrorist molecules. By breathing we have become one with the terrorists. By using their air we support the terrorists and they win! Every true patriot and conservative pundit who was worried about a scarf needs to realize that with every breath THEY are supporting terrorism. Oh the shame, OH the hypocrisy. Stop breathing now before you do more harm! I need a donut.

Every now and then I am reminded of just how boys behave. And then there is Fubar. I visit folks on Blasts and Ticker, figuring that they want points and I am drawn to women - if you catch my attention I am clicking. On so, so many profiles I find "The List." You know the one. No IM, No Yahoo, No NSFW, No haters, No cock shots, and so on. I am dumbfounded that this might ever work. Does anyone encourage this behaviour? Whatever happened to manners? I hope everyone on FuBar blocks these kids. Let's teach them a lesson. Can we spread the blocking? Is there as Fubur blacklist? Okay - rant over.

WisCon is held every memorial day in Madison Wisconsin. It is the feminist science fiction and fantasy convention. I go because my friends Laura and Kelly are there AND to see the newest in books. This year was fun because not only was there the usual suspects, TG-folks and authors, but someone brought the Stomach Flu. Nothing like seeing disease propagation vectors in action. I was my hands like I had OCD. I got through it okay, but Laura got hit. I plan on going back...

I spent my teenage years in ohio and my parents are still there, so I try to get back often. This past trip was nearly a flyby. I planned my arrival to coincide with my Mom 75 birthday. It is really odd to think of her as that old until I remember that I too am aging. I like hanging out with Dad. He and I have reach that point where we are friends as adults, without really worry about the parent part. The next day I drove up to Akron to visit my BFF Mike and his family. Mike is a dead ringer for Barry Manilow when he wants to be. He is one of four people from high school I keep in contact with. Mind you I had lots of friends in HS, but I moved on; most of them did not. Glory Days. The last day was spent with Jenny. Again one of only five friends from college I keep in contact with. I had fewer friends in college and most of them also simply moved on. The people you keep in touch with are those who significantly touched you. Jenny for instance broke my heart, but I am better for that experience. Sadly this trip was so quick I never really got the chance to have the deep conversations about life friends need to have with each other. So I saw everyone, but really only their public face.

I am confused by fubar crushes. I have noticed that nearly all of my friends have multiple crushes. But we each get one crush to give right? So this means there is a horde of lonely fu's who have given their crush away without getting love back. I fall in love very fast. I have lost track of all the crushes I have had in my life, but somehow I still feel them.

When I was growing up I was easily confused. I remember seeing posters advertising Vacation Bible School and I knew vacation and school were opposites, so Vacation Bible School was an oxymoron. My solution was to change the spelling of Vatican. To this day I can easily switch those two. Perhaps I am destined to be pope? Anyway, last post for the weekend. I will be off to Ohio to visit some old friends and family. I wonder what drama my mom will invent? sigh. Maybe I can discommunicate her?