America. The great melting pot. A place where people from all different cultures can come together, learn things from each other, and become better than they were before. To paraphrase Bill Murray in Stripes, we're mutts. And that's a good thing. One single town can have people whose ancestry traces back to dozens of countries and cultures. All living and working together as Americans.
The melting pot. Awesome.
Hell, look at the language we speak here. It's called English, but it's actually parts of all sorts of other languages. Do some entomology and be amazed. Latin, German, Spanish, Italian, Greek... with new stuff coming into usage all the time. And it's an amazing language that one can use to communicate concepts and ideas and feelings and... Well, you get the drift.
Look at the foods we eat here. Go to any city of a size and you'll find a Chinese restaurant, a Mexican restaurant, and an Italian restaurant. Larger cities and you also find Indian cuisine, falafel stands, Greek, German... Yum. So many choices that anyone can eat. Last week alone, I made German food and Italian food in addition to burgers and sandwiches. I also do a mean quesadilla and a helluva a stir-fry when the mood strikes me. Because I can.
The clothes we wear, the homes we build, the art we embrace, the makeup and jewelry we use to make ourselves pretty... all could've had their roots in some other culture. And I think that's awesome.
So, there's been this new buzz phrase making headlines - cultural appropriation. They make it sound like it's a bad thing. Which is weird. Taking good things and making them our own? How can that possibly be bad? These things enrich our lives, and the great thing is it all happens without actually taking anything away from anyone.
But they want you to feel bad about taking something away from someone somewhere without any proof of any wrongdoing. They want you to feel guilty about this good thing. And for some stupid reason it's working. :shrug:
I refuse to feel guilty for making my life better when no one else is harmed.
Cultural appropriation. It's a good thing. No matter how they make it sound.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Sunday, May 28, 2017
Sunday Update - Week 21
Here we are again with another week gone. Another month gone. Pretty darn close to halfway through the year. Time flies whether you're having fun or not.
Still nothing on the writing or editing scale.
I've been reading like crazy, though. Four books last week. Eleven so far for May. I started another one last night and have one in the hopper - both of which I should get through before Thursday. On a side note, my Kindle Fire keeps telling me I can't read the books I've paid for at Amazon because of DRM. It tells me to delete the book and then go purchase it. Umm, duh, I already purchased it. I don't pirate books, you freaktards. Thankfully, I have my old Kindle and it's not telling me I can't read those books. So, I'm switching over to the old model whenever I get those errors.
The deer are still preggers.
We had some freaknasty storms yesterday and last night. All's well here at Sanderson Acres, but the area's getting hit hard this year. I read this morning that Branson got 5" of rain last night with the flooding and junk that goes along with the much water all at once. Like we need more rain. Ugh.
I did go fishing last week, but didn't do the fishing report. I only caught one fish anyway and it was too small. I did get a tick, though. Brought that home. Hubs pulled it out for me because it was on my back in an unreachable spot. Itches like a bad devil now. (Yes, I cleaned it good and I'm keeping antiseptic cream on it.)
The summer people have arrived. I'm hiding at home. Those people are nuts. Why do people go on vacation somewhere and lose all sense of courtesy and decorum? If this is their normal behavior, I feel sorry for their neighbors wherever they call home. Sheesh.
The upside to storms is that it keeps the partiers inside and quiet for the most part.
Oh, and we're getting red-headed woodpeckers in the yard this year. I've seen them down the hill by the river, but never up here, so that's a win for me. So pretty.
That's it for me. What's up your world?
Still nothing on the writing or editing scale.
I've been reading like crazy, though. Four books last week. Eleven so far for May. I started another one last night and have one in the hopper - both of which I should get through before Thursday. On a side note, my Kindle Fire keeps telling me I can't read the books I've paid for at Amazon because of DRM. It tells me to delete the book and then go purchase it. Umm, duh, I already purchased it. I don't pirate books, you freaktards. Thankfully, I have my old Kindle and it's not telling me I can't read those books. So, I'm switching over to the old model whenever I get those errors.
The deer are still preggers.
We had some freaknasty storms yesterday and last night. All's well here at Sanderson Acres, but the area's getting hit hard this year. I read this morning that Branson got 5" of rain last night with the flooding and junk that goes along with the much water all at once. Like we need more rain. Ugh.
I did go fishing last week, but didn't do the fishing report. I only caught one fish anyway and it was too small. I did get a tick, though. Brought that home. Hubs pulled it out for me because it was on my back in an unreachable spot. Itches like a bad devil now. (Yes, I cleaned it good and I'm keeping antiseptic cream on it.)
The summer people have arrived. I'm hiding at home. Those people are nuts. Why do people go on vacation somewhere and lose all sense of courtesy and decorum? If this is their normal behavior, I feel sorry for their neighbors wherever they call home. Sheesh.
The upside to storms is that it keeps the partiers inside and quiet for the most part.
Oh, and we're getting red-headed woodpeckers in the yard this year. I've seen them down the hill by the river, but never up here, so that's a win for me. So pretty.
That's it for me. What's up your world?
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Thursday This n That
It's time for my yearly physical again. This morning. At 8am. Since I have to drive east to get there, I'm glad sunrise is at 6am this morning. It's a bitch to drive into the sun. Anyway, since I had the full meal deal physical last year, this morning is just a 'pat and chat' visit. She'll come into the room, talk to me about how I'm feeling, and then give me a boob exam. yay.
So, I hate doctors. In a general sort of way. I can remember an individual doctor here or there that I liked, but it's a small percentage considering how many doctors I've seen over the course of my life. My physiatrist in Michigan? He's awesome. This general practitioner? I give her a 2 on the 'hate scale' - (1 being low-hate and 10 being total-hate). Since we developed an understanding, she's been pretty cool. The understanding being I won't be letting them poke me for blood tests I don't think I need. I had one doc in CO hold my shot hostage until I let her draw blood, the nurse there popped my vein, and the tests came out normal. I relayed this story to the doc here and she said 'that's just so wrong' and she promised me she would never hold my shot hostage. Yay.
For the record, I love the office staff and the nurse at my clinic. Also, for the record, I feel great, so I don't anticipate this to be a long doctor visit.
My new drapes arrived yesterday and I put them up while Hubs was mowing the lawn. They're very pretty, but they're too thin. I wanted something less heavy than the black-out drapes we had, but this might be less privacy than we feel comfortable with. :sigh: Anyway, the ones for the living room are chocolate and the ones for the office are sage. The office ones will stay. We'll see about the living room ones.
The big does are all fat pregnant. Poor things. They look so uncomfortable. But the pregger bellies are shifting toward the back, so they should be dropping fawns soon. Yay fawns!
We had Carolina wrens nest under our sunroom this year. They fledged out four of the cutest little buggers, who are now flitting around our yard eating bugs. =o)
What's on your this n that today?
So, I hate doctors. In a general sort of way. I can remember an individual doctor here or there that I liked, but it's a small percentage considering how many doctors I've seen over the course of my life. My physiatrist in Michigan? He's awesome. This general practitioner? I give her a 2 on the 'hate scale' - (1 being low-hate and 10 being total-hate). Since we developed an understanding, she's been pretty cool. The understanding being I won't be letting them poke me for blood tests I don't think I need. I had one doc in CO hold my shot hostage until I let her draw blood, the nurse there popped my vein, and the tests came out normal. I relayed this story to the doc here and she said 'that's just so wrong' and she promised me she would never hold my shot hostage. Yay.
For the record, I love the office staff and the nurse at my clinic. Also, for the record, I feel great, so I don't anticipate this to be a long doctor visit.
My new drapes arrived yesterday and I put them up while Hubs was mowing the lawn. They're very pretty, but they're too thin. I wanted something less heavy than the black-out drapes we had, but this might be less privacy than we feel comfortable with. :sigh: Anyway, the ones for the living room are chocolate and the ones for the office are sage. The office ones will stay. We'll see about the living room ones.
The big does are all fat pregnant. Poor things. They look so uncomfortable. But the pregger bellies are shifting toward the back, so they should be dropping fawns soon. Yay fawns!
We had Carolina wrens nest under our sunroom this year. They fledged out four of the cutest little buggers, who are now flitting around our yard eating bugs. =o)
What's on your this n that today?
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Old Paperbacks
A friend of mine who is well aware of my penchant for hard-boiled crime and old detective novels sent me a link to a sale they're having on Ellery Queen ebooks. Which is awesome and thoughtful of her. But I realized as I was looking through the listings, that I prefer old paperbacks for those kinds of novels.
Don't get me wrong. I love ebooks. But there's something about reading old crime novels in paperback - in the original editions if at all possible. The smell of the old pages and the feel of the worn and dirty covers just seems to lend itself to the reading of a gritty crime story. For me, anyway.
Ebooks, for me, are for new novels. And for classics (because sometimes those classics are huge and ungainly and hard to hold, ya know?) I'll sit for hours holding my Kindle reading the latest from my favorite authors, or an interesting new author, but for some reason, I can't envision myself hip-deep in a crime story on an ereader. Oh, I could probably get over it, but right now, I don't have to, so I won't.
The other day, after certain birthday prezzies arrived, I found myself looking through the Amazon listings, trying to find an old copy of I, The Jury (because my copy is falling apart and I'd like to read it again). Nope. People must be holding onto those with both hands because they just aren't available - at least not for a reasonable price. I could've gotten an ecopy, but the thought just felt weird.
Maybe I'm weird. (Okay, quit giggling... I am weird.) I do love me some old books. And I circle the used book stores like a vulture looking for any old crime novels I can find. Every once in a while it's a HUZZAH! and I find one I've been hoping for. Heh, I think that's part of the reasoning, too. The treasure hunt of finding the books. :happy sigh:
There's just something about an old paperback that makes me happy.
What about you? Still reading paperbacks or have you switched to ebooks?
Don't get me wrong. I love ebooks. But there's something about reading old crime novels in paperback - in the original editions if at all possible. The smell of the old pages and the feel of the worn and dirty covers just seems to lend itself to the reading of a gritty crime story. For me, anyway.
Ebooks, for me, are for new novels. And for classics (because sometimes those classics are huge and ungainly and hard to hold, ya know?) I'll sit for hours holding my Kindle reading the latest from my favorite authors, or an interesting new author, but for some reason, I can't envision myself hip-deep in a crime story on an ereader. Oh, I could probably get over it, but right now, I don't have to, so I won't.
The other day, after certain birthday prezzies arrived, I found myself looking through the Amazon listings, trying to find an old copy of I, The Jury (because my copy is falling apart and I'd like to read it again). Nope. People must be holding onto those with both hands because they just aren't available - at least not for a reasonable price. I could've gotten an ecopy, but the thought just felt weird.
Maybe I'm weird. (Okay, quit giggling... I am weird.) I do love me some old books. And I circle the used book stores like a vulture looking for any old crime novels I can find. Every once in a while it's a HUZZAH! and I find one I've been hoping for. Heh, I think that's part of the reasoning, too. The treasure hunt of finding the books. :happy sigh:
There's just something about an old paperback that makes me happy.
What about you? Still reading paperbacks or have you switched to ebooks?
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Sunday Update - Week 20
I'm pretty sure it's Week 20, so I'm going with it.
I have been a total slug, but here's what last week looked like...
I decided I'm not going to talk about writing for a while - at least until I pull my head out of my exit orifice. Not sure how I'll manage marketing if I'm not talking about writing, but it doesn't really matter because my marketing efforts haven't been working anyway.
I read a lot. I only finished two books, so it might not look like a lot, but one of those was a historical novel, so that took many hours. And I'm most of the way through a chunky crime novel now. A Mickey Spillane, which I usually inhale, but this one is a little outside my comfort zone. And a little disappointing really. It feels almost like the editors in 1972 told Mickey to sex it up and he complied in a way that made it all so very nasty and crass. Perhaps a passive-aggressive attempt to tell the editorial board to fuck off. But the story is still pretty good, so I'm cringing through the nasty to get to the actual Spillane awesome. Still, I'm thinking this book is only going to get 3 stars. =o\
Fishing has been spotty because the weather is heating up and the sun's been out, which I think is bringing other people out to the very limited places to fish. I like to fish alone, tyvm. Then we had storms that dumped about 2.5 inches of rain. Now the lake, which was slowly going down, is going back up again. Bleh.
I had a nice, quiet birthiversary. Ate lots of cake and ice cream. And I'm officially 47 now. (Usually after New Years Day, I start shifting my age in my head. so I've been thinking of myself as 47 for months now.)
Well, I think that's about it for me this week. How was your Week 20? Anything good on the horizon for Week 21?
I have been a total slug, but here's what last week looked like...
I decided I'm not going to talk about writing for a while - at least until I pull my head out of my exit orifice. Not sure how I'll manage marketing if I'm not talking about writing, but it doesn't really matter because my marketing efforts haven't been working anyway.
I read a lot. I only finished two books, so it might not look like a lot, but one of those was a historical novel, so that took many hours. And I'm most of the way through a chunky crime novel now. A Mickey Spillane, which I usually inhale, but this one is a little outside my comfort zone. And a little disappointing really. It feels almost like the editors in 1972 told Mickey to sex it up and he complied in a way that made it all so very nasty and crass. Perhaps a passive-aggressive attempt to tell the editorial board to fuck off. But the story is still pretty good, so I'm cringing through the nasty to get to the actual Spillane awesome. Still, I'm thinking this book is only going to get 3 stars. =o\
Fishing has been spotty because the weather is heating up and the sun's been out, which I think is bringing other people out to the very limited places to fish. I like to fish alone, tyvm. Then we had storms that dumped about 2.5 inches of rain. Now the lake, which was slowly going down, is going back up again. Bleh.
I had a nice, quiet birthiversary. Ate lots of cake and ice cream. And I'm officially 47 now. (Usually after New Years Day, I start shifting my age in my head. so I've been thinking of myself as 47 for months now.)
Well, I think that's about it for me this week. How was your Week 20? Anything good on the horizon for Week 21?
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Saturday Fishing Report - 5/20/17
Welcome once more to the Fishing Report.
It's still pretty floody around here. The lake was dropping, but with more rain yesterday and forthcoming, I don't see it going down any time soon. The good news as of Thursday was that the road to one of my fishing spots has been re-opened. (Good thing for all those people who live up there, too. Now they can drive the direct pavement instead of the dirt backroads.)
What happened last week... let's see...
I went out on Monday, I think. Cleared some more detritus out of the road at my go-to spot, but on a different part. The bluegills were biting, but the bass were bored with worms. I mean, I could literally see bass ignoring my bait. Casting out underneath the trees caught me three 8-9" bluegills. They all went back.
Back out again on Thursday. I tried going to a few different spots first thing in the morning. The first one up under the bridge on the main lake: The parking lot is above water which meant it was full of trucks and trailers. The only place I thought I might be able to stand and cast out was a poison ivy garden. The next spot was a state park I'd fished in last week, except now they're 'open' and charging $5 to enter, so I left. Plenty of free places to fish. As often as I fish, I'd be broke if I fished there. Went exploring some of my usual regular spots and found that road open, so I went to the top of the peninsula. The parking lot is above water, but just barely. I cast out from there, but it was super sunny and getting hot. No luck. Then I went to another, semi-hidden spot. The water was up to the sign that says 'Lake Ahead'. Which means the parking lot is totally flooded. I made a 7-point turn in the road and left. Off to my go-to spot again. Got some solid hits there, casting out into the parking lot, but was unable to seal the deal. Left about noon.
Update on the reel saga. The shiny-new Plueger is dead. Thus, to avoid wasting more money on shit that breaks, I went back and taught myself how to use that damn Abu Garcia I had so much trouble with. Umm, once you get the hang of it, it's really a good reel. Derp. So, I'm using that and an old spincaster Hubs had. The Abu Garcia is great when I have loads of room to cast and the spincaster is great for when I'm in a tighter spot - like when I was casting under those trees on Monday. (Mainly because or rod length, I guess. The Abu is on a 6.5' rod and the old spincaster is on a 5.5' rod.) Anyway, it's all good now, baby.
I'd tell you to get out and enjoy nature, but the weather is weird, so do what you can. Until next week, Hasta la bye-bye.
It's still pretty floody around here. The lake was dropping, but with more rain yesterday and forthcoming, I don't see it going down any time soon. The good news as of Thursday was that the road to one of my fishing spots has been re-opened. (Good thing for all those people who live up there, too. Now they can drive the direct pavement instead of the dirt backroads.)
What happened last week... let's see...
I went out on Monday, I think. Cleared some more detritus out of the road at my go-to spot, but on a different part. The bluegills were biting, but the bass were bored with worms. I mean, I could literally see bass ignoring my bait. Casting out underneath the trees caught me three 8-9" bluegills. They all went back.
Back out again on Thursday. I tried going to a few different spots first thing in the morning. The first one up under the bridge on the main lake: The parking lot is above water which meant it was full of trucks and trailers. The only place I thought I might be able to stand and cast out was a poison ivy garden. The next spot was a state park I'd fished in last week, except now they're 'open' and charging $5 to enter, so I left. Plenty of free places to fish. As often as I fish, I'd be broke if I fished there. Went exploring some of my usual regular spots and found that road open, so I went to the top of the peninsula. The parking lot is above water, but just barely. I cast out from there, but it was super sunny and getting hot. No luck. Then I went to another, semi-hidden spot. The water was up to the sign that says 'Lake Ahead'. Which means the parking lot is totally flooded. I made a 7-point turn in the road and left. Off to my go-to spot again. Got some solid hits there, casting out into the parking lot, but was unable to seal the deal. Left about noon.
Update on the reel saga. The shiny-new Plueger is dead. Thus, to avoid wasting more money on shit that breaks, I went back and taught myself how to use that damn Abu Garcia I had so much trouble with. Umm, once you get the hang of it, it's really a good reel. Derp. So, I'm using that and an old spincaster Hubs had. The Abu Garcia is great when I have loads of room to cast and the spincaster is great for when I'm in a tighter spot - like when I was casting under those trees on Monday. (Mainly because or rod length, I guess. The Abu is on a 6.5' rod and the old spincaster is on a 5.5' rod.) Anyway, it's all good now, baby.
I'd tell you to get out and enjoy nature, but the weather is weird, so do what you can. Until next week, Hasta la bye-bye.
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Thursday This n That
Sorry for the dearth of posts lately. Every time I sit down to write a blog post lately, it's either ranting or whining. Bleh.
It's my birfday today. I'm going to make myself some big, fat, freakin' cheeseburgers. And follow it up with chocolate cake and peanut butter ice cream. Or maybe I'll have the cake and ice cream first. Because I'm an adult and I can do whatever I want to do. (At least when it comes to food.)
Speaking of food, I weighed myself yesterday. 183. Two pounds up from the low, but I'm cool with that. It's better than the 195 I was sitting at at the beginning of 2016. It's probably two pounds of Easter candy and Big Pack Nutty Buddies. (If you haven't tried the 'Big Pack' yet, there aren't more in the package - there's more peanut butter in between the wafers. So good. The Big Pack Oatmeal Creme Pies are evil. Bigger cookies, more creme.) And the fact that I haven't been fishing as much lately because of the flooding doesn't help matters. Sitting and reading doesn't burn calories, ya know?
Speaking of flooding, it's slowly coming down.
Yesterday was our anniversary. Thirteen years of wedded bliss. No matter what crap has gone on in the last 13 years, we've had each other and our love and commitment to each other. He's the best thing that ever happened to me. Last night, he grilled me salmon for dinner. And we had vanilla cake and ice cream (PB for me, cherry for him).
Lest you think I have multiple cakes laying around the house, I bought a cake sampler at Wallyworld. Four different kinds of creme cake, each section big enough for two slices. Perfect.
Yeah, I'm pretty much a snack hedonist. Like right now we have a big bowl of mini-candybars on the dining room table, alongside a bowl of leftover Robin's Eggs. Then we have bags of peanut M&Ms in the cupboard - regular and mega. (They were on clearance.) With Oatmeal Creme Pies and these things called Red, White, and Blueberry rolls. (OMG, if you haven't tried them...) We have donuts and cake. Right now, there are three kinds of ice cream in the freezer, along with the remains of a box of Klondike Bars and a few ice cream sandwiches. And a cupboard shelf full of chips - offbrand Doritos, Cheetos, and Fritos, Chex Mix, Lays Stax Bacon Cheese something or other. We don't usually have this much crap, but it's been one of those years. Good thing I've been staying active and out of the house a lot. LOL
I am a sucker for clearance items.
Okay, so today's this n that was mostly about food. I'd say it meant I was hungry, but I'm not. It's too early to think about eating. Mornings are for coffee. Am I right?
What's your this n that today? What are your favorite kinds of snacks?
It's my birfday today. I'm going to make myself some big, fat, freakin' cheeseburgers. And follow it up with chocolate cake and peanut butter ice cream. Or maybe I'll have the cake and ice cream first. Because I'm an adult and I can do whatever I want to do. (At least when it comes to food.)
Speaking of food, I weighed myself yesterday. 183. Two pounds up from the low, but I'm cool with that. It's better than the 195 I was sitting at at the beginning of 2016. It's probably two pounds of Easter candy and Big Pack Nutty Buddies. (If you haven't tried the 'Big Pack' yet, there aren't more in the package - there's more peanut butter in between the wafers. So good. The Big Pack Oatmeal Creme Pies are evil. Bigger cookies, more creme.) And the fact that I haven't been fishing as much lately because of the flooding doesn't help matters. Sitting and reading doesn't burn calories, ya know?
Speaking of flooding, it's slowly coming down.
Yesterday was our anniversary. Thirteen years of wedded bliss. No matter what crap has gone on in the last 13 years, we've had each other and our love and commitment to each other. He's the best thing that ever happened to me. Last night, he grilled me salmon for dinner. And we had vanilla cake and ice cream (PB for me, cherry for him).
Lest you think I have multiple cakes laying around the house, I bought a cake sampler at Wallyworld. Four different kinds of creme cake, each section big enough for two slices. Perfect.
Yeah, I'm pretty much a snack hedonist. Like right now we have a big bowl of mini-candybars on the dining room table, alongside a bowl of leftover Robin's Eggs. Then we have bags of peanut M&Ms in the cupboard - regular and mega. (They were on clearance.) With Oatmeal Creme Pies and these things called Red, White, and Blueberry rolls. (OMG, if you haven't tried them...) We have donuts and cake. Right now, there are three kinds of ice cream in the freezer, along with the remains of a box of Klondike Bars and a few ice cream sandwiches. And a cupboard shelf full of chips - offbrand Doritos, Cheetos, and Fritos, Chex Mix, Lays Stax Bacon Cheese something or other. We don't usually have this much crap, but it's been one of those years. Good thing I've been staying active and out of the house a lot. LOL
I am a sucker for clearance items.
Okay, so today's this n that was mostly about food. I'd say it meant I was hungry, but I'm not. It's too early to think about eating. Mornings are for coffee. Am I right?
What's your this n that today? What are your favorite kinds of snacks?
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Sunday Update - Week 19?
Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there.
Another week ended yesterday and I really don't have a lot to show for it.
You really don't want to hear about the writing malaise and I really don't want to talk about it. It's here. It is what it is. I'm sick of it and I'm sick of myself. Nuff said.
I read two books last week. I would've read more but one of them was a fantasy, which means large and involved.
I did some outdoor work and some fishing. Speaking of which, some of the work I did was undone by other people. It wasn't unexpected and it was something I feared would happen. But bleh. I could rant, but that's all I seem to be capable of lately and I'm sick of that, too.
The deer here are fat pregnant. I can't wait until we start seeing fawns again.
The birds are still migrating through, but the ones who left for winter all back and the ones who came for the winter have left.
The week ahead is my birthiversary week. We're not doing anything for either, just like we're not doing anything for Mother's Day. But I'll be 47 and we'll have been married for 13 years. And 24 years ago today, I was pregnant with the Kid.
That's it for me. Please tell me something about your week. Did you accomplish stuff?
Another week ended yesterday and I really don't have a lot to show for it.
You really don't want to hear about the writing malaise and I really don't want to talk about it. It's here. It is what it is. I'm sick of it and I'm sick of myself. Nuff said.
I read two books last week. I would've read more but one of them was a fantasy, which means large and involved.
I did some outdoor work and some fishing. Speaking of which, some of the work I did was undone by other people. It wasn't unexpected and it was something I feared would happen. But bleh. I could rant, but that's all I seem to be capable of lately and I'm sick of that, too.
The deer here are fat pregnant. I can't wait until we start seeing fawns again.
The birds are still migrating through, but the ones who left for winter all back and the ones who came for the winter have left.
The week ahead is my birthiversary week. We're not doing anything for either, just like we're not doing anything for Mother's Day. But I'll be 47 and we'll have been married for 13 years. And 24 years ago today, I was pregnant with the Kid.
That's it for me. Please tell me something about your week. Did you accomplish stuff?
Saturday, May 13, 2017
Saturday Fishing Report - 5/13/17
Welcome again to the fishing report for less than competent anglers.
The flood waters are slowly receding, but the majority of my fishing spots are still inaccessible. I took it upon myself to make my go-to spot accessible because not going fishing was making me jumpy. Not that I didn't try other spots, but it wasn't the same.
Sunday - Went to a different park. Fished off one of the camping spots into what would've been other camping areas. Got some solid bites, but no go. Tried fishing in the parking lot, but I think it was too sunny. Back into the car and off to another spot, which was a bit of a haul. Flooded boat ramp and one of the few with most of the parking lot still above water, so a ton of fishermen had put in there. I saw someone in a boat catch a walleye off where the end of the boat ramp would be, but no luck for me.
Monday and Tuesday - I spent the mornings clearing logs and timber and sticks and crap out of my go-to spot.
Wednesday - Alternated cleaning and fishing for a bit, but the fishing was so damn good I stopped cleaning. I lost count of all the fish I caught. From what I could piece together later, I caught at least 8 bluegills between 4" and 8", and 7 bass between 8" and 14.5" (spotted, largemouth, and smallmouth). And one 10" sucker. All on worms. All in the flooded parking lot.
Friday a.m. (8:30 to noon) - Cloudy, rainy, windy. Did a little more cleaning but only because the wind had drifted some logs in my way. The fishing was amazing again. 9 spotted bass between 12" and 15" in short order. Two of them were over the size limit, but they were full of eggs, so I put them back. (Silly fish laying eggs in a parking lot.) Then the bass bite tailed off and I tried throwing under the trees. Caught a 20" sucker - awesome fighter that was. Woohoo. Moved back to the parking lot proper and caught one more spotted bass - 8" - then a big redear sunfish and two big bluegills. Caught some more bluegills and went home.
Friday p.m. (3:30-6:00) - Mostly cloudy turning quickly to mostly sunny with some wind. After hearing about my amazing morning, Hubs got the fishing bug and we went back out in the afternoon. The bite wasn't quite as good, but it was still there. Hubs caught the biggest at 13", but we both caught bass. Probably a half dozen between 8" and 13", and two bluegills.
I might try to go out again this morning, but the fog's pretty bad. I've never had much luck in fog. Then again, I've never had the kind of luck I've had this week, so maybe it's worth a try. Check back next week to see what I decided to do today. ;o)
That's it for me. Have an awesome week and try to get outside a little.
The flood waters are slowly receding, but the majority of my fishing spots are still inaccessible. I took it upon myself to make my go-to spot accessible because not going fishing was making me jumpy. Not that I didn't try other spots, but it wasn't the same.
Sunday - Went to a different park. Fished off one of the camping spots into what would've been other camping areas. Got some solid bites, but no go. Tried fishing in the parking lot, but I think it was too sunny. Back into the car and off to another spot, which was a bit of a haul. Flooded boat ramp and one of the few with most of the parking lot still above water, so a ton of fishermen had put in there. I saw someone in a boat catch a walleye off where the end of the boat ramp would be, but no luck for me.
Monday and Tuesday - I spent the mornings clearing logs and timber and sticks and crap out of my go-to spot.
Wednesday - Alternated cleaning and fishing for a bit, but the fishing was so damn good I stopped cleaning. I lost count of all the fish I caught. From what I could piece together later, I caught at least 8 bluegills between 4" and 8", and 7 bass between 8" and 14.5" (spotted, largemouth, and smallmouth). And one 10" sucker. All on worms. All in the flooded parking lot.
Friday a.m. (8:30 to noon) - Cloudy, rainy, windy. Did a little more cleaning but only because the wind had drifted some logs in my way. The fishing was amazing again. 9 spotted bass between 12" and 15" in short order. Two of them were over the size limit, but they were full of eggs, so I put them back. (Silly fish laying eggs in a parking lot.) Then the bass bite tailed off and I tried throwing under the trees. Caught a 20" sucker - awesome fighter that was. Woohoo. Moved back to the parking lot proper and caught one more spotted bass - 8" - then a big redear sunfish and two big bluegills. Caught some more bluegills and went home.
Friday p.m. (3:30-6:00) - Mostly cloudy turning quickly to mostly sunny with some wind. After hearing about my amazing morning, Hubs got the fishing bug and we went back out in the afternoon. The bite wasn't quite as good, but it was still there. Hubs caught the biggest at 13", but we both caught bass. Probably a half dozen between 8" and 13", and two bluegills.
I might try to go out again this morning, but the fog's pretty bad. I've never had much luck in fog. Then again, I've never had the kind of luck I've had this week, so maybe it's worth a try. Check back next week to see what I decided to do today. ;o)
That's it for me. Have an awesome week and try to get outside a little.
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Thursday This n That
I cleaned my coffee maker last night and this morning's coffee tastes awesome.
If I seem kind of testy lately, it's because I am kinda testy lately. Every time I turn around I read about something else that makes me want to poke people in the eye. Since I can't go around poking people in the eyes, though, I've been bottling it up, and since I'm not hermetically sealed, it's leaking out in other ways. I usually bleed it off by fishing. Except due to the floods, I hadn't been able to go fishing. Yesterday changed that. I hope to be less testy soon.
Of course, there's always the possibility that the irritations will build up faster than I can bleed them off. And I'll pop like a balloon. Little bits of B.E. everywhere. Ew.
I really did have the most amazing morning fishing yesterday. I caught so many fish I lost count. Rebuilding some of it in my head, though, I'm pretty sure I caught at least 18 fish. Big fun.
I just now got a notice from Amazon of a new release by B.E. Sanderson. Only a little over a month late there, Big A, but thanks.
Okay, that's it for me. Anything popping up on your this n that meter today?
If I seem kind of testy lately, it's because I am kinda testy lately. Every time I turn around I read about something else that makes me want to poke people in the eye. Since I can't go around poking people in the eyes, though, I've been bottling it up, and since I'm not hermetically sealed, it's leaking out in other ways. I usually bleed it off by fishing. Except due to the floods, I hadn't been able to go fishing. Yesterday changed that. I hope to be less testy soon.
Of course, there's always the possibility that the irritations will build up faster than I can bleed them off. And I'll pop like a balloon. Little bits of B.E. everywhere. Ew.
I really did have the most amazing morning fishing yesterday. I caught so many fish I lost count. Rebuilding some of it in my head, though, I'm pretty sure I caught at least 18 fish. Big fun.
I just now got a notice from Amazon of a new release by B.E. Sanderson. Only a little over a month late there, Big A, but thanks.
Okay, that's it for me. Anything popping up on your this n that meter today?
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Crazy Lady at Work
I've spent the past two mornings cleaning up at my go-to fishing spot. It looked like this...
The parking lot, as you can see, is underwater.
I spent about 90 minutes straight yesterday cleaning the flotsam out of the exit. I spent about 2.5 hours alternately fishing* and cleaning this morning. All the logs are moved to the side of the exit. Most of the logs are moved to either side of the road to the entrance. Except the ones I couldn't manage alone.
Alone.
Hubs was working, so no aspersions cast on him. No aspersions cast on anyone, really. Except maybe those who wait for someone else to come in and clean instead of rolling up their pantlegs and wading in.
I did this because I love to fish. And I love my fishing spots. This one has been abandoned by whichever government entity owns it. The concrete picnic tables are all smashed. The bathroom is locked and overgrown. The only people who take care of this place are people like me - the fishermen, the nature lovers, the dog walkers who want someplace pretty to wander through on a spring afternoon. We're the ones who pick up garbage year-round. And before now, they were the ones who cleaned up after the floods. Now I'm one of the cleaner-uppers of flood damage, too.
Some people came down to the park while I was there. I'm not sure if they came to stare at the receding flood waters or to stare at me. I don't care. Come and stare at the crazy lady with her sweatpants rolled up to her knees and her t-shirt tied up under her ribcage acting like a lumberjack, tossing limbs and branches and rolling logs. Sweat-soaked and stinky and covered in dirt.
I did it. And I'm pretty damned proud.
I'd go and clean up my other favorite spot, except the government has locked the gates there. Liability, I'm sure. Protection from the numbnuts who would run amok inside, perhaps. (Lord knows that during the winter when the park isn't watched, some idiot decided to offroad in part of the park, tearing huge grooves in the lawn. Asshole.) I'll wait and let the official park personnel do their jobs - because I have to not because I want to.
Tomorrow, maybe, I'll attacked the go-to spot from the other end of the submerged road. I'll need to bring a saw. A couple of trees had fallen across there before the flood even began, when we had that EF0 tornado in the area, and if those are above the water line, I'll need to get those out of the way so I can work. We'll see.
All I know right now is that I can fish at my favorite place again because I didn't wait for someone else to clean it out. Maybe I can't fish all the way out on my standin' rock, but I can't make the water recede any faster. I'm good, but I'm not that good. ;o)
* I didn't catch anything, but the fish were jumping and I did get some bites. I'm blaming not catching on getting used to the new-old rigs.
Looking west toward the entrance to the parking lot. |
Looking north at the exit to the parking lot. |
I spent about 90 minutes straight yesterday cleaning the flotsam out of the exit. I spent about 2.5 hours alternately fishing* and cleaning this morning. All the logs are moved to the side of the exit. Most of the logs are moved to either side of the road to the entrance. Except the ones I couldn't manage alone.
Alone.
Hubs was working, so no aspersions cast on him. No aspersions cast on anyone, really. Except maybe those who wait for someone else to come in and clean instead of rolling up their pantlegs and wading in.
I did this because I love to fish. And I love my fishing spots. This one has been abandoned by whichever government entity owns it. The concrete picnic tables are all smashed. The bathroom is locked and overgrown. The only people who take care of this place are people like me - the fishermen, the nature lovers, the dog walkers who want someplace pretty to wander through on a spring afternoon. We're the ones who pick up garbage year-round. And before now, they were the ones who cleaned up after the floods. Now I'm one of the cleaner-uppers of flood damage, too.
Some people came down to the park while I was there. I'm not sure if they came to stare at the receding flood waters or to stare at me. I don't care. Come and stare at the crazy lady with her sweatpants rolled up to her knees and her t-shirt tied up under her ribcage acting like a lumberjack, tossing limbs and branches and rolling logs. Sweat-soaked and stinky and covered in dirt.
I did it. And I'm pretty damned proud.
I'd go and clean up my other favorite spot, except the government has locked the gates there. Liability, I'm sure. Protection from the numbnuts who would run amok inside, perhaps. (Lord knows that during the winter when the park isn't watched, some idiot decided to offroad in part of the park, tearing huge grooves in the lawn. Asshole.) I'll wait and let the official park personnel do their jobs - because I have to not because I want to.
Tomorrow, maybe, I'll attacked the go-to spot from the other end of the submerged road. I'll need to bring a saw. A couple of trees had fallen across there before the flood even began, when we had that EF0 tornado in the area, and if those are above the water line, I'll need to get those out of the way so I can work. We'll see.
All I know right now is that I can fish at my favorite place again because I didn't wait for someone else to clean it out. Maybe I can't fish all the way out on my standin' rock, but I can't make the water recede any faster. I'm good, but I'm not that good. ;o)
* I didn't catch anything, but the fish were jumping and I did get some bites. I'm blaming not catching on getting used to the new-old rigs.
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Sunday Update - Week 'Oh Who Cares'
Seriously, does anyone really care what week it is? Oh, I'll probably still note the week number in subsequent Sunday Updates. This morning, though? Meh.
Now to get to what last week looked like...
The lake crested at 934.53' above sea level. As of this morning, they've got it down to 931.28. At this rate, it should be back to 'normal pool' in July. If it doesn't rain any more. Seems they've stalled the dumping of water from the dam because there's too much water in the Mississippi - which is where this water will eventually end up. Perhaps once the Mississippi chills out, they'll dump faster. Time will tell.
I didn't get any writing work done. Still not sure what to do about the general malaise.
I've read a bunch, though. A mystery, a SF, and a romance. And I started another mystery last night.
Fertile Ground is still on sale worldwide.
Took loads of pictures. Here's one:
That's a female rose-breasted grosbeak. I tried to get pics of one of the males, but he was camera shy. We've also had northern orioles in the yard, but they're camera shy, too.
Here's a baby goose butt...
One of these days, I should compile all the bird butt pictures I've taken over the years.
Speaking of female rose-breasted grosbeaks, I had one ditch into the window this week. I held her and stroked her little head until she stopped looking stunned. Then she flew away. I hate that birds knock themselves silly on our picture window, but I love being able to hold them.
Well, that's it for me. What's going on your world?
Now to get to what last week looked like...
The lake crested at 934.53' above sea level. As of this morning, they've got it down to 931.28. At this rate, it should be back to 'normal pool' in July. If it doesn't rain any more. Seems they've stalled the dumping of water from the dam because there's too much water in the Mississippi - which is where this water will eventually end up. Perhaps once the Mississippi chills out, they'll dump faster. Time will tell.
I didn't get any writing work done. Still not sure what to do about the general malaise.
I've read a bunch, though. A mystery, a SF, and a romance. And I started another mystery last night.
Fertile Ground is still on sale worldwide.
Took loads of pictures. Here's one:
That's a female rose-breasted grosbeak. I tried to get pics of one of the males, but he was camera shy. We've also had northern orioles in the yard, but they're camera shy, too.
Here's a baby goose butt...
One of these days, I should compile all the bird butt pictures I've taken over the years.
Speaking of female rose-breasted grosbeaks, I had one ditch into the window this week. I held her and stroked her little head until she stopped looking stunned. Then she flew away. I hate that birds knock themselves silly on our picture window, but I love being able to hold them.
Well, that's it for me. What's going on your world?
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Saturday Fishing Report - 5/6/17
Due to the flooding, the fishing report has been canceled - because fishing all week had to be canceled.
It's actually down 3 whole feet from when that pic was taken, but 3 feet down still leaves my fishing spots underwater. I'm jones'n bad, folks.
On another note, my nearly new Pflueger fishing reel that broke a week ago Friday has been operated on, but it's looking grim. The surgeon - aka Hubs - can't figure out what's wrong with it so he can fix it. I know what's wrong with it. Crappy workmanship. It's everywhere, so why not at Pflueger, too? I could've bought 5 cheap reels for what I paid for that one and had them last me as long. Feh. I babied the hell out of that thing, too. Bah.
Here's hoping I have actual fishing to report next Saturday. Not fishing is making me grumpy. =o\
It's actually down 3 whole feet from when that pic was taken, but 3 feet down still leaves my fishing spots underwater. I'm jones'n bad, folks.
On another note, my nearly new Pflueger fishing reel that broke a week ago Friday has been operated on, but it's looking grim. The surgeon - aka Hubs - can't figure out what's wrong with it so he can fix it. I know what's wrong with it. Crappy workmanship. It's everywhere, so why not at Pflueger, too? I could've bought 5 cheap reels for what I paid for that one and had them last me as long. Feh. I babied the hell out of that thing, too. Bah.
Here's hoping I have actual fishing to report next Saturday. Not fishing is making me grumpy. =o\
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Thursday This n That
The other day, Hubs got a call from someone he went to high school with. He hasn't seen or spoken to the guy in 45 years and out of the blue... bam. It was pretty cool. And they had a nice conversation. The whole thing led me to thinking about the people I went to high school with. Which led me to the FB page for alumni and teachers who've passed away. Some of it was decidedly depressing - like seeing that a long-ago friend of my mom's had passed away. But two teachers I had despised also passed away, which made me happy. Yeah, I'm that kind of person. What can I say? They were mean to me. Googling, I also discovered someone I was friends with in HS is alive and well and teaching 6th grade at a local (to where we grew up) private school. I tried calling her after our 10 year class reunion, after which we went out and talked for a while, but she never called back, so meh. Glad she's doing well, though. I tried googling another friend, but I only know her maiden name and she's dropped off the radar entirely with that name.
I'm in a slump with regard to writing again. In fact, I found myself asking if I really want to do this anymore. Again. I expect this too shall pass. It usually does. Right now, though... Meh.
So, I got something in the mail from someone I haven't seen in 4 years, and it was a graduation announcement for one of their children. Which left me wondering a couple things - 1) were they doing a blanket announcement to everyone they've ever known trying to get grad prezzies? 2) since they never sent my kid a grad prezzie or card, what exactly was my obligation? Yeah, I'm that kind of person, too. I sent a card.
I'm connected to a cousin's wife on FB - and she keeps asking me where I live... on FB... as if I would blurt it out there. Other than 'SW MO', I don't really like telling people on social media exactly where they can find me. Yep, that kind of person, too. If she wants my address, she can ask my mom.
BTW, my mom is total awesome dipped in awesomesauce and covered with awesonesprinkles, so I fail to understand why anyone would want to lose touch with her. I talk to her as often as our schedules allow. And I'm hoping she lives at least as long as her grandmother, which would give me another good 20 years with her in my life.
Well, that's it for the this n that today. How's 'bout you?
I'm in a slump with regard to writing again. In fact, I found myself asking if I really want to do this anymore. Again. I expect this too shall pass. It usually does. Right now, though... Meh.
So, I got something in the mail from someone I haven't seen in 4 years, and it was a graduation announcement for one of their children. Which left me wondering a couple things - 1) were they doing a blanket announcement to everyone they've ever known trying to get grad prezzies? 2) since they never sent my kid a grad prezzie or card, what exactly was my obligation? Yeah, I'm that kind of person, too. I sent a card.
I'm connected to a cousin's wife on FB - and she keeps asking me where I live... on FB... as if I would blurt it out there. Other than 'SW MO', I don't really like telling people on social media exactly where they can find me. Yep, that kind of person, too. If she wants my address, she can ask my mom.
BTW, my mom is total awesome dipped in awesomesauce and covered with awesonesprinkles, so I fail to understand why anyone would want to lose touch with her. I talk to her as often as our schedules allow. And I'm hoping she lives at least as long as her grandmother, which would give me another good 20 years with her in my life.
Well, that's it for the this n that today. How's 'bout you?
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
The Flooding
Yesterday, I drove around to a few places and took pictures of the flooding carnage. Of course, being who I am, I focused on the carnage to my fishing spots. (I refuse to take pictures of other people's misery. It's just too awful.)
First, let's take a look back...
And now for how it looked yesterday... Sorry, I couldn't quite get the same angle - as where I was standing before is now underwater.
The park where I go is off-limits. They've put up the gate at the entrance and there's no way I'm walking the mile or two to get back in there.
The road is also closed to three of my other spots. There is a back way in, but it's a craptastic dirt road now being used by the residents of all the neighborhoods up that way and I'm not interested in fighting those poor people for road space. (Did it yesterday just to look-see, but I won't do it again.)
And another road is closed to an auxiliary spot I've used but never caught anything at.
The road runs straight through there. If you enlarge that, you might see where the road picks up again way in the background.
And then there's my spot on the main lake underneath the hwy bridge. There is no underneath anymore.
And the parking lot is flooded... It says 'no parking' in the parking lot because they don't want people to park on that side. Parking is in the non-lake side... except that's underwater now, too.
This morning, I'm going to walk around the neighborhood here - something I haven't had the heart to do yet. It's not going to be pretty. Worse than in December 2015, for sure. =o\
First, let's take a look back...
My go-to fishing spot October 11, 2016 |
Same spot April 23, 2017 |
My go-to spot May 1, 2017 |
The road is also closed to three of my other spots. There is a back way in, but it's a craptastic dirt road now being used by the residents of all the neighborhoods up that way and I'm not interested in fighting those poor people for road space. (Did it yesterday just to look-see, but I won't do it again.)
And another road is closed to an auxiliary spot I've used but never caught anything at.
The road runs straight through there. If you enlarge that, you might see where the road picks up again way in the background.
And then there's my spot on the main lake underneath the hwy bridge. There is no underneath anymore.
And the parking lot is flooded... It says 'no parking' in the parking lot because they don't want people to park on that side. Parking is in the non-lake side... except that's underwater now, too.
This morning, I'm going to walk around the neighborhood here - something I haven't had the heart to do yet. It's not going to be pretty. Worse than in December 2015, for sure. =o\
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