The Laughing Fox

Live in a world of suspended amazement...

Politics

First off, during my attempt at getting as sub license, I have discovered something. My fingerprints are unreadable. When the lady jokingly asked if I'd robbed a bank lately, I commented, "Of course, just left there. Could I get fingerprinted, please?" I think that made her day. Unfortunately it's becoming a pain when I can't even get my prints taken.

On a different note, Steph is an Angel. A true angel. And that's not me sucking up to her. She got me a job as a freelance writer, and although it doesn't pay much, it's paying a LOT more than nothing. And she sent one of her customers my way when she had too much to do, so now I have two people that are asking me to do a lot of their orders. One's on jeeps (which, she also sent my way)! If you want to keep a log of what info I've been writing, just ask me for the site. When I started, it was all in latin. You know, that basic filler crap they put in web templates. So now I'm taking care of that problem. ^_^ Perhaps not the BEST work ever, given that I'm doing assignments pretty fast, but still decent I think.

And now for the title of my post: politics. I will be SO very happy when this election is over. I found this while searching the web. The link I got it from is http://wrightrepublican.blogspot.com . It pretty much sums up how I feel about it all. I lose either way I vote.

Anyways, enjoy this satire:

GOP vs Dems

Dem: I’m voting Democrat, because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.

GOP: I’m voting Republican, because I believe I have a right to government protection without paying for it.

Dem: I’m voting Democrat, because freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.

GOP: I’m voting Republican, because I believe government’s authority is more important than my privacy.

Dem: I’m voting Democrat, because when we pull out of Iraq I trust that the bad guys will stop what they're doing because they now think we're good people.

GOP: I’m voting Republican, because when we pull out of Iraq, I want the U. S. Army to invade Iran.

Dem: I’m voting Democrat, because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday CAN tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don't start driving a Prius.

GOP: I’m voting Republican, because air pollution and high gasoline prices are no big deal.

Dem: I’m voting Democrat, because I'm not concerned about the slaughter of millions of babies so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.

GOP: I’m voting Republican, because women should have no choice about being pregnant, and keeping thousands of people on death row makes more sense than life without parole.

Dem: I’m voting Democrat, because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as Government sees fit.

GOP: I’m voting Republican, because I believe business should be allowed to make unlimited profits at the expense of everybody else and hide their money in offshore banks while I pay the taxes.

Dem: I’m voting Democrat, because I believe three or four pointy headed elitist liberals need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would NEVER get their agendas past the voters.

GOP: I’m voting Republican, because I believe a do-nothing Congress is better than progress.

Dem: I’m voting Democrat, because I don't believe that when the terrorists don't have to hide from us over there, they will come over here and I won't have any guns in the house to fight them off with.

GOP: I’m voting Republican, because I believe my kids are safer if my neighbors send their kids to school with shotguns.

Dem: I’m voting Democrat, because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I want. I've decided to marry my horse.

GOP: I’m voting Republican, because I believe I have a God-given right to tell other people who they should marry and not marry.

Dem: I’m voting Democrat, because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't.

GOP: I’m voting Republican, because I believe oil companies' profits should be supplemented by government tax breaks.

GOP: Makes ya wonder why anyone would EVER vote Democrat, now doesn't it?

Dem: Makes ya wonder why anyone would EVER vote Republican, now doesn't it?

As Time Goes By - Frank Sinatra

GOOD NEWS! Gus is doing MUCH better today, after I spent all evening and night last night getting him to drink his vitamins, and then got up every couple of hours during the night to check on him and coax him into taking more meds for me. He's not 100% yet, but his eyes are open and bright again, his fur isn't all mussed up, he's walking mostly normal, and is eating again.

YAYYYY! Yay yay yay! My buddy is going to be okay!

Yay!

Now, for something I rarely do: post one of these suckers as I have below. I did it for kicks, and ended up finding some very amusing answers. Some of which I may not live down, even. >.< Anyways, I didn't cheat, which I am beginning to wish I had...



~*~*~*~*~*~


I can’t believe I’m doing this… but I am. And some of them either make no sense or are completely ridiculous. Oftentimes both. I’ll post snippets of the song (or perhaps whole sets of lyrics, depending) at the end of the post, after the questions have been all answered.

RULES
1. Put your music player (iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc.) on SHUFFLE.

2. For each question, press the NEXT button to get your answer.

3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.

4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.

5. Post it.

(PS - I am now tagging everyone who reads this. :P Feel free to just reply via comments or your blog. I'm nosy and want to see what everyone else came up with!)



1.If someone says, "Is this okay?", you say?
Finland / Fisch Slapping Dance – Spamalot
[Yeah…. Yeah I can see myself doing this.]

2.How would you describe yourself?
Listen People – Hermans Hermits

3.What do you like in a member of the opposite sex?
Arizona – Paul Revere and the Raiders

4.How do you feel today?
Rocky Road to Dublin / Kid on the Mountain – Gaelic Storm

5.What is your life's purpose?
Rhythm of the Night – Valeria ; Moulin Rouge
[>.<; Really? Did this REALLY have to be the one to pop up?]

6.What is your motto?
All Right Now – Free

7.What do your friends think of you?
Hogwart’s March – Patrick Doyle
[instrumental]

8.What do you think of your parents?
I’m Gonna Miss Her – Brad Paisley
[erm… eh? Perhaps referring that they want me out of the house?]

9.What do you think about very often?
Up Around the Bend – Creedence Clearwater Revival

10.What is 2 + 2?
Summer Girl – Jessica Andrews

11.What do you think of your best friend?
Awful, Beautiful Life – Darryl Worley
[ :-S ]

12.What do you think of the person you like?
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – Gordon Lightfoot
[NO! I do not think that!]

13.What is your life story?
Was That My Life? – Jo Dee Messina
[Unfortunately, too true… especially these last few years.]

14.What do you want to be when you grow up?
Christmas Canon – Trans-Siberian Orchestra
[I want to be a child choir singer? I want to join TSO? Though that would be fun. I want to be an eternally awesome Christmas song?]

15.What will you dance at your wedding?
Boadica – Enya
[instrumental – how appropriate! About a historical celtic warrior queen, instrumental, perfect for a wedding! And decently easy to dance to!]

16.What will they play at your funeral?
In The Year 2525 – Zager and Evans
[Also sadly fitting and appropriate, I’d guess. Especially if this 2012 end of the world thing comes to pass… I suggest you read the lyrics. Pretty cool, and creepy.]

17.What is your hobby/interest?
Dixie Land Delight – Alabama
[I do love visiting the Smokies and southern places…]

18.What is your biggest fear?
Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen
[O.o; I’m terrified of being a British Sailor with nothing better to do? ]

19.What is your biggest secret?
Dueling Banjos – Cincinnati Pops Orchestra
[{Instrumental} YES! I CAN play the banjo! *shifty eyes* Air banjo that is.]

20.What do you think of your friends?
There Goes My Life – Kenny Chesney
[Erm… sorry? 0.o]

21.What will you post this as?
As Time Goes By – Frank Sinatra
[Very suiting.]

22.What's your favorite song?
We Danced – Brad Paisley
[Definitely an awesome song.]





Quips:


1. Finland / Fisch Slapping Song
Schlip! Schlap!
Schlip-a-schlap-a vay
Schlip! Schlap!
Schlap away all day



2. Listen People
And don't you know that,
Everybodies got to lose somebody sometime
But everybody can part
Everybodies got to lose somebody sometime
So take care, that you don't lose your heart



3. Arizona
And you can believe in Robin Hood and brotherhood
And rolling the ball in the hay
And I will be reading you an Aesop´s fable
Anything to make you stay



4. Rocky Road to Dublin
The boys of Liverpool,
When we safely landed, Called meself a fool;
I could no longer stand it; Blood began to boil,
Temper I was losin', Poor old Erin's isle
They began abusin', "Hurrah me soul," says I,
My shillelagh fly; Some Galway boys were by,
Saw I was a hobblin', Then with a loud hurray!,
They joined in the affray. Soon we quickly cleared the way,
For the rocky road to Dublin.



5. Rhythm of the Night
When it feels like
the world is on your shoulders
and all of the madness
has got you goin crazy



6. All Right Now
There she stood in the street
Smiling from her head to her feet
I said "Hey, what is this"
Now baby, maybe she's in need of a kiss
I said " Hey, what's your name baby"
maybe we can see things the same
Now don't you wait or hesitate
Let's move before they raise the parking rent



7. Hogwart’s March [instrumental]


8. I’m Gonna Miss Her

Well I'm gonna miss her
When I get home
But right now I'm on this lakeshore
And I'm sittin' in the sun
I'm sure it'll hit me
When I walk through that door tonight
That I'm gonna miss her
Oh, lookie there, I've got a bite



9. Up Around the Bend
You can ponder perpetual motion,
Fix your mind on a crystal day,
Always time for a good conversation,
There's an ear for what you say.



10. Summer Girl
('Cause) I'm just a summer girl
I wear my flip flops
When I let my hair down
(That's when the party starts)



11. Awful Beautiful Life
I love this crazy, tragic,
Sometimes almost magic,
Awful, beautful life



12. Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they say, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early.



13. Was That My Life
I don't want to be the one who's old before their time,
And lose the wonder that I felt as a child.
I can't run this race believing I might lose;
There's still so much to see, and so much left to do.
Yes, I'll fall before I fly,
But no one can say I never tried.



14. Christmas Canon
This dream
He had
Each child
Still knows
We are waiting
We have not forgotten



15. Boadica [instrumental]


16. In The Year 2525
Now it's been 10,000 years
Man has cried a billion tears
For what he never knew
Now man's reign is through
But through the eternal night
The twinkling of starlight
So very far away
Maybe it's only yesterday



17. Dixie Land Delight
Rollin down a backwoods
Tennessee byway,
One arm on the wheel,
Holdin’ my lover
With the other
A sweet, soft, southern thrill.
Worked hard all week;
Got a little jingle
On a Tennessee Saturday night.
Couldn’t feel better
I’m together
With my Dixieland Delight.



18. Bohemian Rhapsody
Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide-
No escape from reality.
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see-
I’m just a poor boy, I need no sympathy-
Because I’m easy come, easy go,
A little high, little low,
Anyway the wind blows, doesn’t really matter to me,
To me…



19. Dueling Banjos [instrumental]


20. There Goes My Life
He smiles.....
There goes my life.
There goes my future, my everything.
I love you, daddy good-night.
There goes my life.



21. Time Goes By
It’s still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by



22. We Danced
And we danced
Out there on that empty hardwood floor
The chairs up and the lights turned way down low
The music played, we held each other close
And we danced





(Bohemian Rhapsody YouTube Video – in response to above)

News

Right now I'm blogging because I just need a place to vent. Right now I'm terrified for Gus, and hopefully next time I post it isn't because I lost one of my boys. Yesterday he was drinking a bit more than usual, but just as grabby when it came to food. Today, mom came to me and mentioned that he was refusing to eat. He's oddly gained weight / mass, his fur is rumpled, he's lethargic, thirsty, heavier breathing than is normal, and no appetite. If he stands up he's wobbly, and sometimes falls over. When he's marking, instead of a nice long rub against something, he falls to the side as if he lost his balance. He's been asleep more than is usual, and won't chew his favorite cardboard toys. He just stays curled up in a little gerbil-ball under the bedding and is very sensitive to touch or movement.

We've tried to bribe him with all of his favorite foods - dried apple, dried papaya, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds... popcorn. He won't even take popcorn. This is the gerbil that doesn't care if it's health food - if it's edible, he'll eat it. If it's not edible... sometimes I think he'd still eat it. He loves his food. He's like Khan. So to have him turn away food is a huge indication that he's sick, as is simply the fact he shows it. Most pocket pets are very adept at hiding illnesses until they're life-threatening, because if they didn't in the wild, they'd be dead. So the fact he even appears sick is a huge indicator on how horrible he must feel.

I ran to the petstore this evening and bought some vitamins to put in the water. I put some in the water bottle, but I've also been having him drink from a dropper so that I know he's getting them - and it has a few more vitamins in it than I put in the water that the other two are drinking from. When I tried to separate him from the other two, he flipped out, and when I put him back in the others realized what I'd done and rushed to the tank and were clinging to it until I took Gus out and put him back in the tank. Then when I tried to pick him up again to check him a time later, George bit my elbow and hung on and Wes got in front of Gus and wouldn't let me pick him up. Only when I stopped trying to pick the poor boy up did Wes and George let me go. That also worries me - normally they wouldn't be that possessive.

So right now I'm trying to get bits of food down him and water and vitamins, doing anything and everything I can think of to make him better. I feel so useless - I can't even help my boy. He's so damn pitiful, it breaks my heart. And I also learned tonight how, when something really matters to you, price doesn't matter sometimes. I just got a $10 bottle of vitamin solution for the poor guy - something that could cost maybe $2 for a lot more if it were for a human.

I'd say that I know you don't really get it, but that's just it - everyone who reads this blog is either just as deeply attached to animals as I am and know exactly how I feel, therefore not having to explain the pain in my chest at seeing the poor boy so miserable and, most likely, dying, with me powerless to do anything. Or, you already know how deeply I am attached to my animals, particularly these boys that have been some of the best pets I've ever had, and you know I'd do almost anything for them. As it stands, depending on how he's doign tomorrow I might take him to the vet. I'm just not sure how prohibitive the price will be. But if I can afford it, I'm going to try and make him better. He's just over a year old - that's too young to give up without a fight.

I'm hoping that perhaps it's nothing more than, perhaps, bad constipation. It could happen. With as much as he eats, it could happen. But it's unlikely. We've been keeping him on a diet, so that's very unlikely. Could be a bad batch of food - but the other two are fine (so it seems).

So, as strange as it probably sounds to most people, keep him in your thoughts. I want him to get better. He's one of my babies and one of my friends, and I'm terrified to lose him.

And now... a post!

Yeah... I took too long to post. I apologize.

So, I've been working Halloween Haunt at Kings Island. Tons of fun, even when the customers are true jerks in every sense of the word. I have already been punched, kicked, hit, poked, pushed, and prodded. And I've come off easy compared to lots of the workers in our maze.

During rehearsal week, I found out that I was extremely allergic to the fake blood they used. Within an hour I was going crazy with itching and burning where the blood touched my skin. Then... I realized... I was allergic to red dye. I have been ever since I was a kid, but I've always avoided things that, you know, I'm allergic to. So then they decided to put red paint on me instead of blood, and I was alleric to that... as well. Needless to say, makeup people get really angry if you tell them you're allergic to fake blood. *eyeroll*

Friday night, Sept 26, was our first operational night. It was absolutely awesome. I was hoarse by time it was halfway over, and totally, shall I say it? speechless by Saturday. I could not speak. That made Saturday night a very interesting night to haunt people. I either had to growl at them or squeak at them. I learned my lesson on how loud to be by the following weekend.

Which was... last weekend. Fridays we have this thing called Wall of Monsters that starts at 7 pm. People are outside waiting to come in, and all the people that are in outdoor attractions go outside to scare people in line, and to pretty much mingle and scare the teeny-bopper girls that are so easy to scare. Well, last Friday we'd had a new thing we could do... going INTO the parking area! As in, past the metal detectors and to the people buying tickets and the like. My friend, Sam, and I saw this, and decided to just haul through the gates to get to the crowds, like everyone else. I mean, if everyone else is running, why not join in?

Within three strides I was down like a rock. My quads felt like they were about to leap out of my skin and run away, like in a cartoon. I couldn't stand, I could not support my weight, and I was about to black out. So I half fell, half set myself down on the ground to keep from passing out as security guards ran over and poor Sam was freaking out next to me. I was doing my best not to sob, honestly. The pain was just unbearable. Even lying down it felt my legs had a match lit to them. Finally first aid showed up and wheeled me away in their cute little park ambulences to the station. They actually had to move my legs for me to get into the gurney, because I had no control over them. I was at First Aid for about two hours before my parents came to get me (and my car).

My quads felt like they were corded steel or granite. No force was strong enough to move them, and they were as hard as could be. I was able to move - albiet slowly and with help - to be able to get to the car (we were driven to it) and get home. After downing a 32 oz gatorade and a large cup of hot peppermint tea... I was able to move my legs again on my own. And get up and down the stairs and the like. Painful, but possible. By Saturday I was moving super slow but was moving, so returned to work. Managed to reinjure myself, and was back to the drawing board by Monday morning, when I used a staff to help balance myself throughout the house so I didn't fall. I, for all the world, felt like Gandalf. After he fell into the caves that is.

So now, over a week later, I'm still stiff and sore, but I'm walking again and able to move between a sitting position and a standing position. (yay!) I'm still in the search for a real job, but that's not suprising, seeing as how I haven't had a huge post saying "I HAVE A JOB!" yet. Files are being shifted around left and right on my computer as we reshuffle between two harddrives due to the fact I've run out of room and my compy doesn't support a bigger HD. I've been doing some writing, but overall (esp the last week, when it's been painful to move) I've been somewhat hermit-ish. More than usual. I have several pictures I'd love to post, including the handle of a Sam Adams beer thing, where it says "Take Pride in Your Beer" and the gerbils are chewing it up with a vengence. Talk about anger management. I found it quite amusing.

I also have some pictures of me with my Haunt makeup that I was testing at home, and a few things from Haunt itself... but I'm not allowed to post Haunt stuff until after Haunt.

However... I have something better. A You-Tube video posted by a patron. Starts at about 1:55 - the Tombstone section. On that, you can see me in costume AND makeup. Such a rarity, what with us not being allowed ourselves. ;) Enjoy and have a great day!

PS. The nutcase behind me is Scott. He's absolutely hilarious and an awesome guy to work with.

I should post.

But seeing as how I'm sick and tired, and how no one really reads this thing, it's gonna wait. *thumbs up* I will (hopefully) recap rehearsals, Haunt, costume drama, makeup drama, sunburn drama, renfest drama, sickness drama, job drama, etc... later. So for now, adieu. I will return when my stomach doesn't think it belongs in my throat and is solidly put back in its place like a good little stomach. :)

Ike's Wake @ 23

Lots of things to talk about. Not real sure when I last posted, but I know it hasn't been for a while.

A week ago tomorrow, Ike made his appearance thorough Cincinnati as the Ohio Hurricane. We had winds up to 85 mph, with sustained winds in like the 50 mph range. Now, we've had the remants of hurricanes in Indy and Cincy both before. Usually, a minor thunderstorm at most.

Sunday: Lost 20 or 30 shingles. Lost three of our shutters. Our gorgeous pear tree out in the front yard snapped in half. We lost power for a minute around 1pm, about 5 minutes around 1:30, and by 2pm lost all power. Power returned around 10:30pm on Tuesday. We lost everything in our fridge. There was no ice within an hour's drive, when we gave up. We went through several candles and flashlights (no batteries within an hour's drive either.) You could literally lean back into the winds and not fall over, or you could just stand there and have it knock you over. Several trees were at 45 degrees if not more from standing position. I was running across the neighborhood (barefooted, of course, in my pjs/loungewear) to collect the cushions for the chairs outside and other things of ours that were flying down the street. I brought in about half of our stuff outside that was breakable.

Our neighbor on one side lost her chimney stuff, the neighbors on the other lost 7 shingles. The people behind us ... three of them lost the siding on the sides of their houses from straight line winds. The people across the street lost a lot of their roofing. When we were out driving for food we saw trees with at least 20' diameter root balls uprooted and crashed onto houses.

We were lucky. We still have a house. We had hot water. We had RUNNING water. A lot of people around here still don't have water, don't have power, nothing. So we're lucky in those respects. Three people in our area were killed.

Wednesday I turned 23. Whoopee. I got some pretty cool books, some itunes cards, and some cooling pads for my computer. Cards. I had a 'cake' of lemon cookies. That was fun. It was nice. We then watched Annie Get Your Gun. Fun movie. SOOO happy that Judy Garland was replaced for that film. >.< Mom and dad did a good job making it a good birthday. :) And thanks for all the various calls I got!

Started work on Thursday. What a bunch of losers I'm working with. >.< I also got my costume. Unfortunately, no amount of begging, pleading, and bribing got me a decent outfit. Though, in retrospect, it's much nicer than what most of the others got. But stillllllllll *whine*. Thursday was mostly paperwork, a walkthrough of our 'maze', and costuming. Yesterday was practicing scaring each other. Our group was split into half, so half were scaring while the other half walked through, then we switched places. I think I may end up being a mid-maze usher, which would suit me. I would still be able to scare, I'd make people go through the scare-box and only let wheelchairs through the other side of the walkway. I think it'd be nice. Especially if I could have a rifle.

Of course, on Thursday they mentioned, 'oh, by the way, you're likely to be hit, punched, kicked, slapped, etc.' 0.o Really? That wasn't in my job description.

Anyways, today I'm trying to get over being sick so that I can go to Renfest tomorrow. I've felt like crap for the last several days, and next week is all scare stuff. I'm so going to lose my voice. Should be interesting to hear me by next Sunday. (At which point I plan to be BACK at Renfest for Pirate weekend. Though dad might have to drive, depending on when I get home and such...)


Well, once we reorganize my computer some so that I have space again, I will upload and post pictures of our 'hurricane'. Including out poor pear tree. Cris has already seen a bit of that from a pix txt, but I shall try to post some online later on.

Cheers!

Annie Get Your Gun











Seven Brides for Seven Brothers:





Things that go bump in the night...

So what spooks you?

As has been mentioned to me MANY times over - apparently demented undead cowgirls wielding pistols is not scary. Or ghost towns. Or haunted trains with really crappy theming and stories.

So, what scares you / your friends / acquaintences? I had no say in what area I was to be located, nor do I have any say what I will wear, or what my makeup will be. It's a maze-like setup. You get on a train, listen to a bad hokey story, then get off, going down a maze/trail/thing where people jump out at you. People either go in to be scared, or go in with the idea that this is stupid and not scary in the slightest. It's the latter people that I want to scare or spook or whatnot. So what makes things scary at a haunted house or a haunted maze? Is someone just staring at you without moving scary, or are the yells? Is the the suddenness of a scream or is it the 'I see through your soul' deadpan stare?

What makes haunted houses scary? What exactly does it take to scare you, or your particularly tough no-scare friend? What makes these things so damn frightening to people? (I hate haunted houses, so I'm not sure what spooks people. Let alone tough people.) I am not allowed to touch anyone. So what would it take for me to scare people - tough people, scardey people, etc - given the circumstances? Comment comment comment! You can catch me on MSN, email, or blogger comments, as long as you give me any ideas. Ideas, experiences, thoughts, ramblings, ANYTHING you can THINK of that COULD be scary, that IS scary, or HAS been scary.





PS. Happy super super super belated 1st Anniversary to Beth and Nick. I feel horrible I didn't mention it sooner!

Bang bang! Boom! Pow!

I realized I haven't blogged in a while. But, for my readership of... four... I bet you can and will understand and won't hold it against me. Even if you do hold it against me... I still post more than you do. ^_^

So. My computer has died twice in the last four weeks - two of those weeks being the weeks in which it was dead. Apparently the new harddrives we put into the computer were crashing it. My compy can only read up to 137 GB of information, and we put in two harddrives that were bigger than that, the last of which was a 250 GB HD. Apparently it's something where it goes into the black hole of computerdom, and my computer - which from the tests I ran on it also lacks confidence, and on a later diagonostic, geometry skills - gets all excited about this infinite space... and dies. Leaving me with a black screen of death, with a little pale grey cursor at the top left of the screen, blinking sleepily at me and refusing to do anything else. It doesn't even know how to wake up anymore after one of those bouts.

And yes. My computer does, indeed suck at geometry and lacks any confidence. No wonder it keeps dying on me. I would too if I were it. I think I already have.

I've been watching a three part mini-series on tv, called Samurai Girl. It's somewhat soap-opera-ish, but I have definately enjoyed it. Lots of ninjas and supercool ninja powers and kickass fight scenes.

I also have a very temporary, very seasonal, very part time job. Friday and Saturday nights I shall be working at Kings Island - yes, Beth, I have sold my soul to KI again - in the Halloween Haunt (formerly Fear Fest). I'm going to be - supposedly - a cowgirl in the Tombstone Terror-tory near the train. I'm really hoping they let me wear cowgirl stuff. Assuming I pass my background check - and I seen no reason why I won't (but, if for some reaon it comes back poorly, at least I'll know why I don't have any job offers....) - I shall be having my costume fitting sometime in the next week, and I'll be better able to tell you what I am doing.

Rehearsals start the day after my birthday... so BAM! You're 23, go play an undead cowgirl! *ponder* I wonder if there's a hidden message in this....

But I'll have a week and a half of rehersals before I start work on the 26th. Then I work till 1, supposedly. So, if I get out of there before 2am, I'll be impressed. I'm not sure about makeup and stuff - if I take that off at home or at work. That will really be the kicker about how long it takes to get home. As it is I will have to be there an hour and a half before the park reopens each day to get ready and such. If I am able to get pictures later, I'll try to post them.

Beyond that, I have gotten rejection after rejection when it comes to jobs. Not that there are many jobs even open, in ANY field. Even the tech ones are near impossible to find. Looks like I'll be doing seasonal employment for a while, or something. This irritates me like none other.

Ah well. That's it for now. More later. Cheers!

Jokes

Below are some jokes that amused me, found online.

------

Before Computers

An application was for employment
A program was a TV show
A cursor used profanity
A keyboard was a piano!

Memory was something that you lost with age
A CD was a bank account
And a floppy disk was something
Terribly wrong in your back.

Compress was something you did to garbage
Not something you did to a file
And if you unzipped anything in public
You'd be in jail for awhile!

Log on was adding wood to a fire
Hard drive was a long trip on the road
A mouse pad was where a mouse lived
And a backup happened to your commode!

Cut - you did with a pocket knife
Paste you did with glue
A web was a spider's home
And a virus was the flu!

I guess I'll stick to my pad and paper
And the memory in my head
I hear nobody's been killed in a computer crash
But when it happens they wish they were dead!

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Forest Gump and St. Peter

When Forest Gump died, he stood in front of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter said, "Welcome, Forest. We've heard a lot about you." He continued, "Unfortunately, it's getting pretty crowded up here and we find that we now have to give people an entrance examination before we let them in." Related Image

"Okay," said Forest. "I hope it's not too hard. I've already been through a test. My momma used to say, 'Life is like a final exam. It's hard.' "

"Yes, Forest, I know. But this test is only three questions. Here they are."

1) Which two days of the week begin with the letter 'T'?"

2) How many seconds are in a year?

3) What is God's first name?

"Well, sir," said Forest, "The first one is easy. Which two days of the week begin with the letter 'T'? Today and Tomorrow."

St. Peter looked surprised and said, "Well, that wasn't the answer I was looking for, but you have a point. I give you credit for that answer."

"The next question," said Forest, "How many seconds are in a year? Twelve."

"Twelve?" said St. Peter, surprised and confused.

"Yes, sir. January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd …"

St. Peter interrupted him. "I see what you mean. I'll have to give you credit for that one, too."

"And the last question," said Forest, "What is God's first name? It's Andy."

"Andy?" said St. Peter, in shock. "How did you come up with 'Andy'?"

"I learned it in church. We used to sing about it." Forest broke into song, "Andy walks with me, Andy talks with me, Andy tells me I am His own."

St. Peter opened the gate to heaven and said, "Run, Forest, Run!"

------

Doggone Brilliant

A wealthy man decided to go on a safari in Africa. He took his faithful pet dachshund along for company. One day, the dachshund starts chasing butterflies and before long the dachshund discovers that he is lost.

So, wandering about, he notices a leopard heading rapidly in his direction with the obvious intention of having him for lunch. The dachshund thinks, "I'm in deep trouble now!" Then he noticed some bones on the ground close by, and immediately settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat.

Just as the leopard is about to leap, the dachshund exclaims loudly, "Boy, that was one delicious leopard. I wonder if there are any more around here." Hearing this, the leopard halts his attack in mid-stride, as a look of terror comes over him, and slinks away into the trees.

"Whew," says the leopard. "That was close. That dachshund nearly had me."

Meanwhile, a monkey, who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard. So, off he goes.

But the dachshund saw him heading after the leopard with great speed, and figured that something must be up.

The monkey soon catches up with the leopard, spills the beans and strikes a deal for himself with the leopard. The leopard is furious at being made a fool of and says, "Here monkey, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine."

Now the dachshund sees the leopard coming with the monkey on his back, and thinks, "What am I going to do now?" But instead of running, the dog sits down with his back to his attackers, pretending he hasn't seen them yet. And, just when they get close enough to hear, the dachshund says:

"Where's that darn monkey? Sent him off half an hour ago to bring me another leopard."

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Marketing Speak

Cindy McCain discovered that her husband's great great uncle, Gunther McCain, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Tennessee in 1889.

The only existing photograph shows him standing on the gallows. On the back of the picture is this inscription: "Gunther McCain; horse thief. Sent to Tennessee Prison 1883, escaped 1887. Robbed the Tennessee Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889."

After letting the Republican Party's large staff of professional image consultants review this discovery, they took the following actions to assist John's campaign to become our next president. They decided to crop Gunther's picture, scan it in as an enlarged image, and edited it with image processing software so that all that is seen in the final picture is a head shot. Along with this enhanced photo, the accompanying biographical sketch was sent to the Associated Press:

"Gunther McCain was a famous cattleman in early Tennessee history. His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Tennessee railroad company. Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to service at a government facility, finally taking leave to resume his business enterprise with the railroad. In 1887 he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889 Gunther regrettably died suddenly during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform on which he was standing collapsed."

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Simple Questions, Complicated Answers

Why is abbreviated such a long word?
Why does monosyllabic have five syllables?
Why isn't phonetic spelled the way it sounds?
Why is a carrot more orange than an orange?
Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?
Why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways?
Why are they called apartments, when they're all stuck together?
Why do scientists call it research when looking for something new?
Why do they call it a building? It looks like they're finished. Why isn't it a built?
Why is it when you transport something by car, it's called a shipment, but when you transport something by ship, it's called cargo?
If vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?
If price and worth mean the same thing, why priceless and worthless are opposites?
Is there another word for synonym?
Is it possible to be totally partial?

I exist!

Long time no chat, I know.

Yet again, I'm not in the best frame of mind to really say much, but I shall update nonetheless.

Before anyone else asks: Yes, I have rats now. Do NOT ask me about them. We've been in a fight with the breeder for the two weeks since we've brought them home. Things are not going well, to put it mildly. So please - don't get overly excited and jumpy and hyper and ask how I'm liking the rats. I'm not.

Now, that being said, I do not hold it against the poor girls that they weren't socialized. They do have a sweet temperment and they are drop dead gorgeous. But they cannot / will not be held. I can't pet them, hold them, play with them, bribe them, anything. They see someone and run away. It takes a while but one CAN coax them into being little beggars that stand at the door, even if you can't hold them. You close the door and they cling to it (one would assume that means they weren't done playing/eating/whatever yet...) You walk out the room to, say, answer the phone. You return a minute later - they act like they've never seen you before in their lives. They race away to the farthest corner possible and shake and tremble and hide. The process starts over.

There. That was a brief rundown. Do NOT give me advice on this. Do NOT try to be helpful. Don't say something like 'well, if you work with them, won't they be fine?' Answer: no. We've tried this before. At this age, they're near impossible to adequetly socialize. If they're people rats, you can train them to do a million things at this age. But they need to trust us. Trust cannot be learned that much at this age. So please. PLEASE. Don't try to be helpful. I can guarantee that I've either thought it, tried it, considered it, etc.

Now that I've clarified the question that I'm getting and not wanting, let's move on to other topics.

Just returned from an overnight venture to C-bus. Friday dad and I went up to the Ohio State Fair. Spent all day there. I milked a cow and saw some cute pigs. Or, if you asked dad, I milked a pig. Mom wanted to know how that went over... so do I. I don't remember milking any pigs... Dad said that he was getting in trouble for being too verbose at work, so he said he got rid of all unnecessary words - and thus, got rid of the word 'cow' and 'saw some' leaving 'milked a pig' in the thought's stead. We saw some gorgeous horses, but unfortunately the horse shows hadn't started yet or had just finished, leaving few horses there. Saw several sheep and pigs - the fair boar was huge! Bigger than most ponies I've known. I wouldn't want to cross him... his bottom teeth were as big as my fingers. Saw a calf, who was sweet as anything. So sweet. Had some fresh ice cream, and various fair foods.

Stayed the night in Dublin, then got up the next morning to head off to Dublin's Irish Festival. I'm rather sad that I did not get to make use of the jacuzzi or the pool at the hotel. I'd really looked forward to it - I was too beat to do anything but sleep. I got my bread bowl with stew in it at the festival - usually I must wait until Renfest. This year, Renfest came early. ;) The festival was awesome, and different than Dayton's or Cincinnati's. This had a lot of booths, reenactments, etc, and not just music. Not that I mind just music, but it was nice to have lots of STUFF to look at as well. It had seven music stages spread out amongst the booths. I fell in love with an Irish Wolfhound. Oh man she was gorgeous. We watched the Tannahill Weavers (great Scottish group, been around for 30+ years), saw various other bands, and just kinda meandered about. We got back home around 1 am. Unfortunately, I fell asleep in the car within five minutes of our journey home. Thankfully dad was there driving, else I'd have had to get a hotel in C-bus again for that night. Absolutely beaten. I came home at 1 am, and slept till at least 3pm on Sunday, and that was when I got up only because I was awoken to go watch Wall-E.

Speaking of which, that was a bit of a letdown. I'd hoped for a better movie than that. I mean, it was cute and all, and Wall-E and Eve were adorable, but I was just overall not impressed. Bummer.

I guess I should cover Dayton as well. Dad and I went up for that Celtic fest as well, and there were some awesome groups I found. Slide and Scythian were both spectacular. Slide is from Ireland, and Scythian is from DC area. Of the two, I'm thinking more people that read this would prefer Scythian. It was a bit rock, a bit celtic, a bit gypsy, a bit funky. And I will admit, some of reason I liked them was simply watching them on stage. Talk about an energetic performance!

So that's that. Still job searching, still trying my hardest to socialize the rats, and so forth.

I apologize for such a long rant, but that is my update. Take it as you will.

Below are some videos I found on YouTube. I do not claim that any of you will like any of them, but watch/listen if you'd like.


Scythian - Tammlin (it cut out one of the best parts of the song, like the jumping around, but oh well...)




Scythian - not sure of the song, but fun humor clip




Tannahill Weavers - (not sure which song this is at the moment...)




Slide - Just So Far Away