Showing posts with label Entropy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Entropy. Show all posts

Sunday, August 30, 2009

All's Quiet...At Somebody Else's House

The Calm Before the Storm

The Breath Before the Plunge

It sounds tranquil, doesn't it?

And if you are lying in bed sleeping when the storm rolls up upon you, then maybe it is.

If you are dead, that is.

Because anyone who has prepared for a performance or trained for an athletic event will tell you that the last block of time of preparation is a frenzy of activity even when it looks methodical and meticulous to the outside observer. Even the last breath before going stage, entering the jury room, springing forth for dives or marathons and stepping onto the field of competition - that last breath is filled with all of the energy and purpose that will sustain you throughout the trial. The quality and energy of that breath is the hallmark of a virtuoso.

It reminds me of The Wizard of Oz. They know the storm is coming. The animals have sensed it, and then, when the people catch on, they run around securing what they can in the time allotted.

In a few moments, however, there will be at least a virtual calm before the storm of my move. As I pack "the last things" - which may well take all night - the computer must be powered down. Then it will be several days before we are on line again.

So stay tuned, y'all. And the most exciting part of my return will be that I won't be in packing frenzy anymore. Unpacking is like a treasure hunt! So here's to endings and beginnings and starting a new life! See you on the other side!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

It is no wonder that $1 = Two Bits These Days!

Moving Right Along
So we are preparing to move, and so of course we must deal with all of the pleasant and unpleasant tasks that come with that. Pleasant = Well, there are not really any pleasant moving tasks. Perhaps those of us in the world who really do actively combat Entropy (nerd much?) do achieve some sort of satisfaction from being able organize our little corner of the universe into boxes and reduce our waste by havind sorted through knick-knacks and old class notes from time immemorial. Okay, yes, that does give me some spark of satisfaction. But the rest blows.

Click Click.
It all started with his clicking shiny shoes. The man who came to give us an estimate on the cost to us for his company to move our goods. They were much too shiny and expensive, and when he is wearing the fine threads, you know that it is going to cost a pretty penny! He tells us all about the corporations and fine folks his company moves for, including the local hospital. After the walk through, he names an EXORBITANT price, and promotes his tarif as if it is some kind of official state rate. Never mind that it is SIX HUNDRED dollars more than what was quoted to us by another company out of Springfield. $600 more. Just think, every time the Hospital has to have something moved, they pay that ridiculous rate. And their new hires pay it. And Then We ALL pay FOR it in medical care costs.
I do not know what to do about these things of course, other than refuse his services. I certainly do not want to venture into the territory of being the, ahem, person who sends around the mass e-mails of outrage which amount to being little more than spam. A few family members and friends send me those e-mails, and I refuse to read them as well. I block them from my Facebook newsfeed.

Oh Hey! Vacay!
That's right, cats and kittens [nod to You Bet Your Garden host Mike McGrath], the little onion [zwieblein] is going on vacation. Now it is not a fancy vacation, more like a family retreat. I am an associate with the Racine Dominicans, and Chapter is at the motherhouse. My little family and I go up there for a few days each summer and spend time with the community. Please pray for us to have safe travels and for the RD's to have a fruitful Chapter.