Drained January 31, 2007 ~ 1:01 pm
Posted by Julie in : Daily Grind , comments closedI’ve been trying all week to think of something to post, but I can’t. Nanner’s tragedy has really thrown me, and I’ve got some personal stuff that I’m working through as well. At this point, all I want to do is sit down and knit and not think about anything.
I’m hoping dinner with Lisa B tonight will help shake me out of the doldrums. We’ll see.
Worst case scenario January 30, 2007 ~ 3:14 pm
Posted by Julie in : Urban Family , comments closedWhen I was in middle school, a girl in my class lost her house in a fire. Her family was away at that time, so they were all spared, but when they returned the house was gone along with everything in it. This in itself was inconceivable to me at age 11, but what haunted me for years was that they also lost their pets: a kitten and some fish. The fish were boiled alive in their bowl, the kitten was found right by the door where it had been overcome by smoke. This still comes back to me when I least expect it and wakes me out of a sound sleep.
One of my friends had this nightmare come true this week. Nanner has lost her house and practically everything in it to fire. She and her son are safe, but all of her indoor cats died and they were her babies. So far the insurance company is taking care of her, but insurance companies have a history of screwing people over. We are in the process of setting up some way to help her rebuild, so watch this space. In the meantime, head over to her blog and let her know you’re thinking of them. I’m sure it would mean the world to her and Nate.
Urban sprawl January 28, 2007 ~ 12:25 am
Posted by Julie in : In Da Hood , comments closedThe Landlady and I had a long talk this evening about “progress” coming to our neighborhood and how long we figure it will be the Windsor Terrace we know and love. We’re giving it ten years. Ratner’s already got his hooks into the neighborhood - a large house on the corner of my street has been bought (rumor has it for something like $1.5 million) and is heading for demolition within the next month or so. What’s going up? Condos. The vacant lot two blocks down that has been empty since I moved here from Bensonhurst is also slated for condo-ization. This on top of the Atlantic Yards shite makes me sad beyond words.
Rick has told me repeatedly that it’s to be expected - we live in New York City, after all. In Manhattan the landscape changes seemingly in the blink of an eye - apartment buildings get demolished to create offices, those offices get razed to make room for skyscrapers, and the city stretches wider and higher. I think that the Manhattanites have gotten so used to it that they’ve forgotten what it’s like to have true neighborhoods - places like mine where we know everyone for three blocks, know the names of all the pets, and where we compete at the holidays to see who can put up the biggest display. We’re like a small town in the middle of NYC, and I love that about us. I wonder if this dread of progress is how people felt when the the boroughs were consolidated in 1898: one minute you are your own city with your own identity, the next, you’re simply a borough and Manhattan becomes “The City.”
Since I moved here seven and a half years ago, I’ve known Brooklyn to be the greatest place in the world. Just say the word “Brooklyn” anywhere and people know exactly where you’re talking about. We’re a borough of fighters, of scrappers, of artists, of dreamers, of entrepreneurs. It’s magical here - even the light shines differently from anyplace I’ve ever seen. In the summer, the streets glow golden. Unlike Manhattan, where everything is new, we’ve got one foot firmly in the past - you can run into the ghosts of Truman Capote and Albert Anastasia here. Dreamland still gleams at Coney Island, for the time being. Why would we want that to change?
But progress is coming. The hipsters and yuppies have already taken over Williamsburg and Greenpoint since Manhattan is too expensive for them now. As the years go by and Manhattan rents continue to skyrocket, more people will walk across the Bridge, like what they see, and stay. And we’ll get an Ikea and Targets to match our Fairway and Home Depot and Costco. And the real estate around the Gowanus Canal will go for top dollar in spite of the layer of chemicals that floats on top of it. And those of us who live in the old Brooklyn will get pushed further and further out, closer to Queens and the Island as landlords realize they can get more for our apartments.
I feel pretty safe; I’ve got a great landlady who sings my praises as a tenant. But in ten years, when progress has arrived, will I be able to recognize the Brooklyn I loved beneath it? Will it still be the same?
Scribbles January 26, 2007 ~ 10:41 pm
Posted by Julie in : Technobabble , comments closedThis turns my drawings into far cooler things than I could ever hope to make:
No dice January 26, 2007 ~ 10:24 am
Posted by Julie in : Da Cats , comments closedWell, we still have only one cat at Casa de Julz this morning.
Rick and I went out last night around 6:30 to get the cats. As soon as we got there, the friendly one bolted out to say hi, but the other one was MIA even after I opened a can of cat food (normally a sure fire way to attract his/her attention). We looked around for about 10 minutes while petting the friendly one and encouraging her to eat, but no sign of her sibling. We decided, after some talking, that taking her without her sibling would not help either of them. She would be miserable and skitsy one would likely freeze to death without her body heat to cuddle up to. We decided to go back to the house, eat some food, and come back later to try again.
Around 8:15, I set out again. I got to the building and noticed that someone had set out fresh cans of Friskies for them, and a few bites had been taken, but now neither cat was around. I called for them a couple of times, but zip. A guy out walking his dogs saw the cat carrier in my hand and asked if I was looking for the cats. I said I was, that I had wanted to take them in since it was so cold. He told me he thought they had access to the basement of the building, since the past few nights he and the dogs hadn’t seen them as the temperatures dropped. (The cats definitely had access to the tunnel under the building where the super takes out the trash, so this is actually pretty likely.) He told me this is what the feral cats at his workplace did, and it’s what the feral cats at my workplace do as well. I hung around a little bit longer, didn’t see any sign of them, and headed home.
I think they’re okay. I hadn’t realized until we were hanging around the building looking for them last night how everyone in the neighborhood keeps an eye out for them. Several other people stopped by while we were there the first time to pet the friendly one, and the cans of Friskies appear on a regular basis. They may have been abandoned, but now they’re everyone’s pets. I’ll still keep an eye out for them, though, just to make sure they’re okay.
Soft touch January 25, 2007 ~ 11:50 am
Posted by Julie in : About a Julz, Da Cats , comments closedI was a little apprehensive about posting this because I’m not sure how it’s going to work out. I’m still a little apprehensive about it, but what the hell.
Five blocks from my house, on the way to the grocery store, is a large apartment building on a corner. My route to the grocery store varies, so I don’t always pass it, but a couple of times this summer when I went past I noticed two little cats outside of the building. When I would walk by, they would come up to get petted, a noticeable change from the other cats in the area who run away when you call out to them. I felt bad that they were out in the heat, but they seemed okay. Someone was feeding them at least occasionally, since there were empty cans of Friskies nearby, and other people were stopping to pet them.
Flash forward to last Thursday night when I went to the grocery via this route again. It was hella cold and they were huddled under someone’s airconditioner for shelter. However when I called “Here kitty, kitty,” they both came over in a flash to get petted. One of them is skitsier than the other, and wants to be petted on its terms, not so much when you reach for it, but is still very friendly. I went on to the grocery and picked up some Friskies for them, and put it out when I went back. They were on it like a fat kid on a cupcake. It was starting to snow, and I felt terrible for them, huddled out in the cold with no real shelter. I went home and told Joe how lucky he was to have a warm home.
You know where this is going, right? It’s going to be -5* tonight, and I can’t in good conscience let them be out in this. They’ll freeze. So tonight after I get home from work, Rick and I are looking for the cats. If we find them, we’re bringing them home to my place. I’ll put them in the bathroom to keep them separated from Joe, and sometime fairly soon (Saturday, maybe) I’ll take them to the vet to be checked out. I don’t know about having three cats in my apartment, but we’ll see. I just know I can’t leave them outside in this weather. I’m not that hard-hearted.
Under Pressure January 24, 2007 ~ 4:42 pm
Posted by Julie in : Craftiness Is Next To Godliness , comments closedI knit tightly. I knew that. But now my poor little needles are suffering - the bamboo size 2 dpns have a definite curve to them. I hate to take my frustrations out on innocent bamboo. Anyone have an idea on how to fix this?
State of Delusion January 23, 2007 ~ 11:14 pm
Posted by Julie in : Politically Incorrect, Rants , comments closedSometimes I wonder what country President Asshat lives in, because it sure ain’t the one I’m in. Tonight he declared that inflation is low and the economy is great. I’m sure that’s true for the wealthy robber barons, but for those of us in the middle? Not so much. Employment rates being high because people are getting jobs at Wal-Mart is not the same as employment rates being high because people are getting good, steady jobs with decent pay. I also had to laugh at Asshat deciding now that we’re going to have a balanced budget. Now, after he’s wasted more money than a kid in a candy store. Did you see the shot of Hillary while he was spewing this bullshit? You could just tell she was thinking “When my husband was President, we had a balanced budget. Hell, we had a surplus! But you took care of that, didn’t you?”
I’m also continually impressed by how fully Asshat believes in the lies he’s told. Putting 20,000 more troops in the field was the course of action chosen because “it has the best chance of success.” Um, no, it was chosen because you can’t admit that you were wrong. By fighting the war in Iraq, we’re making sure terrorists don’t have “new safe havens, new recruits, new resources.” Funny, because I think that’s exactly what they’ve gained out of this whole thing. This is a “generational struggle” that will continue long after we all turn our duties over to others. Yep, it’s just like I thought, you can’t figure a way out so you’re gonna leave it for the next guy. Good job.
There was also a “read between the lines” section of the speech with regards to Iran. Apparently Shi’a and Sunni are bad and funded by Iran. So does this mean we have free reign to attack first Iran, and then the whole Muslim world? Because as far as I know, Shi’as and Sunnis make up all but a very tiny portion of Islam. So if they’re both bad, then we’re attacking everyone, right? Especially if they’re funded by Iran.
Things that disturbed me about the speech tonight, because typical of Asshat, he mentioned it briefly and then went on without really explaining it:
- The new health care plan where we all put money back and don’t have to pay taxes on it. This sounds like same shit, different day. My health insurance is not great. I have friends whose health insurance blows. I have someone very close to me with no health insurance whatsoever. But even with all that, I am not falling for this “put some money back and pay for your own insurance” routine. I want to see the fine print before you fuck me up the ass, thank you very much.
- Increasing the size of the armed forces by 92,000. Where are we getting these people? Is this a coy way of saying “draft”?
- A civillian reserve. Again, where are we getting these people? What’s the difference between a civillian reserve and a military reserve? Something tells me that the difference is the civilians are going to get even less funding than the military. Unless maybe civillian reserve is a code phrase for “Haliburton.”
- Clean coal technology. Is there such a thing? Because it sounds like an oxymoron to me. Coal is dirty when you burn it. That’s why they’re raising such a fuss about the coal plants people want to build in Texas. Let’s see…building coal power plants in Texas, Asshat is from Texas, Asshat mentions “clean coal technology” first among the many alternative types of energy there are…hmmm.
Two final thoughts: Asshat mentioned global climate change. As far as I know, this is the first time he’s ever actually spoken about global warming. Holy shit, it does exist!! Helped into existence by those coal power plants! But he didn’t say that part. Also, speaking of power plants, is the man ever going to learn how to say nuclear properly? Because at this point it’s just ridiculous.
ETA: 28% approval ratings make me laugh. Hard. And probably longer than is necessary, but still.
Here is where I admit a shocking secret. January 23, 2007 ~ 4:21 pm
Posted by Julie in : About a Julz, Rants , comments closedBaseball bores me to tears, people. I know, you’re all sitting their clutching your chests in horror. And if you’re not doing that, you’re scratching your head and thinking “What the hell brought this revelation on?” It was that song “Put Me In, Coach” or whatever it’s called, which was just on the radio. Don’t get me wrong, I like the song. It just got me to thinking about baseball. And baseball? Peeps, methinks it’s overrated.
“But Julie,” you say, “don’t you wear a BoSox cap all spring, summer, and fall?” Indeed I do. I have worn my Red Sox hat so much that it is fading to a nondescript grey color. But I don’t wear it out of fandom so much as for a purpose: to piss off Yankees fans. And it works, too, so hey, mission accomplished.
“But Julie,” you try again, “didn’t you cheer for the Red Sox when they won the World Series? Don’t you actually cheer for them every year?” Why yes, yes I do. For several reasons. One, I hate the Yankees. I think it’s unfair that some teams get to go out and buy all the talent they want, while others just can’t afford to (I have that same problem with Asshat and his friends, actually). I think the Yankees have entitlement issues. Yes, you’ve won a shitload of World Serieses (Serie?), but that doesn’t mean shit when you have bought all the talent available while the other teams are just makin’ due with what they have - see previous reason why I hate them. But I also like the Sox because Terry Francona manages them, and Terry is from my hometown. I actually went to school with Terry’s nephew. Beaver County, represent! I also have a fondness for Tim Wakefield. I saw Tim’s major league debut with the Pirates and had a crush on him…he was a lot cuter in those days. I’ve been loyal to him ever since. Loyalty to a cute player who had some tough breaks in his early career does not a baseball fan make.
“But Julie,” you say, sensing an opening, “you just said you were at Tim Wakefield’s major league debut! That means you’ve gone to baseball games.” Yes, it does. Does it say I was paying attention when I was there? No. When I was in high school, Pirate games were cheap and a great way to play hooky from band camp. However, we spent most of the game bullshitting in the seats, catching rays, and trying to attract the Pirate Parrot. Mascots are fun. Since I’ve moved to New York, I’ve been to a couple of Met games as well. I generally spend them drinking beer and bothering Rick.
“So what the hell is your problem with baseball???” you finally yell, completely exasperated. Glad you asked. Baseball doesn’t move fast enough and is way too civilized for me. I like games like hockey, football, soccer. Games where things can change in an instant - a fumble or a puck intercepted and someone else has the chance to score. There is none of this “taking turns” bullshit in soccer, no “you send three guys up to try to score and then we will” in football. There is only a lot of blood, sweat, and struggle. The only time I really see that in baseball is when once in a blue moon the bleachers clear and everyone starts fighting. I enjoy baseball on those rare occasions.
Yes, I understand that baseball players have to be somewhat decent athletes to hit the ball as far as they do, or to make sliding catches, or make a double play. But it’s just not exciting to me. Give me a soccer player making a run down the field and kicking a ball *thisclose* to the goal. Give me a hockey player skating like a bat out of hell down the rink, coming around the back of the net, and shooting a goal through a tiny gap between the goalie’s legs. Give me a football player going those last five yards into the endzone with three other guys on his back trying to drag him down before he gets a touchdown. Compared with all that? A homerun is just anticlimactic.
Plus, it’s just really fucking cool that blood and puke bounce on ice.
Telenovela junkie January 22, 2007 ~ 11:28 pm
Posted by Julie in : Reviews , comments closedHave I mentioned before that Ugly Betty is one of my favorite shows and that I’ve got it on Season Pass on the TiVo? No? Well, I do. I also have a couple of episodes on the iPod for subway/lunch hour viewing. It makes me happy.
One of the things I love best about the show is that it has definitely stayed true to its telenovela roots. (Yes, I have been known to watch telenovelas on Univision, Galavision, Telemundo, and whatever other channels air them, even though the amount of Spanish I have retained from high school is limited to “Que tal?”, “Hola,” and a wide variety of curses.) Just when you think you’ve got everything figured out, the writers throw in a twist so incredibly bizarre that you sit in front of the TV slack-jawed, thinking “What the fuck just happened?” and you rewind the TiVo at least twice to try to wrap your mind around it.
Tonight I finally got around to watching last Thursday’s episode. If you saw it, you know precisely which five minutes I rewound multiple times. If you didn’t, and don’t normally watch this show, it’s about time you start. It’s just getting GOOD, people.
