Picture of the Day for 1/31/2011. I came across this book in my parents' bookshelves. Oh man, I'm afraid to crack it open. Given the publication date of 1960, I would suspect the viewpoints expressed by the author would not resonate with today's readership.
Picture of the Day for 1/30/2010. I made more headway with my packing boxes this weekend. I emptied about 8-10 boxes that were filled with "useless do-das" (also known as "knick-knacks" for those who don't speak "Michelle"). Going through the boxes was like an archeological dig. It's amazing how much I've collected over the years that A) I didn't remember buying, B) I don't need, and C) no longer appeals to me. The vintage wedding dress pictured above is a good example of B. It's very pretty, but the heck am I going to do with it? I purchased the dress at an antique store for $25; accompanying the gown was a note indicating it belonged to "my mother (Lenore McClay Larson) - wedding dress - August 1928)." I have no idea who Lenore was, but I now that I know her name and that she was someone's mother, I just can't get rid of her wedding dress. I'm afraid I'm stuck with it. It looks like I'm more sentimental than Lenore's own daughter who apparently had no problem letting it go.
Picture of the Day for 1/29/2011. My neighbor Erma's deceased husband was a colonel in the U.S. Air Force. Although he retired in 1971, Erma still has several ties to the Air Force which is how this 2011 Milestones of Air & Space Power calendar came into her possession. She passed it along to me since she knows of my interest in aviation and space. Erma also cuts out space-related articles from newspapers and magazines that she thinks I might find interesting. I think it's sweet. Today she gave me one about Dr. Bernard Harris, a shuttle astronaut I had never heard of before.
Picture of the Day for 1/28/2011. Some individuals think deep thoughts and ponder the mysteries of the universe. I'm not one of them. Here's what I wonder:1- How did Dillard's get my email address?2- Why did Dillard's send me no less than seven emails within the last 30 days about Vince Camuto shoes?3- Why does Dillard's think I'm interested in Vince Camuto shoes when I have never purchased a pair in my life? It's so random.4- Who is Vince Camuto?
Picture of the Day for 1/27/2011. Sorry this picture is a little fuzzy- it was the best I could do. I get a kick out of what occasionally shows up on my phone's caller ID. Apparently, the state of Texas tried to call me while I was out. I wonder what business Texas felt it had with me. Perhaps it was my deceased mother, a born and bred Texan, trying to reach out to me. Too bad she didn't leave a message!
Picture of the Day for 1/26/2011. I decided to tackle the disorganized stacks of music (piano, violin, vocal) that have accumulated in my parents' home over the past 50 years. I came across this booklet of choral music that cracked me up. The cover page declares "even the harmony parts are melodious which makes it interesting for all voices." Phew- that's good to know. I suspect this belonged to my great-grandfather, Franklin Merrill, who was a composer and musician during the late 19th century/early 20th century.
Picture of the Day for 1/25/2012. It's one thing to cease hostilities with a former enemy (i.e., the color pink), but it's another thing altogether to wantonly embrace that enemy. My newfound and profoundly disturbing obsession with the color pink has gotten completely out of hand. Pictured above are my latest pink purchases- two shirts, two necklaces, and a scarf. The sad thing is, I can tell I'm just getting started with the pink acquisitions. In case you're concerned, I can assure you that one thing hasn't changed- I still hate living in a pink house.
Picture of the Day for 1/24/2011. I kind of seem obsessed with my office building's parking garage, don't I? This is the second blog entry about it within the month. Upon entering one of these elevators, an overly perky voice announces "Going up!" or "Going down!" Upon exiting one of these elevators, the same overly perky voice announces your destination of "First Floor!" or "Fourth Floor!" Even more annoying than the perkiness is the accent. It's somewhere between American and a bad British imitation by an American.After a loooooong day at work (I got home at 10:00 p.m. tonight), the last thing you want to hear is this voice. One day I was riding down to my car in a crowded, but silent elevator. When our arrival on the fourth floor was duly heralded, I said, "I really hate her voice." Everyone in the crowd burst out laughing. Obviously, my sentiment had struck a chord.
Picture of the Day for 1/23/2011. My dad has assigned seating in the dining room of his assisted living facility. His dining companions are Melba (left) and Earl (right). They are not married, in case you're wondering. I've had a lot of interaction with them lately since my dad has decided he's on the 24/7 sleeping plan. This is a bad plan. Consequently, he has to be coaxed into getting up and eating. He tries to weasle out of this, but I won't let him.
Melba and Earl are a kick. Here's an actual conversation I overhead between the two of them last weekend:"You shut up.""No, you shut up."As you can tell, they like to bicker. They have plenty of opportunity because Melba loves nothing more than to engage in a lively discussion (i.e., argue) and Earl doesn't put up with crap. He tells it like it is.
Picture of the Day for 1/22/2011. I kind of have a thing for peacocks so I perked up when I saw these plates at Macy's. I can, believe it or not, live without peacock plates so I was able to walk away without purchasing them.
Picture of the Day for 1/21/2011. I noticed this crack in my windshield about a week ago. It's been slowly snaking its way across the glass. I'm in complete denial about this. Maybe if I ignore it, the crack will go away.
Picture of the Day for 1/20/2011. I have come to the sad realization that in the time it will have taken me, from start to finish, to clean* all the rooms on the main floor of my house, people could meet, date, plan a wedding, get married, and start a family. Nations could rise and fall...Sigh. I've gotten three rooms done (master bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen) in the year and a half I've lived in my home. I have three rooms to go (living room, dining room, and a spare bedroom which I'll be turning into my office). I'm determined that it won't take me as long to finish. In fact, my goal is to have the living room done by the end of the month. Towards that end, in a burst of energy and renewed enthusiasm for the project, I stocked up on cleaning products today.*Let's be clear here, by "clean" I don't mean simple housecleaning. I moved in on top of 60 years' worth of my parents' stuff in addition to bringing in about 200 packing boxes filled with my own possessions. The only thing that keeps me undaunted in the face of so much clutter is the reminder that there is a finite number of items in the house. That, and the fact I plan on hitting up my sisters for help clearing the basement!
Picture of the Day for 1/19/2011. When it comes to entertainment (movies, books), I generally do not want to be edified, informed, or instructed in any way. I do not want to feel any tender emotions. I do not want to think any deep thoughts. In particular, I do not want to be a better person as a result of seeing a movie or reading a book.Yeah, I'm kind of shallow.In my defense, I work so many hours that seeing movies or reading novels is my one real escape. I've decided though that I need to jump on the classics bandwagon and actually work my way through the ones I managed to avoid while majoring in English in college. So, my first step in shallowness rehab is to read The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Wish me luck. I'll let you know how it goes.
Picture of the Day for 1/18/2011. My hairdresser introduced me to Moroccan Oil and now I fear I cannot live without it. Initially, I tried it to smooth down all the new hair growth (long story- I lost a lot of hair after my surgery last July and it's starting to come back in) that likes to stand at attention with the result being I look goofy at any given time. (Let me pre-empt any smart-alecks who would say that I look goofy regardless of what my hair is doing.) Now, I can't imagine brushing my hair in the morning without it. You pour a small amount in your palm and rub it through your scalp and the ends of your hair. It leaves your hair shiny without an oily residue. I sound like a commercial don't I?
Picture of the Day for 1/17/2011. Some days, I wrack my brain trying to come up with a subject for my picture of the day. Other days, the opportunity just appears like manna from heaven. Today was one of those "manna from heaven" days. I'm not exactly sure* what was going on outside the window of this fast food restaurant where I was grabbing dinner, but I knew I had to take a picture of it.
*The best I can guess, based on a flag one of the young men was holding, is this was a Marine Corps ROTC training exercise.
Picture of the Day for 1/16/2011. If you ever needed proof that I love my dad, here it is. I spent three hours this afternoon watching football with him. I HATE football. Not just a little. I hate it a LOT. My dad has been quite infirm the past couple of weeks and has had to be encouraged to eat and get out of bed. I accompanied him to lunch today in order to make sure he ate. When I escorted him back to his apartment, I expected him to collapse into bed, but instead he headed to the couch. I asked if he wanted to watch a football game and that peaked his interest. We sat through a couple of games (Seattle Seahawks vs. Chicago Bears; New York Jets vs. New England Patriots) until it was time for him to return to the dining room for dinner. I expected him to doze off at some point, but he remained alert the whole time. Ironically, I was the one who ended up dozing off. I was delighted my dad remained awake the whole afternoon since he spends way too much of his day in bed sleeping. And I have to admit that I actually became invested in the outcome of the games.
Picture of the Day for 1/14/2011. I stumbled across this street in Beverly Hills just off of Wilshire Boulevard after my business meeting today. I loved the tall, skinny palm trees.
Picture of the Day for 11/13/2011. And so it begins. This is the first of several self-indulgent self-portraits you're likely to see on the blog this year. I took this one at 1:30 a.m. in the ladies room at my office after a 17-hour workday. I like how the picture turned out fuzzy. It's an excellent metaphor for how I felt after working such a long day to get ready for a client meeting in California the following day.
Picture of the Day for 1/12/2011. I attended a business meeting at the Alta Club in downtown Salt Lake City. Until today, I had never crossed the threshold of this former bastion of male dominance and power (i.e., a men's social club). Since 1986, women have been admitted to the club, but that does not make it any less snooty. I was taking a photograph of a original painting by a famous artist I quite like (Minerva Teichert) and the two women sitting next to the painting kind of sneered at me while I did so. Oh well. I was pleased to see all the original artwork on the walls. After the meeting disbanded, I stayed for a few minutes to wander the halls so I could examine the artwork. I quite like this "Picture of a Girl" painted in 1930 by Viktor Orlov.
Picture of the Day for 1/11/2011. If you don't arrive at my office building's parking garage at an unholy early hour in the morning, you have to park so far away from the elevators that making your way to them seems like an epic journey. Sometimes I expect to hear the Lord of the Rings music as I make the long and tortuous trek. I should probably welcome the exercise, but I, along with a small group of other intrepid (i.e., lazy) individuals, have discovered a little-known and tucked-away alcove that is fairly close to the elevators. I routinely park next to the orange car simply because I like the color combination of the orange car next to my red PT Cruiser. Hey, we get our little pleasures from life where we can.
Picture of the Day for 1/10/2011. My family is full of collectors. I've heard the drive to assemble collections is a sign of high intelligence so I'm seeing this as a positive thing (rather than the gateway to neurotic hoarding). My sister Robynne collects antique world globes. I like globes too, but it didn't seem kosher to appropriate her hobby until I saw this globe topped by an airplane for sale on eBay. Since I appear to be the only one in the family with an interest in aviation (aside from my father who used to own his own plane), this item legitimately falls under my purview. In case you're wondering, yes, that is wood paneling from the 1970s serving as a backdrop to this picture. There's a LOT of it in my inherited house. Apparently, it's expensive and high quality, but it's wood paneling nonetheless. Sigh.
Picture of the Day for 1/9/2011. This is a view of my backyard from my industrial-strength sliding glass door. When you look through the window, you barely notice the wires in the glass. When you take a picture, however, the wires appear to be very prominent. I just find the optical illusion to be interesting which is why I'm subjecting you to this topic.
Picture of the Day for 1/8/2011. This isn't the most pleasant picture I've ever posted, but I feel like maligning my parakeets today. I swear that my male parakeet, Malcolm (short for Male Companion), is weak-minded. He is easily swayed by his female parakeet companions. When the now deceased Bebe was his companion, she set a very good example of NOT pooping in the water tray. Malcolm cleverly followed suit. After Bebe's untimely demise, she was replaced by young, inexperienced Cora who doesn't realize one should NOT poop in one's water supply. Malcolm has not-so-cleverly followed suit. Now it's just a poop-fest in their water tray. Sigh. I get a kick out of this picture where Malcolm is looking up at me, wondering what I'm doing. Little does he know that I'm just about to out him as a water-pooper.
Picture of the Day for 1/7/2010. My co-worker (age 41) loves to buy Happy Meals at the McDonald's at the food court across the street from our office. He gifted me with the Anakin Skywalker key chain that came with his meal today. He was amused that I promptly attached it to my key ring. Another co-worker snarkily asked me, upon seeing the copious number of keys in my possession, when I had become a janitor. Sigh. I'm actually on quite good terms with the cleaning staff in my office building since I'm still usually there at night when they arrive for the evening.
Picture of the Day for 1/6/2010. I've mentioned in previous blog entries how I tend to get into food ruts that last for loooong periods of time. It's happened again. My extended family meets once a week at the mall for lunch. For the past several months, my menu selection has been unvarying. I stop first at the Great Steak and Potato Company to pick up two sides of fry sauce. No matter what time or day I show up, the same clerk is always there and greets me cheerfully, clearly hopeful that I'll actually order a meal there. I never do. I feel horrible, but that doesn't stop me from heading directly to Chick-fil-A where I order a 3-piece chicken strips meal that comes with fries and a Diet Coke. I always ask for 3 sides of the Chick-fil-A sauce which is a heavenly mixture of BBQ and honey mustard. I could bathe in that sauce I love it so much. Yum. I'm sure there will come a time when I'll grow tired of this routine, but I don't anticipate it happening soon.
Picture of the Day for 1/5/2011. I have a notoriously bad habit of not completing craft projects. I get about 95% done and then just quit. There must be some deep-seated and emotionally disturbed reason why I do this, but I'm not interested in delving into the psychology of this issue. I just want to complete a dang project. So, I'm going on the record in this blog that I WILL sew the skirt shown in the far-left side of the pattern using the fabric pictured above. I WILL complete this project in 2011.
Picture of the Day for 1/4/2010. What a find! I was clearing out my parents' books from their bookshelves and came across this cross stitch card that must have been presented to my great-grandfather Frank Merrill as a going-away memento before leaving to serve a mission for the LDS church. This has to be at least 120 years old since he would have served his mission before getting married in 1893. Up close, the stitchery looks brand-new and expertly done. Pretty impressive. I'm kind of wondering who Miss Giles is since my great-grandfather did not end up marrying this woman. Instead, he married his first cousin Madelon Merrill, but that's a WHOLE different story. I wonder if Frank broke Miss Giles heart. It's a romantic mystery...
Picture of the Day for 1/3/2010. My holiday cactus is starting to flower. At the beginning of December, I was delighted to notice the plant had several buds so I started to speak encouraging and complimentary words to it. I think it helped although the non-flowering plant next to it seemed a little irritated that its neighbor was getting all of the attention. In case you're worried that I'm matter-of-factly discussing how I've been communicating with my plants, I'm way ahead of you. I already have grand plans to be a crazy little old lady who sits out on her porch with a shotgun in her lap to scare away the neighborhood children.
Picture of the Day for 1/2/2011. My 23-year-old niece Corinne despairs of her 13-year-old nephew Dane who still requires help cutting his pancakes in the morning. He's actually perfectly capable of performing this task; I suspect he just likes his grandmother making a fuss over him. In an effort to promote pancake self-sufficiency, Corinne gave Dane this pancake cutter for Christmas.
Picture of the Day for 1/1/2011. What is happening to me?!?! For years, the word "loathed" was not remotely strong enough to convey my distaste for the color pink. Hostilities appear to have ceased as evidenced by the fact that I bought a pink blouse and a pink purse today. I'm even on the hunt for pink accessories (jewelry and scarf) to create a complete pink ensemble. Gasp.
Picture of the Day for 12/31/2010. After two days of not being able to get my car up my steep driveway into the garage, despite making a running start from a block away, I finally saw the handwriting on the wall. It was time to shovel the snow. This may not seem like a soul-shaking topic for my blog, but it was rather momentous for me since it had been years since I've shoveled snow. I had stopped not due to laziness (although no one can do lazy like I can- it's an art form), but because I got heart palpitations that eventually scared me off. Now that I've lost a significant amount of weight and no longer have a large mass in my belly, I decided to give it a try again. Easy as pie this time around (but still not fun).
