ah! ah!

I purposely got up  a bit early today, so I could go to bed on time. But I've got soooo many things I want to do these days, that once I settle down at my computer for the night, my brain wakes up, and time flies, and next thing I know it's... 4:20 AM!

Huff!

I have to make myself go to bed.

Since leaving my job last November, I hadn't gone through a bad headache spell--until this past end of January. I can think of 6 reasons, after my period, why it happened. But the basic result is I was fuzzy brained and less productive. So now I'm having a good week and wanting to jump back in with both feet, and there's just too much to do! Too much fun! Too much to process! Ah! Ah!

Gotta feed the cats and bolt.

daydreaming of nuthin'

I was just reading someone's personal blog, and she was daydreaming about what she'd do if she won the lottery. She has all these specific plans!

I don't tend to have these sorts of fantasies. I think I have a fear of it. Like... I'll get too excited about the dream, and when the reality doesn't match up, I'll be disappointed. And I don't want to be disappointed by my cute wee life. I'll have those flitting "and then if I was a bestselling novelist!" moments, and I push them out really quick.

I'm not sure it's even healthy, though. Is it better to have nice specific fantasies? Something to reach for? As Rorschach would say: Hrm.

If I had Money tomorrow... what would I do? I can't answer it. If it was enough to last the rest of mine and Fernando's life, I guess the first thing I'd do is look for a good money manager-person. Put all the money into the right places before I go and foolishly blow it all. Then I suppose we might move out west and buy a home. But if we were really rich, I guess we could have a home here too!

And then, you know, decide how much to give to charity, family members, friends and such. And then decide what fun we'd like to have. I mean, other than "not work, write novels, travel" I really would have no plans. Just decide as I go.

Maybe for this fantasy to work I need to think in terms of less money, like a million dollars. But I don't know how much anything costs, so then it's just confusing.

Nah, this fantasy just doesn't work for my brain. Sigh. I am not Le Type.

You'll get my Christmas tree when you pry it from my cold dead paws.

reading

I'm reading three books right now. Well technically I'm still reading Julius Caesar but can never find it when I want to finish it. And I'm reading a non-fiction book, about women in early Hollywood.

But I've got 3 fiction on the go. A book about a Nigerian man who gets involved in email scamming--we haven't got to the scamming part yet.

A collection of the three Cranford novels. I read the middle one in university years ago and enjoyed it. I'm enjoying the first book--a relaxing bedtime read.

And a book I picked up as a bargain book at some point, about a young Muslim woman from India who gets the chance to go to Paris, and becomes a model.

You can imagine which once I chose to be my bus and bus stop companion today, as I traveled through stormy conditions. When I know I have to spend hours in transportation, it's fluff city! Or it can be literary, but I need to be at the page-turning stage. And it has to be a book I don't mind getting wet, because I WILL stand with the book open to the snow. If I'm going to stand in the wind chill waiting for the bus to arrive, I want something to distract my mind.

I almost read the whole durned book, the ride home was so long. But I had a nice comfy seat, so it was very pleasant. :-) Ahhhh books. :-)

a brief word on Israel

Very brief. So the one world leader whose feelings are unmixed on the subject of Egypt is Netanyahu. Obviously he'd like Mubarak's regime to continue. Egypt has a long-standing peace treaty with Israel, it helps keep the border stable, etc. Israel does not want a Devil It Doesn't Know. I understand that.

But I think Netanyahu is being a fool for going on and on about this in public, unless it's something he has to do for the Israeli public--is there an election about to happen or something? No one in Egypt wants to hear this. If you're interest is in keeping Mubarak in power, then the laaaaaaaast thing Mubarak needs is Israel dancing around saying KEEP MUBARAK IN POWER PLEEEEAAASE!!!!

I skim-read some other opinion piece right now that said what Netanyahu should be doing is not trying to prop up Mubarak, but talking to the Egyptian people, reminding them of the strategic reasons why peace with Israel is in their best interest. I agree there are good strategic interests to continue the peace--the same reasons they started the peace. Because Egypt is poor, they don't have any personal land they need to get back (unlike Syria or the Palestinians), they need to focus on their own problems. And of course, in return for supplying intelligence, and not tolerating rocket attacks from their borders, they get much needed aid from the US. Possibly any new govt will understand this.

But I do NOT agree that this is the time to be making appeals to the Egyptian people about this. Because Israel: IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU. For heaven's sake! I know international politics in self-centered by nature, but could we not paint on a slight veneer of nice-a-tude for the occasion? Just PRETEND to care about the Egyptian people? For five minutes? Because that would be in their own self-interest, and work better than all this "wah wah wah don't destabilize our authoritarian ally!" or "Appeal to them that their new govt continue a treaty!" What new government?

Oh for the love.

Okay, I just had to get that off my chesst.

this, that, everything and hair

Cut my hair today. Here's how it's been looking, as of last November.

Here I am showing my Harpo Fighting Technique:

And my Ready-for-my-closeup look. I had cut it asymmetrically in September. You can see the natural color coming in up top.

 

This shows the length is was--down to the middle of my back. I've just been waiting for enough of my natural color to come back, so I could then chop off the bleachee stuff.

  

Most of the totally-bleached is gone. The bangs are lightly bleached (they look more coppery.) And there are streaks, so that my hair isn't all-out too oily.

 

Slept too long today, but had a very good head day. Had to take two Tylenols when I got up, but then my head was in tiptop shape. Phew. I'm up to 50 mg of whatever-it's-called now.

In other news... Egypt!! Mubarak's said he won't run in the next elections, which had already been set for September. But it's not what people want now. Too late, Moo, too late. And so it continues.

In other other news... friend Vidal sent a Haley a good tip for dealing with Minion:

John Barry is dead! Oh noes!

Sadness. James Bond soundtracks have been a great delight in my life. Sooo much great music, I can;t pick faves. But I thought I'd at least post the slightly-lesser-known themes:

On Her Majesty's Secret Service


007 (From Russia With Love) - sounds like a cowboy song, so cool


My fave Bond movie, and Bond soundtrack, is A View to a Kill. The Duran Duran theme song was written by the boys and Barry, and I love it. Barry then played off it to great effect in the movie, such as in the love theme:



He also scored some other lovely soundtrack pieces, my fave being The Cotton Club.

I picked up the soundtrack to The Cotton Club when I was in my teens or early 20s, never having seen the movie, and LOVED it. Then... I saw the movie. Holy crap. With emphasis on the word "crap."