The National Museum of American Indian (NMAI) on the National Mall has a coupon for 10% off at their Mitsitam Cafe on 2/13 & 2/14.

If you go, I highly recommend you try the fry bread. Yum, yum, yum.  Other stuff there is good too. 

Or to quote from a shirt sold at Pow-Wows "My Indian Name is 'Runs for FryBread'"

Also on February 13 & 14th, they are having a chocolate festival.  :-)

http://tinyurl.com/yd8zf3f

fwiw, the Blockbuster at 4348 Duke Street (West Alexandria, near Foxchase) is going out of business at the end of this week (like around January 8th).

Most of the DVDs are $3.99, but one's without color covers are $1.  Boxed sets are cheap 70-80% off.

We bought a lot of loot - which I am looking forward to seeing.  Items bought included:

Ren & Stimpy boxed set
War Inc (no cover $1.99)
2 Fairly Oddparents (no cover $1.99 each)   A really funny animated show
The complete set of Firefly (because we did not own it)
the two most recent James Bond movies (because its me....)
Lock, Stock & 2 Smoking Barrels

and a movie I highly, highly recommend that came out last year Defiance which is about the Jewish resistance in Belarus during World War Two.

And it has Liev Schreiber & Danial Craig, so how can you go wrong?

I am going to check back there later this week.  I am hoping that they get in some additional new titles.

They are also selling the DVD bookcases.  If we had room. We could certainly use them, but we don't have the wall space as the house is currently configured. 

Whew!

unrelated - I realize that it is normally cold in the winter. But it is seriously cold due to the wind chill.  I can handle cold. But the wind gusts are just incredible.  It reminds me of being in New Hampshire for the primary in 2004. ;-)

 

If you need to reach me anytime soon, please call my home # or Jim's cell as I'm not checking email because....

It is now Day 3 of really bad migraine.

I understand the appeal of trephining. A lot.

I have a doctor's appointment for way to early with a migraine for Friday a.m. I am expecting to get shot (!) with meds, since nothing is helping.

This is, in fact, not the worst migraine I ever had. Not even the second worse. But in in number of days it is dragging on. (the longest migraine for me? 5 days...but that was before I had meds for it.) Normal now is one to two days max.

Arghghghgh.

Seriously, please call if you need to reach me. I actually took a sick day (which I don't have) and didn't teach on Thursday because I was just too sick.

Hey all!  Hopefully everyone has seen this info already, but if not...

This Saturday November 7th there is a free forum on part-time faculty being held at Busboys and Poets in DC (1025 5th Street, NW WDC) from 9 am to 12 noon.

It is open to anyone interested in the issues regarding part-time faculty at colleges anywhere.   

Details at http://www.seiu500cal.org/

Please send this info along to anyone who may be interested in this topic.  If you don't get a chance to sign up, just show up!

Thanks!

Happy Birthday noire !

I am so glad we had a chance to hang out at Worldcon.  We miss you all.  I wish New England was closer.



So what is it with all the late September/early October birthdays?  Is it just our group of friends or there a cluster of birthdays in the general population then?

Just wrote a test - Elf fall down, go boom.

It isn't a matter of needing spoons - I don't know what I need...

I am having a major fibro flare. It is really, really bad.  Like it is very, very difficult to walk, sleep, think, function.

I am so far behind on work stuff that if I think about it I feel terrible mentally. :-( 

I am trying to do everything - I am just screwing it up royally.  I screwed up two different class assignments because I had either brain fog &/or LD issues interfer.  So then I had to send an email saying "ignore the deadline/info, here is the correct info..."  Which doesn't help when dealing with students, especially stupid boys & idiots in classes.

I just took some extra meds, which should help (if I remember to take some more on Sunday). 

So, if you see me the next few days and I am staring blankly into space you will know why....

I think my two triggers are:
going to the dentist on Wednesday.  It was a long appointment & I have to get some work done, but it will have to wait until the end of the semester because there is no way I can recover from dental work in under a week (given previous experience)

and I spent the day on Thursday pretending to be able bodied as I was with NASA people and other space geeks.  Shows me right for trying to be "normal". 

sigh.

The problem walking is really, really bad.  I went to the arthritis doctor on Tuesday and it wasn't this bad then.  But it was starting.  So I may need to give her a call.  It may be time for trigger point injections again (got some in August). She had suggested getting xrays, but I have been xrayed so many times in my life I am afraid that I am going to glow in the dark.  Or more seriously, get cancer.  I've had A  LOT of x-rays. 

Sigh.

Anyone want to write a few chapters of lecture notes for me?  <just kidding - if only.....>  I wish I could just throw on a video and say that's the class for today! 

I assume that most everyone on my flist knows about this, but just in case.

Brian will be running an amazing larp in Chicago on 10/10/09. 

We are going.  But the larp needs some more players.

Info about the game here: http://www.fetefatale.com/events/british_invasion2.htm

Join us!

Okay, I suck. I usually forget to post these things.  (If I haven't listed yours, it is just because I am a space case...)

Apologies aside...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!  

to

jltraut  
I'm late for your birthday wishes - do I owe you a dounut?

and

hourglasscreate

Two wonderful friends whom I don't see enough of in person, but I am glad I "see" them online.

Our bunnies send their best, including the new (temporary) foster bunny Roger, who is a big attention slut.  He sends you a virtual hop!

I googled "lack of spoons" (as I couldn't remember when it became popular in our communities). It really is a good description of living with a long term disability/illness.  I think even "normal" people who are just going through a rough time (mental, physical, grief) might find it useful.

The Link http://butyoudontlooksick.com/navigation/BYDLS-TheSpoonTheory.pdf

The explanation about borrowing against tomorrow's spoons was right on target.

Okay, technically I am on facebook, but not by choice. 

I had to create a facebook account in order to be one of the admins for the museum's page.

I am not planning on posting to facebook much or really using it, but if you want to friend me there, feel free.

However, if it is something important, PLEASE, PLEASE call or email me.  I do want to hear from friends.  LJ is also good, but I only check it every other day when the semester is crazy. So, if it is urgent please call or email me (or doubleplus ).

BUT

If you are on Facebook, if you could do me a favor and please become a fan of Alexandria Archaeology.

It would help convince the higher ups that social media sites are useful for museums
AND
you can find out about upcoming events
AND
even if you don't live the D.C. area you can learn about neat stuff happening with history and archaeology in the Washington, D.C. area

Thanks!

You don't have to be on twitter to sign up.  You can live blog at the event if you wish (it is not required).

If you want a chance to met with the seven astronauts of STS-127 (Space Shuttle mission 127) you can sign up here.  It is held at NASA headquarters in Washington, DC.

I am going.  It is lots of fun, if you are a space geek.  Which we are. And you get cool loot for attending.

Space geeks rule!

I wanted to post this in case this might help anyone... I don't have anything to do with it, so don't ask me any questions about it...

It is easy to get to via Metro.  It is located inside Ballston Mall. 

Info here.

Good luck!

It is highly unlikely, but I figured I check....

Anyone else going to see the Pet Shop Boys on Thursday night?  Its at Constitution Hall. 

They have an amazing live show and if you are female it is the only concert you will go to where there is NO line for the women's room. ;-)

Ping us if you are going and want to hang.  I will be sitting in the cripple section. 

I spent the day with a headache.  I am hoping it stays gone.  It was not fun.  

Don't know if people saw this editorial cartoon, but I really liked this one...



After spending early part of the week very actively working on the health care reform issue, this cartoon spoke to me.  I have to (at some future point) write up the experience of going to our local congressman's town hall on heath care reform on Tuesday evening.  I have photos from it at my flickr page. Given my history you can image why health care reform is so very, very important to me.  But as a human being the issue of access to health care is an important issue to me. 

DailyKos has more editorial cartoons about Ted Kennedy here.

this is just an fyi, since there are several social events coming up this weekend.

I am having a major fibro flare-up (not too surprising since we were on vacation for 10 days and travel always does a number on my body...)

But I am having major, major problems in walking/standing/functioning.  This is using a wheelchair level of pain.

A lot more than normal.  I am in a lot of pain. 

So, if you see me sitting at an event (and not standing and socializing with others) please stop by and talk with me. I am concerned that I will miss all the fun because I won't be up to walking around the rooms with people.  The brain fog is not constant, which I hope holds. 

fwiw, I am going to the doctor this afternoon (may get trigger point injections and I will def. get accupuncture), I have been doing my exercises and trying to get onto a normal sleep pattern.

Any social help would be appreciated.

since we just got back last night (Saturday), I didn't get to read email until tonight...

Found out that gamer and all around great and super-nice guy Hal Haag died from a heart attack on August 12th.

This is right after Worldcon. 

Hal was the first person at BSFS to be actively supportive of larps at Balticon (this is way back in the mid-1980s).  Hal chaired several Balticons and was involved in conventions for many years.

He really was one of the nicest people in fandom. 

He will be missed by many.  It will be hard to imagine not seeing him at Balticon.

We had dinner tonight with friends.  Every worldcon we try to have one "nice" dinner.  Somewhere not near the convention center, so that we can actually see the city we are in.  Tonight we had excellent fondue with Barry and Judy of WSFA.  Barry very nicely drove which even saved my poor knees & legs some walking. 

During the convention, we'd been trying to get together with other friends who lived far enough away that it seems the only time we see them is at worldcons.  We just spent two wonderful hours just hanging out and talking, sitting at an outdoor table, having a good time.  No food, no drink, just friends. 

This is why I attend conventions.  And especially worldcons.  I love the programing (getting to hear Neil Gaiman read his stories live is an amazing experience!) and science programing done by those who work in the fields feeds my geek needs; I love the dealer's room (I actually bought a book today - but it is the only one I promise!); I enjoy the art show; and all the other wonderful things we do at conventions.

But attending this convention really is about seeing people I know and care about. 

Big win all around.

Now, if only everyone who wanted to could attend, and while we are at it, let's make everyone healthy too. 

Seeing as I don't want to be tried to the computer, here are just a few http://www.flickr.com/photos/anthro-geek/sets/72157621980827376/

More will be posted by my flickr account as time allows....

Whew!  Off to the Neil Gaiman talk, which starts at 2 p.m.

I've been having some major internet access issues and the fact that my sprint phone has decided it does not like Canada, has made getting access to the interwebs difficult.

So here is a very short report (knock wood, more details on Saturday....)

However, I have been twittering about the con when I can @terilee007 (follow for all the excitement now - yeah, that's the ticket...)

I arrived at the con and had a quick and easy check in at registration and with handicapped access. Thanks for all for their speedy work as volunteers!

The first thing I try to do when at big cons like this is check myself as "here" on the Voodoo Message board.  This is really one of the best ideas used at worldcons.  I wish professional conferences would use something similar because cell phones don't always work in buildings and you can leave someone a message and your contact info (fairly) safely.

The fan lounge in the Convention Center does have free internet access.  However, you have to pay to use the internet while in the function rooms.  Bummer.

The Dealer's Room.  This bit is quick to write.  The dealer's room is very small (or rather there are not a lot of vendors for a Worldcon).  But there are several advantages of this. 1) there are some vendors here whom I've not seen at cons before, so difference choice of stuff
2) its possible to go through the dealer's room and not be full of brain fog
3) there are plenty of book sellers with interesting books
4) it keeps me from spending money I don't have on neat stuff that I don't need...  (want is a different matter, but at least I know the difference)

The most interesting panel I went to on Thursday was the "Conversation with Paul Krugman and Charles Stross." The main focus of their conversation was 'what will the future be?'  Makes sense for a s-f con.  I have a lot notes written down, but no brain or time right now...

I spent a large chunk of Thursday evening talking with friends: either in the hotel bar, in the hallways of the convention center, or while going to the Delta (and talking while waiting for the elevator - which also went pretty smoothly.  Thanks again excellent volunteers!)

Thursday night I went to parties at the Delta.  I spent 90% of my time at the Fast Forward 20th anniversary party.  Fast Forward is the longest running science fiction interview show on cable access.  The party (on the 13th floor) featured soda pop bottled for Fast Forward (the labels included photos of previous Fast Forward guests), plus good munchies and lots of great conversation.  The nicest thing for me was I actually got to spend time talking with noire whom I don't get see very much anymore as we live in different cities. :-( 

A personal bonus: I survived yet another Air Canada flight. We (family) make a lot of jokes about this because of an emergency landing we had when on an AC flight from Montreal to DC in 2000 (via emergency landing in Newark). It is a joke mostly because of the terrible (really!) customer service after we were put a different (working i.e., flying) aircraft which was not AC.  But that is about as interesting as that kvetch gets...

Three small personal bits: doubleplus arrived safely today.  Hurrah!  Convention with spousal unit - win. 

If you need to reach me, use doubleplus  cell phone, as my phone is toast.

This evening I got to met a friend, @CharityV, from twitter (and knot_nrml  on lj), whom I had never met before in the "real" world. Very cool!

Oh, and I neeped at Paul Krugman during the panel on Friday afternoon.  Because I am a big, giant geek.