| Wyndham Garden Hotel |
[Jul. 1st, 2004|01:30 am] |
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I will be staying at the Wyndham Garden across from the Sheraton. Has anyone stayed there before. Sorry if this is a repeat. Thanks for any comments about this hotel |
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| Reminder - Price increase on 02/15/10 |
[Dec. 26th, 2009|03:03 pm] |
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Now that Christmas is been and gone, just a reminder on the price increase on 02/15/10! Get it now or it'll be $80 each! Getting ours next week! |
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| The Great Gravitar Attack of Ought Four. NEVER FORGET. |
[Dec. 27th, 2009|12:36 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | doomed, space | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Massive Attack -- Superpredators | ] |
 Anniversary of a cosmic blast The sheer amount energy generated is difficult to comprehend. Although the crust probably shifted by only a centimeter, the incredible density and gravity made that a violent event well beyond anything we mere humans have experienced. The blast of energy surged away from the magnetar, out into the galaxy. In just a fifth of a second, the eruption gave off as much energy as the Sun does in a quarter of a million years. Oh, and did I mention this magnetar is 50,000 light years away? No? That's 300 quadrillion miles away, about halfway across the freaking Milky Way galaxy itself! And yet, even at that mind-crushing distance, it fried satellites and physically affected the Earth. It was so bright some satellites actually saw it reflected off the surface of the Moon! I'll note that a supernova, the explosion of an entire star, has a hard time producing any physical effect on the Earth if it's farther away than, say, 100 light years. Even a gamma-ray burst can only do any damage if it's closer than 8000 light years or so.
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| State of Readiness |
[Dec. 26th, 2009|09:06 pm] |
I am approaching a state of readiness for my journey west. I am slightly more ready than I'd anticipated being today, because I made my last-minute run for last-minute items today instead of tomorrow. I had no intention of setting foot in any store the day after Christmas, but about two this afternoon I heard a thump downstairs. A few seconds after, my cell phone rang. My husband was calling me from the floor of the hallway, where he was lying after his back had locked up on him.
I got him up and onto the couch with a heating pad, then made an emergency run to the store for muscle relaxants. (Some things are, after all, just a bit more important than avoiding the post-Christmas rush.)
The good news is that Al is much, much better now. At first he couldn't even stand up, but just a few minutes ago he was able to walk up the stairs to the bedroom by himself. Much relief all around. And, while I was at the store getting things he needed (for instance, a six-pack of medicinal Guinness), I picked up the last two or three things I needed for the trip. Not the way I would have chosen to get prepared, but it worked out.
In between driving Al crazy asking him fifty billion times if he needed anything, I also took care of my computer transfer today, shuffling files from the Mac to the Netbook (in the process eradicating Smart Quotes from about 200 stories so I could read them gibberish-free on said Netbook...and I really wish I was kidding), converting and updating files on the iPod, making backups for me, making backups for my mom's iPod, and generally trying to make sure that everything I want will travel with me and I can survive if there's no internet. :)
I've also test-packed my carry-on bag, and everything seems okay. I'll have to unpack half of it at security because I'll have my computer, camera, GPS, iPod(s) and Boo's DVD player to run through, not to mention my CPAP machine, but that's why I also plan to get to the airport Very Early.
Needless to say, I'm not looking forward to flying right now. I'm not nervous about the flying part, but I'm worried about last-minute security measures. I've already cut way back on the knitting survival kit, figuring that now is not the time to show up with 50+ double-pointed needles in a wrap.
Also, this is not the time I really want to leave my husband by himself. Based on previous history, he'll probably be more than able to take care of himself and drive and probably even go to work by Monday, but I'm not happy about jetting off less than two days after he couldn't even walk by himself, even if it was only for a few hours. It was sheer luck that he was listening to cricket over his phone when he fell, and therefore had it with him in the house. I'm thinking of asking him to Velcro the phone to his body until I get back. |
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| Cavalia |
[Dec. 26th, 2009|10:09 pm] |
One of my/our Christmas presents was tickets to Cavalia.
It was teh magic.
You should go.
I now dissolve into squeees. |
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| Writer's Block: The morning after |
[Dec. 26th, 2009|08:58 pm] |
"There's got to be a morning aaaf-ter. . . "
Usually a combination of the two. I have a lull where it's hard to get the decorations packed up and put away and hard to get all the normal stuff back out. It's also hard to get back into regular routines and I don't know if it's kind of a mini depression or just that I've been in a weird sporadic routine for a week or two (or a month or two, whatever) when it's all over. Then, the seasonal depression usually hits after the holidays and gardening planning are over in about mid-January because I still have at least 6-8 more weeks of cold, grey, yucky days to get through before spring. I hate winter and Christmas gives me a good distraction, even though I don't really get excited about it.
But then, there's the relief that everyone is out of my house and I can sort of curl up on my own time and do the things I love instead of perpetually preparing for some gathering. I mean, I absolutely love to see everyone and in many cases it's the only time of year we get to see many of the people at the many gatherings we host or attend. But after about 6 weeks of that (pretty much non-stop from Thanksgiving to New Year's), I'm ready for some "on my terms" time and a little routine. |
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| Trade Hyatt room for Marriott and be my flight buddy? |
[Dec. 26th, 2009|04:37 pm] |
Hello All:
Our group have a room reservation in the Hyatt for Thursday to Monday. We're looking to trade it for a room in the Marriott as an even exchange or compensated.
I am flying out of southern California (SNA) for Dragoncon 2010. Dang it, flight cost has gone up to $465 this year compared to $380 last year.Anybody got some hints and suggestions on how to get a cheap flight? ....and perhaps fly with me? First drinks are on me ;-) I tend to get nervous on planes by myself. Would you be my flight buddy? Come fly away... |
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| Horton Hears a Microbial Extinction Event |
[Dec. 26th, 2009|12:39 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | doomed, parts, poop | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Hanzel und Gretyl -- Mutant Starseed Creation | ] |
Bugs Inside: What Happens When the Microbes That Keep Us Healthy Disappear? The human body has some 10 trillion human cells -- but 10 times that number of microbial cells. So what happens when such an important part of our bodies goes missing? With rapid changes in sanitation, medicine and lifestyle in the past century, some of these indigenous species are facing decline, displacement and possibly even extinction. In many of the world's larger ecosystems, scientists can predict what might happen when one of the central species is lost, but in the human microbial environment -- which is still largely uncharacterized -- most of these rapid changes are not yet understood. Meanwhile, each new generation in developed countries comes into the world with fewer of these native populations. "They're actually missing some component of their microbiota that they've evolved to have," Foxman says. Previously, previously. |
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| Christmas goodies |
[Dec. 26th, 2009|01:03 am] |
Winry's first Christmas was awesome. She is currently way overtired and we are hoping she'll pass out soon. We got up around 9 because she woke up (she's got a cold, like me), and she flipped out over all the new toys under the tree. I would say her favorites were the baby doll, the stuffed snoopy, and a book of baby animals from her grandpa "Fireball" and Yaya.
Around 11 we went to my parents' house and although she was already tired, she flipped out again over the toys Santa left there for her. She especially liked the stacking cups and the inflatable bop-able lion. I got some cool loot as well, most notably an adorable little netbook (I'm typing on it now!) and tickets to Cavalia tomorrow (eee!). Also got some clothes, a gargoyle, a bluetooth headset, a couple of DS games, and various assorted other things that my tired, NyQuil filled brain can't quite remember.
Grandmama, Vicki, and Katherine dropped by for coffee and we visited awhile, me from a distance to prevent contagion if possible. Dinner was pizza and then I passed right out for a while.
Now we are sitting in the living room hoping Winry will sleep soon... sigh..
But what a nice Christmas :). Thankyou all for presents big and small, and I hope everyone had as nice a day as I did! |
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| So, the question thing |
[Dec. 25th, 2009|07:29 pm] |
# Leave me a comment saying "Resistance is Futile."
# I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can satisfy my curiosity
# Update your journal with the answers to the questions
# Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions
(Questions by malachus)
1. When/how did you first become interested in animals? Was it some singular event or were you always that way or what?
Always that way, as far as I can remember. I think my mom is the main reason; no matter how ugly the bug she always exclaimed about how interesting it was. It started with fish, and that's still my specialty.
2. What thing do you most want Winry to have/do/not have/not do?
I'd like for her to have the confidence I lack, in many areas but I think especially in some kind of physical way. I realized the other day that I was absolutely shocked that my diet/exercise plan was apparently working, because apparently, deep down, I don't really think I can accomplish anything with physical stuff like exercise. I don't know why I feel that way, but I do. I give up easily on things as a result. I'd like for her to have more confidence to keep trying things until she gets it right/gets results.
3. What is your favorite type of animal and why? I like cats. They are clean, quiet, a little evil/mischievious, and only give their affection to those who prove they deserve it. They also have an uncanny ability to know when you're not feeling well, and try their best to cheer you up with as many cuddles as you can stand.
Also, this quote. I am too sick and lazy to cite the source at the moment.
"Confront a child, a puppy, and a kitten with a sudden danger; the child will turn instinctively for assistance, the puppy will grovel in abject submission, the kitten will brace its tiny body for a frantic resistance"
4. What book would be the biggest personal loss if you had never read it and why? That's a hard one. I'm going to say the Foundation series, because it introduced me to a lot of concepts that were very new and intriguing to me. That having been said, I read it in 5th grade along with Dune and Amber, so it's been a while... I was impressed by all three, and they sparked all manner of imaginings for me, but I have a hard time remembering specifically what it was about them now.
5. What is your fondest Christmas memory? (That's what you get for posting today...)
It's not a single Christmas, but when I was younger we would have our Christmas morning at home, then head to my grandparent's house, where we would wait for the lunch delegation to retrieve chili dogs from the Varsity (which used to be the only place open on Christmas day). Then we'd open gifts, and I'd fall into that Christmas afternoon haze, and fall asleep somewhere until it was time to go home again... It was a very warm fuzzy time. |
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