Follow the Leader

Following Lady Epiphany's lead, what do you see in me?
Though I am going to add the flip side too. What are my weaknesses?
This second is more intriguing since we are always our own worst critics.

Beta

I was unaware, until I read Lady Epiphany's latest post, that Blogger had a new Beta version. As you can see, I have switched templates. I like the style of this one but I think it needs a different image for the background. But that will have to wait since this new Beta version does not have raw template editing. Attempting that edit when it is available will be an adventure. I think I'll have to get my hands on a basic HTML guide. Any suggestions for a good one?

UPS

A couple of weeks ago I received a UPS notice. The next day I waited for him to come (the note said 10:30-2:00). Finally, at 5:00pm I had to go out to forage for food. I thought to myself that if I went the UPS man would come. Sure enough, as I came back up the hill there was the UPS truck. I went to it and asked the man if he had tried to deliver to my place. In fact he hadn't. He let me sign right there. Then he admitted what I had long known was true. They do lie in wait until you are gone and then they try to deliver.

I knew, having tracked a package, that it was due to be delivered today. I decided to go out as early as I could to do my errands. No good. I was gone for only 40 minutes until just past 10:30am and what was waiting for me? That's right, a UPS slip.

I swear, next time I am going to lay a trap. One of those big bear traps.

Names

Tonight on my train home there was a woman with a small boy. I would guess he was about 4 or so. He had lots of energy and reminded me a bit of my cats. He would climb on the seats then toss his toy car and pounce on it. He was however, louder than the cats and just as we were pulling in to the last station he fell and hit the side of his head on a pole. He began to cry. Really cry. Wail in fact. His mother tried to soothe him and I suspect caution him about the dangers of playing on the train. The wailing was not attractive but I felt sympathetic. Not because he was hurt but because he is saddled with the unlikely name of Maximilian. What kind of thing is that to do to a child? There's only two choices. First, Max, in which case he will have to be a bartender, a bookie, or a character actor. Second Maximilian, in which case he will somehow have to acquire a title and a castle in the Bavarian Alps. Tough either way. Don't people know that names really do influence who you become? Occasionally we rise above them, as my friend Jennifer who is anything but common and ordinary. But usually we live up to our names or nicknames. And they influence the behavior of others towards us. Marion Morrison knew this and changed his name to John Wayne. Names have power.

Comfort Zone

Everyone is looking for the coolest spot.

Still Unbroken

The heat wave has broken. That's what they say anyway. I'm not convinced. 90 degrees is still pretty warm. I think the heat wave has merely cracked and won't actually break for another week.

These are the times that test the tree hugger. I almost succumbed and bought an air conditioner but I couldn't quite bring myself to do it. Honestly, it wasn't for me but for the cats and the computer. The cats have been spending their time lying behind the toilet on the tiles and the computer can only be used for a short while before it has to be allowed to cool off. But it could be worse. I could be one of the workmen hanging off the front of my building in the blazing sun or a Con Ed worker stuck in a manhole where the heat reaches 115 degrees. I can't even imagine it.

I am now on my 3 day week at work. Quite nice except that I haven't wanted to go anywhere or do much more than lie about. I feel pretty flabby. The office job combined with my gimpy ankle have kept me off my feet for a couple months and I feel jelly like. I do have to go out today, back to the acupuncturist. My right hand is being difficult. I've tried to give it rest, time to heal but I'm not even a little ambidextrous. I think what I need is a nice little vacation where I do nothing but lie in a hammock sipping cool drinks, nibbling on tasty morsels, and reading. I can do all of that with my left hand. No problem.