rants and ramblings of utter randomness

I woke up early this morning, which is odd, because usually it's afternoon before I'm out of bed unless I have to be.

Today is i_am_a_hannah's birthday (yay!), and I've been thinking a lot about what it was like to be her age, with this whole...universe opening up in front of me. I was married at her age, and isn't that weird?

So anyway, she's up at school this weekend, and this morning it hit me that wow, she's the same age as a lot of the people who were killed at Virginia Tech. And ever since yesterday, every time I think of them, think about all those universes taken away and especially the ones left behind, I keep hearing the same song in my head like it's on repeat loop. So, I'm posting it here because it's a beautiful, triumphant song and maybe I'm supposed to share it and because I really think if the guy who wrote it were asked to give some words of encouragement, this might just be what he'd offer. And it's really for everyone, because like Neil says, there are no Other People. It's all us.

Stan Rogers - The Mary Ellen Carter

And you, to whom adversity has dealt the final blow
with smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go
Turn to, and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain
and like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again.

Clearly the bullet list is my drug of choice these days:

• Where is Stan Rogers when we need him?
  
  He wouldn't have been at all surprised, I'm sure. :(
  
  
• I really want to make a list for mission101, but I don't know if I can come up with 101 things I want to do in 1001 days. I want to make them meaningful, you know? I don't want to list something like "start list" and "finish list" and "go to the bathroom".
  
  
• My mother's blood pressure is in the 90/50 range. She also has chronic anemia. She's been dizzy and weak. She's on several BP meds and Lasix. When she told me what her BP was (and it's been somewhat below 90/50) I practically ordered her to not take the Lasix or the BP meds until she saw the doctor. The doctor cut her Lasix in half, and also halved her lisinopril. IMO she needs to not take ANY Lasix. No edema, no symptoms of CHF. She's post-op but doing well considering. Also, one of the side affects of Lasix is ANEMIA. *headdesk* The doc said she may have to go over to Westerly Hospital for blood if her labs come back anemic. Yeah, I'd go with that, but um. I think the fecking meds are causing an exacerbation of the anemia. Of course, I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. If I did, I'd have a newer car.
  
  Dear AMA,
  
  Giving meds isn't always the answer. People aren't robots, they don't always respond the same way.
  
  No love at all,
  
  Me, on behalf of my maternal unit.
  
  
• songdogmi (not to be confused with songdog, although both are Very Nice People) links to this:
  
  Killing wolves is still illegal in Michigan
  
  Why was it ever legal? Wolves are LESS AGGRESSIVE than dogs. Do we want to open up dog hunting? I don't live in Michigan, but it seems to me that unless an animal is directly attacking humans/livestock/pets, we should leave it well alone. And anyway, since wolves and dogs are almost identical genetically, how is a hunter going to tell he/she's not going after someone's Malamute? I don't remember any news article about pocket DNA tests being invented for use by hunters. wtf?
  
  Also? Cutest. Thing. Ever:
  
  
  
  (from this site, which says "wolves need friends, not owners.") See? Fraser was right. *g*
  
  
• Fannish projects are humming along, despite RL issues. Yes, even axial_tilt. I've also started writing what will likely be my longest fic ever (no, not the Barrett's Privateers one, although that's in the works and I'm gathering info, 'cause that one's hard). I really like the tiny scene I've written; it's one that's been in my head for weeks, and it turned out pretty good on (virtual) paper.
  
  
• Night shift tomorrow. I'll make the obligatory "entertain me" post, I'm sure. No youTube, though, because Butler Hospital is Big Brother about youTube. :/
  
  
• I'm going to have my Tarot cards read with tapped_trish, et. al. on Thursday. I haven't done that in ages. I can read my own, ostensibly, but I haven't in ages.
  
  
• My house is clean save for my room. I'll clean some tomorrow when I'm not writing (see list item re: axial_tilt). But my kitchen! My dining room! My living room and bathroom! Yay!
  
  
• Little Mosque holds its own opposite American Idol.
  
  I cannot tell you how pleased I am about this. LM is cute (not great, but cute and very watchable). AI is teh evil, and shouldn't be shown to kids under, liek, fifty. I loathe it from the depths of everything I have depths of. Bleh. Ick. Ptui. Yay, cute little sitcom!
  
  
• Here, have some Stan Rogers:
  
  Free in the Harbour
  
  
• ETA: How could I forget to add this? Happy birthday to mickeyvt, and kupukello! Many happy returns, dears.