Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Pickles

Heidi, do you like my new picture?

2008-09-29T22:59:00.003-04:00

I made it just for you!

As previously mentioned, I'm not named in your counterclaim. Probably because you don't know my name. But, I will stand in solidarity with those you have named, all of whom are involved in the lawsuit against you. If you thought you could scare people off by filing suit, you should probably think again.

Elle, Roe #1

There's a kind of hush ...

2008-09-28T19:14:00.007-04:00

I mentioned in my last post that truth is an absolute defense to libel. What does that mean in the context of Heidi's counterclaim against those involved in the Kimkins Lawsuit and Roes 1-100, which presumably means people like me who blog about it?

You can read a pretty good definition of defamation here, but what it boils down to is this -- in this country, the onus is on Heidi to prove that:

1.) What we've said about her is false, or even if not technically false, is misleading.

Well, good luck with that one, Heidi. Are you going to present proof that you DID lose 200+ lbs on your own diet, that you ARE a "diet expert" by virtue of training and experience, that your diet HAS been proven safe, that NO ONE was harmed by your diet, that those Russian Brides WERE real success stories, and that you DIDN'T lie about any of all that?

2.) That information revealed about her was not of public concern, and that a "reasonable person" would be offended by its release.

Given that her business was founded on a lie -- that she lost approximately 200 lbs in 11 months -- and that she herself has not experienced the "turbo weight loss" she claims her diet can achieve, I don't think any "reasonable person" would be offended by the release of such information. Nor, given the fact that she's running a business, information about any alleged past scams or misdeeds relating to business or financial practices. In other words -- posting pictures of her showing she's not lost weight or pointing out message board postings she's made about how she defaulted on a student loan? Not offensive. Something a reasonable person would want to know before they handed over money for an alleged "service."

3.) That even if all the above were true, which it isn't, she somehow lost money as a result or those she filed a counter-claim against directly profited from it.

The fact that Woman's World Magazine printed a retraction/apology and Consumer Affairs published a story about this, to say nothing of the television coverage of this scam by Good Morning America and The Mike and Juliet Show, among others is going to make it very, very difficult for Heidi to claim OR prove that she lost money as the result of the anti-Kimkins bloggers activities. It's newsworthy, after all, and if Heidi thinks that GMA, for example, are so desperate for stories that they'll take anyone's word at face value (like Women's World apparently did), she's sorely mistaken. I get 100-150 readers on an average day, and I imagine most anti-Kimkins bloggers get about the same -- some more, some less. How many viewers does GMA have? The Mike and Juliet show? How many people read the Consumer Affairs website?

Pathetic.

As for any profits generated from anti-Kimkins blogging -- well, I guess we're doing it wrong because no one that I know of is profiting from it. By that definition, no newspaper or television show would dare report anything, since they really do make money from it. I'll cop to "self gratification" because it is gratifying to know that you're helping to stop what you consider to be a scam. But, given that this is coupled with telling the truth, it's not actionable.

But, by all means, keep trying. Every dime you spend on this case is a dime you don't get to spend on yourself. And I have no problem with that.

Elle

Absolute Defense

2008-09-27T16:57:00.003-04:00

I've been away for a bit. Busy getting settled in, new job, plus I've had a few health issues, all of which have kept me away from you, Internets.

But, I got something in my email this morning which I can't ignore. Heidi Diaz has decided to file a countersuit in the Kimkins drama, not only against the principles in the lawsuit against her, but Roes 1-100, inclusive, which presumably means various other individuals who have been dedicated to exposing the truth of Kimkins. Such as we anti-kimkins bloggers.

I've not been named, to the best of my knowledge, but if I were to be, I'm not too terribly worried. Why is that, Heidi?

Because truth is an absolute defense to libel.

Because you will have to prove that anyone you try and haul into court has lied. And nobody has.

Because in the course of said countersuit, all manner of fun things about you could potentially come out in the open through the process of discovery, things that will then become part of the public record. Do you really want that, Heidi?

Apparently, you do. Knock yourself out :)

Elle

This and That ...

2008-07-21T23:48:00.007-04:00

Remember how I was saying that Dancing in Socks Guy and I were both concerned about cooking "real" meals for each other? We'd both been in situations where someone or another announced that they were a REALLY good cook and proceeded to serve up a steaming hot dish of puke. Up until last night it looked like we were good as far as that went and then ... well, poor Dancing in Socks Guy had the first "bad" cooking experience.

I've been doing most of the cooking since I got here, last night was his turn. We'd gone out and bought a wok, which he spent all afternoon seasoning with the same care and attention most people would lavish on their first baby. We also went to Talin Market and bought all kinds of good stuff, such as Sesame Balls and Senbei and, oh yeah, stuff for stir fry. I made the oyster sauce and he did all the vegetable prep and stir frying. We ate it, quite late, around 10 PM, and it was yummy.

It sure tasted better going down, as it turned out for me. I woke up around 2 AM and spent an hour getting rid of it by the two means naturally possible. The throwing up part was hard, much harder than you'd think it would be for someone who spent nearly two decades throwing up at least once a day. But, just as former smokers and religious converts are most vociferous about their new lives, so it is with former bulimics. All I could think about was how gross it was going to be, but as it always does, I felt so much better once it was over. Given the short duration, it was probably bacterial in origin, most likely Staphylococcal. My poor sweetie felt so bad! He didn't come down with it quite so badly as I did, just a mildly upset tummy. But, we're both fine now.

I know you guys really wanted to read all about that.

Aside from giving ourselves food poisoning and buying the wok, we also got some more stuff for the house. There is a little stationary store in the Nob Hill section of Albuquerque called Papers. They don't seem to have their own website, but it's wonderful. Aside from gorgeous stationary, they also have unique wrapping paper, cards, and assorted little tchochkies. We have a fish theme in the bathroom, so we got some aquatic-themed wrapping paper which we'll varnish and put up. I'll post a picture when it's done. I also got something I fell in love with the first time I went to this store, and always imagined getting one day should I be lucky enough to live in Albuquerque with my love. I was that lucky, so I went and got these. They are switch plates which have covers from 1950's era pulp novels lacquered on. How cool are these?

This one is in the living room:

This one is in the hallway:

And this one is in the bedroom:

I love them :) They add a certain yo no se to the place, I think. I need to pick up one more for Dancing in Socks Guy's office. He initially thought the idea of getting special switch plates was pointless, but he loves these. The kitchen has "willow ware" switch plates already that I got at Big Box Store, and the bathroom switch has this bizarre three-switch configuration which means I'll probably have to lacquer the existing plate. Maybe with some of the aquatic-themed paper.

Elle

Best damn chicken, ever!

2008-07-15T23:19:00.006-04:00

I've mentioned a time or two that this is the first time Dancing in Socks Guy and I have ever lived with a romantic partner. We've both had roommates in the past, but the obvious aside, there's a world of difference between living with the love of your life and with someone you found on Craigslist.

One minor area of concern for me was cooking. For a variety of reasons, mainly our love of eating out, up until now neither of us has ever truly cooked an entire meal for the other. Breakfast, quick stuff, yes. A main dish and sides? No.

I adore cooking, and I was a little worried that he'd basically hate the way I cook. Food preferences are so highly individual, and while neither of us is particularly fussy, I'm pretty adventurous and I was afraid he might not appreciate some of my more ambitious flights of culinary fancy.

So far, so good. He liked my spaghetti sauce, though it's more subtly flavored and a lot more labor intensive than the way he makes it. As an added bonus, I introduced him to the joys of Dreamfields Pasta, which he now loves. He was a little leery of my steak marinade, based on the Eades recipe of an overnight bath in a marinade of olive oil and red wine, but raved about it for days.

Tonight was the biggest test -- whether or not he would like my brined chicken. Brining, for those who don't know, is a technique in which you place poultry in a brine solution for a period of time (how long depends on what you're making). Via osmosis, the brine solution permeates the meat, flavoring it and making it incredibly juicy. The basic brine is about 1 1/2 cups of kosher salt per gallon of water (one gallon is plenty for a small chicken) and you can add whatever you like to the brine to flavor it -- with the caveat that your flavoring needs to be water-soluble to work.

Dancing in Socks Guy loves me, but he did look at me cross-eyed when I soaked a perfectly good chicken in a salt water bath, then proceeded to cut up some oranges and lemons, combined it with grapes, scallions, a garlic clove or two, seasoned it with cracked black pepper and shoved it all up the chicken's cavity. This is based on a method of cooking chicken my grandfather used to do, which he called Pollo al' culo, which, very loosely translated, means "Chicken up the butt." Because you're stuffing fruit into the chicken's ... well, you get it. Giada De Laurentiis has a recipe called Garlic and Citrus Chicken, which is very much like how Grampie used to make it except it has a much more polite name. But the secret to my chicken is the brining.

Anyway, he though I'd lost my mind until he took his first bite and damned if he didn't pick that thing clean, all while mumbling about possible recipe variations. He LOVED it. I think you will too. Here's the recipe, in case you want to try it

Pollo al' culo

Brining Process

1 chicken, guts removed and reserved for broth or cats later
1 1/2 cups kosher salt
15 cups cold water
1 cup vegetable broth
Juice of one lemon

Combine water, broth, lemon juice and salt in large pan or bowl. Submerge chicken in brine, cover and place in refrigerator. Allow to brine for at least one hour. I usually do two to four hours. Do not brine the chicken at room temperature, there is not enough salt in there to prevent bacterial growth.

After chicken has brined, removed and rinse with cold water. Pat dry, place in pan.

Stuffing

1 Orange
1 Lemon
5-10 green grapes (optional)
3 Scallions
2 cloves fresh garlic
1/4 cup chicken broth
Black pepper, parsley

Cut oranges and lemons into small wedges. Crush garlic cloves lightly, chop scallions. Combine, sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper. Combine, stuff as much as you can into the chicken cavity. Place whatever is left in pan around chicken. Add chicken broth to pan, sprinkle chicken with parsley and more black pepper, if you like. Cover pan with tin foil and place in a 350 F preheated oven. Approximately half way though cooking time, remove foil and allow chicken to brown. You may want to remove some of the pan liquid at this point (it's quite salty, though the chicken itself will not be) to prevent the bottom of the chicken from macerating. Test chicken for doneness -- when clear liquid runs out of a hole poked between the wing and breast and in the thigh, or when a meat thermometer inserted in the thigh reads 170 F -- takes about 20 minutes per lb of chicken plus 20 minutes, so 100 minutes for a four lb bird -- let rest for 10-15 minutes, and serve.

Happy eating!

Elle

Laundry and other indoor sports

2008-07-14T23:01:00.010-04:00

Dancing in Socks Guy said last night that living with me has been good for him in many ways, aside from having an enthusiastic foodie who likes sports, indoors and otherwise. Meaning, when you live with someone, you have to live up to certain responsibilities, like cleaning the house and taking out the garbage. Things that are easy to let slide when it's just you and the cats.

For me, the thing that living with Dancing in Socks Guy has really improved is how I do the laundry. By "improved" I mean getting it done before I'm down to the point where my clothing choices are limited to a sports bra, that last, really uncomfortable pair of underpants, leopard print palazzo pants four sizes too big that I kept to remind me of why I low carb, and my Maxwell Equations t-shir t.

Now, in fairness to me, I did not have access to laundry facilities in my last place. To do laundry meant hauling the basket down two flights of stairs, down a steep driveway, into my car and then into the laundromat. Which was expensive. So, I did laundry only when I absolutely had to.

Here, it's right outside my door, and while it's coin-op, it's incredibly cheap so I don't have to shove forty pounds of clothes into a ten pound washer any longer. And now, I actually do it once a week like a normal person would. Oh, I haven't reformed completely, I don't bother separating darks and whites and I use way too much detergent, but, you know ... baby steps.

This is just one of the many differences between me and Dancing in Socks Guy. Now, I like a neat house. A place for everything and everything in its place. He basically never unpacked from his last move, happily living amongst what I affectionately call his cardboard box collection, moving from room to room via tiny little aisles between boxes.

As noted above, I have a very casual, laissez-faire attitude towards laundry. He, despite his complete disregard for clutter and clean dishes, takes laundry very seriously. Not only does he separate darks and lights, he has a process for washing the latter which he refers to as his "sure-fire method for getting whites really white" and which I just call "Byzantine."

It involves a pre-soak step with bleach and hot water in the mop bucket (yeah, really), followed by a double wash cycle in the machine, soap and bleach for the first go-round and just hot water! Don't use soap in the second cycle, sweetie, just hot water! for the second. I mean, hell -- I'd do all that for a friend. And I do understand why you are supposed to wash lights and darks separately, even if I don't actually do it myself. But all this? For underpants and towels?

This is why we do our laundry separately, and why he does the towels and the sheets. Because I won't do them right. But that's okay, it's why I'm in charge of the grocery shopping, because he'll come home with nothing but cereal, Red Bull and beer. But that's okay. We all have our strengths and weaknesses.

Elle

We now resume our original posting schedule ...

2008-07-14T00:15:00.007-04:00

ETA: I just looked at my counter stats -- what in the hell precipitated nearly 1000 hits last Wednesday (July 9th)? Was I mentioned somewhere?

At last, a few quiet moments.

It's week #2 here in beautiful Albuquerque, and I feel like I should write a whole bunch of posts about the trip out and all the myriad adventures we've had. Actually, I feel like I should have been writing said posts all along, but you know how it is. Now that we have our own internet -- instead of having to go to Flying Star to use theirs -- I can start posting on a more regular basis.

But for tonight, a collection of random stuff:

- My cats did very well on the drive. Minx was a bit mouthy at times, but for the most part, just meowed for a bit before settling down and sleeping the whole way, like the other cats

- United Airlines sucks. They canceled Dancing in Socks Guy's connecting flight out of Chicago -- which had already been seriously delayed -- at the last possible minute. The plan was that he would fly to Manchester, NH where I would pick him up. I'd then drive most of the night while he slept, then he would take over and we'd switch off until we got to our stop in Fenton, Missouri. As it happens, our best option turned out to be for me to drive seventeen frigging hours to Chicago, pick him up, and then let him drive to Fenton.

- Speaking of Fenton, if you ever need to stop there for any length of time, and if you have pets, stay here. They let us keep all four cats in the room! Yeah, there was a cleaning fee, but it beats trying to sneak them in. It was well kept, clean, and judging by the number of "pet in room" signs on the doors, very pet friendly.

- The new job is going well so far, though not much is going on since it's such a new company. That will change this week. Everyone has been very nice and friendly, and I'm really looking forward to the work.

- Living with Dancing in Socks Guy has been fine. I always assumed that issues would crop up, since we've both lived alone for so long, and this is the first time either of us has lived with a romantic partner. But, I also had faith we'd be able to adjust. So far we have. No huge issues have cropped up, just the minor shit you'd expect. Like all my copper kitchen decorations. Despite what he says it does not look like TGI Friday's in here. As I tell him, he's living with a woman now. It's shelf paper and guest towels from here on out, baby!

- The corollary to that is that I live with a man now, and it's all DIY with no respect to aesthetics now, baby! Oh, I worried a bit at first when we went to Lowe's and he'd eye the big foam panels and start yapping about making inserts for the big living room windows for the winter. But, I've learned to just tune him out when he says stuff like, "You know, I'd just need to get a reciprocating saw and ..."

- That said, we probably will do the panels. Fuck aesthetics, they're single pane glass and this is an older complex and while we have natural gas, heating costs will be through the roof. But otherwise, our new place is nice and roomy, a necessity when you have six cats.

- Speaking of cats, his two and my four are getting along a whole lot better than we dared hope. Thundercat and Morsel were smart enough to be submissive to Slinky and Ed, since we were in "their" space. My girls were not so smart. But, aside from a bit of hissing and all the first day or so, things have settled down, especially since we moved into the new place which was a no-man's land, in terms of feline territory. The four boys are all to the point where they will sleep on the same bed/sofa, and all six eat in the same space.

- If you have six cats you'd better be damn sure to clean the litter boxes and vacuum every single day.

Elle

Move #2

2008-07-01T10:08:00.005-04:00

We made it!

We arrived in Albuquerque very early Sunday morning after a trip that, while it didn't go all that smoothly, worked out in the end. I'll tell you all about that later. The kitties were not especially enamored of their two-day adventure, but all things considered, did very well with it, pretty much sleeping the whole time with one notable exception. That means you, Minx. The same goes for their introduction to their new brothers, Slinky and Ed. While there was the usual hissing and yowling at first, things have settled down a lot. Thank God for Thundercat. I knew he'd be the Ambassador and smooth everything out with his own brand of feline diplomacy.

We spent Sunday and Monday putzing around, picking up some stuff for the new place which we move into today. Dancing in Socks Guy has a smallish one-bedroom and with the clowder of cats we now have, plus all our stuff, we needed something a mite bigger. Okay, I wanted something a mite bigger. So, we're moving into a two-bedroom in the same complex, which happens today. This was, Dancing in Socks Guy gets his own study where he can keep his collection of cardboard boxes.

Today is also my first day at work. It's basically paperwork etc. but I am so nervous. Whenever I start a new job I always have the feeling that I will soon be revealed for a fraud who knows nothing. Which is silly, because, well, I'm not a fraud and I do know a lot. Ah well.

More later, kids. Hope all is going well with you!

Elle

Au Revoir, Mes Amis!

2008-06-26T11:29:00.002-04:00

But not for long :)

Tonight, around midnight, I pick up Dancing in Socks Guy at the airport, and we head straight for Albuquerque, my four cats in tow.

Everything has been packed and shipped and cleaned and fixed that needed packing, shipping, cleaning and fixing. Now I just have to relax and trust that we'll all get there safely, one way or the other.

Please think good thoughts for us, and wish us luck!

Elle

Stressing

2008-06-24T08:56:00.002-04:00

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

More on why later.

Elle

2008 World Champions!

2008-06-18T00:36:00.002-04:00

SUCK IT, LA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:)

Elle

Query

2008-06-17T15:45:00.003-04:00

Is there anything that people will not take if you put it outside your house under a sign that says, "free stuff"?

The answer is no.

People will stop and pick up damn near anything.

Last week I put out a bunch of stuff, including a well-used cat tree, and by the next morning it was gone. Today I put out another huge bunch of stuff, including mismatched dishes -- nothing fancy, mind you, just plain old dishes -- Christmas ornaments that are hardly heirloom-quality, beat up pots and pans and two bags full of utensils -- again, nothing special, just Target-quality, well-used cutlery -- and it was gone in about an hour.

I can't wait for the yard sale on Saturday. I'm saving the good crap for that!

Elle

Moving along ...

2008-06-15T11:56:00.004-04:00

Updates, as you may have guessed, will probably be a bit sparse over the next few weeks. I move in thirteen days!

Things are going well thus far. Most of the important stuff -- cats, bank stuff, address forwarding and all those little details -- have been addressed. I wish I were further along in packing, but a great deal of my "packing" actually just involves throwing things out, so it's not as bad as it looks.

The kitties have been microchipped and vaccinated for rabies. Aside from the usual debate about why I don't want them vaccinated for anything else, that went fine. Lilly went in on Thursday, Morsel went in on Friday, and Minx and Thundercat went in together on Saturday. Saturday was especially fun, as I had my nine year old niece, C, with me for the day. She was very helpful, opening doors for me as I lugged 22 lbs of combined cat weight in and out.

After the vet, we got her some Chicken Nuggets (she's the sweetest kid in the world until her blood sugar gets low) and some water, then we went to see Kung Fu Panda. Which we both loved. I so love going to the movies with C, she snuggles up right next to you and doesn't hog the popcorn. Then we got her nails done -- she wanted me to get mine done too, but I explained that Auntie will wreck that manicure in about ten minutes what with packing and all, so we just did hers -- and then went to the bookstore, got some stuff, and then to Claire's where she got some earrings. A perfect Auntie-Niece Day. I'm really going to miss that kid. But, we're making plans to have her come out and visit. She is old enough, in theory, to fly alone. In reality, she's probably not quite there mentally, so she'll have to come out with my mom or brother or whoever.

What else ... the car is almost set for her long trip. It occurs to me though, that in six years of ownership I've never once used the cruise control on it. What can I say? I learned to drive before we had that particular bell/whistle, and then for the longest time I owned cars which predated it, and I'm just used to not using it. I have no idea if it even still works. I guess I should try it.

Today involves more packing, which I should get to, like, now I suppose. This coming week involves the final plotting of the route and booking of hotels. And shipping!

More later!

Elle

This may be why I'm so tired tonight.

2008-06-07T23:28:00.006-04:00

It's hard to believe I received the formal offer letter just five days ago. It seems like a much longer time than that has passed, and it also seems hard to believe that there are still three weeks to go. Until I got the formal offer I refused to write anything down, plan-wise, lest I jinx it. But I was keeping a mental list of things which needed to be done, a list that turns out to have been quite detailed and long because when I actually wrote it down, it took up two pages.

I've jumped right into it, paranoid about leaving things till the last minute. Here's what I've done in the last five days:

1.) Made appointments for the cats to get current on their rabies shots and get micro-chipped.

2.) Bought the cats safety collars (break-away) for the trip so they can wear their rabies tags and new ID tags, which I also got. Because micro-chipping alone isn't enough to assuage Mama Cat's paranoia about one of them getting lost along the way.

3.) Bought the cats carriers for the trip. Minx, Morsel and Thundercat all get along well, and will ride together in the gigantic Sof-Krate I bought for them. It's actually a soft-sided dog crate for larger breed dogs, but will nicely accomodate three cats with room to move about and lie down. Miss Lilly, since she is a calico and therefore does not play well with others gets her own crate, also large enough to move around a little. Each cage will hold small food and water dishes. I also found the coolest corner litter pans, meant for ferret cages, which will fit in each. Not, of course, that they will be used but it seemed only polite to provide them. Actually, they may use them -- when Baby Boy was first diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy he spent some time in an oxygen cage, kindly donated by a friend. It's basically a large dog cage, sealed in with plastic sheeting with a hole for a hose that runs to an oxygen concentrator. I used to put a small pan of litter in there for him, and he'd just put his hindquarters in and use it.

4.) Made arrangements to return said oxygen cage to said friend. She, like myself, is now caring for a second heart kitty, but like my Lilly, her cat is still asymptomatic as well. So it's been in my storage space for two years. Back it goes!

5.) Researched the route to Albuquerque, and found pet friendly hotels for the cats ... okay, there seems to be a cat-related trend going on here. Anyway, while a lot of hotels are pet friendly, we're somewhat restricted because "pet-friendly" usually means "friendly to one or two cats" and I have four. So it's places like Econolodge and Motel 6 and other places which have exterior corridors which make it easier to sneak in additional cats.

6.) Got my car lubed, oiled, filtered, had the belts checked, tired balanced and rotated (they're new-ish), the alignment checked, and the A/C recharged. If you live in eastern Massachusetts, go to Hogan Tire for your automotive needs, specifically the North Beverly location. They rock. It needs one more thing, a new catalytic converter -- though I could in theory let this go -- which gets done next Friday.

7.) Called my bank and worked out when to get new accounts and all that -- they have a branch in Albuquerque, so no problems there.

8.) Packed up my kitchen, sorted for "keep" and "yard sale."

9.) Packed up my living room knickknack thingies.

10.) Cleaned out one of my storage spaces, sorted things for "keep" and "yard sale."

11.) Sorted out my 400+ books, got rid of most that I will not be keeping via donation.

12.) With my mother's help (thanks Mom!) took my bed apart and brought it outside for whoever might want it. It's an old wooden platform bed, which would fetch nothing at a yard sale, and this basically emptied out the bedroom, which we cleaned. This way, I can store all the yard sale stuff in there which gives me a lot more room. I put the mattress on my futon, so I'll be sleeping in the living room from now on. I also disassembled and threw out the old cat tree. Which someone picked up right away. Even though it was raining that day and even though it's four years old and the sisal has mostly been ripped away. But I did vacuum off the worst of the cat hair before I chucked it.

13.) Got the yard sale permit. They're free, but in a small town with minimal serious crime, the police actually do check to make sure you have the permit and will shut you down if you don't have it.

14.) Brought home some boxes from work and two bags of foam packing peanuts which, fortuitously, were in said boxes.

15.) Started training the three students in the lab to do all those assays and cells stuff I do now.

16.) Brought some stuff to Mom's for temporary (really, I promise) storage. Actually, much of it was hers to start with. She'll send it along after we move into our new apartment.

17.) Got a new apartment. Actually, Dancing in Socks Guy did this. His current apartment is a smallish one bedroom, which we might have gotten away with if it had just been us. But, there are of course the six cats to consider, so we wanted a two bedroom. Luckily, thanks to the end-of-semester student exodus, there is a ton of stuff available at the moment, but we really wanted to stay in the area he's in now. It's literally right across the street from the university and less than two miles from where I'll be working. This could have waited till I got there, but school starts up again in August, which means things start getting rented in July. Luckily, a two-bedroom in the complex where he is now opened up which made it so easy -- he's already a tenant there, so there was no fuss, just a small transfer fee. Sweet! Of course, this means we spend three days driving across the country, have one day to recover and then have to move to a new place. But it's literally fifty feet from where he lives now, and his friends will help. They'll have to because I'll be at work that day. Not a full day, just HR stuff. Oh, darn.

18.) I also got my signed offer letter and non-disclosure agreements signed and mailed to the new job.

19.) I also resigned my per diem home-health aide job. I was actually working Sunday nights for them, on a pretty regular basis, which I guess makes it more of a part-time job. My last day for them is the fifteenth. I will miss them, they're a great agency.

20.) Got a copy of my birth certificate -- actually, Mom did (thanks again, Mom!). Although she did ask, "Will they let me get a copy of your certificate?" To which I answered, "Did you give birth to me?" I lose my birth certificates all the time, mainly because replacing it has never been a big deal since I live ten miles from where I was born. This is about to change.

21.) Found my social security card and the title to my car! I filed away the loan maturity stuff the finance company mailed me when I paid off my car, and couldn't remember if the title was in there, an issue because I'll need it when I change my registration, and getting a copy of a car title in Massachusetts is a uniquely challenging experience. But there it was.

All that. In five days. And there's still so much more to do!

Elle

Westward Expansion

2008-06-05T09:25:00.005-04:00

Moving. Such fun! Planning, arranging, cleaning and packing.

Last night I cleaned out one of my two storage spaces. I live in an attic apartment of a historic home, and there are two crawl spaces where, despite a massive clean-out two years ago, a mysterious re-population of junk has somehow occurred.

Not all of it is junk, of course, a lot of it is stuff I inherited when my grandparents died. There are some valuable pieces, some sentimental pieces, and an inordinate amount of family detritus. My great-grandparents' Italian passports. A bill from Boston Eye and Ear Infirmary, for surgery one of my uncles had on his eyes when he was a kid in the 1940's. The cost in 1942 for surgery, anesthesia, and a week's board? $28.50.

There are also a lot of loose pictures. My dad has most of the photo albums, but I have many as well. There's one of my Nana and Grampie, before they were married, at Crane's Beach in Ipswich, just down the road. You'd never know, looking at their smiling faces, that my grandmother would end up referring to my grandfather after his death as her "ex-husband."

Then there was a studio picture of my Uncle Bennie, Nana's oldest brother. I never knew Uncle Bennie in life, he died in the mid-fifties, well before I was born. But I heard so many stories about him from Nana that I always felt like I knew him. Uncle Bennie was a pharmacist, his education paid for by my great-grandfather's employer. My great-grandfather worked as a gardener on a large estate, also just down the road, and this was the era when employers really took care of their household staff. Without Mr. Searle, Uncle Bennie never would have gone to high school, let alone pharmacy school. This was a gift that kept on giving, Uncle Bennie, by virtue of education, was able to pay for his younger brothers educations, and even violin lessons for my Nana. I still have her little violin that Uncle Bennie bought her.

Growing up, I knew that Uncle Bennie and indeed almost all of Nana's brothers -- Ralph, Jerry, and Tommy -- had gone out west to live. The only one who didn't was Uncle Louis, who died at age 30. But it wasn't until towards the end of Nana's life, when I was gathering family stories from her, that I thought to ask why this was. I remember this conversation well. I used to go by Nana's house every night to check on her -- she was still living independently then -- and make her dinner. We were sitting at the kitchen table, eating zuppa di lentici (lentil soup), talking about the family when I asked her, "Why did all the uncles move West? What made them do that?"

"Well," she said, stirring her soup. "My father always intended to go west. It's why he came here in the first place."

"Really?" I said. This was the first I'd heard of it."

"Yes," she said. "He'd heard stories about it, about the American West and he wanted to go out there, hoping he could work on the railroad, or so he said. I think he really wanted to be a cowboy. And he was fascinated by stories about Indians. When he first came here, he worked on the rails in Glen Falls, New York, then he came to Boston and started working on Mr. Searle's estate to save money. Then he brought mother, Aunt Florence, Uncle Bennie and Uncle Ralph over. Then, I guess, he just couldn't go any further. There wasn't enough money and too many children, and mother was unhappy enough where she was. But he always told us stories about it, and as soon as he could, Uncle Bennie went out to Yuma. Then he brought out Uncle Tommy. Then Ralph went, and after Jerry retired from the Navy, he settled out there too."

As far as family revelations go, this was pretty tame, but I was surprised nonetheless. I'm the family historian, yet I had no idea what was behind this westward expansion in my own family. If I'd thought about it at all, I probably assumed they just wanted better weather. Who knew it was because my great-grandfather wanted to trade his life as a semi-impoverished, though literate, Italian fisherman for a cowboy's life? Who knew his sons, in part, would make his dreams their own? Who could have guessed that his great-granddaughter would do the same?

High up on the wall across from me is a picture of my great-grandfather and great-grandmother, a beautiful studio portrait, one of their more prized possessions. Not all of my family treasures will be displayed in my new home, but that picture is one of the first things that will go up on the wall.

Elle

Well ...

2008-06-03T20:38:00.001-04:00

I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)

Moving Day is (I think) June 27!

Elle

Grrr!

2008-06-02T17:13:00.001-04:00

Still waiting for word re: the new job. Still on pins and needles!

Elle

Update

2008-05-31T13:52:00.002-04:00

Here is where we are with the new job thing:

1.) All my references have been contacted. All have informed me that they were told the company intended to make me an offer. The two from my current job told me that the CEO basically apologized for stealing me away.

2.) The CEO emailed me to say that all my references had nice things to say about me, and they will be in contact with me in the next few days

3.) I'm on pins and needles

It does look good, even I will admit that, but until I receive the formal offer I refuse to get formally excited or to start making formal plans. Oh, I've given some thought as to things that will need to be done -- cross training for the research assistants I have right now, writing up reports on my current projects and what will need to be done with them, how I'll dispose of some of my stuff and move the rest, housing issues when I get there -- Dancing in Socks Guy has a smallish 1-bedroom which will not be enough for us and all the kitties -- and things like that. But I'm too superstitious to write any of this down.

Except -- today I'm going to start sorting through my stuff, particularly the 500+ paperback books I have. My excuse is that I was going to have a yard sale sometime this summer anyway, which is certainly true, therefore this doesn't count as moving preparations and does not constitute a jinx of any kind.

I'm a bit of a mess ;)

Elle

Phoenix has landed!

2008-05-26T10:29:00.008-04:00

Geeks everywhere rejoice!

And I count myself among their number. This is a really big deal, especially given that about half of the Mars missions to date have failed for one reason or another. To the more sensitive taxpayers among us, that is a terrible failure rate, but in reality, it's amazing. Think of it -- sending an object smaller than your car across interplanetary space, getting it to land just where you want it with no way to physically fix anything which may have broken during flight and due to the fifteen-minute lag in radio signal, no way to course-correct once it's entered the atmosphere.

Phoenix will not tell us whether or not there is life -- the microbial version -- currently extant on Mars, but it will tell us if there might once have been. You hear a lot about the big scientific discoveries, but what most people don't realize is these almost arise de novo. They are nearly always preceded by a lot of minor discoveries, work without which the big stuff could not have been found. Calibration is everything in science, and Phoenix should give us a lot to work with.

Is there life on Mars right now? Obviously, I don't know but I will say it wouldn't surprise me. It's bacterial in nature, if it does exist, and bacteria are persistent little critters. They're everywhere, including arctic regions of our planet which are very much like the arctic regions of Mars.

And if there is life there, what then? I agree with the late Carl Sagan. If there is life on Mars, even of the simplest kind, then it's hands-off. Mars belongs to the Martians.

Elle

Mad World

2008-05-24T13:34:00.001-04:00

I haven't posted in a while, but it's been a busy couple of weeks. Besides the upcoming site visit at work, I've been on the road the last two weekends in a row.

The first was a trip to another New England state to watch my niece compete in the regional gymnastics meet. This was quite the family road trip, in fact, quite the blended family road trip. C is my brother's daughter. He and her mother were in a long-term relationship but never married, and after C was born, finally broke up for good. C now splits her time between them, and also spends a lot of time with my mom, who watches her several days a week after school. C's mother K is now involved with a great guy, B. B is older, and has two college-age children (both of whom are really great kids) and can always be found at these gymnastics meets with K, cheering C on.

So, two weekends ago found me, my brother J, C, K and B all driving up to Maine together for the meet. My mom and aunt D came up separately in another car. We spent the night there, mom and D in one room, K and B in their room, while J, C and I bunked in a third. I don't think J and B will ever go fishing together, but it was nice and comfortable, all of us hanging out in one room eating junk food and drinking beer while watching the Celtics as C ran up and down the hallways screaming along with the 100 other little gymnasts who were also staying there. The meet went very well, and C placed high on most of her events (we won't talk about the beam) and high overall. Not bad!

Last weekend found me in Albuquerque, visiting my Dancing in Socks Guy and ... having a second interview with the company I hope to get hired by. I don't want to jinx it, but it went very well. Phrases like "we're very interested" and "what are your salary requirements" and "what would the time line for your moving be?" were bandied about. This job is a very good fit for me, my qualifications are about 99% congruent with the job description and the technology seems feasible to me. We are at the reference-checking stage, and I don't anticipate any problems with that. Generally when I get to this stage I get the job, but there was one time I did not -- one of the higher-ups decided I wouldn't like the salary they were offering, even though I said it was fine, and it was, and that was that.

So, it looks good, but you never know. We'll see.

Most interesting in all of this is Grant Leader's reaction. While it's tempting to just flounce out of this job with an obscenity-laden goodbye, in reality, I can't do that. Too many other people, people who have been very good to me, would be affected and as brutal as the last few months were under GL, the fact remains that GL was also very good to me at one point in time. So, I sat down with GL and explained the situation, and it went very well.

There are two things at play here -- one, GL has been quite friendly and reasonable for the last two months. Whether that's because meds have been adjusted or the planets are aligned just so, I don't know, but things have been great. The second, and probably most helpful thing, is that this job is in Albuquerque, where my fiance lives, and even GL doesn't want to stand in the way of True Love. This is a perfect out for both of us -- GL can accept my leaving for this reason, whereas if I just went down the road apiece and got a similar job it would be seen as a betrayal.

With all this in mind, I asked GL to be a reference. That might, at first glance, seem like professional suicide, but I have another from the University as well, and while GL is emotionally labile, GL is basically honest. As it happens, there was nothing to worry about. I was BCC'd on the written one GL sent off, and it was positively glowing.

I am getting nervous about this ... the possibility of moving. I've moved myself cross-country before, but this time I find myself obsessing about things. The cats ... how will they deal with it? What if one escapes on the trip? I'm getting them micro-chipped (which sets off a whole other line of obsessive worrying about feline cancer) and they will be wearing collars with tags (which sets off yet another line of obsessive fears that they will strangle themselves, as they don't normally wear collars) and either mom or Dancing in Socks Guy will drive out with me so I'll have help, but nonetheless, I worry.

Idiotically enough, I don't worry about what should be the real fear, how my little feline heart patient, Lilly, will do. She's asymptomatic, but with feline heart conditions this means nothing, as that can change very fast. I suppose I don't worry as she's already traveled -- her foster mother flew with her (in the cabin, not as freight) from Cleveland to Boston and Lilly weathered that trip just fine. I'll have a supply of emergency meds with me, and God knows I know what to do if she goes into congestive heart failure, and for preparedness' sake I'll have all their medical records with me and a list of vets along the route ... well, maybe I am more worried than I thought I was.

So, that's where I am now. Updates as the situation warrants.

Elle

Social Sparking!

2008-05-24T13:16:00.002-04:00

I was one of the lucky individuals chosen to participate in alpha testing for SocialSpark.com, and now that SocialSpark.com is in beta testing, it's obvious to me that it's really picking up steam!

SocialSpark.com is a unique way for bloggers and advertisers to get to know each other, sort of a social-networking community. Unlike other paid-blogging sites, SocialSpark.com bloggers and advertisers have the chance to interact directly with each other. I'm a blogger, of course, and I'm impressed with the number and kinds of advertisers SocialSpark.com has attracted.

That said, here's a few ideas as to the kinds of advertisers I'd like to see join SocialSpark.com as well. In no particular order:

1.) Local advertisers. Many bloggers have a "national" audience, but we also draw a sizable readership from our local community. Small businesses could really benefit from this kind of advertising -- it's very cost effective, and as SocialSpark.com requires honesty in its posts, readers can rest assured that if I rave about my local pizza place, I mean it. That means you, Pomodori Roast Beef & Pizzeria!

2.) Pet care stuff. I spend an inordinate amount of time talking about my cats on this blog. One of said felines would eat nothing but Whiskas Temptations Treats if I let her. I would love, love, love to blog about that. Alternately, given my newfound dedication to frugality, I'd love to blog about special deals at places like PetSmart and Petco.

3.) Public service stuff. Many states spend a significant amount of money advertising various programs and public education stuff. Bloggers would be a great way to extend these messages to an even wider audience. I just did a post about water safety, sponsored by the state of Arizona. I think that's a great idea, and I'd love to do more of it.

Those are just a few ideas. Readers? What kind of brands or subjects would you like to see me blog about?

Elle

Cleochatra, I love you!

2008-05-24T13:05:00.002-04:00

And not just for the tasty recipes!

As I keep mentioning, I've been away for a bit, and I am just now catching up on things. In the process, I see that Cleochatra has mentioned this blog on her Low-Carb Examiner site.

That explains all the hits!

I am so honored. It's no surprise to me that Cleochatra has the following she does. She's a fabulous writer, so funny, warm and real. Let me add "generous" and "kind" to her list of qualities.

Thanks, Cleo!

Elle

Just Fascinating

2008-05-24T12:50:00.002-04:00

So, it seems that while I was away tending to various matters, a bit of a hoo-ha erupted over on the Fascination Threads regarding who could say what about who and how and when.

Okay.

I've always had a perfectly good relationship with whoever runs Low Carb Friends, which is to say, no relationship at all. I've never been chastened for infractions or banned or anything like that. I post on their boards, and I obey the rules and all is well.

Contingent on that, of course, is knowing what the rules are and I think that may be part of the problem here. A corollary to that is enforcing the rules across the board, in and evenhanded manner, and it seems to me that this is where the problem lies -- at least in perception -- that neither of these things are happening.

So, here is my advice, LCF admins -- figure out what you want to have happen or not happen. Then state it publicly. And enforce it for everyone.

Not everyone will agree with those rules, of course, but it seems to me this is the best way to achieve whatever it is you want.

Elle

Safe Boating

2008-05-24T12:34:00.002-04:00

I live next to a large body of water (the Atlantic Ocean) and every summer, it seems, brings a story of some moron who gets into some kind of trouble by boating while intoxicated. I'm sure everyone who lives in areas where recreational water sports are popular has heard the same.

For whatever reason, some people associate boating and other water sports with drinking. Now, I like a nice glass of wine or a good, cold beer as much as the next person, but I like one, possibly two, and no more. And, I like them in situations where I will not be operating any kind of vehicle. I'm not the only one who feels that way. The state of Arizona has started a Boating Education Online campaign to alert people to the issue of alcohol-related boating deaths and accidents.

Boating Operating Under the Influence is every bit as illegal -- and dangerous -- as it is to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence. In fact, 50% of all fatal boating accidents in Arizona involved alcohol. You don't have to live in Arizona to benefit from checking out the Arizona Boating page, there's good information there for anyone who boats or operates a personal watercraft, no matter where you live.

Check out these videos for more information about safe boating in Arizona!

Elle

This and That ...

2008-05-24T12:04:00.003-04:00

I've been away for a bit, but things have been busy. An update on that in a bit.

Today is a beautiful day, sunny, warm-ish, and spring has fully exploded here in Massachusetts, finally. I'm trying to work up the will to get off the couch and go enjoy it.

The Ted Kennedy thing ... some predictions. When it becomes necessary for him to give up his senate seat, expect to see Mitt Romney run for it, assuming he's not been asked to run with John McCain. There's no way he'll be appointed to it, if Kennedy has to give it up before his term expires, since we have a Democrat governor, but Slick Mitt will run for it, surrounded by his preternaturally cheerful wife and their many Chiclet-toothed sons.

I don't normally buy into the whole Biased Mainstream Media thing, but I may have to revisit this. The whole flap about the Bobby Kennedy remarks by Hillary Clinton -- was anybody listening to what she actually said? The point, obvious to me when I heard it, before her explanation, was that RFK was still running in June, without a lock on the nomination, when he was assassinated. Not that Obama was going to be assassinated. And I'm no Clinton fan.

As for Obama -- look, guy, you may have a lot of people fooled but I can tell you're reading off a teleprompter. And I don't like you. I'm no McCain fan, either, but he is going to eat you for lunch because the second you have to speak without the benefit of scripted words and soaring phrases, it will be painfully evident just how much of a lightweight you actually are.

Elle

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Pickles

Heidi, do you like my new picture?

There's a kind of hush ...

Absolute Defense

This and That ...

Best damn chicken, ever!

Laundry and other indoor sports

We now resume our original posting schedule ...

Move #2

Au Revoir, Mes Amis!

Stressing

2008 World Champions!

Query

Moving along ...

This may be why I'm so tired tonight.

Westward Expansion

Well ...

Grrr!

Update

Phoenix has landed!

Mad World

Social Sparking!

Cleochatra, I *love* you!

Just Fascinating

Safe Boating

This and That ...

Cleochatra, I love you!