This and that

Friday, November 21, 2008 at 10:09 am (Hack for Hire, Writing by Ear)
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THE BUG
I love Wal-Mart. Not the ambiance. Not the colorful crowds. Not the endless walk from the “food side” to the “everything else” side. But the fact you can catch a cold and buy supplies to treat it all in one visit. I can’t be sure my first cold of the season came from my stop Tuesday evening, but…something tells me yes. It just felt like germs were everwhere — on the cart with a bare metal handle because the plastic covering was gone…emanating from the woman sneezing in Produce…on my hand and then on my face when I had that itch on my cheek I couldn’t ignore. I don’t shop much at Giant Eagle these days because Wal-Mart is closer and cheaper, but I do appreciate the giant tubs of antibacterial wipes GE makes available. (Of course, we’re probably only breeding super-bugs with our incessant spritzing and wiping and squirting.)

THE FIX
I’m very thankful you can still buy pseudoephedrine products behind the counter — even though it’s like lining up at the meth clinic to get your fix. Endless lines while everyone has to give name, address, phone number, consent, signature — just use the retinal scan already. We’ve learned to try to stock up on everything cold-relief-related when we’re well…the drugs, the special box of lotion tissue (I love this), chicken soup of all kinds — this time, though, no ginger ale. Damn. I’ll have to buy a six-pack and hide it from the pop-monster. (Because, it’s only November and you know there will be a next time.)

THE GAME
When did Cris Collinsworth become such a Steelers fan? Usually I can’t bear to listen to the national announcers, but I was too tired from my cold-and-drug-induced stupor to delap the cat, get off the couch, and walk 10 feet to turn on the radio. He was so complimentary it was kind of embarrassing — I’m sure the 20,000 or so Americans watching who aren’t Steelers fans were pretty tired of it. I surmised he is so disgusted with his old team he had to let them have it extra hard — a theory later confirmed by his comments at the end of the game of what HE’D do if he owned the team (first, rebuild it from the ground up with big guys). Well, now that they have 8 wins, Mike’s prediction of an 8-8 season can now come true…ha ha. Really, it was awfully nice to see the Steelers listed behind only the Titans on the leader board (but I’m not looking forward to that game in a few weeks. At least it’s not New England who’s undefeated again.)

THE BIZ
Knock on wood, I’ve been busy with work again. After a very slow late summer and early fall, things are booming. Feast or famine, like always. I have noticed with my primary client. though, a stronger emphasis on budgets and hours allotted. How the heck do I know if I can write a 1500-word “point of view” on a topic I’ve never seen before (I scribbled down something about actuarial processes and IFRS) in 4-6 hours? How ’bout I let you know when I’m done? Yeah, it’s a tough economy, but I don’t want to be the “cheap fast one” (in love or in business).

THE DUTY
Even so, I better make that callback for the call I dodged at 5:06 yesterday to find out more. Duty, like death, taxes, and bills, waits for no bug or no lazy writer. But if it could just wait ’til Monday when I feel better, that would be great.

A professional is someone who can do
his best work when he doesn’t feel like it.
                               ~ Alistair Cooke

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See ya later n’at, PittGirl

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 8:44 am (Writing by Ear)
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An icon in the Pittsburgh blogging world decided to silence her keyboard yesterday. PittGirl, the anonymous author of the wildly popular, The Burgh Blog, closed up shop — a sudden, sad ending for her many readers.

I was a Burgh-Blog-come-lately. It was around for 3 years, but I only started reading it the past year. It took me a while to get into — it was a little crude, had a lot of inside jokes you had to be a regular to understand, and a lot about city politics, which concern me not at all. But I grew to really enjoy it — the writing, the humor, the thoughtful, sometimes poignant posts, and the underlying love of the ‘Burgh that so many of us share. It was as part of my day as my morning tea or coffee — me and thousands upon thousands of others.

In fact, the most hits I’ve ever had on this blog are the few times I commented on a post or actually had a mention (and link) from The Burgh Blog about one of my posts — pretty powerful stuff. And all from a 34-year-old anonymous woman, writing about life in Pittsburgh.

Writer to writer, I’ll miss her. She had what we all wish for — a unique voice, a loyal following, and a topic she loved. Maybe now, as she has time to concentrate on other pursuits and other kinds of writing, she’ll even get that other thing we writers all hope for…a paycheck.

The only gift is a portion of thyself.
                 ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

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SRO

Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 9:41 am (Cottage Industry, Smile Lines)
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I like having guests and try to make their visit as comfortable and enjoyable as I can. Being able to offer a comfy chair when we settle down in the living room is about as basic as it gets. But we have a lack of seating at the moment. The two “what were we thinking?” too big, too awkward swivel-rocker-recliners we bought three years ago after we got tired looking have gone to live with Mike’s parents. I couldn’t be happier. (Mom & Dad seem to like them, too, so I hope it was a successful adoption all around.) And frankly, our living room has never looked better with its new, more open feel (with exactly 2 mismatched chairs around our very cool but giant round antique claw-footed quarter-sawn oak dining-table-cut-down-to-coffee-table that we inherited from Mike’s parents).

Now if anyone comes over, we’ll be bringing in chairs from the dining room for happy hour (or standing over them like Jeeves). Yes, we have a couch, but it’s on the other side of our long, narrow living room in front of the TV, not on the “social” side of the room. And we have a neat handmade rustic bench in front of the fireplace in the middle of the room — easily moveable and fine for plopping down to warm your toes at the stove; not fine for 2 hours of extended conviviality.

So, we’ve started the hunt for a couple new chairs. Must be small-scale. Must be comfortable. Must blend with what we already have. And, must not cost the anywhere from $600 to $2000 we’ve been seeing. For A CHAIR! When did chairs become as expensive as entire sofas? (And don’t get me started on the cost of ottomans — fortunately we have no room for one.)

Oh, we’ve found perfect chairs that we love here and here. Both costing about $1700 apiece. “It’s an investment,” said each saleswoman, in the understatement of the century. Enclosing half our porch for our sunroom will not cost as much as two of these chairs. Although, given the state of our investments, these may be a better way to go.

Oh, and we’ve looked at the discount options — all of which appear either ready to fall apart in about 2 months or are not the small size we need. (As Americans get fatter, so does their seating apparently. Ginormous furniture is the rule these days.)

I’ve checked Craig’s List (nothing at the moment) and eBay — some possibilities, but the sight-unseen aspect is a little disconcerting. We bought such a chair last year, drove 2-1/2 hours each way to pick it up, only to find that, while it was nice, it was also a bit wobbly and should really be reglued. And we needed to recover the seat (not an easy process). And we didn’t win the matching rocker.

So for now, we just admire that side of the room and the newly open view out the French doors. And we have a handle on a couple possibilities our friends know of at the antique store they frequent. Fingers crossed.

Oh for the days when floor pillows were all the rage…or beanbags, beanbags would work. We’ll just start off the visit with a few stretches or some yoga. Downward-facing dog anyone?

We dare not trust our wit for making our house
pleasant to our friend, so we buy ice cream.
                              ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

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