I went down to New England Photo this afternoon and learned that zarthon's assessment of how much my camera will cost to repair was much more accurate than mine, and unfortunately the cost of getting my camera fixed is well over what I can afford to spend. On faith that it will be fixed, I bought the new lens cap I've been needing.

I'm going to see if I can repair the problem myself without taking the camera apart. There is at least a chance that I might be able to get it working and the risk of breaking the camera further is relatively low as long as I don't actually pry it open. Christian suggested swabbing the prongs in the battery case with alcohol. If that doesn't work, I'm going to attempt ti gently but firmly reposition the prongs. I have a few other ideas up my sleeve, but if none of that works I'll have to reassess my options.

While I was in Virginia, I tried seafood twice. Once in Christian's shrimp quiche. The shrimp had an odd flavor that seemed inherent to them that I either did not like or simply wasn't used to. Either way, I could only eat three of the shrimps before I gave up trying to like them.

Saturday, I tried some of the fish from Maddie's fish and chips at Hunter's Head in Upperville, and I liked it that time. So, at this point I'm not sure if I should go back to being vegetarian or try eating more seafaring, non-cephalopod exotherms.


Poll #1049487 Seafaring, non-cephalopod exotherms
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Should I try eating more seafaring, non-cephalopod, exotherms?

I'm back in Boston. I had a great deal of fun with My sister, niece, brother-in-law, and mom. Maddie is a little ball of energy. Well, not little, she's quite big for a 7 year old. Smart and creative, but I just can't keep up with her.

The day I arrived, Thursday, we pretty much stayed around the house and relaxed. My mom had already been there for several days and was already settled in.

Friday, Christian stayed home while Maddie, Bridgette, my mom, and I went down to Georgetown. We hit Lush and Godiva and went to Dean & Deluca for lunch. While I've seen central meter machines in parking lots, I'd never seen a central machine for street parking before. I guess it is more efficient than having a separate parking meter for each spot, I'm just not used to it. The biggest disadvantage I see with the central machine system is that if it breaks down it disrupts the use of a number of parking spots at once.

Saturday we drove into Virginia through wine country and went to Linden Vineyards (nothing to do with Second Live). That was my favorite part of the trip down. Relaxing doesn't even begin to describe the place. Surrounded by rows of grapes and vine watching the clouds shadow-dance on the Blue Ridge Mountains. The cigar Christian gave me to smoke at the vineyard not only went perfectly with the cheese and wine, but also with the surrounding tranquility.

Sunday, I got up later than I had planned, but not so late that it caused any hassle in catching my flight. Upon leaving, Christian gave me some cigars, along with a 15-pack of Rocky Patel vintage 1992s, one of my favorites. My mom gave me a wonderful dragon cane when I arrived at the house and I was a bit worried about getting on the flight with 2 canes, but I didn't have any hassle and the return trip from Reagan National to Logan went smoothly.

I had hoped to get some good bird pictures, but unfortunately my birding camera is not working. I noticed it my first day there. It seems to be a connection problem with the battery prongs, which should be repairable. But, I was glad to see that Maddie loved birds and birdwatching despite her father's hatred of them.

I'm leaving for Washington tomorrow (well, actually Arlington, Virginia) to visit my sister, brother-in-law, and niece. My mom is already there and are visits have been planned to overlap. As some of you might know, I've been vegetarian for 14 years but have been considering eating seafood for some time. There is a good chance that on this trip I will actually take the plunge. The prospect of ending 14 years of vegetarianism is a bit daunting, and I would be limiting my meat intake to sea-fairing non-cephalopod exotherms. I've gone over it again and again for years in my head, working out the logistics of my personal moral code, and I think I'm okay with it.

Haven't given much of an update lately on what I've been up to.

The weekend before last my sister, Madeline, and Christian came up to visit. I met them downtown on Saturday and my sister took me to get my first ever professional manicure. I had a lot of fun and Maddie is a joy. She is so huge, though! I'd swear she was 10 or 11 if I didn't know she was 7.

Last weekend, invalid_userid came down for the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows release. purpleglitter, invalid_userid waited in the long line in Harvard Square. Usually waiting in lines is boring, but with the crowd I had a great time. There were a couple profiteers who got in the front of the line and walked down it trying to sell their books for $50. I didn't see anyone buying, but I'm sure they found someone when they got near the end (which rumor had it was somewhere in Watertown). I was very excited to get merryperseis's register when I finally got my books, I had thought the odds of that rather slim.

zarthon took purpleglitter, invalid_userid and me out to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix the next day. Inevitably a lot of the book was left out, but I think enough critical stuff was missing that someone who hadn't read the books probably wouldn't be able to make much sense of it.

Sunday, we all went to the Museum of Science. The exhibits there have enough range to appeal to any level of scientific knowledge. We saw a demonstration of the still very functional original Van de Graaff generator built by Robert J. Van de Graaff in 1933, but my favorite part of the Museum of Science visit was the butterfly exhibit, where a large owl butterfly landed on my shoulder and sat there for a very long time just looking at me and occasionally stretching its wings. Looking into the butterfly's eyes made me regret all the nasty rhetoric I've spouted about exotherms.

Next weekend, our new landlord is coming to visit from California. She has not seen the building in over a year. I'm excited to meet her, she sounds awesome over the phone. She's trying to rent the unit next door, so if anyone is interested in a two-bedroom in Arlington, let me know.

At the end of next month, I will be heading down to see my sister in the Washington, D.C. area. My mom will be visiting there at the same time, so it should be a great trip.

The weekend before last, I lost the cane that Christian had given me. I left it in the shopping cart at the Super 88 and it was gone.

This past weekend, my serpent staff broke. The cane I can brush off as being spacy when I got in purpleglitter's car, but when something happens to the serpent staff it is generally means I've strayed off course. It broke in an entirely new place than it did before - after I repair it, it will have three different sections. I lost my spiritual path of late, life has overwhelmed me.

Life has overwhelmed me because I've let it overwhelm me. I've become frustrated and impatient with things that don't matter, and have been neglecting things that do. I need to be more mindful of my thoughts, actions, and intents. I need to right my path and fix my staff.

My sister (ellynx), brother-in-law, and niece are in town this weekend and I got to spend quite a bit of time with them yesterday. When I got to their hotel room, Madeline gave me a star sticker decorate my cane with. It glitters with sticker glittery fabulousness.

We went to Chau Chow City for lunch and planned to go to the Boston Aquarium and this chocolate buffet, but the lines to get in were far too long at the aquarium and we got the time wrong for the chocolate buffet and missed it. However, I ended up walking around downtown Boston popping in and out of shops for most of the afternoon with my sister, which was definitely not a disappointment.

In the evening, my sister and I joined back with Christian and Maddie and met up with Christian's parents for dinner at Umbria. I didn't get to talk much with Christian's parents last time I met them, because the environment was very noisy. After dinner, Bridgette and I had some more time together and as always evening conversations with my family are filled with surprises.

We did not venture out for most of my visit, however Friday we did go down to the capital. My sister (ellynx) gave me and Maddie a staff-led tour of the capital building. While we were were still limited to the public areas of the building, we didn't have to tag along with a tour group and were free to go at our own pace. A few of the statues in the statue gallery of the capital building surprised me, I was not expecting to see Robert E. Lee or Brigham Young.

After seeing the capital building, Christian picked us up and we all had tea at the Ritz Carlton in Pentagon City. I felt a little less Jack Dawson than I have in such settings in the past. The cakes, sandwiches and scones were delightful and the tea was great. Christian complained that the service was sub-par, however I did not notice that myself as I have no real idea of what par at the Ritz Carlton is. I enjoyed it nonetheless, and am glad I got to experience it.

After tea, we went back to the house where later in the evening Maddie made me a wonderful ice cream soup. It's been a long time since I've had ice cream soup, and I must say Maddie's was excellent.

Good morning.

I had a wonderful thanksgiving. In yesterday's post on thanks giving, I wrote about one aspect of thankfulness. However, there are many aspects of thankfulness and there is much I am thankful for. The following is an incomplete list:

I am thankful to have been able to spend a holiday with my sister, brother-in-law, and niece. I am thankful to be able to call them family. I am thankful for the rest of my family, both found and blood. I am thankful that I have a home to head to, and that when I get there I will not have to worry about having enough to eat. I am thankful that I can express my thanks online. I am thankful that, even if I have problems with it sometimes, I have access to medical care. I am thankful that I live in a place that I can leave my house anytime day or night and be relatively safe. I am thankful for the kisses I get from Skye. I am thankful for Spy Pond. And, I am thankful that I am not so bitter and jaded that I could not be thankful for the blessing I have received.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you in the United States.

Happy Thursday to everyone else.

I'm having a good visit. Maddie is a ball of energy, literally bouncing off the walls. She knocked on my door and got me up around 7:30am this morning showing me a clock that had been set to 9:30. Tricky, but I'm glad I'm up. I don't really like to sleep too late these days.

Dinner last night was good and I loved the port later in the evening. Christian is intelligent and charismatic, making conversation with him generally a pleasure. And, of course, it's always great to see Bridgette. She's made quite the life for herself and has not ceased to amaze me. I'm proud to call her sister.

While I have enjoyed cigars for years, it is only recently that I have had the opportunity and pleasure to explore the world of fine cigars. Before I had been for the most part limited to Garcia y Vega and Phillies, with the occasional Cheap Bastard. I proclaimed myself to follow Mark Twain's philosophy of cigars, but it was more out of sour grapes than a true knowledge and assessment of the subject.

The more I explore the more I find my tastes weren't what I had expected them to be. I am rapidly developing a preference for the flavor of maduro cigars. I still like the flavors found in the lighter tones, but i am increasingly enchanted by the rich, almost romantic earth tones found in the maduro.

I am very lucky to have the opportunity to explore the world of cigars and am very thankful to Christian for keeping me in stock.

I had a very nice walk today. I started off at the house_of_clocks. I wasn't intending to walk, I was just sitting on the porch killing time waiting for purpleglitter to pick me up in about 45 minutes. I lit up one of the Romeo y Julietas that Christian gave me, and took off.

I went down to Spy Pond, walking past the sundrenched flower gardens by the sidewalk. I turned onto the park path, which I haven't actually done since the park was reopened. I have to admit the park improvements look nice and there were plenty of geese pecking at the grass on either side the path - as there should be.

Sitting alone on a rock by the path there was a grey-haired woman singing. Her song was in perfect harmony with the shining pond and trees. I stood there and listened and looked out over the pond. I gave her a wish pod before I continued on in my journey.

I walked under the bridge, and back to Mass Ave, then back home. The walk put me in one of the best moods I've had in some time. purpleglitter soon picked me up for travels to Home Depot and the Chai Café and here I am still glowing from a perfect walk.

My sister was in town this weekend. She arrived Friday, and quite late that evening we went out to Stanza, a cigar bar in the North End. Cigar bars are the only bars in Boston in which the patrons are still allowed to smoke, and there are only three of them. Christian, my brother-in-law, shared his staple brand of cigar with me, which I have already forgotten the name. That matters not, as he said he was planning on sending me more and I'll simply read the labels then.

purpleglitter and I spent much of the Saturday with my sister (ellynx), Christian, and my niece Maddy. At lunch we met Christian's parents, then the five of us sans Christian's folks went for a walk around Boston Commons.

I really adored Maddy. I haven't seen her in several years, and she's now six and much bigger than I remember her. She held my hand most of the time we were together and wow can she talk and talk and talk. She also has boundless energy, as a six year old should, and easily wore me out with her calvinball-style games in the park. She's quite bright and has a keen interest in oceanography, only she is worried about how much oceanlife will still be around when she is an adult. I hope her worries don't come to pass.

Later, my sister and I went shopping in Chinatown. She got me a nice silk dress and a silk robe. I'm very excited about them, and they are currently by far my finest articles of clothing.

My sister is everything I'd like to be. She has had her own share of problems; but she is generous, kind, intelligent, strong, beautiful, and successful. While I share some of those qualities to some extent, she not only embodies them all — she embodies them all with a style, boldness, take-no-shit attitude I could only hope for. My sister is one of the most amazing people I know.

Madeline is so cute! She's very big for 2. She looks a lot like Shirley Temple. Much more so than the child actress who plays Shirley Temple in the new movie on TV. She's got the cutest banana curls. We went to Boston Public Gardens. Madeline loved the squirrels. She kept trying to feed them, but they wouldn't come up and take the food from her hand, so she'd end up throwing the food at them. She wanted to see and feel everything. Every rock, every tree, everything. Her big eyes just beaming to take in a world of marvelous things. She collects rocks. She loves them. Next time I see her I'm going to make sure I have a nice rock to give her.

After the walk, Madeline was tired so Bridgette left her with Christian's (Madeline's father) mother. Bridgette, Christian, and I then went to get lunch. Christian is a very nice person. Very intelligent. I got along with him well.

On my way home, I stopped at 7 or 8 shops looking for cat's eye glasses. Didn't find any.

purpleglitter showed me three new outfits she picked up for me while she was out at the Salvation Army. All of them are wonderful and monochrome jewel. I really needed some new outfits that go along with my new style, as I only had 4 outfits that really fit.