On being a girl:

I have the keys-in-the-fist, walk purposfully and fast, always be aware of your surroundings routine.

I've known great guys and lots of creeps. The really nice guys are treasures. The creeps come in all degrees.

I'm a large chested girl and got tired of having my chest spoken to by the time I was 22.

On natural disasters:

I drove on 3" of solid ice for 3 months during one winter in Madison, WI. Worth it. Lived through tornado warnings and actual tornados in Minnesota and Iowa. Worth it. Lived through the Loma-Prieta (sp?) earthquake in '89. I did not enjoy the paranoia I developed. I was always acutely aware of the highways overhead when the bus would be at a red light. the idea that" if it happened at this moment, I'd be toast" never really left me until I left San Francisco. Plus I was dirt poor there. Not worth it.

I've been lucky enough to avoid the worst forms of harassment--the worst I ever got was the standard teasing of early bloomers and occasional inappropriate stares/remarks from older boys/men.

I have a car routine--keys protruding from fist, brisk, purposeful walk, etc.--but I don't always use all of it. I save it for when it's really late or something about the setting seems off.

I have noticed that having a baby makes me feel more vulnerable and more dependent on the social contract, because I can't do the full-on self-protection routine with Annabel. In particular, there's no way to get in the car quickly, and when I'm strapping her squirmy little body into her car seat, I don't have any attention to spare for my surroundings. I'm almost never out alone with her late, but short as our winter days are, after dark is inevitable.

Shimmy shimmy co co pop!

Earwormed now

Me too, but I am also eyewormed with Lori's hand gestures, from one conversation I had with her in person about earthquakes.

Also, I am watching the Bachlorette. Somebody help me?

that was a big rock.

In large public parking lots - keys in fist

at work - I have my keys and phone out. And I get in the car ,lock and start the car before I call home ( usual routine since moving out to a place where it was really easy for me to get lost) Mostly, I am just aware.

Oddly - I seem to be mostly invisible to people - I have stood in lines where a guy was begging for money - asked people in front of me and skiped me - to ask the people behind me. But I think it is something I can do in crowds, not standing alone. and it was more effective in NYC than it is in the SF.

DH talks to anybody. Teh older I get - the easier I am about strangers talking to me. - Unless they touch me. The library is pretty much like home - my ground - I'm in charge , I'm in control. Or at least that is my illusion. The other day - a guy touched my shoulder - in a concilliatory way ( another word I can't spell) - and I suddenly knew I wasn't home- because if I was home there would have been more than a murderous sideways look - there would have been volume and more than an escape - more of an exagerated overblown shrug. Or possibley- there would have been less reaction - because I would have felt truely safe.

others (which now seems to include me) will get folks running the second there's enough space.

YAY RUNNING! Also, did you see Sunday's Boondocks. Made me laugh. I can't find a broadcast of it, but it's hysterical.

I think tornado/earthquake/hurricane is one of those personality things. Someone make an internet quiz.

Sarameg, dear god, no.

Shimmy shimmy co co pop!

They played then when we were having breakfast at Bob's yesterday. I think that's why lori posted it.

That's a big rock. And my friend DOES have a rock that big, because I think that's her neighborhood, she lives in Topanga Canyon and works in Santa Monica.

Eeeks.

And now that I've caught up, it's time to go to bed. Night Natterinos!

Ah darn, I missed Consuela. I have a Farscape question too. I've watched about 8 episodes from the first season now. I like the premise, and I liked one or two of the episodes, but have been kind of meh about most of them. Would people advise me to keep watching, if I am meh at this point (do things get better?) or should I just chalk it up as not for me and stop?

I've been on that Topenga Canyon road. Of course, there wasn't a big rock in the road then.

I've been trying to decide if I can cut my expenses enough to start taking Krav and now ita is tempting me further. I did get a letter offering a discount on the 1st month of classes.

In terms of natural disasters, I think tornados are awsome (in the evoking awe sense of the word). NSM in the death and destruction aspect, but in the raw, concentrated power. Watching a funnel cloud develop is amazing. I like that it is possible to watch this force of nature develop fairly quickly and, more often than not, still have time to make it to the basement. Plus, they do the most random, freaky things. One street away from the house I grew up in a tornado turned one house into a split-level (one half was raised up about 2') and twisted a tree out of another front yard, depositing it in the same place with the roots twisting to a point, and didn't touch another thing.

My favorite tornado story is from some 40 years ago when my high school was mostly destroyed. The front facade was left standing, and where it had said "RUSKIN HIGH SCHOOL" the tornado left the letters "RU IN."

If aurelia wants to talk about designing home lighting, I'm all ears. After all, she's a heck of a lot closer to me geographically than ND. I'd even be willing to shop at the Ikea in Schaumberg with her.

Shopping with Sail? Cool. Just say when, and I'm there.

I was meh on Farscape until somewhere past the half-way mark of watching the first season. I'd say give it another 5 or 6 episodes, Lee.