Went camping this weekend, as we are wont to do in July. Spent the weekend with people I care about and people I don't see nearly often enough. Had a fairly laid back year. The weather was a little cooler than I like, with bits of rain on Thursday and Friday. I seemed to have misplaced my SD card, so no pictures were taken.

I did cook up the trout I caught. Over a campfire on Saturday. It came out absolutely delicious!

The weekend was over much too quickly. I'm already counting the days until next year.

Now I must hurry and get ready for church. We are having our science quarterly discussion tonight. I'm still trying to convince the hubby to go, but he dislikes science and dislikes the church... at least that's what I'm starting to believe.

My father loves fishing. So, my brother and I decided that we would charter a fishing boat for a trip on Lake Michigan for Father's Day for my dad. Greg and I also invited his dad along, since he was going to be up here.

Greg had his cortisone epidural on Tuesday and wasn't able to go on the trip. The PA originally said he would be able to go along, as long as he wasn't actually fishing. But the doctor said that she didn't want him on a rocking boat. Greg was upset, but we got his younger brother to come along.

I'm so glad that Greg didn't come along. The epidural helped him out, but if he had been on that boat, he would have been in some serious pain. It was a very rocky day. My dad, with his poor balance, didn't even stand up the entire trip. And he was too stubborn to accept help from anyone. And he got sick. In fact, everyone got seasick and threw up except me.

But... ( we did catch some fish! )

All in all, we caught 2 coho, 1 rainbow trout, and 5 steelheads. The captain of the boat said that this was actually a bad day... they usually average 12-15 fish per trip. We are thinking of taking one of their perching trips later this year.

I really want to go again... maybe with friends next time. Anyone like fishing and have $100 to spend on a charter?

Ummm... yeah. But, I am a paramedic. So, it kind of goes with the job.

Woke up late today to hear that Farrah Fawcett had died. And later, while surfing the net, I learn that Michael Jackson had been rushed to the hospital in cardiac arrest.

Farrah didn't affect me much. We knew she had cancer. And she was more of an icon for those about 10 years older than I.

But Michael Jackson? His music had a serious impact on the soundtrack of my childhood. I remember listening to Thriller for the first time. I was 9 years old, living in a creaky old house in Missouri, sitting on the floor of my bedroom, with a thunderstorm outside. It kind of scared me, but thrilled me at the same time. See, I grew up in the 80s, before I had The Disney Channel there to tell me what sort of watered down rock music I was supposed to listen to. There's probably a reason I stopped listening to pop music in the late 80s.

There was something seriously wrong with Michael. He obviously had some mental issues that went undiagnosed for too long. And, because of a couple of greedy parents and the sensationalist media that loves tales of woe, we will never know the truth about the child-abuse allegations. But he was extremely talented and one hell of an entertainer.

I'm leading the Samhain ritual this year and I decided to start on the litany. I already have 59 names, and that only includes celebrities and local Pagans. And it's only JUNE! Ugh.

I need to go to bed. WAAAAAAYYYYY past bed time right now. I need to get up at 4:30 am. I think I want to listen to Ebony and Ivory before going to bed, though.

I want to make a round rag rug using a hoop. I have found quite a few websites that almost have instructions, but they all seem to assume that anyone attempting this technique is very familiar with weaving in general. In other words... not me.

Does anyone know how to do this or know of a good site or book to point me towards that will be easy for me to follow? I think I have the general idea, and I might just try to make it through trial and error.

A funny aside to this: I was telling The Partner about my plans to weave a circular rag rug using a hula hoop. He couldn't understand how I would be able to make it round. He kept insisting that it would turn out square whether I used a hula hoop or not. Maybe a bit oval at the ends, but definitely not round. Finally, I was able to decipher why he thought that. He figured that I would use the hula like a standard loom, attaching the initial strips vertically to the hoop and then weaving back and forth from bottom to top. o.O

Every now and then the police arrest somebody suspected of some terrible, violent crime, and as a piece of public relations they'll announce all of the horrible books, movies and/or CDs they found in the suspect's house, as if to prove that the suspect is obviously guilty and horrible and monstrous.

So here is my challenge to you. You can either do this from memory or take a moment to look through your book and music collections, and then answer this question:

Name ten books, CDs and/or movies that you own that the police would cite as evidence against you at their press conference.

1. Catcher in the Rye - (book) J.D. Salinger
2. Roger and Me - (movie) Michael Moore
3. Fareinheit 9/11 - (movie) Michael Moore
4. Sisters of the Dark Moon - (book) Gail Wood
5. Full Contact Magick - (book) Kerr Cuhulain
6. A Witch Alone - (book) Marian Green
7. Falling Down (movie)
8. Misfits CD
9. Necronomicon - (book) Simon
10. The Happy Mutant's Handbook - (book) Carla Sinclair et al


This was kind of hard. I have WAY too much stuff that the media would have a field day with. Stuff that proves that I am a freaky left-wing nut job. Possibly a cultist. A geek that lives a fantasy life and is just waiting to snap.

And of course, this list does not include stuff like weaponry (guns and blades), black candles, Tarot cards, polyhedron dice, various survivalist accouterments, or pornography (erotica).

And you know that they never actually read or even open any of the books. It's the covers that are interesting and scary. Who gives a damn what's inside.

Christian group sues for right to burn book

I'm a bit conflicted. I do believe that they have the right to burn the books, as long as they are burning their own copies (that they have bought!). However... book-burning is so wrong.

I am also puzzled as to how a book in the library can cause harm to others. No one is making them read it. No one is forcing them to buy it (unless, of course, they want to burn it). And they can restrict their own kids from reading. It can't cause irreparable mental and emotional damage if they don't even open it.

I am slightly amused that they find the term faggot as derogatory to all men. Makes me wonder why and how often they have been slandered with that word.

I think these people must have the same mentality as those who tried to ban Huck Finn because it was racist. I have always believed that those people were really put off by a story of friendship between blacks and whites.

We're settled in as best we can. We're going to sleep in shifts and I lucked out and get to go to bed first. We all just have sleeping bags on the floor, like a grown-up sleepover. Not comfortable, but we are ready to move at a moment's notice. I have my father's .45 under my pillow.

Still no word from tdstraitjacket's parents. They're probably at church praying for an end to this. I just hope Hank Sr took his 50 cal Desert Eagle with him. God may provide shelter in the storm, but you can't count on his aim with lightning.

Haven't heard from my parents. They weren't at the house when I was patrolling in the ambulance when this day began. I tried to call their cells, but it kept going to voice mail. I'm not holding out much hope.

I miss tdstraitjacket. I miss my cats. I will miss my job (sorry, it's a bit too soon to care that much.... and I really did need a vacation!).

But, for now.... I need some rest. My shift starts in a few hours, and I don't want to be groggy.

FUCK! We forgot the Red Bull. How the hell am I supposed to fight Zombies without Red Bull?

Ah well. Good night. Sleep tight. Don't let the zombies bite!

What.

The.

Hell?

We just pulled up to Wayne's cabin to find him leading the kids in a rousing dance of ring around the rosie ON TOP OF THE BODIES OF HIS STEPMOTHER AND HER KIDS!!!!

Well, the kids seem to be enjoying themselves.

And the alleged origins are pretty gruesome anyway. LOL

So my brother-in-law Chuck won't give us any guns or ammo from his shop. Fucking ass. He thinks I killed tdstraitjacket on purpose. I mean, really? He's never liked me and now that tdstraitjacket is gone, he has no reason to pretend.

Right now we have two ambulances for transportation. I would like to get them better fortified, but light is fading and we need to get the duck out of Fodge... as the saying goes. Wayne's dad used to have a cabin down in Kentland. Knowing his step-monster and her ilk, there's probably nobody down there. That's where we're heading. It's easily fortified. Lots of game for food. And away from fucking people.

I tried calling the rest of tdstraitjacket's family. Can't get in touch with his parents. His little brother is with his in-laws, but he might come and join us. Hank's also not talking to me. He's got some idea that Pagans have something to do with this.

We're stocking up the rigs now. Have lots of medical supplies, camping gear, weaponry, and food. I don't know if I will have internet access again once we leave. I will use my Blackberry to update Twitter as much as possible. Until I run out of battery or lose a signal.

At least I don't have to go to work tomorrow.

I'm down in Crown Point. I'm with kristress, the Kid,

It's the freakin' apocalypse and the politicos are bickering! Of course they are. Because who has a bigger penis and who can come out looking like the biggest heroes (read:douchebags) is more important than doing this job.

I'm sitting here, waiting for a new assignment, while the powers that be engage in a frickin' turf war. Gary Miller (owner of Prompt Ambulance) and his paid friends are bickering with Tom over jurisdiction and who should be in charge. Gary is trying to be the "incident commander", even though he really has no training in this and is just a pencil-pusher with a gigantic ego. Fuck, I think I liked him better when he was hopped up on coke all the time.

The thing is, we are using Lincoln Center in Highland for one of the evacuation sites and as a staging area for Region Five (Highland, Munster, and Griffith). Prompt is the 911 contract for Highland, Munster, and Griffith. So they feel they should be in charge.

However, Superior is contracted with FEMA and Homeland Security. And in any emergency disaster plan, federal holds a hell of a lot more weight than the local town council.

Tom is trying to show him that we are not stepping on toes, we are just trying to follow the national guidelines until some more feds get here to take over, but Gary is hollering and throwing a tantrum. I'm at least 20 feet away and I can see the pulse throbbing in his temple. What a jackass. Even the fire chief is getting sick of his shenanigans.

Great... now Gary is saying something about how he has proof that he's in charge. Something in his car. I can't believe he is going to make a couple of the officers go outside in this shit, just to prove a point. What an ass.

What the... brb.

OMFG!

I seriously can't believe this.

A zombie just ripped out Gary's throat!! It was standing on the far side of his Hummer and he didn't even look when he walked around it. Luckily, one of the cops popped them both in the head. Best use of ammunition that I've seen all day!

OMFG!

Well, at least this clears up who is in charge.

Not sure how often I'm going to have inner-webz access. But thank the Gods I now have a Blackberry. If you are wondering how my day is going, I'm going to try to update as often as possible on my Twitter.

Be safe!

And krisravenna, if you are reading this... CALL ME!

Umm... so yeah. There's a virus or something going on. And it's causing people to become rather violent and bite people. Who then become violent and bite people. And there are stories of people rising from their graves. I now feel bad for whatever officers got sent to take care of that "party" at Holy Cross.

Fuck. Nobody has actually come out and said it, but they are talking about zombies. Fuck. ZOMBIES!?! FUCK!

Northwest Indiana has been divided into sectors about 3-5 miles square. We are to drive through each sector, looking for people who have not been infected and take them to one of the evacuation centers. Tom (my regional manager and the sometimes head of our special response team) looks a bit pale. After giving us our assignments he asked if any of us had guns at home. GUNS?!? This is bad. I'm heading home to get our arsenal and all the spare ammo we have. Now I have to make a decision. I think my dad gave us his .45. I wish I had a bigger revolver. The .22 isn't much use from the distance I want to keep, but revolvers are less prone to jam or otherwise fuck up. My .38 has more power, but it's a semi-auto and I don't want it to jam at the wrong time. Oh well. At least I can reload on the fly.

Crap. I'm babbling a bit now. Must remain calm. Must stay focused. I'm trained for this. Well, not this exactly, but I am a trained professional. Of course, today triage isn't quite so text book than the way I was trained. Instead of green, yellow, red, and black, we have green and shoot.

Fuck.

Once again, work sucked. The hospitals were crazy busy and there were fucking people everywhere. I mean, literally everywhere. You can tell it's the first weekend of summer vacation. I had to call the cops around 5 this morning because someone was throwing a party or some shit in Holy Cross Cemetery. Why the hell would they do that? I mean, at least choose some small, out-of-the way cemetery where you aren't going to be seen. Not one of the largest Catholic cemeteries in the midwest.

Finally got home, got undressed and crawled into bed when my fucking pager went off. Now there seems to be some sort of local disaster and FEMA is calling for a response. So, I threw on my polo and the trauma pants that they don't let us wear on duty and headed off.

Side note, I think my neighbor across the street has been hitting the sauce a bit early. He was standing on his porch calling out to me, but his speech was a bit slurred. I think he was saying something about it raining today. Or maybe he was bitching about the trains again. Whatever. I'll have tdstraitjacket go and look in on him later.

I did stop at Starbucks for a triple venti peppermint mocha. I am not going to survive today without caffeine. I'm surprised that the line through the drive-through was so short, though. Well, it is a Saturday.

So, now I'm at the station, waiting for the powers-that-be to get here and tell us what's going on. There's only a couple of us here so far and there's murmurs about some sudden viral pandemic. If they got me out of bed for the fucking swine flu, I'm going to kill them all.

Just three more days until the end of the world... again! So many thoughts running through my head. Getting the zombie survival kit ready!

Instructions: Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.

1. American Gods Neil Gaiman
2. A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L'Engle
3. The Truth About Witchcraft Today Scott Cunningham
4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe C.S. Lewis
5. Hiroshima John Hersey
6. Animal Farm George Orwell
7. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams
8. The Sensuous Woman J
9. Practical Demon-Keeping Christopher Moore
10. Odd Thomas Dean Koontz
11. Cat's Paw Joan D. Vinge
12. Happy Mutant Handbook Carla Sinclair et al
13. Sword of Shannara Terry Brooks
14. On a Pale Horse Piers Anthony
15.The Eyes of the Dragon Stephen King

I read a lot of series. I don't know why. Even my favorite authors that normally don't write series seem to end up writing series that become my favorite books. Hrm.

Just a quick reminder to all my LJ friends... this Saturday is "Blog Like It's the End of the World" Day. So... all my posts and Twitters will be zombie-fied.

Feel free to join in the mayhem here.



P.S. How is that I don't have a zombie icon. Must do something about that posthaste.bl

Hubby wins. Hands down. Always. Even if I don't agree with him.

I have seen what happens to marriages when one of the couples seems to think that someone other than their spouse should be a higher priority. It ain't pretty.

*Note* I do not condone being subservient to one's SO at all times. Especially if said SO is making ridiculous demands or forcing you to do something you are not comfortable with. Or is being otherwise abusive. But, part of a healthy relationship (at least in my opinion) is knowing that we would each choose each other over anyone else.

I am sure that the dynamics of our relationship will change when we have children. But, we have already agreed that, even with kids, we will put our relationship first. Because the kids aren't going to be happy if mom and dad aren't happy.