Gold leaves falling on the ground,
Joining in sweet autumn-sound,
Warm winds swirling sea-deep sky
Rain from lifeless treetops high
Gold leaves falling.
Red leaves shower freely round
Caring not where they are bound,
Seeking life before they die;
Red leaves falling.
Leaves that recent frost has browned
By a better beauty crowned,
Winging down they swiftly fly,
Sing without a halting sigh:
Loving life they finally found;
Brown leaves falling.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
"WE'RE ALL...GOING...TO DIE!"
[Happy St. Cripsin's Day]
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
-- Wm. Shakespeare, King Henry V
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England.
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call'd the feast of Crispian.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.'
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
-- Wm. Shakespeare, King Henry V
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
I so deserved that...
I called someone I didn't know today, and a man's voice answered: "Pizza Hut." I laughed. "Is this --'s residence?" And sure enough, it was.
After all, he left out the best part:"will that be dine in, or carry out?"
After all, he left out the best part:"will that be dine in, or carry out?"
Friday, October 20, 2006
College for Football Players
COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAM - FOOTBALL PLAYER VERSION [not mine--credited to Unknown--but an old favorite]
Time Limit: 3 WKS
_________________________________________________________________
1. What language is spoken in France? ____________________________________________________________
2. Give a dissertation on the ancient Babylonian Empire with particular reference to architecture, literature, law and social conditions -OR- give the first name of Pierre Trudeau. ____________________________________________________________
3. Would you ask William Shakespeare to ___ (a) build a bridge ___ (b) sail the ocean ___ (c) lead an army or ___ (d) WRITE A PLAY
4. What religion is the Pope? ___ (a) Jewish ___ (b) Catholic ___ (c) Hindu ___ (d) Polish ___ (e) Agnostic (check only one)
5. Metric conversion. How many feet is 0.0 meters? ____________________________________________________________
6. What time is it when the big hand is on the 12 and the little hand is on the 5? ____________________________________________________________
7. How many commandments was Moses given? (approximately) ____________________________________________________________
8. What are people in America's far north called? ___ (a) Westerners ___ (b) Southerners ___ (c) Northerners
9. Spell -- Bush, Carter and Clinton
Bush: ____________________________________________________________
Carter: ____________________________________________________________
Clinton:____________________________________________________________
10. Six kings of England have been called George, the last one being George the Sixth. Name the previous five. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
11. Where does rain come from? ___ (a) Macy's ___ (b) a 7-11 ___ (c) Canada ___ (d) the sky
12. Can you explain Einstein's Theory of Relativity? ___ (a) yes ___ (b) no
13. What are coat hangers used for? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
14. The Star Spangled Banner is the National Anthem for what country? ____________________________________________________________
15. Explain Le Chateliers Principle of Dynamic Equilibrium -OR- spell your name in BLOCK LETTERS. ____________________________________________________________
16. Where is the basement in a three story building located? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
17. Which part of America produces the most oranges? ___ (a) New York ___ (b) Florida ___ (c) Canada ___ (d) Wisconsin
18. Advanced math. If you have three apples how many apples do you have? ____________________________________________________________
19. What does NBC (National Broadcasting Corp.) stand for? ____________________________________________________________
20. The Cornell University tradition for efficiency began when (approximately)?
___ (a) B.C. ___ (b) A.D.
_________________________________________________________________ Name: ____________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
*You must answer three or more questions correctly to qualify _________________________________________________________________
Time Limit: 3 WKS
_________________________________________________________________
1. What language is spoken in France? ____________________________________________________________
2. Give a dissertation on the ancient Babylonian Empire with particular reference to architecture, literature, law and social conditions -OR- give the first name of Pierre Trudeau. ____________________________________________________________
3. Would you ask William Shakespeare to ___ (a) build a bridge ___ (b) sail the ocean ___ (c) lead an army or ___ (d) WRITE A PLAY
4. What religion is the Pope? ___ (a) Jewish ___ (b) Catholic ___ (c) Hindu ___ (d) Polish ___ (e) Agnostic (check only one)
5. Metric conversion. How many feet is 0.0 meters? ____________________________________________________________
6. What time is it when the big hand is on the 12 and the little hand is on the 5? ____________________________________________________________
7. How many commandments was Moses given? (approximately) ____________________________________________________________
8. What are people in America's far north called? ___ (a) Westerners ___ (b) Southerners ___ (c) Northerners
9. Spell -- Bush, Carter and Clinton
Bush: ____________________________________________________________
Carter: ____________________________________________________________
Clinton:____________________________________________________________
10. Six kings of England have been called George, the last one being George the Sixth. Name the previous five. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
11. Where does rain come from? ___ (a) Macy's ___ (b) a 7-11 ___ (c) Canada ___ (d) the sky
12. Can you explain Einstein's Theory of Relativity? ___ (a) yes ___ (b) no
13. What are coat hangers used for? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
14. The Star Spangled Banner is the National Anthem for what country? ____________________________________________________________
15. Explain Le Chateliers Principle of Dynamic Equilibrium -OR- spell your name in BLOCK LETTERS. ____________________________________________________________
16. Where is the basement in a three story building located? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________
17. Which part of America produces the most oranges? ___ (a) New York ___ (b) Florida ___ (c) Canada ___ (d) Wisconsin
18. Advanced math. If you have three apples how many apples do you have? ____________________________________________________________
19. What does NBC (National Broadcasting Corp.) stand for? ____________________________________________________________
20. The Cornell University tradition for efficiency began when (approximately)?
___ (a) B.C. ___ (b) A.D.
_________________________________________________________________ Name: ____________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________
*You must answer three or more questions correctly to qualify _________________________________________________________________
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Gray Day
Gray beauty startled me today. The fairies have run away, my childlike innocent capering world is gone; the world that remains is old and wise. I am wandering alone.
And I, who grow dizzy with giddiness in sunshine, and weep with color in sunsets, am learning to love gray.
("I who so love scarlet
Wear a gown of black,
Quaintly fitted tunic
Buttoned up the back.")
Color has not disappeared, only given up its gaudy frolic. It has grown more deliberate, more careful. The trees have wrapped themselves more closely. Fields' green, red velvet of roads, belongs to them and not to me; even the scarlet splashes of sumac are separate, apart. I neither wish, nor wish not to be, but simply am--alone. There is no lightning or thunder; those would require energy. Only gray and mist.
The sky reminds me of the ocean, our last day together at the beach--do you remember? We strode silently through the sand, our toes and legs numb with the wet cold, without feeling it. Solitude immense as the sea, intense as the waves went with us, walking together. The quiet was so deep I was afraid to breathe, could not look at you.
Now I turn, my Baggins side uppermost, saying I "should have been home yesterday." There are days one wants nothing more than a fireplace and a checkered tablecloth, waiting for someone who will be glad to be home. But that is not what I have now.
I shall have tea and Mendelssohn, and wait in quietness.
O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my wearied soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.
O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to Thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be.
~George Matheson
And I, who grow dizzy with giddiness in sunshine, and weep with color in sunsets, am learning to love gray.
("I who so love scarlet
Wear a gown of black,
Quaintly fitted tunic
Buttoned up the back.")
Color has not disappeared, only given up its gaudy frolic. It has grown more deliberate, more careful. The trees have wrapped themselves more closely. Fields' green, red velvet of roads, belongs to them and not to me; even the scarlet splashes of sumac are separate, apart. I neither wish, nor wish not to be, but simply am--alone. There is no lightning or thunder; those would require energy. Only gray and mist.
The sky reminds me of the ocean, our last day together at the beach--do you remember? We strode silently through the sand, our toes and legs numb with the wet cold, without feeling it. Solitude immense as the sea, intense as the waves went with us, walking together. The quiet was so deep I was afraid to breathe, could not look at you.
Now I turn, my Baggins side uppermost, saying I "should have been home yesterday." There are days one wants nothing more than a fireplace and a checkered tablecloth, waiting for someone who will be glad to be home. But that is not what I have now.
I shall have tea and Mendelssohn, and wait in quietness.
O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my wearied soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.
O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to Thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be.
~George Matheson
Saturday, October 14, 2006
No es futbol...
This is football. (or, What it was was...football).
I am happy.
Today, along with 84,150 other people (this is more than 2.5 percent of the state population), my father and I watched the Oklahoma Sooners beat the Iowa State Cyclones (whose mascot is a cardinal...) in Norman. It was...well. I was so happy my voice was gone by the end of the first quarter.
I wasn't sure I was going to be able to watch the game at first, because it made me dizzy to look down at the field. I wanted my opera glasses. I'm thinking this was probably the highest I've ever been on a man-made structure. Our section was over the 6th level of parking, and we were about 20 feet up in it (and yes, I know I'm a hick: think of the song from "Oklahoma" where the cowboys are singing, "everythin's up to date in Kansas City/ they've gone about as fur as they could go;/ they went and built a sky scraper seven stories high..."). I felt like I couldn't lean forward, or I might fall and keep falling. But I forgot about that when the team came onto the field. I hope the people sitting around me weren't too annoyed with the noise I made, but really, when 40,000 people are yelling, "Boomer," at you, the least you can do is give a rousing "Sooner!" (sigh. And I suppose most of you still don't understand this.) Being in a crowd like that makes one think a little of the Romans...and what could a mob like that do if they were angry?
Funniest part of the game: when the ref didn't realize his microphone was still on, and looked at a close-to-first down play, and we all heard, "we're gonna have to take a look at that..."
saddest part of the game: (which we didn't know until afterward) A.D.'s injury. Adrian "All Day" Peterson, a.k.a, "The True Freshman," performing in the first game his father was able to come to (for reasons of incarceration) since he was 12, had 183 yards (that's good!). But he also broke his collarbone diving into the endzone (that's bad--it puts him out for the rest of the season).
We got out of the stadium faster than the Romans got out of the Colliseum. The only bad part is that walking with my dad is a little like walking with Helen and MB--I had to jump every two steps--and I was wearing my ridiculous not-made-for-walking (but pretty!) new shoes...and now my feet are rather beat up. And I am tired and happy and hoarse.
I am happy.
Today, along with 84,150 other people (this is more than 2.5 percent of the state population), my father and I watched the Oklahoma Sooners beat the Iowa State Cyclones (whose mascot is a cardinal...) in Norman. It was...well. I was so happy my voice was gone by the end of the first quarter.
I wasn't sure I was going to be able to watch the game at first, because it made me dizzy to look down at the field. I wanted my opera glasses. I'm thinking this was probably the highest I've ever been on a man-made structure. Our section was over the 6th level of parking, and we were about 20 feet up in it (and yes, I know I'm a hick: think of the song from "Oklahoma" where the cowboys are singing, "everythin's up to date in Kansas City/ they've gone about as fur as they could go;/ they went and built a sky scraper seven stories high..."). I felt like I couldn't lean forward, or I might fall and keep falling. But I forgot about that when the team came onto the field. I hope the people sitting around me weren't too annoyed with the noise I made, but really, when 40,000 people are yelling, "Boomer," at you, the least you can do is give a rousing "Sooner!" (sigh. And I suppose most of you still don't understand this.) Being in a crowd like that makes one think a little of the Romans...and what could a mob like that do if they were angry?
Funniest part of the game: when the ref didn't realize his microphone was still on, and looked at a close-to-first down play, and we all heard, "we're gonna have to take a look at that..."
saddest part of the game: (which we didn't know until afterward) A.D.'s injury. Adrian "All Day" Peterson, a.k.a, "The True Freshman," performing in the first game his father was able to come to (for reasons of incarceration) since he was 12, had 183 yards (that's good!). But he also broke his collarbone diving into the endzone (that's bad--it puts him out for the rest of the season).
We got out of the stadium faster than the Romans got out of the Colliseum. The only bad part is that walking with my dad is a little like walking with Helen and MB--I had to jump every two steps--and I was wearing my ridiculous not-made-for-walking (but pretty!) new shoes...and now my feet are rather beat up. And I am tired and happy and hoarse.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Mia Familia
Es loco. I really understand myself better in their context. Witness this conversation from this morning:
Me to L: [stop smirking about something]
L: I'm not smirking!
Me: You most certainly are! That's a textbook example of a smirk!
L: You should know. You're the queen of smirking.
Me: does that make me the smirqueen? I can't very well be a king...
C: well, if you ever meet a man who's king of the smurs, you'll know he's for you.
Me: nobody loves me.
L: your coffee loves you!
Me: no, because I drink it.
L: It likes to be drinken, drunk, drank...
Me: it shouldn't be drunk, because then it gets tipsy and spills all over me [my dad's still making fun of me for spilling a whole cup all over myself one Sunday morning...it's not for nothing my name means grace]
or last night, when we were comparing the infamous Curby eyebrows (I hope Josiah has recovered by now. pobre tomate.) My dad certainly has the wiggliest, and he is also the only one who is ambi-eyebrowed. And he is the only person I know who can wiggle his eyebrows and laugh while whistling the theme from the Andy Griffith show, thereby making any opponent lose his concentration entirely. and (almost) the only person who can make me blush on command.
and evidently the furry with the syringe on the top has joined the ranks of the Arab Texan by the name of Hep Usef and the large urban shopping centers...
sometime I'll have to explain Harry and Hair Back on the Air (or maybe have them on as guests...), but right now I'm too confused. How did I end up related to these people?
Me to L: [stop smirking about something]
L: I'm not smirking!
Me: You most certainly are! That's a textbook example of a smirk!
L: You should know. You're the queen of smirking.
Me: does that make me the smirqueen? I can't very well be a king...
C: well, if you ever meet a man who's king of the smurs, you'll know he's for you.
Me: nobody loves me.
L: your coffee loves you!
Me: no, because I drink it.
L: It likes to be drinken, drunk, drank...
Me: it shouldn't be drunk, because then it gets tipsy and spills all over me [my dad's still making fun of me for spilling a whole cup all over myself one Sunday morning...it's not for nothing my name means grace]
or last night, when we were comparing the infamous Curby eyebrows (I hope Josiah has recovered by now. pobre tomate.) My dad certainly has the wiggliest, and he is also the only one who is ambi-eyebrowed. And he is the only person I know who can wiggle his eyebrows and laugh while whistling the theme from the Andy Griffith show, thereby making any opponent lose his concentration entirely. and (almost) the only person who can make me blush on command.
and evidently the furry with the syringe on the top has joined the ranks of the Arab Texan by the name of Hep Usef and the large urban shopping centers...
sometime I'll have to explain Harry and Hair Back on the Air (or maybe have them on as guests...), but right now I'm too confused. How did I end up related to these people?
Monday, October 02, 2006
Because it's Monday...
And I feel like I've been writing support letters for a loooong time:
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~
Chocolate Lava Muffins (tested and approved by the Curby family during that week of fall before the return of summer. They're a little more like brownies than muffins--very rich.)Thanks to Alton Brown of "Good Eats" and the Food Network for the recipe--this and the rest of the "chocolate" show airs tomorrow night at 7ET, for any Food Network junkies--or are we the only ones?
Recipe difficulty: easy
prep time: 20 minutes
(also leave time for chilling batter)
cook time: 11 minutes
yield: 1 dzn.
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips [ed. note: we substituted dark chocolate =]
1 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
[more ed. commentary: we also added 1 tablespoon baking cocoa]
4 eggs
more cocoa powder
ice cream
preheat the oven to 375^. In a double boiler (or small metal bowl over saucepan/tea kettle with simmering water), melt chocolate and butter. Stir in vanilla.
In large mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, salt (and 1 T. cocoa). Sift into chocolate and mix well with electric hand mixer. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next. Beat on high until batter is creamy and lightens in color, appx. 4 min. Chill.
Coat top and each cup of muffin tin with butter. Dust with remaining cocoa powder, shaking off excess. Spoon mixture into pan using a 4-ounce scoop or ladle. Bake 10-11 min. Outsides should be cake-like, centers should be gooey.
Serve with ice cream (if preferred, melt vanilla ice cream in small saucepan, and stir in 1 teaspoon espresso powder. Serve over warm ice cream.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In, other news, SoonerSports.com reads, "welcome to OU-Texas week..."
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~
Chocolate Lava Muffins (tested and approved by the Curby family during that week of fall before the return of summer. They're a little more like brownies than muffins--very rich.)Thanks to Alton Brown of "Good Eats" and the Food Network for the recipe--this and the rest of the "chocolate" show airs tomorrow night at 7ET, for any Food Network junkies--or are we the only ones?
Recipe difficulty: easy
prep time: 20 minutes
(also leave time for chilling batter)
cook time: 11 minutes
yield: 1 dzn.
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips [ed. note: we substituted dark chocolate =]
1 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
[more ed. commentary: we also added 1 tablespoon baking cocoa]
4 eggs
more cocoa powder
ice cream
preheat the oven to 375^. In a double boiler (or small metal bowl over saucepan/tea kettle with simmering water), melt chocolate and butter. Stir in vanilla.
In large mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, salt (and 1 T. cocoa). Sift into chocolate and mix well with electric hand mixer. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next. Beat on high until batter is creamy and lightens in color, appx. 4 min. Chill.
Coat top and each cup of muffin tin with butter. Dust with remaining cocoa powder, shaking off excess. Spoon mixture into pan using a 4-ounce scoop or ladle. Bake 10-11 min. Outsides should be cake-like, centers should be gooey.
Serve with ice cream (if preferred, melt vanilla ice cream in small saucepan, and stir in 1 teaspoon espresso powder. Serve over warm ice cream.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In, other news, SoonerSports.com reads, "welcome to OU-Texas week..."
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