Tragically tamed tigers, and Darlin' goes to roost

It's a sunny, windy fall Saturday, and I'm here in the house watching The Haunting on TCM and drinking a very delicious Sirius Cream Ale from Lagunitas. I've partially watched this movie probably more than five times -- have never seemed to be able to get through it, due to not being in the right mood or falling asleep or other distractions. It is largely considered to be the finest ghost story in existence, so I feel like I should do it justice by watching it in its entirety, for once and for all!

So, I'm a little disappointed this morning that the Tigers lost the World Series last night. I watched the game through about the sixth inning, then switched away due to problems with tht channel's display on my digital cable (you know, the service I pay about $80 a month for). So, I missed the bitter end. I suppose I can't feel too badly about it -- I haven't followed the Tigers for a long time, but it was nice to have my childhood ball club go to the World Series again. I can remember the last time they did that. Sheesh, I was eight years old...had a crush on Lance Parrish. I've always had something for catchers. Can't figure it out.

Just as daylight savings time ends tonight, heralding the fleeing of the light, this morning marked another signal of the change of the seasons: John came to pick Darlin' up and take her off for her winter sleep. I felt a lot better about handing her over to him this year, because I knew that I'd had her out more and that she'd been operating fine as of two weekends ago. I feel like I did Darlin' a bit more justice this summer than I'd done in previous years. I'm proud of myself for that.

Now, as the afternoon wanes, I have to decide wheether I'm going to go to this Halloween party tonight. It's a fun party, and one I've been to for probably two of the last three years, but it's hosted by people who I'd really only consider acquaintances. Though there will be some people there I've met and occasionally hung out with, there will not be anyone there I really consider a friend. Sara, Jason and Kenzie were going to go, but Sara just called to tell me Kenzie's been throwing up today, so they're not going to attend. Luckily, I haven't spent more than about $4 on costume accoutrements, so I certainly don't feel any pressure to show myself in costume this year. I'm guessing I'll just have to wait until the time gets a little closer and see how I feel. One thing that's a definite draw: Doren (the hostess) puts an incredible amount of effort in the food for this party -- it is a Halloween feast unlike any other. Worth it to go just for the eats!

A fair Wisconsin votes NO

On November 7, one of the issues coming before Wisconsin voters is a constitutional ban on same-sex unions. Given that this is a matter close to my heart that directly affects people I love (even though those people don't live in Wisconsin), I am encouraging anyone who may happen to stumble upon my blog who is a Wisconsin voter to PLEASE VOTE NO.

I don't hope to change anyone's mind all on my own, but, in the jaded and troubled world we live in, how does it make any sense to block loving, committed same-sex couples from enjoying the same rights and benefits as heterosexual couples?

In truth, this amendment doesn't just affect same-sex couples, but could affect unmarried heterosexual couples, too. As the La Crosse Tribune said in a recent editorial:

"If a couple is in a committed relationship, why does it make sense to interfere with hospital visitation, custody of children, health insurance or retirement or other benefits? The second sentence in the amendment could affect heterosexual as well as gay couples.The issue really is not about gay marriage. That is already banned by Wisconsin statutes. The real danger in this amendment is what would happen to any unmarried couples because of the second sentence, banning civil unions and adversely affecting relationships 'similar' to marriage."

Donut hole whore

I made a big mistake yesterday at the grocery store. Huge. Can't believe I did this.

I bought a package of cake donut holes, and now I can't...stop...eating...them.

I am not generally a "donut person." I'm not susceptible to the donut mystique. I could kind of care less about them, actually. I'd rather have eggs and some sort of pork product. But there's something about cake donut holes that I do find rather irresistible. They have to be plain cake donuts, though. Not powdered, not frosted, not otherwise floozied up with toppings or sprinkles or any of that shit. Just plain cake, the type that Marie Antoinette might have directed me to eat (that reminds me, I may have to go see that movie, because it totally looks like a visual confection, and I find Kirsten Dunst semi-charming).

So, against my better interests, I bought a package of them yesterday and proceeded to eat half the package for breakfast with a pot of Alterra coffee. And did I even have the decency to feel guilty? No. And now what am I doing this morning? I'm blogging with cake donut holes! Thankfully, the typing slows me down a bit, as I don't want to get donut grease on my keyboard but still...they're sitting right here in front of me and I'm rather powerless.

See, you couldn't tell but, in between that last sentence and this one, I took a bite of one. And probably, after I publish this post, I'm going to finish the one I took the bite of. And maybe take a bite out of another one. Do you see how this is a slippery slope? Ah, me...

Honeymoon snow

So, around 8:30 or so last night, I let Dakota outside and discovered the backyard was blanketed in a layer of wet, wet snow. SNOW! Now, I do believe it'd snowed in my backyard already -- a couple weeks ago when I was in Ottawa. But I wasn't here to see it, so this was officially my first snow of the season.

And, I have to admit, I enjoyed seeing it. Because, you see, this is what is classified as "honeymoon snow." This is one of those first handful of snows of the late fall and early winter that you find so charming and lovely. They make you want to knit and drink hot chocolate and go out and walk in it and think all kinds of quiet, introspective thoughts. You might even quote poetry or make a snow angel or engage in a spontaneous little snowball fight with some rambunctious neighborhood urchins. You find the shoveling you have to do to be entirely enjoyable because, gosh, it's such good exercise! You have to enjoy these snows while they last, because soon this honeymoon snow starts turning into "blind apathy snows," which are the snows that fall in the late December to January timeframe. These snows can be quite beautiful and also quite dramatic but, because it's December and January, you expect them, so you almost don't see them, even though they do have a tendency to blanket the outside surfaces quite nicely and are, for the most part, a lovely shade of winter white. The exception to the apathy is, of course, the Christmas snows. If they do not fall (heaven forbid), their absence is loudly and woefully noted and it almost seems silly to listen to such fanciful songs as "Sleigh Ride" and "Winter Wonderland" and "Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!" The lack of Christmas snows, some believe, take years off Santa Claus' life. It's truly catastrophic. In any case, the apathy snows, of course, are closely followed by the "overstayed your welcome snow." These are the snows that fall starting around February, and they're the ones that fall from the sky white, but somehow manage to turn a dingy, depressing gray the second they hit the ground. Those snows can be rather hard to take. But, probably the worst snow of all is the "you've gotta be f&*king kidding me!" snows. These are the ones that fall in late April or, god forbid, early May and screw the tender little crocuses and tulips and daffodils ALL up. These snows have been known to make people curse the sky and swear most adamantly that they're moving out of the friggin' Midwest because WHO CAN HANDLE SNOW IN MAY?

But, eventually, the snows recede and spring arrives for about three days before you're hit with your first 85-degree, humid day. And then, round about mid-July, you're all slumped on the couch, sweating out of every pore with about three fans blowing directly on you while the sun tries to murder every tender surface outside, and you think, "God, it's hot. I wish it would snow."

Gosh, this feels good

My beleaguered Spartans won against Northwestern yesterday. Considering Northwestern (2-6, 0-4) is not a fantastic team this year and yesterday was their fifth straight loss, you might wonder why I find this win by Sparty to be of note. The reason is twofold:

1. The Spartans broke their own four-game losing streak
2. They also, by coming back from a 38-3 deficit to win it 41-38, now have the greatest comeback in the history of NCAA Division 1-A.

Northwestern may not be a powerhouse like Ohio State or Michigan this year, but gosh, it sure feels good to win.

GO GREEN!