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You Are Mind |
 If you dream it, then you can do it. You are very mentally sharp and strong. You enjoy challenging yourself both at work and with studies. You love mastering difficult tasks. You thrive in new environments, even stressful ones. You are able to study everything objectively. |
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You Should Have Been Born Under: Rooster |
 Resourceful and practical, you are a quick thinker. You are very observant – and it’s hard to get anything past you! A total perfectionist, you are especially picky about looking your best. You’re a big dreamer – such a big dreamer that reality can disappoint you. You are most compatible with an Ox or Snake. |
I have piles of Sadie’s drawings waiting to be scanned and/or stored better. She’s amazing.
Wednesday we took Henry for his first haircut, as I needed one sufficiently and he really needed one, more than these pictures make obvious. Back when we were going to trim it the first time, I knew the first cut would be free, Deb thought it was a significant ritual worth waiting for, and I had enough history with home haircuts that we decided to do that. I spent most of my childhood with absolutely awful home haircuts to save money. I saw my nephews get nothing but home haircuts and that being the subject of much amusement. Not that it’s wrong to trim his hair ourselves, but it’s a loaded thing for me, and a good cut from a pro starts you with a basis to make it come out better in between times. We lucked out, getting there with almost nobody in the place ahead of us, and Henry’s tears notwithstanding, had a fun day, following it with a walk around the mall to fight youthful stir crazy.
Anyway, here are two before pics, three during pics, and three after pics.
This was about a month ago, at her birthday.
We didn’t get a picture of me after the haircut as I’d planned, except possible on Deb’s phone, but I thought I’d post the before ones anyway. You may be able to see how thin I’ve gotten, not that I post a lot of pictures, but some readers have seen me in person as well. The shirt is one of the less baggy of what are now tents on me – it was a tighter fit than it ought have been for its size. In the second one, she had described how goofy I looked when I squinched my face in anticipation of the photo, and hand over mouth was my reaction. The second one also serves as an additional pre-haircut picture of Henry. Who is, come to think of it, 19 months old today.
We are planning to take Henry for his first haircut, same time as I get mine cut. He needs it bad. I kind of need it. Mine is in that stage where if it’s washed, brushed into place, allowed to dry, and doesn’t get mussed, it looks especially good but is about not to. I always assume people think I am fat and hopelessly ugly, but even I can sometimes see when… not so much. The other day I was out and in peak appearance, plus for some reason feeling excellent and confident entirely at odds with circumstances. Caught a cashier spontaneously reacting to me when she saw me. Not like that never happens, but for some reason I am impossible to convince. It’s as if everyone has to be impressed always, or I take any who aren’t as gospel. That left me pondering for the next day. Or more, since apparently I remain ponderous. At least in the volume of words I produce about it when it’s not necessarily the topic at hand.
Anyway, it’s time. He looks like a budding rock star, in addition to action like the kid who’ll want a guitar when he is four. I am right at the correct point without going much, if any, over.
It’s Deb’s day off that we generally designate as my day for whatever I want, and in that sense I made no plans. However, it enables everyone to go, so the kids all get an outing and there is someone to occupy/watch Henry while I am in the chair. She gets to experience the first haircut that way.
Also easier for getting pictures, which we’ll try to do. Since that is the case, I’m going to try to get some of me. Intentionally! Before and after. Recently realized lack of recent good pictures of me, or any, and I am down 75 lbs, to 233, with my only remaining goal being to get into the 220s and never to rise above the 230s again. Let alone pics good for a head shot/avatar or an informal portrait. I don’t have a way to show what I currently look like. As much as I hate pics of myself, I’d like to change that.
And it’s late and I need more coffee but have barely time to get dressed and leave dammit! Guess it’s post and off to the package mines for me.
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Your Heart Takes Love Seriously |
 You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free. In love, you feel the most alive when your lover is creative and never lets you feel bored. You’d like to your lover to think you are loyal and faithful… that you’ll never change. You would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic. Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future… one you can grow with. Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. You think of marriage as something that will confine you. You are afraid of marriage. In this moment, you think of love as commitment. Love only works when both people are totally devoted. |
Another one I am sure I took in past and, same questions or not, got the same result…
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You Are Emerald Green |
 Deep and mysterious, it often seems like no one truly gets you. Inside, you are very emotional and moody – though you don’t let it show. People usually have a strong reaction to you… profound love or deep hate. But you can even get those who hate you to come around. There’s something naturally harmonious about you. |
I got carried away. Some are definitely or possibly repeats, like the “Acid” result is even the same as it was way back.
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Your Brain is Creative |
 You have a dreamy mind, full of fancy and fantasy. You have the ability to stay forever entertained with your thoughts. People may say you’re hard to read, but that’s because you’re so internally focused. But when you do share what you’re thinking, people are impressed with your imagination. |
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Your Hidden Talent is Understanding People |
 Your natural talent is interpersonal relations and dealing with people. You communicate well and are able to bring disparate groups together. Your calming presence helps everything go more smoothly. People crave your praise and complements. |
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You Can Say “Merry Christmas” in 10 Languages |
 You can say “Merry Christmas” in: English |
Amused. Many are easy to guess or extrapolate, though, for a cunning linguist.
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Your Vocabulary Score: A |
 Congratulations on your multifarious vocabulary! You must be quite an erudite person. |
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You Speak New England Slang |
 New England Slang: 75% Aussie Slang: 50% Canadian Slang: 50% Southern Slang: 50% Prison Slang: 25% British Slang: 0% |
At least it came out appropriate. Some of them I’d never heard at all and picked one that sounded good.
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Your Personality Is Like Acid |
 A bit wacky, you’re very difficult to predict. One moment you’re in your own little happy universe… And the next, you’re on a bad trip to your own personal hell! At your best: You understand the world completely, and every ordinary experience is sublime. What people like about being around you: You say and do the craziest things. You’re very entertaining. What people dislike about being around you: You’re unpredictable. Your mood swings are quite intense. How addicted people get to you: They pretty much don’t get addicted to you. |
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You Belong in the Baby Boomer Generation |
 You fit in best with people born between 1943 and 1960. You are optimistic, rebellious, and even a little self centered. You still believe that you will change the world. You detest authority and rules. Deep down, you’re a non conformist. |
By at least some definitions the baby boom ended in 1964, so appropriate enough, even if that “generation” is no monolithic as such. How is someone born 1948 so much like 1961 in outlook and experience? Yeah.
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You Communicate Honestly |
 You don’t mince words. You are to the point and all about the facts. However, you are charming enough to tell people the truth yet still not offend them. It’s likely that you have a hilarious, no holds barred sense of humor. And you sure tell an entertaining story! |
That and next one seem to claim I am the kind of storyteller I was telling Deb she can be, making her already larger than life experiences sound almost unbelievable, or building on what’s real and ordinary to make it more extreme or impressive.
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You Are a Playwright |
 You are a highly literate wordsmith. You love both reading and writing. You are also a natural storyteller. You can turn a mediocre anecdote into a riveting tale. You find people and all aspects of life fascinating. No topic is off limits for you. |
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You Are Not Assertive |
 You aren’t very assertive. You tend to have trouble expressing your needs and wants. Instead, you tend to get very frustrated if people don’t read your mind! You may want to be more assertive, but when the time comes, you find yourself at a loss for words. |
And this is a major problem for me. Nor am I incapable of it! It seems to have been trained out of me early and often. Deb has observed I can be like a dog that’s been beaten too many times, which is a reasonable observation.
Heh. Almost typed “plaque” instead.
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You Are Factual |
 You are highly intelligent, especially in areas that deal with concrete knowledge and facts. You are amazingly analytical. You can make sense of chaos without involving your emotions. If anything, you tend to be overly logical. It’s sometimes hard for you to come to a decision, because you’re too busy weighing all the options. |
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You Crave an Exhilarating Life |
 Your dream is to live a life of inspiration, ideas, and wisdom. There’s so much to do in the world, and it’s important that you accomplish something great. You desire success, but not necessarily material success. Success could be helping others find the right path. |
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You Are Dare |
 You are outrageous, adventurous, and wild. You live to have fun. You are all about taking risks and pushing limits. You love the rush of doing something forbidden. Like most daring people, you are highly intelligent and creative. That’s why you get bored so easily. |
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Your Thinking is Concrete and Random |
 You are naturally inquisitive and curious. You’re excited by new ideas, and you are a true independent thinker. You are interested in what is possible. You like the process of discovery. Rules, restrictions, and limit don’t really work for you. |
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You Are Disturbingly Profound |
 You’re contemplative, thoughtful, and very intense. Taking time to figure out the meaning of life is a priority for you. Because you’re so introspective, you often react in ways that surprise people. No one can really understand how you are on the inside… and that disturbs them. |
A couple particularly good ones here…
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You Are a Carrot Cake Cupcake |
 You are a complex person. You have many interesting layers to your personality, though others might not know it. You are drawn to a cross section of people. You friends play different roles in your life. You are like a cupcake because you are are deceptively simple. There’s actually a lot to you! |
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You Are the Artist |
 You are unique and inspired. You aren’t happy unless you are making art of some sort. Almost anything can be a catalyst for your creativity. You find the whole world stimulating. You have beautiful visions, and you’re good at expressing them. You like people to see what you see. |
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You Are the Crown Chakra |
 You are truly enlightened. You are humble, unselfish, and without prejudices. You are a humanitarian. You value justice, and you’re doing your best to make the world a better place. You are an ethical person. You strive to do the right thing and be good to people. |
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Your Word is “Think” |
 You see life as an amazing mix of possibilities, ideas, and fascinations. And sometimes you feel like you don’t have enough time to take it all in. You love learning. Whether you’re in school or not, you’re probably immersed in several subjects right now. |
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You Can Be Deeply Passionate Sometimes |
 You are a loner, and you’re fine with that. You find the most fulfillment in solitude. And you never feel more lonely than when you’re in a crowd. You fall in love with ease and confidence. Even if you’ve had bad experiences in the past, each new love is a reason to start completely over. You are deeply passionate about several things in your life. You’re not passionate about much… and the few passions you have are truly obsessions. Your sense of humor is sarcastic, snarky, and realistic. You’re not exactly happy-go-lucky. |
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You Should Be a Science Fiction Writer |
 Your ideas are very strange, and people often wonder what planet you’re from. And while you may have some problems being “normal,” you’ll have no problems writing sci-fi. Whether it’s epic films, important novels, or vivid comics… Your own little universe could leave an important mark on the world! |
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You Are An INFP |
 The Idealist You are a creative person with a great imagination. You enjoy living in your own inner world. In love, you tend to have high (and often unrealistic) standards. At work, you need to do something that expresses your personal values. How you see yourself: Unselfish, empathetic, and spiritual When other people don’t get you, they see you as: Unrealistic, naive, and weak |
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You Are a Bay |
 You are a blissful, peaceful person. Some might call you spiritual. You are easy-going and tranquil. You take solace in life’s sweet moments. You are sentimental and open-hearted. You love many people, places, and things. |
What follows is a reprint of this post from August 20, 2003, which I found amusing.
Abode Musings
My older brother is currently staying at my grandmother’s house, crashing on a cot in a corner of the attic. She hates having him there, but then she’s suffering that aging symptom of hating everything these days. She also does nothing but gripe about my mother, who also lives there, and on whom my grandmother is increasingly dependent. She collects a significant amount of money from my mother, which is how she can afford to keep the house. When my grandmother is gone, everything will be sold and split, and my mother will be out on the street. But I digress. Same kind of thing is happening with my brother. She’s collecting significant money from him and complaining to everyone how she’s losing money by having him there. Patently absurd on the face of it.
So my brother needs to go somewhere else eventually, of course subject to what happens with his divorce and whether he gets his house back. He’s been talking with my cousin, who – if I am remembering right – is getting an apartment because his house isn’t done yet. They may share a place, then later my brother may be able to take a room in my cousin’s house.
If not, he’s approaching me about the idea of sharing a place when the time comes.
I have mixed feelings. He can be tempestuous, but mostly he was fine to live with when I rented a room from him for a couple years up through and just beyond the end of college. It was meeting the ill-fated wife he’ll be divorcing that he became crazy, and she made a concerted effort to “encourage” me to want to leave. For a year or so, I really liked living there. Whatever happens, I’d rather he move into a place that is already mine, or we move into a place together, so there can’t be any “this is my apartment” bullshit. Though that didn’t start until he’d met her.
I try to avoid sharing an apartment with anyone. I’m the esaiest going person in the world, but I can’t stand living with people who aren’t that way, or take advantage of my good nature. On the other hand, I really can’t afford to keep on paying rent on an entire apartment myself, not at this price. It’s a tough call. It would help us both.
Anyway, because he is talking next spring at least, it’s so far in the future as to be highly speculative. I’d like to have moved by then myself.
All of which affects the broadband I spoke of in the previous post. I can’t commit to a year, knowing I expect and want to move. Then again, with my level of inertia, I could be here that much longer. Which is bad; I’ll end up frantically trying to move when I get a notice that rent is going up. Amazed I haven’t been hit with that yet.
Well, we’ll see what happens. I’ve had slow connections this long.
Perhaps this place should be named Dispatches from Quizblivion instead.
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You Are Vanilla |
 You are a delightful, friendly person. You are optimistic about life and people. You are enthusiastic and energetic. You enjoy everything you do. You are cooperative and flexible. You get along with people from many walks of life. |
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You Are the Anti-Jerk |
 You’re so sweet, no one would ever consider you a jerk. When it comes to deciding what to do, you always think about everyone else first. There’s nothing wrong with going the extra mile, as long as you don’t let others take advantage of you. |