Long, But Not So Good, Day

Went out to the driveway to go to work today and discovered the driver's side window had been smashed in and the cover to the CD/Radio player had been removed. The whole unit could not be taken, so the only one getting anything out of the effort was me. I got a couple hundred bucks to replace, a day of missing work and all of the insurance, repairs and police calls. And I'm out the use of my car for a few days while it all gets done.

It also gives me more time to do battle with the field mouse trying to enter my house this afternoon through the heating unit.

Long, But Good, Day

Just checking in to keep you informed of my comings and goings.

Today I saw 4 clients (that's 6 hours) and then went to a community town hall meeting of a religious alliance for inclusion (of the GLBT population). Over 200 people attended and included two state senators, the House majority leader and the president of Albuquerque City Council. The Lt. Governor also sent a letter of support. She had planned to be there, but was acting Governor for the day...and the Round House (how we refer to our state house here) had flooded. She was overseeing cleanup.

How New Mexico.

(An arial view of the Round House) ----->

More Funny Americanese

Speaking of church, I found listed in our Sunday bulletin this definition for an upcoming live nativity scene on Christmas Eve:

"Christmas Eve Tableau (tableau: a stage scene in which costumed actors neither speak or move)"

Is it really acting when someone neither speaks nor moves?

Cool

I just checked out our church Web site and found that it is really good. Usually "church" and good Web sites are mutually exclusive. Check it out: www.all-angels.com. For a taste of how local tradition flavors the services, read the sermon from Hallowe'en/Day of the Dead/All Saints Day/All Souls Day.

It's Everywhere

I have discovered what may be considered to be our national phrase:

"Well, that's [insert your choice of state name here] weather for you."

People everywhere, in every part of the country, seem to think that weather in their locale is uniquely unpredictable.

Talking with folks back in Indiana who were describing November tornadoes that hit that state, they said, "That's Indiana weather for you," meaning its unpredictability. Friends on the east coast, when talking about the weather, often remark, "Well that's New England weather for you."

Even here in Albuquerque, New Mexico--where we have a yearly average of over 310 days of sunshine and only 8.88 inches of rain--I heard the phrase just this week. The sunny morning had given way to overcast skies. "Well, that's New Mexico weather for you," my companion remarked.

You may also choose to use the popular alternate phrase:

"If you don't like the weather here, just wait 15 minutes."

However you choose to express it, be sure to make it sound as if you think you are being highly original and as if the person you are saying it to will be duly impressed at how unusually unique the weather is your part of the country.

And speaking of weather phraseology, has anyone ever discovered the meaning of this one:

"Looks like we are going to get some weather soon"?

That's like saying, "At least you have your health," without specifying whether you mean good health or bad health. All weather is weather, just like all health is health--good or bad. There isn't a lack of weather when the sky is blue and the sun is shining.

Well, that's all for the English lesson for today. I just found it amusing.

Thankfully...

...they are all safely in bed now. But we'll get to that in a moment. For now, this is a short essay on "What I Did for My Thanksgiving Break." Yeah. You guessed it. It does include thankfulness that they are all safely in bed....

While most people enjoy big gatherings of family and friends around a big turkey dinner for Thanksgiving, I had agreed to housesit alone in the quiet east mountains (eastern side of the Albuquerque Sandia range). For company, I had two horses, two dogs and two cats. And I was ready with my stuffed "Tofurky" (vegetarian tofu that tastes much like turkey to my meatless tastebuds), some potatoes, onions and carrots. I was ready for a peaceful, tranquil retreat and to calmly give thanks for the year's bounty.

The house was very nice and had a spectacular view of the desert looking eastward. Juniper, some scattered cacti lingering in bloom, crows flying low enough to hear the w-h-o-o-s-h w-h-o-o-s-h of their wings, no neighbors in sight. Ahhh. It was even warm enough on Thanksgiving Day that I enjoyed a late November sun bathing session, sans clothing.

In the evening, with a full stomach and all the animals cared for, I stepped outside to view the glittering starlit sky. That's when tranquility turned to tension. Quickly.

Merlin, one of the horses had escaped his stall and was out feeding freely in the unfenced yard. To my dismay, I discovered that, yes, I had latched the stall, but I had not clipped it properly. Now Merlin was out roaming with no halter and was spirited at that!!! A moment of panic.

Fortunately, I was able to lure him back inside the stall with the promise of food. This time (and every time afterwards, for that matter), I double, then triple checked the latch.

Relieved, I went back inside the house to resume my Thanksgiving relaxation. Instead, I discovered that now one of the cats was missing! He had not returned from his afternoon promenade outside.

A glance again at the note left on the table by the owners offered no assurance.

"PLEASE do not let cats outside before sunrise or after sunset. The coyotes will eat them!"

It was after sunset.

I could hear coyotes yipping and howling in the not-so-far distance. I don't speak coyote, but I'm pretty certain that among the yips and howls that I heard at least one pining, "What about my Thanksgiving dinner? What will you feed me?" Quickly I decided that, in order to protect the cat, I would let the dogs out. Maybe they could scare away the coyotes. Strands of "I Know an Old Lady" began singing in my head. This was unappreciated, but sadly seemed to fit the unfolding circumstances.

Three uneasy hours later--the cat did return. Whew!

One of the dogs did not. Aagghhhh!

Even eating Tofurky, I still seemed doomed to sacrifice some animal this Thanksgiving holiday. I prayed that the owners might still have some spirit of thanks to give to me for housesitting. Oh sure they would return to a home minus one of their animals. But, hey, five out of six isn't that bad, is it? Eighty-three percent survival is still something to give thanks for, right? Right?

Finally--at 3 AM--the dog did return home. Without coyote teeth marks, thank you very much.

All in all, another typical Thanksgiving for me. What'd you do?

(BTW...two days later, snow covered the ground and the wind whipped through the juniper in gusts up to 35 miles an hour.)

Hmmm....

In preparing my lecture for tomorrow's class, I reflected on calling my business a "practice." Why would anyone want to pay me if I'm still just practicing. Don't they want me to already be good at what I'm doing?!

Then I thought of all of the medical doctors and their "practices." Kind of scares me.

I'd hire a lawyer to sue the MDs for charging me to practice on my time, but then lawyers are just practicing, too.

First Class is Full

I'm teaching a free introductory session on hypnosis this Tuesday evening. Seats in the room are completely reserved (15+).

Guess I should go prepare a lecture.

I Need a Digital Camera

Otherwise I can't really show you what I'm doing (like a photo of my new office) and will have to keep using downloaded comic images.

BTW, I'm enjoying my new lifestyle; spent the day soaking in a jacuzzi thinking about business!

I Thought You Should Know

Next Thursday is Thanksgiving Day.

Someone asked me two days ago what my plans were for Thanksgiving. I replied that I hadn't decided yet, but would figure something out in a couple of weeks when the time was closer.

That's when I was welcomed back to the reality of everyone else's calendar.

Open for Business

"I Do Feel Better" is the title of this Sam Brown image and that's the phrase I'm listening for from clients.

Business cards are printed. Invitations have been sent out for a hypnosis introductory class I will teach next Tuesday. Now I am writing a brief brochure about services offered.

Day One

Today is my first "official" day as a business. Since the office furniture is arriving today and it's unethical to hypnotize people into indentured work, this first day will be spent the same as my previous ones at home: i.e. assembling, assembling, assembling.

And paying bills.

Oh, That Crazy American English

I was at the city treasurer's office this week to get my business license. There was an elderly hispanic woman next to me getting her license for the babysitting she does at home.

Clerk: "So you are working out of your home, correct?"
Woman: "No. I'm working in my home."

Each time the clerk referenced the work she was doing out of her home, the elderly lady would say, "No. I'm working in my home."

It reminded me of Abu (from The Simpsons) after a huge tank explosion. He exclaims, "Inflammable means flammable?! What a country!"

What's a Guy to Do?

Shop.
Assemble.
Return to store for forgotten items.
Assemble.
Return incorrect items to store.
Assemble.
Shop some more.

Repeat above. Often.

My first week back has been spent setting up my home administrative office. I'll repeat the scenario next Mondy when I move into the office where I will see clients. It is located next to UNM Hospital at 819 Vassar Drive, SE.

(Thanks, Odette, for leaving the message about an office possibility.)

School's Out

And I'm certifiably back. Slowly turning on my telephone, getting computer access back and generally reconnecting to the world. Thanks for all of the encouragement over the past summer and fall months. You were appreciated and missed.

I'll be updating this site with much more frequency now (and also my alter ego site).

Oh, and by the way. You may now address me as:
Dennis R. Plummer, C.Ht.