Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Brumation

Who uses it: Biologists and natural scientists
What it means: Winter inactivity of cold-blooded creatures; warm-blooded creatures hibernate, but cold-blooded creatures (amphibians, reptiles) brumate.
How you can use it: I could take a cheap shot and say "Congress's winter recess," but I'm sure you can come up with your own example.

No one bashed Congress better than Mark Twain. Jen used another quotation from Mark Twain in the birthday card I got from her and Lek:
You can't reach old age by another man's road. My habits protect my life but they would assassinate you.

Jen thought I might take offense at that quotation -- or offense that she thought it applied so well to me -- but it's perfect. I have enjoyed, and do enjoy, my life a great deal, but it's not a life I'd recommend to many other people.

I like my solitude, but the truth is that it would sometimes be easier to have someone else around to walk the dog, make the coffee, or do the dishes once in a while. I love not working in an office, but Anthem is raising my insurance premiums to a frightening level after the first of the year, and I sometimes do miss the goofy interactions of life in an office. I miss paid vacations and dental benefits.

Not enough to go back to my old life, but it's a rainy day and it's my blog, and if I want to whine once in a while, I will, dammit.

Today I have to launch a serious apartment-cleaning offensive, because -- hurray, hurray -- Ashton's coming to visit for the weekend! Anna and I are picking him up in Portland on Friday afternoon, and he'll split his time between the Bragdons and me. Dizzy will be so excited to see him, he might rupture something.

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