Ellipsis

"Be like the flower... turn you face towards the sun!"

-Kahill Gibran

Well, today is the last day of my yearly visit back to AOL Ellipsis. :) I like it here. I miss it's simplicity sometimes. I miss the little bell of the alerts, telling me someone has come by for a visit. Oh well... time, and place moves on, and seldom asks for our permission. God how I hate the phrase, "It's time to move on." Sigh.

Note: This blog will be open until early Monday morning... thank you for coming by, and taking the time to say "hello."

Always, Carly

Summer, 2007

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"The earth laughs in flowers."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Of all the Dahlias in the garden in Golden Gate Park, I think this variety is my favorite. I love the double bloom, and yellow and pink is my favorite color combination. The garden has every color combination possible, but I always keep going back to this one. Its perfect... isn't it? It had been a good day with the camera, I wish every day had been like this one was. :)

-OndineMonet

August, 2007

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"Summer afternoons, summer afternoons; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."

-Henry James

-OndineMonet

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"I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering."

-Steven Wright

Can't Take My Eyes Off You

You're just too good to be true

Can't take my eyes off of you

You'd be like heaven to touch

I want to hold you so much

At long last love has arrived

And I thank God I'm alive

You're just too good to be true

Can't take my eyes of you

Pardon the way that I stare

There's nothing else to compare

The thought of you leaves me weak

There are no words left to speak

But if you feel like I feel

Please let me know that it's real

You're just too good to be true

Can't take my eyes off of you

I love you baby, and if it's quite all right

I need you bady, to warm my lonely nights

I love you baby, trust in me when I say

I love you baby

Don't let me down, I pray

I love you baby

Now that I found you stay

And let me love you baby, let me love you.

-OndineMonet

"A Summer Daydream"

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"A cloud does not know why it moves in just such a direction, and at such a speed...it feels and impulsion...this is the place to go now. But the sky knows the reasons and the patterns behind all clouds, and you will know too, when you lift up yourself high enough to see beyond the horizons."

-Richard Bach

It was fun to pay a visit back here in the old neighborhood, but now it's time to go back to the new old digs of "Ellipsis...Suddenly Carly." I had forgotten how much I missed the little bell sound of the comments alerts. :) Kinda fun. Thank you everyone who dropped by to say hello and leave me a comment. You all made my visit back here, where it all began, very special! Smile...you know who your are! *****WINK*****

Note: I will be closing Ellipsis early Monday morning. See ya next year...maybe!

-OndineMonet

"After The Storm"

Marin County, California

Late Spring, 2005

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"Don't approach a goat from the front, a horse from he back, or a fool from any side."

-Yiddish Proverb

Tee Hee. Quick, if I were to ask you what kind of animal was in the above photo, what would you say? A groundhog? A hedgehog? A porcupine? How about a squirrel? Sure...yeah...it's a squirrel. LOL. I ask this question because something kinda odd happened recently, and I thought it might make a good entry her to share it with you. Hold onto your hats...it might come as a shock!

Recently, I took a drive down the 17 miles drive to have lunch at Pebble Beach. There is a fabulous gourmet deli just across from the pro shop, The Pebble Beach Market, that makes the most incredible pasta and sandwiches. Anyway, I got my sandwich and drove to the point over looking the "Lone Cypress." It is a fabulous view of the Monterey coastline, and the air is unbelievably clean and sweet smelling. There are all kinds of wildlife to be seen along the drive, such as deer and the occasional raccoon, if it is late enough in the day.

A little further up the road toward Pacific Grove, is a small cove called Seal Rock, where there is plenty of room for parking to enjoy the view of the ocean and listen to the laughing of the seals, that nearly cover the entire surface of the giant white rock that sits just off shore. I like this particular spot the best, because it has some very comfortable benches, and the squirrels are quite tame and very easy to play with. They are so used to all the visitors to the spot, it is actually possible to pet one. Now on the other hand, if you happen to have a pocket full of "Cheeze It" crackers...you will become their new best friend! LOL.

You aren't supposed to feed the squirrels, I know, I know, but I really had forgot that I had placed a ziploc bag of Cheeze It's in my pocket. You believe me...right? ;) Anyway, there were squirrels of all ages coming up to us, politely asking for just one more. As I gave the cuties a cracker, this lady came up to me and asked, "Excuse me...aren't you afraid?" I thought she was referring to my infringement of the rules, but no it was worse. "Afraid?" I asked "Yes," said the lady, "of the groundhogs biting you!" Groundhogs? "What groundhogs?" I asked the lady. "The groundhogs you are feeding crackers to." Sigh. "You mean the squirrels?" I asked, genuinely curious. "Those are squirrels!?!" "Umm...yes, they are ground squirrels." The lady just looked at me with a "that can't be right" look on her face and then walked away. Mummph. A few minutes later, a girl of about 25 or so, walked up to the bench were I was sitting and asked me, gestured to the squirrels and asked, "what are those?" "They are squirrels." "No, I have squirrels at home and they don't look anything like that. Squirrels have pouches." Squirrels have pouches????

Pluto is no longer a planet, as of today,so is it possible squirrels now have pouches?I suppose I could have missed that class or is it something new like pronouncing "Haley's Comet," "HALLY"S" or Harassment somehow becoming "Harrisment." Do you say, Saddam Hussain or Soddom Hussain? Bling or jewelry? It all gets confusing, but I am pretty sure that critter in the above photo is a squirrel...isn't it? All total 5 people asked me that day what kind of animal that was...5! Sigh. By the time the last one asked me, I wasn't completely sure myself. LOL. Oh well, autumn has arrived early in California, the nuts have all fallen from the trees. LOL

Pebble Beach Resorts

-OndineMonet

"Squirrely"

17 Mile Drive <<Click to view an aerial map

Monterey, California

August, 2006

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"I usually take a two hour nap from one to four."

-Yogi Berra

Oh my, is there anything better then a long nap on a cool day? Sometimes, Elvis and I curl up either by the pool, or under the pear tree in the back yard and take a nap together. :) He is such a fun kitty, so loving. He just snuzzles right in and we dream the afternoon away together. Most of the time, he wakes me in about 30 minutes, then we play and then it will be time for his dinner. He keeps me on a tight schedule. LOL. Sometimes I wonder if I get my , "Miss Hospital Corners," ways from him, or if I gave him the attitude. of pushing for perfection. LOL. More then likely he got it from me. Oh well, there are worse things in life then a cat who can be persnickity about having things..."just so." I just wonder how he arrived at some of his conclusions?

Like how come it is supposed to be only 4 plastic bottles per recycle bag? Why does he have to have all his stuffed animals facing the same direction? I may never know all the answers to the quirks about Elvis. I know one thing...I adore him. He has the best paws, they are so soft. He has a great purrrrr, and he has always smelled like baby powder. I am looking forward to this winter, when he will want to snuggle all the time again. Those are the best times. :)

I went to the San Francisco Zoo the other day. I watched a lot of families enjoying themselves and each other. I was hoping to see some monkeys, but the display was closed for renovations. :( That is my favorite exhibit. Oh well, maybe I will try to Oakland zoo next month. I had a good time, especially with the large cats. The cats were well fed and happy, but they weren't too active, it was time for a nap. It had been a long day, so that sounded very good to me. I bought a stuffed Zebra for Elvis, that makes a noise when you squeeze his feet, and headed for home. LOL. Elvis has already learned how to turn it on. LOL. He's a good cat...he's my best little buddy. :)

-OndineMonet

"Sleeeeeeeep"

San Francisco Zoo

San Francisco, California

August 23rd, 2006

Afternoon

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"Death is life's way of telling you, "you're fired."

-Unknown

It's funny, I was just speaking with someone today, about famous last words. I was thinking about John Ritter, and how I had read somewhere that on the day he passed away, he had encountered actor William H. Macy at a traffic stop in downtown L.A. He pulled along side his friend, and yelled out the car window, "You're the Man!" To which William H. Macy replied, "No, YOU"RE THE MAN!" Those were the last words spoken between the two, John Ritter passed away late that night. What an amazing memory that must be, to know the last moments spent with a friend you dearly loved, were moments of fun and happiness.

Don't mind me. It's just that time of year. My father passed away in late August of 1995, and it was up to me to take care of all the arrangements. As the youngest, it was delegated to me by my older siblings. "They couldn't handle it."It was ok though, dad and I had made our peace with each other, it was right and proper that I took care of the end as well.

So, I try to spend a little time at the end of August, to remember those I have lost over the years. Not really to dwell on the grief, more to just give it it's due. Friends, family members, pets, celebrities are always in my thoughts at the end of each August. With each passing year, sadness becomes replaced with all those moments, when we took the time to say to each other, how much we meant in our lives. It's so important to live in the moment, but it is such a difficult thing to do.

John Ritter meant so much to me. You can read all about it by following the link below. I never got the chance to say, "thank you," for saving my life." He is the one person, that I still cry about sometimes. Just in those silly blue moments we all have. He made me laugh, he saved my life, and I never got the chance to say "thank you." When it's my turn to go, I want the very last thing people see in realtion to me to be funny! I want to hear laughter, clear on the other side. :)

Remembering fondly...Omms, Dad, Rags, Judith, Uncle Jerry, Diana, John, David, June, Lynn, Frank, Pam, Hal, Don R. and Robert.

"If you die in an elevator, be sure to push the up button."

-OndineMonet

"Hero At Large"

Note: I found this tombstone generator via John Scalzi's blog, "By The Way."

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"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."

-Unknown

Can you believe it was three years ago today that I began Ellipsis? And to think I had no real idea why I began this journal. I had no idea that I would meet the extraordinary people I have met, or make the wonderful friends I have made. I didn't know what would happen after I saved that very first entry, or what, if anything would come next. I am still perplexed that so many folks over the years have come by to read my musings and laugh, or cry with me, and remind me I am not alone in the world, or love me through the tough times that came along. I can't help but think about Pam, and Frank as I write this. Frank was taken from us so soon after this community began. Just a few months. It wasn't fair! And Pam was such an angel, that I think we all held tight to the thought that if anyone could had beat Lung Cancer...it would have been her. I miss Pam and Frank so much, but as I looked back in my archives and came across some old comments they had left me, I can feel them close by. Hi Guys.

Folks who have never been a part of a blogging community, don't really understand the dynamic of how much a part of each other's lives we are. AOL Journals Community was an awesome place to begin blogging in. It was surprisingly easy to find one another, and people who shared our interests. I think my first regular visitor was Andrea, I remember those first comments of encouragement she left for me, and how much they still mean to me. Next came my friend Steven, what an amazing and talented man he is. He blows me away, with his photography, and he has been an awesome teacher. I have learned so much from him about taking pictures...and other stuff as well...like patience. :) He has always been there for me. :) 

And there aremany, many others who have stopped by here for a visit, and then stayed to be my friend. They even forgave me my TYPO-MANIA! I look back at past entries and cringe...and as my luck always goes...AOL added spell checks only after I left, LOL. Oh well, I guess I just want to say, thank you, for taking this lonely, quite, slightly quirky person in, and giving her a home and a real family for the first time in my life. :) I hope you will follow me to year 4, because I would miss you if you leave. :)

Ok, enough with the sentimental stuff. LOL. Below are some links to some past entries I thought you might enjoy revisiting. Some are funny, some are serious, but all of them are dedicated to those of you who have loved me through so much. Smile...you know who you are! :)

Love, Carly

1. Bathtub Interviews

2. John Scalzi's Weekend Assignment #38 What a Character! (Bawdy Humor)

3. Drop The Bucket Or The Elf Gets It!

4. The Traveler

5. Muffins Over Illinois

6. Suspicious Food

7. The Things We Said Today

8. One Hit Wonders

-OndineMonet

"Pink Lily"

San Mateo, California

Spring, 2006

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"The sound shivers through the walls, through the table, through the windoow frame, and into my finger. These distractions-oholics. These focus-oholics. Old George Orwell got it backward. Big Brother isn't watching. He's sining and dancing. He's pulling rabbits out of a hat. Big Brother's holding your attention every moment you're awake. He's making sure you're always distracted. He's making sure you're fully absorbed... and this being fed, it's worse then being watched. With the world always filling you, no one has to worry about what's in your mind. With everyone's imagination atrophied, no one will ever be a threat to the world."

-Chuck Palahniuk (American free lance writer, Journalist, Satirist)

I was reading an article yesterday, that was posted on AOL news, about auto industry plans for installing "black boxes" on all new motorcycles and automobiles by 2008. The black boxes would work very similar to the ones used by the airline industry, which gathers and stores, data and information, that can be used to determine the cause of crashes and airplane malfunctions. The article went on to say, that about 64 percent of the 2005 model year vehicles, have already been installed with the equipment. Already? Did I miss something? The NHTSB said Monday, that beginning with the 2011 model year, that car manufacturers will now have to disclose the fact that these "black boxes have been installed as standard equipment. They didn't have to before?

Why so long from now? I think I would want to know a little sooner then that, if some entity somewhere, had the capability of knowing my every move. Naturally the idea of having some definite answers in the event of an accident has it's comforts, especially considering the close call I had a couple weeks ago. However, I am not sure I appreciate, the apparently, blatant attempts that have been made to keep it all a secret. Ten states have laws that require manufacturers to disclose to the consumer the presence of the recorders, and that the information belongs only to the vehicle owner, and therefore, information can only be accessed with the vehicle owners permission. But it's only ten states. Jay Stanley, a privacy expert for the American Civil Liberties Union said, the government, "punted on the most important privacy issues," such as whether data is accessible to third parties without a judicial order or an owners consent and whether or not the devices could be turned off.

Sigh. We are already being subjected to an illegal wire-tapping program, and now this...what's next? I am getting so tired of seeing my civil liberties slip away more and more. I think about how close I came to losing my life last week, and how much I wanted to see that dangerous driver who cut us off be taken off the road, at least until he regained his wits and realized he was driving dangerous. If we had crashed, I may not have made it, and I would want there to be some record of what had actually took place, but the thought of all this data gathering is simply getting out of hand. I value my privacy, but I realize when I write entries like this one, that someone, somewhere is probably putting together a nice file about how anti-Bush administration I am. Ok, fair enough, but I do realize that and I can choose whether or not to ever say another thing about the government.  If I had purchased a new car in 2005, and there had been one of those devices on my car, and I wasn't told...well...I guess I have to ask again, where does it stop?

So tell me, do you like the idea of these boxes someday being standard equipment on all U.S. vehicles? Tell me your thoughts.

-OndineMonet

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