“but I don’t have any scissors”

Baker B dug out my old Maid Marion and Her Merry Men video tonight, and we watched three episodes. I bought it years ago – I have two, actually, but couldn’t find the other one. We haven’t watched it in so long I could hardly remember anything about it. It’s very silly – a British show that apparently was a kid’s program. I bought it because Tony Robinson, who is Baldrick in Blackadder, and the Cat from Red Dwarf are both in it. The first episode was making me wonder why I’d thought it was so funny, but the second one picks up. Starting with when the Sherriff of Nottingham (Tony R) orders his guard to cut Robin’s head off, and the guard says, “But.. I don’t have any scissors!”

I’m having a little trouble concentrating here, as Baker B is now watching the Wake Forest/West Virginia game, and it’s gone into double-double-overtime, and he’s ranting and raving over there with all manner of colorful curses. West Virgina appears to be winning, to his dismay. There’s some guy named Air Bear playing. Well, I think it’s just pronounced Air Bear, but that’s nearly as distracting as Baker B’s ranting. There’s also someone named, I’m not kidding, Pittsnoggle. And there’s a Sally involved as well. I think this is some weird alternate universe game. I’m surprised Baker B hasn’t noticed.

I just asked him if there’s a limit on the number of overtimes they can go into and he says that no, there is no limit. He tells me that they can play till they all collapse and are lying strewn about the court. Just in case anyone else has ever pondered overtime limits.

I did an exciting thing this evening, and ordered an iPod. I’ve wanted one – or something like it- for ages. I use a cassette player when I walk, but it’s old and wearing out and clunky, and my cassettes are all wearing out, and our stereo is just such a weird old piece of junk that it’s an incredible pain to try and tape cds. Actually, I don’t think the CD player works at all anymore. We always use the DVD player. So, I have many rationalizations for wanting an iPod, or an iPod-like thing. And after much research, I decided that an iPod does appear to be the best choice. I got the small one – the “mini”, because it’s only $200 (ONLY) and you get enough memory for a thousand songs, and although the regular one holds like TEN thousand, who the hell has TEN THOUSAND songs to put on an iPod??? If I really find that I need ten thousand songs, by the time I wear this one out the ten thousand song one will probably be affordable.

And the mini one comes in colors. I like colors. I’m getting a blue one. You also get free engraving, so after much thought I decided to put my new motto on it: “Every day above ground is a good day.” Okay, okay, that’s kind of weird – and a little morbid really – but one reason I want it is to celebrate getting through all the operation stuff and the radiation stuff and getting ON with life, and what better way to do that than buy an expensive toy??? Although it’s an expensive toy that I will use walking and even..(this is amusing) running. Yes, I am taking up running. Kind of. I’m dabbling in it. I used to run years ago, but was never really crazy about it. Oddly, lately I’ve been thinking about running again, and then Kim went to a mini-marathon that her sister ran last month, and decided she’s going to do it next year. Kim’s even less of a runner than I am, so I figured if she does it, why not do it myself?? It’s a cancer marathon – not breast cancer, specifically, but cancer in general I think. Something worthwhile. And even if I don’t end up actually running a marathon, I’d like to get into better shape than I am currently.

And what better way to do that than buy an iPod??

It’s also a VERY early birthday present.

I actually ran about a half mile the other day. First I ran a fourth of a mile, feared I would drop dead, thought about how much I prefer walking and recalled clearly why exactly I prefer walking. After that I alternated walking a lot with running a little. It’s a start.

Well. I need to put this away. I’m going to Asheville tomorrow, to see how my father is doing. He’s still in the hospital – they aren’t happy with his breathing, and now are saying he may have to have a pacemaker. They said that once before and changed their minds. My brother was going to try to talk to one of his doctors, so I hope he was able to. We’re all confused. Not as confused as my poor mother, though, who when I called last night said, “You knew Daddy had a bypass, didn’t you?” And then said she really should let Ruth know, who is the sister-in-law she talked to when I was there. And Daddy’s been keeping in touch with her too.

Ok, time to try and go to bed. West Virginia won, to Baker B’s surprise and horror. Without having so many overtimes that they just all collapsed.