More about work

I'm sure some people think I'm exaggerating when I say the people I work for are just not good people. They are stupid, selfish, greedy, petty, and just plain mean. This is what happened on Wednesday:

These was a bag of peaches sitting on the counter and one of the delivery drivers asked the wife if he could buy a peach to eat for breakfast. She looked at him and, very derisively said, "Don, he wants to KNOW if he can BUY a peach from us" to her husband.

Don said, "If you want a peach, why don't you punch out and go over to HEB and get one yourself."

At this point the driver said, "Hey, never mind. I saw them sitting there and thought it wouldn't be a problem."

Don said, "Those are for gift baskets when we get an order."

You should know there was no order for a fruit basket and, since I had stopped at HEB on the way to work, I saw the peaches on sale for $.99 a pound. I didn't get any because I wanted an apple. Coincidentally, I bought 2 apples that morning and ended up giving one to the driver which was probably better because the peaches were pretty small and the Braeburns were big. I also didn't get out my receipt and ask him for $.50 or whatever trivial amount it was.

I was, once again, shocked by this entire incident. The stupidest thing about it is that the guy asking for the peach is the delivery driver. He was leaving in a half hour to deliver the flowers and he could have stopped anytime on the clock and gotten whatever he wanted and they would never have known. That is the truth of their character: stupid, selfish, greedy, petty, and just plain mean. Sphere: Related Content

Free speech, dog fighting, athletes, gays, and religion

Today is my day off and, unlike last week when I actually got something done (built a curing cabinet for my candles), I spent the morning getting all worked up about several issues that really just make me sick to think about.

The first involves a case the Supreme Court decided to hear involving a "documentary filmmaker" named Robert Stevens who believes his films about and depicting dog fighting are protected by the first amendment. It all started when I got an email alert from Care2 with the story, then led to the LA Times and several more versions of the same story. Rather than rehash the story, I'll just state my opinion (with bullet points, of course).

• Dog fighting is illegal in every state. fact
  
• Filming a dog fight for the purpose of obtaining evidence for a trial is gathering evidence. fact
  
• Profiting from the sale of anything is not free speech, it is free enterprise a.k.a. doing business. fact
  
• Going around the world filming dog fighting for a film that will be sold is not gathering evidence, it is doing business. fact
  
• Selling not one, but three, films about dog fighting through a magazine or website devoted to dog fighting is not making documentaries, it is promoting an illegal activity. my opinion
  
• If your business is promoting an illegal activity, you are not protected by the first amendment. You are profiting from the promotion of that illegal activity making you an accessory to the crime or, in this case, many crimes. my opinion
  

And then, since it was dog fighting, I had to check up on Michael Vick. I learned he is going to released in May, but will be confined to his home because he will be under "house arrest". I was somewhat heartened to discover the commissioner of the NFL has been rather frazzled by the negative reaction to the whole story and wants to see remorse before considering reinstating his eligibility to play in the league. I sincerely hope it doesn't happen. Has he really paid his debt to society, or is he just another athlete who was indoctrinated by his coaches to believe he is better than everyone else and deserves to make millions of dollars because he can play a sport?

I have to admit my bias, perhaps prejudice, on this point since I have met a fair number of professional athletes over the years and have a generally low opinion of them based on my personal experience. They may have graduated from college, but they didn't learn anything and probably didn't even try. I recently read that a very high percentage athletes who retire from professional sports are bankrupt within two years. I would post a link, but I don't remember where I read it. I believe it, though, because they never learned about managing money or even how to live independently as an adult. They are catered to, told how great they are, used up, and finally spit out when they are past their prime. It would be sad, except they are such assholes, it's hard to feel sorry for them.

The last story, and perhaps the most horrific, was about the persecution of gays and lesbians in the Middle East and specifically in Iraq. This one I will quote because I don't think I can make my fingers type it. Translated by the IGLHRC, but from Alarabiya:

A prominent Iraqi human rights activist says that Iraqi militia have deployed a painful form of torture against homosexuals by closing their anuses using “Iranian gum.” … Yanar Mohammad told Alarabiya.net that, “Iraqi militias have deployed an unprecedented form of torture against homosexuals by using a very strong glue that will close their anus.”

According to her, the new substance “is known as the Ameri gum, which is an Iranian-manufactured glue that if applied to the skin, sticks to it and can only be removed by surgery. After they glue the anuses of homosexuals, they give them a drink that causes diarrhea. Since the anus is closed, the diarrhea causes death. Videos of this form of torture are being distributed on mobile cellphones in Iraq.”

According to this human rights activist, for the past 3 weeks a crackdown on homosexuals has been going on based on a religious decree that demands their death; dozens have been targeted. She says that the persecution of homosexuals is not confined to the Shiite clerics. Some Sunni leaders have also declared the death penalty for sodomy on satellite channels.”

I realize I have many more gay and lesbian friends than most people, but I can't understand why anyone thinks gays and lesbians are so different. From my experience, they are exactly the same: they are people. They have the same problems, hopes, dreams, disappointments, triumphs, tragedies, and feelings as everyone else. The only difference is that they are sexually attracted not to the opposite gender, but to their own gender. Some of the more dramatic like to think their problems are greater because they are gay, but sorry to burst your drama bubble, they're not. They're exactly the same, the difference is in the way each individual person chooses to deal with their problems, but not inherently different because of sexual preference.

It always bothers me when I learn that one of my friends in not "out" to their family. I don't even talk to my family, so maybe it shouldn't be so surprising, but aren't those the people who are supposed to love you unconditionally? My family does not, but in that I do believe I am in a very small minority. The ones that surprise me are the ones who attend family events and are otherwise close to their immediate family, yet feel unable to share the truth about the person they are. They introduce the person they're dating as a best friend and tell them to act straight. Some never introduce their families to anyone at all. They have a secret life that remains hidden from the very people who should be interested in their happiness.

Thinking about animals, indoctrination, prejudice and persecution brought me to the issue that bothers me more than everything else: religion. I think religion is responsible for most of the social problems in the world (my opinion). I cannot deny that some religious charities do good things, but there will always be compassionate people who will make sure those same things are done. I'm talking about the brain-washing indoctrination that makes otherwise (semi)intelligent people start sentences with phrases like "Well, I'm a Christian" and "The Bible says" to justify whatever bigotry they espouse. "Love the sinner, hate the sin" is another one.

How can anyone read the story from Alarabiya and not realize it is being done in the name of religion? Why can a heterosexual get married, divorced, married, divorced, married, and divorced again, but a homosexual can't "marry" the life partner they've been with for 25 years? Where does it say that in the Bible? Marriage is a legally binding contract between two consenting adults. Legally binding, not bound by the Bible. Animals are property, the Bible says it. You have to Believe or you'll go to Hell, the Bible says it. Jesus (a man) will be resurrected, the Bible says it. The twelfth Imam (a man) will be resurrected, the Koran says it. And what? They're going to fall from the sky fully clothed in what they were buried in? Will they be born like a little Buddha and raised to believe they will somehow solve all the world's problems by simply announcing their presence?

It is absolute nonsense, and proof that everything can be justified with religion except common sense.

And, what about critical and/or analytical thinking? It doesn't say anything about that in the Bible. Does that mean we shouldn't do it? Because, I do both and, if you do you may realize you've been brainwashed. If you're relying on religion to get you through the day and you realize it's all a big hoax, you have to start accepting responsibility for yourself and your actions. You have to think about the consequences of your actions because now you know there's no Big Man in the Sky looking after you.

Truthfully, I don't really care what people believe as long as they keep it to themselves. I'm just not interested in hearing it and I'm tired of hearing about social injustice being justified in the name of religion and having everyone be okay with it. It's not okay with me and I think you are mentally ill when you start talking about "your religion" as a way to justify your bigotry and hateful actions.

Personally I'd rather read Aesop's Fables than the Bible, Torah, Koran, or any other book of religious gibberish. It's a lot easier to read and the morality is not subject to individual interpretation. Sphere: Related Content

Shadow and Blusher

These are my 2 regular feral kitties that come by to eat almost every day. The flame point was already spayed when I trapped her and took her for surgery so they just gave her a Rabies vaccination and tipped her ear. The little black tuxedo was just over a year old when I took her, and she was already pregnant. I call the flame point Blusher and my neighbor named the tuxedo Shadow Cat because she said she only saw her running to hide and it seemed like the shadow of a cat. I didn't realize at first that by naming the other one Blusher I had chosen a make up themed name for the pair. It's fitting, though, because they are always together.

I started feeding them when I moved in about a year and a half ago. At that time, the tuxedo was so skinny I didn't think she was healthy enough for surgery. When she got to the point where all her ribs weren't showing I trapped her and took her to emanciPET to get spayed with one of the Humane Society feral cat vouchers. I was able to get both of these girls the same night since they hang out together, but I never got the male into the trap.

Sadly, I think he developed an abscess on his hind leg because he started limping and got progressively worse, then I never saw him again. I felt so bad because I couldn't get close enough to him to see why he was limping. He didn't have any visible wounds and he lost a lot of weight in the last month he came around. Then, I guess, he curled up somewhere and died. I went out for a couple of weeks calling and looking for him and he was nowhere to be found. I don't think he was more than 3 years old. He was all long white hair except for a bushy black tail and I called him Ringer because it looked like you could throw a horseshoe around his tail. I think one of my neighbors called him Scruffy, and he was, but he was always Ringer to me.

Now, there's another long haired black male that comes more often, or at least I see him more often, than when Ringer was here. I also saw a long haired very fat female for the first time on Monday. The apartment manager has a little kitten in the office right now that wandered in also on Monday. I don't think the female is the mother because this kitten is already eating on her own. I guess I'll need to start looking for a litter of kittens.

I don't know where to start, though, since I've never seen the female before and I don't know her territory. A raccoon came up behind her, even brushed against her, to get to the food I put out. She was more scared of me than the raccoon, so I doubt she's had any human contact. She wouldn't come out of the bushes until I went inside, but I looked out the peep hole and saw her eating. Sphere: Related Content

My first batch of candles

I love this soy wax. This is the first time I've made candles with it, actually the first time I've ever seen it, and it's awesome. I decided to use EcoSoya Advanced, which is a little more expensive, but it's made from American grown organic soybeans that have not been genetically modified (non-GMO). I'm pretty sure most people don't seek out an organic non-GMO wax, but that's the only kind I want to use and I think this one is a good choice.

I put a little on the palm of my hand and if it hadn't been so hot I would have stuck my whole hand into it. It's really smooth and creamy. I spent about a month browsing candle making forums to see what other people are using before I finally ordered. I'm really happy so far. I like the way it feels so much I'm going to try making some lotion with it, too.

I realized when I was setting everything up that all the other candles I've made were pillars. I'm not sure why I decided to do containers this time, but I learned a lot from the few I made today. The only reason I mention pillars is that I had a little trouble keeping the wicks centered and straight once the wax was poured. With pillars you just set the wick and fill the mold. I used to put a clothes pin at the top of the mold to keep the wick in place, but that won't work with the little tins. I ended up lining the tins in a row and putting some metal kabob skewers on top on either side of the wicks. It's not going to work when I start making larger quantities, though, so I'll have to come up with something else.

I also think I put too much fragrance in the first couple of batches. I'm going to call them "super scented" because they are pretty strong. I think it also depends on the scent and I'll just have to get comfortable with each one and make some notes about the really potent ones.

The lids in the photo have the fragrance written on the top and that's not the way they'll be sold. I'm not quite finished with the logo and labels, but it'll work for now since I'm still in the testing phase. The logo will be close to the one on the right, but I'm not completely happy with it yet. The candle line will be called Green Lights and since I think the lotion will be awesome, too, I've decided to make the full name Green Lights Organics.

The last couple of weeks have been so busy and I'm glad I finally got the wax in and had a chance to make some candles. The fact that they came out as well as they did on my first try is a bonus. It makes me feel really good. Sphere: Related Content

Cheery desktop basket

This was also from Tuesday, for a woman starting a new job. Her mother ordered a basket arrangement, so I decided to use a flat one without handles that she could use for something else when the flowers are gone.





I used Sunflowers (obviously!), purple Stock, peach Spray Roses, orange Asiatic Lilies, and Boronia with a little Leather Leaf fern and seeded Eucalyptus. Sphere: Related Content

Another masterpiece by my boss

She caught me taking the pictures, too. I blatantly lied and said I love Daffodils and wanted to put it on my facebook page. I do like Daffodils a little, but I don't really like the color yellow. There is another variety that is a pale yellow, almost ivory, with an orange-ish center that I like better than the plain yellow.

The photo on the left is the front, the other is the back. The sad thing is the person who ordered this paid $65 and it looks like they've just been plopped into a vase with a total disregard for aesthetics.

After she caught me taking the picture I started feeling a little guilty because I felt like I was making fun of her and she's an old lady. I realize she probably feels threatened by me because I'm younger, more talented and she's trying to stay relevant in her own shop.

Then I thought of all the times she has come in to make some snide comment about something I was making and I stopped feeling guilty. It's her fault she never figured out that learning from your peers, in this case employees, is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign of maturity. I learned things from every designer I've ever worked with, both when they were my employees and traveling designers at the top of the field.

This is a creative profession and everyone approaches it with their own techniques and sense of style. You can tell by looking at this that someone with 30 years of design experience who makes things that look like this never learned anything along the way. Just as they run the store the same way they did it the first time 30 years ago, never changing, improving efficiency, upgrading equipment, product, or floral variety, she has never learned to design properly. She doesn't think she needs to and if she treated me with common courtesy, I would feel sorry for her. Since she doesn't, I'll keep posting some of her "designs" here to remind myself the next time she tries to make me feel my work is sub-standard. Sphere: Related Content

Green and white week

I made two arrangements this week that I liked. Both were for funerals, although the style and color scheme would be appropriate for a wedding as well.

The one on the left was made on Tuesday. I used 2 large white Hydrangea, 4 small green Hydrangea, white Stock, Bells of Ireland, Curly Willow, and Springerii. This one is totally representative of my personal design style. I like well balanced, proportional, natural designs with a simple harmonious color palette. I really like to do pieces that have several shades of the same color to add a sense of texture, and I like the drama of asymmetrical balance.

The arrangement on the right was from Wednesday. I used the same color palette of green and white, this time with white Hydrangea, green Hydrangea, white Snapdragons, white Stock, white Stargazer Lilies, Bells of Ireland, Springerii, and Myrtle. This time I wove the Springerii through the center and left just a small tip showing on the front next to the sheer ribbon.

This one would have been gorgeous with a little English Ivy, but I didn't think my boss would appreciate me clipping the plants. I did it all the time in my shop, but, (I keep reminding myself) this isn't my shop and I don't have the freedom to do things my way. Sphere: Related Content

Good news on the garden front

Last week I decided to plant some seeds in regular soil. I was pleasantly surprised to find sprouts in the basil pot already. I noticed them on Monday, but they seemed a little too small to show up in a photo. Yesterday they had really taken off and I snapped this picture today. So far, I can't see anything happening in the other pots, but I'm hopeful.

I also changed the hydroponic set up. The plastic starter tray was not working at all. I decided to take twelve 20 oz styrofoam cups and embed them in a wire grid. I put a slit in the bottom and four on the sides. Next I put the rooters into the cups and secured them with toothpicks. I'm really happy with the results so far.

I think one of the main problems with the tray was that the fish food would float over it and get caught on the rooters. The fish were probably bumping it because they knew the food was there. The hornwort was also washing up onto it and weighting it down.

Another thing I learned it that not all the rooters float. I skimmed the bottom of the pond with a net and recovered most, if not all, of them. Since I already had the problem with the fish food, I set the cups far enough apart that they could swim underneath and get to whatever food does rest next to the cups. I put the extra rooters in a plastic baggie so I can use them another time. Sphere: Related Content

Tucker

As much as I complain about this shop, it does have one redeeming quality. Tucker is a Ragdoll, given to the owners as a gift. He had a seizure, so the breeder decided not to sell him. He is about a year and a half old now and was finally neutered last week. Hopefully he will stop spraying all over the store now.

I know a lot about cats, but not much about Ragdolls. I have to say, this is the dumbest cat I've ever met. He is not curious about anything and has very little energy. I had two cats in my shop and they wanted to see everyone who came in because it meant they would probably get petted. Tucker just sleeps, completely oblivious to everything going on around him.

The basket he's in is where I put the orders I need to make. This is the first time he's gotten into it since I started working there in December. I liked having him there, so I moved the tickets to a table. Another time I was making a funeral spray and turned around to find him just sitting about three feet behind me. I don't know how long he had been there, but he was just sitting there watching me work. Most cats would have come up and started rubbing on my legs, but Tucker just sat there. Even when I petted him a little he just rolled over and stayed there.

It's a good thing he is so cute because he is severely lacking the "pet me" personality. Sphere: Related Content

Rotten grapes

Take a look at this. I don't know how well you can see it, but those are rotten grapes. For the past couple of weeks one of the coolers at work has been smelling like rotten fruit. On Wednesday, the owner of the shop pulled these grapes off the bunch and sent the rest to a customer in a fruit basket.

To make matters even worse, he made it Tuesday night and heat sealed it, locking the ethylene gas into the customer's "gift". All fruit emits ethylene. It is part of the composting process. By sealing it inside, the composting process will accelerate, especially as the temperature rises. Basically, if they don't refrigerate it immediately and instead put it on the table in their home, it will rot more quickly. If they leave it sealed it will be worse.

I sincerely hope the recipient of this fruit does not get sick. I hope the flavor was impacted and they throw it away. I am, once again, truly astonished that this is the way they do business and they've been able to get away with it for this long. Sphere: Related Content

Early onset Alzheimers?

I was reminded today just how ditsy I am sometimes. I went to the grocery store this afternoon. I usually try to go pretty early thinking it will be less crowded, but I got side-tracked doing something else. I *think* I got everything I went there for; I should probably start making a list due to the advanced age and all. I was pleasantly surprised at the short lines and was even thinking on the way home the afternoon might be a better time to go from now on.

Anyway, I got home, put everything up and started doing other things. It wasn't until a half hour ago, a full 6 hours from the shopping trip, that I realized I was missing a bag. Not only that, I couldn't find my receipt. I distinctly remember the cashier handing back my debit card with the receipt wrapped around it. I checked my purse, the debit card is there, the receipt is not. I have no idea where it went. I called the store anyway to see if the bag with all my food in it was still there waiting for me. At first they said it wasn't and that I would need the receipt. Well, that was obviously a problem, so I started naming some of the things I could remember that were in the bag.

Finally they found it and I just got back from picking it up. I wish I could say this was the first time I've left bags of groceries at the store. Sadly, it's not and probably won't be the last. I can't even be upset by it, it wouldn't serve any purpose. I've actually chased after people in front of me who have left their stuff, too, so at least I know I'm not alone. Just another day in my weird life. Sphere: Related Content

Garden progress - week 3, or is it 4?

I'm getting a little impatient with the progress of the hydroponic seedlings. Today I decided to plant some spinach, arugula, basil, and lavender in soil in regular terra cotta pots. Since the fish have bumped the plastic tray so many times, now I have not only mixed rows, I'm not sure if some of the rooters even have seeds in them anymore. I'm afraid the instability and floating sideways is adversely affecting the growth. I'll have to wait and see.

I heard a few days ago (on Real Time with Bill Maher - my TV crush!) that Michelle Obama is having a garden planted on the grounds of the White House. It reminds me of the Victory Gardens planted during the Great Depression. Hopefully it will inspire city dwellers to start growing some of their own food and reduce the dependence on the agriculture conglomerates like AMD, Cargill, and Monsanto.

Speaking of Monsanto, I am boycotting soybeans because this horrible company has genetically engineered soybeans that are contaminating other crops. They modified soybean seeds with bacterium from the pesticide they make called Round Up. They're called "Round Up Ready" crops and are designed to be resistant to it, so the farmers saturate them with it. Around 70% of soybeans are "Round Up Ready". Thanks anyway, but I don't want to eat that.

They're also suing farmers whose crops are contaminated by the GM (genetically modified) crops and taking possession of the land once "their" GM crops are discovered growing. They have literally driven farmers in India to suicide because the seeds they sell cannot be harvested from the current crop for the next year's crop. They are forced to buy seeds from Monsanto every single year. I watched a documentary called The World According to Monsanto that originally aired on French television that was a flat out display of capitalism at it's worst.

It turns out that Monsanto has been buying up seed companies, thereby cornering the market. Between that and their GM crops contaminating nearby fields, it is a possibility that food crops will no longer be capable of reproducing naturally in the not so distant future. The entire planet could be dependent on Monsanto for basic sustenance. That's a scary thought. They'll be the AIG of the agriculture industry. Maybe they already are. Sphere: Related Content

THE LITTLE DOG REPORT: A True Fight for the Little Dogs!

THE LITTLE DOG REPORT: A True Fight for the Little Dogs!

Rep. Senfronia Thompson (Houston TX-D) has introduced HB 3180, also known as the "Puppy mill Bill". It will require commercial dog (and cat) breeding facilities to meet minimum standards of care and housing of their animals. Sphere: Related Content

Happy Paddy Day

It should come as no surprise that the shop where I work ordered some green dyed Carnations for St. Patrick's Day. That's some of them on the right. These were dyed by putting green dye into a bucket, cutting the bottom of white Carnation stems and placing them into the dye. It is absorbed up through the stem where it leaves pigment deposits. You can't really see it, but these almost looked like lace doilies the way the dye was absorbed. Whether this was food coloring or specially made for flowers I don't know since I didn't do the dying.

Along with the green Carnations I used ivory Stock (smells great!), naturally green Spider Poms and Hydrangea. What struck me as odd about the dyed green Carnations is that there is actually a natural green Carnation called Pistachio. Ironically, it's the only Carnation I like and, of course, this shop never gets any.

After making this arrangement I decided to go rogue on the next Paddy themed order. This one was for a birthday tomorrow (the day after Paddy), but they wanted a Paddy theme.


I used a short green glass urn with the same flowers as the first one (sans Carnations), used white Stock instead of ivory, and added Bupleurum and Australian Heather. Obviously I made it in the style I like rather than the traditional style of the first one. The photo on the left is looking slightly down, on the right is straight down.


Sphere: Related Content

Cat grass grows fast

When I went on my seed buying spree a couple of weeks ago for the hydroponic garden I also planted some in dirt. One says "Cat Grass (Oats)" on the package, so I guess that's what it is. It also says it should take 3-8 days to emerge, but I just planted this 5 days ago.

I've planted it before and it grows, the cats nibble and destroy it, then it dies off. I only planted about 1/3 of the package this time. Sphere: Related Content

Rush Limbaugh at CPAC

Well, I finally got a chance to sit down a watch the speech from last week on CSPAN. It's pretty long and I'm actually listening while writing this. My initial reaction: propaganda, pure and simple. These are the ones who purport to believe in what's good for the country?

This is the same guy who said he wants Obama to fail in the second to the last sentence on his transcript from January 16. It doesn't make any sense to me for anyone who wants what's best for the future of this country to propagandize to the "ditto heads" that our President should fail. I did not support Bush, but I would have preferred for his policies and actions to strengthen the foundation of our country. In fact, those policies did exactly the opposite, leaving his successor to straighten out the mess he inherited.

• Restoring our diplomatic status around the world is Obama's job.
  
• Restoring the strength of our economy is Obama's job.
  
• Getting the military troops and equipment safely out of the middle east is Obama's job.
  
• Reducing our dependence on fossil fuels is Obama's job.

In which of those would failure be acceptable? I would argue that failure is not an option.

Making fun of someone is a classic example of low self esteem. In the first 15 minutes of his rant at CPAC he admonished Obama for using a teleprompter saying, "Conservatives don't need notes. We speak from the heart." as he pounded on his chest. Less than 2 minutes later he not only looked down at his notes, he actually put his finger on them to find his place.

So much for speaking from the heart, blow hard. I prefer people who speak from their brain. Sphere: Related Content

Garden progress - 1 week

The sprouts from last week are a little bigger, but I'm not seeing much anywhere besides the mixed Japanese greens.

The fish managed to tip the tray and some of the Rapid Rooters fell out. They ate them. That's my guess anyway because there are 8 missing. Since they float and they're not on the top, that's the only thing I can think of. There were 14 empty spots that were filled with a Rooter the night before. I put 6 of them back into the tray, but one side is now empty. At this point I'm not sure which seeds are in which Rooter. If they grow I'll find out then.

I'm not sure which will actually grow besides the ones that have sprouted. The Basil appears to be surrounded by mold. Since I've never grown anything with water as a substrate I don't know what to expect. Technically I think the Rooter would be the substrate, but there's definitely more moisture than regular soil.

I bought some large Styrofoam cups last week that I am planning to transfer the sprouted Rooters into to use as the floating garden. Maybe I should have skipped the tray altogether and gone straight to that. Sphere: Related Content

Tulips, Gerbera Daisies, Irises, and a Lily

Tulips, Gerbera Daisies, Irises, and a Lily in a tempered and glazed terra cotta cube. There's also white Stock on the back that's easier to see in the view from the top. There are 2 stems of Springerii to soften the focus. The framework is a quarter stem of Curly Willow bent into a knot, echoed above the water line by a single branch tied into a small knot. Another example of a design my bosses hate. Sphere: Related Content

Dendrobian Orchids, Curly Willow, and 3 Gardenias

I like the picture quality of the camera on my Blackberry. This is a very nice photo of 20 Dendrobian Orchids, Curly Willow, and 3 Gardenias in a tall hand blown glass rectangle vase. The customer (in New York) requested a photo of their order. I originally stood one of the black foam mats that we stand on against the counter as a backdrop. It fell over and landed on the arrangement, knocking it over and breaking the tips off 3 of the Orchids. My boss (who HATED this arrangement) was shocked when that was the only damage.

The photo to the right is the same arrangement taken with my Canon inside the shop before the mat fell on it. As you can see, the damage is basically non-existent. I was about 3/4 finished with this arrangement (which only took about 15 minutes to make) when the owner came up behind me and said she didn't think the customer would like the Curly Willow. The order was for a 20 Dendrobian Orchids and 3 Gardenias in a contemporary style. She was basing her opinion on whether the customer would like it on what she likes.

As I've mentioned before, this is an old fashioned shop. The number of containers that can be even loosely classified as "contemporary" would fit on one hand with fingers to spare. The one I chose was a clear, 12" tall, rectangular vase in which I twisted a quarter of a branch of Curly Willow in a knot inside to create a structure for the placement of the flowers. The Willow above the rim is part of the design, while what's inside is the reason there was no damage when the mat fell on it.

The Orchids follow the line of and are attached to the Willow with the Gardenias forming a focal point in the front and on each side of the vase. I added 4 stems of Springerii that also followed the line of the Willow.

I wish I could say this was the first time she had made a comment about what the customer would like versus what I was making. By the time she said it there was no way to take it out without possibly destroying and probably damaging some of the flowers. Professional floral designs are made to hold up during delivery so when the customer receives them, they look the same as they did when they left the store. If I could have pulled the Curly Willow out at the time of her comment it would have meant I had not done my job as a professional designer and she knew it. The comment was designed not to help me make the order to the customer's satisfaction, but to undermine my confidence in my ability.

I'm very happy to say it didn't work. I know I'm good at what I do and I also know she's not comfortable with contemporary floral design and advanced design techniques in general. Another of the delivery drivers told me when I first started working there and was upset by something she said that he thinks she's just trying to stay relevant. I think that's probably true, but it's a shame she never learned that constructive criticism and occasional compliments make your opinion far more relevant than spiteful, destructive comments. Sphere: Related Content

No title, just a rant about work

I work for 2 of the stupidest people I've met in my entire life. Considering how many people that actually is, that's saying a lot. Every day I'm amazed by yet another completely baffling experience at this place.

Today, flowers were delivered in the morning. There were about 10 boxes. I had finished all the orders and went over and started processing the new flowers. Processing basically consists of taking the flower bunches out of boxes, cutting them and putting them into water with flower food in it.

The owner came into the back, saw me processing and said she wanted me to make some arrangements for the cooler. Okay, the display cooler is full already. It has 25 arrangements in it. She wants some $35-40 vases in the back cooler to re-stock or add to when an order comes in or something is sold from the front. I don't have a problem making them, but one of my biggest problems with this shop is the complete and utter disregard for proper care and handling of flowers.

You don't have to be a florist to know that flowers last longer when they are in water. The longer they are out of water, the shorter the life span. That's common sense, right? Not in this shop.

The bottom line is they only want the delivery drivers to process the flowers because they pay them less. I, as the highest paid employee (and that's really not saying much), should be sent home rather than process flowers. And that's exactly what happened today. I was sent home at noon because, after making some back up arrangements, I started processing the flowers again. I was essentially punished for trying to make the flowers last longer. The sad thing is that this shop has so many opportunities completely unrelated to labor to become efficient. It's sad, really, that they've been in business so long and learned so little in the process. They seem to do things the exact same way they did them the first time 30 years ago regardless of technological innovations and shared experiences with other florists.

They also don't keep the old flowers separate from the new flowers. They "condense the buckets" which basically means putting the new flowers into the same buckets as the old ones. The problem with this is that not only can the inventory not be rotated (FIFO - first in first out - anyone?), the old flowers are in an advanced state of degradation. They have bacteria which pollutes the water which is then absorbed by the new flowers. The best example of the FIFO method (which is universally utilized with perishable products everywhere except this shop) is the produce section of any grocery store. While it is a health concern with produce, it is plain fraud in a flower shop.

Along with having a psychological disorder (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder -they are pack rats; they have a room full of barrels filled with decaying rose petals - floor to ceiling, about 500sq ft of floor space), the store is disgustingly dirty. Actually, I mean filthy. A rat died in the ceiling and it took them 2 days to notice the smell. The intact cat sprays inside the store. Now that's a welcoming scent in a flower shop. Come on in, your flowers will smell great! Pay no attention to that disgusting smell.

I got into an argument with the owner about 2 weeks before Valentine's Day because I wanted to organize the room the baskets are in. The baskets were all tossed into a room along with empty flower boxes (in case they need one for deliveries). There were close to 1,000 baskets in this room.

It happened because I had an order for an arrangement in a basket and when I pulled it out of the pile the whole thing came crashing down. I brought the owner into the doorway and told her it was unacceptable to ask anyone to work in those conditions. People coming in to help during the busiest week of the year should not have to dig through a stack of anything to do the job they're being paid to do. She argued with me that it wasn't a problem. I looked at her like she was crazy and asked if she really meant that. It was an absolute hazard as well as a workplace safety violation without a doubt. Finally she agreed to let me organize it. It took 3 1/2 hours and I wish I had taken a before shot, but just imagine all of these baskets randomly piled in the middle of the floor. I grouped them like anyone who's ever watched Sesame Street would be able to do and arranged them from smallest to largest. Very simply, common sense = efficiency. Why they don't seem to have any I can't answer. This is just 1 corner after I finished.

These people have the store listed for sale for $600,000, which they have absolutely no chance of getting. They are so completely co-dependent on each other that when one dies (and neither is in good health) the other will be unable to function. That will be the reason the store closes. It will never be sold in the condition it is currently in. Rather than sending people home, they really should be trying to order correctly (ie. look at the current inventory and order what you don't have, not what you have a lot of - yes, really, I'm not kidding), improve on efficiency, and work to phase themselves out to rely on the store for passive income. It is not realistic to view the possible sale of this store as a vehicle for retirement income. It is never going to happen.

They do have a lot of house accounts and I have a theory about why people still order from them when the flowers are poor quality (due to improper care and handling) and the arrangements the owner makes look like they were made by a child (I'll snap a picture as soon as I can - was going to today, but left too early). Edit 3-4-2009: Got it! That's it on the left. Please tell me you see the difference. Notice especially the Alstromeria (the cluster of red flowers in the center), Spider Mum, (barely visible on the right), and the yellow Daisy (back left) which are all backwards and the poor use of color. The person who made this thinks I'm not a good designer.

My theory is based on my belief that their biggest strength is networking and they have done a good job of it over the years, especially with UT. They have accounts with lots of individual departments at UT. Anyone who meets them in person will no doubt feel pity for them. The husband has grossly rotten teeth with black oozing gums and the wife has to tilt her head slightly to see through the deep scratches in the lenses of her glasses. Who would want to deny them money when they are obviously in such dire need?

They put on a really good show for company, too. I don't have any questions about why none of their children want to be a part of the family business. If you met them you would walk away thinking how nice they are, but that opinion is not shared by anyone who works for them. They call other employees stupid to me, so I can only presume they call me stupid to them. They never learned that their business could never have grown to this stage or lasted as long as it has without employees. The truth is every single current employee hates working there and would leave tomorrow if another job offer was extended. Please make me an offer! Sphere: Related Content

My first hydroponic gardening attempt

I've been having a big problem with excessive algae in my fish pond for the last few years (global warming?). I've read numerous article, talked to people at garden shops, added plants (most died, the fish ate the others, 3 remain), added algae eaters (they froze and didn't eat enough of it), added salt, changed the water every 3 days for a month, and probably some other things I can't think of anymore. Everything except chemicals. Nothing I've done has made a bit of difference, so this time I want to try to reduce the oxygen in the water with plants and herbs I can actually eat.

Theoretically this should work. The fish are producing enough nitrogen that I shouldn't have to add any supplements, and the additional plants should draw the oxygen from the water thereby reducing the amount available for the algae to propagate.

I started with a variety of Basil, mixed Japanese greens, Catnip, and Lettuce. I have no idea how any of these will adapt to growing in water, but I think I should be able to find a good variety for a long term garden. I was planning to mark the progress by taking a picture each day, but sadly, not much happened overnight.

Today, however, on day 2 a couple of the Rapid Rooters already have sprouts in the Japanese mixed greens row.

How exciting! Sphere: Related Content

2-28-2009 Austin TX Petland protest

Lots of new people showed up at the protest today. We had 10-12 students from the UT SETA chapter. Also, four representatives from the PETA2 campus tour were in town, heard about our protest and came out on their day off! They'll be in Ft Worth next week, so if you're doing a protest, let them know on peta2.com. Maybe they'll join you, too. Go Veg!

There was a little excitement when 3 of the students decided to go onto the median between the access road and IH-35. A police SUV pulled up with lights flashing to tell them it was too dangerous to be there. One crossed easily, but two of them were very tentative and missed what I thought were at least 10 opportunities to cross back. The policeman finally had mercy on them and ran interference while they came back. Sphere: Related Content

Some of the many reasons I hate my job

I work at a very old-fashioned flower shop. They have computers, but only use them with the proprietary FTD and Teleflora software. No internet. This is a big problem because a lot of orders come from their website.

Here's how it works: A customer goes to the website and looks through the photos of arrangements provided to every FTD or Teleflora member shop and orders an arrangement. The order comes to me as TFWEB-523 for Teleflora or B3-4169 for FTD. (I just made those numbers up, but there is an actual arrangement on the Teleflora website with that number.) Instead of pulling up the photo on one of the 5 computers in the shop, I search through a stack of workbooks to find out what the arrangement looks like. Sometimes I pull it up on my phone, but I always have to look it up. That's how it works.

The photo above is an arrangement I made today, not a copy of an FTD or Teleflora arrangement. It has lavender Stock (smells good), purple Tulips, lavender Daisy Poms, purple Monte Cassino, pink Waxflower (also smells good), and Springerii (the greenery). The order was for a lush European style arrangement.

Another way the shop is old-fashioned is that they do not carry a wide variety of flowers. It's strictly the basics, which is not very inspiring. The owners have a preference for Carnations, Daisies, Gerbera Daisies, Gladiola, Statice, Babies Breath (GAG!), Roses, and Lilies. They throw in a few bunches of Tulips, Alstromeria, Stock, Snapdragons, Waxflower, Misty Limonium, Bells of Ireland, Delphinium, Sunflowers, and Hydrangea and that's about it. It may sound like a lot of different flowers to someone who is not a florist, but trust me when I say it's not.

The selection of greenery is also limited. I'll spare the break down, but we have about 6 different varieties for a few days, then it's back to Leather Leaf fern and Wide Leaf Emerald (which they call "funeral greens"). For funeral sprays, their preference is an oval shape with mostly Carnations, a big bow in the center (really big) and a bow on each of the legs of the easel.

I made a beautiful spray when I first started (not the one in the picture), I think I had been there less than a week and the order was about $150. It was for a man, so I used all primary colors (red, blue, and yellow). It had a cluster of red Gladioli at the top, slightly to the left. The middle had sunflowers in a diagonal line across the center from the right, down to the left. The lower section had Belladonna Delphinium echoing the line of the Gladioli. I used Springerii to create a cascading effect just below the Sunflowers and also wove it through them to give the illusion of depth and texture. Just between the Gladioli and the Sunflowers I cut the Wide Leaf to make little loops and stacked them along the line above the Sunflowers. It sort of made me think of a river running through a landscape and balanced the Springerii cascade on the other side. (These loops are sometimes used to make faux Roses - if you can imagine a greenery sculpture that looks like a flower, that's what it is). Again, this technique created depth and texture. I wish I had taken a picture, but I didn't know the owner would freak out the way she did.

As I said, I had just started working there. I am a Master Florist and not only studied art in college, but have also taken advanced floral design classes from some of the best designers in the country. Working with leaves, plaiting, weaving, and sculpting are techniques I learned from Phil Ruilloda, not from his book or video, from him. In person. The techniques I used in this spray are the type of design you would see in a magazine.

I finished the spray, put the ticket in the delivery box and started on the next order. A few minutes later the driver had it loaded and was ready to leave. The owner of the shop came over and asked if I had put a bow on the spray. I said, "No, it doesn't need one".

She got visibly upset, grabbed a pre-made bow, rushed outside, pulled the spray out of the van, and tried to find a place to put the bow. I almost started crying. I had just created a sympathy tribute that I would be proud to exhibit at an event filled with professional floral designers and she wanted to put a smashed up, dusty bow on it. I was devastated. I tried to calm down and continued making the arrangements on my stack of tickets.

About 2 hours later the driver returned. I pulled her aside and said, "Please tell me you took that bow off before you took delivered it".

She laughed and said, "She didn't put it on. She couldn't find a place for it". I was relieved, but also saddened that high quality design and creativity were not going to be appreciated at this shop.

That was almost 3 months ago and I usually do the type of boring generic arrangements that take skill, but absolutely no talent to make. I am no longer the boss in my own shop, just an employee paid to make what these people want made. I get so frustrated, though, that every few days I make something I like. I call it "going rogue". The same driver referenced above calls it "getting fancy" because this is her first job in a flower shop and before I started, the boring stuff was all she had ever seen.

My hope is that the economy will start to turn around so I can find investors to help me open my next flower/chocolate shop so I can create the type of designs that are impressive, not just because you received flowers, but that are truly well put together. I'm sure there will be many posts on why I hate this job, but I also hope there is some humor in the absurdity of it all. I actually laugh now when I think of her running outside with the bow. Sphere: Related Content

Sunday is baking day

Some people may believe that people who don't eat meat or animal products are more interested in a healthy meal than something that tastes good. Let me dispel that notion right now. If you've grabbed a vegetarian meal from the frozen food aisle in your local grocery store, you may have gotten that idea. I'm thinking of one brand in particular. I won't name them, because some people may actually like bland, boring food with a weird texture. I don't happen to be one of them.

I usually bake something on Sunday. Sometimes it's only one thing, sometimes more than one. It's usually some kind of energy/snack bar that I can nibble on while I'm working before and after lunch. Today I made a tray of strawberry, apple, blueberry bars with chocolate on top. Have I mentioned I love chocolate?

The image on the right is the whole tray before it went into the oven. The image below is ready to eat.

vegan strawberry apple blueberry bars:
1 lb strawberries
6 oz blueberries
2 Granny Smith apples
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups sucanat or brown sugar
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup flax seed
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup water
1/8 cup olive oil
2 tbs baking soda
2 tbs baking powder
2 tbs vinegar
2 tbs vanilla
2 tbs cinnamon

chocolate topping:
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sucanat or brown sugar
1/8 cup water
2 tbs olive oil

Preheat oven to 375. Mix sucanat, vanilla, cinnamon, olive oil, vinegar, and water together in a large bowl. Cut strawberries and apples to the size you like. (I make them pretty small so I can get a little of everything in each bite.) Add the chopped fruit and whole blueberries to the liquid mixture and mix well. Add the dry ingredients (flour, oatmeal, flax seed, wheat germ, baking powder and soda) until you have a consistency a little thicker than pancake batter. If you need to add more water, do it now. Spread it out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes. The baking time will vary based on the liquidity of the batter. Remove from oven when the top is springy to the touch.

After the bars are ready, add cocoa powder, sucanat, olive oil, and water into a mixing bowl and mix into a frosting paste. Spread over top of bars after they have cooled for about 10 minutes. Move to freezer to set the frosting for about 30 minutes. You can cut them now, or move them to the refrigerator and slice off the size you are hungry for.

A word of caution: these are not low in calories and may lead to a preference for vegan baked goods. Sphere: Related Content

Farfalle with sun dried tomatoes and Basil

I was told the picture of my cat food is gross, so I took a picture of my dinner last night. It was so good I'm thinking of having it again today.

1 cup garden farfalle or your favorite pasta
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
Basil (as much as you like - I like a lot)
ground peppercorn (again as much as you like)
ground chili pepper (as much as you like)

Cook pasta as per directions on package. While it's cooking mash the garlic with a fork or garlic press, then add pepper, chili pepper, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Cut sun dried tomatoes into strips (or however you like them) and add to the marinade. Toss in pasta and stir until each is coated. The whole meal takes only as long to make as the pasta takes to boil. Quick, easy and really tasty.

After posting, I realized I should add a caveat: all of my measurements are approximate.

Being vegan I cook about 95% of the food I eat, but only measure about 10% of the time. This usually works for me and the only time I do try to be exact are with recipes for bread. I bake a lot, and bread is tricky. I have made several loaves that could easily be used as bricks, so I've learned that whatever molecular magic takes place in the oven should be treated as the chemistry it is. With everything else, I just use the amount I think will work. If you decide to make any of my recipes just keep in mind that it's your meal, you should make it taste the way you like it. If I like Basil and you like Oregano, use Oregano. Sphere: Related Content

2-21-2009 Austin Petland protest

We had a good turn out at the Petland protest yesterday. The regulars (me, Jeanne, Pat, and Jennifer) were joined by 3 of the UT SETA members, and Julia and Natalia showed up at the end. Very good, considering Jennifer was a little late (she got side-tracked by a pet supply sale) and Jeanne, Pat and I thought it would just be the three of us. Sphere: Related Content

Cat food making night

It always sneaks up on me and I hate to do it, but I set up the grinder and made some food for the cats tonight. It's really gross and every time I do it I wonder how anyone could possibly think this is something they should eat.

My cat food recipe:
8 lbs chicken thighs
2 lbs chicken hearts
2 lbs chicken livers

Put it all through a grinder, separate into 3 containers, and put them into the freezer. Actually I do put all 3 into the freezer, but since I usually wait until they are completely out of food, one only stays in about 3 hours. Cats shouldn't eat frozen food because it can upset their stomach. Believe me when I say this is the type of food you don't want to have to clean up if they throw it up.

Mm-mm, yummy, right? Sphere: Related Content

My neighbor Patricia

I came home from work early today, stopped at the grocery store, and arrived to find my next door neighbor's door wide open with a van loading her belongings. She committed suicide Sunday night. She was one of only two neighbors with whom I talked with any regularity beyond the perfunctory greeting. She was in her eighties, though I don't remember her exact age.

I was shocked, although when I left for work yesterday her newspapers were outside her door along with an envelope with her daughter's name on it. I grabbed the papers, tossed them into my apartment, briefly wondered why she didn't ask me to get them like she usually does when she is away, and went to work as usual. Today's paper was outside when I left this morning, but I still didn't put the pieces together even though the note with her daughter's name was gone. I thought maybe she had gone to the hospital and left a key or something in the envelope.

She and I both fed the feral apartment cats and she mentioned several times in the year and a half I knew her how she wasn't sure how long she would be around and didn't want them to be dependent on her. She said she was glad I and another neighbor also fed them.

I hadn't seen her in several weeks, which isn't unusual, but the last time I did I had just put some food out for the ferals and she was on her way somewhere. She stopped and we chatted while they ate. I noticed absolutely nothing out of the ordinary and she said nothing about wanting to die. Her daughter said she had talked of suicide for the last twenty years and even bought a book telling how to do it. She bought a helium tank that came with balloons, put a plastic bag over her head, a tube in her mouth, and turned it on.

I'm really going to miss her. Sphere: Related Content

Changing my focus

I haven't blogged in a very long time, 2006 actually. I'm ready to start again, this time, however, it won't be primarily about politics. I am still a political junkie, but other aspects of my life are far more interesting (hopefully) than my political observations. So, the focus of this blog has changed, effective today, to commentary on my everyday life.

I'll start by re-introducing myself as an animal welfare activist, a vegetarian of 22 years, a vegan of 7 months (though I ate a little cheese yesterday and got sick - won't be doing that again!), a survivor of thyroid cancer, the oldest child in my family and first grandchild, an adult child of alcoholic parents, and an entrepreneur. I volunteer with a group called the Spay Austin Coalition advocating spay/neuter as the most effective long term solution to the animal overpopulation problem. Every year more than 13,000 dogs and cats are killed at the Town Lake Animal Center here in Austin, TX simply because they have no human to take them home. The killing of animals is basically a full time job paid for by the taxpayers. One of my goals is to make this job obsolete.

I became vegetarian shortly after I had my thyroid removed in 1986. I don't know if it had anything to do with the radiation treatments or if it was just a personal decision. I was always really picky about meat and would leave pieces of it on my plate called "thingies" that I refused to eat. It made my mother furious, but maybe it was an early sign that as an adult I would refuse to eat it altogether.

I've been living without a thyroid gland since the day before my 19th birthday, which will be the topic of lots of posts, I'm sure, because it is creating some health problems for me now, 22 years later. The most annoying is that I have a form of arthritis called gout which is usually found in people who eat a high fat, high protein meat based diet and those who are obese. I fall into neither of those groups, but I have it nonetheless. It used to be mainly in my fingers and toes, now it is severely affecting my right shoulder.

My goal with this blog is to share my experiences, get feedback from others, and maybe even help someone going through the same or similar trials and tribulations in their life. I'm hoping to use this outlet as a way to come to terms with some of the things that have affected me (over which I had no control as well as those if my own making), and find peace with the person I have become.

I'll leave it at this for today, but I will commit to posting at least 3 times a week, with the goal of a daily post. Who knows? Maybe I'll get really into it and make several short dailies. Thanks for visiting and I hope you'll re-visit soon. Sphere: Related Content