So, yesterday I complained about all my weird aches and pains from sailing. It was weird, 'cause sailing isn't THAT strenuous of an activity. So I am slowly discovering they aren't muscle aches, but bruises. I'm practically black and blue all over. My knee, my legs, my rear, my feet, my arms....

I'm leaving for a camping trip near Austin in Hill Country this weekend. Yes, Texas has hills. Hopefully it won't be TOO hot.

In other news, obviously my family is suffering because they haven't had a graduation party in two whole years (oh, the pain, the suffering). So, they are all off to my Aunt Ellie's "graduation" at University of Florida. Not everyone can brag about having an aunt who is getting a *second* honorary doctorate. I think she should share the love with me - I could use a doctorate!

Ms. Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority Foundation is being recognized for her tireless and effective leadership in the contemporary women's movement. For more than 30 years, Ms. Smeal has been on the frontlines fighting for women's equality, playing a pivotal role in efforts to design and pass legislation that would grant women equal rights in employment and income, education, political participation and representation, and reproduction. Ms. Smeal has served three terms as President of the National Organization for Women during which some of the most significant advances in women's legal status were achieved. In the mid-1990s Ms. Smeal launched an international campaign to promote humanitarian treatment and women's rights in Afghanistan, long before the events of September 11, 2001 brought these issues to broad public awareness.


1:32 p.m.


So, the guy in my division I mentioned before who stopped me in the hall to thank me for mowing my lawn and totally freaked me out, heard, by word of mouth, that he freaked me out. So, anyway, he apologized today, which is funny, because I wasn't offended. It was just weird that people at work knew whether or not I had mowed my lawn!



Anyway, in the ensuing conversation, I mentioned the stupid bushes I have (the one that earned the sign "please trim me" cause it was growing over the sidewalk). These bushes are meant to be round and bushy (with only one planted at a time). Instead someone planted a row of four of them in an attempt to turn them into a hedge.



Apparently its called "olenader" (Jen identified it for me). This is also the bush, that, while I was trimming it, I got warned by another neighbor that it was poisonous. WELL. I was just informed that it has a really really really strong root system, which is known for growing under sidewalks and destroying sidewalks. Conveniently, this bush has been planted on the outside of my fence RIGHT next to, not only the sidewalk, but the paved area for the communal mailbox.



Great. I read on the olender society website that olender's make a good Gift. The word "Gift" is German for Poison. How appropriate.



In case you didn't follow all that, here's the scorecard: I have a monster bush that grows like crazy, covers the sidewalk, makes my neighbors leave me notes, and IS POISON! and is likely to destroy the sidewalk, costing me even more money.



All for freakin' pretty white flowers. I am so getting those bushes removed.



I've probably now offended the gods of ancient Greece. I just read that the Greeks used to plant holy forests of olenders. Figures.