QOTD: "I do not exist; therefore, I am a mustache." - Jean Paul Sartre
Reading: Stephen E. Ambrose, Undaunted Courage
Listening to: the original cast recording of 3hree
Decluttering accomplishments: did shelf paper in the kitchen, still unpacking
My favorite news story of recent days is the announcement from a company called LifeGem Memorials that they can turn a loved one's cremated ashes into a diamond by pressing and heating the ashes to 5400 degrees Fahrenheit. The price starts at $4000 for a quarter carat. What I don't quite grasp is whether you determine the weight of the diamond beforehand and they use just the right amount of cremains or whether you don't know how big a diamond you'll get. The whole thing strikes me as rather a horrible idea, but I can think of scenarios that are truly bizarre. For example, suppose a man kills his wife and has her ashes made into a diamond he then uses in an engagement ring he gives his lover. And then she complains the stone isn't big enough.
My life is far less horrible. I've actually had an overwhelming feeling of well-being this week. Most of that was engendered by going to a storytelling open mike on Tuesday night. I told "Sam Short's Story" (a 400+ word tongue twister) and got a wonderful reception. The other tellers were a mixed bag. Some were very good, while a few didn't really resonate with me. But the main thing is that I felt comfortable and came away feeling like I can fit in with the storytelling community here.
Work is also going well. We had a few crises this week, but I managed to pull together the right information and get it to the people who needed to understand it. I'd have liked to have had more information on some things, but I had a reasonable feeling of mastery.
And my apartment is approaching liveability. I found a real hardware store and, sure enough, they had exactly what I needed (a specific type of shelf support). The teenage son of the owners took me to the right bin and they were twenty cents each. That sort of service sure beats Home Depot where two clerks were trying to send me back and forth across the store. Now if I can only find a couple of lamps I like - I need another lamp in the living room and at least one for the den. I've looked at a few things but haven't seen anything that struck me as just right.
I also transferred my photos from my digital camera to my computer. So I am working on the Papua New Guinea travelogue. It will probably be another week, though.
Yom Kippur is rapidly approaching, so I'm going to cut this short and have dinner.
Copyright 2002 Miriam H. Nadel