good things

[tielan]

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

~Robert A. Heinlein~
I don't know; I think this quotation is a bit hard on those of us caught up in late-stage capitalism.

And what does it mean to "conn a ship"? I mean, I know the navy has the phrase "the admiral has the conn", but I figured that was like taking command of the ship. Anyone know the meaning/origins of this?

(And why would a bunch of military sailors take commands from me anyway? Surely one of their number would be more suited/knowledgeable about how to do this?)

--

A few brainweasels:

Brainweasel: If I'd been more organised, better prepared, time-savvy, I'd have prepped the risotto for cooking today.

Counter: there is food aplenty tonight and tomorrow and the weekend. Risotto would be nice next week.


Brainweasel: Online people I haven't met in person really dislike me and/or take every opportunity to mock me to their friends.

Counter: ...I don't really have a counter to this. But I can take hope and encouragement in the fact that I just spent a weekend with a group of geeky women hanging, spent a weekend a month ago with a group of quilty women, and am spending a week with a group of women from church on a cruise in a month's time. So if all these women have met me in person and enjoy spending time with me, then chances are that the brainweasels have the conn.


Brainweasel: My quilting is shitty and everyone will look at it and think, "who let her hang her quilt in this show?"

Counter1: Undoubtedly some women will be The Quilt Police, but most others will be all "ooh, I love that design and how you've executed it - it's gorgeous!"

Counter2: I'm the one who'll use it afterwards, so long as it's quilted to my satisfaction, who cares about anything else?

--

And so as to give the brainweasels a good kick, here's five good things today.

1. I've been contracting for just over a year, and by and large, it's been a pretty good year of work doing reasonable jobs at places with good colleagues and easy-going bosses.

2. ...I kind of got stuck at #1. Just struggling a bit right now. Oh, wait, last night at bible study, one of the women said she was so happy to see me back in the group again (I'd been skipping weeks due to busyness/health/exhaustion.

3. Yesterday's lovely rainfall, which my garden needed. Followed by sun and dry today. If we could get a pattern like this going all winter, then my garden will be quite SET for when spring comes!

4. Roast chicken, potatoes, pumpkin, and carrots for lunch.

5. I just called my mum and we had an excellent chat about her move and the house and the dinner she had with my aunt and uncle, then we arranged to make plans for the weekend (in between all the quilting and gardening stuff going on).