Coincidence?

I think not!

It occurred to me this morning that my screen name, AlleyCat, has more in common with my maiden name than with my married name, as far as the initial sounds are concerned.

To illustrate what I mean, let's take the example of another blog, applesaucer. Imagine this blog belonged to a girl named Ellen Parson (and that her screen name was AppleSaucer instead of GoetzGirl), but before she was married she was called Ellen Schmidt. My contention is that the A from Apple and the S from Saucer sound more similar to the E from Ellen and the Sch from Schmidt than the same E and the P from Parson.

In an interesting and ironical corollary to this observation, Mr. Cat's pseudonym (Mr. Cat) is phonetically more related to my maiden name than to his actual surname.

Alley Cat, Private Eye

Some friends of ours are moving into a new house. Although this is, generally speaking, an exciting moment in one's life, in this case it is also a sad moment since that house is located on the furthermost coast of a country rather far to the west of here.

However, the situation did give me the chance to exercise my private I-ability. Using my sharply-honed Powers of Deduction, I tracked down a photo of said house


on the internet. Yes, dear reader, the internet is a truly remarkable tool of unprecented reach and informational value. Also, you can find lots of stuff out there.

Done it again

Historically speaking I have had the tendency to be too closed up. People around me really had no idea what was going on with me. I always played happy, happy, even though I wasn't. People can't help you if they don't even know there's something wrong.

Over the past while I've tried to open myself up a bit. This blog may even have something to do with that (although opening oneself up to complete strangers and anonymous ones at that is quite something different than to real people). But I'm not too confident in my boundaries. Meaning I think I sometimes am too open with certain people. Or in other words, maybe it's not that helpful to tell everyone who asks how my job is, that I'm actually quite unhappy (as with my previous job), or looking for a new one, or whatever have you. My policy was honesty. But now I'm trying for honesty lite: not everyone has to know the whole story. Which is fine and all until someone asks you a direct question, and keeps asking.

Now I've gone and revealed some quite personal information to someone I'm not sure I can trust. Both numerical information and a bit about how I am feeling. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Why do I let myself so easily be lulled into feeling someone is "on my side"? Is anyone really on my side?

Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortal men, who cannot save.
- Ps. 146:3

Sources of amusement (playing with words)

(This post was originally written on Friday. I tried to post it Friday, Sunday and Tuesday evenings from my home computer. Here's hoping my work computer will like it better. I really hope it's worth the effort. -ed.)

Friday when I was trying to type ruling I typed fuling by mistake. I corrected it. Then I used it in a humorous (to me) fashion in a subsequent sentence. I wrote something like, "No fuling." Earlier in the same session I typed context instead of contest. That one I didn't reuse for humorous purposes. But it did give me a funny idea...

This kind of thing happens to me more frequently. Of course I usually correct myself, or Microsoft Word corrects me with its handy auto-correct feature. But what I propose as a source of amusement is to take these mistyped words and let them take the lead in the ongoing train of thought.

Like I will strt to relate somethings about my day. I aws (second typing mistake identiried, first one not lending itself to a humorous reinterpretation) let's take aws (meant to be was) and call it awsome! I awsome! Anyway. I was in Madrid, being a large city and also in my belief system the capital of Espain. Why do we non-Espanish-speakers insiste on calling Espain Spain? Don't we think they know who to pronounce (was meant to be how, but following new train of through): who can pronounce their national-linguistic nomenclature best? They even use the letter E to denominate their cars.

In dda (meant to begin in addition, but what does dda mean? must be a sort of allusion to dada)... in dda art they probably would spell Espain with some toher combination of letters entireley.

Hmm. My conclusion based on interim results of this experiment is: perhaps it is not all quite so funny as I had imagined, this particular variety of wordplay.

Another variety, proven (by me) to be humorous (to me) goes like this: you write an e-mail in a foreign language, such as French, in a spell-checker-enhanced e-mail program. For example, I have Outlook set to automatically spell-check all my e-mails before I send them. Here's the twist: you accept all the suggested alternate spellings, which tend to be more or less nonsensical, before sending the mail. Then both you and your message's recipient can delight in the hilarity of semi-French, semi-random, semi-communication. Ha ha!

Very embarassing event

Last week I had a meeting at 8:30 in a city south of my home. Under normal circumstances this drive should take about 45 minutes. By normal I mean without traffic. Actually this is not all that normal here in the Netherlands. Anyway the night before my boss, who was also attending the meeting, warned me not to underestimate the traffic. I was somewhat insulted feeling condescended to and all that. So I left myself one hour and 15 minutes, planning to leave my house at 7:15. This turned out to be somewhat approximate as I am not all that skilled at actually leaving the house at the time I plan. But things would have gone more or less ok had it not been for an oversight in the directions to the meeting location. These indicated to take the A2 from Amsterdam in the direction of Utrecht and then, at a certain crossing of highways, to take the A27/A28 in the direction of Amersfoort. Only as it happens (and as is presumably obvious to many Dutch drivers familiar with the region of Utrecht), the A27/A28 is not signposted from the A2. First you have to take the A12. Only afterwards does the A27/A28 become apparent. Long story short I passed the A12, realized my error, turned around at the next exit and sat in a major traffic jam coming from the A2 (opposite direction) onto the A12. As I result I arrived for the 8:30 meeting at approximately 8:50. This is, in a word, not done.

I am pleased to report that my boss very graciously made no mention of the event. Although I was careful to relate the story related above to another colleague, in the presence of my boss, at lunchtime that very same day.

Issues

I am having issues posting a particularly interesting post to my blog. I tried it Friday and again yesterday. Perhaps tonight I will try again. I am not that satisfied with the support provided by Blogger, at this moment.

As for me

My blog is a place where I can share some of my thoughts and feelings.

As to the thoughts and feelings I don't want to share with anyone else, I write them down in a journal or in a document on my computer that I don't share with anyone else.

As to the thoughts and feelings I want to share with someone in particular, I share them in person, in an SMS or in an e-mail addressed to the person or persons in question. Occasionally also: by telephone.

The thoughts and feelings I am sharing on-line are published with the expectation that someone else will read them. To be precise, a combination of the people I have invited to read my blog; people they in turn have shared it with due to some insightful, humorous or otherwise shareworthy sentiment they've come across here; and people who have come across it by accident / serendipity / fate.

Although I post these thoughts and feelings primarily for egotistical reasons (I do so enjoy to see my words in print! for all to see! on the World Wide Web!), I am also quite curious about the responses of others to my thoughts and feelings. This is why I welcome and indeed invite commentary. Although this in itself is no doubt also egotistical. And despite the fact that, to date, my blog has received very little commentary indeed. Probably because the number of people fitting the criteria mentioned in the paragraph above is, to date, small. Possibly even miniscule. As a result of which I thank you, in case you are reading this paragraph, for doing so. And for your visit. And for your comment, in case you are about to leave one.

This shall be the last time I shall shamelessly solicit commentary in my postings. (Current resolution)

Addicted

In the weekend I started eating some chocolate. Chocolate Easter eggs, to be precise. My mother had brought some along from the US, of the Robin Egg variety. Like a malted milk ball, only egg-shaped and coated in a speckledy colored hard candy shell.

When I returned to the office yesterday, the Easter eggs provided by our friendly caterer disappeared right around the time I was going to eat one. But later that evening, at home, I consumed some more of the Robin's Eggs. Slightly more than might have been advisable, strictly speaking. Went to bed with a teeny weeny tummy ache.

Anyway today the Easter eggs reappeared at the office. So far I have eaten several. They are dark chocolate, which I prefer, and of quite good quality.

I hope I won't eat any more Robinny eggs when I get home.

But I might.

Oh yes, I do

I do have faithful readers. They are just quiet and shy, or in some cases afraid of getting their heads bitten off, so they don't tend to post many comments. But I thank them nonetheless for their faithfulness. I also thank casual passers-by for their visit, in advance.

Please feel free to comment. I will try my best to leave yer head intact.

long day

It is just past 9 PM and I am about to leave work (don't want to leave too early and have to wait too long for the tram which comes at 9.23). I have been at work since before 9 AM (early for me) which I realize doesn't compare to Certain Professions which are known for 36-hour shifts and such, but still I do not prefer this kind of workday. Also, I started the day in a meeting during which it became clear that a certain document which 1. I had written and which 2. we (the attendees of said meeting) would be presenting to our client tomorrow morning at 8.30 AM required significant editing and it was also the case that my whole day was booked up with meetings and telephone calls such that I could only really get to work on such editing at 5.00 PM. Hence I really should be glad I am getting out of here so early.

On that note, I'm outta here!

My Protracted Absence

It has come to my attention that some of my faithful readers have missed me.

I have missed me too.

My parents have been visiting the Netherlands for a period of time approximated by 12 days. During this time I also participated in another Training. This one hosted by the EVCA. It lasted two and a half days (including half of a day I was supposed to be off). In addition I traveled with my parents and Mr. Cat to the fine cities of Middelburg (NL) and Brugge (aka Bruges) (BE) during the long Easter weekend (4-day weekend here in Holland). As well as hosting a Second-Day-of-Easter barbecue on Monday. The weather was nearly good enough for that. As a result I did not sit behind the computer hardly at all (sic) for a period of time approximated by 6 days. Please note that this period is also approximately equal to the number of days during which I did not blog. In addition I did not call anyone during this period. Please refer to my posting of earlier today for more detail. And to a posting of Saara.

Since returning to my desk I have caught up on some personal e-mail, most work e-mail and several blogs including a new edition by Dr. Dave. Which I enjoyed very much, by the way. In addition I was informed by a friend that blogging should be good for my career. At this point I am rather skeptical as to whether this is indeed the case, in my case.

Bunny Day doghouse

I have failed in my familial duties (not for the first time, no doubt, nor last). As a result I should be put in the Dog House.

In an attempt to make good, please see the following. The verbal relation of this item, as delivered by Mr. Cat during Easter breakfast, was the source of much amusement both at the table and later, in the car, on the way home. The first time I was nearly in tears. The second time I was driving.

If I were a cat

If I were a cat, would I be the character traits I project onto Coon Kitty, such as

• Calm, even-keel, not too reactionary with respect to external forces;
• Loyal and sociable in a low-key sort of way;
• Self-confident and serene, poised, strong and silent, yet not emotionally distant, even seeking out companionship with a friendly mew;
• Playful and fierce?

Or would I be more like Fleur,

• A bit flighty, euphorically affectionate one moment and skittishly aloof the next;
• Playful and kittenish;
• Dainty and vulnerable, yet with terrifying sharp claws, and these having the ability to wound both un- and intentionally;
• Sleek and shiny and elegant?

Upon reflection I can only conclude: yes.

Another beautiful one

New toothbrush

I started using a new toothbrush yesterday. This makes my teeth just that tiny bit smoother and cleaner than the previous toothbrush. Yes!

This reminded me of the following experience. Recently I went to the dentist, only my appointment with the actual Dentist had been cancelled, and he was away on vacation or whatever have you, and oops! had they neglected to call me and let me know? Indeed, they had. Fortunately, my appointment with the Dental Hygienist was not cancelled, and she was also present, and did proceed to pick at my teeth in that manner most unpleasant for which we go to the Dental Hygienist in the first place. And as I lay there most uncomfortable undergoing this unpleasantness, I thought to myself what a luxury it is to have one's teeth picked at, and polished, by a trained professional, for the benefit of keeping such teeth in one's mouth to a ripe old age. Which is the kind of benefit we should not underappreciate, not being available to so many of our Fellow Humans in circumstances much less fortunate. And so I hereby Appreciate it, and invite you to do the same.

A decision

I was thinking about whether to make my blog non-anonymous. Then people would be able to find my Thoughts by Googling me, and alternately I could share my blogaddress with lots o' folk and not worry would they mention my RealName when forwarding it on to others (as presumably they would, after having read my Intriguing Thoughts).

But on the other hand StalkerRisk and all that.

So I came to the following conclusion: I will limit my postings to things that, if my identity were to be revealed, would neither compromise me personally / professionally nor offend or damage others. Not that I will cease to be Vulnerable. No indeed, for this is the essence of what we are trying to accomplish here. But if the Wall Street Journal were to publish tomorrow an article with the headline,

"RationAlley is the blog of AlleyCat"

(but using of course my RealName, as no doubt you realize I mean by the time you've followed my train of thought this far), then I wouldn't have to run for cover because the Thoughts it contains would be ones, though personal in nature, that wouldn't mean ruin or disaster in case they came to be Generally Known.

I name this post "decision" but please consider that a provisional situation. I may yet change my mind, again.

P.S. All due respect to those who require absolute privacy with respect to their blogs, as to those who blog under their own RealNames, each for their various reasons.

White Thursday

OK so this is only next week, but in preparation this informational memorandum, with special thanks to Merriam-Webster


Maundy Thursday
Pronunciation: 'mon-dE-, 'män-
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English maunde ceremony of washing the feet of the poor on Maundy Thursday, from Old French mandé, from Latin mandatum command; from Jesus' words in John 13:34
: the Thursday before Easter observed in commemoration of the institution of the Eucharist

Actually the whole chapter is relevant here, in my opinion.

For the curious, the Dutch refer to the day before Good Friday (Goede Vrijdag) as Witte Donderdag (White Thursday). I am curious if anyone has insight as to why this might be. A white towel, perhaps?

Wow

Via a friend's blog,

"He who learns must suffer. And even in our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, and in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom to us by the awful grace of God."

- from Robert Kennedy's gravestone, quoted from Aeschylus.

I identify deeply with this sentiment/truth, and am reminded by it to be grateful that I haven't felt this way as much lately.