Listening to: Christmas stuff again
Reading: Jewels of the Sun Nora Roberts
Weather: 55 and foggy
Trivia: Why did the Tower Of Pisa tilt to one side?
On August 9, 1173, construction began of a beautiful new bell tower at Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles), Pisa, Italy. By the time the first meter and a half (five feet) of the base was complete, it was clear that it was tilting. Over the next two centuries, construction was halted and restarted several times. The upper floors of the tower were built askew, in an attempt to adjust for the tilt. As a result, the tower bends upward, as if trying to overcome gravity. The tower's tilt was caused by uneven sinking of its foundation into sandy, marshy soil. It continued to lean further every year, until recent excavations and reinforcements were made. Work continues to ensure that the beloved Leaning Tower will never fall.
Cool word: persiflage [n. PUR-suh-flazh]
If you are just chatting idly with someone, passing the time with light conversation, you are engaging in persiflage. It's friendly, good-natured banter. Persiflage came from France, but the meaning of the word was changed in the process. The parts of this compound word are the prefix per- (thoroughly, completely), plus siffler (hiss or boo), with the suffix -age (noun formation from a verb). So, to experience persiflage in French is to be thoroughly mocked or ridiculed. The Latin root of siffler was sifilare, a modification of sibilare (to hiss or whistle). This word was probably an imitation of the
sound of hissing. It also led to our words sibilant (characterized by a hissing sound) and sibilate (to hiss or speak with a hissing sound).
Short one
This is going to be a short entry. I feel lousy still and need to get some sleep.
It was terrible going back to school today. One day off can set me back for weeks it seems. I spent the entire day scrambling around trying to get caught up with things that somehow appeared on my desk when I was gone.
I may have written all those reports when I was at home, but it didn’t seem to make a bit of difference. More had appeared to take its place.
I guess I need to look at the positive part of it though, I got the stuff I had finished off to the locations it needs to go in order to be processed.
When I left school I knew I didn’t have the energy to go shopping right away, so I sat on the couch and watched Rosie then I decided I had to see if I could get a couple of gifts purchased. I tend to like to shop at dinnertime as it’s often less crowded. If tonight was any indication of what less crowded is going to look like, I’m in big trouble.
I made a very minute dent in what I need to do. I got a couple of CDs for my father. I got Rosemary Clooney. He likes his old stuff.
I got a couple of poseable Madeline things for Matilda, a doll and an outfit. My mother is giving her Madeline and the carrying case.
I found a couple of funky toys for Michael and some shoe magnets for a friend who is a shoe freak.
But that’s about it.
What I need to do is go through the boxes of stuff that I’ve picked up during the year and see what I’d already bought with friends in mind. I don’t remember what I got, and I’m notorious for grabbing stuff and stashing it, but forgetting what I’ve bought.
My mother and I were supposed to go to Northampton tomorrow to put logs at the cemetery and visit her friends. She’s now decided that she shouldn’t go as she things there is something seriously wrong with my father and that she needs to find a way to get him to the hospital. He’s apparently having a difficult time walking. He has an artificial leg and uses a walker, but he’s gotten very weak in the last couple of days.
So I’ll have to go up by myself and then come home to see what’s happening with him. I really don’t look forward to doing that drive myself, but I don’t have much choice.
So it’s off to bed now.
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