aubeneau's Diaryland
Diary
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Brain Popping
Brain popping - a necessary activity as the moose brains are added to
heated water to make a solution that will soak and soften the moose
hide during home tanning. Home tanned hide is used to make moccasins,
mukluks and an endless variety of other items. The process takes a
long time - but people like home tanned hide (Elders especially like
home tanned hide) as it is more waterproof, easier to sew with, and
keeps the house nice and fragrant for months at a time (okay, that
last bit is my observation alone). It is important to retain the
traditional knowledge - before it passes away (literally!). Anyways,
Elders have earned the right to sit back with their tea and beading
and share their wisdom. If that wisdom occasionally comes across as
bossing 'younguns' around and making wee snarky comments about how
you're not doing it as good as they could if their arthritis wasn't
acting up - so be it. The highlight of all this praise comes when
some 88 year old wizened matron cackles that I didn't do too bad a job
for a 'white girl'.
[By 'white' - I mean covered in snow of course!]
2:34 p.m. - 2006-11-21
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Magnetic North
I am still the victim of unprovocated attacks by static
electricity! Kilowatts of the stuff! Truly, I hate this time of year.
Every two feet and - Phzzzzzt! It's -32 and 2 feet of snow lays across
the lawn; and there is not so much as one drop of moisture in one
molecule of air - anywhere. For some unknown reasons - I am the conduit where all static gathers -
the repository of all that stud magnetism. I suppose it explains why
I've never been able to wear a watch? But, as the years pass, it gets
more and more ridiculous. My otherwise friendly-in-your-face-fuzz-ball
of a cat has been hiding out under the bed for three weeks now. No
amount of coaxing is going to entice her out from under there. I think
she's been adopted by rogue dustbunnies. In the wee hours of the night
I hear an odd sizzling - followed by a pathetic hiss. The dog started
out by giving me timorous yelps everytime he came in contact with me.
That has quickly progressed past reproachful foregiveness into doleful
and baleful loathing. I mean, when the beast forgoes food, I know
things are getting dire! He has a schpot - as all dogs do - and mere
mention of the word brush used to throw him into fits of utter ecstasy.
One time - only one time - I accidentally turned on the light while he
was curled up next to me.... and I am bereft of his company until
spring. Honestly, you'd think I'd docked his tail with a butter knife
the way he's acting. I've also been banned from providing any type of
care for Snurggle the 7th (the family hamster) - an aspect of my curse
that I'm finding not to taxing, actually. My own family has decided
that if I am to be permitted to grace any of them with any sort of
affection whatsoever - I have to be standing in the bathtub with atleast
6 inches of water creeping up my calves. Makes handing out lunches in
the morning a little tricky. I did have a moment of guilty satisfaction last week though. The school
was getting flu shots - not my favourite pastime - and a small feedback
loop zapped the public health nurse silly as she pulled the needle from
my arm. I confess - I giggled... loudly. ::Sigh:: I'm am //SO// going
to pay for that the next time I need a tetnus shot. I'm seasoning at the moment - a time when you go a wee bit nuts because
of the transition into 24 hour dark. It causes me to blather on. My
essence du static makes computing a little tenuous as well. The IT guys
at work have banned me from the lab. The last straw came this morning
when they decided - en masse - that I wasn't allowed to sit at the
computer until I'd removed my socks! Hellooo! -32 people! Well, I'm off to help 7 little old ladies pop the brains out of the
skulls of 5 unsuspecting moose. Yep - I went to college for this! Oy.
5:00 p.m. - 2006-11-18
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