June 10
Conventioning



Today was the day I look forward to all year. It was the stamp convention.

I know that sounds odd, but it really is a big deal. It’s a huge two-day event, that until this year has been held in the Boston area. All sorts of stamp companies bring in their new stamps and other products and all sorts of stampers from the northeast descend on the place.

This year was a huge disappointment.



They had changed the location to Springfield, which is in western Mass. and about eighty miles from here. This was the first reason to be unhappy. For the last four years it was in Marlboro which meant that I could basically roll out of bed and be there in ten minutes. I was an hour’s drive this year. (Have I mentioned my lead foot lately?)

The even was held on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition, which is like a huge state fair that is held for all the New England States each fall. There are many many buildings on these grounds.

The organizers of this stamping event chose the only building on the grounds that is not air-conditioned. The temperature was in the nineties. It was brutal.

It got to the point where I was sweating so much that it was dripping in my eyes and I couldn’t see.

This was not conducive to shopping. It was just not fun



The other problem was that many vendors who I love to buy from weren’t there this time. There are certain companies who always have new and innovative products and doo-dads to use and they just didn’t’ come this time.

That was the biggest disappointment. The stamp store that I frequent doesn’t carry products from these companies and I hate to buy over the internet because I like to see the new things in person and in conjunction with other items so I can decide what I need. I was pretty bummed.

I figure that I spent maybe a third of what I normally spend at this event.

I suppose I should look at that as being a good thing, but I had such high hopes when I started out in the morning.



I did get to chat with some of my internet stamping friends, but even that was brief as I don’t think anyone was hanging out as much as they did in the past. It was just too hot to enjoy anything.

There’s another convention, sponsored by a different organizing company, in New Hampshire later on this summer. I guess I should just hope that one will be better than this one was.

Oh well. At least a got a couple of new stamp things to play with.




Listening to: Don Henley

Reading: Acts of Love Judith Michael

Weather: 95, humid, miserable

Trivia: What's the coldest biome (land-based ecosystem)?

Of all the kinds of ecosystems on land the coldest one is the tundra, found in the Arctic and at high elevations in the mountains. In these treeless regions, plants and animals are forced to survive on almost no available resources. Because the climate is so harsh there is little extra energy for plants to put into large size or fancy flowers. They are generally small and grow only during a short part of the year. They have shallow roots because the soil is very shallow, resting on a layer of always-frozen ground called the permafrost. Animals in the tundra are equally challenged. Many hibernate for almost the entire year, and some migrate when winter comes. Animal populations are subject to extreme population cycles, and the total mass of animal life is low compared to warmer biomes.

Cool word: kettle of fish [n. KEH-tul of fish]

Picture a teakettle with fish stuffed in it. That would be a mess wouldn't it? If you're ever trying to remember the meaning of the noun kettle of fish, just visualize this. Since the 18th century, the noun kettle of fish has described a bad state of affairs or an awkward or difficult situation. Near synonyms include mess, jumble, muddle, and snarl. The origins of kettle of fish aren't far off from the mental picture from the first paragraph. The Scottish used to hold picnics during salmon season during which they would boil freshly caught fish in huge kettles or cauldrons. They would then eat this culinary treat with their fingers, despite the messiness. The kettles the fish were boiling in were large metal pots with lids, rather than the teakettles we envision today. Kettle comes from the Middle English ketel which traces back to the Latin catillus for large bowl.
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Horoscope

ARIES

It will pay you to pursue your ideas where they may take you, there is every likelihood that the optimistic long-term aims you have in mind have a chance of working out even better than you imagine. You will never know unless you try so do just that, You can either think about things till the cows come home, or you can dip your toe in the water and judge the results for yourself. The choice is yours.