Cooking for One

I finally saw Julia & Julia, so how appropriate to get a call from a reporter writing an article about cooking for one.

Here's the article.

Bon Appetit!

Dial-Up Dilemma

It's good to get ink...behold, a recent article in the newspaper about the dial-up dilemma.

Newton's Third Law

Laughter floats in
from one of the rooms
at my back

to find me sitting alone
in my high chair
at the kitchen table

Watermelon red with chrome trim
shiny enough to reflect
my pink chubby toes

I don't mind being alone
with disembodied toes
to keep me company

But what do toddlers know
of the push-pull theory?

Still the laughter
still alone
bored with "this little piggy"

I peer over my shoulder
lean back as far as I can
to catch a glimpse of laughing faces

around the door frame,
just need a push
of pink chubby toes against chrome

and I careen backwards,
a dizzying crash to the floor
my soft skull trapped

a father's rough, tan hands
looking for a way in
his eyes, blue with a dark ring

fixed on his breathless child
too shocked to scream
or laugh

Comcast Update

Despite my silence in the Blogosphere about my tango with Comcast, much has been happening. For the most part, I've been passed up and down the food chain several times. Had some encouraging conversations with folks on their payroll who truly sympathize with the situation and conversly, had some very infuriating conversations with folks on their payroll who spoke to me with condescension and righteous indignation. Always a winning combination in my book.

So where are we, you ask? In tandem with the Office of Economic Development, a series of articles will appear in several publications laying out our case for service. Additionally, I will submit a letter to the editor with copies going to persons at the top of the food chain at Comcast who could effect change.

All studies I've read about bringing access to broad band services in rural areas suggests that communities work in tandem with internet providers to pay for the cost of the upgrades. When I asked one of the Comcast folks how much it would cost to bring broad band to our area, he snottily responded, "that's proprietary information and I will not share it with you." I wonder if the true cost to bring broad band service to my community is as much as the Luxury Suite belonging to Comcast at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia? Hmmm...I don't know, but aren't reading financial statements and tax returns fascinating?

More soon.