Tanka challenge 11/21/10

Two rainbow banners
Unfurled from angry storm clouds
As I hastened home.
If one believed in portents
Surely this would be one such.

Actually it was. By the time I got home it was pouring again. At 5:37 PM hail was rattling off the skylight and I heard thunder. A local TV station caught this double lightning strike on the Bay Bridge: http://mdoeff.tumblr.com/post/1634176756/seen-on-ktvu-two-lighting-bolts-striking-the-bay

Up to no good whatsoever.

Daytripped Mists Investiture for a few hours. I opted for the orange and white ombre, orange and gold jinken obi and the Tosenin kosode. I can officially refer to the Tosenin kosode as "this old thing," these days. Still the best thing I ever did, still gorgeous and if anybody doesn't like it, they can get outta my way.

On the premise that it would keep me from trying to move too quickly, I wore geta. Amazing how much taller those make me: I was towering over layla_lilah. The drop into seats, particularly in the restroom, however, required a bit of careful negotiation. (Today my left knee is still stiff, but no worse if not no better.) Didn't get to catch up with as many people as I would've liked, however, broider_barones  presented me with a pair of books that someone had been getting rid of, one on women painters in Japan, another on making Japanese dolls.

Old royals out, new in. Everyone looked happy, vittoriosa  looked gorgeous*, all appeared to be having a good time. (OK, she'd look gorgeous in rags anyway, but she really did look lovely.)

Got a bit of face-time with The Lady of the Swan, which was good.  She, Aria, Rolf and Aurora headed out early for a field trip to Thai Silks in Los Altos. Hope they found things that work for everyone. R & A offered me crash space overnight next weekend after Golden Rivers' Anniversary Banquet, with folks coming over Sunday midday to geek at books and pictures so folks can figure out what they want to make. Since it looks like Aurora is going to be sewing for Their Excellencies, this means I could actually think about making something new for myself, should I want to.....

Got up this morning and saw blue in the skylight. Ditched my plan to work on JAF's commission all day in favor of some out-of-the-house time. Went to Moe's and came home with Three Kingdoms, Pandemonium and Parade and Turning Point: Oribe and the Arts of 16th Century Japan.   I kinda had to. They were too good to pass up.

I also swung by the Discount Fabric on Ashby and San Pablo and bought a lovely silk herringbone which would've been $13/yard, but turned out to be 20% off. So I definitely had to.

PSA on the TSA

A year or so ago, likely as a result of my ticket having been switched from one airline to another, I got selected for "special" screening at Baltimore Washington International Airport, where I was sketchily patted down by a grandmotherly woman half a head shorter than I am. When I got home I discovered a form letter inside my checked luggage informing me it had also been searched. 

Some of you may recall that I ran into a friend at the airport a couple weeks ago as he checked my ID at the security gate. Instead of going home at the end of his shift, he bought a tepid pizza chain pizza at airport prices so he could sit with me until my flight boarded.

Let's try to remember that TSA agents are people too. For every one whose bad behavior/inadequate training/lack of clue hits the internet and goes viral, there are a lot more of them who are just trying to do their jobs. Jobs that involve dealing with large numbers of cranky members of the general public, their children, their strollers, their wheelchairs, their personal belongings and frequent procedure changes. Think about how bad your work-day gets when you have to deal with just one difficult person. Then do the math.

By all means, stay informed. Question the infringement of your rights and privacy. Know what you can and should do if you have to fly. (Here's a guide from the ACLU that was posted just this week.) Protect yourself and your kids.

Pester the people who CAN do something about it. Your elected congresspersons and senators and the Department of Homeland Security:
http://www.senate.gov/reference/common/faq/How_to_contact_senators.htm
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
https://secure.aclu.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2673&s_src=UNW100001ACT&s_subsrc=101117_tsa_ac