Monday Haiku and Sundries

A haiku for Mondays, in honor of Ed Stun, who is apparently missing in action:

I stumbled into work today operating on insufficient sleep and a caffeine deficit. One was easily fixed, the other threatened to fix itself as my eyelids encountered some sort of heavy gravity phenomenon that threatened to yank them shut every fifteen seconds or so. My brain was definitely not in gear either; I walked into a meeting nearly half an hour late because I somehow thought it started half an hour later than it did.

My company is planning to change our health insurance coverage effective May 1. There are meetings all this week to explain the changes to the employees and to get the new employee elections for coverage. They haven’t provided much information up front, but right now the biggest change for the coverage I’d get is that my co-payment goes from $10.00 to $20.00 per office visit. That bodes to be an expensive change. I’m hoping they haven’t farted around too much with the prescription drug program and hospital stay benefits. I’ll find out tomorrow, when our department is scheduled to have it’s orientation meeting.

Sunday turned out to be a beautiful day in our parts. I suppose it could have been warmer, but the sun was out, the snow was melting, and spring seemed like it might possibly arrive someday after all. The Prof and I took a ride out for some lunch and then a stop at his favorite used CD store. I love this store. It’s located in a little hole-in-the-wall location of an ancient strip mall. When you first walk in, your initial impression is that the store itself is made of CD’s. The walls are covered with them. The displays in the aisles are completely filled with CD’s. Under the display tables are yet more CD’s, all carefully arranged in long cardboard boxes. I made a few good buys – Francis Dunnery’s “Man”, Dar Williams’ newest release (only $10!!!). I also fell prey to a secret vice – a CD of Bobby Darren’s greatest hits. He was the master of great sing-along songs. “Mac the Knife”, “Splish Splash”, “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” …. come on folks, it doesn’t get better than that! And it was only $7! I know, I know. There are a few among you out there who read that and thought to themselves, “She still over-paid.” Ah well, life isn’t worth living if you don’t succumb to a whim and a wish once in a while. At least I have a few relatively inexpensive whims and wishes I can cave in on!

Where I am an unrepentant folkie/alt rock fan, The Socialist is a die-hard heavy metal fan. This has created for some interesting conversations. Neither one of us really appreciates the other’s taste in music, and we have an ongoing schtick of taking jabs at the other’s taste. I ran across this little news item this morning, and can’t wait to tell him about it:

March 10, 2003

Sheep Head Breaks Music Fan’s Skull

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 12:45 p.m. ET

OSLO, Norway (AP) — A flying sheep’s head hit a concertgoer and fractured his skull at a concert of metal band Mayhem.

The band, part of Norway’s death metal music scene, was carving up a dead sheep as part of its stage act when the animal’s head flew off lead singer Maniac’s knife and struck Per Kristian Hagen, 25.

The show was Thursday in Bergen, 487 kilometers (302 miles) west of the capital, Oslo.

“My relationship to sheep is a bit ambivalent now. I like them, but not when they come flying through the air,” Hagen told The Associated Press Monday from his hospital room. “I have a headache now.” He is expected to recover.

Hagen, a Mayhem fan, filed involuntary assault and battery charges against the band. The charges carry a maximum sentence of six months in prison.

Mayhem member Rune Eriksen, whose stage name is Blasphemer, said the incident was unfortunate.

“The whole thing was an accident, but maybe it would be an idea for another show,” he said.

Eriksen promised Hagen a free ticket to the group’s next performance.

Police detective Carl-Petter Leganger told the AP an investigation has started, but “nothing suggests this was a conscious act.”