January, 2012

January, 1795

By Mary Robinson

Pavement slipp’ry, people sneezing,

Lords in ermine, beggars freezing;

Titled gluttons dainties carving,

Genius in a garret starving.

Lofty mansions, warm and spacious;

Courtiers cringing and voracious;

Misers scarce the wretched heeding;

Gallant soldiers fighting, bleeding.

Wives who laugh at passive spouses;

Theatres, and meeting-houses;

Balls, where simp’ring misses languish;

Hospitals, and groans of anguish.

Arts and sciences bewailing;

Commerce drooping, credit failing;

Placemen mocking subjects loyal;

Separations, weddings royal.

Authors who can’t earn a dinner;

Many a subtle rogue a winner;

Fugitives for shelter seeking;

Misers hoarding, tradesmen breaking.

Taste and talents quite deserted;

All the laws of truth perverted;

Arrogance o’er merit soaring;

Merit silently deploring.

Ladies gambling night and morning;

Fools the works of genius scorning;

Ancient dames for girls mistaken,

Youthful damsels quite forsaken.

Some in luxury delighting;

More in talking than in fighting;

Lovers old, and beaux decrepid;

Lordlings empty and insipid.

Poets, painters, and musicians;

Lawyers, doctors, politicians:

Pamphlets, newspapers, and odes,

Seeking fame by diff’rent roads.

Gallant souls with empty purses;

Gen’rals only fit for nurses;

School-boys, smit with martial spirit,

Taking place of vet’ran merit.

Honest men who can’t get places,

Knaves who shew unblushing faces;

Ruin hasten’d, peace retarded;

Candor spurn’d, and art rewarded.

This poem could have been written last year, but it's a 217-year-old critique on British society. The more things change...when will we 99% be viewed as valid and deserving? Why does worth equal money?

It was hard to go to work today. Sanding trucks driving back and forth early this morning lulled me into believing in the possibility of a late opening, but it was not to be. So I hauled myself up and out to pick up doughnuts (donuts?) for the folks at school. I didn't eat even one - until 2:00 this afternoon. Bad me. The cake yesterday combined with today's lapse in judgement (do I REALLY want to waste points on a Dunkin' Donuts piece of #$@#$&^#? Yes, apparently...

Dr. Oz was talking about food allergies - I am almost completely sure that I suffer from lactose intolerance. Didn't have ice cream with my cake because of that suspicion. I might try Oz's suggestion of removing all dairy for a week. That would mean almond or soy milk. I'm not eating butter or cheese these days, and I swore off yogurt about 6 months ago because it bothered me so much, so it wouldn't be very difficult. Stay tuned...

Spinning: absolutely NO PROGRESS

Knitting: Canopy Sock #2 proceeds apace

Exercise: Weights and cycling yesterday, cycling today. Abe tweaked the weight routine to forestall the reappearance of thoracic outlet syndrome. My friend Johanna is coming here tomorrow to exercise with me!

Food/Water: Sunday was not healthy, nor was today's doughnut. Tomorrow...!