Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Weird & Embarrassing
10:45 p.m. / 22:45
A series of small events led me to declare I was so, so getting my new tires today. This was pretty easy, actually, since there's a tire shop in walking distance of my workplace. I called them at noon and asked if I could bring the car over that hour, and pick it up just after 5:00 and they said sure. The tire shop guy came outside with me to see what kind of tires I had on the car. Well, one of the tires was flat. And I didn't know it before then. Really flat. It was kind of embarrassing. That same tire was flat a month ago, and it was really obvious; I didn't even make it a block away from my house before I'd pulled over and called my brother for assistance. So, it's weird I didn't know about it. I have to say though, a tire shop is a pretty awesome place to discover you have a flat tire.
A series of small events led me to declare I was so, so getting my new tires today. This was pretty easy, actually, since there's a tire shop in walking distance of my workplace. I called them at noon and asked if I could bring the car over that hour, and pick it up just after 5:00 and they said sure. The tire shop guy came outside with me to see what kind of tires I had on the car. Well, one of the tires was flat. And I didn't know it before then. Really flat. It was kind of embarrassing. That same tire was flat a month ago, and it was really obvious; I didn't even make it a block away from my house before I'd pulled over and called my brother for assistance. So, it's weird I didn't know about it. I have to say though, a tire shop is a pretty awesome place to discover you have a flat tire.
My Big Mouth, Etc.
10:30 p.m. / 22:30
AP English Journal
Week of September 27 - October 3, 1998
Tuesday
I've sort of gotten myself stuck in the middle of an unofficial dispute at work between someone I sort of helped get hired and management. It's not a big problem. It's just that some members of management say they've noticed her being a little rude or impatient with customers. I mentioned this to her because I felt I could say something, so she would know, but wouldn't really matter because I'm not part of management. I did not tell her who said what. See, they came to me to ask about her because they knew I knew her outside of work. I don't think she's mad at me, but now she feels like no one there likes her, and she doesn't trust them. I ended up telling her who said what. I don't know if that was good or not. All I know is I think I'll tell those people not to come to me anymore, to go to her. That seems to be the bulk of the problem on her side. It may not solve a thing, but it could help a lot. I won't be offended if she quits, but since I kind of got her into this, I don't want her to not like it, and feel it was a really bad experience. I don't want to break anything already formed on either side. I want to unite the two sides, so we can all be one big happy ice cream-scooping crew again.
Week of October4 - October 10, 1998
Wednesday
I discovered that a word I use everyday, or nearly everyday, has only been around since the 1930's. It's different than words like computer, internet or video. It's not related to technology. Well... not really. I couldn't live without it. I'm always saying "oops".
I'm still waiting for them to fix the trash cans in the cafeteria. I had a really amazing toasted cheese sandwich from the a-la-carte line today. It was really good, but I think they could save money by using less cheese on them. I like cheese, but what's the point when half of it slides out the bottom of the sandwich? All that cheese did was create lunch table conversation and a paragraph in an A.P. journal. It was kind of gross, too. I mean, imagine a sandwich pooping cheese. That's a fairly accurate description.
Week of October 11 - 17, 1998
Wednesday
My dad got a letter from my cousin in New York yesterday. It was kind of to the whole family, so we all read it. I'm definitely not moving to New York. They took out all of the big, cushy chairs in the Barnes & Noble stores there. She (my cousin) works for St. Martin's Press, so she's going to send us free books. I hope she picked a good one for me.
Week of October 18 - October 24, 1998
Tuesday
When I woke up this morning, I was surprised to find myself under the covers. I'm no longer surprised. It's quite normal for me to wake up snuggled under the covers, but today somehow I guess I wasn't expecting to be under anything.
Wednesday
I seriously need to learn when to keep my mouth shut, and when I should talk. Maybe I will give up speech for lent. I keep telling people things I think they should probably hear, and then I give myself a headache wondering if it was a mistake. That's problem one. Problem two is that I've become very skilled at interrupting people, and I'm not sure what to do about it. I really might try giving up speech for lent. I could still talk on Sundays, of course, and I would make exceptions for emergencies. Actually, I would have to talk at work, and sometimes a school and home. Still, I need to cut back somehow, at least for awhile.
AP English Journal
Week of September 27 - October 3, 1998
Tuesday
I've sort of gotten myself stuck in the middle of an unofficial dispute at work between someone I sort of helped get hired and management. It's not a big problem. It's just that some members of management say they've noticed her being a little rude or impatient with customers. I mentioned this to her because I felt I could say something, so she would know, but wouldn't really matter because I'm not part of management. I did not tell her who said what. See, they came to me to ask about her because they knew I knew her outside of work. I don't think she's mad at me, but now she feels like no one there likes her, and she doesn't trust them. I ended up telling her who said what. I don't know if that was good or not. All I know is I think I'll tell those people not to come to me anymore, to go to her. That seems to be the bulk of the problem on her side. It may not solve a thing, but it could help a lot. I won't be offended if she quits, but since I kind of got her into this, I don't want her to not like it, and feel it was a really bad experience. I don't want to break anything already formed on either side. I want to unite the two sides, so we can all be one big happy ice cream-scooping crew again.
Week of October4 - October 10, 1998
Wednesday
I discovered that a word I use everyday, or nearly everyday, has only been around since the 1930's. It's different than words like computer, internet or video. It's not related to technology. Well... not really. I couldn't live without it. I'm always saying "oops".
I'm still waiting for them to fix the trash cans in the cafeteria. I had a really amazing toasted cheese sandwich from the a-la-carte line today. It was really good, but I think they could save money by using less cheese on them. I like cheese, but what's the point when half of it slides out the bottom of the sandwich? All that cheese did was create lunch table conversation and a paragraph in an A.P. journal. It was kind of gross, too. I mean, imagine a sandwich pooping cheese. That's a fairly accurate description.
Week of October 11 - 17, 1998
Wednesday
My dad got a letter from my cousin in New York yesterday. It was kind of to the whole family, so we all read it. I'm definitely not moving to New York. They took out all of the big, cushy chairs in the Barnes & Noble stores there. She (my cousin) works for St. Martin's Press, so she's going to send us free books. I hope she picked a good one for me.
Week of October 18 - October 24, 1998
Tuesday
When I woke up this morning, I was surprised to find myself under the covers. I'm no longer surprised. It's quite normal for me to wake up snuggled under the covers, but today somehow I guess I wasn't expecting to be under anything.
Wednesday
I seriously need to learn when to keep my mouth shut, and when I should talk. Maybe I will give up speech for lent. I keep telling people things I think they should probably hear, and then I give myself a headache wondering if it was a mistake. That's problem one. Problem two is that I've become very skilled at interrupting people, and I'm not sure what to do about it. I really might try giving up speech for lent. I could still talk on Sundays, of course, and I would make exceptions for emergencies. Actually, I would have to talk at work, and sometimes a school and home. Still, I need to cut back somehow, at least for awhile.
Labels: old school
Monday, January 29, 2007
Gawked-At Decks
9:15 p.m. / 21:15
These four decks of cards aren't necessarily people's favorites, especially when I comes to actually playing a game. However, when I open the box my card collection resides in and ask a friend to pick a deck so we can play one or more of these decks is always among the first noticed and examined.
Difficult To Play With, Long, Designer Playing Cards
This is yet another deck of cards I'm sure I payed too much for, but I just could not resist at the time. I'd never seen anything like them before. I'm pretty sure I bought them at Bed Bath & Beyond, although I've seen them other places since then. I'm also pretty sure that I actually played solitaire with them at least once. I'm not sure what to call that shape... band-aid? Pill?
Extra-Nifty Clear Playing Cards
This is actually one of my favorite decks. They too were over-priced, but I like them enough that I don't really care that they were over-priced... I have no lingering guilt when I comes to this set. They're from Books-A-Million, which is actually a pretty good source for un-average playing cards.
If The-Long-Deck-And-The-Clear-Deck-Mated Playing Cards
I really never expected to find another deck even remotely like the two above... and yet, here is there child, it would appear. See the parts of the photo that look blurry? They're not. That's actually what they looked like layed out on the floor.
Stretched Rectangle Playing Cards
Not a lot to say about this deck, actually. It just goes with the others, in terms of shape and being frequently commented upon.Labels: playing cards
The Big Switch
12:58 a.m. / 00:58
I've now switched to "New Blogger" or whatever. I think I like the labels. In fact, even though I meant to go to bed an hour ago I've gone through and obsessively labeled many, many previous posts, especially those dealing with books. Unfortunately, I don't have a labels section on my sidebar yet. I'm going to try and figure out how to do this, not because I don't have enough junk over there already, but because I think that would make the labels more useful to you.
I've now switched to "New Blogger" or whatever. I think I like the labels. In fact, even though I meant to go to bed an hour ago I've gone through and obsessively labeled many, many previous posts, especially those dealing with books. Unfortunately, I don't have a labels section on my sidebar yet. I'm going to try and figure out how to do this, not because I don't have enough junk over there already, but because I think that would make the labels more useful to you.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
New Treasure
11:50 p.m. / 23:50
Most of the time it isn't something I set out to do but it's usually on the slow days at work that I find treasures-- books, etc. that I haven't come across before, but that I quickly become very glad that I have found them. I think that's how I originally discovered Bookmarks magazine. Anyway, this whole past week was terribly, terribly slow, all except Saturday which was awful, but it's also a whole other story.
Anyway, one morning I decided I was going to shelve the young adult books even though that isn't my job, but I needed to be doing something and I like the young adult section. There weren't very many to be shelved so I carried them over without a cart on started putting them away. It was a mess over there and it wasn't taking me long to shelve the books, so soon I was straighting the shelves in my slightly-perfectionist shelf straightening style. So there I was sitting on the floor in the little cubby that is the YA section lining up books exactly with the edge of the shelf when this title caught my eye: God Went to Beauty School. Say what? I had to see what this was all about. Well, it's shelved as fiction, but it's really more like a poetry collection. You'll see:
GOD WENT TO BEAUTY SCHOOL
He went to learn how
to give a good perm
and ended up just crazy
about nails
so He opened up His own shop.
"Nails by Jim" He called it.
He was afraid to call it
Nails by God.
He was sure people would
think He was being
disrespectful and using
His own name in vain
and nobody would tip.
He got into nails, of course,
because He'd always loved
hands--
hands were some of the best things
He'd ever done
and this way He could just
hold one in His
and admire those delicate
bones just about the knuckles,
delicate as birds' wings,
and after He'd done that
awhile,
He could paint all the nails
any color He wanted,
then say,
"Beautiful,"
and mean it.
I thought that was pretty cool, so I decided I'd read the whole book. And I did, and I love it. I'm sure some people find it off-putting... maybe because they don't like to think about God in such human terms. Actually, it turns out my mom finds the book off-putting because God is a man in the poems, all except for one called "God is a Girl", which is actually one of my least favorite, just because somehow it doesn't work out right... it's just a weak poem, plain and simple. But for the most part what Cynthia Rylant has done here is very neat and sometimes funny, sometimes sweet.
Most of the time it isn't something I set out to do but it's usually on the slow days at work that I find treasures-- books, etc. that I haven't come across before, but that I quickly become very glad that I have found them. I think that's how I originally discovered Bookmarks magazine. Anyway, this whole past week was terribly, terribly slow, all except Saturday which was awful, but it's also a whole other story.
Anyway, one morning I decided I was going to shelve the young adult books even though that isn't my job, but I needed to be doing something and I like the young adult section. There weren't very many to be shelved so I carried them over without a cart on started putting them away. It was a mess over there and it wasn't taking me long to shelve the books, so soon I was straighting the shelves in my slightly-perfectionist shelf straightening style. So there I was sitting on the floor in the little cubby that is the YA section lining up books exactly with the edge of the shelf when this title caught my eye: God Went to Beauty School. Say what? I had to see what this was all about. Well, it's shelved as fiction, but it's really more like a poetry collection. You'll see:
GOD WENT TO BEAUTY SCHOOL
He went to learn how
to give a good perm
and ended up just crazy
about nails
so He opened up His own shop.
"Nails by Jim" He called it.
He was afraid to call it
Nails by God.
He was sure people would
think He was being
disrespectful and using
His own name in vain
and nobody would tip.
He got into nails, of course,
because He'd always loved
hands--
hands were some of the best things
He'd ever done
and this way He could just
hold one in His
and admire those delicate
bones just about the knuckles,
delicate as birds' wings,
and after He'd done that
awhile,
He could paint all the nails
any color He wanted,
then say,
"Beautiful,"
and mean it.
I thought that was pretty cool, so I decided I'd read the whole book. And I did, and I love it. I'm sure some people find it off-putting... maybe because they don't like to think about God in such human terms. Actually, it turns out my mom finds the book off-putting because God is a man in the poems, all except for one called "God is a Girl", which is actually one of my least favorite, just because somehow it doesn't work out right... it's just a weak poem, plain and simple. But for the most part what Cynthia Rylant has done here is very neat and sometimes funny, sometimes sweet.
Labels: books
Seriously? Seriously.
6:40 a.m. / 06:40
It's Sunday morning and I got up at 6:00. I fell asleep at 8:30 or 9:00 last night, and just never woke up. I was eating macaroni and cheese and watching Ghostbusters. Then after I was done eating, I could hardly stay awake, so I turned off the movie for a nap... and then I didn't wake up 'til six when the smoke alarm in the hall started chirping to tell me the battery was dying.
So, I got up to take out the battery. The smoke alarm is near the ceiling, or course, and we have rather high ceilings. A ladder was needed. I don't like heights. Yay. I fed the cats and drank some orange juice, partially to work on getting up the nerve to climb the ladder, and partially because it was not going to help matters if two hungry cats were rubbing against the base of the ladder and / or climbing the ladder with me. I really didn't want to do this, but I decided to be act like an adult, even if I do live in my parents' house.
So I brought the ladder up from the basement as quietly as possible and climbed up. Not so bad at first. The battery in this alarm was really secure, though, and I couldn't get it out at first, so I climbed back down, because I lost my nerve. After a couple more chirps I climbed back up and finally freed the damn dying battery. I'm not sure where the replacement batteries are, so that'll have to wait until my parents are awake.
So, now I'm awake in the early-ish morning on my day off. Seriously? Seriously. What to do? Finish Ghostbusters? I guess I'll start with breakfast.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note:
It looks like I'll be switching over to "new Blogger" the next time I log in.
It's Sunday morning and I got up at 6:00. I fell asleep at 8:30 or 9:00 last night, and just never woke up. I was eating macaroni and cheese and watching Ghostbusters. Then after I was done eating, I could hardly stay awake, so I turned off the movie for a nap... and then I didn't wake up 'til six when the smoke alarm in the hall started chirping to tell me the battery was dying.
So, I got up to take out the battery. The smoke alarm is near the ceiling, or course, and we have rather high ceilings. A ladder was needed. I don't like heights. Yay. I fed the cats and drank some orange juice, partially to work on getting up the nerve to climb the ladder, and partially because it was not going to help matters if two hungry cats were rubbing against the base of the ladder and / or climbing the ladder with me. I really didn't want to do this, but I decided to be act like an adult, even if I do live in my parents' house.
So I brought the ladder up from the basement as quietly as possible and climbed up. Not so bad at first. The battery in this alarm was really secure, though, and I couldn't get it out at first, so I climbed back down, because I lost my nerve. After a couple more chirps I climbed back up and finally freed the damn dying battery. I'm not sure where the replacement batteries are, so that'll have to wait until my parents are awake.
So, now I'm awake in the early-ish morning on my day off. Seriously? Seriously. What to do? Finish Ghostbusters? I guess I'll start with breakfast.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note:
It looks like I'll be switching over to "new Blogger" the next time I log in.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Harmonica And Me
9:55 p.m. / 21:55
My mom bought me this harmonica kit at Barnes & Noble last weekend. They've had it forever, and it's only about $10.00, and I mentioned I've often thought about buying it, and being a pretty cool mom, she decided on the spot that I had to have it. It wasn't until today though that I had some time alone with it to try it out. So far I like it, but I've never been a musical person, really, so we'll see how this goes.
It's kind of my understanding that on most instruments a note is easier to play than a chord. This is not the case with harmonicas. My mouth easily covers three holes at a time, making it easy to blow or draw three notes at one time. What's turning out to be a bigger challenge is learning to constrict my mouth so that I can tackle just one hole for one note.
My current goal is to be able to unabashedly play a little bit in the fall when some friends have planned a camping trip. I thought it might be cool if I could play when we're sitting around the camp fire at night. With my short attention span, though, I have to say that is a lofty goal for me.
Stop Global Warming Virtual March
12:39 a.m. / 00:39
If you're even a little bit concerned about global warming... or even if you're not, actually, you should check this out.
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org
The featured marchers page has some pretty interesting people on it-- a very nice mix of politicians and celebrities. I thought it was kind of odd or funny that California's muscle-man governor is on the list considering it's been reported he owns multiple Hummers. I can't complain, though.
If you're even a little bit concerned about global warming... or even if you're not, actually, you should check this out.
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org
The featured marchers page has some pretty interesting people on it-- a very nice mix of politicians and celebrities. I thought it was kind of odd or funny that California's muscle-man governor is on the list considering it's been reported he owns multiple Hummers. I can't complain, though.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Dozens Of Decks
1:00 a.m. / 01:00
Political Cards (HeeHee!)
These are from the eBay phase. They're really cool, but they were also kind of a rip-off. I had been under the impression I was getting two decks of cards for the price. Ah, well. The deck includes a key card that tells who everyone is, which is nice.
I have dozens of decks of playing cards. I haven't counted them recently, so I'm not actually sure how many dozens, but I'm positive I have at least 24 - 36. Why? I have no idea, really. It kind of began by accident. I bought one too many souvenir decks on a trip to Cedar Point six and a half years ago and commented that I must be collecting. As you may be aware, once you're even sort of collecting something... something fairly cheap; I doubt this would work will with say, emeralds, for example... people start buying whatever it is you're collecting for you as gifts. So, people started bringing me souvenir decks from their trips and so on. I went through an eBay phase and bought several decks for myself that way. I've actually tried since then to give up spending my own money on the collection, but I still wind up buying a deck here and there anyway. Probably the weirdest thing is I don't even play cards that much. I don't know how to play major games like Poker and Bridge. Once upon a time, I sort of knew how to play Euchre, but I don't really remember any of it anymore. Mostly I play Rummy... when I get the chance. So, mostly my card collection sits under my bed in a box. I decided to drag it out to see the light of day again, or really, my camera's flash. There are too many for one blog post, but here are some to start off:
These are actually really nice cards to play with, and they're pretty too. In theory, they're practical too, since the recipe for each mixed drink is right on the card, but I haven't tried to follow any of the recipes. I was disappointed there is not an amaretto sour card.
These are actually really nice cards to play with, and they're pretty too. In theory, they're practical too, since the recipe for each mixed drink is right on the card, but I haven't tried to follow any of the recipes. I was disappointed there is not an amaretto sour card.
Political Cards (HeeHee!)
These are from the eBay phase. They're really cool, but they were also kind of a rip-off. I had been under the impression I was getting two decks of cards for the price. Ah, well. The deck includes a key card that tells who everyone is, which is nice.
Labels: playing cards
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
For The Endlessly Curious
11:59 p.m. / 23:59
If you're a generally curious person, then I can pretty much guarantee you'll enjoy these two books:
If you're a generally curious person, then I can pretty much guarantee you'll enjoy these two books:
Why Do Men Have Nipples?: Hundreds of Questions You'd Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Martini
and
Why Do Men Fall Asleep After Sex?: More Questions You'd Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Whiskey Sour
both by Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg, M.D.
The questions and their answers go a long way for satisfying curiosity, but the chapter intros and supposed instant-message conversations between the authors really tie everything together. These are books that don't really have to be read cover-to-cover, so you can read what looks interesting, and skip anything you're not feeling curious enough about. They're also great books for reading when you only have a little bit of time to read.
Labels: books
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Oh, Woe Was Me!
1:15 a.m. / 01:15
AP English Journal
Week of August 30 - September 5, 1998
Tuesday
My brother is proud of me because I kicked him, and it hurt.
Wednesday
School is a very weird thing. It depresses me, excites me, annoys me, teaches me, and entertains me. I can't stand it half the time, but wouldn't give it up for anything, except maybe to save a life. I don't see that choice as one I'll probably ever face, though. I think I'm giving myself a headache.
Week of September 13 - September 19, 1998
Monday
Ugh, ugh, and did I mention ugh! Work sucks. Why can't college be free? Don't answer that. I can think of several examples myself. Anyway, the point is I might not need a job if I didn't have to pay for college. Actually, I sometimes like to go to work. If I've had a boring day, sometimes work tops is off quite nicely. The past two nights were not fun though. My boss really does stupid stuff sometimes. She made me ask the customer if the grilled cheese she burnt was too well done.
I'm not super crazy about either of the new guys. One is intelligent (I think) but somehow actually manages to be too helpful. He doesn't quite understand sometimes that certain things become complicated when more than one person works on them. The other guy... well... basically he's stupid. I asked him to go the freezer and look for a bucket of caramel praline ice cream, and he looked in the refrigerator. Then I asked him to put it down "over there" until I was ready for it. He had some trouble finding "over there".
Week of September 20 - September 26, 1998
Wednesday
Algebra is absurd, damn it!
Thursday
I'm looking forward to Saturday morning. I plan to be sleeping Saturday morning. Sleep sounds good right now. I'm making myself sleepy.
For almost every lab that we have done in physics so far, we have used the same equipment. They just rearrange what we're supposed to do with it. I want to play with some different stuff next time.
"Undefined K" is having a great deal of trouble with her Calculus. It's playing games with her mind. Sometimes it's funny to watch.
AP English Journal
Week of August 30 - September 5, 1998
Tuesday
My brother is proud of me because I kicked him, and it hurt.
Wednesday
School is a very weird thing. It depresses me, excites me, annoys me, teaches me, and entertains me. I can't stand it half the time, but wouldn't give it up for anything, except maybe to save a life. I don't see that choice as one I'll probably ever face, though. I think I'm giving myself a headache.
Week of September 13 - September 19, 1998
Monday
Ugh, ugh, and did I mention ugh! Work sucks. Why can't college be free? Don't answer that. I can think of several examples myself. Anyway, the point is I might not need a job if I didn't have to pay for college. Actually, I sometimes like to go to work. If I've had a boring day, sometimes work tops is off quite nicely. The past two nights were not fun though. My boss really does stupid stuff sometimes. She made me ask the customer if the grilled cheese she burnt was too well done.
I'm not super crazy about either of the new guys. One is intelligent (I think) but somehow actually manages to be too helpful. He doesn't quite understand sometimes that certain things become complicated when more than one person works on them. The other guy... well... basically he's stupid. I asked him to go the freezer and look for a bucket of caramel praline ice cream, and he looked in the refrigerator. Then I asked him to put it down "over there" until I was ready for it. He had some trouble finding "over there".
Week of September 20 - September 26, 1998
Wednesday
Algebra is absurd, damn it!
Thursday
I'm looking forward to Saturday morning. I plan to be sleeping Saturday morning. Sleep sounds good right now. I'm making myself sleepy.
For almost every lab that we have done in physics so far, we have used the same equipment. They just rearrange what we're supposed to do with it. I want to play with some different stuff next time.
"Undefined K" is having a great deal of trouble with her Calculus. It's playing games with her mind. Sometimes it's funny to watch.
Labels: old school
Saturday, January 20, 2007
A Serious Discussion Of Gay Marriage At The Grocery Store
12:20 a.m. / 00:20
Velocibadgergirl and I went on a wild and crazy bargain huntin' shoppin' trip tonight... well, sort of but anyway, after the bargains were found and purchased, the evening ended with a serious discussion of gay marriage and, really, homosexual relationships in general as we wandered the aisles of the grocery store collecting macaroni and cheese for me, milk for velocibadgergirl and Doritos for velocibadgergirl's husband's Dorito-cravin' brother. We were covering the fact that a lot of progress has been made in our life time towards making homosexuality more acceptable, and how awesome that is, as we made our approach to the cash registers.
Velocibadgergirl went through the line first, and I followed with my single microwavable macaroni and cheese dinner. By this time the conversation had ended, but it was still fresh in our minds as I told the bagger that I thought I could make it out without a bag. Then she asked us, "Are you together?". Um... Well, you know where our minds were. Neither of us answered right away, and then finally Velocibadgergirl said we're just friends. The bagger girl freaked out. She hadn't meant that at all of course... she just wanted to know if she should put my macaroni and cheese in the bag with the other stuff, since we might be going to the same car. We all laughed so hard. It was slightly embarrassing, but mostly it was just so freakin' funny.
Velocibadgergirl and I went on a wild and crazy bargain huntin' shoppin' trip tonight... well, sort of but anyway, after the bargains were found and purchased, the evening ended with a serious discussion of gay marriage and, really, homosexual relationships in general as we wandered the aisles of the grocery store collecting macaroni and cheese for me, milk for velocibadgergirl and Doritos for velocibadgergirl's husband's Dorito-cravin' brother. We were covering the fact that a lot of progress has been made in our life time towards making homosexuality more acceptable, and how awesome that is, as we made our approach to the cash registers.
Velocibadgergirl went through the line first, and I followed with my single microwavable macaroni and cheese dinner. By this time the conversation had ended, but it was still fresh in our minds as I told the bagger that I thought I could make it out without a bag. Then she asked us, "Are you together?". Um... Well, you know where our minds were. Neither of us answered right away, and then finally Velocibadgergirl said we're just friends. The bagger girl freaked out. She hadn't meant that at all of course... she just wanted to know if she should put my macaroni and cheese in the bag with the other stuff, since we might be going to the same car. We all laughed so hard. It was slightly embarrassing, but mostly it was just so freakin' funny.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
But I Still Don't Think Bono Is Sexy!
11:20 p.m. / 23:20
I think my U2 fandom reached new heights today. I drove back to work for the second half of my (surprise) split shift with U2's new 18 Singles collection turned up loud. Shortly before I got there I had an absolutely euphoric thought. What if U2 by U2 was released as an unabridged audiobook read by the authors! It would lack the all the great pictures featured in the large hard copy, but it would be so cool to hear them tell their stories in their voices. Anyway, I was so swept up in the music and thinking about how cool said audiobook would be, I think I forgot where I was and what I was doing for a minute. I can't remember the last time I arrived at work in such a good mood.
I think my U2 fandom reached new heights today. I drove back to work for the second half of my (surprise) split shift with U2's new 18 Singles collection turned up loud. Shortly before I got there I had an absolutely euphoric thought. What if U2 by U2 was released as an unabridged audiobook read by the authors! It would lack the all the great pictures featured in the large hard copy, but it would be so cool to hear them tell their stories in their voices. Anyway, I was so swept up in the music and thinking about how cool said audiobook would be, I think I forgot where I was and what I was doing for a minute. I can't remember the last time I arrived at work in such a good mood.
Looking For The Bright Side
2:40 p.m. / 14:40
I'm supposed to be working on being less pessimistic, so here's a list of good things about today, presented without any dwelling on the less-good things about today.
I'm supposed to be working on being less pessimistic, so here's a list of good things about today, presented without any dwelling on the less-good things about today.
- sunshine
- U2 in my car stereo
- time to visit another library, where I used to work
- time for an afternoon nap
- a sweet cat who'll probably join me for that nap
- an understanding friend
- nice people to call co-workers
- a clean sweater, so I was / will be warm at a work
Monday, January 15, 2007
Shoes! Lots Of Shoes!
10:20 p.m. / 22:20
I've gone through my closet and picked out some of my favorite shoes to share. Two things you should know about me and shoes are:
1. I really don't have any justification for owning so many.
2. When I went vegetarian five years ago, I decided that if I wasn't going to eat animals for nutrition anymore, I couldn't wear them for fashion either, so I don't buy leather shoes.
These are some of the only shoes you will see here that I actually wear on a regular basis. I love these and would gladly own a pair in every color.
I only meant to buy the brown ones, because they're more versatile, but I just couldn't resist the green ones. The green ones were on sale, and there was a long debate there in the aisle at Shoe Zoo and some calculations to determine if it was completely insane of me to purchase both pairs, or just slightly insane. It turned out that with various coupons and multiple-pair discounts, it ended up being a pretty good deal.
I call these my hooker shoes. I call them this because I dressed as a hooker for Halloween in 2005, and these are the shoes I wore. I got them for just $5.00! Recently I wore them again for a wedding that I was a bridesmaid in. When people complimented my shoes I said "Thanks! They're my hooker shoes!". (This only happened once or twice, and they were people I knew well.)
These are various other formal shoes I've collected from wedding-going. Actually, I wore the silver ones when I graduated college. All three of these are Unlisted, which used to be my favorite for formal shoes. Now they're making all of their shoes with leather soles, even when the uppers are satin like these.
These are my witch shoes for much the same reason my hooker shoes are my hooker shoes. In 2006, I was a witch for Halloween. Aren't they the most excellent witch shoes ever?
Argyle corduroy slip-ons! How awesome! They were a bargain, too.
These are my favorite heels. I know they don't look as special as some of my others, but they make me happy! I wore them to work once and it turns out I can't stand in heels for eight hours, even if they are heels that make me happy.
I have two pairs of patent (fake)leather shoes, both of which probably look more hookeresque than my hooker shoes, but neither of which I owned when I dressed as a hooker for Halloween. Both were pretty bad impulse buys, but the black ones were $12.00 on clearance, and that's not so bad!
These are just plain cute.
These are my most comfortable shoes, but I never leave home in them. I will wear flip-flops in public and I will wear old shoes in public, but I can't bring myself to wear shoes that are both old and flip-flops in public.
I'm already thinking of shoes I wish I'd included, but didn't, and I'll probably do something silly like buy more shoes I don't need, so there might be a part two to this sometime.
I've gone through my closet and picked out some of my favorite shoes to share. Two things you should know about me and shoes are:
1. I really don't have any justification for owning so many.
2. When I went vegetarian five years ago, I decided that if I wasn't going to eat animals for nutrition anymore, I couldn't wear them for fashion either, so I don't buy leather shoes.
These are some of the only shoes you will see here that I actually wear on a regular basis. I love these and would gladly own a pair in every color.
I only meant to buy the brown ones, because they're more versatile, but I just couldn't resist the green ones. The green ones were on sale, and there was a long debate there in the aisle at Shoe Zoo and some calculations to determine if it was completely insane of me to purchase both pairs, or just slightly insane. It turned out that with various coupons and multiple-pair discounts, it ended up being a pretty good deal.
I call these my hooker shoes. I call them this because I dressed as a hooker for Halloween in 2005, and these are the shoes I wore. I got them for just $5.00! Recently I wore them again for a wedding that I was a bridesmaid in. When people complimented my shoes I said "Thanks! They're my hooker shoes!". (This only happened once or twice, and they were people I knew well.)
These are various other formal shoes I've collected from wedding-going. Actually, I wore the silver ones when I graduated college. All three of these are Unlisted, which used to be my favorite for formal shoes. Now they're making all of their shoes with leather soles, even when the uppers are satin like these.
These are my witch shoes for much the same reason my hooker shoes are my hooker shoes. In 2006, I was a witch for Halloween. Aren't they the most excellent witch shoes ever?
Argyle corduroy slip-ons! How awesome! They were a bargain, too.
These are my favorite heels. I know they don't look as special as some of my others, but they make me happy! I wore them to work once and it turns out I can't stand in heels for eight hours, even if they are heels that make me happy.
I have two pairs of patent (fake)leather shoes, both of which probably look more hookeresque than my hooker shoes, but neither of which I owned when I dressed as a hooker for Halloween. Both were pretty bad impulse buys, but the black ones were $12.00 on clearance, and that's not so bad!
These are just plain cute.
These are my most comfortable shoes, but I never leave home in them. I will wear flip-flops in public and I will wear old shoes in public, but I can't bring myself to wear shoes that are both old and flip-flops in public.I'm already thinking of shoes I wish I'd included, but didn't, and I'll probably do something silly like buy more shoes I don't need, so there might be a part two to this sometime.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
My Next Major Purchase
11:58 p.m. / 23:58
My next major purchase will not be a new computer, even though I've had my current computer since August 2001 and it gives me headaches on a regular basis and I've really, truly about had it. No, my next major purchase will be three or four new tires for my car. Oh, joy, oh joy! As I was explaining to a friend last night, needing new tires is like needing new bras, only worse, because they're even more expensive and even less exciting.
On the other hand, I have finally purchased (nearly) seasons 1 - 4 of Scrubs, which has become one of my favorite shows. Barnes & Noble is having a buy one TV box set, get a second TV box set free sale. Now, normally, Barnes & Noble has the most ridiculous prices when it comes to DVDs and CDs, but this isn't too bad. With my members card (totally worth it if you buy way, way too many books, etc.), I was able to purchase seasons 3 and 4 for less than $35.00 (including tax!), and I have seasons 1 and 2 on order. Yay!
My next major purchase will not be a new computer, even though I've had my current computer since August 2001 and it gives me headaches on a regular basis and I've really, truly about had it. No, my next major purchase will be three or four new tires for my car. Oh, joy, oh joy! As I was explaining to a friend last night, needing new tires is like needing new bras, only worse, because they're even more expensive and even less exciting.
On the other hand, I have finally purchased (nearly) seasons 1 - 4 of Scrubs, which has become one of my favorite shows. Barnes & Noble is having a buy one TV box set, get a second TV box set free sale. Now, normally, Barnes & Noble has the most ridiculous prices when it comes to DVDs and CDs, but this isn't too bad. With my members card (totally worth it if you buy way, way too many books, etc.), I was able to purchase seasons 3 and 4 for less than $35.00 (including tax!), and I have seasons 1 and 2 on order. Yay!
When Rock Stars Get Married, Who Plays The Reception?
5:00 p.m. / 17:00
Have you ever thought about that? It seems to me that if I was in a band, I'd probably want my band to play at my wedding reception.* But that seems problematic. Would the band play without me? Would I abandon my brand new husband to go play with the band? Would I take the stage for just one song, dedicated to said new husband? Would I know lots of other bands and get one of them to play instead? What if I married someone who was also in a band? Would both bands play? Would we sing a newly-wed duet? Maybe we'd have a rock opera type wedding and sing our vows. We'd have lighting techies instead of ushers! Cigarette lighters would be passed out before the ceremony for emotional hands-in-the-air swaying to the music!
Wow, the possibilities are endless, really.
*Just so there's no confusion, I am definitely not in a band and I am definitely not getting married any time soon.
Have you ever thought about that? It seems to me that if I was in a band, I'd probably want my band to play at my wedding reception.* But that seems problematic. Would the band play without me? Would I abandon my brand new husband to go play with the band? Would I take the stage for just one song, dedicated to said new husband? Would I know lots of other bands and get one of them to play instead? What if I married someone who was also in a band? Would both bands play? Would we sing a newly-wed duet? Maybe we'd have a rock opera type wedding and sing our vows. We'd have lighting techies instead of ushers! Cigarette lighters would be passed out before the ceremony for emotional hands-in-the-air swaying to the music!
Wow, the possibilities are endless, really.
*Just so there's no confusion, I am definitely not in a band and I am definitely not getting married any time soon.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Arson, Algebra, Spongy Chicken
6:30 p.m. / 18:30
Last week I shared just a little bit of my college writing, but tonight I'm taking you all the way back to my senior year of high school. Since I have an entire notebook and then some to work from, I might do this once a week or so.
AP English Journal
Week of August 16 - August 22, 1998
Monday
Today in class all of the talk about the psycho guy in the book made me recall my crime of choice. I decided a while back that if I had to be a criminal I would set stuff on fire. I like to watch stuff burn. I'm not really insensitive enough to set someone's home on fire, though. That would be a lot more fun than selling drugs, stealing or killing.
Wednesday
I'm always telling people I'm not a math and science person, I'm an English and social studies person. This is still true, however some how I'm actually finding Algebra II more interesting than Government. That's pretty bad. Government is almost as bad as Physics, but not quite. I don't know what should be done about Clinton. I don't want to write to a congressman once a year, let alone once a grading period.
Week of August 23 - August 29, 1998
Tuesday
Since I haven't been struck by any better ideas, I think I will build on last week's stuff. First, however, I would like to introduce my new system for referring to people. I'm going to use variables, like in algebra. (I'm the last person I expected to pull math into this.) I'll say things like "friend g", "classmate m", "co-worker c", "friend/enemy k", and so on. I hope this will not be confusing.
Wednesday
Today I have a lot of questions from lunch. I do not, however, have even one answer. How do they really make chicken nuggets and strips? Why do the chicken strips look like old sponge? Why do the chicken nuggets look like soft, new sponge? Why is the cafeteria rest room so small? Why are the eating utensils placed in the line before the place where you decide what to eat? Why did I try to walk off without my change? What was I thinking? Why do I only really need a napkin when I forget to get one? Why did they make the holes in the top of the trash cans so small? Why does the new water and juice machine say Pepsi?
--------------------------------------------------------------
By the way, thanks to everyone who's been checking in, even though I haven't actually posted in a week!
Last week I shared just a little bit of my college writing, but tonight I'm taking you all the way back to my senior year of high school. Since I have an entire notebook and then some to work from, I might do this once a week or so.
AP English Journal
Week of August 16 - August 22, 1998
Monday
Today in class all of the talk about the psycho guy in the book made me recall my crime of choice. I decided a while back that if I had to be a criminal I would set stuff on fire. I like to watch stuff burn. I'm not really insensitive enough to set someone's home on fire, though. That would be a lot more fun than selling drugs, stealing or killing.
Wednesday
I'm always telling people I'm not a math and science person, I'm an English and social studies person. This is still true, however some how I'm actually finding Algebra II more interesting than Government. That's pretty bad. Government is almost as bad as Physics, but not quite. I don't know what should be done about Clinton. I don't want to write to a congressman once a year, let alone once a grading period.
Week of August 23 - August 29, 1998
Tuesday
Since I haven't been struck by any better ideas, I think I will build on last week's stuff. First, however, I would like to introduce my new system for referring to people. I'm going to use variables, like in algebra. (I'm the last person I expected to pull math into this.) I'll say things like "friend g", "classmate m", "co-worker c", "friend/enemy k", and so on. I hope this will not be confusing.
Wednesday
Today I have a lot of questions from lunch. I do not, however, have even one answer. How do they really make chicken nuggets and strips? Why do the chicken strips look like old sponge? Why do the chicken nuggets look like soft, new sponge? Why is the cafeteria rest room so small? Why are the eating utensils placed in the line before the place where you decide what to eat? Why did I try to walk off without my change? What was I thinking? Why do I only really need a napkin when I forget to get one? Why did they make the holes in the top of the trash cans so small? Why does the new water and juice machine say Pepsi?
--------------------------------------------------------------
By the way, thanks to everyone who's been checking in, even though I haven't actually posted in a week!
Labels: old school
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Missing: My Writing Skills
3:15 a.m. / 03:15
In spite of the fact that this is where I do most of my writing now, I often find myself thinking it isn't really my best writing. In almost two years of blogging (well, lets say more than a year of blogging, since I skipped whole months sometimes early on) there is only one post I think I'm at all proud of-- Not A Dancing Queen.
One of my friends who knows I can actually write, or at least that I could at one time, more or less suggested going through some of my old stuff to figure out what I did right then and sort of work from there. I know she knows what she's talking about for a number of reasons, including the fact that her blog is way better than mine-- so much so in fact, that I almost hate to refer you there because you probably won't come back here again.
Since I'm having some sleep issues tonight (this morning?) I've decided to read some of my college papers that I still have saved here on ye olde computer and find some bits (hopefully) worth sharing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
From a short paper evaluating the efforts of myself and some classmates to do a group presentation in Intro to Public Administration:
I have never looked forward to working on group presentations, and the article presentation for Intro. to Public Administration was no different. The odds seem stacked against myself and the other members of Group 6. How were we going to get our classmates interested in two articles we were not particularly interested in ourselves? It was the kind of assignment that can make a girl wonder if she’ll live to see graduation.
In Group 6, we began by putting off the assignment as long as possible. When it was no longer avoidable, we met up after class one day to divide up the articles into more mentally-bite-sized pieces—one for each group member. At this time, it also started to become evident that our sixth member had decided not to participate at all. The following day, we met up again to plan the format of the presentation.
We began our second meeting with a discussion about how we were all graduating seniors and we were tired of caring. Our group was plagued with deadly Senioritis. Counting the actual assignment as obstacle #1, we had hit obstacle #2. Then there was obstacle #3. We were the last group to present. We had seen where other groups had failed, but we were not finding ways to improve. Obstacle #4 was not knowing exactly what was going on with our sixth group member; he was a wild card. And so we proceeded to stare at each other blankly for a bit.
[skipping several paragraphs]
We failed utterly to implement the mission statement. We also pretty much failed to over come our obstacles. We did give a presentation over articles 45 & 49, but we did not engage the class in much intellectual discussion. I think Group 6’s greatest strength was a healthy base of intelligence. We are smart people. Our greatest weakness was obstacle #2: Senioritis. If we had put more time into the project… if we had had more energy to put into the project… we might have dazzled the class. Then again, those were some really dry articles. Could have, should have, would have… we presented, we lived, we will receive adequate grades. Cue “Pomp & Circumstance”.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is just a title, but it amuses me because it was sort of bold for me:
In spite of the fact that this is where I do most of my writing now, I often find myself thinking it isn't really my best writing. In almost two years of blogging (well, lets say more than a year of blogging, since I skipped whole months sometimes early on) there is only one post I think I'm at all proud of-- Not A Dancing Queen.
One of my friends who knows I can actually write, or at least that I could at one time, more or less suggested going through some of my old stuff to figure out what I did right then and sort of work from there. I know she knows what she's talking about for a number of reasons, including the fact that her blog is way better than mine-- so much so in fact, that I almost hate to refer you there because you probably won't come back here again.
Since I'm having some sleep issues tonight (this morning?) I've decided to read some of my college papers that I still have saved here on ye olde computer and find some bits (hopefully) worth sharing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
From a short paper evaluating the efforts of myself and some classmates to do a group presentation in Intro to Public Administration:
I have never looked forward to working on group presentations, and the article presentation for Intro. to Public Administration was no different. The odds seem stacked against myself and the other members of Group 6. How were we going to get our classmates interested in two articles we were not particularly interested in ourselves? It was the kind of assignment that can make a girl wonder if she’ll live to see graduation.
In Group 6, we began by putting off the assignment as long as possible. When it was no longer avoidable, we met up after class one day to divide up the articles into more mentally-bite-sized pieces—one for each group member. At this time, it also started to become evident that our sixth member had decided not to participate at all. The following day, we met up again to plan the format of the presentation.
We began our second meeting with a discussion about how we were all graduating seniors and we were tired of caring. Our group was plagued with deadly Senioritis. Counting the actual assignment as obstacle #1, we had hit obstacle #2. Then there was obstacle #3. We were the last group to present. We had seen where other groups had failed, but we were not finding ways to improve. Obstacle #4 was not knowing exactly what was going on with our sixth group member; he was a wild card. And so we proceeded to stare at each other blankly for a bit.
[skipping several paragraphs]
We failed utterly to implement the mission statement. We also pretty much failed to over come our obstacles. We did give a presentation over articles 45 & 49, but we did not engage the class in much intellectual discussion. I think Group 6’s greatest strength was a healthy base of intelligence. We are smart people. Our greatest weakness was obstacle #2: Senioritis. If we had put more time into the project… if we had had more energy to put into the project… we might have dazzled the class. Then again, those were some really dry articles. Could have, should have, would have… we presented, we lived, we will receive adequate grades. Cue “Pomp & Circumstance”.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is just a title, but it amuses me because it was sort of bold for me:
An Undergraduate Political Science Major’s Frustrations with an Experienced Researcher
This bit more or less explains what frustrated me:
The information he gives is for the most part extremely detailed; at times perhaps too detailed. Yet, he slacks off when he reaches the important topic of methodology.
[Just in case someone cares, the article I was critiquing is “PAC contributions, Lobbying and Representation” by John R. Wright]
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think I'll leave off here tonight... or this morning... how ever you want to look at it. Either way, I think I'm finally getting sleepy again.
Labels: old school
Friday, January 05, 2007
Happy New Year... Late
12:50 a.m. / 12:50
I've realized I've been MIA since the beginning of the new year. I've been on a major reading binge that started while I was sick on New Year's (yeah, I had a record-breaking lame New Year's). The reading binge will probably continue for a few more days since the problem is I've begun reading a series I can't seem to stop reading. After that, I owe my friend stuck in Iraq a lengthy letter and I might just try to write some other people some meaningful e-mails before I make it back here to try and say something interesting.
In the mean time, you can check out what was supposed to be my Top Five Books of 2006. Out of all of the books I read last year, I came up with a list of eleven books. I could probably cut some of them from the list, but when I realized I didn't have the heart to cut it down to five, I figured I might as well keep all eleven. So, here is my Top Eleven Books of 2006:
Austen, Jane
Pride and Prejudice
Clements, Andrew
Frindle
Gaiman, Neil
Anansi Boys
Hiaasen, Carl
Sick Puppy
Hidier, Tanuja Desai
Born Confused
Hornby, Nick
High Fidelity
Koja, Kathe
Buddha Boy
Moore, Christopher
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
Powell, Julie
Julie & Julia
Waldman, Ayelet
Daughter's Keeper
Love and Other Impossible Pursuits
I've realized I've been MIA since the beginning of the new year. I've been on a major reading binge that started while I was sick on New Year's (yeah, I had a record-breaking lame New Year's). The reading binge will probably continue for a few more days since the problem is I've begun reading a series I can't seem to stop reading. After that, I owe my friend stuck in Iraq a lengthy letter and I might just try to write some other people some meaningful e-mails before I make it back here to try and say something interesting.
In the mean time, you can check out what was supposed to be my Top Five Books of 2006. Out of all of the books I read last year, I came up with a list of eleven books. I could probably cut some of them from the list, but when I realized I didn't have the heart to cut it down to five, I figured I might as well keep all eleven. So, here is my Top Eleven Books of 2006:
Austen, Jane
Pride and Prejudice
Clements, Andrew
Frindle
Gaiman, Neil
Anansi Boys
Hiaasen, Carl
Sick Puppy
Hidier, Tanuja Desai
Born Confused
Hornby, Nick
High Fidelity
Koja, Kathe
Buddha Boy
Moore, Christopher
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
Powell, Julie
Julie & Julia
Waldman, Ayelet
Daughter's Keeper
Love and Other Impossible Pursuits
Labels: books
