Thursday, November 30, 2006

National Blog Posting Month Wrap-Up

10:28 p.m. / 22:28

So long NaBloPoMo! The end has finally come! And I actually posted once or more each and every day this month. I have no idea yet what the long-term effects will be. I might go on hiatus until June, or I might keep posting somewhat frequently, because what's two or three posts a week, when I've been posting at least once daily?

Even though I'm feeling relieved that this is the last day, I am very glad I participated. I have learned some things and have had fun. I definitely plan on participating next year, if this becomes an annual event.

On that note, thank you
Fussy for creating and organizing NaBloPoMo! And thank you Pink Elephants for creating the NaBloPoMo Randomizer; I love it!

I definitely want to say hello & thank you to everyone who stopped here this month, while riding the randomizer, or browsing the participant list, etc. Extra thanks to everyone who left a comment, "real life" friend or not. Comments from new people were a treat, because I was not expecting them.

Congratulations to everyone who made it all the way through the month, posting each and every day, especially my friends at
Pardon the Egg Salad and The Elucidated Ponderings of an Apathetic Mind, as well as Starting Fresh and To Know As We Are Known, both of which I now read regularly.

Oh, there's more I could say, but this is starting to sound like an Oscar acceptance speech, which isn't really what I was aiming for, so I'll stop writing now, before you stop reading.

No Books!

1:28 a.m. / 01:28

The quote in my previous post is really just funny, especially in the context of the book I pulled it from, but it reminded me of something less funny.

I have been aware for quite a while now that many people around here only have library cards because the library has movies and music, in addition to books, but only in the past year, since I left the big library downtown for a branch (two different worlds) have I realized there's something worse than that. If an individual chooses not to check out books, that's one thing. But in the past year, I have repeatedly heard parents tell their excited, knowledge-hungry children "No, you're only getting movies today; no books!". Every time, it makes my co-workers and I cringe. Why? Why would you not allow your children to check out books? We have options for parents concerned about what movies their children are checking out, including a no movies at all, ever, option, but books? No books? If asked, these parents might say something about fines, but book fines are .05 per day, and movie fines are .50 per day, so movies are a much greater risk, fines-wise. I just cannot see the advantage to not letting the kids check out books.

Okay, I'm done with my rant now. I should probably mention that I am not a mom, so maybe I'm lacking some parental perspective, but it bothers my co-workers too, and most of them do have kids. Okay, I'm really done now.

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Random Acts Of Randomness

1:00 a.m. / 01:00

Sometimes I pull a random book off of the shelf and open it to a random page. I just found something I think is worth sharing:

"For the first time in her life Granny wondered if there might be something important in all these books people were setting such store by these days, although she was opposed to books on moral grounds, since she had heard that many of them were written by dead people and therefore it stood to reason reading them would be as bad as necromancy. Among the many things in the infinitely varied universe with which Granny did not hold was talking to dead people, who by all accounts had enough troubles of their own."

-- Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett


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Wednesday, November 29, 2006

(Just) Six (Of The) Weird Things About Me

11:10 p.m. / 23:10

"According to the rules... Each player of this game starts with the '6 Weird Things about You'. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says 'you are tagged' in their comments and tell them to read your blog!"

I was tagged by SSFB @ Starting Fresh
.

1. I am a compulsive book-buyer, even though I work in a library.

2. I like to eat the heels of bread loafs, because the crust is my favorite part. In addition to this, way back when we were much younger and even goofier than we are now, I used to eat the crusts
this friend tore off of her sandwiches.

3. I have a stuffed globe that I call Globey. It's what I wanted for Christmas when I was 12 or 13 years old. Sometimes on mornings when I don't have to be anywhere I lay in bed and look at all of the little islands in the Pacific Ocean, with their sometimes-funny names, until I'm ready to give up the warm covers and find some breakfast.

4. Speaking of breakfast, while it is something I'm starting to grow out of, I generally prefer cold cereal to any other option for breakfast. I love to have pancakes or a great veggie omelet with lots of cheese for dinner, but first thing in the morning, cereal with milk usually makes me happiest.

5. I think it's really cool that my birth date, August 1, 1981 becomes 8-1-81. The numbers that represent the month and the day are the same as the year! Okay, I'll always think it's cool, but I've given up on expecting others to think it's cool. Also, I miss the phone number I had growing up, because it was a palindrome. I used to tell people to try dialing it backwards when I gave it to them.

6. Even though I've been working since the summer of 1998, I've only had two employers. I worked at an ice cream and sandwich shop from summer 1998 - summer 2001, and the library system from summer 2001 to the present. I am the only person my age I know with such a simple work history. I have loyalty in my favor, but I worry sometimes that I don't have a proper variety of experiences.

I am tagging only three people. Sorry.

rabidmonkey @
Another Waste of Time
norahs1213 @
The Elucidated Ponderings of an Apathetic Mind
Repressed Librarian @
To Know As We Are Known

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Mmmmmmmmmm...

11:40 p.m. / 23:40

I went to my city's newest organic / natural food store tonight. I bought a bag of Terra brand chips: Exotic Vegetable Chips: Zesty Tomato flavor. I cannot stop eating them. As chips go, these are pretty healthy, but I don't think I'm supposed to eat the whole bag tonight. Somebody stop me!

Monday, November 27, 2006

Which Should Be Experienced First-- The Book Or The Movie?

9:22 p.m. / 21:22

The other night a friend was begging me to read Eragon by Christopher Paolini before the movie version comes out, so that I can see it with her. I said I'd rather see the movie first, and she said it would ruin the book.

My argument is that over the years, I have found that I usually don't enjoy movies based on books all that much if I read the book first. But, if I see the movie first, then it usually remains the same in my opinion after I've read the book, even if the book is better (which it usually is).

My friend's argument is that if you dislike something about the movie, like the portrayal of a particular character, it can ruin that something for you when you read the book.

So, which should be experienced first-- the book or the movie?

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My Annual 15 Minutes Of Organization

9:12 p.m. / 21:12

I am pretty well known for being disorganized. I'd love to explain how that's only about half-true (that I'm disorganized), but that's not what this post is about.

Every year in December, I face this little clump of birthdays right in the middle of the month. S.S. and J.G. on the 13th and then M.F. on the 14th.

Back when these days inevitably fell during my final exam week, I began getting the cards ready to drop in the mail way ahead of time. For various reasons, such as December being a bit stressful even without final exams, I have continued with this little organizational ritual. So, tonight I sit here trying to enjoy my annual 15 minutes of organization, glancing now and then to the three envelopes I have just stamped, addressed and sealed, but as usual I am almost too bothered by the eerie feeling of preparedness to truly enjoy it.

BIG MOVIE LIST -- DVD Edition

6:50 a.m. / 06:50

Movies I own on DVD:

Almost Famous
The American President
Babe
Bend It Like Beckham
Big Fish
Bridget Jones Diary
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Clue
Contact
Crazy In Alabama
The Dark Crystal
Dead Poets Society
Ever After
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Garden State
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters 2
The Graduate
High Fidelity
Jersey Girl
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Love Actually
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Mona Lisa Smile
Pay It Forward
Practical Magic
The Princess Bride
The NeverEnding Story
Rudy
Stand and Deliver
Titan A. E.
The Truth About Cats and Dogs
UHF
What Dreams May Come
While You Were Sleeping
Young Frankenstein
A Charlie Brown Christmas
It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown
Garfield: Holiday Celebrations
The Muppet Movie
The Muppets Take Manhattan
A Muppet Family Christmas
Muppets From Space
It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
The Muppet Wizard of Oz
Kermit's Swamp Years
The Breakfast Club
Sixteen Candles
Weird Science

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Official Snob

9:30 p.m. / 21:30

I think I might officially be a snob, at least when it comes to books. I was rearranging some books tonight, so that my hardbacks and trade paperbacks would be on sturdier shelves, and the little mass market paperbacks on the weaker ones. While moving the little ones, I decided I really can't have the movie edition of I, Robot. So, probably I'm a snob. Or an idiot. Or both.

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BIG MOVIE LIST -- VHS Edition

8:00 p.m. / 20:00

Movies I own on VHS tape:

Batteries Not Included
Big
Chasing Amy
Chocolat
Circle of Friends
Clerks
Dogma
Dirty Dancing
Edward Scissorhands
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas
Empire Records
Erin Brockovich
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Forrest Gump
Fried Green Tomatoes
A League of Their Own
Mallrats
The Matchmaker
Miracle On 34th Street
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Mystic Pizza
Norma Rae
Notting Hill
Philadelphia
Pleasantville
Pretty In Pink
Pretty Woman
Shrek
Sleepless In Seattle
Sleepy Hollow
Someone Like You
Steel Magnolias
Sweet Home Alabama
The Wedding Singer
With Honors
Wonder Boys

I bought a new VCR a few months ago, because it was cheaper than replacing all of these tapes with DVDs.

And So It Begins

1:23 p.m. / 13:23

I began my Christmas shopping last night. I bought a big book that has Jennifer Chiaverini's 4th, 5th & 6th quilt novels for my grandma. For my brother, I got a Smokey & the Bandit T-shirt. I suppose Christmas shopping will be fairly light this year, given that I only have to shop for my family, which mostly means my immediate family. My friends are sticking to charity donations and homemade gifts this year, which eliminates more than half of my usual Christmas shopping list. The only hard part about this is ignoring all of the perfectly perfect gifts I keep finding for them.

Oh, and for me, I bought a paperback copy of Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

The End Is Near

10:39 p.m. / 22:39

You know, it's a good thing NaBloPoMo will be coming to an end, because it seems like the harder I try, the less I have to say.

Colorful Survey

1:01 a.m. / 01:01

I found this at A Spot of T and thought it looked like fun.

RED
1. Closest red thing to you: my mouse; it looks like a ladybug
2. Last thing to make you angry: probably something at work

3. Do you have a temper: I'm not proud of it, but, yeah a bit.
4. Are you a fan of romance: I guess so.

ORANGE
1. Closest orange thing to you: the "Publish Post" button at the bottom of my screen
2. Do you like to burn things: kind of
3. Do you like to dress up for Halloween: I do now, but there was a time when I hated it.
4. Are you usually a warm-hearted person: I like to think so.
5. Do you have anything against redheaded people: No, I rather like the redheaded people I know.
6. Are you usually full of energy: not exactly

YELLOW
1. Closest yellow thing: the charger for my camera batteries
2. The happiest time[s] of your life: I hate questions that insist I sift through all the years of my life to come up with just one or two really special memories
3. Favorite holiday: Christmas and Groundhog Day
4. Are you a coward: sometimes
5. Do you burn or tan: kind of both, but usually neither

GREEN
1. Closest green thing to you?: green-on-green polka-dot sticky notes... Wait! My chair is green... heh.
2. Do you care about the environment: very much (please watch An Inconvenient Truth; it just came out on DVD)
3. Are you jealous of anyone right now: nope
4. Are you a lucky person: I'm not unlucky
5. Do you always want what you cant have: not really
6. Do you like being outdoors: yes
7. Are you Irish: about 50%

BLUE
1. Closest blue thing to you: the background on my mouse pad (foreground: Fozzie, Animal, Kermit & Gonzo)
2. Are you good at calming people down: can be
3. Do you like the sea: I don't dislike it. I haven't really spent a lot of time on it or even near it.
4. What was the last thing that made you cry: probably a movie or a book
5. Are you a logical thinker: Logical... um... not in any traditional sense, that's for sure
6. Can you sleep easily: most of the time

PURPLE
1. Last purple thing you saw: tissue paper
2. Like being treated to expensive things: depends
3. Do you like mysterious things: hmm... yes
4. Favorite type of chocolate: nearly any, but maybe Dove dark... no, something organic
5. Ever met anyone in royalty: nope
6. Are you creative: not tonight, but in general, yes

PINK
1. Closest pink thing to you: shoe box filled with half-finished Christmas ornaments I'm making
2. Do you like sweet things: sugar will kill me one day
3. Like play-fighting: Not a super-big fan; especially if I'm play-fighting with something that has claws.
4. Are you sensitive: I alternate between being very sensitive and (this is kind of a recent development) a cold bitch.

WHITE
1. Closest white thing to you: envelopes
2. Would you say you are innocent: I don't know anymore.
3. Good at keeping the peace: not sure
4. Do you like to play in the snow: yeah
5. Are you afraid of going to the doctors or dentist: Well, not afraid... but I do tend to put it off longer than what might be recommended

BLACK
1. Closest black thing to you: Magic 8 Ball
2. Ever enjoy hurting people: not for real
3. Are you sophisticated or silly: Both?
4. Would you like to go to space: maybe
5. Do you have a lot of secrets: Not too many; I don't keep secrets very well.
6. What is your favorite color: green, if I'm limited to just one
7. Does the color you wear affect your mood: I don't think so. Every now and then, the mood I am in affects the color I wear, though.



Friday, November 24, 2006

Out Of My Head

11:55 p.m. / 23:55

Someday I'm going to learn to sleep at normal hours, and then I will never again come home from work and take a several-hours-long nap, from which I tend to wake up not quite fully functional. Tonight I set my alarm to wake me up in time to come post something-- preferably something interesting; something witty. Alas, my mind is mush. I have been sitting here for 15 - 30 minutes, just staring at the screen. So, this is it for the 24th.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Happy Tofurkey Day!

11:30 p.m. / 23:30

I hope you enjoyed your tofurkey (or your turkey) as much as I did. Of course, nothing beats green bean casserole. Yum!

I spent my Thanksgiving with my parents and brother this year, plus a neighbor my parents are friends with. Another couple my parents are friends with joined us for the pie-eating portion of the day. By this time, I had retreated to the sofa with the book I'm currently reading. At the other end of the sofa, my brother was napping. Eventually I became sleepy too, and put the book down and just listened to my parents and their friends talking in the dining room. I felt like a little kid again-- all curled up with a blanket there on the sofa, listening to the "grown-ups" talk and laugh. It was a weird feeling, but it was kind of nice just this once.


***************************************

I've been kind of grouchy lately, so this evening I have been trying to remember all of the things I have to be thankful for.



Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Holiday

10:20 p.m. / 22:20

I am thrilled that my biggest responsibility tomorrow will be to make a green bean casserole. There might be a lot of catching up to do at work on Friday, but for the moment I'm just very excited to have an extra day off this week. Payed holidays are a wonderful thing. I don't know for sure that I'll leave the house at all tomorrow. I should have lots of time to read when I'm not making that casserole or eating with my family, since it will be a small, quiet celebration this year. But I'm also worried I will get terrible cabin fever by night time, and there will be nowhere to go. So, I'm thinking about trying to break out tonight. Maybe I'll find someone to join me for Thanksgiving-Eve pancakes at IHOP or Huddle House... maybe Denny's... some all-night place, anyway. It's funny; I used to be very good at staying in all of the time. I could be almost reclusive. I nearly go crazy now though if I don't get out of the house for at least a little bit each day.

Meet Eggbert

12:12 a.m. / 00:12

Random Picture:
This is Eggbert. He has been my bear as far back as I can remember. I've never really been a big fan of stuffed animals. Eggbert, though, is important to me; even now that I'm an adult.


Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Um... Ewww... Hmm...

11:48 p.m. / 23:48

Okay, so let's say you're brushing your teeth before bed and you're deliriously tired and you don't know how you're going to get up for work in the morning, because you've stayed up way, way too late yet again reading a book or playing around on the internet, and as you return your almost brand new tube of toothpaste to its home in the bathroom closet, it slips and lands with the flat end of the tube stuck in the bristles of the toilet brush. What do you do?

Monday, November 20, 2006

Don't Inhale Too Deeply

11:52 p.m. / 23:52

Random Picture:
I have a thing for Sharpies.



The Old Water Glass Question

12:53 p.m. / 12:53

Is the glass half full, or is the glass half empty? I have decided that the glass is indeed half empty, but at least it's only half empty.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Charting NaBloPoMo

2:50 a.m. / 02:50

I just found a new toy on Technorati.com! I've added this chart to the bottom of my sidebar. It's supposed to update automaticly, which makes it extra-cool.


Posts that contain NaBloPoMo per day for the last 30 days.
Technorati Chart
Get your own chart!

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Blood-Sucking Bastards

6:24 p.m. / 18:24

Do you think there could be any negative repercussions for me if I were to write that on the "For" line of the check I'm mailing off to my credit card company?

Back To Books

5:06 p.m. / 17:06

Today I finished reading Wedding Season by Darcy Cosper. I enjoyed every page of it, but I thought more than once while reading it that I'm glad that cheek-kissing as a greeting is not a fashion where I live. I have enough trouble with my friends trying to hug me all the time. But onward: the outcome I had predicted for this book happened about half way through, and I was completely bewildered for the rest of the book. Ultimately, the ending was weird. Not weird-bad, just weird-that's-not-how-chick-lit-is-supposed-to-end weird. It was definitely chick-lit, too. With that title and 5 pastel bridesmaid dresses lined up on the cover, it pretty much had to be. I was actually concerned it would be too chicky for me. I often saw it sitting on my bookshelf, waiting to be read, and wondered why I'd had to buy that one, and not just read a library copy. Wedding Season is not my new favorite book, but it was worth the time I spent with it and it will keep its place on my shelf. In spite of all the many, many weddings and dresses and all the girl-talk and striking similarities to later seasons of the TV show Sex In the City, I really find this book, and its leading chick, Joy Silverman, to be unique. How many chick-lit novels have you read where the official best friend is a beautiful lesbian who goes by Henry?

Vince & Joy by Lisa Jewell is another book I've read this month. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting either, but it was still a fun book. Kudos to Lisa Jewell for quoting Lynda Barry in the front of the book. I would share the quote, but I forgot to write it down before I returned the book to the library.

A Higher Geometry by Sharelle Byars Moranville is a young adult novel I read rather quickly this past week on my lunch hours. It's a great little story about a girl named Anna in Illinois during the 1960 / 1961 school year who is both good at math and very much loves math, even though girls of that time weren't really supposed to be good at it or love it.

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Friday, November 17, 2006

Rescued From The Attic

11:18 p.m. / 23:18

Random Picture:
I found this in the attic as a child. It belonged to my mom until one day, many years ago, I persuaded her to let me bring it downstairs and keep it in my room. I have always loved maps and globes, and I was fascinated by this little globe bank from the first time I saw it. It is probably my favorite of all of my knick-knacky possessions.



Thursday, November 16, 2006

When All Else Fails, Fudge

9:45 p.m. / 21:45

I decided I'd share something sweet tonight.


TOO EASY CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

“This fudge is ‘too easy’ not to make on a regular basis! It firms up very quickly, so be sure to get it into the pan right away.”



8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter

½ cup nonhydrogenated margarine

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract



1. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. Place the chocolate, peanut butter and margarine in a heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.
3. Turn off the heat and whisk in the sugar and vanilla until smooth and well blended.
4. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and cool until firm. Cut into squares. Keep refrigerated.

Makes 36

Per Piece: 120 calories, 2 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams total fat, 3 grams saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 gram dietary fiber, 44 mg sodium

Source: Robertson, Robin. Peanut Butter Planet: Around the World in 80 Recipes, From Starters to Main Dishes to Desserts. Rodale, 2006.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Winter Wimp

11:45 p.m. / 23:45

I was informed earlier this evening by my mom that it could snow here tomorrow. Snow is a sure sign that winter is really, truly arriving. But I am not ready. I don't particularly like winter. It's cold. I don't want to be cold. I often think I might like to hibernate. I have built up a lot of sick days at work. Too bad I can't use them to take off the month of January, or at least most of it, and hibernate. With my luck, though, January would turn out mild, and then February would be brutal, and cold winter weather would extend all the way into April. So, probably I'll just buy another sweater or two and drag myself to work every cold day of the whole cold winter and try not to complain too much. At least since I can't actually afford rent on my salary, and thus live with my parents, I am spared the dreaded winter heating bill.


Random Picture:
My United Nations snow globe was given to me by a friend who visited New York City a couple of months after I participated in the 2005 Midwest Model United Nations.


Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Random Media

11:50 p.m. / 23:50

I've never tried posting pictures before. So, here are some random pictures of things I like, just because I wanted to try posting pictures, and it's getting close to the midnight deadline.


You probably know by now that I love books. These are some randomly selected favorites of mine.


And here we have some random movies I own. Sorry about the glare.



And, as you can surely see, these are random CDs I own. Again, sorry about the glare.


Monday, November 13, 2006

Spending The Evening In My Shell

11:30 p.m. / 23:30

I'm feeling very introverted tonight, so writing something for (potentially) the whole world to see, isn't sounding like a great idea right now. So this will be mighty short.

Thanks to some help from a friend, I have finally added a NaBloPoMo seal to my sidebar, giving you instant access to the NaBloPoMo headquarters over at Fussy.org. Yay 'n stuff!



Sunday, November 12, 2006

Sunny Sunday

8:50 p.m. / 20:50

Somehow today I was not completely overcome by my usual Sunday blues. I think this was probably due in part to the fact that it was very sunny today, although chilly.

I spent a lot of time reading. I think my most recent TV binge has finally ended. I finished one book and read quite a bit of another, so I'll be doing one of my book posts again soon. It's starting to feel a little weird, going so many posts without really talking about books, but I don't read fast enough to talk about what I'm reading every day; not unless I start sharing them with you chapters at a time, rather than waiting until I'm finished.

I went to Barnes & Noble tonight and bought my Christmas cards, so that's out of the way. I picked up a couple of John Irving novels while I was there. Are you aware that mass market paperbacks cost $8.00 a piece these days? It's expensive to be a book-buying bibliophile! Why can't I be satisfied with library books alone?

After Barnes & Noble, I came home and ate dinner. I won't bore you with details (assuming you're not already bored) but I have discovered that a quick, yummy way to make dinner is to throw leftover pasta, shredded cheese, handy veggies (it was tomatoes tonight) and spices (like garlic powder, sweet basil and oregano) into a bowl and throw it in the microwave. Hmm... maybe that was still too much detail. Anyway, I while I ate I watched a Ghostbusters cartoon for the first time in... a very long time; probably more than fifteen years. I bought the boxed set of Ghostbusters 1 & 2 a few weeks ago, and there are two animated episodes on the disc with Ghostbusters 2. That was a thrilling discovery. I liked a lot of cartoons as a child, but
The Real Ghostbusters was a favorite.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Christmas Approaches

10:55 p.m. / 22:55

Actually, it wouldn't be too far from the truth to say that Christmas is upon us. It's my feeling that Christmas decorations ought to stay in their boxes until at least the first of December, but I obviously have no control over anyone beyond myself. Actually, it occasionally gets called into question whether or not I do in fact have control of myself. But back to Christmas! It's nearly here, Thanksgiving be damned. I would like to wait until December first to bother with any of it, but I've sort of decided that's an unrealistic position to take. So, tonight I have started in on making Christmas tree ornaments to give as gifts. I'll have to keep a somewhat tight schedule if I'm going to get them all done. I need to make a dozen or so, which to some crafty folks might not sound like so many, but these involve layers of paint and many layers of glued tissue paper that have to dry in between coats. I rotate them such that at any given time I have three or four in progress, but still all of that drying slows things. But I'm digressing again. I think gift shopping will absolutely have to wait until nearer to Christmas for financial reasons, but that's actually kind of a bummer, because I'm not a fan of crowed stores. I have made a mental note (so far not lost in the shuffle of nonsense circulating at all times within my head) to go to Barnes & Noble and buy my over-priced Christmas cards before the ones I want are gone. So, yeah, Christmas is here already, and I must come to terms with that.

Now, wait, wait, I'm not done with this maze-like post just yet. I have to tell you that I love Christmas. I do not get annoyed with the early decorations and all of that because I'm one of those people who doesn't get into Christmas for whatever reason. I really, truly love Christmas, and all of the good times with family and friends, and the trees and the lights... the food... what else? Oh, yes, Christmas cards arriving in the mail, the Salvation Army bell ringers, wreaths, nativity scenes, Christmas music, pretty, pretty wrapping paper... I love it all! I guess I just prefer it sort of concentrated. It just isn't as much fun if it's drawn out so long. I can't wait for Christmas... but I most certainly will.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Not A Total Loss

10:15 p.m. / 22:15

My prediction of a bad day pretty much held true for the work day, but after work turned out pretty nice, so the day wasn't a total loss. Hurray for good friends; all of you-- those who I saw tonight, and those I did not.

Late To Work Again

12:36 p.m. / 12:36

You know it probably won't be a great day when you are late to work and you are still the first person there.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Honk 4 Times If You're Confused

11:59 p.m. / 23:59

Honk 1 for Republican*

Honk 2 for Democrat*

Honk 3 for [ ]

I couldn't actually read the third option as I zipped past the man with the poster board sign on my way to work Tuesday morning (Election Day!). He was standing on the corner of a large and busy intersection, in light rain holding up this sign. It seemed pretty obvious that he wasn't a part of any official campaign. Could he have been a college student, doing some sort of project? Or was he actually bored enough, or crazy enough to go out on his own, for his own amusement and hold a sign on a rainy day during morning rush hour traffic? I was too busy being confused, but amused to actually honk.

(I would have honked 2, by the way.)

*parties have been substituted for actual congressional candidates' names

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Anti-Bloggers

11:55 p.m. / 23:55

I have mentioned that I have a blog in casual conversation more often than usual lately, in part because of NaBloPoMo. I never expect people to get excited about it, but it bothers me that some people react so negatively. Why do they care so much? I'm not telling them in hopes that they'll ask for the address so they can read it. Honestly if that was my goal, I'd probably skip the beating-around-the-bush bit and write it down for them whether they want it or not.

I know one person who seems to associate having a blog with whining. I do not whine here! Well, not usually anyway. Most of the time, this is about as close as I get to whining; just venting about an on-going issue that bothers me. I am not a drama queen and whatever drama does take place in my life, this is not where I want to talk about it. I have tried to explain this to this guy more than once, but every mention of a blog or blogging still brings on a comment about drama, whining or both.

Some people just seem put off by blogging by the shear number of people doing it. It's kind of cliche right now, and cliches are bound to put some people off. Actually, if it weren't for the fact that somehow I am actually one of the first of my friends to start blogging, I think I might have ended up holding that same opinion. None the less, was it necessary for someone I know to declare today that she doesn't know how to blog, and doesn't care to? I was barely aware she was in the room, and thus wasn't really speaking to her, so the whole thing knocked me off-balance for a second. I also have a friend who told me upon first hearing I had a blog that he doesn't read blogs, and almost seemed bothered by the fact that I was doing something so cliche.


If you're reading this, then I suppose you are not an anti-blogger, which means I'm preaching to the choir, but I just had to get this out there.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

A Damn Cranky 25-Year-Old

10:00 p.m. / 22:00

Mature Me vs. Immature Me

MM: You have to write your blog post before you can be a complete slug for the rest of the night!

IM: I don't wanna write a blog post!

MM: But it's National Blog Posting Month, and you haven't missed a day yet!

IM: So? I don't wanna do it.

MM: Are you really going to blow this over laziness?

IM: I'm tired, not lazy, and I don't wanna write!

MM: You're tired every night! C'mon; you were going to talk about the election and that guy you saw on St. Joe this morning.

IM: Don't wanna! Don't wanna! Don't wanna!

Monday, November 06, 2006

Tuesday Is Election Day

11:07 p.m. / 23:07

Don't forget to vote!

Six Reasons I Bought This Book

7:59 p.m. / 19:59

This Book = No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog by Margaret Mason*

*Maggie Mason's personal blog: http://www.mightygirl.com; I should also note that this book was originally brought to my attention by the much more with-it blogger behind Pardon the Egg Salad and BadgerBooks.

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NaBloPoMo Randomizer: The Internet Toy Of The Month

7:50 p.m. / 19:50

Actually, it could be more of a tool, depending upon how you think about it. Anyway, the title up there should take you to the Randomizer, but this link will take you to its creator: Pink Elephants.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Monday Eve

8:57 p.m. / 20:57

It's widely recognized that Mondays generally stink. What about Sunday? I've never found much to like about Sunday. During my many years as a student, Sunday was always a dull catch-up day before heading back to school. Now Sundays are just as dull and I become bored very easily. Often by Sunday evening I have a case of Cabin Fever. It's hard to get out of the house on a Sunday night, because so many businesses close early. For example I very nearly went out to Barnes and Noble to get a drink, which I would have sipped while trying not to buy books. I was reaching for my shoes when I realized it was much closer to 9:00 p.m. (B & N's Sunday closing time) than I had realized, so there wasn't any time for that. Another thought was to see if anyone fancied a trip to IHOP or Denny's, but I'm still full from dinner, so there's not a lot of sense in that. Sunday is really a sort of Monday Eve; a reminder that tomorrow will almost definitely be crappy.

I hope you didn't click to come here for some cheering up, because if that is the case, I suspect I have failed you.

Me, Myself and I

8:00 p.m. / 20:00

I suppose it's the nature of blogging, at least to some extent, but I was shocked the other day when I was glancing over my blog and realized how often I refer to myself. I this, I that. Me, Me, Me. I really felt awkward for a minute or two, sitting there realizing how self-centered this is. But that's just how personal blogs are, right? I don't make anyone read this. If you don't want to hear about me and my opinions, then you don't have to come here. I would probably find "I" and "me" just as often on other people's blogs, if I looked for them. Also, it's not like I can avoid ever referring to myself. So, I have pretty much gotten over whatever guilt hit me the other day. And now I have even managed to squeeze a post out of it!

Saturday, November 04, 2006

More Blogging Books

11:40 p.m. / 23:40

I've picked up some more blogging books from work. So tonight I've been flipping through Blogging: Genius Strategies for Instant Web Content by Biz Stone, Blog On: The Essential Guide to Building Dynamic Weblogs by Todd Stauffer and The Weblog Handbook: Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining Your Blog by Rebecca Blood. So far none of the blog books I've gathered are nearly as exciting as I had hoped they might be, but I'm not done browsing them yet. I might still find something exciting.

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Friday, November 03, 2006

Today Was A Good Day

11:45 p.m. / 23:45

I had my doubts, I really did. But today was a mighty fine day. Maybe tomorrow won't be so bad either.

Insurance

12:50 p.m. / 12:50

Now that I'm a grown-up (at least, I think I'm a grown-up), I have to make my own decisions about health insurance, etc. I hate it. I always thought that these decisions would be easy once I was a grown-up with grown-up knowledge. It isn't really. I'm grateful that I have insurance through my job, but that isn't stopping me from complaining about the paperwork involved. As usual, I've put everything off until the last minute. I'm off work today, but in a little while, I get to go to work anyway to access a special website to finish my insurance enrollment for the coming year. Oh, yeah, and this all began with having to get up around 5:00 a.m. to be at a big meeting around 7:00 a.m. all about insurance. Honestly, the majority of what was said that morning didn't really sink in. There was good bread and fruit on a table. That I do remember.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

100

10:55 p.m. / 22:55

After one year and eight months, I have finally managed to post 100 times. I guess that's only an average of five posts per month, but when I started this blog, I didn't know if I'd still be doing it after just one year, and now I'm well on my way to a second blog birthday.

I've been looking at some blog-related books at work. So far I have checked out Blog! How the Newest Media Revolution Is Changing Politics, Business and Culture by David Kline and Dan Burstein, as well as Publishing a Blog With Blogger by Elizabeth Castro.

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Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Witchy

11:53 p.m. / 23:53

I am a witch for Halloween this year. I went to work in costume yesterday, and I'll be attending a slightly belated Halloween party on Friday, also in my witch costume this is the fourth time in my life that I have been a witch for Halloween, but I think this might be the most fun witch costume I've had. I was a witch for my first Halloween that I actually got to go trick-or-treating. I'm 25 now, so that was... probably 22 - 23 years ago, so I actually can't remember my feelings all that well, but in pictures I look mighty happy. The two times in between, though, being a witch was act of desperation. I never thought I'd dress as a witch again, but I have these awesome fuzzy, black-and-orange knee socks that I picked up on clearance last year, and they were just begging to be made part of witch costume. I found a really great witchy black skirt in the juniors's department (of all the places!) at Kohl's, and it was even on clearance. It was easy to come up with a long-sleeved black t-shirt, and the hat was pretty easy too. I spent at least half an hour at the mall agonizing over black jewelry (in part because it had to be something I'd wear again) and finally settled on a beaded, multi-strand choker necklace and rather dangley, sort of old-fashioned looking earrings. It all started with the fuzzy, striped socks, but my favorite part is my shoes. I was going to wear chunky black loafers that I already own, but since the skirt was on clearance, I permitted myself to browse shoes. I found totally, incredibly awesome witch shoes. I'm told they're really quite in style, but they rather look like they're meant for a witch. Okay, yes, they'd look good with other outfits too, but especially when I have them on with the rest of my costume, they are oh so wonderfully witchy! They're made to look like men's dress shoes, but they have heels, making them very much women's shoes. I love heels and they looks so much better than the chunky loafers I was supposed to wear originally. The costume was a hit at work yesterday, and I anticipate positive reactions on Friday as well.

Given all that, I've been in a witchy mood of sorts. For example, I've been thinking about watching the movie The Witches, or re-reading the book by Roald Dahl. Just tonight, I was browsing at Barnes & Noble, and felt I had to buy a copy of Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic. I read a library copy earlier this year, but I love the witch boot with roses on the cover of the trade paperback I bought tonight. It just felt appropriate to buy it right now.

In other book "news", I finally bought myself a copy of Jennifer Weiner's In Her Shoes, because I finally found a copy that with the original cover art, not the movie cover. Hooray!

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