so i made it to see this film last night. i don't know how i feel about it, honestly. i mean, daniel day-lewis, as expected, gives a tremendous performance. the movie wasn't the greatest though, in my opinion. perhaps because we missed the first few minutes (i blame the cashier--or more specifically, the cash register--where we ate prior to the movie) which made the rest of it better. slim chance, but a slim chance is still a chance after all. it was just so slow. there were moments of triumph, or passion, or emotional pull, but overall it kind of let me down. it could be because for various reasons i have the movie in the same category in my mind as no country for old men, which was stunning and intense, but i don't know. it could also be because i'd had two margaritas before the movie and was distracted by the people whispering and laughing in the row ahead of us. who knows.
anyway, since it was still early, we rented delicatessen, which i've been wanting to see for some time. it also was a bit disappointing, but it was still pretty good.
paul thomas anderson, who directed there will be blood is hit or miss with me (he also directed magnolia [overrated] and punch-drunk love [underrated]) but jeunet is basically just hit. everybody seems to think delicatessen is like his best or "classic" work, but it was not as good as his others, i think, and oddly enough, he shared director credit with someone else on this film, so the idea of it being "classic jeunet" is pretty absurd.
anyway, just some thoughts.
i've also been sporadically renting "it's always sunny in philadelphia"--which is technically a tv show and which i technically shouldn't be watching--and it has been really great so far.
i think noises off is next in my netflix queue, which my mom insists is her favorite movie of all time. i myself never commit to such dramatic statements regarding my film preferences, so either the film is truly amazing or my mom has a commitment problem opposite of mine. i'm finding it hard to believe the former, but the latter seems plausible.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
february 29th.
oh, and happy february 29th.
i thought i'd re-post this very interesting article from the New York Times (source):
February 29, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor
A Great Leap Forward
By CHRIS TURNEY
Exeter, England
WHEN Frederic, the hero of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Pirates of Penzance,” learns that his Feb. 29 birthday means that he is not 21 years old but 5, he figures he’ll have to serve out his apprenticeship to the Pirate King for 60 more years, and swears to the love of his life that he will return in his 80s and marry her. Such are the tales that have always been told about today’s date. But now we’re in the 21st century, and time is measured according to oscillations of vaporized atoms of cesium-133. Why do we still need something as oddly quaint as leap year?
The answer lies in the fact that days and years are not neatly synchronized. This problem has confounded calendar makers for centuries, and prompted corrections far more clumsy than an occasional extra day in February.
Many of the earliest calendars were based on the phases of the moon. Each 29.5-day cycle amounted to one month, and the first versions counted only 10 months in a year. That turned out to be too few months, but even when two more were added, the problem remained: the calendar could not keep up with the seasons.
A group of Roman priests was charged with the task of adding days through the year, but they were easily corrupted. They’d frequently add or delay the extra days either for personal financial gain or to see their preferred candidates hold offices of power for as long as possible.
By Julius Caesar’s time, the calendar was running 90 days behind. Acting on the advice of an astronomer, he created a calendar based on the time it takes the Earth to circle the Sun. During the well-named “year of confusion,” in 46 B.C., Caesar lengthened several of the months and added a couple of temporary ones as a correction. The jubilant Roman public believed Caesar had extended their lives by the extra 90 days (you just can’t buy publicity like that). And by 45 B.C., the calendar was back in phase with the seasons.
The Earth’s trip around the Sun does not take exactly 365 days, however. It lasts an extra 5 hours and about 49 minutes. By adding an extra day every four years, Caesar could roughly make up for the discrepancy. Even then his scheme ended up being 11 minutes a year too long. This may not sound like much; you wouldn’t notice the difference during your lifetime. But by the mid-16th century, the calendar had moved ahead 10 days.
This shift had serious implications for the question of when to celebrate Easter. In 1582, a task force called by Pope Gregory XIII proposed that 10 days should be removed from October that year. And to make sure the calendar would then be self-correcting, leap years were subtracted from the last year of most centuries. Only those divisible by 400 would get the extra day. (That means 1600 was a leap year, but not 1700, 1800 and 1900.) This way, the calendar would gain only half a minute a year, and it would take 2,880 years before another day would need to be added. The trusty Gregorian calendar had arrived.
This wasn’t the best time in history to establish a new calendar, however. The Reformation had swept across Europe, and Protestant nations were reluctant to accept the pope’s invention. Some countries devised their own ways of making corrections. In what is now Belgium, the calendar went from Dec. 21, 1582, straight to Jan. 1, 1583, depriving everyone there of Christmas.
By the time Britain adopted the calendar, in 1752, 11 days had to be eliminated, and many people were enraged at the loss. “Time rioters” took to the streets of London and other cities chanting, “Give us back our 11 days!” And so the stage was set, the next century, for Gilbert and Sullivan.
Chris Turney, a professor of geography at the University of Exeter, is the author of “Bones, Rocks and Stars: The Science of When Things Happened.”
i thought i'd re-post this very interesting article from the New York Times (source):
February 29, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor
A Great Leap Forward
By CHRIS TURNEY
Exeter, England
WHEN Frederic, the hero of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Pirates of Penzance,” learns that his Feb. 29 birthday means that he is not 21 years old but 5, he figures he’ll have to serve out his apprenticeship to the Pirate King for 60 more years, and swears to the love of his life that he will return in his 80s and marry her. Such are the tales that have always been told about today’s date. But now we’re in the 21st century, and time is measured according to oscillations of vaporized atoms of cesium-133. Why do we still need something as oddly quaint as leap year?
The answer lies in the fact that days and years are not neatly synchronized. This problem has confounded calendar makers for centuries, and prompted corrections far more clumsy than an occasional extra day in February.
Many of the earliest calendars were based on the phases of the moon. Each 29.5-day cycle amounted to one month, and the first versions counted only 10 months in a year. That turned out to be too few months, but even when two more were added, the problem remained: the calendar could not keep up with the seasons.
A group of Roman priests was charged with the task of adding days through the year, but they were easily corrupted. They’d frequently add or delay the extra days either for personal financial gain or to see their preferred candidates hold offices of power for as long as possible.
By Julius Caesar’s time, the calendar was running 90 days behind. Acting on the advice of an astronomer, he created a calendar based on the time it takes the Earth to circle the Sun. During the well-named “year of confusion,” in 46 B.C., Caesar lengthened several of the months and added a couple of temporary ones as a correction. The jubilant Roman public believed Caesar had extended their lives by the extra 90 days (you just can’t buy publicity like that). And by 45 B.C., the calendar was back in phase with the seasons.
The Earth’s trip around the Sun does not take exactly 365 days, however. It lasts an extra 5 hours and about 49 minutes. By adding an extra day every four years, Caesar could roughly make up for the discrepancy. Even then his scheme ended up being 11 minutes a year too long. This may not sound like much; you wouldn’t notice the difference during your lifetime. But by the mid-16th century, the calendar had moved ahead 10 days.
This shift had serious implications for the question of when to celebrate Easter. In 1582, a task force called by Pope Gregory XIII proposed that 10 days should be removed from October that year. And to make sure the calendar would then be self-correcting, leap years were subtracted from the last year of most centuries. Only those divisible by 400 would get the extra day. (That means 1600 was a leap year, but not 1700, 1800 and 1900.) This way, the calendar would gain only half a minute a year, and it would take 2,880 years before another day would need to be added. The trusty Gregorian calendar had arrived.
This wasn’t the best time in history to establish a new calendar, however. The Reformation had swept across Europe, and Protestant nations were reluctant to accept the pope’s invention. Some countries devised their own ways of making corrections. In what is now Belgium, the calendar went from Dec. 21, 1582, straight to Jan. 1, 1583, depriving everyone there of Christmas.
By the time Britain adopted the calendar, in 1752, 11 days had to be eliminated, and many people were enraged at the loss. “Time rioters” took to the streets of London and other cities chanting, “Give us back our 11 days!” And so the stage was set, the next century, for Gilbert and Sullivan.
Chris Turney, a professor of geography at the University of Exeter, is the author of “Bones, Rocks and Stars: The Science of When Things Happened.”
prince harry
last night i dreamed i saw prince harry on the subway. he was heading somewhere perfectly mundane and not in afghanistan. we talked about mundane things and i thought to myself, what a really nice young guy this is. i was relieved he was no longer in afghanistan, thinking that it must make things really difficult for all of them when paparazzi show up in the hills and villages where they are stationed ("the blues and royals regiment").
after waking up and coming to check my email, i glanced at the headlines on people.com to find that he was being sent home because of the danger associated with people knowing he was there. i mean, i know he's royalty and all, but isn't that what military personnel do? risk their lives? i mean, i'd hate for him to die, but i hate for others to die, too. it's so weird; all he wants to do is fight in a war, but he keeps missing his opportunities die to security concerns. what a strange world we live in.
i saw eastern promises last night. really really good. it's one of my favorites that i've seen during the my quarantine due to the deadly flu virus i've contracted. i haven't seen there will be blood, but if daniel day-lewis beat viggo mortensen for the oscar, his performance must be incredible. i'm sure it was, though. i also saw the age of innocence (starring daniel day-lewis, michelle pfeiffer and winona ryder, directed by martin scorsese). i do like daniel day-lewis. other movies i've seen include the odd couple, la vie en rose (incredible!), michael clayton (really awesome), sherry baby (maggie gyllenhaal's performance was stunning but the movie was full of problems; a shame, really), and heaven can wait (directed by lubitsch, starring gene tierney and don ameche; pretty good, but not as good as the introduction by molly haskell led me to believe it would be).
in another interesting recent development, i received an email from someone i don't know, asking how it's been going. i replied that i am fine but don't know him, can he remind me how we know each other? he responded with the following "huh? your kidding right. Just wondering if your dating anyone at the time. Hope your having a great day!"
i'm tempted to think it's a virus but i don't know how it could be, so i just replied "no, i'm not kidding."
after waking up and coming to check my email, i glanced at the headlines on people.com to find that he was being sent home because of the danger associated with people knowing he was there. i mean, i know he's royalty and all, but isn't that what military personnel do? risk their lives? i mean, i'd hate for him to die, but i hate for others to die, too. it's so weird; all he wants to do is fight in a war, but he keeps missing his opportunities die to security concerns. what a strange world we live in.
i saw eastern promises last night. really really good. it's one of my favorites that i've seen during the my quarantine due to the deadly flu virus i've contracted. i haven't seen there will be blood, but if daniel day-lewis beat viggo mortensen for the oscar, his performance must be incredible. i'm sure it was, though. i also saw the age of innocence (starring daniel day-lewis, michelle pfeiffer and winona ryder, directed by martin scorsese). i do like daniel day-lewis. other movies i've seen include the odd couple, la vie en rose (incredible!), michael clayton (really awesome), sherry baby (maggie gyllenhaal's performance was stunning but the movie was full of problems; a shame, really), and heaven can wait (directed by lubitsch, starring gene tierney and don ameche; pretty good, but not as good as the introduction by molly haskell led me to believe it would be).
in another interesting recent development, i received an email from someone i don't know, asking how it's been going. i replied that i am fine but don't know him, can he remind me how we know each other? he responded with the following "huh? your kidding right. Just wondering if your dating anyone at the time. Hope your having a great day!"
i'm tempted to think it's a virus but i don't know how it could be, so i just replied "no, i'm not kidding."
what's been up.
[response to email from college roommate]
Hi friend!
it was so nice to hear from you! i am jealous of you living in asheville again. i have only even been back one or two times since college. it's very sad. there are fun things about atlanta, but i'm ready to move on with my life. i've been going home to visit greensboro some lately. most of my family is still around there. my brother baxter and austin got married a couple of years ago and they are still living in new york, where they will stay at least until austin graduates from acupuncture school. i know hooper and that woman he was/is dating moved there, too, although we haven't spoken in years. i'd love to go to new york--the first couple of times i visited i couldn't wait to leave but the last time, perhaps because i went to coney island by myself, i really fell in love with it. unfortunately, hearing my brother talk about the expense of living in new york is a good dissuasive factor, along with the geographical specificity of my field (professors can't really choose where they live).
for my part, i'm still in atlanta. the rumor is, i'll get my phd someday soon, but i feel kind of like a kid who is slowly but surely putting the pieces together that maybe santa claus doesn't really exist after all.. part of it is lack of interest in a career in "sociology" and part of it is the set of "cons" associated with my chosen profession (such as relative inability to choose where you will live, and the research requirement). i really want to move back to greensboro, as ridiculous as that sounds, because my parents are getting older, and my mom found out a few years ago that she has emphysema so i'd like to be close to her. if course, if i found a career i felt passionate about, perhaps living in my mom's backyard wouldn't be such a primary concern, but after years of teaching college kids about inequality only to watch THEM go out and change the world (actually my favorite part of the job), and after years of trying unsuccessfully to force myself to do research when all i want to do is write in my journal and drink tea, i'm starting to wonder if i'll ever find a passion-inspiring career.
probably too much information, but you found me at a very "transitional" point in my life, actually, and i currently have the flu, which allows me the luxury of also writing long rambly emails. :)
as for the rest of my life, i'm living in a small apartment in atlanta with my two sweet cats (sam and max). my orange cat todd died a few years ago of a freak asthma attack, and as you may remember, tubby is living with my mom. i've dated people off and on, but never found one that stuck. my cats have remained with me though, loyal and faithful.
hopefully soon i'll be able to grow up and commit to a career, and decide to find passion elsewhere.
anyway, i was happy to hear from you and i hope you and the ornery goat find a way to heal your friendship. the farm sounds very nice, and i'm very happy that you have found a place for yourself. i wish you and your partner the best of luck, and please do keep me informed of any changes. if i ever make it to asheville, i'd certainly like to make a point of coming to see you and/in your studio.
love,
charity :)
Hi friend!
it was so nice to hear from you! i am jealous of you living in asheville again. i have only even been back one or two times since college. it's very sad. there are fun things about atlanta, but i'm ready to move on with my life. i've been going home to visit greensboro some lately. most of my family is still around there. my brother baxter and austin got married a couple of years ago and they are still living in new york, where they will stay at least until austin graduates from acupuncture school. i know hooper and that woman he was/is dating moved there, too, although we haven't spoken in years. i'd love to go to new york--the first couple of times i visited i couldn't wait to leave but the last time, perhaps because i went to coney island by myself, i really fell in love with it. unfortunately, hearing my brother talk about the expense of living in new york is a good dissuasive factor, along with the geographical specificity of my field (professors can't really choose where they live).
for my part, i'm still in atlanta. the rumor is, i'll get my phd someday soon, but i feel kind of like a kid who is slowly but surely putting the pieces together that maybe santa claus doesn't really exist after all.. part of it is lack of interest in a career in "sociology" and part of it is the set of "cons" associated with my chosen profession (such as relative inability to choose where you will live, and the research requirement). i really want to move back to greensboro, as ridiculous as that sounds, because my parents are getting older, and my mom found out a few years ago that she has emphysema so i'd like to be close to her. if course, if i found a career i felt passionate about, perhaps living in my mom's backyard wouldn't be such a primary concern, but after years of teaching college kids about inequality only to watch THEM go out and change the world (actually my favorite part of the job), and after years of trying unsuccessfully to force myself to do research when all i want to do is write in my journal and drink tea, i'm starting to wonder if i'll ever find a passion-inspiring career.
probably too much information, but you found me at a very "transitional" point in my life, actually, and i currently have the flu, which allows me the luxury of also writing long rambly emails. :)
as for the rest of my life, i'm living in a small apartment in atlanta with my two sweet cats (sam and max). my orange cat todd died a few years ago of a freak asthma attack, and as you may remember, tubby is living with my mom. i've dated people off and on, but never found one that stuck. my cats have remained with me though, loyal and faithful.
hopefully soon i'll be able to grow up and commit to a career, and decide to find passion elsewhere.
anyway, i was happy to hear from you and i hope you and the ornery goat find a way to heal your friendship. the farm sounds very nice, and i'm very happy that you have found a place for yourself. i wish you and your partner the best of luck, and please do keep me informed of any changes. if i ever make it to asheville, i'd certainly like to make a point of coming to see you and/in your studio.
love,
charity :)
Thursday, February 07, 2008
my world without television...
I tell you what. I am addicted to TV after all. I knew it would be tough to begin yesterday since I would miss Project Runway. What I wasn't prepared for was the eerie calm while preparing dinner. I didn't even miss Project Runway, actually, since by that time I was already watching Blood Diamond. (I can't give up movies, too! But I'm not renting, so until my Netflix gets here, it's just eerie quiet from that corner of the room...)
Anyway, last night I couldn't even make a decision about what to eat with all the quiet. It was so strange. I started feeling agitated, like I needed some companionship, like I was crawling out of my skin. I called my mom, who told me just to turn on some music. The thought hadn't even occurred to me.
Me: "Oh, yeah, I'll just do that. That's a good idea. Isn't it funny that I didn't even think of it?"
Mom: "Yeah, well, Charity, I gotta go, if you don't mind. Family Feud is on, and it's my favorite part. The part where they...[Drifts off, I imagine to look at screen] That's ok, right?"
Me: "Yeah, that's ok, I'll just..."
Mom: "Ok, bye."
[click]
I decided to make the ratatouille again. It was good as usual. Tonight I'll make a stir-fry in honor of Chinese New Year. Happy Year of the Rat! Hopefully it will be a year filled with economic prosperity, although stories of a recession abound. This article gives tips on investing in these "troubling" times, and investments are supposed to pay off well if made wisely during a Year of the Rat (if you're into that sort of thing). It is supposed to be a year filled with socializing as well as bickering, but no lasting ill will. A great time for fresh starts.
We'll see. There are several fresh starts I'd like to make this year: a new start as a graduate of graduate school, a new start as someone who does yoga every day, a new start as someone who weighs twenty pounds less.
I've been re-reading the absolutely amazing Comfortable with Uncertainty and am on the quest to love myself as I am, no matter whether I make those fresh starts or not. It's amazing how conditional my love can be for myself. I'm going to work on that. I've been making good progress.
I've recently realized that I am responsible for my own happiness and that I alone am capable of creating it. It's pretty liberating, actually, since I realize that I don't have to worry about requiring something from someone else or even myself, but that I must just accept "now" and find happiness in the present moment. It's always there if we open ourselves to it.
The yoga helps. In fact, one reason I didn't think about putting on music while preparing dinner is because I have been listening to meditation "music" (a soft gong for thirty minutes, then a Tibetan singing bowl for thirty minutes) while I'm at home. It's very peaceful. I've been doing yoga by candlelight before bed, with meditation music in the background. It's been very relaxing, but I think it might be causing me to wake up in the night. I can't see why it would but I don't know how else to explain it.
Anyway, to fresh starts and loving unconditionally! I'll keep you posted as my world without television continues to unfold.
Charity :)
PS - I have been fiddling around with Dreamweaver, which I recently got at my part-time job. It's not as simple as I'd hoped, but it has inspired me to want to change the layout of my blog. So maybe I'll do that. Just FYI.
Anyway, last night I couldn't even make a decision about what to eat with all the quiet. It was so strange. I started feeling agitated, like I needed some companionship, like I was crawling out of my skin. I called my mom, who told me just to turn on some music. The thought hadn't even occurred to me.
Me: "Oh, yeah, I'll just do that. That's a good idea. Isn't it funny that I didn't even think of it?"
Mom: "Yeah, well, Charity, I gotta go, if you don't mind. Family Feud is on, and it's my favorite part. The part where they...[Drifts off, I imagine to look at screen] That's ok, right?"
Me: "Yeah, that's ok, I'll just..."
Mom: "Ok, bye."
[click]
I decided to make the ratatouille again. It was good as usual. Tonight I'll make a stir-fry in honor of Chinese New Year. Happy Year of the Rat! Hopefully it will be a year filled with economic prosperity, although stories of a recession abound. This article gives tips on investing in these "troubling" times, and investments are supposed to pay off well if made wisely during a Year of the Rat (if you're into that sort of thing). It is supposed to be a year filled with socializing as well as bickering, but no lasting ill will. A great time for fresh starts.
We'll see. There are several fresh starts I'd like to make this year: a new start as a graduate of graduate school, a new start as someone who does yoga every day, a new start as someone who weighs twenty pounds less.
I've been re-reading the absolutely amazing Comfortable with Uncertainty and am on the quest to love myself as I am, no matter whether I make those fresh starts or not. It's amazing how conditional my love can be for myself. I'm going to work on that. I've been making good progress.
I've recently realized that I am responsible for my own happiness and that I alone am capable of creating it. It's pretty liberating, actually, since I realize that I don't have to worry about requiring something from someone else or even myself, but that I must just accept "now" and find happiness in the present moment. It's always there if we open ourselves to it.
The yoga helps. In fact, one reason I didn't think about putting on music while preparing dinner is because I have been listening to meditation "music" (a soft gong for thirty minutes, then a Tibetan singing bowl for thirty minutes) while I'm at home. It's very peaceful. I've been doing yoga by candlelight before bed, with meditation music in the background. It's been very relaxing, but I think it might be causing me to wake up in the night. I can't see why it would but I don't know how else to explain it.
Anyway, to fresh starts and loving unconditionally! I'll keep you posted as my world without television continues to unfold.
Charity :)
PS - I have been fiddling around with Dreamweaver, which I recently got at my part-time job. It's not as simple as I'd hoped, but it has inspired me to want to change the layout of my blog. So maybe I'll do that. Just FYI.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Football and Diets
I watched the Superbowl today. It's not what I expected to do (I did have a lot of work to do!), but a friend promised binge-fatty-sugary-deliciousness since she's starting the South Beach diet tomorrow, so I couldn't turn down an invitation to watch it at their house. I'm sure glad I didn't. What a game!
I remember after Christmas one year Baxter and I found ourselves glued to the television watching the Giants play. He moved to New York, and has developed an identification with "New York" things, and I just like watching football, I guess. Anyway, Mom walks in the room and Baxter and I are standing there (not seated, mind you), yelling at the screen and gesturing. She had no idea who we were. We don't watch sports in my family really, but I've picked it up in the past few years. I'll learn all the rules eventually. The main problem is that I'm lazy. I always watch sports with sports fans, who tell me what's going on, so I never have to bother learning. It's been that way since high school. It always kind of feels like I'm an interloper in a different culture. It almost gives me a rush to pretend to be a part of the "sports fans" group, but I do think that somewhere down deep, I like football. Don't tell anyone. I don't want to ruin my "interloper" image.
Anyway, fun. The game was awesome. The disappointment I felt for the Patriots not securing the "undefeated" season was outweighed by the joy of watching the Giants come through even after being so un-favored. And also the food was great. I'm still stuffed.
I wanted to do the Zone diet, as I mentioned before, but it's hard for me as a vegetarian. The only thing that has worked so far is Weight Watchers. I guess I should go back to that, but ugh. It might help me save money, though, if I'm not eating as much.
In fact, after paying this month's insanely high gas bill and figuring out my budget for the rest of the semester, I realize that I may not have to join Weight Watchers to cut back on my groceries bill...
Oh, and my friends gave me a new printer! A really nice laser printer that they weren't using anymore but that works perfectly. I am so happy. I wish I needed to print something important. I could do it at home now! ;)
I remember after Christmas one year Baxter and I found ourselves glued to the television watching the Giants play. He moved to New York, and has developed an identification with "New York" things, and I just like watching football, I guess. Anyway, Mom walks in the room and Baxter and I are standing there (not seated, mind you), yelling at the screen and gesturing. She had no idea who we were. We don't watch sports in my family really, but I've picked it up in the past few years. I'll learn all the rules eventually. The main problem is that I'm lazy. I always watch sports with sports fans, who tell me what's going on, so I never have to bother learning. It's been that way since high school. It always kind of feels like I'm an interloper in a different culture. It almost gives me a rush to pretend to be a part of the "sports fans" group, but I do think that somewhere down deep, I like football. Don't tell anyone. I don't want to ruin my "interloper" image.
Anyway, fun. The game was awesome. The disappointment I felt for the Patriots not securing the "undefeated" season was outweighed by the joy of watching the Giants come through even after being so un-favored. And also the food was great. I'm still stuffed.
I wanted to do the Zone diet, as I mentioned before, but it's hard for me as a vegetarian. The only thing that has worked so far is Weight Watchers. I guess I should go back to that, but ugh. It might help me save money, though, if I'm not eating as much.
In fact, after paying this month's insanely high gas bill and figuring out my budget for the rest of the semester, I realize that I may not have to join Weight Watchers to cut back on my groceries bill...
Oh, and my friends gave me a new printer! A really nice laser printer that they weren't using anymore but that works perfectly. I am so happy. I wish I needed to print something important. I could do it at home now! ;)
Thursday, January 31, 2008
ratatouille and yoga.
Oh my god. I made some ratatouille the other day. I've been craving it, but it surprisingly is not well-represented in my rather large collection of cookbooks. Finally, I decided that satisfying the craving was more important than doing it "right," so I went to the store for supplies based on the one recipe I had. YUM.
There were a few problems:
1) Thyme is a spice frequently used in French cooking but the recipe didn't call for it.
2) Ratatouille usually has EGGPLANT in it, which I hate, as those of you who know me know.
3) When I last ate it, it was wrapped in a crepe with goat cheese. I'm not ready to make crepes.
Solutions:
1) After smelling fresh thyme in the store, I realized that this was definitely a spice I wanted to incorporate into my spice cabinet, so I bought some. I later discovered that thyme is actually an important component of herbes de provence, named after the area where the dish originated, it being a "provencial" dish. :)
2) Ratatouille originally only had zucchini, tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, onion, and garlic. That's exactly what my version had, except I used yellow instead of red peppers, and I added carrots and yellow squash.
3) I ate it in the provencial style, with crusty bread, and added crumbled goat cheese.
YUM. And it's so easy! You should try it.
Charity's Vague Outline of Ratatouille
(All vegetables should be chopped rather largely.)
Soak garlic in olive oil. Saute onions and carrots until onions are clear, adding thyme (largest proportion), basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add yellow pepper, green pepper, one big zucchini, and one yellow squash. Saute for a few minutes, until the veggies start to get a little tender. Add a big can of crushed tomatoes and a touch of sugar. Bring to a boil, and then simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add more seasonings (listed above) to taste during the simmer.
Serve with crumbled goat cheese and big slices of crusty bread and make sure you are wearing your elastic waist britches!
Oh, and I've been trying to bring yoga back. I have been enjoying the work I've been doing lately to learn to let go, and yoga is part of that. I've also been doing Tai Chi, and working on clearing out my apartment of accumulated un-necessities. Anyway, the cats are enjoying it, too, and Sam is even starting to participate...
Charity :)
There were a few problems:
1) Thyme is a spice frequently used in French cooking but the recipe didn't call for it.
2) Ratatouille usually has EGGPLANT in it, which I hate, as those of you who know me know.
3) When I last ate it, it was wrapped in a crepe with goat cheese. I'm not ready to make crepes.
Solutions:
1) After smelling fresh thyme in the store, I realized that this was definitely a spice I wanted to incorporate into my spice cabinet, so I bought some. I later discovered that thyme is actually an important component of herbes de provence, named after the area where the dish originated, it being a "provencial" dish. :)
2) Ratatouille originally only had zucchini, tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, onion, and garlic. That's exactly what my version had, except I used yellow instead of red peppers, and I added carrots and yellow squash.
3) I ate it in the provencial style, with crusty bread, and added crumbled goat cheese.
YUM. And it's so easy! You should try it.
Charity's Vague Outline of Ratatouille
(All vegetables should be chopped rather largely.)
Soak garlic in olive oil. Saute onions and carrots until onions are clear, adding thyme (largest proportion), basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add yellow pepper, green pepper, one big zucchini, and one yellow squash. Saute for a few minutes, until the veggies start to get a little tender. Add a big can of crushed tomatoes and a touch of sugar. Bring to a boil, and then simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add more seasonings (listed above) to taste during the simmer.
Serve with crumbled goat cheese and big slices of crusty bread and make sure you are wearing your elastic waist britches!
Oh, and I've been trying to bring yoga back. I have been enjoying the work I've been doing lately to learn to let go, and yoga is part of that. I've also been doing Tai Chi, and working on clearing out my apartment of accumulated un-necessities. Anyway, the cats are enjoying it, too, and Sam is even starting to participate...
Charity :)
Monday, January 28, 2008
movies and b-s-.
Actually, I had a tough day today. Alison, Vaughn and I did some work on the coding scheme for our music consecration paper and it really took a lot out of me. It's been hard for me to get it up for sociology lately, what with all the doubts and concerns I've been having, and the mid-life/pre-career crisis I find myself in at the present juncture. I'm trying though. A friend of mine serendipitously got back in touch with me to give me comfort and encouragement about the dissertation. He recently got his PhD and has been helpful in listening to my grumbles and telling me that I can go to the Peace Corps maybe or get a job in North Carolina doing something non-academic, but that I really should finish my dissertation. Mom keeps telling me, too, but it's a lot of work. It's not just a matter of time wasted; it's emotionally and intellectually exhausting. But as I was telling Alison, this is closest I will ever be in this lifetime to getting my doctorate, so I should definitely do the work if I'm at all interested. Of course, I saw the chair of my committee today at school and I swear he gave me the evil eye...
I watched Dog Day Afternoon when I got home from school. It was pretty good. Definitely worth seeing, especially if you like Al Pacino; he gives a great performance. Of course, he's awesome, so that's no shock. But really a great performance. It's hard to say it was subtle, since it was about a bank robbery gone wrong, but it was in a way. You slowly become attached to Pacino's character, the tension slowly builds to an almost unbearable climax, turns in the story and revelations are striking, yet almost mundane seeming. I thought it was "ok" when it first ended, but the more time passes, the fonder I grow of it. I mean, it's no Man With the Golden Arm but hey, we can't all be perfect.
I rented Double Indemnity, and when I checked out my friend the videostore guy asked me about Dog Day Afternoon. I blathered for a moment then mentioned The Man With the Golden Arm. He recommended Anatomy of a Murder, another Otto Preminger film. I'll have to see it next. He claims it's his best, and I looked it up and it looks great. I remember it's one of those that's been on my list for some time but I keep forgetting.
Another I've been wanting to see is Pinky, which I almost got tonight. I've been wanting to see that for years! It looks fascinating. I'll just save it for next time I suppose...
charity :)
Oh, and the b-s- refers to the State of the Union address, which I tried to watch but was only able to endure for five minutes. That's when I went to the videostore. God, what have we done to ourselves...
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Nicholas Celebrates Four Years with Us.
Today was Nicholas' birthday celebration. Lots of fun was had by all, but unfortunately I missed my nap afterwards. I don't normally take one of course, but after that party I needed one. Sitting in Borders, spacing out after gorging on pizza, mimosas, and cake, and exhausted after chasing 4 year olds around a small apartment for a couple of hours, I realized that unfortunately I am now too old for kids. I missed my window I guess. By like ten years. Lucky for me my friends have had kids, so I can still enjoy them and yet not worry about going to IKEA and chasing them around and around and around and around....
Just kidding. I actually like chasing kids around, but I prefer watching them chase themselves and/or each other around. Kids are so funny!
Anyway, good day, but not enough work done. As usual. :) Who cares? I had a nice day. I always love spending time with the Elliots, and I got a cheap coffee table and a nice file drawer on wheels from IKEA. I even talked to my dad on the phone for a minute. It's not all my problems, and I definitely spent more than $10, but it's a start.
I think tomorrow I'll watch Dog Day Afternoon. I'll let you know what I think.
charity :)
the low price guarantee.
I was on my way to babysit tonight when I noticed a sign on a telephone pole. As luck would have it, I was compelled by a traffic light to stop right beside it, giving me plenty of time to read the following:
Indian Healer
Love Luck
Money Health
Solves All Problems $10
Now, in terms of marketing, sure it grabbed my attention. However, the sign left many unanswered questions.
For instance, what exactly is an "Indian Healer"? Is that Native American, or Indian the continent? Do they include this qualifier to give the healer more legitimacy? Would fewer people feel inclined to call if the sign simply read "Healer"? Would they think they wouldn't get their money's worth or that their hopes for satisfaction would be unrealized?
How did they come up with the four advertised rewards? Are these the main things people desire? Did they sample the population to make sure? Why does health come last and love first? Would the order be different in, say, Santa Fe or Minneapolis? Wouldn't good luck be unnecessary in most cases if people's dreams for love, money, and health were realized?
By "all problems" do they really mean that the Indian Healer can solve any problems even if they aren't related to love, luck, money, or health? Really? Like, what about indigestion? Can this Indian Healer help me find my life's passion? Can this Indian Healer open my heart and let me trust people and forgive those who have hurt me in the past? Can the Indian Healer make my apartment slightly bigger so that my cats don't have to use the litter box right under my work desk? Can the Indian Healer make H & M hurry up and open here in Atlanta? Can this Indian Healer help me stop playing "Oregon Trail" on Facebook?
And finally, $10? Seriously? I'm surprised the sign didn't say "OBO" (or best offer). Any legitimacy the "Indian" label gives is somewhat diminished by the fact that the solutions are practically free. It kind of makes me not want to trust this sign stapled to a phone pole on Ponce de Leon Avenue.
Of course, I do have several pressing problems, to which I have been looking for solutions...
Love Luck
Money Health
Solves All Problems $10
Now, in terms of marketing, sure it grabbed my attention. However, the sign left many unanswered questions.
For instance, what exactly is an "Indian Healer"? Is that Native American, or Indian the continent? Do they include this qualifier to give the healer more legitimacy? Would fewer people feel inclined to call if the sign simply read "Healer"? Would they think they wouldn't get their money's worth or that their hopes for satisfaction would be unrealized?
How did they come up with the four advertised rewards? Are these the main things people desire? Did they sample the population to make sure? Why does health come last and love first? Would the order be different in, say, Santa Fe or Minneapolis? Wouldn't good luck be unnecessary in most cases if people's dreams for love, money, and health were realized?
By "all problems" do they really mean that the Indian Healer can solve any problems even if they aren't related to love, luck, money, or health? Really? Like, what about indigestion? Can this Indian Healer help me find my life's passion? Can this Indian Healer open my heart and let me trust people and forgive those who have hurt me in the past? Can the Indian Healer make my apartment slightly bigger so that my cats don't have to use the litter box right under my work desk? Can the Indian Healer make H & M hurry up and open here in Atlanta? Can this Indian Healer help me stop playing "Oregon Trail" on Facebook?
And finally, $10? Seriously? I'm surprised the sign didn't say "OBO" (or best offer). Any legitimacy the "Indian" label gives is somewhat diminished by the fact that the solutions are practically free. It kind of makes me not want to trust this sign stapled to a phone pole on Ponce de Leon Avenue.
Of course, I do have several pressing problems, to which I have been looking for solutions...
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Drastic Life Changes? or Easy Survey?
Right now, I'm reading this book, "The Way of the Fertile Soul: Ten Ancient Chinese Secrets to Tap Into a Woman's Creative Potential" by Randine Lewis, Ph.D. (who lives in Asheville, I might add). I'm currently doing some Yin-Yang Exploration, which is very hard. I'm writing about it in my journal. It's good to know that there are some things even I won't put on my blog, I guess. I'm hoping to learn more about my creative potential and why it is apparently stifled. I have some ideas, but solving the problems I think I have involves making some drastic life changes that I'm not sure I'm ready to make. So in the meantime, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. I'll keep you posted, though, as I begin to think more about this. (And the beauty of it is that this is a book on Chinese Medicine and fertility, which is actually part of my dissertation!)
Anyway, since I'm being stingy with that information right now, I thought I'd post this survey that my cousin posted on MySpace.
1 . If someone doesn't like you, it's usually because:
I have insulted them or made ugly faces at them. Intentionally or unintentionally.
2. Last Saturday night you?
It was really snowy but my friend Stephen came over anyway and we made tacos with fake chicken. It's funny to watch meat eaters try fake meat for the first time. :)
3. What are you excited about?
Honestly, not really anything. I'm feeling rather equanimous. Although I just drank a coke which I never do, so I imagine I'll be pretty excited by the time Jazzercise rolls around.
4. Do you remember the most naughty night of your life?
It's not that I don't remember, it's just that describing something that way sounds lame, so I don't.
5. Have you kissed someone in the last 24 hours?
No. Unless you count my cat, which most people wouldn't.
6. Favorite scent?
It's hard to narrow it to one!
8. How long you been at your job?
I've been working at my part-time job for about 8 months. It's really starting to grow on me!
9. What kind of music do you like best?
It's hard to narrow to one.
10. Who's the last person to sleep in your bed?
Me. Do cats count? Because they are probably there right this very moment.
11. Whose bed did you last sleep in besides yours?
A friend of mine's.
12. Ever been in love?
Sure. Most people my age have been at least once, I guess.
13. What is today's date?
22 January 2008.
15. Who is the funniest person you know?
It depends on what the joke is about. Nikki and Stacie can always make me crack up, though. And when my brother Baxter gets going, he can be pretty hilarious too.
16. Are you in high school?
No.
17. What grade?
Uh, no.
18. Do you smoke?
No. I accidentally used to. It's so very bad. I quit for good when I found out Mom has emphysema.
19. You admire people who:
Can get things done quickly when they set their minds to it. And people who are organized. And people who have found a job they are TRULY passionate about where they do what they love doing.
20. Can you keep a secret?
Um, when necessary, but I really hate to.
[21 through 31 are gone, and I don't feel like renumbering, so I'll just pretend I don't notice.]
32. What were you doing this morning at 8?
Trying to wake up. I'm not a morning person.
33. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
Working.
34. Are you mad at any one?
No. Still equanimous.
36. The last person to say they loved you?
Probably Nikki the last time I talked to her. Or maybe my mom.
37. What was the last present you received?
I don't know, probably something for Christmas.
38. Last thing received in the mail?
Hmm, probably a bill. Or junk mail. I get one or both of those every day.
45. Are you any good at math?
I am. I wish I'd gone into accounting. I would be making a lot of money by now. I didn't used to care about money, but after 8 years in grad school, it's starting to sound pretty good.
51. What did you do two nights ago?
Sunday night I watched Law and Order Criminal Intent.
52. Are any of your great-grandparents still alive?
No. In fact, not even any of my grandparents are still alive.
53. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone?
I would rather sleep alone, honestly. I spread out. I need my space.
54. Most amazing thing you did in Summer 2007?
I actually got work done on my dissertation. Like, a significant amount.
55. Are there any previous relationships you wish could have lasted longer?
No.
56. Whats the most annoying thing anyone could do?
Be rude, inconsiderate, or unreasonable. Although I do that sort of thing ALL the time.
57. How is life going for you right now?
Pretty well, if I could get my head out of my butt.
58. Are you keeping a secret from someone that needs to know the truth?
No way.
60. What do you think of your siblings?
My brothers are the best. I love them both dearly. My sister-in-law is better than I could ever have hoped for. My stepbrother is awesome and fun to be around, my stepsisters are both take charge, dynamic people who go after what they want. We're a pretty good, although disparate, group.
61. What was the reason you last cried?
Blame it on grad school, as usual.
62. What was the first thing you said when you woke up today?
Usually, aside from a groan and moan, the first thing I say is "Hey Sam!" to my cat who is waiting outside the door for me to wake up. That was true today as well.
63. Last time you couldn't take your eyes off someone?
I don't know. That's weird.
64. Who is your celebrity crush?
Justin! Or James Marsden. Boy, is he cute.
65. Are you more independent or dependent?
I'm more independent.
66. Who will you see tomorrow?
Stephen and whomever I see at Borders.
69. Do you give out second chances too easily?
No.
70. Whats your middle name?
Elizabeth. (Haha, I don't have to change this from when my cousin filled it out!)
71. Are you a bitch?
No, but I sure can do a good impression of one.
72. Where do you see yourself in 4 years?
Still in graduate school. It's a nightmare based on a very unsatisfying reality.
73. What did you do last night?
After avoiding work by watching Law and Order Criminal Intent, I watched the 1986 film "A Room With A View" based on the E.M. Forster novel of the same name. It was pretty good.
74. Who text messaged you last?
Stephen.
75. What did the text message say?
"Still at my friends..." (Nosy!)
76. How are your parents?
I miss them. Hopefully they are super. Like Big Gay Al.
77. Who were you last in a car with?
Susanna. We went to see 27 Dresses this weekend. It was fun.
78. Do you drink?
Yes.
80. Last thing you ate?
Lunch. I think the last bite was some Baked Lay's.
Wow, so that's how the story ends. Pathetic. I'll add a last question or two.
81. What's next on your Netflix queue?
Once. I'm excited to see it.
82. If you could have anything for dinner tonight, what would it be?
A buffet at an Indian restaurant.
83. What skill do you wish you had?
Organization and/or time management.
84. What is your dream job?
Wow, that's an interesting question (thank you!). I would like to be a graphic designer, honestly. But I went into sociology. I thought I could change the world, but I just learned through my studies that the world couldn't change by my will alone. If I'd gone into graphic design, though, at least I'd be able to design killer pamphlets and newsletters for activist and/or non-profit organizations.
85. What are you excited about? (I remembered something, now that the Coke has set in--yay caffeine!)
I am excited about H & M opening in Atlanta this spring!! (Too bad I don't have a full-time job and too bad it's opening in Atlantic Station. Good thing it won't stop me from enjoying it.)
Alright, now I'm going back to work. I've got a newsletter to amateur-ly design!
Charity :)
Anyway, since I'm being stingy with that information right now, I thought I'd post this survey that my cousin posted on MySpace.
1 . If someone doesn't like you, it's usually because:
I have insulted them or made ugly faces at them. Intentionally or unintentionally.
2. Last Saturday night you?
It was really snowy but my friend Stephen came over anyway and we made tacos with fake chicken. It's funny to watch meat eaters try fake meat for the first time. :)
3. What are you excited about?
Honestly, not really anything. I'm feeling rather equanimous. Although I just drank a coke which I never do, so I imagine I'll be pretty excited by the time Jazzercise rolls around.
4. Do you remember the most naughty night of your life?
It's not that I don't remember, it's just that describing something that way sounds lame, so I don't.
5. Have you kissed someone in the last 24 hours?
No. Unless you count my cat, which most people wouldn't.
6. Favorite scent?
It's hard to narrow it to one!
8. How long you been at your job?
I've been working at my part-time job for about 8 months. It's really starting to grow on me!
9. What kind of music do you like best?
It's hard to narrow to one.
10. Who's the last person to sleep in your bed?
Me. Do cats count? Because they are probably there right this very moment.
11. Whose bed did you last sleep in besides yours?
A friend of mine's.
12. Ever been in love?
Sure. Most people my age have been at least once, I guess.
13. What is today's date?
22 January 2008.
15. Who is the funniest person you know?
It depends on what the joke is about. Nikki and Stacie can always make me crack up, though. And when my brother Baxter gets going, he can be pretty hilarious too.
16. Are you in high school?
No.
17. What grade?
Uh, no.
18. Do you smoke?
No. I accidentally used to. It's so very bad. I quit for good when I found out Mom has emphysema.
19. You admire people who:
Can get things done quickly when they set their minds to it. And people who are organized. And people who have found a job they are TRULY passionate about where they do what they love doing.
20. Can you keep a secret?
Um, when necessary, but I really hate to.
[21 through 31 are gone, and I don't feel like renumbering, so I'll just pretend I don't notice.]
32. What were you doing this morning at 8?
Trying to wake up. I'm not a morning person.
33. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
Working.
34. Are you mad at any one?
No. Still equanimous.
36. The last person to say they loved you?
Probably Nikki the last time I talked to her. Or maybe my mom.
37. What was the last present you received?
I don't know, probably something for Christmas.
38. Last thing received in the mail?
Hmm, probably a bill. Or junk mail. I get one or both of those every day.
45. Are you any good at math?
I am. I wish I'd gone into accounting. I would be making a lot of money by now. I didn't used to care about money, but after 8 years in grad school, it's starting to sound pretty good.
51. What did you do two nights ago?
Sunday night I watched Law and Order Criminal Intent.
52. Are any of your great-grandparents still alive?
No. In fact, not even any of my grandparents are still alive.
53. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone?
I would rather sleep alone, honestly. I spread out. I need my space.
54. Most amazing thing you did in Summer 2007?
I actually got work done on my dissertation. Like, a significant amount.
55. Are there any previous relationships you wish could have lasted longer?
No.
56. Whats the most annoying thing anyone could do?
Be rude, inconsiderate, or unreasonable. Although I do that sort of thing ALL the time.
57. How is life going for you right now?
Pretty well, if I could get my head out of my butt.
58. Are you keeping a secret from someone that needs to know the truth?
No way.
60. What do you think of your siblings?
My brothers are the best. I love them both dearly. My sister-in-law is better than I could ever have hoped for. My stepbrother is awesome and fun to be around, my stepsisters are both take charge, dynamic people who go after what they want. We're a pretty good, although disparate, group.
61. What was the reason you last cried?
Blame it on grad school, as usual.
62. What was the first thing you said when you woke up today?
Usually, aside from a groan and moan, the first thing I say is "Hey Sam!" to my cat who is waiting outside the door for me to wake up. That was true today as well.
63. Last time you couldn't take your eyes off someone?
I don't know. That's weird.
64. Who is your celebrity crush?
Justin! Or James Marsden. Boy, is he cute.
65. Are you more independent or dependent?
I'm more independent.
66. Who will you see tomorrow?
Stephen and whomever I see at Borders.
69. Do you give out second chances too easily?
No.
70. Whats your middle name?
Elizabeth. (Haha, I don't have to change this from when my cousin filled it out!)
71. Are you a bitch?
No, but I sure can do a good impression of one.
72. Where do you see yourself in 4 years?
Still in graduate school. It's a nightmare based on a very unsatisfying reality.
73. What did you do last night?
After avoiding work by watching Law and Order Criminal Intent, I watched the 1986 film "A Room With A View" based on the E.M. Forster novel of the same name. It was pretty good.
74. Who text messaged you last?
Stephen.
75. What did the text message say?
"Still at my friends..." (Nosy!)
76. How are your parents?
I miss them. Hopefully they are super. Like Big Gay Al.
77. Who were you last in a car with?
Susanna. We went to see 27 Dresses this weekend. It was fun.
78. Do you drink?
Yes.
80. Last thing you ate?
Lunch. I think the last bite was some Baked Lay's.
Wow, so that's how the story ends. Pathetic. I'll add a last question or two.
81. What's next on your Netflix queue?
Once. I'm excited to see it.
82. If you could have anything for dinner tonight, what would it be?
A buffet at an Indian restaurant.
83. What skill do you wish you had?
Organization and/or time management.
84. What is your dream job?
Wow, that's an interesting question (thank you!). I would like to be a graphic designer, honestly. But I went into sociology. I thought I could change the world, but I just learned through my studies that the world couldn't change by my will alone. If I'd gone into graphic design, though, at least I'd be able to design killer pamphlets and newsletters for activist and/or non-profit organizations.
85. What are you excited about? (I remembered something, now that the Coke has set in--yay caffeine!)
I am excited about H & M opening in Atlanta this spring!! (Too bad I don't have a full-time job and too bad it's opening in Atlantic Station. Good thing it won't stop me from enjoying it.)
Alright, now I'm going back to work. I've got a newsletter to amateur-ly design!
Charity :)
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Resolutions 2008
Last night I dreamed that I was at some sort of convention with one of my dissertation committee members, who was my lover. I woke up unsure of what this says about my inner turmoil regarding both my dissertation and the guy I've been seeing. I guess I'll leave that question for my psychoanalyst when I get one.
Anyway, better late than never I guess: My New Year's Resolutions.
1) To lose, um, 20 pounds. Actually I've already lost ten of them before, but I gained them all back. And in fact, I've lost about 5 since the new year, somehow. It baffles me since I've been trying to eat up all the noodles and candy I have left before the diet technically begins. I've decided to do something like the Zone Diet. I saw this program on TLC about "The World's Heaviest Man" (BBC Story here), who has lost 500 pounds on the Zone Diet. I like the sound of a diet where I get to eat all day, but I'm not sure I will be able to work it with being a vegetarian. I can try, though. Anyway, I'll let you know how that goes. I will also go back to Jazzercise after a month-long hiatus.
2) To finish (at least a draft of) my dissertation. I'm applying for a fellowship, but probably won't get it. In that case, I haven't decided if I will teach next fall. I may be able to at Oxford again, and it would be hard to say no to that, but I have absolutely, positively, GOT to get out of school. I've started fantasizing about my life if I had gotten an MBA and gone into advertising or something. It's not looking good. I need to start making a salary and stop living off student loans, if for no reason other than my own sanity. Of course, I'd like to go back to North Carolina, but maybe that will be a resolution for 2009. First things first: finish the dissertation.
3) I think I will try to participate in the "365 Days" group on Flickr, but I haven't quite worked up the nerve. I will probably try to get a few good ones "in the can" first. Many of the people in this group are like really into it. They use Photoshop or something to put two images of themselves in one shot--things I'd love to be able to do but don't know how to. And yes, maybe I could take a class to learn, but remember Resolution 2? Anyway, I have at least one for you, even if I haven't yet decided to give it to Flickr...
(This photo was actually taken October 06.)
Also, I saw a few movies:
Juno: highly recommended. I added another of Ellen Page's films, Hard Candy, to my Netflix queue. That one looks good, too. But really really different...
28 Days Later: highly recommended if you like "disaster"/dystopic/horror/zombie movies (along with its successor 28 Weeks Later which I saw in the theater).
American Psycho: not recommended. Well, I mean recommended maybe for fans of Chuck Palahniuk.
Oh, and Live Free or Die Hard: recommended for people who like action films. And sexy mens.
charity :)
Anyway, better late than never I guess: My New Year's Resolutions.
1) To lose, um, 20 pounds. Actually I've already lost ten of them before, but I gained them all back. And in fact, I've lost about 5 since the new year, somehow. It baffles me since I've been trying to eat up all the noodles and candy I have left before the diet technically begins. I've decided to do something like the Zone Diet. I saw this program on TLC about "The World's Heaviest Man" (BBC Story here), who has lost 500 pounds on the Zone Diet. I like the sound of a diet where I get to eat all day, but I'm not sure I will be able to work it with being a vegetarian. I can try, though. Anyway, I'll let you know how that goes. I will also go back to Jazzercise after a month-long hiatus.
2) To finish (at least a draft of) my dissertation. I'm applying for a fellowship, but probably won't get it. In that case, I haven't decided if I will teach next fall. I may be able to at Oxford again, and it would be hard to say no to that, but I have absolutely, positively, GOT to get out of school. I've started fantasizing about my life if I had gotten an MBA and gone into advertising or something. It's not looking good. I need to start making a salary and stop living off student loans, if for no reason other than my own sanity. Of course, I'd like to go back to North Carolina, but maybe that will be a resolution for 2009. First things first: finish the dissertation.
3) I think I will try to participate in the "365 Days" group on Flickr, but I haven't quite worked up the nerve. I will probably try to get a few good ones "in the can" first. Many of the people in this group are like really into it. They use Photoshop or something to put two images of themselves in one shot--things I'd love to be able to do but don't know how to. And yes, maybe I could take a class to learn, but remember Resolution 2? Anyway, I have at least one for you, even if I haven't yet decided to give it to Flickr...
Also, I saw a few movies:
Juno: highly recommended. I added another of Ellen Page's films, Hard Candy, to my Netflix queue. That one looks good, too. But really really different...
28 Days Later: highly recommended if you like "disaster"/dystopic/horror/zombie movies (along with its successor 28 Weeks Later which I saw in the theater).
American Psycho: not recommended. Well, I mean recommended maybe for fans of Chuck Palahniuk.
Oh, and Live Free or Die Hard: recommended for people who like action films. And sexy mens.
charity :)
Friday, December 14, 2007
Brief Update
Right now, I am avoiding my department holiday party. Am I pouting? Am I being immature? Am I being anti-social? Yes, I guess the answer to all of those would be yes. I don't know half of the people anymore. The people I do know all have less in common with me now than they used to. Basically, I'm waiting for the singing, which I have committed to, and then I will get back to work on the exam I am writing. I can't even enjoy the free food, because for the first time since I can remember, we have "Mexican" rather than Mediterranean, so there is nothing for me to eat except beans and rice. Some party. I could be having falafel.
I have to admit that this anti-social-ness began with an awkward interchange I had with someone I don't really like very much. Pretty much, it was downhill from there. I'm just finishing my beer, singing, and then getting back to work.
Anyway, I've been meaning to write, but currently my cable is out due to some malfeasance on the part of someone at the cable company (jerks), so this is the first time I've had to write in a few days.
I am thinking of joining the "101 Things in 1001 Days" Project. Stephen says that's too easy, since 1001 days is almost 3 years, but these are big things, not little things like "Do laundry" so I think I need some extra time. The problem is coming up with things I want to do. So far I have a few things, but definitely less than twenty. I'll keep working on it, but any input you have would be appreciated. I'll post what I have the next time I can. Let me know if you come up with any good ideas. Although I know technically, this list is supposed to be things that *I* want to do, so soliciting suggestions is tantamount to cheating.
[Sigh.]
More about project: http://www.triplux.com/dayzero/
One thing I'm considering (among others, and with modification): http://www.flickr.com/groups/365days/
I have to admit that this anti-social-ness began with an awkward interchange I had with someone I don't really like very much. Pretty much, it was downhill from there. I'm just finishing my beer, singing, and then getting back to work.
Anyway, I've been meaning to write, but currently my cable is out due to some malfeasance on the part of someone at the cable company (jerks), so this is the first time I've had to write in a few days.
I am thinking of joining the "101 Things in 1001 Days" Project. Stephen says that's too easy, since 1001 days is almost 3 years, but these are big things, not little things like "Do laundry" so I think I need some extra time. The problem is coming up with things I want to do. So far I have a few things, but definitely less than twenty. I'll keep working on it, but any input you have would be appreciated. I'll post what I have the next time I can. Let me know if you come up with any good ideas. Although I know technically, this list is supposed to be things that *I* want to do, so soliciting suggestions is tantamount to cheating.
[Sigh.]
More about project: http://www.triplux.com/dayzero/
One thing I'm considering (among others, and with modification): http://www.flickr.com/groups/365days/
Sunday, November 18, 2007
michelle and charity go to the mall aka possession.
Michelle was here this weekend for a conference and we got to hang out Saturday. We wanted to do something where we could talk all day, so we decided to go to the mall.
Michelle and I arrived at the mall only to be assaulted by the sight of the "pink pig" which comes out every christmas to brainwash the kids into buying more stuff than they need and can possibly use with money their parents are looking for ways to throw away, apparently. Again, it's not even Thanksgiving yet. Shouldn't this a time to be thankful for what we already have? No? It's a time for buying countless stuffed pigs that look like they are possessed by demons? Oh, ok, my bad.
Of course you also realize this means the mall was FULL of kids. The more time I spend around large numbers of children, the more convinced I become that I don't want them. Not because I don't like kids, but because their parents all seem to become possessed by spirits that force them to buy incredibly expensive strollers and toys and candies at every turn; they blindly allow their children to run around the mall eating chicken fingers and yelling at strangers, and for some reason still expect all of us single childless people to be jealous of them. I can't understand it. I just know that I don't want to join their numbers. Sure, some people might say "Oh, but I would never be like that!" But what if you can't control it? Yikes.
Anyway, here's me in front of the pig. This is why I will never be a model. The camera comes out and I begin to look like a goblin. Who can explain it? Ah, well. I blame the pig.
Michelle, on the other hand, is incredible photogenic. And beautiful.
The young woman in the store came up to me while still folding sweaters and said, "Excuse me, but you are NOT allowed to take pictures of the mannequins." I guess this must be a common problem for them. I thought she was going to confiscate my camera. Lucky me and you she didn't try, I guess. No wait, I mean lucky THAT BITCH.
Welcome to my nightmare! Thanks for stopping by! Leave your sanity at the door! You won't need it where you're going!
Be good! (Or beware the wrath of the pig! I'm just saying!)
Charity :)
Old picture of me and Michelle (December 2004).
Another old picture of me and Michelle (December 2004).
Michelle and I arrived at the mall only to be assaulted by the sight of the "pink pig" which comes out every christmas to brainwash the kids into buying more stuff than they need and can possibly use with money their parents are looking for ways to throw away, apparently. Again, it's not even Thanksgiving yet. Shouldn't this a time to be thankful for what we already have? No? It's a time for buying countless stuffed pigs that look like they are possessed by demons? Oh, ok, my bad. Of course you also realize this means the mall was FULL of kids. The more time I spend around large numbers of children, the more convinced I become that I don't want them. Not because I don't like kids, but because their parents all seem to become possessed by spirits that force them to buy incredibly expensive strollers and toys and candies at every turn; they blindly allow their children to run around the mall eating chicken fingers and yelling at strangers, and for some reason still expect all of us single childless people to be jealous of them. I can't understand it. I just know that I don't want to join their numbers. Sure, some people might say "Oh, but I would never be like that!" But what if you can't control it? Yikes.
Anyway, here's me in front of the pig. This is why I will never be a model. The camera comes out and I begin to look like a goblin. Who can explain it? Ah, well. I blame the pig.
Michelle, on the other hand, is incredible photogenic. And beautiful. 
The young woman in the store came up to me while still folding sweaters and said, "Excuse me, but you are NOT allowed to take pictures of the mannequins." I guess this must be a common problem for them. I thought she was going to confiscate my camera. Lucky me and you she didn't try, I guess. No wait, I mean lucky THAT BITCH.
Welcome to my nightmare! Thanks for stopping by! Leave your sanity at the door! You won't need it where you're going!Be good! (Or beware the wrath of the pig! I'm just saying!)
Charity :)
Saturday, November 10, 2007
ice cream!
I totally almost forgot: last night I got some Haagen Dazs Pomegranate Chip Ice Cream and it was pretty much the best ice cream I ever remember having in my entire life (except maybe the lemon ice cream from Yum-Yums in Greensboro). I'm sad it is a limited release. And I'm also sad it is ridiculously expensive, because I'm definitely going to have to go get some more.
I watched "It Happened One Night" last night, too (photo source). Excellent. Claudette Colbert is absolutely beautiful and so charming and clever. And of course, Clark Gable is just a really great match for her in the casting. How great this movie was! It is light-hearted, it pulls at your heartstrings, it makes you nervous and excited, it is in turn hilarious and touching; it's just marvelous. Any fan of romantic comedy definitely needs to watch it.
And I highly recommend the ice cream accompaniment.
Charity :)
well, well, well.
It was nice to visit with Richard when I was home last weekend. He seems to be doing well, lately, and really enjoyed driving my mom's new (used) Avalon since she was in Egypt. (And I enjoyed sleeping in her comfy bed! Although sharing a queen bed with several stacks of devotional and Sudoku books still doesn't leave much room to stretch out... I miss you Mom!)
Yoda did not seem happy about not being the kitten-baby anymore. However, he did better than Tubby, who wouldn't even come near the house, and instead tried to get me to let her into the neighbor's house. She sat next to her screen door, meowing and looking plaintively at me. Crazy lunatic.I had a nice weekend. I visited with Richard obviously, but also a little with Isaac, and I spent Saturday night with Sarah and Daddy. Daddy and I watched 300, which kept making me laugh. I remembered that hilarious review I read about it. I posted a link to it on my blog I think. But anyway, it was so funny. And we got to see it in Hi-Def, which really brought out the six-packs and quadriceps of the good guys (sex-non-neutral language used intentionally). It also brought out the grossness of the bad people and monsters and gushing spurting blood, so there was also that. Good times.
Anyway, since then, I've finished my new favorite book: "The Late-Bloomer's Revolution" by Amy Cohen. I wrote a review of it on GoodReads in case you're on there. I've also finished 2 of the Harry Potter books of the 7 I'm re-reading. I have lost a bit of the steam, though, and might wait to read the rest. I was really inspired by Cohen's book to find another great new book to read. Sometimes life seems too short to re-read Harry Potter books. So if you have any good recommendations, I'd love to hear them. I'd like to read Slam by Nick Hornby. That will be good I think. And undoubtedly a quick read. Anyway, I'll let you know what I decide.
I hope you're all doing well. We moved from drought to cold dry winter and my skin is killing me. I'm going through lotion like it's going out of style, and to no avail. Remember the days when Atlanta was humid? I'm going to have to crank out my humidifier again, I guess.
Oh, and I got on Facebook. How silly!
Charity :)
Before heading home, I was lucky enough to catch a quick glimpse of this beautiful car! As far as I can tell it's a 1949 Coronet, and very shiny and pretty. I have a weakness, I know.
Friday, November 02, 2007
some recent pictures: mom on her way to Egypt
A nice woman sitting next to us in the airport took this picture of mom and me. She had a layover last night at the airport here in Atlanta, so I went to visit with her a minute. I missed the Office, but it was worth it. 
Mom got a new camera from Richard for her birthday. He got her one a few years ago, but my younger brother has taken it over. Can you claim squatters' rights on a camera? If so, he would.
Mom waving good-bye from the security checkpoint. She's the one waving goodbye at the security checkpoint.
My dad posted this picture of me a while ago and I thought people who know me might get a kick out of seeing it. Charity :)
some recent pictures: Halloween
Little Jack was a Hershey's Kiss, but he hated the hat, so he kind of looked like a silver shopping bag. But how cute he was anyway!!
Nicholas saw this picture after I took it and was fascinated by it. He made me show it to him again.
The patience of this woman was incredible! Nicholas wasn't a bother, but some of those other kids were crazy annoying. Nicholas was looking over at his parents, rather than at the photographer. He seems skeptical of this whole process. And rightly so, in my opinion.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
i've been thinking of writing...
1. EVER BEEN GIVEN AN ENGAGEMENT RING?
haha. no way. not even close.
2. LONGEST RELATIONSHIP?
11 months. i know. i can't even make it a year.
3. LAST GIFT YOU RECEIVED?
technically, i think it was these earrings from my dad.
4. EVER DROPPED A CELL PHONE?
yes. yes. yes.
5. EVER LIKE SOMEONE FOR A LONG TIME AND STILL NEVER GET THEM?
wait, am i the only one?
6. THING(S) YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON?
relative to my income: groceries.
7. LAST FOOD YOU ATE?
i am currently eating salt and pepper potato chips.
8. FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX?
good-lookingness.
9. ONE FAVORITE SONG?
look, i'll limit it to one album and screw you for asking such a hard question: waterloo, tn by uncle earl.
10. WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
atlanta.
11. HIGH SCHOOL YOU ATTENDED:
western guilford! fighting hornets! [blows raspberry]
12. WHAT CELLPHONE DO YOU USE:
LG chocolate phone. it's pretty sweet. blue.
13. FAVORITE MALL STORE:
except for not being able to afford anything in any of these stores, i would have to say the apple store, teavana, and anthropologie. my favorite store though is h & m. it's swedish. "ha om" or something.
14. LONGEST JOB YOU HAD?
for four years off and on i worked at asheville pizza company.
15. DO YOU OWN A PAIR OF DICE?
probably.
16. DO YOU PRANK CALL PEOPLE?
no.
17. LAST WEDDING YOU ATTENDED?
carrie and jake's in september.
18. FIRST FRIEND YOU'D CALL IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY?
nikki.
19. LAST TIME YOU SAW YOUR BEST FRIEND(S)?
well, i just recently saw my best friends in atlanta.
20. FAVORITE FAST FOOD RESTAURANT?
subway?
21. BIGGEST LIE YOU HAVE EVER HEARD
every time i have told my parents that i'm almost done with my dissertation.
23. WHERE'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT WITH FRIENDS?
wherever. maybe fellini's.
24. CAN YOU COOK?
yay! love to! good at it!
25. WHAT CAR DO YOU DRIVE?:
my corolla!
26. BEST KISSER:
me.
27. LAST TIME YOU CRIED?:
about a week ago i think. unless i've repressed something. ;)
28. MOST DISLIKED FOOD?
eggplant, maybe?
29. THING YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF:
my good intentions.
30. THING YOU DISLIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF:
my poor follow-through.
32. LONGEST SHIFT YOU HAVE WORKED AT A JOB?:
16 hours, but i think i got a two hour lunch. it was at a hotel during a snowstorm.
33. FAVORITE MOVIE?
the maltese falcon maybe.
34. CAN YOU SING?
most people can. i can also carry a tune.
35. LAST CONCERT ATTENDED?
ooh, two days ago i went to see my favorite band, uncle earl.
36. LAST KISS?
"recently".
37. LAST MOVIE RENTED:
i've got a couple of marlene dietrich films on netflix. at the video store, the last thing i rented was the last disc of the first season of heroes.
38.ONE THING YOU NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT:
(eye)glasses.
39. FAVORITE vacation spot?
i think i'll like barcelona. and i'd like to go to scotland.
43. LAPTOP OR DESKTOP COMPUTER?
i have a laptop.
44. FAVORITE COMEDIAN?
i can't think of anyone off hand, so i must not like anyone enough for them to count as my favorite. my ex-boyfriend took a standup class but at his show he made jokes about me. that was the end of the beginning of the end.
45. DO YOU SMOKE?
no.
46. SLEEP WITH OR WITHOUT CLOTHES?
i haven't worn my clothes to bed in years. pajamas or a nightgown maybe.
47. WHO SLEEPS WITH YOU EVERY NIGHT?:
no one.
48. DO LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS WORK?
i tried, ok?
49. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE?
several times. 3 or so?
50. PANCAKES OR FRENCH TOAST?
YES! french toast on whole wheat toast, preferably with that sickly sweet strawberry flavored syrup from the IHoP.
51. DO YOU LIKE COFFEE?
i haven't had coffee in about two months. i'm very proud.
52 HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS?
the other day i had an omelette and it was almost like a crepe taco. it was so yummy i couldn't even believe it. it even had yolky bits on the inside and i loved it anyway. crazy.
53. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ASTROLOGY?
it seems there is something to the patterns, but as a sociologist i feel guilty admitting it.
54. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?:
sylvia, i think. i left a few messages since then but no one has called me back.
55. LAST PERSON ON YOUR MISSED CALL LIST?
kristy.
56. WHAT WAS THE LAST TEXT MESSAGE YOU RECIEVED?:
it was long ago enough to have forgotten about already.
58. NUMBER OF PILLOWS?
two and a throw pillow.
59. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW?
work clothes. i'm at home right now, but they're comfortable.
60. PICK A LYRIC, ANY LYRIC:
"there's some some honest work left for bearded ladies"
61. WHAT KIND OF JELLY DO YOU LIKE ON YOUR PB & J?
strawberry jam. and only strawberry jam. keep your fake grape goo please.
62. CAN YOU PLAY POOL?:
i can. i can't win unless i'm playing an armless person, though.
63. CAN YOU SWIM?
yes.
64. FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
napoleon because i can have whichever flavor i want.
65. DO YOU LIKE MAPS?
i guess.
66. TELL ME A RANDOM FACT ABOUT YOURSELF:
i got a massage yesterday.
68. EVER ATTEND A THEME PARTY?
sure.
69. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON?
fall. too bad it's getting to be so short.
70. LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED AT SOMETHING STUPID?
i can't imagine it was too long ago.
71. WHAT TIME DID YOU WAKE UP THIS MORNING ?
geez. way too early (5:45) and i was still late for work.
72. BEST THING ABOUT WINTER?
warm soup?
73. LAST TIME A COP GAVE YOU A TICKET?:
in college.
75. NAME OF YOUR FIRST PET?:
we always had pets. my first pet on my own was tubby, who now lives with my mom.
76. DO YOU THINK PIRATES ARE COOL OR OVERRATED?
They've got booty so hey, good for them.
77. WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS WEEKEND??
going to nc.
78. BIRTHDATE?
in september.
79. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE:
a professor on a tenure track. happy.
85. ARE YOU ON A LAPTOP?
i'm on a chair.
87. ARE YOU SMILING?
nope. that was a dumb question.
89. DO YOU MISS SOMEONE RIGHT NOW ?
not really. i'm getting ready to go meet my mom at the airport.
90. IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE WOULD YOU GO?
i'd go to egypt with my mom, i think. except she'll be working the whole time.
92. ARE YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL?
ha.
93. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH?:
not really.
94. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NAME?
no idea.
95. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR BATHING SUIT?:
black with a little white.
96. DOES YOUR SCHOOL START IN AUGUST?
like the last day.
97. DID YOU GO ON VACATION LAST MONTH?
not unless you count going to visit my mom.
98. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A CRUISE?:
no. i think i would like it, but i might get stir crazy.
99. DO YOU HAVE A SISTER?
a sister-in-law and two stepsisters.
100. ARE YOU UPSTAIRS?
from the basement.
101. ARE YOU OR WERE YOU IN LOVE?
i have been but am not now.
102. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL?
just passing through.
103. DO YOU WISH YOU COULD SEE ANYONE PARTICULAR RIGHT NOW?
i wish i was already at the airport with my mom. i wish visiting her didn't conflict with my previous plans to watch the office with michael and susanna.
104. WHAT JEWELRY ARE YOU WEARING?
rings, a necklace.
105. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AFTER THIS SURVEY?
finish my beer, wash my cereal dish, play with the cats for a minute, then go to the airport.
haha. no way. not even close.
2. LONGEST RELATIONSHIP?
11 months. i know. i can't even make it a year.
3. LAST GIFT YOU RECEIVED?
technically, i think it was these earrings from my dad.
4. EVER DROPPED A CELL PHONE?
yes. yes. yes.
5. EVER LIKE SOMEONE FOR A LONG TIME AND STILL NEVER GET THEM?
wait, am i the only one?
6. THING(S) YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON?
relative to my income: groceries.
7. LAST FOOD YOU ATE?
i am currently eating salt and pepper potato chips.
8. FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX?
good-lookingness.
9. ONE FAVORITE SONG?
look, i'll limit it to one album and screw you for asking such a hard question: waterloo, tn by uncle earl.
10. WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
atlanta.
11. HIGH SCHOOL YOU ATTENDED:
western guilford! fighting hornets! [blows raspberry]
12. WHAT CELLPHONE DO YOU USE:
LG chocolate phone. it's pretty sweet. blue.
13. FAVORITE MALL STORE:
except for not being able to afford anything in any of these stores, i would have to say the apple store, teavana, and anthropologie. my favorite store though is h & m. it's swedish. "ha om" or something.
14. LONGEST JOB YOU HAD?
for four years off and on i worked at asheville pizza company.
15. DO YOU OWN A PAIR OF DICE?
probably.
16. DO YOU PRANK CALL PEOPLE?
no.
17. LAST WEDDING YOU ATTENDED?
carrie and jake's in september.
18. FIRST FRIEND YOU'D CALL IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY?
nikki.
19. LAST TIME YOU SAW YOUR BEST FRIEND(S)?
well, i just recently saw my best friends in atlanta.
20. FAVORITE FAST FOOD RESTAURANT?
subway?
21. BIGGEST LIE YOU HAVE EVER HEARD
every time i have told my parents that i'm almost done with my dissertation.
23. WHERE'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT WITH FRIENDS?
wherever. maybe fellini's.
24. CAN YOU COOK?
yay! love to! good at it!
25. WHAT CAR DO YOU DRIVE?:
my corolla!
26. BEST KISSER:
me.
27. LAST TIME YOU CRIED?:
about a week ago i think. unless i've repressed something. ;)
28. MOST DISLIKED FOOD?
eggplant, maybe?
29. THING YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF:
my good intentions.
30. THING YOU DISLIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF:
my poor follow-through.
32. LONGEST SHIFT YOU HAVE WORKED AT A JOB?:
16 hours, but i think i got a two hour lunch. it was at a hotel during a snowstorm.
33. FAVORITE MOVIE?
the maltese falcon maybe.
34. CAN YOU SING?
most people can. i can also carry a tune.
35. LAST CONCERT ATTENDED?
ooh, two days ago i went to see my favorite band, uncle earl.
36. LAST KISS?
"recently".
37. LAST MOVIE RENTED:
i've got a couple of marlene dietrich films on netflix. at the video store, the last thing i rented was the last disc of the first season of heroes.
38.ONE THING YOU NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT:
(eye)glasses.
39. FAVORITE vacation spot?
i think i'll like barcelona. and i'd like to go to scotland.
43. LAPTOP OR DESKTOP COMPUTER?
i have a laptop.
44. FAVORITE COMEDIAN?
i can't think of anyone off hand, so i must not like anyone enough for them to count as my favorite. my ex-boyfriend took a standup class but at his show he made jokes about me. that was the end of the beginning of the end.
45. DO YOU SMOKE?
no.
46. SLEEP WITH OR WITHOUT CLOTHES?
i haven't worn my clothes to bed in years. pajamas or a nightgown maybe.
47. WHO SLEEPS WITH YOU EVERY NIGHT?:
no one.
48. DO LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS WORK?
i tried, ok?
49. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE?
several times. 3 or so?
50. PANCAKES OR FRENCH TOAST?
YES! french toast on whole wheat toast, preferably with that sickly sweet strawberry flavored syrup from the IHoP.
51. DO YOU LIKE COFFEE?
i haven't had coffee in about two months. i'm very proud.
52 HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS?
the other day i had an omelette and it was almost like a crepe taco. it was so yummy i couldn't even believe it. it even had yolky bits on the inside and i loved it anyway. crazy.
53. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ASTROLOGY?
it seems there is something to the patterns, but as a sociologist i feel guilty admitting it.
54. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?:
sylvia, i think. i left a few messages since then but no one has called me back.
55. LAST PERSON ON YOUR MISSED CALL LIST?
kristy.
56. WHAT WAS THE LAST TEXT MESSAGE YOU RECIEVED?:
it was long ago enough to have forgotten about already.
58. NUMBER OF PILLOWS?
two and a throw pillow.
59. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW?
work clothes. i'm at home right now, but they're comfortable.
60. PICK A LYRIC, ANY LYRIC:
"there's some some honest work left for bearded ladies"
61. WHAT KIND OF JELLY DO YOU LIKE ON YOUR PB & J?
strawberry jam. and only strawberry jam. keep your fake grape goo please.
62. CAN YOU PLAY POOL?:
i can. i can't win unless i'm playing an armless person, though.
63. CAN YOU SWIM?
yes.
64. FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
napoleon because i can have whichever flavor i want.
65. DO YOU LIKE MAPS?
i guess.
66. TELL ME A RANDOM FACT ABOUT YOURSELF:
i got a massage yesterday.
68. EVER ATTEND A THEME PARTY?
sure.
69. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON?
fall. too bad it's getting to be so short.
70. LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED AT SOMETHING STUPID?
i can't imagine it was too long ago.
71. WHAT TIME DID YOU WAKE UP THIS MORNING ?
geez. way too early (5:45) and i was still late for work.
72. BEST THING ABOUT WINTER?
warm soup?
73. LAST TIME A COP GAVE YOU A TICKET?:
in college.
75. NAME OF YOUR FIRST PET?:
we always had pets. my first pet on my own was tubby, who now lives with my mom.
76. DO YOU THINK PIRATES ARE COOL OR OVERRATED?
They've got booty so hey, good for them.
77. WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS WEEKEND??
going to nc.
78. BIRTHDATE?
in september.
79. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE:
a professor on a tenure track. happy.
85. ARE YOU ON A LAPTOP?
i'm on a chair.
87. ARE YOU SMILING?
nope. that was a dumb question.
89. DO YOU MISS SOMEONE RIGHT NOW ?
not really. i'm getting ready to go meet my mom at the airport.
90. IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE WOULD YOU GO?
i'd go to egypt with my mom, i think. except she'll be working the whole time.
92. ARE YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL?
ha.
93. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH?:
not really.
94. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NAME?
no idea.
95. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR BATHING SUIT?:
black with a little white.
96. DOES YOUR SCHOOL START IN AUGUST?
like the last day.
97. DID YOU GO ON VACATION LAST MONTH?
not unless you count going to visit my mom.
98. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A CRUISE?:
no. i think i would like it, but i might get stir crazy.
99. DO YOU HAVE A SISTER?
a sister-in-law and two stepsisters.
100. ARE YOU UPSTAIRS?
from the basement.
101. ARE YOU OR WERE YOU IN LOVE?
i have been but am not now.
102. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL?
just passing through.
103. DO YOU WISH YOU COULD SEE ANYONE PARTICULAR RIGHT NOW?
i wish i was already at the airport with my mom. i wish visiting her didn't conflict with my previous plans to watch the office with michael and susanna.
104. WHAT JEWELRY ARE YOU WEARING?
rings, a necklace.
105. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AFTER THIS SURVEY?
finish my beer, wash my cereal dish, play with the cats for a minute, then go to the airport.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
oh, right. re: confusion.
I didn't actually like those guys anyway. Weird. I am very grateful for all my wonderful friends and family, but they have really spoiled me when it comes to dating, because no one is ever as good as they are.
Still, lucky me.
charity :)
Still, lucky me.
charity :)
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