This is the quilt I am going to make. Each shade of blue represents a blue floral pattern. The 1's, if you can tell which are 1's are the biggest, and the 5's are the closest to a solid.

Huh?

I have a sudden, bizarre, and almost uncontrollable urge to go roller skating.

 

I haven't been skating since college, and I'm lousy at it since I have no balance.  I imagine I'm even worse since I broke my ankle.

 

But I really, really want to go skating.  I can feel myself gliding along, wind in my hair, falling on my face (or if I'm lucky, the back of my front).

 

Sigh.  There are no roller rinks in Baton Rouge (though there is one in Denham), so I suppose the urge will have to go unanswered.

Giving In

This year, I am not doing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, for those of you who are among the uninitiated). I have come to the conclusion that my writing style just doesn't allow for writing 50K words in a month.

But I did come across something I can handle. Via Laid Off Dad, I learned about NaBloPoMo. National Blog Posting Month, for those of you who can't figure that out. The goal is to post every day for the month of November. I can do that. If you are interested, click on the link in the title to sign up. To get a groovy icon to put on your blog (which I have yet to do) click here.

Oh, and someone recently asked me about my presidential campaign. I have not abandoned it, but I realized that the elections are not next year, but in 2008 (yeah, I can be slow like that). So rest assured, my fellow Americans, that the Birthday Party candidate will be updating soon.

And just as a side note, let me just say that I seem to have acclimated to living in the South. When I left the apartment, the temperatures were in the 50's, and I was freezing.

I am my father's daughter. And my mother's, too.

Let me explain

My dad had the soul of an artist. I always wished that whoever advised him when he was in college (he did two years before dropping out) had pushed him toward art instead to business. For a tough, blue-collar guy who served in the military and grew up during the Depression, he was surpisingly sensitive.

My dad loved watching home improvement shows on TV. Now, we didn't have cable, so it was pretty much whatever was on PBS. He always thought that he could build whatever Norm Abrams was making, or whatever. The problem was that even if he did attempt it, he wouldn't be able to.

It wasn't that my dad didn't have the skill. He was amazing with wood when he wanted to be. The problem was that my dad didn't like to follow directions. He didn't measure anything ever. You know how they always say, "measure twice, cut once" to avoid mistakes? My dad thought that measuring took the fun out of things. He had a picture in his mind, and he somehow made the picture tangible.

Now, things didn't always turn out the way he planned. He made a paper towel holder for the kitchen that was really great, but the two sides the tube holder went into somehow ended up uneven and really not looking anything alike. But it had a certain flair to it nonetheless.

The best thing my dad ever made was a stable for our nativity set. He didn't measure anything at all. I know this for a fact because I watched him the whole time. But somehow or another, even with windows cut into the sides, it turned out absolutely perfect. Oh, it's a little lopsided, but when you think about it, buildings then, especially somethng like a stable, probably were. That's what makes it so perfect.

My dad also did wood carving. I saw pictures of some of the pieces he made and sold, and they were beautiful. For some reason, though, he quit doing that. I think it was probably because the arthritis in his hands was too bad.

My dad alos never used power tools, except for his drill. if he had to make a hole in something, he drilled a hole through the center and used his coping saw to cut out the hole, then he'd sand it until it was smooth. I think he liked the challenge.

Now, my dad was capable of creating and using measured drawings. He took drafting classes in high school, and in fact he designed a World War II Memorial in his old neighborhood (if you are in Pittsburgh, take a drive down Spring Garden Road. If you are coming from town, it will be on your right, not much past my uncle's old bar. Of course, you most likely don't now where that is, so I suppose that's a moot point). I think he just didn't like working from them because they were...uniform.

Now my mom, on the other hand, was all about measuring. She sewed, knitted, and crocheted. And even though she grew up in the 40's and 50's, not many women of her generation did that. It was already a dying art, and now it is fading even more.

When my mom was making something, she was all about precise measurements. Even if she was making something as simple as a scarf, she knew exactly how long and wide she wanted it to be, and she knew exactly what the guage was of the yarn and needles she was using. If things didn't turn out exactly the way she wanted, she'd rip out all her stitches and start again.

When my mom was trying to teach me to sew, she'd get really, really frustrated. See, I was like my dad, and didn't like to measure. If I was knitting, I never knew how many stitches I casted on, so I never knew when I dropped stitches. If I was crocheting, I never knew how long my chain was, so I never noticed when my piece got progressively more narrow. And if I was making something from a pattern...forget it. Somehow, I never could manage to cut on the lines of the pattern. Nor could I manage to sew a straight seam, either by hand or on the machine. I personally didn't care, but it drove her up a wall, and usually ended up in tears for one or both of us.

I think that's why I liked making things with my dad more than with my mom when I was little. He'd give me a board, let me pound nails in anyway I wanted, and make string art from it. He'd let me draw a pattern freehand on a piece of board and try to cut it out with the coping saw. He'd never get mad when I couldn't get it perfect because, "that's what sandpaper is for." We'd make these really ornate paper cards (another skill my dad had) with fancy cutouts, and even if I couldn't recreate the lacy patterns he seemed to create without even trying, it was OK (though it wasn't OK when we used my mom's fancy sewing scissors to cut the paper because they were finer and smaller than the other scissors).

I find it funny (peculiar, not ha ha), then, that I find myself drawn more to fabric and yarn craft now than I do to woodcraft. Now, I could blame it on my bad experiences with wood in academia (wood shop in OVT in 7th and 8th grade, Scene Tchnology in college), or my absolute fear of power tools (which they made us use in academia, no matter hard we begged to use a plain old coping saw or hack saw). But I really don't know.

But the really interesting thing is that despite the fact that I crochet and all that, I never measure. I just make a chain until it looks long enough and go from there. Then, when the piece looks done, or when I run out of yarn, it's done. As a result, I have some of the strangest looking pillows ever seen in my apartment right now. The one I finished last night is a case in point. It's about six inches wide, about 18 inches long, and about 3 inches high. I decided to make this one kind of like a bolster, so I had to make two end pieces. Well, I didn't measure, and they didn't quite fit, but I faked it. I also bought cheap stuffing (not going to do that again, I think). The result is a a weird, lopsided, lumpy mess. But at the same time, it is amazingly cool.

My point to all this is that I seem to be combining the best qualities of my mom and dad when it comes to creating. And I think that is pretty cool.

My next obsession after crocheting pillows is going to be quilting. We'll see how that no measuring, no pattern thing works out with that.

Confession

So my friend J, the one I wrote about yesterday?  She is also having a baby.  Sigh.  She's really upset that her mother most likely isn't going to make it to see her child.  I'm still working on processing that, though, so I'm not writing about that.

 

Instead, I am going to admit to how incredibly selfish I am.  I'm planning a really good baby gift for J and her husband because they have been really good to me, and I want them to know that I appreciate it.  Besides, I know J isn't going to feel like or have time for a lot of detail kind of stuff given everything going on with her mom.

 

Well, I have part of the gift planned.  I found this really cute and easy pattern for fleece baby blankets on the internet, and there is also a pattern for a little patchwork doggy.  I figured I'd make three blankets that are receiving blanket size (because you can never have too many of them, even in Louisiana), and I'd use the same fabric to make the dog.  Well, in looking for fabrics, I keep getting drawn to Classic Pooh stuff, because if I ever had a baby (which will never happen, I'm afraid), I would decorate the nursery in Classic Pooh.  I love Pooh.  Always have, and probably always will. 

 

But it occurred to me that they may not be into the whole Pooh thing.  Who am I to determine what they'd like?  But at the same time, I need to start now if I am making stuff by hand.  But do I have the right to determine what they want?

 

ARGH! 

 

And how trivial can you get, in the grand scheme of things?

news

I currently have two friends who have mothers who are dying from cancer. 

 

You can read a little bit about Amy's story by clicking on the link to her blog on my sidebar.  My friend J just told me that her mom was just diagnosed with cancer of the spinal fluid, after doing really well with recovering from small cell cancer.

 

I don't quite know what to say about this.  I haven't been in the position of supporting a friend through a parent's death before.  I guess there will be more of that as the years pass.  But it's funny that I keep thinking that that part of my life is already past, I guess because my parents died so young.

 

I need to process this a little more before I write about it in detail.

Just had to share...

...'cause Remus Rocks! And I'm really not that bad...honest.

Well, at least not on the obsession thing. The knowledge...yeah. But I blame the fact that my mind is a vast warehouse of useless information, not any kind of effort on my part.

Remus Lupin You scored 83% knowledge and 64% obsession!

"'Did you like question ten Moony?' asked Sirius as they emerged into the entrance hall. 'Loved it,' said Lupin briskly. 'Give the five signs that identify the werewolf.' 'Excellent question.' 'D'you think you managed to get all the signs?' said James in tones of mock concern. 'Think I did,' said Lupin seriously. 'One: He's sitting on my chair. Two: He's wearing my clothes. Three: His name's Remus Lupin...'" Well done! You are obviously knowledgeable and you have a great attention for details. You have a keen interest in the magical world, but you do not become so emotionally invested that are are no longer objective. It is important to keep your wits about you in dangerous situations, but you are able to do it with ease. You are an excellent teacher, a loyal friend, and a worthy opponent. As long as you keep a bit of Wolfsbane Potion on hand, you should manage well. Anyone who wouldn't want you as an ally is being totally Riddikulus!

My test tracked 2 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 99% on knowledge You scored higher than 99% on obsession

Link: The Harry Potter Obsessed Test written by ack_attack on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

So yesterday I was trying to find a recipie for corn chowder that is in a cookbook I can't currently find. I found it, but in my search, I happened upon a recipe for crockpot apple cobbler. I made it, and it was good, but cobbler is really a bit of a misnomer. It's closer to an apple crisp, I think. I've included the recipie below, along with my modifications, and what I plan to do next time I make it.

• Apples

The recipie calls for eight apples, but I used 10: five Granny Smith, four Braeburn, and one Mcintosh that I bought by accident. That's a pretty good mixture of sweet and tart.

• Butter

The recipie called for 3/4 of a cup, but I used a full cup. Might have been a skosh too much - it was a little richer than I would have wanted. You could substitute margerine if you wanted to, I suppose, but why would you?

• Sugar

The recipie calls for 1 3/4 cups, and doesn't specify what kind. I used right around two full cups, half brown and half white. I think I would probably go a little lighter on the sugar as well

• Cinnamon

The recipie says a teaspoon, I say the more the better. I love cinnamon, so I put a lot of this in.

• Granola Cereal

The recipie says 2 cups. I used around 3. I bought plain granola, but the instructions suggested fruit and nut granola. I don't like nuts, however, so I bought plain.

Peel and cut up the apples. I used a mixture of slices and chops, mainly because I'm really bad at cutting things. Toss them in the crockpot, and mix them together with the sugar and cinnamon. Now, the directions say to melt the butter and coat the granola, but I didn't do that. Instead, I cut up the cold butter into pieces and mixed it in with the apples and sugar. I don't think it really makes a difference. Then put the granola in and mix everything up. Cook it on low for about 6 hours.

It was really good, but with the texture, it would be best suited as a topping for ice cream or waffles or something like that. What I did when I served it was to mix in more granola. That gave it a little more heft, and a little bit of crunch.

I think if I make it again, I will only put a cup of the granola in at first, and then put the rest in about an hour before it is done. It needs some in there when it is reducing to thicken it up, but it basically disinegrated.

I'll share the corn chowder recipie a little later.

Crockpots are a good thing (or they would be if I didn't keep breaking the crockery. I have three pots, but only one crock.)

Oh, So Bored...

I really wish I had something to do.  And I have a headache, which is making boredom all that more tedious.  And I think I might have a fever.

 

Today stinks.

 

I want a nap, please.

 

Oh, but tomorrow I am making corn chowder, so that's a good thing, and Saturday I am making cream of potato soup.  Yes, fall has finally hit South LA.  The temperatures today didn't even get above 80.

 

{Ducks flying object from everyone I know in the Great Lakes States}

 

 

Here is your laugh for the day. You English majors in the crowd will appreciate this most of all, unless I have any 12 year old boys reading my blog...

Well, I am officially a loser now. The computer geek who's into cross stitiching and fly fishing closed communication with me because he thought I was boring. Sigh. I'm going to die alone surrounded by fish wearing little sweaters I crocheted for them.

Forgive my emotional whining. I have cramps again - still no results, but the cramps are there. Boy, are they there.

I'm also wearing all black today. How much more emo can you get? I suppose I could play funeral dirges while I work, but I doubt my coworkers would appreciate that.

Did I mention that I was bored?

If not, this should confirm it.

If You Were Born in 2893...

Your Name Would Be: Emi Iara And You Would Be: A Time Traveler

If You Were Born in 2893

Apparently, normal names are going to disappear in 800 years.

You Are Homer Simpson

You're just an ordinary, all-American working Joe... With a special fondness for pork rinds and donuts. You will be remembered for: your little "isms" and philosophies on life Your life philosophy: "Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel."

The Simpsons Personality Test

Uh...I don't think so.

Your Career Personality: Independent, Insightful, and Ingenious

Your Ideal Careers: Architect Artist Business strategist College professor Computer programmer Mathematician Neurologist Philosopher Photographer Video game developer

The Quick and Dirty Career Test

I knew I missed my calling - I should have become a freelance philosopher. There is such a call for them, and they are so well paid. Actually, I barely passed either of the philosophy classes I took in college. I had craptastic profs for both of them.

You Are 64% Shy

You are a very shy person, and it has started to impact your life in a negative way. If you can avoid human contact, you usually do. And as a result, you miss out on a lot.

How Shy Are You?

Only 62%? I was expecting higher

You Are 92% Lady

No doubt about it, you are a lady with impeccable etiquette You know how to put others at ease, even if their manners aren't the greatest.

Are You A Lady?

I suppose I shouldn't admit that I drink pop right from the 2 liter bottle sometimes and that I tend to forget to cross my legs, and that I belch in public.

You Are 50% Weird

Normal enough to know that you're weird... But too damn weird to do anything about it!

How Weird Are You?

This one I can go with...

Your Hillbilly Name Is...

Lil' Pearl Hogg

Hillbilly Name Generator

Who knew? My grandmother's middle name was Pearl, though. Perhaps it was meant to be.

You Belong in 1973

If you scored... 1950 - 1959: You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in! 1960 - 1969: You are a free spirit with a huge heart. Love, peace, and happiness rule - oh, and drugs too. 1970 - 1979: Bold and brash, you take life by the horns. Whether you're partying or protesting, you give it your all! 1980 - 1989: Wild, over the top, and just a little bit cheesy. You're colorful at night - and successful during the day. 1990 - 1999: With you anything goes! You're grunge one day, ghetto fabulous the next. It's all good!

What Year Do You Belong In?

Sure. 1973. I was 2. I suppose I belong there if all I'll be doing is learning to feed myself and go potty.

Your Monster Profile

Iron Beheader You Feast On: Lasanga You Lurk Around In: The Ocean You Especially Like to Torment: Dentists

What's Your Monster Name?

I like this one. Surfing dentists of the world, watch out!

Your Animal Personality

Your Power Animal: Deer Animal You Were in a Past Life: Panda You are a fun-seeker - an adventurous, risk-taker. While you are spontaneous, you are not very rational.

The Animal Personality Test

Can't figure out why there is a picture of a squid when the only animals mentioned are deer and panda.

You Are a Conservative Democrat

Frankly, the way most other Democrats behave embarasses you greatly. You pride yourself on a high level of morals, and you have a good grasp on right and wrong. It's likely you think America needs to get back to its conservative, Juedo-Christian values. Why aren't you a Republican then? Because you believe the goverment helps more than hurts.

What's Your Political Persuasion?

Partially true, but I think I'm a little further left than this. Actually, I think I'm a lot further left than this.

You Belong in Brooklyn

Down to earth and hard working, you're a true New Yorker. And although you may be turning into a yuppie, you never forget your roots.

Where Should Your Inner New Yorker Live?

Ok. I think I have relatives there. Or maybe it's the Bronx.

You are a Believer

You believe in God and your chosen religion. Whether you're Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or Hindu.. Your convictions are strong and unwavering. You think your religion is the one true way, for everyone.

What's Your Religious Philosophy?

True, except for the last two sentences.

You Should Learn Swedish

Fantastisk! You're laid back about learning a language - and about life in general. Peaceful, beautiful Sweden is ideal for you... And you won't even have to speak perfect Swedish to get around!

What Language Should You Learn?

Groovy! Anyone reading this know Swedish?

You Are Rowlf the Dog

Mellow and serious, you enjoy time alone cultivating your talents. You're a cool dog, and you always present a relaxed vibe. A talented pianist, you can play almost anything - especially songs by Beethoven. "My bark is worse than my bite, and my piano playing beats 'em both."

The Muppet Personality Test

I think I did this one before. I love Rowlf.

You Belong in San Francisco

You crave an eclectic, urban environment. You're half California, half NYC. You're open minded, tolerant, and secretly think you're the best. People may dismiss you as a hippie, but you're also progressive, interesting, and rich!

Where Does Your Inner Californian Belong?

Never been, but I hear it's nice. I'd rather go to San Diego, though.

Your Band Name is:

The Free Range Yankees

Band Name Generator

Eh. I can take it or leave it.

You May Be a Bit Dependent...

You're more than a little preoccupied with being abandoned. You need a lot of support in your life, at all times. It's difficult for you to survive on your own... And you don't reallly think you ever could.

What Personality Disorder Are You?

Not so much. I think it said this because I said I don't like to go to parties and stuff alone - but who does?

Your SAT Score of 1320 Means:

You Scored Higher Than Howard Stern You Scored Higher Than George W. Bush You Scored Lower Than Al Gore You Scored Lower Than David Duchovny You Scored Lower Than Natalie Portman You Scored Lower Than Bill Gates Your IQ is most likely in the 130-140 range Equivalent ACT score: 30 Schools that Fit Your SAT Score: College of William and Mary New York University Boston College United States Naval Academy University of California, Berkeley

What Does Your SAT Score Mean?

I'm glad I at least scored higher than W. David Duchovny rocks.

You Are Bert

Extremely serious and a little eccentric, people find you loveable - even if you don't love them! You are usually feeling: Logical - you rarely let your emotions rule you You are famous for: Being smart, a total neat freak, and maybe just a little evil How you life your life: With passion, even if your odd passions (like bottle caps and pigeons) are baffling to others

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

I like Bert. I, however, am not a neat freak, as anyone who knew me in college can attest.

You Have Your Sarcastic Moments

While you're not sarcastic at all times, you definitely have a cynical edge. In your opinion, not all people are annoying. Some are dead! And although you do have your genuine moments, you can't help getting your zingers in. Some people might be a little hurt by your sarcasm, but it's more likely they think you're hilarious.

How Sarcastic Are You?

I got yelled at by a former house director for being too sarcastic. Maybe she should have read this.

Your Aura is Blue

Spiritual and calm, you tend to live a quiet but enriching life. You are very giving of yourself. And it's hard for you to let go of relationships. The purpose of your life: showing love to other people Famous blues include: Angelina Jolie, the Dali Lama, Oprah Careers for you to try: Psychic, Peace Corps Volunteer, Counselor

What Color Is Your Aura?

Funny, I guessed this before it came up. I don't know how I feel about being lumped in with Angelina Jolie and Oprah, though. And I don't know the last time I saw a help wanted ad for a psychic.

You Should Be a Science Fiction Writer

Your ideas are very strange, and people often wonder what planet you're from. And while you may have some problems being "normal," you'll have no problems writing sci-fi. Whether it's epic films, important novels, or vivid comics... Your own little universe could leave an important mark on the world!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

I've tried writing science fiction. It always sounds like some kind of weird cross between Masterpiece Theatre and Pigs in Space.

You Are a Chihuahua Puppy

Small, high strung, and loyal. You do best in the city with a adults - young kids could crush you!

What Breed of Puppy Are You?

OK. I can deal with that.

Your Christmas is Most Like: A Christmas Story

Loving, fun, and totally crazy. Don't shoot your eye out!

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

One of my all time favorite movies!

You Are 30% Left Brained, 70% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Yeah, this sounds about right.

The Movie Of Your Life Is A Cult Classic

Quirky, offbeat, and even a little campy - your life appeals to a select few. But if someone's obsessed with you, look out! Your fans are downright freaky. Your best movie matches: Office Space, Showgirls, The Big Lebowski

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?

Also sounds right, except for Showgirls.

You Are 0% Extrovert, 100% Introvert

You avoid people at all costs You aren't one for social interaction And you limit your interaction to a select few Thank God for self checkout!

Are You An Extrovert or An Introvert?

Are you shocked? I come out off the scale on Introversion on Myers-Briggs

You Are Expressionism

Moody, emotional, and even a bit angsty... you certainly know how to express your emotions. At times, you tend to lack perspective on your life, probably as a result of looking inward too much. This introspection does give you a flair for the dramatic. And it's even maybe made you cultivate some artistic talents! You have a true artist's temperament... which is a blessing and a curse.

What Art Movement Are You?

I would have thought Impressionism, but whatever...

Your Boobies' Names Are...

Siegfried and Roy

Boobie Name Generator

This is horribly disturbing. No other words.

You Should Rule Jupiter

Huge and hot, Jupiter is a quickly turning planet with short days and intense gravity. You are perfect to rule Jupiter, because you are both dominant and kind. You have great strength and confidence, but you never abuse your power. You are always right. Even if you make mistakes, you compensate for them... before anyone knows it. Headstrong and ambitious, you always have a goal in mind. You are optimistic and believe thing things will always work out.

What Planet Should You Rule?

Groovy. I always wanted to rule a gas giant.

You Are Boston

Both modern and old school, you never forget your roots. Well educated and a little snobby, you demand the best. And quite frankly, you think you are the best. Famous people from the Boston area: Conan O'Brien, Ben Affleck, New Kids on the Block

What American City Are You?

I like this one. Boston is high on my list of places I want to go someday.

Your Scholastic Strength Is Deep Thinking

You aren't afraid to delve head first into a difficult subject, with mastery as your goal. You are talented at adapting, motivating others, managing resources, and analyzing risk. You should major in: Philosophy Music Theology Art History Foreign language

What Should You Major In?

Not much of a shock that I am a thinker. Maybe seeing theology in there is a sign...

You Are Greg Brady

Outta sight! Suave and all American, you tend to be clean cut and upstanding. You're friendly with most people and a huge flirt (sometimes even with family members!).

What Brady Are You?

If they say so. I always fancied myself more of a Peter or Jan, though.

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Why, you could knock me over with a feather! (I think I'm more than 50% sarcastic)

You Have Good Karma

In general, you like to do the right thing when it comes to others. Your caring personality really shines through. Sure, you have your moments of weakness - and occasionally act out. But, all in all, you're karma is good... even with those few dark spots.

How's Your Karma?

I'll remember this if I ever change my name to Earl.

You Are 60% "Average American"

You are average because you donate to charity. You are not average since you rate your appearance 4 or lower.

How "Average American" Are You?

These are the most bizarre criteria I have ever seen.

You Belong in Amsterdam

A little old fashioned, a little modern - you're the best of both worlds. And so is Amsterdam. Whether you want to be a squatter graffiti artist or a great novelist, Amsterdam has all that you want in Europe (in one small city).

What European City Do You Belong In?

Cool! Amsterdam is near the top of my list of European cities to visit. And not because I am into pot or prostitution. I'm not, you know.

Your English Skills:

Grammar: 100% Spelling: 100% Vocabulary: 100% Punctuation: 80%

Does Your English Cut the Mustard?

I knew that if I missed anything it would be on punctuation. I know the one I missed, too, and I disagree.

I hope I have work to do tomorrow. I can't do another day of this.

This color scheme works better with the balloon, I think. I shall be playing off and on for the next few days...

Bored...

Bored, and more bored.  So, with apologies to the Beverly Hillbillies...

 

Come and listen to my tale 'bout a man named Jerry

He was sorta tall, and really kinda hairy.

He left one day lookin' for a girl to wed,

But he tripped on a root and hit his head instead

 

"OW!" he said

"Darn Root!"

"Gosh Darn Tree"

 

Well, what do you know? Ol' Jerry lost his mind

He wandered far and wide, and some folks wasn't kind

He looked far and wide and couldn't remember why,

'til some pretty girl came up and said, "Oh, Hi."

 

"Wow!" he said

"You're cute."

"Let's get hitched."

 

And my tale ends there because I ran out of verses.  If you want to play, pick a TV theme song of your choice and continue the story.  Leave me a comment so I know where to read.

 

OK. I have lots to say, but I don't feel like typing it all tonight, especially since it looks like I won't have anything to do tomorrow at work.

But I do want to say that I'm corresponding with someone new on eHarmony. He is a plain-looking computer geek from the midwest who's hobbies include cross stich and fly fishing. In short, he's my kind of guy.

I'm not getting my hopes up, but yeah.

Oh, and I bought a gallon of iced tea tonight (Community, which is really the best on earth), and when I set it dow on the table when I got home, the jug just split along the bottom. That made me sad.

And Studio 60 actually had some plot this week. what a novelty!

Oh, and I'm loving The Amazing Race this season as well. Especially the couple from Kentucky, even if they are a characature of Appalachian folks.

Have no fear...

This is an intermediate step. The final product will not be so...glaring.

Stuff

I have an earache.  There is nothing quite so miserable as sitting at work with nothing to do with an earache. 

 

In other news, I finished a pillow last night.  I wish I had a digital camera so I could show off my handiwork (not that there is all that much to see - it's just a simple pillow).  I know it makes me a geek, but I'm proud of myself.

 

Why do people ruin tea with high fructose corn syrup?  It makes it taste fake.  Community makes iced tea with cane sugar, and it is good.

 

I had a weird dream last night.  I dreamed I lived in apartment with my boss and his wife (keep in mind that my boss is gay, so there would be no way this would happen).  She was a world class runner, and they had three kids, two boys and a girl.  The two boys went to a different pediatrician than the girl (this was actually the subject of a protracted conversation in the dream).  We lived in a huge apartment complex with a bunch of other people I knew.  The maintenance guy for the complex was the boyfriend of my crack whore neighbor in Pittsburgh (he didn't use crack, but he was addicted to something).  He had a crush on me, and my boss's wife warned me not to climb over the fence in the back yard because he would try to flirt with me.

 

I don't want to think about what that means.

 

Is it Friday yet?

 

 

I have my car! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is that enough exclamation points?

I think I've been having transmission problems for the past several months, and didn't realize it. All the weird noises, the seemingly bad alignment, and all that other stuff are all gone. I've never had a car with a computer thingy before, so I guess I didn't recognize the transmission problems for what they were.

I'm a little frustrated at work right now. Kind of a long story as to why, but I am. I'm still the happiest I've been in any job, though.

I have a really weird rash. At first I thought it was bug bites, but now the skin around the little bumps is bruising. never had that with bug bites. If it isn't better tomorrow, I guess I'll call the dermatologist. Blah.

Finally, Studio 60 suffers from the same problem as my writing - great characters, no plot. But Matthew Perry is kind of like Rob Morrow for me - I'd watch him in pretty much anything.

Go read this. Absolutely beautiful.

I also learned on the PBS show on hippos that they are related to both cows and dolphins. Which is weird and cool.

And I learned that I never want to hear the sound of hippos defacating again in my whole life.

Just a quick comment while I wait for the mechanic to call

What do you think of this dress for a semi-formal (but pretty dressy) office Christmas party? I'm just looking right now, since Kenny the transmission guy pretty much owns my next two paychecks, but it never hurts to look early. There was another dress similar to this one that I liked, but it was sleeveless. I thought that I could wear that one with a wrap, but that might be too much.

The dress is $100 which is kind of a lot, but I don't think I'm going to find anything for less than that. I looked on eBay tonight, just to look, and apparently eBay sellers think that women who are larger than average should either wear a caftan whenever they go out in public, or that they should dress like they are really size 2's and make themselves look utterly ridiculous.

Just my rant on a Sunday night...

First, go read TG's blog entry in celebration of her and her husband's 11th anniversary. I was really touched by what she wrote.

Second, I am watching a program on PBS about hippopotamuses. When I was little and tripping over my own feet (as opposed to now, when I am big and tripping over my own feet), my mom used to say that I was as graceful as a baby hippo. Well, in the water, baby hippos really are graceful. Huh. Who knew it was a compliment?

Testing

I'm just trying to find out if the mail-to-blog feature on Blogger works.  I set it up a while ago, but never actually used it.  I'm bored enough to try it now, though. 

 

Remember my obsession with crocheting scarves back when I was unemployed.  Yeah, I abandoned that.  I'm now making pillows.  Why, you may ask?  Something to do that doesn't involve my car.

 

Speaking of which, I should be getting it back tomorrow.  Finally.  Since I haven't been able to get to the grocery store in three weeks, I've pretty much been living on delivery food for dinner.  I'm really tired of pizza.  Though this weekend, I ordered a couple of salads from a place on Highland.  Really, really good.

 

Oh, and Amazon's candy store is evil.  The sucked me in with a link on my entry page.  All I have to say is that it's a good thing all my spare money this month is going to Kenny the transmission guy.

 

Finally, if your PBS station carries GlobeTrekker, you must watch it.  It is far and away the best travel show I have ever seen, better even than Rick Steeves.  I think it's because the hosts are young, and they do a lot of hiking.  I could never do the trips they do (the van incident when I was in college ensured that a walk of more than a few miles is pretty much out of the question now), but they are cool to watch.

 

So, I'm going to go take a shower just because, order a pizza, and settle in for the night.  And tomorrow, you shall get to witness my virtual happy dance.