so i land in atlanta at 9:30am on sunday (don't ask how early i had to wake up in ames, iowa to make this trip), take MARTA to my car, and drive home listening to the radio. one of my pre-programmed radio stations has made its annual switch to christmas music and i was embarrassingly excited about this fact. i may or may not have listened to that station all the way home. christmas stuff in stores in october? unacceptable! christmas music on the radio after thanksgiving? welcomed! hooray. i love this season.
upon arriving home i promptly spent a grillion dollars on itunes, purchasing, among other things, this CD. it had been in my itunes "wish list" since approximately february, but as it contains christmas music i couldn't very well purchase it in february. but now? it's the end of the month and i have more money than usual in my bank account (mysteriously...though i'm not asking any questions)...and it is christmas music season! so i treated myself. and it is glorious.
what do i wake up to this morning? a story on NPR about how people spend more money online than they intend to because it's so easy to make purchases. um, that's me. NPR, get out of my head.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
and he's not even my favorite character
"i am brave. roller coasters? love 'em. scary movies? i've seen ghostbusters like seven times. i regularly drive through neighborhoods that have only recently been gentrified. so yeah - i'm pretty much not afraid of anything."
--phil, "modern family" (11/25)
if you are not watching this show, you need to pull yourself together and start watching. it is laugh-out-loud funny, and i am not a laugh-out-loud kind of girl.
--phil, "modern family" (11/25)
if you are not watching this show, you need to pull yourself together and start watching. it is laugh-out-loud funny, and i am not a laugh-out-loud kind of girl.
Friday, November 27, 2009
my first pie crust
"this pie tastes like diabetes."
--my sister
that pie was the sweetest thing EVER, but also extremely delicious...so if you have a sweet tooth, head on over to bakerella and make it. this is also the first time i've ever made a pie crust from scratch and it turned out great! so if nothing else: remember this pie crust. i had a minor meltdown while baking the pie because it wasn't firming up at quite the rate that i felt it should have been...and it did NOT stay in pretty layers like the photo suggests that it will. but never mind - it all turned out okay in the end. the perfect end to thanksgiving dinner!
today: leftovers for lunch (aka best lunch of the year), some shopping, then #7 duke vs. #13 uconn! a little nervous about our first game against a ranked opponent this year...but hopefully we will persevere.
happy day-after-thanksgiving, all!
--my sister
that pie was the sweetest thing EVER, but also extremely delicious...so if you have a sweet tooth, head on over to bakerella and make it. this is also the first time i've ever made a pie crust from scratch and it turned out great! so if nothing else: remember this pie crust. i had a minor meltdown while baking the pie because it wasn't firming up at quite the rate that i felt it should have been...and it did NOT stay in pretty layers like the photo suggests that it will. but never mind - it all turned out okay in the end. the perfect end to thanksgiving dinner!
today: leftovers for lunch (aka best lunch of the year), some shopping, then #7 duke vs. #13 uconn! a little nervous about our first game against a ranked opponent this year...but hopefully we will persevere.
happy day-after-thanksgiving, all!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
warning: don't read this while eating
since i'm leaving this afternoon for a five day weekend in iowa, i couldn't bear to go out to grab lunch (i've got food here! why spend the money?) or run to the grocery store (whatever i buy will likely go bad while i'm gone), so today is eat-random-leftovers day. i dislike this kind of day. for lunch i had the following:
things i threw away while looking for food to eat:
1. the aforementioned duck sauce.
2. fresh parsley that i never used because i forgot i bought it
3. old cheddar cheese
4. half an onion whose other half was used approximately two weeks ago
5. a half gallon of barely used milk that expired november 8th. it was so gross i had been holding out on throwing it away because (a) i wanted to recycle the plastic container, so (b) i had to pour out the GROSS milk inside. i hope you are appropriately disgusted. i can start talking about my dog bite wound any time now if you'd rather hear about that...
i would rather have been eating Fiery Sweet Potatoes
and my grandma's green bean casserole
and my sister's mashed potatoes
and Chocolate Bread Pudding.
but i guess that's what thanksgiving is for, right? HOORAY.
- four mini vegetable eggrolls that i found in the freezer. there was once a packet of sauce that went with them. it is now missing, and the duck sauce i had in the fridge expired in september and BOY DID IT LOOK LIKE IT EXPIRED IN SEPTEMBER. eww. okay then - four mini eggrolls with a random packet of soy sauce i found. excellent.
- a cheese quesadilla, made with two different kinds of cheese - not because i am fancy, but because i only had small portions of each cheese.
- approximately 20 chickpeas, eaten from the can until i realized eating chickpeas by themselves isn't exactly delicious.
things i threw away while looking for food to eat:
1. the aforementioned duck sauce.
2. fresh parsley that i never used because i forgot i bought it
3. old cheddar cheese
4. half an onion whose other half was used approximately two weeks ago
5. a half gallon of barely used milk that expired november 8th. it was so gross i had been holding out on throwing it away because (a) i wanted to recycle the plastic container, so (b) i had to pour out the GROSS milk inside. i hope you are appropriately disgusted. i can start talking about my dog bite wound any time now if you'd rather hear about that...
i would rather have been eating Fiery Sweet Potatoes
and my grandma's green bean casserole
and my sister's mashed potatoes
and Chocolate Bread Pudding.
but i guess that's what thanksgiving is for, right? HOORAY.
Monday, November 23, 2009
four dogs
mom: so we're taking carter [one of their dogs] to the vet's over thanksgiving break.
me: he needs a little extra care, huh?
mom: yeah. but the other three dogs are staying here. i'm paying daniel and alisa $1 each per day to feed them.
me: mcgrady, north carolina may be the only place in the world where you can get three dogs cared for over a five day weekend for $10 total.
yes, my parents have four dogs. how many did they set out to get? oh, that would be zero. dogs are just DRAWN to my parents. it is adorable. they spend all day on the farm investigating good smells and lying in the sun. (the dogs, not my parents.) there is also a dog hierarchy; one dog has had two hip replacements, which required my dad to come home every day at lunch for months to care for him...he is also overweight and thus has to eat fresh vegetables that fill him up but don't have a lot of calories. i think he also takes several medications, which is why he needs to be at the vet's over thanksgiving. on the other end of the spectrum: one dog isn't allowed inside.
daniel and alisa are my parents' next door neighbors. they are in 5th and 3rd grade. they love my mom and like to come talk to her and borrow things from her - a shovel, for example, to build a fort. in turn, my mom gives them random things that only she and they can appreciate. on the phone today she told me that she found a deer skull with the antlers still attached, and she gave it to daniel and he was so excited. my mom and daniel are some of the only people i know who would appreciate a deer skull. they are made for each other.
me: he needs a little extra care, huh?
mom: yeah. but the other three dogs are staying here. i'm paying daniel and alisa $1 each per day to feed them.
me: mcgrady, north carolina may be the only place in the world where you can get three dogs cared for over a five day weekend for $10 total.
yes, my parents have four dogs. how many did they set out to get? oh, that would be zero. dogs are just DRAWN to my parents. it is adorable. they spend all day on the farm investigating good smells and lying in the sun. (the dogs, not my parents.) there is also a dog hierarchy; one dog has had two hip replacements, which required my dad to come home every day at lunch for months to care for him...he is also overweight and thus has to eat fresh vegetables that fill him up but don't have a lot of calories. i think he also takes several medications, which is why he needs to be at the vet's over thanksgiving. on the other end of the spectrum: one dog isn't allowed inside.
daniel and alisa are my parents' next door neighbors. they are in 5th and 3rd grade. they love my mom and like to come talk to her and borrow things from her - a shovel, for example, to build a fort. in turn, my mom gives them random things that only she and they can appreciate. on the phone today she told me that she found a deer skull with the antlers still attached, and she gave it to daniel and he was so excited. my mom and daniel are some of the only people i know who would appreciate a deer skull. they are made for each other.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
i love my couch
it is rainy rainy rainy in atlanta today - and quite chilly (for us). i dragged myself out of bed this morning to go the gym, and from there went to work at world peace for the afternoon. it was crazy at world peace - people everywhere - and chris had me working the register. i'm pretty new at the register, but not as new as i used to be. i know this because when i first started working the register this was every interaction:
customer: hi! i'd like a TMB with a side salad and a pot of tea - what kind do you like best?
me: okay, i'm a new at this, so bear with me! (where is the key for TMB? TMB, TMB, where is it?? panic! oh, here we go. okay, now what is the code for a side salad. let me check this sheet, side salad...okay, 180.) i've got your TMB with a side salad - i'm sorry, can you repeat what else you wanted?
and it would continue from there. italicized words are my inner monologue, obviously. at this point i would be sweating profusely. out of nervousness.
now i'm at the point where i can ring up orders quickly and even key in things like "no mayonnaise." (hold your applause.) even when we were mobbed today, i pretty much kept my cool. except i keyed in debit cards as credit cards, so when we ran the report at the end of the shift the credit card report was tragically off...until i realized what i'd done. and no permanent damage was done. whew. crisis averted.
i'm back home now, and this is the perfect weather for eating a big lunch (check) and wearing a fluffy flannel robe (check) and curling up on the couch (check) under a blanket (check) and watching copious amounts of tv (check). oh, i'm so happy right now.
in honor of my afternoon spent watching my tivoed shows, i offer you this quote from the daily show with jon stewart which is too good not to share. I LOVE THIS MAN. he constantly makes my day.
"the special olympics is to winners what fox news is to experts; if you show up, you are one." -jon stewart, the daily show, 11/18/09.
customer: hi! i'd like a TMB with a side salad and a pot of tea - what kind do you like best?
me: okay, i'm a new at this, so bear with me! (where is the key for TMB? TMB, TMB, where is it?? panic! oh, here we go. okay, now what is the code for a side salad. let me check this sheet, side salad...okay, 180.) i've got your TMB with a side salad - i'm sorry, can you repeat what else you wanted?
and it would continue from there. italicized words are my inner monologue, obviously. at this point i would be sweating profusely. out of nervousness.
now i'm at the point where i can ring up orders quickly and even key in things like "no mayonnaise." (hold your applause.) even when we were mobbed today, i pretty much kept my cool. except i keyed in debit cards as credit cards, so when we ran the report at the end of the shift the credit card report was tragically off...until i realized what i'd done. and no permanent damage was done. whew. crisis averted.
i'm back home now, and this is the perfect weather for eating a big lunch (check) and wearing a fluffy flannel robe (check) and curling up on the couch (check) under a blanket (check) and watching copious amounts of tv (check). oh, i'm so happy right now.
in honor of my afternoon spent watching my tivoed shows, i offer you this quote from the daily show with jon stewart which is too good not to share. I LOVE THIS MAN. he constantly makes my day.
"the special olympics is to winners what fox news is to experts; if you show up, you are one." -jon stewart, the daily show, 11/18/09.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
be kind
"be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
--plato
recently, this is my mantra. i repeat it a lot. another volunteer at world peace tonight who didn't really do much work, and spent the whole time talking to someone about how she's having trouble with her boyfriend...leaving me to do much of the work? for her, this is a hard battle. student who tells you they need a college recommendation letter soon, and you have to stop what you're doing to write it? who knows what else is going on in her life. hard battle. person who cuts you in the security line at the airport, yet their ticket (which you can see) shows that their flight doesn't leave for several hours? maybe they never fly - maybe they're anxious. hard battle. person who can't return your emails even though you know they can make time for it? hard battle. person who lets their dog bite you? (i know - leave it alone, claire.) who knows what else is going on in her life. hard battle.
you don't have to believe another person's battle is hard. to you, it might be easy. to them, it might be the most difficult thing they've ever faced. we all fight battles - daily ones, lifetime ones. i can't judge yours, and in turn i hope you won't judge mine. this is what i repeat to myself in those moments where i just want to say GROW UP or MOVE FASTER or DON'T PUT ME OUT JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN'T PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER. be kind. everyone - everyone - is fighting a hard battle.
--plato
recently, this is my mantra. i repeat it a lot. another volunteer at world peace tonight who didn't really do much work, and spent the whole time talking to someone about how she's having trouble with her boyfriend...leaving me to do much of the work? for her, this is a hard battle. student who tells you they need a college recommendation letter soon, and you have to stop what you're doing to write it? who knows what else is going on in her life. hard battle. person who cuts you in the security line at the airport, yet their ticket (which you can see) shows that their flight doesn't leave for several hours? maybe they never fly - maybe they're anxious. hard battle. person who can't return your emails even though you know they can make time for it? hard battle. person who lets their dog bite you? (i know - leave it alone, claire.) who knows what else is going on in her life. hard battle.
you don't have to believe another person's battle is hard. to you, it might be easy. to them, it might be the most difficult thing they've ever faced. we all fight battles - daily ones, lifetime ones. i can't judge yours, and in turn i hope you won't judge mine. this is what i repeat to myself in those moments where i just want to say GROW UP or MOVE FASTER or DON'T PUT ME OUT JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN'T PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER. be kind. everyone - everyone - is fighting a hard battle.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
overheard
One of my teacher-friends just sent me this email:
There are three of us "Duke people" who work in the history department at my school, and I love that we have this reputation. (Spoken like a true teacher or what?)
Overheard in the hall from two senior girls regarding recent exams and past exams...
"Those Duke people make hard tests."
There are three of us "Duke people" who work in the history department at my school, and I love that we have this reputation. (Spoken like a true teacher or what?)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
healing
oh elaine - i feel you. except i didn't try to pet a dog. i tried to stand still and not get bitten. AND I FAILED.
Dog Bites Elaine
did you know that you can get tetanus from a dog bite? neither did i, but apparently everyone else DID know this and recommended it. i thought you could only get tetanus from stepping on a rusty nail, like i did when i was little. i have this very vivid memory of being at the house when i was mini (3 or 4?) and mom telling me to put on shoes before we went back to work on the old house, this (imagine that) old house on our property in mcgrady. i hated wearing shoes as a kid - i have no idea why - and wouldn't wear them unless absolutely necessary. i would pick my way across gravel driveways and field of just-cut hay with prickly bits sticking everywhere, going 1 mile per hour, just so i wouldn't have to put on shoes. on this particular occasion i won the fight with mom and got to walk around near the old house without shoes on. and then i stepped on a rusty nail. of course. because moms are always right. i remember being in the white truck and driving back to our house really fast so mom could take care of my wounded foot. she says that i had already a tetanus shot, so they didn't take me to the doctor. i am, obviously, a trooper.
here in 2009 i don't have a tetanus shot that's up to date (they expire after 10 years and my last one was in 1996), so i went to my doctor's to get that. she looked at my wound and said to keep an eye on it, but that it wasn't too deep and wasn't infected (yet), so i should be okay. woo hoo. do you want to see this wound? do you? do you? well, i don't want to freak out casual observers, so you'll have to click this link to my picasa page to see it. if you're interested, that is.
Dogs Can Be Mean (click on the photos to make them larger, for full gross-out effect)
is this weird that i'm putting these photos online? has this blog gone too far into my personal life? apologies if it has...
and i promise to stop talking about this soon(-ish).
Dog Bites Elaine
did you know that you can get tetanus from a dog bite? neither did i, but apparently everyone else DID know this and recommended it. i thought you could only get tetanus from stepping on a rusty nail, like i did when i was little. i have this very vivid memory of being at the house when i was mini (3 or 4?) and mom telling me to put on shoes before we went back to work on the old house, this (imagine that) old house on our property in mcgrady. i hated wearing shoes as a kid - i have no idea why - and wouldn't wear them unless absolutely necessary. i would pick my way across gravel driveways and field of just-cut hay with prickly bits sticking everywhere, going 1 mile per hour, just so i wouldn't have to put on shoes. on this particular occasion i won the fight with mom and got to walk around near the old house without shoes on. and then i stepped on a rusty nail. of course. because moms are always right. i remember being in the white truck and driving back to our house really fast so mom could take care of my wounded foot. she says that i had already a tetanus shot, so they didn't take me to the doctor. i am, obviously, a trooper.
here in 2009 i don't have a tetanus shot that's up to date (they expire after 10 years and my last one was in 1996), so i went to my doctor's to get that. she looked at my wound and said to keep an eye on it, but that it wasn't too deep and wasn't infected (yet), so i should be okay. woo hoo. do you want to see this wound? do you? do you? well, i don't want to freak out casual observers, so you'll have to click this link to my picasa page to see it. if you're interested, that is.
Dogs Can Be Mean (click on the photos to make them larger, for full gross-out effect)
is this weird that i'm putting these photos online? has this blog gone too far into my personal life? apologies if it has...
and i promise to stop talking about this soon(-ish).
Monday, November 16, 2009
i want to live in a land called paradise
at my dorky history conference this weekend i went to a session (as i mentioned previously) about muslim perspectives in film. the presenter started the session by introducing herself and then immediately playing this video:
Kareem Salama - A Land Called Paradise
(i really hope this link works.)
kareem salama is a egyptian-american country-western singer who is muslim. I LOVE THIS SONG. since i found the video online when i got home i have watched it approximately 10 times and i will be purchasing his album even though itunes does not appear to be carrying it. do you like country music even a little bit? why are you still reading - WATCH THIS VIDEO. watch it again. try not to sing along. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE.
the text and video are also so powerful, and in just a couple minutes they help, i think, dispel a lot of stereotypes americans (including myself, for sure) have about muslims. for that reason, i love this video even more. i will be showing it in class. i just need to figure out how to incorporate it into a lesson plan. or not. it pertains to current events, right? i can totally just show this.
[dog bite update: i have consulted both the school nurse (who gave me big bandaids and told me to make sure my tetanus shot was up to date) and my teacher-friend who is also a doctor (watch for pus, lots of redness, and firmness of the wound - those are bad signs...and she told me to take the bandaid off for a bit every day to let it breathe. this is my mom's answer to all wounds: don't cover them up all the time. woah. apparently this is sound medical advice. good work, mom.). i think i will live. it doesn't hurt...it's just a bit tender and really gross...]
Kareem Salama - A Land Called Paradise
(i really hope this link works.)
kareem salama is a egyptian-american country-western singer who is muslim. I LOVE THIS SONG. since i found the video online when i got home i have watched it approximately 10 times and i will be purchasing his album even though itunes does not appear to be carrying it. do you like country music even a little bit? why are you still reading - WATCH THIS VIDEO. watch it again. try not to sing along. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE.
the text and video are also so powerful, and in just a couple minutes they help, i think, dispel a lot of stereotypes americans (including myself, for sure) have about muslims. for that reason, i love this video even more. i will be showing it in class. i just need to figure out how to incorporate it into a lesson plan. or not. it pertains to current events, right? i can totally just show this.
[dog bite update: i have consulted both the school nurse (who gave me big bandaids and told me to make sure my tetanus shot was up to date) and my teacher-friend who is also a doctor (watch for pus, lots of redness, and firmness of the wound - those are bad signs...and she told me to take the bandaid off for a bit every day to let it breathe. this is my mom's answer to all wounds: don't cover them up all the time. woah. apparently this is sound medical advice. good work, mom.). i think i will live. it doesn't hurt...it's just a bit tender and really gross...]
Sunday, November 15, 2009
there i was, minding my own business...
you will never believe what happened to me today. THE DOG WHO LIVES ACROSS THE HALL FROM US BIT ME. and it broke the skin. and i screamed. this is a dog who always barks A LOT when his owner leaves the condo to take him for a walk, and it has always startled me - it is some severe barking - but i never imagined it was a BITING DOG. i was walking up to my door to go inside after a walk and the woman and her dog came out of their door at the same time. the dog barked a lot, ran up to me, jumped up on me, and bit me. I HAD TRUSTED THIS DOG. I HAD ASSUMED THIS DOG WAS ALL TALK. THIS DOG IS NOT ALL TALK. the woman who owns the dog apologized profusely and offered to pay for the pants the dog ripped, which i first said wasn't necessary and then said would be fine. i then immediately called my mom and had her talk me down - do i have rabies? (no, all dogs have to get rabies shots...this would only be a concern if this was a wild dog.) then i talked to my dad, the lawyer (sure, dogs are SUPPOSED to be vaccinated, but you need to get some documentation or a tag number from the owner to confirm that their dog has been vaccinated on schedule). valid point. the owners weren't home when i went across the hall to ask about the documentation, so i left a note, allowing me to avoid confrontation (my ultimate goal in life). here's hoping they get back to me tonight.
the bite mark looks awesomely tragic. mom says it will probably bruise and swell up. i'm excited about how gross it will look. as long as it comes with no additional side effects. like rabies.
update: i talked to the owner and she showed me the documentation that the dog's rabies vaccinations are up to date. whew. new goal: no infection...
the bite mark looks awesomely tragic. mom says it will probably bruise and swell up. i'm excited about how gross it will look. as long as it comes with no additional side effects. like rabies.
update: i talked to the owner and she showed me the documentation that the dog's rabies vaccinations are up to date. whew. new goal: no infection...
Saturday, November 14, 2009
pseudonyms
my senior year in college i started looking for a job, and in the search process i would get discouraged occasionally, as all people looking for jobs do. you spend all that time trying to make yourself seem fabulous and perfect for whatever job you're applying for, and it can get frustrating when no one wants to hire you (yet). my roommate and i created an alter ego for myself: spare cogsdon. spare cogsdon was unmarketable, not me. it did wonders for me to be able to blame things on spare cogsdon. there is probably some psychology term for what i was doing. if you know what it is - and if it means i have some deep-seated emotional issues - please don't tell me.
you know my friend willis, of blog notoriety? well, his name isn't ACTUALLY willis, of course...but when i tell potentially embarrassing stories about him, i've started referring to him by this name. you will all be happy to know willis has embraced the pseudonym willis. he initially was not amused by this pseudonym and wanted a cooler name, but i'd already chosen willis and there was no going back. "the name willis is too black. i don't want it." "you lose. it's going to stick. so there." and oh, has it stuck.
on thursday, friends, we reached a milestone: WILLIS REFERRED TO HIMSELF AS WILLIS OUT LOUD. willis and i have decided that if (excuse me: WHEN) he does extremely flamboyant things, he can blame it on willis, much as i blamed my unmarketability on spare cogsdon. an alter ego! it's like he's a superhero. SUPER WILLIS!
you know my friend willis, of blog notoriety? well, his name isn't ACTUALLY willis, of course...but when i tell potentially embarrassing stories about him, i've started referring to him by this name. you will all be happy to know willis has embraced the pseudonym willis. he initially was not amused by this pseudonym and wanted a cooler name, but i'd already chosen willis and there was no going back. "the name willis is too black. i don't want it." "you lose. it's going to stick. so there." and oh, has it stuck.
on thursday, friends, we reached a milestone: WILLIS REFERRED TO HIMSELF AS WILLIS OUT LOUD. willis and i have decided that if (excuse me: WHEN) he does extremely flamboyant things, he can blame it on willis, much as i blamed my unmarketability on spare cogsdon. an alter ego! it's like he's a superhero. SUPER WILLIS!
Friday, November 13, 2009
dork alert
dork alert.
jenny and i went to the national conference on the social studies today (and we get to go back tomorrow) and it was glorious. i went to five sessions today: using technology to teach presidential elections, international humanitarian law and guantanamo bay, constitutional law and georgia cases, muslim perspectives in film, and deliberations on hate speech. you should be jealous, because it was awesome. jenny and i went to the conference two years ago when it was in san diego - much more exciting than downtown atlanta, but we're happy to go back again. we spent all of lunch talking about the cool classes we'd been to and planning out which ones we'd go to in the afternoon and tomorrow. we love history, and there were lots of us history sessions (for jenny) and government sessions (for me).
in one of the above mentioned classes we were given a bunch of words and asked to identify them. while i didn't know a lot of the terms, i was one of the only people who could identify "bagram" - where it is, what it is, and how it related to the topic at hand. bonus dork points to any blog reader who can do the same without looking it up.
jenny and i went to the national conference on the social studies today (and we get to go back tomorrow) and it was glorious. i went to five sessions today: using technology to teach presidential elections, international humanitarian law and guantanamo bay, constitutional law and georgia cases, muslim perspectives in film, and deliberations on hate speech. you should be jealous, because it was awesome. jenny and i went to the conference two years ago when it was in san diego - much more exciting than downtown atlanta, but we're happy to go back again. we spent all of lunch talking about the cool classes we'd been to and planning out which ones we'd go to in the afternoon and tomorrow. we love history, and there were lots of us history sessions (for jenny) and government sessions (for me).
in one of the above mentioned classes we were given a bunch of words and asked to identify them. while i didn't know a lot of the terms, i was one of the only people who could identify "bagram" - where it is, what it is, and how it related to the topic at hand. bonus dork points to any blog reader who can do the same without looking it up.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
gawking
scene: the school cafeteria.
time: lunch today.
i walk past a table of 11th grade girls on my way to the salad bar. several of the girls are turned around and obviously gawking at the table of 11th grade boys behind them.
me, in a teasing voice: "are you girls looking at those boyyyyys?"
one girl, in an "i can't believe i have to explain this" voice: "no way, ms. L. we're trying to see what kinds of ice cream are in the freezer case behind them."
i love 11th grade girls.
time: lunch today.
i walk past a table of 11th grade girls on my way to the salad bar. several of the girls are turned around and obviously gawking at the table of 11th grade boys behind them.
me, in a teasing voice: "are you girls looking at those boyyyyys?"
one girl, in an "i can't believe i have to explain this" voice: "no way, ms. L. we're trying to see what kinds of ice cream are in the freezer case behind them."
i love 11th grade girls.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
christmas in november
i am becoming that woman who starts shopping for christmas presents in july. becoming - i haven't become her yet. maybe there's time to save myself. but this thursday, while sitting in a long and boring meeting, i bought my christmas cards online. i'm embarrassed to admit this out loud.
i like sending handwritten cards through the real mail. i like receiving them, so i assume others do, too, and there's something special about buying cards and writing a note and putting a stamp on it and putting it in the mail and knowing that soon someone will go to their mailbox and there! mixed in with the bills! it's a piece of mail they actually want to open! i write my grandma norma cards every week or two because i know she's lonely and needs some cheering up. but i write birthday cards and hello cards, too. and a couple years ago i started writing christmas cards. it makes me happy to connect with people once a year - let them know i'm thinking of them during that season where we are supposed to think a lot (and i do) about the people we love. two years ago i bought whatever cards barnes and noble was selling that weren't totally cheesy. last year i made my own cards. this year i'm planning ahead like a freaky christmas lady and buying them online well in advance. yesterday they arrived. AND THEY ARE SO CUTE. get ready, everyone. if i don't have your address, send me an email. because the christmas cards are adorable this year and i can't WAIT to send them.
where does one get fabulous christmas cards online that aren't totally cheesy? www.etsy.com (in a boring meeting? spend some time on this website. you'll be able to happily waste hours. i've bought t-shirts, jewelry, wind chimes, stationery, a purse.... this time around i searched "christmas cards," and after sifting through many ugly or tragic ones, found some that i was really happy about. everything on etsy is handmade and sold directly from the craftsperson. etsy = awesome.)
i like sending handwritten cards through the real mail. i like receiving them, so i assume others do, too, and there's something special about buying cards and writing a note and putting a stamp on it and putting it in the mail and knowing that soon someone will go to their mailbox and there! mixed in with the bills! it's a piece of mail they actually want to open! i write my grandma norma cards every week or two because i know she's lonely and needs some cheering up. but i write birthday cards and hello cards, too. and a couple years ago i started writing christmas cards. it makes me happy to connect with people once a year - let them know i'm thinking of them during that season where we are supposed to think a lot (and i do) about the people we love. two years ago i bought whatever cards barnes and noble was selling that weren't totally cheesy. last year i made my own cards. this year i'm planning ahead like a freaky christmas lady and buying them online well in advance. yesterday they arrived. AND THEY ARE SO CUTE. get ready, everyone. if i don't have your address, send me an email. because the christmas cards are adorable this year and i can't WAIT to send them.
where does one get fabulous christmas cards online that aren't totally cheesy? www.etsy.com (in a boring meeting? spend some time on this website. you'll be able to happily waste hours. i've bought t-shirts, jewelry, wind chimes, stationery, a purse.... this time around i searched "christmas cards," and after sifting through many ugly or tragic ones, found some that i was really happy about. everything on etsy is handmade and sold directly from the craftsperson. etsy = awesome.)
Monday, November 9, 2009
TIPsgiving 2: return to the shire
it was a weekend of dorkiness. glorious, glorious dorkiness. the third annual TIPsgiving - a reunion of some of my favorite coworkers from when i worked for TIP, plus a thanksgiving pre-game (because a year with only one thanksgiving is a sad year indeed).
we ate - made-from-scratch guacamole, cheesy grits, sweet potatoes, apple pie and ginger ice cream, dim sum (not all at the same time)...
we reminisced -
"hey eric, why don't you put shadow's shock collar on your leg again?"
"shut up."
we played dorky board games, including settlers of catan, which is probably the dorkiest game i have ever played...but it is also certainly one of the most fun games i've ever played. i will be buying this game for someone (anyone) i know for christmas so i have an excuse to play myself.
and, most importantly, we had great conversations, from why the personality of lady bird (one of abby & aaron's chickens) to whether we should believe statisticians to the genius of dr. horrible's sing-along blog.
doesn't this sound like my idea of heaven? well friends, it is. it was my birthday on saturday, and when i talked to my mom she said, "what are you guys doing?" i replied, "eating lots of food and playing fun games." "your favorite things!" "i know! and they are THEIR favorite things, too!"
i've been hit by the november blahs recently, and thanksgiving break seems far, far away. this - seven friends, a box full of board games, a full refrigerator - was the perfect way to spend my birthday weekend. and it was a much-needed break from the november blahs.
we ate - made-from-scratch guacamole, cheesy grits, sweet potatoes, apple pie and ginger ice cream, dim sum (not all at the same time)...
we reminisced -
"hey eric, why don't you put shadow's shock collar on your leg again?"
"shut up."
we played dorky board games, including settlers of catan, which is probably the dorkiest game i have ever played...but it is also certainly one of the most fun games i've ever played. i will be buying this game for someone (anyone) i know for christmas so i have an excuse to play myself.
and, most importantly, we had great conversations, from why the personality of lady bird (one of abby & aaron's chickens) to whether we should believe statisticians to the genius of dr. horrible's sing-along blog.
doesn't this sound like my idea of heaven? well friends, it is. it was my birthday on saturday, and when i talked to my mom she said, "what are you guys doing?" i replied, "eating lots of food and playing fun games." "your favorite things!" "i know! and they are THEIR favorite things, too!"
i've been hit by the november blahs recently, and thanksgiving break seems far, far away. this - seven friends, a box full of board games, a full refrigerator - was the perfect way to spend my birthday weekend. and it was a much-needed break from the november blahs.
Friday, November 6, 2009
hello from 30,000 feet
did you know that delta has wireless internet on board their planes now? they were offering a free trial today, so here i am, on the internet several miles above virginia. what is this world coming to? I LOVE THIS WORLD.
what is wrong with america, part 2
in class this morning:
student: "did you hear about the muslim guy who killed thirteen people yesterday on the military base?"
me: "i'm a little upset that the first adjective you used was 'muslim,' not 'doctor' or 'soldier.' he is an american citizen who is an army doctor and his religion is islam. but yes, i heard about it. and i'm really sad and disturbed that it happened." [oh, i am on my high horse.]
you'd never hear a christian or jew or nonbeliever in america who killed someone referred to as "that christian guy" unless he perpetrated the crime for religious reasons. and there is no evidence this american soldier in texas did. but apparently some media outlets (my student watched good morning america) are focusing in on his religion and putting that information side by side with the fact that the crime was committed, and if their viewers want to create causation there, the media isn't stopping them. NPR? not so much...a passing reference to the fact that he was muslim and a quick quote from his imam back in virginia WHERE HE WAS BORN BECAUSE HE IS AN AMERICAN. i feel like i have to focus on that detail in class because my students will go off the deep end, and pretty soon they'll be talking in the halls about how this is an act of terrorism. and i can't deal with that.
can't we be upset enough that a soldier is accused of killing other soldiers? or is this not enough, media outlets?
rant over. deep breath. happier topics tomorrow.
student: "did you hear about the muslim guy who killed thirteen people yesterday on the military base?"
me: "i'm a little upset that the first adjective you used was 'muslim,' not 'doctor' or 'soldier.' he is an american citizen who is an army doctor and his religion is islam. but yes, i heard about it. and i'm really sad and disturbed that it happened." [oh, i am on my high horse.]
you'd never hear a christian or jew or nonbeliever in america who killed someone referred to as "that christian guy" unless he perpetrated the crime for religious reasons. and there is no evidence this american soldier in texas did. but apparently some media outlets (my student watched good morning america) are focusing in on his religion and putting that information side by side with the fact that the crime was committed, and if their viewers want to create causation there, the media isn't stopping them. NPR? not so much...a passing reference to the fact that he was muslim and a quick quote from his imam back in virginia WHERE HE WAS BORN BECAUSE HE IS AN AMERICAN. i feel like i have to focus on that detail in class because my students will go off the deep end, and pretty soon they'll be talking in the halls about how this is an act of terrorism. and i can't deal with that.
can't we be upset enough that a soldier is accused of killing other soldiers? or is this not enough, media outlets?
rant over. deep breath. happier topics tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
what is wrong with america
thanks for the book suggestions, friends! any others, send them my way...
on my list of "things i hate about america," which is not a very long list, mind you, is trashy tv masquerading as news. we all know i like trashy tv, but when it is pretending to inform me about important things in the world around me, i draw the line. example: i'm at the gym, walking on the treadmill, and "inside edition" is on the tv in front of me. through pictures and closed captioning, i find out A NEWS STORY ON THIS PROGRAM is that michelle obama high fived a girl who nine days later went to the hospital with swine flu. YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS UP. i offer the following questions:
1. wouldn't it be helpful to your viewers to tell them (a) when a swine flu carrier is contagious and (b) if this girl even had swine flu nine days ago? no? okay, great - don't mention those details at all.
2. can one get swine flu via a high five? INTERVIEW A DOCTOR.
3. does michelle obama have swine flu? no? didn't think so. even if she does, IS THIS NEWS?
they replayed approximately five times the footage of michelle obama high fiving the swine flu victim-to-be. then they interviewed swiney and her parents in the hospital. i can only conclude that this family (a) knew this footage of the high five existed, and (b) wanted to use their sick daughter to get on tv. THIS IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH AMERICA.
on my list of "things i hate about america," which is not a very long list, mind you, is trashy tv masquerading as news. we all know i like trashy tv, but when it is pretending to inform me about important things in the world around me, i draw the line. example: i'm at the gym, walking on the treadmill, and "inside edition" is on the tv in front of me. through pictures and closed captioning, i find out A NEWS STORY ON THIS PROGRAM is that michelle obama high fived a girl who nine days later went to the hospital with swine flu. YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS UP. i offer the following questions:
1. wouldn't it be helpful to your viewers to tell them (a) when a swine flu carrier is contagious and (b) if this girl even had swine flu nine days ago? no? okay, great - don't mention those details at all.
2. can one get swine flu via a high five? INTERVIEW A DOCTOR.
3. does michelle obama have swine flu? no? didn't think so. even if she does, IS THIS NEWS?
they replayed approximately five times the footage of michelle obama high fiving the swine flu victim-to-be. then they interviewed swiney and her parents in the hospital. i can only conclude that this family (a) knew this footage of the high five existed, and (b) wanted to use their sick daughter to get on tv. THIS IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH AMERICA.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
help needed
i'm searching for a good book to read next - any suggestions?
likes: something intellectually stimulating, but not hard to read or ponderous to get through. fiction. memoirs of people with interesting lives. books about the south.
dislikes: most chick lit (i can't even believe i just used that term).
recent books read: the namesake (by lahiri), the help (stockett), the brief wondrous life of oscar wao (diaz), little bee (cleave).
likes: something intellectually stimulating, but not hard to read or ponderous to get through. fiction. memoirs of people with interesting lives. books about the south.
dislikes: most chick lit (i can't even believe i just used that term).
recent books read: the namesake (by lahiri), the help (stockett), the brief wondrous life of oscar wao (diaz), little bee (cleave).
Monday, November 2, 2009
hydrangeas
my new desktop background:
i've posted briefly about my love for smashing magazine's free desktop backgrounds - 50 per month! - but wanted to give a link so you can check it out yourself. search "smashing magazine" and the current month to see the new ones...i looked through the november 2009 ones this morning and didn't love any of them - so i went back a year and this one is from november 2008. here's the link if you want to see what's available: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/10/31/desktop-wallpaper-calendar-november-2008/ you can get them with a calendar or without...i like them without, since i don't imagine i'd use the calendar very much.
and many thanks to willis for telling me about them in the first place!
i've posted briefly about my love for smashing magazine's free desktop backgrounds - 50 per month! - but wanted to give a link so you can check it out yourself. search "smashing magazine" and the current month to see the new ones...i looked through the november 2009 ones this morning and didn't love any of them - so i went back a year and this one is from november 2008. here's the link if you want to see what's available: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/10/31/desktop-wallpaper-calendar-november-2008/ you can get them with a calendar or without...i like them without, since i don't imagine i'd use the calendar very much.
and many thanks to willis for telling me about them in the first place!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
chickens and red feather boas
okay, so you saw the velociraptor on saturday. but now you need to see a couple of chickens:
my costume = $1 pair of yellow socks + $5 pair of yellow tights + $5 pair of white shorts + shirt i already owned + $4 native american headdress that i cut in half an stapled to my shirt to use as wings + $3 beak. glorious.
i am standing her with my fellow chicken, played by willis. willis, who used a red feather boa to accentuate his chicken costume and then walked in a parade in front of approximately 500 students, parents, and faculty members. i jumped up and down in excitement when i first saw willis in his costume. i also stopped counting the number of times during the parade that people looked at us, opened their eyes REALLY WIDE, pointed, laughed, and then took a picture. direct quote from willis: "i didn't think my costume looked gay at the time. today i saw the pictures and realized i was mistaken." yes, willis, yes you were.
the best part about working with one of your best friends: wearing homemade complimentary costumes to work on halloween. so. much. fun.
my costume = $1 pair of yellow socks + $5 pair of yellow tights + $5 pair of white shorts + shirt i already owned + $4 native american headdress that i cut in half an stapled to my shirt to use as wings + $3 beak. glorious.
i am standing her with my fellow chicken, played by willis. willis, who used a red feather boa to accentuate his chicken costume and then walked in a parade in front of approximately 500 students, parents, and faculty members. i jumped up and down in excitement when i first saw willis in his costume. i also stopped counting the number of times during the parade that people looked at us, opened their eyes REALLY WIDE, pointed, laughed, and then took a picture. direct quote from willis: "i didn't think my costume looked gay at the time. today i saw the pictures and realized i was mistaken." yes, willis, yes you were.
the best part about working with one of your best friends: wearing homemade complimentary costumes to work on halloween. so. much. fun.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)