i had dinner at a teacher-friend's million dollar (or more) house tonight, and i believe he had an original gustav klimt painting in his home.
willis and i conferred by phone afterwards. about our friend's amazing house, how much fun we had, how nice he is to invite a bunch of us over, and how someone who owns that amazing a house wouldn't - couldn't - have a $20 klimt reproduction in a huge gold frame. it was like we were in a freaking art gallery. it was that kind of frame.
holy shit, is all i have to say.
i know little to nothing about art, but klimt's paintings are distinctive. and beautiful. so i know about them because i like them. and this one was gorgeous.
now, how am i going to find out if it is an original without being tacky and asking? IS it tacky to ask? if you ask it feels like you are saying "how much money do you have hanging on your wall?," when what i really mean is "i love this."
help.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
PSA
because i'm REALLY WHITE, i don't tan. i mean, obviously. i guess i didn't realize that until relatively recently, because i did get some bad burns when i was younger because i was attempting to tan. or being lazy with the sunscreen.
and now i've had two pre-melanomas removed! awesome!
they are called displastic nevuses (nevi?), and apparently dermatologists are split - some think that displastic nevuses turn into melanomas if you don't do anything; others think that melanomas start out as melanomas and displastic nevuses are nothing to worry about.
i've had my two removed - one in may of last year and one in august - one of which was in the "moderate" stage instead of the "mild" stage, and required a two inch incision to get it all out and seven stitches and a pretty beastly scar. if people ask about it sometimes i tell them i was knifed in a bar fight. because it looks like that. when i was in europe, british people were especially susceptible to believing this story. in my mind, this is because there is so little violence in the uk and they imagine that the united states is crazy-violent and something like this could just HAPPEN.*
so now i'm going to the dermatologist's office every six months to check my moles instead of once a year. and yesterday they did biopsies on two more "weird" moles. i am just accumulating scars like it's my job.
here's hoping that they come back as nothing other than funny looking.
are all of you getting your moles checked once a year? BECAUSE YOU NEED TO.
that is your public service announcement for today.
*i'm finally watching bowling for columbine, in which michael moore cites this statistic - in 2001, 68 people were killed in the uk by a gun. in the united states? 11,127. now, i realize that the population of the us is five times that of the uk, but still. oh. my. god.
and now i've had two pre-melanomas removed! awesome!
they are called displastic nevuses (nevi?), and apparently dermatologists are split - some think that displastic nevuses turn into melanomas if you don't do anything; others think that melanomas start out as melanomas and displastic nevuses are nothing to worry about.
i've had my two removed - one in may of last year and one in august - one of which was in the "moderate" stage instead of the "mild" stage, and required a two inch incision to get it all out and seven stitches and a pretty beastly scar. if people ask about it sometimes i tell them i was knifed in a bar fight. because it looks like that. when i was in europe, british people were especially susceptible to believing this story. in my mind, this is because there is so little violence in the uk and they imagine that the united states is crazy-violent and something like this could just HAPPEN.*
so now i'm going to the dermatologist's office every six months to check my moles instead of once a year. and yesterday they did biopsies on two more "weird" moles. i am just accumulating scars like it's my job.
here's hoping that they come back as nothing other than funny looking.
are all of you getting your moles checked once a year? BECAUSE YOU NEED TO.
that is your public service announcement for today.
*i'm finally watching bowling for columbine, in which michael moore cites this statistic - in 2001, 68 people were killed in the uk by a gun. in the united states? 11,127. now, i realize that the population of the us is five times that of the uk, but still. oh. my. god.
Monday, March 29, 2010
this was my weekend:
duke game with beer and friends. near heart attack. yay - we beat purdue even though we played like crap for parts of the game!
oh, sleeping in is so nice. i don't need to wake up to go to my class at the gym. i will lie around in my pajamas a little more.
now i will take a long walk in the sun to make up for not going to the gym. 4.4 miles = a lot for me, but the sun and this american life made it go by quickly.
i have earned the right to lie around a lot more and watch basketball and on my computer and talk with q at the same time. it was like we were in the same room watching it together! except we weren't.
sunday = big trip to whole foods to buy delicious things i don't really need! yum.
more lying around.
duke game with massive amounts of diet coke and many friends. my heart, at points, was beating so loudly that i thought it might jump out of my chest. i had to stand up for the whole second half. mike did, too, so i wasn't the only freak. willis and i like to play a game in which we grade brian zoubek during a game. if he does something particularly awesome, he gets +1. if he does something dumb, he gets -1. except willis thinks zoubek is overrated by people like me (i have discovered that i love zoubek because about a month ago he figured out how to actually score! and rebound! and sometimes not foul out!), and willis is very stingy about giving +1s and very quick to give a -1. but zoubs still ended with a +1 cumulative for the game (after being down as much as -2). and we won! yay! final fourrrrrrrrr for the first time since 2004 (when i was a senior at duke)!
moving mike and kelly into our condo. fixing of a dryer. eating angel food cake with chocolate syrup (because it needed a little more sugar). conference call with the duke friends. lots of giggling. sleep.
oh, sleeping in is so nice. i don't need to wake up to go to my class at the gym. i will lie around in my pajamas a little more.
now i will take a long walk in the sun to make up for not going to the gym. 4.4 miles = a lot for me, but the sun and this american life made it go by quickly.
i have earned the right to lie around a lot more and watch basketball and on my computer and talk with q at the same time. it was like we were in the same room watching it together! except we weren't.
sunday = big trip to whole foods to buy delicious things i don't really need! yum.
more lying around.
duke game with massive amounts of diet coke and many friends. my heart, at points, was beating so loudly that i thought it might jump out of my chest. i had to stand up for the whole second half. mike did, too, so i wasn't the only freak. willis and i like to play a game in which we grade brian zoubek during a game. if he does something particularly awesome, he gets +1. if he does something dumb, he gets -1. except willis thinks zoubek is overrated by people like me (i have discovered that i love zoubek because about a month ago he figured out how to actually score! and rebound! and sometimes not foul out!), and willis is very stingy about giving +1s and very quick to give a -1. but zoubs still ended with a +1 cumulative for the game (after being down as much as -2). and we won! yay! final fourrrrrrrrr for the first time since 2004 (when i was a senior at duke)!
moving mike and kelly into our condo. fixing of a dryer. eating angel food cake with chocolate syrup (because it needed a little more sugar). conference call with the duke friends. lots of giggling. sleep.
BSE, duke university, '74 and '05
last night mike and kelly moved into our condo for the week until they can (hopefully) move into their new house. yay for new roommates! mike immediately put himself to work fixing our dryer. because he's my friend like that. (and because i told him in advance that his services were needed.) my dad did diagnostic work last weekend, taking the back of the dryer apart, running various dad-created tests to figure out which part was responsible for the fact that the dryer wasn't heating clothes that were put in it. which is the dryer's JOB, so this was a problem. his best guess was that the heating element had broken, so he left the back of the dryer disassembled, and labeled all the wires that would need to be reconnected so that even i could probably put it back together once the new part arrived.
the new heating element came in the mail this week and then so did mike (well, he didn't come in the mail...), and mike put it all back together again. best moment:
him: "oh, your dad labeled all the wires - perfect. this is exactly how i would have labeled them."
me: "well, you both do have the same degree from the same university, just 31 years apart. so i'm glad to see that you think the same way."
[note: mike's degree is in electrical engineering and my dad's degree is in civil engineering, but CLOSE ENOUGH.]
thank you, duke, for providing an education in how to fix dryers (or something like that).
and ohmygoodness, GO DEVILS!!
the new heating element came in the mail this week and then so did mike (well, he didn't come in the mail...), and mike put it all back together again. best moment:
him: "oh, your dad labeled all the wires - perfect. this is exactly how i would have labeled them."
me: "well, you both do have the same degree from the same university, just 31 years apart. so i'm glad to see that you think the same way."
[note: mike's degree is in electrical engineering and my dad's degree is in civil engineering, but CLOSE ENOUGH.]
thank you, duke, for providing an education in how to fix dryers (or something like that).
and ohmygoodness, GO DEVILS!!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
i love march
okay, my life has order again. ncaa basketball resumes this evening. whew. my north star has appeared again, i'm back on track, and i know exactly what i'll be doing for the next four days. duke doesn't play until tomorrow, but four games this evening will keep me appropriately entertained.
how did i survive the last three days without basketball on tv? AND (after duke wins the national championship) HOW WILL I SURVIVE THE NEXT SEVEN MONTHS WITHOUT IT?
how did i survive the last three days without basketball on tv? AND (after duke wins the national championship) HOW WILL I SURVIVE THE NEXT SEVEN MONTHS WITHOUT IT?
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
rant for today
tell 'em, bob herbert!
when people act in ways that i find repulsive, i try to tell myself that they are doing the best they can. but sometimes i can't believe that. then i start to tell myself that people are crazy and you can't reason with everyone. some of the crazy tea party people? unreasonable.
(also, how will history remember a political party with the acronym TEA to stand for "taxed enough already"? THIS IS A RIDICULOUS ACRONYM. i realize that tea parties in the 1770s were for freedom from an oppressive government and these tea partiers now think they are working for freedom from an oppressive government, but seriously? it's was on a different level then. GET A BETTER NAME.)
end rant.
when people act in ways that i find repulsive, i try to tell myself that they are doing the best they can. but sometimes i can't believe that. then i start to tell myself that people are crazy and you can't reason with everyone. some of the crazy tea party people? unreasonable.
(also, how will history remember a political party with the acronym TEA to stand for "taxed enough already"? THIS IS A RIDICULOUS ACRONYM. i realize that tea parties in the 1770s were for freedom from an oppressive government and these tea partiers now think they are working for freedom from an oppressive government, but seriously? it's was on a different level then. GET A BETTER NAME.)
end rant.
polo lane
about a mile from my house, in the middle of a neighborhood, is a long gravel driveway that extends beyond a gate. it ends in a regulation sized polo field where, in the summer, people bring huge horse trailers and play actual polo on horses. bizarro world. beyond the polo field is the chattahoochee river. you feel like you're in the middle of the country, but you're in the atlanta city limits.
the owner of the land - in the flood plain, so it's understandable that these acres haven't been built on - has a big sign up on the gate that reads something like, "this is private land, not a public park. walkers are welcome, as long as they keep their dogs under their control and respect the horses and wildlife." i love this man, though i've never met him, because he is generous with his land and dozens of people come here to walk every day, me being one of them.
this is green spring grass in one of the fields. even though this green screams SPRING, you can tell it's still winter...bare trees, long long shadows. but the green draws me in...
the owner of the land - in the flood plain, so it's understandable that these acres haven't been built on - has a big sign up on the gate that reads something like, "this is private land, not a public park. walkers are welcome, as long as they keep their dogs under their control and respect the horses and wildlife." i love this man, though i've never met him, because he is generous with his land and dozens of people come here to walk every day, me being one of them.
this is green spring grass in one of the fields. even though this green screams SPRING, you can tell it's still winter...bare trees, long long shadows. but the green draws me in...
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
tuesday night hockey
so i went to an atlanta thrashers (NHL) game tonight and sat in the fourth row, behind the thrashers' bench (do they call it a bench?). clearly i got the ticket for free from a woman at work. i had never been to an NHL game before, and it was a great seat and really fun, even though i only sort of knew what was going on. my favorite part of the game was the fight in the first period. here is how it went:
some play happens that i don't see because hockey moves REALLY FAST and i was probably looking through my program to figure out who the hell was on the ice at that moment.
a thrashers player and a bruins player get pissed. they throw off their gloves. play stops. the three refs stand around near them.
both players put up their fists like you imagine people doing when they are going to fight. they circle each other. everyone in the crowd stands up and begins cheering excitedly. it appears that some people have come to the game hoping for a good fight like this.
they start throwing punches at each other. the refs stand around. the refs kick the gloves out of the way so the players don't trip on them. i am appalled. why are the refs not breaking this up? the other players from both teams stand around. if this was any other sport, the benches would have emptied by now and other players would be (a) trying to get in on the fight, or (b) trying to stop the fight. these players are just enjoying the show.
through punches and wrestling moves, the bruins player somehow knocks off the helmet of the thrashers player. i am thinking to myself, "oh, helmet off - this guy could get really hurt. the refs will stop it now." one ref kicks the helmet out of the way. the fight continues. punches are being thrown left and right. i find myself cheering when the thrashers player lands some pretty good punches on the bruins player's face.
after probably 20-30 seconds (which is a really long time when people are punching each other), the refs move in and break up the fight. both men are led to their respective penalty boxes.
in retrospect, it felt like the testosterone was so thick in the air that the refs thought, "if we let them punch each other for a while, they will feel better and cool down and we can get back to playing hockey."
but i need help: anyone know why they are allowed to do THIS in hockey but not allowed to, say, trip someone? or hit someone with their stick? or do any number of other things that are not allowed but aren't as bad as PUNCHING SOMEONE REPEATEDLY IN THE FACE? i don't get it.
(oh yeah - and the thrashers lost 4-0. lame.)
some play happens that i don't see because hockey moves REALLY FAST and i was probably looking through my program to figure out who the hell was on the ice at that moment.
a thrashers player and a bruins player get pissed. they throw off their gloves. play stops. the three refs stand around near them.
both players put up their fists like you imagine people doing when they are going to fight. they circle each other. everyone in the crowd stands up and begins cheering excitedly. it appears that some people have come to the game hoping for a good fight like this.
they start throwing punches at each other. the refs stand around. the refs kick the gloves out of the way so the players don't trip on them. i am appalled. why are the refs not breaking this up? the other players from both teams stand around. if this was any other sport, the benches would have emptied by now and other players would be (a) trying to get in on the fight, or (b) trying to stop the fight. these players are just enjoying the show.
through punches and wrestling moves, the bruins player somehow knocks off the helmet of the thrashers player. i am thinking to myself, "oh, helmet off - this guy could get really hurt. the refs will stop it now." one ref kicks the helmet out of the way. the fight continues. punches are being thrown left and right. i find myself cheering when the thrashers player lands some pretty good punches on the bruins player's face.
after probably 20-30 seconds (which is a really long time when people are punching each other), the refs move in and break up the fight. both men are led to their respective penalty boxes.
in retrospect, it felt like the testosterone was so thick in the air that the refs thought, "if we let them punch each other for a while, they will feel better and cool down and we can get back to playing hockey."
but i need help: anyone know why they are allowed to do THIS in hockey but not allowed to, say, trip someone? or hit someone with their stick? or do any number of other things that are not allowed but aren't as bad as PUNCHING SOMEONE REPEATEDLY IN THE FACE? i don't get it.
(oh yeah - and the thrashers lost 4-0. lame.)
your daily procrastination
ohmygod. try not to cry when you read this article from the new york times, especially the part about the book they read on her first day of college. it is so perfect. it is order in a crazy world. it is wonderful.
pink!
pretty blossoms on a cherry tree in my neighborhood on a sunny day last week. yesterday was not a sunny day. in fact, yesterday was a cold rainy day with snow flurries in the morning. how can it be 70 degrees and sunny one day and 40 degrees and rainy the next? I DO NOT APPROVE. the calendar says that it is officially spring now. the weather needs to man up and act like it.
Monday, March 22, 2010
minimum payment
this is my credit card bill from wachovia this month. apparently a new law has gone into effect that requires them to explain exactly what this whole "minimum payment" thing and "interest" thing means. i thought people knew that when you use a credit card and don't pay off the full balance each month, you pay interest on your balance, thus increasing the amount you owe. apparently everyone wasn't really getting that. i should have guessed.
what i didn't realize, though (so i'm glad this new law is in effect) is this line: "if you make no additional charges this month, and each month you pay only the minimum payment, you will pay off the balance on this statement in about 19 years." 19 YEARS?? are you kidding me? i knew that not paying off the full amount each month increased the amount you had to pay, but i didn't realize that someone could be making payments on this bill for almost 20 years. i think this is a sign that we need to raise the mandatory minimum payment, because this seems ridiculous to me.
note: i always pay off my credit card balance each month because i know that credit cards get people into trouble and, thus, credit cards are scary. however, this new information on my bill has scared me even more, and while this bill isn't due until april 10th, i will totally be paying it TODAY. whoever passed a law saying that credit card companies had to spell things out in plain english should be rewarded somehow. maybe with a cookie.
(do you like how i changed my tune WITHIN THIS POST? i guess the bottom line is: i think this law is necessary and important for america even if it doesn't change my behavior too much. the end.)
(click the picture to zoom in.)
what i didn't realize, though (so i'm glad this new law is in effect) is this line: "if you make no additional charges this month, and each month you pay only the minimum payment, you will pay off the balance on this statement in about 19 years." 19 YEARS?? are you kidding me? i knew that not paying off the full amount each month increased the amount you had to pay, but i didn't realize that someone could be making payments on this bill for almost 20 years. i think this is a sign that we need to raise the mandatory minimum payment, because this seems ridiculous to me.
note: i always pay off my credit card balance each month because i know that credit cards get people into trouble and, thus, credit cards are scary. however, this new information on my bill has scared me even more, and while this bill isn't due until april 10th, i will totally be paying it TODAY. whoever passed a law saying that credit card companies had to spell things out in plain english should be rewarded somehow. maybe with a cookie.
(do you like how i changed my tune WITHIN THIS POST? i guess the bottom line is: i think this law is necessary and important for america even if it doesn't change my behavior too much. the end.)
(click the picture to zoom in.)
more evidence that spring is here!
remember my one lonely daffodil that had bloomed? he has friends now! in fact, all the daffodils in my neighborhood are flowering, and they're beautiful. some tulips have followed their lead. HOORAY FOR SPRING.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
next up: purdue
this girl is really happy about duke's win today! i was really grumpy that CBS turned away from our game in the middle of the second half to show the two closer games that were on, but i guess it's good to know that duke was winning by enough that they could turn away from our game.
we play again on friday night - so happy that we've made it into the sweet sixteen and get to (hopefully) lay the smack down on purdue. let's go duke!
i've mentioned it before, but i'll mention it again: i love this time of year. what am i going to do with myself until games start up again on thursday?? (oh, maybe DO MY JOB and GO TO SLEEP ON TIME...)
we play again on friday night - so happy that we've made it into the sweet sixteen and get to (hopefully) lay the smack down on purdue. let's go duke!
i've mentioned it before, but i'll mention it again: i love this time of year. what am i going to do with myself until games start up again on thursday?? (oh, maybe DO MY JOB and GO TO SLEEP ON TIME...)
911 call by a five year old
okay, this entertained me greatly. ADORABLE. i love how she is concerned that she and her dad are still in their "jammies." if you need a five minute break from work, this should do it...
[thanks, erica!]
[thanks, erica!]
Friday, March 19, 2010
i heart cbs
can i tell you how much mom + dad + i love CBS's march madness on demand? um, thiiiiiiiiiiis much. you can live stream any of the ncaa tournament games on your computer, which is key when three or four games are going on at the same time and your local CBS station will only be showing one. so we get my laptop ready, assuming they will cut away from the 1-16 game if/when the 1 team (duke) runs away with it. well, we turn the tv on, and (horror of horrors!) the georgia tech game is on at the same time and we are CLEARLY in tech country. they showed not a minute of the duke game on tv, but we watched the whole thing on my laptop. i couldn't stop talking about how great the live streaming quality was. IT WAS GREAT.
i love you, cbs.
mom and dad are here this weekend because dad was a guest speaker in my government classes this morning. they liked the lecture (and seemed to get what he was talking about), but his mustache was the real star of the day. when you are an 18 year old boy, my dad's mustache is incredible because you really wish you could grow one just like it. last year one of my students said to me the day after dad's visit, "your dad has a sweet 'stache."
when we go to trivia tomorrow night, dad has proclaimed that we are going to name our team "the sweet 'staches."
i love you, cbs.
mom and dad are here this weekend because dad was a guest speaker in my government classes this morning. they liked the lecture (and seemed to get what he was talking about), but his mustache was the real star of the day. when you are an 18 year old boy, my dad's mustache is incredible because you really wish you could grow one just like it. last year one of my students said to me the day after dad's visit, "your dad has a sweet 'stache."
when we go to trivia tomorrow night, dad has proclaimed that we are going to name our team "the sweet 'staches."
also...
...i dare you to read NYU's list of top 100 works of journalism of the 20th century in the US and not get the shivers. (or maybe that's the historian in me.)
68. Joe Rosenthal. Photograph of Marines raising a U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima. 1945
55. ABC. Live broadcast of Army-McCarthy hearings. 1954
44. Randy Shilts. Reporting on AIDS. 1981-85
41. Huyn Cong Ut. Photograph of a burning girl running from a napalm attack. 1972
35. James Baldwin. "The Fire Next Time." 1963
31. John Steinbeck. Reports on Okie migrant camp life for the San Francisco News. 1936
17. Henry Hampton. "Eyes on the Prize." 1987
14. James Agee and Walker Evans. "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men." 1941
9. Ernie Pyle. Reports from Europe and the Pacific during World War II. 1940-45
4. Edward R. Murrow. "This is London . . ." radio reports for CBS on the German bombing of London. Also collected in book form. 1940
3. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Watergate investigations for the Washington Post. 1972-73
2. Rachel Carson. "Silent Spring." 1962
68. Joe Rosenthal. Photograph of Marines raising a U.S. flag on Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima. 1945
55. ABC. Live broadcast of Army-McCarthy hearings. 1954
44. Randy Shilts. Reporting on AIDS. 1981-85
41. Huyn Cong Ut. Photograph of a burning girl running from a napalm attack. 1972
35. James Baldwin. "The Fire Next Time." 1963
31. John Steinbeck. Reports on Okie migrant camp life for the San Francisco News. 1936
17. Henry Hampton. "Eyes on the Prize." 1987
14. James Agee and Walker Evans. "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men." 1941
9. Ernie Pyle. Reports from Europe and the Pacific during World War II. 1940-45
4. Edward R. Murrow. "This is London . . ." radio reports for CBS on the German bombing of London. Also collected in book form. 1940
3. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Watergate investigations for the Washington Post. 1972-73
2. Rachel Carson. "Silent Spring." 1962
i heart nonfiction
as a girl who likes nonfiction essays and articles, i am amazed by this list from NYU's journalism school of the 80 best works of journalism this decade. they plan to narrow it down to 10 "winners," but i may not even pay attention to that when it happens. this list of 80 is so impressive to begin with.
from this list, i've read/seen:
ehrenreich's nickel and dimed
pelosi's journeys with george
jon stewart's coverage of the '04 and '08 elections
if by chance we meet again, a piece from this american life (that is STUNNING)
lee's when the levees broke
jesus camp
nate silver's blog fivethirtyeight.com (were you my friend in the fall of 2008? because i was talking about this blog basically every day.)
this american life's episode the giant pool of money
man on wire
[i'm going to be honest, and i didn't realize this when i started this post, i loved - LOVED, like it made a huge impact on me - every one of these pieces that i've read or seen. so this undertaking by NYU becomes legit to me. and i would really recommend that people who haven't seen or read the ones i list above to do so now. now, i said.]
i'd already wanted to read/see:
gladwell's the tipping point
bryson's a short history of nearly everything
fog of war
friedman's the world is flat
nora wallis, are you reading? because this list makes me think of you. :)
from this list, i've read/seen:
ehrenreich's nickel and dimed
pelosi's journeys with george
jon stewart's coverage of the '04 and '08 elections
if by chance we meet again, a piece from this american life (that is STUNNING)
lee's when the levees broke
jesus camp
nate silver's blog fivethirtyeight.com (were you my friend in the fall of 2008? because i was talking about this blog basically every day.)
this american life's episode the giant pool of money
man on wire
[i'm going to be honest, and i didn't realize this when i started this post, i loved - LOVED, like it made a huge impact on me - every one of these pieces that i've read or seen. so this undertaking by NYU becomes legit to me. and i would really recommend that people who haven't seen or read the ones i list above to do so now. now, i said.]
i'd already wanted to read/see:
gladwell's the tipping point
bryson's a short history of nearly everything
fog of war
friedman's the world is flat
nora wallis, are you reading? because this list makes me think of you. :)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
handshakes
a couple weekends ago i spent 7 hours at school interviewing students who are applying to our school for next year. it went by quickly - 15 minutes of interviewing, they do a writing sample for us for about 15 minutes, i write up the interview, and it's on to the next kid. all the kids i interviewed today are in 8th grade and applying for 9th grade. it's really fun to see them all dressed up and a bit nervous and trying to impress us. they shake hands with me like real grown ups would, both before and after the interview. i imagine that this is something their parents drill into them - "make sure you shake her hand afterwards and thank her for taking the time to talk with you!"
i had this vivid memory at the end of the day, shaking hands with the last girl i interviewed, of my grandma giving me the same talk. i don't know what award i was about to receive, but i knew that the next day i'd be shaking hands with some grown up after they gave me an award. this was when my grandma lived next door to me, so i must have been in elementary school - maybe 4th grade? my grandma made me practice with her the night beforehand. "okay, hold your hand like this. good. now, firm handshake. not limp like this - no, firm. good. the first thing a person will notice about you is your handshake. you have to make a good, strong first impression."
and a handshake is one of those things, isn't it, that we do judge people on if they give a limp handshake, or just use the tips of their fingers, or just hold their hand out and give no pressure in return. for a working girl like myself, a handshake is important. and when i was 9, my grandma knew that.
i had this vivid memory at the end of the day, shaking hands with the last girl i interviewed, of my grandma giving me the same talk. i don't know what award i was about to receive, but i knew that the next day i'd be shaking hands with some grown up after they gave me an award. this was when my grandma lived next door to me, so i must have been in elementary school - maybe 4th grade? my grandma made me practice with her the night beforehand. "okay, hold your hand like this. good. now, firm handshake. not limp like this - no, firm. good. the first thing a person will notice about you is your handshake. you have to make a good, strong first impression."
and a handshake is one of those things, isn't it, that we do judge people on if they give a limp handshake, or just use the tips of their fingers, or just hold their hand out and give no pressure in return. for a working girl like myself, a handshake is important. and when i was 9, my grandma knew that.
the daffodils are lying
the weather outside during that fire drill we just had? indicates that it is still winter.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
the oscars
how have i not posted about the oscars yet?? bottom line: if you haven't seen the hurt locker or up yet, get thee to a blockbuster or your netflix queue and rent them pronto. i loved them. and they won lots of awards - yay! it makes me happy when movies that i like get greater recognition as good films. and, let's be honest, it makes me feel cultured. [mom, seriously, how have you not seen up yet? you will love it.] willis and anderson had a bunch of people over to their house, fed us girl scout cookies, and we watched the broadcast together. what made the boring awards more interesting was (a) tivo, and (b) oscar ballots! we filled out ballots for the 24 televised awards, guessing who would win in each category. anderson and i both did better than a.o. scott, the new york times's film critic (his picks were available online). this will forever be my claim to fame.
[yes, it was dumb luck that anderson and i did better than a.o. scott, a man who actually SAW all the films that were nominated. we don't care. we saw a lot of the films! okay, okay - a fair number.]
[yes, it was dumb luck that anderson and i did better than a.o. scott, a man who actually SAW all the films that were nominated. we don't care. we saw a lot of the films! okay, okay - a fair number.]
Monday, March 15, 2010
youtube almost-rant
Handsome Men's Club (thanks, morgan!)
this entertains me a LOT and if you have ten minutes to kill and you think boys are cute, you should watch this. i could get into a rant here about how the tech department at my work has blocked youtube access for everyone because the kids are abusing it, disregarding that teachers use it as an ACTUAL TEACHING TOOL (in addition to a procrastination tool), but OHMYGOD AMAZING VICTORY, my complaining to our administration appears to have resulted in youtube getting unblocked.
life is so good right now.
this entertains me a LOT and if you have ten minutes to kill and you think boys are cute, you should watch this. i could get into a rant here about how the tech department at my work has blocked youtube access for everyone because the kids are abusing it, disregarding that teachers use it as an ACTUAL TEACHING TOOL (in addition to a procrastination tool), but OHMYGOD AMAZING VICTORY, my complaining to our administration appears to have resulted in youtube getting unblocked.
life is so good right now.
rude awakening
omg. waking up this morning - the first day back to work after spring break - was not fun. i had envisioned an easy morning for myself - catch up on email, maybe make a tournament bracket or two, but the phone had other plans and brought me a phone call from a parent and an ensuing issue that i've been dealing with. awesome.
in other news, duke plays at 7:30pm on friday in the first round of the tournament, and this makes me very happy, as i'll be done with work and will be able to watch. that is, if CBS doesn't preempt our game for another, more competitive, 7:30 game. that is my least favorite thing about the opening weekend of the tournament.
in other news, duke plays at 7:30pm on friday in the first round of the tournament, and this makes me very happy, as i'll be done with work and will be able to watch. that is, if CBS doesn't preempt our game for another, more competitive, 7:30 game. that is my least favorite thing about the opening weekend of the tournament.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
netflix "watch instantly"
are you aware of how amazing the tv show weeds is? BECAUSE IT IS AMAZING. i heart everything about it, but especially the music. they used an abigail washburn song in one episode of the first season and a song by the mountain goats in another episode. and i adored mary-louise parker and justin kirk in angels in america, and here they are again. how can i not love this show? this show and i were destined to be BFF.
i'd heard people say good things about weeds, but i thought "i have no interest in watching a tv show about a suburban pot dealer." people, i was wrong. it is about so much more than that. and thanks to netflix's "watch instant" feature, i've just watched the first season on my computer over the past five days. and i'm starting on season two. i will spare you a bad joke about how i am addicted to this show. but i am.
[in other news, hooray for an ACC tournament championship and a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament for my blue devils!!]
i'd heard people say good things about weeds, but i thought "i have no interest in watching a tv show about a suburban pot dealer." people, i was wrong. it is about so much more than that. and thanks to netflix's "watch instant" feature, i've just watched the first season on my computer over the past five days. and i'm starting on season two. i will spare you a bad joke about how i am addicted to this show. but i am.
[in other news, hooray for an ACC tournament championship and a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament for my blue devils!!]
Saturday, March 13, 2010
hit bull, win a steak
wish list:
durham bulls shirt
when i was at the beer carnival last weekend with my friends (including miss nora, durham native), we saw a girl wearing this shirt and i totally busted into her conversation to tell her (a) how much i love the durham bulls, and (b) how cute her shirt was. and i was only on my first beer.
small world. and adorable shirt.
durham bulls shirt
when i was at the beer carnival last weekend with my friends (including miss nora, durham native), we saw a girl wearing this shirt and i totally busted into her conversation to tell her (a) how much i love the durham bulls, and (b) how cute her shirt was. and i was only on my first beer.
small world. and adorable shirt.
an odd preference
"i wish we had the stuff to make vodka tonics. that's my favorite drink to have in the shower."
--willis
--willis
open letter
dear duke men's basketball team,
i love to watch you play. i realized today that we saw carolina play their last game of the season, and i'm getting sad about the end of our season, too. i heart you. let's win some more games before we say goodbye to zoubs and lance and scheyer.
love,
claire
i love to watch you play. i realized today that we saw carolina play their last game of the season, and i'm getting sad about the end of our season, too. i heart you. let's win some more games before we say goodbye to zoubs and lance and scheyer.
love,
claire
Thursday, March 11, 2010
drive all night
willis, dudley, irving, and i departed atlanta at 1:05am last night and arrived at the beach house at 6:55am. and magically, we weren't grumpy. i know you can't believe this, but it's true. we then slept until 1:00pm. my neck hurts like a bitch right now from sleeping in the car, but otherwise, all is well.
willis drove the whole way.
THE WHOLE WAY.
because he's bad ass like that.
awesome text from willis while we were lying in our beds in different rooms, waking up this morning:
"i don't like that both dudley and irving have white aristocratic names and i have a second class black name."
(apologies to all people named willis out there.)
i informed willis that we can't change his pseudonym now. my mom just figured it out.
willis drove the whole way.
THE WHOLE WAY.
because he's bad ass like that.
awesome text from willis while we were lying in our beds in different rooms, waking up this morning:
"i don't like that both dudley and irving have white aristocratic names and i have a second class black name."
(apologies to all people named willis out there.)
i informed willis that we can't change his pseudonym now. my mom just figured it out.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
embarrassing my mom
mom: so i was reading your blog the other day and i read the story about willis's letter to the new president of grinnell, and i said to john, "is willis really [willis's real name]?"
me: wait, mom, are you kidding me?
mom: no! i thought that this was a new work friend who i hadn't met before, but then he described himself in the email and i was like, this sounds like [willis's real name]. why don't you call him [willis's real name]?
me: sometimes i tell stories about him that might be embarrassing, so i've given him a pseudonym.
mom: does anybody else have one?
me: no, not so far.
note: mom and dad are pretty much BFF with willis. they've known him since i was in college with him. they met him at a duke football game (so this must have been the fall of my senior year), and i have this really vivid memory of the moment they met. willis walked up and i got ready to introduce them and my dad stood up all weirdly, but i didn't think much of it. after willis walked away dad confessed that he thought willis was a security guard who was going to yell at him for sitting in the wrong seat.
hehe.
physically, willis looks like he could beat you up in a back alley. nothing could be further from the truth. willis loves words, like me. and if you met willis in a back alley, he would not beat you up. unless crushing you with a hug counts.
in other news, i am about to embark on a four day beach vacation with willis, dudley [pseudonym alert!], and irving [pseudonym alert!]. yes, readers, claire and the gay boys (it's like a band. i will play the tambourine. no, no - the recorder.) are going on vacation together. i anticipate the boys doing embarrassing things, and i want to be able to blog about it, so i'm preemptively giving pseudonyms. theme: old people names.
me: wait, mom, are you kidding me?
mom: no! i thought that this was a new work friend who i hadn't met before, but then he described himself in the email and i was like, this sounds like [willis's real name]. why don't you call him [willis's real name]?
me: sometimes i tell stories about him that might be embarrassing, so i've given him a pseudonym.
mom: does anybody else have one?
me: no, not so far.
note: mom and dad are pretty much BFF with willis. they've known him since i was in college with him. they met him at a duke football game (so this must have been the fall of my senior year), and i have this really vivid memory of the moment they met. willis walked up and i got ready to introduce them and my dad stood up all weirdly, but i didn't think much of it. after willis walked away dad confessed that he thought willis was a security guard who was going to yell at him for sitting in the wrong seat.
hehe.
physically, willis looks like he could beat you up in a back alley. nothing could be further from the truth. willis loves words, like me. and if you met willis in a back alley, he would not beat you up. unless crushing you with a hug counts.
in other news, i am about to embark on a four day beach vacation with willis, dudley [pseudonym alert!], and irving [pseudonym alert!]. yes, readers, claire and the gay boys (it's like a band. i will play the tambourine. no, no - the recorder.) are going on vacation together. i anticipate the boys doing embarrassing things, and i want to be able to blog about it, so i'm preemptively giving pseudonyms. theme: old people names.
Grammar police, part 2
An adult wrote this: "I think the coolest pet to have would be a qualla bear! Dont know if there legal but would be awesome!"
There are no words to describe how I feel about this.
There are no words to describe how I feel about this.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
american idol confession
are you kidding me right now? the red haired chick on american idol just sang brandi carlile's "the story"! for those of you long-time followers who read my travel blog last summer, you'll remember my looooooooooove for this song.
here's hoping a million people go buy it on itunes and brandi carlile makes some cash money. YAY.
(and yes, i am admitting that i watch american idol. in fact, i love the trashiness that is american idol. my friends and i do bracketology with american idol once it gets down to the top 12 and compete to see who can best predict the order that the contestants will be eliminated. this combines my love of american idol with my love of competition. you'll see that it's perfect for me.)
here's hoping a million people go buy it on itunes and brandi carlile makes some cash money. YAY.
(and yes, i am admitting that i watch american idol. in fact, i love the trashiness that is american idol. my friends and i do bracketology with american idol once it gets down to the top 12 and compete to see who can best predict the order that the contestants will be eliminated. this combines my love of american idol with my love of competition. you'll see that it's perfect for me.)
coin laundromat
today i went somewhere that i don't normally go: a coin laundromat. when i lived in new hampshire for a year i trucked my laundry up and down four flights of stairs (no elevator in the dorm where i lived) and drove to a laundromat to clean my clothes. and it sucked. i love that my roommate owns a washer and dryer and i have the luxury of doing laundry whenever i want in machines that are clean. now i've started doing laundry once a month for world peace cafe - washing the yucky rags they use around the restaurant - two huge garbage bags full of food-y, slightly moist rags accumulate every week, and i'm washing them occasionally. delish. i pack them into my car and truck them half a mile from the restaurant to the nearest laundromat. this laundromat is in a little shopping center right next to the area where hispanic men - dozens of them - hang out hoping to be hired by someone for a day's worth of labor. i was the only non-hispanic person in the laundromat, and none of the signs were in english. i did a good job not being "that white girl who doesn't know how to use the machines." i was proud of myself.
in addition to the coin laundromat, this shopping center houses:
a check cashing place
a mexican bakery
a travel agent
a hair salon
a "night club billiard" place
a liquor store
a place advertising "legal services"
a cell phone store
and a chinese restaurant.
(one of these things is not like the other...one of these things just doesn't belong...)
i read my newsweek and listened to "this american life" on my ipod and changed laundry from washer to dryer and then into (clean) trash bags to take back to the restaurant. and that was my morning - not bad at all. (it's spring break! woo hoo! i'm back in bed and watching movies on my laptop. life is good.)
in addition to the coin laundromat, this shopping center houses:
a check cashing place
a mexican bakery
a travel agent
a hair salon
a "night club billiard" place
a liquor store
a place advertising "legal services"
a cell phone store
and a chinese restaurant.
(one of these things is not like the other...one of these things just doesn't belong...)
i read my newsweek and listened to "this american life" on my ipod and changed laundry from washer to dryer and then into (clean) trash bags to take back to the restaurant. and that was my morning - not bad at all. (it's spring break! woo hoo! i'm back in bed and watching movies on my laptop. life is good.)
Sunday, March 7, 2010
i love my alma mater
huge props to dad for sending me this article on storming the court - when it is acceptable, when it isn't, and how grumpy it makes the commentator when fans do it unnecessarily. one point that he makes (that i love): if you realize you're going to win well before the game is over and you PLAN to storm the court - well this is the ultimate no-no. rock on, rick reilly. rock on.
did you SEE my blue devils on saturday night? love it. after that loss to maryland we needed a big win for our seniors on senior night, and when that big win can be achieved over the tarheels, well - even better. acc tournament, here we come.
did you SEE my blue devils on saturday night? love it. after that loss to maryland we needed a big win for our seniors on senior night, and when that big win can be achieved over the tarheels, well - even better. acc tournament, here we come.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
hope
i saw this on my walk today and had to come back with my camera.
daffodils are the first sure sign of spring in my world. this, plus the dose of vitamin d that i got on my walk, have made me quite happy.
(now, blue devils, keep my happy streak alive tonight - beat unc in cameron on senior night!)
daffodils are the first sure sign of spring in my world. this, plus the dose of vitamin d that i got on my walk, have made me quite happy.
(now, blue devils, keep my happy streak alive tonight - beat unc in cameron on senior night!)
Thursday, March 4, 2010
a willis story that isn't embarrassing
have you heard about this?
(i don't know why you would, necessarily, but i thought i would ask.)
grinnell college in iowa - where my dear, dear friends abby and aaron (hi abby and aaron!) went to college - has chosen a new president who is black and gay. this is news is 2010 - and maybe it won't be in twenty years, but it is now.
willis is a little bit beside himself about this. you see, willis wants to be president of duke university one day.
and willis is the kind of person who would do this:
From: [willis]
Sent: Sunday, February 21, 2010 9:27 AM
To: Kington, Raynard (NIH/OD) [E]
Subject: Congratulations and Thank You
Dr. Kington-
Good morning. I'm [willis]. Since I was a young boy, I knew that I
wanted to be in education. I'd often stay behind and talk with my teachers
about why they chose the profession, what they liked about it, and as
importantly, what they would change. I made worksheets and lesson plans
that I kept, certain I'd be a teacher one day. Throwing my mortar board
into the air in a small farm town in Missouri, again at Duke University, and
once more in Ann Arbor, I was certain that education was the path and the
more I matured, the more I knew that leading an institution of higher
education was "it" for me.
I did what all young adults do --management consulting (in healthcare and
higher education) -- for a couple of years before I arrived at my current
position, the creator and Director of the [our school] Program in Global
Citizenship. Using servant leadership, citizenship and diversity as its
pillars, we strive to create experiences for our students that encourage
them to think through problems in the world with lenses of justice,
fairness, and social entrepreneurship. Being at an Episcopal independent
day school in Atlanta has again reminded me of why the collegiate experience
is the one I want to shape and mold.
I say all that to say this. You, with your recent appointment as the 13th
president of Grinnell College, have paved the way for me to achieve my
lifelong dream of becoming a college president. Growing up as a biracial
gay male, the possibility of becoming a university president seemed
unattainable at times, regardless of the effort I put forth, the experiences
I sought out, or the people to whom I introduced myself. And you have
changed that. Your work, your dedication to your career, and your interest
in the education and growth of others has made it possible for individuals
like myself to continue down this track.
I never wanted to be a doctor, or a lawyer, or a fireman when I was a boy.
What I wanted was to live and exist in a community in which we cared about
the growth of young adults. A community that we fostered opportunities to
develop citizens of the world. A community that demanded--without
demanding-- concern for social justice, equality, and the pursuit of
knowledge and wisdom.
I realize you don't know me. But I needed you to know these things. Good
luck as you embark upon your tenure at Grinnell. Should an opportunity
arise, I'm only an e-mail away.
Regards,
[willis]
and the new president of grinnell WROTE HIM BACK.
From: "Kington, Raynard (NIH/OD) [E]"
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2010 10:35:51 -0500
To: [willis]
Subject: RE: Congratulations and Thank You
[willis] -- First, let me apologize for taking so long to respond to your
kind note -- I am slowly working my way through a mountain of email! Of
course, I am delighted if I can serve as a role model for bright young
people such as you. I wish you the best in your career, and I hope your path
can lead you to your ultimate goals. Leading Grinnell will be a big
challenge, but I plan to do my best. It helps to know that people such as
yourself are behind me!
Take care,
Raynard
are you a little teary yet? if you haven't already, watch the video that i linked to at the top of this post - grinnell's new president seems awesome, if only because he is so great with his cute little kiddo. and because he took the time to write willis back. some people write fan mail to movie stars and pop singers. willis writes fan mail to university presidents. willis = adorable.
(thanks to willis for letting me share in his excitement of getting an email back(!!!), and for letting me post it here.)
(i don't know why you would, necessarily, but i thought i would ask.)
grinnell college in iowa - where my dear, dear friends abby and aaron (hi abby and aaron!) went to college - has chosen a new president who is black and gay. this is news is 2010 - and maybe it won't be in twenty years, but it is now.
willis is a little bit beside himself about this. you see, willis wants to be president of duke university one day.
and willis is the kind of person who would do this:
From: [willis]
Sent: Sunday, February 21, 2010 9:27 AM
To: Kington, Raynard (NIH/OD) [E]
Subject: Congratulations and Thank You
Dr. Kington-
Good morning. I'm [willis]. Since I was a young boy, I knew that I
wanted to be in education. I'd often stay behind and talk with my teachers
about why they chose the profession, what they liked about it, and as
importantly, what they would change. I made worksheets and lesson plans
that I kept, certain I'd be a teacher one day. Throwing my mortar board
into the air in a small farm town in Missouri, again at Duke University, and
once more in Ann Arbor, I was certain that education was the path and the
more I matured, the more I knew that leading an institution of higher
education was "it" for me.
I did what all young adults do --management consulting (in healthcare and
higher education) -- for a couple of years before I arrived at my current
position, the creator and Director of the [our school] Program in Global
Citizenship. Using servant leadership, citizenship and diversity as its
pillars, we strive to create experiences for our students that encourage
them to think through problems in the world with lenses of justice,
fairness, and social entrepreneurship. Being at an Episcopal independent
day school in Atlanta has again reminded me of why the collegiate experience
is the one I want to shape and mold.
I say all that to say this. You, with your recent appointment as the 13th
president of Grinnell College, have paved the way for me to achieve my
lifelong dream of becoming a college president. Growing up as a biracial
gay male, the possibility of becoming a university president seemed
unattainable at times, regardless of the effort I put forth, the experiences
I sought out, or the people to whom I introduced myself. And you have
changed that. Your work, your dedication to your career, and your interest
in the education and growth of others has made it possible for individuals
like myself to continue down this track.
I never wanted to be a doctor, or a lawyer, or a fireman when I was a boy.
What I wanted was to live and exist in a community in which we cared about
the growth of young adults. A community that we fostered opportunities to
develop citizens of the world. A community that demanded--without
demanding-- concern for social justice, equality, and the pursuit of
knowledge and wisdom.
I realize you don't know me. But I needed you to know these things. Good
luck as you embark upon your tenure at Grinnell. Should an opportunity
arise, I'm only an e-mail away.
Regards,
[willis]
and the new president of grinnell WROTE HIM BACK.
From: "Kington, Raynard (NIH/OD) [E]"
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2010 10:35:51 -0500
To: [willis]
Subject: RE: Congratulations and Thank You
[willis] -- First, let me apologize for taking so long to respond to your
kind note -- I am slowly working my way through a mountain of email! Of
course, I am delighted if I can serve as a role model for bright young
people such as you. I wish you the best in your career, and I hope your path
can lead you to your ultimate goals. Leading Grinnell will be a big
challenge, but I plan to do my best. It helps to know that people such as
yourself are behind me!
Take care,
Raynard
are you a little teary yet? if you haven't already, watch the video that i linked to at the top of this post - grinnell's new president seems awesome, if only because he is so great with his cute little kiddo. and because he took the time to write willis back. some people write fan mail to movie stars and pop singers. willis writes fan mail to university presidents. willis = adorable.
(thanks to willis for letting me share in his excitement of getting an email back(!!!), and for letting me post it here.)
dress code
An email from a colleague:
"You know a student's skirt is too short when the control top of her pantyhose extends BELOW the hem of her skirt!!!"
This is definitely worthy of three exclamation marks.
"You know a student's skirt is too short when the control top of her pantyhose extends BELOW the hem of her skirt!!!"
This is definitely worthy of three exclamation marks.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
rugby players
let me set the scene for you.
march 2008.
portmarnock, ireland.
i am sitting in the lobby of a hotel as one of my friends checks us in. we've just arrived in ireland and made it to our hotel and we're tired. we've collapsed into some couches.
we are made up of two girls, two gay guys, and a straight guy. (this information becomes important shortly.)
a bus pulls up outside. the entire welsh rugby team exits the bus and enters the lobby of the hotel. the lobby of the hotel that we are sitting in.
THE ENTIRE WELSH RUGBY TEAM.
four of us are speechless and perhaps had to pick our jaws up off the floor. one person doesn't really care.
the welsh rugby team was there because they were playing ireland in a six nations rugby match. the reason we were staying in portmarnock (a suburb of dublin) was because all the hotels in dublin were booked for this wales-ireland match.
we cheered for wales (quietly) the next day in the pub where we watched the game. and they won!
at 4am, we were awoken to the sound of the welsh rugby team returning to the hotel. they seemed pretty happy that they'd won.
today, one member of this trip sends this article to the other members of the trip. (minus the straight guy. he clearly doesn't care.) i most definitely looked at all nine pages of this website immediately.
swoon.
march 2008.
portmarnock, ireland.
i am sitting in the lobby of a hotel as one of my friends checks us in. we've just arrived in ireland and made it to our hotel and we're tired. we've collapsed into some couches.
we are made up of two girls, two gay guys, and a straight guy. (this information becomes important shortly.)
a bus pulls up outside. the entire welsh rugby team exits the bus and enters the lobby of the hotel. the lobby of the hotel that we are sitting in.
THE ENTIRE WELSH RUGBY TEAM.
four of us are speechless and perhaps had to pick our jaws up off the floor. one person doesn't really care.
the welsh rugby team was there because they were playing ireland in a six nations rugby match. the reason we were staying in portmarnock (a suburb of dublin) was because all the hotels in dublin were booked for this wales-ireland match.
we cheered for wales (quietly) the next day in the pub where we watched the game. and they won!
at 4am, we were awoken to the sound of the welsh rugby team returning to the hotel. they seemed pretty happy that they'd won.
today, one member of this trip sends this article to the other members of the trip. (minus the straight guy. he clearly doesn't care.) i most definitely looked at all nine pages of this website immediately.
swoon.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
camping out for the supreme court
OHMYGOD. (That is what I said out loud when I read this article.)
I've known this kid in person since the first week of college at Duke (we're both in the class of 2004). And even before that - he had set up this online group for other incoming Duke freshmen so we could all "meet" online before we met in person. This was the summer of 2000. Facebook didn't exist. Mike Sacks was ahead of his time. And then he went around East Campus during the first week of college, meeting everyone he could. If you ask anyone from my graduating class at Duke if they know Mike Sacks, I predict 90% of people will say yes. He's that guy. I, on the other hand, hid in my room a lot during those first few weeks. Duke was BIG and I didn't know these people. My reaction was pretty much the exact opposite of his. But I met him, so I must have left my room at some point.
Where did Mike Sacks learn to wait in line? Um, that SHOULD be in Krzyzewskiville. But as he explains on his blog, he apparently never camped out for a Duke game. EXCUSE ME?
And now he is profiled in a New York Times article.
The world is very small.
Yay Duke. Yay camping out. Yay Supreme Court.
That is all.
I've known this kid in person since the first week of college at Duke (we're both in the class of 2004). And even before that - he had set up this online group for other incoming Duke freshmen so we could all "meet" online before we met in person. This was the summer of 2000. Facebook didn't exist. Mike Sacks was ahead of his time. And then he went around East Campus during the first week of college, meeting everyone he could. If you ask anyone from my graduating class at Duke if they know Mike Sacks, I predict 90% of people will say yes. He's that guy. I, on the other hand, hid in my room a lot during those first few weeks. Duke was BIG and I didn't know these people. My reaction was pretty much the exact opposite of his. But I met him, so I must have left my room at some point.
Where did Mike Sacks learn to wait in line? Um, that SHOULD be in Krzyzewskiville. But as he explains on his blog, he apparently never camped out for a Duke game. EXCUSE ME?
And now he is profiled in a New York Times article.
The world is very small.
Yay Duke. Yay camping out. Yay Supreme Court.
That is all.
mundane things
1. it is snowing! big flakes. who knows what this means - will we get out of school early?? it is the south, after all. we freak out when it snows.
2. i had a new flavor of wallaby yogurt this morning - key lime. IT TASTED LIKE KEY LIME PIE. i was extremely happy about this.
3. last night anderson and i saw a movie! on a monday! we are crazy, i know. speaking of crazy, the movie we saw was crazy heart and it was really good - beautifully shot, compelling story, jeff bridges is amazing. i wore my yoga clothes, brought in take out food to eat during the movie (this is why i carry a big bag), shared anderson's enormous diet coke, and wrapped up in a blanket (conveniently found in the trunk of my car). it was like i was at home on my couch. the 6 other people in the movie theater didn't care. hooray!
4. it is still snowing.
2. i had a new flavor of wallaby yogurt this morning - key lime. IT TASTED LIKE KEY LIME PIE. i was extremely happy about this.
3. last night anderson and i saw a movie! on a monday! we are crazy, i know. speaking of crazy, the movie we saw was crazy heart and it was really good - beautifully shot, compelling story, jeff bridges is amazing. i wore my yoga clothes, brought in take out food to eat during the movie (this is why i carry a big bag), shared anderson's enormous diet coke, and wrapped up in a blanket (conveniently found in the trunk of my car). it was like i was at home on my couch. the 6 other people in the movie theater didn't care. hooray!
4. it is still snowing.
Monday, March 1, 2010
speaking of books...
do you guys know about sporcle? it's an online collection of quizzes on different topics, and if you are in the 12th grade at my school, you spend 25% of your day taking these quizzes. which is cool, when you think about it, because they are wasting time by taking quizzes, not by playing video games. so i approve.
anderson emailed me with this quiz - www.sporcle.com/games/
i got 21 correct and was embarrassingly proud. let's see if you can beat me!
anderson emailed me with this quiz - www.sporcle.com/games/
i got 21 correct and was embarrassingly proud. let's see if you can beat me!
[for those digital tourists out there (can you tell that i've been to many professional development seminars on technology?), you just click on "start the quiz" or some such, and then type any answer in the box at the top of the screen. mom: you are a digital tourist. dad: you are a digital immigrant. the beckster and i are digital natives. i'll explain more later, and you can debate your status with me.]
nerd alert
excerpt from an email that my sister sent me:
"I finished my kids' book and it was SO GOOD. Luckily there is a sequel. My strongest readers will be so excited."
kids' book = book written for children that my sister was reading for pleasure. because that's what you do on a snow day when you are a 4th grade teacher.
strongest readers = children in my sister's class who can read more difficult books. or maybe this will help put you back in the mindset of 4th grade:
i got lost in my book!
oh, 4th grade is adorable. and i would be very excited to have my sister as my teacher, as i was a nerd who got lost in my book.
"I finished my kids' book and it was SO GOOD. Luckily there is a sequel. My strongest readers will be so excited."
kids' book = book written for children that my sister was reading for pleasure. because that's what you do on a snow day when you are a 4th grade teacher.
strongest readers = children in my sister's class who can read more difficult books. or maybe this will help put you back in the mindset of 4th grade:
i got lost in my book!
oh, 4th grade is adorable. and i would be very excited to have my sister as my teacher, as i was a nerd who got lost in my book.
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