Good Lord - who read me from NSW Australia? And Ypsilanti MI? Or Massachusettes?
Interesting.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Kill me, Kirk
I absolutely DESPISE coming up with a new thesis for research. Hate. Hate. Hate. I suck at it. Correction: I just suck at the type of research (quantitative) I'm being called upon to do now for my research seminar. Ye gods and tiny monsters, I am going to go stark raving mad.
Trying to come up with a thesis that you can do quantitative statistics for in the humanities is maddening.
I mean, how whacked is this:
The purpose of this inquiry is to explore how book banning impacts an educational community’s (e.g. students, faculty, parents) view of the language arts classroom as a venue for developing critical literacy skills necessary to perpetuate a democratic society.
Oh, and now since it's after class, the WHOLE thing has changed.
*weeps*
Trying to come up with a thesis that you can do quantitative statistics for in the humanities is maddening.
I mean, how whacked is this:
The purpose of this inquiry is to explore how book banning impacts an educational community’s (e.g. students, faculty, parents) view of the language arts classroom as a venue for developing critical literacy skills necessary to perpetuate a democratic society.
Oh, and now since it's after class, the WHOLE thing has changed.
*weeps*
veronica mars-ness
I have nearly burned all the season two episodes. It takes over a freaking hour to burn one episode. SLOW going. Only a few more to go:
ep 2: Drivers Ed
ep 3: Cheatty Cheatty Bang Bang
ep 5: Blast from the Past
ep 7: Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner
ep 9: My Mother, the Fiend
ep 10: One Angry Veronica
ep 12: Rashard and Wallace go to White Castle
ep 21: Happy Go Lucky
I can't wait until the actual release of season two - yummy, high quality DVDs!! I have 21 set to go, so I'll probably do that one first tomorrow, and then do the early eps.
ep 2: Drivers Ed
ep 3: Cheatty Cheatty Bang Bang
ep 5: Blast from the Past
ep 7: Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner
ep 9: My Mother, the Fiend
ep 10: One Angry Veronica
ep 12: Rashard and Wallace go to White Castle
ep 21: Happy Go Lucky
I can't wait until the actual release of season two - yummy, high quality DVDs!! I have 21 set to go, so I'll probably do that one first tomorrow, and then do the early eps.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Chicago: My Kind of Town
I am tired, but not super-sleepy. I was dozing earlier after I came home.
Let's see. Saturday, I drove to the Lake Bluff train station with my bike. Bad idea. I should have ridden there. I ended up scratching my paint on my car because I had my bike jammed half-way in the trunk (too big).
Got into Ravenswood about 5:30 and rode to Anne's apartment (I had giggle fits at the thought of riding my bike in Chicago - don't ask why, I don't know). Anne was running late from her errands, so I wound up meeting her at the El stop. Kristi was going to come over and hang for a while, but other things happened for her, so Anne and I just went to Trader Joe's for light dinner stuff. We got the most important stuff: Beer!! The heifeweizen we got there last week was so good that we decided to try the bohemian lager. Not too shabby. It was fun for Anne to lug all the stuff back in her little backpack! I didn't bring a small one, so I couldn't help (we were both on our bikes).
We ate our food while watching 1 3/4 discs of Veronica Mars. Anne enjoyed the show. Hopefully she'll continue to watch it. We were going to bed around 11pm (which was much later than we intended)...just as we were both about to fall asleep this fucking car alarm went off in the street.
I have never before wanted so badly to trash someone's car. Seriously. This was the same alarm that was going off last week. It just goes off and off and off....for no reason!! And whoever the fuck it belongs to doesn't turn it off!! This was past midnight and we were getting peeved. We had to be up at FOUR IN THE MORNING to go to the Bike the Drive start. We wound up calling city works and going outside to report the car. We were NOT the only ones. There were two other irate neighbors doing the exact same thing. It was practically a block party. I was halfway serious when I said we should just bring out the rest of the beers and sit on the grass and wait for the cops to come. God, it was annoying. The cops finally came and tried to find the owners. The found the apartment, but no one answered. They ticketed the SUV. I hope it was fucking expensive.
Funny? Having the alarm go off again while the cops were there. Someone came over one of the cop's radios and asked him "are you at that car alarm yet?" [I'm sure dispatch was getting annoyed with the calls.] He clicks on his radio and says, "You mean THIS one?"
Long story short - damn alarm went off again in the 2 and 3 o'clock hours. Seriously. Next time I'm down at Anne's and that fucking thing goes off? It's getting broken. I will wear gloves, wipe my prints - whatever - and I.will.break.it. I have a baseball bat in my damn car trunk.
Okay, maybe I won't take my bat to it (that's noisy and wakes thewitnesses neighbors), but I can think of several other silent options that will permanently incapacitate that vehicle. And I could probably find several other people who would love to join me in doing that!
Anne got up in the morning first while I kinda laid on the air mattress wondering what the hell I was doing getting up so god-awful early.
We got out the door and the first thing Anne does is nearly impale herself on some short spiked fencing while trying to get on her bike. Morning people we are not. Lord. We rode to the Wilson stop (red line) and got on...and then something else weird happened. There were plenty of cyclists getting on to go to the start. It was cool. But it was also very early morning - when some of the finer denizens of the city are stumbling home. There was this high/drunk dude that got on and he started up a ruckus with a kid (who probably didn't help the situation by running his mouth off). Rule #1 of city survival: don't start trash talking some high/drunk/violent dude who can beat your ass if you're a scrawny runt of a 13 year old. So of course, the kid's mom has to try and calm this freak down - and it's just not working. He was HOT (and I don't mean hot-sexy); he wanted to beat the shit out of that kid. He was saying vile things to the mom, too. One woman pushed the help button to call the engineer, another guy called the cops on his cell, and several other men got up to intervene and keep the psycho dude away from the woman and her kid. All things considered, I was impressed with how many people stepped up to try and get rid of the loser. But it was definitely uncomfortable. He finally got off and was escorted away by security at the Fullerton stop.
All of this before 5:30 am. Oh yeah.
We got to the Columbus/Balbo entrance of the event. Dude, it was exciting! It was a gorgeous morning for a ride as well - sunny and warm (not too warm like it got to be later, thankfully). Anne and I decided to head south first to the Museum of Science and Industry. Fucking hell - that place is away from EVERYTHING else in Chicago. I've never been down there before. It was unbelievable to ride right along the lake going past downtown with all the skyscrapers, Soldier Field, McCormick Place. FUCKING AWESOME. Once we got to MSI and turned around, it was postcard picture perfect to see the whole skyline of the city loom up in the early morning haze. Chicago is beautiful, no ifs ands or buts about it. Going north you hit Navy Pier and that section is much closer to the water (the Gold Coast area) than the southbound section. I so wanted to take a dip in the lake by that point. I hope Anne's pictures turn out - I can't wait to upload them.
We probably got going at 6am. I don't know how many of you know Lake Shore Drive, but it is amazing - goes right along Lake Michigan. Very scenic and very busy with cars unless, of course, they shut it down for this event! It's only in its fifth year, but this thing has gotten MASSIVE. I can't tell you how many thousands of cyclists were out there. I couldn't believe it. People of all ages and abilities. If the racing numbers we had to wear were any indication, there were at least 16,000 people registered. Anne and I were going at a pretty good clip, but we were getting smoked by the hard core cyclists - the people on the racing bikes, in their high tech gear and drafting each other. At times, a pack of them would pass on the left and it would sound like a car passing you. Freakish! I wonder how fast they were going!
Anne and I wound up doing the whole 30 mile trek - and we were done by 8:30 and that included the likely half hour we spent at the two rest stops at the north and south ends. Like I said - we were BOOKING along. According to the website, the full 30 miles should take three hours for a casual (6mph) rider, 2 hours (10mph) for an intermediate rider, and 1.5 hours (15 mph) for an experienced rider.
I was so impressed with how well we did (pretty much 10 mph throughout). Especially Anne - she hasn't even been casually biking like I have. Fuck, she just got her bike last weekend! We were pretty peppy up until the last leg going from Bryn Mawr back to Columbus/Balbo. That seemed to be ALL uphill and it was the section of LSD (yes, isn't it funny that Lake Shore Drive is shortened to LSD?) that has the worst pavement conditions. God, it was nasty right before Navy Pier - it was a long incline and I just had to put my head down and pedal like it was the only thing that mattered. Gorgeous (albeit evening picture) here of LSD and I did ride on this section! Anne and I weren't talking by that point - not enough breathe/energy left to talk! We were hot and grimy and sweaty. Yuuuuck!
The worst thing was how your ass and other delicate parts were getting abused by the bike seat. Thankfully both my legs and everything else seems to be fine right now. I don't have any soreness. I hope it stays that way.
We rested at the festival area for a little bit once we finished, and then headed back on the El to her apartment. We got cleaned up and then met Kristi for a late breakfast at 11am. I still smell of sunblock though. I couldn't scrub it all off myself, apparently! It's in my damn pores! Anne and I were both sleepy after breakfast - food coma and tired! We'd already been up for eight hours practically!
I took the train home at 2:48. Hot afternoon. I was so glad to get home and find the AC on. I dozed for a while until I had to get up and myself something to eat and drink water. I was feeling nauseous and faint - that bike ride definitely took it out of me!
Still, I'd do it all over again. If you're ever in Chicago on a Memorial Weekend, I highly recommend doing the Ride. There's also the L.A.T.E. (Long After Twilight Ends) ride coming up, but I don't know about that one. It is literally during midnight and it goes past the IIT campus - not exactly the best neighborhoods, even if you are with a herd of cyclists. Some of my friends have done it in past years when the Cabrini projects were still largely in existence (I think there's only one building still open now) and it was dangerous.
Oh hell - look at a photo from a previous L.A.T.E. ride. Now I wanna go!!
Let's see. Saturday, I drove to the Lake Bluff train station with my bike. Bad idea. I should have ridden there. I ended up scratching my paint on my car because I had my bike jammed half-way in the trunk (too big).
Got into Ravenswood about 5:30 and rode to Anne's apartment (I had giggle fits at the thought of riding my bike in Chicago - don't ask why, I don't know). Anne was running late from her errands, so I wound up meeting her at the El stop. Kristi was going to come over and hang for a while, but other things happened for her, so Anne and I just went to Trader Joe's for light dinner stuff. We got the most important stuff: Beer!! The heifeweizen we got there last week was so good that we decided to try the bohemian lager. Not too shabby. It was fun for Anne to lug all the stuff back in her little backpack! I didn't bring a small one, so I couldn't help (we were both on our bikes).
We ate our food while watching 1 3/4 discs of Veronica Mars. Anne enjoyed the show. Hopefully she'll continue to watch it. We were going to bed around 11pm (which was much later than we intended)...just as we were both about to fall asleep this fucking car alarm went off in the street.
I have never before wanted so badly to trash someone's car. Seriously. This was the same alarm that was going off last week. It just goes off and off and off....for no reason!! And whoever the fuck it belongs to doesn't turn it off!! This was past midnight and we were getting peeved. We had to be up at FOUR IN THE MORNING to go to the Bike the Drive start. We wound up calling city works and going outside to report the car. We were NOT the only ones. There were two other irate neighbors doing the exact same thing. It was practically a block party. I was halfway serious when I said we should just bring out the rest of the beers and sit on the grass and wait for the cops to come. God, it was annoying. The cops finally came and tried to find the owners. The found the apartment, but no one answered. They ticketed the SUV. I hope it was fucking expensive.
Funny? Having the alarm go off again while the cops were there. Someone came over one of the cop's radios and asked him "are you at that car alarm yet?" [I'm sure dispatch was getting annoyed with the calls.] He clicks on his radio and says, "You mean THIS one?"
Long story short - damn alarm went off again in the 2 and 3 o'clock hours. Seriously. Next time I'm down at Anne's and that fucking thing goes off? It's getting broken. I will wear gloves, wipe my prints - whatever - and I.will.break.it. I have a baseball bat in my damn car trunk.
Okay, maybe I won't take my bat to it (that's noisy and wakes the
Anne got up in the morning first while I kinda laid on the air mattress wondering what the hell I was doing getting up so god-awful early.
We got out the door and the first thing Anne does is nearly impale herself on some short spiked fencing while trying to get on her bike. Morning people we are not. Lord. We rode to the Wilson stop (red line) and got on...and then something else weird happened. There were plenty of cyclists getting on to go to the start. It was cool. But it was also very early morning - when some of the finer denizens of the city are stumbling home. There was this high/drunk dude that got on and he started up a ruckus with a kid (who probably didn't help the situation by running his mouth off). Rule #1 of city survival: don't start trash talking some high/drunk/violent dude who can beat your ass if you're a scrawny runt of a 13 year old. So of course, the kid's mom has to try and calm this freak down - and it's just not working. He was HOT (and I don't mean hot-sexy); he wanted to beat the shit out of that kid. He was saying vile things to the mom, too. One woman pushed the help button to call the engineer, another guy called the cops on his cell, and several other men got up to intervene and keep the psycho dude away from the woman and her kid. All things considered, I was impressed with how many people stepped up to try and get rid of the loser. But it was definitely uncomfortable. He finally got off and was escorted away by security at the Fullerton stop.
All of this before 5:30 am. Oh yeah.
We got to the Columbus/Balbo entrance of the event. Dude, it was exciting! It was a gorgeous morning for a ride as well - sunny and warm (not too warm like it got to be later, thankfully). Anne and I decided to head south first to the Museum of Science and Industry. Fucking hell - that place is away from EVERYTHING else in Chicago. I've never been down there before. It was unbelievable to ride right along the lake going past downtown with all the skyscrapers, Soldier Field, McCormick Place. FUCKING AWESOME. Once we got to MSI and turned around, it was postcard picture perfect to see the whole skyline of the city loom up in the early morning haze. Chicago is beautiful, no ifs ands or buts about it. Going north you hit Navy Pier and that section is much closer to the water (the Gold Coast area) than the southbound section. I so wanted to take a dip in the lake by that point. I hope Anne's pictures turn out - I can't wait to upload them.
We probably got going at 6am. I don't know how many of you know Lake Shore Drive, but it is amazing - goes right along Lake Michigan. Very scenic and very busy with cars unless, of course, they shut it down for this event! It's only in its fifth year, but this thing has gotten MASSIVE. I can't tell you how many thousands of cyclists were out there. I couldn't believe it. People of all ages and abilities. If the racing numbers we had to wear were any indication, there were at least 16,000 people registered. Anne and I were going at a pretty good clip, but we were getting smoked by the hard core cyclists - the people on the racing bikes, in their high tech gear and drafting each other. At times, a pack of them would pass on the left and it would sound like a car passing you. Freakish! I wonder how fast they were going!
Anne and I wound up doing the whole 30 mile trek - and we were done by 8:30 and that included the likely half hour we spent at the two rest stops at the north and south ends. Like I said - we were BOOKING along. According to the website, the full 30 miles should take three hours for a casual (6mph) rider, 2 hours (10mph) for an intermediate rider, and 1.5 hours (15 mph) for an experienced rider.
I was so impressed with how well we did (pretty much 10 mph throughout). Especially Anne - she hasn't even been casually biking like I have. Fuck, she just got her bike last weekend! We were pretty peppy up until the last leg going from Bryn Mawr back to Columbus/Balbo. That seemed to be ALL uphill and it was the section of LSD (yes, isn't it funny that Lake Shore Drive is shortened to LSD?) that has the worst pavement conditions. God, it was nasty right before Navy Pier - it was a long incline and I just had to put my head down and pedal like it was the only thing that mattered. Gorgeous (albeit evening picture) here of LSD and I did ride on this section! Anne and I weren't talking by that point - not enough breathe/energy left to talk! We were hot and grimy and sweaty. Yuuuuck!
The worst thing was how your ass and other delicate parts were getting abused by the bike seat. Thankfully both my legs and everything else seems to be fine right now. I don't have any soreness. I hope it stays that way.
We rested at the festival area for a little bit once we finished, and then headed back on the El to her apartment. We got cleaned up and then met Kristi for a late breakfast at 11am. I still smell of sunblock though. I couldn't scrub it all off myself, apparently! It's in my damn pores! Anne and I were both sleepy after breakfast - food coma and tired! We'd already been up for eight hours practically!
I took the train home at 2:48. Hot afternoon. I was so glad to get home and find the AC on. I dozed for a while until I had to get up and myself something to eat and drink water. I was feeling nauseous and faint - that bike ride definitely took it out of me!
Still, I'd do it all over again. If you're ever in Chicago on a Memorial Weekend, I highly recommend doing the Ride. There's also the L.A.T.E. (Long After Twilight Ends) ride coming up, but I don't know about that one. It is literally during midnight and it goes past the IIT campus - not exactly the best neighborhoods, even if you are with a herd of cyclists. Some of my friends have done it in past years when the Cabrini projects were still largely in existence (I think there's only one building still open now) and it was dangerous.
Oh hell - look at a photo from a previous L.A.T.E. ride. Now I wanna go!!
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Birthday Weekend
It's been a long/short weekend. I drove down to Chicago yesterday once Kit (my friend who got married on St. Pat's weekend) arrived at my place and it was partaaaaay time.
Anne, Kristi, Kit and I went to eat at the Daily Bar then went to the Brownstone (lousy service) and finished up at the Red Lion. I haven't drank that many Magner's Ciders in I don't know how long. Suffice it to say, I was feeling quite happy. Happy until it got really chilly outside and my feet started killing me because I was wearing a ridiculous pair of blue suede heels (they look killer, but I have blisters which are not sexy).
Anne drank a bit too much! She was saying hello to the porcelain god once we got back to her apartment.
I am constantly amused by how well friends from different areas of my life get along so well. Kit and Anne are like new best friends - it was hysterical at Anne's apartment. Girl talk can get so trashy dirty. I read both of their tarot cards. Should be interesting to see how their lives pan out - Kit needs to check back with me within 3 months to see if things happened.
Woke up feeling tired - - didn't sleep too well because Kit was snoring like a foghorn (she was getting congested) and I kept having to reach over from where I was on the couch to where she was on the aero bed to smack her on the knee to get her to stop snoring.
We went out for dim sum at the Phoenix in Chinatown. Ran into everyone on their way to the Cubs-Sox game. (I hate the Sox. Michael Barrett rules.) Dim sum was goooood. We were starving by the time we were seated - it was 1:30 pm and it was our first meal of the day. We had shit I don't even remember. Sesame balls, spring rolls, pork puffs...
Went shopping for a bit afterwards at Trader Joe's and Anne also bought a bike. We have signed up to do the Bike the Drive next weekend - woot! Should be fun.
Kit had a good time; it was her first time actually in Chicago. She's from near Sheboygan originally, and the closest she's been to Chicago is Rosemont for gaming and comic conventions. She took her first ride on the El and ate some wacky food and drank some new beer and wine - it was wild and crazy!
We think she'll come down here with her husband Matt for her birthday in two weeks. We're going to take her to the Hopleaf for drinks if she does make it. If there's a concert at the Pritzker Pavilion that will be a MUST. I can't wait until the summer concerts start...
All in all, it was a good weekend. Strange to think how much my life has changed since last year. Nothing is the same, is it? Except for my girlfriends who still rule...
Anne, Kristi, Kit and I went to eat at the Daily Bar then went to the Brownstone (lousy service) and finished up at the Red Lion. I haven't drank that many Magner's Ciders in I don't know how long. Suffice it to say, I was feeling quite happy. Happy until it got really chilly outside and my feet started killing me because I was wearing a ridiculous pair of blue suede heels (they look killer, but I have blisters which are not sexy).
Anne drank a bit too much! She was saying hello to the porcelain god once we got back to her apartment.
I am constantly amused by how well friends from different areas of my life get along so well. Kit and Anne are like new best friends - it was hysterical at Anne's apartment. Girl talk can get so trashy dirty. I read both of their tarot cards. Should be interesting to see how their lives pan out - Kit needs to check back with me within 3 months to see if things happened.
Woke up feeling tired - - didn't sleep too well because Kit was snoring like a foghorn (she was getting congested) and I kept having to reach over from where I was on the couch to where she was on the aero bed to smack her on the knee to get her to stop snoring.
We went out for dim sum at the Phoenix in Chinatown. Ran into everyone on their way to the Cubs-Sox game. (I hate the Sox. Michael Barrett rules.) Dim sum was goooood. We were starving by the time we were seated - it was 1:30 pm and it was our first meal of the day. We had shit I don't even remember. Sesame balls, spring rolls, pork puffs...
Went shopping for a bit afterwards at Trader Joe's and Anne also bought a bike. We have signed up to do the Bike the Drive next weekend - woot! Should be fun.
Kit had a good time; it was her first time actually in Chicago. She's from near Sheboygan originally, and the closest she's been to Chicago is Rosemont for gaming and comic conventions. She took her first ride on the El and ate some wacky food and drank some new beer and wine - it was wild and crazy!
We think she'll come down here with her husband Matt for her birthday in two weeks. We're going to take her to the Hopleaf for drinks if she does make it. If there's a concert at the Pritzker Pavilion that will be a MUST. I can't wait until the summer concerts start...
All in all, it was a good weekend. Strange to think how much my life has changed since last year. Nothing is the same, is it? Except for my girlfriends who still rule...
Saturday, May 20, 2006
My life is a lie
I was just semi-asleep. My mom walks in and says
"Happy Birthday". I half raise my head to look at her
and the "conversation" begins thusly:
(I pick up one of my pillows and slam it over my head
as I wail)
D: "OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD."
M: "What! It's today..."
D: "YOU'RE MY OWN MOTHER..!"
M: "It's tomorrow..?"
D:"...DON'T YOU REMEMBER GOING INTO LABOR ON A
PARTICULAR DAY!"
M: "Oh. Well did you want to do something today?"
D: "I'm going to dinner with friends tonight."
M: "Well, what do you want."
D: "I don't know. Strawberry pie. Whatever."
Fucking hell. My own mother cannot remember my
birthday. Now, my dad I can see - because he can be
stupid and he is a male, but my MOTHER. The woman who
had to go through LABOR and whom I was inside for nine
months? My life is a lie.
And for the record: my mother's birthday is 6/20,
dad's 7/10, brother's 3/30 and my dead sister's (who
only lived a day) is sometime in early September.
Fucking hell, I can even remember the month, at least,
of a sibling not alive.
I was wide awake after that conversation. I texted my
friend Anne a recap of what just happened. She called
me back practically in hysterics. "I don't know
whether to laugh or cry!"
Good thing we're drinking tonight.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Something funny I was sent
Some people are like Slinkies ...
Not really good for anything,
but they still bring a smile to your face
when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Not really good for anything,
but they still bring a smile to your face
when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Tonight's TV
I would kill that stupid twit, Izzy, I really would.
As if! As if any sane fucking intern would do what she did! And Burke! Oh my god - does he diiiie?! This is why I MUST BE SPOILED!!
AND I am still waiting for this god-awful meatloaf to finish cooking. Fuck me, I don't know WHY I decided to make meatloaf (I hate it). It's probably because it came out of Tyler Florence's cookbook. If anyone can make me love meatloaf, it will be Tyler. He of the beef bourginon and lemon curd trifle (separate dishes, obviously) miraculousness...
As if! As if any sane fucking intern would do what she did! And Burke! Oh my god - does he diiiie?! This is why I MUST BE SPOILED!!
AND I am still waiting for this god-awful meatloaf to finish cooking. Fuck me, I don't know WHY I decided to make meatloaf (I hate it). It's probably because it came out of Tyler Florence's cookbook. If anyone can make me love meatloaf, it will be Tyler. He of the beef bourginon and lemon curd trifle (separate dishes, obviously) miraculousness...
Saturday, May 13, 2006
'Shut up and be thankful' is sound advice in some situations
I'm a little annoyed at this mother's day gig. I, being the younger sibling, unmarried, and sans kids has to kowtow to the sibling that does. So, when I attempted to make brunch reservations at an expensive nice place for Sunday (because no one had fucking told me they were doing anything), I thought I was being a nice daughter. But no, my brother had already made plans for my mom to come over there for brunch. Because they have to go to his wife's mom's later in the day. "Why don't you take her to dinner on Saturday?" (And then, if I want to I can come over for brunch too. Whatever - it was an afterthought.)
Fine. I go and make dinner reservations at a nice restaurant for Saturday. I tell my mom about it. She's going to be in Chicago doing some church thing in the morning. Okay, yeah, it's the morning - I made DINNER reservations. What's the problem? Oh, she doesn't know when she's going to be back blah blah blah. FINE! "Why don't you just get me some fruit from Harry and David's?"
Cancel reservation number fucking two. Why did I even bother? I ordered her the fruit. Big whoop.
Today she went to her stupid church thing and I was up painting the upstairs (after a year of not finishing) by 10am. I figure I can do this for her, too. I sweat, I stink...I clean, tape and paint all damn day. I start bringing the stuff downstairs to possibly start on the kitchen, but then she came home.
And she starts ragging on me about "are you painting? why? don't get any paint on my new refrigerator", etc., etc., etc. Jesus fucking Christ. THIS is why my family fucking drives me nuts and half the time I can't stand them. I try to do something nice and it's met with a barrage of questions or bitching and moaning about not fucking up shit. I said "Does it look like it's going to paint itself? I thought you weren't going to be home until later. Then I wouldn't have to listen to this 'wah wah wah!' Jesus, can't you just be happy I'm doing it! I already did the upstairs."
That shut her up.
And then she starts asking where the fruit is. Well, HELLO, I ordered it TWO days ago when you told me. It ain't here yet and it depends on harvest, so I don't know where the hell it is. It probably won't be here for a week.
And about five minutes ago she came upstairs and said "thanks"... not that I really care about thanks anymore.
*grumpy*
Fine. I go and make dinner reservations at a nice restaurant for Saturday. I tell my mom about it. She's going to be in Chicago doing some church thing in the morning. Okay, yeah, it's the morning - I made DINNER reservations. What's the problem? Oh, she doesn't know when she's going to be back blah blah blah. FINE! "Why don't you just get me some fruit from Harry and David's?"
Cancel reservation number fucking two. Why did I even bother? I ordered her the fruit. Big whoop.
Today she went to her stupid church thing and I was up painting the upstairs (after a year of not finishing) by 10am. I figure I can do this for her, too. I sweat, I stink...I clean, tape and paint all damn day. I start bringing the stuff downstairs to possibly start on the kitchen, but then she came home.
And she starts ragging on me about "are you painting? why? don't get any paint on my new refrigerator", etc., etc., etc. Jesus fucking Christ. THIS is why my family fucking drives me nuts and half the time I can't stand them. I try to do something nice and it's met with a barrage of questions or bitching and moaning about not fucking up shit. I said "Does it look like it's going to paint itself? I thought you weren't going to be home until later. Then I wouldn't have to listen to this 'wah wah wah!' Jesus, can't you just be happy I'm doing it! I already did the upstairs."
That shut her up.
And then she starts asking where the fruit is. Well, HELLO, I ordered it TWO days ago when you told me. It ain't here yet and it depends on harvest, so I don't know where the hell it is. It probably won't be here for a week.
And about five minutes ago she came upstairs and said "thanks"... not that I really care about thanks anymore.
*grumpy*
Work decisions...and a reading or two.
I'm in another quandary about work. It's been quiet of late, which means I am terribly bored there. I'm tired of being an admin assistant. It's the same old shit. Same people complaining and whinging about the same shit that I have to help because they're too stupid half the time to figure out stuff for themselves. Yeah, job security.
A month or so ago, I tried to get a job as a document specialist on a team I used to work with as a temp. Two girls I know on that team really wanted me to get in there, but they didn't have the final decision on it. In the end, I got screwed out of the job, the reasons being: the decision-maker went with contractors instead of hiring full time, funding hadn't been approved for all the trials and the job level was "too high" for me. What a fucking joke on the last one. Some people in this company still adhere to the culture of "you have to go each rung on the ladder". I'm a grade 04 now. The doc specialist position they were hiring was an 07, so they didn't want to set up precedent by hiring me in too many grades higher. Well fine, then hire me at a 05 fuckwits.
Whatever. Since then, I've been getting training in the document specialist role with that team. The goal being that next time, I will have more qualification and won't be passed up so easily. My current manager is really supportive of me and he thought I could've done the 07 level just fine given a couple months. He was a little pissed off, actually, at the hiring manager on that team for the perceived "dicking around" with the job. These are people who know my work quality after all (the one I tried to get hired into) - I worked for them as a temp for over a year!
Thursday, I ran into the girls in the hallway and they told me they thought the job req might be opened again and to get a move on with it. Ooookay. I know the girls want me there, but what about the hiring manager (whom we shall refer to as "Dobby") again? Apparently, the girls overheard him talking to one of the contractors about updating her resume, because he may want to hire her. The girls (D and E) weren't too happy about that. I'm not either: I've been training with them AND meeting with that hiring manager - WTF? Is this guy trying to sneak in a contractor without opening the req? I should take priority - I'm a company employee looking for promotion AND I have a fucking stellar record, thank you very much.
It gets better: I had lunch with my friend M that day. Now, I also used to do temp work with M in her group. She's an admin like me, but at a grade 05 since she works with a divisional vice president. I get along great with her and that group. It's four women and they work hard. Now M has been looking for another job opportunity; she has loads of talent and really, she needs a move up. To cut it short, she virtually has a job locked up in legal. The hiring manager and the people on the team there are digging her. Her boss, the DVP, knows she applied for the position and has given her support and recommendation for M to get the job. I think she'll get the job as soon as the hiring manager gets back from his trip next week on Friday.
So, just as I was telling M that I was getting exasperated with my current job, she gives me a sidelong look and says "Well, I've got something to ask you..." Crap, I knew what was coming: she asked me if I would move over and replace her when/if she gets the new position in legal. AND THEN, her boss even ASKED ABOUT ME wanting to come over. Holy fuck. I guess I should be pleased with how well she thinks of me (and I am, truly). Goddamn fucking decisions. It would be a grade level up, which means a raise. (And lordy, I need a raise badly.) But it's still admin. Less people and a different focus than my current team (and no Potatoes - crappy coworker - thank god), but still an admin. The worry is that I'd get pigeon-holed in the admin role, which is partially why I want that doc specialist position so badly. I know the DVP would work with me on setting career goals to try and alleviate that, but still...it's a worry. It's difficult. M's got very big shoes to fill. I can handle all the basic admin aspects; it's some of the stuff regarding training sessions and complicated presentations that M does so well that I'm worried about. I know, I should shut up and be more confident. I used to work as an executive assistant at another company (although that woman was psycho that I supported and I hightailed it out of there; guess it makes me gunshy). I can do this job; it's just a question of "do I want to"?
I'm going to have to make a decision this weekend. I know M has that job - she's way too qualified NOT to get it, and she deserves it. I just wish the fucking team with the doc specialist role would get a goddamn move on. I don't want to pass up the executive assistant job only to get dicked over with the doc specialist role again. And man, I do not trust Dobby right now. He kind of dicked me around the last time; he's pissing off D and E with his inability or unwillingness to deal with some contractor issues - is that the kind of supervisor I want to have? I mean, hell, my supervisor right now has his faults, too, but all in all he's great and looks out for me. I told him about both of these situations today and he gave me some advice. (Although that didn't necessarily help - in the end, it's a leap of faith/roll of the dice for me, isn't it?)
Either one is a move UP and a pay raise - if I pass one up, does Lady Luck get pissed off at me and not throw any more bones my way? The company is going through funding decisions right now, which isn't helping. That's also what might be stalling Dobby...if that team's projects get funded, then yeah I can see the job req opening up again. It's the same with my current team, too. If we get funded, we're going to get fuck-all busy and my job could get interesting again (although without the damn raise, unfortunately). But can I realistically afford to pass up the executive admin job (which will most likely require a response from me within 1 1/2 weeks) on the mere possibility that a job req will be opened up soon for a doc specialist?
I want to rip my hair out in frustration here. I need a raise. I need a promotion. I need a change.
When it rains, it fucking pours.
Did a tarot card spread to try and meditate and it wasn't very forthcoming in some respects. I did the first spread with the Timothy Lantz deck, but then pulled out the Rider-Waite for a spread to try and clarify it. Pretty much asked whether I should hold out for the doc specialist position since that's the one I want, but the person I don't necessarily trust in the hiring position.
Lantz deck: (1)Knight of Wands (2)6 Cups (3) 7 Swords (4) K Pentacles (5) 5 Swords (6) 8 Cups (7) R Queen Swords (8) Ace Pentacles (9) R World (10) R 2 Pentacles. All in all, a "sneaky" or "deceiving" reading. That doesn't make me feel so hot about the doc specialist position, as far as Dobby is concerned. Outcome in 10 seems to indicate it taking at least 2 months and that might not even be favorable.
Rider-Waite deck: (1) R 3 Pentacles (2) 5 Pentacles (3) R Hanged Man (4) R 5 Wands (5) R 7 Wands (6) R Ace Cups (7) 7 Swords (8) Empress (9) King of Cups (10) R 2 Wands. Bleargh. The way the pentacles are in this spread, it reflects my current need for more cash!! Also see some of the sneakiness from the first reading with 7 Swords in the 7th position. Now, the Empress card intrigues me in position 8. That's the placement for how others view your situation/question. I could see the the vice president (M's current boss) in that...she's a nurturing person (but don't let that fool you into thinking she slacks - hell no) and looks out for her people. I already know she's looking out for me: she's already asked M if I would want to fill in.
The last card also makes me think. It's another 2 card, but wands, so a quicker outcome than pentacles: weeks (fits in with the possible executive admin timeframe) as opposed to months. Wands deal with the "fruits of your labor" (i.e. work) so also very appropriate. "Delays in receiving the message [the doc specialist job??] or that contacts are not made. Things might be waylaid, or delays or disappointing news may be on the horizon. The reversed page of wands usually brings a message you don't want to hear...this message might not arrive in time, and warnings are often being given when the Page of Wands is reversed. If this card represents a person, he's likely to be theatrical, overzealous, superficial or image conscious. The Page of Wands is trying to let you know that you should be on the alert for some delays or disappointing news. But remember, you can turn the card back up if you desire."
Seriously? I think I'm being told to not hold my breath about the doc specialist role (at least not in Dobby's group). I don't trust him already...it might not even get funded, and/or I might get dicked around again.
Crap.
Maybe I'll just sleep on it some more.
A month or so ago, I tried to get a job as a document specialist on a team I used to work with as a temp. Two girls I know on that team really wanted me to get in there, but they didn't have the final decision on it. In the end, I got screwed out of the job, the reasons being: the decision-maker went with contractors instead of hiring full time, funding hadn't been approved for all the trials and the job level was "too high" for me. What a fucking joke on the last one. Some people in this company still adhere to the culture of "you have to go each rung on the ladder". I'm a grade 04 now. The doc specialist position they were hiring was an 07, so they didn't want to set up precedent by hiring me in too many grades higher. Well fine, then hire me at a 05 fuckwits.
Whatever. Since then, I've been getting training in the document specialist role with that team. The goal being that next time, I will have more qualification and won't be passed up so easily. My current manager is really supportive of me and he thought I could've done the 07 level just fine given a couple months. He was a little pissed off, actually, at the hiring manager on that team for the perceived "dicking around" with the job. These are people who know my work quality after all (the one I tried to get hired into) - I worked for them as a temp for over a year!
Thursday, I ran into the girls in the hallway and they told me they thought the job req might be opened again and to get a move on with it. Ooookay. I know the girls want me there, but what about the hiring manager (whom we shall refer to as "Dobby") again? Apparently, the girls overheard him talking to one of the contractors about updating her resume, because he may want to hire her. The girls (D and E) weren't too happy about that. I'm not either: I've been training with them AND meeting with that hiring manager - WTF? Is this guy trying to sneak in a contractor without opening the req? I should take priority - I'm a company employee looking for promotion AND I have a fucking stellar record, thank you very much.
It gets better: I had lunch with my friend M that day. Now, I also used to do temp work with M in her group. She's an admin like me, but at a grade 05 since she works with a divisional vice president. I get along great with her and that group. It's four women and they work hard. Now M has been looking for another job opportunity; she has loads of talent and really, she needs a move up. To cut it short, she virtually has a job locked up in legal. The hiring manager and the people on the team there are digging her. Her boss, the DVP, knows she applied for the position and has given her support and recommendation for M to get the job. I think she'll get the job as soon as the hiring manager gets back from his trip next week on Friday.
So, just as I was telling M that I was getting exasperated with my current job, she gives me a sidelong look and says "Well, I've got something to ask you..." Crap, I knew what was coming: she asked me if I would move over and replace her when/if she gets the new position in legal. AND THEN, her boss even ASKED ABOUT ME wanting to come over. Holy fuck. I guess I should be pleased with how well she thinks of me (and I am, truly). Goddamn fucking decisions. It would be a grade level up, which means a raise. (And lordy, I need a raise badly.) But it's still admin. Less people and a different focus than my current team (and no Potatoes - crappy coworker - thank god), but still an admin. The worry is that I'd get pigeon-holed in the admin role, which is partially why I want that doc specialist position so badly. I know the DVP would work with me on setting career goals to try and alleviate that, but still...it's a worry. It's difficult. M's got very big shoes to fill. I can handle all the basic admin aspects; it's some of the stuff regarding training sessions and complicated presentations that M does so well that I'm worried about. I know, I should shut up and be more confident. I used to work as an executive assistant at another company (although that woman was psycho that I supported and I hightailed it out of there; guess it makes me gunshy). I can do this job; it's just a question of "do I want to"?
I'm going to have to make a decision this weekend. I know M has that job - she's way too qualified NOT to get it, and she deserves it. I just wish the fucking team with the doc specialist role would get a goddamn move on. I don't want to pass up the executive assistant job only to get dicked over with the doc specialist role again. And man, I do not trust Dobby right now. He kind of dicked me around the last time; he's pissing off D and E with his inability or unwillingness to deal with some contractor issues - is that the kind of supervisor I want to have? I mean, hell, my supervisor right now has his faults, too, but all in all he's great and looks out for me. I told him about both of these situations today and he gave me some advice. (Although that didn't necessarily help - in the end, it's a leap of faith/roll of the dice for me, isn't it?)
Either one is a move UP and a pay raise - if I pass one up, does Lady Luck get pissed off at me and not throw any more bones my way? The company is going through funding decisions right now, which isn't helping. That's also what might be stalling Dobby...if that team's projects get funded, then yeah I can see the job req opening up again. It's the same with my current team, too. If we get funded, we're going to get fuck-all busy and my job could get interesting again (although without the damn raise, unfortunately). But can I realistically afford to pass up the executive admin job (which will most likely require a response from me within 1 1/2 weeks) on the mere possibility that a job req will be opened up soon for a doc specialist?
I want to rip my hair out in frustration here. I need a raise. I need a promotion. I need a change.
When it rains, it fucking pours.
Did a tarot card spread to try and meditate and it wasn't very forthcoming in some respects. I did the first spread with the Timothy Lantz deck, but then pulled out the Rider-Waite for a spread to try and clarify it. Pretty much asked whether I should hold out for the doc specialist position since that's the one I want, but the person I don't necessarily trust in the hiring position.
Lantz deck: (1)Knight of Wands (2)6 Cups (3) 7 Swords (4) K Pentacles (5) 5 Swords (6) 8 Cups (7) R Queen Swords (8) Ace Pentacles (9) R World (10) R 2 Pentacles. All in all, a "sneaky" or "deceiving" reading. That doesn't make me feel so hot about the doc specialist position, as far as Dobby is concerned. Outcome in 10 seems to indicate it taking at least 2 months and that might not even be favorable.
Rider-Waite deck: (1) R 3 Pentacles (2) 5 Pentacles (3) R Hanged Man (4) R 5 Wands (5) R 7 Wands (6) R Ace Cups (7) 7 Swords (8) Empress (9) King of Cups (10) R 2 Wands. Bleargh. The way the pentacles are in this spread, it reflects my current need for more cash!! Also see some of the sneakiness from the first reading with 7 Swords in the 7th position. Now, the Empress card intrigues me in position 8. That's the placement for how others view your situation/question. I could see the the vice president (M's current boss) in that...she's a nurturing person (but don't let that fool you into thinking she slacks - hell no) and looks out for her people. I already know she's looking out for me: she's already asked M if I would want to fill in.
The last card also makes me think. It's another 2 card, but wands, so a quicker outcome than pentacles: weeks (fits in with the possible executive admin timeframe) as opposed to months. Wands deal with the "fruits of your labor" (i.e. work) so also very appropriate. "Delays in receiving the message [the doc specialist job??] or that contacts are not made. Things might be waylaid, or delays or disappointing news may be on the horizon. The reversed page of wands usually brings a message you don't want to hear...this message might not arrive in time, and warnings are often being given when the Page of Wands is reversed. If this card represents a person, he's likely to be theatrical, overzealous, superficial or image conscious. The Page of Wands is trying to let you know that you should be on the alert for some delays or disappointing news. But remember, you can turn the card back up if you desire."
Seriously? I think I'm being told to not hold my breath about the doc specialist role (at least not in Dobby's group). I don't trust him already...it might not even get funded, and/or I might get dicked around again.
Crap.
Maybe I'll just sleep on it some more.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Grades at last...
Grades were reported today for spring semester. Received an A in both of my classes: Trends & Issues in Assessment and Teaching English JR/SR High w/ Clinical Experience.
Damn straight I'd better have received an A for both with all the hell and exhaustion I went through.
Now the torture starts again next week, Friday. *whimper*
Damn straight I'd better have received an A for both with all the hell and exhaustion I went through.
Now the torture starts again next week, Friday. *whimper*
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Almost Famous in the Twilight Zone
Look, I know a "famous Iowan".*cough*
This started yesterday with a weirdly timed e-mail I received from someone I haven't heard from in a couple years.
Back in 1998 (my senior year of undergraduate college), I studied overseas in Wales. It was hands down the highlight of my college career. I wish I had stayed the entire year instead of just the fall term. (By that time, I was thoroughly hating the town the college was in - Pella, IA. Ain't nothing in Iowa but corn, pigs and meth labs, let me tell you.)
Anyway, I kept in touch with one person in particular - Mike - for a couple years and then lost track of him. I just joined myspace (and I'm already thinking of canceling that because I've already gotten dumb "join this club for singles" crap as well as "I like UR hair and U seem nice...we should talk" crap. USE PROPER ENGLISH, DUMBASS, AND MAYBE I'D TALK TO YOU). When I joined myspace, I actually tried searching for Mike, but didn't find him. So, getting an email from him not even a day later was freaky. He just found me by googling me and saw my email address from a review of a hair salon I'd left on yahoo. WEIRD. We were both thinking of eachother around the same time.
In the process of emailing back and forth with Mike, he mentioned Mark Woodley (in the link to the tv station). Mark was a riot. I gave him an email - not too hard to find since he's practically a public figure what with being on tv and all. I got an email back from Mark just now as well....
Apparently he's trying to plan for a 10 year Wales reunion in 2008. Could be interesting...
Oh, little Carmarthen, how I miss your bright sun and then absolute downpours, which caught me unawares. And the giant slugs which scared the absolute bejesus out of me. Not withstanding Lippy's kind five minute run over the border into Wales when I visited, I haven't been back there since summer of 1999.
Monday, May 08, 2006
School Lunch
Jamie's School Lunch is on TLC!! Woot!!
This is the first time I've seen it. God, I just cannot believe these kids. Half of them can't tell a potato from a friggin apple it seems like! Watching Jamie's reaction - he looked shattered at some of these kids' reactions towards his food. Now, some of what he cooks may not float my boat, either, but I'd take his food over "turkey twizzlers" (Ewwww!!!!) anyday of the week and twice on Sundays.
Just unbelieveable. And the meals were supposed to be 37p a day?! People feed their cats and dogs better than that. The government is shameful (and I KNOW it's the same way here) for doing this to kids. Shameful.
This is the first time I've seen it. God, I just cannot believe these kids. Half of them can't tell a potato from a friggin apple it seems like! Watching Jamie's reaction - he looked shattered at some of these kids' reactions towards his food. Now, some of what he cooks may not float my boat, either, but I'd take his food over "turkey twizzlers" (Ewwww!!!!) anyday of the week and twice on Sundays.
Just unbelieveable. And the meals were supposed to be 37p a day?! People feed their cats and dogs better than that. The government is shameful (and I KNOW it's the same way here) for doing this to kids. Shameful.
Exercise
I managed to drag myself out of bed at the ungodly hour of 5:15 in order to bike to work. I really had to pep talk myself to get out of bed. Thankfully, I had packed my bag up the night before so all I had to do was throw on my biking clothes.
Hustled out the door about 5:30 and go to work in 40 minutes - 6:10. Not too shabby, if I do say so. Morning weather was a bit chill, but that didn't matter after a few minutes. Mid point appears to be the credit union in L'ville. By their clock, I hit it at 5:50 and by the time I got in to work and checked a clock it was 6:10. Took a shower in the locker room and came on upstairs.
Positively inhaled my breakfast though. I didn't even notice I had eaten both of my sausages until I was like "where the hell is the other one?" Oh yeah, in my stomach already. Biking in the morning works up an appetite, I'll say.
Got all my email done in about 10 minutes and now have nothing to do and it is just barely starting time now. I'm going to be booored. Feels like I've been here for hours already...
Hustled out the door about 5:30 and go to work in 40 minutes - 6:10. Not too shabby, if I do say so. Morning weather was a bit chill, but that didn't matter after a few minutes. Mid point appears to be the credit union in L'ville. By their clock, I hit it at 5:50 and by the time I got in to work and checked a clock it was 6:10. Took a shower in the locker room and came on upstairs.
Positively inhaled my breakfast though. I didn't even notice I had eaten both of my sausages until I was like "where the hell is the other one?" Oh yeah, in my stomach already. Biking in the morning works up an appetite, I'll say.
Got all my email done in about 10 minutes and now have nothing to do and it is just barely starting time now. I'm going to be booored. Feels like I've been here for hours already...
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Greys Anatomy
I think I hate Derek right now. Stupid man. He's got no right whatsoever to yell at Meredith. She didn't even do anything with hottie Chris O'Donnell's character.
Wow. Did Alex just display some actual caring toward a member of the human race? I can hardly believe it.
Thus endeth my commentary.
Wow. Did Alex just display some actual caring toward a member of the human race? I can hardly believe it.
Thus endeth my commentary.
A Weekend of Indiscretion
I should have just spent the weekend resting and recuperating from the crazed semester. Instead, I was out for Cinco de Mayo drinking margaritas, Sols, and pina coladas. Then on Saturday I dragged myself up and managed to go on a long bike ride to Richville (aka Lake Bluff and Lake Forest), which actually made me feel a lot better. That had to be at least 20 miles round trip.
In the evening, I went to Chicago to pick up some paperwork left for me at school, Lush, then out with Kristi. Had some Thai food and watched Akeelah and the Bee. The movie was charming, although sometimes you wanted to snort at the cheesey swelling music. Afterwards had a beer at the Red Lion (surrounded by crowds of De Paul undergrads in the neighborhood), before going back to her place where I read her cards.
It's kind of freaky - in hindsight, I've been pretty damn accurate with Kristi's readings about her career, and people moving in and out of her life (according to her).
I got home around 3am. I really don't feel like I drank all that much, but after having been so tired and sick most of the semester, I can't handle a lot. I woke up feeling like shit this morning. Had to drink a lot of water.
I need to finish scrubbing down my bathroom so I can relax in the tub with the new Lushies that I bought.
In the evening, I went to Chicago to pick up some paperwork left for me at school, Lush, then out with Kristi. Had some Thai food and watched Akeelah and the Bee. The movie was charming, although sometimes you wanted to snort at the cheesey swelling music. Afterwards had a beer at the Red Lion (surrounded by crowds of De Paul undergrads in the neighborhood), before going back to her place where I read her cards.
It's kind of freaky - in hindsight, I've been pretty damn accurate with Kristi's readings about her career, and people moving in and out of her life (according to her).
I got home around 3am. I really don't feel like I drank all that much, but after having been so tired and sick most of the semester, I can't handle a lot. I woke up feeling like shit this morning. Had to drink a lot of water.
I need to finish scrubbing down my bathroom so I can relax in the tub with the new Lushies that I bought.
Friday, May 05, 2006
August Trip
I present to you the ROUTE! (Not forgetting that we go from Edinburgh to London afterwards. )
We'll fly into Dublin first on 31 August. Spend the day there, then go on the Western Rocker tour for 3 days and come back to Dublin on 3 September for two days. Fly to Edinburgh on 5 September (Thereby missing both the Fringe and arts festival - damn! Didn't know it was that time of year!). Spend the day in Edinburgh; I know, a total travesty in that we are sadly neglecting Edinburgh. I've at least been there before, but Anne hasn't. Skye High tour from 6 - 8 September. Fly to London the night of the 8th and spend the rest of our time (until 12 September) there, with the possibility of a side trip to visit Lippy on Saturday.
Excited? Yes. Except that I face the "torture chamber" that is my masters thesis class this summer. That starts on May 24th and goes through August 9th. Eek.
We'll fly into Dublin first on 31 August. Spend the day there, then go on the Western Rocker tour for 3 days and come back to Dublin on 3 September for two days. Fly to Edinburgh on 5 September (Thereby missing both the Fringe and arts festival - damn! Didn't know it was that time of year!). Spend the day in Edinburgh; I know, a total travesty in that we are sadly neglecting Edinburgh. I've at least been there before, but Anne hasn't. Skye High tour from 6 - 8 September. Fly to London the night of the 8th and spend the rest of our time (until 12 September) there, with the possibility of a side trip to visit Lippy on Saturday.
Excited? Yes. Except that I face the "torture chamber" that is my masters thesis class this summer. That starts on May 24th and goes through August 9th. Eek.
Question of the Day
Why the hell don't Mexican restaurants have more chocolate things? Mexicans freaking invented chocolate - hello, Montezuma!
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Biking expedition
I went out for a bike ride after work. The new bike handles really well and i was cruising along. My main point in going the next town over was to get lilacs, which I found, and managed to keep in my bag without falling out on the way home.
Only to get home and discover I was locked out of the house! I didn't (or didn't think) have my cell phone on me, so I couldn't call my mom. I rode to a gas station to use a pay phone to call my brother (collect) so he could call her (since I couldn't recall the number). No answer of course.
And then on my way back home, I managed to biff on gravel at the high school and now have patches of skin missing from my right elbow.
I AM NOT HAPPY.
Only to get home and discover I was locked out of the house! I didn't (or didn't think) have my cell phone on me, so I couldn't call my mom. I rode to a gas station to use a pay phone to call my brother (collect) so he could call her (since I couldn't recall the number). No answer of course.
And then on my way back home, I managed to biff on gravel at the high school and now have patches of skin missing from my right elbow.
I AM NOT HAPPY.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Malaise
I am so weary. Worn out. Tired. Sneezing and coughing and eyes watering.
I haven't been this sick so many times...ever that I can remember. My semester is finally over. Handed in my paper today and couldn't care less about the outcome at this point. So...seventeen days of freedom until the summer semester of hell begins. Masters thesis class...oh boy this is going to be so much FUN I can hardly stand it.
I also went to a Cubs game today, but I can't even work up the energy to talk about what a fucking disaster our bullpen is. Send Guzman back to the minors. He's shit. And while you're at it, send Novoa somewhere else too. Fucking Hendry. What the FUCK was he doing in the offseason? He obviously wasn't looking at getting us quality pitchers.
Went for a short bike ride when I got home, which resulted in at least two bugs in my eyes. Gross. This is why I should have worn my sunglasses. Biked through the rich Countryside neighborhood. I really should stop doing that - - biking through there depresses me and makes me brood.
I'm a stupid Taurus (well, Tauremini, technically) and I like comfy things. It's also been about a year...since SW. Another lifetime, really. Lately, I've been all about the self-reflecting (or, BROODING) and just wondering what the fuck I'm doing with my life.
Sometimes, it doesn't feel like much.
Right now, I just want a hug.
I haven't been this sick so many times...ever that I can remember. My semester is finally over. Handed in my paper today and couldn't care less about the outcome at this point. So...seventeen days of freedom until the summer semester of hell begins. Masters thesis class...oh boy this is going to be so much FUN I can hardly stand it.
I also went to a Cubs game today, but I can't even work up the energy to talk about what a fucking disaster our bullpen is. Send Guzman back to the minors. He's shit. And while you're at it, send Novoa somewhere else too. Fucking Hendry. What the FUCK was he doing in the offseason? He obviously wasn't looking at getting us quality pitchers.
Went for a short bike ride when I got home, which resulted in at least two bugs in my eyes. Gross. This is why I should have worn my sunglasses. Biked through the rich Countryside neighborhood. I really should stop doing that - - biking through there depresses me and makes me brood.
I'm a stupid Taurus (well, Tauremini, technically) and I like comfy things. It's also been about a year...since SW. Another lifetime, really. Lately, I've been all about the self-reflecting (or, BROODING) and just wondering what the fuck I'm doing with my life.
Sometimes, it doesn't feel like much.
Right now, I just want a hug.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Term - Finis
Paper is DONE, bitches!!! Even unto the works cited!
*throws hands up in the air and does a Bacchanalian dance*
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