Welcome Home/Show & Tell

This seems to be the "all-the-rage" video on CNN and
other news sites. I've seen it twice and damn in that
kid doesn't make me teary-eyed...

http://wm.kare.gannett.edgestreams.net/news/news/33007_249447_home_kare.wmv?213436524624

Attachments

I made my scallops last night. They were alright. Expensive little suckers!

 

So. Another one of my friends is probably going to be moving (far) away. Anne, who is in the same grad program as me, has pretty much got a standing job offer in Arizona once she graduates. Apparently, she impressed the hell out of the recruiter (who is the principal of the school) at a job fair. All she has to do is go out there, see if the school is to her liking and accept.

 

I'm quite honestly sad about it all. Not about her getting a job (obviously very good), but because it means another of my good girl friends (and they're not so many) is moving away. My best friend Tania already lives out there (but she wants to move back - don't know when).

 

The other Anne (I went to the UK with last fall) hardly ever talks to me anymore. Every time I try to set something up with her she's too "busy".

 

Kristi is just legitimately busy it being her first year of teaching. And she's got a man.

 

C lives in MN. Nuff said.

 

I totally feel like crying. And this was before my co-worker decided to inflict further torture by listening to a crappy station filled with sappy 80s (Berlin, Elton John, Barry White....etc.)

Fish Food

So, people, anyone got any especially excellent seafood recipes for me to try? Keep in mind, I'm not much of a fish eater, so I am looking for good "intro" recipes using mild types of fish (i.e. I think salmon smells, I'm not ready for that yet!) that are also low carb-friendly.

 

I've had a weird craving for scallops lately. I think I'm going to go buy some tonight and make them. I have a recipe in a cookbook by Nigel Slater, or some bacon-wrapped recipe from the Food Network.

Criminal

It is CRIMINAL to be inside on a day like today. It is freaking gorgeous outside. Curse work! Of course, next weekend is going to dive down to the 40s again (about 30 degrees colder than it is right now).

 

I was so tired - didn't sleep well. I took a nap out in my car for lunch. Then I went to the Starbucks for a coffee frapuccino light. Yeeeumm. I feel more human now.

 

I need to seriously decide on if/when/where I am going to take a short vacation this summer. Like now. Rawr.

 

Have lost around 5 lbs already since going back on Atkins (March 14). I can't wait for the first two weeks to be over after this Wednesday. I can start putting fruit (berries) back into my diet. Last night I made mock mashed potatoes (cauliflower instead). They turned out a lot better than the last time I tried to make them. You have to use a little bit of cream cheese in them. Still, not as good as this one restaurant I had them out. Unfortunately, said restaurant is no longer in business! Damn!

 

I should be on target to get back into my favorite capris this May.

Sunday

The weather today is unbelieveably gorgeous. One of
those spring days that are so welcome after what
seemed like a late-coming/long-staying hellacious
winter.

It's got to be mid-70s today. Almost HOT, even. (Of
course, we've also got a severe weather alert...damn.)
I walked out this morning in jeans and a t-shirt, but
went right back in to put light slacks on instead.

Ran a few errands, then went to the Wright Woods
forest preserve. Absolute heaven. The parking lot was
full - lots of people were out enjoying the fine
weather.

I had one of my folding chairs stashed in the trunk -
excellent. I took it out and sat myself under an oak
tree to read one of my school books. I got a fair
amount of sun, I'd say.

Home now for a little bit, before going to yoga. I got
my hands all muddy; I planted some lavender seeds I
bought at Whole Foods. I'm hoping they grow big and
tall and muy fragrant.

I'm trying to decide whether or not to ride my bike.
It is getting cloudy out, and with that severe weather
alert the last thing I want is to get stuck riding
home when it's Noah's fucking flood out.

Have to post pictures of the forest preserve. Springs
days like today make me think of Haiku. I came up with
one driving home. All you could hear from the ditches
were frogs.

Spring rains flood rivers
Green grass and blossoming buds
Frogs croak symphonies

Another weekend

But why do they go so fast?

Went to yoga again this morning and sweated like a
pig.

Went to Target with my mom for a little Easter
shopping. I guess (one of) my aunt(s) has asked if we
want to come over for Easter dinner - - which is rare.
We just don't usually do holiday dinners with them.
The crazy grandma will be there too.

Went to work for a couple hours (sucky) because we're
so behind and I wanted to get this one particularly
troublesome file done while it was quiet.

Came home and then cooked dinner. I made a recipe from
George Stella's Low Carb Cookbook: shrimp scampi,
substituting spaghetti squash for the pasta. Not too
shabby!

Stop bugging me

I wish people would fucking fill out the forms they're supposed to fill out, and use the damn forms they're supposed to when creating documents.

 

If one more person comes in here asking for me, I'm gonna FLIP.

 

P.S. Signed up for the Miller Lite Ride for the Arts in Milwaukee this June. Sort of like Chicago's Bike the Drive, except this one you have a selection of distances to do. For some god awful crazy reason I am doing the 50 mile ride (the only one longer is the 75 mile). My ass and my hoo-ha is going to HURT. I wince just thinking about it. I'm riding with some people from work (one of whom wants me to do a sprint-tri with her, but I dunno about that).

 

Yesterday I went to Bally's after work and rode the stationary bike. I can do about 21 miles in an hour. Not bad, but not good either IMO. I've got to crank that up. I'd like to be able to do 25 miles in about 45. Is this realistic? Does anyone who rides regularly know? Keep in mind I'm no professional cyclist!!

 

Looks like my workout regimen will consist of lots of yoga and lots of biking for the next couple months.

 

Since last week's (Wednesday) doctor appointment and going back on Atkins, I think I've lost about four pounds. Good. Gots to keep going. I especially need to fit back into my cute capris before the weather gets super warm. If I lose another 10 lbs, I should be able to do that.

Puppy Dogs

I don't know if you all read this when it originally came out, but up in St. Paul, some poor girl's dog was missing. She eventually received a gift-wrapped box filled with Valentine's Day candy...and her dog's severed head.

 

Talk about disgusting and scary. The dog was a therapy dog, too.

 

They now have a suspect in custody. Good. One less freak on the streets!

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070323/ap_on_re_us/dog_beheaded;_ylt=AnuxlebbeWsdzXQSb5Ap3dJH2ocA

Bad ideas

Since going back on the Atkins, I've bought a few of the no sugar candies.

 

Yesterday, I made the mistake of eating too many. See, some of them will give a "laxative effect" if they have too many sugar alcohols.

 

Laxative effect? I felt like my gut was getting twisted and yanked.

 

Gas? Gas is not funny when you're in a lot of pain.God.

 

Never again!

Song and Dance

There's a contractor that works in my group. She moonlights as a vocalist. She wants to name her group "Sparkle Motion".

 

WTF?

 

At first I thought she was yanking my chain with that name. Now I'm not so sure.

 

You can't much more 80s with "Sparkle Motion" unless you wanted to call yourself "Jem, Truly OUTRAGEOUS!"

 

Jeeeeesus.

Things that are good

Crystal Light "On the Go" packets in the new Cherry Pomegranate flavor. YUMMY. Makes my water taste GOOD. Plus it's got some kind of vitamin boost in it. Yay. Healthy.

Lunch

I was going to get the chicken in the cafeteria at work, but it looked pretty sad and pathetic. I ran out and got a baaaaad combo italian beef/sausage. (Didn't eat the bun because of ye old Atkins).

 

And then I had lime jell-o.

 

What a lunch.

 

Beats my breakfast. I had one of those Atkins shakes. That thing was watery and tasteless. The Slim-Fast Low-Carb shakes are much better. I'll have to get more of those at Walgreens tonight.

Brits

Hee! I'm watching Food Network and they have this new show Chefography. I just watched something on Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) and now they are doing Nigella Lawson.

She cracks me up. Oh, the accent and the sauciness! I didn't know she came from such a posh background.

Cookery

Well, I finally got around to trying a recipe in the
Nigel Slater book the Mum got me a while back.

Sad to say: it was a fish recipe.

Now, let it be known that typically I don't eat fish
unless it is fish sticks, fried (fish n chips), tuna
(canned) or shrimp. However, periodically I get the
idea into my head that I should try to eat more fish
since it's "healthier". And every time...bleh!

I just can't cook fish worth a shit.

and one more thing...

Dame Judi Dench RULES.

That is all.

You Know My Name

I love St. Patrick's Day. Everyone is Irish on St.
Patrick's Day! (But I am on my Dad's side.)

Had some whiskey (not true Irish whiskey, but cut me
some slack).

ALSO....picked up a copy of Casino Royale at
Blockbuster. Damn, I was actually surprised at how
good it was. Dude, Daniel Craig is okay in my book.

Eva Green is beautiful when she's not dressing herself
up as some kind of Goth-emo freak.

Damn good pie!

Holy mother of god, people. Guess what show is FINALLY seeing its second season see the light of DVD-release-day?!?!

 

TWIN PEAKS

 

Armageddon must be soon. Because, seriously, I thought I'd never live to see the day.

Birthdays

My niece is 13 today. T H I R T E E N. I'm getting old. I got her a birthday card and it was all about "you were a baby and now..." yada yada yada. I underlined "baby" and then wrote: Sorry I let you fall off the couch that one time, but you were so squirmy and I think it was more your fault.

 

I'm such a nice aunt, aren't I?

 

Her "golden birthday" will be Sweet Sixteen. That's pretty cool. Only to be surpassed by mine, which was "21". I'll have to remember to buy her a crapload of balloons on that birthday and have them delivered to her school.

Grey's A should be Grey's F (F for Failing and Fucked Up)

You know, I am so glad I haven't been watching Grey's Anatomy, because last night would have surely pissed me off.

 

BIiiiiig surprise (not) at what happened. How trite. I never liked Heigl's character to begin with - too much of a goddamned prima donna.

 

LAME. I think this has effectively quashed my wanting to watch the show for the rest of the season (possibly forever).

 

Go read recap over at TWP if you want to know the latest shagging misery.

Buffy Comics

All hail the return....

HAIL!

It was an enjoyable read. I managed to snag the very last variant cover at the shop - - about two minutes before someone came in desperately wanting it. Ooops. Speaking of variantage, I was reading up the word on Darkhorse and Comics Continuum. Okay, WTF is with making Willow look like a frumpy fraulein in the variant of #4?And then we have a realistic looking giganto Dawn in the regular cover...

She's long since been bad ass - make her look so. They obviously did for the smokin desktop!

I think I'll have to ask the shop to reserve me one reg AND one variant cover for each issue. Oh lord, my Buffy obsession is experiencing a revival. People, you do NOT know how much money I used to spend on Buffy crap. It was obscene.


Issues 6-9 are supposed to be Faith. I just hope they actually get someone who can properly draw her. It's being written by Brian K Vaughn (Y: Last Man). SCHWEET.

Comics galore

Holy jeebus. Today is the day the "Buffy Season 8" comic came out...and I FORGOT TO GO TO THE COMIC STORE!!!

I took the day off work for a doctor's appointment and to run necessary errands (like, renewing my drivers license)...and did not make it to the store! I AM AN ASS!!

I went to the darkhorse website and perused a little bit. God, 10am tomorrow can not come soon enough.

Oh, the nostalgia. I totally feel like digging out my Buffy CCG and playing a few rounds (and kicking some shins).

Things you wish you hadn't thought (at the most inappropriate time)

Woke up cranky this morning. Felt like I got shoved back in to October or November with the waking up in the dark due to the time change.

 

Pulled into the parking lot at work and wished - to myself - that my boss wasn't in.

 

She's not. I just found out one of her sons passed away (possibly due to meningitis and only 19) this weekend.

 

God.

 

I feel like an asshole. And horrified. Poor woman!

300

I didn't think I'd be saying this but HOLY SHIT.

Frank Miller's "300" is frikkin awesome. I went to see
it last night. The absolutely stupid number of 12 year
olds in the theatre pissed me off, but otherwise
great.

The movie is completely over-the-top and unrealistic
in points of historicism (I mean, give me a break,
like Xerxes really looked like that?!) and some laws
of physics, but you'd really care while you're
watching. The stylism is so beautiful.

And the gorgeous male bods don't hurt either. *cough*
Gerard Butler as Leonidas? Haaaaawt.

It's a graphic novel movie all het women should love
because there are for more scantily clad, very buff
men in it that scantily dressed women.

Totally. Go see it. Visually GORGEOUS. Very faithful
to Miller's graphic novel layout. Wow.

I'm going to go see it again.

Saturday

I almost didn't go to yoga today, which would have been a shame, because it went very well. It is, for once, nice outside and somewhat the temperature it should be for this time of year! Hoo-ray!

I got up a little before 10am and hurried to get ready for yoga. I checked how warm it was outside, and decided to ride my bike to the studio. Fantastic. I was already in a good mood just from being able to ride my bike.

I went to the 2/3 level class at 11am. Yowsa, I didn't know it was 2 hours long! So now I am having to rush to get ready to go see some homoerotic Greek mayhem (aka "300") with a couple friends.

Did I mention that I feel really good, though?!

I tried to do a headstand midway through yoga. Not up against the wall for support, but out on the floor on my mat. Aaaand.....whooops! I managed to get up without kicking, but then I lost my balance and somersaulted! I wanted to bust up laughing. I wasn't even scared, which surprised me. It happened too quick. I think the coolest part was that I fucking managed to land on my feet. That almost made it worth somersaulting. The woman in front of me was in downward dog and so she could see me when I fell forward. She kind of raised her eyes in the "are you okay" kind of look and I just grinned and started laughing a little bit.

Getting closer to actually being able to do crow pose correctly. I totally had my legs wrong. Knees need to be by pits.

Chinese zodiac

Interesting. Ripping from Lippy as I saw her Water Tiger post. Where did you get that description from?

I am apparently most compatible with Roosters and Oxen, but Tiger rates a lowly "3". What's up with that?

I'm a Fire Snake, specifically, but can't seem to find anything about it other than the general snake stuff.

Snakes (generally, via Wikipedia):

The person born in the year of snake is perhaps the wisest and most enigmatic of all. He/she can become a philosopher, a theologian, a political wizard or a wily financier. Such a person is a thinker who also likes to live well. The snake-person loves books, TTC, music, clothes, and fine food; but with all their fondness for the good things in life, their innate elegance gives them a dislike for frivolities and foolish talk.

Snake-persons like communicating and like interesting conversations; if the conversation becomes repetitive their attention may soon wander. It is almost impossible to fix their attention for long talking about every day habits. They prefer to focus on new, interesting and evolutionary ideas in general.

These people have a special talent that enables them to judge situations correctly. They are alert to new possibilities: when they have an idea of what to do and how to do it, they will pursue it persistently and energetically. In Chinese astrology it is believed that they are self-confident and willing to listen to someone else's opinion, but don't necessarily take it 'on board'. Refusing to listen to constructive advice, they may be prone to getting into needless trouble.

Although it is difficult for such people to take advice, they are patient with others when it comes to giving a helping hand, and their ability to look at a problem from a variety of angles is extremely useful. When faced with a dilemma, snake people, as a rule, act with speed and conviction, since they believe intensely in what they are doing and rarely waste time or energy on projects lacking in good potential.

Zodiac Location	6th
Ruling hours	9am-11am
Direction	South Southeast
Season and month	Spring, May
Gemstone	Agate
Roughly equivalent western sign	Taurus
Polarity	Yin

Via Firepig:

Description of Personality
Depth and charisma make the Snake a formidable presence. What you see is not what you get. The Snake's many interests and insatiable thirst for knowledge result in an increasingly complex persona. Furthermore, with the Snake's penchant for secrecy, they're not likely to let us see how much is there is to know about them. More than any other sign, the Snake knows how to present itself, when it wants, in the most favorable light. The downside of this is that the Snake is likely to tire of and discard us lesser mortals. An even bigger danger is the Snake believes in revenge; so, don't cross them. Like the Dragon, the Snake is a karmic sign and likely to experience lots of extreme highs and lows in their lives.

Holy crap, that one is pretty spot on. Like, really.

Fire

The Fire years can be brilliant, dynamic, and inspirational and moves one towards the far spectrum of their sign. Like fire, people born in this year are warm and appealing. These people possess the qualities of great leaders, aggressive, motivated, and emotional. They have the ability to motivate others through their flair. Through their motivational speeches, they are able to get things done. This strong desire they possess can cause them to be impatient, selfish, and even violent when their wishes are not fulfilled. As in the element itself, these people can become dangerous if they fail to control their energy and focus it in a positive direction.

What do I want?

Well, my continued wishes for a speedy recovery to me mum.

As for what I want for my birthday: egads. It's still a couple months away! But if you're seriously asking, I'll have to think. Something good and British to make me "second-home-sick".

What do I want long term? I would love to get a teaching job.

Let me explain. English teachers are a "dime a dozen", apparently, around here. This makes me worried. I was talking with a classmate and one of her friends got told exactly that by a school she was trying to apply to. Too many English teachers around here, not enough jobs. One of my good friends pretty much got offered a job in Arizona for after she graduates. A recruiter was here at a job fair and she met up with the guy (formerly from Chicago area). Whereas we have too many English teachers here, Arizona doesn't have enough. (That, and the population is increasing there.)

Granted, I will also have accreditation in history and probably political science/government, but I'm worried.

I've often thought about doing a teacher-exchange once I get certified and have taught a couple years here. I know there are programs to do that. It's just becoming more and more of a "I really want to do this". I should do some research. A, do you know of any programs that do teacher exchanges, by any chance?

Gavalda's "My Heart is an Empty Shopping Sack" (The Opel Touch)

Feeling dumpy lately. I blame the weather in part. God, will it ever be Spring?! It snowed again yesterday. And it's in the 20s today. IT'S FREAKING MARCH, CUT IT OUT!

 

It's in the 80s out west (Arizona and California). I could kill my friend Tania for living in Arizona right now. I am half seriously considering flying out there...except with what money?

 

Yeah, that sucks too.

 

I read a little bit after I got home from class last night. I took out my Anna Gavalda I Wish Someone Were Waiting for Me Somewhere book. Not the smartest thing to do when you're already feeling in the dumps about life.

 

I'm already morose about my upcoming birthday. Thirty years...and what? Obviously the alternative is unacceptable, but 30. What exactly have I done? It doesn't feel like much. I ain't got nobody.

People that are Good. Tom McNamee :: The power of 8 strangers

It's refreshing to see something good in the paper. And of course the last quote just made me laugh.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Tom McNamee :: The power of 8 strangers

When Heloise Bouille was pinned under a car, her rescuers did the only thing that could save her -- they lifted it off her

March 5, 2007
BY TOM McNAMEE Sun-Times Columnist

How strange to see the blind woman kneeling to pet her guide dog. How strange to see her even walking again, breathing normally, let alone kneeling down and standing straight.

Here she is, at Winchester and Foster on the North Side, listening for sounds of traffic before crossing at a stop sign.

Heloise Bouille pets her guide dog with rescuer Tom Keevers at the scene of last year’s horrific accident.

It was at this very corner one year ago Tuesday that, by any reckoning of physics and fate, she should have died.

"She was mangled like a pretzel," says Tom Keevers, the man who saved her life.
"She was under the car, and it was crushing her. There was a lot of blood. I could not imagine she was even alive."

But she was. And she is.

And now we know just how many Chicagoans it takes to pick up and move a 3,100-pound Acura.

Tom Keevers plus seven.

In a pinch.

Can't remember being hit
It was midafternoon on March 6, 2006, and Heloise Bouille, then 47, was taking a walk with her guide dog, Annette. Bouille worked from home as a translator, turning French into English, and she always looked forward to these walking breaks -- the exercise, the city sounds and smells, the wind on her face.

At Winchester and Foster, Bouille took particular care because, as she well knew, a blind person crossing a street in a big city faces as much danger at a small intersection with stop signs as at a busy intersection with traffic lights. When there are lights, you can listen for the full cycle of signal changes -- from red to green to red again -- and know exactly when it's safest to step from the curb.

After listening carefully and checking with Annette, Bouille began to cross Winchester.
And that, mercifully, is all she remembers.

It was an older Acura, driven by an 18-year-old kid who worked in a restaurant. He must have blown the stop sign.

She doesn't remember being hit. Or being mowed under. Or being dragged 30 yards down Foster.

And, of course, she never heard the woman on the sidewalk in the Muslim veil scream.

"There is a woman under the car," the woman cried, waving her arms. "There is a woman under the car."
'A lot of crazy people'
Keevers, 43, was having a beer with a couple of friends in K's Dugout, a tavern on the corner. After a day of selling ads for the Yellow Pages, he was celebrating one friend's birthday.

Looking out the window, he saw the screaming woman.

"Chicago," he thought to himself, "has a lot of crazy people."

But the woman kept screaming, and something told Keevers this was different.

"I'm gonna step outside and see what the problem is," he said.

Keevers' dad was a Chicago cop. Maybe that's where he gets it. Three years ago, Tom got an award from the FBI for tackling a bank robber on Lawrence Ave.

"What's wrong?" he asked, approaching in that wary way of a Chicago lifer.

"There's a woman under that car!" the woman in the veil cried again. "I saw a lady walking across the street and, all the sudden, she disappeared."

Turning to look at the car, Keevers saw the dog first. It was crying and trying to crawl under the car.
And then he saw the broken woman.

"There is no way," he thought. "She's completely crushed."
But he had to try.

'Call 911'
Keevers jumped in front of a CTA bus and shouted, "Stop!"
He barked to the driver: "Call 911."
Two men on the bus ran out to help.
Keevers called his friends out of the bar. He waved down two or three more cars.
Now there were eight men, mostly strangers to each other. But acting as one, they surrounded the car, reached down to the chassis and got firm grips.

"On the count of three," Keevers said. "One . . . two . . . three."

They lifted the car, staggered to the middle of the street and dropped it.

Heloise Bouille was free, though twisted and horribly still. Annette rushed to her side.

An ambulance roared up. Keevers felt sure they were too late.

But then he saw a bloody bubble burst from the woman's mouth.

She was breathing.

'Am I OK?'
Bouille suffered severe brain injury, a ruptured diaphragm, a collapsed lung, multiple broken ribs, a demolished femur, a broken pelvis and two broken bones in her back. She is held together today with metal plates and screws.

But to the amazement of every cop, lawyer and doctor who has followed her story, she has made a remarkable recovery.

First she walked down a hospital hall. Then around the block. Then, encouraged by her husband, Robert Hall, who also is blind, she went back to taking her long city walks. With Annette, of course.

"It took me so long to recover," Bouille told me last week. "The physical part is one thing, but the emotional part is another. There is always this thought: 'Am I OK?'"

As for the teenager who was driving that day, he was nowhere to be seen at the moment Keevers and the others came to Bouille's aid. But he did not run away. The police questioned him on the scene.

The young man was recently convicted in Traffic Court on two violations stemming from this accident -- failure to exercise due care with a pedestrian and failure to exercise due care with a pedestrian with a disability. He was fined $500.

What's the kid's name? Hope you don't mind, but I don't think I'll say. From what I hear, he's not so bad -- just a teenager.

'Absolutely flabbergasted'
And then there are all the heroes. I hate that word -- hero. So overused.

But what's a hero if not that Muslim woman who cried for help, if not Keevers, if not every man who lifted that car?

"If those guys hadn't lifted that car, Heloise would have been dead or brain-damaged for life," said her lawyer, Jim Zouras. "She was moments -- seconds -- from being dead."

Ble said she wonders if there might be some big award the city could give Keevers.

"I am absolutely flabbergasted by what he did," she said.

I asked Keevers if he could remember what everybody did once the ambulance had rushed Bouille away.

The guys from the bus, he said, got back on the bus. And the bus driver drove off. And the guys in the cars got back on the road.

And, I asked, what about you?

"I went back in the bar," Keevers said, "and had a beer."

Tom McNamee's "The Chicago Way" column runs on Mondays.

Things I could do without

What are some things you could do without? I give you mine?

• Paris Hilton
• Britney Spears
• Anna Nicole Smith (she's dead, leave her the hell alone)

Seriously, this is the shit that passes for "breaking news" in the American Media? The American Media fucking sucks. Why not report on REAL shit? Like, say, the fact that our president is a lying sack of shit and that thousands of people are dying in a pointless, winless war in Iraq? And then maimed and ruined soldiers are coming back home to no support from said government and getting jacked up in ruined hospitals like Walter Reed?

Just sayin'...

*You're* going to read this...

and wonder what crack I'm smoking to have remembered this suddenly. Well, no crack, but I was drinking.

I was reading your "meme" entry and saw the (M)arriage date one. Besides obviously remembering the comment I made when you told you had been ("what the hell did you go and do that for?", which, sorry, still makes me laugh), I also remember Keith (that Cheesehead schmuck) once telling me he thought we were dating because I always hung out at the shop. I could go without remembering a lot of Keith crap. God, what a moron. But I'm stupider, because well, at one time I liked him.

Glad to hear things are looking up out there.

A- Available or Single? what kind of jacked up question is that? Yes, I'm single. And likely to stay so since the majority of males around me are fucking stupid.
B- Best Friend? T-Tania, and I hope she moves back from Arizona sometime soon.
C- Cake or Pie? DO I HAVE TO PICK? Mmm..."strong apple pie" anyone?
D- Drink of Choice? Adagio tea: Earl Grey Bravo. So refreshing.
E- Essential Item? iPod
F- Favorite Color? Green?
G- Gummi Bears or Worms? Ewww
H- Hometown? Somewhere northwest of Chicago...
I- Indulgence? Yoga. I just blew a not insignificant chunk of change on a six month unlimited package.
J- January or February? Neither they both suck and are cold.
K- Kids and Names? My cats are my kids. And more useful, too. J.C. (Jesus Christ) and Buddha. If I was able to get another one, I might call it Moses. Then I'd have a Jew kitty to go along with Christian and Buddhist. I'm aiming for world harmony here.
L- Life is incomplete without…? complaining
M- Marriage Date? I'll win the lottery sooner than I'll be married.
N- Number of Siblings? One older, and sadly, Republican brother. I may as well be an orphan since I'm the only non Republican.
O- Oranges or Apples? Honeycrisp apples. Oh yes. But, you know, Moro Blood Oranges are very nice as well.
P- Phobias/Fears? Dying alone
Q- Favorite Quote? "So once more into the breach and fuck my getting it right" - - Nerina Pallot
R- Reasons to smile? Yoga, my cats JC and Buddha, Bill's pizza with my friends Kristi and Anne
S- Season? Fall (but anything NOT FUCKING WINTER WITH SNOW AND BLOWING COLD WOULD BE GOOD)
T- Tag 3 people? Uh...Lippy and Gonzo?
U- Unknown Fact About Me? I like drinking out of the milk carton. And eating with my hands. Guess I'm sloppy.
V- Vegetable You Hate? Cauliflower. Brussels sprouts. Gag.
W- Worst Habit? Dropping stuff on the floor.
X- Xrays You’ve Had? Ankles and dental
Y- Your Favorite Foods? Lately, the blood orange marmalade I made. Rules on toast.
Z- Zodiac? Cusp of Taurus and Gemini. An earth and air sign. Tell me that's not fucked up.

A pretty good day - yoga, yarn and tea (with a side order of cute pizza boys)

I was feeling pretty cranky and for no good reason
today. That said, I felt so much better after
attending this yoga workshop today. I went with my
friend, Anne (who is in my grad program).

It was called "Learning to Fly" and it was to learn
the proper techniques to do arm balances, inversions,
etc. TWO HOURS. God, I was dying, but it was fun.

Rule #1: DON'T LET YOUR ASS GO ANYWHERE NEAR THE
FLOOR. Seriously, at that point, it's all over.
Whether you're a size zero or a size 12, your ass is
the heaviest part of your body.

I still suck at crow pose - I just can't hitch my legs
up on my arms quite right. HOWEVER, I did get off the
floor just a smidgen longer than I have before: yeah,
progress!

And I can't remember the name of the pose (it was
given in Sanskrit and I sorta don't know that), but I
was so surprised that of all of the ones I was
learning, it was the one I came closest to doing. You
start off in a lunge, then dive one arm under the
lunging leg (let's say left in this example, since
it's my best side).

So, you have your left arm under your left lunging leg
(knee bent). Both your palms have to be flat on the
ground, at the same level as your feet.

Scooch your right leg forward, so that the knee is
bent and it's pretty much right under you.

Carefully lift the left leg so it's pointing out,
ABOVE your left arm and LEAN FORWARD (remembering that
you want to follow RULE #1).

Bring your right foot off the ground and trrrrry and
hold the position. I was able to hold for about two
seconds. Eventually, you'll throw that right leg back
up in the air behind you. (one leg forward the other
back)

And then you obviously switch and do the other side.

Class was so fun! People were laughing and having a
good time. It was great to be able to focus on the
hand stands and learning the proper way to do them.
MUY excelente.

And then Anne and I met up with Kristi at Bill's Pub
afterwards. Anne had wine, Kristi had beer and I had a
fucking clear "Long Island". I saw it and was like
"Shit! Give me a diet Coke to color this up with!" We
proceeded to get a little happy and have really
raunchy conversations. God, we're worse than guys. We
wound up talking about having uneven boobs.

We've determined that amongst the three of us, all of
our left boobs are slightly larger. Why is the left
side? Is it because we're right handed? Eh? We want to
do a poll now.

SO, girls on my flist: which is bigger? Right or left?
And is it the opposite of your dominant hand?

Boob sizing aside, we were also casting inappropriate
looks at our server. Cute boy. Operative word: boy. I
was like "he's a fucking kid!" Anne, however, made the
excellent point that if he was serving us alcohol, he
had to be at least 21.

Still, that's like "3" in boy years. Especially when
you're comparing with Anne (mid twenties), me (29) and
Kristi (35, although I swear she doesn't look a day
over 30, I keep telling her she's an absolute liar to
tell me she's 35). The boy's name was "Joey". Baby
kangaroos!

You know the saying: Young, dumb and full of...

Joey. Little Joey. Mmm. He had a slight lisp, which
Anne thought was cute. *snort* We were giggling or
outright cackling. He had to know we were eyeing him.

Seriously, bad bad bad.

But a damn fine night.

OH -shoutout to "Lippy"! AND I HAVE YORKSHIRE TEA! I
went to Long Grove today - putting the "tourist trap"
in overly Quaint Lake County. I went to see the yarn
store - OMG, GORGEOUS but expensive yarns. They had
the most unbelieveable deep shade of green yarn that
was hand dyed. It was like deep, deep emeralds (not
bluey at all). I lusted over it. The color of envy.
Greener than Green River.

But back to Yorkshire tea: next to the yarn store was
a store for British goods. Looks more like it should
be going out of business - they need to restock for
crying out loud. I wasn't going to buy anything, but
then I saw the Yorkshire tea and also some black
currant jam. Yummy.

And with that, I shall bid you all a tickled
"adieu"...

P.S. My cat Buddha needs to come to yoga class with
me. He always does the best down "dogs" and up "dogs".
I should call them down "cats" and up "cats" from now on...