Monday, July 4, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
I am so glad that I didn't put "Write more blog posts" on my list of New Year's Resolutions. I'm not a big fan of setting myself up for failure.
With the end of my semester (NTS: taking two classes while working full time is DUMB) approaching quickly, I would like to take this time to remind myself of things that I like and will get to enjoy the second that I finish the busy work that Dr. Idiot Professor is requiring. Call it procrastination motivation, if you will.
1. Introducing Beej to Wishbone.
Wishbone was a PBS show that came on when I was in middle school. It features a Jack Russel Terrier who reenacts classic books with himself in the title roles. There's humans in there too, but honestly, who cares? B.J. mocks my love of this show and thanks to a DVD from Sams, we are going to make him love it through total immersion. I wonder if he'll notice if I switch his ringtone to the theme song.
2. Oscar Nominated movies
This past year was unusual in that a lot of movies were released that I wanted to see. Of course, I'm cheap, and refused to go see them in the theaters like a normal person. Thanks to Netflix and the library, I am planning on taking in Black Swan, the King's Speech, Temple Grandin, and a few extra showings of Inception.
3. Actual sleep in an actual bed for actual hours > 6.
With the end of my semester (NTS: taking two classes while working full time is DUMB) approaching quickly, I would like to take this time to remind myself of things that I like and will get to enjoy the second that I finish the busy work that Dr. Idiot Professor is requiring. Call it procrastination motivation, if you will.
1. Introducing Beej to Wishbone.
Wishbone was a PBS show that came on when I was in middle school. It features a Jack Russel Terrier who reenacts classic books with himself in the title roles. There's humans in there too, but honestly, who cares? B.J. mocks my love of this show and thanks to a DVD from Sams, we are going to make him love it through total immersion. I wonder if he'll notice if I switch his ringtone to the theme song.
2. Oscar Nominated movies
This past year was unusual in that a lot of movies were released that I wanted to see. Of course, I'm cheap, and refused to go see them in the theaters like a normal person. Thanks to Netflix and the library, I am planning on taking in Black Swan, the King's Speech, Temple Grandin, and a few extra showings of Inception.
3. Actual sleep in an actual bed for actual hours > 6.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
A good day
I love lists. (My entire family just went "duh".) One of my favorite things about the start of the year is the cultural endorsement of massive amounts of list making. As one of the things I'd like to keep up with in the new year is blogging, here's some of my favorites:
Movies that we will watch in January (from the AFI list)
1. Cabaret
2. Star Wars
3. American Grafitti
Home Improvements we will make
1. Shelf in the bathroom
2. Bar stools
3. Repaint B.J.'s office
Today was my last day of vacation. I celebrated by getting things done. To wit:
1. Laundry washed, folded and put away
2. Christmas lights taken down and (mostly) put away
3. Four miles on the exercise bike (starting small and working my way up)
4. House vaccumed
5. Library e-book app installed and working, with two Jan Karon novels downloaded.
6. Blueberry lemon scones baked
7. First two lessons of math homework completed
8. Art project completed and hanging on the wall
9. Husband's choice of movies watched*
10. Lunch packed and things gathered for work tomorrow.
* The Fountain, Animal House, and Bad News Bears
Movies that we will watch in January (from the AFI list)
1. Cabaret
2. Star Wars
3. American Grafitti
Home Improvements we will make
1. Shelf in the bathroom
2. Bar stools
3. Repaint B.J.'s office
Today was my last day of vacation. I celebrated by getting things done. To wit:
1. Laundry washed, folded and put away
2. Christmas lights taken down and (mostly) put away
3. Four miles on the exercise bike (starting small and working my way up)
4. House vaccumed
5. Library e-book app installed and working, with two Jan Karon novels downloaded.
6. Blueberry lemon scones baked
7. First two lessons of math homework completed
8. Art project completed and hanging on the wall
9. Husband's choice of movies watched*
10. Lunch packed and things gathered for work tomorrow.
* The Fountain, Animal House, and Bad News Bears
Thursday, December 16, 2010
When I get the chance, I like to volunteer with high school and younger kids and try to get them interested in careers in math and science. To this end, here is my list of awesome things about engineering/math/science:
1. Engineers often get to wear jeans to work.
2. If you are a female engineer, there is never a line for a bathroom.
3. If you go into math and science, people will always think you're smart.
4. You will never have a problem calculating a tip in a restaurant.
5. Starting rumors about the Large Hadron Collider ending the world.
6. The Big Band Theory (tv show) and Dilbert make sense.
7. Engineers have the funniest jokes.*
8. Breaking things can be part of your job.
9. You will look stunning in black rimmed plastic glasses.
10. Money.
11. Nobody cares that you can't spell and have bad handwriting.
12. Running nuclear reactors
13. Driving bulldozers.
14. Doing 12 and 13 before you can legally drink.
*Why do computer people get Christmas and Halloween mixed up? A: Because Dec 25 = Oct 31.
1. Engineers often get to wear jeans to work.
2. If you are a female engineer, there is never a line for a bathroom.
3. If you go into math and science, people will always think you're smart.
4. You will never have a problem calculating a tip in a restaurant.
5. Starting rumors about the Large Hadron Collider ending the world.
6. The Big Band Theory (tv show) and Dilbert make sense.
7. Engineers have the funniest jokes.*
8. Breaking things can be part of your job.
9. You will look stunning in black rimmed plastic glasses.
10. Money.
11. Nobody cares that you can't spell and have bad handwriting.
12. Running nuclear reactors
13. Driving bulldozers.
14. Doing 12 and 13 before you can legally drink.
*Why do computer people get Christmas and Halloween mixed up? A: Because Dec 25 = Oct 31.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Today I am
I know that I have a lot to be grateful for. Growing up in the church, that gets beaten into your head on a regular basis, especially whenever a missionary on sabbatical comes to visit. Clean water, food, not having to be mutilated when you forget a hat--despite everyone's best efforts, these aren't things I'm grateful for; they're things that I pity others for not having. Maybe not the best attitude, but beyond going to a third world country for a few months, I don't know that there's much that I can do to change that.
Recently, I've had an upsurge of gratitude about the little things, which feel more meaningful to me than all of the big things put together.
For example, my husband and I went out to dinner tonight. I know that is a luxury that my parents and grandparents didn't have often (if ever) in the early days of their marriages. I'm grateful that we have jobs that let us indulge occasionally, and I'm especially grateful for the sacrifices of my parents that got me an education (and a myriad of free meals along the way).
It looks like our duplex is going to be rented sometime this week. Not only will this save us two month's rent, but the timing is so perfect that we won't have to rush moving. I'm grateful first for the savings, but I'm also grateful that B.J. and I don't have to live paycheck to paycheck, and that two month's rent isn't going to break the bank. I'm also thankful that God's timing is better than mine; if I'd had my way, we would have been moved into the new house two weeks ago and wouldn't have the time to organize things the way that we want.
Yesterday was my Grandpa's 80th birthday. I called to say hello, and we spent 45 minutes talking about our memories of camping trips, the most recent news from the family, and the good things that are happening in my life right now. I'm thankful for the relationships in my family--I have siblings who all like each other, and the older I get, the more I realize what a gift that is.
Overall, I'm grateful for all of the answers to prayer that I've experienced over the past weeks, and thankful for the things that I have, without even having to ask for them.
Recently, I've had an upsurge of gratitude about the little things, which feel more meaningful to me than all of the big things put together.
For example, my husband and I went out to dinner tonight. I know that is a luxury that my parents and grandparents didn't have often (if ever) in the early days of their marriages. I'm grateful that we have jobs that let us indulge occasionally, and I'm especially grateful for the sacrifices of my parents that got me an education (and a myriad of free meals along the way).
It looks like our duplex is going to be rented sometime this week. Not only will this save us two month's rent, but the timing is so perfect that we won't have to rush moving. I'm grateful first for the savings, but I'm also grateful that B.J. and I don't have to live paycheck to paycheck, and that two month's rent isn't going to break the bank. I'm also thankful that God's timing is better than mine; if I'd had my way, we would have been moved into the new house two weeks ago and wouldn't have the time to organize things the way that we want.
Yesterday was my Grandpa's 80th birthday. I called to say hello, and we spent 45 minutes talking about our memories of camping trips, the most recent news from the family, and the good things that are happening in my life right now. I'm thankful for the relationships in my family--I have siblings who all like each other, and the older I get, the more I realize what a gift that is.
Overall, I'm grateful for all of the answers to prayer that I've experienced over the past weeks, and thankful for the things that I have, without even having to ask for them.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Another book meme
Slightly better than the last book meme, but still several duplications and way too much Jane Austen.
An X indicates a book that you've read. Italics indicate one that you've started but haven't finished.
[x] 1 Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
[x] 2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
[x] 3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
[x] 4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling
[x] 5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
[x] 6 The Bible
[x] 7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
[x] 8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
[x] 9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman X
10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
[x] 11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
[x] 13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (I'm sure I've missed a few sonnets)
15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
[x] 16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
[x] 18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
[x] 19 The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
[x] 20 Middlemarch – George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
[x] 25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams X
26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
[x] 28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
[x] 29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
[x] 30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
[x] 33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
[x] 34 Emma – Jane Austen
[x] 35 Persuasion – Jane Austen
[x] 36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis X - (DUPLICATE of number 33)
37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres
[x] 39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
[x] 40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne
[x] 41 Animal Farm – George Orwell
[x] 42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving
45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
[x] 46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
[x] 48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
[x] 49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding
[x] 50 Atonement – Ian McEwan
[x] 51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel
[x] 52 Dune – Frank Herbert
[x] 53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
[x] 54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
[x] 58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
[x] 59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
[x] 61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt
[x] 64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
[x] 66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
[x] 68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
[x] 72 Dracula – Bram Stoker
[x] 73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses – James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal – Emile Zola
[x] 79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession – AS Byatt
[x] 81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
[x] 87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White
[x] 88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Alborn
[x] 89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
[x] 92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
94 Watership Down – Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
[x] 97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
[x] 98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare DUPLICATE
[x] 99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo
As there are two obvious duplicates and at least three too many Jane Austen books listed (and probably too many Dickens novels too), I'd offer the following substitutions:
-Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
-Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
-Watchmen - Alan Moore
-The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
-Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
-Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes
-A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
As the list stands now, I've read 52. You?
An X indicates a book that you've read. Italics indicate one that you've started but haven't finished.
[x] 1 Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
[x] 2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
[x] 3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
[x] 4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling
[x] 5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
[x] 6 The Bible
[x] 7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
[x] 8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
[x] 9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman X
10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
[x] 11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
[x] 13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (I'm sure I've missed a few sonnets)
15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
[x] 16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
[x] 18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
[x] 19 The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
[x] 20 Middlemarch – George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
[x] 25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams X
26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
[x] 28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
[x] 29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
[x] 30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
[x] 33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
[x] 34 Emma – Jane Austen
[x] 35 Persuasion – Jane Austen
37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres
[x] 39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
[x] 40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne
[x] 41 Animal Farm – George Orwell
[x] 42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving
45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
[x] 46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
[x] 48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
[x] 49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding
[x] 50 Atonement – Ian McEwan
[x] 51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel
[x] 52 Dune – Frank Herbert
[x] 53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
[x] 54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
[x] 58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
[x] 59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
[x] 61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt
[x] 64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
[x] 66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
[x] 68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
[x] 72 Dracula – Bram Stoker
[x] 73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses – James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal – Emile Zola
[x] 79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession – AS Byatt
[x] 81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
[x] 87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White
[x] 88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Alborn
[x] 89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
[x] 92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
94 Watership Down – Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
[x] 97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
[x] 99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo
As there are two obvious duplicates and at least three too many Jane Austen books listed (and probably too many Dickens novels too), I'd offer the following substitutions:
-Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
-Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
-Watchmen - Alan Moore
-The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
-Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
-Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes
-A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
As the list stands now, I've read 52. You?
Friday, June 18, 2010
Requiem
In paradisum deducant te Angeli:
in tuo adventu suscipiant te Martyres,
et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Ierusalem.
Chorus Angelorum te suscipiat,
et cum Lazaro quondam paupere æternam habeas requiem.
May Angels lead you into paradise;
may the Martyrs receive you at your coming
and lead you to the holy city of Jerusalem.
May a choir of Angels receive you,
and with Lazarus, who once was poor, may you have eternal rest.
in tuo adventu suscipiant te Martyres,
et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Ierusalem.
Chorus Angelorum te suscipiat,
et cum Lazaro quondam paupere æternam habeas requiem.
May Angels lead you into paradise;
may the Martyrs receive you at your coming
and lead you to the holy city of Jerusalem.
May a choir of Angels receive you,
and with Lazarus, who once was poor, may you have eternal rest.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
What Amy Is
Reading: The Power of Myth - Joseph Campbell
Written in an interview style, I'm really enjoy Campbell's ability to apply mythology to modern culture. I've just started this one, but B.J. tells me that I've made a good choice in my library book this week.
Glee!
This season started picking up steam with Neil Patrick Harris's guest role. Given the first five minutes of this episode, it's going to continue to improve.
Coverville
One of the better podcasts I've heard. It had me hooked on ukulele music for a solid week.
Orange Sapphire from Bath and Body Works
Thanks to Mom for the lotion, shower gel, and the body spray. It's orange with a touch of amber, so I smell like fruit, but not a snow cone.
Galway Crystal
Made in Ireland, I now have a gorgeous set of four wineglasses. I also love the Little Black Dress Cabernet Sauvignon that is currently inside it.
Sex and the City 2
Any movie that uses the phrase "Lawrence of My-Labia" is on my shit list. Ebert has it correct.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Two years ago...
Two years ago, I was sitting in room G-3 of the Electrical Engineering building. It was Thursday of dead week, and I was listening to senior design presentations. Some guy fainted while giving his. It was the most exciting thing to happen all semester in that class, but I wasn't paying attention. Once my class got out, I was planning on leaving Rolla for St. Charles, blowing off my marketing class tomorrow. The class had been a joke, and I had no qualms about making up an excuse to cover my absence. My first final wasn't until the middle of next week, so it was going to be a long weekend.
I'd need that break, because two years ago tonight, I did the most reckless thing I've ever done in my life, and I met the person who has irrevocably changed my life for the better.
Our wedding anniversary isn't for another couple of weeks, but I'll always have a special place in my heart for May 8th.
I'd need that break, because two years ago tonight, I did the most reckless thing I've ever done in my life, and I met the person who has irrevocably changed my life for the better.
Our wedding anniversary isn't for another couple of weeks, but I'll always have a special place in my heart for May 8th.
Friday, February 19, 2010
What Amy Is...
Reading: Tess D'Ubervilles, Penguin Classic edition.
I'm a sucker for a pretty book, and the rereleased Penguin series are a serious level two contender in my collection of pretty books. (Level one is the leather bound gilded editions, Level two is pretty covers, Level 3 is unusual normal editions, like my autographed Terry Prachett books.) I'm finding James slow going, but the premise is interesting.
Watching: The Olympic Games
I've always enjoyed the figure skating, but this year, I'm drawn to sports that I've never watched before. I loved watching the moguls, and I have a hunch that snowboarding will be fun too.
Hearing: The Glee Soundtrack, Volume 1
Beej got me the soundtrack as part of my Valentine's Day gift, and it's been enough to knock me back into listening to music after my recent podcast kick.
Smelling: Macaroni and Cheese
There's someone in my vicinity of the office who eats lunch at 10:30-10:45. It's usually just enough of a smell to make the last hour before lunch crawl.
Loving: Real Simple Magazine
The only magazine that I've ever really loved just gave me a recipe for chicken parmesan AND had an entire spread on trench coats.
Hating: Best Buy's coupon.
We have a ten percent off coupon from Best Buy, and as we are planning to purchase a new tv in a matter of days, we'd been seriously considering using their store. Of course, the fine print excludes tvs in our price range and just about anything else that we'd want (video games/accessories, the tv stand...). The coupon is a tease.
I'm a sucker for a pretty book, and the rereleased Penguin series are a serious level two contender in my collection of pretty books. (Level one is the leather bound gilded editions, Level two is pretty covers, Level 3 is unusual normal editions, like my autographed Terry Prachett books.) I'm finding James slow going, but the premise is interesting.
Watching: The Olympic Games
I've always enjoyed the figure skating, but this year, I'm drawn to sports that I've never watched before. I loved watching the moguls, and I have a hunch that snowboarding will be fun too.
Hearing: The Glee Soundtrack, Volume 1
Beej got me the soundtrack as part of my Valentine's Day gift, and it's been enough to knock me back into listening to music after my recent podcast kick.
Smelling: Macaroni and Cheese
There's someone in my vicinity of the office who eats lunch at 10:30-10:45. It's usually just enough of a smell to make the last hour before lunch crawl.
Loving: Real Simple Magazine
The only magazine that I've ever really loved just gave me a recipe for chicken parmesan AND had an entire spread on trench coats.
Hating: Best Buy's coupon.
We have a ten percent off coupon from Best Buy, and as we are planning to purchase a new tv in a matter of days, we'd been seriously considering using their store. Of course, the fine print excludes tvs in our price range and just about anything else that we'd want (video games/accessories, the tv stand...). The coupon is a tease.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
What Amy is:
Reading:
The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories by H.P. Lovecraft
Generally, I'm not a fan of horror or suspense stories, as I find they get predictable after a few iterations, but Lovecraft manages to keep surprising you with the tales of the grotesque and supernatural. He writes primarily from the first person point of view, which brings to mind the telling of ghost stories around a campfire. Needless to say, the man's single handed invention of Cthuhlu guaranteed his literary immortality, but his mastery of terror-induced madness deserves an honorable mention as well.
Watching:
The X-Men Trilogy
One of B.J.'s Christmas gifts was the third movie in the X-Men trilogy. As I hadn't seen the third movie at all, and first two in a while, we spent several pleasant evenings with him introducing me to the movie version of one of his favorite comic books. I have to say that seeing the movies so closely together made me appreciate the difference that a good director makes. Overall, these are good examples of a superhero movie, but I still claim Iron Man as the pinnacle of the genre.
Hearing:
(500) Days of Summer Soundtrack
Thanks to a Christmas gift, I was able to pounce on the bonus version of this soundtrack. Featuring a mix of indie pop rock, my only regret is that they didn't include the original version of the Pixies "Here Comes Your Man". (Nothing against Meaghan Smith's cover.) I am now tempted to raid B.J.'s collection of The Smiths for more of the same style.
Smelling:
Victoria's Secret Love Spell Body Splash
A gift from my sister in law, this is a refreshing, light scent. Wearing it is an automatic compliment from my husband, and a nice break from the muskier perfumes that I normally wear in the winter.
Loving:
L.L. Bean's Wicked Good Slippers and other cold weather garments
Winter is like childbirth. Summer makes us forget how bitterly cold it gets, which is probably the only reason that the entire country hasn't moved to Florida.
Hating:
Snow and other winter precipitation
Shut up about your childhood wet dreams of snow days. Snow is a nasty driving hazard that does nothing but inconvenience the grown ups.
Reading:
Generally, I'm not a fan of horror or suspense stories, as I find they get predictable after a few iterations, but Lovecraft manages to keep surprising you with the tales of the grotesque and supernatural. He writes primarily from the first person point of view, which brings to mind the telling of ghost stories around a campfire. Needless to say, the man's single handed invention of Cthuhlu guaranteed his literary immortality, but his mastery of terror-induced madness deserves an honorable mention as well.
Watching:
One of B.J.'s Christmas gifts was the third movie in the X-Men trilogy. As I hadn't seen the third movie at all, and first two in a while, we spent several pleasant evenings with him introducing me to the movie version of one of his favorite comic books. I have to say that seeing the movies so closely together made me appreciate the difference that a good director makes. Overall, these are good examples of a superhero movie, but I still claim Iron Man as the pinnacle of the genre.
Hearing:
Thanks to a Christmas gift, I was able to pounce on the bonus version of this soundtrack. Featuring a mix of indie pop rock, my only regret is that they didn't include the original version of the Pixies "Here Comes Your Man". (Nothing against Meaghan Smith's cover.) I am now tempted to raid B.J.'s collection of The Smiths for more of the same style.
Smelling:
A gift from my sister in law, this is a refreshing, light scent. Wearing it is an automatic compliment from my husband, and a nice break from the muskier perfumes that I normally wear in the winter.
Loving:
Winter is like childbirth. Summer makes us forget how bitterly cold it gets, which is probably the only reason that the entire country hasn't moved to Florida.
Hating:
Shut up about your childhood wet dreams of snow days. Snow is a nasty driving hazard that does nothing but inconvenience the grown ups.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Survey
Questions about B.J., answered by Amy, and commented on by B.J.
1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?
Her: On the TV, Seinfeld, So You Think You Can Dance, or whatever movie off the AFI top 100 list that we're watching. If TV=his computer, then X-Files or Star Trek
Him: That's a good answer.
2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
Her: Caesar
Him: Caesar.
3. What's one food he doesn't like?
Her: Onions. The man despises onions.
Him: onions (voice of derision) onions
4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order?
Her: Gin and Tonic, but he's been known to order the occasional Blue Moon or scotch.
Him: Gin and Tonic
5. Where did he go to high school?
Her: Patrick Henry High School in Virginia
Him: Patrick Henry High School in Meadowview, VA. Wait, Emery, VA. I forgot. You got it right anyway.
6. What size shoe does he wear?
Her: Eight? I think?
Him: Eight and a half. *censored*
7. (There was no question seven, so we are making one up) Where would he like to spend his time when not at home?
Her: A coffee shop, or the comic book store.
Him: At a coffee shop
8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
Her: The reuben, easily. The only thing that would beat a reuben is a reuben with bacon.
Him: Reuben. Meh on the bacon. The club sandwich would be a close second.
9. What would he eat every day if he could?
Her: Cake.
Him: Hamburger. But cake is good. I was thinking of more substantial foods.
10. What is his favorite cereal?
Her: Captain Crunch with Crunchberries
Him: Captain Crunch. With Crunchberries to be specific. (There's kinds of cereals, there's Captain Crunch, Crunchberries, Peanut Butter Crunch, Christmas Crunch, and Home Run Crunch. There's also the holy trinity of breakfast cereals: Count Chocula the Father, Frankenberry the Son, and Booberry the Holy Ghost.)
11. What would he never wear?
Her: Sandals, particularly flip flops. Not even to take out the garbage.
Him: Sandals and a wife beater.
12. What is his favorite sports team?
Her: The Detroit Redwings
Him: The Detroit Redwings.
13. Who did he vote for?
Her: Dude, nobody's business.
Him: Don't put that.
14. Who is his best friend?
Her: Me, of course. If you're asking about people who aren't me, then it's Jeremiah.
Him: It used to be Shane but he disappeared. Now I think of you.
15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?
Her: I'm a horrible backseat driver. I'm getting better, but he still hates it when I comment on his driving.
Him: *Pleads the fifth, noting that this is a trick question and my answer is correct.*
16. What is his heritage?
Her: Welsh
Him: Welsh, Scots-Irish and Cherokee
17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake?
Her: The kind of cake where you call his mom and ask her to bake it instead of me. Or the kind that they have at the grocery store. (I know he loves red velvet, so I would ask for that kind first.)
Him: Carrot cake, devils food cake, pecan pie (That's not a cake!), red velvet cake, coconut cream cake...
18. Did he play sports in High School?
Her: He played baseball and was way cute in the uniform.
Him: Yes, baseball for two years.
19.What could he spend hours doing?
Her: Reading, writing, or anything involving a bookstore. Also, the comic book store.
Him: *censored* Read comic books.
20.What is one unique talent that he has?
Her: He puts up with me. Nobody else has managed that to date.
Him: I don't have any talents. I can imitate people pretty well.
1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?
Her: On the TV, Seinfeld, So You Think You Can Dance, or whatever movie off the AFI top 100 list that we're watching. If TV=his computer, then X-Files or Star Trek
Him: That's a good answer.
2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
Her: Caesar
Him: Caesar.
3. What's one food he doesn't like?
Her: Onions. The man despises onions.
Him: onions (voice of derision) onions
4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order?
Her: Gin and Tonic, but he's been known to order the occasional Blue Moon or scotch.
Him: Gin and Tonic
5. Where did he go to high school?
Her: Patrick Henry High School in Virginia
Him: Patrick Henry High School in Meadowview, VA. Wait, Emery, VA. I forgot. You got it right anyway.
6. What size shoe does he wear?
Her: Eight? I think?
Him: Eight and a half. *censored*
7. (There was no question seven, so we are making one up) Where would he like to spend his time when not at home?
Her: A coffee shop, or the comic book store.
Him: At a coffee shop
8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
Her: The reuben, easily. The only thing that would beat a reuben is a reuben with bacon.
Him: Reuben. Meh on the bacon. The club sandwich would be a close second.
9. What would he eat every day if he could?
Her: Cake.
Him: Hamburger. But cake is good. I was thinking of more substantial foods.
10. What is his favorite cereal?
Her: Captain Crunch with Crunchberries
Him: Captain Crunch. With Crunchberries to be specific. (There's kinds of cereals, there's Captain Crunch, Crunchberries, Peanut Butter Crunch, Christmas Crunch, and Home Run Crunch. There's also the holy trinity of breakfast cereals: Count Chocula the Father, Frankenberry the Son, and Booberry the Holy Ghost.)
11. What would he never wear?
Her: Sandals, particularly flip flops. Not even to take out the garbage.
Him: Sandals and a wife beater.
12. What is his favorite sports team?
Her: The Detroit Redwings
Him: The Detroit Redwings.
13. Who did he vote for?
Her: Dude, nobody's business.
Him: Don't put that.
14. Who is his best friend?
Her: Me, of course. If you're asking about people who aren't me, then it's Jeremiah.
Him: It used to be Shane but he disappeared. Now I think of you.
15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?
Her: I'm a horrible backseat driver. I'm getting better, but he still hates it when I comment on his driving.
Him: *Pleads the fifth, noting that this is a trick question and my answer is correct.*
16. What is his heritage?
Her: Welsh
Him: Welsh, Scots-Irish and Cherokee
17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake?
Her: The kind of cake where you call his mom and ask her to bake it instead of me. Or the kind that they have at the grocery store. (I know he loves red velvet, so I would ask for that kind first.)
Him: Carrot cake, devils food cake, pecan pie (That's not a cake!), red velvet cake, coconut cream cake...
18. Did he play sports in High School?
Her: He played baseball and was way cute in the uniform.
Him: Yes, baseball for two years.
19.What could he spend hours doing?
Her: Reading, writing, or anything involving a bookstore. Also, the comic book store.
Him: *censored* Read comic books.
20.What is one unique talent that he has?
Her: He puts up with me. Nobody else has managed that to date.
Him: I don't have any talents. I can imitate people pretty well.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Good things about unemployment
I'm in no danger of becoming an Pollyana, but unemployment does have a few benefits.
1. Sleeping in - After months of waking up daily at 5AM, sleeping until 8 feels decadently lazy.
2. Free time around the holidays - My niece is coming down for Thanksgiving, and since I won't be working, I'll have plenty of uninterrupted time to play with her.
3. Lunch with husband - Beej has been coming home every day for lunch. It's a refreshing break to hear how his day is going and talk while it's still light outside.
4. Reading - I have been using my public library again! I'm back to several hundred pages a week, as opposed to what was becoming a habit of a book every couple months.
5. Easy appointments - Now that I have no other commitments, I don't have to squeeze any appointments in. I can schedule them more or less at my leisure.
Now that all that's said, somebody please hire me!
1. Sleeping in - After months of waking up daily at 5AM, sleeping until 8 feels decadently lazy.
2. Free time around the holidays - My niece is coming down for Thanksgiving, and since I won't be working, I'll have plenty of uninterrupted time to play with her.
3. Lunch with husband - Beej has been coming home every day for lunch. It's a refreshing break to hear how his day is going and talk while it's still light outside.
4. Reading - I have been using my public library again! I'm back to several hundred pages a week, as opposed to what was becoming a habit of a book every couple months.
5. Easy appointments - Now that I have no other commitments, I don't have to squeeze any appointments in. I can schedule them more or less at my leisure.
Now that all that's said, somebody please hire me!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
How to Carve a Pumpkin
Step 1: Assemble tools and move breakables out of the way.
Step 3: Make bad jokes about cannibalism
Step 4: Collect innards and separate out seeds for flicking at each other.
Step 5: Begin to carve.
Step 6: Light!
Step 2: Disembowel the pumpkin.
Step 4: Collect innards and separate out seeds for flicking at each other.
Step 5: Begin to carve.
Step 6: Light!
Step 7: Make allusions to Count Von Count from Sesame Street and Harry Potter having inappropriate relations.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Due Process
I wanted to write a new blog entry, but all I can think about is how sensitive adults can be.
That and the Manson murders.
That and the Manson murders.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The Mandarin Game
A couple days ago, I remembered a diversity training game that we played when I was in RA training. It was called the Mandarin Game.
It's set up with everybody sitting in a circle. (When we played, it was a big circle, with easily sixty people.) The premise is that there is a little old Mandarin Chinese man somewhere in the world. As the jury, the group must decide what the Mandarin's life is worth. As the game progresses the criteria changes. The Mandarin goes from a middle aged healthy rich man to an old man on death's door. The rewards for killing him include everything from world peace to global financial stability.
If you make it through the game without deciding to kill the man, an envelope is read, telling you that the man was one who would cure all diseases and bring peace to the world. By killing him, you would have had peace, but under the rule of a cruel totalitarian.
I was remembering how much I hated the ending to that game.
For me, the ultimate flaw is that ending. It was the slap in the face to people who'd decided that world peace was worth ending the pain of a man who would die in a week anyway. I remember a sophomore telling about a family member in the army and pleading with the group to think of the lives that would be saved instead of the one who was lost. I remember feeling smug because I'd done the "Christian" thing and argued to not kill the man. (Ironic, since Christianity is based on one guy taking the fall for everyone.)
Most of all, I hate it when you teach that diversity has a right and a wrong answer.
It's set up with everybody sitting in a circle. (When we played, it was a big circle, with easily sixty people.) The premise is that there is a little old Mandarin Chinese man somewhere in the world. As the jury, the group must decide what the Mandarin's life is worth. As the game progresses the criteria changes. The Mandarin goes from a middle aged healthy rich man to an old man on death's door. The rewards for killing him include everything from world peace to global financial stability.
If you make it through the game without deciding to kill the man, an envelope is read, telling you that the man was one who would cure all diseases and bring peace to the world. By killing him, you would have had peace, but under the rule of a cruel totalitarian.
I was remembering how much I hated the ending to that game.
For me, the ultimate flaw is that ending. It was the slap in the face to people who'd decided that world peace was worth ending the pain of a man who would die in a week anyway. I remember a sophomore telling about a family member in the army and pleading with the group to think of the lives that would be saved instead of the one who was lost. I remember feeling smug because I'd done the "Christian" thing and argued to not kill the man. (Ironic, since Christianity is based on one guy taking the fall for everyone.)
Most of all, I hate it when you teach that diversity has a right and a wrong answer.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Quote:
"Doesn't matter what the press says. Doesn't matter what the politicians or the mobs say. Doesn't matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right. This nation was founded on one principle above all else: the requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or consequences. When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth and tell the whole world - "No. You move."
-Captain America to Spiderman
-Captain America to Spiderman
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